RAD Reading
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratingsRAD reading is a bookish podcast where the R stands for refresh and the D stands for discover and where two book-loving friends with very different tastes try to help YOU do those two things for your reading life. Join Roni Loren, a bestselling romance author, and Dawn Alexander, an indie editor, as they tackle reading roadblocks, give their best bookish tips, and of course, recommend all the great reads that have kept them turning the pages that week.
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Episodes
Our Favorite Books of 2022
December 30, 2022 06:01 - 1 hour - 97.8 MBIt’s time for our best books of the year episode! We also have an announcement about the podcast and Roni has a new book coming out. Join us for the end-of-the-year fun! Highlights: An announcement about the podcast Noticing the themes of our favorite books this year The genres that worked and didn’t work for us this year Roni loves a book statistic and she found some surprises about her reading life this year Our favorite romances Dawn’s dark darkness Yes, Roni uses quarter stars ...
Women’s Fiction with Guest Author Sierra Godfrey
October 28, 2022 05:01 - 49 minutes - 67.6 MBToday, we welcome Sierra Godfrey, author of A Very Typical Family, to talk about Women’s Fiction. Is it a genre? What does that category mean? Can it have romance in it? Does it have to have a certain kind of ending? We answer those questions and more. Then we’re giving our best women’s fiction recommendations! Highlights: Something in Sierra’s author bio already has Dawn nervous The challenge of writing sibling stories as an only child Women’s Fiction and what does that mean exactly R...
Let's Get Spooky: October's Read/Watch/Listen Recs
October 14, 2022 05:01 - 58 minutes - 80.4 MBEpisode Summary: It’s that time of year again! Light the pumpkin-scented candle, get a bowl of your favorite Halloween candy, and turn on a stormy night soundtrack to set the mood. Today, we’re bringing you the best scary (from Roni) and gently spooky (from Dawn) things we’ve read, watched, and listened to lately. Highlights: Why Dawn can’t go to the movies in October Reading slumps are the worst Roni tried a new method to tackle her giant TBR pile and it worked! A book that was on Ro...
Roni's Birthday Episode + Our 1-Year Podcast Anniversary!
September 30, 2022 05:01 - 52 minutes - 71.5 MBToday, we’re celebrating Roni’s birthday by talking about the books that influenced her as a reader. Then, Dawn is gifting Roni with a stack of book recommendations tailored to her tastes. Plus, we’re celebrating our 1-year podcast anniversary! Come and join our bookish party! Highlights: Our little baby podcast is now one year old! Roni’s embarrassing TBR confession We get wistful about the Scholastic book fair flyer Team Babysitters Club vs Team Sweet Valley High A book that gutted ...
Unlikable Heroines with (Likable) Guest Author Pippa Grant
September 16, 2022 05:01 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBUSA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling author Pippa Grant is joining us today to talk about unlikable heroines and why they need love too. Plus, we get to hear a little about her romantic comedies! (Fair warning: this talk is more PG-13 than some of our others so don’t listen with kiddos in the car.) Highlights: Unlikable heroines need love too Not all things marketed as romantic comedy are true comedy Pippa’s got a new release coming called Irresistible Trouble Dawn and Roni have their R...
Don’t You Forget About Me: Stories Told in Alternative Formats
September 02, 2022 05:01 - 1 hour - 93.7 MBSometimes we get so focused on the traditional novel that we forget that stories come in all different types of formats and structures. This week, we’re giving those kinds of stories the spotlight. Join us as we recommend graphic novels, anthologies, short stories, novels with creative formats, and some truly wacky things Dawn found at the bookstore! Highlights: Reading is reading and don’t let anyone tell you format dictates whether something counts Roni gets on her reading soapbox at a...
Gearing Up for Fall with Paranormal Reads
August 19, 2022 05:01 - 1 hour - 83.5 MBIt’s too hot here in Texas so today we’re dreaming about Fall and sharing a BIG list of paranormal reads to add to your TBR. We’ve got vampires and witches and shifters, oh my! Plus, you know Dawn is bringing dragons and Roni's going to talk too much about Buffy. We’re also talking about how the trend of paranormals has waxed and waned over the decades and how it seems to be coming back after a dormant period. And we’re so here for it! Highlights: Seasonal reading - our versions of it R...
Mini-episode: A Summer Reading Check-in with Roni
August 05, 2022 05:01 - 7 minutes - 6.58 MBWe've both got COVID, y'all. Ugh! So this week we've got a mini-episode with just me (Roni) because Dawn got hit with Covid harder and needs to rest. I'm sharing an update about my summer reading, and I want to hear how yours is going as well! Highlights: How's my summer book cart working out? (spoiler: things are not going well, y'all.) An app that I'm loving for my book journaling A change in my reading habits that I didn't expect Mentioned in the episode: The journaling app I'm lovi...
Dawn's Special Birthday Episode + Book Bonanza!
July 22, 2022 05:00 - 50 minutes - 70 MBEpisode Summary: It’s Dawn’s birthday week! Today, we’re going to celebrate Dawn with an episode dedicated to the books she loves. First, she’s bringing us a list of books that she credits with making her into a reader. Then, Roni is “gifting” Dawn with three book recommendations that are tailor-made for her. Plus, we’re bringing you a recap from our fabulous weekend at the Book Bonanza conference! Join us for the birthday bash! Highlights: Our Book Bonanza conference recap Dawn the De...
July's Read/Watch/Listen Recs
July 08, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 86.6 MBToday, we’re sharing the best things we’ve read, watched, and listened to over the last month—along with a few books that didn’t quite work for us. Plus, we’re celebrating Roni’s new book release! Highlights: Roni has a new book out! Get your copy of For You & No One Else If you’re at the Book Bonanza conference this weekend, stop by Roni’s table and say hi to both of us! Roni had a great reading month, Dawn…not so much Our favorite print reads this month An element Dawn loves in a bo...
Get Swept Away: Books That Transport You
June 24, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBA great book can sweep you away, but some books really take you on a trip. Today, we’re talking about books that transport you either to another place or transport you through time (because one of us is kind of obsessed with time travel/time loop stories.) So grab your suitcase or your flux capacitor and join us! Highlights: Cheap travel via books Australian listeners, please reassure us there aren’t giant man-eating spiders everywhere Our favorite book settings Roni wants to read summ...
Romance Author Taylor Lunsford + Our Favorite Books on Writing
June 10, 2022 05:01 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBEpisode Summary: Today we welcome romance author Taylor Lunsford, who is sharing some of her favorite romantic books with us, and then we’re doing a special segment for those of you who may want to try writing your own book this summer. Join us as we get a little nerdy and share our favorite books on writing! Highlights: We welcome Taylor Lunsford, author of the upcoming romance You’ve Got Matches Fan-fiction as an entrance ramp to writing The joys and pitfalls of online dating Roni’s...
The Summer Reading Extravaganza!
May 27, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 91.1 MBEpisode Summary: It’s one of the best bookish times of the year—summer reading season! Today, we’re giving you our best picks to add to your poolside stack, whether you’re looking for traditional breezy beach reads or something a little darker to keep you turning the pages. Highlights: Does our reading change during summer? Roni got herself in trouble with summer reading lists and her library holds Our easy breezy summer pics The book Roni was able to read at a NASCAR race and not be ...
Casual Friday with Bookish Friends
May 13, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 51.4 MBToday, we’re keeping it casual and having our first guests over to share their best book recommendations! Join us as we welcome indie editor Jessica Snyder and mystery writer Stacy Woodson. Expect some great romance, mystery, and suspense recommendations! Also, Roni has a number of books that she didn’t know quite how to rate because…reasons. Highlights: Meet our guests! Dawn is giving her visitors the full Texas experience Roni admits she used to line dance Books that are hard to rate...
Freaky Friday: We've accidentally swapped reading tastes!
April 29, 2022 05:00 - 57 minutes - 79.2 MBEpisode Summary: It’s a Freaky Friday! Dawn and Roni have accidentally swapped reading tastes this week. Roni is recommending suspense novels, true crime books, and true-crime documentaries. Dawn has all the romantic picks–including a subgenre she never reads. Also, we have some more library tips to share! Highlights: We had a library adventure and Dawn is now the proud owner of a non-resident library card Roni is officially hoarding library cards Ways to get extra library cards in tot...
A Matter of Taste - Bad Book or Just Not for You?
April 15, 2022 05:00 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MBLearning your personal reading tastes is one of the best ways to enhance your reading life. Today we’re talking about the difference between a “bad” book and a book that’s just not for you (or not for you right now.) Plus, we’re giving examples of books that fall into those categories for us along with our RAD Reading recs of the week! Highlights: To read reviews or not to read reviews Roni’s trying something new with book reviews Dawn is not allowed to be on TikTok Where we look for b...
The Books That Tricked Us
April 01, 2022 05:00 - 52 minutes - 72.4 MBEpisode Summary In honor of April Fool’s Day, we’re talking about the ways books can trick you—the good and the bad—and sharing the books that tricked us! WARNING: Because of some of the bookish topics, this isn't an episode to listen to with your kids in the car. ;) Highlights: The worst prank Dawn experienced Why Roni can’t hear the 80s song “Don’t Treat Me Bad” without having prank flashbacks Good twists vs. bad twists Books that switch genres on you Misleading book covers Secon...
March's Read/Watch/Listen Recommendations
March 18, 2022 05:00 - 41 minutes - 56.7 MBIt’s been a while since one of our Read/Watch/Listen episodes, so now we have a big list of TV shows, movies, audiobooks, playlists, and yes, books to share with you today! Highlights: Calling a podcast audible Reading slumps Roni is horrified by what her dog’s favorite treat is made out of Stress levels and how they affect what type of reading we do Books that make us clean out closets What would be a cry for help from Dawn? Did Amy Adams channel Meg Ryan? Dawn’s interesting mov...
Take My Money Please: Autobuy Authors
March 04, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutes - 67.9 MBToday is all about the autobuy authors. We love finding autobuys, but we can also get stuck in a rut, only reading our sure things. Join us as we tackle the pros and cons of autobuy authors and then share a list of our favorite autobuys. And warning, technology and Roni’s puppy hated us this episode, so expect some bloopers in the middle and some outtakes at the end. Highlights: Texas ice sucks Roni’s 6-month writing sabbatical Puppies eating post-it notes What is an autobuy author Wh...
Reading on a Budget
February 18, 2022 06:00 - 50 minutes - 69.7 MBThere’s nothing wrong with wanting ALL the books. Give us all the books! Unfortunately, very few of us have an unlimited book budget. So today we’re sharing our best tips on how to keep your TBR piled high without having to dig for quarters in your couch cushions. Highlights: When we use the phrase “at least it’s not drugs” and reference Scrooge McDuck right out of the gate Roni and pandemic book buying Why libraries are awesome and how to use yours to its fullest Dawn the book thief ...
We've Only Just Begun: Our Favorite Series Starters
February 04, 2022 06:00 - 57 minutes - 78.3 MBIt’s all about book series today! We're defining the different types of series, talking about why we love reading them, and then we’re giving our favorite series starter books. Let’s do this! Highlights: To series read or not to series read Connected series vs. continuing series Duets and trilogies Shared world series Roni remembers a book she forgot she wrote Dawn makes friends in parking lots with people pulling things out of their trunks Series and fandoms and which fandom Roni ...
On Reading for Mental Health + Trigger Warnings
January 21, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 91.3 MBEpisode Summary: This week we’re chatting about how books can help our mental health, the kinds of books that work best for us when we’re feeling anxious or down, and we’re discussing the practice of putting trigger warnings in books. Also, we have our RAD Reading Recs of the week plus a few bonus picks! Spoiler Alert: Spoiler for the book The Push by Ashley Audrain at 42:55, skip ahead one minute to 43:55 mark if you don’t want a spoiler. Highlights: Roni got a puppy and is feeling loo...
Get It Together in 2022: Our Favorite Planners & Self-Improvement Books
January 07, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBIt’s that time of year, and we’re so here for it. Join us as we get all ourselves together for 2022. We’re sharing which planners we’re using to set goals and organize our year, and then we’re recommending our favorite self-improvement books for improving your home life, reducing distractions, getting control of your time, and boosting your creativity. We've got a long list! Plus, as always, we’ll be sharing our RAD Recs of the week. Highlights: We’ve both ditched the planners we’ve used ...
Let's Get Nerdy: Setting 2022 Reading Challenges & Goals
December 31, 2021 06:00 - 51 minutes - 71.3 MBIt’s one of our favorite times of the year—time to set new reading goals and challenges for 2022! Roni is sharing the many nerdy reading challenges that she’s tackling this coming year, and Dawn is firmly anti-challenge but has chosen some goals to enhance her reading year. Also, as always, we have our RAD reading recs of the week! Highlights: One of us declares New Year’s their favorite holiday The difference between a reading challenge and a reading goal Can you count a DNF in a readin...
The Best of the Best: Our Top Reads of 2021
December 17, 2021 06:00 - 56 minutes - 77.1 MBWho doesn’t love a “Best of” book list? Join us today as we share our top reads of 2021! Highlights: Roni shares her nerdy, detailed reading statistics and the spreadsheet she used to track them Roni’s most successful book recommendation source Our favorite thrillers of the year Our favorite contemporary romances of the year Roni’s favorite historical romances Giving audiobooks a chance and Roni’s faves Our favorite fantasy books of the year Roni’s favorite memoirs and essay collec...
Buying Books for Others + Our Favorite Bookish Gifts
December 10, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 97.5 MBBooks can make fantastic holiday gifts (obviously!) but knowing how to buy the right book for someone in your life can be harder than it looks. Today we’re tackling the challenge of buying books for others and sharing our best tips. And we also have a Santa-worthy list of our favorite bookish gifts. Oh, and you’re totally allowed to buy all of these things for yourself if you have no bookish person to buy for in your life. We won’t tell. ;) Highlights: Gift-giving is a love language and on...
What-to-Read Decision Fatigue + the Secret to Reading Reviews
December 03, 2021 06:00 - 56 minutes - 76.9 MBThe What to Read decision fatigue is real, y’all. Join us today as we talk about some practical (and some bonkers!) ways to pick your next book, how to choose what's next if you’re a mood reader, and what to do if you keep picking up books you don’t like. Also, we’re giving you insider tips on how to read those Amazon and Goodreads reviews because all is not as it seems at first glance! Oh, and there’s an incident with an umbrella. Highlights: The decision fuel tank and Roni melting down ...
November's Read/Watch/Listen Recommendations
November 26, 2021 06:00 - 51 minutes - 70.9 MBIt’s time for our November round-up of all the great things we’ve been reading, watching, or listening to this month. Highlights: We took a used bookstore field trip and ended up in very different aisles Roni reads a book Dawn recommended on the podcast and Dawn reads one of Roni’s recs Roni feels slightly betrayed Trigger warnings involving spiders who wear top hats A movie that gives a character a perfect goal to strive for A TV show about a writer Roni needs a hotter Darkling A...
Shameless Reading - Liking What You Like + Our Shameless Recs
November 19, 2021 06:00 - 56 minutes - 78.1 MBThis week we’re talking about dropping reader shame and reading what you want to read. Plus, we’re giving our top shameless reading recs! Make sure the kids aren’t in the room for this one, y’all. ;) Join us and read shameless! Highlights: The language/terms used to shame readers about certain types of books Roni gets on her soapbox about the word “cheesy” How genres read primarily by women are often shamed the most Shame about book covers, titles, taboos, and uncomfortable topics Se...
Fuzzy Sock Books: Reading for Comfort
November 12, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 106 MBGrab your fuzzy socks, cozy blanket, and a cup of something warm. Today is all about fuzzy sock books, AKA comfort reading. We’re talking about the types of books that lend themselves best to comfort reading, sharing cozy bookish activities, and then giving you a pile of recommendations to snuggle up with, including our RAD recs of the week! Also, Roni gets somewhat electrocuted while recording...so that happened. 0_0 Highlights: Our favorite comfort reading categories The odd things we ...
Distraction Detox: Less Screen Time, More Reading Time
November 05, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 111 MBDo you find yourself picking up your phone instead of picking up a book or your e-reader? Yeah, us too. Today we tackle how to tame all that screen time so we can get more reading time, especially during the busy holiday season. We’ll also discuss how the type of book you pick up can make all the difference. And as usual, we’ll have a pile of reading recs for you! Highlights: This is our reading brains on smartphones The power of Do Not Disturb How to reclaim reading time in a screen ti...
They All Float - Our Best Halloween Recs
October 29, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 132 MBHappy Halloween! This week Roni freaks out Dawn with her scary book and movie picks (and episode title) and Dawn offers recommendations for those who prefer their Halloween on the gentler side. It’s a long one, y’all! We’ve got a pile of recs for you, including suspense, horror, true crime, and paranormal romance. Grab a bag of Halloween candy and join us! Highlights: The controversial episode title Our best suspense recs We can’t pronounce author names Roni’s crush on a loveable (fict...
October's Read/Watch/Listen Recommendations
October 22, 2021 05:00 - 58 minutes - 80.9 MBThis week we’re giving you all of our favorites of the month! Join us as we share the books, audiobooks, TV shows, and movies that have gotten our highest marks. Highlights: Dawn recs lots of books with shirtless man covers Roni recs a steamy one with a deceiving cover Roni’s go to comfort read when she’s buried in revisions Dawn tries to get Roni to understand superheroes A documentary Roni couldn’t resist Roni’s audiobook recs Why 70s/80s country songs probably messed us up Dawn’...
Making Your Own Reading Journal (AKA Fun with Office Supplies)
October 15, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBWe love upgrading our reading lives, so this week we’re talking about one of our favorite ways to enhance the reading experience--creating our own reading journals! Plus, as always, we’re giving our RAD Reading Recs of the week. Highlights: Why Dawn’s teen journals got her grounded The basics of a reading/book journal Private journals vs. Goodreads Roni avoiding awkward book signings What Dawn said that made Roni clutch her pearls Unexpected benefits of a reading journal Dawn’s epip...
Feeling All the Fall Feels - Seasonal Reading & Book Recs
October 08, 2021 05:00 - 56 minutes - 77 MBFall is here! This week we’re talking about whether or not we’re seasonal readers and how to enhance those autumnal vibes with your reading choices. We’re also bringing you a big stack of book recommendations! Roni’s got a pile of recs from one of her very favorite micro-genres: dark academia & campus novels. And Dawn is bringing the heat with sexy football-themed romances and some fun seasonal rom-coms. Come feel all the Fall feels with us! Highlights: To Pumpkin Spice Latte or not? Whic...
The Life-Changing Magic of the DNF (Did Not Finish)
October 01, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 52.6 MBOur first episode! Join us as we talk about our vision for the podcast, preview our weekly bookish themes, and then jump into our topic of the week--the life-changing magic of not finishing a book you’re not enjoying. And make sure you stay until the end to get our RAD Reading Book Recommendations of the week! Highlights: A sneak peek of our four weekly themes The “I used to be a reader” struggle Why being a chronic finisher can be roadblock to a happy reading life Reasons it’s so hard ...
Welcome to RAD Reading!
September 21, 2021 19:57 - 55 seconds - 1.26 MBA little something about what's coming. Full episodes starting soon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.