In this special anniversary episode of Reading & Ranting, Karly & Mia are celebrating their one-year milestone by diving into a spoiler-free discussion of When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker, a beautifully crafted fantasy romance novel that captivated them with its beautiful prose, stabby FMC, and sexy new book boyfriend of the week. And did we mention… dragons?

In honor of a year since launching this podcast, the girls are discussing the hard work, dedication, and countless hours that have gone into creating R&R content for you. Between the rewarding moments that have made it all worthwhile and the challenges they’ve faced along the way (see their Strava miles trying to find working mics on the streets of NYC), the girls have big dreams for the future of Reading & Ranting. Happy reading besties and thanks for listening!

Fantasy romance books… we know them, we love them, and they’re great for escapism but sometimes… things just get cringe. Mia & Karly are talking about those moments that break the spellbinding world building and give them the ick—like “lactic acid” existing in Prythian. And let’s not forget: does anyone need a character named Thad in romantasy or any book for that matter? Didn’t think so.

Plus, Karly’s got some big news: she’s leaving her first "big girl job" for a new opportunity! The girls chat about career moves, why job hopping is the ultimate promotion strategy, and how burnout can push you to make a change. With tips on navigating the corporate world, the hell that is the job market, they’re here to say you’ve got to be your own biggest advocate.

In today’s episode, the girls are diving into one of their favorite author’s novels, Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Between exploring the book’s underlying themes of familial relationships and self-discovery, memorable side characters, and romance that develops between the shelves of a bookstore (the dream), Emily Henry yet again does not disappoint. Spoiler warning: the girls discuss the plot points in detail so beware!

However, for today’s rant, the girls are getting into a topic they’ve never discussed before: the world of workout routines. Between everyone on TikTok arguing what’s the best workout for women (Pilates, lifting, HIIT, running???) there’s so much discourse and frankly it’s overwhelming. Karly is busy trying to figure out what routine works for her and Mia is just trying to recover from her bicep curl to panic attack pipeline in the middle of guy-dominated Gold’s Gym. Happy reading besties!