The Venn diagram between Flashback Summer and Sad Girl Summer is overlapping! We read Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. For our discussion we were joined by a very cool sad girl, Theresa Okokon (@Ohh.Jeezzz), the author of Who I Always Was and cohost of Stories from the Stage. By the way, if you haven’t gotten around to reading this one before–it is actually good and we are actually spoiling the heck out of it. You’ve been warned. (And if you have read it: then you know you should have a box of tissues handy for this episode.) Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia Newbery Medal Acceptance speech “Katie Ledecky ‘breaks’ Olympic male gold medalist in practice” by Nick Zaccardi Coming up next: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

Can you believe that in all our years of podcasting, we’ve never done the very first Baby-Sitters Club book? Well, now we’re flashing all the way back to 1986, when Kristy Thomas first got the gang together. We were joined by Jess & Rach of Book Trivia Podcast to discuss Kristy’s Great Idea (Baby-Sitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin. Listen to this episode on your next endless drive through Connecticut. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Book Trivia Podcast episode on Kristy’s Great Idea Episode 53 – The Baby-sitters Club Episode 152 – Mallory and the Trouble With Twins Episode 174 – Baby-sitters’ Summer Vacation! Episode 175 – Claudia and Mean Janine Episode 176 – Karen’s Plane Trip Episode 177 – Baby-Sitters Beware Episode 246 – Stacey and the Bad Girls Coming up next: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

Are you melting in the summer heat wave? Well, why don’t you join us for a Flashback Summer trip back to the winter of 1864? Bundle up in your best furs, because we read Changes for Kirsten by Janet Beeler Shaw. We were joined by Mary Mahoney (@MimiMahoney), co-author of Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl, former co-host of the Dolls of our Lives podcast, and current host of the Landline podcast. Whatever you do, do not let a baby raccoon into your house while listening to this episode. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode #76 – American Girl Childhood Nostalgia: A Collection of Pleasant Company and American Girl Catalogues Minnesota Historical Society MNopedia Coming up next: Kristy’s Great Idea (Baby-Sitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin.

  Flashback Summer is getting mildly spooky! We read The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe with Sara Farizan, author of several books of varying spookiness levels including the upcoming The Last Resort: Ghost Light. While listening to your episode, please keep an eye on your pets to make sure they don’t get into any chocolate! Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode #126 – Bunnicula Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine on Chocolate Toxicity James Howe on Wikipedia Mark Davis and James Howe wedding announcement Coming up next: Changes for Kirsten by Janet Beeler Shaw.

Flashback Summer continues as we journey 400 Turns into the past with Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. Paul from the That Aged Well podcast joined us to discuss the oft-requested Dragonriders of Pern series. Listen to this episode while you weave a beautiful tapestry of flamethrowers. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Mahna Mahna Coming up next: The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe.

  Flashback Summer is kicking off with a Code Green: LEPrecon alert! We read Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer with our returning guest Mackenzi Lee, author of of many books including Teela: Daughter of Eternos. If this book is Die Hard with fairies, then this episode is technically a Christmas special. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Artemis Fowl on Wikipedia Coming up next: Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey.

  The whole internet has been talking about Adult Braces by Lindy West, so we decided to join the conversation. And who better to join us than Friend of the Show Margaret H. Willison (@MrsFridayNext)? You can find Margaret at Culture Study and you can find us in Key West, petting Ernest Hemingway’s polydactyl cats. Listen now to find out our legally binding ruling on whether or not Lindy West needs a divorce! Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Love Letters: Meredith & Margaret on Lindy West’s Adult Braces “Lindy West’s How-Not-To Guide to Polyamory” by Scaachi Koul AMA: Nonmonogamy Edition from Lindy West’s Substack The Lindy West Deep Dive from Ashley Ray’s Substack “Big Love” from Jennifer Weiner’s Substack Ijeoma Oluo on Threads Coming up next: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.

  May the 4th be with you! (If you’re listening to this on the day it comes out! If not: may the Force be with you.) In honor of this faux Star Wars holiday, we read Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry. We were joined by writer and Star Wars enthusiast Nanci Schwartz to discuss this story that’s more than a video game and less than a movie. Many Bothans died to bring you this episode. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode 173 – The Courtship of Princess Leia The Birth of Cheesoid Gungans and Daddies: All That Jizz Coming up next: Adult Braces by Lindy West.

We’re crawling out of our coffins and we’re doing just fine. We were joined by Rebecca Mahoney, author of Thrall, to discuss The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. Please do not play this episode in the presence of Akasha, Queen of the Damned–the audio waves will only agitate her. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Thrall Book Launch event at Porter Square Books on April 24th Episode 125 – Interview With the Vampire Savage Garden on Wikipedia Lestat the Musical Coming up next: Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry.

  Two of the greatest minds of our generation, Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan, have joined forces to give the world this extremely mid book: Remain. Fortunately, we were joined by the delightful Annie Cardi, author of Winter White, for a walk to remember through Cape Cod, led by a beautiful ghost whose purpose on earth is to teach an entitled man how to do basic chores. Listen to this episode while you research property law. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode 25 – True Believer Episode 70 – The Notebook Tate Donovan on IMDB Rocky on Wikipedia Coming up next: The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.