Kris and Mads

• 🎡 OUR 27-WEEK TBR WHEEL CHALLENGE — What We Read, Loved, Hated & Learned

  Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/krisandmadsFor the past 6 months we’ve been doing something wild: committing to read every single book on our physical TBRs using our TBR Wheel. Today we’re breaking down the entire experience — the highs, the lows, the surprises, and whether we’d ever do this again. 👀📚Grab a drink, settle in, and let’s talk about the chaotic journey of sticking to a wheel that does not care about our moods.Shout out to @dylanjosephwrites for inspiring this journey! Timestamps 00:00 intro 01:28 Where did the Wheel come from03:34 The rules 05:05 Biggest disappointments 15:07 What we learned 20:41 tbr wheel disrupters 26:01 biggest challenges 29:49 Wins40:16 books that were the biggest surprises 01:01:15 Would we do a wheel againBooks mentioned Onyx StormRebecca Yarros Prophet Songby Paul LynchHer Majesties Royal Coven by Juno DawsonThe Bombshell By Darrow Far A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor TowlesKatabasis By R. F. Kuag A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. PeckThe Library at Mount Char  by Scott HawkinsThe Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark LawrenceOf Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. ArmentroutThe Spellshop by Sarah Beth DurstNot in Love By Ali HazelwoodAtmosphere By Taylor Jenkins Reid Finding GraceBy Loretta Rothschild Wild Dark Shoreby Charlotte McConaghySIlvercloak By L. K. StevenBurry our Bones in the Midnight SoilV. E. Schwab Fallen City By Adrien Young The Strength of the FewBy James Islington Gifted and Talented By Olivia Blake This is How You Loose the Tme Warby Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneUnreasonable hHospitality by Will GuidaraThe Knight and the Moth Rachel GilligBreaking the Habit of Being Yourself By Joe Dispenza WellnessBy Nathan Hill Fairytale By Stephen KingPachinkoby Min Jin LeeAn Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirDeath of the Author Nnedi OkoraforThe Unselected Journals of Emma M LionBy Beth BrowerGideon the Ninthby Tamsyn MuirThe Lost QueenBy Signe PikeThe Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le GuinThe Dead Romantics By Ashley Poston Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]: https://www.tiktok.com/@kris.and.madsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisandmadsAll our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:https://www.youtube.com/@SeeRayHardly#BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books

  --------  

  1:06:22

  --------

  1:06:22
• Our INSANE “10 Before the End” TBR… That’s Actually 20+ Books

  Welcome back, book lovers! Today’s episode is the MOTHER of all TBR lists — our most over-ambitious, chaotic, and exciting reading plans of the entire year. Most people do a “10 Before the End” reading challenge… but we blew right past ten and kept going. These are all the books we’re trying to finish in the next 6 weeks before we hit 2026, and honestly? Our best book of the year might be hiding somewhere in these stacks. From fantasy epics to romance series to backlist bucket-list reads, we’re covering everything we're desperate to read before the new year.We also share what’s coming up on the podcast before year’s end, now is the perfect time to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can join our Patreon read-and-watch club:   / krisandmadssisterhood  Have a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music, which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  TIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro02:27 Bridgerton Series — Julia Quinn05:03 The Dandelion Dynasty — Ken Liu07:49 The Empire Trilogy — Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts09:41 The Lost Queen Series — Signe Pike10:33 The Neapolitan Quartet — Elena Ferrante12:43 Chestnut Springs Series — Elsie Silver16:26 The Devoured Worlds Trilogy — Megan E. O’Keefe17:33 The Tawny Man Trilogy — Robin Hobb18:56 Holly — Adalyn Grace20:05 Daughter of the Otherworld — Shauna Lawless21:12 The Strength of the Few — James Islington21:34 Mara, Daughter of the Nile — Eloise Jarvis McGraw22:17 Wild Dark Shore — Charlotte McConaghy22:26 Poems & Prayers — Matthew McConaughey23:22 Maddie’s TBR Wheel26:36 Kristen’s TBR Wheel29:16 What we’re reading with our book club in Nov/Dec#BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #TBR #EndOfYearTBR #10BeforeTheEnd #BookTubePodcast #BookTokPodcast #ReadingChallenge2025 #FantasyBooks #RomanceBooks #BestBooksOfTheYear #BookRecommendations #ReadersOfYouTube #BookClubReads #MustReadBooks #EpicFantasy #CozyReading #PatreonBookClub #SisterhoodBookClub #BookishPodcast #BookContentCreators #NewYearReadingChallenge

  --------  

  35:49

  --------

  35:49
• Fonda Lee : Green Bone Saga, Bruce Lee’s Daughter, and Her 2026 Cyberpunk Samurai Standalone

  This episode is SPOILER-FREE!!! Connect with Fonda Lee: https://www.fondalee.com/Enjoy this highly anticipated conversation with Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga — one of the most iconic modern fantasy trilogies of our time (Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy). In this episode, we dive deep into her storytelling process, worldbuilding, and the powerful themes behind her unforgettable characters and cinematic action scenes.Fonda also shares how she was approached for an incredible collaboration with Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee, to co-create a YA duology called Breathmarked — with book two set to release in 2026. And for fans of sci-fi and cyberpunk, we get a sneak peek at her upcoming adult standalone novel, The Last Contract of Isako — a futuristic samurai story releasing in 2026 that promises to blend everything we love about her sharp, sparse, and emotionally charged storytelling.This was a dream interview for us as long-time fans of the Green Bone Saga. If you love fantasy, sci-fi, epic worldbuilding, and powerful character-driven stories, you don’t want to miss this one.Timestamps00:00 Intro00:59 Two Truths and a Lie with Fonda Lee04:52 How far did the Green Bone Saga get as a screen adaptation?05:58 How did the Green Bone Saga come to be?12:27 Was it always going to be a trilogy?14:00 Heroism and moral ambiguity in the Green Bone Saga22:04 Family obligation and identity in the Green Bone Saga26:20 Tradition vs. progress in the Green Bone Saga31:03 How the new covers reflect the vibe and cinematic tone of the trilogy34:54 Sex and romance in the Green Bone Saga39:34 The difference between Fonda Lee’s YA and Adult books41:46 Co-writing Breath of the Dragon with Shannon Lee44:51 The themes of the Breathmarked Duology49:52 Breath of the Dragon works for adult and young adult readers51:33 The collaboration process with Shannon Lee56:05 NEXT BOOK! A cyberpunk samurai standalone: The Last Contract of Isako 📚 Books Mentioned:Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy — The Green Bone SagaBreathmarked (YA duology with Shannon Lee)The Last Contract of Isako (coming 2026)Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #FondaLee #GreenBoneSaga #FantasyBooks #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #Breathmarked #TheLastContractofIsako #FantasyReaders #BookTube #SciFiFantasy

  --------  

  1:03:25

  --------

  1:03:25
• Season 2 Begins! 16 Books, One Reread, So Many Opinions, NO SPOILERS!

  Join our Patreon read-and-watch club here: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodWelcome to Season 2 of The Kris and Mads Podcast! We’re kicking things off with a massive October reading wrap-up — 16 books across fantasy, sci-fi, romance, horror, and literary fiction. Every review in this episode is completely spoiler-free, so you can listen without fear that we'll wreck the book for ya.Between us, we read everything from classics like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to award winners like Stay True by Hua Hsu — and yes, one book was so good we had to reread it. Whether you’re hunting for your next five-star read, looking to discover hidden gems, or just love hearing passionate book talk, this episode is for you.In this episode:• Honest, spoiler-free reviews of 16 books we read in October• Genre-spanning recommendations for every kind of reader• The reread that lived up to the hype• Cozy fall reading vibes and lots of laughterTell us in the comments what you read in October and which of these books you’ve either already picked up or are adding to your TBR!Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:57 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley09:56 The Compound by Aisling Rawle13:48 Dissolution by Nicholas Binge20:02 The Fractured Dark by Megan E. O’Keefe22:54 The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare26:29 The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence30:04 A Short Stay in Hell by Steven Peck34:22 Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara36:41 Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild45:42 The Will of the Many by James Islington50:13 Madhouse Promenade by ‪@lynmoore_‬ 54:30 Upgrade by Blake Crouch59:56 Stay True by Hua Hsu01:04:09 Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry01:08:35 The Grace of Kings by Ken LiuSubscribe to The Kris and Mads Podcast for weekly book discussions, author interviews, and spoiler-free reviews every Tuesday!Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music, which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #BookPodcast #ReadingWrapUp #BookRecommendations #OctoberBooks #BookTube #PodcastForReaders #SpoilerFreeReviews #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #RomanceBooks #BookTok #BookishPodcast #BestBooks2025 #TBRList #BookReviewPodcast #TheKrisAndMadsPodcast #WhatToReadNext #FallReading #BookLovers #BookCommunity

  --------  

  1:15:37

  --------

  1:15:37
• Our Season 1 Wrapped! - Favorite Moments, Guests & What’s Next!

  Welcome to our Season 1 finale of The Kris and Mads Podcast!We’re wrapping up an unforgettable first season with a full breakdown of our year — think of it as our Spotify Wrapped, but for the podcast. 💫In this episode, we’re celebrating everything that’s made this season so special:• 14 incredible authors we had the honor to interview• 18 fellow creators we’ve collaborated with• Our most popular episodes and behind-the-scenes highlights• The books and screen adaptations we’ve read and watched together in our Patreon book club (aka our virtual family!)• Our biggest lessons, milestones, and growth moments as co-hosts• And, of course, our hopes and vision for Season 2 — which is already shaping up to be even more magical!This episode is our love letter to everyone who’s listened, shared, and joined the conversation. Thank you for helping us make this dream show come to life. Whether you’ve been here since episode one or just discovered us this season, we can’t wait to bring you along for what’s next.Listen now wherever you get your podcasts — and join our Patreon to be part of the book club and behind-the-scenes fun!patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodOur Most Popular Episode:    • Books We BOTH Rated 5 Stars 📚 Our Top Book...  Our Interviews With Authors:    • Pierce Brown Interview - So Do We End The ...  Our Most Popular Collaboration:    • 18 Must-Read Books! | Our Top Books from 2...  Our Friends' Channels:‪@lynmoore_‬ ‪@thebrothersgwynne‬ ‪@bronteysbooks‬ ‪@KistReadsBooks‬ ‪@Smitty1423‬ ‪@2ToRamble‬ ‪@geenahreads‬ ‪@zoranne_‬ ‪@WhatShesReadingPod‬ Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #KrisAndMadsPodcast #PodcastWrapped #PodcastFinale #Season1Recap #BookPodcast #AuthorInterviews #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #BookClubCommunity #PatreonBookClub #PodcastHighlights #PodcastCommunity #BookTokPodcast #BookTubePodcast #Season2ComingSoon #PodcastGrowth #ReadingCommunity #BookishPodcast #WomenInPodcasting #BookLoversUnite

  --------  

  51:03

  --------

  51:03

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About Kris and Mads