Shelf Absorbed Podcast

Fear—what draws us to it, and how do we face it? In this episode, we dive into the theme of fear through the lens of Kaylie Smith's Phantasma. The first half is spoiler-free and focuses on the universal experience of fear, the importance of therapy in overcoming it, and society's enduring love affair with the horror genre. Why are we so fascinated by what scares us? Our first guest of season 2, Chrissy Stevenson, sits down and expl...

This month's episode is for the giiiiiiiiiirls!

The first half of the episode remains spoiler free as we discuss the vilification of all things pink throughout the years in both media and film. We dive into the roots of this pattern, its impact on modern storytelling, and how girlhood isn't anything to dull down.

For the book portion, we visit Velaris for a special edition visit to the series' warrior party girl, The Morrigan. Usi...

WARNING: This is not the swamp from your childhood memories...

This week for our plunge into the world of monster romance! In the first half, we discuss a monstrous approach to love. From the history of monster romance to why we could most definitely be convinced to smooch a Kraken, we break down why these creatures have us in a chokehold.

Then, if you've ever been on a date and thought to yourself "what a monster", we put that to...

We're back, book babes! In this Season TWO kickoff episode of Shelf Absorbed, we’re taking a dramatic dip into the discussion around infidelity.

In the spoiler-free first half, we tackle the general dynamics of cheating—how betrayal affects relationships, the journey to forgiveness, and the quest for self-worth in all the wrong ways. We gab about what really constitutes cheating and share some tools for those coping with and reco...

This week, our featured guest is Bryn Weber, who joined us to dive into all things van life. In 2017, Bryn discovered Brianna Madia's social media account, and was inspired to live minimally and on the road. In 2021, she made that dream her reality. In this episode, we discuss how into adulthood, Bryn quickly realized a "conventional lifestyle" was not for her. After building the van, she and her husband moved in and ...

Today, we take you to New Orleans, Louisiana for a story told in our Open Book format. 

Say hello to our second Open Book guest, Emily Madeira! Emily is a movement artist, a licensed master social worker, a dancer, and a clown. Her work and art challenge the societal norms oppressing the human body and its natural impulses to play, to touch, to move, and to feel. Emily identifies as queer and polyamorous and is passionate about...

This week, we introduce you to our next Open Book guest, Danielle Wadding. Danielle is a phenomenal mother, friend, career-woman, and finds her center in the middle of a Brazilian jujitzu mat. We are honored to share her story with you today as she provides a message anyone can carry with them long after this episode ends.

In today's episode, Danielle walks us through a difficult year of life in her early twenties where she los...

You just need your headphones and your heart this week as there is no reading prep to fully immerse yourself in the story, start to finish. Welcome to the format that will air the second episode of each month titled Open Book. With each Open Book episode, a book will never be associated as we hear a true story from the individual that wrote it with their experience. We believe you don’t have to be a reader to fall in love with some...

All dressed up with no phone to scroll? Borrow our next featured guest's phone to peruse her dating apps on this week's episode as we explore modern dating.

From gaslighting to ghosting, bachelorette Nicole Harris sits down with your hosts to dive into the science behind a good profile, her automatic dealbreakers, and how serial killers may have ruined dating as we know it.

Tune in as we discuss our rules around dating, ri...

In this episode of Her Best Interest, we are honored to welcome our very first guest. Today's guest, Paige Galloway, shares her journey which embodies resilience and profound insight. She embarks on a deeply personal reflection of loss as she discusses the profound impact of losing her mom last year.

Through candid conversations and heartfelt reflections, Cecylia and Alexandra offer support as Paige delves into the myriad...

This episode of Her Best Interest unpacks unlikeability when it comes to women in both the film industry and society in general. With Anna Bogutskaya's novel "Unlikeable Female Characters" guiding the conversation this week, Alexandra and Cecylia share their reflections around why taking back these titles is so important.

For today's episode: There is no need to read the book to tune in for the entire time! T...

This week's episode revolves around lessons learned in previous relationships, the damage done when comparing women to each other, and mistakes made that shed some light on how forgiveness can be freeing.

With this episode, Cecylia and Alexandra find themselves in the center of the drama they have almost always created for themselves. Listen along as your hosts go on an emotional journey through the themes found within the...

Happy Valentine's Day!

To show their love, your hosts have released a SURPRISE bonus mini-episode for you. There is NO book associated with this mini-episode release. Just giggles, games, and girl talk. You know, the basics.

Join Cecylia and Alexandra as they spend this short mini-episode learning about their favorite book tropes, discuss first celebrity crushes, chat through some questionable icks, play a speed date...

What pieces of our identify fall away as mothers? Shed some layers with your hosts this week as the topic center around struggling with identity loss in motherhood, comparisons to other women, and the importance of open communication.

Cecylia and Alexandra discuss how social media can warp the image of what it means to be "good enough" in motherhood, how their children shape so much of their identity today, and thei...

Your hosts decided to time travel to series they loved in their younger years. Looking back as adults, they pulled some emotional themes from the literature that they can reflect on from a different place. This episode discusses codependency, confronting fears, trying to control outcomes, and how all of these themes show up in their own lives. 

With this topic, Cecylia and Alexandra delve into their own realizations with peopl...

Announcing the FIRST episode created with Her Best Interest at heart! This kickoff episode will center around female friendships, the support system found there, and what a force we are when we let each other in. 
With this topic, Cecylia and Alexandra delve into growing up in friendships, lessons learned, vulnerable moments, navigating friend heartbreak, and what accountability has looked like in their personal dynamics.
As ...