Fully-Booked: Literary Podcast

We’re dropped right into Adaptations Month, and Meaghan and Shirin are fired up about one of the most talked-about YA adaptations in recent memory: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, now an eight-episode Amazon Prime series.

Right away, we’re treated to some healthy debate. Shirin adores the book; she champions the writing, the twist, and the mood. Meaghan? Not so much. She found the prose pretentious and didn’t enjoy the tone at all. Th...

We started off this Fully-Booked: Literary Podcast episode by greeting everyone with excitement for July and reflecting on how summer used to be a time packed with massive blockbuster releases. We remember those days fondly, when movie theaters were our second homes during the hot months, and every Tuesday felt like a holiday because we could catch the latest release with cheap tickets.

There was a nostalgic vibe as we recalled our ...

We kick off with the hosts’ cheerful greeting and their confession that they recorded the Fully-Booked: Literary Podcast ahead of schedule, joking that it is “the last week of June… but not really.” They remind us that June on Fully-Booked has been all about banned books, and they want to finish with something big.

While scanning international censorship lists, Meaghan notices that The Da Vinci Code has been pulled from shelves in L...

We started the Fully-Booked Podcast episode with some personal updates and our latest reads. Meaghan had just finished The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, a fast-paced thriller that she found both fun and perplexing in terms of what to expect from its sequels. She mentioned how Shirin tends to dive into one author's entire catalogue when she discovers a book she enjoys, and this time it was her turn to follow suit.

Shirin, on the othe...

We kicked off this Fully-Booked Podcast episode by sticking with our June theme: banned books. And this time, we focused on one that left us scratching our heads: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

The 2006 novel was recently banned in Utah’s public schools under House Bill 29, which allows parents to challenge books they consider “sensitive material.” If three school districts or charter schools agree, the book can be pulled statew...

We kicked off this Fully-Booked podcast episode like we often do, talking about the weather. June arrived, and with it came all the seasonal chaos we Canadians know too well. One moment we’re soaking in rays, and the next, we’re back to complaining about rain or trying to survive sudden temperature spikes. It’s the kind of weather where someone might wear a parka with flip-flops and somehow not look out of place.

We laughed about ho...

We started off with a quick update: Meaghan and Arthur are trying out a new recording setup for the Fully-Booked Podcast and, like any of us facing tech upgrades, are crossing their fingers that it behaves itself. From there, they leaned into their end-of-May tradition of a more casual, "free-for-all" episode format. It’s their chance to have fun, try different things, and bring up topics they might not usually squeeze into a theme...

We kicked off this bonus episode with a little chaos and a lot of sass. Right from the start, you can feel the energy between us, part friendship, part roast-fest. But today’s episode wasn’t just for fun. We jumped on early in the week to get something off our chests: Netflix’s new adaptation of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street: Prom Queen. We needed to talk about it, not because it was good, but because we had to process what we watched a...

We sat down this week to do something a little different. It’s just Meaghan and Arthur holding down the fort, and rather than diving into a brand-new book adaptation or a buzzy literary release, we decided to revisit a franchise that’s already earned a place in our hearts: Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy.

With a brand-new entry, Fear Street: Prom Queen, hitting Netflix the same day this episode airs, it felt like the right time to go ...

In this episode of the Fully-Booked literary podcast, we’re back in the room with Meaghan, Shirin, and Arthur, though Arthur gets plenty of playful shade right out of the gate. The energy is chaotic in the best way, and we all seem to embrace it.

This time around, we’re not doing a structured game or typical author discussion. Instead, we’ve decided to have a casual roundtable where we toss out book recommendations based on popular ...

We began this episode of the Fully-Booked: Literary podcast with just the two of us, Meaghan and Shirin. Arthur wasn’t with us this time, and it felt like a return to our original format.

We joked about possibly rotating the lineup again soon, but encouraged listeners to speak up if they preferred the two-host dynamic. We even said they could let Arthur know in the loudest way possible. The tone was lighthearted as we poked fun at o...

In this episode of the Fully-Booked podcast, we welcomed Shirin back to the podcast after a six-month hiatus! The return wasn't pre-planned but fell into place organically, creating a light-hearted surprise for everyone. Shirin has been away dealing with personal life changes, including taking care of a new baby and adjusting to a new rhythm at home.

The hosts, Meaghan, Arthur, and Shirin, agreed that May would be a transitional mon...

We kicked off the episode with a bit of weather banter, lamenting the lingering cold despite the arrival of spring. This lighthearted opening tied directly into our episode’s focus on "tricks" as we wrapped up our literary podcast April’s “Tricksters” theme. We reflected on the heavier topics from previous episodes, like the intense themes in Shutter Island, and decided to end the month on a lighter, playful note with a game.

As alw...

We begin the podcast with Meaghan and Arthur playfully addressing the confusion brought on by a long weekend and busy schedules, setting a casual and conversational tone for the episode. They remind listeners that this is the last week of their series focused on unreliable narrators, tricksters, and deceptive perspectives in storytelling.

They recap their previous episode, where they explored the various kinds of unreliable narrator...

It’s week two of April’s theme on Fully-Booked, and in today's literary podcast episode, we’re diving deep into the world of fools, tricksters, and - our main focus today - unreliable narrators.

Last week, we examined the mythological and folkloric origins of fools and tricksters - how these figures evolved and what they symbolized. This week, we’re exploring how those archetypes translate into literary devices, especially when it c...

We began this literary podcast episode by welcoming listeners into April with a playful nod to April Fool's Day. This theme paved the way for our new monthly focus: tricksters and fools in literature. Meaghan and Arthur introduced this concept by discussing how these characters appear in stories across the globe and throughout history.

We explored how tricksters often challenge societal norms through cleverness, mischief, and rule-b...

In this final installment of our March podcast villain series, we decided to end with a character who has been interpreted in more ways than almost any other: Count Dracula.

Meaghan and Arthur dove into this rich, multifaceted figure who has stood the test of time, appearing in literature, theater, film, television, comics, and even ballet. While Dracula is far from the first fictional villain, his enduring presence makes him one of...

We opened the episode with a continuation of our Villains Month coverage, diving into the more nuanced territory of morally gray characters. In this third week, we shifted from examining outright villains to exploring the blurred lines between villains and antiheroes.

While often confusing, this distinction can help deepen our understanding of literary characters and narrative structure. We discussed how selfish motives and chaotic ...

In this episode of the Fully-Booked Podcast, hosts Meaghan and Arthur continue their discussion of villains in literature, focusing on cases where a villain in an adaptation surpasses their literary counterpart. Building on last week's episode about what makes a great villain, they explore how actors, screenwriting, direction, and visual design can elevate a character beyond what was on the page.

Elements That Enhance Villains i...