Prose before bros

As the end of the year is in sight, we bring you 10 books (5 each) we are looking to finish before 2026 ends and a new reading year begins! We also chat about Norwegian black metal, loving returning to beloved authors and a behind the scenes peak at some of our rogue book club suggestions. 

Elizabeth recommends Kome in Brighton

Ems recommends obtaining a stick blender and making soup! 

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Call your union reps! We’re heading to our quarterly review. We return to the best books of the last 3 months and chat about what we’ve been reading, including handing in our reading homework! We also chat about loving Sophie Mackintosh, not wanting iPhones in our stories and loving Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly. 

Elizabeth recommends The Love Hypothesis AND Sense and Sensibility

Ems recommends Popstar by Tinashe

Listen t...

This week we’re getting Switzy with it and reading Booker Longlist nominated Switzy by Emma Cline. We’re big Emma Cline fans, so how will her most critically acclaimed novel go down with us? Find out and read along with us! 

Elizabeth recommends 70 Up and the other episodes in the Up Series. 

Ems recommends I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi. 

Listen to make us literary hot girls! 

Get in touch!

Pod: @pros...

This week we’re getting a bit niche and want to just yap about things we love in books. Ranging from books themselves, the format of a book and bookish instagram content, we guide you through things we love about books and reading that we can’t talk about anywhere else. We also talk about Ems’ Catholic tendencies, turning 30 and being lover girls. 

Elizabeth recommends The Guardian's blackberry and apple pie r...

In a reversey percy switcheroo, Elizabeth takes the lead in this episode to recommend Ems some love stories! Ranging from rom-coms to forgotten literary gems, this episode will give you some great stories to fall in love with. It’s a love story, baby just say “yes”. 

Elizabeth recommends Seconds, an intervals app. 

Ems recommends This Mirror Weighs A Ton by Interpol. 

That’s right. We’re talking about it. As non-romantasy readers, we’re fascinated by the reading phenomenon that is sweeping women our age and the internet off their feet. We talk about discourse. We talk about all things fairy-wings, bad boys and the moral panic of it all. 

Cancel us, we dare you. 

Elizabeth recommends Taskmaster Champion of Champions. 

Ems ...

We dip into one of the buzziest books of the year and talk about Madeline Cash and Lost Lambs. Join Elizabeth and Ems as they discuss sibling dynamics, blood-sucking billionaires and the culture at large and of course, a gnat problem. 

Ems recommends Lost Weekend by Phoebe Bridgers. 

Elizabeth recommends the US version of The Office. 

Listen to make us literary hot girls!&nbs...

Hola, bonjour and konichiwa! This week we’re talking all things Women In Translation Month. Elizabeth is letting Ems take the reins and recommend 8 beginner friendly translated fiction picks written by women! A fun time to be had! 

Elizabeth recommends binge watching Celeb Hunted. 

Ems recommends the Waitrose chocolate cherry ice cream. 

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Hot girls know it’s Black Bag Summer. Hot girls also gossip about parties they went to and have to edit it out. Hot girls promise it’s all related to the Booker Prize Longlist and this week we’re reacting to it. 

Ems recommends LUV by CFCF.

Elizabeth recommends seeing The Book of Mormon. 

Listen to make us literary hot girls! 

Get in touch!

We’re so back from our summer of fun. We return to your ears by giving you a very delayed review of our Quarter 2. We give you some highs, some lows and some books that are just fine actually. 

We are so thrilled to be back! Stay tuned for a very slay Season 2!!

Ems recommends Droitwich Lido

Elizabeth recommends Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in l...

We’re one year old! We can walk and have maybe said our first words! And we’re using our skills of talking to answer our viewers’ questions! 

Thank you to everyone who has made our year of podcasting so special. We’re so lucky to have this tiny little book community! And we’re hoping our second year will bring even more fun and games! 

See you on the 5th of Augus...

Hot girl beach reads! What makes an ideal beach read? What are some books you consider taking on your summer adventures? We come to you from our summer hiatus to inform you! How could we not!

Elizabeth recommends connecting your railcard up to your Oystercard to get ⅓ off off-peak travel! (Not sponsored!) 

Ems recommends The Middle of Nowhere by Kacey Musgraves! 

Listen to ma...

The time has come for us to contribute to the discourse. And oh boy do we discourse. This episode we discuss the hottest book of 2026, Yesteryear. We also discuss religion, Nara Smith, and Ems has a rant about billionaires edited out.

Elizabeth recommends Elis James and John Robins's podcast. 

Ems recommends The Rest Is Science. 

Listen to make us literary hot girls! 

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Hey, hi, hello! This week, our number one fan Issy Murray jumps on the mic with us to chat all things bookish and answer the devilish questions. Together we also discuss hating Aperol Spritzes, Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against The Machine, their Dad’s reading tastes, Dr Who being a nerd, and men mysteriously growing moustaches for attention. 

Issy recommends having an hugo spritz or a frozen pinea...

Hey, hi, hello! This week, Internet Hermit Elizabeth is being guided through the bookstagram drama of this year. We thought this would be a funner episode than it probably is. Oops! Oh well! Our time as serious literary critics has come! 

Elizabeth recommends Rivals Series 2

Ems recommends Good Noticings 

Listen to make us literary hot girls! 

Get in touch!

Pod: @prosebeforebrospod

Ems: @brattyreads

Elizabeth: @reads.elizab...

Hello book lovers. Despite our love of literature there are just some books that… do not appeal! We simply… do not want to read… and so we won’t! We take you through 5 books each that we simply are… not going to read! This is all said with love and hopes in our hearts! 

This episode, Elizabeth recommends Novel Idea by Matt and Mollie. 

Ems mourns...

Greetings, today you join us in the Accursed Mountains of Albania as we sit down to discuss this month’s bookclub pick, She Who Remains. Nominated for the International Booker shortlist and celebrated everywhere on translated bookstagram, this has been getting lot of love, but what do we think? 

Tune in for a disproportionate amount of milk being discussed too. 

Elizabeth recommends the milk ...

Urm, hello?? We got an author on the podcast?? Insane. 

Friend of the podcast and author Ania Card steps into the studio and is questioned by Ems and Elizabeth on her highly acclaimed novel Above Us The Sea. We’re so delighted to have her on the podcast to talk all things writing, being messy in your twenties, Poland, and having a messy weekend in Swansea. 

Listen to make us literary ho...

Lights, camera, action! This week, Ems and Elizabeth swap out their library cards for their Letterboxd accounts and talk some of their favourite book to film adaptations. Together they talk what makes a great adaptation, diabolical vape hits, nuking Antartica, Elizabeth disliking Clueless and Olivia Rodrigo. 

Elizabeth recommends Olivia Rodrigo’s song Drop Dead

Ems recommends Nine Inch Noize. 

Listen to make us literar...