Kris and Mads

Bestselling fantasy author Rachel Gillig joins us for a conversation we’ve been dreaming about ever since we read her Shepherd King Duology in 2023! In this episode, we sit down with the author of One Dark Window and the bestselling Shepherd King duology to talk about her new series, The Stonewater Kingdom and its conclusion, The Knave and the Moon, out September 1, 2026 from Orbit.If you love adult fantasy romance, but with a dark fairy tale spin, and lush worldbuilding, complicated characters, and unforgettable romance, this is an episode you absolutely won’t want to miss.Rachel takes us behind the scenes of The Knave and the Moon and her new series, while also revealing plenty about the person behind some of our favorite fantasy books. We talk about her secret nerdom, her love of classic literature, the hills she is willing to die on, and the hamlet where she would most want to live.We also get into BookTok, online book reviews, book influencers, and the ways the online book community can be our best. Rachel shares her thoughts on the rapidly evolving world of book culture, readers, reviewers, and the conversations surrounding books online.If you want to find more from Rachel Gillig, you can find her here:https://www.instagram.com/rmgillig/?h...https://rachelgillig.substack.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Intro 1:31 - Rachel’s 2 Truths & 1 Lie7:08 - On artists drawing inspiration from her work9:19 - Rachel’s literary hot takes15:40 - Rachel’s fandoms19:02 - The Five Hamlets as a Personality Quiz20:44 - Duologies!25:01 - What hill will you die on?27:46 - On the inspiration from old fairy tales35:33 - Was Rachel a scene kid?40:05 - On propaganda 43:58 - A novella?!47:08 - Future projects & other genres!50:12 - Rachel’s dream tea party52:53 - Rachel’s book recLet’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club for free for 7 days:   / krisandmadssisterhood  Have a business inquiry? Email our manager: nancy@farq-media.comTikTok:   / 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  This episode was edited by Daniel Pena: https://danielpena.carrd.co/

#BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #RachelGillig #TheShepherdKingDuology #OneDarkWindow #TwoTwistedCrowns #TheKnaveandtheMoon #TheKnightandtheMoth #romantasybooks #adultfantasyromance #gothicromance #gothicfantasy #darkfantasy #fairytalefantasy #BookTok #fantasy

If you want to read some classics with us, join our Patreon read-and-watch club for free for 7 days:   / krisandmadssisterhood  If you want to read more classic books but don't know where to start, this episode is for you! Today we're talking about 10 classic books everyone should read at least once — from gothic romances and sweeping love stories to family sagas, historical adventures, and literary masterpieces.We’re sharing the classics we genuinely think are worth reading, including Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.Whether you're building a classic books TBR, looking for the best classic literature to read, trying to get into classic novels for beginners, or just wondering which classics are actually worth your time, we're breaking down why we love these books and why we think they still hold up today.📚 BOOKS MENTIONED0:00 — Intro1:11 — Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier6:21 — The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas13:21 — Little Women by Louisa May Alcott19:18 — Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen25:13 — A Room with a View by E.M. Forster29:55 — Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë37:15 — The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde42:10 — Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë46:23 — Frankenstein by Mary Shelley51:56 — Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy57:03 — Wrap-upLet’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club for free for 7 days:   / krisandmadssisterhood  Have a business inquiry? Email our manager: nancy@farq-media.comTikTok:   / 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

It's time for our July reading recap! 📚 We're sharing everything we read this month, what surprised us, what disappointed us, and which books we'd recommend.Books discussed:The Odyssey by Stephen FryThe Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily WilsonLucky by Marissa StapleyThe Vanishing Half by Brit BennettThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansWellness by Nathan HillA Man Called Ove by Fredrik BackmanMansfield Park by Jane AustenThe Bone Ships by R. J. BarkerTheo of Golden by Allen LeviLand by Maggie O'FarrellThe Housemaid by Freida McFaddenAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyLet us know what your favorite read of the month was!Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club for free for 7 days: https://patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: nancy@farq-media.comTikTok: 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

✨ This week on the podcast, we're joined by New York Times bestselling author Marissa Stapley! ✨Marissa sits down with us to talk about her bestselling novel Lucky, the Reese's Book Club pick that has now been adapted into the brand-new Apple TV+ series Lucky, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Timothy Olyphant, and Drew Starkey.We dive into the incredible journey from page to screen, what it was like seeing her story come to life, the inspiration behind Lucky, and the highs and challenges of being a bestselling author. Marissa also shares behind-the-scenes insights into the adaptation process, her writing career, and what it feels like to watch an all-star cast bring her characters to life.Whether you're a longtime fan of Marissa's books, have already started watching the series, or are curious about the writing and adaptation process, this conversation is full of behind-the-scenes stories, inspiration, and plenty of laughs!You can find Marissa here! https://www.instagram.com/marissastapley/?hl=enhttps://marissastapley.substack.com/Timestamps0:00 - Intro 3:06 - How ‘Lucky’ came to life9:01 - Reese’s Book Club!14:28 - Anya Taylor Joy is Lucky!17:04 - Marissa’s involvement in the show18:54 - Researching con artists21:00 - Themes translated from page to screen25;40 - Drew Starkey!!!27:13 - The Anne of Green Gables lore30:10 - Lucky & her dad33:49 - Blurbs!37:02 - Marissa’s recs!44:59 - Upcoming for Marissa!Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: https://patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: nancy@farq-media.comTikTok: 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

Welcome back to the show you guys! June was one of our favorite reading months of the year...especially for Kristen, who somehow managed to read five books and give every single one ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! 🤯📚In today's June Reading Wrap Up, we're sharing honest reviews, ratings, favorite moments, disappointments (or lack thereof!), and whether each book is worth adding to your TBR. From cozy summer romance and timeless classics to epic fantasy, literary fiction, nonfiction, and mythology, this month had a little bit of everything.Whether you're looking for your next five-star read or just love hearing readers passionately discuss books, grab a cozy drink and join us for another month of bookish conversations!Timestamps0:00 - Intro 3:06 - Every Summer After by Carley Fortune9:38 - One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune12:53 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte21:20 - Maame by Jessica George25:49 - Everything is Tuberculosis by John Greene29:41 - Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid33:24 - Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney38:52 - Persuasion by Jane Austen46:08 - The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer58:10 - Infinite Wisdom by Tom Weaver1:03:52 - The Golden Fool by Robin Hobb1:08:29 - Troy by Stephen Fry1:13:20 - Wrap-upLet’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: nancy@farq-media.comTikTok: 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 #JuneReadingWrapUp #BookReviews #ReadingWrapUp #BookRecommendations #FantasyBooks #ClassicBooks #LiteraryFiction #BookLovers #Readers