This week, Danielle is joined by Alex Aster, the prolific, Romantasy Queen of Booktok. Coming out of 2025, in which she published four novels, Alex is back with Starside, her first foray into adult fiction – and, later this year, Barbie: Dreamscape, a YA retelling of the beloved Mattel doll. Alex and Danielle talk perseverance in publishing, the power of storytelling, and which romantasy tropes give Alex the ick (spoiler: hardly any of them do). 

BOOKS MENTIONED:

A Guide to Literary Agents by Robert Lee Brewer

Lightlark Series by Alex Aster

Starside by Alex Aster 

Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster

Curse of the Forgotten City by Alex Aster

Summer in the City by Alex Aster

Barbie Dreamscape by Alex Aster

 

This week, Danielle is joined by Alex Aster, the prolific, Romantasy Queen of Booktok. Coming out of 2025, in which she published four novels, Alex is back with Starside, her first foray into adult fiction &ndash; and, later this year, Barbie: Dreamscape, a YA retelling of the beloved Mattel doll. Alex and Danielle talk perseverance in publishing, the power of storytelling, and which romantasy tropes give Alex the ick (spoiler: hardly any of them do).&nbsp;
BOOKS MENTIONED:
A Guide to Literary Agents by Robert Lee Brewer
Lightlark Series by Alex Aster
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/starside/id1822619665?at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Starside</a> by Alex Aster&nbsp;
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/curse-of-the-night-witch/id1495907570?at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Curse of the Night Witch</a>&nbsp;by Alex Aster
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/curse-of-the-forgotten-city/id1534951230?at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Curse of the Forgotten City</a> by Alex Aster
Summer in the City by Alex Aster
Barbie Dreamscape by Alex Aster
&nbsp;

Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation. 

Follow Reese’s Book Club on Apple Books and never miss a chapter: https://apple.co/rbcapplebooks 

 

Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese&rsquo;s Book Club &mdash; the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You&rsquo;re not just listening &mdash; you&rsquo;re part of the conversation.&nbsp;
Follow Reese&rsquo;s Book Club on Apple Books and never miss a chapter: <a href="https://apple.co/rbcapplebooks">https://apple.co/rbcapplebooks</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club

The Bright Side, the hit podcast from Hello Sunshine, is back for a brand new season! Every Monday, join Emmy nominated host, Simone Boyce, as she brings you a dose of culture and inspiration - with celebrity interviews, the latest in health and wellness, smart takes on pop culture, and real conversations with women doing amazing things. The Bright Side is a destination for joy and connection; the show is designed to inspire, educate, and empower women as they navigate everyday challenges and live life to the fullest. 

The Bright Side, the hit podcast from Hello Sunshine, is back for a brand new season! Every Monday, join Emmy nominated host, Simone Boyce, as she brings you a dose of culture and inspiration - with celebrity interviews, the latest in health and wellness, smart takes on pop culture, and real conversations with women doing amazing things. The Bright Side is a destination for joy and connection; the show is designed to inspire, educate, and empower women as they navigate everyday challenges and live life to the fullest.&nbsp;

The Bright Side: A Hello Sunshine Podcast

From Rejection to the Bestseller List with Author Alex Aster

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a641d33d-7270-4fa1-9356-b42c001e9cc7/transcript

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The hottest book of the year so far isn’t a steamy beach read or a page-turning thriller. It’s a heartbreaking — and empowering — memoir about a divorce. This week, Danielle sits down with Belle Burden to talk about her memoir, “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage.” 

Belle Burden had a picture-perfect life. A husband in finance, three kids, a pristine apartment in Manhattan, and a summer home on Martha’s Vineyard. Then, one day — right at the start of the pandemic — she found out that her husband was having an affair. And the next morning, he tells her he wants out. Out of the house, out of the marriage — even out of custody for their kids.

Belle talks about the upcoming Netflix adaptation of her book, starting over after watching her world as she knew it fell apart, and why she wishes a book like hers had existed long before now. 

 

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Strangers by Belle Burden

Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin 

The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter 

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Go Gentle by Maria Semple 

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

The hottest book of the year so far isn&rsquo;t a steamy beach read or a page-turning thriller. It&rsquo;s a heartbreaking &mdash; and empowering &mdash; memoir about a divorce. This week, Danielle sits down with Belle Burden to talk about her memoir, &ldquo;Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Belle Burden had a picture-perfect life. A husband in finance, three kids, a pristine apartment in Manhattan, and a summer home on Martha&rsquo;s Vineyard. Then, one day &mdash; right at the start of the pandemic &mdash; she found out that her husband was having an affair. And the next morning, he tells her he wants out. Out of the house, out of the marriage &mdash; even out of custody for their kids.
Belle talks about the upcoming Netflix adaptation of her book, starting over after watching her world as she knew it fell apart, and why she wishes a book like hers had existed long before now.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
BOOKS MENTIONED:
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/strangers/id6744305942&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Strangers by Belle Burden</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-barefoot-contessa-cookbook/id468748578&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-summer-pact/id6458879656&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-academy/id6740476987&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-daily-stoic/id1130785257&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/when-the-going-was-good/id6670522052&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/harriet-the-spy/id419250038&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/heart-the-lover/id6743497592&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Heart the Lover by Lily King</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/go-gentle-oprahs-book-club/id6748929826&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Go Gentle by Maria Semple&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/nine-stories/id1472978112&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger</a>

Belle Burden on Her Memoir, Writing Through Pain, and the Sandwich Story the Internet Can't Stop Talking About

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/14aae6cb-da5d-4fe5-b3c2-b44701751e2d/transcript

This week, we’re joined by BookTube royalty and queen of reviews Cindy Pham. Now stepping into her author era, she’s here to talk about it all: what’s on her TBR, why she’s drawn to messy, flawed characters, and how years of reviewing books have shaped the way she writes her own.

Cindy also shares the story behind her debut novel, The Secret World of Briar Rose, from first drafting it as a teenager to returning years later with a completely new perspective and a fully developed frontal lobe. Plus, we get into reality TV deep dives, bookish trends she’s loving and side-eyeing, and the hilarious promise of a future rant video about her own main character, because no one is safe, not even her.

 

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser 

This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 

The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham

That Asian Girl Is a Problem by Rachel Phan (Coming Soon)

Just Between Us by Adeline Kon 

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

Book Lovers by Emilty Henry

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

The River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

This week, we&rsquo;re joined by BookTube royalty and queen of reviews Cindy Pham. Now stepping into her author era, she&rsquo;s here to talk about it all: what&rsquo;s on her TBR, why she&rsquo;s drawn to messy, flawed characters, and how years of reviewing books have shaped the way she writes her own.
Cindy also shares the story behind her debut novel, The Secret World of Briar Rose, from first drafting it as a teenager to returning years later with a completely new perspective and a fully developed frontal lobe. Plus, we get into reality TV deep dives, bookish trends she&rsquo;s loving and side-eyeing, and the hilarious promise of a future rant video about her own main character, because no one is safe, not even her.
&nbsp;
BOOKS MENTIONED:
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/lady-tremaine/id6744894777&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Lady Tremaine</a> by Rachel Hochhauser&nbsp;
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war/id1447811226&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">This is How You Lose the Time War</a> by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses/id1487234733&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">A Court of Thorns and Roses</a> by Sarah J. Maas
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/yesteryear-a-gma-book-club-pick/id6748329385&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Yesteryear</a> by Caro Claire Burke&nbsp;
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-secret-world-of-briar-rose/id6752588134&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">The Secret World of Briar Rose</a> by Cindy Pham
That Asian Girl Is a Problem by Rachel Phan (Coming Soon)
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/just-between-us-a-graphic-novel/id6744590816&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Just Between Us</a> by Adeline Kon&nbsp;
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/strange-familiars/id6749606956&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Strange Familiars</a> by Keshe Chow
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/what-my-bones-know/id1568911163&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">What My Bones Know</a> by Stephanie Foo
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/how-to-keep-house-while-drowning/id1590871899&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">How to Keep House While Drowning</a> by KC Davis
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/im-glad-my-mom-died/id1590876453&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">I&rsquo;m Glad My Mom Died</a> by Jennette McCurdy
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-dream-hotel-a-read-with-jenna-pick/id6673889199&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">The Dream Hotel</a> by Laila Lalami
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/book-lovers/id1579646866&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Book Lovers</a> by Emilty Henry
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-invocations/id6443573974&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">The Invocations</a> by Krystal Sutherland
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/and-the-river-drags-her-down/id6740944872&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">The River Drags Her Down</a> by Jihyun Yun
<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/know-my-name/id1466701749&amp;at=1000l36qK&amp;itscg=80048&amp;itsct=AB_PT_RBC_POD&amp;campaign_id=AB_PT_RBC_POD">Know My Name</a> by Chanel Miller

Booktuber Cindy Pham on Escapist Book Trends and Her Debut Novel

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/846cf1f1-9a33-4775-a212-b44001739941/transcript

This week, we’re back with Emma Brodie, whose second novel, Into The Blue, is April’s Reese’s Book Club Pick - and Emma and Danielle are going down aaaaall the rabbit holes. From what makes a good fandom, to how improv comedy is, in fact, inherently sexy, to the BTS secrets of filming reality TV, their convo is just as lush as Emma’s decade-spanning, sci-fi tinged, “will they, won’t they” romance. 

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

Hitmakers by Derrick Thompson 

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory 

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

This week, we&rsquo;re back with Emma Brodie, whose second novel, Into The Blue, is April&rsquo;s Reese&rsquo;s Book Club Pick - and Emma and Danielle are going down aaaaall the rabbit holes. From what makes a good fandom, to how improv comedy is, in fact, inherently sexy, to the BTS secrets of filming reality TV, their convo is just as lush as Emma&rsquo;s decade-spanning, sci-fi tinged, &ldquo;will they, won&rsquo;t they&rdquo; romance.&nbsp;
BOOKS MENTIONED:
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie
Hitmakers by Derrick Thompson&nbsp;
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory&nbsp;
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Fate, Fandom, & the Making of Into the Blue with Reese’s Book Club Author Emma Brodie

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c7a8bdb7-8a11-4998-920e-b43a0019e401/transcript

From Rejection to the Bestseller List with Author Alex Aster

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Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club

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