Episodes

  • AI Speculative Fiction | Interview with John Fennec Debut Author of Artificial Artifacts
    Nov 5 2024

    This is a show about stories for storytellers and story lovers, hosted by sisters Kristen and Maddie, lifelong readers and recent booktokers with a 100k+ following.

    In this interview, John Fennec chats to us about his speculative sci-fi debut Artificial Artifacts. We discuss how the short story format shows how AI can affect multiple points of view, the ways humanity is obsessed with what is real, and how outsourcing to AI for convenience can be a slippery slope to outsourcing our human experience. We chat about Fennec's upcoming project that explores simulation theory, and the reason why he writes and explores these themes! We are obsessed with Artificial Artifacts. Fennec is a polished story-teller with such a creative outlook on the application and integration of technology and culture. We hope you pick up Artificial Artifacts and enjoy it as much as we did!

    You can order Artificial Artifacts on Amazon (It is also available on Kindle Unlimited): https://a.co/d/cNCWWRd You can connect with John Fennec around the web: linktr.ee/johnfennec⁠⁠ You can find Kris and Mads on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Join the Patreon or book club on Fable, and keep up with what we're reading on Goodreads. Everything is linked here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads⁠⁠⁠

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    51 mins
  • Gareth Brown Interview | Author of the Book of Doors
    Oct 29 2024

    This is a show about stories for storytellers and story lovers, hosted by sisters Kristen and Maddie, lifelong readers and recent booktokers with a 100k+ following.

    In this interview, Gareth Brown chats to us about his international bestseller The Book of Doors. We discuss how the book can't really be put in a genre box, how Brown's reading across genres influences his style, and how being a debut author is misleading since he's been writing since he was a teen. We chat about the publishing process and how Brown might be sitting on a fantastic time-travel novel that is yet-to-be published! We are eagerly anticipating Brown's next release in 2025. Brown has the ability to blend genres, and deliver break-neck pacing and keep us hooked on every page. We hope you pick up The Book of Doors and enjoy it as much as we did!

    You can order The Book of Doors on Amazon: ⁠https://a.co/d/al9mAtD⁠ You can connect with John Gwynne around the web: ⁠https://www.garethbrownbooks.com/⁠ You can find Kris and Mads on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Join the Patreon or book club on Fable, and keep up with what we're reading on Goodreads. Everything is linked here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads⁠⁠

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    57 mins
  • BONUS EPISODE | Our Bookish Trip to Ireland!!! (the whole story)
    Oct 21 2024

    This is a show about stories for storytellers and story lovers, hosted by sisters Kristen and Maddie, lifelong readers and recent booktokers with a 100k+ following.

    In this special episode, we are sharing our experience going to Ireland with our booktok followers.

    Our next trip is in Italy in April 2025! Booking for the trip will launch Oct. 22, at 8 pm EST. You can check out the itinerary and sign up to be notified when booking is open here: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/italy/italy-with-maddie-fisher-apr-2025 We went to Ireland with 32 strangers who follow us on Booktok. It was the trip of a lifetime. We met kindred spirits and made core memories in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We can't express what these women mean to us. We can't explain how it fated it felt. What we can say is THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts to every woman who took a leap of faith to do something crazy for the plot. Every risk had massive payoff, and we feel so full of love and optimism for everything to come. This was an experience that proved everything we want to be true about finding best friends as adults, and the world being a lot smaller than we think. Cheers to 2025 and all the new memories and friendships to come! You can find Kristen and Maddie on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Join their book club on Fable, and keep up with what they're reading on Goodreads. Everything is linked here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads⁠

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    57 mins
  • John Gwynne Interview | Meeting One of Our Favorite Authors!
    Oct 15 2024

    This is a show about stories for storytellers and story lovers, hosted by sisters Kristen and Maddie, lifelong readers and recent booktokers with a 100k+ following.

    In this interview, John Gwynne chats about his trilogy The Bloodsworn Saga, which is recently complete with its third installment The Fury of the Gods. We discuss how Norse mythology plays a role, and how research is a huge part of his writing process. Most importantly, we discussed how loss and grief have altered John's life, his work, and the way he writes grief in Fury of the Gods. We were so honored that John took the time to speak with us so openly. We hope you all pick up The Bloodsworn Saga and that it makes you feel as deeply as it did us.

    You can order The Fury of the Gods on Amazon: https://a.co/d/7rIOxW4 You can connect with John Gwynne around the web: linktr.ee/johnhgwynne You can find Kristen and Maddie on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Join their book club on Fable, and keep up with what they're reading on Goodreads. Everything is linked here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads⁠

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    54 mins
  • Interview with Author Shauna Lawless | The Gael Song Trilogy
    Oct 1 2024

    This is a show about stories for storytellers and story lovers, hosted by sisters Kristen and Maddie, lifelong readers and recent booktokers with a 100k+ following.

    In this interview, Shauna Lawless introduces her trilogy The Gael Song, which is recently complete with its third installment The Land of the Living and the Dead. We discuss how Irish folklore and history are a huge part of her fantasy series. We also chatted about the many themes Shauna includes in her books—motherhood, the spectrum of femininity, power dynamics, classism, war, politics, economy, and oppression. Shauna also shared her writing process with us and how it has evolved from her hobby to her full-time career. We are so excited about this series and everything Shauna is working on at the minute! We can't wait for you all to read her series!

    You can order The Gael Song on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VX99M5P?binding=kindle_edition&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1727803340&sr=8-1 You can connect with Shauna around the web: https://linktr.ee/shaunalawless You can find Kristen and Maddie on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Join their book club on Fable, and keep up with what they're reading on Goodreads. Everything is linked here: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads⁠

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    55 mins
  • RED RISING By Pierce Brown | A Deep Dive on Our Favorite Sci-Fi Series
    Sep 24 2024

    In this episode we discuss our favorite sci-fi series, Red Rising. We're talking about each of the six books currently out, the key moments that stick out to us, and the primary themes that make this series transcend others in the genre. Buckle up for spoilers, emotions, and our honest opinions on this beloved series!

    You can find us on our social media platforms and check out our other resources and links here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads

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    41 mins
  • Battle of the Authors with Polly and Brontey from Booktok
    Sep 17 2024

    This is a show about stories for storytellers and story lovers, hosted by sisters Kristen and Maddie, lifelong readers and recent booktokers with a 98k+ following.

    In this episode, we chat with our fellow content creators Brontey and Polly about some well-known and beloved female authors: Tessa Bailey, Ali Hazelwood, Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Rebecca Ross, Carissa Broadbent, Ava Reid, Olivie Blake, Rachel Gillig, Holly Black, Emily Henry, and Sally Rooney. We chat about their books—the ones we loved, the ones we hated, the pros, and the cons. We definitely don't agree, but that's the fun of being a reader and all of us having different opinions and authors that we love. Enjoy the conversational debate!

    You can find Brontey and Polly on Goodreads, Instagram, and Tiktok:

    BRONTEY https://www.tiktok.com/@bronteysbooks ⁠https://linktr.ee/bronteysbooks?utm_source=linktree_admin_share

    POLLY https://linktr.ee/readwithpolly

    You can find Kristen and Maddie on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Join their book club on Fable, and keep up with what they're reading on Goodreads. Everything is linked here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads⁠⁠⁠

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    51 mins
  • SISTERS and BROTHERS on BOOKS | Kris and Mads Interview The Brothers Gwynne
    Sep 10 2024

    This is a show about stories for storytellers and story lovers, hosted by sisters Kristen and Maddie, lifelong readers and recent booktokers with a 98k+ following.

    In this interview, we're interviewing our fellow content creators Will and Ed Gwynne, sons of author John Gwynne, and best known around the internet as the Brothers Gwynne.

    We discuss their approach to content creation as siblings, their book taste, aspirations, and some of our favorite stories. And of course, we discuss John Gwynne (aka Papa Gwynne) and his amazing series.


    You can find Will and Ed on YouTube and around the web.

    ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thebrothersgwynne⁠ You can find Kristen and Maddie on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Join their book club on Fable, and keep up with what they're reading on Goodreads. Everything is linked here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads⁠⁠⁠

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    59 mins