By Corinna Kloth
About the Podcast
We’re Jon, Con, Lauren & Kyle – two couples reading fantasy books together on our weekly book club podcast. Thank you so so much for supporting our dream and making this the absolute best community. Check out our links page for our Patreon, partnerships, and even more content, or shop our merch here!
Tell us about yourself/selves.
BP&F: Between Pages & Friends is a book club–style podcast hosted by two best friends, Con and Lauren, who convinced their gamer husbands, Jon and Kyle, to read along with them. Each series is structured so that two hosts are first-time readers and two are re-readers who guide them through the story. This allows listeners to either read along spoiler-free or re-read and experience the series again through the eyes of a new reader. Outside of the podcast, we host both spoiler-free and spoiler-filled community chats so everyone can find their place and enjoy reading together.
How did you get started with Between Pages & Friends?
BP&F: Con and Lauren have been friends since their freshman year of college. In 2023, Lauren convinced Con to start reading again, and soon their text message conversations about books became a constant source of fun. We decided to share those conversations by creating Between Pages & Friends on Instagram, where we posted screenshots of our reactions and discussions.
At the beginning of 2024, Con shared a video of her husband, Jon, reacting to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. His first-time reactions quickly gathered a following, “Team Rhysand!” was born, and viewers kept asking what we would read next. People loved the first-time reader format, so we decided to start a podcast, rope Kyle into it, and begin with the Throne of Glass series with half first-time readers, half re-readers guiding the journey. That structure has stayed with us ever since.
How would you describe your podcast?
BP&F: Between Pages & Friends is a book club–style podcast that brings joy, laughter, and a welcoming energy to reading. We focus on shared reader experience rather than deep literary analysis, making space for honest reactions, evolving opinions, and spoiler-free discussions. Our coverage includes series such as Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Empyrean by Rebecca Yarros, Fae & Alchemy by Callie Hart, Moonfall by Sarah A. Parker, and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. We started as book besties, and our goal is to become your book besties too!
What’s the most challenging and most satisfying part of running a podcast?
BP&F: One of the biggest challenges for us is that we’re all parents of small children as each couple has two daughters. It’s rare for us to get through a recording without some kind of interruption, and we often record late at night after bedtime, which means sessions can stretch to midnight or later.
The most satisfying part is the incredible community that’s grown around Between Pages & Friends. The encouragement, enthusiasm, and kindness from listeners makes every late night and tired morning completely worth it. We’re endlessly grateful for everyone who chooses to read along with us.
What’s one of your favorite episodes?
BP&F: After podcasting together for two years there are many inside jokes and favorite moments that come up frequently but I think one of our all time favorites was from our coverage of Quicksilver by Callie Hart in episode 6: Quicksilver, ch. 39-END. There is a line in chapter 43 when a character references a “Pig Sticker” which Lauren confused for an actual sticker of a pig, not a sword. The way it was revealed she actually thought it was a sticker was so funny we still can’t stop laughing about it. We ended up creating our own pig sticker merch of a pig carrying a sword.
We’ve also had the opportunity to interview a wide range of voices across the book world, including authors, audiobook narrators, podcasters, and content creators. Some highlights include conversations with author Sarah A. Parker; audiobook narrators Elizabeth Evans, Anthony Palmini, and Stella Bloom; and fellow bookish podcasts and creators such as The Fantasy Fangirls, Banter and Bookmarks, Book Huddle, and TheLostBooksofJess.
What’s your uploading schedule, and what can we expect from crit rpg in the upcoming months?
BP&F: So far, we’ve primarily covered romantasy, but recently decided to mix things up, largely for the guys’ sake, by letting Kyle choose our next read. We’re excited to currently be reading the first three books in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series through April, followed by Ballad of Falling Dragons in May.
New episodes are released every Wednesday, with early, ad-free access on Tuesdays for Patreon members.
Where can listeners find talking book publishing?
BP&F: Between Pages & Friends is available on all major podcast platforms, and listeners can also watch full video episodes on YouTube.
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