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My Sister's TBR

My Sister's TBR

Written by: Co-Hosts Stacey & Rebecca
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About this listen

 Hi, we're Stacey and Rebecca, your book loving sisters taking you along on our reading journey. My Sister's TBR is a bi-weekly bookish podcast, discussing our past, current and future reads, having some laughs in-between and fan-girling over all the hottest topics and trends in our book world! So grab your favorite mug, a cozy blanket and lets get chatting!

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Episodes
  • 4.04. Two Chapters and a Dream

    4.04. Two Chapters and a Dream
    Mar 5 2026
    Welcome back to another My Sister’s TBR wrap-up! Also known as our monthly tradition of lovingly checking in with our reading lives and admitting that sometimes… we simply vibe near our books instead of actually reading them.February was not exactly a productivity queen.Our reading pace could best be described as “two chapters and a dream.”Did we sprint through our TBRs? No.Did we respectfully wander near them while playing video games, traveling, and living our lives? Absolutely.But we still read a few good books, and had some thoughts. This is not the Reading Olympics, and we refuse to pretend otherwise.So let’s talk about what we actually read this month, what worked, what didn’t, and the one book that emotionally took over February.The Reading Slump Strikes AgainFebruary started with a familiar villain: the reading slump.Not because we weren’t trying, but because sometimes you start a book that just doesn’t hit right, and suddenly every page feels heavier than the last.When that happens, it’s easy for the slump spiral to begin. One mediocre book leads to slower reading, slower reading leads to picking up fewer books, and suddenly the entire month feels like you’ve barely touched your TBR.Add in things like travel, schedules, and a certain well-known MMORPG that may or may not be reclaiming some of our free time… and suddenly February is gone.We’re trying to stop framing these months as failures. Life happens. Reading seasons change. And sometimes a slower month is just what it is.The Books We FinishedEven in a quieter reading month, we still managed to finish a few books… with mixed results.The Fix by Mia SheridanThis romantic thriller sounded incredibly promising on paper. A tragic past, a mysterious kidnapping, and a race against time to uncover secrets, the premise had all the ingredients for a gripping story.Unfortunately, this one dragged more than expected. What started as an intriguing concept slowly became cumbersome to get through, and by the end it felt less like a page-turner and more like a marathon.That said, it wasn’t a terrible read! Just one that didn’t quite hit the way it could have.Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine CowlesThis short romantic suspense story (part of the Amazon Original Valentine’s series) had a lot going for it.A masquerade ball.A mysterious murder.A masked stranger who turns out to be your ex’s older brother.We love the drama.The setting was fun, the romance had strong friends-to-lovers energy, and the overall premise worked well for a short read. The only issue was a plot twist that felt a little too sudden and slightly uncomfortable.If the story had been longer, it might have been a dealbreaker. But at around 100 pages, it was still an enjoyable quick read.I Will Always Love You… Maybe by Dana HawkinsThis sapphic romance delivered cozy cabin vibes, a chaotic pink-haired vet tech, and the classic “snowed in together” trope.Colby, a grieving widow who has built a quiet life in isolation, unexpectedly finds herself stuck in a cabin with Josie — a woman who avoids emotional vulnerability by jumping from hobby to hobby.What unfolds is a sweet, character-driven romance full of awkward tension, slow emotional opening, and a golden retriever that deserves honorary main-character status.It’s charming, heartfelt, and easy to read. Even if it isn’t the most memorable romance.Book Lovers by Emily HenryFive stars. No hesitation.Emily Henry has a talent for writing romances that feel deeply human, and Book Lovers is no exception. What starts as a story about rival publishing professionals slowly unfolds into something much richer. Not just a love story, but a story about family, ambition, identity, and sisterhood.While the romance between Nora and Charlie is fantastic, the emotional core of the novel lies in Nora’s relationship with her sister Libby. That dynamic adds a level of emotional depth that makes the book feel bigger than a typical rom-com.The humor is sharp, the dialogue sparkles, and the emotional moments hit exactly where they’re supposed to.For February, this was the standout read… and possibly a contender for favorite book of the year already.The Tournament by Matthew ReillyA historical mystery set in 1546, featuring a massive chess tournament hosted by the Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, was definitely not a book we would normally pick up.But sometimes asking a friend for their favorite book leads you somewhere surprising.This story combines history, politics, chess strategy, and murder mystery, all narrated through the perspective of a young Queen Elizabeth I.It’s smart, fast-paced, and full of twists, and while it sits far outside the usual romance-heavy reading habits, it ended up being a surprisingly entertaining read.Featured Read: Regretting You by Colleen HooverOur February featured read was Regretting You by Colleen Hoover. A contemporary story about grief, secrets, and the complicated ...
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    56 mins
  • 4.03. Page to Screen: People We Meet on Vacation

    4.03. Page to Screen: People We Meet on Vacation
    Feb 6 2026

    Welcome back to My Sister’s TBR, where today we’re diving deep into People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry! AKA the story that had us staring at the wall and emotionally buffering for a minute.

    We’re unpacking Poppy + Alex (golden retriever vs black cat vibes), the friendship-to-lovers slow burn, the “no but what if…” tension, and all the moments that live rent-free in our brains. And yes: we’re comparing page vs screen, what the adaptation nailed, what we missed, and why the movie still managed to capture that same giddy-kicking-our-feet feeling.

    ⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This episode is basically a confetti cannon of spoilers, so if you haven’t read/watched yet, pause us, go do that, and come back emotionally prepared (or as close as humanly possible).

    What we get into:

    * Book vs movie vibe check: how faithful it felt and why it still worked

    * Changes we noticed: missing scenes we would’ve paid money to see (hello, Tinder profile moment), plus some “why did they change that?” choices

    * The romance moments: what hit harder in the book vs what hit harder on screen (and yes… we discuss the steamy scene)

    * Side characters + Sarah discourse: what we lost, what we gained, and why certain choices made us tilt our heads like a confused librarian

    * Final verdict: which one we preferred… and why it’s not as simple as “book always wins”

    So grab your coffee, wine, or emotional support beverage of choice and come giggle, swoon, and mildly spiral with us.

    Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram (@mysisterstbr) so you never miss our posts!



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    37 mins
  • 4.02. The Case Against Our January TBR

    4.02. The Case Against Our January TBR
    Feb 1 2026
    If you’ve ever reached the end of the month, stared at your TBR, and whispered “I swear I read more than this…” welcome. You are among friends.January is finally over (thank god), and it somehow felt like five months long. This episode of My Sister’s TBR is our end-of-month wrap-up, which means full transparency: the hits, the misses, the DNFs, the pauses, and the books that emotionally ruined us for at least three business days.This is a safe space.But also a court of law.And we will be exposing ourselves.A Quick Vibe Check: January Was… A LotInstead of starting with the numbers (because numbers can be rude), we kicked things off with a vibe check. And January reading was a bit of a mess.Some of us came in hot, convinced we were out of our reading ruts… only for life to step in and say “absolutely not.” Others powered through more than expected, proving once again that mood reading has no rules and no shame.The moral of the story: reading slumps are normal, pausing books is allowed, and January should mind its business.The Hits: Books That Carried the MonthLet’s start with the wins! The books that made January worth surviving.* Bluebird Gold by Devney PerryThis one came out swinging and did not miss. A romantic suspense with strong atmosphere, compelling characters, and just enough mystery to keep you glued to the page. It balanced romance and tension beautifully and felt like the kind of book that reminds you why you love reading in the first place.If you’re curious about romantic suspense but don’t know where to start, this is a fantastic entry point.* The Last Father-Daughter Dance by Lisa WingateA short story that had absolutely no right to hit as hard as it did.In under 60 pages, this story managed to deliver heart, depth, and emotional payoff that some full-length novels never achieve. It explores family, memory, aging, and love with such tenderness that it sneaks up on you - in the best way.Proof that you don’t need hundreds of pages to tell a meaningful story.* People We Meet on Vacation by Emily HenryZero surprises here. Still five stars. Still obsessed.This reread only confirmed what we already knew: Emily Henry knows how to write characters that feel real, relationships that feel earned, and stories that make you want to crawl into the pages and live there.Friends-to-lovers supremacy, summer vibes in the dead of winter, and a reminder that some authors truly don’t miss.The Middle Ground: Good, But ComplicatedNot every book was a slam dunk and that’s okay!* 30 Flirty and Forever Alone by Christine RiccioFun, charming, early-2000s rom-com energy with a magical realism twist that caught us a little off guard. The characters felt real and messy, the romance was sweet and well paced, and the overall experience was enjoyable - even if the surprise genre elements were a bit jarring at times.A solid four-star read, especially if you go in knowing what to expect.* Credence by Penelope DouglasThis one landed firmly in “I don’t know how I feel” territory. Yes, it was spicy. Was it memorable? Unfortunately. But absolutely not a reread.Some elements worked, others felt uncomfortable or underdeveloped, and the overall experience was… an experience. A three-star rating felt right for a book that kept us conflicted from start to finish.The Misses: Good Premises, Rough ExecutionsJanuary also delivered some disappointments. Books that should have worked, but just didn’t.Across these reads, the issues were consistent:* Weak emotional buildup* Flat or underdeveloped characters* Short formats that didn’t earn the romance* Missing or incomplete trigger warnings (which matters)One particular standout issue was the lack of transparency around heavy religious themes in a dark romance. A reminder that trigger warnings are important, especially when a topic plays a major role in the story.Not every miss was terrible, but they were reminders that a great premise doesn’t always equal a great reading experience. Be sure to check out our episode to hear about all the books!Featured Read (Spoiler-Free): People We Meet on VacationTo close out the month, we talked about our January Featured Read without spoilers, saving the full chaos for a separate deep-dive episode.This book remains a favorite for great reasons:* Strong dual timelines* Fully realized characters that actually feel real* Emotional payoff that actually pays offPoppy and Alex are proof that friends-to-lovers can be just as devastating (in the best way) as enemies-to-lovers, and Emily Henry continues to be an automatic read author for us.If she writes it, we will read it. No questions asked.Wrapping Up January (Finally)January gave us:⭐ Multiple five-star reads⭐ A few solid “meh”s⭐ At least one why did I do this to myself book⭐ And a renewed appreciation for mood reading without guiltAs we move forward, all of our Featured Reads this year will be Page-to-Screen adaptations, and we’re already very ...
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    56 mins
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