Rites of the Starling Review: Is Devney Perry’s Sequel Worth the Hype?

Best Book of the Year?! + Our Summer Reading TBR

In today’s episode of Book Bits & Chill we’re diving into our May reading wrap up and June TBRs, but somehow this episode also became a full existential crisis about reading moods, sequel fatigue, BookTok pressure, and whether we’ve all been forcing ourselves to read books like homework. We talk about: - the books that completely consumed our personalities - our newest 5 star reads - the most emotionally lingering books of the month - why we think romantasy burnout is REAL - sequel fatigue and release pressure - the Binding 13 casting discourse - mood reading vs forcing your TBR - our perfect summer reading plans - the books we think could become favorites of the year Books mentioned include: Into the Blue by Emma Brodie Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Famesick by Lena Dunham Dire Bound & Fury Bound by Sable Sorenson The Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker Score by Kennedy Ryan Emma by Jane Austen Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick …and more. If you love romantasy, literary fiction, contemporary romance, honest ratings, chaotic reader conversations, and hearing two girls spiral over fictional men and their TBRs… welcome home. Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes, book reviews, reading updates, BookTok Tested videos, and all things books. Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookbitsclub Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BookBitsAndChill

Off Campus Review: Is the Prime Video Show Better Than The Deal? (Book vs. Show Breakdown)

Off Campus just dropped on Prime Video and we spiraled so hard we had to make an episode about it. This week Cassie and Emily are breaking down the full Season 1 adaptation of Elle Kennedy's The Deal — what the show got exactly right, what they changed from the book, and whether you should read The Deal before or after watching. We get into the scenes that had us absolutely feral (THAT "show me" scene — they delivered), why Allie and Dean almost stole the show entirely, the female gaze vs. the millennial gaze, the iconic cinematic parallels to our favorite rom-coms, and why Belmont Cameli's jaw ticks broke us on a personal level. Plus: our full book vs. show ratings, the read-before-or-after debate (we disagree), and our theories on what Season 2 is going to do with Dean and Allie's storyline. If you binged Off Campus and immediately doom-scrolled TikTok fan edits at 1am, this episode is for you. Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookbitsclub Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BookBitsAndChill

Fury Bound Review | Is This Just Another Fourth Wing?

Fury Bound is one of the most hyped romantasy sequels of 2026 and the internet keeps calling it “Fourth Wing with wolves”… so obviously we had to talk about it. In this episode of Book Bits & Chill, we review Dire Bound and Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen and answer the big question: should you actually read this viral romantasy series right now, or can it wait? We get into: • Fourth Wing comparisons • Our final review • Entry-level romantasy vs expert romantasy readers • The plot twist chaos • Whether the deaths actually landed emotionally • The wolf bonds, magic system, and romance • Why this series feels like “junk food books” • Whether book three is worth continuing This episode is spoiler free at the beginning, then turns into full book club discussion with spoilers for Dire Bound and Fury Bound. If you love romantasy, fantasy romance, Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, Quicksilver, or dramatic book club conversations, welcome home. Subscribe for weekly romantasy reviews, book club discussions, adaptation reactions, BookTok Tested verdicts, and chaotic reader commentary. Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookbitsclub Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BookBitsAndChill

Remarkably Bright Creatures Netflix Movie Review | Book vs. Screen Verdict

Did Netflix nail the Remarkably Bright Creatures adaptation? We're breaking down the May 8th release of Shelby Van Pelt's bestselling novel and giving our full book-to-screen verdict — spoilers included. In this episode, Cassie and Emily dive into the casting choices (Sally Field as Tova = perfection, but who is Lewis Pullman as Cameron?), debate whether Marcellus the octopus got the voiceover he deserved (David Attenborough vs. Michael Urie's iconic audiobook performance — fight us), and unpack the sly changes Netflix made from the book, including the shift from estranged brother to husband and the minimized search for Cameron's father. We also cover: – The CGI Marcellus and whether it landed emotionally – Why the twist hit harder in the book than on screen – The mop-bucket finale that wrecked us both – Why this is the perfect Mother's Day movie watch – Our final star ratings on adaptation accuracy, emotional impact, and casting If you loved the BookTok-famous novel, are deciding whether to stream the movie, or just want a cozy, character-driven cry — this one's for you. 🎧 Next week: Should You Read This? on Fury Bound by Sable Sorenson, the highly anticipated follow-up to Direbound. Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookbitsclub Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BookBitsAndChill

We Failed Our TBR… April Wrap Up + May TBR | Romantasy, Hockey Romance

Okay besties… we failed our TBR. We break down our April wrap up and May TBR, including what we actually read, what surprised us, and what completely derailed our plans. From Shield of Sparrows to The Deal and other viral BookTok books, this month had range. We also get into: 00:00 We failed our TBR 02:00 DNF to obsessed… Shield of Sparrows pipeline 06:00 Is binge reading better than waiting for sequels? 10:30 The Deal review… fun or cringey? 15:30 Book to movie adaptations… are we doing too much? 21:00 The most divisive book of the month 26:00 May TBR… are we being realistic? 30:00 What we are actually excited to read Then we reset for May with a more realistic TBR… or at least we are pretending it is. If you are looking for what to read next or want honest reader reactions, this one is for you. BOOKS MENTIONED • Beach Read by Emily Henry • Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry • Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry • The Deal by Elle Kennedy • Into the Blue by Emma Brodie • Dire Bound by Sable Sorenson • Fury Bound by Sable Sorenson • Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan • Stormbreaker by Nisha J. Tuli • Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune • The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff • Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke • Fame Sick by Lena Dunham JOIN THE CHAT: What did you read in April? Did you stick to your TBR or spiral like us? What is on your May TBR? Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookbitsclub Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BookBitsAndChill