Fictionally Unhinged

Season 2: Episode 2: Fiction Books for your Nervous System

Welcome to Fictionally Unhinged — the podcast where every opinion is unfiltered, every spiral is dramatic, and your TBR is permanently out of control.  Hosted by two emotionally unstable (but well-read) besties, this is your go-to space for chaotic book talk, unhinged hot takes, and deep dives into the stories that completely wreck us—in the best way. From cozy comfort reads to dark, twisty thrillers… from swoony romances to full-blown emotional damage—we’re breaking down what to read based on your mood, your mindset, and your current level of instability. Expect: *  Book recs for every “nervous system state”  *  Laugh-out-loud chaos and relatable spirals  *  Honest, no-BS reviews (we will DNF publicly 👀)  *  Fangirl moments, feral reactions, and questionable life choices inspired by fictional men  Consider this your official warning label: spoilers, sass, and zero chill ahead. 🎧 Press play… and let’s spiral together.

Season 2 Is Here: Big Life Changes, Reading Slumps & Finding Our Way Back

You are listening to Fictionally Unhinged — where every opinion is unfiltered, every spiral is dramatic, and every TBR is dangerously out of control. Consider this your official warning label: spoilers, chaos, and wildly honest takes ahead. ✨ Welcome to Season 2. ✨ After a few months of being very MIA (because… life), we’re finally back with a much-needed catch-up episode. In this season premiere, we’re sharing real-life updates, big changes, and the behind-the-scenes chaos that pulled us away — including moves, new jobs, family transitions, sleep deprivation, puppies, and everything in between. We also ease back into book talk with what we’ve been reading (and not reading), including: * Brimstone (the opinions are… mixed) * Cozy Christmas reads * Once the Stars Fall * The Coven * Easy comfort reads vs. heavy fantasy when your nervous system simply cannot cope This episode is part life update, part bookish brain dump, and fully unhinged — exactly the way we like it. Consider this the soft re-entry before we dive deeper into books, tropes, spirals, and full-blown opinions in upcoming episodes. We’re so glad you’re here.  We’re so glad we’re back.  And welcome to Season 2 of Fictionally Unhinged 🖤📚

Marita Dives into the Riley Thorn Series

RILEY THORN, COFFEE, AND CHAOS: MARITA’S SOLO LOVE LETTER TO LUCY SCORE Marita’s flying solo to shout from the rooftops about her all-time favorite rom-com series: Lucy Score’s Riley Thorn universe—aka reality-adjacent mayhem with dead bodies, psychics, and enough coffee to power a small city. If you’ve ever wanted a rom-com that doesn’t reset every book, this one lets you live with Riley and Nick as their relationship grows through visions, murder investigations, meddling retirees, and one extremely lovable PI who chooses love without angsting for 400 pages. Expect: witty one-liners that make you snort-laugh, heartfelt gut-punches that sneak up on you, and a cozy-chaotic world that somehow feels like home. Marita breaks down why Nick Santiago deserves his own fan club, why Riley is the relatable messy queen we root for, and how Lucy Score balances humor and heart like a pro—no new couple every book, just one delicious slow-build relationship you actually get to stay in. In this episode: * What makes Riley & Nick the rom-com gold standard * Found family shenanigans (hi, retirement-home detectives) * Freedom vs. “shoulds,” and why this series hits deeper than cute banter * Favorite quotes and laugh-till-you-cry moments (Halloween party chaos, anyone?)

Episode 9: Fall Book Chaos, Fantasy Boys in Corn Mazes, and TikTok Book Betrayals

Fictionally Unhinged: Fall Book Chaos, Fantasy Boys in Corn Mazes, and TikTok Book Betrayals 🍂 You’re listening to Fictionally Unhinged — where every opinion is unfiltered, every spiral is dramatic, and every TBR is dangerously out of control. Consider this your official warning label: spoilers and unhinged chaos ahead. It’s fall… sort of. In this episode, we’re pretending we don’t live in 85° Florida and fully leaning into fantasy fall vibes. We’re playing games like Fantasy Fall Activities (carving pumpkins with Violet? Getting lost in a corn maze with Cassian?), stealing apple cider donuts with book characters, and of course, putting books on trial for not living up to the hype. 📚⚖️ We dive into the most popular books BookTok made us read — and whether or not they were worth it. From Zodiac Academy and Ruthless Boys, to Quicksilver, The Ritual, The Housemaid, Butcher & Blackbird, Incon and Fantasma, The Things We Never Got Over, and Verity — we’re spilling the tea, throwing shade, and roasting every letdown along the way. Expect spicy takes, chaotic laughter, tangents about secret societies, fall book recs, and a little bit of therapy for all the morally gray men who ruined us. Books mentioned: 🖤 Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver 🖤 The Ritual & The Sinner by Shantel Tessier 🖤 Zodiac Academy + Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac 🖤 Quicksilver by Raye Wagner 🖤 The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 🖤 Verity, November 9th, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover 🖤 The Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score 🖤 Incon + Fantasma by Kaylie Smith 🖤 The Silent Patient, Behind Her Eyes, Dead Guy Next Door, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, and more… Whether you’re team “worth the hype” or team “BookTok betrayed me,” this episode is cozy, chaotic, and full of fall book energy.

Episode 8: Scenes that WRECKED us

You’re listening to Fictionally Unhinged — where every opinion is unfiltered, every spiral is dramatic, and every TBR is dangerously out of control. Consider this your official warning label: spoilers and unhinged chaos ahead. Episode eight is an emotional wrecking ball — we're diving into the scenes that broke us, gutted us, and made us sob so hard we had to put the book down and reevaluate life. From fantasy heartbreaks to thriller-induced chills, this episode is all about the quotes, deaths, betrayals, and sacrifices that hit way too hard. We talk Verity, Throne of Glass, Crescent City, Fourth Wing, Quicksilver, Ruthless Boys, and even a few underrated gems that made us question if our tears were worth it (spoiler: they were). Expect dramatic readings, therapy-level rants, and our unfiltered love for the characters who deserved better. Also on the docket:  😵 The Verity abortion scene and why it still haunts us  🩵 LaHaba’s death: a small fire sprite with the biggest heart 👑 Aelin’s girl’s girl moment on the bridge (we sobbed) 💔 The fiancé death that wrecked us in You're Always 🔥 Liam’s final words in Fourth Wing and why we’ll never recover 📚 Our working theory: SJM has a red-string murder board in her office Whether you’re crying over fictional characters, rewriting the plot in your head, or Googling “does he come back?” at 2am — this episode is for you. Bring tissues. You’ve been warned.