Genre’d: A Book Podcast

24 - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: The Tradwife Thriller We Couldn't Stop Thinking About

A tradwife influencer wakes up trapped inside a version of the 1800s that looks suspiciously like the life she's been selling online. No electricity. No modern medicine. No escape. Just sourdough, prairie dresses, and increasingly alarming questions about what's actually happening. This week we're discussing Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, one of the buzziest books on BookTok right now. We get into unreliable narrators, influencer culture, motherhood, the tradwife aesthetic, and why this book felt way more like a psychological thriller than we expected. Plus: Ballerina Farm comparisons, M. Night Shyamalan energy, the world's dumbest husband, and whether we'd survive pioneer life for longer than five minutes. Spoiler-free discussion first. Spoilers begin after the spoiler alarm.

Off Book: Heather on Cozy Mysteries, Bones Lore, and the Art of DNFing Books

Two former coworkers walk into a podcast episode and somehow end up in a full-scale Bones spiral. That’s the vibe this week. We’re joined by Katy’s longtime friend Heather, whose reading taste can best be described as “absolutely everything, but especially old people solving crimes.” We get into cozy mysteries, unreliable narrators, why some romance books desperately need therapy instead of a third-act breakup, and the very specific genre of “women forced into oddly transformative life situations.” Also discussed:• Heather’s legendary Word doc book tracking system• Why dual POV romance sometimes ruins the fantasy• Hallmark fake dating supremacy• The Da Vinci Code making us all feel intellectually elite• The true crime blog era before podcasts existed• The Heated Rivalry psychosis of 2026• A completely unexpected deep dive into Bones, Castle, Betty from Will Trent, and network television chaos And yes, we firmly believe Angela Montenegro invented technology itself.

23 - The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke: Knives Out Meets Big Publishing

This week on Genre'd, we're talking The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke. A remote island. A dead literary legend. A group of writers given 72 hours to finish his final book. What starts as a high-stakes writing competition turns into a locked-room mystery where the bodies start piling up fast. This week, we’re talking: * Publishing industry drama (and what we actually learned 👀) * Multi-POV chaos done right… mostly * Whether this leans more Knives Out or classic Agatha Christie * That ending… and why we have questions Plus:WE HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY - including a major adaptation announcement we are absolutely here for Spoiler-free up top, full breakdown after the alarm 🚨 Next read: Yesteryear by Carol Claire Burke

Off Book: A Murder Most Camp with Nic DiDomizio & Dinah Alobeid

We’re back with our first returning Off Book guests and it’s a big one. Nicolas DiDomizio returns with Dinah Alobeid to celebrate A Murder Most Camp officially being out in the world and we have thoughts!! We get into the chaotic brilliance behind the book, from being paid to write the first three chapters (power move) to completely rewriting the killer mid-process. Plus: the reality of publishing, what actually happens between draft and release, and why cozy mystery might be the most fun genre to play in right now. Also: Annabelle supremacy, G-chat loyalty, camp chaos, and why “happy people aren’t mean” might be the line of the year.

22 - Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman: A Twitch Stream from Hell

This week, we’re talking Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman, a sci fi dystopian that asks a truly unhinged question: what if your quiet farming planet got turned into a livestreamed war game… and the people trying to kill you thought it was just entertainment? We break down the chaos of gamer controlled mechs, influencer culture gone very wrong, and the AI storyline that gets a little too real. Plus, the Rhythm Mafia, Lulu’s side hustle, and why this might actually be a Twitch stream from hell. Also: we have thoughts on Justin Bieber at Coachella and the return of Veronica Roth to the Divergent universe. Spoilers start around the midway point.