#49 - Books for One Functioning Neuron

#49 - Books for One Functioning Neuron

Join Kristen and a happily drunk Rosika as we try to figure out what in literature appeals to the only functioning brain cell we could scrape up between two very tired mom brains. Also featuring: making fun of each other in sickness and in health, trying to call the communist party with a bike bell, fair stories, & making tv references from 30 years ago like other people are supposed to understand us. Happy 50th episode y’all!  Wanna write in to the show? email us at: coasttocoastbookspodcast@gmail.com   Creators Mentioned Marcella in the Margins https://www.youtube.com/@marcellainthemargins Kelly @kellyseeksbooks https://www.youtube.com/@kellyseeksbooks Books Mentioned Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto Zodiac by Ai Weiwei and Elettra Stamboulis This Beautiful, Ridiculous City by Kay Sohini Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto & Illustrated by Ann Xu Starter Villain by John Scalzi Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi ———————————————————————

#48 - Our AAPI Month Book Picks!

Help us celebrate May as Asian American & Pacific Islander month as we chat about all the books we are excited to read! Also featuring: buying bike accessories from the USSR, exotic reptile conventions, expanding our owned power tool collection, & using pokémon cards as a millennial retirement strategy.  Wanna help Rosika name her bicycle? Or just wanna talk about books with us? Leave a comment or email the pod! Wanna write in to the show? email us at: coasttocoastbookspodcast@gmail.com   Creators Mentioned Marcella in the Margins https://www.youtube.com/@marcellainthemargins Kelly @kellyseeksbooks https://www.youtube.com/@kellyseeksbooks Books Mentioned Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume Bathe the Cat by Alice B McGinty Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee Jade City by Fonda Lee Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chang  Art of War by Sun Tzu ———————————————————————

#47 - GUESS WHOSE BACK!! // Maternity Leave Book Catchup!

We birthed the humans and we’re back guys! Join us for a full speed reunion this week as we chat about the 19 books we read since the last time we saw each other! Also featuring: Rosika confesses her shopaholic tendencies, Kristen goes all in on garden prep, and we admit we messed up the finer details of a time space wormhole.  Sing it from the steeple guys, the coast to coast besties are back! Wanna write in to the show? email us at: coasttocoastbookspodcast@gmail.com   Creators Mentioned Marcella in the Margins https://www.youtube.com/@marcellainthemargins Kelly @kellyseeksbooks https://www.youtube.com/@kellyseeksbooks Jay at my0.25life crisis https://www.youtube.com/@my0.25lifecrisis/videos Books Mentioned Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming Flat Broke with Two Goats by Jennifer McGaha Millionaire Mission by Brian Preston Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden by Camille Dungy Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan The Kitchen Front Jennifer Ryan The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora by Nicole Wong One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

#46 - Our 2026 Book Goals! // New Year Same Nonsense

In a tale stranger than fiction Rosika & Kristen are both feeling relatively awake and ready for this week’s episode! Join us this week as we look at the successes & fails of our past selves (complete with stats) and look toward what we want to achieve in 2026! Also featuring yelling about gift giving, lying to toddlers about the calendar, and celebrating one year of the show! P.S. We promise to get a swear jar for 2026. Wanna write in to the show? email us at: coasttocoastbookspodcast@gmail.com   Creators Mentioned Marcella in the Margins https://www.youtube.com/@marcellainthemargins Kelly @kellyseeksbooks https://www.youtube.com/@kellyseeksbooks Jay at my0.25life crisis https://www.youtube.com/@my0.25lifecrisis/videos Books Mentioned The Skull by Jon Klassen Salt Sugar MSG by Calvin Eng Albatross by Terry Fallis Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 1 by Martha Wells Feng Shui Modern by Cliff Tan Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

#45 - Kristen’s Back!!! & Our Top Books 5 of 2025!

Welcome as we perform a wellness check on Kristen deep in the heart of her maternity leave! Join us for a cohost reunion and talk about our favorite books of 2025! In other news: Rosika overthinks a sports metaphor, Kristen regals us with her birth story, we discuss the finer points of hospital go bags, midlife crisis earring updates, and the joys of hanging out with your best friend after far too long! Wanna write in to the show? email us at: coasttocoastbookspodcast@gmail.com Books Mentioned Heartstopper Books 3, 4, & 5 (Series) by Alice Oseman Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell Scythe (series) by Neal Shusterman Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna Know My Name by Chanel Miller The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Shark Heart by Emily Habeck Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 1 by Martha Wells Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green