The Collectanea Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Hey besties! We are so very glad to be back after a two week hiatus, and there is no better comeback than welcoming a VERY special guest to join us for Part 2 of Middle Grade March! Our beautiful pal Kelly is a Florida public school teacher with a deep passion for reading, and we know you'll adore her as much as we do. She's the cutest lil 4'10" button you'll ever meet, she is wildly intelligent (seriously, just listen!!!), and she loves her babies so darn much, it's inspiring.

This is easily one of our fave convos we've ever had - we're ALL over the map. A little Harry Potter discourse, Kelly's best-loved children's and middle grade books, a frank talk about what's happening in FL schools right now, and of course, indoctrinating Kelly into Collectanea the only way we know how: by forcing her to take a quiz to decide which Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sister she is.

We hope you'll have as much fun listening to this episode as we had recording it for you. If you need an instant serotonin boost, Kelly is just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for hanging out with us, fam - we love you big time!

• B & P

P.S. Join us over on Insta to get more Bex and Phae weirdness on your feed @collectaneabooks
P.P.S. Big thanks to E's Jammy Jams for our sweet lil tune!

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Welcome back, lovely friends! It is officially Middle Grade March and we are SO stoked. On this episode, we're discussing our favorite middle grade books from our childhood - think Magic Tree House, Ella Enchanted, The Babysitter's Club. You know, the good stuff! The magical stuff. The stuff that reminds our inner children that we are capable of anything to which we set our minds. And so are you. 

Spring always evokes happy feelings, so naturally, easy breezy middle grade books pair well with this joyous season! We think you'll agree after this ep. And we're super curious: what are your fave middle grade reads? Do you still reread them every now and again for a nostalgic little boost? And are you also fascinated and deeply moved by the fact that middle grade authors spin their young characters' childhood trauma into gold? Join us for this delightful conversation; we're so very glad you're here!

Yours with fanciful, ageless love,

B & P

P.S. Can't get enough of us weirdos? Join us over on Instagram @collectaneabooks!
P.P.S. Big thanks to E's Jammy Jams for our cutie intro and outro!

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We think the title speaks for itself. Things are really hard right now and we're not the type to phone it in - so you're getting the raw, unfiltered Bex and Phae. On this episode, we're talking about what we read when everything's sh*t, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, we read a lot of fantasy and YA. Escapism at its finest!

Thank you for joining us, again and again, as we share our passion for reading and deep love of stories with you. We see you, we love you, we're so darn proud of you. Keep going, keep reading! You deserve that, and so much more.

• B & P

P.S. Join us on Instagram @collectaneabooks - what books do YOU read when things go south?
P.P.S. Big thanks to E's Jammy Jams for our sweet lil tune!

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Phae and Bex are back, and this time, we have a super special surprise for you! We coerced our glorious partners into joining us on the pod to celebrate Valentine's Day and it was the best decision EVER. We had such a blast, it was like being back together again on a double date! And we're so stoked to take you along for the ride.

Fair warning: we don't really talk about books on this episode. But we suppose that's why we went with the name Collectanea - a lil bit of everything, huh? We do ask each other a few book-related questions, so if you're here exclusively for bookish content, we got your back! But if you wanna get to know your Collectanea hosts and their partners on a deeper level, definitely don't skip this one.

Wherever you are, however you celebrate (even if you prefer not to!), we hope this episode finds you in the best of health and happiness, reveling in all the goodness this world has to offer. Thanks for joining us, and as always, we love you! 

• B & P

P. S. Find us on Instagram @collectaneabooks - we'll see you there!
P. P. S. Big thanks to E's Jammy Jams for our sweet lil tune!

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It's love month, babes! And we can't think of any better way to celebrate than by dedicating a whole episode to queer romance and LGBTQ+ fiction. We're pretty stoked at how much queer literature has hit the shelves within the last few years, and how much more is on the horizon! 

These stories have touched our hearts, opened our minds, and showed us the best of what love can be. This episode is a celebration of love in all its many forms, an exploration of the magic of found families, and a true expression of gratitude to the authors that give our community a sense of hope by making art that is vulnerable, evocative, and deeply personal.

We're really proud of this episode, and we hope you'll enjoy this conversation as much as we did. No matter who you love or who you are, we love you madly and deeply, and we're so thankful to have you here.  - B & P

Find us on Instagram @collectaneabooks.
Big thanks to E's Jammy Jams for our lovely lil tune!

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Joy wears many different costumes and shows up for all of us in different ways; Bex and Phae are no strangers to this phenomenon! But regardless of whether joy wears purple or polka dots or chain metal, it can be found anywhere - from the trees in your neighborhood to a big move to a new city to the books on your shelf.

Join your hosts as they discuss the many faces of joy that show up in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and The Little Paris Bookshop and The Little French Bistro by Nina George.  Whether you prefer quiet, simple happiness like Beth, domestic bliss like Meg, distinguished success like Amy, or exuberant passion like Jo, this episode provides deep insight on how Bex and Phae began to walk the path to joy and how you can, too. 

Please be advised, this episode briefly mentions suicide, as well as other challenging subjects like the pandemic and the distress that accompanies such times. Feel free to skip this convo and join us on any of our previous or future episodes! We love you!

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Bex and Phae are BACK, baby! And this time, we're talking about doing scary things, doing hard things, doing things that make you shake in your boots like walking knowingly to your death to face He Who Must Not Be Named, committing faerie murder in the name of love, or making phone calls to schedule doctor's appointments. As you can imagine, when discussing times of great struggle and strife, we use some colorful language, so listener discretion is advised. 

We're chatting about some all-time fan favorites, so you definitely don't want to miss this episode! Can't get enough of your best bookish friends? Visit us on Instagram @collectaneabooks - we want to hear about all of the hard things you've done recently and celebrate you! Also, Bex has a really important question about one particular book and whether you've liked it, so stay tuned to find out.

We love you so much, and we're so grateful to share this cozy time with you!

• B & P

(Big thanks to E's Jammy Jams for our lovely lil tune!)

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Have you ever wanted to have a lil book club with your bffs where you discuss anything and everything? Like, not just surface-level stuff, like real stuff. Who's your book boyfriend and why is it Rhysand? Who's your soul character? Which one of the four March sisters are you really? Better yet, which one of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sisters are you?

Bex and Phae wanna know - DESPERATELY want to know. And we know you wanna know who we are. And why we're here. And what the hell collectanea even means. So pop in your earbuds and press play, because we're that cozy lil book club you've been waiting for, and we're not holding back.

In this first episode, you'll get to know us pretty well. Look, here's the thing: when somebody asks you which three literary characters best describe you, you're telling them everything they need to know. And so we'll tell you! And we can't wait for you to tell us.

Join us over at @collectaneabooks on Instagram for more of the good stuff! We hope you'll love the community we create here. We think you will, because there's no shortage of love between Bex and Phae, and let's be real. We love you already, more than we love Little Women and Twilight. And that's saying something.