Young Adulting

It's time for us to share our favorite books of 2025! Get your notebooks ready because WE! HAVE! RECS!

The holidays are (almost) here! We're talking about all the things we're excited about this season, from most anticipated events, white elephant gifts, holiday movie rankings, festive FMK's, and more!   Olivia's Things Most anticipated holiday events Admin Advent calendar Holiday Movie Battle   Becca's Things White elephant gift ideas Festive FMK's Reflecting on the year   Sign up for Olivia's virtual Q&A!   Weekly Obsession Becca - Heated Rivalry  Olivia - The Incredible Dr. Pol   What We Read This Week Olivia - Harmless by Miranda Schulman Becca - And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens, So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder   This Month's Book Club Pick - No December book club, but now's the perfect time to catch up on past book club picks!    Sponsors Cozy Earth - Head to cozyearth.com and use our code BOP for up to 20% off. Wayfair - Head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home. Caraway Home - Visit Carawayhome.com/BOP for up to 25% off your next purchase.   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs

The year is coming to a close, and you know what that means! It's time to look back at our highs of 2025. We reminisce on work wins, new hobbies, mantras, and more!    Best New Artist Discovery of The Year (Author, Artist, Filmmaker, Dancer, etc.)  Olivia - Allegra Goodman, Joshua Burnside Becca - Francis Featherstone, Anna Kwan, Sarah Martinez, Barbara Bourland   Best Song of The Year  Olivia - Baby Steps by Olivia Dean Becca - Moves by Suki Waterhouse   Best Movie or Show of The Year:  Olivia - Train Dreams Becca - The Summer I Turned Pretty   Best Purchase of the Year  Olivia - Shiseido Illuminating Micro Spot Serum Becca - Weighted Eye Mask   Best Sandwich of The Year  Olivia - Fork & Whisk Chicken Salad Becca - Hillstone French dip   Obsession: Becca - Margaret from Bad Art Everyday's Post Olivia - Pluribus   Reading: Olivia - Wreck by Catherine Newman Becca - Between Two Kings by Lindsay Straube, I Wrote This for Attention by Lukas Gage   This Month's Book Club Pick - No December book club, but no

It's time for our final book club episode of 2025! We're discussing a book we've been seeing everywhere, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. We talk about why we think this book has become so popular, if we've read epistolary novels before, our thoughts on the novelty of the mother/daughter relationship, how it brought up feelings about retirement for us both, and more!   Also, the Wall Street Journal's profile of Virginia Evans is a great read.   Obsession: Becca - Leset Pointelle Boxer Pants   Reading: Olivia - The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze (Out February 16, 2026) Becca - Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck, Between Two Kings by Lindsay Straube   This Month's Book Club Pick - No December book club, but now's the perfect time to catch up on past book club picks!    Sponsors Cozy Earth - from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, get 40% off at cozyearth.com with code BOP.  Caraway - Visit Carawayhome.com/BOP to take advantage of this limited-time offer for up to 25% off your next purchase.   Join our Facebook

It's time for this year's Bad on Paper Gift Guide! We're so excited to dive into our picks that are very us-coded.    Becca-Coded Picks Gifts for People Who Love NYC  Katie Kime NYC Toile Tea Towels ($58) Chefanie - I Love NY cocktail napkins ($48) All the restaurants prints (5x7 $55) - John Donahue - also Paris, London, DC, Philly, Chicago, Napa W/ Hudson & Mark acrylic frame (A5 size) - Reg $44, sale: $35   Hobby-Forward Gifts (Knitting, Watercolors, Pickleball, MahJong etc.)  Emily Lex Studio Watercolor Books ($24) + Optional paint set ($18) Mark & Graham Pickleball Tote (Reg $79, Current $59) Pickle playing Pickleball Ornament ($25) Pickleball snack serving plate ($58) We Are Knitters Scarf Kit - Stan Scarf (Reg $74, Current $52) or Dinka Scarf (Reg: $55, Current $39)   Gifts for People Who Love to Travel  Dagne Dover Landon Carry On Duffel - Lg - (Reg: $240, sale $180) Etsy watercolor print of a fave city/destination Turtl pillow - (regular $55, sale $44)   Gifts for People Who Love to Host Dan

This week, we're talking all about portfolio careers! We discuss the current iteration of our own careers and then chat with Leigh Stein and Ali LaBelle—two other professionals with portfolio careers—to break down the work they do, time management, and advice for people interested in transitioning to a portfolio career.    Obsessions Becca - West End Girl Olivia - Beth's Dead   What we read this week Olivia - The Good Daughters by Brigitte Dale Becca - The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (Out April 7), Little One by Olivia Muenter (Out Feb 3)   This Month's Book Club Pick - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Wayfair - Head to Wayfair.com to shop Wayfair's Black Friday deals for up to 70% off. Caraway Home - Visit Carawayhome.com/BOP for up to 20% off your next purchase. Uncommon Goods - Go to uncommmongoods.com/BOP for 15% off. The Room Next Door - Go to Audible.com/theroomn

November Things are coming in HOT! Keep listening for podcast recs, supernatural talk, guessing games, and more!   Also, donate to your local foodbank! Find one local to you here.   Olivia's Things Emma Straub's newsletter about David Harbor's pseudonym Do you believe in ghosts? 1 new habit we like, 1 that we want to kick to the curb   Becca's Things Current Podcast Listening Lineup (Olivia's is Book Gang, Pen Pals, Glamorous Trash) (Becca's are The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, Books, Beach, & Beyond, Open Book With Jenna, Otherppl with Brad Listi) The most expensive liquids you can buy without a permit Are you a pumpkin or an apple fall person?   Obsessions Becca - Vince Coat from The Real Real Olivia - Dancing With the Stars   What we read this week Olivia - Sister Wife by Christine Wooley Brown Becca - Finished Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube, Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia   This Month's Book Club Pick - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (have thoughts about this book you wan

We can't wait to discuss our October Book Club Pick, Heart The Lover by Lily King! We're talking about Lily King's favorite shape (the triangle!), the surprising crossover with Writers & Lovers, crying on airplanes, male friendship, and so much more.   Obsessions Becca - The Diplomat Season Three Olivia - Twinless   What we read this week Olivia - Heart The Lover by Lily King, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Becca - Ready or Not by Cara Bastone, Kiss of the Baselisk by Lindsay Straub   This Month's Book Club Pick - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Macmillan - Listen to Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Everything by Alyson Stoner wherever you get your audiobooks The Room Next Door - Go to Audible.com/theroomnextdoor and start listening today.   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!  Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Preorder Olivia's Book, Littl

This week, we’re chatting with 4 debut authors about their experience bringing a book into the world in 2025! They share the pitch for their book and what surprised them about their debut experience.   Our debut authors & their books!  Katie Yee - Maggie; Or A Man and A Woman Walk Into A Bar Natalie Guerrero - My Train Leaves at Three Laura Leffler  - Tell Them You Lied Aisha Muharrar - Loved One   Obsessions Olivia - Not wearing mascara  Becca - Leopard Coat from Mango   What we read this week Becca- The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers Olivia - Take Me Apart by Sara Sligar   This Month’s Book Club Pick - Heart The Lover by Lily King (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Better Help - get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/BADONPAPER Uncommon Goods - get 15% off your next gift at uncommmongoods.com/bop Room Next Door - Don't miss Wendy Walker's new Audible Original The Room Next Door. Go to Audi

We’re so excited for you to hear our conversation with Nic Stone! We chat with Nic about her author origin story, why she made the jump from YA to adult with her (very!) adult debut Boom Town, writing off her strip club visits for research, and more!    Obsessions Becca - Shonda Rhimes on Call Her Daddy Olivia - Floor lamp from Wayfair   What we read this week Becca - The Idiot by Elif Batuman, The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland   This Month’s Book Club Pick - Heart The Lover by Lily King (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns Caraway Home - Carawayhome.com/BOP for an additional 10% off your next purchase The Room Next Door by Wendy Walker - Go to Audible.com/TheRoomNextDoor and start listening today.   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!  Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Preorder Olivia’s Book,

This week, we’re sharing an inside look at our reading habits! We dive into how we choose what to read, our favorite times to read, who we talk about books with IRL, our rules of thumb for DNF-ing, and more!    Becca’s TBR - The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers, Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck, Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston    What we read this week Becca - Boom Town by Nic Stone (Out October 14!)   This Month’s Book Club Pick - Heart The Lover by Lily King (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Wayfair - Head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home Cozy Earth - Head to cozyearth.com and use our code BOP for up to 20% off!   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!  Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Preorder Olivia’s Book, Little One, and order Such a Bad Influence! Subscribe to Olivia’s Newsletter! Order Becca’s Book, The Christmas Orphans Club! Subscribe to Becca’s Newsletter!  Follow u

Time for another round of three things! And this one’s very bookish: we’re talking about 2025 books that flew under the radar, plot twists, mood writing, what we want to learn about this fall, and more!   Becca’s Things Underrated Books of 2025 Becca’s - Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine, Loved One by Aisha Muharrar | Olivia’s - Tilt by Emma Pattee, Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild. How moods shift in the writing process Personal Curriculums   Olivia’s Things Plot twists we didn’t see coming - The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn  Reflective Moods   Obsessions Becca - “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean Olivia - Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret   What we read this week Olivia - Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild, Maggie; Or A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee, Sam by Allegra Goodman, A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst, Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia Becca - The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy, Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman   This Month’s Book Club Pi

September is coming to a close, and you know what that means! Time to talk about this month’s book club pick, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach. We discuss our expectations going into this book based on the cover, how it balanced its dark themes with humor, what we thought of the relationships, and more!     Obsessions Olivia - One Trick Pony Peanut Butter Becca - Westman Atelier Blush in Coquette   What we read this week Olivia - Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver   This Month’s Book Club Pick - Heart The Lover by Lily King (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Caraway Home - Visit Carawayhome.com/BOP or use code BOP at checkout Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!  Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Preorder Olivia’s Book, Little One, and order Such a Bad Influence! Subscribe to Olivia’s Newsletter! Order Becca’s Book, The Christma

We are SO excited to chat with Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, about their new book, The Academy! We ask how their collaborative writing process worked, about Shelby’s boarding school experience that inspired the book, and Elin’s feelings on venturing into a new world outside Nantucket. We also have adaptation updates and some exclusive behind the scenes gossip!   These days, Shelby is reading A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, and Elin is reading Dominion by Addie E. Citchens.    Obsessions Olivia - Bedroom candles Becca - Sezane miniskirt   What we read this week Becca - The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham Olivia - Culpability by Bruce Holsinger   This Month’s Book Club Pick - Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Ritual - Get 25% off

What do we want? Things! When do we want them? Now! It’s time to talk about big pop culture moments, focus tools, and what we’re excited about for fall.    Olivia’s Things Taylor Swift getting engaged What’s on our Q4 Radar Our Fall TBR (Olivia’s are The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild, What a Time to Be Alive by Jade Chang, Becca’s are The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy, Boom Town by Nic Stone, Bread of Angels by Patti Smith, Brimstone by Callie Hart)   Becca’s Things Focus Friend The coverage of Elizabeth Gilbert’s new memoir All the Way to the River   Obsessions: Olivia - The Shooting The Shit episode of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast  Becca - Day Use   What we read this week Becca - Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand, The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham  Olivia - Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan    This Month’s Book Club Pick - Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call i

People who judge books by their covers, this ep is for you! This week, we brought on Art Director and Book Cover Designer Molly von Borstel to talk about how book covers come to life. She shares how she got into book design, the surprising parts of the job, how she deals with feedback, cover trends, and more!    Obsessions Olivia - Sorel Roam’n Clogs Becca - Travel mahjong set from Oh My Mahjong   What we read this week Becca - Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand Olivia - The Break-In By Katherine Faulkner, The Safekeep by Yael Van der Wouden, Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler   This Month’s Book Club Pick - Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Cozy Earth - Go to cozyearth.com and use code BOP for 40% off. Caraway - Visit Carawayhome.com/BOP for an additional 10% off your next purcha

It’s Book Club day! We’re excited to chat about The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig. We discuss the book’s setting and world-building, the main characters (and their romance), how this fits into the romantacy genre overall, and more!     Obsessions Olivia - Night Moves by Bob Seger Becca - J.Crew yellow suede bucket bag   This Month’s Book Club Pick - STAY TUNED! (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Cozy Earth - go to cozyearth.com and use code BOP for 40% off Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!  Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Preorder Olivia’s Book, Little One, and order Such a Bad Influence! Subscribe to Olivia’s Newsletter! Order Becca’s Book, The Christmas Orphans Club! Subscribe to Becca’s Newsletter!  Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviamuenter an

We are SO excited for this week’s conversation with journalist E. Jean Carroll! We chat with her about why she decided to write her book about her experience in court against Donald Trump, her 30-year tenure as an advice columnist, and more!     E. Jean Carroll is the author of five books, including a biography of Hunter S. Thompson, and the New York Times bestselling book NOT MY TYPE: One Woman vs. a President.   Obsessions Becca - U Beauty Proem perfume   What we read this week Becca - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Olivia - Writers & Lovers by Lily King, NOT MY TYPE: One Woman vs. a President   This Month’s Book Club Pick - The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Better Help - Get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/BADONPAPER Ritual - Get 25% off your first month, only at ritual.com/BADONPAPER   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & m

It’s time for the most August 2025 Three Things to Ever Three Things. From AI to face shapewear to Labubus, and more, there’s so much to discuss! Let’s get into it.   Olivia’s Things DNF-ing Skims Face Shapewear Labubus   Becca’s Things The articles “I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What A.I. Is Doing to Students” by Meghan O’Rourke [gift link] and ”The Force-Feeding of AI on an Unwilling Public” by Ted Gioia Mind Meld Game The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3   Obsessions Becca - Freakier Friday Olivia - Sorry, Baby   What we read this week Becca - The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett   This Month’s Book Club Pick - The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Wayfair - Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Caraway Home - Visit Carawayhome.com/BOP for an additional

As a bonus to our episode discussing comparison and competition, we invited Chelsea Bieker to continue the conversation, and how comparison and competition manifest for her, specifically within her publishing career and the strategies she’s learned to quiet these emotions.   Read more from Chelsea in her newsletter Make Up Your Life, fountainpractice.com, and her latest book Madwoman is out now!   This Month’s Book Club Pick - The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!  Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Order Olivia’s Book, Such a Bad Influence! Subscribe to Olivia’s Newsletter! Order Becca’s Book, The Christmas Orphans Club! Subscribe to Becca’s Newsletter!  Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviamuenter and Becca @beccamfreeman.