Booksmart

The original hockey romance has finally gotten its own TV adaptation. In this episode, Sunny and Allie review episodes 1-7 of Prime Video's new 'Off Campus' series, based on the best-selling novels by Elle Kennedy. But unlike their prior discussions on book adaptations, only Allie has read the books the adaptation is based on (and trust me, she's read them enough for the both of us).

How does this adaptation stack up for a fan who has read the series back to front more times than she should admit, versus a booklover who hasn't yet entered the world of 'Off Campus' and is learning about its characters for the first time through the TV show?

Together, they attempt to answer the age-old question: Is it preferable to read the book before or after watching its screen adaptation?

Proceed with caution as this episode contains minor spoilers for the television series.

You can purchase Elle Kennedy’s sports romances online with QBD Books using the following link: https://www.qbd.com.au/search/?q=Elle+Kennedy&utm_source=Booksmartpod&utm_medium=MPPodcast&utm_campaign=BSMPElleKennedy&utm_id=BooksmartElleKennedy

In this very chaotic Booksmart special, Allie holds Sunny hostage to explain all thirteen books in the ever-expanding 'Off Campus' universe by Canadian author Elle Kennedy ahead of season one of the screen adaptation dropping on Prime Video on May 12.

Elle Kennedy is one of the pioneers of the contemporary sports romance novel. Her first hockey romance novel, ‘The Deal’, was released in 2015, years before the success of other beloved series like ‘Heated Rivalry’ and ‘Icebreaker’, which are also known for spending a great deal of time on the ice and in the bedroom.

Proceed with caution as this episode contains huge spoilers for novels in the ‘Off Campus’, ‘Briar U’, and ‘Campus Diaries’ series, as well as the standalone novel ‘Love Song’.

You can purchase Elle Kennedy’s sports romances online with QBD Books using the following link: https://www.qbd.com.au/search/?q=Elle+Kennedy&utm_source=Booksmartpod&utm_medium=MPPodcast&utm_campaign=BSMPElleKennedy&utm_id=BooksmartElleKennedy

Move over Sylvia Plath, a new foundational feminist author has entered the chat. Dee Salmin, esteemed radio presenter and modern dating, sex, and love expert, has released her debut book, ‘It’s Not Love, Actually’. From ‘Boy Sober’ to ‘Femcels’ and the timeless question of ‘are the straights okay?, she tackles myriad topics present in the lives of young folk in 2026. In this episode of Booksmart, hosts Sunny & Allie sit down with Dee to unpack her powerful book, her “reputation” as a “gonad stealing feminist witch”, and her storied career as a radio presenter.

Get your copy of 'It's Not Love, Actually' by Dee Salmin here.

This is not a drill. Gus Everett has been found (DEAD). Sunny and Allie have convened interstate for an emergency Booksmart recording in response to the news that Patrick Schwarzenegger will be the leading man in 20th Century Studios’ adaptation of Beach Read by beloved author Emily Henry. Spoiler: like the rest of the internet, they’re not happy. Listen to find out why.

In their third book club episode, Sunny and Allie review ‘If I Ruled the World’ by Amy DuBois Barnett. The book, which has been compared to ‘Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘Empire’, takes readers on a wild and immersive journey through cut-throat NYC in the late 90s based on DuBois Barnett’s real-life experiences working as a Black editor at major American magazines.

It’s a messy, honest love letter to the trailblazing Black women and men who shaped the pop culture, fashion, and hip-hop landscape we know and love today. Sunny and Allie talk representation, the politics of power, and get excited for the book’s upcoming Hulu adaptation.