JK, It’s Magic formed when two ladies met at the library and discovered they had a bajillion things in common — particularly a profound love of reading. These two ladies then decided to take their love of all things bookish to the next level, and share that love with all of you by creating a space to talk about YA fantasy in a critical way. We hope that this podcast becomes a platform to discover new worlds, facilitate deeper engagement with our favorite books, and encourage others to take part in the journey.
Accessibility is important to us — whether that’s for our episodes, website, or social media. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with suggestions for improvement. We can always do better!
A Southern pet peeve: when a menu says hash browns, I expect shredded potatoes. If you are serving home fries, put that on the menu!!!!!
it's a good week to check in on the people of color in your life, to buy them coffee, to listen, to let them know that they belong in this country and that they matter and that you love them.
Have you taken your vitamins?
Have you moisturized?
Are you staying hydrated?
Take care of yourself ❤️
Hi! I'm Jessie, the J half of JK, It's Magic. I've been reading fantasy books since I was eight years old and gifted Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by my godmother when I was in 2nd grade. Ever since then, I've been delving into new worlds and living in magical places through the characters in books. Books are my happy place! I majored in English at JMU (go Dukes!), studied book publishing at Pace University, and work at a library.
I'm always surrounding myself with books. I love knitting, crocheting, and cuddling with my wonderful cat, Lainey, the official podcat of JK, It's Magic. Kelly and I are new friends, who met at the library, and I'm so excited for us to bond over our love of books, and to share that love with all of you.
You can follow my all my bookish and cat adventures on Instagram.
Hi, internet! I’m Kelly, the second half of JK, It’s Magic. A tea-loving Ravenclaw, I’ve been reading pretty much everything I can get my hands on for as long as I can remember. But fantasy has always had a special place in my heart since discovering Harry Potter waaaay back in 1997.
I’m getting my PhD in Spanish and Catalan literature, and I split most of my time between writing my dissertation on Peninsular sci-fi and teaching Spanish/lit to university students. For me, being an educator is the highest honor.
I love knitting, tarot, mornings, and snuggling my doggos Starbuck and Helo (“Hee-low” — any Battlestar Galactica fans out there?!)
Content Warning: This book deals with some heavy violence issues. It comes up briefly in the episode Hello, dear listeners! This fortnight we’re reading Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, a new retelling of Mulan. Read more…
Magical listeners! We’re taking a break from YA this fortnight to bring you an episode about the incredible fantasy novel The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty. The show notes happen to be long this Read more…
Content warning: In this episode we discuss sexual harassment, sex slavery, and childhood trauma/violence We promised resources for those who might need them. Please get help if you need it: RAINN – Anti-sex violence assistance. Read more…
Finally, the ACOMAF episode is here! J & K both adore ACOMAF, and in the spirit of that affection, we don’t shy away from dredging up the novel’s problematic aspects. Generous and loving critique is, Read more…
Hey listeners, welcome to the second (and final) installment of our interview mini-sodes! In this episode, Kelly fields questions from Jessie about a plethora of extremely important topics including superpowers, fur babies, astrology, and books Read more…
Hey, everyone! We’ve decided to do something different and interview each other for the next two episodes so you can get to know us better! In this first interview, Kelly is interviewing Jessie. Is there Read more…
This fortnight we’re discussing Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, one of the most intersectional books we’ve read yet! We talked about the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and colonialism. We chatted about shipping, impostor syndrome, Read more…
This week we’re discussing Descendant of the Crane by Joan He. We received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review (which we promise to always provide). We discussed monarchies, constitutions, Read more…
Content warning: emotional and physical child abuse. ChildHelp – Child Abuse Assistance – Call 1-800-422-4453 if you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse Happy Spring, listeners! In Episode 16 we discuss Read more…
Content Warning: In this episode we discuss drug use, rape, genocide, and other instances of extreme violence. ChildHelp – Child Abuse – Call 1-800-422-4453 for assistance This fortnight J & K are discussing The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. We’re diverting a bit from our usual YA Fantasy books. This book is definitely Read more…
Listeners, the time has finally come to talk about A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, the first book in one of our favorite series. We saved the rest of the series spoilers for a special end Read more…
This fortnight we’re discussing A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney, and there were a ton of Alice in Wonderland puns from K, as this is a modern retelling of the story. Don’t expect to Read more…
Content Warning: In this episode we discuss emotional and physical abuse as well as addiction. If you or someone you know are the victim of sexual assault and would like assistance, please call RAINN (Call Read more…
Content Warning: In this episode we discuss sexual assault and rape If you or someone you know are the victim of sexual assault and would like assistance, please call RAINN or if you are a member Read more…
Listeners, we made it to Episode 10! A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir made J & K fear for the fate of our favorite characters and ships in upcoming 4th book of the Ember in the Ashes Read more…
Content Warning: In this episode we discuss sexual assault and self harm If you or someone you know are the victim of sexual assault and would like assistance, please call RAINN (Call 800-856-4619 or visit their Read more…
Content Warning: physical, mental, and emotional abuse If you or someone you know has been the victim of child abuse, please call ChildHelp 1-800-422-4453 for assistance J & K thoroughly enjoyed the dark and twisty Read more…
Reading A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir led to discussions of the prison system, mythology, and accountability. We loved how exciting a prison break can be. And this book had surprises around every corner, which Read more…
Content warning: In this episode we discuss child abuse. If you or someone you know needs help, there are resources for you. Please consider contacting the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 or ChildHelp 1-800-422-4453 for Read more…
Content warning: discussion of sexual assault If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact RAINN Call 800-856-4619 or visit their website for assistance J & K talk about book 2 of the Read more…
Episode 4 already!?! We can’t believe it either! This week we’re talking subverting your government, assassin schools, terrible mothers, and rape culture in Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes. An Ember in the Ashes Read more…
Hello, listeners! Episode 3 is our first fantasy-adjacent mini-sode (that didn’t actually turn out so “mini”) in which we discuss Ship It by Britta Lundin. This conversation got pretty meta since we dove headlong into discussions of Read more…
Content Warning: in this episode, we discuss a lot of really difficult topics including racialized violence, torture, and abuse. If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, please contact ChildHelp 1-800-422-4453 for Read more…
Hey, listeners! We are so excited to share our first ever episode with you, where we discuss Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. We scrapped the original idea of an hour-long podcast because our conversation Read more…
