Summary of "Book Riot - The Podcast" Episode: Bonus Preview: The Books We Missed This Year

Release Date: December 18, 2024
Hosts: Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky
Description: In this bonus preview, Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky delve into the books they intended to read but didn't manage to cover throughout the year. They explore their personal reasons for these missed reads, share their reflections on their reading habits, and discuss specific titles that they regret not engaging with in the past year.

Introduction and Recording Schedule (00:00 - 03:18)

The episode begins with a brief advertisement for the Google Gemini app, followed by a teaser promoting Book Riot's premium content available on Patreon. Jeff and Rebecca then transition into discussing their busy recording schedule, revealing that they recorded six episodes in a single week to prepare for upcoming holidays and personal time off.

Key Points:

• Recording Marathon: Jeff mentions, "Recorded six episodes in the course of a week" (00:48).
• Upcoming Time Off: Rebecca explains they are front-loading recordings because Jeff will be on PTO from December 23rd to January 6th (01:00).
• Personal Challenges: Both hosts express feelings of fatigue and discuss personal challenges, including Rebecca's concerns about potential perimenopausal symptoms affecting her memory.

Notable Quotes:

• Rebecca Schinsky [01:27]: "I need to sleep for a week over the holidays and then I can get back to you about the state of my brain."
• Jeff O'Neal [02:25]: "I'm noticing that my memory used to be better. Like I was struggling for something yesterday I was like, I had the hardest time coming up with something."

The Books We Missed This Year (03:19 - 06:05)

Transitioning from personal reflections, Jeff and Rebecca introduce the main topic of the episode: "The Books We Missed This Year." They aim to discuss the titles they had on their reading lists but didn't get around to reading. This segment is structured around their most surprising omissions and the books they were most disappointed to miss.

Missed Books Discussed

1. "All That Glitters" by Orlando Whitfield

   • Rebecca [04:40]: Expresses surprise at not having read this book despite its relevance to her interests. She intended to listen to it as an audiobook but hasn't prioritized it yet.
     • "I kept intending to get to it. I made the critical error of being like, I'll listen to this on audio or save it for a road trip." (04:40)

2. "The Barn" by Wright Thompson

   • Jeff [05:16]: Discusses his hesitation to dive into this true crime book, despite its critical acclaim and historical significance regarding the murder of Emmett Till.
     • "I knew I was going to have trouble because it's true crime. But I knew I was like, am I really gonna do this? Am I gonna do a murder story?" (05:16)

Notable Quotes:

• Jeff O'Neal [03:19]: "We're going to name a bunch of books just in a row. So books that we haven't gotten to maybe won't get to that had we had our druthers."
• Rebecca Schinsky [04:40]: "I kept intending to get to it. I made the critical error of being like, I'll listen to this on audio or save it for a road trip."
• Jeff O'Neal [05:16]: "This is a me problem. Not the barn problem."

Insights:

• Reading Habits: Both hosts reflect on how personal circumstances, such as increased workload and health concerns, impacted their ability to maintain their usual reading pace.
• Genre Preferences: Jeff's reluctance to engage with true crime highlights how genre preferences can influence reading choices, even when a book is highly recommended.

Conclusion and Patreon Promotion (06:05)

The episode wraps up with Jeff and Rebecca encouraging listeners to support their podcast by joining their Patreon community. They emphasize that Patreon subscribers gain access to the full library of premium content, including the rest of the episode and previous recordings.

Notable Quotes:

• Rebecca Schinsky [06:05]: "Thanks so much for listening. Join us@patreon.com bookriotpodcast to hear the rest of this episode and get access to our full back catalog of premium content."

Final Reflections

Throughout the episode, Jeff and Rebecca offer a candid look into the realities of maintaining a reading habit amidst life's unpredictabilities. Their discussion underscores the common challenges faced by avid readers, such as time constraints, shifting priorities, and personal well-being. By sharing their specific missed reads, they provide listeners with relatable content and perhaps inspire them to reflect on their own reading journeys and the books they cherish but haven't yet explored.

Overall Themes:

• Balancing Commitments: The difficulty of managing personal time off with professional responsibilities.
• Self-Reflection: Recognizing personal limitations and understanding factors that influence reading habits.
• Community Engagement: Strengthening listener relationships through Patreon and exclusive content offerings.

Timestamp Reference: <a id="timestamp-0048">00:48</a> - Advertisement Continuation
<a id="timestamp-0100">01:00</a> - Discussing PTO and Recording Schedule
<a id="timestamp-0440">04:40</a> - Missed Book: "All That Glitters"
<a id="timestamp-0516">05:16</a> - Missed Book: "The Barn"