Looking Back at Our It Book Picks of the Year, Interesting December Releases, and a Few More Holiday Recommendations

Summary

Book Riot - The Podcast: Detailed Summary

Episode Title: Looking Back at Our It Book Picks of the Year, Interesting December Releases, and a Few More Holiday Recommendations
Release Date: December 4, 2024
Hosts: Jeff O'Neill and Rebecca Schinsky
Description: In this episode, Jeff O'Neill and Rebecca Schinsky delve into holiday book recommendations, explore interesting December releases, and conduct a year-long review of their standout "IT" book picks. The discussion is enriched with insightful commentary, listener interactions, and a touch of humor, making it an engaging listen for avid readers and fans of the Book Riot community.

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1. Introduction

The episode kicks off with a light-hearted exchange and a nod to holiday festivities, setting a warm and inviting tone for the discussions ahead. Jeff humorously remarks on the logistical challenges of holiday gift-giving, leading into the main segments of the podcast.

Notable Quote:

• Jeff O'Neill [00:55]: “And we present today in a poo poo platter of book related segments. Today it is a little bit of it Books of December, except not really. It is mop up holiday recommendations.”

2. Holiday Book Recommendations

a. Listener Requests and Recommendations

The hosts respond to listener Liz's request for holiday book recommendations tailored to her tastes. Liz, a lawyer who typically reads serious work-related material, seeks "brain candy" books suitable for travel and leisure.

Key Recommendations:

• "Nuts and Bolts" by Roma Agro Agrawall: A whimsical choice for those interested in the mechanical intricacies of everyday objects, making it suitable for engaging reads during house projects or travels.
• "Challenger" by Adam Higginbotham: A micro-history of the space shuttle program, particularly the Challenger mission, praised for its humanistic approach and suitability for audiobooks.

Notable Quote:

• Rebecca Schinsky [08:16]: “Well, we love a space book.”

b. Additional Recommendations

Jeff and Rebecca further discuss other books suitable for different listener preferences, including:

• "Corkdork" and "Get the Picture" by Bianca Bosker: Both delve into niche fields—wine sommelier exams and the New York art world, respectively.
• "Sociopath" by Patrick Gagney: A memoir exploring the author's personal experiences as a diagnosed sociopath.
• "Greta and Valdin": Described as a cozy, emotionally resonant read.
• "Say Nothing" by Patrick Radden Keefe and "Age of Vice" by Deepti Kapoor: Highlighted for their compelling narratives and engaging content.

Rebecca's Insight:

• Rebecca Schinsky [09:15]: “Bianca Bosker, if you've not read or listened to 'Corkdork,' that's her first one that's very good.”

c. Recommendations for Husbands

A listener named Nikki seeks book recommendations for her husband, who enjoys literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry, running, chess, and prison reform.

Key Recommendations:

• "Martyr" by Akabah Akbar: A significant literary debut.
• "Intermezzo" by Sally Rooney: Tailored to his interest in competitive chess.
• "The Bee Sting" by Paul Murray: A multi-generational family saga praised for its writing and depth.

Notable Quote:

• Rebecca Schinsky [16:08]: “And it was getting good reviews.”

3. December Book Releases

Jeff and Rebecca spotlight several intriguing new releases slated for December, offering their initial impressions and anticipations.

Featured Book:

• "Rental House" by Wakey Wang: A character-driven study focusing on Chinese immigrant families and multi-generational dynamics within a shared household. Jeff commends Wang’s ability to craft smart character studies rooted in complex relationships.

Additional December Releases:

• "Century of Tomorrows" by Glenn Adamson: A historical exploration of futurism and its impact on present-day innovations.
• "Giant Love" by Julie Gilbert: A tribute to Edna Ferber, delving into her influence on American literature and film.
• "Custodians of Wonder" by Elliot Stein: Profiles individuals preserving ancient cultural traditions.
• "Cabin" by Patrick Hutchinson: A memoir about restoring a cabin in the Pacific Northwest, blending themes of nature and self-discovery.
• "Alter Ego" by Alex Segura: A mystery set in the world of comic books, praised for its engaging narrative and meta-references.
• "Memory" by Lily Tuck: A novella exploring the harrowing experiences of a Catholic girl sent to Auschwitz.
• "Custodians of Wonder" by Elliot Stein: Highlighted for its rich profiles of cultural preservationists.
• "House of Flame and Shadow" by Sarah J. Maas: Included as a noteworthy release despite the hosts’ playful skepticism about its placement.

Notable Quote:

• Jeff O'Neill [20:11]: “Look at you recommending 'Merced' after all this time.”

4. Year in Review: Self-Evaluation of "IT" Book Picks

In a reflective segment, Jeff and Rebecca assess their annual "IT" book selections, evaluating the accuracy of their predictions and offering insights into their decision-making processes.

a. Monthly Breakdown

They review each month's finalists, their selected "IT" book, and discuss whether their picks were hits or misses.

• January:

  • Finalists: "Martyr" by Kevin Akbar, "Beauty Land" by Marie Helene Bartino, among others.
  • Picked: "House of Flame and Shadow" by Sarah J. Maas.
  • Outcome: Miss. They would have preferred "Martyr."

  Notable Quote:

  • Rebecca Schinsky [31:19]: “Yeah, we would pick Martyr.”

• February:

  • Finalists: "The Women" by Kristin Hannah, "Book of Love" by Kelly Link, etc.
  • Picked: "Book of Love" by Kelly Link.
  • Outcome: Miss. The better choice would have been "The Women" by Kristin Hannah.

  Notable Quote:

  • Rebecca Schinsky [33:08]: “Yeah, we would do this one differently.”

• March to November:

  • The hosts continue this evaluative process for each month, highlighting their successes and areas for improvement. Notably, they correctly picked "James" by Percival Everett and "Intermezzo" by Sally Rooney, among others, marking a favorable success rate.

Summary of Hits and Misses:

• Total Correct Picks: 8 out of 11.
• Highlights: Correctly identifying standout books like "James" and "Intermezzo."
• Areas for Improvement: Better anticipating breakout hits like "Martyr" and "The Women."

Notable Quote:

• Jeff O'Neill [32:03]: “We’re two for five going into June.”

b. Insights and Learnings

The hosts discuss the challenges in predicting "IT" books, acknowledging the unpredictability of reader preferences and market trends. They emphasize the enjoyment derived from the process, regardless of the outcome.

Notable Quote:

• Jeff O'Neill [43:16]: “And it is fun. It’s nice to be surprised.”

5. Closing Remarks

Jeff and Rebecca conclude the episode by promoting Book Riot's various platforms, including their website, Patreon, Substack, and social media channels. They encourage listener engagement and express gratitude for the community's support.

Notable Quote:

• Rebecca Schinsky [43:39]: “Have a good one, y’all.”

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jeff O'Neill [00:55]: “And we present today in a poo poo platter of book related segments."
• Rebecca Schinsky [08:16]: “Well, we love a space book.”
• Jeff O'Neill [10:28]: “I'm looking for recommendations for sci fi, dystopia, slash near future books that speak to what could happen to our society if current political trends continue.”
• Rebecca Schinsky [33:16]: “I think we would do this one differently.”
• Jeff O'Neill [43:16]: “And it is fun. It’s nice to be surprised.”

---

Conclusions and Insights

• Engagement with Listeners: The episode highlights Book Riot's commitment to engaging with their audience by responding to personalized book requests, showcasing a strong community bond.

• Reflection on Choices: The honest self-evaluation of their "IT" book picks underscores the unpredictability of book popularity and the hosts' dedication to continual learning and improvement.

• Diverse Recommendations: Jeff and Rebecca offer a wide range of book recommendations, catering to varied interests—from micro-histories and memoirs to sci-fi and literary fiction—reflecting Book Riot's emphasis on diversity and genre-spanning content.

• Upcoming Releases: The spotlight on December releases introduces listeners to fresh content, encouraging them to explore new authors and titles before the year concludes.

• Community and Accessibility: Promoting platforms like MyTBR.co and discussing unique gifting options reinforces Book Riot's role as a hub for diverse reading interests and accessible book-related services.

---

Overall, this episode serves as both a festive guide for holiday reading and a reflective look back at the hosts' annual book selections, offering valuable insights and fostering a sense of community among Book Riot's diverse readership.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker A]

The holidays are about spending time with.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Your loved ones and creating magical memories that will last a lifetime. So whether it's family and friends you haven't seen in a while or those who you see all the time, share holiday magic this season with an ice cold Coca Cola. Copyright 2024 the Coca Cola Company. 70,000 people are here and Bob Dylan is the reason for it.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Inspired by the true story.

[Jeff O'Neill]

If anyone is going to hold your attention on stage, you have to kind of be a freak.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Are you a freak?

[Jeff O'Neill]

Hope so.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

And starring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan. He defied everyone.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Turn it down.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

They lie to change everything.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Make some noise.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

BD Timothee Chalamet Edward Norton Elle Fanning Monica Barbaro A complete unknown only in theater's Christmas Day. Rated R under 17. 90 minute without parent.

[Jeff O'Neill]

This is the Book Riot podcast. I'm Jeff O'Neill.

[Unknown Speaker D]

And I'm Rebecca Schinsky.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And we present today in a poo poo platter of book related segments. Today it is a little bit of it Books of December, except not really. It is mop up holiday recommendations. There's like three people that got it in before the deadline and we're. We feel super Midwestern about getting to.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Them in a time RSVP to our party. We have to let you in.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. And then we're going to do a year in review and assess our IT book selections for the year in which we look at, okay, who, what were the contenders? What did we pick? And in hindsight, given that this is not 25 years, it's not a power ranking of the books of 1994, which is clearly the canons. That's like. That's right, those rankings. That's the truth. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Power rankings. These are the truths in the court of rightness.

[Jeff O'Neill]

They just put them in the National Archives every episode. They're like, you know, we need to keep these behind stained glass and Nick Cage can come try to steal them later. But we're just gonna kind of assess that. So a little bit of everything as we get towards the end of the year.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah. And just a production note, I am remote today, so I'm on not a super fancy mic if my sound is a little bit different. You're not imagining it.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. Also while we're in it, you know, you've got a few weeks left for the holidays to do your gift buying. But one thing you should keep in mind is book Riot's own TBR service, MyTBR co. There'll be a link in the show notes there, there's a couple different choices there. It's extremely good for like oh no, we're going to grandma's house and I forgot to get her something because you can get a gift subscription for as little as $15 or I guess a one off gift recommendations where grandma or mother in law or you yourself listener can go out and fill out a request form. And then our expert team of, we call them bibliologists who are well versed in the recommendation art. It's a dark art, it's a lesser art, but a real one, will then recommend to you and write about why they've recommended to you a few books. Or if you want something under the tree or want something that comes in the mail, a physical object, there is a selection a couple different choices for physical books that you can get as well. Go to MYTBR Co to find out more. There a really fun and unique gift in the book world for that. All right, with that we'll get into a other sponsor that they paid us real money other than our internal sponsor which we, you know, get to do just because it's our show.

[Unknown Speaker E]

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[Unknown Speaker F]

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[Rebecca Schinsky]

This year Santa's bringing the power of Energizer into his workshop.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Whoa.

[Unknown Speaker D]

The Energizer bunny's got so much power. Wait, he's powered up all the toys?

[Unknown Speaker F]

I think that means we're done for the year.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I love this bunny.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

He's the hardest working helper the North Pole has ever seen. And he wants all your gifts to have of the number one longest lasting AA battery. So this holiday season, stock up on Santa's and the elves favorite battery, Energizer Ultimate Lithium.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Where do we want to start your choice. We got three things. Where do you want to go first?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Let's knock out the last of these holiday trucks, especially this first one is from Liz who grew up in Kansas City and has fondness for the same Barnes and Noble on the plaza that.

[Jeff O'Neill]

You and I. Pandering will get you everywhere, Liz.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, actually these last three folks who are getting their questions answered really owe everything to Liz.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, Liz. We can't leave Liz hanging.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah. So Liz is looking for a recommendation for herself. She's a lawyer and so she's normally reading serious things for work, is going to be traveling for the holidays and is looking for some brain candy. Liz's preferred brain candies are medium to high spice rom coms but also appreciates a good micro history while working around the house or sitting on a plane, especially if it's good on audiobook. Gave us some of the highlights of recent readings and Liz has been around since like the first year of the show. So thank you Liz for listening and hanging with us for more than a decade. I think you have earned your response here.

[Jeff O'Neill]

You either are a fellow traveler or an adroit liar and either way, cheers to you. Liz, my pick here. I've recommended this one I believe before and I've seen it out at some bookstores on the table. Maybe it's a good gift book for people that like things like you, Liz. It came out I believe last year, the year before you can get in paper now it's Nuts and Bolts by Roma Agro Agrawall. And if you are working around the house it might just be that you are actually using a wing nut or something like this. So it really is. There's a magnet, there's a wheel, there's a pump. The spring, the chapter on the spring is especially fun if I remember correctly. So that one's a ton of fun. It is good on audio. I guess it did come out 2023. This is a Norton joint and I will say I don't know if I'm going to. I guess we'll have frontless foyers coming in but I just finished listening to Challenger by Adam Higginbotham which I've been threatening to listen to all year to all of you out there. And I guess it's a micro history of the space shuttle program so you could the, you know, of course catalyzed end capped tragically with the Challenger and then and frankly the Columbia shuttles was the real coup de grace for the space shuttle and really much of the private space program as we know it, leaving room for, well, Space X and other kinds of things to come. So I don't know if it counts as a micro history, but man, did I find it interesting. And let me tell you, the product management of NASA like it happens to everyone, right? I mean, there's a lesson here about complacency and what gets measured, gets managed and so on and so forth. But even I knew something about the O rings going into this. I remember from a kid, you know, we all got wheeled in of the right age to the. The gymnasium to watch Christa McAuliffe become the first citizen participant in space. And it goes very badly. So if you can handle. It's very sad, but it's not super technical. The human characters are great. If this gets made into a miniseries like Midnight and Chernobyl, it really could be fantastic. And the. And the choice part will be a guy improbably named Roger Beaujolais who was lighting his hair on fire to say there was a problem all the way. So that was really a chance for me to talk about Challenger. My real pick is nuts and bolts. But Challenger was. Was damn fine on audio and very long. I don't know, sometimes people want long audiobooks to chew up the time. I am not that way. And even I thought this was. Was well worth it. Remarkable book. Those are mine. Sorry, that was long winded. Didn't mean to read that long.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Well, we love a space book. So Liz, I've dropped a link to a big old list of sticks steamy romances into the show notes for you here. Those are from before everything was illustrated covers forever. So there's probably some steamy stuff that you haven't come across in the last couple of years for like micro history ish memoirs that are great on audio. Bianca Bosker, if you've not read or listened to Corkdork, that's her first one that's very good. Kind of in the vein of like an AJ Jacobs or Mary Roach stunt memoir. But she's genuine closer to Mary Roach than AJ Jacobs. Corkdork. She becomes a sommelier. She spends a year diving into the world of wine and, you know, sets out to pass the famously difficult sommelier exam. Writes all about her experiences getting in with. And then the new book that came out earlier this year is called get the Picture and it's a similar treatment, but of her spending a year trying to become an insider in the new basically the New York art world. And like, I've got to get to that.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I have to get to this. What are you doing?

[Unknown Speaker D]

It's really fun. I liked Corkdork better, but I think that tends to happen like somebody, you know really goes for that one.

[Jeff O'Neill]

First bite at the apple.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, the first bite tends to be the best, but they're both really enjoyable. And I think you could decide if you're more interested in the wine world or you're more interested in the art world. You'll be happy with either one. Sociopath by Patrick Gagney, came out earlier this year, is a memoir about her experience being a sociopath. Like a clinically diagnosed sociopath who didn't understand this about herself until she was a young adult. What kind of the urges were that she was having to do things that were taboo or that were socially unacceptable and how she's come to understand what that means for herself, how she integrates it into her relationships. And now she has a degree in psychology and works with people who are diagnosed sociopaths. That was fascinating. Maybe also just something like as a flannel blanket for your brain. I think Greta and Valdin would be really lovely. I don't know if you tend to only do nonfiction on audio, so I think we both read this one in print or ebook, but I think it might be nice on audio. And either way, that's just a nice. A cozy vibe for a plane. I read it on a plane. I recommend that.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. Great. All right, next read is mine. I'm looking for recommendations for sci fi, dystopia, slash near future books that speak to what could happen to our society if current political trends continue. Be careful out there. You know, I'm just saying. This is Jeff. Just. Just be careful. Be careful.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Spicy.

[Jeff O'Neill]

For example, baby X. Not hard sci fi, but near future wonderings about where we could be headed. Okay, that's maybe feels a little more something I could handle right now myself. Rebecca, what do you have here?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Well, Parable of the Sower by Olivia Butler seems to be our. Octavia Butler seems to be the going favorite for this.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It is the favorite.

[Unknown Speaker D]

It is set in 2024 and seems quite prescient. So if you have not read Octavia Butler's parable of the Sower, that's where I would go.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, I went with Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Which is.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Which is. It comes at a kind of as an a. At an angle. This kind of a question. Right. The main character is a chef who gets hired by a, you know, one of these Peter Thiel, like multi billion. You know, multi billionaire, transnational, not of this world kind of people that seem to be existing on this different plane who has built for themselves a mountain redoubt where they are going to weather the. The deprivations and revolutions and all the other stuff that's going to go happen down there. And climate, I think it's largely climate change, right Rebecca?

[Unknown Speaker D]

It is, yeah.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It's not like some big political revolutions climate change. And he's built this facility to be able to sustain the kind of agricultural process that will allow him to eat like every day's a Michelin starred restaurant. And there's a whole team of people that are supporting not just this effort but the wider curve compound. And it's interesting because it takes it through the lens of this chef and it has. It's not super plot heavy, right? This is not, you know, going to be directed by Ridley Scott or something like that in the future like the Martian or, or Project Hail Mary or something like that kind of sci fi. But it is an interesting consideration of. It feels weirdly and scarily plausible. I think that's the thing that really gets me here is I can see something like this actually happening, that someone tries to do this. And we hear these stories of people building things into the sides of mountains in New Zealand or whatever. They have these strongholds. I don't know if they're just taking over the Shire sets from Lord of the Rings and putting a bunch of Clif bars in them. Like I don't know how like real this is, but you could see someone with, and it pains me to say this, hundreds of billions of dollars deciding to use it to insulate themselves in a, you know, a forever now of the current what's currently available to them. So anyway, that's my pick.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, there's. That's such a great pick. There's this like slowly creeping revelation of what's going on. It feels like there's a little bit of a mystery at the heart of that one. I think that's an excellent pick.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right, last one you read.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Last one. This is from Nikki. Looking for books for their husband this year. He really enjoyed. There's always next next year though. No other front list, five star reads. I mean if you're going to pick one, that's a good one. He's a fan of Percival Everett, but hasn't gotten to James yet. James Baldwin and Naquib Mahfouz. He reads mostly lit fic and is fine with difficulty and doorstoppers. Also narrative, nonfiction and poetry. Interests include running chess and prison reform. And he's doing a reading around the world project. So let's see. Also a note here, lest we think he's terribly serious. He also enjoyed Moby Duck, the true story of 28,800 bath toys lost itself.

[Jeff O'Neill]

That is a very cool story. I think I read about that in the Times. I never got to the book, but that is super fun.

[Unknown Speaker D]

This is a man who contains multitudes and it sounds like he's one after your own heart, Jess.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It really is. It really is. I guess the Higginbotham thing is now front of mind because Midnight and Cheerful and Challenger would be Fitz here. So let me just put a checker on a checker for something I just said and then I think say nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe again. I've talked about this before. Before a micro history in a way, of the Irish troubles told through the story of the Price sisters and their involvement, I guess to use the biggest euphemism of all time there. On the fiction side, it gives me another occasion to recommend Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor. This is a very readable story of getting involved, it said in India, a character who gets involved with organized crime in India and the complexities and character and travails and heartbreak that goes along with it. It reads like a house on fire, but it really feels like you've also bit your teeth into something. So that would be a really fun one, I think as well. So those are. Those are my few picks there. Say nothing age advice and then pick your Higginbotham of choice.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I will second the emotion for Age of Vice. I picked it up, I think two years ago after you recommended it for the first time on one of these and I had a big plane ride.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I think we've recommended it. Yeah. Because we both really liked this.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, it was great. It's a good one. Let's see, I went straight to husband's areas of interest here since he likes poetry and he liked Hanif Abdurraqib, I think Martyr by Akabay Akbar. Big literary debut of the year. The main character is a poet. There is poetry in the story. And then Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. One of the main charact is a competitive chess player. The book isn't like heavily about chess, but there are definitely chess references that went over my head and that your husband would be able to like. Picture what is happening as she's describing the chess games. Then for doorstoppers, the strange events.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Look at you recommending Merced after all this time.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Listen, I liked the Claire Masood. I just didn't think it was like her best or one of the biggest things of the year.

[Jeff O'Neill]

The other person. Recommending one of the other person's favorite books of the year is the ultimate triumph. Really think about it.

[Unknown Speaker D]

And then the Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Last year's, you know, my favorite doorstop of 2023. Big family, multi generational, surprising, great writing. He's a good time. Those are mine. And that concludes the 2024.

[Jeff O'Neill]

There's been a few others trickling in. I'm, I'm responding. Some just in email. In replies. We'll see how often a gentleman and a scholar. I'm trying. I'm trying. Thanks everybody for writing in. Hope everything works well. And as always, let us know how your recommendations for yourself or others went over and that helps us calibrate JeffGPT into the future. It gets some more data into the algorithm. All right, we're gonna take a sponsor break.

[Unknown Speaker G]

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[Jeff O'Neill]

Let's do December Books of notes. So we're not going to do a full IT books because it's as always, a week month. And there's a. I'd have to hide the number one pick for both of us. I think it's pretty easy to say, but I'm kind of like if I did a Jeff's Notable Books of the Month segment regularly, this is what it would feel like. Rebecca so that's what I'm kind of taking out for a spin. And it's, it's, it's related to IT Books of the Month. But since there aren't a bunch, I feel like I have to mention I get to dive in a little bit. And there's Some for you. There's some for me, and some that I just think are interesting to know. So the one I'm hiding, that I would have to hide it comes. That came out today. It's on my E reader right now. It's Wiki Wang's new novel, Rental House. You've heard us talk about her most recent book, Joan Is okay. I think I recommended Chemistry on one of the earlier segments of this year's holiday recommendation show. Wang is a. A legitimate scientist, I think. Doctor. I don't think a doctor. I think a medical scientist, like a PhD in biomedical engineering or something. But. So she has a science background, but she's left that world. Much to our delight, though. Maybe she was going to cure baldness or something. That would have helped me out more. I'm not sure. But anyway, who writes these really cool, smart character studies in relationship books about people that have a hard time in relationships, largely around Chinese immigrants and their progeny of multiple generations? This particular one is one of our favorite things, where you get everybody together in a house. So two family vacations and a marriage. You get a Cape Cod beach house. There's a. There's a Catskills bungalow. You get everyone in there. You know what happens when you put a bunch of molecules that are agitated in a small enclosure?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Reactions.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Not reactions. That's chemistry. I learned that Nobel Prize coming my way. And think, look at the, look at the comps. Weather by Jenny Offill, intimacies by Katie Kitamura, and of course, the Wakey Wang. That's what we like to hear. 224 pages.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Also, maybe some Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. Potential. Like, that's also family rental house stuff. Sullivan's probably a little lighter. This is also my number one pick for December. I'm going to read it on the flight home in a couple of days. Love, Wakey Wang. Going on my next round of underrated authors. You know, she can take Barbara Kingsolver's spot on the list.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I mean, come on. And she's not as underrated as Barbara Kingsolver. Are you kidding?

[Unknown Speaker D]

It should be a great time. And it's getting good reviews.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Barbara Kingsolver and her zines that she pumps out.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I think when we did the fall draft, we were both kind of confused and concerned that they were dropping a Wakey Wang in early December because this tends to be a quiet time and can be like the Friday afternoon, you know, news dump where, like, books are coming out and publishers don't really know what to do with them. But I'm encouraged by what I'm hearing about this one so far. And I've got good stock in Wakey wing.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Well, I. I think there's a chance that they. Whoever decided on this date, maybe what we're doing right now, writ large, was the point.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah. Like this will be the one that comes out. This will be the one.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And it's a Riverhead title and they're very good at publicity. I haven't seen a whole ton about it, but again, we just had an election. I'm not sure, like, I don't know. I don't know if they rolled snake eyes on the way the election went in terms of the appetite for this or they rolled a hard eight. Which one's good? Depends on what you're betting on.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I don't know. Yeah, it's wrong question for me.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. My back. My back alley craps lingo in Acumen is not maybe what it could be, but I think there's a chance that it has a little bit of space for a new, you know, commercial literary fiction novel out there. Trying to break her out, I think, is. Is maybe. Maybe you try something different. Right.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah.

[Jeff O'Neill]

You've got an author you like and other people like. So Rental House is number one. Okay. I'm just going to run through. I've got about eight other ones. And this is stuff that I just noticed that's coming up this month that I thought was interesting that I would like, maybe you would like and then other people would like to hear about. No particular order. Century of Tomorrows. How imagining the future shapes the present. This is by Glenn Adamson from Bloomsbury. This is also out today. So really what it sounds like, this is. I haven't seen the physical or even down. I tried to get a. There's no digital download I can get either. I don't know what Bloomsbury is doing over there, but I had this marked for a long. A long time. It's like a history of futurism, told the story of futurists like Buckminster Fuller and Stuart Brand and these other people so like how they imagine the future, why their particular imaginations caught on. It looks very cool. Nice illustrations. 352 pages. I don't know, it sounds cool. Like I like the history of the idea of the future. That is sweet.

[Unknown Speaker D]

It's right in your spot. That sounds great.

[Jeff O'Neill]

This is just. I don't know, I guess once I say what this is, you'll say why. I'm just noting it here. Giant Love by Julie Gilbert, out from Pantheon.

[Unknown Speaker D]

About Edna Ferber.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It's about Edna Ferber. Her best selling novel of Texas and the making of a classic American film. We did an episode on Edna Ferber for annotated a million years ago. A million years ago. But she was a remarkable person and a remarkably bestseller. You know, 50. More than 50 years ago. 70 years ago now in really interesting person. I'm like Pantheon, you're publishing this, you're putting it out there. Anyway, I think this is cool that this still happens. I said Edna Ferber. And I had to note that there for a second on the commercial, I guess I don't know what to say. This book is. It's a paperback original. It's by Jane Peck. This is another one that's pretty, I guess a name that people might know. She wrote the Verifiers a few years ago. But this is a literary mystery about corporate espionage, family dynamics and murder. So she writes. There's not yet a term for this, but it looks like it could be commercial romance. The way these are packaged. Have you seen these at all? Do you know these at all? But they're real verifiers is really smart and it was sort of a meta classic detective fiction take. So if you're interested in a mystery coming out, that's not a category mystery, it's packaged a little bit differently, a little elevated. I feel like she's a one of one right now.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, I'm looking at them right now and the covers do look like it's that kind of illustrated commercial vibe that's similar to what's happening with rom coms. I wouldn't be surprised if mystery gets that treatment.

[Unknown Speaker F]

Next.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, some kind of like commercial mystery. I'm not even sure the word makes sense, but I'm looking forward to reading this. It is the second in the series, but I think like detectives or mystery stories, you don't need to read the first one, but you might as well. Blurred by Emily St. John Mandel for the verifiers, by the way.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Interesting. Okay.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And the comps are super interesting. Jesse Sutanto's Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Killers of a Certain Age by Diana Rayborn. Remember that book from Birth?

[Unknown Speaker D]

It was a big deal.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And then Finley Donovan is killing it. So I guess it. Anyway, I think it's cool. I'm looking forward to this one. I think this could be an over break read for me. Maybe on a plane when I'm flying down. The rest is Memory by Lily Tuck coming out next week from Live. Right. So It's. I really like Lily Tuck, Esq. Had it one of the best books of the fall. It's a Catholic girl who gets sent off to Auschwitz, which is a tough hang.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, not going to be an easy read with Lily Tuck.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I'm not entirely sure I'm up for this, but you and I, one of our early bonding memories of reading was I married you for happiness, which came out, believe it or not, 12 years ago. And I really like Lily Tuck and I like some of the comps here. I just don't. It's short, so it's 128 pages. So it's more like a novella. So it might be brutal, but at least it won't be long. I don't know, I'm not sure. I'm. I'm gonna need to gird my somethings for this.

[Unknown Speaker D]

But yeah, I need to get emotional.

[Jeff O'Neill]

128 pages of Lily Tuck is pretty hard for me not to be interested in. Okay, next up, Alter Ego by Alex Segura. So he wrote this book I really liked a few years ago, I guess a couple years ago called Secret Identity and it's set in the world of comic books. And Sugura, I believe, wrote about comics for a while. I can't remember what site he wrote for, but anyway, an academic, filmmaker and author and a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics. But she's got to tackle her longtime favorite superhero like someone she a character she didn't write. But they do then turn into mysteries set in the world of comics. And Segura uses sort of the tropes and red herrings and other kinds of knowing references to the world of comics. But they're super fun reads. The comps are Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone, which was a sleeper hit a few years ago for McD. Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno Garcia, which is also a meta thing about movies. And then interestingly, all the Sinners Bleed by SA Cosby. So comps are comps and you know, be careful out there. But I really like the first one and this one is 320 pages also out today. It feels like it's this week and next week and then nothing. Yeah, you're not out by next week, you're not going to get your book out there.

[Unknown Speaker D]

That's right.

[Jeff O'Neill]

This is going. I think this, I think this is. I'm going to. This might be under the tree for my mom next year. This one is called Custodians of Wonder by Elliot Stein. Comes out next week from St. Martin's ancient customs. Profound traditions are the last people keeping them alive. So this is a profile of 10 people who are keeping their own cultural traditions alive somewhere. So Stein traveled around to meet these people. So there's a person who's tending a 700-year-old soy sauce recipe. Right. Makes the world's. Goes to meet this woman who makes the world's rarest pasta.

[Unknown Speaker D]

And then, oh, I'm so into this.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And goes to India to discuss. To talk to his family. That is supposed to make a mysterious mirror believed to reveal your truest self. So each one is a profile. I think this sounds super fun. I will be listening to this on audio with a vengeance.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yes.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Anyway, Custodians of Wonder by Elliot Stein.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I thought let's have a book club with your mom, Jeff.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Okay. I think that would be fun. I think. I'm not sure how you do a book club of profiles, but anyway, this one also. So if that one's a Maybe a mom pick. If you've got a mom who's. I don't know, like mine, I guess I'm not sure how many people. People do. Maybe. This is the dad version of this. It's called Cabin by Patrick Hutchinson. This also is out today from St. Martin. St. Martin's really coming through with a giftable kinds of things.

[Unknown Speaker D]

This one's on my December list.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Cabin off the grid adventures with a clueless craftsman. This one had me hello. With its Henry David Thoreau meets Bill Bryson.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yep.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So it's a memoir. He takes an office job and then goes out to restore a cabin in the Pacific Northwest. I guess wrote a profile about it. And this is Fiasco man lit. I'm inventing it right now, but this is it. This sounds like great fun. Looks like a great gift. So those are my. That's not a bad slate for December. No, there's always more than I can read. The parents gotta be nice to December.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Cabin and Custodians of Wonder is. That's really smart. Publication planning for holiday gift giving. That's great.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So what jumps out to you, Rebecca, are any of those that you're gonna turn your attention to or you're gonna.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I had not heard of Custodians of Wonder. Right up my alley it is. And I just downloaded the digital galley as I'm describing it, but I think that probably will be great on audio. So we'll check and we'll see if I get to it before it's out and if not, I'll listen to it. On Audio Cabin was already on my list and the Wakey Wang was on my list. And then the rest of December will be cleanup. From the things I missed this year. I'm almost finished with Ghost Roots by Pemi Yaguda.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Oh, what do you think so far, man?

[Unknown Speaker D]

It's so good.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It's pretty good, right?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, it's so good. I know you got to it before I did and you said she does a couple things in there that I was really going to like. And I hit those stories like, yes, Jeff O'Neill does indeed know me.

[Jeff O'Neill]

There's like three of them that are super top shelf.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Real sharp.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. Really good.

[Unknown Speaker D]

It's really good.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right, one more break and then we're going to do a self evaluation about our IT book selections of the year. All right, Rebecca, so you have collected in a document here. We could make this publicly shareable. I'll link to this rather than have sure to do everything else. Our picks for the 11 months of the year. I guess we're going to try to go through these in, you know, 15ish minutes or so. I'm just going to read the finalists and our pick and then let's do two minutes a month on did we get it right? And if we didn't, what should we have picked? January Martyr by Kevin Akbar the Stormy Made by Vanessa Chan Dead in Long beach by Vanita Blackburn the Showman by Simon Schuster. Not Simon and Schuster, Simone Schuster, Come and Get it by Kylie Reid Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Asher the Fury by Alex Michaelides Beauty Land by Marie Helene Bartino Dallas Complex by Olivie Blake and House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas and House of Flame and Shadow was our pick. Rebecca, if we had to do that one over again, would we pick something different?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, we would pick Martyr.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I think we would, which I think.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I had read at the time. It was like one of the very first things that I read and I remember saying on the show. This feels like it has National Book Award nominee potential.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Wonderful call by you.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Thank you. I'm very proud of that. One would have been Martyr. I think we also could have made a case for Beauty Land that shown up. It never popped in the way that a book needs to pop. Like Martyr definitely has a bigger profile. But Beautyland is showing up on a lot of the best of lists of the year. It was one of our shared most anticipated and I think we'll see it on our personal faves when we do that in the next week or so. So yeah, I I don't remember what my past self was doing when she said it was going to be House of Flame and Shadow.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It's just Maz. It's sales. It's. It's hot Romantasy.

[Unknown Speaker D]

And it was. And it. And it is. Sarah J. Maas. Like that's the big name. This was before we decided that a big romantasy title just goes on the list with like Stephen King. There's a new Stephen King this month.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Probably are the exceptions that prove the rule.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Because they don't come out every year and especially in. In Fourth Wing. That's an ongoing series that people are going to want to see. I think the problem with Moss in this exercise, Moss is doing very well. Romantic readers love her. They continue to write, read these stories is there's a lot of them at this point and I couldn't tell you what series and what number this one is. And I think for this point that is disqualifying from it. Books where Martyr's been all over the place. All right.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Should have been martyr.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So 0 for 1 for us so far. February Bride by Ali Hazelwood, the American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, the Women by Kristin Hannah, the Great Wave by Machiko Kakutani, the Book of Love by Kelly Link, Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly, A Love Song for Ricky Wild by T. Williams, Splinters by Leslie Jameson and Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. Very good month. We thought that Book of Love would be the it book of the month. Rebecca, would we do that one differently?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, we would do this one differently. The hype for the Book of Love way exceeded the quality of the reading.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Experience and we both didn't like it. And some other people did like Lib.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Loved it.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Some people really liked it.

[Unknown Speaker D]

And it has shown up on some best of lists. I believe it was even in the Washington Post's top five novels of the year, which I find very surprising. I would have gone with the Women by Kristin Hannah with my 2020 hindsight goggles on. But there's also a case to be made for the Spring Splinters by Leslie Jameson that did really well. Or at the time, I think we could have argued for Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange, which also. But that did not pop nearly as well as we think it should have this year. So that one should have been the Women by Kristin Hannah.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, because it did even. I think it even outperformed our Hannah expectations in terms of how much people have really liked it. March the Finalist the Hunter by Ton of French Mocturb by Paulo Coelho, Parasol Akinsa. Acts by Helen Oyeyemi, The Morningside by Tia Obrett. The Memory Piece by Lisa Co. Not the memory piece, just Memory piece. There's Always Next Year by Hanif Abdur Aqib, Anita de Monte Last Last by Zochio Gonzalez, Until August by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black and James by Percival Everett. I'm just going to move us along.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, we got that one, James.

[Jeff O'Neill]

We got that one right. So now we are one for three. And the one we got right was James, which is not expert level picking.

[Unknown Speaker D]

We'll take it, though.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Oh, we're gonna need it. We gotta take it. April, the finalist, the Paris Novel by Ruth Reichel. Shakespeare. The man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench, which I forgot existed. That's a good audio if I'm looking for something. Century of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez. Table for Two by Amor Towels, the Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. Reboot by Justin Taylor, the Real Americans by Rachel Kong, Funny Story by Emily Henry. The Demon of Unrest by Eric Larson and Knife by Salman Rushdie. We picked Knife, Rebecca, and I think we got that one right.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, I think. Stand by this. I think the only other real contender in that month is Funny Story by Emily Henry. And we have since put Emily Henry on the board of. There's a new Emily Henry book. It's not an it. Book of the month.

[Jeff O'Neill]

She gets a throne. Table for twos had good legs. Familiar sold pretty well. But Knife, I think Demon of Unrest.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Is getting a good showing here at the end of the year as well. But Knife is the winner, so we're two for four.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Two for four. Coming into May, the finalists. You like it. Darker by Stephen King. Five Broken Blades by Mai Corlund, Blue Ruin by Hari Kunzru. The Strange Eventful History by Claire Masoud, Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan, All Fours by Melanie Exhibit by Roquan Challenger by Ada Higginbotham. The Ministry of Time by Kyleen Bradley and Long island by Colm Toibin. And Coming Home by Brittner Griner. Not surprising me was Chock a block. We picked the Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud. And all jokes aside, it should have been all fours. I mean, there's no doubt. It just was. Right. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yes.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Had you read it by the time we talked about it in May? Did you read that early?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Oh, I can't remember if I read it. I think I had because I remember noting like this is. I have some, you know, Anti Miranda July bias. But at that moment, I also could not fathom it becoming the thing that it had become.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I feel like I made a more full throated argument even though we picked Masoud, but I feel like I was like, there's July and maybe people.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, I don't know. You did. I remember you said something about like, Miranda July is kind of the grown up version of the. For the Sally Rooney class.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. Good job, me. That's a good line.

[Unknown Speaker D]

It is a good line. I mean, obviously this should have been Miranda July, but I stand by my past.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. I mean, you don't have to like it, but that's clearly right. So we're two for five going into June. June. One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon, Youth Juice by Ek Sadhu, Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I forgot that happened this year.

[Jeff O'Neill]

God bless you, Otis Bunkmire by Joseph Earl Thomas. Same as Ever Was by Claire Lombardo. Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. Little brought. Brought by Wiki Emeze, not in Love by Ali Hazelwood, Cue the Sun by Emily Nussbaum and Lulu Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kristen Miller. We picked Margot's Got Money Troubles, and I think that was a hard one. And we got that one. I think we got that one.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I think we got that one too.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right. Same as it ever was. Where are we going if it's not.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Same as It Ever was. Yeah, that was good, but it didn't have a big, big moment. I think was a read with Jenna. Pick from this list. I also read Youth Juice and God Bless you, Otis Funkmire. Oh, and Cue the Sun. And I liked all of them, but none of them were big. And Margo's Got Money Trouble is also, you know, showing up on a bunch of end of year lists. I think that one's gonna have legs and I think it's gonna do really, really well in paperback.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, we're gonna get an adaptation, which we've heard about, which is gonna do things. So anyway, that was a tough. That's a tough month.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah. So we're three for six.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Three for six.

[Unknown Speaker D]

That in $500. I'll take it. It.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. July the Coin by Yasmin Zaher, I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham, Joe's Got the God of the woods by Liz Moore, Someone Like Us by Dina Mengestu, the Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves In China, Mieville State of Paradise by Laura Vandenberg. All this and more by paying Shepard. Long Island Compromised by Taffy Brodess or Akner Liars by Sarah Manguso. And the Bright Sword Good by Lev Grossman. This was a tough month and we smashed this one, too. We picked God in the woods and there's no question.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yep, we won that one.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I think at the time it was hard to see through past Long Island Compromise, the Book of Elsewhere. We didn't know what to do with that, so that was tricky. So what are we now? Well, I guess we're four.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah, we're four for seven.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right. August Mina's Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa. There Are Rivers by Elif Shafak. Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maher. I can't say that there's too many diphthongs in a row. The Art of Power by Nancy Pelosi. House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias. Burn by Peter Heller. Hum by Helen Phillips. All that Glitters by Orlando Whitfield. And the pairing. Oh, and the pairing by Casey McQuiston and Peggy by Rebecca Godfrey. We pick the pairing and I'm. I think this is a push. Maybe.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I think so too. This was a tough month. I think the other option is all that Glitters. That's doing really well too.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I love that I. I have the pairing on my shelf. I will get to it. But I. I can't even let my pleasure be my guide to. That's, I think, the only real one I could put next to it at this point.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I will give us the point here.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Okay. Ty goes the Runner.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah. So five for eight.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Five for eight. September Finalists. Creation Lake. The Life Impossible. Colored Television. Lovely One Nexus. We Solve Murders. Intermezzo. Playground Entitlement. The Blue Sisters. I didn't write the authors, but Kushner, Hague, Senna Brown, Harari, Osman, Rooney, Powers, Alam and Melors. Good job me knowing them off them. I did all of them.

[Unknown Speaker D]

A plus.

[Jeff O'Neill]

We picked Intermezzo. Easy.

[Unknown Speaker D]

We nailed that one.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Easy.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Easy. Yeah. Six for nine.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Six for nine. October. Operation Airdrop. The Message. The Mighty Red Slave Road. The Bog Wife, the Boyfriend. Revenge of the Tipping Point. What I Ate in One Year, Sonny Boy. Meditations for Mortals and Absolution. I don't remember all these coats. Erdrick Weidman. Oh, I can't remember the name of the Bog Wife, the Boyfriend. Who was that one again? Oh, that. I don't remember that one either. Render. The Tipping Point is Gladwell. What I want to hear is Tucci. Sunny Boys. Pacino. Meditation for Order of Berkman and Absolutions of andermeer we selected the message and we got that one right too.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yep, we got that one right too.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Easy.

[Unknown Speaker D]

So 7 for 10 and November.

[Jeff O'Neill]

This is where I. I used a little. Use a little bit more butter to get over the bread here we got a little creative variation by Yaros Didian and Babbitts by Lili Anolik. The name of this band is REM By. Well, they've got my music group. Name of the band Hide and Rising. Heartbreak is National Anthem. Then Cher Part one. Lost and Lassoed by Lila Sage, Teller of Small Fortunes by Lily Julie Leong. Masquerade by Mike Fu the Service Buried by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Four Points of the Compass what the Chicken Knows by Sy Montgomery. Vanishing Treasures by Katherine Rundell. Lazarus man by Richard Price. The Half King by Melissa Landers and the City and Has At Certain Walls by Haruki Murakami. We've booked Murakami and I think that one holds.

[Unknown Speaker D]

I think so too.

[Jeff O'Neill]

We're three weeks away from it, but.

[Unknown Speaker D]

So we are 8 for 11.

[Jeff O'Neill]

8 for 11 and the only.

[Unknown Speaker D]

And we would have picked Winky Wang for December, which I feel like.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Do we have. I don't think we can feel bad about missing January. That's a debut novel, first of the year, up against Moss. That's not an idiotic choice.

[Unknown Speaker D]

It would have been a smart bet to bet on Martyr in January. But I don't feel bad that we didn't know it was going to be as big as it was because at the time it did feel to me like this could be a novel that doesn't get much attention but will still get nominated for the National Book Award. And that'll be the moment for it. It just. It got attention all year long instead, which is great for it.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And then we made the opposite mistake in February.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Right.

[Jeff O'Neill]

We pick the. I don't know, indie dark or not the IND Darling, but more of a literary pick. Right. We thought they could have. We. We were biased towards. This has potential. If this works. It could really work. When really maybe the underthinking it pick would have been the Women by Kristen Hannah. So the underthinking pick did us dirty in January, but it would have been right in February. Let's see. I don't think. Oh, then May.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Then May was picking Claire. Message over Miranda July.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. Yeah. I think that also at the time.

[Unknown Speaker D]

In May, I could have seen an argument for the Ministry of Time by Kellyanne Bradley because that was all over the place.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I think we did talk about it. Yeah, we did wonder about that. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, to get this one wrong and martyr wrong. Like you're making this like. I don't know. Those are coin flips.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yeah. I think I would have rather. Like I was not gonna make the case for Miranda July in May, but the Ministry of Time would have been a better way to be wrong than the clear message was.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. You're really betting on there's not a lot of downside to Mahsud. Right. It's not going to be bad. But the upside is so it's just not that high. It just really isn't that high. Where Ministry of Time could have been a big breakout. Kind of a, kind of a book for the. Wandering off my mic here as I'm looking up stuff. Yeah. So I think that's all explicable. It's fun. This is just fun stuff.

[Unknown Speaker D]

It's fun.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It's terrific.

[Unknown Speaker D]

It is fun. It's nice to be surprised.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. And we'll, we'll run it back here in January. Coming up, we have a weaker spring, but there's still lots of stuff coming out here. BookRiot.com Listen to find the show notes, shoot us an email podcastookriot.com Come join us on the Patreon patreon.com BRpodcast there's also the substack. There's Instagram links to everything in the show notes.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Yes.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Thank you all so much for listening. Oh, what else are we going to do?

[Unknown Speaker D]

Along with the rest of the world, we are hanging out on blue sky now, so.

[Jeff O'Neill]

That's right.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Book riot pod on Blue Sky. I'm the man behind the curtain over there. As you are the one behind the curtain on our Instagram.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, I'm going to. I did one initial Edelweiss find with an emoji reaction on Instagram. People seem to like that. I'm going to dig up some more of those to have fun with over there. Thanks so much for listening, Rebecca. We'll talk to you later there.

[Unknown Speaker D]

Have a good one, y'all.