Bookstore Browse: Tina and Hannah Read Bookseller Recommendations

Summary

Book Talk, etc.

Hosts: Tina (@tbretc) & Hannah (@hanpickedbooks)
Episode: Bookstore Browse: Tina and Hannah Read Bookseller Recommendations
Date: April 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively and insightful episode, Tina and Hannah embark on a "Bookstore Browse" journey, reading and discussing books recommended by independent booksellers. Along the way, they examine recurring trends in what bookstores are recommending, reflect on the unique value of indie bookstores, and provide thoughtful reviews of both new and noteworthy reads—including a deep dive into recent favorites and some that missed the mark. The episode is full of warmth, Midwest charm, and wit, plus a dash of beauty and life chat.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

“Loving Lately”: Favorite Products (04:30–13:52)

• Tina’s Pick: Shop Miss A (04:34)
  • An affordable beauty and trinket brand (most items $1–2). Tina recommends their AOA Buttery Blur Lipstick in Scarlet ($0.88), lauds the quality of their lip oils as comparable to ELF, and mentions the delight of shopping in-store with her daughter.
  • Tina: "Every single time I wear it, people are like, what is that? What are you wearing? It is the AOA Buttery Blur lipstick in scarlet. I love this color." (06:16)
  • Great for gifts, stocking stuffers, and budget-friendly beauty shopping.
• Hannah’s Pick: Ollie Fresh Mint Fluoride Toothpaste (09:39)
  • Discovered via a trusted friend, especially good for sensitive teeth and whitening. She admires the “gorgeous” packaging and appreciates that 10% of profits support oral care in underserved communities.
  • Hannah: "I have noticed less sensitivity on my teeth since using this toothpaste... and I absolutely love that 10% of the profits go to oral care for underserved communities." (12:41)
• Both hosts share a love for product recs from friends and the joy of discovering great, affordable finds.

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Recent Reads & Deep Dives

Greedy by Kali Kazumi (Tina)

Horror / Psychological Thriller (13:52–18:45)

• Tina’s enthusiastic review of a clever, “Eat the Rich”-style horror novel set in Japan.
• Plot follows Edward Cook—struggling, indebted, and desperate—who becomes a private chef for an enigmatic and dangerous billionaire.
• Psychological horror, not overly graphic but sharply satirical about the ultra-rich.
• “It goes along at a really nice pace until you get towards the very, very end and you’re like, oh, buckle up, baby.” (17:12)
• "There are worse monsters out there than gangsters. It was almost difficult to extract the real life horrors that I think exist from the fictional ones." (17:42)
• Highly recommended for fans of clever, twisty horror.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (Hannah)

Romance (19:01–26:54)

• A friends-to-lovers story revolving around Frankie and George, childhood friends with unresolved tension.
• Hannah appreciated the chemistry and banter, but at times grew weary of slow communication tropes.
• Ultimately ranks it third out of four Carley Fortune books.
• "There was just something about it where I was like... it didn't quite get there for me." (25:25)
• Useful comparison to Emily Henry’s oeuvre—Carley Fortune’s works are lighter and a bit more niche.

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Bookstore Browse Segment: Trends & Themes (26:58–38:47)

• Repeated Titles/Authors: Books like Kitchens of the Great Midwest, Buckeye Heart, and authors such as Allegra Goodman, Jesmyn Ward, Rebecca Makkai, and George Saunders appear in multiple stores’ recommendations.
  • “It’s cyclical. Booksellers read them, recommend to patrons, but it’s also word-of-mouth and social media.” (29:34–30:16)
• Trends: Literary fiction dominates, with less focus on genre fiction unless specifically requested. A surprising number of environmental/nature reads and Irish literary fiction.
• Bookseller Philosophy: Indie booksellers recommend not just what readers want, but what they need, prompting empathy, challenging assumptions, and connecting readers to the world.
  • Hannah: “Reading should make you feel uncomfortable with your own certainty in a good way… restore your relationship with the world outside yourself.” (35:03)
• Indie Bookstore Day: (April 25) Both hosts encourage listeners to support their local indies.
  • Tina: “Last year we went to 10, which was… nuts. We won't be able to do that this year, but certainly we can go to at least one.” (37:23)

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Bookstore Recommendations: Reviews & Reflections

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal (Tina)

(38:47–43:16)

• A “Tina book”: Midwestern, charming, and structured through a series of vignettes from characters orbiting around chef Eva Thorvald (though Eva never gets her own POV).
• Narrative innovation—chapters tied to unique ingredients, each flowing through different lives and perspectives.
• “What a fascinating storytelling device… in that way, it reminded me of Life and Death and Giants.” (41:55)
• 4.25 stars, highly recommended for those who appreciate character-driven, community-oriented stories.

Theo of Golden by Alan Levi (Hannah)

(44:35–49:54)

• The story of a mysterious newcomer who returns portraits to residents of the small city of Golden, sparking transformative connections and acts of kindness.
• Explores themes of empathy, generosity, and community healing.
• Hannah felt the “life lessons” were a bit forced, finding the narrative occasionally preachy.
  • “I felt a little bit preached at... I want you to show me through organically, a little bit more organically.” (47:48)
  • Still, she recognizes why it resonates with so many and recommends readers try it for themselves.

Under Lake by Aaron L. McCoy (Tina)

(49:54–56:12)

• Fantasy-adjacent tale of personal redemption, loss, and legend involving an underwater town.
• “I was just kind of like, this is a pleasant, damp ride, but I’m not really enjoying it at any point.” (54:01)
• While atmospheric and imaginative, Tina wanted a stronger focus and deeper immersion in either the mystery or the speculative elements.
• Cautious three-star rating; she’s in the minority, as many currently rate it highly.

Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi (Hannah)

(56:50–61:47)

• Contemporary romance featuring a doctor/influencer at a crossroads, her awkward (golden retriever type) love interest, and the challenges of public vs. private personas.
• Hannah loved the writing and the authenticity of the meet-cute, though was less enamored with the central “virginity trope.”
• "The writing in this book was really good, which I feel like always stands out to me, especially in a romance when you're getting those lines that you want to highlight." (56:54)
• Excited to read more from Obuobi, who is also author of On Rotation.

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Shelf Additions & Looking Ahead

• Tina: City on Fire: A Novel of Hong Kong by Simon Elegant (62:31)
  • Taut thriller set amid bustling, protesting Hong Kong, blending police procedural and family drama.
• Hannah: Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney (64:29)
  • A bibliophile non-fiction quest uncovering the women writers who influenced Austen—“this does sound right up my alley.” (64:29)
• Both hosts express eagerness for listeners’ feedback and plans to continue uplifting indie bookstore voices through the year.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Reading should make you feel uncomfortable with your own certainty in a good way.” – Hannah (35:03)
• “If you don't already know, April is Independent Bookstore day. It's on April 25th. If you are able to get out to your local indie, please do go support them.” – Tina (37:23)
• “I was just kind of like, this is a pleasant, damp ride, but I'm not really enjoying it at any point.” – Tina, on Under Lake (54:01)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00 – Warmup, Midwest weather and life chat
• 04:34 – Loving Lately: Shop Miss A (Tina)
• 09:39 – Loving Lately: Ollie Toothpaste (Hannah)
• 13:52 – Recent Reads: Greedy by Kali Kazumi (Tina)
• 19:01 – Recent Reads: Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (Hannah)
• 26:58 – Bookstore Browse: Trends in Bookseller Recommendations
• 38:47 – Bookstore Book 1: Kitchens of the Great Midwest (Tina)
• 44:35 – Bookstore Book 2: Theo of Golden (Hannah)
• 49:54 – Bookstore Book 3: Under Lake (Tina)
• 56:50 – Bookstore Book 4: Between Friends and Lovers (Hannah)
• 62:31 – Shelf Additions: City on Fire & Jane Austen’s Bookshelf
• 66:28 – Closing thoughts, outro

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Final Thoughts

This episode beautifully showcases the intersection of indie bookstore wisdom, contemporary fiction, and heartfelt friendship. Tina and Hannah balance genuine critique with infectious enthusiasm; their discussions offer thoughtful context for each book while elevating the crucial work of independent booksellers. The “Bookstore Browse” theme emerges as a powerful throughline—a reminder that where we find books, and the people who recommend them, shape what and how we read.

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Remember: Everything’s better with books.

Transcript

[A]

I was just kind of like, this is a pleasant damp ride, but I'm not really enjoying it at any point.

[B]

Damp ride.

[A]

I'm so sorry to say that. I really wanted to love it, I swear.

[B]

No, I thought it was funny for me. Should be the title of our episode.

[A]

Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.

[B]

And I'm Hannah from Han.

[A]

This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And this week we read some of our bookstore browse recommendations.

[B]

If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And if you have a quick minute, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on social media. It truly helps us connect with other book lovers.

[A]

Hey, Hannah, how are you?

[B]

Hi, Tina. I am doing great. How are you?

[A]

I'm hot. I'm very hot. It's really hot in our house because we are fighting the urge to turn on the ac, as I'm sure many Midwesterners are. It is just very dewy inside our home, and I'm a warm gal, but other than that, no complaints.

[B]

Yeah, we. We cranked the AC on yesterday, but then we also turned it off for a little bit today because it cooled down, but it was. It's warm enough. It's warm enough.

[A]

I'm in the basement and I'm still hot. And I'm like, wow, this doesn't bode well for the summertime considering it's only April, but other than that, you know, can't complain.

[B]

Yeah, but have you been getting those wild? But I always will.

[A]

But I will always, always.

[B]

Have you been getting any, I'm assuming some of those wild storms that the Midwest has been getting over the past, you know, season?

[A]

Of course, lots of rain here, but I was literally scrolling threads in the middle of the night, as one does. And I just kept seeing Michigan. The entire state's been declared a state of emergency. And I was like, oh, my God, it's been banana. I thought of you, though, because I was like, I bet Hannah's up right now worrying about the weather.

[B]

I was up worrying about the weather. It doesn't help also that I have a very, very anxious friend who, you know, love her, but she was like, I'm looking at your radar. I'm looking at your radar. Stay awake, Stay awake. Finally. I was like, I'm going.

[A]

I gotta go, honey. I'm going to bed.

[B]

They've declared it. They've declared it. Fine. I'm going to bed.

[A]

Oh no, that's funny. I mean, that's thoughtful, but also like, sweet dreams, stay awake, sleep with one eye open.

[B]

I told her, I was like, hey, if I go via rain, listen, I'm just gonna be dancing in the rain in heaven. That's fine.

[A]

It's not meant to be.

[B]

It's not a bad way to go.

[A]

She was like, not funny.

[B]

Yeah, well, we did.

[A]

Never said I was right.

[B]

We did get some pretty like. I don't know, it was just. There wasn't even one second in between the lightning and thunder. It was.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it was like right on top of it. You could feel our home like shaking every time it thundered. Our kids slept through it, but Dustin and I slept horribly and he actually ended up going down to the couch because like we were both hot. It kept thundering and we were like, you know what, disperse.

[A]

We'll reconvene later on.

[B]

We'll reconvene. And anyway, just, it's just loud like all night until 2 or 3 in the morning, thundering so loud. But it's mostly up north in Michigan that's gotten the horrible flooding and like the dams have been breaking up north, which is kind of scary. We haven't gotten any, any concerning flooding. You know, like downtown there was a little bit like maybe a few inches on the road, but nothing that has impacted driving or bus commutes or things like that. It's really. Yeah, Northern Michigan is really going through it.

[A]

Yikes. Yeah, we've just been getting regular rain, so hopefully regular old rain. Regular old rain. Just a little drizzle here and there, nothing crazy. We've had a couple days where it was pretty intense, but yeah, it wasn't too, too well.

[B]

There's your weather update.

[A]

There's your weather update. Midwest weather update. It's raining and also very humid.

[B]

Yeah, it's been like classic.

[A]

I don't understand what's happening right now.

[B]

It went from 40 to 80.

[A]

It's very weird always anyway, but I am going to tell you I have no transition. But I'm going to tell you about my loving lately. And this is a brand, a beauty brand. And okay, stick with me. It's called Shop Miss A. And everything that they, that they sell is basically a dollar or maybe like a $25 or like a $50. And I have shopped for them for years now actually I say that and it looks like, you know, some of their stuff is higher price now for Example, their quote unquote beauty blender is A$55. Their cheek miracle blush, A$55. I think when I shopped last time, it was maybe a little bit less, but I'm not sure. So I'm actually holding in my hands the elf lip gloss that Hannah and I love so much. It's a lip oil. That one's like $8, maybe not expensive. The one we love is from E L F, but this one's from Shop Miss A, and it's a dollar fifty. It's so good. It's basically the same thing. And I just wanted to put y' all onto this. Have I brought this before?

[B]

I don't think so. Not with me. Because I'm looking at this now and I'm. I'm.

[A]

You're intrigued.

[B]

I am intrigued. I'm like, I've never seen this before. And like you said, there are some items here or even, like, I'm seeing some even, like. Like Japanese and Korean products and things like that that are, like, a little bit more expensive, but even not even then, we're talking like, $15 for some skincare instead of. Skincare can be so expensive. Sure. Yeah. Keep. Keep telling us about it, though. I'm.

[A]

No, no. And the reason I stopped and said, did I tell you about this? Because I've worn this one particular lipstick shade online, and every single time I wear it, people are like, what is that? What are you wearing? It is the AOA Buttery Blur lipstick in scarlet. I love this color. It's so pretty. And it is A$88, and it lasts really well. It feels really good. So I recommend this website very highly. It's legitimate. I know it kind of. It's actually really cute. I was going to say it looks cheesy. It's. It doesn't look cheesy. It's actually really cute.

[B]

But the website's really nice.

[A]

So cheap. Yeah. You're like, why is it so cheap? And I can't tell you why it's cheap. I just know that this stuff is. It works. Now, there's some stuff that I've bought a time or two where I'm like, I don't know about this, but, like, honestly. Yeah, the lip gloss I'm looking at, it's A$88. Insane. And it's like regular size and everything else. The one I have is in the color or the shade bloom. Now.

[B]

I wonder if they don't get overstock from, like, subscriptions like Ipsy or things like that where.

[A]

No, it's Their own brand though. It's all like AOA stuff. Well not all. Many of much of it is right. Like they're.

[B]

Oh, I didn't realize it was like its own brand. It's not just a marketplace, it's like

[A]

a. Yeah, right, right. Because that would make sense. That would make a lot of sense. But I don't think so. There's also cruelty free shipping is a dollar and best of all there are stores. So in an area where there is a shop Miss A store. Boy are you in luck. There is one in my area and my daughter really loves makeup. She loves playing with it and you know, it's been getting into it and I think for her birthday I'm going to take her to the miss A store just to like go ball out. Yeah. And literally, I mean ball out on a budget. Talk about that. But she would love it. It's basically looks like a Sephora but it's much, much cheaper. And I love this brand. DM me if you're interested and want to know the stuff that I recommend. Anyway, the my loving lately is this lip oil that was 1:88. And specifically the shop miss a dot com website.

[B]

So fun. I'm obviously on the website right now. And it's not just beauty products. Like this would be such a cute place for stocking stuffers and stuff too. Especially if you have girls or kids that like fun stuff. Like I'm thinking they have these little bow hair clips or bubble bloom bag charm keychains. Like my daughter loves putting little keychains and stuff on her backpack for school and they've got claw clips, scrunchies. So all kinds of like beauty and also just like fun trinkets and stuff. I love this.

[A]

So good for trinkets. I actually that is what I did for their stocking stuffers. They got, I mean just you know, little stuff here and there. They got these little headbands with ears on it that they both specifically my older one likes to wear over her eyes. She's like, oh, it's my eye mask. Like when she's sleeping I'm like whatever. Diva. She's diva. Diva. Yeah. I love this stuff. It's a really great website and I don't understand why it's so cheap but I can.

[B]

We're going to take out for all

[A]

their products that I've tried.

[B]

Yeah, that's awesome. And good to know that people actually ask where did you get that lipstick? I got it here.

[A]

They do now, you know, time. It's my $88 lipstick from Shop Miss

[B]

A. I can't complain there. Well, yours is really broad, and there are so many great options on that website. Mine is a little bit more specific and niche, but I equally stand by it. And this is a new toothpaste that I've been using, and it's called. I know, I know, I know. But I. I was visiting one of my friends over Easter weekend, and she just. Katie from Edits and Ink on Instagram. She has the best product recommendations. Like, of all the people, she. And she's such an evangelist for all of the products that she recommends, too. And every time I come back from her house, I have a new product that I am using and I'm loving. This is the one that I came back with from that trip. And it's called the Ollie Fresh Mint Fluoride Toothpaste. And that I have really sensitive teeth specifically. Well, with cold and with just like. Especially if I'm eating something sweet. It has been really. And it's gotten worse with age. It's just really sensitive teeth. And so I've been looking into getting different toothpastes that help with this. And this toothpaste has been really great so far, and I really do feel like it's been. Been helping. And it does have whitening in it as well. And I've definitely seen improvements there as well. It has a smart repair system. So it has what's called nanohap particles, I guess, that are drawn to weak spots in your teeth and cracks in your enamel, and it helps, like, directly repair the enamel in your teeth. I don't know exactly how that works, but I will say I have noticed less sensitivity on my teeth. So since using this toothpaste. And I guess it has this protective layer that bonds to the enamel, and it creates, like, the shield against acid and bacteria and pain. And that's the other thing that I have absolutely noticed since using this toothpaste is that, like, I can tell that my breath is just better, especially when I pair this with my Thera breath mouthwash that I brought a while back in the show. I still use that mouthwash. I love it. And now these two are like my. Like, I don't know if I'm gonna go back. I'm using that mouthwash and this toothpaste forever. And I also love that 10% of the profits for this brand for Ollie goes to oral care for underserved communities and those in need. So every time you get one of their products, you are helping out a little bit and giving back. And I absolutely Love that. So not only a good product, but also just a good company as well. And I love knowing that I'm supporting a company that is doing good things and giving back a little bit. So I know this is super random, but I don't know, nice to have a, a good toothpaste. And that is my loving lately. It's the Ollie Fresh Mint fluoride toothpaste.

[A]

Well, we bought Thera Breath on your recommendation and we still continue to use it. So I trust as it pertains to oral care. I also love having a friend. I also love having a friend in my life that you just know has, like, good stuff. You know what I mean? Like, they have good stuff and they're like, all right, just what do you got? I want to see what's in your bathroom. I want to know.

[B]

I want to know. Like, just know if I come through

[A]

your products, just know if I come to your house, I'm going to be looking through and seeing what kind of products you have. I'm not going to look at anything that's not out in the open, but if I see something, I'm going to look at it and be like, oh, I wonder where you got that from. That's cute.

[B]

That's exactly what happened with this toothpaste. Because that's the other thing is they have really, like, aesthetically pleasing. That's so weird to say about a toothpaste. Toothpaste bottle. It's gorgeous. What a gorgeous toothpaste bottle.

[A]

Stunning.

[B]

That is genuinely what stood out to me. I was like, what is this toothpaste? And she was like, oh, my gosh, I love it. Let me tell you about it.

[A]

Let me count the ways.

[B]

And now I use it.

[A]

Oh, I can't wait. I'm gonna have to pick up a, pick up a tube of that or whatever. All right, I will dive in to our latest reads and. Okay. All right. I'm so excited. My latest read is one that Hannah, you would love. It is Greedy by Cali Kazumi. This is horror and it was so freaking good, you guys. I loved it so much. Okay, all right. This I would call an Eat the Rich type story. And it is horror. It's. It's sort of a horror slash dark thriller. But I would call it on the lighter end of horror. It's more psychologically manipulative. It's not overly graphic. And let me tell you what it's about. You are following Edward Cook. Edward Cook, he is a British man living in Japan with his wife and their two year old daughter. He has a gambling problem and he owes the Yakuza, which is not great because they are going to beat him up and go after his wife and kid if he doesn't pay up. So it's not a great situation. He is unemployed, but then he stumbles upon an unusual ad. Says chef wanted. Private chef for a high profile businesswoman. 1 million yen per day. And he decides to try out. It's one of those things where you have to try out for it, but you get paid for your time. He's in debt, man. He is struggling. So he's like, I used to be a. A chef back home. Sure, let me try and try my hand at this. Now he knows his way around a kitchen, but better than that, he has discretion. And he's also pretty desperate. All of these things appeal to the enigmatic and reclusive Hazeline Yamamoto. She is a disgraced socialite with very peculiar tastes and a very discerning palette. And so essentially, she is hiring somebody to be her private chef. And she is somebody that wants a chef who will be able to be discreet and also push the envelope. And so he ends up living there for a lot of his days. You know, he sort of lives on. On campus, if you will. She lives in the sprawling mansion. And he realizes, hey, she's pretty loyal to her staff. So I just have to keep my head down, do what she's asking of me, and I'll get out of debt in no time. And then he realizes that there are worse monsters out there than gangsters. And he starts feeling like things are gonna get darker than he would have ever imagined. And I will leave it sort of vague. You might guess what I'm alluding to, and I will neither confirm nor deny. This book is so clever. It is so clever. And it's one of those that goes along at a really nice pace until you get towards the very, very end and you're like, oh, buckle up, baby. We're going to be in for a good ride. I really liked it up up until the last chapter. And then I loved it in the last chapter, the last, like three or four pages. I'm like, hell, yeah, this is really good. I would re. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge, though, this is a book with a lot of billionaires and really, really rich people doing really crappy things, horrifying things. And I wanted to read this as a silly, fun time. And it was a silly, fun time. But I was also like, this probably really happens because, you know, people are terrible. So it was almost difficult to extract the real life horrors that I think exist from the fictional ones. It didn't distract me enough to where I didn't want to read it, but I was like, huh. I could see this happening. Anyway, I highly recommend this book. It is a really good story, it's clever and I will say her debut, Claire Darling was not my favorite. I actually DNF'd it. I did not like it. So I'm so so glad to have read this one. I did it on audio. Audio was great. Thanks to Penguin Random House audio for that copy. But overall I definitely think if you like horror slash psychologically manipulative books, get this one on your radar. It's Greedy by Kali Kazumi I was

[B]

just about to ask where you had heard about this one because I have not heard about it at all. But it sounds like you read from the author. Have you seen talk about it in other spaces as well?

[A]

The only other person I saw that has read it is Madison can read on TikTok and she really liked it. I was, I think I had already picked it up when she saw her review and I was like oh good, she likes it. Like continue on type deal. You know. It made me want to prioritize it. But love the pink cover. You'll love it.

[B]

Hannah.

[A]

You will love this book.

[B]

I'm sure I would.

[A]

I predict. Yeah, you would really like it.

[B]

Sounds great. Kelly Kazumi is also just a fun author name like Kali Kazumi. Sounds great.

[A]

You know. Did I mention that it's 8:20 at night? We are a little tired today so

[B]

we've been working on a little slap happy. Yep, that's okay. I kind of like it. Okay. My latest read is could not be more different. It is Our Perfect Storm by Carly Fortune and this comes out on May 5th and I'm kind of excited to talk about it a because it's Carly Fortune and I read her book when I every single year. I love her and also I feel like I haven't brought it a romance in a minute and I'm also bringing a romance later. So you'll get two reviews of romance books in this episode but I'm excited to talk about this one. This is about Frankie and George and they have been best friends since they were young like 8 like 78 years old and they are both very passionate, very impulsive, very headstrong people and they've always gotten along and been really close but they've also really clashed personality wise and remained remained close through it. They were roommates in college and have, you know, had a close relationship their whole lives until now. And it is the eve of Frankie's wedding weekend and she doesn't know where they stand or even if George is going to show up as her best man. Then at the start of the pre wedding festivities, in walks George and for one glorious evening, surrounded by all of her loved ones, the night before her wedding, Frankie's life just feels perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiance dumps her the next morning just via a note like he leaves. He ghosts her on the day of her wedding, he's just left her a note on her pillow and really hasn't given her any explanation of why. Just says I can't marry you. So obviously she is crushed and confused and returns to her family's home to wallow. But George has a different idea and plan for healing Frankie's broken heart and he wants to go on her honeymoon together but with him and for one week to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of to Fino they spend trying to heal her broken heart if you will. She agrees and she sees the trip for what it really is. Which is a chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings that neither of them know how to handle. So I thought this book sounded really cute, premise wise and really different from Carly Fortune's other books. She does love the friends to lovers like long stand long standing friendship trope, but this one felt a little bit different from her other friends to lovers romance. In the very beginning when I started this one, it had me questioning if I was going to like it in the very beginning. And yeah, I just, I really wasn't sure. However, it totally ended up selling me in the middle. It kind of ended up losing me a little bit again toward the end, but not completely. And I will talk a little bit more about kind of my ebbs and my ebb and flow with my feelings throughout throughout the book. But it was kind of a roller coaster. I didn't know if I was gonna like it and then I was loving it and then at the end I felt a little bit more confused. But what I will say that I loved the most about this one is their chemistry and relationship together was really really special. Again toward the middle, what I loved the most is that Frankie is really funny and really her humor only stands out when she's with George and she gets really in her head she's a very anxious main character. But I love that when she is just with George, her Banter and their banter together specific was so warm and genuinely funny. And it was really interesting to see the contrast of how Frankie responded to people and how she acted around other people as opposed to with him. And then also her kind of recognizing that and. And finding. And finding herself through that and realizing, oh, I am a funny person. And he really brings this. This good part out in me. And I really liked that. And I felt like it helped to build the chemistry with them, too, and solidify their relationship with each other and not just their relationship with their friendship and which I just thought made it. I don't know. I just. I think that being friends with the person that you're in love with is so important. So I love seeing that in my romance. And that is where I started to really feel that in the middle of this book. However, while their banter is good, it was also so full of hidden messages. And at a certain point, once we got like, three quarters into the book, I was like, you guys need to communicate, and it's got to happen, like, now or never. I get it. Tension and slow burns and all of that. But toward the end, I was ready for them to kind of figure this out. The end of the book does pull together the pieces that I felt were kind of missing throughout the story, especially in the beginning. I do feel like the emotional growth does get there. I just wish that there had been a little bit more throughout the book. Overall, maybe. I don't know. There was something about this one that kept me at arm's length, and I can't even pinpoint why. Even toward the end, when I felt like things were wrapped up pretty well and, you know, some of the gaps that I was feeling throughout the book were filled a little bit. There was just something about it where I was like. I just don't know. It didn't quite get there for me. But I'm ranking it as third favorite out of the four Carly Fortune books.

[A]

I was gonna ask you your ranking. I love a ranking.

[B]

Yes. And I'm hopeful to do, like, an official ranking with explanations, you know, maybe on my social channels or something like that. But where I'll put it here is that I am ranking it as third favorite out of the four, with my. My favorite being the last one that she released, which is this Summer will be different. So I liked it. It just was not my favorite by hers in particular, but I would recommend it. I think that if you like Carly Fortune books, then you should still check this one out when it comes out on May 5th. That is our Perfect Storm by Carly Fortune.

[A]

You'll have to wait a little bit. Yeah. I love it. I love an early review. How would you compare, or would you compare the Emily Henry and Carly Fortune? Are they similar?

[B]

I would say similar. It's a. It's a little bit tough because I feel like Emily Henry is a little bit more broad than Carly Fortune is.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, that's fair.

[B]

Especially with. With Emily's last. I'm calling her like she's a friend of mine. Oh, Emily M hen. Especially with her last release, even including a little bit of a mystery in there.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

You know, and then, you know, with Emily Henry, you've got people we meet on vacation, which is super fun. And I would compare Carly Fortune's books maybe to something more akin to a book of Emily Henry's, like People We Meet on Vacation, where it's very much romance rom com, a little bit more on the light and fluffy side. Like, there is some heavy stuff, but some of Emily Henry's books really are deeper and more about the side relationships, like book lovers and things like that and beach reading. So I would say it's similar to some of Emily Henry's books, but not all.

[A]

Thank you for giving me that breakdown. I was just curious.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Speaking of breaking down books, we thought for booktok today that it would be really fun to take a little bit of a walk down memory lane. So what we are doing, we of course have bookstore browse. We're going to be doing it three months in a row, and then the fourth month we are going to read books that our booksellers and bookstore owners have recommended. And. And we thought it would be fun to really take a look at what patterns we've noticed with book selling and any books that were repeated or any thematic elements that we noticed from folks that were recommending books to us. And we were like, I don't know, will there be any themes? And like, boy, were there ever. Which was really fun.

[B]

Yes, I did. I did notice quite a bit. Do you want. Do you want me to dive in?

[A]

Yeah, kick it off, Kick it off.

[B]

Okay. Okay. Well, I wanted to start off by talking about just some of the repeated books and authors that we saw. And this is specifically for. Since we've started doing bookstore browse on the main show because it's been something that we've done in the past for our patrons, but since we brought it on the main show, there have been some books and specifically authors that have been repeated. The main one being Kitchens of the Great Midwest. Which was recommended a few times by different sellers, which is one that Tina recently read and will be telling us about soon. And then some other books that appeared a couple of times are Buckeye Heart, the Lover appeared a couple of times. And then we have authors like Allegra Goodman, who showed up as an author name and with two specific book titles that were recommended across a couple of our booksellers, Isola and Sam, both of which I have read and really enjoyed. And then other authors, I'm just going to kind of list them off that were recommended several times were Jesmyn Ward, Rebecca Mackay, George Saunders, Joyce Maynard, which is an author I wasn't super familiar with before we started doing this segment on the show. And then Rufi Thorpe and Niall Williams as well. Niall Williams having two books that were recommended, this is Happiness and Time of the Child. So I thought that it was worth noting how these sellers aren't just recommending necessarily singular books, but also writers and, you know, different books by these writers, depending on what these certain people who are requesting books or asking for a recommendation are looking for.

[A]

Yes. And it's funny because I was thinking about that. I'm like, wow, I think it's so interesting that we're seeing a lot of the same books. Not that a lot, but the same books recommended. And I'm like, you know, where. Where do those come from? You know, is it the community? I think it's cyclical. Right. Because I think a part of it is the booksellers reading them or getting wind of them from where and then recommending to the patrons. But then it's also people consuming social media or listening to book podcasts or whatever it is, word of mouth and going to the bookstores who recommend them, that's always really fun. I know we were talking. I know we were talking to Gail, and wasn't it Gail that said that the Theo of Golden kept getting recommended or kept getting brought up?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And it was like, wait, what is this book? And I think that's really fun that it's, you know, more of this what's topical of the moment type things. Not to say they're always new releases, but, you know, I think that is really, it's a really interesting thing to keep track of.

[B]

Well, and Theo of Golden was an interesting one too, because it really did blow up for a minute, not just in the bookselling space, but also kind of everywhere. And I'm pretty sure that was an independently published book that just eventually kind of found its audience. And it's always really fun. When that happens and when booksellers get to be a part of that also. And, you know, people end up coming into their shops and they're like, I need this book. Have you heard about this book? I'm seeing it everywhere. And it was fun to have that conversation with her. And it was Gail who talked about that book specifically.

[A]

That's what I thought.

[B]

She mentioned that she didn't want to read it herself. Like, she was like, I don't think this is for me.

[A]

No. And I won that. And yeah, I feel like Gail and I have a similar sensibility in certain ways. I was like, yeah, I get that. You know, we saw a lot of patterns. Patterns too. I think we see a lot of literary fiction. Of course, it stands the test of time looking at titles like Atonement, Bel Canto, A Gentleman in Moscow, the Great Believers. And we have not had a ton of thriller recommendations or. Or what did we call it? Genre recommendations. Right.

[B]

Yes, I would say just genre in general. Yeah. We haven't seen a ton of. Not a ton. We have seen some of these. So when we're like. When I'm saying this, it's not like there weren't any. But of course we haven't seen a ton of romance recommendations. I'm actually bringing a romance. A romance book that was recommended later on when we talk about our books and review them. But overall, to your point, just not a ton of genre recommendations. Which I think makes sense because genre recommendations are very specific. And if you have a reader coming into your store and they're like, I'm looking for, you know, this, this, and this, it might be a more universal or safer option to recommend them. Like a general commercial or literary fiction novel that meets those themes that they're looking for. Unless they specifically say, I like horror or I definitely want a romance book

[A]

that makes me think. I'm like, I want to get some bookstores that specialize in horror or thrillers or romance. Wouldn't that be so fun?

[B]

Let's do it.

[A]

Let's do it.

[B]

October, we should do horror.

[A]

I already have one in mind. I love too. That a theme that I noticed, depending on the size of the bookstore. Right. Is that sometimes they would have booksellers that are experts in certain areas. So, like, oh, I've got the historical person. Yeah. So they would phone a friend, like, oh, I know this person's really into sci fi. Let's see what they recommend. Which I thought was pretty fun. We also had a fair amount of environmental or nature themed books which you and I both love. So it's always. I'm always glad to see that. And I actually have one of those to bring today. I know we.

[B]

Oh, yay.

[A]

Yeah. We were recommended. The Serviceberry, the Overstory, the Vaster Wilds and Wild Dark Shore.

[B]

There was also a lot of randomly Irish literary fiction which I thought was interesting, like Trespasses and the Rachel Incident. This is Happiness in Time of the Child, which it just was more than I was expecting.

[A]

Right. And I love that it was fun to take a look and sort of comb through and see some of these themes because I was like, you know, Irish literary fiction, I don't know if it would have risen to the top of things that I particularly am drawn to. But then I'm like, yeah, yeah. I read Colm Tobin a couple years ago. Like, there's definitely books in Ireland that I'm certainly drawn to. And another one that I think is very obvious for us is the Midwestern books, of course. And this wasn't, I don't think on purpose, but certainly more than. We had a couple show up, like Kitchens of the Great Midwest, which I'm talking about here in a bit. Buckeye, which I really wanted to read. The Cactus League I almost read. And then, of course, the Gales of November, the Edmund Fitzgerald book. Hannah and I were like, I don't know. Never heard of it. I don't know if I heard from more people about that book. So many people messaged us, were like, you don't know that book. There's a song. It's really sad. And I'm like, I am so sorry. I've never heard of it. So shout out to Edmund

[B]

the lore that I need to research.

[A]

Yes, shout it out. Shout out to Edmund Fitzgerald. But, yeah, that was from our Michigan bookstore. From Joanna. That was super fun.

[B]

From Joanna, from this is a bookstore. And bookbug. Yeah. So fun. But I, when I was looking at this list, wanted to talk about two things that stood out for me. And I in no way want to say, like, these booksellers were absolutely, you know, trying to do X, Y, and Z with their book recommending. Because I am. I'm not saying that at all. These were just what spoke to me through all of the booksellers that we've talked to and something that I have noticed thematically about the types of books that they were recommending. And again, there's two things that stood out to me is one, reading should make you feel uncomfortable with your own certainty in a good way. They should put you inside the lives and systems that indict complacency and. And read. And you should read books that don't necessarily confirm what you already think. So books that, you know, actually. Actually make you expand outside of yourself. Which brings me to the next theme that I think stood out for me, which is that reading should really restore your relationship with the world outside, outside of yourself, which I think we saw in a lot of the environmental fiction and things like that that were recommended, like the Serviceberry and the Vaster Wilds, Wild Dark Shore and things like that. So yeah, I. Those were the two things that really stood out to me personally, thematically.

[A]

No, I love that. And Teresa from Black Garnet Books did a really good job with that in talking about some of the books that they uplift at their store. Centering on abolition and centering on other topics as well. And I think it was so far been a really fun way to figure out what different bookstores are promoting and how they, you know, source different things. I think there's a lot more in common though, than there is difference between at least some of the booksellers that we've talked to. And also, I'm really glad that we're focusing on this for this episode because I, of course, if you don't already know, April is Independent Bookstore day. It's on April 25th. So this coming Saturday, as of this recording, if you are able to get out to your local indie, please do go support them. I'm going to try and hit at least one. Last year we went to 10, which was. Was pretty nuts. We won't be able to do that this year, but certainly we can go to at least one and make an appearance.

[B]

Yes, yes, I am excited. I don't have any plans, but I usually do do something for Indie Bookstore Day. So I'll have to make a plan. We'll have to wait and see.

[A]

Do we have any other themes or any other pieces to mention?

[B]

I really just want to say that, you know, I think that indie book sellers are the, I don't want to say like the last people in the current literary ecosystem, but. But kind of like the last people in the current literary ecosystem who are really recommending books based on what reading should do rather than even necessarily what readers say they want, but it's what they need. And that is to put yourself in a story that is going to, I don't know, maybe make you question things, make you feel closer to humanity, make you a better, more empathetic person, et cetera. And I really think that that is what stood out to me about what these booksellers are really doing. And it's really special. And I think it's just a little bit more countercultural than what a lot of mainstream book pushing is doing and doing important things. Yeah, that's where I want to leave it.

[A]

That's where I want to leave it, too. I love the way you phrase that. And I think we'll continue to support bookstores as we have been doing. We'll kind of keep this pace, I think, for the rest of 2026, and see where things go. But I want to talk about the first book that I read for bookstore browse. We've been alluding to it all evening and I have finally read Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Straddle. I don't know how to say his name. I'm sure it's not Straddle. Straddle.

[B]

I've always said Straddle.

[A]

Straddle.

[B]

I don't know if that's right either.

[A]

Straddle's better.

[B]

Straddle.

[A]

Straddle. Anyway, what a story this was. Okay, so I grabbed this because one, it has been on my TBR for ages. But this one is Gail's favorite book of all time, right? Is that what she had said? And she had the special edition.

[B]

I don't remember if she's. I don't remember if she said favorite of all time. I do remember her recommending it and talking about it.

[A]

Gail, if it's not your favorite book of all time, write us and let me know if I got that wrong. But anyway, for whatever one reason or another, this has been mentioned more than once and it definitely stood out to me. And this I would call a Tina book you are following. Oh, it's so interesting. Okay. The storytelling is so interesting. You're following a Midwestern chef named Lars who has three loves in his life. His kitchen, his, his wife, and his newborn daughter, Eva. When Cynthia falls in love with wine and a dashing sommelier, he is left to raise Eva on his own and devotes his life to sharing his passions with his only child, starting with pureed pork shoulder. After a childhood stricken, shaken by tragedy, Eva will find solace in salvation, in the flavors of her native Minnesota. She is blessed with a once in a generation palette and ultimately becomes the mysterious chef behind the most sought after dinner reservation in the country. That's what this story is about. You don't need much more than that. I was very. I didn't read anything about it, actually. I knew it was about a chef in the Midwest. And that was all I knew. And I was so thrown in the very beginning of this because you come to find out, and there's no spoilers here, but you come to find out that Eva doesn't get a point of view. You're not following Eva throughout this entire book. You are following people in Eva's life and you get to see her grow and come into this once in a generation palette via these different point of view, but also via different ingredients or via different. Yeah, different ingredients, such as sweet pepper, jelly, walleye venison. And I thought, gosh, what a. What a fascinating storytelling device. In that way, it reminded me so much of. Of life and death and giants. It does that same thing where you're hearing about the quote unquote giant, but he doesn't get a point of view. That one is more. I think there's three points of view in that one, and they alternate pretty regularly. This one, once you meet a person, you're in that chapter with them, and then you kind of leave them. And it almost made me sad a little bit. Now I say you leave them. What the author did, and it was so freaking cool, was that. That you met them many times throughout the story.

[B]

Just through a different perspective.

[A]

Just from a different perspective. And I thought that was really smart. Very interesting. Of course, I think this is very Midwestern. Probably not my version of Midwest. Oh my gosh. This I would devour if it was a Chicago sort of Italian beef deep dish pizza. Right. This is Minnesota. And I'm sure it's got its own sort of connection, connection to folks that are from that area. But I don't really have much else to say other than I very much enjoyed my time with it. I found it very easy to read, uplifting, happy with, not without its share of trauma and drama, but also just a pleasant read. I really don't have much else to add to it. I, if, if forced to give a star rating, would probably rate it 4.25. Not I. I think I would have. I enjoyed the storytelling device, but it always leaves me feeling just a tiny bit removed. I am somebody that likes to dig into my characters, and because we never really hear from Eva, we see her and we see all the success she has. I would have liked to have a mystery. Huh? Yeah. She's so mysterious. Yes, yes, exactly. I would have liked to have gotten to know her even better. But overall, this still is a high recommendation from me. It is Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradl.

[B]

Yeah, I'm Glad that you finally read that. I love this author in general, and I feel like, as a man writing women, I do think that he does a good job across all of his books, which I think is hard to do. So another. Another book that didn't do exactly what Kitchens of the Great Midwest does, but under the Rainbow by Celia Lasky. Did you ever read that?

[A]

No. I know of it, though.

[B]

Yeah. It tells a story of a town, and each chapter is through a different character's perspective. So while the whole book isn't about one character, it is about this town of people. And so you get repeated characters that you keep seeing, but it's always through a different perspective of someone in the town. And I have found that I really like that. I forgot that Kitchens of the Great Midwest was told in a similar way, and I really liked both of those. Those books. So, listeners, if there are other books out there that are like that, where they're each told like it's one story, it's not a. It's not a collection of short stories. It's one book. But it's. Each chapter or each section is told through a different point of view. Let me know, because I'm specifically looking for more books like that.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Yeah. Okay. My next one is actually, now that I think about it was one that. That Gail also brought and mentioned, but then did say, this isn't for me. So it wasn't necessarily a recommendation that was personal, but one that was brought up several times. And so I was curious and I wanted to read it. So I did finally read Theo of Golden by Alan Levi. Oh, yeah.

[A]

I thought you already talked about this. I'm so sorry I mentioned it earlier. I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, No, I didn't. That's okay. I. I knew that we were going to be. I knew that I was going to be bringing it, like, after we had talked about it earlier in the show. So I'm excited to kind of share my own personal thoughts on the story. And for those who haven't heard about this one yet, this book is about Theo. And one spring morning, he shows up in the small Southern city of Golden. And no one knows where he came from or why he's there. And while he doesn' offer many answers, he does ask everybody a lot of questions. And he spends a lot of time at a local coffee house where There are these 92 pencil portraits of Golden's residence that hang on the walls, and they're all drawn by this one local artist. And one by one, Theo starts buying the portraits and returning them to the people that they belong to. So the people that these portraits are of. And each exchange ends up sparking kind of these. This story that we are told as readers and we get to hear about Theo's connection and conversation with these people that he's exchanging these portraits to. And these stories create connection and usually end up being kind of life changing for these people and their lives. And at its heart, this book is really about what happens when we truly see each other and the ripple effects of small acts of kindness, the beauty of generosity, and the threads that really connect a community in ways that we don't always notice. So I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Who's surprised? Because on the one hand, I really do see, I really do see why this book is resonating with people because it really is a beautiful story about community and generosity and what it can look like when we actually, like, set our judgment aside or set our, you know, assumptions that we have about people aside and we just connect with them. And so I really see why people are loving this book and why it's really resonating with so many people. I think it's tapping into something that is genuinely true and that is that generosity and really seeing other people can be deeply healing for both sides. And that theme of, you know, love thy neighbor is really woven through that entire story. And looking at the state of the world these days, I. I understand why this message means so much and is hitting so deeply to so many readers because I think it's a really needed theme right now. We're desperate to see the humanity in one another and the goodness in one another, but for me, I felt a little bit preached at. And I think that. And I don't know if this is the contrarian in me or what, but that made me feel almost a little bit repelled by what I felt like the author was trying to make me think and see. And I want you to show me through organic, like a little bit more organically. It almost felt a little bit forced, like, and now here's this connection that Theo is making with this person. And it's going to be really beautiful and perfect. And maybe the author, I do think that the author really was trying to help us to see these things in an organic way through Theo's conversations with these people. It just felt forced to me. I do think that there is a lot to love here. I didn't hate this book by any means. Like, I enjoyed my experience reading, just, just didn't land quite right with me. And it didn't, it didn't resonate with me maybe as much as it has for so many other readers. I just didn't 100% connect with it and at the same time absolutely understand why others have really deeply connected with it. I think it's worth picking up just to see what side you fall on, honestly, because it was, it was a pretty easy read. I read it pretty quickly, so I think it would still be worth picking it up. Tina? Yes? I don't think you would like it. No, there's a lot of art talk. A lot of art talk. No, I'm out and we can talk later. But I don't think that you would appreciate. Nope, I'm not even gonna say that. There are things about it that I don't think you'd appreciate.

[A]

I'm dying to know.

[B]

I'm gonna leave that. I'm gonna leave my review there. That's Theo of Golden by Alan Levi.

[A]

Oh my God, my smile is so big. I love. That's like catnip right when you're like. Well, I can't tell you but I don't think you'd like it. You'll have to tell me later. I sure I will tell you about my next book. This is Under Lake by Aaron L. McCoy. It actually comes out on April 21, which is today as of this recordings being dropped. We first heard about this one way back in September from Katie from Lace from Lake Forest Books in Lake Forest, Illinois. And okay, this one is not out yet so it's only got 21 reviews on Goodreads. So bear with me. This is about two women who come from worlds apart who must join forces on an extraordinary journey. And you've got Ada who 13 years ago escaped the small town of Steels intent upon becoming a marine biologist. Now she's back. She did not become a marine biologist and she carries the guilt of a friend's death during a deep sea dive. She thinks she may never dive again. But then a stranger appears at her door. The stranger is named May and May says that her daughter has run away and insists that she's under a nearby lake alive. Because what happened is there is a small town legend of the under lake and it's said that three decades ago an entire valley and the town was was flooded to make way for a dam. But the people in that town refused to leave. And rumor has it that they're now living beneath the lake. Self proclaimed refugees of a world obsessed with change. And they're sort of down There, held together and apart by an intricate, airtight system of tubes and sealed buildings. Okay, so just imagine you are a failed marine biologist. This woman pops up. It's like, hey, I'm from under the lake. Like, can you help me find my daughter? And Ada, to her credit, does Ada and May team up. And they travel deeper and deeper under the water. And along the way, they discover communities that have lived in isolation for decades. And I'm reading from the synopsis. None of this is like a big reveal. You just know that they are searching for the missing girl. And this one, I think, is for fans of Lily Brooks Dalton, that type of writing. I usually love her. This is very ethereal, almost gentle. And that's not a bad thing for me, though. I went into this hoping for a little bit, tiny bit more mystery or plot, such as from Heartwood. You know, like, Heartwood was kind of this gentler story, nature themes, but also there's a mystery and a missing person. You sort of get that. But this one was almost unfocused for me because you have the mystery piece. You also have the science fiction piece, and you are learning about the communities as well. The community. If you all have read Hunger Games, specifically book three, I'm not going to say what part, but that reminded me of the Hunger Games a little bit in the parts when they were beneath the lake. That was a good thing. Ah, get it. Because, like, you know.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So that was nice. I loved thinking about the under lake and the communities. And, you know, of course, even under there, there's hierarchies and there's certain things that are going on. And I thought that was fascinating. I just don't know that we spent enough time there or above ground or in between to really sink into any of it.

[B]

It.

[A]

Some of the. There were so many sentences, though, that I was like, yep, that's beautiful. Like, that's a really, really good way to phrase that. I think I would have just liked even, I don't know, maybe a little bit more. It was interesting, but also a little too vanilla, if you will. I. I was just not getting.

[B]

Take us a little bit deeper.

[A]

Take us deeper. Either be more beautiful, more ethereal. Right. Or more mysterious. I was just kind of like, this is a pleasant, damp ride, but I'm not really enjoying it at any point. I'm so sorry to say that. I really wanted to love it, I swear.

[B]

No, I just thought it was funny. I thought to be the title of our episode.

[A]

I thought this was going to be so for Me, you know, and there's some interesting things in there. But also I almost feel like there was too, not too many characters. But I'm like, who is this now? Who's this guy over here? And like, there are some things I will say. I only had video copy. I did not have a physical or e galley of this. So maybe that helped it. I don't know, man. I just wanted something different. I also, this is so partic. So picky and probably doesn't need to be said. Ada, the name and the narrator to me should have been living under the lake, and May and the narrator should have been living over the lake. I kept getting the two confused. I don't know why.

[B]

Oh, that's funny.

[A]

It was just a weird thing. It just didn't match the voice, did not match what I thought was going on in the plot. It was well narrated, but it just never sunk with me. Never sunk with me. It never sat right.

[B]

Wow, we're so great with the puns for this review.

[A]

I don't mean to be. I don't mean to be. So I'm even looking at Goodreads right now and the genres are science fiction, fantasy, fantasy fiction, adult science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, magical realism. Yes. You get all of that. Almost too much of that. It felt a little unfocused. Now, I am in the minority here. Granted, there's only 33 ratings so far. It's got a 4.36, so people have really enjoyed it. I just.

[B]

It sounds like something I would like, actually.

[A]

I don't know. I don't know.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I don't know. I don't. I don't know. I'll give it a cautious three stars. Okay, I didn't love it, but that one is Under Lake by Aaron L. McCoy.

[B]

The premise is so good for that. So promising.

[A]

And I don't know that it got there. Depending on what you're most interested in. Like, if you're really interested in the mystery part of it, like the under lake of it all figuring out how did this happen, you're going to be left wanting. I think it gives you some explanation,

[B]

but that's a good point. That, yeah, the premise sounds really, really promising and interesting. It's sad that it didn't fully quite deliver for you.

[A]

I am in the minority though. People love this one. So, hey, you know.

[B]

Yeah, I'll be curious to see what more people think as maybe it releases and more of like the public are

[A]

getting their hands on it. Yes.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. Okay. My next one, I'm Excited to talk about it was a recommendation from Courtney from Call and Response, which is someone that we talked to with our patrons. Gosh, I can't remember exactly when, but it was a while ago. It was, I think late last year is before we brought it to the main show, but it was a lovely conversation and Courtney recommended a romance book and I was so excited to pick it up. It's called Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuo Toby and this One is about Dr. JoJo, aka Josephine. And she has a strong online presence as an influencer. She has built this huge following, sharing advice on health and self growth and not settling for less, especially when it comes to men. But offline, she is a lot less certain. She is stuck between a demanding medical career, an influencer life that is starting to feel a little bit hollow for her, and lingering feelings for her best friend, actor Ezra Edelman. And when Ezra shows up to his birthday party with her former bully, Jo realizes that it might finally be time to take her own advice and choose herself. Meanwhile, we have Malcolm Waters, who is suddenly the literary world's newest darling. After his debut novel blows up, he is invited to a high profile party that could change his career. But he is terrible at networking and completely out of his depth. And so now we have JoJo, who is unexpectedly who unexpectedly takes him under her wing. And their connection is pretty instant. But in a world where everything is public and messy, figuring out what's real between them might be the hardest part. So I want to start with the writing. The writing in this book was really good, which I feel like always stands out to me, especially in a romance when you're getting those, those lines that you, you want to highlight. Just like really great writing. And that was very clear right away. It felt very polished, very intentional and kept me engaged even in the slower moments. Starting a book I feel like is hard even with a romance or like a thriller or something that's a little bit more propulsive in the beginning. Starting a book is always hard, especially for me, and so I really appreciate it when things like good writing can just suck you in right away. I listened to part of this on audio and I have a little bit of mixed feelings about the audio. In particular, it's narrated in part by J.D. jackson. He voices Malcolm and he does a great job. J.D. jackson brings great warmth and slightly awkward energy that, that made Malcolm feel so genuine and easy to root for. Joe's narrator didn't quite work as well for me. It wasn't bad, it just didn't quite click with with I feel like how Joe's voice sounded like in my head. And I found myself noticing that more than I wanted to. So I switched fully to the Kindle version after a little bit because I was really enjoying the story and that narration was throwing me off. But overall, even in the print version, I just loved Malcolm. He was awkward, but in a really real and grounded way. He wasn't cringy or overdone, but definitely kind of more of that golden retriever type hero and. But it genuinely just felt like who he was. And their, their Meet Cute was so good. I loved that they already kind of knew each other through that influencer writer world before they actually met. They had like sent each other some DMs on Instagram and didn't realize that they had already had conversations with each other. And so that was just a really fun and kind of authentic meet cute that they had. The one thing that I didn't love about this one is it had the virginity trope and it really leans into it and that didn't really land with me. It was just such a big part of the book. It didn't completely ruin the story at all. But it wasn't my favorite part and if I were to choose one thing to just change trope wise, it would definitely be that one. But overall, the writing, the characters really carried the story and I ended up really enjoying it. It's not a perfect romance, but I love that it was recommended because I think that this is a romance author that I am going to read more from and that I'm excited to keep reading from. She wasn't on my radar before and I'm excited that this author is now. So there's a lot here that worked and. And I'm excited to read more from this author. I'm just going to leave it there. And that was Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi.

[A]

I read her book On Rotation and I quite liked it. I think I read it.

[B]

I didn't realize that was the same author.

[A]

Yes, I read it in 2020 something. Okay.

[B]

It had like a blue cover. I feel like I remember.

[A]

I remember that one being yellow with a doctor on the front and she has like a. Oh, yellow. She has like a maybe blue scrap scrubs, a stethoscope. Yeah.

[B]

Okay. So this is an author that I had heard of. I just didn't realize it was the same author. Yes. Like she was on my radar. I just didn't know because I do remember on Rotation, like that was on my shelves at some point for sure. I just ended up donating it instead of reading it.

[A]

Hey, that's fair. She also has one coming out on July 14th called Die for Me, which looks quite steamy.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Okay. Hey, we're almost done. I have one thing left to share, and it's a novel or a book that I got in the mail just recently. It's called City on Fire, a novel of Hong Kong. And this one's by Simon Elegant, and it's Blurbed by Adrian McKinty, author of the Chain. Okay, so this is about Hong Kong. That sounded so stupid. Okay, why are you.

[B]

Why are you laughing?

[A]

This is about Hong Kong. Like what? Okay, let me. Let me try to do that again. Hong Kong is a city ablaze. Its streets are filled with protesters and its government in crisis. Crisis. People are torn between rage and fear. The cost of defiance. Doesn't that sound familiar? At the center stands Superintendent Killian Tong, once a rising star in the police, now disgraced and haunted by a tragic accident at a protest. Exiled to a remote post, Killian is called back when a dismembered body is uncovered in a landfill. The gruesome murder could be his path to redemption if he can withstand the mounting pressure from superiors desperate to bury the truth and the even more dangerous fractures within his own family. His beloved younger sister Jin refuses to speak to him, devoting herself to the protest movement. Once inseparable, the siblings now face each other across barricades and Yun's fierce commitment pulling her closer to arrest and ruin. As Killian follows the murder trail into Hong Kong's highest corridors of power, he must, must confront not only the city's corruption, but the searing question at its heart. When politics ignites a family war, can love survive the flames? This is a taught thriller and a deeply human story of loyalty, betrayal, and the search for redemption in a city under siege. I think this sounds so good. This comes out on May 5th. It was giving me a little bit of SA Cosby's vibes.

[B]

I can see that. Yeah.

[A]

But this book is City on Fire by Simon Elliot. Elegant.

[B]

My shelf edition is new to me specifically. This has been out for a minute, but it is one that our listeners and our patrons have recommended a bunch. And I also recently had someone in real life recommend this book to me. And so I went ahead and downloaded it on Libro fm. And it is Jane Austen's Bookshelf, a rare book collector's quest to find the Women writers who shaped a legend by Rebecca Romney. And this does sound right. Up my alley. I do think that I will really enjoy it. I'm hoping to listen to it soon. So this author, before becoming a rare book dealer, was a devoted Jane Austen reader and was drawn to the way Austen centered women's lives with wit, insight, and the promise of a satisfying ending. But as Romney dug deeper, she realized that Austen wasn't writing in a vacuum. She was a part of a vibrant community of women writers whose works shaped her novels and were frequently referenced within them. Authors like Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, and Elizabeth Ichbald were once widely read and influential, yet many have since been largely forgotten or excluded entirely from literary canon. And this book follows Romney as she uncovers these writers and reads their work, and even collects rare editions to reconstruct what Austen's own bookshelf might have have looked like. Along the way, she explores why these voices disappeared and makes a compelling case for bringing them back into our reading lives today. So I think that that just sounds lovely and I've been kind of on a classics kick the past, I don't know, year or two, and so I think this will be a good addition to that journey of mine that is Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney.

[A]

Yes, this sounds very much like a book I think you should own.

[B]

Yeah, I think so too. I should probably get the physical copy as well. Why not?

[A]

While we're here anyway. Anyway, folks, it is our bedtime, so that is it for today. We thank you for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show Notes. If you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. Don't forget, if you'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.

[B]

If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at BookTalk Etc. On Instagram and YouTube. You can find Tinabrec and Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week.

[A]

And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books.

[B]

Oh my gosh. Dustin wrote notes. In my notes, How Tina? I literally said like at the end of that it says I really like and then in all caps it says big butts and I cannot lie in all caps.

[A]

Dusty, now's not the time.

[B]

Dusty Buns now is not the time.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Back in.

[A]

How do you get.