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- [00:00]
Hannah
But then by the end, I definitely got more. My notes say infested. Hold on.
- [00:08]
Tina
You. Welcome to BookTok etc, a podcast bound to grow your TBR. I'm Tina from TBR etc.
- [00:26]
Hannah
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [00:28]
Tina
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from Tube MidW Mood. Readers are easily distracted by new releases and today we're leaning into that and sharing our thoughts on some of recent new releases.
- [00:40]
Hannah
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.
- [00:55]
Tina
Hi, Hannah.
- [00:56]
Hannah
Hello, Tina. How are you?
- [00:58]
Tina
I'm great. How are you?
- [01:00]
Hannah
I am doing good. It is finally starting to get a little bit warmer outside. We're recording on a Saturday morning, which is new for us, but I kind of like it.
- [01:10]
Tina
I don't mind it. Although I will say I was like, laying in bed. I'm like, I have to get up and get ready. It's time to record this show. Breakfast with Tina and Hannah. Now, neither one of us eat breakfast though, to be clear.
- [01:22]
Hannah
Yes. Good memory.
- [01:24]
Tina
Yeah, I don't. Well, because a lot of people love breakfast and I know that you don't either. And I'm like, I'll eat like spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast. Like that is. I don't. Yes, I have. No, I don't like breakfast food. That's what it is. Right? It's not even that. The eating in the morning. I don't. That's not the problem. It's breakfast food.
- [01:39]
Hannah
It's breakfast food. It's so funny. Yeah, I. Dustin always jokes that my lunchtime is 10:30. And really what that is is that is what I feel to be the ex. The acceptable hour at which I could eat lunch food for breakfast is 10:30. Whereas, like, I feel a little weird about reheating frozen pizza at 9 o'clock in the morning.
- [02:02]
Tina
Right.
- [02:03]
Hannah
But I don't feel as weird if it's 10:30 because it's like close enough to 11 for it to not be that weird. And so he'll always joke when I come into the kitchen at 10:30, he's like, oh, is it your breakfast lunchtime?
- [02:14]
Tina
Breakfast lunchtime. Yeah, no, I'm with you. And you know what's funny? You said pizza. I would eat a cold slice of pizza at 9am But I wouldn't reheat one at 9am Because I agree, weird, but cold is okay for some reason.
- [02:25]
Hannah
And nostalgic.
- [02:26]
Tina
And nostalgic. And I know what you're going to tell me is this. Never mind.
- [02:31]
Hannah
Oh, I wasn't going to say anything. What were you going to say?
- [02:34]
Tina
Is this an add thing?
- [02:36]
Hannah
Oh, I don't think so. I think that's just a human experience.
- [02:38]
Tina
Perfect.
- [02:41]
Hannah
That I know of now. I might google something later and we'll.
- [02:45]
Tina
Come up with some new data. But yeah, before we get into the main show, I have a big shout out and I'm really, really happy about this. I want to shout out one of our patrons named Danny because Danny made this incredible, incredible spreadsheet. She had asked end of March, like, hey, do you all have a big spreadsheet for the show that lists all of the books that have been mentioned? And I was like, I wish we tried to start one before and just couldn't keep up with it. She's like, well, let me try and see if I could work something out. I'm like, what? And so come back three weeks later. There is a spreadsheet for our patrons that has every book we have mentioned on the main show for Booktok etc and on our bonus episodes. There are 3,000 plus books on this list and some of them we did and read because some of them are like books on the radar or what have you. But it's this spreadsheet with the episode, date, title, author, main show or patron. And then whether or not we liked it or not or liked it or disliked it and who mentioned it, Me, Renee or Hannah. So I just wanted to give a heartfelt thank you to Dani because this is such a great resource and you didn't have to do this and you did. So, patrons, we are sharing this link with you all listeners. If you want to get access to our spreadsheet, feel free to sign up to become a patron of ours to get that and all of our other fabulous bonuses. But I wanted to thank Dani at the top of the show because that is really, really cool.
- [04:05]
Hannah
Yeah, I was so impressed and shocked when you were telling me about it and when I was looking at it, it is such a cool resource and I'm just in awe of Dani. So yeah, thank you so much.
- [04:21]
Tina
And then if you're ever like, did they mention this on the show? You can just go control f and.
- [04:25]
Hannah
Find it and find it and see.
- [04:27]
Tina
If we did mention it and all of that. So anyway, thanks again, but I will dive into my loving lately and today I am sharing my loving lately. It's an iced coffee at home recipe. Now not, not necessarily the recipe, but you all know I had made it my mission to only get coffee a handful of times this year. So I've replaced my former obsession, which is a Dunkin Donuts large iced coffee with skim milk and two Splenda with this. And this is Cafe Bastello. It is their espresso style dark roast instant coffee. And I started going down this rabbit hole yesterday when I was working on my script. It used to be 699 for my can and it lasts me a couple months. And the first Google that came up was Target and they've already bumped it to 829. But Walmart still has low prices. So anyway, I was like thinking about, okay, I need to like stock up on this because I fear coffee prices are going up. But I still think whatever, you know, they're charging you, it's still very, very reasonable for the number of coffees I get to make with this. So the instructions say you're supposed to add 1 rounded teaspoon per 6 fluid ounces of water and then you add hot water or milk. Now I'm just now seeing it says hot water and I sure don't because I don't do hot coffee. But I add water and it turns out great. And that's it. I add a little bit of sugar free caramel syrup. I add a little bit of creamer. I don't like the color it is right now. It's a little too light for me. Little ASMR for you. I like it a little darker. I added a little bit too much. But I also throw the scoop in and we have this little milk frother that I use to mix it up. But anyway, I wanted to share this. If you are an iced coffee person and you wanted to try something new, something that's inexpensive and more importantly, really easy. I've gone through many different iterations of how I make my iced coffee at home and this is my favorite. I have been on this for several months. I think I bought four of these different cans. So however long that has been. But I wanted to recommend it to you all. And this is the Cafe Bustello espresso style dark roast instant coffee.
- [06:36]
Hannah
It is essential to have a coffee recipe that you look forward to every day.
- [06:40]
Tina
Yes. Now, are you a hot coffee girl?
- [06:42]
Hannah
I do drink hot coffee, but I also like iced coffee. I don't have the setup at home to I feel like make myself iced coffee that I really like. But when I do get iced coffee at home, I use the stock brand, the cold brew, and then I just use regular Italian sweet cream coffee mate creamer. And I just, I get the sugar free kind and I literally just do the slightly sweetened stock coffee. Put some ice cubes and little creamer in it and that.
- [07:11]
Tina
No, that's exactly what that. I love that. And you'll like this brand if you ever decide, because the cafe. Mm. That's the sort of amount of coffee taste that I like. The creamer I really like is Chobani, their sweet cream. That one's not sugar free, but I do like a little dollop, so I don't care. But that's so, so tasty. Any of the Chobani creamers is awesome.
- [07:33]
Hannah
I've never tried the Chobani creamers. I've. I've used the coffee mate Italian sweet cream, like the sugar free one for the last couple of years now. I, I don't switch it up like that is my cream. Yeah.
- [07:43]
Tina
It's like your thing.
- [07:44]
Hannah
Yeah. But I would be open to trying the Chobani sweet cream.
- [07:49]
Tina
Yeah.
- [07:49]
Hannah
I don't really love other flavors in my coffee.
- [07:52]
Tina
Yeah.
- [07:53]
Hannah
But what, what brand of sugar free caramel syrup do you use? Do you know what it's called? Is it the one that like pumps that you like, always see at the store has like the blue label?
- [08:03]
Tina
I've decanted it. I will show you. So you're watching us on YouTube right now. You're seeing a picture of our little coffee bar.
- [08:08]
Hannah
Okay.
- [08:08]
Tina
Very cute. We've recently.
- [08:09]
Hannah
Oh, nice.
- [08:10]
Tina
Kind of set this up so I've decanted it into these little cute pumps, but Torani.
- [08:15]
Hannah
Yep. I know exactly what you're talking about.
- [08:17]
Tina
Sugar free. Yep, exactly. Yeah.
- [08:19]
Hannah
Those syrups are really yummy.
- [08:21]
Tina
They have a flavor factory experience in San Francisco that's.
- [08:26]
Hannah
They have a lot of flavors.
- [08:28]
Tina
Yeah, they sure do.
- [08:30]
Hannah
Wow, what a fun little deep dive we went on. I love coffee. My husband's a tea guy and I'm a coffee person, so.
- [08:39]
Tina
But you managed to find, you know, you can come together.
- [08:42]
Hannah
Yeah, exactly. Anyway, my loving lately is a heating pad. And the reason why I am bringing this particular heating pad is because I have back. I have back pain. And so I use it all the time. And especially at the end of the day if I've been in my chair because my office chair is what exacerbates my back pain the most. And I have an office job, so I use my heating pad a lot. And I like this one because it's important for me to have a heating pad that gets really hot. And this one gets, I would say, hot enough. But I also really like it because you can unplug it and wash it. The material is really, really soft. And it's also esthetically pleasing, which I know sounds silly, but they have animal prints. They have every color. Mine is like a spring. It's not quite like a butter yellow. Sorry, Hate to break it to you, but it's like a nice, like, spring, soft yellow. And then in my room, I have one that is a darker shade of green because we have green floral comforter and sheets. I like the different color options because a heating pad can just be a sore spot in a room. And I always have mine, so. And I don't have any, like, cushions or things that open up that I can, like, put them inside of. Right. I have a little basket that I keep under my nightstand, but I can still see it. So I like that it just is a little bit more aesthetically pleasing. I don't think I said what the name of it was, and I don't think it has, like, a particular brand on Amazon. It's literally just called electric heating pads for back, neck, abdomen, et cetera. And then like, lists all the body parts. But I will link it in our show notes. The heating pad that I get, it is about $20. I think a little bit less if you have Amazon Prime. So I will link it in the show notes. But I like this one, and that's my current heating pad.
- [10:52]
Tina
I am somebody that doesn't often do things for myself, so I. It never occurred to me. I also have back pain because of sitting and just life in general, to the point where I was laying. We were at my friend's house yesterday, and I was laying flat on her w floor because my back hurt because I sat so much this week. It never occurred to me what a heating pad is. I didn't realize you could plug it in. I was thinking it was something you put in the microwave or, like, put hot water in. Like, it's the 1800s, which I know.
- [11:25]
Hannah
You can do that, too. And I know some people are sensitive to or don't want to use electric heating pads. And so it is a more, like, holistic option to use, like, gel heating pads that you can heat up. Or there are those ones, I think, that have, like, you know, like, sit on top of your head or your back. Or maybe those are ice. You know, ice in and stuff.
- [11:50]
Tina
Yeah.
- [11:51]
Hannah
Or you can put hot water in them, and it kind of, like, retains the Heat.
- [11:54]
Tina
So what I was thinking.
- [11:55]
Hannah
So, yeah, those are real things. So you're not, you know, you're not totally amiss in and picturing those things. But yeah, this is an electric heating.
- [12:04]
Tina
Maybe I have to treat myself and actually, you know, take care of my body a little bit. I like recommendation.
- [12:10]
Hannah
I will say I have a harder time using it actually in the winter because our heat is on. And so, like, our heat is on, and then I have a heating pad and it feels, like, really toasty. But when we have our AC blasting in the summer, it's actually easier to enjoy the heat.
- [12:29]
Tina
Yes. Because it gets chilly. Okay. I like it.
- [12:32]
Hannah
Yeah.
- [12:32]
Tina
All right. I am so excited to talk to you all about my latest read. I was at a conference this week, and I told three people about this book. That's how excited I am about it. It is Tell Me what yout did by Carter Wilson. And I was, like, sort of on the fence about reading this one because I wasn't sure about the setup. I was like, I don't know if this is really calling to me, but I had seen a bunch of people say they liked it. And I'm like, yeah, let me put a hold on it. It came through. I started it and could not stop. This is about PO Wilson, who is a true crime podcaster, and her podcast is really cool. She invites people on to anonymously confess crimes that they've committed to her audience, but they're not on camera. She gets to see them and then, like, ultimately deletes, like, the footage later on. But she also guarantees or does not guarantee that the police won't come after them. But it's wildly popular, and basically because people can't resist hearing these people confess to crime. So some people confess to little more innocuous things. Some people confess to big things. And then one day, a strange and kind of familiar man appears on her show. And she is forced to take a second look because this man is claiming to be her mother's murderer. Because her mother, indeed was murdered many years ago. But Poe knows something that no one else does, and that is that her mother's murderer is dead because she killed him. And I think that's what I was like, huh? How does that work? What do you mean? I really liked this a lot. Now, this book does something so interesting that I've never seen before. So at the end of chapters, I did this one all in print. I bet it would be awesome on audio. I just didn't have it. But in print, it's crazy. They have links like, hyperlinks to it maybe four times throughout the story. I'm like, what is this? So I clicked on it, and it is your. It's an actress telling the story, acting as though she's po. Acting as though she's interviewing people on her podcast. It is so cool. The actress did such a good job, and it's really, really creepy. So it's this immersive, mixed media style of storytelling. Now, you can completely ignore these links because the actress is doing. Is reading what's on text in the book, so you don't need to do it. But I thought I wanted to give that a quick call out because I thought that was really neat. Now, the chapters for this one are super short, and I'm hit or miss with short chapters. Sometimes I don't like it because it can be jarring, and I'm like, who am I following? What's going on? But I thought once I got into the rhythm of this, I was hooked. And this story alternates between her telling somebody. So she's. She's sort of. She's being interviewed herself and talking about what happened years ago. And then you're following her in real time, like, what's going on, you know, with this person that's coming on her show and, like, how she's trying to track them down and whatnot. And you know, because of this setup that something horrible is coming. Like, you can feel it, but you don't know what it is. It's sort of this working backward thing, and then the two timelines collide. And this book is pretty graphic. So if you're squeamish, probably don't read it because it does get into some pretty intense descriptions of crimes. But also, it was so, so good. I could not put this down. It's one of those. I was laying in bed, one eye open, you know, turning the pages.
- [15:54]
Hannah
That's saying a lot for you, right?
- [15:56]
Tina
Because I like to sleep. I'm a sleepy lady. But I was staying up late trying to read this, and I was actually sweating at certain points, which that's a good sign for me because I'm like, oh, my gosh. I really like the charact. Po is complex. I do appreciate, though, she's not dummy. She's not a dummy. Although she does make some decisions, and I'm like, po, are we gonna. Are we sure we want to be doing that? But there's also some great. Like, her dad is in the book, which I loved him. There's also a dog and a cat. And I will spoil and say they are fine throughout the story. So don't worry about that. I know that's really. It's important to me because I'm like, if he. If this author does something to these animals, I'm gonna be really upset. There are some great villains in this one and it's sort of this cat and mouse type story. I really liked it. I can't say much more than that because of course, like, you know, you're gonna get spoiled to what's going on. But for me, I do sort of wish I had read this in the fall. This would be an absolutely incredible fall read because all of this is leading up to Halloween. That's like the day that this big, you know, blow up is going to happen is Halloween. It has this really great cozy, yet terrifying seasonal vibe. Now, I've never read this author before, but I know he is the author of Mr. Tender's Girl. And there's a character from that that makes an appearance here. So I think that was a cool tie in. I also love the setting. It's very New England and just so it's atmospheric. This one was really good. In this story, they call out the. It's sort of tongue in cheek. But she's saying that her mom used to love to read what she calls rippers. Meaning you're ripping through this book so fast. You're ripping the pages and I'm like, this is a ripper. This is a ripper of a thriller. It was unpredictable for me, but, you know, I'm not a good detective. It was immersive and unsettling in the best way. I highly recommend it. Five stars for me. I mean, honestly, maybe that's just the excitement talking. But I love this book that is Tell Me what yout did by Carter Wilson.
- [17:56]
Hannah
I am, well, first of all, thrilled that you read a five star thriller. But also my latest read is another one that I read in print and I also gave it five stars. And I just want to give you and I a round of applause for, you know, reading books in print.
- [18:12]
Tina
Good.
- [18:12]
Hannah
And then really loving them.
- [18:14]
Tina
I sort of, honestly, Hannah had this thought. I'm like. And you know, I'm an audiobook girly.
- [18:22]
Hannah
Me too.
- [18:22]
Tina
Like, is it a better reading experience sometimes to read it in print? Because you could.
- [18:27]
Hannah
I think that it depends because you're. And I think that it can be.
- [18:30]
Tina
Oh, I hate that for us.
- [18:32]
Hannah
I know. Well, and I think. And this could be honestly, like a book talk topic that we tackle sometime. Because I think that it would be a really Good idea. But I do think it depends. But I do, I will say after reading this book, I will tell you about it. I know we're adding quite a bit of anticipation here. After I read it, I was like, I need to prioritize reading at least one print book at a time. Like having one that at night, even if it's just for a couple of minutes, sitting with it, being with myself and nobody else and just really focusing on a book and maybe choosing like five star predictions for that. I don't know, like books that I really just want to sit with.
- [19:11]
Tina
So meaning choosing five star predictions like you're going the ones that you're reading in print are ones that you have think you're going to rate five stars.
- [19:17]
Hannah
I think that I'm really going to love and I want to sit with.
- [19:19]
Tina
Them and can we do that? Can we do it? I think this will be 5 stars episode.
- [19:23]
Hannah
Absolutely.
- [19:24]
Tina
Okay. Thank you.
- [19:25]
Hannah
Let's do it. Okay. My latest read is the Names by Florence Knapp and this comes out on May 6 from Pamela Dorman Books. So when this episode releases, you'll still have to wait a little bit, but not too terribly long. Get your pre orders in. We link these books in the show notes, both Amazon links and also Blackwell's and Bookshop. So however you want to purchase. This is a book that I would pre order to get on your doorstep the day it releases. This is a book about Cora who embarks on a seemingly simple task which is registering her newborn son's birth. But Cora is under the oppressive control of her husband Gordon, who is a respected doctor with a really, really dark side to him in the home. She is expected to name her child after her husband, Gordon, but a moment of hesitation at the registrar's office sets in motion three alternate timelines spanning 35 years. Each version of Cora and her son's life unfold based on the name that she ends up choosing at the registrar's office for her son. This book explores the profound and painful consequences of domestic abuse and violence, the intricate complexities of family, and the enduring potential for self determination and a healed life. It is always so hard for me to talk about the books that I love the most and this book felt less of a favorite book of the year, favorite book of the quarter, and more of like a favorite book of my life. Like when I finished it I was like, this is like an all time favorite book. I have read so many books. You have read so many books. And while I don't think that this is going to Win a bunch of awards on literary craft for like, like writing craft, et cetera. This is one of the most unique and original stories that I have ever read. It is really hard to read something that feels wholly original in a very saturated book publishing market that we have right now. And this one felt unlike any other book that I have ever read. It was really interesting to determine which storyline of this boy's life felt the most true or authentic or. Cause, you know, when you read books that have alternate lives, like, I'm thinking like maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid, where there are all of these different lives she could have lived, there's always that one that you kind of feel like this was a true story. And while I didn't fully feel that with any of these three timelines, there were definitely different seasons of this person's life or different storylines, different names that he had that I felt more connected to at different points. And ah, I just. It was so unique and so creative and it was also really hard to read at times. It's definitely a glimpse into domestic violence and abuse and what it can do to not just the person experiencing it it firsthand, but those who are really traumatized and affected by it secondhand, whether that's children, family members of the person being abused, and other people in their life. I annotated this one front to back. Given the trigger warnings, I would encourage everybody to read this book if they think they can. One of my favorite books I've read in a long time and that is the Names by Florence Knapping.
- [23:07]
Tina
I love that you're like, oh, you know, it's hard for me to describe books I really love. And then you proceed to sell the paint off this book because I immediately am like, let me put my hold on it. And I already had because I knew you loved it. So I luckily put a hold on it. Already has a several months wait, which is a good sign. And I am very intrigued and I'm interested in reading this even though I'm not a multiple Sliding Doors life's kind of reader, you know what I mean?
- [23:35]
Hannah
It was. It didn't feel sliding doors to me. Yeah, I mean, I guess a little bit.
- [23:41]
Tina
With three different potential names, right?
- [23:44]
Hannah
Yeah, I guess. Okay. So I guess I was thinking time loop, but Sliding Doors is different. So I guess this is kind of more sliding doors than. Than a time loop situation. But yeah, this one did feel different to me. Maybe because it wasn't as like sliding doors fun and more of like sliding doors as like a philosophical concept.
- [24:04]
Tina
I get that.
- [24:06]
Hannah
So, yeah, really. And it's hard when you have books like that too, where you feel like there's one chapter that you're attached to and then the rest of them you're not. There was even one chapter where I wasn't. I was like, I don't know how I could be connected to this one. Like, and then by the end of the story, I was in love with that storyline too. I mean, she just did such a phenomenal job of even making you question yourself. And I. I love that when a story can do that. So.
- [24:35]
Tina
Ah, that sounds so good. Is she. Is this her debut?
- [24:39]
Hannah
I believe so.
- [24:40]
Tina
What's the author's name?
- [24:42]
Hannah
Florence Knapp. K N A P P. The name.
- [24:45]
Tina
The best debut novel. Yeah.
- [24:47]
Hannah
Yep. Debuts.
- [24:50]
Tina
Well, I, for one, can't wait. Okay, let's go back into our episode. I was lost in the the lore of this book. But. But for booktok, today, we're talking about book aesthetics. And I know you sort of kindly outlined a lot of our book talk topics. And for this one, I know you have a couple of questions and, you know, have some ideas about it.
- [25:11]
Hannah
Yeah, well, I know it always cracks me up to see people's like, hot takes on different book aesthetics that they like and that they loathe. And people seem to have such polarizing opinions on it. And what got me really thinking about this is the kind of explosion of sprayed edges.
- [25:31]
Tina
Oh my God, they're everywhere.
- [25:34]
Hannah
Everywhere. Ever since, I think, Fourth Wing, really, when that came out and people started selling those first editions for like 200, $300, sometimes more because it became so exclusive.
- [25:47]
Tina
Yes.
- [25:48]
Hannah
But then I think, and this happens so often, I know in publishing and marketing, they see one thing blow up and so then they're like, well, we're going to make this a special sprayed edge and you can only get 200 copies, or all the books from this imprint are going to have sprayed edges or we're going to make this special edition. And I got to thinking and I was like, well, now it's not really special anymore, but I still do like a sprayed edge. I think they're really fun on a shelf. I think that they're cute. They're not something that I would consider special at this point given, you know, the popularity of them. But it got me thinking about other kind of aesthetic things that I like and don't like. And so I guess we could start out by talking about different, like, aesthetic items on books that we personally really like that maybe other people don't. And like for me, it's deckled edges. I love deckled edges. I think they're so pretty. I love. I don't mind reading them, but some people hate them.
- [26:51]
Tina
They do. I know. And that's funny you say that. I love a deckled edge, too. And for me, what I like about it, one, I just like it. I like to look at it. I think it's pretty. But then also, I like to, when I'm reading it, feel the pages there. So if you don't know what a deckled edge is, it's when they're uneven, sort of rougher, they're soft, typically. And, like, they just have this really nice feel in your hand, at least to me when you're reading it. But I know it's the opposite for some people. They don't like the way it feels.
- [27:18]
Hannah
Yeah. And I think that it does. It does make it. Or I could see how it would make it harder to turn the page in some instances because the pages are different lengths and so. But I don't mind that. And I. I've never had an issue, but I could see, like, based on different, like, sensory preferences, even just like you were saying, how that could maybe not work for you. Are there any other things like that that you can think of that you really. That you really like? I have plenty that I don't like, so we can segue to that, too.
- [27:50]
Tina
I have plenty that I am not a fan of. Oh. Something I'm a fan of. And I've always said this. I am holding in my hand right now an arc, and it's kind of a spoiler for the book I'm about to talk about. I love arcs. I'm an arc collector. I don't even need a finished copy. I know a lot of people, of course, like the finished copy because it's, like, free of errors and things like that, so you kind of risk that. But what I like about these, first of all, I like the size. They're bigger, typically, like an arc. Not always, but these are big. And I've got big hands, too. But I also like how floppy an arc floppier. Oh, it's not the floppiest, but it has, like, a really nice amount of flop to it. Oh. It's just something about it is so pleasing to hold in my hand more so than, like, a regular paperback or a book out on paperback when they're sometimes a little bit smaller.
- [28:37]
Hannah
Yep.
- [28:38]
Tina
I don't know if that's an aesthetic thing or not, but I definitely like a medium. So Lily does This thing, our kid does this thing where if something's squishy, she, like, rates it on the squish meter. She's like, oh, my gosh, I love that. Yeah. And so for these on the flop meter, it's not the floppiest. I would give this probably like a 7 on the flop meter, you know? Okay, a little bit.
- [28:58]
Hannah
It's not gonna fall open when you hold it like that, but you could easily hold it open exactly like that.
- [29:04]
Tina
You get me? You get.
- [29:05]
Hannah
I get it. I get it. I. When I think of the ultimate flop, I think of the large paperbacks of Outlander or where, like, they just are like. I mean, they're like a full flop. Like, that's like the 10 out of 10 flop. Or even some thicker fantasy books that have, like, the tall paperbacks, but it's like a 600 page fantasy.
- [29:26]
Tina
Oh.
- [29:26]
Hannah
So when you open it and the pages are really thin, so it just, like, falls that I don't like.
- [29:30]
Tina
That feels too daunting. That feels too daunting for me.
- [29:33]
Hannah
Is it more daunting than a 600 page fantasy hardback, though?
- [29:39]
Tina
Yes. Yes. I can't explain it. Don't know why, but yes, I can.
- [29:44]
Hannah
Isn't it so funny, these things where you're like, I can't explain it, but.
- [29:47]
Tina
I know it to be true. I know.
- [29:48]
Hannah
I know it to be true for.
- [29:49]
Tina
You, in my heart of hearts, that a big, chunky hardcover book feels less daunting to me than a big, chunky paperback. That feels interesting.
- [29:58]
Hannah
Okay, well, hey, I'm glad that we're having this conversation because we're just learning so many things. Okay. What is your biggest aesthetic, pet peeve? Or. And I guess since we're not just talking about aesthetics, we're kind of also talking about what we like to read and hold in our hands, what we like to look at. So kind of like in that vein, what are your absolutely knots.
- [30:22]
Tina
It's funny you ask, because I am such a type B. I'm a type A in many ways, but in terms of. If you saw my office, you would know. I don't even need to explain it.
- [30:34]
Hannah
Right.
- [30:34]
Tina
I am just not somebody that has that eye for detail. So I don't even know if I could, off the cuff, say, okay, these are things that are absolutely nots for me. I'm going to ask you first to tell me the things because I know you are more. You have more of a eye for design, whereas I'm just like, oh, if I see it, I'm like, yep, like that or no, don't like that.
- [30:55]
Hannah
Yeah, I know that you'll know what I am talking about and I think you're actually going to help me describe it because I don't know if it has a specific name, but when I explain it, I know most of our listeners and you will know what I'm talking about. But sometimes a paperback will get rereleased or I guess sometimes when it gets first released and it has the front cover of it doesn't come all the way to the end. Oh, and then that sidebar is like where they'll put like a quote or like a marketing thing. Do you know what I'm talking about?
- [31:22]
Tina
A hundred thousand percent.
- [31:24]
Hannah
So I won't buy a book with that?
- [31:27]
Tina
No, no.
- [31:27]
Hannah
I will like go to Thriftbooks or Pango and buy an old copy of it if I can. If I can help it. If there's any other copy of the book out there, I'm buying that one. I hate it. So.
- [31:37]
Tina
Yeah, I don't understand it. So. See, I love how I'm like, I don't have anything. I'm so type B. No, I have big opinions on that.
- [31:44]
Hannah
But if you saw it, you would know.
- [31:45]
Tina
If I saw.
- [31:45]
Hannah
Yes, right.
- [31:46]
Tina
I wouldn't recall it. But if I saw it, I would be like, that's an absolutely not. Because then you open it, right? And there's some sort of like picture on the inside.
- [31:52]
Hannah
All the blurbs are on the front or up the blurb.
- [31:55]
Tina
I'm like, what are we doing here? Why do we have this? This is not necessarily necessary. No, I agree. I need my pages, like, at least the COVID pages. I need that to be uniform.
- [32:04]
Hannah
Yes, I agree. I'm glad we are aligned on that. Okay. How do you feel about mouse market paperbacks?
- [32:10]
Tina
Hate them.
- [32:11]
Hannah
You hate them?
- [32:12]
Tina
Yeah, like a little chunky, like. No, I'm not a fan.
- [32:15]
Hannah
Do you not like the way they look? Not like the way they feel?
- [32:19]
Tina
Back to the daunting and paperback feel. So if I see a mass market paperback, choose it's chunkier, it's squatter. It feels more daunting.
- [32:29]
Hannah
Squatter.
- [32:30]
Tina
Squatter.
- [32:31]
Hannah
I don't squat book.
- [32:32]
Tina
I don't like it. I don't know. I. You know, there's a whole. If you. I feel bad telling the books that I don't like them. But no, I'm not a fan. It sounds like you don't mind them.
- [32:42]
Hannah
No, I don't mind them. In fact, I prefer reading them. I will say I don't like how they look on my shelves because I don't have a lot of them. And so really the only mass market paperbacks I have are my historical romances. I have a pretty robust historical romance section of my bookshelf. And I don't mind how they look there. Conversation for another time. But I actually go to, like, estate sales and used bookstore and look for step backs on romance books. Like, really, What's a step back? I'll put it in the. I'll put it here so you can see. But it's in historical romance novels, the front cover. And this is an exception to the rule because a lot of times these do have that or doesn't come all the way to the edge. But with a historical romance, when you open that, it's artwork and it's usually the heroine. Heroine. Or. Well, it's the couple again. I'll show. If you're watching this on YouTube, you'll be able to see. But they are. I love them. I love them. I've never read. I've read like two of these books and I have like a hundred of them.
- [33:45]
Tina
Wow.
- [33:46]
Hannah
I just love them.
- [33:47]
Tina
I. I'm fascinated. I'm desperate to see what the hell you're talking about.
- [33:50]
Hannah
Should I get up and show you one?
- [33:52]
Tina
Get it, girl.
- [33:53]
Hannah
Okay. All right. Hold on. I gotta take my.
- [33:56]
Tina
Yeah, yeah.
- [33:56]
Hannah
Heating pad out.
- [33:58]
Tina
Oh, Jesus. Sorry. I didn't mean it for.
- [33:59]
Hannah
Don't. No, it's okay, John. Just make sure we cut that out. No one wants to see that.
- [34:03]
Tina
No one wants to see her heating pad. How embarrassing.
- [34:06]
Hannah
Okay, so these ones, they're old. Are my favorite.
- [34:10]
Tina
Oh, my gosh. Oh, that's beautiful. Oh, I know exactly what you're talking about. So.
- [34:15]
Hannah
So this one doesn't come all the way to the edge, but that I don't mind because it's like. I think you know the ones that I'm talking about that I don't like. Like that have, like, all the blurbs on the inside.
- [34:25]
Tina
Yeah, no, it just feels unnecessary. Okay, that's lovely.
- [34:27]
Hannah
You know, this one's a little more sultry, but are these a.
- [34:31]
Tina
Would you consider this a bodice ripper?
- [34:32]
Hannah
I don't know. I've never read them.
- [34:34]
Tina
Oh, I just.
- [34:36]
Hannah
I just really like the artwork.
- [34:38]
Tina
Oh, my God. So here's the thing. Hold that second one up again. So we're diving back into the aesthetic conversation. No, show me the COVID cover.
- [34:46]
Hannah
Oh, the COVID cover.
- [34:47]
Tina
No, the. You have a one with a price tag on the front of it.
- [34:50]
Hannah
Yes, I do.
- [34:51]
Tina
I'm shocked you didn't Immediately rip that off. Or does that not bug you? Oh, I hate it.
- [34:55]
Hannah
I've never noticed it.
- [34:56]
Tina
Never. See?
- [34:57]
Hannah
No, I didn't notice it.
- [34:59]
Tina
I love that. I'm like, I have no preference. I'm whatever. I'm an easy breezy girl. That's wrong.
- [35:05]
Hannah
Easy girl. You hate that sticker.
- [35:07]
Tina
I hate it so much. Take it off immediately.
- [35:10]
Hannah
Okay. Just kidding. I will. I'm gonna have to get my hair dryer. That's a trick, by the way. If you get a hair dryer and you just put it on full heat on the stickers, they'll then do you get the residue? Yeah, you kind of sometimes have to scrub the residue off a little bit, like with a wet. Like a damp towel or something like that.
- [35:27]
Tina
But it gets the job done.
- [35:29]
Hannah
Yeah, it sure does.
- [35:31]
Tina
Wow. I'm learning all sorts of things today. This is a fun.
- [35:33]
Hannah
So am I.
- [35:34]
Tina
What other.
- [35:36]
Hannah
I think those were. Gosh. I think I tackled my big ones. I mean, I think that most of us can agree we don't love the book club stickers on books. That just gets talked about so much. So I didn't put that on our.
- [35:47]
Tina
List, but I actually don't mind it. Um, me personally, I like it, actually, oddly, because, for example, I have sula, and I have it from years and years and years ago when it was an Oprah's Book Club pick. And I love having that reminder for some reason that it is. I was like, oh, cool. It was an Oprah. Oprah's Book Club pick for posterity. I don't know. I'm thinking of my collection long term and like, yes, I think it is of the moment. And perhaps we'll look back on it and be like, who gives a crap what Jenna thought was what books are on her list.
- [36:17]
Hannah
Sure.
- [36:18]
Tina
But.
- [36:18]
Hannah
But if you follow a book club too, like, oh, I tend to really like Reese's books.
- [36:22]
Tina
Yeah.
- [36:23]
Hannah
If you see that in a bookstore, you're like, oh, this was a Reese's Book Club pick. I maybe would have never looked at this book before. I like Reese's books. Maybe I'll check this one out.
- [36:32]
Tina
And I think. I'm thinking, aesthetically, I'm looking at one here. I love font is a whole probably other conversation, but I've been loving that new. I don't. It's probably not a new trend, but I love this font. It's all caps.
- [36:45]
Hannah
That. I mean, I like it too.
- [36:47]
Tina
And you said it's usually just like.
- [36:49]
Hannah
A sans font or. Yeah, like a non serif font. And it's all caps.
- [36:55]
Tina
I just love it. I think that's like, a really. I don't know, it's like, a fun way to do titles.
- [37:00]
Hannah
Okay. Another thing that I have been loving in books, too, is the words written like this. And I've been seeing it a lot. And now that I've noticed it covered. Yeah. And now that I've noticed it, I bet you'll notice it too. But, yeah, where they're not written horizontally, they're written vertically on the COVID I recently just saw a memoir, I think that. That had this style on it, but I. I've been seeing it a lot, and I also really like it when the artwork doesn't always come all the way to the edge, when there's, like, a little bit of a border.
- [37:32]
Tina
I kind of hate both of those things. Hannah, I have to tell you, that's okay. But I know people have been raving about. She's holding Water Moon.
- [37:39]
Hannah
Oh, Water Moon.
- [37:40]
Tina
Yeah.
- [37:40]
Hannah
Water Moon by Samantha Soto. Yambayo.
- [37:43]
Tina
And people have been loving this cover and saying it's, like, one of the most beautiful of the year. And for some reason, it doesn't do it for me. I think it's. I don't know. I think it's the. The border makes me feel weird.
- [37:54]
Hannah
Yeah, it's kind of like 2011 Instagram photo. Do you know what I'm talking about? Like, when you edit your photos on Instagram and there was always that border around all your.
- [38:05]
Tina
Yeah, yeah. Nothing wrong with that. I feel like we can do this for days. I actually would love to one day make a reel or something of us. We. We gather a stack of books and show the other one, because I feel like immediately we'll have visceral reactions like, either love it or hate it.
- [38:18]
Hannah
Yes. Oh.
- [38:19]
Tina
But anyway, I digress. Well, this will be fun for us to put some B roll in it for the folks that are looking at us on YouTube. That was a really fun conversation. But we will get into the books that we're talking about today. And again, it's just a new release episode. So these are books that have been released fairly recently. Now, I will say the book that I'm bringing came out in February, and it's April when we're recording, but I'm still counting it. It is the Quiet Librarian by Alan Es. And this one, again, the. The synopsis for me, I was like, I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I gave it a shot and ended up really, really enjoying it. It's about Hannah Bevitch. Who is a quiet middle aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But then a detective arrives with the news that her best friend had been murdered. And Hannah knows that something evil has come for her. A dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared. Because 30 years before, Hannah was somebody else. She had a different name. And she was a teenager growing up in the mountains of war torn Bosnia until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. And the events of that day thrust her into war. And she ended up joining up with this band of militia fighters where she became not only a fierce warrior, but a legend. The deadly Knight, Mora. But a shattering final act forced her to flee to the US with a bounty on her head. So they basically extradited her to us to kind of keep her safe. And now though, someone is hunting her and her friend has paid the price, leaving her 8 year old grandson in Hana's care. And she wants to protect the kid. And so she has to do things that she vowed not to do ever again to try and keep this young man safe. And she hopes that she can find her friend's killer before the past comes for them too. This book absolutely snuck up on me. I started it in print and I was enjoying it. I actually sampled it for our historical fiction episode and I like it, but I wasn't sure. It wasn't exactly hitting the right note for me for what I was looking for in historical fiction. But this one very much does have this dual timeline where you open the book you're in. Well, sort of. It plays a lot with time. In the beginning, you're in present day Minnesota, which is where she's working as a librarian, and this detective comes to her door and then you, you bop back to. Starts in the late 70s in Bosnia and then eventually you're sort of in present day for the entire thing. This book was really compelling and I thought both of the timelines were pretty gripping. And sometimes I can be fussy with that. I'm like, I'm much more into one versus the other. But for this one I think it really worked. I will say this one has some pretty, not pretty upsetting descriptions of war and things that happened. Like this woman, literally, or when she was a girl, she watched her entire family be killed. But. But also I love that the author leaned into that and it felt very much like he had done a lot of research to help tell this compelling narrative as. Because it is based on a real, you know, war that happened. The historical fiction sections were Intense. And you know what they reminded me of? They reminded me of the Huntress by Kate Quinn, which is a big compliment for me because I really, really liked it. You've got these strong women with harrowing past who are kind of badass, and this storyline that just grips you. What makes this one kind of bump up the rating, and this rarely happens for me, was the ending. The ending was fantastic. So I want to be clear. This is not a thriller. I would call this a mystery because you've got these upsetting elements and there's a little bit of thrills in here, but it's a bit of a slower build until the end. I thought the ending was really, really good. This one is a book with a main character that you won't be able to help but root for. And I think if you like your thriller, mystery and suspense novels with a strong emotional undercurrent and a good revenge story, you will like this one. It's got deep themes, it's got layered characters. You've got a librarian. And it had some surprises for me that I was not expecting. So I really recommend this one. I think this one is really, really well done. I've read Alan Eskins once before, and he's an author I will continue to go back to because I think he just does things in a really smart way. So this one is the Quiet Librarian by Alan Eskins Atkins.
- [42:31]
Hannah
It's always so refreshing when a male author can write women really well, too. And it's such a rare gift, I think, about, to like Kevin Wilson. He writes female characters so well. I don't know. There's just something extra compelling about that. When you were setting this book up and talking about it, I immediately was thinking Kate Quinn, because I just love historical fiction and mystery blended together. Like, even like the Frozen river by Ariel Lohan, which I know so many people loved. I just think that that genre combination is very compelling. I'm so glad that you brought that one, too, because the COVID is not super compelling.
- [43:11]
Tina
I didn't love the COVID It just.
- [43:12]
Hannah
Looks like a cheap historical fiction. I didn't love the COVID Not to be insulting, but it doesn't give rich historical mystery depth.
- [43:21]
Tina
I didn't like to cover myself. Yeah, it's funny you said that aesthetics can be deceiving. I was like. Looking at this, I was like. And I think that's part of the reason why I wasn't sure about it. But I'm really glad. Thanks to Mulholland Books for sending it, because that's one of the reasons. I grabbed it because I was looking at it. I'm like, what's this book about? So I ended up really enjoying it.
- [43:38]
Hannah
Well, I'm glad that it found you. I need to remember to bring my books that I have here because I wish that I had them and I'm just not used to bringing them yet. But I know we'll show the COVID here. But speaking of books with aesthetics, this one is a beautiful cover, arguably my favorite cover of the year, and that is Hot Air by Marcy Durmanski.
- [44:00]
Tina
She's a gorgeous. She's a gorgeous.
- [44:01]
Hannah
She is a gorgeous book and just a really unique cover. But this is a joyfully unhinged story of money, marriage, sex and revenge that unspools when a billionaire crashes his hot air balloon into the middle of a post pandemic first date. It this story starts with Joanie, who is on her first date in seven years post divorce and it is already teetering on awkward. But then the date again is derailed when her childhood crush, who is now a billionaire, crash lands on their first date. He is on a 10 year anniversary with his wife and he wanted to do this hot air balloon ride. Things go awry, it crashes, it's a wild story set up and suddenly our main character Joni is caught in a whirlwind weekend with this man that she was originally on a date with, this billionaire and his very sharp witted wife. This book navigates a complex web of lust, ambition and unexpected desires and the lines start to blur and everyone's true motivations are exposed, revealing a hilariously tangled story of money, marriage, and the chaotic pursuit of what all of these people truly want. Every time I finish a Marcy Dermansky book, I have to sit and stare into the abyss just for a little while. I do not necessarily always feel like I love her books when I finish them, but she has this way of making you loathe an entire population of people and think about things for a really long time. And she's just a really skilled writer. Whether you actually really like her stories, because her stories are hard to like. And I'm saying that with the caveat that I recommend this book and I think it's a really good book and I, I enjoyed it. But like when I say like, it's kind of like when you're talking about a relationship and you're like I love them, I just don't like them very much right now. That's kind of how I feel about her books. And and it untangles the Story untangles what money can do to people, how sometimes what we want doesn't sit on the surface, and the complexities of marriage. It deals with all of these things in a way that I've never explored in a story before. It was chaotic, dry, funny, unbearable, and insufferable in parts, but also just, I don't know, really compelling. And I enjoyed it also. I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop reading it. I went back and forth on audio and print for this one and far preferred the print. I will say her past books have been really great on audio, but this one was not my favorite. So I personally would recommend reading this one in print. It's pretty short. It's less than 300 pages. You can get through it in a weekend. That's what I did. But, yeah, I don't know. Marcy Durmanski books are just. You gotta read them. You gotta experience it. This was so on par for her work, and I will continue to read all of her books because they're just so interesting and weird. And that is Hot Air by Marcy Durmansky.
- [47:21]
Tina
I love this cover, too. I think it's a standout. I have a copy of this and I've been waiting for your review because I want to read it so bad, but I'm like, let me hear. Let's have Hannah bring it to the show, and then I'm gonna dive in. I didn't realize, though. I don't know this author. I've never. I'm not familiar with her, but she had written Hurricane Girl, which I know.
- [47:37]
Hannah
She wrote Hurricane Girl.
- [47:38]
Tina
Did you bring this to the show?
- [47:40]
Hannah
No, I read it before I was on the podcast. I think I read it in 2020 or. No, 2021. It was when I was still living in North Carolina.
- [47:50]
Tina
Oh.
- [47:50]
Hannah
Oh, okay, I read it.
- [47:50]
Tina
Gotcha.
- [47:51]
Hannah
So it's been a minute. But then she also wrote Very Nice, which had that blue cover. I think it was. Was. I think very nice. Was pretty popular when it came out.
- [48:02]
Tina
I think you're right.
- [48:02]
Hannah
Especially among, like, the literary community. Her books never have super high ratings, but I understand that because her books are very polarizing and weird and. And different. Yeah, I like that too. And I think that if you like kind of weird fiction or literary fiction that kind of. Is more exploratory, then she's a great author to check out. Out.
- [48:25]
Tina
Awesome. Okay. Well, I am really excited that earlier you brought a book coming out in May, and I'm bringing a book that comes out in May as well. The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kyster. And I wanted to make sure to call out because I think this was written. It's like duly written. But like Ashley Flowers, his name is huge because she's the. She is the podcast host of Crime Junkie. So she's massively popular but I wanted to be sure to like shout out the co writer as well. The Missing Half is about Nicole Monroe, who is an erupt. She is 24 and lives alone in a dinky apartment in her hometown of Misha Waka, Indiana. She's just gotten a DWI and she works the same dead end job she's been working since high school, a job she only has because her boss is a family friend and feels sorry for her. Everyone feels sorry for her over the past seven years because seven years ago her older sister Casey vanished without a trace race. And on the night Casey went missing, her car was found over a hundred miles from home. The driver's door was open and her purse was untouched and in the seat next to it. And the only really clue was that Jules Connor, another young woman from the same area who disappeared in the same way two weeks earlier. That was it. These two were connected, but there was so little for the police to go on and both of their cases eventually go cold and Nick wants nothing more than to move on, but she's having a hard time doing that. And then one day Jules's sister Jenna walks into her life and offers Nick something she hasn't felt in a long time, which is hope. And basically this book follows these two to these two women who both have had sisters who went missing as they try and figure out where the heck are they because their cases weren't ever really solved. And so the two take it upon themselves to try and figure things out. Now I loved this book and as it goes with thrillers, you might be a better detective than me, but I in no way saw this coming. Our main character is a hot mess and she's kind of annoying, but almost in like a little sister way that you just want her to get her shit together. And I think that's by design because yeah, her sister disappeared and she really is stunted by that. She works at this place that's kind of this off brand Chuck E. Cheese, which I thought was kind of funny actually. And I enjoyed watching the two women team up because Nick is a younger sister and Jenna was the older sister. And so they sort of form this bond to where it's like surrogate sisters. Something that's, you know, about me I don't like Nancy Drew. I don't like when they're doing, like, Scooby Doo amateur detective work. But it worked here because Jenna, the older sister that, you know, runs into, our main character, is very put together. Type A has her own theories and just like, really has some good, compelling narratives and things that the police didn't catch on to. The audiobook is narrated by Saskia Marlevelde, who's one of my favorite narrators. And my gosh, she nails the tone. It's haunted and intense, but, like, very just grounded. It just really sets the right tone for this thriller. And the two start digging together. And I loved seeing the threads that they were pulling and figuring out the things. And I was right there with him, like, in the narrative, figuring it out with them. There is a little bit of, you know, re resurrecting the past and talking to people that used to know their sisters. And the ending of this one is so good. I happened to be in office when I finished this. I was doing desk work and I had my AirPods in and I was like, I don't care who's around. I'm opening this because I need to read this last chapter with my eyeballs. Because I'm like, is this really happening? What's going on? It's a sad story at its core. It's gritty. It sort of reminded me a little bit of Sharp Objects, if you will, by Gillian Flynn. Like that grittiness, that small town. But it's a completely satisfying thriller with complicated relationships and a really, really satisfying payoff. If you like dark mysteries with messy, complex main characters, I think you will like this. This book is the Missing Half by Ashley Flowers with Alice Alex Kyster.
- [52:38]
Hannah
Did you read her first book that came out a couple years ago?
- [52:42]
Tina
No.
- [52:43]
Hannah
Because that one got some mixed reviews. I know. But I've seen better reviews for this one.
- [52:47]
Tina
All good people here. I did not read and I. I don't think I will.
- [52:51]
Hannah
Yeah.
- [52:52]
Tina
For reasons it as I understand, follows a real case. A little case.
- [52:56]
Hannah
Yeah.
- [52:57]
Tina
This one felt totally original to me and I don't their podcasts and I know there's some. They have a little criticism surrounding.
- [53:07]
Hannah
Yeah. Yep. I've listened to their podcast here and there and I. It is entertaining, but I also understand the criticism.
- [53:13]
Tina
Sure.
- [53:14]
Hannah
Kind of more neutral.
- [53:15]
Tina
Yeah.
- [53:16]
Hannah
Feelings on it.
- [53:17]
Tina
But I'm coming.
- [53:18]
Hannah
I do know what you're talking about.
- [53:20]
Tina
Yeah. And I'm coming at this book not as a Ashley Flowers fan. I don't know anything about her other than she is the host of that podcast. So I'm coming at it from someone that just like, like I again picked it up. It was sent to me. Thank you. To Bantam. And I just picked it up and I'm like, what's going on here? And I was like, wait a minute, I'm into this. Let me go ahead and choose this as one of my new releases.
- [53:39]
Hannah
So I love when that happens.
- [53:40]
Tina
I know.
- [53:41]
Hannah
Love when that happens.
- [53:42]
Tina
I love reading. Imagine that.
- [53:44]
Hannah
I love reading.
- [53:45]
Tina
I love it.
- [53:46]
Hannah
Yes, me too. It's so good. I am bringing a book that for. It's not released yet either. It comes out on the 22nd, but I have a feeling those who are planning on reading it already have this one pre ordered and that is great business. Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. Oh, so this is the newest Emily Henry book. I wasn't planning on bringing this one, but I started it and her books are just so easy to get through and read this in a couple of days. This is the story about two writers and well known authors who are vying for the same position, which is to write the biography of a famous but reclusive public figure. This reclusive public figure, Margaret, invites them both in for a one month trial period to her cozy town where she's kind of been hiding out. And after this one month trial period, she will choose which person she wants to tell her story and write her story for her. But the problem is Margaret is only giving each of them mysterious pieces of her story and pieces that they can't swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and also because of their very inconvenient appreciation and slight obsession for one another as they get to know each other and fall in love. So whenever people finish an Emily Henry book, there is that comparison to her other books. In trying to figure out which book this is the most similar to.
- [55:18]
Tina
I was just. In my head. In my head. Yes, I was doing that. That's funny.
- [55:22]
Hannah
It's so fun. And it's, it's always fun when it's a really popular and beloved author. Like, oh, I think if you liked this book of hers, you would like this one. So. And this one I definitely feel is kind of a combination if I'm going to compare it to some of her other stories. So I felt like this one was the most similar to book lovers with the romance taking a little bit of a backseat and also the cozy setting and the rivalry, or I guess not the rivalry as much as the enemies, although I think they were rivals. In Book Lovers too. It's been a minute since I've read that one, but it also was a little bit like beach read as both of these main characters were writers and then there was that definite emotional element to the story. However, this one also felt the most different from her other books. There was an added level of mystery to this story that was kind of reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid if you've read her books before. I went back and forth on enjoying this aspect and also thinking that it was kind of boring and irrelevant to the story. But it was frustrating in the beginning, this mystery element and this public figure, this famous person that they're writing the story for. But by the end I definitely got a little bit more invested in the famous person in her biography and the story and kind of the mystery behind all of that. I liked the romance. I didn't love it, I think because it took more of a backseat to this story. I just felt like I as a reader didn't have time to fully connect with their love story. But I did really like both of them. I really liked Alice and I really liked Hayden as individual characters and I liked their romance. I thought that it made sense. But I tend to just really like the focus to be on the love story and that's partially why I didn't love Book Lovers. However, I think if you if like that was your favorite Emily Henry book and you really liked the other elements of the story taking more of a front row seat, then I definitely think that you are going to really, really like this one. It's the most similar to Book Lovers, I think than her other books since then have been. So if you've been waiting for that, that side of Emily Henry again, definitely think you'll love this one. All in all, not my favorite Emily Henry book by any means, but I enjoyed it. I'm glad that I read it. It was fun to see her try something new with kind of adding this mystery element. And of course I'm always happy to take part in the conversation in discussing her books and tier ranking them and all of that fun stuff. So that was great. Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry.
- [58:07]
Tina
Oh, you did such a good job with this. Now have you read all of her? I know she has some older. I don't even know how old they are. But since beach read, have you read all of her releases? Since Beach Read?
- [58:17]
Hannah
I think so. And I've also read. I haven't read all of her ya but before she started doing adult romance, she did young adult romance and kind of like Magical Realism. So I read A million Junes by her. She also wrote the Love that Split the World. And that is a ya, I think, like magical realism, romance story. And I haven't read that one. I do want to, but I do think that I've read all of her other ones. I'm trying to think of one that I haven't read and I.
- [58:51]
Tina
What's your favorite?
- [58:52]
Hannah
I don't think that there is one. My favorite is People We Meet on Vacation and Funny Story.
- [58:57]
Tina
Okay.
- [58:58]
Hannah
Those are my two. My two favorites by her.
- [59:00]
Tina
I don't think I've read those. No. So the books I've read from her is Beach Read and Happy Place. And I really liked both of them. I liked Happy Place a lot personally, but I know that one wasn't everybody's fave. I also love her covers. Like, they're just. I like.
- [59:14]
Hannah
Yeah, they're fun.
- [59:16]
Tina
Each a different color. You know what I mean? I know that sounds dumb, but they have like this.
- [59:20]
Hannah
No, they're all.
- [59:22]
Tina
They tie in with one another. I guess since we're talking aesthetics, it fits.
- [59:26]
Hannah
I like that. Yep.
- [59:28]
Tina
So my shelf edition is such a pick. I'm so intrigued. Okay. It is the Storm by Rachel Hawkins. And stick with me because this one comes out in January 2026. And the reason why I am saying that I am like, not perplexed, but I was a little bit surprised by this one. Oh, I'm a.
- [59:52]
Hannah
What you doing, girl?
- [59:53]
Tina
Well, I thought that this was Rachel Harrison. So I thought Rachel Harrison was writing a mystery novel and I was very here for it. This is different. Okay. Rachel Hawkins is a mystery. She's a mystery author. She is the author of the Heiress, Reckless Girls. Okay. This makes a lot more sense. Okay, I'll still bring it as my shelf.
- [60:16]
Hannah
Are we still gonna bring it?
- [60:17]
Tina
Okay, I'm gonna bring it because I'm. I'm interested.
- [60:19]
Hannah
Okay.
- [60:20]
Tina
Because this is a gothic suspense novel about a ghost Gulf coast beach motel that has survived a century of hurricanes and has also been the site of multiple mysterious deaths. And I love weather, so I'm like, ooh, wait, I need to know more about this.
- [60:34]
Hannah
Yes.
- [60:34]
Tina
It's set in St. Medard's Bay, Alabama, and it's famous for three things. It's deadly hurricanes, the Rosalie Inn, a centuries old hotel that has survived every one of those storms. And Low Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, her political scion, Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984. When Geneva, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a Writer is coming to town to research the crime that put their town on the map. She's less interested in solving a whodunit than in how a successful true crime book might help her struggling, bottom line. So she's like, cool, write a book about us. Maybe it'll help get me money. But to her surprise, this author doesn't come alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. So this person that had been accused of murdering her lover, she's back in her hometown to clear her name. And that's basically all you need to know. It's summer novel, this one, even though it comes out in January, I think could be fun. And not only that, another monster storm is heading their way, and I am intrigued. Now, I am a little bit nervous because I did read her novel the Heiress, and I did not care for it. But hey, I'm always happy to give folks another chance. But this book is called the Storm by Rachel Hawkins. Comes out in January 2026.
- [61:54]
Hannah
Ooh, that one's far in advance. I was just looking it up when you were talking about it. It is available for pre order, but a cover has not been revealed yet.
- [62:01]
Tina
Correct. Which is fun.
- [62:02]
Hannah
Yes, I know. So we get to look forward to a cover revealed.
- [62:05]
Tina
So no cover for this one yet.
- [62:07]
Hannah
Yeah. Mine is the Lilac People by Milo Todd. And this is a brand new release. It's set in 1932, Berlin, and we are following Bertie, who is a trans man, and he gets his world shattered by the rise of the Nazis in World War II. He is forced to flee with his girlfriend Sophie, and they adopt new identities to survive in isolation together. As the war nears its end, they shelter a young trans survivor and face unexpected peril. This story is inspired by true events and it explores Bertie's struggle to protect his chosen family, navigating oppression from both sides of the conflict, and ultimately seeking a future in America. This reveals a poignant and largely unknown chapter of World War II and transgender history. So I'm really interested in exploring more of transgender history. Trans people have always existed. Their stories are important and a part of our history. And I have really been wanting to read more historical fiction. So I'm excited to read this and explore this part of World War II that hasn't been told as much as all the other World War II stories. World War II stories that we have, that we have read, that is the Lilac People by Milo Todd.
- [63:30]
Tina
Oh, this one sounds so good. I'm really. I thought the COVID is really striking. It's this watercolor it's like really, really nice. So I'd seen the COVID but I don't think I knew what it was about.
- [63:41]
Hannah
Yeah, it's a really pretty cover. And yeah, I don't know. I. I'm really excited. I'm really excited for this one. It's by a independent press, Counterpoint Press. And so I. I'm wanting to read this one hopefully soon and bring it to the show because I doubt that it's going to get a ton of attention. Usually books from independent presses, unless they're nominated for an award, award or otherwise talked about for a book club or something like that, they tend to not get quite as much attention. So if I read this one and love it, hopefully I can give it some shout outs.
- [64:20]
Tina
Interesting, because I was looking at the novel on Penguin Random House's sight, but it does say Counterpoint.
- [64:27]
Hannah
Am I wrong about that? Because if I'm wrong about that, then.
- [64:29]
Tina
It does say Counterpoint.
- [64:30]
Hannah
Counterpoint isn't a imprint of Random Random House.
- [64:34]
Tina
I think I'm confused. I think I'm confused because. Yeah, I see Counterpoint Press has its own thing going. Okay, so apparently, yeah, it's independent, but their distributor is Penguin Random House.
- [64:46]
Hannah
Oh, interesting. Okay, I didn't know that. We learned something new. Thanks for looking that up for us.
- [64:51]
Tina
Anytime. Well, that is it for today and we thank you for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned mentioned can be found in the show notes. And 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. And don't forget, if you would like access to exclusive bonus content like that Master Spreadsheet, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.
- [65:19]
Hannah
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 Booktok etc on YouTube. You can also follow Tina TBR etc and Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. I cleaned up my background a little bit.
- [65:44]
Tina
It looks good.
- [65:45]
Hannah
Added some. Added some more books.
- [65:47]
Tina
I can't usually see your stacks in this little frame I get of you, but now you can see that I also really like your house hat.
- [65:53]
Hannah
Thank you.
- [65:54]
Tina
Was it? Stories are better when told when shared.
- [65:58]
Hannah
Shared stories are better when shared.