Easily Distracted by New Releases + Book Sampling

Summary

Podcast Summary: Book Talk, etc. – Episode: Easily Distracted by New Releases + Book Sampling

Release Date: May 13, 2025

Hosts:

• Tina (@tbreetc) from TBR Etc.
• Hannah (@hanpickedbooks) from Hand Picked Books

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1. Introduction and Personal Updates

The episode begins with Tina and Hannah exchanging light-hearted remarks about their differing wardrobes suitable for varied climates, setting a friendly and relatable tone (00:02 – 01:09). They briefly discuss recent personal activities, such as birds they observed at a sanctuary and upcoming celebrations, including a birthday for Tina’s husband, Jonathan (02:01 – 02:35).

Notable Quote:

Tina [02:33]: "We are both easily distracted by new releases, so we're leaning into our love for them and sharing our thoughts."

2. Loving Lately: Current Favorites

Tina’s Favorite: Pact Clothing Tina shares her recent purchase from Pact, an ethical clothing company, highlighting their organic cotton products and sustainable practices. She praises their "soft spun tank midi dress" and efficient shipping and return policies (03:44 – 06:39). Tina appreciates the affordability compared to similar brands like Kinsey and Quince.

Hannah’s Favorite: EOS Shea Better Body Lotion Hannah discusses her love for EOS Shea Better Body Lotion, particularly the Vanilla Cashmere scent. She emphasizes the brand's sustainability efforts, including a partnership with TerraCycle for recycling containers (07:16 – 10:06). Both hosts agree on the lotion's pleasant scent and excellent texture.

Notable Quotes:

Tina [03:44]: "I got this cardigan here that I'm wearing. It is the softest thing I've ever worn. It is amazing."

Hannah [07:17]: "This lotion makes my legs stay and feel so soft and amazing, which is great for summer."

3. Book Reviews

A. Tina’s Review: We Are Watching by Alison Galen Tina discusses her experience with "We Are Watching," a thriller about a mother, Meg, who must protect her family from violent conspiracy theorists obsessed with her past work. She appreciated the intense plot but noted some miscommunication tropes and the need to suspend disbelief (10:33 – 16:01). Tina rates the book 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommends it for fans of conspiracy and cult-themed stories.

Tina [15:19]: "This book has some good elements, but I had to suspend my disbelief to enjoy it."

B. Hannah’s Review: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden Hannah shares her thoughts on "The Warm Hands of Ghosts," a historical novel set during World War I. She was distracted by imagining the main characters as miniature people in a pillbox, which affected her connection with them. Despite appreciating the historical setting and medical details, she found the magical realism aspect lacking and the characters somewhat flat. She gives it a 3 out of 5 stars rating (16:01 – 21:26).

Hannah [19:07]: "The characters felt somewhat flat, more like observers than fully realized people."

4. Discussion on Book Sampling

Tina and Hannah delve into the concept of book sampling, sharing their personal experiences and the benefits of trying out a book before committing to reading it fully (21:56 – 32:25). They discuss how sampling can help in making informed decisions about which books to keep on their TBR (To Be Read) lists, especially in genres like literary fiction and historical fiction where writing style matters significantly.

Notable Insights:

• Tina: Initially hesitant to sample, Tina experimented and found it helpful in reducing her TBR clutter (22:09 – 27:00).
• Hannah: Encourages regular sampling to solidify book purchases and avoid unwanted additions to her collection (25:44 – 32:25).

Notable Quotes:

Hannah [23:33]: "Sampling can help you decide if there are any books that you're on the fence about."

Tina [24:09]: "Sampling is a really great way to pay attention to the books I'm most excited about."

5. Additional Book Reviews

A. Tina’s Review: Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay Tina reviews "Parents Weekend," a thriller centered around five families whose college-aged children mysteriously disappear during a Parents Weekend event. She found the book to have too many characters and felt the focus on parents rather than the missing students was lacking. Despite enjoying the FBI agent Sarah Keller character, she rates the book 3.75 out of 5 stars and notes the need to suspend disbelief (32:25 – 37:46).

Tina [36:52]: "The ending required a bit of suspension of disbelief, but overall, it was a good time."

B. Hannah’s Review: Isola by Allegra Goodman Hannah discusses "Isola," a historical fiction inspired by a 16th-century heroine. The novel follows Marguerite, who transforms from a privileged noblewoman to a resilient survivor on a small island. She praises the book's character development, research, and emotional depth, rating it 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommending it for fans of multi-generational family stories and historical perspectives (37:46 – 51:30).

Hannah [42:11]: "Isola is just not what I expected. It is delicate and slow and yet at times reads like a thriller."

6. Upcoming Releases and Recommendations

A. Tina’s Suggestion: Disco Witches of Fire Island by Blair Fell Tina introduces "Disco Witches of Fire Island," a novel blending 1980s queer witchcraft with a gay paradise setting. Scheduled for release on May 6th, the book follows Joe and Ronnie as they encounter a secret coven protecting the island (52:01 – 54:28).

B. Hannah’s Pick: The Red Knot by Monique Asher Set to release on August 26th, "The Red Knot" is a blend of occult mystery and small-town horror on an isolated Alaskan island. It follows Detective Audra investigating missing girls and a murdered therapist, uncovering dark island secrets (54:31 – 55:58).

Notable Quote:

Hannah [51:30]: "This is definitely an author that I'm going to return to, because so far both of her books have been five-star reads for me."

7. Conclusion

Tina and Hannah wrap up the episode by reminding listeners to follow them on various platforms, leave reviews, and consider joining their Patreon for exclusive content. They encourage book sampling as a strategy to enhance one's reading experience and manage TBR lists effectively (55:58 – 56:47).

Notable Quote:

Hannah [56:33]: "Remember, everything's better with books."

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Highlighted Quotes with Timestamps:

• Tina [02:33]: "We are both easily distracted by new releases, so we're leaning into our love for them and sharing our thoughts."

• Tina [15:19]: "This book has some good elements, but I had to suspend my disbelief to enjoy it."

• Hannah [19:07]: "The characters felt somewhat flat, more like observers than fully realized people."

• Hannah [23:33]: "Sampling can help you decide if there are any books that you're on the fence about."

• Hannah [42:11]: "Isola is just not what I expected. It is delicate and slow and yet at times reads like a thriller."

• Hannah [51:30]: "This is definitely an author that I'm going to return to, because so far both of her books have been five-star reads for me."

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Final Thoughts: This episode of Book Talk, etc. provides insightful discussions on recent book releases, the benefits of book sampling, and personal favorites from both hosts. Tina and Hannah offer honest reviews, blending their enthusiasm for new literature with practical advice for managing extensive TBR lists. Whether you’re a thriller aficionado or a historical fiction enthusiast, this episode delivers valuable recommendations and strategies to enhance your reading journey.

Transcript

[Tina]

Sorry, that sounds like I said, hold his breasts.

[Hannah]

I said also fine.

[Tina]

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

[Hannah]

And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.

[Tina]

This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And we are leaning into our love for new releases and sharing our thoughts on a few.

[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.

[Tina]

Hey, Hannah, how are you doing?

[Hannah]

I'm doing okay. We chatted a little bit before the episode. I have a bit of a headache today, but otherwise doing good and excited to chat about books. How are you doing?

[Tina]

It always makes the day better to chat about books. I'm good. I am laughing because we are dressed for very different climates right now. You're dressed.

[Hannah]

Yes, we are.

[Tina]

Like for. You got your. You got your winter fleece on. I've got a little sundress that I actually will tell you about here in a little bit.

[Hannah]

Oh, yeah, I love it. It looks. That's cute.

[Tina]

Thanks.

[Hannah]

I love a like strapless sundress that you can dress up with a jacket.

[Tina]

Oh, exactly. I know. Same here.

[Hannah]

Yeah, we had an outing with one of my kiddos today. They went to the. It was. It's like a sanctuary for birds with his preschool class. And it was chilly this morning. They were in jackets and hats. But then by the end of the trip, everybody was kind of stripping off layers and things like that. But I'm still feeling chilled from the morning, so I got you.

[Tina]

Well, I'm jealous that you got to a bird sanctuary too today. I would love to get some new new members on my Merlin app.

[Hannah]

But I got some new members. I'm pretty excited about them. I got a purple Martin.

[Tina]

Excuse me, is he actually purple?

[Hannah]

They're rare. No, they are blue. That's beautiful. They're quite blue. Yeah, it was really pretty. They are the largest swallow.

[Tina]

Oh, my gosh. Well, fun fact. I love that we genuinely are going bird with watching tomorrow. We're going. We both have a mutual day off which literally, like never happens. So we're going walking. We're going out to dinner. Happy birthday, Jonathan. His birthday's on Monday, so.

[Hannah]

Happy birthday.

[Tina]

Celebrating on Friday.

[Hannah]

That's exciting. Yeah. A perfect segue into our loving latelys is that Tina has officially got me on the Merlin app and I'm that person now. Dustin and I both were at the sanctuary today with our phones up trying to get stuff.

[Tina]

So I know our neighbors. I got our neighbors on it. I've got people that just online. Some of you all have messaged me, hey, look what bird I found. It's incredible. And I never wanted to.

[Hannah]

So fun.

[Tina]

Such a in in love with this app. Jonathan loves it too. And I will compliment you on your loving lately of Sweet Bobby podcast because I too, binge it in one day. And what a story. I was just like, one of those things. I was looking for stuff to do. I'm like, let me fold some clothes because what on earth is happening? Very sad and very just interesting. So I'll have to find that documentary you said it was or the show about it. You said it was Netflix, I think.

[Hannah]

Yeah. And it is a documentary. It's just an hour and a half long. So definitely something you can put on, especially if you've already invested in the podcast so you already know the story. Totally something you could put on while you're folding more laundry or doing something else in the background.

[Tina]

Lord knows the laundry never ends. And to that end, let me segue into my current loving lately. Now listen, I don't want to hear it from people that are like, I thought you were doing a no buy. I said it's a low buy. Okay, It's a low buy.25. And I did buy myself a Mother's Day gift. I got a few summer items from this clothing company called Pact. That's P, A C, T. And my goodness, I got targeted. I mean, the ads got me. And it was this lady. She was in this dress that I'm wearing right now, actually, with a jean jacket. She's like sitting down to coffee. She has a baseball cap on. I'm like, she looks kind of like me and like, looks like she's having a great time. So anyway, one thing led to another and I made a purchase. Now, they are a clothing company that sells organic cotton clothing that sustainably and ethically made, which caught my attention. I'm like, okay. They partner with Fair Trade USA Global Organic Textile Standard and all these other places to ensure that their products and processes support the people and the planet, which I really liked. Now, what I'm wearing is called their soft spun tank midi dress. And I got it in two colors. And I also got a T shirt dress. It's like shorter. This one's pretty long. It goes over My knees. And when I bought them at the time, it was $30 each. And that's a really good price for like organic cotton. And anyway, I think this company does sales during different times. So for Earth Month last month is when they had these dresses on sale. But now they have other things on sale. So I'd keep an eye on that. I also got this cardigan here that I'm wearing. It is the softest thing I've ever worn. It is amazing. It was. It was like a final sale type item. So I was like, whatever, let me grab this. And I am in love. Like, I want one in every color. It's long. It's just perfect. Shipping. Let me talk about shipping. Normally, I don't care. I'm not like, I need it next day type thing. They had my tracking number literally the next day, like it was in the mail. And I even. Yeah, they're really good. And I even did a return, which I never complete the loop. I never return things if. Anyway, I did complete a return and because I ordered the wrong size and that was super easy. If you sign up for their free perks program, you get 5% packed cash back on all purchases. So I was like, great, love that. And I have a code to share. We will link it in the show notes. Now, I'm not special for this code. It's one of those things where it's like, okay, any. If anybody has not used this before and you refer them, you get some cash. I think you get 15% off. I get some packed cash. So I was like, this sounds like a good relationship. So if you want to try it, we'll share that. But no pressure. Obviously. I just wanted to share this company and I could go down. I've. I've spent hours looking at some of their clothing. It's really good. So if you're in the market for some easy basics that are high quality and reasonably priced, this is compared to the Kinsey or Quince company, you know, I'm talking about.

[Hannah]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Tina]

I do see that everywhere. But they are more expensive. This is much more reasonably priced, in my opinion. And they seem like an ethical company. And this is the clothing brand Packed.

[Hannah]

Oh, I was just looking at their website while you were talking and I found the dress that you're wearing amazing. And right now it looks like just like without a sale or anything. It's 38. So still, yeah, very doable, especially for a dress that you love and from a sustainable company. Because if you're going to shop more sustainably you are probably going to spend a little bit more money if you're not thrifting, which is another way to sustainably, but. Exactly. But I feel like if you're doing a mix of both and then to find something where it's also not going to break your wallet, that's such a great mix. They seem like an awesome company. I love that.

[Tina]

Thanks.

[Hannah]

My loving lately is actually something that I know you have used and love too, which is the EOS Shea Better Body lotion. And it. They do use shea butter. And at first I thought it was a typo because the website says Shea Better, but it's just their trademarked version of shea butter. And I get the vanilla cashmere. I've never tried any of their other scents, but some of them sound very appealing. I'm really interested in the pink champagne and the soft and cozy scent, so those are going to be next to try. But I am determined to use this lotion until it is done because they actually have a really cool sustainability program and a partnership with TerraCycle. And when you empty any of your EOS containers, so that's with lotion, body wash or their lip products as well, they have joined forces with TerraCycle and they have a free recycling program. So you can give your empty containers a new life. You just have to download a free shipping label and then you pack up your empties and ship them out and they completely recycle them and you know that they're actually going to get recycled, which is awesome. And. Yeah. But I love this lotion. It is really soft. It has the best texture. It's not too watery, but also not too oily and not too thick, and it's the perfect aftershave. So if I'm someone who shaves my legs and after I'm done shaving, I love putting this lotion on because it just makes my legs stay and feel so soft and amazing, which is great for summer. And it just smells so good every time I put it on. Even, like, my kids are like, oh, mom, you smell so, so good. So cosign from the kids, too. But it's not too intense of a smell like Bath and Body Works. You know, when you put on their lotion, everybody in the office is like, oh, who put on Bath and Body Works lotion? You know, because it smells so strong. This isn't like that, but it. It definitely provides a really nice skin texture and it smells really good.

[Tina]

So good. Good plan.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I love it. And that is the good picture. We're both a little off today. Sorry. It's okay. It's okay.

[Tina]

My baby has woken up. That's what's distracting me, in case anybody is wondering. So I'm, like, looking over at the monitor, like, oh, I hope she's all right. She's.

[Hannah]

And I have a headache, so I'm like, it's really soft and it smells nice.

[Tina]

It smells good.

[Hannah]

But I do really love this product, and I'm excited to try the other scents when I have completely emptied this container. And that is the EOS Shea Better Body Lotion in Vanilla cashmere.

[Tina]

I, too, use this. When I saw you have it the other day, I was like, I have that stuff. I think it smells so good. And my husband uses it as well, so it's, like, not too sweet, I don't think.

[Hannah]

Have you tried any of the other scents, or do you do the vanilla as well?

[Tina]

That's the one, baby. That's the one I like, too.

[Hannah]

That's the one.

[Tina]

That's the one.

[Hannah]

Well, good to know.

[Tina]

I will tell you now about my latest read, I have to say. Right. Yeah.

[Hannah]

Yes. We're on track. We're doing great.

[Tina]

Episode 201, what Comes After Loving Lady. Okay, so my latest read. All of my books today are, funnily enough, kind of in the same vein. They are all thrillers that I was entertained by. And I don't. I don't know if I recommend them. I might recommend them to the right reader, so I will prime the episode with that. This book for my latest read is We Are Watching by Alison Galen. And I don't know if I've told the podcast Know, Hannah Knows, and people, if you follow me on Instagram, know. But for the month of May, I'm experimenting with doing a structured tbr. No mood reading. I'm literally just picking up the books that I've set in my TBR. There's 12 of them, and I'm reading them in order. I was trying not to DNF, but I did DNF1, and that's okay. People have talked me through it, and it's okay to dnf, even if you're a structured. Yes, even if you are a structured TBR person. But this book was the first from that stack. And We Are Watching is about a mother who is desperate to protect her family as they become targets of a group of violent conspiracy theorists. And Magnolia, she goes by Meg, was behind the wheel when she and her husband were driving their daughter to drop her off at college. And there was this horrible accident, and one of Them does not make it. Which was just the setup. I'm like, okay, now we know what we're getting into. Very intense. But the bulk of the book takes place four months later, when Meg goes back to run the family bookstore to distract herself from her grief. But soon after, she's getting these bizarre messages and bizarre visitors to the store. These are strangers kind of threatening Meg. They're vandalizing the store, doing really odd and just unsettling things. And you come to find out that they are obsessed with a young adult novel Meg wrote as a teen called the Prophecy, which was published 20 years ago. And this subsection of people online believe that this book predicted a plague. Social media posts link it to Satanism. People are sure that her book is an indicator and is indicative of the apocalypse, which is set to arrive soon. So this book has, like, an end time. It's 1-212-22. So 12 12, 20, 22. And they say that often, which is why I remembered it. But I kind of liked. I'm like, oh, because you're building toward the apocalypse state, if you will. Now these conspiracy theorists vow to seek revenge, and the family is at risk and to save them. Mag must get to the root of the lies fueling these people and find a way to face them head on. Imagine if the satanic panic of the 1980s took place today in the days of social media, and you get this book. And I wasn't sure about that going in. I. I didn't understand the book and how it tied in. The book plays a small role. Just know that that's what. That's why they're targeting them. And you know this from the synopsis, but that is why this specific family is at risk. For me, it was fine. It was good. I was entertained. And I think last week we spoke about heroines we love. And our main character in this book would not make that list. She was dealing with grief throughout, so I give her a pass in that sense. But I promise you, it took like, 60% of the book for her to fully believe that this was happening. Like, she was just like, oh, weird. Somebody vandalized my store. This happened. And I'm like, girl, no, this is real. This is not normal. Right? Talking to this fictional character. But good news is that she's got her dad. Who he is an old school. You find out he was in a band, he's an old school sort of hippie, crunchy, totally lives off the grid, definitely believes in conspiracy theorists. And so he's trying to, like, explain to her, hey, pay attention. She's like, whatever, dad. That is part of the reason she's got all the skepticism. But she also has her daughter who is very much in tune with the world and, like, what's going on. So she uses the Internet and uses Reddit and other places online to figure out that, yes, indeed, their family is being targeted. There were a fair amount of miscommunication tropes used, and that was kind of like, all right, let's just get this thing going. And I will say you really have to suspend your disbelief with this one. I might have dnfed if it wasn't for myself. Imposed no skips and structured TBR challenge. But I'm not mad. I read it. I'm really not. I was entertained, especially during the last 40%. And once I was able to, like, get over myself and be like, okay, this is happening too. Suspend your disbelief. Just enjoy it. I did enjoy it. I think if you like stories about conspiracy theorists or if you're curious about how cults start, or if you like group, think this could be good for you. There were a few moments that surprised me some that I saw coming, but overall I enjoyed it. It didn't take away from anything for me. I'd give this like three and a half stars overall, and I certainly would try this author again. But that is my review for We Are Watching by Alison Galen.

[Hannah]

I like the idea of how a cult starts because we get cult books and when people are already in it. I like the idea of exploring groupthink and how a cult starts, but I.

[Tina]

Would have liked even more of that. I think that would have been even stronger because you're sort of finding out that this exists. It's not really a cult, but it's cultish, Right? Sure, you're finding out these groups exist, but I'm like, how, though? How do you. How all these people really. And anyway, again, moments where you have to just accept it for what it is.

[Hannah]

Sure.

[Tina]

But yeah, still very interesting elements that I was like, okay, I kind of like this. And I think I will remember this book because it was different enough to where I was like, okay, what. What am I reading about?

[Hannah]

So it's always hard when there is a lot to like about a book and then also plenty that you didn't like about a book. And it's. It makes it fun to talk about but isn't always easy to review. And my latest read is very similar, and that is the Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. And in this book we are following Laura Ivan. In January of 1918, she was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother who was still fighting in the war. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddy's death in combat along with his personal effects. But something is not adding up and doesn't make sense. So she's determined to uncover the truth, and she returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. So there's definitely some ghosty magical realism things happening here, and she thinks that her brother could have escaped the battlefield only to fall prey to something else, something more sinister. Then we're in a different timeline. In POV, November 1917, Freddy, Ivan, her brother, wakes after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing field, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make this hellscape of the trenches disappear. So, before I go into my review, I just want to give a good look into what my brain does to me while I am reading. So, as I mentioned in the synopsis, Freddy and Hans are trapped in a pillbox for part of the novel. And when I think about a pillbox, I think about those small boxes that we put our medications in and our vitamins to remember to take them throughout the week.

[Tina]

Right.

[Hannah]

Well, those are small. And so I was imagining these two characters in Like a Honey I Shrunk the Kids situation, right? And it made it very hard to take this very traumatic situation seriously. I literally kept laughing because I was just imagining these mini people trying to, like, claw their way out of a little pillbox. Anyway, that's not what they want.

[Tina]

What is a pillbox, though? Is it bigger?

[Hannah]

Yes, they're bigger. And they. Hold on. I'm. I'm.

[Tina]

Now we gotta insert the.

[Hannah]

Insert a photo so they kind of look like huts. And they're used in combat or in war. They're often camouflaged so that people can, you know, look out and not, like, fight. Clearly. I'm not in the military, you guys. I'm like, not, like, fight, but, you.

[Tina]

Know, listen, I'm not expecting you to give me a full rundown on combat, but I was like, do we. Did we find out what it is? I sort of like your Version better the little tiny. Anyway, carry on.

[Hannah]

Well, it was one of the more interesting things that happened in this book. Unfortunately, this one overall, I would say didn't work for me. I think this particular style of magical realism isn't my thing, and I am very hit or miss on magical realism in general. I don't like to completely write it off because in some instances it works, but there didn't seem to be a very clear set of rules for what was happening in this situation. And it left me feeling very disconnected. On top of that, I struggled to just connect with Laura and Freddie, our two main characters. Their characters felt somewhat flat, more like observers than fully realized people. They were experiencing the things that were happening to them, but it just felt like we were watching them experience these things and not actually going through it with them. And it made it hard for me to care about what they were going through, even during the more intense moments. I'm sure me imagining them as miniature people didn't help. That said, I did appreciate the World War I setting. It's a time period we don't see explored as often in fiction. And I also found the medical aspects really interesting. Some of the challenges that they faced due to the lack of modern tools and resources were especially compelling, and they would describe some of these medical emergencies and situations in great detail. And that was the most exciting and interesting part of the book for me. I know a lot of readers really loved this one. It came out last year in early 2024, so I might be in the minority here, but I think I'm mostly so disappointed because I thought that this was going to be a five star read based on reviews that I had heard from other people. I had heard that this was just a really lyrical, sweeping historical novel. And so I had really high hopes. And because I didn't love it, I maybe even feel more disappointed than I would have had I just read it with no expectations. So that was the Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden.

[Tina]

Yeah, you have something there and I think that happens to a lot of readers in which we are where we have expectations or we just heard things about a book. No one's telling us to build these expectations, but it ends up on our tbr. For some reason it makes it the top of the pile. And then when it's just like, okay, it's like, I wish it was different. And I'll actually hearken back to that later on with one of the books that I am bringing. Perfect. Before we get into our actual books for this episode, we're Talking a little bit for booktok about sampling books.

[Hannah]

Yes.

[Tina]

And for years, I was not a sampler. In fact, I did not sample hardly ever. Renee is a big sampler. Like, she's a turbo sampler. And I remember always saying, turbo sampler.

[Hannah]

I love that.

[Tina]

And I remember I'd always say, like, I got to do that. I got to do that. Right? And I just never did. A couple weeks ago, I decided to take a day off and do a project in my basement. I was like, all right, all the conditions are correct. The girls are with the grandparents. I'm. I have no books going right now, so I had to pick a new book and I had this big project. So, of course, what do you think happened? I, like, couldn't decide what to read. I just had too many to choose from. So I told Hannah what I'm going to do is just start any book at random, basically. And I sort of started with the books that I had via Libby. And I needed, obviously, an audiobook so I could do my project. And I just started playing them and I went through six or seven books, and I was like, this is actually making me. I'll. I'll. I'll give you my reaction to how that ended up. But I'm curious, do you sample books? Is this something that you ever do?

[Hannah]

Yes. I don't do it as often as I would like to. And I think that I would even like to set it to. Into my reading routine a little bit more, like making sure that once every couple of weeks or even just once a month, giving myself the opportunity to spend an evening or a day or weekend sampling books. And I'm always really happy when I do do it because I think it can, first of all help you decide. If there are any books that you're on the fence about, it can help you decide.

[Tina]

Okay.

[Hannah]

Yes, I do think that I want to go ahead and unhaul this one, or actually I want to keep this one on my tbr because oftentimes, even after the first chapter, you get a pretty good idea, especially if you're a writing reader, of what you're going to like. If writing is a big deal for you, you're going to get a pretty good idea what kind of writing to expect in a book when you first sample it within the first chapter. So I think that it can be really good for those specific purposes. And that is what I use it for when I do spend time book sampling.

[Tina]

Yeah, I think that makes sense. And I always see people do it and I'm like, this sounds like a fun way to spend time. But I unfortunately have the mindset where I'm like, I'm wasting all this time picking a book. Just. Just pick one. And that's silly.

[Hannah]

That's my biggest struggle as well.

[Tina]

I'm talking to myself, silly. Because it's like, this is helping you. I think my goal always is to have the best reading life I can. Right. And I think that's probably the goal for many people. And, you know, I think one of the ways we can do that, and I'm trying to get better at this as well, is really paying attention to the books I'm the most excited about, not necessarily the newest books or the buzziest or whatever. I'm trying to figure out, okay, which books are going to make me feel something, which ones are going to excite me, which ones are Tina books. Right. And I think sampling is a really great way to do that. Do you ever send samples from like Amazon to your Kindle?

[Hannah]

Well, I was going to talk about that. Yes, I definitely do. And I do think that if you are interested in doing more book sampling, that is such a good way to do it if you have a Kindle, because you can send a free sample to your Kindle or E reader. I've never done this for a different kind of E reader, so I'm not 100% on how that would work, but I would assume that you could also send those free samples to.

[Tina]

You can do it on your phone too. Like if you have the Kindle app on your phone.

[Hannah]

True. Your phone. That's a good. That's a good call out. If you don't have an E reader, you can do it on your phone. But I think that that's such a good way because you'll get usually a full chapter or at least enough pages to really give you an idea of what you can expect moving forward.

[Tina]

I think for me, being such a thriller lover, it's almost hard to sample because I. Not that I don't care about writing, but it depends, I guess, on the genre. So if it's literary fiction, definitely writing is going to be something I'm interested in. Historical fiction, even romance, because I can probably tell pretty quickly if it's too cheesy for my taste because I can be picky with that. Thrillers, I. You know what I mean? It's more about like the journey. So sometimes what I've run into is it has like a really awesome opening scene. And that's what happened with we are watching you or we are watching Great opening scene. And then the rest of the book was good. It sort of pulls back a little bit. It ultimately does build again. But I was like, oh, you know, you've got this hook. But I think a chapter or two gives you enough to really decide, like, okay, is this one. At least I'm going to keep. At least I'm going to keep it on my list. More importantly, I think, though, with sampling. Sorry, I'm on a roll. Is being able to say, yes. Is being able to say, okay, no, this one is not for me. I built this maz. Tbr. Pretty, you know, rigid, I'm saying. But I did not sample any of those books. And I wonder if I do this again next month or whenever I choose to do this again. If I. When I'm setting the tbr, if I sample, that will give me better results.

[Hannah]

I was just going to ask if the books that you had put on your TBR were ones that you had sampled when you kind of went on your sampling spree, so to speak, and they were ones that you wanted to put on your tbr. And so you. You. You bumped them into this TBR list. It sounds like that's not what you did. No, but maybe something to try if you're not positive how you feel about this TBR situation. But maybe you want to try other ways of doing it. It could be a good idea, modify.

[Tina]

It a little bit. Yeah. So what I did couple things. What I did to build this tbr. I'm in three book clubs, which is a lot. And then so I picked those books out. I picked out some new, you know, of course, books. According to our episodes, I had to do that. And then other ones, ones that I was excited. Oh, I had one nonfiction, too, because I know I want to read a nonfiction a month. And then other ones I grabbed. I was just excited about. I had access to them, that sort of thing. But yeah, I think next time I'll be even more strategic. I do have a good start on my June list because I'm getting these books that are being pushed to me. And this is a benefit, right, of having this structured tbr. I'm seeing these books like, oh, my God, I want to download this immediately and read it right now, but I can't. So I'm putting holds on them. And I think then in a couple of weeks. Am I still that excited about it? Awesome. This means you definitely should try it. On my sampling spree, I ended up landing on the book I ended up landing on. You've already heard Me talk about which was the island of Sea Women. And that one ended up being really good. Super glad I read that one. But for whatever reason I got hooked. But I think on that sampling spree it did help me DNF a lot. I'm not calling it a dnf, but like they, they kind of fell off my immediate tbr. Cause I was like, no, I'm good. I don't think. I, I'm not following. I'm not in the mood for this right now. Keep it moving.

[Hannah]

Yeah. And I think especially even if you're just a consumer, like you don't create content, you're not a book person that is also, you know, creating things in the online space, etc. There is still a lot to consume. And then especially if you're receiving advanced copies or you do this for a living like we do, or if you have a YouTube to, you know, there's even more to consume. And so it definitely helps with the constant push of more books, more books, more books. I would love to have the time to read them all, but I don't have that time. And so what are gonna be the ones that are perfect for me right now? And that is I think what sampling could be really good for. Cause there's just so much out there. It's super saturated right now. It's hard to know exactly what's gonna work.

[Tina]

Right.

[Hannah]

Thankfully there are free ways to be able to kind of see.

[Tina]

Yeah, exactly. Now I'm thinking I'm like we could do that for an episode. Let's sample books or something. That would be so easy, right? Like we kind of build it into our schedule. Like okay, we have to for this episode, pick however many books, sample them and whichever ones are the best, those are the ones we read. I don't know how interesting that would be, but maybe it could be. Might be fun for in good for conversation. Anyway, time.

[Hannah]

Well, I would say too, if you ever are book shopping, this is also something that I have started doing that has been pretty life changing for when I decide to purchase a book. I used to just if I had a book on my tbr, I would go in and I would purchase the book. Now I make sure that if I'm going to spend my dollars on it and I'm in a bookstore trying to decide okay, do I want this book or not? It's been on my tbr. Or maybe I just saw it in the bookstore and it piqued my interest and my attention. Whether that was the COVID or the shelf talker. Note, I open it and I read the first few pages. And if I am still pretty convinced to purchase it after reading those first few pages, then I will go ahead and put it in my basket. What spurred me to do this was that there were a couple times in a row where I had purchased a book on my TBR and I did not do this. And then I like just the first couple pages. The writing style was so to me, you know, I was just like, absolutely not. And I struggled to return things. So I think one of them I ended up returning and then one of them just sat on my shelf and yeah, it just. Sampling in the store is what I wanted to. To mention and recommend because it will really help you solidify the books that you want to purchase.

[Tina]

And you would think like, this sounds obvious. Why wouldn't we do that? I've never done that once in my whole life, ever.

[Hannah]

I wasn't doing it before.

[Tina]

I know I do the thing where I go to Goodreads and I'm like, what's this rating? Which I hate doing because then I'm like, I get a vibe from people. I would much rather. The best reading experience for me is if I were to walk into a store, I'm browsing, I'm picking a book, and then I end up bringing it home. And I love it. That doesn't always happen. Last night that happened was the Safekeep by Yael Vanderwouden. And I was so happy that I loved it because I'm like, I paid full price for this baby and if I don't like it, I'm gonna be upse.

[Hannah]

Right.

[Tina]

But that's like a great way to make sure that you're. You may be picking the right things or ones that you're at least likely to enjoy.

[Hannah]

Sure. And maybe it won't be a five star read. Right. You never know until you're all the way through it. But you can at least find out if off the bat, is this an immediate no at least.

[Tina]

Right. Because I think it's. It's easier to figure out if it's an immediate no than it is to figure out if it's an immediate yes.

[Hannah]

Yep.

[Tina]

Right.

[Hannah]

So it could just eliminate things that are an immediate no pretty quickly.

[Tina]

Well, had I done this, had I sampled, I think this would have made my. I think I would have read this one. My next book, or my first book, I should say, is Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay. And I was very excited for this one. I got an arc of it and I've Actually never read this author, which is odd because he's very prolific in the thriller space. But that's the reason why I grabbed this one. And I was excited because I actually think I even brought it as a shelf edition. But I was excited because it takes place at a college. And you know me, I'm obsessed with those books that take place at university. I think it's so fun. And this one had a fun spin on it because it takes place at a university during Parents Weekend. So in this book, you are following five families who are visiting their kids in college for their they're all freshmen at this small private school in Northern California and they're going to this college, they're going to this dinner. And it's supposed to be a night of dinner and cocktails and opening festivities for Parents Weekend. And the parents end up going to this dinner. But then you find out that their five children never show up to the dinner. And at first everyone's like, oh, they're just being college kids. They probably found a frat party. They're being irresponsible. But like, the parents are like, no, that doesn't make sense. And as the hours tick by, it's becoming very clear that they're. That something's not great because the kids haven't texted. And soon the campus police call in reinforcements, including an FBI agent, Sarah Keller, who is from his other novels. I understand she is a character he brings back time and again. So search parties are formed, rumors are swirling, and you are. You're studying these five kids who all come from very different families. Where are they? Basically, I don't think the synopsis did a good, good job with this one at all, frankly, having read it. Because in this I was thinking, great. It mentions the Five. The podcasters, bloggers, TikTok sleuths. Don't remember seeing a single one of those things. Things. Maybe a little bit of that social media aspect, but I usually love that in fiction. I don't remember that at all. Maybe very little, if it was there at all. I definitely don't remember them being called the Five. So that was a something that didn't happen. Also, I was anticipating that this dinner was going to be like a big part of the event and it was truly three, four pages. So I was like, what's going on here? Like, what is happening? And this book actually doesn't follow the students as I thought it would. It follows more so their parents. Now, again, I might have DNF'd this one. Was I not in the middle of this experiment because you are finding out in the very beginning about all of the families. And there's five of them. You got the Maldonado's. You got them, you got them. So you got the mom, the dad and the kid. And you're literally so what is that? Fifteen people that you're focusing on, plus Sarah and her family. I'm like, like, excuse me, that's too many for this reader. But I did it in ebook first. And once I got past those first five chapters, because the chapters are very short, I was like, okay, let me just keep going. And then I was in it, right? I was like, you don't really need to know all the nuances that comes when you're reading. You don't need to focus all on the particulars. And I will say that this was another book that I, I was fine with reading. I. I had a good time. It was fine. It was good enough. But nothing that I think I'm going to highly recommend. It's not going to be on my favorite thrillers of the year list. And I thought that we were going to find out a lot more about the kids and like what they've done and their bad decisions and them behaving badly. And this all culminates. And you sort of get that. But really you're following the parents and their bad behavior and like figuring out who they were. That was fine. The set, the star of this is FBI agent Sarah Keller. She's great. She's a great character. I love following her. She sort of ends up mentoring this young woman throughout. And I did like that. I was like, okay, now I'm with you. I like, you know, women in law enforcement. I really dug her as a character and I could see myself going back to read more books about her. But then the ending for me, I'm like, really? This is what we're going with? Okay. All right. Another one where you have to suspend disbelief, which is fair for mystery and thriller overall. I just don't know that this is going to be at the top of my recommend list. Not mad that I read it. Gonna walk away with like 3.75 stars. And that's Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I've only read Night Shift by Alex Finlay and it's been a while. But I do remember Sarah Keller is a character in that book as well. I read this one, I think, a few years ago and have, I have no recollection. I remember it being fine, but I don't, I don't remember anything about it. So. But I have. I have been interested in reading more from Alex Finley since then. This is definitely one that was on my radar. So I'm glad to know that it might be, like a fun summer thriller.

[Tina]

Yeah, it was fun. It was a good setting. I liked this college, which is actually a real college. I didn't realize that I liked his. I swear to God, I liked his author note at the very end almost more than this novel. Because he's like, thanking the college and saying, like, this in no way reflects, you know, what's really going on at this school. So I enjoyed that. I also hear the Night Shift is good. I hear that that's the one that people really enjoy. So, yeah, I remember.

[Hannah]

I remember liking it.

[Tina]

Yeah. All right, well, what's up for you?

[Hannah]

So I am bringing Isola by Allegra Goodman. This was a book that was on our 2024 reading guide for patrons, but I haven't brought my official review to the main show yet. There are still some books that I haven't brought to the show that were on the guide. And if you're curious about that, you can access it through our Patreon. It was a winter reading guide, but it has 25 incredible book recommendations that we specifically vetted for our listeners. So that's a great resource and I will link that in our show notes. But I wanted to share my full review of the this one because I loved it and it's a new release. It came out in February. And it's just one that's really fun to talk about. So in this book we're following Marguerite. She is an heir to her fortune and she's destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. But then she is orphaned and her guardian is an enigmatic and volatile man and spends her entire inheritance and incentives insists that she accompany him on an expedition to New France. This journey takes an unexpected turn when Marguerite ends up being accused of a betrayal and she's brutally punished and abandoned on a small island. Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and pearls and had all things fancy and wonderful, she finds herself at the mercy of nature. And the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice. And she ends up discovering this, this faith that she never knew that she had and needed. This is part love story, part historical suspense, and at its heart, a story about survival. And it is inspired by the real life of a 16th century heroine, which I didn't know until I was putting together my official review for this book. I think I had not known or forgotten that aspect of it. And the author put in a lot of really incredible research to pull this novel off. Isola is just not what I expected. It is delicate and slow and yet at times reads like a thriller and is really exciting and has some fun adventure. It almost felt like a book in two or three parts because we get to spend quite a bit of time with Marguerite at her castle before she is sent off to New France. So we get to see her life of nobility. And then we spend time with her in New France too, with her guardian before she is sent off to this isolated island. So because we got to see her character in all of these life phases, we really get to see her transformation, which was really beautiful and powerful. She went from being this really privileged noblewoman to literally slaying bears and beasts and fighting for her life. Her circumstances ended up being really hard and she showed such resiliency and willingness to survive, even after having a life that was really easy before. I think that readers of Lauren Groff and Maggie o' Farrell will really love this one. Although the story and the plot was pretty different. There were a lot of aspects of this novel that reminded me of the Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff, which I also love. But I would encourage you to give this a shot, even if 1500s historical survival novel doesn't necessarily sound appealing to you. There are parts of the book that I also really loved that I am purposefully leaving out, because I think that they just made amazing surprises to this story. It was adventurous and compelling and one of the best 2025 releases that I have read so far this year. So I would encourage you to check it out. I will also say, if you are not typically a fan of Reese's Picks, I was surprised that this was a Reese's Pick. It's not her typical book. She got one right. She got one right. Well, it almost seemed like more of a Jenna pick, which is what was surprising to me. So don't let that re sticker deter you. If you're like, I don't typically like her books. This isn't like her normal. Her normal selection. So I just wanted to throw that out there. And that was Isola by Allegra Goodman.

[Tina]

Oh, I'm glad you brought that to the main show. Yeah, to the show. I love the comps, the author comps that you made for that. I'm like, oh, okay. If that's. That is a really. I think that is a nice shorthand to tell listeners what they can expect if they add this one to their list.

[Hannah]

Yeah, definitely. And I. I stand by those comps. I think that. I think that they're accurate.

[Tina]

I think they're accurate. Well, I. I support you in that. All right, so the third book I'm bringing today is another thriller. I can't help myself. Guys, guys. It is We Live Here now by Sarah Pinborough. Talk about being a mood reader. I was making this content, and I was like, I don't know if I'll read this one. Cut to me reading it almost immediately, because I was like, I gotta know. Like, I gotta figure it out. This one is about Emily and her husband, Freddy. And Emily was involved in this really horrific accident. She basically falls off a cliff, and they move from London to a beautiful country house called the Larkin Lodge. This house is gorgeous. It's striking. And Emily gets there, and she's like, yep, something's wrong with this place. Deeply, deeply unsettling. When she gets there, old Boards Creek at night, fires extinguish in the fireplace, books are falling from the shelves, and she's like, okay, is somebody trying to tell me something? Is somebody trying to get me out here? And she feels this terrible presence in the Larkin Lodge. And of course, these things only happen when Emily's alone. So she starts to question herself. People she's telling start to question her memory because technically, she is still medically fragile. She had this horrible accident, and she had sepsis. So apparently she has this condition post sepsis that can cause hallucinatory side effects, which means that she cannot fully trust her senses. Freddie doesn't know anything. Like, he's not seeing these odd things. And he is really happy with their chance at a fresh start. She, however, starts to believe the house is haunted by someone who has been murdered in it.

[Hannah]

It.

[Tina]

And even though she can find no evidence of wrongful death there, she's like, this is too weird. Emily becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about Larkin Lodge. But just as the house has secrets, so do Emily and her husband. You know what? I liked this book. I'm, like, thinking. At first, I was like, this is outrageous. But the more I'm reading it, I was, like, going back through the plot in my mind as I'm reading this, and I'm like, that was a good time. I really had fun with it. I really liked the setup from the beginning. I'm like, oh, my gosh, here we go. If there's a. There's two things I like. It's a story with character set in college and a creepy house story. Right? Typically, they're separate. I'm like, oh, this sounds like a me book. I also love when a husband and wife have secrets. I very much appreciated that this main character had memory issues, but she had a medical reason for it. So it wasn't like, oh, she's just crazy. Like, there literally was something going on here. You've got a lot of. Not a lot of characters, but you have several avenues for her to explore. And there is. There are sections in the middle with ravens, which are. So it's such an interesting choice. It's the second book I've read this year with Birds as a character, but this one worked and you do find out why they've been included and they sort of play a role in the plot. The ending of this. This face I'm making, I'm, like, laughing out of delight. That was the ending. It is so ridiculous and so funny and so entertaining that I just can't say much more than that for fear of spoiling it. Will you like this listener? I don't know, because Sarah Pinmorrow, if you're not familiar, she is the author of the book behind her Eyes. And if you've read that, you know, that ending was literally the. The tagline for the book was, wtf that ending. This is a WTF that ending type book. And I liked it. God help me. I don't know what to tell you. It's gothic. It's sort of horror, sort of mystery, sort of ridiculous. Really fun. I did the audio. I thought it was great narration, and I'm talking myself back into it. I gave it three stars on Goodreads. I'm bumping it up to four, baby, because, oh, I love when that happens. It was good. Especially when I look back and think about, like, some of the other books I've read that are like, oh, you know, fine. No, no, this is different. It's weird, implausible. But if you go into it knowing that it's horror and you're going to get things that are very unexpected, you'll be cool with it. I think this one was a good time and I do recommend it. If you read this and you love it, tell me. If you hate it, don't know. Tell me too, because I want to know. I can probably guess why, but come. If I. If you read this on my recommendation, come and talk to me about it. This book is We Live Here now by Sarah Pinborough. And actually, it's not out yet. It doesn't come out till May 20, so you'll have to wait a little bit.

[Hannah]

But. Well, I love When a book sits with us for a little bit longer and then it ends up going up.

[Tina]

A rating, that so rarely happens.

[Hannah]

The opposite is so often true. Right. Because after a while, did that book make an impact enough to even stay with me, let alone keep its rating?

[Tina]

Yeah. But I was like, you know what? I liked this one. I. I see you, Sarah Pinborough. I approve.

[Hannah]

Okay. Now, did you read behind her Eyes?

[Tina]

Oh, of course. What a. What a.

[Hannah]

Did you like that ending? Because I had dreams and stuff.

[Tina]

I did too. I did too. Yes.

[Hannah]

I loved it. It.

[Tina]

If you like behind your eyes, you will like this. They're not the same.

[Hannah]

Hey.

[Tina]

But like, it's that sort of like. Huh. Like. Okay, good to know. Yeah, I think it was good.

[Hannah]

Okay, I'm definitely going to bump that one up. And I'm sure to read her other books. I haven't read any of her other books.

[Tina]

I've read a couple of her.

[Hannah]

Okay.

[Tina]

Yeah. So I can't remember.

[Hannah]

They all have that bananas ending.

[Tina]

No, they don't.

[Hannah]

Oh, okay.

[Tina]

Okay. So I've also read Cross Her Heart, which I quite liked. I read Dead to Her, which I hated. Did. And so I'm like. I'm like, okay. She's got a pretty good track record with me.

[Hannah]

That's kind of fun. You're like, I don't know what I'm gonna. How I'm gonna feel.

[Tina]

Oh, and I read Insomnia. I think maybe that's another one I'm interested in. Real. Really stuck with me since I can't remember if I read it or not, but.

[Hannah]

Well, that was a fun author tangent. Definitely an author I want to read more from. And this next book that I am bringing is a another author that I am going to continue to be reading because I love this. This one. And that is Happyland by Dolan Perkins Valdez and Tina. You brought this as a book on the radar for April. That was episode 94, which I will link in our show notes. But I asked you, and you very kindly allowed me to take this one off your plate.

[Tina]

Yes, and I'm glad you did. I'm glad you loved it, and I'm.

[Hannah]

So happy that I did, because I loved it. It. This story is about Nikki, who hasn't seen her grandmother in years. So when she calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her in the hills of western North Carolina, Nikki hesitates only for a moment. After years of silence with her family due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and her grandmother, she is Determined to learn the truth about her family when she gets to North Carolina. Instead of answers about the past, Mother Rita ends up telling Nikki a really incredible story of a kingdom on the very mountain that they are on and of her great great grandmother Luella, who had become its queen. This book is told in dual perspectives. As Mother Rita tells her story. We are actually getting to read from Luella's perspective so we are fully immersed in this family's history and how we got to the present timeline. Luella's chapters end up sounding like the makings of a fairy tale royalty among a community of freed people. But the more Nikki learns about the kingdom of the Happy Land and the lives of those who dwelled in the ruins she discovers in the woods, the more she realizes how much of her identity and her family's secrets are wrapped up in the history of these hills. Because this land is their legacy and it will be up to her to protect it. This book was inspired by true events and I loved the author's note talking about how she came to write this book. We're both talking about author's notes in this episode and sometimes the author note just really makes a book and this is definitely an author's note you don't want to miss. This story is a multi generational book at its best, fully fleshed out with beautiful characters that have fully developed history and character arcs. Arcs. This one was also totally different from her first book, Take My Hand, but I enjoyed both of them equally. This was a really emotional book that had me feeling feelings and digging deep to try and understand the characters, actions and motives. Nikki, Rita and Luella were all very flawed and real people whose choices I didn't always understand, but I liked that we really got to see them navigate life's complexities, nuances, challenges and tragedies. This is definitely an author that I'm going to return to, like I said, because so far both of her books have been five star reads for me. I would definitely recommend picking this book up this summer if you love reading multi generational family stories with unique historical perspectives. I also just realized that all of the books that I brought today were historical fiction, which makes me so happy because I had made that a goal for the latter part of this year to read more historical fiction and look at me actually following through a goal of mine.

[Tina]

Love it.

[Hannah]

So I'm really happy about that. And that is Happyland by Dolan Perkins Valdez.

[Tina]

I'm so glad you brought that. I'm glad you loved it. I've never read this author Renee brought. Take my hand, I think, to the show.

[Hannah]

Okay.

[Tina]

So I think you would like it. I just. I know I would. So, anyway, on my long list of many books. Books that I need to get to at some point in my life.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I think that you would really like it. I think you would like this one, too.

[Tina]

Yeah. All right. Well, I'm glad to hear. It certainly has a beautiful cover.

[Hannah]

It sure does.

[Tina]

Oh, my gosh.

[Hannah]

What is your.

[Tina]

Speaking of beautiful covers, let me tell you about my shelf edition. This stopped me in my tracks. My shelf edition is Disco Witches of Fire island by Blair Fell. Is it yours, too?

[Hannah]

I love that title. No, no, it's not. I just love that title so much.

[Tina]

This is why I grabbed it. One, the COVID But two, I'm just gonna say one sentence and you're probably gonna know if this is a book for you or not. In the late 1980s, a coven of queer witches on New York's Fire island strives to protect a young man facing a devastating tragedy. Super. Got it. I want. So they said this is for fans of the House in the Cerulean Sea, Red, White and Royal Blue. Which I was like. I wasn't getting that from the first sentence. However interesting. It is 1989, and Joe and his best friend Ronnie set out to spend their first summer working in the hedonistic gay paradise of Fire Island Pines. Joe is desperate to let loose and finally move beyond the heartbreak of having lost his boyfriend to the HIV AIDS epidemic. And the two friends are quickly taken in by a pair of quirky older house cleaners. But something seems off, and Joe starts to suspect that the two older men are up to something otherworldly. Don't know how he got to that conclusion, but I'll buy it. And in truth, these two men are members of a secret disco witch coven tasked with protecting the island and young men like Joe from the relentless tragedies ravaging their community. And the only problem is, having lost too many of their fellow witches to the epidemic, the coven's protective powers have been seriously damaged. Unaware of all the mystical shenanigans going on, Joe starts to fall for the super cute bisexual ferryman, who just happens to have webbed feet and an unusual ability to hold his breath underwater. But Joe's longing to find love is tripped up by his own troublesome past. Da, da, da, da, da. Listen, there's weird stuff going on on this island, and the disco witches need help. And so can Joe and his friend Rani save the island? Unclear, but it's Also giving me the very secret society of irregular witches vibes. So I don't know if I'm correct on that, but that's what I'm feeling in my bones. But this book is called Disco Witches of Fire island by Blair Fell.

[Hannah]

Wow. The synopsis, the title, the COVID sounds amazing.

[Tina]

Amazing.

[Hannah]

When does this one come out? Is it out already?

[Tina]

This one comes out on May 6th, so it just came out.

[Hannah]

Okay. Awesome. May 6th was a huge update.

[Tina]

It really was.

[Hannah]

Okay, I am bringing a book that is a little bit further out. This one is the Red Knot by Monique Asher and this one comes out in August. August 26th. But I am excited about it. The Red Knot blends occult mystery with small town horror on an isolated Alaskan island. So okay, I don't really need to know much more. Three girls are missing and a therapist has been murdered with communication cut off by a storm. We are following Detective Audra as she is forced to lead a personal investigation and her main suspect is Valerie, the blood covered daughter of a cult leader. With no memory of the crime that has happened, Audra unearths the island's dark history and Valerie confronts buried trauma and it becomes clear that the horrors of the past are far from over and evil may be closer than anyone imagined. And that sounds so good to me. I don't usually love a detective novel. That's not always my thing. But this one seems like it's blending enough horror. We've got small town, we've got an Alaskan setting, we've got an occult situation. So I think I can handle a detective moment for the rest of the other things that we have going on here. I am really excited about this horror novel. It comes out in August and that is the Red Knot by Monique Asher.

[Tina]

Well, that sounds good to me, but that's 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 and if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following us 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'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.

[Hannah]

If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktok etc on Instagram and YouTube. You can find Tina at TBR etc and Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. I'm fighting my notes.

[Tina]

Sorry.