Easily Distracted by New Releases (July 2025) + Chatting About Our Library Habits

Summary

Podcast Summary: Book Talk, Etc. – "Easily Distracted by New Releases (July 2025) + Chatting About Our Library Habits"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Book Talk, Etc.
• Hosts: Tina (@tbretc) and Hannah (@hanpickedbooks)
• Description: A book recommendation podcast that's bound to grow your TBR!
• Episode Title: Easily Distracted by New Releases (July 2025) + Chatting About Our Library Habits
• Release Date: July 15, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Book Talk, Etc., hosts Tina and Hannah dive into the whirlwind world of new book releases while also sharing their personal library habits. The conversation seamlessly blends book recommendations with practical tips on utilizing library resources, making it a delightful listen for avid readers and library enthusiasts alike.

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Community Engagement and Library Involvement

[00:53] Tina and Hannah kick off the episode by highlighting their recent activities with their Patreon community. Tina shares a memorable experience from a "reading et cetera" creativity sprint designed to boost patron engagement:

"We sort of did it in like a pomodoro style when we would work for 20 minutes and then we would chat a little bit. I had so much fun with that." – Tina [02:27]

Hannah echoes the success of this initiative, emphasizing the community's positive response:

"It was such a good opportunity to connect as readers, but also as people outside of our reading lives too." – Hannah [02:27]

They discuss upcoming plans to continue fostering this interactive environment, enhancing both their content and community bonds.

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Exploring New Book Releases

1. "You Killed Me First" by John Marrs

[12:46] Tina reviews this gripping domestic suspense novel, noting its rapid pace and intense storytelling:

"The chapters were very short, flying through them... it's a really, really solid mystery and thriller." – Tina [02:27]

She appreciates the book's ability to maintain suspense despite minor narrative hiccups, making it an entertaining yet flawed read.

Hannah adds her thoughts, describing it as a quintessential John Marrs novel that balances dark themes with pulpy enjoyment:

"His books really are just like that. Perfect blend of dark and gritty, but also kind of pulpy and fun." – Hannah [14:29]

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2. "Lovely War" by Julie Berry

[15:09] Hannah introduces this young adult historical fiction, praising its unique retelling set against World War I:

"The story that is created here is so distinctive and unique. I loved using this retelling format to tell the story." – Hannah [15:40]

She highlights the book’s balance of hope and hardship, as well as its respectful depiction of black American history during the war, making it a heartfelt and educational read.

Tina concurs, recalling her own experience with similar reread challenges and the joy of revisiting beloved stories:

"I feel like I am seeing show up a lot in the very current market... something like a train or a car or a chase across America." – Tina [59:11]

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3. "My Friends" by Fredrik Backman

[19:41] Hannah shares her enthusiasm for Backman's latest work, emphasizing its exploration of friendship and interconnected lives:

"It's about friendship and connection through conversation, storytelling, listening and asking curious questions." – Hannah [22:33]

She praises the novel's ability to weave past and present narratives, showcasing the profound impact of teenage friendships on a stranger’s life.

Tina adds her excitement, noting plans to read and discuss the book further:

"I'm so glad it worked for you. I will still be reading that myself." – Tina [44:28]

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4. "When the Wolf Comes Home" by Nat Cassidy

[25:18] Tina introduces this surreal thriller, detailing its complex narrative and unique storytelling techniques:

"It's very weird... but you get a very satisfying explanation." – Tina [26:26]

She commends the author’s ability to surprise readers and explores themes of identity and survival, making it a standout addition to her top ten books of the year.

Hannah echoes Tina’s sentiments, appreciating Cassidy’s distinctive voice and the book’s immersive quality:

"It feels like old school horror, but it's not like Stephen King." – Hannah [50:21]

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5. "So Far Gone" by Jess Walter

[52:00] Hannah discusses this high-stakes adventure novel, praising its blend of humor, emotion, and socio-political commentary:

"It really showed the flaws in all types of extremist thinking... it made the reader think about their own biases." – Hannah [54:32]

The book’s road trip narrative across a fragmented America provides both thrill and introspection, making it a perfect summer read.

Tina adds her support, noting the book's creative premise and the effective portrayal of contemporary issues:

"I think that was one of those where it's like in the synopsis... it sounds like they did it really well." – Tina [54:45]

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Supporting Libraries: Tips and Resources

[20:22] The hosts emphasize the importance of supporting libraries, introducing valuable resources such as Kelly Jensen's initiative through Book Riot and Carmen from Tomes and Textiles' funding guidance:

"If you're a library lover, it's really quick. I was doing it right before we started recording and just sort of sending my emails." – Tina [22:33]

They encourage listeners to take actionable steps to aid library funding, highlighting the critical role libraries play beyond just lending books.

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Personal Library Habits

[23:00] Hannah shares her family’s involvement in the Beanstalk summer reading program:

"My oldest, who is 7, is really excited about the reading program this year. Last year she took part in it, but this is the first year that she is able to read the challenges herself." – Hannah [23:00]

Tina discusses her extensive use of the Libby app for managing multiple book copies and staying immersed in her reading:

"I am always putting holds on both [audiobooks and E copies]... It’s not all about getting through books quickly." – Tina [25:18]

Hannah complements Tina’s methods by detailing her selective audiobook holds and the joy of "bookshopping" through the library’s digital offerings:

"It's a fun way for me personally to see what is coming out and a fun way to bookshop without buying." – Hannah [26:26]

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Shelf Additions: Unboxing New Reads

[55:15] The hosts transition to their favorite segment of the episode—unboxing their latest shelf additions. Tina presents her new book, "Our Last Resort" by Clemence Michelin:

"It alternates between past and present and uncovers the fate of the murdered guest... how well do we ever really know those we love?" – Tina [56:00]

Hannah introduces "Runner 13" by Amy McCullough, a high-stakes thriller set in the Sahara desert:

"This is a high-stakes thriller... it sounds just like the perfect summer thriller." – Hannah [57:56]

Both hosts express their excitement about these upcoming reads, setting the stage for future in-depth discussions.

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Conclusion

Tina and Hannah wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to visit their show notes for all book links and to support the podcast by following and reviewing on Apple Podcasts. They invite listeners to join their Patreon community for exclusive content and remind everyone of the enriching experience books bring to our lives:

"Remember, everything's better with books." – Hannah [60:34]

Final Quote:

"Everything's better with books." – Hannah [60:34]

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Notable Quotes

• Tina [02:27]: "I annotated 100 pages of the book I was reading and now I sort of have kept that going."
• Hannah [14:29]: "His books really are just like that. Perfect blend of dark and gritty, but also kind of pulpy and fun."
• Hannah [22:33]: "So libraries are the best, you guys."
• Hannah [50:21]: "It feels like old school horror, but it's not like Stephen King."

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Key Takeaways

• New Releases: Both hosts provided thoughtful reviews of recent book releases across various genres, offering listeners a diverse range of recommendations.
• Library Support: Emphasized the vital role libraries play in communities and shared actionable resources to aid in their support.
• Personal Habits: Shared personal strategies for maximizing library use and maintaining an active reading life.
• Community Engagement: Highlighted the success of their Patreon initiatives in fostering a connected and interactive reader community.
• Upcoming Reads: Teased exciting new books in their personal collections, promising future in-depth discussions.

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Visit Book Talk, Etc. to catch the full episode and explore more bookish conversations!

Transcript

[Tina]

Damn it.

[Hannah]

Okay, I think we got it. I think I'm at a decent. I'm a little zoomed. But you know what we're gonna do?

[Tina]

We're gonna dill, we're gonna dull. It's not a big deal.

[Hannah]

It's not a big deal.

[Tina]

It's not at all. I'm excited.

[Hannah]

I love my.

[Tina]

My shelf edition is right here. I don't know what it is. I'm just gonna open it on camera.

[Hannah]

You're gonna open it on camera?

[Tina]

Live unboxing, baby. I can'. 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 today we are sharing our thoughts on some new releases.

[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 Truly helps us connect with other book lovers.

[Tina]

Hey, Hannah.

[Hannah]

Hey, Tina. How are you?

[Tina]

I'm good, I'm good. How are you?

[Hannah]

I'm feeling good. I had a weird week of reading, but that I think has remedied itself and I'm back on track. So. Feeling good about that. My PTO ran into this week, so I only have to work two days this week.

[Tina]

That's exciting.

[Hannah]

Feeling great. But yeah. Yeah. How are. How was your week so far?

[Tina]

So far so good. I love. Yesterday we did a new bonus for our patrons that was so fun. We did what we called reading, et cetera, and it was sort of like a creativity sprint where we invited people to come on with us and read, annotate their books, knit journal, whatever they wanted to do. We sort of did it in like a pomodoro style when we would work for 20 minutes and then we would chat a little bit. I had so much fun with that. I can't even tell you how satisfying I found that. I annotated 100 pages of the book I was reading and now I sort of have kept that going. Today I read more after we ended and I am three quarters of the way done with that book and I feel like I'm really into it. I'm reading a book that I'm not talking about today, but I think having that set aside, that time set aside is really, really smart and very good for my reading life.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I agree. I am bringing one of the books that I worked on yesterday, I did some annotating and I will be talking more about that a little bit when I bring the book later. But it was such a good turnout. I loved hearing about what other people were working on. And it was just such a good opportunity to connect as readers, but also as people outside of our reading lives too. A little bit like people who annotate or journal or we had some people join us from the gym or they had some work that they needed to do. And so, you know, they spent this time with us catching up on work things. It was just a really nice way to connect with everybody. So I love that that's a new addition to our Patreon community.

[Tina]

Yes, we'll have to do it again at some point. But I am going to bring for my loving lately something that a kind person that follows me on Instagram suggested. And it was in response to the video I made recently. I think it was last week where NPR came out with this video about whether or not it's ethical to use AI to create a book list. And they use my photo in it. And so a bunch of people sent it to me were like, hey, did you see this? And I was like, no, but I'm going to make a response video. And I had my little response. And then in the comments it was like buried and hidden by Instagram. They said, you should we're talking about book lists. It said, you should check out Novelist plus. I said, excuse me, I don't know what this is. And so of course I looked it up and that is my loving lately it's Novelist plus plus. Except there's only one L, so it's N O V E, capital L I S, T. And we'll link to this in our show notes. But what this is, it is run through your library and specifically it's run through ebsco. And so you click on this thing and basically you log in and it it says novelist plus Reading suggestions. And you'll click on that. And basically you log in through your library. So you type in your city name and then you'll have to log in using your library credential. But what is so cool is that once you get in there, it's all book lists. And not only is it book lists, it's going to give you the a brief synopsis. It'll give you tags. And the book lists are super unique. I saw one you would like. It says books recommendations for books like Stranger Things, which I think is great. They had diverse literary fiction Buzzy books and more. And what I love about these lists, there's many things I like, but one, it's including books that I'm not seeing everywhere. So it's a really good mix of brand new books as well as books. I'm like, I have never in my life heard of this before. And so it seems like a good balance of under the radar and buzzy. And like I said, I like the tags because then you know what you're getting into. And it says that this is, I don't exactly know how this is created, but it says the novelist recommendations are created by experts. And we let you know why the recommendation makes sense, why we offer recommendations for titles, authors and series as well as audiobooks. And that's what I'm getting. That's what I see with it. The mission is that they believe that everybody has their own criteria for what makes a book great. And that's why they think it's important to get recommendations that consider a reader's unique interests, moods and preferences. And it does just that. It's powered by real people who love books. And so I love this resource. I was having a lot of fun books playing with it. I could see you and me easily using something like this for content like, oh, we should do an episode on diverse fantasy and like you'll go in there and it lists a ton of them. And it's not just like list. You can click on it and get more information, see when it was published, see how many pages. And I had a lot of fun playing with this. So I highly recommend you all check it out. And that is Novelist plus.

[Hannah]

I was looking it up as you were talking about it and the first thing that pops up as a little prompt when you open the Browser is top 22 books to recommend this summer, probably curated by real people. So, you know, already a big hit. I'm already so excited about this. I remember you had, I think you'd mentioned this in passing to me and I was like, oh, I need to check that out. But then I didn't have my library card and credentials with me, so I'm going to make that a priority and look at some of these lists because it sounds like they've, like you said, even have some very curated ones. And I'm excited to check that out. My loving lately is a highlighter, but a very specific one. We're getting, we're getting a little granular here. It's the Mr. Pen, but it's the dual fine and chisel tip highlighter. So for Those that are watching, I'm. I'm holding them. It's specifically these highlighters that are this shape. Mr. Pen has a ton of highlighters, and some of them are kind of more this square, rectangular shape that you see on Instagram, Booktok, etc a lot. But I like these more rounded dual tip highlighters because they still have that really soft pigment, but these go on so buttery, like it literally feels like butter when you are highlighting. They also have broad coverage and then they also have a tip that's fine line. So you can even write with them or do edging with them a little bit, which I really like. And the colors are just really cute and perfect for annotating. It is quick dry and it doesn't smear, which is really important to me. These are perfect for thin pages. So if you're someone who reads a Bible or any other religious text or scripture. Sure. In your daily routine or weekly routine, those pages are really, really thin. These are some of the only highlighters that I found that do not bleed through on those really, really thin pages like that. But yeah, it's. It's these really specific dual tip. This shape, the oval rounded shape from Mr. Pen. They're so buttery. They're so smooth. They're perfect for annotating. So if you're a bookish annotator, you've got to get these. And they are so cheap. 599. 599 for a pack. And if you get like all three color schemes that they have, you're looking at, you know, 17 bucks for a ton of new highlighters in any color you could ever want. I love these. That's the Mr. Pen dual fine and chisel tip highlighters.

[Tina]

It's so funny you were saying this because the one I was using yesterday, it is just your standard one like this. And I don't like it because it's. I'm showing Hannah. It's a chisel tip and I. I like it.

[Hannah]

Yes, right.

[Tina]

Because it makes sense for when you're doing this, but heaven forbid you hold it wrong and all of a sudden your line is jacked up. It's not. You know what I mean? You have to be holding it exactly at this angle, and then if you like. I feel like they run out of ink too. Anyway, I'm not the biggest fan of these ones, but now I'm like, well, shoot. The highlighter I was using yesterday, I got for free at some sort of conference. So, I mean, you know, that's pretty great too. But I Just have that one blue.

[Hannah]

My fair share of those. Two of the just one off highlighters. I've got a couple of those here that I use, you know, for work and stuff. So any highlighter will do. But every once in a while, it's nice to have your tried and true, you know, religious evangelistic highlighter that you've got to get everybody on. And that's this for me.

[Tina]

You don't have the dual tip ones, do you? You've got the specific oval ones.

[Hannah]

The oval ones also. I meant that I'm an evangelist for these pens, not. I'm not out here, you know, I just want to make that very clear.

[Tina]

Gotcha. No, I'm glad you said that. All right.

[Hannah]

I'm a religious evangelist for the pen specifically.

[Tina]

I will wait for you to. I'll look in the show notes, you know, so I can check those out for myself. And a book that I did not annotate because it's a library book, is my latest read. And this is yous Killed Me first by John Marrs. This book I read so quickly, I barely even registered that I was reading it. I had a day. I think I was doing a lot. I remember crafting at one point, and I just, like, sped right through it. And the reason I grabbed it is because it was on Kindle Unlimited as a audiobook and an ebook. And I do like their whisper sync. I hate to admit it, but it is pretty cool. So I was like, let me go ahead and pick this up before I cancel my KU again. This is about three women who each have a secret. And the beginning of this is crazy intense. It's set in the beginning in November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. She has been bound and gagged and lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. And as the smoke thickens, panic sets in and she's moments away from being engulfed. And how did it come to this? Then the book rewinds 11 months, and you meet the three women that this book centers on. You have Margo, who is a faded TV star. Her friend Anna, who also like their neighbors, they live on the street together. And then a new woman named Liv moves in. And the three women soon fabricate the perfect pretense of friendship. But each harbors her own deadly secret. And the newcomer is kind of like not putting up with the established guard. And she starts to poke holes in what seems like this perfect facade. What I like about this is that the chapters were that traditional John Marrs in that they were very short, flying through them he does do alternating point of view. And I think you get one from everybody. And I have to say, for a while, they were interchangeable. I was like, which one's the rich one? Which one who? I kind of conflated two of their storylines, which isn't a bad thing. I just didn't think they were like that distinct to begin with. And then you're also getting these weird chapters that I couldn't make heads or tail of. And it would say, for example, nevaeh, the first. And I'm like, the first what? And you figure it out. Eventually you come to understand what the first means and how it ties into these women. I have to say, those were the parts I did not like. It was almost like they were unnecessary. And they took me out of the initial mystery of the three women and what's going on, and there's like, secrets and lies and, you know, it's all going to come to a head. And then I'm like, why am I getting this small section with these people? And you do, again, as I mentioned, figure out who they are that's talking. And I didn't like it. I didn't like it. I didn't like that angle. I think it was cheap and kind of. I was kind of dumb, honestly, I have to say. I'm sorry to say that, but I just think it was such a solid story and it didn't need that. It did not need that. And, you know, he loves a long story. This one's probably 375 pages. And I just feel like if you had left out that angle, you could have done this in a more grounded way, that it would have been a really, really solid mystery and thriller. But I just didn't like the angle that he took. With this, it won't be for everybody. I was still entertained. I do plan on being a John Mars completionist at some point, because I like his stories and, you know, you kind of get sucked into them. They're pretty dark. I also. Maybe this is a UK thing, but I can't figure out. What do you mean she's stuck in the middle of a bonfire? What do you mean? I couldn't figure that out. Like, in the.

[Hannah]

Literally stuck in the middle, in the.

[Tina]

Sticks, under the sticks, under the. Like, what do you mean? So I'll leave it there. I was just like, I don't see it. You know, I don't. Can't see things visually, but I couldn't figure out what they meant by that. Overall, I still liked it. I had a good time with it. I think the opening was really solid. And you do figure out who it is, what's going on. They all have their secrets. And I think if you like domestic suspense novels that read really quickly that you don't have to, like, process too heavily, this could work for you. This one is you Killed me First by John Marrs.

[Hannah]

His books really are just like that. Perfect blend of dark and gritty, but also kind of pulpy and fun and. What did you call it the other day? A ripper.

[Tina]

A ripper. I stole that from Carter Wilson. I don't know if he coined it, but yeah, in one of his books, he called a book a ripper. And I love it.

[Hannah]

Love that, too. Those short chapters help with that?

[Tina]

Yeah, for sure.

[Hannah]

Okay. My latest read is the product of last week. I was like, hey, I'm going through a hard time. What do you guys read when you're sad? And another book that I'm going to bring is one that you were like, you need to read this. This one. My latest read comes from a recommendation to reread an old favorite, which, you know, as I know for you especially, you've been doing the podcast longer than I have. But I was thinking about it and I was like, no, wait, I can do that. Because there are lots of books that I read like a long time ago that I've been wanting to reread that I still haven't brought, so I could still bring them. And I have been feeling historical fiction. So I decided to reread Lovely War by Julie Berry. Have you heard of this one?

[Tina]

I don't think so.

[Hannah]

Okay, so this came out, I want to say, 2019 or 2020, and it is exactly the kind of book I would have devoured as a teenager and I would have pictured myself as the heroine. It has a love story. It's just such a good book. It's young adult historical fiction. And in this one, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells a story to her husband Hephaestus and her lover Ares. And trying to answer the age old question, why are love and war forever drawn to one another, she weaves together two stunning romances that are each set when World War I was at its zenith. At its peak. We're following Hazel and James in another timeline who first meet at a London party. And Hazel is a pianist and James is a soldier with a dream of becoming the world's most talented architect. Aubrey Edwards is another soldier, a pianist and a composer headed toward the trenches. And love is the last thing on his mind. Until he meets Colette, a Belgian artist who has survived the most unspeakable tragedies. So we're following a multitude of points of view here and timelines, and then they all blend together in one story. The story that is created here is so distinctive and unique. I loved using this retelling format to tell the story. We get a lot of stories about World War II, not as many about World War I, but we do still get a lot of stories that recap, you know, these wars or points in American history or world history. And this felt like a unique way to talk about these stories. And it was just so atmospheric and transportive. It's also an epic love story. I love love stories, and I loved that we got to follow two of them here. Hard topics are definitely discussed, and the author put a lot of thought and research to ensure accuracy. From what I know when discussing the history of black Americans and their involvement in World War I, this didn't feel like she was centralizing the black experience as a white, but she was acknowledging this part of history in a way that felt like the perfect balance of not appropriating understanding, but still keeping that experience a part of the story and not leaving it out just because they couldn't speak to it personally. And I felt like it had that really great balance there. This particular point of view was based on a black regiment that existed in World War I history. And there was a real team of musicians that played throughout wartime. Some of the names used in the narrative are unchanged from their true names. And so it was fun to be able to go back and learn about these people in our history. I thought that this was really special. The book holds hope and hardship close together in a way that makes it manageable to consume, which I think is perfect for the marketed young adult audience. It was sweet and romantic and tender. Perfect for those readers who want to foray into romance without explicit content. If this is something that, that you're sensitive to or don't want to read a spicy romance book, then this would be a great one to try. I initially read this back in 2020. It was on Ann Bogle's summer reading guide for that year and that's how it came to my attention. I also remember Sarah from Fiction Matters talked about it a lot and this held up when I reread it. It still felt timely and really, really good even reading it five years later. And so I would still recommend this one. And that is lovely. War by Julie Berry.

[Tina]

I do remember it. Yes. I'm so glad that somebody suggested rereading, like, hello? Why?

[Hannah]

I was like, hello? And I can still bring it.

[Tina]

You can still bring it. And I did a big reread of all the Hunger Games books this year, and that was so fun and perfect. And so I totally agree that that is a really good way of, like, you know, getting yourself doing a thing you love, like reading, but, like, not having to focus something on something that's too heavy.

[Hannah]

Agreed. Yep. It was perfect. Let's get into it.

[Tina]

Let's get into Book Talk. And you made a great suggestion. And you did not know that it would tie in so nicely to my loving lately, but it does.

[Hannah]

So, yes.

[Tina]

So today we are talking about our library habits, which I think is so fun. And I promise you, I could talk to everybody about their library habits. Like, I want to know how you put. I want to know what you take out. Does your library have a drive through? Like, I need to know everything. And before we get into answering those questions, I wanted to share a couple of resources because as we know, libraries are in need of support right now. And Kelly Jensen from Book Riot created this fantastic resource. It's called We Can Still Save the Institute for Museum and Library Services. And she essentially lists things that we can do right now to help Save funding for 125,000 libraries in the U.S. carmen from Tomes and Textiles also made an incredible how to video and what we can do to help with funding. And this is going to be in effect really soon on July 25th. So if you're listening to me right now, definitely go to these resources and click and do the things that they are, you know, requesting that we do in here. If you are somebody that's a library lover, it's really quick. I was doing it right before we started recording and just sort of sending my emails and contacting the people that it was suggesting that we contact so our voice can make a difference. So I just think, you know, I thank both of these creators and I'm sure many others who put together these resources to make it really, really easy for us.

[Hannah]

But yeah, perfect intro. And I'm so glad that we're taking this time to talk about the importance of libraries while also, you know, also talking about the fun ways that we personally make the library experience our own. And it's such a testament to how much we need, just as humans, to be able to have libraries. It's so much more than books and reading. It really is a whole experience that we have. And outside of me and you, Tina, and probably the vast Majority of the bookish space. Libraries are a resource for our community as a whole. And I would definitely encourage everyone listening to check out these resources and do what you can to let them know that we still really need our libraries.

[Tina]

We do. And it's one of the only places that people can go that they don't have to buy anything they can go. And there's air conditioning, there's places to sit, there's bathrooms, there's water fountains, you.

[Hannah]

Know, they can print things.

[Tina]

Reading materials, there's free printing list goes on and on and on of the things we know that we can do with libraries. But let's talk about our personal library habits. I use my library literally every day through Libby. I know you and I both use Beanstalk for the summer reading program.

[Hannah]

Yes.

[Tina]

Do you want to kick it off with a couple of your habits?

[Hannah]

Yes. I was initially thinking about this because I have been in Beanstalk every single day over the summer. It's been so fun. I am personally doing my library summer reading challenge and then my oldest, who is 7, is really excited about the reading program this year. Last year she took part in it, but this is the first year that she is able to read the challenges herself and be like, oh, this is a community challenge. We have to go into the library and ask them about this bingo card and I have to fill it out. And they have a bunch of different activities that are a part of the reading challenge that require you to go into your local library and take part. And that's been really incentivizing and motivating for my daughter. So that has been a fun, unique to summer way that we have been using our library and it's been really good for her because she is an avid reader, but she kind of has her books that she sticks to and her series that she sticks to. And there are some challenges in our library's summer reading program this year, such as read a book outside of your comfort zone in a genre you don't normally read from. So she was able to find a graphic novel that she thought was interesting and was able to read through it quickly, etc. Anyway, that has just been really fun to experience with her this year and has gotten us into our library more and that's been really fun. So I would say that's my number one.

[Tina]

My library also has an in person and virtual component, so I'm wondering if there was maybe or it could be random. But yeah, there definitely is now an a component of you have to color this thing and if you complete Eight hours of reading. You get to, like, color this entire rainbow and then you bring it in. And I think little, you know, you can enter to win prizes there. And then they also give you activity categories to go along with it. So if you complete the red, that's performance oranges, crafts, and things like that. So I agree. It's just a fun way to get kids involved and get them even more excited about reading.

[Hannah]

And it's free.

[Tina]

And it's free and you don't have to come up with it. They tell you what to do. Which I always have trouble with. Is coming up with new ways to entertain our kids now.

[Hannah]

Right.

[Tina]

Something I do in addition to, you know, summer tracking our summer reading. I'm always in Libby. Every single day, I'm in Libby. That's the app on your phone or whatever where you can put holds on books. And one of the ways. It's not all about getting through books quickly, but one of the ways I do it is I am always putting holds on both the audio and the E copy. But you have to be careful because you'll quickly max out your holds on this one. I'm lucky to have a high number of holds available. Um, but what I do is I put holds on both and then as I, you know, get through some books, I'll go back and cancel some. But I think that's a really good way for me personally to stay immersed in a reading experience. So the book I was alluding to yesterday was Notes on Infinity, which I have an arc of. And I was reading that. It is out now, though. And I was also, you know, toggling between that and my Libby app. And so, you know, just a good way to have it in person or. And. And I have an E copy because I'm actually nuts. But I can't tell you how many books this year I have read using all three copies. And I need them all for my different reasons. But yeah, that's one of my. Of course, not unique, I'm sure, but one of my strategies and. And things I love to do.

[Hannah]

Yeah, my Libby habits are similar in terms of hold placing. Although I do not typically take out the ebook copy, it's actually something I want to be better about is why I use my E reader a lot. Why don't I check out ebooks from my library? I typically hold my holds for my audiobook listening, but I do frequently look through the new books that my library has added and placeholds. This is a really fun way for me personally to see what is coming Out. And also it's a fun way for me to bookshop without buying, you know, because sometimes you just want to scratch that itch of like, I want to bookshop. And this is a fun way to do that. If you are on a book budget or if you're on a low buy or, you know, whatever your financial needs are, this is a fun way to scratch that itch. And I have found for me that it works. I really don't buy a lot of books anymore. And I think it's partially to being able to browse on Libby and my local library. It really works.

[Tina]

I am so excited I'm going to be doing this soon. I have to return a few books. And we're doing an episode coming up where I can sort of give a teaser, if you will, where we're picking books we know nothing about. And so one of the things I do love to do, of course, is to go. First of all, I have my. When I go to the library, I have my rotation. Typically I'm bringing books back, right? And you kind of have to drop them off. And then I immediately beeline to the new release section. Obviously, I have to. So I kind of go to the new release section and then I look and see they do really, really great displays. And so, you know, we. Disability awareness month or whatever theme they have going. I like to look there and see if there's anything I want to browse from there. And usually if I'm by myself, then it's amazing because I'm like, oh, my God, I'm going to go back to the adult stacks and just walk around. What a delight. What a treat. And I will say, if you are a content creator, don't be afraid to share library books on your videos or on your photos.

[Hannah]

I do.

[Tina]

Please do. People love to see it. I love to see a library haul. And I started my account many years ago. I was just basically showing library books. And I still love a good library book now and again, such as my latest read, this one is from the library and it's very overdue. I have to go return it after we're done recording here, but I'm going to go and browse the stacks and just kind of see if I can't come up with something really nice and just let the universe bring me my next great read. I'm very excited about that. And then if I have the girls with me, of course, shout out to our local youth librarian, who's a friend of mine, they run great programs. They do story time. There's coloring, there's little craft pickups. And I swear I did not not know it was all available when I was a kid. It was just books, I think, I don't know that we had all of these other. I know we had the summer reading thing, the summer reading program, but I don't remember all these other story times and whatnot. But yeah, it's, it's a great place for adults and children alike.

[Hannah]

I also am bringing later a book that I checked out from the library, which brings me to a next great point and resource and reason to use the library is I got a book and then I realized I loved it and I was like, I want to own this one now for myself.

[Tina]

Oh, I love doing that.

[Hannah]

And then purchased it after. But it's such a good, it's such a good low stakes way to be like, I'm not positive about this one. I'm going to get it from the library and read it there. And if I love it, let's see if I love it enough to spend $30 on a copy for my shelves. Right? So that's another great way to use or great reason, I guess I should say, to use the library. Another thing I wanted to mention about Libby that I have been doing that's been great is because especially last week I was feeling really fussy about reading and I was like, I need to just make it through a book in a day and for whatever it is that needs to be not a 10 hour audiobook. And so Libby has a great deep search function and you can literally look at. I was like, I want to book that's five hours or under. I want it to be a thriller and I want it to, you know, you can get pretty granular with your search options. And I have several checked out from the library that I was like, I'm just going to throw these on my, I'm going to throw these in my library bucket and get to them. And it was perfect. And oh, and you can search by available now because I was like, I don't want to wait. No, I want to see what's available right now in my library system that fits these very, very niche buckets. And it's, it's so nice and a great way to support your library in a quick way if you don't have time to, you know, go in and talk to your librarian, which is also wonderful to do.

[Tina]

Way to recommendations, but this is quick. This is quick. I was thinking about this. I love when you click on the home app and you, you can scroll through and see they give you book lists through Libby. This one I just saw. They have a book list for lively listens with multi narrator audiobooks. And there's 340 in here. And I'm like, that one is such a great idea for an episode because. Such a good idea. Love a multi narrator audiobook. But yeah, there is a ton in here and like you said, you can filter them by what's available. Now another really good thing for deep search and then we can move on because I have a feeling we can probably talk about this forever is if you want to look up a book like for example, we'll stay with John Marr's you killed me first and you don't see all available copies there, scroll down to the bottom. That's where you find deep search. And nine times out of 10, at least for me, I know we have a robust library system up here. It's going to be available. So you're going to have to use the deep search function if you don't see it the first time. Name. It's probably in there, just buried.

[Hannah]

Yes. Yeah, no, that's. The deep search feature in general is so nice. And yeah, I just had one other thing I wanted to ask you. And then we can. And then we can scoot around or scoot along rather. But I have to know when you go into the library, are you someone. Because this is wild to me that people do this. But I have to know when you go in there, if you have holds to pick up, do you just pick up your holds, like one, two books and then go. Or do you also look and maybe pick up a couple things and browse around?

[Tina]

Well, I do have a bone to pick with my library because we. And maybe I don't know about you, my holds are behind the counter and I have to talk to somebody to obtain them. Oh, and I have to say I have holds, you know, and I don't like that. I'm so sorry.

[Hannah]

Right.

[Tina]

Like I just want to go grab and go. However, we do have a drive through, which is the best thing on planet Earth because you can. I go there once a week. I'm like, hey, I've got holds. You give me your number. It's incredible. And I say it's incredible because I had the girls with me and I know I can't go in the library because I'm not cruel. And I'm not going to be like, no, we don't have time to browse, even though if that's the case, so we do the drive through. To answer your question, no. I can't imagine a world in which I just get my holds and go. I can't imagine. What if there's something awesome on the shelf that I'm. That I must have and what if.

[Hannah]

I'm just a reader, Right. And want to look around?

[Tina]

Gotta browse.

[Hannah]

I know. I. So I heard someone at one point, it wasn't even recently. I just. I heard someone at one point talk about like going into the library and she was like, yeah, I went in and I had my book that I had on hold. I grabbed it and then I went to go get coffee and I was like, wait, I. Whoa, what do you mean you just got your book checked out and went to go get coffee and that to this day, I mean, it was a long time ago that I saw this and I still think about it all the time. What are you doing?

[Tina]

Maybe she did browse but just didn't mention it. It didn't make it to the top mention it.

[Hannah]

But yeah, you'll have to tell us if you are, you know, an animal.

[Tina]

And you just go in and browse.

[Hannah]

And leave, let us know.

[Tina]

It's funny, we're talking libraries. I was looking down and this is actually from my local library. Somebody that works there, I believe. Yeah, they design these and then they're just free for the taken. Yep.

[Hannah]

Like those are pretty, very pretty.

[Tina]

And they always have different little, you know, whatevers. Designs.

[Hannah]

Different little. Whatever.

[Tina]

Different little whatevers. Hannah, my words are failing. I always say once it comes up on about 3 o', clock, that's when my brain turns to mush and we're semi approaching that.

[Hannah]

We're approaching that.

[Tina]

Bear with me.

[Hannah]

Yeah, one last reminder. I brought book page as my loving lately a week or two ago. And every time you go into your library, if it's the beginning of the month, pick up that book page, use it to, you know, look up new releases. You can use it for junk journaling or book journaling, if that is something that you do. It's another great resource that every library I've been to offers for free. It's like a physical magazine copy that just talks about all the books coming out that month. So libraries are the best, you guys.

[Tina]

They are the best. And I can't wait to visit. So let's finish this recording so I can head over there.

[Hannah]

Let's do it.

[Tina]

All right. So my first book that I'm bringing for today and again we're doing new releases is these heathens by Mia McKenzie. This one was on my Summer Bonanza list and I. So I'm not going to stay here too long with the synopsis. But basically it's about this woman who finds herself pregnant. She's 17 years old and she no longer wants to be pregnant. So she asks her favorite teacher to help her out and she does. Mrs. Lucas is the teacher and she calls upon her brash, wealthy childhood best friend Sylvia for help and the teacher and Dora. Doris is the young girl, live in a rural town in Georgia, but for the weekend to take care of things, they head up to Atlanta because her friend Sylvia has a doctor that is going to agree to help her out. Doris is this very pious girl who grew up pretty sheltered and her role in life has been laid out for her. She is to take care of the family. In fact, she drops out of school in the beginning of this book even though she's a great student because her family didn't see any reason for her to be there. And they felt that when I think her mom fell sick and so she's sorry, you have to stay home and take care of me. Even though she has siblings that, you know, could also help. But when they go to this person's house for the weekend, Doris's eyes are open. She's never seen two women dance together. She meets civil rights leaders like Coretta Scott King and Diane Nash. She starts flirting with boys. And the thing I love about this novel. Well, there's many things I loved about this novel, but one of them is that Doris is so funny. This the voice for this is what got this on my Summer Bonanza list. It is so funny. She basically opens a book saying, lord, forgive me for the sins I've committed and for the ones I plan on committing later today. And she just throughout this story is just really, really funny. I would say if you like historical fiction, that. But you don't want like a tomb that. That you don't want a tome that's like 600 plus pages. This one is tiny. It's maybe, yeah, 250 pages. I got through this one really quickly and I love that I got this slice of life without committing to this enormous book. The brilliance of this is you're really following the story from the point of view of Doris and her teacher. But really it's Doris's story. And then you also realize that her teacher has this whole previous life that she had before she came to this small town. But you know how it is with young people. They are selfish and they're the center of the story. And the author did a really good job of giving us just enough of the teacher's story and her relationship with her friend and like what went on there without getting bogged down in the details. I love that the author incorporated some real people and it just gives you this slice of life. It gives you a slice of what it might have been like to be a young black woman during the civil rights movement in a small town or in a city and how her eyes were opened. Talks a lot too, of course, about health care and women's ambitions and is it okay for women to have ambition? Specifically, is it okay for a black woman to have ambition? And basically the transformative power of leaving your bubble. All of this takes place over the course of one weekend, so I quite like that as well. And the entire story is told in retrospect. So the beginning of it, you, you know that she like lives, you know, that she's okay and she's talking about, she's sharing the story. I think she's in her 80s, you know, in the beginning of this. So, you know, everything presumably turns out all right enough for her to get to the age of 80. Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book. I think it's very clever. I did the audio and I loved it and highly recommend it. This book is these heathens by Mia McKenzie.

[Hannah]

I've been excited to hear you talk about that one. I'm glad that it worked so well for you.

[Tina]

I've been waiting to share that. I shared it lo mostly at Mood Reader Happy Hour, but like didn't get into the detail. Nitty gritty. So now I'm like, okay, got it.

[Hannah]

Got it out into the universe. Everybody can hear you talk about it now. My next one I also loved. I just finished it last night slash this morning. It's My Friends by Fredrik Backman. I just love Fredrik Backman. This is what I was annotating. I still haven't finished annotating it as you can see. I've dog eared like the remaining pages from my listening and finishing it. But I, I annotated it last night while we were doing our little creativity sprints with our patrons, which was just so fun. So another nod to that. But thank you Tina for literally texting me after I posted a what the heck do I read right now? And being like, hey, how about that Fredrik Backman? You should start my friends. And I'm so glad that you did that because I picked it up immediately and it was exactly the kind of comfort that I specifically reach for. It offers Hope, sadness and levity all in one beautiful book about friendship. And I can't wait to tell you more about it. This is a funny, heartfelt story about four teens whose bond is so strong that it ends up changing a stranger's life forever. This stranger is Louisa, and she is a young artist who becomes obsessed with a famous painting, specifically the three figures that are sitting at the edge of the pier in the painting. Most people overlook these three figures in this picture, but she senses that there is a story behind them and she's very drawn to it and she is seeking to find the meaning. In that flashback 25 years, we follow a different group of teens, each dealing with really tough home lives. They spend one unforgettable summer on that pier, laughing, dreaming and leaning on each other. And from that time together comes this powerful painting that ends up in Louisa's hands. Now in the present timeline, we're following Louisa on this cross country journey to uncover the painting's origins. And she begins to realize the big impact of friendship and art and all of the unexpected ways that people's lives can intertwine. And that right there is really what this whole book is about, is it might just be my favorite Frederick Bachman, but I do still need to reread Beartown because it's been a long time since I have read it. I may go ahead and try to be a Bachmann completionist and start that journey. And start that journey because I just love him so much. I love specifically with this one, how he was able to tell the story through such a narrow lens of time. We're really told everything we need to know throughout this conversation that is being had. While these two characters are taking a train transporting from one location to another. These two characters ask each other questions and they answer them. And we really find out everything we need to know being observers of this story within these conversations, within these conversations that they're having. I love that this explored friendship and connection through conversation, storytelling, listening and asking curious questions and sometimes saying wildly inappropriate things. But being able to be seen in those moments through a lens of curiosity and generosity. I love that the concept of Sonder was explored in this book. That's one of my favorite micro niche tropes where we find that whole lives have been changed and interconnected by the actions of individual people across timelines, friend groups, and basically whole universes. And we as readers get to explore those connections that are made. This is certainly going to be one of the buzziest books of the summer, and I think for good reason. It is also a good example of an upmarket book which one of our patrons, Rebecca, talked about recently, because Tina and I were kind of of trying to figure out what is that distinction where it's not quite commercial, it's a little bit deeper than commercial fiction, but it's not quite literary fiction. While I think this leans more on literary, I think this is a perfect example of one of those upmarket books. So I'm thankful for other nerdy book people out there who help us find all the terms for these really specific bookish experiences. So thank you, Rebecca, for telling us about that term. Anyway, I rambled long enough. This book was a real one. Please read it. That was My Friends by Frederik Backman.

[Tina]

Oh, I'm so glad it worked for you. I will still. I will be reading that myself.

[Hannah]

You have to, you must before the.

[Tina]

End of the year. Now, did you cry?

[Hannah]

No, I didn't. I was crying about. I was crying about too many other things.

[Tina]

Right. You're like, no, this was a breath of fresh. Are you?

[Hannah]

No, this was a breath of fresh air. I will say, though, I would not be surprised if someone told me they cried. I definitely got misty eyed. I would say through several moments or like felt kind of physically moved by certain moments that happened in the book. I didn't. I've definitely like cried while reading before and that didn't happen with this one. But if someone told me that they had that experience while reading it, I would not be surprised at all.

[Tina]

You would be like, that's valid.

[Hannah]

There are some moments for sure.

[Tina]

Yeah. Alrighty. Well, I am going to transition to a very different story that you may have heard me talk about. But I think this book deserves its own spot on the pod. It is when the Wolf Comes Home. I think so too, by Nat Cassidy. And speaking of authors, we want to be completionists for Nat Cassidy is high on my list. I only have one left, Mary, which I will come back to at some point. Now, sit with me, folks, sit with me and let me tell you about this book because the synopsis doesn't do it justice. Justice. It says, one night Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five year old runaway hiding in the bushes outside of her apartment after a bloody, violent encounter with the boy's father. She and the boy find themselves running for them from their lives as they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father. Horrifying incidents of butchery follow them and at first Jess thinks she understands what they're up against. But she's about to learn. These are more surreal and grizzly than she could have ever imagined. Legend. I could have easily brought this book for Weird Books, because this book is very weird. Stick with me, though. And I'm talking to myself in the past when I tell you I was reading this on our road trip on our way to Long island, and I'm like, what is happening? What is actually happening? Because you think you're getting this book where Jess finds this abused boy and runs away and the boy's father follows them. Sure. You're sort of getting this, that this is infinitely weirder to begin with. And at first I'm like, am I reading the right book? Because I love Nat Cassidy and I'm not understanding what I'm getting here. And I remember a bunch of folks in my. I think I posted something about it, and a bunch of folks in my Instagram were like, no, no, stick with it. I know you're going to love it. I'm like, okay. And I trusted them, and I felt like I was going to get there, but I'm like, maybe I just have to accept it. Just know the weirdness. Two things. One, the weirdness dies down. And two, you get a very satisfying explanation. It's not just, oh, this is how it is. You come to understand why the little boy is so different and what makes him so special and why it's so dangerous for Jess to be with him. If you like books that go on a road trip, which I do, they have a bit of a road trip in this one, of course, they're running away. And so there's a little bit of that subterfuge where they're like, she's trying to, like, cut her hair and hide from the people that are trying to get them. I really enjoyed that. Something that Nat Cassidy does really well is he'll surprise the reader. You think you're going to get. You think there's certain unspoken rules in fiction, and he's not afraid to break them. And I can't be more specific than that, but I just like when things like that happen. I'm like, yep, okay, sounds good. There's also. This one is fabulous on audio because you can see if you're looking, this might be washed out, but there are letters in here. And at one point, I'm listening, and the narration was fabulous. So I'm listening to it being narrated, and it's a. It's being narrated by Helen Laser, who, by the way, has now become one of my very favorite audiobook narrators. She does a ton of mystery and thriller and she is fantastic. But you're listening to this. Jess read this note from somebody and the person is a man. She's reading it and all of a sudden it subtly morphs into a male reading it. I'm. That's really dope. They're really good with that. And I realized that that person reading it is the author, Nat Cassidy, who's male. And then it goes back to Jess and da, da, da, da. It keeps going on, but I'm like, that is such a subtle cool effect that they use. And it just shows that they're telling this story with real care. If you're hesitant, and I hear people say this all the time, is they don't like male authors writing female characters. I don't know what it is, but Nat Cassidy is able to do it so well. His female characters are fabulous. He writes about things that I'm like, how do you know that? How you know it surprises you. Jess is not a perfect character. She'll probably irritate you and a lot of sections, but you can't help but feel for her in what she's going through. Also, when you're reading Nat Cassidy, don't forget to read his afterwords. His afterwords are always incredible. I remember I loved the afterword for Nestlings. I also this. Love this one. It says afterwards on fathers and shape shifters. And he's telling the story of his father as well. Fantastic book. I'm giving it five stars. It's so far in my top 10 favorite books of the year. Last thing I'll say about this is, you know when you're reading Stephen King and he just has that voice. It's the King writing voice. You just know it's his voice. That's how he writes. That is how this author writes. It feels like old school horror, but it's not like Stephen King. He's not trying to be him. He just has his own voice. And. And it's fantastic. All of this to say, I highly recommend this book. It's currently in my top 10 favorites for the year and I think you should read it. It's when the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy.

[Hannah]

Okay, I know exactly what you mean. It's not. He isn't Stephen King. It's not like when people compare him to Stephen King, he just has that voice. Like how when you're reading a book from an author that you know, you're like, this is. This is Nat Cassidy.

[Tina]

Yes, that's. Bachman does it too, I feel.

[Hannah]

And Bachmann does it too.

[Tina]

It's one Hundred percent no. Yep, this is your, you know, their voice. But he is just fabulous. I can't wait to read.

[Hannah]

Mary, it's funny that you brought up Road Trip when talking about when the Wolf Comes Home because my friends has a little bit of a road trip element and so does the next book that I'm bringing, which is so far gone by Jess Walter, and I have it here with me. This one was on my Summer bonanza and I feel like I'm doing pretty good at making my way through those books, although I have some progress to make as well. But this one was really fun and it's also one that I find a little bit hard to talk about and I'm not really sure why, but I'm going to try and do my best to sum up what I think this book was about and my thoughts on it. This was a really funny and heartfelt adventure about a reclusive journalist who's pulled back into the chaos of modern life to rescue his kidnapped grandkids. So a few years ago, Reese Kinnick totally snapped. He punched his very far right religious conspiracy loving son in law completely ditched his phone and disappeared into the woods. Honestly, what I think we all mean by we want to throw our phone into the ocean and disappear. He literally did that. And now he is forced out of hiding when his daughter goes missing and his grandkids end up in the hands of his this dangerous militia slash religious cult. And I noticed what people are talking about this book, they don't say religious cult, they specifically say militia. And I don't know. And which made me hesitate, I'm like, well, should I call it a religious cult then? Are they intentionally leaving that out of this book? Because that's what I felt like it was. So I don't know if there's a reason why that specific language was left out. Maybe just to protect certain views or something like that. I don't know. But I will tell you from my reading experience, that's what this was. But through Rhys's journey, we're met up with a motley crew of people, a grumpy ex, a retired detective, and an angry old friend in tow. And Rhys sets off on this messy madcap road trip across a very fractured America similar to my friends. I felt like this was such a good blend of original storytelling and it got really deep and compelling. There are scary things that are happening that bring up a lot of very present concerns in our current socio political landscape while also providing a ton of levity and humor. I also unintentionally realized again that this was a little bit of a road trip book. And then Tina, you brought one too. It's something that I feel like I am seeing show up a lot in the very current market. So not necessarily within the last few years, but really this year specifically I'm seeing it a lot. Whether that's a train or a car or you know, a chase across America. In this instance. I liked that this book really showed the flaws in all types of extremist thinking. Thinking even someone like Rhys who had a totally different way of thinking than his son in law. He's also a human who had flaws and biases of his own. And I like that this book didn't just shine a light on one area of faulty views. It felt very balanced and like the author wasn't trying to push an agenda of any sort. It just made the reader think about their own own biases and maybe extremist views in certain areas. And I like that he did that without kind of saying this is right and this is wrong. Overall, I think this is a great summer read. If you want a little adventure, something almost heist like, but also emotional and tender hearted at times, then you should pick up so Far Gone by Jess.

[Tina]

Walter, I am glad you got to that one and I'm so glad it worked for you because it's one of those where it's like in the synopsis you're like, I don't know, I am not sure. I don't know, I don't know, I'm not sure. But maybe. And it sounds like they did it really well.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I think that he did. I think that again, it really explored like any kind of extremist thinking is probably not best. And I think that he did that. I think that he did that. Well.

[Tina]

So good. Well, I can't wait any longer. We are doing shelf additions now and I am holding my shelf edition in front of me. It's hot off the press. It's frankly brand new book mail and I've not yet opened it so I figured we could open it together. So let's go ahead and do an ASMR unboxing.

[Hannah]

Love this.

[Tina]

Oh, okay. Okay. This is a little bit anticlimactic. Oh no, it's this book. Our last resort book by Clement.

[Hannah]

I. I am excited about this one.

[Tina]

I am too. Did I bring this to Summer Bonanza?

[Hannah]

No, because it's one of our. Oh bte. No it's not.

[Tina]

No, it's not. We skirted this. We thought about doing this. So what I'm holding is Our Last Resort by Clemence Michelin and very good. I tried very hard to say that. I am so surprised that neither one of us brought this to Bonanza. I think because we sort of both we were considering this for one of our community reads and we kind of avoided it, maybe thinking the other would. This book is extraordinarily shiny. I don't know why it's so shiny. Crazy shiny. So, okay, I'm excited for this and this is a book that I do plan on reading really, really soon. Speaking of cults, Hannah this is about Frida and her brother who 15 years ago escaped a cult. Now they are at this luxe resort and they're ready to reconnect. Between dips in the pool and hikes on spectacular desert trails, it feels like paradise. Until the dead body of a beautiful young woman who is vacationing there with her powerful, much older husband is discovered and Frida is forced to revisit memories from their upbringing in the cult and their dramatic escape. This one has dual timeline. It alternates between past and present and uncovers the fate of the murdered guest and poses the question how well do we ever really know know those we love? This is going to be literary suspense. It's not going to be a ripper most likely, but I do think it's hopefully going to be a really, really top story. This is her sophomore novel after the Quiet Tenant, which I read when it came out and really loved it. So this book for my Shelf edition is Our Last Resort by Clemence Michelange.

[Hannah]

I can't wait to hear you talk about that one. And I can't wait to keep hearing you say that name so perfectly. You nailed it.

[Tina]

It I French is hard. French is not easy for for English.

[Hannah]

Speakers like us, yes. My Shelf Edition is also a thriller and one that I haven't seen around a ton, but I've recently heard a couple people being like, no, pick this one up. And that is runner 13 by Amy McCullough. And this is set during a. And again a little bit road trippy. It's set during a 250 mile race across the Sahara desert.

[Tina]

Oh my God.

[Hannah]

Does anyone remember the movie Sahara? No, it's so random. I think it was one. Anyway, you'll have to tell me if you're if anybody remembers that really corny like heist movie. But this is a high stakes thriller. It follows Adri, a former elite runner returning to the sport after a scandal ended her career and left her her shrouded in mystery years ago, she accused her coach of something explosive just before he died suddenly. But now she's back, hoping that this brutal ultra marathon will prove she has still got what it takes, while also uncovering the truth about what happened to her in the past. But runners begin dropping out under suspicious circumstances. So Adri realizes that that someone out in the desert is willing to kill to keep the past buried and stop anyone from crossing the finish line. This is Runner 13 by Amy McCullough.

[Tina]

I think that sounds so good. And I love that they picked ultra marathoners to center a thriller on. I think that's a really. I've never seen it before. I think that's very clever.

[Hannah]

I agree. I'm excited. I. I might add this to my July lineup because it sounds just like the perfect summer thriller. It's set in a hot desert. Yes.

[Tina]

In a couple of weeks, when you're like, I don't know what to read, I'm gonna suggest this one.

[Hannah]

Thank you for being my accountability partner for this little brain that goes always.

[Tina]

Mine too. All right.

[Hannah]

Yeah, Right. But we can remember each other's things.

[Tina]

We can. It's easier to remember something you said versus my own.

[Hannah]

Exactly.

[Tina]

Brain. But that is it for today. We thank you for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show notes. If you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. 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.

[Hannah]

If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us atbooktalk etc.mail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktok. Etc. On Instagram and YouTube. You can follow Tina at TBR Etc. And Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. I always. Every time you say everything's better with books, I go boom.

[Tina]

Why? I don't know. I love it.

[Hannah]

It's like my little stem that I do every time.

[Tina]

Yeah, there's a stem around every corner. It feel.