Podcast Summary: Book Talk, etc.

Episode: Easily Distracted by New Releases + Our Bookish Ins and Outs for 2026

Hosts: Tina (@tbretc) & Hannah (@hanpickedbooks)
Date: December 9, 2025

Overview

In this engaging episode, Tina and Hannah reflect on their reading year, sharing their experiences with buzzy new releases and “under the radar” gems. A central theme is setting intentions for their reading lives in 2026—not just goals, but “Bookish Ins and Outs” that shape how (and what) they want to read. From bringing back beloved journaling habits and curating intentional TBRs, to challenging the popularity contest of the Goodreads Choice Awards and exploring deeper, more mindful reading, they offer inspiration and practical ideas for listeners looking to refresh their own book routines. The episode features rich recommendations, lively banter, and thoughtful discussion of community reads and polarizing new titles.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Goodreads Choice Awards Burnout & “Reading Against the Grain”

• Fresh from a live Patreon YouTube session discussing the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards winners, both hosts express exhaustion and disappointment with the results.
  • Tina: “I rated the winner of Mystery and Thriller two stars and the second place one star...” (02:04)
  • They advocate for “justice” for overlooked books and highlight how their own tastes often diverge from the mainstream.

2. Bookish Ins and Outs for 2026

Journaling & Mindful Tracking

• Tina’s “Bookish In”: Reintroducing Book Journaling
  • Detailed endorsement of the Vivid Scribbles dot grid notebook: “It’s very thick and I love that… dot journal, right? What I love too, though, specifically for book journaling…” (04:05)
  • Plan: Use the journal for mindful reviews, tracking ratings, and processing thoughts post-reading, to avoid being a mere “chain reader.” (04:29)
  • Pro-tip: Use a makeup bag or cloth pouch for pen and annotation supplies, as recommended by Hannah (07:42).

Elevating the Reading Experience

• Hannah’s “Loving Lately”: Repurposing a makeup bag for journaling supplies
  • It’s practical, soft, holds a ton: “It fits a lot… when you zip it up, it still lays pretty thin and flat.” (08:16)

Community Read: Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite

• Deep-dive on the November community read and how it sparked discussion:
  • Tina: “Boy, oh boy, this is a sticker, meaning it will stick with you after you close the page.” (09:49)
  • Praise for its complex themes: family curses, reincarnation, fate, and what is inherited trauma versus self-actualization.
  • Both praise Braithwaite’s “elevated” writing and balance of dark humor and heavy emotional territory.
  • “It’s darkly funny, but it also digs into some heavy emotional territory and does so in a way that’s still entertaining. Very hard to pull off.” – Tina (13:37)

Setting 2026 Intentions: Bookish Ins

• Personal Reading Curriculums

  • Hannah wants to embrace “personal curriculum” trends for a deep-dive into specific reading topics or skills (16:56).

• Reading Deeply, Not Just More

  • Tina rejects the pressure to up the quantity of books: “I want to read deeper vs. just reading as many as humanly possible.” (20:23)
  • Practices include character lists, annotating, or “immersive reading” (reading the book simultaneously in print and audio formats).

• Tandem/Immersive Reading

  • Both want to return to immersive reading—audio and print together for deeper engagement (21:36).

• Championing Under-the-Radar Reads

  • Tina observes burnout with buzzy books/authors: “It’s the same authors, over and over again… I’m sort of over the really buzzy books. I’m over it.” (22:47)
  • Her IG poll: 75% of followers want “under the radar gems.” (24:07)
  • Both commit to seeking and highlighting more unique and lesser-known titles.

• Silent Reading Parties & Bookish Dates

  • Hannah is inspired to host or attend in-person “silent reading parties” or solo book dates at coffee shops/bars (26:16).

• Slow Form, Intentional Bookish Content

  • Hannah’s “In”: Less social-media scrolling, more Substacks, bookish podcasts, and longer-form content for inspiration and intention (29:01).

• Embracing Challenges & Community Reads

  • Tina enjoyed thematic challenges like the Goodreads one and plans a community Aspen Words Literary Prize slow read.

Bookish Outs for 2026

• Book Subscription Services Fatigue
  • Both plan to pause or cancel Book of the Month/Aardvark services, instead supporting indie bookstores or reading their own shelves (31:58).
• Rejecting BookTok Tables
  • Hannah finds Barnes & Noble “BookTok” tables predictable and unoriginal, citing lack of diversity and actual representation of what’s being talked about online (34:23).
• Less “Buzzy Clunkers”
  • Tina: “Less buzzy clunkers. There’s so many books that I’m like, oh my god, this was missable. No, less clunker.” (33:57)

Book Recommendations & Reviews

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Discussion begins 09:49)

• “A sticker… it will stick with you after you close the page.”
• Deals with curses, fate, reincarnation, and generational trauma with dark humor.
• Both rate it 4.5 stars and recommend as a group read.

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (Review begins 35:23)

• Tina unexpectedly loved this entry in the Robert Langdon series, calling it a “dad book” but one that offered joyful nostalgia and a strong sense of place in Prague.
• Praises its themes on consciousness, neuroscience, and factual foundations: “Let the psychology of it all wash over you. You could still enjoy the story without having some of those finer points.” (39:39)

The True, True Story of Raja the Gullible and His Mother by Rabih Alameddine (Review begins 41:28)

• Hannah describes it as absurd, hilarious, voicey, blending “dark history, family chaos, and pure joy.”
• “The relationship between Raja and his mom is the centerpiece of this book.” (45:52)
• Won the National Book Award but still under-read; highly recommended for literary fiction fans.

Her One Regret by Donna Freitas (Review begins 48:16)

• Tina: A “riveting feminist thriller” on the taboo of regretting motherhood—a risky, polarizing read that is “more ‘suspenseful motherhood story’ than thriller.”
• “Sixty percent issues, forty percent thriller. I would have liked more of a 50-50 split.” (55:00)
• Noted as a good potentially divisive book club pick.

Conform by Ariel Sullivan (Review begins 56:29)

• Hannah calls it “escapist, absorbing, and fun”—a dystopian romantasy blending Handmaid’s Tale and The Hunger Games but from an elite-class perspective.
• Praises its high-stakes love triangle and tight writing.
• Eager to continue the series after the solid first installment.

Shelf Additions (TBR Picks for 2026)

• Tina: Just Watch Me by Liora Torrenberg (64:48)
  • Comped to Fleabag and Big Swiss, features a failing influencer, live-streaming, and spicy food challenges—“voyeuristic, visceral, audacious and outrageous.”
• Hannah: Molka by Monica Kim (66:03)
  • A literary thriller about hidden cameras, obsession, and family ghosts in Seoul—“It’s going to get weird, it’s going to get freaky.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I am a chain reader, and it’s a problem, right? So I read so many back to back that I feel like this [book journaling] will help me pause…” – Tina (04:29)
• “It’s darkly funny, but it also digs into some heavy emotional territory… very hard to pull off!” – Tina on Cursed Daughters (13:37)
• “I want to read deeper versus just reading as many as humanly possible.” – Tina (20:23)
• “I’m over the really buzzy books…my reading has gotten away from me in favor of reading things people want to hear my thoughts on.” – Tina (24:12)
• “Silent reading parties… it’s like dating myself but also dating my books.” – Hannah (26:16)
• “Less buzzy clunkers… No, less clunker.” – Tina (33:57)
• “Let the psychology of it all wash over you. You could still enjoy the story…” – Tina on The Secret of Secrets (39:39)

Important Timestamps

• [02:54] Book journaling & new tools
• [09:49] Community read: Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
• [16:46] Bookish Ins and Outs - 2026 intentions
• [22:47] Discussion: Buzzy books burnout and reading “against the grain”
• [35:23] Review: The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
• [41:28] Review: The True, True Story of Raja the Gullible and His Mother by Rabih Alameddine
• [48:16] Review: Her One Regret by Donna Freitas
• [56:29] Review: Conform by Ariel Sullivan
• [64:48] Shelf Additions

Final Takeaways

This episode encourages listeners to reflect on their reading habits and consciously cultivate a richer, more satisfying book life in 2026—whether by deepening reading, tracking insights, exploring “under the radar” stories, or simply making reading a more intentional pleasure. The hosts’ dynamic, candid, and humorous approach—combined with an array of enticing book recommendations—make this a must-listen for anyone eager to refresh their TBR and rekindle their readerly joy.