Hannah (4:54)

Hey, Tina. How are you?

Tina (4:55)

Oh, medium. How are you?

Hannah (4:59)

I'm doing well.

Tina (5:00)

Good.

Hannah (5:00)

I had a great day so far, and I'm really excited to talk about the Goodreads Choice Awards. I want to hear about your challenge. I'm just really geeked that we decided to do this for an episode.

Tina (5:14)

I know. I'm glad that you noticed. You're like, wait a minute, we are missing a theme. And sort of right away we're like, obviously, I'm in the thick of my personal reading challenge, so why not talk about the Goodreads Choice Awards a little bit more widely on the podcast? And in case you're not, you're like, what are you talking about? I decided I wanted to read through the entire long list for the Goodreads Choice Awards, specifically for mystery and thriller. As of this recording, I actually just finished my 15th book. So now I have five left to go out of the 20, and I'm pretty proud of it.

Hannah (5:49)

In the home stretch.

Tina (5:49)

Yeah, in the home stretch, I've gotten through some big boys that I was a little less enthused about. There's still a few I'm not so sure about. But I will be so happy to share my thoughts on the experience when I'm done reading through this list. But for today, Hannah and I both grabbed a couple that we have read that were on the list for nominees. They're not necessarily one of the categories. Right? Exactly, Exactly. We will definitely get into the Goodreads Choice Awards. Our thoughts about it during the Book Talk section of our podcast. But first, I wanted to share my loving lately. And my loving lately is a company that you'll want to get on our radar. I'm grabbing a lighter so you, Hannah, might be able to guess what my loving lately is. It is a candle company. Actually, it's not a candle company. It's a bookish merch company. It is called Flypaper Products. And the candle I'm holding is called Book Lover and it's lavender and lemon and jasmine. And on the bottom it says, so many books, a little time. So this is something that I was really interested in because not just necessarily their candles, but they have a. Their tagline is literary gifts for book lovers. And I was like, say more. I want to know about this. And I discovered that they are a small women owned and Run creative business out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. And I was first introduced to this candle or this company, right? Little Michigander tie in there. I was first introduced to this company because my neighbors bought this candle for me. So thank you, B and T. And this is my podcasting candle. So what I mean by that is every time we record, I come downstairs, I light my, my, my candle. And you know, it just like gets me in the podcasting mood. And I started getting nervous because I've had this for maybe a month and a half now and I'm like, it's halfway gone. As candles, do they burn? So I was like, what am I going to do when it's gone? I'm going to need a new podcast candle. So I started looking into them and I'm like, wait a minute, this is, this is a real gem. Now my neighbors got this from our local bookstore, but I searched and they have an Etsy store as well as their own website and they are stocked with gifts and bookish merch. They have these pre made gift box sets that look so awesome and they're like reasonably priced, maybe $60 or so. And there's a fair amount of stuff in it. So there's one for Pride and Prejudice, there's one that says like the Raven and it's centered on Edgar Allan Poe. And of course they also have a ton of standalone items like the candle I showed, but they've also got coffee cups and tumblers and pen, pencils, pads of paper, all sorts of adorable things. And I would say, you know, tis the season. Hard to believe it's in the last month of 2025. So it is gift giving season and I just wanted to shout out this company in case you have any book lovers in your life that you need to shop for or if you want to like buy yourself a gift. But my loving lately is this company called Flypaper Products.

Hannah (8:43)

We love a bookish merch company. I love their website. It's so cute. It says for librarians, it's. It's darling. I love. Okay, my loving lately is an account and it is Matthew Bounds from your barefoot neighbor. Do you follow? Do you follow him?

Tina (9:02)

I love him. I would have assumed. We've already talked about him. I'm glad to know that he is a new recommendation to the show.

Hannah (9:10)

Well, I'm so glad that I can bring him to the show. He started doing recipes back in the day. He was doing a lot of crock pot recipes. Easy things, easy things to toss together for dinner, easy meals to get on the table. And he has since come out with a book full of recipes. And he's just come a long way in his success and career. That started out with just a TikTok channel and Instagram channel. But not only do I love his simple and easy recipes that have very minimal ingredients, they're very doable, like weeknight dinners. He also is just a lovely person. Recently, he raised around 350,000 to distribute to organizations including the Gulf coast center for Non Violence, Knox Pride Center, Food Pantry, Penelope House, and Habitat for Humanity, as well as just many other organizations that are doing amazing things for people all over the country. One of my favorite things about watching his videos is seeing the cute little inspiring or funny quotes that he puts on his little board in the back. Depending on the nature of his video, sometimes they're, like, a little bit spicy or snarky, and usually they are just wholesome, wonderful quotes that he has in the background. And it's just become a fun. It's like canon for him and his. And his channel. And I love that he has been a joy to follow through his journey as a content creator, and I'm really proud of him for making a career out of this. He has a cookbook now, and I just think that he's worth paying attention to and supporting. So I will link to his social channels, but also his recipe book, if you're interested in that, and his website in the show. Notes, Notes. And I think you should check him out. That is Matthew Bounds from your barefoot neighbor.

Tina (10:58)

I love him. I'm so glad you brought this creator. And I've made a couple of his dishes. My favorite thing about him is, like, come get you a plate. And he's Southern.

Hannah (11:06)

Yes.

Tina (11:06)

Hey, y'. All. And I'm like, I love it. Okay. It's just very. He comes across as very genuine, and I'm glad to hear he's doing, you know, all. All of these good things as well. He's got a website, too, so I just love being able to find and support these creators and share them on our podcast because I feel like we could all use more excellent people to follow. And I certainly can always use more recipes.

Hannah (11:26)

Yes, same.

Tina (11:27)

All right, so I've decided to structure my day. We're bringing three books, and I. Since I've been reading through all of the mystery and thrillers, I had plenty to choose from. So I've decided to structure my day by bringing my least favorite to most favorite to the show. Do you know what I'm saying?

Hannah (11:45)

Okay.

Tina (11:45)

Okay, you're with me.

Hannah (11:46)

Yes. I'm with you now.

Tina (11:48)

Okay. And I'll. Let me explain. My first book, that was my latest read that I finished maybe three days ago is Don't Let him in by Lisa Jewell. And I'm a Lisa Jewell. Someday I'd like to read all of her books. I actually went in and counted. I've only read. Maybe I've only read 7, 8. Now that I finished this one, which. That's a lot from one author. But look at her list here. She has maybe 20 books on this list. So I have a long way to go if I ever want to become a completionist. But that is okay. This one is about the perfect man, and his name in the beginning is Nick. And I say in the beginning because we come to find out there are a lot of things at play here. But at the center is this con man. And initially it opens with Nina, who's pretty intrigued. She receives this condolence card from somebody that used to work with her deceased husband. And he's sort of like offering his condolences. A couple months later, he sends something else. It's a lighter. And he's like, oh, my gosh, I found this. It used to be your husband's. Whatever. And then it flashes forward a little bit in time, and it turns out now they're dancing, dating. And Nina's adult daughter is like, absolutely not. She doesn't buy it. She's not into this man. And she's like, this guy is too good to be true. Simultaneously, you're also following Martha. Martha is a florist who's living nearby, sort of in the same area in England. They. She has an infant daughter and two sort of older sons and her husband, Alistair. Alistair keeps these crazy hours, and he's been traveling more and more for work. And when Martha corners him about it, he always has a list, legitimate explanation and ends up blaming it on. He has ADHD and this and that. He has a reason for everything. And these women are connected. And that is what I will say to you about this story. You're looking at this. If you're seeing me on YouTube. Actually, let me not. Let me cover parts up. Don't look too closely. But as you can see, there is a long character list. This on the. This side here is all of the characters I was trying to keep track of. So that is my first critique. There are a lot of characters, and that's okay. I did, though, start doing this solely on audio. And I was like, I'm confused. I'm not into it just because I was like not following because not only do you have different characters you're trying to keep straight, you've got different timelines too. And I was like, wait a minute, where am I in time? Who am I following? There were some good reveals. This story is getting very mild reviews from folks that are thriller lovers or from folks that have read it. It's not people's favorite and I would agree with that. Some people really hate this book. I hate to say it, I don't hate it. I was entertained. But again, once I had to really get my bearings to try and figure out what was going on. If you do you all remember and I brought this as a loving lately. Do you guys remember Risa Tisa on TikTok? Who did I marry or whatever? It was this woman who had this, I mean 75, 100 part series about how she was basically being swindled by her partner and the author references that tale in her book. So if you like con stories, you might like this one. I was intrigued once I got far enough into it because I wanted to see how it all would come together. I had my theories. I might may or may not have been right. I don't want to, you know, spoil anything. I will say if you want a thriller that is a little bit lighter, this could be good. It doesn't get too super dark. Obviously. There's gaslighting and manipulating, of course, but there's not outright violence. There are violent things that are alluded to, but most of those happen off the page. I quite liked the ending. For me, I thought the ending made sense. Do you have to suspend your disbelief? Absolutely. Definitely. 100% yes. But that sometimes is the case. That's par for the course often for thrillers. I don't think this did anything that was egregious. I didn't, you know, you sort of have to buy it and I enjoyed the ending. So that is my lukewarm recommendation. If I'm assigning a star rating, I would give it 3.75 stars. Somewhere in the middle. I'm not going to spoil my rankings yet, but at the end of my experience I will be ranking all of the mystery and thrillers that were nominated for the long list. This falls somewhere currently right in the middle. So that's what this is. It's Don't Let him in by Lisa Jewel.

Hannah (16:27)

You know, it's always hard, I feel like to review those kind of lukewarm books, but you did a really great job with that one. I have read Lisa Jewel before and liked her. Okay. And I would be open to trying her again, but I have not heard that this is her best work.

Tina (16:45)

Yeah, I would recommend Then She Was Gone would be my starter pack if a person's trying to get into Lisa Jewel, do you know which one you've read?

Hannah (16:54)

I read the Family Upstairs.

Tina (16:56)

Oh, yes, very.

Hannah (16:57)

I enjoyed that one.

Tina (16:58)

I thought it was good.

Hannah (16:59)

Yeah, that one kind of dark, but also just had some good plot directions. I don't know. I really liked it.

Tina (17:07)

Yeah. Yeah. I think that one for me is similar to this one I just finished. Don't Let him in.

Hannah (17:13)

So good to know.

Tina (17:14)

Then she Was Gone would be my starter recommendation for. Yeah for my next recommendation for you.

Hannah (17:20)

Well, maybe that's where I'll turn to next. Okay. My latest read is not technically a latest read. It is a book that I read a long time ago, but it is not one that I have yet reviewed on the podcast. And I thought now would be a perfect time because it is a holiday novel and I don't read a lot of these and I don't enjoy a ton of them, but this is one that I thought was really cute and I thought now would be a great time to recommend it with the holidays coming up. And that is in a Holidays by Christina Lauren. Ooh, yes, this one is so fun. And this one is apt for this episode too, because it was a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for romance in 2020. So I thought that that would be a good one to bring today. This is set during the Christmas holiday and it's the most wonderful time of year. But not for Malin Jones. She is living with her parents, she hates her going nowhere job and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions. But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas that May will be at her favorite place in the world, the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down. As she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe. Please show me what will make me happy. But the next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides and everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake, she is on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again, with one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane. May must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop and finally get her true love under the mistletoe. So this is a classic ground or what? What's that? So this is a classic Groundhog Day novel, which, okay, those can get a little tiresome, but I thought that this one was pretty fun. I have read not almost all of Christina Lauren's books, but I have read a lot of their work and I really enjoy their writing style consistently. I think that what this author duo does well is create a narrative that is so compulsively readable, no matter who the love interests are or what the setting is, there's just an addictive writing style and their talent shines through here. This is a love story. Of course, most of their books are. However, I think that the one thing that I would say is a critique about this one is that the hero felt a little bit bland and immature in comparison to our heroine. Thankfully, I really loved May and overall I just found the characters and the family dynamics and all of these people hanging out together a really enjoyable experience. And it's just the perfect holiday. Ready? It is saccharine. So if you don't want something that is really sweet, then don't read this. But honestly, I really like that when it comes to holiday reading. This was super fun, really easy. A great holiday romance that I personally read in 24 hours. I remember that from when I read it. I never read books that quickly and this one I just devoured. Really corny. An absolutely unbelievable romance. But if you like Hallmark, I think you'll enjoy this. And that is in the Holidays by.

Tina (21:02)

Christina Lauren in a stunning twist. I too loved this book. I read it. Did you really loved it? Can you believe it? It's a Groundhog Day. It's a Groundhog Day. And slightly cheesy. Why? Excuse me. I think this was a book club pick for my. One of my book clubs that I'm in.

Hannah (21:17)

Oh, I love it.

Tina (21:18)

And I remember being like, grumble, grumble, grumble. And then I was like, wait a minute. This is addicting. It's really good. I remember liking the main character and I also liked is like such a non important thing. But I, if, if memory serves, the families all go to the same Utah cabin.

Hannah (21:34)

Yes.

Tina (21:34)

And they were having to sell it or something was going on. And she was like really upset with the fact that they were no longer going to have this like epic trip together. And I just remember thinking, I love the sound of that. Like, how fun would that be? The same nostalgic family trip around the holidays. So this is a double recommendation. And oh, I love that I would.

Hannah (21:52)

Have brought that because.

Tina (21:54)

Right, you would have. You'd be like, what? You like this one. But I did. I really did. It was a great one. Good, good recommendation, especially for this time of year.

Hannah (22:02)

Exactly. And it fit in with the Goodreads Choice Awards in a, you know, past life. So it was fitting.

Tina (22:09)

And it's funny, too. So now we're. We'll transition into our thoughts on the Goodreads Choice Awards. I actually like that they leave it up in the website where if you look it up, you know, you'll always see, like, this was a Goodreads Choice Award nominee for readers favorite romance in 2020. And that I though, am a person that likes a Oprah's Book Club stamp or emblem or Reese, whatever. I know I'm very, very much in the minority about that, but why I like it, it. I'm somebody that annotates their books. I mark things up. I, you know, make it my own. And there's something to being able to say, like, I have a copy of SULA from years and years and years ago, and I grabbed it and I was like, oh, this was an Oprah Book Club pick. Does it really mean anything in the grand scheme of things? No. But I still like that it was an Oprah pick or that it was nominated for the Goodreads Choice. It just sort of gives me, like, a little extra smile when I go for those types of stories.

Hannah (23:07)

And plus, you know, I guess this.

Tina (23:09)

Begs the question, though, especially for Goodreads Choice, if you see that tag, does it make you think it's going to be a good read?

Hannah (23:17)

I don't think it makes me think anything in particular. Yeah, it makes me think, oh, this was a popular read.

Tina (23:22)

Got it. Yes, yes, yes. Because at the end of the day, of course, the Goodreads Choice Awards are very much a popularity contest. I think they are a fun thing to follow. We are unapologetically just nerds about it in that we react to them. We've done it two years now. We've reacted live with our patrons, and it was just so fun. It was one of the most fun things we've done as a podcast this year. Just I don't know what it is. I just think it's the anticipation. And I love an end of the year awards list.

Hannah (23:52)

Yeah, well, and everybody got to chime in, too, and say what they thought and say what they were voting for. And it was just a really fun community experience. And it's just fun to do something, live with other people and respond, I don't know, just really organically to everything and then do it together as a community Experience. It was just really fun.

Tina (24:13)

It was so good. It was so good. And so we reacted live like we did. Obviously, we didn't know what was going to be on it. We hadn't looked ahead of time.

Hannah (24:23)

And you had guest for the Mystery and Thrillers, which was fun.

Tina (24:29)

Thank you. Yes, I did. So I did create a video video because I was so curious and, you know, listeners, I'm way too into new releases, but it's fun. It's. It still brings me joy. And so I pay close attention to what's coming out. So I was like, okay, let me see how many of these I can get. Right. So I, in my video, put out a list of 20 that I thought would be nominated, and I ended up getting. What a cliffhanger. Let's see, how many did I get right? I want to say 12, but. But I ended up getting 14 right out of 20, which is pretty.

Hannah (25:05)

Gosh, that is really good. No, that's really good.

Tina (25:09)

That's pretty good. So, of course, immediately my brain, because of the person I am, I'm like, well, am I going to be able to beat that next year? Why does it matter? But if you are somebody that sort of think about. Yeah, if you like to, you know, look at lists and things like that, of course it's fun to think about. So we didn't know it was going to be on it. And I still, though I remember one of our patrons had a question. They're like, do we know how these get chosen? And I don't know that we do. I know for my list, when I was predicting, I sort of went ahead and looked at my knowledge from what is in the general consciousness of people, like what books people have been talking about online. I, of course, looked at the overall rating. I looked at the number of ratings, and then I looked at the authors themselves because I do think there are some that were nominated that. That only got on it because of the fame of the authors. I'm speaking to the Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coburn book.

Hannah (26:05)

I'm like, totally.

Tina (26:06)

I don't know if that should have been on there. Of course, it's just one person's opinion. But I am still very curious to know how they get on the list. We did discover, though, that they have to have a minimum rating of 3.5or better, so they cannot be rated lower than 3.5, which knocked out some that I really enjoyed that couldn't make it because they were rated too lowly. And we also discovered that there's no limit to how Many books a person can be on the long list with.

Hannah (26:36)

We discovered you, Frida.

Tina (26:37)

We're looking at you, Frieda McFadden. Frida has three books out of the 20 that were nominated for Goodreads Choice, which I personally think is too many. Do you think it should be capped 1, 2. Do you not have an opinion on that?

Hannah (26:52)

I don't know. I mean, I kind of feel like it should be capped at one.

Tina (26:55)

Yeah. Right. And like the best of the ones.

Hannah (26:59)

From this author, the highest rated, the most added to want to read the most. That's another thing that I feel like has to be counted toward whether or not it makes it into a category, is if people hit the want to read button because Cursed Daughters was on there by Oyinken Braithwaite. And that had just come out, I think, that week when it was added to the Goodreads Choice Awards list. And so. So it has to be considered because not enough people would have been able to read it in time for the awards to have nominated it.

Tina (27:34)

You are right. And so there has to be a want to read or some sort of formula.

Hannah (27:39)

Yeah, like tagging, maybe.

Tina (27:41)

Tagging, maybe. It's just. It can't be random. There's definitely got to be some sort of rhyme or reason to this.

Hannah (27:47)

They have a formula or like a. Not a formula, but a process.

Tina (27:51)

Yes, but who's they? Who's they? I don't know.

Hannah (27:54)

The Goodreads people. The gods behind.

Tina (27:57)

If you're the people behind the Goodreads Choice Awards, please reach out. We want to know more. I think we would be remiss if we didn't mention the lack of diversity across many of the categories in the Goodreads Choice Awards. There is this fantastic article from Book Riot, written by Kelly Jensen. She wrote this back in. It was published back in January. We can link to this in our show notes. And essentially they're just talking about how many people voted. It says there were 6.2 million members of Goodreads that voted in their annual Readers Choice Awards. But that is so many people. And that is why it's so important for the awards to be balanced. And I think that's why you can't have one author with three books in there, because you're sort of.

Hannah (28:44)

Yes.

Tina (28:44)

Taking up space for others that are very worthy. Right. That just don't have. They. They didn't have that viral special sauce. Whatever it is. You know. But still are worthy nominees. Because I guess the question is, are we voting? Are they recommending and offering us the literal best or the most popular. I don't know.

Hannah (29:04)

I mean I definitely think that it's the most popular.

Tina (29:07)

Yeah, it would be nice if it was literally like the best. And again, not sure how one would quantify the best outside of rating and number of times it was added to the list.

Hannah (29:18)

But yeah, then you have. I think when it's in the hands of readers in general, it's just going to be hard to not make it a popularity contest because you even have readers out there who will rate a book five stars before they've read it or before its release date just because they love the author and they want to support them. So it's. If you're a popular author and you have a new book coming out, then you're going to have readers on there already adding it to their want to read, rating it five stars, etc.

Tina (29:51)

Yeah, I know. And then the cutoffs is another thing too because I believe it had to be released with like you said, the oink and Braithwaite 1 was released that week. I'm glad it got nominated still because I do think it will get there and. But yeah, that's. The cutoff is just another thing that I'm thinking about because I'm like, I think there was at least two that weren't released yet that were nominated from the entire list, not just from. It's kind of interesting. So I don't know what the cut off answer is.

Hannah (30:18)

November.

Tina (30:19)

Cutoff's November. Yeah, I believe it's like the day or two before the awards are released.

Hannah (30:26)

So then are books considered from like for this year? Would books be considered from January of, from December of 2024?

Tina (30:34)

Yeah, I think you literally could be nominated for like the day after the cutoff. So even end of November 2025 could be nominated in the 2026 awards, which is kind of a bummer for some of the folks that are the authors that are having books release end of November and in December because like technically they could be on the list but.

Hannah (30:53)

But you kind of forget about and.

Tina (30:55)

Like the buzz has gone. Although on the opposite side of the coin. Right. They've had more time then for people to add it to their want to read list.

Hannah (31:01)

That's true. So moving on from the voting process of the Goodreads Choice Awards, I wanted to ask you specifically about a couple of categories because I know that on top of the thriller and mystery categories, you were particularly excited about a few others and I want to know what you thought about them. Specifically horror and fiction and debut because those are Ones that I know you look at. And I didn't know if you had any strong feelings about any or all of those three categories.

Tina (31:36)

I always have strong feelings about the Goodreads Choice Awards and the books that are nominated. I think horror was missing some good ones. I think there were some that were missing. Right. I was not surprised to see Stephen King on here, although I've heard. I actually put Never Flinch on my mystery and thriller prediction list because I don't know that that's horror. But because it's Stephen King, I think it got lumped in there and it kind of. It's a bummer, I think, because I think people are going to be like, oh, I don't know, I didn't read anything from here. Stephen King, right? And it's like, ah, I think people will just. Even if they haven't read it or seen, you know, read the others in the category, they're going to see Stephen King and vote for it. But by and large there are some that I think are really solid on the list. I loved the Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia. I loved when the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. I love anything Nat Cassidy does. I also really enjoyed Immaculate Conception, but the one that got my vote at least now. So as we're recording this, it's still in the short, it's still in the long list season. We have not received the shortlist yet. My vote was Bat Eater and Other Names for Corey Zhang. And I'm really happy to see that on there because that is one of my favorite books of the year, let alone favorite horror books. But I think there's some really good ones on here. I also see some debut authors and then I see some that I think are expected. What about you? Did you have any strong reaction to the horror one specifically?

Hannah (33:02)

Well, I was.

Tina (33:03)

I mean, I remember I was there.

Hannah (33:04)

But yeah, I was really disappointed that the Chuck Wendig the Staircase in the woods was not included. And I did check because I wondered. I knew it hadn't gotten incredibly positive reviews and so I checked to see if it met that 3.5 benchmark and it did. It has an average rating of 3.52, so it must just not have had the popularity. But I was pretty disappointed in that. I was happy to see the bewitching on there. Yeah, there are so many that are high on my TBR specifically. Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle. I'm really excited to read that one. I haven't yet. It was on my summer bonanza and I just haven't gotten to it, but I'm still kind of. I'm really hoping that I can read it by the end of the year. Really crossing my fingers off.

Tina (33:53)

That one sounds like a wild time and I would love to hear you talk about it. Sounds really, really fun.

Hannah (33:59)

I said crossing my fingers off. I don't know why I said my fingers off.

Tina (34:02)

You're crossing your fingers off. We know what you meant.

Hannah (34:04)

I'm crossing my fingers so hard they're.

Tina (34:06)

Just gonna of fall off fly right off your hand. I will say I'm very proud of us because all of the books we. I know all the books.

Hannah (34:16)

We know what you're gonna say.

Tina (34:17)

I know you know, but I'm laugh okay. All of the books that we had as our Read with BTE Community reads, all of them were nominated except for Hannah's favorite book, the Staircase, the one the Staircase in the woods to check when Dig won. But all of our other picks were nominated. So like, like, hey, we are just We've got the finger on popular gals. We're popular gals. We've got our finger on the pulse of what's popular. The other ones you had asked about were the general fiction category, and I was happy with the ones that I see on here. A lot of them are on my tbr. I was actually surprised to see how many I haven't read yet. I feel like I usually do a better job with general fiction. This year I just got sucked into the mystery thriller Wormhole, but there are some you had mentioned. You want to read the Chuck Tingle by the end of the year. I want to read the names by the end of the year, which is here on the long list. I would also love to read People Like Us by Jason Mott by the end of the year. There's some obvious ones I think Elan Hilderbrand was nominated. Heart the Lover, Lily King, the Bachman book, which is one I also want to read. But in this category, of course, I had to pick my My Girl Wild Dark shore by Charlotte McConaughey. That's the one that got my vote.

Hannah (35:30)

Yeah, I ended up up voting for My Friends by Frederic. For this one. I almost voted for the names, but I ended up deciding to vote for the names under the debut category. So I have read six from the fiction section, which I was impressed with myself. I feel like I'm not. I don't consider myself as someone who is on the pulse with new releases always, but I think thanks to the podcast especially, I've been reading and prioritizing new releases more than maybe I have in the past. I always did. But I think I even paying attention to it more. Even if I don't read them, I've heard of them. Even so yeah, that was kind of exciting.

Tina (36:11)

That is exciting. I'm glad to hear that. I've read four of those. But you know, probably by the end of the year I'll. I'll hop a few more on my list now. The one that I love is Debut. I love debuts and I feel like I just am always happy when I discover a debut author. I have a couple on this list that I really, really loved. I loved woodworking by Emily St. James. I would love to see that on the short list. Oh my goodness. I don't know if it will get there. I also loved Home Seeking by Carissa Chen, but the one that got my vote is Dominion by Addie Kitchens. Folks, if you haven't read Dominion yet, can you please add it to your TBR? It's only like 250 pages and I thought it was just an. An outstanding debut and just such a great story.

Hannah (36:59)

I remember you talking about that one on podcast when you brought it. And I believe my mom is correct, currently reading it right now because of your recommendation.

Tina (37:07)

So let me know what you think.

Hannah (37:09)

Yeah, I'm sure she will. Well, she'll let me know. That's for sure.

Tina (37:13)

That's for sure. That's for sure.

Hannah (37:14)

And I'll let you know.

Tina (37:15)

Don't tell me if you didn't like it. Don't tell me. You know my rules.

Hannah (37:20)

Did you read you'll know if you hear from me or not? I guess.

Tina (37:22)

There you go. Right? Did you read Juni from this list? I forget.

Hannah (37:25)

I tried Juni and I gave it a soft dnf.

Tina (37:28)

Got you. Okay to it later.

Hannah (37:30)

Yeah, I might come back to it later. It has magical realism, which is super hit or miss for me. It's not even a trope that I would say I actively don't like. I'm just very particular about it. And I wasn't aware that that was going to be a big part of that book. Although I do think it is mentioned in the synopsis. But for whatever reason I just. It wasn't clocking to me. I missed it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tina (37:54)

I've done that before too.

Hannah (37:55)

Soft DNF for now. I might come back to it with different expectations.

Tina (37:59)

Fantastic. That one is one that's on my list. But my question for you that I wanted to make sure to ask is if you have not read read A book, will you still vote for it? Or if you haven't, like, read in that category, will you still vote in that category and will you skip it?

Hannah (38:14)

I personally won't, but I don't have any strong opinions on the ethics of that.

Tina (38:22)

I love how you phrase that.

Hannah (38:23)

The ethics of it.

Tina (38:25)

I know. And I am sort of like, for example, I did not vote in the memoir category yet. I probably will, though, because I think there are some that I would like to see go a little further. And even though I haven't read them, is that weird? I don't know. I do feel kind of weird about it. But hey, at the end of the day, it's one vote. I don't think it will matter overall in the end, but especially too one that I'm like, I know Hannah really liked this one. I haven't read anything. You know, maybe I'll give this one my vote.

Hannah (38:53)

I like that.

Tina (38:54)

Yeah. There's also. For both of those categories, I did read one in each and I didn't really care for them. So I will not be voting for that. I'm like, I'm okay. Yeah, I'm good on that.

Hannah (39:03)

Those don't get my vote.

Tina (39:04)

Those don't get my vote. Vote. Any other final thoughts or questions as we wrap up the overall general commentary on the Goodreads choice Long list?

Hannah (39:13)

I think we covered everything. This was such a fun challenge and I'm really excited to talk about the books that I brought because I really enjoyed both of them.

Tina (39:20)

Fantastic. I am, too. A little quick plug again to join our Patreon because by request, our patrons want to see us live react to the award winning winners, which we will do. So if you want to see that, you can see the recording of us live reacting to the nominees. And then we'll live react together. You and me and Hannah. We'll do it together. It's going to be so fun whenever it drops. We're not a hundred, are we? 100% sure.

Hannah (39:45)

I think December 4th.

Tina (39:46)

Fantastic. Let me mark that on my calendar. Oh, my gosh.

Hannah (39:51)

I'm almost positive that's the date.

Tina (39:53)

Yeah. So we would love to have you join us. They will be announced on December 4th, and I imagine that evening Hannah and I will pour a cocktail and react together.

Hannah (40:02)

Yes, definitely pour a cocktail or a glass of wine.

Tina (40:04)

I know it's gonna be hard to not look at social media that day until the very end because I will definitely want to see, but I also like looking together.

Hannah (40:13)

We can do it.

Tina (40:14)

All right, I will jump in and Tell you the book that I finished first for this challenge. It is Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead man by Jesse Q. Satano. And, and one of the reasons why I'm so glad that I decided to do this little challenge is because I never would have read this book if it hadn't been long listed and I ended up really liking it. So this is technically book two. There's a book one for Vera Wong, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. I didn't read that and I thought, you know what? I'm just going to dive in. Sue me. I'm just going to dive in. And I'm glad that I did.

Hannah (40:50)

I love it.

Tina (40:51)

Yeah. And so this one starts sort of shortly after where things ended in the previous one. She is loving her life, she's surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling and her son has a girlfriend. And she's like, it's all thanks to me because of things that happened in the previous book. This main character is so funny. And I'm even laughing from the synopsis because it says, still Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop. But one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly bored. So the beginning of this is she is bored because she just had the. This like, exciting thing in book one, and now she's like, well, what do I do now with my time? But then Vera does come across a distressed young woman who's obviously in need of help. And this young woman is looking for connection and Vera decides to help her out. And what follows, it's this tangled web of deceit. And they're trying to uncover what happened to the titular dead man, because that is why this woman is upset. Her friend has been missing and you, you know, in, in the title, you find out he's dead. Right. And so Vera is determined to figure out what's his real identity, what happened to him and what's going on. How are all these people connected? I liked this quite a bit. It's funny, I did the audio for this. I thought Eunice Wong did an excellent job narrating. It was just charming. And I was brought into the story. I thought for me, I. When I said I wasn't going to pick it up, this is a mystery and I'm usually more of a thriller girl. And also I thought it was going to be cozy. And I was like, I don' know if I like those things. So I didn't immediately prioritize it. However, I will say I think those things are true that it's a mystery and a little cozy, but it does deal with darker themes that I think some readers weren't expecting. Knowing you know me, I was fine with it, but it alludes to some pretty dark things that happen in real life. And so overall I found this to be a quick read. I found this one that kept my attention. I probably would go back and visit Vera because I thought she was a interesting character. She also has this tea shop and of course food plays a big role into this. I enjoyed reading about that and I had a bunch of people when I said I was reading this, they recommended that I look toward Jesse Cusitano's Aunties series, so I might look into those as well. I've not read anything by this author other than this one, but overall I do recommend this. Very glad I read it and I had a good time. This one one is Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead man by Jesse Q. Satano.

Hannah (43:22)

I'm so glad that was a fun surprise for you and that you ended up liking it so much.

Tina (43:27)

Look at me stretching myself.

Hannah (43:30)

I was going to ask you if you had read Dial A for Aunties, but it sounds like you haven't. You are looking forward to trying.

Tina (43:36)

Yeah, I would give it. I'd give it a go.

Hannah (43:39)

Yeah, I've read, I've read the first one. I haven't continued in the series, but I have read the first one. I really liked it. I would love to hear what you thought. Yeah, okay. I read from the historical fiction category.

Tina (43:50)

Love it.

Hannah (43:51)

Two different. I. I read from two different categories. This one is from historical fiction and it is Amity by Nathan Harris.

Tina (44:01)

I'm so excited. Yay.

Hannah (44:04)

Okay, so this book begins in New Orleans. It is 1866 and the Civil War is technically officially over. But formally enslaved siblings Coleman and June have yet to find the freedom that they've been promised. Two years ago the siblings were separated when their old master, Mr. Harper took June away to Mexico where he hoped to escape the new reality of the post war South. Coleman stayed behind in Louisiana to serve the Harper family and is clinging on to a hope that one day his sister June would return to his him. But then an unexpected letter from Mr. Harper arrives summoning Coleman to Mexico. And Coleman thinks that finally his prayers have been answered and he will be able to reunite with his sister. What Coleman cannot know is the tangled truth of June's tribulations under Mr. Harper. Out on the frontier, disaster strikes Coleman's journey and he is forced on the run with Mr. Harper's daughter Florence. Together they venture into the Mexican desert to find June, all while evading two crooked brothers who will stop at nothing to capture Coleman and Florence and collect the money that they're owed. As Coleman and June separately navigate a perilous, parched landscape, the siblings learn quickly that freedom isn't always given. Sometimes it must be taken by force. So as you can hear from the synopsis, this story is full of adventure. This was one of the most action packed historical fiction novels that I have ever read. I do think think that calling it a Western would not quite be selling it right? I've heard people say that this is a western and honestly I am not super well versed in westerns in general, so I could be wrong. But I think that I would get the wrong idea from this book calling it a Western. But I'd be curious if you've read this one and if you are well versed in the Western book landscape, let me know what you think Think about that. It's definitely a story of the land. There are fires, kidnappings, runaway wagons and plenty of adventures like I mentioned and it is ultimately a beautifully told story and really entertaining American story of emancipation during the Reformation post Civil War era. It was multiple pov so we get a point of view from the brother Coleman and then we also get a point of view from June. And what I thought was really interesting is that Coleman's narration is first person and June's is third person. And I know that this is intentional, but I personally didn't know why and I have been thinking about this for a long time and I just. I didn't know if maybe the author wanted us to be closer to Colman's character and have some distance from June's character. But if that was the case, I wasn't really sure why this choice was made made. I did end up enjoying Colman's chapters more. His character's narration was really rich and his voice was very clear and distinct. That said, because the main characters of Colman and June were so good, I do think it made some of the other less essential characters feel a little bit more shallow and underdeveloped. But this is a very small critique. Overall I thought that this was a beautifully written, adventurous and fun and also hard hit exciting story. My final note, I will say is that there is a dog. His name is Oliver. He's so cute and a huge part of the story. And the dog's story arc ends up really mirroring some very powerful themes in the novel, and he's really just a touchstone to Colman's character as well. We love Oliver. We would die for this dog. Okay, okay. And that is Amity by Nathan Harris.

Tina (47:56)

Oh, I'm so excited to hear you review that. That is one of the ones that is on my. My tbr.

Hannah (48:01)

I. I think you would really like it.

Tina (48:03)

Yeah, I definitely think I would. I read the Sweetness of Water when that came out. Loved that. I'm also a western girly now. Having read Lonesome Dove, I feel like I be belong on the American frontier. I would last six minutes. Like, who am I kidding? Like, I don't like to be hot, but I think I like reading about it because it really transports you to that time and place. So. Wow.

Hannah (48:22)

Okay, so is that really what qualifies? A Western is just set on the American frontier?

Tina (48:27)

Uh, sounds good to me. Right?

Hannah (48:29)

Okay, let's look it up. I think maybe I've just had a misconception of what westerns are, because if you were to tell me, oh, Amity is a Western, and then I read it, I just. Well, because that's. That is what happened. And I read it and I was like, oh, I wouldn't really qualify this as a Western, but I. Maybe I just don't have a correct idea as to what westerns are.

Tina (48:47)

I just picture horses and dust, you know. But yeah, the Internet by our quick Google is. It's a Western if it is set in the American frontier during the 19th or early 20th century, often featuring classic elements like cowboys, outlaws, and Native Americans. Typically, there's themes of justice, freedom, rugged individualism, and the struggle between civilization and lawlessness.

Hannah (49:11)

Okay, well, here I am learning something and being schooled about my opinion, because this is absolutely that. So it is.

Tina (49:18)

Okay. Okay, okay.

Hannah (49:19)

Totally. It's totally what that. What this is. And not only that, but it's a, I think, really great addition to that to Westerns because it talks about a group of people. I mean, it's post Civil War emancipation era, and I feel like that isn't always included when people think about Westerns, which maybe that's why I wasn't thinking that. And, you know, shame on me. But this is a great addition to the canon. The canon. Thanks for reading that.

Tina (49:48)

Listen, thank you for understanding that. It's truly not my knowledge. I just love to Google things as they come up. I'm like, oh, let's find out TikTok together. Either way, that book sounds excellent. This next one is not a Western. We're going back to mystery and thriller, of course, with me. And we are.

Hannah (50:04)

We gotta keep. Stay balanced.

Tina (50:05)

We gotta stay balanced. And we. You're balanced. I'm just in my lane. But the book that I am reviewing is we are All Guilty Here by Karen Slaughter. And our patrons might be saying, but, Tina, didn't you DNF this book over the summer? And I to that I say, yes, I did. And I am wrong. I can admit that. I'm wrong. Wrong.

Hannah (50:26)

Now we're back.

Tina (50:27)

Now we're back. So I'm holding this book. It is an arc. It doesn't even have a cover or a synopsis on it. So I don't actually know why I'm holding it because it's not really adding much to the conversation. But I do have the synopsis. And it is set in North Falls, a town where everybody knows everyone, or so they think. Until the night of the fireworks. It's the 4th of July, and two teenage girls vanish and the town ignites. You're following Officer Emmy Cliff in, and these girls disappearance is personal. She, one of the girls that is missing is her best friend's daughter. And now she's like, I've got to bring her home. And as Emmy combs through the clues the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them and nobody did. But every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding? Now, I've had a couple folks ask me, why did I DNF this initially? And I DNF'd it. It was a time and place type. No, because again, I'm showing my characters list, trying to cover any spoilers. This on the left side here are all characters, and they all kind of come out in the beginning. Now, I knew that this is going to be a new series from Slaughter. I am typically not a series girl. I'm also not a police procedural girl. I usually stick to standalones, psychological thrillers. So for me, this was a little bit of a stretch because I'm like, oh, my gosh, it's a mystery. Also, you've got a big cast of characters, characters. But she's setting it up and I just had to be patient. And I was very glad that I was able to find the patience now as I'm embarking on this challenge, because I loved this book. I loved it very much. She does a great police procedural. The other thing, though, that I will say that was bugging me is that in the beginning, right, the you find out Emmy's dad is the sheriff, and so he has sort of trained her in this career. Career, you know, for years and years at this point. And he's doing this thing called the Socratic Method, which was making me bonkers. So instead of being like, well, I think it should be over here because of this, that, and the other, he'll be like, think deeper, Emmy. Why would a girl do this? Okay, if it's not the first answer, think more. Think deeper. And I'm like, yo, we've got to just search like, we've. As though I know what I'm talking about. But it was bugging me because they would, like, stop the action to be like, but then what else? But why would they do that? And what would this uncover? And I'm like, can we get to the point? So that was just a personal pet peeve that ultimately I stopped caring about once I really got into things. Things. There are a lot of details in this one, but again, she is setting up the series well, and it feels fully fleshed out. Even the side characters feel like they have, you know, a full point of view. They have a full life that's going on over there that we're just not privy to yet, but we probably will be someday. There are badass female characters in this one. I really liked Emmy. I really like some of the other characters that we are introduced to. Also, Slaughter does impeccable research. Really gets in there and gives you the data, gives you the statistics on missing girls and how much time there is. And, like, if they're missing for X amount of time, what's the percentage that they'll be able to come home? I just really enjoyed that. There's also a little podcast element thrown in. Not in a cheesy way, sort of more in the periphery, but that does help drive the story. Listen to me. There are twists to the very end of this one. I am just delighted that I loved this. I gave it five stars. I'm ready for book two. Two Highly recommend. Pick this one up. It's We Are All Guilty Here by Karen Slaughter.

Hannah (53:49)

Okay, so this is a new series.

Tina (53:51)

Yeah.

Hannah (53:51)

From her.

Tina (53:52)

Yeah.

Hannah (53:52)

And it's a new one.

Tina (53:53)

New one. Yeah. Book one. We don't even. I don't think we know when book two is coming out yet, but I'm gonna be watching.

Hannah (53:58)

That is exciting. I like Karen Slaughter.

Tina (54:00)

Yeah, she's really good. Oh, she's dark. This is dark. So I should say that I'm laughing. This made me cry more than once. It is freaking dark. And that's not a spoiler. There's elements into this that you'll come to find out why that is. But this is dark, so just know that.

Hannah (54:16)

Yeah, I've heard. I've only read one Karen Slaughter, actually, but I've heard. I think. I think that's true. And that one was really dark. But I've heard that that's kind of what to expect from this author in general, is that she just. She goes there.

Tina (54:30)

She indeed goes there. But I'm. I'm in it now. I can't wait for book two.

Hannah (54:36)

Okay, so my next pick was actually also nominated for Historical Fiction, but I ended up picking it from the Debut Selections. So it was nominated for both, and I think that it is completely worthy of either or. And that is the Lilac People by Milo Todd. I've been talking about wanting to read this for ages, and I am so glad that I finally got to. Is set in 1932, Berlin, and we are following Bertie, who is a trans man, and his friends. And they spend carefree nights at the El Dorad, the epicenter of Berlin's thriving queer community. An employee of the renowned Dr. Magnus Hertzfeld at the Institute of Sexual Science, Bertie works to improve queer rights in Germany and beyond. But everything changes when Hitler ends up rising to power. The Institute is raided, the El Dorado is shattered, and queer people are rounded up. Bertie barely escapes with his girlfriend Sophie to a nearby farm, where they end up taking the identities of an elderly couple and live for more than a decade in isolation population on this farm in the final days of the war, with their freedom in sight, Bertie and Sophie find a young trans man who has collapsed on their property, and he is still dressed in Holocaust prison clothes. They vow to protect him not from the Nazis, but from the Allied forces who are arresting queer prisoners while liberating the rest of the country. Ironically, their only salvation ends up being fleeing to the United States. States. Okay, this. Wow. It was. It was so sad. It was absolutely devastating. And. But I'm. I am so glad that I read it. And it is such a beautiful story, and it's one of those books that has you googling and learning pieces of history that we certainly are not taught when you're talking about World War II. This is a piece of. Of the World War II literature that I truly have never read about before. And I'm so thankful to Milo Todd for writing about this particular group of people. A huge part of the Novel was this ID card that our main character held in the 1930s. Trans folks had these certificates in Germany, and it was a form of ID for those whose gender identity was different from their assigned sex at birth. When the Nazis took power, Berlin was actually an international gay hub. It was home to 100 queer bars, 25 queer journals, and the Institute for Sexual Science, which is where the world's first sex reassignment surgeries and hormone treatments were performed by gender activist Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld. But as we know, the Nazis ultimately sought to eradicate queer and trans individuals entirely. So this card actually ended up becoming a danger for gender non conforming people. And we see that in the story between Sophie and Bertie and their character storylines. A lot of this book felt educational, almost like I was reading a nonfiction. And this did feel a little bit distracting at times, but it did end up remedying itself a bit around the halfway point. And then it got extremely emotional, like I said, and just devastating, but in a really beautiful way. This didn't feel like it was was trauma dumping on you or anything like that. It was just this really important piece of history that was really hard for these people. They were living in isolation for over a decade. The writing was really lyrical and that was definitely a highlight of this book for me alongside just learning so much about this part of World War history. While the overall plot structuring and pacing at times did feel a little bit staggered and unnatural, natural, I think that's possibly just a preference for me. But also this is a debut and I'm really excited to see where Milo Todd goes in their writing. Overall, I would just highly recommend this book and the audio performance in particular, I have to say was fantastic. So if you are an audiobook listener, I would recommend that format for this book. And that is the Lilac People by Milo Todd.

Tina (58:58)

Great review. I cannot wait to read that one. Yeah, that was. I love books. Make me want to Google, make me learn or help me learn about a part of history, like with the details that I wasn't aware of. Like I didn't know that about Berlin.

Hannah (59:12)

I just, I didn't either, which is why I wanted to include that in my review because I think that it, it was not information that I knew and it was such a huge part of the book that I thought it might be a good piece to add for sure.

Tina (59:24)

Well, good job. So my shelf edition is one that is a 2026 release and it's called the Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu. Comes out on March 3rd of next year. And this is from Tin House and it says in the aftermath of her mother's death, Eleanor is unmoored for years. Her mother orchestrated every detail of her life, from meals to laundry to finances, so that Eleanor could focus on her career as a therapist. Left to navigate the world on her own, Eleanor clings to her mother's final directive. Use her inheritance to buy a house. House. Desperate to obey her mother one last time, but finding few options she can afford, Eleanor impulsively buys a model home in a valley turned construction site. A picturesque development steeped in a shadowy history. It feels like a fresh start until the rain comes. An endless torrential downpour. As water seeps in through the house's cracks, the line between what is real and what is not begins to blur. Haunted by the stories of her clients, a stream of workmen and bureaucrats she can't trust, and visions of ghosts from her past and present, Ellen Eleanor's reality unravels and she is forced to reckon with secrets she's buried in the dark choices she has made sign me up. Are you kidding? There's a therapist, there's storms, There is a creepy house. Is it mental illness or is there ghosts? Like I am ready for this one. So that one is the Valley Eventual Ghosts by Kim Fu yes, that one.

Hannah (60:52)

Sounds really good and I am also really excited about my shelf edition. Just sounds fantastic. And that is Like Family by Karen O. White. Have you heard of this one?

Tina (61:04)

Yes, I just got a copy in the mail.

Hannah (61:06)

Yes, I also just got my copy in the mail as well. This is set in Radcliffe, New York, which is an idyllic upstate town nestled in the hills and complete with artisanal bakeries, pottery studios and hidden swimming holes. We are following Ruth and her wife Win and they are living the dream. Dream, or Wind's dream at least, with their four children on their small farm, which is also the bucolic gathering place for their circle of friends. It's a sweet life, but there is a secret at its center. One that not even Ruth's best friend Caroline knows. What Caroline does know is that she loves and depends on Ruth and on the bond between their families. More than anything, she wants her tender hearted son to not grow up lonely the way that she she did. Ultimately, no one can assure her of that, especially not her husband. He just wants things to be easy, drama free, which is impossible as he has donated his sperm to his cousin Toby and her wife so that they could have kids of their own. And now all of these children are asking unanswerable questions. And after an unexpected death in their community, all three of these couples are forced to confront all of the tensions that have been long buried beneath the surface of of their lives. It says that this is richly textured and big hearted, and this exhilarating debut is an unforgettable story of the alchemy of love and loyalty that makes friends like family. So this sounds juicy and entertaining and interesting. And that is like Family by Karen O.

Tina (62:45)

White Great one. I want to read that. It sounds, I don't want to say messy because I don't want to diminish it, but it just sounds like complex, complicated.

Hannah (62:53)

Exactly. Which, you know, I love a complicated family story. So sign me up.

Tina (62:57)

All right, well, 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 and if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget, if you'd like to access to exclusive bonus content and community, please join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.

Hannah (63:24)

If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at booktalk Etc. On Instagram and YouTube, you can find Tinabrec and Hannah Handpicked Books. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books.

Tina (63:43)

While you're getting your notes. North Falls Number two on Goodreads it just says the new novel Karen Slaughter North Falls number two, published June 18th of 2026 allegedly is when we should expect to see that one hit the streets. Yay. Exciting.