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- [00:00]
A
We. Oops, there it went. Lost that thought. Oopsies. Goodbye. What was it about?
- [00:08]
B
I don't even know what direction that flew.
- [00:20]
A
Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.
- [00:27]
B
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [00:29]
A
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest mood readers more easily distracted by new releases. And today we're talking about our January books on the radar.
- [00:39]
B
If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And if you have a quick minute, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on social media. It truly helps us connect with other book lovers.
- [00:52]
A
Hi, Hannah.
- [00:53]
B
Hi, Tina. Happy New Year.
- [00:55]
A
Happy New Year. I'm so excited. I am hitting the ground running on New Year's Day. I'm like, Hannah, I'm gonna edit two videos. I'm gonna plan all of my TBR lists for the year. Did I do that? No, but I had all intentions to.
- [01:09]
B
And it's all fun stuff to do, you know, and it's at least fun stuff to think about, even if you don't get to it.
- [01:14]
A
I know. I really, I had so many plans, but I truly need another week off to do all of the book planning, the book stuff that I had wanted to do. But anyway, yeah, hopefully, you know, welcome to 2025. It's kind of crazy. We'll see how long it takes for me to say 2025 instead of 2024. But I'm excited. It's going to be a very good publication year.
- [01:39]
B
There are so many books coming out already that I'm excited about and it's only January, so I can only imagine what ones are going to be announced and released as the year progresses. It's really exciting.
- [01:50]
A
I know. I feel like there's already a lot announced. This episode was so easy to pick for because I could have done six of these EP and still had, you know, five new releases that I'm excited for. But I try to really narrow it down. You're also getting two extra January releases because my latest read came out in January, as is my current read, which we will close the show with. And that feels like an accomplishment. It feels good, you know?
- [02:16]
B
Yeah, I know. There are. Yeah. Just so many books already that I am really excited about. And I started off the year with a 2025 release that I just finished. It comes out in January. I'm not going to bring it today, but I just finished it. And I am so excited to talk about it on the show. And, yeah, I'm. I'm stoked.
- [02:39]
A
One of my goals for this year last year was a backlist year. This year, I want to get back to my new release game, you know, pushing through some and really trying to pick ones that I think are going to work for me, because I think when I get disillusioned by new releases, it's because I pick them incorrectly. I'm like, oh, this sounds good. It's for fans of whatever. And then I pick it up. I'm like, but you don't like this, this, and this trope. Why did you try it? So I'm gonna be more particular when it comes to books, and I'm not gonna get hoodwinked by their exciting synopsis. I say this knowing full well that that won't happen. But anyway, well, every once in a.
- [03:15]
B
While now, it's bound to happen. But I think, yeah, being more aware of your tastes, and I think you and I both have a tendency to, like, be excited with the community, like, about certain releases. Even if when we look at the tropes and maybe look deeper into the synopsis, it's like, this probably isn't up our alley, but it's so hard not to give into the hype. So.
- [03:35]
A
So I was reflecting on my 2024 reading, and it was funny. I. I sort of read all the books I wanted to read early in December. So I had about a week where I was, like, trying not to get too far into any books because I didn't. Whatever. I wanted to end the year on a nice, round note. But that led me to my Loving lately, which I'm excited to share about. My Loving Lately is a podcast is called Karen, and it's about the Karen Reed case. You. If people are into true crime, you may have heard about this because it's very dramatic and weird. It's about a stormy evening in January 2022, when a couple went out for drinks with friends in Canton, Massachusetts. Everything was, you know, kind of normal. They went back to this house for a house party, allegedly. But by the time the sun came up, Austin Police officer John O'Keefe turns up dead under six feet of snow. And his girlfriend, Karen Reed, is immediately suspected of striking him with her SUV and leaving him for dead. There is an investigation, obviously, but there is a lot of very conflicting things that come out about the case. A lot of things that, on the surface, you think, oh, my gosh, her tail light's broken. Yeah, she ran him over and ran away. It's a hit and run, easy open and shut case, but the podcast really does a good job unraveling all of the little inconsistencies. And there's rumors of a police cover up because he's a Boston police officer and the party they were going to had a lot of law enforcement officers there. And this trial gets national Spotlight. It was 10 weeks long. And Karen Reed becomes, you know, widely debated online. It is a podcast from Law and crime and wondering. It's only eight episodes. I thought it was really well researched, if a bit biased toward Karen's side, which I didn't fully mind. But I was also like, okay, I see this isn't like an unbiased podcast, but they really got into it, really did a good job with sharing interviews, sharing, you know, testimony of people being interviewed. I felt like I was in the jury, which I love when podcasts do that because I feel like now sitting here, having listened to it, I know where I stand with Karen. I know how I would have voted had I been on the jury. But I'm still confused as to what happened overall. But it's a reminder that that doesn't matter. You know, when you're looking at a case, we all are innocent until proven guilty. And I guess the question is, did the prosecutors do a good enough job building their case with Beyond a shadow of a doubt. This one is really good. If you like true crime podcasts, especially ones that are not overly gruesome, I think this could be a really good listen for you. I was, I did it in the course of like two days. I had a couple projects I was working on and I could not stop listening to it. And I want more, frankly. So this was great. It's Karen, the podcast By Law in Crime and Wondery.
- [06:25]
B
It sounds like it was really. It really gave a deep dive into the trial, et cetera. And that process. So sounds like that might be something good to, to dig into if that's a part of like the crime process that you're interested in. Because not all true crime stories, like, really dive into the trial.
- [06:43]
A
Yes. And I love that part. That's like some of my favorite when you get to like, feel like you're making the decision with them. You don't know what happened to her or what's going on with this case currently. Like, don't Google it because I didn't really know. I remember seeing online, you know, some folks on TikTok talking about it. That's how it got my attention. But, like, I didn't know the ins and outs and I would say go in blind if you don't know this case because it was really interesting.
- [07:07]
B
Yeah. Okay. So my loving lately is kind of an experience that I've really been loving, but a very particular one. So I love cozy gaming and audiobook listening. It is just the perfect duo for me. But it is really hard to find a game that is. Is good for listening because a lot of the games that I like are heavy on the story and it is so hard to, like, read and pay attention to another story, obviously, while you are listening to an audiobook. So. But it's also hard to find cozy games that are still interesting and fun, but that. That don't require a lot of, like, reading and text and things like that. So I had brought lemon cake before, which I think is a really good option. I still play that every once in a while, but the game is pretty short and it's also pretty chaotic, so it works. But my new favorite, and Tina, you have brought this to the show as a loving lately before, and that is Stardew Valley on my Nintendo Switch. And not only am I loving the game, but I am particularly loving it for this reading experience that I love and look for. There is so because it's a farming simulation game, there is a lot of tedious work that's honestly pretty mindless that you have to do to get your farm up and running in Stardew Valley. So, you know, while I'm on my fishing expeditions or watering my crops or, you know, farming for iron and copper in the mines, I can listen to an audiobook while I'm still able to play this game and be fully engaged. So every once in a while, if there's a story part happening or, you know, there's some text to read, I can pause my audiobook, but never for more than like five minutes or so. Last night, I now granted, this audiobook was only, I think, like six hours in length and I was listening to it around like 1.82 times speed. And I sat and started the audiobook and I was like, oh, I'll just get started on this audiobook while I play my game. Before bed, I listened to the whole audiobook and I didn't even know. And I didn't even know. So not only is this game perfect for, you know, my gamer heart, it is also perfect for my reading life. And what better combo is there? So my loving lately is cozy gaming and audiobook listening, specifically with Stardew Valley.
- [09:35]
A
I am so glad you Got into this. Jonathan and I are experts in Stardew Valley. Not me. He really is, like, truly. If you were to see his farm, it looks like he's playing a different game because he's so advanced. He's like, on Ginger Island. I mean, this man is like, very into this game.
- [09:50]
B
She's just good at it.
- [09:52]
A
I'm more of a casual player. I'm like, oh, you know, I just like picking my blueberries and, you know, I like to talk to the villagers. He's like, I haven't talked to a single person, but I fully co signed this. And I was doing that last night as well. I had my audiobook in and it was a thriller because that's another thing I want to focus on this year is I love mystery thriller. Like, I didn't read very many last year, especially new buzzy ones. So I'm like, this is like. Feels like me. It feels like coming home, you know. But I'm glad you got into it.
- [10:18]
B
Yes. So into it. And I have literally. I mean, I have messaged Tina and John a little bit about my current Stardew obsession, but I have also, like, every time I go in to say something, I'm like, but am I talking about this too much?
- [10:31]
A
There's no such thing. There's no such thing. When I tell you, like, we, I'm with you. Like, I know all the villagers, like, we. Please never, never question. This is something you shouldn't be messaging us because we're very into it. Trust me.
- [10:44]
B
Okay, good, good.
- [10:45]
A
Good to know.
- [10:46]
B
Well, I'm glad that the three of us not only have found our community in books, but our. Our community in. In Pelican Town.
- [10:52]
A
In Pelican Town. Oh, my gosh. I know. And I want another game that's like, similar. Maybe I'll try lemon cake. I don't know. Cause I don't have a switch. I do it on my iPad. So you don't need a switch to do this. You could do it on. Don't do it on your phone. Too small. But you can do it on your iPad or it's also on PlayStation.
- [11:09]
B
Oh, nice.
- [11:09]
A
Anyway, I'm back on my Stardew game as well. That's how I spent part of our winter break. So we'll get into our books, our buzzy books. And earlier I was talking about how I like to get ahead of the curve if I can. Ahead of the buzz. Because this book is going to be everywhere in 2025. It's going to be one of the buzziest books for the year. I just know it. And I'm here to tell you, you know how it goes with buzzy books, right? There's excitement. People read it, love it, then too many people read it and love it, and then people hate it. And then it circles back. So I can total this. My book that I'm referencing is the Favorites by Lane Fargo. Now, you might know Lane Fargo's name. She is the author of they Never Learn, which is one of my favorite mystery and thrillers. This is totally a departure for her because this one is contemporary fiction, not a thriller at all. It is about ice dancers and it's an epic love story set in the world of elite figure skating and again, ice dancing. Specifically, it is about this duo, Kat and Heath. Katerina Shaw came from kind of. They both came from a hard scrabble life. They had to really work to get where they're where they are. But she has always known that she is destined to be an Olympic skater. That's her goal. She wants to get to the Olympics and win the gold. She meets Heath when they're kids. He's a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system and they have this instant connection. And that connection really sets them apart from some of their competitors who are just put together because, oh, daddy's rich and you need a partner and this and that. They are magnetic. And so in order to escape their turbulent lives, they basically get on the road and go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers. And they captivate the world. They've got this chemistry. They're rebellious. They, like don't fit the perfect mold. And then a shocking incident at the Olympics brings their partnership to a sudden end. And what's so interesting about this book is that it is multimedia. So on the 10 year anniversary of their final skate, there is an unauthorized documentary that's released to the public that sort of gets everybody talking again about Shaw and Rosha. And they claim to know the real story. And they got this story through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with it, but can't stand the thought of somebody producing this for her. And so finally, after a decade of silence, she's telling her story and comes clean about everything that happened. This book is so good. I was in it from top to bottom. I started it in print. I was reading it and I could just tell. I'm like, okay, this is going to be exemplary on audio. So I sort of paused it and I really wanted to have this as one of my first 2025 read. So I literally paused it until I could get my hands on the audio. And I finished it in January this year. It was so good. Even better. When you switch to audio, it is a book with complex characters and you not love them, but you definitely will not be able to look away from them. It's a book for people who like stories about athletics. It's about class. It's about ice dancing itself. And it's sort of, I think, inspired by Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. And it was so good that it made me want to read that book, because I'm like, well, maybe I should try that. I don't know. Like, maybe I read classics now. Who am I? This book is so juicy. It's so dramatic. I thought it was perfect. Now, I know a lot of readers say I don't like to be emotionally manipulated. And I feel like this book does that. That is my catnip. Manipulate me. Give me all the emotions. Make me feel. Make me care about these people. And this book definitely did that. I'm gonna stop talking. Cause I'm gonna spoil it. Please, if you read this, feel free to message me. This is one of my favorites of 2025. I'm calling it now. This book is the favorites by Lane Fargo. Ugh.
- [14:52]
B
I'm so glad you loved that one.
- [14:55]
A
I have to say something before I forget audio. Johnny Weir narrates. One of the characters, Johnny Weir from Figure Skating. He's a narrator in Figure Skating. He's like this very flamboyant sort of character in its own. There's a character in the book that, like, reminds me of Johnny Weir, and he flipping narrates. I was like, oh, my God, it's so good. There's so many good narrators, though. Yeah, it's a full cast. It's excellent.
- [15:17]
B
I love a full cast. And I think that it definitely speaks to this book, too, that it's. It's pretty long, isn't it? I mean, it's kind of a chunky book. And you said that it had you, like, from beginning to end the whole time. That's high praise for a big book.
- [15:31]
A
It is. You're right. And I kept thinking, where's this gonna go? Where are we going from here? I loved it.
- [15:37]
B
Yay. So good. Well, it's exciting to have a new release that you're already so excited about to start the year strong. My latest read is kind of a little bit different. It's actually a book pairing that I read together, and I'm bringing them this way. Because I already mentioned one of the books in our favorites episode, the Indifferent Stars above by Daniel James Brown. And then right afterward, I read a fictional retelling of this story. So I'm kind of bringing these back to back because I think that my experience in reading them together and back to back really elevated how much I enjoyed. Well, definitely how much I enjoyed the fictional book. So to kind of give you an idea, the Indifferent Stars above by Daniel James Brown is an actual journalistic account of the Donner Party. They traveled the Oregon Trail, and they were known as, like, cannibals. And it's like a survival story. And the author who wrote this book was really. He really wanted to come at this story with a more sympathetic and, like, survivalist approach. And so he followed the journals, specifically of one person on the trail named Sarah Fosdick. And she was one of the survivors of this incident. And really, through her experience and everybody else on the trail, he kind of recounts how things ended up the way they ended up, and, like, exactly where the missteps happened along the way. And he really gives us a deep dive into each of these people and how their particular choices impacted decisions that were made that ended them in this really horrific experience on the trail. So. So that book was beautiful. It was so well done, very feminist, especially for a book that's a little bit older and written by a man. I. I give him props for that. And then after that, I was so. And this happens to me. I mean, it happens with Stardew Valley, with books, whatever. Like, when I get into something, I am on the Google trail. Like, I am into it. I. I just got so obsessed with, like, looking at portraits of all of these people. I was like, I want to know who these people are. I want to know what they look like. And so my husband, he had read the Hunger by Alma Katsu a few years ago, and he was like, did you ever read that? Like, you should read it next, since you're so kind of into this story and obsession at the moment. So I hadn't. And I had kept the book from when he read it. And I was like, you know what? I'm going to read these back to back because it's December airport rules. I can read whatever I want. And I picked this up right after finishing the Indifferent Stars Above. And this is a horror retelling of the Donner Party. But what is cool about the Hunger is that the author uses all of the people. Like, she doesn't change their names, and she uses all of those real people as characters in the book. So having just done, like, a deep dive on these characters through this real journalistic account and then reading this fictional story about these characters, it was kind of fun to be like, oh, yeah, that was this person, you know. Oh, that's cool. How they integrated this actual real story about, you know, what happened to this woman into this fictional account. So the Hunger is a horror novel, recounts the Donner Party and follows these characters as they try to figure out what is going on with these horrors, with people who are disappearing and becoming. They're finding them, you know, mutilated on the trail. We obviously know what really happened in the real account. This was a really creative reimagining, and I feel like the author provided a lot of respect for the characters and their actual stories as it related to what actually happened. The author's note is great. I'm really passionate about reading the author's note, and she really kind of tells you what inspired her to write this story and why she did, what she fictionalized and what she kept the same. So, yeah, all in all, I really loved both of these books and specifically reading them together. If you enjoy both nonfiction and then retelling, like, historical retellings of events, I definitely recommend picking both of these books up. Bonus points if you read them together like I did, because the experience was unmatched. And that is the Indifferent Stars above by Daniel James Brown and the Hunger by Alma Katsu.
- [20:08]
A
I'm so excited. Definitely love the Hunger, One of my favorite historical horror books, you know.
- [20:14]
B
Yes.
- [20:14]
A
I think it kind of got me into historical horror. But, yeah, my holds came in for the Indifferent Stars Above. Definitely going to pick that up soon. I have it on audio. I've gotten it in ebook, so it could be happening. I can't wait to tell you about it.
- [20:26]
B
Yay. Can't wait for you to read it.
- [20:28]
A
All right, we're going to dive right in. I mean, we've built the anticipation, baby. Let's talk about some of the books that are coming out in January. I'll start. The first one that I have on my radar is the Three Lives of Kate K by Kate Fagan. This comes out on January 7th. My first critique with it. I don't like that there are two Kates in this. The title has C A T E, and the author is K A T E. And that makes me a little confused. But the book is comped to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and First Lie Wins. And I'm like, you know what? I want to know more. It is A debut. And it's about a best selling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past. So Kate K. Knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she's one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, K. Doesn't really exist. She's never attended author events or granted any interviews. And her real identity has been a closely guarded secret until now. As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams. And Kate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Kate understands that returning home is the only way she'll be a whole person again. I love con stories. I'm curious about the Evelyn Hugo comp. I guess it's like sort of the true story behind somebody that's uber famous. I'm sure authors are like rolling their eyes right now. Like, really? She got so famous and like no one knows her identity. But it happened. Elena Ferrante. Right? No one actually knows who that is. So anyway, I think this one has some potential. And that is the Three Lives of Kate K by Kate Fagan.
- [22:14]
B
Yeah, this one is definitely on my radar too. I wonder, I always wonder what the choices are with names, with characters, especially in situations like this where the author's name is Kate and then she decided to name her character Kate. Why, like Kate Kate? Yeah, and Ginger spelled it differently.
- [22:30]
A
I don't know. Kate, if you're listening, let us know. Let us know.
- [22:34]
B
Okay, so my first one is one that I have actually already read. It is a January release, but I have not talked about it on the show. So it is still new to you. And that is Isola by Allegra Goodman. And I had originally picked this book up because I really liked this author's previous work, Sam, and I didn't read the synopsis. I'm kind of glad though, because I don't know if I would have picked this one up. It is so different. It is so different from her other story. However, it is so good and so gripping. This is about Marguerite, who is heir to a fortune. She is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility, but then she is orphaned and her guardian, who is this really mysterious and like, quietly volatile man, ends up spending her inheritance on, you know, like piracy and gambling and nefarious activities and Insists that she accompany him on an expedition, a new expedition that he is going on to France. So she is isolated, she's afraid, she's alone, she doesn't know her guardian, and he is secretive and volatile, so there is a lot of fear and uncertainty there. But Marguerite ends up defending her guardian's servant, and the two of them develop a intense friendship that grows to attraction. But then their relationship is discovered, and the story really picks up from here, where they end up being punished and they are abandoned on this small island with no hope of rescue. And we follow the story of these two women from here. And, oh, this story was just really captivating and gripping. I think that if you really enjoy feminist stories, if you really enjoy tales of survival and resilience, especially with women, then this would be a great one to pick up. I'm just stoked that one of the books that I'm bringing I've already read and can really vouch for. This one comes out on January 27th, and that is Isola by Allegra Goodman.
- [24:44]
A
That sounds so good. It actually sounds vaguely like Fingersmith, which is interesting.
- [24:50]
B
Yeah. And that's another one where I think I really need to be more mindful of picking up historical fiction like this. That might seem a little bit slower, but it's very immersive. And after you brought Fingersmith and me reading this book, I'm like, are we immersive historical fiction people? Do we need to read more of that in the coming year?
- [25:12]
A
I think we do.
- [25:13]
B
I think we do.
- [25:14]
A
The number of times we've said that, we actually had a historical fiction episode on the books, and we punted it for something else. I don't even know what, but.
- [25:22]
B
Well, it's coming in 2025, baby.
- [25:24]
A
Coming in 2025. We've got 50 weeks to get it together.
- [25:28]
B
We sure do. We do.
- [25:30]
A
All right. My next book is Is Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslet. This comes out on January 7th, and it's about a mother and son who've been estranged for years who have to grapple with the shared secret that drove their lives apart. It's a story of family forgiveness and how a fleeting act of violence can change a life forever. So it's about Peter, who is 40. He works as an asylum lawyer in New York City. He's very overworked and sort of lonely. He spends his days immersed in the struggles of immigrants, only to return to an empty apartment and occasional hookups with a man who wants more than Peter can give. But when the asylum case of a young Gay man pierces Peter's numbness. The event that ha. The event that he has avoided for 20 years returns to haunt him. You also come to know Ann, his mom, who runs a women's retreat center that she had founded after leaving Peter's father. And she's very hurt that Peter has decided to not be in contact with her, but cherishes the life that she's built. She put the decision that made Peter leave her behind her a long time ago. But as Peter's case plunges him further into the fraught memory of his first love, in the night of violence that changed his life, he and his mother must confront the secret that tore them apart. I'm so into this. It's going to be emotional. It's going to have a lot of depth. And I have to know. I really want to know what the thing was. I want to know. It sounds like the dad wasn't all that mom left him. So I'm very intrigued and I want to read something literary. So that's Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett.
- [27:00]
B
Yeah, I love books that explore family dynamics in general, but especially like mother, son or mother, daughter relationships is right up my alley. So that one sounds really good.
- [27:10]
A
I think it. I think it will be.
- [27:12]
B
Yeah.
- [27:13]
A
Obviously.
- [27:14]
B
Obviously, that's why we're bringing them. So my next one is what happens to the McCraes by Tracy Lang. And I read her book We Are the Brennans and really liked it a lot. So that's what initially drew me to this one. It comes out on January 14th. And this one is about Kyle McRae, who gets word that his father has suffered a debilitating stroke and he returns to his hometown. That's automatically buzzword for me. Returns to hometown in New York, where he doesn't expect a warm welcome because Kyle left suddenly two and a half years ago, abandoning the people in his family and the people that he loved. His. His colleagues and his coworkers and all of his closest friends. Not to mention Casey, who was his wife of 16 years and also a pretty big figure in town. She's a beloved teacher in town. He left her, too. So he plans to lie low, help his dad recuperate until he can leave again. Especially after Casey makes it clear, probably for obvious reasons, that she wants him gone. She doesn't want anything to do with him anymore. But the longer that he's home, the more he understands the impact of his departure. And he does some reflecting about the impact that his leaving had on the people that he left behind. He's Presented with an opportunity for redemption as the coach of the floundering middle school hockey team. And he begins a journey of compassion in unexpected places. And he even considers staying in his hometown. But that is only possible if he and Kasey can come to some kind of peace with one another. So, again, I love stories about returning to your hometown. I love stories that actually offer redemption. So, like, makes you kind of not like the character at first, but then also offers believable, redeeming qualities after they've done reflecting. I really like that in a story. So I think that that has some potential here. And that is what happened to the McCraes by Tracy Lange.
- [29:18]
A
Yep. I think I enjoyed that one, too. The one with the Irish pub.
- [29:22]
B
We are the Brennans.
- [29:22]
A
We are the Brennans. I remember the Irish pub. I remember. Yeah, a lot about that. I recommended that to my friends specifically because I was like, I think you'd like the ending of this.
- [29:30]
B
Yes.
- [29:31]
A
I digress. My next book is called Confessions by Catherine Airey. And I found this because I was on fantastic fiction, the website, and I saw Miranda Cowley Heller had recommended this, and she blurbed it. I'm like, okay, this is a debut, apparently. It's for fans of the Goldfinch and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and tomorrow. It's an absorbing debut that follows three generations of women from New York to rural Ireland and back again. And what one of my buzzwords, forgive me, is something that sort of centers on 9, 11, or, you know, in part takes place during that. So it opens in New York city in late September 2001. The walls of the city are papered over with photos of the missing. Cora Bradley's father is there, and the poster she made is taped to columns and bridges. So this woman is looking for her dad, and then she gets a letter from an aunt she didn't know existed in Ireland with the offer of a new life. And the name jogs a memory. She sort of realizes that, oh, you know what? I've heard of this person before. She used to play there as a child. The book heads over to Ireland. You flashback to 1974, when an eclectic group of artists known as the screamers arrive in Burtonport and move into the old schoolhouse. Da da da da da. Look, there's people back there, right? It's gonna connect at some point. There's a lot of details in the synopsis and a lot of names that I'm like, you know what? I don't need that. But what it does, something happens, right? And what the thing that happens, the Inciting incident sets into motion a chain of events that will put an ocean between the sisters and threaten to tear them apart forever. You also get another point of view in 2018, like a Bradley Lives with her mom, and an unexpected message from a childhood friend sends her searching for her house's mysterious attic. If the author pulls this off, I think it could be really interesting because it's a story about, you know, generations old grudges, things that tear people apart and how that can, like, pass on to their ancestors. And I'm curious to see how this is going to go. It's Confessions by Katherine Airy.
- [31:31]
B
This one is definitely one that came on my radar because of the COVID The COVID is really unique, really striking, and it sounds like it's going to be a really good one. I'll be curious to see how much buzz this one gets, if any. I'm always curious. I'm always curious about that. Okay. My next one is I'll Come to you by Rebecca Kaufman. This comes out on January 7th, and this is a modern and classic story of family and chronicles the intersecting lives over the course of one year. So it's set in 1995 and anchored by the anticipation and arrival of a child within this family. And this is going to explore overlapping narratives involving a couple who have struggled to become pregnant. This experience has both softened and hardened them. And it's about a woman whose husband of 40 years has left her for reasons that he is unwilling to share, and the man who is now disastrously attempting to woo her. It's about a couple in denial about looming health crisis and their son who is fumbling toward middle age and can't stop lying and getting into trouble. And ultimately, all of these storylines crescendo and converge and come together into a dramatic and harrowing turn of events. I love stories like this for multiple reasons. I love a book set in a very specific time frame, like over the course of a year or over the course of a set amount of time. And I love books about multiple storylines that kind of crescendo like this and converge together. So this one sounds really good. It says that it is sweeping and yet compact and investigates themes of intimacy, memory, loss, grief and reconciliation. And that is I'll Come for your by Rebecca Kaufman.
- [33:30]
A
I love Rebecca Kaufman and I'm excited about this one.
- [33:33]
B
It will actually be my first from this author. I know she wrote the book Chorus, which I think was pretty well received the year that it came out, but I haven't read it yet, although that one is still on my tbr. So, you know, who knows? But this one in particular sounded really interesting to me.
- [33:50]
A
Yeah, she wrote the Gunners, which I loved last year. That almost made my top 10. Just narrowly didn't. Anyway, my.
- [33:59]
B
I forgot that that was written by her.
- [34:01]
A
Yeah, I know. It's like, not her. The one she's like, the most known for.
- [34:05]
B
Yeah.
- [34:05]
A
All right. My next one is called We Do Not Part by Han Kang. And it is a book that I am. Okay, so she wrote the book the Vegetarian that I read last year and I did not like. I could totally see the writing as the strength, but the subject was like, way too out there for me personally. But the plot for this one really got me because it tells the story of friendship between two women and also unravels a hidden chapter of Korean history and sort of reckons with that. And it starts on one winter morning when a woman receives an urgent message from her friend to visit her at a hospital in Seoul. And this woman had been injured in an accident and begs her friend to return to Jeju island, where she lives to save her beloved pet, a white bird called Amma. Then a snowstorm hits the island when the woman arrives, and she's trying to get to her friend's house at all costs, but the icy wind and squalls slow her down. As the night begins to fall, she wonders if she will arrive in time to save the animal or even survive the terrible cold herself. She gets lost in a world of snow, yet she doesn't suspect what's going to happen to her. This blurs the boundaries, and I knew it would, between dream and reality, but it powerfully illuminates a forgotten chapter in Korean history that had been buried for decades, which I want to know more about. And brings to light the lost voices of the past to save them from oblivion. This is said to be a hymn to an enduro friendship and an argument for remembering. It's a story of profound love in the face of unspeakable violence and a celebration of life, however fragile it might be. I gotta know more. I'm very curious about this one. Read with Nella, who I really like on Instagram. Like, loved this. She read this early or late last year, so I'm curious. It's We Do Not Part by Han Kang.
- [35:51]
B
Oh, nice to have some early reviews too.
- [35:54]
A
Yeah, it's really fun to.
- [35:55]
B
From people that we trust.
- [35:56]
A
Especially love when we get that.
- [35:58]
B
Yeah, especially when you maybe haven't liked another author's work but are considered considering trying them again. I feel like that's really helpful. My next pick is Dark Motherland by Samrat Appadhai. And this is a book from a Nepali author, and it is filled with lovers and widows, dictators and descendants, fundamentalists and people in power with their eyes on the throne. So this one definitely sounds like we have a lot of people involved in. In some political play. And it is also set in an earthquake ravaged, dystopian reimagining of Nepal. So I am always going to be trying those dystopian novels, especially ones that are kind of reimagining of someone's home country, their. Their home politics and environment. And this one involves two intertwining narratives. We have a revolutionary's daughter and she becomes ensnared in the family politics of the person that she ends up marrying and their family. And then there is the tale of the dark motherland's new dictator and his mistress. She undergoes radical body changes and grows into a figure of immense power. And this is a book about those two storylines and how they converge. This is a romp through vast space of a globalized universe where personal ambitions are inextricably tied to political fortunes and where individual identities are shaped by family pressures and social reigns. So this one sounds like it's going to have a lot to say. I hope it says it well. I have high hopes. And that is Dark Motherland by Samrat Appadye.
- [37:45]
A
Good job on that one. I also considered bringing it and I was like, I am a little confused. So sure.
- [37:52]
B
It sounds like it's got a lot of complex themes and kind of stories that we're following and things like that. So I can like that. I can like that. And this one in particular sounds really interesting, I think because it's dystopian in particular. That is kind of what called to me. It kind of sounds like a less fantastical the fifth season.
- [38:11]
A
Okay.
- [38:12]
B
By N.K.
- [38:13]
A
Jemisin.
- [38:14]
B
By N.K. jEMISIN. Yes. Because of those kind of political conversations and conversations around queerness and identity and how that plays into global structures and all of that stuff, so. And I really like that book and I like stories like that, so hopefully this one works for me.
- [38:31]
A
Yeah, for sure. And sometimes, though, we were just saying I get distracted by a really, like, splashy synopsis and that's all there is. And so I'm in. I'm into ones that are a little bit harder to describe. The only way to know is try.
- [38:44]
B
You gotta try it. Exactly.
- [38:46]
A
Okay. All right. My last book is Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton. This one comes out on January 28th. And I'm putting this on my list because she is the author of Hollow Kingdom. And that book was so wild and wacky and fantastic. And this is another fantastically funny story featuring a cast of colorful characters in a dying Italian village and a giant truffle that changes their fate forever. Now, I don't know what a truffle is. I have to tell you. Animal, vegetable, mineral. Like I know it goes on food. Is it a mushroom? I am uncle, so hopefully I can get some of that answered while reading this. This listen to the synopsis. After nearly losing the election to a geriatric donkey, newly installed mayor Delicia Mitucci can't help but feel the sun has finally set on the rural Italian village that they live in. Tourists only stop to ask for directions. Nona Amera's cherished restaurant is long shuttered, and the town hall is disgustingly overrun with gliss. Gliss poo. I looked that up. It's like a mouse. And even the postman has been disgraced. All that's left is the bar, a rustic establishment where weary locals gather to quibble over decades long disputes, submit their poor stomachs to the bartender's volcanic espresso, and wonder what will become of the place where together they've spent their entire lives. Little do the villagers know that local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpaza had just happened upon something that could change everything. A truffle. Un tartuffo, that is, that sits beneath the soil with the power to either be the greatest gift or the foulest curse the village has ever seen. I'm literally smiling while I'm reading this because I think it just sounds so wild. What on earth was the inspiration for this? I don't know, but I want to read this and it sounds great to me. It's Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton.
- [40:35]
B
Yeah, that one sounds really good. This was one of the Libro FM's, like, advanced listener copy choices for January. And I definitely looked into it because cover is so striking too. It just has a really pretty cover. So I'm glad that you brought this one because it's definitely one that I was interested in learning more about.
- [40:53]
A
Did you read Hallow Kingdom?
- [40:55]
B
I didn't because I struggle with books where the narrator is not human.
- [41:01]
A
Yeah, I love that.
- [41:01]
B
And I believe that Hollow Kingdom was narrated by, like, the main characters are animals.
- [41:06]
A
I think he's a crow.
- [41:07]
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I feel you.
- [41:09]
A
It's.
- [41:09]
B
I'm not against it. It's just one of those things where, I don't know, I can't even say that I don't like it because I haven't read enough. I just have struggled with that concept, so. But I don't know, maybe, maybe I'd be into trying something like that.
- [41:22]
A
It's weird as can be, but it's great anyway.
- [41:24]
B
Oh, I didn't know that you read it.
- [41:26]
A
Yeah, no, I loved it. It was funny and just weird. That's all I can say.
- [41:31]
B
Yeah, okay. Well, that makes me a little bit more interested in it because I feel like you and I both are people who enjoy weirder books. But if it's like too weird and outlandish, then, you know, it can be iffy. So knowing that you liked it, I feel like gives me an idea that I. I might potentially be into something like that too. So. Okay. My last pick is called We Rip the World Apart by Charlene Carr. This is about 24 year old Karila who discovers she is pregnant with a child that she is not sure that she wants. And she is struggling to understand her place in the world as a biracial woman. Her mother, Evelyn, fled to Canada with her husband and their firstborn child during the politically charged Jamaican exodus in 1980, only to realize that they had come to a place where black men are viewed at with suspicion. And this is a constant reality. And Evelyn is watching her husband and her son daily and being very hyper vigilant. Years later, in the aftermath of her son's murder by the police, Evelyn's mother in law, Violet, moves in, offering young Carilla a link to the Jamaican heritage that she has never fully known. Despite Violet's efforts to help them through this grief, the traumas that they carry grow into a web of secrets that threaten the family that they really love. And in present day, we're then following Karila as she is prompted by the fear and uncertainty about this new life that she carries and what she has now learned about her family. And she really grapples and comes to term with the mysteries surrounding her family's past and also how that impacts her own identity and how she sees herself and views herself. She has this need to make sense of both her identity and her future. So there's a lot here. We're weaving through a lot of different narratives of these women and across multiple timelines and their heritage and how their heritage impacts the way they view themselves and their future. I really like stories that weave together multiple timelines, especially as it relates to a family's history. And I am really excited about this one, that is We Rip the World Apart by Charlene Carr. Oh. And it comes out on January 28th.
- [43:51]
A
All right, sounds good to me. Shall we wrap things up with what we're currently reading? Is that the time?
- [43:57]
B
It's the time. Let's hear it. What are you currently reading right now?
- [44:00]
A
Right now? I just finished. I finished a book late last night. I'm like, okay, I need to get into another one. I am back on my mystery and thriller game. So I picked up Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. And I like this author. She's read some that I love, she's read some that I did not care for. But I am 22% in and I'm sad. I'm ready to see what this book is going to bring me.
- [44:22]
B
Good.
- [44:22]
A
Ooh. It's got multiple points of view and it's basically about a man whose wife disappeared and he is an author and totally derailed, obviously. And he goes to this remote Scottish cottage and tries to write his next book. And while he's there, he thinks he sees his wife. Anyway, lots of secrets, lots of twists and turns. Good on audio. And I'm ready to see where this is going to take me. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Audio for giving me the ALC for this one. That one's beautiful. Ugly by Alice Feeney.
- [44:53]
B
Yeah, I have only read. Actually, I think that we are the opposite because. Because I've only read his and hers and then I read Rock Paper Scissors and I really liked Rock Paper Scissors, but I didn't like his and Hers. And I think that you're the opposite.
- [45:07]
A
I am the opposite. I did not care for the Snowman.
- [45:11]
B
Rock Paper Scissors. Yeah. I think that it's funny to learn, like, what people. I don't know, just what people like and don't like specifically with mystery and thrillers because I feel like there are so many buzzwords and anti buzzwords for certain people with that particular genre.
- [45:26]
A
Especially that genre.
- [45:27]
B
Yes. Yes. Always so fun to hear about that. So my current read pairs great with my loving lately that I brought because I am currently reading the Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields. And this is a cozy fantasy and perfect for my cozy gaming era. This is the one that I started after I finished that book last night. This was what I picked up because I was like, I should probably read something cozy to go along with my cozy gaming. So it's a vibe. I'm really enjoying it. I am not far in. I'm about 10% in. But so far the audio in particular is really great. Hard to tell exactly where the story is going because I'm right in the beginning, but I am definitely into it. I'm really enjoying the audio and I'm excited to see where it goes. And that is the Honey Witch by Courtney J. Shield.
- [46:16]
A
That feels like a U book, so I'm glad you're reading it. Yes.
- [46:19]
B
Yeah, I'm excited to potentially bring it. And yeah. Cozy fantasy.
- [46:25]
A
Let's do it.
- [46:26]
B
Let's do it.
- [46:27]
A
That's it for today. We thank you for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show notes. And if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grow our audience. And don't forget, if you'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.
- [46:52]
B
If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us at booktalk etc mail.com you can also connect with us both at booktok Etc on Instagram and Tina TVR etc and Hannah at handpickedbooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books.
- [47:21]
A
Scottish. Scottish.
- [47:23]
B
Scottish Cottage. It is a Scottish cottage or I like that. That's a new word. Scottish.
- [47:30]
A
Scottish.