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- [00:00]
A
Also, we're from the Midwest. Every once in a while we just get excited. We just keep talking and we just talk faster and it just happens. Sorry.
- [00:16]
B
Welcome to Book Talk Etc. A podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc and I'm.
- [00:22]
A
Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
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B
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And this week we are sharing our books on the radar.
- [00:33]
A
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.
- [00:46]
B
Hey everyone, it is the start of a brand new month so we wanted to take the time to invite you to join us on Patreon. Our Patreon Group is such a wonderful, supportive community of readers and if you've ever wanted your reading life to be a little bit more social, this is a great way to find that connection. Becoming a patron is a great way to financially support our podcast, meet other readers, get access to bonus content and keep the main show ad free. For $5 a month. You get access to two bonus episodes and one live event as well as invites to our Book Talk, Etc Discord Server, Facebook Group and monthly Community Read. You also have access to everything we've created since we've started, which is a ton. So in January we have got some new things coming up for you. We are going to be hosting two live reading special Rinse to help us kick off the new year strong. We are going to offer an episode of Niche Novels. We are also going to do a bonus episode called Bookstore the Hand Sell. So our bookstore browse episode is going to be on the main show and after those episodes are recorded we'll spend extra time with the booksellers to ask them for tailored book recommendations based on our patrons reading requests and Hannah and I will share some of our recommendations too. Our community read for January is the highly anticipated Skylark by Paula Maclean which is a historical fict novel that is set in Paris. If you're Interested, head to patreon.com booktalk etc or look for the link in our show notes. Thank you so much for your support. Hi Hannah.
- [02:14]
A
Hey Tina. Great job. I am so excited for January. We have so much great stuff coming and I'm so excited about our community read.
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B
I'm excited too. I've heard good things about it. Sort of early buzz I know people are getting excited about it. Happy New Year to the listeners. We are, I mean a the new year 2026. I feel like I get so hyped for the new Year. I don't know what it is. I think it's just the type A and me, we get a clean slate. We've started our new reading year. Have you finished any books yet for 2026?
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A
Yes, I finished one and it felt so good because I finished it on January 1st.
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B
And you and I are.
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A
No, go ahead.
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B
You and I are similar because I read a couple of. I read like, I don't know, 25 pages in a book, so. So I carried it over though, into 2026.
- [03:05]
A
Me too.
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B
So I was like, I don't. I don't care. I don't mind. So I was also able to finish a book on the first two, which I love to do every year, and I really enjoyed it. And y' all will hear about it here in just a bit.
- [03:13]
A
Yeah. Ooh, we get to hear about it today.
- [03:16]
B
You do. I know. It sort of bumped some of the other re books I was going to bring because it comes out in January.
- [03:21]
A
Oh, well, perfect timing.
- [03:24]
B
Look at me go. Look at you go. That is one of my unspoken goals that I'll probably forget about. But I do like. I do like the idea of bringing to our books on the rad our podcast episodes. I like the idea of bringing and reading one of the that month's releases.
- [03:40]
A
Oh, I like that.
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B
That would be fun. So we'll see if I.
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A
Something fresh for people.
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B
Yeah. You know me, I need an as though I need another goal or another thing to strive toward. But I will kick things off with my loving lately. If you're ready for that.
- [03:54]
A
I am. Let's do it.
- [03:56]
B
All right. So my loving lately is another Jonathan find. I swear to you, this man has great taste. It is an Etsy company that sells a lot of different things, but specifically oils for your diffuser. It is called Country Road Candle Company and they are out of Summersville, West Virginia. And so they sell all sorts of things that smell good, like non toxic soap, wax diffusers, laundry detergent, laundry boosters. And Jonathan bought our girls little diffusers for their bedrooms. And we didn't have many oils. Like I'm talking. I had one from like a, like an MLM party from 10 years ago. I'm like, okay, this oil is crusty. Like this is no longer usable. And so he ended up making an order from them. And it came super quick. I swear it Came in like a couple days. But what I love is that this is a big bottle. This is an essential oil or it's a diffuser oil specifically. And you add four to five drops to your diffuser and it contains essential and synthetic frank fragrance oils. What I love is that this is 2 ounces that I'm holding. So I feel like this is going to last a really long time. And they have such unique smells. This one I'm holding, it' called Sweater Weather. I love it so much. It smells just like the candle from Bath and Body Works. It is fantastic. And they also have a ton of unique smells. Like they have a coffee shop one, they have pineapple, and then they have some of your more staples like vanilla or teakwood, mahogany. The price is right. This was $9 per bottle, so nothing crazy. Although Jonathan did go a little bit crazy with how many he got. I think he had some sort of coupon or free shipping or God only knows what. So we got to sample a lot of different smells. But I' really excited about this shop. I will link that in the show notes below. And again, if you are a diffuser person or, you know, if you like your house smelling good, I think this is a really good way to get that done. My loving lately is an Etsy company called Country Road Candle Company.
- [05:51]
A
I need to be better about having a diffuser. I've always wanted one and I keep thinking about getting one and I just haven't done it yet.
- [06:00]
B
So it's awesome and it's so fun. Now we have a couple now in different rooms of the house and you, like, walk by. I'm like, oh, there's linen. Oh, over here. Coffee shop over here, you know, is whatever smell. So you're kind of getting these different smells throughout the house and they work really well. There's great throw, as they say in the scent community.
- [06:17]
A
Great throw. I've never heard that term before and I love it.
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B
I think it's more related to candles, but, like, who cares? The scent stuff, it all smells good.
- [06:27]
A
Smell stuff. Okay, well, my loving lately is kind of. Well, it's not kind of. It is this thing that I've been using every day. It's become a new everyday staple for me. But it's. It's new to me. And I know that there are many people out there that use these all the time. But I have finally found a disposable, biodegradable face towel that I really like. And it is from the company, our med and I have been using these for my face washing because I have recently gotten more like my skin has gotten more sensitive and so it's been hard to keep up with washing face towels and things like that. And so I wanted something that for when I needed something disposable. I didn't have like a perfectly clean face towel to use that I had something that I could use for especially putting on like my toner or kind of those one time use face cleaning products or even face makeup products that I had something that I could use that was clean for my face. And so I got these. They come in a 50 count or 60 count box, which is really nice. And I don't use these every day because I don't even though they're biodegradable, it's still, it's not something that I want to use every day. But like I said, when I don't have a clean towel to use because you know, keeping up with laundry is, is tough. This has been, it's, it's a task and it's a beast for me. It's one of my least favorite things to do. So yeah, this has been a lifesaver for me. I like this brand specifically because they're, they have a nice weight to them and they don't like break apart. They actually stay pretty firm, but they're also really soft. I am very sensitive to how things feel. I'm very texture sensitive. And these don't feel too rough or too like microfibery. I really don't like the way that feels.
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B
That makes my teeth hurt. Microfiber.
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A
I know, Me too. So they have a really good texture but they don't like break apart when they do get wet. So this has been a great resource in addition to my skin care routine. That is the our Med life disposable and biodegradable face towels.
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B
It's so funny when you were describing that. I know exactly what you mean. I was like, yep, laundry. Can't do it. Like sometimes you need a clean towel. Yes, I totally hear that. And I was like wondering like, do they shed? Like what's the texture like? But you talk.
- [08:58]
A
Yeah, they don't shed. And, and there are many other different brands. I saw a couple while I was browsing. These are the ones that I chose and they worked for me. They're like a 10 by 12. So they're a good size.
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B
Yeah.
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A
But I just keep them underneath my sink so that if I need them I can, I can grab one.
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B
You got it?
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A
I got it.
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B
They're nice and handy.
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A
Nice and Handy.
- [09:20]
B
Well, I love that. I also loved my latest read, which is Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg. I okay this I think I actually brought as a somewhere. I talked about this before it came out. Maybe it was a shelf edition, I think. But anyway, the book is about a woman. Her name is Del and Dell is a mess. Del is barely keeping it together. She's behind on rent, she dropped out of NYU and her student loans are coming due. She has this perpetual stomach pain. But worst of all is that her younger sister Daisy is in a coma at a hospital that wants to pull the plug. And she, in the very beginning of the book, loses her job. That's right in the synopsis. And ends up sort of selling plant propagation, plant propagations to trust fund kids to try and get by. That's not really doing it for her though. So she decides to impulsively start a 24 hour live stream to fundraise for private life support for Daisy. And she gets on camera and ends up being really, really good at it. She's sort of mean to everybody. She loves her blocking people and there's a market for it. People you know are there and they sort of come to fall in love with her online Persona and end up giving her donations. And she's sort of getting more and more famous and chasing that high because I guess on this platform you get rankings, right? And she's sort of like, oh my gosh, I've cracked. You know, her goal is to crack 100,000 to sort of. Because the more visibility you have, of course, the more money you could raise. She then discovers she has a talent for eating spicy food and decides to sort of work with her subscribers to eat hotter and hotter peppers and eventually works her way up to one of the hottest peppers on earth, the Carolina Reaper. The problem is though, one of the people that is following her on her account is a troll and he is threatening to do some things that, you know, wouldn't be great for her. This is narrated over seven chapters. So she is online for 24 hours a day for seven days in order to try and raise money. Her big thing is she just wants one, one more week with her sister on private life support. And I think she has to raise something like $14,000 to get there. This book, okay, I loved it. I really, really did the right. It's a debut and the writing was so fantastic because you know how people say I want the author to show us and not tell us. That is definitely what this author did. She dropped you into the action immediately in the very first couple pages, she's getting fired from her job, and you don't know all of what's going on. You don't know all of her backstory or why her sister's in a coma from the beginning, but you find out along the way. And I just thought it was really, really well constructed. Del is such an interesting character to follow. She is a jerk, and she knows it, and yet she's still endearing. Like, it's really interesting because she could have been this very unlikable character. And at certain points, I wanted to shake her, but also I was like, I cannot look away from her. I just had to figure out what the end game was. Like, how is she going to end this? Like, is she going to raise enough money for her sister? What's going on? And there was, like, a lot of elements of suspense, like, a lot of different times throughout her seven days where I was like, how's this going to end? She would just do things that would shock me. And it sort of felt very authentic. Like, this character felt like somebody that was real that I could know in real life. I love that the author explored these niche worlds, like this live cast. I didn't know about this type of part of the Internet. I also love that she explored peppers. Like, I learned a lot about Hot Peppers, which was really fun, and I ended up in it. You're. You're hearing a lot of the chatters, so, you know, you come to recognize their usernames. And I started to get really attached to them as well. Like, at one point, she wants to block one of the ones that has been with her since the beginning. And I was like, no, don't do that. Like, I want to keep her around, but I thought this was great. There's a lot of different themes that this book is able to explore. And I will say, it's. It's pretty dark. It's not a light, fun romp. It does have dark elements like grief and voyeurism, self flagellation, and parasocial relationships. I thought she did such a good job exploring all of these different things. She also talked and sort of demonstrated the impact that online Personas can have. And, like, I'm reading this as a person that has an online platform, and I'm like, gosh, I wonder how different I am from my podcast voice and from my online Persona and, like, how I am in everyday life. Hopefully it's very similar. I think it is, but it was just very, very interesting to think about. I loved it. I loved this book. I would totally recommend this for your book club. I think there's a lot of things to unpack. I was surprised. I was entertained. I highly recommend it. It is Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg.
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A
I'm glad you got to talk about that one. I haven't heard anybody else talk about it. It sounds like it tackles a lot, but also does that really well.
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B
It does, and it's entertaining. It didn't feel like the author had this, you know, strong agenda in mind that she really wanted to hammer home. It just felt seamless. This in January on the 20th. Awesome.
- [14:26]
A
Well, thanks for sharing that with us. I am also bringing one that I think would be an amazing book club pick and this is one that I read at the end of 2025 and haven't gotten a chance to share my thoughts on it on the show yet. And that is Culpability by Bruce Hulsinger. So Culpability follows a family of four as they escape to a summer rental on the Chesapeake Bay after their autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car. We have 17 year old Charlie. He was in driver's seat at the time of the accident. And we have Noah, his father, who was riding in the passenger seat. And then in the back seat we had young tweens Alice and Izzy. They were on their phones the entire time. And their mother, Lorelai, who is a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence. She actually works in the ethics area of AI. She was absorbed in her work in the backseat as well. We find out throughout the story that each family member is harboring a secret that implicates them in this accident. Which is why it kind of matters where everybody was in the car at the time of the accident and those secrets start to unfold throughout their stay in the summer rental on the Chesapeake Bay. I recommend not reading the synopsis in full and going into this book knowing no more than the information that I just gave you. Because this story unfolds in such a great way. This is a book that I think I could confidently slot in the literary suspense category. It was thoughtfully paced. Yeah, it was thoughtfully paced. It was not this book that had this breakneck speed or mystery or thrill that we're trying to uncover quickly, but things slowly get revealed to us as readers in a way that also unpacks character stories. So we're getting really great overall character and family development along the way too. I thought this book was smart. It asks really big questions that at the end of the book, I personally didn't even know I had the answers to. I am still thinking about what would I do with questions that were brought up in this book. And I love when a story does that. I think this would be an incredible book club book. I am genuinely jealous of book clubs that will get to discuss some of these really fascinating questions about AI ethics coming of age in the era of technology and to what cost do we protect the ones that we love. All great questions that foster such good dialogue and book clubs are tackled in this story. While this was not a five star read for me, it's not perfect. I think I struggled a little bit through the middle of this one. It kind of had that mid book slump in my opinion. I would overall highly recommend this one. It asks good questions, it was compulsively readable and I think it has a lot of cultural relevance in it as well. So that was Culpability by Bruce Hulsinger.
- [17:22]
B
Great review. I will be reading this in January. We are trying to read through the Aspen Words Literary Prize long list with our patrons and that one I had slotted for January. I'm so excited because I think I. I actually skipped this initially. I didn't even bring it to new release Tuesday because I was like what's this about? I don't like the synopsis for me for some reason didn't do it for me. And I was like, I don't know if I want to read about AI. I love that it's about the ethics of AI though. I think the. I was like, I was like tapped at that moment when the book was picked as a Oprah's Book Club pick. But now I'm even more excited to read this I think too. Maybe I'll suggest it for my book club guys if you're listening. Yeah, I wanna do that one.
- [18:02]
A
Yeah, I think it would be great. And I think that I know your book club in person does mostly thrillers, but I think that this is adjacent enough that it could totally work.
- [18:12]
B
Yeah, I think it would totally work too for like a wide variety of readerly interests.
- [18:17]
A
Yes.
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B
The first book that I'm bringing for our January Books on the Radar episode I do not think has wide appeal, but it's appealing to me. It is the Bloody Brick, A Wizard of Oz retelling by Maude Royer. Have you seen the COVID of this?
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A
No, but I just love whenever you bring wizard of Oz.
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B
I was like, obviously I'm going, the COVID is fabulous. Obviously I wanted to get it as soon as I saw the COVID This is a horror soaked reimagining of the wonderful wizard of Oz. And this is for fans of Tender is the Flesh and Maeve Fly. I mean, yes, love that. When 19 year old Dorothy finds she's pregnant, the road ahead seems bathed in golden light. She has a hard working boyfriend, a beautiful home, and a job where she works with her best friend. But on October 2, 1994, everything changes. A reckless driver causes a massive, massive freeway pile up. And this hospital in Montreal is suddenly overwhelmed with trauma victims, including five mothers to be days later, Dorothy leaves the hospital alone and suddenly finds herself without a boyfriend, without a job, and without any direction. Fast forward 24 years now the city of Montreal is plagued by an extremist group, the winged Monkeys. The gruesome murder of a young man has just made headlines. You're following a lieutenant and their partner and they've been brought in to investigate. Just when they begin to wrap their heads around the heinous act of silence, another young man is found brutally murdered. And then another gets very bloody and gory, and the investigators are racing against the clock to solve the murders. This is an unhinged retelling of the beloved classic, filled with a twisted cast of your favorite characters. And I think it sounds fantastic. I hope it's really good. This is translated from the French and I am ready to give this one a shot. This one comes out on January 6th and I am so interested. It's called the Bloody Brick Road by Maude Royer.
- [20:17]
A
I looked it up while you were chatting about it and the COVID is epic. You did not lie.
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B
It's so good.
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A
It's so good. It's almost like. Oh, what's the right word for it? It looks almost. Well, not almost. It looks campy.
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B
Yes, because it's like cheesy, but in a way that's intentional. Like it knows it's cheesy.
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A
I think it's meaning to do what it's doing and it's serving it well. I love it.
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B
I think I love it too. And I think now that I'm looking at it, I think the person on it looks like Taylor Swift. So now I can't unsee that.
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A
Yeah, I can see it. They also kind of look like. Like a mix between Taylor Swift and Anne of Green Gables.
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B
You're right. The braids with the red braids.
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A
The red braids.
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B
I love it. I love it.
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A
Well, that was a fun side tangent.
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B
I will report back.
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A
Thank you. Please do. My first book is Is this A Cry for Help by Emily Austin. I almost always read her book. They come out every year. This one sounds really good and a little bit different from some of her other books, which I'm excited about. This book is about Darcy, whose life feels settled in the best possible way. She is a librarian at her local branch. Her wife, Joy, runs a bookbinding business, and together they have filled their sunny lake house with books and dried flowers and far too many little treasures and trinkets to count. Plus, they have two cats, of course. Worse, it's a quiet, happy life that she never quite expected for herself. But that sense of balance is shaken when Darcy learns that her ex boyfriend Ben has died. The news brings up old guilt and unresolved feelings, sending her into a mental health crisis that forces her to take time away from work. When she returns to the library, however, she finds her community is in turmoil. There are growing protests over intellectual freedom, calls for book bans, and renewed scrutiny of the library's DEI programming. As Darcy leans on her colleagues, her community, and her own reflections on past relationships, she begins to reclaim her sense of agency and understand herself more fully. This book is a thoughtful look at queer life beyond coming of age and a meaningful exploration of identity, community, and why libraries matter. This this sounds like it is a very timely read and I think that Emily Austin does that. Well, I trust this kind of conversation in her hands and I very much look forward to reading this one. It comes out on January 13th from Atria Books and that is Is this a Cry for Help by Emily Austin?
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B
Yes, I think that one sounds really good. And she is one of those authors that I'm like, this is a Hannah author. I don't know why, I don't know what it is.
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A
I'm like, I have brought a couple of her books and I do read her every year. So that makes sense.
- [23:02]
B
Okay, that could be why ye not totally off base with that. Okay, so my next is probably my most anticipated for January. It is Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston and I'm so pumped for this. She is the author of First Lie Wins. She just writes thrillers that are right. Well, I guess this is only her second one and her thrillers, though just are right in my wheelhouse. This one is about two women's lives that are forever intertwined when a murder threatens to expose them both sexual. So you're it opens at Chantilly Bar and everyone there noticed out of towner Camille Bayless, red lips, designer heels, sipping a negroni. But that woman wasn't Camille Bayless. It was Aubrey Price. Camille Bayless appears to have the Picture perfect life. She's married to a hotshot lawyer and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems, because Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years. But she can't find proof because Ben tracks her every move. Move. Aubry has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago. And she's convinced that Benjamin Bayless, the woman's husband, knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there's more than one way to get the truth. And she may have found the best way in. Together, the two women hatch a plan. And it Sounds simple. For 12 hours, Aubrey will take Camille's place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek. Except in the morning, Ben is found murdered. And both women need an airtight alibi. But only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone. Yes, give that to me. I want to read it immediately. It just sounds like it's going to be perfectly entertaining and I can't wait to try it. That is Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston.
- [24:45]
A
And that is the author who wrote First Lie Wins. Right, yes. Which you. Which really worked for you last year.
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B
It did two years ago now.
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A
Oh, gosh, that was two years ago.
- [24:56]
B
I know. Yes. I had the same Is so weird series of. I was like, yeah, it was last year. And I'm like, no.
- [25:01]
A
Oh, yeah.
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B
Because yeah, it was two years ago.
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A
It won. Did it win the Goodreads Choice Award or was it was at least nominated?
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B
I think it was nominated.
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A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because it was really buzzy when it came out. This is one that I saw and immediately was like, that's Tina.
- [25:16]
B
That's a me.
- [25:16]
A
Yep, that's a Tina book. She's got that one. Yes.
- [25:19]
B
Yes.
- [25:19]
A
Yay. Okay, my next one is the Last of Earth by Deepa Anapara, and I am really excited about this one. Reading more historical fiction is definitely one of my goals for 2026, to bring more historical fiction just into my regular rotation of reading. This one is set in 19th century Tibet. It is 1869 and Tibet is closed to Europeans, which is a frustrating barrier for the ever expanding British Empire. To get it, Britain trains Indian men to carry out these secret surveying missions into Tibetan territory, exploiting the fact that they can cross borders white Europeans cannot. Balram is an Indian school teacher and he is one of these surveyor spies. And for years he has worked quietly for the British, often alongside his closest friend Gyan. When Gyan disappears on a mission and is believed to be imprisoned somewhere in Tibet, Balram agrees to return, this time guiding an English captain on a reckless expedition. Disguised as a monk, the captain wants to do the exploration himself, determined to map a river running through southern Tibet. Along the way, Balram's path intersects with Catherine, who is a 50 year old Western woman traveling in disguise on her own. Shut out of the all male Royal Geographical Society, she is determined to become the first European woman to reach La Salle. As Balram and Catherine journey deeper into Tibet, they face brutal terrain, violence, illnesses, and the constant threat of discovery. Just as challenging are the internal struggles they carry with them. Grief, ambition, doubt, and the weight of their past choices. This is said to weave together multiple perspectives to explore friendship, family, and the lasting harm of colonial obsession, cementing this author as a bold and deeply thoughtful storyteller. I have not read from this author before, but I know that they wrote Gin Patrol on the Purple Line, which was a book that came out, oh, gosh, it's been years ago now, but I believe that it was not buzzy, but I think it was kind of highly acclaimed. I remember a lot of literary folks were talking about Gin Patrol on the Purple Line, people that I followed, and then I think it got recognized for some awards as well. So I do know that this author does some great work. I just have not experienced it yet, but this sounded really interesting to me. It sounds like it kind of is trying to tackle a lot in a really big story, but I'm curious to see if they pull it off. That is the Last of Earth by Deepa Anappara comes out January 13th.
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B
I am so glad you brought that. I too would like to incorporate more historical fiction because I think that was my highest rated category from last year. I like the sound of this and I love, like talking about, like, niche things that stand out to me. I love when people are traveling.
- [28:18]
A
Me too.
- [28:19]
B
Under cover or like in a disguise.
- [28:22]
A
Like the stakes are high.
- [28:24]
B
I don't know. Right. The stakes are high. So when you said that, I was like, this sounds really good. Yeah, sounds like there's high stakes there. Okay. All right. Next for me is another thriller and it's called Very Slowly all at Once by Lauren Schott. And this one, did you bring it?
- [28:40]
A
No.
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B
No. Okay. Okay. So this one, oh my gosh. This one, oh my gosh, sounds really good. It explores the dark side of the American dream. You're following Mac and Haley, who have worked hard to achieve their upper middle class life Promising careers, two beautiful children, and a brand new house in the exclusive lakefront village of someplace in Ohio. I'm not going to try and pronounce that Brattonhoff All. Not that everything's perfect. Aging parents, problems at work, and even the upkeep on that glorious home have been causing the two increasing amounts of worry. When a small check appears in the mailbox from a mysterious company named Sunshine Enterprises, Mac assumes it's from his wealthy, estranged father trying to buy his way back into their lives. Though he'd rather rip it up, Mac deposits the needed funds. To his surprise, the checks keep coming, each for a larger and larger amount than the last. When Haley finds out what's going on, she has her own suspicions about what's happening and why they're coming. Despite growing uncertainty over the identity of their benefactor, Mac and Haley keep taking the money. After all, there are bills to pay. It is a choice with dark repercussions. As a couple soon learn the hard way that nothing in life is free. Suddenly, the Evans find themselves in a harrowing arrangement with someone who will stop at nothing to get a return on their investment. Huh. That sounds fabulous. I can't wait.
- [30:00]
A
That last sentence.
- [30:01]
B
I'm so excited. I know. Know who is sending them money? What do they want from them? Why are they targeting them? I must know, and I intend to find out. That another thing I'm doing for this year, Hannah, is having such plans for the year, but I'm having a January.
- [30:17]
A
Come on, it's January.
- [30:19]
B
I'm having a priority. A priority. Tbr Meaning. Okay. Meaning each month with the new releases, I want to read. Like, I want to kind of have four or five that are on my radar. Like, great. These are new releases that I definitely want to try and get to sometime soon, you know, because I do this thing where I'm like, great. I'm so excited about it. Immediately forget. And it doesn't go anywhere. So I'm trying to be more intentional about that. This one's definitely going on that list. It's Very Slowly all at Once by Lauren Schott.
- [30:45]
A
That is a great title, too.
- [30:47]
B
Yeah, it is.
- [30:48]
A
That's a good title. Yeah, that's a title to. To keep on your noggin for one of the best titles of the year, I reckon.
- [30:54]
B
Right, Right.
- [30:55]
A
Yeah. Yeah. Okay, my next one. Good question. Which one am I going to bring next? Okay, I'm going to bring the Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow. And this is a little bit. A little bit of a chunky one, but it Sounds really good. This is set in England in 1794 and we are following Lady Henrietta Bessborough and she is in her 30s and she is no stranger to the affections of a younger man. So for married women, a younger lover is encouraged, provided that you do not embarrass your husband in the process of having said lover. And you have to maintain complete discretion at all times. And then, most importantly, you are never to fall in love with this person. So when Henrietta meets Lord Granville, he is brilliantly handsome, he is rich, he is 12 years younger than her and he appears to be the perfect candidate for an affair until she falls completely under his spell. She has plunged into an all consuming passion and all of the wisdom that Henrietta has had throughout her sophisticated upbringing deserts her. And with their relationship drawing the attention of wider society, each anxious but besotted step she takes leads her further into this scandal. So this one just sounds juicy and I love stories like this that are clearly very scandalous, but they're set in a time period that's so beyond our current time period. There's just something about a juicy drama happening in the 1500s or the 1600s or, you know, in this case, in the late 1700s. So I typically love books that are published from Henry Holt. That is something that I recognized from my reading life last year. It's a publisher that for whatever reason, just really works for me. This is a Henry Holt title and it comes out on January 20th. That is rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow.
- [33:03]
B
I love that. At first when I saw the COVID I was like, han, what are we bringing here? And then I heard about it. I know I'm in. I'm in it. I think it is juicy. I love that. Quick plug. Guys. I forgot to tell you that we have created our 2026 story graph book talk, etc. Era reading challenge. The reason I'm bringing this up because I was like, is that book set in the Victorian era? No, it precedes the Victorian era. But that is one of our prompts. So we will definitely link to this down below. Join us on storygraph. We would love to see your picks and what you're reading and you know, who doesn't want another reading prompt in their life? Who doesn't want another reading challenge in their life? So we will link that below. But wanted to quickly plug that because I forgot to tell our listeners about it.
- [33:48]
A
Yes. It is so fun to have a challenge to get you motivated and excited about reading for the year.
- [33:55]
B
Yes. And it sort of forces you to Maybe pick things off your TBR that you wouldn't otherwise prioritize. At least it does that for me.
- [34:01]
A
That's what it does for me too.
- [34:03]
B
Huh. Now my next one is. I'm very excited for it. It's called the Seven Daughters of Dupree. This one's by Nikisha Eloise Williams. And that it is a sweeping multi generational epic that follows seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss and the unyielding ties of family. This one is in the tradition of homegoing and the love songs of W.E.B. du Bois. So I'm like God, great comps, right? Exactly. All right, so 1995, you're following 14 year old Tati, who's determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, she doesn't tell her. She keeps her secrets close. And while her grandmother Gladys remains silent about the family's past, including why they left Lands End, Alabama in the 50s. As Tati digs deeper, she uncovers a legacy of family secrets where every generation of Dupree women has posed more questions than answers. From Juby in 1917, whose attempt to pass for white ends when she gives birth to Ruby, to Ruby's fiery lust for Samson in 1934 that leads to a baby of her own. To the night in 1980 that changed Nadia's future forever. The Dupree women carry the weight of their heritage. Bound by a mysterious affliction that means they will only give birth to daughters. The Dupree women confront a legacy of pain, resilience and survival that began with an enslaved ancestor who risked everything for freedom. This book theme. This book weaves together themes of generational trauma, black women's resilience, and unbreakable family bonds. And so I'm here, I'm interested. Definitely going to add this to my list. This book is the Seven Daughters of Dupree 3 by Nikisha Elise Williams.
- [35:45]
A
Yeah, this one sounds really good. This was a title that was available from Simon Audio last month and so I went ahead and downloaded that and I did not continue on listening for no other, no real reason. But I do remember the audio that I did listen to just to test it out was narrated really, really well. So could be a good one on audio. If you're interested in. In that. My. Yes, yes, me too. My next one is the Future Saints and this is by Ashley Winstead. I am really excited about this one. I love books about music and I think that this one sounds promising. This is a love story, just not the obvious kind. When Record executive Theo first sees the Future Saints. They are flopping hard at a hometown dive bar. Their manager has recently died, and the band is on unraveling. And Theo's job is simple. Get a hit album out of them or decide to cut them loose. Their lead singer, Hannah, throws out their old California pop sound and debuts something that is a little bit more raw, a little louder, potentially a little grungier. And this music goes viral. And Theo bats his career on, giving the band one last shot with a new tour, a new record, a new sound, and a clean slate. Late. But Hannah is still drowning in her grief, and it starts spilling into everything, including their music and their work. She is engaging in reckless behavior and getting constant pushback from her sister Jenny, her longtime bandmate and partner in crime, and keeps putting Theo in a impossible position. Hannah wants success, but she isn't ready for what is to come with it. And the pressure threatens the band, her growing connection with Theo, and especially her bond with Ginny. The Future Saints finally have their big break, if it doesn't break them first. So it sounds like this is gonna be really dramatic and focus a lot on the relationships, which I obviously love. And for whatever reason, when a book focuses on music or follows a band, the likelihood of me enjoying it just goes through the row roof. So I think I'm really gonna like this one. This comes out on January 20th from Atria Books, and that is the Future of Saints by Ashley Winstead.
- [38:11]
B
I am the opposite. I don't like.
- [38:16]
A
Sorry, Dana.
- [38:18]
B
No, I love that you brought it because I know a lot of people will enjoy this. We. I think you might have pitched this for one of our community reads for this year. We did music. I don't like music. I don't like art.
- [38:28]
A
Against it. Yeah.
- [38:29]
B
Have. So anyway, book for.
- [38:31]
A
For our community, but I might like it.
- [38:33]
B
Well, specifically for me. Okay.
- [38:36]
A
But we have a lot of readers that read very similarly to you, you know, so I don't know what it is.
- [38:41]
B
It's because I don't have an imagination. So, like, whenever there's, like, lyrics or.
- [38:44]
A
A band or too hard on yourself, it is not because you don't have an imagination. It's because it's part of my charm. It's because you have.
- [38:50]
B
Because I don't visualize. No, I swear it's because I don't visualize. When I read, I could imagine that.
- [38:54]
A
Being challenging for, like, art related. Did.
- [38:56]
B
I'm like, okay, there's. There's nothing there. When they describe the paintings, I'm like, I Don't know. Anyway.
- [39:04]
A
Or when they sing the music or when they.
- [39:07]
B
Unless they're singing for real. I can see scraper Benjamin woods saying me a song. And I loved that. Like, I like music, but I need you to. I need.
- [39:13]
A
You need to deliver it.
- [39:15]
B
You cannot just read lyrics because I will skip over them. Like, I don't like it.
- [39:19]
A
Yeah, that's fair. I'm already annoyed by everybody obviously comparing this book early on to Daisy Jones and the Six. I'm like, every. Every book that doesn't or every book that has music in it does not need to be compared to Daisy Jones and the Six.
- [39:32]
B
I know. I refrained.
- [39:34]
A
So many books out there that have similar, like, subject lines, whether that's like an art heist or a, you know, you name the trope and it doesn't have to get compared all the time.
- [39:45]
B
So it's so funny. You're right, because that gets to. That one man gets all the comparisons.
- [39:49]
A
It sure does.
- [39:50]
B
All right. My final one, I think sounds so fantastic. It is Missing Sam by Thridhi Umragar. And this is a story of a woman who goes missing on a morning run and her wife's determination to both find her and clear her own name. Okay, so one night after a party, old grievances surface between a married couple, Aaliyah and Sam, and the night ends badly with a heated argument. Sam goes for a run early the next morning to clear her head, and she doesn't come back. Aaliyah reports her wife missing, but as a gay Muslim daughter of immigrants, she can't escape the scrutiny and suspicion of those around her. Scared and furious and feeling isolated as strangers and acquaintances alike doubt her innocence, Aaliyah makes one wrong choice after another. She must fight to prove her innocence in the public eye, even if she is torn between her fear that Sam is dead and her desire to find and save her wife. But is safety ever truly possible for them? It's a provocative examination of suburban moors and captures the terror manifested in today's political climate, climate, and the real dangers, both physical and psychological, of being brown and queer in America. I think this sounds so intriguing and I'm so excited to give that a shot. It is Missing Sam by Thridhi Umrigarh.
- [41:01]
A
This is an author that I love and I'm so excited that she is coming out with another book.
- [41:09]
B
I didn't know until I was like, researching for this episode. I'm like, what? I need that. Yes.
- [41:14]
A
Yeah. If you want another just random recommendation thrown in here. The Story Hour by Thridhi Umragarh is one of my favorites. It is so good. I read that in 2020, pretty close to when I think it was like right after the pandemic started. So I remember reading that one and really enjoying it.
- [41:33]
B
I did not. I've never heard of that book. Thank you.
- [41:36]
A
It was very good. Okay, my last one, I think we're on to our I think we're on to our last picks is Crux by Gabriel Talent and this one sounds so good. This is about Dan and Tama and they are in their last year of high school in the southern Mojave Desert and one is a gifted golden child and the other is a very rebellious burnout. They are climbing boulders in trash strewn parking lots during cold desert nights and they seal their unique bond and a dream life of adventure. As the year progresses, an adult reality looms. They are rocked by a change and they are pulled apart by irreconcilable obligations. Differences of class, talent and prospects take on new importance and options dwindle and their decisions grow ever more consequential and perilous. It feels inevitable, finally that something is going to have to give. This book is said to have a magnificent gift for nature writing, which I love, and a joyful appreciation for the redemptive power of friendship. It says that this book is going to give readers a rollicking, adrenaline filled and soul searching novel about risking everything to change your life. That just sounds like the perfect mashup of a book to me. I love a story that's going to give me kind of these adrenaline filled, exciting fun scenes but also have those more tender moments of friendship and coming of age. Sounds like this book might have kind of that action packed but also so emotional depth that I really crave from a solid read. And this one comes out on January 20th. It comes out from Riverhead Books and that is Crux by Gabriel Talent.
- [43:26]
B
Yes, this one sounds so good. And I like a rock. I like, I like again, books that include really niche things that the author happens to get.
- [43:33]
A
Exactly.
- [43:34]
B
And I like the idea of rock climbing as.
- [43:36]
A
Me too.
- [43:36]
B
One of the top topics.
- [43:38]
A
Me too.
- [43:39]
B
All right, so are we sharing our current read?
- [43:41]
A
Yeah, let's share our current read. What are you. Wait, what am I reading? What are you reading? I don't know.
- [43:47]
B
That's a great question. No, I know what I'm reading. Okay. So we are also in addition to our storygraph reading challenge, our patrons and us are doing a Beat the Winter Blues readathon. And so there are some topics in There that I'm reading for. And one of the topics is read a book with fireworks on the COVID And I was like, this is gonna be a challenge. So I grabbed Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. And this one I'm about, I don't know, 40% of the way through. I'm loving it. I've read this author before, but I haven't read them in a while. And this one is about a woman who's new to la. She's starting her own law firm and she's sort of at the bar having a martini and having conversation. There's a cute guy there. And they end up, like, striking up a conversation over dessert. And it turns out he is a junior senator named Max Powell. And the two hit it off. And it's been lovely so far. So I'm really glad to our readathon for, like, I never would have prioritized this for no real reason other than there's so many other choices. But I'm very much enjoying it.
- [44:46]
A
I'm so delighted that you're reading a romance. And what's so funny about this is that I'm reading a mystery.
- [44:53]
B
So why not? Why not?
- [44:55]
A
Let's just switch it up to be fun. I am currently reading Needle Lake by Justin Champine.
- [45:00]
B
Good.
- [45:01]
A
But I. This is a mystery that I knew I was going to be picking up, that I was really excited about. This is the story about two cousins. They are on very different sides of girlhood. They spend one winter together that changes both of their lives forever. This is set in a winter setting. It's. There's kind of a main event that happens on Christmas Eve that the whole story kind of revolves around. And I'm only two chapters in, but I am so pulled in already. I am so excited about it. It has such a good opening chapter already. I am already so eager to, you know, hear about the mystery taking place and what is going on with these two girls, etc. I just love the way Justine Champagne writes and I'm so excited to continue. So I am currently reading Needle Lake by Justine Champion Pine.
- [45:58]
B
I think that one sounds really good. I think I have a copy of it somewhere and it sounds excellent.
- [46:04]
A
Yes.
- [46:04]
B
So good. All right, folks. Well, that is it. That's our first episode of 2026. Thank you so much. And. And 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 or by leaving a regular on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget, if you'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.
- [46:35]
A
If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktok Etc. On Instagram and YouTube. You can find Tinabrec and Hannah at handpickedbooks. Talk to you next week. In the meantime, remember, everything's better with books.
- [46:59]
B
Here we go. I had this full coffee, so I'm a little jacked.
- [47:03]
A
Oh, I had a matcha.
- [47:05]
B
And I had a. And I had a bean. A bean lunch. So. Oh. Oh, a salads. Bean salad. My dense bean salad with some parmesan. What are they called? Pita chips. Goodbye.
- [47:17]
A
Like the crunchy ones.
- [47:19]
B
So crunchy.
- [47:19]
A
Parmesan crisps.
- [47:21]
B
Like a, you know, like a pita chip. They're really crunchy.
- [47:28]
A
Love you.
- [47:31]
B
Stupid. Okay, Here we go. 3, 2, 1.