Hannah (1:47)

Good. Well, sometimes a change of pace is nice and sometimes you do it and you're like, you know what, never mind, we're gonna go back.

Tina (1:54)

Exact thing. Yeah, ex.

Hannah (1:55)

But you don't know unless you try. So. Yeah, well, I. I do know. I do know the difference in your office space because you sent photographic evidence.

Tina (2:05)

So right in the meeting, in the mom, I was reaching out to you and I was like, oh dear, what have I done? You were like, I don't know.

Hannah (2:13)

But you crushed it.

Tina (2:14)

You always believe in me. You do. You're like, if any.

Hannah (2:16)

Yeah, anyone can do it, you.

Tina (2:18)

And I did. Now I showed my mom. I was like, mom, I've got to show you the basement. Look at all this work I put in. And she's like, well, what about that? And that? I'm like, listen, we're not over there yet. We're not over here. Look at the corner. And she was like, oh yeah, that does look good. But I was laughing because I was like, yeah, fair. It's a work in progress. But at any rate, I hope if you are doing any spring cleaning, listeners, I hope it's going well. I certainly am happy that I actually prioritized it over my. I took like two days off over my break. Yeah, but what's new with you?

Hannah (2:49)

Well, I have a two week break coming up next week, so we will see the kind of progress I make. I'm hoping to. I don't have any big projects planned except for maybe some like light yard cleanup. But other than that, I really just would love to read. I would love to read like a good short book or something that I've been putting off over those two days slash long weekend.

Tina (3:18)

Oh, you said two weeks at first.

Hannah (3:20)

I meant two days.

Tina (3:21)

Okay. I got really excited for you. I'm like, two weeks. Woohoo. I got you. Okay, so you're like me.

Hannah (3:27)

It's like it's a long day.

Tina (3:28)

That's a long weekend. That is our break. That feels like a lot. Okay, got you.

Hannah (3:32)

Yeah. And it is a lot. You know, it is for us, like two days off.

Tina (3:36)

It felt like a lot. I was like a lot.

Hannah (3:38)

Yeah.

Tina (3:39)

Well, I will tell you about my loving lately. And this is a creator that I was reintroduced to recently. So her name is Alexis and specifically what I like about her. And we'll of course link this in her in our show notes because her username is kind of hard. But she has a series that she calls Cocktails with Alex and it's so funny. Her hook is so great. It's Cocktails with Alex because we're making drinks at home because the drinks on the streets are too expensive. And I'm like, yes, Alexis, they are indeed too expensive. And so, and then she goes on to basically show, you know, this fantastic cocktail that she's making at the house. She's on TikTok and Instagram, so either account or either social media page. And organically her feed was introduced to mine when she was talking about these cocktails and I'm saving these videos. And what I like about the cocktails though is that it's not just here's a Manhattan or here is a espresso martini. It's with a twist. I feel like all of them are just unique. Enough to where I'm like, wait, I want to drink this immediately. Most recently I saw a spicy paloma, which is tequila and grapefruit. She made this jalapeno simple syrup. And I'm like, yes, I will be in my kitchen making myself a little simple syrup. So that is my move. Instead of drinking like a, you know, a white claw or whatever on yeah. Book club, I want to be having a nice cocktail. And I will say I was reintroduced to her because you remember the laundry recipe I brought. Yes, I did before. She is the individual that shared this on TikTok and that is one of her pinned videos. And I like commented. I'm like, wait, you're the laundry lady? And she's like, I am. Right. It was like, not at all. You know, a video that I think she expected to blow up. But people know this particular cocktail from her video and I can link to that too because I still use it. It's gain. It's like specific scents and things like that. And our clothes still smell great. But the cocktail series has been great. I feel like it's given me a lot of ideas. It makes me want to get more creative with my libations at home. Also, Alexis just seems funny and I like her style and I've enjoying every time she comes up on my my page when I'm scrolling, I get a smile and I think that's important to have people that are like, they call them what your comfort creators. And she is one of mine. So this is the series Cocktails with Alex.

Hannah (5:57)

Oh, I love finding a new series from a content creator.

Tina (6:02)

Clever. You're so clever.

Hannah (6:04)

While you were talking, I was. Because you know, she does cocktails and then she apparently does this laundry detergent recipe. I had the thought I was like, well, don't drink your laundry detergent. And then started thinking about when everybody was eating borax. So that was my lovely rabbit trail that I went on while you were talking. But the cocktails sound delish.

Tina (6:24)

Cocktails sound delish. What's a bo. What's borax?

Hannah (6:27)

It's a cleaning.

Tina (6:28)

They were eating borax.

Hannah (6:31)

Yeah.

Tina (6:31)

Google it. Google it. I will. Okay, there's my later on notes for next for follow up.

Hannah (6:37)

Yeah, exactly. Well, my loving lately is still in the food and beverage area and that is a snack that I have been lo. And it is the drizz. I can't even say this is a word that's hard to say. Drizzle, Licious. Birthday cake. Rice cake bites. Oh, and I came upon these totally on accident. My mom was one of her, like, favorite local. It's not a bookstore, it's a local shop. I think that they specialize in like paper and paper goods and like stationary items and things like that. Well, she was coming over to our house recently and she had just made a stop at this store. And while she was there, they had like snack items up at the counter. And this was one of them. And she asked me if I wanted to try them. And I don't like rice cakes and I don't like birthday cake flavored things. So I was a little bit hesitant. I was like, I don't know if I want to try this, but I did. And I like, I should have replaced her bag for her because I ate. I ate so many. Thankfully, they're actually really low calorie, I think per 21 rice cake bites. They're of course, listeners. You. You can't see, but. Well, they're like the size of like a quarter. Maybe a little bigger. Maybe a little bit bigger. Like a half, half dollar. I don't know. We're getting two in the weeds here. But they're not that big. They're not that big. And for like 20, 25 of them, they're like 90 calories.

Tina (8:06)

There you go.

Hannah (8:07)

And they taste really sweet. Like they're. It's like if you want a sweet treat, but maybe you're trying to like step away from the Doritos five nights a week, like I am.

Tina (8:16)

Right.

Hannah (8:16)

You know, this is a good option. A nice, A nice little treat to have for a movie or something like that. That actually is pretty tasty. So even if you don't like rice cakes or birthday cake flavored things, although they do have some other flavors, I would encourage you to give these a try. And that's the Drizzalicious birthday cake. Rice Cake Bites.

Tina (8:34)

All right, number one. I hate that name. I hate it so much.

Hannah (8:37)

Drizzalicious.

Tina (8:38)

Can't stand it. I don't like it. I never want to hear that word again.

Hannah (8:43)

Okay.

Tina (8:43)

Number.

Hannah (8:44)

Well, I know how to haunt you now.

Tina (8:46)

I don't even like it to say it. Drizzalicious. Number two, where can you get these other than this paper shop, do you think?

Hannah (8:54)

Yeah, so I did look, and some of. Some of our grocery stores don't have them. Like, we have a couple of local grocery stores that don't have them. But I did see that if you live in the Midwest, Meijer has them, which makes me think that some bigger, bigger, more like national stores, like KROGER or Wegmans, I would think would have them, like, some of those bigger stores. But, yeah, Meijer. I did see them at Walmart.

Tina (9:21)

Oh.

Hannah (9:21)

And just. I didn't see them. I didn't see them at, like, some of the other kind of smaller grocery stores in our area. So. I don't know.

Tina (9:30)

Delicious. Okay.

Hannah (9:31)

And. And you can buy a box. I. I actually ended up. Because when my mom introduced them to me, I was like, well, I need some of these right now. And I ordered a box of the mini bags from Amazon.

Tina (9:43)

Perfect. Okay. All right.

Hannah (9:45)

Because my kids love them too.

Tina (9:46)

Well, that's what kids thinking. I'm like, I feel like. So our girl is very into sweets. It's a problem. Like, she just loves treats. And I'm like, okay, we're not having, like, we give her, like, one candy a day.

Hannah (9:57)

Right.

Tina (9:58)

Not, like, overly strict. I'm like, girl, you can't fix it on this all day. But I feel like.

Hannah (10:01)

Right, exactly.

Tina (10:02)

This is a good option. And I'm looking. They have, like, another. A bunch of other flavors as well.

Hannah (10:07)

Yep.

Tina (10:07)

Good. All right. Well, that's.

Hannah (10:08)

Yeah. Yeah. My kids both really liked them, so. Good option.

Tina (10:13)

Good option.

Hannah (10:14)

Love it. You want to tell us about your latest read?

Tina (10:17)

I do. I do. Okay. So my. My latest read is Boy, oh, boy. Gonna be hard to talk about, but let's see how I do. Now, my latest read is called Audition, and it's by Katie Kitamura. Do you know this?

Hannah (10:31)

Oh, I'm excited to hear you talk about this Audition.

Tina (10:34)

Have you read her before?

Hannah (10:35)

No.

Tina (10:36)

Neither have I. I wanted to read both of her previous novels. Actually, I've never read her before. She has a separation and intimacies. And for people that like those books, I feel like this one is in line with those, like, you kind of quote, know what you're getting if you've read her previous stuff. Now, I had never read anything previously. I just grabbed based on the synopsis. So the setup is that two people meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. She is an accomplished actress in rehearsal for an upcoming premiere, and he is attractive, troubling, young, and young enough to be her son. Who is he to her, and who is she to him? That's it. And I was like, great. I must know more. I want to know how these two people know each other. And I did it on audio. So thanks to Penguin Random House for the arc of that. The alc. And I was looking for something that would hook me right away. I was. I was telling Hannah I've been Having a lot of trouble settling on a book. I've sampled, sampled, sampled. And this one got me immediately because you're in the restaurant with them to open and I love that. And they're having this conversation and again, it becomes curious, like, how do they know each other? What I love about this is the author doesn't give you really any clear answers throughout the entire novel. And yet I still really enjoyed reading it. This I would call sort of a high concept literary novel. And if you were to say that to me, stick with me, people that read like me, because I'd be like, I'm out. I don't what. But it's sort of interesting. It plays with structure and yet it was still very accessible. The writing was fabulous. The writing. She just has these moments where she's talking about things like motherhood or choosing to be childless and talking about things like aging and what that feels like as a woman, particularly as a woman in Hollywood, we'll say. Or you know, on wherever this in Manhattan, you know, on Broadway, we'll say, and this book is in two acts. And I don't think that's a spoiler to say that the first act is really about more so who this young man is and how he fits into her life. Or does he fit into her life? And the second one takes a different turn. The two books that this reminded me of were if an Egyptian cannot speak English in the experimental style. And it reminded me of Rumaan Alam's writing, which I think is for a lot of people, a turnoff. More specifically, his most recent book, Entitlement. Those are the two novels that this feels like it could be friends with. And I. What did I think about this? I liked it. I really did. I was having. I was never. At no point was I like, am I enjoying this because I enjoyed it the whole time. And I think the thing that pulled me through was the main character and her and the author's writing style. I think she had a lot to say and is very sharp. The prose is sparse. I wouldn't call this over overly flowery writing. It's also quite short, I want to say maybe six hours on audio total. And the narration was really good. And she also had a lot of interest things to say about the choices that we make or how sometimes if you fail to make a choice, that is a choice in and of itself. I thought this was really good. She also had a lot of things to say about marriage. And it was really fun. I was. I remember listening to this. I was walking to get to school to get my daughter. And I was like, wow, this novel's really smart. And it's one of those where I'm like, I could see myself picking it up in print to try and reflect on my reading experience, because I think I get it. But I'm also not 100% sure that I did. But either way, I don't care because I really enjoyed myself while reading it. I think this is a story about how we play roles in our lives, no matter what the role is, and how we got that to that role. And I think it's about how we might play these different roles based on the people we're with. So if any of that at all sounds interesting, that's my pitch, if you will. I don't know how to rate it. Probably three. 75 stars, maybe four. But I'm really glad that I read it and it still makes me interested to read this author again. So all of that to say that one is Auditioned by Katie Kitamura.

Hannah (14:58)

Yeah. I have heard kind of some buzzy discussion around this book, and I was just talking to some friends last night about this book, Kat from Read with Kat.

Tina (15:12)

Okay.

Hannah (15:13)

She recently read it and she. When she was talking about it last night, she said, audition is unlike anything I've read and made for some really good discussion. That was kind of the way she was talking about it, which I agree. You know, listening to you talk about it, you agree. Where it's like, wow, I don't even know what to think necessarily, but unlike anything I've ever read and really discussable, so. And that can be really fun to read sometimes. Regardless of what you think about it.

Tina (15:40)

I think it's so interesting that you wrote that down and you all were just talking about this because I've put it on a whim. You didn't know I was reading it, I don't think.

Hannah (15:46)

No, I didn't.

Tina (15:47)

Yeah. And so I just sort of. I don't know, it found me at the right time, and it definitely pulled me out of a mini reading slump. So I would say I think you'd enjoy it. I think you'd really enjoy it.

Hannah (15:56)

I think I would, too.

Tina (15:57)

Unpacking it. You know, I'm also finicky about. What is it called? People that are in plays, actors, and just sort of the arts.

Hannah (16:05)

I'm sort of theater people. Theater people, art stuff, music.

Tina (16:09)

I can be a little finicky about that.

Hannah (16:11)

And I didn't care.

Tina (16:11)

I was like, this is great. Like, I like that. And I feel like you would get Even more out of it. So very interesting novel and would agree that it's one that I've unlike anything I've ever read. Best if you don't know much more than that.

Hannah (16:24)

Okay, well, interesting segue. My latest read is also kind of unlike anything I've ever read before either. And that is the River Has Roots by Amal El Mohtar. And this is a fairy tale like story about two sisters who make music together. And they live in a town called Thistlewood on the edge of Faerie. So this is fantasy fairy tale genre. There these two sisters tend to and harvest the enchanted willows and honor an ancient contract to sing to them in thanks for their magic. Esther and Isabel. These two sisters cherish each other as much as they cherish these ancient trees. But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, the sisters bond is tested. So this is a pretty short, short novel. Pretty quick, quickly paced. The writing in this book was absolutely stunning. Like bring tears to your eyes. Beautiful. Coming out of this book, I think I can take away a few key themes and maybe pick apart what this book was trying to say, but really it just felt like this ethereal, somewhat dark, but also whimsical fairy tale. It felt like a fever dream, but like a whimsical one. Not like Samantha Schweblin Fever Dream got you like a little bit more like fantastical fairy tale Fever Dream. It's a really hard book that is.

Tina (17:55)

Such a niche comparison and yet makes 100% perfect sense to me.

Hannah (17:59)

Yes, right. I figured, you know, because I know some of our listeners listen to or read Samantha Schweblin. So yeah, wanted to kind of make that comparison for sure. So this book is a really hard one to pitch and describe, but ultimately I think it's worthwhile just for the prose alone. And also there are stunning artwork and drawings like every few pages. The entire book is illustrated, not in color, but it's an illustrated book. And at its heart I think that this is really a story about sisterhood, though it also features a really standout non binary character whose identity and even humanity shifts and transforms throughout the book. And I thought that this was a really beautiful and poetic portrayal on personhood and gender and just really added to, I don't know, just the really beautiful, wonderful nature of this book. I also did not realize that this was the same author of this Is how youw Lose the Time War, which is a really popular booktok famous book and that was a fun connection. I didn't realize that, but now I'm eager to try that one as well because I've heard people say similar things about that book too. It's beautiful and wonderful, but I don't really also know what I just read, apparently. I think that that kind of works for me. So I'm eager to try more books by this author. I think if you love fairy tales, beautiful writing and fantastical settings, you should absolutely pick this one up. I haven't really heard a ton of people talking about this one yet. And that is the River Has Roots by Amal El Mohtar.

Tina (19:40)

Good one. No, I have heard about this. I think I saw the COVID and I really liked the COVID of it.

Hannah (19:45)

It's a beautiful cover.

Tina (19:46)

Yeah, but I didn't know anything about it other than in fact you could have given me 15 guesses and I would not have gone guess what you described it as. I thought it was totally different. I really, I think the COVID is lovely. So that's sort of what made me. Made it stick out for me.

Hannah (20:00)

Yeah, the COVID is really pretty and I have heard some people talking about it, just not as much as I would have guessed considering it's the same author of this Is how youw Lose the Time War, which I felt like was a really popular book. So yeah, I'd love to see more people read it and see what they think. Because I'm like maybe someone, maybe someone smarter could tell me like what more this book was was trying to say.

Tina (20:26)

But help unpack this for me because.

Hannah (20:28)

Help help me unpack this.

Tina (20:30)

Help me understand. Well we are about to put a whole bunch of books on your list because it's our Books on the Radar episode. We love doing these. You seem to enjoy listening to us pull books. Now I could do two full episodes of books that are on my radar for May. It's a frickin embarrassment of riches. So very happy to be a reader this month. I will start with one that I'm this is obvious. This is like a gimme. But I had to bring it and I'm a little sorry in advance Hannah because I'm like this one could be on your list. We could both share it. My Friends by Fredrik Backman comes out.

Hannah (21:03)

On I didn't put it. I didn't put this on my list. But I am excited for it.

Tina (21:07)

It's he's an autoread author for me. I love Beartown but I also love some of his more recent standalones like Anxious People. And I just think his writing is so special. He just Gets humanity. And did you read Anxious People, by the way?

Hannah (21:21)

I did. I liked it.

Tina (21:22)

Okay, so that one's polarizing. I really liked that book. It was quirky, weird and just fun and great. But I know a lot of people don't love that one, so I'm interested. Oh. The setup for this could not sound more like something I would enjoy. This is a funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger's life. 25 years later. I'm like, say what now? Now most people don't even notice them. Three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it's just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise. And she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. 25 years earlier. In a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bustling home lives by spending long summer days on this pier. So they're really real people and they're friends. They're telling jokes, sharing secrets, committing small acts of rebellion as one does. And these lost souls find in each other a reason to get up in the morning and a reason to dream and a reason to love. And out of that summer creates this work of art and a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into 18 year old Louisa's care. And she embarks on a surprise filled cross country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. And the closer she gets to the painting's birthplace, the more nervous she becomes to find out what's in it. Yada yada yada. It's a painting. You know, I don't like paintings, but.

Hannah (22:52)

I do like we're really exploring art in our reading for you.

Tina (22:57)

I know I don't know what my problem is, but it's Frederick. It's Frederick. And I do love the idea of seeing the symbol in art and then figuring out who these real people were. How it was inspired, that I could get down with. And for that reason it's high up on my list for May. And that one is called My Friends by Frederik Bachman.

Hannah (23:17)

That one was also on my list. I ended up not bringing it. But like you said, there were so many books. I mean I, I had a whole like honorable mention section of my notes. So we might have some overlap. We'll have to see. My next one, I feel like also might be on your list. It's home of the American Circus by Alison Larkin.

Tina (23:38)

No, I don't like a circus. Okay, great.

Hannah (23:40)

Look at us go. This one comes out on May 6th from Gallery Books. And after an emergency leaves 30 year old Freya Arnold's short on rent. She bails on her lackluster life as a bartender in Maine and returns to her suburban hometown of Somers, New York. It is there that she lives in the house that she inherited from her estranged parents. And Freya tries to lay low, but ends up encountering childhood friends, familial enemies and even old flames, as well as her 15 year old niece who is secretly living in this derelict home that they now share. And the two of them end up reconnecting and lean on each other, working to restore the house and come to terms with the devastating events of their family's past. This sounds like a really moving novel. I read the People We Keep by Alison Larkin a few years back and it was similar kind of in its themes. It sounds like just this moving novel coming of age story that kind of resurfaces the past and explores broken families and the weight of your past and the complicated journey of finding yourself and finding your home. So this sounds right up my alley if it's anything like the people we keep. And I've heard really great early praise for it so far as well. So that is always good to hear. And that is Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin.

Tina (25:08)

Yes, I feel like that one's going to be pretty popular this coming.

Hannah (25:11)

Yep, for sure. We're bringing some, some buzzy ones to.

Tina (25:14)

Start, some buzzy to begin, but now one I think is going to be a little less buzzy. This is the Manual for Good Wives by Lola J. And this one comes out on May 6th as well. It's from Macmillan. This one, if you recognize Lola J. She is the author of the Attic Child, which is a historical fiction novel that I really enjoyed. And so immediately I was like, wait, she has another book coming out? Because that one came out a while ago. And this is her sophomore novel. It is said to be a fast paced tal courage and resilience. And that's from Mike Gale, who's the author of all the Lonely People, a novel I loved. But the Manual for Good Wives is about Adeline Copplefield and everything about Adeline is a lie to the world. Mrs. Copplefield is the epitome of Victorian propriety, an exemplary society lady who writes a weekly column advising young ladies and how to be better wives. Only Adeline has never been a Good wife or mother. She has no claim to the Copplefield name, nor is she an English lady. She is a black woman who was born in Africa, who dared to pretend to be something she was not. She is now on trial in the English court with all of London society praying for her blood, and she's ready to tell her story. So it sounds like this woman gets caught for conning people. I don't know if it's really a con or not, but then she gets put on trial. This is a dual narrative historical fiction, and it's about love, generational trauma, second chances and hope. And I want to read it. And that is the Manual for Good.

Hannah (26:47)

Wives by Lola J. Oh, that one sounds really good. I haven't heard of this one, but I did. I do remember when the attic child came out. And good for her for waiting a minute to release another novel. Like, I want more authors to do this.

Tina (27:02)

Take a beat, Take a piece. Take a minute, take a beat.

Hannah (27:06)

I love that. Well, I don't know. I feel like because I'm not fully immersed in the fantasy romantasy communities, I don't always know what everybody is talking about. So this one, I don't know. I think it might be kind of a buzzy book in those spaces, but it's the Night and the Moth by Rachel Gillig. And this is the same author of the one Dark Tower duology, which I feel like was pretty popular. But this one comes out May 20 from Orbit Books, which is personally my preferred book publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. This is a gothic mist cloaked tale of a prophetess who is forced beyond the safety of her cloister on an impossible quest to defeat the gods, with one knight whose future is beyond her sight. This is about Sybil, who is a diviner who receives prophetic dreams and has spent nine years at the cathedral in exchange for a home, predicting tragedies for both noblemen and commoners alike. As her decade of service nears its end, a heretical and devilishly handsome knight named Roderick arrives and is very openly dismissive of her visions. But then a mystery comes into play here. When fellow diviners begin to vanish, they're disappearing. And of course, Sybil and Roderick are paired up together to help try to figure out what's going on. With danger, cloistered walls, and only the gods holding the answers she seeks, Cybil discovers that sometimes only a heretic can defeat a God. This sounds like a really interesting rivals, enemies to lovers, romantasy novel. I don't always love religious settings which we all know. And that's my one hesitation here. But this book has enough other green flags for me to be curious and excited about it. So I think I'm gonna try this one out. And that is the Night and the Moth by Rachel Gillig.

Tina (29:08)

I love it. Yes. And I feel like we are. I don't like art, I don't like theater, and here I am bringing them. You're like, I don't care for.

Hannah (29:17)

We're exploring things.

Tina (29:18)

Well, it's. And yeah, sometimes these things work or they work in spite of, you know.

Hannah (29:22)

Yes.

Tina (29:22)

Anyway, it just makes me laugh when. Because we both have that.

Hannah (29:26)

I know.

Tina (29:27)

All right. Something I do enjoy in novels is force. And so my next one sounds excellent. It is called A Sharp Endless need by Marissa Crane. This one comes out on May 13 from the dial Press and I loved her debut. I keep my exoskeletons to myself, that one. I don't know if I've ever highlighted more passages than I did from that one. So. In A Sharp Endless need, this is a coming of age novel about an all consuming relationship between two teammates on a girl's high school basketball team. And you have star point guard Mack Morris, whose senior year of high school begins with twin cataclysms, the death of her father, and the arrival of transfer student Liv Cooper. On the court, Mack and Liv discover an electrifying game winning chemistry. And off the court they fall into an equally intoxicating More than friends that is out of bounds for their small town in 2004 and for Liv's conservative mother. As Max, desire and grief collide with drugs, sex and the looming college signing deadline, she is forced to reckon with the disconnect between her past and her future and fight for the life she wants for herself, whether or not Liv will be on the court beside her. This is going to be a sophomore novel. This is going to be character driven. And I am just really excited to read this one. I think it sounds lovely. It is A Sharp Endless need by Marissa Crane.

Hannah (30:52)

I didn't think I'd heard of this one, but I just was looking it up as you were talking about it. And I do recognize this cover from when I was looking up books, but the COVID did not make me think, oh, this is a sports novel. I don't know. This was like. The COVID doesn't.

Tina (31:09)

It's not like a.

Hannah (31:10)

It seems different than what I thought.

Tina (31:11)

It was going to be like making out. I think they're about to anyway.

Hannah (31:14)

Yeah. Yeah. So, yes, it felt like a magical realism Historical fiction. But when you said coming of age, I was like, ah, okay.

Tina (31:23)

The COVID definitely it's got two people on it.

Hannah (31:27)

Yeah.

Tina (31:27)

Looks to be almost like a mannequin though, now that I'm looking at it. But anyway.

Hannah (31:31)

But the book sounds really good.

Tina (31:33)

The book sounds really good and I don't mind the COVID it's just. Yeah, it's not necessarily giving sports for sure.

Hannah (31:38)

Well, good. I'm glad you brought that one. My next one is the Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. And is this on your list too?

Tina (31:47)

No. Okay. But I know it. Yes.

Hannah (31:49)

Yeah, this one comes out on May 13th from Penguin Press. So one late summer evening in the post industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, which. Can we just talk about that name for a town? East Gladness, Connecticut. Take me there. But we are following 19 year old high who is standing on the edge of a bridge in the pelting rain. He is ready to jump. This is how the novel starts out. But he hears someone across the river and the voice belongs to Graznia, who is an elderly widow succumbing to dementia. And she convinces him to take another path and to change his mind. And bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develop a life altering bond. One built on empathy, spiritual reckoning and heartbreak. With the power to alter Hai's relationship to himself, family and his community. I am personally really drawn to stories that explore cycles of history, memory and time. Especially when they center on relationships like this. Just found family that came at a like because of a unique circumstance. I'm especially intrigued on how this one focuses on those living on the margins of society and the emotional weight of collective wounds. This sounds like just a really tender and open story of loss, hope and chosen family and the quiet power of a second chance. So I am really excited about this one. And that is the Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong.

Tina (33:26)

Yes, I think that one will be get a lot of buzz. I hate to say buzz. Me too because I feel like buzz is almost like a bad word. You know, it's buzzy, but I feel.

Hannah (33:35)

Like people are going to be talking about it.

Tina (33:37)

It'll be gossip worthy.

Hannah (33:39)

I haven't read Ocean Vuong's other book on Earth were briefly gorgeous, but I. I don't think I've ever seen a bad review for that book either.

Tina (33:47)

Right.

Hannah (33:47)

And so that is another one I really want to pick up and I think would really be for me as a reader.

Tina (33:55)

So that has great reviews too.

Hannah (33:58)

Yes, it does. Okay, what's your next one?

Tina (34:00)

All right, this one I'm scooping you on because there's no way that you're not interested in this.

Hannah (34:05)

Okay?

Tina (34:06)

It's Immaculate Conception by Lin Lin Huang.

Hannah (34:10)

I've definitely heard of this, but it was on my honorable mention. Okay, okay, you're not scooping.

Tina (34:14)

Not scooping you. So, Lin Lin. Yes, they are the author of Natural Beauty, which I think this book was just a wild, wild time. Now, this one is set in the world of competitive art, so stick with me. It's also obsessive friendship and upended that gets upended by cutting edge technology. This one is about two characters, Inka and Mathilde in art school. Mathilde is a talented yet tortured artist whose star is on the rise. And Inka is struggling to make art that feels original, and she gets immediately drawn to her. The two strike up an intense bond that soon turns codependent. But when Mathilde's fame reaches new heights, Inka becomes desperate to keep her best friend close, no matter the cost. Anka quickly falls in love with and marries a billionaire whose family's company is funding an unconventional technology that is supposed to heighten empathy, which could allow someone else to inhabit Mathilde's mind and absorb the trauma from her brain. And soon, the boundaries between the two begin to blur even further, setting in motion a disturbing series of events that forever changes their lives. This one is guaranteed to be weird and it's guaranteed to be something that is definitely in my wheelhouse and I'm excited for it. I love novels that are doing something different. I love novels of obsession, particularly female friendship. And I'm so excited to see where this goes. This book is Immaculate Conception by Lin Ling Huang.

Hannah (35:44)

The books this month are just so good. They sound so good. I am going to stay on my fantasy journey and bring the Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Yeah, this one comes out on. Okay, this one comes out on May 6th from Tor Books. And we're following brother Diaz, who is summoned to the sacred city expecting honor. But instead he is assigned a mission alongside a band of killers, dark magic users, and even monsters. And to complete this righteous task, unholy deeds are going to be required. And as elves threaten from the borders and power hungry princes are scheming, Diaz must rely on his unlikely blood soaked allies to complete his task. And so it sounds wild, and again, it sounds like there might be some religious elements. I don't know, it sounded a little bit vague. Who are we today?

Tina (36:48)

Why are we doing this?

Hannah (36:50)

Why are we doing this? It sounds really good, though. And I've heard really good early reviews for this already as well. Joe Abercrombie is a really popular high fantasy author, so that could be why it's already getting some early buzz. But this one sounds like it dabbles in horror, and that is why I'm particularly excited about this new release. And it's number one in what I'm assuming is going to be a series I've never been actually caught up on, like a high fantasy author's series when book number one comes out. So maybe this is my chance.

Tina (37:23)

Right?

Hannah (37:23)

There you go. But, yeah, if you've read his books before, I'd be curious what you think is the best place to start. But I am excited about this one. I'm excited that it dabbles in horror. And that is the Devils by Joe Abercrombie.

Tina (37:36)

All right, that one sounds interesting. I didn't know. I thought it was horror. I didn't realize that he is a fantasy author.

Hannah (37:44)

Yeah, and maybe this one is just horror, but I mean, the synopsis, when you read it, talks about elves and Fae and gods. That sounds fantasy to me. So, okay, maybe it's both.

Tina (37:56)

All right. Okay. This next one is by an author that I'm really excited to see is coming out with a new book. It is Make Me Famous by Maude Ventura. This is a novel in translation, and Gretchen Schmidt is a translator. This is said to be Daisy Jones and the Six meets Patricia Highsmith, which. I mean, yes, I accept.

Hannah (38:15)

Yes, please.

Tina (38:16)

It is a novel about the brutal and ferocious road to glory. Ever since she was a child, Cleo, the French American daughter of two academics, has only had one obsession, becoming a famous singer. Over the years, to everyone's surprise but her own, she overcomes every obstacle and becomes a global superstar with millions of dollars, countless awards, and several language villas to her name. But as any celebrity will tell you, getting to the top is one thing, staying there is another. Now she's 33 and taking her first real vacation in years on a remote island with no one else in sight. With the never ending spin cycle of her life finally on pause and no paparazzi stalking her, she can work on her fourth album in peace. Except that with so much time to think, she can't help but ruminate on her past. Including how, just think, six months earlier, things started to go very, very wrong. This takes place in New York, Paris, la, the South Pacific. And it dives into the machinations of one woman's complicated mind and her relentless pursuit of fame. If I know one thing about Maud Ventura is that she can write a unhinged character. And I'm gonna read this very soon. This book is Make Me Famous by Maude Ventura.

Hannah (39:26)

Yeah, I. This one just wasn't on my radar, so I didn't know that she was coming out with a new book. I'm really glad that you discovered that one.

Tina (39:35)

Very excited.

Hannah (39:36)

Yay. My last one is My Name is Amelia Deval by Isabel Allende, and the translator is Frances Riddle. It comes out on May 6th from Ballantine Books. This is set in 1866 San Francisco, and we have an Irish nun who was abandoned by her Chilean aristocrat lover. And she gives birth to Amelia Devel, who is raised by a kind stepfather. And she ends up growing into a fiercely independent young woman with a passion for writing. At 16, she begins publishing pulp fiction under a male pseudonym, defying societal expectations. Her ambition soon pushes her beyond fiction and she lands a job at the San Francisco examiner, where she is paired with a fellow reporter, Eric Whelan. Civil war ends up brewing in Chile, and Amelia leaps at the chance to report on it and travel with Eric. As she navigates the chaos of war, she begins uncovering long buried truths about her father and her ancestral homeland. But danger mounts, and Amelia must confront her identity, her purpose, and her future that she wants to claim. This book sounds like it blends history and adventure with ancestry and self discovery and sounds like the perfect spring summer historical fiction novel. I have never read any Isabel Allende. I know she is a really loved author and I really want to fix that. So apparently that's another theme in today's books that I'm bringing are really famous authors that I haven't read from. But I really want to start. So that is My name is Amelia Duvall by Isabel Allende.

Tina (41:20)

Oh, that's a good one. I saw that too, and I was like, oh, a new one. Okay, here we go.

Hannah (41:24)

I know the COVID looks a little bit different from some of her other books. I can't quite put a finger on it. But it's a beautiful cover and that's what originally drew me to it.

Tina (41:35)

So, yeah, she has good covers. Like I'm looking. She has a lot of books, too, and I have.

Hannah (41:40)

She does.

Tina (41:41)

I don't know that I've read her either, which is no good. If I had a theme for today, my theme is authors where I've read their previous novels and really enjoyed them. Because now I'm realizing, I think that all of the books I brought were from prior authors. Authors, which is exciting, fun. Yeah.

Hannah (41:57)

And mine was just the opposite.

Tina (41:58)

All love that for us.

Hannah (42:00)

Cool. We'll have to. We'll have to start unpacking our themes when we get to the end of our books. On the radar. I think last time, like, half of my books, if not almost all of them, were like, this is a family story about. Yeah, okay.

Tina (42:14)

Well, a lot of family stories. I feel like for this one, we brought a wide range, but also we added elements that we don't tend to gravitate towards, so that could be typically fun. So I'm curious to see how it goes. My current read is so good. It is woodworking by Emily St. James. When I tell you I fell in love with this book immediately. It is so good. You know how sometimes you just get books that are special? You're like, this is different. Like, this is different. These people are characters I'm going to miss when they're gone. I just love it. And it is about erica, who is 35 years old and recently divorced, and she is trans, but she hasn't told anybody yet because she is a teacher in a small high school in South Dakota, and she doesn't know anybody else that's trans. She's afraid of what people will do if they knew that. The only other person she knows is her student Abigail. And Abigail is 17 and is also trans and is very open with this information. And the two form an unlikely friendship. This is not at all weird. Like, it's not icky. So just know that it's a very straight friendship. And they are just. I'm loving it. The writing is amazing. The book does this really interesting thing where the character's name is Erica, but not a lot of people know her real name yet. And so it kind of blurs out. And I'm showing Hannah. You see all those boxes.

Hannah (43:42)

Oh, yeah.

Tina (43:43)

Blurring out their dead name. And yeah, on audio, it's playing really well because it just sounds like static. I will say, though, it's kind of. This section had a lot of those blurs, so I was like, okay, the static is getting to me. But I love that the author chose to do this.

Hannah (43:58)

Oh, it's like a really creative way to be respectful about someone's identity. Yeah, that's really cool.

Tina (44:04)

And sorry to cut you off, but, yeah, it was just. I was very struck by that. And it's taking you through their school year, and I'm nervous to see where it's going to go. I'm interested to see where it's going to go. I also am doing the audio, and I want to acknowledge that I posted this on my Instagram and some of the people that follow me there were like, hey, do the audio. It's wonderful. Oh, they were absolutely correct. It is narrated, I think, by all trans narrators. So I'm just loving this book and it's a great story. So this one is woodworking by Emily St. James, and this is her debut.

Hannah (44:39)

Oh, the COVID is so cool, too.

Tina (44:41)

I absolutely love the COVID It looks so. And you know what? Okay, I have to admit, I was like, woodworking, is it like shop class that she teaches and.

Hannah (44:50)

Right, right.

Tina (44:50)

It's not what woodworking is. It's when individuals that are trans would basically pick up their lives and move to a completely new place, essentially, quote, unquote, disappearing into the woodwork so that they can live authentically without the judgment from all the people that they used to know. But I was like, I never. I had never heard that term before. So I'm really glad this book introduced me to it.

Hannah (45:14)

Oh, awesome. I haven't. I did know of this book and have seen some people reading it, but I also haven't seen. I feel like enough people reading it, so to know that it's just an outstanding book, too. I. My hope is that everyone will go and pick it up.

Tina (45:28)

I hope so, too.

Hannah (45:29)

Well, my current read is the Story She Left behind by Patti Callahan Henry. And I don't have my physical copy with me, but I am doing the audio. It has another really pretty cover, and I'm about 50% of the way through this one. It is a dual POV historical fiction novel set in the 50s. It's a mother daughter story. It has a mystery element. I'm unclear on if there's going to be a love story involved. I kind of hope so, but I don't know yet. But I'm really enjoying it. I am also doing the audio. It's narrated by Julia Whelan, and I like Julia Whelan for historical fiction, strictly.

Tina (46:12)

I know.

Hannah (46:13)

And so I'm enjoying that narration from her with this one. And that is the Story She Left behind by Patti Callahan Henry.

Tina (46:21)

Now, are there any male characters in this one?

Hannah (46:24)

There's one. And actually he has a pov.

Tina (46:26)

And does Julia Whalen do his voice?

Hannah (46:30)

She does. It's fine.

Tina (46:33)

I know that's not your favorite.

Hannah (46:34)

It's fine. It's not my favorite, but I. I'm not as. I'm not as icked out by it when it's not a love interest.

Tina (46:42)

I Feel you.

Hannah (46:43)

I don't know. Because, like, if it's not a love interest, then I'm like, well, I don't have to be, like, attracted to this person or I don't know. When I read. When I read a romance, both with the heroine and the hero, I don't know. Like, I want to like how their voice sounds, which is partially why I just don't listen to a lot of romance, because I don't always like how the narrator even, like, the tone and inflection will sound. Like, I don't. Attractive isn't the right word, but just believable. It's not right. Yeah, it's just not. It doesn't feel right to me.

Tina (47:14)

I don't like listening to romance because I don't want to hear anything in the bedroom. Like, I can't listen to Kennedy Ryan's book. I swear to God. Like, I. My, like, skin peeled off my face when I listened to her and I.

Hannah (47:25)

Just like, fast forward skin peeled off my face.

Tina (47:28)

What have they done? Because I'm like, I can't listen to this. I just.

Hannah (47:31)

Yeah, I know. I. I'll never forget there was one time I was rocking my son when he was just a wee. A wee infant babe, and I was rocking him to sleep, and I had chosen a romance audiobook, and I got to a certain part and it was in the bedroom and it was in my ears and I looked down and I was like, I can't do this.

Tina (47:53)

No, you're like, I can't do this.

Hannah (47:55)

I can't do this.

Tina (47:56)

Cannot do it.

Hannah (47:57)

I was like, I cannot look at my infant son while I am listening to this absolute filth.

Tina (48:04)

That's fair. I mean, that's. That's fair. All right, well, on that note, 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 Podcast or by leaving us a comment on YouTube. This helps us get our show up 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.

Hannah (48:38)

If you'd like to connect with us, you can can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at BookTalk Etc. On Instagram and BookTok Etc on YouTube. You can find Tina, TBR Etc and Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books.

Tina (49:00)

Have a great day and I will.

Hannah (49:01)

Talk to you Saturday.

Tina (49:03)

Saturday after I go and hit 10 bookstores in one day.

Hannah (49:07)

We are not doing oh yeah.