← Book Talk, etc.
Loading summary
Transcript144 lines
- [00:00]
Hannah
How many times can we say sausage before it sounds awkward and loses all meaning?
- [00:16]
Tina
Welcome to Book Talk Etc. A podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.
- [00:22]
Hannah
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [00:24]
Tina
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers. We're easily distracted by new releases and today we're talking about all things digital reading.
- [00:34]
Hannah
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]
Tina
Before we hop in. I wanted to make a quick plug. We are so excited that Patreon has finally made it possible for people to gift Patreon Patreon membership. So if you have a reader in your life that might like to join up with our Book Talk Etc Patreon community. If you want to gift it to yourself, whatever. If you want to put it on your wish list, you can now, which I think is really exciting. You could gift your memberships to anybody's Patreon, but For us it's patreon.com booktalk etc gift and you can hop in there. You'll see a list of all of the things that you get with your Patreon membership with us, for $5 a month you get two bonus episodes, a live event, a community read, and a lot more. So I wanted to do a quick plug at the top of the show for that because I think it's so exciting.
- [01:35]
Hannah
Yeah, that's awesome that you can gift memberships now.
- [01:38]
Tina
I know and we'll link that in our show notes, but hi Hannah, how are you?
- [01:42]
Hannah
Hi Tina. Good. How are you?
- [01:45]
Tina
I'm doing good. Happy Thanksgiving week to those listeners, to those people that are in the US that celebrate Thanksgiving. You know, when this drops, it's what, Tuesday? So I will be at my day job and we happen to have a university that has a culinary school attached to it. So they do this awesome thing where they bake a huge Thanksgiving lunch for everybody and so we get to take it and I'm going to eat with my co workers and it's just an awesome thing that my university does. So I'm excited.
- [02:14]
Hannah
Oh, that'll be really fun. I will also be working. I will not be eating delicious food unfortunately, but I will be able to work from my couch. So still some benefits.
- [02:23]
Tina
I mean, truly, honestly, you know, most days I'll take that over A delicious lunch, but absolutely. I'm excited to kick off the holiday season for our family. It officially begins on Friday, which is tomorrow when we're recording. We are going to what's called Chris Kindle market. Ooh, Chriskindle market. Yeah. It is a German Christmas market in Chicago. If you're from Chicago, you know this. It's just this, the most charming thing. We go every year. We've been going for many years now, but there's a different vendors and, like, genuine, authentic things that are imported from Germany. There's sauerkraut, there's sausages, there's glue, wine. There are so many fun things to do. And I just can't wait to take the girls. We went last year, but our baby was like three months old, so now she can walk, and I'm so pumped. I can't wait. But anyway, happy holiday season to all of you. Hopefully it's a bomb. And again, existing.
- [03:20]
Hannah
Yeah. I am really excited for all of the holiday festivities. You talking about the German market that you're. You're going to or the. The festival that you're going to is making me think of this. You know, how you get in, like, weird. You. You enter weird parts of TikTok sometimes, and you're like, how did I get here? Don't worry. This is totally rated G. But not that weird. Yeah, not that weird, but I think it's called Birkin breakfast. Is that what they' American breakfasts. Anyway, it's like a, like, Slavic breakfast, and it has, like, sausages, like, pickled food, usually like a whole onion bread.
- [03:58]
Tina
Fantastic.
- [03:58]
Hannah
Anyway, you mentioning sausages reminded me of this weird TikTok journey that I went on this week.
- [04:04]
Tina
Oh, my God.
- [04:05]
Hannah
Well, I keep texting my friends, being like, have you heard of this breakfast thing? And they're like, why are you so interested in this? Go eat a sausage.
- [04:12]
Tina
Go get yourself a sausage. Well, you did really connect earlier. You heard me talking to my mom and I was saying, I'm excited to eat a sausage, and you were like, ooh, sausage. So it really resonated with you.
- [04:22]
Hannah
It did really resonate.
- [04:24]
Tina
Anyway, I'm pretty pumped. I'll. I'll definitely. I'll send you a picture of my sausage tomorrow. Please, Please do.
- [04:30]
Hannah
I can't wait to get your sausage pick.
- [04:31]
Tina
Oh, my goodness, yes. And I will link to the Chris Kindle market in case you're, like, in the Midwest nearby. We love it. Like, it's something we go to every year. It's very much worth it. I think it's through end of December. It goes through December 24th, so Christmas Eve, if you're so inclined. But funny, you said TikTok rabbit hole. Because my loving lately is something I alluded to last week on the show when we had Tracy on, but I wanted to get more in depth with it. My loving lately is this idea of a commonplace journal. You might say, Tina, isn't that just a journal? What are you talking about? What's commonplace journal? But I first heard about it, I was watching TikTok. I got in a TikTok rabbit hole, and somebody was talking about wanting to, like, really having the itch to make a lot of the things she's saving on TikTok available if we happen to lose the platform, like writing things down, you know, and just having, like, an analog version of some of these ideas and quotes and whatever recipes, what have you. And it really spoke to me because I thought, we don't own any of these things online, really. Right. Somebody could take it away. And it kind of got me inspired. She was talking about wanting to go through all of her tabs and write down ideas from it and just write things down. So in the comments of that, somebody was like, oh, so basically a commonplace journal. And I said, come again? What is a commonplace journal? Which, of course, took me on my own journey. And so I'm holding it in front of you, Hannah. This is my commonplace journal. And at the beginning of last year, I was really obsessed with a book journal. You might remember me talking about it on this show. I got really into it, and I set it up all beautifully, but I found that I have a hard time keeping track of these things for my reading in any sort of sustainable way. I found it to be a chore after a while, and I'm like, some of these things that I'm gonna go back and fill in, you know, at the end of the year. But it just wasn't for me to keep up with at the end of the month. I prefer to have my, like, reading journal digitally so that I can, like, go to it when I'm recording the podcast and things like that. But when I heard about a commonplace journal, I thought, I really like having this physical thing let me repurpose. And so I was very proud of myself. I did not go online and buy anything new, because the whole point of a commonplace journal is that it's common. It's a repository of thoughts and ideas that you collect throughout your days from other sources for future use or to reflect upon. So you can take down quotes, you can Take down information, poems from things you're reading or quotes from things you're reading. Tiktoks that you've saved. Just any sort of ideas. Like maybe a Birkin breakfast would be something that you would write down in your commonplace journal to remember later. Like, oh, let me talk about that.
- [07:19]
Hannah
I'm going to eat a whole onion for breakfast.
- [07:20]
Tina
Exactly. So for me, I'm not being fussy with it. That's the key with the book journal. I was trying to be too perfect with it. Make it pretty, making it pretty. And you know, you've got the color coding. And it was sort of fun to set up, but then I was like, I don't know that I can do this sustainably. My commonplace journal is just very basic. I'm showing Hannah. I love that it's just me writing. But then the cool thing is I have it with me as often as I can, as, you know, when I remember to have it. But for example, last week we were talking to Tracy and I was writing things down. I underlined, give yourself permission to be dumb. That really spoke to me. And I just feel like this is a very good way for me to remember those little things that are fleeting throughout the day that are important to me. And it's a way for me to keep it. So I'm so happy about this idea. I'm looking. I have quotes from a book I was reading. A couple books I was reading. I also got interested on TikTok about something called the White Buffalo prophecy and the Black Hills and the Lakota people and how important the land. Anyway, it's fun to have these little odd passions and keep them instead of just like having it for a moment and then, you know, it goes off somewhere into the great beyond. But I've really been loving it. I encourage you to consider picking up a journal, some journal you probably have laying around and just start writing. I like to date it. So I'll write down, you know, the date and then whatever it is, I don't do it every day. I don't get mad if I forget to do it. It's just something simple that's really, really been bringing me joy. So this is a commonplace journal.
- [08:53]
Hannah
Yeah. I think that I, like you also struggle to keep up with like the really hyper organized things that require me to, like, have a certain pen. Because I use this pen with this coloring and this, I can't keep up with that. And I love that, like if all I have is my notebook and then like a blue felt pen that I found from My kids, you know, bedroom space. I can just use that and write it down. I had a really, really cool conversation with the person at the deli counter at the grocery store the other day. And I keep thinking like, I don't want to forget this conversation that we had because it was such a in passing moment. I had my son with me and we were talking about parenting and she said a couple of things that were like just one liners that were so powerful about parenting. And it was just a small little communication that I had with the lady at the deli counter. And I keep thinking like, I don't want to forget this thing that happened because it was such a like purely human community thing. And I've been like, but where do I put that? And so it sounds like this would be like a great place for that where whether it's a small moment that happened or whatever, you just have a place to kind of like jot these memories down. So you've inspired me.
- [10:11]
Tina
Yay. I have. I was very inspired when I saw it. My daughter has learned to rip out pages of books, which has not been fun, but she ripped out two of the pages in my journal before me. I would freak out because I'm like, my pretty journal, you mess it up. But now I'm like, I just wrote on there. My daughter has learned to rip out pages and I put the date on it and like now I'm gonna look, this thing will take me a long time to fill up. I actually love this journal. It's a. It's big. It's like 8 and a half by 11 and it's a dot journal. It's similar to bullet journaling. But I could never keep up with that too because again, I wanted it to be pretty. Like this is just basic, but it's going to take me literal years. I'm sure my kids will be in elementary school the time I finish this one. But it's just meaningful. And I really like this journal too. It's very basic, but we can link to it. It's from Staples and.
- [10:59]
Hannah
Oh, perfect.
- [11:00]
Tina
And I'm just excited. I'm feeling activated. I keep saying that, but that's how I feel.
- [11:05]
Hannah
I love that feeling.
- [11:07]
Tina
What have you got for us? So.
- [11:09]
Hannah
So mine is kind of related to our conversation today. And it's similar in the sense that like this is just a very like everyday thing that I have been doing that has really been working for me and that is really just the way I have been organizing my Kindle. So I have a Kindle Paperwhite. And I believe you can do this with. I mean, I don't. I think that you can do this with any Kindle version that you have, whether that's, you know, the Oasis or the paper white or the. I don't know about the new Kindle color soft. But I'm assuming that you can organize it this way. But that's where you organize them. So I organize all of my books through what's called collections, and you can actually view your Kindle library through these collections. So, honestly, what was the most fun about this is going through my entire backlog and then kind of figuring out what collections I wanted to sort my books into, and then going through all of the books on my Kindle and putting them into these collections. And it's been such a great way to kind of declutter my, like. Like imaginary TBR in my brain, right? Because sometimes I'm like, I. I really want to make it through my NetGalley books. Well, instead of just scrolling through my Kindle, I can actually go into that collection and look at the most recent downloads of things that I have put there from NetGalley. I also have a collection for my Kindle Unlimited books, because otherwise, again, like, they just get very lost in the shuffle. And so whenever I download a book from Kindle Unlimited, I put it right in that collection so that I know that it's there and I can go right to it. My mom and I actually share a Amazon account, and so a lot of her old books, or we used to, so a lot of her old books were on there, and I didn't want to delete them just in case she ever needed access. So I have a collection in there of my mom's, like, knitting books and cookbooks and things like that that she had on there in case she ever needs access to those again. So this has just been really helpful to kind of declutter my brain. I think sometimes when we've talked about this before, I get so overwhelmed with the amount of access that we have to books. And that's great, and I love that, and it's a huge blessing in so many ways. But it's obviously the mental load and the clutter can get a little too much where it's like, I have ARCs and audiobooks and all these things on my Kindle, and it's nice to have small ways like this to at least mentally organize. Like, okay, I want to read a NetGalley book next, or I want to make it through my Kindle Unlimited library. And I can just look at the three books that I have out from Kindle Unlimited and pick between those. So this has been really helpful for me. I will link a couple of videos on how to set up your Kindle with this organization process, because I do believe there were a couple of steps on how to, like, view your Kindle library through these collections and how to set them up initially. So I will link a couple of videos so that if you're listening to this and you're like, I want to do this, but I don't know how, hopefully you can watch some of these videos and that will help you get started if you want to organize your Kindle this way. So, yeah, that new Kindle organization tool using Collections has been awesome for me.
- [14:22]
Tina
I love this. I, too, set up collections at one point, have since forgotten about it. And so I remember when I was into it, I was like, oh, good, this is a great way to do it. Because I do get overwhelmed and I honestly don't love the user, like, the interface of the Kindle. Sometimes, like, I find it hard to search. Yes, it might. Maybe it's just mine, but I'm like, can you just search for the book that I, you know, I'm asking for? Right. And so anyway, I think Collections is a really great way to do that. There it goes. View options, Collections. Okay, I've got them. Yeah, I have NetGalley, immediate TBR, Summer Bonanza. I. I wonder if I've looked at anything on my Immediate tbr. Some of them, yes. Okay. Yeah, I've read a lot of these, which is great, but there you go.
- [15:06]
Hannah
I just got a midget red folder.
- [15:08]
Tina
Oh, okay.
- [15:09]
Hannah
That is so satisfying for me to see because I have a folder of books I've read and I love seeing that number tick up. I don't know, there's just something about that that's so satisfying.
- [15:19]
Tina
Have you categorized all of yours?
- [15:21]
Hannah
Oh, yeah.
- [15:22]
Tina
Good girl. Good for you. I lost interest pretty quickly when I was like, this is gonna take a while. Goodbye.
- [15:30]
Hannah
Well, I'm all about finding things that work for us, right? And, you know, this might not be something that someone else could keep up with or whatever. For whatever reason, it work me. So, you know, and someday it might not, someday it might not, but for now, now it's working.
- [15:46]
Tina
I would love to see those videos too, because I cannot remember. I want to see if there's, like, different ways that I could structure this because I don't love when I open my Kindle where it lands. But anyway, well, this has Got me thinking though, because for today's episode, it was honestly a reading break. We needed something that was a little bit more general for us because we're like, okay, you know what, what do we want to read? You know, there's so many. Sometimes we love our, the categories that we are reading for, but sometimes it can be challenging. And so for this one, Hannah actually had the great idea too. Let's just do a Kindle episode. Let's just do a netgalley November episode, which is a challenge that I've been doing. So I'm glad that you offered this as an option. The latest read that I'm bringing today in, the latest read category is actually something I read a while ago back in May. However, I never brought it to this show. It is a book that I read. I actually tandem did this. I did it partially on audio and partially read it digitally, but I did get a galley for it. It's She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica. And Mary Kubica is an author that I have read, I mean, almost all of her books, not all of them, because I have a very complicated relationship with her. I have loved some of them. Some of them I wanted to throw out the window, quite frankly. So this one is about an ICU nurse that accidentally uncovers a patient's frightening past. She writes thrillers, so you sort of know what you're getting with this. Typically for her, you've got alternating viewpoints. And it's about Megan Michaels, who's trying to find balance between being a single mom to a teenage daughter and working as a full time nurse while on duty at the hospital. One day a patient named Caitlin arrives in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, having jumped from a bridge and plunging over 20ft into the train tracks below. But then a witness comes forward with shocking details about the fall and it calls everything they thought they knew into question because was Caitlyn pushed or did she jump and if she was pushed, who did it? And Megan sort of gets obsessed with figuring out what's going on and she gets too close to this patient and very entrenched with their lives. And she sort of figures out throughout this that by getting so close to what's going on with this patient, she's sort of putting her and her daughter in danger. The book actually opens up. Fantastic. And I should say I loved a lot about this. I really did. Some of this super worked for me, some of it didn't. But what did work for me was the beginning because. Because you find out in the very beginning that someone has taken her daughter. And I mean, of course, our hearts are in our throat, right? You're like, what has happened? And then you travel back and she plays with time a little bit. You go back to the hospital and you meet this woman, you know, that's been hospitalized and et cetera. Some of the things that didn't work for me as well were what I consider to be details that just didn't align. So she had this random scare for breast cancer that didn't further the plot at all. And it was sort of just thrown in there as, like, I guess, another red herring for us to be worried about. But the woman's a nurse. Like, you don't know how to do breast exams. Like, it was like an odd non sequitur. That's a me thing that I don't like when it's thrown in for no reason at all. There are, as I mentioned, a lot of red herrings. There were a lot of twists and turns with this one, which can work. It's something I do like about her books, is that they're set in Chicago. She's from Chicago, I think, or lives here. And she must have listed almost every street in the city. Like, I'm talking Wabash, we're over on Clark street, we're on Michigan Ave. Like, okay, we. We get that you're in the city. And I think it's something that stuck out to me specifically because I know all of these places. And I'm like, we get it. Like, why are these details important? There were some very good reveals in this. I will admit to being surprised several times at the end for me is that it got very over the top. Very, very over the top. And it's a shame because I think if this were more tightly edited, I think if this were a case of the author trusting the readers more to figure things out, do the work, I think this could have been really, really stellar. I thought it was a little bit slow, too. It's like about 330 pages. And I found it to be a little bit of a slog for a book that's so short and for a book that's in the popcorn thriller space. Overall, I'm glad I read it because my husband also read it. We were going to do this for our local, for our book club, and so he and I had a really, really good conversation about it. We don't get to do it very often, but it was nice to do a tandem read together for this one. Overall, you know, it's A book. And I think if you like the way that Mary Kubica writes, I think you will like it. It has great ratings. So I know that I'm not in the majority with my opinion on this one and it's very popular. It just is not for me. And I probably should accept that maybe this is not an author that I'm going to continue to try. But for some reason I keep going back. That is she's not Sorry by Mary Kubica.
- [20:47]
Hannah
I have authors like this too, where it's like they're, they're, they don't work for me more than they work for me, but for some reason I'm just always holding out hope that one day that's Riley Sager for me.
- [20:58]
Tina
Same here. Exactly who I was thinking of when you said that.
- [21:02]
Hannah
Yeah, I'm like, I sometimes I literally viscerally hate his books. And yet I still go back.
- [21:08]
Tina
I know, I don't know what it is, I don't know what it is, but that's how I am.
- [21:13]
Hannah
It's that intermittent reinforcement that is the most. I mean, it's why people gamble, right? Because it's like when you get that intermittent reinforcement, you're more likely to keep going back. It's addicting. Because what if it happens again?
- [21:25]
Tina
What if it happens again and then what if you miss it? Yes. That's how I am with Frida McFadden's books. Because some of them I don't like, but some of them I really enjoyed. I'm like, I gotta see the latest one and see what I think.
- [21:35]
Hannah
So exactly.
- [21:36]
Tina
Anyway, what's your latest read?
- [21:38]
Hannah
So my latest read is Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood. This is Ali Hazelwood's young adult romance. This is about Mallory Greenleaf, who swore off chess after it shattered her family four years ago. So now her life is all about supporting her mom, wrangling her sisters and clocking in at her dead end job. But when she grudgingly enters a charity chess tournament, she kind of accidentally crushes the reigning world champion and bad boy of chess, Nolan Sawyer. And this leaves everyone stunned, including herself. I mean, she literally beat like the world champion in chess. Nolan's loss to a total rookie shocks everyone. But what is even more surprising is he wants a rematch and he kind of becomes totally obsessed with Mallory. Walking away would definitely be the safe bet for Mallory, but with cash prizes on the line, she does decide to dive back into the game that she vowed to forever leave behind. She rises through the ranks and juggles family drama and rekindling her love for chess. And of course, she learns that the real games and hardship and joy and everything in between happens off the board. So I have actually kind of been loving young adult romances lately. When I've been picking them up, I am very picky about them. But the ones that really work for me tackle again, like, depth alongside the love story. And I feel like this one did it really well. I think sometimes with young adult it can feel a little too angsty or like the stakes aren't high enough. But I think this one was a really good example that teens can really go through hard things too, and they have to deal with it. And sometimes the way they deal with it isn't angsty or immature or lacking in depth. And sometimes they really do handle it. And honestly, sometimes they can even handle it with more grace than many adults, myself included. And I really enjoyed the chess element in this one too. I've never once played a game of chess, but this did not affect my enjoyment one bit. And in fact, I really enjoyed it. It was fun to hear the characters nerd out about the game. I think I just love to see people loving what they love. And this was a really good example of not needing to have a lot of context and background to be able to enjoy someone just loving what they do. And I was really able to do that through reading this one. Ali Hazelwood in general is actually a good example of what we were just talking about where very hit or miss, but there are those intermittent wins that keep me crawling back. She's just a total hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a win. If you are someone like me who knows absolutely nothing about chess, but enjoyed the Queen's Gambit and want a version of that that's actually happy and won't make you cry sad tears, you should read Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood.
- [24:41]
Tina
Really good review. And I immediately, as soon as I heard chess, I was like, ooh. I love games though, in books. And like you said, I don't know anything about chess. But like, I'll listen to you as a character or as a real person nerd out about it because you're so passionate about. But I'm glad I love that element in books when they're like gamifying something. Yeah, how interesting. And I'm also now thinking about authors that I have this intermittent reinforcement with because I feel like there's a lot episode idea. Well, I'm writing it down in my little commonplace journal.
- [25:14]
Hannah
I love that.
- [25:15]
Tina
So we will have to revisit that idea because it's sort of fascinating, right? Maybe. Maybe not to everybody, but to somebody that's, like, into psychology, I'm like, oh, my God. Yeah. No, you're absolutely, absolutely right. Good tie in. So I love a game, right? I love to make challenges for myself. Am I always successful in executing those challenges? No, I am not. Absolutely not. But I still like to do it. And my challenge for myself for the month of November was to do a NetGalley November with this, my reading project. And so Hannah encouraged me to talk about this and sort of, you know, we built this episode around, in part, the idea of either NetGalley Reading or Digital reading or Kindle reading. And so for me, my goal for NetGalley November was three things. I wanted to only read NetGalley books in the month of November. I wanted to not request anything new in NetGalley, but if I read previous requests and they happen to come through, that's okay. That doesn't, like, count against me achieving my. My arbitrary goals here. And then the most important one is to send feedback. So that was the framework that I was working from for the NetGalley November challenge. I got to admit, I am. Okay. We still have. Let's see, how many days left in November. Nine days left in November.
- [26:36]
Hannah
It is coming to a close, though.
- [26:37]
Tina
It's coming to a close. I have to say, I'm kind of glad, because I'm sick of just limiting myself to NetGalley Books.
- [26:46]
Hannah
Yeah.
- [26:46]
Tina
And I have to be honest and say that I haven't been, because that's okay. Yeah. Thank you. It is okay. Because the reason why I broke my netgalley rule for myself was because I wanted to read some specific books for the podcast. So I read there's always. This year for our nonfiction episode. That one I didn't have a NetGalley book for. And then I was going on a road trip, and I needed a really, really good audiobook, and I picked up one that I'll share about at some point that I did not have a galley for. But other than that, I have pretty much stuck with. No, that's not true. Listen, I failed that first one, okay? I'm going through my red list. I'm going through my red list, and I'm like, well, I've read. I have read six books from my NetGalley shelf, which, hey, when I put it that way, I'm like, that's not so bad. And quite frankly, that was just more of the arbitrary thing. My real thing was to send the feedback because as of the reason I started this, I think I was at like 57% on NetGalley. I'm happy to say I'm up to 60% review, so I feel like that's a little bit of a win. I have been doing more reviewing to make this more interesting to everybody. I did find out that you are supposed to submit DNFs. Hannah, do you want to. I'm going to back this up to make this more kind of pull back a little bit and make it less about my gamifying it. Will you tell the listeners a little bit more about what NetGalley is and maybe how to use it?
- [28:10]
Hannah
Yeah. So first of all, what NetGalley is NetGalley is an online platform that connects publishers and authors with readers, reviewers, booksellers, educators and librarians to provide early access to digital review copies of books before their official release. So it used to just be ebooks that you read on your Kindle. They've now also started doing early releases of audiobooks. I don't necessarily use that feature all the time, but that is something that if you're only Interested in audiobooks, NetGalley won't hold you back from that. So yeah, it's really just a service where users can request, read and review upcoming books in a digital format. And it offers books in honestly any genre, fiction, nonfiction. It also includes both popular books that people are really excited to read and more niche or indie published titles. In terms of who can use it, reviewers and bloggers. If you have a Bookstagram account or booktok, Booksellers and librarians I know use this platform a lot. Educators. If you want to gain access to new educational or young adult books for your classroom, this could be a great tool. And also just general everyday readers, people who love discovering and sharing opinions about upcoming books. If you're someone who reads a lot of books and you have opinions on them, who is to stop you from utilizing this platform and reviewing books here? There really aren't any huge limitations. There might be at first. When you first start out and you're kind of building that success ratio that that Tina was talking about and you might have to initially read books that are available to read now, you don't have to request them. They're just books that publishers have made available where if you have a NetGalley account, you're able to just read the book now. So that could be a good option while you're building that percentage up of books you've requested for books that you've actually reviewed. So Why? I think that NetGalley is great. I mean you get the early access, you get free access to books. It's also a great networking opportunity. This could be a great way to kind of get started with connecting with publishers and authors. It's also a great place for discovery. I think it, it's definitely helped me explore new genres that I might not necessarily want to purchase in hardcover, but if it's available for me to read on my Kindle, you know, I've been able to find new authors that I like, new genres that I might be into. And it's also just another great feedback platform helping authors and publishers with pre release marketing and word of mouth promotion, et cetera. So it's helpful for them as well. I think it's a win, win for readers who love diving into new books and for publishers kind of seeking more visibility and feedback for their upcoming titles. So that was a little long winded, but that's kind of like a very brief, high level explanation of what NetGalley is and why I love it.
- [31:08]
Tina
Why?
- [31:09]
Hannah
Why do you love it? Tina?
- [31:10]
Tina
I was just thinking through this as you were describing it because I, you know, I love new releases. I love finding out what's coming out. I am less attached to reading it before publication date. So what I think I'm doing or my plan moving forward is to, instead of like requesting a book, I sort of almost request books as like a. Oh, let me remember that this is coming out at this point in time versus just tagging it. And I started, I talked about that on a previous episode where you can use tags in NetGalley to sort of earmark books basically and sort of make sure that you don't lose them. And then you can go back to your tags and see whatever is coming out. I have my tags really specific meaning. There's books that are being released in January, February 2025, all of that. And it helps me sort of organ the books that I have requested. But I just like it. I mean it's, it's, it's addictive. Like who doesn't want to have early access to books? I like seeing if I will get approved for them. Obviously there's some publishers that I think I have better success with than others, but I do find it really helpful in content creation to have a good idea about what's coming down the pike. And then even if I'm not reading it necessarily before its publication date, I would love to, but. But it's still, I think, helpful to have it on my radar. Um, I Will say I did break my goal for not requesting anything new. So mind you, I'm not in here just requesting away. They email us as reviewers and say, hey, this new book's coming out by this author you loved. Do you want their new book? Who's gonna say no? And that's by the way, we made.
- [32:42]
Hannah
It available for you to download. Right meow.
- [32:44]
Tina
Right meow. You can download it. Right meow. So the book that I broke my. The book that I broke my no request rule for is the Last Session by Julia Bartz. I love the writing retreat. I think I'm alone in that. Obviously not, but I know a lot of people did not love it. I loved it. So I was so delighted to get my hands on her latest that comes out in April.
- [33:04]
Hannah
I'm so glad that you went ahead and downloaded that. So I got that email and I remember when I looked at it, I was like, that's Tina.
- [33:13]
Tina
That's not for me.
- [33:15]
Hannah
That is not for me. That's Tina. She's gonna take it.
- [33:17]
Tina
I'm glad that you. Yeah, I'm glad that you.
- [33:19]
Hannah
So I'm so glad you did.
- [33:20]
Tina
We definitely have those books where we're, you know, kind of filtering through. I'm like, oh, that's a Hannah. Like, I'm good. You know, I know she'll want that one.
- [33:27]
Hannah
But yeah, for sure.
- [33:28]
Tina
That's what we're doing with NetGalley and sort of I still have time to succeed and see how I do. I mean, I think reading six NetGalley books is not bad. More so.
- [33:37]
Hannah
Oh, my gosh, that's great, right?
- [33:38]
Tina
I feel like I'm pretty good about that.
- [33:40]
Hannah
That's great.
- [33:41]
Tina
I also am. What I've learned from this challenge was that I don't need to be so precious about reviews. I have a problem where I'm like, oh, I need to, like, talk about all of these ins and outs and things and, you know, what worked, what didn't work, and make it this like 5 paragraph essay when really, no, they're just looking for your thoughts. Right. Did you like it? Did you not? I also learned that you are encouraged to submit feedback for books you DNF'd. If you have enough of an opinion as to why it did not work for you. For me, I wasn't sure. I was like, am I supposed to review books I did not finish? But according to NetGalley, I did a little digging and they have a whole flowchart that says, yes, you are encouraged to review books you dnf. So I Like, that was encouraging to me.
- [34:24]
Hannah
I didn't know that they had official opinions on that. So that is really good to know.
- [34:28]
Tina
Yeah. And we can link to where I found that online too.
- [34:31]
Hannah
Perfect.
- [34:32]
Tina
I was, believe me, I saved it. Cause I'm like, yes, this is the proof I need. Because I'm such a rule follower.
- [34:37]
Hannah
Yep, I need a guideline.
- [34:39]
Tina
Yes, I need a guideline.
- [34:40]
Hannah
Even if I'm going to break a guideline, I got to at least know the rules first so that I can know if it's worth it to break a rule here and there.
- [34:47]
Tina
Said it. You said it.
- [34:48]
Hannah
Yeah. Another thing that I was going to mention that I use NetGalley for, even outside of just reading and reviewing, is they have a section on their dashboard or where you like go to like find and search for titles of most requested books at the moment. And I think that that is a really good space to be able to figure out, okay, what's going to be buzzy in January or what do we think is going to be really buzzy in February? You can sort them by date and so you can kind of see like what the most requested books are by date that they're being published. And I don't know, I just think it, this is a really fun way to kind of go through and be like, okay, what do I think is going to be the book of January or the Book of February? I know not everybody cares about that, but I just love thinking about this kind of thing and guessing and it's fun, right?
- [35:37]
Tina
It's so fun. And I did not know you could filter by friggin date. I don't play a lot on the desktop version. The phone version I think leaves some something to be desired. Desktop has a lot more functionality that I'm now like, great, can't wait to get lost in this. And I just found a book that comes out in October 2025 that I'm like, I really want it. It's called Vampires at Sea. It's horror, LGBTQ novellas and short stories. I'm like, well, that sounds fantastic. Let me add a tag. Not going to request it because I've learned something else we're talking about this week though is just in general Kindle reading. I, we both have Kindles. I love my Kindle. I brought it to show and tell Hannah as well. I'm. I'm holding it up. It's got a bunch of new stickers that I've recently added to it. I have the Kindle Oasis, which is sadly discontinued now. I, I'M pretty mad at them that they did that, them being Amazon. Because I really enjoy my Oasis, which you said you had the Paperwhite, right?
- [36:36]
Hannah
Yeah, I have the Paperwhite, but I did used to have the Oasis. I gave it to my mom because she has been interested in Kindle reading and I had gotten a new Paperwhite so I let her have that one. So it's still in like the family possession. But I currently am using the Paperwhite. But I've used the Oasis. I used it when I was breastfeeding and it was great with the one handed not having to swipe was fabulous. So I'm kind of sad they discontinued it as well.
- [37:01]
Tina
I have a holder on mine that comes with this little strap on the side so that I can hold onto it and read one handed, which is very helpful.
- [37:09]
Hannah
That is really helpful. I have a pop socket on mine. So.
- [37:12]
Tina
Yeah, you know, same idea, same. Yep, same same vibe. Do you have stickers on yours or no?
- [37:17]
Hannah
Oh, yeah.
- [37:18]
Tina
Okay.
- [37:19]
Hannah
I don't have mine. I don't have my Kindle here to show you, but yes, I definitely decorated mine. I don't have. I've seen a lot of people do like the, oh, what do you call them? Decals on the back and then put stickers on top of the decals. I don't have that because I got the agave green Kindle and I love the color of it.
- [37:38]
Tina
I love that color. Yes.
- [37:40]
Hannah
Yeah. So I just put the stickers directly on the back. Well, I want to be able to reuse my stickers. So I use Washi tape.
- [37:47]
Tina
Yes, classic.
- [37:48]
Hannah
And put it on so I can just take them off if I need to. But yes, my Kindle is decorated.
- [37:53]
Tina
Good. Speaking of Kindles, I've noticed online there's been this big talk about the Kindle color soft but also having people having multiple Kindles and I am not sure how I feel about it. I've thought about it and I honestly can't come up with a reason why one needs more than one Kindle other than maybe the color soft, which I know had its own real issues with the launch, but I don't know about multiple Kindles. I don't think that's for me.
- [38:19]
Hannah
Yeah, I think that if you're someone like I think about people who review tech or who review new video games or, you know, ideas, do think that there is a space for people who are providing their insight on like here's what I would get. If you like this, here's what this Kindle is good for, you know, here's like, all of the details on what you need to know as a consumer, on what one you want to purchase and buy. And I think that there's a lot of value in that. I do think that there is kind of a conversation happening, though, of like, oh, like, you know, I just love to have, like, five Kindles. I don't necessarily love that. Yeah, I think that there could be more of a conversation around, you know, here's the Kindle I use. Here's what I would recommend, you know, if you are an X, Y, Z reader, et cetera, I think that there could maybe be more careful conversation around that. But, yeah, I don't know. I'm curious. I'm curious what your thoughts are, too.
- [39:19]
Tina
No, I just think it's odd. And I never want to. I'm struggling because I never want to. Yuck on people's yum. If you like five candles, I love it. Good for you. Right? But I'm also like, God, that's such a consumerist mindset. Like, and I say this, having 300 books stacked behind me. So, you know, I guess if you're just a real Kindle aficionado, you have one everywhere. I saw someone say they have an upstairs, downstairs one. And I'm like, I can't hate that. I can't hate it. Right. I can't hate the game of it. I just was curious to. If you had any strong feelings about it. I also need to look at somebody's paper white, because I've only had an older. I was going to call elderly. I've only had an elderly Kindle, and then I got the Oasis a couple years ago. I've never actually seen a paper white, so I'm curious if it, like, looks different at all or if there's any sort of different functionality that I might like.
- [40:03]
Hannah
Yeah, I don't know.
- [40:04]
Tina
That's our thoughts on Kindle reading. I'm very excited to dive into the use of collections that you mentioned for Loving lately. I think that will be really fun. I want to get back to that. You know, maybe instead of working on a book journal on my Christmas break, I will work on organizing my digital ones. Cause I literally do use my Kindle every day. Although I usually read, like, three sentences before I pass out. So. And yesterday I was so mad because I went to pick up my Kindle and it was like, oh, we're gonna just do a quick update. I'm like, you don't understand. You have 30. You have 30 seconds. Before I'm falling asleep. And I think, I don't. I don't think I ever got to open it yesterday. And I thought, and we're about to talk about you tomorrow in the episode, and I can't even use it.
- [40:42]
Hannah
I recently read an entire book that was like five, no, 400 pages. It was a little bit long, entirely on my Kindle. It feels good when that happens.
- [40:54]
Tina
It's very rare for me to finish a book entirely on my Kindle for, you know, we like to tandem read. We're always kind of dipping into multiple perspectives. A book that I did read for this episode, primarily on my Kindle, was the Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Roble. So I was initially drawn to this book because it is about a Hitchcock fanatic who has an agenda, who invites old friends over for a weekend to stay at his secluded themed hotel. I have never read Stephanie Robel before. I'm familiar with her books. This was just my first one by her. And it's about Alfred Smettle. He is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of the Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of suspense. And there he offers his guests round the clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with 50 crows. It's now the first anniversary of this hotel and he invites his former best friends from college for a reunion. He's not spoken to them in 16 years. Not after what happened, but who better to appreciate his creation and to help him finish it? Because after all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body. This one just came out in September. It's funny, I was so drawn to it because I truly have not watched a Hitchcock movie until now. When I first picked this up, I had not watched any, but I recently, over the weekend, had a work event in Wisconsin. And when you're at like a hotel, they didn't have like, you know, it wasn't a smart TV or anything like that. I happened to sit down in the bed, turned on the TV and Psycho was about to start. And that is heavily played into in this book. And I was so happy. I loved that movie. I loved watching it. I'm like, maybe I am a movie girl now. I texted, my husband was like, let's watch all of Hitchcock's movies. I got really, really into it. And I think in part because I was enjoying this novel, but it also plays on one of my very favorite tropes very well in that they're friends, that something bad happened in University and they come back as adults for a reckoning. And you get that VI vibe here. The vibes are really strong because it's very atmospheric. Alfred is a unreliable narrator. He is creepy, but also, I can see why he was wronged. His friends aren't perfect either. And it's sort of this thing where you know someone's going to get their comeuppance, but you're not sure who. This is great for fall again. It's very atmospheric. I also like that the author was able to incorporate flashbacks and things that happened into the past with the present story, and it did not feel jarring. I don't like when they're like, you know, the flashbacks are too drawn out. And she did a really good job with this. There are a lot of old grudges, and you get the point of view from different characters. So you find out that the characters all have these secrets that they're bringing to the hotel. Someone's secretly pregnant. Someone's afraid that their employer is going to take revenge on them. All in all, if you want a creepy book that's not overly horror or overly graphic, I think this could work really well. I am sure if you're a Hitchcock fan, you would love this. I know that I missed a lot of the Easter eggs that I'm sure are hidden, but I'm okay with that. I was along for the ride. Alfred was an excellent character. You don't know if he's a villain. You don't know if you're supposed to be sympathetic to him. But I think that's a mark of good writing. This is also a locked room mystery because you're just sitting in this hotel with the characters. There are no other guests for the weekend. I enjoyed this very much. This one is the Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Robel.
- [44:28]
Hannah
Oh, you reviewed that really well. I love the connection that you had with being able to watch Psycho and then read the book and how that kind of played into your enjoyment. I love it when stuff like that happens.
- [44:40]
Tina
It lined up perfectly, and I was like, okay. I feel. I even downloaded a nonfiction book, Hitchcock's Blondes, which I got.
- [44:47]
Hannah
Oh, fun.
- [44:47]
Tina
Yeah. So we'll see if I can fit that in somewhere.
- [44:49]
Hannah
But I think that would be a really fun, kind of more niche nonfiction book to bring, too, about a really specific topic. And I always love when we have those really specific nonfiction topics.
- [45:01]
Tina
I don't think it's really specific obsessions. Like your obsessions with the sausage and the onions.
- [45:07]
Hannah
Yeah, sausage and cucumbers, apparently. Which, by the way, still going strong.
- [45:11]
Tina
Good. A cucumber update.
- [45:13]
Hannah
Yeah, cucumber update. Still loving it. Still obsessed. Okay, so I am bringing a book that has just been sitting on my Kindle for a while. I bought this as a daily deal a couple of years ago when it came out. And that is Stealing by Margaret Verbel. And this is a historical fiction novel. We follow a young Cherokee child, Kit Crockett, who, after her mother's death, lives a very quiet life with her grieving father in the rural South. Her days are spent fishing and gardening and escaping into Nancy Drew mysteries. She's a very big reader. That was a lovely addition to the story. The story really propels forward when a mysterious woman named Bella moves in nearby and Kit finds a friend in this fellow outsider, and they develop a relationship together. But a tragic crime shakes their small community, and Kit is then separated from her family. She's sent to a really strict Christian boarding school. And there she faces cruel punishments, forced assimilation, and some really traumatic abuse. Definitely content warnings for this story. It was very hard to read in parts, especially as it relates to, as mentioned, assimilation, the erasure of one's culture and the abuse and trauma that she faced there. The story is told through the journal that Kit secretly keeps while she is at school. She documents her memories and pieces together the truth of her experience and planning her escape and what happened and how did I get here. However, it's not what I would consider like epistolary or mixed media because it actually took me a few chapters to realize that this was a journal entry because it's really just told first person narrative. So it definitely plays with structure and writing style. And I really liked that. I usually don't love books that are narrated by children. I think that I have talked about this before, but when I do, it is typically stories like these where the author is able to create this really accurate depiction of how a child thinks in its most profound sense without diluting the narrative to make it seem immature. Yes, Kit is precocious, but in most ways she's also just a very typical child. And the way she unpacks some of these things, we as readers understand what's happening to her, but she doesn't understand. And the words that she uses and the way that she describes it is very childlike, which it makes the impact of what's happening actually a lot more like, oh, my gosh, like she has no idea what's happening. And it's like this really, really, really traumatic event. But again, it's not diluted in the story at all it's very clear just how convoluted and confusing religious messaging is, especially to children. It's really interesting to see how this character broke down a lot of the religious jargon that she was presented with, with no context or explanation of what this religious jargon means. And she's just like, oh, well, the preacher said this. And I'm sitting there like, oh, my gosh. Like. And they didn't even explain what that meant. So, yeah, just kind of some levity in there, too, and some funny moments with that as well. The story is told in past and present timelines, but I appreciate that the author encourages the reader to pay attention because although you can pick up that a dual timeline is happening, it is not clearly defined or laid out. You do have to do some work to kind of align yourself with where we are in the story as you are reading along. But I thought the work was well worth it as you piece everything together. I think Verbold's depiction of a period of violence against the indigenous American community is truly a testament to her gift as a storyteller. She was able to show so much tenderness and sensitivity while simultaneously expressing really ugly atrocities that her own ancestors have endured. It is of my opinion that historical fiction books like this one really are essential, as hard as they may be to read. And I definitely look forward to. To reading more from this author. And that was Stealing by Margaret vrbo.
- [49:28]
Tina
I have never heard of this book.
- [49:30]
Hannah
I think that I first heard about it, actually from Sarah from Fiction Matters, or maybe Liz. Liz Hein from Liz's Reading. I'm pretty sure I heard one of them talking about it. And it has been on my TBR ever since.
- [49:47]
Tina
I love that.
- [49:48]
Hannah
So I'm glad that I finally got to it.
- [49:50]
Tina
I'm sure I'd recognize the COVID because that tends to be. What sticks with me, is the COVID and definitely not the titles. In fact, I am frantically trying to remember the title of my next book, which is My Darlings by Marie Still. Holy cow. Okay, so this book hit me at the right time. I read it toward the beginning of November, and I was sort of in the spot where I'm like, what is it that I'm feeling like reading? And it turns out a serial killer story about a woman who's on the PTA was what I was looking for.
- [50:23]
Hannah
There you go.
- [50:23]
Tina
This one. They described it. They comped it to Dexter, which I don't see the parallels because I feel like Dexter was a little bit. He had a motivation that I could sort of understand in A very peripheral way. This woman was truly unhinged. But it is about stay at home mom Eloise Williams. She's a PTO president, a respected local philanthropist who sits on the board of many distinguished charities. She's a doting wife and mother, and she's also a serial killer. And I'm going to editorialize here. She's also a true psychopath. And you know this from the beginning. But she is not the only lady of society playing a part. As the hidden lives of Eloise's inner circle are exposed, the body count rises when the stalker becomes prey. Eloise desperately clings to control. Money and power can only buy influence and safety for so long. But eventually, the curtains lift, exposing the chilling reality. Hiding in plain sight, this one jumps right in with the action. You are getting a first point of view where you're in the killer's mind the entire time. And she's talking about her motivation, she's talking about what she's thinking. And it's set in the D.C. suburbs, and it kicks off with a woman that had been killed. And sort of she's jogging in the woods and she, you know, sees this attacker and thinks. Thinks it's just this, you know, nice person. And it turns out she passages away. It was very interesting. I don't know how to say this without it making me sound crazy myself, but it was a little bit irreverent and very dark, but it gave me a giggle. Like, this woman is truly unhinged. And I think if you like books that are from the point of view of the serial killer, this could be good for you. I also loved the audiobook narrator. She talks in this really breathy voice and, like, gives you passion in other set. In other cases, she did some really interesting things with how she was gave voice to Eloise. I bet the author's really pleased with that because she really, really brought her to life. She's also very annoyed with her family. She has one daughter who's in high school and she has a husband, and she's super annoyed with both of them. You also get a lot of in group fighting. One of the friends in the group is, you know, insipid, and they're in the woman the serial killer sort of like talking about how much she hates all these women, but she has to be in this friend group with them because, you know, of power. And they're, like, planning all these different charity balls and things together. You come to find out that it seems like Eloise's cover is going to be blown, though. She very much gets backed into a corner in this. She has had her stuff together the entire time she's been on her killing spree. But now the cracks are starting to show and you figure out that you think somebody knows what she has done. This one is dang entertaining. It got a little bit slapstick and almost silly by the end, but it was all in the same tone. I read this over the course of two days. I thought it was a very entertaining ride. I would definitely read more by the author and I'm curious to see what she has to say next. Overall, I recommend it. This one is My Darlings by Marie Still.
- [53:31]
Hannah
That was one that I think I also downloaded on my Kindle, but I never ended up getting to it and I think it kind of fell to the wayside, so. So I'm glad that you were able to read it and give us some thoughts on it.
- [53:44]
Tina
It's definitely under the radar right now. It only has 358 ratings on Goodreads, so I'm gonna rate it now.
- [53:51]
Hannah
It sounds like it might be one of those thrillers that, although it slipped under the radar, is still. I don't know. I love finding those thrillers that slip under the radar, but are still really good quality thrillers. I feel like TikTok is a great place to find some of those too, of those really avid thriller readers. So I'm appreciative that you, also a very avid thriller reader, were able to bring us kind of this more under the radar book.
- [54:14]
Tina
Yes, and I just looked up the author on Goodreads. Her novels include My Darlings, which is currently in development as a television series with Amazon, so.
- [54:22]
Hannah
Ooh, cool.
- [54:23]
Tina
I could see it.
- [54:24]
Hannah
I could see it. Well, fun. I am bringing a not so under the radar book, but I am very late to the game in reading it. And that is 56 days by Katherine Ryan Howard. I am pretty much gonna take the synopsis from Goodreads because the way it's set up is a little bit complicated and convoluted, and I feel like this does a really good job of kind of setting you up for what to expect. So we're following two people. No one knew that they moved in together and now one of them is dead. This is a psychological thriller mystery. We're following three timelines, and it is very important to keep the timelines straight. In this one, I found that out a little too late. I have to go back because I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. So we're following a timeline of 56 days ago where Kira and Oliver meet in a supermarket in Dublin the same week that COVID 19, reaches the Irish shores then. And that. I bring that up because that plays a very big role, like in the story the Pandemic and lockdown specifically. Then we follow a timeline of 35 days ago when lockdown threatens to keep them apart. Oliver suggests that Kira move in with them even though they've just met. Makes a lot of sense. She sees a unique opportunity for a new relationship to flourish without the pressure of scrutiny of her family and her friends. And he sees this as an opportunity to hide who and what he is. And then we follow a timeline of the present today. We're following two detectives who arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside. And we don't know who it is at first. We just know that they, you know, walk into this situation and they're trying to determine and unpack what really happened. Has lockdown provided someone with the opportunity to commit the perfect crime, et cetera. So I will say I finally found a psychological thriller that I really, really enjoyed. I'm so happy. Yes. I thought that this was really smart and fun. I will say I do not recommend this one on audio if audio is the only thing you're doing, and if you're someone like me who is listening to an audio while every once in a while your toddler is asking you a question or something. Because this one is, like, the details really are important. And in the beginning, again, I was listening to the audio and not realizing how important these timelines were to the story and how everything unfolds. And my kids kept, like, tugging on me and asking me questions. And I definitely sent Tina some texts of send help because I, you know, my kids won't leave me alone while I'm trying to listen to audiobooks.
- [57:07]
Tina
Relatable.
- [57:08]
Hannah
Relatable. Yeah. So I was like, you know what? This one, I think might. For the sake of my frustration, I think I might have to move to print and audio. And so I kind of started tandem reading this one and going back and forth so that I could kind of root myself into the story and the timelines that were happening. So I think that if, though, if you can listen to an audiobook and really pay attention to, like, the beginning of the chapter and exactly, like, where we are in the story, it might work. The narrator was great. I just wasn't able to give it the focus on audio that I think that this one requires. Because, yeah, like I said, it was really smart, really detailed. This one is not super fast. I was looking at some of the reviews online of people that didn't like it very much and they were saying, you know, they didn't feel like the stakes were super high and this wasn't like super fast paced. And I think for me, I am learning that while I do, like, enjoy in the moment the reading experience of a fast paced thriller because they're easy to get through and super digestible and I think perfect for a certain kind of reading mood, I do think that I really enjoy kind of the, like, the detailed unpacking of what is going on. There were a lot of pieces to this story that you had to consider. And so although I am definitely the person who was like, okay, this person is a suspect. This person's a suspect. Okay, these are all of the possible scenarios of how this could, you know, break down. I was so interested in all of the moving pieces happening to this one that towards the end I was like, I don't really care what happened. I am so like, this is so messy and this is like unpacking in such a fun, slow way that I think I'm just gonna be satisfied no matter what because I trust the author to give us an ending that makes sense. And she did. And so, yeah, I really enjoyed this one. I'm so looking forward to reading more of Katherine Ryan Howard's books. I first learned about Kathryn Ryan Howard from Meredith at Currently Reading. She loves this author and is always, you know, yelling at people to. To read her. So I finally did. I'm so glad that I did. Yeah, I will definitely be reading more from this thriller author. And that was 56 days by Katherine Ryan Howard.
- [59:22]
Tina
I learned about her from Renee. She also loves Katherine Ryan Howard. And I just had not heard of this author. I remember she brought it to, I want to say, our third episode. Not this book, but a different one. And ever since then I was like, okay, let me get my eyes on this. Also read 56 days. Really enjoyed it. I'm so glad it worked for you because I know thrillers are not in your kind of.
- [59:44]
Hannah
I don't always love them.
- [59:45]
Tina
You don't always love them, right? I was gonna say they're not in your wheelhouse, but they are. But you know. Yeah, exactly. Love em. So when you do love them. I love them.
- [59:51]
Hannah
I'm fussier with them.
- [59:52]
Tina
That makes me happy. I am less fussy. That's not true. I am fussy. But I'll keep coming back because of intermittent reinforcement for sure. Oh my gosh. Can I please Tell you about my shelf edition. I've had this on my little script here for weeks, because my shelf edition is the Poppy Fields by Nikki Ehrlich, which comes out in June 2025. She wrote the Measure. I absolutely loved the Measure. And this is her next book. It says, welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there's hope for even the most battered hearts to heal. Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert lies a unique new research center, home to an experimental and controversial treatment that allows those suffering from the heartache of lost to sleep through their pain and keep on sleeping. After they awaken from this prolonged state of slumber. They will finally be healed, but only if they're willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects. Journey to the Poppy Fields alongside four very different strangers in one little dog who find themselves thrust together on an unexpected road trip across the country to reach this mythical destination. And they want to meet its brilliant founder. Ellis as Ava, a book illustrator, Ray, a fireman, Sasha, an occupational therapist, and Sky, a free spirit attempt to make their way west. Each of their past secrets and mysterious motivations threatened to derail their voyage. This is a high concept novel about heartache, hope, and human resilience. It also explores the path of grief and healing. Listen, I'm gonna read it. Are you kidding? Nikki Ehrlich crossed with inspiration from the wizard of Oz. Hello. This is definitely a me story. I'm gonna, in fact, go on NetGalley right now and request it because I don't care. Also, I don't know if it's there yet, but I'm gonna try. I'm willing to break my ban. I know, right? Rule breaker, rule breaker. This book is the Poppy Fields by Nikki Ehrlich.
- [61:49]
Hannah
Oh, I'm so excited about that one too, and just excited for you. I haven't read the Measure yet. I need to read the Measure first.
- [61:55]
Tina
Oh, yes, please.
- [61:56]
Hannah
Oh, how dare Tina panics.
- [61:59]
Tina
Gasp.
- [62:00]
Hannah
I'll have to read that one soon. Okay, so my shelf edition is one that I recently purchased and picked up specifically for holiday reading. It is so Late in the Day by Claire Keegan. I've only read Small Things like these by this author and loved it. It's like my Small Things like these has become the holiday book that I read. A lot of people read A Christmas Carol or something like that, you know, over the holidays. And I do feel like this is Small Things like these is gonna become like that Christmas classic. And it's perfect. It's super short. But anyway, ever since I read that one, I've really wanted to read more of Claire Keegan's work. She is highly adored, even on this book, so late in the day. At the top, George Saunders, who is like a critically acclaimed writer and he writes about writing and studies writing. He said she's one of the greatest fiction writers in the world. On the back it says, if Keegan has published anything that isn't perfect, I haven't seen it. And again, so far I've only read one of her books, but I would agree it was just phenomenal. This one is also pretty short, like small things like these. And it is about a civil servant who faces a long weekend as his mind really agitates over a woman with whom he could have spent his life had he acted differently. I'm gonna leave it there. The back of the book kind of explains more, but that was what I read before I was like, okay, yes, I love books that explore the past. What if I had done this? And kind of those thoughts that really agitate you and linger that you think about. And they're very all consuming. But, oh, I should say this is a. I think it's a story collection. So that's just one of the stories. That's just one of the stories, but there are several others. Each of these stories probes the dynamics that corrupt what could have been. And I just. Yeah, I love that concept. So I'm very excited to read this one. And that is so Late in the Day by Claire Keegan.
- [64:05]
Tina
I am so glad you brought that. Yes, I also read small things like these and thought it was perfect for the season. Well, 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 us wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show up to new, new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget, if you would like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk etc or put a Patreon membership on your holiday wish list.
- [64:42]
Hannah
If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktalk Etc on Instagram and Tinabrec and Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week. In the meantime, remember, everything's better with.
- [64:56]
Tina
Books, you know, and I have this nice, like, strap on mine, so I can, like, hold it.
- [65:10]
Hannah
You have a strap on.
- [65:11]
Tina
I have a strap.
- [65:12]
Hannah
Sorry. You said I have a strap on.
- [65:16]
Tina
That's what strapped on mine. I'll rephrase that. I will rephrase that. She was, like, off mic and, like, snapped back to it, like, what? What? I have a bright red. I know. Me, too. But you can't see it over my foundation. Through my foundation.