Once Upon A First Sentence

Summary

Book Talk, etc. – Episode: "Once Upon A First Sentence"
Release Date: March 4, 2025
Hosts: Tina (@tbretc) & Hannah (@hanpickedbooks)

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Introduction and Podcast Expansion
00:03 – 02:44

Tina and Hannah kick off the episode with their trademark humor, playfully referencing content restrictions on television. They warmly welcome listeners to Book Talk, etc., emphasizing its mission to expand your "To Be Read" (TBR) list.

Tina [00:31]: "Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr."
Hannah [00:37]: "And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books."

The hosts announce the launch of their YouTube channel, inviting listeners to engage with their visual content showcasing makeup tutorials and adorable mugs. This expansion aims to bridge their audio experiences with visual elements, enhancing listener engagement.

Tina [01:18]: "We have a YouTube channel and this podcast also has a video component."

Community Read Feature: "Good Dirt" by Charmaine Wilkerson
02:44 – 16:22

The spotlight shifts to their community read for February, "Good Dirt" by Charmaine Wilkerson. Tina provides a comprehensive synopsis, detailing Abby Freeman's traumatic childhood event and its lingering effects on her life and family dynamics.

Tina [09:56]: "This is a really good one. This is a really good one. It is Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson."

Both hosts express profound admiration for the novel, lauding its intricate weaving of contemporary narratives with historical themes of slavery and personal reckonings. Hannah highlights the book's emotional depth and structural brilliance.

Hannah [12:56]: "I think it was very reminiscent of, like, even some of the structural things that she did with points of view and like, historical context, like, just juxtaposed with the mystery."

Tina echoes these sentiments, praising the book's multifaceted storytelling and nuanced character development. She anticipates vibrant discussions among their patrons, predicting "Good Dirt" will ignite passionate conversations within their book club community.

Reading Experiment: Choosing Books by First Sentence
16:22 – 25:05

In an innovative twist, the hosts reveal that they've selected their books for this episode based solely on their opening sentences. Tina elaborates on her criteria for a compelling first sentence—surprise elements, immediate questions, and strong narrative voice.

Tina [18:03]: "I like when the opening sentence surprises me where I'm like, oh, okay."

Hannah shares her methodical approach, meticulously scanning through her TBR shelf to identify standout first sentences that prompt her to explore further. Both hosts agree that a powerful opening can effectively convey the book's tone and narrative style.

Book Reviews

1. "Mostly Dead Things" by Kristin Arnett
   25:05 – 29:50

   Tina introduces "Mostly Dead Things," a darkly satirical novel set in a taxidermy shop. The story delves into Jessa Lynn's life grappling with her father's suicide and the ensuing family turmoil.

   Tina [27:10]: "It’s like, if you don’t like weird books, probably don’t read this."

   Despite initial hesitations due to the book's macabre themes, Tina commends Arnett's ability to balance visceral horror with deep family dynamics. She appreciates the nuanced portrayal of characters, avoiding one-dimensional villainy.

   Tina [28:49]: "I really liked that this book sort of made me look at how family dynamics shift depending on, you know, different stages of life."

   Hannah concurs, emphasizing the author's skill in intertwining character development with unsettling plot elements. Both hosts highlight the novel's capacity to provoke thought on family relationships amidst chaos.

2. "Perfume and Pain" by Anna Dorn
   29:50 – 36:18

   Hannah presents "Perfume and Pain," a queer novel infused with dark satire and Hollywood drama. The narrative follows Astrid, a controversial author striving to reclaim her career and love life amidst personal and professional turmoil.

   Hannah [36:18]: "This book is just feral and hilarious."

   The story's opening sentence, albeit not the sole focus, sets an engaging tone that blends humor with raw emotion. Hannah appreciates the book's unabashed portrayal of messy relationships and character growth, making it a compelling read for those seeking both entertainment and depth.

3. "The Lamb" by Lucy Rose
   36:18 – 41:21

   Tina reviews "The Lamb," a gothic coming-of-age horror novel centered on Margot and her cannibalistic mother. The chilling narrative explores themes of motherhood, survival, and identity within a macabre setting.

   Tina [37:09]: "It's a gothic coming of age tale. And the author explores how women swallow their anger, desires and animal instincts."

   Despite the gruesome content, Tina praises the author's ability to craft a haunting and emotionally resonant story. Hannah adds that the book's strong side characters enhance the depth and emotional impact, making it a standout in the horror genre.

4. "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
   41:21 – 47:50

   Hannah delves into the classic horror novel "The Haunting of Hill House," renowned for its psychologically rich narrative. The story follows four seekers at the enigmatic Hill House, exploring themes of sanity and the supernatural.

   Hannah [44:27]: "The first sentence is a bit long, but it is so good. It captures what this entire book is about."

   Tina shares a personal anecdote about how the book's eerie atmosphere continues to haunt her, despite her initial reservations about haunted house stories. Hannah commends Jackson's masterful exploration of psychological horror, making it accessible yet profoundly unsettling.

Upcoming Releases

1. "The Frequency of Living Things" by Nick Fuller Googins
   47:50 – 51:01

   Tina highlights "The Frequency of Living Things," a family saga about three sisters confronting deep-seated tensions when one lands in jail. The novel delves into themes of sisterhood, sacrifice, and familial bonds.

   Tina [48:49]: "It's an exploration of sisterhood, sacrifice, and the unbreakable ties of family."

   The departure from Googins' previous climate fiction works showcases his versatility in handling intricate family dynamics, piquing both hosts' interest.

2. "Run for the Hills" by Kevin Wilson
   51:01 – 51:45

   Hannah introduces "Run for the Hills," an upcoming road trip novel by Kevin Wilson. The story revolves around Madeline and her unexpected half-sibling, Reuben, embarking on a quest to find their estranged father and other half-siblings.

   Hannah [51:01]: "It sounds so quirky, so fun. It sounds exactly like something Kevin Wilson would write."

   Both hosts express excitement for Wilson's timely exploration of family reunions and personal growth, anticipating its release in May.

Closing Thoughts and Community Engagement
51:45 – End

Tina and Hannah conclude the episode by encouraging listeners to support their podcast through various platforms, including Patreon for exclusive content. They reiterate the importance of community in the reading experience and express gratitude for their audience's engagement.

Hannah [52:07]: "Remember everything's better with books."

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Notable Quotes:

• Tina [00:31]: "Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr."
• Hannah [16:03]: "Books like this are great though, when it comes to like universally bringing book people together."
• Hannah [44:27]: "The first sentence is a bit long, but it is so good."

Key Takeaways:

• Book Selection by First Sentence: An innovative approach to choosing books, focusing on the power of the opening line to set the tone and intrigue.
• Diverse Genres Explored: From dark satire and queer narratives to psychological and gothic horror, the episode covers a broad spectrum of literary genres.
• Emphasis on Character Development: Both hosts prioritize books that offer deep, nuanced characters and complex relationships.
• Community Engagement: Active participation through Patreon and upcoming discussions ensures a vibrant and interactive listener base.

Recommended For:

• Avid readers seeking diverse and thought-provoking books.
• Fans of in-depth book discussions and character-driven narratives.
• Listeners interested in innovative podcast formats and community-driven content.

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Connect with Tina and Hannah:

• Instagram:
  • Tina: @tbretc
  • Hannah: @hanpickedbooks
• Email: [e-mail]
• Patreon: patreon.com/booktalketc

Remember, everything's better with books!

Transcript

[Tina]

So you can't say that on television, but I can't say that on television.

[Hannah]

Can't say that on television. So. So anyway, I mean, the next.

[Tina]

Wait, that's really funny though.

[Hannah]

The next couple of sentences. I'm going to make y'all read this book for yourself because I literally can't say them on the scre.

[Tina]

Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.

[Hannah]

And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.

[Tina]

This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And today we picked the books we read based solely on their first sentence.

[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 lover.

[Tina]

Hi, Hannah.

[Hannah]

Hey, Tina. How are you?

[Tina]

I am great. How are you?

[Hannah]

I am doing okay. I am feeling better and thank you. You look great to go.

[Tina]

You know, your makeup looks so good today because the people can see us if you're watching on YouTube. Which leads us into. That's my announcement. That's what I wanted to bring up is we have a YouTube channel and this podcast also has a video component. So if you would like to see my makeup, Hannah's cute mug. Hannah's face. Yeah. Head to our YouTube channel. We'll definitely link this here in the show notes. It's something that John had his hyper fixation on and did a really good job with it and I'm very excited to expand. Sorry to cut you off. I just got excited.

[Hannah]

I know. I love it and I think it's great to share with people who are just listening in their ears to let them know that now you can see our faces if you want to. It's been really fun.

[Tina]

Yeah, it is. It's a tiny bit distracting, like, because I'm like, cognizant. Okay. Like, don't have. Don't be like looking at your phone or like doing other stuff.

[Hannah]

I know, right?

[Tina]

Because it forces me to be even more present. Right. So I'm like, all right, this is a fun endeavor for us. And I'm still over on my YouTube channel as well. That's my hyper fixation. I'm loving it. So that's always linked in our show notes too. And today we are sharing our joint latest read, which is our community read for our booktok etcetera patrons for the month of February. And I have a lot to say about it. And then we're sharing the two books. How? Well, I guess we'll do that in booktok because I want to know how the reading experience went for you. But I had so much fun selecting my books based on the first sentence.

[Hannah]

Yes.

[Tina]

I think I could have read. I could have read 100 first sentences and just kept going. It was really fun.

[Hannah]

Yeah, it was really fun for me too.

[Tina]

Yes. So I'll kick things off, though, with. I keep saying hyper fixation, but that's like, what this is my loving lately is another. This is a hyper fixation meal that Jonathan and I have both been really into right now. It is a recipe kale pasta Caesar salad.

[Hannah]

Okay.

[Tina]

And so it's basically a version of multiple things that I've sort of combined together. And I've been making this a while. I made this years ago, but I sort of recently remembered it. And we both love it. And I will link the recipe below. It's from Love in Lemons. It's. There's a million kale Caesar salad recipes out there, but this is the one that I'm riffing on. My salad when I make it, has kale. And the key with kale is you got to cut the ribs out and you got to massage it. So it's like, I don't know, juicier, whatever.

[Hannah]

Yeah.

[Tina]

Put some shaved parmesan in there. I roast up some chickpeas and throw those in there. Crumbled crouton, Caesar dressing, cherry tomatoes, rotini, and then some rotisserie chicken. If you're feeling fancy, you might be asking rotisserie chicken, right? I mean, you might be asking, like, why am I sharing a salad? Like, we all know how to make a salad, but what makes this one special is that you can meal prep it. So over the weekend, I'll just make a big batch of it. And because kale is so hearty, it lasts through the week. And it's so nice to just have something that I can grab and go, you're the same, Hannah. We. If. If it's not, like, already there as food and not just ingredients, I probably won't grab it. I might not eat or I'm not gonna eat. I'm. It's gonna be 2:00. I'm gonna be hangry. Yes. And I think this is a good one. So I just thought, I'm like, you know what? I've been trying to do a really good job with, like, meal prepping and Snack planning and all of those little things. And this one has just been something that's really good for us. So I wanted to share it. It is my kale Caesar pasta salad recipe.

[Hannah]

I love a good meal, especially that you can meal prep. I they're some of my favorite things that you share for your loving latelies. I remember when you bro like egg muffins and I made those too.

[Tina]

So good did those. I still love, but not with the egg prices. You know, I'm like, not with the egg prices.

[Hannah]

Gosh. And who knows if we want to, you know, get eggs from the local farmer. We do. But also now I'm worried about the flu.

[Tina]

I know I don't have a local. I'm sure there's a local farm, but I don't know like 10. Really? Well, I actually do have a local farmer. It's my neighbor, she has a coupe. And so we're like laughing. We're like, you've got like the hookup over there with your chickens.

[Hannah]

But anyway, I live in a really rural area and we've got a farm. It feels like on every corner and it's really nice. It's a great, it's a great thing to have.

[Tina]

So do they sell like produce and eggs and things?

[Hannah]

Yeah, I was exaggerating on 10, but we definitely have like at least five, you know, within like a five mile radius of farmers that sell either produce or animal products or things like that. And we have like three different local farmers markets in the spring, summer and fall of local farmers that bring things. So it's nice.

[Tina]

Cannot wait for farmers market season.

[Hannah]

Me neither.

[Tina]

It's the best.

[Hannah]

It's the best. Okay, so my loving lately is an Etsy shop and it's artsy legacy on Etsy and I have mostly gotten stickers from them. But I absolutely love their stickers because if you know me at all, you know that I love like spooky season. I feel like I'm like a spooky girl at heart. But also I love pink and I love cute and I love like decorating my Kindle and things like that. And I love their stickers because they'll have like, like the stickers that I have actually currently on my Kindle I'm going to show because now that we do video, these stickers here, they're some of my absolute favorites. And they're like kind of spooky, but they're also just like really cute and they focus on reader things. So lots of stickers like this that are really cute. They also have some T shirts that I really want to try. And I haven't purchased any of their T shirts yet, but they look really comfy. Like from the pictures it looks like they're like that jersey cotton and they have some of those similar designs. Like, they have one too that I've looking at and I'm thinking about purchasing. That's like a skeleton reading a book. That's like just one more chapter.

[Tina]

Just. I love it.

[Hannah]

Cute. So cute.

[Tina]

And. But I love their stick.

[Hannah]

Yes. And necessary. But I love their stickers. And they're really good quality. You know, some stickers are kind of like thin and fine and you're not sure if AI created it kind of a thing, but these are really good quality and they look like they're really nicely hand drawn. And I've just been really happy with their products. So I've been ordering stickers from them for a while and I can't wait to try their shirts as well. Stay tuned. I'll let you know. Quality.

[Tina]

Future loving lately.

[Hannah]

Yeah, future loving lately. Maybe I'll bring their T shirts next time.

[Tina]

Now you have to buy one.

[Hannah]

Yeah, exactly. But yes, the sticker is from Artsy Legacy on Etsy is what I've been loving lately.

[Tina]

I am such a sticker person. You can see I've got. I'm showing Hannah right now in the video all of the stickers that are on my. What's this called?

[Hannah]

A water bottle?

[Tina]

No, but.

[Hannah]

Oh.

[Tina]

Oh, a walla. I'm showing Hannah all the stickers that are on my wallet.

[Hannah]

I love them.

[Tina]

Please, please. I want to give a moment for the one from Pango Books. They sent me when I ordered a book from their site. It's a penguin. Oh, it's an otter.

[Hannah]

It's an otter.

[Tina]

Otter. Yeah.

[Hannah]

I didn't know.

[Tina]

It's cute. Anyway, I digress.

[Hannah]

What does it have over its head, though?

[Tina]

What do you mean?

[Hannah]

Is it like a blanket over its.

[Tina]

Head or like a thing? I think it's his fur. Yeah, he's got like, darker fur and then his little head, you know? Do you know what an otter is?

[Hannah]

I do know what an otter is, yes. There's something weird about the picture. I don't know.

[Tina]

It is. He's got, like, scales. He's got, like, odd. He's like.

[Hannah]

That's why I was like, are we sure it's not a pangolin?

[Tina]

What the hell is a pangolin?

[Hannah]

I thought that's what they named Pango after. It was a pangolin.

[Tina]

What the hell is a. Hold on. What is a pangolin. It's an animal pangolin. Holy cow. I'm so sad because I thought it was an otter. It's a pangolin. Today I learned man scales. Wait, but I think it's not because he does have scales. This guy has scales.

[Hannah]

Yeah, but the pangolin has, like, all scales.

[Tina]

Yeah. Oh, wow.

[Hannah]

And that does look like. Like he looks like he's got a little fluffy face. Like, if you look up a picture of a pangolin, they're not that cute. But that's a cute sticker. No, I just was confused by the.

[Tina]

This makes a lot more sense, though. I thought it was just like an artistic choice, but I think it is a pangolin anyway. Okay, Pango books, if you're listening, please report back.

[Hannah]

Pango books, if you're listening, report back. And also, if you haven't ever heard of pango books, you should check them out because it's a great resource for. Oh, God.

[Tina]

Incredible.

[Hannah]

Well, now that we've got that side tangent, now that we got that out of the way, shall we share our community read?

[Tina]

Let's do it. Ah. Oh, this is a good one. This is a really good one. It is Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. And I'll set it up first and then we can share what we thought about it. Because it is about Abby Freeman. And when she was 10 years old, she heard a gunshot and time stopped. She then saw her brother Baz lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries old jar. And life as she knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved. And because the Freemans were one of the only black families in a particularly well off enclave of New England, the case had an enduring voyeuristic pull for the public. And the last thing they want is more media scrutiny. They sort of just want to live on their own. But Abby was engaged to a high profile man and their romance falls apart. Without explanation. They again are in the public eye. And then Abby flees to Paris or to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happens, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day 18 years ago. The stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought north by an enslaved ancestor. And anyway, that's what it's about. I have to confess, I picked. I think we picked this. I read Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. I loved that one.

[Hannah]

And I was like, okay, me too.

[Tina]

But I have to tell you, I'm like in my head Thinking, I don't know if I want to read about a jar. Like, I'm not sure about this family heirloom. Like, how interesting can it be? Boy, was I wrong. Hannah and I have not talked yet about how we like this book, so I have no clue. I will start by saying I loved it from the start because the pacing was great at literally like 3 or 5% into the book. You've already witnessed a murder, there's a canceled wedding, there's a shift to Paris or to fr. Like, holy cow, this is really working for me. Like, I'm like, we are on a trajectory. But Hannah, what did you think about it?

[Hannah]

No. Same exact feelings, especially in the beginning. There's also, like, some juicy, like, relationship stuff that happens in the beginning, which is always, well, like, kind of in the beginning, you know, like within the first 50 pages or so. And that's always something that will pull me in as a reader. I. I don't think I was at any point, like, turned off by the premise or anything, but I definitely didn't. I think that where my hesitation was is I feel like when you love a book so much by an author, like, you're equally excited and nervous to read the next one because you're like, okay, well, I. This was like a five star book, so can she do it again? What I really liked about this reading experience is I could totally tell it was the same author. I think it was very reminiscent of, like, even some of the structural things that she did with points of view and like, historical context, like, just juxtaposed with the mystery. I think that she did that really well, both with black cake and with good dirt. And I think, I mean, I could just sit here and gush about this book for a while. I loved it. It was five stars for me too.

[Tina]

Yes.

[Hannah]

But what I love the most is how she takes this family history and then all this drama and mystery that's happening and all of the historical context, and she, like, finds a way to tie all three of those things together and it makes it not only a book that you can really learn a lot from and kind of gain that, again, like, historical context, but also one that's like, propulsive and juicy and dramatic and wild. So. Yeah. What were some of the. Your favorite parts about it?

[Tina]

Yeah, same. I mean, I just can't believe how well she wove in these multiple narratives. It is a contemporary story, but she also wove in history themes of slavery, personal reckonings, like you're starting to care about their aunts or you're getting introduced to their ancestors and it sounds like it would be convoluted and hard to follow, at least for me as a reader. I get fussy with when there's too much going on. I was never fussy about it. Even though the chapters are short, you get a lot of shifting points of view, which I know for some is like, hold on a minute, I'm not sure about it. I think she handled it expertly. I also loved the present day drama. I was not expecting that at all. So I was really surprised and happy to see that. I also think she easily could have made this to where one of the characters in particular is this like supervillain. It would have been easy to like hate them. But she gave them just. She gave them nuance and it was like, oh, I mean, I still wanted to throttle this character. Like, it still gave us a nuance to where it's like, okay, there's a lot going on here. It's layered. I think this book delivered everything I like. You got rich storytelling, you got the historical depth, you've got emotional complexity. It's character driven. But enough, it's plotty enough to where I was still listening and very invested. I listened to this over the course of 24 hours and you don't need.

[Hannah]

For you.

[Tina]

I just was immersed and I had the time and I'm like around the house doing things. That's always a good sign when I'm like, you know, finding chores to Finding things to do.

[Hannah]

Because you want to keep listening.

[Tina]

Exactly. So I feeling. Yes. And I personally can't wait to chat. We've not yet chatted with our patrons about this one in Discord, but I know so many people are going to have a lot to say. I think this might be. I'm predicting that this will be one of our chattiest book clubs yet. And I was already. I'm not somebody in the moment who's really good at coming up with book club questions. I usually have to go back and do that. But as I was reading this, I'm like, wait, I want to know what they think about this. I want to know what they think about that. And we're being vague, obviously by design, like we sort of have to, because I want you to discover this on your own. But totally recommend Charmaine Wilkerson. I think this book is fantastic. And even if you're not somebody that does a lot of historical fiction, I think this is a good inroads because it really is half and half, maybe 60, 40, present day. Yeah, in past. But gosh, I really enjoyed it. Me too. Thoughts to end with?

[Hannah]

No, I just cosign what you said too, especially about like historical fiction, contemporary mystery. If any of those three novels work for you, I think that this is just a perfect combination and blend of all three of those things. And I also highly recommend it.

[Tina]

Did you shed a tear at all? I did.

[Hannah]

I got teary eyed for sure.

[Tina]

At like teary eyed points.

[Hannah]

Yes. I got teary eyed at two different points for sure.

[Tina]

We love, we love when that happens. But yeah, let us know if you read this one how you liked it. This one is Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. Yay.

[Hannah]

Good talk.

[Tina]

That's all. That's all, folks. Good talk, good dirt, good talk. Yeah, I know. And what I love too, and I guess I'm like not done, is this book is one where I think most people are going to love it. And sometimes with those books, they don't make the best book club books because you're like, well, we don't have anything else to say. But for this one I think there's still plenty to commiserate on. Discuss question. There's a lot to it.

[Hannah]

No, I think books like this are great though, when it comes to like universally bringing book people together. Like, I can see this being like a Barnes and Noble book club book because it appeals to so many people. Whereas now I do think that it provides good discussion. But I think even with books like this, or I think about like, well, Black Cake was kind of another one. Or like Remarkably Bright Creatures or Lessons in Chemistry, they're like these mass appeal books that are actually really good quality. And I think that it's really important to have books like that because it brings readers, it makes more people read and it makes it more palatable and accessible. While also it's especially obviously, I think great when you've got, you know, diverse voices doing these books like this too, because it's like, well, now you've got kind of this mass appeal for a story that would probably be really beneficial for a lot of people to read.

[Tina]

So, so much of the history component, I was like googling and like, holy. She just. It's subtle, man. But it was just very impactful those, those aspects. And again, apologies for being so vague, but there were elements to it where I was like, I could read a whole book about this character. I could read a whole thing about this character. Like, just loved it. I'm really impressed. I even, I liked both of. Both of her books were five stars for Me. But I think I like this one even more.

[Hannah]

I think I liked it more, too.

[Tina]

Black Cake, which is so hard to do for a sophomore novel, especially when you like her debut so much. I assume that was her debut, but anyway, yeah, well.

[Hannah]

And I've also heard, like, even from publishers that I've heard talk about debut novels and why debut books actually tend to sometimes be the author's best work is because typically that was their first idea. Like, that was their inception. That was their. I've had this idea since I was 18, and I've always wanted to write a story about it. The debut novel is that very first creative idea that that author had. And then after that, if that book was successful, now they have to come up with new ideas.

[Tina]

I know. I can't imagine.

[Hannah]

Can they do it again? She did it again.

[Tina]

Yeah. Absolutely.

[Hannah]

Love it.

[Tina]

I love that. I also love our topic for today. I cannot remember how we came up with this, but I had so much fun with it.

[Hannah]

Yay.

[Tina]

So we basically, literally just picked the books that we read for this episode by their first sentence. So you know how they say, like, you can't judge a book by its cover? We tried to judge a book by its first sentence, so we will let you know how well we did. I didn't read. I knew little about the synopses of these ones. I had, like, a vague understanding of what they would be about. But really, I just sort of picked the two that I think had the best opening sentences. And I will say I did change along the way because I picked one of mine up from the library and my jaw dropped because I was like, excuse me, I wish I was reading this for this episode.

[Hannah]

The one that you texted me about.

[Tina]

Yes. And I was like, I wish I was reading this one for this episode. And then I thought, well, you can, right?

[Hannah]

You can.

[Tina]

You will find out what that one is here in a bit. But I always think about, like, when I was prepping, what is a good opening sentence? What does that look like? And for me, I think it's pretty. It's one of those things. You know it when you see it. But I was also able to come up with things, I think, for me, that work really well. I like when an opening sentence surprises me where I'm like, oh, okay. Like, I wasn't expecting to see that on this page, where it raises immediate questions. So you're like, asking, wait, what happened? Or why did this take place? Or have, like, a really strong voice where you can immediately see who the character is. Bonus points. If they're able to do all three, Obviously, like, no pressure to the authors, but those are, like, some of the ones where I'm like, yep, this is gonna be for me. Were you able to identify any, like, patterns?

[Hannah]

Yeah, I think that for me. So when I talk about, like, just my process, when I was doing this, I was trying to figure out, like, what to read for this episode, and I was like, how am I gonna do this? Like, do I want to just read organically and, like, see if anything pops up? But then I was like, no, because what if. What if nothing does? So, you know, maybe I should, like, go through and pick. So I literally sat in front of my bookshelf, and I read through books, and it was really funny because I went through, like, kind of my TBR shelf. I'm like, these are already books that I want to be reading. And so let's, like, kind of read through them and see if any of these first sentences stand out to me, and then I can kind of go back and figure out why they stood out to me.

[Tina]

Yeah.

[Hannah]

And it was funny because, like, the first, like, 15 books, I was looking at them, and I was like, I mean, fine. Fine. And I kept putting them down, and I was like, man, like, do the first sentences of books, like, just not do it for me. I know what is going on.

[Tina]

Right?

[Hannah]

And then I picked one up, and I was like, oh, okay. And it's interesting. When you're, you know, doing something like this, it's actually a project, you start to notice, like, okay, for some reason, that one made me pause. I've looked through 20 of these, and they've just been fine. And then this one, for whatever reason, actually made me, like, pause and say, oh, okay. That's super interesting. I think, for me, I really love something that makes me ask a question immediately in the beginning, which I think you brought that up. Like, it doesn't even need to be fancy. But if I am like, okay, what then? I think that will make me want to keep reading. I think, like, a particularly punchy or beautiful. One of the books that I'm bringing today has just one of my favorite openings that I've ever read in a book. And when I was actually picking books for this episode, I was feeling a little bit stressed about time because I had one book and I didn't have another. And I was like, well, maybe I can, you know, look through some of my, you know, previous books that I've read that have some of my favorite openings and bring one of those, which I Am. But I ended up rereading it because it's just. Oh, it's just absolutely beautiful. And I definitely can be captivated by beautiful writing. And then the other one that I'm bringing today is completely the opposite. It's such a different type of book, and it was. Because it was really funny and really crass, so. And that. That will always pull me in. I'm like, all right, I want to know. I want to know who this person is and what kind of shenanigans they're going to get into.

[Tina]

Same. And I love when the opening line is particularly crass. Say what you will. What that means about me. I was thinking of the book the Martian by Andy Weir. It says, the first sentence is, I'm pretty much. And John's gonna have to bleep that. But I'm like, oh, my God. Because you're getting so. You're getting the question, like, wait, why is this man screwed? You're getting his voice, and he made you laugh, right?

[Hannah]

He's already funny.

[Tina]

He's already funny. I'm into it. That one.

[Hannah]

Relatable.

[Tina]

He's already relatable because we've all felt that at point or another.

[Hannah]

Yes.

[Tina]

I will say there are some. I was thinking, like, okay, I can. I feel like I know it when I see it. Like, this is a good opener. And then there are some that I know I don't like. For me, number one is when it is too info dumpy. When I'm hearing, you know, the person's first and last name, I'm hearing their age. It was a rainy day. They walked to the left. Their shoe broke. Like, okay, like, I'm gonna need you to, like, tighten that up a little bit.

[Hannah]

We don't need the character development this quickly.

[Tina]

I. Right. Give me a little bit of. Yeah. And then obviously, there are ones that are just fine. Like, some of them were just, like, it was a normal day. Or like, the. The sky. Oh, you know, it was just sort of very basic. And then, of course, as you read on, you get more depth, you get more intrigue, all of those things. But I'm like, just. I was very strict on just for the first sentence, I'm like, I only want that. So anyway, I feel like I came up with some good one. One of them. It. They did what they were supposed to do. One book worked better than the other. But I think both, from both sentences, I got the tone of the book just from that first sentence. Like, I got the voice of the narrator or the voice of the author just from that, which I think is kind of fun.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I think so too. There is one book that I will not be bringing today cause I didn't finish it in time. But I will mention when I do end up bringing it to the show cause I will because I'm loving it. But when I do end up bringing it to the show, I will mention the first sentence in it because I kind of read it in hopes for this episode and then just didn't finish it in time. But it had one of the best opening sentences that I've read in a long time. I'm a little bummed I can't bring it today. But I'm still going to mention the sentence when I do end up bringing it to the show because it was just really good and one of my favorite kinds of opening sentences. So you'll have to stay tuned for that.

[Tina]

I was going to say they're going to have to subscribe so they can come back and hear what sentence this is. And I'm not even going to ask you to tell me offline because I want to be surprised as well. I will hop right in to my first book. It is a book that I had on my physical TBR for a while. That's not true. I had it on my ephemeral tbr. And then last year when I did a big Pango Books haul, I purchased it because I just loved the COVID It's mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett and the opening is how we slice the skin carefully. That's a given. And I what I loved about this, I was like, oh, we're cutting into animals immediately because it is set in a taxidermy shop. Know that going in. But then also I think it's just funny. I think that was like a really funny sarcastic sort of opening sentence and it just made me smile. So of all the ones that I sampled, that one stuck out and it is about, I should say though, this is not a light book. So just kind of sit with me for a moment. It's about Jessa Lynn, who goes one day to her family's taxidermy shop to find that her father has committed suicide right there at work. And it picks up a year later. She was obviously shocked and grieving and talks about her the impact that this had on her, but she has now been left to manage the failing business while the rest of her family crumbles. She's got her mother, who is also dealing with her own grief and trying to process what her husband did to her as well as her brother, who was dealing with marital problems of his own, not to mention, you know, their dad's death. And then Bryn, Milo's wife, walks out on her family, and now they are left with their children. She has two kids then. The interesting thing is that Brynn, both siblings, were in love with her. So this is a queer novel as well, and it's quite messy that I did really like about that, and that's where I'll start. It's kind of. What's that show called? Schitt's Creek? You know, that type of humor where you're like, is this funny? Is this horrifying? Is this. What is this? What am I reading? What's going on here?

[Hannah]

It's like satire.

[Tina]

It's like dark satire. Yeah, dark satire for sure. And being honest, I honestly kept wanting to DNF this book. I literally messaged Hannah midway, and I was like, I think they just taxidermied the father. Spoiler. They didn't. But I was like, I think they taxidermied a human. I don't think that's allowed. I'm pretty sure you're not able to do so. And then when you said that they.

[Hannah]

Didn'T, I was like, oh, man, bummer.

[Tina]

I know you're like, darn right. But I will say there is. If animal. It's. If animal cruelty is at all something that's not in your wheelhouse, avoid this one. It's not egregious. But there is one scene that I was like, oh, God, yes. And there's also the writing. The writing is very visceral, and I appreciate that a lot. But it's. You know, you're in the taxidermy shop with Jesselyn, right? And you're, like, doing these things. I sort of find that morbidly fascinating. But I would say if you don't like body descriptions in your reading, like, this will be a tough one for you. So why did I read it? Why did I keep reading it? I was deeply curious about Jessa as a character. I wanted to see how the relationship with her family would flesh out. I was also very curious to know what happened to Bryn. Why did she leave? What. You know, what prompted that? And I will say the. The focus of the novel shifts throughout, and I figured out that the focus and the purpose of this was not Britain and why she left. It was the family that was left behind by all of these people that left them. Them. And I like that. Once I settled in, I really liked that this book sort of made me look at how family dynamics shift depending on, you know, different stages of life. It's also set in Florida. It's very much a Florida's weird story, and I love that.

[Hannah]

I love those.

[Tina]

Quirky and funny and just interesting. The writing really was strong and this is her debut. There's also short flashbacks in here where you do get to see Jessa, Bryn and her brother growing up together and the relationship that Jessa and Bryn had and why she sort of quote, unquote, let her brother step in. Anyway, you got to know Bryn, even though she's this character that is not there in present day. I enjoyed the flashbacks because I feel like you could see how all of this messiness started. And by the time I finished, I like this book more than I thought I would. I'm glad I stuck with it. I liked the messiness. I love the queer representation, and I love Jessa's relationship with her mother because it definitely has a trajectory. As you read on again, this book is not for the faint of heart. If you don't like weird books, probably don't read this. But if you're up for something that's well written, quirky, different, and a little bit unsettling, I think it's worth the read. I will definitely pick up this author again. And this one is Mostly Dead Things by Kristin Arnett.

[Hannah]

Have I ever mentioned that I really like how you talk about books?

[Tina]

No, thank you. It's kind of like I love doing it and when I landed, I'm like, yes, I was able to articulate why I liked this book so much.

[Hannah]

You did it really well.

[Tina]

Or not, you know, because like, somet when you're like, I didn't love every aspect, but thank you. Thank you for saying that.

[Hannah]

Yeah, well. And I think we have a really good idea of what to expect going into this one and just kind of fun to hear, like, kind of the nitty gritty of like the character development specifically that you liked without getting into spoilers and things like that. Because as a character driven reader, I like hearing that of like, here are the kind of particularities of what I really appreciated about these character dynamics and relationship dynamics mix. But I'm not giving too much away because you need to read it.

[Tina]

You need to read it yourself.

[Hannah]

You gotta read it. So good job with that one. Okay, so the first one that I am bringing is also a queer novel, so I am excited about that. We've got two of those that we're bringing today. Mine is Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn, and this one starts Out. Okay. I was not quite as fussy as you with the first sentence. I mean, this first sentence is good, but I like the first kind of of like two sentences. The first paragraph is really funny, but it starts with, I met Ivy on my fading 16 inch MacBook Pro. And then it goes in to talk about, you know, Ivy being the member of this Zoom writing group that she's a part of. She's like, it's one that I created with a bunch of the next couple of sentences. I'm gonna make y'all read this book for yourself because I literally can't say them on the screen. I just read it to Tina and we're both like bright red and laughing. To give you an idea, there is a Tumblr reference. So, you know, if you can take that for what. What it is. But it's very funny, it's very crass, and it definitely made me want to keep reading, and I'm so glad that I did because this book is a treat and it's about a controversial LA author who attempts to retrieve her career and finally find true love. It's a nod to 1950s lesbian poll, pulp Fiction, and boy is it. So we're following Astrid, who has recently moved both herself and her formidable perfume bottle collection into a tiny bungalow in Los Angeles. She's a mid list author and she is back in the Zoom group, which is what we see at the very opening of the book in this writer's group that she co founded called Sapphic Scribes, after an incident that leaves her and her career lightly canceled for good reason. And she talks about it and oh my gosh, you guys. Like, it's bad, but it's funny dark satire. And she temporarily forgets all of that by throwing herself into this romantic distraction and entanglement, such as Ivy, who she met on her 16 inch MacBook Pro at the beginning of our novel. Ivy's a grad student and she's researching 1950s lesbian pulpit and she smells like metallic orchids. Astrid also has her neighbor Penelope, who is a part of her story. She is a painter living off an Urban Outfitters settlement, and she's immediately integrating herself into Astrid's life, bonding herself with her best friends and her family. Just as Astrid and Ivy kind of begin this romantic and passionate entanglement, Astrid feels super judged and threatened by her neighbor Penelope, who is a responsible old vegan, but she also happens to find her very irresistible and very sexy. And she really likes Penelope. So there's kind of like, it's not a love Triangle officially, but there's definitely kind of some of that here. And then when Astrid receives an unexpected call from her agent with news that an actress and influencer wants to adopt her previous novel for tv, Astrid finally has a chance to resurrect her waning career out of this. This canceling that happened. But it's a lot of pressure, and she gives into the pressure and it causes her to kind of reengage in some things that she did in her younger years that she maybe shouldn't have, such as combining Adderall, alcohol, and, you know, putting herself into vulnerable positions with other women in relationships and things like that. And she ends up in some pretty disastrously unfortunate events. And that's kind of how the novel goes on from there. And we really follow her as she is going on this really messy trajectory. I buddy read this with my friend Emma. We buddy read something every month and we had some really, really good discussions with this one. It's one of those books that is fun to read at the same time with someone because so many messy things happen that you're like, oh, my gosh, I just got to the part where Astrid did this and we were like, I know, I spit out my drink. Like, just a lot of really messy things. That made it really fun to read it alongside someone else. This book is just feral and hilarious. And Astrid was such a funny character. Aside from having just a pretty wild and dramatic Hollywood plot like this book having having that really dramatic plot that I wasn't expecting. We also get this unhinged, messy girl book with this one. But we also get a lot of character development and growth. And I feel so oftentimes with books like these, we just get the unhinged, erratic female lead, which I am here for. We're supporting her rights and wrongs. I love books like that. But sometimes it really is nice to. To see these characters actually learn and grow and mature and figure things out. And I liked that we got the messy and the development at the same time with this one. It was unapologetically feminine and rabid, steamy and a homage to lesbian pulp of yore. And I definitely think that this would be a great one for our Internet and celebrity obsessed person world that we're in. I thought that this was really fun and I definitely recommend it if you want a spicy romp in some Hollywood drama. And that was Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn.

[Tina]

Wow, you did such a good job with that. I really want to read this. I just. It sounds just, oh, so fun, funny and good and kind of shit's creaky. Kind of shit's creaky. And honestly, I like what you said about supporting women's rights and wrongs, but also seeing them have like a character development and sort of, you know, ye evolve. Right. Because I love a good, messy character. And my next book is very messy. It's also better. And I'm loving the scene that we're on.

[Hannah]

Me too.

[Tina]

And oddly, this reading experiment led me to two books that I think do pair well together. They're both queer, messy, very visceral writing. This one is more horrifying, though, because it's the Lamb by Lucy Rose. I'm excited to read this. The Lamb. Let me tell you, I feel like I have to, like, really pronounce that B. Lamb.

[Hannah]

The Lamb.

[Tina]

The Lamb. Because the opening sentence, this is the one where I grabbed it from the library and read it and was like, what? On my fourth birthday, I plucked six severed fingers from the shower drain. Which to me, I said, great. Let me know more about, please.

[Hannah]

Yes, please. Yes.

[Tina]

This is about Margo and her mother, who have lived by the forest. Forest ever since Margo can remember. When Margo is not at school, they spend quiet days together in their cottage waiting for strangers to knock on their door. Because I guess people get lost a lot. I'm not sure why they have so many strangers, but they're called strays, as Mama calls them. And these are people who have strayed too far from the road. And Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine and a little bit of hemlock. And I'm so sorry, guys. She then picks apart their bodies and toasts them off with some vegetable oil. Because my friends, these people are cannibals. And just know that as just. I mean, you might have gotten that from the severed fingers, but that is what is happening here. And Mama's want is very strong. But then a beautiful stray shows up named Eden. And this changes everything. Now you're getting this from the point of view of Margot. So you're not in the mom's mind at all. It's really from Margot. And this is a gothic coming of age tale. And the author explores how women swallow their anger, desires and animal instincts and talks about mother daughter relationships. At first I wasn't sure about this. I'm like, is this confusing? Do I enjoy this? But I ended up really, really appreciating it. I can't say I love, like, I enjoyed it because I'm like, oh, my God, this is about cannibalism. But I really Appreciate what the author did. It's horror, obviously, and this is a chilling exploration of motherhood, identity and survival wrapped in this deeply unsettling story. Margot is a character you can really, really feel for. Her situation is heartbreaking. She's trapped with these people and with her mother, and it's gruesome, them, what they're making her do. And she sort of thinks that this is the norm because you get to follow Margo as she goes to school and as she makes friends, even though that's against her mom's wishes, because she wants her to, like, really stay low and, like, obviously not draw attention to herself. There is a really good side character here, and I won't say why or how, but they introduce Margo to other ways of life. And I just found myself getting more and more worried about Margo as I read on, because I'm like, how is this going to end? What's happening here? What are we doing here? Ultimately, though, I was immersed. This is a really haunting, visceral, creepy, messed up story. And I will say, if you like motherhood horror, definitely grab this. If you can handle the content and if you've ever doubted yourself as a mother, rest assured this book will make you feel like mother of the year. I loved it. I loved it. It was creepy, weird, and so, so good. And this is a debut. Absolutely will read this author again. This book is the Lamb by Lucy Rose.

[Hannah]

Yeah, this one, like, the synopsis alone, when you're talking about it, it just. I mean, give it to me, give it to me.

[Tina]

It's disgusting. But, like.

[Hannah]

And that opening sentence. So lots of body horror, I'm assuming with this one.

[Tina]

Yes, I would say. Or no, I would agree.

[Hannah]

Okay, cool. Yeah, really good one. There's something about when a book has a really good side character. Like, I feel like good main characters are great, but then when you have, like a really good side character, there's just something so, I don't know, emotionally investing about that. And I feel like it's really cool when an author can make the side characters just as if not even sometimes more so impactful than our main characters. It's like something that I just really like.

[Tina]

So fascinating. Yeah, yeah, you've got one in this for sure. It was really good.

[Hannah]

Oh, I love that. Okay. I'm also kind of bringing a horror. Well, it's definitely horror, not kind of. It definitely is a horror novel and it's a classic and I think one that probably a lot of people have read, but it's one of my favorite Books. And it just has one of the most incredible opening lines. And it's the Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Have you read this one, Tina?

[Tina]

Yeah, and I didn't like it. You didn't like it? I think so.

[Hannah]

Well, now I want to have a whole discussion about that.

[Tina]

No, no, no, I'm sorry. Let me amend that. I did not like, we've always lived in the castle.

[Hannah]

Oh, okay. I haven't read that one before.

[Tina]

Yes, I've not read Haunting of Hill House.

[Hannah]

I've only read this one and I'm showing for people who are watching. And for Tina, I have like annotated the crap out of it. And it's actually really cute because my. My son got a hold of it as well. And it's like all throughout. You can see. You know, I don't mind, I'm not precious with my books, but he got a hold of my marker and now it's like cute because when I look at it, I'm like, yes, that reminds.

[Tina]

Me of my little.

[Hannah]

Yes, it reminds me of my. My kiddo. So. But the opening sentence is a bit long, but it is so good. It is. No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality. And then it continues to. To go. But I'm going to leave it there. So the sentence is actually longer, but it's like a whole paragraph sentence, but that's where it cuts off with a colon. And I feel like people who study like psychology or horror or anything like that could do an entire dissertation on that first sentence. And it really captures what this entire book is about, which is really exploring people's psyche and how much. Even under, again, like complete reality, we really have a hard time maintaining sanity. So for those who are unfamiliar with the story or maybe haven't read it, this is about four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly mansion called Hill house. We have Dr. Montague, who is an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a haunting. We have Theodora, who is the light hearted assistant. We have Eleanor, who is a friendless, fragile, kind of lonely young woman very well acquainted with poltergeists. And Luke, the future heir of Hill House. And at first, their stay seems destined to be just a kind of silly encounter with inexplainable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers and soon it will choose one of them to make its own own. So, yeah, I mean, this is. And it's funny because I actually typically don't love haunted house stories. Like, I'm not I'm not always very compelled by them, but I really enjoyed this one. I never read this book in high school. It was never a part of my required reading. Growing up, I tried watching the show, but I am an absolute baby and I couldn't do it. I watched the first episode, y'all. I watched the first episode and I'm not kidding, I still sometimes have nightmares.

[Tina]

Oh, no.

[Hannah]

The Bent Neck Lady. And so I was like, you know what? But I'm really interested in this story. So I'm going to try the book because I can read absolutely anything and read it alone at night in the dark and sleep like a baby. The books just don't do it for me. So I decided to pick this one up. And again, I think that this opening sentence really sets the stage for how atmospheric and emotionally resonant that this book is. Is it really masterfully explores psychological horror. It does not focus on jump scares, but on the gradual unraveling of everyone's sanity. And it is done in such a way that scenes that are not scary gave me legit goosebumps. I have never gotten goosebumps from a book before. But, like, the way that Shirley Jackson describes things, again, that, like, really shouldn't be scary, but the way she's describing them, you're just like, something is so messed up here that is happening. And the characters can kind of tell, but they're not outwardly saying it at first. And so it just really creates this. This tension. It explores our hidden fears, our past traumas, and how our histories really shape the way we lose ourselves within these fears and the way these fears present themselves to us in a more tangible way or in a more supernatural way. I don't want to spoil what the supernatural elements are in the story or what they do and say, but this book is absolutely brilliant. I think that if you want to start reading more classics or loved books, but you kind of feel like you don't know where to start, or are they going to be, you know, kind of out of my league or something like that? I think that books like this, specifically this one is perfect because it's palatable, it's propulsive, mysterious. It doesn't. It doesn't use words that are. Again, like, you're not going to get lost in the sauce with the prose or the language, but you are going to read really, really good, masterful writing that's just very accessible. So if you're a horror reader, if you like mystery, or you're wanting to get into classics, this one is such a Good one. I've read it twice now and I'm obsessed. And that is the Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.

[Tina]

Wow. You sent me on my own little frickin quest as I was listening to you. What did you listen to? Well, I was on Pango books, obviously trying to buy myself a copy because that doesn't count in the low buy. Yeah. And I like that cover. I don't like the movie tie in as much. I did see this one, which is stunning.

[Hannah]

Oh, that one is really pretty with like the gothic statue.

[Tina]

I'm like, I might need.

[Hannah]

I have grab that. I talked about this a little bit in last week's episode when I was talking about my classics collection and I had mentioned because I brought the unnamed press classic books that I have started to collect with that new subscription. But these are the ones that I have on my shelf that I have the most of, which are the Penguin classics and they have kind of this nice white ribbon around the side and the front. So these are the ones that I have the most of already. They just look so pretty on your shelf. They just look so pretty.

[Tina]

I'm on a no buy. Don't show me cute things. Pango books. Oh my gosh.

[Hannah]

Use your money that you already have on Pango. It doesn't count.

[Tina]

That's right. That's right. All right. Well, you did great with that and I definitely want to pick it up my shelf edition. We're out of the queer horror space.

[Hannah]

Okay.

[Tina]

Well, actually, I don't know. Let me keep reading because it's a new book that just came to my house. It is called the Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins, who wrote the Great Transition, which I read last year or the year before and really enjoyed. This one comes out on August 12th. And this one, Hannah, you might like because I thought of you as I was reading it. It is a family saga about three sisters who are forced to conf. Confront deep seated tensions when one of them lands in jail. You've got Josie, who is the responsible one. She's a scientist. She's always held the family together. Emma is a former rock star and she sees a comeback in the chaos. And Ara, who is battling addiction and who may not want to be rescued. The mother is a character that's involved as well. Birdie. She was once a fierce advocate, but now must decide whether or not she should step in or let the women handle things on their own. This is an exploration of sisterhood, sacrifice, and the unbreakable ties of family. And not for nothing It's a male author writing these themes, so I'm interested. I don't know. I wonder, you know, sort of what his motivation was and what his experiences are that led him to read this. But I'm definitely curious. You know, I love a family story, sisterhood story, and we'll. We'll see how it is. It also sounds like a total departure. His last one was climate fiction and dystopian. This one sounds different. Different. Although in his last one, family was really strong. There was a really strong family dynamic, so I can see his interest in that. This book is the Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Guggens.

[Hannah]

Yeah, that definitely seems like family in particular is, like, a interest of his. And it ties in with my shelf edition really well because I'm also bringing a book by a male author who tends to write a lot about family and, like, those kind of intricate family dynamics. And that is Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson. And this comes out in May, so we don't have to wait too long. But I am really excited for Kevin Wilson's new book. I recently brought one of his books to the show, Nothing to See Here, which I absolutely loved. I read other books by him that I've really enjoyed, and this is his newest. Okay, so this is an unexpected road trip novel about a family. And again, love family stories. And I think that he does it really well. Ever since her dad left them 20 years ago, it's just been Madeline and her mom in Tennessee. And it's been a little bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she's imagined for herself. But it's mostly okay. Mostly. And then one day we have Reuben Hill, who pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she is his half sister. And Reuben has left behind their dad 30 years ago. He's hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for a road trip to find all of them. So that just sounds so quirky, so fun. It sounds exactly like something Kevin Wilson would write. And I'm really excited to try this one. It comes out in May, and that is Run for the Hills by Kevin. Kevin Wilson.

[Tina]

I forgot we were getting a new Kevin Wilson, so I'm glad you brought this one. Love a. Well, love a road trip novel. Also, I've already. I went ahead and purchased Haunting of Hill House. Yes. Yeah. They also had another book in there that I wanted, so I was like, you know what? Let me spend my little $17 and supporting the supporting another reader. But absolutely that is it for today. We thank you so much for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show notes and if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget if you'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk etc.

[Hannah]

If you'd like to connect with us you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect connect with us both at Book Talk etc on Instagram and Tina TBR etc and Hannah at handpickedbooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember everything's better with books. I felt like that was a good episode too. Can I stop recording?

[Tina]

Yeah, by.