Reading Books with Buzzword Titles + Discussing Title Trends 🐝

Summary

Book Talk, Etc. Episode Summary

Episode Title: Reading Books with Buzzword Titles + Discussing Title Trends
Hosts: Tina (@tbretc) & Hannah (@hanpickedbooks)
Release Date: August 19, 2025

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Episode Theme Overview

This episode dives into the ever-present phenomenon of "buzzword titles" in the book world: those recurring words and formulas publishers love to use, such as “girl,” “wife,” “truth,” and “night.” Tina and Hannah explore why these patterns emerge, how they influence reader choice, and play with a “buzzword challenge”—selecting, reading, and recommending books whose titles feature notable buzzwords. Alongside these discussions, they touch on recent reads, book marketing, title originality, and trends in publishing, giving you practical recommendations and plenty of lively, bookish banter.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Back-to-School, Reading Slumps, and Reading Habits

• Tina shares her excitement about back-to-school routines and admits to being in a reading rut, aiming to find more five-star reads and noting she’s mostly read new releases this year, with little literary fiction.

  • “I am on a mission. I need to find more five star books...but as you can see, I’m kind of laying the foundation because two of the books today I didn’t love, but one I did, so that’s a win.” — Tina [02:29]

• Both hosts touch on the unpredictability of literary fiction versus genre fiction:

  • “It’s scary with literary fiction because...there’s more opportunity...to find those five, six plus star books, but it’s also a really polarizing genre.” — Hannah [03:29]
  • “You never know, and that’s part of the fun, right?...High risk, high reward.” — Tina [04:09]

2. Loving Lately: A Comfy Chair and a Family Hair Product

• Tina’s Pick: Flexispot Lotus Recliner — a wide, electric recliner that’s enhanced her reading experience by creating a cozy, dedicated reading spot. She emphasizes the importance of “romanticizing” her reading routine.

  • “What I’ve been doing to try and romanticize my reading life more is getting up earlier...and reading in the chair. Breaking news, I know, but it is hard for me to force myself to sit down and actually do things that I know I enjoy.” — Tina [05:58]

• Hannah’s Pick: Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Leave-In Conditioner — a favorite in her household, suitable for both fine and thick hair, gentle scent, works for her husband and daughter too.

  • “It leaves my hair feeling really soft without making it feel oily...It is a family favorite in our house.” — Hannah [08:47]

3. Latest Reads: Mixed Reviews & Middle-Grade Triumph

• Tina:

  • Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor — A Harvard-set, women-in-STEM literary novel about a scientific breakthrough pursued by two students. Tina found the depiction of women in science spot-on but felt emotionally disconnected from the characters.
    • “...the author captured what it’s like to be a woman with power in leadership, in science. She captured that so well...there’s a section where Zoe is calling her father...and basically he’s like, OK, just make sure you get home to help your mom with dinner. And it was just gutting.” — Tina [15:02]
  • Notable structural device: Mixes narrative with emails/news articles, well-cited sources.
  • Ultimately “middle of the road,” but could appeal to Harvard/biotech/startup world fans.

• Hannah:

  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang — Middle-grade contemporary about Mia Tang, a Chinese immigrant girl helping her family run a motel. Hannah read it aloud with her daughter, which led to thoughtful, accessible discussions on big issues like racism, poverty, and bravery.
    • “This was such a good reminder of how powerful children’s literature can be.” — Hannah [18:43]
    • “I think overall we had some really valuable discussions that I hope she continues to remember.” — Hannah [18:43]

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Segment: Buzzword Titles & Title Trends

[22:00] Introduction to Buzzword Titles, Buzzwordathon & Appeal

• The buzzword theme was inspired by Booktuber “Books and Lala’s” Buzzwordathon, a challenge hosted on Storygraph that encourages reading books with common title words (“lie,” “truth,” “water”). This approach adds a ‘gamification’ element to TBR selection.

  • “...it gamifies it a little bit...puts the building of your TBR into the hands of chance.” — Tina [23:20]

• Hannah notes it combines structure with mood reading; stacks of “buzzword” books can span genres so there’s variety and motivation to tackle older TBR books.

[24:41] Why Are Certain Buzzwords So Prevalent?

• Tina observes that words like “lie” surged in popularity starting around 2018; publishers use these to trigger associations (“If they liked X, they’ll like this!”) and capitalize on trends.
• Hannah adds the prevalence of female labels: “girl,” “wife,” “daughter,” etc.

Does This Influence Reading Choices?

• “It does...in a good way, typically.” — Tina [25:54]
• Some titles, however, feel overly formulaic or cheesy (see: “My Husband’s Wife”), but can still hook curiosity.

Other Common Buzzwords and Formulas

• “Blank and blank” constructions: e.g., Perfume and Pain, Games and Rituals, Fates and Furies.
• Water/weather references: sea, ocean, hurricane, wind.
  • “I noticed the water one, too...Water is everywhere. I like a water tie-in.” — Tina [30:22]
• Titles with names (especially double entendre/first names), and colors (e.g., Blue, Black, Green).
• Not-so-buzzy: Rare “completely unique” book titles now stand out (“Nothing to See Here” by Kevin Wilson as an example).

The Double Entendre Title

• Both hosts admire titles with layered meanings, e.g. “Finding Grace” (as a name and a concept).
  • “Something I really like is when books have double entendre...I like that double entendre.” — Tina [31:25]

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[Book Recommendations with Buzzword Titles]

Tina’s Picks

1. The Good Samaritan by Tony Helene [33:09]

• Buzzword: "Good"
• Literary domestic drama (not a true “psychological thriller” as labeled).
• Plot: After a tragic loss, a sociology professor in small-town Minnesota finds a lost child during a storm, makes morally ambiguous choices, and becomes embroiled in a mystery.
• Clever play on “Good Samaritan" (refers both to the character and the law).
• Tina’s Take: Mixed feelings. Enjoyed themes of obligation and grief, but too many characters, loose editing; better for book clubs (“what would you do?” prompts).
• “I loved that the author brought up this idea of the Good Samaritan Law...but overall, it was fine.” — Tina [36:49]

2. A Twist of Fate by Se Ah Jang (trans. S.L. Park) [45:00]

• Buzzword: "Fate"
• Genre: Psychological thriller/domestic suspense, translated from Korean.
• Plot: Jae Young flees a crime, takes the place of a vanished mother she meets on a train, adopts a new identity in a wealthy family’s manor, and unravels layers of secrets.
• Tina’s Take: Loved the twisting, gothic vibes; strong “good for her” energy. Highly recommends for fans of identity-swapping thrillers.
  • “I will always read a book that has people swapping identities. I just think that’s so fun and interesting...Overall, I highly recommend this book.” — Tina [47:48]

Hannah’s Picks

1. Blackwoods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivy [39:49]

• Buzzwords: “Black,” “Blue”
• Genre: Literary family drama with folk tale and Alaskan setting.
• Plot: Single mom Birdie leaves town for a remote Alaskan cabin with her new love Arthur, but mystery and danger simmer beneath the surface.
• Hannah’s Take: Standout atmospheric tension, complicated and lovable characters, polarizing ending (“made me gasp”), and strong sense of place. Recommended for lovers of “complicated mother-daughter stories and folk tales or books set in nature.”
  • “I love books that build that sense of tension and unease...this book had such palpable tension.” — Hannah [41:41]

2. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir [49:35]

• Buzzword: "Night"
• YA Fantasy (sequel to “An Ember in the Ashes”)
• Plot: Laia and Elias are on the run, joined by a morally grey third POV, as the story deepens into action and romance.
• Hannah’s Take: Great expansion as a sequel; action-heavy, strong romance, robust character development.
  • “I fell more in love with Elias and Laia, and while this third character...is morally gray, they actually grew on me as well.” — Hannah [52:05]

Buzzwords Noted:

• Other buzzwords identified include "lie," "husband," "wife," "daughter," "girl," "truth," "water," "night," "blue," "fate," and thematic formulas (“blank and blank,” times of day, weather).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:29] Tina: “I am on a mission. I need to find more five star books...”
• [15:02] Tina (on Notes on Infinity): “...the author captured what it’s like to be a woman with power in leadership, in science. She captured that so well...”
• [18:43] Hannah (on Front Desk): “This was such a good reminder of how powerful children’s literature can be...I think overall we had some really valuable discussions that I hope she continues to remember.”
• [23:20] Tina: “...it gamifies it a little bit...puts the building of your TBR into the hands of chance.”
• [29:28] Hannah: “It is more rare...to have a title of a book that is just completely unique...it does make it stand out more.”
• [31:25] Tina: “Something I really like is when books have double entendre...I like that double entendre.”
• [36:49] Tina (on The Good Samaritan): “I found this man to be pretty insufferable though. And I’m like, Oh my God, I’ve met you in academia...”

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Bonus: Shelf Additions [54:43]

Tina:

• The Ballad of Bonaventure Palmier by Adam Sokol
  • Genre: Magical realism, compared to The Night Circus

Hannah:

• The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson
  • Horror/fantasy about a painter whose art grants him magical abilities; art, eldritch horror, tests.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Reading Routines, Slumps, Romanticizing Reading: [00:49] – [06:58]
• Loving Lately (Recliner & Conditioner): [06:58] – [11:01]
• Latest Reads (Notes on Infinity, Front Desk): [11:01] – [21:57]
• Buzzword Titles Introduction & Buzzwordathon: [22:00] – [24:41]
• Trends in Titles & Patterns: [24:41] – [33:09]
• Buzzword Book Discussions: [33:09] – [52:46]
• Shelf Additions: [54:43] – [57:40]

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Episode Takeaways

• Publishers rely on buzzwords in titles for marketing, influencing trends and (often subconsciously) reader choices.
• Common themes include familial roles, times of day, colors, water/weather, and “blank and blank” constructions.
• The “buzzwordathon” is a fun, adaptable way to diversify your TBR and revisit languishing books.
• The hosts bring a mix of new and under-the-radar buzzword-titled books, with honest, nuanced takes on each.
• Book titles with multiple meanings or breaks from formula can create greater impact and memorability.

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For those who haven’t listened:
This episode offers an insightful, occasionally hilarious tour through the world of title trends, complete with book recs, family reading adventures, and tips for making your reading life (and book choices) more playful. If you love talking about “trends” in your TBR—and discovering new favorites—you’ll find both validation and inspiration here!

Transcript

[A]

I think my kids have found the recorder, so that's fun. Oh.

[B]

Oh, that's loud.

[A]

Uh huh.

[B]

Okay, hold on.

[A]

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

[B]

And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.

[A]

This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And today we are talking about buzzwords in titles.

[B]

If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And if you have a quick minute, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on social media. It truly helps us connect with other book lovers.

[A]

Hi, Hannah.

[B]

Hi, Tina. How are you?

[A]

I mean, I'm fine. You know, I'm excited to record. I'm excited to record and I am excited that school's coming back in session. I feel like, you know, I always talk about this, but I like a good schedule. And we have been working on getting my oldest up a little bit earlier. Going to bed earlier because, you know that bus is coming quick in the morning.

[B]

Yeah. Getting ready for that transition.

[A]

You could take the bus.

[B]

No, they might at some point, but where we are currently, they can't do the bus because we live right on a hill. And if the bus is going to come to the house, it has to be within like 500ft of, like there has to be 500ft of visibility on both sides. And right now we don't have that because our driveway is literally on a hill.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So if the bus were to stop, it's just not safe.

[A]

It can't do it.

[B]

Okay, can't do it. But we would love that and it might be a possibility in the future.

[A]

I had initially signed up, I was like, oh no, I'll drive her. And then I was like, why though? Like, you just walk to the corner and it's a thing. It's, it's. It just blows my mind that she can ride the bus because she's gonna.

[B]

Be on the bus.

[A]

I know it's gonna be great. But anyway, that's what I'm up to. I am reading wise in a shambles. I was just looking at my still, I was just looking at my story graph and my overall rating is like a 3.9 thing for the year. I've read 96 books and. Okay, no, that's no good. For me, it's no good. And I read the whole Hunger Games series, so a lot of those were five stars. And that bumped things up. So I'm like, you know what? I am on a mission. I need to find more five star books. I talked about this last night at Mood Reader Happy Hour and I talked about it on my Instagram. But as you can, I'm kind of laying the foundation because two of the books today I didn't love, but one I did, so that's a win.

[B]

Well, I hope that you find a five star read very soon because you need to get your reading mojo back.

[A]

I do, I do. I'm desperate.

[B]

You are. I know. And you don't like, you like get, you get like squirmy when you are not in a good reading spot.

[A]

I know. And I was trying to figure out what's going wrong and I, I don't quite know. I've done so many new releases this year, like, yes, almost exclusively. So maybe that's a bit of it. And then also I've also done very few literary fiction, like almost none. So I think that's where. And I usually tend to rate those higher unless they. Yeah, so that's where I'm at.

[B]

It's scary with literary fiction because while I think there's more opportunity for you and I as readers to find those five, six plus star books in that genre, it's also a really polarizing genre. So sometimes I know for me, sometimes I think a book is going to be five stars in literary fiction and then it just doesn't hit the mark the way I think it's going to be. Whereas I feel like for more genre fiction, thrillers or romances, I kind of already know what I like trope wise and, and things like that. And so I feel like with, with genre fiction it's like, oh, I pretty sure I'm going to like this because it has like all these things that I like. But literary fiction is a mixed bag. You know, you never know what you're going to get.

[A]

You never know. And that's part of the fun, right?

[B]

It is just more risky.

[A]

More risky. Higher, high risk, high reward. That's what I say.

[B]

So maybe we just need to take those risks.

[A]

Yes, I think so. And it makes me think about last week when we were talking about romanticizing our reading experience and I felt sort of bad for myself because I was like, I don't really do that. I don't romanticize it enough. But this week I tried because I was thinking about that. I was like, you need to do a better job for yourself to really immerse yourself in the reading experience and just try different things. One of the different things I've done, it sort of ties into my loving lately and I will tell you about it here. It is a new reading spot. I got a new recliner and I want to disclose that this was sent to me, which I'm so excited about. But I love it. I've had it for over a month now. It is the Flexispot Lotus recliner and I'm going to insert some video here if you're watching us on YouTube. But if not, I will describe it. It's a recliner, but what I love about it is that it's very wide. So the seat apparently is like 21 inches wide. And then the armrests are flat. So they're almost. They're. They're not perfectly flat, but they're kind of flat. And so I love it because I can sit cross legged on it. I love it because the girls can climb on me, I can have my computer, I can do all these different things. And it's wide enough. It's not like I'm like confined to this one space. And the one that I got is electric. So there's a little button that opens which I just think is so great. And it is also a rocker. So I can sit there and literally rock back and forth and swivel. And I know you're going to tell me that's a sign of ADD and that's okay. But I love rocking. I just love to rock. And so this thing is perfect and it's just very smooth. You know the one I had, I had a recliner before and it was like I could barely get in and out of it because it was so like clunky and like the mechanics were sticking. This is just very smooth. I got the leather one in cream and it's lovely. It also has a USB charging port for my phone. So what I've been doing to try and romanticize my reading life more is getting up earlier. I'm always up earlier, but actually going to the spot where the chair is and plugging in my phone and getting my little book out and reading in the chair. Breaking news. I know, but it is hard for me to force myself to sit down and actually do things that I know I enjoy. But I love this chair. Wanted to mention it and again it was sent to me, but you know, I still endorse it. They also sent me a coat to get $30 off and free shipping. So we will link that in the show notes. I don't get a commission or anything. I just wanted to Bring this really, really awesome chair. They've also been super kind to work with. So anyway, love, love this new reading spot. And my loving lately is the Flexispot Lotus recliner.

[B]

I was looking at their website while you were talking. And these are cute, too.

[A]

They're cute too, right? Yes. They're not like your. They're not your dad's recliner. Even though I love a good clunky. I mean, I've had this recliner. When I tell you, I think I was in high school when this thing was manufactured, so I inherited it from someone. Not the one I just got, but the one I was using before. I've had it for ages. And this is just very nice and sleek and pretty.

[B]

Yeah. Nice to get a little furniture upgrade. And these are not. These are not wildly expensive. No, this is like a very, very affordable, good price for something that's cute and functional. So good, good loving lately. Mine is. I've been all over these beauty products lately and stuff, but I love it. This one in particular, I've been using for a really long time. It's one of those ones where I. I've gone through, like three or four empties now, which is very rare for me. And so this is like a continued loving lately. And it is the design essentials. Lemon and avocado leave in conditioner. O. I first started using this a few years ago when I was living in the south and I have frizzy hair and I really needed something functional that also didn't. I'm very particular about smell, so this has a very light scent, but it smells really good. I would say that it's a little heavier on the lemon, but the avoca or. I'm sorry, I worded that. I worded that. It's not lemon and avocado. I'm so sorry. It's the design essentials. Almond and avocado.

[A]

Oh, interesting. But the reason why I was thinking.

[B]

I said lemon is because it smells like lemon.

[A]

Smells like lemon. Okay.

[B]

It smells like lemon. So I always, when I'm talking about it, I'm like, oh, it's the lemon and avocado. No, it's almond and avocado. But I think that the reason why the scent is so mild, even though it kind of has that citrusy smell, it is because, like the almond and avocado, I think mute it a little bit, which I like because I'm very sensitive. But this product is great. It leaves my hair feeling really soft without making it feel oily. My roots have a tendency to get oily. And this doesn't impact that at all. It just really tames the frizz and is super functional. My husband has very different hair than me, though. It is thick, but it also has a tendency to get oily. And so I guess it's not completely different, but I have very fine hair and he has really thick hair, so that's what I meant by that. But he started using this and this for him. While he doesn't deal with frizz, he does, you know, have a lot of hair that he kind of needs to tame and get down. And this has worked really well for him in that regard as well. So he's been using it too. So it is husband approved, and we all love it. My daughter's hair gets really tangly. I use this to help with her tangles as well. It is a family favorite in our house. And that is the design essentials. Almond and avocado leave in conditioner. I get it at Ulta or Amazon. I've gotten it from both.

[A]

Perfect. I was going to ask you if it's too, like, thick and heavy and, like, makes your hair oily, but it sounds like it doesn't.

[B]

It doesn't. Now, I don't put a ton of it near my roots, but I do put it, like, near my roots. Like, with other leave in conditioners. I can't even put it, like, up top here. Whereas with this one, I don't put it directly on my roots, but I can at least have it touch my scalp. And it doesn't make my hair, you know.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Oily that.

[A]

I've done that before where I put something in and I'm like, oh, dear, I've made a mistake. And then I've washed my hair, and then I feel like I have to rewash it, which is no good for me. So. Okay.

[B]

Yes. I found this when initially researching products, too, for Curly Girl method. So it's Curly Girl approved if you have curly hair and do that method for your hair.

[A]

But that'd be good for my girls, too. I have to try. I'm always looking for new stuff for their hair. Yes. Okay. Yeah, good one. All right, so let's dive into our latest reads. And I have two books that I was okay with and then one I really liked, and this is one I was just okay with because it is Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor. And this one, first of all, I don't like the COVID I was going to ignore it. I don't know why. I just. This didn't bring me Any joy? But I picked it up because I heard it comped to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, which of course is a book that I love. And what this is about are Harvard students Zoe and Jack. And they are. Zoe is the daughter of an MIT professor who grew up in her brother's shadow. And she decides to not go to MIT and instead go to Harvard because she wants to like, break out from the shadow of her family. Jack is a boy she meets in her, her organic chemistry class. And in the beginning they have this really sort of sweet rivalry over who can be smarter, basically is what it boils down to. And Jack is this enigmatic character. We don't know a ton about him. We know he is a year above her in school and they are both very smart and very talented. And then Jack ends up referring Zoe for a position in a prestigious professor's lab. She's so excited. This is the research she's always wanted. And the two of them become entwined as colleagues and they're like sharing ideas and just really getting along scientifically. And then they end up finding themselves on the cusp of a breakthrough. They find the promise of immortality through a novel anti aging drug. So basically the two of these together come up with the cure for aging. And obviously it's incredibly exciting. They're like 21 and 22 years old and they start working on the project initially in secret at Harvard, and then they start finding encouraging results and end up dropping out of Harvard to work on it. And then they end up getting into the startup world and getting the money and the success, but at what cost, right? So this was, I really wanted to love this story. I love science. I love books that have women in stem, of course. And I like the startup world. Like I really was like, great. This is like lining up to be perfect. I also like a platonic love story, personally. So those are the elements that drew me to this. I think the author clearly used her own experience having gone to Harvard as a jumping off point for the story. And she mentions in the author blurb that she was inspired by some of her lab mates. If you went to Harvard or are connected to that in some way, I think you'll like that because she really brings you into the university setting, at least in the beginning portion of this. Once you get into the biotech world, it sort of, for me, lost me a bit. And it, you know, and it is what it is. It's a lot of, you know, getting seed funding and then is this person legitimate? They're bringing people on. They're hiring a board. What I love is that the author captured what it's like to be a woman with power in leadership, in science. She captured that so well because a lot of times the investors would look toward Jack, who was literally behind the computer, not the face of the company, instead. Instead of Zoe, because he's a man. Right. And I just love how the author framed that. There's a section where Zoe is calling her father, who's a professor. She's so excited about her research. And basically he's like, okay, and just make sure you get home to help your mom with dinner. And it was just gutting. Right? But I really could resonate with that. That, I think, was a real strength. There is something that happened in pop culture that is very. Once I saw. Once I made the connection, I was like, oh, I know how this book is going to go. So I would recommend not reading Goodreads reviews because a lot people say, this sounds like this. And I'm like, right, but that's a big. That's a big deal. So try not to do that right before you jump into this, if you decide to pick it up. I love an emotional story. I love books that really get me invested in the characters. And I think that was my biggest disconnect, is because I wasn't emotional about this. The novel is told in six parts, and what I think the author did really, really well in the end is she incorporated email. She incorporated some exposition, but a lot of it was emails and, like, news articles and things like that. And it. There's a reason for it. So I think the author experimented. Well, I think it was probably a little long for me, but overall, I liked it just fine. Not one that I love, but one that I'm not mad. I read. Something I love is that the author, as any good scientist does, cited her sources in her acknowledgments. Because I kept thinking, like, is this technology real? Are, like, are people working on this? Like, what is that? Like? And she very clearly gave, like, oh, this refers to her, you know, this paper and that thing and the other thing. So I love that the author gave us that overall, middle of the road for me, but I definitely can see this working for a lot of people. This is Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor.

[B]

It was a book.

[A]

It was a book.

[B]

That happens sometimes. That happens.

[A]

It was a book, as you can see, like, it's never a good sign. I'm holding it up now, and I'm showing Hannah that it's half Annotated because I stopped caring. I was like, oh man. And like, no, it was good, but not one that I'm like, like dying over.

[B]

Yeah, I feel like that is the sign of a true annotator, though, when you notice like, there are, there are so many books in my collection too, where I'm like, and I stopped annotating.

[A]

And I stopped annotating.

[B]

I just needed to make it through it. That happens. And that is a valid annotating experience. Mine is one that I really loved, so that is great. It is Front Desk by Kelly Yang and this is a middle grade novel. This started as a read aloud with my daughter and it slowly turned into, into a book that I could not put down. This is the story about Mia Tang. She and her parents are trying to make it in America as first generation Chinese immigrants. And toward the beginning of the novel, she and her parents move into a motel because of what seems to be the deal of a lifetime. They are going to get free rent while managing this motel, while they keep the place clean, manage the guests and work the front desk. But as they end up learning the motel owner is not a good dude and they start to take things into their own hands and let people, specifically other immigrants like them, stay in the empty rooms for free. We follow Mia, their daughter, pretty exclusively as she shows courage and kindness and hard work to get through the year. She helps her parents hold on to their job and she helps the immigrants and the other guests escape the horrible motel owner, all while trying to follow her dreams, her own dreams of becoming a writer. One day I was honestly surprised that my daughter wanted to read this book because she tends to be a magic and fantasy lover in general. And I can hardly ever get her to pick up a contemporary novel to save her life. And it was so fun to read a contemporary book with her that also dealt with really real themes about racism and resilience and poverty and immigration and also courage and bravery in a young girl like herself. My daughter was able to ask really good questions and we were able to have some really good discussions. I think some of it may have gone over her head. I think this book is technically a little out of her age range, maybe for a little bit older middle grade kids, but I think overall we had some really valuable discussions that I hope she continues to remember. The back of the book also has follow up questions, not after every chapter, but after some of the chapters where maybe some harder things happened or some conversations ended up taking place or where big plot developments take place. And I used some of those questions, and we made it through some of them. Again, some of them were a little bit over her age range, but I thought that that was a great note. If you homeschool or are reading with your kids, this is one of the books that has those great questions and discussion points in the back of the book. This was such a good reminder of how powerful children's literature can be. When I mentioned that I was reading this one on my Instagram stories, so many people sent me a message saying this book shocked them and surprised them and that they absolutely loved it as well. And so I think that I'm not alone in thinking that this is just a really excellent piece of children's literature. It was funny, it was well written, and one that I will not soon be forgetting. This was the winner of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature and the Parents Choice Gold Medal Award for Fiction. Apparently this book has a couple of sequels as well, which I didn't know, and I cannot wait to read them, hopefully with my kiddo. And that was Front Desk by Kelly Yang.

[A]

Even I have heard of this book, so that's how I know it has wide reach. Because I don't know anything about middle grade and I have heard about this, so I just put a hold on it. The library.

[B]

Yay. I think it is one that is, like, taught in schools and things like that. It initially came on my radar because my good friend Katie is one of the co hosts for Middle Grade March that happens every year. And like, three years ago, I had this on my middle Grade March tbr and ended up not reading it. I literally purchased it for that reason. And I didn't. But I had it on my shelves and my daughter actually found it and she was like, what's this about? This looks like a kid's book. Let's check it out.

[A]

You're like, and it is. Can you open it for me? I want to see the pages.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So it's a middle grade book. Okay, got it.

[B]

Yep. And the chapters are pretty short. There aren't any. There aren't any pictures. It is a chapter book without pictures.

[A]

Yes, that's where I was going.

[B]

But the chapters are very short, so we're talking like anywhere between two and max. Like five pages.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Which is great. I feel like, for young readers, especially, because. And especially if they're reading before bedtime, because you could say one more chapter and.

[A]

Well, that's true too.

[B]

It's 20 pages long. So at least with this one, she's like, can we do One more chapter.

[A]

Yeah. And you're like, got it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because it's only two pages. No, I love that Jonathan had been reading James and the Giant Peach with our oldest and it's the cutest thing ever. Just, I, I just love it so much. The Roald Dahl books were like my favorites growing up, so it's just good. I just love seeing them read. And I do too. But I'm like, that's their book. Like, I let that be like their specific book just because I don't know, it's cute.

[B]

So anyway, cute for them to have a parent specific book.

[A]

It is. Now, today we are talking about buzzy words in titles. And I think initially you sort of got the idea. The creator books. And Lala, also known as Kayla, does this challenge on storygraph called the Buzzwordathon. And I've always seen, I've seen her talk about it before and I have to say I was like, I don't get it. What does that mean? Like, I didn't, I don't know why I was not connecting the dots until lately where I was like, oh. So for example, our prompts are read a queer horror novel. And then you're like, great. You look it up, find a queer horror novel and then mark it as read on the challenge. And Storygraph, the Buzzwordathon is sort of fun because it's broad. All it is literally is truth and lies. So you have to find a book that has truth or lies in it, lie or lying. It could be water related words. And I'm sort of reading from her challenge this year. We'll link to it in case you want to join up in storygraph. Because what I like about a challenge like this is that you can go to your TBR and it just is almost like a game. It gamifies it a little bit. Because the only one that I've not completed yet is titles featuring alliteration. So a title that features two or more words that begin with the same sound like Gone Girl or Summer of Salt. And I'm like, well, now I must find one. And it's fun because it like gamifies it a little bit and forces you. It sort of puts the building of your TBR into the hands of chance, if you will. But yeah, anyway, that's sort of how we came up with this.

[B]

And I, yes, I also like this too because. And I was sending Tina pictures of some of my stacks because I feel like a. It allows for mood reading still, so it can give you that structure while also allowing you to mood read too, because you might have a stack of books that all have truth and lies, but one of them is a thriller, one of them is literary fiction. Maybe one of them is fantasy or romance. And you can look at that stack and be like, well, I'm not feeling romance, but I am feeling thriller. I'll select this one from that stack. And to your point, the gamifying bit makes it really fun and engaging as well. And also I feel like it can allow you to pick up those books that have been on your shelf for a while. And this provides an excuse to finally pick it up and read it, which I know I need that push many times because we're so inundated with new releases all the time. And it's nice to have that excuse to pick up that book that you've been meaning to read for a long time.

[A]

Exactly. And I know I have been noticing for years, and I know I'm not alone, that there are just some titles that are trendy, or I should say words and titles that are trendy. I think one of the first that I noticed was lie. And I remember, I mean, this was probably 2018, when I was like, I'm going to make a post ranking all the Lie books. My God, there's 10,000 of them. How would I ever do that? But I remember thinking, you know, that is something that I think publishers are using to have people evoke those images. Like, okay, if they liked listen for the lie, you know, maybe they'll like this one. I think they're using it as a bit of a marketing tool. Does that make sense?

[B]

Yeah, it totally does. I think that one of the first ones that I ever noticed was a female title like Daughter, wife, mother, or girl even. Yeah, girl. You see girl everywhere.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And it doesn't necessarily stray me away. I guess that's my next question is when you see books with titles that are very clearly truth, lie, girl, daughter, does that make you. Does that sway you in any way on reading it?

[A]

I have to say that it does. It really does. In a good way. Typically. Because. Okay, I say typically, and it has to. It depends on the title. So. Alice Feeney, I love her books. I typically vibe with them really well. She has a new one coming out in January 2026, and the title is My Husband's Wife. And I'm like, come on, what?

[B]

Two? That's a twofer.

[A]

It's a twofer. And I'm sort of like, this feels cheesy. So sometimes they go a little bit too far. With it, it's like my husband's sister's wife's mom or. You know what I mean, Like. And they add, like, too many in there. But I will say, what do you mean, my husband's wife? Isn't that you? Right? So now I'm curious. So I guess this is a better. Better marketing tool than I thought. Of course, it's coming with a sprayed edge if you pre order, which I think is so funny. The sprayed edge epidemic is a whole other topic we could get into.

[B]

Oh, agreed. Sorry. Now I'm like, oh, it's bothering me a little bit. But another conversation for a tale for another time. Are there any. Are there any buzzwords that either aren't in. Well, I guess they could be in the buzzwordathon, but are there any other buzzwords that you noticed while either ch. Choosing books for this episode or in general that you thought about that you think are worth mentioning and noting?

[A]

I had the hardest time picking books for this because I was like, oh, I'm gonna pick a lie and a husband or wife or whatever.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

And I couldn't. I didn't try that hard. But I was like, those in my brain were the only two options. And then I was like, no, take it a little wider. What other buzzwords can there be? And then I started looking at every word possible. I was like, well, that could be a buzzword. That could be a buzzword that. And then I, like, started not spiraling. But I'm like, you are overthinking it. Relax. It's not that big of a deal. But I ended up obviously settling in eventually. But I didn't pick my. My second book that I read for this until, like, Tuesday, and it's Thursday when we're recording it. I was desperate to find it in because I started overthinking it. Right. But other than that, I think only the husband wife lies where I was fixated. And then from there, I kind of spiraled into this entire genre where I'm like, okay, any word really can be a buzzword if you look at it hard enough. And I think that's a sign of being oversaturated and, like, thinking too hard with the topic. What about you? Did you notice any, I don't know, themes that emerged?

[B]

Yes. Yeah. It's funny that you mentioned that, because when I got to the end of my thinking about all of these buzzy titles or buzzy themes, so not even just specific words, but almost like patterns or themes in titles is that it is more rare. I feel like to have a title of a book that is just completely unique. I'm like, this doesn't follow a pattern or a theme or have any buzzwords that is rare and something that I feel like I am going to notice that stands out in book titles when I look at them moving forward. And I thought that that was really interesting. A couple of themes that I noticed were like a blank and blank. So like there's the book Games and Rituals or the book that I brought earlier this year, Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn. So I feel like that is a common theme. I can't think of any other books like off the top of my head that follow that theme right there.

[A]

Fates and Furies.

[B]

Faith and Furies by Lauren Groff. That's a great example as well. And then I feel like I noticed almost more themes than specific buzzwords. I feel like the buzzy, buzzy words we've already mentioned, you know, girl, daughter, husband, truth, lie. And then there are. There is one more that I think is like really, really buzzy that I'm actually bringing.

[A]

Oh, so you're burying it.

[B]

I won't mention it.

[A]

Okay. I like it.

[B]

But one other one that came up more often than I thought that it would. Is anything water related? Sea water, ocean, and also just weather related, like hurricane or weather or wind, et cetera. And I thought that that was fun and it made me want to organize my books in these themes. So kind of fun.

[A]

I noticed the water one too, because over the summer I think I read them almost back to back. I read Slanting towards the Sea and A Marriage at Sea. I was having trouble. They're very different books, but I was sort of having trouble, like differentiating between the two in my mind. But yeah, you're right. Water is everywhere. I like that. I like a water tie in. I also like a. I also like a weather tie in. I. And. And now you're really good at noticing patterns. I am less good at that. But now I feel like I'm going to start paying attention to it more. And you are right. When we see a book that does something different with its title, it does make it stand out more.

[B]

Yeah. Like, I thought of Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. I don't know why that one stood out, but I was like, I don't know that that book doesn't really. This book doesn't really follow anything. Like it's just kind of a. That title stands out. I don't know. That was one of the ones that I thought of that I feel like doesn't really fit into a buzzy category, but it's something that I'm going to notice more now after doing this. This episode.

[A]

Something I really like is when books have double entendre. So we were talking about this yesterday. The book Finding Grace came out this year. And what I like about that is. Okay, the reason we started talking about this is because I was saying I don't like names and titles, and I want to amend that statement. What I think I mean is I don't like first and last names. That's what I don't like. I don't mind a first name only, oddly, especially if it's something like Finding Grace, where finding Grace could mean you're finding the grace in the situation or whatnot. But it also is a character's name. You find out eventually. So I like that double entendre. But something like the Three Lives of Kate K, I think, is the title. I don't like that. I don't need to know the character's first and last name. It's just an odd quirk of mine. But I think that's a trend, too.

[B]

That one is hard, too, because isn't the author's name Kate, too?

[A]

Yes, and I was mad about it. And it's spelled differently. Kate, K, C, A T, E, K, A Y. And then the author is K A.

[B]

T, E. Yeah, I don't.

[A]

I think I. I did like the book enough. Yeah, I liked the book. I thought it was fun to discuss. But, yeah, I was like, yeah, it's the Three Lives of Kate K by Kate Fagan. And it's confusing.

[B]

It is confusing. I like what you said about a double entendre, though. It's like a play on words. I didn't even think about that. And I think that that is so fun. And it adds to the wit and the thought put into, you know, the title and the work of art, if you will.

[A]

Yeah, I sort of have a really good title in one of mine. And it has a double meaning. Sort of.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

All right, so let's get into our books. This is the book that I was talking about where I think the title is kind of clever. My first book is the Good Samaritan Tony Helene. Now, the reason I picked this book for the buzzword is because I think good. There are so many books that have the good blank in it. So it's the Good Daughter by Karen Slaughter, the Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, the Good Girl by Mary Kubica. All books that I recommend, actually. So I liked that. This was, you know, about a Good Samaritan, but also it's clever because you find out it's about the Good Samaritan law, which I don't think I realized was an actual law until I was reading through this book.

[B]

Book.

[A]

This one is about a college professor who is offered a chance at redemption if he can figure out the right thing to do. So our main character is a sociology professor, and he will tell you all about it if you ask him. His name is Matthew. He is barely holding on, and it's actually really sad. He and his w. Their family lost their toddler's son, and he is going through it. He's going through a divorce, his teenage daughter is pulling away, and he lost a job he loved. So now he is sort of on this redemption track at a small college in southern Minnesota, and he's trying to get tenure because in his mind, that means success. So while he is heading from where he. Where his kids live or where his kid lives to the college, he. It's like an empty rural highway in the middle of nowhere. He gets caught in this rainstorm and he pulls off a road to find shelter. And while he's there, he sees a child curled up between under a plastic tarp. He's like, what is going on? And the kid apparently is alive, but unconscious, soaked to the bone and possibly hypothermic. And knowing an ambulance would take too long to reach them, Matthew impulsively puts the boy in his car, intending to get medical help. But on the way, he awakens, becomes agitated and asks him not to take him to the hospital and runs away. And then this is where it becomes complicated because now Matthew sort of has a obligation, if you will, to figure out what happened to the boy. Now, a lot of this book had me saying, why did you do that? Why did you do that? Why would you do that? You know, over and over again, overall, I thought it was fine. It was decent. It has a 3.2 overall rating on Goodreads with 588 reviews. So it's a bit under the radar, and I think that's low. I would give this a 3.5 myself. And where I think this goes wrong is that it tells you it's a psychological thriller. And looking at the COVID this looks like psychological thriller. This is very much not a psychological thriller. I would almost comp it to like a Jody Pico book, but Jody's books are stronger. But I say that because it's like family drama and a lot of issues are covered, like big issues. And There are sections where these issues are covered really well. But this one feels not quite so, not, not heavy handed. It just felt like the author had a lot of big ideas and wanted to craft a story around that. There is a mystery in it because you do get sucked into trying to figure out what's going to happen to this boy. This book. Where it went well is that the audiobook has a full cast narration and I really liked that there were so many characters though. And I found my mind wandering and so I did something that was really fun and I'm showing Hannah the front page of the book. Book this. Here are my notes. These are the characters.

[B]

No way.

[A]

So I just kept writing everyone down, not really knowing who was going to be important. Right.

[B]

So I think this is the husband. Correct kind of stuff. Okay.

[A]

Matthew. Professor Claire. Daughter Finn. Son Tammy. Ex wife. Right. So I'm just like writing down who these people are and sooner soon enough I'm like, I have two columns of people. Surely they're not all important. But I liked doing it because it again helped me kept keep everything straight. But it also goes to show that there was a lot going on and I think too much going on. I think it could have used a little bit of tighter editing. But I loved that the author brought up this idea of the Good Samaritan Law because I just was thinking like, what is your obligation once you get involved? And I think that is very interesting. I feel like some of the elements were really well done. Like particularly the sections on grief with the child. Like that was hard. And was it, you know, they process it throughout. There were a fair amount of unnecessary side quests in here. Like, I'm like, okay, do I need to be at the food court at the Mall of America? Probably not, you know, but fair enough.

[B]

Food court, Chinese sounds really good right now.

[A]

Doesn't it though? Yeah, they got pizza, but. And I know this because the author tells me everything that the characters are doing. That he is a sociology professor plays a really big role and I kind of liked that. I found this man to be pretty insufferable though. And I'm like, oh my God, I've met you in academia. Like I know exactly who you are. I can picture you because I've worked with you. Right. And he's not a bad guy, but he's also pretty irritating at times. Overall it was fine. Themes, death of a child, alcoholism, the foster system. So if any of those sound like things you might like to read about, you can definitely pick this up. I'd try this author, again, it was. Okay. The biggest strength for me, I would say, is that this is a what would you do? Book. I could easily see this being fun for a book club to discuss and maybe like, pick apart a little bit, but also discuss, like, what would you do in this situation, etc. So overall, it's a lukewarm maybe recommend. It is the Good Samaritan by Tony Helene.

[B]

Okay. Did you tell us how you found this book already?

[A]

I didn't. I found.

[B]

How did you come across this book? Because I had a hard time finding it just looking it up.

[A]

I know, because unfortunately for the author, John Marrs has a book called the Good Samaritan, and that is the big, big buzzy boy. Right. And you know, John Mars has a big.

[B]

There's another one by like, CJ Parsons or something that popped up.

[A]

I don't know that one, but I do. I was thinking that too when I was doing this, because I was like, that's just a buzzy title in and of itself. There's like, literal other books with the exact same title.

[B]

Two others.

[A]

Yeah. I found this book because the author has connected with me on Instagram.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And, like, I think it was over her previous book, which I still am curious about. It's called the Surrogate. So that one, again, sounds like an issues book where it's like, legality and this and that, which I'm like, into. So I think I have a copy of it somewhere. But anyway, I think she sent me or the publisher sent me this, and it was on my shelf for. Since March. And so I'm really, really glad to have crossed it off my list. This is not a bad book. It was just not a psychological thriller. So just know that if you decide to grab it, it.

[B]

Yeah, marketing can make a really big difference or how a book is pitched can. I mean, it just really impacts your reading experience. My pick for this challenge is one that has two of the words or theme, if you will. It is blackwoods, Blue sky by Eowyn Ivy. And I just see colors in books all the time. I mean, I brought a book book last episode, A great Black Hope. We have Black Buck. We have Blue Sisters by Coco Melors. We. I mean, I could. I could go on. I've. Oh, Green Dot, which I brought last year. Just colors in general. I see in titles often. And that is why I ended up picking this book up. And it was also just one that had been on my list, a new release from this year that I wanted to get to. I haven't Read any books by this author. She is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her most well known book, the Snow Child, which is on my list. I really do want to read that one, but this is my first by her. And she is returning to Alaska in this novel while we follow Birdie and Emmeline. Birdie is a single mother. She lives in a tough town. She's trying to get by. But Birdie can remember happier times when she was free and living a more wild life in the woods. And then she meets Arthur, who is a soft spoken and scarred recluse who appears in her town only at the change of certain seasons. And most people kind of avoid this guy because he's scary and quiet and like I mentioned, kind of a recluse. But Birdie has a soft spot for him and she gets to know him and she finds herself falling for him. And against all of the warnings of the people that love her and that live in this small town with her, she moves to Arthur's isolated cabin in the mountains on the far side of the Wolverine River. It is just the three of them, her, her daughter and Arthur. They are out in the woods and it is pretty secluded. It's very secluded. There is no one else for miles. And while it it's idyllic and she can picture her happily ever after here, Together they're foraging and fishing and climbing mountains. She soon realizes that there is something more mysterious and dangerous happening out here in the woods and that it can be equally dark as it is beautiful. This book started out feeling like a literary family drama set in this Alaskan town. It was kind of giving me Kristin Hannah or Tiffany McDaniel in terms of the way it was written and just the overall vibe. What is really unique about this story is what starts as this contemporary literary novel, soon turns into this folk tale that paints a bigger picture about the juxtaposition between life's darkness and its goodness. This book felt like it was building up to something and it had this tension that I couldn't quite pinpoint as I was reading it. I love books that build that sense of tension and unease. We did a niche novels episode about this little plug to our Patreon. We do these episodes every month where we talk about a certain theme. And that is something that Tina and I both really love in our books. Books that just build this tension and unease throughout and sometimes have, you know, kind of this. This build up to something right where it kind of explodes. And I just love books like that. And this book had such palpable tension. While I was reading made me gasp out loud and feel frustrated. I wanted to yell at these characters while simultaneously wanted to just give them a big hug. I love when books have these frustrating characters. They're making mistakes and they feel frustrating, but they're also very real and lovable and you have these mixed feelings for them, but you're ultimately rooting for them as well. I think that this book goes in a direction that is confusing and it made sense to me personally. I really loved it and I appreciated the direction that it went. But again, when I mentioned that I was reading this book on Instagram, everybody messaged me and they were like, oh my gosh, have like can we please talk about the ending? So this is definitely a book that you might want to read with someone else or have someone that you can talk to about the direction that it goes. I think that I would recommend this one. Overall. I personally really liked it. I think especially if you enjoy Alaskan setting, complicated mother daughter stories and folk tales or books set in nature in general, then you should give this one a shot. I really, really enjoyed it. It was like four stars for me. That is Blackwood's Blue sky by Eowyn Ivy.

[A]

I love that you brought this. It was a book that was on my radar back in 2024 as a 2025 book to like look out for. So I'm glad that you read it. And I know it has like polarizing reviews on it, which I sort of like a polarizing book myself.

[B]

Yes, me too.

[A]

I am going full under the radar apparently today because my next one is pretty under the radar so far too. It's A Twist of Fate by Sia Zhang, translated by S.L. park. I think I talked about this on the show though before as a shelf edition. So I always love when I when we get to those. This one for my buzzword. It's fate, as you might imagine. And there are a ton of fate books. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen and Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven were ones that came up pretty frequently. And I think for fate, it's a lot of romance and a lot of fantasy genres I don't read in. So I thought it was. It was kind of a unique one for my thriller because this, as you can guess from the COVID is definitely more of a thriller. It's about these two women that meet on a train. Each is running from a deadly secret. When one disappears, the other decides to take her place. That's the setup and it is about. The main character that you're following is Jay Young. And she has just left everything she's owned kind of in a. In a hurry. She lived in this terrible apartment with her abusive boyfriend and he just happens to be dead on the kitchen floor. And murder was never the way. Yeah, murder was never the way she envisioned leaving, but it was desperate times. And so she is escaping her transgressions on a train to the bustling city of Seoul. And she is hoping to become invisible. Because if she is invisible, she is safe. And on the train immediately there is this woman that sort of finds her and she's a chatty mother. And that happens when you're on public transit. If you sort of look friendly, people will come sit next to you and like talk to you. Even though I'm not friendly and I don't like it, we call it my train face. I try and like look, look unapproachable. So folks don't bug me about stuff. But on the train, the woman chats up this chatty mother. And the woman has a young son. So she's like, all right, I'm not going to be a jerk to her. And they're just chatting and like, it turns out the ma. The mother is running from something pretty harsh herself. And finally Jae Young's like, let me go to the bathroom and sort of get out of this conversation. But when she returns, the young woman is nowhere to be found. But the child is there, there. So she leaves her kid on this train and pleads with Jae Young to take him to his grandparents house on a remote province far from Seoul. She's like, this is not great. It's not ideal, but what am I going to do, right? So she decides to go to this house. And all of this takes place within the first couple chapters. But when she gets there, she is shocked because it is this enormous manor. It's opulent, it's luxurious, and the people that live there have never met their grandchild or daughter in law previously. So they assume this is the boy's mother. Her. She's like, great. What better way to become invisible than to take somebody else's identity? I love that setup. I will always read a book that has people swapping identities. I just think that's so fun and interesting. But when you swap someone's identity, you're taking on their baggage as well. So what baggage was this woman hiding from? And why did she leave her son? This book was so full of twists and turns. I loved that. Just when I was like, okay, I Kind of get the cadence here. I know where we're going. No, you're wrong. This was a little bit gothic because you're in this crumbling manner. There are some really morally gray characters here because your main character is not picture perfect, obviously. But also I was, like, finding myself rooting for her. I love that. I never really knew who to trust. And for me, this was a good for her kind of story. Like, I was just following along. Like, you know what? Yes. Get out of that relationship. Take the wealth, take her identity. You know, it was just sort of a interesting feeling for me as I was reading. It is sort of a rich people behaving badly book, but not so much because the patriarch of the family is elderly. He's aging, so it's not. They're not like, doing these dastardly things. They're sort of just rich and living on their. Their wealth. And again, this book is twisty. There are twists throughout, so it's not like one big twist. But I also didn't find that there were too many. Right. And, like, silly. I feel like the author did a good job of giving us a story that makes sense. The twists weren't cheap. There's no ghosts here. Spoiler like, no. But there's not like, a haunting or like a random person living in the lagoon or anything weird like that. It's just a solidly crafted novel of domestic suspense. I would call this a psychological thriller, and I had a really good time reading it. Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially if you like a good psychological thriller. It is A Twist of Fate by Se Ah Jang. Translated by SL park oh, I love.

[B]

That you brought us two kind of under the radar gems for this one. It seems like you enjoyed this one more than you did your first one.

[A]

Indeed.

[B]

That's great. All right. My next one is A Torch against the Night by Sabaa Tahir. I see the word night in titles all the time. Some examples being even just like classics like A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare and Tender Is the Night. Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tina, you brought a book recently? Last week, I think. Night Watcher.

[A]

Oh. Oh, my God. Yeah. Night Watcher.

[B]

Yeah. Night Watching by Leila Motley. There's even a lot of books with midnight in the title, which is a.

[A]

Night's a good one.

[B]

Times of day. Yeah. Yeah. You see night everywhere. I'm really proud of myself for reading this one because this is the sequel to An Ember in the Ashes I talk about often that I struggle so much to continue on in series But. But it's something that I want to be better about doing. I really loved An Ember in the Ashes and I'm going to try to give you as much of a rundown as I can without spoiling the first book. So this sequel, this second book in the series, really starts off right at the start of where we ended. In the first book, our two main characters are on the run after the events that kind of exploded at the end of the first novel. We have Laia, who's really our main character, and she's determined to follow through on her journey that was started in book one, which is to save her brother, who is the key to the survival, really, of everything and everyone that they know. And then, of course, we have Elias, who is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his chance at freedom. In this book, we're also following a third perspective that I can't reveal here because that would be kind of spoilery, I think. But I thought that this third perspective added a really great element to make the story more developed and interesting as we move into the story. More. I thought this was a great sequel. In the first book, we're really building the story. We're creating the world, telling the readers who the bad guys are, who the good guys are, and just setting the stage for the romance as well. This series is really well known for its love story, and rightfully so. And the love story was again developed a little bit more in the second book in a way that I thought built just the right amount of tension. This book also really expanded on the plot and it really showed the reader more of the high stakes that are involved and how hard it is going to be to get the outcome that, you know, I think we all want for this story and these characters and to see these characters succeed and their overall mission. This book was a little bit more like, action heavy, I would say, than the first book. We get a little bit more like war developments and things like that, which I really enjoy. I fell more in love with Elias and Laia, and while this third character that we're following is morally gray, they actually grew on me as well. I'm eager to continue on in this series and I think that if you enjoy romantic fantasy that is heavier on the fantasy and has a slower romantic build, then you should believe the hype for this series. I am continuing to love it. And that is A Torch against the Night by Sabba Tahir.

[A]

Ah, good for you.

[B]

Yay.

[A]

I love it. And I love that you brought Night that was one that I can totally see. In fact, my shelf edition doesn't have night in it, but it could very easily. Okay, so my shelf edition is from. It's an independently published book from a friend of the show named Adam Sokol. He was on our podcast way back in episode 28 in 2021, but he has published his first book, so I'm excited to bring this to the show. The book title is the Ballad of Bonaventure Paulmier by Adam Sokol. And the COVID is stunning. It's really, really a fantastic cover. Now this is magical realism in the vein of Aaron Morgenstern, who wrote the Night Circus. Speaking of night, this one is about Madame Esmeralda Coquellicott, the leader of a mysterious circus bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. When Madame Esmeralda Cogellicott, the leader of a mysterious circus that's bigger on the inside than the outside, shows up at the door of a clothier, Bonaventure Palmier, his quiet life is forever changed. Fate and tragedy led Bonaventure to join the circus, and his friendship with Esme grows as they travel the countryside by caravan. Esme's magic and health fade with each stop they make, and Bonaventure must build the impossible before Esmeralda and everyone within the circus wither away forever. This is a blend of Aaron Morgenstern's the Night Circus, Alice Hoffman's practical magic series, and Kathleen Rooney's Lillian Bachfish Takes a Walk, which I love. I know. So this one stitches together heartbreaking moments of betrayal, reimagined fairy tales, and complex interpersonal relationships. I loved all of three of those comps, and I can't wait to read it. I bought a Kindle copy, but it's also on Kindle Unlimited, so definitely check this out. And congrats to Adam. This book is the Ballad of Bonaventure Palmier by Adam Sackle.

[B]

You are such a good hype girl.

[A]

I'm such a good hype girl And.

[B]

I'm such a good hype girl. Really good.

[A]

It sounds really good. Cover's amazing. My apologies. I am positive I mispronounced at least three to five words in that, including perhaps his last name. So sorry about that. But you get the. You get the gist, right? It sounds really good.

[B]

I do get the gist. Okay. My shelf edition. Tina?

[A]

Yeah?

[B]

I think I want to know if you got this in the mail, too.

[A]

Let me see it.

[B]

I'm so excited about this one. It's the Macabre by Kasoko Jackson.

[A]

No.

[B]

Did you get this in the mail?

[A]

No.

[B]

Can you please appreciate. The COVID is so stunning.

[A]

I'm appreciating it. I love it.

[B]

Don't get me started on the sprayed edges, but the actual cover.

[A]

Beautiful.

[B]

This like blood dripping off of this horrifying portrait. It sounds really good. Also. I will tell you about it. This is the subtitle of this book is A Picture is Worth a Thousand Nightmares. Art has always been an escape for struggling painter Louis Dixon. But other than his mom, who has recently passed away, no one has ever even looked at his work or given it praise. If he is being honest, there really is no one else left in his life. So he is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. This seems to be a chance to show the world world what he is capable of. He just has no idea that he might also be saving the world at the same time. As Lewis soon learns, he has not been invited to participate in a curated show, but rather a test to see the fugue like exhilaration he experiences when painting and, and realize that it's actually magic. A power that allows him to enter. Nine very special paintings. So we've got like some portal, maybe not portal fantasy, but you know, kind of portal fantasy adjacent things going on. These paintings are made by his great grandfather and they spread across the globe. And these paintings have an unbelievable eldritch abilities. This book sounds like it's getting into the fantastical weeds here, but there is also some horror and you know, some intrigue. Lewis has to pass this test and you know, we also have art which I personally really like. But that's where I will leave you with the. This one. I am just so intrigued by the COVID I tend to like, you know, again, books that involve art and portal fantasy type things, games and tests is also a theme and trope that I tend to really like as well. So yeah, a picture is worth a thousand nightmares. I'm. I'm excited. This is the Macabre by Kosoko Jackson.

[A]

I love that cover. You are so right. It sounds fantastic. And. What did you say? Not the. The metaphysical weeds.

[B]

Oh this. This is getting into the. To the fantastical.

[A]

The fantastical weeds. Yeah. Not the fantastical weeds. Can't have that.

[B]

Also the metaphysical. It's also getting into the metaphysical weeds as well.

[A]

Who knows what we're going to get into? Frankly, who knows?

[B]

I can't wait to find out.

[A]

That's it for today. We thank you for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show notes and if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following where 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 would like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.

[B]

If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktok etc on Instagram and YouTube. And you can find Tina, TBR etc and Hannah at handpickedbooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. Yay. I started getting really distracted at how chapped my lips are.

[A]

Oh, I got distracted by look at your thumbnail in, in the side there. You look like you're going on like a. Why are you. Why is it so dark?

[B]

You were like, you're like so surprised and you're so funny.