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- [00:01]
A
Cheers. Good evening.
- [00:03]
B
Cheers.
- [00:04]
A
Welcome to Book Talk Etc. After Dark on the main show. It's actually perfect because our topic today is atmospheric reads and I feel like we're both very atmospheric right now. Like, you know what I'm saying?
- [00:18]
B
We are dark.
- [00:19]
A
It's late. I see you have got your moody light behind you. You've got your moody light. I mean, we're cute.
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B
We are cute. And we're both wearing animal print.
- [00:29]
A
And we're both wearing animal print. I mean, if this isn't Scorpio season, I don't know what is.
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B
Amen.
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A
I don't know what that means, but it sounded funny. Welcome to Book Talk Etc. A podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc and I'm.
- [00:52]
B
Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [00:54]
A
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two MidW Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And this week we read folklore retellings and atmospheric reads.
- [01:06]
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.
- [01:19]
A
Hey everyone. It is the start of a brand new month and so we wanted to take the time to invite you to join us on Patreon. We Our Patreon Group is such a wonderful, fantastic, supportive community of readers and if you've ever wanted your reading to be a little bit more of a social experience, this is a great way to get that connection. Becoming a patron is a great way to financially support our podcast, to meet other readers, and of course to get our exclusive Bonus content. For $5 a month you'll get access to two bonus episodes a month and one live event, as well as invites to our BTE Discord server and Facebook group and an invite to chat about our monthly community read. You will also have access to everything we've created since we've started, which is a ton of bonus content. It also helps keep our main show ad free. Our November event will be Hannah and I reacting to the Goodreads Choice nominations, one of our favorite things of the year that we do. You can also expect a new episode of Niche Novels and a DNF chat where we share the books that we tried but did not work for us. And we just announced our November community Read. It is going to be Cursed Daughters by Oyenkin Braithway and we cannot wait to chat about it. So if you are Interested, head to patreon.com booktalk etc or look for the link to join in our show Notes. Thank you so much for your support. Hi, Hannah.
- [02:46]
B
Hi, Tina. How are you?
- [02:48]
A
Oh, just fine. How are you doing?
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B
You know, I am really glad that I get to end my day with you. So I am feeling great.
- [02:57]
A
Fantastic. Likewise. I was like, okay, it's been a long day, but I always love chatting books. It always puts me in a good mood. And today we are actually having a little nighttime cocktail together, so.
- [03:10]
B
Exactly. Cheers.
- [03:12]
A
We typically only drink if we're going to drink for the bonus episodes. I don't know the last time we've had a cocktail on our main show. So, you know, enjoy us as we get a little nicer as the episode goes on. But it is our birthday week. Well, this week as we're recording, it's our birthday week. So, you know, we figured let us celebrate a little bit now. Speaking of wine, my loving lately is maybe a little cheesy, but it's something I've been doing for over 10 years at this point. Maybe closer to 12, 13 years. They are my wine cork memories. Okay, so what I'm holding is a wire wine barrel, and it's not huge, but it's pretty big. I mean, it holds a lot. And on the. On the front it says wine corks, and inside there are a bunch of wine corks. And you might be thinking, okay, why is this special? Why is this you're loving lately? Allow me to tell you. This is where I save some wine corks, and I don't save every single one. But when I do save a wine cork, I will grab a cork from the wine and write what happened that day. So right here. Oh, this one was from August 16, 2018. Leftover. L. Oh, yeah. One of my friends had her bachelorette party, and this is leftover wine from her bachelorette weekend. But what I do is I write what's going on as well as the date. And it's been really, really fun to keep this. Okay, this One was from November 23, 2018, and we did Christmas decorating, glue wine. And so it's just fun because I can go back in and see the memories and who I was drinking a glass of wine with, what we were doing. This one's empty. So that's going to go in the trash. And then if there's anything special, like this one is clearly from a champagne cork. It's from November 16, 2014.
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B
Oh, my gosh. So fun.
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A
That's a really long time Ago, man.
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B
That'S a long time ago.
- [05:09]
A
I know, I know. This is kind of crazy. I've been. It's kind of crazy. I've been holding on to this for so long. I can't read what that one says. But I just love this little tradition. This one's awesome. November 26, 2023, Thanksgiving at Blank Blank. It's our street name. That's when I think we hosted Thanksgiving at our new house. And, oh, this one is relevant. August 19, 2018 book organization. So I just think anytime you can find a way to romanticize your everyday life, you should try and embrace that. And now I just have this nice little keepsake. It stays in our kitchen. It stays sort of on the top of my. Like we have like a ledge or whatever that I do that I put this on and I can go back and sort of see. Okay. You know, this is what I was doing at that time. And like I said, I've been doing it for a while. But this jug that I got, we have a local wine restaurant, it's called Cooper's Hawk. So if you have one in your area, they probably have like a wine cork memory. I'll also try and find something similar online and see if I can't link it because I do think something like this would make for a good gift if you have somebody in your life that's sentimental and if you have somebody that's a wine lover. And so I just wanted to share that little piece of something that I love doing. Those are my wine cork memories in my wine cork holder.
- [06:30]
B
I love the idea of, like you said, romanticizing your every day. And you're right. That would make such a great gift for the holiday season right around the corner.
- [06:41]
A
Yes. And you could get them something like this with like a nice bottle of wine. What a fantastic gift. I would love that. It's a unique present. I think I would too.
- [06:49]
B
That's a great gift. My loving lately is not a gift, although it could be a gift for yourself and your mental health. And that is an app and it's called the how we feel app. And this is one of those loving latelies that, like we talked about last week, passed on from a friend. My good friend Alyssa recommended this app to me and it's actually kind of fun because the app does have a social element. But before I get into that part, I'm going to tell you a little bit more about the app and what it does. And it is literally just a daily emotional check in. And when you open the app, it gives you a list of four different feeling buckets. So there is red, which is high energy and unpleasant. Yellow, which is high energy plus pleasant. And then you have blue, which is low energy and unpleasant, and green, which is low energy and pleasant. And so you pick one of those buckets. And then within those buckets there are quite a few, a lot, a plethora of feelings that you can log. And after you log a feeling, you kind of go into this journal entry and it's really quick. Each journal entry takes less than one minute, so you log the feeling that you're feeling. So say I'm feeling apprehensive and then I can put what I'm doing, whether that's working, who you're with by yourself, co workers, your family, kids, and where you were, whether that's outside, at home, at work, at a friend's house or school. And then you just complete your check in. And then after a while you have kind of some interesting data of how you were feeling, when you are feeling it, and who you were with when you were feeling those things. And at the end of every week, the app will even give you a little bit of a recap and it'll say the feeling that you felt the most this week was X and you were with Dustin the most times that you felt this emotion. And so it gives you like a little recap afterward. And it's been really interesting to just track my emotional patterns and I'm also planning on using this to track things with my hormones. So if that's something that you're interested in looking at too, I think this could be really, really helpful. And back to the social element, you can add friends. So if you have a friend or a family member that you are really closely connected with and you would want to kind of know what their feelings are, then you can share those updates with them and you can even comment on it. So if your friend is feeling sad, you can, you know, add a little heart, say I hope you feel better. I literally only have Alyssa on here. We're the only ones that use it. But it has been a nice way to check in with each other since we are kind of long distance friends. And the How We Feel Project is a non profit organization. It was created by scientists, designers, engineers and therapists as well. And the goal of the app and the people behind it is just to to help everyone better understand their own emotions and over time to learn precise words to describe how you feel outside of happy or sad or excited and kind of give you a more in depth perspective in your emotional life and spot trends and patterns also. And just practice simple strategies to regulate your emotions in healthy ways. So this has been a really fun way to check in with myself and it has made it really accessible and easy. Like I said, each check in takes less than one minute. So that is the How We Feel app and it is my loving lately.
- [10:51]
A
I'm glad that you brought that. I'm sure a lot of people would get a lot out of it. It sounds very innovative and I like that it's quick because if something would take too long, I feel like I wouldn't keep up with it. But if it's quick and guided, I feel like that's a good way to sort of get that information without it being too laborious.
- [11:09]
B
Exactly. I am not someone who does anything every single day very well and consistently. And so I am on a 24 day streak right now and I have 52 emotions.
- [11:22]
A
That's really cool.
- [11:24]
B
Look at me go. Yeah, it's really cool. And I will also say it's completely free and it continues to stay free and they hope to keep it free and it's made possible through donations and sponsors.
- [11:36]
A
I love that. I too struggle with doing something every day and I. This is like a total tangent. I had a wordle streak going of like 89 days for me. Wow, that is unheard of. And then I had a busy day and I forgot and now I'll never play again. I probably won't play for a year because I'm so mad that I lost.
- [11:57]
B
I would feel that way too.
- [11:58]
A
You know what I'm saying? I'm like, I will never get that far again. And it's just like this thing where I. If I know that I have a streak going, once I get in the groove, I'm good. Getting back into the groove is really, really hard. But I love that you've been doing that so consistently.
- [12:13]
B
I know. Hopefully I can, you know, hit the 90 day mark. We'll see.
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A
Keep it up.
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B
I'm going to try.
- [12:22]
A
Yes, I am ready. I'm ready and buzzing. I'm actually sweaty. I'm sweaty because we're going to talk about our latest Ready. Our latest read is Heart the Lover by Lily King and this is our community read for October. As of this recording, Hannah and I have not yet discussed this with our patrons and we've not discussed this with each other. So I have no clue what you think. Here's what I'll do. I will introduce the book and give you my quick background of reading it, and then I'll ask you what you think.
- [12:55]
B
Okay, that sounds perfect.
- [12:57]
A
Fantastic.
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B
We literally have no idea what each other thought because we updated each other that we'd finished it and then said that.
- [13:03]
A
And that's it. Said nothing. That's it. That's it. Okay, so this says, you knew I'd write a book about you someday. And your narrator understands good love stories, their secrets and subtexts, their highs and free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the simple rules. So this book is following the main character and then two classmates, Sam and Yash. Sam and Yash are best friends, and they live off campus in the elegant house of a professor on Sabbatic. And she meets them in an English class, and the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academics, banter, card games, and just being young. They nickname her Jordan, and she quickly discovers the pleasures of friendship, love, and her own intellectual ambition. But youthful passion is unpredictable, and she soon finds herself at the center of a charged and intricate triangle. And as graduation comes and goes, choices made will alter these three lives forever. Then it catches up decades later. And this is not a spoiler. It's in the synopsis. The vulnerable days of Jordan's youth seem comfortably behind her. But when a surprise visit and unexpected news bring the past crashing into the present, she returns to a world she left behind, must confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self. And that is that I. In our Discord group, a couple of patrons were saying that this is connected to Writers and Lovers by Logan King, a book that I initially tried in 2020 when it came out and DNF'd pretty quickly. Cause I was like, I just don't like the writing style. And they recommended that you read it, and they said that you didn't need to, but I had the time. And I was like, you know what? Let me go ahead and read it. It's a quick audiobook. So I did go back and listened to Writers and Lovers and then immediately read Hart the Lover. So I had that experience of reading them back to back, and I will tell you about it. So, Hannah, how did you find Hurt the Lover?
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B
Like, how did I like it?
- [15:10]
A
How'd you like it? How'd you find it?
- [15:12]
B
I. Oh, I'm like, right. I'm hot off listening to it. I listened to this on audio. I literally finished it today on a walk. It was really sad. It was a lot more heartbreaking than I thought it would be, but I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of an Anne Tyler novel. It reminded me a little bit of Anne Napolitano, but not quite as.
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A
Commercial as.
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B
And not quite as commercial. Maybe a little bit more literary. But those are kind of my initial thoughts. I ended up giving this one four stars after finishing it. I. I really enjoyed it and I do wonder if I am going to be in the minority of that opinion. Tell me a little bit more of what you thought about it.
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A
Other minority. Between you and me, I. I don't.
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B
I have not heard a ton of people saying that they've really loved it.
- [16:08]
A
Oh, my God. Are you Jo. I. Well, and I have. What is it called when you, you know, are looking for something? Because I was reading it, so I've seen it everywhere. People are eating this book up. They. It has a 10,622 ratings and an average of 4.44. Okay. People are loving this book.
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B
Yeah. I didn't realize that.
- [16:27]
A
Yes. And I really disliked it. I just have to say, and I'm so sorry. Please keep listening.
- [16:34]
B
Oh, you like legit disliked it.
- [16:36]
A
Yeah, disliked it. Yeah. And I'm. And here's the thing. I know that it's me, you know, and as a reviewer, you can. You sort of look at a book and you can sometimes say, I liked this, and I think it is well done. You can say, I didn't like this and I think it's well written. And you can say, maybe this isn't the best written book, but I liked it. Or maybe it's not for everyone and I liked it. That sort of thing. I did not like this and it. And I hate to say it, and I feel like kind of gross almost saying that so publicly. But here's what I. For me, it deals with two things that I abhor reading about. And I told you this going into it. I don't like reading about debt. It stresses me out a lot. And it. It dealt with it actually a lot more in writers and lovers. But I was hot off the heels of that. And I struggle with books that have medical anxiety. And I don't want to say more than that, but this book literally is the thing that I see in every book. In every other book, it mentions something. And this one does it in a very direct way. It tackles something in a way that was very, very unsettling to read for me personally in this phase of my life, when I have people that I'm very, very close to who are going through something very similar. It was not good for me. I also don't. I love that you compared this to Ann Tyler, because I thought that same thing. And guess what? I DNF'd her. I thought the writing is so similar. I see the similarities, for sure. And I can't even really describe the writing. It's very, for me, quite literary. It almost not stream of consciousness, but you're. You're not quite sure what the plot is.
- [18:30]
B
It's very telling. Like, this person did this and then this person did this, and then this is how they felt about it. And it's very like it. The story is telling itself to you, and it's kind of telling you, not, like how to feel, but it is just kind of shooting this story at you. And it's almost not even stream of consciousness. Because I don't even know if I know these characters, like, really deeply inside of their heads. Because I feel like the narrator of the story was just kind of telling us what was happening, and then a lot of it was kind of some guesswork that we had to do.
- [19:10]
A
Yeah. And I think that I almost wish you were the one that had read Writers and Lovers right before this, because if you liked this, I think you would have loved it had you had the emotional or had you had the context of writers and Lovers. Because truly. And I'm trying to be very cagey because I could spoil the whole thing in two sentences. And I'm trying very hard not to. Here's the thing. This book is both a prequel and a sequel. And I think for that reason, I'm very impressed with what the author's done. Because again, that book came out five years ago. And I am dying to know. I'm like, wow, did the author have this story in her mind as she was crafting Writers and Lovers? Because some of it, there's overlap. Right. And I'm like, that's so interesting. And again, I. I know it's well done. I just didn't like it. I also don't understand a lot of it. I found the characters, especially in part one of this book. I'm like, they're so pretentious. Like, I just was not. I. I couldn't deal. I couldn't deal with it. And I'm so sorry to say this, I feel really guilty. And I guess that's where I leave it. I don't like not liking books. I don't like being critical of books, especially ones that I know people love and I feel on an island. And I guess it doesn't matter. I don't need to like every book. Right. And I can say, good for you. Not for me, I learned that from Amy Poehler's memoir many, many years ago. And that is okay to not be in the majority with your opinion, but.
- [20:47]
B
Yes, please.
- [20:49]
A
Yes, exactly. I just struggled with this one. And I love these types of books. Are you joking? Like, this is like me in a. In a book I love, I always say, make me cry, make me feel. Make me care about characters. And I suppose I just didn't care about these characters despite knowing them well.
- [21:07]
B
I will say, while this was a sad book, I mean, this. This book is. Is heartbreaking. But I also did not cry because I do think that there is some distance that Lily King puts in her writing, like, from the writing to the reader. There is some distance there that makes it a little, like, not as connected. Not as connected. I don't know if I'm describing that very well, but I know. I feel like there's a disconnect.
- [21:35]
A
There's a. You're 100% correct. And I can't think. I can't put my finger on it because, of course, I'm not an author. But I feel that same thing. I feel like we're kept at arm's length a bit, even having read. And I keep saying this, and I got to shut up. I felt like we are kept at arm's length a bit, even knowing what.
- [21:51]
B
I know, I felt that.
- [21:52]
A
That's close, right? And you can still feel that, having not read that. I don't know.
- [21:59]
B
Well, I don't like that you felt like you're on an island. But I will say, from an alternate perspective, I really enjoyed listening to you critically talk about a book, and I think that it made for a more interesting discussion because a lot of the things that you were saying you didn't like about it were actually what I enjoyed about it. Like, that disconnect I thought was kind of interesting, and I thought that it was kind of interesting to see a book that, in my opinion, I felt like, was able to tell more than show in a way that I enjoyed and a way that I felt like was intentionally done. So those were things that I found to be interesting about it. But I could see. I could see why, first of all, it would be so triggering for you, and also why those things might make it something that you didn't enjoy. And, you know, art is subjective, as we say, and this is a perfect case of that.
- [22:56]
A
Yeah. I will not read this author again. I have to say, I don't. You learn something new about yourself, and that's okay. It's all right. You know, it's just one of those things. Hey, you know, I don't hate her. Wish her the best of luck. She's obviously a very skilled author, but.
- [23:11]
B
I think I not going to read her stuff anymore.
- [23:14]
A
I think I know. And honestly, it kind of feels empowering to know, like, all right, you know, this author is not for me, and that's cool. Like, you don't have to read and enjoy what everybody else does. Do you have anything else to add or anything else you would have shared?
- [23:28]
B
No, I don't think so. I think we were able to talk about everything.
- [23:32]
A
Yeah. So that's Heart the Love. That's Heart the Love for my Lily King.
- [23:37]
B
Excited to chat with our patrons about it. Hopefully it's a spicy discussion. Listen, I mean, that might be fun.
- [23:43]
A
I was just about to say I'm really excited to talk to our patrons about it and see what everybody thought. I'm less sweaty now. Thank you for letting me get that out.
- [23:55]
B
You're welcome. I do.
- [23:56]
A
You know, I think today I kind of enjoy that we decided to tackle something a little bit different. So we're talking about folklore retellings, atmospheric reads, and I don't often think about this sub genre. So I'm wondering your relationship with it and what made you add it to our content list.
- [24:18]
B
Well, I think that it's perfect for fall, and I think that oftentimes in the fall, we think about, of course, dark academia or even campus novels. We think about horror or darker thrillers. And I kind of liked the idea of adding a discussion around a subgenre of books that fits into kind of more of like a cozy, atmospheric nature that is outside of those typical fall genres that we see but still feels very quintessentially fall. And I just love that there's a different kind of vibe for every reader. And it was a subject that I don't think you and I have tackled a lot of. But I do know that we both enjoy these types of books from time to time. I know you love, like, a Wizard of Oz retelling, for example, and I.
- [25:11]
A
Also love the poppy fields.
- [25:12]
B
Oh, perfect. Oh, my gosh. I didn't even realize that you.
- [25:15]
A
Yeah.
- [25:15]
B
You brought that.
- [25:17]
A
I did. Okay.
- [25:18]
B
I'm excited to hear you talk about that. But I also wanted to kind of broaden it because we've been seeing a lot of mythological retellings lately. I feel like, just in the publishing industry in general, and those have seemed to be so appealing to so many. And I just think it's interesting to explore And I just thought that it would be perfect for fall in particular.
- [25:43]
A
Yeah, no, I'm glad that you suggested it because it sort of pushed me a little bit. I really leaned into the idea of retellings because at first I'm like, have I read many retellings? And then I thought about it, I'm like, yeah, you have. And also you like them. I was thinking about the CINDER series, if you have are familiar with that.
- [26:03]
B
Yes.
- [26:04]
A
It is a YA series that is sort of a retelling of Cinderella and then Red Riding Hood and some others. I. I love that series. And I really like what Marissa Meyer does in her retellings. And so the more I sat with that idea, the more I thought, actually this is something that you enjoy. And I found my two books that I'm bringing, especially the one I haven't talked about yet. I loved it so much, and I'm really, really pumped to get to share it with you all. And I think you are right that fall feels right for this type of reading.
- [26:36]
B
Yeah, I agree. And it's funny. I'm glad that you loved your books that you're bringing. You loved both of them.
- [26:43]
A
I enjoyed the. Yes, I enjoyed one and loved the other.
- [26:47]
B
Okay. I felt the same way. I enjoyed one and loved the other. And that was so fun. Like a fun experiment for me too, because now I know a little bit more about myself and what I enjoy. I feel like I learned from more about myself as a reader in reading for this episode. And that was really fun.
- [27:10]
A
Isn't that what it's about? Right. Are you still liking reading now? It's been a year and a half of book talk, et cetera. How are you still enjoying reading for topics?
- [27:19]
B
Yeah, I think it's hard, but I think that it stretches my reading and that part I do enjoy.
- [27:25]
A
Good.
- [27:25]
B
I wish I just had more time to read.
- [27:27]
A
I mean, story of our lives, right?
- [27:30]
B
I just want to quit my job and read.
- [27:31]
A
You know, I don't know what is wrong with me this year, especially. I. And I wish I could pinpoint it and really tell you why it is. I have read 130 books so far this year. That's a lot.
- [27:45]
B
You've been a reading fiend.
- [27:47]
A
I still have two months left, and I don't know why. I don't know what has changed this year versus years past. I don't know. Sorry. Is that. Is that a humble brag? I guess I'm just like, something is different. And I don't know if it's because I feel like you and I, in terms of topic reading, have had more broad reading. You know, we'll still have a topic like this one, I think is pretty specific, but we'll do like, you know, chasing the five star reading. Five plus star reading experience.
- [28:15]
B
Who knows what we're gonna bring, Right?
- [28:17]
A
Who knows what? Right. We sort of have broader topics, and I don't know, it feels like I've just been really reading a lot. It could also be the fact that I've now had my YouTube channel for a year, and I feel like with that, I'm, like, motivated to read even more. But at any rate, that's what I've been up to.
- [28:34]
B
Well, pass it on to me, because I'm ready to read some more. But I have gotten my reading mojo back. You know, I always get a little bit slumpy in the summer, and I tend to ramp my reading back up in the fall and winter. So I'm very excited to keep it up. And maybe I'll read more folklore and retelling. Maybe I'll read more folklore stories and retellings, because this worked really well for me. And I read actually both of the books that I am bringing today. I read them so quickly and was kind of nice because I got to get caught up a little bit.
- [29:13]
A
Yes. And so retellings I sort of touched on retellings is when you take a pretty popular story and put a new spin on it or it's inspired by something.
- [29:24]
B
What do you think?
- [29:25]
A
What are you talking about? When you talk about folklore?
- [29:29]
B
I am bringing one that is based on Scottish folklore. So I think that it doesn't necessarily have to be, like, directly tied to a story, but it could have, like, cultural elements tied in. It could be very loosely related. Like I mentioned one of these books that I'm bringing. It's not a direct retelling of. Of this folklore story from Scotland, but it definitely takes, like, some of the creatures from this folklore and some of the elements, and then the story itself is completely its own, but it definitely derived from some creatures that are maybe a part of this folklore from another country or area. I think a lot of fantasy can even include folklore from other countries and cultures, and I always really appreciate that. And that tends to be the kind of fantasy that I really like. So I think in general, this is just something that I, as a reader, should keep an eye on a little bit more. But when I think of folklore, I think about just a story or a myth or a legend or something like that that comes from another. Well, it doesn't have to come from another, but just that comes from a culture and a way of living that is retold in its own unique way.
- [30:54]
A
I think that's exactly right. And you're making me. I don't know what you had said that made me think of this, but I'm thinking back to some of my earliest reading experiences. And I remember my. My parents have this book. It was. I don't know if it was the Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales stories or if it was like a partial thing, but I mean, I'm talking. This book was like this big. It was enormous. Those thin pages. And I remember just playing with this when I was a kid and, like, really loving it. And those fairy tales, the Grimm's fairy tales are very, very dark. If, you know, like the original story, but Rumpelstiltskin and the Little Mermaid, I mean, they are just whacked. And I'm like, well, this tracks. That's why I like my dark and disturbing stories. But I think you're onto something in that when you look at retellings, you look at atmospheric reads. I think it's in line with the books we like to read already. It's not that big of a stretch. Which is why I think you and I both kind of had a good time reading for this.
- [31:51]
B
Yeah, I agree. And it was also something that I just didn't like. I know I knew it about myself, but I think it was a good reminder.
- [32:01]
A
Yeah, good reminder. You know what I mean? As always. Oh, my gosh. I just hit the Googler and I found the actual book. It was a leather bound book of the Grimm's Fairy Tales, and it's not that expensive. I might have to give myself a little birthday because I totally remember paging through this dang thing. Leather bound, thinking, I know. I mean, we were. How elegant. At any rate, I'm like taking a trip down memory lane. But if you are ready, I can dive into my first read.
- [32:33]
B
Tell us about it.
- [32:35]
A
All right, I will. So my first read is the Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlich. This one is inspired by the wizard of Oz. Folks might know this about me. You might not. I love the wizard of Oz. I am a Wizard of Oz girl. It's my favorite movie, if pressed. And also, I love Nikki Ehrlich. She is the author of the Measure, which is a book that I gave five stars to. So, of course, I had high hopes for this. This was on my Summer Bonanza list. And I was so cautiously optimistic about this that I saved it for last because I kept pushing it off, kept pushing it off because I'm like, what if I don't love it? Like, I want to love it. And let me tell you about it, and then I will tell you my feelings. It is about the poppy fields, as you might guess from the title. And in the Poppy Fields, it is a remote stretch of California desert, and therein lies a controversial and experimental treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed, but only if they're willing to accept the potential shadowy side effect. And that's all I knew going in. In the wizard of Oz, there is a brief scene where Dorothy and her companions fall asleep in the poppy fields. And, you know, it's kind of something they encounter on their way to Oz. And so I just thought, okay, heartbreak inspired by wizard of Oz, that's all I needed. And so. And I love the. It's sort of speculative, right? This novel is. And I like the idea, you know, of anytime a book asks a question, what would you do in this situation? I like to think about it. I like to read them because I'm like, what would I do if I was going through grief? Would I want to forget? And what's the cost of that? And that's what this book explores. What I was not expecting or I didn't know going in is that this is a road trip novel. So you are following specific characters that end up meeting in an airport in Kansas, which, you know, again, a nod to the wizard of Oz. And they're very, very different from each other. You have Ava, who works as an illustrat. Ray is a fireman. Sasha's an occupational therapist, and sky is a free spirit. And they have a little dog, too, which. So cute. And they basically cannot fly to the poppy fields for reasons, you know, the author comes up with something, so they end up taking a yellow car to the poppy fields. And what's really cool is that at first you're like, and maybe I shouldn't say much about this, but just know that they all have their reasons. And you think on the surface it's going to be one thing, but as the book goes on, you find out more, more about each and every person. I liked this. I had very high hopes for this, so I. It would have to have been really, really special for it to meet those expectations. And I knew that going in, but I liked a lot about what this did. I enjoyed reading through the characters, there were a fair amount of them, but I kind of got attached to them as they're going on this road trip. But just know that this is a road trip story. In my head, I was thinking, they're going to get to the destination and weird stuff's going happen. What are the side effects? And then I stopped to remember what the wizard of Oz is. It is, in essence, a road trip story. It's about the journey and not necessarily the destination. It's about the lessons you learn along the way. Yes, you definitely get that. And I love that. The author very clearly borrowed from the original in many ways, but did it in an updated version. Like, the car is yellow. Like as in the yellow brick road. How cute, right? And so there were really things. So cute. There were so many things that the author did really well with this. One of my favorite pieces is that she included a point of view from Ellis. Ellis is the center's creator and kind of like the Oz or the Wizard. And I really loved reading her point of view because she's created this monster and people are boycotting it because they're like, you, my person went here and they got this side effect and you're responsible. And then some people are lauding her and they're saying, you saved my life. And like, it's just fascinating. I think I also loved the Measure. Measure for me was better. I still think this is a great story. It's speculative. If you like any of the elements I described, I think you should give it a shot. I also think it's unique. Obviously it's borrowed from the wizard of Oz, but outside of that, I think it's telling its own story. It's about grief, it's about consciousness, and it's about what you would or would not give up to lessen your pain. And I liked that. I'm giving it four stars, I think, and I still do recommend it. This is the Poppy Fields by Nikki Ehrlich.
- [37:26]
B
Great review. The Measure is definitely a book that I still feel like I need to read. It's been on my tbr.
- [37:37]
A
Yes.
- [37:37]
B
For ages. But this one also sounds really good. So I'm glad you got to talk.
- [37:41]
A
To us about it. I do think you would like it and I feel glad because I talked a bit about this to our patrons in our Summer Bonanza wrap up. But I feel like just now I was able to really give you everything, flesh it out. Give you. Yes, Give you my fully fleshed out thoughts. Because at this point, I read this a month ago and so I'm like, okay, what are the pieces that have stuck with me? And that's. That's what I got.
- [38:02]
B
Yeah. It's always hard when you have read a book a while ago and then you have to talk about it, but sometimes it's a good reminder of, you know, how you felt about it and.
- [38:10]
A
And the staying power.
- [38:11]
B
The memory of it. Yeah, they can make the memory of it last longer, too.
- [38:15]
A
Exactly. And about the staying power, because I swear to you, sometimes I'm like, what was this book about? I have no idea. I know I read it, but couldn't tell you. But, yeah, you had to conjure it.
- [38:24]
B
Up out of there.
- [38:26]
A
That one stuck with me, though.
- [38:28]
B
Well, good. Okay. My first book that I am bringing is the Bog Wife by K. Chronister. I keep talking about this one. I'm finally bringing it. This is an Appalachian gothic about the Hadley family who have been tending the cranberry bog going back as long as the family can remember. And in exchange, the bog sustains them. Them and the staunch seasons of their life are governed by this strict covenant that is renewed each generation with a ritual sacrifice from their patriarch. And in return, the bog produces this so called bog wife. And this being is brought to life from vegetation and is then meant to carry on the family line. But for this family, the bog has refused to honor the bargain. And the Hadleys, a group of discordant siblings who are still grieving their mother, who mysteriously disappeared years earlier, are now facing an unknown future because the covenant is somehow broken and the bog is not producing the bog wife. We have the middle child, Wena, summoned back from her dilapidated family manor just as her own marriage is collapsing and she believes that the Hasley families must abandon their patrimony. Her siblings are not easily persuaded, and the eldest daughter, Etta, who is basically head of the household at this point, seeks to salvage the compact by desecrating it. Then we have the younger son, Percy, who retreats into the wilderness in a dangerous bid to summon his own bog wife, even though he is not the oldest son. And we have the youngest daughter, Nora, who takes desperate measures to keep her warring siblings things together. And finally, the fledgling patriarch, Charlie, who uncovers a disturbing secret that casts doubt over everything that his family has ever believed about itself. So when you are reading this, you are following each one of those characters, the siblings. And so this is a multiple points of view novel, and not just one or two. You are following all five perspectives of these siblings. So it's a little bit of a lot, but I really liked that this story does not have great ratings on Goodreads, and to be honest, I don't really see why. I think that there is so much to love about this book. First of all, the absolutely wonderful uniqueness of each character that we get to follow. We follow each of these siblings individually throughout the story and I was equally invested not only in their story arc and how it brought everything together, but also the individual character of each of them. I felt that they each had such a strong voice and held reasons for the reader to despise them, but also love them equally, which in my opinion makes for the best well rounded characters. I could see how maybe people wouldn't love how lost in space and time this book was, but I absolutely loved that the bog is the this ancient living being and honestly a very rich present character of its own. But the human characters are very clearly living in modern times and you only see that when they make trips outside of the bog. And so when they come back home, you're like, you feel like you are in this ancient time period. And so it felt very kind of hazy and Lost in Time, which I really, really enjoyed. There would be a mention of a cell phone or something that like pulled you out of this gothic mystery and you're like, oh yeah, we're still in 2025 or the 21st century at some point. And that just made me feel really invested and curious. From the reviews that I did peep at, it seemed like people were disappointed in some of the reveals and plot direction. And I do understand that because I will say I think I ended up landing at like a four four and a half stars for this one. And that dock of star rating was because of the ending and some of the decisions that were made toward the latter half of the story. However, I was so invested in the journey that while the Destination let me down. We just talked about journeys and destinations in your read. The destination in this one did let me down a little bit. It wasn't enough to make it feel like the story wasn't worthwhile. Overall, this is a family saga, an Appalachian Gothic, and I personally think a book that will appeal to those who enjoy weird and creepy novels that blend magical realism, eco fiction, horror. And I really enjoyed it. And that is is the Bog Wife by Kay Chronister.
- [43:38]
A
I am glad to hear about that one. The COVID This is the one that I said I think maybe a couple episodes ago or whenever. When I saw the COVID and heard a little bit about the synopsis, I was like, oh, this is a Hannah Book. I don't know why, I don't know what about you, Gabe? But I was like, this is a Hannah book, but I'm glad you liked it.
- [43:57]
B
I'm giving bog. I love it.
- [43:59]
A
I'm giving bog a little bit. No, I don't know that even me, I, I like the word bog. I think I like to just bring it up as often as possible. Gosh, my book couldn't be more different other than the fact that it fits along the same lines. Right? This is another retelling. It is the Great man by Kyra Davis Laurie. And the Great man is a retelling of the Great Gatsby. Ah, you guys, I really enjoyed this. I loved this book so very much. I really did this one. Let's see if I got the synopsis here somewhere. Okay, this one is set in 1945 and it follows Charlie Trammell. And in the beginning he is taking this cross country train into the vibrant tapestry of la. And he gets a letter from his cousin Marguerite and she invites him to visit her to her neighborhood in West Adams Heights, AKA Sugar Hill. It is a neighborhood full of black opulence. And when he gets here, he is completely floored. She has set him up to stay with a local actress's boarding house. And Charlie there discovers a completely different way of life again. He's coming right off the war and he is like, I have never seen black people have positions like this. I've never seen them own homes like this. I've never seen them have opportunities like this. And he is just floored. He ends up getting this job at a black owned insurance firm. And he is like, this is kind of fantastic. He's really enjoying his time. And nobody dazzles more than James Reaper Mann. Reaper is new to the area and he seems to have money like no other. He throws these extravagant parties and they are attended by luminaries such as Lena horn and Hattie McDaniel. And he just brings Charlie into this world and, you know, gives Charlie a taste of this wealth and excess. But as Charlie's unusual bond with Reaper deepens, so does the tension in the neighborhood as white neighbors, frustrated by their own dwindling fortunes, ignite a landmark court case that threatens the community's well being with promises of retribution. So you are talking, you know, the entire time, you're really in this Charlie Trammell's head as he is navigating this new world and understanding the tensions between white people that lived in this area who are very, very mad that their neighborhood is now Having black people move in and own homes. And so they're fighting tooth and nail to make it to where that they cannot own their homes. And I loved this book. This book is so well done. I was hooked from the very first page because she opens the book with her author's note. And I think that was a really, really smart thing to do, because in the very beginning, she tells her relationship with the Great Gatsby. She talks about how, like many Americans, she first read the Great Gatsby in high school and fell in love with the story. And the thing that gave her the biggest impression is something that was, like, not even a full page. It was a bottom half of one paragraph. And he, frankly, has this very racist description of black people in his neighborhood. Fitzgerald does in the Great Gatsby. It's just these several sentences, and she remarks on how to Fitzgerald, the idea of African Americans having wealth in a white driver was evidence of a world that has become so fantastical, it has entered the arena of comical absurdity. And that is what has inspired her to write this story. I love that she incorporated real people in this, like Hattie McDaniel, who was in Gone with the Wind and was the first black woman to win an Oscar. And not only did she win an Oscar, the author also talks about how her community was, while proud of her, also very critical of her, because the role she played it in was this role of Mammy. And so they obviously had a lot of complications with that. And that was just one little tangent, because you're also getting the story of Reaper and what is Reaper into, and this friendship between these two men. And you're also getting this court case, the Sugar Hill case. And it's basically in the historically black Sugar Hill neighborhood. White folks are suing, and they're trying to enforce racially restricted covenants that were intended to prevent black residents. And so that is one of the things that's going on. But you're also getting a lot of the influence from Gatsby. I've read the Great Gatsby. I've read it twice. But, my gosh, it was in high school and then maybe 10, 12 years ago at this point. And so I think if you are very familiar with that text, I would be so interested to hear your thoughts on this one. We had a patron who used to teach the Great Gatsby. I would love to hear them read it and, like, tell me what they thought. But as it stands, even if you're not as familiar with the Great Gatsby, if you like, A well told, rich gosh historical fiction story that will really get you activated. I think you should pick this up. I think this one is going to be one of my under the radar gems for this year. And this book is the Great man by Kyra Davis. Lori, I loved it.
- [49:19]
B
Yeah, I'm glad that you brought kind of this under the radar gem because I really haven't heard that much buzz about this one at all and it sounds like a really, really good book and it looks like it came out in June.
- [49:34]
A
Mm, yeah, it's a fairly recent release. Yeah, it has under a thousand ratings but has a 4.21 average. So hopefully we'll bump that up to over a thousand ratings after people hear me talk about it.
- [49:47]
B
It. Let's do it. Let's everybody read this book and bump those ratings up.
- [49:53]
A
If you liked my recommendation from earlier in the Year of these heathens by Mia McKenzie, I think you will like this. They have similar, different time periods but similar introductions to real people just kind of peppered in the background. Really, really cool story.
- [50:10]
B
Good note. I'm glad that you kind of went went the more retellings route because I apparently went very folklore route and I am bringing another folklore story for my next pick and that's A Land so Wide by Aaron A. Craig. And this particular story is drawn from Scottish folklore and it is about the settlement of the Mistaken. And everyone there, including our main protagonist, Greer Mackenzie, is trapped. The settlement was founded by an ambitious lumber merchant, and the village has been blessed with rich natural resources that have made the people very prosperous. But unfortunately, it comes at a cost. These same woods that have lined the townsfolk's pockets harbor dangerous beasts. Wolves, bears, and also some mythical creatures called the Bright Eyed. These are monsters beyond description who have reigned utter destruction down on nearby settlements. But Mistaken's founders made a deal with the mysterious benevolence. The warding stones that surround the town keep the bright eyes out and the town's citizens in. And anyone who spends the night within Mistaken's borders belongs to it now, forever. In this story, we're following Greer, who's our main character. She's a map maker and eccentric dreamer, and she's always wanted to explore the outside world outside of Mistaken, even though she knows that she, in her long, longtime love, Ellis Beaufort, are never going to get to see it. But on the day that she and Ellis are meant to finally begin their lives together, Greer watches in horror as the wilderness swallows up everything that she holds dear. And it is here where Greer has to find out what she is made of and go off on an adventure of her own, not knowing if she will ever be able to return again. The beginning of this story felt a lot like the book book the Grace Year, which was I think it came out like in 2019 or 2020. It was really popular. It was this dystopian young adult novel that had really really similar vibes. But I actually didn't love the Gracier and I loved this one and I think it's because while the stories are very similar, the atmosphere, the vibes are very similar. This one felt very clear and what happened had this one felt very clear and had very developed world building. This also reminded me a little bit of Adrian Young and her work as well to give you a good idea of what the writing and the storytelling was like. Overall the writing was really strong here. It felt very transportive and atmospheric and I felt very viscerally present within the wilderness and this settlement moment. It takes a bit for the story to take off plot wise, but once we get almost halfway through it really picks up and gets really exciting and for a few parts I was genuinely holding my breath through it. I was feeling really anxious and excited for what was going to happen and I felt like the writing did really well to build a sense of dread and excitement or fear. So I felt very emotionally tied to these characters and the outcome come at one point my notes I wrote okay, this book keeps pleasantly surprising me with all of the turns that it's taking and it's true, I really did not know where we were headed. The plot kept thickening and without spoiling, there were some characters introduced that really added to the mystery and wonder of the story and I became pretty obsessed with it. The wilderness setting was truly everything. I liked this better than really any other similar books that you could compare this to and I think it's because it was really complex and it had that folklore element that added a richness to my personal reading experience. Ultimately this went in directions I was not expecting and I was overall really pleasantly surprised. And that is Land so Wide by Erin A. Craig.
- [54:26]
A
I am glad you brought that. I've never heard of this book, although it is out of my wheelhouse, so I don't know. Yeah, I would have run into it.
- [54:34]
B
Well, it's funny that you mentioned that because this book, I had heard of it and I kind of loosely had it on my radar, but I really wasn't planning on reading it soon. And then we had this episode and I remember I was kind of stressed out not for time. But just like I want to pick what I want to read for this episode. And I was like, you know what? This one is Scottish folklore. And it totally works. It kind of sounds like the Village, which is one of the only horror movies I actually like. I'm just to. I'm going to give it a listen. And it ended up being one that I loved. And so that is why sometimes I love doing these episodes because stuff like this happens occasionally where I love a book that I truly don't know if I would have picked it up otherwise.
- [55:19]
A
How fun. You know what? Something in me just got the idea we should do sillier topics next year. Like not sillier, but like ones that are, I don't know, more like light hearted instead of like focusing on genre. I don't know, know, maybe I'm talking.
- [55:35]
B
Oh, I love this idea.
- [55:36]
A
You know what I'm saying? Like, like roll with it. Go with me here. And I don't exactly know what I mean, you know, but like the book, that's. Books that have been on our TBR the longest or just like silly. I don't know. We'll have to think on that.
- [55:48]
B
We could totally do prompts.
- [55:51]
A
Focus on prompts, right? Something like that.
- [55:53]
B
Let's do prompts to help us with our reading goals and stuff. If we need help, others do too.
- [55:58]
A
That's. Yeah. Something. There's something there, you know. Is this something? I don't know. It's late.
- [56:04]
B
Something.
- [56:04]
A
It's late in my timeline. I just got a notification from my watch to go to bed. So I'm gonna wrap things up here with my shelf edition. Yes, please, my shelf edition. Now let's get back into my. My comfort zone of domestic suspense. It is called the Wives of Hawthorne lane by Stephanie DeCarolis. And this was sent to me by Bantam. So thank you so much to them for sending me this awesome box that they sent me with a bunch of thrillers in it. This is a twisty tale of domestic suspense in which four neighbors become the prime suspects in a murder investigation. And it takes place on Hawthorne Lane. Hawthorne Lane is the perfect place to live. It's got tree lined streets and stately homes. And they are the envy of the town. Every Halloween, the residents of Hawthorne Lane come together to host their famous fall festival. But this year, someone won't survive the night. As a murder investigation ensues, it quickly becomes clear. There's more going on beneath closed doors on Hawthorne Lane than meets the eye. And four women, each with secrets worth killing for. Find themselves at the center of it all. There's the queen bee. There's the neighbor with the high flying corporate career whose marriage is on the rocks. There's a working mother who's struggling to come to terms with her recent divorce. And then there's Hannah, the newcomer with a mysterious past that's returning with a vengeance. As the clock clock ticks down to Halloween, their lives will cross in the most unexpected ways. And only one question remains. Who will pay the ultimate price for the lies they all tried so hard to bury? I have never read this author before. She does have other books, it looks like. And I've got to say, I'm very curious, particularly as right now as we're recording this, it's a couple days before Halloween, and I'm like, well, shoot, do I have to pick this up? I feel like I might. This one is the Wives of Hawthorne Lane by Stephanie decarolis.
- [57:59]
B
Those damn Hannahs.
- [58:00]
A
I tell you what, the Hannahs are the biggest prop. They're like the low key, problematic ones, the troublemakers.
- [58:07]
B
That's what I hear. Do you get. Do you read your name that much?
- [58:11]
A
Never. Never. Tina.
- [58:13]
B
I was gonna say I feel like I don't ever read about Tina's.
- [58:15]
A
I've seen very few wildly uncommon name. No, I see Hannah's leftovers.
- [58:23]
B
Super common. But I mean, Hannah's. Yeah. And I feel like I didn't used to read my name a lot in books, like, when I was younger, but now that I'm older and probably the writers are of my generation as well, I'm seeing it everywhere.
- [58:36]
A
Yes. You know what? The one book I can think of, it's bright young women. One of the main character. One of the characters is named Tina. She's a pretty great character. So I was like, yeah, okay, I'll share names with. With you.
- [58:48]
B
Okay. Oh, I love that. Yeah, I was just thinking about that because I was like, I don't think that.
- [58:52]
A
I don't see it often.
- [58:54]
B
Name Tina Very, very often. But okay. I am also getting back to my comfort zone, and I am bringing it's different this Time by Joss Richard, which is a second chance romance novel that I have been hearing nothing but amazing things about so far. So I am very excited to get to this one. It's also one that I'm like, do I read this, like, right now?
- [59:20]
A
And maybe we do. Yeah.
- [59:22]
B
I'm like, I think I want to read this, like, right now. And this is about June Wood, and she is reeling from the cancellation of her hit TV show She has nothing left to lose when a mysterious email lures her back to New York City, a place that she once called home before she had moved to la. Thanks to a clause in the former owner's will, she and her old roommate Adam Harper now own this multi million dollar property. Or at least they will in a month, once of the paperwork is signed. Four weeks. And then June can return to her life in LA and forget about New York City and everything she left behind. Sure, the fact that June and Adam are estranged and haven't even spoken in five years and their friendship didn't exactly end on good terms might complicate matters, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Autumn leaves fall around them, and through shared meals and late night conversations, old wounds and long buried spirits, sparks resurface and it becomes strikingly clear that June and Adam have unfinished business. This sounds like a wonderful second chance romance. And it has like a perfect fall setting. Even on the COVID seems like it's set in fall. So it might be the time for me to read this. And that is it's different this time by Joss Richard.
- [60:46]
A
I really like the COVID of that one. I think it's really pretty. I don't know, it's perfectly pleasing. You know, I just thought reading the next two books that get sent to us like that could be a silly, prompt episode. You know what I'm saying?
- [60:59]
B
Yeah.
- [60:59]
A
Reading the next two books that get sent to us, we have to read them, right?
- [61:03]
B
We have to read them.
- [61:05]
A
That's the goal for 2020.
- [61:07]
B
We can make, we can make the podcast silly. More like BookTube.
- [61:11]
A
Yeah. Is that where I'm getting it from? No wonder.
- [61:16]
B
No, but, but really like, right. I, I think that that sounds fun.
- [61:20]
A
It sounds fun. I feel like, you know, we've done a lot of the topics and like let get silly. Let's, you know, pick up.
- [61:25]
B
Some people still get to hear us talk about books. Come on, what's not to like?
- [61:29]
A
What's not to like? Well, that was very fun. Thanks so much for chatting with me, Hannah. And that is it for today. We thank you for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show notes. And if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following us 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, join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.
- [62:02]
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. You can find TinaBrectera and Hannah at handpickedp.books. talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. Just like sitting in front of the camera being like, and then I realize you're recording, so just have some fun, fun things to look at. I was like, oh yeah, we're recording. And John can see all this. That's funny.
- [62:37]
A
That's really great.
- [62:38]
B
I was like, ghouling around in my room.
- [62:41]
A
Excellent.
- [62:41]
B
Hey, now you know what I do when no one's looking.