← Book Talk, etc.
Book Talk, etc.
Reading YOUR Book Recommendations + Tips on How to Recommend Books to Readers
01:01:58
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- [00:00]
A
My kids are with grandma at a play place.
- [00:02]
B
That's amazing. Grandma is the hero. My grandma's here too. I mean, yeah, their grandma, my mom.
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A
Cheers to grandmas.
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B
Cheers to grandmas everywhere. Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.
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A
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
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B
This is a conversational podcast about book and more from two Midwest Mood readers. We're easily distracted by new releases, and this week our patrons picked our reads.
- [00:39]
A
If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And if you have a quick minute, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on social media. It truly helps us connect with other book lovers.
- [00:53]
B
Hey, Hannah.
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A
Hey, Tina. How's it going?
- [00:57]
B
Fine.
- [00:57]
A
How are you doing? Okay. Persevering, Feeling scattered.
- [01:01]
B
Will persevere.
- [01:03]
A
Yes, exactly. Right?
- [01:05]
B
Yeah. It is our mutual spring break when we're recording this. Meaning not our spring break. Nae nae. Our children's spring break. We are still working and so the kids are. Yeah. It's towards the end of the week, though. We've almost made it. And it's always, of course, nice to have them here, but it's also very stressful to be trying to do all of the things with little ones around.
- [01:27]
A
It is. And gosh, you know, bless them. But my kiddos did not understand yesterday it was Dustin's birthday. And it was also, we both had some of the busiest work days we've had in a long time. And my phone officially decided to completely die and I had to, like, run to the AT&T store and grab a new phone. And I didn't get home in time to like, make my husband his birthday dinner. And the kids were like, full meltdown mode by the time I got home and they were like, we're on spring break. Why can't you be on spring break? And why did dad have to work on his birthday? And why didn't you get home in time? And they don't get it. I'm like, I'm sorry, but I hate to break it to you when, when you get to be a grown up, it just doesn't, you know, you don't just get spring break and then everything gets canceled.
- [02:13]
B
But I know unless you're a teacher, unless you work at a school, in which case you're smarter than us because we don't get our spring break. But then you have to deal with kids all the time, so they've certainly deserved their time away.
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A
And we take vacations at different times. I mean, and we are leaving. We are taking a long weekend this weekend. And you know, we're doing something for a spring break, just not for the entirety of the week.
- [02:36]
B
It's not thrived.
- [02:38]
A
Right. Our kids just don't get it, you know.
- [02:40]
B
Of course, of course. Yeah. So we are good. We did something on Monday. We went to the zoo and now they're just kind of hanging out with grandparents. Thank God for grandparents. You can probably hear them running around upstairs. But that's not what. That's not what we're here to talk about today. We are here to talk about books. And specifically this episode was really fun because we asked our Patreon community to help us pick our reads. And so in various spaces that we have, we asked them to make book recommendations for us. We both read two. So I'm excited to talk about it. We're also going to, during book talk, talk about the pride and perils of making book recommendations. And I'm smiling as I'm saying this because I did not love one of my choices and no offense intended, but I'm like a little nervous to talk about it. But before.
- [03:28]
A
I'm glad that you're. I'm glad that you're bringing that though, and I think that it will add some. Just a good conversation to. To your point. The pride and perils of recommending and yeah, I. I'll save it for the discussion, but save it for the chat.
- [03:44]
B
Yeah, I'm gonna talk. I think it will be fun to talk about. But before we do that, I'm going to talk about my loving lately and my loving late a love hate lately. So stay with me here. Okay? Okay. My loving lately is posting reals to Facebook. I saw a TikTok creator named Bran and I'll link to his video. And he just casually was like, hey, so we have to start posting our Tik toks to Facebook. And I'm like, why would I do that? What do you mean? And then he goes on to show that he has made something like $5,000 in the last month. Now, he is huge. He's a big creator. And he's like, basically what I've been doing is repurposing my TikToks and posting them to Facebook. And I'm like, say less. I would also like to do that. So I'm already monetized on Instagram and I'm used to making literally 12 cents a month. Like, no joke. It's like, that's like, what I get is a few pennies here and there. But I was like, let me just try this. I do have a Facebook page and let me actually put a little bit of effort into it. So I downloaded some of my TikToks directly to my phone and started posting three a day there. And I'm up $85 in the past two weeks, which I'm like, I am.
- [04:52]
A
That's a grind.
- [04:53]
B
I am tickled. It's a grind. And I was like, 85 is a tank of gas and an alani. You know what I mean? Like, that is not nothing. So I love that I. That's how I measure it. I'm like, wow, free gas. So I want to think of it though, right? So now again, I'm going to share his video in case anybody's out there who does make content and finds that this might be helpful. We can link to that. And he talks about how he did it, but I say this is a love and hate because the comments in Facebook are diabolical. It is so funny. It is so funny. And I've just sort of now leaned in and embraced it. Okay, so you and I have both been online for a long time, talking books. Rarely do I get mean comments. Very rarely, thankfully. You know, it's a night. Whatever you put yourself out there, you sort of have to expect the good with the bad. But I've never experienced anything like this. So I posted a video that I made in 2020, and it's a video that says books that made me say wtf, Literally, that's all it is. And it's like six books that I still recommend, by the way, but instead of saying serial killer, like how it's properly spelled, I wrote serial killer, like cereal like you eat, right? C E R E A L. Because
- [06:03]
A
TikTok spent censor stuff.
- [06:05]
B
Because tick tock sometimes censors stuff. I made it in 2020. I didn't know what I was doing back then, then. And I was like, okay, I have to sort of misspell certain things, otherwise the video will get taken down. Oh, my God, do people have a lot to say. I mean, I'm talking. They are like, immediate unfollow. This is pathetic. Why would you do that? It's cereal. And I'm like, this is insane. I mean, I must have 20 comments. People just saying mean stuff. Now I've started blocking the really mean ones. But I'm like, now. At first I was trying to explain, like, no, it's like, I know how to spell cereal. It's a thing online. And then I was like, they don't care. Anyway, so now I've just started trolling back. Like somebody would just. Somebody just wrote cereal. Like they spelled it the correct way. And I said, yeah, that's a great podcast. You know, I'm just trolling back. Someone's like, I like my cereal killers with bananas. I'm like, yo, me too. It's just been fun. So anyway, this is my official invite to our lovely podcast community to find me over there and join me and leave me a nice comment or don't say anything at all because I need some support over there. I'm in the trenches. It is so funny. So. So follow me over there. We of course, will link it here in our show notes. And I say, though, it's a love hate because it's so addicting. I have 193,000 views in the last month.
- [07:22]
A
That's so cool. What a fun experiment.
- [07:25]
B
It's a very fun experiment. Hannah, you would kill over there because you're so good at short form content that's like clickable. And I'm more. I'm more of a face to camera yapper. You're really good at like eight books at blah blah. Anyway, as. As though you need more on your
- [07:43]
A
work for carousels though, or is it just reels?
- [07:46]
B
No, I think it's carousels too. I think it's anything you post.
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A
Okay.
- [07:49]
B
So, yeah, I don't know. I'm just saying.
- [07:51]
A
Well, I have been tempted to pick your brain about it since I saw you kind of talking about it on your Instagram the other day. So I might. I have some travel time tomorrow, so I might torture Tina.
- [08:01]
B
You might.
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A
Your brain.
- [08:02]
B
Get in there. Get in the trenches with me, baby. Because it is.
- [08:04]
A
I might.
- [08:05]
B
It's a wild, wild west.
- [08:07]
A
The thing is, is we already have the content, so that's my thing.
- [08:11]
B
I have years worth of these videos and I love the idea because the thing. At the end of the day, why do we talk about books online? It's not to make money necessarily. It's to promote literacy. It's to promote authors share great book recommendations. Who doesn't want that?
- [08:24]
A
And there's so much junk out there. And there's so much AI junk out there. You're like, even in book recommending. And so why not put your actual thoughts and opinions and intentional effort out there to, you know, help add some actual quality to the muck and mess. That's.
- [08:43]
B
To the muck and mess. You're right. It is pretty mucky out there. And so I'm happy to be like, no, here's authentic legitimate book recommendations. But anyway, I'm having a great time over there. Please join me. It is. My loving lately is posting reels to Facebook.
- [08:59]
A
What a fun one. And honestly, I have so much more I want to ask you about, but I'll save it for off the mic. But I'm excited to pick your brain about that a little bit more. Yeah, okay. My loving lately is a. Well, it's not a skin care product per se. I'm actually wearing it right now. And it's the Drunk Elephant Sunshine Drops. And I've been using these for a while. They are so nice. And every single time I use this serum, it's a. It's a facial serum. And every time I use it, I always get asked like, oh, have you, have you been out in the sun or have you been tanning? Or like, you look like you're glowing or something similar. And that's always like, oh, like I feel like this product is producting, if you will. And what you do is, it's. It, it's exactly what it says it is. It's a bronzer, but it also protects from pollution. So it's an anti pollution sunshine drop. And it just adds this warm, bronzy wash of color to your complexion. And so I have just been mixing it with my daily moisturizer. So once I get to that step in my morning routine, I add just. It just takes a drop. And you really, for me, I don't want to add more than that. I just add a little drop to my moisturizer and then put it on. Because if you. I've accidentally done more and then it's like you get like the two tone, you know, because it really does. Yeah, it is. But if you just do a drop and you mix it with your daily moisturizer, I feel like it just makes it look like the sun has kissed your cheeks a little bit and makes me feel really good. And I feel like especially this time of year, you're like getting to that warmer weather, but you're not quite there yet, but you're ready. And so it just feels good to at least feel sunkissed before we fully get there. I always get compliments on my makeup whenever I wear this. It does lay well under makeup and I feel like you can still tell your skin still has kind of that glowy dewy look afterward. And I have just been loving this and I've purchased it twice now. It is the Drunk Elephant Sunshine drops.
- [11:15]
B
I'm so glad that you mentioned that you mix a drop into your moisturizer, because I also have this. Were you.
- [11:21]
A
Yes.
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B
In pr, like in a.
- [11:22]
A
Yes, I was. And then I bought it again.
- [11:24]
B
And then you bought it again because you like it. I got it too. And I used it a few. I used it a few times. I have a heavy hand when it comes to makeup, believe it or not. And I was like, great, squirt. And I was like, I look at the Absolutely insane. And Jonathan and I think the girls, all three commented on it. They were like, what is happening to you? What? I think what happened. The trick is a singular drop into your moisturizer. That's a fantastic idea.
- [11:50]
A
Yes. And I use a gel moisturizer with it, which I. I do feel like works a little bit better. I love a gel moisturizer. I will say they also sent the drunk elephant facial moisturizer, which is more of a cream moisturizer, and I didn't like that very much.
- [12:08]
B
Really?
- [12:09]
A
No, I didn't not. That's my skin skirt. Okay.
- [12:12]
B
It comes in this little package that you squeeze right a little bit and it comes out the top. Yeah. But that's a spendy product, so I don't use it anymore. But I did like that one. But that's not your bag. You like a gel?
- [12:23]
A
I like a gel. I have used a cream moisturizer before. Another loving lately, for another time. But from Bubble, which I really like. And they also have the same. It has the same method where you, like, press the top of the lid and then it. It comes out in the front. So it's a very, like, clean way
- [12:41]
B
to, like, just distribute the product.
- [12:44]
A
Yeah, Clean way to distribute the product. But I have found that with the sunshine drops, it tends to. Again, for me and my skin, it could be different from. For other people, but it tends to distribute a little more evenly and a little cleaner with the gel moisturizer. So that. Yeah, that's my living lately.
- [13:03]
B
All right, I'm going to have to try that trick next time I come on camera. You'll have to let me know. If I look like the sun has kissed my cheeks.
- [13:09]
A
I will let you know.
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B
Fantastic. I'm gonna dive in to our latest reads, if that's okay with you.
- [13:16]
A
Let's do it.
- [13:17]
B
And I am excited. Okay. I'm, like, rocking in my chair because my latest read is Mary Kubica's latest. It's called It's Not Her. And the reason why I'm excited is because I have A very love hate relationship with Ms. Kubica, not her as a person. I'm sure she's lovely, but I've read, I think seven of her books and really disliked some. This one I really liked. So let me tell you all about it. I know, I'm delighted because I know this one has been getting some polarizing reviews.
- [13:50]
A
Well, and you had at one point said that you were maybe done.
- [13:54]
B
Yes, I did say that. I really was considering giving her up because really some of them, I'm just gotten over it. I'm like, no, this is not it. But this one I think was well done. It is about a woman named Courtney. She's on vacation with her brother and sister in law and their children. And so it's a total of
- [14:12]
A
8
- [14:13]
B
people on this vacation and they're staying in the Northwoods in Wisconsin and they have two cabins and they're staying basically next door to each other. Lots of drama, right? It sounds like a perfect vacation. Tons of drama, lots of things going on in both of their families. But the book literally opens with your main character dropping a dish in the sink because her niece has run back from being at her cabin and is screaming. And so that is like how it kicks off. And Courtney walks over to discover her brother and sister in law dead in their cottage. And not only that, her niece Rhys is missing and her nephew was asleep upstairs unharmed. Insane work, right? So that is sort of the kicking off point. Of course the police come and as things happen they start to uncover more truths about the family and the town itself. And of course the big question is, who did this? Where is Rhys? Did Rhys do this? This is dual point of view. You're getting the point of view from Courtney and she starts off from the inciting incident, sent it kind of into present day in the investigation. And then Rhys, when they get to the, when they get to the cabins till now and sort of leading up to the crime. And so I liked that. I thought that was actually a really fun, interesting way to tell the story at first. Reese is 17 and at first I wanted to throttle her and I never really got over that. But she's a typical 17 year old, right? And at first I was like, oh no, I can tell an adult's writing this teenager. It's like, you know, sort of. I was ready to be annoyed by it, but I, I kind of came around to her. But what I really liked about this, I think, was the pacing. I was not sure if it was going to you. You don't know what you're getting right. Like, I had a lot of. There were a lot of red herrings. I was suspecting everybody, particularly the men. And I think the author did a great job giving you all of these layers. Happily. Happily. At one point, I thought they were going to turn this into a. It was all a dream situation and I was going to riot. You don't go there. And I'm. That's not a spoiler. But listen, just know that there is a resolution. Was the resolution and motivation over the top? Yes, of course. That's okay with me, though. I kind of was like, you know what? I'm gonna buy it this time. I had a good time reading it and I would. I think I'd read her again. I think she's officially back on. Oh, my goodness. I think she's back on my good side. I quite liked this. I don't know what to tell you. I had a good time with it and it was very propulsive. This book is. It's not her by Mary Kubic.
- [16:51]
A
I think this is where any author that's extremely prolific and I think in genres like this, I think that romance is similar. If they're writing a book and like, the tropes and the topics just don't work for you, it's not going to work for you. But maybe they're a good writer and with the right tropes and the right story and, you know, the right resolution, it will. And it makes it so hard to decide, okay, is this an author I'm going to return to or not? Especially when it's like half you like and half you don't, you know?
- [17:20]
B
Yes. And for her specifically, I feel she was restrained in this. In a good way. My issue is often that she gives us too many twists, too many turns to where it gets ridiculous. This, I felt, was over the top, but in a way that felt okay. It felt restrained. And that's a compliment in this case.
- [17:39]
A
Okay, good to know. Well, I'm glad that she has made it back to your list of authors to continue reading. We'll see what you think about the next one.
- [17:49]
B
You know there will be one.
- [17:51]
A
Yes. Okay. Well, I am bringing an author that I've never read from before. I am bringing the book the Everlasting by Alex E. Harrow. And this is a fantastical time traveling story. And we have Sir Una, Everlasting. And yes, she is known as a sir. She is Dominion's greatest knight, an orphaned girl who worked her way up and ultimately died for her queen and country. And now she is everywhere Songs, stories, children's books, recruiting posters, you name it. She is a legend. But her actual life and the way it really happened has been completely lost to history. So fast forward a few centuries and we meet Owen Mallory. And he is a failed soldier, a struggling scholar, and he becomes absolutely obsessed with Una's story. And that obsession takes him on quite a journey through war, through archives, and then where the story really picks up into the past itself. So Owen and Oona end up tangled together across time. They are stuck in this loop where they are forced to basically retell Una's story over and over again, no matter what. And the thing is, is the story just ends the same each time. So if they really want anything to change and if they want to tell a different story, they are going to have to do something drastic. And that is where I'm going to leave you to read for yourself and find out the fate of Una and Owen. I have such mixed feelings about this one, and I don't know where to start. This is my. Again, this is my first book by this author. So I will say that I had heard that her writing was really flowery, and I do agree that her writing is very descriptive, but I personally wouldn't say flowery. I think that she did a good job at saying a lot with very few words. So to give you an example, at one point, one character says, ambition is the future on purpose. Super descriptive, really thoughtful language, but actually not super flowery in my opinion. And that's just one example. But she tends to just really kind of gut punch you with just these really simple lines that are really thoughtful and well written. And in my opinion, I. I love that. That's my favorite kind of writing. And this is what stood out to me the most about this book and what I loved the most about it. The time traveling elements lost me a little bit. And I think I'm learning that just I, as a reader, don't personally love time travel. It's really hard for me. The stickiness of the physics in it all makes my brain kind of short circuit while I'm reading it. And it's so hard for me to focus on enjoying the story and just everything else about the story itself. And this is absolutely a reader problem. This is not necessarily a book problem. I do think that the constant going back in time also just got really repetitive, as it does with any time traveling novel or like a Groundhog Day type of book. But what I'll say is I heard one reviewer say that they saw the time traveling as a trauma loop in how Owen and Oona had to change course toward kind of the climax of the story was how they end up breaking that cyclical trauma loop and making their own story, even if it meant a lot of sacrifice. I loved that. And when I looked at it that way, while I didn't really enjoy my reading experience of that really cyclical nature of time travel, it did allow me to actually appreciate the story a little bit more. Another thing that just didn't fully work for me is I. You have to know I read a lot of books like this for the romance, and I'd heard that the romance in this book was incredible and I was just let down by how much. I personally didn't care. Not about Owen and Oona, but I just didn't really care about their relationship. And I felt like the way the story was set up made it really hard to believe their connection, which was a little bit disappointing to me. I will say though, the last like 30 to 50 pages made me like the story and their relationship a little bit more. So I really liked how it ended, but just the actual reading experience. I didn't fully believe their connection. I didn't hate this book, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had for it. However, I would give it a thumbs up before I would give it a thumbs down. I think I'm sitting at like a 3.5 stars right now, and I think that this book is really easy to recommend to the right reader and audience, which I think is a great segue into our booktok conversation today where we will talk about the pride and perils of book recommending. And I will leave it at that. That is the Everlasting by Alex E. Harrow.
- [23:04]
B
Fantastic review. This is an author that I assumed you would have read many times over. I don't know how many books I know, I know, but this seems like one that you might like. But it could be the thing that you talked about with me where it's like this particular trope, the time travel of it all. Maybe that didn't work for you, but maybe others would.
- [23:25]
A
Yeah, I have tried. I haven't tried the 10,000 doors of January, which I know is her most recommended. I know Katie from Currently Reading. I'm not positive about Meredith, but I know that Katie loves 10,000 doors of January and I've literally had it on my TBR since she first recommended it on the Currently Reading podcast. Gosh, years ago. And. And I also know she actually recently reviewed the Everlasting on their most recent Podcast episode two, and she ended up really loving this one. And her review is great. So if you want a different perspective, you can listen to her review, because I really liked what she had to say about it, even if I didn't fully feel the same way. But I've had the 10,000 doors of January on my TBR for forever. She also wrote the Once and Future Witches, I believe is the title, which I tried when it came out and I DNF'd it. So I already kind of had a rocky start with this author, but I did like this one. I would read her again. I still want to try the 10,000 doors of January. There were just some things about this one that I think just weren't right for me as a reader.
- [24:33]
B
No, that's fair. Have you ever read Dark Matter?
- [24:36]
A
Oh, yeah. I loved that book.
- [24:37]
B
You did? Okay, okay.
- [24:38]
A
I love it.
- [24:39]
B
Okay. I love it too. When you had said the physics of it all gets sticky, that book stuff just broke my brain and I was kind of. I don't need to understand it.
- [24:48]
A
That one, I agree with that. That one, I was along for the ride.
- [24:51]
B
Okay.
- [24:52]
A
Also his series, the Wayward Pine series.
- [24:57]
B
Oh, yeah, so good. Jonathan loves that one too. Quick. And recommendation for us.
- [25:03]
A
Yeah, perfect.
- [25:04]
B
All of this to say, like you said, today, we are talking about the pride and perils of book recommending. And I came up with this tagline on the fly. We were talking about what we wanted to chat about this week, and I'm like, pride and perils. Because truly, there's nothing I like more than recommending to book. To recommending a book to someone and to have them come back and say, tina, I loved it. I picked it up on your recommendation. Best feeling as a reader or book recommender. Worst feeling is somebody saying, God, I hated that book. Why did you recommend it to me? Now I am talking, and I think our conversation probably is going to be centered more on reader to reader recommendation recommendations versus, like, book podcasts. Because we're not. We don't know your taste listeners. You know, you might like it, you might not, depending on what you like. But book recommending reader to reader can be tricky.
- [25:55]
A
Yeah, it can be really hard. And I obviously have been, you know, a public reader recommending books for a long time, but I also have people in my life that I recommend books to. I have a family of readers. And honestly, like, some of my family members are the hardest to recommend books to. And it also just adds an element of am I actually good at this? Or, oh, am I not Literally, it's such a skill. Which is why I've also loved talking to booksellers recently, more often on the podcast, because it really is. It's really a tough skill.
- [26:34]
B
So what are some of the things you take into account when you are going to recommend a book to somebody? Or is it more of a vibe?
- [26:42]
A
My first question, if someone asks me, especially if they just cold ask, right. They're like, I'm looking for a book recommendation, what would you recommend? Depending on the context, but especially if we're in person or if it's someone I know. Honestly, most contexts I feel like it's appropriate to ask, what was the last book you loved? Is there anything you don't like? And. Or just even saying, like, what are a few books that you rated five stars and do you have any tropes that you don't like or anything that you don't like? I feel like that gives a really good idea of what types of books they are reading and recommending or reading and rating highly. And if there's anything that's like red flag for this reader because otherwise you could recommend what you loved the most recently. But if they only read science fiction or if they only read romance or if they hate, you know, I don't know, graphic thrillers. Well, I don't that I probably would rate something like that five stars. So if I'm like, oh, read this really horrific graphic thriller about, you know, murder, domestic abuse or. Murder. Yeah. Or murdering cabins, like that's not. They might be like, oh, whoa. I really don't like that. So I think some clarifying questions are a good way to start that conversation. What about you?
- [28:06]
B
I love those. I love those questions. I find that when people ask me for book recommendations cold, I forget every book I've ever read and I just sort of freeze because I'm like a great question. I don't know, right. Like I kind of just turn off a little bit. But then more seriously, like you said, figuring out what it is they like. But I tend to have recency bias where I'm like, oh, like just now, if someone were to ask me, like right now in this moment, what book should I read next? I would probably say the Keeper of Lost Children by Sadiqwa Johnson. Because I'm like, I know that's so widely enjoyed that I'm like a great easy recommendation. That's actually what our in person book club is reading this month. Because I'm like, I just know people are gonna really enjoy it. Or I'll recommend one that is buzzy. That I know. Like, oh, have you read Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo yet? Or something like that? Like, something that I know is, like, has stood the test of time with a lot of.
- [29:05]
A
I was just about to say that. Yeah, it's like, it's an older book, but still reading it today.
- [29:10]
B
Yes, exactly. Because I think that is helpful. I don't often read a book. I feel like I really need to know a person. I don't often read a book and think, oh, I bet X would like this book. Except for you. Because.
- [29:24]
A
Right. We literally.
- [29:25]
B
We literally do this.
- [29:26]
A
Yes.
- [29:27]
B
We've done this for years and I can do it that way. There's some maybe that I would be like, oh, I know this person likes X kind of books, but I tend to. I think my brain kind of goes more general. What do you do, though? Because you. I feel like you do. You have a lot of reader friends in real life. What do you. How do you feel if people don't like the books that you push on them?
- [29:47]
A
Oh, I hate it. It's a terrible feeling.
- [29:53]
B
Oh, it's the worst. Yeah. Thanks for asking. Yeah.
- [29:55]
A
And it's so hard too, because actually one of my best friends, Alyssa, is like such a picky reader. I don't even care if she's listening and hears this. Like, we're talking about a fussy, fussy pants with books. And really hard to recommend books to because even though, like, I talk to her every single day, I know her reading life inside and out. And I still have a hard. It's still hard for me to grasp, like, would she like something or not? Because I feel like there are some people out there that are a buy book type of reader. Not like I have a theme of things that I enjoy. It's like, like I either liked this particular book and how this book tackled XYZ themes, tropes, genre, or I didn't. I feel like those are the toughest types of readers to recommend things to. I don't know if that would mean, like, you know, really digging into. Okay, is it the writing style? Like, it doesn't matter what genre it is. Is it a writing style that you. That you like or don't like? That I don't. I don't even know how you would fully deep dive on that. But my husband is super similar. Dustin is a very, very picky reader and I have more often than not unsuccessfully recommended him a book than successfully.
- [31:13]
B
Yeah, he.
- [31:13]
A
However, every book that he has read and he doesn't read as nearly as Often as I do, every book that he has recommended to me has. Has really worked for me, so.
- [31:24]
B
Yeah, well, that's.
- [31:26]
A
I don't know if it's because I read more and he knows more about, like, what I like, but he's got
- [31:29]
B
more of a sample size, right? Like, more data to work with.
- [31:33]
A
Yeah.
- [31:33]
B
I don't know. Jonathan can be picky as well, so I always am like, tell. I want to know what book you liked. He's. He reads our book club books. As far as fiction goes, he reads more nonfiction, so he can be tricky too.
- [31:45]
A
That's true. That's true.
- [31:46]
B
I always feel bad, though, like, when I. I don't get a ton of. Of like. Well, maybe I do. I. I get a fair amount of, like, book recommendations, meaning people are like, oh, you should read this. I think you would like it. 1. A lot of the times it makes me not want to read it. Not always, but sometimes I get contrarian.
- [32:05]
A
Contrarian.
- [32:06]
B
And I don't know about that. No, I'm not sure. But then I start to feel bad if I end up reading it, and then I'm like, damn it, I didn't like it. Most of the time, I forget who recommended it to me in the first place, and then I'm like, I know you're gonna hear me talk about this.
- [32:17]
A
So pressure up a little bit.
- [32:19]
B
Yeah, right. It's not a personal. Do you go back and tell people if you're like, no, I didn't like that, or do they, like, follow up with you or you just sort of
- [32:28]
A
like, no, I'll wait until they follow up.
- [32:30]
B
Okay.
- [32:30]
A
And if they follow up, I'll be honest.
- [32:32]
B
Yeah, yeah, of course.
- [32:33]
A
But I. I don't. I won't go out of my way to be like, hey, I read that book that you recommended and I didn't like it.
- [32:39]
B
I know.
- [32:40]
A
I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that. I just. Very, very conflict avoidant person same.
- [32:48]
B
No. And I don't. I don't like it when I make a. Yeah. Person to person. Like, a direct recommendation. I don't mind that. That's different. Like, I say, oh, I really liked It's not her by Mary Kubica. Although I'm not that married to this book, but, for example, and someone were to DM me and be like, I hated that book. Okay. Like, I don't know what to say to that. Like, what didn't you like about it? Or tell me more about why this book. Recommendations.
- [33:11]
A
Yeah, exactly.
- [33:12]
B
But I think that coming at that
- [33:13]
A
from a place of curiosity is the. Is the right approach, you know, just being like, okay, well, tell me, tell me more. Like, I'm 100% happy to have a discussion. Discussion about it from listeners. And I'm. I'm super good to do that. I am personally not someone who is just going to reach out and, and let you know that. And it's not because I'm afraid. I don't want to say it's. Maybe it is because I'm afraid for you to know my opinion, but I. I just don't find a lot of value in letting people know my opinion. However, if you ask and you find value in knowing my opinion, I'm happy to share.
- [33:47]
B
I'm happy to share. No, I love that point of view. I was just thinking about my friends over there on my Facebook page. I posted that video and someone wrote, wow, all recommendations. And I wrote back. I was like, okay, Susan, or whatever. What books do you like to read? And then she did right back. Susan, where are you?
- [34:07]
A
Susan, tell me what kind of books you want recommended. Help a girl out.
- [34:12]
B
What do you like to read anyway? It's fun and it's. It's obviously a. Part of what we love to do is to recommend books to people. It's. It's a really great thing. And, you know, we're always open if you have recommendations for us. Although I will say I'm. I was reading my second book through the night. Not. I'm not, because I felt like I wouldn't complete it, but I was just up, and I'm like, let me go ahead and finish this out, because I have this thing where I can't. If we're reading for a topic, I'm like, I want to pick the perfect book. Like, I'm going to find the book. That's. I can't just pick up a book and be like, okay, that meets the criteria. No, no, I have to pick the perfect one. So, anyway, without further ado, I say we get into the books.
- [34:53]
A
Yes, let's do it.
- [34:55]
B
Is that fun?
- [34:56]
A
Fine, it's yours. Kick us off, Tina.
- [35:00]
B
The floor is mine. Okay, I will. And this was one that might have been recommended to me the most. And. And I say the most. It was maybe a couple of times, but I've heard this throughout the years that people wanted to know what I thought about it. The book is the Last House on Needless street by Katrina Ward. And this book. Okay, so this book is about a serial killer. I'm reading the synopsis. A stolen child Revenge, death in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. All of these things are true, and yet they are all lies. You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you've read this story before, and that's where you're wrong. In the dark forest at the end of needless street lies something buried, but it's not what you think. This book is known for having a big twist in it, and I think that's pretty widely known across the board, or not necessarily necessarily even like a big twist, but sort of. One thing that I knew about this going in is that the cat has a point of view.
- [35:59]
A
That was what I was like. I was gonna say, can I ask a question really quick? Does the cat have a point of view?
- [36:03]
B
Because I thought I remembered that, yes, the cat has. Okay, view. And you meet her very early. Her name is Olivia, and she was my favorite character, frankly, was the cat. So the main guy that you're following, his name is Ted, and you're hearing about Ted, and he has a point of view too, I think, but you're hearing from. About Ted, from Olivia. And the funny part is she calls all humans Teds, which was amusing.
- [36:25]
A
Oh, that's funny.
- [36:26]
B
Yeah, because she's a cat, and she's, you know, gathering data based on what she's observing around her. You're also getting the perspective. So it's three point of view. It's Ted, it's Olivia, the cat, and then there is a third named Deedee, and Deedee's sister is the one that went missing. And that's sort of like where the serial killer element comes into it, and you're getting multiple point of view. Where this lost me was I was confused not in the way. And. And I posted in my Instagram story, no entiendo. I don't understand what's happening.
- [36:57]
A
I loved that.
- [36:58]
B
I loved that.
- [36:59]
A
I laughed. I laughed audibly when you said that,
- [37:04]
B
which means I don't understand, and what am I reading essentially? And it wasn't because I couldn't follow what plot there was I was following. I just didn't care for the writing style, if I'm being honest. And you asked me this. You clocked me on this early. You're like, do you like stream of consciousness? And I think the answer is no. This is very stream of consciousness. And you're, you know, getting the alternating points of view. Ted was a tough character, you know, sort of the. The trauma that is in this book is really tough to read about. And it happens in, you know, more than one way. I can appreciate that, though. I don't mind that. I just didn't love the style of the writing. It was very meandering. I kept thinking, where are we going with this? And I always say I'm a bad detective. And I clocked what was happening almost right away. And I kept waiting and waiting. And there were some things later on that I'm like, okay, got it. Cool. Understood, you know, this and that. But I clocked it early. And so I don't know if this was the case, if my expectations were set up differently, because everyone kept saying when I posted that, everyone's like, keep going, Keep going. You'll love it. And this book has high ratings. So I'm like, okay, cool. Like, I'm down, baby. Let's keep going. And I didn't love it. I didn't. I didn't actually like this very much at all, unfortunately. I thought maybe it was because I was doing a bit of it on audio, and the audio is actually not poorly narrated. It did sort of grade on me, though, because the cat, as I mentioned, has a point of view, and she also meows. And so the narrator would be like. I'm like, I don't need that. I don't need that. Save it. I would like. Personally, I didn't like it because it. You know, noises are hard. So I did most this in print, and I just, you know, it wasn't for me. It was a pass. I would try this author again, but, you know, I'm gonna leave it there. Sorry. I didn't love it. To anybody who was curious, that book is the Last House on Needless street street by Katrina Ward.
- [39:03]
A
Okay, I might. This might be a tough question, but I am curious. Why do you think it was recommended to you?
- [39:09]
B
Yes, that is a really good point. Why do you think it was recommended to me? Okay, so the person that recommended it actually recommended it to both of us, or they said either one of us would be probably interested in it. And I wrote this down because I really appreciated it. It says, I read this two years ago, and it still holds power over me. Mind blown emoji. This is a horror wreck for either one of you. And I. Okay, totally get why. I totally get why this person said that. And I can see it because. Because this one was one that I was Googling afterwards, which I like to do. So I appreciate the book for that reason. I, for me, didn't like it, though, even though it gave me that. It'll stick with Me. Me.
- [39:55]
A
I feel like, what's interesting about weird books? Because, correct me if I'm wrong, this is kind of a weird one. Book for sure, right?
- [40:01]
B
Yes. Yes.
- [40:03]
A
You can be someone that loves weird books and someone will recommend something to you, but it has to be your brand of weird for it to work. And you're kind of really shooting your shot when you recommend something like that. When I read Sundial, by the same author, I haven't read this one, but anyone who I have recommended that to, I'm like, this is weird, and it'll either be your brand of weird or not.
- [40:23]
B
Or not. Yeah.
- [40:24]
A
And I think you just have to kind of know that when you're recommending a book like this that's really weird or different, that you're like, I know you like weird in different books, so it could work, but it might not be your brand of weird.
- [40:36]
B
Yeah.
- [40:36]
A
So it's kind of tough.
- [40:37]
B
Yeah, for sure. No, that's a great question, though. You, Hannah? I don't know. This actually might work for you better than it worked for me. I am not sure.
- [40:45]
A
I think. And yeah, I think that this is where it's really interesting because you say you're not a good detective. I don't necessarily agree with that. I think that you and I detect different things because I feel like books that you find obvious are really surprising to me, and almost vice versa. Because even with, again, Sundial, the other book that I read by this author, the ending really threw me. But I'm looking back on it, and it wasn't wild. I think I was just so focused on other things in the story that I was distracted. And I think that different readers within this genre might be distracted by different things, and so they might just be able to detect different things. And I think that that's really interesting.
- [41:32]
B
Oh, that is interesting.
- [41:33]
A
Yeah. I don't know. I just think that's. That's really interesting. So I would be curious if I was able to detect the same thing. So if and when I read this one, I'll text you about it.
- [41:44]
B
Okay. Sounds good. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Let me know if it's your brand of weird.
- [41:48]
A
I will. Okay. I am bringing a completely different type of book, and that is the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lyon by Beth Brower. And I am only bringing volume one today. However, I will say I am halfway through the second volume. These are. I think there are eight books so far, and they're each novellas, and we are following Emma M. Lyon. This is a historical novella set in 1883. And our main character, Emma, has just returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian's, and she has a plan. A nice, quiet, studious life, charmed and peaceful. Which sounds absolutely wonderful. Except, of course, that's not how it goes. Because standing in the way of Emma's perfectly laid plans are her eccentric cousin Archibald, who is horrible, horrible Archibald, her, and her formidable aunt Eugenia, who is also, spoiler horrible. And honestly, the whole slightly odd neighborhood of Saint Crispian's seems very determined to make Emma's life as chaotic as possible. And what we're actually getting here is Emma's unselected journals. And I love that word unselected, because she really is basically saying, yes, these may absolutely incriminate me, and I am sharing them anyway. These journals come in a series of novella length volumes, and through them, Emma documents the curious, messy and wonderful realities of her life at Lapis Lazul House. Forgive me if I'm not saying that correctly, it's a little bit of a. Of a tough one, but okay. So this book was recommended to both me and Tina, actually by one of our patrons in Discord, Haley. So thank you, Haley, for the recommendation. I am only bringing my thoughts on the first volume today, like I mentioned, but I am already halfway through the second one and my thoughts truly remain the same, which is basically that this book, and I'm assuming the entire collection, the entire series, is truly a balm for the soul. And I think many of us could use that right now. It is funny and charming, but also definitely carries some depth and even some politics, especially concerning the finances for women in the 19th century and the complexities around that. These family members that she has trying to absolutely take her for everything when they do not deserve it. And she has her own inheritance and she's being, you know, robbed of that. I don't want to go into more because I don't want to spoil anything, but I truly felt like this is the perfect series when you need that Jane Austen feeling. So you definitely do have that, you know, politics around how women specifically were treated during this time period. But you also have, you know, that charm and that, that romance element. And I feel like this book is perfect for spring reading. Like, it absolutely gives that just warm, balmy feel and it's very reminiscent of what you want when you want to pick up a Jane Austen novel. I often feel like, and this is just a personal opinion, with Kindle Unlimited books, especially romance, you often have to sacrifice that need for really good, good writing. And that was not the case here. I genuinely was so surprised and so just delighted by the quality of writing and storytelling that we're getting here. It's very fun, but it doesn't sacrifice quality for that. And that is something that I really, really appreciate. And I realize that some of that is subjective, so take that for what you will. But I cannot wait to get to know these characters more. And I am so thankful that Haley recommended this one to me. I'd heard. Heard a ton about this series resurfacing on TikTok and Instagram, so I'm really glad that I finally get to be a part of the conversation now. I think that if you enjoy historical romance, historical novels at all, and you want something really comforting but not empty, then Emma is exactly the kind of narrator that you want guiding you through Victorian chaos. And that is the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lyon, the first volume.
- [46:12]
B
I love that you picked this up. You had sent me this as the. When we were prepping the newsletter.
- [46:18]
A
Yes.
- [46:18]
B
And I was like, what are you reading? I had no idea what it was going to. Yes, that makes perfect sense. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
- [46:27]
A
Yeah. I also had a couple of friends, like, personally recommend this one to me, too, and I. I've just heard it resurfacing online recently, which is kind of random because these aren't new. These aren't new books. So I love when that happens, when the Internet just decides to have a resurgence of. Of a series or a book. These were published. The first volume was Originally published in 2019. But if you go to Goodreads and look at the reviews, so many of them are recent. March 3, 2026. December 30, 2025, March 7, February 16, from this year. Like, so many reviews are from recently.
- [47:08]
B
That's so interesting. I wonder why that is.
- [47:10]
A
Yeah, they've just made a pop back. I don't know know.
- [47:14]
B
They've just made a pop back.
- [47:16]
A
I don't know what that phrase is,
- [47:17]
B
but I don't either. But I'm coining it, I guess. I like it. Okay, well, I will talk to you about my next book. My next book. Okay. Was another recommendation from our patron, of course. And this was Conclave by Robert Harris.
- [47:33]
A
Oh, yes.
- [47:34]
B
And I had said, I don't know anything about this novel. I just know that it is a movie. Question mark. And so, yes, they were. Happily, they were. You know, folks were in there saying, yeah, it is a movie. And I am so glad that this got recommended to me because it is one that I would not have picked up on my own. And you'll hear what I thought about it. So this synopsis is very sparse. It says, the Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 118 cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men, but they have ambition and they have rivals. Over the next 72 hours, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth. That's it. That's all you get. And so essentially, that is what this book is. This book is following. And. And I'm going to botch the terminology, so apologies in advance, but there is this main guy who is in charge of, like, kind of coordinating things. He is a cardinal himself, and he receives word that the current pope has passed through. Now, they have to, you know, organize this conclave, right? And they basically have to stay sequestered until they elect the newest pope. And this synopsis is correct. They have ambition. And so what's cool is that you follow basically this one guy, and you're in the dark along with him, and he is finding out things about the people that are, like, the. The nominees that are, like, rising to the top. He doesn't necessarily go searching for this information, but this information comes to him. And so you get this locked room mystery to type deal. And then there's this one thing that happens, maybe 30% in. And I was like, oh, well, this is going to be interesting. And I don't want to say more than that, but there's a couple of reveals along the way that were actually very surprising all the way through to the end. The end is a really good reveal, and I enjoyed this book. I did not think it would be as propulsive as it was for no real reason. I just had no expectations of it going in. But I can absolutely see why this was made into a movie. And not only was it made into a movie, it won the Academy Award for best adaptation. It has a better name for it, but, like, literally, it won for its portrayal, you know, after. From the text in the book, which I thought was super interesting. It's propulsive. It's a good mystery. There's. I really liked the main character. I was rooting for him. Not that I needed to root for him. Like, he. I was just excited for him. I was like, I want to know what's going on, who's going to get elected. I was so into the. This also small tie in, random tie in. Our current Pope is from the south side of Chicago and has literally been to restaurants that we go to. Like he's from my area. The literal Pope. Like that is wild. So this is not news. I knew that, but it was just sort of in my head. Of course, as I'm reading this book, I couldn't help but think of our current Pope.
- [50:31]
A
Personal tie in.
- [50:32]
B
Yeah, the personal tie in. Hey, I highly recommend this one. I had a good time reading it. It's backlist. I'm sure you can get it now. And I'm trying to remember what I thought. The audio, nothing sticks out. So that makes me think it wasn't a bad listening experience as well. But that's all I have to say. Thank you for the recommendation. Happy to have read this. This book is Conclave by Robert Harris.
- [50:53]
A
Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you brought that and that it worked for you. I love a backlist recommendation and I completely see why this book was recommended to you.
- [51:04]
B
Yeah, it worked so well. Whoever. And I'm sorry I said this earlier in the show. When books get recommended to me, I'm like great. And then I immediate forget the source. So apologies in advance. But yes, thank you for the recommendation.
- [51:17]
A
That is. Okay. All right, so my next one is one that I am so glad that I finally read because it was on my summer bonanza of last year. It was one of those ones that I just didn't get to. And I am kind of, kind of loosely pencil it in trying to read the books or at least try the the books from my 2025 Summer Bonanza before I put together my 2026 Summer Bonanza. We'll see. But I have made progress with this pick and this recommendation which is the Girls who Grew Big by Layla Motley. And this story starts with Adela woods who is 16 years old and pregnant. And just like that, her comfortable life in Indiana is over. Her parents are sending her away and they send her off to her grandmother's house in a small town of Padua Beach, Florida. And it is there where she meets the girls. There is Emory, who brings her newborn to high school every day and she is just trying to make it to graduation. Then there is Simone, who is already a mother of four year old twins, now facing an impossible decision after finding out that she is prepared pregnant yet again. And then there is the rest of them, just a group of young mothers in the town and the town has written them off and they are trying to raise their kids together in the back of Simone's red truck together. And I'm going to leave it there. But speaking of that red truck, the beginning of this book starts out with the with a birthday and it's in the back of said red truck. And this young woman who is left to her own devices without medical care and she is birthing twins, bites the cord with her teeth because the knife that her boyfriend handed to her was dirty and this was her newborn baby. And if that's not motherhood, we don't know what we're doing. We never know what we're doing when we come into this. And our instincts kick in the second that those babies are born. And I love that we get hit with that in the first chapter of this book. And if that doesn't sound like something that you can read throughout the entirety of a, you know, around 300 page book, then this is not going to be the book for you. Because this book is really raw and it definitely goes there with these topics. It's extremely visceral and I loved it. But I could see how, you know, it wouldn't work for every reader. The book does not shy away from the graphic nature of childbirth. And there are also some other graphic scenes having to do with abortion and things like that that I don't want to say more because I don't want to spoil it. But just know that this book deals with topics as they are experienced every single day by women, by black women, by other women of color. And it doesn't shy away from telling us exactly how it is. And I think that that is important to say here. And I think another thing that's important to say is you don't have to agree with the choices that these women are making to have compassion for the realities that they face every single day. And I just find stories like these be so urgently needed. And I loved how raw and honest and beautiful Leila Motley chose to tell the story. I just thought that it was so compassionate and so beautifully told. And Padua beach and the characters within it in this story think that these girls have lost their way. But this book asks us to look closer than that. These girls are truly finding their way. They are looking for life, love. They are building their lives and they're sometimes breaking their lives in the process, but that's how you do it. And they're finding friendship and they're trying to hold everything together with the community that they have. And this story doesn't look away from hard things. It really sits with all of their secrets and betrayals and with the weight of choices that nobody should have to make especially so young, but it also holds space for heart and for life and for hope and the beauty of friendship and connection to other women and people who love us through every single thing and every choice that we make. So this was recommended to me by Kira. Thank you for recommending this book to me. I. I loved it if you couldn't tell by hearing me talk about it. And also I've loved reading other reviews of this book too. It sounds like this book has just touched a lot of people and I totally see why. I just am so glad that we did this episode. It's made me so thankful for our group of readers and you know us so well and do such a good job at recommending books to us. This was such a fabulous recommendation and I'm glad that I read it. And that was the Girls who Grew Big by Leila Molly, I am so
- [56:15]
B
glad that you read this one. I remember it being on your summer bonanza and I love that you're. You're chipping away at that list.
- [56:22]
A
Yeah, I am too.
- [56:24]
B
All right, so my shelf edition ties into the hat that I'm wearing. Actually, I'm wearing a green hat. That's harmless. And the book that I'm bringing as my shelf edition is called Harmless. So thank you so much to Dutton because they sent me this nice little package with the hat and the book and I think the book sounds great. First of all, there is a blurb on the front that says by turns bonkers, blissful, hilarious, and full of sorrow. Harmless drinks at the bar with McCarthy's the group and Dunham's Girls. Which sounds like a good recommendation to me. And it's a twisty novel of sisterhood, friendship, and obsession. This starts with two years ago. Bee's life was upended when her beloved twin sister dies. Audrey was captivating, an extrovert, their mother's golden child. And Bee was different, too intense and chronically lonely. Now in her late 20s, Bea is back home in Park Slope, Brooklyn, her spirits finally buoyed by her plan to start a dog camp kennel. Inspired by the childhood dream she once shared with Audrey and old, now estranged friends Tatum and Layla. She's sure this will be the perfect ode to her sister's memory. But as they reintegrate into one another's lives, Audrey's absence is keenly felt by all. Soon, simmering tensions and attractions emerge in a sinister darkness breaks through to the surface. What do they really want? What happens when old secrets come to light? And when is it best to bury a dream or A chair. Embarrassed friendship. I'm not sure what this is going to end up looking like, but I like stories of friendship and I feel like this could be a good one. So this book is harmless. And I don't know if I said the author. It's Miranda Schulman.
- [57:55]
A
Yeah, I got that in the mail too. And I agree. It sounds.
- [57:58]
B
Did you get the hat?
- [57:59]
A
I did.
- [58:00]
B
Oh, we could.
- [58:01]
A
What if I really got put into. I know I. I did think about grabbing it, actually, when you came on, I was like, oh, I should grab my same hat. But it required getting from my seat. And I just. I was gonna say it got put. My. Dustin has a hat collection. Cause he wears baseball hats like every single day. And so he has a little stash in his closet, like a little basket. And I put it in that basket. I grab hats from that basket all the time also. But yeah, a lot of times when I get a hat from a publisher, it'll go in that basket.
- [58:29]
B
I just.
- [58:30]
A
He doesn't know. But he's repping. He's repping.
- [58:32]
B
I know, I know. And I love it because it's.
- [58:34]
A
I like it too.
- [58:35]
B
I have a lot of blue hats, but no green. Like. Like this.
- [58:38]
A
I do like the color a lot. Well, speaking of green, my next book or my shelf edition is also green. Yes, it's called Open Heaven by Sean Hewitt. And this is a coming of age story. It's about James, a sheltered, shy 16 year old. And James is alone in his newly discovered sexuality, full of an unruly desire, but totally inexperienced. And he is beginning to understand himself a little bit more and his longings. And he's also realizing how his feelings threaten to separate him from his family and the rural community in North England where he has grown up. He dreams of another life and fantasizes about what lies beyond the village's leaf ribboned boundaries. And then he meets Luke, who is a slightly older boy. He is handsome and unkempt and he comes with a reputation for danger. Abandoned by his parents, his father is imprisoned and his mother having moved to FR. For another man, Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm just outside the village. James is immediately drawn to him, this boy who is beautiful and impulsive and charismatic and troubled. This is a novel about desire, yearning and the terror of first love. With the striking economy and lyricism that animate his work as a poet, Sean Hewitt has written a mesmerizing hymn to boyhood, sensuality and love in all, all of its forms. This sounds right up my alley. It's also blurbed by Kava Akbar, who wrote Murder. And it's also. Yeah, and it's also blurbed by Helen McDonald, who wrote H is for Hawk. So some promising blurbs as well, I think. I like novels written by poets. I think that that tends to work for me. So I'm excited to add another data point to seeing if that's true or not. Yeah, so that's Open Heaven by Sean Hewitt.
- [60:32]
B
Well, this was such a fun conversation. Thank you as always for being on the microphone with me. I loved reading these recs and I'm excited to read through some more that I'm sure we will end up getting by the end of this show. But 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. If you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget, if you'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk etc.
- [61:10]
A
If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktalk, Etc. On Instagram and YouTube. You can find Tina at TBR Etc. And Hannah at Handpicked Books. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books.
- [61:31]
B
Anyway. Shall we?
- [61:34]
A
Let's. Let's do it. Let's dive right in.
- [61:36]
B
Let's dive right in. Sorry, John, no funnies yet. Three, two, one. Welcome to. You were like. You were like raising your head.
- [61:46]
A
Sorry.
- [61:47]
B
With me.
- [61:48]
A
I was just so excited to hear you talk.
- [61:49]
B
I know. Here we go. 3, 2, 1.