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- [00:00]
A
Do you think we have any crossover for our Summer Bonanza lists?
- [00:03]
B
I know we have crossover. Like, I'm predicting. I actually sat here and thought about this. I'm betting. I'm betting two. Three total, but two.
- [00:13]
A
Okay. I only have one that I'm confident on.
- [00:16]
B
Huh?
- [00:17]
A
I only have one that I'm, like, confident that we have crossover with.
- [00:20]
B
I don't know. I think I'll surprise you this year. I got some surprises.
- [00:23]
A
No.
- [00:24]
B
Oh, I'm excited. I'm excited. I. I like, cannot wait. So I'm going to open it.
- [00:28]
A
Okay.
- [00:28]
B
Okay. Okay. Three, two, one. Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.
- [00:46]
A
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [00:49]
B
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And today it's Summer Bonanza.
- [00:58]
A
If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on app 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.
- [01:12]
B
I am.
- [01:14]
A
Hi, Tina. Are you so excited?
- [01:16]
B
I am vibrating. It feels like I've had, like, an extra dose of espresso because I just love Summer Bonanza. It's my favorite tradition. I've got a banger list. I'm well stuck. I'm prepared. I'm booked and busy. I'm ready to talk. How are you?
- [01:30]
A
Oh, my gosh. I am also excited. I'm also a little nervous. Yeah, apparently you're anticipating that we have quite a bit of crossover, but now I'm like, I don't know which, I don't know which ones.
- [01:40]
B
Not specific titles, though. Know that there's only one specific title. It's just my vibe, you know, my spidey sense. I'm like, we're going to have some crossover and we can share. This will be edited out for listeners, obviously. So what we do in case you're like, what are you talking about, ladies? So, Summer Bonanza. This is our version of our summer reading guide. However, these are not books we've read yet. These are books that we're just the most excited for. And they are publishing in June, July or August with the goal that we will read through them and then at the end of the season, we'll put out a bonus episode for patrons where we talk about what we thought about the books, what worked, what didn't work, what did we dnf what did we lose interest in? Because inevitably that happens. But that's what we're talking about. But for the this episode, we're each bringing 10 and we have ranked them and we have not told each other what is on the other person's list. So we have no idea. So I'm. I think I'm equally as excited to share my picks, but also I want to hear what you've got. Like, I cannot wait.
- [02:38]
A
It's like one of the only episodes every year that we record where we do not really talk to each other about what's on the list. Right. So, yeah, it's exciting.
- [02:48]
B
It is exciting. So hopefully you all are excited too.
- [02:51]
A
Last year I was very rogue and experimental with my list and this year. I know you're right, we probably do have more crossover this year. Mostly because I feel like I. I don't want to say I played it safe, but I really focused on those titles that I am the most excited about regardless of their hype and popularity.
- [03:09]
B
Exactly.
- [03:10]
A
There are definitely some on my list that are. Everybody's excited about. But listen, I am too. And I want to have a successful summer bonanza this year, so.
- [03:18]
B
I know, and I love that for you. I just remember last year we were recording it and I was like, you know, these are non traditional picks. Props for that. Like, I just remember thinking it was a little heavier for you.
- [03:29]
A
It was very heavy.
- [03:30]
B
Yes. I'm hoping that this year you've got still kind of books that you're excited for, but you know, a mix of maybe less known, popular. I have a very interesting list. I think I made Hannah nervous because I said I have some surprises on here and you'll see what I mean by that. You have some of my tried and true. You're like, obviously this is a Tina book. But then there's one historical fiction, there's a romance, there's a couple horror. So I know a romance.
- [03:56]
A
So excited.
- [03:57]
B
Oh, romance.
- [03:58]
A
Well, tell us about your loving lately so we can get this show on the road.
- [04:02]
B
Let's do it. Okay. So my loving lately is something that Jonathan, my husband, bought me for Mother's Day and it's one of those unnecessary necessities. I have wanted this for years. I've never spoken about it once, but he bought me a ice. He bought me a countertop ice maker and I am obsessed. I'm holding it right now. Well, actually, I'm not holding the ice maker. I'm holding my cup that I bought. And this was something I bought him for his birthday. But it's water, ice water. But I'm really excited about this particular ice maker because it is from the makers of the lights behind me. Govee. I love Govee. I love everything that they make and I just think they are so wonderful. It's the Govee Life Smart ice maker countertop. And here's what I like about it. One the it's reasonably priced. Now they have one that's 500. That is not the one that I have. I have the smaller, more portable version which is on sale for like 119 if that I'm like, that's actually for what you're getting. Not bad. So I was really happy to see that, that it's sort of an ice maker at a fairly reasonable price point. And what I love by it, what I love about it, one, you can control it with your phone. I have not set this up, but John can be like, oh, there's 47 ice cubes in there or whatever. It is so funny. You can like, it's so funny. And it tells you when you, you know, take them away. You can schedule your ice. I am an iced coffee drinker, so every morning I have a big mason jar full of iced coffee that I make. And part of that obviously is ice cubes. So I just love that when I get down there in the morning there's these little ice cubes and I can fill my jar. I will say these are not nugget cubes. So if you are an ice cube connoisseur, you will want to look into the type and the shape that it makes. They're kind of little bullets, I would call them. So it's not like these little pebbles that you would get at Sonic or anything like that. But I don't care. I just want ice in my stuff. The thing, I think, I think the thing though that I like the most is that it's fast. It will fill up this little tank in six minutes, literally six minutes. You get a full thing of ice cubes. It's pretty small. I would say it fills about two 8 ounce cups of ice and then it will just start remaking it. So if you're having like a lot of people over, you would want to fill an ice tray or put it in some sort of whatever other receptacle so that you're not, you know, because it would be like two or three drinks that you're filling up. But that's fine for me. That's all I need. It's another criticism I saw about it is that it's loud I actually like the sound it makes. It sounds like a little air conditioning to me. That's what it reminds me of. Like a little window air conditioning unit. And it doesn't go constantly. It's very quiet if it's not in use. And then you wake it up and it's just like. So it's me and the. The humming ice machine in the morning, and I. We. I love it. I'm so tickled. It came with a little scooper. And the scooper, a magnet on it, and it sticks to the side. I'm telling you, the fine folks at Govee have thought of everything. You can also control it with your voice. Like, hey, Alexa, make me ice. Fantastic. I love that we are officially in the future. And I love it. I think this is a fantastic ice maker. Really, really happy with the purchase. It is my go life smart ice maker, countertop portable version. And we'll link to it in case anyone's curious.
- [07:19]
A
Yes. Well, that is technology done right. I approve of that.
- [07:24]
B
I mean, I know when I saw it, I was like, what? How did you know I wanted one? And also, Govee, like, I like anything they make. So anyway.
- [07:31]
A
Well, John, a great gift giver yet again. Excellent choice.
- [07:36]
B
Sorry, you just heard my glass straw. Probably in the. In the microphone.
- [07:41]
A
We're gonna get some. Some. Some live proof of your love water consumption.
- [07:47]
B
Yeah. And you're lucky that my ice cubes melted, because otherwise you'd be like, they do melt fast too.
- [07:53]
A
Is that a glass straw or is it plastic?
- [07:55]
B
Is glass okay? Yeah. I bought these for John.
- [07:58]
A
Glass.
- [07:59]
B
It's all glass. And so if you remember a couple loving lately ago, I brought stacked water as a loving lately. And a specific creator had these glasses, and they were just huge and just. They frankly looked really great on camera. And I was like, I need them. So for his birthday, I got him one and me one. And I. I'm loving it. I'm loving it.
- [08:18]
A
Another loving lately. Awesome. My loving lately is something that's super simple, but I've been loving it. And it is these. Myrtle mystery.
- [08:30]
B
Yes, I saw.
- [08:31]
A
Have you ever done these?
- [08:32]
B
No. And I had no idea. I was like, I don't know what that is, but I'm glad you're having fun.
- [08:37]
A
Oh, they are so much fun. And again, this has been something that I put in my last week's Loving lately. I mentioned having, like, an analog bag, analog basket. This is something that has been in my tote bag that. That I've actually been reaching for and grabbing. And it has 100 elementary to impossible mysteries to solve using logic skill and the power of deduction. And they are leveled based on difficulty. So the first 25 are one magnifying glass, the easiest, and then it moves to two and then three, and then four. And each section of difficulty has 25 puzzles for you to solve. I am on puzzle 21, so. So I haven't quite made it to the second difficulty, but I've been doing a lot of them and staying really consistent with it, which has been so much fun. I guess the creator of these, their name is GT Carver, and they developed a really popular online daily mystery game. I've never played that, and I'm not familiar with it, but if you are, that could be a fun connection. But this is the first collection of 100 original murder mystery logic puzzles. There are several volumes. I don't know how many exactly, but I know there's a volume two and three of just the regular myrtle mysteries. And then I think there are a couple out also that are more themed and specific. But this is, gosh, this would be a perfect gift for, you know, your fellow armchair detective in your life or puzzler or someone who's looking for something a little bit more unique if they're into, like, Sudoku puzzles or something like that. I feel like my quick pitch of these puzzles would be like clue meets Sudoku, because there are these little, like, grids that you have to fill out. I'm showing Tina here. And you read and you read the clues and the evidence, and you're given, like, three suspects, three locations, and then three weapons. And then based on the clues and evidence, you go through the little grid and use deduction to figure out who had what, who didn't, where the murder took place. And then you use all of the evidence that you've collected to eventually fill out the puzzle and solve what happened. It is so much fun. They're really funny. Like, the names of these characters are really funny. And they're like what they do for a living. And there are tons of puns. I mean, if you don't like a pun, beware, because these are chock full of just funny, you know, light murder, murder puns.
- [11:20]
B
Perfect.
- [11:22]
A
Yeah, perfect. But I'm really enjoying these. They're really fun. I will have to let you know once I complete it or once I get to those harder puzzles, because eventually, as you move on, you will get, like, statements instead of facts and clues from the suspects. And it'll be like two of the suspects are telling the truth and one is lying. And then they add in more locations and more weapons. And so there's more to piece out as you get further in. And apparently as after you finished all of them, there is a secret message to uncover that is like a whole overarching mystery that you're solving along the way that you get to find out about at the very end. So I thought that that was really fun. I'm just really enjoying these. If you enjoy, you know, a little light activity or puzzle book to do before bed or just to incorporate in your routine or throw in your bag, I highly recommend these. That is the Myrtle Puzzles by G.T. carver.
- [12:22]
B
I love that. I googled it. It's the puzzle online is also called Murder. I'm sorry. The puzzle online is also called Myrtle.
- [12:31]
A
Check those out.
- [12:31]
B
I have no. I'm looking at this now. I'm not reading it closely because I was listening to it, I was like, I have. I don't know the first thing about this. I feel like this would be really hard. So I have to practice a little bit, I think, before I commit to buying a book.
- [12:45]
A
I w. I was struggling with the first few. It does give you a written you it in the beginning. There's a whole how to solve them that's written out. That was hard for me. I watched a video of someone going through and solving one.
- [13:02]
B
Perfect.
- [13:03]
A
And that once I watched that, I was like, got it. And I was flying through them from there. And so depending on what kind of learner you are, if you do take in that information better, you know, on page while you're reading it, or if you're more of a visual learner, there are videos I think I searched on TikTok or YouTube how to solve a Myrtle Mystery and just watched someone take you step by step through how they do it. And that was really helpful for me.
- [13:27]
B
That's a good one. Yeah. Because looking at this, I'm like, what? But it's also really good for your brain.
- [13:32]
A
Yes, really good for your brain. And once you've got it, you've got it. Like, trust me. Just watch. If you need to watch a video or something, it will click and once it clicks, you're going to be going through them kind of fast. They're really fun.
- [13:45]
B
Okay. How fun? Okay. I'm not going to get too far down the rabbit hole of Myrtle.
- [13:51]
A
Myrtle. Yeah.
- [13:52]
B
Myrtle.
- [13:53]
A
Myrtle.
- [13:55]
B
Because that sounds really fun. Yeah. Alrighty. Well, I. Before we. Oh, fish. We're gonna do latest reads. No.
- [14:02]
A
Yeah, we're gonna do.
- [14:03]
B
Okay. Okay.
- [14:04]
A
I'm just. We're getting closer.
- [14:05]
B
We're getting closer.
- [14:05]
A
I'm getting nervous.
- [14:07]
B
Okay, hold on. I'm equally as excited to tell you my latest read as I am to share my bonanza. Because my Latest read is 5 by Alona Bannister. She just one of the authors that is just gets. I get her, she gets me. She doesn't know me, but like, I feel like she does because I feel like sometimes she's writing specifically me. This book just came out fairly recently, early May, and it is about five strangers that are on a train platform. And at the end of this story, you know that one of them will die, but you don't know who it is. This is psychological suspense. It's a slow burn. It's definitely character driven. But what the book is doing is it's presenting to you the five people on the train platform. And each of the chapters you get a really in depth look as to what happened to them before they arrived on the train platform. And you come to find out, like in the opening scene, it's all of these characters interfacing with one another. And, you know, there's a little. You're just kind of watching these people as the reader. So she really brings you into this scenario and it's like a couple of minutes long, but you're seeing, oh, these people are doing this, these people are doing that. That guy sees this, right? And so she's sort of just giving you this setup. And you're making automatic assumptions, as people do, about what brought them there, who they are, et cetera. And of course, you're going to have to right away, if you're anything like me, you're like, oh, I bet it's this one that's going to sadly get run over by the train. And so you get taken into each of their lives and it's not a. It's. They're interconnected, right? Because in between each of the sections, you're going back to the train platform now with the new understanding of the person. And I found the more that I came to understand these people, the more I was like, oh, no, well, I hope it's not you now. Right. Like I thought maybe it would be. But, like, it's this really interesting almost moral quandary that you're dealing with because one of them's a kid, one of them's an older woman, one of them is a businessman, one of them's a mother, the other one is a young college guy. And so, you know, the. It's kind of one of those old moral questions. Like, okay, well, you Know who deserves to die the most or, you know, which impact would be felt the least type deal. And of course the answer is nobody. You don't want any of them to get, you know, die essentially, but the author is telling you that they will. So you're like, okay, I'm going to take her at face value. And really, it's a great story. It's very original. It does break the fourth wall and ask the reader to be the judge, jury and executioner and sort of decide again, like, okay, well, who do you think is going to be and why? I don't want to tell you too much because I found it to be very surprising for a lot of characters. I also would comp the writing to that of Frederick Bachmann, but a little bit less saccharine. Turn the saccharine down just a tiny bit and you're got. And you've got Five by Luna Bannister. It reminded me of Bachmann's book Anxious People, but not as funny. This one's a more serious take on that. But it's like these, you know, situations and these.
- [17:20]
A
I can totally see that.
- [17:21]
B
Yes. The happenstance that takes place and you're like. But also it's so tender hearted. It's so smart. It's so well written. And I was hooked. I mean, I truly was captivated. I did the audio, um, but I also had a print version and was kind of doing a tandem read. Read through it very quickly. It's not very long. It's 240 pages. And I would say this is different from her other two books When I Ran Away in Little Prisons. But I enjoyed it just as much When I Ran Away. Still my number one favorite by her, but this is still. I rated it five stars, so it's pretty under the radar. So far it's got about 1200 ratings with a 4.05 average. So I do hope that more people pick it up because it really is special if like mysteries or thrillers, you don't want something quite as gory. If you like really strong character building and like character driven suspense, I think you would like this. This book is five by Alona Bannister.
- [18:19]
A
That sounds so good. Great job with that review. I. I feel like with books like this too. I, I love books like this. Based on what you were describing. I haven't read this yet. I can't wait to. But that way when you know a twist does happen, or when a plot element may surprise you or there's a development of some sort, you're taken more off guard. Even though you're spending the time in the book trying to figure it out, you're also so emotionally invested in the characters and you're thinking about so many different parts of the story that when something actually develops, you're like, oh, yeah, wait a minute, I forgot that we were trying to figure something out here. At least that was my experience with books like this. And I love that.
- [19:04]
B
You are absolutely right. I forgot about the train every chapter.
- [19:07]
A
I was.
- [19:07]
B
I was not thinking about it and I'm like, oh, dang, maybe you're going to be the one like. And I don't want that for you.
- [19:13]
A
But, yeah, can do that.
- [19:14]
B
It's really well crafted. I'm very impressed with how she was able to put this all together in a really compelling, compelling story because it could feel disjointed. It sounds disjointed, but for me it wasn't.
- [19:25]
A
Well, good job giving this book its flowers. Let's keep pushing it out there and get more people to read it because it sounds really good. And I'm glad that you brought a book that you really enjoyed because.
- [19:36]
B
Is that a clunker?
- [19:37]
A
I'm not. I have a little bit of a clunker. Yeah. I am glad that I read it, though. It's one star romance by Laura Hankin. And this has been on my TBR shelf for so long and it was one of those books where I was in between reads and again, we talked about starting books last week and the decision fatigue is the hardest part. And I was in between reads and I just needed something and I was like, you know, romance is always really quick for me and I'm just gonna pick something that's been on my shelf for a long time that I can easily grab at the library on audio or ebook so that I can, you know, get. Get through something quickly. This is a romance about Natalie and Rob, and they could not have less in common. Nat is a messy writer and she's a creative, and Rob is a very rigid academic. The only thing that they really share in common is their devotion to their respective best friends who just got engaged. So Natalie is best friends with Gabby, and Rob is best friends with Angus, and Gabby and Angus are engaged and they're getting married. So minutes before the ceremony, Nat learns that Rob wrote a one star review of her new novel, which has them both reeling Nat from imposter syndrome and Rob over the reason that he needed to write his one star review, which becomes kind of like a really big part of the entire book. Her, his reasoning for writing this one star Review when the reception ends, these two opposite people hope that they will never meet one another again. But of course that does not happen. And as they slip from their 20s into their 30s, they are forced together whenever their best friends celebrate another milestone or have a big party or event that they invite these two people to. So through housewarming parties and christenings, life changing triumphs and failures throughout their friends lives, these two people grapple with their own life choices as they keep encountering each other again and again and learn that your harshest critic can actually become your perfectly imperfect match. I will say this was easy and fun. It was an easy and fun romance. But yeah, it ultimately just didn't do a lot for me. I think I really struggled the most with Natalie and I found her just really hard to get on board with. She was very immature, she was really jealous, she just really frustrated me. And while she did experience some growth throughout the novel, she didn't experience enough for me to be like, oh wow, okay you. You grew a lot and I really became fond of you. You had some work to do, but you did the work. I'm actually not positive I came out of this book feeling like she did and I felt like it was kind of necessary for me in this instance to be able to enjoy the book a little bit more. One thing I did enjoy was that we had these jumps in time between them meeting one another again and again. And I did like that. I felt like it was a unique way to approach a romance. But what didn't work for me about those time jumps is that it would switch between what character we were following and that made the time jumps feel detached. When I think we could have gotten a better story in a more believable romance if we'd kept those time jumps still tied to one point of view. I tend to struggle with dual point of view or multiple point of view in general with romance specifically, not with mysteries, not with thrillers, but with romance specifically. I tend to want either one first person point of view or one like a third person overall point of view that we're following the whole time. I didn't hate this. It was an easy read. It's just not one that I would personally recommend. And like I said, it had been on my shelves for a long time, so I'm happy to be able to kick her off of there and replace it with something else. Still happy that I made it through my owned tbr. So it's a win in that area that is one star Romance by Laura Hankin.
- [23:40]
B
I've heard of this one. I think I. Yes, I read Laura Hankin before. It was not a romance. It was a. Gosh, what was it?
- [23:50]
A
She's written a lot across, I think, even age and genre. I remember when I was looking up more books by her. Oh, okay. When I was looking up more books by her, there were a couple that I was like, oh, I didn't realize that was by her. One that was kind of buzzy a couple years back. What was the name of it?
- [24:09]
B
The Daydreams.
- [24:10]
A
Yes.
- [24:11]
B
Yes. You know, I was like, it was.
- [24:14]
A
I didn't realize that was Laura Hankins. Yeah, there's music.
- [24:16]
B
It is music. She is. Yeah. She has a pretty wide range.
- [24:20]
A
Yes, she does. Oh, my gosh, I want to throw up.
- [24:24]
B
Is it the time? I know. I do, too. And, like, the worst part is I'm sitting here looking at my list. Now. Here's the thing, folks. It's not as though if Hannah picks these books, I have to delete them from my tbr. It's not as though I can't read them. I just. I don't know why I. And what's gonna happen if it's not the. My head. I'm like, I have to pick the best book for this list. Like, or else. Or else what? I don't know. I'm cursed. I don't know any experience, but. Or else. It really is. It is not true at all. But in my head, I'm like, oh, I hope I get a good one. Okay, so question for you. Did you have any guiding principles as you narrowed your list down? What were you looking for? And you talked about it a little bit earlier.
- [25:10]
A
Yeah, I kind of. I kind of mentioned it. That was really it. I also really wanted to make sure that I was picking books that not only sounded good to me, but that I really felt like I had a likelihood of picking up. Like, actually picking up and reading. Because I feel like a lot of books, I'm like, oh, that sounds really interesting, but it's just not a comfort genre that I reach for. It's not a author that I always want to read their books. It's not something that I feel really confident I am going to pick up. And so that was really what I paid attention to as I was making this list is, you know, authors that I know I've read and loved, I'm going to want to read their stuff again, and genres that I know that I consistently reach for, et cetera. What about you?
- [25:52]
B
Very smart way to Go about it. I sort of did. Not the opposite, but I was trying to. I sampled a lot. I did. And I always say that I want to sample a lot. And this good for you. Did. Yes. And that worked well because one of the books I actually got approved for, as I was working my way through it, and I was like, oh, I don't really want to try this. And so that was a great data point because I was like, if you're not excited to read it right now, probably don't add it to your list. Add it to your tbr. Not on the bonanza. Right. And so that was good to try and go through. My goal was new authors, not just my favorites, because I'm one. All of my favorites have books coming out almost every year. So for example, Lisa Jewell has a book coming out and spoilers, she's not on my list. She's on my tbr. But I was like, don't bring the new Lisa Jewel. You read her anyway. Right. So I really wanted to make this list. Either new authors new to me or authors that are repeat authors but that I haven't read from in a really long time or I've only read, like one book. And I loved it. I wanted books that are juicy, addictive, and to make me feel something. So that is what I tried to pick them.
- [27:00]
A
Your lineup.
- [27:01]
B
You know what I'm saying? And I wanted a variety of genres. I was like, you could easily go 10 thrillers, but like, how predictable. That being said, let me kick things off with Plant Lady. It is by Min Young Kong. Is this on your list?
- [27:16]
A
Nope.
- [27:16]
B
Okay, okay, stop. Your face. Your face.
- [27:19]
A
I'm sorry. I'm trying to keep a poker face.
- [27:21]
B
Plant Lady.
- [27:22]
A
Okay.
- [27:22]
B
Oh, that is true. So I suppose I do you. I'm going first. I suppose.
- [27:27]
A
Yeah.
- [27:27]
B
I think you've gone first in years past, maybe.
- [27:31]
A
Yeah, I think we go. I think we go back and forth,
- [27:33]
B
but you want to go first?
- [27:34]
A
No, I want you to go first.
- [27:35]
B
Okay. Okay. Okay.
- [27:36]
A
No, you're good.
- [27:37]
B
All right. It's Plant Lady. It's a really dope cover, so I'm showing it right now. It is.
- [27:42]
A
Yeah, the COVID is great.
- [27:43]
B
God, I don't even know how to describe it. It's illustrated. It's a woman with yellow wellies on, and she is clearly in a plant shop. It is her plant shop. But if you look at closely, there is blood dripping from her shears. So this is a thriller slash horror book. And it's a book in translation from Korean. The translator is Shanna Tan and this book is about a woman who works in a plant shop. She is the Plant lady and her shop is tucked away in a corner of a neighborhood in Dosan, South Korea. And the shop owner's name is Yuhee and she has started anew and her meticulously grown foliage thrives under her tender care. To both her customers and to herself, plant shop is a refuge. But then one day Yohi dispenses advice on gardening. But she also finds herself offering a special service. Off the clock women who are at their wit's end come to her about a man they hope might disappear from their lives. Pulling extra hours is taxing. But Yuhi has encountered and dealt with these kind of men in her own life. And so when night falls, she trades her apron for a shovel and a hoe and disappears into her garden. And there she buries not just the remains of the day, but also the body remnants of a few unfortunate encounters. Interesting men disappear. Will anyone ever suspect the Plant Lady? And I have to laugh. We somebody is here to cut our lawn. As I'm reading this, I hear like that.
- [29:14]
A
So serendipitous.
- [29:15]
B
I'm like, oh my God, don't bring anybody with you.
- [29:18]
A
Any limbs.
- [29:19]
B
I know, right? I just. And. And it's macabre to say, but I. I do love a body buried in a garden. I really do.
- [29:27]
A
I read so specific.
- [29:29]
B
I know, it's so.
- [29:30]
A
I love how specific that is.
- [29:32]
B
I know. And I can think of books where they'll have to do.
- [29:35]
A
You have to do a niche novels and you're the only one that brings books because I don't know if I would have any. Why?
- [29:40]
B
Who is going to be like, I
- [29:42]
A
have a couple too.
- [29:43]
B
Right. This is a thing. Thing. It happens.
- [29:45]
A
Okay. This is a thing that I've never thought about.
- [29:47]
B
Yeah, I love something. I love it. It's a great concept. Anyway, I think this one sounds really great. I read the first chapter and I was like, okay, perfect. Now I will say it's not a popcorn thriller. It is Korean. I think it's a bit more subdued and sort of sounds genre bendy. A little. I think it is a little genre bendy. I was having trouble deciding if it was thriller, horror. This comes out August or mystery. Right. So it is its own thing. It comes out on August 4th from Berkeley. And this one is Plant lady by Min Young Kang.
- [30:19]
A
I feel like it's interesting that it comes out from Berkeley. I don't know why it just doesn't stand out to me as a Berkeley Title Because I feel like when they don't. When they don't produce romance, I feel like their thrillers that they come out with are usually a little bit more like pulpy, Buzzy, you know, commercial. Yes, exactly. This feels a little outside of the box for them, but I love it. And I think titles usually work for you, right?
- [30:45]
B
No.
- [30:46]
A
Maybe. Oh, no. Okay.
- [30:48]
B
I always want them. I always wanted to try them. So, yeah, this one felt different. I was surprised, too, that it was Berkeley, but they sent this to me and I was like, wait a minute. Actually, I am in.
- [30:57]
A
Okay. All right. Well, I'm not gonna stall any longer. This is my first one is Helpless by Jessica Noel.
- [31:06]
B
Oh, baby, baby. This one is. Was on my list. I took it off. But I want to hear you talk about it.
- [31:12]
A
Okay. This was my one that I was like, oh, I. That might be crossover. And I don't usually reach for thrillers and mysteries, so that's partially why it's at number 10. However, Jessica Noel works for me. The way she typically sets up her books.
- [31:26]
B
The way you said that for me. The way you said that. I was like, she works for you? Like, in what capacity? And then I was like, no, she. She.
- [31:34]
A
She works for me. I'm her boss.
- [31:35]
B
She works for me. So why did I go? Her writing works.
- [31:39]
A
Yes. Her books, her writing, her. Her plots, they work for me. And this is one that I knew that I would have high probability of picking up this summer. Let me tell you about what this one is about. 12 years after Faye Heron ended her intense college romance with Henry to avoid losing herself, both have built lives that they have planned. Faye is a part of a Hollywood power couple. Henry as a married father running his family business. When. But then a beloved professor's death brings them back to campus and old and very dangerous feelings resurface, including the singular connection that Fay has tried to replicate but never could. Henry offers a hypnotic apology and invites Faye out for a drink. And then things ensue from there. She ends up being drugged and he kidnaps her. She wakes in this remote mountain cabin unsure if this is punishment for what she has done in the past or what. And as the days pass and Henry's demands grow more extreme, the long buried mystery emerges, forcing Faye to question everything that she remembers and leading to an astonishing history altering truth. I was trying to decide what I wanted to share from the synopsis and what I didn't want to from there, but I. I think that even with sharing all of that, which. All of that is on the back of the book, like on the goodreads synopsis. But sometimes I feel like goodreads synopses give a little too much. But I feel like this is just enough to get you excited about reading it. At least me, anyway, While still leaving a lot to uncover. So I am excited to uncover that mystery alongside Jessica knoll, and that is helpless, by Jessica knoll. This one comes out July 7, and it's coming out from scribner, which also doesn't seem like a scribner title to me, which I thought was kind of interesting. They usually lean very literary or memoir, so that was kind of surprising. But that's first on my list.
- [33:44]
B
Very exciting. That. I will love to hear what you have to say about it. I can't wait to find out. I'm smiling because I heard this described as an erotic thriller, and I was like, pardon me. Pardon me.
- [33:59]
A
I mean, based on the synopsis, I could see it.
- [34:02]
B
Yeah. And I. But that was what made me say I, you know, better not. But I would love for you to read this.
- [34:08]
A
Okay.
- [34:09]
B
So I agree. The setup is so juicy. And I did sample this one. I read the first couple pages. I was like, oh, man, this does sound really good. So I hope that you love it.
- [34:18]
A
I'll let you know. Yeah.
- [34:20]
B
I'm going to take us in a little different direction. And this was the one. So you had said helpless was one you thought I might have. This is one. If I had to guess. I feel like this could rank high on your list. And if it does, maybe we have to reorganize. But it's little wonder by sophie chen. Color.
- [34:38]
A
Yes. I thought that this came out I thought that it came out in may. So I didn't put it on my list, but it is on my tbr. But maybe they. Maybe my arc copy. Yeah, Mine has the wrong date on it. Mine, because mine said May 12th.
- [34:51]
B
June 16th. It may be. It got bumped.
- [34:55]
A
Well, one that we're both excited for. I. Mine I think is older because my advanced copy doesn't even have a cover yet. It's like a manuscript style. So I bet that it. I bet that yours is a more updated release date.
- [35:08]
B
Yeah. Yeah. I double checked it. It is June 16, and this is coming out Exciting. From. Yes. Oh, I just feel like this is going to be really, really good. So. So June 16th, it's coming out from thousand voices with random house publishing, which is Jenna bush hager's imprint. And. Okay, so this is the reason that I said I thought this might be for you, because it's an emotional story about a mother who ends up losing her son on a train. And the mother's name is Song, and she is a nobody. She is just a food delivery worker from a village in northeastern China. But her son river, is a little wonderful. Since the age of four, he's been a true prodigy on the piano. And at every step, Song has been there to support him and, you know, kind of honor this gift. And then he gets invited to study with a preeminent teacher in Beijing at 11. And so they decide to go. But in the chaos of the Beijing railway station on the busiest day of the year, Song faces every mother's nightmare. She loses her grip on River's little hand and is unable to find him. After a desperate, harrowing Star Trek, a cry. I did cry reading this. The.
- [36:15]
A
The so sad.
- [36:16]
B
It opens with it and you're like, excuse me. Over the next days, weeks, and eventually years, Song and River fight to forge a path back to each other. That's it. What do you mean, years? How. And I just thought this was really poignant. It says, as every musician knows, you start in one key, you wander to other keys, strange and distant places, but in the end, you always come back home. I mean, talk about emotional. Said I wanted a book that's going to make me feel. And I'm real, real interested and excited for this one. I want to say this is her debut. Do you know if that's true or. It just sounds like it sounds.
- [36:54]
A
I agree that it sounds like it. I am.
- [36:57]
B
Oh, no, she is not a debut.
- [37:00]
A
I was going to say I'm looking at the. I'm looking at it on Goodreads right now. And it doesn't say so usually they say it.
- [37:05]
B
Okay, so I'll just say, yeah, this will be my first book by the author. And I just think it sounds really good. It's called Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller.
- [37:14]
A
Yeah, I am excited about that one. I feel like that new imprint has promise.
- [37:21]
B
I think a lot of the books
- [37:22]
A
are going to be buzzy. And while, you know, I had my qualms with into the Blue, which is that same imprint. It was good. I mean, it was really well written. And I want more romances like that that almost have that literary feel. And so after reading that one, I was like, I'm more excited to read more books from this imprint and see
- [37:39]
B
you also read Conformally Was, which is hers.
- [37:42]
A
Oh, yes, that's true. And I. I did enjoy it. I did enjoy it. Although a lot of other people have not enjoyed that. So I apologize. They tell you and they do tell me. They do tell me. But, you know, listen, it worked for me, okay? I don't know what to tell you.
- [37:57]
B
It is what it is.
- [37:58]
A
It is what it is. Okay, this is another one that I was like, oh, maybe this is on her list. Okay, it's Take what you can by Naima. Oh,
- [38:08]
B
Sample took it off. I love it. Okay, tell me more.
- [38:11]
A
Okay, it's Take what you can by Neymar Koster. So this one is about Val and Millie, and they fell in love with France and each other at the same time, forming an instant bond as the only black students on a study abroad trip, later deepened by the mentorship of an older woman, Helene, who showed them a life and independence and abundance. Now in their 30s, they are both married and expecting daughters on the way, and they reunite after a decade apart when Millie invites Val to New York to raise their children together. But beneath their excitement, both question whether their friendship ever truly worked without Helene's guiding presence. Millie is now a successful influencer, married into restaurant royalty, and she longs for freedom, While Val is a talented journalist and is struggling to find her place in Millie's world as class, ambition, strange marriages and new motherhood pull them in all different directions. Old wounds from their past come to the surface and threaten to unravel their bond and their relationship. Moving between Brooklyn and the beaches of South France, Take what you can is pitched as a sharp, dazzling exploration of chosen sisterhood, motherhood without a model, and what it takes to remain someone's person through every single stage of their life. I love books about friendship. This sounds super appealing to me. I have never read a Neymar Coster novel before, so this will be a new experience for me. But this one sounds like a good place to start. So that's Take what you can by NA Coster. That comes out August 4th from Pamela Dorman.
- [39:48]
B
I like Pamela Dorman's books. I misspoke, though. That was on my list. I just never added it to the final, so I did not get to sample that one, so.
- [39:57]
A
Oh, okay.
- [39:57]
B
I didn't want to think. I sampled it and didn't like it
- [39:59]
A
and didn't like it.
- [40:00]
B
Yeah, I was just on the long, long list. You know how it goes.
- [40:03]
A
And didn't get to it. Others. Others made the cut.
- [40:06]
B
Others made the cut. And the next one that made the cut is this novel called the Spin by Faith Gardner. And this one is historical psychological suspense. Kind of what I'm calling is about the Crawfords, who live in la, and they seem like a pretty average American family. Leo is a rising star in advertising, and his wife Rose is brilliant, restless, and pregnant with their second child. Their teenage daughter Melinda is already leaning toward rebellion. Then Rose vanishes during a family vacation. When she comes back, she is changed. And as time goes by, Rose seems to adjust to everyday life. Until a new color television triggers a complete breakdown. She claims voices are speaking to her through the screen. Doctors call it hysteria. Her family is terrified, and Rose gets locked inside an institution where women are silenced, drugged, and erased. Leo is desperate to help her, and so he tries to figure out what's going on and what happened when she disappears. And the more he. The more he digs, the more he realizes his entire family might be in danger, because what they did to Rose is only the beginning. I want to know. That's why I called it a little bit historical fiction. I think it's in the 60s, I want to say. I'm like, that's very interesting. And I love the idea of a person leaving and coming back changed. That's one of my little buzz words. And I got to know what's going to go on with this one. So that comes out on June 16th. And it's independent Press. It's Mirror House Press. And yeah, the book is the Spin by Faith Gardner.
- [41:41]
A
The COVID is cool. It's a cool right now.
- [41:44]
B
Yeah, that's what kind of initially drew me in.
- [41:47]
A
It also kind of looks like. And it's hard to explain without looking at it in front of you. It looks like a historical fiction cover or a thriller cover. Like, it looks like those two genres blended together.
- [41:58]
B
I knew when I saw it that it was going to be a little. It's. It doesn't give traditional. Traditional psychological thriller. When I looked at it.
- [42:05]
A
Yeah, I agree. Well, that one wasn't on my radar. That's fun. Excited to hear you talk about that one if you get to it. Okay. My next one is Everything to the Sea by Alicia Apano. And this was one that Renee talked about.
- [42:21]
B
Yeah.
- [42:22]
A
Recently on the show. And I was so excited when I heard her, because I knew. I was like, I know this one's going on my list. So this one is about Jane, who plans to spend one summer in her island hometown before leaving for college. And she is determined to chase her dream of becoming an architect. Then she meets Kenji, a local boy who she doesn't remember at first, but can't forget. And what begins as a carefree fling quickly deepens into something far more lasting when a devastating Tsunami tears through their community and sweeps their family out to sea. Grief shatters their relationship and sends them in completely opposite directions and paths of life. Kenji stays in Hawaii to help rebuild and he is bound by duty. While Jane ends up leaving, she goes to California, unable to remain among the ruins of her home for seven years. Distance and loss keep these two apart until they meet again on another shore. This is said to be a luminous coming of age story. It's said to be about grief and love and the enduring pull of your home and following two people as they try to find their way back to each other. I. I mean, so many like, catnip tropes. For me, they're just like stories of friendship. People that keep getting pulled back to each other. A tragedy that pulls people apart but ends up bringing them back. I just think that this one sounds lovely. And then after hearing Renee talk about it and how much she liked it, it just solidified its place on my list. So I am very excited to get to this one. That is Everything to the Sea by Alicia Apano that comes out July 14th by William Morrow.
- [44:00]
B
Yes, that one sounds really good and I was glad to hear you both excited for it. Let's see. Okay, next is another one. I think this is my last one. If I had to guess that I maybe last one that I'm like, maybe this is on Hannah's list because it is my romance. It is. I'm nervous. It's the Open Era by Edward Schmidt.
- [44:23]
A
It's not on my list.
- [44:24]
B
Good. Okay. All right. I'm excited. All right. The Open Era by Edward Schmidt. Why am I repeating myself? I don't know. Okay. It is about recently turned pro tennis player Austin Hardy, who's been out since high school and it's never been a big deal. That is, until he becomes the first openly gay man to compete in a Grand Slam. Suddenly, being gay is a huge deal, and it has the headlines to prove it. Unprepared for this new spotlight, Austin's anxiety disorder hits a breaking point. And he trips and falls at practice right next to the very attractive and talented and probably straight Diego Cruz, who is ranked world number two. The two players start a friendship off the court. But between their flirty banter, mixed signals and brewing rivalry, Austin is thrown further off his game by Diego. With the eyes of the world on him, he must decide if love means nothing or if love means everything as he battles for the trophy during an electric two weeks at the US Open. This is queer. It's got good mental health. Hopefully good mental Health representation. It's rivals to lovers. It's Sports I am in. It sounds really good to me, and I can't wait to try it out. That is the Open era. Edward Schmidt. This one comes out on June 2nd by Berkeley again, I suppose. I do like your titles.
- [45:38]
A
Look at that. Yeah, they're calling to you. No, I have had some sports romances that have worked for me, but typically that is not a space where I super enjoy a bunch of sports. So that is partially why it didn't make it to my list. But it does sound really good.
- [45:54]
B
I should have known.
- [45:55]
A
It's another cover that's just gorgeous.
- [45:57]
B
Awesome cover.
- [45:58]
A
But it has in the Rainbow.
- [45:59]
B
That's. It's beautiful. And also it had the mental health representation. So I was like, I don't know. That could get Hannah.
- [46:05]
A
Yeah, that's true. That's true. I do. I do appreciate a good, good mental health representation, but it also sounds totally like a romance that's in your wheelhouse of romance. So I'm glad that you.
- [46:15]
B
Exactly. Exactly. Right.
- [46:17]
A
Okay, My next one is Famous Men by Julie Bunton. Have you heard of this? Is it on your list?
- [46:23]
B
I don't. I don't reckon I've heard of it. No.
- [46:25]
A
I didn't think that it would be, but I always like to just ask. So this one is about Will Miles, and he feels trapped. He is trapped in tiny greening Michigan State. So love that Michigan rep. And a toxic high school rumor has turned her into social exile, trapped in the predictable routines of her mother and under the relenting gaze of her mother's increasingly sinister boyfriend. But then Will stumbles across the early poems of Nathaniel Fellow, a famous writer 40 years her senior who also grew up in Greening. And she feels that she has found a kindred spirit. A passing comment from her mother only adds to Will's fascination. Is Nathaniel the father, perhaps, that she has never known? So Will orchestrates a plan to track Nathaniel down, following in his footsteps, to New York City, where she learns that he's not the answer to her past in the way that she imagined. But their meeting sparks a very complicated, consuming relationship that gives Will sidelong access to a world that she has only ever imagined of writers and intellectuals, financial safety, and most intoxicatingly, a glimpse into her own potential. But who is Nathaniel Fellow off the page? And what will shaping her life to suit his cost her? When a torrent of information about his past threatens not just her life with Nathaniel, but the story that she tells herself about him, Will is then faced with a choice that will change everything. This sounds so good to me. I am so excited about it. And I love books about writers. And also, it sounds like there's going to be, you know, kind of a toxic relationship that potentially happens here. I don't know if that's the case, but it kind of seemed like it was alluding to that. And I'm already just so worried about Will and what's going to happen and what is this choice that's going to change everything? So I already have so many questions, and I'm excited to dive in. And that is Famous Men by Julie Bunton. This comes out July 14th by Random House.
- [48:29]
B
No, I just looked it up as you were talking. I've never seen this cover. I like it. It's striking. But, yeah, I've not heard of this one.
- [48:36]
A
It actually came on my radar because the publisher reached out to me about a copy and I was like, let me look at this book and see what it's about. And I was like, I've never heard of this. I haven't seen any buzz about it, but it does sound really good. So, yes, please send me a copy. And then as I was making my way in making my list, I was like, yes, I'm going to be reading this this summer and I. I want to put it on my bonanza. So I'm glad I did.
- [48:59]
B
Did. The only critique I have is the woman's name is Will.
- [49:04]
A
Yeah, that is confusing.
- [49:05]
B
So I. Because I'm listening to you and I'm like, I thought Will was a woman, but now I'm confused. And then, yes, okay. I mean, it's not a real.
- [49:12]
A
I wonder if it's short for something,
- [49:14]
B
but Willa Willamina, Something like that, who knows?
- [49:16]
A
Yeah, exactly.
- [49:17]
B
You'll have to read it and let us know.
- [49:19]
A
I sure will.
- [49:20]
B
All right, next up for me is a repeat author, but I have not read him more than once and I haven't read him in a while. It is Keep Them Close by David Ellis Bliss. And this comes out on June 30th from G.P. putnam's sons. And okay, it's about two siblings, Allison and Luke. And they have been through a lot together. They've always stood by each other and they do anything for each other. When Allison's husband, Finley is murdered, Luke is right there by her side. Until the murder investigation exposes secrets that could tear their family apart. An illicit affair, a decades old accident. A shocking betrayal. And how do they explain Finley's death? And why are the siblings suddenly suddenly avoiding each Other. And as past tensions resurface, the truth might lie a little too close to home. The book that I read from him and loved is Look Closer. It was a five star thriller for me. As soon as I started it, that book, I was like, you know what? I'm in good hands. Let me just sink in and enjoy. And it really was good for this one. I'm expecting intricate plotting with smart characters and that's generally all I need in a good thriller. Can't wait to try this one out. That book is Keep Them Close by David Ellis lists.
- [50:30]
A
Yeah. Look Closer has been on my TBR for ages. I remember when you finally read it and you loved it. I was like, yeah, I've got to bump that up my list. So I'm actually kind of hoping to read that one that's like on my short list of books that I want to read this year. So. Yeah, I didn't know that he was coming out with a new book this summer. That's exciting.
- [50:49]
B
Yes.
- [50:50]
A
Okay. My next one is historical fiction. I'm really excited about this. This is one that I discovered through making my list like it wasn't already on my radar. And as I was looking, it got put up here. I'm really excited about it. It's called Nothing to My Name by Kang Kang Lee Kovacs.
- [51:07]
B
Nope.
- [51:08]
A
Good, good.
- [51:09]
B
I've never heard of it.
- [51:10]
A
Okay, this one sounds really good. It traces the entwined lives of three generations of one Chinese family across the decades of upheaval. The grandmother comes from an age during the Communist revolution, scraping by in a small village as she earns a living combing the hair of the wealthy few. The mother that we are following grows up shaped by her parents struggles and the pressures of the Cultural Revolution that have threatened to tear their family apart. The daughter was raised as a boy by her activist father and comes of age in the wake of. Of a very tumultuous time in Chinese history as well. She's grappling with identity and belonging and this book is swept up in shifting political tides. Each of these women is driven to survive amongst political and cultural upheaval during their timelines. And it is said to be a sweeping, intimate portrait of hardship and resilience, charting loss, reckoning and the enduring and unexpected joy that binds a family together. Love generational stories and I love following a family through those generations. And this one sounds just beautiful. And it is coming out from Viking, which is a publisher again, that works really well for me. That is Nothing to My Name by Kang Kang Lee Kovacs. And that comes out on June 23rd.
- [52:44]
B
That sounds really good. I've never read a book sort of centering on this time period.
- [52:49]
A
Same.
- [52:50]
B
So, yeah, good one. Okay. I hope it's. I hope it's immersive like an eat one that's easy to sink into. You know what I'm saying?
- [52:59]
A
I do too. Yeah, same.
- [53:02]
B
We'll have to wait and see.
- [53:03]
A
You will.
- [53:04]
B
My next one's real different than that. It is Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier, a loved author. An easy one for me. This one comes out on August 25th. Fifth from Minotaur. And this was actually not going to be on my list because I was like, ah, do I really need to put it on here? She doesn't come out with books all that often though. And her book the Butcher was a five star read for me. And I'm like, you know what, let me go ahead and do it anyway. And then I read the opening scene. I said, extra. Sold. So in the opening scene you are listening to an interview. You're not listening to it. You're reading an interview from between a serial killer and an interviewer. And he, in this first couple of pages, and this is in the synopsis, this recants his confession. So he is serving five consecutive sentences of life in prison for the murder of five girls. And he's like, actually, I only murdered four of them. Excuse me. And so word gets out to the deceased's former friends and they go back to the town where it happened to try and figure out what happened to what happened in real life. And if he didn't kill their friend, who did? Now, now this one is set around. This one is in the same world as her book Wonderland, which is one I've not read but I'm curious about. And it. It's a carnival setting. It's a carnival.
- [54:22]
A
Yeah, I was gonna say that one's set like at a theme park, right?
- [54:25]
B
Yep. Theme park, baby. You're right. It's a theme park. Maybe carnival, one of the two. But it's definitely sort of has that thing. It is a standalone though. I double checked. So you're not gonna. You can read it if you want to. I think there'll be nods to the other, but you don't have to. But I just thought this one sounded so. I love a cold case with friends that were there at the time who want to go back and investigate or figure things out. I love a serial killer that's basically on death row making confessions. Is he messing with them? God only knows. I also think this has got a little bit of a multimedia aspect. So I am all in from it. I am all in with it. This book is Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier.
- [55:04]
A
Yeah, I. That does sound. That does sound good. I still have not read the Butcher and me too. I've heard. Heard such good things though. I can get down with dark. I feel like that works better for me than other thrillery horror, horror tropes. So. I mean, I love Karen Slaughter and she really goes there too.
- [55:25]
B
So you would enjoy that book then.
- [55:28]
A
Okay, my next one. We're switching genre gears here.
- [55:33]
B
What is it? Oh, I just started feeling.
- [55:36]
A
Oh, Tropesick.
- [55:38]
B
Hello.
- [55:39]
A
Hello. Okay, popping in. It's Tropesick by Lauren Okey.
- [55:43]
B
Cool.
- [55:44]
A
This is my romance that I have. Have you heard of it?
- [55:46]
B
No, I don't think so because I
- [55:48]
A
hadn't either until I was looking at lists and I was like, this romance sounds good. What say you? And it sounded so good that I put it pretty high on my list, which is kind of risky for an author I've never read and a book I hadn't heard of until I was prepping for my summer bonanza. But you'll know when I tell you about it why I put it up here because it has so many of my catnip. Like, this is a romance that will be so promising for me. First of all, it's a slow burn and it's about two childhood neighbors. I mean, right there, we could stop it right there. And I'm like, yep, sign me up. I want to read it. And they are connected by a shared tragedy and they have to reunite to ghost write a love story for a reclusive authority. They end up spending the summer at a secluded Hamptons estate. And these two people in question, their names are Katie and Tyler. And they haven't spoken to each other since this tragedy that they experienced when they were younger. Tyler was her brother's best friend and Katie, naturally, was the girl next door. As genre conventions require, Katie and Tyler soon find themselves removed from Manhattan and instead writing their love story in a forced proximity setting at this isolated Southampton home. As the summer unfolds, the tropes Katie and Tyler have written into their novel begin to play out in their own lives. This one is said to be heart wrenching and tender and a love letter to the romance genre. So, so many tropes that I. I love that I think if done uniquely and well, could really work for me. I love a friends to lovers childhood best friends trope, especially that is just my absolute favorite. So I have high hopes for this one. That's Tropesick by Lauren Okey. That comes out June 16th from Avon.
- [57:36]
B
That sounds good. I like that I like ghost reading.
- [57:40]
A
A book.
- [57:40]
B
Sort of Childhood Friends. It's also an interesting cover. I like that it's a departure from the.
- [57:47]
A
I thought it was a memoir.
- [57:49]
B
Yeah, it looks like a memoir. I like that it's a departure from. What's the word I keep wanting to say? Animated.
- [57:54]
A
Kind of like the cartoon illustrated. The cartoony illustrated.
- [57:57]
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I like this.
- [57:59]
A
Me too.
- [58:00]
B
All right, sounds good. Okay, so my next book. Okay, this is a book. I got the email from the publisher and immediately I was like, it's on my bonanza list. Like, no question about it. It's the Secret Dinner by Rafael Montez. Comes out on August 18th from Celadon. Now, this is another book in translation, and you might know Rafael Montez from his book Perfect D Days. What?
- [58:24]
A
Yes, I was going to say you recommended a book. You recommended this book. Like the suitcase cover.
- [58:29]
B
Suitcase cover? Perfect Days is one of the most mentally messed up books I've read. I mean, I loved it. It was so bad. It was. It was really good. But like, wow, that's very dark. So I'm having a feeling that this one will be similarly dark. It is about four friends, Dante, Piglet, Miguel, and Hugo. And they're your average students trying to make ends meet with part time jobs. They're excited about the future and then their rent skyrockets and they are like, okay, we got to do something to try and figure out how are we going to keep our dreams afloat. And they need to make money and quickly. So in order to keep their apartment, they adopt an unorthodox plan and are soon sucked into the dark world of secret dinner parties catering to the twisted fantasies of Rio's elite. What starts as a joke quickly spirals out of control. And as the four friends fall deeper into this dark underworld and earn more money, the stakes get higher and the consequences deadlier, revealing the devious depths that lurk within each of them and threaten their lives. This is going to be dark. I mean, I can't wait to see it. It reminded me a little bit of Cali Kazumi's Greedy, a book that I read recently and loved. I have a feeling I know what direction this is going to go, and I'll be curious to know if I'm correct, But this book is the Secret Dinner by Rafael Montez.
- [59:50]
A
I bought Perfect Days. Is that the Book. Yeah, Perfect Days, right? I bought that on Pango Books back when I was just a listener of the show. You brought that? And I was like, yes, I need it. I think it was on Pango that I bought it, but I bought it because of you.
- [60:07]
B
Yay. I love that. It is dark, it's sinister.
- [60:11]
A
Have I read it yet? No, not. But I will one day, someday.
- [60:14]
B
You will. I know you will.
- [60:16]
A
Okay. The next three that I have, I will say are pretty buzzy. I think they're books that a lot of people are excited about, but I'm equally excited about them. So let's live. Yes, let me live. My next one is Whistler by Ann Patchett.
- [60:30]
B
Oh, I just had a moment. I thought, it sounds like my next one. Go ahead.
- [60:34]
A
Oh, no. Okay. But it's not. Okay. So this is a story about Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan. And they visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and they notice an older white haired gentleman that is following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett. And it is her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than a year when Daphne was nine years old. Now 53, Daphne hasn't seen Eddie for many years, not since this event that changed the direction of both of their lives meeting again. Time falls away. And while their relationship was very brief, it had a profound impact on them both. And now they are reunited and have no intention of ever being separated again. This is a story about people who are looking back into their lives and mulling over choices that they've made and the choices that were made for them and looking at how those choices have impacted their present lives. It's about the often small yet consequential moments that end up defining our lives and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for all of us. And it's said that it's beautiful in its simplicity and ultimately about how love endures and how the feeling of being known by another person, even if for a very short period of time, can change everything randomly. While I was reading the synopsis and putting this together, I thought about that quote from the movie Shall We Dance? Where Susan Sarandon's character provides that monologue on why people get married. And she says that people get married because we need a witness to our lives. And she kind of goes on this long monologue that's very beautiful. It's one of my favorite monologues in television. But it just reminded me when I was reading the synopsis about not necessarily two married people, but, you know, two people who have come into contact with each other that meant a lot with each other, that have witnessed things together, that have kind of pulled them together in their life experience and in their overall journey. So anyway, I'm really excited to read that. And I think that Ann Patchett does does family stories so well. That is Whistler by Ann Patchett. That comes out on June 2nd.
- [62:47]
B
I can't wait for that either. Also, if you're following along with the book talk, etc. Reading challenge, one of our prompts is a book with a horse on the COVID And Whistler has a horse on
- [62:57]
A
the COVID Has a horse. Yes.
- [62:59]
B
There you go.
- [63:00]
A
And I didn't mention, but this is published by Harper.
- [63:03]
B
Oh, okay, perfect. Yeah. No, I think that a lot of people are going to be excited for that one, me included. Good. I actually, now that I'm saying that, I think that people will be excited to know that this one's coming as well. This book is the Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin. And this one I literally added to my list yesterday, and now it's number three. I added it yesterday because I came home and it was there and I was like, what is this? I'm like, oh, historical fiction. I was like, wait, Melanie Benjamin, she is the author of the Swans of Fifth Avenue. And that is a book that I loved. So I'm like, okay, I'm going to take a closer look. And then I read the first couple pages. I said, great, very funny, Crass. Love the humor. And then I'm like, what actually is this about? And so this is about the abdication of Edward VIII and the two women at the center of it all. And so if you know anything about the, the royal family, please please understand that I'm not a historian. So I may, hopefully I don't, but I may mess this up. But you're following in this one, Edward David Windsor, heir to the British throne, and Albert, known as Birdie, his younger brother, AKA the Spare. And then you're also following the women, Edward's wife, Wallace, an American divorcee, and Bertie's wife, Elizabeth, descended from Scottish nobility. It is about a rivalry that will last all of their lives, make headlines and still fuel gossip pages nearly a century later. And so this literally recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, the queen to be, and Wallis Simpson, AKA that woman who fell into a calculated love affair with Prince Edward. And it's told from the perspective of both women. And it basically takes you into the world of These two women and what happened and, you know, all of the. Hopefully all of the nitty gritty. And so I think this just sounds fabulous. I am so excited for it. And I sort of changed up the synopsis a little bit because I was like, I don't know if I need to know all of that, but just know it's about a rivalry and it's based on real people. Like, you know, he did advocate the throne. That's a real thing that happened. And so this is the fictionalization, and it's actually the first historical fiction novel dedicated to the infamous rivalry between these two women, which I thought was interesting, too. I love a good rivalry. So we'll have to wait and see. Me. This one is the Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin.
- [65:32]
A
Yeah, I see what you mean by it sounds similar to Whistler Windsor.
- [65:36]
B
Whistler Windsor. I was like, yes, yes, exactly.
- [65:41]
A
Okay, now this one, I'm pretty confident is not on your list. It is my. My second one. We're getting close to the top here. It's the Children by Melissa Albert. And this is a return author for me. I really enjoyed this author's young adult adult series, the first book being the Hazelwood, and I read those a long time ago, really enjoyed them. This is her adult novel, and it's about Guinevere Sharp, who has two childhoods, one in the shadow of her family's isolated Vermont farmhouse and another in her mother's wildly popular Ninth City books, where her fictionalized adventures made her famous. In reality, her upbringing is far from magical. She and her older brother grew up quite neglected and half feral and hungry, escaping into the woods as their refuge. As their mother's fame surges, the dangers of isolation give way to the pressures of notoriety until a catastrophic fire leaves the series, the book series unfinished, and the siblings are its only survivors. Now an adult living off her mother's legacy, Guinevere is promoting a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother, who is now an artist and has long rejected their past and their family, and he announces a provocative new installation called Mother. As rumors link his work to a death and buried memories rise to the surface, Guinevere's carefully constructed facade begins to crack, forcing her to confront what really happened that night of the fire and a darker truth behind her mother's genius. So I like that there's a mystery here. Her other books were fantasy, and this one is sounding pretty rooted in the contemporary world, but I'll be curious to see if there is a fantastical element at all. I'm fine either way. I'M just excited to see what she does because I know I really like this author, that is the Children by Melissa Albert. This comes out on June 2nd by William Morrow.
- [67:38]
B
Ooh, sounds good. Okey dokey. Next for me is a book that I am so excited about. Obviously the next one for me is the Low Job by Grace Alexander. This comes out on June 16th from William Morrow. Talk about juicy. This is the juiciest peach on this bush. Where do peaches grow? Trees.
- [68:05]
A
Trees.
- [68:06]
B
This is the juiciest peach on the tree that I have today. Because the Low Jam is about Lily Lowe. Lily gets caught having an affair with her married boss, an admired local politician, and she finds herself at the epicenter of a scandal that could dismantle her life as she knows it. She turns to her mother, as one does. But Lydia Lowe is not the kind of mother to offer gentle words of consolation. Instead, she devises a strategy that doesn't just manage the fallout, it actively exploits it. And Lily goes from making coffee and booking meetings to making headlines and booking talk shows. And so, thanks to the scandal, now everyone knows the Low family. Lily has three sisters, and they are having different reactions to being in the spotlight. But once the wheels are turning, it seems impossible to stop what's in motion. Money, celebrity, etc. And that's basically it. This family gets famous based on a public embarrassment and decides to capitalize on it. I read the first chapter of this. It is an interview, sort of interviewing Lily and asking her what happened. And I will say, this is crass. I don't mind the language. I just want to put that out there, though, if you, if you think you might mind a little bit of language, then you may not want to read this. I thought this was irresistible, though. I'm like, I want to sit here. In fact, what I want, I'm picturing myself. It's the first warm day. I'm in my backyard. I've got a vodka lemonade in my hand, and I'm reading this book that's this type of book. I can't wait to see where it goes. This is the Low Job by Grace Alexander.
- [69:40]
A
Yeah, that does sound really good. All right, my next one is called the Great Wherever. And this is by Shannon Sanders. And this is one that was. It's one of my riskier ones that I have on my list, but it sounds really good. And it's being published by Henry Holt, and Henry Holt is typically a publisher that works really well for me. This is about Aubrey lamb, who is 32 years old and is Stumbling into adulthood a semi employed gig worker in Washington D.C. and she's grieving her father and a relationship that she thought would lead to marriage. When she inherits a shared stake in a large Tennessee farm, she seizes the chance to leave the city and erase her mounting debt. In Lanier County, Aubrey meets the relatives who co own the land and uncovers its history, beginning with her great grandfather Thomas, one of the first black landowners in the community who hoped the farm would secure a thriving future for his children. Instead, the land has become a burden. It's divided the family, attracting those eager to take it and culminating in a devastating tragedy that fractures the lambs for generations to come, with repercussions that have reached Aubrey now in her life. As she learns the history from the living, Aubrey is also confronted by the ghosts of her ancestors who offer sharp, gossipy commentary and stake their own claims in the farm charm. This is blending family saga with a modern voice and exploring themes like grief, inheritance and how the past continues to shape who we become and who we are today. So yeah, enough about that. Just piqued my interest. And again, Henry Holt is a publisher that really works for me and I have a copy on my shelves so I'm excited to get to it this summer. That's the great Wherever by Shannon Sandra. That comes out on July 7th.
- [71:33]
B
I'm glad you have some July books. I don't have a single one. All mine are June.
- [71:36]
A
I only had one. I only had one August.
- [71:40]
B
Oh really? Okay good. So we're spanning it. Have a wide span here.
- [71:45]
A
Yes, we do.
- [71:46]
B
I am. I'm ready to share my top, most anticipated for my summer bonanza. It is Strangers Behind Closed Doors by Katherine Adele west and Catherine. Adele west is an author that I've read. Actually, I've read all her books, but her book Saving Ruby King was a five star read for me. I loved it. She is a local to me author in Chicago and this one's about Giovanni Mason, who's worked hard to become the first blackhead concierge at Chicago's exclusive and glamorous Ivory Hotel. It's a job that requires patience, perfection and above all, self control. But when Giovanni reunites with her former best friend, makeup influencer Natalie Moore, things get heated as amending offenses morphs into a public argument in the hotel restaurant and she loses her cool. Unfortunately, hours later, her former best friend is missing and evidence piles against Giovanni. Detective Reading Stark is the only one that doesn't believe that Giovanni did it. Detective Running Stark sees disturbing parallels to what happened in this case to a series of disappearances targeting black women and believes that Natalie's case is a part of something bigger. And together she and Giovanni are pulled into a dangerous way web of privilege, power, betrayal, both inside and beyond the walls of Ivory Hotel. Will Giovanni and Detective Stark find Natalie or join the missing themselves? This book, the opener made my blood boil. I mean it is a phenomenal opening to the point where I actually did not know what this book was about. I just grabbed it because of the author and I didn't even read the synopsis. I was like, oh, let me read the prologue and see what I think. Think. I mean the prologue is a mere five pages and I was hooked and had to keep going. Really wished I could, but I saved it for now. I'm excited. I. I must know what's going to happen next. This book comes out on June 9th from Park Row and it's Strangers Behind Closed Doors by Katherine Adele West.
- [73:46]
A
That is so exciting.
- [73:48]
B
Very exciting.
- [73:49]
A
Yeah, I know. I remember you reading Ruby King and loving it.
- [73:54]
B
Loved it. And Chicago. I have two Chicago books, this one and the David Ellis book. And that always makes me happy.
- [73:59]
A
All right. My number one is one that, listen, we've all talked about it, we all know it exists, but I don't care. It's my favorite book that I am looking forward to and we are reading it as a bookshop community and again, I don't care. I'm still making it my number one and it's Land by Maggie o' Farrell. Because I this is like my number one book. I'm excited for this year, let alone this summ and I just really wanted it on my list even though, you know, we've talked about it here and there before. Anyway, so this one is. I'm kind of nervous about it because I've actually heard some mixed reviews. Some of my friends that are reading it are not super excited about the direction that it's gone. But then, you know, some early reviews have really loved it. So I'll be really curious to see what kind of reception this gets after it's been out for a little while. But this one is is set on a wind swept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, and Tomas and his reluctant son Liam are working for the Great Ordinance Survey Project to map the whole of Ireland. It's set in 1865 and in a country not long since ravaged and emptied by the great hunger. Their task is an easy one. Tomas, however, is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster the British soldiers in charge are due to arrive any day, expecting the work to be completed. But Tomas is sent off course by an unsettling encounter that he has his life and those of his family will never be the same again. Liam is terrified by the sudden change in his taciturn father. What was it that caused such cracks to open in Tomas? And how is liam, aged only 10, going to finish the mapping and get them both home? I love Maggie o'.
- [75:48]
B
Farell.
- [75:48]
A
She can do no wrong. I'm really, really hoping that this one works for me. That is Land by Maggie O'. Farell. This comes out June 2nd by Knopf.
- [75:56]
B
I am glad that you went with that. And again, we got to go where our heart tells us that we need to go. All right, well, we're done with our bonanza. I feel really good now. I feel like, okay, the pressure is off. I've requested all of them on NetGalley if I didn't already have them. And I feel good. So now I get to start reading them, which is the fun part in and of itself. Well, it's all fun, but, you know, the reading is the actual act of what we're trying to achieve here. I will wrap things up by telling you what my current read is. And it's a weirdo one. It is Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer. This is horror. And this is about a Trad wife influencer who allows a demonic creature to impregnate her. Now, you might be thinking, why are you reading this? And I'm also questioning that myself. I initially was like, no, thank you. I'm all set. But I kept seeing, like, it pop up and seeing people say it's got decent reviews. Of course I've been on a tradwife
- [76:49]
A
the comps to yesteryear.
- [76:51]
B
It's so not yesteryear at all in a.
- [76:53]
A
But I keep seeing it comped to.
- [76:55]
B
It could not.
- [76:56]
A
We're not like, comped to it, but,
- [76:57]
B
like in the same conversation.
- [76:59]
A
Yeah, Yeah.
- [77:00]
B
I don't agree with that.
- [77:02]
A
I mean, there's.
- [77:03]
B
They're trad wife people. But I'm doing the audio of this one. It's. It's okay so far. Far the characters are very shallow. Actually, there's really only one character that. There's two that you're following. They're very shallow. I do hear, though, that this gets pretty gory. And so I will be curious to know how this one ends. I would not pick this one up if you get queasy easily, because I do hear this gets pretty intense. But the book is Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer.
- [77:27]
A
Yeah, I've been seeing that one pop up a lot on my feed. I am reading a backlist title actually, and I'm really happy that I picked this up. It's called Nesting by Roan o'. Donnell. And I had had this on my Libro FM for a really long time. It was nominated for the Women's Prize a couple of years ago and has been on my TBR since then, as you can see, with my, my theme, with my latest read that I brought earlier in my current read, I'm kind of trying to work on these books that have been on my shelf for a while and I'm really glad that I picked this one up. It's really working for me. It's about a mother and she's got two daughters, she's pregnant, she's trying to leave a really difficult marriage and there are. We're really just following her through that whole process, start to finish, when she finally makes the decision that she's gonna leave with her girls and every process that she has to take and exactly what it takes for her to leave this abusive marriage. So I'm about halfway through with that. It's heavy, but it's not too heavy. Like it's handling hard topics, but it definitely is doing it in a way where there's some tenderness, there's some warmth there. And yeah, I, I'm glad that I decided to, to give it a go halfway through. I'm excited to review it on the pod when I finally finish it. That's Nesting by Roshan o'. Donnell.
- [78:56]
B
I'm glad you're reading that. I have a copy of it somewhere and it was one of those that I sort of had in the back of my head at some point. Point. But that is it, my friend for today. Thank you all for listening. We had such fun building this list. Hopefully you're building your summer TBR and are excited with us. 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 we can squeeze them in. Sometimes it cuts us off, but they'll be listed down below. And if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget, if you'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.
- [79:38]
A
If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktok. Etc. On Instagram and YouTube. And you can find Tina at TBR Etc. And Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week.
- [79:51]
B
And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. Baby, I got my everything's better shirt.
- [79:56]
A
I love you. You're repping that shirt.
- [79:58]
B
I know. I. I just picked it up off the ground. It wasn't intentional. I'm like, hey, summer Bonanza day. Let's do it.
- [80:05]
A
It sure is. Let's rep our fame.