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- [00:00]
A
So are there people that are actually like bored, like in a given day? They're just like, not like, they're just like doing. They just like don't know what to do. They're just like bored.
- [00:09]
B
Can you imagine my 8 year old?
- [00:11]
A
Right? Yeah. They're a little kid. Right. They get bored after 15 seconds. But I just think I'm like, I would love to be bored. I cannot think of the last time that I was bored. Like truly.
- [00:23]
B
There's always something to do. Always something to do. I sit on the couch and stare into the abyss and wonder how I can possibly get up and do all the things I need to do. That does happen on occasion. I'm not bored when I'm doing that. I'm stressed, right?
- [00:38]
A
Yeah, No, I don't do even that. I never do that. I should probably do that more. Try to stare into the abyss. I feel like I'm always. I'm like on a treadmill every single moment of every day. I wake up and I just start and then I crash at 9:30.
- [00:51]
B
Yeah. As I say, at least you have a good bedtime.
- [00:53]
A
That is true. I know I need to. Not so I can get more done. I need to stay up later so that I could actually, you know, do everything that I need to do for myself. 14 jobs. Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your TBR. I'm Tina from TBR etc.
- [01:19]
B
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [01:21]
A
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And today we are tackling the TBR shelf where we worked from a prompt and read a book that is on our physical tbr.
- [01:35]
B
If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And if you have a quick minute, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on social media. It truly helps us connect with other book lovers.
- [01:48]
A
Hello, Hannah.
- [01:50]
B
Hey, Tina. How's it going?
- [01:52]
A
Oh, fine. I mean, you don't really want to know the answer to that. So we're gonna say everything is great. Everything is awesome. What is that from Trolls? It's a.
- [02:05]
B
Well, isn't it the song. It's like everything is awesome.
- [02:07]
A
It's awesome.
- [02:09]
B
Yeah, that's how we're feeling in a very sarcastic sense today. Let's be honest. I like it when you say that you're doing Medium though.
- [02:17]
A
I'm not even medium though. I'm like below Medium. I'm like, okay, fair, extra done. Crispy. I don't know, something worse than medium,
- [02:26]
B
extra done and crispy. But not like Diet Coke crispy.
- [02:29]
A
No, not good crispy.
- [02:30]
B
Too many minutes in the air. Fryer crispy.
- [02:32]
A
Yes. Dried out and used up, baby.
- [02:37]
B
No, literally, we always find a way to make it a little more positive
- [02:41]
A
in the way it's a good visual. It really is a good visual. But no, we're fine. I have great books to talk about today. That is me too.
- [02:48]
B
I'm really excited about.
- [02:49]
A
Yep, I have two great books. One book that I have very complex feelings about, but I think will be fun to chat through. So that's always good. You know, I always say, make me feel, just don't bore me. And none of these bored me today.
- [03:02]
B
I'm excited. I think. I think between the two of us, we have just like some extra fun books to talk about today. So hopefully that boosts the mood.
- [03:11]
A
Yes, hopefully that boosts the mood. I mean, we're going to be great. It is, of course, great weather outside. I mean, for once I have no complaints. It's hazy, but, I mean, a little haze never hurt anybody, presumably. But yeah, the weather itself is just fine. It's about the one week a year that we are kind of neutral. Like, you know, it's warm, it's not raining right now, so can't complain. On that front, I am going to tell you about something I've been loving lately that that might put me out of business. And it is a website, and it is something I literally just discovered. Shout out to Mother Horror, who cited this website on one of her not prompts, but one of her posts. And I was like, what is this website? I dove in and I'm obsessed. The website is called Julie, that's J, U L E Y. This is a website that tells you all of the new releases. All of them. Like, literally all of the new releases. Their goal is to never miss a book release. And they help you track upcoming book releases in one clean radar. You can browse by month, genre, trope. You can watch the buzz, like, which books are buzzy. Shelve your books if you want to. This is actually insane. I know nothing about this. So if this happens to be, like, I don't know who runs this. So I'm not sure. You know, I do have an account. I signed up. I've been using it. It seems to be wonderful. It also seems to be too good to be true. So that's why I'm giving you all these caveats, because I was like, how is this so awesome? Like, who's running this? And they say it's free forever. So I. It actually tells you too. Like, if you click on this tab called Trends, there's 33,939 upcoming titles over the next 123 weeks. The busiest week is September 1st. They have 1600 books coming out on September 1st, which is kind of cool. They're tracking 2,820 imprints. And I mean, it's just awesome. It's just really, really cool. They've got a buzzing now list which is the list of the most anticipated titles for upcoming seasons. The. The number one most anticipated title for the upcoming season is a book that I have never heard of. It's the Commons by Rebecca Iheem. I've never heard of it, but I'm assuming it's Romanasy based on the COVID That one comes out on September 17th. But it's cool. I'm like really, really into it. So I do get, you know, I do my new release Tuesday videos every week and we also do a newsletter where we share sort of our personal upcoming books on the radar list each week. And used to just get it from a combination of sources, which I'm sure I will still do. But this, I'm like, wow, this is actually going to make it very, very not easy. But it's all in one place. It's kind of cool. And this is why I'm jokingly saying, wow, this is going to put me out of business because, you know, I love to pull the new releases and talk about them, but I am not a gatekeeper. So I was like, let me just put everybody onto this. I'm pretty excited about it. I think it's really cool. And I don't know what else to say about that. My loving lately is the website that's called Julie App.
- [06:41]
B
Julie App. Okay. I wonder if that's why I couldn't find it because I was trying julie.com and it was like, this site can't be reached. Okay. J U L E Y dot app.
- [06:53]
A
Yes.
- [06:53]
B
Wow.
- [06:54]
A
And I don't know why.
- [06:54]
B
This is really cool. Their UX or their. I'm sorry, their UI is really good. Like this is a really.
- [07:02]
A
Yes.
- [07:02]
B
Great looking site.
- [07:04]
A
Yeah. Oh, and that. So user interface, I assume.
- [07:08]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [07:09]
A
I was thinking that same thing. I'm like, dude, this is actually like, it's really well constructed. That's why I'm like, I don't know where this came from and who put it together. I will Link it down below if you guys want to click on my link directly. I don't know what happens if I refer you to it, but I want to find out. So I'll put the link in our show notes. And, you know, you also, something they do that I think is really cool, but you have to keep an eye on is that they also tell you about the paperback re release. So a lot of the books you'll see for a given week, like, for example, I'm looking at the Librarians by Sherry Thomas. I know that came out already. And it tells you it's a paperback re release, which I think is cool because sometimes those books get lost. As you may know, books in the US Always come out on hardback first, and then usually about a year later, the paperback will come out. So I think that's really cool that they list both of them because again, you can, you know, maybe get a little resurgence if you're somebody that tracks books that come out on paperback.
- [08:09]
B
Wow. I am going to have to move on from this quickly.
- [08:13]
A
Yes. It's like one of those things where you're like, I could spend all day here.
- [08:17]
B
I'm already stuck. And I. Before we land the plane here, I'll say, I like that. You can also search for upcoming book releases, not just by month, but. What? You kind of already mentioned this, but you can even search by trope. Trope.
- [08:31]
A
Oh, cool. Yes.
- [08:33]
B
I didn't even know that I want a cowboy romance. I can search for upcoming releases by trope.
- [08:40]
A
That's awesome.
- [08:41]
B
Really cool.
- [08:42]
A
I know.
- [08:42]
B
That is awesome.
- [08:43]
A
Kind of crazy.
- [08:43]
B
All right, well, I am going to switch gears into a much more boring loving lately. But if you're a practical person, you'll love these just as much as I do. And that is the welly bandages. We have been using these for the summer. They're pretty popular. I think a lot of people know the company welly and. But we've been using them for our bandages. Our kids have been playing outside. They're now 5 and 8, so they're outside all the time. They're constantly getting scraped up and they're really active. And so a lot of times if you get like the fun band aids that they really like, that kids really like.
- [09:28]
A
Yes.
- [09:29]
B
They are off brand or even the Band Aid brand. Sorry, Band Aid. But they come off. And you know, if your kids are playing in a splash pad or getting wet, which my kids often are in the summer, those do not last. And they come off so easily. These welly bandages will even stay on in the bath. Like we have to take them off and clean their scrapes and things like that and then put new bandages on. So. So they last a really long time. They last through water and they have really fun designs and they're this really stretchy fabric material and so they're comfortable for the kids as well. I also like that the designs on them are fun for the kids, but they're also not. So they're not so like. I don't want to say childish, but I guess that's the appropriate word. They're not so childish that you wouldn't feel comfortable wearing them. Like Dustin and I use these bandages too because the designs on them are sunshine or paw prints, not, you know, paw patrol or Barbie, which again are fine. I've been known to wear a Barbie band aid, no problem. But it is nice that these designs are just objectively cute, fun designs for both kids and grown ups alike. So that is obviously not important when it comes to a band aid, but it's a nice bonus.
- [10:53]
A
Not, not important, you know, it's not.
- [10:54]
B
Not nice.
- [10:55]
A
Yeah, it's not that nice exactly.
- [10:57]
B
Right. They have, you know, a first aid kit and they even have blemish bandages. I've never used those, but I'm just browsing their site right now and they have, you know, a couple other wellness and first aid items to choose from. We just get their refills and we have our own bandage box at home and first aid kit at home that we stock with these welly band aids. So that is my loving lately. Those are the welly bandages.
- [11:27]
A
This is such a good one because we indeed use the ones that have. What do we have? I forget what. Oh, squishmallows we have.
- [11:35]
B
I guess those are the ones that I was thinking two seconds.
- [11:37]
A
They literally last. They're like stickers basically for children's boo boos. And so they're not good. But also the ones that we have are like the boring, whatever ones and the those aren't any fun. So I am glad, like it's so funny you you said this because literally I used a band aid. I think it was yesterday. And I was like, oh my God, all you have is this boring one. Cass. Sorry. She's like no fun. I know. She literally was a little upset about it. So I will check those out.
- [12:06]
B
Yeah, they're great.
- [12:08]
A
All right. So for my latest read, I have a book that I have very, very complicated feelings about. It is called the Elementals by Michael McDow. I grabbed this early actually in July and It took me forever to read. It is only 292 pages. And I swear to you, I was reading this book for three weeks because I only had the Kindle. And, you know, you read a couple pages here and there. But that's not the problem that I have with this. But before I tell you my issues, I will tell you about the book. This book is horror, and it is set in the Gulf Coast. There are three Victorian summer houses that stand against the encroaching sand. Two of the houses at Beldame are still used. The third house is filling with sand and it's empty. So they think, right, you're following two families, the McRae's and the Savages. Two fine mobile families aligned by marriage. And they've been coming to what they call Beldame for years. In the beginning of the book, there's a funeral. So one of their family members has passed, and they're putting that behind them. And even Luker and his daughter India come down from New York and they're looking forward to spending some time together as a family. However, they will not be alone for something there. Something they don't like to think about is thinking about them. And I will tell you that that is all you need to know. This is a book that I picked up because I made a little reel that was like, here are some books that actually scared me. And a lot of people mentioned this as a book that actually scared them. My issue with it is that there is a very prominent character in this who plays a pretty big role. Her name is Odessa and she works for the family. I found this book to be pretty racist, if I'm being honest. She was referred to as the black woman pretty much only all the time, multiple times. Never was it like, Odessa did this. It was always. She was always called the black woman. And especially in the beginning, when you're first starting to know the family, I'm like, dude, what? And I had a very hard time with it because on the one hand, it was written in 1981, but on the other hand, it was 1981, you know? And I was like, I. The only thing that was keeping me going is the high praise. It has almost a 4.0 average rating with 24,000 reviews on, like, Goodreads. And I know so many people that I respected that read Horror were like, they loved this book, right? So I'm like, okay, I can sort of take it with that and have that in mind and have that critical lens as I'm reading it. And I also Was like, wow, they are really tropifying. Odessa. And I will leave it at that. It really is a story about a family with very complex relationships, specifically. Oh, that wasn't my only problem with the book. The father and daughter, India and Lucre, they have a very weird relationship. Very weird. India's 13 in this, I would think, I believe. And Lucre is an adult, obviously. Very strange relationship, weird conversations. I found India to be very precocious and quite annoying throughout the entire book. I never really warmed up to her, which is. Okay, that's. That's like, a me thing. The things that this book did well, setting really good for summer. I read this for, like, a summer in 1980s prompt, and it totally gave you that. Finally, at 60, I was like, oh, this is getting spooky. I was like, okay, now we're into it, right? Something happens, and you really start to figure things out. The first 60%, though, were pretty try. They were pretty dry for me. I'm like, okay, it's a lot of drama or a lot of just family conversation. A lot of, like, annoying quips by the teenager. And then eventually it did get good in terms of the scares. The opening scene is fabulous. At the funeral. Y' all know, I oddly love a book that opens at a funeral. I think it's a really great jumping off point for fiction stories. But then it got very dry, and then it got decent at the end. This young. This man, he. He actually sadly died in 1999 of age related illness.
- [16:40]
B
And the author.
- [16:41]
A
The author, yes. Thank you. And I didn't realize he wrote Beetlejuice. So I was like, oh, my God. I knew that later on. He also wrote the Nightmare Before Christmas, so he provided screenplays for that, I should say. And I didn't know that.
- [16:59]
B
Yeah.
- [16:59]
A
And I knew it sort of halfway through. And then if you think of both of those films and the weirdness of them and the tongue in cheek humor, I was like, oh, if I'm reading this as though I'm watching Beetlejuice, I kind of get it a little bit more because I always say I want to know if the author is in on it. Like, is the author believing that Odessa should just be referred to as that? Or are the characters like that? And I lean toward. I think it's the characters. And he was proving a point, and he was kind of in on what he was trying to say in terms of, like, this family and their beliefs and how they act towards people. And I was like, okay. In that sense, I'm closer to getting it Good scares. There were some good scares overall, particularly toward the end. I still, though, can't really get past the language and the pacing. I'm landing at three stars with this. It is a very light, lukewarm recommendation. I am not mad that I read it. And I think it's good for people that just listen to what I said. If that sounds good to you, pick it up. I'm not, avoid, I'm not saying don't read this. It just left me with a lot of very complex feelings, which is, you know, good when I'm reading. That's what I want. So this book is the Elementals by Michael McDowell?
- [18:19]
B
No, that was a really good review and sometimes that's just the way it is. We have really complicated feelings about it. Some good, some bad. But I think that you did a really good job reviewing that book for us. And as you were. Yeah, and as you were talking about the unsettling nature of those family conversations and then noting that this author did the screenplays for those two movies. Those are also both Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice. Tim Burton directed films. And if you know Tim Burton and his films, they're all like that, where there's just something so unsettling and you can't even always put your finger on it.
- [18:59]
A
Yes.
- [19:00]
B
And so it sounds like this book was similar in just that unsettling nature.
- [19:05]
A
Definitely.
- [19:06]
B
Yeah. It was kind of just a fun comp that I was thinking about as you were reviewing that book for us. But I am going to be bringing for my latest read, a book that my daughter and I just finished. But it is one that this is my third time reading it through. So the first two times I read this book, I read it for myself and then I just read it as a read al with my daughter. And that is the Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. And even though I've read this a few times, I have never brought it to the show and I'm really excited to do so now because this is one of my favorite. This is one of my all time favorite books and book series. This is the story of Morrigan Crow. And she is cursed. She was born on Eventide, which is the unluckiest day for any child to be born. She is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks. And worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her 11th birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter north appears chased by Black smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback. He whisks her away into the safety of a secret magical city called Nevermoor. And it is here and then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place place in the city's most prestigious organization, the Wondrous Society. But in order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart from all the other children. An extraordinary talent that Morgan insists she doesn't have to stay in the safety of Nevermore for good. Morgan will need to find a way to pass the tests or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate. So I will say I don't want to convince you to read this because it's a great book for your kids, although it is. And I don't want to convince you to read this as a teacher for your classrooms, although I think it has so much for children to learn from. I want you as an adult to read this book for you for fun. I don't bring middle grade often because I know it's something that most adults don't reach for anymore. And I know that it is not our listeners favorite type of book to hear about. But I wouldn't be bringing this if I didn't think it has really wide appeal. This author has such an enchanting way of directing her narrative focus toward both her adult and child audience. And that is, to me, what makes a remarkable children's book. This book touches on so many important topics using really, really smart literary devices to complete such a magical story. These characters are some of the most endearing and complex charact. They are tangible enough for an audience that is indeed geared toward kids, but so deep and mosaic that you genuinely feel fulfilled reading about these characters. Morrigan was so courageous beyond her years and so funny. Jupiter, who's her mentor in the story, is so delightful and again, just really funny. And then there are these two friends that she has, Jack and Hawthorne, and they have such a great friendship and companionship with Morrigan. And I really liked that these two boys that she is friends with. It's not, you know, Morrigan, this, this wise one, and then these two doltish friends. And there's, you know, it doesn't appeal to those stereotypes. There really is a friendship dynamic that has partnership and teamwork and they actually kind of fit together like puzzle pieces and bring different things to the table that are important when they work together to, you know, conquer and Go forth. And I really, really appreciated that. And there is also a magical, colossal sized cat who plays a very important role in the story. And this cat is entirely charming in all of her caustic mordancy. So she's just really funny and such a great character. This world is the most reminiscent of childhood fantasy favorites that I have ever visited since reading fantasy as a kid. And I do not say that lightly. When I first wrote my review for this book in 2021, I said nevermore is a book that I will be rereading again and again. And I was correct. It's 2026 and I just finished it for the third time. I also wrote I Cannot wait to put this in the hands of my children one day, to which I just finished my first read through with my 8 year old daughter. And so it was so special to go back and read that review knowing that I did in fact do that. So if middle grade isn't for you, I really do encourage you to at least give this one a shot, especially if you're a fantasy reader. It's just one of my all time favorite books and I read it for the first time as an adult. There's not even a nostalgic appeal to me for this one, so can't recommend it enough. It's Nevermore the Trials of Morrigan Crowe by Jessica Townsend. And it's a series. I don't know if I mentioned that.
- [24:21]
A
Yeah, I think you did in the beginning. It sounds fabulous. I've obviously put a hold on it. That's what I was busy up to. You were telling me, let me put a hold on it. I think my, my girls would love to read that and I like when you, I like. I feel like you have a really good eye for middle grade that adults might like as well. Like, I love that you're able to translate that because it can be really hard to do, I think.
- [24:45]
B
Yeah. And I really, I, I. There have been middle grade books that I have read, even with my daughter, that I don't bring to the show because I just don't think that they have wide appeal. But if I do bring one, it is usually because I truly think that adult readers will enjoy them. Even ones who might be hesitant to try it.
- [25:05]
A
So I love it. I'm gonna give it a whirl myself and hopefully my daughter will enjoy it. Is it, does it have pictures?
- [25:14]
B
No, it doesn't have pictures. I would say that it's an older middle grade book.
- [25:17]
A
Yeah.
- [25:17]
B
So my daughter's 8 and there were Things that as I was reading through it, I even had to explain to her a little bit. And it is one that I read aloud to her because she. She could read it herself. But it was definitely more enjoyable for her as a read aloud.
- [25:33]
A
Yeah. Oh, I can see that.
- [25:35]
B
Okay.
- [25:36]
A
We're working on reading, so that won't be an issue. All right. Yeah. So speaking of intimidating, you know what's funny, right? We today are talking about books that we read that intimidated us, and we are doing this because we pulled them as the prompt for our tackling the TBR shelf in one of our previous episodes. So once a month, we pick a new prompt and read for that from books that we already own on our TBRS behind us. Of course, we encourage you to join us. You don't have to own it. You could just be something on your tbr. But when this came up, I was. I looked at Hannah. I'm like, I don't know if I have it in me to read books that intimidate me. I am so happy that we did this because I have two five star reads. I have two five star reads, which is not that common. So I'm glad that we pushed ourselves. How was it for you?
- [26:27]
B
Me too. I have one that I mostly loved. I do have some complicated feelings about it. I'll talk about that. But that. I'm excited to talk about that one, though. And then I have one that was fine. But I am really happy that I got it off my shelf because it was a nonfiction book, and I've been meaning to read it for a while since it came out, and I rarely reach for nonfiction. So even though it wasn't necessarily the best thing, I'm still really glad that I read it.
- [26:57]
A
Isn't that fun when you're like, you know, listen, even though it wasn't a slam dunk, at least I can cross it off my. My list. I also think it was interesting that when we pulled this, I think we, both of us, our first thought was, oh, length. Tbr. The. The intimidating books are length. Like, that's what's going to make them intimidating. I actually did pick up a long one, but there's so many other ways and reasons and, and it's not a bad thing that you're intimidated by a book.
- [27:26]
B
No, not at all. I. I picked length for one of mine and nonfiction for one of mine because even though nonfiction isn't the topic, isn't always intimidating, I just always find it a little more intimidating than fiction because I don't reach for it. As often. It's as simple as that. I just don't reach for it as often. Even though when I do so oftentimes, like several of my five star books at the end of the year are nonfiction titles, but I have a hard time reaching for them and I feel intimidated by them. I don't know if it's because I think that they will take me longer to read, or maybe I won't be as interested in the topic as I think I will, or if it is just because it's not something I reach for as often.
- [28:13]
A
Right. Because it could be. So many reasons. I was intimidated by one of mine because of my assumption about it. I thought it was going to be very sad and heavy. I was like, I don't know if I want to do a sad and heavy book in July.
- [28:28]
B
Oh, yeah, fair.
- [28:29]
A
I'm wrong. I'm wrong. Actually, it wasn't sad or heavy. I mean, it was sad, but very, you know, balanced as a story. Yeah, well, I'll talk about it.
- [28:39]
B
We'll say balance.
- [28:41]
A
Very balanced. Yes. But, yeah, it's. It's so funny. There's a lot of reasons. I agree, nonfiction isn't by and large intimidating to me. I haven't told. I couldn't tell you the last non fiction book I read, in part because of the podcast. It's hard to slot those in sometimes. Although we do a latest read every month or every episode, so that's kind of an exciting excuse. What other things am I intimidated by? I would say, you know what? Short story collections generally intimidate me. And again, it's because I assume I'm not going to like that. I don't know why. Based on really nothing other than I know I like a. A longer story. So I'm like, oh, maybe I won't be into this as much as I think I will be.
- [29:21]
B
I'm intimidated by short story collections, too, which again, is so funny because they're meant to be. Like, they're literally short.
- [29:30]
A
It's in the.
- [29:30]
B
It's 10 pages.
- [29:32]
A
I know, but I always. I'm like, I think I'm a momentum. I know I'm a momentum person. And I. When I'm in a book, I'm in the book. Short stories actually do the opposite for me in terms of, like, getting me to pick it up because I'm like, oh, they're so short. I'll read one and then I'm like, yeah, you know, I'll kind of move on. Yes, yes. And I've done that. So I can't tell you how many times with, like, a short story collection. Any others that you had that were, like, potentially intimidating? I can't think.
- [30:00]
B
Yeah, series in general are intimidating for me, especially if it is not finished or completed. I also think that science fiction in general. I've liked and even loved, adored a lot of science fiction novels, but for whatever reason, I have this bias against them of, like, science fiction must just be space Odysseys. And I know I don't like space Odysseys, but that's not. I know that. I know that some of my favorite dystopian novels are heavy on the science fiction, and those are side genres and sub genres that I really enjoy. But for whatever reason, when I hear someone say science fiction, I immediately think Aliens and Space Odysseys. And I'm like, I don't know.
- [30:48]
A
Not in the mood. Not in the mood for that.
- [30:50]
B
Not in the mood.
- [30:51]
A
God, we are so similar in that way. I think also for me, if it's fantasy or any tropes that I see that I've, like, tried and it didn't work previously, I'm like, I don't know. I don't typically like a time travel book, even though they're not all the same. Right. Yeah. I'm a little intimidated to pick this up. I don't know. But I've been surprised by plenty of books that I'm like, oh, I don't know if I'll like this. Like, sci Fi, you know, is another one that I'm like, we'll see. I'm like, wow, I loved that. So I suppose this is our call to push you to allow yourself to be intimidated. Know that that's okay. It still makes you a reader, and just try it. What's the worst that'll happen? You DNF it. I'm also giving you permission to dnf. Okay, please, you don't need to be
- [31:36]
B
a complete Enough here.
- [31:38]
A
Pro dnf, which means do not finish or did not finish. Rather. That means you. You pick up a book, try it, and put it down. Totally fair to do. I again, have said this before on the show, but I've heard that a DNF is a review, right? You've processed it. You know what you think about it. You can move on. That really helped me in my mindset. Cause I'm like, oh, now I know what I think about this. I know that it wasn't for me. Cool. I'm glad to know that.
- [32:03]
B
This kind of reminds me of the rule that we have with even trying food in our house when it comes to the kids. Because our rule is you don't have to eat it. You don't have to finish the whole thing. You just have to try one bite. You just have to try one bite. That's it. And even if you put it in your mouth and you chew it up and swallow it and you're like, I don't want to take any more bites, or if you put it in your mouth and you're like, I have to spit this out.
- [32:29]
A
So then at least you try it out.
- [32:31]
B
It's fine. We've got the palate cleanser, we've got the glass of milk or the juice or whatever next to it in case they really didn't like it and want to take a drink after. But my point is you can do that with intimidating books. You don't have to finish it. You don't even have to make it past the first chapter. But maybe give it a try. Just try it. And then at least, you know, at
- [32:55]
A
least, you know, I think that's a great way, a great place to end it. I mean, I suppose I'll just dive in, you know.
- [33:03]
B
Okay, tell us about, tell, tell us, tell us about your first one.
- [33:06]
A
Tell us about your first one. Let's just go. And I'm like, really? Okay, here we go. First one is the line. Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. This is a book that I picked up from Book of the Month. It was a finalist for book of the year and I had like a credit. They were, you know, you could pick one of them. And this was one that I had never read and I knew that I would love and I know people have loved some of her other books. So I was like, okay, I'm confident I'll enjoy this. Cut to it. Now being two years later and I have not. I hadn't touched it. And so they actually picked this for our in person book club, which is sometimes a really good way to put pick up books or get that push that you needed. And I'm like, okay. And this was the one I was referencing earlier where I was like, I think it's going to be a little too sad for my mood. But I think it was balanced. It is set in the beginning in 1950s Tehran. You're following seven year old Ellie who lives in Grand Comfort until her father passes away young. And it forces her and her mother to move into a tiny home downtown. Downtown is not where they want to be or the. It's not reputable according to their family. She's really lonely. Her mom is really this complex and interesting character. And Ellie's big dream is to have a friend of her own. She really, really wants a girlfriend to hang out with. And luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind and passionate girl who has. Who is very much her own person. And together, the girls grow up. They play games, they learn to cook together, they shop and just do all the wonderful things that kids get to do. But their happiness gets disrupted when Ellie and her mom, she gets remarried, and so they move back to the neighborhood that they were from, which is the richer side of town, if you will. Now they're in high school, and this is all in the blurb, by the way. I know it sounds like I'm belaboring the point, but it's sort of. I'm telling you the cadence of the book. They catch up together in high school, and I'll leave it there. They're in high school, and then you continue to follow them for many, many years as they change and as Iran changes around them. I thought this book was fabulous. It also went by so fast. I again, was intimidated. I started my doing my little character list. I'm like, okay, who's who? What's going on here? And I started keeping, too, some words and concepts, which I thought was a really helpful tool for me, you know, because they would use Iranian words in conversation, of course. And I feel like it really brought me into this world. I think the author did a great job balancing authenticity and also explaining it for readers that are not from this area. It was very much a story of pride, very much a story of culture and certainly friendship. But I will say I was immediately hooked because the author, again, crafted this very well, because in the very beginning, you find out that the women are estranged. Like the first chapter. They're adults and they are estranged, and you're like, wait a minute, What? And sometimes I get lost when we go all the way back to the childhood. But trust me when I say you really go on a really nice pace with this one. I loved reading the character of Ellie's mother. She is a complex woman. I think I said that before, and I almost would love to have a whole side story about her. I didn't like her, but I really was curious by her. I think she was just very well crafted. This is a story of kind of one of those stories, right, where it's like, you never have friends like you had when you were 12 years old, you know, like, stand by me. It's just this time of your life where you really are coming into yourself and you're doing it with, if you're lucky, you have friends around you to grow up with you as well. Lush description of Iranian culture. Lots of themes and symbols. A big theme in this one was jealousy. Mom was obsessed with people being jealous of them. And not only that, I'm telling you this story and I haven't even mentioned all of the political change that happens throughout this story, which was so tough. It was really tough to read, especially in 2026. Right? I'm like, wow, there is so much going on and there still is so much going on. And I think the author just did a fantastic story. I feel like this is a story of it's celebrating Iranian women, it's celebrating their culture and the strength that they have. And I just think it's a beautiful story. I loved it. I loved this book so much. So many reveals now I do. I did say that it wasn't as sad as I thought and I called it balanced. True, but there are very sad parts. So just know that about it. But I don't feel like I was overly weighed down when I walked away from this. Highly recommend. It loved it. Really, really wonderful story that is the Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.
- [38:09]
B
Oh yes, I loved that book too. 5 star read for me.
- [38:13]
A
Also good.
- [38:15]
B
You hit just all of the points that make that book so wonderful. And the Stationery Shop is similar in terms of it's sad but it is very balanced. And again, you don't love all the characters, but you want to know more about them. She does such a good job with both morally gray and also her heroes and heroines too. So just a fabulous author. Great review. The first book that I am going to bring is one that I read that intimidated me because of the length. It's one that I've been interested in since I heard it was coming out. But 600 plus pages and it's the Calamity Club by Katherine Stockett. And I was like, I don't know if I. If I have it in me. And then we pulled this TBR prompt and I was like, well, now's the time. So it is set in 1933, Oxford, Mississippi and Prohibition is on the wane and the Great Depression is tightening its grip. Poor and rich folks alike have fallen on hard times even as the old social order remains for women on the margins. The options are few and the price of dignity and self determination is unbearably high. We are following several characters in this story. We have 11 year old Meg, who is one of the unadoptable big girls, which is just one of their older girls at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. And she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. And then we have Birdie, who is unmarried and very outspoken and has come to Oxford on a mission to ask her social climbing sister to help the struggling family that she has left behind. And finally, we're following Charlie, who is a woman with a past, running low on luck, but driven by fire, fury and grit. And when all of their fates converge, they come up with an audacious plan to take back control of their lives. And together they form an unlikely sisterhood. But in a place and a time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is very fragile and making an enemy can have very, very dire consequences for these women. And this book asks the question, will the price that they pay for their outrageous risk taking be too high or will it be just enough? So, set in the American south during the 1930s, this story takes place obviously against one of the most devastating periods in American history. And the effects of the economic crash touch every corner of this story. And Stockett did a really good job showing how ordinary lives were shaped, showing how everybody's lives were shaped by this, this period of time, and how these people were really challenged and sometimes completely broken by these circumstances. The historical setting here felt really rich and immersive without overshadowing the other really deeply personal stories that were really at the heart of this book. Birdie is one of the best female protagonists that I have read about in a long time. I feel like I say that all the time, but I just really loved her. She was so easy to root for from the very beginning. But what impressed me the most was her growth throughout the novel. There are moments where the hardships that she faces and the circumstances that she is put in almost seem to push her backward. And I don't want to say she regresses, but, you know, she says these things or does these things where you're like, you, Birdie, you at the beginning of the novel wouldn't have done this. You, where's your sass? You know, where's your wit? But she's put in these circumstances that she never would have dreamed of. And so there are moments where, you know, you wonder how she's going to evolve through it, but she does. And she, through everything that she goes through, she remains herself, but an even stronger and better version of herself. And so I really liked the growth that she experienced in this story. I think the character work throughout this book in general is really exceptional. There are people you will absolutely despise, relationships that you're going to find yourself so fiercely invested in, and side characters that are. I would happily read entire books just dedicated to these side characters. And there's also a love story in this one, and I really enjoyed that love story as well. There is some criticism that I do feel compelled to mention. I really do wish that Stockett had been a little more thoughtful in some of these sections with the language that she used in the novel. Again, the story takes place in 1930s Mississippi. The language reflects the realities of that time. But I have seen other white authors navigate similar material with, I feel like, greater care and nuance. Stocka didn't do that throughout the entire book. There were just a couple of sections that made me feel pretty uncomfortable. Do I think that she endorses this language? Absolutely not. It's very clear where she stands socially and politically. However, there were two specific scenes that stood out to me as moments where I. I think a different approach could have been better. And I will just leave it at that. We're talking about two or three pages in a 650 page novel, but it still matters and it's worth acknowledging. And I wanted to say that here on a personal note. I got to read this book while I was in Oxford, Mississippi myself, through a partnership that I did with the publisher and through the visit Oxford, which is the town. And that made this experience, experience really fun. I will never forget walking past the city hall while listening to Birdie describe her own visit to that same building. It was just so cool. So having that fictional world overlap so perfectly with the real one is definitely a reading experience that I will not soon forget. So while I had some, you know, qualms with maybe some decisions that the author made, I do think that this is a really great story at its heart. So that is where I will leave that. And that is the Calamity Club by Katherine Stockett.
- [44:37]
A
I am excited to read this. It is our my neighborhood book club pick for next month. So I will be reading it soon. I want to annotate it. I fear. I fear I need a physical copy because I'm like, I'm going to want to do all the things because I've heard pretty much nothing but good things about this. So I cannot wait to read it.
- [44:55]
B
Yeah, I will be really excited to hear your thoughts too. I want. I want updates.
- [45:02]
A
You want up? I will live.
- [45:04]
B
I want updates.
- [45:06]
A
Okay, perfect.
- [45:07]
B
Okay.
- [45:08]
A
I'm going to tell you about the second book I was intimidated by. And I. You can probably guess what it is based on the length or why it is. It's east of Eden by John Steinbeck. And this one I was intimidated by for two reasons. One, it's a classic and those generally make me scared because I'm like, I'm gonna be bored. False. But it is 600 pages. So I'm like, I really have to settle in. This came at the perfect time for me. We had, you know, sick of talking about it, but we had no power for about a week. And I was reading this physically and I'm like, what a gorgeous time to be reading this. Because I had, for lack of a better word, I couldn't do much. So I was immersed. I was all in. I am showing it on our YouTube. I annotated it. This is one of the only books in a while that I annotated it fully as I was reading it. Really, really loved doing that. This book, in case you're not familiar with it, is a vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga. In a modern retelling of the book of Genesis, he. In his journal, Steinbeck called this the first book. It is set in the rich farmland of California, Salinas Valley, and it follows the destinies of two intertwined families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons. Adam Trask is one of the main characters and he came to California from the east to farm and raise his family on the rich new land. And then you're also following Samuel who is the patriarch of the Hamiltons. And this is first published in 1952 and I'll leave it there. This is a family saga that I truly just eight up, I really, really loved. Reading is not a book that it's. It is a book I thought about when I wasn't reading, is a book that gripped me not because of the plot or because of what was going on, but I was just like, how is this? I just love following these people. The characters are complex, starting with Adam and his brother. And I love, love, love books where you're following people throughout the duration of their entire lives. And that's what you get with this. For many characters, not just Adam, you're following them and their children. You're learning about farming, you're learning about the region and sort of the California gold rush, if you will. Personality is just the day to day life. How people made money, how people lost a lot of money, and you learn about the land's history. There is a part that I was a little bit thrown by because you kept. You came to understand that someone was telling you this story, and they're in this book. And I was like, who. Who am I? Who's the first person here? It's Steinbeck himself. It's semi autobiographical. It's. His mom is one of the characters in this. She's. She doesn't have an enormous role, but he's telling the story of his family, and it's fictionalized of his family, if you will. And I will. Good one. Yes. And, wow, was Kathy one of the most complex characters I've read in a long time. I am tempted. You know, I don't watch a lot of tv, but they're coming out with an adaptation of this in the fall, and Florence Pugh is playing Kathy, and I feel like the casting is freaking phenomenal for that. She is a real interesting woman to read. I loved it. I really did. I thought it was a fantastic reading experience. I was very. In fact, I'm still in a slump. I am. Still am. Like, I haven't finished a book since this. I'm in the middle of three, but I'm like, it's not. It's not east of Eden. It's not holding a candle. I mean, I just. I loved reading it. And this ultimately is a book about free will. Wait, let me. Not. Let me. I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite character. He is a man by the name of Lee, and Lee is what they call a servant to Adam. Lee is Chinese, and there is a lot of dated language. However, definitely Steinbeck is in on it, and he is definitely making Lee, this just really fantastic, funny character that I loved. I loved reading. I mean, what a book. I am so happy I read this. I don't know what else to say. Guys, it's east of Eden by John Steinbeck.
- [49:37]
B
Oh, my gosh. I love seeing all of your annotations of that book. You have my favorite copy. I love those.
- [49:45]
A
Yes. It's a penguin. Penguin Orange. Classic. Yeah. Anyway, good.
- [49:49]
B
When you open them.
- [49:50]
A
Yes.
- [49:51]
B
The binding is good.
- [49:52]
A
It's good. It's got deckled edges, which I know people don't like, but I like. We can try and link to this. Yeah, I like them, too.
- [49:57]
B
We can link to this version.
- [49:59]
A
It's so good, guys.
- [50:01]
B
Perfect. All right, I am bringing a nonfiction book, and this is Girl on Girl. How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves.
- [50:12]
A
Yes.
- [50:12]
B
Sophie Gilbert. Have you heard of this one?
- [50:14]
A
Yes, I do know this one.
- [50:16]
B
Okay, so this is a story about how pop culture really, in the last 20, 30 years, shaped feminism and kind of impacted feminism, losing its way a little bit. And she feels that this question is increasingly urgent. And we are in a moment of reactionary cultural and legislative backlash and widespread uncertainty about feminism's power and focus. So Sophie Gilbert is a staff writer at the Atlantic and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism. And she identifies an inflection point in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the energy of third wave and riot girl feminism collapsed into a regressive period of hyper objectification, sexualization and infantilization. And Gilbert really minds the darker side of nostalgia, training her very analytic eye on some of the most revealing cultural objects of the era, across music, film, television, fashion, tabloid journalism, and more. And she really does dive into all of this and really recounts the harrowing aesthetic of Victoria's Secret ads and explicit music videos to burgeoning Internet culture, vicious towards women in the spotlight and really damaging for women who weren't. Gilbert tracks many of the period's dominant themes, including sex work and its widespread influence as it began to really pervade. Kind of everything. I'm going to. I'm going to leave the synopsis there and kind of talk about how I felt about the story. I really enjoyed this. I ended up giving it like 3.5 stars. I want to land on. At first it was three, and then I also read some reviews and also read some. And watched some criticism from other creators, and I liked what they had to say. I think I might be bumping it up to a 3.5. Somewhere between a 3. 3.5. I think that she takes a really fascinating look at the way pop culture did shape women and girls over the last few decades. And I think that that is what I took the most out of, is all of the cultural touch points that she talked about, from the Spice Girls to Bachelor Nation. She talked about shows like Sex and the City and even talked about the start of webcams and how that became a thing and how that impacted feminism at the time. And that made the book feel not only nostalgic, but it was just really interesting to hear about those historical starting points to some of these things that we know about, but don't really know how it started and how it impacted the cultural moment at the time. And she does a really good job tracing how the patriarchy has really influenced and co opted different waves of feminism. And her discussion of reality TV evolving into our current social media landscape and voyeurism and how we basically just kind of openly engage in voyeurism now because of these things like reality TV and. And webcamming and things like that, that kind of made this a new norm. And the idea that. The idea that we've gone from being watched on reality TV to now, yeah. Willingly participating in our own surveillance through social media. So I thought that that was really interesting. My only real criticism is that I don't think that the book fully delivers on the promise of its title and central thesis, which is How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women against themselves, because that is in the subtitle. While I think it convincingly explores how pop culture has objectified women and reinforced patriarchal systems. I kept waiting for a stronger argument about how pop culture specifically encouraged girls and women to turn on one another. And I don't think that it ended up doing that. And so if that's something that you were looking forward to reading about in this book, she doesn't really go there on its. On its subtitle, which I think was, I think, supposed to be her thesis for the novel. Maybe not, but that was just something that I noticed. And the thread is mentioned throughout, but it just never fully develops or supports. Which supports it in a way that tied the book's ideas together, in my opinion. Even so, I thought it was engaging and thought provoking. And I think if you're interested in those various waves of feminism, specifically media criticism, and just the cultural forces that have shaped specifically the millennial experience, I think that this was definitely interesting and at least worth the read. It's not very long. It's only about 300 pages, so you could get through it pretty quickly. That's Girl on Girl. How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert.
- [55:45]
A
That is a very good point about the subtitle maybe not being fully addressed. You're like, that would have been nice to see. Yeah, yeah, right, though, you know, that's how it goes. I will wrap things up with a book that just came in the mail yesterday that I'm sure people are excited about. It is the Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett. I've actually never read this author, so that is on me. But I know that this is book two, or I should say it's the follow up to the Appeal. This is now the Silent Appeal, and it says, welcome back to Lower Lockwood. The Fairway Players return with Sarah Jane and Kevin McDonald as committee co chairs. This year they have chosen to stage Agatha Christie's the Hollow, but auditions aren't Their only problem, Sarah James sister Nikki Rose, is suddenly back in town under mysterious circumstances, having sold her home in Barbados, left her business providing entertainment on cruise ships, and moved back into their mother's house. As always, they're short on men and a new player. Fran enlists a young married couple and the husband's cousin to join. But no one wants to play the part of he of the hated character, leaving them with no option but to reach out to an old member they know would be happy to perform in any role. Issy Beck. As with any production, tensions run high, and our intrepid lawyers, Femi and Charlotte, are tasked with uncovering exactly what happened on opening night of the Hollow and whether the correct person has taken the blame. So I think Janice Hallett is kind of known for having books that have multimedia conversations. In this one, I'm looking, there's emails, there's text messages, there's all sorts of different ways to tell the story. In fact, I. I think, and I'm not 100 sure, but I think it's completely in emails, texts and that type of thing.
- [57:37]
B
That's how the effect was.
- [57:39]
A
Cool. Did you read it?
- [57:41]
B
Would you believe it if I said I did?
- [57:44]
A
I. No, that's why I'm shocked. No, that's good.
- [57:47]
B
Okay, I know.
- [57:48]
A
So it is fully multimedia then, which is kind of cool if you like that type of thing. But anyway, this one is coming out in September, and it's the Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett.
- [57:56]
B
It. Yeah, it's kind of fun because it feels like you're reading through what maybe a. Like, actual evidence, like someone who compiles evidence, like, what they would be reading through. You're getting every single person's perspective when you do the emails and you're like, oh, so I know things they don't know that.
- [58:16]
A
Ah, it's like a fun puzzle, but
- [58:18]
B
there are still some pieces that you don't know because characters will be vague about certain things they mention in emails. And you're like, wait a second, who are they talking about? It's fun.
- [58:27]
A
Yeah. Okay, cool.
- [58:29]
B
Yeah, I liked it. Okay. My shelf edition is one that we still have a while to wait for, but I keep hearing about this book and I finally got it added to my netgalley shelf. And it is Hive Mind by Alison Gunn. And this comes out in April of 2027. And the COVID is. It's got wings, Tina. So.
- [58:50]
A
Oh, boy, of course you're gonna love that.
- [58:52]
B
But I've been noticing a theme of bees on covers and just. I feel like Bugs and wings in general. The COVID is very disturbing, but it sounds really interesting. Hollywood manager Jacob Peyton is on trial for the crime of the century. The victim, Bea Torrance, his client turned wife, a horror artist whose controversial work and chaotic life were live streamed to her devoted followers, known as the Hive. Just one week before his arrest, Jacob and Bea vanished into the Appalachian Mountains. Bea was later found brutally murdered in an abandoned cabin, and all of the evidence points to Jacob. But he insists that he can't remember what happened, claiming the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was hooded figures descending on be. Desperate to salvage his reputation, Jacob's powerful sister hires journalist Greg Tomlin and Skylar Ryan to investigate Bea's past and uncover evidence that could clear his name. As they dig deeper into Bea's unsettling world, the line between reality and nightmare begins to blur, revealing dark secrets, supernatural horrors, and shocking truths behind and shocking truths hidden in the Appalachian wilderness. That sounds interesting to me. I love stories set in Appalachia, as we know.
- [60:15]
A
Yes.
- [60:16]
B
So, and this author, Allison Gun, I didn't read her book nowhere, but I saw nothing but good things for that book when it came out, I want to say, last year. So I'm excited to see what she does next. The COVID honestly, is just so compelling to me as well. That's High of Mind by Allison Gunn. This one comes out April of 2027.
- [60:39]
A
Wow, a nice 2027 release.
- [60:43]
B
I know. It's already begun.
- [60:45]
A
It's already begun, babe. All right, well, that is it for today. Thank you so much for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show notes. And if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget, if you'd like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com talk etc.
- [61:11]
B
If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at booktok. Etc on Instagram and YouTube. You can find Tina, TBR etc and Hannah at HandpickedBooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books.
- [61:35]
A
Bless. Don't use that even though it's really funny. Don't use that even though it's really funny.
- [61:41]
B
Yes.
- [61:41]
A
Yes, yes. Oh my God, I love.