Podcast Summary: The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna

Episode: “Christmas Presents” by Lisa Unger Full Discussion

Release Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, married hosts Jon Ryan (former NFL Super Bowl Champion) and comedian/actress Sarah Colonna are back to fully discuss Lisa Unger’s psychological thriller, "Christmas Presents." Amid jokes about birthdays, standup gig plugs, and classic “married couple banter,” they break down the book’s plot twists, characters, and writing style—offering both laughs and genuine insight. The discussion is peppered with personal anecdotes about small town life, house parties, and even the hazards of public bathrooms. As always, their tone is playful, opinionated, and frank.

Main Discussion & Insights

1. Book Recap & Core Mystery

• Summary of "Christmas Presents":
  • Small town cold case: Two girls vanished and another was attacked during high school days. Their bodies were never found. The main character, Madeline, survived; years later, she receives annual Christmas gifts, presumed to be from her attacker in prison (Evan). A podcaster/author (Harley) comes to town to examine the case, believing there may have been a second perpetrator.
  • Sarah: “For those… that didn’t read along, someone asked me to… give you the lowdown… It is an unsolved mystery, unsolved murder. Two girls disappeared. Another was attacked… A true crime podcaster slash author comes to town to try to get to the bottom of it.” [05:09]

2. The Twist: Identity of the Second Killer

• Jon: “Most of the time you… don’t know who the killer is. Here we already know who the killer is. The mystery is, is there a second killer?” [06:09]
• They were surprised when the story revealed it was Chet, Badger’s little brother, working with Evan, the original perpetrator. Sarah particularly didn’t see this twist coming and highlighted the misdirects aimed at Badger.
  • Sarah: “I definitely didn’t see it coming, that it was going to be Chet… Until they were in the room. Until Badger started acting weird.” [12:05]

3. Structure & Suspense

• Praise for the narrative structure, which alternates between timelines (Lolly’s abduction and Madeline’s investigation), counting down days to Christmas, building tension.
  • Jon: “I really like the format… Kind of goes from Lolly’s story. And it’s like a countdown to Christmas… keeps the two stories separate, but you know they’re intertwined.” [08:30]
• Noted Unger’s skill in making every chapter a page-turner à la “24” with Jack Bauer:
  • Sarah: “Every chapter ended… It was a page turner.” [24:29]

4. Character Deep Dive

• Harley (the podcaster):
  • Mixed feelings. At first presented as potentially smarmy, possibly exploitative, but not outright a villain. His podcast has little effect on actually solving the case, and his role fizzles out toward the end:
    • Jon: “Did he help… Was he a hindrance? Would it have happened if he didn’t come to town?... Character that made no sense… Why does he end up in the [hospital]? We don’t really care about this relationship.” [18:03]
    • Sarah: “His… mission went up and down… wasn’t consistent.” [24:10]
• Badger: The friend-zoned “nice guy” who turns out to be the thoughtful gifter, not a suspect.
• Madeline: Trauma survivor, forever pegged as the “girl who almost died” in a small town.
• Lolly: The current victim whose fight for survival is gripping and gives the narrative propulsion.

5. Themes & Notable Quotes

• Small Town Perceptions:

  • Jon (quoting the book): “That’s the funny thing about growing up in a small town. People rarely update the version of you they hold in their mind.” [40:08]

• The Christmas Gifts Motif:

  • Sarah and Jon debate whether the titular “Christmas presents,” (thoughtful, symbolic gifts Madeline receives annually) genuinely advanced the plot or simply justified the title.
    • Sarah: “Did I feel like the Christmas presents added anything to the story, or just helped us have a nice title and a little tie-in at the end?” [27:33]

• Real-World Parallels:

  • The hosts reflect on the “bad boy” trope, households parties gone wrong, and how little details—like the name of the strip club (“Headlights”)—add just the right touch of humor.
    • Jon: “The gentleman’s club Lolly worked at was called Headlights. And that was really funny.” [43:11]

Funniest & Most Memorable Moments

• Public Bathroom Etiquette:

  • Detailed, slightly gross discussion about men’s vs. women’s public restrooms, prompted by an anecdote from a football suite bathroom.
  • Sarah: “It’s from hovering… Now they’re drunk… they’re swaying, then the next girl doesn’t want to sit down because it’s all over the seat, she starts hovering. Yeah, it’s bad.” [38:03]

• Banister Story:

  • Jon tells a story about returning from vacation to find his sisters threw a house party, resulting in “a hole in the wall and someone fell through the banister.” Their parents made the boys responsible come back and repair the damage themselves. [34:45-36:15]

• Book-Within-a-Podcast Meta-Jokes:

  • Multiple callbacks to “The Book Lisp” name confusion, poking fun at themselves and each other, wrapping the episode with their signature tone.

Critical Takeaways

Strengths

• Successfully misdirects readers—many suspect Badger, but the reveal of Chet is genuinely effective.
• Alternating timelines build suspense and create a true “page-turner” effect.
• Empathetic handling of trauma and small-town dynamics.
• Cliffhanger chapter endings maintain momentum.

Critiques

• The Harley subplot is undercooked; his impact on the plot is minimal and confusing.
• Some supporting characters (like Badger’s wife, Becky, or Mirabel) feel underdeveloped.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Small Town Reputations:

  • Jon (reading from the book): “That’s the funny thing about growing up in a small town. People rarely update the version of you they hold in their mind.” [40:08]

• On the Page-Turner Structure:

  • Sarah: “Every chapter ended… it was a page turner.” [24:29]

• On the Christmas Present Motif:

  • Sarah: “Instead of him just going, no, don’t be creeped out. They’re from me, not him… Can you imagine? You spend all this time… you send a super thoughtful gift to somebody you’ve been in love with your entire life, and she didn’t even get it…” [28:41]

• On Harley’s Live Stream Fiasco:

  • Jon: “If you were on a live stream and someone just came and knocked you out, I’d be like 911 instantly, you know what I mean?” [17:27]

Ratings

• Sarah: “I think I’m like a 4.5 martinis out of 5 for this one… His [Harley’s]… character… what he was contributing, felt a little disjointed.” [41:41]
• Jon: “I give it a 10 out of 12. I liked it, but for the same reasons that you had… I give it a ten because of… the gentleman’s club Lolly worked at was called Headlights. And that was really funny.” [43:11]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Plot Recap and Main Mystery: [05:09–07:28]
• Discussing the Structure and POVs: [08:30–09:29]
• The Big Reveal: [12:05–12:56]
• Character Critiques (Harley and Mirabel subplot): [18:03–20:18]
• Discussion of Amy and Badger’s dynamic: [27:16–31:49]
• Notable Quote about Small Towns: [40:08]
• Final Thoughts and Ratings: [41:41–43:28]

Final Thoughts

Whether or not you read “Christmas Presents,” this episode offers an engaging blend of bookish insight, relatable tangents, and married-couple banter. The discussion is accessible for listeners who haven’t read the book, providing enough summary and character depth to follow along, while keeping things light and funny. If you love chatty, spoiler-filled book club podcasts with lots of personality and the occasional digression, this is a must-listen.

Next month’s pick: "Summer Island" by Kristin Hannah

For tour dates and Patreon details, visit sarahcolona.com. For all things “The Book Lisp,” follow Jon and Sarah on social media.