The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna
Episode: "Date on the Line" – April 13, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode of The Book Lisp finds Jon Ryan and Sarah Colonna in true form: playfully chaotic, locked into familiar banter, and veering off course in hilarious and sincere directions. While the nominal theme is their ongoing April book club pick—Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier—they spend much of the episode discussing travel adventures, relationship trust, the gritty details of Seattle geography, and an in-depth true crime tangent. The official “spoiler” discussion around the book is held off until the fourth week, so listeners get plenty of tangential book-inspired life talk—with laughs and some thoughtful moments of reflection on relationships, trust, and the current state of airline travel.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Setting the Scene: Office, Tour Life & 90s Jams
- Sarah’s office update (00:25–01:49): Jon and Sarah chat about their podcast setup—a new desk arrangement, book display, and the beloved neon sign’s displacement.
- On tour and gratitude (02:19–03:04): Sarah thanks Book Lisp listeners for coming out to her shows, humorously “thanking in advance from the past.”
- Nostalgic music detour (03:30–05:02): Sarah and Jon reminisce about 90s bands (Little Texas, Matchbox 20), connecting music to memories. “Every time over the past couple years, when I hear a good 90s jam that I forgot about, I'm like, we had some good music.” — Sarah (04:20)
Book Club Logistics: Upcoming Reads & Patreon
- Next month’s pick (06:03):
- Jon’s May book is Summer Romance by Annabelle Monaghan, a “classic, feel-good beach read.”
- “It's a very me pick. You know where it's going, you know where it ends. But it's going to be fun getting there.” — Jon (06:13)
- Patreon short stories (06:31):
- April’s Patreon pick: If He Finds Us by Daniel Hurst. Sarah praises the discovery of new authors through short stories.
- On favorite books from the podcast so far (09:02):
- Jon cites 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand.
- Both hosts appreciate how the book club introduced them to each other's genres—romantic beach reads for Sarah, darker thrillers for Jon.
- “It's a nice balance to my murder.” — Sarah (10:10)
- Patreon perks & drink tickets giveaway (08:35, 19:31):
- Listeners are invited to join Patreon for additional content.
- Sarah notes that listeners can DM for unused airline drink vouchers:
“Everyone needs a cocktail up in the air right now. It's tough out there.” — Sarah (19:58)
Main Book Talk: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (No Spoilers)
- Preface and structure (12:36): Book spoilers are always saved for the last week, but this week’s chat explores book-inspired topics—especially relationship trust and secrets.
- Genres and origins (10:23–12:24): Sarah explains the darker tone of her pick (child kidnapping) and her love of psychological thrillers, crediting Tess Gerritsen’s The Surgeon as an early influence.
Seattle as a Character
- Pike Place Market debate (20:00–22:17):
- Jon debunks the myth that locals never go to Pike Place Market.
- “Locals never go on that main strip.” But, he says, there are “secret” local spots nearby.
- Jon debunks the myth that locals never go to Pike Place Market.
- SODO definition debate (22:24–23:52):
- Jon clarifies SODO means "south of the Dome" to locals—not “south downtown,” as described in the book.
- “I don't think a local would ever refer to SODO as south Downtown.” — Jon (23:52)
- Seattle listeners are urged to weigh in.
Relationship Themes: Trust, Surveillance, and Tech
- The “Shadow” app and relationship snooping (25:27–30:23):
- In Little Secrets, a character uses a fictional “Shadow app” to intercept a partner’s texts.
- Sarah and Jon debate whether they’d want that capability:
- “If I had to read every message from Feels in the Hot Tub, I would kill myself.” — Jon (26:26)
- They agree: Once the trust is broken, more detail only hurts.
- “Once I know what's going on, I don't need the nitty gritty details... I'm not going to keep on hurting myself more.” — Jon (27:51)
- Sarah quips about snooping:
“If I'm being lied to and I need to prove it...here's the proof. But I don't need to then go see what's been doing before that.” (28:25)
- Modern tracking apps (30:58–33:06):
- Discussion of real-life tracking: family location sharing (Life360, Find My iPhone).
- Sarah references her friend Jackie’s Pacific Trail hike and how adventure travelers use tech for safety.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- “This is your favorite [book]. Can't remember the fucking title.” — Sarah, razzing Jon over “28 Summers” (09:17)
- “I trust you beyond 100%. But if I got all your messages on… If I had to read every message from Feels in the Hot Tub, I would kill myself.” — Jon (26:26)
- “It’s a nice balance to my murder.” — Sarah, on alternating between romance and psychological thrillers (10:10)
- “If you join Patreon, you can go listen to all of that. That’s on the 15th of every month we do a short story. I’m loving that because we are introduced to new authors such as Daniel Hearst.” — Sarah (07:15)
True Crime Detour: The Dinghy Disaster
(33:06–43:44)
A discussion of trust and digital snooping pivots swiftly into a real-time true crime breakdown:
- Dinghy case commentary (33:06–41:53):
- Sarah introduces the trending story of a wife, a dinghy, and missing keys in the Bahamas.
- Meticulous breakdown of the husband’s reported actions, suspicious texts, and their unconvincing emotional tone.
- “If you had just floated down a river... I don't know where you are, and you're probably dead 12 hours later. I'm not texting, 'Oh, yeah, brother.'” — Jon (41:01)
- Both hosts point out what sounds “off” in his version.
- Acknowledgment that social media always suspects the spouse.
- Balancing humor and dark reality (41:53–43:44):
- Jon jokes about always wearing a body cam around Sarah after watching The Staircase.
- Sarah notes her clumsiness, and both hosts laugh about how this very podcast could one day be used as evidence if something “ever happens.”
- “We have too many opinions and zero facts.” — Sarah, on why they'd be terrible at professional true crime podcasting (44:19)
Next Steps & Listener Engagement
- May Book Reminder: Summer Romance by Annabelle Monaghan (45:04)
- Social Media/Patreon Rally
- Instagram: @thebooklisp
- Facebook group: Book Listeners
- Patreon for bonus content and short stories ($5/mo)
- DM for unused airline drink tickets offer
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Intro & Banter/OFFICE TALK – 00:00–03:04
- Upcoming Books/Patreon Short Stories – 06:03–07:00
- Book Club Reflections – 09:02–11:08
- Seattle, Pike Place, SODO Debates – 20:00–23:52
- Digital Snooping & Shadow App – 25:27–30:23
- Location Sharing & Tracking – 30:58–33:06
- True Crime Dinghy Story – 33:06–43:44
- Closing & Call to Action – 44:00–45:16
Tone & Takeaway
This episode is a spirited, winding journey through modern relationships, trust, literary genres, and local trivia—with the hosts’ marriage and personalities as the real stars. Book spoilers are avoided, but life spoilers abound. Whether you love romance, thrillers, sarcasm, or a slice of true crime skepticism, Jon and Sarah’s rapport makes for a lively, relatable listen.