Podcast Summary: The Book Lisp – “Rookie Mistakes”
Hosts: Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna
Episode Date: August 18, 2025
Episode Overview
In this lively, humorous episode of The Book Lisp, hosts (and married couple) Jon Ryan and Sarah Colonna riff on “rookie mistakes” inspired by their current psychological thriller book selection (Sometimes I Lie), weaving in personal stories about sports, comedy, first impressions, pet names, shoplifting, and the dynamics of hearing secrets. The episode offers listeners a mix of book-club banter, life anecdotes, and relationship dynamics—with the full book review promised for next week. No major spoilers are given, in keeping with their format, but plenty of related topics are explored with warmth and wit.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Podcast Format, Book Updates & Personal Check-ins
[00:40–03:14]
- Sarah re-explains the show’s structure: they draw topics from a monthly book—alternating between Jon’s romance choices and Sarah’s thrillers. Full reviews come at the end of the month.
- “Sometimes I Lie” is the focus for August. September’s pick is “The Wedding People.”
- They promote Patreon for bonus content, short stories, and behind-the-scenes fun.
Quote:
"If you're new here, we just do topics off of little things we pull out of the book. There's no spoilers." – Sarah [00:48]
2. Jon’s Portland Pickles Baseball Recap
[03:15–08:33]
- Jon discusses the Portland Pickles’ emotional playoff journey: a strong season record (43–11), a dramatic win over the league’s giants, then heartbreak in the finals.
- The behind-the-scenes of managing, handling loss, and the abrupt shift when the season ends:
“You put a lot of work into it...these guys, they come and play for you all summer, and it’s so awesome. They just give you everything, and then...after the game...they go back [to school], and we just have to sit in our dirty diapers for nine and a half months until the next game.” – Jon [06:49]
- Sarah shares her recent comedy gigs, the oddities of Portland, and the weird encounters Jon had in the city.
Memorable Moment:
Jon recounts the “guy at a bar” with dad jokes:
“Why do all hot dogs look the same? Because they're in bread.” – Jon [09:53]
3. On Pet Names and Family Quirks
[12:54–18:18]
- Sarah shares how her mom’s approach to pet naming was hilariously literal—dogs named for their quirks (Digby for digging, Rowdy for rowdiness, Rusty for color).
- Jon’s family opted for more conventional human names for pets, sparking debate about anthropomorphism:
“Thank God she just named her kids Sarah and Jennifer because you guys could have had some up names.” – Jon [14:35]
- Discussion about human vs. “character trait” pet names and the nostalgia of family animals.
4. First Impressions—Sports, Life & Marriage
[18:35–31:35]
- They draw from the book’s theme (psychological thriller, twists) to discuss misleading first impressions.
- Jon describes NFL team dynamics, rookie egos, and personal blunders:
- Richard Sherman’s infamous rookie media gaffe, which turned out to be part of his legendary football persona.
- Bobby Wagner’s lateness—a misunderstanding at first, but actually due to a required drug test.
- "I was just there holding my dick in my hand, looking like an—" – Jon [22:40]
- Sarah recounts her own first impression fails, including misjudging a rowdy baseball fan who later turned out to be sweet:
“Sometimes, even if you just...you probably learned a decent lesson too...maybe that’s not cool to do. You never know who you're sitting next to.” – Sarah [27:08]
- The pair recall their own first impressions of each other:
- “Hot. Hot, hot.” – Jon [27:30]
- “You were even sweeter than I thought you would be.” – Sarah [28:58]
5. Tales of Shoplifting, Security Tags, and “Rookie” Crimes
[32:20–41:30]
- Inspired by the book’s plot, Jon and Sarah trade stories of “rookie” shoplifters from their youth:
- Jon’s college friend’s roommate caught for credit card fraud.
- Sarah’s classmate stealing from Dillard’s department store.
- Discussion on shifting attitudes toward shoplifting, security fears from childhood, and the oddity of theft being normalized (or even “cool” with ink-tag markings).
- Modern retail challenges:
- "Now...people just walk into the store and just grab whatever they want and walk out." – Jon [36:05]
- Lighthearted takes on security devices (alcohol bottle tags, behind-glass shopping) and the hassle for both customers and employees.
6. Coma, Secrets, and Hearing More Than You Should
[41:30–45:21]
- Anchored by the novel’s premise (a protagonist who hears everything while in a coma), the hosts discuss the ethics of sharing what you overheard while “unconscious.”
- Jon:
“Depends on how petty it was. I think everyone talks trash about people to a certain extent.” [43:29]
- Sarah recalls the podcast Blink, paralleling its storyline—patients can sometimes truly hear everything.
Quote:
“When I’m in a hospital room, I’m just gonna act like the person can hear every word I say.” – Sarah [44:20]
7. Life Updates, Travel, and Listener Engagement
[45:21–46:51]
- Sarah plugs upcoming comedy dates; Jon requests Austria and Munich travel tips (emphasizing beer halls over museums).
- They chat about future episodes, remind listeners about the book for September, and encourage joining their Patreon community.
Memorable Quotes & Lighthearted Moments
- “Devastation happened.” – Jon, on the Pickles’ baseball loss [08:33]
- “We don’t do Tommy Lee jokes here.” – Sarah [13:43]
- “I was so sick the next day I laid in bed all day the next day.” – Jon, on their first date and getting the flu [30:26]
- “If you have a dog just named Unhoused. Unhouser. Come here.” – Jon [17:49]
- “Don’t tell us to get a room because we have one, and we’re about to use it later.” – Jon [28:57]
Suggested Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:40] – Show intro & current book lineup
- [03:15] – Portland Pickles baseball: season recap & emotions
- [09:14] – The characters and quirks of Portland, wacky city stories
- [12:54] – Pet naming conventions (Sarah & Jon’s families)
- [18:35] – First impressions: NFL stories & personal anecdotes
- [24:01] – Sarah’s first impression stories
- [32:20] – Tales of shoplifting and retail security
- [41:30] – The ethics of “hearing while in a coma”; book-related tie-in
- [45:21] – Upcoming dates, travel asks, and episode wrap-up
Tone and Style
The episode is loose, conversational, and funny, with a playful “couple’s banter” dynamic. Jon’s grounded sports background contrasts with Sarah’s comedian’s observations, creating relatable and entertaining discussion for book lovers and casual listeners alike.
Summary
“Rookie Mistakes” intertwines book club musings with personal stories about sports, comedy, crime (the petty kind), and life’s first impressions—anchoring everything to the themes of their current psychological thriller. As always, Jon and Sarah keep it engaging, encouraging listeners to participate and join the fun both on Patreon and through the next book pick. The full review of Sometimes I Lie is set for next week.