The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna

Episode: Table For Who?

Release Date: November 17, 2025

Episode Overview

Jon Ryan and Sarah Colonna, the hilarious husband-and-wife hosting duo, gather for the third week of their November Book Lisp to discuss festive traditions, decorating mayhem, Seattle memories, and their impressions of Debbie Macomber’s Twelve Days of Christmas. The episode weaves personal anecdotes, holiday nostalgia, and behind-the-scenes stories into their ongoing book club banter, with classic comedic chemistry.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Decorating Escapades

• Jon’s Extreme Holiday Setup:
  Jon details his meticulous and over-the-top Christmas decorations, including five trees and thousands of ornaments, turning their home into what Sarah calls “a Hallmark movie.”
  • “Right now I have about what, 12 ft of it done, and that's, I think that's about 500 ornaments so far. So when it's all done, it'll be at least 2,000, maybe 3,000 individual bulbs going all the way up the stairs.” — Jon, 02:25
• Sarah’s Social Media Role:
  Sarah posts Jon’s progress on Instagram and relishes in viewers’ curiosity over Jon’s process, joking that she doesn’t actually help.
• Organizational Strategies:
  Jon shares how he organizes his decorating marathon, bringing six carloads from storage and following a strict schedule for fluffing trees, putting up garlands, and assembling wreaths and nutcrackers.
  • “The big one in the corner, 11 ft tall, really takes some time.” — Jon, 02:09

2. Book Announcements & Upcoming Reads

• Current Read:
  The Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber—described as a "Hallmark movie in a book."
• Next Month’s Book:
  Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger, chosen for its “Christmasy murdery” angle and as a shift from Sarah’s usual psychological thrillers.
  • “It's not as like psychological it's more just like, who done it kind of thing.” — Sarah, 09:33
• Patreon & Extras:
  Bonus content includes analysis of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, along with upcoming comedy tour dates and exclusive Instagram/Patreon content.

3. Seattle Restaurants & Reservation Antics (10:00–16:48)

• Book Tie-In:
  Sarah and Jon relate a restaurant scene in the book to Seattle’s iconic Canlis.
  • “Canlis is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. Top five restaurant in the world for me.” — Jon, 11:01
• Getting the Impossible Reservation:
  Anecdotes about scoring coveted Canlis tables thanks to Jon’s Seahawks fame—and with a little help from Sarah posing as his assistant.
  • “Sarah calls back two minutes later and goes, hi, I'm calling on behalf of Jon Ryan after the game tomorrow night...” — Jon, 12:27
• Teammate Tales:
  NFL teammate Michael Bennett impersonates Russell Wilson to get a table, leading to a humorous outcome with the staff and pre-set flowers.

4. Seattle Weather & Christmas in the Northwest (17:13–22:37)

• Snowfall Memories:
  Debunking the myth that Seattle doesn’t get much snow, Jon recalls several white Christmases during his Seahawks career.
• Christmas Eve Story:
  Sarah recounts being snowed in while watching Jon’s away game from their house atop a Seattle hill, leading to a Crown Apple-fueled night with Tyler Ott’s wife and a treacherous drive home for returning players.
  • “We were the highest house up, so I don't know what…probably 5 or 600 ft in elevation. So a lot of times...we'd get dumped on.” — Jon, 19:26
  • “We're just both crashed, just passed out on the couch with an empty bottle of Crown Jack sitting in front of us.” — Sarah, 20:47

5. Holiday Giving & ‘Paying It Forward’ (22:41–25:18)

• Book Connection:
  Discussing a scene where a character tries to buy a Starbucks coffee for another—Sarah and Jon riff on Starbucks etiquette, “paying it backward,” and the social awkwardness of refusing small acts of kindness.
  • “If someone wants to buy you a coffee, don't be weird.” — Sarah, 23:41

6. Coffee Culture & Local Shops (25:18–29:07)

• Home Coffee Habits:
  Sarah prefers making coffee at home but enjoys a green iced tea treat from Starbucks.
• Local Café Shoutouts:
  They spotlight new neighborhood coffee shops and reminisce about the Midwest/Southern love of sweet tea (Sarah much prefers unsweetened).

7. Holiday Drinks Past and Present (27:09–29:37)

• White Russian Memories:
  Anecdote about making White Russians with coffee creamers at a dive bar called Starlight when Sarah was in her 20s—leading to some unexpected pounds and nostalgia.
  • “He would just take those little, like, creamers for coffee, like the little tiny half and half things, and he would just open a bunch of them until it looked wide enough, and then we'd drink those.” — Sarah, 29:06

8. Pets vs. Holiday Decor (30:11–32:49)

• Cat-proofing Christmas:
  Listeners ask how Jon and Sarah manage to keep their cats from trashing ornaments and destroying the trees. Surprisingly, their cats mostly leave the decorations alone, minus the occasional bat at low-hanging bulbs or a nap in the ornament sparkle box.
  • “Ralphie decided to jump in the box with all the sparkles and go to sleep. Now he looks like he's like, sparkle cat. He has sparkles everywhere, all over himself.” — Jon, 32:32

9. Christmas Songs and School Concerts Nostalgia (32:50–39:51)

• Book Tie-In:
  The protagonist’s penchant for singing Christmas carols (e.g., "Silent Night") in her apartment sparks a debate about neighborly tolerance during the holidays.
• Jon’s Christmas Song Memories:
  Fondly recalls childhood school assemblies spent singing carols, and shares preferences for classic and modern Christmas music (Michael Bublé, Mariah Carey).
  • “I like all the classics. And even though I'm not religious, I don't even mind the religious ones. But I think I like, like Michael Bublé came with the CD about 10 years ago. It's, it's a plus. And then Mariah Carey's Christmas CD as well.” — Jon, 34:06
• Sarah’s Sentimentality:
  Shares the emotional tradition of “Silent Night” sung by candlelight at her childhood church in Arkansas.

10. Favorite Christmas Songs and Movies (39:52–44:56)

• Musical Picks:
  • All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey — Both agree it’s a holiday classic.
  • Last Christmas by Wham — Sarah’s favorite, even as it’s divisive; astonishingly voted both the best and worst Christmas song in a Seattle survey.
    • “It was voted the best and the worst song by a fan vote, which is hilarious.” — Jon, 44:22
  • Movie pick: Last Christmas (the film) receives their defense against negative critiques; both enjoy it for its soundtrack and George Michael tributes.

11. Miscellaneous & Light-Hearted Banter

• Pew Pew Interlude:
  Recurring inside joke about saying "pew pew pew" whenever the word "pew" is mentioned (e.g., church pews), showing off their playful married energy.
• European Drinking:
  Jon and Sarah joke about how drinks like limoncello or Guinness just taste better in their home countries, arguing it’s the atmosphere and local touch.

Notable Quotes

On Christmas Decorations:

• “I get a lot of questions and then people think I have something to do with it. I'm like, no, he doesn't want me to have anything to do with this. This is all him. So. But it's—I reap the benefits because it's lovely in our home and it'll be nice...”—Sarah, 03:06

On Getting a Table at Canlis:

• “They gave us, like, the best table, really nice table right by the window. I'm not gonna lie, babe. I think we might have done that a couple times.” —Jon, 13:00
• “Listen, this isn't going to last forever, okay? We all know this.” —Sarah, 13:07

On Holiday Charity:

• “People...like, this isn't up to their standard. I'm like, screw off. Shut up…they raised a friggin' boatload of money for Susan G. Komen.” —Jon, 16:30

On Accepting Kindness:

• “If someone wants to buy you a coffee, don't be weird.” —Sarah, 23:41
• “At a Starbucks, just take the free drink.” —Jon, 23:54

On Holiday School Traditions:

• “They don't make every kid play on the basketball team. They don't make every kid play on the freaking football team. Why do they make every kid go and sing in a concert?” —Jon, 36:07

On Christmas Songs:

• “All I Want for Christmas is a phenomenal song. It is the greatest song of all time.” —Sarah, 34:24
• “Wham — Last Christmas — voted best and worst Christmas song... You either love it or you hate it.” —Jon, 44:22

Highlights & Memorable Moments

• The Ornaments Monologue:
  Jon’s commitment to Christmas decorating reaches fever pitch, as he orders another 1,200 ornaments—“the Mona Lisa”—and Sarah jokes about needing an Instagram just to keep up with his Christmas craft.
• The Reservation Scheme:
  Sarah’s tongue-in-cheek “assistant” phone call lands the couple the most sought-after reservation in Seattle.
• Snowed-In Story:
  Sarah and friend Ashley Ott stuck on top of Seattle’s tallest hill during a blizzard, drinking Crown Apple and watching football, are later found by their husbands passed out on the sectional.
• Cat Comedy:
  Glitter-covered cats and pets politely avoiding destruction prompt listener envy for their well-behaved felines.
• “Pew Pew Pew!”
  Sarah’s attempt at a heartfelt story about candlelit carols repeatedly derailed by Jon’s irresistible urge to make pew-pew noises.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Holiday Decorations & Ornaments: 01:35–05:00
• Upcoming Book Club Selections and Patreon: 05:42–09:32
• Seattle Restaurant/Reservation Stories: 10:00–16:48
• Seattle Christmases & Snowstory: 17:13–22:37
• Starbucks, Paying It Forward: 22:41–25:18
• Coffee Culture: 25:18–26:38
• White Russian Dive Bar Days: 27:09–29:37
• Cat-Proof Christmas Decor: 30:11–32:49
• Christmas Songs & Holiday Nostalgia: 32:50–39:51, 39:52–44:56

Final Notes

• Next episode: Full review of Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
• December Book: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger
• Bonus Content: Find more anecdotes, book chats, and random musings on their Patreon.

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is cozy, festive, and full of authentic married couple humor. Both hosts riff off holiday traditions, laugh about their quirks, and connect family memories to the current book. The banter is genuine, playful, and peppered with loving jibes.

For Further Listening

For the full deep dive on Twelve Days of Christmas, tune in to next week’s episode!

Pew pew pew!