On this episode of Where I Left Off - A Bookish Podcast, host Kristen Bahls and guest co-host Paige Woodrow discuss the book Ghosted by Sarah Ready.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Books Program:
Books mentioned:
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
On this episode of Where I Left Off - A Bookish Podcast, host Kristen Bahls and guest co-host Paige Woodrow discuss the book Ghosted by Sarah Ready.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Books Program:
Books mentioned:
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
Welcome back. I'm Kristen Bahls and you're listening to Where I Left Off a bookish podcast, and today I'm joined by Paige Woodrow from Lost in the Page of a Book on Instagram and of course, we're going to do a deep dive on the indie book Ghosted by Sarah Ready. But before we get into that, we're going to chat, because that's kind of our thing. We always chat, so thanks for coming back on page.
Paige Woodrow:Thanks for having me again. I'm so happy to be here. I love reading, I love books. I love books to gramming. I love audio books and Kindle books and regular I call them book books, physical books. I just love all things books. I'm a mom, I have three kids they're two, four and six so sometimes it makes it hard to read, but you know, we get through it. And I used to be a teacher. You know that, but maybe other people that are used to teach third grade and then when I had my son, I decided to become a stay at home mom and then I taught like online a little bit, because I feel like I needed something to do and then that kind of tapered out and so I just really got into reading and I just I've really grown a love for sharing books that I love so that other people can enjoy good books too. Because that's hard when you're just first starting out as a reader is like what do I read?
Kristen Bahls:And there's so many options.
Paige Woodrow:There's many options and, and I feel like you know, I've started this new series of reels on my Instagram where I say like if you like this show, you might like these books, because I feel like everyone watches TV or movies you know, or whatever, and I feel like that gives like a good jumping point to somebody like because then they're like oh yeah, I do like that, maybe I would like this.
Paige Woodrow:And so because I feel like everybody is a reader and if you're not a reader, it's just because you haven't found the book that's right for you yet. So, and I'm all about the do not finish the DNF life like that helps me read so much more and I'm so supportive of it. Like I agree, I've had a few people message me about books that I'm reading, or I have read in there one of my favorites, and they're like I just don't like this, I can't. I'm like, girl, stop.
Kristen Bahls:Like I'm too short, like no big deal, just move on to the next one.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, just because I liked it doesn't mean you have to like it. You know what I mean.
Kristen Bahls:So yeah, I agree, I've liked DNF, some really popular books and so I'm almost afraid to you know publicly, say what they are. But, like you said, everyone just has their own preferences and you're going to find a book somewhere. There are so many options that if you don't like one, just grab the next one and don't even worry about it at all. Someone else can read that and enjoy it and review it for you.
Paige Woodrow:Yes, and I'm such a mood reader too, like a lot of times I'll pick up a book and I'm just like I can't. I'm like if I have the feeling like I want to like this but I don't, then I know I need to try it again another time.
Kristen Bahls:Yeah, like does that make sense? Like if I start reading it.
Paige Woodrow:I'm like I'm not into this at all, but there's just something about it Like I started. Normal People by Sally Rooney have you read that, mm? Hmm, I haven't read it, so it's come very highly recommended by lots of different people and I started. I was listening to it, which the audiobook was great, like I was enjoying. They have the Scottish accents, which fancy.
Paige Woodrow:Scottish accents, like I don't know what it is. I love it and but I just it was. It's kind of like depressing, I guess. And I I meant right now I'm in like let's read happy, fun stuff. As I read the city three bucks, I think that's probably why I always have more than one going at a time, and so it's like I need my like happy, fluffy read to go along with my like book of doom, and so I can't have two books of doom.
Kristen Bahls:It's too much doom. So, yeah, I can't read a thriller and read it before bed, so I have to combat it with some kind of like romance or rom-com. Yes definitely so. Crescent City How's it going? Yeah, I haven't read it. It's not my thing right now. I'm not saying that I can never get into it, but for all those that are following along and man buying into the hype of this, tell me more about your experience reading it, because that is a huge book it is crazy?
Paige Woodrow:Yeah it is, it is big. That's what she said.
Kristen Bahls:Oh, I should have caught that, like I literally taught high school. How did I not? I sent myself up for that one, my husband always makes fun of me.
Paige Woodrow:He's like you have to stop. Like I love the office Anyway. Um, yeah, so I read the court of thorns and roses books first and those were great. Those are like romance books in a fantastical world, okay, and so if you are wanting to try out Romantic, I highly recommend that series because it leans way heavily to the romance aspect. Like if you took the romance out, there would be no story left.
Kristen Bahls:Good to know because I was a little bit nervous to like dip right into high fantasy. So that's a good kind of cross between not high fantasy.
Paige Woodrow:Then you've got Throne of Glass, which I read next, and it's definitely heavy on the fantasy side, like there is romance in it and like there's you know there's multiple romantic pairings. But if you took the romance out of Throne of Glass there would still be a great epic story, and so I feel like it's definitely more of like a fantasy centered story. Then Crescent City is also very fantasy centered, like I don't feel, like there's, um, I feel similarly. I feel if you took out the romance you would still have a great story.
Paige Woodrow:The thing that bothers me about Crescent City is the way that the chapter breaks are weird. Like in Throne of Glass, it goes back and forth between each chapter is like a different character, and in Crescent City it has the same thing where it talks about different characters. It's the what, what point of view is that? Where it's like she walked into the bathroom and turned on the light and started getting right, like third person right, kind of I think, and so, and so it's like it's like her point of view and it tells you like her thoughts, and but it's not I, but then it'll do you know somebody else, and so it goes back and forth, but like in the same chapter. So it'll like jump back and forth in the same chapter and like we'll be in the middle of this like epic battling like thing, and then it's like cut scene to overhear with somebody else and I'm like oh, my brain hurts.
Paige Woodrow:What is happening. And I was messaging with someone on Instagram and I was like that's why because I've been having such a hard time connecting with these characters Like I don't feel as emotionally invested in them as I have in the other books she's written, and the girl I was talking with was like feeling that same way and she said it's because she keeps leaving people and it's not giving me time to like get invested in their plot. And I'm like you're right, like because it does. It just cuts back and forth so much it's like by the time I'm really starting to get into it and then we leave them for who knows how long because there's a lot of people. So, anyway, crescent City is like a lot to process and take in.
Paige Woodrow:The nice thing about thrown of glasses like she slowly introduces like the first book there's like three people and then by the time you get to the last book, there's like 20 people. Like it's like every book there's just a few more, whereas Crescent City it's like we meet everybody right away and you're just like, oh my gosh, there's so many people and things and stuff and it's been enjoyable, like I have enjoyed it. They just like this book has just taken me a lot longer to get into, I think because of the constant like the chain of the. I was telling my husband about it and he was like it sounds like a TV show. And I was like you're right, it is very much written like a TV show.
Paige Woodrow:So I kind of wonder if, like maybe, she's like maybe if I write it like a TV show so, but, it's fine, I could see that happening, though, especially with all the hype around it.
Kristen Bahls:I could see it happening.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, I think they are making one for the court books, aren't they? I don't know? On Hulu.
Kristen Bahls:I mean, we know that the book's always going to be better than the movie, but you know, it'd be nice to see it on screen too.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, on Hulu, which makes me a little nervous because I'm like and I wish, like HBO picked it up, I'd have more faith in it. You know, what I mean. I don't know. We'll see. Like oh man.
Kristen Bahls:I hope it's good. Even if it's not, at least at least it's something to look forward to.
Paige Woodrow:Yes, yes, very true, but yeah, so I'm really enjoying it. I am Looking forward to what's gonna happen.
Kristen Bahls:Well, you'll have to let us know how Crescent City goes and whenever you finish it. Well, I mean, don't spoil it, because you know I've seen like spoilers going around and just, oh man, people have been, and I hate to say, in a tizzy, but kind of in a tizzy because you know someone post a spoiler and then you see it when you didn't mean to and it's oh man, it's the worst.
Paige Woodrow:Like how hard is it to put up like spoilers coming, yeah, and then say what you say.
Kristen Bahls:Well, it's not Crescent City related, but I don't know if you have read any books by Geneva Rose. She's written thrillers and romance, maybe.
Paige Woodrow:I'm really bad. There's like. Honestly, I did not get into like who the author is until I got on books to Graham because then you like Yep and then had to remember, yeah, yeah. Well then you like kind of like Follow the author and all that kind of stuff. Who? What's her name again?
Kristen Bahls:It's Jeneva Rose and she wrote you shouldn't have come here, one of us is Dead. I think is the title, and then the perfect marriage, stuff like that.
Paige Woodrow:Those are all Familiar to me.
Kristen Bahls:I think if you saw the covers you would recognize them, because it's like I've kind of seen them floating around, but I hadn't read him yet. Well, I mean I am now, but at that point I hadn't yeah, I did read.
Paige Woodrow:The perfect marriage. I gave it three stars. Yeah oh you, okay, like pretty much all of her books are on my want to read list, but the only one I really like, marriage.
Kristen Bahls:But yeah, she posted on her Instagram the other day that, okay, so whenever she like talks, I don't know. I think that this is really how she talks. So she's very like deadpan, her humor super deadpan, and so it's kind of hilarious to watch her like little reels and stuff. But anyway, so she was saying that one person went on her Instagram and this lady just made like four comments with the plot twist of every single one of her books, like just in the comments, randomly, and it was hilarious though, because she said something like plot twist, you're blocked. But she deleted the comments from like what, what are these people doing where you just put I mean, that's just ruining someone's fun Like, why are you gonna do that? I just don't understand.
Paige Woodrow:That's awful. I know and especially in a thriller book. The plot twist is like the whole reason you're reading it.
Kristen Bahls:Yeah, and they call her the queen of plot twists. So I'm so glad I had even seen that post that she was talking about. So I'm so glad I didn't read the comments. I would have been just Next level mad.
Paige Woodrow:That's interesting. I should read her other books then. I was not a fan of the plot twist and the perfect marriage. It made me mad.
Kristen Bahls:I Haven't read it yet, but it's on my list, I'm listening to. You shouldn't have come here right now and it's okay. So it's again, we're just getting off topic, but it's fine. So it's kind of sounding more like a Romance. So I was trying to read a thriller to get away from romance, because I feel like I kind of burned myself out Just reading so many in a row.
Kristen Bahls:Yeah, I was trying to get away from it and listen to a thriller and right now it's just very romance heavy. But they keep kind of leaving these little like foreshadowing seeds and I'm like who's gonna die, who's gonna die, who's gonna die? But it's. It's definitely Reading more like a romance if you're just listening to it, like if you're, if you were listening to it and your husband walked by, he'd probably be like oh yeah, you're just listening to another romance and it's like no, no, no, it's, it's a thriller. So I don't know, I guess it technically be more of a suspenseful romance, even though it's technically classified as a thriller, because that's what, I don't know, this one's feeling like right now.
Paige Woodrow:But we'll see we'll see you guys in it cuz like this suspenseful row romantic suspense, that's what it's called. Yeah, that's, I think, my favorite, but there's not many Books that I found that are like that. So, yeah, I love it, cuz it's like two that I love the most in one book.
Kristen Bahls:I Know and, like I said, the whole time you're sitting there going who's gonna die, who's gonna die, so we'll see, we'll see what happens. I'm obviously not gonna spoil it, even if I did know, because that's just mean without Preposing that there are spoilers. But anyway, you know people on the internet, I don't, I don't even know, I can't even.
Paige Woodrow:People are just so mean, they just don't know, they don't think.
Kristen Bahls:It's not good, but how's your week been? Do you have any funny stories or anything that's happened to you this week?
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, it's been interesting, I mean honestly, my weeks been like not the best ever, like it's been okay, like anyway we're, we're in a church small group and in our church small group I cried like five times, just like sharing about the three. I'm a very like emotional person, so I just get really into stuff and into my head about things and so I'm feeling a lot better now and Like everyone in my family is fine and healthy and everything like that. It's just like you know, like life just comes at you sometimes and people you love are suffering and then you feel sad and so but it's okay. I'm grateful that I have my church, family and my small group and my god. So that's all great. But my daughter cracks me up because she's just constantly coming up with new words for things like she calls pajamas are jamamas.
Kristen Bahls:I Love that.
Paige Woodrow:I love so much and her newest word, which I want to use tall like the day that I die, is is trick a cult. When something is like difficult to do, it's like difficult and she put together so she's like it's really trick a cult and like I cannot for the wife me remember what she said, but both of my husband and I were just dying laughing because, like she came downstairs with like two sweatshirts and we're like you're gonna be way too hot wearing both of those and she was like no, I'm not, it's okay, it's gonna be.
Paige Woodrow:I don't remember what she said, but it was just like so funny, like it was like it's gonna be fine or don't worry, like I'm gonna be okay, like this is you know, totally. And it and she was like it's a cold and frosty day and we're like You're gonna be so hot, oh, man, I love that.
Kristen Bahls:So then, whenever she stops using the words, then you're still gonna keep using them forever and ever and ever.
Paige Woodrow:Oh yes, it kills me, like when your kids stop saying the cute things, like my First. He called blueberries boo babies, that's adorable. And he called. He called muffins muffins and like I remember so clearly the first day he called them by like their true name and I was like I want pancakes for pancakes. Oh, I just love like the little words and things that they say is just so cute.
Kristen Bahls:Yeah, this week has just been kind of I don't know, but it seems like it has been for everyone. So I guess you know there's solidarity in that. But hey, at least we're now into a new week at this point, and I mean it's February, so yay.
Paige Woodrow:I know, I think, yeah, I'm just, I also I don't know yet fry. Friday Especially, I was just like down and it was a beautiful, like the weather was just so nice and it was sunny and wonderful, and then Friday it was like cloudy and rainy, yeah. So I think it was just like. I See, you know that seasonal kind of depression that gets you and you're just like Okay, now you have to open a Sarah Adams book and make it all go away.
Kristen Bahls:I Feel like I will plug Sarah Adams in every single episode that we do. I can't not say your name.
Paige Woodrow:Do it, do it. I don't have the two, the two books. They were like on my shelf but I let them to a friend to read because I was like you have to read these, they're so good, which they're not even my books to lend. But I checked first and she was fine with it. That's perfect. I'm all about sharing, have to spread. Sharing the books like oh my gosh, that you sent me that book was like the best day and I'm gonna have my friend read it. I love that book. Love like farms. It was really good.
Paige Woodrow:It was, although I already have forgotten their names.
Kristen Bahls:That's so, stella and Luca. Uh, she got on my nerves, yeah, no, I agree, stella got on my nerves and then you know I hate to say that it doesn't get better, so I kind of skip okay. So love like farms is the first book in that series and then in the weeds is the second.
Paige Woodrow:I have that. I have that on audio from the library, okay, so I'm gonna listen to it soon.
Kristen Bahls:I haven't listened to that one. I skipped to mix signals. The third one, which is Layla's story, because, okay, it's not that I don't like Beckett, I like Beckett, but I don't know. Layla Just kind of hit me over the head with how much I liked her and love like farms, so I wanted to read her story first. So I skipped to mix signals and now I have to go back to in the weeds.
Kristen Bahls:But oh my gosh, in mixed signals Layla drives me in Sane. She just makes all the wrong choices and it just can't. I can't handle it. But again, like BK is a really good Author and like her writing style I like, so I mean I enjoyed it overall. But it's just Layla's frustrating, stella's frustrating. Maybe Evie in the second one, in the weeds, can Help us out a little bit. But yeah, they just, yeah, they frustrate me. They just do the wrong thing and they just can't get out of their own way and it just drives me crazy.
Kristen Bahls:Like you were saying, like Sarah Adams doesn't have that, but it's just like, why are you in your own way so much? Yep, yep, I heard it bugs me. That's, I guess, a huge pet peeve. Didn't know I had it until we're talking Love like farms. But hey, that's how you figure out what you like.
Kristen Bahls:You read one book and you're like I like this or I don't like this, and then you know, you know, want to pick out for the next one and I really like. I mean, you are always lending out books, of course, but you have this traveling books program and Whenever you told me about it, I was so excited. I didn't realize until you told me and I started looking at your highlights what it was. But One thing that I really like about your page in general is that not only do you create content for everyone else, but you always like create templates or programs or things that kind of like give back to the readers so that way everyone can be more of a Community and it's not just kind of like we're all floating around in our own little space on Instagram. So I really want to hear more about your traveling book program.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, oh, that makes me so happy. Yeah, I was just, um, I had read. What did I read, I think, love another words by Christina Lauren, and I Thought like I want to share this with somebody, but I want to share it with so many people and then they would probably want to share it with somebody else. And then I was like it's like the sister who the traveling pants. And I was like I like the sister who the traveling books.
Paige Woodrow:And so then I like came up and then my friend sent me, um, like a post of this girl. She was like my friend sent me pictures because she was like take care of my book. And so she's like it's like her with, like being silly with the book, like pretending to have E and like taking a nap and like all this stuff like what can you take care of it? Oh, that's funny. And so I like came up with it and so I don't really have like a. I Was gonna do it once a month, but Then I decided that that would be disingenuous and I wanted it to be a book that truly like I really wanted what I and what it started with to was that book. Love another words by Christina Lauren was the first ever book that I wanted to Annotate.
Kristen Bahls:Oh, yeah, like.
Paige Woodrow:I wanted to just like and I did and I was like Because I'm like I gotta keep them nice, um. And so then I Was like if I feel so strongly about this that I want to like write in it and I have like thoughts, then I feel like that would be a fun one to share, because then everybody can put their own thoughts inside and highlight it and whatever else, and then, like you, just send it to a friend. So the way that it works is I have the book and then I have like a little journal that I made to go with it that has like rules and then like journal entry pages. So then you like write the book and you write it has like some questions and you write like your favorite parts and your favorite quotes and stuff like that. And then I have little like binder clips to do, to do around it, so that when you get the book You're not spoiled by the journal entries.
Kristen Bahls:Oh, that's genius.
Paige Woodrow:That's genius, want to be, yeah. So hopefully people have been putting the binder clips Back on, and then the idea was that when the next person got the book, you know they would maybe like take a picture that they have it or something and then tag me and all the other people They've had it before them and then share it on Instagram. But I know, not everybody has Instagram and stuff like that and so I haven't had like a ton of sharing that way. But that's okay, because you know the books are out there Traveling around and so I have no idea where they are or who they're with at this point. I hope eventually, because the last person who has it they're supposed to mail it back to me, okay, so it goes to 10 different people and then the 10th person sends it back to me when they're done, so Hopefully one day I'll get them back.
Paige Woodrow:I've got three books out right now. One is the love, another words. The other one is the space between, by Sarah ready, and then the other one is Everything, everything, okay, which is Bandastic. So good, have you read everything, everything?
Kristen Bahls:No, I haven't, I haven't.
Paige Woodrow:It's so cool and you have to read that one with your eyeballs. You can't okay, because it has like Drawings and diagrams and like the way that it's put together is really cool. It's like a whole experience in itself and I read it in like a day. It's so short. Yeah, so I haven't really had a book. I don't remember when I sent out everything everything I think in November maybe and I just, I don't know, I haven't really had a book that I felt compelled. I Guess the the last one that I felt compelled to like highlight was practice make perfect, but I don't know, I just didn't do it. I should maybe. Well, I think also, what it is is like that's not my copy, like that's my friend's book, so like I would have to like buy a copy of it. Maybe when I reread it for us, maybe I'll get my own copy and highlight it and send it on its way.
Kristen Bahls:That's smart, I was gonna say I think, yeah, did I have. I think I had to rebuy my copy of practice makes perfect and I can't even remember why. So yeah, it's like a fresh. The one that I have now is like a fresh copy, where the spine's not broken or anything like that, so it's.
Paige Woodrow:It's all pristine. Honestly, I would send ghosted on a trip around the world, but I already sent a book by Sarah ready on a trip, and so I feel like I don't want to do the same off. I want to do like different authors Time, I don't know and ghosted is huge.
Kristen Bahls:So like Postage would probably be pretty expensive. On that one would be my guess. Yeah, it is, it's like almost 500. I mean, I think it's like 460 or something in that range.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, mine's all page flagged up, it doesn't read like it's big, though Like it reads fast. I thought.
Kristen Bahls:Yeah, I mean, I read it relatively fast.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, well, the space between was also pretty. It wasn't as big as this, but it was also pretty big. Her I have like behind me all hers, so I haven't read these yet. These are her Soulmates in Romeo series.
Kristen Bahls:Oh yeah, I saw that whenever I was looking at her Instagram.
Paige Woodrow:So I, they all live in this town of Romeo and there's like this Old lady there that she like can predict to your soulmate is, or whatever, and so it's like I love about her books, like these, especially ghosted, and then switched.
Kristen Bahls:I'm jealous of switched. No spoilers, no spoilers. Oh my gosh, it's signed.
Paige Woodrow:Little did she know her ordinary life was about to change Like. I messaged her on Instagram and was like I'm so excited for switch. I keep checking that galley every day, like what is it gonna become available? And she was like it's gonna be available soon, but do you want me to like send you a copy? And I was like and like, oh my gosh, I wish my husband had videoed my reaction.
Kristen Bahls:I would have loved to see that.
Paige Woodrow:She sent me this one dear Christmas. It was so good, but she signed it also. Oh, I did not know it was coming. I just was like checking the mail one day and it was in the mail and I was like it's like my first ever signed book by like an author. It was just so exciting.
Paige Woodrow:But French holiday is the first one I read by her and it's so cute. It's so like her books are so funny. But I love about her books how there's a touch of not Magic isn't the right word, but it's like they're like larger than life, like they're not Realistic because they're not supposed to be like. You know what I mean. It's like this would not happen in real life, but like whimsy, maybe a touch of whimsy. Because like this one was so funny.
Kristen Bahls:They're like I want to go to the Scrooge in.
Paige Woodrow:Christmas. All that's on my tbr. They're all on my tbr, but that one is high-up. So she like, she like kidnaps this guy and like hold them up in this cabin and so, of course, like they fall in love. And it's very similar to like practice me makes perfect, where it's like and it's just like everything is epically wonderful and it's like this would not happen in real life but like I don't care Cause, like it was funny and it made me happy and it was fun and like that's the point. Like the point isn't to be realistic, you know what I mean. Like I don't know, I just think it's. Her books are just like. They just have such a dash of whimsy and fun and the larger than life scenarios and like I don't know, I was just dying laughing so hard, whatever in this book whenever he shows up in the shower.
Kristen Bahls:It's like that's like your worst nightmare, oh man.
Paige Woodrow:Well, like her whole apartment was just like next level hilarious.
Kristen Bahls:I know it's so, just outlandish, I don't know so funny.
Paige Woodrow:Oh my gosh, but yeah.
Kristen Bahls:I can't believe that. That's so amazing that you have two Sarah ready signed editions so fancy.
Paige Woodrow:And this space between is traveling the world right now.
Kristen Bahls:So Sarah ready everywhere, all Sarah ready all the time.
Paige Woodrow:When does Switch to come out? I don't. Is it the six? Like February?
Kristen Bahls:I feel like, well, I thought I saw February six, but then I thought I saw the end of February somewhere else. So now I can't remember, cause I've almost looked at so many she has another one coming out.
Paige Woodrow:It's about Daniel's sister, I believe called faded, and it's not on Goodreads yet, but the cover was on Amazon. I saw it on Amazon and I just like freaked out cause it's so beautiful.
Kristen Bahls:Cool. I'm glad that Fiona gets her own little story too. I'm trying to find.
Paige Woodrow:No, I thought it came out the sixth. It says published February 20th. Okay, you thought it came out the sixth.
Kristen Bahls:I really think I saw something that said it came out the sixth and then, whenever I checked the other day cause I was gonna, I don't know I was getting close to the sixth anyway. So I was thinking, okay, I need to buy it, but no, I saw that it came out later then, so maybe the date switched the date which Uh-huh. Oh, there you go. That would be the perfect, like marketing thing to switch the date on us.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, but you should switch it to earlier, not later. True, true, I really did like switched was really good, but it was not as good as ghosted, I don't think. Okay, so here's the cover is out for faded, which is. I love the covers. I think they're so pretty. Oh, I like the.
Kristen Bahls:It's like kind of a magenta mixed with like a warm pink and then a lighter kind of teal and tur no turquoise blue mixed with like a royal blue. That looks really pretty together.
Paige Woodrow:So she messaged me and told me what it's kind of about. So, Fiona oh, it's in the back of the book, so read the next book in the series. Faded. When Fiona Aubrey is given a family heirloom that makes your dreams come true. She meets the man of her dreams in her dreams. So Fiona is Daniel's sister and so yeah. So I guess they meet in her dreams. I don't know.
Kristen Bahls:How cool. So it takes place over probably like the course of all our dreams. Okay, okay, I can see that. I mean it's like just it's just different enough, but also similar to the other books that I think that that will play well.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, there are all some element of this, like you know, mind bending thing cause.
Paige Woodrow:So you know, ghosted, he's a ghost, and then in Switch they switch bodies, yeah, which apparently is like like I was reading you know some of the reviews on it and like people are like you know, this is such a common thing, you know, but it was done in a cool, different way, whatever.
Paige Woodrow:But I was like I personally have never read a book where they switched bodies, but I mean, I've not, I really haven't read that many books. Like, comparatively to someone who's been reading, who's been an avid reader their whole life, you know, like I feel like, yes, I read a lot of books like the last couple of years, but in the grand scheme of things, and also I read a lot of different types of books, I feel like I'm a big disadvantage because I like pretty much every fiction book and that's a lot of books. Like you know, if you only like romance, you're gonna read so much more romance than I am. But I'm over here, I'm gonna read romance, romanticy, thrillers, historical fiction, like I love some like good sci-fi stuff, like I'm just like there's too many books in too little time.
Kristen Bahls:I agree, I agree, yeah, and it's kind of like whenever. Okay, so we're both, I mean, we're both roughly like newish to both you and the books, to Gram Space and kind of me with the podcasting, and I feel like whenever you start getting into these spaces, you just kind of naturally like diversify what you're reading. Like before, whenever it's just you and you literally read whatever you want, you kind of just stick to literally like the same authors, same genre, same thing. But then whenever you have an audience and you're trying to diversify and you're talking to authors and other books, to Grammers and like really getting a lot of suggestions kind of thrown your way, then you just automatically switch it up. And so since we're like newer-ish at this, I feel like that also kind of comes into play of yeah, I haven't probably read a lot of the popular books because I was kind of stuck in my like, so I was thriller, I was just thriller after thriller after thriller.
Kristen Bahls:Do I remember any of them? Probably not. But now that I'm starting to get into romance and some of the other genres and you know, who knows, maybe romance to see, I don't know I could see there are a lot of really good like fantasy books, so I could possibly get into that realm, but anyway, it's just making it to where. Yeah, there are a lot of books that I haven't read. I've never read a. I don't think I've ever read a Switch Body trope either, I mean, except for Freaky Friday, like that's the only thing that comes to mind. Obviously a movie, like that's the first thing that I think of, but other than that I can't just like pull it off the top of my head.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, it was kind of like Freaky Friday yeah.
Kristen Bahls:I like it already just hearing.
Paige Woodrow:Well, and honestly I was a little bit worried that it would be like weird, because they are like into each other, like how is that gonna work?
Kristen Bahls:But it was totally Exactly. I was kind of thinking that at first too. Okay, it was done well.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, it was totally never weird and I don't know how she did it, but it was done so well, like because I would have made it so awkward, like, but no, it was really, it was done really well, I thought.
Kristen Bahls:Yeah, cause I was thinking that same thing whenever I heard that they were going to switch bodies and I was like, but they like each other. Oh, okay, I mean we'll see how this plays out. We'll see how it plays out. I mean it worked in Ghosted, even though for a second I was a little bit skeptical if it was gonna work. But I'm not gonna give any more spoilers until we say, okay, we are about to get into Ghosted. Right now we will have spoilers. We are going to do a deep dive of the book.
Kristen Bahls:So if you have not read the book, then this may be your time to peace out and then come back once you've read it and then you can hear, hear our discussion. So we are officially getting into our discussion, but I would like to say that, okay, so this was Paige's recommendation and I didn't know anything about Ghosted. I hadn't read Sarah Ready before, so this was kind of my first Sarah Ready novel and over here I've just been kind of reading, like Sarah Adams and Ally Hazelwood, and so, whatever she said, it's a romance. I was like, okay, romance, perfect. I was not ready for the emotional roller coaster that is. This book took me up, so thank you for ruining me a little bit.
Paige Woodrow:Oh my gosh, there's so many people that I've like recommended this book to you. And then they messaged me and they're like I hate you so much right now. Why did you do this to me? Like they all loved it so much. Like cause I hate you guys? Why this book? I was up reading. It was like 1.30 in the morning and I started crying so hard that I had to leave the room so as not to wake up my husband. Wow, because I was crying so hard. It's an emotional roller coaster.
Paige Woodrow:It's just, it's a lot. It's a lot that I like she does. I feel like in a lot of her books they get deep at some point, you know, and like make me tear up a little bit, but then there's there, always have made me laugh as well, you know. So I love that. There's like the balance of both, I guess.
Kristen Bahls:So yeah, I think that's important. It's not just like a total, it's not depressing to the max, it's just kind of one of those things where you're going into it maybe getting the humor at first, not expecting it, and then bam, you're going to be hitting the face with a couple big things that tear you up a little bit.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, because it just feels like this like light, happy romcom for like over half the book, and then, oh my gosh, like when he doesn't remember her and you're like no. And then like when he kicks her out of the apartment, you're like my heart.
Kristen Bahls:How are they ever going to get together?
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, and like when he dies, I was sobbing, I couldn't handle it. I was like no, no, no, no, no, so much, so much.
Kristen Bahls:So what did you rate Ghosted, and in what?
Paige Woodrow:Oh, five stars, Of course, because for so many different reasons, like well, I have a rating system, so I rate books based on five things. So I have like a post at the top of my feed I can just show you really quick, so it's like my actual rating system, and so they get a star if it's an engaging story, which it was, if I liked the writing style, which I did, I couldn't put it down accurate. I read that book in like two days.
Kristen Bahls:Would recommend to someone.
Paige Woodrow:I recommended this book, probably more than any other book I've ever read, and would read it again. Accurate and just read it again. I wasn't expecting to read it again so soon after reading it, but and I was a little bit worried that like I would be not bored but, like you know, because it's like, it's like yes, yes, I know that, but I never felt that way, Like I was so into it again already, even though I had just read it not that long ago.
Kristen Bahls:And that that says something. Because, yeah, once you know like the major plot points, it's easy to go. Ok, is this just going to be kind of rereading for the sake of rereading?
Paige Woodrow:But no, but it was so fun because the second time around she puts in so many little like boar shadow wings and little Easter eggs that like I did not catch the first time and it was like fascinating to me to catch onto all those little things, like one of my ones. That was my favorite was when Jillian and Daniel go to that gala party whatever you know and Daniel name drops like Jace, the musician from the park in New York and Jace is the guy character in the space between oh, oh, wow.
Paige Woodrow:And I was like no way, like I can't, like, like they're in the same universe, like this is so cool and it's like I did not catch that the first time. But and an author like hands down gets us like a bonus star if they make me laugh out loud, and like she does that, like she makes me literally laugh out loud multiple times this book Chasing Romeo which I actually only gave four stars to this one, I think, was like one of her first ever books and so like the, I don't know, it's just not as good as the others for sure, but I've laughed. This is probably one of the hardest that I've laughed in her books. Like I literally almost peed my pants.
Paige Woodrow:I was laughing so hard in a particular scene in that one, and it's like you just get a bonus star for making me laugh that hard. I don't know Like I feel like it's hard to make me laugh out loud by reading words. You know what I mean, cause you can like see it coming, or yes, yes, yeah. So I feel like it just takes a certain talent and ability to be able to be funny on paper.
Kristen Bahls:I agree. Like Lee, x's and O's, is that for me right now like I was sitting in the allergist office and I was literally trying not to laugh and it's just like every other word or every page? But I agree with this one. They do have really good dialogue between just Jillian and Daniel, and then Jillian and Serena's the best friend right Isn't that her name?
Paige Woodrow:Yes, okay, that and that which is about.
Kristen Bahls:Mm, hmm, I like their dialogue too, like I like when you can have the two main characters have good dialogue, of course, but then you also have good dialogue with the supporting characters and you feel like they're all kind of there for a reason and like their personalities add something to the story and it all just feels, you know, like purposeful. And I like how the banter is slightly different because I don't know, I'm just thinking about, like, as she's trying to write it, that would be hard to take these character, like it's ultimately your voice, but then you're trying to take these different characters who have different personalities and still make everything sound different, as if they're actually talking to different people. And I felt that from this, whether she was talking to Fran or Serena or Daniel or not talking to any of the guys, I like the way that she wrote. Yeah, dialogue in general. Yeah, definitely, I agree, and I actually rated this book four and a half stars, so I okay. So I'm trying to, I'm trying to like articulate into words Again, it was really close to five stars, so it's not as if it was bad, it's not as if I wouldn't recommend it or anything.
Kristen Bahls:I think the reason why is a I'm not used to reading. I feel like things with kind of that whimsier, that supernatural element. So as I kind of get more into romantic, my feelings may change and I feel like I could honestly go back and possibly like rate at five stars later. So from my perspective, like I said, I'm used to reading like thrillers which are kind of like cut and dry, of like here's the foreshadowing, here's the thing that happened, like there may be a plot twist, but ultimately they're like super realistic. So since I'm used to that and like contemporary romance that are just uber realistic, I feel like there are some questions that I had throughout the book that like didn't really get answered. But I think ultimately it's kind of just Sarah's edition of whimsy in there that I just didn't.
Kristen Bahls:I don't want to say I didn't get it because I did get it, but I feel like maybe I just didn't connect with it quite as much.
Kristen Bahls:And I think also it was I think it was also just Jillian who I didn't relate to as much as some of the other characters, and again I think it's just kind of like she wasn't my, she wasn't my Annie, and so I think that whenever I read switched, I just feel like Serena may be more up my alley.
Kristen Bahls:So I kind of feel like I just might connect a little bit more Serena than I did with Jillian, and that's only because Jillian like again, I know that the point is that she can't talk to guys, but the fact that she literally cannot talk to them almost kind of took me out of it a little bit at times, but just barely so. Again, that's kind of why I gave it like half a star. It wasn't enough to affect my overall like feelings or reading of the book, but I just felt like it, what like it was so close to five stars but for some reason I wasn't quite there and I think it's more Jillian than it is like obviously the writing or the story or anything like that, because ultimately I did enjoy it and I write it and I would recommend it. So that's my little four and a half star reason.
Paige Woodrow:I mean, yeah, I get. Though I understood why it reminded me a little bit of Rajesh from the Big Bang Theory. You know how he can't talk to girls? Have you ever watched the Big Bang Theory? I have a little bit like he literally can't talk to them and so like it kind of reminded me of that innocence, but like it made sense to me because like she experienced such deep trauma, true from her friend.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, and like the fact that, like she was at a party, you know, hanging with guys and choosing to do that with her life, when that, when her friend chose to end his, you know that just like really cut her and like Daniel says, like you, only you can decide, like, how long you're going to punish yourself for.
Paige Woodrow:And so I feel like her reasoning for not talking was, like this is my punishment, like I don't I'm going to cry, like I don't deserve to talk to any guys or be with any guys because, like I wasn't there from, like my best friend, you know what I mean, yeah. And so like I feel like it makes sense and then for her to like move past that, I feel like it seemed quick, but at the same time, I think it really wasn't, because she had spent so much time like practicing with Daniel, being like yeah and like, but like she was able to practice with him because she was able to actually talk with him. And then I feel like the big revelation was when she finally talked to Fran, and so she talked with Fran and Fran gave her that forgiveness, yeah, so she could kind of move on, okay, okay.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, and so then it wasn't until after she had talked with Fran that she was able to talk with guys again. And she does say, like I'm probably always going to be a little bit awkward and a little bit strange around guys because, like that's always how it's been, but you know, now she's able to like talk to them again. And I think it was the. I think Daniel gave her the. I think Daniel gave her the. What's the?
Kristen Bahls:word. I'm looking for Not confidence, but kind of the confidence strength.
Paige Woodrow:He like he gave her the push she needed to talk to Fran in the first place, which is what she really needed to do true and I think I think that, if and again, I get why.
Kristen Bahls:Okay. So I get why Sarah Waited a little bit because she had to build up that trust with Daniel to feel comfortable. Telling him about Michael was the friend's name right about Michael, I'm pretty sure Michael, okay, yeah, about Michael. But I feel like I spent so, like I spent so long in the book at first before we knew about Michael going.
Kristen Bahls:Okay, she really can't talk to guys, like why can't she talk to guys? And I don't understand. And so it's kind of almost like like it was just in my head. But again, she wouldn't have had that relationship with Daniel to where she would have felt comfortable opening up about something so personal earlier in the book. So I get why she waited till later, but it was just I don't know, it just kind of like bugged me throughout. But I get what you're saying. So I think that, yeah, like I understand her motivation for it and once I heard that, obviously I was like, okay, this makes a little bit more sense and, like you said, it was more Fran that gave her the ability to start talking to guys again. So that's why I was a little more abrupt, because that also kind of got me. I was like wait a minute, she couldn't talk to guys and now she just can't talk like fully complete sentences, talk to them. But yeah, I get that. I think that that does make sense.
Paige Woodrow:It helps shed a little bit of light girl You're gonna hate Romantic like especially thrown of glass. It is all it's like this thing, but we're not gonna talk about it.
Kristen Bahls:But what is it? But we're not gonna talk about it, but I oh. It, just it. It sits in my head and I just can't like reading everything. I'm just saying they're thinking but why, but why, but why? So okay, I'll have to. I'll have to think about it before I go into it but you have to Find out why.
Paige Woodrow:I think it's like the hook, like I have to keep reading so that I know why.
Kristen Bahls:Just something new, something new that I haven't Haven't experienced, I guess, in books yet. So there we go. This is my first kind of like taste of that, so at least, at least you let me kind of go in, dip my toes in a little bit with ghosted, instead of like starting full, full like high Romantic, see, yeah oh, my gosh, in Crescent, in Crescent City, like somewhere in book two, it's, there's this thing that's like, oh, this character is this because of that.
Paige Woodrow:And like I'm halfway through book three and we're still like, oh, you know, this character is this way because of that, because of what? Oh, I can't say why. Yet it's like I Feel like it's a very common, like romantic see Trope. Is the like secret agenda or like secret thoughts that you can't share? I don't know, I find it like, most of the time it doesn't bother me.
Kristen Bahls:Most of the time I'm like I have to keep reading so that I can find out why yeah, I think if I just get used to it and kind of Figure out my expectations before I go in, then all all end up liking the end. But I think ultimately it really just stems from like I had this friend Whenever I was younger and she would always go like I have a secret and I go, what is it? And then she'd be like oh, I can't tell you. And then she just never tell me and it just drove me crazy. So maybe that's why I have such a problem with it, with it in books, but know that eventually they're gonna tell you everything.
Paige Woodrow:It just might take six books to get there, but eventually they're gonna tell you oh.
Kristen Bahls:Oh man, eventually they'll let me know, okay. Okay, see, now that I go in with that expectation, or expecting a little bit more whimsy, that I'm not so like, well, why did this happen and why didn't they do this and why is this this way? Cuz, yeah, I, yeah that that was definitely kind of me going into this book a little bit. So now my expectations are gonna look a little bit different. And Ghost it, like I said, it moved really well, so it did help me, like I mean, I had to wait, but it's not like I had to wait six books to figure something out. She explained everything. So any question that you're gonna have as you're going through this book, sarah ready is going to explain it at some point.
Paige Woodrow:You just have to get there and you had a question and I have an answer, okay okay.
Kristen Bahls:So the this is my question again. I feel like I'm almost kind of like the Grinch of ghosted, a little bit like I think I just read it too much as, like I said, expecting it to be super realistic, and so then, whenever there were some things that added the whimsy, I'm like, well, I don't understand why that's that. So okay, here is my situation. Me Kristen the Grinch of ghosted, I'm gonna ask. So okay, at the very, very end, okay, so after the whole accident, and then Daniel's in the hospital and he sees Jillian and basically like his go I'm trying to explain this well, but it's probably not gonna come off as great so his ghost and him are like reunited and we're back in the same Time frame and so technically, daniel should remember Jillian and know who she is instead of forgetting her. But they're in the hospital and she sees Daniel and she's expecting him to kind of remember her and he doesn't he still doesn't remember her in the Hospital. And then he ends up going to Geneva. And then, once he goes to Geneva and then Jillian ends up going there too, because that's where Serena is and there was a Star Trek convention they go to this beach scene at the end and they both happen to be on the beach at the same time and Jillian's wearing her Star Trek dress that she's been wearing like throughout the whole thing whenever she was talking to Daniel as a ghost, and she's walking up and that's when Daniel notices her.
Kristen Bahls:And my like nitpicky thing was well, why didn't she remember in the hospital, like Daniel does say something? Like you know, I was confused after my accident. It was a lot I didn't really know. So you did kind of get that explanation, but I was like why it just would have made more sense of like Fiona and Jillian had some kind of a little tiff and Then Jillian never saw Daniel and then the first time they saw each other was on the beach and then he remembered her and she was wearing her Star Trek dress, which, like helped. But I would love to hear your reasoning for why Ready did it the way that she did it so she only wears that dress one other time.
Paige Woodrow:I Thought she wore it to the gala, but she didn't.
Paige Woodrow:She wore a different red dress.
Paige Woodrow:But that red dress is the dress that she's wearing the first time that they kiss as like a ghost, and so I think that that's probably like the moment that he like fell in love with her, and so I feel like that there was something magical about seeing her in that dress, because that's the first time he sees her in the dress Since that moment.
Paige Woodrow:And so I think that that's why and you know, I think also like I mean, he did just have extreme trauma and you know, he did just wake up, and so I think it's like, how do you process all of that? And he's probably still not fully like healed and together and all of that kind of thing. And I think it makes sense for them to both end up on that beach, because that's the beach that he would go to as Like a child, with his sister or whatever, and so it's for him to be there. And then she, I think, just probably remembered them talking about it and so just kind of ended up there in like a subconscious, like wanting to be near him, kind of thing.
Paige Woodrow:So I feel like it makes sense. Yeah, I don't know because. I did. The first time I read it, I had the same thought. I was like how come you remember?
Kristen Bahls:now.
Paige Woodrow:Why now like why this, you know? But then when I read it the second time, I was like Dress, I'm gonna pay attention to the dress and I paid attention to all her clothes the whole time and yeah, she only wore it that First kiss and then. So I think there's just something magical about that, like spiritual.
Kristen Bahls:I did not realize that. I didn't realize that it was when they kissed. I knew was at some point, because I remembered the dress, ish, like while he was a ghost, but I didn't realize it was when they kiss. So that would make sense because, yeah, it's like when they fell in love.
Paige Woodrow:Oh well, then I was like but then I was thinking I was like no, I'm gonna be wrong because she's gonna have worn it to the gala, and you know. But she didn't. And so then I was like, yes, it makes sense.
Kristen Bahls:Okay, okay, okay, it does, it does make sense, okay. So okay, that makes me feel. See, I already feel better, I already feel like I'm like bumping it up a couple More points, knowing, knowing that.
Paige Woodrow:She's just so clever. Like reading it this second time, it was just like wow, like you really do have everything like planned out and put in that order for a reason. And One thing that really jumped out to me at the reread was whenever they're like walking and he's a ghost at the beginning, like a taxi runs, like through him and she's talking about, she's like I don't understand, like why that taxi should make me feel so afraid. But like at the end it's like the taxi is what causes all the horrible things to happen. And so it was like oh my gosh, like no, what? Like it gives me like goosebumps, it's like no wonder. And then like the whole, oh my gosh, it hurts my brain. Like what came first? Like he only went back to her as a ghost because she was there and she was only there because he told her Like what came first? The chicken or the egg?
Kristen Bahls:It starts you all, yeah, all, back over that. That second EpoLog man, it oh my gosh what, oh my gosh?
Paige Woodrow:like is there another reality where, like Daniel Does it make it is that the dent from that reality did he come over? Like did they happen in both? Like wait what I?
Kristen Bahls:Know as soon. As soon as it said like alternate universe, I was like wait, what, what? And then, yeah, I know, and then I like starts a little story over again. But, like you said, it would make sense if there was one world where Daniel didn't survive, because then how Would he combat and then, like you said, that's how he knew to go to her. Because of that alternate, Brain, it's so fun.
Paige Woodrow:It really is. Have you read anything by Blake crouch? I haven't. You wrote dark matter. Okay, these are like sci-fi, I guess. But so good, not like weird side. I'm very picky with my sci-fi. Like I loved those. I loved the Martian and project Hail Mary. Have you read those? Mm-hmm, those are really good. No, I did not like. My husband made me read Hyperion. I did not like that not. But dark matter is like that trippy, like time space Stuff. He's written to others that I've also read. That were both really good. But I think dark matter was my favorite one. It messes with the whole multiple realities kind of Like situation.
Kristen Bahls:So I love it and I know it's been a while since I've read it, so I can't remember what it was specifically, but I know that, like Into the water by Paula Hawkins, that's one of my favorite thrillers and it it throws you for a loop, like you have to be sitting there Reading it, like paying attention to every little detail, because it's kind of like ready where they're like little tiny, like Easter egg, foreshadowing things and Every little thing, and then she'll tie it all together at the end. But if you're not like paying super close attention, then you're just not, you're not gonna get it.
Paige Woodrow:Oh, okay, I Will add this back to my TBR because I started listening to it and I could not. I was like this.
Kristen Bahls:Yeah, no, I had to read it with my eyeballs like that make If I, like you, can't watch TV and read the book at the same time, gotcha.
Paige Woodrow:That's how I feel. That's another reason why it's taking me so long to get through Crescent City, because, like a lot of times, like I'll read on the couch while the kids play or watch a show, but I can't, because I need it to be like quiet, I need to focus because, like she's throwing so much information at us, like there was one chapter that I had to read twice because they was just like info dumb and I was like I don't even know what I just read.
Kristen Bahls:I need to read that again.
Paige Woodrow:So I feel like that's why it's taking me such a long time to get through it. But and that's good to know that it's one of those like thinking that's how have you read this?
Paige Woodrow:seven and a half deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle no, no, but I've heard about it people talk about like underrated books, that is such an underrated book like it is so good but it is so mind-twisty. You have to think like and I think that's why is like people like so many people rated it and they're like I didn't finish this book, it was too complicated, and it's like then don't rate it. Like if you didn't finish it, then you don't. Like you have no right to rate something that you didn't read the whole way. Like if you want to say like on there, like I tried to read this but it just wasn't for me, and then just don't give it any stars, go for it. But like don't be giving it like one star if you didn't read the whole thing. Like I feel like that's so unfair to the author and like the hard work that they put into their like novel.
Kristen Bahls:Don't even get me started on that Drives me crazy. It's like someone spent so much time putting their heart and soul into this book and again I understand, like, if you don't like a book I'm not saying lie and always give them more stars than you think that they deserve just because they wrote a book, but like, if you're gonna trash their book, well then you try writing a book. I don't know, I really don't give, I don't think I give much like to. I don't have I ever given anything one star. I don't know that I've ever given anything one star because I'm like, at least if I've picked it up, you know I've given it like two or just not rated it. Like if I DNF it, like you said, I just don't rate it because I didn't get to the end of the book. So I don't know, it just drives me crazy. Oh, people are so picky sometimes. It's like just enjoy the book. Well, I guess you can say that on me, on ghosted. Just enjoy the book, kristin, stop.
Paige Woodrow:Yeah, I have given books one star, but like there's a nice way to do it and like not it. But my big thing is like if you want to give a one a book One star, that's fine, but you need to have read it like you all the way through yeah.
Paige Woodrow:So, anyways, it's great, but you do have to use your brain, you have to go. He's making me want to. He has a new one coming out, the murder at the end of the world, or something like that, and he also wrote the devil in the dark. You should read the devil in the dark water. It is so good it is.
Paige Woodrow:I'm writing it down totally thriller, like think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Sherlock Holmes meets a Stephen King novel. I'm in, like it's it. That book I could not read before I went to sleep. It was super creepy, but in, like, a great way, like now I want to read that again too.
Kristen Bahls:It was so good.
Paige Woodrow:Uh, the 7 1 1⁄2 tests of Evelyn Hardcastle was not like scary, um, but still so good. But he has, yeah, he has a new one coming out and I requested it on NetGalley but I haven't been approved or denied, but it's been sitting there for quite a while, so I don't think it's gonna get approved.
Kristen Bahls:So for those who don't know, Paige, can you explain a little bit about NetGalley and what it is and how that works?
Paige Woodrow:Yeah. So I found out about NetGalley through a friend of mine because she was talking about how she just finished reading a book that was on my TBR and I knew hadn't come out yet. And I was like, excuse me, friend, how did you read this already? And she was like, oh, I'm on NetGalley. And I was like, what is that? And so anybody can sign up. You just have to promise that you're gonna post your review somewhere.
Paige Woodrow:So you know Goodreads, amazon, instagram, tiktok, like there's lots of different, like you can add your little handle or link, whatever, um, and so, like you build your bio. So you just like have to put like your picture, and then you write like a little like blurb about yourself, and so the publisher will see this information and use that information to help decide whether or not they want to approve your book or their book for you to read. So like here's my profile. So like there's me. And then at the top it says like you're so my feedback ratio is 82%. And then I you put like the categories that you like, and so my bio is really it's just I'm a mama of three kids trying to help other moms find books.
Paige Woodrow:They love to read and discover the joy of reading again. With littles running around, I like to use humor and relatability to encourage more moms to read. I mainly use Reels on Instagram to share about new books I love, and then I'm connected my Instagram and I've connected my um. Anyway, I need to connect my Goodreads and I just made a TikTok. I made a TikTok yesterday I the reason why I did is because, um, there's this app called Cap Cut and it can do a lot of like different video editing and, anyway, if you export the video to your phone, there's like a watermark on it, but if you export it to TikTok there's no watermark. And I was like, oh, I guess if I get a TikTok then I can get the video no watermark.
Paige Woodrow:I'm like, oh, so we'll see how that goes. I'm not super into it, but um and so, anyways, on there there's all sorts of books like you can search for and they have books that like you can read now. Um and so that's kind of how I got started to kind of bump up my feedback ratio, cause like that's smart, that's good to know. That way you can have a feedback ratio with that, because most publishers are going to deny you if you've not. You know, and I mean, and that's how I found Sarah Reddy was her book French holiday was one of the like read now options, and so I read it now and then I was like addicted to Sarah ready.
Kristen Bahls:I was like I want to read everything she's ever written.
Paige Woodrow:So, um, anyway. So now I just like I. But you have to be careful, cause sometimes I get a little bit too trigger, happy asking for books and then oh, they all come in at once. Like, all the requests will come in at once, and I'm like, oh my gosh, like I'm actually behind.
Paige Woodrow:I have two books that I was approved for that I still haven't read, and they are actually three. So interesting facts about space. They bound and the royal game all came out on January 30th and I still have not read them yet. I'm like I'm you chapters into interesting facts about space.
Kristen Bahls:Is it always like a Kindle version or a physical book or an audio book, or it kind of just depends?
Paige Woodrow:So they're all Kindle versions, um, and then they also have audio books. So the like the royal game I have is an audio book, um, and I've done, I've done quite a few audio books from them, cause you can just do them so much faster.
Kristen Bahls:Oh, I use your um, your tip, and I went to one and a half times speed on my audio book and so I'm listening, listening to it now one and a half times speed. I mean I'm nowhere near three times, but I'm now up to one and a half and I I'm getting there. I do like it. I'm like a little bit picky, um, and I have to go back and forth between one and a half and back to one, because I feel like you kind of lose some of the inflection of the voice actors and, like I said, I mean like my degree is broadcast journalism.
Kristen Bahls:So you know all this, like radio stuff, broadcast stuff, like any of that. You know I'm always going to be picky on like their inflection because I'm just used to like having to listen to people's inflection and tone and stuff whenever they narrate. So I feel like it takes a little bit of that out, but I'm getting used to it and I feel like I can listen to books so much faster, and especially in this thriller that I'm reading right now, like since Geneva Rose's um, you shouldn't have come here. They talk like they talk kind of slow in their pacing because they're trying to make sure you understand what's going on. So when you listen to that one and a half speed, it's like okay, it doesn't feel that much faster, it's not like they're fast talkers already and you're getting it there. So, yeah, I am getting used to that and I would have never tried it if you wouldn't have told me that tip in our last episode.
Paige Woodrow:In ghosted. I finished it at three times speed. Wow, it was totally fine. I think a part of it was like I didn't bump it up to three times speed till I had like five hours left. So I'd already been listening to it for at 2.5 for like the whole time, so it didn't seem that much faster and I read it before, true, and so like I feel like that big difference also. Um, but yeah, I've read quite a few. I read eight um audio books on neck alley so, and they've mostly all been really good. There was only one that I was like not enjoying, and that's. The other thing is like I am so about the DNF, but it's like if I requested this book and they're expecting me to give feedback, I need to give my feedback.
Paige Woodrow:You know, so I just try to be very selective with what I asked for. Like when I first started, I would just like ask for so many things and now I realized that like I really need to like do my research about the book. So like I'll read the description and then I'll go to Goodreads and see if there's already any reviews and like comments and like look at that, um, just to try to make sure that I would probably for sure like it.
Kristen Bahls:True, that's smart, I wouldn't have thought of that. But yeah, like you said, you have to give them feedback. So then you have to power through, and especially for us it's hard because I mean, it's not again, it's not that you can't rate a book a little bit lower and still talk about it, but for me, um, the other day I DNF to book that I knew that I wasn't going to rate well, because I was like I just don't even want to like waste the space talking about this. You know, on on the podcast or on anything else, if I know I'm not going to like it because I know it's just not like my cup of tea. So, of course, with net galley, you have to finish it, and so then it's almost like you're taking up your own time.
Kristen Bahls:I guess that you could have been reading a book that you would have rather like amplified, I guess, on bookstore. So, bringing our discussion of ghosted to a close, I have to know if you were working at the paper page, what beat or column would you have been? Jillian is romance. Yeah, she's like the romance advice column, kind of like a dear Abby type column.
Paige Woodrow:Well, of course, I would write a column about books, what books you should read, new books that are coming out, author meetups yeah, definitely that would be my column.
Kristen Bahls:I love that. I love that yeah.
Paige Woodrow:What about you?
Kristen Bahls:What would you take your books to Graham, to the paper? Um, okay, so I would say, like, my first thought was crime beat, want to be on the crime beat, but and I'm not trying, okay, I'm not trying to like, make this Debbie down. I feel like I'm the Debbie downer of this episode, but, knowing what I know about actual journalism, so, like one of our professors, I'll give you a mini whole journalism lesson. He said that most reporters, like, whenever you start, you are always put on the crime beat first because no one wants the crime beat. And the reason that no one wants the crime beat. And you think like, oh, it sounds interesting, but for the most part, no one wants it. Because what you have to do is, like, when someone has passed away, you have to go and talk to their family members and their friends and try to get a sound bite from them. Oh gosh, so you have to basically go, like knock on the door of grieving families and try to get that sound bite to get your story. Well, I don't want to do that. Yeah, I know I was like, okay, never mind. As soon as I remembered that, I was like, okay, never mind. No, no to the crime beat. I don't, I don't want the crime beat anymore. I couldn't do that Like I think I would just be crying along with them. I could. I don't know how it would physically be able to do that. So that made me switch and say no, no, no, no, no, no, no, just kidding I, I don't want the track, the crime beat.
Kristen Bahls:So my second thought is yeah, I mean, something kind of book related would be nice, but I always liked like the fashion column. I think that would be fun to write about. Yeah, I think that would be really fun, because then you just get to live in fashion land and you get to go to all like the runway shows and stuff and like hear things from latest the latest designers, like I would say, either books, fashion or if there was some kind of like technology thing. Just because, yeah, I like a lot of like the audio video stuff, I can kind of nerd out over some of the technology. So those are probably be my top three. But, like for a second, before I really thought about it, I thought crime would have been mine. So clearly I just I I mean I have a journalism degree. I thought I wanted to be a print journalist before I ended up finding video in high school Like I was convinced in middle school that I was going to write for a fashion magazine.
Kristen Bahls:So whenever Julian worked at the paper, I love the dynamics of the entire group that was at the paper. I thought that they were all a really interesting, fun group together. Yeah, they were. Yeah, we endorse ghosted. We love ghosted If you're looking for suspense. It's funny, it's interesting, it's whimsical, it's a romance. Dive into ghosted by Sarah ready and really any of Sarah ready's books.
Paige Woodrow:It'll also rip your heart out.
Kristen Bahls:Yes, it'll rip your heart out. You'll be on an emotional roller coaster, so just prep yourself a little bit for that. But but we promise it's a good read and you need to add it to your TVR. So thanks, paige, for being on the podcast again, and that's it today for where I left off and be on the lookout for our next deep dive. And you don't know which novel we'll do, so you'll just have to listen to find out.