The Readirect Podcast
2023 in Books with Special Guest Hannah aka @dollhousebooks!
Ready for a literary adventure? Buckle up as we, your hosts Abigail Hewins and Emily Rojas, invite you to remanence about 2023's year of books, featuring our dear friend and book-lover, Hannah (@dollhousebooks on IG!).
A soon-to-be librarian and an active bookstagrammer, Hannah adds an enriching perspective to our animated discussion on our top reads, reading experiences, and the books we are eagerly awaiting.
Follow us on IG at @readirectpodcast.
Ready for a literary adventure? Buckle up as we, your hosts Abigail Hewins and Emily Rojas, invite you to remanence about 2023's year of books, featuring our dear friend and book-lover, Hannah (@dollhousebooks on IG!).
A soon-to-be librarian and an active bookstagrammer, Hannah adds an enriching perspective to our animated discussion on our top reads, reading experiences, and the books we are eagerly awaiting.
Follow us on IG at @readirectpodcast.
Welcome to the redirect podcast. My name is Abigail Hewans and I'm Emily Rojas.
Speaker 2:The redirect podcast is a show where we shift the conversation back to books.
Speaker 1:We discuss themes from some of our favorite fictional books and how those themes show up in real live experiences On today's episode, you'll be joined by our friend Hannah to recap this year and reading and discuss some of the titles we're looking forward to seeing in 2024.
Speaker 2:But first, if you've been enjoying the podcast, we would humbly ask that you support us in just a few simple ways. You can leave us a five star review on Apple podcasts and let us know that you're loving the show.
Speaker 1:We'd also love for you to follow us on Instagram at redirect podcast and follow Hannah on Instagram at dollhousebooks. And finally, if you really really like the show, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. Sharing our show with a friend is by far the best way to help us grow our community of book living there.
Speaker 3:Welcome, Hannah is friends with me through our infamous book club, which I mentioned almost every time.
Speaker 2:I'm on this podcast. I think it's infamous. I think it's famous.
Speaker 1:I think it's famous. Yeah, hannah is also brilliant, also a librarian.
Speaker 3:Almost almost almost almost.
Speaker 1:Whatever very close rounding up. Okay so, Hannah, tell us a little bit about you. Describe your favorite books, your taste, give us a look into your life as a reader who am.
Speaker 3:I Well. So right now I'm a graduate student getting my master's in library and information science, hence the almost and like. Right now I work as a library assistant at like a city public library in the adult services department. But I'm kind of hoping to like eventually, once I graduate, like move into like children's and youth services, mostly just because I love working with kids more so than like adults. So that's kind of where I'm hoping to go and I'm in my last year working on my cat stone and thesis and I guess reading wise it has really changed within the last, I feel, like couple of years, mostly because, partially, this book club that we're in together, because it's really helped me to like accept that I love romance books, you know, because like before it was like something that you know you would hide or you wouldn't talk about, but finding like a community of people who also love romance, it just like made me more like open to like expressing that.
Speaker 3:That's like my favorite genre of all time now, so definitely romance books. I really also like manga and like webtoons and man while, which is like the Korean manga and everything. So I've been reading a lot of that this year and then I kind of. I used to be really into fantasy. Not so much this year anymore. I've kind of fallen into like the horror books, realm and then, which is like totally different than like romance, but they're both fun for different reasons.
Speaker 1:And then I go. I honestly I feel like I've heard that from a lot of people who love romance, kind of have this like you know, they're not that different though, because you know what to expect.
Speaker 2:You know they follow kind of a formula similar structure tropes. Yeah, I think that's why I like both thrillers, horror and romance, because you kind of know what you're getting into, like you know that you're gonna have a good time. You know they're different experiences, but they are. I think they do a lot of similar.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's true, because they both have very like, they're very heavy on tropes, and so you can go into them knowing like, oh, I like the slasher trope or I like the enemies to lovers trope, and so I feel like those genres are really good for one, helping others to figure out what they like, and then to also just like knowing what you want to read and like, especially if you're like a mood reader like me or like I can't set like a TBR at all, it's just based on vibes and like if I'm in the like mood to like read something that's like very exactly muddy or something I know exactly what to read, kind of based on the description.
Speaker 1:You were in see, emily, don't you see why I wanted to have Hannah on the show?
Speaker 1:Literally yes, because we are like, we talk about that all the time, about like people being embarrassed to like what they like or not reading what they like because they think that they need to read something else to be a good reader, and it's just like you read more when you read what you like. Like that's what it is and it helps you with the joy of reading. Another thing to mention by Hannah. I just think that, like, one of the things you have to know is she is a huge Kpop fan and that is really important to know for her personality Like where is it on her chest? And if you follow her at dollhousebooks, you will also get lots of great Kpop.
Speaker 3:I don't have a Christmas tree dedicated to Kpop. I mean, they can't see you, but you guys can see.
Speaker 1:So okay. So there's some girls in my, in my book club who are Kpop fans and this came up. We were like at a game day and there's like two or three of y'all who were talking about Kpop and then I was like man, I feel like I could really like this, but I don't even know where to start, whatever. And so we're like they're like, oh, it's okay, no pressure at all. I like it, but we'll have a Kpop night and we'll like order dumplings and we'll do this whole presentation. And Hannah came with a full sky deck about BTS, the history, the bios on all the members. I was like this is my favorite thing, like watching someone share their special interest. I that just connected to yours. Emily is such a PowerPoint girl.
Speaker 2:Yes, I've never heard so many PowerPoints in my life.
Speaker 1:Anyways, okay. So basically for this episode, if you're listening to this, what we're going to do is we're going to talk about our favorites of the year, our least phase of the year, things we're looking forward to and, you know, whatever comes up along the way, some trends. I personally would like to talk about hockey romances as like having a moment in 2023. So there's lots of good things to talk about. Hannah, as our guest, would you like to kick it off with one of your faves of the year, one of my faves.
Speaker 3:Okay, hold on, I gotta get my nuts out because, like I said, I forget every book that I read as soon as I finish it. Okay, can I do like a series that I loved this year? Okay, Of course. Well, technically, I read the first one last year, but I read the three following in the companion series. This year it's the Twisted Series by Anna Hwang, which is like a romance series and they're all interconnected in that they have, like you know, the characters from like, a previous book come and make cameos in the other books, but you don't necessarily need to read them in order. But I feel like Anna Hwang's books have made me realize that while I do enjoy contemporary romance, I'm in romance for the smut, because she has literally the like perfect combination of plot to smut. You know, like sometimes some of the more like tame ones, I'm like, oh, there's too much plot. I get into the fun sexy times and then sometimes I read some of the more like sorry, but there's definitely a fine line there.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I'm seeing there's a fine line there and I think Talia Hibbert also walks it really well, which she's one of our faves, to that.
Speaker 1:Yes, she's a good one but like she walks that line really well too.
Speaker 3:And the other thing that I like about Talia Hibbert sorry I'm going off into like a other topic. That's fine.
Speaker 1:There's no rules.
Speaker 3:The other thing that I like about Talia Hibbert is that she includes not just like a focus on like the romance aspect, but also like each person as an individual before they become a pair, which I love Like. I feel like the people are very real and that sometimes with romance like it can get a little bit one layer character that too, yeah, and she does a really good job at making sure that there's plot, there's realism and there's smut.
Speaker 1:Yes, she has the best characters and I think maybe Emily will go to you because she might be on your list, I think.
Speaker 2:Sure, she is on my list, so might as well One of my favorites of the year. Well, I had a hard time because I had so many good books I read this year, so I try to think of the ones that I'm going to like, remember. You know, next year I'm going to look back fondly on. So I really loved, as you guys know, the Brown sisters trilogy by Talia Hepburn, but especially I really like take a hint Danny Brown, which is also good, but it is the best one.
Speaker 1:It is the best book, boyfriend. I think, maybe that has ever existed.
Speaker 2:Ever, ever Because you know it's really a lot of people do just to dive in. I mean, we've talked about this book extensively so I'm not going to recap the whole plot for you guys. But, like the book boyfriend, who's like sensitive and likes romance novels, I feel like so many people try to do that and it ends up seeming like this isn't a real man or like this isn't a person that exists in real life. But I feel like Talia Hepburn made him so again, like you said, she made him such a real character that you felt like it's someone you know and could like really know it could be your friend, could be someone you could actually fall in love with. So I love that this book, like I still, I feel like I can visualize the characters, like I can see them in my mind, what they would look like, which is rare. I don't feel like I'm a super visual person when I'm reading books, but she just writes so well. I'm like I know what her house looks like. I know what the scenes that took place. I can still picture them in my head. So I think this is a great.
Speaker 2:If you want the literally perfect romance novels, just read this trilogy. There are perfect in my opinion and all of ours. Here I'm just going to speak for all of us. It is the exact balance of what you guys were talking about, Of all the things you want in a romance novel, but just the perfect amounts of everything. So 10 out of 10.
Speaker 1:That's my first one that I loved this year. Okay, one of my faves kind of taking a little bit of a left turn, it was Yellow Face by RF Kwong. I loved it. I loved that. It was horror, without being like slasher. Do you know what I mean? Like there was this increasing sense of dread. I thought the writing was incredible. I thought it was like, oh, it's a I mean, it's definitely probably not like a holiday read. It's so uncomfortable, like, increasingly uncomfortable with like the anti hero and how she's like just goes farther and farther down this whole of like appropriation. I loved it, emily. I know how you feel about it. Hannah, did you read Yellow Face? I?
Speaker 3:put it on a temporary DNF, not because I didn't like it I actually. I love RF Quang. The Poppy War series is one of my all time favorites. I even was talking about the Poppy War at our last book club and how everyone should read it and why it was so good, but also like content warnings and stuff. But I put it on hold because I guess, for the people listening, I'm Asian American, so I feel like that is important to know. I started reading it and I was just getting so angry and so frustrated because I was like in my opinion, there was nothing new to any of this. I was like this is just something that I've experienced before. This is like. I know people that have experienced this. I live it, they live it. I don't need to read it. I should read it, but I'm just not in the place to right now, and so I think like that's why it's on a temporary DNF, or maybe a temporary hold is a better term for me at least.
Speaker 1:Yes, I think that is totally fair to be like. I do want to read it, but I just can't read it right now. You have to be in the mental space to read a book like that. That's going to hit some triggers or some past experiences. But great recommendation for the Poppy War. I would love to read more of her work.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I definitely recommend it and also I think I mentioned that I'm not a fantasy girly, but this is one fantasy series that I like, actually highly recommend and loved and cried over and screamed over, but like in a good way, because it was so good.
Speaker 1:Okay, Hannah, back to you. What's another book you love?
Speaker 3:Another book, oh, okay, so this one. I loved it, but I do not recommend it to everyone. It's a book talk book Haunting Adeline by HD Carlton. I'm not sure if you're aware of that book.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I've definitely seen it, but it's a very dark, dark romance and I haven't finished it like the series, but I've only read the first one. But it has literally every terrible thing that could happen and like every content and trigger warning known to man and like even at the beginning of the book there's like a list kind of things to be aware of and stuff. So I definitely don't recommend it to everyone because there is a lot of like big nose for a lot of people in it. But I went into it thinking that like I was going to absolutely hate it because I had heard some of the topics that were in it like these aren't spoilers or anything but like noncon and stalking and like physical and emotional abuse and stuff like that. So like I want to know. I was like this is going to be a book. Oh, am I like? I don't know if I'm allowed to swear.
Speaker 1:Okay, you're fine.
Speaker 3:I was like it's gonna be so bad, Like why? I mean I had a very close mind. Why would people read this? This is so bad, like it's going to promote bad stuff. And then I read it and I was like no, it's kind of fun. I kind of devoured that in one sitting, oh my god. But I think it's like also like if you're old enough and you know the difference between like fiction and reality, you can just enjoy it and it's kind of more on like a thriller side too. So, yeah, that was a book that surprised me in terms of me liking it actually.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a really interesting conversation about books and, emily, I'm trying to think. I think there's a couple books we talked about on the podcast this year where it's like you don't recommend it to everyone, but if you're old enough to like, I wouldn't recommend it to your kid, but if you're old enough to understand the context, then like, then it's okay. But I'm looking through my books I read this year.
Speaker 2:I can't remember, emily, if you can, Well, we kind of had a conversation about that with yeah.
Speaker 2:House on the Prairie of like certain books, maybe like for I think we landed we wouldn't want our kids to read Little House on the Prairie, but we were saying you know certain things that maybe in the past were acceptable, like could a kid read it? And you can have that conversation like, hey, things have changed now or is it better to have them not read it at all? Yeah, hannah, we did like a conversation came from you like, read a.
Speaker 1:We did a series this year where we read some children's books that we remember as when we were kids and we read, we re, we read Little House on the Prairie as adults and it was like hella racist in a way that we didn't remember and like really wild stuff and we were like, wow, I can't believe we just read this, as kids don't remember the racist stuff and you know. Then we led to this broader conversation of like, like bookbands and stuff and like should things be censored for kids because they have racist things in them, or should we just know how to talk about them before we give it to kids to read?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I think it is a really challenging subject to talk about, because there's always going to be a lot of people that are going to disagree with you, but, like, I am 100% on the side against like bands. Like, I don't think there should be bands, especially because the groups that get banned the most are the marginalized communities. I think, though, however, when it comes to content that is specifically hateful and racist, while taking them out of the collections of libraries or stores or whatever I'm thinking from a library perspective is hurtful in the way that, like people won't be able to talk about why these books are wrong or why the messages are wrong. So, I do think it's important to have, but I think, yeah, I think it's like important to be able to have the discussions on like why a specific message or ideology or belief is wrong, and if you don't have any of that in the content, then there's no way to have that discussion. However, I don't think it should be in collections and just be like, okay, left as is.
Speaker 3:I think maybe it needs to be organized in a way that and taught in a way that is very upfront about. You know, like, little House on the Prairie is a very racist series. This is why blah, blah, blah blah. It's also hard because my personal bias is I'd be like okay, no, we can't have it in the collection, or like, no, we're not going to have Dr Seuss books anymore in the collection. But obviously that comes from my own, you know, perspectives and stuff. So we do have to think about the community as a whole.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's kind of where we landed and we were just kind of like you know, in this scenario there's there's definitely better books about prairie life and I think we found some children's books from the perspective of maybe the more marginalized people. There's one about, like an indigenous little girl. So we're like, you know, maybe you can do it from the opposite perspective of let's tell those people stories and talk about how it was, versus just you know reading Right and it's like important to be making sure that, like the topic, that theme of the book is being told by the actual people that it's about.
Speaker 3:You know that first person perspective.
Speaker 2:Okay. So to segue one of my other favorites this year and I know this is honestly hit or miss some people hate this book and that's okay. It's tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zeven, and I picked this book because it really. I read it at the beginning of the year and it did. I still think about it. It's about two friends who kind of have this like really intense relationship. It spans many years of their friendship I think 30 years or so and it's Sam and Sadie and they eventually like collaborate and make this video game together and become famous and then kind of have like this fallout and it's kind of devastating and I understand some people do not like the devastating part. But I just really love this book. I really.
Speaker 2:I is another thing I think I've realized. I really like well thought out, complicated characters and Sadie and Sam are both very complicated and not necessarily always likable, but I definitely saw a lot of myself in them, especially Sam, like he has a really hard time like showing love to people and letting people in and I feel like he's an extreme version of some parts of myself where you know like it's hard for me to say I love you to people sometimes and like show that affection and he kind of takes that to an extreme level of like never being able to let people in anyway. But I just thought this was a really like devastating but really nice book that I really can't stop thinking about. So I really liked it.
Speaker 2:Even if you don't like video games, that's kind of like a major plot, but it's like one of those things where it's just kind of a device to tell the story. Not you have to be super into video games to like it. So I think that's what put me off reading it for a while was like I was kind of like I like video games sometimes but I'm not a super gamer, so but you don't have to be to like this book. I think. Although, again, not everyone likes this book, again it's like maybe for the right person I would recommend this, but maybe not for everyone, but that's one of my favorites of the year for sure.
Speaker 1:Did you read it I?
Speaker 3:also started this and it's been on a temporary hold for a long, long time. But for an entirely different reason. I was listening to the audio book and I realized, like maybe 60% of the way, that I had no idea what was happening and who was who. So I was like, okay, I'm going to put it on hold and I'm going to get the physical copy. I just haven't.
Speaker 2:I do think this would be a difficult audio book because it kind of it's kind of like a weird third person narrative where it kind of like transitions in and out and the time jump. So I would probably have a hard time listening to this as an audio book.
Speaker 3:I would definitely think the physical copy, but I'm like 10% that I did. No, I enjoyed just as the other 60%.
Speaker 2:And I really like Gabrielle Zeven, yeah, and I think another one of my favorites this year was the story like life of AJ Fickery, and that was also by her, so I'm starting to think she's just a character I really or author I really like. So I would recommend that too. If you read tomorrow and tomorrow.
Speaker 3:I had a question about that, though. Was the main criticism of the book that it was just devastating, or were there other reasons?
Speaker 2:I've heard people say like it's not a lot of plot and there is like a specific thing that happens. I don't want to spoil it if you haven't read it. That's kind of like a shocking tragedy and I think sometimes people don't like that because it's like a plot device or, you know, like it's not earned. But I thought it kind of worked. But I think it is kind of a controversial choice you made. I think it's just like with any book, though. I mean, this is a really popular book. So I sometimes think with any book that gets that popular, obviously there can be people who don't like it. But I feel like I've seen more and more lately of people who didn't like it. So now I'm sensitive to recommending it. But yeah, I think it's not for everyone.
Speaker 1:The thing that happens is like a pretty big trigger. Is it going to be a professor?
Speaker 3:So maybe look at the, I guess the mentor back, we can say it.
Speaker 1:Do you want us to say it and we can just edit it out. Yeah, sure, do you want to know?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah or just skip ahead 30 seconds, it's a shooting, oh, okay.
Speaker 3:I would not say it. Oh, I see, I thought it was the professor being on the table, so I don't even know if he's a professor. No well, that is also in this, yeah, that is also another thing.
Speaker 2:But no people, it kind of comes out of nowhere. It's like a really shocking like plot twist. So yeah, not everyone likes that, you know. It's kind of like one day the movie, which also really I hate that movie.
Speaker 1:Is that with Robert?
Speaker 2:Pattinson and the book is really good.
Speaker 1:No, no, that's a lot of what I like, I can't half away. Remember me.
Speaker 2:Okay, remember me is also in this genre where something shocking happens. One day she gets hit by a bus. At the end of the movie she just out of nowhere I am. So I feel so angry. It's a really good book, though I will also say but if you're not into that kind of thing, you might not like tomorrow.
Speaker 2:It's very akin to Robert Pattinson and remember me where it's like whoa that came out of nowhere. But at least that's not the end of the book, so I think that helps. There's like aftermath of that. It's kind of you know, maybe 60% of it. You're probably almost there. So I understand that criticism for sure. But for me it worked and I thought it was well done and like an important part of the plot. But I understand people think it was kind of just a plot device. I guess that maybe they didn't enjoy.
Speaker 1:So anyways that was my chick. Number two Okay, one of mine is really. I'm gonna take a page out of Hannah's book and just like name an author in a series. I read 15 books by Julia Quinn this year.
Speaker 2:Wow, I don't even know how many books she has.
Speaker 1:I think it's probably just a few more than that. I got on my Bridgerton thing this year. Okay and look, hannah and I have talked about this. But I will say, if you like the show, that's great. If you like the books, that's great. You can like them both independently because they're their own thing and they are both good in different ways. I read the Bridgerton's, obviously to start me off and it's just so easy to just like get into this, like I tried reading other stuff, like I really did, but like when I was in Bridgerton world, it's so hard to like get out of it. And then, like I'm looking at my book tracker in November Literally it's like I color coded. Like romance is pink. Literally every single book is pink. I then because then I went on to the Ropespe's series by her, which is the Bridgerton prequels.
Speaker 1:Then I went to the Smive Smith series, which is like a spin off of the Bridgerton's, and then I even started the Bevel Stokes. Then I was like I have to stop, I have to do something different. But I don't know what it is. I love historical fiction. I love historical romance. It's just like it's like drugs to me. I love historical romance and it's so comforting Like all of these books are like around 300 pages. You always know like about this point in the book. This was what I mean. It's just like. I just love her characters, I love the setting. I love that she like has some like strong women, characters that are, you know, in the like 1800 and 1700s, and I'm just so obsessed with her and I am making this podcast to talk about the romancing Mr Bridgerton before the new season of Bridgerton comes out, because we have to honor this book. I'm just so obsessed with Julia Quinn this year.
Speaker 3:And Hannah.
Speaker 1:I know you're a big fan of her too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean I'm more, I think I'm more of a fan of the shows, mostly because I haven't read all of the books. It's like all my two endless two read list, you know.
Speaker 3:But I'm obsessed with the shows and the books, but, like you were saying, separately, like because the two books that I've read of the Bridgerton were, I guess, the first two, because I'm trying to read them in order and I just remember just being completely because I had seen the show first and I was just like completely maybe not devastated seems like too big of a word but shocked at how different they were and like I was so impressed with the changes that they had made for the show and it just made me want to read this series more. Because I'm like what else did they change? What else did they do to make it different? Like how did they make these characters a little bit more likeable?
Speaker 1:Or, you know, like how did they change the way they read the show. Yes, it's like I trust Shonda Rimes so much and I just feel like she's taken this like these great stories by Julia Quinn. They like really work together to make this like new thing and it's really fun. So highly recommend and just like, if it's a daunting task for people, you don't have to read them in order because, like interest in every story, it works out so like the only thing, the only spoiler for any future books, if you read them out of order, is that the like the main characters and the other books got together.
Speaker 1:I mean that's not really like a huge plot twist. So you, if you want to just like skim through the summaries and pick what you think you would like the best, you're able to do that and that's fine. Okay, should we move on to some books that we didn't love so much?
Speaker 3:I would be happy to think about that. I mean it's hard.
Speaker 1:I feel I didn't make as long of a list for this. Because, also like some of the books I read this year that I didn't like so much were smaller authors and I don't feel good dunking on a smaller author. No, I will say this year we did our calling Hoover deep dive episode. So I did read a few calling Hoover books and those did rank at the very bottom of my list. So I read Verity. It ends with us and reminders of him for that episode.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, we've talked about I mean, we basically beat that or so Go listen to our calling Hoover episode of your thoughts. And then the other other book I didn't love this year was making rumors which we read for the Daisy Jones in the sixth episode.
Speaker 2:Still never finish it. I'm like, should I just to get an extra book on my you know tally for the year, because I only have a few chapters left, but then so I can't make myself?
Speaker 1:do Hannah? What do you got?
Speaker 3:So like the only two that are like really jumping out at me, one is the fine print by Lauren Asher, which is part of the Dreamland billionaires romance companion series, which is like the Disneyland inspired one and like my reasons for not liking it is so silly compared to like maybe other reasons but they kept describing the male love interests but as a bubble. But I'm like I couldn't get over that.
Speaker 2:I just like.
Speaker 3:I mean, it wasn't like every page, but it was like enough for me to notice that I didn't like that. So I just kind of just like no, and I wasn't. I guess I also wasn't interested enough in the characters, maybe because I had gone the egg that I just was like. You know, I'm just going to drop it. So I think I only got through like maybe 40% of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I. So we've read some bad books for our book club and I won't name it the book that I'm thinking of, because the author is not like big enough for me to dunk on. But the thing that gave me the egg was, like some of the Emily will probably choose edits out but in the book, and I was just like I can't breathe this and like not call the police. You know what I'm saying. Yes, that was, that was.
Speaker 3:Oh, that was before I had joined.
Speaker 2:Oh, I read that one too, okay yeah, oh, my gosh, I hated that one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, take that off.
Speaker 2:Yes. Everything about that was a little bit cringe and it had to but that part was the opportunity to be good but I couldn't get past that. Yeah, like the plot itself was good, but then the characters were maybe the most stupid and immature, but they were like meanwhile like surgeons and lawyers, I think, like they were supposed to be like extremely intelligent.
Speaker 1:It was very I didn't like it. Anyways, Emily, what about you?
Speaker 2:I didn't like this year. I feel vindicated by this because I feel like people are starting to hate Des Mois a lot, but a non please. By Des Mois was one of my least favorite books Maybe I've ever read. It's written by someone who thinks they're a good person but clearly isn't. And then the main character is extremely unlikable and and they don't understand why because they wrote it about themselves. Also, the every by day vagueress. Why, God did I read that book? A great start with the circle and a horrible follow up with that. And then you guys know I didn't like one. True loves by Taylor Jenkins read. But I love Taylor Jenkins read, so I feel comfortable dunking on her. I just personally did not like this one book, but I've loved everything else.
Speaker 1:You know what? I honestly think that that gives like stands credibility, If you can like stand somebody and then also say yeah, but like this wasn't their best work. I like how like I'm a Swiftie, but I can say that, like me by Taylor Swift should never have been a single. It's a terrible song. Do you know what I'm saying? Like constructive you know, it gives me credibility, because I'm able to like look at her objectively. So you can love Taylor Jenkins, read and not love. One true loves and that's okay.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Also, I did just read. Okay, the other day I posted on my Instagram because I was like someone give me some holiday romance, all I wanted. I just finished this really heavy nonfiction book which I talked about in our last episode and I just wanted a holiday romance that was available immediately on Libby to cleanse my palate before I went to sleep. And no one gave me any recommendations. Abigail texts me a few days later, so I just downloaded this one book, which I don't even like the Regency era books, you know, unfortunately that's not my thing, but I was like maybe I like this one because it was like a marriage of convenience and I'm not going to say it because I really hated it. Like there's this guy, he's disowned by his family, he owns this theater and he has like a bad reputation and the girl somehow has a good enough reputation that marrying each other will improve his reputation in society. Anyways, it was just terrible.
Speaker 3:So that was.
Speaker 1:I was also.
Speaker 2:I was even Christmas. I just was like, well, it's like maybe a nice. You know, I just wanted something light and fluffy and romantic and it was just. It was not good in any way. So, anyways, please send me your recommendation.
Speaker 1:Although I mean Hannah. What I recommended to her was Time to Shine, which we're reading for booklet. I already read, but you read it right. You recommended it to the book club.
Speaker 3:I don't think I recommended it. I think someone else did but it wasn't you.
Speaker 1:I wasn't there. Okay, I wasn't at the book, I don't remember, but did you have your time to shine?
Speaker 3:Jill Santos. Is that my?
Speaker 1:one, rachel Reed. Okay, so I'm thinking about two. It's about gay hockey players.
Speaker 3:Oh wait, the upcoming one.
Speaker 1:Yes, this one. Do you see the?
Speaker 3:blue covered. I was thinking of an entirely different book. I was thinking of a heterosexual one.
Speaker 1:No, this is gay. This is deliciously gay, and hockey and Christmas and Canada.
Speaker 3:Okay, okay, oh, that's all I need to know who recommended this.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, it was Zippy, yeah, I can't wait to read it.
Speaker 2:Anyways, those are my hates of the year, Respectfully, especially the every by day of agris.
Speaker 1:Hannah, I saw you get like a light bulb when Emily was talking about Christmas or high holiday books. Do you have anything to recommend?
Speaker 3:I have so many because I love, like I love holiday and Christmas books because I love, I mean like it's like in the cheesy hallmarky movie kind of way.
Speaker 2:Exactly, I love hallmarks.
Speaker 3:My favorite, favorite one.
Speaker 1:No for the audio. She's scooting towards her bookshelf, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:The holiday trap by Ron Parish so cute. It's kind of long for a romance book in my opinion, because it's like over 400 pages, but it goes by really quickly, but it takes place like it's kind of like wait, have you seen the Holiday with Rhys? Yes, no, not Rhys Willis. It's a book by Kate Winslet.
Speaker 1:It's available Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude.
Speaker 3:Law yeah, so it kind of has that similar vibe of switching lives and stuff, but it's like I think it's set in the holiday trap.
Speaker 2:Holiday trap. It is available now in my Libby.
Speaker 1:I'm literally breaking my neck to get to my Libby. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So it has really good or I think it has really like good combination of like funny and funny moments, serious moments, like kind of has like a finding yourself kind of vibe to it, and then it has LGBT representation. It's set in like part of it is set in like Louisiana, I believe. So it's like a really fun, different kind of Christmas Eve vibe. Oh, I love that it's not like the typical like snowy mountain town, which is fun too, but like it definitely caught me off guard and I loved it so much, so probably my favorite.
Speaker 2:I actually stumbled across this one now that I'm looking at it in my search for my quest, I should say. But it started off with. For fans of Casey McQuiston it comes sometimes I get nervous when people say like this is just like this other author. So then I got nervous, but I'm back in.
Speaker 3:I'm not a huge Casey McQuiston fan, so like I've given both of their books like so you were three stars and I really and I like this one, so maybe you'll like it If you don't like Casey McQuiston.
Speaker 1:I think. Well, emily liked both of their books. I liked one last stop specifically. I didn't like one last stop. What was the other one? I didn't like one last stop, but I did like red white. Red white and real blue.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I liked red, white and real blue. I like it Okay.
Speaker 1:We disagreed on one last stop. I DNF'd one last stop because I thought it was boring.
Speaker 2:But I do understand why you might not like it. It is boring, but I kind of liked it for the boringness, okay, okay, so thank you, you healed me.
Speaker 1:Books we're looking forward to in 2024. Yes, I'm going to kick it off with Daydream by Hannah Grace. This is going to be the third in the Maple Hill series. Okay, hannah, I see you nodding. I'm so excited to talk to you about this because I actually saw you post on Instagram about these.
Speaker 1:Okay, so the first one everyone is probably more familiar with is Icebreaker, tiktok sensation, the hockey romance. Really good, I loved it, even though I will say I don't love books that are set in college, because to me it feels unrealistic that the main characters are as mature as they are in college. Maybe that's just my own bias of like. I felt like, specifically, men were really stupid in college. So to me it's like oh, there's just like super, like emotionally intelligent and like self aware, like college athlete. Okay, so spend your disbelief.
Speaker 1:But the thing that's really fun about this series for those who are not acquainted is that the second book then follows minor characters from the first book. So you know they're each having their little moment, which is really fun, and the characters from the first book kind of show up in the background. The third one is coming out. I think it's going to be a summer book next year it's called Daydream. The girl, the female main character on the cover, is wearing a Taylor Swift cardigan sweater, so I'm feeling like this is going to be a very interesting main character for me in my Swifty timeline. Hannah, are you excited about Daydream? How are you feeling?
Speaker 3:Okay, I got super excited because I actually had no idea that the third one was coming out so soon.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God, and I didn't even know the title. I'm freaking this new to you.
Speaker 3:So like I'm like my heart is palpitating, I'm sweating, I'm like so excited, I love this series. I love this series. I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so excited.
Speaker 1:I'm so excited. I know it's so good. Yeah, it's so good. Do you agree with me, though, that it's kind of hard to believe that male main characters in college that are on a hockey team could be so aware of themselves? Also, the thing about these kids is that they're really rich, which I get it's convenient If you're an author and you're trying to write an interesting story about college kids. It helps if they have rich parents, because it's just like makes things easier. It makes travel easier or fun dates or whatever. I get it. But I'm also like both of the first book one of the main characters was rich and the second one another. Yeah, it's just, I'm OK with it. You just have to spend your disbelief and enjoy Emily. You have to read Icebreaker.
Speaker 2:I have it on my mental TBR.
Speaker 3:Two dots pops up One, I think I, because I read both. I read Icebreaker and I listened to the audio book of Wildfire. And that's the second one. Yeah, wildfire, yeah, I liked the first one, I think a little bit more because I wasn't listening to the audio book and the audio book.
Speaker 1:The audio book is cringe.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I just. I have heard that I have this issue and it's a me issue, not a narrator issue, but like a me issue where one guy's change their voice to sound like a woman's voice. It just makes me cringe so much.
Speaker 1:Speak on it.
Speaker 2:Speak on it. I hate that, but the other way around is like amazing.
Speaker 1:But woman speaking in man voice. Fine, give it to me Impressive. But I 100% agree with you, hannah.
Speaker 3:It is so freaking cringe when men do that it just feels like a carcature like that, with the hot, immediately high pitched voice and like kind of too breathy to me. I I'm not a fan, so I think that's why I didn't like it as much. But I love the characters and the thing that I like about this companion series is that even when the characters are minor characters, they have so much personality and there's a lot of banter between all of the characters, which makes it really fun.
Speaker 1:And this is a plug. The second book is set at a summer camp and it's a camp counselors which. Emily, I knew you would just eat that up to finger licking good. It's like as somebody who, like Emily and I, went to camp together as kids and we're also like counselors that came together, the drama that goes on between camp counselors like Emily, the entire setting of this book. I was imagining Indian Greeks, so you know RIP. But yes you just need to.
Speaker 2:I'm ready.
Speaker 1:The second one, wildfire, would be a great summer. Summer read strong sense of summer. So okay, hannah, what are you looking forward to? Any releases you're looking forward to in 2024?
Speaker 3:So, bringing back Anna Huyang, she's working on her second companion series, which is still kind of a companion series to the twisted series because some of them made like really tiny cameos, and but it's the Kings of Sin series, and right now I think there are three out, maybe four. I've only read King of Wrath and King of Pride, so it follows there's going to be seven books and it follows each of the seven deadly sins, which I love anything that has to do with the seven deadly sins, like just as an anime fan, full metal alchemist brotherhood, just plugging that in there.
Speaker 3:But it's a billionaires series and each of them is like a different kind of deadly sin and everything. But I'm looking forward to literally every single book that she's going to come out with in that series because they're just so fun and it's so fun to imagine what it'd be like to date a billionaire in a non real way.
Speaker 1:It is like a non Jeffers. Yeah, okay, let's, I'm going to open this question up. Do you guys think it's possible for a real life billionaire to be hot, or does the fact that they, what they had to do to become a billionaire has eaten their insides out so bad that they are now like a horrible on the outside?
Speaker 2:It is I'm Googling world's hottest billionaires.
Speaker 3:Oh, it's not looking good. A billionaire, because I think he's pretty hot and like a Googling. You like the way?
Speaker 1:I've never seen this man.
Speaker 2:He's cute Like yeah, in like a Okay, he has a cute face. Yeah, his tick target hilarious is 200 million. Okay so I'm going to say no and no.
Speaker 1:Okay, there's an episode of the other two where one of the female main character, she's like trying to find a billionaire today and she goes in like every time she goes out on, she gets set up with these billionaires. Every time she goes out with them they're like really weird and they talk about like hey, do you want to get my spaceship? And like then they like like through the date, their face gets more and more Botox or whatever. And so she decides they're really weird. So she's going to go out with a hundred million air. And so she goes out with a hundred billion air and she's like this is really close and whatever.
Speaker 1:But while they're sitting at dinner he like gets a notification on his phone that he's officially become a billionaire. And the minute he becomes a billionaire, he starts being like deranged and like you guys, I highly recommend the other two. It's great, um, but all I'm saying is billionaire shouldn't exist. And so if you are, if you become one, what have you? What have you had to do to get there? And can you be hot? But romance books are also all about suspending disbelief. So by all means, go off and read books about how billionaires it doesn't have to be real.
Speaker 3:I agree, I know. Yeah, that's what makes it so much more fun, because haven't you seen the like uh videos where it's like, um, me like kicking and giggling over something that a man says in a romance book and then like when they say in real life, you just want to die, I'm like yep, yep.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, literally.
Speaker 2:It's like if someone actually did this I would hate it, but reading about it, I'm okay.
Speaker 1:Ick. All right, Emily. What are you looking forward to in 2024?
Speaker 2:Okay, Very rapidly, I'm looking. Obviously goes without saying. Funny story by Emily Henry. I can't wait. Um, Rachel Hawkins has a new book coming out, the Heiress and I actually just read the Villa today. I finished it. So, yes, prior recommendation. It finally came in on Levy and I really liked that and I really like reckless girls by her, and you also liked the wife upstairs, Sap Gill. So, um, excited for her, Tap and center has a new book. So you know, TBD on if we'll, we'll enjoy her.
Speaker 1:Did you end up reading? Did either of you end up reading her release this year?
Speaker 2:Um no, I haven't yet, but it's on my, you know. I think I have it on hold.
Speaker 1:I read it and I actually surprisingly liked it. I thought it was going to be weird.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:Um, oh man, I can picture the cover in my head. Hello, stranger. Okay, Because it's about. It's about face blindness which was like that's like the. The problem of the book is that the female main character has an accident and she has temporary face blindness, and so I thought that was going to be really weird. Um, but I actually liked it. It was cute. So I think I will give her third book ago as well.
Speaker 2:And then finally, ally Hazelwood. I didn't know anything about this, but she has a book coming out about vampires and werewolves. I am interested, intrigued, that seems definitely outside of what she normally writes. So I'm very interested, um, but I have no other information other than it is about vampire werewolf romance.
Speaker 1:So is it YA, cause I think she released she released a YA book that I haven't read.
Speaker 2:It definitely sounded YA, but I couldn't tell for sure. You know like I got YA vibes oh she wrote check and meet with a.
Speaker 1:Um, oh, is the book called bride the vampire werewolf one. Yes, yes, okay, cool.
Speaker 2:So we'll see. So, yeah, I'm interested in all of those and it's like you know, you never know. What books are you going to discover, what authors are you going to like?
Speaker 1:or are you going to see her Exactly?
Speaker 2:So that's exciting always, you know.
Speaker 1:Hannah, any other 24 releases that you're looking forward to? Um.
Speaker 3:I don't know if it's a 2024 release because I feel like I just saw something about it releasing in the UK. But volume five of heart stopper I'm not sure if either of you have read that that series. It's a graphic novel series. I have not. They got adapted into an amazing Netflix TV show, um, but it's basically a romance between like two. What's the equivalent in the UK high school grade 11 and 12?
Speaker 1:secondary school or something.
Speaker 3:Yeah, two boys and it's basically just following their like life together. Oh cute, it's like it's really good, feel good vibes, like very sweet. Like you know, I feel like it's very relatable to me, like you know, like getting out of the, there are some darker moments, but I feel like it is a story that highlights more on, just like the good parts of love as opposed to the traumatic parts of love when you're gay. So I think it's a really good series for people to read and it's really fast to read because it's a graphic novel series.
Speaker 1:But I think that's going to be one of my goals for 2024 is reading more graphic novels. One of my goals this year was more fantasy and I achieved that, but I would really I think I'd like to dip a toe into graphic novels in 24.
Speaker 3:That would be a fun one to get you into it, because it's just so sweet and happy and lovely and cute.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that. One other release I'm looking forward to is the Women by Kristin Hannah, much anticipated. It's about the women who are behind the scenes in the Vietnam War. You know I'm very excited. I love everything she writes, so I'm really pumped. And is the Nightingale coming out? Is the movie coming out next year? I feel like it Well I don't know if it got delayed because of the strike and stuff.
Speaker 2:True, true, true.
Speaker 1:So I don't know, quick Google search did not yield results. So, anyways, very much looking forward to that. All right, anything else we need to cover before we wrap this thing up.
Speaker 3:Oh, did you want to talk more about hockey? You said that was something.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, sure.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, you did, why not?
Speaker 1:Okay, Hannah, why do you think the hockey romances had a moment, I feel, or why what is it that's so appealing? Because like I'm really into it right now, Like I didn't get into it until just a couple of weeks ago, but I don't even care about hockey and now all of a sudden I'm like Googling hockey maneuvers so I could understand something in the book more like, what do you think it's about?
Speaker 3:Well, so my theory is, I'm also kind of new to the hockey romance world too, because the only one that I read is the icebreaker. But then I want to read Pucky Around, which I think was also another hockey romance book that kind of projected this.
Speaker 1:But I was thinking about like, and also the game by L Kennedy, I think.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, oh yeah, the deal. The game Briar View.
Speaker 1:I think the key was the hockey one right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I've read that too, and I really like it I just rented it.
Speaker 3:That's good, it's nice. But I was thinking, because this sports in general is not something that I like at all in terms of like watching or consuming, but then I like it in like romance books and I like it in anime, and I was thinking, maybe part of the reason that I like it and this could be a reason for other readers is that you're not just reading about the game. You're reading about like the emotions behind the game. You're hearing the like stories that lead them to where they are, like it's all about the other stuff maybe, and that makes the game more compelling. Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I get that. I think, like I like reading, like to use Alie Hazel as an example, I like that her books are set in the world of STEM even though I don't like math and science because it gives like this other element of something that you just like to casually and passively learn about. And it's like this it's almost like a character its own character, like the setting is something that you're unfamiliar with and like it's fun to read books that are in settings you're really familiar with. But I think that's part of the reason why I like historical romance, or like I like reading authors like Tally Hibbert, who all of her books are set in the UK, because I'm not familiar with it. So it's like it's its own element of its own. What do you think, emily?
Speaker 2:I definitely agree and I feel like like hockey in particular. I feel like is a more attractive sport. I don't know. It's kind of like rough.
Speaker 1:I think soccer is probably not a sport.
Speaker 2:I guess. But they're kind of like divas as well. You fall dramatically, but to me a hockey guy is like a hockey guy is like like he's just a guy, he could just be walking down the street. He's also a professional athlete, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Oh, they're not famous enough. Use what you're saying.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, and it's also like a nice sport. I don't know, I always like hockey, but I feel like it's like a rough sport. You know they're, they're rugged, but they're also just a guy, and you convince yourself that they have like family values. Maybe they're Canadian, you know what I mean. So I think that that at all contributes to it as well. But I also agree, it's like you know, like you said, like Ali Hazelwood, for example, or any romance author who has like a very distinct niche, like niche yeah, it's. It's kind of makes you feel like, oh, I'm learning, it's more than just a romance novel and also it's also about Swartz or science, you know. So I think that's just coincidence. And then, and then, once you get a really good one that goes, that gets popular like I think icebreaker was one of the more popular ones on TikTok Then people are recommending okay, if you like icebreaker, then try this, try this. So then it kind of, you know, leads to that kind of trend. So that's my hypothesis, thank you.
Speaker 1:And can, in summary, go read more of what you love in 2020. As always, hannah, where can people follow you and stuff?
Speaker 3:On Instagram you can follow me at dollhousebooks. So doll B O L H O U, f E, b O O K S, dollhouse books. And then that's also my handle on good news and story graph. But the video and the socials that I have Love it. They get a lot of books and a lot of pictures.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us, hannah, yeah, thanks for having me. Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3:This is nerve wracking, but excited. Catch you guys next time.