The Readirect Podcast
Book Talk 6: Spring Releases, Bride by Ali Hazelwood, & Recent Reads
Today, we're inviting you along for an intimate book club discussion that's all about our recent book goals.
We're talking about the following books...
And exciting upcoming relesaes...
- The Guncle Abroad
- The Paradise Problem
- One of Us Knows
- Funny Story by Emily Henry (Join us for book club in May!)
- Not in Love
- The Rom-Commers
Today, we're inviting you along for an intimate book club discussion that's all about our recent book goals.
We're talking about the following books...
And exciting upcoming relesaes...
- The Guncle Abroad
- The Paradise Problem
- One of Us Knows
- Funny Story by Emily Henry (Join us for book club in May!)
- Not in Love
- The Rom-Commers
Welcome to the redirect podcast. My name is Ebonio Hewans and I'm Emily Rojas.
Speaker 2:The redirect podcast is a show where we shift the conversation back to books. We discuss scenes from some of our favorite books and how those themes show up in real lived experiences.
Speaker 1:On today's episode we're catching up on recent reads, upcoming releases and really just anything else we can think to talk about.
Speaker 2:But first, if you enjoy the pod, we would really humbly ask you to support us in three simple ways. First, just go to Apple Pond. You're already there, you're listening to us. You say and you scroll down and you say, see, we will review, and you click five stars. Do that, let us know that you love the show.
Speaker 1:Also, we'd love for you to follow us on Instagram at the redirect podcast and, aspirationally, one day maybe, on TikTok. I have had a redirect podcast TikTok account made for months NERIA post, but whatever, well, one day it's there. And finally, if you really really really like the show, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. Sharing our show with a friend is really fun and cool and it's a great way to help us grow a community of book living nerds yeah, so so thanks, thanks for being here and like summer is coming up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, summer is a great time for reading. It's probably the best time for reading.
Speaker 2:Maybe like that. And Christmas yeah, christmas to me. Or like the holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Number one, because it's cold. What else is there to do? You're avoiding your family, whatever. And then summer is number two, though. Summer there's so many new book releases, a lot of times like movies come out, so a great time of year.
Speaker 1:Yes, you have my various outdoor venues to read at. Yeah, whatever, there's going to be some great times to share and you're going to need recommendations, exactly Because you're going to go on a beach trip. And you're going to be like, yes, I'm going to bring a bunch of books because, even if you don't normally read, you're going to be like I'm going to read a bunch and you're like, hmm, who should I go to for book recommendations? The redirect book Us.
Speaker 2:You're here, boom and now share with a friend. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so they have something to do Okay great. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Think about it, read with you Problem solved. That was the point of this.
Speaker 1:Okay, emily, it is the end of March, which is crazy, I know. I feel like March. I had like something every weekend of March, basically, and so this month went by super fast, that is true, but yeah, we're like a quarter of a way through the year. So tell me, how are your book goals, your reading goals, going? How are you feeling?
Speaker 2:Okay, well, you know one check in. I started off the year Ambitious again and then I very quickly was like this is stupid, I'm not going to read 100 books this year. So you know, maybe one day I will get back to that place in my life. But I set my goal at 50 after about one week of 2024. And I'm ahead. So I feel good. I've read almost. I'm about to finish my 13th book. So not a ton, that's awesome. I'm on a good pace. Yeah, I would have finished my 13th book already, but I just spent a whole week at my parents' house and didn't bring any books, which was a mistake, and so I'm a little behind on my, you know. But I feel like one book a week, that's what I'm kind of going for. So, if I can, do that.
Speaker 2:I feel great. So, yeah, I feel good and you ever know, maybe in the summer I'll really go crazy with reading a lot more than I have been so far this year. But yeah, yeah, that's it. How about you? How, how are your goals been going?
Speaker 1:Good, Well, kind of good. As I recall, one of my goals was to read more classics. That's not really that's good. I'm not doing that. No, I quit that one. I quit that. Good for you. Um yeah, no, I'm not doing that anymore. But what else are my other goals? Read more.
Speaker 2:I was just trying to pull up that outline, so why don't you try to think of what else? Weren't you going to read more fantasy? Or was that for 2023?
Speaker 1:That was for 2023. Oh my God, that sounds right, or read more, even more fantasy read even more. Oh no, no, graphic novels. Yes, I have done that more classes and more translated works.
Speaker 2:That was your goals.
Speaker 1:Oh, translate it. I've read like one translated work I it's only March. One thing I've been doing this year with my book tracking is tracking um, like the identities of the authors.
Speaker 2:I'm reading I don't like for a specific.
Speaker 1:yeah, just like be curious, and it's helped me be more intentional about diversifying the authors that I'm reading. Right, so that's been good. Um, I'm so reading. I mean, I read a lot last year. Yeah, I have been reading it a little bit of a slower pace, but I've read. I've read 21 books.
Speaker 2:Yeah, great. Um, I mean, this is a big year for you.
Speaker 1:You have a lot going on, so I do Last year by the end of March. Last year by the end of March I had read 33 books, so I'm about 10 behind, um, but you know what?
Speaker 2:two of those books that we've both read this year were like well over a thousand pages of fan fiction, so I feel like we should deserve double credit for that oh that is true.
Speaker 1:I mean, of course I counted them but yeah, those count as like. This is why also like, don't get caught up only in the game of like how many books have you?
Speaker 2:read because, some a book can be 200 pages and it can be 1500 pages you know exactly or it can be really simply written, or it can be very challenging to get through. So there's yeah, the number is just fun, um, but there's a lot of other metrics you can check in on.
Speaker 1:So I feel like, also, I've been reminding myself recently the thing that we say all the time on this show, which is, if you read what you like, you'll read so much more, and I feel like I broke a rule of mine where I was finishing books that I was not all the way into yeah, and I was not, I was not quitting them, and that has slowed me down too. Like there I'm looking back there's like several, like oh, that was three, that was three that was three stars.
Speaker 1:I was just okay and you know it is hard to do. I think if I have a hard time, because I'm, I'm like, well I'm. I've already invested so much time in this book, especially if you've waited for it to come off. Hold Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's almost like well, I've had preseason waiting yeah. A lot of time I've been trying to read it. Um, especially if you're having a hard time getting through it, it feels like, well, I can't just waste this, can't not count towards my, towards my goals. So yeah, don't get too hung up on the numbers, because then you end up doing stuff like that. But it is difficult. Yeah, totally so, anyways, DNF more than 24. That's our new month, yeah.
Speaker 1:I, yeah, I actually I know that, but I have not been living that recently.
Speaker 1:But I have recently been reading things that I do like, so I'm back on track. I'm like, yeah, I know myself Same. Anyways, let's go, um, all right, so we can talk about some of the things we've been reading recently. Yeah, and something good. Okay, let's go, um okay. So while we make sure that we keep this safe. You know, family friendly episode. I I'm sure that you've been seeing discourse on tic-tac, about bride. I've seen a lot of discourse about it.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm here to tell you it was not that shocking, it's not that crazy.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, so Well, I've seen so many people say how shocking it is, and then I've also seen so many people say this is their favorite book by her. So it feels like that can't both be true. It can't be so shocking that you're because sometimes a book you're like, okay, that's too far, and then you don't like it. So you know what I mean. It can't be both.
Speaker 1:All right, yeah, so here here's what I'm gonna say. Everyone gather around. So bride is a book by Ali hazelwood. We have been on record really liking Ali hazelwood she has traditionally like. Her first three books that she published were like stem Romance, so set in the world of stem cute Romance books she wrote. She has also like a noted fan fiction lover. She actually got her start on fan fiction.
Speaker 2:Right, her first book was her first fan fiction adapted into a novel 100%.
Speaker 1:So she's a big a03 girl. Her name is Ali hazelwood, so she there's this thing on fan in fan fiction. This like Subgenre of fan fiction called the Omegaverse.
Speaker 2:You can.
Speaker 1:Google that People. Okay, if they're interested in knowing what it is, they can Google this. It is Like, yeah, it's, it's part of like erotic fiction. Okay so, but oftentimes it involves werewolves Okay so. This book is like a paranormal romance about a vampire and a werewolf right.
Speaker 1:All right, I'm there. Yeah, you said vampire werewolf, I'm totally, I'm there. I know that I'm familiar. Honestly, I don't like to me. I was like, oh okay, the element of this that everyone is so shocked about that we won't discuss in detail on this podcast. It was not that big a video to me personally and I thought that the story was really good. Yeah, I love I. I love like the rules of you know, in this world, like vampires and werewolves are like enemies, right, and they coexist with human beings.
Speaker 1:Oh, I didn't know that and like the humans, like the humans know that there's two different territories. There's like a vampire territory, a werewolf territory and a human territory, and there are governments like work together, and part of if this is this trope is Arranged marriage and it's like a political marriage, mm-hmm, and so you're going from like enemies to lovers arranged marriage also. She's a vampire, he's a werewolf, everything about this. I'm here, yeah, and I'm not gonna lie. The curiosity of like all everyone freaking out about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Definitely got me there, but it's become so much more mainstream it honestly I would say for me I wasn't that shocked.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, there you go. Not a big deal.
Speaker 1:I will say that the recommendation from people on tiktok to read, like the chaser that's been going around like, okay, then you should read the fake mate by Lana Ferguson. Same rules also in a man covers work. That one who not as much for me. Yeah, I would say that one is a lot less like mainstream and also it's like In this world there are like shifters or werewolves that coexist with human beings, but everyone just like knows that they, that they're around, right, and I don't know. For me that one Wasn't as much my faith.
Speaker 1:Okay and definitely like More. Just off the bath, off the path for me, yeah, but I would recommend you to read, brad, I think I would like it.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'll give it a try I probably in to me there's something about like when.
Speaker 1:I can get it off of me. For me, like I, I think, just because I came up a twilight girl, like, yeah, any like being in that whole, like the rules of, like what the instincts are telling you the feuds, like you're my you know my like special enemy, like that to me, like I'm just gonna eat that up Right so I loved that.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, good to know when would you rank it in the alley hazelwood world? I feel like it's so hard, it's such a departure, like you said. I mean the other, her other three books almost could just be like copy paste, copy paste, copy paste, with some minor things changed, but this is so different. Um, but how would you rank it?
Speaker 1:anyways I would say to me oh shoot, because okay, the first one I loved, second one didn't love as much, third one love theoretically love yeah. So I would, actually I would go Love theoretically first, and then I know I'm not supposed to do this, but tied for second I would do the love hypothesis and bride Okay, and then, and then love on the brain.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, I'm placing hold. Several months wait, 175 people waiting, but I'll get it eventually.
Speaker 1:You'll get it eventually, and and I'll let you guys know. Then update us. All right, I have other things to talk about, but I'll pitch it to you next. What's something else? You've been really.
Speaker 2:I've really only been reading one thing since our last episode and I'm not done with it yet, but I feel very confident about saying this is going to be a five star read for me, I'm pretty sure. And it's change. We need a sound for that like doodly, doodly, it's chaining all stars by Nanakwam Ajay Brenia, and this book is in everywhere. So I know I'm behind on the times. I've seen it recommended a lot, but I just got it and I've been reading it and it is a dystopia, dystopian book, ish. It's set kind of in the future of America and essentially the you know prison industrial complex has developed a alternative to.
Speaker 2:I need to refresh my memory, or maybe they said this or maybe they did it, but I think it's either like if you're life in prison or if you're on death row. I think it's either one. You can opt into this sort of gladiator fight to the death, televised sporting event competition, and you're matched up to be on TV every week and fight someone that you're kind of randomly paired against and if you win you advance through the ranks of this, the chain gang all stars game, and if you eventually make your way to the top and win, kind of like a final battle, your sentences done, your crimes are absolved and you're able to go be free back in society. But of course, obviously most people die in that process because this is dark. Yeah, you're fighting to the death. So it's yeah, it's a, it's a very.
Speaker 2:I was just before I got on watching an interview with the author and he said his father was a criminal defense attorney and he kind of remembered the first time his dad was defending a accused murderer and he was like dad, like you're a bad guy, you know, like you're evil, why would you do that? And his dad was kind of like you know, it's not that simple, it's not that straightforward, and that kind of influences writing of this book because I mean, everyone has obviously most of the people in the changing, all stars have killed someone and that's why they're in prison. But they're still like he writes them with such like brutal humanity and it's it's very difficult to read. So it kind of follows, not difficult to read but it's like heavy. It follows kind of a bunch of different people in this changing, but the main protagonists are these two women who are on the same chain. So they are on kind of the same team. They don't fight each other and they are also lovers and they're kind of advancing through the. They're kind of advancing through the system.
Speaker 2:And it really reminded me also of a book I really like called the Displacements. I can't remember who the author of that is, but that is a book about the world's first category six hurricane. But the way it's written is just very similar, where it has like these little vignettes of kind of outside characters and just kind of like steadily building and building and building. So yeah, I'm not completely done, so I can't fully say I've read the whole thing, but I am really enjoying it and it's like completely immersive from the first one or two pages, like you're fully into it and I think it helps.
Speaker 2:Like you know, it's pretty closely tied to the reality of, you know, our current prison system. Obviously it's not, you know, a televised fight to the death, but the way people can be you know, like the way serial killers are, become celebrities sometimes and are fascinated with this, but feeling like we're completely removed from these kind of people who are in jail, I don't know. So yeah, it's very good and I am requesting more recommendations for dystopian books because I'm really enjoying this and also especially if they're audio books that are really good because I have a lot of audible credits right now that I need to use up. So if you guys have any recommendations because I feel like I really want. I love reading dystopian books, you know, but I just don't read them that often.
Speaker 1:I feel like they're you know they have their moment in the sun. So like which ones to pick? That sounds really good, and it also sounds like the making of a book that's going to be adapted into some sort of mini series?
Speaker 2:I'm sure yes.
Speaker 1:So like read it before that happens I'm, because I mean that sounds like like squid games, like yeah, kind of thing like games kind of thing, yeah. I mean, that's totally something someone would want to make into a TV show, or I fully agree.
Speaker 2:So I, yeah, I really like it. So far again not done yet, so the last bit could completely change me by. I don't think so. I mean, it's pretty highly reviewed and recommended, so I feel confident and also sharing it with you guys, that okay, I would recommend it.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm that, really I am. I am intrigued Speaking of book to screen adaptations. Have you seen Dune?
Speaker 2:No no.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I did and I was going to ask you about it. Yeah, so for people who follow me on Instagram, I was sharing that my fiance Zach made. He was like I want you to see in Dune, too, with me. You have two options you can either watch Dune or I can make a PowerPoint for you of everything that happens in Dune. And I was like that option. I want that. It was over 100 slides.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was going to say did it take longer to get through the PowerPoint than it would have taken to just watch the?
Speaker 1:movie. No, he did like three like 15 to 20 minute clips, oh wow. But I think that he was like let me pick like the three most necessary scenes for you to understand. Dune to and so he showed those to me. He did like. I mean, a lot of the slides were just like big blocks of text. And he did like it was funny.
Speaker 2:He did like a bunch of like sound effects and me funny, so it was very entertaining.
Speaker 1:And it took less time. That being said, when I it was very effective because when I went into watch Dune to, I felt like I totally understood what's going on.
Speaker 2:I almost thought that would be more effective because I did start watching the first. Well, a couple weeks ago, eric and his mom and I were going to the movies and I thought we were going to go see Dune to. So while it was cleaning, I started watching Dune one and it is like you know, you have to really be paying attention. So, yeah, I feel like that might be even more effective in terms of the book.
Speaker 1:Okay, haven't seen Dune one, but right, what I have been told is that Dune one is a little bit slower because you're really like building the rules of the world, out the world and then Dune two is like two and a half hours of straight action.
Speaker 1:Things are happening constantly, like there. It's a one major event after any other. That being said, I'm like I am like, should I have? Should I redo Dune? And then I'm like, oh no, don't do it, it's so long. But should we? But should I? Because Zach Reddune no, he is not Okay seems like something he might have read. Same, yeah, it seems like something that he might have read. The things that interest me about it is that the author of the book who has passed, and his son, I think, took over writing the like the later books. But he was a World War II vet and the movie lacks subtlety. There are very clear. There's like a moment where they like find nuclear warheads and they're like bad.
Speaker 1:You know, or like you know, the sand planet that Zendaya lives on. There's like this resource there called Spice, and it's like it's in the people who live there are like brown, and it's like this is the Middle East and the spice is oil. You know, it's like right, but I'm kind of interested in reading the book now to like see more, because I know how much connection to real life it is. Yeah, so I don't know. Anyways, we'll see. Maybe it just seems like such a big commitment. Yeah, maybe not right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, but anyways, I was just wondering if you had seen it or if you were, whatever. So behind on the time seems like it's probably a good book. You guys will never know. Okay, all right, what else have I been reading?
Speaker 1:Okay, Well all right, I know like I've been talking to big game on this podcast about how excited I am for Kristen Hannah to release the women, which she did, and I still have a run it Now. Um, it took me a while I was like I'm not going to buy books. I'm not buying books this year, like the library exists, yeah, so I waited for from the library and then I got it and I just, um, I like just recently got it. I haven't read it yet, okay, um, so if anybody here, I can see a lot of good things about it, so I'm sure that you will love it.
Speaker 1:I'm sure it's fantastic.
Speaker 2:Um, I also it's not that bad of a way. I mean, when did it come out? Like a month ago, yeah. So, I mean, I was a pretty early hold Sure Holder. Um love to keep us updated.
Speaker 1:And then also, um, somewhat, cause I'm on record loving the British and series. A huge British man, Um, my friend is Zippy Riff uh, recommended to me to read the wall fire, the wallflower series, by Lisa Clay Clay Puss yes, mm-hmm. Um, it is also really good and I have been enjoying it. And so if you are also a Bridgerton lover and you were wondering, okay, what can I read, that will be similar vibes. Um, I mean, I wouldn't go as far as to say it's as amazing as Bridgerton I am, but it has been really delightful and I've really been enjoying it. Nice, yeah, excellent, similar vibes. Um, okay, yeah, okay, coming up on lead spring early summer upcoming releases, anything you're excited about.
Speaker 2:I am so ready. Well, uh, let's see if the one I'm most excited about last thing we can talk about. But I was looking at what's coming out next month and there's actually quite a lot. So, um, alyssa Cole, who I really liked her book, um, we recommended it on her Instagram but when no one is watching, uh, she's actually releasing a new thriller, um, called One of Us Knows, which. The cover looks really creepy and it's someone being stuck on kind of a creepy old island.
Speaker 1:So anyone who knows Emily knows you love a creepy book.
Speaker 2:I love a creepy book, um, so I saw that's coming out. I'm really excited about um, yeah, so that that I'll say that's number one, anything you're excited about.
Speaker 1:That's a number one for next month.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. That's the first thing I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, got it.
Speaker 2:That's the first one ranked number one discuss Okay.
Speaker 1:Um, well, in May, um, at the end of May, the Gunkle Abroad is coming out, which right I'm so excited for that. You know that's like right before I will be traveling out to North Carolina for my wedding. So I'm thinking plain read Gunkle Abroad, literally perfect to read on a plane.
Speaker 2:Are you kidding me?
Speaker 1:Yes, I love that. I we are obviously obsessed with the Gunkle.
Speaker 2:We love Gunkle.
Speaker 1:We love Stephen Raleigh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like I've never you know been disappointed by him.
Speaker 1:And I never dreamed we would. It just never seemed like we were going to get a Gunkle sequel, Like it just was not meant for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, but here it is.
Speaker 1:But we are getting another Gunkle story and I'm could not be more thrilled. So, I am so pumped.
Speaker 2:I can't.
Speaker 1:I know I'm like should I go buy a captain? Yes, I think I need one.
Speaker 2:I know it just feels like someone you're rooting for in real life and you want to see him succeed. I know.
Speaker 1:Oh, also, just like the characters, like you feel, like you're part of his family, like all of his characters. You feel like you're part of their group.
Speaker 2:So real, so good at writing them.
Speaker 1:It's just like oh, and the Gunkle is such a beloved character, so I'm just like cannot wait. Yes, and then all right back to you.
Speaker 2:Sorry, I will not talk it, that one that's not in.
Speaker 1:April.
Speaker 2:I'm going to say, in May also, christina Lauren is coming out with a new oh really Book. I didn't know that? Yes, me either. I'm just now finding out by looking at this. Christina Lauren, they're two people. Yeah, okay, they are both writing a book. Okay, I always forget that it's called the Paradise Problem. Okay, and it is a delicious new romance that's what it says between the buttoned up air of a grocery chain and his free spirited artist ex, as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.
Speaker 1:I'm worried. Summer fake dating yeah, that doesn't sound as good, I'm worried. I'm worried because I am. I don't typically go for like big CEO, billionaire romance kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, me either. That is a starving artist and a billionaire that scares me, but okay, we'll see.
Speaker 1:All right, I will like, I will not judge it. I mean, what do we say? We said that about love, theoretically, that we were worried about it, not being good and we loved it.
Speaker 2:Oh, we were very worried and it ended up being the best. So, yeah, totally, I know.
Speaker 1:Okay, I will reserve judgment, but I'm scared about the billionaire romance situation.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we'll see. Okay, I'm scared, but I love Christina Lauren, so let's hope they can you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's hope, let's hope. I have hope Um, let's see.
Speaker 2:Okay, we're releasing another book in June. I'm sorry, this is too much. Now I have even more.
Speaker 1:Do you know Ally Hazelwood is releasing another book this year? Yeah, I saw that.
Speaker 2:Apparently. It's like you said me that she's Italian. I didn't know, that either. Oh my God, we can talk about that.
Speaker 1:We will link to this video, but she's like doing like this, like like a press conference.
Speaker 2:Like Q and A, yeah.
Speaker 1:Q and A and I'm like that is a European accent, like what is that? And then I Googled it. She grew up in Italy. She didn't move to the States. She grew up in Italy and then, when she was like an older, like in college and stuff, she was like in Japan and then she moved to America for her PhD.
Speaker 2:Wow yeah.
Speaker 1:I had no idea.
Speaker 1:Until I was hearing her talk for the first time, I know. Anyway, she has another book and like the pace at which this woman releases books, because she also scary sometimes yeah, she released. She released another book that I didn't read like check, check and made it was like a YA book and that was fun, I don't know, not recently at this point in my life, yeah, but upcoming. She's released in this book called not in love. Uh-huh, not K and OT, you weirdos. Um, if you know, you know, but uh, she, okay, let's see.
Speaker 1:Uh, ali Hazelwood is back with another stem inist romance novel following the footsteps of her 2021 hit book, love hypothesis, out June 11th. Not in love follows Rue, a biotech engineer at food science startup, and Eli, who works at a private equity firm, trying to take control of the company Rue works for. What ensues is a messy affair that promises forbidden romance tropes and, for the first time in Hazelwood's canon, a relationship from two perspectives. There we go. Okay, you have me, I'm back in. She said it was all about exploring the tension between two people who develop an attraction to each other but find out that it would be wrong to give into it. Okay, drugs, I'm there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm all in Drugs, All in. Also, catherine centers releasing the romcomers in June and it sounds really cute that does sound really cute.
Speaker 1:I love, I like her. It's a summer of love.
Speaker 2:That's what we'll say, yeah she's so cute with her romances. Yeah, so summer of love, let's talk about it. Um, um. Funny stories coming out next. Oh, and freaking, how do we feel? Also, we will have an episode book clubbing funny story on May 7th. So marker dates, marker counters, preorder the book, read it and then join us to talk about it. Um, but yeah, it's coming out.
Speaker 1:How do we feel? Should we read the description? Read it, read it. Okay, this is from Goodreads. Daphne always loved the way her fiance, peter, told her their story, how they met on a blustery day, fell in love over an errant hat and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it, right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend, petra, which is how Daphne begins her new story.
Speaker 1:Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, michigan, without friends or family, but with a dream job as a children's librarian that pays the bills, that barely pays the bills, and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament, petra's ex Myles Nowak. Scruffy and chaotic with a penchant for making solace in the sounds of heartbreak love ballads, myles is exactly the opposite of a practical button up Daphne, whose co-workers know so little about her. They have a running bet that she's either FBI or witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another until one day, while drawing their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them? Ah, I'm shaking. I'm shaking.
Speaker 2:Everything about this. I mean, what do you think I mean Emily Henry, she has never disappointed me, she's never let me down. I know, I know that.
Speaker 1:So I just can't wait Also okay, many people have. So she made a whole thing about, like, the release of the cover. Let's talk about the cover, because this tells us something about the characters. It tells us a lot and some clues for the story. So we start with Myles. Myles is seated on the right, his back is to us and he's holding up a lemonade glass. It appears to be lemonade that he's cheers-ing with. What's her face? What's her name?
Speaker 2:Daphne. He lost me, daphne.
Speaker 1:He is wearing yellow crocs, not in sport mode, Okay, just in regular mode. He is sitting on a bar stool. Underneath the stool there is a pink envelope that no one seems to notice. What could that be about? And then Daphne is sitting facing towards us. It looks like it's a book in her lap. Yeah, and she's folded over her knee, yeah, like she's like in the middle of reading it and put it down, and she's sitting next to a bouquet of flowers. She's wearing sunglasses, and she's cheers-ing. Oh boy, oh boy.
Speaker 2:Oh boy Myles.
Speaker 1:I cannot wait.
Speaker 2:What do you think? I mean, it's obvious what's gonna happen, so you don't need to get guessed the plot it seems pretty clear. Yeah, I think-. What are your thoughts? What are your predictions? What are your vibes?
Speaker 1:I think at some point one of the partners is going to want to get back with Myles or Daphne Got to be yeah, yes. I think maybe what's in this letter? I think that maybe at some point Myles actually liked Daphne before they got married to their respective partners and he, like, wrote her a love letter, never gave it to her. And then she finds it and she realized that he left her all along.
Speaker 2:I would love that. I just love-. I like shoot me up with fake dating. You know? Force proximity roommates yes, this is everything.
Speaker 1:Also like she's like he's like golden retriever energy, she's like black cat energy Love. That it's gonna be great. I'm just I can't wait.
Speaker 2:I cannot wait, I'm so excited. Also, didn't she at some?
Speaker 1:point. She posted like an excerpt, like on her Instagram story Funny story. Let's see, oops.
Speaker 2:Read an excerpt. Okay, here we go.
Speaker 1:All right. By the time I climb up the stairs and reach the front door I'm clammy with sweat inside to drop my tote and wrestle out of my cardigan before towing off my loafers. Then I grab a glass and fill it with cold water. As I chug, I am built toward the living room. In the corner of my eye. A sudden movement surprises me so badly I yelp and slosh half my glass into the rug. But it's just smiles. Lying face down on the couch, he groans without so much as lifting his face out of the squashy cushion. His furniture is all comfort, no sex appeal. You look dead, I tell him. Moving closer, he grumbles something. What I ask? I said I wish, he mumbles I the bottle of coconut rum on a table and the empty mug beside it.
Speaker 1:Rough day. I've been caught off guard by the Bridget Jones incident two weeks ago, but now it's almost relieved to see him looking how I've spent the last month and a half feeling Without lifting his face. He feels around on the coffee table to grab a piece of paper, then holds it aloft. I walk over and take a delicate square of off-white parchment from his hand. Instantly he lets his arm flop down to his side. I start reading the elegant script slanting across it Jerome and Mellie Collins, along with Nicholas and Antonia Comer, joyfully invite you to celebrate the marriage of their children. Peter and no, I fling the invitation away from me like it's a live snake A live snake that must also be on fire. Because suddenly I am so, so, so hot. I take a few steps fanning myself with my hands. No, I say this can't be real. It goes on Wow.
Speaker 2:This keeps going. Wow, this is a long excerpt. So wait, let me get this straight. Well, that's obviously what's in the envelope, but you leave your partners of many years for your childhood friend and then you have the audacity to invite them to your wedding. That is sick. That is literally sick in the head. I can't wait. Oh my gosh, this is so unhandled. This is a really long excerpt. Okay, I'm shocked.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't wait. Cannot wait to book club it. I'm just very excited and if you will be reading along with us, let us know. Yeah, and we would love for people to submit like after you read it, some questions, points of discussion. We will be happy to take them.
Speaker 2:I can't wait to see how I feel about this. I know I'm going to love it.
Speaker 1:It's just how much am I going to love it?
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly. Because honestly I know like people a lot of people don't like people we need on vacation as much. I don't care, I love them so much. Yeah, I feel like people don't like that one as much.
Speaker 1:That's the first one I read.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's probably why that's the first one I read as well, so it has like a special place in my heart and I loved it. So I don't care, but I'm excited to see where this will end up ranking on my list, because right now I'll say happy places is going to be hard to beat, I love.
Speaker 1:I would say happy place is also just actually sad place. Oh yeah, I'm ready for this to be only happy. Well it starts off sad, for sure. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2:That's true. But, maybe less angsty and more like revenge, like anger. Happy place is so like angst, depression, you know. Yeah, okay, we can't wait. We can't wait, we're going to the May 7th book club.
Speaker 1:Happy place, very excited. My last quick thing is on June, and June Daydream by Hannah Grace is releasing, which is the third installment of the icebreaker series. And I'm really excited because, like each of the books covers a different person in the friend group, and the boy, the male main character in the friend group is someone I really like, and on the cover the female main character is wearing a folklore cardigan A classic, I know I'm excited, so we'll be excited to talk about that.
Speaker 2:We're so excited, yeah.
Speaker 1:We're so excited. What are we talking about next time? Next time?
Speaker 2:we're going to be swapping books.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah. Exactly what I'm going to send you, but I don't want to say Are you sending me something that you think is out of my normal comfort zone, or something you think I'm going to like?
Speaker 2:Maybe both. I think it's timely, it's relevant and I know you haven't read it and I think you'll like it. But I don't think you would ever read it if I wasn't forcing you to. That's all I'm going to say, and I need to put it in the mail so you can actually have time to read it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I need to do the same.
Speaker 2:All right, yeah, so yeah next week or next two weeks, we're going to be sending each other books and we want each other to read and just want to send you.
Speaker 1:All right, I can't wait, so say too All right, bye guys, bye.