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Bookish Banter: 2024 In Review + 2025 Manifestations
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Join us this week as we discuss our 2024 reads and goals for 2025 in books. Don’t forget to answer our question of the week on Instagram.
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Instagram: @familyfictionpod
Karmen’s Bookstagram: @karmensreadingcorner
Hallie’s BookTok: @hallie_br00kes_n00k
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Transcript
Critiques and Originality of Alex Astor
00:00:00
Speaker
And then there's whole scenes that are literally copy pasta into From Red Queen. And listen, here's the thing. I give Alex Astor a lot of crap yeah for her books. At least she didn't buy drugs. But at least she came up with something that was somewhat original. Because I can't think of anything off the top of my head that's a copy that's like a literal copy paste. No. And I will give her credit that like, if she wouldn't have continuously posted about her book, I would have continued to read them.
00:00:28
Speaker
but she's worn me out on the postings. but And so the book was not the problem. No, it wasn't the problem. And Lightlark, I know a lot of people were giving Lightlark a lot of crap, but it really wasn't that bad as people were making it out to be. And honestly, I would give it another chance and continue on with it after reading Powerless.
2024 Wrap-up and 2025 Reading Goals
00:01:08
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome back to Family Fiction with Hallie and Carmen. I almost dropped my straw cover. That was dramatic. And today we are going to be doing, this is a bookish banter episode and we are going to be doing our 2024 wrap up and our 2025 reading goals.
00:01:30
Speaker
Yes, so we've got some book tag type categories for the 2024 wrap up. um We did a book tag last year so if you listen to that then that's kind of the same of what's going on here. Not as many categories this time because we're you know doing the 2025 goals too so not as many categories this time around.
00:01:53
Speaker
but um this is a bookish banter episode so this might be a little bit shorter than our regular episodes but that's what the bookish banter episodes are all about yes they're mini rants yes so we'll go ahead and get started um so starting out with our 2024 wrap-up book tags um favorite book of the year i had the center by shantel tessier this is the book that one all beat all by the end of the year which I want to do things differently next year or for this year because somebody mentioned that whenever you do the like
00:02:31
Speaker
the ranking system of doing, what is that called?
Favorite Books of the Year
00:02:35
Speaker
um The book bracket? Yeah, book bracket. Geez, the word bracket went right out of my brain. Whenever you do a book bracket, it's not really accurate because you're taking your favorite book of that month. Whereas like there was one month where I only read one book. And so obviously that's in the book bracket. But if I was basing other books from another month,
00:02:58
Speaker
i Would have put it higher than that book, but that book got that month because it's the only book I read that month So I'm doing things a little bit differently this next year on ranking system but I would still say the Center by Chantal test year was one of the best books that I read last year and Based on the book bracket. It is the one that went out um But definitely my favorite book of last year I okay so my favorite book of last year this was really hard because i read a lot of good books yeah last year so it was kind of hard to pick so i went with the serpent and the wings of night by carissa broadbent um which funny enough it's our book club book this month yes but um it is a fantasy book and i loved it i had heard people talk about it well i heard caven talk about it so yeah ah immediately i was like okay i have to read this
00:03:52
Speaker
and i could not put it down it was really, really good. It was what From Blood and Ash tried to be. Yeah. But couldn't and I don't know, like I read a lot of good fantasy books this year and this one just stood out to me the most with it being my favorite. Yeah, this one I think, I think I read it for the first time last year too, I think. I think it was on my book bracket. Yeah, because I read it, I read it in the summer.
00:04:22
Speaker
Yeah, I think it was on my book bracket. You read it after me because I know that Emily and I were reading it at the same time. um Yeah, it was really good. i'm I'm excited to discuss it this month at book club. Oh, yeah.
Favorite Authors of the Year
00:04:37
Speaker
Okay, favorite author. um This one without a doubt had to be Catherine Cowles for me, because not only was she a new author for me this year, but I literally could not put her books down. And I want the rest of the Sparrow Falls series like nothing else. I think I want the rest of the series, the series including Fallon and Kyd's story, more than I want Reputation Taylor's version. Oh because Catherine is such a good author. She does, has a way of making you really think it's gonna be this one character that is the bad guy and then it's another character
00:05:19
Speaker
that you weren't even suspecting, but I like that she keeps it from being cheesy to the point of like, you know, you thought it was this character all along, but it was actually this character that's been the bad guy, but it doesn't really make sense that it's this character. I just wanted to surprise the reader. That's not how she writes it at all. You 100% then spend the book the rest of the book going, oh my gosh, it was them the whole time. How did I miss all the signs? So then you're angry with yourself.
00:05:47
Speaker
But um I just love the way she writes. She was my first romantic suspense author too and yeah easily my favorite author of the year. So my favorite author of the year was definitely Anna Huang. I've been on kind of a romance kick last year which was kind of shocking because I used to be the person that was like avoid all romance at all costs but nope.
00:06:12
Speaker
And now we're falling into the Dark Romance category, so it's... And I saw yesterday that she's released that her series is getting made into a TV show.
00:06:23
Speaker
All I'm saying is whoever she casts for Christian Harper needs to be very good looking. But I started reading the first- I started reading the Twisted series in 2023 and then I started reading her Kings of Sin series this year which I cannot wait for King of Envy. I apologize for the person I'll become when it comes out.
00:06:46
Speaker
But I've just really fallen in love with her Kings of Sin series, which she really has a good way of introducing you to characters and really um making you fall in love with their relationship, even though sometimes some of the relationships have red flags.
00:07:01
Speaker
um But yeah, I cannot wait to read the rest of the Kings of Sin series, and I need to read the Striker, which came which has come out. So I'm excited. and Yeah, I have Twisted Love on my shelf, and I just haven't. I mean, honestly, if I've been reading romance lately, it's been Dark Romance, so I just haven't really got, or the romantic suspense that I've been reading. Twisted Love's okay, it's not bad by any means, it's just kinda,
00:07:31
Speaker
in the middle, but then you'll be rewarded with Twisted Games. I love Twisted Games. It is so good. Honestly, if you could skip Twisted Love, I would because I didn't really like it. Okay, favorite character of the year.
Favorite Characters Discussion
00:07:48
Speaker
um I put Lydia Cervos from Crescent City, otherwise known as Day. um I absolutely loved this character. This is like,
00:07:57
Speaker
i If I think of a new character that I met this year, this is the one that I remember just being like, give me all the TikTok edits, give me all the quotes, give me all the fan art, because she just gave me such main character energy for not being the main character. And I need her to be the main character of the next Christmas City book that's gonna come out. And I just know she's gotta be connected to some of other some of Sarah's other characters. There's just too many.
00:08:26
Speaker
plot holes there and there's too many foreshadowings and I need it and she was just a fantastic character. I loved her storyline. I loved hearing about her backstory and her whole relationship with Knight. I won't give away who Knight is if you haven't read the series but yeah easily like out of all the characters that I met this year this was the character that like stands out the most to me.
00:08:50
Speaker
here So mine for this year because I did a Percy Jackson reread this year. Percy Jackson stands out the most. um because watching his character grow from the first book all the way to the last Olympian is fantastic. But who would you pick like new character this year? New character wise? um I think I would go with Aria from The Serpent and the Wings of Night. When I think of um new, like I said, it's been a minute. That was the friend, right? Okay. Which one? His friend? Or was that the main character?
00:09:26
Speaker
It's been a hot minute since I read Different the Wings and I. Arya is the main character. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. I couldn't remember if that was the name of the friend or the main character. No, the main, the friend is in it. Meech? Meech? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's fun too. Sorry. Um, my, it's been probably since last, like, February. When, when I was introduced to Arya, I was like, oh yeah.
00:09:47
Speaker
She's in my top 10 of new favorite female protag fantasy female protagonists. Just because she really is, even she goes up against characters that are way stronger than her because she is a human born in a world of vampires and she don't back down. She does not, literally when she, especially when she meets Rain. It's giving Red Queen.
00:10:09
Speaker
oh yeah um but yeah i would say aria is definitely my favorite and i just got done with the ashes and star curse king made me love her even more and so i can't wait to see whenever she shows back up in the rest of these books that she's coming out with Okay.
Least Favorite Books
00:10:27
Speaker
Um, least favorite book. This was actually a little hard for me because there was the book that i I don't even think I got to two chapters through the one that you had picked out for us to read for book club. Thank you, Hallie, for that one. What was it? The prophecy something, the third prophecy here. That was your book club. Oh, these deadly prophecies. Yeah, that was bad. It was too YA for me. I think I only got like two chapters into that. mean I almost picked that.
00:10:56
Speaker
But since I barely started it I didn't feel it was proper to pick that so I picked another DNF But I got much further into this book before I DNF um Was when the moon was hatched and I don't remember who the author is now that I because I got rid of that book It's gone. Oh, well, I was gonna turn to look at your shelves to see no need to look for it um Can't remember the author don't want to yeah let me like actually no we won't say the author since I'm about to rag on it um so my problem with this book which you probably know what book I'm talking about because this book was all over social media all over book talk this book
00:11:38
Speaker
I think you have to be a very, a very strong willed person to read this book and like it. So for me, I think the writing was crazy. I could get behind the pros in the beginning. I was like, this is gorgeous writing. I love it.
00:11:56
Speaker
My problem fell when so many storylines were getting introduced and none of them were getting filled in. We just kept moving to the next storyline without completing the one previous and it just felt like there was a lot of ideas in one book.
00:12:13
Speaker
I really just couldn't, I think I made it 75% of the way that this book before I finally gave up on it because it just- The fact you made it that far and decided to be enough, you are a strong world person. It didn't, it just kept, I couldn't, I didn't want to pick it up. I couldn't get into it. I was 75% of the way through it and still couldn't get into it. It's amazing to me that in today's literature world with the trends, with books that are trending,
00:12:40
Speaker
that have dragons in them. It is amazing to me that you can write a book that has dragons in it and barely feature a dragon. And there's a dragon on the cover. The amount of times that a dragon is actually in the book would maybe fill like two or three pages. Oh wow. Probably more. I could be misremembering. But it was it's that bad. And like it was just it was giving me the third from Bud Nash.
00:13:10
Speaker
o level of I don't want to read this anymore um one of our friends pushed through it and did like it I felt like it never made sense and I just couldn't get into it and I was constantly confused you even showed me I think you pulled it up on recaptions or whatever happens you can look up like full book synopsis and I read that thing back and still was like I'm still confused. I was reading parts of the synopsis that I had already read in the book and going, when the heck did that happen? Because you just miss whole plot. There's so much going on. And i've I'm not the only one who's given this book a bad review. I've seen quite a few people agree with me. Somebody put it on Goodreads. I liked how somebody put it on Goodreads. It said, this is a very good story, but not a good book.
00:14:03
Speaker
I think it had the setup and the means to be a fantastic book and it was just not well executed at all. Anyways, that's my TED Talk for the day. Okay, so going on to my... I have two choices because I could not choose between the two.
00:14:24
Speaker
Um, so the first one was what happened on Hicks Road. It was a dnf of mine. I made it one chapter in and decided to put it down because It was it's a mystery. It was the way it was written It was too young adult and it was very much like the back the summary of the book sounded interesting It sounded good But it just did not land And then the other one, I don't know if I would consider this a least favorite and also a disappointment of the year and that is reckless because I read this book in two days. I busted it out before we went to a book club meeting and I literally finished the book, closed it and said this was the biggest waste of my time ever. been there because i've been there and it was that book i just honestly i almost put those down this year and i was like i don't even want to waste any more breath talking about these books well you have well i made a um an instagram reel about it and there's several people that have agreed i loved it real i loved that reel um
00:15:37
Speaker
But here's the thing, if you looked me dead in the eyes and asked me what the plot was for this book, I couldn't tell you because there really wasn't one. It was the same plot repeating over and over and over and over and over. now You literally had the two main characters nothing happened running around in the desert for a majority of the book going back and forth saying, I hate you, we shouldn't do this.
00:16:03
Speaker
And then going to I love you. Let's pretend. Let's pretend. I swear if I saw one more, let's pretend I was going to chuck the book into a pit of fire. Like I was so over and not to mention we have to talk about the ending of all endings. It was as bad as Allegiant with Veronica Roth. I could have seen that coming from the very first page. I could have told you what was going to happen because guess what?
00:16:31
Speaker
I've read it before. I will die on that hill. Justice for Victoria.
Plagiarism in Literature
00:16:40
Speaker
I will never forget. Do not cite the deep magic to me, which I was there when it was written. I lived through it. And now people are saying that Red Queen is a copy of Powerless. When Nita, remind you, Red Queen came out in like, what, 2015? Yeah.
00:17:00
Speaker
People need to fact check before they make accusations Like that because Red Queen's been out a hot minute listen I remember waiting for the last two Red Queen books to come out people and this was like high school me So let's get it correct. Okay. Thank you, but I remember I reading that ending and going out loud. What? And my mom was in the living room. She goes, you okay? I said, no, I just read the dumbest book to ever exist. Like it was the same plot line repeating over and over and over and over and over. And yet at the same time, nothing happened.
00:17:42
Speaker
I just it was it was a very disappointing and I think here's what's funny what happened is she wrote two very different books because she couldn't decide which direction she wanted to take this book but then she just decided I'll just take it both directions and put it in the same book and it's so funny that this is on here because last night I got it there was a message in the group in the book club group chat somebody just finished reckless And I was like, I was like lol. I said well they were talking about it last month There was a girl there was a couple people who were reading it and they were just gonna finish it out and I was like, okay I don't want to hear your opinion on it until you go read Red Queen then come talk to me it
00:18:25
Speaker
But yeah, it just, ugh. Most of the comments on my reel too, there was one girl who literally said, I kept thinking, this plot feels very familiar. So thank you for this reel because now I remember where I've read it before. It's like, yeah.
00:18:40
Speaker
I don't know how she got away with it. I really don't. Well, she's not getting away with it. The real fans are like out for blood. The Red Queen fans, they're coming out of the shadows. They're like, we're here and I'm going to meet Victoria in March. And I can't, I hope she, I'm hoping she she's doing a panel and I hope somebody asks her about it. Somebody will, if they don't, I will. I'm afraid to ask her about it. Honestly, I don't want to make it a sore subject, but I'd be curious as to her thoughts. I don't know, but somebody- She's made her thoughts pretty clear on TikTok, but I wanna know. I don't know. It was just so not- It was literally a copy paste of Red Queen. There were elements from the Hunger Games. There was even elements from the selection, which that's the biggest sin of all. There's outright quotes from the Hunger Games too. um And then there's whole scenes that are literally copy pasta into from Red Queen.
00:19:33
Speaker
And listen, here's the thing. I give Alex Astor a lot of crap yeah for her books. At least she didn't play drugs. But at least she came up with something that was somewhat original. Because I can't think of anything off the top of my head. that's a copy That's like a literal copy paste. No. And I will give her credit that like, if she wouldn't have continuously posted about her book, I would have continued to read them. But she's worn me out on the postings. but And so the book was not the problem.
00:20:01
Speaker
No, it wasn't the problem. And Lightlark, I know a lot of people were giving Lightlark a lot of crap, but it really wasn't that bad as people were making it out to be. And honestly, I would give it another chance and continue on with it after reading Powerless. Yeah. Be like, Alex asked her, I am so sorry. I just can't. Like, I don't understand how I have... Honestly, if she can do that and get published, I can honestly write my book.
00:20:31
Speaker
So that's what a lot of the the reviews I got from I read on when the moon was hatched on Goodreads were people calling her out because they had a good point. There's a lot of plot lines and when the moon was hatched that fell straight out of a throne of glass and straight out of a court of thorns and roses.
00:20:49
Speaker
and know that she know and read it she was getting a lot of crap because the girl's like an assassin that's really like a princess or something and everyone was like oh wow gee willikers read this before and then there's like a whole scene that feels straight out of chapter 54 and 55 of akimath And it's like, how do you how do you how are people doing this? You cannot copy paste the Taj Mahal. There's just a difference between being inspired and copy pasting because the serpent in the wings of night, sure. Did I get elements of the Hunger Games? 100%. Red Queen, do I get elements of the Hunger Games? 100%. But am I like, this is word for word what happened in the scene. This is like scene by scene what happened? No.
00:21:39
Speaker
I get where they were inspired by those books. Yes, no idea. There's constantly always gonna be a book that's gonna take an idea or a concept from another book. No idea is ever original. Nine times out of 10, it's gonna be inspired by something else. But there's a, dip like you said, there's a difference between being inspired and then just straight up plagiarism. Yeah, because I mean, like I understand being inspired because like, if the writing is good, you're gonna be inspired by it. And 100%, you're gonna think,
00:22:09
Speaker
I wonder what would what would have happened if this scene would have played out this way. Ooh, that would be a good story to base a book around. like I could understand you being inspired like that's what you're going to base your book around is if this would have happened instead.
00:22:23
Speaker
I don't know like in powerless there is literally the whole scene where they're dancing when he takes her into that room to like train her or whatever I was like if they dance I'm leaving they danced and I closed the book like you're kidding me it was scene by scene what was happening in Red Queen I don't know how she got away with that I don't know how Victoria hasn't thrown more of a fit because I definitely would be if it was me.
00:22:53
Speaker
yeah but and she may be behind the scenes no she's she put out a video about plagiarism and everyone was like we know exactly what this is about she's very subtle but we know what she's talking about she may behind the scenes be doing something more about it she needs to get her show out before the powerless show comes out so we can be like huh you heathens this was your first anyways let's move on Um favorite genre of this year for me by far was dark
Favorite Genres of the Year
00:23:23
Speaker
romance. I read so much dark romance this year. My like final five favorite books this year were mostly dark romance. Like it just is what it is folks and that's where we're at in life. I we were talking before this about Erin A Craig coming out with her next book. It's supposed to be an adult novel
00:23:45
Speaker
mmm cannot wait and she'll be somebody she'll write a really good adult eerie romance which gives me dark romance but yeah dark romance was my favorite this year my favorite genre this year i would say is probably mystery i read a lot of mystery books this year some which were good some were not m Natasha Preston but i have a love-hate relationship with her but i don't You did it to yourself. I know. You rate them. And you know what's sad? she's come out they're gonna end she's come out She's come out with another book. And guess what? I will be buying it. But you know what? Not all of her books are bad. um The fear and the dare that I read were good.
00:24:28
Speaker
they They had um open endings where you can kind of interpret. It's not straight up cliffhanger like the haunting was. That was horrible. But anyways, I read a lot of good mystery books this year, um found some new favorite mystery books, um aka Frieda McFadden. Lovely. But yeah, I would say mystery has become a top three genre of mine. I have two shelves full.
00:24:56
Speaker
The next category we have is books I couldn't put down. um There was a lot of books that I like loved this year, kept wanting to pick them up, didn't want to put them down. But if I'm thinking strategically, the Madison Kate series by Tate James, I literally read the whole series in like two weeks because I just wanted to be up all night reading them. And every single book, I finished at like three o'clock in the morning.
00:25:20
Speaker
and I haven't had that dedication since after by Anna Todd so I have to give that one and to take James Madison K series. Um I had two options but I'm really just gonna go with one um so a book that I couldn't put down was House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Moss. I read this book I read this ginormous behemoth of a book in a day and a half Which, big commitment. um I just got so sucked in. I get so sucked into Sarah J Moss's books that I can't put them down and I have to finish them all in one go. How I do it, I don't know. But this book, I could not put down. I did not feel this way since Kingdom of Ash, so it was ah fantastic.
00:26:09
Speaker
I will renege on what I said like I was up till three o'clock in the morning reading House of Flame and Shadow but that's because I went to midnight book release and I didn't get the book till midnight and then when I got home I had to read a little bit of it so I don't know that really counts but it was very good I loved House of Flame and Shadow if I wouldn't have had to work it would have been done a lot quicker but because of having to work it was well a few days the only reason that i got it done in a day and a half is because it was right i had just had hip surgery so i wasn't working so i had nothing else to do but read so here might as well do something i enjoy and boy did i enjoy pair okay and then the other one that i put was never lie by freedom mcfadden very much verity vibes i read it and i think in two days and i thought i had it figured out
00:27:04
Speaker
Nope. Emily is currently reading that book. And there was a point in the book where something gets revealed and I'm like, how did I not think of that before? It's like, I should have stupid written across my forehead. Oh, Emily's been reading it. She said it reminds her of we used to live here.
00:27:24
Speaker
Oh, I keep, you know, we were in Barnes and Noble and that was on a shelf and I was mad very tempted to get it, but I didn't. We read it as a book club book a couple months ago and it was amazing. So good. It's getting made into a TV show. Well, it was. It's starring Blake Lively. I don't know if they're moving forward with that now. Anyways, that's a whole other discussion. I can go on about that one for a minute.
00:27:49
Speaker
Favorite series this year, I will have to give it to Spiro Falls by Catherine
Highlight of Favorite Book Series
00:27:54
Speaker
Cowles. Like I said earlier, this has been an obsession of mine this year and I want the next book more than I want Reputation Taylor's version and that's saying something because I am one of the new clowns that was up multiple different nights on live streams thinking it's gonna get announced and it never did. So that's a big statement for me to say. But this is a fantastic series. I like the character building and she's always keeping me on my toes.
00:28:25
Speaker
Mine is gonna be A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. I have never loved a mystery trilogy more. This is more on the young adult side, but it doesn't because it's in the young adult section, but it didn't feel young adult while I was reading it. I was very intrigued the whole time the way that it's laid out and how you finally get to solving the mystery was really really cool.
00:28:49
Speaker
And it feels like you're with Pip while she's solving it and you're solving it with her, which I think is really good. And I was a little salty about how it ended because I wanted more, but oh I know I'm not gonna get it because it's a completed trilogy, but um it was very good. I definitely recommend it to a lot of people. So yeah.
00:29:16
Speaker
Um next category is favorite book couple. um I had two this year. One was Lydia and Rune from Crescent City. We absolutely need more of Lydia and Rune because that was beautiful and I was obsessed. At the point that they were getting introduced I was like Hunt in Bryce Who because give me enemy slivers, give me forbidden romance, give me tragic backstories, secrets, beautiful. um On that same note, I also tied them with Sin and Ellie um from the center by Chantel Tessier because I was absolutely obsessed. This is like probably the only time I will ever say
00:30:08
Speaker
that I devoured a Friends to Lovers book because they have known each other since they were kids. He's been in love with her since they were kids. She hated him for a hot minute, but it was also a forbidden romance and it was Friends to Lovers and it was Chef's Kiss. And that's all I need to say. So for mine, I also had Lydia and Rune because how could I leave them out? It was beautiful.
00:30:36
Speaker
I would say they are definitely in my like top, top three Sarah J Moss couples. And that's saying a lot. I would say they're in mine too. I'd say they're probably my second favorite. Um, ah, yeah. It depends on how the next question or how the next ACOTAR book goes. But as of right now, they're second.
00:30:59
Speaker
So, like Carmen said, give me that good enemies to lovers. and Speaking of enemies to lovers, and then is Aria and Rain. Hello. Yes. Good sir. Give me the enemies to lovers and then throw the last couple pages of that book heartbreak. I hate the secrets, people. Listen, I've been burned since after Bayonetta and I'll never live it down.
00:31:26
Speaker
Listen, I'll never forget when I read that last bit of that book, I was down at her house at the pool. I wanted to throw the book, but I couldn't because I was near water. And I just think their dynamic was so well done. It wasn't love at first sight like some people. It was like, let's just work together. And then, oh, we're actually really good together. Maybe we should be more. quality and slippers out it's fun Yes.
00:31:56
Speaker
That's how you do enemies to lovers. Most surprising book this year, I put literally any Catherine Cowell's book because I never saw the villains coming. Every time I thought I was guessing who it was, I was wrong. I remember on this lightest one, I literally was at Alyssa's mom's house for book club and Alyssa and I were talking about it and she had already finished it.
00:32:21
Speaker
this is Broken Harbor and I kept telling her I know exactly who it is because Catherine always pulls the wool over my eyes and I always think I know who it is and then it's not that person and it's one of these side characters now I've got it cracked I've got it figured out I couldn't have been more wrong could not have been more wrong and I remember telling Alyssa well it's not gonna be this person because there's no way it would be this person and that's who it was Sad day. It's a sad day.
Most Surprising Reads
00:32:52
Speaker
My surprising book was The Watchers by A.M. Shine. This is a horror book and I... but I had never heard of this author before and how I discovered this book was really interesting because it was made into a movie by M. Night Shyamalan
00:33:09
Speaker
which you all probably know how well that goes and I was like this sounds really interesting the movie looks really good and then I was like it's a book so I went and picked up the book I read it in two days lovely um it was so well written and you were kind of invested into the characters mainly just the main ones that were really involved in the story and then with how it ended oh it was such a cliffhanger and the next book the next book is out so i will definitely be picking it up but this was like my first kind of horror book of this genre and it was really really good uh the next category we have last category is books i would reread um this one if i'm going for more of a like
00:34:01
Speaker
I would reread that again. That was a really good book. It's The Surprint in the Wings of Night. If we're going for I need to reread that again, um The Silent Patient because I want to reread that again so badly to see what clues I frickin missed because the way that I didn't guess the ending of that book is unreal and Carly has read it too and Carly has said the same thing. I want to go back and reread and see if I can figure out where I was dumb enough to fall for the decoys.
00:34:34
Speaker
yeah yeah um as for mine i put any percy jackson book because i can always reread those but also for new books i would also kind of go with the serpent and the wings of night to reread that again would be so nice i think i'd like to reread it the same way i'd like to reread the sarah j moss books and do their audiobooks because i will say i'll listen to some of throne of glass audiobooks During tax season when I was working at a tax firm um and it's kind of fun to listen audiobooks every once in a while and with fantasy series I always try to like listen to it if I'm gonna reread it. Mm-hmm So like I can get through it a little bit better because you know, it is a reread. I already know what's gonna happen. Mm-hmm Okie dokie
00:35:20
Speaker
So now we have our 2025 bookish goals. As for me, one of my main goals this year is 52 books. This was my goal last year and I read 65. I was gonna set it higher this year but I like 52 because it's a book a week.
00:35:39
Speaker
Um, and depending on what kind of books I'm reading, I can sometimes get more than a book in a week. There were some ah months last year when I was reading 10 books in a month, so it can be done. Um, but yeah, my main goal this year is 52. Um, plus I like to account for if I have a reading slump, which is what's currently happening to me today. It's fine.
00:36:04
Speaker
um and then some back lists i want to read this year which i need to get cracking on if i'm gonna accomplish them um i definitely want to read katherine cowell's books um i've got a bullet journal made this year that i've got all these back lists in them so i can take them off um All the Catherine Cowles series, I'd like to read Devani Piri's backlist because Alyssa also likes her and says she does really good romantic suspense. Tate James, more so the fact that I want to read um the rest of the series that are all connected to the Madison Kate series.
00:36:40
Speaker
um I think that would be fun. And then Chantal Tessier, again, there's a she has another series that kind of connects in with the Lord series, so I think that would be fun. Neil Gaiman, I've got a bunch of his books and I've read a few and I just love his mind. And if you don't know who that is, he wrote Coraline, if that helps you get into the vision here.
00:37:04
Speaker
um But I love his books and so I'd like to read more of his. Frieda McFadden, I would like to read her backlist because I have a bunch of her books that I got for Christmas that I need to dive into. um Riley Sager, again same thing, I got a bunch of his books for Christmas. Geneva Rose, because I read one book by her last year and it was amazing, so please give me more.
00:37:29
Speaker
um A.G. Slatter, same thing I read by Book of the Dead by her last year and it was absolutely amazing. She's got one about mermaids and the mermaids are not good mermaids and I'm excited. um And then Shay Earnshaw, I also read a book by her that was about sirens and it was really good so I'd like to read her their books. So yeah, that's pretty much the gist of my 2025 reading goals.
2025 Bookish Goals and Aspirations
00:37:59
Speaker
like Okay, so mine, the first one right off the bat that I knew I wanted to do this year was read more manga. I need to get back into my manga. I have missed it. um I started reading manga back in like 2020. And then once I started college, it kind of just went on the back burner. Why? I have no idea. And then I realized how much I miss it. And ah seeing it sit in my room, I'm just like, I want to get back into it. So I'm definitely gonna do that.
00:38:29
Speaker
um because I missed collecting it. It was a very fun but also a very expensive hobby to have and trying to figure out how to try to figure out how to fit Haikyuu onto one measly little bookshelf was really fun to figure out. um So definitely work on my manga this year. um I also, for summary, I want to get back into more of like high fantasy. There's some authors that I've wanted to read and that are in that epic fantasy genre.
00:38:56
Speaker
And I have some of their books. I have Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson. That's a big commitment. His books are huge. And then Tolkien, Lord of the Rings has been on my bucket list for years. So I'm finally going to do that. And then I'm finally going to read Game of Thrones. That's another one that I've wanted to read because I've been on a Game of Thrones kick. Me and Carly have been watching the show. She's been rewatching it with me.
00:39:19
Speaker
Oh boy. Fun fact, I did order an Arya Stark Funko Pop this morning to go on my bookshelves with my Game of Thrones books. She's my favorite. Yes, so we've been on a Game of Thrones kick and then I do have some authors that I want to read a lot of their books in their back lists. Definitely Frieda McFadden. I have fell in love with her books so has the rest of my family. um Carly really loves her. Mom just finished The Boyfriend last, yesterday. So yeah, she texted me. It, and she said it was very good because I loved Never Lie so I want to get into more her books.
00:40:00
Speaker
Natasha Preston because I'm a glutton for punishment. Um, I have a lot of her books. So I am a glutton for punishment on her. Uh, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, I have fallen behind on her books, especially her inheritance games. And she's got a whole other series that I want to read. And then I think, I think she has a duology. I'm not so sure. Yeah.
00:40:21
Speaker
It's Little White Life. Yes. And Riley Sager because um I'm currently reading The Only One Left right now and I'm loving it so far so I'm definitely getting into more of his books. And then obviously Rick Riordan because shocker shocker I've not read all his books. um I have his sequel series The Heroes of Olympus and then I have the first two books in his brand new series with Percy.
00:40:45
Speaker
and then I have the Cane Chronicles and then Magnus Chase. So I have all those books on my shelf and so I definitely want to bust through those this year and that way I can finally say I read all of them. And then
00:41:00
Speaker
My last one is going to make Carmen very happy. I just saw the thing and was like, which ones? So I definitely want to get into more classics this year. um I've got some fun ones that I want to reread. Like I want to reread the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and then Paradise Lost because I read those in school and loved them. I love the Iliad. It's so good. And the fact that Christopher Nolan's making the Odyssey.
00:41:28
Speaker
I am so excited. The cast looks amazing. I can't wait. Listen. Listen, I love The Odyssey. I can't wait. And I've also got some more classics on my shelf that I haven't read. I've got Dracula and then I have Jane Eyre and then I also have Pride and Prejudice. I was about to say I have multiple different versions of Pride and Prejudice if you'd like to borrow any one of them. I have my own copy. Once you read it, we'll watch the movie. It's not the same, but it's a fantastic movie.
00:41:59
Speaker
And then we can watch the show on BBC because I've never watched it. But I do definitely want to get back into some, because I've read some classes before and loved them, especially in school. I read the scarlet letter, loved the scarlet letter. And then I also read some. I read Julius Caesar, which I hated. Mr. Bennet. I can't wait. red Excellent boiled potatoes. ah I love fried breaders. But yeah, I like classics if I can really get into them, which I can if I just put the time in and get into them. Have you read Little Women?
00:42:31
Speaker
Yes, I read little willard i like Little Women. I read Little Women in high school. um But yeah, I read like Silas Marner, Little Women, Julius Caesar Macbeth. Macbeth was good. I liked Macbeth. I did not like Julius Caesar.
00:42:48
Speaker
um The Scarlet Letter was really good. um and then we all And then my senior year of high school, I unfortunately had to read Pilgrim's Progress, which freaking sucked. I had no idea what was going on. I had to spark note that whole book. Have you ever watched Easy A Within a Stone? Uh-uh. It's a take on the Scarlet Letter, essentially. She gets inspired by the Scarlet Letter and starts wearing an A on her head. It's the whole thing. That's a fantastic movie and we should watch it. I love that movie. We need to get back into our re-watching movies because we started a thing where we would watch movies that I had never seen. Basically, I was making her watch all my favorite movies that she's never seen before. We watched 13 Going on 30, 10 Things I Hate About You. Love 10 Things I Hate About You. She's the man. Fantastic movie. Love it. No, bruh. Got a lifetime of knowledge. That's the best thing that Amanda Vines ever did.
00:43:43
Speaker
I don't care who you are. I love what a girl wants as much as the next gal. I loved the Amanda show, but she's the man is the best thing that she ever did. And then what else did we watch? ah We watched both Camp Rock movies, as um which we love. She still hasn't seen.
00:44:00
Speaker
My the favorites of all favorites Peter Pan with Jeremy Sumter is the greatest movie to ever exist and I have never I haven't watched the cartoon since I was a kid because the only Peter Pan that I acknowledge is the one with Jeremy Sumter and Jason Isaacs Playing both Captain Hook and mr. Darling. It cannot get better than that um but yeah We always started that so we need to get back into that um But yeah, I definitely want to get into some more classics cause why not?
00:44:33
Speaker
We got way off topic, I'm sorry. Yep, we did. That's expected with a bookish banter. Yes. That's why it's called banter.
Episode Wrap-up and Listener Engagement
00:44:40
Speaker
Okay, um that does wrap up our discussion points for the day. um We do have a question of the week this week and that is what are your bookish goals for 2025? Do you have a set number in mind? Do you have any back lists? Any genres or authors you want to get to? um Let us know in the comments on our Instagram post. And then for next week. What we'll be doing is we're sticking with our Harry Potter and we're going to be doing the Chamber of Secrets. Yes, and I think I've worked out based on what happens in the book. I've divvied up our chapters and so we'll be starting with chapters one through four.
00:45:20
Speaker
Yay. I'm very excited. Gilderoy Lockhart. Here we freaking come. Who knew? Dumbledore and his hiring choices. And we get the charming Tom Riddle. We get the good Tom Riddle. We get the version of Tom Riddle that I'm like, ah get it look the good looking Tom Riddle. We get the version of Tom Riddle that I'm like, I get it. I'd follow him too.
00:45:47
Speaker
Oh gosh. Kind of like, um, Anakin and Star Wars. I get it. I'd follow him to the dark side. I think Padme's stupid, quite frankly. Yeah, Padme. I would have folded too quickly. So quickly.
00:46:06
Speaker
um be sure to follow the podcast and rate us five stars also be sure to follow us on our instagram at familyfictionpod where you can find our question in the weeks and a lot more content yes and thanks so much for listening to this week's bookish banter we hope you guys enjoyed it and we will see you next week for chapters one through four of chamber at hello for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling. um We will see you next week. Bye!