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2v1: Books One of Us Loved and the Other Didn't | S4Ep6
497 Plays3 months ago
This week we go head to head in a fun 2v1 style bookish debate. We go through books that two of us loved and the other didn't (and vice versa) and discuss why our personal opinions on books are correct (or why the other opinions are wrong)! All is fair in friendship and books!
Time stamps for books discussed:
Slow Dance: 11:38, Lovelight Farms: 19:30, Georgie, All Along: 20:35, Seven Year Slip: 25:05, Infernal Devices: 32:23, This Summer Will Be Different: 42:45, Foxglove: 51:56.
Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod
Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books
Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz
Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf
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Transcript
Introduction to Book Debate Format
00:00:08
Speaker
Welcome to Bring Your Own and Catch All the Lookish Once a Time podcast. I'm Brandi. I'm Kendra. I'm Kayla. And today we are doing... What are we calling this? We're fighting. We're going to say 2v1. It's a 2v1. 2v1? Yes. We're taking books that two of us loved and one of us liked and kind of like Like Kayla said, fighting, just kidding. We're going to be debating, kind of chatting about why the one of us didn't feel as strongly about it as the other two did and kind of just see where the evening takes
Current Reads and Drinks
00:00:45
Speaker
us. But before we do that, what are we reading? What are we drinking? I am drinking water.
00:00:52
Speaker
And I'm currently reading nothing. So yay. I did just finish with Syria. I really liked it. Gave it 4.75 stars. And before that, because I mentioned on the last podcast, I did finish Business Casual by B.K. Morrison. And it is my favorite book in the Love Like Farm series. So there you go. That's my update. Do you have anything on the horizon that you that you'll want to read? Or you have an idea of what you want to read?
00:01:20
Speaker
Yeah I think I'm gonna do Liar's Beach by Katie Catugno on audio next because I have it on Libby and I'm pretty sure my hold's gonna expire like within the next week and then I have the book called Morbidly Yours. I got it at Barnes like a few weeks ago and I originally tried reading it when it was on KU and then I just wasn't filling it at the time so I DNF'd it but it wasn't like bad what I read.
00:01:42
Speaker
So I'm probably gonna, I'm about to go on vacation. So I think I'm gonna take that with me on vacation, but don't hold me to it. I kinda wanna to read, what's her name? Miranda Silver's cousin fucking book. Two cousins that hook up. Guys, I'm actually thinking it'll be pretty good. Cause like, she's she's a good writer and like her plots are really good. Like, I don't know. I want to see how crazy it is. So we'll see.
Emotional Impact of Differing Book Opinions
00:02:05
Speaker
I might not read any of those, so. That's wild. Yeah.
00:02:11
Speaker
All right. Um, I am drinking a Coke Zero cherry. A little bit, a little different today. And then I am currently listening to Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. Um, I'm really enjoying it. I only have, I think maybe 20% left. I knew nothing about this book going in. I just saw a lot of people that I trust recommending it. So I'm really enjoying it.
00:02:41
Speaker
And then I am physically reading an e-arc of a book called If It Makes You Happy by Julia Livia. It's a romance that takes place like in the 90s. And it's like a neighbor romance single dad. It's really good so far actually. I'm really enjoying it about 20% in. So hopefully that keeps going.
00:03:01
Speaker
her but I personally had she's never been on my radar till like the announcement for this one, which intrigued me. So really, I don't think she wrote the didn't she write and people listening, correct me if I'm wrong. She wrote the roller coaster romance series, right? Or like amusement park romance series. And everyone says the fourth book on that one is really good. And then she did the like in the tide, like two other books. I don't know if we're connected to that roller coaster or amusement park series.
00:03:33
Speaker
Um, so yeah, she's been around like I've been wanting to read her. I just like haven't gotten to it. So I'm glad that you're enjoying this though. I've seen the covers, but like the I just never put the name to it, I guess.
00:03:44
Speaker
But yeah, I'm really enjoying this. She like makes a note, like in the beginning, like this, you know, since this book takes place in the nineties, that it's filled with like nineties movie cliches. And I think that's just like makes it a little bit more fun. So yeah, I'm enjoying it. Yeah. I love that it's set in the nineties. I'm so sick and tired. Like, oh that's a whole other rant, but like, I was like, Oh, something different. Finally. Like, Oh, not just like another boring single dad name. Like, you know, like no technology slay, like,
00:04:13
Speaker
So I hope, I hope it stays good. Yeah, me too. I love that. I am currently listening to Book Eaters by Suni Dean. It's for my book club at work. I am struggling through
Friendship Dynamics and Shared Book Tastes
00:04:30
Speaker
it. I'm not really enjoying myself, but we have a rule that if you don't finish the book, you don't get to go to book club.
00:04:36
Speaker
Um, so I'm trying to finish it. Yeah, it's a, it's just out of my typical genre, even though it is fantasy, it's not like, I don't know, it's almost like magical realism. But it's just confusing. The pacing is weird. And I feel like I know what's going to happen for the rest of the book. So I'm like, bummed about that, you know.
00:04:54
Speaker
And I am physically reading First Time Caller by B.K. Morrison as an arc. I'm having a lot of fun with it so far. ah Yeah, I'm only about 35% into that. So having a good time. Also, I'm drinking a lemon LaCroix. Amazing.
00:05:13
Speaker
Before we move into our little fighting slash game portion, let's take a moment and discuss why it hurts so bad when the book besties don't love a book the way that you love a book. Because I feel like anybody who reads and has friends who read have this like understanding right that I would rather one of you guys give a book two stars DNF hated it than to say it was meh about a book that I love.
00:05:44
Speaker
That's maybe a slight, that's maybe a slight exaggeration, but like it hurts just as bad. Let me say it that way. It hurts just as bad. Yeah. that Yes. Okay. I was going to say it hurts just as bad. And I guess why that is is just cause like, especially like, you know, I'm very close, obviously with you guys, you guys are my best friends in the book community, right? So like, Oh, just the book community. I was going to say not in real life. Oh, I don't have any best friends in real life.
00:06:07
Speaker
ah Kayla, what the fuck?
Debate on 'Slow Dance' by Rainbow Rowell
00:06:10
Speaker
We're best friends. I know. No, I know. Oh, I meant, like, the community, like, that's it. That's my, that's all, that's all my friends. Now I know how you feel. Nice knowing you. Oh my God, please. You i know what I mean. Any time anybody asks me about my friends, I say, Bailey can drink it. You know what I mean. You know what I mean.
00:06:28
Speaker
you don't even consider your husband your best friend bro you hate everyone of course my husband is my best friend that's just like a totally different level though oh so nami that's totally different I'm so sorry no mr anyway okay what was I say Oh, because these two are my best friends in any community. Okay, go into your head. Yeah. And i if I like love a book, right? I want to be able to share that same exact joy with other people. And so when they don't experience that same joy or that same love that I'm feeling, I'm like, Oh,
00:07:08
Speaker
Oh, that's crazy. So yeah, I just, same thing. Yeah, it hurts just as much. If I rate something five stars and Kendra rates it anywhere between one or not five stars, well, I guess I should say like four. I would take four and above is fine, but like- I will literally never forget when Kendra rated the ex vows the exact same rating that Kayla initially did. And Kayla was like, that is insane. How dare you?
00:07:37
Speaker
I didn't say it was insane. You were like, Oh, interesting. Like that must mean you weren't, you weren't like happy. I hated it. Yeah. but um like I really same ah changed my reading very obviously after that, but anyway, so yeah, it just hurts more because like, you know, you're best friends and you like want to be able to experience the same kind of like emotions reading it. And so like, when that doesn't happen, sometimes you're like, Oh, it's fine. I'm fine.
00:08:03
Speaker
I think of it was in our like football fantasy, fantasy football group chat and we were talking about something and we like brought this up and Selena was like, you guys don't have to all like the same book all the time. Like I forget what book we were talking about, but that was just oh she's up all the time.
00:08:22
Speaker
She's 100% right. We are very unserious with this, but it's just, it's just, yeah, it's just how it works. I think especially for you guys, like the two of you, I think for the first like year of your friendship had almost the exact same taste. So I think that's why it hits so differently. Like the good old days. Right. Before, welcome to the dark side. But I think that's why it hits a little different, I think. I don't know.
Mixed Feelings on 'Love Light Farm Series'
00:08:51
Speaker
I don't know. It is just fun game and games and in the grand scheme of it all. I also just like have this thing where like I'm so opinionated and I like always think I'm right. So it's just like what do you mean you did not agree with like every single like it's true. Did I tell you that? Like when Madison and I first became friends, she like had this like blog that she's like right on just for herself. And her first post about me was about how opinionated I was. It was like in a good way, but literally she was like she has an opinion and she will always share it.
00:09:22
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm always, I get that from my mom. I'm always right. That's so funny. Yeah. I don't know. What do you guys think? If you have, if you like are okay having different tastes as your book bestie, hop over to our Instagram app, bring your own pod and let us know in comments, like what's your relationship with your reader bestie as far as like similar tastes? Are you okay having different opinions or are you like us and you need all of us to love the same book equally? Otherwise it's fuck.
00:09:48
Speaker
but i think like we're all friends of people who read really differently than us like yeah am i safe in saying that like i always know gracie like yes gracie reads shit that i would never read but and like vice versa i read shit that she's like kendra i'm not touching that with like a 10-foot pole but i think those are good friends to like have because like we still engage in discourse but like i don't know i don't think you should always be friends with people that read the same yeah i agree with that absolutely Okay. Now we're going to jump into our, our favorite wheel of name two yeah will of names. Two V one debate night. hu i'm so excited So we're going to, we're going to talk about books that two of us loved one of us liked or vice versa.
00:10:30
Speaker
and We are going to talk about specific books and this probably will contain spoilers for specific books so if you want to skip certain portions please check the episode description for time stamps so you can move around as you wish. But we're going to again use our wheel of names to determine which books we talk about first. So Brandy, do you want to like name all the ones that we have on there first? Yeah, sure. And we might not get to all of these today and because you know we love to, yeah. um So we just might not have time to get them all today, but we'll revisit in the future if we don't.
Discussing 'Georgie All Along' and Audiobooks
00:11:02
Speaker
um But we have Fartless Hunter by Kristin Saccrelli. You made a fool of death with your beauty. We have Slow Dance, the Infernal Devices trilogy, Friendship Study, Box Glove,
00:11:15
Speaker
Seven Year Slip, Georgie All Along, the Lovelight Farm series, which we will see because we did do a whole episode on Defended Book on that series. so And then the last one is This Summer Will Be Different. OK, let's see what number one is. I'm actually really terrified.
00:11:36
Speaker
Oh, and we're starting off strong with Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell. Oh my god. so I don't want to have this conversation. The 2v1 in this is Brandi and Kendra. This is our favorite book of 2024, one of our favorite books of all time. Like, Brandi became a rainbow girl this year, which is like the best thing to ever happen to me. um And Kayla read Slowdance and went, Oh, hmm. That is not the truth of what happened. So but yeah, I gave it five stars. Brandi gave it five stars. And I will never forget Kayla's rating. I'll say it for her.
00:12:08
Speaker
4.25. I saw that and I was like, what? Every time Kayla and I get in the little fights now, I'm like, you gave Slowdance 4.25. I will never forget that. That was a five star read for myself and so many people. I'll give a little synopsis of Slowdance before we start to talk about it, but Slowdance is a second chance romance, dual timeline.
00:12:28
Speaker
friends to lovers. I like I hate to try it. I'm going to steal this from Kendra because she said this in her review. Like you can list all these tropes like I'm doing, but it is just ah so much more than that. I will just say it's a beautiful. Study of a friendship turned romantic and just people who are so deeply entwined in each other's lives and what that looks like. I love it. Yeah, set in the 90s and in the early 2000s as well. Yeah.
00:12:57
Speaker
So it's okay
Critique of 'The Seven Year Slip'
00:12:58
Speaker
though, why'd you fucking hate it? Just kidding. yeah
00:13:03
Speaker
I want to premise this by saying that when I finished this book, Kendra and Brandy were at Raiders Take Denver. They were like, I don't know. They were like at a restaurant somewhere. I think they were a little bit drunk and tipsy. So they, when I gave them my thoughts, the way we gasped, they were, they were a little bit, um, harsh to me, I will say.
00:13:27
Speaker
I don't recall that, but anyway, let me continue. Oh, okay. Yeah. yeah But they were, they were not happy. I, Kayla, I literally will never forget. We were sitting at a table eating chips and salsa and Kendra goes, but and I went what? And she went Kayla rated slow dance 4.25 stars.
00:13:47
Speaker
Also, a little context. um I read Slow Dance back in like January, February. I immediately read it and was like, oh my God, like I think I texted both Brandy and Kayla in our group chat. Like, I think you guys should read it. I'll send it to you. like And then I had to get on my hands and knees and lick concrete for Kayla to read this book when I wanted her to. Like she kept pushing it back, pushing it back, pushing it back.
00:14:08
Speaker
But I still read it when I was when I said I was going to like I gave you a time period and I did that. Also, I do want to say when Kendra when that's not 40 weeks is almost a year. But I do want to also say that Kendra when she first like told us about this book. She's like, you guys don't have to read it, but I'm going to send it to you. Liar. let You knew I was lying. Hello. Let me get into actually why I i did this. I want to be clear though, like what Brandy and you, Kendra, said in your review, I don't disagree with any of that. I think that that is all true. I think for me, just some of the
00:14:46
Speaker
pieces to where I rated it a little bit lower for me personally came down to mostly anyway uh the time jumping and I know Kendra has a defense for this I just don't personally 100% agree with it I think a lot of the times for me it was a little bit jarring um and that's a piece of it I remember when I first gave them one of my first thoughts about the book was Rainbow Rowell's use of parentheses 24-7. That drove me a little bit crazy, at least in the first portion of this book. That's just a me thing though. That's a personal preference. And I i love Carrie and Shiloh's relationship. I loved like what you guys said about the ah study of how
00:15:30
Speaker
two people's lives can be so intertwined throughout so many years. I really enjoyed that. I thought it was amazing. That's just me personally, it just, it's not my favorite book of the year. And that's, that's it. I don't, I don't know. Um, yeah, I do want to say, I was like standing here shaking.
Love for Cassandra Clare's Trilogy
00:15:49
Speaker
the time thing that Kayla's my defense to the time jumping that happens in this book so the book is written in past and present and the present is told line in linear order but the past is told sporadically over a set of like so many years when they're like teenagers and somewhat adults and I when Kayla told me this loved it because that is how your memory works you don't wake up in the morning and start from zero some mornings you wake up and you start from 12 years old or you start from yesterday or you start from like you know and I just feel like I love that i've never heard you say that like she was able to place flashbacks like where they were necessary and I feel like that's like such a refreshing
00:16:34
Speaker
thing to have in a past present book because I read so many past present books where both timelines are linear and I don't know and she focused in a lot on the mundane which I really liked because I feel like in past present books the mundane will get like summarized and then like we'll only focus on like all the big chunks but in this one like the mundane like we got to sit with it and that like define the relationship so yeah I love this book I can like talk about it for hours so I like I won't waste too much time but it's okay Kayla and a 4.25 is still better than anything lower than that yeah I still think you should maybe listen to it on audio, re-listen to it. The audiobook is fantastic and maybe some of your issues because you don't have to see the parentheses will be resolved and you can enjoy the story.
00:17:20
Speaker
i just love that like This book almost felt like a stream of consciousness and writing is how I wrote it in my review back in February when I read it. And that just like aligns with exactly what you were just saying, Kendra. like That is such a beautiful way to put it. is like It almost felt like we were reading as Shiloh was you know thinking of things. like It was just like falling out of her, even though it's third person. but Yeah, I don't know. Something about the way that Rainbow Rowell writes, whoa, that's a tongue twister. Something about the way that she writes is just like,
00:17:54
Speaker
very for me like I don't know just like every sentence I'm like oh she structured that so beautifully like I don't know what I mean by that like it's just like everything so I don't know I just yeah this book had me hooked I read it in like two days on my Kindle like I can picture myself in every place I read this book because it was only like three different ones it was like in my bed on my couch at a coffee shop and Brandy is not a big eyeball reader so the fact that she got through an eyeball book in two days that's a good book yeah dude
00:18:24
Speaker
Yeah, I think I've just come to terms with the fact that Rainbow, it's not that she's not for me, because I can enjoy her books. I can read them and and still enjoy them. But I think that she's definitely not for me the same way that she is for you guys. Is it because we're gay? So. What? No. Yeah, I've read two other Rainbow books. ah Kidder gave both of them to me. And wait, did you get me carry on? Yes.
00:18:54
Speaker
You did? Yes. Okay. I've read two other Rainbow books. Yeah. So this one was most my third. And yeah, I don't dislike her at all. I think she's great. I just don't think that she's my favorite. So. Okay. I've read 12 Rainbow Rowell books this year. Counting her mongos.
00:19:14
Speaker
And that concludes the case for slow dance. um So as a reminder, Kayla liked it. Brandi and Kendra loved it, raved about it, won't shut the fuck up about it. Okay, let's do the next one. Yeah. Yeah. All right. The next one that landed on it was the Love Light Farm series.
00:19:34
Speaker
And as a reminder, the two V one there, which we've already done in an episode of defend a book last season or the season before I forget, Brandy and Kayla, I would say really like it. Really like it. Really love business casual, but as a whole, yeah, really like the series. I.
00:19:55
Speaker
was underwhelmed and I liked business casual and you can hear more about our thoughts on all of that in our definitive book episode. So we will keep that short and cute and move on because I don't want to argue about that again. Yeah. I like that's fine with me. All three of our favorites in that series is business casual. Yes. Yes. Which isn't an update since Yeah, since that episode came out, business casual has come out and we've all read it. And, you know, I loved it. Kendra really liked or liked it. There you go. I like, I gave it 4.25 stars. Yeah. um You guys both gave it five. I know. I gave it to you. I would give it like, I think I gave it 4.75. Okay. All right. The next one I landed on was Georgie all along. Jesus Christ.
Romance and Setting: Diverging Opinions
00:20:40
Speaker
The 2v1 here is Kayla loved it. me I really liked it.
00:20:47
Speaker
and brandy underwhelmed. I'm not say I disliked it because I didn't but that book is in like I'm gonna have a hard time arguing about it right now because that book was so forgettable to me unfortunately. I gave it 4.5 stars.
00:21:04
Speaker
You know, I actually on my story graph, it says four point seven five, although it was in one of my favorite books of last year, like in my top 10, I think. Yeah, well it was because I talked about it in our episode. I'm pretty sure. you yeah you it And we were like, oh, Georgie. if you're out of Oh, I gave it 3.75. Oh, wow. Yeah. Um. Did you listen to this one, though, Brandy? I did.
00:21:32
Speaker
Yeah, and the audio is not that great. um and Everybody says that, but that was not my issue with the book. You don't like Alex Kidd? Yeah, I don't i like, but I still like the caught up audiobook. Like, I don't know. You're right, though. You're right. You're right. Who can know if my opinion would have been different if I had eyeball it? you know Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Kendra, did you eyeball it? I don't remember. I did eyeball it. um I will say at the beginning of this book, slow.
00:22:03
Speaker
slow Yes. And that is, I think that's why I didn't fully rate it five star because it was a little bit slow. I'll be honest. But for me, it made up for it so much in the last, I would say 60%, like the first 30%, maybe 20%, 20%, whatever, it's a little bit slow. But the last 60%, I loved everything about it. I loved Georgie, obviously, but for me, the standout um was Levi. And yeah, i I love a broken man. And he
00:22:43
Speaker
really scratch that itch for me. What can I say? I need Sam here. SB reads books. She would be backing me up. It was a sweet book. I will say I don't remember a lot of what happened, um but I did. I agree with what you're saying. I remember I liked the last 60% a lot. I also think this book, in my mind, would probably probably be perceived better if it had a better cover. I don't think the cover matches. Yeah, but the cover's not great.
00:23:11
Speaker
Yeah, it's not. Yeah, it's definitely I don't know. I don't disagree with that. I think, unfortunately, I don't think Kate Cleoborn covers or enticing at all. But I this story, just like really quickly for those that don't know what it is, it's this it's essentially a story about this girl named Georgie who's coming back from her hometown or coming back to her hometown. Excuse me. She had this like big fancy job in the city and she's coming back and she finds this like almost diary that she wrote with her friend that like they had like a bunch of things that they wanted to do as teenagers. And so she just decides that she's going to try and do these things just to see if it helps fix her life, basically. And so this other guy, the town hermit, basically Levi kind of helps her do that. So that's what the story is about. And ah yeah, all the little like journeys that they went on, the little side quests, I just thought that they were so sweet. And I forgot that I really, I really love this book.
00:24:05
Speaker
like And this is my thing about this book is like, yeah, why I hate it. I can't tell you because I don't I don't hate it. There was nothing in it where I was like, oh my God, this is the reason I'm reading it this way. I think I just struggled through it and haven't don't really think about it except for when we bring it up on this podcast. But a lot of people I trust love this book very much. Yeah, so I think it's a me problem.
00:24:28
Speaker
It's my only Kate Claiborne I've read. Kayla, I know you've read another one of her books. Yeah, I don't and don't know. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I feel like that that's just me. Like she's not an author where I'm like, oh my God, I like, you know? Yeah, i've I've read her newest book and I did really like that one. I still like Georgie way more, but I still really liked that one. I thought it was unique. The premise was interesting. So I would still recommend both of those books. The other book I read was The Other Side of Disappearing. Case closed and Georgie Aula.
00:24:58
Speaker
and For now, yeah. The next one, I am simply
Debate on 'Foxglove'
00:25:04
Speaker
terrified. It landed on the seven-year slip by Ashley Pasto. 2v1 here is, Kendra and Kayla love this book so fucking much, so good. Brandi read it a little bit after us. I forget how long. And I can always tell when Brandi has a different opinion because she'll be very, very quiet. She'll say, yeah, guys, I'm reading this book, and then we won't hear from her about that book until we bring it up. So I have a feeling that she didn't like it. You guys messaged me because I posted it on my tracker on Instagram. You're like, uh.
00:25:36
Speaker
So, Brandy, what was your rating? Kayla and I both gave it five stars. ah Kayla gave it 4.75 according to Storygraph. Yeah, dude, I don't know why. Yeah, i was I'm harsh on my ratings. Well, I gave it five stars. But I don't know. i I would probably give it a five star looking back. Yeah. I couldn't tell you why I did why i deducted a quarter star. Wait, Brandy, what was your rating? 3.75. So I'm pretty sure we have a lot of seven year slip fans listening.
00:26:04
Speaker
You heard that with your own ears. Brandi, please. And for those who don't know, Seven Year Slip is about a girl who moves into a magical apartment after her aunt dies and leaves it to her. And when she's in the apartment at random times, it'll throw her back seven years into the past, where she meets that handsome chef named Ewan. And they fall in love, and there's magic. And it's so good. So, Brandi, proceed.
00:26:29
Speaker
ah um I remember being really frustrated that it didn't feel like, what's our main character's name again? um Clementine. Yeah, Lemon, right? He calls her Lemon. I remember feeling really frustrated that I felt like she didn't have to wait for anything in this book when Yewan had to wait that seven years to like be with her and be happy. That like frustrated me a lot. I don't know how much I can't, because I finished this book in September of last year, so I can't really, you know it's been a whole year, remember if there was other big things, but that's the thing that sticks out in my brain the most about like feeling like she's got everything she wanted in such a condensed time. and he You wanted her to suffer. I wanted her to suffer, but I was like, I don't...
00:27:20
Speaker
No, I don't I think I didn't understand. I guess one of them would have had to. Right. Because that's the whole point is that they're seven years apart. It's not like he was like miserable and alone the whole time. He like and I kind of burnt Bernie out of paperback life. When I talked about this with her, she said one of her favorite parts was the fact that it's explicitly said that he had other relationships while waiting for her. because She's like, that's so realistic. Like, I don't know. I really like that. But Yeah, I couldn't. I was literally just about to ask you, does he pine for seven years? Because that does feel really unrealistic. He like, he like, does it not pine? I chalked it up to him. I think it's like, not this part isn't supposed to say but I just talked it up to him being like, yeah, and like this weird thing happened to him and he's like, and even knowing if it was real, you know, like, I don't think he got that confirmation that like, this wasn't a thing that he like conjured up in his head.
00:28:08
Speaker
and until he saw her again. So I don't know. Yeah. Yeah, that's fair. I think that that stuck out to me as just being like she I didn't I didn't love her. And I thought that the art thing was like a little odd as well. Like her like wanting to pursue this other thing, but then never every like and like we never really got like confirmation on that, I think. And like maybe that's the point is that she's just like enjoying it again. and She quits her job spoiler. alert She quits her job at the end and like she's going to see where live takes her. Okay. Yeah. I guess I didn't explicitly remember that part either. Yeah. This is another one where I just like have forgotten a lot of details. ah And I remember the first time they had sex, I was like, why are they sleeping together? Like that's like, I was like, a what? You guys like each other that much already? Like what's going on? Like there's a couple horny individuals and that's okay. Yeah. I remember specifically, I mean, obviously,
00:29:07
Speaker
Lemon and Ewan, obviously their relationship was like, you know, probably my favorite part of the book. But also for me, I cried reading this book, but I didn't cry in the actual content of the book. I cried reading the author's note at the end. I was already a little bit teary. I was already a little bit teary. Yeah, the grief exploration towards the end. Yes. Yeah, the grief exploration in this book to me was like,
00:29:29
Speaker
some of the most beautiful that i've read and so the author's note if you haven't read it i would definitely encourage you to go read it because it just puts a lot of different things into into context i think especially like you know again spoiler but we've talked about the spoilers at the top of this episode, you know, with Ant committing suicide and, you know, different things happening in Ash's life herself that kind of contributed to her writing this story, I think just makes it that much more impactful. And so that was something that I personally really enjoyed and really made it one of my favorite reads of last year.
00:30:03
Speaker
Yeah and Brittany Presley again narrating killed it like I thought she did such a good job. This is one that I think if I revisit with like a really open heart in a time where I'm like in a mood to revisit something with wanting to like it more I think I could like it more like I yeah I don't know I just I feel like I was this is going to sound cunty. And I don't mean it to like, I was surprised to see how many people adored this book, you know, just because I was like, I finished it. And I was like, that is a solid romance book. Probably won't think about it again. But like, I feel like I missed something like it's a me thing, you know, do you think part of it was, you know, you did read it sort of after the hype train
00:30:49
Speaker
came to town like do you think that played a part in it too like you just maybe your expectations were really high like i do think i went in with crazy high expectations and i also think like the time of year probably had something to do with it too because it was at the beginning of last school year and i like i'm in a horrible reading slump right now like i just finished a bunch of books that i rated three stars so yeah i just i think it's the time of year and the hype and yeah i think i would like to revisit it this is making me want to revisit it
Desire for Seasonal Variety in Writing
00:31:17
Speaker
Yeah, that's good. I tried reading Ashley Paulson's latest release, a novel love story. I've never done enough to book so fast in my life. It felt like it was written. I got to like maybe the second or third chapter.
00:31:29
Speaker
It felt like it was written by a different person. I was like, what the fuck are we doing? Like, um even just like, and romantics yeah, I was like, what is like, who wrote this? Like truly who wrote this? But yeah, I'm, I feel like most people agree that it's their least favorite of hers, but I did see one person say they really liked it. Um, so I don't know. I haven't tried it. So I can't say probably not. Honestly, I've just seen too many people that I trust.
00:31:59
Speaker
not love it, so probably not. Case closed on seven year slip. You made it through, Brandy. It's okay. you can be I wish there was one that I like had big, huge hate feelings for, but I just don't. ah Oh, there is one on here that I think I would have a lot to say. Anyways, moving on. and yeah ki was like um The next one is the Infernal Devices trilogy.
00:32:27
Speaker
stay losing in this So the TV one here is, Brandi and Kendra really love this trilogy slash the entire Shadowhunters universe. And Kayla was, I would say, underwhelmed. Also, this is a similar situation that happened with Slowdance, where underw I read in front of my devices last year and I was like, Kayla, oh my God, like you have to read it. And then i like for months, every single day, I was like, Kayla, to the point where like I knew I was being annoying, but like I couldn't stop because I wanted her to read it so bad.
00:32:58
Speaker
And then she read it and she was like, that's it. And I was like, are you fucking kidding me? That is not what happened. So yeah, I wouldn't I wouldn't say that I was underwhelmed. I was simply. What were your ratings for the three books? I do want to I didn't rate any of these books five stars, but I did rate them on either in between four, four point five and four point seven five.
00:33:17
Speaker
And something we can talk about once we get into the nitty gritty after we say our ratings is the fact that everything that happens in the Shadowhunters universe after these books gives so much more weight to what is going on in these books and these characters and like Oh, it just isn't the same because I'm looking at my ratings. I'm like, no way, because like I fucking love these books. But I rated them for for Clockwork Angel, four point two five Clockwork Prince and four and a half for Clockwork Princess. I was fighting for my life at a part during Clockwork Princess that otherwise I think I would have rated it four point seven five. Yeah, I did four point five Clockwork Angel, four point five Clockwork Prince and then four point seven five Clockwork Princess. Yeah.
00:34:02
Speaker
Surprisingly, write my ratings were the exact same as Brandi's. Interesting. I do think this conversation about this trilogy, it like has to we have to have the conversation of the fact that Kayla refuses to read any other Shadowhunters books. And I think that's why Kendra and I feel like she hates this trilogy.
00:34:21
Speaker
Yeah. I think she's doing it out of spite. Yeah, I'm a little bit. I do. I believe that. Yeah, because like maybe 20 percent. We, Kayla, the thing is, is that like we've read. all You think it's 100 percent. I mean, I think it's more like 75.
00:34:38
Speaker
Kayla, literally, Brandy and I have said this so many times. We're like, you would love this. Like you would just love so much that happens. And like, I'm sorry, Cassandra Clare just like run circles around so many of her peers.
00:34:50
Speaker
both like older peers and newer peers and like I think it like cracked open a door for me to see like how influential she has been as like an author and a storyteller and like yeah like I yeah I just think so many people like I would I'm I'm pretty sure Tracy Dion it has to be a Shadowhunters fan like I feel like there are just so many people I think she's i'm just like sitting here nodding this whole time. Yeah, because like it's it's just so Kayla the amount of times over the summer when I was binging most of these books, I would literally just text Kendra and be like, Kayla would fucking love these like it hurts my soul that Kayla will never read these like I'm so sad.
00:35:25
Speaker
Ugh, I'm just like so upset about it actually. I will say the one benefit though was when I was reading these and she was like, I'm never gonna read it. I was like, okay, well then I would just like send her these voicemails of me like ranting. I know she was just like putting them on fucking play and like walking around ignoring me, but like I was able to just express, because ranting, you hadn't read yet, so like i I knew you were going too, so I didn't want to like spoil you, but like yeah I was able
Impact of Constant Book Recommendations
00:35:44
Speaker
to rant fully. So I am hoping, Kayla, that you like forgot a lot of stuff that I said.
00:35:47
Speaker
um Oh, a hundred percent. Oh, okay. So then, yeah. so So back on the train, you should read it. But Kayla, let's keep this on what you did read because it's so clear, Brandi and I wanted to do a Shadow Hunters episode so bad and we still might. And we said, Kayla, you don't have to be there. Like it can just be me and Brandi. Why do you were you not captivated and be a hundred percent honest by the infernal devices? I mean, i I will be honest. Like I do think that The fact that every single day I was being told with a gun to my head that I need to read these really made me not want to read them. And because I don't know, I just like, I think I was just like a little bit like, okay, I will like just leave me alone and I'll do it, you know?
00:36:33
Speaker
um So sorry, we're having a little friendship therapy session for a moment. But I mean, that's just like part of that. That's just the truth. I think when when I'm told a hundred thousand times to do something, you know, it just makes me not do it. You know, me with me with. Yeah. I'm a little bit of a. Oh, yeah. You would wonder window, except I'm not. I'm not asking you every single day because I know that you would get annoyed because I don't because I don't want to walk. Anyway, let me not let me not let me.
00:37:02
Speaker
But yeah, so I think that that is was off putting to me. I do think that this series only got stronger as it went on. And so like that part I really enjoyed. Obviously, I think when I was reading the very last book in the series, I think that I had similar feelings to Brandy about what was going on with the love triangle. There were parts that I like was you know, wanting to tussle a little bit. Yeah, I don't i don't know. I do redeem herself. Okay, that's what I'm talking about is like, I read this other thing that happens in the series. I was like, actually, Tessa never did anything wrong. And let me eat my words and actually like, because okay, spoiler, big barrier big, massive, huge spoiler. There's a moment where
00:37:47
Speaker
our FMC who's in a love triangle with like two best friends they think that one of the friends has died so they think that one of one part of the love triangle is no longer living and never believes that he did about an hour after they think he's died and they were grieving like horny people grieve all the uh never mind anyways i had a really hard time with that part i had a really hard time with that part and but like ah But there was stuff that happened before that I was like, oh my God, I'm so glad this conversation happened. a little That part just like left a really sour taste in my mouth. But like actually, you guys actually like like continuing on, like she didn't do anything wrong. And like she just like really loved them. And they all just really loved each other. And like you guys don't get it. oh
00:38:30
Speaker
she I just think it's really funny. Can I, can I say, can I say something though? I do want to say something real quick. Cause you mentioned, yeah, that left a sour taste in your mouth, but yeah, same. They were grieving. So they had sex question mark. Um, but I just think it's funny. Sometimes Kendra and I, when she's reading, she's like, why are you guys having sex? Like it's time and place. And I'm like, well, and if we get to Heartless Hunter, but I can go over that. But.
00:38:56
Speaker
They didn't have, nevermind, we're not, not we're let's not, okay. Anyway, I'm just pointing out maybe a small smidge of, no, because, hypocrisy, we move on. I don't wanna make you feel bad, but it's a bigger picture that's been happening with me this year with everything with sex and intimacy in books, but we don't have to talk about that okay here. But yeah, I don't know, I just,
00:39:21
Speaker
I really enjoyed the series. I just don't know that I enjoyed it enough for me to want to read like 20 books or however many it is. i know slow I just like I did them like I would take breaks like I did three Shadowhunters books and then I waited like a week and then I did a couple more and then I waited a couple weeks. I've i've been on a month long break from Shadowhunters and I still have one more trilogy to do which I will be doing.
00:39:44
Speaker
Mind you, the last Shadowhunters book I finished, I rated five stars. And I'm just waiting now because I want to be in the right headspace to finish it off. You know what I mean? And I said this earlier, like Cassandra Clare, like Cassandra Clare is just doing to me everything that people are demanding of like white specifically like white fantasy authors and she's doing it with like not because like she was told I mean I'm pretty sure like she was probably a part of that conversation about like diversity but even looking at like her first book like she had so many different like walks of life and like I don't know like
00:40:19
Speaker
you can tell she just like cares about the stories that she writes and I just think of the characters that she like chooses to highlight and I like get like emotional like what the fuck like that's like crazy like you did that in like the best way possible um and yeah I think if you want a fun easy to read great on audio inclusive fantasy series like Shadowhunters is right there and like it'll keep your brain occupied and like you can take breaks and it's just it's so much fun and it's so fun it's so emotional i cry i laugh i cringe yeah like i've only rated like one of these books five stars one but i still had a great time yeah i've only rated one for a star so i think i rated a ah couple of them 4.75 though yeah oh yeah 4.75 like in the four range yeah but then there was something i was like three
00:41:12
Speaker
but it's but like once you get further into the world, you're like, oh wait, actually, what happened in that book? Okay. Part of the reason I took a break in the in the Mortal Instruments series is because like the main character, Claire, you just pissed me off so bad. She was just so annoying. And I was like, I literally don't want to read from her POV anymore. Now that's my girl, like I love her. Claire's where the action is. I can't blame the girl. Like, sorry, she's kind of go to like, Kayla just got like the blank stare look that she gets me like, you're talking and like, she wants you to shut the fuck up.
00:41:41
Speaker
So we will close the case on Shadowhunters. Actually, go to our Instagram and let us know if you would want to hear us do like a whole Shadowhunters do that. And if we should force Kayla to be there or I'm not going to do it. Why? I actually don't think I could do it like genuinely. You don't think you could sit through an hour of us talking about Shadowhunters? No.
00:42:07
Speaker
Kayla anyways just let us know then it may be Brandi and I can just can be like a little bonus episode yeah yeah so just let us know Kayla's gonna be like no I don't want to be left out the FOMO will kick in and then she'll go and read all the shot hunters and then we'll delay the episode till she's caught up next you know Claire is literally a redhead do you not support your sister you could self-insert oh my god and her love interest honestly like the more I think about him i'm like you know he's gonna hot like I get it I can self-insert into so many other redheads. Anyways, case closed. Alexis, next one on the docket is This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune. Okay, the 2v1 here is Brandi and Kayla really liked it and I thought this is my least favorite Carly Fortune book to date. I love this book. I think I rated it, hold on. It definitely was not anything above a 4.
00:43:07
Speaker
Geez. I had rated it at 4.75. Let me see. I rated it 3.5 stars. 3.5. And I will explain. I will explain, but. Oh, I have. Let me change my reading. That's okay. What was it originally? 4.25, but I don't know why I did. Oh, wait. Sorry. Mine was 4.5.
00:43:29
Speaker
Okay. That's what I, when you said four, I was like, whoa, 4.75. Summer romance by Annabelle Monahan. I read these two back to back and I read that one 4.75 and I read this one 4.5. Okay. Yes. So the summer will be different is like a brother's, no, not brother's, best friend's brother romance where they hook up like one summer and then like it goes on for a few years, but they're like keeping it a secret. And then in present day, this is like the summer where like it looks like the stars will align and they can like be together and whatever. And she's like dealing with stuff in her personal life and like with her best friend. And I went into this book having read Carly Fortune's other two books.
00:44:08
Speaker
And Carly Fortune is really good at mess and drama and like having her characters, she writes really messy characters. And I love that about her. um I think that's what made her first two books so great. So I went into this one, reading that description of like, oh my God, like they're sneaking behind her best friend's back. It's gonna be going on for years. I'm expecting all this angst and tension and like, I don't know. So I went in with,
00:44:35
Speaker
the wrong expectations like if i went in knowing that this book was going to be like super chill low stakes like whatever then maybe i would have enjoyed it more but i was expecting the same amount of drama that we got in our first two books that just like was not present here we spent so much time on oysters and it was cool to read about but i was just like okay it was her hottest book i will give you guys that you little horny girls it was very hot and they ah the the bathroom scene that was good and the conflict with her best friend i thought was really stupid i struggle with that a lot because i'm like open your mouth and speak i don't like when that happens like this is your best friend how is she not helping you through this process the entire time so i didn't really vibe with that like why like why are you keeping that a secret that pisses me off um
00:45:22
Speaker
But yeah, I was just very underwhelmed and I was just like, this is where we're going. And I want Carly. Now i'm I'm over the summer with her. Let's move into the fall, to the spring, to the winter. Like pick something else. Like I need her after her next book that's coming out, which is like the follow up to every summer after. I need her to close the door on summer and move on because I think she has the chops. I'm just getting tired. OK.
00:45:47
Speaker
I will say this was my first Carly Portune book, so I didn't have any kind of preconceived notions about the way she writes or the kind of character she writes or anything like that.
00:45:57
Speaker
um so i Yeah, I just really enjoyed it. I thought the romance was really sweet. I get really frustrated really easily with books sometimes that are dual timeline, where I'm like just spit out like what's the issue this summer like what happened and this one just didn't bother me so I think that was like a really good sign for me is that like I was engaged enough in the story both in the past and in the present to not be annoyed with the fact that you know, she was keeping the secret from us of what happened last summer where they're on such bad terms this summer and things like that. I love like a little jealousy moment. So like when she thought that potentially he was getting back together with his ex-girlfriend and like all that stuff. Like I, I really enjoyed that. I love, let me, let me, let me fix that. I love a little jealousy moment where a woman doesn't make herself look pathetic, which I think was done pretty well in this one. So yeah, yeah I don't know. I, I just had like such a good time and I,
00:46:56
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. i just i thought I thought he was so sweet. I thought she was very likable, very relatable. um i ah I can agree with you, Kendra, for sure that like the conflict with the best friend is really frustrating because like my best friend is who I would be talking to if I was feeling this way. So like yeah, I totally feel your frustration there. Yeah. Again, i mean I agree about the best friend thing. That was probably why it kept me from the book being five stars, to be honest. so
00:47:26
Speaker
This was my third Colly Fortune book, so like Kendra, I had read the previous two books, um really enjoyed every summer after, didn't like that much Meet Me at the Lake, and then I love this one. This one is probably my favorite of the three. Are you serious? Which Kendra is looking at me. More than every summer after. It is. I think so, yes. I think you should reread every summer after.
00:47:48
Speaker
wow that just blows my mind that because you love you're the one that shoved every summer after down my throat you really need to read it if it if i like it more it's like by the smallest of margins it's by noah lyle's winning his 100 meter dash by the smallest of margins okay anyway I think so. Maybe it's because I've read it most recently. I don't know. But I i disagree a little bit, Kendra, in the fact that there wasn't any mess in this book. I think that there was a little bit, maybe not quite to the level of, you know, I slept with my
00:48:26
Speaker
ex-boyfriend's brother type mess. you know i had None of that. But but like I still think that there was a little bit of mess. And I think that the setting in this book was her strongest like setting. I mean, she yeah made me want to know they're so bad. I know. like i Obviously, a setting in each of Carly Fortune's book have been very important like you know with the lake and then the lake where were they at and every summer i just the lake yeah the lake three um um and and this one obviously even though they're still near a body of water it's a little bit different they're in an entire
00:49:05
Speaker
province, you know, of of Canada and it's an island and it's a little bit different, you know. So it's just a little bit of any of the oysters. I actually thought that that was kind of interesting. and One of my favorite scenes was what was the oyster shucking competition. Okay. I didn't sign up for an oyster list. I'm like, I want to, i it's just like, it ties back so much like their first meeting when he like cut himself. yeah He's like a world-class shucker. I would rather have that time spent again, like with the, with other stuff. Like it was fun. I like it, but I'm just like, yeah Yeah. The one of my, like I said, one of my favorite scenes was the oyster shucking competition. And then like after he like finishes and wins and he's like going over to her and like, and then everybody's like figuring out what's going on. That was like one of my favorite scenes. It was just a great scene. So yeah, the best friend thing, that's what kept it from being a five star read for me. But yeah, this was even though like.
00:49:54
Speaker
It was like her hottest book. I don't know. it did I don't think that that's what pushed me over the edge for liking them me liking it the most. I do think it was. I just really enjoyed the relationship between Felix and i remember the girl's name that I forgot.
00:50:06
Speaker
Um, but, uh, so yeah, it's, I think it's my favorite Carly fortune book. I really, really enjoyed this one. It's one of my favorite summer romances that I read this year, I think. And it was great on audio. She has great audio books. Yeah. Cause it's, uh, all the same narrator for each book. AJ bridal, I think is her name.
00:50:26
Speaker
Did she play Anne of Green Gables? She did. I haven't watched it, but I think I saw an interview of her. Yeah, which if you read the book Anne of Green Gables, it's like mentioned several times because it takes place on Prince Edward Island. It's a lot of history there. And she played her as a child, I think. So she's the one that narrates them. But she's not the girl from Anne with an E, right? Isn't that like an Anne of Green Gables? I don't think so. Oh, I'll have to look it up. Yeah, it is. But I don't remember. Yeah.
00:50:55
Speaker
So anyway, very interesting tidbit there. I wonder if that was like, if if she's the one that narrated her first book, like I wonder if that was like intentional. I know that she is, but I'm saying like in this book, including like, even though obviously it takes place on Prince Edward Island with Anne of Green Beables being a big part of that anyway, I'm just curious like if she put that in there intentionally because she knew that AJ was going to be narrating her. I didn't read the first one, so I don't know.
00:51:21
Speaker
You still haven't read the first one? No, I will. I swear I will. I don't know. You guys, something tricked in my brain when everybody kept comparing it to Love and Other Words. I'm very annoyed. Yeah, I know. Which I don't think is a fair comparison. Even just writing style is so different. There's a scene, though, and every time after that, I think about all the time, just because it's so inky and hot and so good. She's a good writer. I have it on Libby. I just keep pushing it. So next time it comes through, I'll snatch her up.
00:51:51
Speaker
Yeah. Shall we do one more? Okay. So our last one landed on Foxglove by Adeline Grace, which both Kayla and Kendra are like like rubbing their edges. They're like so ready to go. Knuckles cracking. Cracking my knuckles. Like literally ready to go. I personally just love like la-ti-da-ti-da-ti-da about this book. I love it so much. And I'm like, yeah, you too. So the 2v1 here is Brandi and Kayla. Love it. and Finally. me Whoa. Finally. Whoa.
00:52:25
Speaker
Me and Brandy have to be on the same side for something. Geez, okay. You guys have literally been on the same yeah side for each defend a book. We have? Yeah, Kendra had to defend both of them. So I'm gonna get y'all one day. I'm gonna have a teammate.
00:52:40
Speaker
Yeah, so Foxglove obviously second book in the Bella Donna series. I read this book out of the three of us the first and then these two read afterwards both obviously really loved the first book. The second book came out, Brandy and I really loved it.
00:52:57
Speaker
Kendra did not. And we were a little shook by that. Now, Kendra has read the third book, obviously, since then, as she talked about at the beginning of the episode. And she did really love that book. um So that's good. But she still, even though you reread Foxglove, you said you enjoyed it a little bit more knowing what you know now. But the first time you read it, what did you read it?
00:53:20
Speaker
Well, I rated it four and after I reread it, it stayed a four, but it did like a whole one eighty as to like what I liked and didn't like because I was able because I knew what was going to happen this time. I was able to focus in on something else and then it just made something else be like, what the fuck? So but four stars, I feel like it's still really good. Yeah, that's not as bad. I honestly thought you were like three and a half or something like that. Yeah. The way you talk about it makes me feel like you rated it lower, you know, because I will say this.
00:53:48
Speaker
If I sit down with the Bella Donna series as a whole and I crack it open, Adeline Grace has a lot of unanswered things happening in this series. That's me. And I think she could have restructured some things a little bit better. But yeah, Kayla, go ahead. You can you can talk.
00:54:09
Speaker
This series, i i I rated it this specific book when I first wrote it, I rated it 4.75 stars. Although to be honest, the series overall is like a five star, one of my favorite fantasy series ever. So the specific thing that we tussle about a lot in our group chat is relating to Cigna.
00:54:30
Speaker
I love Cigna. I love Cigna and Death. I they're like i have you yet to do a full reread of the series, but i I do think that if I were to reread the series now, I do think that Belladonna would still be my favorite because I do i have a bias towards Death and Cigna, although I want to be so, so, so clear. I love Auris and Blythe.
00:54:55
Speaker
they are you know, they're just a different thing. But I just love Cigna and Death a little bit more. They were who I started with. You know, when I first read Bella Donna, that was the only book that was out at the time. So like it, you know, it stayed with me. So we test a lot over Cigna and Foxglove. And I will defend that girl with my life. So she did nothing wrong.
00:55:17
Speaker
Yeah, I was like really, really, really riding a high when I finished this book because they came out very close to each other because like, right, they came out very close to each other, like one in March. No, it was like a year. I think you've read it. in Oh, it was a full year. I read it in March of last year. And then I'd only had to wait five months for uh, box club. So I read them quite close together. I was writing such a high. So I did rate this box club five stars. I think if I went back, I'd probably do like a 4.75, but I just like, I just love, like Kayla said, I just love death and sickness so much and Blythe never annoyed me the way that she annoyed some people. yeah Like I was just so, she did definitely annoyed me the first time.
00:56:01
Speaker
yeah and like ah even in book one like i was just so intrigued by her i was like what's going on with this girl so i i didn't mind that it was b split like half and half like at at the time when fox club came out we all didn't know that it was going to be blithe's story in book three so and i remember a lot of people being like why are we spending so much time with blithe and fox club like i don't give a fuck um and that just never bothered me uh and yeah i don't know i just like i loved seeing death and sickness like fight for each other. Like cry. I won't. Yeah. Um, I, so Bella Donna, I rate it 4.75 and I waited rate it with Syria 4.75.
00:56:43
Speaker
but for different reasons. Like Belladonna, to me, plot-wise, is probably the best. Like, the mystery, everything. Yeah, I agree. With Syria, I think it's like, it sucks that like, all of Blythe and Fate had to be condensed to like, one book, so like, there were parts that were like, kinda like, spent more time, and then parts that were like, really rushed. But the romance in Look 3, to me, is like, the best out of the entire series.
00:57:04
Speaker
um
00:57:06
Speaker
Nobody means- I disagree. No, that's fine. i Like, I think a lot of people feel that way. I think a lot of people love Fate Blythe. Yeah I just feel like in Foxglove like I just went in with expectations like okay first book and this is gonna obviously loss of spoilers first book it starts off with this girl literally like we see her as a baby at this party where her parents die at a place called Foxglove.
00:57:27
Speaker
So we go, I go into book two and I'm like, oh my gosh, we're finally gonna get answers to like why her parents died. And Signa likes to be the smartest person in the room and also the dumbest person in the room at any given time. And that really makes me mad. Cause I'm just like, you either know it all or you don't know anything. She's not like that middle ground of like, hmm, how do I figure this out? How do I figure this out? Like she's sometimes too clever for her own good and then stupid. And I think that's Evelyn Grace.
00:57:50
Speaker
making it work for her in the moment, instead of just like making it work for her as a character overall. um But yeah, I was like, why is this book called Fox Club? I'm expecting us to go to Fox Club. We don't get to Fox Club until like, what, 50, 60% in? And then we still barely spent any time there. It got wrapped up so fast. I wanted to spend way more time with like the ghosts at the party. Like I'm thinking, okay, we still have this mystery of like her parents died. Why? And then now cutting into Assyria,
00:58:20
Speaker
We still don't even have answers. Like, we don't have answers. We do. but might We have some answers. who who is in that but Who is the next series going to be about? Is it going to be following Blythe and Signer?
00:58:34
Speaker
Probably not. No. So my thing is like this is this is Signe's story and I think that originally on my reread was like why is Blythe coming in when I thought because the first book was only told from Signe's point of view why is this now becoming Blythe and Signe's story which I think I would have had a ah lot better time accepting that if from the beginning this was multi POV if this is multi POV oh my god like no problem whatsoever. Even if it was little POVs of Blythe in the first book of her like sick on her dying on her deathbed, even seeing death in like the shadows, because like we find that out later, that she was able to like see him while she was on her deathbed. Like that would have been a better lead in to like seeing her in Fox Club. I was able to appreciate it the second time around because I knew she was going to be the protagonist in Wisteria. So I was like, okay, I'll like focus on her. And then just like, maybe be annoyed with Cygnus. I'm just like, what the fuck? Like, what are we doing? What are we doing? And I think death and sickness relationship too easy.
00:59:21
Speaker
too easy they barely had any like the the main obstacle was fate stepping in the way let them be happy but my thing is yeah like ah that's not fun like there were moments in fox love where signa was genuinely open yeah herself to the possibility that fate isn't or that death is not the person that she should be with those moments were but every time she started she was like no i don't care i'm gonna stick by death no matter what
00:59:49
Speaker
She was like that all the time. The argument, the the thing that you have with Fox Club, that I guess just like never occurred to me, especially considering like the first book is called Belladonna. And so like I, you know, they're not in Belladonna. If it was named after wear where they're at, it'd be called Thorn Grove. And so like, I don't know, I guess the title of the book never, <unk> I mean, obviously I knew what Fox Club was, but it never registered in my mind, oh my God, yeah this whole entire thing's gonna take place in Fox Club.
01:00:18
Speaker
In the first book, we're waiting for her to turn 20. So I'm like, okay, we're waiting for her to turn 20 so she can inherit this estate. And then we don't get to the estate till like the very last part. their hat But their hat she chose to stay in Thorngrove, after Belladonna, after those events. So there had to be circumstances that led her back to Foxglove. And so that's why what, to me, the first half of the book was, was those circumstances that basically chief got not she kicked got kicked out of Thorngrove, essentially, by Blythe, after what happened. And so, because she chose to stay back in Thorngrove to be with family. She didn't have, or she thought she didn't have family back in Foxglove.
01:00:54
Speaker
so she like but like you're not like you've been waiting for this didn't have a reason to go back for years to inherit this you're not even like a little bit curious like even I feel like it shouldn't have taken her getting kicked out to even just go visit you know what I mean like to figure it out and then if it if if it wasn't the added element of like all these spirits still living there and like her mom's best friend like then i can get okay yeah like there was nothing for her there to begin with but the fact that there was still like a plot there but then it was still condensed and like the last portion of that book i was like i would have rather spent way more time figuring out what the fuck happened that night that her mom died and we still don't know it and i have to wait a whole other series that's going to follow other people that's going to tell Signe's story that kind of annoyed me with Syria too like why couldn't Signe's story be with Signe like why are we getting like why is we getting this information through blight when this started off as Signe's story
01:01:39
Speaker
The part with, I mean, like this is in a this isn't a wisteric conversation, so I guess I don't want to. get too much spoiler into that. Yeah, I don't want to get too much into the parent piece. yeah um Because you find out some information in Wisteria, there is some that's left unsaid, but not all of it. But yeah, with Cigna's story, like you say, being ah why not let it be left to be Cigna's story? I guess I just think that from for you and for me, I think we feel differently about the fact that
01:02:11
Speaker
the Blythe thing never bothered me. And it might have bothered you or at least it annoyed you. I know you didn't really like her that much in the first book, right? Like I didn't think about her. I thought she was going to die. So I was like, Yeah, I guess I just think for me when I was reading Fox love, I knew that signa wasn't going to be life like i it didn't necessarily it didn't shock me um that Blythe was life. I think that that was kind of obvious from the beginning why we were getting her POV. So that piece didn't bother me when I was reading it. I'm like, yeah, I totally knew too. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I didn't, I didn't know that at all. I didn't know it. I just was like, I was just like, there's no way Cigna's life. Like I just didn't think, I just didn't believe that. She was going to be like, especially like here right love somebody who wasn't like to be like, Oh my God. Like she's, I thought it was going to be like a really good, like love triangle because like fate's introduction to like Cigna, like
01:03:04
Speaker
in the first book I thought was just like so well done and I was like oh fuck like we're really about to get into the weeds of all this and then it kind of just like I wish she was a little more like on the fence in between them or like we got more moments of like her and Bey alone where she wasn't so fucking hostile towards him like I get why she was but I like wish that like she opened up a look like this man is literally telling you that you are like reincarnated and have like just so much more into you even though it wasn't true she just was not curious enough for me like you were literally killing yourself on the not daily but like on the daily you were curious then why did why didn't that curiosity like just carry over and like i feel like we didn't get enough of her sorry enough of her powers either like can you guys tell me like i thought okay why signa why why is she a reaper you know why was she chosen why this like with with and how do i don't want to get into like with serious stuff but i'm just like i feel like there's so much left unanswered and i feel like box club to be a middle book could have answered
01:04:01
Speaker
a lot more questions than what it did. And instead we got like another murder mystery, which I'm like, oh, okay, we just got through one. And now here goes another one. And yeah. I feel like I can speak to the part where you're like, why wasn't she more curious? This is like the first time in her life. She's like happy and content. Like, I think she's like done like hustling and like, you know, I think she's just like happy and she's also over life.
01:04:22
Speaker
Mm hmm. And also, I do think that if ah now I don't I can't speak to this because obviously this didn't happen this way. So I don't know if this would be different. I'm just curious if it would be if she was more curious and she did entertain fate more and like they had more flirty moments or even if they kissed it, would it not have felt weird then later for her to get what I don't think I don't think oh you kiss i don't think my cousin be flirty. I just wanted her to be like, OK, you're telling me that I'm this thing.
01:04:49
Speaker
Like, talk to me more about it. Like, prove it to me. Like, prove it to me. Like, I feel like she barely gave that man a time of day. Like, she was literally so hostile and stuck on death. I'm like, you know, you hated death. And then instantly you love this man who literally said verbally. Instantly is a little bit, you know, that's crazy. He said, okay, instantly, okay, whatever, not instantly.
01:05:10
Speaker
he Also, that's another thing. Yeah, y'all got me started now with, I will say, fate and blithe. I love their relationship so much because like you see like the whole them not liking each other, to tolerating each other, to loving each other. I wish death really did hate that girl sometimes. like you know I feel like that would have been so much fun because then you find out, he says, from the moment I first touched you when she was two months old, by the way. Oh, stop it. He got flashes of their life together.
01:05:41
Speaker
And he knew that this girl was meant for him. And then he spends... Reesand having war flashbacks while Pharah's on the edge. Yeah. He's been so many years killing off her guardians one by one until she kills one by accident. And then he's like, all right, let me let me let me get her some mercy. And he sends her to Thorngrove. I just I don't know. Boxlove 2 was just like not a good second book.
01:06:06
Speaker
Yeah, there but and he said I'll take care of it. Do you know what brings me peace about this, though, Kendra? You liked the first one and you liked the last one. So that just brings me a lot of. Yeah. Yeah. I can take the box club with you overall like in the series. Oh, well, if I spend too much time, like maybe I will. You just said you rated both of them four point seven five stars.
01:06:28
Speaker
I would never say this is one of my favorite series. I like it, but I would never be like, oh my gosh. like You know, Kayla and you guys are like, you know I would never say that. I really like the last book though. um But yeah, I said this earlier. like If I spend too much time thinking of like the world building that Adeline Grace did, it's not that great. like There are a lot of shit left unanswered. I i guess for me, the the world building in this series, for me, it doesn't bother me much because It's, I don't know, I understand some of your questions like, why is Signia Reaper? um But for me, I just don't know that there's a lot of world building to be done considering it's done in the real world and it's just dealing with like deities that we've heard about maybe like with that piece. Sure. But I don't know. I guess I just, for me, it's, I just think of it as, oh,
01:07:18
Speaker
It's death is death as a person. That's all I'm imagining. You know, I don't know. I don't think it's like to me. There's not that it's not the same as an as a quote unquote normal fantasy series, whatever that means. But yeah, so it's just a little bit. It's still in the real world. So we still have real world rules that still apply in certain aspects. And so I think for me, there's just not that much world building to be done. yeah I was happy that you picked up with area after disliking the box of and then I'm happy you enjoyed it.
01:07:48
Speaker
yeah it was Yeah, I think um with the case of the Belladonna series, I think that most of the disagreements come down to Cigna and her character. And yeah Brandy and I will ride or die for her. Kinder will not. Because what happened yesterday, I finished the book and then I was literally crashing out after reading it.
01:08:10
Speaker
I sent Kayla all these voice memos, and I was so mad. I had something that happened. I get why it happened, and I ultimately love the angst of it all, but I was still so pissed. And I had a point to blame on someone, and... Mine's a point to signal. So silly. I'm like, I'm a point to signal. Yeah, Kendra's like, let me... That child predator. Yeah, let me kill somebody. I hate this girl so much, but yet she rides for a man who's a thousand years old that touched a two-month-old and was like, she's mine.
01:08:39
Speaker
Literally Reese was dying on a battlefield and was having like dreams about favor while she was like okay I don't
Praise for Enthusiastic Discussion
01:08:46
Speaker
I don't condemn it. I love I love this shit, but Kayla literally whacked us does and all do like so great I love it. Two months old. i'm not innna adding i'm not'm going to that tour and that continue. We already did that. We already did that, though. Anyway,
Inviting Listener's Opinions on Books
01:09:08
Speaker
all right. Case is closed for now. Sorry, that was a long one. But if you stuck with us, thank you. I hope if you made it this far, you at least have read all the books or want to read all the books. And then you can tell us. Or read some of them. And you can tell us whose side um you are on, who was right, who was wrong. um
01:09:24
Speaker
I love having conversations about books like this. It's so much fun. I love deep diving. I bet the, what is it? The critical thinking girls on TikTok would be proud of me.
Assuring Intellectual Content and Future Discussions
01:09:35
Speaker
library We are not promoting anti-exal intellectualism here. Period. Very intellectual.
01:09:43
Speaker
You guys, we have so many more books that we're gonna talk about in another episode, but for today, we're gonna pause this conversation because as we said, we could go on and on and on and on. But if you enjoyed listening to this episode, it would mean a lot to us if you could rate and review our podcast Five Stars. It's really, really helpful to us and we just appreciate
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01:10:03
Speaker
it so much. And also give us a follow over on Instagram at bring your own pod and keep up with us there.
01:10:11
Speaker
Good chat, ladies.