The Readirect Podcast
Shifting the conversation back to books. Hosted by Abigail Freshley and Emily Rojas.
The Readirect Podcast
Cozy Up With Fall Reads
Get ready to expand your fall reading list with our carefully selected book recommendations. Grab your favorite fall beverage and settle in for an episode packed with books that have rich storytelling, emotional depth, and the perfect vibes for autumn. Happy reading!
Emily's Fall Picks:
- Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody
- Blake Crouch's entire catalog (specifically Dark Matter, Recursion, or Upgrade!)
- A Witch's Guide to Fake-Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
Abigail's Fall Picks:
- Conclave by Robert Harris
- The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
- Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
- The Will of the Many by James Islington
Plus Recent Read:
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram & TikTok @readirectpodcast!
Welcome to the ReadRack Podcast. My name is Abigail Freshen and I'm Emily Rojas.
Speaker 2:The ReadRack Podcast is a show where we shift the conversation back to books. We discuss themes from some of our favorite books and how those themes show up in real lived experiences.
Speaker 1:On today's episode, we're channeling our inner Rory Gilmore's but only really from seasons one through three and telling you our picks for the perfect fall reads but first, if you enjoy our podcast, we would always like to humbly ask that you support us in a few simple ways.
Speaker 2:First, you can leave us a five star review on apple podcast and let us know that you love the show we'd also love for you to follow us on instagram and tiktok at redirect podcast.
Speaker 1:And finally, if you really, really, really love this show, please share it with a friend. This is such a fun time of year to be reading. Um, such a fun time of year to be sharing book recommendations. People have had busy summers, they're coming back around to reading and, um, we would love for you to help us grow our community of book loving nerds.
Speaker 2:Yes, let's do it, so's do it, so it's time.
Speaker 1:First of all, how's it going, Emily?
Speaker 2:It's going great, it's really going great. I've been, it's it's been. We were just uh, it's been hot for you, but it's been cool for me. It's been like. Yesterday was the most beautiful, perfect day. When I woke up it was like low 60s. It was sunny, uh, there's like a breeze. This is just. I know it's fake, it's gonna. It will get back to 90 here before the fall.
Speaker 2:Is is finally actually here, but for the few days that I can enjoy pre-fall, I am happy about it, you know fake fall is a cruel mystery it's almost elite, though, because, like real fall is often over too fast, like it starts to get cold and rainy and like this fake fall is like glorious. So, um, I was enjoying it I'm happy for you good yeah great time to read, like you said.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, it is. It has been great all summer. You know highs in the low to mid 80s, etc. And now the summer really starts in la, which is something that people I feel like just don't really talk about. I never knew this till I moved here. Yeah, september is gehenna.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's so hot and it's going to be 105 today and yeah, I didn't know that for sure until you moved there like I just thought it was nice all year round, I didn't know there was a.
Speaker 1:It is nice all year round, except for eight weeks, yeah, and it's really hot, yeah, so that's okay. I'm pushing through, though, and, um, I'm gonna be fine yeah, and it's okay and today I'm going to be the heat.
Speaker 1:I told you I texted you last night, yes, that I'm going to be the heat. I told you, I texted you last night that I'm going to go see Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban. It's like a special showing at my local theater. Yes, and I'm really excited about that. I'm also really nervous that there's going to be a bunch of people there that don't know that Remus and Sirius are gay, right, and that the vibe will be ruined. But don't worry about it. The vibe will be ruined, but Don't worry about it. I think I'll be able to suss them out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think those people will make themselves clear. You know I hope so, yeah, so I hope you find them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. So we're here today to talk about fall reading, but before we jump into our picks, we have to talk about it, we got to talk about it, which I am just now finding out right now, as I see, this link in our shared document Okay. It's the worst possible news.
Speaker 2:It's insane For humanity, I think.
Speaker 1:So we had known for a while that there was going to be a Twilight animated series Right, there is now officially a deal with Netflix. There was going to be a Twilight animated series Right, there's now officially a deal with Netflix. But it's so much worse than any of us imagined. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because, there is an animated series based on Midnight.
Speaker 1:Sun the worst thing I've ever read, maybe, which should be banned. We should ban that book. No one should read that. Bookhanie meyer is executive producing it.
Speaker 2:That's even worse. Actually, that's even worse. It's actually worse. Um, yeah, because, yeah, like, uh, no, she notably, I think, like stumbled onto something with twilight that is not reflective of her taste, of her talent. Um, and I'm not even saying like, is twilight good? You know, I don't think so. You know that tiktok sound that's going popular right now. That's like, um, slow down, savannah, yeah, I've seen people do out of twilight where they're like, oh my gosh, I love twilight, it's so amazing. They're like so it's good. It's like, well, slow down, so slow down, it's not good. Uh, and so she like should not be involved first of all in any adaptation. Um, and midnight sun, again, is like I, I rue the day I was born because I had to read one day midnight sun. It was so bad. It may have that in life and death might have cured me of liking twilight at all. You know it's so, oh, my god, terrible. So, uh, yeah, this should not be happening. Who asked for?
Speaker 1:this. I'm just so concerned by well a its existence, but b the fact that she's the one executive producing it yes, I think she's done enough yeah, I think she's done enough. And also, to be fair, you know, I just want to say like we're part of the problem. Yeah, because we have recapped twilight and life and death. I just I don't, um, I don't know if we can, we can do another episode about this when the show comes out.
Speaker 2:I think we're just going to have to briefly recap it in another episode.
Speaker 1:I don't know if mentally and emotionally I can take it, but I guess I will be watching it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, whatever, unfortunately, yes, I will probably tune in eventually, but we don't need this, like we don't, so anyways canceled?
Speaker 1:we really, really don't, and also there's something disturbing about it being animated like I have to watch an animated edward cullen contemplate murder.
Speaker 2:I have to watch that in real time. Like I have to watch that, I have to watch him watch bella asleep animated you know, I'm not I for that to me.
Speaker 1:I don't know. So zach was like no, I don't, he didn't agree with me on this, but I was also like the fact that it was well. No, he didn't agree with me on the fact that it being animated might also oh, it's worse.
Speaker 2:A younger audience, oh yeah, yeah yeah, which this?
Speaker 1:this book again, like young children, children, no one should read this. But I know, if I had kids I would not let them read this. I wouldn't even let high schoolers read this yeah, um, I wouldn't either.
Speaker 2:It's just such a bad. Yeah, it's so bad, it's worse than twilight that's all I have to say.
Speaker 1:It's worse. If you have thoughts and opinions about that, let us know. Will you be watching it?
Speaker 2:we just had to talk about it.
Speaker 1:This is you know this is kind of a twilight podcast, so it's in our blood, unfortunately, yeah unfortunately, this is the way I am. Yeah, all right. Good segue from bad fall reading into good fall reading. Yeah, it's going to be fall reading soon. We tried to catch you guys at the beginning of the fall season, so you'd actually have time to get some of these books if you wanted to read them, and then read them before it's time to do holiday reading. So, emily, what are you looking for in a fall book?
Speaker 2:for me, I either want like all summer I've been reading romance novels um, yeah, and that that's over, that's, that's not fall. You know, it can be, it can't be, and one of mine is one of my recommendations but I want something. This is when I want to read my mysteries, my thrillers, which is my like favorite genre of all time, probably. So this is that time of year. I want to be titillated in a scary way. I want to be afraid to go to sleep a little, but but not too much. I'm not, I'm not going to be like I can't sleep all night, but like at night I want to maybe think like, did I hear something downstairs because of the book I was reading earlier? You know, and most importantly, I think summer I'm okay reading books that aren't good in the fall and want to read books that are good. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:True, that's like the biggest defining thing for me I kind of like expect to read bad books in the summer, yeah like it's.
Speaker 2:It's bad books are good in the summer. Um, good books are good in the fall. So, yeah, I want things that are well written, um that will captivate me, uh, that I can, yeah, really kind of stick to. Okay, yeah, cool. So that's my um vibe. What about you? What are you looking for in the fall?
Speaker 1:so I am looking to be titillated, yeah, but I think that what I'm looking for in the fall is more expansive than that I like reading a thriller here or there, but also I want to read something that maybe it's like a dark academia or like like a political type thing where there's like you know we're which. I have a couple of those on my list.
Speaker 1:So a little bit of spookiness, maybe like one or two, but I also, and then the third, you know, mention is something that's kind of cozy, yeah, so maybe it's set in the fall, maybe it's like around football time or Thanksgiving time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like a domestic, like family drama type thing, where you have a strong sense of place, you can imagine the setting and maybe it spans a long period of time. I have a recommendation like that too. I like something that maybe would sound really, you know, would be like cozy to listen to an audiobook while I do a puzzle or, like you know, read outside on a porch. Like I want a little of the spooky vibe, but I'm also okay with a couple of other vibes, but again, I want it to be gripping and I want it to be good.
Speaker 1:This is not a time of year. I want to read fluff.
Speaker 2:I want to read something that is like emotional or thought-provoking yeah or spooky and scary exactly yeah, I think to me the quality like honestly, the setting could even be summary, but if it's like a really well-written book, then it's fall to me um, so yeah, exactly yeah, and on the opposite side of the coin, just because something is set in fall doesn't make it a good fall book.
Speaker 1:No, exactly, no, you know. So, um, totally agree, trying to like cultivate a vibe where you would I kind of like think about this in terms of like what I would want to drink during the season that, like I'm reading the book, like in the summer, if I'm on the beach, like on the beach and I'm drinking, like you know, acroix or a margarita, or like a light beer or something like that.
Speaker 1:I'm okay with reading something that's fluffy and poppy and fizzy and stupid, yeah, but if I'm reading something in the fall and I might want to be drinking like a heavier beer or cider Right. Or something like I want it to like, be substantial and hold up to it Totally yeah.
Speaker 2:I agree. I think substance, substance and content can make a fall read. Yeah.
Speaker 1:All right, Nailed it All right. So we'll kind of just ping back and forth and talk about some books, and I'm excited because I feel like up until a couple weeks ago I had kind of exhausted all of my fall book recommendations. I was like I've got to read some more to recommend on the podcast Me too. So I have a bunch of fresh reads.
Speaker 2:Yes, I've been reading a lot. Okay, do you want me to go first? Sure, so the first one. Well, my goal with this? I was like, yeah, like you, I feel like I need to read more to get more content. So I was like, let me go to my physical tbr, because I have all these books and a lot of them are what I would consider fall vibes vibes.
Speaker 1:So this book, actually, you recommended a long time ago, like maybe a year ago, yeah, I was seeing this on the outline, I was like I actually went on my reading log and I was like I read this. Yeah, I think actually it was earlier this this year.
Speaker 2:Okay, that makes it a little better anyways, I ended up buying it because I think there was like a deal on bookshop anyways and the only hold they had of this book was the audiobook on libby. I could put that on hold, but I wanted to read it physically so I bought it. So it's rabbit hole by kate brody and this follows a um. It reminded me a lot of the flicker in the dark which I read and talked about a few episodes ago, but it follows a main character who has a name isn't her name right?
Speaker 1:I think it's alice, um, I mean, I read this in march. I I know Sorry.
Speaker 2:Anyways, her older sister died when she was a child and she kind of is affected by that. Obviously, teddy, not Alice at all, teddy, yeah, okay, her older sister, angie, disappeared 10 years ago when she was a kid and her disappearance is unsolved. They never found a body. They never found out what happened to her. Like, is she just missing? Is she dead? They don't know. And for the past 10 years her dad, uh, teddy's father, mark had been um, investigating this kind of their half sisters. Right, yes, he, she. So her dad was not angie's father, yeah, um, and but but he became deep down this rabbit hole investigating what happened to her.
Speaker 2:All the Reddit conspiracies, trying to reach out to people. Oh, it's a great book for people who love Reddit. Anyways, the book kind of starts with her dad killing himself on the 10-year anniversary of Angie's disappearance and obviously that causes even more conspiracy theories to come up. And Teddy kind of starts going through his stuff obviously because he's passed away, and she's trying to help her mom, you know, pay the bills and she finds how kind of deep he's gotten into this rabbit hole and she kind of follows him down that same path and tries to figure out what happened to her sister. I really like this book. It definitely to me like I guess I sometimes prefer a book that's more focused on the mystery itself and solving a mystery versus, like the characters and this is definitely more on the character of Teddy and like there is definitely no resolution, so don't expect that going in. I just think, no, what you're getting yourself into. But it is just a really interesting kind of like almost a character study. I'm like what would happen if your older sibling disappears and how does that impact the rest of your life? Because your parents are never going to be the same, the way you exist in your community can't be the same. Like you're obviously traumatized by what happened, and how is that going to impact your ability to make connections? How is that going to impact your ability to just live and like not fall down this rabbit hole? So I thought it was really interesting.
Speaker 2:Like Abigail said, it's great for the Reddit sleuthers because it also like I always think about this. What would that be like if you're? I don't know. I have a hard time getting into true crime anymore because I start really thinking about this is a person and their family is dealing with this, and you have every little weird quirk about your life under a microscope and all these conspiracy theories that rise up and most of them end up never even being true about the people in the life of the person who disappeared. You know what I mean. And it's like how that could affect like she finds all these threads about herself and like how hot she is, people talking about her as a minor and it's like, hey, that's not a chill way to engage with this. Obviously there's cases where people get involved and the case ends up being solved and that's great, but most of the time it's probably just further traumatizing, uh, a family so anyways, I thought this was really good, um, very fast-paced, like super easy to fly through, and um I liked it's absolutely it's absolutely named.
Speaker 1:Yes, because it's not. It focuses more on like this. It's more of like a psychological book. Yeah, where it focuses more on like how consuming the case becomes to this person yeah and you know what length she's willing to go to down this rabbit hole.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so if you're looking for like a tidy resolution, to like a murder or something this isn't for you, yeah but, um, if you want to like, if you're into a character study and you are into something that's kind of psychological and dark, yeah, this could be great for you yeah, so I think that's what makes it a good fall read too.
Speaker 2:It's not like very tidy, it's very thought-provoking and uh, good, yeah, nice. All right, what's your first uh book review?
Speaker 1:okay, this isn't a book I've been dying to talk to you about okay I've really been trying to save it for this. It's called Conclave by Robert Harris. Okay, it's actually being adapted into a movie that's releasing in November.
Speaker 2:Oh, excellent.
Speaker 1:So it's a perfect time to read it in advance of its release. Yeah, okay. Also, I combo audio book to this and read it in one night. Oh, wow, because it was so gripping. It's not that long, it's under 300 pages. It's amazing. It is the story. Okay, so the Pope has died and all of the cardinals from around the globe are coming to the Vatican to get together and pick the next Pope. Okay, okay, to get together and pick the next pope. Okay, and it is told from the point of view of the um, the cardinal who is like his elected position, is like the one who's in charge of these elections, okay, and like the administrative stuff, and so I would call it a political thriller okay and um, it is about the selection process for the next pope, because when all these cardinals get together, they're all like all these archbishops.
Speaker 1:They're like sequestered, right, they can't communicate with the outside world, it's just them. And like the nuns who like feed them, okay, and so you're finding shit out about, like some of the other archbishops that are there and um, also, it's really interesting because their whole thing is like we're looking, we're trying to figure out who God wants the next Pope to be, right, but so much of it is their own preferences and their political agendas for how they want the church to run. But also it's still told from the point of view of an archbishop who has faith in the institution. So it's just, it's really interesting, it's so good Like I could not put it down and I cannot wait to see the movie.
Speaker 1:And the movie the main character is Ralph Fiennes, aka Lord Voldemort, so he's going to eat that, yes, and also another interesting wrinkle is that the uh, the main character, uh, father lemony lemeli. Sorry, in the movie he's gonna be called father lawrence, because I guess ralph vines can't do an italian accent, but fair enough. But um, he's also kind of going through a crisis of faith. Oh, which is so interesting, it's, the whole thing is just like fire. I love, highly recommend, and the reason I would say it's fall vibes is kind of you have like this, uh, you know, drafty dark rooms, uh, yeah kind of I don't know.
Speaker 1:Just I can't really put a finger on it, but it does definitely cultivate this feeling of you know a fall and wanting to be like caught up in the politics of it. It's really good.
Speaker 2:I mean it's five stars, I just put it on hold. On Libby it says 11 weeks, so come back.
Speaker 1:It's getting more popular. Yeah, I'm sure of the movie, but if you can try and read it before the movie, maybe I. It's not a long, uh, it's not a long book, so maybe it'll come off hold faster than that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and maybe I can do the audiobook um on like spotify the audiobook is on spotify, yeah it's really, it's really well done all right, excellent, I'm excited all right back to you okay, this one's my fun, dumb, stupid romance, one that I had to put in here. So this book is a witch's guide to fake dating a demon, which is nice by sarah holly. Um, it is also part of like one of those series, I think, where different characters get their own books, but it's in the same world or universe.
Speaker 2:So this is the first book in that series, um, and it's just stupid. So, again, like it's stupid and fun, just know that if it's not for you, just skip on by anyways, this follows um mariel spark, and she's a witch also in this world. Like witches, demons, uh, fairies, they all live like among humans, and so um and humans know about them humans know about them. It's very chill, it it's very chill, it's very casual.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's all just chill.
Speaker 2:Got it. But there's this one particular town where this book is set and the rest of the stories are set, called Glimmer Falls, where there's a higher concentration of magical people there, but they're still humans, but it's like a very there's stuff going on magic ambiance, anyway. So she is a witch and she was prophesied when she was born that she's going to be the most powerful witch in centuries and her family's super famous. They're really powerful, old, ancient witchy people. But unfortunately she's actually not good at magic at all. She's like struggling and her parents like hate her low-key because she was like supposed to be this powerful witch and as so far that has not come to fruition, and she's trying to summon flower for baking and accidentally summons a demon.
Speaker 2:oh, my god amazing named osroth the ruthless, and osroth is a demon. So demons are like chill, they're not creepy um, they just live in their own little world. And they do like bargains for people's souls. But they don't like like willing participants only. But once you summon one, you kind of like have to like he can't leave until he she gives him her soul got it because he's like bound by the constraints of the magic.
Speaker 2:Um, sure, and that's his job. He collects people's souls, and one time recently he accidentally a soul, like he collected a soul of this old witch or wizard or whatever and it like went inside of him. So he like is low-key, starting to become a human type person, or like a person with a soul. Um, so he's, he's going through his own crisis. They meet and they have to do fake dating because he can't leave her alone, like he can't leave, and so people are like, why is this guy following you around? And she can't be like, oh, I accidentally summoned a demon. So she's like, oh, he's my boyfriend.
Speaker 1:Oh, she can't be like, I'm bad at magic, yeah.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that's how they're doing their fake dating. There's like a side plot where, like, the town is trying to tear down this forest to build like a witch spa. So it's just fun. It's stupid, it's like funny, like it's very humorous. It's not like me I am not going to read anything about creepy demons and witches but it's so fun. They're so chill. Again, it's just like funny fantastical. There's like fun side characters. Um, it's kind of interesting. Like also, I like that mariel is struggling and osroth is struggling. They're coming together to like help each other through their struggles and uh, yeah, it's fun, it's all the fun tropes as well, it's like fake dating.
Speaker 2:They hate each other. Forced proximity, like you can't leave her physically. So it's great, love it I love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cute, very cute. That sounds like a lot of fun, yeah, next, um, okay, my next book is, uh, more of the spooky thriller side. It's the midnight feast by lucy foley yes, have you read this?
Speaker 2:no, but I love lucy foley, so so this actually is a new.
Speaker 1:It's a 2024 release but it was released at the beginning of the summer actually. Uh, because it is a summertime. It takes place in the summer but it's not a summertime book. So, um lucy, it's a classic lucy foley in the sense that it's multiple perspectives, uh, kind of, you know, uh, sandwiching like the before and after. Yeah, love the summer solstice and something happens on the summer solstice. So uh on the dorset coast, uh in england it's over there, sure, sure um, the there is this like wellness lady.
Speaker 1:Her name is uh uh, francesca, and she has just opened up this like very posh, very expensive, um like hotel, uh, on her grandparents property, which she and all of the locals are kind of pissed about it because it's uh kind of like a gentrification type thing. It's like not great. And then at the same time it's all from the perspective of her husband, owen, and her um and one of her employees, who is a local, who lives at the farm next door, and also, um, this woman named bella, who met francesca back when they were children on this very island on vacation and something happened on the vacation and they haven't talked since. And so you're finding out what's going on back then, you're fine, through her summer journals. You're finding out what's going on back then, you're fine, through her summer journals. You're finding out what's going on present, in the current day, like before and after the solstice.
Speaker 1:It's also told from the perspective, here and there, from a detective who's investigating what happened after the solstice. There are, I would say, like mystical folklore type vibes, like spooky folklore type things, and also crime suspense. You're going to want to keep turning the pages. You hear things from different people's points of view, which is really fun. It keeps it's very fast paced and quick moving and you are satisfied at the end your questions are answered. It's a great spooky read and, um, if you want a little bit of like suspense and also like magical weird creepy vibes.
Speaker 1:This is good for you I love it.
Speaker 2:I love lucy foley. I feel like all her books are great fall reads.
Speaker 1:They're just like, yeah, little quick snacks, but creepy but good also I like reading uh british stuff it's like it feels just different and like yeah, uh, the slang and I, the setting is just different and refreshing and it feels like a part.
Speaker 2:So yeah, all right back to you all right, my last one is any book by blake crouch. I'm gonna just broad strokes recommend all of them, um, but especially like, uh, dark matter. Recursion and upgrade they're all kind of similar sci-fi, um, thriller, psychological thriller books. I love blake crouch. He's like a go-to author for me. Um, probably my, I don't know, I can't even pick a favorite, but dark matter I read the most recently and that one I did talk a little bit on here about. Have you?
Speaker 2:watched the tv adaptation yeah, I was gonna say it was just adapted on apple tv plus and I really like it. Um, I thought it was a really faithful adaptation, so I recommend that as well, like it's a great book to read and then you can go watch it. Um, it's like a little mini series, so that one's cool. It's like a little miniseries, so that one's cool. It's like alternate universes and parallel timelines kind of thing and what choices you make in your life and how they can impact your entire life and kind of spiral out. Recursion is really great. That one kind of has to do with like memories and the reality of memories, interestingly. And then Upgrade is cool. It's like super soldiers kind of thing, like they upgrade their physical bodies, so, um, don't don't go there uh, yeah.
Speaker 2:So they're all great. I think he has a really distinct voice. If you like one of his books, I feel like you'll like all of them. And to me, like sci-fi is also a great uh genre, I guess, to read during the um the fall. So these are good if you like, uh like. To me it's like similar to um like project. Tell mary what's the guy who wrote those books? Andy weir, andy weir. If you like andy weir, I think you'll like Blake Crouch. They're like to me they're the same person, but I know they're not. But yeah, all of his books are great. I think Recursion is going to be made into a movie or something.
Speaker 1:So I feel like Apple TV Plus is all you really need to know, because they stay doing like the weirdest, darkest, most intense shows they do AKA.
Speaker 2:Severance Look like the weirdest, darkest, most intense shows they do, aka severance, which I'm look, don't talk to me about severance until it comes back. I know I've been waiting for like 12 000 years, I think I know. But, yeah, you like severance, I think you'll like blake crouch uh, similar, just like that. I think he does a really good job of like starting you in the middle of the action and kind of explaining things as you go along. And I think the science parts are pretty accessible if you're not like really into science. But they deal with, I mean like dealing with like dark matter, like memories and but it all makes sense, which I appreciate.
Speaker 2:I like when it's like well thought out science, creepy stuff, and I also think I like how, in all of those three books I mentioned, the characters are like fully formed and developed and it's like dealing with these big issues, but in the context of like one individual person, their individual family, you know. So it's like it really humanizes sci-fi, which I like. So, again, I think you would like any of these, but pick one, start with that and then, if you like one, you'll like all of them. So that's my recommendation for Blade Crouch Great rec. Thank you All right, what's your last one?
Speaker 1:Well, I have one and a half more.
Speaker 2:Okay, me too I have an honorable mention.
Speaker 1:That's unfinished, but the next one I have is the Dutch House by Ann Patchett. Ann Patchett is an extremely famous author, so this is not like a hot take, but the Dutch House is. I'm specifically recommending the audiobook because it is narrated by a one, tom hanks.
Speaker 1:Oh and so that is extremely cozy, yeah, um it's a great like doing a puzzle or doing crochet or whatever you're going to be doing while you're listening to an audiobook. Um, and it's about this family. I would kind of classify it maybe as historical fiction because it spans the lives of these specifically two siblings starting in like the 40s and 50s. But it's called the Dutch house because they grow up in this mansion that was historically owned by these famous Dutch people. But it's about the twists and turns of their life and it's really.
Speaker 1:it's hard to say what it's really about, but if you've read other Ann Patchett books, you'll know that her books kind of are just about like families and family dynamics and what, how our lives are weaved together, the choices that we make, how they impact us on the road, and she just does a really great job like creating, really like deep characters. It's kind of weird. It's like it sounds boring and I feel like I've talked about I read her other one of her other books, um, commonwealth, and I may have talked about it too. I'm like I don't really know what this book was about. It was just about these people over decades of their lives. But it's really good. I wanted to keep listening and I think the thing there is.
Speaker 1:So part of the book takes place over Thanksgiving, which makes it a little bit of a fall book. But I would say like it's not like the whole book's over Thanksgiving. I just think that it's like this kind of cozy domestic fiction read and the Tom Hanks of it all makes it, um, a cozy fall read and also, like this, it has a lot of substance. There's a lot to think about. You're going to be able to relate to a lot of things. Um, it's just about like the human experience. I don't know it's weird to classify as a fall book, but to me it is I get it so yeah, my friend, I actually have this book.
Speaker 2:And my friend ali texted me the other day and was like have you ever read anything by ann patchett? And I was like I have this book. I just feel like it's more of like a fall, winter read. And she was like yes, exactly, so I'm looking forward to reading it this fall.
Speaker 1:I hope I, uh, yeah and you might shed a tear or two. I did. It's just, it cuts to the core. She's yeah, it's not a hot take, she's like extremely famous yeah but, um, but a little bit off the path of like the normal things that I would say I read yeah, um anyways, I recommend that for fall, especially the audiobook okay, I'm into it.
Speaker 2:Um, okay, my honorable mention is just like throwback reads. I almost made this one of mine, but I think fall is the best time to read a book that you liked as a kid. I'm thinking I'm gonna read. Um, I really want to reread the artemis fowl series, which I loved as a kid and loved artemis fow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we need to have him on and talk about Artemis Fowl. Come back on Zach. I loved Artemis Fowl so much and I have almost all the books. So I feel like if I start reading them I'll realize which ones I don't have and I can get them on Thrift Books or something. So I think that's going to be my plan. But I think, like the Hunger Games Last year we talked about Twilight, last year we talked about twilight um, any book like that you just really got into as a kid or book fan fiction that you really liked as a kid, you know. I just think this is the right time to do that because it's back to school. Like your mind already has that association. So I think that's a great way like to get back into reading for the fall, like microdose reading with a short book you loved as a kid. That's my honorable mention. I'll keep you guys updated. I have not read Artemis Fallen many years, so I'm excited to be a proper adult.
Speaker 1:I'm excited to see if it holds up for you.
Speaker 2:I years, so I'm excited to be a proper adult for you, I think it will.
Speaker 1:I just think it's such a good series, but I'll let you guys know. Um. Well, I'm glad that you mentioned back to school because my honorable mention, which I had planned to just be a recommendation, but I have just barely finished 50 of it, so I just don't know if I can fully endorse it yet. Sure, but um is the will of the many. Have you seen anything about this book?
Speaker 2:it's like popping off right now uh, okay, I think I have seen it, actually because I saw it on story graph that you started reading it and I recognize the cover.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I've probably seen it some places by james islington. Um, okay, so this is kind of a back to school book because the main character goes to an academy, but it is a fantasy book and it is in this world. There's so like there's. So the first, like third of the book was so much world building that I'm trying not to just like info dump about it yeah, I get it, because that's just too much and you'll just get lost in the sauce. But basically it's about this world that's built on hierarchy, basically like a pyramid scheme, where the people towards the top of the hierarchy they are like the resource in this world is people's will and so you submit your will to other people and then they use that basically as an energy source. So it's kind of like a commentary on capitalism. Okay, um, but like the people at the very bottom, like the people at the top, are wielding the will of like multiple people, so like makes them really good fighters or makes them able to like power trains or like machinery or whatever. So the whole world exists on the people in the working class, essentially like participating in this hierarchy with the hope of one day being able to be like a higher ranking person themselves.
Speaker 1:It's less complicated once you read it, but the main character this is an orphan who was secretly a former prince, but his family's kingdom got like taken over by this society that has the hierarchy and it's called Katen, and he refuses to participate and to submit his will, which may have him marked with special abilities or something like that. I don't know, we're learning, but he gets adopted by this very high ranking um guy and the hierarchy and he wants to send him to this academy um, where, uh, he wants him to like investigate something or like find the secret weapon. And he goes there because he's like well, it's a really hard life for someone who doesn't want to submit their will and participate in the hierarchy. So this will give me some time to like figure my stuff out and like maybe get ahead or be able to get a position where I don't have to make other people submit to me or something um. But at the same time, the rebel group is trying to get a hold of him and get him to participate with them and everyone has secrets and it's like this very kind of like Hogwarts slash, like fourth wing style school that he goes to and it's about like what he's gonna do while he's there.
Speaker 1:But also, like a lot of the world, has very like ancient rome type vibes. Like the names of things are like derived from latin, so there's like kind of this like and there's like a coliseum where people like go to see, uh stuff like that. So it's like you have like the dark academia, like Latin inspired, but it's also fantasy and also back to school because it goes to an academy. That was a really clunky way of describing what happens in this book without like just totally info dumping.
Speaker 1:And if you decide to start this book, please make it at least through the first part. It's broken three parts, um, because there's so much world building to do. Um, but the reviews on this book are insane and everyone's like whoa, the twists were crazy. This is the best book I've ever read, like. I'm still thinking about it. So, um, anyways, it's good, I'm enjoying it.
Speaker 2:I will come back with a full report when I finish next time.
Speaker 1:Um, one thing I will say is uh, I've tried doing a little bit of the audio book for this and this is just my bias, but the narrator is fighting an Australian accent and that's really hard for me. So I recommend just kind of reading this actually Okay. Because also you have these fantasy names and stuff, sure, and it's just easier. So try it out, I'm in. Okay, say no more, I'll let you guys know, add to cart. But it does have strong fall vibes. That's the point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm in. Well done, I think we nailed it, I think we nailed it.
Speaker 1:Um, I think we're ready for fall. Me too, I'm ready. Um, yeah, me too I'm ready for next week, after it's not when the heat is over.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like I'm I'm ready to enjoy summer for a few more days, and then let's let's get some cool weather.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, and then you'll have like one 85 degree day in october, and you'll just like throw yourself off a cliff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you know we will overcome.
Speaker 1:Um, okay, is there anything else we need to talk about? Do we have some books that we that are like not fall vibes, but we just have to shout out.
Speaker 2:I have a book that Say Goodbye to Summer. With one last summer book that I have been. Okay, I was scared, I'll be the first to admit. We drafted this on our summer preview episode, which is the Pairing by Casey McQuiston. I started to see some mixed reviews, but I should have known.
Speaker 2:I love Casey McQuistoniston, even when other people don't. I don't care, I love everything they write and I knew by the summary of this book that it was just like concocted in a lab for me personally. So I want to thank casey for writing this book for me, um, as your number one fan. So, anyways, this book follows theo and Kit, and they were childhood best friends. They grew up together. When they were a little older, kit moved away, but they stayed in touch and ended up moving back in proximity with each other, I think for college. They went to the same school. They fell in love. They started dating for several years and then broke up pretty young. I think they were 22 or something when they broke up. And they broke up which you get in the very first page, theo's perspective of their breakup and, um, they broke up on a trip to europe for the summer. They were supposed to go on this european tour food tasting, and they didn't make it. They broke up at the airport and so um theo ends up moving back home to california, I think is where they live and um kit moves to paris and he becomes a pastry chef and theo's like struggles to hold down a consistent job, like they have a job, but um, they like have these big ideas and don't ever totally follow through with them and they have famous parents and siblings and don't want to like take any of their money, like want to kind of chart their own path in life. So that's kind of an interesting dynamic. And kit's like this like golden boy, everyone accidentally always falls in love with him, like he's just like golden and dreamy and um, but like sometimes maybe too much so. And so, um, anyways, four years pass and they both have these vouchers for this tour that they were supposed to take four years ago and they're about to expire and so, unbeknownst to the other one, they both book their trip to go back to europe to go on this tour. They run into each other on the first day and they're like what are we gonna do? This is they haven't spoken since their breakup, since that day in the airport and they um reconnect and so kind of the really just the very beginning of it. They also developed this little plot to like see you can hook up with the most people because they're both like this will be fun, this is our way to be friends again, which is like not a super, probably healthy way to connect with someone. But, um, that's kind of the setting they're on this tour like.
Speaker 2:I think the setting of this is so rich, you get the like summer vibes, most places I have never been, but it kind of like starts off in paris, um, so theo gets to see kit like in his element with his friends you know places he knows and um, then they're traveling all across like Italy and Spain, and there's like amazing food and that's why it's called the Pairing, because it's all about like food pairings and it's emotional, like surprisingly so I thought it would be more, a little bit more like surface level and frothy, but I was like crying genuinely at some points of this and it's just like I want to talk about it with everyone. It was so good. If you like the books I often like, then I think you'll like this because it genuinely was everything I liked. I like that I like that they had dated before and it didn't work and then they had both grown in like really specific ways, that kind of overcame why it didn't work in the first place. Um, over the four years because like that's also a long time to be apart and I like that they were childhood friends and they like helped each other through some like difficulties when they were little. And I liked the touring europe part. It was just so lovely. Like there's a great cast of like secondary characters that are just fun and like entertaining.
Speaker 2:And, yeah, I really like this book. It got me. It really did. I was crying at the end. Also, I want to say I read this. I bought it, um, and then I went on a trip and I was flying and I read the entire book on my flights, which I have never been able to like chill enough to concentrate on reading a book. But I just like was so invested in this so I think everyone should read it. If that sounds like something you would like, some people don't like x's getting back together, as demonstrated by people not liking happy place I don't care, I love it. So give me more books like this, but if that's not for you then maybe don't read it, but I really, really liked it.
Speaker 1:So that's it okay, I have it on hold um I don't know if I'm getting it anytime soon yeah, we'll see um how many weeks I have? I have 10 weeks allegedly, but my library has acquired seven more copies since I placed it on hold, so we're heading in the right direction. Great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know if you'll like it. I'm interested to see when you read it. But oh, also, I forgot to mention the first half is in Theo's point of view, and then halfway through it switches and it's kids POV and I freaking ate that up. It was so good, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:I mean I am so good, yes, yes, okay.
Speaker 2:I mean I am, I'm open I'm nervous because I think that I might like it. I'm like 50 50 on casey mcquist. Yeah, you are.
Speaker 1:So this will be the tiebreaker, um, I forgot to mention, as I'm looking at my holds here, there are a few books that I have not read but I'm hoping to read for fall, when they come off old, um, or when they are released and um, so I'm looking forward to following up on those, uh yeah, it's called my sister the serial killer.
Speaker 1:Have you heard about that? No, oh, it's about a girl whose sister is a serial killer. Yeah, apparently it's not long, but it's really good. Um, I've heard one is so thirsty by rachel harrison. I think that's gonna be, uh, like a vampire horror book. And then then, obviously, we Solve Murders by Richard Osman, which is coming out next week.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, I have 13 books on hold right now, so there's a lot, quite a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I will update on those three, just haven't read them yet. Yeah, okay, my book I read recently that I just have to talk about was so good. It's called the Husbands by Holly Gramazio.
Speaker 2:Have you heard of this? Have you read it? I have been really wanting to read it, but then I kept seeing like mixed reviews.
Speaker 1:So I backed off.
Speaker 2:But you're going to reel me back in. I hope.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was so good, yeah, it was five stars for me, okay, which I'm kind of stingy with stars, gonna be honest, this is this, was like up there maybe it was like 4.5, but like it was a good one.
Speaker 1:So the premise of this, for those who don't know, is there's this gal named lauren, also british, in london, which is fun, yeah and she's coming home from a hen do aka bachelor, bachelor party and um, she's walking upstairs to her flat and, uh, there's a man there and it's her husband question mark. But she doesn't have a husband. But then so she's really confused and she thinks there's like an intruder. But then she looks down at her hand and she has a wedding ring, and she looks at her phone and he's her lock screen and all this stuff. And so she's like what the heck happened? Like oh my gosh, and so, but she drunk too from the bachelorette party. So she comes like, so then the next day she's like trying to come around to try and figure out what's going on. The husband goes up to the attic and when he comes back down it's a different husband. And it turns out she has this magical attic where every time the husband goes up to an attic, a different one comes down and she's trying and also her life changes. Yeah, because what she kind of figures out over time is that these were all men who, if she had made a certain decision at some point in her life. She could have ended up with, you know, so it. You know when, when they come back down, like maybe she'll have a different job or maybe they'll have a different amount of money, or like there's small differences, but the thing that stands the same is that she lives in this flat, or she owns this flat, or whatever, and she's married and um, there's a couple other things that stay the same but, like, some things in her life change. Um, so it is funny, it um. I feel like it has a lot of humor and heart.
Speaker 1:A friend of my book club recommended it to me and, um, it turns out because I was texting her with it. I was texting her about it. When I finished I was like this is so good, thank you recommending it. And she said that holly gramazio, the one, the author who wrote it, is, um, a video game designer. Oh, and so when she was outlining this book, she was writing it like the story of how she would write a video game designer.
Speaker 1:And so when she was outlining this book, she was writing it like the story of how she would write a video game. And then she went back, so like just everything that she could think of that could happen. And then she went back and like kind of put it in a chronological order and then like kind of structured it. But because of that it's very fast moving and the pace is like it's really well paced. Sometimes you know she has a husband for like 30 seconds, and then sometimes she has a husband for a long time or whatever. So, um, but it's ultimately a book about how to find happiness and satisfaction in your life when you live in a world of infinite choice and, um, you know what what that does to a person. It's really good, um I highly recommend.
Speaker 1:It was a quick read and um I just I just really enjoyed it and I really think that you would okay. What are people who don't like it?
Speaker 2:saying I don't know that, I even remember, but I just know that like I heard of it and then I was about to put it on hold and then I saw like maybe two or three like bookstagram accounts I follow give it like three stars, like not bad but not amazing. So I was like okay, maybe I wouldn't like it, but you sold me. I trust you.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I think you would really like it.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:I can maybe see like it's not. It's not like an exactly linear plot, you know.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:But it's really interesting. I really enjoy the premise.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm in, I'm in Back in, cool, so I'll let you know, please read it, I will, all right.
Speaker 1:And then another fall book we both have coming up is that we are going to revisit Wicked the life and times of the Wicked. Witch of the West before the release of the movie in November. So that is our pledge to you. If you would like to prepare for that, that will probably release right before the movie releases in November, so you have some time to get the book and read it. Yeah, all right, bye, bye, bye, guys.