Episode 38: Sneaky Censorship in the Bookish Community

Hello, hi, and welcome to Medium Lady Reads. This is episode 38, “Sneaky Censorship in the Bookish Community.”

Welcome back to Medium Lady Reads! Thanks to daylight savings time we’re all enjoying a bit more evening sunshine, and today’s recommendations are sure to brighten your day!  Today Erin and Jillian are bringing you another stack of books for your future TBR

In This Episode:

• Erin and Jillian check in on how they’re reading and life is going.
• Both women share what types of books they’re bringing to the show for this episode.
• Jillian and Erin each bring and share 3 books to the show. Tune in to hear what they’re sharing!
• Next up, the ladies discuss hot takes. Listen in to hear what the ladies are debating this week.
• Mentioned in this episode: @britandherbooks
• Time for the holds list! What are Erin and Jillian waiting for from the library? Better listen in! (Erin even got into a little trouble with the library.) 😉😉😉

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

• Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson 
• (S)kin by Ibi Zoboi
• Pride by Ibi Zoboi
• Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
• The Favorites by Layne Fargo
• The Woman In Me by Britney Spears
• For She is Wrath by Emily Varga
• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
• The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
• First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
• The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly 
• Christopher Pike Books by Christopher Pike
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
• Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 
• The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
• Kate and Frida by Kim Fay
• We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes
• Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
• The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

Transcript

MLR Ep 38 Sneaky Censorship in the Bookish Community
[Music] Hello, hi, and welcome to Medium Lady Reads. This is episode 38. Thanks to Daylight Savings Time, we're all enjoying a bit more evening sunshine. Today's recommendations are sure to brighten your day. Hi everyone, I'm Jillian and Instagram content strategist for Bookish people, a mom of two based in Buffalo, New York. And I'm Erin, a mom of three, a hospital administrator in Ontario, Canada, and the host and founder of the Medium Lady Community and Medium Lady Talks podcast. Together, we're thrilled to bring you another episode of Medium Lady Reads, a podcast about reading as self-care, a passionate love for the public library, and all of our thoughts and opinions on book culture having its moment. Hi everyone, welcome back to Medium Lady Reads. This is episode 38, Erin, the week of March 18th. Thanks so much for joining the show and sharing in our love of books and libraries. Today we have another stack of books for your future TBR. Hi Erin, how's it going? How's your reading and life going? Hey Jillian, it's going well. I'm in the middle of a week of vacation here in Ontario where I live, we have a what's called March Break, colloquially known as March Break. I grew up having a March Break. Nick had a March Break and now our kids have a March Break as well. So we're in the middle of March Break right now. I have my one son at Day Camp, which is amazing. And then the other two, they're the big boys. They're a little bit more, they don't need quite as much, you know, supervision and monitoring and, you know, scheduling. So they're home with us. And we're in the middle of painting. So we're spursing up the house a bit. It's feeling kind of good. I've got my audiobooks queued up. Of course, whenever I take vacation, I always want to make more time for reading. But, you know, because we're painting the house, like I said, it's lots of manual work moving things around. And I do have a one audiobook on the go right now. It's Alcatraz and the evil librarians by Brandon Sanderson. So Jillian, have you ever read Brandon Sanderson? I have not, but my husband has and loves them. Me neither. So, you know, I think it's kind of funny. He's such a prolific author. There's like so many of his books to choose from. And I'm going with the middle grade fiction. This is middle grade fiction by Brandon Sanderson. It's about a young man named Alcatraz. He's been raised in the foster system. And I believe when he turns 13, he receives a mysterious package and he gets a visit from a mysterious visitor and the antics ensue from there. But it's really, really good. And it's the perfect kind of low attention span audiobook listening for something like painting house. Perfect. I'm also currently reading Skin by Ebeza Boy. So, Ebeza Boy wrote pride, which was our, you know, our first inaugural, our inaugural attempt at hosting a book club for medium-lady reads listeners. So, when I saw this new publication, I had a hold on it immediately. Jillian Skin is a novel inverse reminds me of Clap When You Land, which I reviewed for this past summer by Elizabeth Asvedo. Skin is contemporary fantasy about the power of inherited magic and the price we must pay to live the life we yearn for. So, that's kind of what I'm dabbling with right now. But Jillian, how are you? How's your reading going? I'm well. I'm doing well. I've been a little tired. So, I haven't been picking up my book quite as much. In fact, there was a stretch of three days in there where I didn't read it all, which is quite a few days for me. Usually, there might be a day here there, but three days. My youngest sister had her baby at the end of February. And the kids and I went to go visit her and the baby this past weekend. You forget how little newborns are. They're so tiny. I'm hoping that I'm going to get back into my reading groove. But if not, I won't be beating myself up. Sometimes we have lulls and this might be just mine. My current read is The Favorites by Lane Fargo. It's about Olympic ice dancers, Catherine Asha and Heathroka. They were childhood sweethearts and fierce competitors until a shocking incident ended their partnership forever. A decade later, an unauthorized documentary threatens to rewrite their story, forcing Cat to finally speak her truth. But Asha unravels the past, the real story may even be more scandalous than the headlines. It's kind of a modern day, weathering heights. Granted, I don't recall weathering heights very much from when I was in high school. But are there ghosts that somebody die? No, no. As far as I know, not yet. No spoilers. No, I'm just kidding. I as far as I know. No, not on my cure. Okay, it was. I am. I am honestly. But no, I have no idea. Yeah, I'm halfway through it. I know there haven't been any deaths yet or any ghosts. But I don't remember weathering heights. I keep thinking maybe the haunting is like the old story is coming back to hot. Yeah, maybe that could be. I keep thinking of a different classic book that we read in high school that keeps coming up. But it's not that and I can't think of the name of it at the moment. So we're going to let it go. But it's good. It's really good. Awesome. I've had that on hold. It came up the other day and I saw, you know what, I'm going to send this back and it'll come back to me. I did a the Gillian catch and release. Yeah, it's a chunker a bit. It'll come back to me. Oh, is it? Okay, I have a digital. I didn't know because of I've got my like my digital. It was coming through Libby. Yeah, it's 400. I want to say 460 pages. So it's a little bit more. Not not a huge chunker, but a bit of a chunker. Hmm. I don't know. We love a chunker problem. All right, let's jump into our reviews for today. Gillian, tell us about the books you have for today's episode. What are we in for? This week I'm bringing a heart-wrenching memoir, a warm and fuzzy contemporary romance, and a middle grade science fiction novel. All right, Aaron, what are you bringing to the show? For today's show, I've brought a young adult fantasy set in Pakistan, a mainstream thriller that I'm pretty late to the party reading and finally the hottest romanticie of the new year. Six new books between us. I'm excited. Gillian, you get us started with today's reviews. All right. The first book I'm bringing to the show is The Woman in Me by Brittany Spears. This was a heartbreaking account of Brittany Spears' life. The fact that this woman is still whole and standing is a testament to her strength. I gave the memoir five stars. Here's the synopsis. In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Brittany Spears spoke in Open Court. The impact of sharing her voice, her truth, was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life in the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey and the strength of the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history. Spears' groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love, and the importance of a woman telling her own story on her own terms at last. She was so horribly abused by her family and left to suffer because of the court decisions. This is not just a story of heartbreak, though. It is a story of strength and empowerment for Brittany, for what Brittany overcame. I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audio version and loved hearing Michelle Williams voice in my ears. She did an amazing job and was the perfect choice for the book. If you're a fan of memoirs and we're growing up while Brittany was popular, this is the Musselesson book for you. This is The Woman in Me by Brittany Spears. Ooh, you know, I have passed over this book a couple of times because I just feel like this must be so so so sad. But I love your review and you've got me a little bit like intrigued. I know that Michelle Williams was nominated for an audiobook narration award with this book. And we do love a really good narrator. I don't know. Maybe I'll play like a preview of this and check it out. I wasn't like a huge fan of Brittany Spears growing up, were you? I mean, I couldn't help but like know everything about her. But I wasn't like, she wasn't like my number one top favorite pop star when we were growing up. I was a huge fan of InSync. Yeah, me too. Because she ingested dated. I was kind of into her. But it was even just being a little bit into her. It was worth the listen. Oh, that's cool. Just because you knew, well, I don't know if you paid attention. But like when she was going through and the court system was finally trying to get her out or she was finally trying to get herself out of her conservatorship, it was just everywhere. And it was so intriguing to me and it was interesting to hear this side of the story. I do remember that. Yeah, I do remember that June 2021. Definitely was a huge cultural moment. Yeah. Yeah, it was. It was good. It was a really good book. Great review. All right, Erin, it's now your turn. What's up first? Okay, first up, I'm reviewing "For She Is Wrath" by Emily Varga. This is a young adult fantasy set in Pakistan. The novel opens up on the one-year anniversary of Dania's imprisonment, where she's spent every single day counting down to her revenge. She's been framed for a crime she didn't commit. And Dania is determined to destroy the man who betrayed her. Imagine the boy she once loved and still can't forget. When Dania discovers a fellow prisoner may hold the key to her vengeance, which is an ancient stolen gin treasure, Dania orchestrates a daring escape and with dark magic at her fingertips and a new identity to mask her true purposes, she sets out to bring down those who wronged her. But revenge is never simple and she weaves an intricate web of deception while she risks not only losing her own humanity but also her heart to the very person who stands in her way. This book has a real otherworldly quality to it. It feels kind of like reading a thousand-year-old legend. It calls to mind one thousand and one nights or other folklore-inspired tales. The writing is lush and descriptive. It makes the story feel like a bedtime story passed down through generations. I read this one both in print and audio. And while it didn't completely suck me in emotionally, I really appreciated the rich story telling an atmospheric setting. The magic system is easy to grasp, the characters are vividly realized and the evocative setting truly transported me. If you love books with South Asian influence or you're a fan of Sabah Tahir's novels, this is definitely one to check out. It's a revenge story wrapped up in myth and legend and it's perfect for anyone looking for a unique and beautifully written YA fantasy. And that is "Four She Is Wrath" by Emily Varga. You know how I feel about Sabah Tahir's novel? Well, we all feel certain way about Sabah Tahir. Yeah, and I have to tell you, I mean, Sabah Tahir adjacent not related to this review. Sorry, Emily Varga, but um, my friend Amanda from Australia, who listens to the show. And she text me every time she hears us reference her. She's like, "That's so sweet." Anyway, hi, Amanda from Australia. Amanda just finished all my rage and she texted me after she finished it and she's like, "This was so good." Yeah, that's a good one. And then she tells me what she's reading and she's always influencing my reading and she's picking up a few that we've reviewed recently. So that's really fun. That's fun to have that. A Sabah Tahir's sidebar, um, as we we fan out on Sabah Tahir, but this was a really good, really good solid YA, but very very descriptive for YA, which I really appreciated. That's great. I have to pick it up. I'm sure. Okay, Jillian, you're next to tell us about your second review. All right, next up is my warm and fuzzy romance novel. I read The Seven Years Slip by Ashley Poston. I gave the book five stars because the moment I opened this book, I was sucked into its pages. Here's the synopsis. Sometimes the worst day of your life happens and you have to figure out how to live after it. So Clementine forms of plan to keep her heart safe. Work hard, find someone decent to love and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, the plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly, the love part is hard because she doesn't want to get herself too close to anyone. She's unsure her heart can take it. And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt's apartment, a man with kind eyes and a southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that before it all she would have fallen had over heels for. And she might again accept he exists in the past seven years ago to be exact and she quite literally lives seven years in this future. Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she'll be doomed. After all, love is never a matter of time, but a matter of timing. I love romance novels anyway, but this one was fun with a little twist that was better than most romance novels. I wish I could give it more than five stars. The way the relationship between Clementine and UN develops is unique, but also so much like real life. I didn't feel like it was over the top romance. I just love them so much. And let's just say I was happy with the ending. If you're a fan of Emily Henry's romance novels and you'll love this one as well, that's the seven years slip by Ashley Poston. Yeah, that's a great one. That is a romance novel that kind of stands the test of time. It really stands out in the sea of romance novels for sure. It's so flirty. That's what I remember about it. Yeah, a lot. It's a flirty. Which I always love. That's one thing I really loved about Canadian boyfriend too. Canadian boyfriend becoming my under the whispering door where I have to mention it every episode now. This is a really good one. Ashley Poston's kind of a fun romance writer. Her quirk is she always adds this element of magical realism to her novels. And I think she really nailed it with this one. She's really in her sweet spot. And the relationship with the aunt, I remember being really heartwarming. Yeah, it is. And I sort of wish the aunt made an appearance in the book, but she never does. All right, Erin, how about you tell us about your second book? Okay, next up I'm reviewing First Lie Wins by Ashley Elson. And this is an absolutely propulsive thriller. It had me hooked from page one. The story follows Evie Porter, a woman who's given a name, a location, and a target by her mysterious boss, Mr Smith. Her job is to blend in, gather information and execute her mission without leaving a trace. But this time things are different. Her mark, Ryan Sumner, isn't just another job. He's someone Evie finds herself drawn to in a way that threatens to upend everything she's built. Evie has spent her life crafting different identities, staying one step ahead of her past and avoiding mistakes at all costs. But when a piece of her real identity, the one she's worked so hard to keep buried, walks into town, the con suddenly feels all too real. With every lie she tells the danger grows, and Evie must decide if she's finally ready to stop running, or if she'll risk it all for one last deception. I devoured this book. Jillian, I think you'd said on Mike, I was like, should I start this or should I read the secret history? And you were like, oh, you'll read the first real read First Lie Wins in like a day. And that was true. Jillian, you had your fortune tellers, while your crystal ball, you told my book fortune, my reading fortunes. And I just, I just gobbled it up. The action kicks off immediately with almost no setup, which is perfect for me at a time when my brain is juggling a million things. I don't know who out there isn't juggling a million things. I don't usually reach for thrillers, but after this I'm wondering why? Because I love the experience of being completely absorbed in a fast paced, high-stake story. What really made this book stand out wasn't just the twist and turns, although there were plenty of those. It was Evie herself. The way we see her outward actions contrasted with her inner thoughts makes for such an engaging reading experience. And when we go back in time to uncover her heartbreaking past, and what led her to a life as a con artist, it only deepened my investment in her story. She's a little complicated, determined, always in control until she isn't. I just had to keep reading to see if she could pull it all off in the end. So if you love thrillers, I need something that will immediately grab your attention. First Lie Wins is a fantastic pick. And I realize that I'm late to the party in this. I feel like this was very, very busy in early 2024. So maybe you've already read it and you can let me know if you enjoyed it or not. But if you've had this popular book sitting on your TBR, let this be the sign that it's time to finally read it. And after this, I'm definitely adding more thrillers to my reading list and let me know what you think I should read next. That's my rave review of First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much. It's a great book. Yeah, I just loved all of the pieces and how everything slowly started to fit together. And then a piece where you thought it was going to fit starts to like not. And you have to like in your mind move that piece somewhere else. And then you're like, Oh, I thought we were figuring this out, but we weren't. It's like sort of takes two steps forward, two steps back, very creative writing, very, very propulsive. And a good balance of like character and plot, like mostly I feel like thrillers for the most part are really plot driven. But this, this had a little bit of both. And I really like that. Yeah, it was a good book. One of those Reese, Reese Club picks. Yeah, that's right. It was. Okay. It's our final round of books, Jillian, what's your last book? The final book I'm bringing to the show is the first state of being by Aaron and Trata Kelly. This is a sci fi middle grade book and it is unique in the absolute best of ways. And I gave it five stars. Here's this anopsis. It's August 1999 for 12 year old Michael Rosario. Life at Fox for an apartment in Red Not Delaware is as ordinary as ever except for the looming Y2K crisis and that overwhelming crush on his 15 year old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disorientated age boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere. Michael discovers there's more to life than stockpiling supplies and finding over Gibby. It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn't where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he's the world's first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999 fascinated by microwaves, basketballs and malls, Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next 20 years and his curiosity morphs into something else focused determination. Michael wants no needs to get his hands on that book. How else can we prepare for the future but how far is he willing to go to get it? Based in 1999, this book is full of 90s nostalgia. I loved getting to know Michael and encounter all the references to the things from when I was a senior in high school in 99. I mean, who doesn't remember Christopher Pike books? Anyway, I love this book. I love the connection that between the characters. I love the way Michael learned that he is a bad kid and I love the nostalgia. That's the first state of being by Aaron and Trata Kelly. You had me at Christopher Pike. I must have read one maybe one and a half Christopher Pike novels in my in my teen years. I was a bit of a security catcher, Leon, but oh, okay. Yeah, are there references to Christopher Pike in this? Yes. Oh, that's amazing. There are. Oh, my gosh. Do we feel like those hold up in 20. They do in the book because everything takes place in 1999 and the books are real books. They're real Christopher Pike books. Amazing. I had a Google to find out. And it was just it was a lot of fun to kind of reminisce. And the one boy is freaking out about why 2k and it brings all that back about how everyone was so worried about that. Yeah, it was it was fun. It is middle grade. So it's easy reading. Nice. I remember the writing of those. Oh, yeah, I just had to pull up a Christopher Pike cover. I can remember like those swoopy like. Yes. Oh, my gosh. That like takes me back. Awesome. That's a good one. And what is the first state of being? Yeah. Great. Okay, Aaron. Let's hear your last review for the show. The last book I'm reviewing today is Onix Storm by Rebecca Yaros. I debated bringing this. It's the third installment in the Imperial series. But the series has an incredibly passionate fan base, largely because of Yaros's intricate plotting hidden clues and easter eggs that readers love to hunt for. And as I said, you know, it's book three of a planned five book series. I was hesitant to bring you to the podcast knowing that there's always a small risk of spoilers and also knowing that, you know, it's tricky, Jillian to kind of review a third book without the context of book one and book two. But I also know that many of our listeners have heard of Onix Storm as well as fourth wing and iron flame. And they might be wondering if they should dive into the series. Onix Storm picks up with Violet Sorngale after nearly 18 months at Basket War College. The time for lessons is over. And the real battle has begun with enemies closing in from all sides, both outside the walls and within their ranks. Violet faces a journey beyond the failing Areetian wards in search of allies. The fate of her home, her dragons, and the people she loves depend on what she uncovers. But the truth is dangerous and keeping it secret might cost Violet everything. Now, my experience with this book was a little complicated. I listened to it on audio. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the audio format. The narration felt too young for the story. It was really breathy and delivered with a sense of urgency. Like that all the time. It's just like the sense of like urgency didn't always match the scene. Plus, Yarros does have a very specific writing style. She'll play with tents. She shifts perspectives. And so this embedded deeper meaning in the text, it doesn't translate well to audio. Without being able to reread a passage or take in the visual cues of the text, I found it harder to appreciate the nuances of the writing. Definitely hard to pick up on all of those Easter eggs, which is part of the fun of reading these books. That said, once I hit the 50% mark, I let go of my frustrations and I just allowed myself to get swept up in the action. And honestly, that's my best advice for reading the series. Don't overthink it. Just enjoy the ride. If you're looking for deep literary analysis or flawless prose, this might not be the series for you. You're gonna want to read Sabah to here instead. But if you want fast paced fantasy with dragons, battles, and high stakes romance, it's a very fun escape. One of the best parts of reading this book was discussing it afterward with my buddy reader best friend, Steph Cunningham. We had so much fun swapping theories, sharing memes, diving into the fan conversation surrounding the book. That absolutely extended my enjoyment of the story. And while I gave this book three stars, I'll definitely be reading the final two books. I'm in too deep at this point. But I'm treating these as popcorn reads, something enjoyable, fast-moving, and easy to consume. So, if you love books that generate fan theories and online discussion, on Xnorm is definitely worth picking up. But if you haven't started the series yet, I'd recommend trying fourth wing first and seeing if it hooks you in, of course, before committing to that full five book journey. I am impressed with the fact that you could pronounce all those words. Because of the audiobook. Oh, yeah, dog. That is one pro actually makes the audiobook much more accessible. Yeah. Is you don't have to worry about the names of the dragons, the names of the places, the names of the people. I have to admit that I read fourth wing, but I haven't read Iron Flame or on Xnorm. So, I don't, I feel like I should only because I really did enjoy fourth wing. But my hang up is there are so many other books that I want to read. Yeah. And I know that these are thicker books and the words are itty bitty. So, it takes longer to read them. Yeah, it's a huge commitment. It definitely took me away from other books. I think it was a 28-hour audiobook and I did eventually get myself to to 0.0 speed. But even so, that's 14 hours. It's a lot of book. It is. I mean, this is where like some of my review gets a little bit picky because I do think it doesn't have, I don't think it has to be that much, that much book. But the fandom around this series is as passionate as Taylor Swift fans. Yeah. And, and it's fun to just be adjacent to that fandom. And to like experience the fandom without the actual like obsession and commitment. For sure. Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm glad Stephanie enjoyed it. I'm glad it was a sufficient third book in the series. Yeah. sufficient third book. That's very generous. All right. It's time for hot takes and our current thoughts on book culture. This hot take is courtesy of @Brit and her books. We'll link her account in the show notes on Instagram. So, Brit is an amazing book account on IG and TikTok. She delivers amazing takes with her whiteboard and her hilarious stick drawings. So, here's our hot take today. Readers should not share their reading counts. Telling people you read seven books or 15 books or one book as part of a monthly reading wrap up harms other readers into worrying about how much they read compared to you and it can impact their reading. Jillian, what do you think? I am really torn here because I see her point, but I continue to share my wrap ups. So, I don't know. I feel like I feel like I could see the harm it can cause other people. It can make other people feel self-conscious about sharing their, you know, three books or, you know, it may be there's 25 books or whatever because they're reading too much. So, I'm going to stay middle of the road here and I'm going to and I'm going to say share if you if you find joy in sharing your books, keep sharing and then I'm going to also say that there's no reason why you should anybody should feel ashamed or weird or uncomfortable about sharing or not sharing their books no matter the number that reading is reading and you should be proud of that. That is my stance. Yeah. So, I should clarify is Brit had a take on this subject. So, this is not specifically her take that reading is harmful and Brit is very, very funny and her takes are like she'll have like colorful language to explain what she thinks about this. I feel very strongly that the book community should be very sensitive to notions of censorship within the book community. I think it's irresponsible to be a reader and to not be highly attuned to the ways that censorship creeps into our community and this is one way of telling people to suppress their voice, suppress their opinion, suppress their ideas in the reading community. I think this opinion is more harmful to reading than the idea that I could share that I read 10 books this month and that that I need to be careful about how my reading life is affecting other people is just a way of like remaining oppressed within a community that is designed to like set us free. And to compel our us to be our fullest best selves as long as we hide away the parts that make other people uncomfortable. Like that's such an old school way of thinking. You know, it's the same as saying like well we can ban these books because some parents might be uncomfortable about the idea of their kids reading them and it's this idea of like curating yourself so that you don't you don't make anybody feel anything. But like that's not what reading is about. Like it's the same thing with like women should not read as much romance as they do or you know whatever it may be. And I think like we're all just like mind your own business. Like I don't know like I think if you're if you're upset by how many books I read or let me flip that around. If I'm upset by how many books somebody else is reading let's say Jillian you post your wrap up and I'm upset because I didn't read as many books as you. What a great opportunity to say that's a sign that maybe I want to be reading more. And you know the path to that is pretty darn easy to read more. Nothing's getting in your way of reading more except you and the amount of energy you're spending judging. Like funnel some of that energy into reading some new books. And you can listen to our podcast and we'll give you tons of great recommendations about where you should start. I don't know like it gets really gets under my skin even like the Rebecca Yarrow's fandom we want to say like what people should love what people shouldn't love. There's these headlines you know I mean it's it's like a hot take right it's these hot takes people the other day there was this headline that like Romanticie was ruing the publishing the publishing industry. And I'm like I am so deeply like irritated by that it's like rage baiting me. You know so I don't know maybe maybe people who are putting these forth are just looking for a reaction because that's what that's all that Instagram feels like lately but it's true. I get kind of spicy about it. You make great points. I had an even thought of them. You're right. The censorship is rampant in our little neck of the woods. Yeah thanks Jillian. Thanks for letting me get spicy on the mic. No please get spicy all you want. All right we're going to wrap up with the holds list. Aaron and I are very passionate about the library and because we're both avid users we both have a very active holds list and we feel like that's something we don't hear a lot about on book podcasts or book talk or a G. So we know it's something we can offer the bookish community. Plus we'll also be sharing what's up next to let the listener know what we'll be reaching for on our TBR. Aaron what's on your holds list. Okay so I'm not going to tell you what's on my holds list coming up because I have this reverse holds issue. I got in trouble with the library so I have a fine free library. However they there are consequences when you really hold on to your books for too long. So I was holding on to a few books for too long and my library blocked me. So I'm shame on you Aaron. I went into my app and I was trying to put a hold on something and this banner came up that said user blocked and I was like what well could I tell you was very motivating to get my books back to the library as soon as possible. So I recently returned a few that I was really holding on to and one of them was chain gang all stars which I've had on hold forever. I really wanted to read it but I didn't so obviously I didn't want to read it that much but don't worry I put it right back on hold after returning it and after my account got unsuspended. Once I was back on the nice list and often naughty library list and I could sleep at night then I put it right back on hold but so next up I expect to wait a very long time for that book because I waited I waited I think about a year for the first the first time around so hopefully maybe it'll come to me a little sooner this time around but we'll see. Next up is the last murder at the end of the world by Stuart Turton. This is a recommendation from Amanda from Australia. I have been reading a lot of end of the world books lately Jillian this one features an idyllic island isolated from society inhabited by 122 villagers governed by three scientists all is harmonious on the island until one of the scientists is found brutally murdered. I already started this last night I'm about 60 pages in and this is one of those weird adventurous books that just like it's like a perfect quadrant for me so I can't wait to gobble this up those are my books okay Jillian what are you waiting for from the library and what do you have coming up on your TBR so I don't have anything on hold of the library currently I went and picked up books on Friday or Thursday of last week so I've got a big hunk of books then but I do have three in transit I have Katen Frieda a novel of friendship food and books by Kim Faye we all live here by Jojo Moise and three days in June by Ann Tyler those are all in transit and will probably you know be to me in next day or so and then up next I'll be reading the bones beneath my skin by TJ Clune yeah I can't wait here's a shirt synopsis for you in 1995 a lost and broken Nate Cartwright retreats to his family's empty cabin only to find a mysterious man in an extraordinary little girl Artemis starth Vader already inside as he unravels the truth about Artemis Nate is drawn into a fight against powerful forces Lucy to control her faced with the choice between his past and an unexpected future Nate must decide what N.O. is worth fighting for so that was a great little synopsis that got me super intrigued so now I got to finish the favorites so that I can jump into the bones beneath my skin I want you to text me while you read the bones beneath your skin because I just finished it back in probably just at the very end of February I thought it was really good I gave it five stars and I didn't expect to give it five stars because it's a republication of an old book this book made me very happy that's my my review we'll have to bring maybe we'll bring it as a joint review to the show I think so that'll be fun that wraps up episode 38 of medium lady reads medium lady reads is a spin off of the medium lady talks podcast and Instagram community on Instagram you can find me Aaron at medium.lady and you can find Jillian at Jillian finding happy for more of our current reads and other shenanigans and of course you can follow the podcast itself on Instagram at medium lady reads if you like this episode please share it with another bookish friend it really helps us to continue to grow the show to reach more readers thank you for listening I'm your host Jillian and I'm your other host Aaron until next time we hope that your holds arrive quickly and your next book find you right when you mean it most we'll talk to you soon bye bye