The Lazy Girl Library
The Lazy Girl Library is a charming book podcast hosted by two best friends. Expect laughter, witty banter, and a generous sprinkle of fun as we dive into the stories that have captured our hearts and minds. So grab your favorite blanket, a cup of tea or coffee, and curl up with us as we embark on a captivating literary adventure.
The Lazy Girl Library
The "Icks" and "Awes" of Reading
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Our latest episode is a whirlwind through the trending "icks" and "awes" that shape our reading adventures. This time around, we’re peeling back the layers of storytelling that captivate us, from the nuanced villains who command our empathy to the unexpected humor that makes us cackle. Our conversation meanders through the pitfalls of certain tropes—we're looking at you, unexpected pregnancy plotlines—and celebrates the emotional payoff of a well-crafted love triangle. Curl up with us as we muse over the aesthetics of book covers that are too enticing to resist and share our personal reading preferences, quirks included!
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Welcome to the Lazy Girl Library , the podcast where reading is a pleasure and captivating adventures happen from the comfort of your couch . I'm your host , darby , and I'm Mikaela , and if you've ever spent more time rearranging your bookshelf than your priorities , then you , my friends , are in the right place . Okay , welcome to episode three . That is crazy that we're now filming our recording our third episode . No , it's kind of going by super quick . It's exciting , though . Yes , also , I want to say hello to England and Singapore . You heard that right , we have two people that are listening internationally to Lazy Girl Library , and my mind actually can't comprehend that , but when I saw that , I freaked out just a little bit . So , hello international listeners . Yeah , we're so happy to have you here .
Speaker 1Mikaela , how's your week been ? It's been pretty good , kind of busy wedding planning and whatnot , but you know we're getting through it . Not a whole lot of time to read , which has been sad , but it's not lovey . I feel the same way . I haven't read too much this week because at work we had like an all staff gathering , which is like a fancy way of just saying like it's almost like a mini conference . We just did a two day of our whole office meeting up like talking about everyone's roles , where we're at , because we're halfway through our fiscal year , so exciting , it was fun . But it was fun . We did some like personality test things and how we worked together as a team . So I love a good personality test .
Speaker 1Whether the enneagrams , the astrology Myers-Briggs you send me any of them I love them . I'm not a big astrology person because I feel like mine doesn't go with me . But then my sister is really big into astrology and she's like , no , but the rising one . She , like I don't know , tells me that things do match me . But whatever , it's all for fun . Yeah , it is , don't take it serious . I am an enneagram stan , though I am a type two through and through and I'm definitely in type five and a Virgo , if anybody wants to know Aquarius . I don't know the other ones , but I'll ask my sister if you want to know Awesome .
Speaker 1Well , so today we are doing a bookish topic , so we're not actually talking about a specific book , but in this episode we're going to be talking about our X and Oz , which is a fancy way of saying our favorites and least favorites about different things on books . So what we like and dislike about characters , authors , writing styles , tropes , book covers , reading in general , and then also our March book club . For those of you who want to know and read along with us is going to be a thousand pieces of you by Claudia Gray . So this is the first book in the Firebird trilogy . It's a YA science fiction type of book and I've actually read it , but I read it years ago so I don't remember everything , but I do remember that I liked it . I'm excited to get into it . I haven't read like a YA sci-fi in a really long time , so it sounded intriguing . I'm excited for this one . Yeah , I think it'll be like a good . I think it'll be a good one . I will read the description for the book later on in the episode so for anybody intrigued about it , you can learn a little bit more later . Yeah , that will be what we talk about next episode , but let's get into this episode
What Are "Icks" and "Awes"?
Speaker 1. So X and Oz what are they ?
Speaker 1The definition according to the internet of an IK is a point when your initial attraction to a person flips into a feeling of disgust or dislike . So it's been really popular , I feel like on TikTok , people talking about X . They're typically associated with like relationships , but a lot of people have like branched out and talk about different topics with X . That's the kind of inspiration behind this episode . I don't know where it came from , but I first heard X on Love Island UK . I'm a big Love Island UK , so whenever they're like talking to a guy and then all of a sudden they're like I got the it , I just don't see it anymore . So that's what I associate when I see X . But it is definitely trending now everywhere .
Speaker 1And so then our own definition , because , like what's the opposite of an IK ? I don't think it's as popular out there right now . So we created our own . We called it the awe , because it's like , instead of an IK , we're like ew , it's like aww . So like our definition would be like a point when your initial lack of interest is something or someone flips into a feeling of like interest or giddiness . So it is . It's like a fun way to describe , like what makes things more desirable , less desirable , and we're going to get into it . For reading specifically yeah , I see you wrote an example down of what an IK would be . Someone chewing with their mouth open is an IK , and that is such an IK .
Speaker 1I know it's not about reading , but , oh my gosh , I'm very sensitive to sounds and smells . Oh yeah , well , my mom is very , very sensitive to smells and now I think like I'm getting that from her . Like Justin , my husband has a candle and he likes to like light it when he is playing video games . It's kind of cute , it's like his own ambiance , but I hate the smell of it . So like , whenever I'm home , I'm like I got to blow it out . What's the smell ? It's literally like a nice smell . It's like a sugar cookie or something . He got it at a market , but I think there's like caramel in there too , and so it just is very thick and heavy and I'm like I can't breathe . Yeah , I can't do too sweet , but it's with like taste and whismills like anything sugar cookie , vanilla , e , like . If it's a subtle , like mixed with something else , I like it . But yeah , all the caramel , anything like that . Yeah , a couple of weeks ago I was sick and my nose was really runny and then he let the candle and it got even worse and I was like we can't do this , it's so oblivious . Yeah , so that was a very good example of Nick , thank you .
Speaker 1All right , so do we want to get into them ? Yeah , so I guess we can start off with like characters X and Oz . So I'm thinking we'll start with X , go into Oz and on a positive Sure , sure
Characters
Speaker 1, um . Okay , I feel like some of these are going to be hard for me to describe and I also want to make a note at the beginning of this episode that I'm sure all of these X , or just about all of them , could be Oz for me at some point if it was written correctly or in a way that I liked Absolutely . But typically stereotypically for me these are X , but again , I'm sure I would like them in a different setting .
Speaker 1Maybe it's all situational , it is , it is Um , but okay , some character X this is kind of taking me back to our last book but a main character that is like whoa is me , life is too hard , but literally has like no issues , like you're fine , yeah , life's hard for everyone , sweetie , right , it's like it's kind of like having that one person that all they do is complain about their life , like , yeah , everybody goes through ups and downs , but if there's there's still positive somewhere and if all you're hearing about is the negatives , you're just like oh , I want to move on . Yeah , and I don't like a character . When an author adds a character that doesn't add to the story in any way , like there are definitely good side characters , that they they're not tied into the whole plot , but they're still adding to the story . But when an author just throws in a character , like just because they want another character in there , it's like why are you here ? Like what's the point ? Yeah , I don't want to have to use the mental capacity to remember the character , but then I don't even need to remember them because they're not going to be brought up again , like I don't know . So that's just like , isn't it ? Yep , and then also the I'm different character . Yeah , so I like 2013 , like indie film , like I'm so different . No , you're not . Yeah , you're basic and that's okay . Like the basic . Or you are different , like you don't need to brag about it , like it's cooler if you don't . That is 100% one of mine too , and I love her name's Delaney Rowe on TikTok . I know exactly who you're talking about . Delaney says hello , shout out to her because her impressions of she calls them like the insufferable . Whatever main characters Our chefs kiss , they're absolutely perfect . She nails them down beautifully and they do . You're watching them and you're just like oh , it is . It's such a physical like it for me I can't handle it . It's bad . Yeah , they're not fun . What else are your other X ?
Speaker 1I hate when characters have no flaws . When it's like they're like , oh so perfect , it's just dull for me . I love a good character with like character development you want to like , it makes them more relatable , and so if the character is just like always perfect , has no flaws A good example of this for me , not in a book , but in a movie . I feel like Captain Marvel in their first movie had this kind of oh yeah , she's an egg in itself . I have about it where it's just like there's nothing wrong with her . It makes it harder to relate to them and they are just kind of like it makes it more . She is so insufferable . I'm so sorry . I'm so sorry , I didn't mean to talk about it . No , I know I'm kidding . You got that , so it just I can't .
Speaker 1And yeah , when they pretend there's just like nothing wrong with them , it turns me off entirely . Yeah , I would also say the opposite of that too , someone . Well , I guess that goes back to my like woe is me . Like you need the ball . Or like , yeah , because it's like you can't have too much baggage , but like you got to have a little baggage because we all , we all do Absolutely . It's just like a carry on , like we don't need the checked bag of baggage . Yes , we're just like a carry on . Keep it real . Yeah , I like that analogy though . Yeah , that's good .
Speaker 1Another thing is when they're like too focused for specifically love interests , when they're too focused on the differences between them and that's why they can't be together , like we can't be together because we're from two separate worlds . When it's like , clearly the romance is working , yeah , and then why ? Why are you putting that out there for yourself ? The problem is you , exactly , exactly , because it's like I don't know , it just drives me up a wall and that's all they focus on , especially because it's always towards like the end of the book . When it's like the big , like breakup part of it all and it's like it's like a made conflict instead of like a true conflict , because they're just scared about the relationship in itself instead of like recognizing that they're scared about it . It's like this is the excuse of it's just not going to work because of these things , and especially when that is made to be like the plot , like oh my gosh , it's too much . I want to read that Like I don't mind a little bit . Like a Latin kind of thing . Yes , like the straight rat princess , but then , but they , still it works . It's nice . Again , it has to be written the right way . Yes , so this is another .
Speaker 1One is like it's like 50-50 for like character versus like writing style , when a character seemingly blows up out of nowhere for like absolutely no reason , or gets over an issue that is a really big issue so quickly , like it was absolutely nothing . Okay , like I don't . I just it drives me crazy because it's like you're reading something and then all of a sudden they're like furious and blowing up out of nowhere over anything and you're like so confused You're like where the heck did this come from , trying to find out , like where that conflict started , because it was so small to begin with , like from the reader's perspective , that all of a sudden it became a huge part . Do you have an example of this ? Or even if you can think of it in like a movie , so you don't spoil a book ? In the book it's called my Dark Romeo . Okay , it's like a .
Speaker 1I don't want to say it's a mafia , it's kind of like a mix between a billionaire's mafia type of book , romance . It's like an enemies the lovers too kind of situation . Okay , it's like it's not who it's by , but she would be like infatuated with the main character and everything's going great and then all of a sudden , out of nowhere , she's just like I hate you , you're the worst , you're keeping me from my friends and family , blah , blah , blah . And you're like whoa , whoa , wait , but like two pages ago we were falling in love with this guy . Where did this come from ? That drives me insane . Or like the opposite , when there is really like a big conflict that happened and you're like , oh my gosh , I can't believe this person did this . But then the character writes it off like it's absolutely nothing and you're like you're like what ? This is huge . Why would you ? I don't like that . Okay , yeah , yeah , I'm picking up what you're putting down . That's not fun , yep .
Speaker 1Another of my last ick , too , is when this is a caveat one , it's a very dramatic age gaps . But this does not apply to fantasy Exactly . If we're talking about romance or any other type of book , when there's a large , like age gap , it's weird for me . I know this is a very personal one , no , no , but I I echo it I feel the same way as you .
Speaker 1It's just weird for me to read , like , when you're dating somebody that's like so much older than you were , so much younger , is like even worse for me , because you're immersing yourself in the book , so like you are trying to feel the feelings that that main character is feeling , and so then when that super older or super younger person's introduced like you are , you're like it takes you out of it . Yeah , because like you , you are , you immerse yourself in these books regardless of the genre and so , yeah , it kind of like takes you out . It's like the record scratch kind of thing , where you're like it takes you out of it entirely and you're like , oh no , I don't know if I could read this , but I will say I think the only reason it doesn't bother me as much in fantasy is because , like in a court of thorns and roses , like , these fave males are like 500 plus years old , meanwhile the main female character is like 20 , 20 years or something . But I think because it's so outlandish and they're written very much like they're the same age , it's easier to like overlook it versus like some other books where , like , the age gap is truly like a plot point and so there is no getting around that or pretending that it's not there . Yeah , I feel like it works in fantasy because they're old , but only in the sense of like they're wise and they've had their hardships , like that's where some of their baggage comes from , is like the time that they've spent before they knew the female lead , absolutely yeah , and it's so outlandish of an like an age too , because it's fantasy , it's all made up that they're fairies , exactly , it's not real . So easy because it's not real , and that's the whole point . Yeah , it's not real , so it's easier to just get around it than like some of these others . Yeah , that one is a hard pass for me , definitely .
Speaker 1Now , what are some of your odds for characters ? Like I mentioned before , like I love character growth , so I love a flawed character and watching the , it doesn't even have to be like redemption arc , but just seeing heroes with character flaws and then villains with redeeming qualities , I think it makes a very complex character for me and it's more relatable because nothing is ever black and white . We live in a gray scale and so the sea , that gray scale within characters , I think , helps who live in that or relate to them more . Yeah , in that sense . Yeah , I agree . I also really love a good comic relief character who is well timed humor , because I think that's very key and it's not just thrown in randomly and it doesn't make sense , kind of like what you said , like when other characters are just written in and they have zero addition to the plot , so they need that . It has to be like adding to the story . Yeah , but if it's timed perfectly within like serious situations , it can add to it and kind of like give you that comedic relief in a serious moment , but not to track from the fact that it's still a serious moment . Yeah , I also put down a side character that adds either like banter or like flirt , like something that , especially in the fantasy books , when it's like a serious situation and it's like they're almost like relieving tension . Absolutely , I like that Exactly .
Speaker 1Another one I love a self aware character . My two examples you gotta bring it up Sarah J Max , nesta and Aylen , because I love hearing the internal monologues . And when I say a self aware character , it's like when you see them from another perspective doing something that's really frustrating , like how Nesta is so mean to everybody in the book and it's just like so cruel sometimes . But then you go into her perspective and you see the internal struggle and how she doesn't want to be that way . She doesn't necessarily know why she snaps the way that she does and she's trying to work on it internally . If you only got one side of that , then you're only seeing the one side of her versus like knowing , like from her perspective she is self aware on it . You get kind of like more in depth with the character and you learn about , like why they do things the way that they do and like their motives behind things , which again goes kind of back into like character growth and like development . I just love a good dynamic character . Yeah , so those whenever I get to see that and like , even if it's things they do , things that you don't agree with , just like learning their why I think helps you really connect with them more . In that sense you still don't necessarily agree with it , but you understand it . Yeah , I agree with that for sure .
Speaker 1I also used a Sarah J . I used a mask character as one of my Oz . So Aylan as like a female character that seems like you know she isn't super serious or like doesn't really have everything altogether but literally like everything's figured out and like surprises people with like solutions and like saving the day and stuff like that , yes , yes , and like , I like sometimes knowing it , and then I also like being surprised myself with it of like , oh my gosh , wait you , you talk to that . Like when did you talk to that ? Oh yeah , oh , she got me so many times to throughout that series . Yeah , so I like that . And then I like how do I explain this ? Mainly ? Well , I guess it could be guy and girl characters , but just someone . Again , a lot of Sarah J Mask characters are very like determined , but they still have lots of wit . So like , whenever it's a serious situation , like like they feel like real people and I like that Absolutely .
Speaker 1I think a good like non book comparison for this is like the OG , marvel versus DC . And we're talking like Marvel before Endgame because new Marvel is that's a whole new story , that's another egg . But if we're talking like original , like popular Marvel versus like the DC movies , I think that's what made them so popular is because they had that kind of character , like wit to them and the balance of the seriousness with the like comedic relief , and so it's not so heavy versus , like some of the DC movies can be really really dark and they don't have that balance , I agree . I agree , definitely OG Marvel , because now it's the opposite and now it's too much wit and like comic relief and there's like this is not a superhero movie anymore , which goes back to the balance of it all . Yes , yes , but I love characters who have those like values and morals but then can still have like fun and like a little flat . I like it . We love the banter . Yeah ,
Authors and Writing Styles
Speaker 1all right , going into author and writing style X and Oz .
Speaker 1For me , one of my biggest X is when spice overshadows the plot . I don't want the plot to be the spice . I want there to be an actual plot . Everyone loves some spice but like sometimes it's just too much and so I do . I skip a lot of spice , sometimes because it's like I don't need that , like that's not why I read it , and obviously sometimes when there's romance books , like it's a little different , but even then , like I don't want the spice to be the romance , like , like the whole plot , like I want there to be something else that brings them together , absolutely . I think my rule of thumb on that like , regardless of the genre is , if you can take out all the spicy scenes and there's still a really good book and really a plot there , then it's a good book for me Because , like you said it like if the whole plot is all these spicy scenes , which I have to say , I mean we have a friend who loves that too , yeah , yeah . But it's not to say that that's a bad thing , it's a personal thing , exactly . But for me , I need the story and so , yeah , I think it's too much into the , into the spice . For sure , to each their own . Which is so cool about books , like you can get out of it what you want , but for me that's not what I want to get out of it most of the time , so that can be an egg , and then this kind of plays into that .
Speaker 1But also not only regarding spice , but when an author is sometimes like too descriptive , so definitely in spice , I'm like I didn't need all that . Sometimes when it's like too too much , yeah , yeah , but then , just in general , when an author is being like super , super , super descriptive of like the paint on the walls was eggshell white and then you looked down to the carpet , so I'm like , okay , speed it up a little bit Like paint me a picture , but I don't need to know every piece of furniture that's in the room . So sometimes that can be like it's all about purpose . For me , if there's a purpose that I need to know why the walls are eggshell , then tell it . But if it's all just more for the world building of it all , then yeah , let's move it along . That is such a good way to put it . I wholeheartedly agree with that .
Speaker 1You just like read my mind when I didn't know how to speak . That was so good , um . And then when a book is moving at a disastrously slow pace , oh my gosh , like I want to be in a world where , like let's have fun , like I want to be in there . And sometimes , when it's moving too slow , I'm like , okay , this is feeling a little too much like real life and that's not what I want . It starts to feel more like a chore to read it than like the enjoyment of reading it , and you only have so much free time , so why would you want to like force yourself into it ? Exactly .
Speaker 1And then I think my final author writing style , ike , that I thought of um is when a plot isn't really resolved by the end because , again , going back to like romance , like the couple turned into the main point or for some other reason . But that was just like the example I thought of . Yeah , um , like when it's like the relationship is the plot . Yeah , I agree , and it's all situational too . There are some people that can do it really well and still make it a compelling story , but most times for me I'm in the same boat . Yeah , or just when , like the initial main plot like just doesn't turn out to be the main plot and then it's like disregarded . I'm like wait , but that's what I wanted to know . If you want more of our thoughts on this , go back and listen to episode two . Yeah , basically , I'm still stuck there .
Speaker 1Ike , no , I agree For my Ike's just like kind of expand on your spicy one . When they use spicy scenes to hide plot holes or to hide , like , the lack of plot . Yeah , which is like kind of goes hand in hand with what we just talked about . But I feel like that gets used a lot too , where maybe they're just throwing it in there because it's popular right now , it doesn't fit with the story , or they ran out of ideas and so they're like here , everybody loves this the detract from like a well thought out story . I can't stand that . Yeah , like , girl , take your time writing . Yeah , there's no rush . Yeah , no rush , at least not from us I mean publishers maybe .
Speaker 1But another one in a mystery books Mystery , specifically , if it's too predictable and I figure it out right before I like halfway through the book , then like why am I reading it ? Yeah , because I get that and some books can be predictable , a lot of like romances . But you're kind of it's like the expectations , you're expecting that a little bit when you're going into it versus a mystery , like I want that gasp and a moment at the end when it's revealed . And you're like I didn't figure this out . And for me sometimes I do figure it out , but if it's just later and like closer towards the end , that's okay because I just I feel I feel smart at that point . Yeah , I figured it out before the end . But if I figure it out too early , then it is . It's like if I know what's going to happen , why am I even going to bother reading the rest of it ? Because the whole point of reading the mystery is to figure out what happens . So that would never happen to me , except I did in the silent patient .
Speaker 1I did figure out that one I didn't , and that was . That was amazing . Wild my lights out . No , I love that book . Yeah , if I was a thinker during books , then that would be an ick for me too . But I am lost in the sauce when I'm reading , so I don't care to like , yeah , it's a mild ick , but it's , it is still an ick for sure . Oh , no , based on your reading style , like that would definitely be an ick . Like , yeah , you read the story , basically you know what's happening . Yeah , for me that was like Verity , verity . But Colleen Hoover was one of those books for me that I just I couldn't . I mean , I know it's popular , but it's not even that it was bad . It just , yeah , I figured it out and like I'm not even gonna bother wasting my time anymore . Yeah , just , time is precious .
Speaker 1I hate a lost plot line too . This is kind of goes back to our last book club book . But it's even more frustrating when the book has the potential , because it's like you can see the story yourself as the reader and for some reason the author just isn't seeing it too . Or maybe they lose sight of when they started the book and so you lose that initial plot line and therefore , I think , you lose your reader . It's like unintentionally , like dangling a carrot , like , oh , this is what you want . Like , sorry , like we're doing bananas today . Yeah , yeah , it's frustrating . So , yeah , like it's . Yeah , it is really . It's frustrating in general when you're reading a book and then you just have no idea where the plot is going . It's all over the place . But I think , yeah , it makes it even more frustrating when you see that potential for it and it just loses it .
Speaker 1Yeah , and then , kind of tying into that too , it's like when the ending feels like an afterthought , or like the author just got bored and left the ending to the book to be done , like last minute , or just once the book to be done . So they're like okay , this is it done . Icebreaker Yep , oh my gosh , that one . I was like are you kidding me ? Yeah , I wanted to go . Oh my gosh , more I want to . That was the ending Exactly , you know it's so . It's like they come .
Speaker 1It's again like your carrot in Najee , where it's like they're dangling the carrot . They're dangling the carrot and you're like falling along and you're so excited and then all of a sudden they're like , oh , gotta go buy . Yeah , like wait , but it's so unsatisfying , it's so like lazy and I just it's so frustrating , especially because a lot of the times those books are good books and then you're like wait , but why didn't that what ? What ? It's like you dropped the ball at the last second , like everything was good , until it's like a thrown syndrome where they like bring you along throughout all those seasons and beautiful storytelling and then all of a sudden the directors get like a beggar gig so they're like , all right , we're gonna wrap this up real quick and then they lose everybody . Yeah , it's so infuriating to me .
Speaker 1Lastly , I hate when a book feels like disjointed and again these all kind of weave together into the same things , but I just have a hard time like seeing where the plot line is going , because I feel like it's too sporadic , it gets too branched out into different places and you're like wait , where'd this come from , or why is this relevant ? It loses me . And then it's like if I don't know what's going on , then I'm kind of lost and , yeah , I don't want to finish . Yeah , sometimes that gets me when , like a new POV is introduced or new character and they start getting added , sometimes that can feel disjointed to me , but that , like a lot of times , they like end up like adding to it , but definitely in the beginning , when something like that happens and like absolutely , um , but what's sort of ? What are your odds though ? Sorry , I'm gonna say that every time I love it .
Speaker 1Okay , I do love multiple POVs , so I love getting like both perspectives , especially when it's like a big cast of characters . When there's a lot of characters , it's like I don't know what all of y'all are thinking , and it's just like that's when a book is really gonna crush you at the end , because then you really do feel like connected to them . But I love that . I love a multiple POV when they're well written characters , absolutely , so that's good . And then I think everyone likes this when you're shocked or surprised by something that happens , especially when it happens at the end of a chapter , oh yeah , like , because that's just gonna keep me reading . Or if , like , I have to put it down , I'm like I'm for sure reading this afterward , yep , as soon as I can , and then it's all you can think about all day , all night , until you can go back and pick it up again . Yeah , but like books that can make me like like giggle , gasp , cry , like when I can , when it causes me to have physical emotions , like I love that , I love that .
Speaker 1And then also a side character that has again a purpose . We kind of touch on that and grows into a main character , so someone who might be introduced and you're like , okay , cool , another little character , someone's little friend , but then solely over time , like you're like I love this person , like I am rooting for them . I hope they're in more scenes and then they become it Like absolutely so good . I think it's fun too when it almost seems like they start off truly just as like a side character , and then the author almost falls in love with them too and starts writing more and building them more too , and so it's like not only are you growing more connected , but it feels like the author is too with them . Yeah , I love that . It is nice , like it can be so well done , like having that side character . The intention is like they're not the main character , but then it's just there's so much love and like they come out of their show like , oh , it's so cool , it's so cool .
Speaker 1Intention is definitely a key theme in this episode . Yeah , some of my aas . We kind of touched on a lot of them . But my all of reading weaves together . Yeah , it really does .
Speaker 1But my big one being the overthinker that I am , I live for a hidden plan that as you're reading reading like the book you see like the plans like coming together , but then all of a sudden you get to the end and you realize that there was a secret plan underneath all along . And then you get to like and they reveal . It's like the reveal of it all . I love that so good , because then you learn about all the different connections and it makes you go back and think about everything that you read . And it's especially well done when you , if you can go back and reread , you can see all the different points of the big plan throughout it if you know . But when you don't know , you just see like maybe like the overarching generic one , and then you find out about the big plan in the end , and so when you think back , you can see it all coming together . Uh , that big reveal gets me every time . That reminds me of how I read Thorn of Glass , definitely not in the correct order in regards to Assassin's Blade , which I read last , why , I don't know , but when you're . When I was reading that I was like , oh no , well , all of this is gonna blend too . Yeah , I love that . Yeah , the Throne of Glass series is a fantastic job of it , but another book that does an amazing job at this is Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo . I really hope I pronounced that her name right , but that series it's a duo . I forget what the second book is called , but the first book is Six of Crows . That does a phenomenal job with it as well , where it's like kind of like a heist fantasy and so you see the heist coming together and going through , but then at the end there's a big reveal and , oh , so fantastically done . I can't talk about it anymore , otherwise they'll be spoilers , but I highly highly recommend , if you love a big reveal , like I do , yeah , all right , add it to the TBR .
Speaker 1Another thing that I love is when fiction books make you think outside of the like their fictional world . So when they have like real world applications to them . Oh , yes , I like , and it like when you finish the book it really like makes you kind of think about your own life and how these certain aspects can come up , so like . Another good example is Midnight Library by Matt Hague , which was an old book club book that we read as well . It's kind of like the butterfly effect or how you know , one decision can change the course of your life and the trajectory of it entirely and all the different lives you could have had based on the decisions that you make . It's not like in a bad way . It just kind of makes you think too , like , what are decisions that I've made throughout my life that I could like would have led somewhere different ? Yeah , and so it's intriguing to think about .
Speaker 1And so I love yeah , I love books that make you kind of think outside of the book once you finish that , yeah , and definitely like fiction ones where you're not going into it with those intentions but then they just write a character so well or with such real issues that you're like , oh yeah , me too , Absolutely . I actually understand what you're going through . Or like , oh my gosh , wait , I didn't know that . I kind of feel like this as well yeah , it's cool , it almost connects with you and a little bit more than like a self-help book where it's like you're expecting that going into it , yeah , so it's the unexpected of it that kind of almost hits home a little bit more , and so I love a good fiction book that can do that .
Speaker 1I'm also just such a sucker for a captivating story . The writing could be . Maybe it's not the most eloquent eloquent writing there is , but if there's a good story there then I'm all about it . Yeah , yeah , you
Book Tropes
Speaker 1know what about tropes ? These are , I feel like , become so popular and so talked about on TikTok , yeah , and I'm actually I don't feel very well versed in tropes and like sometimes I hear trope like names or titles , and like I don't even know what that means . So forgive me , because this one might . We're dabbling , yeah , we're dipping our toes in , yeah , we're testing the waters here a little bit . I do think that they can be , they can take over , yeah , but the , the tropes that I know , like my aas , like I know I do really like those , but I don't think I know all of them enough . So there are probably some that I don't know about that I could make an ick or an awp , but of the ones that I can think of , we could do a rabbit fire , yeah , yeah , um .
Speaker 1So icks , I don't also my icks , again situational , like it has to be . There are ways where I would like it , but I don't always love a grumpy sunshine , like in a in a lot of books and I don't know what it is about it . But I think , maybe because I'm such a positive person just in life that sometimes like I'm like , oh , like you're not making her have a good time , like I'm not having a good time , like why do you gotta bring it down , like I don't know . It kind of goes back to like your character , where , if there's like too much baggage or like yes , yes , yeah . So sometimes grumpy sunshine doesn't work for me , um , I'm gonna throw in there possibly billionaire romances because , as I talked about last podcast , the , I've only read two of them but neither of them hit , so I don't know , maybe that one's gonna be an ick for me . If you have recommendations for billionaire romances that y'all think I would like , like leave a comment on our Instagram lazy girl library but Trending downwards right now , yeah for sure .
Speaker 1And then also , this might be a hot take , but sometimes found family gives me the ick . Interesting . I know it's a weird one , but I think because sometimes and this goes back to my character icks , but sometimes I feel like it can be like a woe is me , or like this is my family now . And I'm like , okay , calm down , like I get it , like these are now your friends and you like them and you didn't like your family . So sometimes it can be like a little unbearable when that's like the only deal , take it too far , yeah . So sometimes I can just get the ick where I'm like , okay , I get it . You just didn't have friends before and now you have friends , cause sometimes it's not realistic what they're going through and so the fact that they're like I am so seen now and it's like , no , you were seen before , but you just were choosing not to . Or like they completely write off their real family , yeah , it's like , yeah , the real family might have flaws , but they still have redeeming qualities too . But it's like too bad , cause I found my true family , yeah . So sometimes again don't know if that's hot takes I feel like a lot of people really like found family , but sometimes I'm like , yeah , it's not for me In this book , I don't like it . I get that For me .
Speaker 1Pregnancy trope I didn't even know that was a thing . What is a pregnancy trope ? It's like , from my understanding , at least the way that I view it is , it's like whether it's unexpected pregnancy or just like when the main character gets pregnant to further the plot . But sometimes it's not done the further the plot either . It's just kind of I don't know when a character gets pregnant . Yeah , not for me . And it's not that I have a problem with being like parents in books either . So if there's like a single family kind of thing , or a single parent with an existing kid , that's already introduced into the book , that's easy . It's like the expectations it's set in , like okay , I can do this , but it's the thrown in pregnancy that then you're now introducing .
Speaker 1It makes it too real , it takes you out of it into the real life and I'm like , nope , I don't like this . Well , that's a new egg for me as well . I didn't know about that one . But yeah , no , it's not Cause you do you get , and I understand it , cause it's again . It kind of is like a character growth in a way and they're entering a new stage of their life . Maybe if it's done the right way . A lot of times it's not , but sometimes it'll give the benefit of the doubt , but it's still . It takes me out of it . It's too real and I don't like it . Not for me Also .
Speaker 1I think this one goes without saying . But the cheating trope yeah , if it's like second chance after that , where you know they , you know , get back together after nope , can't do it . Yeah , I agree , I actually don't know if I've really read any cheating trope , so so I don't know if I can comment , cause there's a tiny , tiny little like dot in my mind . That's like that sounds interesting . I kind of want to read that . So I don't , I don't know if that would be an egg for me . I don't think I've ever read one . I haven't read a true one cause I just avoid it in general . Yeah , that makes sense , it's something . It's one of those that I don't necessarily want to read it . It's not like a happy thing . Yeah , like , yeah , I feel like I don't know . We'll talk about it , we can talk . I'll give you some books that maybe you can try out . They give you a little , a little dabble .
Speaker 1But my big one is instant love tropes . I can't stand it when they're like obsessed from the get go . Yeah , oh no , I hate it . I hate it so much it's an instant like cringe it for me , like I could physically feel it in my body , just as I'm talking about it right now . I need the tension , I need the like . It's not even that it has to be like it . And then these lovers like I hate you just that , like sexual tension , of like will they walk ? Yeah , like , I need that push and pull between them and the you know like is it going to happen ? No one is that amazing that you're going to instantly be I mean well , maybe , no , no , no , I'm standing firm . No one is that amazing that you're just like I'm dropping down right now , like marry me , like that's , that's not a thing . No , I can't stand it . I need the , I need the tension , I need the buildup , I need the . It's such a satisfying release too , once they finally do like , come together . And why would you take away that serotonin for me ? No , yeah .
Speaker 1This reminds me at one time I went on a date in college . I think it was my freshman year . I went on one date with this guy . Just one day . We went and played tennis . I'm not good at tennis , but it was fun , just first date , nothing crazy . And afterwards he was texting me and was like I feel like I can tell you anything . You remind me of sunshine . And I was like . I was like ick , ick , I'm like , yeah , sure , I am like sunshine , like you wouldn't know that after the first date , like again like instant love , like I'm not saying this guy loved me but it was just too much too fast . So I totally agree with that . It's like I'm not that cool , like she's that book character is not that cool , like I don't know . But then , like on the opposite side of that , for my Oz , I like going with that .
Speaker 1I love an enemies to lovers . Yes , yes , yes , yes , I love the love triangles , the fake relationships , me too , me too . The slow birth , it's that tension that gives you when they do come together in the end , that serotonin boost is unmatched . Forbidden love , that's a good one , that's good one . And then like faded mates , obviously that one's good too , cause then it's like it's not instant love , but like your souls were meant to be together , but then sometimes maybe they weren't meant to be together , even if they were faded . I know what you were looking at you were late . Yeah , I do love , though , an enemies to lovers and a love triangle , I think because , gosh , if I could have been in a love triangle growing up like man , just to have two people like want me , like I can't even believe that Justin likes me , like that's crazy . So when I see like a love triangle , I'm like , oh my gosh , like that's so fun . I just live for the tea and everything I love , like pop culture and learning about like all the different things or drama that's going on in the world . And so with the love triangle I feel like it does it . It adds that extra little bit of like drama and spice to it and you're like , oh yes , I eat it up .
Book Covers
Speaker 1All right , this is a fun one .
Speaker 1But cover X and Oz I have a lot of opinions . I don't think I have that many , so I'll go first . So some of my X is when it's not cohesive . So like when all covers of a series are one color and then out of the blue they make it a different color and it's like what , why did you do that ? They cannot go next to each other on the shelf anymore . I don't know what to do now . Like , oh , that one , I hate that . Or different sizes when all the books in a series are the same size but then for some reason one is like super small now or super big , oh , absolutely that . One's like ugh , like I can't do anything about it , but like , why did you do that ? That's one of my biggest ones too . I can't stand it , especially the spines . When the spines are completely different , because at least , like the book covers are kind of hidden when they're on the shelf , but you can't hide the spine , I mean you could , but why would you want to ? So , yeah , when they don't match up , oh no , yeah .
Speaker 1Also , this is random , but I don't necessarily . I'm never drawn towards books that are like huge , like full of words on a page , and then there's like nothing else , like it's literally just like this is the book , like I don't know , like I need more art , like I need artistic elements . I don't love cartoon characters , like I'm just going to judge how they look and if , like I would be attracted to the guy , so I don't love that . And then too spicy of a cover , like I can't read this in public now , absolutely , you need like a little book cover , fucking thing . Yeah , but too like embarrassed to pull out , absolutely . So A lot of mine are the same , but I'm going to expand on them a lot because I do have a lot of feelings on this . This is one of my things .
Speaker 1Yeah , I can't do caricature covers for books . They pull me out of it entirely . It looks like a kid's book to me . I know saying goes like don't judge a book by its cover , and I'm sure that there are fantastic books out there with caricature covers . But I'm sorry , but you have to judge a book by a cover . I will . I can't do it . I'm going to judge you . And if it has a caricature , unless you give me a true , true reason to pick that book up , I will not .
Speaker 1Or I see that everyone in the world is reading it and I'm like , ok , I'll give it a try , maybe I'll try it , but no , I can't . I skip over them entirely . It drives me crazy , I don't like them . Also , yeah , same thing when it has people on the cover , because it does , it takes away from your imagination of imagining what these people look like . And so when it gives it to you already , you do , you make already a judgment on that character without even knowing it , like whether they're attractive or not , and it changes your connection with the character too . It's like for me when I'm reading and I hear descriptions of a character , because obviously it's molded , a type of way to where we're going to have an image , but for me it's like when you're in a video game and you're making your person and yeah , they all have blue eyes , but they're shaped differently . And so for me , yeah , they're going to have brown hair , blue eyes , but I'm going to shape them and the face structure is weird . As it sounds . That's what I want . So don't show me someone , because I want to make them . It's like reading is such a personal experience that when you take away that extra personal touch to it , when you already put a person on there .
Speaker 1I will say my one little exception to this would be for period piecebooks , because I feel like some of those can be done really well when it's like the half face of the woman or like the back of the woman in her dress , kind of thinks . Some of those I'm like OK , I'll let it slide . It's still not my favorite , but I can let it slide a little bit just because I feel like it fits the timepiece of the book , so it doesn't take it out entirely for me , but I still don't like them . I agree , not my favorites Stickers on covers .
Speaker 1It's so sad , it's heart-wrenching , it's infuriating . I hate it . You know . Most of the time too . It's like some 16-year-old boy that's like why do I work here ? Yes , or the ones that you can't even remove , the permanent ones . I'm looking at you Target . Yes , it drives me insane . I know Oprah and Reese Witherspoon's book clubs are notorious for that . You can't remove them . But when it's like a bright yellow sticker on a moody piece of artwork , it ruins it and I hate it so much . Please , for a love of everything , stop doing that . Oh , I just thought of another one real quick .
Speaker 1When there is when it's like a hardcover book and then it has like the paper part on top of it that can like come off , you know , like I just don't like that . The dust jacket on it Is that what that's called ? But I don't like that . Interesting , see , I do , I do , I do . But like why is it there ? Just like print it on the hardcover . Is that impossible ? It's not . But for me with a hardcover book , I feel like you almost get like a second cover inside . But I don't like when they don't do that . So , like my caveat with that , with the dust jackets , it's a way to give like I think it's like to help protect the book and that's why they call it the dust jacket kind of thing . I don't know . It's funny because it's like hardcover but no one's trying to protect the paperbacks , right right , but it gives you like one cover and like . That's definitely more like printed or graphic or whatever .
Speaker 1But when I read I always take the dust . I do take the dust jacket off , but it's kind of like an Easter egg inside a lot of times because it'll have like an embossing kind of cover on the actual hardback itself and I love that . But when they don't have that , then I get frustrated . Yeah , to each their own , though To each their own . Some aws , that one was not good , that was scary . When they're aesthetic , so when they all go together , so the opposite of my ick like when the colors go well , I think Victoria Avegard and I think the Red Queen series is what it's called that one has a good like gradient to it , so that one's good . I like hidden meanings on covers , like on the hidden R , the little Easter eggs , yes , that one's fun . And then when there's something different , so like when there's like a gloss or a texture component , like , just like open to like stipulating , I don't know that's fun . Oh no , I do .
Speaker 1My fiance gives me such a hard time when I get books in Because a lot of times I don't go to the books where I'll order them and so when they come in I do , I'll like feel the covers and like flip through the pages to see all the different artwork things that you can find in them . And he looks at me like I'm so weird , because he's like , why are you petting the book ? Because , josh , you don't get it . He doesn't . But it's so nice when a book has that like the different , like the mix between like matte and embossing and like the gloss with it , because then it gives it like interest and feeling , because you are , it's a physical book , you're holding it versus , like you know , having it on a Kindle or something like that . So to add that like texture , interest , I love that . I also love , yeah , the Easter eggs . Those are fantastic on the covers because they do they add a little bit of spice , without you even realizing , to the book , especially when you finish it . You go back and you kind of look at the cover and you're like , oh , my gosh , yeah , I see all the connections , yeah , so this isn't a specific like oh per se to like the book covers , but kind of related .
Speaker 1This happened to me today on Goodreads for one of the books that you added to like your TBR . I forget the name of it now , but I saw , oh , lost Book Club or something . Yes , I saw you added that on Goodreads . I saw the cover and with the name , it instantly drew me in . Yeah , it was cute and I don't know what it is about it . But it's like when a book cover gives you like that good vibe , feeling you don't even have to read the back of the book . You're like instant add to cart or add to TBR kind of thing . It gives you that good feeling , that good vibe . I don't know how to describe it , but it's like , yeah , when you see them you're like , yep , that's definitely going to be on my list and so I love that . You know it's for you . Yes , absolutely so .
Speaker 1Always judging books by their covers , I'm sorry , never stopping
Reading Misc.
Speaker 1, all right , and then kind of wrapping up like just reading in general , x . So while thinking about this , I couldn't necessarily think so much about reading , but almost more like reading community X , which was interesting but so actual . Like reading in books when chapters are too long . That again feels kind of like a chore , like I don't know why , but I just need like a good break or a pause . I like when the , if they are going to do long chapters , they break them up with those little spacers , because then that helps a little bit . I agree , sometimes , like I feel like I'm getting neck wrinkles from reading because , like I'm laying down , so I need to get those glasses things If you've seen this where it's like a mirror or whatever so I can lay down , so that might be like solving my ick and then . So those were my reading ics .
Speaker 1And then the kind of community ics when people are so died hard for fan casting and again I think it goes into like well , that's not how I'm picturing them . But so when people are like this is Darby , this is what Darby looks like , I'm like that is not what Darby looks like in my head . That just gives me the ick . I'm like calm yourself , I would get it . Maybe if the author is like this is who I wrote it after , then that's the only time that I'm like okay , I'm still picturing a different , but I'll give you a pass , but that can just be an ick . Or like AI art , where a lot of people are creating fan arts and things like that , and if one goes absolutely viral and they're fun , I really like seeing them and seeing it come to life . But just when it's a little too much . Sometimes I love that character too , but it's not Zac Efron , I don't know .
Speaker 1And then spoilers Again . It's like sometimes you just can't go on like Instagram or TikTok without like something coming up . And even if it's like like little or I don't know , just sometimes I just get turned off by memes and stuff because I'm just scared . I'm so scared it's going to tell me something . Me too , I appreciate I do follow like a few like fan art pages on Instagram and I appreciate the ones that post like a beginning slide . That's like spoilers or like slide for spoilers kind of thing . Also , that way I know like if I read like the caption that for like a book that I haven't read yet , I'm going to skip that one because obviously I don't want to know what happens . So I appreciate people that do that when they can because it does help . Yeah , you can't avoid them all and it is so frustrating when things get ruined Such an egg . Don't do that to the community . I just like , if you're going to do that , then give a warning for people that don't want that . So those are slow readers and we can't get through all the books that fast , yep . So for me this is again it's like a personal thing .
Speaker 1Annotating I can't get into it . Yeah , I can't do it . It feels like homework to me , like I don't mind . Like taking notes , like I just kind of like word vomit into a into the notes app . Oh , I know , yeah , darby gets all my notes and so I get to read a second book . They are long and I do apologize . I love them , I love that . But it's just kind of like getting my word or like my thoughts on , to like paper versus , or like writing versus , like actually like annotating and like doing color coding for different tabs for different things . It makes you , it takes you out of the story in the middle of doing that and writing in the physical book . I could never . I just think I write in myself help books all the time , but in a fiction book I don't think I would have that desire . I don't judge people that do it because it's less of an Ick like for other people versus like it's their own personal connection with writing , reading style . I just could never bring myself to do that . I thinking about it . Pen to paper , no , couldn't cringing Um unpopular opinion .
Speaker 1I don't like reading in bed . Oh , I do like reading in bed . Why ? How do you read ? I read on the couch mostly . I do that too . I just have a like the bed I've like trained myself is like for sleeping . Well , that's good . I think science says that like don't hang out in your bed , so that's good . So I tried , yeah , so I tried not to like , and so I keep it . I hang out in my bedroom , like in the morning when I'm waking up slow , or like at night when I'm winding down . I still watch tick tock and everything , but like I'm not that crazy , but I try to keep it to where like . It's just for , like you know , relaxing sleeping and reading for me is not relaxing per se to put on the book that you're reading , and so I just have a hard time getting comfortable Like like you said . The next thing too it's too uncomfortable for me versus like sitting on the couch . I can still be like lounging and cozy , but like in a better position to like read my book . Now , when I read in bed , I have to read on Justin's side of the bed because I end up making my spot too warm . So when I do go to sleep I'm like I'm so hot , but Justin typically runs cold and so I always lay down in his spot . And then when he comes to bed , I'm like , all right , warmed it up for you . And then I go to my like ice cold side of the bed and I'm like , wow , this is so cute , that's so cute . You're like a little space here . Yeah , literally , that's funny .
Speaker 1Another egg for me are fiction audio books . Again , I do not there's like there are some ics that low key , going to judge people for a lot of these that I'm talking about . I don't like if you read audio books , I think audio books are great and that's a great way to read for me . Personally , I can only do an audio book for nonfiction . Yeah , it's got to be a good actor . Like reading it , yeah .
Speaker 1And for me a lot of times it's kind of like the same thing with having a person on the cover , like hearing the way that people say yes or the inflections that they add would be different than if I was reading it myself . It's a different voice , and especially when it's like one narrator throughout the whole story having to do like male voices oh no , I can't handle it . Or even like the ones on like I know it pops up on like book talk , a lot of like the super rough male voices doing all these . I can't , I have to skip every time . I can't do it , I hate it .
Speaker 1I think that's also like you're being so immersed in it and like having like a guy say something to me Like that I'm scared , it's all for fiction . If you say it in person , then it becomes real life and I don't want it . Yeah , ew , don't talk to me , but they're not . It's in the book . But I get what you're saying . I don't like it . I don't like it . I don't like it .
Speaker 1One thing I do judge people for a hundred percent . My ick . The people that fold their books like over , like a notebook kind of thing , and so they're just like holding it as like one page . I used to do that when I was a kid , but now I don't do that . Oh no , when I see that it hurts my heart for those books , I'm like no , why would you do that ? How is it even comfortable to start off with ? Because the way that the book is designed it's not like it has like a spine , like a notebook for it to go around Like ones , exactly it actually helping ? Nope , don't like it . I also don't like when this is kind of like becoming more popular .
Speaker 1Adults have started taking over the YA genre . I think that , like the young adult genre can be for everybody , like anybody can read it , no matter what your age is . You don't have it Like it's not , it can't just be for , like you know , middle school , high schoolers . You can enjoy them , but they're not meant , they're not written for adults and so you have to go in knowing that . And so when adults get frustrated because there isn't enough adult content in a young adult novel , then I think that just takes away from it and that's not the point , because this book wasn't for you . You should like you can enjoy the book for what it is , and there's plenty of young adult novels out there that are so well written and don't need the adult content to in order for adults to enjoy them .
Speaker 1But it's like adult are trying to take over , especially with the spice is the biggest thing . Or it's like infiltrating everything and it's not needed and it's not meant for that age gap . Like Shakespeare would be so disappointed . I just it's so frustrating for me to see that , and especially because , like , publishing is an industry and so people start catering more towards that , but then you take away options for people that aren't into that . Yeah , like you have your own genre , like there's plenty of Exactly and in the sea , they don't all have to be the same type , right , and it's not to say that like if a parents you know approve their kids of reading spicy content and like more power to them , that's like their choice , but there should still be options for kids at that age that don't have that . And so when you start like infiltrating what's meant to be their market , I think this is wrong and that gives me the egg . I don't like it . Yeah , because young adult is like high school age . You know , I get that .
Speaker 1But what are some of your aas ? Oh , the final one . That one was much better than the last all . We're not going to talk about the other one Kind of like , simple , but just like a feeling that a book can make me feel , whether that's a love heartbreak , like books are so powerful . So , just like when a book has truly like made me feel , because you can definitely read a book and like not be in it . But when I'm in a book and I'm really just like , oh , I'm feeling all the feels and awe is the community I get to feel a part of . Like there are so many fun friends that read and have so many different opinions . All of my ics could be a person's aas and that is so cool , like wow , like we're so different but like we love reading Absolutely . I love learning about other people , even if it's like a book that I thoroughly enjoy . It's like one of my aas too is like reading differing opinions on it , because somebody could absolutely like hate the Sarah J , but I still enjoy like listening to them , because sometimes you become so immersed in like your love for it that you miss out on really like valid points that other people make that because , like love is blind kind of thing . No , I totally agree .
Speaker 1Yeah , and the fact that a lot of the book characters they're my friends , like I'm , like I'm reading these books and I'm so immersed in them that it's that's my found family . They're my friends , I like them and I like hanging out with them and so I don't know I really do . I feel so hard that like if they were real , like I would be there . Well , some people like you're too cool for me , but in the book I'm like , oh , we would be friends . Like you're so fun . You create such that personal connection to all of them , especially through like a series . I've been doing it all with you . Yes , oh , absolutely .
Speaker 1And like me , like I love a creative like divider for chapters , so kind of like in the physical realm of random things that I love about reading when it's not just like a simple line or like a blank space to like separate between , like the difference in time or a POV within the same chapter . I love when they're little like creative ones , whether it's like a dagger or like an ocean wave or something that's like related . It's one of the first things that like I flip through a new book for to see if they have anything like fun about that . I love those , yeah . Another thing I absolutely love , again on the physical side of books , are maps . When you see a map in a book you know it's going to be a good book . It could be the worst book in the world , I'll still appreciate that map .
Speaker 1I am a sucker for maps . I love them . It helps me visualize in the grand scheme of things , where things are spatially , especially when they get more intricate and detailed , and it gives you more of like that feeling of the world for it . Oh , have you ever seen those TikToks where it's like make a map with me and they take like rice and like throw it on a paper and then they trace out like where , like the rice or the like , like little blobs are , and then that's how they make the map . Now I know what I'm doing after we finish recording this episode . Oh , I love maps , they're really fun .
Speaker 1I also love branching out and trying new books that I normally wouldn't gravitate towards . I think it's really important because as much as I love fantasy and I live for fantasy books I know I'm going to enjoy a lot of fantasy . But there might be a different genre , that like a science fiction or maybe even like a self-help book that I wouldn't normally try because it's not within my normal wheelhouse , but I might really really love it in the end . And so I love throwing in random ones and branching out and even if I don't think I'm going to enjoy it as much like I'm not a horror person or like scary movies are not my thing , but I did I read a book I forget the name of it . It's like of Salt and Sorrows or something I don't remember specifically . Don't hold me to that . I thought it was going to be one thing and it ended up being more horror-esque not full dive , but still kind of scary book . And even though it still wasn't my cup of tea , I appreciated it and I did enjoy seeing it change perspective in that way or how it started off more as your typical fantasy and then kind of moved into like these deeper , darker themes and the way that the author did it I thought was very intriguing . Yeah , I do .
Speaker 1I really like book club for that , because I could so get a lot . There's so many good books in like the different genres and because I love fantasy , like I could spend my life there . So it's good to be like pulled out of that , because there are so many other good books and other genres that I like forget about it , because I'm just like thinking about like what I usually do . Well , because there are so many books , it's so easy to get lost just like within your comfort zone . So it's nice to have like the book club to kind of branch out a little better . That's just the every once in a while just throw in a random one that you just never know and you might end up hating it . But you won't know until you try it and maybe if you do love it , then it like gives you a new avenue of books to explore . So I enjoyed that about reading .
Speaker 1Those are good . Those are good . Wow , our ics and awes . I'm sure more will be added to the list in our lifetime . Oh , absolutely , those are our current ics and awes . Let us know your ics and awes . Yes , reach out to us on Instagram at lazygirllibrary , our website , lazygirllibrarycom . We want to know what you guys like Don't like too . It's fine if you come after me for the found family thing . I'm sure we both have very controversial opinions for these . Like , we're not reading in bed . I know it was a big one for me , but we're getting close to wrapping
March Book Club Pick
Speaker 1up , so I just want to throw out our book club book again . So that's going to be our next episode . We're reading 1000 pieces of you by Claudia Gray . So here is the book description .
Speaker 1Marguerite Kane's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements . Their most astonishing invention , called the Firebird , allows users to jump into multiple universes and promises to revolutionize science forever . But then Marguerite's father is murdered and the killer , her parents handsome , enigmatic assistant Paul , escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him . Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free , so she races after Paul through different universes , always leaping into another version of herself . But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows , including Paul , whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways . Before long she begins to question Paul's guilt as well as her own heart , and soon she discovers the truth behind her . Father's death is far more sinister than she expected .
Speaker 1I'm so excited to read this one . I'm really excited too , because I do forget a lot of it , but I do remember parts that made me giddy , so I'm excited . I'll be curious to hear your perspective . Yet , going back and rereading the book , especially with my new eyes on the book too , and reading it for the first time , I want to make for an interesting discussion . I think so , and whether because I think I read this in high school and in high school I gave five stars to like every book , so my good reads is a little skewed , because I just like any kind of book that was like oh yeah , I kind of like that , five stars . So I'm wondering if I really , if you really , deserve five stars , like it'll be fun to reread it and I'm excited It'll be good .
Borrows & Returns
Speaker 1But , speaking of books that we're going to be reading , I'm going to get into our boroughs and returns yes , let's do it . So , darby , what are you reading , what are you borrowing , what are you returning ? Well , the same , no , slightly different . I'm still getting through House of Flame and Shadow . I'm really trying to finish it . It's a break this weekend . Yeah is big boy , but it's really good . And then again , my back burner book , how to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie , returns . Of course , our last book club book , the Worst Best man by Lucy Scor . Don't need to talk about that one much more .
Speaker 1But then another book that I didn't get a chance to mention before , but I just listened to this past week , was Wildfire by Hannah Grace . She's the same author that wrote the icebreaker novel . That's really popular . So I listened to it on audiobook and it was pretty good , just like I think I wanted to listen to it because I figured it would be a better romance than the Lucy's score book we just read . So it was good . But , talking about audiobooks . I did not like the speakers . It made me cringe a little , but I did still like it .
Speaker 1I gave it like three stars , which for me my rating like five stars perfect , like , couldn't touch it , it's so good . Four stars that's a great book , like I like that . Three stars it's a solid book , but definitely not my favorite . Two stars , one star please don't ever put this book in front of my face again . Yeah , so it was a good book . Yeah , not great , it was good . I'd say . I'll do my ratings too , so just anybody knows what we're going through .
Speaker 1For me , like a five stars is , yeah , like you said , absolutely perfect . Loved it in every single way . I'm pretty generous with my five stars too . If I left the book feeling really good about it , then it's gonna be like five stars for me . Yeah , four stars thoroughly enjoyed it . Three stars it has its pros and cons , but overall decent . Two stars not my cup of tea . One star hated it if I even finished it , yeah , honestly . So yeah , as far as my boroughs , I'm still on House of Sky and Breath . I haven't had a chance to read it since the last episode , just because adulting is hard and life takes over . It's just gonna rot and not use my mind to do anything . Well , it's not even for me , at least personally , for this specific book . I want to read it and I want to get more into it . It's just the timing of life , yeah , hasn't been on my side as far as reading is concerned . Other things have taken priority . But I am hoping really hoping , that I can start reading this more because so far it's been so good , so good For my returns .
Speaker 1I read 10% Happier by Dan Harris , which was the mindfulness kind of book . Yeah , I gave it three stars . I thought it was okay . There are definitely things I liked and things that I didn't . It's supposed to be kind of like a self-help with mindfulness , but it's through the author's journey of finding meditation and being mindful , so like a memoir-esque kind of self-help book .
Speaker 1I enjoyed some of his stories that he told and you can definitely see where he is finding his way through mindfulness and where he is enjoying some parts of it and other parts he thinks are just like BS . Doesn't like it . It's too spiritual mumbo jumbo kind of thing for him . There are other stories that he tells where I'm like it's more memoir and why is this relevant to what we're supposed to be talking about kind of thing . I'm sorry , I really don't care too much about your life right now . I'm looking for how you found meditation to be helpful . He really focuses too on research that found and why meditation and mindfulness is so helpful and beneficial in your life . I do like when research backs up points like that . Yes , me too , and so that was really interesting to learn and all the different benefits from it .
Speaker 1I just wish that he got a little bit more into like how to be mindful or how he is like meditates kind of thing . He does a little bit of touches on it . It's more one of those books , though , that you have to like pick bits and pieces out of the stories to put together into your own like interpretation of it than like this is how I meditate . I mean like walks you through it like a normal self-help book would . So it was good .
Speaker 1I enjoyed it . It's definitely interesting , but there are definitely parts for that I didn't necessarily enjoy about it too . Would you recommend it to people ? Yeah , I think it was good . I think it's the best in audio .
Speaker 1I wouldn't waste your time with like a physical book , so that way you can skip through some of it , other . Well , I guess you could do that with a physical book too . You can just kind of skim through it . So either way , I would just be cautious going into it , that you probably will want to like skip through some things . But for some of the other stuff that he talks about and like the journey and the research I think was really interesting and fascinating to me , so I would recommend it for that sense . Yeah , yeah , I would recommend the one I read too , the wildfire one , but only if you're like wanting like a good like camp romance vibes , like I never got to go to camp growing up , so I just like that Romanticizing that for you . Yeah , but there were parts that made me like feel giddy and then other parts I was like cringy and skittin . Yeah , especially for audio book , I'm sure .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah , wow , end of another episode . Look at us , look at us . Now we're gonna eat Chipotle . We hope that you enjoy some good food today and we hope that you only have us this week . No eggs . I love that . What a great note to end on . Yeah , all right , bye guys , bye .
Lazy Girl Library Community Love
Speaker 1Well , dear listeners , we find ourselves at the end of another episode and remember , the Lazy Girl Library is not just a podcast . It's a community . We absolutely love hearing from fellow book lovers , so don't forget to share your thoughts and your favorite reads with us on our social media . You can find us on Instagram at Lazy Girl Library . Make sure to check out our website , lazygirllibrarycom your one stop shop for all things Lazy Girl . Before we go , we want to take a moment to thank all of our wonderful listeners , whether you're listening from your cozy bed , on your way to work or anywhere in between . Thank you for making us a part of your day and for being a part of our Lazy Girl family . So keep those pages turning , keep those imaginations flourishing and remember the best stories are yet to be discovered . Until next time , stay lazy and happy reading .
