BONUS Book Club: The Measure

Our book club pick for May 2025 was The Measure by Nikki Erlick and BOY was it a goodie! So much to chat about, including privilege, discrimination, social classes, sexual orientation, religion, family planning, and so much more! This was a very highly-rated book for us. We'd love to hear how you rated it!

CHEERS!

Transcript

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All right, well, let's just, let's just do it. Okay. You ready? Yeah. Okay. Welcome to the Fill Your Cubs podcast. We're your hosts, Morgan and Bailey. Hey everybody. Welcome to a bonus book club at the, we're so happy to be here. We had such a good discussion about this book with our physical book club, dude. Yes. So I'm really excited to talk about it here and with you all, and. If you are following along with us, like virtually with the books. Mm-hmm. We read the measure, which was, was it Nikki Ehrlich, I think. Yeah. Yeah, Nikki. That's how I say it. This last month. So that was for May and it was, there was so much good discussion. Yeah. Julia, our sister Julia, picked this book and part of it was'cause she said she read it. She had already read it and she reread it for Book club, but she had already read it and she said she still thought about it. Like on the Daily Uhhuh. Just on the regular Uhhuh. And so she really wanted to discuss it. Yeah. And that was very smart because Yeah. I can't imagine having read this book and having nobody else read it as well. Yeah. And then you are just stuck with all your thoughts. You can't get any of them out.'cause that's why she said she chose it. Yes. She was like, when I finished it, nobody had read it. Yeah. And so I had nobody to talk about it with. Yeah. And she's like, but a year later I. Still wants to talk about it. Yes. It was a really good book. It was a really good book. I feel like I didn't really, I didn't really know what to expect besides, I knew that the book was about, they get a string that tells them the lifetime of their life or like the, the lifetime expectancy. Mm-hmm. The day pretty much how many years they have Yeah. To live. And so I like, I knew that that's what it was about, but I really appreciated that. Every story did make you think it wasn't so fiction like it was. Mm-hmm. But it wasn't just about. Like it wasn't, you know how sometimes whenever you read a book, you kind of come out of real life and you get into their lives instead? Yeah. I felt like it wasn't like that this time for me. Okay. Like, I loved the stories, I loved the characters, but I felt like when I was reading them, I felt like I was reading about something that could actually happen. Yeah. And that it was like a next door neighbor kind of thing. Yeah. Like, oh, oh, this could be happening. Like reading, reading someone's actual story. Yes. Yes, exactly. Instead of. A complete like fiction story. Immerse. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I, I totally get that. And I feel like maybe even reading, reading it kind of like out of the newspaper, like as a article or something like that, you're like, you're not, you're, you're just connected enough from it that you're not like immersed in it and you're not the care like. Taking on the feelings and whatnot of a character. Yeah, but you're still invested because you wanna know how their story goes. Yes. And you're, yeah, I feel like saying like it was reading out of a newspaper is very accurate for the way that I felt when I was reading it. I thought so too, but I was like, oh my gosh. Yeah. I really, really liked it. I felt like it could have been a story like that a grandma told me or something. Yeah. It was this crazy time and, and we talked about this a little bit in book club, but it almost felt like the world was kind of. How it was when Covid happened. Mm-hmm. Because I, and I didn't even know the string thing going into the book. Oh. Really? Went into, I went into the book totally blind, had no idea what it, what it was about at all. But I loved it. And I felt like with the premise being overnight, everybody got these boxes, didn't really know what to do. It changed, changed the world slowly but surely, and kind of became a political issue and a religious issue and a. Race issue and just all sorts of mm-hmm. A poverty issue, like just all sorts of topics mm-hmm. That came up and really were illuminated in this book. Mm-hmm. I, I, I, it did feel a lot like Covid times kind of. Yeah. And obviously we're still not totally out of that. Mm-hmm. Like we're out of the pandemic, I guess. But it really did spur a lot of. Discussion and Yeah, and honestly a lot of division and things like that. And so yeah, I just thought that the book was a really good narrative on people and how we behave in those situations. Me too, because I feel like even like I also thought about Covid, but then I thought about every type of discrimination that there is. Yeah, pretty much. And this is how people act in every type, whether it's like money or whether it's race, or whether it's. Your gender. Mm-hmm. Like, I feel like, I feel like this book did a really good job of, it felt applicable for every single type of discrimination that there is. Yeah. Because it's just the way that humans act. Yeah. And, and I loved, I, I don't feel like you got to talk about this much, but how did you feel about all the different POVs? Because I feel like there was like eight. I loved it. I, I. I really felt like it came off like a Frederick Bachman book. Yes, it did. And I like anxious people and a man called Uve, or however you say that. Mm-hmm. And I felt like it was very similar to those setups. And I really love his writing style. Style. I know some people could take it or leave it. Mm-hmm. But I, it felt really similar to those kinds of setups where you have all these points of view and they don't. Some of them connect more than others, but by the end you get how they all are kind of connected. Yeah. Like a little bit, kinda like the invisible string kind of vibe. Yeah. It reminds me, this kind of book reminds me of those movies like Valentine's Day. Yes. And New Year's Eve and. What's the other one that you always talk about? Christmas one. Christmas one. Love. Not love, actually. Yeah, love actually. Love actually. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always think crazy, stupid love, and I'm like, I know that that one's not. Yeah. That's not it. Although that one also has connections. That's true. True. But love actually. But yeah, but, and so I think that I just really, really appreciate that kind of writing song. Me too. And I think it's so fun to bop around with different, yeah. With different points of view. Yeah. Did you think that there were any points of views that you would've taken out? I didn't, I know some people in book clubs said that, but I, I really liked them because I feel like. I, I really liked all of'em. So did I. I felt like all of'em were really important, and I know that the people who were saying that they could have done with less was just because they wanted more from other Yeah. Points of views, which I totally get, but I was like, even for the guy, how am I already forgetting their names? Anthony. I wanted to call him Kenneth. But even for Anthony, who is like the, he's in the Senate or whatever, he is literally running for president. But he's a dick. Yeah. Yeah. Even for him, he is a horrible person. I, he was obviously a villain. Mm-hmm. But I thought it was really important to read how someone in politics feels about that at that time.'cause he took a. He took like his nephew having a short string supposedly. Mm-hmm. And ran with, it's like used for his benefit. Yes. And I was like, yeah, that's how, that's how it would go. And then you had things of the people being like, oh, I love this guy. Like, he just says how it is and blah, blah, blah. And his nephew sitting right there like, no, this guy's. Yeah. Yeah. But like that's how politics go. Like yeah, you don't actually know anything. You're just hearing what they're feeding you Definitely. And choosing what you're gonna believe. So I thought that was so important to have in there. Yeah, I really liked it. We did talk a little bit about that and whether or not it was important to have him, but I really, I've, a lot of the time I feel like when there is a bad character, a villain character or something like that, it. Kind of justifies my negative feelings toward them. Yeah. To read from their point of view and be like, God, you are so slimy and gross. Uhhuh just, and yeah, just see that point of view full blast, you know? Yeah. Because obviously of you could see it from. Hank's point of view and mm-hmm. From Maura's point of view, from these people that are more normal. Yes. Yeah. And even Jack, who is his family member, but you know, and you hear about Jack's history with like, oh yeah, he came into the family and this was how it was, and it was always kind of weird and whatever. Mm-hmm. But until you get Anthony's point of view, you don't realize how he really is malicious and he really is. Selfish. Mm-hmm. But like things, he's doing it for the better. Good. Yeah. Like when the boxes come out and him and his wife are like, no, this is just, this is from God. Like he's giving us this opportunity to beat the other politician. Basically. Like, yeah. Like this is a good sign from God. He did it for us. Gross. And it's like, it's like they truly believed that. Yeah. And I always think that that's cool. I don't know what it is, but like. When people like, it reminds me of like Jehovah's Witness and stuff like that. Yeah. About how people hate when they come to their doors and I'm like, they're just doing what they think is right. Honestly. Like you can't be that mad at them for annoying you'cause this is truly what they think their life's mission is. Yeah. Like I'm like, I'm not gonna be mad at them. I might be like, eh, I don't agree with you, but I'm not gonna be mad. Yeah. I can't remember what the really, there's a really famous video from an atheist and they used to play it in church all the time. Not all the time, A couple times, uh, and I can't remember who it is, but he's like a really well known atheist and in his, this video, he says, if you're a Christian, you really do believe that there's a heaven and there's a God, and that you, and that accepting Jesus as your savior savior is the only way to live eternally. And you know, that sort of thing. Mm-hmm. He's like, I really hope that you. What's the word? It like? Like act on it. Pro processize or something like that. Apostol apostle size. No, I don't think that's a word. Evangelize. Evangelize is what I was trying to do with apostle evangelize. Dang it. Evangelize. That's what I'm saying. But anyway, okay. We really got off to there. Yeah, but he, in this video, it's a really famous video and he's like, I really hope that you evangelize me. Like if you actually believe that Yeah. Is true, then. I would hope that you wouldn't leave me. Like it would be really hateful of you to not come to my door. Yeah. And talk to me about that. If you thought that my literal, eternal soul was in jeopardy. Yes. If you truly believed that. Yeah. So, yeah. So all that to say that I get your point about. Mm-hmm. These people and when they, you know, they truly believe that that is the case, you know? Mm-hmm. Obviously, they're gonna act on it if that's truly what they believe. Yeah. And Anthony truly believed that these strings were a gift from God and like he could make it work towards advantage. Crazy. Like he's crazy. Yeah. But I thought that that was such a fun POV. Yeah. And that it was an important POV that you get and you're like, what? Yeah. Something I, something else that I really, really liked. That we didn't talk about in Physical Book Club. Whoa. Was, I just think that's crazy we didn't talk about something. Oh my gosh. That's so, we had so much, so much to talk about. Yeah. But something I really liked is,'cause I really like when TV shows and movies do a good job of incorporating a minority without it being so obvious. Like, okay, that person's in there because they're. It's be a minority or because they're L-G-B-T-Q or something like that. Yes, and I really loved that. One of the main points of view were two lesbians. Lesbians. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I really, really loved that because they really, it. That was not the focus of them. Mm-hmm. The focus was, the focus for them was their experience with this crazy phenomenon and being given very different strings. Yeah. And just like being together as a family and their marriage and all that. And it really, or their partnership. I mean, they did get married eventually, but mm-hmm. I, I mostly just meant like their relationship Right. And stuff. And I, I really, really liked that. I don't really feel like it was made a big deal that they were lesbians, you know? Yeah. It was just literally just their relationship and who they were as people. Mm-hmm. And I think that sometimes in books and movies, they like throw in a mi like a minor character mm-hmm. To make it more, it's like the checking boxes. Yeah. Yeah. Like, and, and just to make it more, uh, inclusive, I guess. Mm-hmm. And. I mean, I would, to be honest, like I'd rather that than making it exclusive. Yeah.'cause I think it is important to include all different types of people Yeah. In, in our forms of art. Mm-hmm. And have expression everywhere that we ha and representation Yeah. Everywhere that we go. But I really love when they do a good job of like, this is just a part of them. It's not, this is not why they're in it, you know? Yeah. Like they're, they're in it because there's so much more to them as a person. Yes. Than, and this is just a. This identifying thing about that? Yes. No, I, I agree for sure. With that one. I thought it was funny at the beginning that it goes for a little while before you know if they're partners or roommates or friends, just because it doesn't really like. Go into depth about it. And I thought that that was a cool thing, that if it was a man and a woman, you probably would've automatically assumed that they were together. Right. But it because it was two women, you're like, I don't really know what the vibe is. Yeah. But then it does say like, oh, she's my girlfriend or my partner, or whatever. Yeah. Whatever they call it. And so, yeah. I thought that was interesting of definitely like different social dynamics and stuff. Yeah. But that it was just wasn't a part of the book. Yeah. It was just a part of it. It wasn't a focal point. Yeah. I just, I really, really liked that. I, I really appreciate when. Movies, TV shows, books. Do a good job of making that. That's just like a characteristic. It's not, yeah, their character. Yeah, for sure. Let's talk about, Amy, what did you think about Amy? I feel like there was a lot of people talking about Amy at book club. Yeah. I liked her. What did you think? I liked her too. I felt like. I was like, guys, we don't, because there was people being like, and she didn't look at her freaking string, which is true because she like almost doesn't stay with Ben because of his short string, but she didn't know that She also. Like, I mean spoilers, but this is a book club episode, but she didn't know that she also had the short string and people were like, she didn't even know her string. And I'm like, but that's just how life is all the time. Yeah. We don't know our strings. And so I'm like, I wasn't mad at her at all. Like I would've done the same thing probably of being like, do I wanna get involved with this guy who's gonna die in 12 years? Yeah. I don't really know if I do. Yeah. Like. I thought it was valid. Yeah. I wasn't mad at her for not looking. I do think it's crazy. Like I would've definitely looked, but I wasn't mad at her for not looking, but it was so tragic like and so heartbreaking and upsetting at the end. Yeah. When she does die with Ben Uhhuh and I. I should have seen it coming. Like, I felt like when it happened, I was like, oh, duh, Uhhuh, this is gonna be the gut wrencher twist at the end. Yeah. Because she's the only one that we see their point of view that never looked at her string. Yeah. And yeah, and it, it was so sucky and I did feel a certain way about. Them leaving their kids, you know? Oh, yeah. Yeah. But I, but I'm not, like you said, I'm not mad at her, like, if this is morbid, but if all, any of my friends that are pregnant right now found out, I, I don't know. Like if any of my pregnant friends who are pregnant right now, like lost their lives in the next few years. Mm-hmm. That's just life. That's just life. Yeah. Yeah. I felt the same way. I thought that she was gonna have a much shorter string. I thought that Ben was gonna live for years without her. Oh, really? Mm-hmm. Wow. Just'cause I was like, something tragic has to happen. Yeah, it's got to. But I also think that, I also thought that, so Hank, his string is really short, but he joins the group of like the mid stringers or whatever. And so like we already had that, but then that girl who's having the babies uhhuh the twins, I thought she was gonna die in childbirth. I thought so too. And that she was gonna have done the same thing Hank did. Yeah. And so I just kind of was like, oh, there's gonna be another really short story here. Oh, like why? About having. Yeah. A short, like a, a longer short string. Yes. Yes. Like I thought, I definitely thought that that's what the girl who was giving birth was gonna do. And then I just figured that Amy was gonna have another short string. Mm. She didn't, she wouldn't have known either way, but I thought it was just gonna be shorter. Yeah. And then it was gonna be kind of like a cruel joke of she didn't know if she wanted to be with Ben because he wasn't gonna live very long, but then she died before him or something. That's a good point. But. Obviously it didn't happen that way, and I thought it was more poetic that they died together. I did too. Mm-hmm. I did feel bad for Nina, who never wanted kids and ended up with kids. Yeah. But I, but when we were in book club, I said this, I was like, I mean, I don't want kids, but if God forbid you or Julia or someone died that had kids, yeah. Obviously I would take in my niece or nephew Yeah. And would love them so much. Right. As their guardian, you know? Right. But. Yeah, I honestly, I kept forgetting that Amy wasn't like that. We didn't know Amy's fate. And I think that's why at the end it was so upsetting for me because I was like, oh, I should have seen that coming. But I just kept, it just kept being kind of on the back burner for Uhhuh. Like it wasn't,'cause you assume that they're gonna live like this long, healthy life like we all do. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I just didn't really, I kept forgetting that she, we didn't know her string and she was the only character like that Uhhuh, but I couldn't believe what do. She did with her box. Did she keep it the whole time? Oh yeah, she did. Because they looked at it at the very end Uhhuh. They were like, yeah, we looked at a string that we knew what length it was gonna be. But where'd she keep it? It so sad. It was identical to bin's that was like, yeah, I think it was just like in her closet somewhere. How could you keep your string not long and never look at it? Yeah. I would be way too tempted. Mm-hmm. And I would open it immediately, honestly. Mm-hmm. I. I said this in book club, but I am just such a control freak that I would want to know. Yeah. And I feel like it, I feel like in my head it would help me plan. Yeah. You know, and I'm such a planner. It would help me. Uhhuh. Did you say, would you look? My first instinct was absolutely not. I would never look. That's so scary. I do not wanna know. But then I think as time goes on, there's no way I couldn't Yeah. Look like the, the not knowing would eat me up. Yeah. And be like, I have to know. I have to know. Yeah. Like, I can't even, like, I, I can't even. Know that there's a surprise, like a mason orders something for us, and he's like, don't look at it. I'm like, oh my God, how can I not? Like I have to look, I have to look. I do my absolute best not to. Yeah. But sometimes I tell him like, I have to know. I have to. So I'm like, there's no way I could actually not look at my string. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I just think it would be too tempting. Mm-hmm. Did you ever ask Jared. If you would look at his or not. Yeah. He said, I don't know. Huh. Okay. There you go. I asked Mason because my instinct is no. But then I think that I would eventually, and he was like, yeah, I would look. And I was like, of course you would, because then I would have to look because I wouldn't let you look alone. Which I also thought was a funny part because in the books, all the partners are looking together. Yeah. And I was like, I feel like I wouldn't wanna look at the like in the same room together. Like I would want my own. Feelings and emotions with my string. Yeah. And then come out and be like, Hey, you show me yours. I'll show you mine. Yeah. But how did you feel about Ben's girlfriend that broke up with him because of his short string? I felt like it was horrible. Yeah. And like it was so sad, but I couldn't blame her. Especially if she like, I feel like if you're gonna break up with someone because of your short strength, then you're already like, don't see yourself long term with that person or something. Mm-hmm. Like you. I don't know, but it was horrible. But I get it. Mm-hmm. In the way where I'm like, I mean, I wouldn't, with Mason it's different. I will live all my days with him. But I was like, I, I would understand not being married already and like not wanting Mason to be the person I live with forever and all my days. I would understand breaking up with them. Yeah. And being like, I'm really sorry, but like, it's almost like being like, we're not on the same path. Like we're gonna have very different lives. So I I did understand it. Yeah. How'd you feel? I felt like it was terrible, but I do agree with you. Like it may have just revealed something that was already underlying. Yeah. And I, I felt so terrible for Ben.'cause already he is going through this grief of his life that's only gonna be 15 years or whatever. Yeah. Longer. And so he's already going through all that. And then on top of that, his. Relation, like his partner Yeah. Decides he, they don't wanna be a partner. And they have been together for a while, I think. I think so. Like four or five years. Yeah, I think so. And so it just, it it made me really mad at her. Mm-hmm. But like you said, I couldn't necessarily blame her. It was probably revealing of an underlying, like an underlying issue that. Uh, through thick and thin, they would not remain Yeah. Together, you know? Yeah. And so, and I did love that it paved the path for him to be with Amy. Mm-hmm. And with Amy, when we saw from her point of view, when she was really battling with whether or not to be with him mm-hmm. We saw that for her, she wanted whatever life that they could have together, you know? Yeah. And that wasn't the case for. What's her face? I guess. I don't even know her name. I, I can't remember Kate or something. I don't know. Yeah. But, but anyway, so I did think it was terrible, but like you said, I can't, I can't necessarily blame her. Mm-hmm. It was probably more indicative of other stuff going on too. Yeah. She had also said whenever she was breaking up with him, that she was like, I, I could just never not think about it. Like I would be counting down our days together. Yeah. And I was like, yeah, that would be horrible. And that's not my way. To live, you know? No. And yeah, and normally you don't have a 15 year diagnosis, right? Like, if that was gonna happen to your partner and you find out that they only have a, like so and so amount of time to live uhhuh, it's normally not 15 years. Yeah. That's a long awkward time. Yeah. To be like, how do we, how do we live? How do, what do we do? What can, what can we do? Yeah. Yeah. It did make me sad though, because I know. Jared and I have talked about this because we've had family members in our lives that have had cancer and things like that, and it's actually really, really common for people who get diagnosed with cancer for their support system to kind of dissolve. Yeah. And. It's not, I don't think people are con like it's a subconscious thing. Yeah. It's not a conscious thing, but it's almost like people think, oh God, your life is gonna be shorter. I'm gonna stay away. Like, yeah, it could catch on kind of thing. Yes. Like it's like it's a disease. Yes. Mm-hmm. Exactly. And it's really, it's just really sad. Like a really sad fact. But for a lot of people who are terminally ill. They p their partners will bail on them. Mm-hmm. Or they'll get, you know, their partners lost for a divorce. Mm. Or they'll leave them, or, or even friends will just stop reaching out, you know? Mm-hmm. Oh, there's a lot of support a lot of the time at the beginning, and then friends just slowly stop reaching out and slowly, slowly stop hanging out. Yeah, and we've had someone really close in our lives where this was the case, and they were really good friends with someone for a really long time, and then got sick and are better now. But when they got sick, that person that they were really friends with for a really long time just stopped. Being friends with them. Yeah. Like just stopped responding to messages and stopped. They used to get together at least like once every other week or so. Oh. You know, and yeah. It's just really, really sad. Oh my God. It's something that you hear, but like you don't really realize it's true until someone's going through it. Yeah. I don't know what it is. Maybe I have too much. I don't know what it is, but I, I still have empathy for the person that chooses not to be friends. Yeah. Or like,'cause I, I still understand it. It's horrible and I would not do it and I would not want it done to me. But I still understand it in the way where they're like, this is too much. Yeah. Or like, how can I be happy when they have all this going on? And like. So I'm like, oh my God. Like, it's so horrible. Like I can imagine how they're feeling as well. Yeah. And oh, it's awful. I do tell Mason that if I ever die or I ever get really sick, he, he can go. He always says he won't, but I say You do, you can. Okay. I won't blame you. Yeah. I don't know. I do empathize with them, but I'm like, go to therapy or something and, and then still hang out with them. I dunno. I'm just. No, it's not right to do at all. Yeah, they should still be in their lives. They like the person themselves are not changing. Yeah. Like they're still that person. They're just. Got the short string or whatever it is. And so yeah, you should still be in their lives 100%. Yeah. But I do see it of being like that, it would be so hard. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And I think it's, you know, having like a thought experiment book, like this is good to just face the reality of your relationships and stuff, because if. Someone getting a short string or getting a cancer diagnosis or something like that. If that is something that is gonna break a friendship or relationship or something, then it's like what you said before it with how they're like on different paths or whatever. Mm-hmm. Maybe it just is indicative that you actually are not in it or not. Yeah. Yes. You don't need to be that close with that person or something. Yes. Like don't wait until that happens. Like be, I don't know, intentional from the beginning. We talk about that all the time on the. Episode or on the podcast. But yeah, I, yeah, I feel like to me it's more, it's like you, okay, you were never actually really friends then. Yeah. I actually had a turning point in the book where, and I talked about this at book club, but where I like was empathizing with everyone and I was like, I would understand why Amy wouldn't wanna start the relationship with Ben. I understand why Ben's person left him. Like I understand all these things. But then whenever Amy and more, no, Amy and Nina are having their fight and Amy's like. How do you know you wanna get married? Like you're gonna be a widow, you're gonna be stuck with all this blah, blah, blah. And Nina says, that's just marriage. Like when you get married, you take the vow to love each other through sickness and health. And like you never know what your partner's life is gonna look like. Like you just assume that's gonna be long, but you don't know. I was like, damn, she's so right. Like, yeah. Like we don't know. Yeah. We assume that we will live, like we assume we will all die together like they do in the notebook. Yeah. We, we assume and hope and pray that that will happen. And you never imagine a life with a short string kind of thing. But I was like, wait, that's so true. Mm-hmm. So yeah. If you can't love your partner through sickness and then health and through whatever kind of tragedy comes your way, then yeah, you should not be like, that is not your partner. Yeah. Or like that then that is not. I don't know. You know what I mean? Yeah. But whenever she said that, I, I did think, I was like, oh, she's so right. Yeah. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. Don't make that vow if you're not gonna keep it. Mm-hmm. I, that fight annoyed me so bad. Me too. I was like, it was the only part that I was like, Amy, you are so dumb. But I think it was mostly just, she was obviously battling with herself internally and clearly she knew that she wanted to be with Ben, but yeah, she was just having such a hard time with his dream. Yeah. And I. That whole fight really frustrated me and part of it was just because I do have sisters and yeah, I was like, like, no way would this keep me. Maybe that would happen, but I don't think that, yeah, like I don't, nothing could keep me from your guys' weddings, you know? Yes. Or, or even if we had a fight like that, I don't think I would uninvite you either. No. It was just odd to me. I had that problem with that too. Where I was like, no, that could just never happen. And in a life where you have been given lengths of time. Yeah. Like, like why would you let time go unspent like that? Yeah. So I was like, no, I don't think that that would happen. But I would've really loved to see like Ma reach out to Amy. Mm-hmm. And be like, Hey, your sister needs you here. Like, I'm not gonna be here forever. You need to be there for your sister, kind of thing. Like, that would've been cute. I felt like that would've been really cute.'cause I was also like, I don't feel like Maura would've been okay with her fiance's sister not being a part of their lives. Yeah. Especially with how close that they were and, and knowing that she wasn't gonna be around forever. Yeah. Yeah. So I felt like that would've been a fun touch. Mm-hmm. But I did, I did obviously like that they came around. It wasn't said that they got. Like that Amy and Nina made up until it was the actual wedding. Yeah. And it's like at the reception and it's like, okay, Amy's there. Thank God. Because I was like, is Amy not there? Mm-hmm. Like how did, how did Nina get married? And Amy's not there. Yeah. And that's crazy. And Ben was there,'cause he was in Maura's group, so it's like, could you imagine if Ben was there, but Amy wasn't. No. That's crazy. No. Yeah. I'm really glad that the book did not do that. I would've really loved to see. Yeah, like you said, like there's no way that that would've kept us apart kind of thing, or like Yeah, and, and mostly just because, I mean, not everybody's that close with their siblings. Mm-hmm. But, but they were close. They were, yeah. Yes. They, they made it seem like. A relationship that I relate to with being so close to my sister. Yeah. They were best friends. They talked all the time. Yeah. They were very open with each other. So Yeah, I was like that. There's no way. And you could tell they both felt bad about it afterwards. Yeah. Even if they were like both angry with each other afterwards. So a real sister friendship, sister fight would've made up within like two days. Yeah. But whatever I say, I, how did you feel like. Everybody's endings shook out. Like how did you, how did you feel about everybody's endings? I liked it. I felt like, I felt like I actually would not have liked if there had been a cure or something like that, I would not have liked that because I would've been like, what's the point of the book? But I thought it was really good. I felt like everyone's endings kind of came together really beautifully. Mm-hmm. And yeah, I don't know. How'd you feel? I liked it. I thought it was really beautiful, and I, even though it was sad. Mm-hmm. For the most part, you knew how everybody was gonna end. Mm-hmm.'cause at the very beginning they tell you with the strings, you know? Yep. So like, you know that Hank's gonna die pretty early on. Yeah. And stuff like that. But I did like the little connections like Javi and Annika or Annika or, yeah. Yeah. And like that little connection. And I loved the note, the, oh, the grandpa and like the Gertrude letters? Yes. Like letters Simon and Gertrude. That was a, that was a big string to follow. It was. It was, yeah. I was like, well, but, but I, but I did follow it, like when it revealed, I was like, oh, it's so sad. Yeah, I did love that. But, but I did think it was really beautiful and I felt like at the end, whenever it kind of goes into the future. It felt like, okay. The world's on kind of the other side of it. Yeah. And like there is some hope going forward and that like the generation of new 22 year olds and whatnot are gonna handle this better than mm-hmm. People before. Mm-hmm. And they're more equipped to, and like the video of the girl at graduation talking about how, like, how to handle, how to not. I guess use the privilege of having a long string to discriminate, discriminate against people with shorter strings, whatnot, like, yeah, that made me feel really hopeful, you know? Yeah. So I felt like it was a really moving book. I gave it five stars. I, I agree. I love that you gave it five stars. I gave it four stars. Just, I don't really know why I gave it four stars and not five stars. It just wasn't a five for me. Yeah. You know, five is just, you know, it's a five Uhhuh. This one was a four. It was actually funny'cause I did not know how I was going to rate it going into book club. Mm-hmm. I was like, I really don't know how I feel like I liked it a lot, but. It, it was a very, it felt very different to me than any other book I've ever read. Mm-hmm. So I was like, I really don't know how to rate this like piece of fiction that doesn't really feel like fiction. That also is, and blah, blah, blah. But once I got to book club and we talked about it for so long, I was like, you know what? I think this is a four.'cause I loved every character, even Anthony. Mm-hmm. Even. Stupid Jack, was that his name? Yeah. Okay. I loved them all. I thought they were all important. I was really into every person's story. I really did feel like I was reading a memoir or like a newspaper of some sort. Mm-hmm. Like reading about these real people's lives. Mm-hmm. And I think that's why it was hard for me to rate,'cause I never rate memoirs.'cause I'm like, who am I to? How they're telling their story, their life. Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah, I ended up giving it four stars because I was like, no, I really did really like this book. Mm-hmm. And I felt very touched by it. Very like, like it felt like good reminders. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I could see why it wouldn't have the pop of five stars, I guess. Mm-hmm. But I read this one in like two or three days and it really spurred a lot of thoughts, like a lot of thought provoking questions and whatnot. Yeah. And I, yeah, I really, really loved it. And I've been saying this for a couple of months'cause I've been really highly reading the book club books. Yeah. But I do think that. Because I'm reading such a long form series of the Brandon Sanderson novels that I'm reading Yes. That are like a thousand or more pages each because I like our book club book always seems to be, it seems to be like in between those books, Uhhuh it. It feels really good to like get into something like kind of quick and to the point and, yeah. Yeah, and just like thought provoking, so I really, really loved it. Mm-hmm. I like that a lot. Well, next, well, do you have anything else to add about this book? No. Let's talk about this month, I feel like. Okay, perfect. I was gonna say, I feel like for adding about this book, there's so many things we could talk about so many, but it would be a three hour episode, so we're gonna move on to our next month book club book. It is Shelby's Po. Poise is what I was gonna say, which is pick and choice. It's Shelby's Pick this month and she's doing, we Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Berry and I'm really excited for this one. I'm pretty sure it's about like a hockey team in Massachusetts during the Salem Witch trials. Oh, cool. So. I don't really, I don't really know besides that because that is the description she gave us. Okay. Because we normally go into these books blind, but I'm really excited for it. I think it sounds like a such a fall book and, Ooh, Uhhuh. Just because, I mean, Salem Witch Trials, you know, that feels folly. Yeah. Yeah. But I really liked, I think I had said that at book club and Shelby was like, oh my God. I know like. I was trying to find one that kind of fit with more of a summer vibe, but I couldn't find one. And Madeline was like, I love fall. If I can feel like it's fall all year round, I will. And Shelby's like, me too and I'll that I like that. And I was like, yeah, sometimes choosing your books based on the season does not work. Yeah, because that's what I did for my first book Club Choice. And I was like, this book sucked. But actually it didn't suck, but it wasn't, it wasn't the book I wanted. It was just like, okay. Yeah, it was just, okay. But that's what it's called. So we hope you guys join us for that one. Yeah, it's, we write Upon Sticks by Quinn or Whoa. Kwan Berry. Mm-hmm. And it says the genre is'cause I didn't really kn I don't know much about it at all. No. Neither is coming of age mystery and historical fiction. I love all those categories. Yeah. Yeah. So I think it'll be interesting. I'm excited about it. And the cover's really cute. It is. I know. That's why it also reminds me of Fall. I'm excited for it. Well, I hope you guys join us and I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Yes. Woo hoo. Alright. Until next time. Until next time. Cheers. Cheers. Cute. I wanna see what the genre is for the measure