Chapter One: Introductions + Rapid Fire Fun

It's the very first episode of Books Around the Block! Meet your hosts—Adrienne, Audrey, and Lindsay—three neighbors who love nothing more than talking books. We'll introduce ourselves, share our reading styles, and put each other on the spot with a rapid-fire book game. Expect laughs, unexpected bookish confessions, and a few titles to add to your TBR.

Follow us at @booksaroundtheblockpod on Instagram and TikTok for more fun content and news on upcoming episodes! Share your thoughts for future episodes or reach out just to chat at booksaroundtheblock@gmail.com.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

11/22/63 by Stephen King

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene

The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin

Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal

Music by AudioCoffee at pixabay.com

Transcript

(0:01) Hey neighbors! Welcome to Books Around the Block, where your hosts, Lindsey, Adrienne, and Audrey, (0:07) neighbors, friends, and book-obsessed hosts of this podcast. In our close-knit neighborhood, (0:12) books are always a hot topic. Between school drop-offs, evening walks, and poolside chats, (0:16) we're constantly swapping recommendations, debating plot twists, and adding just one more book to our (0:22) never-ending TBR list.With the three of us reading a combined 150 books a year, we take (0:27) pride in finding the perfect read for just about anyone, so we figured, why not bring the (0:31) conversation to you? So grab the beverage you need, and the snack you deserve, and let's talk books. (0:37) Because in our neighborhood, a good read is always just around the block. (0:43) Hey neighbors! We are so excited for you to be here for our first episode, (0:48) but first, let us introduce ourselves so you get to know who you're going to be listening to (0:53) every week.Adrienne, you want to go first? Tell us who you are, what your reading style is, (1:00) what's your favorite book of all time, maybe? Okay, I'm Adrienne. I have three kids, a 12-year-old, (1:07) 10-year-old, and a 7-year-old, and outside of reading and taking care of kids, I also work as (1:14) a therapist. So, squeezing in reading in all the ways that I can.Yes. I would say that I tend to (1:23) read thrillers, family, dysfunctional families, coming-of-age stories. I like to feel in my books.(1:33) I want to pierce my heart and make me feel something. Yes, girl. That is, anything that (1:39) can give me that is what I am going to do.My, I'm kind of a mood reader for the most part. I do (1:51) have a million books on my shelf. A million books.So many books. I cannot stop. From years.Your (1:56) husband is putting your books on the porch. Yes, I cannot stop. It's a, it is a problem.(2:03) So, I'm working, actively working towards borrowing from the library less and reading what I have at (2:11) home. Yeah, my favorite book of all time, hard to say, but I would probably put Beartown up at one (2:18) of the top because I found myself at night literally wanting to pray for the characters (2:24) in the book because I was so concerned for their lives. Involved, yes.It consumed me. I haven't read it. (2:30) So, that is.You've never read that? No. When I first met her, she was like, you have to read this and it's still (2:35) on my tube. Now it's a trilogy and I have only read Beartown.I've only read the first two. And I want (2:41) to, but I'm so scared that it will not be as good. Yeah.I'm the same way with series. Sometimes if (2:47) the first book is perfect, you just can't continue. Yeah, I will continue.You will. I will. I already own the (2:53) second book.Oh, of course you do. Shocking. Of course you do.Yeah, yeah. What makes a five-star read for you? (3:00) I think that's, that's kind of it. Like, just I want to be thinking about the book long after I'm done.(3:05) I want to feel so connected to the characters and I like like an ethical dilemma that feels, if someone (3:15) can portray that really well and help me to really see both sides, those are kind of some of (3:21) my five-star books. The ones that I cannot put down and I cannot stop thinking about. So, do you read (3:27) physical ebooks or audio or do you listen? I tend to listen to memoirs or non-fiction because I can (3:35) kind of tune out the boring parts.I am a Book of the Month member and have been (3:43) for years and years and years. So, I do read quite a bit of physical copies, but I'm also a kind of girl. (3:49) So, I have something going on all of them at all times.Three separate things or are you reading (3:55) some of the same ones? Sometimes I'll do audio if I need to speed up a reading, like for book club (4:01) or something of that nature, but for the most part, all three. Three separate reads. Wild.That's crazy (4:08) to me. Crazy, crazy girl. That's an interesting fact about you.Yeah, yeah. All right, Audrey. (4:15) Okay, who I am.Okay, so I have two children. I have a husband as well. He's a very busy man.(4:22) I do as well. I was gonna say, Adrian is also married. Shout out to his podcast equipment.(4:27) Yeah, that's what we're using right now. Thank you, Trey, for never following through with your (4:31) original podcast. Yes, two kids, a husband.My husband's very busy, does real estate, finance, (4:38) and he's a volunteer firefighter. My kids are six and three, almost four. Fun fact, I don't know.(4:45) I'm so bad at fun facts, guys. You're a soccer player. I'm a soccer player.Oh, here's a fun fact. (4:51) I play guitar. Have since I was 12.I know. No one, I feel like not very many people know. No, (4:55) she just told us.My dad is like one of the best musicians I know. He led worship for 100 years, (5:02) and he's just so good. Anyways, so that's a fun fact.My reading style, I prefer romance. (5:10) I'm a romance girly. I do read fantasy.Actually, I would say I read all genres, and I can get into (5:17) anything, especially if it has a love story, because I just really love anything that has (5:24) a love story tied to it. It just kind of pulls me in. I am a mood reader.I do not like structure. (5:31) I like to go with my heart, Lindsay, who's not a mood reader. It's really hard for me to do those (5:37) like year-long 52 books kind of things where I have to come across it organically, (5:44) or it's not going to happen.So if you get books from the library, if you're not feeling it, (5:50) you'll just return it. You don't get books from the library. No, girl.I am a kindle. If it comes (5:56) in, you've had something on hold, and it comes in. Do you push it off, or do you read it anyway? (6:00) Oh, no.I'll push things off. I've pushed books off for years. Yes.But for time purposes, (6:06) or because you're not feeling it? I'm not feeling it. Oh. Because I push them off for time.I'm not (6:12) going to be able to get to that. No. Mine is mood.I will push it off if it doesn't feel right in that (6:18) moment. And oftentimes it doesn't, which is why I have them on there for like a year. (6:23) But I feel like that library people should appreciate me because they're getting their (6:27) books faster.Because you don't actually read it. Yeah. Imagine if you read it, and then you just (6:32) went away.Yeah. And then it just disappeared from your holds. How would that feel? It wouldn't feel (6:38) right because I'm a mood reader.I read kindle. I'm a kindle girly, but I also do a lot of audio (6:46) when I'm cleaning, when I'm driving. Audiobooks are actually super helpful in getting me to read (6:54) because I like to read a lot, and I like to read all the time.And I constantly want to be reading. (6:59) And so audiobooks are helpful for that. Definitely.Preference. And favorite book of (7:05) all time. So I've had a little more time to think about this.In college, I did love Redeeming Love, (7:11) and I still love Redeeming Love, but I haven't read it since college. So I don't know if it (7:15) holds up today. I feel like it would if I did reread it.But when I'm thinking about books (7:20) in my life that will stand the test of time, 112263 by Stephen King. Have you read that one? (7:26) I haven't read it, but I've watched the series. I've never read it.Adrienne, you read Stephen (7:30) King. I know. Isn't it ridiculously long? It's over 800 pages.It's very big. I watched the (7:36) series before I realized it was a book. It's so much better as a book.I feel like it's a (7:42) polarizing book. I agree that people either love it or hate it. Really? I don't know.I haven't (7:47) read the book, but I watched the series, and I thought the series was really good. Oh, you should (7:51) read it then. It's good.No, it's too long. Whenever I feel like I'm recommending to a single (7:56) person, they're like, tell me a book that will change my life. I'm like, 112263.A single person? (8:01) Like single? No, just like any single person that comes into your life. I can get rid of the word (8:06) single. Okay.Any person. I was like, well, tell me more. Yes.Married people don't like it? (8:14) What makes a five-star read for me? A five-star read is something that keeps me up at night. (8:18) Something that I'm recommending to everyone. Something that when I'm finishing it, I'm (8:22) researching it.I'm looking up things. I want to know more about it. Listening to a podcast.She's (8:26) a researcher. Yes. Yeah.Yes. There's not a topic left unturned. I will go on to podcasts.What (8:35) Lindsay and I just talked about this. I haven't taken it. I took it before I had kids and I was.(8:40) You borrowed my book. Yes. That's right.But this was later on. I took it before I had kids and I (8:45) was a three. I can see that.You can. Okay. I can see you being a three.I don't know anything about (8:52) them, so I can't help with this. Tell me what I am, Lindsay. You look like an eight.Definitely (8:59) not an eight. My aura. What does that mean? Okay.Lindsay, you're up next. Tell us all about you, (9:03) girl. All right.I am Lindsay. I am married. I have two kids.I have a seven-year-old girl and (9:12) a three-year-old girl. Fun fact is that my seven-year-old is in the same class as Adrienne's (9:17) seven-year-old. Yes.My three-year-old is in the same class as Audrey's three-year-old. (9:23) They're besties. We have kids connected everywhere.I'm a stay-at-home mom (9:31) and that's really all about me and my boring life. I read a lot. (9:38) My preferred genres are thrillers first and then probably contemporary romance.(9:45) I do not. I have a lot of ones I don't like. I don't like literary fiction.I don't like fantasy. (9:52) I could probably go more on what I don't like than what I do like. I'm not someone that reads (9:56) every kind of book.When we have to read books for our neighborhood book club, I'm like, (10:02) torture. You get excited about every single one. Torture.I will applaud you because you always do (10:08) it. I sure do. You finish them.You finish them. I sure do. Sometimes at book club in the corner (10:16) before we start.Correct. Yes. I know you guys were talking about your mood readers.(10:21) Absolutely not. I'm structured 100%. I don't even like the thought of just like, (10:27) what do I feel like reading? That's crazy to me.I have to have checklists and challenges. (10:32) I do not. I feel like I'm an in-between of you two.Yeah. I'm doing a book challenge 52 book (10:44) of the year challenge. It's done by the book list queen.If anyone follows her on any socials. (10:54) I would love to go like one to 52, but since I have to read books for other things, I'm going (11:00) other places and it's freaking me out. Yeah.I like to kind of plug it in. Yeah. I don't like (11:06) it.I also like to do the Goodreads challenges. What's your Goodreads challenge this year? Do (11:11) you remember the number? No, but they have, they have categories of books. That's new.(11:19) Have you been on Goodreads in a while? That's the ones that I'm doing. I just get on to like (11:22) mark when I'm reading. You should look because they added, it's new.They have like little book (11:27) marks. Yes. And I need to, I need to complete them in a hundred percent or I'm going to quit (11:32) reading.I need to learn about this. I'm going to quit. I also am only (11:39) Kindle.I'm only a Kindle reader. I have lots of physical books. So I try to read if I have it (11:48) in physical, I'll read like a chapter or two just to be like, Oh yeah, I read it.It was worth the (11:52) purchase. Um, but I don't actually, and audio books, I've tried doing audio books once or twice (11:58) and I thought it was an awful experience and I've never tried it ever again. So I'm just a hundred (12:03) percent.I'm like 99% Kindle, 1% physical. It just, if I happen to have a copy of it. Um, my (12:10) favorite book of all time is probably Nightingale.Um, I read that a couple of years ago and that (12:17) one has stuck with me. And then for a five star book, it would be, I guess if I recommend it (12:25) to people, like if I'm, Oh, you need a book, this, this, if I don't recommend it to you, (12:31) it can't be five star. Okay.And I'm just asking, are y'all stingy with your five stars? (12:37) I used to be, I used to be, and I'm working on not being so I, I, I feel like sometimes, (12:43) Oh, like we just read the wedding people for our book club book. Great. And it wasn't the best book (12:49) that's ever been written, but I enjoyed it.And so I gave it five stars and I don't, did I give (12:55) it? I think you did. And it wasn't like the best book I've ever read ever, but I enjoyed it so (13:03) much that I have recommended it to other people. So what do you, what's your like standard for a (13:09) five star? Is it for you? It's what you're going to recommend? Yeah, I guess.So what would be (13:14) like a four star? I enjoyed it, but it wasn't like good enough that I'm going to tell anybody (13:18) about it. Really? Oh, wow. So I would recommend a three star.Yeah, it was fine. Three star. I'm (13:24) picking and choosing who I recommend it to.Four, I'm still recommending it. Yeah. I guess (13:28) I'm still recommending it, but I'm not recommending it to, I'm, I'm recommending it to book people.(13:34) Like I recommend it to you. Like a five star is like for anyone, whether you've ever read a book, (13:38) like this is so good. You should start reading.Right. Because you're telling your grandma. (13:44) Yeah.Yeah. Yeah. And then four star is like, yeah, I would recommend to you guys, but people (13:48) that read one book every couple months, like I'm like, I'm probably not going to recommend that one.(13:53) And then three was just like, it was fine. It's meh, like meh. So what would you say, (13:59) what's your kind of standard for five, four, three? Yeah, for mine is I'm staying up at night (14:04) late thinking about it.And five stars I'm recommending to everyone. Meemaw, she's going (14:09) to know about it. So what's like your three star? Three star, again, meh, but if it's the right (14:14) person, then I'll recommend it.Like there's a bunch of Elsie Silver, she's a, she's a romance (14:19) and she, you wouldn't like it. No, no, I wouldn't recommend it to you, but most of her books I like (14:26) to read and I give them three stars because they're not life-changing to me, but I enjoy (14:30) them every, she's auto buy. Like I'll always read her.Wow. See, I would think that would be more. (14:35) She's had a couple, she's had a couple of fives for me, two fives.And I've read probably eight (14:41) of her books. Okay. And so the rest are threes or lower.Wow. Yes. And, or twos, no, no one stars, (14:48) but I'm recommending the three star ones to people who enjoy romance or are looking for a (14:55) cowboy romance read.Okay. Yeah. Cowboy romance.That's funny. Yeah. I have learned there are (15:01) lots of different topics for the romance books.The old tropes. Tropes. Yes.There's lots of (15:09) categories for that. Well, um, Audrey, you want to talk about how we met? Oh my goodness. Was I (15:14) the last one to move in out of the three of us? I think you were.Yeah. I think technically. But (15:18) barely, but like five months.I think I moved in like a month before you. I met you so late in the (15:22) game, Lindsay. Yeah.Adrienne, I met immediately before I had even moved in because. I hunt people (15:28) down in our neighborhood. Well, I think I came to you in this instance because I was walking Lulu (15:33) in her stroller and I went to the pool and we went in and you were so friendly, which surprises (15:40) no one in this room because you are the friendliest person.And I was like, Hey, (15:44) who are you? What are you doing? Who's that little child? (15:49) You had already had Lulu. Yes. Cause you were pregnant when I met you.Really? Oh yeah. You were (15:58) her first book club. And then we, I remember book club when you had just had slum, you came, (16:05) we sat in the back porch on the other side and you shared your birth story.And I was like, (16:11) don't get me started. Girl start crying. Yeah.That was, that was, that was very close to you (16:19) having slum too. Yeah, probably because the one that I, after I had flown, I had been home from (16:27) the hospital for like two days and I was like, I would go, but I didn't finish reading the book. (16:33) And Alex was like, Oh, you can't go.If you haven't read it. And I was like, I don't think so. (16:37) Cause it was like my second.Not because you had a child. No, no. I was like get me out of the house.(16:43) That's hilarious. Okay. So we met at the pool.As you were about to move in, you hadn't quite moved (16:49) in. But then I really disappeared. I feel like for a little while, cause Lulu was, I think she was (16:53) one or two months when we met.It was, and we had not moved in yet. And we moved in September of (16:59) 2021. And I didn't, maybe in the following summer that we really got to know you.Well, (17:04) I came to book club. My first book club I think was January, 2022. Okay.Maybe that I'm. And I (17:10) think, I think it was anxious people was the first time I met you whenever we read that. (17:14) I don't remember meeting rude.Eventually you were just for others that were friends. Yeah. (17:20) Good friends.But we all live in the same neighborhood. We all live within walking (17:25) distance. Our neighborhood is not a huge neighborhood.I would say typical suburb. We (17:29) are outside of Nashville for those not in the Nashville area listening to us. We're in Franklin, (17:37) Tennessee, and we, um, I would say an average, average neighborhood size, but yeah, maybe I'm (17:43) a smaller side.I would say for a community. We all have just gotten close through neighborhood (17:50) events, working together through building neighborhood events, but really also the pool (17:57) sitting around the pool and book club. Those are the two of the biggest parts of our neighborhood (18:03) for us.That's part for us. Yeah. And we were sitting around in book club about a month ago.(18:10) I'm so proud of that. We did this fast late. Everyone had left almost there's only handful (18:16) of, and we're still talking about books, but clubs hate to see us.We're still chatting and we're (18:23) still talking about books. Like that's the funny thing is we're not, we talk about other things, (18:28) but we're still at book club continually talking. I know the husbands think we don't actually talk (18:32) about books, but I promise they do.Yeah. We're like looking them up on, I know. So someone (18:37) threw out the comment, like we should start a podcast.And luckily both of you are type A people. (18:42) So you just make it happen. Yes.And here we are. And we're both stay at home moms. (18:47) Yes.Whereas you have a big girl job. Yes. But I listen to book podcasts all the time.(18:56) It is one of my favorite things to listen to. I listen to a lot of audio books, but (19:00) book podcast are, I'm always searching them out. So I was really excited about the potential (19:06) of starting our own.This is so fun. I'm so glad we did it. Yeah, me too.(19:12) So we should talk about what we are going to do in our future episodes. Break it down (19:17) how it's going to be. We are going to do three podcasts a month.One where we're going to do (19:23) a book club discussion. So we're going to pick a book for the month. We're all going to read it.(19:29) And then we're going to chat about it. Talk about what we like, what we didn't like. (19:34) Casting is always a fun one.Always heated. So we would love for you guys to read along with us. (19:41) And then listen in.This next month for April, we are going to be reading, what are we reading? (19:48) Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaughey. I think that's how you say it. (19:54) So start reading it now because I've been about, I don't know, I would say a month.(19:59) We are going to be discussing a book. We're also going to be at the beginning of each month (20:04) talking about what we read this past month and what is on our TBR for the next month. (20:09) So our next episode is going to be what we read in March and what is our TBR for April.(20:15) And those episodes will not include any spoilers. But the book club, don't listen to it if you don't (20:20) want to know what happens. Because we will be deep diving.Yes, definitely. And then the last (20:26) episode is going to be themed. We're going to talk about bookish topics, trends, deep dives, (20:32) anything that we feel called to speak about.Also, spoiler free. Yes. I think they're all (20:40) going to be spoiler free except for the actual book club where we're going to be like, yeah, (20:45) diving deep into it.That's the goal. That's if we don't slip up and we might have to cut it. (20:53) So you guys, please follow us on Instagram and TikTok and follow along with us.Read. We want (21:02) to hear from you guys. Yeah, our handle is books are on the block pod.Yes. On both. Yeah.All (21:10) right. Do you guys want to play a quick rapid fire game? Oh my gosh, I'm not prepared for this. (21:14) Yes, let's do it.Okay. Then that means it's really rapid. Yeah.Okay. Adrian, I'm going to (21:19) have you go first. Okay.All right. Here we go. Let's go.Ready? Okay. Adrian, what is the book (21:24) that made you cry? The Nightingale. Dang it.Sorry. What's the worst book you've ever read? (21:30) Oh, that Yellow Face. Oh, okay.That's surprising. The worst book? Okay. Hey, you know, you're (21:38) kind of, I'm not prepared as well.Okay, let's do it. Do you prefer series or standalone? I love (21:45) the idea of a series, but I don't have time for them. So standalones.Series feels very nostalgic (21:51) though. Like I remember being a kid and just riding my bike to the library to try to get the (21:58) next in the series. So there is a part of me that loves that.Favorite fictional character? (22:03) Oh goodness. That is a really difficult one. I honestly don't know.You can think about it. (22:12) I need to, that can't be a rapid fire for me. Do you DNF books? Yes, but rarely.Yeah. Okay. (22:21) And that's a newer, like in the past two years, I would say.Okay. All right. Audrey, same to you.(22:27) A book that made you cry? The Nightingale made me cry. 11-22-63 made me cry as well. The worst (22:34) book you've ever read? That, the Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Park Castle.Oh shoot, that was so bad. (22:41) That one, I truly think that might have been the worst one I've ever read. Do you prefer series or (22:47) standalones? Standalones.Favorite fictional character? If we're talking, this is hard. (22:54) A Court of Mist and Fury, Rhysand. I don't.Is that the one I didn't like? Probably. Okay. You (23:01) don't like Fantasy? No.Except for Quicksilver. I give it three. Okay.Three and a half. (23:07) Just for the end. 75% of the book was terrible, but the end was so good.Redeeming. Somewhat. Start to (23:14) finish.And do you DNF books? Yes, but not often. I'm the type that I'm, once I start something, (23:22) especially if I get 100 pages into it, I'm like, I'm here for the long haul, I guess. Yeah.But I (23:28) will skim with no regrets. You definitely should not have regrets about that. All right, Linz, (23:36) you ready? Yep.Girl, a book that made you cry? So, I don't cry at books. I don't know. I don't (23:42) know if you cry.Ever. I don't, I don't typically cry much either. But The Nightingale did not make (23:49) me cry.I would say mine was probably like A Walk to Remember back in the day. Oh, yeah. The worst (23:55) book you've ever read.It's definitely The Seven and a Half Husbands of Evelyn Hardcastle or (24:00) whatever that was. Death. Because not to be in the books, that was Evelyn Hugo.We read that book for (24:07) a book club and I wish I had accidentally read. Oh, that would have been great. Yeah.I'd already (24:12) read it though, so I knew it was different. That was truly the worst book I've ever read. Do you (24:16) prefer series or standalones? Standalones only because I never end up reading the second one.(24:24) I have so many where I have read the first in a series and never read any of the other ones. (24:31) Do you DNF books? I do not. I don't think I've ever DNF'd a book.Really? Wow. I don't. What if (24:40) you read like the first page and you're like, this is boring me.I want to try something. Oh, (24:43) wait. She's not a mood ringer.No. If I get far enough into a book that I realize I don't like it, (24:48) I'm just finishing it. I've never DNF'd a book.Oh, gosh. That's terrible. No, I've never DNF'd a book.(24:53) What a way to live. I know. I don't have enough time.No, that's true. You didn't ask me my (25:00) favorite fictional character. Oh, I'm so sorry.Because I do have an answer for that. You're (25:04) the one who, yeah. Lindsay, tell us your favorite fictional character.Nancy Drew. That's pretty (25:10) good. I love Nancy Drew.Oh, my God. When I was a kid, I read them all. I was obsessed.(25:15) Oh, so maybe I should say Baby-Sitters Club girl. Who? Christy? Definitely not Christy. (25:21) Stacey? I can't remember anybody else.Actually, I don't really like any of them as an individual. (25:25) I'm sorry. Can we rewind? Who? Baby-Sitters Club.Baby-Sitters Club. Okay. I'm so sorry.(25:29) I didn't hear that. I did love the twins for Sweet Valley High, though. (25:33) Mmm.Sweet Valley High. Oh. You're too young.Before your time. Yeah. You're too young.No. (25:43) We're not that far apart. No.Yeah. We can get into nostalgic books. Yeah, we should.We'll (25:49) definitely do an episode. Yes, that'll be one of our mini-episodes. Yeah.Yeah. I like that. (25:53) All right.Well, that is a wrap on our very first episode of Books Are on the Block, you guys. (25:57) Fun. We can't wait to start this journey with all of you.Like I said, follow us on Instagram (26:03) and TikTok. Our handles are booksaroundtheblockpod on both, and we want to hear from you. We want to (26:08) hear what your favorite book of all time is or your favorite fictional character.Do you DNF? (26:13) Answer all the rapid-fire questions. Inspire us. Yes.We want to hear, especially favorite (26:19) books of all time. Yeah. Good.Well, next time, we are going to be discussing in our next episode (26:26) the books that we read in March and what's on our TBR for April, and then the episode (26:32) at the end of April will be Wild Dark Shore. Sounds good. Yes.I'm excited. Can't wait. (26:39) Thanks so much.Thanks for listening. All right. Cheers.