Hi guys, welcome back to I'll read what she's reading. I'm Michaela. I'm Reggie, and I'm Kennedy. And today we're recommending books for our listeners. You guys answered in a question box some songs. I heard some s I saw some songs. I don't know if any of us chose some songs, TV shows, movies, something that feels similar to something, and we're rev recommending a book for you guys. Um, but before we begin, we're going to update you guys on books we've been reading. Yeah. Reggie, do you want to go first?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um I have been on top of my summer TBR, which has been great. Oh, I completely forgot about that. I read, okay, I read A Day Like This by Kelly McNeil. Do you guys remember when I was talking about wanting to read this? Yeah, May Luna, right? Yeah. Yeah, authority. It was not what I was expecting it to be. Uh it's like I don't even really know what to say about it because I think from the synopsis, I was expecting something a lot different. But essentially, it's about so the the story begins with this mom and her daughter's sick, and she's gotta hurry and take her to the pediatrician because she's just got like a really high fever. And she's on the phone with her husband, who's like across the world on business, and she's like, I it's like a really bad storm out, like I don't know if I'm gonna make it to her appointment on time, and she's just like really stressed, like really worried about her daughter because she's been really sick. They get in the car, they get in a car accident, and she wakes up from in the hospital, and she's like, Is my daughter okay? Like, is my daughter okay? And they're like, What are you talking about? You don't have a daughter. There was not a girl, there's not a daughter in the car, and she's like, No, I have a daughter. Her name is Hannah. Like, she's telling them everything about her, and they're like, sorry, like you don't have a you don't have a daughter. And I she's like, Yes, I do. And then she's like, I need to talk to my husband, and they're like being really weird about it. Well then her all of a sudden her husband just like walks in and he's like being kind of standoffish. Apparently, her and her husband have been separated and her life is just like completely turned upside down, and so she's trying to figure out where she goes from here because she's like, No, like I'm married to my husband, we live in this specific house. Like, she can recall so many different details, and some things start to line up where she's like, Okay, like this makes sense. Like, you know, it was good. I thought I was gonna read it a lot higher than I did. I gave it three stars, hoping to read it a little higher. I think the second half just kind of lost me a little bit, but then by the end, I was like, Oh, I liked how it ended, but the second half really lost me for a second. I was like, what is going on? So not like Me Luna at all.
SPEAKER_01No, is it it's not a romance, is it? Is it romance? No, no, not really. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Uh we love a girl that's got range. Yeah, it's range. It it's something. Like, I can't even decide if I would say I'd recommend it. I don't know. But if that sounds like interesting to you and you're curious, like, oh, it does. Where does this go? Maybe you'd be interested to pick it up. But yeah, it just wasn't what I was expecting it to be. Uh and what else? I um I'm currently reading uh three books. Number one, The Odyssey. Oh you guys heard that I'm on my epic, The Musical Grind, and it's just been like the Odyssey is just in my brain. And we got tickets to the movie. I was like, if the I can't stop singing these songs and like watching all the behind the scenes of the movie, I'm like, let me just dive in a little deeper and like actually read the book. So I'm like almost halfway through. I'm doing the audiobook. Um, what's his name? The guy that plays Dumbledore is narrates it. It's actually pretty good. It's just kind of hard. I think if I had no like I never read it in high school. I think if I had like not very much knowledge of the Odyssey, I'd be really lost. But I think since I'm already pretty familiar with the story, it's been easy for me to like follow along. And it's actually been really fascinating because Yeah, just to like see differences from like, I don't know, other adaptations that people have done of it or like what people say, because there's lots of different retellings of it. So to actually like read it and be like, oh, it's been really interesting. So I'm excited for the movie. Uh and then I'm doing my Hunger Games reread. I started the first book. If anyone I made my own little fable group, if anyone wants to read along with me, it's been kind of fun. I've got some friends on there reading it with me. And I also started Star Side by Alex Astor. I'm like 35, 30% of the way through. I don't really know how I feel about it yet. I don't like I'm not gonna say anything really, because I don't know. I'm just kind of like, wait, where is this going?
SPEAKER_02Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00I don't know. But then at the same time, I already have my guesses of how it's gonna end, so we'll see. Um I'm doing the audiobook and reading it on my Kindle. So yeah, it's been interesting. I am really looking forward to see. I just like keep trying to like, I'm trying to read it as much as I can because I don't want to like I feel like I need to just kind of binge it. It's interesting. I'm really liking the magic system. It's actually really cool. Like there's all these different swords, and each sword's like kind of a different metal. Hmm. Which I was like kind of funny to me because I was like trying to decide if I read this or this part. But um yeah, I yeah, it's been it's been interesting so far. There's things that I've liked about it and some things where I'm like a little confused with like I'm like there's some missing plot points already that I'm kinda like, what in the world? But who knows? I've heard some things about it that makes me uh push it lower in my TBR.
SPEAKER_01Really? I've I don't want to say what because I don't want to like, you know.
SPEAKER_00I think I've really mostly seen really good things. So I my expectations are low, but I mean I'm enjoying it. I think I just have a lot of questions. Like I won't even I won't even say, but it's just it's just been there's if one element to it that I'm like, why haven't we explored this yet? I don't know. It's been interesting, but we'll see.
SPEAKER_01So you're a multitasking woman.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I have like a lot going on. I the Odyssey is just one that like I turn on when I'm like don't have a ton of time to like, you know what I mean? Yeah. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01Uh Kennedy, would you like to go? Sure. Better rough go about. Guys, I really think I'm gonna have to start rereading stuff because I literally have not physically read a book in the last probably two weeks. I've maybe read for an hour. I just nothing is really exciting me, and I feel like every book that I'm reading, I'm being overly harsh about it, so I feel like I need to reread something that I know I'm gonna love to like to to bring back the spark for reading. Yeah. Because it's gone. It's gone. Um, but I've read some very meh books lately. First one being Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick. Guys, I literally did not know. I knew of her, like I knew her face, but I didn't put together that this was written by an influencer until after I started it. Have you guys seen do you know who Brooke is? Yeah, yeah. She has like that podcast. I feel like if you saw a picture of her, you know who she is. Let me show you a picture of her. She has a podcast. Do you know who this is? Does this look familiar to you? Yeah. Oh, sort of, yeah. Anyways, she's got a podcast. She's an influencer. So I went into it. Not really. I I mean, like, I know who she is, but I don't follow her. So I do think if you follow her and know who she is, you probably will like the book a lot more than I did. Basically, you're following a almost 30-year-old who has extreme romantic anxiety. And the whole goal of her of the book is her trying to lose it, you know?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I see.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, and I did really enjoy the anxiety representation. I could relate a lot to when she would talk about her physical anxiety and just having social anxiety and all the things. So I enjoyed that, but there wasn't really anything super special about it. It just kind of was very cut and dry. Here's your romance book. There was a quote plot twist that I necessarily didn't see coming, but at the same time was predictable. I know that sounds crazy, but it was fine. I think it's a really easy listen if you're in the mood for a silly little rom-com. And if you follow Brooke closely, you'll probably really love it. And then I am currently listening to The Plea by Steve Kavanaugh. I think I'm like 30% of the way in. And um, moral of the story is uh don't be close to Eddie Flynn. Anyone close to Eddie Flynn just gets screwed over. So um, I mean, we've talked about the Eddie Flynn series enough on the podcast, I don't need to get too much into it, but they're nice little courtroom drama with mob bosses and illegal things going on and lawyer antics and law and you know it's suits. Yeah. So it suits. But seriously, if you guys have a recommendation for me to read, please give it to me. My sister-in-law actually texted me about the one book that was circulating on Book Talk. We talked about it, I think. She texted me and she said, if you're still in a slump, I really recommend because I killed him. The new to the dysopian book. Yeah. She says it's great Gatsby vibes, and it's on Kindle Unlimited. Yeah, I've heard literally nothing but good things. So I might pick that up, but also I gotta read my uh summer TBR. So anyways, Michaela, passing the torch to you. Passing the torch to me. Um, I read Fever Dream by Elsie Silver. Um it's Emmett, and if you guys have read the The billionaire one? No, not Chestnut Springs, the other one. Chestnut Springs. If you've read Chestnut Springs, Emmett is the douchey bull rider. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's about him? Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I didn't realize that. Yeah, so there's like a little bit of callback, like with um, because you know Silva, Theo. Oh yeah, Silva, yeah. Theo and him like butt heads. So yeah, it's about him. I did not realize that's who it was about. Yeah. It's kind of fun. It's like um The wrong Paris, if anyone has ever watched that on Netflix with Miranda Crosswell. It's a dating show. What in the world? If there's a dating show aspect, pretty much he needs to save his family's farm from bankruptcy, and so they poach him for a dating show, and he says yes because he gets a fat check from it. So, anyways, it was fun, it was a good time. I really, I really liked it. So, and then um I am currently reading The Someday Garden by Ashley Post. I'm intrigued so far. I'm not very far into it, but one of our uh summer book clubs, yeah. Yes, summer book club, it's different. I don't know. Well, you know, obviously there's some magical realism. I haven't quite gotten to that part yet. I was just gonna ask you what it was, so I don't think I've gotten there so far. Okay. Um but there is like a pretty like sad plot line and it it's sad, actually. I wasn't expecting it to be sad. So not a summer read? It is a summer read. It is a summer read. It is because it takes place in summer in Maine. Oh um, but anyways, I haven't I'm not very far into it, but it is our book club book. Um, so if anyone wants to join on Fable, wants to read it with us, we'll have uh podcast episode about our three romance books uh at the end of summer. So yeah. Anyways, that's what I've been up to. Nice. All right, are we getting into it?
SPEAKER_00Let's get into it.
SPEAKER_01Let's recommend some books for our listeners. You guys. Let's do it. All right, Reggie, do you want me you want to go?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Uh this is one of the most commonly asked ones. I'm gonna just answer for you guys because a lot of people were wanting, and I'm putting this specific set of books in these three categories, okay? People were asking for a complete fantasy series that's uh some of them were saying want one a complete series that's not very long, or a romanticy trilogy, all right? Okay. So for if you're looking for any of those three things, I'm going to recommend to you the War of Lost Hearts series. I knew where that was going. Carissa Broadbent because one, it's three books. It they're really great. I feel like it's kind of a nice change of pace from maybe other romantic books out there. Uh, we posted a TikTok the other day of I was like talking in the episode about how I just want something like fresh, like I need like more of a golden retriever kind of like male main character in a romanticy book. And someone commented and they were like, Well, what about Max from War of Lost Hearts? I was like, oh duh. Like he's he kind of gives those vibes. He's just like this little cinnamon roll, and you just love him to death. Um so if you're looking for something maybe a little bit different, I wouldn't say it's like super different from romantic books out there, but it's one, just very underrated, um really great characters, very cool plot, and yeah, there's only three books, and I just can't sing like say enough praises for Carissa Broadbent. Uh there's some really iconic moments in those books, and they're just not talked about. No, they're not at all. And I just think they're incredible. So that would be my recommendation for any of you looking for any of those three things.
SPEAKER_01So I love those great. Someone put something twisty. So I have three suggestions. Oh three. I'm going above and beyond for you. Um, My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney. Silent Patient by Alex McAlites or something. Yeah. In the rare chance, you have not read it. Rare chance. Some people I talk to about stuff, and I'm like, have you read Silent Patient? And they're like, no, and I'm like, what are you doing? It's one of those books that if you weren't on book talk three or four years ago, it's not talked about anymore. Yeah. So in their off chance that you haven't read Silent Patient, go read that. And Wayward Pines. Ah. Ah, by Blake Crouch. I literally had that on my note and then I erased it because I figured you would say that. Sorry. No, that's great. Didn't mean to take away. Kennedy read it first, okay? That's not what I was trying to get out. That's not what I was trying to get at first. She recommended it. All praises go to Kennedy for No, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, for real. I won't go into much because I went into blind into these books very blind. And I suggest you do the same. If you want something twisty, just want to pick up a book, not really know much about it. Makes it more twisty. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. So that's all I'm gonna say about those books. Take Michaela's word for it. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Um, someone said they want yearning. Actually, about 50 million of you said you want yearning. That was the highest but prompt, I would say, on the entire question box we did. Um, I'm only giving one book because it's one that we recently read for our Patreon. So if you read it and then want to sign up for Patreon to see our discussion, by all means go for it. Um Into the Blue by Emma Brody. I would say that's got some good yearning. You will yearn for the characters, you'll yearn with the characters. It's just one of the most unique romance books I've read in a really long time. Like Wikida said, on the off chance you haven't read it yet, because I feel like it's very, very prevalent on social media right now. But all of us read it at five stars, yes. Yes. All of us rate it at five stars, which that doesn't happen a lot with romance books for us. For fantasy, I'd say that's pretty common. Yeah. Romance, not so much. Um writer and famous actor, but it's so much more than that. So it's so much more. It's it's sad, it's funny. You know, I just had a really visceral reaction to the characters and the choices that they made. I would scream at them, I would slam my book down. It's just everything you could want in a romance book, I feel like. It's got it's got everything. That's a great suggestion for that. Yearning.
SPEAKER_02I love it.
SPEAKER_01Great record. Yearning slash soulmates. Yeah. Oh, also, it has one of the most interesting ways that I've ever heard love written about. Because truly it's almost like their souls are tethered together. That's the best way I can describe it.
SPEAKER_02Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm. It's so good. Yeah. The hype it is worth the hype in my opinion. Yeah. So 100%.
SPEAKER_00Okay. My turn. Uh Paige Turner that's not a thriller.
SPEAKER_02Mm.
SPEAKER_00And I maybe sound like such a broken record, but this was just like a page turning book for me. And maybe this is not what you guys would think I would say. But uh one of them is into the blue. Because I just felt like I was just like, where is this gonna go? Like there was just the yearning just had me, I was rooting for them so hard. I just needed to know what was happening. So I feel like if you're looking for kind of like a romance book that's like a page turner, that one to me felt like a page turner. It might not for everybody, but I'm gonna say into the blue, but I'm also gonna say The Bright Years by Sarah Demoff. It's pretty short, but like, and I can't really say why it's a page turner, but I remember like I turn a page and I'd be like gas, I'd be like, like, wait, you're kidding. There were just so many. It was like a gut punch after gut punch. You just know it's an emotional read. If you've heard me talk about it, you know why there's just like a lot it covers a lot of themes about, you know, grief and alcoholism, uh just family drama and yeah, love, lost all all the things. And I finished that book so fast. I could not put it down because I just was sucked in. I felt like I knew these people in real life, and you know, like when someone's like, I gotta spill the tea, I was like, No, like tell me more. I I couldn't put it down. Not saying that you might feel the same way when you read it, but I feel like with how short it is and the emotional impact that it had on me, and certain things I won't say about the plot that just had me dying to know where things were gonna go. I'm gonna recommend that. Maybe not what you were anticipating, but I'm gonna say that a thriller. Yeah, it's not a thriller. But that's I was trying to think of like the most recent books I've read that I couldn't put down, and those are the two that came to me. Great. Great record. I don't know if you guys have any that you can think of. I didn't have anything for that prompt.
SPEAKER_01Now that you say I feel like the favorites. Ooh. As I'm looking at it. Yeah. Lane Fargo? Lane Fargo. That was a page that was a page turner. I was very invested in what was going to happen.
SPEAKER_00So I need that as like a Amazon Prime. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You want to know? Someone asked for, and I didn't have write this down as a prompt, but basically someone was like, I want something that feels like Magnolia Parks slash the Boys of Tommen series. And this is a very loose suggestion. The favorites, because it's like messy drama, toxic people, standalone, will they won't they type vibe.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's a good one. Similar vibe. Now that you say the favorites, but yeah, anyways. Okay. This was so niche. But it says New York City setting. Oh my gosh, I have one for this too. Oh, really? You go first. This book made me think of you. Yeah. By oh my gosh, I should know this. Emily by Libby Page. Oh, I was close. Not even No, I wasn't. What Emily? Um, you if you uh have been a longtime listener, you have heard us talk about this a little bit. Um, but it's about um I I forget her name. It's about this character that her husband dies and he before he dies arranges with this bookstore that she's gonna receive a book for each month the next year, um, just to help her deal with all of the emotions and all of the feelings that she is feeling, and it takes place in New York, right? I think so, yeah. I'm pretty positive. I pictured it being in New York. Yeah, I'm pretty, I'm like almost 100% positive. It's in New York, so um, anyways, that one was just beautiful, in my opinion. Just like such a beautiful book, and I the setting of New York makes it fun too. So that's my recommendation for you. Such a good story about love. Yeah. Set of New York City. Yeah. Mine is almost the complete opposite of Michaela's. Not really. Okay, and I'm recommending this because it's almost like a love letter to New York City. Um, I particularly did not enjoy this book. So I probably haven't talked about this on the podcast actually. But The City We Became by N.K. Jemison. Have you guys ever heard me talk about this?
SPEAKER_00No. No.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I really didn't want to have stars. Oh. So it's not a glowing recommendation. However, I do think that maybe right book, wrong time, but also it was pitched to me as Stranger Things meets Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse. Whoa. So when you hear those, right. Yeah. My my thoughts exactly. Wow. Whoa. Yeah. Um, sure. It's like adjacent to that. Basically, um, I'll just read you the synopsis because it's really short. It says five New Yorkers must come together in order to defend their city. Every city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City, she's got five, but every city also has a dark side. A roiling ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all. So it's like sci-fi fantasy. Your five main characters are have like superpowers, essentially, if I'm remembering correctly, and they each represent one of the five main boroughs. So I mean, I can't remember the five main- what you got, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island. I don't know. I'm not from New York. But the entire time I read this book, I just was like, this is literally a love letter to New York City and New Yorkers. And fun fact, I am a New York City hater.
SPEAKER_00But we're going to New York City.
SPEAKER_01But we're going to New York. So maybe they'll convince me to like New York, but um really unique premise, just miss the mark for me. Yeah. Maybe that wasn't exactly what you were wanting as a recommendation, but it's New York. New York, man. You gotta park the car. Alright. Reggie?
SPEAKER_00Ooh, okay. Someone said easy to read sci-fi. That's not they said specifically, um uh Project Hail Mary. Like similar to Project Hail Mary, but not like Dune. That like Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01They liked Project Hail Mary but didn't like Dune. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I have two recommendations for you. Or should I just do one? Because I'm saying I'm saying the other book for a different one. Or just one than just one. Okay. My recommendation for you would just be something by Blake Crouch, whether it be pro I'd first recommend Dark Matter. Uh, because it's it is kind of thriller-y-ish, but it's definitely like kind of sci-fi, but not yeah, it's sci-fi. Uh very easy to understand. Uh, I feel like there's probably things that are talked about that go, you're kind of like, wait, what? I don't understand what that means. It's not important. It's not that important. I feel like Project Hell Mary's a lot more science-y than Dark Mat. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Would you guys agree? Yeah. I I remember Dark Matter at the beginning being hard to get through because he talks a lot about is he a physics physics professor or something? He's some sort of professor and he goes really into detail about whatever he's a professor of, but it's not that.
SPEAKER_00And yeah, Project Helmary is a lot more dense with uh science-y stuff. So I'd be surprised if you haven't read that already and you like kind of sci fi books, but definitely recommend that one. If you've read that one, you could read Recursion by Blake Crouch. I like Dark Matter a lot better. Uh, but that would be my recommendation for you is Dark Matter. If if we haven't convinced you to read that book yet, what you doing?
SPEAKER_01What are you doing?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's a great that's a great one. Yeah, it is a really good recommendation. Yeah. And then you can watch the show after. Because season two is coming out soon. Yeah. Um okay, someone said magical realism. Mm-hmm. I don't know if this is considered you guys tell me what you think, hey?
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_01The Book of Doors. Do you consider that magical realism? Yeah. Well, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's more magical realism than I'd say it is fantasy.
SPEAKER_01I don't know, because some books give them like straight up powers. Yeah, well that's magical. I would say because it takes place in modern world.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but I guess if you like But then you could take like any dystopian.
SPEAKER_01I don't know.
SPEAKER_00I would say it's adjacent. So like I think if they like magical realism, they'd probably really like the book of doors.
SPEAKER_01Book of Doors by Garth Gareth Brown. As long as anybody's talking about it, I don't care what you classify it as. So um I I have two. Also, Ashley Poston. Her books have magical realism. Definitely a lot less than Book of Doors. The Book of Doors. Yeah. Ashley Postin is a little romance heavy. Book of Doors is adventure heavy. Book of Doors. Yeah, Book of Doors is more like fantasy adjacent. Ashley Poston is more romance adjacent. Yeah. That's a good thing. Both of those are great recommendations. Yeah. Um, I there's the Book of Doors, sorry. What I'm trying to say is that there is this main character that you're following, she inherits this book from one of her like old friend neighbors, and it has an ability to open doors anywhere in the world. There's obviously more that goes into it, but um her having this book is a little dangerous. Yeah. You know, with any magic ability, magic object, you know, there's there's always gonna be someone trying to come get it. Uh-huh. Um, I think it was really fun. It was a fun, fun book. So, and then Ashley Poston, sprinkle a little of that, sprinkle a little of this. It's always pretty good. Mm-hmm. She's really good at sprinkling in the magical realism without it letting it distract from like the romance plot. And like it always is put together pretty nicely with the magical realism. So recommend both of those options if you're looking for something in that realm. Yeah. Both great recommendations for that, for sure. All right. I feel like this is kind of a niche. Someone wanted, yeah, this is kind of a niche want. Um, someone wanted something that gives off the Walking Dead vibes. Oh, I'm gonna tell you to read. Sorry, Blake Crouch is so prevalent in this episode, but I'm gonna tell you to read Run by Blake Crouch for a few different reasons. Um, gives off kind of that post-apocalyptic feel that obviously The Walking Dead has. It's got kind of those darker, the darker feel that The Walking Dead has. It's a little bit gory and gruesome like The Walking Dead. There are, well, maybe you'd consider them zombies. I don't know. The plot of the book is that there is a uh like a I don't want to say intercom, but you know when you get what do they call it? Like a special announcement, not an amber amber alert, but like there's an announcement over the news. An emergency. Yeah, an emergency broadcast. Thank you. Wow, emergency broadcast, yes. There's an emergency broadcast that goes over radios, TVs, can't remember the exact detail, but essentially it lets the name of people, our main character is one of them, and then they're trying to kill him. So he's literally on the run from these people who are trying to kill him. Whether or not they're brainwashed, zombies, who knows? But it's a crazy story. There were times that I read the book that I had to put it down because I was so physically ill. So wow, fantastic. Um, Blake Crouch's earlier works definitely are a lot more gory, gruesome, eerie. Yeah. And then his later works are definitely more sci-fi. So there's kind of like a branch in time for him, at least from what I've I've experienced. But if you like with The Walking Dead, try it out. It's kind of crazy. I think I've literally only watched one episode of The Walking Dead. And it scared me. And I watched the first episode and I couldn't do it. I was into it for a while. I think I watched maybe the first two seasons and then I stopped. But I don't know what it was in the first episode, but something scared me. I don't know if it's a jump screen.
SPEAKER_00I feel like it was like the first 10 minutes. I remember being like, ooh. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it's pretty scary. Yeah. For a TV show, yeah. Yeah. But it took over the world. Yeah. So that's great. I've never read or watched either of those, but I could see how those could correlate. Yeah. So fantastic ref.
SPEAKER_00All right. Um I just haven't talked about these books in so long. So this is just my excuse to talk about them. Someone asked, romance subplot that isn't fantasy. Mmm.
SPEAKER_02Oh.
SPEAKER_00The first thing that came to my brain was The Blighted Stars by Megan Yoki. Uh, I haven't talked about these books in a while, I feel like. There's three of them. It's called The Devoured World series. Yeah, three books. Uh, and if you haven't heard me talk about it in the past, essentially the first book follows there's this guy named Tarquin, and he's like an heir to it's takes place in the galaxy, okay? So it's like space opera kind of vibe. Um, he's like an an heir, and he has this bodyguard, and they end up on stranded on this planet, and his bodyguard, who is a female, there's this element to the plot where you can what I'm trying to like think of the right word. You can put your mind into someone else's body, and his enemy is put into his bodyguard's body. It sounds so weird. Is that is that how you're talking about it?
SPEAKER_01Bodyguard, it's like a chip, right?
SPEAKER_00Kinda, yeah. Yeah. I don't it's kind of a confusing They can like reprint You can reprint bodies.
SPEAKER_01And I'm pretty sure it's like a chip that it downloads all of your memories, all of your stuff, and they just like put it in. Right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So basically he's the heir to the dynasty, and he's dis so basically disguised as his bodyguard is his arch nemesis. And so they're trying to figure out how they're gonna get off this planet, but he doesn't know that his bodyguard is actually uh Naira is her name. Yeah. And so they're trying to figure out how they're gonna get off of this planet, and meanwhile, something's kinda go- There's the there is this like romantic subplot between the two of them. So very fun trilogy. I've never read anything quite like it. Uh, and I think it is just because it is sci-fi, and the whole printing of people is very different from anything I've read before. It can get a little confusing at times, and I feel like that's the only gripe I had with the three books was that it felt a little redundant and was kind of hard to keep track of like who is who and who is where and who's and what. Like it can get really confusing at times. Uh, but that's like like the only gripe I really had with the books by the third one. I finished the third one and I was like a sobbing blubbering mess. I loved how it ended. And yeah. There's some characters in there that I can't wait to reread those books again because there's this one specific character that I just didn't appreciate enough in the beginning that I just want to go back for him. So yeah, it's a fun series that I literally have not heard anybody else talk about. So yeah. I need to read it.
SPEAKER_01He'll get there eventually.
SPEAKER_00I think I'll maybe get you out of your reading slum.
SPEAKER_01I think I want to reread it physically.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So you listen to it? Yeah. Okay, so don't listen to it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I feel like the audiobook narrator is good because he does different voices for the people, but it almost makes it confusing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, okay. Uh I feel like also a lot of people asked about standalone fantasy books. And um, I have two that if you're wanting something a little bit more whimsical, is Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Both of those are technically standalones. Obviously, if you know Brandon Sanderson, they everything is like in a universe. They're all in a mirror. Called the Cosmere. The Cosmere, you know? Like everything. There's like cameos in every book from, you know, anyways, Hoyd. Hoyd. But highly recommend those if you're wanting to enter into the world of Brandon Sanderson, but don't want to quite commit to any of the series. They're very fun, lighthearted, fantastic graphic audios. Um, really recommend. I think they'd be just as fun reading too, but I feel like the graphic audios are make it really fun. Um, yeah, those are just some that I would recommend that it's not committing to really that much. So yeah. Standalone fantasies are hard to come by. Yeah. And Brandon has about 1,500 of them. So take your pick. Take your pick. Take your pick. Okay. All right. Someone asked for, this is also very specific, which I kind of like. It's kind of fun. A book that gives sipping on iced coffee on a porch swing. Oh. Love that. So in my head, this is this is why I'm choosing. I have two books. It's just kind of like a sweet, wholesome read that's lighthearted. Nothing that's like too crazy, makes you feel good, you know. That's the vibe I'm getting from like sitting, sipping iced coffee. Ironically, one of them is called Before the Coffee Gets Cold. And I'm not gonna attempt to say the name of the author because I will butcher it. But just search before the coffee gets cold on Goodreads, Fable, wherever, it'll pop up. Um basically, um, we're following four different storylines, and the premise of the book is that you enter into this magical coffee shop and you drink coffee and it transports you to another time of your life. Um, but you have to come back before the coffee gets cold, otherwise you're stuck, basically. So um it's really wholesome, it's very lighthearted and fun and cute. Um, some people like go back, if I'm remembering correctly, someone goes back to visit their mom who's passed away. It's just wholesome. It's so short. Biggest thing though is the writing does feel a little bit choppy and it feels very juvenile. Um, so kind of be aware of that. Some of the reviews on this book will say that it feels it reads almost more like a children's book than an adult book. Okay. But it's very short, wholesome, lighthearted read. And it has to do with ice coffee, kind of. Um, and then the other one is The House of the Cerulean Sea by TJ Clun. I think I said the title correctly. The House in the Cerulean Sea, my bad, by TJ Clun. Um my review for this book, it's the feeling of reading this book is the feeling that you get when you drink a cup of hot chocolate. It's like almost sickeningly sweet. You know, and you I hate to say you get sick of it after a while, but kind of. Um, if you are a 90s cartoon network baby like me, it gives off the similar vibe of house foster's home for imaginary friends. Um, we're following a social worker, if I'm remembering correctly, who goes to this house that is housing all of these quote misfit children who have magical powers. And he's trying to see if this home is a good fit for these kids. And it's so sweet and it's wholesome, and it just makes you feel good when you finish it. So those are my two recommendations for that prom. I love that. Love it.
SPEAKER_00Amazing. We need to do more episodes like these.
SPEAKER_01I know.
SPEAKER_00It's fun, it gets my brain working.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I also think it makes me think about some older books. I'm like, oh yeah, I really did like that. Um, thanks so much, you guys. We'll definitely be doing this in the future. Um, I hope you guys enjoy our recommendations for you guys. Um, you guys can shop our merch at allreadwhatsheesreading dot com, and you guys can follow us on social media at what she's ring shop or what she's ring pod on all platforms. And um, we'll see you guys next week. Bye.