Reader Confessions—Bookish Hills We'll Die On - Part 2

Five more bookish hills. One major disagreement. And The Tech Guy is confident he's going to win this one.

In this reader-focused follow-up to our fan-favorite Bookish Hills episode, I'm sharing five more hot takes that readers feel very strongly about, and this time, The Tech Guy actually knew what was coming.

We cover whether you should ever read a review before finishing a book, the case for always starting a series at book one, why taking a genre break might be exactly what your reading life needs, and why rereading a book you love is never time wasted. Then we get to Hill Five...

Drop your take in the comments.

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Transcript

Welcome And Listener Message

Ellie Alexander 0:05

Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Reality Writes. I am author Ellie Alexander. This is the podcast where we discuss all things bookish, writer-ish, and we try to give you a look behind the scenes at the writing life and everything that goes into sending a book out into the world. And I'm here today with the Tech Guy.

Tech Guy 0:26

Hello, hello. Uh, we're talking about some more controversial writer-ish, reader-ish topics this week.

Ellie Alexander 0:35

Ooh, it's gonna get ugly, readers, darling. No, it's not. Well, I don't know, it might.

Tech Guy 0:42

But first, I want to start out by reading a message we got from a listener uh via the send us a message link that I'm always talking about with our episodes. Uh, this was this came in on on our last episode where you talked all about your writing process and uh how everything that goes into that and the progression over time. This is a message from Erica in Tigered, Oregon. She said, Ellie, I'm so excited to hear this. I've taken your master class and I'm almost done with my first draft again.

Speaker 1:13

Yay! Right? Yeah, totally, Erica. That's that's good though. That's how it's supposed to be.

Tech Guy 1:19

Yeah, that's really great. So it sounds like Erica has been following the process that you talked about in that episode, and she is almost done with the first draft of a book, which is a massive accomplishment.

Ellie Alexander 1:31

It's such a huge accomplishment, and it usually takes a few rounds, like we talked about in the last episode of Reality Rights. So yay to you, Erica, for sticking with it. I think that's honestly the hardest part. It's it's so easy to get discouraged and just give up. So you didn't. You're almost there. Home stretch.

Tech Guy 1:48

That's right. That's right. And for anybody else that wants to get in touch, just go to the show notes of the episode you're listening to and click that send us a message link and you can send us a message uh via text or even voice if you so choose.

Speaker 2:04

Love it.

Five Reader Hills Part Two

Tech Guy 2:05

Today we're gonna talk about five controversial reader-ish hills that you would die on. Uh, five topics that people have very strong opinions about.

Ellie Alexander 2:16

Well, before we dive in too, we did an episode about this a while ago. And when we did my first five bookish hills that I would die on at the end, we said, you know, I think there's plenty of material for part two. So this is part two. And as I was thinking about hills that I will die on as a reader, then I was like, I think there's plenty of material for part three, maybe part four. So, darlings, this might be never ending. I don't know.

Tech Guy 2:39

Yeah. If there are topics that we do not cover in this part two, be sure to let us know in the comments and uh via send us a message. And maybe there's a part three in the near future. Who knows?

Ellie Alexander 2:51

Or maybe it just means that I am very opinionated when it comes to reading in books. And I don't think I am, but I clearly am because I feel strongly about all five of these.

Tech Guy 3:01

Yeah. Uh, you actually briefed me on this episode this week, so I know what the topics are, and I feel strongly about them as well.

Ellie Alexander 3:09

Oh okay. I can't wait.

No Reviews Until You Finish

Ellie Alexander 3:12

All right, yes. So without further ado, I will share my number one bookish hill that I would die on, which is that I never, ever, ever, ever read a review about a book that I am reading until after I have finished the book or after I have decided that I'm not finishing the book. Um, because as we talked about in that first version of this, I am completely okay with embracing DNF. If I don't love a book, I there's not, and it's not resonating with me. It just means it's not for me. And maybe it's not for me right then, but I set it aside. I don't want to be swayed by anyone else's opinion of a book while I am reading the book. But as soon as I finish, whether I love a book, whether it's kind of mid, or whether I just have so much to figure out about what just happened in said book, then I will go and read reviews. And not because I'm necessarily interested in how someone's reading it, but I then I'm just so hungry after the fact to figure out, like, oh, who were the other darlings that felt like me, or did you pick up on those themes, or did I miss things, or you know, anything like that. But I don't want to be tainted. I don't want to go into a read having any sense of what other people are thinking until I've finished.

Tech Guy 4:29

Yeah. And the other thing about that too is with negative reviews, especially, you don't know what's going on in that person's life. Like maybe they loved the book, but they were just having a really, really hard time in life at the time. And it was cathartic to just like unleash on the poor author. Right. Um maybe, maybe the book was deserving of the negative review, too. I mean, there is that, but yes, I I agree. Um, it's just really you you want to form your own opinion, and you can't do that if you read about what everyone else thinks before you start a book.

Ellie Alexander 5:04

But see, in our relationship, this is also true for me in any sort of media. Like if we go to a movie, I don't, I don't know anything about it. Maybe short of seeing the previews. Sometimes I haven't even seen the previews. I'm just in for the title or the concept. And then the minute we get home, I have to then go and figure out what reviewers are saying and like hash it out right after the fact, which is the same for the book. I don't know if you're as like militant about needing to know what other people think after you finish a book or movie, or you're more like sly about it, I guess, if you do.

Tech Guy 5:39

Well, on the topic of movies, I think I tend to know more about them going into seeing them than you do, uh, just naturally, um, because it's a topic I'm really interested in. So a lot of the times I'll learn about plot points and everything just through maybe learning more about the production of the movie and you know, the special effects or the practical effects or things like that.

Ellie Alexander 6:05

But like with a book, let's say you've just finished Dungeon Carl Carl Carl. Why can I never say that? Dungeon Crawler Carl or like a Martha Wells book. Like when you finish, I never see you like racing to go see what other people think afterwards. Do you?

Tech Guy 6:23

I mean, that's the truth of the matter is I don't care what other people think. So I I honestly, I honestly, the only book reviews I read on occasion are reviews of your books. And then you tell me not to because uh like somebody will leave some unhinged review that's completely false and I'll get all spun up and you'll be like, let it go, let it go. Yeah. So I I actually this is not a topic I have a problem with because I just don't read reviews.

Ellie Alexander 6:51

Yeah, that's what I thought. Yeah, that's my sense.

Tech Guy 6:54

Yeah.

Ellie Alexander 6:54

Yeah. Where I definitely read reviews after the fact. After the fact, because I want my opinion validated, I want it confirmed, whether I love it or I hate it. I want to have that point of connection with other readers to feel like, oh, okay, yes, yes, you love that too. Okay.

Tech Guy 7:11

Well, and part of the reason for me is I have some friends who are readers who are extremely opinionated about books, and they'll tell me, oh, you you will love this one or you should love this one. And I'm like, you know what? I'll decide if I love it or not.

Ellie Alexander 7:26

You know what? Fine.

Tech Guy 7:29

It's great that they love it. I mean, that's I and that's the thing for me with reviews. Like, if somebody doesn't like something, great, they don't like it. I don't I don't know why you need to tell everybody else about it.

Ellie Alexander 7:39

Okay, darlings, we want you to weigh in. What do you think of about this? Do you read reviews before, after, during a read? Like, do you have a policy? I'm super curious.

Tech Guy 7:49

No, and and obviously, thousands and thousands of people write reviews. So they're I don't think they'd be writing them if people weren't reading them, but I I am curious to know what uh the darlings out there, what what their opinion is on this particular hill.

Ellie Alexander 8:03

Well, I'm still dying on this hill. After is the only answer.

Tech Guy 8:08

After after. Love it. Love it. All right, what's number two?

Always Read Series In Order

Ellie Alexander 8:12

Number two, this one is definitely going to be a hot topic. I I know, I know, before these words even escape my lips. And that is you should read a series in order. Really, you absolutely should read a series in order. And of course, I'm saying that as someone who writes series, but as a reader, I read series in order because I want to know all the things. I want to go on a journey with a character. I want to see them develop. I want the emotional payoff of knowing who they were when they started and where they are at book 15. I want it all. I want it all. I do not want to jump in midway through a series. I have actually never done that in my entire reading career. I always start from book one.

Tech Guy 9:01

I could not agree more with this with you on this one. Um, this, no, I I mean, I I would be physically ill. And listen, darlings, I understand this is probably a problem, but I would be physically ill if I read a book and found out that it was book two or three after the fact. I might my brain might break at that point. I just might it would be, I would be, I would be so disappointed in myself. Devastated is the word that comes to mind.

Speaker 9:32

Devastated.

Tech Guy 9:34

Devastated. There there's a reason that the books are written in the order that they're written in. Um, so I think you know, I I'm a rule follower. I like to I follow, I follow instructions. I read the instructions, I follow the rules. So if books are if if there's a book series and it's it's a series in order, I'm gonna read it in order. Um, I am curious though, I do have a question that I hadn't thought of before, but you as an author obviously chose to write the series or any series that you write. You obviously choose to write those books in a specific order, but you didn't write Live and Let Pie before you wrote Meet Your Baker. So you already have an idea of there being kind of a linear story line that goes that you know that spreads throughout the the series. So do you expect readers to do the same, to follow that that linear path?

Ellie Alexander 10:32

I know. I want readers to do the same. I'm less of a rule follower than you are, but when it comes to series, that is 100% true, darlings.

Tech Guy 10:41

100% true.

Ellie Alexander 10:43

Rules are suggestions, they are open to interpretation. You should break them. Uh, but no, when it comes to series, yes. And I hear from darlings all the time who jump into the series, The Bake Shop Let's Use, The Bake Shop Mysteries. I mean, because book 23 comes out this fall. That's a lot of books. That's a big ask for somebody to say, like, hey, you're you want to start at book one and you have to commit to reading 23. Like, I understand. And there are lots of books in the world. And I do appreciate it when I hear from darlings who pick the series up at Live and Let Pie or Book Four, Book 17, or whatever it is. Uh, my job as a writer, of course, is to give you enough backstory to hopefully set the world and the scene so that you are sinking in and you're not super lost. But there is so much that goes into building a series and all of the characters and the secondary characters, they all have arcs and growth journeys. And for me as a reader like you, I don't want to jump into a series and then learn, you know, that this like romance that I was shipping at the beginning. Oh, they that they broke up or they're long married now. Like, I I lose the thrill of some of that. And then, of course, with mysteries, a lot of times you have some sort of subplot, which is often another mystery or something else that readers are solving. So if you jump in part way through, like you might miss out on all of that too.

Tech Guy 12:11

Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I think what especially with a long-running series, like just taking the Bait Shop Mysteries as an example, the 23rd book comes out in in just a couple months. And with that, 23 books, uh, if you just started on book 18, for example, there might be uh characters who have been introduced three or four books into the series and have left since then that you would not even know about at all. Uh if if you started later. So it is those, those are the types of things I worry about. Now, hey, I get it. Some people doesn't matter to them, and that's great. Um I it just like I said, it would break my brain. If I started, I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I would the whole time I would be thinking about what did I miss in the first, you know, whatever number of books.

Ellie Alexander 13:08

Yeah, it's too much FOMO. I I'm just gonna be jealous of anyone who went all the way along. I will say though, from a writing perspective, it is the highest compliment that I can get when a reader reaches out and says, I just picked up book 20 and I was fully in that world and I loved it, and I'm gonna go back or I'm gonna keep reading from this point forward. We're just starting to get early reviews of the Pumpkin Vice Cafe, which is book 23 in. And I can't believe how many new readers there are that are sharing reviews and saying, this was my first book and I loved it. So, like that makes me feel good because I want to make sure as a writer that I am able to put you in that position, even if there are, let's say, characters like you mentioned who have come and gone, if if they happen to come back, let's say, for pumpkin vice. I'm not saying they are, but long-term darlings might be like, ooh, say more. Um, that I give you enough background and backstory so that you feel really knowledgeable about the world you're living in temporarily.

Tech Guy 14:07

Yeah, and you do get those comments all the time. I see them come through the website, and it is, it's always, you know, and with that many books, I guess there are a lot of opportunities for people to start mid-series, especially people who uh use the library, for example. And and you know, you get to maybe, maybe you're you want to start the series, but the first three books are on hold until October or whatever. So you start with book four and go from there, and then you can go back and read them later. And um, and you know, it is so from a writing perspective, that has always been uh something that has um really I I've just been amazed by that that you're able to do that and and keep people as interested.

Ellie Alexander 14:53

Yeah, and I really appreciate it when readers do give something a try, because for me, being this, you know, um rigid, I guess, on needing to start a series from the beginning, I might be missing out on other series that I'm not willing to give a try because I'm like, oh, that's a lot of books, or you know, sometimes even with the same thing, like TV shows where you're like, oh, that looks great. Oh, there are 20 seasons. Like, do I want to commit? So I appreciate you, darlings, when you do jump in. I appreciate you. I still am dying on the hill that I'm starting a series from book one.

Tech Guy 15:27

Right, yeah. All right. So, darlings out there listening, do you read a series in order? I want to know. I got and if and if you don't, I I have to know how do you not do it?

Speaker 15:39

How tell us.

Tech Guy 15:42

Yeah, I I I have to know. Um okay, uh, what's what's hill number

Take Breaks From Genre Binges

Tech Guy 15:48

three?

Ellie Alexander 15:48

Ooh, hill number three is I think it's so important to give yourself a break from whatever genre you've been binging for a while. So I've been in a mystery kick. I've been reading so many mysteries the last few months, and I just got to one that was not a match for me at all. Um, and so sometimes I think this is true if you really have gotten into like a reading slump, that it's important to shake it up and try a different genre. But sometimes I think it's important just to give yourself a break. So I'm reading uh nonfiction right now that is completely different than mysteries. I'm I'm taking a break, um, and then I'll come back to it. And I do that a lot because I am the type of reader who tends to go deep into whatever genre. I will read historical fiction for months and months and months on end, and then I'll be like, wait, what am I doing? And I think it's important to cleanse our palate, to give something else a try, to give your brain a little break, just to shake it up a little bit. What about you?

Tech Guy 16:51

Um, uh that's a tough one because I don't necessarily feel like I intentionally take breaks. I kind of gravitate toward whatever I happen to be in the mood for. I really only read like three genres anyway. So um it's like it's like mystery slash thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy um are kind of my sweet spot, right? And if you can mash all those into the same book, that's perfection. Uh but uh uh yeah, I don't I don't I don't know that I I uh intentionally take a break, but I think that's a good idea. Um I you know, if if you're going too far down the path on one particular genre, you're likely to hit a low where you can't necessarily find a great book to read. And then that's going I I could see where that might cause frustration or maybe, you know, maybe maybe stop you, you know, have a bid stop you from reading uh for a while. So I think you know, keeping get keeping it fresh is is always a good thing.

Ellie Alexander 17:57

Yeah, and I think then, you know, things tend to blend together. I'm a really fast reader, which is great and also problematic because then I'll be like, did I read that? Oh yeah, I read that amongst seven other things that aren't like that cover that looks the same, and the storyline is basically the same. And I think shaking up genres then gives me new appreciation when I come back to something, you know, when I'm on a binge for one genre, I take a break, I walk away, and then a month later I'm like, oh, that's right, that's why I love this. Uh so I do think it's important to kind of, you know, vary what you're reading.

Tech Guy 18:31

Yeah, it keeps that interest sparked for sure. All right, for everyone out there again, do you take a break from the genre that you're stuck in, or do you stick to the same genre over and over and over again? Let us know. Uh, what are we at? One, two, three, we're on number four.

Rereading As Comfort And Care

Ellie Alexander 18:51

We're on number four. Okay, this one is a good one, and I'll be curious to hear what darlings think on this one. It's really something that I do quite often, and that is rereading a book is never a waste of time. I always love a reread, especially comfort reads. For example, I love the book I Capture the Castle Castle by Dodie Smith, and I stumbled upon it when we were in Portland a few months ago. I've read the book, I don't even know how many times now, but I just slipped back into it and read it in a few days. And it's just like going back, meeting old friends, being in a wrapped in a warm hug. Like there's just something so comforting about going to a back back to a book that you are really, really familiar with. But I know some readers feel like that's just kind of a waste of time because your TBR stack is so huge. Why would you reread a book that you've already read?

Tech Guy 19:52

Yeah, I I agree with this one too. I think I I don't think it's a waste of time at all. There are books that, well, I read a Christmas Carol every year. I just I I love it. Just a few months ago, we were in a bookshop up in Portland, and I saw this historian on on the shelf, and I was like, oh, I have to get that again. Um, scariest book I've ever read in my life, but I want to read it again. Uh I don't know why. I don't know why. I but I I was very excited to find it and and and want to read it again. I've read um Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy probably seven or eight times. Um there are just some books that you know I I can see why people don't. I can see one of the one of the reasons I think people might not reread books is uh but besides thinking it might be a waste of time, is maybe especially if you haven't read a book for a long time and you only read it once, going back to reread it, uh it's maybe going to disappoint you. Maybe it's not all that you've built it up to be. I I can see that happening.

Ellie Alexander 20:57

I worry about that all the time. And and I mean there is truth to that. I've reread Agatha Christie, I've reread childhood books, and you know, sometimes pieces of those don't hold up in terms of modern culture, right? So so there is that element that sometimes I have to like decide am I willing to look past that because I still, you know, love Agatha's writing or, you know, her storytelling. Even I Capture the Castle, I think you especially run into this if you're rereading books from a hundred years ago plus Jane Austen, et cetera. But um, you know, I just I feel like there is something to it. And what I think is fascinating is over the last few years, especially with Gen Z and even Millennials in the mix now, you see a lot of comfort show rewatching. Like Sky Guy, our kiddo, has rewatched The Office so many times. The the entire office, every season of The Office, so many times. He could quote every single episode, but there has have been studies done where therapists are like, no. This is a way that you are self-soothing and you're comforting yourself because you're slipping back into this world that you're familiar with. You don't, you, you know how it ends, so it's okay. And I'm always fascinated with that because I will hear from darlings who reread cozy's and they're like, Yeah, I don't really care if I remember who the killer is because I just want to be back in Jewel's world, or I want to be in the bookshop with Annie, or I want to be with Sloane. Um, so I I do think there's really something to that. It's good for our mental health, is what I'm saying.

Tech Guy 22:29

And you know, the other thing about this topic and listening to people talk about it too is no one ever brings this up when it comes to movies and TV shows. But but for books, it's somehow an issue. And I don't get that at all. You re-watch the same movie four times and it's a you know two-hour movie. You've you spend eight hours watching the same movie that and you know what's gonna happen, you're not gonna be surprised by re-watching the movie any more than you will be by rereading the book. So I don't think it's a waste of time at all. If it if it makes you happy, go for it.

Ellie Alexander 23:06

Yeah, and you could argue with movies, it's the same thing. Yeah, a movie doesn't have a TBR, but there are so many movies that we want to see that we haven't seen, but I'll still sometimes pick a re-watch over that. So yeah, I'm curious to hear from you, darlings. I really want to know also what are the books that you keep going back to? What are your rereads? Are they something that are gonna keep you up at night? Like the historian? What the heck?

Tech Guy 23:33

That's so funny. I was gonna ask the exact same thing. I wanted to know if they reread books, but I wanted to know specifically which books they want to, you know, that they do reread.

Ellie Alexander 23:41

So yes, tell us. There you go. I'm gonna warn everyone, or you will likely know, darlings, when the tuck guy has reread the historian because he's gonna be like shaking in a corner for every podcast that we do, because that book terrified you 20 years ago.

Tech Guy 23:58

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was it's been a couple decades since I since I last read it. And honestly, it's not even gonna feel like a reread because I don't, to be honest, I don't clearly remember all the details of it. Um, I I the it may come back to me as I'm reading it, but I just remember lying in bed, sweating, literally sweating from having read this, and then just laying there like eyes wide open, like, what was that? You hear that noise? What was that? You know, just it was it was uh terrifying. Uh, I think I might start that tonight.

Ellie Alexander 24:35

Okay, great. I'll sleep in another room. That's all good. No, it will be really fascinating with something like that. Now, rereading it with some distance is it still gonna be a scary too, you know? Like we that that all of those things are so fascinating, which again is why I think it's absolutely fine for you to reread a book that you've already read before.

Tech Guy 24:56

Yep, agreed, agreed. All right. Brings us to number five.

One Book Only Versus Multitasking

Ellie Alexander 25:03

Number five, who these are all actually I'm surprised. We haven't really we've we've agreed on more than I thought, actually. Um, this one though, this might be where we have a real Oh, this is gonna break the streak.

Tech Guy 25:17

Okay.

Ellie Alexander 25:17

This might, this might. I mean, I would say there've been a couple that you've been more like mid-level on, or like not not one way or the other. But um, this one I think I think we have a different opinion on.

Tech Guy 25:29

Okay.

Ellie Alexander 25:30

I say you cannot read more than one book at a time. And I know there are a lot of darlings out there who are reading like three books at a time. I that you can't. You cannot. You have to be fully immersed in the book that you were in. You have to be in the moment. You should only be reading one book at a time. One, that's it.

Tech Guy 25:53

Are you talking about physically, like exactly at the same time?

Ellie Alexander 25:56

Or just like I mean, yes, that too. Uh you have an audio going and you're reading, and no. Sorry.

Tech Guy 26:05

No. I am sorry to tell you, but you are 100% wrong on this topic. Uh, not only can you, but I believe that you should read more than one book at a time. Because, and and just hear me out, hear me out, because I read in bed, I read on vacation, I read while running, I read uh you know, audiobooks, um, just in case somebody thought I was running down the street holding a book in my hands. And I feel like there are different interests during those different activities or times or whatever. So, for example, I can't read a book, I can't start a book while uh you know, every night when I'm going to bed, for example, reading on my Kindle or reading the the paper copy of it, and then try to find where I'm at in an audio book while I'm running. So that that's just that issue.

Ellie Alexander 27:07

This this seems you're gonna this is a technicality, is what you're saying.

Tech Guy 27:11

But the other the other thing is there are books where like when I'm running, I may listen to a book that I have to concentrate on more for two reasons. One, I don't want to read that book while I'm in bed because I will fall asleep and then have to go back four or five pages every night, and that will be even slower than I already read to finish the book. But two, if it's something that I have to concentrate on more, it keeps my mind off the excruciating agony of running.

Ellie Alexander 27:43

Oh, come on. You're just trying to win sympathy points from the darlings. Darlings, do not buy into this. He's just trying to appease your kind, tender hearts here.

Tech Guy 27:55

Yeah, so I think right now I'm reading two, I'm reading, I'm only reading two books right now.

Speaker 28:01

Only, only reading two books.

Tech Guy 28:02

But I've I've been known to read three or more books at a time. Um, I which you know I'm a I'm a slower reader than you by far already. And so this really stretches it out because there've been more than one time where you'll look over and you're like, you're still reading that book, and it'll be like four months later. And I'm like, I haven't finished it yet, but I finished these other two books.

Ellie Alexander 28:25

Yeah, I mean, okay, I do, I I can see your point, and I still disagree because I think when you are in a world, in a moment, even in fiction, like I want to be fully, completely present in that world. I don't want anything else distracting me. I feel strongly about this. Like, I don't ever have my phone out when we're watching TV because I don't like the whole second screen thing. Like, I want to be fully focused on one thing at a time, which is how my brain works too, because that's how I am when I'm writing a book. I am only writing one book at a time because I am creating that world. I'm using all of my energy, all of my creative headspace to be in that world. So I parallel that to the way that I want to read.

Tech Guy 29:10

Yeah, see, whereas in my like mad workshop here, I'm making candles, I got stickers cutting over here, and I'm heat pressing aprons on the other side of the room all at the same time. Yeah.

Ellie Alexander 29:25

I'm very curious to hear the darlings weigh in on this because I have a feeling, darlings, you might might side more with the tech guy, but you should not. Don't let his running story sway you from what you know the truth to be, which is that you should not read more than one book at a time.

Tech Guy 29:42

Can you hear the panic in her voice, darlings? She knows that that she's gonna get outvoted on this one by a lot. The margin is gonna be huge.

Speaker 29:51

Okay, okay.

Tech Guy 29:52

I can't wait. I cannot wait. Oh, all right.

Vote Your Takeaways And Wrap

Tech Guy 29:56

That is five bookish hills to die on for sure.

Ellie Alexander 30:00

Yes. Uh, and I still maintain now that we have done part two, I think there's enough for part three. I still have quite a few, quite a few thoughts on this topic. So I will save them for the sake of time, but we're coming back to this topic. I can feel it.

Tech Guy 30:17

Oh, yeah. No, she's selling part three because she knows she's gonna get decimated by number five in part two. So she she needs a part three to even the score back. All right. Well, that's five bookish hills to die on. Uh, hey, let us know in the comments what you think. Uh, really curious to know, especially number five. Go with me. Um, yeah. And and be sure to follow us and hit that subscribe button so you won't miss an episode of Reality Writes and send us a message. We'd love to hear from the listeners out there. So until next time.

Ellie Alexander 30:56

Till next time.