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Don't have time for terrible ❤️
In today's BookTalks Podcast episode, we're reviewing Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry and discussing whether this new fantasy romance has what it takes to become the next massive fantasy series.From the worldbuilding and characters to the romance, plot twists, and overall reading experience, we're breaking down everything we loved, what surprised us, and whether we think Shield of Sparrows deserves all the attention it's been getting.Could this be the next fantasy obsession for readers who loved Fourth Wing, romantasy, and epic fantasy adventures? Join us as we share our full thoughts and recommendations.Have you read Shield of Sparrows? Let us know your rating in the comments!Subscribe for weekly book reviews, reading vlogs, fantasy discussions, and BookTalks Podcast episodes.#ShieldOfSparrows #DevneyPerry #FantasyBooks #BookReview #Romantasy
It was another theme night at Commercia Park!
And what is Fourth Wing night?
Dave is joined by Darryl on this week's Geektown Radio as they chat through the latest TV, film and gaming news, along with the shows and games they've been watching recently.Darryl kicks things off with a look at ‘High Potential' Season 2, the crime procedural starring Kaitlin Olson, which continues to deliver those fun “clever outsider helps the police” vibes. He also reviews ‘Mistletoe Murders', the surprisingly intriguing cosy crime series starring Sarah Drew, which is available in the UK on ITVX, along with Jackie Chan action thriller ‘The Shadow's Edge', and indie drama ‘The Bearded Girl'.Meanwhile, Dave has been diving into the early access release of ‘Subnautica 2', which builds on the underwater survival, base-building and monster-dodging brilliance of the original game. He also gives his thoughts on ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill', the Marvel one-shot style special bringing Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle further into the MCU, and discusses the finale of ‘Outlander', including its deliberately ambiguous ending. Plus, there's a look at ‘Good Omens 3', which wraps up the story of Crowley and Aziraphale in a 90-minute Prime Video finale.In the news section, we cover ‘The Lincoln Lawyer' ending with Season 5 on Netflix, Channel 4 cancelling ‘Pushers', and a huge batch of BBC comedy renewals including ‘Amandaland', ‘Black Ops', ‘Such Brave Girls', ‘Things You Should Have Done', ‘Mammoth' and ‘Two Doors Down'. We also discuss renewals for ‘Prisoner', ‘Running Point', ‘My Life with the Walter Boys', ‘Jury Duty', ‘Reacher', ‘Margo's Got Money Troubles', and more.There are also air date updates for ‘Ride with Norman Reedus' on ITVX, ‘Stuart Fails To Save The Universe' on HBO Max, ‘VisionQuest' on Disney+, and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 3 on Prime Video. Plus, Prime Video gives a series order to fantasy adaptation ‘Fourth Wing', while Peacock begins development on a live-action ‘Fast & Furious' TV series with Vin Diesel producing.Finally, we run through next week's TV highlights, including ‘Jack Ryan', ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed', ‘SkyMed', ‘The Boroughs', ‘PONIES', ‘Two Weeks in August', ‘Dear England', ‘Brokenwood Mysteries', ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', ‘Rick and Morty', and ‘Who Do You Think You Are?'.You can listen to Geektown Radio every week for TV, film and gaming chat, UK air date updates, renewals, cancellations, and all the latest entertainment news from Geektown.co.uk.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/geektown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jeff and Rebecca note The Guardian's new collaborative list of the 100 greatest novels of all time, ponder PRH's delivery of "a strong business performance, updated our Fourth Wing Ever Gets Adapted odds, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Discussed in this episode: The Guardian running down the 100 best novels of all time PRH reports strong first quarter Amazon has ordered the Fourth Wing adaptation to series, no casting news yet Florence Pugh to star in Midnight Library adaptation Margo's Got Money Troubles picked up for season 2 Good Omens is back to wrap things up without Neil Gaiman This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Merit Beauty. Right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag with your first order at meritbeauty.com. Head to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
OPHELIA is an original romantasy audio drama from Hatch: a sweeping trilogy inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, where Ophelia finally takes center stage. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, and enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance. Produced to help you unwind for sleep. Book 1 begins in a kingdom where magic is outlawed and the land itself is dying. Ophelia has always been expected to stay silent—agreeable, invisible, safe. But on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, something within her awakens.As she reconnects with Prince Hamlet, heir to a crumbling throne, and his brilliant, guarded friend Horatio, Ophelia is drawn into a dangerous world of court intrigue, hidden power, and forbidden attraction. Caught between love, loyalty, and a magic she cannot deny, she must decide: remain hidden… or risk everything for freedom, desire, and the fate of her kingdom.Narrated by Genevieve Gaunt, this immersive audio drama blends fantasy romance, forbidden magic, and slow-burning desire into a richly cinematic listening experience, perfect for unwinding at the end of the day. Ideal for fans of romantasy, fantasy romance, Shakespeare retellings, and narrative fiction podcasts, OPHELIA is a bold reimagining of a classic story told across a sweeping trilogy, thoughtfully designed for sleep.Book 1 is free wherever you listen. Books 2 and 3 available exclusively on Hatch+. Discover more at hatch.co/ophelia.
Upfronts news and Off Campus drops!In this episode of Previously On This Week, Jillian is diving into all the behind-the-scenes TV chaos, casting news, trailer drops, and fandom spirals currently taking over the internet. From The Summer I Turned Pretty blessing us with a new on-set photo of Lola Tung and Christopher Briney (yes…the fireplace is involved), to Netflix giving us Bridgerton Season 5 news and somehow giving My Life with the Walter Boys a Season 4 before Season 3 has even aired…there is A LOT to unpack.Jillian also breaks down the latest Outer Banks final season teaser, shares why the Fourth Wing adaptation getting officially greenlit at Prime Video is huge news for the romantasy girlies, and explains why she's suddenly fully obsessed with Off Campus after only one episode.Plus, first thoughts on the emotional devastation heading our way with Every Year After, why summer TV shows apparently exist solely to ruin our lives, and a quick update on all the upcoming Euphoria coverage with Tyler.If your algorithm currently looks like teen dramas, book adaptations, yearning, hockey romances, and emotionally unstable summer shows…this episode is for you!00:00:00 Intro to pod00:00:26 The Summer I Turned Pretty movie photo00:02:28 Bridgerton season 500:03:06 My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 AND 400:04:27 Outer Banks season 500:06:04 Fourth Wing on Prime Video00:08:43 Off Campus on Prime Video00:14:00 Every Year After on Prime Video00:15:07 Sad Summer Show of the YearThank you to Matt Buechele (@mattbooshell) for creating our new theme song. You can listen to "Sunscreen" on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1gFHHF3QyQxjbbKXV3qLu9Buy our merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PreviouslyOnTeenTVFollow Previously On Teen TV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/previouslyon_teentv/Follow Previously On Teen TV on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@previouslyon_teentvSubscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe2lgvvZGKMrQ8v24FmDdWQ?sub_confirmation=1
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Full show - Tuesday | Bad moms | News or Nope - Jamie Foxx, Fourth Wing, and Taylor Swift | Erica's dog obsession continues | Claim to fame | Candy's Confessions - My parents send me money every month, but here's what they don't know... | Can Slacker stop being a good dad now? | T. Hack conquered a fear | Are you cool? | Stupid stories www.instagram.com/theslackershow www.instagram.com/askslacker www.instagram.com/ericasheaaa www.instagram.com/thackiswack www.instagram.com/radioerin
What Books are Healthiest for Your Tween or Teen an Interview with Betsy Farquhar and Hayley Morell (Episode 293) *Disclaimer: Some of this content is not intended for young audiences. Please use discretion. Proverbs 4:7 NIV “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” *Transcription Below* Betsy Farquhar holds Masters degrees in Children's Literature and Information and Library Science. She taught middle and high school English, homeschooled her three children, and has served on many book award committees. Hayley Morell loves reading, writing, trying new recipes, knitting, or chatting with her parrot. Hayley loves traveling and lived abroad in Europe and Asia. She and her husband and infant live in Wisconsin in an old house overflowing with books and are active in their local community. Their Website, Book, and Social Media Handles: Instagram @redeemed_reader and Facebook: @redeemedreader Thank you to our sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka Questions and Topics We Cover: What are some benefits of reading and why is it worthwhile to devote our time to curating a healthy diet of books? Can you elaborate on why the Young Adult or YA category is the most controversial? What is on your radar for genres or books that will require even more discernment in the future? Other Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: 21. Promoting a Family Culture of Reading with Megan Kaeb 22. Inspiring Your Children to Become Readers, Part Two with Megan Kaeb 253. Low Tech Parenting with Erin Loechner 273. Wise Living: Why to Get Outside, and Travel, and Read Aloud with Amber O'Neal Johnston Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“ Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” *Transcription* Music: (0:00 – 0:11) Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:46) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today over 55 years later at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. Owned and operated by the Bertschi family, Sam Leman and Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over Central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at lemangm.com. My guests for today are Betsy Farquhar and Haley Morrill, two of the four authors of this book, The Redeemed Reader, which is also the name of the website that they run together where they have thousands of book reviews for children and tweens and teens. We all know that books are so powerful, so it's vitally important that we're discerning both for what we're intaking and the filters that we use to allow our children to engage with books in our home. We're going to sprinkle book recommendations throughout this episode, and you're also going to learn some surprising things, such as more details about the YA or young adult category. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Betsy and Haley. Betsy Farquhar: (1:48 - 1:49) Thanks. It's good to be here. Laura Dugger: (1:50 - 1:57) I would love to just start out hearing the way that the two of you found your way into the work that you get to do today. Betsy Farquhar: (1:58 - 2:42) Mine started way back in the 1900s when I was in college. I did my senior thesis on children's literature, George MacDonald, and that led to a children's literature class my last semester, which led me to grad school with one of my now co-workers, but at the time fellow students and friends, and we got our master's in children's literature. And then rabbit trail, lots of detours, children, marriage. She and I started a blog back when those were cool and hip, and it was reviewing children's books and that was just for fun. And then we connected with Janie and Emily from Redeemed Reader. Through that blog venue, we were commenting on each other's blogs, and they brought us on board. And so here we are 15 years later. Hayley Morell: (2:43 - 3:38) And for me, I was a high schooler. I was homeschooled. I loved reading. So, I started my own blog back in the teenage years and I was always looking for book recommendations and came upon Redeemed Reader in the early days. I turned out they were looking for an intern. I started interning and at the end of my internship, Emily Witten, who was our founder, asked if I'd like to stay on. And that was 14 or 15 years ago now. So, I was younger. And so, I had a period at college. I studied at Boyce College. I worked in children's ministry and worked as a private tutor. So, a lot of interactions with children. I was known as the babysitter with the book bag for a number of years. And now I've got my own little, and so I'm in the land of board books and happily working at Redeemed Reader. Laura Dugger: (3:39 - 3:49) I love hearing that. And if people are watching this through video, can you both just say your name, so we know who's Betsy and who's Haley? I'm Haley. Betsy Farquhar: (3:50 - 3:51) I'm Betsy. Laura Dugger: (3:52 - 4:07) Okay, wonderful. Thank you for that. And at Redeemed Reader, I'm assuming you have so many book recommendations to try and read and review. So, how do you even determine which books you are going to review? Hayley Morell: (4:08 - 7:49) So, right now we are wrapping up one of the things we love doing, which is providing award coverage. In January is when the American Library Association announces their awards, and they like to recognize the best middle grade with the Newberry, the best picture books with the Caldecott, and then a number of other awards. We know that those books are going to be going into lots of libraries and schools. And so, we like to provide coverage of that and review those books that we know parents are going to be seeing on shelves and wondering, is this a good book? Should we be reading this? What do we want to check out? We also like to watch what is popular. What is causing discussion? So, several years ago, that was The Hunger Games. And there was a lot of questions about dystopia. Should we be reading this? Is this helpful? Do I want my teen reading The Hunger Games? More recently, some popular middle grade series like Keeper of the Lost Cities have had a lot of parents asking, what is this series? Is there anything I should know about? And so, we try to have a balanced review. We review books that you're going to find at the library. We also like to review books that maybe you wouldn't know about. So, a smaller Christian imprint, for example, we like to review that type of book to encourage readers to read widely, to read Christian authors, to read secular authors. We like books. And so, we each bring our own specialty to the team and experience. Janie, who's our senior editor, is a children's author. She loves history. And so, as the community relations manager, I tend to handle review requests. So, when somebody asks us, can you review this book? It's popular. Or I'm an author. I wrote a book. Can you review it? I'll look at the book. I'll look at how hard is it to get? We do try to review books that are easy to find, that you might find in your local library. But then I'll look at our team. So, for Janie, if it is going to be a nonfiction history, let's say for a 10 to 12-year-old, I know that's going to be up her alley. Meanwhile, Betsy loves poetry. She loves nature, nonfiction. Betsy is a very, I'd say you're one of our Renaissance people. And so, I know Betsy is going to be inclined towards maybe a novel and verse. And she also likes dealing with high school books. You've got that teacher education background, where if it is an epic poem, Betsy is going to be our reviewer. Megan is our amazing picture book author. She's super creative, loves picture books. Megan is who I turn to when I find a picture book. Meanwhile, I used to handle as I was the team member of the team and then turned into my 20s. So, I gravitated toward YA, and I still love a good YA fantasy. But I am now in board book land and picture books. So, I have been expanding my reach. I do serve on our middle grade fiction, so I can help out with middle grades. But each of us will flex in, flex out. Megan has a large family of boys. And so, if it's a boy book, she is a great person. We love to send those to her to see if her boys like them. And that's, I could keep going because we love books, but that's a big snapshot. Laura Dugger: (7:50 - 8:09) That's so helpful because you cover such a wide variety of books throughout your team. And as curators of book reviews, what questions are you most commonly receiving, both from young people and maybe their parents as well? Hayley Morell: (8:12 - 9:22) I think we often get questions like, is this book clean? Is this book safe? And we like to kind of change that question. And we like to say, why is the content in this book? Because that can be different, you know, depending on something that is in a picture book, which wouldn't be appropriate for an age, could be very appropriate for a YA book and a great discussion starter. So, it definitely depends on the content and what audience and what age of the audience we're dealing with. So, we try to, as people ask us, well, is this safe or is this clean? Should I read this? We want to build discernment and encourage parents to interact, parents and educators to interact with our reviews. And they know their reader. They know how their reader is going to receive a book. And what questions might come up. And so, we like to help interact with that conversation. And then there's another kind of question we often get, which I'm going to let Betsy answer. Betsy Farquhar: (9:23 - 10:10) The other question is, my kid likes blank kind of book or is blank kind of reader. What do I get for him or her? And so that, of course, can vary widely. But people love to know what book is right for my family or my classroom or my child. And so, we try to write our reviews with that question in mind, not to make a blanket statement, you should all read this book, or nobody should read this book, but to give parents and educators enough information to make that decision for themselves. And then we started doing these reels on Instagram, where we're pretending we're answering a customer service phone call with questions we've been asked, right? My son only likes video games, or my daughter doesn't want fantasy, but she reads these kinds of books. And so, we try to help people think that through. Laura Dugger: (10:10 - 10:14) So, that's really how we continue. Hayley Morell: (10:15 - 11:09) Sorry. And one more question that we often get because we are book reviewers is, will you review my book? And so, at that point, we do have a process. We encourage people to submit a request. And it could be maybe a book they're curious about and would just like a review from us, or they're an author or a publisher. And so, in that case, we direct them to our review submission form. And like I said before, we are definitely looking for books that are easy to find. That will encourage us to review a book, because while we love books that are like smaller imprints, et cetera, and we do try to provide coverage for that, we also are aware that a lot of our audience only has their library or their school library. And so, we are trying to do books that are easy to find and accessible for our readers. Laura Dugger: (11:10 - 11:40) Okay, that's really helpful to hear what people are writing in and asking you about. And so, hearing the sweet spot from each team member, and then Betsy, how you mentioned people love to know what's right for my family. So, no, this won't fit every situation. But can you give examples of maybe books that the four of you find yourselves recommending quite a bit because they are ones that fit a wide range of people? Betsy Farquhar: (11:41 - 13:39) Of course, we put a ton of recommendations in our book that came out in the fall. And those are sort of our most common recommendations. We have a place on our website called Starred Reviews. And those are the best of the best in our mind of their genre. So, if you're looking for graphic novels, and you see a star on a graphic novel, it's because we think this is an amazing graphic novel. So, that's just a helpful framework, because of course, people are all over the map, right? We're in the midst of whittling down our Book of the Year for this year. And we also have our Reader's Choice Book of the Year. And those books are ones we tend to recommend all the time. So, I'm going to give you just some samples of what are on our Reader's Choice list, because that is a public list. And I can't reveal the 2025 releases we're considering for the other one. But for our Book of the Year for the Reader's Choice this year, we have The Found Boys by S. D. Smith. We've got, I've got them all right here, Olivetti by Allie Millington. There's The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel and the Watership Down: The Graphic Novel that are both really fun. People have really enjoyed them. We've got the first book in The Dream Keeper Saga by Kathryn L. Butler. That's a Christian fantasy series. We've got Enemies in the Orchard, which is the novel in verse about World War II. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome, which is another novel in verse about some Black pioneers going west on a wagon train. And that might be, oh, The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo. Kate DiCamillo is a super prolific author, and we do recommend her books often. Her book, Ferris, was our Book of the Year last year. So, there's just a quick sampling of some middle grades' books. And middle grades, for people who don't know, that's the broad fourth through eighth grade age range. You think of like ages 8 to 12. And they tend to be the broadest in audience. You can usually read those aloud to a younger audience, or even teenagers might find them enjoyable. So, that's a good start. Hayley Morell: (13:40 - 14:29) I do think one of the beauties of our team is that we've worked together for a long time. And we trust our team. And so, I will happily recommend a book that I haven't seen, but I know Betsy loved and reviewed. And it's so fun reading the same books. So, like right now, since we're on award committees, we are seeing a lot of the same books and getting to talk about them. But I think it's one of our strengths that we each bring something to the table. And I would say if someone really likes history, I'm going to look at what Janie has loved recently, because I know she is looking for those good new history books. And its so fun recommending books and getting to play to our strengths. Laura Dugger: (14:31 - 16:16) And that comes out in book recommendations. When you're passionate about what you're reading, it's naturally contagious, I think. And now a brief message from our sponsor. Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Bertschi family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago. If you visit their dealership today, though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different. I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life, and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you, and they appreciate your business. Learn more at their website, LemanEureka.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them on 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship. I'm curious, over the years, what character qualities have you noticed in people who are now adults, but they originally fell in love with reading in childhood? Betsy Farquhar: (16:17 - 17:39) So, that's a pretty broad question. I would think, I'm just going to paint this with broad strokes. People who read typically are people who think, and especially in a day and age where we're bombarded with screens and soundbites all the time, if somebody can actually read an analog book from start to finish, then typically they're going to be able to think about ideas in a different way than people who are just existing on soundbites. So, the ability to think is pretty critical. There's been a lot of studies that show that people who read also have better empathy. It's just a way we can sort of step into somebody else's shoes, especially if we're reading a story about somebody who perhaps lived in a different time period, or they're from a different ethnic background, or even if there's just a different socioeconomic level, it helps us understand the people on the other side a little bit better. So, that kind of, this twin characteristics of empathy and thoughtfulness, I think are pretty common. We all go through seasons where we don't read as much, whether we're stressed or perhaps, my kids are in college and they were avid readers in high school, and they're not doing a lot of reading for fun right now, but they know how to read and they enjoy it. So, they'll probably come back to that in the future. So, I think that's a helpful thing to remember, just because your eight-year-old loves reading, when he or she is 18, they may not be reading as much, and that's okay. They'll probably come back to it. Hayley Morell: (17:40 - 17:53) And I've definitely seen that with younger siblings too, burning out and then all of a sudden back, asking for book recommendations. And it's fun to know that reading habits stick around. Laura Dugger: (17:55 - 18:38) That's well said. And yet, even if they lie dormant for a while, they may be reawakened in adulthood. But I think I find it's less common for someone to fall in love with reading for their first time as an adult. So, I think it's very beneficial as parents to cultivate or instill this love of reading in our children. And you two are the experts. So, I'd love to hear your take on this. What are some of the benefits of reading? And why is it worthwhile to devote our time to curating a healthy diet of books, both for ourselves, but especially for our children? Hayley Morell: (18:39 - 20:06) Betsy, I think you might've said this once, but I think it came up as we were talking about writing our book. As I have a small child who's just starting to notice pages and we're reading board books and he's trying to reach for it. I remember someone once said that reading to a very young child, they're not registering the story yet. They might be registering the pictures. But the time that we're taking reading, when I read to him or when my husband gets home from work and they read one board book together, he's not really looking at the book as much as he's looking at our face and hearing our voice. And books are becoming something that we do together and that we do as a family. And it's a way that we're building relationships. And I think that's a great encouragement to me to keep reading. And I have nieces and nephews who loved books. And then that's something that we enjoy the story together and we'll laugh over silly stories and we'll read. But I think that it's something that as we want to like curate our collections but also think about how are we encouraging children to love reading. It's if they see us reading too and see us enjoying books and still picking up a book ourselves. I'm not sure, Betsy, if you have anything that you would add to that. Betsy Farquhar: (20:07 - 20:41) Well, I just think the better we read anything, the better equipped we are to read the story in the Bible because God revealed himself to us in a written book. And so, we're sort of flexing those muscles when we read. And the more we can engage with what we read, even if it's a picture book with a five-year-old, we're beginning that practice of developing discernment. And that's part of discipling our children. So, I do think it's all part of the same picture. It's not going to look the same for every family but just working on developing those muscles of discernment and reading intelligently, that's going to go a long way. Laura Dugger: (20:43 - 22:07) I love how you bring in the Bible that is so important. And I found myself even just this week at bedtime praying over our daughters that they would have a love for the written word because that is what God has gifted to us. And I love how the word became flesh and dwelt among us, but he is the original storyteller and has instilled that in each of us. And I think just a very practical way at any age to help our children cultivate this love is by reading aloud. And we recently were on a family vacation and had a rental vehicle and we had a long drive-in front of us and listened to the radio for a while. But we also like this tradition of reading one book aloud on a vacation. So, we remember our time in Florida from one year was a place to hang the moon and it was a different book this year, but I get car sick while we're driving. So, I couldn't read it aloud. So, our oldest daughter read it aloud for all of us. And I realized how much attention and focus is required and imagination to paint these pictures of the characters in your mind. And I just thought, wow, there's so much learning that's going on even as the one listening to the book, not reading the actual words. Betsy Farquhar: (22:09 - 22:15) And a place to hang the moon was our reader's choice favorite last year. So, lots of our readers have read that one. Laura Dugger: (22:16 - 22:36) It's such a good one. And as wonderful as books are, they're also powerful and influential. So, as you've reiterated, discernment is required. And I'd love for you to elaborate on why the young adult, or the YA category can be the most controversial. Hayley Morell: (22:38 - 25:12) Young adult protagonists are often upper teenage years. And so, we like to say, as we mentioned in our book, no topic is out of bounds. And this means that there can be a lot going on and a lot of messiness. We like to use that word as we're talking about that. And sometimes the messiness can be thought provoking. Sometimes it can be provocative. And we have noticed often YA deals with questions of identity. Who am I? How do I relate to the world? And that can look like lots of different things. It can include sexual identity, which can lead to a lot of conversations. But something that we like to lean into as we look at the YA genre is that in a world where everything is constantly shifting, as you have a teen and they're encountering conversations at school, conversations with peers, or using social media, having an ever-changing feed that I can look at my Instagram feed and it's going to look nothing like a teenager's Instagram feed. Even if you're looking at the same account, the way that reels are coming, they're getting bombarded with messages. The messiest of books is static. And you both can look at that and read the cover, read what's going on, and talk about it. And you both have the same place to have a conversation. And so, we like to lean into that when we're looking at YA books and realize they are powerful, but they're powerful conversation starters. And books like, Betsy recently read a book, and it's called Bright Red Fruit. And it's a cautionary tale about a teenage girl who has a relationship with an older man that's predator. And he is taking advantage, trying to separate her that is an excellent conversation starter. It's not an easy book to read. You're reading it, getting worried for this girl, but it's a great way to say, let's read this book and let's talk about what a healthy relationship looks like, because this is not healthy. So, we love YA books that can provoke conversations. And sometimes it might be you both looking at a book and going, you know, this doesn't seem helpful. We don't need to finish this book. It's okay to stop reading a book and return it to the library. Laura Dugger: (25:12 - 26:11) I completely agree. And even with that YA section, one of our daughters was just saying, when I go through that section of the library, it seems like every single book is about death. And it did provoke a good conversation from that. But I think it was Sarah McKenzie who was the first person that I heard explain the difference between a middle grade novel or YA because from my understanding, middle grade isn't just for those grades. You even said younger ages can enjoy that and older. I have friends that only read middle grade novel now as adults. So, it's not just your reading level, but YA has different rules on it where I think you said anything goes, any topic is allowed. So, it doesn't mean that YA is necessarily what you have to graduate to once you enter high school. Is that right? Hayley Morell: (26:11 - 27:06) But yes, it's typically and the funny thing that you kind of leaned into it, some middle grade books definitely deal with coming of age or might even have a teenage protagonist, but it's written in a way that a 12 year old could read it and enjoy it. When you get into like the higher YA, it is more like young adults, people starting their own lives, having adventures, leaving home, going on quests. And like you said, bringing in some heavier topics. Now we have seen since like in the last five years, a lot of books dealing with death and grieving that are hitting that middle grade genre too, which can be helpful. But at the same time, if you're just reading sad books, you might want to change your diet and find a fun, happy book too. Laura Dugger: (27:07 - 27:31) Again, in a conversation like this, it has to be more general of a recommendation, but there's such a difference, I'm sure in YA for your 13-year-old versus your 18-year-old. So, for someone who does want to dip their toe into some YA books, do you have anyones that you find yourselves recommending again for that age group? Betsy Farquhar: (27:32 - 28:42) I'll jump in here. We've got a couple of book lists on our site that are, have actual number ages attached to them. Thirteen books for 13-year-old boys is a great one for that younger teen audience. But those tend to be, they're grappling with some coming-of-age issues, but they tend to be more adventure based in a sense and more fun. I think of the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. There's a little bit of language. There's a little bit of romance, but it's very teen, young teen friendly. And its actually kind of a good picture of men being heroes and women are heroes in very, like the men are men, they're very masculine. And the women, even if they're part of the army, so to speak, they're still doing it in a feminine way. So, it's just kind of a nice sort of entry into some of those conversations. But then if you fast forward, by the time teens are in their upper teens, they should be able to read adult books too. And so, you might find yourself reading something like Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, which is very much written for an adult market, but very accessible to teens if they're willing to grapple with some of those ideas. But that book's going to be a lot heavier than a book for a 13-year-old. Laura Dugger: (28:44 - 29:05) That's helpful just to have examples. And I think it's also helpful to put this into context by reflecting back through time. So, just in America, what have you learned about the trends and the changes in libraries, specifically over the past 75 years? Betsy Farquhar: (29:06 - 31:30) So, I have a library degree too, so I love talking about libraries. In library science, we have a rule, it's called Ranganathan's Law, and it simply says every book is reader, which means that for every book out there, there's a reader out there. And libraries take that very seriously. No book is off the table for a public library. We had an entire class on serving our community. So, the goal behind a public library has always been to serve the community in which it's placed. Now that's changed a lot as our society has changed a lot. So, before World War II, most libraries were funded very locally, local taxes, they may have even been subscription-based, but after we have all these army vets coming back after World War II, they're going back to school later. We have this explosion of information access for people who can't get it. So, the Library Services Act was the first one. We've had lots of iterations since then. Now it includes technology. It started with giving federal dollars to rural libraries, and it's continued even to big cities now, but the focus is still on services for people who can't access them as easily. So, free Wi-Fi was a really big one before Wi-Fi was as broad spread. There are services for the blind and for other communities that might not be able to read as easily. So, it's still sort of an information hub, but I think that makes us uncomfortable sometimes as Christians because our society has changed so much that we go into a library now and we're like, I would never read this book to my kid. Well, but your neighbor might, and the public library is not the parent of your child. The public library is serving the whole community. So, go ahead and request them to stock some Christian books. A lot of them will buy the Christian books that you request because they want to serve you. You're part of their community. So, I think we just have to remember that their goal is broader. My goal as a parent is far more niche than my public librarian's goal to serve her community. She's not my enemy. Even if she's picking things for story time that I would never read to my children, it doesn't mean I have to ignore the library. I can love that those are image bearers. I can respectfully bring up my concerns, and I can suggest books and I can build a relationship with this fellow image bearer in my community. It can be a great mission field. So, yes, libraries are continually evolving. That's why they now offer you can even check out sports equipment. They're still trying to provide information and resources for the community. Hayley Morell: (31:32 - 32:01) I just recommended or requested two books that were Christian picture books that aren't in our system. And one of our librarians helped me fill out the form explaining why I wanted them. And I just got a notification yesterday. Both are on hold for me and have been added to our library. So, it's exciting. If you don't ask, you don't know if you're going to get it. I honestly was surprised. I was like, oh, they actually got the books I wanted. Laura Dugger: (32:02 - 32:56) It is so exciting when they do that. I love our local library, and the staff is just wonderful to work with. So, that's great encouragement for us to get to know them by name and have a relationship with them. And just to zero in on that one piece after World War II, I think that's tied to what so many people call is it the golden age of children's literature where some people will say we only read books before a certain year, like mid-1900s. But I love that you guys review even modern books because it's not that it was all better back then. But I do think there's a piece of truth in it that libraries had to be so discerning back then with less funding. And so maybe they had the best of the best available and then funds came in and we can have a wider range. Betsy Farquhar: (32:56 - 33:40) There's so many factors here historically because we could really nerd out, but I won't. But what's also being reflected is simply printmaking technology because the ability to print paperbacks, paperbacks as like a thing weren't a thing until the 20th century. So, books were incredibly expensive. You've got all those factors playing in too. So, not only are they getting different funding, but there is an explosion in printmaking technology that allows publishers to produce inexpensive books. And that allows families and libraries to buy more books. It's not dissimilar to the way we have digital media now that's got its own sort of technology behind the distribution of the digital books. So, there's a lot of factors involved in that. Laura Dugger: (33:41 - 34:03) That is fascinating. I'm glad you brought that up. And like I said, so helpful to look back. But now if we're also looking forward, I'd really appreciate your perspective on where we're headed. So, what's on your radar for genres or books that may require even more discernment in the future? Hayley Morell: (34:04 - 37:18) So, right now, romanticy is having a moment and that's a genre that is getting a lot of attention. There's a lot of marketing using that language. And I think it's really helpful to realize this is a marketing term. So, Fourth Wing became very popular. That is a book that is for adults. It has a lot of explicit sex. But it used the term romanticy and it sold very well. And so suddenly all books that are fantasy and have some romance are being called romanticy. And that could mean a lot of different things. So, what we're seeing is this term that if it's used in the YA genre, we don't know what it means going into a book. It might mean a lot of focus on romance and some unhelpful sex. It also could mean a really fun fantasy that happens to have a romantic angle. So, I recently gave a starred review to A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim. That's a Chinese fairy tale, beauty and the beast type story. And it is excellent. One of the marketing terms that used was romanticy. And it just is a wonderful fantasy story that has this thread of romance perfectly appropriate for teen readers. But that is a term that we're currently aware of. And this is a genre that we want to notice and take with a grain of salt. It's kind of a contrast on the other side. It's differentiating between romanticy has romance and then there's cozy fantasy, which is more cottage core, comfortable feeling. It also could have sex. So, there's, as we run into this fantasy genre, there's a lot of things going on, but it's definitely having a moment. And it's just nice to know what's going on and what cozy fantasy is going to be focused on character development, like very like a shopkeeper who inherits a cottage with a garden and grows mushrooms. That's cozy fantasy. Romanticy is a chosen one motif who's at some dramatic school. Dark academia is also having a moment where it's a lot of angst, a lot of little bit of horror. And some of it can be done really well because it's popular. There's a lot of it out there. And so, some discernment is required as you're figuring out, is this a book for adults or is this a book for teens? I think I would be cautious with books that are being marketed for adults as romanticy because you could run into some things that are meant for an adult audience and might not be helpful for that teenage reader of yours. Betsy Farquhar: (37:18 - 38:06) The only other thing I'll add, and this is sort of a different approach, but we're seeing a lot of genre blending. It's getting harder to say this is a mystery or this is a fantasy, even this is a historical fiction story. So, I think genre fiction in general is kind of having a moment. And when we say genre fiction, we really mean things like mystery, science fiction, romanticy, these sort of sub genres that are underneath the broader terms of realistic fiction or speculative fiction is an umbrella term that includes fantasy, dystopia, science fiction, magical realism, all the little niche downstream sort of sub genres. But we're seeing some really interesting things. It's going to be harder to automatically decide I like that genre, or I don't because they're just mixing and matching elements from all over the place. Laura Dugger: (38:08 - 39:15) Mm-hmm. That is helpful. I had never heard of some of those things that you just mentioned, but also I'd love for you to respond after I shared this story. I had a previous guest, Megan Cabe, who used to run a blog. It was called Young Book Love and she would review, I think, middle grade novels, maybe a little bit of YA, but she would say most topics are beneficial to read, even if they're difficult, what you all refer to as messy books. But she did provide extra caution and just said she strongly advised against explicit sexual content because those mental images have a way of sticking with us. And I agree with her. I would also add sometimes what's not appropriate for our children is not appropriate for us either. And just a funny way to remember this, I had a loved one recently who just said, “You can't sugarcoat a turd. I'd love your take on all of that.” Hayley Morell: (39:17 - 41:54) So, we like to use the term beyond ever after when we're dealing with this idea of what romance is helpful, what is not helpful. And like you said, the age of the reader comes into play because something that might be a good conversation point with your teen, let's say dealing with a first kiss, that is something that is good to be thinking about and be talking about having healthy conversations about what is God's design for sexuality. And as you are starting to notice the opposite sex and have feelings, what do we do with those? And again and again, it's been shown that it is helpful to have these conversations because if we're not having a conversation about what is God's view and what does God want us to do with this, our young people are going to turn to the world, which is very happy to give them a lot of talk about sexuality, but some very different perspectives and answers that are focused on yourself, let's you do you versus no, what has God given us and how are we going to steward this? So, one of the things that I like to, that we like to be aware of as we're reviewing at Redeemed Reader is, is this a 12-year-old reading this book? And if a 12-year-old is reading a book and in the book, a 12-year-old is having a crush and it's kissing, we don't want our 12-year-olds kissing. That's not that helpful yet. I mean, that's, that's quite young and yes, in some cultures you might, but not yet. However, if this is a book about an 18-year-old on a high school trip, like Becky Dean has some really fun YA romances that are appropriate for teens, then dealing with what is it like dating? What is it like dealing with these emotions and chemistry that can be really well done for an 18-year-old? But like you said, we want to be aware of our imaginations. We want to be aware of what we're able to handle. And for someone, maybe reading those romances is fun and helpful. For another, it might be unhelpful. And I think that comes down to as a reader growing discernment and knowing what you are able to read that will still be edifying. Betsy Farquhar: (41:56 - 42:55) I'm going to piggyback a little bit. I, I agree that there, we look to scripture for what the standards are, and the Bible is not describing sexual activity in sordid detail. So, it's probably a good idea for us not to be wallowing in the same sorts of things. And I think the same thing is true for language. In fact, it's easier to ignore profanity in a book you're reading versus listening to it. I mean, if we immerse ourselves in audio books that have, that are littered with profanity, it's going to stick in our head differently than if we're just reading it on the page. And I think sexual activity; there are some similar dynamics at play. Obviously, a visual scene is going to be probably stick with us even more than a written scene. But either way, you know, that's part of discernment is what is my imagination doing with this? And the overall picture of my reading diet. Is this all I'm reading? Is this what my thoughts are going towards? Are they pointing me back to Christ? Are they promoting some helpful conversation? Or is it just sort of my guilty pleasure? Well, that should be maybe a sign. Laura Dugger: (43:21 - 43:45) Some love stories are described as squeaky clean. But when it comes to the world of Christian romance, what are some helpful questions that we can be asking our tween or teen? And what are some healthy considerations for filtering books that we're going to allow to be consumed in our home? Hayley Morell: (43:47 - 47:15) So, it's interesting. I think each genre of romance can have its own pitfalls. And I know I really appreciate the authors who are writing clean, squeaky-clean stories. And as I've read them and consumed them, one of the things I've noticed is that it is clean. There's no question of something being clean. But at the same time, if the only thing we're reading, going back to having a balanced book diet, is a squeaky-clean story, I don't think that's helpful because it doesn't show an accurate view of the world. And we want to be preparing our tweens and teens for a world where, yes, there is a happily ever after. Yes, we have the fairy tale wedding, or we have an imagination that is sparked by boy meets girl. But then what happens next? And we live in a fallen world. And so, we have to work on relationships. We have to work on communicating. And sometimes squeaky clean can lean so far into being safe that it doesn't actually show what it is like to have a relationship with the opposite sex. I think of one story I read and it's very superficial, playful. Snarky is often something I've noticed in the squeaky clean because we don't, we have to have some form of banter. And so, it's perpetual sarcasm and no physical touch. But then suddenly our protagonists marry and now they're still being snarky and not touching. And as an adult, I look at that and go, that is not an accurate portrayal of what it looks like to have a romance and to have marriage. And so, we love to ask, what are the relationships like in this book? And if that's in a middle grade novel, one of the things we love seeing is are they showing a healthy family? Are they showing parents that like being together? Because that's at a middle grade level is you're sparking that imagination. What is our protagonist seeing as the adults around them are having relationships? Do the adults like to be together? I just was reading a really sweet, Betsy, I think you read it. But Will's Race for Home is a story about this boy and westward expansion. And so, it's when the Oklahoma, Oklahoma land rush opens up. And there's the sweetest time where he talks about how he knows his father loves his mother because his father will look at his mother and she will blush. And it's the sweetest age-appropriate picture of what romance looks like when you're a 12-year-old looking at your parents. And I think that type of thing can be a really healthy way of having these conversations versus having a diet that is just squeaky clean and yet might actually be showing an inaccurate portrayal of what it's like to have relationships in a fallen world. Laura Dugger: (47:16 - 47:30) Well, let's get specific on another type of book as well. How do you advise parents to think critically on what age is appropriate to consume what you mentioned earlier, the Hunger Games or a book like that? Betsy Farquhar: (47:31 - 49:44) Ooh, pick me. I love these kind of books. I'll read anything. And I tend to get tasked with books that are difficult sometimes. Although many of us on our team read them and we do talk about these behind the scenes. So, when you're thinking about the age your child is and when they're ready for any book, but especially a popular one, I think part of that is our job as parents is always to be watching our children, to be students of our children. How are they consuming media in general? What kind of video games? What kind of movies? Are they on social media? What is their media diet like? And how are they handling that? And if they're showing discernment in general, and they're kind of grappling with issues and ideas, then they're going to be ready for a book like the Hunger Games sooner than a child who's just blindly taking it all in. There's no magic age where you say, ooh, you're 12, you can read the Hunger Games. A lot depends on what that child's already displayed. And I think dystopia are the books where there's some apocalyptic future and there's usually an autocratic governor or government system or it's futuresque. But they're really great books about bringing up big questions about how society works and the nature of authority and even the nature of anarchy. And they're just such great discussion starters. But if your child isn't able to have those kinds of conversations yet, they're going to miss the forest for the trees and it's going to be all shock value. But I'm going to add a big caveat. If it's really popular and you think your child is maybe ready, maybe not quite, I would probably go ahead and read it with him or her if all of the peers are reading it. Because I would rather my child have that conversation with me than with their friend. Or at least have it with me first before they read it with their friends. Even if we skip parts, maybe it's a book that you feel like we can't read chapter 12 for whatever reason. Be honest with your child and say, you know what? This book has a scene I'm really uncomfortable with. Maybe give a brief summary. We're going to keep going. But engage with your children over what is popular. I think that is the number one takeaway because they're going to find answers somewhere. We want it to be from us. Laura Dugger: (49:46 - 50:52) That is good. And that's why I appreciate the redeemed reader because you're putting in all this work for us because we can't pre-read everything. But when we're faced with a situation like that, it is helpful that we can choose to read some with them. And another angle, I just love a few of your quotes in the book. First, on page 76, you write, If Genesis were made into a true-to-the-book movie, the Redeemed Reader team would not allow our children to watch it. We might abstain as well. And then you go on for page 111 and you say, the best tool we can give our growing readers is God's word. The more they know and understand the Bible, the better equipped they will be to think discerningly, to recognize error, and to know how the Bible handles the same issues. So, will you just elaborate on this wisdom and advise us on how and why to encourage our children to read the Bible, even though it is messy? Betsy Farquhar: (50:53 - 52:58) Well, it is a messy book, but thankfully, it's not only a messy book. I mean, if it were a movie, we have nudity very quickly. Then we have rebellion against God, and then we have murder. And before you know it, six chapters in, the world is so bad that God is sending a flood to destroy it. So, it must have been really bad. But the Bible isn't giving us all those details. And I think that is a big piece of the picture when it comes to discernment in literature. The Bible is not shy about telling us that people sinned. I mean, our heroes, David, infidelity, murder, you know, most of the famous people in the Bible did something egregiously wrong and sinful. And yet the whole story of the Bible is God redeeming his people. We're all sinners. And there is hope because of Christ. None of us can make it without Christ. And so, in the Bible, you're seeing both the mess and the hope. You're seeing God's answer to this problem. And so, as we read scripture with our kids, one of the things that is helpful is we know what sin is. It's rebellion against God. It includes everything from sexual activity outside of marriage to gossip and pride and sort of the easy sins, right? They're all sin. So, I think that's one thing that comes across when we're studying God's word. We also see Christ. And when we then turn to a book, just a regular fiction book or even a nonfiction book, is the book also labeling sin as sin or at least a mistake? Or is it glorifying it? How is it handling it compared to how we know scripture handles it? Is there any hope in the book? And where is that hope found? Are they just praying to the universe? We're seeing universe capitalized all over the place now as sort of this amorphous deity. Well, that's not hopeful. I don't want to pray to Jupiter. You know, we have a God who cares about us. And so just getting your kids to sort of reckon with the differences between how a book is portraying hope and judgment versus how scripture portrays it, that's going to take them a long way. Laura Dugger: (53:01 - 53:23) That's fantastic. And your book lists at the end of each chapter are reason enough to purchase the book. But I'm sure that you've encountered additional titles since your publication date that you also enjoy. So, will you share a handful of book recommendations, maybe some from each of those sweet spots again from your team? Hayley Morell: (53:24 - 54:03) For young adults, we've actually mentioned both of the ones that I would add. They both have received starred reviews. A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim. Excellent fantasy for young adults. And then Bright Red Fruit by Sophia O'Heo. And that one is a discussion starter. It is a messy book, but it's an excellent book for its audience. Those would be two young adult fantasies. We see a lot of young adult fantasies. So, but I would have loved to include those in the book. We just read them later. Betsy Farquhar: (54:03 - 55:03) So, quick correction, Bright Red Fruit's not a fantasy, but it is it is. Oh, I apologize. That's fine. It's a discussion starter. And that usually means that there's something in there you need to know about before you read it. As a parent, I would recommend doing your homework on that book. It's a really good book to read with your daughters, but you might want to pre-read it first. Middle grade, that's our biggest bucket. Because it's the most it's got the widest audience reach and it's just so fun. So, some of the ones that we've really liked, The Teacher of Nomadland by Daniel Nayeri. He is a Christian author. He won the National Book Award for this book for young people's literature and a Newbery Honor. It's fantastic. It's a story about World War II. Benny on the Case by Wesley King is a really lovely mystery that features the protagonist has mosaic down syndrome, and it's just not very common to read books with different disabilities represented. So, that's just a really sweet story. Lots of fun. Hayley Morell: (55:04 - 55:05) It's a great audio book too. Betsy Farquhar: (55:06 - 56:40) Yes. Song of the Stone Tiger, another Christian author, Glenn McCarty. It's a kind of a mix of realistic fiction and fantasy. So, it's fun. A new one that we like. And then I'll leave you with one more. I actually have it right here. So, for those who are watching this, they can see it. It's called Radiant by Vonda Michaud-Nelson. And it's a novel in verse, but a beautiful picture of what it means to love your neighbor. So, The Sword by Marty Murkowski from New Growth Press. It's kind of a family devotional resource. It was the World Magazine Book of the Year. We gave it a starred review as well. The Amazing Generation is a book for kids by the same author as The Anxious Generation. So, that book is like a super bestseller for adults. This is kind of taking that idea and helping kids know how not to be the anxious generation, right? How they can be the amazing generation. The World Entire is a nonfiction, maybe technically a picture book, but it's really long. And it's for this audience. And it's a true story about World War II, about a rescue. I think it was set in Portugal. And then a graphic novel that's nonfiction. I'm trying to cover all your different genres here. This is How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Meadez. It's about his father and how he emigrated or escaped from Cuba. But it's a graphic novel. So, there's a lot of visual interest. So, that's a really interesting background for kids who are hearing a lot of headlines about places like Cuba. And they're like, what's really going on? A book like that can help them understand just some of the nuance behind the headlines. Hayley Morell: (56:41 - 58:51) One of the things about middle grades as we talk about books is that middle grade is the age where readers are just exploding. And while you might have been able to keep up with your reader, then they hit 10 or 12 years old, and you give them a stack of books and they're reading them and asking for more. So, we definitely have a lot of middle grade reviews. Picture books, though, are another place that we just love. And there's been some recent ones that we looked at and got, oh, this would be so good for the book. Something like Tuesday's Bear by Alexander Davis. It's this beautiful story based on a true historical event. Unclaimed luggage is where, you know, if a suitcase gets lost, what happens to the contents? Well, one family had an idea, and Alexandra tells it through the story of this little bear who gets lost and then is found. It's the most beautiful story. As a Christian, you can see a lot of very true themes running through it. And it's a delight to read aloud. Wild Honey from the Moon by Kenneth Craigel. It's a story about a mother shrew whose little boy is sick, and she is going to do anything, even if it means traveling all the way to the moon to get some wild honey. It's a very imaginative story. Beautiful pictures. A couple sneak peek that are going to just, these reviews are just going up. Iguanodon's Horn by Sean Rubin. We've loved Bolivar, it was a graphic novel he did about a dinosaur. You can tell he likes dinosaurs. This is an amazing nonfiction picture book. And for our Christian readers, this is a book about dinosaurs that doesn't have evolution. And I think you're going to love it. One more. His Grace is Enough. This is like Dr. Zeus type rhyming. Melissa Kruger wrote it. It's a Christian book and it's a wonderful reminder for children. When you are dealing with sin, God's grace is enough. And I think you'll find if you read this, you'll be repeating the stanzas to yourself and encouraged as you read. Laura Dugger: (58:54 - 59:41) I love having book lists. And if any other listeners are like me, we'll finish this episode and go ahead and put a bunch of books on hold at the library, which is always so convenient. And I'm sure a lot of people aren't able to take notes right now. Maybe they're driving or working out as they're listening to this. But I love that every episode on The Savvy Sauce now has a transcript available. So, if anybody wants these book lists, you can go to the show notes page, either on our website or click on your podcast app and the transcript is available there. So, thank you for all those wonderful recommendations. And do you have any other helpful tips to give us as parents if we're trying to navigate this well? Betsy Farquhar: (59:42 - 1:00:26) Yes, start at birth and start not just reading with your kids, but asking them questions. They don't, it doesn't have to be a lengthy discussion. Is Piglet a good friend to poo? You know, if you're reading Winnie the Pooh or if you're an Elephant and Piggy fan, like my kids were. Do you think Gerald should share his ice cream with Piggy? You can just pause in the middle of the story and just get them thinking, right? So then when you get to the Hunger Games, you can say, what did you think of the ending? Would you have liked it to end differently? Those are great open-ended questions that get people talking and engaging and that you're often running. If you can just think, I need to engage with my kids over what we're reading, then almost any book can be a discussion starter. Laura Dugger: (1:00:27 - 1:00:33) Well, where can we go after this conversation to find more of your book recommendations? Betsy Farquhar: (1:00:35 - 1:01:29) I'll do this one. Redeemedreader, alloneword.com is our website. And then we're super creative. Our Facebook is exactly the same. Redeemedreader, alloneword. Our Instagram is redeemed underscore reader. That's kind of a long story. But if you Google Redeemed Reader, you'll find us. And then the best way, oh yes, of course our book, which is also called The Redeemed Reader. We're so original. But the best way to experience Redeemed Reader, other than the book, is through our weekly newsletter, which Haley curates and she does a fantastic job. But there's where you'll get the latest reviews. We put in links for other places around the web that you might find interesting, different bookish news. Haley does a really fun book trivia with picture books. So, we like to think that it's going to make your inbox a happy place. It's not a marketing email. Laura Dugger: (1:01:30 - 1:01:50) I love that. We will provide links to all of that in the show notes for today's episode. And you two are already familiar. We are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for both of you today, what is your savvy sauce? Betsy Farquhar: (1:01:52 - 1:03:03) So, as a business owner and a mom and a wife, it's probably not a surprise that I love my planner, but I've been through a lot of planners in my day, and I have very specific requirements. It needs to be bound, not coil bound. There's a certain size. I mean, I have issues. I should say I have high standards for my planner. The single best feature in my current planner is that it forces me to break down my to do list between my life to do and my work to do. And that was a game changer for me because I am wearing a lot of hats as most women are these days. And so, I limit myself to the number of bullet points that I'm given in the planner so that my work doesn't overtake my family life. It tends to be that way, sadly, more than the other way around. Usually, my family life is not overtaking the work life, but it just it just gives me a chance to articulate each week. You know, I've got a birthday coming up that I need to plan for or I need to make sure my I mean, I graduated my youngest last year from high school, but the senior year in high school has a lot of deadlines. And so, it just helped me prioritize those milestones for my family and not let work get in the way. Love that. Laura Dugger: (1:03:03 - 1:03:04) What's the name of your planner? Betsy Farquhar: (1:03:04 - 1:03:17) It's called the commit 30. I know there are other planners that do the same sort of thing, but I love having a weekly spread and I just love breaking it out between life to do and work to do. Laura Dugger: (1:03:18 - 1:03:20) Absolutely. That sounds amazing. I love it. Hayley Morell: (1:03:21 - 1:05:10) And my savvy sauce, I was going to say, Betsy is the planner and Betsy, I know you wouldn't appreciate this is spiral bound. So, I echo having a planner is a great way for me to just sort through all my thoughts, put them down and organize what needs to get done. But my savvy sauce is related to tech habits. And as we were getting ready for our first, my husband and I were talking about how could we be mindful with our phone usage? And I have to thank Betsy for recommending Andy Crouch's, The Tech-Wise Family. Love that book. And one of the things that we decided to do was to create a charging station downstairs in our house. And when I am not working where I need my phone for authentication or sending a voice message or being on the phone, if I'm not actively working, my phone lives on its charger. And that's been a struggle for me. I have to admit the moment I had a child, anxiety kicked in. And for the first month, the phone was on me because that's what I needed to have a little security blanket. But I've been learning to leave my phone behind. And then I'm not tempted to pick it up and scroll. And I feel like a child again because I get to the middle of the afternoon. And since I haven't been distracting myself, I've been getting things done. And all of a sudden I'm like; it's two o'clock and it's not dinner time yet. I have all of this time because I've created some more time by using the phone as a tool. But not having it right present and honestly, just distracting myself with it. Laura Dugger: (1:05:12 - 1:05:48) That is a good, savvy tip. I love both of those. And you two have such warm and engaging personalities. And I love those benefits that you were talking about for people who are readers. I experienced all of that through both of you today. And you're so wise and discerning yourselves. And I am just beyond grateful that the Lord gifted you with your intellect, but also this passion for reviewing these resources. You're benefiting so many parents and children alike. So, thank you for the work that you do. And thank you for being my guests. Betsy Farquhar: (1:05:49 - 1:05:57) Thank you for having us. It is all from the Lord. Anything we have that's wise and worth taking away. The credit should go to him, of course. Hayley Morell: (1:05:58 - 1:06:00) Ame
Toutes les 3 secondes, quelqu'un termine une séance de sport sur son application.24 heures sur 24.Sissy Mua se lance sur les réseaux en 2010, depuis sa chambre étudiante.Pas pour devenir influenceuse, le mot n'existait pas encore, mais pour partager sa passion avec des femmes à l'autre bout de la France qui ont les mêmes centres d'intérêt.En 2014, elle décroche son diplôme d'ingénieure.Mais au lieu de chercher du travail, elle fait le grand saut pour se lancer à temps plein sur les réseaux qui commencent tout juste à rémunérer.En 2016, elle rencontre Tini dans une salle de sport en Corse.Ensemble, ils lancent Trainsweateat en 2019.Elle investit la quasi-totalité de ses économies, 30 000 euros, pour lancer l'application sans la moindre idée de savoir si ça allait marcher.Aujourd'hui, le groupe Trainsweateat réunit 45 salariés et 3 entreprises : l'application de coaching, une marque de compléments alimentaires végétaux, et Rore Active, une ligne d'activewear.Ils réalisent 15 millions de chiffre d'affaires. Un chiffre qu'elle n'avait jamais partagé publiquement avant cet épisode.Sissy raconte tout, sans filtre :Ce que cachent vraiment les chiffres d'un business créé à partir d'une communautéSes meilleurs conseils pour avoir un ventre plat et se remettre au sportLes décisions de management qu'elle aurait aimé prendre plus tôtUn épisode sur ce que ça coûte vraiment de construire quelque chose qui dure et sur une femme qui a compris avant tout le monde qu'il faut savoir donner avant de vouloir recevoir.Vous pouvez suivre Sissy sur Instragram.Vous souhaitez sponsoriser Génération Do It Yourself ou nous proposer un partenariat ?Contactez mon label Orso Media via ce formulaire.TIMELINE:00:00:00 - L'ingénieure qui a tout plaqué pour faire du fitness sur internet00:11:26 - Se filmer sur les réseaux pour apprendre en direct00:16:25 - 16 ans sur les réseaux pour se détacher du regard des autres00:20:42 - L'app de sport la plus utilisée de France00:29:50 - Les chiffres fous de l'application Trainsweateat00:41:45 - Le fitness et la nutrition démystifié, pas besoin d'un bac+5 pour manger équilibré00:52:01 - L'influenceuse devenu CEO01:01:34 - Le revers caché du succès sur les réseaux01:10:43 - La décision qu'elle aurait dû prendre bien plus tôt pour son entreprise01:17:57 - Le legging de sport parfait pour les françaises n'existait pas01:24:13 - Ce qu'on ne trouve pas sur YouTube avec les cours de coaching01:33:43 - Le secret du ventre plat01:43:43 - La plus grande erreur nutritionnelle que les gens font encore01:50:11 - Le fitness n'est pas fait pour maigrir01:57:26 - Le seul conseil qu'elle donnerait à tout le mondeLes anciens épisodes de GDIY mentionnés : #539 - Loïc Hecht - Auteur de « La simulation » - Dix ans d'enquête sur l'hypothèse qui bouleverse la Silicon Valley#533 - Gaëlle Lebrat Personnaz - Manucurist Paris - Le futur leader mondial du vernis à ongles ?#522 - Amixem - YouTuber - Les nouveaux maîtres du divertissement#493 - Anthony Berthou - Nutritionniste - Comment mieux manger avec l'expert n°1 de la nutrition#485 - Tibo InShape - YouTubeur - Le syndrome du personnage principal#431 - VF - Sean Rad - Tinder - Conquérir le monde avec un swipe#431 - VO - Sean Rad - Tinder - How the swipe fever took over the world#416 - David Corona - GIGN, In_Cognita - Devenir expert de la négociation et prédire les comportements#373 - Benjamin Cardoso - The Polar Plunge - Faire de son corps une Ferrari#300 - Mathieu Blanchard - Ultratrail et Aventure - Commencer le running à 26 ans et devenir une légende de l'ultratrailNous avons parlé de :Le film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tisLa MartingaleFreeleticsGymkee : l'app de coachingMathieu Blanchard quitte Salomon pour rejoindre Kiprun (Décathlon)Rore Active, la marque de vêtements de sport de SissyLes recommandations de lecture :Fourth Wing, de Rebecca Yarros
On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Mary are discussing: Bookish Moments: Indie Bookstore Day and adaptations exceeding expectations. Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: more reading therapy with Mary Before We Go: our new segment featuring something Meredith is curious about and some TBR triage for Mary. Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). . . . :10 - Bite Size Intro 2:02 - Currently Reading Patreon 2:10 - Watch Anitra's video HERE 2:47 - Roar by Cecelia Ahern 3:41 - Bookish Moments of the Week 4:05 - Boswell Book Company 6:15 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6:37 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 9:19 - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower 9:44 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 10:07 - Current Reads 10:13 - Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (Mary) 13:37 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 13:51 - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 15:25 - Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (Meredith) 21:26 - Dan in Green Gables by Rey Terciero (Mary) 21:35 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 24:25 - This Cursed House by Del Sandeen (Meredith) 26:25 - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 27:06 - Feral and Hysterical by Sadie Hartmann 28:17 - Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 29:22 - Instructions for Traveling West by Joy Sullivan (Mary) 31:44 - Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente 32:45 - The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen (Meredith) 35:00 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 36:59 - Two Friends Books 38:28 - Deep Dive: Reading Therapy with Mary 40:42 - Slewfoot by Brom 43:11 - @maryoliversdrunkcousin on Instagram 43:18 - The Poetry Remedy by William Siegert 45:27 - The Popcast 45:54 - How We Live is How We Die by Pema Chodron 49:10 - Lightfall: The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert 52:54 - Heartwood by Amity Gage 52:55 - The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella 52:57 - Wreck by Catherine Newman 52:58 - Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke 53:00 - Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein 53:25 - Sandwich by Catherine Newman 53:36 - Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen 54:02 - The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill 54:04 - The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill 54:59 - It's Ok That You're Not Ok by Megan Devine 55:49 - Currently Reading Substack 56:27 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 57:29 - Before We Go Meredith brings something she's curious about 57:46 - @Meredithmondayschwartz on Instagram 58:41 - The Perfect Loaf by Maurizio Leo 59:47 - Sourdough by Robin Sloan Mary tries a little TBR triage 1:00:23 - The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. April's IPL is brought to us from a new to us bookstore, Book & Books in Coral Gables, Florida Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads | Substack | Youtube The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
In the latest episode of the State of the Arts podcast (@sotapod), filmmaker and writer Des Doyle sits down with senior entertainment executive Scott Farris to discuss his role in shaping global franchise storytelling.Produced in partnership with Film Ireland and supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme, the State of the Arts series explores the creative processes, industry challenges, and new opportunities that both Irish and international creatives face in today's ever-evolving artistic landscapes.In this conversation, Scott discusses his experiences in the changing world of TV development, offering insight into how large-scale projects are developed from the ground up. He discusses the realities of working with major IP, the collaborative processes behind franchise storytelling, and how the industry is evolving in response to changing audience expectations, technology, and global demand.Follow the journey of State of the Arts here: https://www.instagram.com/sotapod/Read more about the podcast here: https://www.filmireland.net/state-of-the-arts-podcast-senior-entertainment-executive-scott-farris-with-des-doyle/Scott FarrisScott is a senior entertainment executive with over 15 years of experience shaping global franchise storytelling. One of the earliest creative hires at Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, he helped build the studio from the ground up and played a key role in establishing Amazon as a major force in premium television.Scott pioneered Amazon's strategy for adapting global gaming franchises, securing and developing landmark properties including God of War, Mass Effect, Warhammer 40K, and The Sims, as well as the breakout hit Fallout, which drew over 100 million viewers worldwide and earned 16 Emmy nominations.Beyond gaming, his work focuses on large-scale worldbuilding and IP-driven storytelling, with projects including Mike Flanagan's upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie, RoboCop with James Wan, and Fourth Wing, based on Rebecca Yarros' bestselling romantasy phenomenon. Scott is particularly passionate about the intersection of creativity, technology, fandom, and the future of franchise storytelling.Des DoyleDes is a D.I.T. graduate who spent fifteen years working in the Camera Department in the Irish film industry before moving into directing. He is the writer/director of the critically acclaimed feature documentary Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show, featuring JJ Abrams (Alias, Lost, Fringe), Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) and Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory) amongst others.He has created a number of courses in conjunction with Screen Ireland over the last few years, which provide breakdowns of all the major US and international streaming networks and what their evolving programming needs may be. He also initiated the Pitching Programme for TV Drama and Comedy with Screen Ireland, giving a selected group of writers the opportunity to pitch directly to some of the major Irish production companies based on briefs they provide, and created the LA Writers Room Placements scheme, which allowed Irish writers to travel to LA and spend time in real-world US TV series writers' rooms.He has also lectured on Showrunning, US TV Production and the Future of Content at USC Los Angeles, Rowan University Philadelphia, Scriptmakers Berlin, APIT TV Producers Conference Lisbon, Northern Ireland Screen, IADT Dublin, Writers Guild of Ireland and as part of the recent Greenlight Screenwriting Labs in Galway. He is currently developing a new documentary series, which is a US/Irish co-production, as well as providing creative consultancy services to Irish producers, writers and directors with projects targeting the US or global streaming markets.Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.So make sure to subscribe and listen back! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on Second Helpings, Jackie and MJ kick things off by discussing the continued existence of "Cherry Poppin' Daddies" and the differences of ska and neo swing, MJ's terrified of the rehabin' happenin' with Nickelback, but that don't mean they ain't watchin' the new ridiculous Megan Thee Stallion x Nickelback butt-rock collab for Cheetos Flamin' Hot Crunchy Dill Pickle Cheese Flavored Snacks, Jackie's cryin' in her claws after singin' her heart out at the Victor Jones concert she attended last night and gettin' a renewed faith in humanity, and MJ converted Gideon with an ambushed watching of "Love Overboard" so they could properly explain the reality show to us all! Jackie went to see "They Will Kill You" and thought it was great, Alec Baldwin got roasted by his own daughter over his age gap with Hilaria, Ina Garten is on tour and the tickets are goin' fast, and Jackie makes a call for numbers to get sexier. Ryan Coogler has been announced as the producer for a new "Animorphs" series, Michael B. Jordan is attached to produce an Amazon TV version of "Fourth Wing", and Jackie gives a breakdown of "The Drama." Last weekend was easter so Nick Cannon got to wear his real face for a single day, MJ had to field some awkward questions from the kids, Artemis II has given us new images of the moon, and even more on this week's Second Helpings! Want even more Page 7? Support us on Patreon! Patreon.com/Page7Podcast Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Page 7 ad-free.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This month, to celebrate of our fiftieth episode, James and Melissa FINALLY discuss Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing (the first book only) through themes of power, friendship, and shadow daddies.Join us next month when we'll be reading The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez.
Think your teen's "cute" dragon book is safe? Think again. In this episode, three teenage girls (ages 18-19) reveal how "spice" and explicit content are being marketed to girls as young as 11 . From the "Fourth Wing" hype to the deceptive "cartoony" covers at Walmart, Katie, Cherise, and Emily break down why they are choosing to stay clean in a sexualized book culture . SCHOOL TO HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES: Sign Up for the School to Homeschool Newsletter School to Homeschool YouTube Channel CONNECT WITH US! Instagram Facebook janae@schooltohomeschool.com
This month, Melissa and James discuss Lynn Painter's Fake Skating through themes of patriarchy, objectification, and so. many. tropes.Join us next month for our FIFTIETH episode in which we finally discuss Rebecca Yarros' endlessly popular Fourth Wing (the first book of the series only).
Becky, Holly, Jakob, and Austin talk about books of the 2020s, trends in reading and publishing, our hopes for the future, and a couple of predictions for the next big thing. This reading data: https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2024/federal-data-reading-pleasure-all-signs-show-slump Books mentioned include: Spillover by David Quammen, The Great Influenza by John M. Barry, The Plague by Albert Camus, The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, These Precious Days and Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez, The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, There is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cash ore, All Fours by Miranda July, Book Lovers by Emily Henry, Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, What Were We Thinking by Carlos Lozada, Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen, Just Us by Claudia Rankine, The Trees by Percival Everett, Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette, Intimacies and A Separation by Katie Kitamura, Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, Ducks by Kate Beaton, The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty, The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, The Most by Jessica Anthony, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, Autocracy Inc by Anne Applebaum, Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal, Doppleganger by Naomi Klein, Detransition, Baby by Torry Peters, Woodworking by Emily St. James, Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan, Diary of a Misfit by Casey Parks, Jesus Wept by Philip Shenon, Romney by McKay Coppins, Motherland by Julia Ioffe, The Gales of November by John U. Bacon, Murderland by Caroline Fraser, King of Kings by Scott Anderson, All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilberty, Challenger by Adam Higginbotham, More Everything Forever by Adam Becker, Red White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca, The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, Wanderhome by Jay Dragon, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, The House in the Cerulean sea by TJ Klune, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, The Women by Kristin Hannah, Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey, The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, Alchemised by SenLinYu, Convent Wisdom by Ana Garriga and Carment Urbita, The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, Berry Song by Michaela Goade, Legendary Frybread Drive-In edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley, The Tragedy of True Crime by John J. Lennon, The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne, We Tell Ourselves Stories by Alissa Wilkinson, Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik, Enshittification by Cory Doctorow, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Back After This by Linda Holmes, The Caretaker by Ron Rash And authors Patricia Lockwood, Claire Keegan, Rachel Kushner, Timothy Snyder, Helen Garner, Casey Plett, Mr Beast/James Patterson, Stephen Graham Jones, Silvia Moreno Garcia, and more!
Sarah and Kaitlyn discuss what romantasy is as well as popular titles in the genre—including A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) and Fourth Wing.Books mentioned: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, and Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.Also mentioned: A Game of Thrones and Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin; the TV series Bridgerton, based on the books by Julia Quinn; the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent; and From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout.Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org.Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay
This week on Between Us Moms, Katie and Hallie are sharing their biggest wins and favorite things right now. Katie is celebrating a huge mom win — her daughter Kaia is officially potty trained, a milestone every parent knows is worth celebrating. Hallie shares a Valentine's Day gift that is far from traditional but deeply meaningful: an emergency box filled with all the information she could ever need if her husband, Andrew, passed first. While it wasn't your typical dinner and flowers (don't worry, he did that too), this thoughtful gift showed Hallie how much he pays attention to her concerns and supports her peace of mind.The moms also dive into everything they are loving right now. Hallie gushes over FX's new series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, Katie dishes on the bestselling book Fourth Wing, and they can't get enough of the show Ponies on Peacock. Hallie shares her hyper-fixation snack from Trader Joe's, perfect for busy moms, they both get emotional over Punch the Monkey, and Hallie is preemptively declaring her upcoming Fraxel laser treatment for glowing, healthy skin as her new favorite beauty splurge.Whether you are looking for mom life inspiration, the latest trending books, fun TV shows for adults, unique Valentine's Day gift ideas for moms, or the best snacks and lifestyle tips for parents, this episode has it all. Katie and Hallie bring laughter, relatable mom moments, and practical tips that every parent can appreciate.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
HEY BABES, welcome to Rating Roulette!! This week, we picked some of our all-time favourite books (Project Hail Mary, Never Saw Me Coming, Firekeeper's Daughter, Beartown, The Bell Jar, Wild Dark Shore, and Fourth Wing), then took a deep dive into the Goodreads trenches seaching each rating from 1 to 5 and found the best, funniest, and most unhinged reviews we could find. From glowing praise to brutal honesty, this episode proves one thing: the same book can be someone's life-changing favourite… and someone else's absolute nightmare. Listen for laughs, hot takes, and the reminder that ratings are subjective and readers are passionate. Want to chat as you read? Join us in our Facebook group, where we'll be sharing thoughts, theories, and reactions throughout the month. Join the discussion in our Facebook group Get social with us on Instagram at @bookclubbabes.pod For more info on upcoming reads, or if you want to send us a love letter, visit www.bookclubbabes.ca Hosted by Chantal Blakely and Katelynn Nangle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Be glad of your human heart....Pity those who don't feel anything at all.” What if the meteoric rise of the romantasy genre isn't about fae courts and dragon riders—but about our deepest and most human longings? Romantasy has taken the publishing world by storm. While some dismiss these stories as escapist fantasy, we believe their deeper power lies in how they illuminate the human heart. In this series on the alchemy of romantasy, we explore the mythic and psychological currents running through books like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing. Through the lenses of Jung and the Hero's (and Heroine's) Journey, we examine the desire to individuate, to be truly seen, to claim inner sovereignty, to find belonging, security, and freedom—and to join with a soulmate who honors the self we are becoming. Join us as we ask why these stories resonate so profoundly right now, and what they reveal about who we are. References: Books & Series A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J. Maas Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros Psychology & Myth Enneagram 4 type Jung & the collective unconscious The Hero's Journey – Joseph Campbell Pop Culture Moana Frozen Monica Lewinsky's podcast Related Gathering Gold Episodes Escape Hatch Fantasies What Could Have Been You Do Not Have to Be Good Bonus: Books that Changed Us Join us on Patreon for bonus content and virtual gatherings: patreon.com/gatheringgold Some of our recent bonus episodes include: What Sheryl Forgot and Victoria's Experiment | The Slipstream of Time | Give and Receiving - Shudder - Feedback | The Problem with Pedestals | Are Intrusive Thoughts like Stray Cats?
Today on Mythmakers, you’re invited to join us on a short visit to the world of fantasy romance. What's all the fuss about romantasy and where did it come from? What's the secret sauce (pun intended) of Fourth Wing? And why was the world so transfixed by Twilight back early 2000s?Be sure to stay to the end to hear Julia’s recommendations of what you might like to read this Valentine's Day from the fantasy genre.(01:00) The Rise of Romantasy and Fourth Wing(02:00) Market Forces and Female Readership(04:40) Twilight and the Power of Restrained Desire(06:50) What Makes a True Fantasy Romance(09:20) Recommended Romantic Fantasy Reads(14:00) Writing Romance in the Finding Sky Series(15:10) Why We Read Romance and the Hope of Finding the Right PersonFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok
Rebecca Yarros is a number one New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm, which became the fastest-selling adult novel in twenty years with 2.7 million copies sold in its first week. In this conversation from March 2025, Yarros sits down with Jenna Bush Hager to talk about crafting sweeping love stories and how living with chronic illness and growing up in a military family shaped the world of Fourth Wing. Plus, she opens up about balancing sudden fame with motherhood, why readers have fallen so deeply for her characters, and how writing romance helped her believe in a dream she once thought was out of reach. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jeff and Rebecca try to make sense of a bunch of adaptation news before talking about recent reads, Don DeLillo's hockey smut, and more. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read and its brand new companion newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Updates on the Fourth Wing adaptation The Testaments is coming to Hulu April 8 Brandon Sanderson's unprecedented adaptation deal with Apple TV Percival Everett was the bestselling Black author of 2025 Don DeLillo wrote hockey smut in 1980 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: reviving the book space and recs from bookish friends Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: all things special editions The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). . . . 1:39 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 2:35 - Currently Reading Patreon 4:16 - Currently Reading website to find your readerly type 5:03 - Sidedoor podcast 5:29 - Sidedoor Season 11 - Poison and Poisonability 6:50 - Our Current Reads 6:58 - Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle (Kaytee) 7:13 - @booksbybrady on instagram 11:02 - Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates (Meredith) 14:51 - Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates 16:17 - Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson (Kaytee) 17:41 - These Truths by Jill Lapore 19:37 - Two Cures for Love by Wendy Cope (Meredith, amazon link) 23:58 - The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel (Kaytee) 26:23 - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 26:54 - Bear by Julia Phillips 28:02 - For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn (Meredith) 35:26 - Deep Dive: All About Special Editions 35:41 - Special Edition reel by Docofthedarkarts 36:16 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (special edition) 36:33 - OwlCrate 36:34 - Fairyloot 36:38 - Satisfiction 37:40 - Foyles 38:47 - Still Life by Louise Penny (special edition) 41:01 - Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (leatherbound edition, pre-order out Feb 26, 2026) 41:45 - Hunger Games special edition box set 42:20 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 42:24 - The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher 44:29 - The Poet Empress by Shen Tao (deluxe special edition) 46:42 - Meet Us At The Fountain 47:14 - I wish to press Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (Kaytee) 47:15 - Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots 49:01 - For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn 49:25 - Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots (pre-order, releases May 19, 2026) 50:25 - If you are feeling slumpy in your reading, I wish for you to get your eyes checked! (Meredith) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. January's IPL is our annual visit to Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
Continuing our series on Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx storm. Spoilers and theories inside.
2026 is here, and we are galloping into it with clarity, humor, and a few dragons. We are kicking off the year by sharing what we're letting go of from 2025 (comparison, pressure, scarcity) and what we're calling for in 2026 (creativity, presence, joy, money, and more). Expect Celine Dion skating routines, Stranger Things finale tears, birthday reflections, and a reminder that the blessing of age is knowing what lights you up, and where to give that light back. From travel plans and business expansions to confidence, calendars, and career shifts, this is a joyfully honest look at growth, aging, and the power of knowing yourself.
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On this episode of Currently Reading, Mary and Roxanna take the reins and are deep diving into their top reads of 2025! Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . **Please help us by filling out the LISTENER SURVEY before JANUARY 25th!! 1:21 - Mary and Roxanna's Reading Year 4:14 - Mary's Reading Stats: 100 books read this year and picked up some graphic novels that normally she wouldn't have read in the past 7:54 - Roxanna's Reading Stats: 68 books read this year. 26 five star reads 15% general fiction, 16% historical fiction, 15% lit fic, 13% middle grade, 20% POC authors, 96% fiction 12:03 - Join the Currently Reading Patreon to access the reading tracker 14:25 - Mary and Roxanna's Best Books of 2025 14:38 - The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar by Indra Das (Roxanna #10) 17:09 - Empty Cradle, Broken Heart by Deborah L. Davis 18:16 - God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Mary #10) 19:23 - Sandwich by Catherine Newman 19:40 - The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z Hossain (Roxanna #9) 21:48 - Heart the Lover by Lily King (Mary #9) 22:36 - Writers & Lovers by Lily King 24:37 - The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (Roxanna #8) 27:16 - The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Mary #8) 30:46 - To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (Roxanna #7) 34:06 - The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Ladies of Mad Science: Secrets of the Purple Pearl by Kate McKinnon (Mary #7) 35:35 - The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon 37:39 - The Unseen World by Liz Moore (Roxanna #6) 40:04 - The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (Mary #6) 42:27 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 43:09 - The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman (Roxanna #5) 45:00 - Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune 46:01 - The Bones Beneath by Skin by T.J. Klune (Mary #5) 46:35 - House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune 50:11 - Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Roxanna #4) 50:24 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 54:14 - The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller (Mary #4) 54:33 - Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller 54:41 - The Change by Kirsten Miller 56:59 - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Roxanna #3) 59:14 - Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross (Mary #3) 59:36 - Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 1:00:05 - Circe by Madeline Miller 1:00:07 - Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati 1:01:02 - The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Roxanna #2) 1:05:08 - The Correspondent by Virgina Evans (Mary #2) 1:08:17 - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower (Roxanna #1 - the whole series!) 1:10:30 - Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery 1:10:36 - 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff 1:14:41 - Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert (Mary #1 - the whole series!) 1:15:31 - Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert 1:15:31 - Lightfall: The Dark Times by Tim Probert 1:17:22 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. January's IPL is our annual visit to Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
We return to Australia after many a year as Darvily joins me for this episode! I had stumbled across her on Threads and loved the fandoms she was into, and we get to jump into a few of them for this episode. Darvily and I kick things off with talking about the broad topic of video games. We talk about the first games that she experienced, starting with Spyro. We focus on a few games that Darvily specifically was into over the years, including Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and Skyrim. Darvily also talks about some of her favorite indie games that she likes and recommends. Want the recommendations? Listen! From video games, we make our way into the realm of Fantasy Fandom. We talk about Darvily's love of How To Train Your Dragon, books like Lord of the Rings, Fourth Wing, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, to name a few. We also bundle in talk about Renfaires in Australia, as well as Darvily's experience with Dungeons and Dragons. We then wrap up with a conversation about Cosplay. Darvily talks about getting into Cosplay, along with some of the character she does. From Spider suits to Renfaire looks, Sailor Umbreon, and more. We talk about how she decides and chooses her looks and what she's working on for this year. You can find Darvily at: https://www.instagram.com/darvilyyy/ https://linktr.ee/darvily https://www.tiktok.com/@darvilyy https://www.twitch.tv/darvily https://www.youtube.com/@darvilyy
Happy Friday, Readers! This was our first Hot & Bothered episode published almost a year ago on our Patreon, right after we had finished reading Fourth Wing. (Please forgive our general Violet snarkiness.) We have a handful of others H&B episodes we'll be posting on random Fridays, let us know what you think and if you'd like to see more of these.--------------------------------------The theory: some readers can skim past a bad heroine for a vicarious romance with a shadow daddy, while others may DNF a book if they can't relate to the POV. We suspect this might account for the vast discrepancies in ratings in our beloved genre.What do you think? Can you overlook a Violet to get to a Xaden?
There was just no way we were fitting all three books into one episode. Our first two part series; enjoy part one where we mostly talk about Fourth Wing and the world of Basgiath War College.
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We've got a present for you from our secret feed vault! Rachelle, Kelsey, and Brandy gather over a bottle of wine to discuss Rebecca Yarros' FOURTH WING. If you'd like to get in on these monthly extra episodes, subscribe as a Friend or a Friend-of-a-Friend.Subscribe to our newsletter for writing from Rachelle, Se'era, Jae, Alex, and Kelsey, plus blog recommendations and secrets!You can support Normal Gossip directly by buying merch or becoming a Friend or a Friend-of-Friend at supportnormalgossip.com.You can also find all kinds of info about us and how to submit gossip on our Komi page: https://normalgossip.komi.io/Episode transcript here.Follow the show on Instagram @normalgossip, and if you have gossip, email us at normalgossip@defector.com or leave us a voicemail at 26-79-GOSSIP.Normal Gossip is hosted by Rachelle Hampton (@heyydnae) and produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks (@seera_sharae) and Jae Towle Vieira (@jaetowlevieira). Alex Sujong Laughlin (@alexlaughs) is our Supervising Producer. Justin Ellis is Defector's projects editor. Show art by Tara Jacoby.Normal Gossip is a proud member of Radiotopia. Support Radiotopia's fall fundraiser here. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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In this episode, Xan travels back to the dawn of modern manga with Lost World by the legendary Osamu Tezuka. As the inaugural work in Tezuka's classic sci-fi trilogy, does this proto-manga about a rogue dinosaur planet stand as a visionary classic, or is it a fascinating but dated relic? We unearth its historical importance and see how it holds up today. In This Episode: Analyzing the historic, foundational style of this early sci-fi adventure. A look at the "Tezuka Star System" and how it shapes the classic characters. Update #3 in the "45 Books for 45 Years" project (Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros). The latest manga news and releases. Support the Show: Help us preserve manga history: Gofundme Engage With Us: Subscribe! YouTube | Website Follow @spiraken on X (Twitter), Bluesky, Instagram Join the community on Discord Support us on Patreon Rate us on Apple Podcasts Random Question of the Day: "What's the oldest or most historically significant comic or manga you've ever read, and what did you think of it?" #Spiraken #MangaReview #LostWorld #OsamuTezuka #Tezuka #ClassicManga #SciFiManga #DarkHorseManga #HistoryOfManga Music Credits: "Trendsetter" by Mood Maze (via Uppbeat) License code: YEPNB5COHX56JVES WHERE TO FIND US Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiraken.bsky.social Instagram: instagram.com/spiraken Email: Spiraken@gmail.com | Xan: xan@spiraken.com Patreon: patreon.com/spiraken Discord: tinyurl.com/spiradiscord X: x.com/spiraken YouTube: youtube.com/@spiraken Twitch: twitch.com/spiraken Amazon Store: amazon.com/shops/spiraken
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In this episode of Chloe vs The World, Chloe is joined by Ieuan Cooke for a full deep dive into the worlds of Wicked, The Hunger Games, Fourth Wing, and the many corners of BookTok they both obsess over. From fantasy worlds, romance tropes and smut scenes to rereading Twilight as adults, this one goes everywhere.They break down why Wicked confused so many first-time viewers, who they'd cast in future Hunger Games films, and the book series that have taken over their lives this year. They get into Fourth Wing, A Court Of Thorns and Roses, dragons, fanfiction, reading habits, and the chaos of TikTok edits.There's plenty outside of books too - including rugby boy culture, animated character crushes, acting dreams, retail horror stories, star signs, Saturn Returns, and their most unhinged delulu moments. Ieuan shares his funniest DMs, his main character vision of life, what his “villain era” would look like, and why he once removed a tooth gem with a hammer.They also chat Twilight (and why some scenes haven't aged well), Bridgerton, Wicked casting, Les Mis, theatre recommendations, and the TV shows they've binged recently. Expect conversations about pop stars, celebrity crushes, TikTok trends, edits, music, and the corners of the internet they spend far too long on.Listen to the FULL PODCAST and follow us on:Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4UjhcQP...Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@chloevsthewor...Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chloevsthew...Chloe: https://www.instagram.com/chloeburrows/?hl=enDilemmas: chloevstheworldsubmissions@gmail.com
Rebecca Yarros is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels including ‘Fourth Wing,' ‘Iron Flame' and ‘Onyx Storm.' Her latest and highly anticipated novel ‘Onyx Storm' is the fastest selling adult novel in twenty years and sold 2.7 million copies in its first week. Rebecca sat down with Jenna Bush Hager to chat about how she drew on her experience with chronic illness and life in a military family to write “Fourth Wing,” and her process to plot out five books in the series. She opens up about balancing fame with motherhood, how readers have resonated with her books and why becoming an author was the dream she always had but never knew was possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The holiday season has officially begun. Let's celebrate with some rollicking fun with the J Squad! That's right. We are opening the Members Only Mailbag and spreading some cheer. We talk about a romantasy series that has made one of our members "feral and unwell." Plus, eating salad greens by the handful, Jesse's clothing system, changing the toilet paper roll, and much more!If you want to hear more of the J Squad yapping, we have great news! We do this once a month and it's available for all MaxFun members. Missing out on the fun? We have an easy fix. Just join us at maximumfun.org/join for $5 a month, and you'll have tons of bonus content to catch up on.Looking for gift ideas? Get some JJHo merch at MaxFunStore.com! Or, a ticket to see us in January at SF Sketchfest makes a LOVELY gift! Sunday, January 18 at Marines' Memorial Theatre, on sale now! Or, give the gift of MaxFun membership at maximumfun.org/join!Follow us on:YouTubeTikTokInstagramBlueSky Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Join at $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join!
Pre-order Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It: https://sites.prh.com/phoebe-bermans-gonna-lose-it SUBSCRIBE TO THE BNC CHANNEL: https://bit.ly/45Pspyl Ad Free & Bonus Episodes: https://bit.ly/3OZxwpr This week, Chungus and Chungarella are making a podcast! They get chunged out to the max talking about Wicked part 2, Connor's final shows of tour, and the humiliation ritual of shopping at CVS. Plus, they share an important PSA about what you should be wearing. Join our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5356639204457124/ Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to https://RocketMoney.com/bandc today. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/BANDC to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code BANDC. Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/5vj8zukj #CashAppPod As a Cash App partner, we may earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Give him a gift he'll actually use! GET UP TO 47% OFF by going to https://www.Ridge.com/BNC #Ridgepod Shop the best underwear for Men and Women at https://www.skims.com/bnc #skimspartner B+C IG: https://www.instagram.com/bncmap/ B+C Twitter: https://twitter.com/bncmap TMG Studios YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tinymeatgang TMG Studios IG: https://www.instagram.com/realtmgstudios/ TMG Studios Twitter: https://twitter.com/realtmgstudios BROOKE https://www.instagram.com/brookeaverick https://twitter.com/ladyefron https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyefron CONNOR https://www.instagram.com/fibula/ https://twitter.com/fibulaa https://www.tiktok.com/@fibulaa Hosted by Brooke Averick & Connor Wood, Created by TMG Studios, Brooke Averick & Connor Wood, and Produced by TMG Studios, Brooke Averick & Connor Wood. Chapters:00:00 Down Bad for a Clip 00:44 Life Before Chungus 03:53 Running into an Old Friend 07:24 Dressing to Impress 10:55 Making Notes App Lists 15:49 Fourth Wing 17:50 Rocket Money 19:44 Squarespace 21:00 Disagreeing w/ the Masses 24:02 Wicked For Good 28:28 Munchkin Averick 32:51 G Rated Sexiness 36:22 Cash App 38:30 Ridge 40:13 Skims 41:23 Wrapping up the Tour 44:33 Humiliated at CVS 48:50 Dandruff Hacks 51:29 Matt Taylor aka Kevin Jones 53:55 Mr. Efron on DWTS 56:49 Awards Season Confusion 1:00:45 Wicked Premier 1:02:57 Subbing Out Connor 1:03:51 Fruit Merge 1:05:46 A Dog Named ARFID 1:09:57 See You In Bonus!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: losing track of time reading and bookish vanity plates Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: books we think would make great book club picks The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). . . . 1:19 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 2:29 - Snap by Belinda Bauer 6:34 - Our Current Reads 6:48 - The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (Meredith) 10:13 - Wanderers by Chuck Wendig 10:33 - It by Stephen King 11:59 - The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko (Kaytee) 12:03 - Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko 14:24 - Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 15:13 - Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko 16:06 - How to Be A Saint by Kate Sidley (Meredith) 21:45 - Of Time and Turtles by Sy Montgomery (Kaytee) 21:53 - The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery 26:46 - The Black Wolf by Louise Penny (Meredith) 27:01 - The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny 32:54 - State of Terror by Louise Penny and Hillary Clinton 34:20 - The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman (Kaytee) 34:27 - The King's English Bookshop 36:49 - The Magicians by Lev Grossman 38:36 - Our Book Club Recs 39:22 - Currently Reading Patreon 40:34 - The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig 44:27 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 44:38 - Curfew by Jayne Cowie 46:04 - Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge 48:11 - The Push by Ashley Audrain 49:19 - The Art Thief by Michael Finkel 50:15 - One of the Boys by Jayne Cowie 51:24 - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 51:25 - Washington Black by Esi Edugyan 51:27 - The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali 51:45 - Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 52:06 - CR Season 6: Episode 2 52:42 - Check our our instagram @currentlyreadingpodcast for our book club post! 52:54 - Meet Us At The Fountain 53:02 - I wish that if you don't already follow us on Instagram, to do so now. (Meredith) 53:07 - @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram 53:35 - I wish to reformat my bookish hard drive (Kaytee) 51:34 - Katabasis by R.F. Kuang 51:37 - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 51:38 - Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. November's's IPL is brought to us from Content Bookstore in Northfield, Minnesota. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
In Ep. 210, Laura McGrath, author of the popular Substack newsletter, textCrunch, joins Sarah to take a sharp look at the State of the Publishing Industry in 2025. This packed episode covers a high-level look at the top sales and book trends, as well as Laura's insights into the future of the book world for 2026. Also, Laura shares her favorite books of 2025! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights Laura McGrath's book Middlemen (publishing April 28, 2026) is available for pre-order here: Amazon | Bookshop.org Fiction's performance in the sales charts since 2019. The trend seen in nonfiction over the past few years and where it may be headed. The continued debate about whether 2025 has a "Book of the Year." Surprising sales trends in religious books and imprints. How self-publishing still brings us successful authors. What Laura sees in her research that she thinks publishers should be paying attention to. A bit about the current outlook for mid-list and debut authors. Laura's predictions for 2026 book trends. State of the Publishing Industry in 2025 HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW [2:45] Onyx Storm (Empyrean, 3) by Rebecca Yarros (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:49] Fourth Wing (series, 1) by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:58] The Women by Kristin Hannah (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:21] James by Percival Everett (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:59] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:02] Flashlight by Susan Choi (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:25] The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:58] The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:04] A Guardian and a Thief by Leela Tapryal (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:31] The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:19] Audition by Katie Kitamura (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:57] The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:59] 2025 BOOK SALES & TRENDS [14:41] The Martian by Andy Weir (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:03] The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:38] The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:40] Heart the Lover by Lily King (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:42] BIG BOOK STORIES OF 2025 [30:18] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:30] V by Thomas Pynchon (1963) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:32] Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth (1969) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:41] The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead (1999) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:47] The Mothers by Brit Bennett (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:54] 2026 PUBLISHING PREDICTIONS [42:29] Audition by Katie Kitamura (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:41] Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:55] Discipline by Larissa Pham (January 20, 2026) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:01] Under Water by Tara Menon (March 17, 2026) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:07] Laura's 3 Favorites Books of 2025 [45:31] Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:17] Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghey (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[47:59] The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:38] Other Links The New York Times | The Dogged, Irrational Persistence of Literary Fictionby Gerald Howard The Walrus | Publishing Has a Gambling Problem by Tajja Isen Time | How Taylor Jenkins Reid Became a Publishing Powerhouse by Lucy Feldman Book Riot | How Much Does Genre Matter to Readers? (Podcast Episode) Public Books | Who Cares About Literary Prizes? by Alexander Manshel, Laura B. Mcgrath, & J. D. Porter
Learn how to write authentic, diverse characters without over-explaining or fearing criticism.Writing diverse characters can feel intimidating. You want to include different voices in your story, but worry about misrepresenting them. This leads many writers to either avoid diversity altogether or fall into the trap of over-explaining everything for a mainstream gaze, thereby diluting the power of their story.In this episode, I sit down with Tiffany Grimes, founder of Burgeon Design and Editorial and an MFA-trained editor who specializes in amplifying marginalized voices. After recognizing areas for growth in her own feedback, Tiffany has spent years helping writers shed performative expectations and write with radical honesty.Here's what we cover:[05:50] Tiffany's vulnerable experience writing about a Vietnamese character and learning she wasn't the right person to tell that story.[09:00] The core framework that separates writing "about" a community versus writing "to" your community from the inside.[19:00] Why you should give yourself permission to write the stereotype first in early drafts.[20:25] How Jesinia (a deaf character in the Fourth Wing) shows why trusting your audience creates better representation.[21:00] The protection question that helps you identify when you're diluting your story for mainstream audiences.[26:45] Understanding emotional clarity and how readers' experience goes deeper than just character representation.Whether you're writing characters from your own experience or exploring different perspectives, this conversation offers compassionate guidance for creating authentic, powerful stories that honor both your characters and your readers.
SPOILERS FOR ALL FAE & ALCHEMY SERIES Welcome to Fantasy Fangirls, a top-charts podcast hosted by sisters Nicole and Lexi, who deep dive into beloved fantasy stories one series at a time. Every episode, they cover several chapters of a book with a uniquely fun summary, then discuss insights, character analysis, foreshadowing, and theories, before wrapping up with an in-depth explanation about a world-building topic. Plus, lots of laughs, jokes, and sisterly banter along the way!Fantasy Fangirls has covered Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, the Kindred's Curse Saga by Penn Cole, and are about to begin Quicksilver by Callie Hart. New episodes air every Monday.Check out our recent sponsors: https://www.fantasyfangirls.com/sponsorsJoin the FanClub: https://fantasyfangirls.com/fanclubShop our merch: https://fantasyfangirls.myshopify.com/Support the show through our Amazon Shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/fantasyfangirlspodcastNewsletter: https://fantasyfangirls.com/newsletterWebsite: https://www.fantasyfangirls.com/ Upcoming events:* Romantasy BookCon: SOLD OUTThe Dreamers & Readers Festival - Use code FFG for a discount off your ticket!*For all Event Discounts - go to https://fantasyfangirls.supercast.com/subscriber_v2/posts/6891Listen now:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24KydMMzrYfVpDggkFZx4j?si=fd7dc956393041b8Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fantasy-fangirls/id1706179464YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fantasyfangirlsFollow us:Instagram: @fantasyfangirlspodTikTok: @fantasyfangirlspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: car picnics and even more bookshelves! Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: all about narrative POVs - do they matter? do we like one more than the other? The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). . . . . 1:29 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 4:04 - Awake by Jen Hatmaker 4:44 - BookPeople 9:45 - Our Current Reads 9:53 - American Royals by Katharine McGee (Kaytee) 13:22 - Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 13:26 - Currently Reading Patreon to access Popcorn in the Pages 14:03 - Majesty by Katharine McGee 14:53 - A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (Meredith) 18:05 - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 18:06 - The Spellshop by Sara Beth Durst 18:16 - A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna 19:24 - House of Frank by Kay Synclaire 19:41 - The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune 20:08 - These Truths by Jill Lepore (Kaytee) 20:32 - libro.fm 22:04 - The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon 25:07 - The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis (Meredith) 26:03 - Fabled Bookshop 29:39 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Kaytee) 32:04 - David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 34:15 - The Carpool Detectives by Chuck Hogan (Meredith) 40:05 - Deep Dive: Narrative POVs 45:38 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 45:43 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 45:59 - A Good Neighborhood by Therese Ann Fowler 46:32 - Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes 48:28 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live 49:55 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 52:39 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 52:42 - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 52:47 - The Color Purple by Alice Walker 53:05 - We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin 53:09 - Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin 53:30 - Yellowface by R.F. Kuang 53:32 - Everyone In My Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson 53:52 - Meet Us At The Fountain 53:55 - I wish to press Starling House into everybody's hands. (Kaytee) 54:00 - Starling House by Alix E. Harrow 54:08 - The Novel Neighbor 56:10 - The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow 56:29 - I wish everyone would try a book flight. (Meredith) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. September's IPL is brought to us from Words Matter in Pitman, NJ. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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