Podcasts about kill you

This week, as Magda and Lindsay talk all about the book relationships they weren't ready to end…so instead, they're adding on their own theories on what happens after the last page. Listen in as they offer their thoughts on how their favorite characters are doing.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Books mentioned in the episode:  “The Hunger Games“ by Suzanne Collins “The Orc at the Office“ by Kate Prior “The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy“ by Brigitte Knightley “Girl on Girl“ by Sophie Gilbert “Bridgerton“ by Julia Quinn “Bel Canto“ by Ann Patchett “Great Big Beautiful Life“ by Emily Henry “Margo's Got Money Troubles“ by Rufi Thorpe “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow“ by Gabrielle Zevin “Demon Copperhead“b y Barbara Kingsolver “Project Hail Mary“ by Andy Weir “Foundation“ by Isaac Asimov     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

How dare you? That's the first question KJ asked Ally Carter, whose name is “synonymous with hilarious action and heart-pounding romance” (TRUE). Is KJ outraged? Hell no. It's a legit question. Ally's books are so so much fun, with wild action scenes befitting a Bond movie (or a Jason Bourne, OBVIOUSLY) and plots that trot the globe while dancing backwards in high heels and KJ really wants to know—how did Ally give herself permission to just go there? To write the dreamy, wild, sure it could happen but also we don't even care because we're so in it story that scares many of us (especially ex-journo KJ, who wastes far far too much time on such non dramatic questions as “but how would someone with that job pay for health insurance? and “technically, how much snow could that unit make in one night?). Also asked: how did you learn to write action so well? Do you take all kinds of crazy self defense classes? Or dissect movie fight scenes in slo-mo? Are you fun to watch a spy movie with, or terrible?I would have asked her if she used to BE a spy…but then she would have had to kill me.LINKSNational Spy MuseumThe Blonde Who Came In from the ColdThe Most Wonderful Crime of the YearThe Blonde IdentityAlly CarterAlly's rec: Netflix: The ResidenceInstagram @theallycarter The newsletterHey everyone, it's Jenny Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coach. Author Accelerator is the company I founded more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. If you've been curious about what it takes to become a successful book coach, which is to say, someone who makes money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers, I've just created a bunch of great content to help you learn more. You can access it all by going to bookcoaches.com/waitlist. We'll be enrolling a new cohort of students in our certification program in October, so now's a perfect time to learn more and start making plans for a whole new career.Transcript below!EPISODE 460 - TRANSCRIPTJennie NashHey everyone, it's Jennie Nash, founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, the company I started more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. In October, we'll be enrolling a new cohort of certification students who will be going through programs in either fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, and learning the editorial, emotional and entrepreneurial skills that you need to be a successful book coach. If you've been curious about book coaching and thinking that it might be something you want to do for your next career move, I'd love to teach you more about it, you can go to bookcoaches.com/waitlist to check out a free training I have—that's bookcoaches.com/waitlist. The training is all about how to make money, meaning and joy out of serving writers. Fall is always a great time to start something new. So if you're feeling called to do this, go check out our training and see if this might be right for you. We'd love to have you join us.Multiple SpeakersIs it recording? Now it's recording. Yay! Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. Try to remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay. Now, one, two, three.KJ Dell'AntoniaHey, I'm KJ Dell'Antonia, and this is Hashtag AmWriting the weekly podcast about writing all the things—short things, long things, pitches, proposals, fiction, nonfiction. We're the podcast about getting things done. And I'm going to be solo this week because I am interviewing, and I'm so excited to interview one Ally Carter, whose name, I'm stealing this from her bio, because it was such a great line—is synonymous with hilarious action and heart-pounding romance. And as someone who's read much of it, I can vouch kids. So Ally's most recent big book that you've probably seen around was The Blonde Identity . Her current book that you're going to want to go straight out and grab is The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold, and her other book that she wrote just for me—because it was like exactly what I needed in a book in that moment and I really appreciate it. I'm glad other people got to read it, but it was really, for me— The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year those are her adult books. She's got a ton of young-adult books, also with heart pounding action and hilarious...wait, heart-pounding romance, hilarious action. I feel those are exchangeable. And even some middle grade if you've got some kids who might be reading in those lines. So Ally does all the things, and we're going to find out how, and immediately be able to do it ourselves. Ha! Ally, thanks for coming.Ally CarterThank you so much for having me, KJ. I appreciate it.KJ Dell'AntoniaWe are super excited.Ally CarterI also wrote The Most Wonderful Crime [The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year] just for me, because it's— that's like, I love a mystery, and I pick them up, and I'm like, this would be great. Where's the romance? And then I love a romance, and I pick it up, and I'm like, where's the mystery? And so that's, that's how Most Wonderful Crime [The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year ] came to be. It is two great genres better together.KJ Dell'AntoniaAlso, it's writers in a—like writers in a mansion, with secrets and surprise identities, and things people can do that no one knows they can do, which is my jam. Yeah, really enjoyed it.Ally CarterThank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaThank you for that. Not that I didn't I love The Blonde Identity. My daughter has it right now, and she's super excited, because I can give her The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold, early, because I might have gotten an early copy. So she'll be reading that on the beach next week after she finishes the first one.Ally CarterThat is some good cool mom points right there.KJ Dell'AntoniaWell, it is, yeah, and they're rare. But that is a great thing about your—I mean, my daughters are 21 and 19, so they're older, but I would have given the blonde books and The Most Wonderful Crime to, you know, a 16... ?... like, they're not—not that I don't actually give some pretty steamy stuff to my kids, but if you're not somebody who does that, they're steamy, but they're not—anyway...Ally CarterYeah, there are books that, like, grandma and mom and daughter can all read togetherKJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, I was just going to say I would give them to my mom too. Yeah. I mean, they're just super fun. Because sometimes the better test is not “Would I give it to my daughter?” It's “Would I give it to my mom?”Ally CarterYou're exactly right. Agreed, agreed.KJ Dell'AntoniaSo my first question is this: how dare you?! Okay, and now you're like, wait, what?! No, seriously, like, your books are—the plots are so out there, and glorious, and outrageous, and the action scenes are wild, and they're sort of everything you fantasize about in a spy romance novel. And as a former journalist, I spend a lot of time sitting around staring at my plot thinking things like, yes, but how would this person have health insurance? And I feel like you've transcended that. So can you talk to me and all of us about how you've, you know, embraced this world of the wild, glorious, fun, and outrageous in your plotting?Ally CarterYou know, that's a—thank you. First of all, that's a lovely compliment. I really credit it toward, you know, how most things are in my life and my career—it was total accident and sheer dumb luck. So 20 years ago—I realized not long ago—like, literally 20 years ago this spring, I saw it. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. And I was, you know, big dumb kid, didn't know what I was doing, sheer dumb luck, had this amazing idea. And most of all, I had an amazing idea at a time when the YA [young adult] genre was just expanding exponentially—like the shelves of shelf space at Barnes and Noble was getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And so it was a big tent, and there was room for everybody. And so I was lucky in that I got in there. I was especially lucky because I had a brilliant editor named Donna Bray. And Donna could see, like the shift coming—like, she could see Twilight and the, like, the move to paranormal, and the move to, you know, moving away from contemporary fiction to genre fiction. And she was like, we have to get this out fast. And so we crashed it. And so I sold it in, like, April or May of 2005, and then I had to go to copy editing in October, and I had—I had 32 pages.KJ Dell'AntoniaSorry, (laughing)Ally CarterAnd a day job!KJ Dell'AntoniaOh, my goodness!Ally CarterSo I had the summer of absolute deadline. I would come home from my day job, I would eat a fast dinner, and I would write till midnight. But this was also back, like, before we really had smartphones in our pockets all the time—definitely pre, like, social media—and so that's what you did. And I'm like, man, if I did that every day, think about how much writing I would get done today.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Ally CarterBut because I was so fast, the turnaround there was so fast, I didn't have time to, like, go down a rabbit hole of, well, exactly what type of nylon cord would they use to rappel into such and such—you know, I just got—I made it up, and I got away with it. And so I realized that, you know, I would—I did do a lot of research on actual tradecraft.KJ Dell'AntoniaRight.Ally CarterSo the things like the girl—there's a scene where the girls have to go through the boy's garbage. And there's this—you know, there are scenes where they're, you know, planting bugs and those types of things. Those—I watched documentaries, I read a lot of, like, actual decommissioned, sort of old CIA handbooks and things.. The International Spy Museum has a wonderful reference section, and you can actually order...KJ Dell'AntoniaOh, that's cool.Ally CarterOld, like, World War Two training manuals and things. It's really greatKJ Dell'AntoniaI did not know that.Ally CarterSo I did do that. What I did not do was I didn't worry about, like, the brand name of what you might call it. So as a general rule, I tell my readers, like, the more specific something is in the book, the more likely it is I made it up. So when I'm like, well, then she did the one death ski maneuver—and, like, I don't know what the one death ski maneuver is, but they don't either—I made it up. But the actual sort of bones of what the school would teach and how they would teach, it was very accurate.KJ Dell'AntoniaWell, it must have come in handy because you have another school in the current book.Ally CarterYeah. And it's—it was a little harder, because it is, you know, it's not for kids, and so it has to have a little bit more of an air of sophistication. And I wanted to base it off of the actual CIA training facility, “The Farm,” which is at Camp Peary—which is in the book, what I couldn't figure out were things like, do they sleep in apartments? Do they have a dorm? Is there a are there barracks? Are there, you know, is there, like, a big cafeteria? Are they?KJ Dell'AntoniaVery few people will know what's real, and they can't tell you, right?Ally CarterThey can't tell me. And so I actually, when I was on tour for The Blonde Identity, I was in D.C., and I did a wonderful event, had hundreds of readers there, and they were like my Gallagher Girls who had grown up and now they all are spies. I mean, they like, literally work for the CIA. They're literally with, you know, "I'm with Homeland Security." You know, several of them were like, I can't actually tell you where I work, but you were very popular there and so, and I actually did a like, show of hands, like, if you can say so, how many of you have been to The Farm and, like, multiple hands went up.KJ Dell'AntoniaOh, wow!Ally CarterAnd I'm like we're talking when this is finished. So I got a little bit, but not very much, you know. And I guess the thing also with “The Farm” is, you know, they bring in, like, their actual undercover operatives to train there, but there are a lot of different groups that also use that facility. So, for example, I think I'm not dreaming this. I think this is true. Like, if you are an ambassador or an ambassador's family, and you and you are going, maybe not like the ambassador to London, but if you're going to, like, you know, someplace that could be a little bit dangerous, they'll send you there for, like, evasive driving training and things like that. So you get a little bit of training. So it's not just spies who train at Camp Peary, it's multiple groups.KJ Dell'AntoniaI have a new life goal now, which is to never need evasive driving training.Ally CarterRight?! And see, I kind of want to learn how to do it. I don't want to need it…KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah no, no but no, it's not to need it. I don't want to need it.Ally CarterI want to know how to do it.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah. Well, yeah, you could, you could use it. Yeah, I just—it. I miss—your books inspire the writer in me to remember, like you said, that very few people care what brand of nylon rope you would use to repel, and from there, it's a pretty short step to, you know, whether or not you can really stop a cable car halfway.Ally CarterYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, we're and we're not going to but.. It's just...Ally CarterAnd the way I see it is, if you are the person who knows what brand of rope it is... even if i get the rope right, i could get everything else wrong.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou're either not reading this, or you don't care.Ally CarterYeah. There... This is, this is not for them, probably.KJ Dell'AntoniaOr if it is, it they've they're there, like...Ally CarterThey're there.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat's fine.Ally CarterYou either buying in or you're out. And that's fine. And I—and nothing but respect to the people who do know that? Because now, I grew up on a farm, and so I can't read, like, cowboy books, because I'm like, oh gosh, geez Louise, of course, your barn burned down. You put that hay in there way too soon—you are you really baling green hay?KJ Dell'AntoniaThey're literally haying in my field right now.Ally CarterRight. You know, I'm like, seriously, seriously. This is, you know, you're, you're, you're not. You didn't do a semen test on your bull? Like—you know?"KJ Dell'Antonia"You are not milking that cow. I know how you're supposed to hold your hands."Ally CarterExactly!KJ Dell'AntoniaSee I did.Ally CarterYeah, I'm, I'm not, I'm not here for and so I'm, like, this is the same thing. Like spies have no reason be reading me. I have no reason reading the things that I do know about. Because it's, you know, it's, it's just, you're also, it's not exciting to me. And so I'm sure most spies, you know, there's a line in...KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah it's not a fantasy.Ally CarterYeah, so…KJ Dell'AntoniaIt can't be a fantasy, because you're too stuck on, you know, the...Ally CarterExactly, and so...KJ Dell'AntoniaThe reality that our hay baling chute is broken, and therefore we will need multiple people tomorrow to go around and pick up each individual bale…Ally CarterYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd put it on a flatbed truck, and drive to the barn, and take each individual bale off the flatbed truck, and then stack them in the barn. Y'all are missing my arm gestures, but Ally knows of which I speak.Ally CarterI know, I know those gestures. You got to buck it up with your knee. It's a whole—it's—it is not easy work. It is very hard work. And so…KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, I'm hoping not to go out there, but I know I will.Ally CarterOh no, you don't want to do that, and you will itch for days.KJ Dell'AntoniaI've done it. I've done it for years and I know I'm going to end up there. It's my birthday tomorrow too.Ally CarterOh no, that's not the…Yeah, so it's the reality. I think it's very easy—also, when reading, as a reader—I hate it when it's very clear that an author has done a ton of research and they're not going to let it go to waste. Yeah. And so there's like, you know, they'll introduce the thing, and then they'll have, like, a paragraph explaining all of the things that they have learned. I'm like, this serves no purpose whatsoever.KJ Dell'AntoniaI also thank my editor for my leaving out the entire history of Prohibition-era alcohol rules between Kansas and Missouri in The Chicken Sisters.Ally CarterYep. See, if you, if you want to write that, the nonfiction is right there, you can— you've got it. So I like to do enough research to inform the story. And, you know, there are definitely things, you know, scenes and lines and wonderful things that have come from the research. But I never do research just so I know, like, what kind of rope it is.KJ Dell'AntoniaRight.Ally CarterI—you know, that's that I think then, then, then also, are you doing research, or are you procrastinating?KJ Dell'AntoniaWell...Ally CarterBecause I think most people are just procrastinating.KJ Dell'AntoniaWe all know the answer to that. So how about the action scenes? You write such great action scenes, but I am also not a reader who's like picturing, well, clearly at this point, he's upside down and her hand. You know, that's not how I read anything. I just kind of go (shwoop) through that. So how do you handle writing them? Are you like slowing down action films so you can dissect the movies?Ally CarterNo, I really don't like writing action scenes. They are hard, and it feels like I've done everything, like they're okay. Well, hey, here we are. We're doing that again, but there. They are. They come with the job. And so I think most of all, you just have to remember, sort of the blocking of it. Like, okay, who is where? The other hard thing that that comes and, you know, movies have it so much easier. Like, you don't need a name for the for the six bad guys, that black Willow...KJ Dell'AntoniaRight,, the one on the right, and the one behind... Yeah, yeah, no.Ally CarterAnd so I'm like, Okay, but how is the reader keeping these different so, you know, like, well, one of them has a has glasses, and the other one has a goatee. Okay, well, then from that point forward, I the author just call them glasses...KJ Dell'AntoniaGlasses and goatee. Right.Ally CarterAnd so you have to remember, like, okay, glasses is down. Goatees still at large, you know, or whatever.KJ Dell'AntoniaIs there a special copy editor for that?Ally CarterThey're not special, but that is definitely can fall into a copy editor's purview, especially things like during that fight sequence. Okay, well, it was 100 pages ago, but it was also yesterday that your heroine got shocked. Is she really fighting at full strength? Oh, ouch, you know. So that type of thing, because, again, reader wise, that's, that was, I've, that was the midpoint. I'm to the climax now. But timeline wise, no, that was yesterday.KJ Dell'AntoniaRight.Ally CarterAnd so the...KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd probably with some readers, reader wise, that was an hour ago.Ally CarterYeah! So...KJ Dell'AntoniaI mean you know, we're eating this up.Ally CarterExactly.KJ Dell'AntoniaSo much faster to read than to write.Ally CarterSo you have to think about those types of things. Like I wrote that two months ago, but nope, it's still right there.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Ally CarterSo that's the kind of thing that, you know, again, you can't really worry about in a first draft. Like, let that. That's future-use problem.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah. Now, in contrast to, you know, the wild plotting and the crazy, enjoyable, delicious action, your people feel, you know super, super real. They have, ah, big reasons for being the way that they are, but the feelings feel real. I think that is an amazing um, contrast. Do you start with the, do you start with, like, you know, the person's flaw, or what it would there's some term of art for this which I have forgotten. Or do you start with, I need a person who, or does it vary book by book?Ally CarterThank you. I, you know, it's I spend a lot of time with that.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat's why they work.Ally CarterThank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaNo, seriously, no one. I mean, The Blonde Identity would maybe be fun if it wasn't also, like, you really want her to figure out who she is, and you really want to know why is this happening, and what is up with and like, you want all that for the character you believe in, in her.Ally CarterAnd that's always I find as much about tone as anything, this particular sub- genre, it can go wacky or kooky really fast, like it's very easy. You know, I like to say that spy movies exist on a spectrum that range from get smart to Zero Dark Thirty.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Ally CarterAnything along that spectrum is a spy movie. But those could not be more different. And so are we? Are we doing like James Bond, like he's cool and suave, but he also has gadgets, or are we doing like he's, you know, kind of bumbling with gadgets? Or are we doing it's very realistic?KJ Dell'AntoniaWell are we doing Roger Moore James Bond, or are we doing … um…guy who now models for…Ally CarterDaniel Craig?KJ Dell'AntoniaThank you—oy vey—Daniel Craig, which are very different. James Bonds really…Ally CarterVery different James Bonds, because I've heard people the James Bond people talk about the Daniel Craig, James Bond doesn't exist without Jason Bourne.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Ally CarterThat's who they looked at and so all of these things, you know. And so when I'm trying to figure it out, and I think that's one of the hardest things about genre bending romance, whether you're bending fantasy and romance or horror and romance, or romance and mystery or romance and action, or whatever, you could only really write in the Venn diagram space, where there's overlap. And so I couldn't, you know, the realistic version of this is not something where people are falling in love, like it's, you know, it's too dark. And it's definitely not a comedy, definitely not a comedy. So you're, you have to find the place where, no, they're in real, actual peril. This is really terrible. This is... they really might dieKJ Dell'AntoniaAnd they understand that.Ally CarterAnd they understand that they get that and also, but they still have time to, you know, okay, well, now I'm going to, you know, now we're going to slow dance, you know, you still have to find those times. And the other thing is, you know, you have to figure out just where on the spectrum you want to be and lean into that. Like, if you want to write, like, the kooky, sort of Agent Cody Banks of it all, then you have to do that. But then you have to realize the other parts of the spy kind of world that you can't touch. And so it's—you're just—you're always threading needles. It's, it is a, it is a task of, of absolutely threading needles all the time.KJ Dell'AntoniaI think that, yeah, when it comes to tone, where on the spectrum do you want to be, is like, like maybe one of the greatest questions that I have heard. And it's just one that, you know, I think we all wrestle with.Ally CarterWell, and I've had people that really don't—people who should get it—who don't get it. So, you know, I was in a meeting one time with some Hollywood producers who were looking at some of my stuff, and I said, “Well, tonally, where do you want it to be?” And they were like, “What do you mean?” I said, “Well, do you want it to be like, you know, Mr. and Mrs. Smith or Bourne Identity?” And they said, “Well, those are the same thing.” And I was like…KJ Dell'AntoniaNo, no, no, no!Ally Carter“This meeting is over. Thank you very much”.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Ally CarterIt's... I don't understand how people don't get that, but to me, I spend 90% of my time worried about it. Oh, I remember now what I was going to say earlier. I got my start—and I'm never going to be, like, a full-time or big-time of this—but I've done some screenwriting. . And so there's a screenwriting podcast [Scriptnotes] by two guys who are very big, very dominant—dominant—screenwriter. One of them did, like, the Charlie's Angels movies and the Aladdin remake and all those. The other one does The Last of Us and a bunch of big, like, HBO shows. And, um, they always talk about "the Want song". So in every Disney musical, the first—the first song—sets up the world. It's "Belle," you know, like, you know, wandering through town. The second song is the "whatever she wants." And so, you know Moana, you know, "See the line where the sky and the sea meet, it calls me"—like, Moana wants to travel. She wants adventure. And so I spend a lot of time, when I'm setting up these characters, thinking about what their "Want song" would be. And so, like, for The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, her "Want song" is, "I want to be Eleanor."KJ Dell'AntoniaRight.Ally CarterYou know she wants to be Eleanor Ashley [from The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year], who is my, like, fake off-brand Agatha Christie, and so that's, that's what you have to think about a lot like, you know, what Alex [from The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold] wants is to sort of be free like she wants, she wants to be enough. She wants to pay her—you know? She has paid her debt for—you know, sort of having been born strong and healthy, where her identical twin has been born very, very sick. And so she, she wants—and she wants to never lay eyes on Michael Kingsley [also from The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold], ever again, who was her, you know, on again, off again, partner, slash love interest. And so that's—you know, that I always start with that, what is their wound? What is the thing that hurt them in the past that they're trying to get over? And what is their want?KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Ally CarterAnd almost always, what would they realize over the course of the book is that the thing that they want is not the thing that they need.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Ally CarterAnd so that's, that's an Ally Carter book. That's an Ally Carter character progress.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat's it. Now everyone can do it.Ally CarterYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah. Oh, but if it were that easy, everyone would do it, right? Um, no, this... this is amazing and delightful. I hope really helpful for people. I got distracted by taking some notes on what you just said. So, people—for me, for the Post-its on my computer, as well as, oh my gosh, so many Post-its, so many Post-its—let's talk just a little bit about the difference between YA [young adult] and adult when you're—fundamentally—I mean, some people sort of switch genres entirely. You were writing very similarly toned books for different audiences. How? How do you think of that evolution?Ally CarterThat's—in a way—yes, I did switch audiences. In another way, they're the exact same readers. And so that's—that's an interesting and weird thing about YA is, about every three years, you have to make all new readers because they have grown up and they've aged out of you. And even if they haven't aged out of you, they have what I call "cooled out of you."KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, yeah.Ally CarterAnd they're like, I liked those books when I was a little kid, and so current me can't possibly like those books, because those are little kid books. And so I was on the phone during the pandemic with my friend Rachel Hawkins and Rachel had written YA for a long time, and then she switched to adult. And I was talking about... do I...? What do I...? I need to sell something. Do I sell another middle grade? Do I sell a YA [young adult]? Like, what do I sell? And she says, you sell an adult. You sell an adult book that appeals to your Gallagher Girl readers. And I, I said, oh, Rachel, I've spent, you know, 15 years building a career in YA, I've got, you know... And she said, your readers aren't there anymore. They are the girls who read you when they were 12, ten years ago, and are 22 now. And I'm like, oh, that's right, they are. They've grown up. And so I—and I had the idea for “the spy twins” and had tried to do it as YA, and then at one point I even tried to do it as middle grade, and I could never make it work. And the problem wasn't, one of the twins wakes up with amnesia and somebody's trying to kill her—that I could pull off. The problem was, how and why is her identical twin on the run? And what does she have? And, like, you know, she...KJ Dell'AntoniaShe needs a longer history than you can have as a teenager.Ally CarterYeah, exactly. Like, is she actually working for the CIA, like, because then again, we get into Agent Cody Banks territory, then it's, you know, well, we've got a super-secret branch of the CIA who recruits kids. I'm like, no, you don't that's stupid. Like so...KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd she's been there since she was 10, and now she's on the lam.Ally CarterExactly.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou know, and then at age 12, she went rogue.Ally CarterYeah. And then you've got, like, well, no, you know, it's a Parent Trap situation, and one of them was raised by a spy and one of them was raised by ordinary people. I'm like, oh, maybe... I don't know, but, you know, I just couldn't quite make it work. And so I was talking to Rachel, and I said, what am I supposed to do? Just dust off that old spy twin idea, except now, instead of a super-secret organization, she's just on the run from the CIA? And then I was like, wait a second.KJ Dell'AntoniaWell yes!Ally CarterIf she's 30... she can—so every single problem and logic challenge that I had with that premise went away once those characters became 30. And so I just—and it was the easiest writing I've ever done. I feel almost guilty about how easy that book was to write; because I'd been, I'd been working at it and hammering at that idea for so long. And so it was almost like, instead of starting it at the beginning, I started it at the end of the writing process, where you have that one, like, little linchpin thing that you think, oh, but what if I do this? And then the whole plot just...KJ Dell'AntoniaRight.Ally CarterSo I started it there. I started at the...KJ Dell'AntoniaWow!Ally CarterDomino moment. And I'm spoiled, because it'll never be that easy again. But that's, that's how the transition went. And, you know, it's been great because my readers, they're so excited to see me. It's like, they're, I hear from readers all the time, they're like, you know, it feels like you wrote this just for me. I grew up with you, and now you're writing books for me again, and that has been very full circle and very, very fulfilling.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat, that's great. Well, you're writing them for me too. So, love that, and I think for a lot of our listeners—who I really think are going to enjoy this episode.Ally CarterThank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaSo before I let you go, can I ask you what you have read and loved lately?Ally CarterOh, sweet mercy. I have been so underwater, on a—on a book, and it's been the kind of—it's been the kind of deadline and the kind of book... You know how the old adage is so true that you never learn how to write a book—you just learn how to write the book you're writing right now. And so this one has just... and when I get that way, I don't enjoy reading because my inner critic can't turn off. But I will share a show that I loved, and I—they just announced that they're not doing a season two, and I'm heartbroken over it. And that is, on Netflix, there's a Shonda Rhimes show called The Residence, and it's a murder mystery set at the White House. You know, somebody drops dead during a state dinner. And it's got kind of a kooky detective and a wonderful, colorful cast, and it's very, very funny, but it also—it threads that tonal needle, where, like, no, no, there was a murder. This is still serious, but, oh, by the way, I'm going to go look at the body, but first I saw a bird I want to check out, you know. And so it's just—tonally and voice-wise—it does really amazing things. And so if any of your listeners are looking for a really great, like, eight-episode series, it's great. I could not recommend it more—The Residence on Netflix.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat sounds super fun. Well, I am in the midst of The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold. So, you know, I don't normally recommend a book until I know if the writer is going to stick a landing. But I feel quite confident in this one, and have enjoyed—as you can obviously hear from the podcast—the rest of Ally's work. So I am going to just push all of you listeners to, you know, head out there, grab the new one, grab the old one, and have a good time with them.Ally CarterAww, thank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou're welcome. Thanks so much for being here. Oh, should people follow you on social media? Do you do anything fun? Are you...?Ally CarterI do nothing fun. I'm not fun at all. I'm mostly on Instagram; I guess at this point I'm the Ally Carter over there. I have a couple of kind of defunct Facebook pages that I update occasionally. I just updated it for the first time, evidently, in two years. So that was fun. I'm on Threads very seldom. I used to be on Twitter and I still have that account I don't update it very often. Um, but yeah—and of course, my newsletter, like the newsletter is—I think we need to come back. We all need to get back to the newsletter, because it will deliver the news directly to your inbox. And so if you want to make sure you don't miss any like, you know, tour events, which, by the way, I'm coming to Boston on tour in a couple of weeks. So looking forward to that a lot. I think its Lovestruck Books? Is that Boston?KJ Dell'AntoniaProbably yeah.Ally CarterYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat's the new romance bookstore there. I've been with Sarina a couple of times, and yeah, it's a great—it is a beautiful store. Like, every detail. Their bathrooms are phenomenal. That's how wonderful this store is. So, very cool. All right, I will link up the newsletter in the show notes, and yeah, about, you know, once every week, I decide to just cancel all the rest of my social media and only do my AmReading email. And then I imagine what my agent would say. And yeah, I don't do it, but...Ally CarterIt's, you know, and I feel like I'm such a broken record, like, oh, you know, go buy my book. Oh, go, you know, I'm going to be here on tour. Oh, this is how you get signed books. But—and I just say over and over and over again—and then inevitably, and this really happened to me one time, I was sitting at the LAX Airport waiting on a flight home, and I got an irate message from a reader that I never come to LA. And I was like, I did an event here last night—like, I was at the Barnes and Noble at The Grove or wherever—last night. And so we said, we—it feels like we are just beating a dead horse letting people know about these things, but it's so easy for things to get lost. And so...KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah! Jess tells the story—that's one of my other co-hosts—about, you know, someone who had come up to her, really one of her biggest fans, “Good new book.” And, “I get your idea, I love this, and I love that you wrote, like, knew a lot.” And then she said, “Oh, well, did you enjoy my latest book?” And they're like, “You have a new book?!”Ally CarterIt happens every time. And so, you know, it's—it's just part of the business at this point.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou've got to do it—it's just part of the business. All right. Well, thank you again...Ally CarterThank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd as always, listeners until next week keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.Jess LaheyThe Hashtag AmWriting Podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

…But like, literally, is the book community okay?  Magda and Lindsay discuss the alarming number of controversies currently making their way through the book community. From Romance Con to plus-sized female main characters, it seems book fans are in an uproar. But it begs the question, do we really know what we're mad about…or even what we want?  Listen in as they discuss how to be a better literary citizen.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Books mentioned in the episode:  “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins “The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy” by Brigitte Knightley “Alchemised” by SenLinYu “Rose in Chains” by Julie Soto “Sunny Side Up” by Katie Sturino “Curvy Girl Summer” by Danielle Allen     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Join Literally Books for their very first LIVE SHOW!!!! This week, Magda and Lindsay are joined by a group of their favorite Knights and Diviners at Lark and Owl Booksellers to discuss Rachel Gillig's "The Knight and the Moth." Take a seat and listen carefully, Bartholomew, to this chaotic and exciting discussion of love and friendship. Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Books Mentioned in the Episode: "The Knight and the Moth" by Rachel Gillig "The Briar Club" by Kate Quinn "The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy" by Brigitte Knightley "The Girls Who Grew Big" by Leila Mottley "The Hunger Games" Suzanne Collins "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman    Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread  

Why have pick just one genre, when you can read two?  This week, Literally Books is joined by Michelle (@bibliovino), who typically spends her days pairing books and wine, but joins Lindsay and Magda to pair sci-fi with mystery. She recommends all her favorite reads that combine complex world-building with a mystery twist.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Books mentioned in the episode: “Caught Up“ by Navessa Allen “When in Rome“ by Sarah Adams “The Compound“ by Aisling Rawle “The Knight and the Moth“ by Rachel Gillig “I'm Glad My Mom Died“ by Jeanette McCurdy “You Deserve Each Other“ by Sarah Hogle “Of Monsters and Mainframes“ by Barbara Truelove “Chain Gang All-Stars“ by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah “The Dream Hotel“ by Laila Lalami “Angels and Demons“ by Dan Brown “The Belial Sons“ by R.D. Brady “Breakthrough Series“ by Michael C. Grumley “Fluke“ by Christopher Moore “A Master of Djinn“ by P. Djèlí Clark “The Mimicking of Known Successes” by Malka Olde “Foundation“by Isaac Asimov “Murder by Memory“ by Olivia Waite “In Death Series“ by J.D. Robb “Dungeon Crawler Carl“ by Matt Dinniman “Even Though I Knew the End“ by C. L. Polk “The City and the City“ by China Miéville “When Gravity Fails“ by George Alec Effinger “Station Eternity“ by Mur Lafferty “Dark Matter“ by Blake Crouch “The Murderbot Diaries“ by Martha Wells “Wool“ by Hugh Howey "The Book of Elsewhere“ by China Miéville "Project Hail Mary“ by Andy Weir "Persuasion“ by Jane Austen "Lady Susan“ by Jane Austen   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread    

Notes and Links to Hannah Pittard's Work        Hannah Pittard is the author of six books, including the memoir WE ARE TOO MANY and the novel out as of today, IF YOU LOVE IT, LET IT KILL YOU. She is a winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award, a MacDowell fellow, and a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. She lives with her boyfriend and stepdaughter in Lexington. Much of her family lives nearby. Buy If You Love It, Let It Kill You   Hannah Pittard's Website   If You Love It, Let It Kill You Excerpt with Recommendation from Maggie Smith for Electric Literature   “Two Writers Fell in Love, Married, Then Divorced. Who Gets the Story?” from The New York Times At about 1:50, Hannah describes the evolution of her last name's pronunciation  At about 3:00, Hannah talks about the cover for If You Love It, Let it Kill You and describes her mindset in the leadup to her book's publication  At about 4:50, Pete shouts out Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch, both the book and movie, and asks Hannah to cast a possible future movie for If You Love It, Let it Kill You At about 7:20, Pete compliments the “snappy dialogue” of the book in asking Hannah about her family background and early intellectual life At about 8:45, Hannah discusses the book as “100% fiction” while talking about her sister and family as “muses” At about 9:55, Public urination is discussed, both within the book, and without  At about 10:50, Hannah traces her early reading life and how she “fell in love with books” and shouts out Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, and Tim O'Brien (In the Lake of Woods) At about 14:30, Pete brings up James Frey in discussing the fine line between fiction and nonfiction, as discussed by Hannah with regard to In the Lake of the Woods' brilliance At about 15:30, Ann Beattie, Grace Paley, Alice Munro, are referenced as big influences on Hannah's writing and reading in college and right after, as she traces her semi-accidental foray into MFA At about 17:20, Hannah talks about updating her contemporary reading as she entered MFA, including her early reading of Infinite Jest!  At about 19:15, Alice Munro's “upsetting” story is discussed as is Claire Deder's Monsters, in the larger discussion about problematic and damaging authors  At about 22:50, Hannah discusses her current reading, including Honor Jones' Sleep, and Lynn Stever Strong's , and the series Storybook ND At about 25:40, Hannah shouts out the book's publisher and places to buy the book, including Good Neighbor Books in upstate NY and Exile in Bookville in Chicago  At about 27:40, the two discuss Margaret Atwood's “cameo” in the book and Atwood's epigraph At about 28:55, Pete takes another opportunity to shout out Jess Walter, Beautiful Ruins, and Edoardo Ballerini At about 33:00, Hannah shouts out “Dog Heaven” by Stephanie Vaughn in a beautiful audio form read by Tobias Wolff, and the two fanboy/girl about Wolff's “Bullet in the Brain” At about 34:40, Pete lays out the book's opening and Hannah replies to Pete's question about her original and full chapter titles At about 36:35, The two discuss the book's exposition and plotline and how “Today I am restless” sets the scene for the book's ethos At about 40:00, Hannah shares some funny real-life stories from which she took pieces for her book's characters At about 41:55, Pete playfully laments the incredible veracity of Hannah's writing  At about 44:40, The two lay out a sort of “existential crisis” and an anxiety about contentment at the book's beginning; Hannah notes the protagonist's “place of privilege” At about 47:10, Pete remarks on the book's subtlety and Hannah on the protagonist's “distanc[ing]” based on a past trauma  At about 49:35, Hannah responds to Pete's asking about the vagaries of memory and its connections to the protagonist's actions and busy thoughts At about 52:05, The two discuss the protagonist's ennui  At about 53:15, Hannah responds to Pete's questions about the book's choral/allegorical nature At about 58:55, Hannah talks about the dynamic between the protagonist and her students, and Hannah's own evolution in teaching more flexibly  At about 1:02:05, Hannah responds to Pete's wonderings and musings of “The Irishman” and the character's implications  At about 1:07:00, Hannah reflects on various iterations of scenes involving a threatening student  At about 1:09:10, Pete cites Jess Walter's ending for Beautiful Ruins, in raving about Hannah's wonderful last line and skill in bringing the storyline full circle You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah will be up in the next week or two at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of writing projects that got away, as Pete discusses a particular writing project that had so much potential but is now unfinishable-at least he thinks so. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 287 with Jordan Harper, whose 2017 novel She Rides Shotgun is being adapted and released through Lionsgate Studios on August 1, which is also when the episode airs.

ROI! Synergies! Satisfaction!  The bookish business baddies of Literally Books are doing their mid year review for 2025. Listen this week as they discuss their highest ROI reads, books going on their improvement plan, and next steps in the Literally Books world.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Books mentioned in the episode:  “Twilight“ by Stephanie Meyer “The Romance Rivalry” by Susan Lee “Dungeon Crawler Carl“ by Matt Dinniman “Fluke“ by Christopher Moore “All Superheroes Need PR“ by Elizabeth Stephens “Love on the Brain“ by Ali Hazelwood “Deep End“ by Ali Hazelwood “Problematic Summer Romance“ by Ali Hazelwood “The Ninth House“ by Leigh Bardugo “Six of Crows“ by Leigh Bardugo “The Familiar“ by Leigh Bardugo “The Unwedding“ by Ally Condie “The Wedding People“ by Alison Espach “Babel“ by R.F. Kuang “Master of Me“ by Keke Palmer “The Memory Police“ by Yoko Ogawa “Mickey7“ by Edward Ashton “The Poppy War“ by R.F. Kuang “Katabasis“ by R.F. Kuang “Song of Achilles“ by Madeline Miller “Letter to My Daughter“ by Maya Angelou “This Could Be Us“by Kennedy Ryan The Nightingale“by Kristin Hannah The Four Winds“by Kristin Hannah The Women“by Kristin Hannah Legendborn“by Tracy Deonn Funny Story“by Emily Henry A Feast of Thorns and Roses“by Chelsea Cole The Knight and the Moth“ by Rachel Gillig “Alchemised“ by SenLinYu  “Mate“by Ali Hazelwood The Things Gods Break“by Abigail Owen   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Magda and Lindsay are on the mic this week to convince you that smut is not a dirty word! They discuss the history of smut and romance literature through the ages and its deep roots in art. And, of course, to keep things spicy, they add in some recommendations in the genre. Tune in (with headphones). *content warning: This week's episode includes discussions of sexuality and is not suitable for younger ears. Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread Books Mentioned in the Episode: “The Knight and the Moth“ by Rachel Gillig “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil“ by V.E. Schwab “Atmosphere“ by Taylor Jenkins Reid “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo“ by Taylor Jenkins Reid “Daisy Jones and the Six“ by Taylor Jenkins Reid “The Love Haters“ by Katherine Center “Problematic Summer Romance“ by Ali Hazelwood “Six of Crows“ by Leigh Bardugo “The Familiar“ by Leigh Bardugo “The Decameron “ by Giovanni Boccaccio “Fantomina“ by Eliza Haywood “Fanny Hill“ by John Cleland “Lady Chatterly's Lover“ by D.H. Lawrence “The Never King“ by Nikki St. Crow “Not in Love“ by Ali Hazelwood “Deep End“ by Ali Hazelwood “Done and Dusted“ by Lyla Sage “A Court of Mist and Fury“ by Sarah J. Maas “Beg, Borrow, or Steal“ by Sarah Adams “Interview with a Vampire“ by Anne Rice “The King of Sins“ by Ana Huang  

Summertime, and the reading's easy…   What makes a good summer read? Good covers? Spicy content? Fun plots? All of the above! Listen this week as Magda and Lindsay dive into their recipe for a perfect summer read, complete with recommendations.   Books Mentioned in the episode:  "The Poppy War" R.F. Kuang "Yellowface"  R.F. Kuang "Babel" R.F. Kuang "The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband" Julia Quinn "The Perfect Divorce" Jeneva Rose "The Perfect Marriage" Jeneva Rose "One Hundred Years of Solitude" Gabriel García Márquez "Listen for the Lie" Amy Tintera "First Lie Wins" Ashley Elston "Never Lie" Freida McFadden "Beach Read" Emily Henry "The Bodyguard" Katherine Center "Practice Makes Perfect" Sarah Adams "You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty"  Akwaeke Emezi "The House on the Cerulean Sea" T.J. Klune "Margo's Got Money Troubles" Rufi Thorpe  "Yellowface"  R.F. Kuang "The Midnight Feast" Lucy Foley "The Guest List" Lucy Foley "The Shadow of the Wind" Carlos Ruiz Zafón   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

On the heels of Literally Books' deep dive of Keke Palmer's self-help/memoir "Master of Me," Magda and Lindsay thought it was a good time to dig into the archives.  This week Magda and Lindsay ask themselves the question, what is a self help book, and does it actually make us better? Magda gives a rundown of the genre's history and evolution over time. Then, our hosts discuss their personal experiences with self improvement books, including what they've loved, hated, and even some that don't fit the mold, but have enriched their lives nonetheless. It's literally self care just to listen to them talk about it...   Literally Books, The Podcast Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram   Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

This week Magda and Lindsay attempt to master a delicate conversation about a book they had deeply ambivalent feelings about. Can you separate art from artist? This week the answer is, we must.    Listen in as they discuss Keke Palmer's, memoir (?)...self help book (?), "Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative."    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Strength from Suffering Let me start with this: the enemy wants you to believe that when hard things happen, you're done for. You're weaker. You're broken. That you can't be used by God anymore. But that's a lie. The truth is—God uses the hard things. He doesn't waste our pain. In fact, Scripture tells us over and over again that it's through trials that our faith, character, and hope are built.   The God Who Sees You and Knows You Psalm 139 is one of my favorite passages because it's such a clear reminder: God knows everything about you. He knows your name. He knows what you're up against. He even knows the number of hairs on your head. Not only is God all-knowing and omnipresent—but He is with you in your heartache. He understands the depths of your pain. He is not far off.   When You're Facing Trouble-Lean in, Don't Run In our home, we've gone through a season of back-to-back trials. Maybe you're there too. But here's what I've learned: running from pain doesn't produce growth—leaning into it does. Jesus promised us in John 16:33 that there would be trouble in this world. But He also promised us His peace. Not peace like the world gives—but peace in the midst of chaos.   Endurance is Grown in the Fire I want you to really let this truth soak in: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials… for you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” – James 1:2–4 Another translation puts it this way: “Consider it an opportunity for great joy.” – NLT It's not automatic joy—it's an opportunity. A choice. A lens to see your situation through. That's why we need Scripture deep inside us—it reframes the pain.   What Doesn't Kill You... Can Sanctify You Yes, this is hard. But what if you started saying: “This is hard—and I love a challenge”? God allows us to struggle so we can grow the muscles we need—just like a good father teaching a child to walk. He doesn't always swoop in. Instead, He gives us space to build spiritual endurance. And when endurance grows? Character grows. Hope grows. That's Romans 5. And hope, the Bible says, does not disappoint.   The Danger of Distraction in a Culture that Numbs One of the biggest traps we face in hard seasons is distraction. Social media. TV. Scrolling. Escaping. But that doesn't heal. It delays. It numbs. If we want to grow in God's strength, we must lean in. Let the Scripture simmer in our hearts. Let the pain teach us.   What is the Gift in This Situation? When things are hard, ask yourself: “What is the gift in this?” Even if your spouse is rejecting you over and over again… what if this is the exact thing God is using to grow your spiritual resilience? I tell my boys all the time, “You're learning perseverance right now.” And maybe, so are you.   You Can Grow in Love–Even When Marriage is Hard Whether or not your spouse is loving you well right now, you can still choose to lean in. You can still love. Still serve. Did you know that your brain actually releases happy chemicals when you serve someone else? That means if you're hurting—serving someone can literally make you feel better.   Final Thoughts You have a choice today. You can become bitter, cynical, disappointed in God—or you can say: “God, I trust You. There's something here I can't see yet—but I know You're good.” We don't get to tell God what He should've done. But we do get to trust that He's a good Father. And when we do that... We find His peace, His presence, and His purpose—even in the midst of pain.   We are rooting for you. We know God has good things for you. And whatever is going on right now that seems to much to bear, know that God will, He WILL, use it for good.   With love,   The Delight Your Marriage Team   PS - If you're interested in healing your marriage and learning more about our programs, check out our FREE Masterclasses: Women's Masterclass & Men's Masterclass PPS - Here is a quote from a recent graduate: “Biggest struggles were with being unhappy, feeling hopeless about a positive future with him, not feeling accepted or seen, feeling like all he needed from me was physical intimacy and admiration but didn't care to know me or care about me. I felt unhappy and hopeless... (After Delighted Wife), I have had many celebratory moments! We are having more fun together, more intimacy in our sharing, much better physical intimacy...Now I enjoy spending time with him, look forward to dates and vacations, and we laugh and work things out together. I believe we are a great team! It's a miracle that we enjoy and like each other again."

This week Magda and Lindsay feast their eyes, ears, stomachs, and minds on the culinary delights of Chelsea Cole's new book, “A Feast of Thorns and Roses.”  Inspired by Sarah J. Maas's ACOTAR series, Chelsea talks all about her recipe inspirations, her love of all things fantasy and historical fiction, and how to build the ACOTAR dinner party of your Calanmai dreams (complete with faerie wine).    Books mentioned in the episode: “A Feast of Thorns and Roses” by Chelsea Cole “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells “Wool” by Hugh Howey   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button.   This week we have Sam Miller, manager at Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, with us to chat about books readers might want to consider for their summer reading. It is always fun to hear what is new and notable from Sam.    This is our last episode of the season.  We will be back in July after our summer hiatus with all new episodes. Happy Reading!   Books Mentioned in this Episode:   1- The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebowitz   2- Northern Spy by Flynn Berry   3- Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen   4- Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen   5- Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero   6- The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani   7- Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani   8- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid   9- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter   10- So Far Gone by Jess Walter   11- A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle   12- A Lesser Light by Peter Geye   13- Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippmann   14- El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott   15- Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann   16- Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann   17- First Gentleman by Bill Clinton and James Patterson   18- King of Ashes by SA Cosby   19- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab   20- Katabasis by RF Kuang   21- Country Under Heaven by Frederic Durbin   22- A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna   23- Isabella Nag and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire   24- The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar   25- Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs   26- Plato and the Tyrant by James Romm   27- Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor   28- Is A River Alive? by Robert McFarlane   29- Mark Twain by Ron Chernow   30- Charlottesville by Deborah Baker   31- Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser   32- Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser   33- Fulfillment by Lee Cole   34- If You Love It, Let it Kill You by Hannah Pittard   35- The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich   36- Black Cohosh by Eagle Valiant Brosi   37- Big Swiss by Jen Beagin   38- I Am the Arrow: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath in Six Poems by Sarah Ruden   39- Red Comet by Heather Clark   40- Bad Badger : A Love Story by Maryrose Wood   Media mentioned--   1- Derry Girls (Netflix, 2018-2022)   2- Christoph Waltz on Jimmy Fallon --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0jr-HQeT74   3- Floyd Collins Broadway show--https://floydcollinsbroadway.com  

It's literally great big beautiful book review time and, ooph, it..is...a...doozy. Listen in as they debate the attractiveness of a toxic men and the true definition of a romance book. This week, Magda and Lindsay chat all about Emily Henry's latest book, "Great Big Beautiful Life."   Books mentioned in the episode:  “Little Women“ by  Louisa May Alcott “The Song of Achilles“ by Madeline Miller “Done and Dusted“ by Lyla Sage “First Time Caller“ by BK Borison “Clytemnestra“ by Costanza Cosati Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Mit seinem dritten Album "The Marshall Mathers LP" festigt Rapper Eminem im Jahr 2000 seinen Platz im Rapgeschäft und steigt zum absoluten Megastar des Hip-Hops auf. Mit seinem überdrehten, überzogenen und frechen Alter Ego "Slim Shady" schaffte Eminem es 1999 in den USA schon bis in die Top Ten der Charts. In Deutschland blieb der Künstler eher noch ein Underground-Name, den eingefleischte Hip-Hop- und Rapfans feierten. Mit "The Marshall Mathers LP", seinem dritten Album, landet Eminem auch bei uns in Europa auf Spitzenplätzen der Albumcharts. Der bürgerliche Name von Eminem ist Marshall Bruce Mathers III. Damit wird schon beim Blick auf den Albumtitel "The Marshall Mathers LP" klar: Hier wird es sehr persönlich. Nach "The Slim Shady LP" demaskiert Rapper Eminem sich hier an vielen Stellen – aber eben nicht an allen. Welche Person in den einzelnen Songs zu uns spricht, entdeckt man auf diesem Album oft erst auf den zweiten Blick: Ist es der Mensch Marshall Mathers, der Rapper Eminem oder doch wieder sein Alter Ego "Slim Shady"? Eminem erzählt auf seinem Album "The Marshall Mathers LP" viele Geschichten. Es geht viel um Gewalt und Drogen – Themen, die ihn schon sein ganzes Leben beschäftigen. Von seinem Vater verlassen landet Eminem mit seiner Mutter Deborah im Kindesalter in einem Trailerpark in Warren, einem Vorort von Detroit. Zu Schulzeiten bringt ihn sein nur wenige Jahre älterer Onkel und bester Freund Ronnie zum Hip-Hop. Die Jugendzeit ist für Eminem ist besonders hart. Seine Mutter ist von Tabletten abhängig und gewalttätig, sein Onkel Ronnie nimmt sich das Leben und Eminem bricht die Schule ab. Viele diese Themen verarbeitet Eminem in seinen Songs. Wer nur kurz in die Platte reinhört, bekommt den Eindruck, dass es hier nur um vulgäre Beleidigungen, Gewaltfantasien und Drogen geht. Dabei setzt Eminem sich an vielen Stellen von "The Marshall Mathers LP" mit den Schattenseiten des neuerworbenen Ruhms auseinander. Was erwartet das Plattenlabel von mir? Was erwarten die Fans? Und was macht dieser Druck mit mir und meinem Umfeld? Immer wieder wurde Eminem als homophob und frauenfeindlich kritisiert. Von hohen politischen Ämtern und von Aktivisten wurde gegen ihn mobil gemacht. Dabei wurde ihm auch vorgeworfen, Täter, wie zum Beispiel die des Amoklaufs an der Columbine High School durch seine Songtexte mit expliziten Gewaltfantasien angeheizt und motiviert zu haben. Eminem selbst weist in seiner Musik immer wieder darauf hin, dass man seine Songs nicht zu ernst nehmen sollte und er gerne übertreibt. Klar ist, Eminem will provozieren. "The Marshall Mathers LP" ist ein Album, das mit seinen sehr transparenten, eingängigen und markanten Beats (zum Großteil von Hip-Hop-Legende Dr. Dre) definitiv im Ohr bleibt und auch Spaß macht. Aber die Platte fordert den Hörer sehr, denn die Texte von Eminem, wenn sie auch vollgepackt sind mit – bewusst provozierenden – Ausdrücken und mehr als vulgären Beleidigungen, ist unglaublich tiefgründig und vielschichtig. Ohne die vielen Referenzen zu seinen Alter Egos oder anderen Personen aus der Popkultur zu verstehen, wird es schwer, die Platte in Gänze zu erfassen und verstehen zu können – aber die Arbeit lohnt sich. __________ Über diese Songs vom Album "The Marshall Mathers LP" wird im Podcast gesprochen: (15:20) – "Kill You"(29:08) – "The Real Slim Shady"(45:25) – "Stan"(01:00:16) – "The Way I Am"(01:05:42) – "Bitch Please II"__________ Alle Shownotes und weiterführenden Links zur Folge: https://1.ard.de/eminem-the-marshall-mathers-lp __________ Ihr wollt mehr Podcasts wie diesen? Abonniert "Meilensteine – Alben, die Geschichte machten"! Fragen, Kritik, Anregungen? Meldet euch gerne per WhatsApp-Sprachnachricht an die (06131) 92 93 94 95 oder schreibt uns an meilensteine@swr.de

In honor of Mother's Day, Magda and Lindsay discuss the peak and valleys of literary moms. Who earns their flowers, and who is leaving some parental scars on their fictional (and sometimes nonfictional) children?    Listen in and find out on this week's Literally Books.  Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Books Mentioned in the Episode:  “The Lost Bookshop“ by Evie Woods “A Great Big Beautiful Life“ by Emily Henry “Song of Achilles“ by Madeline Miller “Business Casual“ by BK Borison “First Time Caller“ by BK Borison “Letter to My Daughter“ by Maya Angelou “The Work of Art“ by Mimi Matthews “The Savage Detectives“ by Roberto Bolano “Babel“ by R.F. Kuang “Anna Karenina“ by Leo Tolstoy “Listen for the Lie“ by Amy Tintera “The Hunger Games“ by Suzanne Collins “A Court of Thorns & Roses“ by Sarah J. Maas  “With Teeth“ by Kristen Arnett “We Need to Talk About Kevin“ by Lionel Shriver “Mostly Dead Things“ by Kristen Arnett “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros “The Golden Compass“ by Philip Pullman “I'm Glad My Mom Died“ by Jeanette “Great Expectations“ by Charles Dickens “First Time Caller“ by BK Borison “Little Women“ by Louisa May Alcott “Lessons in Chemistry“ by Bonnie Garmus “A Wrinkle in Time“ by Madeleine L'Engle “Frozen River“ by Ariel Lawhon   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Are you a “book was better than the movie” person or a “I didn't read the book, but I've sen the movie” person?    This week Literally Books has both camps covered as they chat with the gals of the “Based on a Book Podcast” all about movie adaptations.    Listen in to find out the best, worst, and most anticipated adaptations!    “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley “The Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami “Babel” by RF Kuang “Yellowface” by R.F. Kuang “The Boxcar Children” by Gertrude Chandler Warner “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins “Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas “Shadowhunters” by Cliff Nielsen “Skeleton Man ‘“ by Joseph Bruchac “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” by Rick Riordan “It” by Stephen King “The Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King “Birdbox” by Josh Malerman “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch “The Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher “World War Z” by Max Brooks “Fear Street” by R.L. Stine “The Hating Game” by Sally Thorne “Wheel of Time” by Robert Jordan, “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tokien  “The Mist” by Stephen King   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

This week Magda and Lindsay take Half-Priced books by storm. The mission? To add to each other's TBR with things they think the other must read. But here's the catch, they have to keep their purchases to less than $25.    How will they choose? Will they torture the other with genre tastes they don't share? Are fancy book covers the guiding light? Will they change each other's lives with an unsuspecting new favorite? Listen in to find out!    “Margo's Got Money Troubles” by Rufi Thorpe  “The Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami “Babel” by RF Kuang “Yellowface” by RF Kuang  “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah “The Women” by Kristin Hannah “Famous Last Words” by Gillian McAllister “Alias Emma” by Ava Glass “The Husbands” by Holly Gramazio “Lady Chatterly's Lover” by D.H. Lawrence “Lady Tan's Circle of Women” by Lisa See “Nightbitch” by Rachel Yoder “Deep Cuts” by Holly Brickley “The Lost Bookshop” by Evie Woods “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Send us a textHannah and Laura go through knock-out rounds to choose the book they will cover for the next Indie Intermission! Be sure to check out all of the books/authors mentioned and support their work!Media Mentions:Fragment of a Fallen Star by Viano OniomohFirst Step by Tao WongIn the Shadow of Ruin by Tony DebajoThorn by Intisar KhananiOdd Blood by Azalea CrowleySeattle Slayers by Ken Bebelle & Julia VeeSeventh Cadence by Jim WilbourneThey Came in the Night by Ravi NovaisHeavenly Sword by Alice PoonGunmetal Gods by Zamil AkhtarWhat Doesn't Kill You by R.N. BarbosaA Heart to Hold by Sula SullivanBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

I will remember you….will you remember me…..? *cue tearful shots of Magda and Lindsay.    This week the gals of Literally Books go back to where it all began a year ago, The Texas book Trail!! This year, they blaze the dusty trails to Lockhart, where they visit a vintage store, a haunted building, a purveyor of artisan candies and a gift shop with a perfectly curated selection of stationary and candles…Oh, and did we mention that each of these are bookstores too? Come join them on their journey as they discuss the magic that can be found when a community comes together.  Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Books Mentioned in the episode:  "A Darker Shade of Magic" -  V.E. Schwab "Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil" -  V.E. Schwab "Babel" - RF Kuang "Yellowface" - RF Kuang "House on the Cerulean Sea" - TJ Klune "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" - TJ Klune "Brutal Billionaire" - Laurelin Paige "Mexican Gothic" -  Silvia Moreno-Garcia   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread    

John Green's "Everything is Tuberculosis" slides its way into the crevices of Magda and Lindsay's brains, living up to its promise that readers will never look at anything again without wondering at its tie to the oldest infectious disease in history.  Listen this week as the Literally gals talk about the highs and lows of this non-fiction work, all about the cultural impacts and devastating reach of tuberculosis.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

The Literally Books P&L has never looked better (and by that, of course we mean Magda and Lindsay's  page count and literature consumption.)    This week, the gals will circle back on their reading journey so far this year, so you, the readers, are in the loop. Join them and get up to speed on the bottom line for the books they've read so far.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

*gasping….*hyperventilating…*screaming...*   While all of these could be the titles of part 4 of Tracy Deonn's “Oathbound,” these words describe Lindsay and Magda's reactions to the final segment of Bree's story. Listen as they unpack the nonstop action of the end of this book and make their own guesses at what Bree and the group will get up to in the next book.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Things are heating up and Magda and Lindsay can barely handle the tension in part 3 of Tracy Deonn's “Oathbound.” The stakes could not be higher…death, romance, and power are unleashed, and no reader is impervious to the charms of Bree and Nick. Listen in to the penultimate episode of the Literally Books' “Oathbound" journey.   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread  

Unstoppable - This is both the name of part 2 of Tracy's Deonn's “Oathbound” and also Magda and Lindsay's  feelings about the absolute emotional rollercoaster this book takes its readers on. The characters are going THROUGH it, and Magda and Lindsay are right along with them. Traumas, they've got them. Listen along as Magda and Lindsay emotionally process, so you don't have to.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro &Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Tracy Deonn has Magda and Lindsay under an absolute spell. This week they react to the third book of the Legendborn Cycle, Oathbound, starting with the prologue and part 1. Buckle in, because the ride is off to a bumpy start and it only gets wilder from here.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Magda and Lindsay cannot get enough of Mickey (not that one). Mild, habanero, literary or on-screen, Edward Ashton's character Mickey Barnes continues to capture their heart this week, as they provide their live reactions to Bong Joon Ho's adaptation, Mickey 17.    Books Mentioned in the Episode:  A Deal with the Bossy Devil by Kyra Parsi The Wedding People by Alison Espach Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio Oathbound by Tracy Deonn Legendborn by Tracy Deonn Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins-Reid Sparrow and Vine by Sophie Lark   Intro &Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok

Magda and Lindsay attempt a whirlwind recap of Briana Matthew's journey to her power in this week's recap of the first two books of Tracy's Deonn's Legendborn Cycle series.    In preparation for the long-anticipated third book, Oathbound, join the hosts of Literally Books as they recap the highs and lows “Legendborn: and “Bloodmarked.”   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok       Books Mentioned in the Episode:  Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon First Time Caller by B.K Borison Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Legendborn by Tracy Deonn Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn   Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Work, eat, die, repeat. This is the life of Mickey Barnes, the titular character in Edward Ashton's “Mickey7.”    That simple formula launches some serious philosophical discussions on the nature of humanity, immortality, and identity this week.    Magda and Lindsay do a quick recap of the book and its overall themes before being joined by the author himself! Their chat will make you a new person…literally.      Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

…And how does that make you feel?    This week, Magda and Lindsay are joined by therapist and literary and pop culture scholar, Wale Okerayi (@theehottgirlbooks) to discuss characters that could probably use some time with a licensed professional to talk through their stuff. The group discusses the fine line between a good story and bad mental health as they review some of their favorite troubled characters.      Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

This episode won't hurt a bit…Promise. Magda and Lindsay discuss Ali Hazelwood's spicy romance, Deep End (aka Whet, for the real ones).     Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Like a bad ex, there are some stories that you just can't quit, even as they're emotionally scarring you. Magda and Lindsay discuss books they begrudgingly finished, despite their best judgment. From trad wives to Pulitzer winners, these books beg the question, why you gotta be so mean?    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

After a long couple of weeks, Magda and Lindsay are ready to settle in with some sweet treats and a warm blanket. It's time for a pop culture catch up! This week they discuss casting for Children of Blood and Bone and Fourth Wing; and also the official wrap of the Project Hail Mary movie. They also gush over some potential upcoming adaptations, including Dramione fan fic and a seven figure Netflix deal for Ana Huang, author of the “Twisted” series. Settle in y'all; it's time to yap.   mail us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

You didn't think that Magda and Lindsay would be done after four measly episodes on Onyx Storm? The Literally Books Quest Squad is back at it with a few side missions, unearthing some more mysteries and hot takes to round out their Onyx Storm read.   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Sigh…   The Literally Books Quest Squad has finished this battle, though the war is not yet over. Magda and Lindsay discuss the jaw-dropping conclusion of Onyx Storm and are left with more questions than answers. Join them as they attempt to emotionally recover from this traumatic tornado of events and try to predict what rainbows may be over the horizon.      Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

The Literally Books Onyx Storm Quest Squad has made it through the first few squalls, but the true storm is headed straight for them as they near the end of the book. Mira and Aaric have them covered with the inspiring speeches, and boy do they need them, because the dragon mean girls have shown up and spilled some tough tea. Join them for the penultimate episode of Onyx Storm reactions.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Magda and Lindsay have made it halfway through Onyx Storm, and they feel like Tairn after flying through a tornado. There's a lot to take in during these chapters. Is Xaden's venin ability an allegory for addiction? Do we…like Dain now? Welcome to mission two of the Literally Books “Onyx Storm” Quest Squad.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

It's finally here! Magda and Lindsay dive into their initial thoughts and reactions to the first quarter of Onyx Storm. Brace yourselves as they give a brief, but spoiler-filled summary of the plot twists and turns and their reactions and predictions for what's to come. Venin and Wyvern and Signets, oh my!     Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Who has time for hours and hours of re-reads and recaps? Magda and Lindsay give you the booked and busy person's recap of the first two books of Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean Series — Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. Are they gonna mispronounce names? Yes. Mix up small details? Absolutely! This is a C-student review to get you, the reader, (mostly) ready for Onyx Storm.      Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Beauty standards, finding joy, colonialism, empathy, magic, and the power of stories. These are just a few of the things that Magda and Lindsay discuss with author Ehigbor Okosun in this week's episode about the first book of her Tainted Blood duology, Forged by Blood.      Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

How you doin', good lookin? Opening lines are…important when making a first impression. This week Magda and Lindsay chat all about the best book intros, including their favorites and a few critics' picks they may or may not agree with.  Join them as they start the new year with beginnings to remember.    Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread  

For the week of 12-4-2024 It's a special twenty-seventh episode of former Babylon Bee podcasters Adam Yenser and Ethan Nicolle. We've got Talk Down syndrome! Become a subscriber, get bonus content, and join the community at www.TheTalkDown.comSend your questions and comments to info@theTalkDown.com The Talk Down on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-down/id1745919012Follow us on X https://x.com/TheTalkDown_Follow Ethan at https://x.com/AXECOPFollow Adam at https://x.com/CleanComedian69 Buy the Chesterton Gift set: https://axebearstore.com/collections/featured-items/products/chesterton-s-gateway-14-essays-to-get-you-hooked-on-chesterton Buy Bears Want to Kill You super cheap! https://axebearstore.com/collections/featured-items/products/bears-want-to-kill-you-preorder-comes-out-june-2019 00:00 Introduction11:44 Pardon You Hunter14:22 Covid Report19:50 Tarantula Tummy23:11 Salmon Hats26:51 Werewolf Syndrome29:33 Dude Marries Dude by Accident33:08 Expensive Banana39:06 Mid Show Promo42:42 Emo not gay enough45:31 Hamster Bite of Death50:40 Robot Uprising Sort Of52:48 Suicide Contest Downtime (Subscribers Only) In the Subscriber portion: we discuss our stories Become a subscriber, join the Discordwww.TheTalkDown.cominfo@theTalkDown.com

Hash Tag Sleigh. Just give me a minute to be bitter! Leave the frog, take the cannoli. Do turkeys lay eggs because I like really wanted to know? We need some good Christmas Cheese. Phoney Saxophones. 600 Years of Finger Crud. Bibles and Walkie Talkies. That's Horrible. Can I See It Again. Half pepperoni half frog please. Nano pasta. There's always room for LEGO. Lincoln's Top Hat or Some Shit. Feet photo funded collection. Pancrepe. Sharks Don't Kill You. Coconuts Do. Beware the Danger Closet with Stephen and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hash Tag Sleigh. Just give me a minute to be bitter! Leave the frog, take the cannoli. Do turkeys lay eggs because I like really wanted to know? We need some good Christmas Cheese. Phoney Saxophones. 600 Years of Finger Crud. Bibles and Walkie Talkies. That's Horrible. Can I See It Again. Half pepperoni half frog please. Nano pasta. There's always room for LEGO. Lincoln's Top Hat or Some Shit. Feet photo funded collection. Pancrepe. Sharks Don't Kill You. Coconuts Do. Beware the Danger Closet with Stephen and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food is good we want to talk about it! To help us do that, we came up with three video-game-food-related questions. Main course starts around 24:00. Before then, we check in on some things we've been reading, watching, and thinking about! Reading: A little bit of 28 different book recommendations by thoughtful librarians 'What Doesn't Kill You' by Tessa Miller Watching: Ring (1998 Film) Ju-on (2002 Film) Audition (1999 Film) Gastronauts (Dropout) Thinking about: Pokemon TCB Pocket (Mobile) Find us on Twitter and Instagram: @NovelGamingPod Send us an e-mail: novelgamingpodcast@gmail.com Logo by: Katie! Theme song: "Bit Bossa" by Azureflux

Artist and Director, Titus Kaphar, discusses his directorial debut Exhibiting Forgiveness, which premieres globally in theaters on October 18th.  In a vulnerable conversation with Sara Lovestyle and Tilmon M. Keaton, he shares the personal challenges he faced in bringing the script to life, his journey to become an artist, and the importance of not only being able to face our trauma, but the power of generational healing.  Titus Kaphar assembles a powerhouse cast—featuring Andre Holland, Andra Day, John Earl Jelks, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Ian Foreman, Daniel Michael Barriere, Matthew Elam, and Jamie Ray Newman—who collectively bring to life a story steeped in generational trauma, redemption, and the harrowing journey toward healing.  Premiering in theaters on October 18th, this film invites audiences to witness not just the pain of the past, but the possibilities of forgiveness for the future. Can art amend history? Can beauty open our hearts to difficult conversations? This special collaboration between Influence to Equity by Sara Lovestyle and It's Gonna Hurt, But It Won't Kill You by Tilmon M. Keaton delves into these tough, necessary questions. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful episodes on discipline, resilience, and mental toughness.  Hit the notification bell so you never miss an update! Follow Titus and his work: https://www.kapharstudio.com/ https://www.nxthvn.com/ instagram.com/exhibitingforgivenessfilm Connect with Sara @saralovestyle

What's my motivation? This week the Nose Candy gals are going Inside the Actor's Studio with the brilliant and hilarious comedian, actress, and podcaster Kate Berlant! Kate sat down with Maddie and Chloe for a table read about their favorite Method Acting perfumes, or the scents they spray to get into character. Listen in as these three go off book to discuss perfume for chronic migraines, curly hair scent sensitivity, fragrance gatekeeping, and perfume shopping at the furniture store. Would you like to smell like a brand new car? What about a jumbo tin of bag balm? A morning jog through the park with just a hint of pollution? It's time to hit your mark and find your light divas: this is one showstopping episode you will not want to miss!Want even more from genius Kate Berlant? Go follow her on insta @kateberlant, watch her specials Cinnamon in the Wind and Would it Kill You to Laugh with John Early, and listen to every single g-d damn episode of her podcast Poog with Jacqueline Novak!Fragrances Discussed:Glossier YouSticky Fingers by Francesca BianchiChanel Le LionBlack Anise by AbelAkro InkEncre NoirSaint Rita Parlor Parfum Rita's CarEris Green SpellComme Des Garcons Serpentine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intermittent fasting has recently come under scrutiny - there is new research that may hint it can KILL YOU! What is going on? We break down the recent research on intermittent fasting, the biochemical mechanisms as to why people love this fad diet - but why you sure potentially not do it.STUDYTIME: Is intermittent fasting actually bad?What Did We Learn This Week:is kombucha capable of making you burn fatwhy 3D printing wood could change the futureResources:https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-022-00311-yhttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2771095https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/new-intermittent-fasting-study-explainedhttps://www.sdu.dk/en/om_sdu/fakulteterne/naturvidenskab/nyheder-2024/ketosishttps://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(23)00215-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1043276023002151%3Fshowall%3Dtruehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fastinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10509423/#:~:text=Accumulated%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20intermittent,type%20II%20autophagic%20cell%20deathhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/03/18/intermittent-fasting-time-restricted-eating/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.