Podcast appearances and mentions of rebecca yarros

SPOILERS FOR ALL OF THE EMPYREAN SERIESOH MY GOSH! We got to interview Rebecca Yarros AT DISNEY WORLD! AND EVEN BETTER, she gave us some JUICY insights into what we can expect from book four of the Empyrean sereis!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:* Brimstone Midnight Release Party - go to https://events.humanitix.com/ffg-brimstone-release-partyThe 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.

Send us a textIt's fun. It's festive. It's Hallowpeen. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textOur Throne of Glass deep dive continues with Kingdom of Ash chapters 62-69. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell unpack the biggest takeaways from mindset coach Brad Bizjack, diving into what it really takes to create change that lasts. They reveal why perfectionism often hides behind the need for certainty, and how emotional leverage—not time—sparks transformation. Through real talk, personal stories, and practical takeaways, they show how knowing your “why” makes the “how” reveal itself. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:How “certainty” disguises itself as perfectionism and quietly fuels procrastination.The real reason small, safe actions keep you from meaningful progress.What crossing the “line of lasting change” actually looks like in real life.Why unreasonable dreams push you to take bolder, smarter action.How doubt, pain, and vision each spark identity-level transformation.Episode References/Links:Winter Tour - https://opc.me/tourCambodia Retreat Waitlist - https://lesleylogan.co/retreatsPilates Journal Expo - https://xxll.co/pilatesjournalContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsBrad Bizjack's Success Accelerator - https://beitpod.com/successThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - https://a.co/d/4LmmMXAThe Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros - https://a.co/d/b1VxT1NLove Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant - https://a.co/d/e1J9w2YTiny Habits by BJ Fogg, PhD - https://a.co/d/4Ov1GNXWomen Waking Up by Wendy Valentine - https://a.co/d/08CWFHoMissionary Position by Celeste Holbrook - https://a.co/d/gXQBKeeThe Cycle of Galand by Edward W Robertson - https://a.co/d/94ZvPV4 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Brad Crowell 0:00  Change does not take a long time to do. It actually happens in an instant when you have the leverage to create that change. For example, people in painful relationships who know they should take different action, but they don't, until something happens and all of a sudden the lever is actually pulled, right?Lesley Logan 0:18  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:01  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the compelling convo I had with another Brad. This is Brad Bizjack in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that one, you did not get your life spiced up. You did not get extra dose of energy. You, you you need to, you have to go back. Brad Crowell 1:21  You're officially missing out. Lesley Logan 1:22  So you'll listen to us talk about him, and then go listen to that one. But you can't skip that one.Brad Crowell 1:27  Cannot skip it. It's a great interview, a great episode. Brad Bizjack is, he is, is very educated on emotional maturity.Lesley Logan 1:38  I think that's a good way of discussing it, yeah. Brad Crowell 1:40  And he, he explains in his programs, which Lesley and I have been students of, how we have connected the dots on things in a way that puts undue pressure on ourselves, right? So like success or security or all these amazing things that like we want and need and desire. But then, what is the like if we haven't laid it out properly, we end up feeling scared or afraid, or like a lot of pressure and all this kind of stuff. And that's why this his conversation was very compelling, because he also uses amazing. Lesley Logan 2:20  Acronyms. No, examples. Brad Crowell 2:23  Yeah examples and quips like short statements that are very thought-provoking. Loved it. Fantastic.Lesley Logan 2:31  No notes. Brad Crowell 2:32  Yeah, yeah, yeah.Lesley Logan 2:34  Well, we're gonna get into that in a second. But first Today is October 16th, National Spirit Day. Spirit Day is an annual observance that takes place on the third Thursday in October, and that's on October 16th this year. This day aims to create awareness for the bullying harassment that the LGBTQ community faces. Millions of people worldwide, identified as queer, and many more are yet to publicly declare their status. Such a large community, people shouldn't be alienated or marginalized just because of theire sexual orientation. But the reality, sadly, is that they are. All over the world, LGBTQ youth suffer harassment because of their identity. There is also a need for transgender individuals to have more protected rights. And so, you know, taking some time today to just see what's going on in your community and how you can support. I would even look up the people who are wanting if you're especially if you in a country where you can vote, look who's saying terrible things about these people and don't vote for them, period. Because here is the deal, it's not going to stop with them. It won't stop with them. If they take away all the rights of LGBTQ, where you live, they're not going to be like now we have the power we want, no, they'll come for someone, next. Brad Crowell 3:43  But it didn't start with them. That's the thing. And I think, I think that's the it's a misnomer that like, oh, wow, they're a huge problem. No, they're only a huge problem because they're the current topic of conversation, and they're and the problem is, is being well, it's being created in a way that it's not real. Right? So they're making it a problem. They're they're pretending that it's a problem because they need somebody to to alienate,Lesley Logan 4:07  Yeah, someone ha,s to be the thing that we all fear. And look, the word homosexual was not in the Bible till 1946, interesting, because I thought that was a work of of words that's been around for thouosands of years, right? So it was put in there to make you scared, to make you conform. And then in the 80s, they used the AIDS epidemic to get you scared and afraid of people and not even wanting to hug people. And now they want to make us all worried about the fucking sports. No one gave a rat's ass about women's sports and tell trans and there's like, 10 people in the NCAA sports that are trans. And when you there was a swimmer who was asked, like, are you worried about trans women in sports? She's just like, no, I'm worried about Republicans becoming Nazis. And I loved that quip. I loved it, because the reality is, is that, like, they're trying every. All of this is to scare you that there's someone different than you that is trying to take something away from you. And the reality is, is that, like bullying is rampant amongst everything. There is, I get bullying of I don't look this enough. I look too much of this. There's, everyone has it. But the reality is, is that there's a community that's getting it more right now, and it is dangerous. It's dangerous because we know that bullying costs lives. People, especially youth, will take their own lives and so it's.Brad Crowell 5:31  Dangerous on multiple levels. It's dangerous if there's an immediate danger, right? And that immediate danger is for people who are in the community that is being targeted. And currently what we're talking about is the LGBTQ community, but there's the, there's, that's the immediate danger, and then the long term danger is societally, right, because they aren't gonna, you know, somehow, like, it's not gonna stop with this community. When, when, when something, when, when the the public perception is finally, like, actually, we don't agree with you. Okay, then they're like, oh well, there's another community we need to be worried about, and they're just going to shift over to another community. They've done it. They've done it over and over and over and over. Lesley Logan 6:10  Yeah, they always do. It was the witches before this, which was just another word for women. And so my I bring, not to bring you all down, because we're gonna bring you back up again in just a second. But like, you have agency here. You can call your congress person. You can make sure that the school is do is taking action. You can also educate yourself, in case you have family members who are upset about it. Like there are ways to actually being in curiosity and ask the right questions that help them understand, you know, what is, to find out what are they afraid of? What are they so afraid of? And then we have to just also start loving more, because the other thing is, is that we just start getting mad at homophobic people, and that puts hate in our heart, and it doesn't make us any better than them. And so anyways, go observe Spirit Day. I love it. Brad Crowell 7:03  Yeah. Lesley Logan 7:04  Okay, we've announced the OPC tour, opc.me/tour so you can see all the dates. I would list all the cities off for you, but I don't have them today, while we're recording this. So they're up now, though they've been up for a couple of weeks, and you want to grab your spot. If you have any questions, let us know. But all workshops and workouts are for any lover of Pilates, new to very experienced and there are CECs, Balance Body is our sponsor. We are so, so excited about it. We're getting closer to you needing to be on that waitlist for Cambodia, because in January, you're gonna get the email that says, hey, hey, you want to get a discount on this? You're the only person who gets it if you're on the waitlist. We're in Cambodia right now.Brad Crowell 7:42  Yeah, actually, literally, Lesley and I are currently in Cambodia hosting a second retreat this year. Next year, we will only be having one retreat to Cambodia, and it will be in the fall, in October of next year, right? So if you want to be one of the group of people that can come, because it is limited, you got to be on the waitlist. Go to lesleylogan.co/retreats, that's plural, to get yourself on the wait list, you can find out all more more information on crowsnestretreats.com. But we will be making an announcement here soon, in January, about the early bird special. So prepare, stay prepared for that. Lesley Logan 8:17  Even if you hear it here, you still have to have the link in the email. So get on the waitlist. In a couple days, we're going to be in Singapore teaching a private event, and finally, seeing the Botanical Gardens. We're so, so excited about it. Brad Crowell 8:29  I'm so fired up about that. Lesley Logan 8:30  We've seen them from, like, a high up view, but we haven't actually been in them. And then, of course, we'll be on our winter tour. So that'll be five weeks long, almost like five weeks long, and then we come home for to unpack, and then we go to Huntington Beach to the Pilates Journal Expo, xxll.co/pilatesjournal, we'll get you links. We'll get you linked to the tickets.Brad Crowell 8:52  Yeah, go to xxll.co/pilatesjournal. Lesley Logan 8:55  There's a ton of people who are going to be there. I'm really excited about it. It's going to be like a reunion for me and some of these friends. So I can't wait, so you should come. And then in March, we're doing the Poland Controlology Pilates Conference. So Karen Frischmann and I are back in Wroclaw. Sorry, my Polish peeps, if I said that wrong, people try to teach you (inaudible) which is not it. It is not even close, I was like, but it's easier to say, it's like, well, that's not the name of your town. So we'll be there teaching a conference together, and then from there.Brad Crowell 9:23  So go to xxll.co/poland yeah.Lesley Logan 9:28  And then Karen, Brad and I are gonna like to-to-to through Europe until the following weekend. We'll be in Brussels. xxll.co/brussels.Brad Crowell 9:37  What do you think weigh in here, should we be saying xxll.co or should we be saying double X, double l dot co? What do you like? Think. Double X, double L? Double x, double l dot co. Lesley Logan 9:47  No, that's too hard. Brad Crowell 9:49  Double X double L. Lesley Logan 9:49  Because people might actually type in double.Brad Crowell 9:53  They might. Lesley Logan 9:53  They, our listeners would. Brad Crowell 9:55  But I, IKYKY. Lesley Logan 9:58  Yeah, but people say that. No one says. Brad Crowell 10:01  Double x, double l dot co. I'm making it a thing. Lesley Logan 10:04  No, xxll.co/brussels.Lesley Logan 10:07  I let you make OPC a thing. No, this is xxll.co or it should be xxll.co, maybe not saying the C-O, because the problem is, it just sounds like too many letters, and then I get overwhelmed. So at any rate, it's also in the show notes, you can just click it, Brussels. These are both in March, and then in April, we'll be at P.O.T. in London. Brad Crowell 10:27  Looking forward to that. Lesley Logan 10:28  Alright, we had an incredible question that was really fun, and, like, got us all chatting in the studio in between classes. Brad, so I thought I would bring the attendees from Essex question, because I just thought, let's talk about this.Brad Crowell 10:42  That's so fun. Okay, the question was, what non-Pilates books do you read? Lesley Logan 10:48  A lot. Brad Crowell 10:49  Okay. Lesley Logan 10:49  I don't read very many Pilates books anymore. I mean, there's only a couple good ones. So, okay.Brad Crowell 10:54  So let's talk about it. Do you prefer a specific type of genre of non-Pilates books? Lesley Logan 11:00  I love a good popcorn book. You know, a popcorn for your brain book. That's how my friend Sue and I talk about, like. Brad Crowell 11:04  What does that mean? Just like. Lesley Logan 11:05  You read the book and you get lost and like, it is not going to change the world. It's definitely not going to change your life. You can almost consume the book in like, two or three days. It's, it doesn't make, change your intelligence in any way. But it's like, it's like a little popcorn for your brain. The books are like, that would signify that as, like, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, that author, so good, that book, I read it in two days. I was like, I never have time to read. Right in two days, I have fucking plenty of time to read if I like the book. I don't. So I like that kind of genre, like a rom-com type book is like my go to but you and I are really into the Empyrean series. And I. Brad Crowell 11:45  We sure are. Lesley Logan 11:45  So I post. So I shared with this group. I said, oh, I'm deep in the Imperium series, because it's, like, a great way to, like, get lost in something. And the girls were like, The Fourth Wing, and I'm like, Yeah, I'm in. And they were like, okay, I've heard it's really good. So it's only making its way to the U.K. right now. At any rate. Brad Crowell 12:03  The Empyrean. E-M-P-Y-R-E-A-NLesley Logan 12:05  Yeah, so, Rebecca Sorrows. Brad Crowell 12:07  And yeah, no. Yarros. Rebecca Yarros, yeah.Lesley Logan 12:12  But I get this, so Yasmeen, she posted a picture and tagged me with The Fourth Wing and Tiny Habits. And she said, my recommended reading and I was like, never has anyone ever put those two books in the same like Recommended Reading section, for sure. So I shared it, and someone else was like, oh, are you reading that series? I said, Oh, I definitely am, and I recommend it all the time. And I got a recommendation for another series that's really good. So I haven't read it yet, so I can't tell you about it, but it's really quite fun to see how many people are in the (inaudible) people are into it. It's very, very good, look, it's, it's, it's gonna be it's like, what is it like, called? Romantic fantasy or it's like, what's the genre? Because it's fantasy, but it's not, if you don't read it with your kids, so it's got to have, like, another letter, another word. So while he's looking that up, I.Brad Crowell 13:03  They call it new adult fantasy romance or military fantasy.Lesley Logan 13:07  That's, no, that's, I would call it adult fantasy. That's what I would put it under. And it's great. I really, really like it. It's from a female, like, hero perspective. Brad Crowell 13:17  Oh, they call it romantasy. Lesley Logan 13:19  Romantasy. That's a better, that's good, that's romantasy. I also, other books that I recommend that are non-Pilates, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It, obviously said Tiny Habits, The Big Leap you're never getting out of that one that was a must read every year. And I, I think we have some authors who had some books come out. Wendy Valentine had a book come out, The Midlife something. And Dr. Celeste had her book come out on like, Missionary Position. So I would say, like, if I've had an author on the pod with a book, I've probably read their book. Or if their book's not out yet, I read it afterwards. And I love those people so much, of course, I'm gonna love their book. But I also recommend, if you're always reading business books, you got to get into the romantic, fantasy. Romantasy. Brad Crowell 14:00  Romantasy. Lesley Logan 14:01  You do you got to get lost in something. Life is too serious. So anyways, those are my non-Pilates books that I can recommend to you right now. Brad Crowell 14:09  Okay, I have gotten into a new author recently. His name is Edward W Robertson. Lesley Logan 14:16  Why does he need a W? His last name is so long. Brad Crowell 14:21  He has written 73 books. Lesley Logan 14:23  There's 73 books in the series? Brad Crowell 14:25  There are, no, he's written multiple series about different things, but I have read 14 books of his so far. Oh, there's a whole nother one. No, I've read 17 books of his. So I've read the Cycles. He's got three Cycles, Cycles of Galland, Arawn and Scour, and basically they are perfectly in line with the other books I've talked about over the years on this pod. They are definitely a fantasy. Lesley Logan 14:48  Like Wheel of Time. Brad Crowell 14:50  Right. That's Robert Jordan, and there's another author I'm a big fan of, Michael, Michael J, What's his last name? Sullivan. Michael J. Sullivan. But this is Edward W Robertson. And what I what I really enjoyed about this was he's also created his own, you know, dynamic duo of these, you know, unlikely heroes, their kids in the in this, they start off in their late teens, and they, you know, end up becoming major players on the world stage over the, you know, length of these 10 books in the one series. The one cycle series is kind of the precursor to it. Another one is a double precursor to it. So he started off. Lesley Logan 15:27  I'm going to tell you, you overwhelm people when you said 14 books (inaudible). Brad Crowell 15:31  Sorry, just listen to them. It doesn't matter. There, it's not even about that. It's not about finishing them. There's just something really enjoyable about them. I think, I think it went through them in like, six or eight months, because they're, they're shorter than the the Wheel of Time stuff, you know? Lesley Logan 15:46  Well, there you go. And so there are your books. You guys get lost in a book, I promise you. It's it makes. Brad Crowell 15:51  You're gonna love it. Lesley Logan 15:52  It's so much more fun. You like different person on the other side. Okay. And also, if you don't want to spend money on it, go to your public library and get a library card. You can actually get audio books and iPad books through your local library. Okay?Brad Crowell 16:07  Yes, you can. If you have any questions for us, you should text them to us. Text them at 310-905-5534, or you can send them in through beitpod.com/questions beitpod.com/questions or you can leave a win or a question and who knows they might end up on the pod.Lesley Logan 16:23  We need some wins.I want to share them on the pod. Okay, let's talk about Brad Bizjack.Brad Crowell 16:29  Well, stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to talk about Brad Bizjack, and we're going to be reinvigorated by his enthusiasm for life. The guy is just amazing. So can't wait. Stick around. Brad Crowell 16:42  Welcome back. Let's talk about Brad Bizjack. Brad is a personal development expert and coach who helps people rewire limiting beliefs, toxic thought patterns and emotional blocks that have been holding them back from success and the fulfillment that they deserve. After starting his career buried in $92,000 worth of debt and struggling for years to get his business off the ground, Brad discovered the power of shifting identity and mindset. Today, he has built a multimillion dollar business served over 70,000 people worldwide, and teaches others how to break free from perfectionism, procrastination and fear so they can step fully into their potential. And I gotta say, there's nothing more be it than the things that he's teaching. It's amazing when you dig in. And Lesley and I have been we've gone through two of his programs. Lesley Logan 17:32  Yeah, he's got a program starting next week, so.Brad Crowell 17:34  Yeah, literally next week. And it's free. Lesley Logan 17:37  It's free. Brad Crowell 17:37  Yeah, you should totally do his free program. Lesley Logan 17:39  Five days. Brad Crowell 17:40  We started there.Lesley Logan 17:41  And also it's like, it happens in the morning for us. So obviously, in the you know, if you're not in Pacific, it's not early morning, it's gonna be some other time. But it was really nice to start in the morning. We go for a dog walk, and just be like, lit up on this dog walk. And you're like, yeah, I'm ready. And I, anything you say, like, oh, I can't do I don't know, or I got this, I can't do it. I'm stuck. I won't know how to do it. Well, he really kind of, like, breaks down, like, some of these stories we tell ourselves, and one of the things he says is, like, when you know what you want and why you want it, the how reveals itself. When you know what you want and why you want it, the how reveals itself. And. Brad Crowell 18:18  Yeah, because it, because, I think that's. Lesley Logan 18:20  I think most people don't know why. Brad Crowell 18:22  Yeah, but I think the easiest thing for people to get stuck on is, how am I going to do that? I might as well not even try.Lesley Logan 18:28  Right. Because, but also, I think they, they know one of the two, but not both, like they know why they want to do something, or they know what they want to do, but they don't know both and their why is so superficial? Well, because I want to make money. And it's like, okay, well, why do you want to make money? Like, you gotta, like, why do you want to do it? Like, I told the story in the U.K. about, like, why I love to teach Pilates, you know? Like, what my mission is. Why is my mission this? And then Linda was like, can you repeat that? And it was like, really cute. It was a long story, but the whole thing is, like, I'm so passionate about what that is. It makes it the h does reveal itself, because opportunities come up or like, people say, say something, and you're like, wait a minute, that is an entirely different industry. But I could do it like the how reveals our tours happen because we knew what we wanted to do. We knew why we wanted to do it. And then this person over here is like, I want to go on a book tour. I'm like, how can we go on a book tour? Right? So, like, I really, really love that. And then we talked about, like, he believes we get so caught up in seeking the how, but struggle to take action. And so it's just procrastination in disguise. And then he said this occurs because of overvaluing certainty. And man.Brad Crowell 19:41  This is like, this was like a mic drop, you know, the overvaluing of certainty. You know what that is, that's actually like, we think that having certainty is going to help us move forward, but when we, before, we get to the place where we feel certain, we get stuck.Lesley Logan 20:02  Or we, he said, like, we take little actions because we're very certain we can do those little things, but we don't take the big actions because we don't know what's going to happen with those. We don't know how that's going to play out or what the outcome will be. So we're like, oh, I'm just going to keep checking the box, checked my email, responded to these people, post it on social, but we're not, no one's actually like, okay, I'm gonna do a class. I'm gonna do pilates and (inaudible) like, because, like, no one comes. Like, I need to make sure everyone's gonna be there. Everything is certain. And oh my god, when we study with him, we did this five day series that you can do next week. We did a couple years ago. And when he told me about certainty and perfectionism. I fucking was like, I felt so called out. I was like, oh my god, this is my problem. I was like, recovering perfectionist. But then I like, let certainty in there. And certainty is just perfectionism, guys. So anyways, I have I really love this man so much. And he said we base our worth on external success, leading to a feeling of burnout, or that nothing feels like enough. And I think this happens a lot. In fact, on an OPC call today, one of the girls who's going through a teacher training so that she feels like burnt out on Pilates, and, you know, she's doing this thing, and we were talking about how like, because when you're in a training program, there's a lot of corrections, like the teachers are correcting you a lot because they want you to know all the things. They don't want you going off thinking you're perfect at it. They want you to know how to do it. You know, you thinking you'd have all these cues. And really it's all this external success, like, okay, when I look like the 100 I have made it, versus this internalization of like the Pilates practice, like the focus in a teacher training is so external. What does the exercise look like? Can you do it well that you end up feeling burnt out and like nothing's ever enough, like you're not good enough to do this. And so I just this, just happened an hour before we hit the record on this. And I feel this so so much, because we're, like, waiting for someone to validate who we are and what we're doing, instead of ourselves, like an internal version of, like, what success is. I love this.Brad Crowell 22:11  So, just so that y'all know, we actually have an invitation for you to join Brad's program, the five day program for free, that's called the Success Accelerator, and it starts in just a few days.Lesley Logan 22:21  It's on the 20th, so it's, this is Thursday. It's gonna start on Monday.Brad Crowell 22:26  The link's in the show notes, but you can go to beitpod.com/success, and like I said, it's free. Lesley and I did this program, and it was really, really impactful for us.Lesley Logan 22:36  Well, what did you like that he said? Brad Crowell 22:38  Yeah. So, Brad said, I just, I love that you had to clarify Brad husband versus Brad Bizjack on the call, I was laughing. Lesley Logan 22:49  I know, because I think I told a story, and I was like, my Brad husband. Brad Crowell 22:52  Yeah, yeah. Brad said, hey, change does not take a long time to do. It actually happens in an instant when you have the leverage to create that change, for example, people in painful relationships who know they should take different action, but they don't, until something happens and all of a sudden the lever is actually pulled, right? That leverage comes from changing at a higher, more fundamental level than just behaviors or capabilities, you can you can say when you have to change, when you are forced to change, right? And I think it's interesting, that's actually where lasting change comes above the line of lasting change. I don't know why. Like, I don't basically.Lesley Logan 23:39  Oh, it's because, like, people often, like, change, and they do a little thing and they go back. They like as, like, if there's a line, and, like, you got to cross the line, and people think, oh, it's gonna take forever to make this change. Like, it's gonna take forever to create a habit. And so they think it's gonna take forever to create a habit, and they do it for two days, and they end up on the other side of not having the habit. And then they have a couple days of habit, and it's actually like no, if you know who you what you want, why you want it, and you make the decision to change, you can actually change it, because it's an emotional thing in your brain that does this.Brad Crowell 24:10  Yeah, I, I've personally experienced this kind of requirement for change. This must change or bad things will happen when it came to smoking cigarettes, and everyone talks about how addicting, you know nicotine is, and they're not wrong, because unless you absolutely have to change, you probably won't, because it is addicting and it will pull you back in but I was singing and I was in a band, and I was smoking cigarettes, and I remember being on stage coughing into the mic because I couldn't sing my own songs that I had written. And it became immediately clear that day I have to choose, do I want to keep smoking, or do I want to keep singing? And that was, like, so easy to decide, because I was like, well, I love singing. I love being in a band. So therefore, goodbye smoking, you're gone, and that was it. That was like, the moment of, I must, I made it above the line of lasting change, and, and, and also, too, you know, sure, did I still have these moments of like, you know, like, like, habit of like, when I used to, you know, where I would be smoking on the card, right into the opposite, whatever, you know where it was. It was just a regular, consistent thing, and I was missing that, yes, but because it was like an easy thing to know I I actually want to sing. I want to sing more than I want to smoke in those moments of trial, it was still easy for me to fall back on the decision I had made, because it was an emotional decision. I was terrified of the idea that I wouldn't be able to perform, you know. So, you know, there, there is like this moment of have to do that will bring about that change, you know. So yeah.Lesley Logan 25:52  And I think that goes back to like you knew what you wanted and why you wanted it, and that made it, the how easier.Brad Crowell 25:57  I knew what and I knew why and then so the how involved not smoking, and that is what made it easy to do, yeah, that's a great, great callback there. I love that. So yeah, we love a callback. Yeah, that was impactful for me. And these are the kinds of things that Brad addresses, you know, on the five days. So, you know, definitely go check that out.Lesley Logan 26:18  I just think that like if you are, if you were lit up at all by his episode, why not? It's free. There's no replays like, why wouldn't even if you watch one day of his stuff, next week, you're going to learn something about yourself that's going to change your life. I still think about like the things that we learned in those five days, even if we didn't pay for the program, like, I still like, like, I was forced to, like, level up in a way, like I was, like, it was great. Brad Crowell 26:48  Yeah, yeah, the Success Accelerator. And then we went on to do another program of his called Rewired After, but the Success Accelerator was absolutely worth it, and yeah.Lesley Logan 26:59  Especially if you just, like, are going if you just have a hard time not talking yourself down, you need someone in your ear who talks you up. You just do. Anyways, we got to get into the Be It Action Items. Brad Crowell 27:09  Yeah, okay, stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into these epic Be It Action Items from Brad Bizjack, we'll be right back. Brad Crowell 27:16  All right, finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Brad Bizjack, I'm going to jump in first here. He said he shared three primary ways to shift any belief pattern, and these are the things where I was talking about the have to do. So it was really interesting. He said you can introduce the idea of doubt, you can introduce pain, or you can introduce vision, right? And I think that vision is probably the easiest to talk about, right? That's the one that we. Lesley Logan 27:48  It feels more positive. Brad Crowell 27:49  It does feel more positive, you know. But doubt is something that will challenge a worldview, right? You know, when you have doubt, or when doubt is introduced, it really does start to make you analytical, analyze the thing that you might be doubting. You know, whether that is the way you were raised, or we've always done it this way, or this is the quote-unquote, right way to do it, or the right thing to do. You know, maybe there are other things that you know that that cause doubt. He suggested looking for evidence that challenges those beliefs. For example, if you think money is super hard to make, you can ask yourself the question, but is is that true for everyone? Some people have the the golden touch, as it were, right? We've all heard that, that expression, well, if money isn't hard to make for them, why? How come it's easy for them, but difficult for me, quote-unquote, difficult for me, right? Maybe that's the story I'm telling myself. Right? So how do we change that belief since we have evidence that it's that other people have been able to do it. So that's an interesting idea of introducing the concept of doubt. Two, pain. He said if you can see the consequences of what happens if you don't change and actually live those consequences in your mind, you will start to change. This was my lived experience. Pain, right? I did not want the pain of not being able to perform, not being able to sing, and I could see a life that I did not want if I kept going down the path that I was going out when it came to cigarettes, right? He used the Christmas carol story as an example for this. Scrooge didn't want to make unbearable pain. Didn't want to make change until unbearable pain was linked to staying the same, right? That's the Christmas story. Vision, finally, explain that the your beliefs shift when we create a vision that is vivid enough to excite us into new action, right? So, so like this is where a dream board can come into play, or, you know, vision casting, or you know, reflection, or taking a moment of to yourself, to, you know, to dwell on what the future could look like for you. You know that that can be motivating enough to create lasting change, to put you above that line of change. He said when we can be compelled by a beautiful vision of the future, it gives us a reason to overcome procrastination, or whatever it is that's holding us back, right? So I love that. I thought that was actually, I mean, these are the kinds of things that he just blows by, and why we wanted to talk about him again, because I listened to it, and I was like, whoa. That was, that was a lot right there. That was probably like, you know, he probably studied for like, six to 12 months to be able to concisely say that in two sentences and three sentences, and you were like, there's so much in there, we kind of have to break this down. This when you're when you listen back to the pod, there's so many snippets like that where you're like, whoa, that was profound. Whoa, that was deep. Whoa, that was really worth listening to twice. What about you, though? What was one of your biggest takeaways?Lesley Logan 30:40  So you have to be compelled by a beautiful vision of the future. You really do have to take that's why I like to do our retreats. I like to do some breath work, and like actually think about a year from now. But you need a beautiful vision of the future, because that's so compelling. And he also said, you otherwise will default to focusing on the past and the present. And people do this a lot.Brad Crowell 31:00  Sure.Lesley Logan 31:01  And it's why you're not actually seeing change, because the past and the present don't like that's that's done, and if you keep repeating it, you just get to keep repeating them. But it often becomes more painful because you didn't like, you liked part of it, or we didn't like it at all, and like now here you're feeling a little stuck. He also his bold advice is to have unreasonable dreams, unreasonable, unreasonable, and I do. It's really hard for my brain to do unreasonable dreams. It's extremely hard. But also, like it does force you to think about how you're going to achieve that in a different way, because it's so easy to go back to we talked about that itty bitty stuff, and like thinking it's gonna make a big difference, when really it's just keeping you the same. You kind of have to have an unreasonable dream, because it helps you take bigger action. And then he said taking full responsibility for making that happen. And that, taking full responsibility for making that happen. Lesley Logan 31:54  Wait, say that one more time. Lesley Logan 31:56  Taking full responsibility for making that happen. Whenever I do my schedule workshop or my habits workshop, the amount of people that are responsible for the reason why someone can't go for a walk in the morning. Brad Crowell 32:09  Oh, you mean the amount of excuses slash other people are the problem. Lesley Logan 32:14  Other people are. Brad Crowell 32:14  Not, not the person who's. Lesley Logan 32:16  Yeah, not the person who like has allowed people to take advantage of them, or they've been doing too much for other people, or they simply just didn't have, like, the vision in place to take the it's okay, it's okay to have gone like, oh, my god, I never realized I wanted to do that. And I have been making time for that, like, it's okay. You didn't. You know when you know better, you do better. So now you just got to take full responsibility for making that happen.Brad Crowell 32:39  Yeah, I love that I love the this is, this is step three, or the third, you know, way to create change, you know, with the vision casting, you know. And I think it's scary to dream big in that way, to have an unreasonable dream, it can be really scary because, you know, you I, I, this is part of my story on our business why we you know. When you don't, when you don't dream big, what you're actually doing is you're, you're giving yourself an out to fail and be satisfied with the results of the fail, and that's where I think the problem is. I think it's important to fail. You must fail, right. But we associate failure with mediocrity and pain, right? Instead of learning knowledge and a step further along the path towards success. When we associate failure with pain and mediocrity. It's easier not to have a vision for the future, because then you can't experience that quote-unquote, pain, right? And I know I did this because I would leave myself an out and say things like, it'll be nice if that ever happened for us, you know. But, but the but then it's like, you know, I would love for that to happen for us, but there's an inherent comma. But if it doesn't, I guess it's okay. I guess it was meant to be that this, it wasn't in the cards, whatever, whatever it is the, you know, the phrase that we want to insert there. And the reality is, it's not until you go, but even when, even if it doesn't happen tomorrow, or if it doesn't, you know, the failure will that will happen along this path I'm going to consider, I'm going to persist until I get to that place, you know.Lesley Logan 34:31  Yeah, well, I here's the thing. I think a lot of people weren't given the opportunity to fail. That's not the world that most of us went to school under. You had to pass, and if you didn't pass, you were, like, it was not okay. So like, I think if you are having a hard time being having an unreasonable goal or failing, then you must go to beitpod.com/success because you are going to hear that even Brad hasn't hit a single goal in six months or six years, I think, six years, six years, he hasn't had a single goal, maybe it's eight now at this point, since we met like and it's not because he hasn't tried hard or had great success. It's because he sets unreasonable goals for himself to make himself work harder than last time, and then they like reflect upon what they like, why they maybe didn't hit those goals, but like what they did do. And it's just really, really cool. So beitpod.com/success. Go take it. Go relisten to the episode. Get fired up. Let us know if you sign up for this program. Brad Crowell 35:27  Yeah. We want to know. We want to know. Lesley Logan 35:28  We'll probably even see you there. Brad Crowell 35:29  Yeah, I think we're gonna do it, too. Lesley Logan 35:30  Yeah. I love the classes. So at any rate, you're amazing. Brad's amazing. Share this with a friend who needs to hear it. Share it with three friends. Guess what, when your friends change, it makes it easier for you to change. And until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 35:44  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 35:45  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 36:27  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 36:32  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 36:36  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 36:44  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 36:47  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Send us a textSpooky szn continues with my *favorite* audiobook, The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia.Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

"Romantasy" ist die Mischung aus Fantasy und Liebesgeschichte. Bücher, wie "Fourth Wing" von Rebecca Yarros, sind Bestseller. Erzählen sie aber auch neue Geschichten? Die Marktforschung der Verlage hat zur Frankfurter Buchmesse ihren vorläufigen, internationalen Report für 2025 vorgestellt und siehe da: Neben Krimis haben sich Romantasy-Titel, wie Rebecca Yarros' "Empyrean"-Reihe oder Sarah J. Maas' "Das Reich der sieben Höfe"-Reihe gut verkauft. In zahlreichen Ländern habe die TikTok-Community "BookTok" diese und viele weitere Autorinnen und Titel zu Bestsellern gemacht. Für Erik Schreiber kommt der Hype zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt überraschend. Er ist Verleger und Mitglied in einem Fantasy-Buchclub. Im Gespräch mit SWR Aktuell-Moderator Bernhard Seiler sagt er, die Kombination aus Fantasy-Elementen und romantischen Geschichten sei keine neue Erfindung. Seit 1981 gebe es solche Literatur. Stephenie Meyer habe mit ihrer "Bis(s)"-Reihe - im Original "Twilight" - über die Liebesgeschichte zwischen einer Frau und einem Vampir das Format sehr erfolgreich fortgeschrieben.

Send us a textOur spoiler-free Throne of Glass deep dive continues with Kingdom of Ash chapters 54-61.Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textSpooky szn continues with The Coven by Harper L. Woods.Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textOur Throne of Glass deep dive continues with Kingdom of Ash chapters 46-53.The spoiler section this week dives into the theory that Mor is 100% that witch. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

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.

Send us a textwe're kicking off spooky sun with anathema, book one of the eating woods by keri lake.Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesIt appears as though Marvel Studios much speculated film that was slated to release between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in July 2027, won't be happening after all; or at least not that July, as Disney has replaced the untitled project with a sequel to The Simpsons Movie dated for July 23, 2027. The move comes as a surprise to many Marvel fans who anticipated a possible Doctor Strange or Shang-Chi sequel to take place between the Avengers tentpoles but is in keeping with what Bob Iger and Kevin Feige have promised about a slowdown in production. Elsewhere, with Marvel Zombies premiering on Disney Plus last week, Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum teased a possible season 2, but emphasized that would be contingent on viewership and new Disney Plus subscriptions. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Olsen took the opportunity to share that although she recorded lines for the series, she doesn't remember anything about the show or plot. It was a huge week for trailers from a bevy of our favorite franchises, so lets run them down with another good old fashioned Trailer Park:Insomniac and Sony released the first gameplay trailer for Marvel's Wolverine on the PS5, which will release in fall of 2026.Lucasfilm unveiled a new trailer for Star Wars; Visions Volume 3 which also announced the cast that includes Anna Sawai, Freddie Highmore, George Takei, Harvey Guillén, Jodie Turner-Smith, Judith Light, Simu Liu, Stephanie Hsu, and Steve Buscemi.The final trailer for Jon M. Chu's Wicked: For Good released last Wednesday morning to much acclaim.And finally, a new trailer for 20th Century's Avatar: Fire and Ash teased more of the villainous faction and stakes.Director Denis Villeneuve shed new light on his upcoming version of 007 for Amazon/MGM; sharing that the casting process will begin next year after he's completed production on Dune: Part Three for Warner Bros and that he is looking to cast a “relatively unknown” “fresh face” actor in their 20s or 30s. Additional criteria the filmmaker included is that the performer must hail from the British Isles and be male, as well as his desire to capture what Fleming called “a blunt instrument” — the lethal but “extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened.” If Villeneuve and team stay true to these parameters, it potentially rules out many fan-casted favorites and seems to be in more alignment with the Broccoli family's traditions with the character than expected with new creatives in control.Mark Ronson is slated to reunite with Greta Gerwig to score her Chronicles of Narnia adaptation at Netflix. Ronson previously served as executive music producer for Gerwig's Barbie.Amazon MGM Studios‘ adaptation of Rebecca Yarros' bestselling novel Fourth Wing is closing in on a new showrunner. Wednesday Season 2 executive producer Meredith Averill is in final negotiations to board the project as writer and executive producer.Sony revealed that Spider-Man: Beyond the SpiderVerse will arrive a week earlier than expected, and land on June 18, 2027. Notably, that new date will cover the Juneteenth holiday as well as Father's Day. It previously was dated for June 25, 2027.Comedian Bill Burr is in talks to join the cast of Aaron Sorkin and Sony Pictures' sequel to The Social Network, after Jeremy Strong, Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White were officially cast. The film also has been retitled The Social Reckoning and will officially hit theaters on Oct. 9, 2026.A newly created AI “actress” named Tilly Norwood, designed by the studio Xicoia under Particle6, has reportedly drawn interest from Hollywood talent agencies. The announcement sparked major backlash from real actors, with critiques about replacing human talent, the ethics of compositing real faces, and calls to boycott agencies that represent AI personas.

Send us a textOur spoiler-free deep dive of Throne of Glass continues with Kingdom of Ash chapters 38-45. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

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!

Send us a textOur Throne of Glass deep dive continues with Kingdom of Ash chapters 30-37. In the spoiler section, we dive into the deeper lore connections across the Maasverse for barrow wights, Aelin and Rowan's rings, and recurring imagery like the glow worms.Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textOur spoiler-free Kingdom of Ash deep dive continues with chapters 22-29.Spoiler section focus: Blue Annis (sorry, Cass). Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 305 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins From the Armchair KAL News Events Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Skein & Co and Handmade Hygge   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Tie Dye Day Socks Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes base in the Tie Dye Day Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page 262.3 meters for Stash Dash   Four Leaf Clover Granny Square Blanket Pattern: Four Leaf Clover Granny Square by Apinya Roszko Hook: H (5.0 mm) Yarn: Knit Picks Brava 500 in colorway Mint & Loops and Threads Impeccable in Colorway 01808 Center square (in darker green)- 4g. Three rounds on outside of clover (in mint)- 12g Size:  6 inch square. 5x7 blanket (30x42”) before border. Modification- the pattern calls for attaching new yarn (at the end of the square) to make the stem for the clover. I just chain to get to the center, make the stem and cut the yarn. I find it easy to crochet the granny square around it in Mint. No issues and one less end to weave in. I am joining squares as I go. I used this YouTube tutorial to remind me how to do this. 1186.1 meters for Stash Dash   10,426.8 meters for Stash Dash this year.   716 Splash Pad Socks Yarn: 716 Knit Sock Set  in the 716sock base in the colorway: It needs to be ok with getting on a boat with Levar Burton and never coming back. Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the yarn: stripe of black, stripe of bright poolside colors (orange, yellow, peach, greens & aquas . 344.2 yards/ 86 grams used.   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Sweetly Striped Hat Pattern: Sweetly Striped Hat by Chit Chat Knits. $4.50 knitting pattern available on Ravelry Yarn: Berroco Vintage in colorway 5185 Tide Pool Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) & US 8 (5.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page Pattern: Snack Shack Sponsor- Chit Chat Knits- 20 points Project Bag & Notions Pouch- Pro Shop Sponsor The Huckleberry Girl- 40 pts each= 80 points   Traveler Sweater Pattern: The Traveler by Andrea Mowry ($9 pattern available on Ravelry & the designer's website) Yarn: Hazel Knits Small Batch Sport (90/10 SW/Nylon) Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: 5 purl ridges done   Mayor of Halloween Town Socks Yarn: Woolens & Nosh Targhee Sock in the Mayor of Halloween Town colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Cast on 9/4 for Pigskin Party Project bag: Pro Shop Sponsor Wandering Purl (40 pts) Yarn: Pro Shop Sponsor Woolens & Nosh (40 pts) About the yarn: Light gray- larger stripes with smaller stripes of dark gray, white and orange   Born to Be Mild Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Born to Be Mild Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress- just into the leg of the first sock. About the yarn: tan base with browns and robin's egg. It reminds me of a robin's nest.   From the Armchair   Writers & Lovers by Lily King. Amazon Affiliate Link. Check out Season 3 Episode 6 of the Books, Beach & Beyond podcast with Elin Hilderbrand with Lily King Euphoria by Lily King. Amazon Affiliate Link. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Amazon Affiliate Link. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune. Amazon Affiliate Link. In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Lily King talking on Books, Beach & Beyond (2025)-  on love "Love is really the most important thing to us and possibly the thing, the only thing that is going to save us from our other impulses. I am extremely concerned about the state of mind of this country and what we are allowing and what we have voted in and what we are experiencing and, in in some ways, our lack of resistance to it, and our our silence and our complicity. And it all really comes down to love. And if we lose that ability, I don't think AI is going to help us with love, I don't think Instagram is going to help us with love. I feel like all of our habits that are increasing and increasing are pulling us apart even giving us the illusion that its not, but we are, and we have to remember what it is like to love people. In all of those forms. It is the thing that makes us human. And we have to stay human." Lily King   A few of my other favorite quotes from Writers & Lovers “When my mother died, I sort of felt her inside me sometimes,' I say. ‘Like I'd swallowed her.' He laughs. ‘Swallowed her.' ‘I still have moments when I feel that, when it feels like she's inside me, and there's no difference between us or that the difference doesn't matter.” ― Lily King, Writers & Lovers   “I can tell he lost someone close somehow. You can feel that in people, an openness, or maybe it's an opening that you're talking into. With other people, people who haven't been through something like that, you feel the solid wall. Your words go scattershot off of it.” ― Lily King, Writers & Lovers   “When I was visiting her a few years ago she hugged me and said, ‘Tomorrow after you leave I will stand here at this window and remember that yesterday you were right here with me.' And now she's dead and I have that feeling all the time, no matter where I stand.” ― Lily King, Writers & Lovers   “I look into my eyes, but they aren't really mine, not the eyes I used to have. They're the eyes of someone very tired and very sad, and once I see them I feel even sadder and then I see that sadness, that compassion, for the sadness in my eyes, and I see the water rising in them. I'm both the sad person and the person wanting to comfort the sad person. And then I feel sad for that person who has so much compassion because she's clearly been through the same thing, too. And the cycle keeps repeating. It's like when you go into a dressing room with a three-paneled mirror and you line them up just right to see the long narrowing hallway of yourselves diminishing into infinity. It feels like that, like I'm sad for an infinite number of my selves.” ― Lily King, Writers & Lovers   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   KAL News   Pigskin Party '25 Event Dates: KAL Dates- Thursday September 4, 2025- Monday February 9, 2026 Find everything you need in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group Official Rules Registration Form  (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes) Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc. Coupon Codes are listed in this Ravelry Thread Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread Questions-  ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com Our Official Sponsor for Quarter 1 (October): Love in Stitches with Knitty Natty is hosting a Cozy Up Challenge. The challenge doesn't start until 10/1 but you can start planning now. Check out the details in this Ravelry Thread. Join Knitty Natty & me for a special zoom hangout Thursday 10/2 at 8p Eastern. Details will be shared in the Start Here Thread. Check out this Ravelry Thread with helpful tips for the event, crowd sourced from our incredible players.   Updates In This Episode Thanks to Mary for her Commentator report. She talked specifically about these 2 large projects that have already been finished. 904Stephanie (my teammate!) has already finished a blanket- Ravelry photo & cmfamigli has already finished a pullover- check out her Ravelry Project Thanks to Sarah for starting a Pigskin Tips Ravelry Thread! Add your Super Bowl Prediction- details in this Ravelry Thread Our first Official Sponsor of the Quarter is Love in Stitches! Check out all of the details in this Ravelry Post. Join Knitty Natty & me for a special zoom hangout Thursday 10/2 at 8p Eastern. Cast on, chat, learn about some of Natalie's cool cozy patterns and have some fun. Official Sponsor for Quarter 2 (November)- Twice Sheared Sheep Official Sponsor for Quarter 3 (December)- Suburban Stitcher Official Sponsor for Quarter 4 (January)- Yarnaceous Fibers   Events DFW Fiber Fest Sept 19-21 in Irving Texas Adirondack Wool & Arts Festival September 20 & 21 in Greenwich, New York. Greater Boston Yarn Crawl. September 26-28 - 16 shops Cape and South Shore Yarn Haul. September 25-28- 8 shops Vermont Sheep & Wool. October 4 & 5 Indie Untangled. October 17 CAKEpalooza. October 17 A Woolen Affair. October 17 NY Sheep & Wool (aka Rhinebeck). October 18 & 19. Down Cellar Studio Meet up at Saturday 2p at the Pavilion to the left of the beer tent! Come and say hi. The Fiber Festival of New England. November 1 & 2 Sunkissed Fiber Festival: January 24-25, 2026- just outside Tampa, FL   Ask Me Anything Tune in to hear my answer to kjkrochet's question: How did you come up with the concept for Pigskin Party?   On a Happy Note Saturday of Labor Day weekend- Clear the Needles Event w/ Love in Stitches group 2 fun pool days over Labor Day Weekend complete with cornhole tournament  I gifted my friend Megg her "I'll bring the dance moves" hat to go with my "I'll bring the alcohol" hat since my dad always teases her for dancing constantly. Dinner with Melissa of Maple Roots Creative Dinner with friends including my dance teacher from middle/high school Pigskin Paty Kick Off Weekend was so much fun! Seeing Passengers at American Repertory Theater   Quote of the Week “It's a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.” ― Lily King, Writers & Lovers   Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

Send us a textOur spoiler-free Kingdom of Ash deep dive continues with chapters 14-21.Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

I discuss the first two books in The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, as well as the first two book in the Belgariad series by David Eddings.

After a brief diversion into talking about the upcoming Wedding of the Century, the Junkies convene the Pop Culture Junkie Book Club for a discussion of the book genre reshaping the publishing business: Romantasy. This genre blends Romance and Fantasy and certainly isn't new; the Twilight series came out in the 90s and the genre reaches back even further than that. But it is undeniably hot now: Romantasy titles account for nearly half of total fiction sales. Olivia and Shauna discuss some of the most popular Romantasy works, like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and discuss how Greek and Norse mythology inform the genre, as well as its variations, tropes and archetypes. Finally, the Junkies give their recommendations to start you on your journey into the realms of fantasy romance. You can watch the Pop Culture Junkie Podcast on YouTube! Click here: https://www.youtube.com/@popculturejunkiepod/videos We have affordable and rewarding Patreon tiers! Be the first to hear new and uncensored content, if you dare! Click here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W Website: www.popculturejunkie.com Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast Instagram: @pop.culturejunkie Threads: @pop.culturejunkie Bluesky: @pop-culture-junkie.bsky.social  Email: junkies@popculturejunkie.com Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez

Send us a textWe're diving into A Court This Cruel and Lovely, the first book in the Kingdom of Lies series by Stacia Stark. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

In this empowering conversation, Lesley Logan welcomes back sex educator Dr. Celeste Holbrook to talk about her new book Missionary Position: A Slightly Irreverent Guide to Sex After Purity Culture. Together they unpack healing from harmful narratives, navigating seasons of change in your sex life, and discovering the ‘glittery middle,' where you get to define pleasure, intimacy, and authenticity on your own terms.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:How to let your sex life evolve with every stage of life.The five-year journey and setbacks behind Celeste's debut book.The four archetypes for healing and reclaiming sexual agency.Why faking orgasms is a “fawn response” and how to break the cycle.The freedom of defining your own sexual ethic in the “glittery middle”.Episode References/Links:Dr. Celeste Holbrook's Website - www.drcelesteholbrook.comDr. Celeste Holbrook's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drcelesteholbrookDr. Celeste Holbrook on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DrCelesteHolbrookMissionary Position: A Slightly Irreverent Guide to Sex After Purity Culture by Dr. Celeste Holbrook - https://a.co/d/3UimUKxA Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings - https://a.co/d/ibRaesYFourth Wing Series by Rebecca Yarros - https://a.co/d/7Qhgk2REp. 202: Jake Kelfer - https://beitpod.com/jakekelferEp. 265: Daniella Mestyanek Young - https://beitpod.com/daniellayoungGuest Bio:Dr. Celeste Holbrook is a sex educator, speaker, and small-town Texas horse girl who's on a mission to make conversations about sex less awkward and way more empowering. With a Ph.D. in Health Education from Texas Woman's University and a thriving virtual practice, Celeste helps people create lives filled with pleasure, connection, and confidence—starting in the bedroom. After years of struggling with pain and shame around sex, she set out to find answers no one else could give her—and ended up becoming the expert she needed. Today, she guides women toward pleasurable sex by helping them understand their bodies, claim their worth, and ask for what they want without apology. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Celeste Holbrook 0:00  Expecting your sex life to look the same when you are 20 and 30 and 50 and 70 is not helpful for you, and so allowing it to mature as you mature is the most helpful thing that you can do for yourself, I think, when when it comes to your sex life.Lesley Logan 0:19  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:02  Hey, Be It babe, okay, this might be the first guest that is coming on for a third appearance. I think she won. I could be wrong, but I think she won. Dr. Celeste Holbrook is back. She's back. We're gonna talk about a couple of things. We're gonna talk about sex, we're (inaudible) we're gonna talk about her book. We're gonna talk about the journey that one goes on to get their work out into this world. And so even if you are like, I don't want to talk about the sex part, like, well, we should talk about the sex part. That's actually what we should do. But I want you to hear this, because I think it's so easy to hear people on a podcast go, oh, it's so easy for them because they got on a podcast, like, it's so easy, and you don't hear all the doors that get shut all the time. And I also am excited for you to hear like there are people in this world who just want to help each other out, and I think we need evidence of that. And I'm super, super excited that I get to be a cheerleader for amazing humans in this world like that. When I think about my, like, genius zone or something like that. Like, sometimes I think it's that I just get to cheer on people who are doing hard things and go, I see you, and you're doing great. And I can't wait. I can't wait. So guys, I'm gonna stop this, because we're gonna get right into we get right into it. And if you have this is the first time you're hearing about Dr. Celeste Holbrook, I really encourage you to go back to the first two episodes we did together. Go do the oldest one, then the second one, because I think you'll get a full picture of everything. We talked about a lot of good stuff. So she's gonna change your life. All right, here she is. Lesley Logan 2:31  All right, all right. So you guys, we're just gonna get right into this episode. Dr. Celeste Holbrook is back. You guys, third time won't be the last time. I somehow have to have her on annually. I think, Celeste, can you tell everyone why you're back. Let's just get in. Let's just start there. Celeste Holbrook 2:46  Okay, so I'm so excited, I can't even, like, contain myself. So I'm back because I have a book out, and I have a book really, truly because of Lesley Logan, because I have tried to publish this book for so long with traditional publishing, and I just got closed door after closed door after closed door for a lot of different reasons, which maybe we do and don't go into, I don't know, but Lesley reached out to me and was like, Celeste, I have this company. They do professional publishing. They're really great, and I just latched onto it, and I did every single thing that they suggested, and it was such a beautiful experience. So the whole point of this is I have a book, and I have a book because of you, and I want to aggressively love you today for encouraging me to do this.Lesley Logan 3:38  I am taking all that love also like this podcast, is why you have it, because I met that guy, because I interviewed him. And I have to, like, I'm not even I'll have to go back to the archives to figure out how I got this person, but I interviewed him, and I'm like, I really like this person. Like, I think he's great. Like, I've written a book, and I would have loved his help. Then, because I met him and had him on the pod, we had three of our clients use him, so I got to see from different perspectives how it was so when, and here's the thing, you were always on my feed, like, the algorithm would always, like, send you, and I like, just love all your stuff. And then it, like, kind of stopped, because I don't know that's how the algorithm works. And I happened to look at your stories, it was your stories, I'm pretty sure, and you were sharing this thing. And I'm not normally someone who's like, let me go in on the six minutes of a story. But I was like, I'm procrastinating. I'm in and so I was like, wow, what perfect timing this was, because I could have easily missed that whole section. And so I just want to, I'm just so grateful for divine like, I think that, like, there's divine appointments and divine interventions in a non-church way, guys, but we're meant to be in each other's lives and this book. Okay, so I guess, in case people don't know who you are, maybe we should do a quick like, who are you? Because we have new listeners, right? Hi, new listeners. You're going to want to go back to the other two. We're going to link them in the show notes. But can you tell everyone who you are and what you rock at? Celeste Holbrook 4:57  Yes, absolutely. So my name is Dr. Celeste Holbrook, I am a sex educator, and I have a PhD in health behaviors with a postgraduate emphasis in sexual behaviors. So I help people, a lot of women and lots of couples, figure out how to make sex better, whether that is they are experiencing pain or they're experiencing shame from growing up in like, ultra religious household, or they just need, like, some help through menopause or through after having a baby or things like that. So I am your very practical sexual health help. That's what I do. Lesley Logan 5:38  I love it the practical because, you know, like, I will say, having lived in L.A. and going to different sex shops, you don't look like the person who works the sex shop. Celeste Holbrook 5:48  No, no. Lesley Logan 5:50  Not to like, like to stereotype. But there's a, there would be a type that, like, works at the sex shop, and it's not you.Celeste Holbrook 5:56  Yeah, no, it's not me. And I just want to be super accessible, because not everybody wants to, like, swing from the chandeliers all the time. You know, a lot of people are out there just struggling to find the time to connect. Like, I cannot tell you how many times I have had a conversation about what to do with the dog in your bedroom when you want to have sex so the dog's not looking over at you or jumping on the bed, or, like, these are the practical applications that we are talking about in sex education in my consult sessions.Lesley Logan 6:27  Yeah, well, and because, because I think everyone's just so overwhelmed, like I saw something, and someone's stories, and they're like, went to their friend, their niece's like, soccer game, and she's like, looking around just like, no wonder no one's having sex. Like everybody is at the soccer game and they're exhausted, and then get the soccer game they're fighting about to do or you forgot the thing. Like, no, no answer. But nobody wants to have sex after this. Celeste Holbrook 6:53  No, no. Why would you want to have sex after that? Exactly right. That's exactly right, yep. Lesley Logan 6:59  So, so I want to touch on, like, there's a lot of different chapters, and maybe this is something that your book covers, but like, there's, you know, I think when we're younger and like, it feels like it's easier to do things, maybe, and then you get older, and like, there's more responsibilities and there's more stuff to think about. And like, it becomes something that goes away, and then your hormones change. So, in your book, do you cover, like, the journeys that were all going on, or is it more specifically for people from the purity culture, like, what? What were you excited to write about?Celeste Holbrook 7:30  Sure. So the book is called, I have the manuscript and printed out right here. It's called Missionary Position: A Slightly Irreverent Guide to Sex After Purity Culture. So I do take the approach of, like you growing up in a purity culture background, in, like, a high demand religion background, evangelical culture, things like that. But the book is in four parts. So like a four-part guide to basically healing, and you can apply these steps to any issue you are having in sex. So, yes, I do talk quite a bit about the effects of purity culture and how to overcome those effects. But it can, you can apply it to, you know, the trauma you had from a sexual assault. You can apply it to just the doldrums of being married to the same old penis for like, 20 years or whatever, you know, like you can apply these steps to anybody. So basically, there's four steps, and I have made them into archetypal women. So your first step is your analyst. She's like, the nerd she's looking at, like, okay, what are we carrying around? What does your backpack look like that you're carrying around? Is it full of shame? Is it full of neglect? Is it full of fear? Like she's the analyst. Your second archetypal woman is your assassin. She's she is taking what the analyst has found, and she is just like, slicing through it, right? She's your assassin. She's your inner assasin. She's your deconstruction, basically. Your third archetypal woman is your healer. So after you've done the work of understanding what's in your backpack, slicing out what needs to go, then your healer starts helping you regenerate your ideas about sex through a gentle reeducation. So we're relearning about some things that maybe we have always thought one way about. Maybe we're relearning about the idea of virginity. We're relearning the I about masturbation. We're relearning about what great sex is, right? The healer is our gentle reeducation, and then our fourth archetypal women woman is our explorer, and she's like, gonna try some new things. She's gonna go to the sex toy store, she's going to touch herself in a new way, and maybe, if that's too much, maybe she's gonna try sex with the lights on, right. And so these are the four women. They represent four steps, and within each step there are some really practical things that you can do to help move you to the next step. So you can apply this to any issue you're having in sex, and get to the other side where you're trying, you're you're now exploring, you're trying new things.Lesley Logan 10:12  I that's a way. I mean, well, like an archetype. I like that. And I've, you've been on my mind a lot lately, because society is quite interesting right now, like the trad wife situation. I'm like, that looks really beautiful. Like, I would love, like, I have white countertops. I'd love them to clean all the time. I'm certainly not capable of doing it. But I'm like, I don't know that. I think they're doing a really good job marketing a beautiful esthetic without realizing, like, all the stuff that comes with that, you know, like, all the religious stuff that comes with that, and how that can harm how we feel about our bodies. And I, I like, was raised in purity culture, and I didn't think it affected me. I'm like, I'm good. But actually, no, actually, I remember, like, I remember, oh, it does, because you're like, you think that you're like, oh, I'm on that. I'm that doesn't affect that like you, you start to realize, even if you weren't raised in church, just the way that public school systems have appropriated some of the modesty rules, like what you're told, what you can wear to school and and how thick this the tank top strap can be, and you can't be disruptive, even though the boys' pants are halfway down their legs, and I'm looking at underwear all the time. You know, I think that even for people who weren't raised where they're told, like, your father has you until you're given away to someone else, there is some level where all of us were affected by like, don't be a distraction. Don't, make sure you don't wear that so you don't look like a certain like you're not attracting bad people, you know, that kind of a thing.Celeste Holbrook 11:44  Yeah, I totally agree, Lesley. I think that there's very few people in the United States that have a great, comprehensive, inclusive sex education. I think very few of us. I think this is changing, and hopefully with, you know, recycle breaking next and next generations, but American society in general wants to put sex on either end of a spectrum. We want to either like, don't think about it. Don't talk about it. This is not for you until you are reaching a certain age or marriage or whatever, and then on the other side is like, why aren't you liberated enough to have all to do all these things you know, like, so there's these two, like, ends of the spectrum, and all of us really live in the middle. Yeah, none of us is really on either side at all, but we but it like breaks America's brain to try and think about, like, living outside of one of those two spectrums. So I talk about in the book about the non, about the non-binary. We are not binary people. As far as what we want to do in our sex life, and figuring out, how do you live in the middle area, which we often call gray, but I call glitter. Yes, it's the most fabulous place to live is in the middle, in this glittery middle, where you get to define your own sex ethic based on your value system, on your intuition, on your sex education, and you get to decide what works best for you. And maybe that is boundaries around when you have sex awesome, as long as it's your choice that's amazing. And maybe that is opening your relationship up and trying swinging or whatever it is that's awesome as long as it's your decision and not one manipulated by society or cultural values or religious values.Lesley Logan 13:27  Yeah, I think that's, I think I like to think about that even this thing, it's, you're right, it's America, it's people like, I'm in Pilates industry. And I said something the other day where I was like, well, you can say that, but it doesn't like, there's also the idea that we could prepare people for an exercise, right? And this person, like, went off on me, and I was like, so you need to understand that what you're mad about me is what you're doing here. Second, Pilates is not black or white. It's not this or that. It's a lot of gray. It's a lot of glitter, like glitter. It's like, because our bodies are different and where we are in our practice, where we are in our life, maybe what season we're in, maybe you're in a season of young children, it's going to be very different what you're wanting and ready for, and have the capacity to take on versus they're teenagers and out of the house and really don't care where you are versus you don't have kids at all. Like, there's all these different seasons. And I think we are like, oh, this is how I've always liked it, so this is how I have to keep liking it. Celeste Holbrook 14:25  Yes, yes, that's so wise, Lesley, that's so wise. I think there are a lot of and we talked about this in our last on our last podcast together, a lot of the similarities between what happens in sex and what happens in like a Pilates, a workout space or Pilates space, as far as how we view our bodies and what we feel is like, right, or what we feel is appropriate, I guess, for our bodies like I should be wanting this, because that's what I did when I was 27 or I should be looking like this, because that's what I looked like when I was whatever, 30 or whatever. And I think there's lots of room to allow ourselves compassion to grow as we grow in our sex life, in our workouts and whatever, expecting your sex life to look the same when you are 20 and 30 and 50 and 70 is not helpful for you, and so allowing it to mature as you mature is the most helpful thing that you can do for yourself, I think, when, when it comes to your sex life. Lesley Logan 15:28  Yeah, we'll keep talking about this, it'll come up. But I do, I do want to go back to like, the journey of this book, because this book has been in you for a really long time. And I think whether or not people want to write a book, you can insert goal, whatever your goal is, because you we will all in trying to get something out into the world or get something that we desire done, hit roadblocks. So you hit some roadblocks. Can we talk about, how many years of roadblocks? Can we talk about what you like, what kind of roadblocks you were hitting and, like, how did you keep going? Because quite honestly, I'm surprised you even told the story, you know what I mean, like, I'm surprised you didn't go, okay, well, that's that, the door, the door has been slammed shut.Celeste Holbrook 16:12  Yeah, yeah. And I really appreciate you asking this, because I know sex is really fun to talk about, but this is, like, my personal, like, lifelong dream is to have a book, and it feels really, I feel really seen when you ask about the process of it, and when I think about the be it, you know, be it till you see it, bold, executable. I think I'm getting this right, intrinsic, targeted, so I think about my word for this year was bold. So that was like, my like, I gotta be more bold. I want to say what I want to say. I don't want to be making myself smaller anymore. So the story behind the book, I have always thought about writing a book. I myself am a slow reader. I don't read very fast, and I for a long, long time I thought I was dumb because I don't read very fast, which is silly when I think about it now, but all growing up, I was slower than all of my friends reading. It was frustrating to read. And I've just, I like, I was still a good student. I still did all of the things that I needed to do, but I just, I just took time. I just took more time to write, to read all of those things, and I think in part, that's what made me get a PhD, because I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't dumb. Turns out, I'm not dumb. I just am. I need to go at my own pace. And so one of the things that you talk about a lot on the podcast is like, how do you prioritize yourself? I prioritize myself by allowing myself to go at my own pace, like I can read as slow as I need to read, I can answer emails as slow as I need to answer emails. It's frustrating to me and other people, but at the end of the day, like it, it's honestly who I am. I'm just considerate and slow and thoughtful, and I've learned to like that about myself instead of hate that about myself. So the idea of writing a book was really, like tantalizing to me, but I had a lot of insecurities about my ability to actually do it. I'd written a dissertation, which is I, in my opinion, harder because it's boring. Lesley Logan 18:19  Yeah, yeah, no, that's one of the reasons why I, like, stopped going to school. I was like, I can't write another boring paper.Celeste Holbrook 18:25  Oh, my God. Like, who's reading? Like, my mom didn't even read it. She's like, oh, congratulations. It's like, collecting dust, right? So I had done that, and so I thought, like, well, if I'd written a dissertation, it just take you just take a chunk at a time. I can surely write a book. So in 2000 and let's see 2016, Nate and I was like, Nate, I really want to write a book. I'm going to go to a writer's conference. So he's like, great, let's go. I was like, found one in Hawaii. He's like, even better, let's go.Lesley Logan 18:55  I love, I love when a goal and a tax write off can be in a place you want to go. Celeste Holbrook 19:01  That's right, that's exactly right. We ended up getting a tent. There's like, these glamping tents on Maui that you can get, and it's just, like, really fun. It's like, on the beach, but you still have, like, sort of a bathroom, you know. But so we're, like, we needed to do it on cheap, because we were kind of broke, like, got these glamping tents, and I went to these writers conference during the day, and Nate did whatever during the day was at this writing conference, and it was through Hay House, and there was a contest. So if you went to the writers conference and you wrote a proposal, you could enter it in, and they were going to pick three writers to to give a book deal to, I would, and this is me being so sure of myself. Like, yes, I've spent a lot of time feeling insecure that about my reading and writing. But for the most part, my whole life, I have been, like, with no good reason, confident. Like, I'm just like, I don't know, confident.Lesley Logan 19:53  Yeah. I mean, that's cool. That's a great that's so many people don't inherently have that. I. And like to kind of have that and then use it is a wonderful, it's a wonderful thing. Celeste Holbrook 20:06  Yeah, I just, I just was like, no, I'm gonna get this, you know, I'm gonna write this proposal. People are gonna love it. I'm gonna get this competition. Anyway, long story short, did not win any (inaudible). Lesley Logan 20:16  Oh, I thought this was going towards you won. Oh, my God, she won. It. (inaudible) second look. I automatically just assumed you're gonna slay. So I'm just like, she won.Celeste Holbrook 20:32  This is about closed doors, Lesley. Lesley Logan 20:34  Okay, that's true. That's true. Celeste Holbrook 20:36  Yes. So I did not win. I was for sure I was gonna win, did not win, not even, like, a hello, right? So I was like, oh, maybe I need to work a little harder. So I had this whole proposal. My book was like, looking back, I'm like, I'm so glad that I didn't win. My book was called Sexual Wealth. Lesley Logan 20:54  Oh, yeah, that's that's not you.Celeste Holbrook 20:57  It's not me. I was like, it was like, sex through finance, bro language or something. And I was just like, this is a terrible idea, but the spark was there, like, I really wanted to write a book. So that was 2016 I kind of held onto it, thought about it, kind of put it in a drawer for a while. In 2019 I got on a fairly large podcast with Jen Hatmaker, so she's an author, and she does a lot of work in, like the ex-evangelical space, or had started down that road. So I got on this podcast through just like pitching. I got on this podcast. It's pretty big, big podcast. And not long after that, a person from HarperCollins, like a division of Harper Collins, reached out to me and said, hey, have you ever considered writing a book? So the publisher reached out to me, which is very unusual. Lesley Logan 21:47  That is cool, though. Yes. Celeste Holbrook 21:49  Yeah, yeah, very unusual. Usually, you are pitching to publishers. So they heard me on the podcast, and they were like, hey, you know, we're interested in you submitting a proposal. I'm like, I'm freaking out. Like, this is so exciting, right? I realize I probably need representation, so I get a literary agent. I kind of shop around and get a literary agent. She's amazing, Rochelle, and I end up pitching my proposal. I worked it out, you know, I update it from sexual wealth to something else. I update it, I pitch it, and they're pretty slow. The publishing industry is so slow, you know this, you know this, so slow. Lesley Logan 22:24  I have watched too many of my friends write books. I'm so great. I'm proud of all of them. But also the ones that have gone traditional publishing, it is slow, like molasses moves faster, you guys. That's, you know, like, just don't bet on don't hold your breath.Celeste Holbrook 22:40  Oh my gosh, it's the slowest process of all time. And so I was like, okay, I, you know, they reached out to me. So I'm here in my very confident space, like, oh no, they're gonna laugh. Yeah, they're gonna choose. They reached out to me. Why wouldn't they choose me? At this point, I have like, 1500 followers. I have, like, I have no platform, right? I still have a very small platform, but a bunch of really engaged, lovely humans. So I'm, I'm fairly sure they're going to choose me. Eventually, months and months and months later, they get back to me and they're like, yes, we want it is literally like, I don't know, six months later, they're like, we want to offer you a contract, and we want to go under contract, just small. It's a $20,000 contract. They're gonna pay me 10,000 upfront, and then 10,000 the book publishes. I was like, great, I have to pay out my agent too. So I'm I'm coming home with like, $8,500. I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. Just to get one dime to like (inaudible).Lesley Logan 23:36  I mean that you got anything, because it's not, it's not always normal that even a first time writer gets anything until the book sells. So, yeah.Celeste Holbrook 23:44  Yes. So I was thrilled. I was thrilled. So I started writing my little heart out. They don't actually give me anything, a contract or anything, until my my my first draft is due. So I turned in my first draft and then they signed me. So I write the whole book without a contract. So submit the first draft. This is like March of 2020, so keep that in, put to context. Things that are. Lesley Logan 24:08  Things are things are going on. Celeste Holbrook 24:10  Things are going on. What's happening? So I get my first round of edits back. I'm still super excited. And then in July, my agent calls me, and she's like, I hate to have this conversation with you, but your book has been orphaned. Your editor left the company, and nobody else wants to pick it up. Lesley Logan 24:32  No, no. Celeste Holbrook 24:35  Yeah. So this is like, in the big scheme of things, like, it was the way it needed to work out, because they were already giving me feedback. It was the (inaudible) the imprint. And I'm not trying to slander any publishing industry, but this is just what happened to me, right? I was getting feedback of, like, oh, I don't know if you should, like, go that hard. Or I don't know if you should. You might alienate readers. If you talk about religion in this way, or, you know, this is you're gonna lose your Catholic audience. I'm like, I'm not trying to make the Catholics happy. I'm sorry. Lesley Logan 25:12  Yeah, yeah, yeah. When I interviewed, I don't know if it was in my interview, but when I was talking with Daniella Mestyanek Young who wrote Uncultured, she was only allowed to talk about three sexual like, misconduct, things that happened to her, and not even the worst ones. They actually, like, got rid, yes, yeah, they were like, and you can only talk like they she had to. And she's been very vocal about it. She's like, because she was talking about God and all these things and like, like, yeah, you can't really talk about that. And then she was like, you know, saying that she got raped in military. And they're like, so we don't like, maybe we just do only one of those, like, very and so, and she was with a publisher, and she got published, but she it's a watered down version of her story, because apparently readers wouldn't be able to handle the true thing. And it's like, you know, like, we're, how are we supposed to change the world? We don't know what's going on. So anyways, yeah. Celeste Holbrook 26:02  Yeah, I and I heard, I heard that kind of from different places, like, oh yeah. I had to, like, say this instead of that or whatever. And I'm like, yeah, that's a little bit happening to me. And I had written it with the understanding, like, this is for a still Christian audience. I understood this, it was with a Christian publisher. So I'm like, that's fine. Like, as a sex educator, you have to be able to be fluid enough to write to the audience that's in front of you. Like, when I go speak, sometimes I'm in front of really conservative audiences, and I adapt my language. That's fine. Like, that's okay to do. I'm still, I still feel helpful. I still feel like I'm pushing the envelope, but in a way that feels the most accessible for the audience in front of me. So I'm okay adjusting, but also like I didn't, I didn't want to water it down so much that I felt like it wasn't me. Lesley Logan 26:51  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Celeste Holbrook 26:53  So anyway, lost my contract in July 1st of 2020, which was and that whole thing, the whole next two years was really difficult. My husband is an emergency medicine physician and it was just a real hard time in the family, family. Lesley Logan 27:09  Yeah, no, lots, lots going on, lots of stress, lots of worry, lots. Yeah, you're afraid, yeah, you know. So like, you know. So we live where we live, and not everyone believe we're going through certain things. So that's even more stressful. Yeah. Oh, my God, that's a lot. The book, the book hit a wall.Celeste Holbrook 27:26  It hit it hit a wall, and probably had to find time. But I was, I was really, just really sad. Rochelle, my agent, was like, okay, we're just gonna, like, pick it back up. We have this proposal, we have a book written. It's, it'll be easier for another publisher to pick us up. And so we start, like, pitching to these other publishing companies. She has all these connections, you know, she's pitching, pitching, pitching, nothing's landing. I'm getting good feedback back. Like, you know, your platform's too small. That's fair. I started trying to grow it. You know, that's when Instagram was a little easier to grow. Now it's super hard to grow. But started growing it. I went from 1500 to 20,000 you know. Lesley Logan 28:04  That's a big deal, because other 20,000 like, those are not bought, you know, like, yeah.Celeste Holbrook 28:09  No, yeah. And I'm a hard follow. I get that. I have, like, you know, dildos in my videos. Like, I get that I'm not an easy follow. It's not and I'm, you know, Shadow banned all the time, and I get all these notifications that my stuff is not being shown to new audiences. I get that. I get that I'm a hard follow, but that's what publishers want. They want you to have a ready-to-buy platform, which I get. They're trying to make money. But I got a lot of that feedback. I got a lot of, ooh, this is a little it's a little too much for us as a Christian publisher. Like, okay, I get that. And then it was kind of like this line for non, non-Christian publishers, like, we don't really, we don't really talk about religion that much, and then we're not really talking about sex that much.Lesley Logan 29:00  Right? So you're like, too much of the different things for the different people, that's really rough, because it's like, we'll never be everything for anyone, but to not feel like you fit somewhere when you have something to say, that's hard.Celeste Holbrook 29:13  Yeah, yeah, it is really hard. And I think it's what people needed. It's because it's, again, it's the glitter, it's the middle. Like, yeah, I don't fit into either of these spaces. I'm kind of like exploring the middle, right? So that was the feedback I was getting. And finally, we did that for five years, from 2020 to 2025 October of 2025 Rochelle had a call with me, and she's like, honey, I have nowhere else to go. I'm sorry. This has to be the end of it. Bless her. She she did the best that she had, and I am forever grateful for her. But that was it, and that was that's where we're caught up to, where you saw my story, and I was like, just sharing with my audience like I had an unhappy ending, and I'm gonna sit in my sadness right now and just tell you, like life isn't always hunky dory for a sex educator, for anybody, for you for me, and this is where I am right now, and I'm pissed and I'm sad, and the end, right? And then sweet Lesley shows up in my DMs, and she's like, babe, I have this great idea for you. I'm like, okay, so she you send me this information for this company I have a call with, I think Jake who you interviewed. Lesley Logan 30:19  Yeah, Jake Kelfer. Yep, yep, yep. Celeste Holbrook 30:21  I have a call with Jake, and let me tell you, working with them has been and I'm not getting paid for any of this right to for BIB, but working with them has been so healing, so much agency in the process. I got to say exactly what I wanted to say. I got to go at the pace that I wanted to go, like, it was just incredible. Lesley Logan 30:44  So is this book, like a new book? It's not what you're pitching around. It's the glitter you really wanted to write. Celeste Holbrook 30:51  It's the glitter I really wanted to write. Totally different. Yeah.Lesley Logan 30:54  Yes, oh, I love that. And also, like, so, first of all, you guys, did you hear five years? Five years and now we're going on, you know, like, so, yeah, five years and then now big. But here's the other thing, like going through all of those things, you got feedback and made tweaks and did these things. So then when you're writing the book that we're gonna all get to read, I can't even wait to read it. It's the best version of a book that could ever be, because it's really not your first book you've written so manyCeleste Holbrook 31:24  You're so right. And over the course of the years, I changed, as we should. I hope I look back in five years and go like, yeah, I'm a different, new person from who wrote this book. But I was different, and I was more comfortable, like, straight up saying I'm not a Christian anymore. You know, I was more comfortable saying, like, is this a religious book? Yes, because we talk about religion. Do I identify as Christian? No, because of these reasons. Do I think we could learn some stuff from the Bible? Sure. Do I think we're going to talk about the Bible? Yes. I think we have to, because we're talking about purity culture. But I don't, you know, certainly not in 2020 was I willing to be like, yeah, I'm not a Christian, but so much stuff happened between 2020 and 2025, that just took me right on out.Lesley Logan 32:10  Yeah, yeah, no, I hear you on that. I and, you know, like, I have a brother in seminary school, so it's very interesting around here. And I had just said, you know, if, if, the if, all the Christians in the world actually did what Jesus said, like, we would have solved child child poverty and immigration and health care. And, you know, I've had a family member respond, well, if everyone just came to know, and I'm like, no, no, no, that's actually not what the Bible says. Here's the problem, I've read it so like I where I am in my life, which five years ago I was definitely not. Is just like I'm frustrated that a book, any book, has controlled people in such a way that's affecting even their sex lives, but also just lives, the lives of people who didn't even read the book. And so that's where, like, I get upset we don't have to have religious talk on this podcast. But that's that's just where, like, I'm coming from as a person with it. I'm, like, I have a really hard time with it, because it's not a loving world, and it with all the people who say they are, you know, believers. It should be. It should be a very loving world. So, so I think it's really I love. Thank you for sharing the story. This is great.Celeste Holbrook 33:30  Yeah, I totally. I just want to affirm what you're saying. Because I think the the main bottom line for me was it has harmed more than it has helped. Has it helped? Absolutely, there's some really beautiful ways in which Christianity has helped, but has it harmed more than it has helped? I absolutely believe, yes. And so for me, that was the final straw. Do I think Jesus was cool? Yeah. I think He was a radical non-white dude who did really amazing things that we can learn from, right? I believe he saved me from my sins. Not really, but, yeah, that's where I landed. And I was able to say this in in this book, which I would never have been able to do before. Lesley Logan 34:09  Well, also, thank you for sharing it with us, because I also just someone like to see it's a really interesting thing to say, like my husband and I, like go like to say out loud, it's very I don't want to speak for him, because, like, maybe it was a different but, like, it's really hard to say out loud when you're like, I don't believe anymore, and you're like, you know?Celeste Holbrook 34:29  Right, it feels really weird. Lesley Logan 34:31  Yeah, it does. But because it's such an identity that you're raised with, and I think going back to, like, that purity culture that your book is about, and by the way, everyone, like, I just want to say, like, even if you haven't been in that, it's, I think that reading about those things really helps me. It makes it helps make the world make sense to me. Like, I read Tia Levings book, A Well-Trained Wife, and I was like, oh, I get it now. I get why they're acting like this. I get why they're thinking this. Because, like, otherwise, you're like looking at people like they're aliens, and you're like, I don't understand. So I also think it can be really impactful to read just to understand, what are people thinking? What are they going through? Why is it harder for some people to have great sex, or want to have great sex, or feel comfortable having great sex, than for other people? Celeste Holbrook 35:18  Yeah, I totally agree with you. It's so fun, interesting. Most of couples that I talk to, most of them are straight couples, heterosexual couples, and a lot of times, the woman in the partnership will, you know, talk about sex in one way, and the man in the partnership will talk about sex in a different way. And just like, I just don't get it. If it feels good, why wouldn't you want to do it? And so when we kind of like, deconstruct and explain, like, well, she's been taught that sex is dangerous her whole life, and so her nervous system feels on alert, even when there are good things in the future to come with that sexual experience. So to have to overcome this idea of fear and danger in your nervous system, just to get to the beginning of arousal is a whole different ball game than you who starts at arousal, and because it feels very regulating, like, I lean into arousal because it feels regulating as a straight man who's raised in America, and so like, just being able to, like, if you're a dude who picks up this book, It might help you understand the women in your life a little bit better, even if they didn't grow up in purity culture. Most of us grew up with the idea that sex is going to harm us. Lesley Logan 36:28  Yeah, yes. Well, I mean, like, yeah, it's like, even if you weren't raised that way, you also, as a woman, were raised like, be fearful of any bad any man who's coming near you, walking up next to you, like, all these different things. And so it is very difficult to just like, let that go. It's not like, it's like, oh, it's Halloween. I can get Todd Kenny from a stranger now, like, this doesn't work like that. You know, like especially because it's like, your whole life these just little things that are being told. I think that's great for men to read. I think that's such a that's a, what a wonderful way to think about it, who this book could be helpful for? I want to take a brief detour, because you said something on your Instagram a bit ago that truly, like, blew my mind and also made so much sense, right? You said, if you're faking an orgasm, you're fawning, right? It's a fawn response. So can we talk about what a fawn response is? And that a little bit, because I think too many women do that. I only say that because I have friends who talk about it and I'm like, I mean, I just wouldn't just would be like, it's not working today, sir.Celeste Holbrook 37:38  Yes, yeah. I mean, I've done it when I was experiencing really painful sex when I first got married, because of vaginismus, because of purity culture, like I did anything to try and get out of the situation, right? So, so a fawn response is something that we do in response to something traumatic. When something traumatic happens, we go into fight, flight, freeze or on. So fawn is I'm pleasing you know this, this circumstance or person in my life, so there are no negative consequences, all right. So when we fake orgasms, and a lot of women have a lot of guilt around doing this, and this is why I posted that, because I want you to feel not guilty about this. I don't want you to do it forever, but I want you to understand why you're doing this. We fawn response an orgasm when we feel overwhelming pressure to have an orgasm when we feel overwhelming pressure to have an orgasm, it's coming from a fragile man who cannot handle or has put too much value on your ability to come as a validation for his ability to be great, right? I put too much pressure on your ability to be to come is a validation of my ability to be good or great. So part of the work has to become men saying like my validation is not wrapped up in her ability to come, without saying, I still can't give her pleasure. It's kind of, it's, it's, it's nuanced, but I really want women to understand when you're fawning, when you're faking an orgasm, you are essentially doing harm reduction. I don't want the negative consequences of his fragility, so I will fake it so I don't have to deal with that. That is easier for me. That is harm reduction.Lesley Logan 39:47  Right, right, right. And one would hope that a conversation or few could be had, like, here's what's going on and here's how I don't want you to feel and here like, yeah, that's probably where you come in. Celeste Holbrook 40:01  Yes, yeah. It's a really delicate situation. I do have lots of times people come in and the female, the woman in the partnership, will be like, hey, you know, this is what's going on, and this is why I want us together to come but to sessions, but like, I don't know how to tell him, like, it's been years and I've been faking it for years, right? Okay, no problem. We don't have to. I don't believe full transparency is always kind. I believe in honesty. I don't necessarily believe in full transparency. Like, you can, you can be really unkind with full transparency, but you can still be honest. Like, hey, I really want to experience a little bit more sensation when we have sex. Can we work on some new techniques? Can I show you how I masturbate? Can we make it slower so I can feel something different? I really want to make my orgasm stronger, right? So we can be clear with what we want going forward without being like, you know what? I faked it for the last 12 years, right? Because that's on you for not for not saying something as well. Lesley Logan 41:08  Yeah? Because that doesn't like, it can only be, it's not anyone's fault. But also, like, they can't change if they don't know, yeah. Oh, you're so brilliant. You're so amazing. Wait, when is the book coming out? When do I get to read it? When can I preorder, like.Celeste Holbrook 41:23  You are so cute. So it'll by the time this drops, it'll already be out, and we'll send links to to upload it, but it comes out on June 10th and so it's right around the corner. Lesley Logan 41:32  Okay, well, I'm gonna pre I'm gonna pre order. I gotta or I'll order on June 10th. So we can make you a number one, Bestselling Author. We get whatever we get to do, so I can write my authenticated review. After buying it, all the things I can't wait. I'll take it with me on tour.Celeste Holbrook 41:49  Thank you. I'm so like, I just like, I'm cheesing so hard because I'm so excited about it. I reread it again this morning, just like as a skim to look at all the layout on the pages. And I'm just so proud of it. I'm so proud of it, like it finally is here.Lesley Logan 42:07  I have so many chills. I'm gonna cry. Okay, we're gonna take a brief break. We're gonna find out how people can find you, follow you and work with you. Celeste Holbrook 42:14  Okay. Lesley Logan 42:15  All right, Dr. Celeste Holbrook, where do you hang out? You said Instagram. Is there anywhere else? What links? What input handles? Where can they go to buy the book is it on your website, all the things.Celeste Holbrook 42:25  Yes, the book is on the website, but you can buy it the most easily on Amazon. If you do, please leave a review that would be really helpful. And you can go to my website to get into Pleasure Club. That's my monthly subscription where we have a sex ed session every month and a book club session every month we flip between fiction and nonfiction books, which is really, really fun. Lesley Logan 42:44  Oh, fun. I know Brad and I got into the, of course, like everybody in the world, we got into the the dragon situation, yeah. Okay, every. Celeste Holbrook 42:52  Fourth wing? Lesley Logan 42:53  Yeah, yes. Fourth wing, the second one, the third one. You guys, we actually reread the first and second one to listen to the third one, we're going to go back through all three. Highly recommend it with your, with your partner. I think it's a great she writes good sex stories. They don't it's not super cheesy. So I really like them. Celeste Holbrook 43:13  I love that. I think this revolution. I mean, people have been reading Roman ensembles forever, but I think it's really healing. I actually wrote about this in my newsletter this week. Reading sex scenes through a female lens is really, really healing and really helpful, because it it gives you the confidence to be like, oh, I can ask for that, or I can wait for that, or I can ask to slow down or speed up, or whatever, and I can expect somebody to listen and garner consent and all of those things. So reading sex scenes through the female lens or listening to them, I think, is very, very helpful. Celeste Holbrook 43:46  Yeah, yeah. Anyways, I got distracted from your book club. So what's your website again? What's your handle? Celeste Holbrook 43:53  So you can find me at Dr. Celeste Holbrook on Instagram, on and on YouTube, and my web, my website. drcelesteholbrook.com. I just had like a whole mind blowing, like I was thinking about sex scenes written through the female Iens and I couldn't I couldn't go back. Yeah.? So, drcelesteholdbrook is where you can find me almost anywhere. Dr Celeste Holbrook. Lesley Logan 44:14  Perfect, yeah. Sorry, I have an ADHD brain. Lesley Logan 44:16  I love it. I love it. Lesley Logan 44:18  Bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted steps people can take to be it till they see it. What do you have for us this time? Celeste Holbrook 44:23  Oh, well, something we talked about already earlier. But the way that I am best executable is actually just to go at my own pace, even though it's slow.Lesley Logan 44:32  Yeah. Oh, I love that. I really do love that. And I also, you mentioned, like, the prioritizing of self. That's one of the ways you did it. I wanted to acknowledge like when you sat in your car and you shared that something had come to an end, that is also a way of prioritizing yourself, because you're feeling your feelings, and you're also letting people know that you're feeling these feelings, like we don't have to, like pretend around people, so just thank you for being you, and always for, you are always in the word gets misused, but you are so authentic and so authentic and just, I really feel like I've it's been so fun over the past five years to watch you grow with what you're doing and how you're educating people and how you're supporting people. And so I'm just so grateful to be on your journey. I can't wait to read your book. I'm so stoked for you. This is the coolest thing. And and you guys, how are you gonna use these tips in your life? Please tag Dr. Celeste Holbrook, send this to a friend. Here is the deal, not all friendships talk about sex, so one of the things you can do is just send the podcast or the book. You don't have to have the if you're not there yet, that's okay. But I think like, the more, the more women hear about all these different things that could be glitter, the more life we're living and the more fun we're having, the more we feel seen. So just thank you so much for being you, Dr. Celeste Holbrook.Celeste Holbrook 45:53  Lesley, you are the reason this book exists. I cannot thank you enough. Thank you so much for having me in your life and on your podcast. And someday, someday we will hug each other in real life.Lesley Logan 46:03  Yeah, yeah, yeah. We will. It'll happen. I think this winter tour, I feel it in me. All right, you guys, you know what to do. Until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 46:12  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 46:54  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 46:59  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 47:03  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 47:11  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 47:14  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Send us a textOur spoiler-free Kingdom of Ash deep dive continues with chapters 6-13. Maasverse Spoiler Section at the end of the episode. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

In this episode, we sit down with Analeigh Sbrana, author of the highly anticipated romantasy sequel Lore of the Tides. Following her breakout debut Lore of the Wilds, Sbrana returns with a story full of forbidden magic, grief, identity, and longing romance that raises the stakes for both her heroine and her world. We talk with Analeigh about: Why she chose to center Lore's journey around justice instead of revenge, setting her apart in a genre that often leans into vengeance arcs. How she approached writing Lore's grief and emotional growth after the fallout of book one. The symbolism of Lore's ink-stained hands and forbidden magic, and how it ties into themes of identity and power. Crafting a romance arc filled with longing, betrayal, and trust issues—and why the emotional risks feel just as high as the magical ones. How queerness and Black identity are seamlessly woven into her worldbuilding. The larger themes of power, oppression, and resistance that resonate with our world today. Whether you're already obsessed with Analeigh's romantasy universe or discovering her books for the first time, this conversation digs deep into the heart of her storytelling and why Lore of the Tides is a must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and epic romantasy sagas. Sponsor: Lola Blankets: For a limited time, our listeners are getting a huge 35% OFF their entire order at LolaBlankets.com by using code BOOKTALK at checkout. Just head to LolaBlankets.com and use code BOOKTALK for 35% OFF. After you purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them we sent you. Hello Fresh: Go to HelloFresh.com/BOOKTALK10FM now to Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for Life! One per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. Share your thoughts for a chance to be featured! Submit them at ⁠⁠⁠⁠booktalkforbooktok.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a future mini-episode or exclusive Patreon discussion. Support the Show:  Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/booktalkforbooktok⁠⁠⁠⁠  Merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Etsy Store⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social: Instagram: @BookTalkForBookTok TikTok: @BookTalkForBookTok YouTube: @BookTalkForBookTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textA love letter to one of our favorite series of all time, the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and our original book boyfriend, Jericho Barrons. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textWe're kicking off our Kingdom of Ash (!!) deep dive with a (very) quick refresh of Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn and KOA chapters 1-5.Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

We're counting down the days until the publication of The Hallmarked Man! Nick Jeffery and John Granger take perhaps the last look at Rowling's most recent postings before they dive into discussion about the meaning and artistry of Strike8.In today's conversation, they review Rowling's relationship with Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series, a New York Times feature article ‘The Wizard's Everlasting Spell' about the growth of Potter fan fiction with a romantic twist, and Rowling's acerbic review of Nikola Sturgeon's memoir Frankly. Nick and John discuss along the way the initial response of cultural gatekeepers to the quality of the writing in Harry Potter, the history of Rowling's relationship with the writers of romantic fan fiction using her characters in light of Fifty Shades of Gray, and Hogwarts Professor's role in making ‘Rowling Studies' legitimate and the culture-wide acceptance of Rowling as a writer of merit “something we've always known” rather than a controversial assertion.And what does all that have to do with the imminent release of Hallmarked Man? Nick and John share their more-than-tentative plans for reading Strike8 and the best way — not the only way, of course, but a much better way than, say, cataloging predictions everyone will forget by mid-September — to prepare for our first reading of an epic Rowling-Galbraith title.We hope you are as excited as we are to the advent of Hallmarked Man and that you're looking forward to exploration of its breadth and depth beneath the surface plot with us in the coming month!Links To Subjects Discussed Above:The Wizard's Everlasting Spell Why Magic, Dragons and Explicit Sex Are in Bookstores Everywhere: Romantasy is propping up the fiction market. Thanks to a generation that grew up reading about a boy wizard. (The New York Times, 20 August 2025, Alexandra Alter)The new version of the [‘Dramione' Potter fan fiction] story that so captivated Ms. Stallone will soon be released as “Alchemised,” and the novel's publisher, Del Rey, is betting that the feverish devotion to its fanfiction predecessor will translate into blockbuster sales. Del Rey has ordered a first printing of 750,000 copies for the novel's release in late September; translations are lined up in 21 languages.Besides appealing to hordes of existing fans, “Alchemised” has another advantage: It taps into the raging appetite for romantasy, a subgenre that blends fantasy elements like magic, fairies and dragons with love, yearning and explicit sex.In a way, the romantasy explosion — driven by the success of blockbuster authors like Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, whose series have sold millions upon millions of copies — stems from the legacy of popular young adult series like “Twilight” and “Harry Potter.” Those books molded generations of young readers who have grown up but still crave big fantasy novels — now with a dose of erotica.“They grew up with the characters, and the stories ended, but there's still such a huge appetite,” said Leah Hultenschmidt, publisher of the romance imprint Forever. “They're still hungry for that magical world building, an epic cast of characters and heroism, and maybe they just want it a little spicier.”Publishers are frantically searching for the next breakout romantasy series. Last year, romantasy sales topped more than 32 million copies in print alone, a 47 percent jump over the previous year, according to Circana Bookscan. Five of the 10 best-selling adult fiction titles this year are romantasies. At the same time, adult fiction sales overall have stagnated.The kind of romance that's selling like crazy now — erotically charged genre mash-ups — first took off in fanfiction before publishers recognized there was an appetite for it.“For a long time, you had to go to fanfiction to find that,” said Anne Jamison, a professor of English at the University of Utah who has studied fanfiction. “Romantasy basically is what fanfiction made.”* Alchemized Sen Lin Yu* ‘Romantasy' Novels on Amazon, Etc.The twilight of Nicola Sturgeon: J.K. Rowling reviews FranklyI know I'm stating the obvious, and I'll probably be one of countless reviewers making the same point, but it's impossible to read Nicola Sturgeon's memoir without remembering the smash hit fictional franchise, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. For those who don't know (ie, everyone who wasn't a tween or teenage girl, or living with one, 2005-2015), Twilight was massively popular for roughly a decade, each new book or film being greeted adoringly by its devoted fans. [opening paragraph)Rowling and Romantasy:* ‘The Twenty Richest Authors in the World:' Rowling #2 (!), Meyer #18, Collins #20* The Sunday Times' List of the “100 Bestselling Books of the Last Five Decades:” Rowling #23, Meyer #42, 58, 59, and 64* Twilight Book Sales * Stephen King: “Stephenie Meyer Can't Write Worth a Darn”* Speaking of Disappearances – Whatever Happened to Stephenie Meyer?* Fifty Shades of Grey Book Sales* ‘Fifty Shades Outsells Harry Potter'* ‘Rowling Refuses to Read Fifty Shades'* Rowling about Sales of Fifty Shades: “Just think how many books I could've sold if Harry had been a bit more creative with his wand.”Rowling August 2025 Tweet about Writers who are All Lake No Shed (and Vice-Versa) The Silkworm and its Women Writers:* Kathryn Kent: “I write fantasy with a twist… It's fantasy slash erotica really, but quite literary” (416) “She makes Dorcus Pengelly look like Iris Murdoch” (232)* Dorcus Pengelly: “She writes pornography dressed up as historical romance” (225)* Elizabeth Tassel: All Shed, No Lake (per Strike)You told Quine that Bombyx Mori sounded brilliant, that it would be the best thing he'd ever done, that it was going to be a massive success, but that he ought to keep the contents very, very quiet in case of legal action, and to make a bigger splash when it was unveiled.And all the time you were writing your own version. You had plenty of time to get it right, didn't you, Elizabeth? Twenty-six years of empty evenings, you could have written plenty of books by now, with your first from Oxford… but what would you write about? You haven't exactly lived a full life, have you?… (442)Did it feel good, raping and killing your way through everyone you knew, Elizabeth? One big explosion of malice and obscenity, revenging yourself on everyone, painting yourself as the unacclaimed genius, taking sideswipes at everyone with a more successful love life, a more satisfying — (440)* Michael Fancourt about women writers (298):I said that the greatest female writers, with almost no exceptions, have been childless. A fact. And I have said that women generally, by virtue of their desire to mother, are incapable of the necessarily single-minded focus anyone must bring to the creation of literature, true literature. I don't retract a word. That is a fact.* Hobart's Sin, Owen Quine's first and best novel, the “Key” to Tassel's Bombyx Mori, the “book within a book:” “The plot of Hobart's Sin turns on Hobart, who's both male and female, having to choose between parenthood and abandoning his aspirations as a writer: aborting his baby, or abandoning his brainchild” (229)* “It's all about a hermaphrodite who's pregnant and gets an abortion because a kid would interfere with his literary ambitions” (242)* Rowling about The Silkworm: It is the Story that Inspired the Series, the Lake OriginActually, the plot for Silkworm predated the plot for Cuckoo's Calling. I'd had the idea for that plot, the book within the book, for seven or eight years before I wrote it. That often happens with me, I have an idea and I keep it and sit on it. But I keep it and I play with it like a Rubik's cube and there'll come a point where everything clicks and it's ready to be written. I have a lot of notebooks filled with these kinds of things. Silkworm was like that. I sat on that plot for a long time before using it.* “It's a novel about novels with another novel inside it” (~1;15)Reading for Wisdom and JolliesAn Introduction to and Example of Reading Rowling at Four Levels: A Quadrigal Reading of The Christmas PigReading Rowling the Hard, Right Way versus Enjoying the Surface Story and Discussing Themes: An Introduction to Perennialist ReadingTraditional Symbols in Harry Potter and Cormoran Strike: A Perennialist ViewHarry Potter's Bookshelf — What to Read to Understand Rowling's Artistry and How to Read Her Work to Grasp Her Meaning and IntentionThe Deathly Hallows LecturesHarry Potter as Ring Cycle and Ring Composition* ‘How Does Ring Composition Work Anyway?'Darke Hierogliphicks: Alchemy in English Literature from Chaucer to the Restoration (Stanton Linden)How to Think About The Ink Black Heart Pre-Publication – Seven Tools for Serious Readers to Review (February 2022)And Don't Forget!* In Praise of Friendship - a Robin and Strike Heresy Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

In Episode 203, Gayle Weiswasser, co-founder of Wonderland Books, an independent bookstore in Bethesda, Maryland, returns to the podcast with Sarah for a one-year check-in on the shop's journey. From holiday-season chaos to surprising customer favorites, Gayle shares what worked, what didn't, and why she still handpicks every title on the shelves — plus the biggest lessons (and mistakes) from year one. Plus, Gayle shares some great book recommendations. 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 Gayle shares what it was like to open the bookstore right before the holiday season. How the store's first year compared to their original projections and expectations. The now-dispelled fears Gayle had before opening. Why she's glad they curated every book in their inventory themselves, and why they still do all the book buying in-house. The course correction Wonderland had to make in their romance section. The biggest mistake they made before opening their doors. Which genres and titles have become customer favorites and which don't seem to sell well. How they plan and host book events — and why those events are such a key part of the store's community success. The books that taught them exactly how (and how not) to decide how many copies to order. The surprising punch poetry has packed with customers. Whether Gayle's own reading life has bounced back after the pre-opening stress and time crunch. Gayle's Book Recommendations [39:12] Two OLD Books She Loves One's Company by Ashley Hutson (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:25] Sam by Allegra Goodman (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:46] Other Books Mentioned The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe (2020) [44:40]  The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe (2014) [44:42]  Two NEW Books She Loves The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:01] What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[47:18] Other Books Mentioned The Wedding People by Alison Espach (2024) [46:56] Pretty Things by Janelle Brown (2020) [49:06] One Book She DIDN'T Love Back After This by Linda Holmes (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:55] Other Books Mentioned Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (2019) [51:14]  Flying Solo by Linda Holmes (2022) [53:34]  One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About Wreck by Catherine Newman (October 28, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[53:57] Other Books Mentioned Sandwich by Catherine Newman (2024) [54:03]  Last 5-Star Book Gayle Read The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [55:34] Books from the Discussion Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025) [16:30]  Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (2025) [25:41]  The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) [26:39]  The Wedding People by Alison Espach (2024) [26:40] The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023) [26:42] James by Percival Everett (2024) [30:09] Heartwood by Amity Gaige (2025) [31:28] Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (2025) [31:38] Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green (2025) [31:55]   Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (2025) [32:00]  Cher: Part One: The Memoir by Cher (2024) [32:25]  Gwyneth: The Biography by Amy Odell (2025) [32:35]  Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old by Brooke Shields and Rachel Bertsche (2025) [33:07] Yoko Ono: A Biography by David Sheff (2025) [33:10]  My Friends by Fredrik Backman (2025) [38:29] 

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Tower of Dawn chapters 65-68. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

  #876: Join Michael Bosstick for an exclusive conversation with Mimi Evarts – The Skinny Confidential's powerhouse Director of Branding, the driving force behind every chapter, & most importantly, Michael's Sister-in-Law. Having been a key mentor throughout Mimi's stages of life, Michael sits down with her for a candid, real talk about navigating your 20s & lessons learned. In this episode, Michael & Mimi share hard-earned life lessons on investing early, cultivating meaningful relationships, discuss transformative books that shifted their perspective, & reveal the invaluable advice they wish they'd known sooner. Plus, get Michael's hot take on Rebecca Yarros' book, Forth Wing! Get ready for an inspiring conversation to level up your life & mindset – no matter your age.   To Watch the Show click HERE   For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM   To connect with Mimi Evarts click HERE   To connect with The Skinny Confidential click HERE   To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE   Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE   Shop The Skinny Confidential at https://bit.ly/ShopTSC15 and use code HIMANDHER15 to get 15% off sitewide for a limited time. Excludes bundles and subscriptions.   Head to our ShopMy page HERE and LTK page HERE to find all of the products mentioned in each episode.   Get your burning questions featured on the show! Leave the Him & Her Show a voicemail at +1 (512) 537-7194.   This episode is sponsored by The Skinny Confidential Your daily routine done better – with The Skinny Confidential Caffeinated Sunscreen. Subscribe today at http://bit.ly/TSCSunscreen and get it delivered right to your door – because great skin doesn't take days off!   This episode is sponsored by Just Thrive  Visit https://justthrivehealth.com/discount/TSC and use code TSC for 20% off.    This episode is sponsored by Squarespace Head to https://www.squarespace.com/SKINNY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code SKINNY This episode is sponsored by Hiya Health Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to http://hiyahealth.com/SKINNY.   This episode is sponsored by Throne Ready to level up your performance? Check out Thorne's Magnesium Bisglycinate and more at http://Thorne.com.   This episode is sponsored by DailyLook For 50% off your order, head to http://DailyLook.com and use code SKINNY.    This episode is sponsored by Policygenius Head to http://policygenius.com/SKINNY to compare quotes and get the coverage you need. Produced by Dear Media

Send us a textWe're diving into Navessa Allen's dark, second-chance mafia romance, "Caught Up."Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Empire of Storms chapter 75 and Tower of Dawn chapters 58-61. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textWe're diving into Nocticadia, a dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love by Keri Lake. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Empire of Storms chapters 68-74 and Tower of Dawn chapter 57. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

In this episode, the sisters give their first Book Club update on The Lies of Lena by Kylie Snow. We've read the first half, and we're spilling all the tea on what we liked, what we didn't, and what we're dying to find out next.Meanwhile, Sam confesses her newest obsession: sports romances (spomance, anyone?), before we take a full plunge into the world of Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean series.We're talking all things Violet and Xaden—who's suspicious, who we're side‑eyeing, and who we desperately need more backstory on. Will Sam ever read Onyx Storm? Did anyone else get a book hangover as bad as ours after finishing this series?And because we can't stay on track, we also take a nostalgic detour into early 2000s Mandy Moore and end up in an unexpected deep dive on Chesleigh's reaction to the last episode of The Last of Us.If you're ready for bookish chaos, sisterly hot takes, and a whole lot of romantasy fangirling, this episode is for you!

Send us a textWe're diving into The Sea Witch, a spicy Little Mermaid retelling by Rebecca F. Kenney. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Empire of Storms chapters 64-67 and Tower of Dawn chapters 53-56. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Empire of Storms chapters 60-63 and Tower of Dawn chapters 49-52. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are finishing up season seven with a look back and a look forward! Season Seven In Review: interesting stats, regrets, and exciting upcoming content! Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  .  1:24 - Season Seven, In Review The most downloaded episodes of the season 1:58 - CR Season 7: Episode 22 - Our Top Reads of 2024 2:09 - CR Season 7: Episode 24 - Mary and Roxanna's Top Reads of 2024 3:24 - CR Season 7: Episode 4 - Reading Routines + The Journey Of Currently Reading (Our 300th Episode) 4:07 - Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones Favorite individual episodes 7:44 - CR Season 7: Episode 34 - Reading What We Want + Our Reading Life Temp Checks (Meredith) 8:34 - Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard (Blackwell's link) 11:26 - CR Season 7: Episode 29 - Series Completist + Non Tragic Bookish Tragedies (Kaytee) 11:40 - CR Season 7: Episode 39 - Brain Farts + Reading Canadian (Kaytee) 11:51 - CR Season 7: Episode 30 - New Indie Bookstores + Our Six Star Reads (Meredith) 12:41 - Boss My TBR Segments (Meredith) CR Season 7: Episode 2 - Library Love + Boss Our Summer TBR Update CR Season 7: Episode 5 - Talking to Fictional Characters + Boss My TBR CR Season 7: Episode 14 - Bookish Lego + Boss My TBR CR Season 7: Episode 26 - Bookish Geese + Boss My TBR CR Season 7: Episode 32 - Reading Retreats + Boss My TBR CR Season 7: Episode 40 - Bookish Friends Step Up + Boss My TBR Books we brought that added to the experience by talking about them 15:50 - I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (Meredith) 15:54 - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Meredith) 15:59 - 17 Years Later by J.P. Pomare (Meredith) 16:05 - The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (Meredith and Kaytee) 16:09 - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 17:51 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (Kaytee) 19:04 - The Odyssey by Homer (Kaytee) 19:24 - My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (Kaytee) 19:49 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 20:21 - The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga (Meredith) 20:29 - The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Meredith) 21:14 - 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann 21:30 - The Ruins by Scott Smith (Meredith) 21:32 - The Grip of It by Jack Jemc (Meredith) 21:33 - True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik (Meredith) 22:26 - Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa (Kaytee) 22:30 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Regrets from season seven? 23:08 - I've been very distracted by work and work projects, and that has impacted my reading. (Meredith) 24:29 - That I closed a part myself off for many months of the past year. (Kaytee) Is there anything new coming to Currently Reading? 23:58 - Nothing being subtracted, but we're thinking about what we can add to the big show. 26:43 - Freshening up the big show and Patreon with a little “summer cleaning” brainstorming. 27:31 - Be sure you are following us on Instagram as Betsy continues to try new things, so you can let us know what you'd like to see more of! Be sure to email us any ideas for our Deep Dive — at currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com  Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. July's IPL is brought to us by Booktenders of Barboursville, West Virginia (@booktenderswv). 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!

Use code NERDYNIGHTLY15 at www.mistymountaingaming.com for 15% off your order!Join us as we finally dive into the wide world of Rebecca Yarros?!?Follow Clarus - https://www.beacons.page/claruspolarisFollow Nerdy - https://www.beacons.page/nerdynightlyJoin the Discord! - https://discord.gg/sZ2xy2bseaPO Box: ​503-7700 Hurontario St unit 420 Brampton ON Canada L6Y 4M3Patreon - patreon.com/nerdynightly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Use code NERDYNIGHTLY15 at www.mistymountaingaming.com for 15% off your order!Join us as we finally dive into the wide world of Rebecca Yarros?!?Follow Clarus - https://www.beacons.page/claruspolarisFollow Nerdy - https://www.beacons.page/nerdynightlyJoin the Discord! - https://discord.gg/sZ2xy2bseaPO Box: ​503-7700 Hurontario St unit 420 Brampton ON Canada L6Y 4M3Patreon - patreon.com/nerdynightly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Empire of Storms chapters 57-59 and Tower of Dawn chapters 44-48. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Empire of Storms chapters 52-56 and Tower of Dawn chapters 41-43. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are joined by show regulars Roxanna and Mary and they are discussing: Unique or Shared!: We give you a statement that may make us either unique or shared, and discuss! Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  2:52 - Unique Or Shared 3:22 - I am the worst library user ever. (Roxanna) 5:21 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 12:37 - I love a buzzy book moment. (Mary) 14:23 - Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 14:46 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 14:47 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 15:27 - The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett 17:49 - I LOVE finding backlist hidden gems over buzzy moments. (Meredith) 18:22 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 18:45 - Lexicon by Max Barry 20:15 - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver 20:30 - The Odyssey by Homer 23:27 - I am the only one that purposefully seeks out five chili pepper books. (Kaytee) 25:22 - A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Mass 28:44 - I will never read a book without checking Goodreads first. (Roxanna) 37:24 - My book slump reset is a complete genre change. (Mary) 47:09 - I will “experience” a book I know won't be for me. (Meredith) 47:43 - Dream State by Eric Puchner 48:02 - The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller 52:15 - While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams 53:15 - Schuler Books 53:36 - I keep my TBR in rainbow order. (Kaytee)   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. July's IPL is brought to us by Booktenders in West Virginia! 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!

Send us a textWe continue our tandem deep dive with Empire of Storms chapters 50-51 and Tower of Dawn chapters 36-40. Full schedule on IG @DTFaePodcast. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: readerly badges and DNFing books Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we check in on our reading lives and press book into the other's hands 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) .  .  .  .  2:19 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 8:02 - Our Current Reads 8:30 - A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera (Kaytee) 8:46 - A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera 8:49 - CR Season 5: Episode 1 8:53 - Cafe Con Libros 8:55 - An Island Princess Starts A Scandal by Adriana Herrera 8:57 - CR Season 6: Episode 6 12:29 - With A Vengeance by Riley Sager 14:09 - Home Before Dark by Riley Sager 14:10 - Lock Every Door by Riley Sager 14:14 - The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager 14:20 - Survive the Night by Riley Sager 14:52 - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 14:54 - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 15:11 - Nine Lives by Peter Swanson 18:29 - Uncommon Measure by Natalie Hodges (Kaytee) 22:29 - The Midsummer Bride by Kati Wilde (Meredith) 25:43 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 28:02 - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (Kaytee) 31:19 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 32:05 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 33:42 - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar (Meredith) 37:17 - This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar (Meredith mistakenly titled this book. This is the correct one!) 39:21 - Reading Life Temp Check + Pressing Books Into Each Other's Hands 40:19 - Uncommon Measure by Natalie Hodges 51:38 - Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby 52:01 - All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby 54:49 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 56:13 - Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff 57:32 - Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros 57:54 - Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 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. June's IPL is brought to us by one of our anchor stores, Schuler Books in Michigan 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!

Attention all sports romance books fans! In this episode I'm sharing my all-time favorite sports romance books for each sport to give you the best recommendations for your to read list. Whether you love hockey romance books, baseball romance, football romance or all the sports, I've got you covered with these romance books you're going to love.BOOKS MENTIONED:Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid: https://amzn.to/4nD3GXJHim by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy: https://amzn.to/44ouMJePucked by Helena Hunting: https://amzn.to/4erXvBAFall With Me by Becca Mack: https://amzn.to/46brmfiThe Player by K Bromberg: https://amzn.to/443z1LoPlay Along by Liz Tomforde: https://amzn.to/3TG5l0yThe Trade by Meghan Quinn: https://amzn.to/3FZ4RjcAnything But Minor by Kate Stewart: https://amzn.to/44fI3DFThe Game Plan by Kristen Callihan: https://amzn.to/45I9Pv1The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton: https://amzn.to/443Fki2The Rule Book by Sarah Adams: https://amzn.to/4emLxckThe Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams: https://amzn.to/4lvdcdvThe Right Move by Liz Tomforde: https://amzn.to/46eEf8lFangirl Down by Tessa Bailey: https://amzn.to/3TGpd3FEndurance by Amy Daws: https://amzn.to/4eowMWjEverything For You by Chloe Liese: https://amzn.to/44j5xI1Kulti by Mariana Zapata: https://amzn.to/44elYWcReal by Katy Evans: https://amzn.to/44khZY2The Guy on the Left by Kate Stewart: https://amzn.to/44sqSiCVariation by Rebecca Yarros: https://amzn.to/3Gl9pAlWild Side by Elsie Silver: https://amzn.to/4nlih9LThe Failing Hours by Sara Ney: https://amzn.to/46bzhcwThe Player and the Pixie by Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway: https://amzn.to/44kicKOThis post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Ep. 199, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits), Catherine Gilmore (@GilmoreGuide), and Sarah are all back on the mic, ready to catch up on how their reading is shaping up for 2025 — so far!  They talk about the current publishing landscape, what books are topping bestseller lists to date, and their personal reading as it stands halfway through the year. They share reading stats and talk about expectations and hopes for the remainder of the year. Plus, their TOP 5 books and their biggest disappointments so far. 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. The Bookish Landscape [1:13] Books Mentioned Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (2025) [3:28]  Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023) [4:08] Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (2023) [4:11] The Women by Kristin Hannah (2024) [4:22] Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (2025) [4:53]  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008) [4:59]  The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (2024) [5:02]  Dog Man: Big Jim Begins (Dog Man, #13) by Dav Pilkey (2024) [5:07] The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (2022) [5:13] The Crash by Freida McFadden (2025) [5:17] Atomic Habits by James Clear (2018) [5:24] A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2015) [5:41] Next to Heaven by James Frey (2025) [9:44]  James by Percival Everett (2024) [11:20] Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (2024) [11:22] Audition by Katie Kitamura (2025) [12:31]  The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) [13:51]  A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (2015) [15:52]  The Wedding People by Alison Espach (2024) [17:03]  The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) [17:22]  Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) [17:35]  Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (2025) [18:35]  The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison (2025) [19:10] The Garden by Nick Newman (2025) [19:16]   The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025) [19:34]  Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (2025) [19:58]  Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (2025) [20:34] Tilt by Emma Pattee (2025) [20:38]   The Compound by Aisling Rawle (2025) [20:44]  Dream State by Eric Puchner (2025) [20:49]  Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (2025) [21:06] Hot Wax by M. L. Rio (September 9, 2025) [21:18]  Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch (2025) [21:39]  Personal Reading for 2025 (So Far) [22:49] Books Mentioned Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano (2020) [27:14]  The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023) [27:16]  Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (2025) [31:07] Top Five (So Far)  [31:27] Susie Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:49] Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:03] The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:07] Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:11] The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:12] Catherine The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[33:45] This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:06] Heartwood by Amity Gaige (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:28] Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[53:59] Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:03] Sarah Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:00] The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:31] The Slip by Lucas Schaefer (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:03] The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:26] The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[54:55] Other Books Mentioned The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (2025) [40:25] Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (2025) [40:40] Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel (2024) [47:47] The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe (2020) [48:22] I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin (2023) [52:54] Biggest Disappointments (So Far)  [57:46] Susie The Strange Case by Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:09] The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[58:13] Fulfillment by Lee Cole (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:18] Catherine The Favorites by Layne Fargo (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:51] Dream State by Eric Puchner (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:56] The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:08] Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:45] Sarah Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:16] What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:28] Audition by Katy Kitamura (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:00:51] Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild (July 8, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[1:01:43]

Use code NERDYNIGHTLY15 at www.mistymountaingaming.com for 15% off your order!Join us as we finally dive into the wide world of Rebecca Yarros?!?Follow Clarus - https://www.beacons.page/claruspolarisFollow Nerdy - https://www.beacons.page/nerdynightlyJoin the Discord! - https://discord.gg/sZ2xy2bseaPO Box: ​503-7700 Hurontario St unit 420 Brampton ON Canada L6W 4M3Patreon - patreon.com/nerdynightlyBusiness Contact - nerdynightly@gmail.com"Nerdy Nightly Theme" by Alex Levitt - @alevitt1990Check out his Soundcloud -https://soundcloud.com/alex-levitt-1990 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two sisters, Nicole and Lexi, say farewell to Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm with a live Q&A! If you love this kind of content, you can access Q&As like this EVERY MONTH on the Fantasy FanClub! Join Fantasy FanClub to enjoy all our bonus content: https://fantasyfangirls.com/fanclub SPOILERS FOR ALL OF ONYX STORM Head to https://www.squarespace.com/FFG to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FFG. For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to https://Hungryroot.com/FFG and use code FFG. Function currently has a waitlist, but they are offering our audience the chance to skip it! Head to https://functionhealth.com/FFG or enter code FFG when signing up to skip the waitlist! Head to https://NakedWines.com/FANTASYFANGIRL, click ‘Enter Voucher' and put in my code FANTASYFANGIRL for both the code AND password for 6 bottles of wine for JUST $39.99 with shipping included. Check out https://DrinkAG1.com/ffg to get started with AG1's Next Gen and notice the benefits for yourself. Get the next book series we're covering on the show (starting May 2025) https://amzn.to/3OisV0W SHOP FANTASY FANGIRLS MERCH: https://fantasyfangirls.myshopify.com/ JOIN THE FFG NEWSLETTER - https://www.fantasyfangirls.com/newsletter    SUPPORT THE SHOW THROUGH OUR AMAZON SHOP: https://www.amazon.com/shop/fantasyfangirlspodcast   Onyx Storm Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4c6aicyWRDijobMKwxvGq4?si=21f821f9394d4390 Give us a follow: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fantasyfangirlspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fantasyfangirlspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube: @fantasyfangirls   Want to get in touch? Reach out to us here: https://www.fantasyfangirls.com/contact Listen to the Fantasy Fangirls Podcast on your favorite podcast platform: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/24KydMMzrYfVpDggkFZx4j?si=fd7dc956393041b8    Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fantasy-fangirls/id1706179464    Visit the Fantasy Fangirls website: https://www.fantasyfangirls.com/   Don't forget to send this podcast to your fellow Empyrean readers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices