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dick. And I hate him. And now I don't want to read any of Shakespeare ever again. Like I'm I don't know how historically accurate this book is, but like I low-key hate Shakespeare. I think it's a douchebag. So bye. Yeah. Phi: Yeah. I've heard that. I've heard that. Lynn: He's a he's a dick. So that was sad. I didn't cry, but it was sad. The Bright Years by Sarah Demoff. I Yes, I did cry. Phi: Can we talk? Okay. Lynn: so this book is her debut and is beautiful debut. I gave this one five stars. I my god, look Phi: Yes. Me too. lid. Lynn: at her face, you guys. She's so excited. and you know V's not a five-star hoe. So if she gave it a five-star, it's actually a five-star. I really enjoyed it. So it follows a couple and they get married, they combine their names, so their the their last name is Bright, and the book is basically a family saga of, you know, their marriage, their child. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: He struggles with alcoholism majorly. I really I still gave it five stars, but I really struggled with this character. Like Phi: I I did too. I did like when you can't get past yourself to see your kids like that, it it's so hard for me to read that. Lynn: It's really hard to read that as a parent to see someone Phi: Yes. Lynn: just trapped in this cycle of Phi: It's just like, stop drinking But it's not that easy. I know it's not. Yeah. Lynn: I know. And I know it's not that easy. I know it's not. it was for me. I stopped drinking actually November twenty-first will be five years that I have not Thanksgirl, Phi: Congrats on that's huge. Yeah. Lynn: I'm really excited about it. so to me as someone who has, you know, her own relationship Phi: Yes. Lynn: with alcohol and someone who has quit completely and I really just truly like woke up one day and was like, this is not the person that I want my kids to see, and this is not the person that I want them to Phi: That's beautiful. Yeah. Lynn: like look up. To And so Benner's eight, so she was only three when I stopped drinking. Maddie Phi: Yeah. Lynn: was like one, Anderson wasn't even born. So I'm very lucky that they will not have memories, like the way that the character in Phi: Sure. Lynn: this book, like she has all these like terrible memories of her dad, like basically Phi: Yeah. Lynn: being either present and an alcoholic or completely absent. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: so not to get too much into my personal journey, but like for For me, it it was easy to just say like my children are more important than this. And Phi: Right. Lynn: I do understand not everybody does that and I have a lot of empathy for it, but it was very frustrating to read this man's journey Phi: Yes. Lynn: and character. It was so frustrating. Phi: Yeah, I literally one of the notes in my review was that I was so mad at Ryan. I was so mad at him, but like again, the book was just so gripping that like Lynn: Yeah. Phi: it was it was so beautiful, but it was it was truly heartbreaking Lynn: It was. Phi: and there's there's a twist. I don't

know if you call it a twist, a plot point. Lynn: Yeah, I was like, wait, what are you talking about? Phi: Yeah, that happens and you're just shocked and you're like, No, why? Lynn: I was like, what are you talking about? yeah, no I know. I think I texted you about it when it happened. Phi: Yes. Yeah. Lynn: I didn't see that coming. That was one of my tearful moments. I was listening to kind of the tail end it on the way to a better softball game and I'm like sobbing in the car. I was like I better clean clean my shit up before I go out there. and then as an update, I they were on the backfield and I was walking to go to the backfield and carrying our coffees. You know, I was being the hunter-gatherer for Matt. It was amazing. And I walked over some netting that was like for the batting cages. Girl, yeah, exactly what you think happened is what happened. I ate shit. Phi: Did you fall? Yeah. Lynn: Slammed girl, when I say I slammed, body slammed to the ground. Like not even like, Phi: my god. Lynn: to my knees. Like face in the dirt, like entire body just like The hardest hit you can imagine, it is now Tuesday, and I am still so sore. I feel like I've bruised my ribs. I feel like I've been in a car Phi: my god. Lynn: accident. My entire body hurts. So that was my journey. They did. Thank Phi: But did the coffees make it? Lynn: you for questioning the most important part of the story, which is that the coffees made it. It spelled like a little like on my hands and stuff, but the most Phi: Most important. Lynn: important thing is I had my coffee for the game and so did Coach Matt, because Matt is the coach. I would have died. If the coffee didn't make it, I would have literally just died. so anyway. Phi: Ooh, I I thought of I thought of you and Matt. you can, you know, whatever, edit this out if he's gonna listen, but I saw a really cute Christmas present for him. It's Lynn: Mm. Phi: a Christmas tree ornament that's a whistle that says coach on it. In red. In red. Yeah. Yeah. Lynn: my god, can you send it to me? Send it to me. Okay, perfect. Red, which is one of the team colors, is why she's saying that. You're such a good friend. okay, and then the final book that I read for my depressive episode edition was Tin Man by Sarah Winman. Have you heard of this book? Okay, don't even worry about it. You don't need to read it. Phi: Okay, I've never heard of it. No. Okay. Lynn: it's really short, it's like 213 pages, and I bought it for a Belmont Bookshop book club called the Cry Baby Book Club. they call it your quarterly catharsis, and it's like you read a book and it's just to get all the emotions out. So I was like, great, I can't wait to cry. I've been crying with bright ears, like, let's keep the tears moving. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: I had it Phi: Okay. Lynn: on my calendar as the book club was November 7th. Well on Halloween, I get an email from Belmont Bookshop that's like, we can't wait to see you guys tomorrow for a Cryberry Phi: Yeah. Lynn: Bee Book Club. And I was like, fuck, I haven't even started. Phi: Ha ha ha Lynn: So I binged the shit out of it. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: I had it on audio from Penguin Random House Audio influencer program. and so I listened to it. I would not recommend it on audio though. It's super hard to follow. I think it's hard to follow to begin with. the timeline just jumps around and jumps around and jumps around. It's like, you know, they're like present day, yeah, present day, and Phi: I hate that. Hate that. Hate it. Lynn: then they're like referring back to a memory, but it's not like back five years ago. It's like you have to know it's a memory based on the context clues of like, they're in this place, so this is this is an old memory and I'm like, I I don't have the energy or the for this bullshit. Phi: I literally hate jumping. Yes. Lynn: Tell me when this is taking place. Yeah. Phi: I don't care. Yes. Lynn: I like dual timelines. I like it I think more than you do, but I a dual timeline or I like Phi: Yeah. Lynn: this happened and then this is a memory. Like that's fine, but it should not be confusing to me as a listener or a reader what the fuck you're talking about. Like I should Phi: Right. Lynn: be able to tell, like, this is memory or this is present day or whatever. Like label the fucking chapter 1950. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: now in her defense, the chapters. Are labeled with the dates, but the dates are not consistent with what is actually within the chapter. So it's so annoying. Phi: my god. It just stopped. Lynn: just sorry, it was a no from me. I think I gave it two stars. Phi: For Lynn, that's like negative. Lynn: It's negative. And I only finished it because of the book club. And then I ended up not even going because I didn't like the book and I had a trial yesterday, which was Monday. So I was like, yeah, I'm gonna just prep for my hearing and just move on with my life. So that's what I read. And now that I just shot on a book, which is one of my favorite things to do, maybe we should move on to some of our five star reads. Yeah, let's talk about it. Phi: Good ones. Yeah. So yeah, so we're gonna talk about some books that Lynn and I both rated five stars. And I'm so excited. And like going through this list just like brought me joy and made me want to read these books again because they're so good. Lynn: my god. Phi: I did remove the ones we've talked about in previous episodes, like An American Marriage, Broken Country, Listen for the Live, Fourth Wing, The Nightingale, and Book Lovers. And there's a few others. So do you wanna should we just get into it? Okay. Lynn: Yeah, go ahead, pick one and let's start. Phi: Okay, so the first one is Beach Reed by Emily Henry. And This one was so lovely. So it's about a romance writer who no longer believes in love and and a literary writer stuck in a rut and and they engage in a summer-long challenge, who can finish their manuscript and sell it first. it's really well written. the banter is like is perfection. It

is so funny. Like I Lynn: So good. Phi: I laughed out loud at this book. Lynn: Good! I love that. Phi: And and it's really cool too because they're both writers. And so it talks a little bit about their process and their agents, which her conversations with her agent in this book had me dying because my agent was like that when I was writing, you know, one of the books. Just like, hey, not to pressure you, but where's the book? It was just hilarious. And then I loved that they were in a small town, I think in Michigan. And she Lynn: Yes, you're right. Phi: did such a good job. I've been to a few small towns in Michigan, and she did such a good job Lynn: Mm-hmm. Phi: of like talking about the scenery. Like, I felt like I was there. and Lynn: Yeah. Phi: then he's researching a book into a cult, and they like go camping. Like, it's cool. So Lynn: It is cool. the only time I've been to Michigan is actually with you boo boo. Remember when we went to on a Michigan Phi: That's right. Lynn: like lake trip? Yeah. We should post a picture from that trip. Phi: my god, do you remember that? That trip was wild. and they like ran out of beds so I was sleeping under the stairs. Do you remember that? Lynn: I actually don't remember that. I'm so sorry. But yeah, we went on a group trip and it was a big house, Phi: my Lynn: but not enough beds. Phi: The person who planned it did not I don't think and I was one of the planners, which is funny, but the one of the co planners was not the nicest and I like feel like she did that on purpose. Lynn: She was like Phi can go under the stairs, You're like Harry Potter at the Dursley's house living under the stairs and the cupboard. Like I'm dead. Phi: my god, I wish I would have had this book to read. Lynn: I right? I will say, okay, so we talked about book lovers last time. I am tied with Book Lovers and Beach Read as my Emily Phi: Yes. Lynn: Henry favorites. Like I love both of them. my one negative critique on Beach Reed is the main Yeah, just you're gonna agree with me by the way. You're gonna agree. The Phi: What? Okay. Lynn: main male character, his name is Gus. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: What the fuck, dude? Do you P Phi Look at me right now, eye contact. Do you wanna fuck a guy named Gus? Tell me straight faced. We've lost her guys. She's dead. She can't even breathe. Phi: my God, Lynn, I am dead. Right. Lynn: Look at me. Make eye contact and tell me you wanna fuck a guy named Gus. She can't even do it, y'all. She can't even do it. She can't do it. Now, in his defense, it's short for Augustus, but like pro tip, if your name is Augustus, just go by Augustus, because Gus is atrocious. I'm so sorry. Sorry to the probably one person on the planet that is named Gus, don't act like you don't agree. Did you just text me? I'm fucking dead. Phi: Yep. Lynn: Okay, Pete side texted me. You guys, I can't even take it. Phi: Okay. my god, I'm like laughing so hard I'm crying. Good one, Lynn. Lynn: Okay, that's my only critique. Otherwise B

read as an A plus plus read. Phi: Agreed. Agreed a hundred percent. Lynn: But Phi: Okay, the next one literal tears, you guys. Okay, Lynn: She needs to compose herself. Phi: so the next one was Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reed. Lynn: Yes, love that book. Phi: and this one is a really good audiobook. Lynn: Yeah, I feel like you have to do it as an audio. And I say that as somebody who've never read the actual book, I just did the audio, but Phi: Yeah. Lynn: having heard the audio, do not read it. Just do the audio. Phi: It's yeah, it's crazy. it's very messy, it's addictive, it's full of Lynn: Yeah. Phi: complicated relationships. but you l feel like you're part of this band that's rising. Lynn: Yes. Phi: and it is it is so well done and like you really feel the story. I mean, anything this woman writes is like incredible. Lynn: Truly. Taylor Jenkins Reed can do no wrong in my book, to be honest. I will say Phi: Ugh Yeah. I know, I know. it's like Ugh Lynn: Daisy Jones and the Six, the cast is phenomenal. It's full cast. Phi: but yeah, no, this book was just so beautiful and like the story was so unique. Like I had never read a story like that where they're doing interviews of the band Lynn: Yeah. Phi: and the band's not together and there's like this whole story. It was just it was gorgeous. It was a great book. Lynn: Yeah, I will say I put it off for a really long time because Phi: Mm-hmm. Lynn: as we've established, I do not like concerts. I'm not into like music generally. Like I like music. Everybody likes music. But I wouldn't say I'm a music aficionado. Like I don't know Phi: Yeah. Lynn: anything about music. So I wasn't interested just on the baseline Phi: Yeah. Lynn: of like, I'm gonna read about a band. am I really gonna enjoy this? Like, nah. I enjoyed every freaking second of it. Like It's not really I just for the people who are not reading it because they think it's a book about a band, it is, but it's just about so much more than that. It's about marriage and relationships Phi: Yes. Relationships and Lynn: and character development and drug addiction and all kinds of stuff. Phi: Yes. Lynn: it is not just about a band. So just know Phi: Yeah. Lynn: that if you are putting off this book because you think it's just like a lame book about music, it's not. So anyway. Phi: Yeah. And Lynn, are you ready for when Benner and Frankie are like, Can you take us? And we're gonna be like, Fine. We're gonna we're gonna travel. It's gonna be our next trip. Lynn: To a concert, I'll be like, fine, kill me. I'll bring my Kindle. well if we're together, I don't need my Kindle. But yes, No I can't wait. Phi: my gosh. my god, too funny. Yeah. So okay, the next one is Kin. Do you want to talk about this one? Lynn: Yeah, so Ken is by my girl Tyari Jones. I love her. Tyare Jones, Phi: yes. Lynn: much like Taylor Jenkins read, can do no wrong in my book. Every book this woman writes is gold. So good. Phi: Gold. It's just how do you come up with

these stories and write them down? I Yes, yes. Lynn: I do not know, but I always cry. I don't know. I love her. So Kin came out this year. It's her most recent Phi: Mm-hmm. Lynn: book. It's about mothers and daughters. So there's two girls, Phi: cradle friends 'cause they were friends in the cradle, which is so cute. my God. Lynn: Cradle friends. Yes. So cute. So they're cradle friends and they've known each other forever. These two friends, one, you know, goes off to college and does her own thing. She goes to Spelman College, which I do think is where Tyari Jones went. Phi: Okay. Lynn: And so she goes there. The other friend kind of goes on this like wild adventure to try to find her mom. So the one friend who went to college, her mother died. She was, I think, murdered by the dad. And then the other girl, her mom, left and ran away. So they're both motherless but in two different ways. And it's it's a beautiful journey. It's about their friendship, it's Phi: It is. Lynn: about them finding peace with not having mothers or looking for their mothers. It is beautiful and I will say Tyori Jens does a great job with kind of keeping a theme. So like this book was very much about mothers. Her other book Silver Sparrow is about fathers. And then an American marriage is obviously really more fixated on marriage and stuff like that. I just feel like she does a great job of taking a topic and then growing it. You know what I mean? Phi: Yeah. I do. I my one thing about this book that wasn't absolute perfection was that I Lynn: I'm sorry. I will take no criticism. I'm just kidding. Go ahead. I'm just kidding I'll keep it. Let's see. Phi: was gonna say Lynn's gonna cut this part out. just gonna edit it. is that at the end I felt like it was left a little bit open and I wanted to know what happened like Lynn: Mm okay, that's that's fair. do think it was intentional. Phi: something tragic happens that is awful and then to one of them and then the other one, you know, is poised to be married but has like a whole conversation about maybe that's not what she wants and like it just kind of left it. And I was like, well did they get married? Did they come to an understanding? it was just it was a little too open for me. I wanted it a little bit more concluded. Yes. But I mean again, perfect writing. Yeah, perfect writing. I just yeah. Lynn: You like closure. Okay. That's f I mean, that's fair. No, that's that's a fair critique. I don't mind an open end, but I do understand that if you're kind of like I want it to be finished, then I do get that. Phi: Yes. Yeah. Lynn: Fine, I will accept that critique. I actually do have one critique, but I'm worried it's gonna be a spoiler. So fast forward 30 seconds don't want to hear it. But I did find it a little bit annoying when the one friend kept telling her you need to talk to her your former roommate who you had like a relationship with. You need to talk to her because she doesn't understand. I'm like, Phi: Yeah, why? Lynn: why? They already had a conversation. Like she's told her. Phi: Yeah, she had it at the beginning saying, I'm not gonna do this when I find a man. Lynn: I'm not gonna do this. I want to get married and I want to have children and I want a more Phi: Yes. Lynn: traditional life and maybe you don't agree with that, but like that's a choice and it's a valid choice and she can make it. So that was kind of the part where I was like stop Phi: Yeah, they had that conversation. Lynn: telling her she needs to have a closure conversation. She already had a closure conversation. Phi: Yeah, and I right. I just was like dying when she kept trying to find the other one. When she kept trying to find her mother and like see her mother in everybody and that was the saddest thing and I was just like, honey, Lynn: It was so sad. Yeah. Phi: stop. Like she doesn't want to find you, move on. Lynn: In in all of their defense, this was wasn't it like the nineteen sixties or something? Like Phi: Yeah. Lynn: I don't think I don't think therapy was like widely, you know, available Phi: BetterHelp dot com not sponsored yet. We're gonna work that into every episode. Lynn: Every episode until they're like, feeling it. Hey. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: Yeah. Well, actually we may be well on our way. We actually today just surpassed 500 streams of our podcast. Yay! I thought we were gonna have like five. Phi: my god, yay. That is yes, so big I was like, if we have one follower, I'm considering it a success. Lynn: Yes, well we're one follower away from a hundred on Instagram. We have ninety-nine followers. Ya! Phi: my God, so please follow us. Yeah. the next one is The Women by Kristen Hanna. And so this is a Lynn: Yes. Phi: bigger book. And it follows a young army nurse who serves in Vietnam and then returns home to a country that refuses to acknowledge that she or other women experienced war because they're like, There were no women in Vietnam and she's like, No, I was a nurse there. And she tries to get help at a VA and they're like, Nope, you are not a veteran. And my god, heartbreaking. Lynn: Heartbreaking. Phi: I loved this book. It was beautifully written, and I recommend it to everybody. Lynn: It's it's really well done. I already know what you're gonna say, Phi: the thing that made me mad, I can get mad at a book and still love it, okay? So Lynn: Same. Phi: again, this is spoiler light, so you if you want to skip it, you can skip it. Yeah. Lynn: Yeah, I was gonna say, can you like Yeah, I was like you need to say it's a spoiler. Go ahead. Phi: So she like loses one man, thinks he's dead, and then boom, he fucking pops up. He's alive. Okay? Things don't work out. Then years later, this other guy she thought was dead, boom, pops up again. And now Lynn: Yeah. Phi: this second guy is a piece of shit. He's like, yeah, I knew I, you know, should maybe reach out to you, but I named my daughters after you and had this whole life and like wasn't ready, but my wife died, and now I'm

ready. Are you fucking kidding me? Fuck you. Lynn: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Fuck you, dude. you're also leaving out the part where when they had their vibe over in Vietnam, he was married to that person. So he was already married. so when they met over in Vietnam Phi: what a dick. What a dickhead. Lynn: serving together, they were married. He was already married. Remember, they had this whole flirtation, and then he passes Phi: Yes. Lynn: away in a helicopter crash or something. And Phi: Yeah, but he's holding on to the fucking rock she gave him. fuck you. Fuck you. Lynn: Fuck you. Actually both men in this story were fucking terrible. Except for the one that she doesn't like. Phi: It's so awful. So awful. Lynn: I'm dead. Phi: yes, she goes to all this therapy and trying to heal herself. I just wanted more for her. She does. Yes. Lynn: Doesn't she also have a drug addiction? Okay, yeah. So I guess I just was annoyed. Okay, remember I said last episode, if you're a vibes reader, if someone dies off page, they're probably not dead. So I already knew the first dude. I was like, he ain't dead. Just wait, Phi: Of course you did. Lynn: just wait, he gon' come back. but then when it happened Remember, you actually referred to these as in the the reverse order that I'm thinking, but the other guy, her fiance, who dies, is like Phi: That's right. No, you're right, Lynn. You're right. Lynn: not Ed. He was like a prisoner of war, basically. And I'm like, wait, so now we get two faked deaths. okay, it's too much Phi: it's too much. Lynn: for one book. I but I will say I think I still gave it five stars. Phi: You did. Lynn: because I do feel like the historical fiction genre general is super saturated with World War II books and I thought it was really Phi: Yeah. Lynn: interesting to have a Vietnam war book. I thought that was interesting. So Phi: Yes. Lynn: I do think Kristen Hannah can basically do no wrong. I freaking loved it. Phi: Do no wrong. Agreed. Lynn: Fake deadness aside, we loved it. They ain't dead. Phi: She's gonna pop up. my god. I need to just like you guys, Lynn and my husband Nick are just if you like, if you give Lynn a book, she'll know within the first like chapter. She's like, yeah, this is what's gonna Lynn: Mm-hmm. Phi: happen. And like Nick, I'll like tell him and he's yep, this is what's gonna happen. I'm like, what is with you guys? Lynn: Which by the way, feel bad for me for that. I don't want to be this way. I don't want to be like that. But it it actually Phi: Ugh, the burden. Lynn: does kind of ruin my reading experience sometimes. So I don't wanna be like that. I wanna Phi: Yeah. Lynn: just vibe and go with it, but it's like I'm incapable. Phi: Too funny. Lynn: So, but speaking of that, a book that I didn't really know what where it was gonna go and what was gonna happen that made our list is This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crumb. Phi: Yes. Lynn: I felt invested. I didn't know where she was or what was happening. basically it's two podcasters, a man and a woman, they're best friends, and she goes missing. And he's looking for her and he's gonna find her, and it is so good. It has to be audio though. Please, please, please do audio. I sure do. Julia Whalen, your girl, and you know Phi: It's so good. You know who narrates it, right? yes, my girl. Lynn: I love the male narrator, Sean Patrick Hopkins. I discovered him from this book actually, but Phi: Okay. Okay. Lynn: now I've gone and listened to a bunch of his books. He's fantastic. He's one of my favorite Phi: Yeah. Lynn: audio narrators. So these two in this book just crushed it. Phi: so so good. my note for this was that it was like a big wonderful onion. you just kept peeling the layers and Lynn: Yes. Phi: the story was so good and you think you know what is Lynn: Yeah. Phi: happening and you just don't. This is one that you know how I was telling you my dad likes, you know, thrillers and stuff. I sent this one to my dad's house. Lynn: So cute, I love that. Phi: So but I loved this. It was some people said it was a little long, but I didn't think so. it didn't feel long to me at all. Yeah. Lynn: I didn't think it was long at all. It was I don't even know how long it was 'cause I just was invested and I just loved the narration. The production of it was good. I loved it. Phi: yeah. okay, and then our last one that we're gonna talk about is This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune. And so Lynn: An a romance! Phi: look, a romance made the list, you guys. Two Lynn: Wait, Beet Read was a romance too. We had two romances, you guys. Phi: see, it's amazing. So Carly's books, I've been a reader before she was huge. She was at little indie bookstores because she's a Canadian author. And so Lynn: Mm-hmm. Phi: she would have little tables places and I grabbed her first book and loved it. And then she just like blew up. And her writing, like she brings you into the Lynn: Yeah. Phi: space where the book is set. So Lynn: Yeah. Phi: she does a lot of these books in these beautiful Canadian locations, on a lake or on an island or whatever. And I just wanna pack my bags and travel every time after I read one of her books. Lynn: I know. I know. This one was at Prince Edward Island and I am dying to go now because the way Phi: me too, said Lynn: she describes it. I'm like, I wanna go there. And also is Felix there? Because like Phi: Yeah. Lynn: he is so hot. Like, my god. Felix. God, Phi: yes, he's just like oyster shucking. Lynn: he knows how to shuck those oysters. Let's say, what's up? Dexterous if you know what I'm saying. Phi: my god. And so it's it's a beautiful love story. I loved that there was a female friendship story in there too. Cause she falls Lynn: Yeah. Phi: in love with her best friend's brother. Yeah. Lynn: Yes. But she didn't know it was her brother when she first met him and and did the milky with him. So they Phi: Yeah. Lynn: like hooked up and then she found out it was her best friend's

brother. Phi: Exactly, exactly. And like I just like I love a book with a strong friendship, you know? So, yeah. Lynn: Yeah. Yeah. I mean nobody's as strong as us, but it's impossible. Honestly they do. We've had people Phi: Yeah. People envy our friendship. I do. Lynn: be like legit jealous and it's like, guys, it's it's okay. just not if you're gonna be weird. Like there's not. Phi: There's room for everybody. Yeah, right. Lynn: what I will say is I know that Carly's books are great and I really, really loved this one. I read this Phi: Yeah. Lynn: one at the same time that I was reading Lights Out and Fourth Wing. So when I tell you I was living my best life reading Phi: my god. Lynn: these three books at one time, I was like, do I want Felix? Do I want Josh or do I want Satan? What do I want today? Phi: Those are three really good ones. Lynn: Three really good ones, three very different ones. Phi: Yes. Lynn: so that was really fun. and then the only other thing I wanna about Carly is she needs to fire her stylist because girl girl Phi: what is happening. but like for her, she like loves it. She I follow her on Instagram. Lynn: I know. Phi: And like at one of her signings, one of the women was complimenting her shoes and saying that she was just starting out and she like took off her shoes, which were these like hot pink, glittery platform things and gave them to the woman and I was like, that's so sweet. Yeah. Lynn: Okay, well that's really nice. That listen, this is not even a jab at Carly, because this isn't her fault. Her Phi: Yeah. Lynn: stylist does this to her. And I'm like, are you trolling her? Like it's mean. Phi: Yeah. Lynn: Like I'm like, why are you letting her leave the house like this? Phi: I okay, this is funny. I like literally held up the phone to Nick and I was like, Where would you even buy this? Lynn: Seriously? I'm like, what is happening? I don't know. But it is Phi: But for real, where do you buy this shit? it's wild. Lynn: Carly, baby girl. I know you're not listening, but if you ever do listen, please Phi: We love you. Lynn: God. We love you and your stylist is not keeping up with how great you are. Okay, sorry. It's just true. Alright, well, now that we've been haters. Phi: Yeah, yes. Yes. Do you wanna tell us about current happenings? Lynn: Okay, so I do. Okay, so first one is we've talked about Daggermouth, HM Wolf. The author has a new book coming out December Phi: my god. Lynn: 8th, 2026. That is so soon. And it's gonna be dual narration, which I think means today. Yay! Phi: my god. Lynn: So it's called 12, and she has described it as a gothic romance murder mystery standalone. That is perfect for readers who crave the toxic, obsessive romance of Withering Heights, the locked-in mystery of Clue, and the corrupt family empire of Fall of the House of Usher. And I'm just gonna tell you, that all sounds like my favorite thing ever. I'm so excited. Phi: I I literally after we get done with this podcast I'm going to like pre-order it. Like click. Yeah. Lynn: Yes. Click pre-order. Speaking of pre-order, thank you for pre-ordering Jeff Zentner's book. it comes out today that we're recording. Yeah, I mean Phi: my god, yes. Today. Yes. Lynn: this this episode will drop next week, but yes, it comes out today and I'm so excited for him that it's pop day. It's just always really exciting. So Next week with him, he's coming on November eleventh to Belmont Bookshop for an author event. And so I'm super excited Phi: my god. that's exciting. Lynn: to see him. I'm going to bring I have three copies now of his book. I have the ARC, like the advanced reader copy. I ordered it through book of the month subscription service that I could have a hard back because the regular edition is a paperback, which I learned, you know, when you open a book and it has like the little flaps on the at Phi: Yes. Lynn: those are called French flaps. Did you know that? I just learned that. Girl, I don't know, but Jeff Sentner posted Phi: Why are they called French flaps? Lynn: about it on his Instagram and I was like, I was today years old when I learned that was called French flaps. Current Phi: Yes. Okay, that's that's current happenings. Lynn: happenings, we've learned a new term, everybody. So anyway, I'm gonna roll up with my three books and be like, can you sign? Phi: Yeah. Please sign and leave me a message in each one of Yes. Lynn: Yeah, and also individually leave me message. I'm also gonna bring my copy of Colton Gentry's Third Act, which I haven't read yet, but that's his book before this one. And then I just started reading The Serpent King, which was this book from literally 10 years ago. And I'm 60% I started it two days ago. I Phi: Well. Lynn: love it. It follows three friends in Tennessee. One is Travis. He's kind of like a huge big dude, and he's, you know, obsessed with fantasy books. So he's kind of like ostracized at school. He has two other friends who they're all ostracized at school. This girl Lydia, she has a blog and she is like ready to get out of Tennessee. And go to New York and do fashion and all this stuff. She just is ready to get out. And then we have Dill Dillard, and his dad is now in prison for having child SA images. But before that he ran a church. Like, you know, one of those like real intense ministers, but like Phi: Yeah. The mega yeah. Yeah. Lynn: with snakes and they would drink poison and pass around copperheads and rattlesnakes and stuff to prove that like God was looking out for them. So he's the serpent king and that's where the name comes from. But anyway, it is. Pffff Phi: that's so cool. Lynn: girl, it's so good. I would hear a book called The Serpent King and think that was a fantasy, like an epic fantasy. It's not. It's like a complete literary fiction. What? Phi: no, I think there's this like really intense, dirty the Basilic King book. Lynn: I know. I've heard that is filthy. Obviously. Color me shocked. Phi: Reddit, of course. It is yeah,

it is there's like zero plot and it's all like weird sex. Like that it it's just so weird. and Lynn: Hmm. Phi: people are like, this is so good. I'm like, what? Like this is Lynn: You're like, is Phi: it's so it's like my god, I these women have to get trained how to like please the prince. And the serpents are Lynn: I'm already annoyed. Phi: the ones who do it. They like take these girls to caves and whatever and like teach them how to have sex. Lynn: Shut up. Phi: It's so bad. Like I and this book gets rave reviews and I'm like, what? It like I what? Yes. So I'm very confused at that book always. But it shows up on lists. Lynn: That's not for the vanilla queen. Phi: yeah, it shows up on lists all the time and there was a sequel. I was like, I'm not reading that. Lynn: Wow. Phi: Yeah. I got it from the library, so yay, it was free. Lynn: I love that. I love when you're like, Why didn't you have to pay for it? Phi: Yes, right. Lynn: So okay, so that's I've kind of already started veering into what I'm reading this week. do we have any other current happenings before we move on? Okay. So I'm gonna keep reading Serpent King because I love it. I actually might even try to get to Colton Gentry's last act before I get to see Jeff Sentner. Like I don't know, I really wanna try to like read the whole backlist before I can meet him. Phi: that's awesome. Yeah, that's really sweet and supportive, yeah. Lynn: Yeah, well so far it's been worth it. You know what I mean? Like I'm not doing it just to be nice. Like they're really good. So that's Phi: Yeah. Lynn: good. So I'll probably do that and then I'm probably just gonna keep going in those chunky fantasy books that are taking me forever. I think I posted yesterday on my Instagram, Lynn's Literary Adventures, like my a screenshot of my Goodreads, and it was literally like apparently I have a 600 page minimum because I'm reading Kingdom of Ash. Phi: I saw that that was Lynn: Crescent City 2, The Sword of Kaigen, and Will of the Many, all of which are over 600 pages. And I'm like, what am I doing? Like, what's Phi: That is so funny. Lynn: the matter with me? But I'm taking forever. So that's what I'm reading. What are you reading? Phi: okay, so I how I have my book club and what we do is people send me books they wanna add to the list and then every month I just put three from the list in a poll and then people vote and that's how we decide our books. And I am continually shocked at the book that is actually chosen. Like it's never it has never been one where I was like, yeah, like everyone's gonna choose this. Lynn: Yeah. Phi: No idea. So anyway There's this one that was put on the list called Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore by Brittany Nicole. And I Lynn: Never heard about Phi: Yeah, and the cover is leaves and a bookstore and then two people kissing. And I was like rolling my eyes like really hard. And then I like started listening to it and I was like, What is this gold? Amazingly. Like, Lynn: Really? Phi: I think we finally have a good book for book club. Like Lynn: Well, that's great. Phi: The man's voice. I don't know who the narrator is, but he it is so hot. yes. Lynn: Ooh, what's it called again? Phi: It's called Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore by Brittany Nicole. And it's Brittany Lynn: Okay. Phi: with two T's and A-N-E-E. So I don't know if I'm saying that right. Lynn: Sure. Phi: Right. But anyway, it's so cute. Cannot wait to see what happens. And it's a fall book. So I'm I'm just dinging it. I'm really excited about this. Yeah. Yeah. Lynn: Perfect! my god, I'm gonna look it up. Get a little smut mixed in with my Phi: Ha Lynn: six hundred page chunkers. Phi: You'll get through this in an hour. Lynn: Yeah, I'll be like, my god, this is a nothing. Phi: You're like, this is a flyer. Lynn: C Z. Phi: my god. So thank you guys so much for listening. Please follow us on Substack at Philynnit podcast. Substack.com so you'll never miss an episode. Plus, we'll send extra book lists, recommendations, and fun things we don't always get to share on the podcast. Lynn: And please subscribe to our podcast wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. And please leave us a five-star review. Just like all the books we talked about today. We love five stars. Five stars are our favorite. Please, please, please. Phi: And also follow us on socials. We're on Instagram at Philynnit podcast and our individual socials are in the bio. See you guys next week. Lynn: Bye.