September 2, 2025 • 41 mins
Who knows better how to capture the magic of young adulthood than a young adult themselves? Raegan Revord is an actor, producer, philanthropist, and now, published author of Rules for Fake Girlfriends — and they’re just 17 years old. They join the podcast to talk about fake dating tropes, collecting quotes, and the complexity of Gen Z. Danielle also offers a sneak peek into the next Reese’s Book Club Pick: To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage.
Like what you heard? Subscribe to the Bookmarked newsletter HERE for more buzzy book talk, and be sure to follow us @reesesbookclub for more.
Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Circe by Madeline Miller
Queen of Faces by Petra Lord
By Invitation Only by Alexandra Brown Chang
When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J.K. Rowling
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bookmarked by Riese's Book Club is presented by Apple Books.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I'm Danielle Robe and welcome to Bookmarked by Reese's book Club.
We have two great conversations this week. Later in the episode,
we're talking with Reagan Reward Actor, book club founder, ya
aficionado and now author of their very own young adult novel,
Rules for Fake Girlfriends. But first, it's the first Tuesday
(00:30):
of the month, so you know what that means. It's
time to announce the latest Reese's book Club pick, Reese
Take it Away.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Okay, the September Reese's Book Club pick is To the.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Moon and Back by Eleanna Rammage. You guys, this book
is so riveting. I think you're going to love it.
You won't be able to put it down. I hope
you enjoy it. Per usual, Reese is spot on. To
the Moon and Back is a thoughtful, layered family saga
that combines native identity, sexual identity, and space, and its author,
(01:05):
Ellianna Ramage, is here with us today for her very
first interview as a Reese's book Club pick. You're in
the right place. Let's turn the page with Ellianna. Ellianna,
welcome to the club. Thank you so much. It's so
good to be here. I'm so excited you're here. It
(01:26):
is your debut novel. And usually when I speak to
authors on their pub day, I ask them about their
pub day traditions. But since it is your first and
I know it won't be your last, are there any
traditions you'd like to start?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I have so many plans, but the first thing I
want to do is so the copies of the book
arrived at my house like two weeks ago, and my
parents haven't been able to see them because they have
the Reese's Book Club seal on them, and so to
(02:02):
preserve the secrecy of that, it's been like that box
of copies of the book has been under the bed,
and I want to have them over and open the
box and tell them really really excited about that. And
then I want to spend the day with family, go
to branch.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
That's as far as I've gotten. I love that you
said brunch and not dinner because it's a different type
of celebration. So in the time that it takes for
a space shuttle countdown, can you describe what your book
is about. Yes, it is a coming of age novel
about the power of belonging to ourselves, our families, our people,
(02:44):
and one another. It's about Steph. She's a young woman
on a quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut, and
it's about the women she loves best, whose lives are
changed by that epic journey. In order to realize that
dream us to navigate love, ambition, and what she might
owe past and future generations. So I'd say, at it's heart, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
About what it looks like to try to find belonging,
to find your way home, even when home feels really
far away.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
We just hit the atmosphere. What is it about space
and astronauts that captured your imagination enough to devote your
work to them. I think, for me and for my
main character stuff, space represents possibility. I think it's a
(03:44):
way for me to think about in a continuation of
a story, like a story of humanity, because it's such
a group project, and the first time that we meet Steph,
she is escaping something really released with her family. She
looks up at the moon, and in that moment when
we first meet her, I think that she understands space
(04:06):
to be an escape, like where you try to cut
yourself off from where you came from from that old
story and just start a new one, is how she
might imagine at that time life on Mars. But kind
of the journey of the book, and what was interesting
to me was what would it mean for us to
(04:26):
instead think of of space as a continuation when when
we go there, we're all going. I don't actually mean,
you know, everyone has to be on Mars. I deeply,
deeply hope that that most of us on our on Earth,
but that we bring the things that matter to us
with us wherever we go next. And so it's an
space for me is connected to optimism, but that optimism
(04:52):
is like this hope that we can take like the
past and the future and keep them together. I don't
want the future to mean letting go of things that
matter to us. Here the way you're describing it, it
also sounds like it's infinite, which there's a hope and
an optimism in that too.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes, we just don't know what's next.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
So your book celebrates your indigenous heritage, and a lot
of readers may not be super familiar with the Cherokee nation.
As you wrote down the customs and the culture of
your people, what were you excited to share with readers
oh so much. I was really.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Interested in this story taking place today. It was exciting
to me to have this Cherokee story happen in a
time and maybe a place that people weren't expecting. These
Cherokee characters, particularly Steph, finds her way all over the world,
and I really wanted to kind of write against as
(05:52):
someone who's from the Southeastern US, like this idea of
perceived point of authenticity before removal, before the trail of tears,
and then our points of connection after that are just
like less less less less less, and that's not true.
And I think Space was a way to share all
(06:15):
the different possibilities for what it could look like to
be Cherokee today and in the future. I read that
Cherokee is famously a hard language for English speakers to learn.
Is there a word that you love in Cherokee or
a phrase that comes to you often? So I started
(06:38):
studying Cherokee right after college with my friend Greg, And
what I realized maybe a year into that whole process
was like I learned just enough to understand as you
as you just said that it was really really hard.
But I think I've been kind of on a journey
with that that lines up with the journey of writing
this book, because when I first started studying it, I
(07:01):
kept thinking After the first year especially, I kept thinking
like I should step away from this because I had
such high hopes and I realized pretty quickly that I
wasn't going to become fluent. And then the cynicism of like, well,
why bother step came in, And about seven months ago,
when my daughter was born, I had this like slow
(07:25):
return not of interest. I was always interested in it,
but I had this slow return of motivation that you know,
if I'm gonna be reading stories every night with like
animals in them, then I want her to hear the
words for different animals in Cherokee, or if there's numbers,
if there's songs like It's been a path of like,
if something matters to me as a mother, I can
(07:48):
give what I do have.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
And that's sort of where I am right now. I
think that's such a familiar feeling to so many Americans,
because so many of us come from different cultures and
we're all trying to pass down things that are meaningful
to us. So I really understand that. Yes, So this
book dives into a lot of subcultures. Actually, I was
(08:12):
thinking about where it would sit at a bookstore, where
do you see it? Are there other titles or authors
that you would love for it to be shelved in between?
So many? So just.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
One would be A Brotherless Night by V. V.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Ganishanandan.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It's set during the Civil War in Sri Lanka and
there's a young woman who wants to be a doctor.
So in terms of like ambition, those two are our friends.
And another one is The Love Songs of w e
Bed Boys by Honore Penon, Jeffer's epic epic epic family
(08:52):
saga about a Black American family across generations. And one
more is Great Circle by my Key ships Stead. Since
it's about like a pioneering aviator woman.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Are there any layers or small details in the book
that you're especially excited for readers to notice. There were
a few settings or projects things that were taken from
real life. One of them was the first tri Council
meeting that my family went to in twenty twelve. It's
in the book set in a different time. It's a
fictionalized version of the real thing, but the real thing
(09:27):
was the first time that the three different bands of Turkey.
People were brought together there since the Trail of Tears.
It was like a council meeting.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
It wasn't thrilling, but it was emotionally like very special
to get to be there with family and friends.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Very cool. I'm going to ask you a silly question.
If your book went to space, your actual book, I
just imagine it in the seat belt, although the lack
of gravity might take it floating up. Anyways, if your
book went to space, what snack would you pack with it?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
For the ask, I keep thinking astronaut ice cream or
what's it called space ice cream? Yeah, I went on
a school field trip to Huntsville where there's like a
space center. I went there when I was a child,
and everybody was really really excited about space ice cream.
And it might be different now, but and it might
not even be real, but it was like styrofoam with
sugar in it.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Oh, it doesn't sound so happy, So like they wouldn't
want me to I don't think they would want me
to send that with them, but I just that's like
such a core childhood memory of like, oh, astronauts are
just like floating in the expanse all the time, and
they're eating this styrofoam, which none of that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
It's so wild. Okay, well, good thing we don't have
to eat styrofoam. Eleianna, thank you so much. I can't
wait to talk to you next month.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Welcome back to Bookmarked by Reese's book Club. Now we
have another debut author on their pub day. Big day
around here. Guys, Reagan Revard is a lot of things.
They're an actor, producer, philanthropist, book club founder, friend of
Reese's book Club, as sort of a young adult consultant,
and now author of their own YA novel Rules for
(11:21):
Fake Girlfriends. Also, I have to tell you that YA
stands for young adult because I said YA to my
mom last week and she had no idea what I
was talking about. Here's the gist. Romcom obsessed Avery Blackwell
just moved to Seaside, England to learn more about her
deceased mom. She strikes a deal with a charming stranger
on the train named Charlie, and if Avery pretends to
(11:42):
be Charlie's girlfriend to make her ex jealous, Charlie will
help Avery find out more about her mom. It's a
fake dating romance with a mystery Twist and it's out today.
Did I mention that Reagan is only seventeen years old?
I know, pretty awesome. Let's turn the page with Reagan Reward. Reagan,
(12:08):
Welcome to the club.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
You know, it's kind of like you've been a part
of this club for a long time, because you are
really part of the Hello Sunshine family and the Reese's
Book Club family, and we've gotten to know each other.
So I'm so grateful for your friendship.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Guys, I go here, I go.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
So you've been on TV for years and you just
wrote a rom com titled Rules for Fake Girlfriends. First
of all, I love the title, but I have to
know who your favorite TV girlfriends are because I was
thinking about mine and you're seventeen, so I feel like
they're probably going to be different.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Okay, wait, what are yours? Tell me yours, and then
I'll tell you mine.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Okay. Number one is for sure The Women of Sex
and the City.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Oh. I haven't watched that, but.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I know of it, but I write that's for later
in your life.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
And then I Loved Girlfriends, which was Tracy Ellis Ross.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Oh, I've heard of that. Yes, I know, that, and you.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Know what, I love the friends and Princess Diaries Anne
Hathaway and her friend. They were so cute.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I love Princess Diaries so much.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Okay, we're on the same page.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
We're on the same page here, I do. I feel
happy I know one of them. I'm like, who are.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Your favorite TV girlfriends?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Ooh, favorite TV girlfriends? I love? You said sex in
the City. I'm saying sex SyES.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
With college girls love.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Okay, great. So I love Layton Renee Rapp's character, and
I love that whole friend group so much.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yes, it's so real.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That and then maybe the I don't know, have you
seen heart Stopper, because maybe the heart Stopper friend group?
Speaker 1 (13:57):
No, tell me, why do you like them?
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I love it because it's very found family, and so
I love them. And then there's also two characters in it.
Their names are Tara and Darcy, and their actually girlfriends,
and so it's like a found family friend group. And
then there's two the girlfriends in it. So it's a
perfect I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
That's so cool. Well, your nearly eight million followers across
platforms got to know you as Missy on Young Sheldon,
but I heard your friends call you Ray like ray
of Sunshine. Is that true? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I only ever get called Ray by like my mother
if it's like serious. But like everyone else says Ray
and I love it. It's very cute.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Well, you grew up on set, and I'm guessing you
spent time and learned from some very talented TV writers
during that time. Did writing a novel feel like a
natural extension of your storytelling brain or did it completely
terrify you both?
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Actually, I feel like I've always wanted to write a book.
I've been writing since I was like five, so it's
always kind of something that I've done, just never seriously.
And then I felt like it was a really natural
jump because it is storytelling. And I think that it
(15:11):
worked because I, because of being in the film world,
I see things so cinematically, and so I think it
helped me being able to write a novel because I
did kind of write it more in a like movie
cinematic format. Almost.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I need you to tell everybody what your schedule was
like while you were writing this, because I you, like
Beyonce has twenty four hours a day in a day,
and so does Reagan. I don't understand how you did
this while you were I don't want to say it
for you, but going to school, yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
It was a lot. So I was on set filming
and then I was writing the book and then doing school.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
You had night school two or three days a week
every day? Are you in night school every day?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I was doing school on set, so all in like
a twelve hour filming day, I would like work, do school,
and then work on my book as well, and then
also maintaining a like normal social life and how to drive, yes,
and learning how to drive. So it was very chaotic.
(16:21):
But like I would literally be in a dinner scene
and like I would have my laptop under the table,
like on my lap. They would say cut, pull my
computer out, write a little bit, and then hide it
right before they said action. It was very hectic, very chaotic.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Well, as an actor, you're really bringing iconic characters to life.
And when you're writing this book, are you casting them
in your mind? When you're on set and you're hiding
your laptop and writing this, are you kind of writing
for certain actors to play these roles or are you
playing the lead?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (16:56):
No, no, I I did. I didn't see any characters
until like after so I saw what the characters look like,
but not really actor wise.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
But now that I've.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Thought about it and I've pinterest boarded it, I could
see like Katherine Newton, like a young Katherine Newton nineteen
years old, as Charlie who's a love interest. And then
I think, like Emily Blunt to play her mom, And
then I don't. I don't have a cast for the
main character, but for her mom the family Stone Rachel McAdams.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Is there anything that is very Reagan that you snuck
into the main character, either purposely or without realizing it.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
I mean, I feel like I put a lot of
like different pieces of myself in every character, and so
there's a little bit of Reagan in all the characters.
You just got to know where to look. But I
feel like the one thing that is like so similar
is obviously.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
We both love rom coms.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
She loves watching rom comms with her mom, and then
I love watching rom comms with my mom. And then
she also has a black cat. I have a black cat.
They both are named Circe. Maybe not a coincidence. She's
very much like an introvert, but is very extroverted around
her friends and that's very much me. Like I'm an
(18:26):
introvert until i'm around like my circle, and then I'm
very extroverted.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Now, the book leans on a lot of these classic
tropes first love, fake relationship hijinks. How did you take
these classic ideas and make them feel relatable to a
new generation of romance readers.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
It was kind of a lot of fun because throughout
the book there's a bunch of different tropes that you
read about in each chapter. Actually, the chapter heading is
a different rom com rule, and so I had to
do a bunch of different research on rom coms in general,
and I felt like, what was a lot of fun
(19:09):
is I kind of made fun of those tropes because
like the whole thing with a rom com trope or
rom com story where the main character is going into
college or moving out is like she's broke, but somehow
she has this stunning apartment, and I'm like, that's not
really realistic, and so the chapter heading is the Hairwine
(19:32):
is broke but has a stunning apartment or something similar
like that, and then in the chapter it's Avery decorating
her apartment and putting like a rug over a little
mold spot or something, and then there's been like a
leaky faucet, and so it's kind of fun to take
these stereotypical tropes that everyone reads about and then kind
(19:55):
of poke fun at it and do it in a
different way, And so that would be refreshing to read.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Do you think the idea of fake dating in real
life can be romantic or is it strictly for rom coms.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I feel like it would be so tricky to like
actually pull off in real life. And I also don't
know because whenever there's a fake dating trope, obviously they
always end up together. But I feel like there's a
chance that if someone was to actually try to fake
date in real life, it would actually succeed, like they
(20:31):
wouldn't end up together. But I want it to exist.
I love whenever I hear someone be like this book happened,
and I like something happened that like to me, that's similar.
I love when that happens. So maybe fingers crossed. I hope.
I hope it exists, and I love reading about it,
so maybe it happens.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Why did you set it in England?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
I love England so much. It's my favorite place.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And if it.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Ever her Fingers Crossed becomes a movie I want obviously
to film in England because that would be so much fun,
and so I purely did that for myself. It also
ended up making sense that the main characters learning about
who she is and then the going overseas to a
new country really helped kind of with this new version
(21:24):
of Avery where she's discovering things about herself and learning
who she wants to be and what she wants to
do in life, And so it ended up making sense
and like really helping the story.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Was there a scene that you wrote that made you
laugh out loud while you were writing, like you just
had to stop typing.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I think there's this scene where Avery and her roommate Maddie,
they're hanging out and they're having a like little like
stay in kind of night where they're like having like
they ordered in pizza and they like are playing games
and stuff. And there's this one. It's such a small,
(22:02):
like insignificant part, but it makes me laugh and it
because it reminds me, for some reason of me and
my mom. And it's the roommate is trying to teach
Avery how to play a video game, and Avery's terrible
at it and she keeps failing and like she keeps
losing the match or whatever, and like Avery's kind of
(22:24):
like crashing out over it, and Maddie's like, no, you
have to do this. This is how you do it.
And it just reminds me so much of my mom
and I and it's so funny to me, and it's
such a fun just like scene in general, and I
love it so much, And anytime I like go back
and like read it or like go when I was
editing and going over it, like I would just always
(22:44):
laugh at that part because it's just.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
So fun to me. And you and your mom are
so close, so I know how much you love her.
That's that's really sweet that it reminds you of that.
This book is it really centers around gen Z? What
is this tinct about gen Z? And they're reading Habits
and Tastes and how did you want gen Z to
be represented in this book?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Teens in general almost get this bad rap where it's
this like phone addicted slang slinging kind of teen. But
I feel like gen Z in general are just like
so much more than that. Every gen Z just youth
in general, teen young person, Like they're so unique, and
(23:28):
so I feel like having this umbrella term to cover
such different people, it's like it's used so much, and
so in the book, I really wanted to show that, like,
there's these college kids that like are all different kinds
of people and have different interests. Some of them the
stereotype of gen Z, some of them don't. They're all different,
(23:50):
and I really wanted to show that that they're not
just like walking around on their phones and saying all
the like gen Z slang and stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
So I saw something fun on Hello Sunshine's new gen
Z platform, Sonny that you talked about your love of
Greek mythology, Reagan, I love Greek mythology too. It was
my fable. Oh yeah, did I not know this? How
did I not know this about you? It's the strangest
(24:20):
thing that we have in common.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
My cat's name is Circe.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Okay, So I need to understand how you got into
Greek mythology. And I'm wondering if any of these stories,
because there's such amazing fables influenced your writing.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
It honestly may have been Percy Jackson when I was
little that like started it off. And then I love
the book Circe by Madeline Miller, Song of Achilles I love.
There's a book called Silence of the Girls that is
so good. I could give so many Greek mythology book recommendations.
(24:56):
It's a problem there wasn't any specific fable at his
influenced my writing. However, in Rules of Fake Girlfriends, there
is a lot of references, because Avery also loves Greek mythology.
There is this one part whenever Avery is walking out
of her apartment and the sun is like barely peeking
through the gray clouds, and Avery thinks, oh, it's like
(25:20):
Apallo is fighting with Zeus, and I thought that before,
and so there's definitely references throughout to Greek mythology, and
I do have Greek mythology book ideas, but no specific
fable influenced anything so far.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
So far, though, you wrote a book about gen Z characters,
and you are gen Z. A lot of your fans
are around your age. What are you hoping that people
(26:00):
taking away from this book about love or friendship or
figuring yourself out. There's a few.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Things regarding the main plot in general, I think probably.
I mean, Avery is a college student trying to figure
herself out. She doesn't know what she really wants to
do in life. She's not sure where she's going. And
I think a lot of people can resonate with that
(26:27):
and can understand that, and it doesn't really matter, like
where you are in your life, you don't have to
be Avery's age to understand not being one hundred percent
certain in what you want to do. And so I
think the whole thing with the book is that in
the beginning of it, Avery isn't sure where she wants
to go, and then by the end she's figured it out,
(26:50):
she knows what she wants to do, she's confident in it,
and she's just as confident in herself. And I think
the main thing is like just give it time. Like
you can't rush trying to figure something out. You can't
rush trying to figure out who you want to be
who you are at the moment, And so I think
(27:11):
just like giving it time and kind of going with
the flow, almost because that's what Avery did.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
She went with the flow.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
She went to England spontaneously, and she really just did
not know what she was doing, and she ended up
figuring it out. And I think just trusting that time
will answer whatever you're not certain in.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
That was a very wise, beautiful answer, Reagan, because I
think a lot of us, regardless of your age, feel
this immediacy, probably because of social media and the fast
paced world we live in. And it's true, somethings just
take time.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Some things just take time. I feel like in my
present day there isn't like a lot going on. I'm
not like on set or anything, and like I'm not
like in the middle of writing a book or anything.
I've just really been focusing on promoting this one, and
so it does kind of feel like kind of stuck.
(28:10):
But then just no, this is my in between state
and just not rushing it and kind of getting to
savor it and just be in the moment. I'm very
bad about being in the moment, and so I'm always
just like, let it sit and then in a little
bit we'll get right back to it.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Absolutely, and sometimes that time to rest and recharge really
fires you up for that next moment exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Now, because like I've had time to kind of take
it all in and relax and recharge, like you said,
and now I'm so excited to get onto the next book.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I really love reading books from authors who are of
the genre meaning you are a YA author writing YA,
You're gonna know things because you're living it, right. So
I'm curious if you feel like there are any common
misconceptions about the YA genre honestly, that.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
It's limited to teenagers and teenagers only. Yeah, I know
so many people who read YA. And it's people my age,
it's people in their fifties, it's people anywhere in between.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Yeah, I read YA exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
So many anyone can read YA. Because even if you
are in your forties reading about a college student, you
at some point in your life were an eighteen nineteen
year old who has just graduated and figuring out what
you want to do. And so even if you can't
relate to it currently, you can understand what that character
(29:36):
is feeling like because you used to be that. And
so for people who are older reading YA, it could
almost be a level of like nostalgia looking back, reminiscing.
And then with gen Z teenagers who are reading YA,
it's a relatability to a current period that you're in.
(29:56):
But everyone can read it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
We had the sister who founded the Rip Bodice bookstore
on the show, and one of them said that reading
rom comms and romance books actually helped her figure out
what she wanted and deserved in relationships, which I thought
was so interesting. Has reading Ya helped you figure out
something about yourself?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I mean, I think reading Ya in general has because
like I talk about like taking time and like finding
your place in the world and everything, but I learned
that from somewhere too. I didn't just like get that
knowledge out of nowhere. And I feel like I really
did learn that from YA books in general, because how
(30:44):
I said, like people can take away being like taking
time to figure out who you are, and they could
maybe learn that from my book. I had those books
where I was like, oh, like this character didn't really
know what they wanted to do, but now at the
end of the book they're kind of figuring it out.
And so I think, honestly the model that I said
(31:07):
people who take away from rules is what I've learned
from why I So it's almost it's giving it back
in a certain way where I've like I've learned this.
Now I'm imparting this to people.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Reagan, I look at you with such admiration and awe
sometimes because when I was your age, I had these
really big dreams and goals, and I think people looked
at me and were like, simmer down, relax, you know,
like you have your whole life to accomplish stuff. And
(31:41):
I felt misunderstood because goals and achieving and accomplishing things
and striving like really gave me joy and made me happy.
And at seventeen, you have accomplished so much. You really
go after everything you want, including writing your first novel.
And I think there are a lot of young people
(32:03):
out there who want to do what you're doing. Do
you have any advice for young people who want to
write a book? Where do they start?
Speaker 2 (32:13):
I feel like one is writing or storytelling. Creating specific
is write down everything you see, So whether it's a
person or an interaction, Like my notes app is full
of the most random things, because I'll see or i'll
meet someone and I'm like, oh my god, you would
(32:36):
be just such a good, just funny little character in
this one specific moment that I can pull upon later.
And so my notes app is just full of the
most random things. I'll hear someone say something and I'm like, ooh,
let me we write that down real quick, Like I
have to like jop that down. And so just like
writing down any instance or any circumstance that you think
(33:00):
you could pull upon later, like write it down, remember it,
and then I think this. This goes to like any circumstance,
not just writing in general, but like trusting your gut,
trusting that little voice in your brain that's telling you, like, hey,
like maybe you should do this, Maybe you should go
(33:20):
with this idea. Like most of the time that little
voice tends to be right.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Both are such great tips. And I'd never really thought
about writing down your observations. That's so smart, Like even
describing somebody's eyebrows or the way they smell. It's so literary.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
No, my my NOTESAP I had, Like I one day
I went through and I like sorted it all and
I organized it. Yeah, And I have the most random
things in there. I have character descriptions. I have book titles.
I have book ideas. I have book titles for a
book that's in a book I would write. I have
(33:56):
place ideas. It's everything there is, like there's dialogue. It's
so much, but it is so helpful whenever you're in
the middle of writing a book and you need like
a side character to put in in this random little scene,
and you can just be like, oh my god, I
have this list of funny interactions that I've had and
(34:18):
I can put this person in this scenario.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Reagan, I'm going to ask you a question, and there's
a lot of pressure attached. Okay, okay, you're a book
club founder and a YA author. You are deep in
the world of books, so I need to know what
your book recommendations are for Fall.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
There's this book that I read called Queen of Faces.
It's a fantasy so good. I devoured it. There's also
I'm gonna do a plug here for my friend because
she has a book coming out also on September second,
and it's called Invitation Only by Alexander Brown Chang. It
is so good. It kind of delves into like the
(34:59):
debutanh world. It's a lot of fun. It's a great
Fall read. I love that one.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
What else?
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Ooh, When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Neven love that book.
Those are probably my picks, I would say.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
So. I love asking our guests what they've bookmarked this week.
It can be a fun quote or something you texted
a friend, or even something you sent to your mom
on Instagram, a weird fact. What have you bookmarked? This week, Reagan,
I what has happened? Right?
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Oh? I got one. So basically, my friend is writing
a Young Sheldon book and so it's kind of a
like behind the scenes and so she's been interviewing all
the different cast and I saw her last night and
she was like Montana said the like sweetest thing about you,
(35:57):
and I was like, what what do you mean? And
he's kind of let my older brother and she showed
it to me and it was like the nicest thing.
And I make fun of him all the time, but
like he was like saying, how I'm like his little sister.
I was like cry. And so I've just been thinking
about that a lot. So that's probably what I've bookmarked
(36:18):
because he is like my older brother, and so that
was probably what it would be.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
That's really sweet. I'm wondering because you told me you
love quotes. If there's a quote you bookmarked too?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Ooh, there's this quote, you know how I said that
I always have quotes on like circulation kind of and
like there's a few that I always go to. There's
this quote by Tom Hollam that like stuck out to me,
and it was in an interview and someone asked him
something about like the Internet perceiving him or something, or
(36:52):
like the Internet not being happy with him or something,
and he said, if you have a problem with me,
text me, and if you don't have my number, you
don't have a reason to have a problem with me.
And that has really stuck with me because like, ain't
that the truth? But it's such a good quote and
I say it all the time because if I ever
(37:13):
have a friend that's like dealing with something, I'm like, hey,
like there's this quote, and it just like it works
in so many scenarios and it's such a good quote
and I stick by that and I love it.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
That's a great one, Reagan. And I understand maybe why
this would mean a lot to you, because with eight
million people following you on the internet, all those opinions
can be quite a lot sometimes. Yes, Next up is
speed Read. Here's how it works. We put sixty seconds
on the clock and we're going to see just how
many rapid fire questions you can get through. Are you
(37:48):
locked in? Are you ready? Reagan?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Rapid fire is my favorite category of questions, So I'm so.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Ready, And I know you love a game, so I'm
extra excited for this Speed read. Let's do it. Okay,
fake dating or enemies to lovers?
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Oh, but you've combined both of them. Okay, let's do
enemy to lovers?
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Coffee shop date or movie date?
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Coffee shop date?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Which book have you dog eared the most?
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Ooh, Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix?
Speaker 1 (38:18):
If you had to choose a lifetime supply of books
or a lifetime supply of snacks?
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Five time supply of books?
Speaker 1 (38:25):
What's one rule of real life friendship that you live by?
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Ooh, maybe you like always just like a check in?
Like always do a check in. I love a good
check and be like, hey, how's it going?
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Love that finish this sentence. The best thing about being
a writer is blank.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
The best thing about being a writer is being able
to show someone else how to step into someone else's shoes.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
What's your red flag reading habit? Reagan?
Speaker 2 (38:52):
That I dog your books?
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Me too? Which book do you give the most often?
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Midnight Library bym.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
At high Reagan? Reward? That is it? For your time
on Bookmark? Thank you for hanging out with us, girl,
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
It was so much fun. I got to sit here
and talk about books. So I've thrived.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
If you want a little bit more from us. Come
hang with us on socials. We're at Reese's book Club
on Instagram, serving up books, vibes and behind the scenes
magic and I'm at Danielle Robe, Roba y come say
hi and df me and if you want to go
nineties on us, call us. Okay, our phone line is open,
so call now at one five zero one two nine,
(39:43):
one three three seven nine. That's one five oh one
two nine, one three three seven nine. Share your literary
hot takes, book recommendations, questions about the monthly pick, or
let us know what you think about the episode you
just heard. And who knows, you might just hear yourself
in our next episode, So don't be shy, give us
(40:06):
a ring, and of course, make sure to follow Bookmarked
by Reese's book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast,
or wherever you get your shows. Until then, see you
in the next chapter. Bookmarked is a production of Hello,
Sunshine and iHeart Podcast. It's executive produced by Reese Witherspoon
and me Danielle Robe. Production is by Acast Creative Studios.
(40:30):
Our producers are Matty Foley, Britney Martinez, Sarah Schleid and
Darby Masters. Our production assistant is Avery Loftis. Jenny Kaplan
and Emily Rutterer are the executive producers for a Cast
Creative Studios. Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the executive
producers for Hello, Sunshine, Olga Cominwa. Kristin Perla and Ashley
(40:50):
Rappaport are associate producers for Reese's Book Club. Ali Perry
and Lauren Hansen are the executive producers for iHeart Podcasts,
and Tim Palazola is our showrunner.
Bookmarked by Riese's Book Club is presented by Apple Books.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I'm Danielle Robe and welcome to Bookmarked by Reese's book Club.
We have two great conversations this week. Later in the episode,
we're talking with Reagan Reward Actor, book club founder, ya
aficionado and now author of their very own young adult novel,
Rules for Fake Girlfriends. But first, it's the first Tuesday
(00:30):
of the month, so you know what that means. It's
time to announce the latest Reese's book Club pick, Reese
Take it Away.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Okay, the September Reese's Book Club pick is To the.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Moon and Back by Eleanna Rammage. You guys, this book
is so riveting. I think you're going to love it.
You won't be able to put it down. I hope
you enjoy it. Per usual, Reese is spot on. To
the Moon and Back is a thoughtful, layered family saga
that combines native identity, sexual identity, and space, and its author,
(01:05):
Ellianna Ramage, is here with us today for her very
first interview as a Reese's book Club pick. You're in
the right place. Let's turn the page with Ellianna. Ellianna,
welcome to the club. Thank you so much. It's so
good to be here. I'm so excited you're here. It
(01:26):
is your debut novel. And usually when I speak to
authors on their pub day, I ask them about their
pub day traditions. But since it is your first and
I know it won't be your last, are there any
traditions you'd like to start?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I have so many plans, but the first thing I
want to do is so the copies of the book
arrived at my house like two weeks ago, and my
parents haven't been able to see them because they have
the Reese's Book Club seal on them, and so to
(02:02):
preserve the secrecy of that, it's been like that box
of copies of the book has been under the bed,
and I want to have them over and open the
box and tell them really really excited about that. And
then I want to spend the day with family, go
to branch.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
That's as far as I've gotten. I love that you
said brunch and not dinner because it's a different type
of celebration. So in the time that it takes for
a space shuttle countdown, can you describe what your book
is about. Yes, it is a coming of age novel
about the power of belonging to ourselves, our families, our people,
(02:44):
and one another. It's about Steph. She's a young woman
on a quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut, and
it's about the women she loves best, whose lives are
changed by that epic journey. In order to realize that
dream us to navigate love, ambition, and what she might
owe past and future generations. So I'd say, at it's heart, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
About what it looks like to try to find belonging,
to find your way home, even when home feels really
far away.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
We just hit the atmosphere. What is it about space
and astronauts that captured your imagination enough to devote your
work to them. I think, for me and for my
main character stuff, space represents possibility. I think it's a
(03:44):
way for me to think about in a continuation of
a story, like a story of humanity, because it's such
a group project, and the first time that we meet Steph,
she is escaping something really released with her family. She
looks up at the moon, and in that moment when
we first meet her, I think that she understands space
(04:06):
to be an escape, like where you try to cut
yourself off from where you came from from that old
story and just start a new one, is how she
might imagine at that time life on Mars. But kind
of the journey of the book, and what was interesting
to me was what would it mean for us to
(04:26):
instead think of of space as a continuation when when
we go there, we're all going. I don't actually mean,
you know, everyone has to be on Mars. I deeply,
deeply hope that that most of us on our on Earth,
but that we bring the things that matter to us
with us wherever we go next. And so it's an
space for me is connected to optimism, but that optimism
(04:52):
is like this hope that we can take like the
past and the future and keep them together. I don't
want the future to mean letting go of things that
matter to us. Here the way you're describing it, it
also sounds like it's infinite, which there's a hope and
an optimism in that too.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes, we just don't know what's next.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
So your book celebrates your indigenous heritage, and a lot
of readers may not be super familiar with the Cherokee nation.
As you wrote down the customs and the culture of
your people, what were you excited to share with readers
oh so much. I was really.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Interested in this story taking place today. It was exciting
to me to have this Cherokee story happen in a
time and maybe a place that people weren't expecting. These
Cherokee characters, particularly Steph, finds her way all over the world,
and I really wanted to kind of write against as
(05:52):
someone who's from the Southeastern US, like this idea of
perceived point of authenticity before removal, before the trail of tears,
and then our points of connection after that are just
like less less less less less, and that's not true.
And I think Space was a way to share all
(06:15):
the different possibilities for what it could look like to
be Cherokee today and in the future. I read that
Cherokee is famously a hard language for English speakers to learn.
Is there a word that you love in Cherokee or
a phrase that comes to you often? So I started
(06:38):
studying Cherokee right after college with my friend Greg, And
what I realized maybe a year into that whole process
was like I learned just enough to understand as you
as you just said that it was really really hard.
But I think I've been kind of on a journey
with that that lines up with the journey of writing
this book, because when I first started studying it, I
(07:01):
kept thinking After the first year especially, I kept thinking
like I should step away from this because I had
such high hopes and I realized pretty quickly that I
wasn't going to become fluent. And then the cynicism of like, well,
why bother step came in, And about seven months ago,
when my daughter was born, I had this like slow
(07:25):
return not of interest. I was always interested in it,
but I had this slow return of motivation that you know,
if I'm gonna be reading stories every night with like
animals in them, then I want her to hear the
words for different animals in Cherokee, or if there's numbers,
if there's songs like It's been a path of like,
if something matters to me as a mother, I can
(07:48):
give what I do have.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
And that's sort of where I am right now. I
think that's such a familiar feeling to so many Americans,
because so many of us come from different cultures and
we're all trying to pass down things that are meaningful
to us. So I really understand that. Yes, So this
book dives into a lot of subcultures. Actually, I was
(08:12):
thinking about where it would sit at a bookstore, where
do you see it? Are there other titles or authors
that you would love for it to be shelved in between?
So many? So just.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
One would be A Brotherless Night by V. V.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Ganishanandan.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It's set during the Civil War in Sri Lanka and
there's a young woman who wants to be a doctor.
So in terms of like ambition, those two are our friends.
And another one is The Love Songs of w e
Bed Boys by Honore Penon, Jeffer's epic epic epic family
(08:52):
saga about a Black American family across generations. And one
more is Great Circle by my Key ships Stead. Since
it's about like a pioneering aviator woman.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Are there any layers or small details in the book
that you're especially excited for readers to notice. There were
a few settings or projects things that were taken from
real life. One of them was the first tri Council
meeting that my family went to in twenty twelve. It's
in the book set in a different time. It's a
fictionalized version of the real thing, but the real thing
(09:27):
was the first time that the three different bands of Turkey.
People were brought together there since the Trail of Tears.
It was like a council meeting.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
It wasn't thrilling, but it was emotionally like very special
to get to be there with family and friends.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Very cool. I'm going to ask you a silly question.
If your book went to space, your actual book, I
just imagine it in the seat belt, although the lack
of gravity might take it floating up. Anyways, if your
book went to space, what snack would you pack with it?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
For the ask, I keep thinking astronaut ice cream or
what's it called space ice cream? Yeah, I went on
a school field trip to Huntsville where there's like a
space center. I went there when I was a child,
and everybody was really really excited about space ice cream.
And it might be different now, but and it might
not even be real, but it was like styrofoam with
sugar in it.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Oh, it doesn't sound so happy, So like they wouldn't
want me to I don't think they would want me
to send that with them, but I just that's like
such a core childhood memory of like, oh, astronauts are
just like floating in the expanse all the time, and
they're eating this styrofoam, which none of that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
It's so wild. Okay, well, good thing we don't have
to eat styrofoam. Eleianna, thank you so much. I can't
wait to talk to you next month.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Welcome back to Bookmarked by Reese's book Club. Now we
have another debut author on their pub day. Big day
around here. Guys, Reagan Revard is a lot of things.
They're an actor, producer, philanthropist, book club founder, friend of
Reese's book Club, as sort of a young adult consultant,
and now author of their own YA novel Rules for
(11:21):
Fake Girlfriends. Also, I have to tell you that YA
stands for young adult because I said YA to my
mom last week and she had no idea what I
was talking about. Here's the gist. Romcom obsessed Avery Blackwell
just moved to Seaside, England to learn more about her
deceased mom. She strikes a deal with a charming stranger
on the train named Charlie, and if Avery pretends to
(11:42):
be Charlie's girlfriend to make her ex jealous, Charlie will
help Avery find out more about her mom. It's a
fake dating romance with a mystery Twist and it's out today.
Did I mention that Reagan is only seventeen years old?
I know, pretty awesome. Let's turn the page with Reagan Reward. Reagan,
(12:08):
Welcome to the club.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
You know, it's kind of like you've been a part
of this club for a long time, because you are
really part of the Hello Sunshine family and the Reese's
Book Club family, and we've gotten to know each other.
So I'm so grateful for your friendship.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Guys, I go here, I go.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
So you've been on TV for years and you just
wrote a rom com titled Rules for Fake Girlfriends. First
of all, I love the title, but I have to
know who your favorite TV girlfriends are because I was
thinking about mine and you're seventeen, so I feel like
they're probably going to be different.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Okay, wait, what are yours? Tell me yours, and then
I'll tell you mine.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Okay. Number one is for sure The Women of Sex
and the City.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Oh. I haven't watched that, but.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I know of it, but I write that's for later
in your life.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
And then I Loved Girlfriends, which was Tracy Ellis Ross.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Oh, I've heard of that. Yes, I know, that, and you.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Know what, I love the friends and Princess Diaries Anne
Hathaway and her friend. They were so cute.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I love Princess Diaries so much.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Okay, we're on the same page.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
We're on the same page here, I do. I feel
happy I know one of them. I'm like, who are.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Your favorite TV girlfriends?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Ooh, favorite TV girlfriends? I love? You said sex in
the City. I'm saying sex SyES.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
With college girls love.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Okay, great. So I love Layton Renee Rapp's character, and
I love that whole friend group so much.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yes, it's so real.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That and then maybe the I don't know, have you
seen heart Stopper, because maybe the heart Stopper friend group?
Speaker 1 (13:57):
No, tell me, why do you like them?
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I love it because it's very found family, and so
I love them. And then there's also two characters in it.
Their names are Tara and Darcy, and their actually girlfriends,
and so it's like a found family friend group. And
then there's two the girlfriends in it. So it's a
perfect I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
That's so cool. Well, your nearly eight million followers across
platforms got to know you as Missy on Young Sheldon,
but I heard your friends call you Ray like ray
of Sunshine. Is that true? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I only ever get called Ray by like my mother
if it's like serious. But like everyone else says Ray
and I love it. It's very cute.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Well, you grew up on set, and I'm guessing you
spent time and learned from some very talented TV writers
during that time. Did writing a novel feel like a
natural extension of your storytelling brain or did it completely
terrify you both?
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Actually, I feel like I've always wanted to write a book.
I've been writing since I was like five, so it's
always kind of something that I've done, just never seriously.
And then I felt like it was a really natural
jump because it is storytelling. And I think that it
(15:11):
worked because I, because of being in the film world,
I see things so cinematically, and so I think it
helped me being able to write a novel because I
did kind of write it more in a like movie
cinematic format. Almost.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I need you to tell everybody what your schedule was
like while you were writing this, because I you, like
Beyonce has twenty four hours a day in a day,
and so does Reagan. I don't understand how you did
this while you were I don't want to say it
for you, but going to school, yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
It was a lot. So I was on set filming
and then I was writing the book and then doing school.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
You had night school two or three days a week
every day? Are you in night school every day?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I was doing school on set, so all in like
a twelve hour filming day, I would like work, do school,
and then work on my book as well, and then
also maintaining a like normal social life and how to drive, yes,
and learning how to drive. So it was very chaotic.
(16:21):
But like I would literally be in a dinner scene
and like I would have my laptop under the table,
like on my lap. They would say cut, pull my
computer out, write a little bit, and then hide it
right before they said action. It was very hectic, very chaotic.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Well, as an actor, you're really bringing iconic characters to life.
And when you're writing this book, are you casting them
in your mind? When you're on set and you're hiding
your laptop and writing this, are you kind of writing
for certain actors to play these roles or are you
playing the lead?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (16:56):
No, no, I I did. I didn't see any characters
until like after so I saw what the characters look like,
but not really actor wise.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
But now that I've.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Thought about it and I've pinterest boarded it, I could
see like Katherine Newton, like a young Katherine Newton nineteen
years old, as Charlie who's a love interest. And then
I think, like Emily Blunt to play her mom, And
then I don't. I don't have a cast for the
main character, but for her mom the family Stone Rachel McAdams.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Is there anything that is very Reagan that you snuck
into the main character, either purposely or without realizing it.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
I mean, I feel like I put a lot of
like different pieces of myself in every character, and so
there's a little bit of Reagan in all the characters.
You just got to know where to look. But I
feel like the one thing that is like so similar
is obviously.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
We both love rom coms.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
She loves watching rom comms with her mom, and then
I love watching rom comms with my mom. And then
she also has a black cat. I have a black cat.
They both are named Circe. Maybe not a coincidence. She's
very much like an introvert, but is very extroverted around
her friends and that's very much me. Like I'm an
(18:26):
introvert until i'm around like my circle, and then I'm
very extroverted.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Now, the book leans on a lot of these classic
tropes first love, fake relationship hijinks. How did you take
these classic ideas and make them feel relatable to a
new generation of romance readers.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
It was kind of a lot of fun because throughout
the book there's a bunch of different tropes that you
read about in each chapter. Actually, the chapter heading is
a different rom com rule, and so I had to
do a bunch of different research on rom coms in general,
and I felt like, what was a lot of fun
(19:09):
is I kind of made fun of those tropes because
like the whole thing with a rom com trope or
rom com story where the main character is going into
college or moving out is like she's broke, but somehow
she has this stunning apartment, and I'm like, that's not
really realistic, and so the chapter heading is the Hairwine
(19:32):
is broke but has a stunning apartment or something similar
like that, and then in the chapter it's Avery decorating
her apartment and putting like a rug over a little
mold spot or something, and then there's been like a
leaky faucet, and so it's kind of fun to take
these stereotypical tropes that everyone reads about and then kind
(19:55):
of poke fun at it and do it in a
different way, And so that would be refreshing to read.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Do you think the idea of fake dating in real
life can be romantic or is it strictly for rom coms.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I feel like it would be so tricky to like
actually pull off in real life. And I also don't
know because whenever there's a fake dating trope, obviously they
always end up together. But I feel like there's a
chance that if someone was to actually try to fake
date in real life, it would actually succeed, like they
(20:31):
wouldn't end up together. But I want it to exist.
I love whenever I hear someone be like this book happened,
and I like something happened that like to me, that's similar.
I love when that happens. So maybe fingers crossed. I hope.
I hope it exists, and I love reading about it,
so maybe it happens.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Why did you set it in England?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
I love England so much. It's my favorite place.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And if it.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Ever her Fingers Crossed becomes a movie I want obviously
to film in England because that would be so much fun,
and so I purely did that for myself. It also
ended up making sense that the main characters learning about
who she is and then the going overseas to a
new country really helped kind of with this new version
(21:24):
of Avery where she's discovering things about herself and learning
who she wants to be and what she wants to
do in life, And so it ended up making sense
and like really helping the story.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Was there a scene that you wrote that made you
laugh out loud while you were writing, like you just
had to stop typing.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I think there's this scene where Avery and her roommate Maddie,
they're hanging out and they're having a like little like
stay in kind of night where they're like having like
they ordered in pizza and they like are playing games
and stuff. And there's this one. It's such a small,
(22:02):
like insignificant part, but it makes me laugh and it
because it reminds me, for some reason of me and
my mom. And it's the roommate is trying to teach
Avery how to play a video game, and Avery's terrible
at it and she keeps failing and like she keeps
losing the match or whatever, and like Avery's kind of
(22:24):
like crashing out over it, and Maddie's like, no, you
have to do this. This is how you do it.
And it just reminds me so much of my mom
and I and it's so funny to me, and it's
such a fun just like scene in general, and I
love it so much, And anytime I like go back
and like read it or like go when I was
editing and going over it, like I would just always
(22:44):
laugh at that part because it's just.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
So fun to me. And you and your mom are
so close, so I know how much you love her.
That's that's really sweet that it reminds you of that.
This book is it really centers around gen Z? What
is this tinct about gen Z? And they're reading Habits
and Tastes and how did you want gen Z to
be represented in this book?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Teens in general almost get this bad rap where it's
this like phone addicted slang slinging kind of teen. But
I feel like gen Z in general are just like
so much more than that. Every gen Z just youth
in general, teen young person, Like they're so unique, and
(23:28):
so I feel like having this umbrella term to cover
such different people, it's like it's used so much, and
so in the book, I really wanted to show that, like,
there's these college kids that like are all different kinds
of people and have different interests. Some of them the
stereotype of gen Z, some of them don't. They're all different,
(23:50):
and I really wanted to show that that they're not
just like walking around on their phones and saying all
the like gen Z slang and stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
So I saw something fun on Hello Sunshine's new gen
Z platform, Sonny that you talked about your love of
Greek mythology, Reagan, I love Greek mythology too. It was
my fable. Oh yeah, did I not know this? How
did I not know this about you? It's the strangest
(24:20):
thing that we have in common.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
My cat's name is Circe.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Okay, So I need to understand how you got into
Greek mythology. And I'm wondering if any of these stories,
because there's such amazing fables influenced your writing.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
It honestly may have been Percy Jackson when I was
little that like started it off. And then I love
the book Circe by Madeline Miller, Song of Achilles I love.
There's a book called Silence of the Girls that is
so good. I could give so many Greek mythology book recommendations.
(24:56):
It's a problem there wasn't any specific fable at his
influenced my writing. However, in Rules of Fake Girlfriends, there
is a lot of references, because Avery also loves Greek mythology.
There is this one part whenever Avery is walking out
of her apartment and the sun is like barely peeking
through the gray clouds, and Avery thinks, oh, it's like
(25:20):
Apallo is fighting with Zeus, and I thought that before,
and so there's definitely references throughout to Greek mythology, and
I do have Greek mythology book ideas, but no specific
fable influenced anything so far.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
So far, though, you wrote a book about gen Z characters,
and you are gen Z. A lot of your fans
are around your age. What are you hoping that people
(26:00):
taking away from this book about love or friendship or
figuring yourself out. There's a few.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Things regarding the main plot in general, I think probably.
I mean, Avery is a college student trying to figure
herself out. She doesn't know what she really wants to
do in life. She's not sure where she's going. And
I think a lot of people can resonate with that
(26:27):
and can understand that, and it doesn't really matter, like
where you are in your life, you don't have to
be Avery's age to understand not being one hundred percent
certain in what you want to do. And so I
think the whole thing with the book is that in
the beginning of it, Avery isn't sure where she wants
to go, and then by the end she's figured it out,
(26:50):
she knows what she wants to do, she's confident in it,
and she's just as confident in herself. And I think
the main thing is like just give it time. Like
you can't rush trying to figure something out. You can't
rush trying to figure out who you want to be
who you are at the moment, And so I think
(27:11):
just like giving it time and kind of going with
the flow, almost because that's what Avery did.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
She went with the flow.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
She went to England spontaneously, and she really just did
not know what she was doing, and she ended up
figuring it out. And I think just trusting that time
will answer whatever you're not certain in.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
That was a very wise, beautiful answer, Reagan, because I
think a lot of us, regardless of your age, feel
this immediacy, probably because of social media and the fast
paced world we live in. And it's true, somethings just
take time.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Some things just take time. I feel like in my
present day there isn't like a lot going on. I'm
not like on set or anything, and like I'm not
like in the middle of writing a book or anything.
I've just really been focusing on promoting this one, and
so it does kind of feel like kind of stuck.
(28:10):
But then just no, this is my in between state
and just not rushing it and kind of getting to
savor it and just be in the moment. I'm very
bad about being in the moment, and so I'm always
just like, let it sit and then in a little
bit we'll get right back to it.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Absolutely, and sometimes that time to rest and recharge really
fires you up for that next moment exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Now, because like I've had time to kind of take
it all in and relax and recharge, like you said,
and now I'm so excited to get onto the next book.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I really love reading books from authors who are of
the genre meaning you are a YA author writing YA,
You're gonna know things because you're living it, right. So
I'm curious if you feel like there are any common
misconceptions about the YA genre honestly, that.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
It's limited to teenagers and teenagers only. Yeah, I know
so many people who read YA. And it's people my age,
it's people in their fifties, it's people anywhere in between.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Yeah, I read YA exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
So many anyone can read YA. Because even if you
are in your forties reading about a college student, you
at some point in your life were an eighteen nineteen
year old who has just graduated and figuring out what
you want to do. And so even if you can't
relate to it currently, you can understand what that character
(29:36):
is feeling like because you used to be that. And
so for people who are older reading YA, it could
almost be a level of like nostalgia looking back, reminiscing.
And then with gen Z teenagers who are reading YA,
it's a relatability to a current period that you're in.
(29:56):
But everyone can read it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
We had the sister who founded the Rip Bodice bookstore
on the show, and one of them said that reading
rom comms and romance books actually helped her figure out
what she wanted and deserved in relationships, which I thought
was so interesting. Has reading Ya helped you figure out
something about yourself?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I mean, I think reading Ya in general has because
like I talk about like taking time and like finding
your place in the world and everything, but I learned
that from somewhere too. I didn't just like get that
knowledge out of nowhere. And I feel like I really
did learn that from YA books in general, because how
(30:44):
I said, like people can take away being like taking
time to figure out who you are, and they could
maybe learn that from my book. I had those books
where I was like, oh, like this character didn't really
know what they wanted to do, but now at the
end of the book they're kind of figuring it out.
And so I think, honestly the model that I said
(31:07):
people who take away from rules is what I've learned
from why I So it's almost it's giving it back
in a certain way where I've like I've learned this.
Now I'm imparting this to people.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Reagan, I look at you with such admiration and awe
sometimes because when I was your age, I had these
really big dreams and goals, and I think people looked
at me and were like, simmer down, relax, you know,
like you have your whole life to accomplish stuff. And
(31:41):
I felt misunderstood because goals and achieving and accomplishing things
and striving like really gave me joy and made me happy.
And at seventeen, you have accomplished so much. You really
go after everything you want, including writing your first novel.
And I think there are a lot of young people
(32:03):
out there who want to do what you're doing. Do
you have any advice for young people who want to
write a book? Where do they start?
Speaker 2 (32:13):
I feel like one is writing or storytelling. Creating specific
is write down everything you see, So whether it's a
person or an interaction, Like my notes app is full
of the most random things, because I'll see or i'll
meet someone and I'm like, oh my god, you would
(32:36):
be just such a good, just funny little character in
this one specific moment that I can pull upon later.
And so my notes app is just full of the
most random things. I'll hear someone say something and I'm like, ooh,
let me we write that down real quick, Like I
have to like jop that down. And so just like
writing down any instance or any circumstance that you think
(33:00):
you could pull upon later, like write it down, remember it,
and then I think this. This goes to like any circumstance,
not just writing in general, but like trusting your gut,
trusting that little voice in your brain that's telling you, like, hey,
like maybe you should do this, Maybe you should go
(33:20):
with this idea. Like most of the time that little
voice tends to be right.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Both are such great tips. And I'd never really thought
about writing down your observations. That's so smart, Like even
describing somebody's eyebrows or the way they smell. It's so literary.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
No, my my NOTESAP I had, Like I one day
I went through and I like sorted it all and
I organized it. Yeah, And I have the most random
things in there. I have character descriptions. I have book titles.
I have book ideas. I have book titles for a
book that's in a book I would write. I have
(33:56):
place ideas. It's everything there is, like there's dialogue. It's
so much, but it is so helpful whenever you're in
the middle of writing a book and you need like
a side character to put in in this random little scene,
and you can just be like, oh my god, I
have this list of funny interactions that I've had and
(34:18):
I can put this person in this scenario.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Reagan, I'm going to ask you a question, and there's
a lot of pressure attached. Okay, okay, you're a book
club founder and a YA author. You are deep in
the world of books, so I need to know what
your book recommendations are for Fall.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
There's this book that I read called Queen of Faces.
It's a fantasy so good. I devoured it. There's also
I'm gonna do a plug here for my friend because
she has a book coming out also on September second,
and it's called Invitation Only by Alexander Brown Chang. It
is so good. It kind of delves into like the
(34:59):
debutanh world. It's a lot of fun. It's a great
Fall read. I love that one.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
What else?
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Ooh, When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Neven love that book.
Those are probably my picks, I would say.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
So. I love asking our guests what they've bookmarked this week.
It can be a fun quote or something you texted
a friend, or even something you sent to your mom
on Instagram, a weird fact. What have you bookmarked? This week, Reagan,
I what has happened? Right?
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Oh? I got one. So basically, my friend is writing
a Young Sheldon book and so it's kind of a
like behind the scenes and so she's been interviewing all
the different cast and I saw her last night and
she was like Montana said the like sweetest thing about you,
(35:57):
and I was like, what what do you mean? And
he's kind of let my older brother and she showed
it to me and it was like the nicest thing.
And I make fun of him all the time, but
like he was like saying, how I'm like his little sister.
I was like cry. And so I've just been thinking
about that a lot. So that's probably what I've bookmarked
(36:18):
because he is like my older brother, and so that
was probably what it would be.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
That's really sweet. I'm wondering because you told me you
love quotes. If there's a quote you bookmarked too?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Ooh, there's this quote, you know how I said that
I always have quotes on like circulation kind of and
like there's a few that I always go to. There's
this quote by Tom Hollam that like stuck out to me,
and it was in an interview and someone asked him
something about like the Internet perceiving him or something, or
(36:52):
like the Internet not being happy with him or something,
and he said, if you have a problem with me,
text me, and if you don't have my number, you
don't have a reason to have a problem with me.
And that has really stuck with me because like, ain't
that the truth? But it's such a good quote and
I say it all the time because if I ever
(37:13):
have a friend that's like dealing with something, I'm like, hey,
like there's this quote, and it just like it works
in so many scenarios and it's such a good quote
and I stick by that and I love it.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
That's a great one, Reagan. And I understand maybe why
this would mean a lot to you, because with eight
million people following you on the internet, all those opinions
can be quite a lot sometimes. Yes, Next up is
speed Read. Here's how it works. We put sixty seconds
on the clock and we're going to see just how
many rapid fire questions you can get through. Are you
(37:48):
locked in? Are you ready? Reagan?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Rapid fire is my favorite category of questions, So I'm so.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Ready, And I know you love a game, so I'm
extra excited for this Speed read. Let's do it. Okay,
fake dating or enemies to lovers?
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Oh, but you've combined both of them. Okay, let's do
enemy to lovers?
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Coffee shop date or movie date?
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Coffee shop date?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Which book have you dog eared the most?
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Ooh, Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix?
Speaker 1 (38:18):
If you had to choose a lifetime supply of books
or a lifetime supply of snacks?
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Five time supply of books?
Speaker 1 (38:25):
What's one rule of real life friendship that you live by?
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Ooh, maybe you like always just like a check in?
Like always do a check in. I love a good
check and be like, hey, how's it going?
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Love that finish this sentence. The best thing about being
a writer is blank.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
The best thing about being a writer is being able
to show someone else how to step into someone else's shoes.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
What's your red flag reading habit? Reagan?
Speaker 2 (38:52):
That I dog your books?
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Me too? Which book do you give the most often?
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Midnight Library bym.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
At high Reagan? Reward? That is it? For your time
on Bookmark? Thank you for hanging out with us, girl,
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
It was so much fun. I got to sit here
and talk about books. So I've thrived.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
If you want a little bit more from us. Come
hang with us on socials. We're at Reese's book Club
on Instagram, serving up books, vibes and behind the scenes
magic and I'm at Danielle Robe, Roba y come say
hi and df me and if you want to go
nineties on us, call us. Okay, our phone line is open,
so call now at one five zero one two nine,
(39:43):
one three three seven nine. That's one five oh one
two nine, one three three seven nine. Share your literary
hot takes, book recommendations, questions about the monthly pick, or
let us know what you think about the episode you
just heard. And who knows, you might just hear yourself
in our next episode, So don't be shy, give us
(40:06):
a ring, and of course, make sure to follow Bookmarked
by Reese's book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast,
or wherever you get your shows. Until then, see you
in the next chapter. Bookmarked is a production of Hello,
Sunshine and iHeart Podcast. It's executive produced by Reese Witherspoon
and me Danielle Robe. Production is by Acast Creative Studios.
(40:30):
Our producers are Matty Foley, Britney Martinez, Sarah Schleid and
Darby Masters. Our production assistant is Avery Loftis. Jenny Kaplan
and Emily Rutterer are the executive producers for a Cast
Creative Studios. Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the executive
producers for Hello, Sunshine, Olga Cominwa. Kristin Perla and Ashley
(40:50):
Rappaport are associate producers for Reese's Book Club. Ali Perry
and Lauren Hansen are the executive producers for iHeart Podcasts,
and Tim Palazola is our showrunner.
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