July 9, 2024 • 28 mins
Well, friends, this sounds like yet another episode that will add a number of new titles to your TBR lists. In this episode, Carmen and Rachel talk about unique, distinctive, and innovative books. Books: The Change by Kirsten Miller A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling Ella Minnow […]
The post Unique, Distinctive, and Innovative Books: Episode 111 appeared first on Bubbly Bibbly.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Hello, and welcome to Bubbly Bib, the podcast
about books and bubbles.
Literature and l,
authors and alcohol. We love books and bubbly.
We are friends to offer. Curated book review
section on our website and a hilarious podcast.
We discuss books, drinks, and stories from our
lives.
I'm Rachel, and I am Carmen.
(00:28):
After that last episode, I really can't stop
thinking about books that have made an impression.
On me, and that got me thinking
about the reasons
they made an impression.
And it it seems a little pros
which by the way is word that I
learned from you've got mail with Meg ryan
and Tom Hanks.
To say that you love a book because
(00:49):
the writing is beautiful,
Of course, that's definitely a good reason to
love a book, but there are a lot
of authors out there who write beautifully.
That is true.
Some of my go to authors are Ag
the Christie,
Andy Weird, Jk k rowling,
Taylor Jenkins read,
and
(01:09):
Neil Ga.
I think we've talked about this before that
we will buy,
sorry all titles by a certain author,
that they are our sure thing when it
comes to a well written book.
Yeah. And I thought it would be fun
to take an episode to pick a few
titles that are so different
that we can't forget them. They are so
(01:30):
unique that they deserve a special file folder
in our memories.
And as we think about this, and start
to pick apart the raisins,
why these titles stand out, When may see
a pattern
Well, listeners, it sounds like another episode, where
we are gonna be adding some new titles
to not only yours, but our Tbr list.
(01:53):
Because in this episode, Carmen and I are
gonna talk about
unique,
distinctive
and innovative,
books.
Alright, girl. Well, I kinda made up a
drink to tonight eat
I am drinking a strawberry lemonade gi.
(02:14):
So it's jen,
elder flower tonic and a splash of that
strawberry lemonade that I bought from Trader Joe's
when we were?
You using?
I don't know.
What? The British, the British 1?
Temporary?
Take take? Okay. Yeah.
(02:35):
I am,
I'm just going old school tonight, and I'm
drinking a bot.
Fran Chris White because,
I'm too damn lazy to get in there
and make anything. Plus, I'm having a hot
flash restaurant.
Sassy see you over their fanning yourself. I'm
having a hot flash right now, and
I I just... I can't stand the thought
(02:57):
of drinking anything that makes me warm.
So I just finished...
Reading a dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden.
It's a fantasy romance,
but get this or Roman,
love that. Oh my god. Are you kidding
me?
Yes. Is what they're calling it Remain.
(03:20):
I Yeah. I hate that.
Okay. Well, alright. It's a fantasy Romance.
Anyway, it's about a younger sister Ar
who ends up sacrificing
herself to save her brother and her family.
And she's captured by this most dangerous kingdom,
you know, on the continent,
and they are forcing her to work as
(03:41):
a healer.
And it's just really interesting and she meets.
She meets the stranger who ends up being
the king to So I'm given some of
it away. So sorry about that.
It is Kate Golden debut Fantasy,
and it's a series.
So
I I just got the second book in
(04:01):
it. Oh, so you'd like the... You like
the first 1 have to go to the
second 1.
Yeah. Of course. I'm gotta I gotta do
the second.
No. You don't, but that's another episode.
It's good though. I liked it. Okay. I
just finished
the change by Kirsten Miller, which was suggested
(04:22):
to me by Sarah,
and I gotta tell you right now. If
you have not read this book, this is
I drop everything and read this book
because oh my gosh.
It it is the change by Kirsten
Miller
And so this this book is about 3
middle aged women who are going through the
(04:44):
change.
And
they...
As their bodies
start changing,
so do their
pro.
Let's say they find powers within themselves.
So 1 is
a
an enforce.
(05:05):
1 is or or like the Braun.
1 is
the retribution. She make sure that you pay
for your sins.
And the other 1 is a seer.
And so they opt... Come together in this
little town,
and it is just a bad
feminist
book. And I absolutely
(05:26):
loved it.
Alright. That's... I'm already putting another book on
I... Tv. Yeah? Good. He hadn't even gotten
to the good stuff.
My first book is gonna be easy peasy.
(05:50):
Because it's the Harry Potter series by Jk
k rowling. Mh. I know. I bring this
title up often. But there's a reason.
It truly does check all the boxes.
The bixby have been widely is... Has a
very wide appeal across all the demographics.
The all the characters are just really compelling.
(06:12):
They're relatable,
their disc and sweet.
The action is the perfect
combination of nail biting, close calls,
like big victories,
the villains are wonderfully,
at.
I had.
(06:35):
The villains are wonderfully sinister.
There is a fair amount of redemption.
For various characters that move you from loa
to loving. Yeah.
Harry Potter and the sorcerer of stone was
single
handedly
responsible for making a new generation of readers,
(06:56):
excited about opening
a book. Yeah. And not to be gender
Specific here, but it's very difficult in particular
to get adolescent and boys to read.
And this entire series
did turn
adolescent boys into raiders,
and I am so happy for that.
(07:18):
All of this is definitely true, and that
is definitely a good start. And you do
bring it up a lot, but it's because
it is so
well done,
agreed.
So my first book is Ella
Min
p
by Mark Dunn.
And the subtitle on this book is a
(07:39):
novel in
letters
and that doesn't mean correspondence.
It means that alphabet.
So the story is about a town with
a large...
Monolith
type object in the town square covered in
very large tiles of the alphabet.
The town is named after a man they
think developed the most famous
(08:02):
pan.
And a pan
is
a sentence that uses every letter of the
alphabet. So the most famous 1 is the
Quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
So there is 1 letter per tile on
this monolith, and as time passes, a few
of the tiles fall down to the ground.
(08:23):
And as the tiles fall off,
the text of the book also drops those
letters.
A matter of fact,
The town council
sets an
that the citizens can't use the letter either.
In either writing or inc... Station. And as
the story continues more and more letters fall
(08:45):
from the tower
and the story.
And by the time you get to the
end of the story, there hardly any letters
left.
I absolutely
adored this premise. This was such a cubic.
You've mentioned it before, and it was on
my Tbr, so I've gotten it
It is adorable.
But in the interest of time, let's take
(09:06):
a break, come back for our next books.
Okay. My next book, I read last year,
so it's kind of a recent 1, and
it's gonna be starter villain by John.
(09:28):
Sc.
So instead of following the typical hero's
journey,
this novel explores a life of a villain
offering
a really intriguing
perspective.
So Sc uses a lot of humor in
this book. So the
protagonist
Charlie finds himself in the role of super
(09:50):
villain,
thanks to the death of his uncle,
and he is thrown into this extraordinary life,
with talking cats and talking dolphins and all
kinds of other villains that he has to
deal with. It's it's a funny
It's funny also because this book is kinda
in now, contemporary world
(10:10):
where the... But the existence of super villains
is just accepted.
If not just part of life.
But the...
What's interesting is the story also kind of
explores
corporate
culture versus modern capitalism, which kinda adds depth
and relevancy to the story kinda adds a
little bit of a theme.
(10:32):
And it challenges the readers to think critically
about morality and ethics.
But Sc is...
Really great at writing
really quick wit dialogue,
which really enhances the characters,
interactions throughout the whole story,
it it has a fast paced plot with
(10:52):
unexpected twist. It's definitely unique and distinctive.
I don't think I've ever heard you talk
about this. When did you read it? Last
year.
It's
so funny.
I'm gonna have to check this 1 out.
Is it...
I'm gonna have to see if it's available.
Starter villain by John Sc... Yeah. The whole
(11:14):
thing sounds really cute. Yes. But, you know,
this sounds like it would be a good
movie, like a deadpool movie. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. You'd have to maybe lot of Cgi,
but
And yeah. We'll have to can't cast this
1 later.
My next book was memorable because it's the
(11:34):
first 1 that I remember
reading and feeling like I had been on
a roller coach. Stir when I finished it.
Like, I closed the book and thought,
who have been on a roller coaster,
and it's called the rook by Australian author
Daniel O.
And it's a crime
(11:54):
mystery, supernatural
Clan
government
organization
novel. Wow.
Okay. The main the main character wakes up
with Em amnesia and in the box
of another person.
And so much happens in this book that
I could not read it fast enough
(12:17):
It's 1 of his books that you can
never rate it in the same way again,
and oh, I... It... It's part of a
series.
And I I read the other ones after
it, but this 1
just grabs you by the balls even though
I don't have any,
And
(12:37):
that's why I was absolutely fixated on this
1.
That's good. That's gone on my Tbr list
now I think.
So for my next pick, you can really
have your pick from... Sounds any of the
world of token.
And but I'm just gonna talk about the
hobbit.
(12:58):
Tolkien has created this rich fantasy world with
diverse races and creatures.
And, I mean, he developed a whole new
genre of high fantasy
where it has these complex worlds and epic
quest and battles between good and evil.
And he did this in the narratives style
(13:19):
which blended this...
Well, light lighthearted adventure
with deep meaningful
themes.
He
He always does it from the Hero's journey
in his books,
the...
So in this,
the protagonist,
Bilbo ins, the hobbit
is this unlikely hero,
(13:40):
which valued piece and comfort
and just, you know, second breakfast in his
home, more than adventure.
And you remember I mentioned that I tried
to read this... The first time I tried
to read this in high school. I opened
it and they're like, there's a map. And
I'm like, mh.
I was like, this is not like this.
(14:01):
So
that makes it very unique and distinctive because
he he used his own
illustrations.
And maps in the books to help the
re... With the reader experience.
And I think it's just an enduring legacy
that Tolkien had
started and created through the hobbit in all
in all his books.
(14:22):
Yeah. You know, in as full disclosure, Rachel.
The hobbit is the only tolkien book I've
ever read. Oh,
okay. Mh.
Yeah. And,
I was
really
nicely surprised at how much I loved it.
Yeah.
So,
(14:43):
well, I can't believe it's been
7 years
since I read this next book, I'm gonna
talk about
Lincoln in the bard by George Saunders.
It's about 1 night
set in a cemetery
where Abraham Lincoln's
11 year old son is buried.
There are 166
(15:05):
narrator
in this story.
Some are actual historical figures and others are
fictional 6 but all of these people are
in the bard,
which is kind of a transitional place between
death and rebirth,
according to Buddhism.
And it... It's a beautiful work at won
(15:26):
the booker prize, and it's comics experimental
literature, which means that it's hard to define
the genre,
and
the the tag may be in a format
different from the normal pros of other novels,
like, sometimes this 1 is written like a
play.
And there may be drawings and handwritten notes
(15:46):
or photographs within the text. But the 1
thing that really got to me is this
spirits are watching
Lincoln.
And the crib where tad is,
and
Lincoln
opens
the casket
(16:07):
and
he hugs
his son.
Okay goodness yes. And
he just he just holds him and hugs
him, and
the the ghosts
or the spirits are so moved by this
because they've never ever seen anyone do that
before.
And,
(16:27):
you know, Lincoln is such a a
conflict
man
anyway and to add this
even more to it through this,
Geo Saunders just really did something here
that
I
have never
experienced before. And
(16:49):
it it was just a beautiful
beautiful book.
So
my next book is gonna be...
Long way down by Jason Reynolds.
This book is very unique and distinctive in
that it is
a 1 minute story.
The entire narrative takes place over the course
(17:11):
of a single minute during an elevator ride.
And so this compressed timeline heighten
the
tension and the urgency of this story making,
I mean, because every second and every word
is counting.
The the book
tackle the pressing issues of gun violence,
(17:32):
And, like the cycles
of revenge in this urban community.
It really does provide an honest look at
all the consequences
of
the actions
prompting the reader to reflect on violence in
the society.
So the main character will,
experiences,
profound conflict and growth within the short minute
(17:54):
going down. He's just
questioning everything
and reflecting and questioning as
morality and and everything. It's just very powerful
and
relatable
And the other thing that makes it distinct
is the characters are ghosts.
So every time the elevator opens up,
(18:15):
the, you know, a ghost. From his life
joins him. And the other thing is it's
all done on this in a elevator,
which makes it like very
claustrophobic
and intense because there's nowhere else This trapped
emotional state is very symbolic. So it's very
poetic it has lots of visuals
(18:37):
that add to this storytelling.
It's just always gonna be in my top
10.
Well, let me tell you.
I
I go back and listen to our episodes,
and you were talking talking about this book
in another 1 of the episodes when you
were reading it.
And I went to thrift dot com, and
(18:57):
I bought the hard cover talking But I
also noticed that there is a graphic fucking
novel.
And I bought that too.
I know I'm really
really
excited to get those in because you know
Rachel, I do not willy nilly buy a
book.
(19:18):
No.
No. But when I saw that you were
gonna talk about it, again, on this episode,
I thought. Mh. I am... I'm throwing in
the towel. Rachel has won again on my
Tbr. Good
well, my next book is Song of Achilles
by Madeline Miller.
(19:40):
This book
was shocking.
To me. And let me tell you why
I
I absolutely
was 100
percent invest did in this book. And it's
about
the the Greek
Demi god achilles
(20:00):
and
his best friend. And you know, I talked
about this book, not too many episodes ago,
I think on booking hangover overs,
But this book is such
a beautiful
love story.
And achilles
loved each other
(20:22):
so purely.
And
so fiercely
that even achilles
got married and had a child,
with a a woman and
Understood completely that that's what was expected of
him.
But the bond between these to and spoiler
(20:42):
alert. I mean, Pet,
he
absolutely,
gives himself up
on the battlefield
so that achilles
can live. And
Wow. It was just Oh, it was just
such a gorgeous
(21:03):
gorgeous book that I I tell everyone if
you want... A beautiful
love story.
This is the 1. And I really really
hope
they make a movie out of this and
cast it prop.
And if you're a director or casting agent
out there, you might wanna listen to our
(21:25):
butcher the movies episode with casting
suggestions.
Oh, I know. You had some good ones
on that. I I really... I think I
did too. But this 1, if if you
have not read this book, please add it
to your list.
Okay. Well, my
last book,
is the house in the Ce sea by
(21:46):
Tj j K.
You've read this. Right? Haven't you read this?
Mh.
This book is just heartwarming.
It has a very whim tone,
but it is a rich. Story with provoking
themes. It has inclusive characters, including
Lgbtq plus
(22:06):
representation,
like in a real natural and heartfelt
story,
the,
particularly in the relationship between lin and author,
It also tackle issues of prejudice,
discrimination and fear of the unknown
using the magical children as metaphors.
The book,
(22:27):
it's a... It combines magical realism with, you
know, the contemporary world.
So
It just enhances the backdrop of the story.
K writes with
really a lot of humor. He's very light
hearted.
But he balances that out with some of
the some of his themes that are kind
(22:48):
of heavy, can be heavy.
But so don't discount the story because of
its whim or shrug it off as a
funny book
because it does address, a lot of modern
themes in a real unique way.
We'll the other 1. Light under
(23:11):
the,
whispering door. Yeah. That... And and then puppet
it. Our lives is not. I I have
not read that 1 yet, but the light
under the Whispering door,
it... That's again. Yeah. It's a... It they're
very
it's a very different take on how to
tell a story that has a lot of
(23:32):
heart to it.
He's really good about making
unique
stories books. I just had to pick 1.
They're all like, this 1 is 1 of
my favorites because it has 1 of my
favorite characters who is Luc
as a child, and they call them Lucy.
Mh.
And,
he's 1 of my favorites. You know, you
(23:53):
don't hear that name very often on school
roles.
So
well, you know, we're we're nearing the end
of this, and and I I have several.
So I'm gonna I'm gonna talk about 2
real quick. Once a here. My first 1
is remarkably bright creatures by Shelby Van Pe.
Because I loved Marcel,
(24:16):
and
how
the story was told
from the perspective of an octopus
and spoiler alert
when Marcel marcelo passes at the end, you're
okay with it because Marcel has prepared you
to accept
the fact that he only lives a certain
(24:37):
number of years.
And then you have the cleaning lady
whose life is completely changed because of this
octopus,
and
it was really the first time
I had read a book with
an an animal as a protagonist,
And it was definitely
(24:58):
the
It it was it was great.
The other 1 that I wanna talk about
is garden spelled by Sarah Addison and Allen.
Because of that 1 is the first magical
realism
book
that I read
followed very shortly thereafter by practical magic by
Alice Hoffman.
(25:18):
But garden spells by Sarah Addison Allen. It's
just it is like eating
cotton candy.
You know, it... You can see it and
it has substance,
But when it goes
inside you, it just turns
into
beautiful spun sugar.
And Sarah Addison Allen is 1 of those
(25:41):
authors that I will read no matter what
she puts out.
So so those
those are my,
2 or 3 that I wanted to talk
about quickly.
And I I just...
There were a lot of books here. I
had trouble.
Right?
(26:02):
There was a lot. I think we did
a really good job.
And the sound of our cheering fans means
it's time for listener comments.
We've noticed a problem in the production of
(26:23):
the last few episodes, and I hope we
have fixed all these things now. I had
my microphone,
on a setting that I don't normally have.
I don't know why it changed on me.
Thank you to Sarah for letting us know
that it wasn't up to our normal standards.
On
And also, thanks to Sarah for suggesting some
really good topics for future episodes. You will
(26:44):
hear 1 of her suggestions very soon. But
could have added a lot more
on this list. I mean, we could've have
probably talked about this for another hour. Did
you have to... Call many to stay within
this time frame, Carmen?
You know, I really did, which is why
I crammed 2 or 3 into that last...
(27:04):
That section. I'm gonna encourage you to look
at 4321
by Paul Os
Life after life by Kate Atkinson
and the classic, the illustrated man by Ray
Brad.
Because every 1 of those is unlike any
(27:24):
book you've ever read. So please
write all 3 of those down, Paul ought,
Stuart Kate Atkinson Ray Brad,
and and let us know if you decide
to rate any of those.
Let us know which books you would consider
unique, distinctive or innovative.
Good rates has a list. Out there called
(27:46):
weird and wonderful stories. And I'm gonna have
to check out these books.
There, when I looked at it a few
days ago, there were a hundred and 6
5 titles on the list and many of
them were brand new titles to me. Another
good thing to add to avoid if you
don't wanna expand your Tbr list.
I love searching as read List.
(28:08):
There are some great lists out there and
I like most of them are open, so
anyone could add to it. And remember to
check us out on all of our social
media and continue to like, comment and add
your own
unique
content
and
don't forget to share our episodes. It's very,
(28:31):
very important
that you share our episodes and we get
our readers... Our, listeners up.
And remember you want to stand out like
a sunflower be unique and
bloom where you're planted.
Hello, and welcome to Bubbly Bib, the podcast
about books and bubbles.
Literature and l,
authors and alcohol. We love books and bubbly.
We are friends to offer. Curated book review
section on our website and a hilarious podcast.
We discuss books, drinks, and stories from our
lives.
I'm Rachel, and I am Carmen.
(00:28):
After that last episode, I really can't stop
thinking about books that have made an impression.
On me, and that got me thinking
about the reasons
they made an impression.
And it it seems a little pros
which by the way is word that I
learned from you've got mail with Meg ryan
and Tom Hanks.
To say that you love a book because
(00:49):
the writing is beautiful,
Of course, that's definitely a good reason to
love a book, but there are a lot
of authors out there who write beautifully.
That is true.
Some of my go to authors are Ag
the Christie,
Andy Weird, Jk k rowling,
Taylor Jenkins read,
and
(01:09):
Neil Ga.
I think we've talked about this before that
we will buy,
sorry all titles by a certain author,
that they are our sure thing when it
comes to a well written book.
Yeah. And I thought it would be fun
to take an episode to pick a few
titles that are so different
that we can't forget them. They are so
(01:30):
unique that they deserve a special file folder
in our memories.
And as we think about this, and start
to pick apart the raisins,
why these titles stand out, When may see
a pattern
Well, listeners, it sounds like another episode, where
we are gonna be adding some new titles
to not only yours, but our Tbr list.
(01:53):
Because in this episode, Carmen and I are
gonna talk about
unique,
distinctive
and innovative,
books.
Alright, girl. Well, I kinda made up a
drink to tonight eat
I am drinking a strawberry lemonade gi.
(02:14):
So it's jen,
elder flower tonic and a splash of that
strawberry lemonade that I bought from Trader Joe's
when we were?
You using?
I don't know.
What? The British, the British 1?
Temporary?
Take take? Okay. Yeah.
(02:35):
I am,
I'm just going old school tonight, and I'm
drinking a bot.
Fran Chris White because,
I'm too damn lazy to get in there
and make anything. Plus, I'm having a hot
flash restaurant.
Sassy see you over their fanning yourself. I'm
having a hot flash right now, and
I I just... I can't stand the thought
(02:57):
of drinking anything that makes me warm.
So I just finished...
Reading a dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden.
It's a fantasy romance,
but get this or Roman,
love that. Oh my god. Are you kidding
me?
Yes. Is what they're calling it Remain.
(03:20):
I Yeah. I hate that.
Okay. Well, alright. It's a fantasy Romance.
Anyway, it's about a younger sister Ar
who ends up sacrificing
herself to save her brother and her family.
And she's captured by this most dangerous kingdom,
you know, on the continent,
and they are forcing her to work as
(03:41):
a healer.
And it's just really interesting and she meets.
She meets the stranger who ends up being
the king to So I'm given some of
it away. So sorry about that.
It is Kate Golden debut Fantasy,
and it's a series.
So
I I just got the second book in
(04:01):
it. Oh, so you'd like the... You like
the first 1 have to go to the
second 1.
Yeah. Of course. I'm gotta I gotta do
the second.
No. You don't, but that's another episode.
It's good though. I liked it. Okay. I
just finished
the change by Kirsten Miller, which was suggested
(04:22):
to me by Sarah,
and I gotta tell you right now. If
you have not read this book, this is
I drop everything and read this book
because oh my gosh.
It it is the change by Kirsten
Miller
And so this this book is about 3
middle aged women who are going through the
(04:44):
change.
And
they...
As their bodies
start changing,
so do their
pro.
Let's say they find powers within themselves.
So 1 is
a
an enforce.
(05:05):
1 is or or like the Braun.
1 is
the retribution. She make sure that you pay
for your sins.
And the other 1 is a seer.
And so they opt... Come together in this
little town,
and it is just a bad
feminist
book. And I absolutely
(05:26):
loved it.
Alright. That's... I'm already putting another book on
I... Tv. Yeah? Good. He hadn't even gotten
to the good stuff.
My first book is gonna be easy peasy.
(05:50):
Because it's the Harry Potter series by Jk
k rowling. Mh. I know. I bring this
title up often. But there's a reason.
It truly does check all the boxes.
The bixby have been widely is... Has a
very wide appeal across all the demographics.
The all the characters are just really compelling.
(06:12):
They're relatable,
their disc and sweet.
The action is the perfect
combination of nail biting, close calls,
like big victories,
the villains are wonderfully,
at.
I had.
(06:35):
The villains are wonderfully sinister.
There is a fair amount of redemption.
For various characters that move you from loa
to loving. Yeah.
Harry Potter and the sorcerer of stone was
single
handedly
responsible for making a new generation of readers,
(06:56):
excited about opening
a book. Yeah. And not to be gender
Specific here, but it's very difficult in particular
to get adolescent and boys to read.
And this entire series
did turn
adolescent boys into raiders,
and I am so happy for that.
(07:18):
All of this is definitely true, and that
is definitely a good start. And you do
bring it up a lot, but it's because
it is so
well done,
agreed.
So my first book is Ella
Min
p
by Mark Dunn.
And the subtitle on this book is a
(07:39):
novel in
letters
and that doesn't mean correspondence.
It means that alphabet.
So the story is about a town with
a large...
Monolith
type object in the town square covered in
very large tiles of the alphabet.
The town is named after a man they
think developed the most famous
(08:02):
pan.
And a pan
is
a sentence that uses every letter of the
alphabet. So the most famous 1 is the
Quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
So there is 1 letter per tile on
this monolith, and as time passes, a few
of the tiles fall down to the ground.
(08:23):
And as the tiles fall off,
the text of the book also drops those
letters.
A matter of fact,
The town council
sets an
that the citizens can't use the letter either.
In either writing or inc... Station. And as
the story continues more and more letters fall
(08:45):
from the tower
and the story.
And by the time you get to the
end of the story, there hardly any letters
left.
I absolutely
adored this premise. This was such a cubic.
You've mentioned it before, and it was on
my Tbr, so I've gotten it
It is adorable.
But in the interest of time, let's take
(09:06):
a break, come back for our next books.
Okay. My next book, I read last year,
so it's kind of a recent 1, and
it's gonna be starter villain by John.
(09:28):
Sc.
So instead of following the typical hero's
journey,
this novel explores a life of a villain
offering
a really intriguing
perspective.
So Sc uses a lot of humor in
this book. So the
protagonist
Charlie finds himself in the role of super
(09:50):
villain,
thanks to the death of his uncle,
and he is thrown into this extraordinary life,
with talking cats and talking dolphins and all
kinds of other villains that he has to
deal with. It's it's a funny
It's funny also because this book is kinda
in now, contemporary world
(10:10):
where the... But the existence of super villains
is just accepted.
If not just part of life.
But the...
What's interesting is the story also kind of
explores
corporate
culture versus modern capitalism, which kinda adds depth
and relevancy to the story kinda adds a
little bit of a theme.
(10:32):
And it challenges the readers to think critically
about morality and ethics.
But Sc is...
Really great at writing
really quick wit dialogue,
which really enhances the characters,
interactions throughout the whole story,
it it has a fast paced plot with
(10:52):
unexpected twist. It's definitely unique and distinctive.
I don't think I've ever heard you talk
about this. When did you read it? Last
year.
It's
so funny.
I'm gonna have to check this 1 out.
Is it...
I'm gonna have to see if it's available.
Starter villain by John Sc... Yeah. The whole
(11:14):
thing sounds really cute. Yes. But, you know,
this sounds like it would be a good
movie, like a deadpool movie. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. You'd have to maybe lot of Cgi,
but
And yeah. We'll have to can't cast this
1 later.
My next book was memorable because it's the
(11:34):
first 1 that I remember
reading and feeling like I had been on
a roller coach. Stir when I finished it.
Like, I closed the book and thought,
who have been on a roller coaster,
and it's called the rook by Australian author
Daniel O.
And it's a crime
(11:54):
mystery, supernatural
Clan
government
organization
novel. Wow.
Okay. The main the main character wakes up
with Em amnesia and in the box
of another person.
And so much happens in this book that
I could not read it fast enough
(12:17):
It's 1 of his books that you can
never rate it in the same way again,
and oh, I... It... It's part of a
series.
And I I read the other ones after
it, but this 1
just grabs you by the balls even though
I don't have any,
And
(12:37):
that's why I was absolutely fixated on this
1.
That's good. That's gone on my Tbr list
now I think.
So for my next pick, you can really
have your pick from... Sounds any of the
world of token.
And but I'm just gonna talk about the
hobbit.
(12:58):
Tolkien has created this rich fantasy world with
diverse races and creatures.
And, I mean, he developed a whole new
genre of high fantasy
where it has these complex worlds and epic
quest and battles between good and evil.
And he did this in the narratives style
(13:19):
which blended this...
Well, light lighthearted adventure
with deep meaningful
themes.
He
He always does it from the Hero's journey
in his books,
the...
So in this,
the protagonist,
Bilbo ins, the hobbit
is this unlikely hero,
(13:40):
which valued piece and comfort
and just, you know, second breakfast in his
home, more than adventure.
And you remember I mentioned that I tried
to read this... The first time I tried
to read this in high school. I opened
it and they're like, there's a map. And
I'm like, mh.
I was like, this is not like this.
(14:01):
So
that makes it very unique and distinctive because
he he used his own
illustrations.
And maps in the books to help the
re... With the reader experience.
And I think it's just an enduring legacy
that Tolkien had
started and created through the hobbit in all
in all his books.
(14:22):
Yeah. You know, in as full disclosure, Rachel.
The hobbit is the only tolkien book I've
ever read. Oh,
okay. Mh.
Yeah. And,
I was
really
nicely surprised at how much I loved it.
Yeah.
So,
(14:43):
well, I can't believe it's been
7 years
since I read this next book, I'm gonna
talk about
Lincoln in the bard by George Saunders.
It's about 1 night
set in a cemetery
where Abraham Lincoln's
11 year old son is buried.
There are 166
(15:05):
narrator
in this story.
Some are actual historical figures and others are
fictional 6 but all of these people are
in the bard,
which is kind of a transitional place between
death and rebirth,
according to Buddhism.
And it... It's a beautiful work at won
(15:26):
the booker prize, and it's comics experimental
literature, which means that it's hard to define
the genre,
and
the the tag may be in a format
different from the normal pros of other novels,
like, sometimes this 1 is written like a
play.
And there may be drawings and handwritten notes
(15:46):
or photographs within the text. But the 1
thing that really got to me is this
spirits are watching
Lincoln.
And the crib where tad is,
and
Lincoln
opens
the casket
(16:07):
and
he hugs
his son.
Okay goodness yes. And
he just he just holds him and hugs
him, and
the the ghosts
or the spirits are so moved by this
because they've never ever seen anyone do that
before.
And,
(16:27):
you know, Lincoln is such a a
conflict
man
anyway and to add this
even more to it through this,
Geo Saunders just really did something here
that
I
have never
experienced before. And
(16:49):
it it was just a beautiful
beautiful book.
So
my next book is gonna be...
Long way down by Jason Reynolds.
This book is very unique and distinctive in
that it is
a 1 minute story.
The entire narrative takes place over the course
(17:11):
of a single minute during an elevator ride.
And so this compressed timeline heighten
the
tension and the urgency of this story making,
I mean, because every second and every word
is counting.
The the book
tackle the pressing issues of gun violence,
(17:32):
And, like the cycles
of revenge in this urban community.
It really does provide an honest look at
all the consequences
of
the actions
prompting the reader to reflect on violence in
the society.
So the main character will,
experiences,
profound conflict and growth within the short minute
(17:54):
going down. He's just
questioning everything
and reflecting and questioning as
morality and and everything. It's just very powerful
and
relatable
And the other thing that makes it distinct
is the characters are ghosts.
So every time the elevator opens up,
(18:15):
the, you know, a ghost. From his life
joins him. And the other thing is it's
all done on this in a elevator,
which makes it like very
claustrophobic
and intense because there's nowhere else This trapped
emotional state is very symbolic. So it's very
poetic it has lots of visuals
(18:37):
that add to this storytelling.
It's just always gonna be in my top
10.
Well, let me tell you.
I
I go back and listen to our episodes,
and you were talking talking about this book
in another 1 of the episodes when you
were reading it.
And I went to thrift dot com, and
(18:57):
I bought the hard cover talking But I
also noticed that there is a graphic fucking
novel.
And I bought that too.
I know I'm really
really
excited to get those in because you know
Rachel, I do not willy nilly buy a
book.
(19:18):
No.
No. But when I saw that you were
gonna talk about it, again, on this episode,
I thought. Mh. I am... I'm throwing in
the towel. Rachel has won again on my
Tbr. Good
well, my next book is Song of Achilles
by Madeline Miller.
(19:40):
This book
was shocking.
To me. And let me tell you why
I
I absolutely
was 100
percent invest did in this book. And it's
about
the the Greek
Demi god achilles
(20:00):
and
his best friend. And you know, I talked
about this book, not too many episodes ago,
I think on booking hangover overs,
But this book is such
a beautiful
love story.
And achilles
loved each other
(20:22):
so purely.
And
so fiercely
that even achilles
got married and had a child,
with a a woman and
Understood completely that that's what was expected of
him.
But the bond between these to and spoiler
(20:42):
alert. I mean, Pet,
he
absolutely,
gives himself up
on the battlefield
so that achilles
can live. And
Wow. It was just Oh, it was just
such a gorgeous
(21:03):
gorgeous book that I I tell everyone if
you want... A beautiful
love story.
This is the 1. And I really really
hope
they make a movie out of this and
cast it prop.
And if you're a director or casting agent
out there, you might wanna listen to our
(21:25):
butcher the movies episode with casting
suggestions.
Oh, I know. You had some good ones
on that. I I really... I think I
did too. But this 1, if if you
have not read this book, please add it
to your list.
Okay. Well, my
last book,
is the house in the Ce sea by
(21:46):
Tj j K.
You've read this. Right? Haven't you read this?
Mh.
This book is just heartwarming.
It has a very whim tone,
but it is a rich. Story with provoking
themes. It has inclusive characters, including
Lgbtq plus
(22:06):
representation,
like in a real natural and heartfelt
story,
the,
particularly in the relationship between lin and author,
It also tackle issues of prejudice,
discrimination and fear of the unknown
using the magical children as metaphors.
The book,
(22:27):
it's a... It combines magical realism with, you
know, the contemporary world.
So
It just enhances the backdrop of the story.
K writes with
really a lot of humor. He's very light
hearted.
But he balances that out with some of
the some of his themes that are kind
(22:48):
of heavy, can be heavy.
But so don't discount the story because of
its whim or shrug it off as a
funny book
because it does address, a lot of modern
themes in a real unique way.
We'll the other 1. Light under
(23:11):
the,
whispering door. Yeah. That... And and then puppet
it. Our lives is not. I I have
not read that 1 yet, but the light
under the Whispering door,
it... That's again. Yeah. It's a... It they're
very
it's a very different take on how to
tell a story that has a lot of
(23:32):
heart to it.
He's really good about making
unique
stories books. I just had to pick 1.
They're all like, this 1 is 1 of
my favorites because it has 1 of my
favorite characters who is Luc
as a child, and they call them Lucy.
Mh.
And,
he's 1 of my favorites. You know, you
(23:53):
don't hear that name very often on school
roles.
So
well, you know, we're we're nearing the end
of this, and and I I have several.
So I'm gonna I'm gonna talk about 2
real quick. Once a here. My first 1
is remarkably bright creatures by Shelby Van Pe.
Because I loved Marcel,
(24:16):
and
how
the story was told
from the perspective of an octopus
and spoiler alert
when Marcel marcelo passes at the end, you're
okay with it because Marcel has prepared you
to accept
the fact that he only lives a certain
(24:37):
number of years.
And then you have the cleaning lady
whose life is completely changed because of this
octopus,
and
it was really the first time
I had read a book with
an an animal as a protagonist,
And it was definitely
(24:58):
the
It it was it was great.
The other 1 that I wanna talk about
is garden spelled by Sarah Addison and Allen.
Because of that 1 is the first magical
realism
book
that I read
followed very shortly thereafter by practical magic by
Alice Hoffman.
(25:18):
But garden spells by Sarah Addison Allen. It's
just it is like eating
cotton candy.
You know, it... You can see it and
it has substance,
But when it goes
inside you, it just turns
into
beautiful spun sugar.
And Sarah Addison Allen is 1 of those
(25:41):
authors that I will read no matter what
she puts out.
So so those
those are my,
2 or 3 that I wanted to talk
about quickly.
And I I just...
There were a lot of books here. I
had trouble.
Right?
(26:02):
There was a lot. I think we did
a really good job.
And the sound of our cheering fans means
it's time for listener comments.
We've noticed a problem in the production of
(26:23):
the last few episodes, and I hope we
have fixed all these things now. I had
my microphone,
on a setting that I don't normally have.
I don't know why it changed on me.
Thank you to Sarah for letting us know
that it wasn't up to our normal standards.
On
And also, thanks to Sarah for suggesting some
really good topics for future episodes. You will
(26:44):
hear 1 of her suggestions very soon. But
could have added a lot more
on this list. I mean, we could've have
probably talked about this for another hour. Did
you have to... Call many to stay within
this time frame, Carmen?
You know, I really did, which is why
I crammed 2 or 3 into that last...
(27:04):
That section. I'm gonna encourage you to look
at 4321
by Paul Os
Life after life by Kate Atkinson
and the classic, the illustrated man by Ray
Brad.
Because every 1 of those is unlike any
(27:24):
book you've ever read. So please
write all 3 of those down, Paul ought,
Stuart Kate Atkinson Ray Brad,
and and let us know if you decide
to rate any of those.
Let us know which books you would consider
unique, distinctive or innovative.
Good rates has a list. Out there called
(27:46):
weird and wonderful stories. And I'm gonna have
to check out these books.
There, when I looked at it a few
days ago, there were a hundred and 6
5 titles on the list and many of
them were brand new titles to me. Another
good thing to add to avoid if you
don't wanna expand your Tbr list.
I love searching as read List.
(28:08):
There are some great lists out there and
I like most of them are open, so
anyone could add to it. And remember to
check us out on all of our social
media and continue to like, comment and add
your own
unique
content
and
don't forget to share our episodes. It's very,
(28:31):
very important
that you share our episodes and we get
our readers... Our, listeners up.
And remember you want to stand out like
a sunflower be unique and
bloom where you're planted.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!