August 5, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode of the Pouring Over Books podcast, LaShawn Wiltz reflects on her reading journey in July, discussing 5 of the 14 books she read, including notable titles like 'What Kind of Paradise' and 'Everyone is Lying to You.' She shares her ratings and thoughts on each book, highlighting her favorites and those that didn't meet her expectations. LaShawn also looks ahead to her August reading list, featuring a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and emphasizes the importance of reading what resonates with you rather than following trends.
BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
Where the Crawdad’s sing by Delia Owens
Everyone is Lying to You by Joe Piazza
Blessings and disasters by Alexis Okeowo
Baldwin a love story by Nicholas Boggs
Positive obsession : the life and times of Octavia E Butler by Susana M Morris
Razorblade Tears By SA Cosby
How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley
Follow the Podcast on IG @pouringoverbookspod and YouTube
Follow LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey there, bookworms.
Welcome to Pouring Over Books, apodcast where we dive into the
books we love and maybe a few wedidn't.
I'm your host, LaShawn, andevery week I'll be deep diving
into what I'm reading,recommendations, and talking
about all the things that welove about books.
So grab your favorite coffee ortea, find a cozy spot, and let's
(00:21):
get ready to pour over somegreat books together.
Hello, friends, and welcome backto the Porn of a Book's podcast.
I am LaShawn, your host, andfriends, how is it already
August?
My goodness, it is the last fullmonth of summer.
School started yesterday, and Ifeel like these are indeed what
(00:44):
they call the dog days ofsummer, even though here where I
am, it has suddenly changed.
like a switch went off and itfeels like fall.
I know it's just temporary, butI'm tired.
And I just started training formy half marathon and my son went
back to school yesterday.
(01:06):
Yeah, it's a lot going on.
But anyway, I want to just pointout that the podcast is going to
be live over on YouTube becauseI am recording this podcast with
video.
Hey, new friends.
But anyway, I just want to saywelcome.
And today it is the first of themonth.
(01:28):
So, of course, we are talkingabout the books that I read in
July and what books are on myradar for August.
My goodness, I have to keepsaying that.
So in July, according toStorygraph, I read, what does it
say?
I read 14 books.
It seemed like more, but thefact is that I started like 20
(01:50):
books that I didn't finish.
It was a weird month.
Like I couldn't focus or I justcould not find, get myself into
a rhythm while I was readingbooks.
Like it would start off good,but then it would lose me Or it
would start off too slow and Igot bored.
Nothing was holding myattention.
So I have been continuing to DNFwith Abandoned.
(02:13):
like I've been doing all year,but some of these books I put on
my DNF for now, pal.
So I will try to revisit them,return to them when I'm in a
better frame of mind, when itseems like that is something I
want to read.
So anyway, of these 14 books Iread, I'm going to talk about
four of the books that got fourstars and above and one book
(02:36):
that got below a three.
I rarely talk about those, but Ifeel like I need to talk about
this one.
Okay, so let's go.
Let's start off with What Kindof Paradise by Janelle Brown.
The premise.
Jane knows only the world herfather has built.
Off-grid living, philosophybooks, and vague stories about
her mother's death.
(02:57):
As she grows older, Jane beginsto question their secluded life
and her father's secrecy.
When she discovers she's beencomplicit in a terrible crime,
she runs away to San Francisco,seeking the truth.
There, in a city transformed bythe rise of the internet, Jane
confronts the Mysteries of herpast, her mother's fate, and the
harsh realities beyond herfather's utopia.
(03:19):
all while forging a new pathtowards identity and freedom.
So let's talk about what Ithought.
I was so excited for this book.
In my head, I think I waspicturing a cross between
educated and where the crawdagssing.
So that puts you in a frame ofmind of what I was thinking.
It was not so, friends.
Not at all.
This book was actually fine andengaging, and I was interested
(03:41):
up until around 75%.
Then when everything, when theplot twists, twist, then I felt
like the book just didn't knowwhere to go after that big plot
reveal.
I feel like we spent the last25% of the book just floating
around.
It seemed like waiting for theother shoe to drop.
(04:02):
And then when it did drop, itwas like anticlimactic.
And which was so sad because Iwas riveted.
up until that last 25%.
I wanted more and just didn'tget it.
So I gave it a 3.5 out of fivebecause it was good, but I
wanted more.
The next book that I want totalk about that I completed was
(04:24):
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto,The Premise.
Captured as her castle falls,Princess Briony Rosewood is
stripped of her magic andfreedom, then sold at auction to
Tovin Hurst, heir to thenotoriously cruel family.
Facing a bleak new reality ofservitude and danger, Briony
must navigate a world ruled byevil.
(04:46):
But even in the darkest places,hope flickers and unexpected
allies may yet changeeverything.
So I went into this book unawareof any previous version or that
the fact that it was based onfanfic.
I missed that memo.
I put it together about halfwaythrough when I really started
(05:09):
getting into the story.
And even then I I had to lookfor it.
That's what I'm going to say.
Which I really started gettinginto the story about 25% of the
book.
I almost put it down because Iwas like, I don't see why this
is interesting.
But I'm happy to say that aroundthe 50% mark, I realized I
couldn't put it down and wasshocked when I noticed that I
(05:31):
only had a few pages left.
The ending was awesome.
The love story, let's just saythe chemistry was on point and
my Good man, Tobin.
I mean, why are you resisting sohard when the truth is obvious?
I mean, like, sir, I cannot waitto learn his entire backstory.
So I'm really looking forward tothe next book.
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And for Bryony, the female maincharacter, I had my doubts, but
the girl is stronger than sheseemed.
And I'm really ready to see whatthe direction the next book
heads in.
But I'm also mad that I'vestarted yet another trilogy that
is just beginning.
But I enjoyed this one, like Isaid.
(06:11):
I know there was a lot ofdiscourse, germany, sorry,
fiction.
But if you didn't know, youwouldn't know.
You really wouldn't.
And I can't wait to read thenext one.
So I gave this one a four stars.
Out of five.
The next book on my list is PenPal by J.T.
Gessinger.
The premise.
I feel like the book descriptionthat they give you on all the
(06:35):
websites, all the book sites, isnot accurate.
Like, it's confusing, which in away was good because I went in
and I was blind, but I feel likeit'll be more accurate to give
you my own summary.
So, our book begins with Kaylastanding at her husband's grave,
dealing with grief in a hugehouse that needs repairs and is
(06:56):
leaking.
She calls a roof repairmanand...
falls in lust slash love,whatever you think.
Meanwhile, strange things keephappening.
Her doorbell rings and no one isthere.
Cabinet doors open and closewhen no one's there.
She's losing time and forgettingthings.
She feels like someone iswatching her.
(07:16):
And to top it all off, she has astrange pen pal from the state
penitentiary.
And when he writes his firstletter to her, it says, I'll
wait forever if I have to.
And the girl writes back.
Let's just say that by the timeshe figures out who he is,
nothing prepares you for what'snext.
My review.
(07:36):
Oh, my God.
My God.
I felt like for half of thisbook, I was sitting there like,
what am I reading?
Like, is this a dark romance?
Because, you know, it was like alittle dominant, sexy.
You know, it was sexy times on10.
And I was like, this is a lot.
But anyway, so I was like, whatam I reading?
Is this a dark romance?
(07:57):
Is this a case of some stalkinggoing on?
Is there some paranormalactivity mixed in?
Like, what genre am I readinghere?
And I kept asking, what on earthis going on?
Because it was just so weird.
The sexy times, almost despised.
Almost seemed like adistraction.
There was a lot of it.
(08:18):
I mean, really it was.
Because I kept saying, what thehell is going on in between the
scenes?
But when the twist came, ittwisted me.
I should have expected it, but Idid not expect it.
The book was leaning towards asolid three for me.
Mildly entertaining, darkish,good sexy times, a little light
(08:40):
BDSM.
never hurt anybody.
It wasn't horrible.
But the twist, the plot twist,it bumped it up to a solid four.
And that's all I can say withoutgiving it away because when you
realize what has been happening,chef's kiss, four out of five.
I gave this one a four out offive.
All right.
The next book on my list isHissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews.
(09:05):
The premise, the night beforeher wedding in the middle of an
So smart rehearsal dinner.
Interior decorator Keely Murdochchances upon her fiance and maid
of honor doing the do.
Keely throws a hissy fit to endall hissy fits, storms out and
earns herself instant notorietyin her tiny hometown of Madison,
Georgia.
(09:25):
The next day, though, she has todeal not only with a broken
engagement, but also herbusiness being shut out by folks
in town financially obligated toher ex.
Rescue comes in the form of thenew owner of the local bra
plant.
Yeah, broad point.
A hunk of a guy, Keely can'tdecide if he's a hopeless
romantic or hopelessly weird.
Either way, he's hired her toredo the broken down antebellum
(09:48):
mansion he's bought for thewoman of his dreams.
The woman, now here's the weirdpart, that he's never met.
Or maybe he just has.
I saw this on a thread andignored it, but then my friend
sent the thread to the groupchat and I volunteered as
tribute.
Since reading a Mary Kay Andrewsbook has been like, you know, on
(10:08):
my list to try to see what thehype was about for a while.
Friends, friends, friends.
After the first chapter, which Ipromise you was promising.
I mean, when I tell you I couldfeel the southerness and the
accents and the, it's like sheimmersed us in this little
southern town and all of theiraccents.
(10:31):
I could hear it.
I could feel it.
I could taste it.
I could feel the humidity.
I was like, yes, it seemedpromising.
And then the book went downhillfor me.
from there.
Maybe it was how this book wasso uniquely Southern.
Like I said, it all ooed off thepage that not only fascinated me
and got me hooked in thebeginning, but as it kept going,
(10:52):
I think it bothered me.
Or maybe it was the way thebook's side plot maybe took over
what I thought was the wholeplot.
And maybe it was that the mainside character, the guy who, you
know, The book has made it seemlike he's going to be the main
character here in a relationshipbecause I was like, this is a
(11:14):
romance, ain't it?
He spent 90% of the book chasinganother woman.
And I don't know, but whateverthis was, it wasn't for me.
And people rave when people'slike, well, where should we
start with her?
Everyone said Hissy Fit.
I gave it a 2.75 out of five andthat's being generous for me.
It was well-written.
Like I said, I was immersed, butthe story, it just wasn't for
(11:35):
me.
The last Last book that I wantto talk about that I read in
July was Everyone is Lying toYou by Joe Piazza.
The premise.
College best friends Lizzie andBex drifted apart after
graduation when Bex vanished.
15 years later, Bex resurfacesas Rebecca Summers, a wildly
successful Instagram influencer.
Meanwhile, Lizzie is astruggling writer.
(11:58):
Unexpectedly, Rebecca offersLizzie a career-making exclusive
interview and an invitation to amajor influencer conference.
When Rebecca disappears and herhusband is murdered, Lizzie is
pulled into the cutthroat worldof social media.
She must uncover Rebecca'ssecrets and past betrayals to
find her, clear her own name,and potentially save Rebecca's
(12:22):
life.
I have been hearing about thisbook for months, mainly because
I subscribed to Joe Piazza'spodcast.
It wasn't on my TBR untilsuddenly it was on my TBR.
I got a Libro FM art for it andwas in the middle of my slump
that I talked about earlier andsaid, why not?
And I'm so glad that I did, thatI gave this one a try.
(12:45):
Besides being unexpectedly goodmurder mystery, I love the way
she added elements ofinfluencing that only
influencers would know.
I love how you can tell who someof the characters are based on,
like, you the satire of it all.
(13:06):
And I really just want anotherbook based on Beck's lawyer
because she was the truemastermind.
But all in all, I'm going to saythis was juicy and messy and
frankly, just a good time.
It was my only five-star readthis month, I mean in July, and
it was just good.
Now, let's move on to books thatI'm looking forward to reading
in August.
(13:26):
August seems like a ghost townthis month.
When I was scrolling all of thelists, I'm I looked at like four
or five lists and I looked atGoodreads and I just looked
everywhere.
And I only found a few thingsthat really caught my eye.
So let me see.
I have five.
Yeah, I have five down that Ihave to request from the library
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or get the audio book for, orone of them, I already have the
advanced reader copy for it.
So there are surprisingly threenonfiction books on this list.
And anyone who knows me knowthat that's odd because I don't
read much nonfiction, but do Ithink will be worth it.
So let's get into it.
The first book on the list isone of those non-fictions.
(14:08):
It's called Blessings andDisasters by Alexis Okeowo, and
it comes out today, August 5th.
This was on my summer readinglist, and it is the first, like
I said, the first nonfictionentry onto the list.
Alexis Okowo grew up inMontgomery, Alabama, the former
seat of the Confederacy, as adaughter of a Nigerian
(14:30):
immigrant.
Here, she weaves her familystories with Alabama's defying
stereotypes about her endlesslycomplex, often pigeonholed home
state.
She immerses us in a landscapedominated today, not by cotton
fields, but by Amazonrainforests.
warehouses, encounteringhigh-powered Christian business
leaders lobbying for tribalsovereignty, and small-town
(14:54):
women coming out againstconservative politics.
The author shows how people canlove their home while still
acknowledging its sins.
I'm intensely interested in thisone because both of my parents
are from Alabama.
My mother still lives inAlabama, so I'm really
interested in that one.
I'm curious.
The next book also comes outtoday.
(15:14):
It's People Like Us by J.
and mocked.
In People Like Us, two Blackwriters are trying to find peace
and belonging in a world that isriveted with gun violence.
One is on a global book tourafter a big prize win, and the
other is set to give a speech ata school that has suffered a
shooting.
As their two storylines merge,truths and antics abound in
(15:35):
equal measure.
Characters drink booze out ofthe award trophy, menaces lurk
in the shadows, tiny French carsputter around the countryside,
handgun I keep seeing this oneon all the lists and I keep
hearing about it on podcaststhat I listen to.
(15:56):
So it's like that too soundsinteresting.
The next book is Dominion byAddie E.
Sitchins.
It comes out on, when does thiscome out?
Comes out on the 19th.
This one really caught my eye.
Reverend Sabre Winfrey Jr.,shepherd of the Seven Seals
Missionary Baptist Church,believes in God, his own
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privilege, and enterprise.
He owns the barbershop and theradio station and generally
keeps an iron hand on everyaspect of society in Dominion,
Mississippi.
He and his wife, Priscilla, havefive boys.
The youngest, Emmanuel, iscalled Wonderboy.
No one sings prettier, runs asfast, or turns as many heads.
(16:38):
But Wonderboy, his father, andall the structures in place that
keep them on top are not asrighteous as they seem to be.
Spoiler, they never are.
And when Wonder Boy is caughtoff guard by an encounter with a
stranger, he finds himselfconfronted by questions he's
never imagined.
His response sends shockwavesthrough the entire community.
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I saw this one, like I said, andI was like, oh.
Then I saw Tracy from The Stackssay that it was good.
And yes, now it is on my list.
And I have a copy, friends.
So I I'll let you know.
The next book on my list is oneof my nonfiction entrees.
And it is Baldwin of Story.
(17:21):
Comes out 8-19.
This is the first majorbiography of James Baldwin in 30
years.
And it reveals how profoundlythe writer's personal
relationship has shaped his lifeand work.
Drawing on newly uncoveredarchival material, In original
research and interviews, thisspellbounding book tells the
(17:43):
overlapping stories of Baldwin'smost sustaining, intimate, and
artistic relationships.
With his mentor, the BlackAmerican painter, Buford
Delaney.
With his lover and muse, theSwiss painter, Lucian
Hapersberger.
And with his collaborators, thefamed Turkish actor, Ingen
Caesar and Ingen.
iconoclastic French artist,Euron Cezac, who's long
(18:10):
overlooked significantsignificance as Baldwin's last
great love is explored in thisbook for the first time.
Nicholas Boggs shows how Baldwindrew on the complex forces
within these relationships,geographical, cultural,
political, artistic, and erotic,and alchemized them into novels,
essays, and plays that speaktruth to power and had an
(18:32):
indelible impact on the civilrights movement and on Black and
queer literary history.
Very interested in this one.
But the book is 720 pages.
Feel like either I'm going tohave to listen to this one or
I'm just going to have to buythe book so I can take my time
with it and take notes.
This is not a book that I thinkthat I'm going to have to get
(18:54):
from the library.
I think I'm going to either haveto buy it or I'm going to have
to listen to it.
Probably going to listen to itbecause that's usually what I do
with these types of books.
But we shall see.
We shall see.
The next book is PositiveObsession, The Life and Times of
Octavia E.
Butler coming out on the 19th.
I'm just going to read from thebook description here.
(19:16):
As the first Black woman toconsistently write and publish
in the field of science fiction,Octavia Butler was a
trailblazer.
In this work...
The author places Butler's storyfirmly within the cultural,
social, and historical contextthat shaped her life.
The civil rights movement, BlackPower, women's liberation, queer
rights, and Reaganomics.
(19:37):
Morris reveals how theseinfluences profoundly impacted
Butler's personal andintellectual trajectory and
shaped the ideas central to herwriting.
I have this one pre-ordered.
It's Octavia Butler.
What else does this say?
And that, my friends, concludesthe books on my radar for
(19:58):
August.
But side notes.
The book that is not on my list,which from what I heard is the
most anticipated book of theyear, maybe, it is Catavis by
R.F.
Kuang.
This, I read the description andthought about the kind of
writing that R.F.
Kuang does and said, oh, this isnot for me.
And I think the moral, thereason why I want to talk about
(20:20):
this is because I want us tostart being okay with not
reading every last it book thatis coming out.
Just because the book internetsin the literary world and
BookTok and Bookstagram hasdeemed something the it book
does not mean that you have toread it.
So I'm one of the few people whodid not like Babel.
which was her last book.
(20:41):
I tried and I could not get pastchapter two.
I hate red yellow face and DNFthe Poppy Wars.
That was an honest mistakethough, because someone led me
to believe that that was aromantic scene and that was so
wrong.
In fact, I had the Poppy Warsright over here.
I can see like I DNF, I stillhave the bookmark in it because
I swore I was going to come backto it, but it's like smack dab
(21:01):
in the middle when I realizedlike, Oh no, this is not for me.
All of this being said, I putmyself on the library wait list
for it.
I'm number 104.
So that means that I might getthis book before the end of the
year, maybe, but I'm not in arush.
And again, like I said, Iprobably, when it becomes
available for me, I'll probablypass on it because I'm, like I
(21:24):
said, you don't, I don't feellike you have to read every book
that is supposed to be an itbook.
That's, you know what, know whatkind of reader you are.
And when you read something, andyou read previous works by the
author and you know it wasn'tfor you, don't force it.
Don't force it.
I don't want to be one of thosepeople on the internet giving
this book a two.
But I don't want to struggleread through it.
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I don't want to struggle readthrough it.
I don't want to get it from thelibrary and take someone's spot
who might really, really beinterested in it.
Maybe when it becomes availableby the time that happens.
Anyway, let's get into what Ijust read, what I am currently
reading.
And what's supposed to be nexton my TBR?
I just finished Direbound bySable Sorensen.
(22:08):
This book has been on KindleUnlimited a while, but I never
heard of it.
I was looking at the August ARCsoffered by Libro FM and this one
popped up.
It was described as fourth wingmeets Hunger Games.
And for the record, I'm going tojust go ahead and say I hate it
when the publisher does this.
It sets unrealisticexpectations.
(22:29):
We saw this with...
the book earlier this year thatgot compared to Hunger Games and
it was not.
Because this book was not HungerGames.
It wasn't even really fourthwing.
It had wolves and pack versusdragon and it did not take place
at a school, but rather it wasmore military based.
(22:50):
Let me give you my own summary.
Meryl Cooper despises the elitebonded warriors and their dire
wolves, but when her sister iskidnapped by immortal enemies,
she joins the army to rescueher.
Thrown in to the brutal bondingtrials, Meryn must survive four
deadly months of training.
Bonded to a silent feraldirewolf targeted by ruthless
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trainees, she's under a constantthreat, especially from her cold
instructor Stark Theron.
As she fights to endure, thecrown prince's interest in her
makes her even more of a target.
In a castle filled with danger,secret, and hidden knives, Meryn
must survive to save her sisterand herself.
This was actually very good.
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I don't know if it's becausethere wasn't a fey in sight and
the vampires didn't reallyappear until near the end, but I
was intrigued the entire book.
The magic system had meintrigued.
There was a cliffhanger slashplot twist, I guess you can say,
at the end that had me gaspingin shock because the whole book,
(23:55):
okay, I can't give it away, butI was like, no.
And that made me like the bookeven more because I read so many
books these days and a lot ofbooks are written from what I'll
call the trope perspectiverather than a story perspective.
And I can predict, therefore Ican predict a lot of plot
(24:15):
points.
And most of the time I'm finewith that because I just like to
see how they're going to getthere.
But what I really liked aboutthis one was that even though
some things were obvious to me,the author still managed to make
it interesting and surprising.
I'll read the next one when itcomes out.
And evidently this book wasself-published and then it got
picked up traditionalpublishing.
(24:37):
So They did like a wholere-editing and added, like the
audio book version has anadditional chapter from one of
the main characters perspective,which gives you more insight
into what was going on there.
And evidently the next book,they did more editing when she
got picked up by traditionalpublishing.
And so it comes out in May.
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I'm looking forward to it.
I think it's a trilogy.
Once again, I have started abook, a series, and it's not
done.
It's not done.
I'm still trying with that.
I gave this one four stars,mainly on vibes because it had
an interesting magical systemand it kept me engaged.
Now, I am currently listening toRazorblade Tears by S.A.
(25:19):
Cosby.
So, when Ike's son Isaiah andhis white husband Derek are
murdered, Ike is shattereddespite never fully accepting
his son.
Derek's father, Buddy Lee, anex-con with a rough past, shares
Ike's grief and guilt.
The two fathers, once ashamed oftheir sons, join forces to hunt
down the killers.
As they navigate a violent pathof revenge, Ike and Buddy Lee
(25:42):
confront their own deep-seatedprejudices and regrets.
Bound by grief, love, and acriminal past, They're
determined to seek justice fortheir sons, even if it means
losing everything in theprocess.
I am enjoying this one so far.
I haven't gotten very far.
I haven't gotten to all of, Iguess you could say, the violent
parts yet.
(26:02):
But I just love S.A.
Cosby's Way With Words.
It is really violence writtenbeautifully.
The characters are writtenbeautifully.
It's just...
It's just like grown-up writing.
I don't know how else to put it.
And it's just such a treat.
It is such a treat.
Even listening to it, it is sucha treat.
My physical book that I'mcurrently reading is How Fascism
(26:28):
Works by Jason Stanley.
In How Fascism Works,philosopher Jason Stanley
outlines 10 key tactics used infascist politics, such as mythic
paths, propaganda,anti-intellectualism, and
division to show howdemocracies, including the U.S.,
can be eroded from within.
(26:48):
Drawing on history, sociology,and global examples from Hungary
to the U.S., he illustrates howrhetoric and myth can quickly
become dangerous policy.
Stanley argues that only byrecognizing these patterns can
we resist their efforts anddefend the democratic ideal.
And that's all I'm going to sayabout that.
Next up on my TBR is The JassadHeir by Sarah Hassim.
(27:11):
Ten years after Jassad's falland the outlying of his magic,
Sylvia...
The hidden heir lives insecrecy.
But when she accidentallyreveals her powers to Aaron,
heir of the enemy kingdom, she'sforced into a dangerous bargain.
(27:33):
Their animosity blurs intosomething more.
Even as Sylvia hides her trueidentity, with rebellion brewing
and the truth closing in, Sylviamust choose between the quiet
life she's built and reclaimingher destiny.
The burned kingdom is rising andit may demand its queen.
This book has long been on myTBR, like for a long time since
(27:54):
it first came out.
But the second book of theduology just came out.
So I decided it's time for me togo ahead and read this.
I'm like, can I have at leastone finished series here?
I also might start blessingthe...
Blessings and Disasters thisweek.
I have a copy and I'm really,really curious about this one.
I might start that one too.
Who knows?
We'll see.
(28:15):
We'll see where I can fit it allin.
Anyway, friends, that is all Ihave for you today.
If you love this episode, pleasedo me a favor and make sure you
follow the podcast so that youdon't miss the next episode.
It's free.
It helps the podcast and itkeeps your TBR interesting.
As always, you can find mepersonally on IG and TikTok at
(28:38):
LaShawnWilts and on Substack atLettersToLaShawn.
Okay.
Okay, friends, thanks forlistening.
I'll talk to you next week.
Bye-bye.
Hey there, bookworms.
Welcome to Pouring Over Books, apodcast where we dive into the
books we love and maybe a few wedidn't.
I'm your host, LaShawn, andevery week I'll be deep diving
into what I'm reading,recommendations, and talking
about all the things that welove about books.
So grab your favorite coffee ortea, find a cozy spot, and let's
(00:21):
get ready to pour over somegreat books together.
Hello, friends, and welcome backto the Porn of a Book's podcast.
I am LaShawn, your host, andfriends, how is it already
August?
My goodness, it is the last fullmonth of summer.
School started yesterday, and Ifeel like these are indeed what
(00:44):
they call the dog days ofsummer, even though here where I
am, it has suddenly changed.
like a switch went off and itfeels like fall.
I know it's just temporary, butI'm tired.
And I just started training formy half marathon and my son went
back to school yesterday.
(01:06):
Yeah, it's a lot going on.
But anyway, I want to just pointout that the podcast is going to
be live over on YouTube becauseI am recording this podcast with
video.
Hey, new friends.
But anyway, I just want to saywelcome.
And today it is the first of themonth.
(01:28):
So, of course, we are talkingabout the books that I read in
July and what books are on myradar for August.
My goodness, I have to keepsaying that.
So in July, according toStorygraph, I read, what does it
say?
I read 14 books.
It seemed like more, but thefact is that I started like 20
(01:50):
books that I didn't finish.
It was a weird month.
Like I couldn't focus or I justcould not find, get myself into
a rhythm while I was readingbooks.
Like it would start off good,but then it would lose me Or it
would start off too slow and Igot bored.
Nothing was holding myattention.
So I have been continuing to DNFwith Abandoned.
(02:13):
like I've been doing all year,but some of these books I put on
my DNF for now, pal.
So I will try to revisit them,return to them when I'm in a
better frame of mind, when itseems like that is something I
want to read.
So anyway, of these 14 books Iread, I'm going to talk about
four of the books that got fourstars and above and one book
(02:36):
that got below a three.
I rarely talk about those, but Ifeel like I need to talk about
this one.
Okay, so let's go.
Let's start off with What Kindof Paradise by Janelle Brown.
The premise.
Jane knows only the world herfather has built.
Off-grid living, philosophybooks, and vague stories about
her mother's death.
(02:57):
As she grows older, Jane beginsto question their secluded life
and her father's secrecy.
When she discovers she's beencomplicit in a terrible crime,
she runs away to San Francisco,seeking the truth.
There, in a city transformed bythe rise of the internet, Jane
confronts the Mysteries of herpast, her mother's fate, and the
harsh realities beyond herfather's utopia.
(03:19):
all while forging a new pathtowards identity and freedom.
So let's talk about what Ithought.
I was so excited for this book.
In my head, I think I waspicturing a cross between
educated and where the crawdagssing.
So that puts you in a frame ofmind of what I was thinking.
It was not so, friends.
Not at all.
This book was actually fine andengaging, and I was interested
(03:41):
up until around 75%.
Then when everything, when theplot twists, twist, then I felt
like the book just didn't knowwhere to go after that big plot
reveal.
I feel like we spent the last25% of the book just floating
around.
It seemed like waiting for theother shoe to drop.
(04:02):
And then when it did drop, itwas like anticlimactic.
And which was so sad because Iwas riveted.
up until that last 25%.
I wanted more and just didn'tget it.
So I gave it a 3.5 out of fivebecause it was good, but I
wanted more.
The next book that I want totalk about that I completed was
(04:24):
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto,The Premise.
Captured as her castle falls,Princess Briony Rosewood is
stripped of her magic andfreedom, then sold at auction to
Tovin Hurst, heir to thenotoriously cruel family.
Facing a bleak new reality ofservitude and danger, Briony
must navigate a world ruled byevil.
(04:46):
But even in the darkest places,hope flickers and unexpected
allies may yet changeeverything.
So I went into this book unawareof any previous version or that
the fact that it was based onfanfic.
I missed that memo.
I put it together about halfwaythrough when I really started
(05:09):
getting into the story.
And even then I I had to lookfor it.
That's what I'm going to say.
Which I really started gettinginto the story about 25% of the
book.
I almost put it down because Iwas like, I don't see why this
is interesting.
But I'm happy to say that aroundthe 50% mark, I realized I
couldn't put it down and wasshocked when I noticed that I
(05:31):
only had a few pages left.
The ending was awesome.
The love story, let's just saythe chemistry was on point and
my Good man, Tobin.
I mean, why are you resisting sohard when the truth is obvious?
I mean, like, sir, I cannot waitto learn his entire backstory.
So I'm really looking forward tothe next book.
(05:51):
And for Bryony, the female maincharacter, I had my doubts, but
the girl is stronger than sheseemed.
And I'm really ready to see whatthe direction the next book
heads in.
But I'm also mad that I'vestarted yet another trilogy that
is just beginning.
But I enjoyed this one, like Isaid.
(06:11):
I know there was a lot ofdiscourse, germany, sorry,
fiction.
But if you didn't know, youwouldn't know.
You really wouldn't.
And I can't wait to read thenext one.
So I gave this one a four stars.
Out of five.
The next book on my list is PenPal by J.T.
Gessinger.
The premise.
I feel like the book descriptionthat they give you on all the
(06:35):
websites, all the book sites, isnot accurate.
Like, it's confusing, which in away was good because I went in
and I was blind, but I feel likeit'll be more accurate to give
you my own summary.
So, our book begins with Kaylastanding at her husband's grave,
dealing with grief in a hugehouse that needs repairs and is
(06:56):
leaking.
She calls a roof repairmanand...
falls in lust slash love,whatever you think.
Meanwhile, strange things keephappening.
Her doorbell rings and no one isthere.
Cabinet doors open and closewhen no one's there.
She's losing time and forgettingthings.
She feels like someone iswatching her.
(07:16):
And to top it all off, she has astrange pen pal from the state
penitentiary.
And when he writes his firstletter to her, it says, I'll
wait forever if I have to.
And the girl writes back.
Let's just say that by the timeshe figures out who he is,
nothing prepares you for what'snext.
My review.
(07:36):
Oh, my God.
My God.
I felt like for half of thisbook, I was sitting there like,
what am I reading?
Like, is this a dark romance?
Because, you know, it was like alittle dominant, sexy.
You know, it was sexy times on10.
And I was like, this is a lot.
But anyway, so I was like, whatam I reading?
Is this a dark romance?
(07:57):
Is this a case of some stalkinggoing on?
Is there some paranormalactivity mixed in?
Like, what genre am I readinghere?
And I kept asking, what on earthis going on?
Because it was just so weird.
The sexy times, almost despised.
Almost seemed like adistraction.
There was a lot of it.
(08:18):
I mean, really it was.
Because I kept saying, what thehell is going on in between the
scenes?
But when the twist came, ittwisted me.
I should have expected it, but Idid not expect it.
The book was leaning towards asolid three for me.
Mildly entertaining, darkish,good sexy times, a little light
(08:40):
BDSM.
never hurt anybody.
It wasn't horrible.
But the twist, the plot twist,it bumped it up to a solid four.
And that's all I can say withoutgiving it away because when you
realize what has been happening,chef's kiss, four out of five.
I gave this one a four out offive.
All right.
The next book on my list isHissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews.
(09:05):
The premise, the night beforeher wedding in the middle of an
So smart rehearsal dinner.
Interior decorator Keely Murdochchances upon her fiance and maid
of honor doing the do.
Keely throws a hissy fit to endall hissy fits, storms out and
earns herself instant notorietyin her tiny hometown of Madison,
Georgia.
(09:25):
The next day, though, she has todeal not only with a broken
engagement, but also herbusiness being shut out by folks
in town financially obligated toher ex.
Rescue comes in the form of thenew owner of the local bra
plant.
Yeah, broad point.
A hunk of a guy, Keely can'tdecide if he's a hopeless
romantic or hopelessly weird.
Either way, he's hired her toredo the broken down antebellum
(09:48):
mansion he's bought for thewoman of his dreams.
The woman, now here's the weirdpart, that he's never met.
Or maybe he just has.
I saw this on a thread andignored it, but then my friend
sent the thread to the groupchat and I volunteered as
tribute.
Since reading a Mary Kay Andrewsbook has been like, you know, on
(10:08):
my list to try to see what thehype was about for a while.
Friends, friends, friends.
After the first chapter, which Ipromise you was promising.
I mean, when I tell you I couldfeel the southerness and the
accents and the, it's like sheimmersed us in this little
southern town and all of theiraccents.
(10:31):
I could hear it.
I could feel it.
I could taste it.
I could feel the humidity.
I was like, yes, it seemedpromising.
And then the book went downhillfor me.
from there.
Maybe it was how this book wasso uniquely Southern.
Like I said, it all ooed off thepage that not only fascinated me
and got me hooked in thebeginning, but as it kept going,
(10:52):
I think it bothered me.
Or maybe it was the way thebook's side plot maybe took over
what I thought was the wholeplot.
And maybe it was that the mainside character, the guy who, you
know, The book has made it seemlike he's going to be the main
character here in a relationshipbecause I was like, this is a
(11:14):
romance, ain't it?
He spent 90% of the book chasinganother woman.
And I don't know, but whateverthis was, it wasn't for me.
And people rave when people'slike, well, where should we
start with her?
Everyone said Hissy Fit.
I gave it a 2.75 out of five andthat's being generous for me.
It was well-written.
Like I said, I was immersed, butthe story, it just wasn't for
(11:35):
me.
The last Last book that I wantto talk about that I read in
July was Everyone is Lying toYou by Joe Piazza.
The premise.
College best friends Lizzie andBex drifted apart after
graduation when Bex vanished.
15 years later, Bex resurfacesas Rebecca Summers, a wildly
successful Instagram influencer.
Meanwhile, Lizzie is astruggling writer.
(11:58):
Unexpectedly, Rebecca offersLizzie a career-making exclusive
interview and an invitation to amajor influencer conference.
When Rebecca disappears and herhusband is murdered, Lizzie is
pulled into the cutthroat worldof social media.
She must uncover Rebecca'ssecrets and past betrayals to
find her, clear her own name,and potentially save Rebecca's
(12:22):
life.
I have been hearing about thisbook for months, mainly because
I subscribed to Joe Piazza'spodcast.
It wasn't on my TBR untilsuddenly it was on my TBR.
I got a Libro FM art for it andwas in the middle of my slump
that I talked about earlier andsaid, why not?
And I'm so glad that I did, thatI gave this one a try.
(12:45):
Besides being unexpectedly goodmurder mystery, I love the way
she added elements ofinfluencing that only
influencers would know.
I love how you can tell who someof the characters are based on,
like, you the satire of it all.
(13:06):
And I really just want anotherbook based on Beck's lawyer
because she was the truemastermind.
But all in all, I'm going to saythis was juicy and messy and
frankly, just a good time.
It was my only five-star readthis month, I mean in July, and
it was just good.
Now, let's move on to books thatI'm looking forward to reading
in August.
(13:26):
August seems like a ghost townthis month.
When I was scrolling all of thelists, I'm I looked at like four
or five lists and I looked atGoodreads and I just looked
everywhere.
And I only found a few thingsthat really caught my eye.
So let me see.
I have five.
Yeah, I have five down that Ihave to request from the library
(13:46):
or get the audio book for, orone of them, I already have the
advanced reader copy for it.
So there are surprisingly threenonfiction books on this list.
And anyone who knows me knowthat that's odd because I don't
read much nonfiction, but do Ithink will be worth it.
So let's get into it.
The first book on the list isone of those non-fictions.
(14:08):
It's called Blessings andDisasters by Alexis Okeowo, and
it comes out today, August 5th.
This was on my summer readinglist, and it is the first, like
I said, the first nonfictionentry onto the list.
Alexis Okowo grew up inMontgomery, Alabama, the former
seat of the Confederacy, as adaughter of a Nigerian
(14:30):
immigrant.
Here, she weaves her familystories with Alabama's defying
stereotypes about her endlesslycomplex, often pigeonholed home
state.
She immerses us in a landscapedominated today, not by cotton
fields, but by Amazonrainforests.
warehouses, encounteringhigh-powered Christian business
leaders lobbying for tribalsovereignty, and small-town
(14:54):
women coming out againstconservative politics.
The author shows how people canlove their home while still
acknowledging its sins.
I'm intensely interested in thisone because both of my parents
are from Alabama.
My mother still lives inAlabama, so I'm really
interested in that one.
I'm curious.
The next book also comes outtoday.
(15:14):
It's People Like Us by J.
and mocked.
In People Like Us, two Blackwriters are trying to find peace
and belonging in a world that isriveted with gun violence.
One is on a global book tourafter a big prize win, and the
other is set to give a speech ata school that has suffered a
shooting.
As their two storylines merge,truths and antics abound in
(15:35):
equal measure.
Characters drink booze out ofthe award trophy, menaces lurk
in the shadows, tiny French carsputter around the countryside,
handgun I keep seeing this oneon all the lists and I keep
hearing about it on podcaststhat I listen to.
(15:56):
So it's like that too soundsinteresting.
The next book is Dominion byAddie E.
Sitchins.
It comes out on, when does thiscome out?
Comes out on the 19th.
This one really caught my eye.
Reverend Sabre Winfrey Jr.,shepherd of the Seven Seals
Missionary Baptist Church,believes in God, his own
(16:18):
privilege, and enterprise.
He owns the barbershop and theradio station and generally
keeps an iron hand on everyaspect of society in Dominion,
Mississippi.
He and his wife, Priscilla, havefive boys.
The youngest, Emmanuel, iscalled Wonderboy.
No one sings prettier, runs asfast, or turns as many heads.
(16:38):
But Wonderboy, his father, andall the structures in place that
keep them on top are not asrighteous as they seem to be.
Spoiler, they never are.
And when Wonder Boy is caughtoff guard by an encounter with a
stranger, he finds himselfconfronted by questions he's
never imagined.
His response sends shockwavesthrough the entire community.
(16:59):
I saw this one, like I said, andI was like, oh.
Then I saw Tracy from The Stackssay that it was good.
And yes, now it is on my list.
And I have a copy, friends.
So I I'll let you know.
The next book on my list is oneof my nonfiction entrees.
And it is Baldwin of Story.
(17:21):
Comes out 8-19.
This is the first majorbiography of James Baldwin in 30
years.
And it reveals how profoundlythe writer's personal
relationship has shaped his lifeand work.
Drawing on newly uncoveredarchival material, In original
research and interviews, thisspellbounding book tells the
(17:43):
overlapping stories of Baldwin'smost sustaining, intimate, and
artistic relationships.
With his mentor, the BlackAmerican painter, Buford
Delaney.
With his lover and muse, theSwiss painter, Lucian
Hapersberger.
And with his collaborators, thefamed Turkish actor, Ingen
Caesar and Ingen.
iconoclastic French artist,Euron Cezac, who's long
(18:10):
overlooked significantsignificance as Baldwin's last
great love is explored in thisbook for the first time.
Nicholas Boggs shows how Baldwindrew on the complex forces
within these relationships,geographical, cultural,
political, artistic, and erotic,and alchemized them into novels,
essays, and plays that speaktruth to power and had an
(18:32):
indelible impact on the civilrights movement and on Black and
queer literary history.
Very interested in this one.
But the book is 720 pages.
Feel like either I'm going tohave to listen to this one or
I'm just going to have to buythe book so I can take my time
with it and take notes.
This is not a book that I thinkthat I'm going to have to get
(18:54):
from the library.
I think I'm going to either haveto buy it or I'm going to have
to listen to it.
Probably going to listen to itbecause that's usually what I do
with these types of books.
But we shall see.
We shall see.
The next book is PositiveObsession, The Life and Times of
Octavia E.
Butler coming out on the 19th.
I'm just going to read from thebook description here.
(19:16):
As the first Black woman toconsistently write and publish
in the field of science fiction,Octavia Butler was a
trailblazer.
In this work...
The author places Butler's storyfirmly within the cultural,
social, and historical contextthat shaped her life.
The civil rights movement, BlackPower, women's liberation, queer
rights, and Reaganomics.
(19:37):
Morris reveals how theseinfluences profoundly impacted
Butler's personal andintellectual trajectory and
shaped the ideas central to herwriting.
I have this one pre-ordered.
It's Octavia Butler.
What else does this say?
And that, my friends, concludesthe books on my radar for
(19:58):
August.
But side notes.
The book that is not on my list,which from what I heard is the
most anticipated book of theyear, maybe, it is Catavis by
R.F.
Kuang.
This, I read the description andthought about the kind of
writing that R.F.
Kuang does and said, oh, this isnot for me.
And I think the moral, thereason why I want to talk about
(20:20):
this is because I want us tostart being okay with not
reading every last it book thatis coming out.
Just because the book internetsin the literary world and
BookTok and Bookstagram hasdeemed something the it book
does not mean that you have toread it.
So I'm one of the few people whodid not like Babel.
which was her last book.
(20:41):
I tried and I could not get pastchapter two.
I hate red yellow face and DNFthe Poppy Wars.
That was an honest mistakethough, because someone led me
to believe that that was aromantic scene and that was so
wrong.
In fact, I had the Poppy Warsright over here.
I can see like I DNF, I stillhave the bookmark in it because
I swore I was going to come backto it, but it's like smack dab
(21:01):
in the middle when I realizedlike, Oh no, this is not for me.
All of this being said, I putmyself on the library wait list
for it.
I'm number 104.
So that means that I might getthis book before the end of the
year, maybe, but I'm not in arush.
And again, like I said, Iprobably, when it becomes
available for me, I'll probablypass on it because I'm, like I
(21:24):
said, you don't, I don't feellike you have to read every book
that is supposed to be an itbook.
That's, you know what, know whatkind of reader you are.
And when you read something, andyou read previous works by the
author and you know it wasn'tfor you, don't force it.
Don't force it.
I don't want to be one of thosepeople on the internet giving
this book a two.
But I don't want to struggleread through it.
(21:44):
I don't want to struggle readthrough it.
I don't want to get it from thelibrary and take someone's spot
who might really, really beinterested in it.
Maybe when it becomes availableby the time that happens.
Anyway, let's get into what Ijust read, what I am currently
reading.
And what's supposed to be nexton my TBR?
I just finished Direbound bySable Sorensen.
(22:08):
This book has been on KindleUnlimited a while, but I never
heard of it.
I was looking at the August ARCsoffered by Libro FM and this one
popped up.
It was described as fourth wingmeets Hunger Games.
And for the record, I'm going tojust go ahead and say I hate it
when the publisher does this.
It sets unrealisticexpectations.
(22:29):
We saw this with...
the book earlier this year thatgot compared to Hunger Games and
it was not.
Because this book was not HungerGames.
It wasn't even really fourthwing.
It had wolves and pack versusdragon and it did not take place
at a school, but rather it wasmore military based.
(22:50):
Let me give you my own summary.
Meryl Cooper despises the elitebonded warriors and their dire
wolves, but when her sister iskidnapped by immortal enemies,
she joins the army to rescueher.
Thrown in to the brutal bondingtrials, Meryn must survive four
deadly months of training.
Bonded to a silent feraldirewolf targeted by ruthless
(23:12):
trainees, she's under a constantthreat, especially from her cold
instructor Stark Theron.
As she fights to endure, thecrown prince's interest in her
makes her even more of a target.
In a castle filled with danger,secret, and hidden knives, Meryn
must survive to save her sisterand herself.
This was actually very good.
(23:34):
I don't know if it's becausethere wasn't a fey in sight and
the vampires didn't reallyappear until near the end, but I
was intrigued the entire book.
The magic system had meintrigued.
There was a cliffhanger slashplot twist, I guess you can say,
at the end that had me gaspingin shock because the whole book,
(23:55):
okay, I can't give it away, butI was like, no.
And that made me like the bookeven more because I read so many
books these days and a lot ofbooks are written from what I'll
call the trope perspectiverather than a story perspective.
And I can predict, therefore Ican predict a lot of plot
(24:15):
points.
And most of the time I'm finewith that because I just like to
see how they're going to getthere.
But what I really liked aboutthis one was that even though
some things were obvious to me,the author still managed to make
it interesting and surprising.
I'll read the next one when itcomes out.
And evidently this book wasself-published and then it got
picked up traditionalpublishing.
(24:37):
So They did like a wholere-editing and added, like the
audio book version has anadditional chapter from one of
the main characters perspective,which gives you more insight
into what was going on there.
And evidently the next book,they did more editing when she
got picked up by traditionalpublishing.
And so it comes out in May.
(24:58):
I'm looking forward to it.
I think it's a trilogy.
Once again, I have started abook, a series, and it's not
done.
It's not done.
I'm still trying with that.
I gave this one four stars,mainly on vibes because it had
an interesting magical systemand it kept me engaged.
Now, I am currently listening toRazorblade Tears by S.A.
(25:19):
Cosby.
So, when Ike's son Isaiah andhis white husband Derek are
murdered, Ike is shattereddespite never fully accepting
his son.
Derek's father, Buddy Lee, anex-con with a rough past, shares
Ike's grief and guilt.
The two fathers, once ashamed oftheir sons, join forces to hunt
down the killers.
As they navigate a violent pathof revenge, Ike and Buddy Lee
(25:42):
confront their own deep-seatedprejudices and regrets.
Bound by grief, love, and acriminal past, They're
determined to seek justice fortheir sons, even if it means
losing everything in theprocess.
I am enjoying this one so far.
I haven't gotten very far.
I haven't gotten to all of, Iguess you could say, the violent
parts yet.
(26:02):
But I just love S.A.
Cosby's Way With Words.
It is really violence writtenbeautifully.
The characters are writtenbeautifully.
It's just...
It's just like grown-up writing.
I don't know how else to put it.
And it's just such a treat.
It is such a treat.
Even listening to it, it is sucha treat.
My physical book that I'mcurrently reading is How Fascism
(26:28):
Works by Jason Stanley.
In How Fascism Works,philosopher Jason Stanley
outlines 10 key tactics used infascist politics, such as mythic
paths, propaganda,anti-intellectualism, and
division to show howdemocracies, including the U.S.,
can be eroded from within.
(26:48):
Drawing on history, sociology,and global examples from Hungary
to the U.S., he illustrates howrhetoric and myth can quickly
become dangerous policy.
Stanley argues that only byrecognizing these patterns can
we resist their efforts anddefend the democratic ideal.
And that's all I'm going to sayabout that.
Next up on my TBR is The JassadHeir by Sarah Hassim.
(27:11):
Ten years after Jassad's falland the outlying of his magic,
Sylvia...
The hidden heir lives insecrecy.
But when she accidentallyreveals her powers to Aaron,
heir of the enemy kingdom, she'sforced into a dangerous bargain.
(27:33):
Their animosity blurs intosomething more.
Even as Sylvia hides her trueidentity, with rebellion brewing
and the truth closing in, Sylviamust choose between the quiet
life she's built and reclaimingher destiny.
The burned kingdom is rising andit may demand its queen.
This book has long been on myTBR, like for a long time since
(27:54):
it first came out.
But the second book of theduology just came out.
So I decided it's time for me togo ahead and read this.
I'm like, can I have at leastone finished series here?
I also might start blessingthe...
Blessings and Disasters thisweek.
I have a copy and I'm really,really curious about this one.
I might start that one too.
Who knows?
We'll see.
(28:15):
We'll see where I can fit it allin.
Anyway, friends, that is all Ihave for you today.
If you love this episode, pleasedo me a favor and make sure you
follow the podcast so that youdon't miss the next episode.
It's free.
It helps the podcast and itkeeps your TBR interesting.
As always, you can find mepersonally on IG and TikTok at
(28:38):
LaShawnWilts and on Substack atLettersToLaShawn.
Okay.
Okay, friends, thanks forlistening.
I'll talk to you next week.
Bye-bye.
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