The "Icks" and "Awes" of Reading

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Our latest episode is a whirlwind through the trending "icks" and "awes" that shape our reading adventures. This time around, we’re peeling back the layers of storytelling that captivate us, from the nuanced villains who command our empathy to the unexpected humor that makes us cackle. Our conversation meanders through the pitfalls of certain tropes—we're looking at you, unexpected pregnancy plotlines—and celebrates the emotional payoff of a well-crafted love triangle. Curl up with us as we muse over the aesthetics of book covers that are too enticing to resist and share our personal reading preferences, quirks included!

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We absolutely love hearing from fellow book lovers, so don’t forget to share your thoughts and your favorite reads with us on our social media. You can find us on Instagram @lazygirllibrary. Also, be sure to check our website, lazygirllibrary.com – your one-stop-shop for all things Lazy Girl!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to the Lazy Girl Library, the podcast where
reading is a pleasure andcaptivating adventures happen
from the comfort of your couch.
I'm your host, darby, and I'mMikaela, and if you've ever
spent more time rearranging yourbookshelf than your priorities,
then you, my friends, are inthe right place.
Okay, welcome to episode three.

(00:33):
That is crazy that we're nowfilming our recording our third
episode.
No, it's kind of going by superquick.
It's exciting, though.
Yes, also, I want to say helloto England and Singapore.
You heard that right, we havetwo people that are listening
internationally to Lazy GirlLibrary, and my mind actually

(00:53):
can't comprehend that, but whenI saw that, I freaked out just a
little bit.
So, hello internationallisteners.
Yeah, we're so happy to haveyou here.
Mikaela, how's your week been?
It's been pretty good, kind ofbusy wedding planning and
whatnot, but you know we'regetting through it.
Not a whole lot of time to read, which has been sad, but it's

(01:16):
not lovey.
I feel the same way.
I haven't read too much thisweek because at work we had like
an all staff gathering, whichis like a fancy way of just
saying like it's almost like amini conference.
We just did a two day of ourwhole office meeting up like
talking about everyone's roles,where we're at, because we're
halfway through our fiscal year,so exciting, it was fun.

(01:37):
But it was fun.
We did some like personalitytest things and how we worked
together as a team.
So I love a good personalitytest.
Whether the enneagrams, theastrology Myers-Briggs you send
me any of them I love them.
I'm not a big astrology personbecause I feel like mine doesn't
go with me.

(01:57):
But then my sister is reallybig into astrology and she's
like, no, but the rising one.
She, like I don't know, tellsme that things do match me.
But whatever, it's all for fun.
Yeah, it is, don't take itserious.
I am an enneagram stan, thoughI am a type two through and
through and I'm definitely intype five and a Virgo, if

(02:19):
anybody wants to know Aquarius.
I don't know the other ones,but I'll ask my sister if you
want to know Awesome.
Well, so today we are doing abookish topic, so we're not
actually talking about aspecific book, but in this
episode we're going to betalking about our X and Oz,
which is a fancy way of sayingour favorites and least

(02:41):
favorites about different thingson books.
So what we like and dislikeabout characters, authors,
writing styles, tropes, bookcovers, reading in general, and
then also our March book club.
For those of you who want toknow and read along with us is
going to be a thousand pieces ofyou by Claudia Gray.

(03:01):
So this is the first book inthe Firebird trilogy.
It's a YA science fiction typeof book and I've actually read
it, but I read it years ago so Idon't remember everything, but
I do remember that I liked it.
I'm excited to get into it.
I haven't read like a YA sci-fiin a really long time, so it
sounded intriguing.

(03:22):
I'm excited for this one.
Yeah, I think it'll be like agood.
I think it'll be a good one.
I will read the description forthe book later on in the
episode so for anybody intriguedabout it, you can learn a
little bit more later.
Yeah, that will be what we talkabout next episode, but let's
get into this episode.
So X and Oz what are they?

(03:45):
The definition according to theinternet of an IK is a point
when your initial attraction toa person flips into a feeling of
disgust or dislike.
So it's been really popular, Ifeel like on TikTok, people
talking about X.
They're typically associatedwith like relationships, but a
lot of people have like branchedout and talk about different

(04:06):
topics with X.
That's the kind of inspirationbehind this episode.
I don't know where it came from, but I first heard X on Love
Island UK.
I'm a big Love Island UK, sowhenever they're like talking to
a guy and then all of a suddenthey're like I got the it, I
just don't see it anymore.
So that's what I associate whenI see X.

(04:27):
But it is definitely trendingnow everywhere.
And so then our own definition,because, like what's the
opposite of an IK?
I don't think it's as popularout there right now.
So we created our own.
We called it the awe, becauseit's like, instead of an IK,
we're like ew, it's like aww.
So like our definition would belike a point when your initial

(04:48):
lack of interest is something orsomeone flips into a feeling of
like interest or giddiness.
So it is.
It's like a fun way to describe, like what makes things more
desirable, less desirable, andwe're going to get into it.
For reading specifically yeah,I see you wrote an example down
of what an IK would be.

(05:08):
Someone chewing with theirmouth open is an IK, and that is
such an IK.
I know it's not about reading,but, oh my gosh, I'm very
sensitive to sounds and smells.
Oh yeah, well, my mom is very,very sensitive to smells and now
I think like I'm getting thatfrom her.
Like Justin, my husband has acandle and he likes to like

(05:29):
light it when he is playingvideo games.
It's kind of cute, it's likehis own ambiance, but I hate the
smell of it.
So like, whenever I'm home, I'mlike I got to blow it out.
What's the smell?
It's literally like a nicesmell.
It's like a sugar cookie orsomething.
He got it at a market, but Ithink there's like caramel in
there too, and so it just isvery thick and heavy and I'm

(05:50):
like I can't breathe.
Yeah, I can't do too sweet, butit's with like taste and
whismills like anything sugarcookie, vanilla, e, like.
If it's a subtle, like mixedwith something else, I like it.
But yeah, all the caramel,anything like that.
Yeah, a couple of weeks ago Iwas sick and my nose was really
runny and then he let the candleand it got even worse and I was
like we can't do this, it's sooblivious.

(06:13):
Yeah, so that was a very goodexample of Nick, thank you.
All right, so do we want to getinto them?
Yeah, so I guess we can startoff with like characters X and
Oz.
So I'm thinking we'll startwith X, go into Oz and on a
positive Sure, sure, um.
Okay, I feel like some of theseare going to be hard for me to

(06:33):
describe and I also want to makea note at the beginning of this
episode that I'm sure all ofthese X, or just about all of
them, could be Oz for me at somepoint if it was written
correctly or in a way that Iliked Absolutely.
But typically stereotypicallyfor me these are X, but again,
I'm sure I would like them in adifferent setting.

(06:56):
Maybe it's all situational, itis, it is Um, but okay, some
character X this is kind oftaking me back to our last book
but a main character that islike whoa is me, life is too
hard, but literally has like noissues, like you're fine, yeah,
life's hard for everyone,sweetie, right, it's like it's

(07:16):
kind of like having that oneperson that all they do is
complain about their life, like,yeah, everybody goes through
ups and downs, but if there'sthere's still positive somewhere
and if all you're hearing aboutis the negatives, you're just
like oh, I want to move on.
Yeah, and I don't like acharacter.
When an author adds a characterthat doesn't add to the story
in any way, like there aredefinitely good side characters,

(07:38):
that they they're not tied intothe whole plot, but they're
still adding to the story.
But when an author just throwsin a character, like just
because they want anothercharacter in there, it's like
why are you here?
Like what's the point?
Yeah, I don't want to have touse the mental capacity to
remember the character, but thenI don't even need to remember
them because they're not goingto be brought up again, like I

(08:00):
don't know.
So that's just like, isn't it?
Yep, and then also the I'mdifferent character.
Yeah, so I like 2013, likeindie film, like I'm so
different.
No, you're not.
Yeah, you're basic and that'sokay.
Like the basic.
Or you are different, like youdon't need to brag about it,
like it's cooler if you don't.

(08:20):
That is 100% one of mine too,and I love her name's Delaney
Rowe on TikTok.
I know exactly who you'retalking about.
Delaney says hello, shout outto her because her impressions
of she calls them like theinsufferable.
Whatever main characters Ourchefs kiss, they're absolutely
perfect.
She nails them down beautifullyand they do.

(08:40):
You're watching them and you'rejust like oh, it is.
It's such a physical like itfor me I can't handle it.
It's bad.
Yeah, they're not fun.
What else are your other X?
I hate when characters have noflaws.
When it's like they're like, ohso perfect, it's just dull for

(09:01):
me.
I love a good character withlike character development you
want to like, it makes them morerelatable, and so if the
character is just like alwaysperfect, has no flaws A good
example of this for me, not in abook, but in a movie.
I feel like Captain Marvel intheir first movie had this kind

(09:21):
of oh yeah, she's an egg initself.
I have about it where it's justlike there's nothing wrong with
her.
It makes it harder to relate tothem and they are just kind of
like it makes it more.
She is so insufferable.
I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry, I didn't mean totalk about it.
No, I know I'm kidding.
You got that, so it just Ican't.
And yeah, when they pretendthere's just like nothing wrong

(09:42):
with them, it turns me offentirely.
Yeah, I would also say theopposite of that too, someone.
Well, I guess that goes back tomy like woe is me.
Like you need the ball.
Or like, yeah, because it'slike you can't have too much
baggage, but like you got tohave a little baggage because we
all, we all do Absolutely.
It's just like a carry on, likewe don't need the checked bag
of baggage.
Yes, we're just like a carry on.
Keep it real.
Yeah, I like that analogythough.

(10:04):
Yeah, that's good.
Another thing is when they'relike too focused for
specifically love interests,when they're too focused on the
differences between them andthat's why they can't be
together, like we can't betogether because we're from two
separate worlds.
When it's like, clearly theromance is working, yeah, and
then why?
Why are you putting that outthere for yourself?

(10:25):
The problem is you, exactly,exactly, because it's like I
don't know, it just drives me upa wall and that's all they
focus on, especially becauseit's always towards like the end
of the book.
When it's like the big, likebreakup part of it all and it's
like it's like a made conflictinstead of like a true conflict,

(10:46):
because they're just scaredabout the relationship in itself
instead of like recognizingthat they're scared about it.
It's like this is the excuse ofit's just not going to work
because of these things, andespecially when that is made to
be like the plot, like oh mygosh, it's too much.
I want to read that Like Idon't mind a little bit.
Like a Latin kind of thing.

(11:06):
Yes, like the straight ratprincess, but then, but they,
still it works.
It's nice.
Again, it has to be written theright way.
Yes, so this is another.
One is like it's like 50-50 forlike character versus like
writing style, when a characterseemingly blows up out of
nowhere for like absolutely noreason, or gets over an issue

(11:28):
that is a really big issue soquickly, like it was absolutely
nothing.
Okay, like I don't.
I just it drives me crazybecause it's like you're reading
something and then all of asudden they're like furious and
blowing up out of nowhere overanything and you're like so
confused You're like where theheck did this come from, trying
to find out, like where thatconflict started, because it was
so small to begin with, likefrom the reader's perspective,

(11:51):
that all of a sudden it became ahuge part.
Do you have an example of this?
Or even if you can think of itin like a movie, so you don't
spoil a book?
In the book it's called my DarkRomeo.
Okay, it's like a.
I don't want to say it's a mafia, it's kind of like a mix
between a billionaire's mafiatype of book, romance.

(12:12):
It's like an enemies the loverstoo kind of situation.
Okay, it's like it's not whoit's by, but she would be like
infatuated with the maincharacter and everything's going
great and then all of a sudden,out of nowhere, she's just like
I hate you, you're the worst,you're keeping me from my
friends and family, blah, blah,blah.
And you're like whoa, whoa,wait, but like two pages ago we

(12:32):
were falling in love with thisguy.
Where did this come from?
That drives me insane.
Or like the opposite, whenthere is really like a big
conflict that happened andyou're like, oh my gosh, I can't
believe this person did this.
But then the character writesit off like it's absolutely
nothing and you're like you'relike what?
This is huge.
Why would you?
I don't like that.

(12:53):
Okay, yeah, yeah, I'm pickingup what you're putting down.
That's not fun, yep.
Another of my last ick, too, iswhen this is a caveat one, it's
a very dramatic age gaps.
But this does not apply tofantasy Exactly.
If we're talking about romanceor any other type of book, when

(13:13):
there's a large, like age gap,it's weird for me.
I know this is a very personalone, no, no, but I I echo it I
feel the same way as you.
It's just weird for me to read,like, when you're dating
somebody that's like so mucholder than you were, so much
younger, is like even worse forme, because you're immersing
yourself in the book, so likeyou are trying to feel the

(13:34):
feelings that that maincharacter is feeling, and so
then when that super older orsuper younger person's
introduced like you are, you'relike it takes you out of it.
Yeah, because like you, you are, you immerse yourself in these
books regardless of the genreand so, yeah, it kind of like
takes you out.
It's like the record scratchkind of thing, where you're like
it takes you out of it entirelyand you're like, oh no, I don't

(13:56):
know if I could read this, butI will say I think the only
reason it doesn't bother me asmuch in fantasy is because, like
in a court of thorns and roses,like, these fave males are like
500 plus years old, meanwhilethe main female character is
like 20, 20 years or something.
But I think because it's sooutlandish and they're written

(14:20):
very much like they're the sameage, it's easier to like
overlook it versus like someother books where, like, the age
gap is truly like a plot pointand so there is no getting
around that or pretending thatit's not there.
Yeah, I feel like it works infantasy because they're old, but
only in the sense of likethey're wise and they've had

(14:41):
their hardships, like that'swhere some of their baggage
comes from, is like the timethat they've spent before they
knew the female lead, absolutelyyeah, and it's so outlandish of
an like an age too, becauseit's fantasy, it's all made up
that they're fairies, exactly,it's not real.
So easy because it's not real,and that's the whole point.
Yeah, it's not real, so it'seasier to just get around it

(15:04):
than like some of these others.
Yeah, that one is a hard passfor me, definitely.
Now, what are some of your oddsfor characters?
Like I mentioned before, like Ilove character growth, so I
love a flawed character andwatching the, it doesn't even
have to be like redemption arc,but just seeing heroes with

(15:26):
character flaws and thenvillains with redeeming
qualities, I think it makes avery complex character for me
and it's more relatable becausenothing is ever black and white.
We live in a gray scale and sothe sea, that gray scale within
characters, I think, helps wholive in that or relate to them
more.
Yeah, in that sense.

(15:47):
Yeah, I agree.
I also really love a good comicrelief character who is well
timed humor, because I thinkthat's very key and it's not
just thrown in randomly and itdoesn't make sense, kind of like
what you said, like when othercharacters are just written in
and they have zero addition tothe plot, so they need that.

(16:10):
It has to be like adding to thestory.
Yeah, but if it's timedperfectly within like serious
situations, it can add to it andkind of like give you that
comedic relief in a seriousmoment, but not to track from
the fact that it's still aserious moment.
Yeah, I also put down a sidecharacter that adds either like
banter or like flirt, likesomething that, especially in

(16:33):
the fantasy books, when it'slike a serious situation and
it's like they're almost likerelieving tension.
Absolutely, I like that Exactly.
Another one I love a self awarecharacter.
My two examples you gotta bringit up Sarah J Max, nesta and
Aylen, because I love hearingthe internal monologues.
And when I say a self awarecharacter, it's like when you

(16:56):
see them from anotherperspective doing something
that's really frustrating, likehow Nesta is so mean to
everybody in the book and it'sjust like so cruel sometimes.
But then you go into herperspective and you see the
internal struggle and how shedoesn't want to be that way.
She doesn't necessarily knowwhy she snaps the way that she

(17:16):
does and she's trying to work onit internally.
If you only got one side ofthat, then you're only seeing
the one side of her versus likeknowing, like from her
perspective she is self aware onit.
You get kind of like more indepth with the character and you
learn about, like why they dothings the way that they do and
like their motives behind things, which again goes kind of back

(17:39):
into like character growth andlike development.
I just love a good dynamiccharacter.
Yeah, so those whenever I getto see that and like, even if
it's things they do, things thatyou don't agree with, just like
learning their why I thinkhelps you really connect with
them more.
In that sense you still don'tnecessarily agree with it, but
you understand it.
Yeah, I agree with that forsure.
I also used a Sarah J.

(18:00):
I used a mask character as oneof my Oz.
So Aylan as like a femalecharacter that seems like you
know she isn't super serious orlike doesn't really have
everything altogether butliterally like everything's
figured out and like surprisespeople with like solutions and
like saving the day and stufflike that, yes, yes, and like, I

(18:24):
like sometimes knowing it, andthen I also like being surprised
myself with it of like, oh mygosh, wait you, you talk to that
.
Like when did you talk to that?
Oh yeah, oh, she got me so manytimes to throughout that series
.
Yeah, so I like that.
And then I like how do Iexplain this?
Mainly?
Well, I guess it could be guyand girl characters, but just

(18:46):
someone.
Again, a lot of Sarah J Maskcharacters are very like
determined, but they still havelots of wit.
So like, whenever it's aserious situation, like like
they feel like real people and Ilike that Absolutely.
I think a good like non bookcomparison for this is like the
OG, marvel versus DC.

(19:06):
And we're talking like Marvelbefore Endgame because new
Marvel is that's a whole newstory, that's another egg.
But if we're talking likeoriginal, like popular Marvel
versus like the DC movies, Ithink that's what made them so
popular is because they had thatkind of character, like wit to
them and the balance of theseriousness with the like

(19:28):
comedic relief, and so it's notso heavy versus, like some of
the DC movies can be reallyreally dark and they don't have
that balance, I agree.
I agree, definitely OG Marvel,because now it's the opposite
and now it's too much wit andlike comic relief and there's
like this is not a superheromovie anymore, which goes back
to the balance of it all.
Yes, yes, but I love characterswho have those like values and

(19:52):
morals but then can still havelike fun and like a little flat.
I like it.
We love the banter.
Yeah, all right, going intoauthor and writing style X and
Oz.
For me, one of my biggest X iswhen spice overshadows the plot.
I don't want the plot to be thespice.

(20:14):
I want there to be an actualplot.
Everyone loves some spice butlike sometimes it's just too
much and so I do.
I skip a lot of spice,sometimes because it's like I
don't need that, like that's notwhy I read it, and obviously
sometimes when there's romancebooks, like it's a little
different, but even then, like Idon't want the spice to be the

(20:37):
romance, like, like the wholeplot, like I want there to be
something else that brings themtogether, absolutely.
I think my rule of thumb onthat like, regardless of the
genre is, if you can take outall the spicy scenes and there's
still a really good book andreally a plot there, then it's a
good book for me Because, likeyou said it like if the whole

(20:58):
plot is all these spicy scenes,which I have to say, I mean we
have a friend who loves that too, yeah, yeah.
But it's not to say that that'sa bad thing, it's a personal
thing, exactly.
But for me, I need the storyand so, yeah, I think it's too
much into the, into the spice.
For sure, to each their own.
Which is so cool about books,like you can get out of it what
you want, but for me that's notwhat I want to get out of it

(21:19):
most of the time, so that can bean egg, and then this kind of
plays into that.
But also not only regardingspice, but when an author is
sometimes like too descriptive,so definitely in spice, I'm like
I didn't need all that.
Sometimes when it's like tootoo much, yeah, yeah, but then,
just in general, when an authoris being like super, super,

(21:40):
super descriptive of like thepaint on the walls was eggshell
white and then you looked downto the carpet, so I'm like, okay
, speed it up a little bit Likepaint me a picture, but I don't
need to know every piece offurniture that's in the room.
So sometimes that can be likeit's all about purpose.
For me, if there's a purposethat I need to know why the
walls are eggshell, then tell it.
But if it's all just more forthe world building of it all,

(22:05):
then yeah, let's move it along.
That is such a good way to putit.
I wholeheartedly agree withthat.
You just like read my mind whenI didn't know how to speak.
That was so good, um.
And then when a book is movingat a disastrously slow pace, oh
my gosh, like I want to be in aworld where, like let's have fun
, like I want to be in there.

(22:26):
And sometimes, when it's movingtoo slow, I'm like, okay, this
is feeling a little too muchlike real life and that's not
what I want.
It starts to feel more like achore to read it than like the
enjoyment of reading it, and youonly have so much free time, so
why would you want to likeforce yourself into it?
Exactly.
And then I think my final authorwriting style, ike, that I
thought of um is when a plotisn't really resolved by the end

(22:48):
because, again, going back tolike romance, like the couple
turned into the main point orfor some other reason.
But that was just like theexample I thought of.
Yeah, um, like when it's likethe relationship is the plot.
Yeah, I agree, and it's allsituational too.
There are some people that cando it really well and still make
it a compelling story, but mosttimes for me I'm in the same

(23:09):
boat.
Yeah, or just when, like theinitial main plot like just
doesn't turn out to be the mainplot and then it's like
disregarded.
I'm like wait, but that's whatI wanted to know.
If you want more of ourthoughts on this, go back and
listen to episode two.
Yeah, basically, I'm stillstuck there.
Ike, no, I agree For my Ike'sjust like kind of expand on your

(23:33):
spicy one.
When they use spicy scenes tohide plot holes or to hide, like
, the lack of plot.
Yeah, which is like kind ofgoes hand in hand with what we
just talked about.
But I feel like that gets useda lot too, where maybe they're
just throwing it in therebecause it's popular right now,
it doesn't fit with the story,or they ran out of ideas and so
they're like here, everybodyloves this the detract from like

(23:56):
a well thought out story.
I can't stand that.
Yeah, like, girl, take yourtime writing.
Yeah, there's no rush.
Yeah, no rush, at least notfrom us I mean publishers maybe.
But another one in a mysterybooks Mystery, specifically, if
it's too predictable and Ifigure it out right before I
like halfway through the book,then like why am I reading it?

(24:17):
Yeah, because I get that andsome books can be predictable, a
lot of like romances.
But you're kind of it's likethe expectations, you're
expecting that a little bit whenyou're going into it versus a
mystery, like I want that gaspand a moment at the end when
it's revealed.
And you're like I didn't figurethis out.
And for me sometimes I dofigure it out, but if it's just
later and like closer towardsthe end, that's okay because I

(24:39):
just I feel I feel smart at thatpoint.
Yeah, I figured it out beforethe end.
But if I figure it out tooearly, then it is.
It's like if I know what'sgoing to happen, why am I even
going to bother reading the restof it?
Because the whole point ofreading the mystery is to figure
out what happens.
So that would never happen tome, except I did in the silent
patient.
I did figure out that one Ididn't, and that was.

(25:01):
That was amazing.
Wild my lights out.
No, I love that book.
Yeah, if I was a thinker duringbooks, then that would be an
ick for me too.
But I am lost in the sauce whenI'm reading, so I don't care to
like, yeah, it's a mild ick,but it's, it is still an ick for
sure.
Oh, no, based on your readingstyle, like that would
definitely be an ick.

(25:22):
Like, yeah, you read the story,basically you know what's
happening.
Yeah, for me that was likeVerity, verity.
But Colleen Hoover was one ofthose books for me that I just I
couldn't.
I mean, I know it's popular,but it's not even that it was
bad.
It just, yeah, I figured it outand like I'm not even gonna
bother wasting my time anymore.
Yeah, just, time is precious.
I hate a lost plot line too.

(25:42):
This is kind of goes back toour last book club book.
But it's even more frustratingwhen the book has the potential,
because it's like you can seethe story yourself as the reader
and for some reason the authorjust isn't seeing it too.
Or maybe they lose sight ofwhen they started the book and
so you lose that initial plotline and therefore, I think, you

(26:05):
lose your reader.
It's like unintentionally, likedangling a carrot, like, oh,
this is what you want.
Like, sorry, like we're doingbananas today.
Yeah, yeah, it's frustrating.
So, yeah, like it's.
Yeah, it is really.
It's frustrating in generalwhen you're reading a book and
then you just have no idea wherethe plot is going.
It's all over the place.
But I think, yeah, it makes iteven more frustrating when you

(26:28):
see that potential for it and itjust loses it.
Yeah, and then, kind of tyinginto that too, it's like when
the ending feels like anafterthought, or like the author
just got bored and left theending to the book to be done,
like last minute, or just oncethe book to be done.
So they're like okay, this isit done.
Icebreaker Yep, oh my gosh,that one.

(26:49):
I was like are you kidding me?
Yeah, I wanted to go.
Oh my gosh, more I want to.
That was the ending Exactly,you know it's so.
It's like they come.
It's again like your carrot inNajee, where it's like they're
dangling the carrot.
They're dangling the carrot andyou're like falling along and
you're so excited and then allof a sudden they're like, oh,
gotta go buy.
Yeah, like wait, but it's sounsatisfying, it's so like lazy

(27:12):
and I just it's so frustrating,especially because a lot of the
times those books are good booksand then you're like wait, but
why didn't that what?
What?
It's like you dropped the ballat the last second, like
everything was good, until it'slike a thrown syndrome where
they like bring you alongthroughout all those seasons and
beautiful storytelling and thenall of a sudden the directors
get like a beggar gig so they'relike, all right, we're gonna

(27:33):
wrap this up real quick and thenthey lose everybody.
Yeah, it's so infuriating to me.
Lastly, I hate when a book feelslike disjointed and again these
all kind of weave together intothe same things, but I just
have a hard time like seeingwhere the plot line is going,
because I feel like it's toosporadic, it gets too branched
out into different places andyou're like wait, where'd this
come from, or why is thisrelevant?

(27:55):
It loses me.
And then it's like if I don'tknow what's going on, then I'm
kind of lost and, yeah, I don'twant to finish.
Yeah, sometimes that gets mewhen, like a new POV is
introduced or new character andthey start getting added,
sometimes that can feeldisjointed to me, but that, like
a lot of times, they like endup like adding to it, but

(28:16):
definitely in the beginning,when something like that happens
and like absolutely, um, butwhat's sort of?
What are your odds though?
Sorry, I'm gonna say that everytime I love it.
Okay, I do love multiple POVs,so I love getting like both
perspectives, especially whenit's like a big cast of

(28:37):
characters.
When there's a lot ofcharacters, it's like I don't
know what all of y'all arethinking, and it's just like
that's when a book is reallygonna crush you at the end,
because then you really do feellike connected to them.
But I love that.
I love a multiple POV whenthey're well written characters,
absolutely, so that's good.

(28:57):
And then I think everyone likesthis when you're shocked or
surprised by something thathappens, especially when it
happens at the end of a chapter,oh yeah, like, because that's
just gonna keep me reading.
Or if, like, I have to put itdown, I'm like I'm for sure
reading this afterward, yep, assoon as I can, and then it's all
you can think about all day,all night, until you can go back

(29:18):
and pick it up again.
Yeah, but like books that canmake me like like giggle, gasp,
cry, like when I can, when itcauses me to have physical
emotions, like I love that, Ilove that.
And then also a side characterthat has again a purpose.
We kind of touch on that andgrows into a main character, so

(29:42):
someone who might be introducedand you're like, okay, cool,
another little character,someone's little friend, but
then solely over time, likeyou're like I love this person,
like I am rooting for them.
I hope they're in more scenesand then they become it Like
absolutely so good.
I think it's fun too when italmost seems like they start off

(30:03):
truly just as like a sidecharacter, and then the author
almost falls in love with themtoo and starts writing more and
building them more too, and soit's like not only are you
growing more connected, but itfeels like the author is too
with them.
Yeah, I love that.
It is nice, like it can be sowell done, like having that side
character.
The intention is like they'renot the main character, but then

(30:25):
it's just there's so much loveand like they come out of their
show like, oh, it's so cool,it's so cool.
Intention is definitely a keytheme in this episode.
Yeah, some of my aas.
We kind of touched on a lot ofthem.
But my all of reading weavestogether.
Yeah, it really does.
But my big one being theoverthinker that I am, I live

(30:49):
for a hidden plan that as you'rereading reading like the book
you see like the plans likecoming together, but then all of
a sudden you get to the end andyou realize that there was a
secret plan underneath all along.
And then you get to like andthey reveal.
It's like the reveal of it all.
I love that so good, becausethen you learn about all the

(31:12):
different connections and itmakes you go back and think
about everything that you read.
And it's especially well donewhen you, if you can go back and
reread, you can see all thedifferent points of the big plan
throughout it if you know.
But when you don't know, youjust see like maybe like the
overarching generic one, andthen you find out about the big

(31:32):
plan in the end, and so when youthink back, you can see it all
coming together.
Uh, that big reveal gets meevery time.
That reminds me of how I readThorn of Glass, definitely not
in the correct order in regardsto Assassin's Blade, which I
read last, why, I don't know,but when you're.

(31:53):
When I was reading that I waslike, oh no, well, all of this
is gonna blend too.
Yeah, I love that.
Yeah, the Throne of Glassseries is a fantastic job of it,
but another book that does anamazing job at this is Six of
Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
I really hope I pronounced thather name right, but that series
it's a duo.
I forget what the second bookis called, but the first book is

(32:16):
Six of Crows.
That does a phenomenal job withit as well, where it's like
kind of like a heist fantasy andso you see the heist coming
together and going through, butthen at the end there's a big
reveal and, oh, so fantasticallydone.
I can't talk about it anymore,otherwise they'll be spoilers,
but I highly highly recommend,if you love a big reveal, like I
do, yeah, all right, add it tothe TBR.

(32:40):
Another thing that I love iswhen fiction books make you
think outside of the like theirfictional world.
So when they have like realworld applications to them.
Oh, yes, I like, and it likewhen you finish the book it
really like makes you kind ofthink about your own life and
how these certain aspects cancome up, so like.

(33:01):
Another good example isMidnight Library by Matt Hague,
which was an old book club bookthat we read as well.
It's kind of like the butterflyeffect or how you know, one
decision can change the courseof your life and the trajectory
of it entirely and all thedifferent lives you could have
had based on the decisions thatyou make.
It's not like in a bad way.

(33:23):
It just kind of makes you thinktoo, like, what are decisions
that I've made throughout mylife that I could like would
have led somewhere different?
Yeah, and so it's intriguing tothink about.
And so I love yeah, I love booksthat make you kind of think
outside of the book once youfinish that, yeah, and
definitely like fiction oneswhere you're not going into it
with those intentions but thenthey just write a character so
well or with such real issuesthat you're like, oh yeah, me

(33:48):
too, Absolutely.
I actually understand whatyou're going through.
Or like, oh my gosh, wait, Ididn't know that.
I kind of feel like this aswell yeah, it's cool, it almost
connects with you and a littlebit more than like a self-help
book where it's like you'reexpecting that going into it,
yeah, so it's the unexpected ofit that kind of almost hits home
a little bit more, and so Ilove a good fiction book that

(34:08):
can do that.
I'm also just such a sucker fora captivating story.
The writing could be.
Maybe it's not the mosteloquent eloquent writing there
is, but if there's a good storythere then I'm all about it.
Yeah, yeah, you know what abouttropes?
These are, I feel like, becomeso popular and so talked about
on TikTok, yeah, and I'mactually I don't feel very well

(34:28):
versed in tropes and likesometimes I hear trope like
names or titles, and like Idon't even know what that means.
So forgive me, because this onemight.
We're dabbling, yeah, we'redipping our toes in, yeah, we're
testing the waters here alittle bit.
I do think that they can be,they can take over, yeah, but
the, the tropes that I know,like my aas, like I know I do

(34:51):
really like those, but I don'tthink I know all of them enough.
So there are probably some thatI don't know about that I could
make an ick or an awp, but ofthe ones that I can think of, we
could do a rabbit fire, yeah,yeah, um.
So icks, I don't also my icks,again situational, like it has
to be.
There are ways where I wouldlike it, but I don't always love

(35:12):
a grumpy sunshine, like in a ina lot of books and I don't know
what it is about it.
But I think, maybe because I'msuch a positive person just in
life that sometimes like I'mlike, oh, like you're not making
her have a good time, like I'mnot having a good time, like why
do you gotta bring it down,like I don't know.
It kind of goes back to likeyour character, where, if

(35:32):
there's like too much baggage orlike yes, yes, yeah.
So sometimes grumpy sunshinedoesn't work for me, um, I'm
gonna throw in there possiblybillionaire romances because, as
I talked about last podcast,the, I've only read two of them
but neither of them hit, so Idon't know, maybe that one's
gonna be an ick for me.
If you have recommendations forbillionaire romances that y'all

(35:55):
think I would like, like leavea comment on our Instagram lazy
girl library but Trendingdownwards right now, yeah for
sure.
And then also, this might be ahot take, but sometimes found
family gives me the ick.
Interesting.
I know it's a weird one, but Ithink because sometimes and this
goes back to my character icks,but sometimes I feel like it

(36:18):
can be like a woe is me, or likethis is my family now.
And I'm like, okay, calm down,like I get it, like these are
now your friends and you likethem and you didn't like your
family.
So sometimes it can be like alittle unbearable when that's
like the only deal, take it toofar, yeah.
So sometimes I can just get theick where I'm like, okay, I get

(36:39):
it.
You just didn't have friendsbefore and now you have friends,
cause sometimes it's notrealistic what they're going
through and so the fact thatthey're like I am so seen now
and it's like, no, you were seenbefore, but you just were
choosing not to.
Or like they completely writeoff their real family, yeah,
it's like, yeah, the real familymight have flaws, but they
still have redeeming qualitiestoo.
But it's like too bad, cause Ifound my true family, yeah.

(37:02):
So sometimes again don't knowif that's hot takes I feel like
a lot of people really likefound family, but sometimes I'm
like, yeah, it's not for me Inthis book, I don't like it.
I get that For me.
Pregnancy trope I didn't evenknow that was a thing.
What is a pregnancy trope?
It's like, from myunderstanding, at least the way
that I view it is, it's likewhether it's unexpected

(37:25):
pregnancy or just like when themain character gets pregnant to
further the plot.
But sometimes it's not done thefurther the plot either.
It's just kind of I don't knowwhen a character gets pregnant.
Yeah, not for me.
And it's not that I have aproblem with being like parents
in books either.
So if there's like a singlefamily kind of thing, or a

(37:46):
single parent with an existingkid, that's already introduced
into the book, that's easy.
It's like the expectations it'sset in, like okay, I can do
this, but it's the thrown inpregnancy that then you're now
introducing.
It makes it too real, it takesyou out of it into the real life
and I'm like, nope, I don'tlike this.
Well, that's a new egg for meas well.

(38:07):
I didn't know about that one.
But yeah, no, it's not Causeyou do you get, and I understand
it, cause it's again.
It kind of is like a charactergrowth in a way and they're
entering a new stage of theirlife.
Maybe if it's done the rightway.
A lot of times it's not, butsometimes it'll give the benefit
of the doubt, but it's still.
It takes me out of it.
It's too real and I don't likeit.

(38:29):
Not for me Also.
I think this one goes withoutsaying.
But the cheating trope yeah, ifit's like second chance after
that, where you know they, youknow, get back together after
nope, can't do it.
Yeah, I agree, I actually don'tknow if I've really read any
cheating trope, so so I don'tknow if I can comment, cause
there's a tiny, tiny little likedot in my mind.

(38:50):
That's like that soundsinteresting.
I kind of want to read that.
So I don't, I don't know ifthat would be an egg for me.
I don't think I've ever readone.
I haven't read a true one causeI just avoid it in general.
Yeah, that makes sense, it'ssomething.
It's one of those that I don'tnecessarily want to read it.
It's not like a happy thing.
Yeah, like, yeah, I feel like Idon't know.
We'll talk about it, we cantalk.
I'll give you some books thatmaybe you can try out.
They give you a little, alittle dabble.

(39:12):
But my big one is instant lovetropes.
I can't stand it when they'relike obsessed from the get go.
Yeah, oh no, I hate it.
I hate it so much it's aninstant like cringe it for me,
like I could physically feel itin my body, just as I'm talking
about it right now.
I need the tension, I need thelike.
It's not even that it has to belike it.

(39:33):
And then these lovers like Ihate you just that, like sexual
tension, of like will they walk?
Yeah, like, I need that pushand pull between them and the
you know like is it going tohappen?
No one is that amazing thatyou're going to instantly be I
mean well, maybe, no, no, no,I'm standing firm.
No one is that amazing thatyou're just like I'm dropping

(39:55):
down right now, like marry me,like that's, that's not a thing.
No, I can't stand it.
I need the, I need the tension,I need the buildup, I need the.
It's such a satisfying releasetoo, once they finally do like,
come together.
And why would you take awaythat serotonin for me?
No, yeah.
This reminds me at one time Iwent on a date in college.

(40:16):
I think it was my freshman year.
I went on one date with thisguy.
Just one day.
We went and played tennis.
I'm not good at tennis, but itwas fun, just first date,
nothing crazy.
And afterwards he was textingme and was like I feel like I
can tell you anything.
You remind me of sunshine.
And I was like.
I was like ick, ick, I'm like,yeah, sure, I am like sunshine,

(40:40):
like you wouldn't know thatafter the first date, like again
like instant love, like I'm notsaying this guy loved me but it
was just too much too fast.
So I totally agree with that.
It's like I'm not that cool,like she's that book character
is not that cool, like I don'tknow.
But then, like on the oppositeside of that, for my Oz, I like
going with that.
I love an enemies to lovers.

(41:02):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, I love thelove triangles, the fake
relationships, me too, me too.
The slow birth, it's thattension that gives you when they
do come together in the end,that serotonin boost is
unmatched.
Forbidden love, that's a goodone, that's good one.
And then like faded mates,obviously that one's good too,

(41:24):
cause then it's like it's notinstant love, but like your
souls were meant to be together,but then sometimes maybe they
weren't meant to be together,even if they were faded.
I know what you were looking atyou were late.
Yeah, I do love, though, anenemies to lovers and a love
triangle, I think because, gosh,if I could have been in a love

(41:47):
triangle growing up like man,just to have two people like
want me, like I can't evenbelieve that Justin likes me,
like that's crazy.
So when I see like a lovetriangle, I'm like, oh my gosh,
like that's so fun.
I just live for the tea andeverything I love, like pop
culture and learning about likeall the different things or

(42:11):
drama that's going on in theworld.
And so with the love triangle Ifeel like it does it.
It adds that extra little bitof like drama and spice to it
and you're like, oh yes, I eatit up.
All right, this is a fun one.
But cover X and Oz I have a lotof opinions.
I don't think I have that many,so I'll go first.

(42:32):
So some of my X is when it'snot cohesive.
So like when all covers of aseries are one color and then
out of the blue they make it adifferent color and it's like
what, why did you do that?
They cannot go next to eachother on the shelf anymore.
I don't know what to do now.
Like, oh, that one, I hate that.

(42:53):
Or different sizes when all thebooks in a series are the same
size but then for some reasonone is like super small now or
super big, oh, absolutely that.
One's like ugh, like I can't doanything about it, but like,
why did you do that?
That's one of my biggest onestoo.
I can't stand it, especiallythe spines.
When the spines are completelydifferent, because at least,
like the book covers are kind ofhidden when they're on the

(43:15):
shelf, but you can't hide thespine, I mean you could, but why
would you want to?
So, yeah, when they don't matchup, oh no, yeah.
Also, this is random, but Idon't necessarily.
I'm never drawn towards booksthat are like huge, like full of
words on a page, and thenthere's like nothing else, like
it's literally just like this isthe book, like I don't know,

(43:37):
like I need more art, like Ineed artistic elements.
I don't love cartoon characters, like I'm just going to judge
how they look and if, like Iwould be attracted to the guy,
so I don't love that.
And then too spicy of a cover,like I can't read this in public
now, absolutely, you need likea little book cover, fucking
thing.
Yeah, but too like embarrassedto pull out, absolutely.
So A lot of mine are the same,but I'm going to expand on them

(43:59):
a lot because I do have a lot offeelings on this.
This is one of my things.
Yeah, I can't do caricaturecovers for books.
They pull me out of it entirely.
It looks like a kid's book tome.
I know saying goes like don'tjudge a book by its cover, and
I'm sure that there arefantastic books out there with
caricature covers.
But I'm sorry, but you have tojudge a book by a cover.

(44:19):
I will.
I can't do it.
I'm going to judge you.
And if it has a caricature,unless you give me a true, true
reason to pick that book up, Iwill not.
Or I see that everyone in theworld is reading it and I'm like
, ok, I'll give it a try, maybeI'll try it, but no, I can't.
I skip over them entirely.
It drives me crazy, I don'tlike them.
Also, yeah, same thing when ithas people on the cover, because

(44:40):
it does, it takes away fromyour imagination of imagining
what these people look like.
And so when it gives it to youalready, you do, you make
already a judgment on thatcharacter without even knowing
it, like whether they'reattractive or not, and it
changes your connection with thecharacter too.
It's like for me when I'mreading and I hear descriptions

(45:01):
of a character, becauseobviously it's molded, a type of
way to where we're going tohave an image, but for me it's
like when you're in a video gameand you're making your person
and yeah, they all have blueeyes, but they're shaped
differently.
And so for me, yeah, they'regoing to have brown hair, blue
eyes, but I'm going to shapethem and the face structure is

(45:22):
weird.
As it sounds.
That's what I want.
So don't show me someone,because I want to make them.
It's like reading is such apersonal experience that when
you take away that extrapersonal touch to it, when you
already put a person on there.
I will say my one littleexception to this would be for

(45:42):
period piecebooks, because Ifeel like some of those can be
done really well when it's likethe half face of the woman or
like the back of the woman inher dress, kind of thinks.
Some of those I'm like OK, I'lllet it slide.
It's still not my favorite, butI can let it slide a little bit
just because I feel like itfits the timepiece of the book,
so it doesn't take it outentirely for me, but I still

(46:05):
don't like them.
I agree, not my favoritesStickers on covers.
It's so sad, it'sheart-wrenching, it's
infuriating.
I hate it.
You know.
Most of the time too.
It's like some 16-year-old boythat's like why do I work here?
Yes, or the ones that you can'teven remove, the permanent ones
.
I'm looking at you Target.
Yes, it drives me insane.

(46:27):
I know Oprah and ReeseWitherspoon's book clubs are
notorious for that.
You can't remove them.
But when it's like a brightyellow sticker on a moody piece
of artwork, it ruins it and Ihate it so much.
Please, for a love ofeverything, stop doing that.
Oh, I just thought of anotherone real quick.

(46:49):
When there is when it's like ahardcover book and then it has
like the paper part on top of itthat can like come off, you
know, like I just don't likethat.
The dust jacket on it Is thatwhat that's called?
But I don't like that.
Interesting, see, I do, I do, Ido.
But like why is it there?
Just like print it on thehardcover.
Is that impossible?

(47:09):
It's not.
But for me with a hardcoverbook, I feel like you almost get
like a second cover inside.
But I don't like when theydon't do that.
So, like my caveat with that,with the dust jackets, it's a
way to give like I think it'slike to help protect the book
and that's why they call it thedust jacket kind of thing.
I don't know.
It's funny because it's likehardcover but no one's trying to
protect the paperbacks, rightright, but it gives you like one

(47:33):
cover and like.
That's definitely more likeprinted or graphic or whatever.
But when I read I always takethe dust.
I do take the dust jacket off,but it's kind of like an Easter
egg inside a lot of timesbecause it'll have like an
embossing kind of cover on theactual hardback itself and I
love that.
But when they don't have that,then I get frustrated.
Yeah, to each their own, thoughTo each their own.

(47:55):
Some aws, that one was not good, that was scary.
When they're aesthetic, so whenthey all go together, so the
opposite of my ick like when thecolors go well, I think
Victoria Avegard and I think theRed Queen series is what it's
called that one has a good likegradient to it, so that one's
good.
I like hidden meanings oncovers, like on the hidden R,

(48:20):
the little Easter eggs, yes,that one's fun.
And then when there's somethingdifferent, so like when there's
like a gloss or a texturecomponent, like, just like open
to like stipulating, I don'tknow that's fun.
Oh no, I do.
My fiance gives me such a hardtime when I get books in Because
a lot of times I don't go tothe books where I'll order them

(48:40):
and so when they come in I do,I'll like feel the covers and
like flip through the pages tosee all the different artwork
things that you can find in them.
And he looks at me like I'm soweird, because he's like, why
are you petting the book?
Because, josh, you don't get it.
He doesn't.
But it's so nice when a bookhas that like the different,

(49:02):
like the mix between like matteand embossing and like the gloss
with it, because then it givesit like interest and feeling,
because you are, it's a physicalbook, you're holding it versus,
like you know, having it on aKindle or something like that.
So to add that like texture,interest, I love that.
I also love, yeah, the Eastereggs.

(49:23):
Those are fantastic on thecovers because they do they add
a little bit of spice, withoutyou even realizing, to the book,
especially when you finish it.
You go back and you kind oflook at the cover and you're
like, oh, my gosh, yeah, I seeall the connections, yeah, so
this isn't a specific like ohper se to like the book covers,
but kind of related.
This happened to me today onGoodreads for one of the books

(49:45):
that you added to like your TBR.
I forget the name of it now,but I saw, oh, lost Book Club or
something.
Yes, I saw you added that onGoodreads.
I saw the cover and with thename, it instantly drew me in.
Yeah, it was cute and I don'tknow what it is about it.
But it's like when a book covergives you like that good vibe,

(50:06):
feeling you don't even have toread the back of the book.
You're like instant add to cartor add to TBR kind of thing.
It gives you that good feeling,that good vibe.
I don't know how to describe it, but it's like, yeah, when you
see them you're like, yep,that's definitely going to be on
my list and so I love that.
You know it's for you.
Yes, absolutely so.
Always judging books by theircovers, I'm sorry, never

(50:27):
stopping, all right, and thenkind of wrapping up like just
reading in general, x.
So while thinking about this, Icouldn't necessarily think so
much about reading, but almostmore like reading community X,
which was interesting but soactual.
Like reading in books whenchapters are too long.

(50:47):
That again feels kind of like achore, like I don't know why,
but I just need like a goodbreak or a pause.
I like when the, if they aregoing to do long chapters, they
break them up with those littlespacers, because then that helps
a little bit.
I agree, sometimes, like I feellike I'm getting neck wrinkles
from reading because, like I'mlaying down, so I need to get
those glasses things If you'veseen this where it's like a

(51:10):
mirror or whatever so I can laydown, so that might be like
solving my ick and then.
So those were my reading ics.
And then the kind of communityics when people are so died hard
for fan casting and again Ithink it goes into like well,
that's not how I'm picturingthem.
But so when people are likethis is Darby, this is what

(51:35):
Darby looks like, I'm like thatis not what Darby looks like in
my head.
That just gives me the ick.
I'm like calm yourself, I wouldget it.
Maybe if the author is likethis is who I wrote it after,
then that's the only time thatI'm like okay, I'm still
picturing a different, but I'llgive you a pass, but that can
just be an ick.
Or like AI art, where a lot ofpeople are creating fan arts and

(51:55):
things like that, and if onegoes absolutely viral and
they're fun, I really likeseeing them and seeing it come
to life.
But just when it's a little toomuch.
Sometimes I love that charactertoo, but it's not Zac Efron, I
don't know.
And then spoilers Again.
It's like sometimes you justcan't go on like Instagram or

(52:15):
TikTok without like somethingcoming up.
And even if it's like likelittle or I don't know, just
sometimes I just get turned offby memes and stuff because I'm
just scared.
I'm so scared it's going totell me something.
Me too, I appreciate I dofollow like a few like fan art
pages on Instagram and Iappreciate the ones that post

(52:36):
like a beginning slide.
That's like spoilers or likeslide for spoilers kind of thing
.
Also, that way I know like if Iread like the caption that for
like a book that I haven't readyet, I'm going to skip that one
because obviously I don't wantto know what happens.
So I appreciate people that dothat when they can because it
does help.
Yeah, you can't avoid them alland it is so frustrating when

(52:58):
things get ruined Such an egg.
Don't do that to the community.
I just like, if you're going todo that, then give a warning
for people that don't want that.
So those are slow readers andwe can't get through all the
books that fast, yep.
So for me this is again it'slike a personal thing.
Annotating I can't get into it.
Yeah, I can't do it.

(53:18):
It feels like homework to me,like I don't mind.
Like taking notes, like I justkind of like word vomit into a
into the notes app.
Oh, I know, yeah, darby getsall my notes and so I get to
read a second book.
They are long and I doapologize.
I love them, I love that.
But it's just kind of likegetting my word or like my

(53:40):
thoughts on, to like paperversus, or like writing versus,
like actually like annotatingand like doing color coding for
different tabs for differentthings.
It makes you, it takes you outof the story in the middle of
doing that and writing in thephysical book.
I could never.
I just think I write in myselfhelp books all the time, but in

(54:01):
a fiction book I don't think Iwould have that desire.
I don't judge people that do itbecause it's less of an Ick
like for other people versuslike it's their own personal
connection with writing, readingstyle.
I just could never bring myselfto do that.
I thinking about it.
Pen to paper, no, couldn'tcringing Um unpopular opinion.

(54:23):
I don't like reading in bed.
Oh, I do like reading in bed.
Why?
How do you read?
I read on the couch mostly.
I do that too.
I just have a like the bed I'velike trained myself is like for
sleeping.
Well, that's good.
I think science says that likedon't hang out in your bed, so
that's good.
So I tried, yeah, so I triednot to like, and so I keep it.

(54:44):
I hang out in my bedroom, likein the morning when I'm waking
up slow, or like at night whenI'm winding down.
I still watch tick tock andeverything, but like I'm not
that crazy, but I try to keep itto where like.
It's just for, like you know,relaxing sleeping and reading
for me is not relaxing per se toput on the book that you're
reading, and so I just have ahard time getting comfortable

(55:08):
Like like you said.
The next thing too it's toouncomfortable for me versus like
sitting on the couch.
I can still be like loungingand cozy, but like in a better
position to like read my book.
Now, when I read in bed, I haveto read on Justin's side of the
bed because I end up making myspot too warm.
So when I do go to sleep I'mlike I'm so hot, but Justin

(55:30):
typically runs cold and so Ialways lay down in his spot.
And then when he comes to bed,I'm like, all right, warmed it
up for you.
And then I go to my like icecold side of the bed and I'm
like, wow, this is so cute,that's so cute.
You're like a little space here.
Yeah, literally, that's funny.
Another egg for me are fictionaudio books.
Again, I do not there's likethere are some ics that low key,

(55:52):
going to judge people for a lotof these that I'm talking about
.
I don't like if you read audiobooks, I think audio books are
great and that's a great way toread for me.
Personally, I can only do anaudio book for nonfiction.
Yeah, it's got to be a goodactor.
Like reading it, yeah.
And for me a lot of times it'skind of like the same thing with
having a person on the cover,like hearing the way that people
say yes or the inflections thatthey add would be different

(56:14):
than if I was reading it myself.
It's a different voice, andespecially when it's like one
narrator throughout the wholestory having to do like male
voices oh no, I can't handle it.
Or even like the ones on like Iknow it pops up on like book
talk, a lot of like the superrough male voices doing all

(56:35):
these.
I can't, I have to skip everytime.
I can't do it, I hate it.
I think that's also like you'rebeing so immersed in it and like
having like a guy say somethingto me Like that I'm scared,
it's all for fiction.
If you say it in person, thenit becomes real life and I don't
want it.
Yeah, ew, don't talk to me, butthey're not.
It's in the book.
But I get what you're saying.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.

(56:57):
One thing I do judge people fora hundred percent.
My ick.
The people that fold theirbooks like over, like a notebook
kind of thing, and so they'rejust like holding it as like one
page.
I used to do that when I was akid, but now I don't do that.
Oh no, when I see that it hurtsmy heart for those books, I'm
like no, why would you do that?
How is it even comfortable tostart off with?

(57:17):
Because the way that the bookis designed it's not like it has
like a spine, like a notebookfor it to go around Like ones,
exactly it actually helping?
Nope, don't like it.
I also don't like when this iskind of like becoming more
popular.
Adults have started taking overthe YA genre.
I think that, like the youngadult genre can be for everybody

(57:42):
, like anybody can read it, nomatter what your age is.
You don't have it Like it's not, it can't just be for, like you
know, middle school, highschoolers.
You can enjoy them, but they'renot meant, they're not written
for adults and so you have to goin knowing that.
And so when adults getfrustrated because there isn't

(58:02):
enough adult content in a youngadult novel, then I think that
just takes away from it andthat's not the point, because
this book wasn't for you.
You should like you can enjoythe book for what it is, and
there's plenty of young adultnovels out there that are so
well written and don't need theadult content to in order for
adults to enjoy them.
But it's like adult are tryingto take over, especially with

(58:25):
the spice is the biggest thing.
Or it's like infiltratingeverything and it's not needed
and it's not meant for that agegap.
Like Shakespeare would be sodisappointed.
I just it's so frustrating forme to see that, and especially
because, like, publishing is anindustry and so people start
catering more towards that, butthen you take away options for

(58:46):
people that aren't into that.
Yeah, like you have your owngenre, like there's plenty of
Exactly and in the sea, theydon't all have to be the same
type, right, and it's not to saythat like if a parents you know
approve their kids of readingspicy content and like more
power to them, that's like theirchoice, but there should still
be options for kids at that agethat don't have that.

(59:08):
And so when you start likeinfiltrating what's meant to be
their market, I think this iswrong and that gives me the egg.
I don't like it.
Yeah, because young adult islike high school age.
You know, I get that.
But what are some of your aas?
Oh, the final one.
That one was much better thanthe last all.
We're not going to talk aboutthe other one Kind of like,
simple, but just like a feelingthat a book can make me feel,

(59:30):
whether that's a love heartbreak, like books are so powerful.
So, just like when a book hastruly like made me feel, because
you can definitely read a bookand like not be in it.
But when I'm in a book and I'mreally just like, oh, I'm
feeling all the feels and awe isthe community I get to feel a

(59:53):
part of.
Like there are so many funfriends that read and have so
many different opinions.
All of my ics could be aperson's aas and that is so cool
, like wow, like we're sodifferent but like we love
reading Absolutely.
I love learning about otherpeople, even if it's like a book
that I thoroughly enjoy.
It's like one of my aas too islike reading differing opinions

(01:00:15):
on it, because somebody couldabsolutely like hate the Sarah J
, but I still enjoy likelistening to them, because
sometimes you become so immersedin like your love for it that
you miss out on really likevalid points that other people
make that because, like love isblind kind of thing.
No, I totally agree.
Yeah, and the fact that a lot ofthe book characters they're my

(01:00:35):
friends, like I'm, like I'mreading these books and I'm so
immersed in them that it'sthat's my found family.
They're my friends, I like themand I like hanging out with
them and so I don't know Ireally do.
I feel so hard that like ifthey were real, like I would be

(01:00:57):
there.
Well, some people like you'retoo cool for me, but in the book
I'm like, oh, we would befriends.
Like you're so fun.
You create such that personalconnection to all of them,
especially through like a series.
I've been doing it all with you.
Yes, oh, absolutely.
And like me, like I love acreative like divider for
chapters, so kind of like in thephysical realm of random things

(01:01:21):
that I love about reading whenit's not just like a simple line
or like a blank space to likeseparate between, like the
difference in time or a POVwithin the same chapter.
I love when they're little likecreative ones, whether it's
like a dagger or like an oceanwave or something that's like
related.
It's one of the first thingsthat like I flip through a new

(01:01:42):
book for to see if they haveanything like fun about that.
I love those, yeah.
Another thing I absolutely love, again on the physical side of
books, are maps.
When you see a map in a bookyou know it's going to be a good
book.
It could be the worst book inthe world, I'll still appreciate
that map.
I am a sucker for maps.
I love them.
It helps me visualize in thegrand scheme of things, where

(01:02:04):
things are spatially, especiallywhen they get more intricate
and detailed, and it gives youmore of like that feeling of the
world for it.
Oh, have you ever seen thoseTikToks where it's like make a
map with me and they take likerice and like throw it on a
paper and then they trace outlike where, like the rice or the
like, like little blobs are,and then that's how they make
the map.
Now I know what I'm doing afterwe finish recording this

(01:02:27):
episode.
Oh, I love maps, they're reallyfun.
I also love branching out andtrying new books that I normally
wouldn't gravitate towards.
I think it's really importantbecause as much as I love
fantasy and I live for fantasybooks I know I'm going to enjoy
a lot of fantasy.
But there might be a differentgenre, that like a science

(01:02:47):
fiction or maybe even like aself-help book that I wouldn't
normally try because it's notwithin my normal wheelhouse, but
I might really really love itin the end.
And so I love throwing inrandom ones and branching out
and even if I don't think I'mgoing to enjoy it as much like
I'm not a horror person or likescary movies are not my thing,
but I did I read a book I forgetthe name of it.

(01:03:10):
It's like of Salt and Sorrowsor something I don't remember
specifically.
Don't hold me to that.
I thought it was going to beone thing and it ended up being
more horror-esque not full dive,but still kind of scary book.
And even though it still wasn'tmy cup of tea, I appreciated it
and I did enjoy seeing itchange perspective in that way

(01:03:36):
or how it started off more asyour typical fantasy and then
kind of moved into like thesedeeper, darker themes and the
way that the author did it Ithought was very intriguing.
Yeah, I do.
I really like book club for that, because I could so get a lot.
There's so many good books inlike the different genres and
because I love fantasy, like Icould spend my life there.

(01:03:57):
So it's good to be like pulledout of that, because there are
so many other good books andother genres that I like forget
about it, because I'm just likethinking about like what I
usually do.
Well, because there are so manybooks, it's so easy to get lost
just like within your comfortzone.
So it's nice to have like thebook club to kind of branch out
a little better.
That's just the every once in awhile just throw in a random
one that you just never know andyou might end up hating it.

(01:04:19):
But you won't know until youtry it and maybe if you do love
it, then it like gives you a newavenue of books to explore.
So I enjoyed that about reading.
Those are good.
Those are good.
Wow, our ics and awes.
I'm sure more will be added tothe list in our lifetime.
Oh, absolutely, those are ourcurrent ics and awes.
Let us know your ics and awes.

(01:04:40):
Yes, reach out to us onInstagram at lazygirllibrary,
our website, lazygirllibrarycom.
We want to know what you guyslike Don't like too.
It's fine if you come after mefor the found family thing.
I'm sure we both have verycontroversial opinions for these
.
Like, we're not reading in bed.
I know it was a big one for me,but we're getting close to

(01:05:02):
wrapping up, so I just want tothrow out our book club book
again.
So that's going to be our nextepisode.
We're reading 1000 pieces ofyou by Claudia Gray.
So here is the book description.
Marguerite Kane's physicistparents are known for their
groundbreaking achievements.
Their most astonishinginvention, called the Firebird,
allows users to jump intomultiple universes and promises

(01:05:26):
to revolutionize science forever.
But then Marguerite's father ismurdered and the killer, her
parents handsome, enigmaticassistant Paul, escapes into
another dimension before the lawcan touch him.
Marguerite refuses to let theman who destroyed her family go
free, so she races after Paulthrough different universes,

(01:05:48):
always leaping into anotherversion of herself.
But she also meets alternateversions of the people she knows
, including Paul, whose lifeentangles with hers in
increasingly familiar ways.
Before long she begins toquestion Paul's guilt as well as
her own heart, and soon shediscovers the truth behind her.
Father's death is far moresinister than she expected.

(01:06:12):
I'm so excited to read this one.
I'm really excited too, becauseI do forget a lot of it, but I
do remember parts that made megiddy, so I'm excited.
I'll be curious to hear yourperspective.
Yet, going back and rereadingthe book, especially with my new
eyes on the book too, andreading it for the first time, I
want to make for an interestingdiscussion.
I think so, and whether becauseI think I read this in high

(01:06:35):
school and in high school I gavefive stars to like every book,
so my good reads is a littleskewed, because I just like any
kind of book that was like ohyeah, I kind of like that, five
stars.
So I'm wondering if I really,if you really, deserve five
stars, like it'll be fun toreread it and I'm excited It'll
be good.
But, speaking of books thatwe're going to be reading, I'm

(01:06:57):
going to get into our boroughsand returns yes, let's do it.
So, darby, what are you reading, what are you borrowing, what
are you returning?
Well, the same, no, slightlydifferent.
I'm still getting through Houseof Flame and Shadow.
I'm really trying to finish it.
It's a break this weekend.
Yeah is big boy, but it'sreally good.
And then again, my back burnerbook, how to Win Friends and

(01:07:19):
Influence People by DaleCarnegie, returns.
Of course, our last book clubbook, the Worst Best man by Lucy
Scor.
Don't need to talk about thatone much more.
But then another book that Ididn't get a chance to mention
before, but I just listened tothis past week, was Wildfire by
Hannah Grace.

(01:07:39):
She's the same author thatwrote the icebreaker novel.
That's really popular.
So I listened to it onaudiobook and it was pretty good
, just like I think I wanted tolisten to it because I figured
it would be a better romancethan the Lucy's score book we
just read.
So it was good.
But, talking about audiobooks.
I did not like the speakers.
It made me cringe a little, butI did still like it.

(01:08:03):
I gave it like three stars,which for me my rating like five
stars perfect, like, couldn'ttouch it, it's so good.
Four stars that's a great book,like I like that.
Three stars it's a solid book,but definitely not my favorite.
Two stars, one star pleasedon't ever put this book in
front of my face again.
Yeah, so it was a good book.

(01:08:24):
Yeah, not great, it was good.
I'd say.
I'll do my ratings too, so justanybody knows what we're going
through.
For me, like a five stars is,yeah, like you said, absolutely
perfect.
Loved it in every single way.
I'm pretty generous with myfive stars too.
If I left the book feelingreally good about it, then it's
gonna be like five stars for me.
Yeah, four stars thoroughlyenjoyed it.
Three stars it has its pros andcons, but overall decent.

(01:08:50):
Two stars not my cup of tea.
One star hated it if I evenfinished it, yeah, honestly.
So yeah, as far as my boroughs,I'm still on House of Sky and
Breath.
I haven't had a chance to readit since the last episode, just
because adulting is hard andlife takes over.

(01:09:11):
It's just gonna rot and not usemy mind to do anything.
Well, it's not even for me, atleast personally, for this
specific book.
I want to read it and I want toget more into it.
It's just the timing of life,yeah, hasn't been on my side as
far as reading is concerned.
Other things have takenpriority.
But I am hoping really hoping,that I can start reading this
more because so far it's been sogood, so good For my returns.

(01:09:36):
I read 10% Happier by Dan Harris, which was the mindfulness kind
of book.
Yeah, I gave it three stars.
I thought it was okay.
There are definitely things Iliked and things that I didn't.
It's supposed to be kind oflike a self-help with
mindfulness, but it's throughthe author's journey of finding

(01:09:56):
meditation and being mindful, solike a memoir-esque kind of
self-help book.
I enjoyed some of his storiesthat he told and you can
definitely see where he isfinding his way through
mindfulness and where he isenjoying some parts of it and
other parts he thinks are justlike BS.

(01:10:17):
Doesn't like it.
It's too spiritual mumbo jumbokind of thing for him.
There are other stories that hetells where I'm like it's more
memoir and why is this relevantto what we're supposed to be
talking about kind of thing.
I'm sorry, I really don't caretoo much about your life right
now.
I'm looking for how you foundmeditation to be helpful.
He really focuses too onresearch that found and why

(01:10:42):
meditation and mindfulness is sohelpful and beneficial in your
life.
I do like when research backsup points like that.
Yes, me too, and so that wasreally interesting to learn and
all the different benefits fromit.
I just wish that he got a littlebit more into like how to be
mindful or how he is likemeditates kind of thing.
He does a little bit of toucheson it.

(01:11:03):
It's more one of those books,though, that you have to like
pick bits and pieces out of thestories to put together into
your own like interpretation ofit than like this is how I
meditate.
I mean like walks you throughit like a normal self-help book
would.
So it was good.
I enjoyed it.
It's definitely interesting,but there are definitely parts
for that I didn't necessarilyenjoy about it too.

(01:11:25):
Would you recommend it topeople?
Yeah, I think it was good.
I think it's the best in audio.
I wouldn't waste your time withlike a physical book, so that
way you can skip through some ofit, other.
Well, I guess you could do thatwith a physical book too.
You can just kind of skimthrough it.
So either way, I would just becautious going into it, that you
probably will want to like skipthrough some things.

(01:11:46):
But for some of the other stuffthat he talks about and like
the journey and the research Ithink was really interesting and
fascinating to me, so I wouldrecommend it for that sense.
Yeah, yeah, I would recommendthe one I read too, the wildfire
one, but only if you're likewanting like a good like camp
romance vibes, like I never gotto go to camp growing up, so I

(01:12:06):
just like that Romanticizingthat for you.
Yeah, but there were parts thatmade me like feel giddy and
then other parts I was likecringy and skittin.
Yeah, especially for audio book, I'm sure.
Yeah, yeah, wow, end of anotherepisode.
Look at us, look at us.
Now we're gonna eat Chipotle.
We hope that you enjoy somegood food today and we hope that

(01:12:28):
you only have us this week.
No eggs.
I love that.
What a great note to end on.
Yeah, all right, bye guys, bye.
Well, dear listeners, we findourselves at the end of another
episode and remember, the LazyGirl Library is not just a
podcast.

(01:12:49):
It's a community.
We absolutely love hearing fromfellow book lovers, so don't
forget to share your thoughtsand your favorite reads with us
on our social media.
You can find us on Instagram atLazy Girl Library.
Make sure to check out ourwebsite, lazygirllibrarycom your
one stop shop for all thingsLazy Girl.
Before we go, we want to take amoment to thank all of our

(01:13:10):
wonderful listeners, whetheryou're listening from your cozy
bed, on your way to work oranywhere in between.
Thank you for making us a partof your day and for being a part
of our Lazy Girl family.
So keep those pages turning,keep those imaginations
flourishing and remember thebest stories are yet to be
discovered.
Until next time, stay lazy andhappy reading.