Lit Vibes Only

Ep. 17: 2024 End of Year Wrap-up

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In this final episode of Lit Vibes Only for 2024, Kelsey and Amanda look back on a year filled with great reads and book discussions. They share their top five books of the year, insights on upcoming reads for 2025, answer questions about their 2024 reading journey, and reflect on their favorite moments of the podcast so far. Don't miss their rapid-fire Q&A session and plans for the year to come!

Follow us on TikTok & Youtube @litvibesonlypodcast and on Instagram @litvibesonly_podcast. We'd love to hear from you!

See you on Mondays!

Ep. 17: 2024 End of Year Wrap-up
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[00:00:00] 

[00:00:03] Kelsey: Welcome to Lit Vibes Only where we lit the shit out of books we love and hate I'm Kelsey. I'm Amanda. 

[00:00:11] Amanda: And this is our final episode of 2024. It's been a good year. It's been a good year, but, , before we start reminiscing want to remind y'all where to find us on socials. If you're not already following us, we are on Instagram at lit vibes only underscore podcast, and we are on Tik TOK and YouTube at lit vibes only podcast.

[00:00:35] Amanda: So come on over, have a chat with us, comment. Like follow all the wonderful things. 

[00:00:42] Kelsey: The rating and reviewing makes it possible for other people to see our podcast on any major podcast platform. So please also do those things. Yes. Like comment. 

[00:00:55] Amanda: Oh, I keep forgetting to say that now that I know I've said this before, but now that the sticker giveaway is [00:01:00] over, I'm like, oh yeah, we still need people to do that.

[00:01:02] Amanda: Yeah, we definitely still need that. Please rate and review us. It takes like two seconds and it does wonders for us. , so please and thank you. Yes. You can also just chat with us about things that are happening in the book world like like 

[00:01:17] Kelsey: oh my goodness This is gonna be super relevant. Actually. We're yeah, this 

[00:01:22] Amanda: is a really fast turnaround for us Yeah, we're recording this like a week before we drop which is not what we normally do So at all we can actually talk about something that's happening right now and it won't be super late Yeah, 

[00:01:34] Kelsey: yeah 

[00:01:35] Amanda: Which will be nice.

[00:01:36] Amanda: But, yeah, the whole continuing, I can't believe it's still going on. Oh my God. Remember like the drama with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni and the whole, Yeah. It Ends with us debacle. Like, I thought that was done and dusted and Here we are with new information, 

[00:01:54] Kelsey: the whole ass lawsuit. 

[00:01:56] Amanda: I know. And one of our listeners EJ sent me [00:02:00] the New York times article about it, which I then sent to Kelsey.

[00:02:03] Amanda: And if you've been following our podcast, you know that we did a bonus episode about this movie and we were pretty much team Justin. Like we were, we were pretty squarely in like the team, Justin camp. And now I feel like, like with a lot of people, we're all like, yeah, it didn't age well.

[00:02:26] Kelsey: God, I was trying to think back to like what we said.

[00:02:29] Kelsey: I was like, were we that team Justin We were, 

[00:02:33] Amanda: and we were pretty, we were not happy with With Blake for a number of reasons. It wasn't just that she seemed to be promoting the movie as more like this, like fun rom com and all about the florals, but also because we didn't think she was like the best casting for the role and we didn't like her costuming.

[00:02:50] Amanda: So we, we, we definitely dragged her through the things outside of 

[00:02:55] Kelsey: beyond. Beyond this, because I was thinking about it too, because I remember [00:03:00] seeing those interviews with her where she was just being a jerk. To the, and so things like that. I'm like, was that edited by Justin's team? Did we just like, no, I think that's 

[00:03:14] Amanda: actually how she was in those less 

[00:03:16] Kelsey: bad 

[00:03:16] Amanda: interviews, but at the same time, like context matters.

[00:03:20] Amanda: And so if we're already going into watching these interviews thinking like, Oh, like she's the quote unquote bad guy or bad girl, then it's going to make it look even worse than maybe it actually was, especially because I don't know if you remember from the article. , the woman, , what country is she from?

[00:03:36] Amanda: Is she Swedish? Anyhow, the one that did the interview where she's talking about Blake's like baby bump and Blake snaps. She actually. , was also involved in the Johnny Depp, Amber Heard situation. And she used interviews , , with Johnny Depp and did hashtag justice for Johnny.

[00:03:55] Amanda: So I feel like she's probably in this a bit more deep than we think. And like, [00:04:00] is something that, you know, these PR folks use or someone. 

[00:04:03] Kelsey: Yeah. You know, 

[00:04:04] Amanda: to like further their smear campaign, which is wild to just see how extensive this is. But the 

[00:04:11] Kelsey: other, there was another interview where she was just, it wasn't about the baby bump thing, but her and her friend were being like, just jerks to them and just being like, I don't remember exactly.

[00:04:23] Kelsey: Yeah. I don't exactly remember what happened, but it was another one that was like, what? 

[00:04:28] Amanda: It was the one where they were talking about, , the interviewer was asking them, I think, about their costumes. Right. And what they wore in the show. And Blake was like, if we were men, would you be asking us this question?

[00:04:39] Amanda: And like the two of them went back and forth about it. And then we're talking to each other rather than the interviewer. Yes. Yes. It was that one. Which like. Again, in one context, you could understand like, okay, yeah, it's all about appearances for women and like what you wear versus the content of what you're producing.

[00:04:55] Amanda: So you could easily look at that from a different angle, but like, no, like she's just [00:05:00] defending like, you know, , women and like the kind of stuff we have to go through. 

[00:05:04] Kelsey: Yeah. 

[00:05:04] Amanda: No, it really context matters. But I think for me, the most alarming thing about the whole situation. And I was talking about this with EJ is that It was largely two women who were behind this campaign.

[00:05:18] Amanda: Like it was largely being driven by, , what were their names? Abel and Nathan, I think . They're listed in the article. And I'm like, damn, like here are two women. doing their darndest to take down another woman. And at one point, one of the text messages, when like the smear campaign is like taking off and becoming successful, they're just like, man, people really love to hit on women or something along those lines 

[00:05:40] Amanda: and I'm just like, yeah. And this is a perfect example of that. Like, and 

[00:05:45] Kelsey: it 

[00:05:46] Amanda: was just really, we were also, I know we were just fully manipulated and I think big picture what this made me. Like it made me really skeptical about [00:06:00] as like regular citizens who don't have the time to do a ton of fact checking and digging, , or just don't have access to certain information.

[00:06:09] Amanda: We are so much like left, to the whims of people in power and, we did the best we could with the information that we were given and that we had access to. And like, that was our truth. And so just looking out how easily we were all manipulated to believe a particular narrative. And even right now, like who knows, like maybe it'll come out three months from now that this whole thing was like just another PR stunt to kind of turn the tables.

[00:06:34] Amanda: So it just makes me wary. It's , what the I know 

[00:06:38] Kelsey: I don't. Yeah. In the, in the end, I think. I think part of the, lesson here is that celebrities be celebrity team. They deal with like, and I just think we, whether or not this goes like to the actual court or we hear from these people and I've heard from [00:07:00] people on the internet who have actually like read the document there's like really awful things in there.

[00:07:06] Kelsey: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Supposedly Justin was doing and, , or that Blake is. alleging he has done and not just her. I'm hearing that there's like statements and things from other people and there's like text messages and things from Justin's team. , the other thing that was compelling for me though, was because I knew Justin Baldoni from his show.

[00:07:28] Kelsey: What's that show? The 

[00:07:29] Amanda: Virgin. 

[00:07:30] Kelsey: Yeah. And then, , I started following him back in that day and then he, his social media is all about like, Yeah, like human rights, you know, I'm just curious, like, is that because that could be just, his team's PR, right? Like, this is the face that I want.

[00:07:48] Kelsey: So this is what we're going to do. Yeah, we're going to create this. Yeah. Yeah. , so you just never know. , is ultimately I think the thing and I [00:08:00] feel awful if these things did happen to Blake or any other women. That's shitty. 

[00:08:06] Amanda: Exactly. 

[00:08:06] Amanda: , 

[00:08:06] Amanda: and yeah, it's awful and it's crazy how easily, yeah, we were all turned to one side or the other.

[00:08:12] Amanda: And like, of course this goes beyond celebrities. Like it would be one thing if like this just happened. Within the celebrity circles, but like this happens in politics and in ways that are way more impactful and, , you know, potentially devastating for different people, groups, and honestly for our country as a whole.

[00:08:30] Amanda: And so like zooming out, like that makes me really. a little terrified. , the ways in which social media and the media can be used to spin a narrative that is so compelling and so convincing that we all just like, don't question, even if we question it, like that's the thing, even if we did, it's like, where would you go to then find the quote unquote true?

[00:08:48] Amanda: Like, where is that? Where does truth live anymore? So 

[00:08:52] Kelsey: the other thing, cause you know, , we follow books and batches. Yes. I saw. Yeah. I know. Did you see her recent, like, Always. I think [00:09:00] that's Erica where she, , is always like, well, and the like brings up other points and stuff. And one of the points that I remember, , her bringing up is that it's also a PR stunt for Blake's team at this, in this moment, whether or not this stuff is true.

[00:09:14] Kelsey: Right. Yeah. Yeah. It was timing. Yes. The timing of it is that. Justin's team isn't going to be able to really make an impact until a week or so later because it's Christmas now and people are not going to be paying as much attention. , but they dropped it the Friday before Christmas. And so it's going to be this big story and it's so, it's so, It's interesting.

[00:09:35] Amanda: Yeah. It's all very strategic. That's the thing. Yeah. Everything is. And you can tell just even from reading the article, like it's so strategic, so carefully planned and executed. , I think there was another point that Erica made now that you brought that up was that, which I found less compelling was that she's How could all of this stuff have been happening if Ryan was on set?

[00:09:56] Amanda: Like what he was just sitting by and letting these things happen to Blake. And I'm like, [00:10:00] I was not under the impression that Ryan was on set like every day, all the time. So I don't know. I thought that's, 

[00:10:05] Kelsey: I thought that was the story. And that was like the whole reason why Justin's team was like, why?

[00:10:11] Kelsey: Like there was a big kerfuffle over why he definitely had input 

[00:10:15] Amanda: and was there at times. I just didn't think he was there every day. And I'm like, so things could have happened while he was not present. Present. , but so I was like, I don't know if that's a great counterpoint, but anyhow, 

[00:10:25] Kelsey: all that to say, but some people are saying that is why he was there in the end.

[00:10:31] Kelsey: Yeah. Ryan Reynolds, because he's like. Because things were going sideways. Yeah. So, who knows? 

[00:10:36] Amanda: Who knows? Like, honestly, the only people who truly know are the people who were there and experienced and witnessed it. And we are just on the outskirts making assumptions and drawing conclusions and getting whatever scraps of information we can to formulate an opinion.

[00:10:50] Amanda: Oh my gosh. Yeah. If you all have been following along with this whole story and have your own thoughts and opinions. And theories feel free to [00:11:00] share them. , cause I think the whole thing is pretty wild and also just, yeah, sheds light on how easily we all can be manipulated. Yes. 

[00:11:08] Kelsey: Hey, in other news, yes. Of Colleen Hoover news.

[00:11:12] Kelsey: Oh, yeah. The other team members, yeah. For Verity. So what is it? Dakota? Who Dakota? Johnson. Johnson is going to be low. And I know I 

[00:11:26] Amanda: always like flip flop them in my head. I think that's a good casting. I think it's a great casting because she, I think we'll come across of course, it's like this sweet, naive, like docile person.

[00:11:41] Amanda: And so when you realize, hopefully they're going to show this, like there's like this weird. Underlying layer of naughty illness and a slight derangement. It's going to come. It's going to come for you hard, especially also with Josh Hartnett, who is going to be playing Jeremy because he is very much, we were [00:12:00] talking about this before.

[00:12:01] Amanda: Like I think he's very much like the guy next door, very likable, charming. And so when you see him slowly, those layers get peeled back and you're like, 

[00:12:10] Kelsey: Oh. Oh, I think the more recent like photos of him. I'm like, yeah, they'll they'll definitely just like. You know, he, I don't know. I don't know how old he is.

[00:12:23] Kelsey: He's like older. I think, you know what? 

[00:12:25] Amanda: I remember him. My, I had the largest Josh Hartnett crush in high school because I watched Pearl Harbor and my heart, like heartthrob crush. Like he was my dream man in high school. And so he is forever frozen in that time for me. 

[00:12:44] Kelsey: He just looks kind of rugged now.

[00:12:46] Kelsey: Like it probably will go well with the casting. But yeah, it's interesting. He got his gross mustache. Like he has changed a bit. Well, we'll 

[00:12:59] Amanda: see how they style him [00:13:00] for the movie though. Yeah. Cause I'm sure it'll be fine. But 

[00:13:03] Kelsey: yeah, . He was the, , he was in. Oh my God, the murderer one, 

[00:13:09] Amanda: the new 

[00:13:09] Kelsey: one that came out.

[00:13:10] Kelsey: Yeah. Isn't 

[00:13:11] Amanda: it like, , the M night show? I can never say. Oh yeah. In the M night Shyamalan's movie. Shyamalan. Thank you. Yes. 

[00:13:17] Kelsey: Yes. I went to go see that one. 

[00:13:20] Amanda: Yes. That's why he's giving me the creeps. I didn't watch it. So I watched it 

[00:13:25] Kelsey: and he did a good job in that. So I think that he's going to do a good job with Jeremy because he can play 

[00:13:32] Amanda: both.

[00:13:32] Amanda: Right. He can be like this charismatic, handsome guy and also be like a little. 

[00:13:39] Kelsey: And here's a picture of him at Pearl Harbor. 

[00:13:42] Amanda: Oh my gosh. I, I cannot tell you how many times I watched that movie. And it's long too. But I love history and I love Josh Harnett. 

[00:13:52] Kelsey: I was like me and Lord of the Rings. 

[00:13:54] Amanda: Oh my gosh.

[00:13:55] Amanda: Orlando, Orlando bloom. But then 

[00:13:58] Kelsey: eventually it went [00:14:00] to Vigo Martinson. Oh my God. 

[00:14:02] Amanda: Same. It like as the, as I got older and kept watching, I was like, Oh yeah, actually I'm definitely, what is his name? Eric on, , yeah, okay. Well, moving on, moving on. It is time to wrap up. 2024. It has been a good year. And even though we just started this podcast in September, we have been talking about this podcast since the beginning.

[00:14:27] Amanda: Yeah. I think the whole year, we definitely started talking about it, , at the beginning of this year. And so this has been a full year journey for us so far, even though we didn't get our episodes out until September. So how many months is that? Is that only for September, October, November, December? Yeah.

[00:14:42] Amanda: Yeah. So four months of actual podcasting and then like what, six months of planning and getting excited and brainstorming. And so, yeah, we're going to like walk through our top reads of the year and we're going to answer some questions for y'all. [00:15:00] And, , it's going to be a lot of fun. So we, we, we tried to narrow down our list because we only decided to share our top five books, but we kind of cheated.

[00:15:12] Amanda: Okay. First of all, Kelsey cheated because there's 

[00:15:14] Kelsey: four entire books. You have a 

[00:15:18] Amanda: series that has three books in it listed as one. So it's fine. Plus I put them as honorable mentions. Anyhow, we'll get to that. So we're going to go through our top five books of the year and just kind of tell you kind of briefly what we liked about them.

[00:15:31] Amanda: And maybe we'll spark your interest in reading them in this upcoming year, or maybe You've already read them. So Kelsey, do you want to kick it off with your first book? 

[00:15:39] Kelsey: Sure. This was my first read of the year and it has stayed at one of the top spots, , in my heart. , Lovisona by Romina Garber. I think we discussed this book.

[00:15:52] Kelsey: Did I, did I suggest it for, , I think it 

[00:15:55] Amanda: was for Hispanic, like Latina heritage month. 

[00:15:58] Kelsey: Yeah. 

[00:15:59] Kelsey: , 

[00:15:59] Kelsey: It's a good, [00:16:00] it's a good book. I just loved it. And Amanda really liked it. So like crosses over like our normal divide. Yeah. , so it's more along the lines of like magical realism where it's partially in the real world, current world, and partially in a, , new made up fantasy world.

[00:16:24] Kelsey: , but. What is her name? Manu. It's about her living in both worlds and finding her identity. , and so much more. 

[00:16:36] Amanda: It's so good. It's so good. Highly recommend. We've talked about it, I think, enough on this podcast and various episodes that if you've been following along, you know, What it's about and why we love it.

[00:16:46] Amanda: , okay. So my first book, the first book that I read last year, or this year I guess, , was Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Okay. And pretty much anyone who I talk about books with, , Has heard me recommend [00:17:00] this book.

[00:17:00] Amanda: , I don't know if I've mentioned it on this podcast, maybe in passing. I don't think so. Love, love, loved this book. It's one of those books that just like lingered with me long after the last page. And essentially it's a retelling of David Copperfield that is set in Appalachia in modern day. And I loved it.

[00:17:21] Amanda: One for that. So I was like, it was fun to see the ways that she reimagined the different elements of David Copperfield, but I also liked it because I spent part of my childhood growing up in Appalachia. And so there was also kind of a personal connection to the story. And it's not, , I think Appalachia itself often gets overlooked when we think about the history of our country, when we think about the current like socio political landscape.

[00:17:47] Amanda: And there's a lot there. There's a lot of culture there. There's a lot of history there. There's a lot of struggle there. And it really dives into the ways that like poverty and addiction, , has [00:18:00] really. affected that area of our country and the ways that people, , are still looking, to, carve a life for themselves in that area.

[00:18:08] Amanda: And I think just shining a light on it was really impactful for me. So I really enjoyed it and highly recommend five stars. Cool. 

[00:18:18] Kelsey: I, I'll go in order of when I read these. , since that's kind of how it started. , so the next book is Air of Fire by Sarah J. Maas. , this is part of the Throne of Glass series, which I think Amanda would actually like more than the other books we've read.

[00:18:37] Kelsey: , , it's more focused on, you know, history and, , world building and war and fighting and conflict, , rather than, you know, like the love stories, there's some of that. And I think more of it in the latter half of the book books, , I still have three [00:19:00] books left in this series. , but so far this one was my favorite.

[00:19:05] Kelsey: , yeah, I just, I loved it. 

[00:19:07] Amanda: Did you like it for the reasons that you just listed like that I would like it or did you like it for the romance? 

[00:19:12] Kelsey: I actually, there's not much romance in it, , in this book. It's more about, , Selena Sardothian's, , backstory and who she is and it's her developing her powers and fighting off.

[00:19:26] Kelsey: Really bad guys. Cool. Okay. 

[00:19:29] Amanda: So it's more like 

[00:19:30] Kelsey: character development. Yeah. There is like flirtation between her and another character, but it's not. It's a very long, long burn Okay. Amongst various books. So it's not , 

[00:19:44] Amanda: I'm, I'm here for the long burn. Yeah. a slow burn I guess it's 

[00:19:47] Kelsey: called. , for, yeah. I guess that sure.

[00:19:49] Kelsey: It's long Slow burn a long slow burn. , so, yeah. No, that is, yeah. Alright. I think you, especially like the third book, which is. [00:20:00] I'd have to think about it. Midnight something. Anyway. Okay. There's just a lot of like twists and turns and things. And so I think you'd like that too. 

[00:20:09] Amanda: All right. Well, we'll see. I have to start.

[00:20:11] Amanda: I'm going to start a court of mischief fury today. Oh my goodness. The goal is to get it done over to get it done over Christmas break so I can go on to other things. I can't wait. I can't wait. Okay. So my next book, I don't know if this is actually in order, but, , my next book that I really enjoyed was the great believers by Rebecca McKay.

[00:20:33] Amanda: I hope I'm saying that last name correctly. And why did I like this book? , it was, it was great. sad. , and book. Yeah. So it basically is telling the story of, , a group of friends, , who became friends like kind of during the peak of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, I believe it takes place in Chicago.

[00:20:57] Amanda: And again, I read this book earlier in the year, so I [00:21:00] apologize if I don't get the details correctly, correct. , but I liked it primarily. It's not so much plot driven. There is plot there, but it really is about the connections and relationships between these characters and how they, , survive, like, this really traumatic period, , and there's multiple timelines, there's two different timelines as well, which you know I love, , so there's like a historical timeline and a contemporary timeline, but I just thought it was really well written, I was very moved by the story, and I thought Feel like I learned a lot about that particular period in our country's history and the ways in which our society failed to step up and support and care for, , the individuals who are suffering from AIDS.

[00:21:46] Amanda: And, , yeah, it reminded me, I don't want to like overgeneralized like, Oh, well, this was another story that, , included, , AIDS, but it made me think a little bit of rent and not be, not just because like, [00:22:00] that is a part of the story and rent, but because of.

[00:22:04] Amanda: The, the musical itself, I think is like all about the connections between the characters and their relationships. And that is very much true with The Great Believers. So for me, I felt like there were some parallels while I was reading it and I love Rent as well. So that's my second one. 

[00:22:19] Kelsey: Nice. Oh my gosh.

[00:22:20] Kelsey: That's only your second one. Okay. My third one, , would be Powerless by Lauren Roberts. Oh my God, the tension between these two characters. I fucking love it. And I'm just, I really also loved it because it had, , oh my gosh, I always do this hunger games vibes where again, trials, I really love it when, I don't know why, but I, I get down with some trials and tribulations. It is also emotionally devastating. Okay. Yeah. Very Kelsey. Very Kelsey of [00:23:00] you. . And frustrating. So , yeah, I really love the world too. So, I'll leave it at that.

[00:23:06] Amanda: Okay. And I feel like you've been hinting that you're going to have me read this at some point. So I'm bracing myself. Oh, a hundred percent. And I already know you're going to 

[00:23:13] Kelsey: hate it, like loathe it. Not just hate it, like you're going to love this one. Oh God, 

[00:23:18] Amanda: it'll make for a great episode. It'll make for a great episode.

[00:23:22] Amanda: Not that 

[00:23:22] Kelsey: long of a book, I don't think. Oh, perfect. Even better. 

[00:23:25] Amanda: , okay. So my next book is, , Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Ajay Brenya. And I, I have never read a book like this. And I think that's one of the reasons why I selected it because the premise was. So just different. And the premise is, and again, I did mention this on the podcast maybe a couple months ago because it was my current read.

[00:23:50] Amanda: And it essentially tells the story of it's, it's in the United States and, and this United States, , the prison system has been set up where people [00:24:00] can join this gladiator style trials. Yeah. Like this gladiator style, like. Game essentially where they can decide to join this program and essentially if they can survive, they earn their freedom.

[00:24:18] Amanda: So it's like very much modern day gladiator and it's wild. And I think the thing that I liked about it is that he very much wrote the book as like a commentary on our prison system or criminal justice system. And throughout the book, there are all of these foot notes that tell you about actual. You know, data, statistics, anecdotes that are outlining all of the injustices and horrors that are currently happening in our criminal justice system and the ways in which class and race play a huge role, right?

[00:24:50] Amanda: And who is getting sentenced and for how long and yeah, just all of the flaws of our criminal justice system. So it was both. Entertaining and [00:25:00] devastating and also very educational. And, , I thought it was also well written. He's definitely a great writer and I just felt it was compelling and captivating and I cannot recommend it enough, especially if, you know, you read a lot of books and you're looking for something that's going to give you something a bit different, but also be.

[00:25:18] Amanda: incredibly, , all the things I just said, compelling, captivating, educational, devastating. Yeah. , it was everything Amanda loves in a book, all the things I love in a book, , highly, highly recommend. 

[00:25:29] Kelsey: Yeah, actually it's on my list as well. I just don't know what it is. When I'll be in the, in the mood for it.

[00:25:37] Kelsey: Yeah, 

[00:25:37] Amanda: you have to, yeah, you, it's, it's heavy. It's for sure heavy. So you have to be in the right mood to read it. 

[00:25:44] Kelsey: Yeah. Yeah. I just realized that fourth wing isn't on my list. 

[00:25:49] Amanda: Oh no, what a tragedy. 

[00:25:54] Kelsey: Oh, I'm putting it in my honorable mentions. , so the next book that's one of my [00:26:00] favorites of the year would be Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Bully.

[00:26:03] Kelsey: Did you ever read it? No, but 

[00:26:05] Amanda: it's 

[00:26:05] Kelsey: on my TBR. I added it 

[00:26:06] Amanda: because of you. Yeah, yeah. You 

[00:26:07] Kelsey: absolutely need to read it. And I want to read her second book. , I think I'll do that soon, but this book, a lot of it, Is just because I relate to it. , and it's like telling part of my story, right. And highlighting indigenous culture, indigenous life.

[00:26:26] Kelsey: , it also has really, really sweet moments like with elders. It's a wonderful, Showcase of like elder love. It's yeah, it's beautiful. And, , it's also devastating and, , triggering at times too. But it is a really great solid story. , and I think you'll really like it. 

[00:26:48] Amanda: Yeah. It also sounds like the plot is 

[00:26:50] Amanda: Quite moving and intricate. And I'm excited for that as well. Yeah. But yeah, I rising. Yeah. Yeah. And I added it to my, , [00:27:00] TBR pretty soon after you mentioned it. I was like, sound description really grabbed me and now I have to read it. , okay. So my fourth book is clap and you land by Elizabeth Acevedo.

[00:27:11] Amanda: And again, another book you've probably heard me on this podcast. Cause I'm pretty straight. Did when we were talking about, again, our current reads. I don't remember. Oh, okay. Maybe not. I, well, I obviously mentioned Elizabeth Acevedo because she was the, one of the writers I recommended for our Hispanic Latina Heritage Month, , Lit Rex and Clapin new land is another, , it's another spoken word kind of slam poetry.

[00:27:35] Amanda: book. So it's not written, it's written kind of inverse. It's not written, , in prose and it tells the story of these two half sisters. They don't know the other exists. And, , there is. , an incident that happens that leads to them discovering that the other one exists. And one of them, I believe lives in the DR and the Dominican Republic.

[00:27:58] Amanda: And one of them is the United States. [00:28:00] And so, , it, again, there's a lot of heartache and heartbreak in this story. I definitely cried. But it's so beautiful and so poignant. She's such a skilled writer and it's not often that you read a novel that is written in the form of a poetry. And, , I loved the poet X, but I think I might like this one even more, honestly.

[00:28:21] Amanda: So highly recommend both of her books, but this was definitely one of my top reads for the year. And it's also YA fiction too. So really accessible to, to lots of different age groups. , even though the protagonists are teenagers, like I very much was able to get invested in the story and connect. So really loved it.

[00:28:40] Kelsey: Nice. That sounds like a good one. That's a really good one. I am struggling to understand how it's poetry throughout the whole thing. Is that you mean? It's all poetry. 

[00:28:51] Amanda: She's a, I want to say she's spoken word, not slam poetry, although honestly I'm not really sure what the difference is.

[00:28:57] Amanda: So it's written in verse [00:29:00] and , it doesn't rhyme, right? It's not like that style of poetry. , but if you've ever heard like, you know, a spoken word poet, that's what it sounds like. Okay. Yeah, it's really beautiful. 

[00:29:09] Kelsey: , this is my last books, right? Okay. So I, the reason why I can't choose, she cheated.

[00:29:19] Kelsey: She did choose, but I'd have to like really think about what happens in each book. Cause they all just like mesh together. Cause I read them. So like quickly, , I have to remember like what happens in which one, but the spark of the everflame series. is definitely one of my top five of the year and we will absolutely be reading.

[00:29:43] Amanda: Oh my gosh. No. One 

[00:29:44] Kelsey: of the books 

[00:29:45] Amanda: is like 

[00:29:46] Kelsey: a thousand pages. No, I can't commit to that. I'm sorry. Unless 

[00:29:49] Amanda: I make you read a thousand page book. You're 

[00:29:50] Kelsey: also going to hate, , at least you're going to hate the, you're just going to hate it. Like the [00:30:00] FMC and her point of view, especially, I think, , a lot of people complain about her being annoying.

[00:30:04] Kelsey: , But I just loved it, I fell in love with the book and, it has a unique like, , magic system and world and, , the way that it works and it's just, it intrigued me. And so, , fantasy fangirls are awesome. Are also going to be highlighting this book than doing a deep dive and I cannot wait for it.

[00:30:24] Kelsey: , I think they're starting in April after they finish with onyx storm, which is the third book of fourth wing fourth wing. 

[00:30:32] Amanda: Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, I have heard so much about this series, so clearly a lot of folks enjoy it. , yeah, definitely. Yeah. Okay. My fifth book , which I read most recently. And again, I'm pretty sure I mentioned on this podcast as a book I was currently reading is the God of the Woods by Liz Moore.

[00:30:53] Amanda: Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Y'all like, it's not even like the, the, I don't know the [00:31:00] best book I've ever read, but I think because it just incorporated so many elements of what I love in one book and did so well. And I think I also read it. After just reading a couple of books that didn't really blow me away too.

[00:31:13] Amanda: So I think it stood out even more. , but it has, again, it has elements of like thriller mystery. It's technically historical fiction. It has multiple timelines. It's a sweeping family saga. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It also has themes of female empowerment and agency.

[00:31:31] Amanda: And I just really enjoyed the characters. I enjoyed their messiness. I enjoyed that everyone had had their flaws and issues. it was a very human book and you know me, you know, I love it. So out of the woods, y'all, I've heard good things. Don't sleep. Yeah. Don't sleep on this one.

[00:31:49] Amanda: It's true. And it's also, I feel like sometimes books like this could be. overly literary where they can be dense or slow or just, you [00:32:00] know, be more esoteric. And this one I think is very accessible. I wouldn't say it's like a beach read, but it's very easy to get through. And, , the language is very accessible.

[00:32:12] Amanda: The plot moves along at a good clip and keeps you wanting more. So I think it just encapsulates all of the things I love about A novel. 

[00:32:20] Kelsey: Do you think I would like it? Oh, 

[00:32:23] Amanda: I don't, you're tricky. I don't know. Like, I truly don't know. I mean, there's not, there are elements of like a little bit of romance, but not so much.

[00:32:33] Amanda: I feel like you would be, you would have a very like yellow face reaction to it where you're like, yeah, it's a good book. Like on the surface, I would think it's boring and I wouldn't pick it up on my own. But if I made you read it, I think you wouldn't not like it. I just don't think it's your kind of thing.

[00:32:49] Amanda: Book. 

[00:32:50] Kelsey: Okay. I've 

[00:32:51] Amanda: just 

[00:32:51] Kelsey: heard good 

[00:32:52] Amanda: things about 

[00:32:52] Kelsey: it, 

[00:32:52] Amanda: so I would, I would love it if you read it and maybe I'll make you read it, but I think you would, yeah, I think you would have a very, a very, [00:33:00] mm. Like you could, wouldn't be like in love with it. Like I know what I do. Fantasy. Like you'd be able to see that it's a good book and I think you would get through it and wouldn't have anything negative to say about it per se.

[00:33:11] Amanda: Yeah. But you would not be like, oh my gosh, I love this book too. Yeah. Yeah. So anyhow, that's my last one. , I did, I know I created an honorable mentions list because it was too hard to narrow it down to five and also cause Kelsey cheated and put a series, which has multiple, yeah, so, , for the honorable mentions, I won't give you a description for each of them just for the sake of time, but I will literally just mention them.

[00:33:37] Amanda: So I have five. I'm just trying 

[00:33:40] Kelsey: to think if I have like more if you have more, 

[00:33:43] Amanda: well, I'll read through my okay. I have a couple at least. Okay. So my four honorable mentions are codenamed Helene by Ariel Lahan, the most fun we ever had by Claire Lombardo, the late comer by Jean Han, Hanf, Hanf, Corlitz. [00:34:00] And the Rachel incident by Caroline O'Donohue.

[00:34:03] Amanda: , and that's kind of a mix. They're mostly contemporary fiction. Codename Helene is historical fiction, but one of the things we don't talk about a lot on this podcast so far is that because we focus a lot on the fact that I do like historical fiction and the illusion mysteries. I'm also a huge fan of contemporary fiction and read quite a bit of it.

[00:34:21] Amanda: And pretty much all of those, except for Codename Helene are contemporary fiction and I really enjoyed them. 

[00:34:28] Kelsey: Well, there you go. Okay. I do have a few that I can mention. Okay. , first off is going to be fourth wing by Rebecca Yaros. And I just have to say, I know you just, I know you didn't say anything about them, but it got me out of a really awful reading slump.

[00:34:45] Kelsey: And I, you didn't mention that. Yeah. A lot. , also the truth according to Ember by Danica. Oh gosh, what's her name? Danica Nava. It was a romance novel. , and I just, I felt very seen by it. It was a, indigenous [00:35:00] women character. , and yeah, Is that the last one? Oh, I was going to say red paint by Sasha 

[00:35:05] Amanda: LaPointe.

[00:35:09] Kelsey: I was like, LaTosha. I have a cousin named LaTosha. Sasha LaPointe. So, , those will be my honorable mentions. Okay, 

[00:35:17] Amanda: great. Well, again, if you've read any of those books, , and have your own thoughts, share them with us, please. Or, , if you're planning to read them, if we like convinced you. From our little blurbs.

[00:35:28] Amanda: , also let us know. Okay. So we're going to do a little bit of a Q and a, just to kind of give you a summary of our reading experience this year. , and share a little bit more about that with all of you also, , you know, a little bit about the podcast as well. So. And we can switch back and forth reading the questions.

[00:35:46] Amanda: I'll read the first one. So what was your reading goal this year? And did you reach it? You can answer first Kelsey. 

[00:35:53] Kelsey: I have never read so many books in a year, actually. And my goal [00:36:00] is so 30. And, , I did surpass it right now. I'm at 36, but I fully intend to read at least like two more books, , beyond iron flame, which is what I'm in right now.

[00:36:10] Kelsey: The second book of fourth wing. I have to be ready for onyx storm. All right. , so, so maybe getting me possibly to 40. We'll see. We'll see. , Oh, wait, that would be four more books, not two more. 

[00:36:25] Amanda: Oh, okay. Okay. I was like, you said two. So I was like, wait a minute. I know I'm not going to nap. We'll see, I said.

[00:36:30] Kelsey: But basically what I'm saying is three more books for sure, maybe one more to get to 40. We'll see. 

[00:36:36] Amanda: Okay. 

[00:36:37] Kelsey: Awesome. I'm on winter break. So who knows what can happen. 

[00:36:40] Amanda: All the time. All the time in the world. Although winter break is late this year. So it doesn't end until like the second week. Yeah, but still the last 

[00:36:48] Kelsey: day of December is like next Tuesday or next Monday.

[00:36:51] Kelsey: So I have time. It's next Tuesday, I think. Yeah. We definitely have time. We have a week. 

[00:36:55] Amanda: , a lot can happen in a week. , for me, my goal was [00:37:00] 45 and I at the moment have read 53. , I am about to start a court of myths and fury today and it's. So we'll see how quickly I get through because I would like to do two more this year and end with fifty five.

[00:37:15] Amanda: So we'll see if I can do that. I am traveling. So I'm like, I'm gonna have time at the airport and on the airplane. So that should help. , but yeah, I was really proud of myself. Also, I don't think I've. I cannot remember the last time I've read that many books in a year either. And I think I have like this podcast, I think, cause it really does help kind of light a fire.

[00:37:32] Amanda: And I'm like, okay, well, I for sure have to read this book for the podcast. And then we also have books I have to read for book club too. So both of those things have helped for sure. 

[00:37:42] Kelsey: All right. You want to read the next question? , so what is your reading goal for 2025? 

[00:37:46] Amanda: So since I made it to 53, maybe 54, 55 this year, I figured I'd set it at 50 because I think it's disheartening to set a goal and not reach it.

[00:37:56] Amanda: And I feel like, okay, I've definitely, I know for sure I can read 50 cause I did it this [00:38:00] year over 50. So I'm like, I'm going to set it at 50 and then hopefully surpass it again. I think that thing with reading goals too, not to like go on a rambling answer, but it really depends on life, you know, depending on like what's going at work and how busy I am and events, et cetera.

[00:38:17] Amanda: Like you just might not have. time. , and reading takes time. 

[00:38:22] Kelsey: One week I had COVID and I read a bunch of books during that time. So like, it really does depend. And I had a couple of reading slumps this year where I didn't read, like, I maybe read like a book a month, but then in the summer, like I read 20 books, right?

[00:38:37] Kelsey: Like, yeah. My life definitely ebbs and flows, especially for the seasons, but I think, yeah, I'm going to try and get most of my books in over the summer. I'm going ambitious here for myself and I want to set mine at 50. Okay. So we're both at 50. Yes. , but that is pushing it for me. So we'll see. We shall see.

[00:38:56] Kelsey: We shall see. It's always good to have a [00:39:00] challenge. 

[00:39:00] Amanda: Yeah. Okay. , next question. What was the longest book you read, Kelsey? It was Heat of the Everflame. 

[00:39:08] Kelsey: Wait, I brought it for show and tell. 

[00:39:11] Amanda: For those who are watching this on YouTube. Oh my God. Oh my God. 

[00:39:14] Kelsey: Look at this giant book. That's insane. That's literally three books in one.

[00:39:19] Kelsey: It is. And then this was the one before, which is like, Still really late. 600 books. So this is 600 books, 600 pages. Kelsey isms. , , this is 400 more pages than this one. See, and this is the thing. Go ahead. I'm sorry. I loved every second of it. I wasn't bored though. Like, no, that's crazy. Yeah. This one was the first one, which is much smaller and also has bigger font.

[00:39:50] Kelsey: So I was like, Oh, I'll get through this fast. 422. So, , anyway, what were you going to say? 

[00:39:56] Amanda: No, I was going to say, whenever I see books that long, all I can think about is the writer [00:40:00] writing. I'm like, how do you write an a thousand and more than a thousand page book? Like what kind of attention and focus do you have to craft something about length?

[00:40:10] Amanda: And like, also just like keep all the details straight and the plot lines and characters. That is insane. 

[00:40:15] Kelsey: It is a ton of work. I can't even imagine. And there's one more book coming out this year called burn. And I don't know how many pages that is. We'll see. Okay. If it's another thousand, I'm reading it in two days.

[00:40:29] Kelsey: I don't care. 

[00:40:30] Amanda: I'm going to look up actually, because I obviously as a contemporary fiction reader, historical thriller, like some historical fiction books can get quite lengthy, but they're generally not that long. And I think for me, I just had to pull it up. The longest book, I think, not that I've ever read, but that I read, you know, Somewhat recent years was Pillars of the Earth.

[00:40:49] Amanda: And even that was only 976 pages. And I was like, oh. That was like, you know, it was good. It kept me reading, but I was like, that was a long 

[00:40:57] Kelsey: book. So I feel like a thousand. So [00:41:00] you Justin Cronin was, wow. Justin Cronin's book was only 560 pages. Wait, 540 pages. 

[00:41:06] Amanda: You do You mean the Ferryman? 

[00:41:07] Kelsey: Yeah. 

[00:41:08] Amanda: Yeah. Which was also a good book.

[00:41:10] Amanda: I should put that on my, , mentions. Okay. My longest book was only 599 pages. And, , it was fairy tale by Stephen King. It is the only Stephen King book I have ever read. Cause I don't do horror and it's a departure. from what he normally does. I mean, there's, there are scary parts to it, but it's for sure, not a horror.

[00:41:33] Amanda: Did you like it? And I really loved it. 

[00:41:35] Kelsey: My friend is doing that right now. 

[00:41:37] Amanda: Yeah. It's, I love, I love fairy tales. The title grabbed me and I was like, Ooh, maybe now is the time to do some Stephen King. And, , basically the premise is this young boy finds, well, Yeah. Teenage boy finds this portal to this fairy tale world and things happen and I might enjoy that.

[00:41:56] Amanda: You, you would like it actually, cause it definitely, I mean it has a huge [00:42:00] fantasy element obviously. Yeah. So I think you would like it. It's not super romance y, but it's definitely got the fantasy element for sure. 

[00:42:07] Kelsey: Yeah. I can do fantasy without romance. 

[00:42:12] Amanda: I'm not saying you can't, I just feel like most of the books you read are a blend of both.

[00:42:15] Amanda: They're mostly romanticy. I do like them. Yes. Exactly. I'm not off 

[00:42:20] Kelsey: base here. How many pages did you read this year? Oh, 

[00:42:23] Amanda: are you looking up on, on your Goodreads? Yeah, my Goodreads. , I think mine was like 19, 000 something. Yours is going to be like off the charts. 

[00:42:30] Kelsey: No, it was 15, right? 

[00:42:33] Amanda: Oh, because you get less books though.

[00:42:35] Amanda: That's true. 

[00:42:35] Kelsey: , but I'm just sitting here looking at that and I was like, that's one book. One thousand of that is one 

[00:42:40] Amanda: book. Yeah. Mine was 19, 315. 

[00:42:45] Kelsey: Yeah. Which you read how many more books? I read 15, almost like 10 ish. I have 53 and you have 36. I can't do the math. , so sure. Okay. So 12 more books. , [00:43:00] That's going to bother me, but, , are you doing the math right now?

[00:43:03] Kelsey: Yeah. It's around that. Okay. But, , anyway, so that's a, quite a few more books, but yeah, I think the, the 17 more bucks. I just, I just did the math on my calculator. I was off. Yeah. 17. I was like, thank you for doing that. So yeah, you definitely read it. Shorter books, than the fantasy. 

[00:43:27] Amanda: Well, actually, so scroll down, though, go back to your Goodreads and they'll tell you the average length of the books you read.

[00:43:32] Amanda: Oh, yeah. What's your average length? 433. How much is it? 

[00:43:36] Kelsey: 433. 

[00:43:37] Amanda: Yeah, mine's 364. Yeah. So like my average book length is definitely shorter for sure. Yeah, yeah. , okay. Speaking of lengths, what was the shortest book that you read this year? 

[00:43:47] Kelsey: Red Paint. By Sasha Lapointe. Oh, 

[00:43:49] Amanda: okay. And it was 

[00:43:49] Kelsey: 225 

[00:43:52] Amanda: pages? That's what you read?

[00:43:53] Amanda: Yeah, 

[00:43:53] Kelsey: 225. Oh, yeah. 

[00:43:55] Amanda: Yeah. , I read The Vegetarian by Han Kang and it was 188 pages and I really did [00:44:00] not like it. , but at least it was quick. It's like this Pulitzer Prize winning book and I just found it. I, yeah, I think I've mentioned this. It was just, it was too esoteric for me. I did not enjoy it. 

[00:44:10] Kelsey: , where did you do the most time?

[00:44:13] Kelsey: Where did you, oh my god. Where did you, where did you spend the most time reading this year? That's 

[00:44:19] Amanda: okay. I wrote that question, so I wrote it how I would've said it. Yes. , I spend most of my time reading in my adorable pink armchair that I got off of, like Craigslist or something, or no, Facebook Marketplace a couple years ago.

[00:44:34] Amanda: Is that in your bedroom? It's in my bedroom. Okay. I was like, I don't even know where, yeah, it's like tucked away and it's right by the window and I have a little, like my little reading lamp and it's so cozy. , 

[00:44:45] Kelsey: honestly, probably in bed, that's where I read the most, I think, especially like being sick or, , I, I mostly read before bed, so yeah, I lay in bed and then, you know, I read.[00:45:00] 

[00:45:00] Amanda: I would love that. I just like, I'm so old. I'm like, it just hurts my back. Even if I have pillows propped up, I need something that's a bit more firm. So I need my chair because I'm an old lady. So funny. But my dream is to have, this is going to make me sound even older. 

[00:45:15] Kelsey: Oh my gosh. Tell us. My dream is 

[00:45:18] Amanda: to have a recliner.

[00:45:21] Amanda: I want like a full on recliner, like lazy boy. I find that the most comfortable to read in. And growing up, I would always read to my parents, like my recliners at my parents house. , so that's what I want. Like 

[00:45:33] Kelsey: a really comfy. To me, what I really like is like a plush big old like couch and something I can put like my arms on.

[00:45:44] Kelsey: There's these like couches that are round and then it has like a, , like, , what is it called? Like the head thing or the arm rest all the way around. , halfway around, I guess, not all the way around. And so it's like, you could lean on it and stuff.

[00:45:58] Kelsey: , That is [00:46:00] mine. Okay. I'm not sure if I'm visualizing 

[00:46:01] Amanda: this correctly, but I believe you 

[00:46:03] Kelsey: that it is comfortable for reading. When it comes out, when it comes out this episode, I'll have to post like a picture of 

[00:46:09] Amanda: it. Yeah. So our listeners are going to be like, I cannot visualize at all what she's describing.

[00:46:15] Amanda: , but yes, I would like a recliner I feel like it would just make my back feel much better when I'm reading and then I can read for even longer. Okay. Next question. What was your favorite podcast episode this year?

[00:46:27] Kelsey: Ooh, I think mine was ACOTAR just being so excited for the conversation. Oh 

[00:46:32] Amanda: my gosh. I got so excited. , what was yours? Mine was definitely Twilight. , I think just because I had so strong feelings about it. And also because that is the Still, I think the podcast that I've gotten the most feedback from people about totally have such strong opinions and like having that interaction with our listeners is the best.

[00:46:51] Amanda: Right. And everyone's like, I can't believe you said that. Or like, it definitely 

[00:46:54] Kelsey: elicited the strongest emotions from people for sure, 

[00:46:59] Amanda: especially since [00:47:00] I like totally trashed it. , so that was my favorite 

[00:47:02] Kelsey: for sure. , Okay. And then what book are you most looking forward to next year? Oh my goodness. 

[00:47:09] Amanda: So I actually have a list and then I like added them all to my TBR.

[00:47:13] Amanda: And I'm only going to do the one though, because I want to be mindful of time, but, , I'm really excited for this book. It's called the Queen's Spade by Sarah Roffley. I think that's how you say her name. And, and I like pulled this description straight from the actual description for the book. It is a historical thriller.

[00:47:32] Amanda: loosely inspired by true life events. Essentially it's the count of Monte Cristo meets Bridgerton. And I'm like, Oh my God, everything in this description is speaking to me because I love history. I love thrillers. I love when a historical fiction is like at least somewhat connected to something that actually happened.

[00:47:52] Amanda: And this tells the story of this, , African princess who was essentially kidnapped and taken to live in, , England during the [00:48:00] 18th 1800s. And in this version of history, she basically is super pissed off, obviously, and is plotting to take down the monarchy. , and so I'm like, Oh, this is going to be so good.

[00:48:11] Amanda: And I, this is going to, maybe we'll come as a surprise to our listeners, but I love Bridgerton. I know it's like super romance and smut, but I love it. And so, , all of those elements. are making me so excited 

[00:48:24] Kelsey: for this book. Samantha, what is the difference between watching sex on TV and reading the sex?

[00:48:30] Amanda: Well, okay, but here's the thing with like Bridgerton, aside from the first Season. There's actually not a ton of sex in it. There really isn't. It's a lot of naked people. There's a lot of like slow burn, like, you know, enemies to lovers type. But the last one 

[00:48:47] Kelsey: definitely had sex in it. 

[00:48:48] Amanda: No, no, there's definitely sex, but I wouldn't, I wouldn't say it's the majority of the show though.

[00:48:53] Amanda: Like if you look at the amount of sex scenes based on the actual screen time, like the length of the episodes, I don't think it's like overwhelming [00:49:00] 

[00:49:00] Kelsey: for me. But also like. In fourth wing, let's say it's not, it's not like the majority of, 

[00:49:06] Amanda: no, no. I would, I, and again, like, I find fourth wing overwhelmingly smutty.

[00:49:13] Amanda: I just like, didn't need it. Like if you had taken that out, I would like, Oh, this is 

[00:49:16] Kelsey: I'm reading iron flame and it's like more. About the romance that was like a man is going to hate this 

[00:49:23] Amanda: because they're together now. So that like makes so much more 

[00:49:27] Kelsey: sense. 

[00:49:27] Kelsey: , 

[00:49:27] Kelsey: but yeah, go ahead. What are you looking forward to?

[00:49:30] Amanda: But 

[00:49:30] Kelsey: I guess, have you ever read the Bridgerton books? No, and I will not read them. They're awful. So if it's referring to Bridgerton books or the Bridgerton show, 

[00:49:39] Amanda: I think it's referring to the show or at least like the premise of the, yeah. Yeah. Well, I think it's referring to Bridgerton because of like the time period that it's set in and there is, there is romance, right?

[00:49:50] Amanda: There's definitely romance in this book. I'm not sure how much it's going to be, how, how like prevalent, but yeah. So, 

[00:49:56] Kelsey: , to no one's surprise fearless, which [00:50:00] is the final and third of the powerless series. , Onyx Storm, which is the third in the series for the Empyrean series and Burn, which is the final book of Spark of the Everflame series.

[00:50:12] Kelsey: So I'm looking forward to all three of those and we're wrapping up two series and so it's going to be a big year. 

[00:50:19] Amanda: Yeah, it is. Because I guess Onyx Storm is like third of the series. Five. Right. Cause you said there's going to be five books. I think there's going to be five. 

[00:50:26] Kelsey: I think that's still the plan.

[00:50:27] Kelsey: , so yeah, it's the continuation. It's going to suck because I pre ordered it on my, , e reader, but, , why did that suck? Why does that suck? I don't know. I, 

[00:50:37] Amanda: I 

[00:50:37] Kelsey: don't know. I'm going to read it right away and then wait, have to wait like two more years for the next book. Right? Like exactly. Which is why series sucks so much.

[00:50:48] Kelsey: I'm so intriguing and I love all the characters and the 

[00:50:50] Amanda: only time I will read a series is if all the books are already out. 

[00:50:56] Kelsey: And you know what else is really fun about reading series is like [00:51:00] you're not in pain by yourself because there's such a a huge fan base for them. You get to like watch all the videos and talk to all the people about the series and how stupid it is that you have to wait so much longer.

[00:51:14] Kelsey: It actually, yeah. So 

[00:51:15] Amanda: I think for me, I just like, and again, it's just kind of a really shitty memory. Thanks ADHD. If I have to wait two years for a book, I feel like I would need to go back and read. The book again, and I don't, I don't like rereading. I rarely reread.

[00:51:27] Amanda: Oh yeah. So that's something we haven't talked about. I like interesting. I reread a book. I don't know if I've ever reread a book in my life. No, it's like, it's very me though. Like One of the elements of having ADHD, right, is novelty, like we need novelty, or I do, I should say, for me, and, , if something is not new and exciting and different, like, it's not going to hold my attention, like, if I already know what happens in this book, or like, why I love it, or even with movies, I don't really watch movies unless like, I have to, , yeah, I like, [00:52:00] I will you know, I watch like elf every year at Christmas.

[00:52:03] Amanda: , but it's not like you're just sitting there watching it. Like you're 

[00:52:06] Kelsey: probably doing other things. Cause 

[00:52:07] Amanda: my, I'm always in the back of my head. I'm like, Oh my gosh. Like, why would I be wasting time on something? I already know when there's something new and exciting that I could be engaging with. 

[00:52:14] Kelsey: So I have the opposite part of that.

[00:52:18] Kelsey: In my ADHD that shows up where it's like this obsession over something. Yeah. And so, , I think that can happen too with ADHD. And so like Pride and Prejudice, I've read maybe five times. I love that book. And I've watched that movie. I cannot tell you how many times. And like Lord of the Rings, like I've watched those movies like 20 different times.

[00:52:44] Kelsey: Sure, I'll have to watch 

[00:52:45] Amanda: those. Yeah, 

[00:52:45] Kelsey: for sure. Those are just like on the, on the rotation. But like actually watched. Like sat down and like watch them. Yeah. Yeah. Not doing other things. Any who, , so we're [00:53:00] to the final portion of our, , final episode of 2024 and this is new to Amanda. So it's also, 

[00:53:08] Amanda: have you done this before with someone else?

[00:53:10] Amanda: No, I didn't 

[00:53:14] Kelsey: explain it well enough before, , before the episode. So. There are rapid fire questions and typically with rapid fire questions, you don't answer them beforehand. So they're just like, what do you think in the moment? Okay. So I'm going to go and you're going to go. , but Amanda, , answered some of them already.

[00:53:33] Kelsey: So there's some premeditated responses because I didn't know the rules. I'm sorry guys, but also that's my fault. I didn't really explain that to you. So do we just go back and forth or do you do all of yours and then I do all of mine. I'm going to do all of yours and then you'll do all of mine. Okay. So I'll go first.

[00:53:51] Kelsey: So no explaining either. Oh, it's just the thing and then move on. Okay. 

[00:53:56] Amanda: But I love to ramble, Kelsey, what am I going to do? [00:54:00] Stop it. Stick to the point. Okay. All right. Okay. 

[00:54:03] Kelsey: First question. What's the worst book you read this year from Kelsey's recommendations? 

[00:54:08] Amanda: Divine Rivals, hands down. 

[00:54:09] Kelsey: Okay. And the best book?

[00:54:11] Amanda: Trail of Lightning. 

[00:54:12] Kelsey: Okay. How about which thriller surprised you the most this year? 

[00:54:17] Amanda: The Only One Left by Riley Sager. 

[00:54:19] Kelsey: Mm. And then which book had your favorite book cover art? Lobi Sona by Romina Garber. Oh, interesting. Okay. Next ones. , what is the most memorable podcast moment for you? 

[00:54:33] Amanda: How do I do this in a short?

[00:54:36] Amanda: , I think the most memorable, I will just say, , episode wise was ACOTAR. I think because I liked it more than I thought I was going to, and we had more time then to talk about like theories and dive into the characters and things like that. 

[00:54:49] Kelsey: See fun. Okay. Favorite podcast? 

[00:54:54] Amanda: Getting to hang out with Kelsey.

[00:54:55] Amanda: Like it's like we have like built in friend time every month that [00:55:00] we absolutely will see 

[00:55:01] Kelsey: each other, which I love. That's true. , and least 

[00:55:03] Amanda: favorite. Oh my God. I think this is love, hate editing the episodes. I both enjoy it. And it also takes so much 

[00:55:10] Kelsey: time. The time for it. Right. And then your favorite thing about reading.

[00:55:15] Kelsey: What? I have to do this like one sentence? Are you kidding me? 

[00:55:19] Amanda: , I love so, , I love escapism. I love indulging my imagination and Experiencing other people's perspectives and lives. I have so many things to say about that. 

[00:55:33] Kelsey: Lovely. I like it. Oh, that's painful. I might agree with that actually. Okay. I did not, I saw some of my book's questions, but I did not premeditate them.

[00:55:46] Kelsey: I don't necessarily have. 

[00:55:47] Amanda: Yeah. 

[00:55:47] Kelsey: Okay. Okay. 

[00:55:48] Amanda: All right. Here we go. Rapid fire for Kelsey. I know the first one, though. Who is your current favorite book? Boyfriend? , Zayden Ryerson. What's the worst [00:56:00] book you read this year from Amanda's Rex? 

[00:56:02] Kelsey: Horse. Hands down. It's not, , none of this is true. Okay. All right. It was a close second, but horse has to be number one.

[00:56:08] Kelsey: Okay. All right. What is the best one that I recommended for you? , 

[00:56:13] Amanda: Verity. Yeah. Did you read more books or audio books this year? 

[00:56:18] Kelsey: More books. 

[00:56:20] Amanda: Where else in the world did you read this year? 

[00:56:23] Kelsey: Ooh. , Spain, Portugal, New York. Where else was I on a plane over, over the United States. Okay. 

[00:56:33] Amanda: Yeah. What was the most difficult book for you to get through this year?

[00:56:37] Kelsey: Oh, there's two red paint by Sasha LaPointe and oh no, it was the bastard of Istanbul. The bastard of Istanbul.

[00:56:47] Amanda: who is your favorite author either from like this year or just in general?

[00:56:51] Amanda: You can choose. 

[00:56:51] Kelsey: ,

[00:56:51] Kelsey: Dang, maybe Penn Cole right now. Okay. Yeah, that makes 

[00:56:58] Amanda: sense. And then [00:57:00] lastly, what is one thing you would change about our podcast journey so far? 

[00:57:06] Kelsey: , we have more followers 

[00:57:09] Amanda: and more people listening to the podcast, obviously. Yes. Okay. That's a good answer. I would absolutely agree. Absolutely. Oh, okay. Well, that was a little stressful.

[00:57:20] Amanda: Yeah, it is stressful because like for me, I just say I need time to process. And then I want to. I want to explain myself. I need to go off on a tangent. I need to tell you one anecdote. Tangents are tangenting in my head. , goodness, that's stressful, but we did it. We did it. We made it to the end of 2024.

[00:57:36] Amanda: Thank you guys so very much for sticking with us these last four months. And we are excited to kick off another year with you. 

[00:57:45] Kelsey: A full year, a 

[00:57:46] Amanda: full year. We've got so much good content coming your way. 

[00:57:50] Kelsey: It's going 

[00:57:51] Amanda: where it's going. What will happen? Well, hopefully we have more followers. That's hopefully where it's 

[00:57:55] Kelsey: going.

[00:57:58] Amanda: But yeah, we're excited to [00:58:00] just explore more books and get to know you guys better and have more wonderful, wild conversations. And yeah, explore more things that we never thought we'd and maybe Find some new loves in the process. 

[00:58:14] Kelsey: Yep. 

[00:58:15] Amanda: All right, guys. Well, we will see you in the next year.

[00:58:19] Kelsey: So cool. So exciting, but also see you next Monday.

[00:58:22] Kelsey: See you next Monday. Bye