Lit Vibes Only
Kelsey and Amanda are two book besties who love to "Lit the Sh*t" out of books they love and hate! In their Lit it or Quit It episodes, Kelsey and Amanda are forced to read the other's favorite books. While Amanda loves to read historical fiction and mystery/thrillers, you'll find Kelsey curled up with just about any romantasy. They discuss the books at length and, in the end, decide whether the book is a "Lit It" or "Quit It"! Every month they'll also give some book recs you just can't miss. Look out for the bonus episodes about bookish topics and books that were adapted into movies/shows.
Listen in and choose whose side you're on, or perhaps find yourself intrigued by a book you wouldn't normally go for. See you on Mondays!
Lit Vibes Only
Ep. 32: Lit Recs: Neurodiversity Awareness Month
Join Amanda and Kelsey as they navigate through BookTok drama, shamelessly promote their socials, and share heartwarming neurodiverse book recommendations with a spicy twist. Laugh along as they debate fictional men, discuss cozy fantasies, and occasionally invent phrases like 'hands on the ground.'
00:00 Welcome to Lit Vibes Only
00:50 Follow Us on Social Media
02:25 BookTok Tea with Kelsey
06:16 Neurodiversity Awareness Month
11:02 Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
18:12 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
25:36 Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by
27:50 Discussion on Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett
32:28 Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg
41:13 Closing Thoughts and Social Media Plugs
Follow us on TikTok & Youtube @litvibesonlypodcast and on Instagram @litvibesonly_podcast. We'd love to hear from you!
See you on Mondays!
Ep. 31: Lit Recs: Neurodiversity Awareness Month
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[00:00:00]
[00:00:03] Amanda: Welcome to Lit Vibes Only, where we lit the shit out of books we love and hate. I'm Amanda, the insightful thrill seeker and historical fiction nerd.
[00:00:11] Kelsey: And I'm Kelsey, the unhinged, die hard romantic and fantasy reader. Welcome.
[00:00:21] Amanda: I was so into my tagline. I know that hasn't happened in a while. So I'm actually, I'm proud of us for making it so far.
[00:00:30] Kelsey: Really? It was just me. Whoever did that. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. You'd say you're proud of me. I'm
[00:00:40] Amanda: proud of you for making it so far without that happening. It has been a while.
[00:00:43] Amanda: I was like, what? That's an awkward pause. Like Kelsey. Yeah. What else did you have to share with the folks? Oh, so funny. Okay,
[00:00:50] Kelsey: so, again, welcome, and we'd like to steer you towards our socials, we are on Instagram at [00:01:00] LitVibesOnly underscore podcast and TikTok and YouTube at LitVibesOnly underscore podcast.
[00:01:05] Kelsey: podcast. And Amanda's like, yes, correct. Good job. Keep it up. You can also email us at lit vibes, only podcast at gmail. com. And we would love for you to come rate and review us on Spotify or Apple. Those are the main. To podcasting platforms that get us recognition and get our podcast to other people.
[00:01:32] Kelsey: And so we're waiting for that, like, hump to happen, like get us over the hump so that we can like, we're waiting.
[00:01:42] Amanda: Interesting. I
[00:01:46] Kelsey: said what I said and I stick by it. Okay. It makes sense in my brain. So, so that we can see our viewership and listeners increase. Because we know you love the podcast, but other people need [00:02:00] help finding the podcast, so So they
[00:02:01] Amanda: can love it too.
[00:02:02] Kelsey: Help us out there and rate and review us. Thank you. we
[00:02:07] Amanda: appreciate it. And we're also just glad that you're here today. Checking out another episode. We love our Lit Recs episodes. They're one of my favorites. I mean, Literature Quiddits are my favorite favorites. But I really like the purpose of Lit Recs episodes.
[00:02:21] Amanda: And just like, getting new books out there and getting folks. Reading different things like yeah important so important, but I know you have your book talk news update. Yeah With Kelsey
[00:02:35] Kelsey: even the book Rex have helped us Diversify our reading because sometimes we have a books that we haven't read and we're like, oh, okay I really want to highlight that and now I'm really interested in it and want to read it myself So that's been fun for us as well so yeah, so Interestingly enough, like book talk drama or topics [00:03:00] haven't been super heavy recently, but the thing that I have been seeing and noticing is that people are really tired of book talk drama.
[00:03:09] Kelsey: There's a lot of. Talk and discussion around should we even call it drama? Like who can stay out of it? Like what are we really doing when we're talking about drama and why are we attacking one another if someone has a different opinion than us, right? And so sometimes book talk drama is like a creator saying something some people didn't like
[00:03:31] Amanda: and
[00:03:32] Kelsey: It's not something that's necessarily controversial, it's just, it might just be like, I didn't like this book and someone else has big feelings about it, and sometimes it is a rage bait post where someone outside of the community is, book talk community is saying something ridiculous like, audio books don't count, or Some people have said YA books are only for young [00:04:00] adults. Oh, interesting. And so, yeah, so people outside the community will come and say those types of things.
[00:04:06] Kelsey: And so, there's this general consensus throughout TikTok around like, Okay, what are we actually doing with this drama? Yeah. We can learn to just disengage.
[00:04:19] Amanda: Yeah. It sounds like sometimes one is contrived or people just, and it ties into what we're trying to do on our podcast. Like, it's okay to have different opinions, right?
[00:04:29] Amanda: But how can you talk about them respectfully? How can you like honor other people's opinions and acknowledge that, yeah, we don't all think the same thing and that's okay. Right? okay. Like, I know you and I debate, but it's all in good fun. And I think some people, And this speaks to a larger issue like in our society, not to make this like super, I don't know, political or social, but like we don't know how to talk to people who are on other sides of issues than us.
[00:04:57] Amanda: We've really lost that skill [00:05:00] and social media has helped us to stay in our little silos and like put up our walls and only surround ourselves with people who agree with us. And then for us to be utterly appalled if someone would ever to speak an opinion or voice an idea that is. contradictory to ours.
[00:05:17] Amanda: So I'm happy that maybe the tide is turning on BookTok and folks are more like, yeah, let's maybe be in this community together versus like attack each other for being different and having different likes and
[00:05:28] Kelsey: preferences. So that's, yeah. Yeah. And I think that's something that we do really well on our podcast, right?
[00:05:34] Kelsey: Like we come back week after week, even though I have forced you to read books you hate and vice versa. And we're just like, all right, let's do it again. Because both of our opinions are valid and matter and relatable. So
[00:05:49] Amanda: exactly.
[00:05:50] Kelsey: And like in the process,
[00:05:50] Amanda: like we are finding. Books that we like and even within the books that we don't like we all and that's why we start our episodes off Like what are the positives?
[00:05:59] Amanda: What are some [00:06:00] things that you did still enjoy, even though you overall necessarily Care for it. I think that's also an important skill to develop right? There's always something you can find to enjoy or to like or to find as a positive even in the midst Of the chaos. So I think that's also really great.
[00:06:16] Amanda: And of course, tie so much into what we do in our Lit Ricks episodes, what we're going to do today, which is promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, promoting overall an inclusive community where everyone can see themselves represented and where we are celebrating a multitude of voices and perspectives.
[00:06:36] Amanda: And acknowledging them and this month in particular, I think has a special place in both of our hearts because April is many things, but one of the things that it is is Neurodiversity Awareness Month. Some folks call it Neurodiversity Celebration Month and Both Kelsey and I are neurodiverse women.
[00:06:54] Amanda: I have hyperactive ADHD. And so, yeah, this month in particular, is very important [00:07:00] for both of us and excited to share our book recs with you. So before we dive into that, as always, just like a little bit of background about this month and how it came to be. So, as you could probably tell from the title of the month, it really is about.
[00:07:14] Amanda: Recognizing our differences, the differences in our brains and acknowledging like those are strengths and not the weaknesses that many people often make them out to be and the stigmas that are around them, the shame that has often been associated with being neurodiverse. And the reason why April became neurodiversity awareness month is because April 2nd is recognized by the United Nations as world autism day.
[00:07:37] Amanda: And so as a result of that, many organizations then designated the entire month of April as Autism Awareness Month, which it still is. And then additional organizations and individuals took Autism Awareness Month, took it a step further, and decided, Hey, like, let's celebrate all of our neurodiversity and all of its.
[00:07:56] Amanda: Many forms. And so that's where Neurodiversity Awareness Month [00:08:00] originated. The term itself, neurodiversity, actually came from an Australian sociologist named Judy Singer. And she created the term because she really did want to promote equality and inclusion of neurological minorities. So those folks who are neurodiverse and that term can include a variety.
[00:08:18] Amanda: Right. Of neurodivergent conditions. It could be like we said, ADHD, it could be autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, so many things. And so all of the individuals with neurodivergent conditions, like that's the umbrella term for all of us. And, as a result of, the way that our brains work, sometimes it can be really hard for us.
[00:08:39] Amanda: To find a place, right. To fit in within our schools, our workplaces, sometimes our relationships and our interpersonal relationships, because, the standard is being neurotypical. And so, this month is about again, finding solidarity and community, acknowledging all of the things that we have to contribute as neurodiverse individuals.
[00:08:58] Amanda: And one of the things we haven't talked [00:09:00] about so much on this podcast when it comes to lit recs months. But one of the things I did want to highlight this month. And one of the things we can continue to highlight is like. Ways to be a good ally. So even if you're not an individual who identifies as a particular ethnic or racial group or from a particular sexual orientation or a particular, if you're not neurodiverse, there are ways that you can still be a part of that community as an ally.
[00:09:23] Amanda: And so a couple of things when it comes to interacting with neurodiverse individuals in your community, whether it's work, school, et cetera, personal life. One is to check your assumptions. Right. We have a lot of stereotypes and assumptions when it comes to any identifier, not just neurodiverse folks.
[00:09:39] Amanda: So checking those and maybe taking a moment to think about where those came from. And educating yourself so big to educate yourself. For a lot of folks who are neurodiverse communication can be tricky. So speaking clearly and unambiguously is really important when communicating with folks who are neurodiverse, depending on what their particular condition is staying flexible.
[00:09:58] Amanda: Right. And as teachers, we do this [00:10:00] all the time. We're constantly accommodating students, providing modifications for them based on their their needs. And then lastly, if you're not sure, just ask, right? There's nothing where I'd be like, Hey. What is helpful for you in this situation?
[00:10:14] Amanda: How do you best process information? What kind of, stimuli do you or don't you need in your environment when you're trying to work or study or communicate? And so, yeah. Yeah. Just. Talking to people and checking in with them and letting them tell you exactly what they need goes a long way.
[00:10:31] Amanda: So that's a little bit of just about the month and what we're doing here today. And as always, we each have two books. And I know for both of mine, I have read my books. I think Kelsey, one of them you are about to read, perhaps, it's on your team. I haven't
[00:10:44] Kelsey: read either of my books. Yeah.
[00:10:45] Kelsey: So. Okay. But
[00:10:47] Amanda: one of them you have, I think, because you showed me earlier.
[00:10:49] Kelsey: No I have it. Yeah. Okay. But you haven't started it, but you know, I haven't started it.
[00:10:54] Amanda: So yeah, we're going to share those with you and encourage you again to check out these authors and [00:11:00] their stories. So Kelsey, take it away.
[00:11:02] Kelsey: Oh, cool.
[00:11:03] Kelsey: Let's see, my first rec comes from Chloe Liesse. Okay. Liesse, will you actually look at the
[00:11:16] Amanda: It does look like Liesse,
[00:11:17] Kelsey: yeah. Two Wrongs Make a Right is the book that I'm featuring, Oftentimes she is featuring neurodivergent characters in her books and that's because she herself is also neurodivergent and so she feels like everyone deserves a love story and this is like the niche that she has chosen to cling to is neurodiverse characters and so you'll see that throughout all of her books.
[00:11:45] Kelsey: She particularly writes romances and just had a new release. in January called once smitten twice shy. And this comes from the Wilmot sister series, which also [00:12:00] includes two wrongs make a right. And so, one of the other thing is she also often includes characters with chronic illnesses, and I'm not sure that she's someone with a chronic illness, but she tends to.
[00:12:14] Kelsey: Feature those types of characters and really enjoys writing real characters with realistic lives . So, comes back to her Everyone Deserves a Love Story and she has written 11 books. She has 11 published books and they're all romance and three are from the Wilmot Sisters series and then. And I, what's that math set eight are from the Bergman brothers series.
[00:12:46] Kelsey: And so there are apparently eight Bergman brothers and they all have their own book along with like the Wilmot sisters. Oh, they make me think of like
[00:12:56] Amanda: their Bridgerton series. Yeah. A little [00:13:00] bit. Has like a story. Yeah.
[00:13:01] Kelsey: Yeah, exactly. It was funny, I was looking on her website and one fun thing that she does for her readers, she actually creates a playlist for each book.
[00:13:12] Kelsey: Well for some of her books, I'll say I saw Rebecca Yarrow's do this as well. Yes, I saw that, yeah. And I think she does that for every book, but most recently her Onyx Storm release . And so, I thought that was pretty cute and fun. And they're all on Spotify if you want to find them.
[00:13:31] Amanda: Oh, yay.
[00:13:32] Amanda: Also, I'll just jump in really quickly. It's Lisa. Her last name. Oh, Lisa? Like Lisa. Like, it's like, yeah, there's like a little, you pronounce the ending.
[00:13:43] Kelsey: Well, thank you for looking that up. Oh my gosh. You're welcome. We definitely, I need to get better about doing that beforehand. I do all the research and I'm like, so into it.
[00:13:53] Kelsey: And then I'm like, yeah, I just copy and paste their name. Yeah. So thank you for checking that. You're welcome. [00:14:00] So her books have made it on the USA Today bestseller list and one fun fact is she recently got married, I think, in December. Oh, really recently, gosh. Yeah, like very recently. And so her next upcoming release comes out in spring of 2026.
[00:14:19] Kelsey: And that's the thing about romance writers is they can totally bust them out pretty quickly. Oh yeah. Because there's like. I think in general there's less research you need to do depending on the type of book you're doing. I recently read deep end that I would say probably required a little more research around like the swimming aspect and diving aspect,, but not like a historical fiction, obviously.
[00:14:45] Kelsey: And so those books and fantasy books require more time and continuity throughout the books in order to get published and be ready for readers. So. It's a trend that I've seen [00:15:00] romance readers can just bust those out a bit faster. So yeah, so that's Chloe. And you said lease. There's like, you pronounce like that, that,
[00:15:08] Amanda: that E at the end.
[00:15:09] Amanda: I'm like no. It's like Lisa. Okay. We're probably totally
[00:15:16] Kelsey: butchered. We're so sorry, Chloe. We're trying. So to move on to the book, Two Wrongs Make a Right. Again, it's part of the Wilmot Sisters series and the premise of the book is that friends are attempting to play matchmaker between these two for them to get together because they just see them working out.
[00:15:37] Kelsey: And the two see this scheme happening and they try to play along and trick their friends into believing they're falling for each other. When in actuality. Like, that might actually be what's happening. This sounds like a very familiar trope. The trope of fake dating is prevalent in this book. And it has a 3.
[00:15:59] Kelsey: 79 [00:16:00] Goodreads rating. I've also noticed With romance books, it tends to be around that three something. I've
[00:16:06] Amanda: noticed that too, yeah. Yeah, because people
[00:16:08] Kelsey: either love it or hate it. But so yeah. It
[00:16:11] Amanda: feels like they're more particular about romances than romanticies. Like people are just are like, yes, this is the best
[00:16:16] Kelsey: thing ever.
[00:16:17] Kelsey: Perhaps. Yeah, it's interesting. It also is 326 pages, which is a very typical length of a romance novel. Once they get to like 500, you're like, what is in this book? Like Kennedy Ryan's book. What was that book called again? Oh God. For some reason I could, I always get confused. The one we read for January.
[00:16:37] Kelsey: Before I Let Go. Before I Let Go. Thank you. Before I Let Go. Yeah. That book was like 500 pages. It was. It sure was. Yeah.
[00:16:45] Amanda: It sure was.
[00:16:47] Kelsey: And it's so funny because I was looking at the Goodreads ratings and the reviews and a lot of folks said that , the spice was like hecka good. I don't. I love how
[00:16:58] Amanda: you say hecka.
[00:16:58] Amanda: I've never met anyone who says [00:17:00] that. Hecka. Hecka. Instead of hella. It's so polite. It's like it's hecka good. Really? Is that another calcism or do you know anyone else who says that?
[00:17:10] Kelsey: I don't know where I picked that up from. I
[00:17:12] Amanda: don't know either. You said it recently in a TikTok video and I was like, oh really?
[00:17:15] Amanda: I've never heard hecka before. It's cute.
[00:17:19] Kelsey: Really? Okay. I've never heard it. I don't know. It's not because I'm censoring myself, I just think it sounds better than hella good. Really? Yeah. Alright. Oh, that's funny. I picked it up from somewhere, but and also just a coffee or like a bonus is that once you are done reading this novel, you Chloe's website and find a bonus epilogue of the story.
[00:17:46] Kelsey: Fun fun. I definitely plan on reading this book. The Spice has me interested . I'm like, what does that mean? What does that mean? And I was like, that a tech good . Yeah. That it's like really good. I was like, okay what am [00:18:00] I, what does, yeah. Yeah. What does that mean? And everyone has like
[00:18:02] Amanda: Exactly.
[00:18:03] Amanda: Everyone has different ideas of what like makes Absolutely. Makes the spice. So, okay, well that definitely sounds up your alley. So up my alley. Have to keep us posted. . Okay. Then I'll do my first one. I actually, this is one of my favorite books. Got a five star for me. I feel like I should recommend it more.
[00:18:21] Amanda: I have occasionally, but anytime it comes up, I'm like, yes. So the book that I'm recommending is Eleanor Olyphant is Completely Fine by Gayle Honeyman. And Gayle is actually a Scottish writer. So not from the United States. She was, A voracious reader as a child, could not get enough of books ,
[00:18:40] Amanda: she actually, while in college, she studied French language and literature while she was at the University of Glasgow and then did a post grad course in French poetry at the University of Oxford. And again, was not necessarily planning on becoming a writer. She spent a good chunk of time working as a civil servant.
[00:18:58] Amanda: She worked as [00:19:00] a university administrator and then randomly decided to enroll in like this writing course at a local Academy. And it was while she was at the course that she wrote the first three chapters of this book and Submitted them. I think she submitted them to a competition actually. And it was from there that she ended up.
[00:19:20] Amanda: Fully fleshing out the idea and writing this full length novel. And as of right now, it's actually the only novel that she's written. She has one in the works that is set to be published at some point in the future. I think it said on, I saw this on Wikipedia, it said that it was supposed to be published and February of 2025.
[00:19:39] Amanda: And I'm like, February has come and gone. And I don't think it's. So I'm assuming it's currently still in the works. But yeah, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. Her debut novel, it was published in May of 2017. It is 390 pages and has quite a high rating on Goodreads. It's got a 4. 23 rating. [00:20:00] It's won a.
[00:20:00] Amanda: bunch of different awards. So it won the Costa first novel award, the Audi award or the Audi award, the British book award for book of the year. , the Australian book industry award for international book and was then shortlisted and long listed for a handful of other prizes and awards as well.
[00:20:15] Amanda: So very well received which is unsurprising because it's so lovely and the book. As the title would imply focuses on Eleanor Oliphant and she's this social misfit. She's 29 years old. We find out pretty early on in the book that she's got some sort of traumatic past. We're not entirely sure what, but like her face is badly scarred and so like we know something has happened.
[00:20:41] Amanda: She's clearly very highly intelligent, but incredibly socially awkward. And in her opinion, cause this is all from her point of view, right? It's everyone else who is socially awkward and everyone else who has underdeveloped social skills, in her opinion. She faces ridicule and bullying at her workplace.
[00:20:57] Amanda: She is very much a loner. Doesn't have any [00:21:00] friends. Drinks a fair amount, especially on the weekends. And just has like this really Bleak sad solitary existence. She is obsessed with like the I think it's the lead singer of a local band in her little scottish town But really other than that, there's not a whole lot going on with Eleanor until she meets a guy from the IT department in her office Raymond and then things start to change from there and so, of course, I'm not gonna give away any of the details, but The author of the book Gail Honeyman, it, I don't know that she set out to necessarily write a neurodiverse character.
[00:21:39] Amanda: She herself is not neurodiverse, at least not that I found. But a lot of the ways in which Eleanor, interacts with the world, her understanding of other people. She displays a lot of attributes and traits of folks who are neurodiverse. And it's one reason why I decided to include it. And a lot of folks who are neurodiverse and have read this [00:22:00] book and have been like, yes, I can see myself in this character.
[00:22:03] Amanda: It's a very touching book. It's very humorous as well. This is a book that I laughed out loud multiple times because looking at these social interactions that are happening and how she's processing them and how she's viewing them are quite funny. So it's a very tender, like I said, touching story.
[00:22:18] Amanda: And it's very much watching her go on like this transformational journey. Towards understanding herself better, understanding life in general better. And a lot of the different themes that come up in the book are around, isolation and loneliness. And then consequently the power of human connection, why that's so important for each of us.
[00:22:38] Amanda: There's a lot around recovering from trauma because you do ultimately find out what happened in her past and one of the reasons why she might be the way that she is. It's about friendships and small acts of kindness. And like I said, growth and transformation and the book, at the very end of the book, I don't think this is a spoiler.
[00:22:55] Amanda: Ultimately she decides to seek help professional help. [00:23:00] And I think the thing that's important to keep in mind with this book is that yes, she displays certain traits that many folks who are neurodivergent do, but also that's compounded by her trauma and there's a lot of who she is and why she is the way she is.
[00:23:14] Amanda: because of what happened to her previously. So it's interesting because both of those things are happening , simultaneously. And so it's important to keep that in mind as you're reading. I will say there is a trigger warning for both attempted suicide and sexual assault in the book.
[00:23:27] Amanda: So even though there are lots of moments. That are again, that are sweet and tender and funny. There is some heavy material in the book. And so it's important to keep that in mind so that you can make good choices for yourself if you choose to read this book. And then the last thing I'll say, fun fact is that Reese Witherspoon a while ago bought the film rights for this.
[00:23:46] Amanda: I was trying to find updates on where things are with the making of the movie, like the production process. And it was a little murky. All I know is that the plan is. For there to be a movie at some point. And I'm really hoping that is sooner rather than later. Cause [00:24:00] again, loved this book and I hope that Reese and her production company does it justice.
[00:24:06] Amanda: Cause it really is such, just such a charming, wonderful story. And again, representation is so important and getting to see folks who are similar to ourselves in the books that we read is so key. And so I think it's also important to put those stories onto the silver screen
[00:24:21] Kelsey: as well.
[00:24:21] Amanda: So that's my first book.
[00:24:23] Kelsey: Great. Thank you. I, that's one of my favorite things about reading is that it could potentially get turned into a book.
[00:24:31] Amanda: Well, hopefully it's already a book, but I swear to God
[00:24:38] Kelsey: into a movie.
[00:24:38] Amanda: I have mixed feelings about that because sometimes a movie will destroy the book for me. But I'm like, yes, I want it to be made into a well done movie.
[00:24:46] Kelsey: Absolutely. That's
[00:24:47] Amanda: always the,
[00:24:48] Kelsey: but yeah, the book is always better but it's fun to see it on, in like,
[00:24:53] Amanda: in a different format. Yeah. I think the reason why it's always better for me personally is because I have a [00:25:00] very vivid imagination, so I've already seen quote unquote the movie in my head when I was reading it, and so then I'm expecting the movie to align with that, and when it doesn't, then I get frustrated.
[00:25:09] Kelsey: Oh, yeah. You did
[00:25:10] Amanda: it wrong! That's where my frustration comes in.
[00:25:13] Kelsey: I don't know if you heard, but 4th Wing is getting like a show or something in people. Huh. I sure did. People are trying so hard to be like, no, not this person. And like I know trying to sway the process and I'm like, they're gonna decide what they decide they're gonna decide and you're just have to live with it.
[00:25:28] Kelsey: Yes, exactly. and maybe and be grateful.
[00:25:32] Amanda: Got made into a show, .
[00:25:35] Kelsey: Yeah, exactly. All right, so I am here at. second recommendation for the month. And this book has been on my TBR and on my shelf for quite a while. And I just haven't picked it up yet.
[00:25:49] Kelsey: And I think that this is helping me realize I really do want to read this book.
[00:25:54] Amanda: It's funny.
[00:25:54] Kelsey: I normally don't get into like, Oh, what is this book about? Exactly. I really [00:26:00] just pick up books from a lot of book talkers and be like, Ooh, they said one line about something. And I was like, yeah, that one. So my second recommendation is Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies. And also it's funny because I thought that , for the longest time that Emily Wilde was The author, but it is, I was like, it's a name on the cover.
[00:26:25] Kelsey: So there, I was not reading more into that. So Heather Fawcett is the author of this book and she actually lives in Canada near us. Oh, wow. Okay. Super close. Yeah. Yeah. If you've never been to Vancouver Island, it is beautiful. Just. Stunning. I've never been,
[00:26:47] Amanda: I've just been to Vancouver. I've never been to Vancouver Island.
[00:26:50] Kelsey: Gosh. It would be fun is if we did like a book retreat and just got like a cabin and then just read it.
[00:26:56] Amanda: Yeah. Oh my God. I mean, I already did that over in midwinter. On your own.
[00:26:59] Kelsey: I know. [00:27:00] Yeah. You haven't been to Vancouver Island yet. So. Heather Fawcett writes adult fantasy, which she has three books in this series so far.
[00:27:09] Kelsey: And this is the first one and then writes young adult and also middle grade level books. So even like for children essentially. So she has written all of those three levels of books and apparently in all of her books, it features a dragon in some way, in some form, whether it's a larger part, it plays or smaller.
[00:27:34] Kelsey: I like that. That's a cute. thing. And she just released the third book in the Emily Wilde series. And so Emily Wilde is the person that we're going to chat about the most because that is the FMC of this book and main character. So, moving into the Encyclopedias of Fairies Emily, the main character, is a Cambridge professor who studies [00:28:00] fairies and is the world's best expert.
[00:28:03] Kelsey: And so, she, in this book, is hands on the ground and doing some Research.
[00:28:08] Amanda: Hands on the ground. That's another Kelsey-ism What
[00:28:10] Kelsey: is the
[00:28:11] Amanda: term boots on the ground?
[00:28:14] Kelsey: Why would your hands be on the ground? Unless you're trying to say hands on like I think you combined both. No one's ever said that before.
[00:28:22] Kelsey: Hands on the ground, boots on the ground. Okay. But that's why they're like, Feeling vibrations in the earth.
[00:28:36] Kelsey: All right. I'm sorry. Continue. I didn't even like stutter with that one. I was like, I know you're like so committed. Yeah. That one hands
[00:28:44] Amanda: on the ground, hands on and boots on the ground and put them together, which is often what you do. You just combine two different ones.
[00:28:52] Kelsey: Well, there you go, folks. Well, I'm going to stick with hands on the ground.
[00:28:56] Kelsey: She's researching. She , does have her hands on the ground.
[00:28:59] Amanda: [00:29:00] If she's an archeologist, she's got hands on the ground.
[00:29:02] Kelsey: Well, you know what? I'm going to read this book and let you know. Okay, great. There's going to be a time where her hands are on the ground.
[00:29:09] Kelsey: All right. But Emily struggles with human interactions a bit and has. Characteristics of autism, while it's not like specifically said in the book and oftentimes it's not, and especially in fantasy or romance books, it's just that it's there on the page. And so , a couple of things. About her character is like, she doesn't like small talk and has a bit of social awkwardness and has very intense focus on her work.
[00:29:40] Kelsey: And so she is one of the experts on , fairies. And so she is well known for that. She also misinterprets social cues because she takes things very literally . Mmm. Is also uncomfortable with change. And so she is a well known fantasy character that has [00:30:00] characteristics of autism. That will be on the pages throughout this book and the book has a 4.
[00:30:06] Kelsey: 0 Goodreads rating is 336 pages was nominated for reader's favorite fantasy in 2023 and I've heard that it's a great, like, fall time, like, snuggle up and get cozy kind of read. I love that. So it's deemed, like, a cozy fantasy. However, I also did read, like, near the end of the book Tail End. It does have like darker elements in the book.
[00:30:34] Kelsey: And so it's a cozy fantasy read until a point, and then there like dark elements come into play near the end. And like I said There are three books in this series as of right now. I don't know if Heather Fawcett is planning more, but, if it's a series, like, it typically tends to be three books, so, perhaps it is the ending of this series.
[00:30:56] Kelsey: I was looking at fan art, and the only [00:31:00] issue I'm gonna have with this book, I don't think you'll guess, well, maybe you saw my notes.
[00:31:05] Amanda: I just saw your notes.
[00:31:07] Kelsey: Is the MMC is blonde.
[00:31:09] Amanda: Oh, my God.
[00:31:15] Amanda: This is, I feel like there's so much like anti blonde hate. That is just unwarranted in romanticy and fantasy. Like, what did they ever do to you? Like, I don't Obsession with dark haired dudes, I don't You're just not attracted to the blondes. I don't get it. I don't get it. But, okay. Alright. I mean, honestly, I don't read a lot of Fantasy, but that actually sounds like right up my alley.
[00:31:42] Amanda: It's like, yeah,
[00:31:43] Kelsey: and it's not like smutty or anything. So, it's just like a cuter romance rather than
[00:31:48] Amanda: even the covers. Like, Oh, I would read that book just cause I really like the cover.
[00:31:51] Kelsey: Yeah. The cover is really pretty. It reminds me like, cause of the cozy fantasy. Which I really didn't realize this was going to be or supposed to [00:32:00] be a cozy fantasy.
[00:32:01] Kelsey: Is the house in this resiliency.
[00:32:03] Amanda: I was just going to say that it also makes me think of I'm going to get the name wrong, but it's like Miss Peregrine's home for something children. I can't I'm blanking on it. I have to look it up. Yeah, I know. But I yeah, I loved that book. And I know it's not about, children with special powers, but just like the vibe of the covers like made me think of that.
[00:32:22] Amanda: Yeah. So yeah, I might have to add that one to my TBR as well. Okay. My second comment. book. And the final book for this episode is actually a nonfiction book. I personally don't read a lot of nonfiction. And this book was actually something that we read in my book club. That's outside of lip vibes only.
[00:32:40] Amanda: And it's called divergent mind. Thriving in a world that wasn't designed for you by Janara Nirenberg. And so a little bit about Janara. She's a lot of things. She's a journalist. That's kind of her main thing or was her main thing. She's a speaker, producer, and she's the founder of two different organizations.
[00:32:57] Amanda: One is called the neurodiversity project and the [00:33:00] other is called divergent literary, and I'll get to both of those in just a moment. But she's a native of San Francisco. So another West coaster like us. And she is, in fact, neurodivergent, so she has ADHD and is autistic. And so can very much speak firsthand to that experience, which I love.
[00:33:16] Amanda: She, like I said, is a reporter. That's her main thing. And she was an international reporter for six years in Asia. Before coming back and doing what she does now. She's also just like brilliant. She did her, I have to list all of these. She did her interdisciplinary graduate training at Harvard school of public health, Harvard Kennedy school of government, MIT Sloan school of management and Harvard business school.
[00:33:41] Amanda: Wow. So she's amazing. And just incredibly intelligent. And I think shows in what she's accomplished so far. So the neurodiversity project, like the goal of that organization is to host bestselling authors,. In the arts and in the sciences who pushed for innovation in both research and the media [00:34:00] and then Divergent Literary, and I love this so much, it's a full service literary agency that represents neurodivergent authors and their allies.
[00:34:10] Amanda: And so I think that's amazing. So I think the fact that she created an entire agency to promote those works and those authors is exactly the kind of thing that we want as we are trying to increase representation. So in addition to all of that, she lectures widely on neuroscience, innovation, sensitivity, leadership, and diversity.
[00:34:32] Amanda: She was selected as a quote, brave, no idea presenter by the Aspen Institute for her work on reframing mental differences. And at this point she has published two books. The first one is divergent mind, which we'll talk about in a second. And the second is trust your mind. Embracing nuance and a world of self silencing and this one will be released in May.
[00:34:52] Amanda: So I was just looking
[00:34:53] Kelsey: at that. Yeah. Next month.
[00:34:55] Amanda: So, yeah, she's getting the word out there. I will say one thing before you get to [00:35:00] divergent mind, just like full disclaimer, full disclosure. I did not read the book, like cover to cover generally for me, if I'm reading a self help book or a nonfiction book, depending on the content.
[00:35:11] Amanda: I'll often jump around to the parts that I'm most either most interested in or that most directly apply to me. And that's what I did in this book. So, I have ADHD, I don't have autism. And so I didn't. necessarily, not that I didn't want to learn about those things, but I wanted to find information that directly spoke to my experience and to provide more insight into that.
[00:35:30] Amanda: So I focused on the parts of the book that were mainly talking about, folks who have ADHD as well, just like me. So, the book was published in March of 2020. So not too long ago, it's a shorter read it's 244 pages and currently has a 3. 83 Goodreads rating. And I think the thing that is most.
[00:35:48] Amanda: Important about this book. And the reason why we chose it as a book club, everyone in the book club is female identifying is that it's focusing on studying neurodivergent women in particular. And it focuses [00:36:00] specifically on women with ADHD. Autism, I can never say this, synesthesia, high sensitivity and sensory processing disorders.
[00:36:10] Amanda: And we already know that in general, women are often overlooked or dismissed when it comes to neurodivergence. One of the reasons for this is that a lot of the diagnosing. Yeah. Diagnosing that happens is in children and generally male children. And because girls are conditioned to mask our symptoms and are conditioned to very much.
[00:36:35] Amanda: Fit into the molds that have been presented to us a lot of times were overlooked, right? When it comes to getting diagnosed early on like I can't speak for you but I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 30s and it was because like I Wanted was doing a really great job of self accommodating And I was academically really successful.
[00:36:56] Amanda: And so there were no kind of like glaring like oh my gosh, something's wrong [00:37:00] And that is true for a lot of women. I remember at my previous school when I was working in New Jersey, having a conversation with a colleague, a female colleague, and it was a similar story in that she's like, I had a sneaking suspicion something was wrong, but it wasn't until I was an adult and really had a chance to educate myself, get tested, et cetera, that I was able to figure these things out.
[00:37:20] Amanda: And so the book essentially highlight. It's the ways in which these neurodivergent traits are often overlooked in women and how as a society we can really benefit from making space for these strengths, not weaknesses, these strengths to really flourish and benefit everyone.
[00:37:35] Amanda: And it points out like a lot of the Flossner system, which I mentioned already about diagnosing young male children while overlooking young girls. And a lot of the studies that have been conducted around neurodivergence often focus on men, right? And these traits show up differently and men and women, and even within women, right?
[00:37:55] Amanda: They can show up differently. And so one of the things that she does a really great job of in the book [00:38:00] is that she focuses Real life stories and real life experiences from women, because, both Kelsey and I have ADHD, but it shows up differently for both of us. And so it's really important to keep that in mind, especially as we're talking about neurodiversity, it doesn't look the same for everyone.
[00:38:16] Amanda: And even if you have the same diagnosis or the same condition, you're not going to necessarily have the exact same traits. As someone else. And so I think that's really important to say as we're talking about this. So like I said, I really enjoyed the book again. I didn't necessarily read it from cover to cover, but I think it's incredibly enlightening and educational.
[00:38:34] Amanda: And I also, I can't speak for you, Kelsey, but I think for me as an adult encountering other women. Who, for example, have ADHD has made me feel less crazy because sometimes you're like, is like, you are, there's something wrong with me. Like, why do I behave this way? Why does my brain work this way?
[00:38:52] Amanda: Why can't I get X, Y, or Z together and being able to see like other women like, yes, me too. It's like, okay. All right. Like just this sense of [00:39:00] community and understanding and like relief, like utter relief.
[00:39:03] Kelsey: Yeah.
[00:39:04] Amanda: Like I'm not alone in this was just a really great part of reading this book and also engaging in other things, even on social media.
[00:39:11] Amanda: Talking about, women who are also neurodiverse and just finding that, that place where I belong here.
[00:39:17] Kelsey: Yeah, that's nice. When you said March 2020, I was like, Oh my God, that's like a trigger phrase.
[00:39:23] Amanda: Oh my gosh. I didn't even think about that. Yeah. That is a wild, that was a wild time.
[00:39:27] Amanda: And a while
[00:39:28] Kelsey: ago,
[00:39:29] Amanda: it sounds like also a great time to have published a book because we were all stuck inside. So it's like, yes, everyone's going to read this now.
[00:39:35] Kelsey: But yeah, I completely agree. I actually haven't been officially diagnosed even at 35, like, so, I've just been working with, my therapist on these things, but yeah, it definitely feels like, and I also wonder too, because the only like medication that is available is something like Ritalin, right?
[00:39:58] Kelsey: Like something that's supposed [00:40:00] to, balance those things out. But I wonder, like, If the medication is also behind for women, like I haven't tried to take that, but I'm curious if there needs to be further like development of medication specifically for women.
[00:40:14] Kelsey: Yeah. So I'm curious about that.
[00:40:17] Amanda: I was just having a chat with a colleague who also has ADHD and she just started a medication. It's not Ritalin. It starts with a V. I want to say it's by Vance, but I could be making a mess of it up. I'm again, bad memory. Hello, Adichie. And she was having like, I seem to be having like great success with that.
[00:40:34] Amanda: And so I know there's a couple more options now than there were, especially previously, but yeah, I don't know that there has been really a lot of research or studies done around. Medications that might work better in female folks with ADHD versus male individuals and things of that nature.
[00:40:49] Amanda: So that's a, yeah, something important to consider. But yeah, like I said, like this is an important topic for both of us. I think something that I'm continuing to educate myself about now as an adult and even as [00:41:00] teachers and educators who work in schools, right. And we're encountering students who are, have a variety right of needs and differences.
[00:41:07] Amanda: And so I think it's also another great reason To educate ourselves in this particular area as well. So those are our four books. Mine again are Eleanor Olyphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman and Divergent Mind by Janera Nirenberg.
[00:41:24] Kelsey: And then mine is Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Lise.
[00:41:31] Kelsey: And Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett.
[00:41:35] Amanda: Awesome. I actually, I think I might, after this episode, I might add that to my, not, I already have so many books. Your TBR. I like my TBR. It's a tiny little book. It looks, it's tiny. And I feel like I could get through it pretty quickly.
[00:41:48] Amanda: I just, I'm so hesitant about starting books in series. I just don't like it. Even like thriller books, right, and mysteries. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. If I see that it's in a series I will not read it. I just will not even add it to my TBR.
[00:41:59] Kelsey: You're gonna have [00:42:00] to share with me what thriller books are in a series. Is it like just in the, like, it's in the same world or like?
[00:42:06] Kelsey: It's the same
[00:42:07] Amanda: character.
[00:42:08] Kelsey: Oh, interesting.
[00:42:11] Amanda: There's quite a few actually. I mean, a lot of them are, they're often more mystery than thriller. But they're also like, I think there's the whole what housemaid series which is like mystery and thriller. That's a series. But yeah, it's definitely a thing.
[00:42:23] Amanda: And I'm just like, oh, I don't know. Maybe I just have commitment issues. I
[00:42:29] Kelsey: just like, I think it's also like, I
[00:42:31] Amanda: want to bounce around to other things., I just want to be like one and done. , and again, I. I think that is part of, like, we've talked about this before, like, I love novelty and I want the next thing.
[00:42:40] Amanda: And not that it's not, it's telling a new story, right? In the series, but It's really hard for me. And it's so funny. I have like this very deep just , fear is the wrong word, but like dislike.
[00:42:51] Kelsey: Yeah. Avoidance of. Yeah. Yeah. And my personal , brand of ADHD. Like I'm the opposite where I just get [00:43:00] obsessed with something.
[00:43:00] Kelsey: Yeah. That hyper fixation is the whole thing. Yeah. So re reading and all those series makes sense to me. Yeah. That way.
[00:43:09] Amanda: Yeah, I, yeah. I mean, like I said, if all the books are out in the series, I'm more inclined to read it. Yeah, I get that. But otherwise I'm like, nope. No, thank you. But yeah, that's basically it for us today.
[00:43:20] Amanda: That's it, folks. As always, recs. So if you have amazing books that feature either neurodiverse characters or are written by neurodiverse authors. Please share this with us on our socials. You may also email us as well. And then again, we compile all those recommendations and share them with you at the end of the month.
[00:43:38] Amanda: Yes.
[00:43:39] Kelsey: And Black History Month was brutal. So many.
[00:43:42] Amanda: There were so, I had a we're going to be quite a few, but we love that. so much. Cause then we also were adding those books to our TBR. We're sharing them with our broader community. So we really do mean it. Please share them.
[00:43:55] Kelsey: Yes. While I was going over those recs, I was like, Ooh, I will never read this [00:44:00] book.
[00:44:00] Kelsey: And Ooh, I will. I totally will put this on my TBR because some of them were. So like the Nickel Boys. I was like, Oh no. Yeah. I
[00:44:09] Amanda: like mentioned that.
[00:44:10] Kelsey: I was like, no, thank you. I was like, that one sounds so intense. And it's so awful. Like, like awful as in like, yeah, horrible things happen that happened. Yeah.
[00:44:20] Kelsey: Yeah. I was like, no. So anything like about boarding schools, especially like from native perspective, like I cannot. Yeah.
[00:44:28] Amanda: That's very valid. Yeah. It's a good read, but it's a heavy. For sure. But yeah, so really quickly too, since Kelsey did socials at the beginning , I'll just quickly recap them.
[00:44:38] Amanda: So if you want to send us those listener regs on our socials, we're lit vibes only underscore podcasts on Instagram and then lit vibes only podcast on Tik TOK. So you can send your recs there. You can DM us, or if you would just want to like, check out this episode on YouTube, you can find us at lit vibes only podcast there as well.
[00:44:56] Amanda: You could also email us. I know some folks out there [00:45:00] aren't on socials and that's another way that you can send this to us. Our email is lit vibes, only podcast at gmail. com, send it along and this still stand whoever is the first person to send us an email, we will send you a sticker. We're not kidding.
[00:45:14] Amanda: Totally. Be sure to do that. Get a free sticker. Send us some racks. We would love it. And otherwise we'll see you next Monday.
[00:45:22] Kelsey: See you on Monday.
[00:45:24] Amanda: Bye.