Episode 7: BookTok, Book Club, and Book Goals

Welcome to Fetch and Ctitude book book Podcast. I'm Melissa and I'm Elise. This show is about two very best friends who love books but also love talking about life occurrences. Join us for the girl talk. It'll get real, it'll get fun, it'll get interesting. Sit down, buckle up, and let us talk to you about all the things. Hi, guys, Hi, welcome back. We missed you. Guess who's sick again? It's not me this time, No, it's always me. I feel like every single week, like right before we record on Sundays too, I feel like my worst always. So I have the sniffles after, you know, bringing my daughter after she's been sick for a while, brought her to the doctor and was determined that she had pneumonia and her lower left lung. I just have the sniffles. I don't have pneumonia. Yeah, she sounds so much better today though. Mm hmm. Well she's been on medication for almost a week now, which has been great. So she's been doing better, although in true toddler fashion, she doesn't act sick right. She still has all the energy to go, go, go, go go. Yeah, it's twenty four cents and Mommy's like, please lay down and go to sleep for me to stop. But coming out of the sickness, she has a girl after my own heart has decided that mommy needs to read her books. Yeah. Actually that was a new development this week, was that she would bring me books and normally, like she wants me to flip through the pages because she's more interested in looking at like the pictures. But this week she know, she actually like pointed to the pages and she and I was like, well, I'll read it to you. It was the small books that like only have one or two like words on it or three words whichever, and we got through. She made me read like four books one night, which was fine. I'm totally okay with it. I think that's been helping her with her her speech. She's been trying to repeat a lot of words, which is where she should have been like a year ago, but she's finally getting to the point where she's i think comfortable enough. Yeah, so that is a big development. So a funny story. I don't know how many of you know, but miss Elise had a birthday this past week and we came to visit and her grandson was sitting at their kitchen island. Yeah, the kitchen island. And my fiance was sitting next to him, and he goes, you want to read this book to me? And so my fance started reading it and then he went back to playing Minecraft. So my fancy stopped reading it, and your grandson turns and looks him, goes, I thought you were gonna read it. He just he is gonna be one of those ones that needs the background noise while he's doing something. So he's I can see him being really into like audio books. Yeah, which is fine. I know he's he because he doesn't go to school yet, although that is something that he is going to be getting into. I think in fall. That awesome for him. Yeah, he's very smart. He's very smart. My grandson is a math whiz already, Like he can count or add up to three numerals. He was doing multiplication for me the other day too, and I was like, Broski, yeah for you. No, he's well beyond his level because he's not even in preschool yet. Yeah, well he would be in preschool if he went to school now, because he's five. He just turned five, so in fall he'll be going into kindergarten, right, But he's at a like second grade math level or more than that or more. I was gonna say, multiplication is until like third or fourth. Yeah, so he's well beyond his years in math. He did specifically ask for more phonics books so he could start doing reading. Yeah, which is great, all right, good for him. Yeah, no, I was. I was thrilled about it. So that's actually what I got in Christmas with some phonics books, and he was more than happy with that. So yeah, that kid is going to be way too smart. But it's not a bad thing at all, absolutely not so which is it is really funny too because my daughter, who is a year and a half younger than my grandson, will be going to school with him. If my stepdaughter ends up around the area, they'll be going to school together and he'll only be a grade above her in school, which I love that because they might be able to ride the school bus together or I can bring him to school, whichever works, and that'll ease some. Of the stress of school buses in general. So I have to let you know. We finished our recording last week and ran straight to the couch and started reading. We did, like I don't think us talking about it week to week is helping because I think we can both agree at this point. That I just want to finish it. Yeah. I was gonna say, if we weren't listening to it five chapters a week to make it a true book club, we would already have this book finished. Oh easily. Yeah, Which is funny because after the first five or ten chapters, I was like, I don't even want to read this. There's nothing about this book that I want to hear about. I hate it, and I know you're sucked in. I know, And now I'm like, why are we waiting to read it? See? Okay? I feel like That's been happening a lot with the books that I've been reading, which is probably why, Like I've been listening to more audio books because I'm like, well, I bought this, now I have to listen to it. But again, if it's not me putting in. The effort, something else is doing it. I don't have to worry about it. Zero effort on my part other than listening. So I think I feel a little bit better when I'm not putting me. Like. I think that's why I'm struggling in the physical book right now, because I'm like effort plus the fact that this week for me, this past week has been super super busy. Anyways, with Monday was a holiday, well this past Monday, so two Mondays ago when this goes out, it was President's Day, which I have off, or we both had off in which we didn't do anything. That's because my fiance looked at me and he was like, hey, reading day, and I said, damn straight See. It turned it was supposed to be a reading day for me as well because my daughter went to school, but it turned into a I don't even want to do that. I just want to play a video game. So it turned into I'm going to play games all day. See, I do this thing where I want to watch series. I've already watched like full series. Again, you are like my husband. I hate it. I don't like he can binge watch episodes or like seasons, and most of the time it's whatever he hyper fixates. So from time to time, like for a good amount of time it's like Ncis, he'll binge watch nis. Is my favorite. I watched the full series except for the newer episodes, probably twelve times. We do watch a lot of gold Rush, specifically on Fridays, like not because the new episodes come out on Fridays, but he's like, oh, I got to catch up because I think I fell asleep during this one else. Or he'll do it with movies where he'll watch the same movie three times in a row because he says he misses stuff so he catches it the next go round. Ah. We binge watch like adult animations like Family Guy and American Dad and King of the Hill, the one we're into right now, which is fine because I actually like this series. Two, we've been watching a lot of True Blood, which is fine because I like it. Well. On Monday, we rotated between reading time and then we watch a few episodes of hawaif I v oh, and we go back to reading and we watch a few of Hawaii. That's fine. I do that too, Honestly, I do that quite often. If I'm reading, I'll like pop up and I'll watch an episode of whatever he's watching at the time, because I watch my own separate shows. Well it was my separate show, and then my fiance was like, oh, I would have watched that. No. See see my husband doesn't like the shows that I watch because I very much like dramas and I know they're not real, Like a lot of them are scripted, and that's fine. Yeah, I watch a lot of like Blow Deck. He's not a huge fan. I also watch a lot of cooking shows, like I absolutely love Gordon. He loves Gordon Ramsey too. But you are going to laugh at this. I think, lovely. You can't wait. I've was trying to catch up with Bridgerton and I had an episode playing and he goes, is that the guy that was with the no? But he was trying. He came in and I was like, I only have thirty minutes left. It's fine. I was like, you know, just just don't even because he. Was trying to like redline it for us. No, I think he honestly just had questions. Oh okay, but see if he has questions, he has to sit down and start from the beginning of like the first season. Which is why he was like, is that nope, he knows what he was getting himself into, like from the beginning. I'm okay with that, but he was, yeah that nope. That episode comes out the twenty six. I did check. So the next well not the episode, the next part of season four comes out the twenty six, so that will be coming out midweek. I know what I'm doing, not gonna lie. I probably won't watch it until at least Saturday. I probably won't watch it for a few months. I'm not gonna lie. So it took me almost a year to watch this. Yeah, okay, so yeah, let's get into our review of the last five chapters. So we did the same thing as we did last time, where we got done recording and raced to the couch and read it together. Alyssa reads a lot faster than I do, and that's perfectly fine, but she got to some of the parts and at one point you turned to me and you were like, you're gonna hate this. And then I removed myself from her area. So I could catch up. And as I'm like having a temper tantrum on the couch because I said it from the beginning, I did not like how Ed acted with Junie, and I will say that until I'm read in the face lit she's twelve. Leave her alone. Hmm. Can we skip ahead and just yeah, go Heather? Yes, good for her. I mean, it's not great that she broke in, but I feel like we're getting somewhere. Well. The only problem that I have with this now is that she took the files, just the pictures, and I understand that, but. I know, I know, I'm worried. So we also did have a little bit of a conversation. My mom came to visit today and we had a conversation kind of about it. Because she has now read ahead of us, She's finally. Me off because I want to read ahead of us. She also had the same feelings that you do with the sheriff, being like Ikey and he is definitely a part of this in some way. But she also had some theories about Heather's father, and she did make a valid point. Why is nobody allowed in his office? Right? Yes, I'm wondering if that's where Beth is. Not no, because she says it's a dirt floor. His office is on the second floor. Let me get all culty with you and conspiracy theory with you. What if because he's the DA and he maybe had some more money, Like every one of these houses in this town are kind of cookie cutterish, so they're basically the same. What if he put in a little bit of extra money and put in some sort of crawl space right underneath his office. Yeah, but isn't his office on the second floor. I thought it was on the first. I thought, I'm pretty sure it's on the second because she said he's come out of his office and then down the stairs. I'm not positive. I'm pretty sure it's on the second floor. Well, I mean, still, I this might be a spoiler, Like anybody who wants to read a good mystery, they're not necessarily thrillers, but it's a mystery. I ate this book up. Yeah, same, but I know exactly where you're going. Yeah the book Strange Houses, Yes, those had crawl spaces that were like interestingly placed. Yeah. So I'm thinking, like again, because I am such a conspiracy theorist, I'm wondering if it's something like that, I. Would I would have agreed with you if we hadn't have realized in the book that Beth finally releases that metal object and she's cackling about it, and then Heather hears laughing when she's walking when she's in the. That is true too, actually, like she Heather hears this cackling, which makes me think that if we were a little bit behind in timeline for Beth, she wouldn't have heard it. So I'm wondering if it is happening at the same time. But it really makes me wonder and I don't know if this is like so far fetched, but I'm wondering if one of the doors doesn't lead to a family house. Yep. I was also thinking that, or I'm thinking like closet, Yeah, kind of like that. That's what I'm mind goes to because it's empty and there's only one door. There's nothing in there, Like, it can't be a basement. It's not somebody's basement because that would be open, right. I think it's just a spot that maybe the original gang had found. Well. I'm also wondering if to begin with, it was supposed to be like a bomb shelter or a root seller or something like that, because these were made several decades before this story is taking place, and that would have been a time where people were worried about bombings or worried about like Cold War era, yeah, or they were storing all of their own food. So for me, I do believe that it's like one of those things, and I don't believe that it's attached to a home. I'm wondering too, it might not even be because of the old Like, going off from what your theory is, I'm wondering if it's not necessarily that the old group found it. But like you had stated before, these are elected officials that are very high up. I'm sure they have the blueprints to the tunnels, right, So maybe they found it on the blueprints and decided to use it to their gain, Which then makes me think that Heather's dad isn't a part of it, but the sheriff might be. I think Heather's dad knows more about some things than he does about other things. I really want to believe that he does not know about Beth. I really and truly want to believe that. I also want to believe that he doesn't know about Heather, but I'm not convinced that he hasn't known about past things. So another thing that happened in these last five chapters two that I wanted to bring up. So Heather explains pretty much everything to her father at this point, and her her father states that it is nothing to worry about. The sheriff has already ruled everything a suicide, but then goes on to tell Heather that the detective that is in tow the agent has been following Ed, and that Ed goes by a different name, And you had actually mentioned while we were reading that his last name is really interesting because his last name is Godo spelled good. But you made the point of hey, a little close to the name God, so he maybe has a God complex. And I agree, because that's just the vibes he gives me. But I'm also wondering too. I personally don't think that Ed has taken Bath. I don't believe that he has no. I also don't believe that. The other thing about Ed is why does the sheriff have a file on Ed in his basement? Why? Right? And it's buried under other things. Why does he have that file? Right? Because at this point I think Heather's dad only knows about Ed because of the agent. I don't think the sheriff has told him. And then the other thing is why is the sheriff so intent on running Ricky and Ed out of town? Well? Right, that's just it is that Heather's dad actually goes ahead and says that their plan is to run them out of town instead of prosecute them. And that is bizarre. As a DA agent, No, right, you don't just run a serial killer out of town because you just don't want to deal with it. That's blowney, yep, that is blown. You are the law. You would want to stop that from further happening outside of your town. And that's something that Heather brings up like that doesn't make sense to me. Why why would they want it in their whole thought processes? It's not here, that's fine, it's not here. No, that's not how it works, right as sheriff, as an agent from outside, as the DA, you should never want to chase someone out of your town because it's not here, no. Right, And that's what makes me really worried that all of them are in like some sort of cahoots. I mean, I also had a very bizarre and like out of like left field thinking because we had mentioned last time, and I only thought of this while I was editing. Just so you know, I like totally I have a chance to reanalyze as I'm editing our recording. You had mentioned last time that Beth mentions that the footfalls are heavy and the belt is heavy. Yep. Who else would wear similar clothing to a police officer, the agent. From out of town? Yep? I also I feel like I feel like in the second episode where we talked about it, I said, Oh, it could be this guy. I'm not sure if you did or not. I can't remember off the top of my head, but it was one of those things where I was like listening to it and I'm like, oh, oh, that could be because it just it seems too coincidental, and I'm almost wondering if it's the doing the killing and blaming Ed and just following it around. It's weird to me that I'm pretty sure that the other agent showed up within one or two days of Beth being missing. But it does say too that like whoever took Beth had been coming in as a regular, but not for very long. Mm hmmm. I've told you from the beginning, I think that Ed is just their decoy for literally everything. Hmm. From the Yeah, I think it's I think it's too in your face to be Ed, like as someone who has read more thrillers and mysteries like we both have, but it just seems too coincidental, Like here I'm serving Ed to you on a silver platter. No, no, no, that can't be. If Ed is the person, I'm going to be so fucking mad just so everyone is aware across the room, like I almost did my other book I read. Oh my god, yeah, if Ed is the person I'm going to be, so my brain can antle, it would be so mad. Oh yeah, no, I'll be I'll be livid. But so I guess. With that being said, we're going to post in a week. So next week will be our February wrap up and March beginning of March, like new releases and all that jazz stuff your kindled for March, so be on the lookout for those. We also started posting a lot more. Alyssa just started posting on TikTok's yay I have also started posting more on TikTok go follow like our stuff, enjoy our stuff. I try to be funny. I'm not funny. With that being said, I wanted to check in. Actually, okay, what do you want to check in on? How many books have you read? I don't the year or this month? This month, bro, I don't know. I wanted. I wanted to let everybody know that I'm super proud of myself because I caught up. I caught up with my reading goal. Because good Reads will yell let you if you're behind and books and they're like, oh, you need like one more book to catch up, and I'm like, go go fund yourself good Reads. I read. I've completed so far five books, and I'm really happy about that because I did finish my kindle book that i'd struggling with. That book traumatized me. That book. It was a good book. I'm glad I pushed through. I finished part two or part one, part one. I had to put the book down afterwards. A lot of heavy topics, particularly around essay, and this book does have triggers or trigger warnings, I should say. But I had to put it down for a bit because it was heavy. YEA been there, mm hmm. So I got all the way to the end and I started binge reading it because stuff started picking up really fast. Yeah, I love books when they do. That's not true. I hate to love books that do that. I know. But I was like, really happy because I had struggled through this book. I was happy that it picked up to the point where I didn't want to put it down. Yeah, well let me tell you. Let me set the scene for you. We're in bed. I had this. This was on my kindle, so I'm in bed. Finally got my kindle back from my daughter again, so I'm reading in bed. My husband's already like asleep beside me, snoring. I finished this book and it is such a unpredicted I mean, I kind of saw it coming, but I didn't. It's an unpredictable ending. And when I finished, I I think I shut my kindle off and I just looked at the black screen and I'm like, what the fuck did I just read? Like? What did I just read? And a lot of people say that when they go through this book, they it's an emotional journey for them. I actually had somebody comment on my post on TikTok about it, and they were like, yeah, I was at work listening to it, and I had to excuse myself and went to the bathroom and full on cry. Get it. I totally get it because, and I commented back, I would have died listening to this book. I probably would have absolutely died listening to this book because it was heavy. It was really heavy, and the ending would have thrown me for a loop. I probably would have cried at the ending. I probably would have if I was listening to it. I'm glad that I was reading it because I had a chance to process while I'm sitting in bed. My husband's asleep, and I'm just like, oh emotional, damn it. And this is one of those books. And it wasn't a five star read for me, it was only four, but it was still like one of those that it might be my pick for the month because that book is going to stick with me for a while. Yeah, because it was such a it was just it was pretty well written. I will say so anybody who wants to read Under Your Scars, highly recommend just be prepared. I'm prepared to be true traumatized. So I have read this month, I've read nine Good for you, but that puts me at a total of six off of my twenty six and twenty six. I think i've read one of my twenty six for twenty six, I need once I oh no, I'm currently reading the one that I'm reading physically is one of them, and I really do need to finish that so then I can move on. Yeah. I've been really pushing myself. I did the math. You need to read six and a. Half per quarter per quarter. Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Oh oh yeah, yeah. The twenty six and twenty six for me is probably not gonna happen, but that's okay. Yeah, six and a half per quarter. Just wait for like a couple of seasons out and it's gonna be like. You're laughing because you're like fucked that. I don't know doing it. I'm doing the math, and I'm like, oh, like when we get to like forty two and forty two, I'm gonna be like, you're funny. I can do two and forty two. I'm really pushing myself to be better this year. Yeap. I bought books which we all know that I really want to read, but I won't let myself read them until one either I take some of them to camp with me m hmm, or two until I finish my twenty six and twenty six. So what I just talked to your significant other about scheduling time up at camp. Oh, I heard you're heavy, was telling me, Oh, was he? Yeah? I think he's excited. Yeah, So we're going camping the week before that, by the weekend before that, but we'll be back. What is that why you booked it? When you booked it? Kind of kind of other than the fact that is so my husband can't like take that much time off and he's actually gonna go from camp into work. Yeah, he said that. But we're gonna have that Monday off because it's a holiday, which is fine because then we can move into camp on the Monday and kind of just relax for the day the rest of the day, which I'm positive we're probably gonna be asking you guys come up and hang out. But then he has to go to work Tuesday, or he's going to go to work Tuesday Wednesday, So then you can have Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday off. Yeah. I was gonna suggest that you could. You should take Tuesday Wednesday and come hang out. I was, I don't know if we'll have the time, but I'm going to try. Boo you whore bro. I've only been able to accumulate time off for a year and a half, and there's been a lot of sick okay, trust and I took two weeks off last year, like two full weeks off. That's true. That is true. I went to Texas and we went to camp. I would love to come up probably one of the days, but it depends on how much time I have. Well, that's fine. I mean again, we're gonna have the whole week anyways, we'll probably be up when you guys are up, So that means oh, yeah, absolutely, so we should. We should reach out to the girls, the rest of the girl cousins, girl Gang, Girl Gang. Hey, you're the one that said it in the first episode, the peace sign girl. Okay, it was a peace sign for me. That's funny. Oh my god. You So we should invite all the girls up, like all the girl cousins and whatnot and girls significant others because I know that. Your cousin's fiance would come up and hang out too. Yeah, we should schedule like a weekend or something. Yeah, I want to do that. That would be so much fun. Can you imagine how much Shenanigan is And we don't have to read the whole time, like. We also all like to play cards and whatnot. So I can see us maybe having too many drinking drinks as the girls and reading too much. Like can you imagine the pile of books that we would probably read between all of us. I know, I love it, I do. I love it so much too. But the worst part is is that your significant other is going to want to come up and read too. He's not part of girl Gang. Honestly, if it was the girl Gang, I think he'd be like peace, I have fun, I will stay at home and I will play video games. Yeah, yeah, he would be keeping my husband company. Yeah. I feel like there was something else I wanted to talk about. Now I can't remember and I didn't write it down. I have something. You have something again this week? Okay, which, Yeah, we're gonna talk about good Reads. They got a new thing. That's right. You told me that they had a new thing, but you wouldn't tell me what it was. Goodreads introduced a new. Factor to their No, I did see this. You get DNF books now on Goodreads. I'm so excited. I know you have no idea how exciting. I saw that. Actually, I saw that one of their ads on I think it was Facebook. I saw it. I'm so excited. Yeah, because I did have an Do not Finish, but I didn't know how to use it, Like it wouldn't move them to that shelf for whatever reason. So for them to add a shelf, I'm so happy. I want to see how many people DNF stuff. Yeah, that seems important to me because I do base some of my TVR off of books that have really high ratings. But is it fifty people who give it a really high rating and then three hundred who are. Like yeah, no, right, Well, because most of the time when people didn't finish their books, they just take it off their reading list, but they don't review it or anything, so you can't say that they've actually like read it. Right, But that's what I'm saying, Like, did fifty people really love this? And I'm three hundred people were like, this is the most awful thing I've ever read. I can't finish it, right. I need to know that, right. I don't want to give up some of my very limited TBR to a book that sucks. Yeah, I'm super excited. Oh that's what I had to talk about. Okay, what go? Okay? So I'm going to be posting a video probably later next week. I might have bought some books, so it's gonna be all And it's only like it's only four books, but they were on sale. I could do my year hall so. Far, the year haul that you weren't supposed to have, I. Have been very good at. Actually, we need. To take a trip to the book orphanage. Yes, I think we should adopt that saying the book Orphanage, the bookstorwards, the book Orphanage. Anybody want to start that hashtag hashtag book orphanage. Oh, make a TikTok later, don't you worry? Fucking eh oh. I did want to update you too. So we finally gained a listener from California, woo and Texas. Yeah, and we've gained back uh listeners from a couple of the other states around New England. That's awesome. Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it. Actually, I told you though, I was like, I'm waiting for California and like as soon as I manifested it, I wasn't on Texas. However, Hey, Texas, I would love to visit. I just want you to know that those pictures that we posted of us recording last week, yeah, had a thousand views. So that picture of you with your poems. You need, like we need to have like just a camera in here, and it doesn't have to have the volume or anything. We just need footage of us. But I'm hoping to do that. I don't really want people seeing the inside of my closet, I mean, which is why I was. Very particular with the poems with the photos I took. Okay, I know, I mean there are unmentionables a closet. It's supposed to be, right, But when we move, I'm probably gonna like set up a camera of some sort to like record us so then we can have some footage to use throughout the week and all that jazz. Right, which is fair? Yes? Right now? Probably not? Yeah, I was gonna say we have. Yeah, it's a little bit different because like you're my best friend, I don't really care what you see in here. Well, I don't care whatever. Like I honestly, I really wouldn't even care about like public sing. I helped you put on your wedding dress. I'll pee in your wedding dress. While I was pregger, very pregnant. I helped you go to all of the fittings. Okay, Like you think that I care that you can see your unmentionables, I don't care at all. No, I know, I know, I don't care. I mean, heck, you've had me try something on before. You just like threw at me and was like try it on, let me see how it looks. And I'm like, okay, strip right there, but put it on your body. I think that's honestly, that's how you can tell we have a good relationship, though I don't. I don't care. It's like it's like changing in front of my sister. I don't care. Yeah, I really don't want at this point. I've even been in fitting rooms with your mother. Like, I don't care. The way I look at it. You're a female on a female, right, I don't care. We have the same parts. They might look a little different, but they're still the same parts. Yeah, whatever, I don't care. Oh, this is why we need a camera. You can't wiggle eyebrows at me and then not expect me to blush. Oh. I can't wait for your significant other to listen to this. He already knows. He knows me flirt. It's okay. Your husband just walked by us, like, who the fuck airs now? Oh no, he's just like, whatever, do your thing. So the other day, like I mentioned before, this last week was Elisa's birthday, and I walked in the house, walked up, grabbed her boom, and walked away. Birthday, Oh no. And then later you just like do you want a birthday present? And I'm like yeah, and you like turned around and you're like here you go and I'm like, okay, and I'm gonna touch your butt, like. We're just a fun time, okay. I don't know what people expect by I don't think. It's this okay. I think we think we're a fun time. I don't think other people would find us fun. Oh my goodness, gracious mm. So you know how I have not asked anyone to be in my party yet. I do know this. Yeah, I sent a video to some you and some friends. It was I don't know if you saw it or not. But the one that was saying like, been waiting for no maid I've been waiting for it was the one she said to me was like getting ready for my maid of honor duties after eighteen years or something like that. And I'm like, yeah, I've been stretching and waiting for us for like at least nine So. But I sent out a video and it's this these two, the bride and a bridesmaid are sitting there like, oh, let's have something soft to drink this morning, and then another bridesmaid comes and kicks the table out and and I said it to you and some friends, and one of the friends was like, that's me. Was it? B was ka see, Okay, I out of out of the two of them, I think I know be a little bit better. But that's because Kay has been really busy with little and all that jazz. She's just very busy. But I think Kay and I would be a really. Good time. Because I feel like that was absolutely me in that situation, because I am kind of an alcoholic. I mean, I've been doing really well lately. I haven't drink that much. But I love k two pieces. And do not get me wrong, this is not a dig by any means. It is. She's mean. No girl, I think you and Kay would be a fucking hot mess. Yeah, but that's what makes it fun, like not getting a long hot mess or no, or just like a hot mess because we're both hot mess as. Anyways, I do a. Shot, you do a shot, but let's see how many shots we can do hot man, that's fair. I love her so much, But I could see her feeding off of your energy, feeding off her energy, But I don't. I don't see where this sounds like someone's gonna end up dead in the field. I also don't know where this is, Like, I don't see the bad part in this. I see that as a good time, like because one of us is gonna win. Not the killing part. I meant the shot taking parts. Let me explain. I don't want her to. Oh my god, I need to stop. We need to have an episode where we invite me and K because it's gonna be a wild. One and I would just be sitting on my couch with our one. You guys be like, boom boom boom shot you you both. I love you. But I could see it the other day. The other day, I was talking with Kay and she goes, I'm so sore, and I was like, what. She goes, I just did a lot of dancing because we. Go, girl, you do it. I was like, girl, I am so proud of you. She's so fucking cute. Techy. Oh I don't I need so I need to explain to you. So my co worker a. M HM, the one that I bully into being my friend. She was feral on my birthday. I went to work on my birthday was Thursday. She was feral, absolutely feral. One of our other coworkers came over because we have this joke like we have cubicles and we joke around that it's like the Great Wall it's the great Wall of divide. So he had come over and was chit chatting with us, saying like, don't be afraid to go across the wall. And my coworker go said something about my birthday and he goes, oh, I'm gonna start singing, and I'm like, you start singing, I'm walking away, I'm running. I'm like, no, thank you, And yeah, she was just being completely fairal It was funny for her because she's very usually very shy, but she's finally I think, after so long, she's finally opening up. So this is the same coworker that I was messaging you one day and you were cackling at your desk and all you had to do was be like, oh it's a lissuff. Oh yeah, she got it. I don't even remember. Oh you called me out. So a Lisa's favorite thing to say is I hate it here. I do I hate it here? And she said something, and then I said something, and before she even had a chance to say I hate it here, I was like, I hate it here. I can see it just took the words right out of your mouth. Well and she just pause for a second, and I saw the little bubble pop up and then disappear, and then pop up and then disappear, and then pop up and disappear, and I was like, gotcha. Okay, No, So what happened like on my end of it was that you had sent I hate it here. Well, I was typing out I hate it here. You sent it and I was like, well, I've already typed it, and I was like, that's complete crap, and then I sent it back. I think, fuck you because it's like you know me or something. It's weird. But no. We had a meeting that we were both in and I don't know what she said. It was something so funny, but I started laughing so hard that I snorted, and I don't think she'd ever heard me snort before. And I went, oh my god, I'm so swort and she goes, I love it. Do it again. Then she would really love when the guys get us going and we're both snort laughing and we can't stop, because you know, we feed off of each other. They do it on purpose. They try to see how long we can go without snorting. And it's not usually at all. That used to be my step son's favorite game. I know, what is it with them. They pick on us so bad, it's like they hate us. You've been very kind to him in this podcast. I feel like I don't have any ammunition for him right now. Can I brag on him for a minute. I also would like to brag on him for a minute. He has finished three started and finished three books this year already, and they have not been short. And I am so freaking proud of him. I would like to congratulate him, like big who's out to you. He's he's actually lost a lot of weight and it's finally starting to actually show. Like I said it today, I can see it in his face, but I can also see it in some of the areas where he wanted to lose weight, and he's he's doing so well, and it takes a lot. I know it does, because as someone who is not a skinny same it takes a lot of effort to get back down to where you should be. And I'm very proud of him for sticking with this diet and going all out with it. I think he's doing a really good job. Me too, and I'm glad it's working for him. I'm very proud of him. But also I won't say that to him yet, because I think if I were to say it, he'd be like, oh, maybe it's not as fun. Yeah, I mean I need to get back to where I was. But it is what it is. Oh, I'm very proud of us. So I got a hold of Wilissa probably midweek, beginning midweek or beginning of the week, because I said, hey, I've got some news with just the podcast, and like our ad revenue we had made over a dollar. I mean, we're like, we don't ask for money. We're not asking for people to support us in that way. We are not in it for the money. No, God knows that it would go. To books start of gofund me support our habit support the book, Orphanage, support us adopting. We'd have nowhere to put them. But it was really funny because I was just like, hey, like, this is a huge success for us in terms of like we're getting more views, and I love that. I do love that for us. We also got a lot of support. I posted some stuff in some of my groups on Facebook. I posted a lot on TikTok this week, so we gained some more besties. Hit Siseyah Welcome to our Wild Roller coaster ride. But you're interesting. Yeah, I mean, I also think that there's a good amount of book talk and just book besties that maybe don't act exactly like us beget us. But I honestly think, and this is probably so off base, but I definitely think that book people are hidden fun. Yes, because if you see me in a room, I am not gonna be the one talking. I'm going to be the one sitting quietly by myself. If there's an animal, great, let me pet it well. And I think that's just it is that a good majority of the demographic of people that read books most of the time are going to be introverted. So unless you actually get to know them on a deeper level, you're never gonna understand them. So and I'm not saying that we are introverted, Oh I am. I like to say that I'm an introverted extrovert. See and I say I'm an extroverted introvert, huh, because I'm shy until you get to know me. No, I'm shy all of the time. Sorry. If someone that I am with will talk more than me, then I am happy to just sit silently nless you're with me. Sometimes I'm just I like to buy it. Well, I mean and on this Actually, it was one thing that I had suggested in my notes for us to talk about personality types. I think that we should maybe talk about that sometimes. We don't have to talk about it this week, but I really think that it would be fun to talk about. I thought I was Type B. Are you type A. Wedding planning? I think I'm Type C. I am both A and B. Some things, I'm like, I don't give a shit in some things. I'm like, yeah, no, I get that. I totally get that. I mean, I was most definitely Type B with all wedding stuff, but I was also pregnant as f I was eight and a half months pregnant when my husband and I got married. I was over it. I was your Type A for that because I was like, girl, did you do this? Girl? Did you do that? Girl? Have you checked in this? Hey? Do we need to do this? I like, now, like, having gone through the whole process and whatnot, I'm like, we should have just gone to the courthouse. I would have been okay with that. I just would like you to know that I tried that. I said, let's go, let's go to Bali, you me and the kids. And he said, don. I said, let's go to Bali you meet the kids and the parents. And he said no, And I said, and he said, if we're doing it, we're doing it right right okay? And he has very much been helpful. I appreciate. That's good. That's really good. Do you want to do a question of the week? We can shake it, baby. Okay, I've got one. Are we ready? Yes? Oh, this is a good one. Are you ready? No? It's a thinker? Are you ready? Okay? What makes a book a five star read? To you? I have to be fully submerged in it's fair, which is weird because I can't picture you like fantasy because you can picture all of the things I can't picture it, which I think is why fantasy again is not my cup of tea, and it will never be more than like a one or two star for me, because I just I don't get lost on that. But I think that I have to be able to place myself. Well, which would probably be why you like the cozy, comfy, fluffy books because those are more realistic. I think it needs to be more character driven for me. Yeah, I could see that. Because then I can be like, oh, I relate to this character and it's fine for me yep, but it definitely has to have that element. Do you have any five star reads this year? Yet? I am very stingy with my five stars. I don't disagree. I think of only given. Two this year or in general this year. I think I've probably given five. Ever, right, Like I am very stingy. The Wanderer is always going to be a five star for Yeah, I think for me too, if it's a book. And this is why I'm saying, like, even though Under Your Scars wasn't a five star for me, it probably should have been because it's gonna stick with me. I think the books that stick with me that So when I was younger, I had a lot of hard times in my English classes, especially in like elementary school with comprehension, because I couldn't remember the story. I could remember pieces, but I couldn't remember what the story was about. Like fully, so for me, their five star reads if I can remember the entire I can't remember details per se, but I can remember the entire book series and it sticks with me. Like my January was Madness, that book will stick with me. I love that by February read who is currently in the it's currently in the lead for februaryes. That'll stick with you, That'll stick with me. So my thing is is I remember most of the books that I read pretty much everything that happens. Yes, I might have to read the back of it to be like, Okay, yes, this is which one it is in the series, yep, But for the most part, I can remember what happened up to a certain point or to the whole book or whatever. I think that's where I get lost in fantasy because I'm like, there's so many things yeah that I just I can't picture. It doesn't make sense to me. Yeah. Well, and especially with fantasy series where the series isn't finished, I do have to go back and at least reread the last book before I read the newest book, Like I'm going to have to go back and read on axt Storm before I move on to the fourth book in that series. But with romance usually usually if it's a series, it's like a different character like in the storyline, like lights Out caught up as a different character but was mentioned right the first book the Salacious Players Club. They're each different, so it's like its own story. It's almost like a standalone but you have to maybe read the first one to get some background. Yeah. So that's how El Kennedy writes. Yes, each book is a different character. You can read them as a standalone, it makes more sense if you read them together. Yeah. So I guess that's my reasoning for giving five stars to certain books. I need to be able to fully comprehend the entire book and remember it like a month or so later. I mean, and again, I like rate them at that time, like when I finish them, but I know from just reading it if they're five stars or not. See, I hate writing books in general, and I don't know why I just hate it. Well, I mean, you had kind of explained it to me. You don't like it because you don't like to put your judgment on the book when somebody else could totally think it's a wonderful read, Like it's your judgment isn't particular to It's not going to be everybody's judgment, right, which I think that's fair. I think that's absolutely fair. I've seen books that I absolutely loved and people are like, this is a two star and I'm like, oh my god. Which is why I'm excited for the DNF shelf. Okay, I know, no, but I think that's absolutely fair. I think it was really smart on Goodread's part to do that. I think they're trying to bring themselves more current because people are hating on Goodreads hard. Yeah. I mean Goodreads does need some updating, I will say that. Yeah. But on the other hand, there there's literally no other app that I've found that has such a breath of books. Yep. Their platform needs help, yes, but they connect to all sorts of things to make sure that they have this whole huge library of books that you can pick from, and they do the tracking for you if you want to set a goal, like there are things that they do well. Yeah, and I'm excited for this new chapter from them. Yeah, I forgot to tell you what I'm gonna have to show you. I'm super proud of it. So I ended up so I was writing all my books for the year, my list of read books. I was writing them down in my journal in my note little notebook here. I made an Excel sheet because I am kind of an Excel sheet master. I like to say that I am. I work on Excel all the time. Yeah, I don't hate excel. Maybe I should send it to you then this as like a suggestion. Yeah, I'm probably not going to do that because then I would have to log in and actually do it. This one so when I finish a book at three am, I can just type and then it's done. Oh no, I get that too, So mine here, let me get him popped. I'm so proud of it. I'm so proud. Also, just so you know, if you find me on Goodreads, no you didn't, No you can whatever that's not up to date, I promise I do it in huge chunks, yep, because I just don't have the energy. Let's see. Let me look at my good Reads right now? How far behind? Oh god, I think I'm still on track. Oh I think I'm on track as well. But I meant, like in updating my books for the year. Yeah, So I have it on here title author, date finished. I did not do date start because that would just depress me. So date finished. I have star, which I actually put in like stars, and then the spice level which is fire, and then I put in format AK and p Audible or audiobook, Kindle or physical, and then I have a like a monthly average in totals, I have pages, so I have how many monthly like total pages did I read? And then I put in the hours for the audio books, so I can see how many pages and how many hours they've put into books, and then over to the side, how many total books for the month. And I'm pretty proud of it. I am very proud of it. But it's also like I feel like I'm using this as a way to be able to reflect when I choose my monthly winning book, because I'm basing it off from like, how many stars did I give it, because I feel like that's only fair. So I have noticed and I'm seeing a friend because of my analytic brain. So I'm seeing a trend. I always pick my five star at the beginning of the month. It is always my first read of the month is my five star. It's hilarious. And the worst part is I get worse off throughout the month. Like I started with a five star, i read two four stars after that, and then two three stars and I'm like, oh, well. I'm missing a book somewhere in here, but whatever, So it says I'm five books behind on my reading challenge, but I haven't updated it since last month. Oh well yeah, and you're not. Yeah, but see, like that's what I'm saying. If you go and look at my books and you're like, what the hell I don't, I do not update it. I do it in chunk form because I don't have the energy. I'm one book ahead. Do you want to update it right now? To know how many books ahead? I know, because you'd be like at least four at this point, because you read nine this month so far. Let everybody go though, look at our friends. Bee's read eleven already. I'm so proud of her. I know I am too. And my sister's read four, my cousin's read four. Yeah, I think at this point the only people like that have read more than me at this point is you and be good job, guys. So proud. I'll make sure to update it. Oh look at that three minutes ago, Alyssa read Girl Abroad. Because that was the last month. That was the last one for the last month. That's why I said, So we're gonna go read a book next week. We are going to go through our we're going to wrap up February, and we're going to start our march to get people aware someone needs to get better about posting when the stuff your ears or stuff your kindles are going to be Yeah. See my thing is is I forget about them myself. We need to set up like an alarm in our phones. In my phone and I still, oh my god, but it pops up at two am, and when I roll over and look at what time it is, then I clear it and then I don't think about it again. We're also going to put out a poll on across our social media's to see which book should be our next book club read because we should be finishing The Corey Girls at the end of March, because that will be quarter one mm hmm. So we are going to get a list together and we're going to put it on a poll, and that will be the next book read for the next quarter, which will run from April first to June thirtieth. So we hope that you can join us for that and share your thoughts on the next read because I think we're going to put how many options five? I think five, So pick from those and join us in reading them. Or if you've read the next book that we read, please join us in your thoughts when we discuss them. Okay, so we just figured it out. The last week of March. We are going to read seven chapters to finish the book or do you want to do six? Six on five? No, okay, I know you would like to. I feel like that's just gonna get confusing, though, Okay, so I think two that, especially with this mystery thriller, it's going to be easier for us. Okay, starting today, we will read thirty six to forty one. Yep, which I know you're you're gonna die. I'm sure you're gonna want to read more. There's a best chapter in here. There's not many. Best chapters left I know, and that makes me really nervous. Actually, yeah, So we'll finish the book in March and then we will pick another one, whichever one gets the highest amount, and we'll post it all over so much media. Yes, and I think there's going to be five options to choose from, but don't quote me on that yet because we haven't decided. No, we threw around ideas, we just didn't know which ones yet. So okay, we will see you guys next week. Let us know your thoughts. As always, if you have ideas for us to we would love more ideas. We do have a book that was recommended by be already on our list, so that's exciting. So we already know which one she's going to pick. I've heard it's really good though, so I'm not going to be too upset. But I feel like I'm going to struggle with reading that. But I think that if you only have five chapters at a time, you can spread it out or depending on how long it is, like this is a long book. Yeah, so the chapters might not even be that many. Yeah, my god, we have to look at it that way. I mean, as it is, I'm already listening to a B recommended book. Yeah, I need to do that, but I don't think I can listen to it. I think I have to buy it. I think that you would also need to read it yourself. I just think that I would struggle reading that one. So that's why I got it on audible. And it also weighs fifty seven pounds. Is a beast of a book, to be fair, Like I've been debating this, it's an audible. It's split into part one in part two, and you have to buy them separately because the is so long. No, no, so I'm like, do I count it as two books or one? And it's a series of like what ten? So I looked into that book one and book two go together and then it goes to a different character and does one and two basically, but. It's a full series, Like it's not, but it is. I am only reading books one in two? Do you not? Like I'm only thirteen percent in, so I can't really say I can't judge it yet. I'm not even twenty percent into it. Am I gonna like it? Yes? Fuck? Okay, yeah, I think that you will. She says, I will love it. I think so. Fuck. I'm struggling a bit. I am struggling a bit with it, but I think a good other than the fantasy, because B and I resonate with fantasy, like we both really like the same fantasy books. But in terms of some of the other like romancy books, She's definitely on your level and this is one of them. And I'm like, although I don't know. Again, I'm only like, I'm not even twenty percent in, so it could turn around on me. I guess I'm not reading it this year. I can't. I have too many in my twenty six for twenty six. I can't add a monster of a book. Both of them are freaking huge. So I added it because it was on sale. It was like four dollars on audible, so I was like, I can do that. No, I could do it. I think I have to listen to that. I read that one, like physically read that. One, and that's fine. I also agree because because the setting is Ireland, the narrators have an Irish accent. Say, I think I would like that. Oh so I'm not helping your cause. Oh darn. Wah. Girl, she is freaking sassy McGee today. Lately she has been. Now that she's feeling better, good, Okay, well, let's reconvenient next week. I'm gonna go sit my butt on your couch and read the next five chapters. I know we need to start recording ourselves because I slap you all the time. I know, and then I get frustrated and I'm like no, no. And I'll look at her and be like just wait, I fucking hate it. Just wait? Yeah, where are you. Give it a page? Okay, Well, we will talk to you guys next week. I hope you join us. Yeah, so listening. Have fun. Bye,