Calling Cards

Lydia and Tay are back, with a new direction for the pod: our foray into Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series! We talk paranormal romance, the Psy-Changeling world, Val Kilmer, Anthony Bridgerton as a wolf shifter, gender, Alpha males, metaphors, the Jedi Code vs the Psy Code, terrible book covers, and more. 

This paranormal romance series really hits home for us right now with its focus on the centrality of touch, emotion, and connection. We discuss elements of book 1, but don’t give any spoilers for the series.

Thanks for listening to our long-ass podcast! We’ll be back in two weeks with part one of book one, Slave to Sensation. Yay!

What we’re reading:

Lydia:

Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden, The Lakehouse

Sonali Dev, Recipe for Persuasion

Olivia Dade, Spoiler Alert

Lisa Kleypas, The Devil in Winter

Tay:

Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games trilogy 

Naomi Novik, Deadly Education

Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves (& Six of Crows)

Dawnie Walton, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev

TJ Klune, The House on the Cerulean Sea

(wtf Tay, none of those were romance?! let’s get back on track, here we go:)

K.J. Charles, Charm of Magpies trilogy

Morgan Rogers, Honey Girl

Martha Waters, To Have and to Hoax

Talia Hibbert, Act Your Age, Eve Brown

Sarah Hogle, Twice Shy

Rosie Danan, The Intimacy Experiment

Thanks for listening! 

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling 

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected]. 

Amazing, fabulous rebooted theme music by PASTACAT! @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Help us spread the word about this pod- please rate, review, and tell a friend!

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

SPOILER ALERT! This episode contains spoilers for all of the Bridgerton books and their second epilogues. Lydia and Tay revisit our rankings of the books and wrap up Bridgertons until season 2. 

We’re going on hiatus for two months, then we’ll be back with Nalini Singh’s paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy romance series, Psy-Changeling! Read along and join us!

Psy-Changeling series: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/ 

What’s “fridging”? 
https://lby3.com/wir/
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StuffedIntoTheFridge 

Thanks for listening! 

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling 

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Please rate, review, and tell a friend!

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

We’ve reached Peak Daphne, listeners. 

Lydia and Tay chat about adaptation, romance, and Lord of the Rings in the 8th & final episode of season 1 of Netflix’s Bridgerton, “After the Rain.” 

We’re already excited about season 2! (We hadn’t heard the casting news for Kate when we recorded, more on that next week.) 

Plus: More on our next project! After next week’s Bridgerton wrap-up, we’re returning this spring with Nalini Singh’s paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy romance series, Psy-Changeling.

Recommendations:

Psy-Changeling series: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/ 

NPR article on black historical romance novelists: https://www.npr.org/2021/02/04/964001303/black-kiss-tory 

Collection of romance reads recs on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2035?ref=romanceweek2021_eb 

“Cinderella” (1997)

Also:

Sharks: https://www.britannica.com/story/do-sharks-sleep

Koko the Gorilla: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/koko-the-gorilla/id1380008439?i=1000483131905 

Thanks for listening! 

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod, or by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Please rate, review, and tell a friend!

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Lydia and Tay chat about the largely filler episode 7 of Netflix’s Bridgerton, “Oceans Apart.” We discuss adaptation and fallout from the last episode, and conclude that:

• Women face the consequences
• Everybody is angry and sad
• Literally, everyone is angry and sad
• Daphne has a lot of nerve
• Nothing changes in this episode

Plus: we announce our next project for when we finish this season of Bridgerton!

CW: mention of sexual assault

What we’re reading:
Elizabeth Hoyt, Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane 1), A Rogue Meets His Match (Greycourt 2)

Beverly Jenkins, Forbidden (Old West 1)

Support Independent Bookstores!

Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN: https://www.redballoonbookshop.com/ 

Cafe Con Libros, Brooklyn, NY: https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/ 

Also mentioned:

Black American West Museum, Denver, CO: https://www.bawmhc.org/ 

Thanks for listening! 

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod, or by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Please rate, review, and tell a friend!

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Tay and Lydia take on episode 6, “Swish,” of Netflix and Shondaland’s "Bridgerton." Lydia mulls over which piece of music fits the honeymoon episode better, “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy or Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” arranged and performed by Duomo. We compare Lady Whistledown in the books vs. the series, question the necessity of the village pig plot line, and delve into a serious discussion of consent and the show’s decision to include a sexual assault scene in the adaptation of the original book. 

Content warning: Detailed discussion of sexual assault, reproductive coercion, and gaslighting takes place 1:26-2:02 in this episode.

Next week: Episode 7, “Ocean’s Apart”

Our recs:

Elizabeth Hoyt, Not the Duke’s Darling, 1st in her Greycourt series, & Wicked Intentions, 1st in her Maiden Lane series (Fabulous romance!)

Allie Brosh, Solutions and Other Problems (Hilarious! Not a romance!)

Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita (A classic! Not a romance!)

Support Independent Bookstores!

Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, MN, https://beagleandwolf.com/ 

Powell’s Books, Portland, OR, https://www.powells.com/ 

Mentioned in the episode:

Intimacy coordinators:

Keira Knightley and Samuel L. Jackson on the Graham Norton Show, June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKmn1ZGDbLg
Related: https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a35307229/keira-knightley-sex-scenes-ban-male-directors/ 

Gentleman Jack's intimacy coordinator, https://www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-48401926

Alexis Daria, You Had Me at Hola

More on follies:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/76504/10-extravagant-examples-folly-architecture 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folly 

Consent/sexual assault discussion:

Merryanna Salem, “Bridgerton’s Most Controversial Scene Showcases The Series’ Mishandling Of Consent And Race,” Junkee.com: https://junkee.com/bridgerton-controversy-consent-race/283875

Aja Romano, “Bridgerton has a rape scene, but it’s not treated like one,” Vox.com: https://www.vox.com/22194033/bridgerton-netflix-rape-scene-novel

About reproductive coercion, onelove.com: https://www.joinonelove.org/learn/know-reproductive-coercion/

Thanks for listening! 

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod, or by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

The episode of Bridgerton where Simon and Daphne have to marry, can’t marry, and then do marry, wouldn’t be complete without an orgy, a big sex ed fail, and more of the Netflix show’s lavish costumes and drama.

Lydia & Tay compare the show adaptation to the original book and explain how the episode fits into the romance genre. Come for our slightly silly recap of the episode, stay for the rant about the episode’s portrayal of sex.

Next week: Episode 6, “Swish”

Our recs!

Lorraine Heath, The Viscount and the Vixen (The Hellions of Havisham #3)

Elizabeth Hoyt, To Seduce a Sinner (Legend of the Four Soldiers #2)

"White Collar"

"The Nanny"

Support Independent Bookstores!

Black Garnet Books, online/popup store based in MN https://www.blackgarnetbooks.com/ 

Bridge Street Books, DC https://bookshop.org/shop/bridgestreetbooks 

Also:

1810 Yorkshire farmer’s diary mentioned: https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51385884 

Thanks for listening! 

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod, or by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Lydia & Tay talk adaptation, romance, class, race, and casually leaving around diamond necklaces in our analysis and recap of episode 4 of Netflix’s Bridgerton, “An Affair of Honor.” 

The men in this series are VERY well dressed, and it is glorious. We finally get a big, swoony kiss, or as we all like to call it, “defilement.” Prepare yourself for whiplash, because there’s a lot of longing glances and dizzying relays between balls and other drama. Surprise, actions have consequences! Very dramatic consequences. Horseback rescue consequences.

Next week: Episode 5, “The Duke and I”

What we’re reading:

E.K. Johnston, Star Wars: The Queen’s Shadow 

Renee Adieh, The Flame in the Mist & The Wrath and the Dawn

Indie bookstores:

Elliot Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA https://www.elliottbaybook.com/ 

Loyalty Bookstores, Petworth, DC & Silver Spring, MD https://www.loyaltybookstores.com/ 

Mentioned:
Vanessa Riley, “How ‘Bridgerton’ flipped the script on ‘The Duke and I’”: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/bridgerton-duke-and-i/2021/01/11/f47578ba-540d-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html
Gray’s Anatomy
Shadowhunters (Malec video rec)
Hamilton (“10 Duel Commandments”)
Merlin
Hadestown (“Chant II”)
Moulin Rouge
Sweet Home Alabama
Fever Pitch (that movie with Jimmy Fallon & Drew Barrymore)
She’s the Man

Thanks for listening! 

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod,  or by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Lydia & Tay discuss episode 3 of Netflix’s Bridgerton, “The Art of the Swoon.”

The female gaze is here to stay! Daphne meets a prince and we take a firm stand against drinking milk straight from the jug, trudging endlessly through puddles, and stealing roses from vases...  and a firm stand in favor of Simon in general. Swooning gets a closer look, as does Simon’s spoon moment and how the episode functions as an adaptation.

Next week, we take on episode 4, “An Affair of Honor.”

What we’re watching & reading:

“Sylvie’s Love” on Prime (2020) with Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Eva Longoria, Aja Naomi King, Jemima Kirke, Tone Bell and Regé-Jean Page

Alyssa Cole, When No One Is Watching (2020)

Olivia Dade, Spoiler Alert (2020)

Support independent bookstores! 

Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis, MN https://www.moonpalacebooks.com/ 

Charis Books & More in Atlanta, GA https://www.charisbooksandmore.com/

Also mentioned:

This hilarious (SPOILER-ridden) video by Josh Pray: https://m.facebook.com/joshpraycomedy/videos/202734014856450/?refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fwatch%2F&_rdr 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song

Romancing the Stone

The American President

Gray’s Anatomy

The Bechdel Test

Star Wars

Game of Thrones

Hamilton

The Young Victoria

Thanks for listening! 

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, http://callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod, or by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Lydia & Tay discuss episode 2 of Netflix’s Bridgerton, “Shock and Delight.”

Lady Danbury continues to sweep the episode’s Best Dressed, and Queen Charlotte takes a surprise win for Best Undressed. We talk flashbacks of Simon’s backstory, drama, gratuitous shirtless scenes, the woeful inadequacies of Regency- & modern- sex ed for women and girls, adaptation comparisons, music, and accurate undergarments.

CW: Traumatic childbirth, maternal mortality

Tay's audio quality will improve next week, sorry! Tune in as we discuss episode 3, "The Art of the Swoon."

What we’re reading:

John Jackson Miller, Star Wars: A New Dawn

Alyssa Cole, How to Catch a Queen (Runaway Royals #1)

Support independent bookstores! 

Storied Owl Books in St. Paul, MN - https://storiedowlbooks.com/ 

Smith Family Bookstore in Eugene, OR - http://smithfamilybookstore.com/ 

Thanks for listening! 

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod, or by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

It’s finally here! BRIDGERTON! Lydia and Tay discuss episode 1 of Netflix's Bridgerton, "Diamond of the First Water.” No spoilers for the rest of the season. Featuring: Best Dressed, Best Undressed, our thoughts on adaptation, and, perhaps, some general silliness.

Briefly: We loved it, and we have a lot to say. Shocking, we know.

Our take on episode 2, “Shock and Delight,” is coming next week, so keep your bingeing to a, well… maximum? Do what you want!

Support independent bookstores! Yay!

The Ripped Bodice in LA, CA www.therippedbodicela.com 

Tattered Cover in Denver, CO https://www.tatteredcover.com/ 

What we’re reading:

Farrah Rochon, The Boyfriend Project

Bea Koch, Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency

Sherry Thomas

Elizabeth Hoyt

Courtney Milan, The Duke Who Didn’t

Denise Williams, How to Fail at Flirting

T.J. Klune, How to Be a Movie Star

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @callingcardspod, on Twitter @CardsCalling, on our website, callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod, or by emailing us at [email protected]. 
Theme music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook: @callingcardspod

Twitter: @CardsCalling

Website: https://www.callingcards.wixsite.com/callingcardspod

Email us at [email protected].

Theme music by PASTACAT @pastacatmusic on Instagram.