Calling Cards

Michael gets consent! He gets it! In Part 2, Lydia and Taylor discuss seeing another side of Lady Vi’s character, grapple with themes of Julia Quinn’s When He Was Wicked, including grief, death of a spouse, and guilt, and decide where Michael ranks among the Bridgerton books so far. Lydia gives a recap and analysis of Francesca and Michael's second epilogue and Taylor FINALLY gets to rant about colonialism. Plus: Book recs!
CW: miscarriage, infertility, colonialism, death of a spouse

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Book recs:

Great Scot!:

Diana Gabaldon, Outlander (1991)

Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (2009)

Maya Banks, Never Seduce a Scot (2012)

Alyssa Cole, A Duke by Default (2018)

Widows (but not straight):

Olivia Waite, A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics  (2018) 

Courtney Milan, Mrs Martin's Incomparable Adventure (2019)

Alisha Rai, Wrong to Need You (2015)

Angsty relative widows:

Naima Simone, Sin and Ink (2018)

Lorraine Heath, The Earl Takes All (2016)

Angsty widows, no cousin stuff:

Diane Biller, The Widow of Rose House (2019)

Jessie Mihalik, Aurora Blazing (2019) (Tay forgot to say it in the episode) 

Lord Liverpool, freedom of the press and class politics:

Olivia Waite, The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (2020)

Celeste Bradley, “Liars Club” and “Royal Four” series (2003-2006)

KJ Charles, “Society of Gentlemen” series (2015-2016)

Mentioned in this episode:

Edward Said, On Orientalism (1978)

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden (1911)

Rudyard Kipling, Kim (1901)

B&N cover fiasco-- see “Author L.L. McKinney: Barnes & Noble 'Diverse Editions' Are 'Literary Blackface',” NPR, Feb. 2020: https://www.npr.org/2020/02/06/803473296/author-l-l-mckinney-barnes-noble-diverse-editions-are-literary-blackface 

Mark Twain

Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea (1966)

Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre (1847)

Project Gutenberg free classic ebooks, https://www.gutenberg.org/

Virginia Woolf

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]. We might read your message on the pod! Original 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.

Who's the Elinor and who's the Marianne? Lydia and Taylor discuss book 6 in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, When He Was Wicked. We create a playlist to accompany the book (you’re welcome), dissect tropes, don excellent male voices, and respond to listener emails. We love Michael, the Merry Rake!

We’re back next week with part 2, a mixed bag of colonialism, grief, and romance. Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please tell a friend.

What we’re reading:
Rosie Danan, The Roommate and Farrah Rochon, The Boyfriend Project
Nalini Singh, Alpha Night

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]. Original music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Mentioned in this episode:

Julia Quinn, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

Cordelia Chase from “Buffy” and "Angel"

Nalini Singh, “Psy-Changeling” series (yes, again; no, we’re not getting paid for this!)

Edna Mode from “The Incredibles”

All musicians/Josh Groban

Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Reduced Shakespeare Company

Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa in “My Cousin Vinny”

“Jessie’s Girl,” Rick Springfield

“Every Breath You Take,” The Police

“Ready to Run,” The Chicks

Julia Quinn, Just Like Heaven

"Wayne’s World"

Elinor and Marianne from Sense and Sensibility

MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe

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 Taylor chat about time travel romance (more or less). Next week we'll be discussing Bridgertons in Scotland with book 6, When He Was Wicked.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please tell a friend.

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]. Original music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

Mentioned in this episode:

Casey McQuiston, One Last Stop, spring 2021

Kate & Leopold

The Knight Before Christmas

Ladyhawke

Somewhere in Time

Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman

Superman

Sound of Music

Knives Out

Brooklyn Nine

Time Traveler’s Wife

The Vow

Sookie Stackhouse

True Blood

Moonlight

Twilight

Doctor Who

Tristan & Isolde

Hawaii 5-0

Veronica Mars

About Time

Harry Potter

Star Wars

Wild Target

What A Girl Wants

Sliding Doors

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Outlander

Discovery of Witches

A Kid in King Arthur’s Court

A Night in Camelot

Groundhog Day

Palm Springs

Hot Tub Time Machine

Lost in Austen

Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series

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.

To Sir Phillip with Love, part 2 of 2

Taylor decides the Von Trapp trope is definitely a thing, Lydia calls out Eloise on her class and white privilege, we discuss mental health and mental illness in the romance genre, and Lydia speculates on Bridgertons season 1. Plus, Lydia’s modern retelling and Tay’s reading recommendations (below)!

When He Was Wicked is coming in 2 weeks! Finally, Bridgertons in Scotland!

CW: child abuse

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please tell a friend.

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].

Reading reccs:

Epistolary:

Tessa Dare, When A Scot Ties the Knot (2015)

Lisa Kleypas, Love in the Afternoon (2010)

Beth O'Leary, The Flat Share (2019)

Sophie Kinsella, I've Got Your Number (2012)

Courtney Milan, Hold Me (Cyclone #2) (2016)

Von Trapp!:

Cat Sebastian, It Takes Two to Tumble (2017)

Grumpy Hero:

T.J. Klune, How to Be a Normal Person (2015)

Main characters navigating mental illness:

Talia Hibbert, Untouchable (Ravenswood #2) (2019)

Alisha Rai (Forbidden Hearts and Modern Love) 

Courtney Milan, Trade Me (Cyclone #1) (2015)

Priscilla Oliveras, Island Affair (2020)

Kristen Callihan, Fall (VIP) (2018)

Penny Reid, Beard in Mind (Winston Brothers #4)(2017)

Jackie Lau, Mr. Hotshot CEO (2018)

Mentioned in the episode:

Nalini Singh, Psy-Changeling series (of course)

Ursula K LeGuin, The Lathe of Heaven

Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass series

Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

Grey’s Anatomy

Dracula

Cyrano de Bergerac

Jane Eyre

Rebecca

Shirley Jackson

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.

Book 5 of the Bridgerton series gives us a chance to talk about mental health in romance novels. In part one of Julia Quinn’s To Sir Phillip with Love, we examine what makes this book different from the previous four. Taylor and Lydia dive into introspective characters and their random thoughts, the epic Bridgerton bros scene, and parallels with earlier books. Tay goes into unnecessary tangents about the British Museum, we talk setting and trauma, and Eloise and Phillip discover that meeting someone IRL for the first time is “80% stutter, 20% gold.”

CW: suicide, depression, childhood abuse

Coming up: Part 2 continues the conversation about portrayals of mental illness in historical and romance novels and Philip’s struggles to be a good father. Ya know, lighthearted stuff. Tune in next week to hear Lydia’s two scenarios for a modern Phillip and Eloise and Tay’s reading recommendations!

What we’re reading:

Vanessa Riley, A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby

Olivia Waite, The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows

Nalini Singh, the Psy-Changeling series 

Talia Hibbert, Get a Life, Chloe Brown

Thanks for listening! If you liked this episode, please tell a friend.

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].

Original 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.

In which we attempt to stay on topic with the hidden identity trope and wind up discussing paranormal romance. Lydia doesn’t care about the plot and Taylor refuses to give spoilers. Loving shout out to Sara of the specific spoiler questions ;-) 

This brief excerpt was edited out of our last Romancing Mr. Bridgerton episode. Next week, To Sir Phillip with Love!

Mentioned:
Nalini Singh, Psy-Changeling series
Jessie Mihalik, Consortium Rebellion trilogy- Aurora Blazing and Chaos Reigning
Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses

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].

Original 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.

“Hey Penelope, your wallflower days are over, you rad spinster, you!” - Lady Danbury, probably

This episode, we take our sweet time and tackle tropes from Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. Featuring dudebros, privilege, history as setting, female friendship, reading recommendations, and more! 

Book 5, To Sir Phillip with Love, airs in two weeks.

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]. Original music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram. 

Mentioned:

Sabrina

Captain Marvel

How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

Return to Me

Thirteen Going on Thirty

Crash Landing On You

Wynona Earp

Date Night with Alyssa Cole, Loyalty Books

KJ Charles, Society of Gentlemen series

Recs:

Writers (historical)

Lisa Kleypas, Dreaming of You (1994)

Tessa Dare, Romancing the Duke (2014)

Heroines who aren't teeny-tiny

Talia Hibbert, Get a Life, Chloe Brown (2019) and Take a Hint, Dani Brown (2020) 

Wallflowers & spinsters

Sarah MacLean's One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (2013)

Lisa Kleypas, Marrying Winterborne (2016)

Secrets

Celeste Bradley, The Pretender, The Imposter, and The Spy ("Liar's Club" series, 2003), To Wed a Scandalous Spy (2005)

Beverly Jenkins, Indigo (1996)

Courtney Milan, Unraveled (Turner #3) (2011)

Alyssa Cole, An Extraordinary Union (2017)

Elizabeth Hoyt, Maiden Lane series, #4-6: Thief of Shadows (2012), Lord of Darkness (2013), Duke of Midnight (2013)

Alexa Martin, Fumbled (2019)

Alexis Daria, Take the Lead (2017)

Girl next door

Kwana Jackson, Real Men Knit (2020)

Unrequited love /friends to lovers

Samantha Young, Before Jamaica Lane (2014)

Women who run empires

Alisha Rai, The Right Swipe (2019)

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 role of writing in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton is the Russian nesting doll of this episode, which covers Penelope and Colin’s relationship, mansplaining, body image, and beauty standards. In our second episode on Julia Quinn’s fourth Bridgerton book, Lydia talks about what reading Penelope’s story and having a heroine who was bullied and came out stronger meant to her sixteen-year-old self, and describes what P. and C. would be like today.

Next week, part 3!

“You'll never share real love until you love yourself, I should know!” -Rent

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].

Original music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram. 

Mentioned:

“Six” the musical
“Bodyguard”
“Killing Eve”
“The Princess Bride” (yes, again)
“Rent” the musical
“Mean Girls” (Regina George)
“The IT Crowd”
“Arrow”

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 is a truth universally acknowledged that the Pen is mightier than the sword. This is episode one of three breaking down Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton! We take our time with the fourth Bridgertons book, starring our favorite, Penelope Featherington (and Colin Bridgerton, of course). This spoiler-laden discussion covers Minnesota Goodbyes, garbage disposals, Lady Danbury, and adaptations. Next week, more of Penelope and Colin!

What we’re reading:

Nalini Singh, Visions of Heat; Psy-Changeling and Psy-Changeling Trinity series

Sarah Hogle, You Deserve Each Other

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].

Original music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Supernatural

Orphan Black

McCloud’s Daughters

Christine Feehan

Stephanie Meyer, Twilight

Julia Quinn, Bevelstoke series (What Happens in London, Ten Things I Love About You), Everything and the Moon, Minx, the Smythe-Smith Quartet

Lisa Kleypas, Dreaming of You

Stephanie Laurens, Cynster series

JK Rowling, Harry Potter

Doctor Who

Being Human

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

Deborah Harkness, Discovery of Witches

Christopher Paolini, Eragon

JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

(Nicola Coughlan, we will pronounce your name correctly! Really!)

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.

Count how many times Lydia says "bonkers"... is it too many, or not enough? Fairy tale retellings, Aussie, NZ and UK dramas, and our casting hopes for Bridgertons on Netflix. In short: Y’all should watch McCloud’s Daughters, A Place to Call Home, and Gentleman Jack!

Next week: We discuss Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn! 

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]. 

Original music by PASTACAT, @pastacatmusic on Instagram.

In this episode:

McCloud’s Daughters

Bridgertons (upcoming)

H2O: Just Add Water

Dance Academy

The Almighty Johnsons

The Hobbit

A Place to Call Home

Stardust

Desperados

New Girl

Downton Abbey

Miss Fisher

Call the Midwife

Outlander

Gentleman Jack

Jim Halpert (The Office)

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.