Summary: Today, Holly and Devin tackle books that kick off with the inheritance of a home. They discuss how the homes are both catalysts to plot and also characters in and of themselves. While the value of the inheritance varies wildly between the books, they agree that the plot device is effective at bringing characters together and precipitating growth, evolution, and depth. These books also sit squarely in each host’s wheelhouse - Holly’s book being especially creepy with cults, poison, and bumps in the night, while Devin’s is a manifesto of queer love, sex toys, and enthusiastic consent.

Topics Discussed:

 

• The Dagger (1:32): Holly discussed The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell, a book that starts with the inheritance of a multi-million dollar home in central London, and weaves together 3 principal story lines to illuminate the creepy mystery surrounding the abandoned mansion. Her key takeaways were:

 

• This thriller truly had it all - an abandoned creepy mansion, a cult, a suicide-murder, missing kids, a deadly herb garden, and more, ranking it in the top 3 of thriller books for Holly in 2019. 
• Jewell covers story arcs for the three principal characters–Libby, Lucy, and Henry Jr.--in such a way that the reader delves into multiple mysteries across various decades and geographies. 
• Jealousy and obsession played large roles through every arc in the book - amongst the adults, and amongst the kids/teens, which leads to dangerous decision-making and increased tension. 

 

• The Heart (16:29): Devin dove into Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters, a book where two women are thrust together after inheriting both a house and a sex shop for a recently deceased aunt. Her key takeaways were:

 

• The protagonists Cade Elgin and Selena Mathis are perfect foils for each other, but instead of a typical “enemies to lovers” trope, Stetz-Waters instead explores how they can help each other evolve without the typical initial resistance.
• While definitely sexy, Satisfaction Guaranteed approached topics like self-pleasure, sex, consent, and toys almost academically. Running a sex toy shop is actually educational, and the tension with your co-worker is a cherry on top. 
• Art is a throughline of the book, with paintings, galleries, artists and the act of creation playing almost as large a role as the inherited home. 

 

• Hot On the Shelf (41:28):

 

• Holly: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
• Devin: The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

 

• What’s Making Our Hearts Race (45:07):

 

• Holly: Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore in Manhattan
• Devin: Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly getting engaged and being agents of chaos

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Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

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Keywords: Literature, Books, Reading, Bookish, Pop-culture, Thriller, Romance, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Karelia Stetz-Waters, The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell, Homes, Inheritance, Inherited Homes, The Family Remains, The People We Meet on Vacation, Emily Henry, Kinokuniya, Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Engagement, Bookstore, Japanese, Manhattan, Cult