Hearts & Daggers

Summary: Do you wish you could read more, or start building a new habit of reading? Today, Devin and Holly discuss how they prioritize reading amidst their crazy schedules and lives. Their top tips are:

• Audiobooks! While you're on a walk, at the gym, cooking, running errands, or cleaning - pop on an audiobook. Both Devin and Holly are not sensory snobs and absolutely count listening to an audiobook as reading. Don't hesitate to speed the audio up, as well. Devin enjoys 1.2x but there are people who can get to 2x or 3x speed and get through books much more quickly.

• Create a cozy reading environment when you do go for physical books: create a custom reading playlist to fit the vibe, go to a coffee shop that you love and read for an hour or two, designate spaces in your home as "reading spots" to give yourself a mental break from screens, responsibilities, etc.

• Take the pressure off! You don't have to sit and read dozens of pages in one go. Take 10 minutes and read a little bit. Bring a book (or an audiobook) with you to make waiting in line, waiting for appointments, etc. more enjoyable.

• Using reading to help with sleep hygiene is a great combination. Avoid screens by reading a book right before bed to ensure you get better sleep, and start your day off more peacefully (especially on weekends) with a few chapters of a good book before getting out of bed.

• If you're looking to build a new habit or get back into reading, make sure you pick books that you're really excited to read. Pick books where you know you'll be obsessed and want to be reading all the time to unveil the biggest opportunities in your day to dive in and read more.

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: Happy National Autism Awareness Month! Today, Holly and Devin discuss books with neurodivergent protagonists. They agree that all kinds of diversity in books are not only important but provide a helpful and enjoyable window into the lives of folkx with whom you haven't interacted (yet). Holly shared some key things to look out for in neurodivergent writing - avoiding stereotypes, ensuring there's diversity of gender, sexuality and race, avoiding infantilizing neurodivergent characters, and being especially cautious in sci-fi with aliens who are just caricatures of people on the autism spectrum. (Credit to a BookRiot article by Susie Rodarme and a Medium article by Cassie Josephs)

Topics Discussed:

• The Heart (3:49): Devin discussed The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, a steamy gender-bent play on tropes found in Pretty Woman. Stella Lane is a rock star data scientist with a career she loves. On the autism spectrum, she has always thought of kissing as "a shark getting its teeth cleaned by a pilot fish," but she is looking for love and marriage. Her solution? Hire an escort to teach her everything she needs to know for her future husband. Devin's key takeaways were:

• Helen Hoang self-diagnosed being on the autism spectrum through research and working with a therapist in 2016. While Stella is also on the spectrum and it is a big driver of the premise, Hoang ensures that Stella isn't mocked, belittled, etc. at any point because of her autism, nor is it used as a reason for conflict in the book.

• Michael Phan, the escort that Stella hires, has his own motivations for agreeing to work with Stella longer term; his mother is battling cancer and the bills are piling up. While Stella sees Michael as the powerful one in their dynamic for already being great at sex, Michael respects Stella's career, her stability and her attitude toward life's challenges and ultimately no one character is seeking the upper hand - a refreshing, balanced take on classic tropes

• Because Stella is hypersensitive and often struggles to be touched, the book focuses a lot around consent. Michael respects her boundaries and waits until she's ready for every single step they take physically, but he's also verbally describing his intent and what he's going to do nonstop. This beautiful show of consistent requesting of consent adds an extra spicy layer of dirty talk that readers will love.

• The Dagger (17:11): Holly discussed The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, a mystery-thriller published in 2020 by the Australian author. The book follows fraternal twins Fern and Rose who are very close but very, very different. Fern hasn't been formally diagnosed but has sensory issues and a very literal interpretation of the world around her. Rose is an interior designer who has been trying to get pregnant to no avail. Rose takes care of Fern in many ways, but how close are they really? Holly's key takeaways were:

• Through her research, Holly found that the representation of someone on the autism spectrum is quite great. Hepworth has shared that she has neurodiversity in her family including autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder. The diversity of symptoms and experiences is key in the novel and deftly handled.

• All of the characters, especially Fern, are incredibly real-feeling and round. It doesn't take long to get deeply invested as we learn that Rose and Fern's mother was very narcissistic and they suffered from homelessness and some abuse; this culminates in a traumatic event the sisters experienced at age 12 that impacted the rest of their lives.

• This book explores the power and danger of vulnerability and kindness. Fern's literal interpretation of the world sets her on a path to get pregnant herself; since Rose is struggling and they are twins, she figures she can just get pregnant on her own and hand the baby off to Rose as a gift. What ensues demonstrations Hepworth's ability to balance tense and unsettling relationships with the beauty and power of deep bonds.

• Hot On the Shelf (32:23):

• Devin: Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood

• Holly: A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

• What's Making Our Hearts Race (36:50):

• Devin: Detroiters on Paramount+

• Holly: Derry Girls on Netflix

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: SPOILER ALERT! This minisode is a deep-dive with Holly and Devin after they finished reading A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas and they do *not* hold back. If you haven't read the series or this book yet, we highly recommend that you go back and get caught up before listening! Holly and Devin's key points were:

• Silver Flames was clearly a transitional book in the series: there was more telling than showing for most of the novel, the enemies and villains felt far away and temporary, and the biggest arc of the plot was Nesta's personal development.

• Holly and Devin's favorite character in this book was The House of Wind, who becomes a friend to Nesta and in Devin's words "has a secure attachment style." The house acted as a support system to Nesta when she was still working hard to alienate everyone in her life.

• Therapeutic practices and classic therapy techniques are hallmarks of this book - Nesta and her fellow Valkyries work to recover from a lifetime of trauma through a wide variety of cognitive behavioral therapy, physical workouts and other approaches. Reading about her journey left both Holly and Devin feeling inspired to meditate and even practice self defense.

• Holly's Dagger Moments:

• Nesta in the bog with the Kelpie when she gets the mask, emerging from the water with the head of her enemy

• Nesta and Cassian going back to the prison to get the harp and fight Lanthys (Holly thinks it's so cool and creepy in that prison)

• Devin's Heart Moments:

• Nesta and Cassian making out for the first time at the dinner table and the way that the building tension broke - evolving into a tit for tat of sexual funtime.

• Nesta and Cassian completing their mating bond and the description of the golden threads of their souls coming together was profound and deep.

• Theories on what's next in the series:

• Azriel and his tension with Elain and Gwyn will be a fun love triangle to explore. Devin is rooting for Mor and Emerie to get together.

• Devin thinks that the rest of the series will focus on the oldest, most ancient evil magic against both Fae and humans such that they have to unite to save the entire world.

• Holly loves the characters the most, even more than the plot. She sees redemption arcs in store for several characters and thinks the focus will pivot at some point to Elain - but more than that, the next book will dive more deeply into the other realms since Silver Flames focused primarily in the Night Court.

• Holly and Devin think that this book was designed to center Nesta as the heroine of the next few books.

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: Lights, Camera, Action! In our case, sometimes the action is steamy and other times involves more knives and screaming. Devin and Holly discuss books that take place on set today, and agree that the pizzazz and magic of making films or TV shows add a fun dimension to books across genres. Devin highlighted the focus for romance authors on the "everyman" character getting their spotlight - readers won't relate as well to famous people being famously in love. Holly appreciated how sets can callow for a great locked room environment, working with a finite group of cast and crew.

Topics Discussed:

• The Dagger (4:09): Holly discussed Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth, a 640-page Literary Gothic Horror novel referred to as a "sapphic romp" set in a cursed New England boarding school. The book oscillates between 1902 and the experience of students at the Brookhants School for Girls and the 2015 film production of a "Blair Witch"-style retelling of the haunting events that closed the school over a century before. Holly's key takeaways were:

• The writing is dark, funny, and incisive; it vibrates with creepy environmental and natural horror elements (lots of wasps). Danforth drew upon stories surrounding films such as The Omen, The Exorcist, and Poltergeist as inspiration for her plotlines.

• Danforth wanted her novel to focus on explicitly queer characters vs. queer coding and queer erasure. Holly appreciated the range of representation through the novel and how each character relates to their own sexuality vs. just a single perspective on how to be queer or lesbian.

• The novel pivots between two storylines, which led to some confusion for the reader and ultimately a lack of cohesion. The book is quite a brick, and could probably have been edited down a bit to resolve some of the storyline pivoting.

• The Heart (19:05): Devin discussed You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria, book one in the Primas of Power series. If you love Jane the Virgin or the Kiss Quotient, you'll have a blast with this steamy telenovela-focused novel. Jasmine Lin Rodriguez and Ashton Suárez are paired up as the protagonists of a new telenovela filmed in New York City, "Carmen in Charge." The problem? Jasmine is giving up on romance after a very public breakup and Ashton is fighting for his last shot at success in the United States before he'd forgo his Hollywood dreams - and they have zero chemistry on screen. Devin's key takeaways were:

• Jasmine and Ashton as protagonists each have their own very authentic motivations that drive the plot and ensure nothing feels contrived; they need this show to succeed, they need to have on-screen chemistry, so why not run lines and scenes together after work to get it right? *Devin winks aggressively*

• Daria put heavy emphasis on an all Latinx cast and crew and representation in Hollywood. She also included an intimacy coordinator for the show which highlighted the importance of consent both in private and for the telenovela.

• As is the case with most romances, the fallout of this novel hinges on a miscommunication and it left Devin feeling a little underserved - Aston is almost 40 and it would have been nice to see him use his words a bit better like a real adult.

• Hot On the Shelf (37:27):

• Holly: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

• Devin: Killing Eve Series by Luke Jennings

• What's Making Our Hearts Race (41:42):

• Holly: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes on Audiobook

• Devin: Shrinking on Apple TV

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: Holly spent much of her childhood dressing and acting like Wednesday Addams - so her passion for mysteries and thrillers should be no surprise. But how did she get into the genre she's now so passionate about? Read below to learn more and understand how to follow in her footsteps:

• Holly fell in love with mysteries early in life, keeping a notebook à la Harriet the Spy and binge watching Are You Afraid of the Dark? In her youth. She then pivoted to Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew stories, falling in love with the hunt for meaning and becoming familiar with the formula of solving mysteries along with a protagonist.

• After college and the required reading of being an English Major, Holly re-discovered her passion for thrillers with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series and Gillian Flynn novels. From there, she

• Why does Holly love creepy books? It's the aesthetic (crows, gothic manors, something scary around a corner) and the adrenaline rush of those spikes of fear. The key, though, is that something should happen and the plot should be oriented around intelligible rules that pull Holly forward into solving the books' puzzles - her naturally inquisitive mind hungers to understand.

• There's something for everyone in the mystery/thriller genre. If you're looking to dip your toe in, be curious and find what resonates with you. There are cozy mysteries that are much more soft, and very intense thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat. Explore authors and tones that resonate until you find what you love to read!

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: Today, Holly and Devin explore the rest of what happens after "and they were roommates!" by discussing books featuring people who move in together. While this theme might feel squarely in Devin's wheelhouse, but not to worry - murder can happen when you move in together, too. They agree that similar to any forced proximity narrative, a roommate situation really amps up the pressure and forces both the reader and the protagonists to ask "how well do you really know someone?" Of course, for Devin's books the answer is likely "enough to tongue kiss them, at least" and for Holly… well…

Topics Discussed:

• The Heart (3:07): Devin discussed Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, a novel following childhood best friends Margot and Olivia after a chance encounter brings them back together…and lands them as unexpected roommates. Olivia is recently divorced and back in Seattle, as the wedding planner for Margot's best friends. Margot doesn't do relationships, but watching her best friends all get married leaves her feeling behind. Devin's key takeaways were:

• This sapphic romance and the wider series by Bellefleur refers frequently to astrology. Devin drew a connection between astrology and the LGBTQIA+ community, quoting Chani Nicholas from an article in the Advocate:

• "When a lot of the religious institutions or traditions that we come from have shunned us, on a deep soul level, we want to be seen. And when we grew up in a culture that doesn't see us, that doesn't witness our gender, that invisibilizes us, that makes us into something that we're not, we need ways of being reflected that feel true."

• This book has a little bit of many of Devin's favorite tropes - mutual pining, forced proximity, childhood friends to lovers - you name it, Bellefleur crushes it. Margot and Olivia as protagonists are really well rounded, easy to empathize with, and have a lot going on in their lives beyond romantic relationships.

• Five chili peppers warning! This book is steamy - so graphically intimate that some folks on Goodreads knocked off stars. So beware if that isn't your thing (especially dirty talk) - but clearly it is Devin's so she highly recommends.

• The Dagger (19:10): Holly discussed the book 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard, a novel with one of the best taglines ever. This Covid-era thriller starts when Oliver and Ciara have a few great dates and then strict lockdown restrictions land them as roommates… but within 56 days there's a decaying body in the apartment and detectives are left to figure out what went so horribly wrong. Holly's key takeaways were:

• Howard uses different points of view very effectively, especially working inside such a tight timeline from the investigation back to their first date, less than two months earlier. Her narrative structure that weaves across the timeline keeps the reader guessing as to who is the perpetrator and who is the victim.

• While generally it is still too soon for Holly to seek out books that include Covid, this novel worked very well because the pandemic acted as a catalyst for the plot, but wasn't *the* plot.

• What should be an exciting positive time at the start of moving in with a romantic partner quickly turns into a pressure cooker environment that goes from zero to 60, and Howard explores not just how little Oliver and Ciara know about each other but also how much we as the reader know and assume about our protagonists.

• Hot On the Shelf (34:06):

• Devin: Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn

• Holly: The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland

• What's Making Our Hearts Race (36:23):

• Devin: Extraordinary on Hulu

• Holly: Crash Landing on You on Netflix

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: By now you all know that Devin loves a good romance - but how did she get into the genre she's now so passionate about? Read below to learn more and understand how to follow in her footsteps:

• Devin read her first romance in 2019, at the age of 29. Late in life? Maybe, but better late than never. She found a grocery store paperback romance in a time when a distraction and escapism were more welcome than ever and she's never looked back.

• Intimacy and romantic relationships are, for most folx, a huge part of our lives that is rarely discussed enough. Romance novels are a great way to understand what consent, self-advocacy, equity, and true enjoyment can look like in myriad relationships and connections - it's not *just* for fun here, people!

• Reading romance or about intimacy and sex comes with a lot of baggage and shame. If you feel that, don't beat yourself up! Beat up the patriarchy. Devin and Holly discuss the female gaze and its increased prevalence in media these days, and they both encourage anyone listening to explore genre fiction and find what works for them.

• If you're looking to get into romance and you don't know where to start: begin with what you already like! Super into science? Check out Ali Hazelwood! Love your office job? Turn up the heat with an office romance first. Romances can take place at any time, any place (sci-fi too!), and include any combination of character and intrigue.

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: Hop on board, buckle up, and stow your luggage, folks - we're in transit today! Whether by plane, train or automobile, travel can open up a lot of possibilities for characters across genres. Holly and Devin talk through the "closed door" atmosphere transit can bring to a story, and how physical travel can augment the metaphorical evolution of character arcs with a more unique twist.

Topics Discussed:

• The Dagger (9:10): Holly discussed Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka, a novel that follows the perilous train ride of five highly motivated assassins, the principal of which is Nanao, aka Ladybug. Boarding a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka, Ladybug is given one simple task - grab a suitcase and get off at the next step. Things quickly devolve as he is met with competition, challenge, and various murder attempts. Holly's key takeaways were:

• This novel takes the time to take us inside characters to understand the shame, motivations, and quirks of a grisly set of over-the-top assassins. The depth Isaka achieves adds to the satirical tone while also increasing reader investment in the outcome of the wild train ride.

• While rife with murder, Bullet Train is also full of humor. Nanao keeps trying and failing to get off at the next stop, people get killed and characters have to prop them up to seem like they're still alive, and accidents lead to additional problems throughout the novel.

• The 2022 Brad Pitt film version changed a lot of the characters' racial and gender identities, but overall it captured the spirit, plot, and humor of the original story well.

• The Heart (24:50): Devin discussed The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, a novel of mishaps and undesired outcomes that leads to a destiny no one ever imagined. Olive Torres has always seen herself as unlucky, and having to survive her sister's wedding next to her arch nemesis (and the brother of the groom) Ethan is just one more bit of evidence that she's right. When all the guests (and the happy couple) get food poisoning except for Olive and Ethan, they agree to go on the honeymoon so as not to waste the trip. Devin's key takeaways were:

• Olive and Ethan's mutual animosity was born from a misunderstanding and simple miscommunication. By traveling to Hawaii together and escaping their typical routines, they're both afforded space and a different perspective to begin to reconcile their differences.

• A combination of The Hating Game and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, this novel is full of hijinks, forced proximity, and miscommunication that ultimately allows both protagonists to reframe and transform their perception of reality. All it took was bad buffet food and a faux honeymoon to Hawaii.

• Trigger Warning: there are consistent references to body, physical beauty, and allusions to body dysmorphia that any reader, and especially those with a history or sensitivity to eating disorders, should be aware of.

• Hot On the Shelf (42:24):

• Holly: Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka

• Devin: River of Consciousness by Oliver Sacks

• What's Making Our Hearts Race (45:27):

• Holly: The Last of Us on HBO

• Devin: Heavenly Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: We were honored to have our first author guest on the podcast, Jessa Maxwell! The Golden Spoon, which we discussed in episode 23, is available wherever you get your books today (March 7, 2023). Holly and Jessa discuss the book, key points of which were:

• Maxwell had always wanted to write a book (inspired by Lucy Foley) and was passionate about a locked room mystery. During the pandemic, she finally decided to go for it and after hours of drawing while The Great British Baking Show played in the background, she found her starting point.

• This novel took her only three months to write! Once inspiration struck, it all came together quickly and she didn't even need to consult with anyone who had actually been on a cooking or baking show.

• Though there are many characters to juggle in the book, Maxwell felt confident in what each brought to the plot and didn't struggle with telling them apart as she wrote. Holly personally felt she could keep everything straight more easily because of the press release featured at the start of the story.

• Betsy, the host of the competition, is widely known as a kindly grandmother figure and has been famous for a long time. Maxwell enjoyed delving into her private life vs. public experience and how people are not always what they seem.

• Maxwell would love Mary Berry to read The Golden Spoon, but everyone should give it a try! Whether you're passionate about murder mysteries, cooking competitions, or creepy mansions with secrets to hide - this book is for you!

• Jessa's Hot on the Shelf: The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

• What's Making Jessa's Heart Race: Mike Birbiglia's new broadway show, The Old Man and the Pool

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: Louise Penny is one of Canada's most prolific and successful authors - she writes dark, heart wrenching murders that somehow pair well with a quiet town with quaint bed and breakfasts and bistros with some of the best food ever described. Holly and Devin fell in love with the Armand Gamache detective series years ago, and today they finally get to gush about Louise and her writing for the podcast! Check out a spoiler-free LoveFest to learn why both Holly and Devin cannot get enough of these murder mysteries!

Topics Discussed:

• Plots (6:28):

• The mysteries themselves are unusual and ultimately a bit odd - no one is ever taken out by a gun in front of a security camera. This makes the books super fresh and unlike other mystery novels.

• Penny intends to leave the reader off-balance, and her masterful writing is intended to keep us guessing without ever making us question plausibility.

• The books must be read in order because there are multi-book plotlines that investigate larger issues than each murder - corruption, racism, drug trafficking, and infrastructure neglect to name a few.

• Characters (15:15):

• Every character, recurring or not, is flawed and therefore deeply human. As a reader, it becomes easy to empathize even with Ruth, a mean old crone alcoholic and poet (Devin's car is named Ruth after her).

• The series centers around the citizens of Three Pines, a fictitious Québec town that acts as a microcosm of community everywhere.

• We follow a core group of characters as they grow, evolve, live and die in Three Pines; the ultimate feeling for the reader is that they are journeying through life with friends they care about deeply.

• Writing (21:12):

• Part of the magic of Penny is that she writes about each character as if she is in their head; if they are confident they are right, only time and the advancing plot will show us. This adds a propulsive and immersive element to the story where you as the reader feel like you're experiencing it with them as things evolve, versus being told a story.

• Louise Penny may as well have been a psychologist (and one of the Three Pines residents, Myrna, actually is!) for how deeply she understands the human condition and infuses that deep compassion into her writing.

• Themes (27:20):

• Motivation: there are deep emotional and psychological motivations for all characters which drives both good and bad decisions across the series. Grief plays an especially large role, unveiling the long-term impacts of death and trauma.

• Art: there is art all over this series! Ruth is a poet, Armand quotes poetry and literature freely while they investigate murder, Clara and Peter are visual artists, music features heavily throughout.

• Justice: While Armand is of course a detective, the series also interrogates the true meaning of justice as a concept, pitting Armand and his team multiple times against various power structures and corrupt systems that force them to make decisions - doing what is right, what is easy, and sometimes, what is technically illegal.

• Community: Yes, these are murder mystery books, but all 18 books are united by a compelling and heartwarming sense of community. The characters care about each other, about their place in the world, and about how their decisions impact others.

• Details (33:56):

• The food!! We could talk for two hours about the food alone. Penny enlists the help of all five senses to create a vivid world that grounds the reader and makes Three Pines come to life, one croissant at a time.

• Each book tends to be quite seasonal, centered on a specific time of year that adds to the tension, plot, and sense that we are experiencing life as it happens for the characters.

• The police investigations are not glossed over and have many nitpicky details that brings the reader more deeply into the often confusion, dead-end exploring world of detective Gamache as he and his team solve murders.

• Favorite Books (40:16):

• Holly: The Beautiful Mystery (Book 8)

• Devin: How the Light Gets In (Book 9)

• Hot On the Shelf (49:14):

• Holly: She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

• Devin: Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

• What's Making Our Hearts Race (51:04):

• Holly: Andor on Disney+

• Devin: Paul T. Goldman on Peacock

Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod

Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com

If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.