Medium Lady Reads

Hello! Hi! Welcome to episode 6 of the Medium Lady Reads podcast. This week Erin and Jillian are going to be discussing Fourth Wing, their thoughts on the book and whether it’s worth the huge amount of hype that it’s receiving. 

In This Episode:

• Jillian and Erin check-in with each other to see how things are going in reading land for them. 
• Erin shares an intro to the episode and why they chose to discuss Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
• Then the ladies dive into the synopsis of the book, and remind their readers that the episode is SPOILER FREE. So, anyone and everyone can listen freely.
• This book provides a punch when it comes to its emotional impact, both Erin and Jillian discuss this.
• One thing that’s important to note about Fourth Wing, is that it takes place in a whole different world. Building that world up is important – Jillian and Erin take time to discuss the world building in this book.
• There are some pretty important characters in this book, some you’ll love, some you’ll grow to hate. The ladies discuss character development and the role it played.
• They discuss some content warnings that readers should be aware of before picking up Fourth Wing.
• When it comes to the book, Jillian and Erin share some opinions, and differ with others. Plus, they share their favorite moments of the book.
• Erin shares her thoughts on why she believes everyone is crazy for this book.
• Jillian and Erin discuss this week’s hot take; Do you obey your library’s return dates? To learn where the ladies stand on this, you’ll have to tune in to episode 6 of Medium Lady Reads.
• They end with discussing their hold’s lists. 

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison
• Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
• The Librianist by Patrick DeWitt
• You Were Always Mine by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza

If you enjoyed this episode we would love it if you recommended us to a friend or loved one!  Be sure to take a screenshot and share on Instagram stories, and tag both Jillian (@jillianfindinghappy) and Erin (@medium.lady) so that they can reshare the love! 

Thanks for listening and if you enjoyed what you heard, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Tune in on September 4, 2023, for the next episode of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast.

**Some of the links used in the shownotes are affiliate links. This does not change the cost of the item for you, we just get a small percentage of the cost, that helps us to offset the cost of putting out the podcast.**

Hello! Hi! Welcome everyone to episode 5 of the Medium Lady Reads podcast! 

In this episode, Erin and Jillian are going to be discussing why they believe that Romance is for everyone!

The idea for this episode, “Is Romance for Everyone?” came off the coattails of both Jillian and Erin finishing Happy Place and really loving it. So, they decided that they wanted to try exploring the genre of romance and its appeal to different readers. 

Now in case you’re thinking “hmm romance, definitely no," be sure to tune in to this episode to get your definitions straight!

In This Episode:

• Erin provides a definition of what she and Jillian believe the romance genre to be about.
• There is an interesting synopsis of the history of romance.
• Jillian shares why she loves the romance genre.
• Both women share what opened them up to romance and they provide some recommendations of their favorite romance titles. 
• Romance appeals to so many people, Erin and Jillian discuss why they believe this is the case.
• There are a lot of stereotypes surrounding the romance genre, and Jillian and Erin spend time debunking some of those stereotypes.
• In this episode, Erin and Jillian introduce a new occasional segment called “Instagram Made Me Buy It.”
• Finally, the ladies end by discussing their current library holds list.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

• Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
• Get a Life Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
• Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
• One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
• In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
• A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
• Spoiler Alert Series by Olivia Dade
• The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Nefenegger
• Normal People by Sally Rooney
• Call my By Your Name by Andre Assiman
• The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
• The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry
• Beach Read by Emily Henry
• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
• A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
• Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

If you enjoyed this episode we would love it if you recommended us to a friend or loved one!  Be sure to take a screenshot and share it on Instagram stories, and tag both Jillian (@jillianfindinghappy) and Erin (@medium.lady) so that they can reshare the love! 

Thanks for listening and if you enjoyed what you heard, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Tune in on August 21, 2023, for the next episode of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast.

**Some of the links used in the show notes are affiliate links. This does not change the cost of the item for you, we just get a small percentage of the cost, that helps us to offset the cost of putting out the podcast.**

Hello! Hi! Welcome to Episode 4 of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast! In today’s episode Erin and Jillian are going to be talking all about why they love libraries, and why they think you should give libraries a second glance, if you haven’t in a while. 

If you’ve ever wondered what the allure of the library is, this episode is sure to have you grabbing your keys, or walking shoes, and heading out the door to take advantage of this free public service. 

In This Episode:

• Jillian and Erin introduce this episode’s topic and why they decided to make sure libraries were such an important part of their podcast.
• Erin and Jillian check-in to see how each other’s reading has been going over the last couple weeks – this week’s answer may surprise you!
• The ladies start off the library conversation by discussing how many times they’ve been to the library in the last month.
• Time for sharing all those childhood library memories! Jillian and Erin each share some of their favorite memories from going to the library as kids and teens.
• Have you ever thought about why libraries matter so much to us, and why they matter to the communities around you? Erin and Jillian discuss why libraries matter and some of the reasons may surprise you!
• Amanda Killian's Library quote.
• When it comes to the library, it might surprise you to learn that they have “hidden gems,” that make them even more appealing. Both of the ladies share their favorite hidden gems from the library. 
• Hot Takes! A hot take is an opinion usually formed off the cuff and with little research - sometimes provocative. This week’s hot take is all about library people and bookstore people, Jillian and Erin share their thoughts on both. 
• An episode about the library wouldn’t be complete without Erin and Jillian sharing their current library holds lists.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

• This is How you Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
• Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad 
• Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
• Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• Our Best Intentions by Vibhuti Jain
• The Unfortunates by J.K. Chukuwu
• The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

If you enjoyed this episode we would love it if you recommended us to a friend or loved one!  Be sure to take a screenshot and share on Instagram stories, and tag both Jillian (@jillianfindinghappy) and Erin (@medium.lady) so that they can reshare the love! 

Thanks for listening and if you enjoyed what you heard, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Tune in on August 7, 2023, for the next episode of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast.

**Some of the links used in the shownotes are affiliate links. This does not change the cost of the item for you, we just get a small percentage of the cost, that helps us to offset the cost of putting out the podcast.**

Hello! Hi! Welcome to Episode 3 of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast! In today’s episode, Erin and Jillian are going to be discussing their latest three reads and providing some reviews and recommendations for books you’ll be sure to want to add to YOUR summer reading list!

If your TBR (to be read) pile isn’t large enough yet, then this is the episode for you! Listen in and be sure to tag us on Instagram to let us know which books you’ll be reading next!

In This Episode:

• Erin and Jillian check-in to see how each other’s summer reading has been going over the last couple weeks.
• The ladies discuss Goodreads and how they utilize it – be sure to follow them over there, if you use Goodreads. You can follow Jillian here, and Erin here.
• Jillian shares her first latest book: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell. Jillian shares what she loved and didn’t love about the book and a brief synopsis about the book.
• Erin’s first latest book is: Hello Beautiful by Ann Neapolitan. Erin shares why she loved the book and a brief synopsis of the book. 
• Jillian’s next book is one of the big books of the summer, the Happy Place by Emily Henry. Jillian adored this book and shares why in this episode.
• Erin’s next book was Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan, and was a 5-star read. This book was actually a recommendation from Currently Reading Podcast co-host Kaytee Cobb (@notesonbookmarks on IG).
• Jillian’s final latest book is The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane. After reading this book Jillian openly admits to really liking family dramas.
• Erin’s final latest book is VenCo by Cherie Dimalin. Erin shares her thoughts around the book, a brief synopsis and believes that if you like witches, you’ll enjoy this book.
• Hot Takes! A hot take is an opinion usually formed off the cuff and with little research - sometimes provocative TUNE IN to this episode to hear the hot take topic that Erin and Jillian are discussing this week.
• Finally, Jillian and Erin, as lovers of their public libraries, discuss their holds lists, what’s waiting for them and what has a long list of people before them.

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

• What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
• Hello Beautiful by Ann Neapolitan
• Happy Place by Emily Henry
• Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
• The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane 
• VenCo by Cherie Dimalin

If you enjoyed this episode we would love it if you recommended us to a friend or loved one!  Be sure to take a screenshot and share on Instagram stories, and tag both Jillian (@jillianfindinghappy) and Erin (@medium.lady) so that they can reshare the love! 

Thanks for listening and if you enjoyed what you heard, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Tune in on July 24th for the next episode of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast.

Hello! Hi! Welcome to Episode 2 of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast! In today’s episode, Erin and Jillian are going to be sharing a love letter to one of their current favorite contemporary authors… TJ Klune.

In this episode, Jilian and Erin discuss TJ Klune’s three most recent contemporary adult novels: The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020), Under the Whispering Door (2021), and his most recent book In the Lives of Puppets, which came out in April of 2023. 

When both women read all three books and loved them all, it cemented the love they have for the author, TJ Klune. 

In This Episode:

• Erin and Jillian check in to see how each other’s reading has been going over the last few weeks.
• Jillian shares some fun facts about TJ Klune and some of his novels.
• A brief overview of all three novels
• Erin and Jillian each rank the books, and each has a different ranking for all three! Listen to hear who listed what book first.
• It comes as no surprise that TJ Klune, as an author, has quite a few strengths, Jillian and Erin discuss some of those in this episode.
• They also discuss Klune’s weaknesses
• Erin and Jillian introduce a new segment to their show – “Hot Takes” – A hot take is an opinion, usually formed off the cuff with little research, sometimes provocative. 
• This episode’s hot take is Goodreads ratings – Trustworthy or Trash?
• Jillian and Erin wrap up with “The Holds List.” Both women have a very strong passion for the public library and so they discuss which books they have waiting for them on hold and which ones they’re most excited foR

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

• The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune
• Under the Whispering Door - TJ Klune
• In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Klune
• Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros
• Hijab Butch Blues - Lamya H.
• The Story Teller - Jodi Piccoult - for our buddy read
• Gender Identity for Kids: a book about finding yourself, understanding others, and respecting everybody! - Andy Passchier - something to read together with my kiddos.

If you enjoyed this episode we would love it if you recommended us to a friend or loved one!  Be sure to take a screenshot and share it on Instagram stories, and tag both Jillian (@jillianfindinghappy) and Erin (@medium.lady) so that they can reshare the love! 

If you’d like to connect with the author discussed in this episode, TJ Klune, you can find him at TJ Klune Books (@TJKluneBooks). 

Thanks for listening and if you enjoyed what you heard, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Tune in on July 10th for the next episode of the Medium Lady Reads Podcast.

Hello! Hi! And welcome to Medium Lady Reads! This is a podcast about books and reading as self-care, and today Medium Lady, Erin Vandeven, and her co-host Jillian O’Keefe embark on a new project, the very first Medium Lady spin-off podcast, which will be entirely book focused.

In this first episode, Jilian and Erin discuss how this dream host matchup came to be and what you can expect in future episodes. 

Erin and Jillian briefly discuss how their reading is currently going, how they sometimes come up against their own self-imposed reading rules, and how they work to push through them. 

This week’s theme is which books turned “you” into a reader.

When it comes to reading, Jillian and Erin don't really believe that there's a right or wrong way to do it. Audiobooks, ebooks, physical, whatever works for you works for them. Regardless of how you intake your books, there were that book or books that sparked the love of reading for you as a child, or even as an adult, as Erin and Jillian will share in this episode. 

These are the books that stand out, and bring a sense of joy whenever you think of them! 

It’s fun to dive into this topic because you never know what books someone is going to mention – they run the gamut!! You’ll notice that’s even true between the books that Erin and Jillian share in this episode.

Two of the individuals mentioned in this episode were Lis (@everyoneslibrarian) and Hodges Soileau (@hodgessoileauartist).

If you enjoyed this episode we would love it if you recommended us to a friend or loved one. Be sure to take a screenshot and share it on Instagram stories, and be sure to tag both Jillian (@jillianfindinghappy) and Erin (@medium.lady) so that they can reshare the love! 

Thanks for listening and be sure to tune in on June 30th for the next Medium Lady Reads podcast episode.