Our Home Libraries

For our last episode of 2023 we wanted to recap everything we’ve read so far this year, both for our podcast buddy-reads and as individuals who don’t always read everything together. We are excited to return refreshed and ready to read some new books in 2024.

What’s the best book we read in 2023? Who was the most memorable character of 2023? Are there any books that we DNF’d (did not finish)? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 26 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode are partly pulled from the Annual End of Year Survey from Perpetual Page Turner. → https://eternitybooksreview.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/end-of-year-book-surveyreading-wrap-up-2019-edition/

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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A heartwarming romance novel that follows the story of Vivian Forest, an American social worker, and Malcolm Hudson, a charming British private secretary to the Queen. When Vivian accompanies her daughter, Maddie, on a Christmas trip to England, she unexpectedly finds herself swept into a holiday romance with Malcolm, complete with grand castles, royal traditions, and the magic of a British Christmas. As Vivian and Malcolm navigate their unexpected connection, they also grapple with the complexities of their respective careers and the challenges of pursuing a long-distance relationship.

How does the author capture the essence of a British Christmas? What challenges and advantages does Vivian’s and Malcolm’s age bring to their relationships? And what are some of our favorite royal moments? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 25 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode were generated by ChatGPT.

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Christmas Village" by Aaron Kenny, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Our 2023 Season Wrap-up

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As the result of a recent mental breakdown, Ginette has left the fast-paced acting life of New York City and rented a house in the small town of Merrittville to isolate herself during her recovery. She has become obsessed with watching her neighbors. Mr. Elias spends the whole day sitting in front of a typewriter. Trixie plays with her dolls in her backyard. And the Lowells are an affectionate newlywed couple. This changes when Mr. Lowell’s mother moves in. Ginette notices a man standing outside her window watching Mr. Lowell’s mother, and since she can’t seem to sleep, she sees the mother walking in the alleyway between their houses in the middle of the night…specifically 3 am, which we commonly call the devil’s hour. The second time this happens, the mysterious man is following her, and Ginette gets the feeling that the mother is no longer living and that the mysterious man isn’t a man at all. He’s something worse. But Ginette can’t seem to leave the house. Any time she tries to make for the front door, she is overwhelmed by nausea and a voice in her head repeatedly screaming to shutup shutup shutup. Is Ginette seeing ghosts? Or is she still having a psychotic break?

Did Kayla’s expectations of Simone St. James live up to the amount of hype Karey has been giving it? What distinctions do we see between the thriller genre and the horror genre, and which does this book fall into? How important is the setting to this story? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 24 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from mystery and suspense .com, with a few sprinkled in that Karey came up with. → https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/thriller-book-club-questions/

Our spooky season music is from a song titled “Horror Background Music” by Lesfm from Pixabay.

Coming up next: A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

“The Library of the Dead” is a thrilling, urban fantasy novel. Set in Edinburgh, the story follows Ropa, a young girl with a unique ability - she can communicate with the spirits of the dead. In a world where the supernatural is an everyday occurrence, Ropa uses her gift to work as a ghostalker, helping lost spirits find closure and pass on peacefully. But her life takes a dangerous turn when she gets involved in a sinister conspiracy. Children are going missing, and Ropa discovers that a powerful entity known as the “Collector” is behind the abductions. To rescue the missing children and unveil the truth, Ropa embarks on a perilous journey through the magical and supernatural aspects of Edinburgh, learning more about her own abilities and the dark forces at work along the way.

How does the blending of the mundane and supernatural elements impact the overall atmosphere of the novel? How do themes of inequality and the exploitation of the vulnerable manifest within the story’s plot and characters? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 23 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode were generated by ChatGPT.

Our spooky season music is from a song titled “Horror Background Music” by Lesfm from Pixabay.

Coming up next: Ghost 19 by Simone St. James

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

For this episode we decided to switch it up a bit and do a little Q&A. We asked our Instagram followers for whatever questions they have for us and now you can hear the answers!

What inspired us to start this podcast? What’s the most chilling book we’ve discussed so far? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 22 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Our spooky season music is from a song titled “Horror Background Music” by Lesfm from Pixabay.

Coming up next: The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

Asher Todd has arrived at the Morwood estate to be the governess to the three children, although she knows little about being a governess, she is very smart. Asher has grown up in a university town and has acquired knowledge, some of that knowledge has a dark edge to it. Things in Morwood are not what they seem, and we realize that Asher is also holding her own secrets. Asher begins to feel affection for the children, and members of the Tarn but the ghosts of her past are catching up to her.

Were the supernatural elements of this story used as metaphors or were they literal? How did the family dynamics play into Asher’s actions? What did we find most spooky about this book? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 22 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The question discussed in this episode come from Michele Pariza Wacek’s website. → https://mpwnovels.com/2019/07/12/book-club-discussion-questions-perfect-for-psychological-thrillers-mysteries-supernatural-and-horror-stories/

Our spooky season music is from a song titled “Horror Background Music” by Lesfm from Pixabay.

Coming up next: A spooky season Q&A

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

Doctor Sleep is sequel to The Shining and follows Dan Torrance, who is now an adult. The book opens with Dan struggling with alcoholism, as he uses alcohol to suppress his shine, but he quickly finds a town and people that get him into alcoholics anonymous. He becomes known as “Doctor Sleep” while working at a hospice, using his shine abilities to help comfort patients in their final moments. He also establishes a telepathic connection with a young girl named Abra Stone, who possesses an extraordinarily powerful shine. Their peaceful existence is disturbed when a group of malevolent beings called the True Knot, led be Rose the Hat, targets children with psychic abilities to feed off their “steam,” a psychic essence that prolongs their unnaturally long lives. Dan and Abra must confront the True Knot and protect innocent children from falling into their hands, which leads to a pretty thrilling showdown between good and evil.

Why did Stephen King choose to resurrect Mrs. Massey as the first ghost we see in this book? Why is is so significant that Danny sees his old friend Tony as soon as he enters the town of Frazier? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 20 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Bookswarm. → https://stephenking.bookswarm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/doctor_sleep_guide.pdf

Our spooky season music is from a song titled “Horror Background Music” by Lesfm from Pixabay.

Coming up next: A Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter

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A Touch of Ruin continues the story of Hades and Persephone as their relationship goes public. The resulting media storm has disrupted Persephone’s life and she’s continuing to try to hide her divinity. When tragedy strikes, Persephone goes to Hades for help, which he refuses because her request would upset the Fates. So she seeks the help of another God, Apollo, and the result isn’t what she thought it would be. The negative outcome makes her question whether she can truly be the Queen of the Underworld. In the third book of the series, A Touch of Malice, Hades and Persephone are confronted with Demeter’s wrath when she summons a snow storm in the middle of summer that cripples New Athens. She won’t let up unless they call off their engagement, so the Olympians are force to intervene, but they can’t come to a consensus. If they allow the marriage to go forward, there will be war with Demeter. If they refuse to allow the marriage, there will be war with Hades. Will Hades have to burn the world or will Demeter freeze it?

We learn more about several characters of mythology in these two books, namely Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Apollo. How do their depictions relate to what you knew about them going into these books? Is there anything that could help resolve the conflict between the gods, the demigods, and the humans? Which of the three books in this series (so far) was our favorite? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in season two episode 19 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: We actually made these questions up ourselves…can you believe it?!

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

After a series of failed first dates and relationships, Jess is hesitant to trust the concept of soulmates and prefers to rely on her own instincts in matters of the heart. Her best friend convinces her to take the leap and participate in the GeneticAlly’s matchmaking process, and Jess never expected the results she got. She discovers that her match is none other than River Peña, the scientist behind the algorithm. River is just as surprised by the match, given that he had briefly met Jess before the results were revealed. Despite his initial skepticism, he become intrigued by the idea of exploring a potential romantic connection with Jess. And, with such a high match score and a presentation to potential investors just around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity for some good publicity for the company. The company offers to pay Jess and get to know River and given that she recently lost one of her freelance jobs, she’s not really in the position to turn it down. Amidst the scientific experiment that brought them together, Jess and River’s connection deepens, and they find themselves falling for each other. As they confront their doubts and insecurities, they learn to trust in the chemistry between them and embrace the. Possibility of love in unexpected places.

Do we believe love is scientifically quantifiable? Is DNAduo a self-fulfilling prophecy or is the algorithm really that accurate? Is it possible to have more than one soulmate? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 18 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from the reading group guide in the back of the book → https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Soulmate-Equation/Christina-Lauren/9781982171117

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: A Touch of Ruin and A Touch of Malice by Scarlett St. Clair

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During the events of the war with Hybern, Nesta experienced a lot of difficult things that still haunt her. Hybern’s attempted manipulation of her through her father, Hybern’s murder of her father, and Hybern’s attempt to use Cassian to manipulate her all led her to conclude that caring about people is bad news. Anyone she cares about could be used against her. She has disregarded what was essentially a declaration of love from Cassian as he was dying and is engaging in destructive behaviors like drinking and sleeping around in an attempt to forget. Her family has had it and gives her an ultimatum. She either moves up to the House of the Wind and trains with Cassian or she goes back to mortal lands alone. It’s obvious to us that Cassian has always had some kind of attraction toward Nesta, but while he’s training her, he’s also trying to deal with the aftermath of the war. The wall doesn’t exist anymore, and there are some that would attempt to claim mortal lands for themselves. He is acting as a go-between so that Eris can communicate with the inner circle of the Night Court.

How comfortable were we with the spice level in this book? What did we think of the conclusion to this plot? What role do we think the mysterious Mother will play in future books in this series? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 17 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Karey’s brain.

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341