Hello! It's 30 Dirty Dying, I'm Clarissa. I'm
Courtney. And we're your favorite six sad millennials
who are just trying to have a good time, get
through our 30s, and... Come to terms with the
fact that nobody really knows what the fuck they're
doing, so let's just stop pretending that we
do. Agreed. Yeah. That's just how I feel right
now. Yeah. It's just like, I'm here. Um, today
we're just gonna have a chill, a chill, fun episode.
Yeah. Right? Yeah. Just chillin', relaxin', all
cool, shootin' some b -ball outside the school.
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared.
It says you're moving with your auntie and uncle
in Bel Air. So we're just gonna chill and talk
about books. Yeah, we're look one of the things
we like to do with our spare time is Read we're
both we're both readers and we often in our regular
life as BFFs Hashtag biffles. OMG my BFF Jill.
Yeah as Jill and Courtney Just kidding. My name
is Clarissa We often just talk about the books
we're reading and and talk about them and share
them sometimes and so what what's what we're
gonna do today We're having a book club Yeah,
this is the 30 dirty and dying book club. Watch
out book podcast. No, you guys are good. You
guys do better than us. Because normally we do
like judge a book by its cover and like game
related to books. Yeah, we're just gonna we're
just gonna talk about the books we've been reading.
Yeah, exactly. So it's like we've we've set our
yearly goals. We're a few months into the new
year. So and I'm only nine away Courtney is winning.
It's not a competition. We don't but you're doing
great. You're really tearing it up and We're
gonna do that right here, right now. We're doing
it live. Yeah. But first... We gotta go back
in time. Hell yeah! Back in time. Alright! 92.
I was not here. I was... Uno. Dos. Tres. Catorce.
Quatro, cinco, seis. I know, they say it in a
YouTube song. Oh. And it's wrong. Yeah, well,
YouTube sucks. I had a beef with YouTube. Listen,
they don't suck. They made one really horrific
decision. And I got a beef with them ever since
then. So does everybody else. That album sucked,
too. Yeah, that's because that's why they not
a good. There's like this probably sucks. Let's
just blast it onto all iPhones. Yeah. For free.
It sucks. I don't dislike YouTube. Is it still
on my phone? Because I don't use Apple Music.
Me either. But the other day, I like. I had closed
Spotify accidentally. So in my car, it connected
to my Apple Music like the songs I bought on
iTunes and what was on there and that was on
there. And the Les Mis soundtrack. I have some
I have some stuff in here. Got some Waka Flaka
up in here. I got some Waka Flaka up in here.
Hang on. Let me see. I got T .I. What you know
about that? No More Mr. Nice Guy and the Ballad
of Dwight Fry by Alice Cooper. Couple Bastille
songs. Pompeii, Bad Blood. I don't have you two
on here. Did I delete it? Can I delete it? I
don't know, because I never did, but I wanted
to. I got Avenged Sevenfold, Hail to the King.
I got David Bowie. Capital City, Safe and Sound.
I can leave you up! Because You Loved Me by Celine
Dion, Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars. Why,
I have more songs than I thought on here. Tighten
Up by the Black Keys. I have like the whole AWOL
Nation album. I've got several Florence and the
Machine songs, obviously. I've got Mumford and
Sons. I have Iggy Azalea's whole album. I got
Pink, her Divorce albums. I got some Red Hot
Chili Peppers. Yep, I got the whole, there it
is. I don't have it. I'm not listening to a single
one of these. Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven.
Wow, way to go. Yeah. I've got some Three Days
Grey, some Tom Petty. I've got the entire, on
purpose, the entire Great Gatsby soundtrack.
I love that. Yeah, I love that fucking soundtrack.
I've also got some Young the Giant, Lose Yourself,
and three songs from the Les Mis soundtrack.
I Dream to Dream, On My Own, and the Red and
Black. Read the blood of angry man. I have something
strange that I never knew I did. I have the entire
soundtrack for 13 reasons why. That's my 13th
reason. I have 21 pilots first album. Okay, that's
a Macklemore and some maroon five. I've got two
songs that I did not choose. I know where they're
on here. I can only imagine by Mercy Me and a
rendition of Amazing Grace. I love that for you.
I was in charge of the music for My Grandmother's
Not Funeral. That's also why the Celine Dion
song is on there. I also have an Elvis song on
here that I picked for her. Mama Like the Roses.
Soldier Boy Tell 'em. Hell yeah. I have two versions
of Rihanna's Birthday Cake. Okay, I have the
original and then the birthday cake remix a turtleneck
and chain sipping on a light beer Okay, should
we do back in time? We should do back in time
Although I'm just I'm surprised about my entire
Iggy Azalea album that I have on here Okay, so
1992 you want to have some TV shows that came
out? Yeah, okay Batman the animated series on
Batman Dateline started. Oh shit Sailor Moon
Yeah, 92 to 97 are we talking like the og sailor
moon not in English or the one that's gonna be
like in English I don't know Barney Ben Stiller
had a show called the Ben Stiller show no way
Jose it came out 92 three years good for him
the real world came out 92 yep Wow oh fuck me
up the big comfy couch The big comfy couch I
wanted to do the clock stretch so bad, but I
should have done it never have I ever been able
to do that at any age. I have a feeling that
my sacrum wouldn't be so tight. Yeah. But here
we fucking are. Here we fucking are. Jeffrey
Dahmer went to prison in 92. That's good. That's
that's solid. That's good stuff. The Mall of
America opened in Bloomington, Minnesota. Wow.
Good for them. Minnesota. Hell yeah. That Peter
Rabbit show. The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends.
I know what you're talking about. I never watched
it. Well, they were books too. Yeah. And then
so they made a show about it. I remember the
show. I think I feel like I watched it. I might
have, I don't know. Bananas in pajamas. Bananas
in pajamas. They're coming down the stairs. Bananas
in pajamas. Going everywhere. That's not right,
but it's close. I never watched it, but I can
see it in my head. I watched it. I had a toy
banana. They're blue striped pajamas. Absolutely
they are. I had a toy one that sang the song
when you pressed the sneakers. And I also had
a banana in pajamas slippers. Love that for you.
Yeah, I was I was cool kid. I was a little bananas
and I love pajamas me too I feel medium about
bananas actually, but you know, whatever IBM
developed the first smartphone in 1992 that seems
too soon AT &T introduced the video phone Guts
came out guts guts Nickelodeon guts you Ricky
Lake she had a talk show Pepsi co began to test
market crystal Pepsi good times. It's true. I
really liked the Pepsi blueberry blast flavor.
I don't remember that it was blue. It tastes
like berries. I said I bet it it bet it did.
I bet it did it the cost of a 32nd Super Bowl
ad was $850 ,000 seems like nothing which is
sad. Okay, well in Well, yeah, so 850 ,000 for
a 30 second, right? Okay. In 2022. Okay. A Super
Bowl commercial cost 223 ,000 per second. Last
of the Mohicans. Death Becomes Her. You know
that Sabrina Carpenter video that came out for
Taste with Jenna Ortega? Yes. It's based on Death
Becomes Her, which is a movie with Meryl Streep.
Okay. Yes. Aladdin. Okay. There we go. The Mighty
Ducks. Speaking of Mighty Ducks, NHL players
went on strike for the first time. Wow, good
for them. In their 75 -year history. Well, Candyman?
You ever seen that? Nope. Oh, you should. It's
a good horror movie. Solid. I had to watch it
in college for feminist horror movie, film, fucking
whatever. The class was called Scream Queens.
I love that. But it was about like film analysis
with a feminist curve to it. I like that. Yep.
Ferngully! The last rainforest. Oh, I fucked
up FernGully. You've never seen FernGully? No.
Hang on, sure you have. I sure haven't. Sure
you have. Hang on, let me show you the bat thing.
You'll know. You'll know when you see it. You'll
know. That guy. I've never seen that. Are you
fucking... Serious? I'm serious. Oh my god, they
saved the rainforest! Good for them! You should
watch it. You should watch it. I probably will
not. If you guys want us to relive Ferngully,
The Last Rainforest, you better tell me right
fucking now. I'll make it happen. Oh my god.
Beethoven? You hate that movie, right? I do.
I tried to rewatch it not even that long ago,
and it gave me so much anxiety, I turned it off.
Not a big dog fan. No, he was everywhere. Well,
yeah, he's a fucking safe Bernard. As he was
drooling and fucking shit up, and I'm like, I
hate dogs. And I turned it off. I'm just like
and then I think I watch a risk of cats. Oh my
god Why did I almost start singing the bare necessities
though? That's jungle book, which I also love.
I've never watched. What is it? Everybody Everybody
wants to be your cat eggs 93 cents a dozen yikes.
Okay. Yeah hit me with some costs Okay, let's
get sad. Um So bread 99 cents for a 16 ounce
loaf. Okay butter for a two pound package three
dollars Wow. Fuck. For Lando Lakes. Fuck. Um,
Oreos? $1 .59. Oh my god. Eggs? $0 .93. Ugh,
this is horrific. Uh, half gallon of ice cream?
Yeah. $2 .99. Oh my god. Heinz ketchup? $0 .99.
I'm getting sad. I was right. Milk? $2 .78 a
gallon. I hate the way you say milk. Milk? Shut
up. I hate it. I'm slashing out, I'm sorry. You
can get five Campbell's soup cans for two dollars.
Oh my god, build a time machine, someone, please.
Send me some soup. Send me some, he needs some
soup. I love soup. For some reason they have
a ham on here, 79 cents per pound. That seems
pretty good, I guess. I don't know. It's been
a while since I bought ham, but. I like ham.
Did what I say I like ham I like eggs beef for
an eye round roast $2 .99 per pound beef sauteed
with peas and onions Sorry, yeah oranges for
oranges for 99 cents. Oh, man. Now it's like
99 cents per orange and give me your liver while
you're at it peanut butter skippy for a 64 64
ounce jar $5 .99 Okay. That's the big boy, I
think. That's the biggin? I think that's a biggin.
Oh, shit. I'm gonna Google that, 64 ounce jar
of Skippy. And I'ma tell you. I'll tell you what.
You sound like me. Ounce jar. After a couple
beers. I'ma tell you what, boy. Skippy. Yeah,
it's a big boy. Wow. It is $10 .44 at Walmart.
Let's go over some billboards. Let's do some
billboards. Yeet. So this is the Billboard Hot
100, End of the Road, by Voice to Men. So now
we've come to the end of the road. I can't let
go. It's so natural. Okay. You belong to me.
I belong to you. Sorry, guys. I love that. Thanks.
You're gonna need to do that again for me sometime.
Okay, whenever you want. I'll serenade you. The
other night I started singing like non -stop.
I was just at... Justin just add him and he was
like, please stop and I was like people love
to be serenaded There are thousands of movies
like this. You should be so lucky, but he's like
Nothing good Nothing good. Don't shut up. Probably
baby got back. Oh sir. Mixed me a lot sir Mixed
me a lot. You know what? I mean my loving you're
never gonna get it never gonna get never gonna
get it. Yep Under the bridge red hot chili peppers
another one it came out 91 but again still killing
it smells like teen spirit by nirvana I like
nirvana. I do too love nirvana and it does smell
like teen spirit always. Um, so the reason I
chose 92 Because we're doing books today. We're
just talking about the books that we've been
reading Yeah, and one of the first like sets
of books that I remember like reading Yeah, was
Junie B Jones fucking love it. And I what you
know, it also came out 92 what? Goosebumps. The
books are the show. The books. Nice. Arl Stein.
Good stuff. So both 92 Goosebumps and Junie B.
Jones. The big books that I - big. The small
kids books that I remember. Well, I read Goosebumps.
I didn't really read Junie B. Jones. I feel like
I read one or two of them, but I don't remember
- I don't remember much about them. I don't remember
much about them either, but I do remember reading
a lot of Junie B. Jones. Yeah. Okay, so Junie
B. Jones series has faced challenges and bans
due to concerns about the characters perceived
mouthiness, poor social values and grammar with
some viewing her as a negative role model. Banning
books is stupid. Yeah. Read the banned book.
Yeah, read the banned book. Read the banned book.
We read some books that are probably banned.
I know some of your shit. It should. It's hardcore
porn. Whatever. Okay. Okay. Tell me it isn't.
You're right. I know. Look, I don't hate smut.
I don't have anything against you and your team.
I just, it's porn. Which is fine. Fine. Well,
just speaking of it, should we hit play on that
shit? Sure. Hey. Thanks for listening to 30 Dirty
and Dying, the show for millennials by millennials.
We get real about chronic illness, burnout, nostalgia,
and why we aren't exactly thriving. If that sounds
like you, join us every Thursday for new episodes.
Now back to the show. Let's start. So you've
read how many books so far this year? I know
it's way more than me. I have not read very many
at all. But go ahead. 41. My goal for the year
is 40. My goal for the year is 50. That's pretty
good. Yeah. I set it low because I want to meet
it and then exceed it. You seemed really happy
when you did that last year. So year 20. Let's
go back. The year is 2023. Okay. I told myself
because that's when I first started reading books
again. You did. I was like, I'm gonna read a
book a month. Yes, I recall. So I'm gonna read
12 books and I read 15. You did. I'm like, fuck
me up. I love that for me. So then I set my book
to I think my goal for 2024. as 25 books. I'm
like, I can probably do that. I read a hundred,
a hundred and four books. Because I started reading
romance. But quick fun reads. Just a roll in
the hay. Yeah. Quickies, if you will. Well, they're
not quickies in the book. I'm telling you that
much. Okay. Um, no, that's I think that's a good
goal. I think you can do it. Yeah. So I set 50,
which I'm already so close. Yeah, because right
now I am in the middle of three other books.
Okay. Because I physical, digital audio. Okay,
so you trifecta it? Yes. Okay. So right now I'm
listening to a book about this girl who's like
a bridesmaid for hire. Oh, interesting. Okay.
Yeah. So she, like, People hire her not necessarily
to be a bridesmaid but to like help with the
bridesmaids so there's like not drama and like
the bride has less to worry about so she's like
Not as much as like the wedding planner, but
she just like herds like a meteor type person
essentially I got you and just make sure everything
is like as it needs to be I'm sure that's helpful
and then So if the book starts with she's being
hired to be The maid of honor. Okay, and she
doesn't the bride doesn't want people to know
that she's hired to do it So she has to like
pretend to like be her like best friend Okay,
but then she Has the hots For the best man. Oh
appropriate and the best man's like who's this
bitch? Okay, Sherlock Holmes, what do you care?
He well, that's where I'm at right now Okay,
so he's like a very cynical like marriage is
stupid type of guy. Is it me? But he's like,
I need to be there for like my best friend, like
he's doing this, but he doesn't like the girl
that he's marrying, because it was like a very
quick engagement, like, he doesn't really know
anything about her. And like, everything's changing.
And he's just very upset about it, right? Like
Sean was when Cory and Topanga got married. Right
without well no because like he's never met her
like he just met her he met her when they got
engaged oh so like it like he went I think it
was like Brian Brian's the guy the best friend's
name like went to Paris and met this girl and
they like got engaged and I came back oh like
some wild thing he was like I don't trust it
yeah it was weird and now she's hiring this like
bridesmaid cuz like it ended up coming out kind
of like in the middle of the book, that she did
like hire her to like be a bridesmaid. Okay.
So they the the main character girl, her name
is Randy. Oh, Randy, baby. So Randy's just like,
well, have you ever been to a wedding before?
And he was will wills the guy's name. I'm going
to say names right now. So wills wills just like,
well, now that you think Now that I think about
it, no, I've actually never been to a wedding
before. So she was like, Okay, so I am part of
this wedding. This coming up weekend, you're
going to come with me as a date. So you can like
figure out like what a wedding like flow is.
So you can be there for your best friend day
of right know what to expect. Right. So he enjoys
his time, and then they just kissed and they're
going back home. Oh, and that's where it has
ended for me so far. Okay, fun stuff. So that's
the one you're reading. That's what I'm listening
to listening to. So that's the audio book. Yes,
the one that I'm reading is called fracture.
Okay. It is a taboo romance. Okay, content warnings
ahead the content warnings ahead there is a step
sister, step brother. Okay. Ex boyfriend. Okay.
A lot of people. So the the stepbrother and ex
boyfriend went to jail. Okay, because they killed
the girl's father because he was abusive. We'll
just go with that. We'll just go with that. Okay.
He got out 10 years later. They're apparently
these rich people. I don't even know, whatever.
So they all come from money. Okay, can't relate.
I know, right? So they come out and the girls
just like stay with me until you like get your
shit together. Right? Like you just came out
of jail, you got to like, you know, get your
inheritances back. So the boyfriend, ex boyfriend,
boyfriend, it's boyfriend. Okay. Bisexual. It's
all starting to come together. The step bro realizes
that he loves his best friend, who is the boyfriend.
So they fuck. Of course they do. Duh. And they're
just like, whoa, I can't believe. Just friends
being friends. Just bros being bros. Bro has
a thing for step sis, right? Cool, yeah, it wouldn't
be the same without incest. Step sis loves step
bro. It's not incest, they're steps. They're
not even related. We're not gonna have this fight
again, Courtney. We're not gonna have this fight
again. Step bro, step sis, love each other, right?
Okay. Well, they got together, like, well, they
became step siblings at like teenage years. It's
not like they grew up together. Okay. Yeah, okay.
Whatever. Whatever. Just keep talking. Um, so
they they love each other, right? Yeah. Um, step
sister, boyfriend, love each other, right? Boyfriend
step bro love each other, right? Seems perfect
triangle. Now they're all fucking Yeah, together.
Well, in what I've gotten so far, like that you
made a circle with your hands. Well, because
they're doing something. Okay. Um, what part
I'm on right now is they're talking about a threesome
for the first time. Oh, So they're taking it
slow? Well, they were all doing things separately.
And then they finally came together like we've
been doing this all separately. Maybe we should
get together. Wow. I want to be inside your head
when you read these books. I feel like it's like
and I'm enjoying myself thoroughly. Okay, so
that's what you're physically reading. Like there's
it's you holding your handbook. It's my ebook.
Okay, what are you holding your handbook right
now? Um, I haven't started it. Okay. But it's
the second. Something it was it something in
Lark. It's the Lark. No, it's the Butcher and
Blackbird second one. Leather and Lark. Leather
and Lark. Okay, so you read the Butcher and Blackbird.
I did and I liked it. Good. And I gave it to
my Aunt Mary Jo. Wow. Well, I'm glad I was talking
to her about it. She was like, I would love to
read this. Okay, I'm glad. I actually I bought
that. And then I gave it to Courtney because
I did not care for it. It wasn't about it being
smart. I just wasn't into the story. Like I hadn't
even gotten to the sex yet. nobody was like oh
it's a sloper yeah i was like and there's barely
anything honestly i would say it's more just
uh it's a romance yeah like i skimmed it it's
not sexy time yeah it's very popular um so that's
why i got it because i was like this will be
interesting and then it wasn't that i did skim
it after i decided i was not gonna keep reading
it but it wasn't like i hated it or anything
i just wasn't interested so i was like i'm not
gonna power through this and i know you might
like it so i'll give it to you and i do like
it and now it's it's out there in the world yeah
and harry joe has right now book close Look at
us. Look at us. So I only this is where we're
very different. I read one book at a time. The
only exception is sometimes I will do an audiobook
while I'm listening or while I'm reading a physical
book. But if I decide to do that, I have to finish
one first. I don't know why I'm like this, but
I am I've just whatever your brain does Yeah,
like people ask me how how am I keeping track
of these things? Like because I just pick it
up and I know where I left off Yeah, like I get
how people can do it my friend Shannon who's
a big reader She's always reading like four or
five things at a time. Um, so I just last night
I stayed up way too late and finished reading
night bitch by Rachel Yoder. Okay, this book.
They made it a movie. It's on Hulu right now.
Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. My dog. Yeah. She turns
into a dog or something. Yeah. So I mean, I didn't
I didn't it didn't sound interesting to me to
watch. I'm not gonna watch it. Um, I've never
tried to watch it. Look, it was it was weird
as hell. I'm not gonna lie to you. It was very
weird. So it's basically the point of it is she's
a new ish mom. And it's it's very like feminist
commentary on motherhood. and how women are kind
of just expected to be moms and be super great
at it and give up their careers. And so she's
having a really hard time with that. And she
begins or so she believes to turn into a dog.
And it's like, you'll be reading it. And it's
it's very just like Don't know it seems just
like stuff. She's thinking which makes total
sense about the motherhood stuff. Yeah, and then
it's like and then I ate a rabbit It just it's
a lot. I I so I probably wouldn't like it. I
didn't love it I didn't hate it the beginning
was very slow and then like once that stuff started
happening because I was like what the fuck's
going on though like are you actually a dog or
do you just think you're a dog and Because you
don't know Don't know about in the movie like
maybe in the movie. It's very obvious that she
is where mom but like The whole book it's like
she could be turning into a dog or she could
just have a psychotic break Yeah after having
a child and she's running around like shitting
in people's yards and killing animals and shit
And it's like you're you're thinking of it like
a dog within you're like this could just be a
woman Running around in the dead of night and
I was like, I need to see what happens. You don't
get a clear answer It doesn't really matter.
It's more about what's happening. It's more about
the themes. Okay. Um, it's not bad It's just
the only thing I had a real problem with was
there was a lot of animal killing I don't like
I like to avoid that when I can but but I knew
there would probably be some yeah because of
what the fuck it's about like I get it it got
Excessive like I started just be like this is
a fucking lot. I don't know But it's not bad.
It's a pretty interesting take on like the whole
motherhood and being a working mom and nobody
says working dad and everything you have to give
up and it is interesting. It's just, it was weird.
It was weird as shit. So I literally just finished
that one last night. I just finished the Mindfuck
series. Okay. So, okay. It's not, I wouldn't,
there's romance element. Okay. But what it's
about is a serial killer and a FBI profiler.
Oh, so wheels up in 30. So the serial killer
is a girl. Okay, the profile is boy. Mr. Hutch.
So she is killing so her her Her dad and her
brother were murdered. Okay, it's like this small
religious town that she grew up in right and
The town essentially pinned like these murders
on her dad, even though he had nothing to do
with it okay, and he went to jail and then was
murdered and Then like this group of like 12
like teen boys, okay like Did things to her and
her brother so like assault yes, okay to Real
fuck like to death. Oh my god. Okay. Yeah, so
really bad He died and she Somehow lived right
but like she had to do like facial reconstruction
like oh my god crazy like Fucked up really really
fucked up shit And so she and her like best friend
ended up like, I guess at the same the same night
that this assault happened. Another like girl
had like a car accident and she she died. Okay,
so this the main character girl like took her
identity identity, because they were at the same
hospital same time. Oh, there's an episode of
house like this. And so she and that the girl
was rich. So she took her identity and then ended
up changing the name like when she was like,
I forget how old she was at the time. But then
she waited 10 years like she like took like martial
arts classes like she was preparing to murder
these guys. I love that. It's very I spit on
your grave. Yeah. So as she's, you know, murdering
these guys, the profiler is on this case, and
they meet each other. At like a cafe and he like
she's like not about it right so like he's busy.
She's busy so she's sitting there like drinking
coffee or whatever and the profilers like buddy
like comes like hit on her and she was like walk
away dude I don't like because she's obviously
because everything that happened in her past
very cynic like does not believe in love like
she was like my goal is to murder these people
and I'll probably end up dying at the end like
that is sounds like a great goal right but then.
the profiler like ends up buying her like drinks,
and then just like leaves. So like she has no
I like, she finds out when she goes to pay her
bill that it's already been paid by like that
guy. So she runs up to him was like, why would
you do that? Like, fuck you. I can do what I
want. Like I can pay my own bill. Okay. And he
was just like, Ends up giving her his card and
was like if you ever you know when I have coffee
again leaves and she was like the fuck just happened
But like then they end up falling in love and
she's like trying to keep like her murders Secret
duh, and he's trying to find her I love this.
It's it's a great series. It sounds good. Yeah,
I would recommend and they're all so it's five
books, but they're all pretty short. They're
like about 100 some pages each. Okay. So how
how severe I know the the assault is probably
there. But like, how porn is this? It's not it's
not not really. No, that's great. We just play
what it's called the mindfuck. I really assumed
it would be heavily pornographic. Nope. It's
just like you're trying to figure out like, because
You don't know like all the things that are happening
like who's doing what like from the past. I got
you. So like you're figuring all these things.
It's just like a mindfuck. Well, damn, I might
read me this. It's good. It's on. It's on Kindle
Unlimited. St. Abbey or Stabby. Ah, oh my god.
St. Good call. St. Abbey. I love that. Yep. So
it starts with the risk. The risk. Okay. This
I'm assuming this is all on your Goodreads to
yes find them there. Okay, cool. Yep. So that
was the one that I just that series I just finished
that I really enjoyed. That's cool. See, I'm
not much of a series person. You're almost always
going to catch me reading a standalone book.
It's not a big series. I prefer standalones.
Yeah. And my friend Melissa gets really pissed
at me that I'll read one single book in a series
and I don't finish it. Yeah, she was like, how
the fuck do you like you need to read the rest
of it? And I was like, it was I like the first
book. I do the same thing. I did that with the
you series that the show is based on, right?
Like I read the first one. And it was fine. It
was good. But I know there are like three or
four more or whatever. And I'm just like, I'm
good. I don't need to do this anymore. One of
the like hockey romances that I read. Yeah, like
I read What is it called? Pucking something?
Pucking around? Yes. Pucking around. You talked
about it on books by their covers. Yeah. So that's
the first of this. I think there's gonna end
up being five. And I haven't read any of the
rest of them. And I think the third or fourth
one just came out. And Melissa just like you
need read the next one. I was like, I liked the
first one. I'm good. And there were There's like
700 pages. I remember that was a thick boy. It
was a thick boy. Well, I read it on my phone,
didn't realize that it was like a thousand pages
long. Yeah, but you told me you like showed me
a picture of the actual book. Yeah, it was a
thick boy. Wow. You know, so right before Night
Bitch, I read actually my, well, not my first,
my second, I've only done two five star reads
of the year so far. Because I have not read 40
some books. I've read like five. I didn't read
anything in February because I was writing a
book, but I read I just finished before night
bitch the bog witch You heard of this? No, okay,
so it's so good I was I didn't know if it was
gonna be very good because it's it's an Appalachian
like folktale thing but it started to seem like
maybe it was gonna be about incest and I don't
like that because not just because of gross,
but it's a stereotype about West Virginia and
Appalachian people. And it's not fucking true.
Correct. And it makes me mad. And the author
is not an Appalachian person either. So I was
like, this is extra party foul. But it didn't
end up being that she's cool. I just I was ready
to be disappointed, like always, because, you
know, people people fuck around with that a lot.
I don't get it. But anyways, it was a West Virginian
family. And basically what it was about was these
this family of like, they were like four siblings.
And they live with their dad. on this like, they
had like a bog, like a swamp on their land. And
he said, hell yeah. And the bog basically gives
the firstborn son of the family, a wife, like
it creates a woman. Like, I don't know, like
a mer person almost, but like a woman. And if
they take care of the bog and they do everything
like ritualistically, they're supposed to do,
the bog will continue to provide, right? So but
their mom, weirdly like disappeared when you
don't fully understand what happened to her as
you keep reading it, you do find out. But they
have to follow all these rituals. And then it
comes to when the dad is dying and one of the
sisters has left. And she comes back because
they all have to be there for and it doesn't
work. Like the oldest brother is he had a tree
fall on him. So he's like His pelvis he's like
partially paralyzed and it fucked up his penis
Yeah, just take your penis. Well, the thing is
when the bog which comes out like when the lady
comes out You have to bang her like right there.
Oh, she's not graphic So don't get excited, but
it's it's part of the ritual like she and you
have to immediately consummate the Partnership
and he can't I mean he can't because he has no
dick He can still use his mouth. No, you can't
you gotta you gotta cuz the penetrate it's for
procreation babies, you know, but he had a testicular
rupture. But they live like really was removed
from society. So once they realized that it's
not gonna work. And the one came back and she
had tried to like live a life out there and it
did not go so hot. Um, she tried to get married
and she's, you know, she was completely and they're
all real fucked up. Um, but once they realize
it's not going to work, they're all trying to
figure out the way out of this because for generations
or so they've been told, it's not necessarily
true, but for generations, they've like, this
is the only way our family lineage survives.
What do we do now? Yeah. So like the one that
left was like, we need to sell the land, sell
the house. We can all go out on our own. The
one the older brother who doesn't have his penis
anymore. It's like I should kill myself. The
second brother his dad literally told him as
he was dying like you should kill your brother
because it should you can do it and he can't.
So, you know, fuck him. Yeah. And then the youngest
one is like I just want everybody to get along.
I have so many feelings just like that bitchy
mean girls. And then the other's daughter is
like the hard ass of the family. And she goes
out has lots of random sex with people out there
to try and have an air herself. She's like, if
they can't do it, I will. And it's just them
all kind of figuring it out. And they realize
that their their family history was like, kind
of fabricated. And then they find out what happened
to their mom. And it's they all at the end, they
all kind of like, go their own way and handle
it. as they wanted to handle it separately like
they're able to leave it all behind and be like
fuck this thing and make their own fuck this
shit i'm out yep basically and the the one with
no penis he he lives and he leaves he's like
i need he says like i need to be someone else
okay i loved it it sounds interesting it's really
good and if you like like fantasy type shit because
i'm not a big fantasy reader i'm not i don't
read like any fantasy me neither but it's it's
like a good line because obviously there are
like fantastical kind of elements like with the
Bogwitch and rituals and stuff. I mean, I did
read a book about Mothman. There you go. But
like it's got all that kind of ritualistic stuff
that I think is popular in fantasy reads. And
there is some elements but it's more about the
family and them. Also, the youngest daughter
has a pet possum. I love that for her. Yep. He's
an albino possum with three legs named Buzzy
Lumpkins or something. Oh, he's great. Buzzy
Lumpkins. Buzzy Lumpkins. Nice. So that was a
good one. Yeah, my other five star read, I think
I already talked about it. So I won't go too
deep into it by Nick Medina was called Indian
Barrel Ground. He's a he's an indigenous author.
And he was writing about basically this like,
series of crazy hauntings that was happening
on the reservation. And like people are it's
it's scary, dude, I was like, a little freaked
out that people are sitting up in their coffins
and saying shit. And I'm just gonna read this.
Yeah. And like, there's a little boy and he like
tries to pull people into a fire. Kids am I right?
Yeah. And then this other lady tries this older
lady like tries to pull her own daughter into
like a like a sewage drift or whatever. It's
like people start going nuts and trying to kill
people. And it's like this curse that's that's
kind of been reawakened or whatever. Sounds interesting.
It's really good. I would recommend it. Okay.
It's that that and the Bogwitch were my only
so far like five star. ratings thus far this
year. I do have a five I think I have two but
the one that I know the other brother. Okay,
I rated as a five by Tierney page. Okay, so she
this is her first book. Nice. Like I found her
on TikTok. She did like she was a part of book
talk. Okay. And she like rated a bunch of books
and like I trusted her judgment. So like I read
a lot of books that she read because I really
liked her. Yeah. So this is her first book, the
other brother. And the reason why I gave it a
five star something that you see in romance a
lot. There's really bad like communication. Yes,
just Speak. Yeah, just speak the miscommunication
trope is infuriating. It's so I get so pissed.
Yeah, and there was no miscommunication the first
time that they like didn't like Meet eye to eye
they talked about it and it is actually not rated
great because of that. They're like, where's
the drama? I'm like, fuck your drama. I hate
that. Give me communication and give me love.
See this is the thing I don't mind a book that's
like people call them like quiet books or like
there's not a lot of like gasp Oh my god, I'm
okay with that. I actually kind of prefer books
like that Especially if they can kind of delve
deep into whether it's the characters or whatever
the like storyline is Um, I think it's a fine
line like you need to make it exciting like one
of the things with the night bitch book, like
I said, it's a great interesting commentary.
There's a lot of that thematic stuff going on.
But there were parts I was like, fuck, I don't
care. Yeah. Whereas like the Indian burial ground
book, it was it was a really thematic book. Like
there was a lot of a lot of different commentaries
and like symbolism and a lot of a lot of issues
were kind of raised. But it was still a really
interesting read and exciting. But nothing that
just felt like we're just throwing shit on top
of. Yeah, you can still have a really deep dive
of a book and a really, you know, societal, whatever
you're trying to say, you can definitely say
it. And it's still interesting and exciting.
Like, without just throwing stupid shit, like
the miscommunication trope is so dumb. But what
I also like, so like, what happened in the other
brother? Obviously, two brothers. Yeah. But so
the girl, she's engaged to the one, one of the
brothers, right? Okay. He's cheating on her.
Oh, and like she figures it out. I forget when
it's I mean, it's this was one of the first.
Yeah, within like the first month of my reads
of January. But anyway, but she like figures
herself out. Yeah. Okay. And I really appreciated
that. Like she didn't just like delve into a
new relationship with the with his brother. I
love shit like that. So like it's like months
have gone by before they even like speak. nice
and I like that she like figures herself out
in that time and he like lets her like be her
and then they like they talk about it and then
they fall in love it feels realistic it thank
you and that's why I really liked it tyranny
page if you're listening to this I love you and
I can't wait for your next book way to go I don't
read a ton of romance I read some not a lot and
I it's it's usually like there's romance happening
with other stuff it's hard for me to read a straight
like that's all it is because I do feel like
a lot of time I know it's like it gets unrealistic
and I know it sounds like well you're reading
stuff about people sitting up their coffins and
shit of course it's on but I mean the way people
interact right unrealistic I don't mean like
ghosts or what because fuck me up throw as much
of that I love the ghost shit at me right I just
mean like the way people talk and interact with
each other in them and relationships are formed
it doesn't always feel realistic so it's hard
for me to get attached and then there's also
like in a lot of the books that I read, the romances
and smuts, whatever. Yeah. They're adults. Yeah.
But they act like they're in high school. Which
is so dumb. And it bothers me so much. I'm just
like, just talk. Yeah. Just talk. Yeah. Like,
oh, you're afraid that he's going to do this?
Tell him that. Yeah. like why are you hiding
it and it's gonna blow up and it's a third act
break up and i'm fucking tired of it yep you
know what totally because like i'll read ya sometimes
and there's stuff like that and then i'm expecting
it though because they're teenagers i'm like
okay well you don't have to make sense they don't
know how to i didn't know how to yeah i get it
totally right there with you yeah That was one
thing though with the it's a I mean kind of different
but with the Bogwitch book that I read was really
interesting is that they all except for the one
that left. They all seem I felt like I was reading
about like kids and teenagers, they were all
grown. Yeah, because they've been like trapped
there. Yeah, so they were really stunted, you
know, and it was I think it's interesting when
you can do something like that, but make it purposeful.
Like they seem stunted some of them, but it was
very much on purpose to kind of communicate how
isolated they had been. Right. They hadn't had
a real, like regular development emotionally,
mentally, whatever. So I think in that way, it
can be like, that's a good time where you can
like age characters. Not necessarily the age,
but like mentally aged. Yeah. But Otherwise,
I don't love it. Yeah, that's so this isn't part
of the reads that I've had this year. But little
stranger. It's like, it's huge on book talk.
It's like a dark romance. I feel like I've seen
the spider. Yeah, I've seen it. But yeah, yeah.
So my problem with that, like, everyone's like,
love this book. It's so good. So I hated it.
Because so like, it starts because it's a stepbrother
step sister situation. Of course. But they meet
at a very young age like they're like they grew
up together. So like I'm already not okay with
it. Yeah. It starts when they're young. So it's
written in a way of which they are children.
So like it starts where she is like six years
old. Oh, and so it's written. with that young
undertone, which is fine. But as they're aging,
it doesn't stop being that young undertone. And
I really don't like that. See, that's what I'm
saying. If you're gonna do that, you need to
like if you're gonna have me grow up with a character,
they grow up the tone. Yeah, yes. Because I need
to be like that was I think that's what bothered
me the most because like they were still very
childish. Yeah, even though they were like 18
years old, and I no longer liked it. And then
He also like killed her dad and like fucked her
on the dead body. And that was like not a cool
thing. I mean, that's a lot. That is a lot. No,
I did not. I did not like the book. And everyone's
like, Oh my gosh, it's such a good dark romance.
It's not. It's a horrible dark romance. Some
of these things that that I've heard from you
or that I see out if I'm saying it's not good.
It's probably not fucking good. I'm down to clown,
right? I've read some fucked up shit. I've read
some really fucked up shit. What's that? What's
like the? Oh, there's like a it's like a it's
extreme horror, but they call it something. While
you look for that, what I was gonna say was like,
I see a lot of things that are like the dark
romance. And when I think of that, I think of
something very different, you know? But from
what I've learned from you, and digging into
like what I see on Instagram or book talk or
whatever. um some of this dark romance splatter
splatter punk yeah okay something like i think
that's what the genre is called okay yeah i'm
not super familiar but i feel like i've seen
the word um the dark romance thing is so like
a lot of what you describe or what i see as dark
romance it literally is just like an abuse But
it's hot I guess I don't know if that's where
there's a big disconnect for me cuz I like man
I understand shit happens, but this seems like
It's it's fetishizing stuff like that. Yeah,
which it's if that's what you're into whatever
I'm not I'm not trying to hate on anybody, but
that's where always like, how bad is it when
you suggest stuff to me? Because if we're getting
into that, and they're calling it just like dark
romance, it's I've learned that's a very loaded
genre. Yeah. So and when people say like, when
I say dark romance, I'm gonna say that, like
Butcher and Blackbird's kind of dark romance,
because they're like murdering people. Yeah.
When when I'm thinking what you're describing,
that's pitch black. But people say there's some
that are dark romance that are way not. Yeah.
And they're also saying that are just like, it's
just romance. When I would hear dark romance,
I would think like what you're saying, like the
Butcher and Blackbird seemed like it would be
dark romance. There's a dark story. And there's
also a romance like a gothic romance or something.
That's what I'm but then I realized, Oh, no.
That y 'all mean something else. Yeah, so people
say that the ritual which is the Lord series,
which I love you talked about it Yeah, is dark
romance. I would almost say that's closer to
pitch black romance. Okay, because there's some
fucked up shit. Yeah, like if someone's Getting
raped that's not just dark romance. No, that's
not good Not good not good if there's dubious
consent happening. It's Probably not just I hate
that everything in me hates that I know. Well,
um, I thought it'd be fun to try to round out
the conversation. Okay, I've enjoyed this. I
love book club. But I like I said, I just finished
a book last night. Yeah. And I know you're always
going through multiples. So maybe it would be
fun if we showed each other some books that we're
thinking about reading next. Okay, and we just
I mean, if you don't want to do it, you don't
have to use the one I pick. But like, what do
you think I should be next kind of deal with
each other? Well, I have my Kindle. I'll show
you my library and you can look at everything
that I have in here. All right, I'm gonna bring
up my fable and it has my what I want to read
on it. Well, I just bought four books today.
Two were John Green. Oh, yeah. I love Okay, so
I did read Let me go back to my Goodreads. Early
on, I read Paper Towns. Yes. Because I've read
Turtles All the Way Down. Loved it. I read that.
You gave it to me. And then what's the one everyone
knows? Fault in Our Stars. Yep. So I have that
book. I forgot that I read it a long time ago.
Yeah. And because I love Turtles all the way
down, I'm like, let me read Paper Towns because
I know it's a movie. I'll watch the movie. It
took me long to read it. It took me a while because
I just didn't... I really like his writing style
for the most part. It catches my attention and
it's an easy read for me. But this was a struggle.
I didn't like it that much. I'm sorry, John Green.
I love everything that you write. I honestly,
I'm not into nonfiction. But I might read his
book about tuberculosis. It's on my want to read
right now. I really want to read it. Okay. I
read also Yeah, I don't read any nonfiction,
but if it's John Green, I'm gonna read about
tuberculosis. Well, I've heard it's a really
good But I just bought Looking for Alaska and
an abundance of Catherine's Oh, I've heard of
that one. Okay, so I'll let you know about those.
But everything is tuberculosis is I probably
will end up reading that or if he narrow it narrow
narrates it. I will not sure if he has I'll listen
to the audiobook if he does that because I could
listen to him all day talk about tuberculosis.
Every single tick to because I follow him. Yeah,
me too. Every single time he talks about tuberculosis.
I am in it. I will listen to him. You what's
this piece that fits Can't see it. It's got a
microphone. I don't remember. Okay, you've not
read it. Mm -hmm Okay, is there a way I can see
like the about yeah You might have to just go
and search it and then it should tell you okay
Okay, yeah, I want you to read this one Since
that haunting accident years ago, Avery Fox has
always followed her head, not her heart. Good
grades, a future career in medicine, and a boyfriend
ready to take the next step, it seems like she
has everything she could ever want. But soon,
the facade of her flawless life fades, and she
questions every decision she's made. With nowhere
else to turn, Avery is forced to move in with
her brother and his bandmates of a quiet peril.
Brother? Yep. The band they started in high school
that is now touring across the nation. Falling
her head is a lot easier said than done before
Liam Lockwood enters her life again, because
when deep -rooted anger and hatred for her brother's
best friend turns into growing affection and
burning desire. She wants nothing more than to
follow her heart, but there's a reason she's
always made that controlled choice, and when
her heart takes the lead, the secret of what
really caused that accident all those years ago
is revealed. threatening to shatter her life
to pieces. I'm looking at My Darlene Deadful
Thing. Dreadful. I was gonna say, I don't think
that's right. My Darlene Dreadful Thing. Okay.
I wanted to read that one. Spirits are drawn
to salt, be it blood or tears. Ruse Beckman has
a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth. Strange.
Corpse -like. and dead for centuries is the light
of Rue's life. That is, until the wealthy young
widow Agnes Noop - Canoop visits one of Rue's
backroom seances and the two strike up a connection.
Education connection. Connection for free. The
content warnings sexual assault, abuse, death,
child abuse, and self -harm. I'm okay with all
that, it's fine. Mean it's bad. But I mean I
can read I say my darling dreadful thing. Okay,
I'll have to give me a copy See how they went.
Yeah, but I have fun. I like doing this. Yeah
me too. And then there are some in here I don't
know if you notice that are not romance. I I
didn't know what each one would be I just picked
I liked the cover of that one. So I picked it
because of music Yeah, I love stuff like that
So I hope you enjoy it if you read it and we
hope you guys have enjoyed this episode and being
a part of our book club And if you want to see
more stuff like this, or I don't know, maybe
start an actual book club. I would love to start
a book club. We'll look into it. You know what,
I just subscribed to Book of the Month. Oh shit,
you did? I did. Fantasmic. not sponsored but
it could be it could be book of the month i love
you i mean i've only you know subscribed once
so far so good so far so good i'm about it and
you can keep up with everything we're reading
courtney's on goodreads i'm on goodreads and
fable i mostly use fable but i do try to keep
my goodreads updated at least with what i've
read and and stuff so find us on there okay bye
guys Talk to me It's talk dirty Wow