Latest / Fated / Would We Survive...Book Edition!
Transcript
- Tay: Welcome to the podcast where your next favorite story is already written in the stars. April: We're your new book besties, April. Tay: Ante here to get your book craving started and satisfied. April: Why? Tay: Because around here it's faded. April: So grab your current read, maybe a cozy drink, and hide your TBR list because today we're playing a game of Would We Survive? Yay! I'm so excited to play this. Tay: I am too. I saw the idea for this on TikTok and I was like, that's dope. We're doing that. but I wanted to start things off. We're gonna get a little scientific, folks. Okay. So there's a little bit more to this that we want to just put out there into the world of the depth of why, you know, a game like this is so entertaining. So in your brain, there is a portion of the brain called the amygdala, and it's an almond-shaped structure within your brain, and it processes your emotions. Handles your fear response, and it also helps you form memories. So, with that, some of the key functions around your amygdala is emotion significance, triggering reactions like joy, anger, sadness, but it also goes into your fear and survival. So it detects threats, triggers, and the physical fight or flight response, increasing your heart rate and your breathing. So your amygdala is what causes you to have that moment of do I stay and fight? Do I stay and freeze? Or do I run? And so I think that's kind of fun to think about that a little bit. So like there's a portion of your brain that's automatically going to have a response in that type of situation. So we're gonna April: Mm-hmm. Tay: try and channel our amygdala without actually being there in this situation April: Ha ha Tay: and think about these books and go, what do we think the response would be? So our very first book is, which I think is the perfect setting tone For a game like this is the Hunger Games. April: Yes, Sunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Tay: my gosh. April: I think everybody's probably read these books or at least dabbled in these books. So just a brief overview. We have Katniss, and it's very dystopian. the world has kind of gone to hell in a handbasket, and it's now essentially like she doesn't ever say it's the United States, but it's the United States divided up into districts, essentially. It's North America divided up into districts. And Katniss ends up volunteering his tribute, hey hey, as the district twelve representative to go and fight in these hunger games. And it is honestly like so morbid. Tay: And they've been yeah, and they've been going on for centuries. So they always pick two people from each of these districts to compete across this continent. and really the idea behind it is that it creates a sense of peace. So instead of having one April: Mm-hmm. Tay: big giant war where everybody's not getting along, they give their tributes from each place and that acts as their representative to go into this one time a year thing that they do. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: and They basically have to fight it out and the winner is the person of that district, whatever. But that way that everybody has an equal chance, I think is the mindset behind it. I am curious before we before we decide whether we're surviving or dying in this, what district would you be in, April? April: Well, I think I I'm kind of stuck between two. Okay. So I Tay: Mm-hmm. April: really do think probably if we were going by like thinking of where I grew up, and I grew up in a very small coal town. So I would probably be District twelve. But Tay: Mm. April: if we're looking like obviously on the map of this, I'm more towards the capital from where I grew up. But I also feel like District Ten Livestock. We also had livestock growing up, but I'm gonna roll with district twelve. I think that's probably the most accurate for me. What about you? Tay: Nice. Yeah, I could I could see. I honestly I looked at the map and I was looking at all the districts and I was like, man, April: Yeah. Tay: I would not make it anywhere. honestly, all of it sounds pretty rough. I think probably what makes the most sense is probably fishing. I grew up fishing with my dad, so I think probably that would mindset would kind of stick in. And then two, I even like one of my jobs in college was I spooled reels at academy. So I'm like, April: Yeah. Tay: you know, I know how to fish. I know how to do stuff like that. So I think I'd be in district four for fishing, probably if I was thinking logistically. Probably where I'd wanna be is district one and luxury, but you know, fat chance. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: So I would be in district four just on the coast, just fishing my little heart out. April: Right. Our chances Tay: Ha. April: of winning are already very slim. Tay: Yeah. I'm gonna say it first. I'm gonna die for sure. if I was in this thing, I would not make it. Maybe even off of the pedestal, like the sound of the thing goes off the the the boom cannon and the camera rolls and she's dead. Like somebody shot me with an arrow I don't picture myself. I'm also not the person that's gonna volunteer for you, so go catness. If April, you volunteer or you go and you're like waiting on me to volunteer for you. I'm so sorry. I wish you the best. April: Right. Tay: I'm watching from the comfort of my living room, going, Yeah, go April. I wish you luck. but I am definitely April: Ha ha ha Tay: not gonna be like, I volunteer. No. I just I myself April: Ha ha ha. Tay: my fight or flight kicks in and I'm I'm stay at home. I'm like, nope. April: I go nowhere. I feel that. I feel like, Tay: Yeah. What about you? What are you gonna do? April: well, I would definitely volunteer for my sister. You're an only child, so that kind of makes sense, right? So I would volunteer for my sister. She's very welcome, especially because I'm the younger one. So but yeah. All right. Tay: So nice. You're getting on her good side today. She's like, she's gonna volunteer for VA for the Hunger Games. How nice of her, how generous. Like, girl, I don't even exist. April: However, just because I think I'm from District 12 and would volunteer for my sister, that does not equal catness. Like I am dead too. Tay: Ha ha ha. April: I'm a PETA girl. Like, I am like, here's bread, guys. What's a bread? Like, let's be friends. I have zero survival skills. So hands Tay: Yeah. April: down, wouldn't even survive. No fight, flight, freeze. Probably would freeze because I'd be like, I don't want to hurt you. And they'd be like, and you know, end me. Yeah. Tay: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. yeah, like I said, I wouldn't even be stepping off the pedestal. I would just they would be boom, district four eliminated. that's really anticlimatic. So don't place your bets on April: Yeah. Sorry, District Twelve. Tay: me now, people. not gonna happen. April: Right. Tay: my gosh. okay, so our next one is gonna be a really hot subject. A Quarter Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass. April: Yes, okay. So we all know this one too, probably. I feel like unless you've been under a rock, love it or hate it. It's super popular. We have Tay: It is. April: Farah, who is from the human lands. She's a human and she goes and she fights in these trials to save Tamlin, her love. And that's just a very basic overview of the story. Tay: Mm-hmm. April: But when I think of this, okay, so like we gotta think of what court Do you think you would be from or from the human villages? Tay: see, I want to be from a court so bad, like so bad April: Yeah. Tay: within the deep part of my soul. Do I think I would get my wish? Absolutely not. I think I would definitely be from Ferris Village and I would definitely probably be a human. April: Yeah. Tay: but we're gonna dream here. We're gonna my dream and what court I would want to be in would probably be honestly the autumn court. I'm such an girl. I love the fall and I love fall foliage and I could see my spirits being like just through the roof all the time when I'm in crunching leaves and the air is nice and crisp and it's not too cold, not too hot. I would be thriving in the autumn court. So I definitely think I would be there if I was, but I am most definitely probably a human and I'm probably the most basic of basic humans. They're like, Yeah, you see that mage over there? Yeah, the one pouring drinks. Yeah, that's her. She has no part in this book, but that's just her. April: Yeah, we're not even the random mercenary lady who's there to talk to Fayer. We're not even at that level. Not even in the books. Tay: No, no, I'm not even I'm not even in the cool where they're like, you know, the the guys that are mad that they went over to the villages or whatever, the ex love or whatever. He's like, our family's gonna hunt down your I'm not even in that group. So it's just completely irrelevant. I could can I April: Yeah. Right. I feel that. I feel that. I feel like it'd be the same. Tay: can I guess what court you would be or what I would give you first? Cause I think I April: Ooh, okay. Tay: think if I had to choose two courts. I would choose two and you can tell me which one it probably neither one, but I think you would be based on Prithian, a dawn court because I think you're very much fed by the day. And like I think April: Mm-hmm. Tay: be your vibe. And or total opposite, you would be in the night court. love loving the night, loving like, you know, the I don't know, just April: Mm-hmm. Tay: gazing at the stars, being in the mountains. I think that either one of those would definitely be your vibe. April: That's good. Yes. Tay: But tell me what you think you would be on this Prithian map. April: I think, honestly, I think that was a really good guess. So obviously everybody wants to be in the night court, but definitely not the court of nightmares. We want to be in Valaris. We wanna be in the good part of the night court. Yeah. No, Tay: I don't want to be under the mountain either. I'm like, nope. April: we don't want that for us. Yeah, I think probably Dawn Court. I really like the quiet in the early mornings. And I mean I hate waking up, don't get me wrong, but I do think it's a very relaxing time of day, even though I'm Tay: Mm-hmm. Yeah. April: super grumpy until I've had some caffeine, so Tay: Y'all, she is the one person I know that doesn't have like a single window treatment on her house. And she just like lets in the sunlight. As soon as the the dawn April: Yeah. Tay: is rising, she lets it through the house. I'm like, absolutely not. I need curtains. I need blinds. I need everything to April: Yeah. Tay: dwindle as much light from the outside as possible. April's like, no, like April: Right. Tay: I love the sun. It charges me. Like, good for you. Cannot I was like, I wish. So you totally give me Don April: Can't relate. Tay: Court. it's just good vibes. you're just soaking it April: Yeah. Tay: up. April: Yeah. So trials. Okay. So Tay: hmm. April: obviously the biggest one when we think of this book is the Mid and Guard Tay: Yeah. April: worm. Would you survive fighting the swarm? Which I just want to say, whenever I hear somebody talk about the swarm, I know there's some like bomb ass artwork about this worm, but somebody had posted it years ago, but the worm from SpongeBob, and I just it has forever lived in my head. Yeah. Tay: Yeah. Alaskan bullworm. Yep. That Alaskan bullworm just lives in my brain. That's all I can picture. Yeah. I can't picture anything April: Yeah. It's never going away. Tay: else. I've seen the teeth on the scary one. I've seen I'm like, yeah, that is terrifying, but I cannot picture that worm. I'm picturing the other worm. So okay. April: Yeah. Thank you to whoever ruined that for all of us. Tay: I based on like her other trials, I think I could manage it up to Pharaoh's level in terms of I could get all the way there. I'm like Yeah, like I pass that April: Yeah. Tay: quiz where I can read. sorry, spoiler for that one for y'all. I can read, I can do all these things. Well, when I get to the worm, I feel like I'd be pretty confident and I I would try and fight just 'cause I think my amygdala would be like, you know, this is a big scary thing that I've never seen before. I think some type of fight would kick in, but I do not think I would win. I would get swallowed April: Yeah. Tay: in one bite and then they'd be like, Mm. The poor irrelevant human. April: Right. Tay: she dwindled down and I'd be like, you know, same. I kinda thought that was the way it was gonna go. So I don't think I don't think I would have made it past the worm, unfortunately. it would be a very sad April: Right. Tay: story. I wouldn't even have the opportunity to get any type of like good action right. It would just be she didn't make it. Rest in peace. April: She dead now. Yeah. Yeah. No, I feel the same. So I feel like, and honestly, when I read the books the first time, the second time I was like, my God, that was so stupid. Why didn't I get that? But solving the riddle to like you know get past it all, it's such an obvious answer. But when you are reading the books, I am like, wow, I don't know what the answer to this super easy riddle is. Like, it's so bad. I'm right there with Farah and not understanding it. but then like the second time you go back, if you ever go back and reread the books, you're like, that is so obvious. Why didn't I know that? So I would have to face the Midden Guard worm and I would also Tay: Mm. April: die because I am short and chubby and I have short legs that do not run fast. Tay: Shut up. April: But I'm sure Tay: God. April: it would be very entertaining for everybody watching. They would be like, look, Tay: Yeah. April: she tried. when I read the books the first time and her breaking the bones and stuff to lay her trap, I was like, that is brilliant. See Tay: Yeah. April: I would just be trying to face it head on, which is so dumb, you know, it's an Alaskan bullworm, so why would I do that? Tay: Yeah. I just, you know, I think I have like one good moment and then somebody probably calls my name and I'm like, hey, and I just get eaten. they're like, Aw, she's gone. April: Yeah. Yeah. That's Yeah, we are we are not doing good for surviving. wow. Yeah. Tay: No, no. And I kind of figure this a lot of this was gonna be death. but there's other hope for down the line here, I think, with some of our other books. just not the first two, that's for sure. I think there was no absolutely no chance in either one of these. Put to April: Yeah. Tay: that scenario at least too. I'm like angry, aggressive people trying to kill me in that moment, and then you know, a big giant worm. Yeah, I think my chances are like zill to none. So, you know. well. April: But then we have for the next one, we have Thrown a Glass, which is also by Tay: Mm-hmm. April: SJM. So it's super popular as well. I don't want to spoil anything because I do feel like there are some people out there, aka some of our very close friends who haven't read it yet. but essentially we have Selena or whatever her name is. I don't know how to pronounce any of these names that SJM comes up with, but she is an assassin, and she ends up having to, well, if we talk about just the first book. Tay: I mean, she goes on an adventure. Let's we'll go April: Yeah. Tay: on sh the whole book is very adventurous. She's traveling to all these different places, and there's a big war that kind of centers around everything. but it starts with her as an assassin and you learn all types of things about her. You learn her backstory, If y'all are April: Mm-hmm. Tay: listening or starting to read this, you will have plot lines that will jump all over the place and you will have a lot of April: Mm-hmm. Tay: characters to keep track of. I don't know how SJM did it, but she's a pro at it. this was April: Yeah. Yeah. Tay: her first book series, and honestly, I didn't know how she kept track of all the characters and then also kept all the storylines going in sync to where finally at the very end of the book, you're all in the same place. And it's like this is crazy. This is how cool her mind works. so definitely, If you're really wanting something that's not just a smut-based romance book, this is definitely, I think, that read if you're just really wanting more fantasy. Yes, there is romance in there and it is really nice. And I think that gives me that emotional attachment to the book series that April: Mm-hmm. Tay: we all have. but as far as the adventure, the adventure is really good in this book series. So April: Mm-hmm. Tay: highly recommend. We did go ahead and pull a map for this because there's so many different territories in this world. I honestly, when I was scavenging around and I'm looking at all these different villages and everything, thinking about where I would be, I'm gonna kind of lean that either I'm in gonna be in the red desert or I'm gonna be in the witch kingdom. my reasoning April: Ooh, okay. Mm. Tay: behind this is I think my ideals in both areas would kind of be the same. I think I have a channeling of an inward sassiness. And I think both of those things April: Mm-hmm. Tay: don't come to play. And there's moments in my life, like for my friends, and this book is very friendship based. And there's just some people I will fight to the end for. You included Morgan and Adrian. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: really close people in my life. so I think that those were the areas that I could most resonate with. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: and I'm kinda hope I'm thinking I know one of yours too, but tell me yours. April: Okay, I like the idea of being from the witch area in here just because it's very female centered. Now I will say, you know, I would want to be a part of the 13 just because I feel like Manon, who's the character you meet later on in the book series, is very accepting of women and their differences and she's very progressive in a way that I feel like a lot of the older witches were not in the series. Tay: We're not mm mm. April: And so I really like that. I also feel like the sweet part of me, I'd probably be from Terracin. I'm dead right away. Okay, I'm dead. Or I also think Elway, so that is where her friend Nahemia ends up being from. And I just think of that. I just think of somebody who is such a good friend, but also very like self serving and self sacrificing, but in a way that helps the greater good. And so I kind of connect with that. But that would be my two that I think I would be probably from. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Tay: See that. I definitely could see that. And I I forgot that she was from that area too. So I definitely I'm not finding myself in the middle, nor am I finding myself in the waste or the gosh, the black dunes or any of those places. Those are no's April: Yeah. Tay: for me. just based on area proximity. I'm like, no, that's not, April: Yeah. Tay: I don't want to be anywhere near that. But I actually am gonna say that I am surviving. I genuinely April: Ooh. Tay: think. I'm surviving in Throne April: Yeah. Tay: of Glass. I don't think I'm in a final battle scene or anything of that nature, but I definitely could see myself in a healer esque position or April: Yeah. Tay: kind of just tagging along, helping out wherever it was needed. I don't think I'm dying in this world. I really don't. I think, you know, I'm gonna put up a fight and I will ultimately survive. and I think too, because I could resonate a lot with Selena during this book. She had April: Mm-hmm. Tay: a lot of obstacles. she also had moments of just, you know, where she kinda almost felt like a selfish character in some ways because she just looked at her herself. But I feel like we talked about me being an only child, but my whole life I've kind of had been by myself. So April: Mm-hmm. Tay: there's always that constant need to feel a little defensive on things. So I kind of feel for her in those situations where I'm just like, You know, I'm alone, you know, I gotta like, you know, April: Mm-hmm. Tay: fight for what I want and gotta pursue things that I want. I think I could have some will in there. Not her will ultimately of what she did, April: Yeah. Tay: but you know, I definitely think I would be a a plucky sidekick and I would somehow make it. Yep. April: Right. I think I'm surviving too, but I'm surviving in the fact that I'm also not involved in the main fight, but I'm helpful behind the scenes. you need somebody helping supply runs. I'm your girl right here? Okay. You need you need somebody. Yeah. You need a place to say, Tay: Everything's full. Canteen water, done. April: I'm here. Okay. I will help you, whatever you need, but I am also not built for fighting, but I will help you. Tay: totally see you being a scribe or something too. you're like, I've read April: Yeah. Tay: all on this and y'all need to like April: Yeah. Tay: look up this and this is how we're gonna battle them. this area is surrounded by trees. They're not gonna have any access April: Mm. Tay: to water. We'll just wait it out. very logistical, very smart. You're cunning, you April: Right. Tay: know, we're gonna make it out of this. And I'm just April: Yeah. Tay: like cool, sounds great. High five, go team. April: You're like, how can I help you taking care of the dog? Okay, you know, yeah. Dog is safe with you. Tay: Yeah. Yeah. I will get get our clothes all clean for battle. making sure making sure everybody looks and slays that day. Yeah. Yeah. Do we have everything April: Momming the group Yeah. Tay: we need? gosh, we gotta leave in five minutes, y'all. We're gonna meet at the battle. April: Got snacks. Tay: Yeah. I'm prepared. We're we're making it out. So yes, I April: Yeah. Tay: I totally picture this for us. So glad we can manifest for Throne of Glass. Also, that's our favorite. So, you know, hey, I'm being biased. Go me. April: Yeah. Tay: my gosh. Okay. So this next one we're gonna jump back into that kind of dystopian life. So this is divergent, which I think all of us have read this or even seen the movies, either but they have factions within the divergent series. So each faction represents something, there's abnegation, dauntless, aerudite, amnity, candor, and then there's the factionless and divergent. So I want to know what you would be first before I jump into mine. April: okay, so I feel like it's a little too on the nose to just be Aerudite, like, cause obviously they act as the teachers and the scientists of their society. That is a very obvious place to put me. but I think what I would enjoy the most is amity, which is peace. They value that. being like a farm I would love to be a farm girl. Am I good at it? Absolutely not, okay? I cannot, I kill plants, okay? So Terrible place for me to be, but that's where I would like to be. But if we're thinking Yeah, I am taking care of the animals. Like, Tay: You're a horse girl at heart. That seems like it's coming April: don't ask me to touch that plant over there if you want to eat it later. But I will definitely take care of your animals. Yeah. Tay: I could see it. Yeah, that's good. That's good. I could definitely see. Sure, go for it. April: Can I tell you what I think you would be? And Okay. So I think like one of the obvious choice to when I think about candor, hands down. Hands down. You are you Tay: The April: are honest, but like also will fight for things that you think are right for others. Tay: Yeah. April: So I think that that's a good one. But it could also fit into abnegation, and that's the people who run the government. So I think those two are a really good choice for you. Tay: Yeah. I was gonna pick candor 100%. Yeah. April: Okay, good. Tay: I've read the book series too and I was like, candor is definitely my vibe. I definitely am honest sometimes to a fault, but I you know, I'd rather be later on looking back in life and being like, you know what? I told everything completely honest. I said to a friend, I didn't think that guy worked out and turns out he didn't. I'm always that friend April: Yeah. Tay: that's really like, I don't think that's the way it should be. And I don't think or April: Yeah. Tay: I question things about even our current situation. it's why it's led me into my career now. and also too, I don't know if I've mentioned it on this podcast, y'all. I am in my masters, and I actually graduate in December. Woohoo. I'm looking so forward to it. one of the biggest things when I knew I was in the right degree was I took a class before I decided to go into my master's, I took a couple classes at a community college just to see if it was something that was even worth studying and I took an employment law class, and I was like, my gosh, this stuff is wildly interesting. I am actually thoroughly enjoying myself and reading a law book about all these different employment laws that exist but then it also made me sit there and go, damn, that's whack. why do we do stuff that certain way? Or like, I want to know more behind this. And I told Austin, my husband, if I would have found this love a much sooner pace, I probably would have gone to law school. 100%. I would have gone to law school, I would have done the extra mile. I am too old and I have kids and I don't want to do that. sure was like, man, candor seems like totally they, you know, lead the law and court system. They, you know, are fighting for everybody else. So definitely I could see myself in that candor role, but probably add negation to the second one if there was a second choice. I mean, they're running the government, it's kinda along the same pace of that. April: Mm. Tay: if I honestly, if I think I'm in this world though. I could say that I think I'm gonna survive. I think I'm gonna survive. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I do think it's borderline, like could die, could survive April: Mm-hmm. Tay: kind of thing. I think if I'm just playing a role in the background that's more of just fighting for what we need and you know, doing it, I April: Mm-hmm. Tay: could kind of just skirt by. I also think that if they go in and they bomb the building, I am not gonna make it. April: Yeah. Yeah. Tay: Yeah, I'm a casualty behind the lines. So, you know, if there's an opportunity to fight, then I'm, you know, I think I could I think I could make it out. But if it's not and it's really just that like I'm not even gonna have a chance. So I think it could be April: Yeah. Tay: could be borderline, but I'm having high hopes that I'm gonna survive that one. April: I am surviving out of pure spite because I hate how this book series ended. I hate every single part of it, so for pure spite, I'm surviving. Tay: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. I am surviving. I'm not gonna be what the end of this book was. Which also too, April: Yeah. Disappointing. Tay: it was. I'm like, you know what? I can just I'll end it. How many books were in this series? I think there were April: I don't even remember. I just know I was so angry the whole time. And it's a young adult series too. Tay: Was it like four or five? Yeah. I think I could just end it at the book second to last and be like, April: Yeah. Tay: I can make it my own ending. They all lived happily April: Yeah. Yeah. That's what we should have done. Tay: ever after. our next one is a wildly popular series, and y'all, we are so stoked because there's a small novella coming out, coming up here pretty soon. But we're gonna talk about the world of Fourth Wing by Rebecca April: Yeah. Tay: Yarros. So good. Such a good book series. Honestly, I remember reading this book series while I was big and pregnant, I was hooked. I was like, my fat self, I'll get up on that dragon, I'll chew it, I'll fly. April: Yeah. How cool would that be? Tay: I'll do it now not so much. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. April: Yeah. Right. I know. So they kind of have the you know, the different quadrants. We have the healers quadrant, we have the scribes, and we have the riders. And then I think there's also infantry, right? Tay: Mm-hmm. April: obviously everybody wants to be in the riders quadrant. We all want a dragon, okay? And I think that that's probably what I would try to go for. Would I be good at it? No. But would I want to do it? Yes. Yes. Tay: Sure will. You will. I see, okay. I could see myself possibly being in the writers, but if we're going that route, I'm gonna die. I'm not making it. I think so much so that on threshing day when I go to pick my dragon, I think I'm gonna get eaten. I don't see myself actually getting to pick my dragon or I'm gonna be like, hey, I like that one. And then a dragon's gonna whip its wing and knock me off a cliff. I am just, I didn't survive. So safe bet. We're just gonna go with safety here. I'm gonna go with being a scribe. yeah. Yeah. April: That sounds like the best gig, honestly, out of this whole book series as I'm reading them. Like, wow, scribe is where it's at. Tay: Yeah. Like I'm protecting some cool books, you know, and then have like an intel, and then you know, the dragon riders are coming to me like. We need to get to a scribe to get in. I'm your girl. I'm gonna get you in. you need this secret passage. I got you, boo. Like, I'm totally April: Yeah. Tay: a traitor. but like, yeah. April: gonna write about your death. Tay: I'm gonna write about your death. I'm gonna help you out as much as I can. But I do think I would have a better chance of survival if I was a scribe. plausible deniability is what I'll live in the whole time. did I help them or didn't I? You don't know. April: Yeah. You're gonna write about my death from the writer's quadrant. I didn't do anything extravagant. I got ate by a dragon on threshing day. Whenever I see Yeah. Tay: Which that's the name of the new book, which I'm so excited for. I'm excited to see whose threshing we're getting to witness or if it's multiple characters, or I'm really curious to April: Yeah. Tay: see what direction she'll take the book. But I'm glad we're kind of getting a little bit of a taste in between because sometimes I think, yeah, the the wait is long. So, you know, hey, April: The wait is long for the next book too, so yeah. Tay: I think it's good to have these authors give us a little something And, you know, then right after that we're gonna have the Sarah J. Mass next Avatar book and then the other one after that. So we're gonna have a lot of trauma in between. April: Yeah, we're gonna need some happiness. You know what's not exactly happy is our Tay: yeah. April: next one, which is from Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armantrout. I have a love-hate relationship with this series. Jennifer L. Armantrout used to be one of my most favorite Tay: Mm-hmm. April: authors, and I do really like her as a person still. I will say I have not enjoyed the later books in this series to where I don't even really I mean, I read them, but it's like My heart's not really in it anymore, but at the same Tay: Mm-hmm. April: time, we're already like committed to however many books it is now, plus the spin-off series. But the first book is genuinely so stinking good, in my opinion. I love it. We have Poppy as our main character, and she Tay: Yeah. Mm-hmm. April: is this essentially just like this virginal character, you know, hidden under these, veils and purity represents all of that. And then she meets Hawk. Who is not pure? And it goes from there. it is such a good story for the first book. It gets a little wild in my opinion after that. But I think I'm probably one of their friends in this series. Like I could Tay: Mm. April: see myself being friends with these characters. Am I a part of the main group? No. So does that mean I'm surviving? Probably. What about you? Tay: I'm I'm gonna go all in. I'm gonna say I'm poppy in this story for sure. April: Ooh, okay. Tay: I think, yeah, I think I can relate to that. April: Are you like book one poppy? Tay: Yeah, I'm definitely book one, Poppy. We won't go crazy April: Okay. Tay: with book three, Poppy. Maybe book two, Poppy, but yeah, no, April: Yeah. Tay: definitely not past that. I definitely picture myself as being this person of seeking happiness wherever I can find it. and so she's, you know, looking for her outlet. But also too, I've been in the situation of, you know, being around someone who's violent. and I think me and her can kind of relate to that of like, I April: Mm-hmm. Tay: want to get out of the situation. as soon as our main male character y'all figures out that she's been abused, he is like, Like that April: Down bad. Yeah. Yeah. Tay: and that to me was just like the ultimate form of romantic. he was just all in at that point. He was like, I don't care that April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I'm not meant to be with you. I don't care that, you know, he was just like, No one will treat you that way and no man will ever lay another hand on you except mine. And I'm like, Yes, please. I think I could picture myself in that role. I could definitely could see myself also latching onto someone that's pictured in a hero situation. But then I could also picture myself being this person that's suddenly the floodgates are open and we're doing it on every surface. April: Everywhere. Tay: World. It's like airware. Airware. But I do. I also too like that Poppy puts up somewhat of a fight too, because there is a twist in our book, y'all. They can't just be happy ever after. There is a major twist. And she handles it like a boss. She's like, you know what? No, I'm not gonna let you step on me because, I don't trust you. And April: She finds her own power. Tay: yeah, she finds her own power. I think she's a boss lady. I could picture my this is probably one of the few of any of these books where I'm gonna say Actually, not the few. I think she's the only one of all of these books that we picked that I was like, I could see myself as Poppy. I'm definitely surviving. We're surviving. I don't know if we're thriving after book three. because that's where I stopped in the series. But if we're still thriving in the book series, let me know, y'all. You could be like, Poppy is still thriving. I'll be like, perfect, great, thank you. If she's not, don't let me know. Cause then, you know, bad things. April: then we have The Selection, which is by Kira Cass, I think is how you say her name. Sorry if I messed that up. These are the books that everybody saw like 15 years ago. Okay, I could be dramatizing the Tay: Mm. April: years. I don't know how many years ago, with the beautiful dresses on the cover. They are iconic. It's a young adult series. essentially it's the Bachelor is what it really is. That's what it is, but like make it royalty and I mean, I feel like women are still trying to sabotage each other on The Bachelor, and that's essentially what happens in this book series. Tay: And do you remember when I read this book? Did I tell you that was I reading this? I can't remember if I actively April: I don't know. I read it forever Tay: I've read this recently, probably within the last like five years. I cannot tell you how pissed off as an adult I was reading this book. I had a visceral reaction. One, because the girls were so catty and I just sat there and I was like, ew, I'm so grown and so mature at this point in my life. Where I choose who I'm friends with and I am not gonna have that toxicity in my life. I am not in high school anymore. we are adults and we're gonna act like adults. if you have a problem, you're gonna say it to me and vice versa. And then if you can take it, I know we're besties because it's like, you know, you keep me on my shit and I keep you on yours. we're both accountable April: Mm-hmm. Tay: here. I genuinely had some hard feelings in this book, and I think I would die. In this book, because I would probably go into a fight blazing. I literally would be like pulling hair, like punching. I even wanted to punch the main guy, like yeah. they're all awful. And I genuinely April: America is awful. The main girl character America's awful. The main guy is awful. They're all awful. Yeah. Tay: wanted to sit there and wring his neck. And I was like, if I did that, I would be locked in the stockade. They would lock me in the dungeon. April: Yeah. Yeah. Tay: I'd be put away. So I'm definitely dying. because I would yes. I I I am fighting every single person April: But you're fighting, you're not freezing, you're not flighting, you are fighting. That's how I would be too. Tay: of this book. I'm fighting the girls, I'm fighting the man, I'm fighting the girl. And then two, I'm so genuinely such a jealous person. And I it took me years April: Mm-hmm. Tay: to grasp that type of jealousy and understand that type. I've learned to channel it. a woman can have a conversation with my husband and me not have a panic attack about it. in my like young life, I used to just have major reactions to guys talking to their girls or vice versa, just always feeling like my significant other was gonna cheat on me. I don't know if it's inward expression or wherever it came from. But every way, I am a jealous person. So the idea of a book Where I'm chosen from a village to have to go compete for one prince. And he's telling me that he loves me. But then like the next day, telling another girl that he also loves her, April: Mm-hmm. Tay: immediately cut. Immediately, I'm going April: Yeah, done. Tay: full Lorraine Bobbit. And if you don't know who that is, look her up. Iconic queen, her husband. I mean, everybody's gonna be like, she crazy, dog. No, he lived, okay, y'all. He lived. He reattached this homie and became a porn star. So if you want to hear some messed up stuff, look up Lorena, but I kid you not, y'all. I kid you not. okay, she cut off her homie April: Yeah. Tay: of her husband because he cheated. And he survived. They reattached it and he became a porn star. So his life turned out okay, y'all. But like April: Yeah. Tay: she's in jail now for this. And I'm like, no, she deserved a medal. go her. I'm like, she was wronged. That's the first time I ever watched anything. she was nice enough to tell you where she threw it out of the car window from. April: There's literally, I don't think I liked a single person in this series. Tay: No. April: And I was like, man, for such beautiful covers. But at the same time, this is a young adult book series. Now I Tay: Yeah. April: read it as an adult, I was young 20s. So I wasn't too far off from teenage years. And I was like, this is what we're putting on these kids. This is okay. For relationships to be like this and for how friendships and how we Yeah, Tay: For friendships, for girls to treat another one like April: exactly. It's awful. Do not let your children read this. Or if you have Tay: Yeah. April: teenage daughters, the selection is out, there's way better books out there. Tay: Yeah. Yeah. If you're an adult and you're curious like me, was on I think it was on Libby or Hoopla. It was one of those free library things. And I was like, I've never read these. and I was genuinely mad the entire time. I was like, I cannot contain my rage. I hate every character in this book, genuinely. Now, did I read through all of them? Yes. So April: Yes. Tay: if you want to be constantly entertained, I guess, yeah, go ahead. But yeah, you will just end up more and more mad as the book goes along. So selection, I'm dying because I'm killing somebody and they're gonna lock me away. Yeah. Going to jail, stockades, April: I was gonna say, you're going to jail. Same. Tay: wherever it is in this book world. I don't even remember. I think it is it's it's kingdom. So yeah, I would be, I would be April: Yeah. Tay: away. And our final book of this, after going really crazy on the last one. April: Ha ha ha. Tay: So sorry, y'all. Lights out. and I thought this was a great book for this, just because it's not inherently romanticy. and it also is really not like dystopian anyway. It is just a straight line book, but it is like stalker. And so I was like, hmm. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Would we survive in this world? That might be a kind of interesting take on this. April: I will say gosh, that she has a lot of energy that she channels into some weird things, and vice versa for him. she has this exhausting job as a nurse, and you have time to still like stalk this guy online. Hey, you know what? Kudos to you, girl. it's hard to have relationships these days. And it's definitely a perfect example of like parasocial. Tay: I can't even put to words like the amount of energy that they both have that they're putting into their lives. April: Yeah. Tay: I feel like I'd put in a good amount, but that's next level when I'm actually tracking somebody or trying to figure out and I'm gonna tell you right now, I don't know if I'm surviving or dying in this. I genuinely think that I'm just like I'm the roommate that's probably sound asleep this entire book. They're like, she's April: Yeah. Yeah. Tay: snoozing, she's not worried and then if I am, I don't know if I'm too trusting or not. I'm the one that's really skeptical. I'm like, who is this messaging me? Delete, delete, block, block, block, block. April: Yeah. Tay: I don't think I'd even have the opportunity for someone to properly stalk just because I would be like, no, that's weird. I don't even like the direction that's going. And that could be the generation I'm from, like Facebook, and you could easily block April: Yeah. Tay: somebody. I think I wouldn't even make it that far. I think there's some people I know in my life that could be very naive and they're gonna be friends with me. and then like take advantage and then you know, stalker shows up and kills them. But like me April: Yeah, for real. Tay: I think my McDilla's pretty suspicious. So it's like, hmm, no. April: Yeah, I think that would be me too. And I had I was literally just telling my daughter this the other day, but I knew somebody in high school who was talking to somebody online and ended up giving them like where she lived, and it was this middle aged man who showed up at her house, and like that has just stuck with me for so long that now I'm just like, no, you do not tell people, no, you do not talk to people online like this. So you do not know. I think that I am also just like I'm the friend that she probably needed. I mean obviously ends with a happily ever after, but I'm the friend who's like, What are you doing? You're gonna get murdered. Tay: Yeah. Yeah. I think back to like moments in college when I was using Tinder and stuff and I would just like go over to random people's places and I'm like, my God, I could have been murdered so many times. how genuinely naive April: Yeah. Like why did I do that? Tay: I was. but nothing, of course, happened. I'm here, I'm alive. I think about that now after so many different other crime podcast that I love and listen to y'all. April: Yeah. Tay: specifically morbid, if y'all haven't listened, they know what they're talking about. But let me tell you that stuff, April: Yeah. Tay: I will never give out my address again unless I've known you for April: Yeah. Tay: a year. so I definitely think I tread with high suspicion. So I wouldn't probably be one of these characters in this book because genuinely I just can't my April: Yeah. Tay: Curiosity is not there, I would be like, Nope, I don't want to see that. Goodbye. Delete block and then I'm snoozing in the back. I have no part in any of this. April: It's a great book. It's very entertaining. If you need lots of giggles and laughs, yes. Realistically Tay: It is. April: though, absolutely not. Tay: I don't want no part of that. I'm not a chase through the word woods kinda girly. That's not my vibe. I'm a Netflix unchill all the way. April: No. For real. All right, besties. Yeah, that's right. Tay: Do the dishes, I'll find you hot. Yeah. April: Alright, besties. That's it for today's episode. Tay: Make sure to follow, download, and share our podcast socials with other book besties. We would love to hear your thoughts on our game today. Please leave a comment on your favorite platform letting us know. April: And join us next week where we dive into book couples. Where are they now? Are they divorced? We don't know. Are they in couples counseling? Could be. Probably should be. We're Tay: Probably. And remember April: glad you're here because. Tay: It's faded.