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What We're Reading This Fall · Fated

• Tay: Welcome to the podcast where your next favorite story is already written in the stars. April: Where are your new book besties, April? Tay: Ante here to get your book cravings 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 are talking about the season of fall. We're talking our favorite things to do, our favorite drinks, and more importantly, some favorite books that we can't wait to read just to set the mood. Tay: Yes. you have talked about this before. You are such a mood reader. And April: Yeah. Tay: I am a mood reader as well. And I'm a mood listener. when I like want to listen to something, I want to listen to something like dark and moody. If it's like raining outside, same thing, music. Everything kind of matches that similar vibe. So we wanted to give y'all a fall episode, y'all. So we hope this April: Yeah. Tay: gives you, you know, your with your pumpkin flavored things, your chai lattes, your apples. All the things that make you feel like fall. Mm-hmm. April: Yes, your cozy cardigans. Like we are ready to go, like folklore, evermore era, you know, Sag Girl, Noah Confall. we are ready to bring those vibes. Cause those are my favorite vibes, okay? Tay: my gosh. That is that is the best kind of vibe. Yeah. I would agree. April: For real. Tay: Yeah. okay. All right. We're going to jump right in, y'all. We actually thought it would be fun. I know we talk about books majority on this episode, but you know, you got to trickle in little things that you get to know that it's about me in April. So we wanted to talk about just little fall related things. I was gonna start off with my favorite fall activity. I couldn't decide. I have kind of two that are always like top tier for me, but I love pumpkin picking. If there is a pumpkin patch where we can go and pick a pumpkin, and ever since I had my daughter, it's so fun to see her like get all excited about picking a pumpkin and picking it up. So definitely picking April: Mm. Tay: a pumpkin. Second to that is trick-or-treating. trick-or-treating has gotten a lot more fun as an adult. Now, granted, when I was a kid, it was completely different. You could go to like random neighborhoods, ding-dong houses. They would come out, give you candy, all the things. Now people really don't do that. It's a lot of trunker treating, but I still have a lot of fun with it. It's really fun. I think it's fun that people decorate their trunks and they have fall festivals and stuff that you can go to and you can still get that experience without having to like knock on strangers' doors. So I love April: For sure. Tay: me some trick-or-treating. What about you, Ape? April: Yes. So some of my favorite things I love to do is we love to go to fall festivals. our neighborhood puts on one. Plus there's a couple of other really great neighborhoods and other events that go on in the fall time in our community that I really enjoy going to. It's just really fun. The kids get to go play games and you just get to sit there and enjoy your time, kind of, you know, hopefully enjoying the fall weather. Now, we do not live in the friendliest state for fall, but We're putting those vibes into the universe today. That's what we're going for. Tay: Yeah, and me and April have both been to places with fall, and we know y'all that it's not the same. But April: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Tay: we can imagine and we can live our best fall girl, like Michigan. Like it's already April: Yeah. Tay: cold weather. I'm talking to you, Adrian. April: Ha ha ha. Tay: I am so jealous. Our friend's just apple picking and living her best life. And I'm just like, I just April: I know. I know. Tay: want crispy fall though, I will say today was it kind of had like a little breeze. So April: It was kind nice. Yeah. Yeah. We're like enjoying our 80-degree Tay: I'll get a little excited about that. That was okay. Now if it could just stay. April: weather. That's our fall. Yes. Yes, exactly. Tay: That breeze, okay. It's not triple digits anymore. It feels so cool. April: My other favorite thing to do during fall. Now, this might sound really nerdy, but if you have never done it, I highly recommend it, okay? I am a total candle person. However, I am not at a point in my life where I could just have. candles going around my house right now. I do have a little one. So what I've been doing in the evenings, especially because we got some amazing, incredible rain this last weekend, is putting on some cozy like fall backgrounds on YouTube. If you search it up, you can Tay: Mm. April: find tons. And lately I've been finding ones that are like, and I'm sorry, some of them are AI created. So you gotta kind of, you know, watch out for that. Some of them are created by real artists, but there's some that are like 90s theme and it just takes me back and I'm like, Nostalgia is getting me. So I've been putting those on the TV and then just reading or playing cozy games. And it has been so fun and so relaxing. Like it's it's such a a bucket filler. So for those Tay: Mm. April: out there who want to try something different and maybe don't want to have candles going or can't have candles going, highly recommend. You can get the ones that have the sound going on if you want it to sound like it's raining in the back. It is the best time. Tay: yeah. I have I had a Hogwarts one at my desk and it April: Mm-hmm. Tay: was magical. you could hear people like eating at their tables and this audible sounds like that. I'm like just like April: Yes. Tay: feels cozy. I just feel so invited. And then I look, it's like the great hall and everybody's just chitter chattering. You can't hear what they're April: So good. Tay: saying, but it just sounds like muddled voices and I don't know, it's just like good background noise. So April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I would agree. I love those so much. I love like when it's Netflix that throws out like their Yule log and stuff during Christmas time. That's a vibe. Such a vibe. April: Yes. They've got some good ones too. Highly recommend. What about drinks though? Because Tay: That is such a good one. April: when you think of fall, I mean a lot of us just go right to Starbucks fall menu, drink menu, but there are other fall drinks out there. What are your favorite like fall drinks that you reach for? Tay: well, I I mean, t to be honest, I am a little bit of everything kind of gal. It just depends on my mood. I right now have really found, and this is a Starbucks so so sorry. It's a Starbucks April: Ha ha ha Tay: order. But I do make it at home because your girl can't afford to buy Starbucks all the time, but it April: Mm-hmm. Tay: is a brown sugar shake and espresso, and then you April: Mm. Tay: do pumpkin cold foam on top, and it's so good. You just get a little bit of like Pumpkin syrup and you put your milk in and I have a frother and I can froth it and then I pour it right on top and it's just so good and cozy and it's just enough pumpkin. I don't like like my husband is totally a pumpkin spice latte. He gets so white girl wasted on all of that. He loves it so, so much. He's like, give me all the pumpkin spice. Me, I'm like, that's a lot. Like I just need a taste of pumpkin, like just essence. Like, you know, like My barista came up and whispered pumpkin on top of my drink and that was just enough a pumpkin. I like the brown sugar 'cause it's still like really good coffee, but then having the cold foam that has that April: Mm-hmm. Tay: touch of pumpkin in it is really good. So that's my favorite right April: That's funny. Tay: now. April: I am your basic girl pumpkin spice latte. Dump that pumpkin all over my taste buds. I want it. It's so good. I will enjoy it with my pumpkin muffin. Okay. It's gonna be great. Tay: Pumpkin muffin, cream cheese, pumpkin drink. She's like, give it to me, pump these veins full of pumpkin. April: Yeah. For real. Seriously. Yeah, exactly. No no shame here. I you know what? I will be honest though, the first time I ever had a pumpkin spice latte was just a couple of years ago. And cause I used to be like, no, that sounds so gross. And then I had my first one and I was like, I understand now. Tay: She has risen. April: Ruined. I was ruined forever. Tay: That's Austin. I mean, y'all are birds of a feather. I mean, he literally it was like he texts me the morning of and he's like, it's it's pumpkin spice season. And I'm like, like, you know, you gotta get it you drink then. And he's like, I already got one. I'm like, Jesus. I'm not gonna argue the pumpkin spice. I think that is a very fall themed drink. So y'all get April: Yeah. Tay: you a pumpkin spice latte, get you a brown sugar with cold foam, double fist them, and listen to the pod. April: Yes. And pick up some of these books we're gonna talk about because they sound really good. Tay: Yes. And we have majority of our books today, me and April have not read. She has read one of them. I have read none of mine. They have sat on my TBR, but this is the best time of year to start my TBR because if I'm April: Mm. Tay: in the mood and I'm ready to read these fall books, that's when it's gonna happen, y'all. So my first one, I feel like is a very like one that I've seen everywhere this time of year in fall and last. And maybe it's been two years. I don't remember. This blew up on social media, y'all. People saw it and it was like impossible to find because people were sharing the heck out of this book. and the book I'm gonna talk about is actually the second one in the series because once again, Taylor reads everything in reverse. I have both, April: Ha ha ha. Tay: but I wanna read the second one before the first one. so my second book. But okay, let me show y'all the first one. Lord have mercy. Okay, this is the first book. Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Right up April's alley. Look at that. Sold. That's April: Sold. Yeah. Tay: book one. I'm not talking about book one. Book two is the cinnamon cinnamon book. my god. Cinnamon bun book cafe. And first off, it's so cute. Little fall leaves going on, but I love that her all her books. So this is by Lori Gilmore. And all of her books. Are set up in like a harbor-based environment. So I know there's like a strawberry one. There's you can look them up. There's a plethora of them now. She's written like eight books. It's impressive in the amount of time that she's pumped out these books. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: but they're very Hallmark and I love that. I will watch a week straight of Christmas Hallmark movies if I can. So the fact that this kind of gives me that Hallmark vibe, but during the fall time, I love that. So This is the Cinnamon Bun book. So I'm gonna read you the excerpt, y'all, so y'all can see if it feels like a book that y'all would want to read. But when a secret message turns up hidden in a book at the Cinnamon Bun bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues. She just needs someone to help her out. Well, gorgeous and outgoing fisherman Noah is always available for the adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that he gets to be with the cute bookseller that he's been crushing on for months. Hazel didn't go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might just be hot as the fresh out the cinnamon buns that the store sells. April: that sounds so good. Very hallmarky. Tay: Right. Don't that's so fun. Like it's like, my gosh. Very hallmark. though from what I hear, the spice in it is pretty good. I have like read a couple of the like just like glancing at pages, and I'm like, it's not so wholesome, but April: Ha ha. Tay: mostly is wholesome. Like the story itself is wholesome, but then there is spice. So that's kind of nice. She's like tying the two together. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I think it would be an enjoyable read. I'm excited to read this, but it's so cute. Look at that. Fall vibes all the way. April: That is so cute. I love it. And I feel like these books that are written like specifically for seasonal reading, they do kind of take a beating in ratings because you really do have to be in the mood to read them. Like you have Tay: Yeah. April: to want that cozy little, you know, I'm smelling the coffee in the air, the leaves are changing color. Like you gotta be in that mood. Tay: Yeah, and y'all, I mean, we've read monster romances, sentient romance. Nothing shocks April: Mm-hmm. Tay: me anymore. So, you know, sometimes I if I could just have like a little like little cozy April: Wholesome. Tay: fall wholesome Hallmark esque book, you know what? Hey, I'm all for it. It'll give me like April: Right. Tay: a cleanser palette because some of these books I've been reading lately have been dirty. So I need to cleanse my spirit. April: That's right. Cleanse yourself with false reading. We like that, yeah. Tay: Just gonna let me just No, if y'all can't see this on YouTube, I'm rubbing this book all over myself 'cause I need it. April: I love it. Okay. Speaking Tay: Give it to me. Give me a book. April: of fall books, this is actually one that I've read. So this one here is called Fall Shook Up. Okay, look at this beautiful cover. And Tay: Cute April: it is a Cozy Creek novel. This one in particular was written by Piper Sheldon. Cozy Creek is like a set of books that have all different authors They've all based their books in the same town. Tay: Mm-hmm. April: But look at this edges on this, okay? I have to tell you, Tay: That's so cute. April: I desperately want the other books now because I have a feeling like it must make a picture. Yeah. Tay: 'Cause I think it makes a pitcher. I know. April: I was like, and I was looking all over for them. I haven't found them yet. I'm assuming that they're out. I have no clue, but I'm like, I need them. But anyways, so if this is not already like an immediate cover by for you, please, Tay: Mm-hmm. April: please. But in this book, okay, sit with me here in this, okay? Picture this. You are dating somebody who you think you're super in love with, okay? You come home, you kind of start to have like this anxiety. And I will say there is great anxiety rep in this book. So for those who are looking for something like that to kind of relate to, fabulous anxiety rep. And you're talking to your dad on the phone, you're like, something just doesn't feel right. Like I feel like I left the stove on. And you go home, and when you get home, your boyfriend comes in the door and he tells you that he's got this big promotion. And he's moving to New York and he wants you to go with him. And he works in like the finance industry, right? But you're a journalist and you're actually currently working on a piece that is like taking down a major figure in the finance world. And you're like, but no, like I'm here. I'm working on this piece. I have to get this done. And he's like, it's kind of like becomes like a his dream is more important than yours. Anyways, he kicks you out. You have to go and spend the night in your storage unit, okay? And you're homeless now all of a sudden, just because of your differencing of opinions on this, okay? And I know, mortifying, right? Like this poor girl, okay. so then what happens is our female main character, she goes and she's like, her name is Claire, and she's like, I have to find a place to live. So she moves to Cozy Creek, Colorado, which is I'm a Colorado native. So I was like, kind of like relating to this. But she moves to this small town and she has to find somewhere to live. She freaks out in the grocery store. This guy helps her in the grocery store, walks her through her full blown anxiety panic attack. And it turns out he's gonna be her new landlord. But he has like this application she's filled out with a ton of rules, okay? And some of these rules cracked me up, especially those who are familiar with the area or just familiar with, you know, being in Colorado in general. Like one of the rules was talking about like there's wild animals out here. don't be stupid. I was like, no, but for real. So he has like I'll show it's like this giant list of rules that go on. Tay: Cute. April: And she responds to his rules, okay, with really funny, like you can kind of sense her humor. And anyways, it goes on and obviously they fall in love. And obviously there is a little bit of tension there because she's just gotten out of this bad, you know, what she ends up kind of realizing was a bad relationship for her that her ex was really actually making her anxiety kind of worse. And now she's with somebody who's like really helping her walk through it, which I really appreciate. but then it's so cute at the end, y'all. I don't want to spoil it, but it is adorable. This is very hallmarky. And I will say the spice on it, like there's spice in it, but it's definitely if you're not wanting to read something that's like smut, smut, smut, smut, this is definitely a book to pick up. There's not very much in it. It's very much more of a true, like intimate in sense of connection and understanding each other book. Truly very cute. And I just can't recommend it enough. I enjoyed it. I want to pick up the others in the series because I want to see if the if all of the end pages match. Yeah, I'm like, I need to know. Yeah. Tay: Just met. Yeah. Cause it's so cute. It has to. I mean, if it if that doesn't finish that gumball machine, I could never look at it. I would have to live April: Hands down. Tay: with spine because I could not stare at that sprayed edge, not knowing if it had another half. I'd be like, my OCD cannot. April: Yeah. Not knowing. Yeah, I need to know. Somebody hook me up. Yeah. Tay: It has to be symmetrical. Where are the other books? that's so. April: Where's the others? Help me find them. Tay: It looks so cute and it sounds so good. April: Yes. Tay: okay, I'm gonna switch directions a little bit. We're still April: Okay. Tay: in fall era, but I'm going with my next two books, I think, go with more of the Halloween aspect and less of like the fall. April: Ooh. Tay: But I think you can still like grasp what season you're in when you're reading this. So April: Yes. Tay: the book I'm going to talk about is Love in the Time of Ceral Killers by Alicia Thompson. So super cute. I love the little like cover. It's like fun and like kind of comic y. but this book, it says turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn't exactly conductive to modern dating. And one woman is going to have to learn how to give Love a chance when she's used to suspecting the worst because she's very suspicious, y'all. She's like, I don't know if like love is for me, because I think everybody could be a serial killer. and so she's a PhD candidate. Her name is Phoebe Walsh. she's obsessed with true crime. She's even analyzing the draw genre in her dissertation. she just can't manage to finish writing it. So hopefully she will. It's hard for her to find time spending the summer in Florida cleaning her childhood home, dealing with her brother, grappling complicated feelings of mourning her father that she hadn't really had a relationship with. it doesn't help that she's convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer. he may dress business casual by day, but at night he's clearly up to something. It's not before long that Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier, a genuinely nice guy who can pierce through her arm or and reach her vulnerable heart. So kind of interesting. I like the April: Hmm. Tay: idea of like it's like a kind of will they won't they, but like, is he a serial killer? Is he not a serial killer? April: Right. Tay: but I think it plays on the fact that she's just letting her mind run rampant, which for me, y'all, I do that. A lot. And I have listened April: Yeah. Tay: to a lot of crime podcasts. So this feels very me and very niche into this thing because I I don't know if anybody else is listening to us talk about this, but morbid podcast is one of my favorite podcasts out there. And I can listen all day about killers and then sit there at night realizing why am I awake? And April: Ha ha. Tay: Like, that's me in a book. And then she's just like got this neighbor that seems, you know, so suspicious and I wanna kinda know why. So I have not read this, y'all. This is on a T VR. If I shouldn't read it, tell me why. Or, you know, if you have read it, tell me you love it because I want to read it. April: It sounds really good. I really like just the realism of just kind of being like suspicious of somebody, especially when you're writing something that is obviously probably building that up in your head. That sounds like a good book. I like it. Tay: Yeah, or you can kinda like, I don't know, get involved with it. You're like, hmm, how would April: Mm. Tay: she and especially too, if I was writing this as the author, I'd be like, Okay, like what happens to me when I'm anxious? So like that's the April: Yeah. Tay: kind of things I would think of that are in this book, but it sounds April: Mm-hmm. Tay: so good because it's tying in my romance heart. So April: Love it. Okay, so my next one, it's funny that you said you went Halloween Tay: Himmy with it. April: vibes, because so did I. I went from like Hallmark cutesy to like, Tay: That's funny, ha ha. April: ha ha, we're talking about witches now. Okay, so this book was actually one we went to a couple months ago, and by a couple months ago, it was probably longer than that. We went to a semi-local bookstore to us, which is the Spice Girls bookstore, and I got a blind date with a book. And in that blind date with a book was this book. It's called Spellcaster. It's by Jamin Eve. And I grabbed it, I remember, as a blind date because it was like talking about witches, dark academia, spicy. And I was like, ooh, those are all things that I really enjoy. And I really enjoy it around this time of year, right? Where the weather is just getting, it's getting darker earlier, the weather is gloomy, things like that. So this book we have, Weatherstone College is where it's set at. And I was like, perfect, love it. and Tay: Mm. April: our main our female main character, she has just kind of come into her powers, but it doesn't seem like a lot at first, but then her powers start to kind of develop in unexpected ways. I don't know what they are because I have not read this book. Please do not spoil it for me. I want to know. but of course, when she gets to this college, she meets Logan Kingston, and he is the son of essentially her father's enemy. And so it sounds very much like we might have some like enemies to lovers romance going on. They start to investigate. These monsters start attacking their school, and you find out that she kind of may be the key to some big things in that. So I'm excited to read this just because A, I love witch stories. I've read tons. That's such a mood for me. I love the spooky. I love to put on my Lana Del Rey, season of the witch and just read things like this. Fabulous. I cannot wait. Tay: that's a vibe and a mood in itself. April: I'm excited. I've never read anything by her either. Tay: See, the I always think I'm like, okay, if they get picked up by a publisher and then something is grabbing in that book. So that kind of is telling. Not that there aren't great indies. Don't come for me. I'm just trying to tell April: Yeah. Tay: y'all that. I think that's kind of like a tell all is like when I'm they kind of make that leap. I'm like, okay, something got them to that publishing point, right? So April: We have a huge following, yeah. We wish that for all indie authors. We want you all we want to see you on shelves, please. Tay: So exciting. okay. Yeah. We want you all published. Yes. All majorly published. Charity Faral. April: I knew you were gonna bring her up. Tay: I bring her up every time. I was praying to Jesus. I want her to be a millionaire. She hears this. I really do. I hope she listens. Anywho, my next book. I went with vampires. April: Okay, perfect. Perfect. Tay: Yeah, we're still on theme here, baby. you know, I during this time, there is nothing more I want to do than sit on the couch April: Yeah. Tay: and watch Twilight to the rain and see Edward making, you know, stank faces at Bella and like Bella being like and making the same face for I'm in love. I'm scared. I'm shocked. Like the same face. That's my favorite. It's my favorite. Nothing screams April: Hmm. Tay: full. Put it on Paramour, listen to Decode, Muse by Super Massive Black Hole, all the things. Anywho, April: Yes. Tay: all the things that give me that five. So I think of vampires. Vampires was needless to say, I needed to read this. And I want to read this. I'm so excited too. this is the book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerley. I think I said that right. That was a mouthful. but this is the in the midst of the Scottish Highlands is a university where vampire students study alongside humans. Rebecca Charity is a vampire hunter undercover at a university searching for a mysterious book of blood and roses. Blood and roses, a loss condenium of ways to kill vampires. So she's a vampire hunter, she's looking for this magical book on how to kill vampires. If she finds it, she'll be one step closer to avenging her parents who were slain by these creatures of the night. But when Rebecca arrives, she finds something unexpected, a coffin. Her new roommate, Elise Astra, is from one of the most powerful vampire families. She's also the most beautiful woman that Rebecca has ever met. So not only are we getting vampires, y'all, we're getting sapphic vampires. but this mattingly gorgeous Elise is everything that Rebecca has always hated, but also everything she's ever wanted. And now Rebecca doesn't know if she wants to kiss or kill her. When Elise rescues her from a vampire attack one moonlit night, she accidentally makes Rebecca her familiar. Now they must work together to break the curse, but as they get closer to solving the mystery, Rebecca and Elise get closer too. But can a vampire hunter ever fall in love with a vampire? Mmm. I was like, I was like, okay, so this is sapphic vampires, but it's also roommates and it's also their familiars. So like if y'all are familiar with April: Ha ha. Tay: familiars in other books, in all kinds of stories, sometimes it can be like an animal that is your familiar that you're partner with. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Or if Familiar can be like a partner in crime. I think of like Dracula and Renfield. Renfield's like his little guy that like runs around, but then also I think he turns into a rat. so like he's kind of he does the thing. So I think that's what Rebecca is gonna end up being for Lise is that she's like her sidekick. but I think that's kind of funny because she's like so anti vampire, so much so that they killed her parents, which I don't know if I can look past that, y'all. I don't know. Like that's some yeah. I April: Yeah, you'll have to tell me how they sell you on that. Tay: want to see how how they turn it around, but man, I was like hooked. I was like, okay, I'm sign me up. I'm like roommates, tension, vampires, random coffin, like the shock of seeing it, like April: Love the cover too. Yes. Random coffin. Yeah. Tay: but I also imagine kind of like quirky and fun because I'm like, this is, you know, it's not giving me like it would look like dark academia, but it's not necessarily dark academia. It's kinda April: Yeah. Tay: gives like Wednesday Adams if Wednesday showed and she's got like this like plucky roommate and you know, like she April: Yeah. Tay: does. This is the similar kind of thing, like I'm a vampire hunter. And then you see a coffin, it's like I have a coffin April: Yeah. Tay: roommate. April: I like it. It sounds good. You're gonna have to give me your review of that once you read it. Yes. Tay: I'm so excited. I'm so excited to read it. It's so pretty too. I kind of like that when I took off the cover just now, I didn't notice this, but now I do. Wow spicy. The back says April: space. Tay: I'll drive her insane and then I'll go and then she'll spend the rest of eternity dying to taste me again. April: okay. Tay: That's some high hopes, y'all. April: That book it might be bringing the spice. We'll have to see. I Tay: It might be. I'm excited. So ball reads, y'all. April: love it. Okay, but this is not my next book, but because you brought it up, Dracula, we have to talk about the new recording, Taylor. my goodness. Tay: God. I've never wanted to listen to Dracula more in my life. And that's like an old book. And I'm not like hating April: I can't. Yeah. Tay: on old books, y'all, but that's an old book. So like I'm kind of like, how can they make that like worth reading? But I'm like, Bailey? God damn. April: Yeah. But also Jonathan Bailey. And like I saw a snippet of when he was recording it and y'all, I was like shooketh. He is like rubbing himself, his chest when he's recording it and doing this like sexy voice. Tay: He knew what he was doing. April: And I was like, okay, but I almost want to watch it. Like, I hope they recorded the whole thing. Can I just watch an audiobook recording, please? Because that was woo. I know. Tay: Can I watch how he reads an audiobook? I know, right? I'm like, my gosh, how dare they, first of all. Second April: Yeah. Tay: of all, now I have to listen to it. I'm like, Jesus. April: Yeah. I have never wanted to listen to Dracula. No part of me has ever Tay: I know I have to listen. Now they're gonna make me April: I know. Tay: listen to an old book. And then I'm probably gonna sit there and still be like, this book still is not good. April: Give it five stars just for his narrating it. Hands down. Hands down. Tay: Yeah, like I'm like, is there sexy scenes in Dracula? Have I been missing out this entire time? Cause if there is and Jonathan Bailey's reading it, I'm gonna be pissed. April: We're gonna have to listen to it and give a review of it because I am so excited about that. Okay. Tay: Yeah. That comes after our next adventure, which we'll talk about at the end. April: Yeah. Okay, so my final book, not nearly as good as Jonathan Bailey Narrating Dracula. Sorry. I have really high hopes for this book, though. This one is called The Ice Beyond. It is beautiful. It is by Olivia Wildenstein. And the reason why I got this book, I do enjoy this author. I've read one of her other series, her pounding hearts, or Tay: Hmm. April: something like that series. But I got it for look at this, the art that is on the inside of the dust jacket. It is Norse Tay: Wow. April: inspired. This book is Norse inspired. And so I was just like, my gosh, I love Norse mythology. And I just Tay: Couldn't say it, so I'm not gonna try. April: the vibes are there. So we have Zass. She is our female main character. And she has been in love with this guy, Norden, her whole entire life, like since she was a child. And they he's a werewolf shifter and she thinks that she's also a wolf shifter. And so that's where I'm kind of getting my Halloween-y vibes, right? And Tay: Mm. April: she thinks she is too. Well, comes to find out she is not. She's actually a Valkyrie, and she is a long ways away from her kind of clan of people where she's really from. And he ends up rejecting her as a mate, and she is like devastated by this. And so she feels like You know, she's kind of been cast out of her shifter pack. She's not one of them. So she goes on this journey to find essentially her people. And Norton follows her. And it's kind of like a big forbidden romance. I don't know too much about it, but I am so excited purely because the artwork has me shook. I want to read this so bad. and then I was looking, I got the book in the other day, it just released, and on the edges it says, with all the love in my heart. And I was just like, That sounds so sweet. I hope it is sweet. I'm like, I love that. So I'm excited to read this one. I I feel like it's gonna give me at least maybe some like Tay: Feel like that's one you'd rec I feel like just looking at that book and then hearing you read it, I'm gonna get like a message six months from now. Cause y'all, she also reads April: Hmm. Tay: like seven books at once, but in six months, she's gonna tell me she's gonna April: Yeah. Tay: be like, This is the book you need to read. And then I'm gonna go, Okay. And I do the same thing I do every time is that when April recommends me a book, April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I push all the other shit I'm reading aside and I read the book that April's recommended because usually April: Yes. Tay: they're always bangers. April: Yes. Tay: And I would let her toot that horn. But yeah, if she's recommending a book to me, it's usually a really good one. Not that I don't recommend great books. I do. But they're usually April: I'm excited. Yes. Tay: ones that I it's a rarity where April hasn't read that book. So finding a book April: Yeah. Tay: where she hasn't read it's like, well, what? So tell me how that book April: I know. Tay: is and then recommend it to me because I know you will. Yeah. I'll get back to you. I'm gonna send you a text and be you have to read this book. And I'll be like, damn it. April: Exactly. I'll get back to you. Yeah. Tay: And then I'm gonna look it up, it's not gonna be okay you. I'm gonna have to find the physical. I'm gonna be like, damn it How dare she do this to me every time. April: That's like with dark lover when you're like, the books are so Yeah. Tay: Son of a gun. I was so I'm like, please. like because I'm like, I April: Story. Tay: don't want to buy it on Kendall. I refuse. Like, I'm sorry. If I'm gonna buy, April: It's just as much money. Tay: I'm gonna buy the physical because then that's a then it's a reward. So I'm like, I want the physical April: Yeah. Tay: at that point. But I'm like, dang gum, that's crazy. Jeez. who knew? I'm glad we hit all April: Who knew? Tay: genres though. We like went from like fall to To vampires, to werewolves, to like We did. We April: We cover we covered it all, y'all. Tay: covered it all. We gave y'all a little bit of everything. So if y'all have read these books, tell us if they're good. If they're bad, let us find out. We'll find out s soon enough. April: Yes. Well, all right, besties. Tay: Gosh. April: That's it for today's episode. Tay: Make sure to follow, download, and share our podcast socials with your other book besties. We would love to hear about your favorite fall books. Please leave a comment on your favorite platform letting us know. April: And join us next week where we winnow ourselves to the mortal lands to meet a human woman named Pharah Archeron. Tay: To the stars who listen. April: And the dreams that are answered. We're Tay: And remember April: glad you're here because Tay: It's faded.