Latest / Galaxies and Goddesses: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Bookcast / Adding 3 Books to Our TBR: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Picks, Wild Cards & Intimidating Reads
Transcript
- Anniversary Episode Andrea: I’m Andrea. Elizabeth: And I'm Elizabeth. Andrea: Join us as we chat about sci-fi and fantasy books and beyond. Elizabeth: Looking for a little escape from reality? So are we. Andrea: Welcome to Galaxies and Goddesses. Elizabeth: On this week's episode, we're celebrating the one year anniversary of Galaxies and Goddesses. Andrea: We started the podcast a year ago and we've enjoyed sharing our bookish joy with you along the way. Elizabeth: On today's episode, we're going to revisit some of our favorite moments over the past year and what we're looking forward to in the year ahead. Andrea: Let's get started. Andrea: Initially I thought we could recreate our first episode in a sense. In our first episode, we talked about our top three books of the year so far, but we've talked so much about Lord of the Rings, and that is most of what I've read this year. So, I think we need to take a slightly different approach and instead we can talk about three books that we'd like to make sure we read before the end of the year. Andrea: So instead of looking backward, looking forward a little bit. Elizabeth: Cool. Andrea: So I have a question for you, Elizabeth, when we started this, did you have any idea, what you were signing up for? Did you have any idea what you were signing up for when you agreed to be like, yeah, I'll do this podcast with you? Elizabeth: No. I mean, I suppose knowing what a podcast is. I guess I had a slight idea what it would be, but no. I just in general try to not create lots of expectations. That doesn't mean that I don't expect things or that I don't have them, but I tried to maintain realistic, expectations and/or just maybe don't presume things or guess what they're gonna be like, so in that way then you're never really disappointed and hopefully you’re more often than not pleasantly surprised. Andrea: Yeah. Elizabeth: So it didn't necessarily give it a lot of thought of what it was gonna be. I was just alright, here we go, let’s go for it! Andrea: I think I was in a similar boat in that, I had been listening to book podcasts, like Lit Chicks Read, and they had such a fun friendship. And then it reminded me of when I would talk to you on the phone and talk about books and I'm like, maybe we could do this together. Andrea: And so, I am so grateful that you agreed to do this with me, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. And I'm excited to see where it goes. Elizabeth: Yeah, me too. Elizabeth: Then going back to the whole business of being pleasantly surprised I am pleasantly surprised. Elizabeth: I just wanna make it clear to everyone out there who is listening to this that I do not seem to do very much different than what I would normally be doing, which is reading books and talking about them. And in our discussions about books, it's sort of changed how I think about books, which is fun, and refreshing and new, and I have found that I've read a lot more science fiction and fantasy in the past year than I have probably most years, but in a really good way and. Then also all these sort of like, I would you call 'em a side quest. Elizabeth: I don't know, these sort of other things that you come up with, like 26 books for 2026. I never do that, honestly. Like I never really think about, like, these are the books that I want to read this year. I usually have a fair sense of what I'm going to read next, but that always can change in the moment. I might have a fairly not set in stone by any means, but a fair sense of maybe the next, like, kind of maybe five-ish books. Beyond that, I don't really think about it. So this has sort of structured my reading a different way, which is fun. Andrea: Yeah. Elizabeth: And that's a nice thing about having a book club, like I am not currently in a book club. Elizabeth: I've been in different, many different book clubs over the years and there are always books that you'll read that you would've read anyway. There are often books that you read that you never would've read but really liked. And then of course there are also books that you never would've read and maybe didn't really like. And I think it's a sign of a good book club when the number of books that you didn't like is low. Andrea: Yeah. Elizabeth: The books that people are picking or that are being chosen for the book club, as long as they sort of generally align with your own general reading taste. Because I have been in a book club where the books that were chosen, there were many that I hated, like actively hated, and luckily I wasn't in that, I wasn't in that book club for very long, 'cause I proceeded to move away. So a convenient excuse to no longer go that book club. Elizabeth: So, I feel like this, this podcast for us helps fill that role in my life of encouraging me to read books that I wouldn't otherwise, and in really great ways. Elizabeth: But I also like, once again, to be clear to everybody, I mostly just read the books and talk about them, which is what I would do anyway. And yes, it's fun to give it a bit more structure and, and yeah, I also am very grateful for this actually. Elizabeth: It's fun. Andrea: I think in terms of giving your reading goals structure, I'd been doing a reading journal for a while and that was just documenting what I'd been reading and trying to keep better notes on favorite quotes and things that happened in the book, rather than just giving it a rating on, on any kind of online system. Andrea: But I maybe only pick the next book or two out. But doing the podcast has made me project further down the line of like, okay, what series do I really wanna read before the end of the year? What books have I had on my shelf the longest? And… Elizabeth: Yeah. Andrea: do I really want to try to read this year specifically? And so that's been kind of fun. Andrea: But there's always books that pop up. I can't help it when I walk into a bookstore and I'm like, oh, I've heard about that one. I've heard it's good. And then the bookstore owner's like, yeah, I really liked it. I highly recommend it. And I'm like, oh, well I have to pre-order the special edition that's coming out because you get extra stickers. Andrea: And so those other new books also come into your life and, and that's exciting. That's just the unexpected fun parts of being a reader. And I don't think you have to stick to any specific rule, but it's nice to be flexible. Andrea: But it is fun to, to be challenged a little bit with the podcast and trying to define what you're gonna read in the future a little bit more. Andrea: Something I wouldn't have normally done, but it's been a fun challenge. Elizabeth: Yeah. Elizabeth: I guess maybe I read enough books or I read fast enough that it also to some extent doesn't matter as much that I really plan out what I'm gonna read, ‘cause I often can say to myself, “oh, well the book that I'm reading right now, I'm gonna finish it pretty fast, or I'm gonna finish it in the next few days.” Elizabeth: So then I can quickly, you know, pivot to something else. Elizabeth: Actually it was a guy on Instagram. Do you follow this guy? I might be a little obsessed with him recently, Luke Bateman. Elizabeth: He described it as reading like your TBR list is sort of like a river, there's just a constant flow, and sometimes you're not gonna be able to, to, to get to the book fast enough before it kind of goes past you and then maybe you never get back to it. And other times there are gonna be things that are gonna flow into you that were unexpected, that you just sort of go with the flow. But recognizing that there's no way to read all of the books, I sure try and I'm gonna keep trying. But I know for a fact that I will not be able to read all the books in the world. And so you do have to, you know, come to terms with that tension between trying to read all the books, while also not getting bogged down in like guilt in this pleasurable activity. Elizabeth: There shouldn't be any guilt with it if you don't, if you haven't read a book. Andrea: Right. Elizabeth: And being really structured about your TBR list, like with our 26 and 2026 — now, I read 70 last year, so 26 books, I totally can do that. That also means if I were to read 70 books this year, that there are lots of other books that I will read as well. So that's definitely a manageable goal, especially over the course of a year and when we're in March and I've already read 13 of them outta the 26. So, hey, the I, I think I'll be able to make that one. Andrea: You're talking about a river of books that it just seems to be coming in your direction and you're, you're taking what you can get. I feel like I've built a dam in the river and they've been collecting on my shelves, and I have an overflowing amount of books that that's what I need to focus on right now. Andrea: And, one of those book collections that's been in the held back in the dam, I suppose has been The Lord of the Rings. So finally getting to read Lord of the Rings, without the podcast. I don't know if I would've made that leap because it is so intimidating, but now that I've read it, I feel like that's a box I can check. Andrea: We'll talk a little bit more about the entire series in our next episode for Return of the King. But without this podcast, I don't know if I would've read that as soon. In my mind, for some reason, for so long, the Lord of the Rings was a series that, “Yeah, I'll read it eventually. Yeah, I'll read it eventually,” and just keep putting it off and it's like, no, the time is now. Andrea: And I'm so glad that we read it. Elizabeth: It was waiting. Andrea: It was waiting. Elizabeth: This whole time. This whole time. It's been waiting for you. Andrea: So patiently. Thank you. Thank you for your patience. Oh, books. Andrea: Getting into some of our three books that we'd like to read before the end of the year. This isn't necessarily top three. We're going for variety here. So there are three separate categories of books or types of books. One highly anticipated sci-fi or fantasy book. Andrea: One “Wild Card” book, which is usually out of our genre that you'd normally read. So since I usually read science fiction and fantasy, sometimes literary fiction, I picked a thriller for this. And then one stretch or intimidating read, so a book that you might have been putting off because of its length for me in my, my case. Andrea: And I think I know a book that fits that for you, Elizabeth, but I'll, I'll, I'll let you answer for yourself. Elizabeth: I’m curious what you think. Yeah, I'm curious what your answer for me is versus what my answer is. Elizabeth: So first category is one highly anticipated sci-fi or fantasy book, and I'd like to clarify, does that mean that is to be published this year or just anticipated for yourself? Andrea: Anticipated for yourself. So it's not necessarily being released this year. This something that you would just like to read. Yeah. You're gonna make sure you read it. Elizabeth: Cool. So yeah. For a book that you are interested in reading Sci-fi and Fantasy, what would you pick? Andrea: So the, the book that I'm gonna pick for this is The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. It has come up a couple times in conversation with friends of mine as like, “Oh yeah, I've heard of that. I'd like to read it", but I've seen it a ton on Instagram and everybody that I've seen review it loved it. Andrea: So it's a kind of epic fantasy. It was released last year in 2025, and it's about 650 pages long, so it's a thick one, but it sounds like it's got a lot of depth and intrigue. The genres listed say that it's fantasy, mystery, fiction, dark academia, and more of like high fantasy, so I am excited to read that. Andrea: But it was not in my 26 for 2026. It's one of those that jumped the line in my list of books as I kept seeing people talk about it. Everybody says it's really good and I, I wanna find out why. Andrea: What about you? Are there any sci-fi or fantasy books that have really caught your attention recently that you're like, I, “Yes, I wanna read that. This year.” Elizabeth: I think what my answer is going to be, I just bought it. I bought a brand new copy, but a mass market copy at a sci-fi and fantasy bookstore in Portland, Oregon. It's called A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. Andrea: I've actually read that one. Elizabeth: Oh, have you? Was it good? Andrea: Yeah. It's, it is pretty dark is what I remember. I read it a while back and yeah, I mean, a canticle, it has religious themes, so it's kind of dark, apocalyptic… Elizabeth: Dystopian. Yeah. One of the covers is like the pulp fiction cover, it looks like, is a a drawing of a monk. Elizabeth: You know, just with the way our world seems to be going these days, have been thinking that I need to either read more of slash reread some of the classic dystopian novels. I feel like I need to reread 1984 by George Orwell. I definitely need to reread Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I read those a long time ago. It's time to reread them. Andrea: Kind of similarly, A Canticle for Lebowitz. I read it so long ago that I don't remember exactly what happens. And I do think it's really interesting to read these books that were written over 50 years ago and see the themes or things that still apply to society today. And I think that is really telling. Andrea: And really interesting to think about. So I'm curious what you'll think of it. Andrea: I would say kind of, kind of your approach of like low to no expectations is a good starting point, because I don't really remember much about it. But I, I think that it's interesting to read just from the classics perspective. Andrea: Yeah. I remember that I read it. Elizabeth: That's something too that I realized that especially with reading as many books as I read, that I can't remember them all. And especially as more time goes on since I read the book, I can't always really remember it. The ones that I probably thought at the time was were really good. Elizabeth: I maybe, hopefully would remember those a little bit better, but so if, if it's, if it's a book you read a long time ago and all you remember is that you Yeah. Liked it. I mean, in a, in a weird, probably dark, unsettling way. That's good enough. Yeah. That's good enough. Andrea: Okay. Elizabeth: That sounds good. Andrea: I think it's worth reading. I think it's a worthwhile read, and sometimes those aren't necessarily like enjoyable reads, right. Elizabeth: Right. Elizabeth: And sometimes I feel like with, especially with classics, sometimes I, I, I might find that I read it out of some sort of sense of that's probably misplaced obligation, as in, if you're a reader, you should read this book, in the blank, whatever the book is. But oftentimes, especially a book that is considered a classic. It's a classic for a reason and oftentimes it seems like one of the reasons is that it is a good book. So, I hope that the reason it's a classic is 'cause it's a good book in terms of just like not trying to study it. Not trying to necessarily think crazy deep thoughts or learn from it or analyze it or whatever. More just to read it and enjoy it, 'cause I like to read books. Andrea: And sometimes just reading something that's really different is fun too. And, I think this will fit that for you. Elizabeth: Cool. Elizabeth: Well moving on to the next of book, is a “Wild Card” type of book, so a book that's outside what you would consider is your usual genre to read. What would you say, what's, what's a wild card book for the year for you, Andrea? Andrea: For me, my wild card book is The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden. It's a mystery thriller and I don't typically read mystery thrillers. I think they're fun occasionally, but I usually go for science fiction or fantasy books, and I don't know much about it besides the fact that there's a maid living in a house. Andrea: I think she lives in the attic. I'm not totally sure. This is just what I've gathered from friends that have said, “Oh, you need to read this.” And there's twists, there's big twists, but that it reads pretty quick and it's really good. And there's also a movie that came out I think last year. Andrea: So I wanna read the book and then watch a movie, and I like kind of pairing those together. Have you read The Housemaid? Elizabeth: No, I have not. Is that the one that has a blue cover with a keyhole on somebody looking through it? Andrea: Yes. Yes. Elizabeth: Oh yeah, I've seen that around a lot. And the one, is it like Amanda Siegfried and Sydney Sweeney? Andrea: Yes. I believe so. Elizabeth: Nice. Elizabeth: I think for myself I, I only just recently heard of this book, but it was from a friend who's a big reader and if she recommends a book, then it's usually a pretty solid recommendation. When we were talking about it, she actually was just buying it at the time from Powell's Bookstore in Portland. So she, at the moment hadn't read it either, but she got it as a really good recommendation from somebody. And it's called How to Art. Andrea: How to Art? Elizabeth: How to Art. Uh huh. How to Art: Bringing a Fancy Subject Down To Earth by Kate Bryan. And it's exactly that, as in how to at art, appreciate art, get a sense of art. Elizabeth: You want out of art? What is art? You know, how do you go to art museums? How to buy art, how to fill in the blank. I don't usually read “how to” books. That's why I thought of it as sort of outside my usual genre. Because otherwise I was like, I don't know. That could be kind of tough for me 'cause I kind of read everything. Elizabeth: So it's hard to pick something that's something that's outside of my usual genre when my usual genre is: all. But I don't usually read how to books. Elizabeth: I guess all I really have to say is I, I'd like to know how to art. Elizabeth: I don't always think about art a lot. I don't necessarily. yeah, I feel like I know a lot about art. have been to lots of art museums over the years with the amount that I've traveled. Elizabeth: It just ends up being a thing that you do is, you know, you're in Paris, so you go to the Louvre and you look at some priceless works of art. So I've been to lots of art museums and I've looked at a lot of priceless works of art. And so I have a sense of art because I just have looked at so much of it, I still don't feel like I know “how to art”. Anyway. I think that's a, a self development topic that probably a lot of people feel the same way. Elizabeth: It's, it's sort of this like almost like, I don't wanna say really elitist. 'cause of course that's not like the people who make art tend to not be as much in the elitist class, but the people that have art often are. And so, yeah, it seems sort of untouchable almost to the rest of us. Andrea: I'll be curious to hear what you say about the book. I think in a lot of ways, in my opinion, I'm, I'm not an expert on art by, by any means, but I'm saying that like art is similar to books in a sense of, it's very subjective. Art is extremely subjective. And a book, one person may love, may not be a book that everybody loves. Andrea: And, I think they're similar in a, in a way. Elizabeth: Yeah. Andrea: Books that resonate with some people might not resonate with others. And art that some people love. May not be the same as others. Similar with the mass production of books versus mass production of art. Andrea: I think that's one of the things that sets them apart. You can recreate art through prints and printing digital media, like you can recreate books, you can spread the word, but, original manuscripts and original art are more valuable. Right? So I'm curious if you go into the book thinking about how would this apply to books, right? Andrea: How would this theory of how to appreciate art, how could you apply that to reading as well? That might be another thing to keep in mind as you read the book. Elizabeth: Oh yeah. I like that thought. Elizabeth: It seems like books are more democratic? Maybe you could say? In that they're more approachable, because most towns, hopefully of a certain size at least have a library. And then otherwise buying a book, you can buy used books for pretty cheap prices. You can also buy new books, but they're still, compared to “Art” is much more affordable to the average person. But, but you're right. When you think about the, like, original stuff than, you know, a first edition of something like Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. It's gonna be worth a ton of money, similar to an original by Rembrandt or Van Gogh, or fill in any sort of art master. But anyway, so yeah. How to Art. Andrea: Report back. Report back by the end of the year. Elizabeth: Yeah. Elizabeth: So our final category of top three book before the end of the year is something that you would consider a stretch or a book that you're maybe intimidated by. What are your thoughts on that? Andrea: So, I've been wanting to read the Priory and the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon for a while I think I've mentioned it to you before it's fantasy with dragons. There's some kind of romance aspect to it too, but it's 848 pages. Andrea: It's been on my list for a while and it's been intimidating just because it's so thick and such a large book, but I really wanna try to read it. I didn't put it on my 26 by 2026, because I was intimidated and I didn't wanna commit myself to reading it. Andrea: I do wanna read these 26, if I put this book on here I don't know if I can finish the other books, but it should have been on there and I wanna try to make that happen. Elizabeth: Yeah, it’s romance and dragons. I don't know why you're intimidated by that. It sounds just right for you. Once again if it's a really good book and it's long sometimes that makes it better! Andrea: Yes. Andrea: What's your stretch or intimidating read Elizabeth? Elizabeth: I'd say there aren't a lot of books that intimidate me. I will say first cause once again I realize that I like good long books. Then long doesn’t, doesn't really phase me. Now that doesn't mean that I'm always reading really long books, because then you don't read as many books and sometimes it's fun to sprinkle in some shorter books to kinda zip through some things. Sometimes there are certain classics that can be intimidating. So the one that I thought of I legitimately am excited to read this, but it is long and it is a classic is Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Elizabeth: Having read last year and loved it so much, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick, and get really excited about sperm whales and not necessarily excited about sperm whale hunting or whaling, ‘cause it's gory and Gnarly and… Andrea: Intense. Elizabeth: Really intense, but sperm whales are fascinating and sort of a swashbuckling tale I guess you could say, even though I don't think there are pirates on the open seas and this wild adventure of a novel that also at the same time I keep hearing, especially in the last since seemed to figure out that I like book content I am seeing people talking about Moby Dick. I don't know if it's like if this is just because I'm seeing it on Instagram or if it truly is getting a resurgence right now. Andrea: I'm not seeing Moby I'm not seeing Moby Dick content. Elizabeth: No?! You're not seeing Moby Dick content? Not to say I'm seeing huge amounts of Moby Dick content. It's just I've seen a few times. Wow if that's really because Instagram has picked up that I'm into sperm whales and whaling right now, I don't know how does all this work? I don't does anyone no one knows but I've seen Moby Dick mentioned a couple of times in the last couple of months. Elizabeth: The tragedy of the whaleship Essex which is what In the Heart of the Sea is about nonfiction about that story. That story is what inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. Elizabeth: I bought a used copy from Powell's just a couple weeks ago and I did seriously think about bringing it with me on this trip but then I didn't because I thought to myself I may give it to my dad I don't know if my dad's ever read Moby Dick. And my dad is reading a ton of books these days cause he said that he's read it In the Heart of the Sea. And I just gave that book to boyfriend and for Christmas and was like oh he'll really like that book. So then I'm thinking maybe then after I read Moby Dick I'll wanna pass it on. So I didn't bring it with me but when I get back I'm gonna read Moby Dick very curious to hear what you think The book that the intimidating book to me is. Andrea: So maybe you didn't think it was intimidating or was intimidating in a certain context too for a while was The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. I thought that you that's something that you've been putting it off, the you'd read the trilogy but that you'd put that off because it was a little intimidating but I thought you were gonna finally read that this year. Elizabeth: Oh yeah. Elizabeth: I don't know if I would've said that was necessarily intimidating or if more like I didn't read it the first time around with a Lord of the Rings, because I just don't think I necessarily felt in the mood or wasn't the right vibe at the time that I first read Lord of the Rings to then go on to read The Silmarillion. I still don't know if I caught intimidating though. Elizabeth: I could go back and claim it as the book the for my the Sci-fi Fantasy for the year cause I have started it and It's on pause cause the book that I had was a library book and I it had to be returned. It's hard to read it's but not in an intimidating way just in a very academic mythology kind of way but yeah Yeah I dunno if I was intimidated by it. Andrea: Maybe instead of intimidating to you it should be intimidating to the average person. Elizabeth: Definitely. Andrea: I think it would be intimidating to the average person. Elizabeth: I would not tell the average person to read it. I would tell anyone and everyone to read to The Lord of the Rings. If you have not read the Lord of the Rings then you need to read The Lord of the Rings Anyone and everyone even people that don't read books it's just so good The Silmarillion is a very specific recommendation to a very specific kind of reader, because yes it would be intimidating to the average person. And I understand why cause it's just it's it's a commitment. Andrea: The thing with The Silmarillion, as I have not read it, but as I understand that it's a collection of pieces of Tolkien's world building, but it was never really intended to be read as a story. So I think that can be hard to digest. Elizabeth: Yeah Elizabeth: It’s not a story. Andrea: It's like an encyclopedia of Middle-earth in a sense, right? Elizabeth: Yes. Yes. Elizabeth: Definitely. At the end of The Lord of the Rings there's a bunch of appendices and they're and I think they're given letters A through M or something. There are a lot of appendices I can't remember off the top of my head The Silmarillion absolutely could just be a further 300 pages of appendix for sure. It is a commitment. Just it's deep. Andrea: It's a lot. Elizabeth: I still have a hundred pages of that left and I just need to find a different copy of it to finish it eventually, but honestly maybe it's a good way to do it is to take a break. Andrea: Yeah. Elizabeth: Yeah. Andrea: Come back to it at some point. Andrea: So looking ahead on our next quest for the year ahead of the Galaxies and Goddesses we have a little side quest for Independent Bookstore Day coming up that we're going to meet up and go to some bookstores together. And so then we'll come back to the podcast and report on that, but what things are you excited for on the podcast this year? Are you excited again for Summer Book Bingo? Elizabeth: Yeah, I liked Summer Book Bingo try to really shoot for the blackout this year depends on lots of moving parts there. Andrea: We will be doing book bingo again, so check us out on Instagram to make sure you don't miss those updates when that comes out. Elizabeth: I suppose what I'm really excited about is just watching our podcast continue to grow. Andrea: Aw, that sounds great! Me too! Me too. Andrea: As a shout out to our listeners we wanna say thank you if you've been listening from the beginning. Elizabeth: And welcome if you're new to the show. Andrea: We hope you continue on our reading journey with us and we would love to hear your recommendations for what trilogies we should read throughout the rest of the year! Elizabeth: So if you have any great ideas of sci-fi and fantasy trilogies that you'd like us to read this year then let us know in the comments. We would love to see a recommendation from anyone out there. Elizabeth: Unfortunately, that concludes week's episode we've reached the end of another cosmic journey on Galaxies and Goddesses. Andrea: Don't worry the adventure never really ends. There are always more stories to explore and let's be honest more bookish tangents for us to go on. Elizabeth: But hey, that's part of the fun. If you love today's episode make sure to subscribe Leave a review and share the magic. Andrea: Stay tuned for our next episode where we'll be diving into the last book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien. Elizabeth: And in the meantime keep your mind fueled by the magic of stories. Andrea: And never stop chasing the worlds waiting for you between the pages Thanks everyone!