The Bookish Hour

The Books That Define Us: Our All-Time Favorites

• Jor & Fab • Season 2 • Episode 1

Share episode

ITS SEASON TWO BITCHES!!!!!

Our Literary Hills to Die On -- We begin with a clean slate as the hosts reveal they've officially shuttered their original podcast to fully focus on their current bookish journey. Exciting developments are on the horizon, including interest from a PR company that could bring author interviews to future episodes. 

The main conversation dives deep into our "literary hills to die on"—the books we consider absolute perfection and will defend against any criticism. From unanimous adoration for Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series to passionate defenses of Madeline Miller's Circe, V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addy LaRue, and Donna Tartt's The Secret History, their selections span genres while revealing deeply personal connections to each story. These aren't just favorite books; they're the titles that have shaped their reading journeys, offered comfort during reading slumps, and occasionally moved them to tears.

The conversation weaves through fantasy, gothic romance, literary fiction, and nostalgic YA picks, highlighting how the most devoted readers often transcend genre boundaries in pursuit of exceptional storytelling. What emerges is a heartfelt testament to literature's power to define us, change us, and create a sanctuary we can return to again and again.

Have a favorite book you'd defend with your last breath? Share your literary hill to die on with us and don't forget to rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Cover Art by: Fabienne and Jordan
Contact email: thebookishhourpod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro music: Season Two: Ramaramaray by Aiyo via Epidemic Sound Season One: Sweet Psycho via TikTok’s Offical Sound Studio on Capcut
Follow Us:
Podcast: @thebookishhourpod
Fabienne: @oxonheart
Jordan: @sipsoffiction

Jordan:

Welcome to the bookish hour with Jor and Fab.

Fabienne:

That's recording. So I guess is it say recording, yeah, yeah.

Jordan:

It's even like counting.

Fabienne:

We are recording.

Jordan:

Oh my gosh, craig, because I can't see your face. I know Craig is actually with you, because my video is not on. It's so sad.

Fabienne:

I'm at the bottom when Craig's usually at the bottom. It's okay, it's okay. You know, it's like, it's not. It's not like hierarchical or something's. It's don't. Uh, don't focus too much like on a pyramid here, honey. It's, it's, it's okay, it's a downward pyramid.

Jordan:

This is not even making any sense. This is the first episode of season two, though. How, what?

Fabienne:

oh my god you know what I? I actually forgot because I, because I'm stupid, um, but hey, it's very much like on par, you know, like with who we are as people with podcasts, like every single time, every single new season, we have had something new technical difficulties is what I wanted to say but yes, something new, something new too technical difficulties, but something new too.

Jordan:

Also something new because I feel like which? Something new, something new too. Technical difficulties Something new too. Also something new Because I feel like which. Now too, I feel like I'm still doing a lot of hand things that you just can't see, but like smutty is no longer available. So, like anybody listening to this, if you go back and try to listen to a Smutty episode, you can't, you cannot. It went bye-bye. It actually went bye-bye a long time ago, but when you listen, to this.

Fabienne:

Yeah, I feel like it was a plan long in the making, if that sort of like makes sense.

Jordan:

I mean, we've been talking about it, like for us in this very moment, when we were recording not too long ago, um, but I am actually kind of happy that we have ditched the smutty book like me too, like definitively, I feel like it. It made so much progress in the years we had it that I felt like we shouldn't delete it, but then I was getting kind of sick of it still being there. Yeah, if that makes sense with while having this one, so I'm glad no, it does we were both on the same page of just like getting rid of it.

Fabienne:

Not that we did anything with it, but like it still did its own thing yeah, but I mean no, it it definitely does, because if you think about it like in the most basic sense ever, it feels like it was one of those things that were just like stacking like on one of those back shelves. With that, I feel like every single sentence that we are going to say this episode is if that makes sense. I hope that makes sense. Am I being clear? Yep, but I feel like this was just one of those old projects that we started with and, you know, it like kind of skyrocketed in that sense. See, there we go again, but we never really went forward forward with it.

Fabienne:

I mean, obviously, like it took us to where we are right now with, like, the bookish hour and the one tiny, miniscule podcast that shall not be named. Yeah, um, but you know, it's been like collecting dust and I feel like it didn't. I feel like, okay, let me just put it like this, had we not gotten rid of this money book eventually, I would feel as if it were just like one of those dark clouds like in the background, just still like looming over what we are trying to achieve right now with this podcast. Yeah, as like, um, you know it's, I don't know, like a clean slate type of thing, like it's completely erased this is the podcast.

Jordan:

This is like the one. Well, also too, like I kind of like, if we knew what we were doing in the beginning of Smutty and like our sound was awesome, like the quality was awesome, like compared to like what it is now, I feel like I would have been fine with revamping Smutty to the bookish hour, so then everything would have been like the same, like I think that would have been like the dream goal of mine. But I didn't like any of like our first year's episodes and I didn't like that they were still there and I didn't like the quality of them.

Jordan:

But oh god no but we were still learning. So it's like and that was like the whole reason why we like pushed a whole new podcast and like this one's still like we're still trying to grow it and like bump it up there, which I think it will in its own way and I think it, but I think it's just going to take time. Truly, we had smutty for like over two years. So it like makes sense and it was it's doing better or did.

Fabienne:

I'm so sorry it's even worse for me now because I already cut you off, as is when I do see your face, and now it's like trying to like gauge when you're stopping talk, like when you stop talking, and I just want to like interject, but I, I'm horrible. I I do apologize for that. It's going to be worse this episode. Um, but yeah, like you say, like that, the quality was just not it. Actually, if you think about it, it's kind of funny, though that it was like still so popular. Yeah, because people like were downloading like the episodes, like left and right, and we just saw that numbers, I don't know. I just I don't want to say that, I don't want to say how popular it was, what was not.

Jordan:

This is going to be really popular but oh yeah, this one's going to be popular. Sorry, but I also wonder too, because because like it just shows downloads, it doesn't show like full listens. So people could have downloaded the episode but then couldn't handle our sound quality and then stopped listening. So I feel like that's why it's kind of like I don't know if people actually ended up listening to the episode just because of like the sound know if people actually ended up listening to the episode just because of like the sound, but I'm gonna pretend that they did just for the sake of my own.

Jordan:

I like it, I like it. But this one, we have season two, which is very exciting. Uh, what? What is different for this episode?

Fabienne:

episode fab the soundtrack, if you can even call it that. I think you could the jingle, like the intro and the outro. Well, people have not heard the outro yet, but yes, the outro, oh yeah, oh sorry what is new? This episode? The outro is also yes, then you are completely right, of course, the um outro as well. Um, I don't know. I just woke up one day and I was like you know what, maybe for like the second season, we need something new and I feel like we usually change something every single season.

Fabienne:

I think it was only like the big change, every, everything, like every new season was season, was only like the jingle, like only the intro and the outro.

Jordan:

No, well, so for Smiley, we had like for season two, we changed our logo, we made a different logo. Oh, that is true.

Fabienne:

Yeah, kind of forgot about that. Actually, we went from the beige why do we ever go with that color, by the way To the bigger skull with the crown and then the purplish background yeah, so this one.

Jordan:

We still have the same logo, but we did change the tune.

Fabienne:

the tune the tune but our tunes, they won't change. We will still stay the same we.

Jordan:

I'm also super excited. I know too like we have like our vibe going. But what's really cool is I had a pr company, which I'm not going to name the name of the PR company, but they reached out to me and they're like I'm like. They were like I, you mentioned that you have a podcast or you're in the process of creating a podcast and you might be open to author interviews, and so then they asked for like a laundry list of things to like give them as information for the podcast. They were like one of the things was like give them as information for the podcast. But they were like one of the things was like download numbers and I was like yeah, I'm gonna ignore that one, unless you ask again and then I'll give it to you and hopefully our numbers are better.

Jordan:

But they were, which was also interesting. They asked do authors have to pay to come on your podcast? And I was like no, but I did mention that it's not a fast turnaround, because I feel like authors are used to the Instagram live interviews and those can be really fast turnarounds. So I did say from when the interview is scheduled, whatever that scheduled date is, it could be a month or two before the actual release of it. So but I'm very excited, so I'm hoping that means, like some authors, like we'll reach out to our email and be like I want to be interviewed.

Fabienne:

That's going to be so cool though, right, I want to know that I want to know the vr company now. Oh, I'll wait. Oh yeah, great, I'll tell you after great I just don't want to like the PR company now.

Jordan:

Oh, I'll tell you after, yeah.

Fabienne:

Great, I'll tell you after Great.

Jordan:

I just don't want to like say them and then like get in trouble.

Fabienne:

I don't think I'd get in trouble, but no, I get that Also. You got to stay humble.

Jordan:

you know we can brag behind the scenes To a degree, but, like other, than that, yes, but like other than that, yes.

Fabienne:

Well, the brag was like a pr company reached out to me. So, yeah, exactly, exactly bragged. Oh wait, I have something stuck in my eye, the fuck. Oh no, this is not important. This is not important. You know what is important? Um, oh no, I wanted to talk about my, my house, but that doesn't make sense, because if this releases, oh, oh, I get all the dates like jumbled and like mixed. Can I still talk about it though? Heck, yeah, wouldn't that be weird?

Jordan:

like when this comes out? No, I don't think so. Talk about it, okay.

Fabienne:

Okay, well, in five days we get the keys to our new place, in just five days, and I am so excited, I'm so excited, Girl, you have, oh, and this is what I want to want. Wow, this is what I wanted to tell you before, like, say, like last time when we tried to record, or when we actually did record I don't know why I said tried I have a new Instagram account, solely. It's good. You know that one, uh, once in a blue moon account that I have where I pretended that I was a writer and etc. We shall forget about that very, very soon, like now, now scratch from your memory.

Jordan:

You're not. You're not writing your book anymore oh no, no that, that.

Fabienne:

That was just one of those adhd like non.

Jordan:

But girl, you have to like medically honestly like I'm still waiting for that book, like the pieces I've read were so good and I'm like thank you well.

Fabienne:

Well, you know, maybe maybe this is like a nice segue into like that new account, though, because once we are settled in, like you know, in the new home, in the new place, and I have like my entire library slash podcast situation going on and like my writing station and whatnot, maybe, maybe you know when I get bored or you know when I have nothing to do, I'll just start typing away on the keyboard again on my laptop. Who knows, I'm here for it, yep, but as of right now, that account is semi-nonexistent. That does not make any sense, but anyways, it kind of does, because I refammed that account, I archived everything and I renamed it. Everyone is still following me, which I think is not fair to those people because they think they follow a certain account which they are not anymore. Um, but I'm going to use that account for potential.

Jordan:

And again I say potential.

Fabienne:

So, be be aware of that, um, videos of like, exactly, of like the renovations and, like you know, the house sit up and get up and you know, like the process of everything.

Jordan:

No, you should totally do that.

Fabienne:

Uh right, I think it's gonna be fun and it's just we're like shits and giggles anyways yeah, no, actually.

Jordan:

Well, I'm not gonna say anything, I'll tell you after, but I think you should totally do that and like reels and stuff. I think that would be like. I think a lot of people would be interested in that.

Fabienne:

Right, and I think it's going to be just one of those low threshold type of videos too, if that sort of translates in the sense of where it's not like high end editing or like you know, nice fonts or just nice I don't know filters, it's just going to be as real as it can possibly be, like you expect when you move into a new place. It's like it's going to be like 100 perfect honey. I have to tell you it is not. You got to do some work. You know we got to do right now. We're going to do the kitchen, we're going to do the bathroom, we're going to do like the hardwood floors.

Fabienne:

Um, you're going to have to paint like all of the frames, like the door frames, the window frames and you name it and such. I don't know. I don't want to say a hassle, but it's just going to be such like a like a big project still, and I feel like it's just going to be fun to just film that like a little snippets, just very comically, because you know, I feel like I can do that really well, heck yeah, wait, what's the name of the handle?

Fabienne:

Fallow Moons F-A-L-L-O-O-N. Fallow Moon or Moon, I think it F-A-double-O-double Foul moon or moon. I think it's singular. Is it singular? I think it's singular yeah it's singular.

Jordan:

I love it. There's nothing here. Turning a new leaf, aspiring hearth witch with a Nancy Meyers lifestyle and a Gilmore Girls charm. Here for the simple joys. I love that I'm showing you the screen like you can fucking joys. I love that I'm showing you the screen Like you can fucking see it.

Fabienne:

I'm pretending that I'm seeing it. I mean, I have it right here too. I thought it was cute and like the aspiring hearth which I was like that's like such a stretch. I don't pretend to be into that shit, but I do like my crystals, I do like the woo woo type of. I just like the books. I do, like you know, like the woo-woo type of. Like you know, I just like the books. I don't know how to translate that. I can't see you, I don't know what the fuck you're doing.

Jordan:

I already know the teaser for this episode is going to be that Woo-woo.

Fabienne:

Jesus, I'm already obsessed.

Jordan:

So I'm appointing you that task, just so know, um, you gotta search for it until you give me the final episode so I can make the teaser right away. Oh my god, that's amazing. Well, yeah, so because tiktok went down for that like hot second in the us, like uh what was that about?

Jordan:

and then came back like a toxic boyfriend um, but I think it's red flag. I'm like not even on tiktok that much, but I use cap cut all the fucking time and the like parent company of tiktok also is the parent company of cap cut. So I lost cap cut and I was like, no, oh yeah, but there's, are you serious? Yes, but it did come back. But I actually downloaded this new um like vita v-i-t-a like app, which is it looks. It has like the same interface as cap cut, which was super easy. So, like when I was able to make my reel it there was no learning curve because it was basically like the same layout as CapCut.

Jordan:

I don't know who owns this one, but watch it be the same. Well, it can't be the same company, or else I wouldn't have been able to download it when CapCut was down.

Jordan:

But and now CapCut came back, which is nice in the sense that everything that was saved in CapCut is still there. But I'll probably use this new app. But I know I have like some reels that like pertain to this, to the bookish hour and like other things that would have been like really sad if I couldn't access them anymore, but but I like it's not, it wouldn't be like the end of the world. But yeah, I don't know I was going, it would just be really fucking inconvenient.

Fabienne:

No, no, no, no, it was. Oh wait, you started saying by that tiktok just went like offline for a hot second and came back yeah, I saw someone say that and I was like yes, yes, except.

Jordan:

I do I? I like don't post much, or I used to post what I posted on Instagram on there, but then I kind of stopped doing that. But I have like five people I follow on there that I watch their TikToks pretty regularly. Five people Jordan, whoa people.

Fabienne:

Jordan.

Jordan:

Whoa, I know so many, but they're all like organizational or like cleaning shit, so like nothing to do with books, like I don't.

Fabienne:

I'm like it's a trick for the perfect housewife.

Jordan:

Right, except I, if I want to make enough money that I can have a cleaning person come to my house.

Fabienne:

That would be so Okay, weekend dream, weekend dream, yep.

Jordan:

Okay, anyways, anything else about your house?

Fabienne:

Anything else about my house?

Jordan:

Well as of this moment.

Fabienne:

no, no, actually not, that was just it. So I guess that's also like my good week, sort of that. We only have to wait like as little as five days. That's so exciting. And the new potential Instagram account, if I ever am going to use it. The intention is there, okay, and the intention is what matters at this very moment. I have yet to post obviously. But you know, if I can get like a nice shot of us like us like holding the key, I think that will make for like a nice first post.

Jordan:

Oh, hell, yeah, I'm going to be waiting for it. I'm going to be waiting.

Fabienne:

I'm really excited. But other than that, has anything happened to you this week that was you know, apart from TikTok or apart from whatever?

Jordan:

That was good, that was fun, noteworthy of sharing, my mug cracked and it was my favorite mug and I'm sad.

Fabienne:

Oh, I saw the London one.

Jordan:

Yeah, honestly, though, I had that mug for over 10 years, so it lasted a very long time, but it was my favorite mug. So when I poured my hot water for my tea in it, I was so sad, like literally so sad staring at my favorite mug cracked that all the water had gotten to the point where it had leaked out all over it and onto the floor, because I was like, instead of cleaning it, I was just stood there so sad. But it is like I am so sorry it's cracked Me too, me fucking too, but it is cracked so you couldn't put anything in it anymore, but it's still one piece. So I'm going to probably try to like just leave it on like my bookshelf, so that way I still have it. I just can't drink out of it anymore.

Fabienne:

Question oh, um answer. Hopefully can't you just like, do that one. What is like korean japanese trick where you mend it with like gold glue or like golden glue?

Jordan:

oh, like that, I forgot. It's like I know what you mean. It's like that, like Korean.

Fabienne:

No, I don't know if it's Korean. I think it is Japanese.

Jordan:

Japanese, like I forgot what it's called um. Actually it was really sweet. I texted Nick the cracked mug and I was so sad and he was like I just bought porcelain and ceramic glue so we'll see if we can try to glue it back together, and I was like Wait, he just happened to just like buy that or no, like he Because of the photo, and I don't even mind, like I don't need to drink out of it again.

Jordan:

So if we just paint clear over it, just to hold it together so I can put it on the bookshelf, like that's all I want, I just don't want to throw it away.

Fabienne:

I'll use it as for a lot, you know, I know exactly as a bookmark, just like stack it on top of your open book. This is where I am as a bookmark holder. Honestly, I use so many random shit. You know bookmarks, or like ass bookmarks same, but honestly I have.

Jordan:

I've gotten so many free bookmarks with things that I've actually been using bookmarks okay, but I also use my kindle to read, so I don't use said bookmarks a lot oh, oh yeah, like so, because then you can find digitally and then you can just swap it to like the paperback.

Fabienne:

What is the most random? Wait, okay, before we dive into the actual purpose of this episode. What is the most random thing that you've ever used for a bookmark?

Jordan:

I don't know. I think maybe a shoelace once that was still attached to a shoe, because it was like the closest thing and so I just closed the book so I could, like, go pee or grab water or something.

Fabienne:

I think that might have been.

Jordan:

Yeah, hmm, what about you?

Fabienne:

I think an empty phone case maybe oh that's a good one.

Jordan:

It's a solid one.

Fabienne:

Quite literally. Yeah, I'm not sure it might have felt like you used a sock once or twice.

Jordan:

Okay, okay, or I'll use like part of a blanket if I'm like, have a blanket covering me anything to really just hold my place nowadays I just docker the pages.

Fabienne:

To be really honest with you, I do too.

Jordan:

To be completely honest, there's only like certain books that, like I don't read from, so I wouldn't do it to those, but like other than pristine, yeah, yeah, but other than that.

Fabienne:

Fuck that shit up. Talking about pristine books, I thought I found. I found a segue. I love it. Um, um. We are talking, or we are going to try and talk, about our top 10 most favorite authors slash books.

Jordan:

I think Books Combined yeah, books Like you will not take any criticism on these. Books Like these are your top, top of the top, toppity, top books. It was actually a struggle for me to find 10, not gonna lie like I think like I feel like the first five were like good pretty easy yeah yeah.

Jordan:

So maybe we could do like the first five as like these are your ride or dies top 10, and then the second five can be like, yeah, I do like these and they are like zero criticism, but like not like the first five, or we can keep it the same um well, I I didn't necessarily like write them down in order, so like my one is not like higher up the list in that sense than my number 10 fair. I didn't do that either, so we'll just stick with the top 10.

Fabienne:

I was just gonna do it on the fly yeah, no, no, we can do it on a fly. It's fine, I could pretend to be do like, do it on a fly, I like, I like. You said like it is. It was to come up with like 10 actual book names.

Jordan:

It was so hard.

Fabienne:

I will say, though, that when I was filling out as if it were a form, as I was like filling out my own like top 10, well, not top 10 am I just like writing down this book just for the sake of writing it down, or am I generally like I will like lay my life down for this book, type of?

Jordan:

yeah, that's like yes, that's like kind of what I've, I like meant yeah but then, like, looking at the like the last two of mine, I would also lay my life down for those two. So, like I think it's kind of like a mix. Okay, like I started off really strong and I ended really strong, but the middle is like a sandwich, a little sandwich. Yes, yes, okay, I, I did pull. I do want to make note that I did include like a full series, multiple I know exactly one of which, like one of wow, which describes words.

Jordan:

Man, I know one of those series because I have that one too I figured you would, and it's actually my number one because I was like I know fub's gonna's going to have it too. Plus, it's like one, that's just. It deserves all.

Fabienne:

I'll die on that hill. I'll die on that hill. That's what I stand for behind and next to Yep. That doesn't make sense. Would you do your?

Fabienne:

I was going to say we should say it on the count of three, but like I was gonna hold up my fingers but you can't, let's do it on the count of three, so like one, two go, so actually on the count, which is an entire different discussion, but just okay. So after three, yeah, yep, okay, one, one, two, oh, two, three, three, throw it a bless. Yeah, throw it a bless yes, that series is everything it was.

Fabienne:

It's also just one of those series that I don't think that I can read ever again and have like that same um visceral feeling as when I was reading it way back when. Um, I love agatar, I love it. I love like the entire trilogy or, like you know, like the books that come like after, like individually, but throne of glass, it's just like where it's fucking it yes, agreed.

Jordan:

Everything that throne of glass is is just. It's like. It's just not agatar, it's just like everything and so much more, so much more.

Jordan:

And I feel like a lot of people think that as soon as they read it, and I think, like agatar still stands, like I think a lot of people still love that, but I really don't know many people that, once they read Throne of Glass, are like still Agatar stands above Throne of Glass anyways, know if it will hit the same or and like it might. But I don't, I don't know. It's just like something about like reading it for the first time and like I never wanted to leave and I could, just I couldn't stop reading and I just I needed all of it.

Fabienne:

I love that series yeah, I remember, like last year when I was in one of those reading slumps because I was in a lot of reading slumps, just one of one of many. But when I was in one of those, I started picking up like kingdom of ash don't ask me, don't ask me why like the last book in the series too, but I just wanted to like feel something again when reading. So I was like you know what I'm just gonna pick out, like you know, the most bestest, beautifulest book there is, um, and then I read, and I read actually a few years, like back to back, like non-stop, and I was like, yeah, no, I shouldn't do this, because that's gonna take away the joy for me, like in the moment that I felt when I first read it.

Fabienne:

Because it's not going to hit this um, so it just stopped preventatively but like it like sucked me in immediately. That's just the magic that throne of glass has agreed, agreed, okay.

Jordan:

So do you want to go back and forth? So you say your first one or your second one, yeah, my second one.

Fabienne:

Sure it's also magical, it's like a fantasy. It's the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It's like the Discovery of Witches.

Jordan:

Oh, I haven't read that I want to.

Fabienne:

It is so fucking good, at least in my ever ever humble opinion, of course. Of course Taste is like different for everyone, in that sense Like nobody likes the same books, or some people do, but you know you can't force, like some people, this is your.

Jordan:

I will die on this. I take zero criticism. Everybody has to love this book. Book Okay.

Fabienne:

Okay, the All Souls Trilogy Also, because it takes place in oxford and you know, yeah, you do it's just like it's witches, it's vampires, it's not werewolves but it's like demons, and it's just like it goes back like centuries. And then there is like, yeah, I'm not gonna say that because that might be spoiler, but there's like it's like so intricate, like with the details and the storytelling, and I think when I read that, that was one of the first books where I genuinely fell in love with the male main character. I really fell in love with the male main character after, you know, like my tween period, you know like after Katniss, and like Gale and like what's his name? Yeah, peter, peter, ah, it was just one of those books where I was like, oh, my God, I gotta have this man Granted. The man was a vampire, it's fucking fictional.

Fabienne:

So you know, yeah, but, still yeah so good and the storyline Jor Jesus fucking Christ, amazing.

Jordan:

So, okay, mine Me next. Yes, I know it's not one of your favorites, but invisible life of addy larue by if it's actually victoria schwab or v e v e schwab but I think it might be victoria schwab on that one but I love that book so freaking much. I still think about it to this day and I remember I read it like back in 2020 when it like first released, but it was like the writing in it. I like wouldn't shut up about it, to the point that, like one of my friends who had like a one of those like crafty printers made me a water bottle with one of the quotes on it, made me a mug with one of the quotes on it, and I can't I I think.

Fabienne:

I.

Jordan:

I lost them at some point, like during the move, because I can't find them. But I was, and still am, obsessed with that book so much that I, I like it's my goal this year to reread it, just because of I want to annotate it, because since I read it before, bookstagram is like before we, like I highlighted or underlined anything. So I really, really want to do that with, like, my copy of it, just because I think I just need to, I just need to, I love that book so much.

Fabienne:

I will say though about the book. Um, it's so beautiful. I love writing, I love, I love that book so much. I will say, though, about that book it's so beautiful, I love the storyline. I thought it was really fucking original. I'm swearing so much this episode. I do apologize. I genuinely love the storyline. I just couldn't connect to the writing, I guess, or just to Addie herself, but I did really appreciate how it was, how it ended. Let me just phrase it like that because I don't want to spoil it for people who might not have read it.

Jordan:

Um but I love the ending.

Fabienne:

Like it's not your typical ending, I loved the ending, loved it and just like the overall bitter sweetness type of feeling like throughout the story it was just, it was like very palpable almost, and so for that sense I could. I can really appreciate why you absolutely adore this book, even though it's not my favorite, but I can completely understand why it's yours. Okay, I'll take it. Okay, I'll take it. Now I've got to pick from the list which one, because I said I don't really have actual favorite favorites in terms of 1 to 10. But I'm going to go with Michael Crichton, which was a thriller writer. He is no longer with us. He wrote Timeline. He's the same author who wrote um jurassic park and he has like a myriad of books under his name, and timeline is one of those thriller historical fictions like fiction books, fiction novels, whereas the word kind of suggests like they travel back in time.

Jordan:

It's like this Do we have to like actually talk about the book themselves, like what it is about, or Not if you, if you don't, I don't think we have to, I think we can just give our general Michael Crichton timeline.

Fabienne:

End of, yeah, end of Just just just really action packed and it's just really, I don't know, just one of those books that you don't really see much on Instagram, at least on Instagram. Yeah, just I don't know. It is just really really good and it's just one of the first books again that I dart like that. I picked up after, you know, like that long void type of period, but you know, like way back when the hunger games came out, it came out in like twilight and you know whatever, like the maze runner, and then you know you got older and then you started reading again. Like that gap, michael Crichton was there for me to start reading again. So good, I like it. So next for you.

Jordan:

Okay, so my next one is Circe by Madeline Miller, and, okay, I multiple thoughts here I won't tell you about. Well, I'll kind of tell you about the book, because clearly it's about Cersei, but it's. I'm not a big the Iliad fan but I love the Odyssey, so the fact that we get Cersei and if anybody's like read the Odyssey or like knows anything about it, like Odysseus like stops at an island and on this island he meets Circe, so it's about her whole life and I love Greek mythology so freaking much that I love this book. Now, I haven't read the Song of Achilles, so I can't speak to that one. But the reason I haven't picked it up is because, again, I don't like the Iliad and I don't read the Song of Achilles, so I can't speak to that one. But the reason I haven't picked it up is because, again, I don't like the Iliad and I don't want to read about this 10-year-long war, because I'm also not a huge war person. But this one is so good.

Jordan:

But I feel like I need to state that Madeline Miller writes Greek mythology. It is not a retelling, it is like the story behind whatever it is she's writing and I feel like so many people are like this is so boring and I like Greek mythology retellings, so I feel like I just need to state that it is not a retelling. I don't think it's boring and I will die on that hill, but I'm also like a huge Greek mythology fan, so I understand like maybe it's not everybody's cup of tea, but again, it's not a retelling. So everyone that's listening just note it is not a retelling. The amount of times I've heard people say that I'm like stop please, stop please. But I love that book with my whole heart it's a good book.

Fabienne:

It's so fucking good, it's so good. I never finished it, though, but I know it's a good book. I just stopped halfway though, but I know it's a good book. I just stopped halfway. Stop. It wasn't even like a DNF for me, like deliberately it just like I just happened to just not continue it. I was in the middle of like writing my thesis, like in uni, and I'm like gotta prioritize stuff, Whatever that was, because it sure as hell wasn't my thesis, um, um. But yeah, I did half half. I did half I did half.

Fabienne:

I did half, I read half. It was a good book so good especially like the part where she like turned people into pigs or like men specifically.

Jordan:

Yes, but you know, and that was when odysseus came on. She changed his men to pigs.

Fabienne:

Well, some of them, clearly not odysseus, but not, not, not everyone. She's just like a whole lot of them, a whole lot of them. I actually never read um homer. To be really honest with you, I didn't have to I didn't have to for like school.

Jordan:

We read pieces of the Odyssey in school. Thank God we didn't have to read the other one, but I really want to read it now though. The Odyssey, at least Not the Iliad, not the Iliad Fuck, not the Iliad Fuck. That, no, no offense to anybody that loves it.

Fabienne:

Wait, didn't you like when you were here, like last April, didn't you?

Jordan:

didn't we see like not necessarily like a type of translation of like one of those books I think it was the Iliad and it and it was really pretty, like at least the cover, but but you didn't get it because it was the iliad, yeah, no, no, I I remember now yes, typical, typical, typical, not typical, just yeah, not typical, not typical not typical.

Fabienne:

Um, not typical, okay, so for me, me next.

Jordan:

Well, you next.

Fabienne:

I also. Okay, this is more again like in the bookstagram type of community. Author.

Jordan:

Master of Salt and Bones by Carrie Lake Okay, fair, that is a good fucking book. That is good. Some good soup.

Fabienne:

Some good soup. I I can't even remember where. That is good, some good soup, some good soup. I can't even remember where that clip is from. I know that it was Adam Driver in the movie or whatever, but I don't remember what movie it was.

Jordan:

I have no idea, I just know it from you telling me.

Fabienne:

It's such a good meme Anyways, good soup, master of salt and bones. I feel like I want to go off on attention and like explain why this book is on my list, so I'll just do that, but then sort of like more concisely, um, because I think, because it's gothic, oh so, first and foremost, it has just this really freaking airy type of sense and like the, the mystery, like clouding basically the entire story. There is this dark and broody male main character, yes, and it's just like a dark romance. And it was also my first, I guess, introduction to carrie lake's writing and I generally overall like her writing. I should actually say love, since it's on the list anyway.

Fabienne:

But, Master of Salt and Bones. It's just, people can't see me, you can't see me, I can't see you, but it's right here, like her writing, that book is just on top of the top. Yes.

Jordan:

Yes, her writing, like the writing in that book is so freaking good, so good.

Fabienne:

Can I? Can I say something that might be seen as controversial?

Jordan:

Yes, do it, we are here for it. This is the book.

Fabienne:

I have not been enjoying her other books as much as I have loved this one and Isle of Sin and Shadow. Yes, the other ones where she writes like fantastical worlds, you know Nightshade I also actually really enjoyed. I know that you were disgusted by it which fair.

Jordan:

No, no, not to Katie. I was disgusted by it but like, but Nightshade, but Nightshade. I did not. I liked the beginning part, but then, once I got to 80%, I was like is this book over? And I could not start the next one. I just was like, nope, we out yeah.

Fabienne:

I applaud her will and drive to know create fantastical worlds and I actually think that she has a very grand imagination, but for some reason I don't think it's executed. Executed. That came out really weirdly. I don't think that is executed well enough for it to entertain me or keep me entertained to actually finish the book, because I was not. I was taken aback by. Yeah, well, taken aback is also like horrible to say, really like the night duet. And I am still having trouble with anathema, anathema oh really, I don't know.

Fabienne:

I heard I'm still reading, but it's just it's a struggle.

Jordan:

It's a little bit of a struggle. Bus, yeah.

Fabienne:

Yeah, I'm doing the same thing you're doing to me to you, but you just can't see it, but I'm just pretending that I can't see it. So you know, it doesn't really matter. Um, I like it, I like it. I'm like a parrot in that sense, you know, because I can just be entertained by my own imagery, like I'm literally just looking at myself in this Narcissistic, because I feel like I'm actually like, I'm talking to you, with you, but I'm looking at me and it's so strange.

Jordan:

I love it. Keep looking at you. Ok me next. I am putting Daisy Jones in the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid on here. I love that book.

Jordan:

I remember it got like they put a lot of marketing behind it when it first came out. So I remember reading it when it first came out in 2016. And it was. I've never read a book like that before, but like the interview style with it Amazing. And I remember I used to. I used to work at like the casino by me and I would was working in this like one area that didn't get a lot of patrons, so I would bring my book and I would put it on like the counter and I'd read until like somebody came in and I remember reading Daisy Jones and the Six there.

Fabienne:

And I just I love that book. Yeah, I haven't, uh, read what was the name like Daisy Jones and the six.

Fabienne:

Yeah, yeah, I haven't read that one I haven't read that one it's so good, you should read it if you want, I actually you don't have to, I actually want to. I mean, I've been still seeing it, like in the bookshops, like people, like it's still pretty popular. Actually, every time when I say the word popular, like the fucking Ariana Grande just pops up in my head Popular, gotta be popular. Have you seen Wicked? No, I've seen the Broadway but I haven't seen the movie. I be popular.

Jordan:

Have you seen Wicked? No, I've seen the Broadway, but I haven't seen the movie. I wanted to. I want to, but I wanted to see it in theaters, but I didn't. I think it's actually still in theaters, but I have not have you?

Fabienne:

I don't know. No, I have not. I don't really. Okay, don't get me wrong, I love not. I don't really. Okay, don't get me wrong, I love actually. I actually enjoy, not love, I actually enjoy musical films, but I just don't like to go to them. Like in theater, I got you Like the cinema actually, because what do you do? Like, what do you do? You stand up and clap, or like you sing along where there's people next to you and you're seated and like the energy is low in the room, like I, I can't do that. I mean, it's just no, absolutely not, no, um, okay, so daisy jones and the six, um, for me, uh, I also have, uh, the secret history by donna tart I was waiting, waiting.

Jordan:

I was like she has to have this on here.

Fabienne:

And you did. She has to have it on the list. I did. I can go on and on and on as to why this one is on the list. I'm not going to do that to you. Then this episode is going to be like an entire monologue. A lot of people, but it's on the list. Fuck yeah, period End of bore. A lot of people, um, but it's on the list.

Jordan:

fuck yeah, period end of okay, I'm, I'm gonna add gothicana by runix. I love that book so fucking much and I was. I did a reread which I was a little nervous diving in, because I feel like the first time we read it it was like it just sparked so many things Like the podcast never would have started without it. I love Runix's writing. I love the book on a pedestal that I was so scared that when I reread it it was not going to meet the standards that I had for it. But it did and I think it just proves how amazing that book is and I just I love that book so much Is he still flawed for you that book, so much is he still flawed for you.

Fabienne:

Yes when did you reread this? Actually reread it. It like in october, in spooky time. Oh, in spooky time.

Jordan:

oh yeah, which is very fitting, because I know that was when we read it the first, or I, yeah, when we read it no.

Fabienne:

No, Earlier, Because I want to say, with this podcast, one podcast that this all basically started has now been again deleted, but that started in September I want to say, Actually, you're right September, september. You're right, you're right it's a it's a very much october type of book, so you know, well done, well done you, thank you, um, thank you. We can go back to you real quick, though, oh, I lied oh really no yeah oh no, didn't.

Jordan:

oh well then, oh god, um, I reread it in November. Sorry, I had to clarify, but no, now you can go. That was actually so. It was both of ours. Kind of cool, we had two books that were the same.

Fabienne:

Now it's your turn which is a, or who I should say is a Scottish writer, a Scottish author, and this one was gifted to me by one of my best friends for my birthday and it was also one of the first literary fiction type of books that I read. After like dark romance, like solely I want to say like in 2023, like my entire not necessarily like took a dive, because that sounds way too dramatic and also more negative than than it was. Um, but I basically did a complete 180 with you know what I wanted to post, how I like, with my style, the, the theme, if you will like, the, the, um, the color grading, and I was more into posting like, more about like literary, like contemporary, and I would like wanted to step away from that a little. And then, um, this was gifted to me and it was again one of the first books. That was again one of the first books that made me cry. Oh christ, that made me cry and I don't want to be like, oh, a pick me kind of girl, but I don't really cry with books. So I was, you know, pretty, like, pretty taken aback when I like read the ending and I had tears streaming down my face and jay was asking okay, like are you fine, so In Ascension.

Fabienne:

By Martin McInnes.

Jordan:

We'll forever recommend. Okay, okay. Another one I'm going to add is the Fabric of Our Souls by KM Moronova, I think is how you pronounce it. I read this last year around this time and it is one like it was like my first book by her and I her writing so good, like I recently read something else of hers and so, but like this book, like it's like heart-wrenching, it's, it is dark but it's, I don't know, like it gave me that like spooky, eerie feeling too, and I just this is on the list, it's just this is on the list.

Fabienne:

So I got I, um, I, I follow her accidentally since recently. Oh really, she also wrote a. Yeah, she also, because I saw a post of hers where she wrote this dark military romance. And then I, yes, this book too. I'm like this is the book that you have been like talking about nonstop for like quite a long time Last year, like you, gotta read it. You gotta read it. And then I said I did Will, why? In a long time last year, like you, gotta read it, you gotta read it.

Jordan:

And then I said I did well and then obviously never did. Um, so sorry, by the way, um, but yeah, I was waiting for you to name this title. Oh, yes, I actually recently read the military one. How was that? Oh, so good, so good.

Jordan:

Yes, I'm upset, like I read it on kindle unlimited and I'm like not buying books or like I mean I did pre-order books like last year, but I'm not buying like books this year, or at least trying not to. But I did. I do like the cover, but I actually liked the people cover of the paperback more, but she just released the hardcover with the people and I actually have the hardcover of the Fabric of Our Souls and the Ballad of Phantoms in Hope, which is like technically the sequel to it, yeah, which I need to read, but I know that one's going to be like heart-wrenching, so I haven't dived into it yet, but because I have those in hardback, I was like, yes, I'm getting the hardcover of leave me behind and I'm so excited it it's not coming for a while, but that was like the one book I've actually bought this year, but I love, I love, yeah, I just no, because it's so good uh, one, two, three, I have three other.

Jordan:

I have four. Should I just go again really quick?

Fabienne:

No, wait, that makes sense, because I started right.

Fabienne:

Oh yeah, and well, because also, to, like you said, gothicana was on yours and then you went again, so it actually makes sense, okay, um, I decided this was tough for me because also in a splits, it was also like a type of split second decision, because I, I didn't, I didn't think that we had to like do book titles. I was still like on, like in, like, under the assumption that we also could do like authors. Um, so, obviously, katie rose for me, um, yeah, and then it was like fuck, which book? Because I don't want to say the unsatan theories, because one that's not finished and um, so I can't wholeheartedly say you know, my top favorite, because I don't think she will. But what if she's not gonna? But what if?

Fabienne:

um, then I also, you know, unorthodox, hmm, true, I can't say I can't say anything actually, now that I think about it, because I was going to say Monster Hotel, but that's a fucking duet. Yeah, oh wait, problem, houston, we have a problem. Anyways, it was still monster of hotel number seven. I like it and um, the reason why I eventually chose that title is because it's not as um, well, it is fucking dark because like the underlying tones and just like the themes and like the storyline, just you know, generally speaking, but it's not as explicit, like sexual, sexually, as her other books are. Um, it's more like the tension between two people and like their chemistry, which is a nice pun because you know frankenstein and whatnot. Um, but I thought, yes, the monster hotel number seven. I just really, I like, devoured that book and I just it was a good book.

Jordan:

It was a really good book. It was a really fucking good book.

Jordan:

Um, so yeah, that one okay, I, I'm gonna, we're gonna go 180 here and I'm adding a. Ya, I'm adding the hunger games trilogy by suzanne coll Collins just because, like that book I has such a special place in my heart and it is so good, that trilogy is so good. But it's like the trilogy I read that got me into reading, like I read that back in college and it just it started this like whole trajectory for me that I just like it will always have a special place in my heart and I love those books so much so I will take no criticism for that series. Thank you, good choice.

Fabienne:

Good choice. Good choice. Yes, I also have and this is where I kind of get stuck um, because I thought, okay, a complete series that I really, really genuinely liked, that I think I could actually read over and over again.

Fabienne:

um is the bargainer series by laura thalassa oh, okay okay, it was either her like that series, or it was going to be jay brie's the bonds that tie. And while I you know how much I love jay brie, you know how much I love the bonds that tie, but for some reason the bargainer series, just like fair just just like wins here, in this, in this, like this, this case, um, it was also.

Fabienne:

There's a lot of one of the firsts for me in this episode. It was one of the first series, um which with like fey that I read after um thrown a glass and like after akatar and, like you know, after did like the from blood and ash which doesn't have fey, I believe, um but which actually does not have fey to be honest so it doesn't even take it back just saying it for content, no kidding, um, but I, I, I loved it because it was like darker.

Fabienne:

You know, and remember how we said like with Bookstagram, like back in the day you read YA and then bam, all of a sudden it's like Den of Vipers and this was just like a nice sort of like dip of your toe like into like the darker, muddier romance and I felt like it's true though I know it's so true, it's true and I also just really love her writing. I also really loved fuck, I'm gonna, I'm gonna cheat. I'm sorry, I'm gonna cheat.

Jordan:

Fuck it, I'm gonna cheat, I'm gonna cheat it's also.

Fabienne:

It's also like her four horsemen series oh, I still need to read those. It's really really good. Um, I'm just gonna cram that. Then this is my list. I'm gonna like my act 10, because it was like you know no, give me your actual 10. If you want, normal people by Sally Rooney.

Jordan:

Oh, okay, okay, All right, well, you can actually have my 10th because I have three left. But I'm actually going to leave off the last one because, thinking about it, it was a yes, because it was a series and, to be completely honest, I am obsessed with the first three. But I think the author really fell flat on the last book that I can't, in good conscious, put it on this list, because if it wasn't finished yet, I would have put it on this list. But after reading and thinking about it and after reading the last book, I was just like, oh, I think the ending deserved to be so much more than what she gave us.

Fabienne:

You are scaring me. Which series is this?

Jordan:

I can't say I'll tell you after, but I am going to go. These two are like my ride or dies. The first one is Anastasia by Sophie Lark. I wholeheartedly love this book. I and I think too.

Jordan:

I also read it in December and I just like the vibes and I think Sophie did such a good job with this book and it makes me so sad that it was not as receptive as like she wanted it or thought it would be like it kind of like a lot of people either didn't like it or it just like never. I don't know if it was just because it was like too big and it. It's more on that like fantasy side of things that I think maybe her readers don't want to try because she started as mafia, but I think they're really doing a disservice to themselves by not reading this book. But I love this book so fucking much and I'm still. I'm still so sad of the one person on instagram that spoiled the fucking ending to me based on like on a reel I posted. I am still so fucking mad at that person, but it still will be like one of my favorite books of like all time because of it Not because of the spoiler, but because of like this book that Sophie wrote and I just I love this book with my whole heart.

Jordan:

And the last one. The last one is Hollow Heathens by Nicole Fiorina. I love the Tales of weeping hollow so much and I love bone island, but I think hollow heathens like from when we read it and the town that nicole created, the fact that it's like in maine, so you can it can feel like real, but it has like the witches element and just like the whole storyline she's created for that book, I that is definitely one that I could reread every year and it it just would. It's amazing.

Fabienne:

It's a good book. It's a good book. It's a good book. It's a good book.

Jordan:

It's a good soup so you took my tenth spot and I gave you nine, so it works well, thank you.

Fabienne:

You're welcome, my good deed of the year, the last one immediately too. Yes, get ahead of yourself here. Did you take note, by the way, of all the things that you wanted to tell me like I guess?

Jordan:

no, I should have no, I know the two things. I know the two things.

Fabienne:

I will tell you okay, can we wrap this up, because I'm way too curious about that.

Jordan:

Oh, yeah, I feel like this is a long one, so, thanks, I will tell you. Okay, can we wrap this up, because I'm way too curious about that. Oh, yeah, I feel like this is a long one, so this is a long one.

Fabienne:

I am sorry, guys, but at least you got some book recommendations out of this one, so hope you enjoy. You're welcome. Thank you so much for listening.

Jordan:

And please don't forget to rate and review wherever you can find us.