The Bookish Hour

Espresso & Epiphanies

• Fab & Jor • Season 1 • Episode 12

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Ever had one of those weeks where adulting felt like an extreme sport? Join Fab and Jor as we navigate the rollercoaster of our 30s, from the highs of clever Bluetooth triumphs to the lows of job search blues. We're dishing out tales from the trenches—like that time a birthday trip to Oxford reminded me of the simple yet profound joy of mom-time and the bliss found in the nooks of a beloved city. And for our fellow strugglers in the relentless grind, we're sharing a little hope and a lot of laughter, because if you can't find your coffee at the end of the drive-thru, at least you've found us.

Imagine a place that resonates with your soul, where the air feels like a long-lost friend's hug—welcome to our paranormal pit stop! We're chatting ley lines, Oxford's mystical embrace, and the stories that tether spirits to locales.  And because we love a good story, we're pulling out gems from our book trove. Whether it's the allure of romance novels or the escapism offered by paranormal fiction, we're trading book titles like they're going out of style.

Now let's talk about life's curveballs, like moving during a pandemic or waving farewell to places dear to our hearts. Unpacking boxes and emotions, we recount the chaos and comedy of relocating, alongside future dreams sparkling on the horizon. Through the bittersweet and the outright bizarre, our conversation spins from the trials of transition to the comfort found within the pages of our favorite books. Whether you're into fantasy romances that twist the tongue or contemporary tales that tug at the heartstrings, we're serving up our latest bookish obsessions and inviting you to curl up with us for a literary escape.

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:

this is the 30 talks podcast.

Fabienne:

I am fab and we're your co-hosts two girls who have entered their 30s and just trying to adult talking, Talking, lifestyle relationships and everything that comes with this new era, and don't forget about the books. So get cozy, grip your poison and tune in. I was waiting for you to say something.

Jordan:

I was waiting for you to say something, because it looked like you were going to, but then you were like psych, but then you actually did say something.

Fabienne:

Well, kind of had to, you weren't like uh, anyways, okay, it doesn't really matter. Hi Hi, we kind of already spoke a little before, actually like hitting the record button. But honey, how are you?

Jordan:

I'm actually very tired. I am so tired, but we'll get into that later. How are you?

Fabienne:

I am doing well. Um, good, I already kind of like dropped some hints. Well, not even hints. I kind of already talked about it, like with uh when cast was on as well. Um, I'm looking for another job. I don't want to dive into that too much. I mean, it's still okay. How's the journey project? Um, haven't found anything yet at this point, but um, I, you know, guys got kind of have to stay positive and have a positive outlook, and I like it. Um, you know, always find a silver lining if that's. I mean, that translates, of course, but also, like, in this sense, um, just gotta keep going so yeah, I have.

Fabienne:

I have a few things like in the, in the pipeline, like yeah, okay, okay, nothing official yet, but you know, I'll keep you posted.

Jordan:

So uh, um, you better be, you better be, but um, okay, well, wait, what's something good that happened to you this week?

Fabienne:

I went to Oxford. I had to. I want to save this one, maybe for like another time, but yes, I went to Oxford.

Jordan:

Fair. Okay, I want to tell you about my good week, though, and then we can go back to your good week, because I want to hear about Oxford. So I need to tell you my good week first.

Jordan:

Talk about hijacking Sure I know, but this is game changer, okay, so, like it happened last night, but I'm a very I like to go to bed early and then I usually wake up early and then I'll talk about this after you talk about Oxford. But I'm officially at my mom's or we are not just me, we, I guess but so basically, I'm sorry it was either me or him and of course I chose me. Duh, of course no, but like, so we have this one room that we converted like half a living room, half a bedroom, which you got to see. This was like one of the pre conversations before the podcast recording. But yeah, so like because I like to go to bed early and I swear Nick is like an insomniac, so he can stay up until like like he has a hard time falling asleep, so that is.

Jordan:

But usually that's not an issue because he'll stay in the living room. I go in the bedroom, close the door and no issues, and light doesn't bother me, but sound does so like if he can't sleep and he puts the tv on in the bedroom, like I usually can't fall asleep, I am. Oh, what we found out is the TV he has actually has a Bluetooth setting and oh, I don't have my Beats right here, but I was so smart Right my Beats connected to the TV so he could watch TV through my headphones and I heard nothing.

Fabienne:

Game changer.

Jordan:

Right, so I was able to go to bed when I wanted to and he could stay up. Granted, he ended up coming to bed like 30 minutes later, but that would have just been annoying for me laying in bed and, who knows, he might not have been tired and might have stayed up for like hours. So I'm literally so freaking excited because now it's like he could stay up whenever he wants.

Fabienne:

Yeah, and I can bed whenever I want you don't really think about that in the sense of like oh, let let you know, you have your, your over ear headphones and obviously, like they connect to devices like you know, like a cell phone, like a, you know, like a tablet, your computer, but you don't for some reason instantly make the connection. No pun intended that it can also, you know, be linked to a television, like to a tv, for some right, I mean you have.

Fabienne:

You have like game headsets and that in my head obviously does connect to a tv because of the playstation or xbox, whatever yeah, but usually isn't it connected through the playstation or xbox or something, not not to tv?

Jordan:

yeah, yes, so like, and it was like through the tv, I was, oh my gosh, the I was so freaking excited, so freaking excited, I can tell, and so like that was my good week. Okay, but now back to yours. Um, please tell me all about oxford it was so fun.

Fabienne:

I mean, I I think I may or may not have already told you, or like on the podcast or whatever um, we went to oxford, my mom and I, because it was for her birthday. It was like a birthday trip, and her birthday fell on a saturday this um this year, and we were like, oh, what are you gonna do? You know what do you want to celebrate? Or like, and how, and like what manner do you want to celebrate? Do, or like in how, like what manner do you want to celebrate? Do you want to like go out for dinner? Do you want me and Jay to come over, do you tell me?

Fabienne:

And she didn't have any big plans whatsoever. So I said to her why don't we just go away, you know, like for like a little weekend trip? Heck, yeah, and one of the first things that she said UK. I want to go to the UK. This I did already tell you. She is a huge fan of those BBC detective shows and she saw, like either Oxford, york or Bath, bath, bath, I don't know, your guess is good as well.

Fabienne:

I think it's Bath Officially, because it's the UK, but Bath just doesn't have like the same ring to it. It definitely doesn't. Anyways, I already went to Oxford, which you know, and I want to say that she was jealous that I had already gone, like last year, but she was definitely envious of the fact. So I said you know what we're just going to. You know, like, um, slam down hammer and just choose Oxford. Um, and it was a fantastic trip, honestly, like the weather was good, the temperatures were, were amazing for, like this tiny year, it was um celsius incoming. It was like five, uh, 15 to like 17 degrees. I have no clue whether it's in Fahrenheit. I do apologize, but it was sunny. It was a little cloudy sometimes, but there was a little breeze. You could just like walk in your jacket, you know like short sleeve t-shirts. It was incredible. And, of course, the architecture was still incredible and the bookstores were still amazing and the little wine cafes were fantastic.

Fabienne:

Um, we walked so much if I showed you like my health app on my phone probably off the charts all over, yeah, but but really I, um, I normally have all my notifications off because my, my, my head can't just, like you know, like um, uh, catch on with all the notifications that I would get, like get to see on my phone otherwise, like either whatsapp or like instagram or whatever. So I have turned them all off. I'm basically on do not disturb all the time. But for my health app, I made the specific like focus setting, which you can do like on your phone, like a different um, uh, focus, and like we have a podcast actually, and the hell if it does come through, and it said like 10 000 steps, 20 000 steps, 30, 30 000 steps. So it was, it was fantastic to see that all the wines that we, that we drank over the weekend, they were earned.

Jordan:

Yeah, they were really earned even if you didn't walk, they were still very earned.

Fabienne:

You know what True Very true. But it did make me feel a little less guilty to know that you know I walked 10K today, or like 20K, or not even steps but actually kilometers, Like we walked on one day like over 25 kilometers or so.

Jordan:

Oh, my goodness.

Fabienne:

Again, no clue whether it's in miles. I again do apologize, I don't know either, but I feel like it's a lot. It was, it's a lot. Yeah, I blessed it all over. Um, there were so many cute cafes and there were still so many places that I had not visited or like seen before. And um, you know this, um, this stereotypical like, um, um, I guess gimmick about german people, how they love to walk, do you see, sometimes like those funny reels or like posts on you do okay well this falls on.

Fabienne:

This falls on deaf ears, um, but the thing about germans is they like to walk. So my mom and I were obviously dutch, but we always joke about how we always have like a little, a little German inside of us because we do like to, you know, like hike and walk and, you know, browse the city, um. Anyways, um, it was really fun and I drank a lot of coffee, had lots of wines and lots of books that I want to show you, uh, in a little bit, but it was an amazing weekend, yeah.

Jordan:

That sounds so great. Wait, wait. I saw your post of you saying that you are in love with the city and how you feel amazing there, so I read that whole thing and I just forgot what they're called. But I've actually heard about these before, cause like I have listened to another podcast, which is two girls, one ghost.

Fabienne:

And it's like a paranormal, like spooky, like.

Jordan:

I love their podcast, I don't like their. I I haven't listened in a while and I don't like all of the episodes. But this girl mentioned how she went to visit someplace in Massachusetts and I think I don't know where she currently lives now, because I know one of them lives in LA and the other one lives on the East Coast of the United States, but I don't know exactly where. But she went to visit someplace in Massachusetts and she said that like when she was there, she felt amazing. She was like like she felt connected to the area, like something like this to that effect, which gave me the same vibes of what you were saying in your post. And I was like, oh my goodness.

Jordan:

Basically, when she looked up and I don't know what, how it's connected and how you look it up but there's like places in the world and if you fall along one of those lines and it's connected to you, they're actually show. It's like where, if you felt really connected or you felt really positive and you find that area where you feel really good, you're happy. That's actually supposed to be like one of the spots of like. If you can live there, that's actually like a good thing, but I don't. I wish I knew what they were called. But then there's also like the opposite of that. So it's like if you're, if you feel really bad and not good in, like technically, the other side, supposedly where you're supposed to be, so I wish, and I was trying to look it up too before we recorded, but I couldn't figure out where that episode was to look it up. But she mentioned it and that's almost like I feel like that's your spot too, like where you should be, like oxford, I mean.

Fabienne:

Anyways huh wait, do you um fuck? What's the? What's the word is it? Is it ley lines?

Jordan:

is it? That's what I was originally gonna say, but I don't know if that's necessarily the right word for like where this like, if that's like where you're supposed to be, but there are like, supposedly, areas in the world of like that fits best for somebody, and I wish I knew the name of it, but I couldn't find it we're gonna look this up after we're done recording, because I have to know now.

Jordan:

I like. I found the website to look it up. I ended up deleting it because it made zero sense, because I tried to figure it out for me and nick. And when I figured it out I was like this I can't, or I know I can't do that like nope um but it got you really, though.

Fabienne:

It is so strange though, because it's it's like like I, I can't say this, like I can't say this stuff. I'm not a native speaker, but for some reason, that my english came out so well in oxford too. I mean, obviously, okay, my accent is more like american, like I'd say, um, but my english was so well, like I felt so at home there. I could find my way. I felt generally. I felt, if you just drop me, like randomly someplace, I could find my way back to like the apartment where we were staying at, or like the city center or like you know, like a random cafe or like it was. It was just like Amsterdam to me, but also, obviously, very different, yeah, but it was.

Fabienne:

It was so strange.

Jordan:

Did people think you were like, not a tourist. They thought you actually lived there.

Fabienne:

I can't say for sure. I mean I'd love to say of course they didn't think that I was a tourist. I mean that's the biggest compliment that you can receive if you are actually a tourist in a different city. But we, of course, we, we still looked like tourists. I mean we were like walking with you know, like determination to like from point a to point b. We had like, uh, my mom had like a little um, um, a little crossbody bag. I had a little crossbody bag. We were looking at our phones. There was maps still um. So yeah, we were.

Fabienne:

Obviously we were still like we look like tourists, but I didn't feel like a tourist also because I had been there before. So maybe that made a difference for me as well. But it was fantastic. That weekend I, um, I got out and I proposed you know what you stay in and I'm gonna get a coffee from like a place you know like a little, a little a ways from here, because, um, I woke up so early, like at 6, 30 or so, and the cafes they don't really open or like the coffee places, they don't open before 8 am so when it?

Fabienne:

was like 10 to 8. I I said, you know, mom, you, just, we were already both awake. I was like you stay here. You, just, you know, you call dad, my father, um, and just you know, let him know that you're awake, whatever, um, let him wish you a happy birthday and I'll just go grab us a coffee and like a little pastry just to like start off the day. You know, positive Um and I you know I was was wandering, like walking through the streets and the birds were singing and chirping and the weather was nice and it was just lovely oh, that sounds so good it was really lovely and then you bought like books, because I saw your one post yes, which I'll show you or should I wait for that?

Jordan:

oh my god, no, show me. I want to see. But like did you end up? Because, like I also saw your post about that page tune, I think, yeah, yeah, did you end up still? Are you still reading it? Did you put it down? What?

Fabienne:

no, I'm still reading it. I'm still reading it, but I'm not.

Jordan:

Yes, yes, you're not obsessed.

Fabienne:

Did my face give?

Jordan:

that away your face kind of did. It was like the face of yes, I'm still reading it, but I'm not obsessed.

Fabienne:

What's new? No, I think maybe because of all the changes that we have gone through like either with the podcast, me changing my aesthetics, like my theme on Instagram I haven't felt obsessed with the book in a long, long time. So I wouldn't go out and say fairly soon about a book like, oh, I'm obsessed, I loved it, I do really much enjoy this. That's that much you're getting Is it romance?

Jordan:

It is romance, yes.

Fabienne:

I think it's adult. I saw a tagline somewhere. I can't find it now, of course.

Jordan:

Um, I think it's a new adult contemporary romance I mean wait, sorry, going based off what you're saying, like I actually besides where's molly? I cannot get myself to pick up a dark romance, for whatever reason. I just like can't do it, I'm like struggling. So it's either it's either romanticcy, which I think is like my new thing for this year, not that romanticcy wasn't it.

Jordan:

I'm just like I want that, or I want the really light, fluffy reads, but I cannot pick up a dark romance to save my life, which not that I'm trying to force myself, but I really wanted to read God of Malice by Rena Kent. Yeah, but I like actually that amount of times that I've picked it up and put it down is a lot Basically, yeah.

Fabienne:

You saw that first one in a series, cause I know that people have been recommending it, at least to me. I not sure about you so no one's recommending it to me. Maybe that's why you're putting it down. Someone has to like drill you into the fact, like start reading.

Jordan:

Yeah start, well, start. I've. I've heard mixed things of like because technically these are the kids, so like you should start off with the parents. But like I've seen so many people just dive into this series and like Rena has so many books that I'm like I can't commit to a parent's story just to get to these that I want to read. So I'm going to read these and then maybe, if I like them, I'll go back to the parents. Okay, show me your book.

Fabienne:

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry no don don't be sorry, you can go off on a tangent about books any time, okay, so page tunes yes, um, seven summers, um it's about. It's a dual timeline, contemporary romance where she met like a guy six summers ago and they have this pact.

Fabienne:

Actually it reminded me a lot of um november, 9, novemberth okay yeah, where they like meet up every single year and if anything changes their story, it doesn't matter. Anyways, I actually like the writing, it's first person perspective and, um, it it takes place, at least for now, in, I want to say, the cotswold, that's not true cornish coastline, completely different side of england. Um, I also got a thriller because, you know, since we started talking about thrillers more often, I felt really drawn to this one show that had crime, mystery and thrillers. I'm like heck, yeah, um, and also this spoke to me, this cover oh, oh, in, ooh in the woods, dun, dun, dun.

Fabienne:

I had to get this one because it says in the woods and I know you kind of hammered it down like a last or like that doesn't really make any sense whatsoever. Long ago there was a post on instagram where I posted about a book and it said, like one of the titles was um house in the pines, and you said you had to get oh yes, because it's like your other instagram tag, like your other um handle close. Yeah, end up not getting it because, like the blurb didn't really speak to me. But then I saw this one and I'm like you know, this is as close as it gets in the woods by tana french, I believe, is how you say her name. It's a detective um and it takes place in ireland. Oh, and I'm not familiar with irish culture, folklore, history, you name it um, but it sounded really intriguing honestly, I really like the cover right.

Fabienne:

It's really pretty so I would have bought it for that solid choice. People who say that they don't buy books based on the covers. They're just like blatantly lying, fucking liars. Exactly, I got another mystery, but it's a dark academia mystery with a touch of witchcraft, but from a historical standpoint, and it's called the Furies.

Fabienne:

And the tagline reads you'd kill to be one of them by. I probably would honestly same. It's by katie lowe and I feel like, um, we've talked about secret history a little bit before. Um, if you were villains, yes, you know, like those types of books.

Jordan:

I still need to read both.

Fabienne:

I still need to read if we were villains. So if you're up, just let me know and we can do a buddy read oh actually can we please?

Jordan:

Okay, sorry, continue.

Fabienne:

Yeah, we can. And yes, yes, wow, the Furies, not if Reveal the Furies. And then the last one that I got is a science fiction, historical novel. It's a really weird mix of genres, but why I say science fiction and historical is because, um, it's about time traveling. Oh okay, that was so sci-fi, but it also takes place in the past.

Fabienne:

So historical I like it also, I got this because it predominantly like the. The present timeline takes place in oxford in the future, in 20 oh 2060, like 2060 and I thought that sounds incredibly cool. That's cool. I got this book obviously in oxford duh.

Jordan:

So you had.

Fabienne:

It was like you had to buy you had to get it so I got four books, which was uh, yes, you know, didn't really need to spend any money on any more books because I still have in it no, you need to spend all the money on all the books, so you really are a little tiny devil on my shoulder, aren't?

Jordan:

you? I really am. Um, no, because, like, I feel like book buying, it buying is its own hobby, as reading it is. It is. And I've realized about myself that if I'm not doing good, whether it's whatever way I go, buy books, so we'll just say that I bought a lot of books this month and I'm okay with that. Well, it could be worse, could be drugs, you know, honestly, yes, yes, could be alcohol too.

Fabienne:

So cigarettes, you name it. Books is a safe choice to have an addiction to? Yes, yes, uh, have you? Uh? Well, you said you got a lot of books. Can you name a few? Can you show me, can you talk about them a little?

Jordan:

actually okay. So now I'm fully at my mom's house. We are out of the apartment, so a lot of like between moving and coming here, things have gone all over the place. So I posted some of the books I got recently on my Instagram with that one stack. Um, I don't even know where they ended up because not all of them are here in this room, because I know that was only like a portion of what I got, because I didn't want to hold this huge stack of books that I got. So I was like, okay, I'm just going to show like some of them, but I think some of them might be, because we put extra stuff in my mom's basement and we have some stuff in her attic. I have some stuff in this room and I can't even find everything and I think how can you not find anything in this room?

Jordan:

Well, in this room, yes, but if it's gone somewhere else then I can't find it. But I have to say, moving is so stressful. I hate moving and I know, like who likes moving. But I think too, because we had to move so fast, like we couldn't pinpoint like what a weekend to move and we were going to move a different weekend, but like something came up so we couldn't move that weekend. So then it got pushed to. It was supposed to be last weekend, but nick likes watching the masters, it's like one of his favorite weekends. So we then moved during the week and that was horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible.

Jordan:

10 out of 10 do you not recommend?

Fabienne:

did you manage like a with work?

Jordan:

I mean, obviously you did so it was after work that we did it and it was like a lot of like yeah, it was just, but I understand because, like nick didn't want to move during the masters, so we made it work because like technically the weekend we would have done was not an option anymore, so it had to be like during the week, which is fine, like we made it work. But it was a lot of I was hoping to to be able to go through, like the things in our apartment to figure out what we really needed, because, like a lot of extra stuff, like things could have been donated, recycled, thrown away. But it got to the point that it was like crunch time so everything just got thrown in boxes and bins and bags to bring here. So then when we got here I was just like, oh my God.

Fabienne:

There was no organizational skills, no like things.

Jordan:

It was just grouped together so like unpacking and we're still not fully unpacked and things have just gone right back up to the attic because it just we needed to get it out of this space and it's fine, like it will, we'll figure it out. But I know to like technically I leave for Amsterdam, like next week. So it's like and it's so funny because because nick is like I can't believe you're, we're moving in and then you're leaving, and I'm like technically I had this trip booked since september, so I asked you if you wanted to keep the apartment for another month and we move next month. And he was like, absolutely not so who's so?

Fabienne:

whose fault is it actually? Huh, whose fault is it really here? I know, I know.

Jordan:

But at least now and it's so funny because today too, like he actually went back to the apartment to clean it and like hand them the keys and stuff, like that, and I was like I kind of wanted to go with him for like one more time so then we could walk to the like coffee shop one more time and do all these things like I'm actually so sad we're gone, like I understand, like this is for the best and it's a step forward in the right direction, because, like we yes, like living in providence as much as I loved it, I couldn't save like for the life of me, like everything went towards rent or like if we were to like do something like it, just like saving was not something that either of us were able to do.

Jordan:

So at least living here we'll be able to save to make that like next step. So it's like I know it's like needed, but I was so sad to leave and I'm still so sad to leave providence, like if we could have stayed, that would have been amazing yeah but, like I said, it's like it's a big step in like the better direction, like for the greater good as well.

Fabienne:

That sounds a little, maybe too dramatic, but you know what I'm trying to say like. But you know, saving money, the buying an actual house, like a plot of land to build a house, even that's maybe thinking too big, but you know but like, and that's like what we want to do.

Jordan:

We just have to figure out, like where, and like to save the money up for it, which we plan on doing. But like I have a story because so I've been like so tired because we basically have been moving and I actually stop, yeah, yeah, and so it's been go, go, go. So I I went for a run yesterday. I actually went for a run today too, because the weather's supposed to be really shitty next, the next few days. So I wanted to go for a run and we have this like park wooded area near me or near my mom, that now I can start running out again. So I went for a run yesterday.

Jordan:

After my run, I had to go to the grocery store, went to the grocery store, leaving the grocery store, I wanted to stop and get a coffee before going home. So I get in the line for Duncan drive-thru and there's probably like a good like three or four cars in front of me and I'm just like waiting in line. I'm the next person in line to pick up my coffee and I realized I never fucking ordered my coffee. I was like what the fuck am I doing? Like I just. And then I got out and I drove away and I just drove to the next Dunkin.

Fabienne:

How many people were now in front of you? Actually, nobody.

Jordan:

Nobody was in front of me. So I like what I kind of wanted the people that were in front of me, because then you knew the coffee was going to be fresh because they were like keep, they were people were drinking it, so it would have been fresh. But I don't know what it was, I just like completely bypassed the window to order and went pilot yeah, and I was just and I was like, what am I doing?

Jordan:

and I just think that just goes to show you how tired I am. So, yeah, so that was my yesterday, also today, which, granted, like, when this comes out, it will be out. But so you know, the post I posted today of the book, yeah Well, I had to archive that post because I wasn't supposed to post it until tomorrow. This is stupid. Yeah, supposed to post it until tomorrow? This is stupid. Yeah, I the so I knew that the cover reveal date was on the 17th, but I thought today was the 17th, so I posted it. And then I see an email coming through being like oh, I hope you guys are like able to post tomorrow about the cover reveal. And I was like, are you kidding me?

Fabienne:

I thought that was today.

Jordan:

So and like technically, and tired. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She got back to me and she was like no worries, a day early that's totally fine, but I archived it because I didn't want to delete it and then post the same thing again, especially since it's been hours later. So I archived it and I'll bring it back up tomorrow, okay.

Fabienne:

Well, I'm curious then about the algorithm and, like the engagement, if you even like, still look at that.

Jordan:

So I don't fully understand it, and I almost am jealous of those people that have the digital marketing background, because I would love to pick your brain about that, if anybody does have that. But the algorithm was actually not that great. Like a couple hours later I only had like 55 likes. But there was a lot of comments though, so I'm curious if those just got deleted or if those will come back when I unarchive it.

Fabienne:

I'm not sure how that works, I think everything that like in the state that you archive a post, like the amount of saves, the amount of likes, the amount of comments, that doesn't change. It goes back up the way in the manner you see, or like archived it, that doesn't change. Now, oh, but I, but I have no clue. If anything like comes after, like people, I feel like a notification that it's back up again.

Jordan:

I mean yeah, I have a feeling like it will kind of lose like any traction it already got. So what I'll probably do is just share it on my stories again. But I, I feel and maybe I'll talk about the book on my stories because I I do feel bad posting it early, but I swear to god, I thought that today was the 17th. Like I knew, it wasn't supposed to be talked about until the 17th. I just thought today.

Fabienne:

You know again, it's it's. You're tired, you know like they're gonna get you some slack. It's fine, it's fine it's fine, everything's fine. I'll share the I'll share the hell out of it too, just like story after story after story your post, one after another, after another after another.

Jordan:

But I am happy that we're like finally moved in, so hopefully things can like calm down again.

Fabienne:

Yeah just a little, just a wee bit just to take up some pressure off the kettle. Does that make sense? Does that translate? I?

Jordan:

understand it, but we definitely do not have that saying should be a saying.

Fabienne:

It's a fun saying take pressure anyways. Okay, it doesn't really matter. Can I circle? Yes, oh no, no what were you gonna say?

Jordan:

what were you gonna say?

Fabienne:

something very important. No, yes, I uh. I wanted to circle back to a comment you made earlier, or said earlier, about how romanticy is basically your fall back to genre. These days, like this is the genre of the year, are you reading a romanticy?

Jordan:

well I finished. I finished Fate of the Sun King and that was my first five-star read of 2024, which was so good and I highly recommend this series. The fourth and final book comes out in November of this year and I'm so excited and I can't wait for it, but I feel like I just want more like romanticist books. I've been reading a lot of light and fluffy reads too, like Lynn Painter's books, um, but like because I, oh no, no, you go, you go have you read um?

Fabienne:

is that Elsie Silver's new book? Like the?

Jordan:

Wild Love Okay. So I've heard mixed things about it. Like I've heard people are loving it, but I heard a lot of people say that it's like their most disappointed read of the year. So I don't know who to like judge, because it's like the people I would take recs from either, or and I'm like ooh. So I'll hear someone be like oh, my God, I loved it. It's like my new favorite read of 2024. And then other people are like this is my most disappointing read of 2024.

Fabienne:

Interesting.

Jordan:

And I'm like hmm.

Fabienne:

Is this a first new series after the cowboy ones?

Jordan:

Yeah, and I don't think it's like cowboy, because I think Ford is actually. Ohd is willow willa willa's brother and he he's like a he like lives, isn't he like in the music industry? Or he's like he's got like an actual like corporate job, I thought, or something like that. So I don't know, and I think I'm not like the biggest fan on like single dad type tropes, so I think that's what this one is Like he finds out he has a kid or some shit.

Fabienne:

I love Heartless, I know.

Jordan:

I do really like Heartless. So it's like I guess I can't say that because Heartless is everything and it's like the best book ever. I love that book so fucking much.

Fabienne:

It's a fantastic book actually. I really did love it too Good. Ok, so Romanticy. Actually, because that was my initial question, I am half, half is lying around.

Jordan:

I want to read that one so badly. Did you see what book I was grabbing? Yes, it's like that I've. I've been seeing it on instagram like the house of lies and shadows or something.

Fabienne:

Sorrows, yeah, house house of lies and sorrow, the fae of rewife rewith. I have no clue how to pronounce that shit. It's always like mystical and, like you know, fantastical. I can't pronounce that Fae of something by Emily Blackwood. I didn't know that this was such like a long series. Apparently it has like five, six, seven books.

Jordan:

Out already or there's going to be.

Fabienne:

No, already.

Jordan:

Holy shit. Yeah, I didn't know that either.

Fabienne:

Sorry, no, continue, okay, no, already. Holy shit, yeah, I didn't know that either, because, sorry, neither did I know. Continue, okay. Okay, ma'am, I'm now looking at that, but I think I think it's um. Now, this is a dark um fantasy romance, and I think that's what it all basically comes back to, like how we originally like started, or at least how I originally started my instagram.

Jordan:

Like with the fantasy romances, and then, you know, like the, the leap to or like into dark romance, um, but somehow dark fantasy romance always does it for me like the fantasy and the romance and the dark I think I love it oh I, I feel like fantasy is like the one genre that I don't think I could ever get sick of, like I think I could always pick up, as long as it's like a good fantasy, because it's I mean, maybe I shouldn't say that, but I feel like I've never gotten sick of a fantasy, but, um, I need you to read Trial of the Sun Queen, then I will, and that's like the one that, like I read the full estate of the.

Fabienne:

Sun King.

Jordan:

Okay, perfect, I'm so glad I actually really want to read Holly Renee's new series plus her old series, the Kingdom no, the Veiled Kingdom is the new one, and then the stars and something no it sounds familiar, at least the author's name sounds familiar.

Fabienne:

But I can't do. I need to look it up and like and then dawn like the shit, shit, uh dawn here a kingdom of stars and shadows, a kingdom of blood and betrayal, a kingdom of venom and vows and a kingdom of oh, yes that. I think that's fully completed too uh, something, something else, yeah, I maybe Venom and Vows, a Kingdom of Fire and Fate, and that actually is from a series called the Stars and Shadows. And then there is this series called Veiled Kingdom.

Jordan:

Yes, I want to read. I've heard so many great things about that series, like the first book in the Veiled Kingdom series. But then I don't know about the other other series, the first one that you were talking about, like I haven't, and I don't know if, maybe because it's like older now, like people don't really talk about it. But I do kind of want to read that series too, maybe because it's just like completed. So that's a good one to like start with.

Fabienne:

I get that. Hey, you have also sorry, I'm seeing now like, um, if you like this book, maybe start reading this book too. Um thingy, you know danielle l jensen, yes, and you have read and this is not a book by a book of hers, though, but you have read this um viking folklore fantasy book. I remember a while ago there was this book. It was fantasy ish, it was mystical.

Jordan:

Um nordic folklore, norse myths, vikings does that ring a bell like the north Star or something? I think it's by like Monica, yeah maybe Monica, it's not Murphy, it's Monica.

Jordan:

Oh, monica, james North of the Stars. I only read the first one and I tried to get into the second one and I just like, couldn't, it's just but into the second one and I just like, couldn't, it's just but well, because this book, or by I should say, danielle L Jensen, a Fate Ain't in Blood book, one of the saga of the unfated, it sounds really promising.

Fabienne:

It actually has a great score on Goodreads, like 4.1 out of5 and a 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon. Oh, it's a shield maiden talk. It talks about a shield maiden. Oh, fantastic history, fantasy, fiction, romance, romantic fantasy, viking romance might want to. I might want to read that one too. I have. The list gets longer and longer it does.

Jordan:

It's never ending. I actually have. I belong to the Probably Smut Book Club and that was last month's pick, so hopefully I'll be getting it in the mail this week. But I'm like kind of hesitant because I heard that her like kingdom, oh shit.

Fabienne:

Oh, the Bridge Kingdom.

Jordan:

Yeah, I heard, I loved those first two books. Oh, you did, I heard I did. Yeah, like shit on them.

Fabienne:

So I was like I don't need to read them. I think do those same people. Do they read like really smutty fantasy books, like really smutty romances.

Jordan:

I don't know, this was like a while ago, so then I kind of wrote it off then.

Fabienne:

So I can't remember, like, who talked about it. Okay, um, the first two are about, well, this woman, and then obviously this, well, not obviously, but like this one man, um, and they, she's like married off to him and, um, it's from the female perspective, like from the woman's perspective, and a third person, um, narrative as well, by the way. And then the second two books are from her brother's perspective, who also marries another, well, woman's, all very hetero, um, but so we have, like the sister and the brother, um, so two duologies and one for series. But I really love the first two books.

Fabienne:

I haven't read the other two, um, but I really like the style of writing. It was very, um, omniscient. There were, um, the characters were like well rounded, um, the dialogues were great, the ambience, ambience of like the entire, you know like story itself was really was really like palpable on the pages, like, yeah, through the pages too, and I don't know like the story really sucked me in and I thought it was really authentic. It was a very original story. It did end kind of abruptly, I'd say, but then again I could also not have written it better myself. It was an interesting ending and there is not a lot of smut. Actually, there's only one scene that actually sort of dives into a sort of like sexy smexy scene, but that's it.

Jordan:

Nothing, very detailed, nothing honestly, I'm like kind of here for that more like I don't need super like, I don't mind like a super smutty scene, but like then let's keep it to one. Like I'm kind of like here for that more than super smutty, but if it works for the story, I just kind of go back to Hollow Heathens versus Bone Island. I feel like Bone Island. I actually didn't mind that that was super smutty, but the plot in itself was amazing and spectacular. And then I go to Den of Vipers. I could not read that now or anything like that now. Like I do not. No, absolutely not.

Fabienne:

I don't, I don't, I can, just I can't. I feel like I can't take it seriously anymore either. Like I'm reading that I'm like, but what is the purpose? I know, you know there is no purpose and maybe that is the purpose, that this mud is the purpose, and it's fine. But I can't read that anymore with a straight face, like how am I to enjoy this? What is there to gain?

Jordan:

I laugh at past me that read that book. No offense to the author, no offense to anybody that loves that book.

Fabienne:

No, you do you Because I loved it. When I read it too, you seem, but I just can't go back to that anymore?

Jordan:

No, absolutely not Wait. So can you tell me what you're currently reading?

Fabienne:

Yes, House of Life and Sorrow. So far reading.

Jordan:

Oh my gosh, I should pick up a fantasy.

Fabienne:

I am not too far in yet, because I picked it up before we went to Oxford, but then, as I've talked about it, as I said before before I should say we walked a lot, didn't read a lot, there wasn't a lot of time for reading, so I'm only at page 57. But I'm reading this one, then, and so far it's pretty okay. I like the writing, I like the formatting, which also helps because I'm reading it, as you can see, in paperback.

Jordan:

I like the formatting, which also helps because I'm reading it, as you can see in paperback. I have heard amazing things about it, so I think you're going to really like it.

Fabienne:

So I have too. So it does keep me going, so to say Okay, Okay, and you know we do love a tall, dark, broody, mysterious fae prince. You know we're kind of, yeah, we do.

Jordan:

Yeah, we do love a tall, dark, broody, mysterious fae prince. You know we're kind of yeah, we do, yeah, we do.

Fabienne:

So I'm reading this and I'm enjoying that. I'm also reading Steel. I have to because I don't even know the title anymore. I've been reading it for so long. It's the second book in the war of lost hearts by clarissa broughtment oh, children of fallen gods. But because I'm reading that on my phone and for some reason I really like to read paperback nowadays, yeah, um, my phone just like gets know, like the books on my phone just they get put on the back burner, so to say. So I oftentimes just forget that I'm reading a book on my phone too, but I am actually still reading it, because I did read this on the plane, also fantasy, but great, still great storyline, fantastic role building. The characters are like you know, they're really well put together and they're realistic in the way that they think and speak and act in, of course, their fantastical setting. So, yeah, I'm reading that and also also, also, I started this one.

Jordan:

Yeah the Seven Sum, seven summers, one, the contemporary romance I hope you like like it, because now I want to know your thoughts on that one. So I want to know. So I'm hoping you can finish it, just so I can know what you think about it is that wait?

Fabienne:

but you haven't read this one right? No, or have, or have you oh okay, so you're just trying to okay.

Jordan:

I just want to. I know I want to read one of her books, but I a lot of people talked about a different book of hers that I don't remember which one. They talked about that when we remember, when we first started Bookstagram or when we first met on Bookstagram and you switched out of YA and you started like kind of diving into like dark romance, I feel like that was when I saw page two and like this one book of hers everywhere, but I don't remember what book it was, but I feel like so I do want to read something of hers, I just don't know what okay so that's why I kind of want to know what you think I kind of like the um, the cozy setting of the um, um the uk coastline, and like the, the small town vibes, and like the um wrong time, wrong place type of romance, and I love the dual timeline too.

Fabienne:

So you know, I think it's like um, I wouldn't say a love triangle, it's more like a love v, because she has to like, choose between two men, um, but I think this might be a right up your alley. But I'll keep you posted, of course I'll keep you updated, naturally.

Jordan:

Good, you better be. So what are?

Fabienne:

you reading at the moment okay.

Jordan:

So I actually just finished this arc that I was supposed to read Older, by Jennifer Hartman, which I don't know if you've seen, but everybody's been raving about this book. Five stars, infinity stars. Everybody's obsessed. I'm reading it and I'm like, how is everybody obsessed with this book? Like, don't get me wrong. Really Like, yes, don't get me wrong. Like I liked it, like I liked it, I liked it, I finished it. 500 fucking pages, I don't think it needed to be. I also okay. So I, yes, and I think I I under.

Jordan:

I think I understand where jennifer wanted to go with this, but I just like, maybe it's, I just didn't feel connected to these characters.

Jordan:

So I'm like I don't care what's going on, like I don't care, like I'm just like there along for the ride, anything could happen, and I don't go to shits and, mind you, I, I'm like reading it and I I have to say things happened in the book, like the way. So it's an age gap and it's like her best friend's dad, so you assume a certain kind of Right I mean it really is but you expect a certain kind of ending and that's not what she gives you. So I did like that, I was surprised, but Okay, and I liked that it was set in the 90s. I was still like I finished the book and I I kept. I actually didn't want to keep reading but I kept reading because everybody's raving about this book and, mind you, I did start to enjoy it a little bit more as I kept reading. But I finished it, being like how are, how are so many people obsessed with this book and I don't know if maybe it's because we read Still Beating first.

Jordan:

Like Still Beating is like the five stars infinity stars for me and I don't know if maybe that's because I just gave all my stars to that book that this book didn't come anywhere close to that. Like that book broke me and then stitched me back together again. This one I, I don't. I don't know if maybe like because I don't, and it could be like I don't mind age gap, but I still don't feel I don't know like what it is, but like maybe because that's like not my cup of tea, like I can still read it. It's not like I can't read it, but I just can't connect to the characters because I can't imagine being with someone that's like you're like that much of an age gap, maybe maybe like that's what it is, but like still beating, I'm like that.

Jordan:

That book is everything, everything so yeah and I have heard that other people were saying like messaged me when they saw my review, being like I get what you're saying, because I have not read any of Jennifer's other books and I was like maybe that's what it is and maybe like still being just like put too much of like on Her books are really good, like her writing's really good and stuff. I just I just don't. I I still don't fully understand how people are so obsessed with this book.

Fabienne:

It's funny you say that because I started reading Lotus, also by Jennifer Hartman, and it's not necessarily a followup. It's well, it's not a followup.

Jordan:

But isn't there somebody that's in still beating, or someone that's mentioned because it was someone that disappeared and then that it's his story or something?

Fabienne:

it's one of the characters that also, um, uh, were mentioned in general. Uh, instigating, yes, okay, but it just dragged on and dragged on for too long and every single chapter just the same as the one before and I just stopped. Oh, really, yeah, I just stopped. Oh, honestly, I was like two-thirds in, I was like, yeah, okay this doesn't interest me anymore yeah.

Jordan:

And I don't know if like because I. So the thing is is I probably would have stopped reading older if I didn't have the arc of it and needed to write a review and like I'm glad that I did have the arc to finish reading it because it was like. I would say like if anybody loves an age gap to read this book because you would, I guarantee you would like it. But I think and who knows this could be seen as a spoiler. So if you don't want to like, get the spoiler. I would say skip 30 seconds from this point. But, um, like, there's a point like clearly they stop seeing each other because they're found out, because it's an age gap and it's taboo.

Jordan:

And I what I really wanted is I wanted that like 10 year gap of them not seeing each other and then they come across each other. I wanted that 10 years later He'd be dead, but like, but I wanted that. I wanted that Like we haven't seen each other and like they both had moved on or something like that. I wanted that full blown. And then they see each other and then they're like oh my god, wait, you're my person, but that didn't happen. So I was, I didn't, and I think, because it I don't know it was just like a even keel mediocre book for me. I mean I gave it four stars, like it's still like a good book. I just it's not infinity stars.

Fabienne:

Yeah, it just didn't give me that still beating feeling yeah, oh, I hate that when it happens, when you're like so well, not where you are like so I guess, excited for a book, but because you have read a book before by the same author, you know, you, you, that author, like to such like high standards, like in such like high regard of their writing style, and then then the other book that you're picking up by them is like yeah, this is not cutting it for me, I'm sorry, it's just, it's just a bummer, it's a bummer.

Jordan:

It. It honestly is, is, and I was just like I'm a sad face inserts my own sad face, yeah, yeah. But then I started reading this, which, granted, I didn't get very far. I read one chapter. It's called raiders of the lost ark by joe cigar go, but mind you. So I read a chapter and then I I put it down because I had to finish older. So I was like Jordan, you can't. So I put it down. But then today I tried, like listening to it at work, but then I ended up just listening to the same chapter I've read. So now I'm in chapter two for both spots, but I just like, I don't know, like I feel like this one would be really cute, but I think I might not be in the mood, so I might have to just like try a fantasy.

Fabienne:

I think that's like what I need to do that's like your reset, like your um palette cleanser, if you will just give me a dark fantasy as a palette cleanser well, I mean, if I'm reading house of lies and so hint, hint, hint, hint.

Jordan:

I know, is it on Kindle Unlimited? Can I like?

Fabienne:

Honey, I have no clue. I don't have Kindle Unlimited. I can't check that for you.

Jordan:

I'm so sorry.

Fabienne:

No, that's okay, it's okay, it is. Oh see, there you go, nice Also the paperback's only 14, so like maybe I'll just buy the paperback the one here wasn't wasn't expensive either, so I got it yeah I know that's what we love to see um, is that it actually? I think that's it okay, okay, cool. That's all folks. That's all for now. Thank you so much for listening.

Jordan:

And please don't forget to rate and review wherever you can find us, so catch you next time Bye.