Five Books Perfect for Summer Reading with Reading Through Life Podcast Hosts Sarah and Mia
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Since we’ve been talking about motherhood and its portrayal in the media, I wanted to bring on a couple of guests who can help us dive into representation in books as well. Mia Sutton & Sarah Hartley, hosts of the Reading Through Life podcast, join me on the episode and share some great tips on how to read more and why they like reading books about moms that have more dimension. They also share their top five book recommendations just in time for summer reading. Whether you’d already call yourself a reader or you want to get to that point, you’ll love listening in on this episode.
TOPICS DISCUSSED
Tips from Mia & Sarah on how to read more books
The similarities between making time for reading and making time for writing
A discussion on the portrayal of motherhood in books and whether or not that has evolved over the years
Mia & Sarah share their top five book recommendations for moms
RESOURCES MENTIONED
WRITING PROMPT
What type of books have you enjoyed reading in the past? Which book recommendations from Sarah and Mia spoke to you the most and why?
GUEST BIO
We’re Sarah and Mia and we’re two best friends who would love to live inside a library. We believe that there is no better company than that towering pile of 73 unread novels you have sitting on your nightstand. And if we don’t get the quiet time to dive face first into a book each day, we get really stabby (don’t call the cops on us… yet).
CONNECT WITH SARAH AND MIA
-
Jackie Leonard 00:03
Hi, me and Sarah, welcome to the podcast. Hi. I was telling the ladies earlier that I've never had two guests on. So this will be a new thing that I've new thing for the podcast. And I'm especially excited about this because Mia and Sarah are co hosts of the podcast, reading through life. And we are going to talk more about books today from people who read a lot of books. I was just looking at your last episode, and for the month of May you guys, I don't know what the total number was, but it was like eight books or more between you that's like, insane. And you guys are both Moms. I'm so envious. I'll get into it a little later. But before all that, can you please introduce yourselves for those listening?
00:54
There you go first.
00:56
Me always makes me go first. So Hi, I'm Sarah. I am a mom to two boys, Henry and Harrison. I am a wife of just about 10 years. And I am the creator of a website called the Kindred voice through that we, you know basically help women feel like they are enough. So we do that through workshops, coaching, group programs, all of that kind of thing. So that has been my day to day life for the last seven years.
Jackie Leonard 01:26
Awesome. Oh,
01:27
now it's my turn. Okay. So I'm Leah, and along with Sarah, like Jackie said, We're the CO hosts of reading through life podcast. And I do like some freelance online business management work and a little bit of part time writing coaching with Sarah. I am also a mom to two boys, Dominic and William and I married my high school sweetheart. And yes, we're just as you know, cringe inducing, as everybody says,
01:52
They totally are.
01:55
And, um, so I've been homeschooling my boys now. This is the second year and so that's been its own adventure. But yeah, that's me.
Jackie Leonard 02:02
Awesome. And I can't remind me the ages of both children. For umiya. Did you say yes?
02:09
Oh, Henry is eight and Harrison is four. Okay.
02:13
And for me, Dominic is 13 and William is 11.
Jackie Leonard 02:15
Awesome. Okay. So, to segue, we I like to start each episode this season with talking about something we're feeling guilty of, because we're trying to combat and get to the root of mom guilt. And just as a way to Cleanse the palate before we get into the fun stuff. So I don't know, I guess Sarah, you might go first. Or maybe me at this time. I'll go first. Could you share something you're feeling guilty of this week?
02:43
Yeah, I'll go ahead, go first. My main guilt is always screen time for my kids. Especially because this week, we started summer vacation. And so they're gonna have a lot more iPad time, because I still have to work at some point. And so that's actually what they're doing right this minute. While we're recording this. I was dying to threaten their life. I said, stay out there with your iPads do not come talk to me. And that's, you know, I feel guilty about it a lot of days, just because I don't want that to be the reality. But you know, Mama's got to work. Yeah,
03:16
that's true. So for me, I've been feeling guilty about I don't know how you guys feel about it. But I don't like playing board games. I think that they are torture. And I'd rather get like three root canals. But so my kids love to play them. And I'm always sitting there thinking like, while we're playing, like an hour's long, like Monopoly or you know, or whatever, like all the other things that I could be doing at that exact moment. Like, oh, the dishes need to be washed in the laundry needs to be done. Why am I just sitting here and so my, my youngest, especially really loves board games, and I always feel really bad about being like, oh, mommy's tired, or Mommy's got a lot to do, can we do it tomorrow?
Jackie Leonard 03:53
That's so hard when they want you to do something that you're like, I It's really sweet that you want to play with me, but I really don't like my son starting to get into board games. And Chutes and Ladders is one of the ones that like we weren't gifted and I didn't realize how like, annoying that can never it can never and you'll get so close to the end and then you go down and it's like, Alright, here we go. It's, you know, another 10 minutes of Up and down. So I definitely understand that feeling actually like
04:22
board games, but like kids always want to do like imagination play and I'm like, Nope, that's not Yeah.
Jackie Leonard 04:30
Well, I was laughing because my husband and I had gotten into like, there's this jurassic park board game that's actually really fun. And he had him and I will do that sometimes to like, decompress at the end of the day. And so that's been our activity. And then the screen time 100% That's like a reoccurring just, Is this too much. And then also similar to you. It's like, well, what is it like what am I supposed to do exactly right as I also have to, so there's I feel like there He's not enough like realistic information out there to like, explain real like a way to manage it in a way that feels good for us. Anyway, that's my gripe, but I'll keep this short because it's kind of the meat of our conversation, but I'm definitely feeling guilty this week about not reading enough. I feel like in the last week or so, I've seen a few, like, I've screenshotted like three or four books that I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna get those books, like, I want to read them. And then I was like, I have so many books that I still want to read. And I'm not like I'm not I feel like I'm at that place where it feels so much harder to read. And, and not just like, breaking the seal and going for it. Like, it's kind of like, Oh, it's too hard, I can't do it. And I'll find I'll wait until I have a perfect time. And so I'm really looking forward to just kind of hearing about how you guys do what you do. And, you know, just learn hearing more about that. Because I used to be such an avid reader. I was like the kid that would go to the library and check out the MacBooks and just plow through all of them. I like read, you know, the little kids chapter books like crazy. And at some point that is kind of that broke. And then it's been really hard for me to get back into a rhythm. So yeah, just wanting to talk more about that with you guys.
06:20
We will have all of the tips for you.
Jackie Leonard 06:23
Yeah, so I guess like my main question. My first question before we get into in a little bit your book recommendations is, how do you make time for reading? Like, how does it fit into your life or your daily routine.
06:37
So for me, it's just, it's a non negotiable. I mean, I read literally every single night before bed, I mean, I can be sick as a dog. And I will still read because it's the only way to turn my mind off before I go to bed. I've also found lately that audiobooks are super helpful, because I mean, you can listen while you're doing dishes or whatever. But I will say to my biggest tip that I always tell people is only read what you like, like if you find a book that you think that you should read or the like everybody's talking about, but you can't seem to get into it, get rid of it, there are so many other books to read that you will love that it's like don't waste your time. Like, if you're dreading picking that book up, just get rid of it. Like, that's, I mean, I don't read books that I don't like. And I think that's one of the biggest things is because then I'm so excited to get back into the book.
07:33
I think my tip is to, you know, make it easy for yourself to read, like have you know, books by your nightstand or have your Kindle with you, and you go and you're out at the doctor's office or wherever you are. Because I think people in their minds make reading into being like this, I need a blanket and I need coffee and I need to be snuggled up and has to be perfect. And the aesthetic has to be all lovely. And it's like, just sit somewhere and read like just open the book and read it and make it easy on yourself and don't build it up into being this like, big, big, you know, thing that's bigger than it should be, you know, just just read, that's my tip.
08:05
I've also kind of conditioned my kids to know that reading is my thing. Like that's, that's my hobby, it's the thing that I love to do. And so they know that like throughout the day, I'm going to like, you know, if I have 10 minutes, I'm going to sit down and I'm gonna read. And if they want to play, they can wait the 10 minutes, you know, like, just fit it in, in their little pockets of time that we have as moms because otherwise you're never gonna get to it. You just have
08:30
to know when you're like already. I'm sorry. And then so if you're a mom of like a teenager or preteen, there's many more pockets of time. So now that my kids are older, I can read so much more. And it's wonderful.
08:41
So like, I don't want to talk to you.
Jackie Leonard 08:44
Yeah, well, it's interesting, because I give this advice a lot about writing where I'll say like, five minutes is enough. And I as you guys were talking, I'm like thinking to myself, I never think to myself, oh, I'll just read for five minutes, because I feel like oh, well, I don't want to break it up so much. But it's absolutely doable. And it's it's basically a way to build up your tolerance to because for me, I the nighttime is really when I have my quiet time. And I think to myself, once I anytime I do crack open the book, I feel like I get tired really quickly. Or I can't focus on the story. And I'm like, What am I reading, but I'm hearing a lot of just like, you know, find what you want to pick up and what you want to engage with. And, you know, just kind of keep conditioning yourself to do it. And it seems to be like, just like the same stuff that I say about writing essentially.
09:32
I mean, five minutes is reading a whole chapter in a lot of books. So I mean, you can get through, you know, if you have five minutes a couple of times a day, then you know, in like a week you're probably going to get through a book. So and I also think too a lot of people put pressure on like how much they're reading, which I just think is kind of stupid. Like, you know, if you are somebody who reads 200 books a year, fantastic. If you're somebody who gets through 10 books in a year, that's great too. Like what I mean who cares how many books you read? Yeah.
Jackie Leonard 10:01
Are you guys like? And I'd be a different answer for each of you. But are you more like speed readers like you can read really quickly? Or do you like to kind of like, take your time and process?
10:13
I think we're probably both speed readers. Yeah.
10:16
You get the books pretty quickly.
10:18
Yeah. And I've noticed that if I am listening on audio, I usually have it on like two times the speed. And so that I mean, that definitely helps, too, because and I do a lot of what I call hybrid reading, I have no idea if there's a technical term for this, but like, I will get both like the physical copy and the audio copy of a book. And then I'll flip back and forth between the two. So like, if I can't sit down and physically read with my eyeballs, I will turn on the audio version, like when I go to work out because I work out every day. And so I'll just turn that on. So that I'm still reading, but it's just in a different format.
Jackie Leonard 10:52
Yeah. I think my ideal situation is that I would listen to the audiobook and follow along in the book. So I feel like I want to be read too. But I really liked that process of having the book in front of me. Yeah. But again, that probably limits that, you know, keeps me from doing it. Let me see. So I'm curious. I mentioned I mentioned this in my email, too. But this season on the podcast, on my podcast, I've been looking at TV, film and pop culture, and how motherhood is represented. And I'm noticing a lot of the time in looking at like shows and movies that, you know, we watched growing up, that a lot of generalizations are made about motherhood, specifically and misrepresentations. And the characters don't feel like they feel very one dimensional, a lot of times, not well rounded, not complex. And I'm wondering, since you guys are avid readers, if you've noticed that the characters that you read that are moms in the books are faring better?
11:58
Um, I think so. I mean, I think it kind of also just depends on what books you're picking up. Because there's certainly books that are made, make the care make the mom, very one dimensional, not important, you know, the stereotypical mom, whether in a good light or a bad light. And so I think that definitely happens. But I think probably we both seek out books, because of the stage of life that we're in that, you know, moms are a little bit more. I don't know well developed, I guess it's a word for it.
Jackie Leonard 12:30
Yeah, or like more. And we'll get into this probably with your recommendations, but they're more likely maybe to be a protagonist, if it was written by a woman. And that might kind of lend itself to just having them be a more well rounded character, because they're not kind of on the sidelines, sideline. They're more front and center in the story.
12:51
Yeah. And I definitely I like reading books with moms as the front and center. But it's where they're not just focused, like the story isn't just about them. Being a mom, it's about them being a mom, but also, they're a business owner, or, you know, they're changing their life and all of these different ways or things like that, just because I think that's that's what most of us are, I mean, we're not, quote unquote, just moms, like, there's so many different aspects to us.
Jackie Leonard 13:18
Yeah. And I like that you make that distinction, because that's what I, I like to emphasize a lot of times too, because people think, you know, with mother's scope and stuff, it's like, oh, it's about motherhood in general. And it's like, no, it's just, it's about centering moms, like as the main characters are, like their voices bringing them up and out, when often they're kind of like compartmentalised or put off on the side. And that doesn't always mean that the plot or the story that they're telling has anything to do with their children or their experiences, moms, it can be about their dating life, it can be about their work, you know, you know, stories and their friendships and all that stuff. And, and when I asked about stories that have moms, that are the main characters, it doesn't necessarily mean it has to be a book about, you know, the plot being about her challenges as a parent or children and whatnot. So I like that you noted that. So I guess since we're heading into summertime, it felt like a really good time to kind of pull both of you and see what are some books that you recommend for moms who like to read or moms who are wanting to kind of bring writing back into their hobbies? You guys have come up with your top five book recommendations for our specific audience and I'd love to hear them.
14:49
So we tried to come up with kind of a mix so that there would be a little something for everybody in the genre. So we have five different books the first, the first one I'm going to tell you about If anybody listens to our podcast, they already know that this book is coming because it is my very, very favorite. My I am I am on a mission to make everybody read this book. That is my whole goal in life I think. And it is called the idea of you by Robin Lee. This is a romance. It is a very, very open door romance. And in case anybody isn't familiar with that concept, that basically means there's like open door and closed door romance, closed door romance is just kind of like hint at the sex that happens. Whereas open door romance, you're kind of getting all the details. And so this one is very open door, it's kind of like you're in the bed with them essentially. So the setup for this one is so Len is a near 40 year old divorcee who takes her daughter Isabel to see her favorite boy band August Moon at the concert the to go backstage to meet the band and sullen meets haze the 20 year old British frontman for the band sparks fly immediately both Solon insists nothing can happen since he's half her age, flash forward to them being involved in a torrid affair all around the world, though no one knows about them for Isabel's sake. But of course, things can't stay hidden for long. And so what I love about this romance novel in particular, I am definitely a romance reader. I love them. But this one has, and I made you read this as well. So she can chime into but this one, there's so much depth to this book, The Solenn character they made her just she she's so well rounded. That it's like you know her. And they, Robin Lee also tackles things like how women get to a certain age, and they're not seeing anymore, or they are just kind of moms. And so it's like, I just kind of consider it like a smart romance. It's not like the fluffy kind of thing. But also, it's very steamy, and you're going to fly through it the very first time I've now reread this like six times. But the very first time I read it, I stayed up till like 3am just finishing it because I could not stop. So I absolutely love this one. It's called the idea of you by Robin Lee and Mia, do you have anything to add about that other than please read it?
17:16
Definitely please read it. But I was very mad like fake mad at Sarah when she told me to read it because I was reading through it. I'm like, How good can this book possibly be? And so I'm reading it. And at the end tears are literally streaming down my face. And I'm texting her like, I hate you. Why did you do that thing? I've read it. So definitely check it out. It's not what you think of when you think of a romance book. It's just, like Sarah said, so smart and sexy, and you just kind of want to be in the book.
17:42
Yeah, and if you develop a crush on Harry Styles, I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry, because he is who Hayes was based on and I now have I have a very uncomfortable obsession with him.
Jackie Leonard 17:56
I have to kind of like bleed together a few past episodes because like you're speaking to the most recent episode that aired about the Real Housewives franchise or my guest, Diana levy was talking about how she really enjoys a series because the main characters are often women in their 40s and older. And she was saying that, like, we often don't get these stories, especially in like cinema and television. And so to have. And she was saying these women of these ages and older are way more interesting than when we're younger. And yet we don't get those stories. And so it really reminded me of like, you kind of highlighting this story as something that was worthwhile for that reason. And we had a guest, Dr. Rowe schlafen, who talks about, you know, just sex and TV and, and film and she spoke to kind of how, as moms, we can kind of tap into our sexy side and kind of like, shift from Mamo to, you know, being more intimate with our partners and whatnot, and a way to do that when there's an app called Dipsy. And she was saying that that app is like a really good one to like, get our minds kind of thinking. But it got me thinking about this book is like a perfect, you know, nightstand book to read and kind of like shift gears and think in a more way, in a way that's, you know, not mom mode or task mode and into intimacy and pleasure. And this is a perfect way to do that in a fun way. And by reading.
19:24
Yeah, and I think Robin Lee did such a great job of making Solenn you know, she she's 40 But like, she's just she's got so much still to give and I think it's so often it's like, oh, well now you're 30 I guess you're dead to the world. So this book is definitely not that.
Jackie Leonard 19:43
Great. All right, let's the next book.
19:46
All right, so the next one is not anything like that at all. But it is called reminders of him by Colleen Hoover. And so I actually got onto the Colleen Hooper train because again, I have to blame Sarah cuz she kept describing these like amazing, intensely emotional books. I was like I have to get on that train because those are totally my books. But so this one is technically classified as like a fictional contemporary romance. But I think we've come to the conclusion that Colleen Hoover kind of needs to be in her own category because her stories, yes, they have romance in them, but they're very deep and emotional and intense and kind of dangerous and sexy. And I feel like she needs to be her own category at the bookstore. But anyway, so reminders of him is mainly a story about like hope, family forgiveness, second chances healing. It's about a woman named Kenna, who has just been released from prison after serving a five year sentence. She goes back to her hometown after she's released, and she's trying to establish a relationship with her four year old daughter that she gave birth to while she was in prison. And the baby was ripped away from her like immediately after birth and sent to be raised by a family. And as the story goes on, you will find out exactly why Kevin was in prison, and what happened to her daughter's father, and so I won't spoil that, but that's a big bombshell. But then you also get to see Kenna kind of fall in love again, with Leger who's a local bar owner. And he knows all about her past. And he's kind of torn between, like, you know, do we pursue this, you know, knowing everything that he knows about the mistakes that she's made in her kind of reputation in the town, that kind of like, you know, do I do I deserve to even be happy? Again? Do we deserve to explore this relationship? So I think that we pick this one, just because we don't often get to see books about like women and mothers, especially in prison, and how being separated from their kids will impact them, obviously, I think it's, you know, very heartbreaking to think about not being there for the first milestones of your child's life. And you know, Kenna has missed a lot of them, her daughter is four years old now, so. And then I also really appreciated how Colleen Hoover, like, didn't shy away from Canada struggles and trying to find a job and trying to find somewhere to live, and advocating for herself now that she has a criminal record. You know, she's trying to show that she can lead a stable life for her daughter and win back custody. But, you know, it's not that easy. Like people often say, like, alright, well, you know, you're out of prison now. And like, make something of your life. Well, sometimes society doesn't make it that easy for you. And so I really appreciated that kind of tension that she explores there. So just a warning, this book will make you cry buckets, but Sarah and I are not even remotely sorry about it, because it's very good. And that's reminders of him by Colleen Hoover.
Jackie Leonard 22:24
Awesome.
22:25
Yeah, the just in general, Colleen Hoover books will just make you cry. Yeah, just kind of a straight up warning for all of those. So the next one I want to tell you about is actually one that Mia has not read yet, I haven't been able to force this on her yet, but I'm still working on. It's called fierce kingdom by Jim Phillips. This one is a thriller. So for anybody who likes like a mystery thriller kind of thing. This is what this one's for you. So it's almost closing time at the zoo, and Joan and her four year old son are heading toward the exit. But just as she gets there, she sees something absolutely terrifying. That sends them both racing into the zoo looking for a place to hide. And for the next three hours, which is the entire length of the book, they have to keep running in the hopes that they will make it out alive. I've seen some reviews where they tell you what the terrifying thing is, don't look up reviews, just read this book. Because if you see what it is, it's still going to be worth read. Because it's still like heart pounding and terrifying. But it's going to be more fun if you don't know what the thing is. So the reason I love this one, I read this one a couple of years ago, and I'm actually going to reread it sometime this summer. But um, it's just it's so heart pounding. It's a quick read. And so I think that's why it's also great for summer because it's just something that you can fly through because you're not going to want to put it down because you're like, Oh my God, what's going to happen to these people? So I think it's wonderful. There's very mixed reviews on the books, but on this book, but I absolutely loved it. So that is called fierce kingdom by Jim Phillips.
Jackie Leonard 23:59
That's interest. I haven't read a thriller in a while. So that's got me excited. Yeah,
24:03
I'm yeah, I'm not a thriller reader. But I love this one.
24:08
All right. All right. So the next one is called the push by Ashley Adriene. And I think this is kind of a strange and intriguing book that I think will appeal to the WTF nests of the story. I think that you know, people who read it will not be able to put it down because they'll have to know exactly what is going on. So it is a story about Blythe and Blythe wants to be the mom that she never had to her kids. When her daughter Violet is born, she is absolutely exhausted. She doesn't feel that bond with her newborn baby that everyone says that she should. And then as you know, Violet gets older she starts to think that something is wrong with her because she doesn't really behave the way other children do. And her husband foxes gone a lot. And so when he is home, Violet doesn't really behave in that manner. And so he's like, you know, all of this is in your head, you're tired, you know. And so tensions kind of arise in their marriage because Have it. But then later, they do have a second child, a son named Sam. And he's like this beautiful, happy baby. And she finally has that like, blissful connection she always imagined. But then there is this one moment that I cannot spoil, that kind of changes everything in their lives. And it, I think the book just very accurately portrays kind of the exhaustion and the stress and the never ending newness of new motherhood. Kind of like when you are doubting yourself, you think everything that you're doing is wrong. Everyone's giving you like parenting advice, but none of it is working. And you're like, What is wrong with me what is wrong with my child's kind of feeling. And then I also think it's about women being made to feel that their instincts are wrong. She's always being told that she's, quote, hysterical. She's written off by all the people in her life, like her husband, her mother in law, and she just feels very, very alone. And so it's so well written, it is a page turner, you will want to know, is Blythe crazy? Or is violet, really something going on with her? There's another bombshell moment at the very end of the book that when you close it, you're like, What did I just read? What is happening? So I think your listeners will probably find this book, equal parts aggravating and fascinating. But anyone who's been through the newborn stage, I think, will appreciate it for sure.
26:17
I would say don't read this if you are in the newborn stage. Probably not. Maybe wait a couple of years. All right. And then the last one we have for you is a magical realism book. And this is actually I think it's almost brand new maybe came out just in at the end of May or beginning of June, and it's called darling girl by Liz McHale ski. The basic idea behind this book is what would happen if Peter Pan wasn't actually the fun kid who never wanted to grow up and instead was something much more sinister. So in this book, Holly darling seems to have it all going for her. Her teenage son Jack is happy and healthy. Her skincare company is growing really well. And overall life is good. But then she gets a call that her daughter Eden, who has long been in a coma is missing. She's just vanished and no one quite knows where she is. But Holly has a terrifying suspicion that the one who took her as someone no one will, will believe her about Peter Pan. And so what I really liked about this one is that it's taking that fairy tale that we all know and just making it dark. We both really like dark story. dark fairy tale retellings. And so this one was was definitely good. It's I would say this is a little bit slower paced than any of the other books that we've mentioned. But I still think it's really, really good. And it's definitely about the lengths that a mom will go to for her kids. And so that just you know, we can all resonate with that. I think so this is it's a lot of fun. There's a lot of like magical elements of it while still being kind of grounded in reality. And I think that just makes it all the more fun. So that one is darling girl by Liz Mycoskie.
Jackie Leonard 28:00
Was that five books? Yeah, yeah, that is what I love about this is that I haven't heard of any of those titles. So those are all new to me. And they might be to others as well. I'm curious, because I from what I'm hearing is you guys skew more toward fiction, right when you read? Yeah,
28:22
yeah. Me, I think near reads more nonfiction than I do. But I think in general, we probably both read more fiction
Jackie Leonard 28:29
and novel format. Yeah, yeah. And, you know, I think that probably lends itself more to keep keeping up with reading because you're really kind of immersing yourself in stories versus sometimes I find, even though I'm really interested in a book that's maybe nonfiction, like, you know more about like informative or essays, I feel like I have to kind of be more kind of like thinking like, it's like thinking mode versus like, tell me a story mode. So I could see for, for moms who might be struggling with reading because they're tired, or they're just like, like me drawn more to like, Oh, let me just binge watch something and turn off my brain. These kinds of stories are sound really fascinating, but also their fiction. And so there's like this lightness to them that maybe is different than some of the other books that we might be trying to read. You you have an acronym or a name for, like books that you put down, right, that you like,
29:27
Yeah, I think the Bookstagram community calls it DNF so did not finish. And I am ruthless about this. I think I'm starting to change me because she used to never ever DNF books, but I think I think it's growing on her but yeah, I I usually give a book 50 pages or so. And if it hasn't grabbed me, I put it down every once in a while. And I don't I could probably count on one hand how many times this has happened. I'll go back to a book that I do and and I'm like, Oh, this is actually pretty good. And so maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace for it, or I just wanted something different. But very rarely do I go back to a book because like we were talking about before, there are so many books out there like I have so many I want to read. So yeah, I just Nope, I just move on.
Jackie Leonard 30:13
Yeah, I have definitely had that experience where there was a book where I couldn't get into, and then I picked it up later, because somebody was talking about it again. And for whatever reason, it like totally resonated with me. But I like that, because it's like, when you force yourself, then you're just going to be less and less inclined to, to finish it or actually read. Yeah, and
30:35
I think that's one of the ways I know that it's time to DNF a book is like, if I'm going to like if I'm going to bed and I'm like, I don't really want to pick this book up. Or like I find myself picking up my phone instead. Or, you know, just getting very distracted. I'm like, Okay, there's something about this book that I'm just not enjoying. So and when you were talking about nonfiction, too, I tend to I'll have like two books going at a time, one fiction, one nonfiction, and the nonfiction I usually just read like a chapter or two in the morning when I wake up. And then the rest of the day is my fiction book. Because like you said, you have to have a different brain setting to take in nonfiction. Whereas fiction, you can just completely get lost in it.
Jackie Leonard 31:18
Yeah. So if you guys are willing, I have to close this out some rapid fire questions. I'm gonna hopefully I don't repeat any of these because I know we've talked about all sorts of different things. And I may already now know your answers, but we'll see. So my first one and I want you each to answer. Which do you prefer plot or character driven?
31:43
I'm gonna make me go first on all of these. Dang it.
31:47
I would say plot because I think character driven, I get very bored.
31:51
Same answer for me.
Jackie Leonard 31:54
Interesting. I would say I'm more character driven. And so I think, yeah, that's why I'm a slow reader. Yeah, okay. So hardcopy versus digital.
32:06
Digital for me, because we don't have space for hardcopy anymore. So definitely digital.
32:13
I prefer I think, reading on my Kindle, but I also like any books I've absolutely loved. I buy the physical copy of to have on my shelves.
Jackie Leonard 32:23
I've learned that there's like, there's separate hobbies. Now it's like having the book as a hobby and actually like reading it is separate. Like they're separate experiences. Agree or disagree. If I listened to an audiobook, I can say I read it.
32:37
Oh, agree. 100%. Yep. 1,000%.
Jackie Leonard 32:41
Yeah, I've seen some purists out there that are like, No, that's not reading.
32:44
So no, totally reading. Yep.
Jackie Leonard 32:48
Favorite children's book. Oh, either from like your past or with your kids.
32:54
I would say probably A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I don't know if that's technically a children's book. But I always read it as a child. And I read it to my kids every Christmas. And as there's just something about Scrooge. And the heartwarming ending at the end that I really love. So definitely that one.
33:10
I'm gonna say it's called a marry in the night brothers. And it's like a middle grade novel. And it's like fantasy and magic. And I read it and I'm now rereading it with my oldest son. And so we're reading and listening to it. And it's just it's such a fun book.
Jackie Leonard 33:26
Okay, and this is about book adaptations. do prefer Movie or Miniseries?
33:35
I would say normally movie unless it is a giant like 1000 page book and there's no way that they can capture that and the movie, then I would say TV series. So I'm gonna cheat and say both.
33:48
Um, I don't usually watch the adaptations of the books that I read. Unless it's like, like, I know that there's supposed to be a movie of the idea of you. So I will definitely watch that one. But otherwise, I really watched them. But I guess if I had to pick I'd say movie.
Jackie Leonard 34:07
Book Club or bookworm. So talk about the book or keep it to yourself? Oh, goodness,
34:14
probably both. I keep cheating. But I would say both. There are times when I just kind of you know, read it and keep it to myself. But then especially with the podcasts and Sarah and I being book nerds, we talk about them to each other all the time. So both
34:29
I'm gonna say book club, but with me. Because she's the one I like talking about books with. So you know, and that's, we really started the podcast because we were selfish and wanted to talk to each other shop books. Yeah,
Jackie Leonard 34:43
well there and that's kind of why this season I wanted to talk about you know, just experiences engaging with TV and pop culture and stuff because I feel like a lot of times, we receive information or we read books and stuff like that, and we want to talk about it, but we don't have that space to do it. And it's So I love that you guys are doing that together. Because there's something about like the traditional book club format that just doesn't seem like it translates what you actually want to get out of it in times that I've like, tried to engage with book clubs. So you've you found something that works for you to be able to engage with it and have people listen to.
35:18
We're both introverts. So we don't like going out and being in a group of people and having to talk about books.
Jackie Leonard 35:25
So this one I'm modifying because I think I know what your answer would be. So this or that celebrity memoir, or self help book.
35:35
For me, I'd say self help book.
35:37
I'm gonna go celebrity memoir.
Jackie Leonard 35:39
All right. Okay, so last one, and I'll see what you say, Sarah, because you already kind of suggested that maybe you don't have an answer, but an instance where the movie version was better than the book?
35:53
Oh. Oh, no. There's been very few, if any. Honestly, none of them come to mind. I feel like movies inherently just can't capture the magic of the entire book. Yeah, there's always going to be something that has to give. So I don't have an answer for this one. I got nothing.
36:14
Yeah, I definitely don't either. I keep thinking about project, Hail Mary was one of our very, very favorite books in the last forever. And I know that's being made into a movie too. And he it's written by the same guy who wrote The Martian, and I really liked the Martian movie. I've never read the book. And so I'm just like, I'm really hoping that they can capture the magic of project Hail Mary, because it was just, oh, but I don't know that you can, it's gonna be hard.
Jackie Leonard 36:42
Do you feel like there's a Movie or Miniseries that you've seen that as at least like does a pretty good job that you would like to highlight?
36:50
Or you can think, for me, I think it would be the expanse is a TV series on Amazon. And it's based on The Expanse series by this sci fi author, James, SA Corey. And it's kind of about like the future and like space exploration, and I'm a nerd about that kind of stuff. And I feel like the storylines in the in the book in this series, they captured really well on screen again, there's a lot of things that they had to leave out. But I think, taking something as complicated as space exploration, and you know, translating that to the screen, I think they did a pretty good job. So I think that's my recommendation.
Jackie Leonard 37:23
Awesome. Well, I love the idea of bringing people in, who could speak to reading because like I said, so much of this podcast season has been about like film and TV and stuff like that. And part of the intention was to combat like, taking in stories that have adverse effects on us that make us feel more guilty and make us, you know, insecure, and trying to supplement instead, more positive stimulus and all that stuff. And so I think reading books, such as the ones you suggested, are a great alternative, if, if we're noticing that the things that we're watching or listening to more are kind of not as healthy for us as as we realized. So. So I really appreciate these these stories that you guys shared and recommended. And also just like, the more practical advice around how you can fit right reading into your life, and even if you're a mom, even if you're really busy. So thank you. Thank you. How can people? Well, yeah, how can people connect with you after listening? Can you guys share more about either your podcasts or different ways people can engage with you.
38:33
Obviously, the people who are listening to this are podcast listeners. So the very best place to come find us is on our podcast. It's called Reading through life. We have a new episode every Wednesday. And it's I mean, it's it's truly our very favorite thing to do every week, like, we get on and we're just like, we're very giggly together we got me is telling B jokes on our podcast, like, there's just we have, we have so much fun with it. The episodes are all right around 30 minutes, we wanted to be able, you know, we didn't want it to be something that you had to slog through over like several days, because it's three hours long or whatever. So but yeah, every Wednesday we have something related to books. So you can also find us, we have an Instagram just for our podcast, which is just at reading through life pod. And then I run our kindred account, which is just at the Kindred voice. And yeah, that's kind of where you can connect with me.
39:28
And also, we have a Patreon don't forget Patreon sorry. So $5 a month and you get like exclusive bookish goodies every Friday and we're talking like bonus episodes, resources, all kinds of a master book list of everything we read and where you can find it and all that kind of stuff. So lots of fun stuff. Yeah,
Jackie Leonard 39:47
yeah. And I want to advocate just for like, resources like Patreon because we take in so much in you know, information. We get so much entertainment and knowledge and all this stuff, often for free through podcasts and social media and all this stuff. And I just think it's important to think about the fact that people are creating it and putting a lot of time and energy into it. So for for podcasts like yours and stuff, if you find yourself in enjoying it and engaging with it regularly, like, being a Patreon subscriber is such a great way to support people like you who are, you know, creating that content for everyone. So, please it for for this podcast for your podcast, and for other, you know, stuff that you engage with think about, you know, becoming a patriot honors, you know, supporting them financially, because it's so important, especially for moms, because, you know, there's all this language around equal pay and you know, getting paid for the work that we do, and we need to kind of lead by example, as well. Yep, definitely. Awesome. Thank you so much for giving me your time and for sharing more about reading and books with all of us. And I look forward to diving into some of these titles and just growing my reading habits, I feel like you guys have made me feel like I can really do it in a way that I didn't before. So thank you,
41:12
you totally can you got this