Fiction Fanatics
Three friends discuss their favorite books and fanfiction. New episodes every Tuesday!
Fiction Fanatics
Trigger Warning, The Fanatics Get Dark and Twisty
Ever wondered why blank pages can make you cry? Join Chanel, Stacey, and Ashley from Fiction Fanatics as we walk down memory lane, revisiting the emotional chaos of Edward leaving Bella in "New Moon." Stacy shares the joy and chaos of her return from maternity leave, complete with her baby’s adorable podcast debut. The laughs keep coming with Chanel’s late-night binge-texting escapades and our collective need to lighten the mood after watching Zac Efron’s intense performance in "The Iron Claw."
Get ready for a thrilling ride as we reveal our Book of the Month, "Butcher and Blackbird" by Bryn Weaver. This dark, twisted love story between two serial killers has us hooked, especially with its unique trigger warnings and captivating Irish narration in the audiobook. We’re buzzing with excitement for the sequels that promise more dark romance adventures with Rowan's brothers. Whether you’re into true crime, dark humor, or just love a good thriller, this book is a must-read, and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Finally, we get real about dark romance tropes and our favorite themes in fan fiction. From the possessiveness in Hannibal and Will Graham stories to the problematic "therapist I can fix him" trope, we dive into the complexities that make these narratives so compelling. We reminisce about iconic works like "Iron Widow" and explore the allure of complex characters like Draco Malfoy. With a mix of humor and heartfelt reflections, we celebrate the intense and diverse world of dark romance literature, leaving you with plenty of recommendations to add to your reading list.
***Produced by Jen Hardin***
***Produced by Jen Hardin***
You know what comes to mind instantly, instantly with that one New Moon, new Moon with Edward.
Speaker 2:You idiot. That's not what I thought you were going to say.
Speaker 1:When he leaves her in the woods. I don't know why I'm laughing. When I read that book, I was surprised.
Speaker 2:When I read that book, I sobbed, I sobbed. I was in shock. I was like wait, is he coming back? Is he coming?
Speaker 1:back. Is it coming back? Well, it's just the blank pages in the line. I thought it was like the most innovative thing in writing of all time when I saw that it was her being lazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is so innovative. Hi, I'm Chanel.
Speaker 1:Hi, I'm Stacey.
Speaker 2:Hey nerds, this is Ashley and this is Fiction Fanatics.
Speaker 1:And we're here. First of all, I miss you guys. But, chanel, how pumped were you to get my like 2am Like?
Speaker 2:2 am. You only text me, you only text me. I wake up to your text. It's like 10 texts In a row and it's just you talking about a book or a TV show or movie or something that I had already talked to you about. I know.
Speaker 1:Listen. This is what I have to do is say Sam like listen, listen, I'm turning my phone on. Do not disturb, because she'll text all night long when normal people are trying to sleep. I'm like, but if it's an emergency call twice in a row and then it'll go through when it's on, do not disturb I know it's so funny at least.
Speaker 2:But honestly that's that's how a lot of people like, because I same thing. I put my phone on doing a stirb and like my brother. You know he lives overseas. My best friend, molly, lives overseas, so I a lot of times wake up to texts from them because of the time change. So I'm used to it. It's just I haven't had this with Stacy before, so it's funny like just binge texting me about shows or books or whatever. It is so funny.
Speaker 1:I'm like well, she was up last night with the baby watching abbott elementary and then you know, then one night I was up watching.
Speaker 2:Have you watched I know ashley did the iron claw with zach efron that movie, the wrestling movie no, but I heard it was, I heard it's really good and I heard um it's also really sad no, I was crying every wrestling movie.
Speaker 1:I'm sobbing wrestling movie 3am sobbing me. 3am sobbing, watching it I'm like what this? I wasn't expecting that okay I think you need to watch it. One zac efron his acting is incredible.
Speaker 2:And two and two Alan White, is it?
Speaker 1:yes, that's two incredible three. It's all real or it's all a true story. And then I was like reading about it and the true story is even sadder than the movie. They had to cut stuff out, so it wasn't too sad and I was already sobbing yeah, how is that possible?
Speaker 2:It's true, I don't know if I can handle that.
Speaker 1:It's definitely worth the watch, though Just have something happy to watch afterwards. I was watching Archer afterwards to cleanse the palate here.
Speaker 2:Or like the Office or something the Office.
Speaker 1:Yeah, watch the dinner party office episode and'll feel right.
Speaker 2:yeah, I like to watch the uh the um the fire escape episode.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, the cat up you know um, I was just um. There's a tiktok today. I was watching from the episode when there's a bat in the office and dwight's putting glue in the box. He's like you know what.
Speaker 2:No One crisis at a time and he goes back to putting glue in the box.
Speaker 1:Oh my God. They say are you drinking an energy drink at 5 pm? Yes, dude, what do you mean? Am I drinking an energy drink at 5? My day has just begun, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was like she's got a rally, I've got a rally, yeah.
Speaker 1:Which, speaking of this, is a big episode because Stacey's back from her maternity leave. From the podcast we only gave her a month. I know I'm back.
Speaker 2:Her maternity leave for the podcast was four weeks.
Speaker 1:Four weeks Back and better than ever. This is America. But look it'sy's first debut on the podcast. Look at her. Oh, she's asleep now, so she's a fanatic. She's closing her ears because she knows what this episode's about. And I've been mentally preparing all day for it seriously, I'm not mentally prepared for you two on this episode.
Speaker 2:I know that you're shocked, but I have so many wrecks well, so actually you need to announce our book of the month. Yes, your book, your book, which I gave to you our birthday gift.
Speaker 1:Our birthday gift. Yeah, first of all, um, we are so pumped to announce this month that our book of the month is Butcher and Blackbird. It has a special place in my heart to pick it this month because Chanel got us this book for her for our birthday. Like a special book box with it that came with like a highlighter and pen and all this stuff but stickers with like a highlighter and pen and all this stuff but stickers. Um, but I knew I'd love it, which chanel knew too because in the like um acknowledgement it was like for the, for the girls who read the trigger warnings and thought this book was for them, and like one of the trigger warnings in the book was like accidental cannibalism and I was like stop, because we all know how I feel about cannibals I mean it was, I was like oh yeah, this is this is it?
Speaker 2:you know, stacy and I love a good true crime podcast, true crime doc, anything. And I was like it's two serial killers that like meet and have this romance. And I was like, oh, this seems like a book that Stacy and Ashley would just love. And then, like you said, I read the the trigger warnings. I'm like, oh okay, I gotta get these girls this book.
Speaker 1:They're gonna love this I literally, so I'm almost done with it now, but when I first started reading it, um did you announce it? Yeah, it's butchering blackbird okay, it's by the name? I don't remember. Yeah, butchering blackbird, it's actually going to be a trilogy. The second book, um, it's coming out this month two days. It comes out in two days. Oh yeah, and it's by. Do you say her name?
Speaker 1:uh, bry brin weaver brin weaver, that's what it is. Yeah, um, and she's an incredible writer. Um, I just know that I I got like 10 pages into reading this book and I was just smiling the whole time making like little notes and highlighting stuff, so I knew I would love it. It's, it's everything I could want the banter. Um, there's a lot of dark humor in it, obviously serial killing, accidental dental cannibalism some of my favorite things to have in any story or show that I watch.
Speaker 2:So and I just have to say I know, you know, obviously I got you guys the book, but I listened to the audio book and the audio book is so freaking, like it's so amazing, it's so amazing, it's like one of my favorite audio books of all time because the guy is Irish, like his character is Irish and the voice actor who reads his voice is Irish and he has this amazing Irish accent and it like takes it to another level like I can't even, I can't even describe it should I just buy the audiobook then?
Speaker 2:because yeah, I don't know but like I'm not gonna, you know, make choices for you, but I'm telling you, the whole time I was like melting in my car. I'm.
Speaker 1:I'm not gonna make choices for you. Well, you know how I feel about an irish accent, so I mean it was.
Speaker 2:It was so freaking hot dude, like I can't even. And then, um, like stacy said it's a trilogy and so I immediately like it's. It's because, um, book two is his, um, the main guy, rowan, his brother. It's about him and like his romance, he like it kind of alludes to to it. But also the second book is called um Leather and Lark and the brother is like a leather maker guy, whatever. And then book three, which I was like, oh, it's probably gonna be the other brother, because he has two brothers, and it it is. I looked it up and um, and yeah, it's about his romance life and so it like follows each of the brothers and I was like, oh, my god, I can't wait. So I'm so excited.
Speaker 1:Yes, okay, well, I might just buy the audio book then, because, yeah, I've, I've only read like the first couple, couple chapters of the book, so I'm not too far in that. I can't just switch it up now. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited. I didn't realize. I mean, I knew the main guy in it that he's irish, like they talked about that, but I didn't know that the audiobook was somebody reading it with an irish accent. So so you have to do it, it's so good, so yeah and look forward to those episodes I know.
Speaker 2:But I just was like you know, when something's hyped up on book talk, I'm like is it going to be a super like overrated? Because I've been seeing this book everywhere. I know, um stacy, we had talked about it and stuff, and I was like you know, I don't know, sometimes it Sometimes it could be a letdown if it's not as good as you want it to be or think it's going to be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I just lived up to it. Oh, it does. Yeah, I was excited to actually read it and then, yeah, like really connect to it, but also, I guess, definitely read the trigger warnings because they it is dark, it is graphic in some parts and you know it's not for everyone.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, yeah, I got to tell you a funny story with this book, speaking of the audio book, so my aunt Joe listens to a lot of audio books. When she works, she cleans houses and sometimes she'll take my suggestions and sometimes not, because you know my my recommendations for books are always a wide range of things out there. So she's listening to this, she already finished it and I don't know how many times she did.
Speaker 1:She already finished it. Yes, mm. Hmm, I don't know how many times she texts me or would call me, and she was like, what are you having me listen to? She was. She was like, because she is a lot quick, like she was listening to a lot quicker than I was reading it.
Speaker 2:So she finished it for me, that's how I felt, because I listened to it last month and you guys hadn't, and I wanted someone to talk to about it and I couldn't.
Speaker 1:Anyway, no, but I was going to say she was telling me how, when I get to like certain scenes like this, the sex scene, and you know, spoiler, there's the, the spicy scenes and some other stuff. She was like I basically like I don't know how you're going to handle like greeting, and I was like I'm not even worried, like yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't yeah, I don't think you're going to. I don't think you're going to have a problem with it, Like I said, cause it reminded me of a lot of the fan fiction that we've read or do read. But I still wanted someone to talk to about it because I'm like I was at these, these moments and you guys hadn't read it yet or hadn't started it. I was like I know, I was like I need someone to like freak out about. I was just in my car yelling or or laughing, because it's also a really funny book, like it's really witty and um yes, it's so witty.
Speaker 2:I'm excited too. I'm excited that we're we're gonna get to break down all these scenes, because it's a really good book I am.
Speaker 1:I'm just gonna buy the audiobook is it? Expensive. No, it's like uh, what is it here? 20 bucks, oh damn, that's expensive. Sorry, is it I? Don't know should I wait, I don't know? Do what you want wait.
Speaker 2:no, what did you say a minute ago? I don't know Do what you want.
Speaker 1:Wait, no, what did you say a minute ago?
Speaker 2:I don't make choices for you.
Speaker 1:I don't make choices. That's what I started telling people when they asked my opinion. I'm going to be like, I'm just be like um, I can't make choices for you but, like how Katie is. I think you're funny, but I'm a friend when people ask me my opinion about them.
Speaker 2:All right, well, okay, do you guys want to? Actually? Let's do just regular rex, like what are you watching or reading or listening to, or yeah yeah, um, well, go ahead.
Speaker 1:No, you go. Well, I was gonna say actually what I've been watching ties into um, what we're talking about like um toxic tropes and stuff like that on today's episode. I've been all about the gay vampires the last few weeks, so I've been binging um interview with a vampire show on amc where you're going with that.
Speaker 1:It is based off the anna ice books. It follows it really close. Um, it's listat and louie and it's, first of all, it's very beautifully shot. It starts off in like the 1920s in new orleans and listat and louie are in a relationship with each other, and list that as super toxic, like super narcissistic, but I want them together. Um, there's bullying, uh just violence, gore, hot, hot, smut, lots of gay vampires. I'm in the second season. Right now there's like four episodes out and I need everyone to be obsessed with it, like I am, so we can discuss.
Speaker 2:Okay, all right, it is on my list, I think I would like it I know I do need to watch it because I saw. Obviously I've been on prime a lot and they saw it, so I need them, I need to watch it. I need to watch it. Okay, anything else, jace? What else you know?
Speaker 1:That's been my main thing, the new thing I've been watching, and then I just finished, which you know we talked about. On a lighter note, abbott Elementary had its season finale and I was like kicking and screaming my legs at the end, like I said, texting you at like 2 in the morning, like, oh my gosh, I know it's such a good show. Just every episode gives such good vibes. The last episode was amazing.
Speaker 2:It was so funny, so good it's so funny and it's like heartfelt and like I. Honestly it's like the office where it's like it's cringy but also funny. You know, like it's embarrassing and then funny and then like heartfelt and then like like I don't know how to describe it like it has the same kind of vibes like that, and like, yeah, I don't know, I like him gasping um, that is more on my list, I think.
Speaker 1:Then I I think that'll be the show that I watched before interview with the vampire, because it's happy, yeah, yeah right right for sure for sure you need to watch it.
Speaker 2:It's amazing like you'll fall in love with the characters, and also it's won like a crap ton of awards.
Speaker 1:So you know yeah, I won a ton, a couple like last year, or something, or the year before yeah, yeah, yeah what about you this? Is my favorite. She's my girl in that show, I know, I know. Um, I think I may maybe had mentioned this before, but, um, I'm currently reading um the book. It's called the book of doors by gareth brown. Let me make sure that's yeah, gareth brown. Um, and the audiobook. I'm listening to the audio book and I am 95% sure it's the same woman who narrated Cersei, isn't?
Speaker 2:it.
Speaker 1:Cersei, if it's not, they sound very, very similar.
Speaker 1:We were going to look it up and then I forgot to, because I listen to Cersei like two times a year because it's so beautifully spoken, the girl who narrates it. It's beautiful and I love the book. It's my favorite book. Well, I think you guys would be obsessed with this book. Um, I, I have like five minutes left on the audiobook and then I'm done with it. So I'm almost done with it. But, um, it's about magic books that do different things, and the main book that this one is about is the book of doors, and a doorway like becomes any door anywhere at any time, and it's just such a great story. I'm obsessed with it. And what the main male character is irish or no, he's wait, hold on. Uh, he's scottish because his home is in the highlands, um, chanel, because I thought, if you wouldn't, I I was reading it and the woman who's reading it does a really great accent for the character.
Speaker 1:So I love it whenever he's speaking. I highly highly recommend it. It's excellent. And then, outside of books, what have I? Well, we kind of talked about it. I watched the Iron Claw last night.
Speaker 1:Highly recommend that movie, but it's terribly depressing good if you want to cry yeah, good if you want to cry, but um, no, I'm not really watching anything new. I'm waiting for part two of uh bridgerton, season three, to come out in a couple days. Amen, sister, amen, and I still haven't recovered from the first part of it, so I can't wait. I'll never listen to that pitbull song the same same again, the same or the carriage scene. I don't even. I've watched the first part of season three three times all the way through chanel.
Speaker 1:I have a lot of time on my hands with this baby. Okay, what? What about you, chanel? What have you been listening to reading?
Speaker 2:oh well, I told I still want stacy specifically stacy, but both of you guys to watch um, to watch deadlock, this show on amazon.
Speaker 2:Um, it's like this dark comedy, like murder mystery, um, about these. It's about these this lesbian detective and she there's like it's set in tasmania, off of australia, the coast of australia, and these like murders start happening and this detective, she doesn't really like have an idea how to solve these you know cases, and so they bring in another like detective to help her and so, um, but like neither one of them really like they, you know, clash and um, and so it's funny but also people are dying and it's terrible and it's really good. There's only one season. I really hope they make a second season but, um, like I said, it's like a super dark comedy and but also really good because they're trying to solve these murders and stuff and it's on the Amazon Prime but there's. It's just funny because they always there's like a whole bunch of lesbians in this like remote town and so the whole joke is like the lesbians are killing everyone.
Speaker 1:They're just all in this one town. Yeah, to hang out.
Speaker 2:This boondock town on the coast. They're like, oh oh, lesbians are everywhere. It's not, anyway, happy pride. So that's what I was. I just finished watching. And then, um, I'm reading um, or this audio book, and it's called iron widow, um, by. Let me hopefully say their name, right? Um, okay, look it up. I think it's jiron j zhao. Hold, let me see. Oh, I probably said that wrong it sounded right.
Speaker 1:To me it sounded nice well, they're asians.
Speaker 2:I want to say right, uh, yeah, I probably mess up their first name, but jiran j zhao, so I said that wrong. But anyway, the book is called iron, widow and um, it's like kind of giving hunger games vibes where it's like dystopian sci-fi kind of, and but basically the main girl character is like set on vengeance because her sister dies. It's like set in China in this war and basically these, the boys in this land are they're like these pilots of these like, um, machinery animals and all the boys they're. They pilot these animals and they are like partnered up with girls and they they drain the girls of energy every time they go into battle inside these machine animals kind of thing in these battles, and when they drain the girls of these energies they kill them essentially. So every time they go into battle the boy always comes out alive and the girls always die.
Speaker 2:And so the main female character, her sister, obviously dies when she like gets put up for for war or whatever, and so she's like I'm going to put myself up and I'm like I'm gonna partner with this guy who killed my sister and like I'm gonna kill him before he gets a chance to kill me. Essentially that's like her plan going into war. She, like you know, volunteers herself kind of like you know, hunger games, but during this battle, um, like obviously no one knows that that's her plan. So she ends up killing him in this first battle and she comes out alive and it's like the first time a girl has ever killed a guy in this, in, like you know, this war battle or whatever. And so it's like her story of, like you know, gaining power and like taking over, you know, like the government's now scared of her and stuff like that, and good, good, yeah, it's. It's really interesting, like I said, because it's like sci-fi, dystopian, like the government's like trying to suppress women with this technology.
Speaker 2:Like you know, it's all about men and it's really good and it just got picked up and it's gonna be made into a movie, so I'm super oh really it's actually the same people that made hunger games. So oh it's that sounds cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it sounds really cool it's a really good book.
Speaker 2:So far, I'm like maybe halfway now. So, yeah, yeah, everyone should read it. Yeah, yeah, yeah so yeah, that's what I've been reading, so yeah, we can get into it. Start talking about. You said you have a ton of rec stacy this is.
Speaker 1:I mean, you know I do. I was saying this is like our dark and twisty episode. I feel like because could it be about all this crazy?
Speaker 2:dark romance, dark uh, and toxic tropes. That's what we're talking about which I don't.
Speaker 1:I feel like I don't read a lot of that, or or I don't think I do, maybe. So I'm interested to see your guys's recs and stuff about what. Yeah, like well, before we do rec, chanel, do you want to say your list that you sent us of um, some toxic tropes, so people have an idea what we'll be talking about and stuff?
Speaker 2:or I can read the list you sent, whatever is easier yeah, I mean yeah, well, do you want, do you want me to read the list and then we can kind of like if there's any like books or you know that we either want to read or have read that fit the tropes do you want to kind of do that Like I can read one and then be like there's? A book that matches that or like does that work yeah?
Speaker 1:I like that.
Speaker 2:I can go like down the list maybe. Uh, okay, so the first one or and we can just kind of talk about that trope too, is like the possessive kind of jealousy toxic trope, um, which it's kind of funny. I was thinking about all of these tropes and stuff and, um, like all of these they're I actually like them in like a book setting, you know what I mean like not in real life like it's okay if it's fantasy.
Speaker 2:I don't want to actually happen to me, right, right right has to be fake, has to be in a book setting, but like, not in real, like it's there. The reason why it's like, toxic or dark is because it would actually f up a real like relationship. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So anyway, we just want to, you know, put a disclaimer out there that we are not promoting any of these actions in real life exactly, I like it um, yeah, kind of the possessive um, or like jealous um tropes, or yeah, like actions in a book, um, or yeah, for like any any either type of character, like yeah, I guess can. Can you think of any um books that come to mind that you want to read that have these tropes, or that you have read that have these tropes?
Speaker 1:I'm trying to think and yeah, or like the possessive and jealousy one, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yeah, do you have some?
Speaker 2:Stace.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so a lot. Well, I think of. So if anyone's listened to like past podcasts and stuff of us, everyone knows I read a lot of Hannibal fan fictions, like Hannibal and Will Graham.
Speaker 1:I really like the kind of like um, touch her him and or you'll die, kind of thing. You know, and I feel like that's big in that fandom and in a lot of um draco and hermione fan fiction, the possessiveness and jealousy thing is pretty big um, so I and I don't have like set specific fan fictions, but I feel like over archingly that's like a big theme with a lot, of, a lot of them, especially with the Hannibal and Will Graham ones. I really like the possessiveness, especially, more so than the jealousy, is a big thing yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really true. Yeah, yeah, I. Yeah, I was going to say, yeah, like you, you said kind of a germani kind of thing, but um, but yeah, I don't know, I'm like I don't have a like specific rec for that, so I can't uh, you know I kind of do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now that I'm thinking about it, I read recently the Red Queen. It's a series, but I've only read the first one that our sister Katie recommended. It's her favorite book series of all time and the two main male characters are brothers. It's kind of like a brother romance, whatever that's called the brother love triangle romance thing happening.
Speaker 2:I think it's a brother romance.
Speaker 1:Is it a? Brother romance um which side note I didn't think I was into, but maybe I am because I love red queen. I loved vampire diaries and I love the summer. Um, I turned pretty. Uh, yeah, the summer, I turned pretty, so maybe, maybe I do like it. But, um, the two brothers one is like way more possessive, I feel like, than the other one. There's a lot of jealousy going on there, so, and it's a little toxic, so I think that falls into that category too.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I like it Brother romance being like that, yeah, okay, what about? Like the stalker trope?
Speaker 1:trope, so I haven't read um any stalker ones that come to mind, but I have one, a series that I really want to read. Hold on, I'm looking it up.
Speaker 2:Um, that's about that I was gonna say, because I have one that I want to read too.
Speaker 1:But I wonder if it's the same one. So mine that it's the cat and the cat and mouse. Duet books the haunting of adeline yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's what that's a. That's mine that I want to read too I haven't heard of this. Haunting my list no this is like literally the most popular book on book talk yes, literally and but it's also really, really dark like, because it's way worse stalker.
Speaker 1:I feel like it's not even the worst trigger warning on there no, I think you're right, it's not, it's, it's just like so that's why I've been a little hesitant to read it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because, um, because it is really dark and I think even the second book is darker, um, so yeah, but, but yeah, it's so. My friend is reading it right now and she, she was like almost had to stop a few times reading it, um, but then I told her about Butcher and Blackbird and I'm like I think, if you're reading that, I think you could handle butcher and plant well wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, um. Okay, what about accidental pregnancy? This is one I actually really like you do.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that I I haven't read a book with it, but I'll like sometimes I'll just click this, uh, tag on on fan fiction and I'll just be like I just want an accidental.
Speaker 1:There's a little taste of it.
Speaker 2:A little taste of it it's because, like just because it can be cute, sometimes, like I've read a few um Dramini fics that were really cute, like I think I can't remember the name of this, I don't know if I saved it, but like it was um hermione really wanted um a baby and so she did like ivf, and draco and like astoria were doing ivf because they wanted kids or were forced to have kids, and so their sperm and their thing got like mixed up in the lab.
Speaker 2:Oh, hermione got pregnant by draco that way, and so I mean I don't know if that's like accidental pregnancy or whatever, but like she accidentally got pregnant with this I mean, it sounds like it, she didn't get pregnant from the sperm donor she wanted and um, I can't remember what happened with the story or whatever, but um, but they like had to like make it work and like become a family and I was like this is like kind of cute, you know.
Speaker 1:So whatever, um, I would read that I don't know it sounds interesting, so yeah, anyway, that's I am, I can only think of one that I want to read. So there's this like western um book about a rodeo star and like a one-night stand she gets pregnant. It's called reckless by lc silver. I guess she's a really big romance novel oh, that'sxadominal Pregnancy.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, damn, damn it. I'm going to have to read that Damn it.
Speaker 1:I only heard about it.
Speaker 2:I don't even like cowboy romances, damn it Stacey?
Speaker 1:I don't either, but maybe I've heard such great things about this book. I did a read-by for a girl and that's the only reason I heard of it, and just reading some of the quotes that she sent me that she liked from it and the summary, it sounds very sweet and sounds very spicy.
Speaker 2:I know it's an accidental pregnancy. Everyone loves that series. Everyone loves, and I was just like.
Speaker 1:I don't like all my romances. What's it called again Reckless by Elsie Silver? I'm pretty sure it's Elsie Silver is the author, yeah.
Speaker 2:Like everyone loves that series and I was just like, oh, it's probably so stupid and overdone damn it, but now you gotta read it now I gotta read it and I'm mad I I don't have a book rec but I do actually have a movie rec for that.
Speaker 1:That I thought was really. It was really cute and it's good it's got lily reinhardt in it. It's called look both ways. Did you guys watch that?
Speaker 2:it's so cute she gets pregnant. It was it just came out right uh, like last year I think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, last year, yeah, it was actually it was much. I mean, I guess I didn't really have like too high of an expectation because it seemed kind of like it might be cheesy or something. But she accidentally gets pregnant, like on her graduate, like college graduation day, and the movie is so well done because it's it's like two different universes. It's if she has the baby and what happens, and if she doesn't, and one isn't better than the other. It's not like saying that one choice is wrong and one wasn't, and it's not. It's like two different universes, so it's not like one happened and one didn't. I loved it. I loved it because I think it's a great message for people who have kids and a great message for people who don't have kids, and it was so cute. I loved it.
Speaker 2:But it was very well done.
Speaker 1:Very well done, very well done. Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2:Very cool yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm proud of us with our recommendations for accidental pregnancy, because when I saw that on the list yesterday, chanel was like ain't no one going to have anything for this? I swear.
Speaker 2:You're like we're just getting poo poo on it Cause a lot of people hate that. I just see it. Just shit on all the time and it's. You know, whatever I mean, whatever, Whatever People can be wrong, Chanel it's fine, you can say it, people can be wrong.
Speaker 2:Well, no, I'm just saying like, if you don't like it, like you just don't read those books and I don't see it. Yeah, so that's why I was really surprised that Reckless is so popular, because people hate that trope. But that book and that series is fucking everywhere. I see it everywhere.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I'm looking it up, I haven't seen it On Bookstagram?
Speaker 2:you haven't seen it. It's a pink book with the pink writing.
Speaker 1:Oh wait, hold on, maybe I have.
Speaker 2:Let me look it up, maybe I have seen it Literally just type it in Google or in the search bar and Instagram. It's fucking everywhere.
Speaker 1:Who writes it again? Lc Silver.
Speaker 2:Okay, go on, and so I'm really surprised because in the comment section everyone hates accidental pregnancy. So I feel like it's kind of a contradiction to really like that book and you know like it, contradiction to really like that book and you know you don't like it. But, um, you know, everyone has things they like, everyone has things they don't like. You know what I mean. Um, okay, here's another thing that people hate is the miscommunication trope, which I love it's one of my favorite tropes.
Speaker 1:Like the more miscommunication, the better. I want everybody confused in this situation. Nobody knows what's going on, until the very end when they all figure it out. Like the more miscommunication, the better. I want everybody confused in this situation. Nobody knows what's going on until the very end when they all figure it out it has to be done.
Speaker 2:Well, though, you know, if it's some stupid thing, where it's, I don't know, I'm just making it. But, like you know, she missed a note that was on her desk and she, because she can't read, or I don't know, I'm making this up or something, but you know what I mean. Like, I want it, like you said a good one. And oh, like, okay, I just watched this, um, another great show, um, like we are lady parts, and this was a great miscommunication trope where, um, she, like she likes a guy, he, he friend zones her, and then all of a sudden, he spends time with her, he likes her, but then another guy likes her, and so now he's trying to do-, classic, yeah, I know. So now he's Classic.
Speaker 2:The first guy's trying to, like, you know, do big gestures to get this girl to like, to prove that he likes this girl again. But she's thinking like, oh, you only like me. Now that a new guy likes me, another guy likes me, so she, she's like, she's rebuffing him and saying like you know, you're only interested in me because I'm, I'm, I'm desirable, you don't really want me. And you know he's like no, I do want you. And like that's the miscommunication trope I like, where she's like he's trying to prove, like I've liked you this whole time, I'm, you know it's. Anyway, that's the miscommunication trope I like Is, yeah, that, like you said, confusion and whatever. So anyway, it has to be done, right, but it can't be like stupid, can't be stupid, on everyone pining and sad and confused. So yeah, anyway. But um, I'm trying to think there's a lot of stuff that we've read and I know I'm communicating, miscommunication.
Speaker 1:I feel like almost every fanfic that we read was miscommunication. I'm thinking like um the right things to do yeah, and all the books. Uh, bride, there was so much miscommunication happening in bride by ally hazelwood. Um, a lot of times I feel like miscommunication and idiots in love really just go hand in hand together. It's like these people are in love with each other and they just if they would just have one conversation, just one helpful conversation, it would be fine.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it would definitely solve a lot of problems. Fourth wing there was a lot of great miscommunication, um, and that led to a lot of disaster. I'm trying to think, like you said, bride was a good one seven days in june that whole book was miscommunication from the get-go.
Speaker 1:What a great book.
Speaker 2:Oh, even in akatar, there was some miscommunication too. I mean, that was maybe that was just a lack of communication.
Speaker 1:Really I don't know if it was miscommunication they, they all weren't sharing all the details all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, was a big issue there I'm just thinking of, like tamlin and farah, they just, they just didn't communicate yeah, there was just no communication and tamlin didn't really want to hear it anyways. So um, um, I just read pride and protest. Um, it's a retelling of um pride and prejudice and it's so good you guys have to read it like I think I have that saved saved on libby, like I don't yeah, you should listen to the audiobook like I'm freaking obsessed with it.
Speaker 2:And there was a lot of miscommunication. I mean pride, protest, I mean pride and prejudice. Of course the miscommunication I mean, you know you know with the proposal, and I mean with you know, mr Bingley and Jane, everything was all miscommunication and so this retelling. They did a great job of that too, just obviously in a modern context. So the epitome of miscommunication is Jane Austen slash. Nikki Payne is the author who wrote Pride and Protest.
Speaker 1:Well, I just saved that to my Libby Place to hold on it. I'm so excited. Yeah, you're going to love it. I feel like almost all of Jane Austen's books were miscommunication until the very end, like that's kind of the theme, isn't it? How can this just be so confusing and everybody confused until the very end?
Speaker 2:Men and women cannot communicate. So yeah, you got any good miscommunication, tropes Stace.
Speaker 1:I'm just like thinking of a lot of the fan fiction and stuff. We read A lot of Draco and Hermione, even the like most popular ones. There was always a ton of draco and hermione, even the like most popular ones. There was always a ton of miscommunication, even in, like the auction and, like ashley said, the right thing to do all the wrong things, like the miscommunication, which I love. I'm trying to think of more darker books or fanfics that I've read with it and I can't like none really come to mind, and maybe it's just because I don't necessarily mind miscommunication, but it's not something I actively seek out to read, so I don't have a ton of recs for that one. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, what about? I like this one too power imbalance. So do you know teacher and student, or you know, I don't't know, whatever kind of like age gap?
Speaker 1:um I I know it's controversial. I love power balance and I love an age gap. The one of the first fan fics that come to mind is the heartbreak prince yeah, rylo hogwarts, uh, alter universe that I love. That's it has. That's a great one.
Speaker 2:That's like one of the first ones that come to mind shoot I mean this, speaking of controversial, I mean 50 shades of gray, I mean yeah, classic is. I mean, that's just the power imbalance of, like money and status. You know what I mean. Or experience, I guess, whatever you want to call it. Um, so yeah, it's. It's like I said, a classic trope, but clearly a classic book too that everyone loves, kind of the dark romance well.
Speaker 1:So this kind of so my this, this wreck is the one I've definitely wanted to recommend for this episode because it's probably one of my favorite series I've read and I just finished a few days ago, the newest, like the little fourth book in it that is the same universe, like it has characters from the series, but it's by Nikki St Crow. It's the Vicious Lost Boys series. I know I've talked to you guys about it before. It's a Peter Pan retelling, so there is definitely a power bounce there because it's peter pan who is this magical being. And then it's so dark, I love it so much they he kidnaps this is a big thing. He kidnaps the descendant of wendy darling and brings her to um neverland and it's guys. It is so effing good. Check your trigger warnings because they're all under Stockholm syndrome, maybe.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it could.
Speaker 2:That could be, I guess yeah.
Speaker 1:It's a reverse harem.
Speaker 2:And what does?
Speaker 1:that mean it's her with with more than one man. That's a reverse harem. A harem is usually like a man with a bunch of women. A reverse harem is when it's a woman with more than one man. That's a reverse harm. A harm is usually like a man with a bunch of women. A reverse harm is when it's a woman with more than one man. How did I not know this? I didn't even. I've never even heard that phrase before.
Speaker 2:That's another tag on fan fiction.
Speaker 1:Interesting. It's excellent. I just read um the devour of men, which probably is one of my probably my favorite read. I actually got an uh copy, art copy of it, cover copy of it. I can't speak, sorry, and but it's about a stroke, but but the characters are Captain Hook and the crocodile, so it's a male and male and then a female character, so you know.
Speaker 2:I was male and animal the crocodile is an animal.
Speaker 1:No's a, it's a. He's not an. He's not a real croc, they just call him a crocodile. He's like a. He's a man like, kind of like a. He's powerful too, kind of like a vampire, almost kind of thing, but it's basically a man and it's captain hook and him. And then there's a female character. I don't want to spoil who she is, but because it's a big deal in the series, but it's excellent. There's four books all together. I've read it all more than once. It's a kindle unlimited book. She's an amazing writer, um, it's everything. She actually has another, uh, other series, um, other books that she writes that I are on my to be read list, but she, she writes a good dark romance book is all I'm going to say.
Speaker 2:So Sounds good.
Speaker 1:I'm just laughing, cause you just said hook and the crocodile, like it was just common knowledge that it wasn't an actual animal, or just confused.
Speaker 2:You're like no, it's a man, just sorry In my head no, yeah, no, it's yeah, no, it's so funny. Oh my gosh, I love it okay. Well, I, I don't like this one. That's like. This is the first time I was like I don't like this trope. This is like the therapist I can fix him trope, which I think it truly is toxic actually, but like and like, and I guess actually I don't really see it with guys, so this is more like, I guess, the heterosexual, but couples, but like, yeah, it's like, when there's something wrong with a guy character usually and the female character feels like in order to be like worthy, I guess to be with him, she has to like, fix, like, fix him or like make him better, be his therapist, like doesn't that sound fun?
Speaker 2:yeah, like she has to. You know, help him conquer his demons, or you?
Speaker 1:know, I don't know. You know what I instantly thought of with that one and you know I love it is breath, mints and battle stars. That was the only thing I could think of, too, and I was like they both needed therapy, in that they both, that's funny I that freaking toxic.
Speaker 2:So I I know, because I can't really think of a book that I've read, but I've seen this. I've seen this book and.
Speaker 2:I haven't read it and I actually haven't read any of her books, tessa Bailey's books but I've seen a couple of people talk about this book in particular. It's Fangirl Down, and I've seen people talk about this book for a few different reasons, um, for a few different reasons. But when um, one person specifically was talking about this trope in this book and I thought it was interesting and I was like, oh, okay, we should kind of tackle this topic and so I guess this kind of therapist fix him topic is in this book, fangirl down, and it's about a? Um, it's a sports romance about this golf player and the girl is like his like number one fan, which, like I said, other people have talked about this book and I thought it was just so interesting and people have poked fun at this book. Like you know, sports romances are usually football or like hockey or soccer, and so people have been like, do do golf? Like are there like number one fans for golf?
Speaker 1:like how did some people really like golf man, like how?
Speaker 2:how, how is there enough to write about a golf player who's so good that, like a girl, has, like, become his groupie and his number one?
Speaker 1:fan Hello, tiger Woods. Like how many women were obsessed with him. I guess that's true. I guess.
Speaker 2:Chanel, I don't know it, just it was funny like seeing these like TikToks of people being like this book.
Speaker 1:It's unrealistic because nobody's chasing down the golfers.
Speaker 2:No, it's true, but also the other tropes in this book, I guess, is the kill her and you'll die kind of trope.
Speaker 1:Are golf players aggressive?
Speaker 2:I don't know about with a golfer, are they really players? Aggressive. I don't know about with a golfer, but Are they really this aggressive?
Speaker 1:Are we stereotyping? Right now, Golfers can be aggressive Chanel.
Speaker 2:Not like hockey players, I'm going to beat you with my club, my big old golf club, anyway. So I've seen people kind of making fun of it for that reason. But on a serious note, um, I guess the the golf player is like has like some issues, you know, some mental ish, daddy issues, whatever the heck it is. And the girl is kind of like, oh, I can fix you, I'll be your therapist. I'm not worthy of being with you until we kind of, you know, help you get over this, you know. And so I thought it was really interesting that, um, that there's this really like kind of toxic um trope in this book. That's, you know, supposed to be this muddy romance, golf sports romance, you know golf romance.
Speaker 1:Um, I guess technically 50 shades of gray would fall into that category too then though right, because he was crazy. I guess that's true, and she fixed him, I got together, so yeah I it's.
Speaker 2:I guess it's also not cool that it's like it's always. I feel like, unless people want to chime in chime in but why is it always a girl that has to fix, you know? The man yeah it's always taking on this burden right, this motherly role, this you know comforting role, right like that's super toxic and anyway I agree, I don't.
Speaker 1:I don't read. I don't think I've ever really read that trope. I mean, I guess I technically read some of 50 shades of gray, but it's not, it's not, it's not something I'm a fan of. So right, right, right, all right, we don't, but not not to yuck anybody's yum, if you like it, you like it. Yeah, I like other things I'm sure people don't like. So yes, oh.
Speaker 2:I know I like things other people would question morally um, we kind of talked about Stockholm syndrome, but I don't know if you have any recs or anything about that, but another real toxic trope. But I don't have any.
Speaker 1:Beauty and the Beast. I was going to say Beauty and the Beast trope. Heck yeah, the Stockholm trope, I know, also not something that I'm really into or read a lot of, so I know I don't have any. I'm even trying to think of like a show or anything that I've. Well, I don't know stacy's hannibal, like that. Doesn't he kidnap people or something? He kidnaps them and eats them, okay, so they don't fall in love with him. No, it's a no for me.
Speaker 2:It's a no for me. Dog, yeah, but you're right.
Speaker 2:But I do love beauty and the beast I mean that's also probably I uh, the therapist saying that I can fix them that kind of yeah yeah, but but yeah still toxic well, I mean, most of these are toxic I know, um, all right, this other one, like I said, pushing away, slash, like so I guess to describe this more, it's like one character wanting to like distance themselves, push the other partner away, and the other partner being like no, I'm not gonna leave, I won't leave, and like kind of standing their ground. I know we've talked about this in other fan fics or books where it's it's like really a clash or cause, cause. I know what we didn't like is that one character would make the decision for the other one to end the relationship. Right, I think that's the like quote, unquote toxic part of like taking that decision away, making the decision, or like thinking they're right or they have the authority to kind of to, yeah, like to end the relationship, or think that you know they're not worthy or whatever.
Speaker 1:and yeah, that's, you know what comes to mind instantly, instantly, with that one new moon. New moon with edward you idiot.
Speaker 2:That's not what I thought you were gonna say when he leaves her in the woods.
Speaker 1:I don't know why I'm laughing. When I read that book, I was surprised when I read that book I sobbed.
Speaker 2:I thought I was in shock. I was like wait, like is he coming?
Speaker 1:back. Is he coming back? Well, it's just the blank pages of the line. I thought it was like the most innovative thing in writing of all time when I saw that it was her being lazy yeah, this is so innovative. This is amazing. I'm gonna stop. And then now, looking back, I'm like she just didn't want to write about how depressed she was. My teenage heart couldn't take it.
Speaker 1:I was crushed I was like he's gonna come back right, oh yeah, um, and I'm trying to think, I know, I know my first toxic love I really fan fictions that we've read, trying to think I know there's well, first of all, again not to go back to my favorite draco, but breathments and battle scholars, draco and that's what I thought you were gonna say.
Speaker 1:That's what I thought you were gonna say did I ever tell you my funny story about recommending that fic to someone at work? Just real quick, on a side note, I recommended a bunch of draco and hermione fan fictions to um, a friend at work. She read a bunch of them and I was asking how she liked them and she was saying the one she liked, you know, and I didn't say that, which I don't care, I know it's toxic or whatever. But you know, breath mints and battle scarred is like top. You know, whatever for me I love it. And she's like I liked them all but one. And I was like, oh god, and she was. I just did not like that breath mints one or something, because Draco is such a dick in it and drops the C word so much she's like I shouldn't care for it. And I was like, yeah, me neither Like. Then I was like it's my favorite Of all time. Of all time. It's fine. You know, I don't know if this is technically the same thing when I, when you sent the tropes earlier, chanel, and I was reading it, when I read it pushing away, slash won't leave I thought of um, this episode and hopefully this doesn't ruin it for you, stacy, since you're watching it this episode of sex in the city.
Speaker 1:I guess this isn't the same thing, but this is. I mean it kind of is. Um, did you watch that, chan Chanel?
Speaker 1:There's an episode where, like Carrie and Mr Big, they're not together, they're he's married and she's dating somebody else, which I guess this goes into this next trope too. It's kind of both, but there's this really controversial scene now. I think it's more controversial now that people are re-watching it where they're in an elevator or they meet, they're at a bar together, they've, like run into each other or something and she, carrie, is telling him to leave, that she doesn't want to see him because you know, she, she loves Mr Big. He follows her into an elevator. He won't leave. She's trying to get him to leave and he like kisses her, which she's telling him not to at first, and then she like then she ends up kissing him back and it's like this whole thing.
Speaker 1:And this is how this whole thing starts with carrie, mr big again, but it's really controversial because he would not leave when she was actually asking him to leave and then, like followed her into this elevator and stuff, even though I think, I think the, I think the scene was trying to say that Carrie really did want him but didn't because she was with somebody. The whole thing was toxic. So I guess it does fit into this either which way. The whole thing was toxic. But it's really like kind of controversial now because she was telling him no and to leave and he would not.
Speaker 1:That's actually that's like one of the more controversial tropes Toxic trope Is that questionable? The non-consensual, which again I'm not judging. I'll be really open on those podcasts. I do like that tag. I do read it. I think that reading stuff like that is it's just like.
Speaker 2:I just know what you're getting into.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have to know, though I personally enjoy it. I've read a lot of books with that tag. I could give you a whole list of recommendations based on that one alone, but I think that goes with like the power balance, sometimes too a lot with that trope, but yeah, and I I was I debated putting that on, but yeah, yeah, it's a definitely more, a more like darker the dead dove kind of thing going into it I love the dead.
Speaker 2:I love the dead dove trope you know, my shirt, um, but yeah, um, like you were saying. Then the next one is like cheating or affairs or like a mistress kind of thing, and you know, I guess, fifty Shades of Grey, you know you can get into that too, but but yeah, it's, you know, nice in a book, but OK, in real life it's, you don't.
Speaker 2:You don't want that, yeah, you don't want to be want that you don't want yeah, you don't want to be told that you're getting cheated on and I mean I would hope you don't want to be someone that goes out and cheats.
Speaker 1:You know like that's not fun, it's yeah, I think it's different than reality here.
Speaker 2:Right, I was gonna say I think it's fun for probably a minute yeah it's so funny when I think about like things that I like to read.
Speaker 1:Personally. What's funny to me is I joke around but I really do like, really enjoy these dark, like questionable books and true crime and all this stuff, but I don't know what it is. I can't tell you one like a fair book or fic that I've read that I've actually ever liked. Actually, what was that one book you recommended me to read? That was probably the best take on the subject, but I still didn't like it. What was that? You were talking about the Light we Lost. The Light we Lost. I loved the book.
Speaker 2:I know you did and I thought it was excellent.
Speaker 1:But it's kind of like this To me it was like a soul, like she had a soulmate married to somebody else, like kind of throughout her life. But it's funny that you say that stacy, because I recommended that book, um, to another friend of ours, emily, and um, she kind of had the same reaction.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she did not like it.
Speaker 1:I didn't like it, which, no, I'm not yucking your yum like I like, I mean, I loved it part I could see the beautiful parts in it.
Speaker 1:I could, like I said, it was probably one of the only books I've read with that content in it that I didn't like hate. But I can't say that I I finished it, so that's saying something, because that's probably the only one I've ever finished with that theme in it. But uh, it's definitely I don't know what it is. I can watch people like make out covered in blood and dying and then I'm like, oh fuck, this cheating book, I can't read it.
Speaker 2:Damn. Yeah, crosses a line, crosses a line. Yeah, that's crazy. I yeah it's not really a tag or trope that I really like. I mean, I've read maybe a couple of like don't really read, I don't read books like that but there is one fic that comes to mind. There's not like I said, not really, and it's. I think I've told you about it as stacy. It's a draco and jenny fic. I can't remember who. Oh, I think jenny's married to harry and draco's not married to anyone and it's really good smut.
Speaker 2:Like Ginny cheats on Harry with Draco and that's like such a random ass pairing. Like I'm like I don't know how I stumbled upon it, but that's like the only one where I was like oh, this is actually like I'm into this. I don't know why. I think it's just because Draco is like getting off on, like Harry being cheated on. You know what I mean. Like he's like, yeah, he's like, oh, ginny, how does it feel? Like you know? Like that's like the dirty talk that he talks to Ginny and then Ginny obviously is like getting a thrill out of it. I don't know, it's just. I was like how did I stumble upon this? That's the only cheating fic I can think of that comes to mind. Otherwise I don't really read that kind of stuff either.
Speaker 1:But you know, I maybe I do I didn't think so maybe I do kind of like this trope because I really like, but it's it's more of. I think it's more of like now that this makes us okay in real life. Obviously we're talking about books here, but, um, I think it's more of like a true love thing and then it's like all these other characters kind of involved, because like the light between us, that's what it's called right stacy or all the light, I don't, I don't remember, I'll look it up. Um, that was a reese witherspoon book club book though, I think. But like the two characters that are having the affair, like me, personally I was rooting for them. They were like true love and like this, these other things were technically working like against them.
Speaker 2:Didn't you like the Sally Rooney one?
Speaker 1:Yes, I loved that. Conversations with friends. Oh, oh, I did like I loved conversations with friends.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's about cheating.
Speaker 1:Um, there was, it just flew out of my head. I was thinking. I was thinking about when you guys were talking.
Speaker 1:It was another book oh sorry no, no, not that it's bad, you were talking. I was just getting distracted because it was good what you guys were saying. But even um, like this is really random. But I'm re-watching it because the new season's coming out and I know it's really corny. But I've been watching emily in paris and like the whole, like main plot of that is that you know she is was hooking up with her friend's boyfriend. But like they, the show portrays them as like this true love thing, like it doesn't make it okay. But then I'm still rooting for emily and gabrielle, like that's who I, even though it's not nice what they're doing.
Speaker 2:So yeah, but that's what I mean. I think, like movies and books and stuff, like you said, they can put a spin on it yeah, whereas like in real life you're like, yeah, it's not okay.
Speaker 2:I mean sometimes it works out, you know where it is or it might be true love, but you know or. Or you know, like I said, it works out. You end up having kids and a family and whatever the heck but um, but like you're still like hurt someone or you still got a divorce and broke up. Like there's still like another person in their feelings and their life involved and yeah, oh, uh, sorry, that was it.
Speaker 1:Um, even like sorry not to cut you off, but um, the great Gatsby I mean I love that book and like the whole book is that he's in love with this woman who's now married and they're having an affair like through half of the book.
Speaker 1:And right, you're still rooting for daisy and gatsby doing it not daisy and her asshole husband like I think the reason I mean it's like you know, I think the reason ashley has a good point that maybe in books and film and stuff it translates better is because there's that aspect of it's not as bad, because it's true love where each other yeah whereas in real life usually it isn't that beautiful you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's not. It's like you want to believe that in, yeah, movies like that, it could work out that way or will work out that way, but sometimes it does in real life. Most of the time now, yeah, most of the time you just end up ruining your life and their life and everyone everyone's life yeah, but you want to believe like that you did this or this was all done because it ended up it was like meant to be true love. Yeah, meant to be, not really well, and what I'm reading?
Speaker 2:it is um, but yeah, um, can you guys think of? I think that's the end of our list. Can you think of any more?
Speaker 1:I guess. Yes, I do, I have more um excuse me, I want to I have more, actually I have more. I have some more like, uh, witch mccodds too, so good well, I think we need to talk about the bullying trope, which I love obviously I forgot to put that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, um, I know everyone thinks I'm going to say jericho and hermione first, but the book series I want to recommend for the best take on bullying to love was the Folk of the Air series, the Cruel Prince series, with um, with Jude and Cardam, it was like amazing, intense bullying check your warnings. But then into true love, it was epic. Um, I devout you guys know it's one of my favorite series. It's more um young adult than a hardcore dark romance by any means. But the talk, the city is there and I love it and it's magical, so fairies love it.
Speaker 2:A plus I know I need to read it. I know, I know, I know mine, I just um, it's called a dowry of blood. I need to read that. It's just kind of this dark gothic I guess romance series but and it's about the brides of Dracula and like their take on Dracula and what was going on and like obviously learning about who he is, was and what he was doing. And so I haven't read it, but I need to read it and it's been wrecked to me by friends and so, yeah, that's, that's on my list of. Yeah, I think it's kind of like I don't know if this is a trope, but like like learning, like a the secret identity or like coming to find out like your partner sucks and is bad and I don't know what's that called revelations, revelations, secret identity revealed your partner sucks, true partner sucks, literally, literally.
Speaker 2:He's dracula. Yeah, any other tropes or wrecks you want to talk?
Speaker 1:about. Um, I really love, I really like retellings, especially these dark retellings. I don't know if you guys can tell from, like the Nikki St Crow, the Peter Pan retelling, but there's also by Emily McIntyre. She does a bunch of Disney retellings that are very dark. Her newest one that came out was an Esmeralda and Frollo retelling. Again, check sugar warnings.
Speaker 2:He's like a murderer in it. Yeah, and there's like religious trauma in it, obviously, but I ate it honestly, like I mean that sounds like really good. But like Esmeralda and Quasimodo, like come on, all that. Like give the ugly guy like some love.
Speaker 1:I have to send you. This is so off topic and not at all dark and twisty, but I know ashley's seen it the guy who does the movie yes, um, I was crying I was crying. Did you watch his hunchback of notre dame when he?
Speaker 2:does, and he's like I was he's like.
Speaker 1:He's like you would be amazing in a game. You would thrive with weather. But like, when he's like, not only does he save her once, he saves her twice, saves her here. Does this all this?
Speaker 2:and she's like, yeah, I love you, but I'm gonna go with the colonizer with the chinstrap the john smith with the chinstrap.
Speaker 1:We'll post it so people can see it.
Speaker 2:He yes, every review he does it's amazing, so funny like he's so funny, um so I want her to be with quasimodo like come on well, she's not with him in this one, but hers are great she does.
Speaker 1:Um, there's a captain hook and wendy one. It's usually the villain who ends up with that's the theme, the villain. So it's. Um, there's a Captain Hook and Wendy. It's usually the villain who ends up with. That's the theme, the villain. So it's. There's a Captain Hook one and Hamlet slash Lion King one. There's a. There's a couple in our series. It's really good. And then I really like Katie Roberts Disney villains.
Speaker 1:Hers are great. She has, which I know I've told Ashley to read before. It's a Jfar and jasmine is the first one in the series I've I'm almost done with the series, so it's them. And then a meg hercules and hades one. Oh yeah, there's a tinkerbell and hook one there. There's a bunch and they're excellent. They're dark again, you know, check your warnings but the spice is great in them. So I really enjoy dark retelling, I guess, since you like um jafar and jasmine.
Speaker 2:Yes, retelling, they're one of my favorite author is doing a Jafar origin story and it's called the wishlist ones and it's coming out January of 2025 oh my god, she'll just send me the info so I can keep my eye out for it.
Speaker 2:So it it looks amazing and, yeah, the cover is like so beautiful. Um Hafsa Faisal is, uh, the author's name, and I was like we need to know his origin story because I don't know if it doesn't seem like it's like um, like romance or anything, it's just it just says his origin story. So I was like, oh okay, interesting, interesting. Anyway, I feel like you'd like that.
Speaker 1:I would. I just there's something really great about um. I know this is said. There's also um by um. There's also a draco fan fiction where there's a quote that's similar to this, where she's with draco and whatever, but there's something about a villain. Because you know they say a hero will save the world, blah, blah, but then a villain will burn it down for the person they love.
Speaker 2:And I love that trope so much so I think that's why the villain, the, the bad boy, the complex characters really speak to me and why I like them so much, you know well, I think, like you said, it's like because they're complex, because they have more going on, which which is why this Iron Widow, like I'm listening to right now, the main guy he like is like this villain type guy and, you know, supposed to be this terrible badass, but you're like learning about him and like, oh, he's not as evil as people are making him seem and he's supposed to be this like murderer or whatever, and um, and yeah, it's like when you get these complex characters that seem like a villain on the outside but instead there's like reasons why they do things, or um, you know they might be a softie on the inside, or you know it's like maybe they're, maybe there's a reason they're so toxic, maybe they're, you know, there's justifications, or maybe they're just they just want to burn the world down, or maybe they just they need to burn it, burn it down burn me down too.
Speaker 2:Maybe they just need a little love. You know, who knows?
Speaker 1:but the I wish I could think of the exact quote, but it's from a fan fiction called clean. It's the clean and mark series. It's a draco hermione fan fiction by olivia blake who is published author now, um, but there's a quote in it with harry and it's so great, it's like something I'll I'll look it up so you guys know, but anyway it's great because then she's like but I know draco would burn down the world for me or something. I'm like fuck, yes, love it so amazing.
Speaker 2:All right, that wraps it up. We can do some kudos that's it anyone wants to go first?
Speaker 1:yeah, I'll go first, since it's all crickets here who do I want to kudos this week? Well, first, obviously you two, because you're amazing and everybody drives me crazy. So, besides you two, um, you guys are amazing and yeah, honestly, I think this is just you guys this week, because I had, I was I had drill this weekend, so it was kind of a not fun weekend and this was something I actually was looking forward to, because it was stacy's first day back with all of us together and, um, even though I think I saw you like a week ago now, chanel, it feels like it's been longer than that.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:But me and Chanel actually we got to have like a little breakfast date together last week, which we never get to, sorry, stacey, which we never get to do. Just as, stacey, I'm sorry, but also I got to spend a lot of time with Stacey last week, one on one with the kids. So that was really nice and yeah, yeah, it's just been nice that I got like time together with both of you and then I got separate time with you guys, which is also nice because it just doesn't happen very often. I love you guys Made my whole week. I love it.
Speaker 1:Well, my kudos I just got to kudos people, my support system, anyone who knows having kids can be stressful. Adding, adding a infant, a newborn, when you have a toddler has been interesting. But we've had so many sweet people like drop off food and visit, so I can't say every person, this would take too long but just overarchingly, like all the people who've helped my aunt, joe, who who's been listening to the book of the month, our book of the month, she's come in like, picked up my house for me a couple of times. She's been life-saving. Ashley came to hang out with the kids. She, theo's been working on the side helping his dad.
Speaker 1:Ashley came and helped watch the kids grow early in the morning before she went to work to help me out, because I was really nervous to have them both alone because I just hadn't done that yet. So that was nice, but stacy's amazing, so she can do it and, yeah, you guys, I want you to know that, just like getting to record again, it was nice to focus obviously and heal and I know it's only been four weeks and to take a little break. But recording with you guys is such a like uplifting thing. So you missed. I feel refreshed. I missed you guys, yeah, so just thanks everyone who's brought food and texted and said how cute ivy is. I'm biased but she is the cutest thing ever she is, even though she doesn't look anything like me and I, literally, when she was born, I was like whose baby is this?
Speaker 2:like it's okay, she has your personality. That's gonna be sassy. That's what matters so I love you guys yeah I was gonna say, of course, you guys, I like same thing. I just love hanging with you guys and talking with you guys. Yeah, like you said, it just makes my weekend. And also I want to give a shout out to my cousin who just got engaged, and so we had a little engagement party to her yesterday, and so I'm super excited for her. So, yeah, yay, congrats so yeah, it's been a good weekend.
Speaker 2:So far. Love you guys thank you everyone for listening Stacy.
Speaker 1:You want to lead us out? Yeah, especially with this episode. Everyone have a great week, stay safe out there and make sure you read what you like, even if it's about toxic love and cannibals.
