UNspoiled! Book Club!

Quick Announcement!

Sooooooo funny story about this one. I got the audiobook AND the kindle version, but relied on the audiobook because I had a packed week and it was easier to listen while I took care of chores and housework. UNFORTUNATELY, it turns out that the version I listened to was abridged, and this fact was not included in the title nor was there even a full-length version available at all to alert me of the danger. So. I apologize. That's two book club episodes now where I've dropped the ball and I'm smarting a little from it. I really did like what I heard of this book, and I'm deeply sad that they robbed me of a full experience. I wish I knew why! Thank you to Jaime for commissioning this one, and I will see you all in a couple of weeks with Where The Red Fern Grows!

Sooooooo funny story about this one. I got the audiobook AND the kindle version, but relied on the audiobook because I had a packed week and it was easier to listen while I took care of chores and housework. UNFORTUNATELY, it turns out that the version I listened to was abridged, and this fact was not included in the title nor was there even a full-length version available at all to alert me of the danger. So. I apologize. That's two book club episodes now where I've dropped the ball and I'm smarting a little from it. I really did like what I heard of this book, and I'm deeply sad that they robbed me of a full experience. I wish I knew why! Thank you to Jaime for commissioning this one, and I will see you all in a couple of weeks with Where The Red Fern Grows!

Hey folks! So, unfortunately I had a bit of a hiccup with the person who was supposed to guest-host this episode. They had a personal emergency and forgot to let me know they wouldn't be available, so I was sitting in front on my camera with Crowdcast turned on when I found out. I decided to go on and record by my lonesome, and I think it still went pretty well. This book was a little less whimsical than I expected, because there were actually pretty hardcore stakes; if the little boy didn't stop the cook or help the Clocks escape, they would all die. All of them! And what's surprising is that we don't actually get any confirmation that they're okay at the end. We don't SEE them escape, we just have to take the word of the woman who is telling the story. Not only that, but the cook doesn't get any comeuppance for being pretty much terrible! As a kid I think that would have bothered me a lot, but frankly as an adult I was like, "Well that's how it goes." Anyway, I liked this book and it was kind of weird and I'm low-key interested in reading the sequels. Thanks to everyone who hung out with me at the Crowdcast, and make sure to pick up the book for next month's Childhood Favorite, Where The Red Fern Grows!

Hey folks! So, unfortunately I had a bit of a hiccup with the person who was supposed to guest-host this episode. They had a personal emergency and forgot to let me know they wouldn't be available, so I was sitting in front on my camera with Crowdcast turned on when I found out. I decided to go on and record by my lonesome, and I think it still went pretty well. This book was a little less whimsical than I expected, because there were actually pretty hardcore stakes; if the little boy didn't stop the cook or help the Clocks escape, they would all die. All of them! And what's surprising is that we don't actually get any confirmation that they're okay at the end. We don't SEE them escape, we just have to take the word of the woman who is telling the story. Not only that, but the cook doesn't get any comeuppance for being pretty much terrible! As a kid I think that would have bothered me a lot, but frankly as an adult I was like, "Well that's how it goes." Anyway, I liked this book and it was kind of weird and I'm low-key interested in reading the sequels. Thanks to everyone who hung out with me at the Crowdcast, and make sure to pick up the book for next month's Childhood Favorite, Where The Red Fern Grows!

Hey all you lovely people! I am finally here with the episode for this month's Book Club, and Jaime is going to talk about it with me! The Time Traveler's Wife falls under the heading of "books I had heard of a million times but had no interest in" and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it despite my crotchetiness. Niffenegger comes up with a really wild idea for this book: what if time travel wasn't something you needed equipment to complete, but also something that you couldn't control? Henry is a dude afflicted with a really weird condition that causes him to unexpectedly time-travel at random moments, and wherever he ends up he's naked and completely vulnerable. Claire is his wife, and the book is structured in such a way that we first see them together when Henry first meets her, even though by the time he meets her, Claire has already known him for some time. Yeah, it's complicated. Thank you all so much for listening, and I hope you enjoy the show!

Hey all you lovely people! I am finally here with the episode for this month's Book Club, and Jaime is going to talk about it with me! The Time Traveler's Wife falls under the heading of "books I had heard of a million times but had no interest in" and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it despite my crotchetiness. Niffenegger comes up with a really wild idea for this book: what if time travel wasn't something you needed equipment to complete, but also something that you couldn't control? Henry is a dude afflicted with a really weird condition that causes him to unexpectedly time-travel at random moments, and wherever he ends up he's naked and completely vulnerable. Claire is his wife, and the book is structured in such a way that we first see them together when Henry first meets her, even though by the time he meets her, Claire has already known him for some time. Yeah, it's complicated. Thank you all so much for listening, and I hope you enjoy the show!

Many thanks to Jaime for joining me for this episode of UNspoiled! Book Club: Childhood Favorites! I'm personally excited about revisiting this book, and I was able to zero in on a really good audiobook version which I was going to link to, but now Audible says isn't available. :( It was Kate Reading, in case it comes back! This book wasn't an easy one for Jaime who usually doesn't warm to period novels very well, but she found some things really resonated with her. We both found it sort of sad and fascinating how much this book seemed to fly in the face of everything Louisa May Alcott believed, but she was able to write it with such sincerity that you'd never know it.Then there are parts of the story that are problematic by today's standards, and we deal with them while acknowledging that there were probably things that Alcott just didn't have the vocabulary for at the time. How interesting it would have been for her to explore the modern era! Thank you all so much for listening, and I will see you in a few weeks with a new episode!

Many thanks to Jaime for joining me for this episode of UNspoiled! Book Club: Childhood Favorites! I'm personally excited about revisiting this book, and I was able to zero in on a really good audiobook version which I was going to link to, but now Audible says isn't available. :( It was Kate Reading, in case it comes back! This book wasn't an easy one for Jaime who usually doesn't warm to period novels very well, but she found some things really resonated with her. We both found it sort of sad and fascinating how much this book seemed to fly in the face of everything Louisa May Alcott believed, but she was able to write it with such sincerity that you'd never know it.Then there are parts of the story that are problematic by today's standards, and we deal with them while acknowledging that there were probably things that Alcott just didn't have the vocabulary for at the time. How interesting it would have been for her to explore the modern era! Thank you all so much for listening, and I will see you in a few weeks with a new episode!

Hey everyone! Candace joined me for this episode, and this time around I actually did watch the film that came out based on the book before recording, so there's going to be some references to that in this episode. Forgive me! I have to confess that while Candace and I talk about a lot of different issues we had with this book, I still had a great time listening to the audiobook. If you have the inclination, I highly recommend it. I don't know if I would have had the same reaction to the story if I had been reading it, because there's something about it being narrated by someone who speaks the language and who can do the accents correctly that adds an extra dimension of ease to absorbing the material without getting mentally hung up on how to pronounce things. This book was fun, but there were certain things that felt really contrived because the author wanted huge dramatic moments. Nick is really one of the most frustrating characters ever. You want to like him and give him the benefit of the doubt, but you also can't help but think he must be a complete fool if he doesn't see some of this shit coming. And does Rachel want to marry someone that foolish? Anyway, I would be really interested to hear what you thought of this book! Let me know!

Hey everyone! Candace joined me for this episode, and this time around I actually did watch the film that came out based on the book before recording, so there's going to be some references to that in this episode. Forgive me! I have to confess that while Candace and I talk about a lot of different issues we had with this book, I still had a great time listening to the audiobook. If you have the inclination, I highly recommend it. I don't know if I would have had the same reaction to the story if I had been reading it, because there's something about it being narrated by someone who speaks the language and who can do the accents correctly that adds an extra dimension of ease to absorbing the material without getting mentally hung up on how to pronounce things. This book was fun, but there were certain things that felt really contrived because the author wanted huge dramatic moments. Nick is really one of the most frustrating characters ever. You want to like him and give him the benefit of the doubt, but you also can't help but think he must be a complete fool if he doesn't see some of this shit coming. And does Rachel want to marry someone that foolish? Anyway, I would be really interested to hear what you thought of this book! Let me know!

Hey everyone! It's time for the next Childhood Favorite, this month hosted by Gena Radcliffe fof Kill BY Kill Podcast! Gena, like me, loved these books as a child, and unlike me, went on to become a fan of the TV show as well. I only saw a few minutes of one ep and decided it was not for me, and you won't believe what Gena tells me happens in the final episode (unless you've seen it in which case, whaaaaaat were they thinking???). I was a little worried about this reread, but it turns out that a lot of the more objectionable stuff is in her later book, Little House On The Prairie. In fact, this book is much more like Farmer Boy than it is like the other Little House books, because it's so much more focused on the how-tos of self-sufficiency. No wonder I like this one so much, it's practically a DIY book.Thanks a ton to all of you for listening, and to Gena for guesting! See you next month with Crazy Rich Asians and Little Women!

Hey everyone! It's time for the next Childhood Favorite, this month hosted by Gena Radcliffe fof Kill BY Kill Podcast! Gena, like me, loved these books as a child, and unlike me, went on to become a fan of the TV show as well. I only saw a few minutes of one ep and decided it was not for me, and you won't believe what Gena tells me happens in the final episode (unless you've seen it in which case, whaaaaaat were they thinking???). I was a little worried about this reread, but it turns out that a lot of the more objectionable stuff is in her later book, Little House On The Prairie. In fact, this book is much more like Farmer Boy than it is like the other Little House books, because it's so much more focused on the how-tos of self-sufficiency. No wonder I like this one so much, it's practically a DIY book.Thanks a ton to all of you for listening, and to Gena for guesting! See you next month with Crazy Rich Asians and Little Women!

Hey everyone! Candace and I are here to discuss Children Of Blood And Bone, an epic fantasy novel that centers a black woman and is in a country populated by black people. It's really unusual and really emotional and I highly recommend it. The story follows Zelie, a young woman born of meji parents with magical ability, who all lost their abilities for unknown reasons and have had to live as slaves and scapegoats in the country of Orisha. Amari, a princess belonging to the non-magical race of people, realizes her father is a monster and flees the city with one of his most important weapons, and their paths collide. I really hope that you all check this book out and I will see you in a couple weeks with Crazy Rich Asians!

Hey everyone! Candace and I are here to discuss Children Of Blood And Bone, an epic fantasy novel that centers a black woman and is in a country populated by black people. It's really unusual and really emotional and I highly recommend it. The story follows Zelie, a young woman born of meji parents with magical ability, who all lost their abilities for unknown reasons and have had to live as slaves and scapegoats in the country of Orisha. Amari, a princess belonging to the non-magical race of people, realizes her father is a monster and flees the city with one of his most important weapons, and their paths collide. I really hope that you all check this book out and I will see you in a couple weeks with Crazy Rich Asians!