Smart Podcast, Trashy Books Podcast

235. Listener Email, Questions, and Romance Reader Stories

This week the guest is… all of you! This episode is an assembly of your excellent email messages, with stories, jokes, and questions, because you’re all brilliant, clever, and interesting people. Thank you for listening – knowing how funny you are, I’m honored that you listen to me each week!

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Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

I also mentioned:

And, thanks to Garlic Knitter, our transcriptionist, for the nudge, here are pictures of my Toothless cross stitch, based on a design I commissioned from the background banners from Dragons: Rise of Berk (a game available for Android and iOS).

The Toothless banner cross stitch pattern I commissioned and made. Took me over a year off and on.

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This Episode's Music

Peatbog Fairies Blackhouse, a glowing ball in a very old foundation for a house by a small body of water

Our music is provided by Sassy Outwater each week. This is the Peatbog Faeries brand new album Blackhouse. This track is called “The Chatham Lassies.”

You can find their new album at Amazon, at iTunes, or wherever you like to buy your fine music.


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Transcript

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This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.

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  1. M & M says:

    Yes, yes, yes to Laura Kinsale and Elizabeth Hoyt. I am also going through a bit of reading slump. I DNF books more often than I used to. But I’m allowing myself to not feel bad/guilty about it. My reading time is very precious to me, so I want to find and read books that are my particular brand of catnip. I have been tempted to re-read some of my fave Laura Kinsale and Elizabeth Hoyt books. So I too would recommend them as possible options to get out of a reading slump. I also look for recommendations on smart bitches (obviously), goodreads, heroes and heartbreakers.com, all about romance.com. And also the amazon romance discussion forum.

    I have a tea recommendation, Rooibos tea. It’s naturally caffeine-free and you can have it with or without milk. I prefer it with a bit of milk and no sugar. But if you’re not a big fan of tea, or new to tea, then I suggest you add a tiny bit of sugar or honey. Also, don’t let it brew too long (unless you like strong tea). I personally enjoy chamomile tea, but I think it’s an acquired taste, so not the best tea to start with. Mint tea might be a good option, especially if you can get fresh mint leaves.

  2. Crystal says:

    I need that Toothless pattern! I’m cross stitching Baby Groot right now and he’s going to be adorable.

  3. Jill Q. says:

    I actually take the opposite approach when I’m in a reading slump. I try to pick something way out of my comfort zone or I try to force myself to finish something that’s just ho hum (not anything I hate, just something that isn’t super compelling). Sometimes I inadvertently find an unexpected delight and even if I end up hating it, I come back to my favorite authors and genres feeling fresh. I don’t try to force it too much, usually one book is enough.

    And another trick. My mom always has the rule “I will set down and read x number of pages in one sitting and if it’s still not grabbing me, out it goes, guilt free.” She would say 100 pages, but she’s a fast reader who likes big, meaty books. Maybe for someone else it would be more like 50 pages. And I still haven’t quite figured out what the ebook equivalent is for that trick.

    I think the reason these particular strategies work for me is my reading slumps seem to get worse as my attention span shortens (hello, 24/7 Internet world) and deliberately forcing my attention to lengthen a bit seems to help? It’s like working a muscle for me. I’m also not a rereader for the most part (sob) so if I don’t read something new, I don’t read at all and that just feels terrible after a while. It’s like life without chocolate or sunshine.

    Not saying anyone has to try these just something to think about

    Thanks for such a fun podcast!

  4. Jill Q. says:

    Also, thumbs up for both Rooibos tea and How To Train Your Dragon that cross stitch is adorable.

  5. I’ve been in a bit of a book drought for a while now, but there are some signs that I’m coming out of it. Last weekend, I devoured the most recent m/m by Annabeth Albert, which was amazing, btw, and started the new Lucy Parker the next day. Unfortunately, I’m at the 70% mark on that and can’t seem to find it in me to sit down with it. Sometimes I feel like I have book ADHD. If I don’t finish it immediately, I get distracted by something else and can’t pick it back up again. A part of this is that I read a good 40% of it on Tuesday when I was without power and had nothing else I could do. As soon as my power came back on, it was Netflix time. Ugh. I spent the rest of the night finishing season 4 of Buffy and am now at the beginning of season 6. Yes, I have a problem.

    When I am in a book drought, I tend not to want to try anything new because I will more than likely DNF whatever that poor book is, even though for the most part it is me and not the book that is to blame. Sometimes, I will do audiobooks, which help (I devoured 3 books that way in the last month). Other times, I go for comfort reads, like anything Nora Roberts, a Bridgerton binge, or one of Julie James’s FBI/AUSA series. If none of that works, I throw myself into television. Buffy, Chuck, Eureka, Warehouse 13, and NCIS have all managed to drag me out of a book drought in the past. Sometimes, I just can’t read for a little while and that is okay, especially since I’ve been rabidly devouring anything I could get my hands on for close to 20 years now (and now I feel old).

  6. JoAnn says:

    Another vote for Rooibos tea! I just bought Rooibos & Honeybush Tea from Trader Joe and I’m in love! Organic, fairtrade, caffeine free and the box design makes me happy! I like a small amount of agave in my tea. Cozy Chamomile from Bigelow is also delish!

    As for book slumps (so frustrating!!), I like to take a break from straight-up romance with mysteries/police procedurals that have “romantic elements”. A couple rec’s for historicals – the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries by C S Harris, the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig and the Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander. For something contemporary, try Julia Spencer-Fleming, the Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill or the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Gailbraith (otherwise known as J K Rowling!).

  7. Katie says:

    NO GRAPES!!!! *Edna Mode voice*

    But actually, does anyone know what this aforementioned grape book is?

  8. SB Sarah says:

    I love how much y’all have enjoyed this episode! Thank you! I was worried that too much of my voice is, well, too much, but you’re all the most interesting people.

    I have some decaf peach rooibos. I will give it another try – and will report back. We also have a post all about tea 101 for the beginner by reader request, and that’ll be coming up in March.

    Most of all – thank you for the compliments on the cross stitch, and thank you for listening and being part of the podcast!!

  9. Jet says:

    I don’t know if this is THE grapes book she was referring to – but there are definitely grapes used in the way the letter writer described in “Hellion” by Bertrice Small. I also found this gross and disturbing, and it ended my brief exploration of Small’s books, which are extremely rapey, occasionally homophobic, and generally problematic. But the grapes were my last straw.

  10. Maureen says:

    I usually read the transcripts instead of listening to the podcast, but had time today-so I listened in. This was a great one! Some of the letters made me cry, especially the one from the lady in Philippines, who said she felt like she had found her people when standing in line at an event.

    So, a couple thoughts-I would love a post about “deep dives into nerdiness”, because I think the comment section would be beyond amazing. I love that you are so into How to Train a Dragon, some of the most powerful movies I’ve seen as an adult are animated movies. In fact, when it comes to the Oscars, the only category I am well informed on is the animation one. Also, my cat looks a lot like Toothless-so added bonus.

    I am also beside myself with anticipation on the next in The Call of Crows book. I was so invested in that world, from the get go. Not since Harry Potter was I on board so quickly-I CANNOT WAIT!!

  11. Marci says:

    Just a heads up for a great books sale – Kit Rochas has a couple Beyond series book bundles on sale. Bundle 1 (Books 1-3) is $.99 and Bundle 2 (Books 4-6) is FREE. That’s 6 books for $.99!

  12. Maureen says:

    @scifigirl1986-You don’t have a problem, you have an affinity for the better things in life, which in my mind-first and foremost is Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I watched it all when it aired on TV, and have done the DVD binge once every couple years. This is a series that holds up beautifully!

  13. M & M says:

    @scifigirl1986 and @Maureen: Buffy the vampire slayer was brilliant!
    It had so many layers: comedy, a coming of age story, female empowerment, friendship. It even had its own language that became part of pop culture. And the character growth! I mean look at Spike and Anya! My love of “villain turns hero” may have started there.
    It wasn’t always a perfect show and Joss Whedon broke my heart on a few occasions, but I loved that show.
    Did anyone watch the ‘Angel’ spin-off? Again, such great character development. And I loved the fact that it didn’t take itself too seriously (e.g. Puppet episode). Although, I wasn’t always happy with some of the decisions “The powers that be” made. 😉
    Buffy, Angel and Charmed were my jam.
    🙂

  14. Amanda says:

    I’m a recent tea drinker. At first I hated all tea – iced or hot, then came around to sweetened or flavored iced teas in maybe college? Sometime around then. I think my biggest issue is that most of the teas I was finding were very weak and just tasted like hot, kinda flowery water.

    My French host mother used to serve us this spiced orange tea and I *LOVED* it, so I sought that out when I came back from my study abroad trip. A couple years later, I found something similar (and decaffeinated) when I was in Seattle and luckily, the company (MarketSpice) ships their teas because I ran out of the stash I brought home with me. It’s their Cinnamon-Orange tea.

    I also just discovered Barry’s Tea, an Irish brand that comes in decaf as well. I like to add a splash of milk and some sugar to it. The color reminds me a lot of the orangey shade of Thai iced tea (also a favorite of mine). I usually stick with the decaf or low caffeine teas so I don’t vibrate out of existence.

    As for giving up on books – I’ve allowed myself to do that more over the years. I’d feel guilty about not sticking through a book, but now if something doesn’t hold my interest I’ll put it down. I may go back to it at a later date, because I’m a very “moody” reader where I need to be in the right mood to read something most of the time. Sometimes if it starts showing signs of being overy tropey or has characters who annoy me, I’ll check out some critical reviews to see if anyone mentions the issues I have with the story and then gauge if I want to continue. The last book I tried to read was like that, and judging by the reviews that weren’t all five star, capslock OMG BEST BOOK EVER!!1, it did not get better. So yeah, long story short – it’s okay to put it down if you’re not into it.

  15. Christine says:

    Thanks for sharing that romance conversion story! That was fun, and I’d forgotten I asked, so lovely surprise there 🙂

  16. Leanne H. says:

    I loved everything about this podcast, but I especially loved hearing about your inner nerd. 🙂 Thanks for answering my question!

    I’m thinking perhaps we need a cooking & reading series written by Sarah??? Kind of like Cocktails & Covers but with food? You’ve inspired me to try some sage in my chicken soup… haha.

    I love the Toothless banner, also. That is AMAZING.

  17. SB Sarah says:

    Thank you! If you like the sage, I have also really been craving sage and lemon flavors together in my chicken soup. I have a recipe for chicken soup with barley that has fresh sage and lemon juice added at the end and just typing that makes me want to go eat some right NOW.

  18. Crystal F. says:

    Really enjoyed the segment on reading slumps. I have been in one for months now. Mainly because I have been working on improving my artwork, I guess my biggest nerd dive at the moment, besides my shows. (Those MASH reruns on AMC and Sundance Channel are not helping.)

    I used to draw in high school and a while afterwards, but stopped for over a decade. Then a couple of years ago, my mother got me an adult coloring book to help deal with my dad passing away, and something just clicked again. So now I’m basically shoving art supplies into every possible nook and cranny alongside my books.

    How you are with tea, I am with coffee. The only one I really like is Maxwell House’s iced French Vanilla lattes. (I got my mother addicted to it, to where she now has a pyramid of blue and white boxes on the kitchen counter.)

  19. Jamie says:

    Hi Sarah,

    This was a very interesting podcast and I loved the questions and comments from other romance/Smart Bitches fans.

    As for the tea, you must try teapigs especially the “Licorice and Peppermint” flavor. It sounds odd but trust me there’s no weird bitter taste (in fact it sort of tastes a little sweet). I usually add a little milk but not always.

    Happy reading!

  20. Jen says:

    OK, so I’m behind on the podcast and only just listened to this episode yesterday. But I had to come make a quick comment on How to Train Your Dragon, the Dragon’s Edge series because Sarah talked about it. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, so I’ll try to talk in a little bit of code understandable to those who’ve seen it. But OMG Hiccup and you know who! That part where he protects the special person from falling on the ground by sticking his hand behind their head….holy shit that was one of the loveliest moments I’ve ever seen in any show, not just an animated one, and I got good flutters in my stomach. And the way he protects that person but still lets that person do what they feel they’re capable of is so wonderful. So many heroes in romantic suspense novels could learn a thing from Hiccup about how to protect but still respect another person. And then the admission about how he just wanted it to be perfect…gah! I was watching with my 7 year old son and I actually started tearing up and he thought I was so so weird. Sarah, I hope you enjoyed those moments as much as I did! 🙂

  21. SB Sarah says:

    @Jen: OH MY GAAAAAAAAASH yes. The Hiccstrid fluff in the last Dragon’s Edge series was just so incredible. I was worried that the writers wouldn’t handle the romance in a way that I’d enjoy, but wow. All those moments, I enjoyed them SO much. 😀

  22. Hayley says:

    Currently reading Suddenly You for a challenge only because I FORGOT IT MIGHT BE THE GRAPE BOOK. The scene does not involve grapes, but raspberries, which seem much more likely to cause an infection. There’s also she-says-no-but-he-does-it-anyway-and-then-she-likes-it-so-it-can’t-be-wrong anal penetration, so. After the St. Vincent controversy I really shouldn’t have been surprised.

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