#322 - Are Blind Dates with Books A TRAP?!

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-26

[00:00:09]Hello everyone and welcome to Books Unbound, the podcast where we unbind books to get to their hearts with your hosts, us, it's Ariel and >> Railene. Hello.

[00:00:20]>> We are here today for another episode of Books Unbound podcast.

[00:00:27]>> Surprise. We're doing what we've done every week for the last many, many years. So, today we're doing a big update on Mashed Potato May. How's it going? For us, we're basically halfway through. When you're hearing this, there's only about a week left. Um, so don't give up yet. Do one final push.

[00:00:50]You know, that's what I'm I'm excited for the next few weeks of mashed potato.

[00:00:53]Me, too.

[00:00:54]>> Um, I'm ready.

[00:00:54]>> I feel like I haven't had the best start. me. It's been pretty awful actually. Uh, >> but I have not so good.

[00:01:02]>> I have ideas.

[00:01:03]>> So do I. I have ideas. I have like a general feeling that it's all going to work out.

[00:01:12]>> So yeah, maybe fine.

[00:01:14]>> Um, I did accomplish one of the bingo challenges, which was to watch a a mashed potato.

[00:01:22]>> Yeah, that too. I did that yesterday.

[00:01:24]>> Um, okay. So, let's start by quickly talking about that. That's really fun.

[00:01:28]The one that I watched, you were shocked that I hadn't seen, which is ex >> it's exactly what Mash Potato is all about, right? Especially with a movie.

[00:01:37]It's like, yeah, no, you're right. Like, I've been meaning to. Um, it's I agree that it's weird that I haven't. And for me, it was >> Wall-E.

[00:01:46]>> I knew that I was going to love this ever since it came out, but just I just never caught it.

[00:01:53]>> Yeah. Do you know like that happens sometimes just kept the movie like Yeah.

[00:01:58]Like it's in theaters and you never managed to go and see it and then >> I mean this would would have been before I had autonomy, right?

[00:02:06]>> Yeah. I was in middle school or high school, early high school or something.

[00:02:10]>> Yeah. This was when we were in grade eight. Okay. So >> we weren't driving ourselves to the movies. And this was also like when you had to buy a movie on DVD or VHS to see it. So that also wasn't a promise.

[00:02:24]Anyways, >> this one got missed in my house. I watched it with Connor over 3 days. It was cuz it's 90 minutes long. So we basically watched uh 30 minutes a day for lunch.

[00:02:36]>> Mhm.

[00:02:38]>> It is incredible.

[00:02:41]We at the end, I'm not kidding, both of us hugging and crying. Oh my god. Okay, >> we're >> That's incredible. tears in our eyes, hugging each other like it. It was so beautiful. So, if you are like me and you haven't seen Wally, I really recommend it. Basically, it's the story of and like I feel like everyone knows this, but that's the point of a podcast is to explain things. So it's a story of a small robot who his like you know reason for being his ex the reason he was created is to create to take trash and compact it in his little body and then he creates these like bricks basically and with those bricks he's just stacking them up >> and clearly what's happened on Earth is that there was some form of a semiaapocalyptic situation which I like that it wasn't exactly explained. It's a little bit vague, >> right?

[00:03:39]>> No, it doesn't really matter to the plot of this particular film. Um, but it was like it set up a very interesting world where I was like, you could have an anthology of films with different parts of the of the history here. But anyways, he Yeah, that's his job to clean up the trash that's been left behind on Earth, which is like a shocking amount of trash, and to build it into bricks and like put it make it all tidy. You get the gist that at some point there was a lot of that type of robot and now he's the only one left. And it's one of those like AI slashroot situations where he has continued to do a job he no longer needs to do. There are no humans left on Earth. His efforts because the other robots aren't there is moving real slow. And so, you know, but he's programmed to do that. So, he does that. But he also has so much personality, which is really the beautiful part of the movie. He, you know, while he's sifting through the trash, he picks out little treasures and puts them in a lunch pail, like a cooler, and takes them back to his house at the end of the day, and sorts them into his little categories. So, he has so much personality, but the kind of driving force for Wall-E is that he loves this musical, this movie that he has where they like a couple falls in love and they hold hands and he really wants a girlfriend and he really wants to hold hands >> and it's so it's such a touching movie.

[00:05:06]It is a love story, but it's also this really beautiful uh commentary on like the importance of humans to take care of the earth. You know, the classic Yeah.

[00:05:19]theme for that would be stewards of the earth. You hear that throughout religion, you hear that throughout whatever. Like we are the stewards of the earth. This is ours to take care of and if we can, we should.

[00:05:30]>> Wow. One of the top top views of the of the year. Yeah. I really loved it. I thought it was so so beautiful and super cute and like wholesome and you know it had ups and downs which it was actually very exciting. It had a really great like fastm moving pace.

[00:05:47]>> Um I love the animation style >> and it also one of those brilliant movies like the one you liked about the cat Flo where there's no talking. Well, there's very little talking. There are some human characters that are kind of having another plot which is also very interesting. But the robots don't talk.

[00:06:05]>> I know. I love that.

[00:06:06]>> And he just goes like three words.

[00:06:10]>> Me and my friends were at the movie theater watching that movie being annoying saying that over and over again. I >> Oh, I bet.

[00:06:15]>> I remember those days.

[00:06:18]>> Yeah, I loved it. And like I say, if you haven't watched it and you need a mashed potato May movie, make it that one. It was so good.

[00:06:26]>> That is awesome.

[00:06:26]>> What about you, Ray? I don't remember which one you >> Well, I just watched it yesterday, so it's secret. Yeah. No, you don't know about it yet, but I think we did talk about maybe watching this together, but I watched it. Uh, A League of Their Own.

[00:06:37]I finally watched that. The original movie. I know they've made they've remade it into a show or they made a show. Yeah. But I watched the original movie cuz I've been meaning to watch it for forever. I love Gina Davis. Ever since I watched Thelma Louise, I was like, "Wait, I got to watch more stuff with this lady cuz she's so awesome."

[00:06:53]And it's great. It's about a baseball team. uh well like a whole league that's made up um from women because it's it's set during World War II and all the men go off to war and so the baseball league kind of falls apart and they're like well maybe baseball is just dead forever and this these people have this great idea to like let's just round up some women and see if they can play baseball.

[00:07:14]And so it's like this beautiful like feminist masterpiece basically because it's like you just see how they like look down on the women even though they're awesome at baseball as well. and like and it's just like how these women are like working through that and proving them wrong and it's so funny.

[00:07:29]Like I wasn't expecting it to be so like sharp as it was and I had such a good time with it. Like I was just sitting there laughing out loud. Also Tom Hanks is in it and he is disgusting. Like I've never seen a movie where they made me hate Tom Hanks and I was like guys I hate Tom Hanks right now. Like he's horrible.

[00:07:46]>> And I have you seen Elvis?

[00:07:49]>> No. Oh he gross in that too. That's the other hatable Tom Hanks movie.

[00:07:54]>> I was shocked. I was like, "Wait, is he just going to be gross the entire time?"

[00:07:58]And he was.

[00:07:59]>> It was Yeah. But it was it was fun. It like I got to see a different side of lots of different actors. Also, Madonna is in it and she was so awesome. I was not expecting to see Madonna and she just like felt very natural. It didn't feel like I was watching Madonna. It just felt like she was a great actress.

[00:08:13]So, yeah, highly recommend that as well if you have not seen it yet and love a good sports movie. Um, another one I would recommend is Bad News Bears, the original one from the 70s. Go on ahead and watch that if you need another baseball movie for some reason.

[00:08:27]>> That's awesome. I remember loving that movie when I saw it like I think I was a kid. Um, and it was like a lot of fun and and we definitely rewatched it a few times in my house and I remember the >> Tom Hanks shouting there's no crying in baseball. That's such an iconic line.

[00:08:43]>> Yeah.

[00:08:43]>> Um, great great pics that we did.

[00:08:46]>> I know, right? And I'm not done. I think I want to watch more mashed potato movies cuz I have a whole list. Like I have so many that I still need to watch.

[00:08:52]It's ridiculous.

[00:08:53]>> It's true. It but it's it's so gratifying because it can be done in two hours as opposed to a book where you're just like, "Oh boy." It's like a week of commitment at least minimum, maybe longer. Um and multiple days of trying to choose a book sometimes, which is the situation I've been in.

[00:09:11]>> I'm just like trying to figure out what to read and I'm having a a panic about it, you know.

[00:09:16]>> Okay. Okay. Well, that's very fascinating. Um, maybe let's hop to what we're currently reading. Why not? Since it's topical to what you're saying, what are you current like what are you what struggles are you in?

[00:09:27]>> What struggles am I in? That's so true.

[00:09:29]>> Okay. So, I mean, the struggles I've been in is that I would like I've started things and not really felt like reading them. Like, for example, I think last week I said I was listening to the audio book for Just Kids by Patty Smith.

[00:09:43]I am no longer listening to that because I just wasn't having a good time. I was like, >> "Oh, no." So, I had to like I abandoned it. Like, it's I don't think I'm ever going to finish that book because I just wasn't vibing with it. And I'm like, >> interesting.

[00:09:56]>> Oh, that was like a huge mashed potato for me. And that's scary when that happens, but it does happen sometimes.

[00:10:02]And so, yeah, I was reading that and I was like not having a great time with that. I did finish one mashed potato book, which I will get to, but I yeah, over the past two days, I literally just like didn't read anything since I finished my last book because I was like, I just need to figure out what to read next. Like, do I want to read a classic? Do I want to read a friend's favorite book? Like, I'm trying to lock into the mashed potato may of it all while also keeping in mind quarter 2 goals, which is to read my most owned authors. So, I'm like, >> I'm I'm being pulled in multiple directions cuz I have this huge stack that I made next to my bed because, as you guys may have noticed, I got a lot of books over the past few weeks. I may have hauled, you know, 30-ish books, something like that. And so I had to reorganize my bookshelves and I was like, maybe what I should do is just pull out all of the the skinniest books I have and stack them up next to my bed and then I can just start reading like crazy. Um, of course, I have not done that, but it was inspiring in a way to uh make me figure out what I really want to read. And what I really wanted to read was not one of those super small books, but I just started this book last night, so I've literally read like five pages, but >> okay, >> I'm reading Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino, who is one of my mostowned authors. Um, and this actually was kind of inspired because I last night I watched A League of Their Own, and then I wanted to watch another movie, and so I watched No Other Choice. Um, which is kind of a parasiteesque movie if you it's it's very similar in a lot of ways. It's also very different, but basically that's the quickest way to to explain it. It's kind of like a thriller about a like middle-aged man who loses his job and is just like trying to make his way in the world trying to, you know, support his family and all this stuff. And it was very dark and very like messed up and crazy. And so I was like, you know what, I think I want to read something like that. And so >> Natsuino is my go-to when it comes to that kind of vibe. She's very good at writing twisted stories about Yeah. just like people working, people doing jobs, um but then also murder, etc. So, yeah, I've only read a few pages and already I'm pretty hooked by this. So, I'm excited to keep reading, but I've also been listening to this audio book while I go for walks because I was I went on a walk and I was like I hit play on just kids and I was like, >> yeah, >> I need I need something else. I need something else right now. And so, I looked at my Libro FM where I've got I have like probably seven or eight books that I've got over the past few months that I'm just like ready to read. And so I decided to jump into this book. It's called You Didn't Hear This From Me: Mostly True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKini. Um, and this was kind of just a random one. Most of the books I have on Libro FM are just like essay collections cuz that's kind of my favorite thing to listen to on audiobook now, right?

[00:12:36]>> And it is really fun so far. I'm about halfway through and it's exactly like the title implies. She's just like she's written a bunch of essays about gossip and like its effect on real people or its effect in like you know literature and um TV like she talks about Gossip Girl a bit. She talked about the movie Mean Girls a bit, but she also has brought it into real life and like how the Me Too movement is kind of like a, you know, gossip in one way or another where just like it's just people talking, people sharing information and how the more information people share, you know, the better the world can be because people got more information. And so it's just like she's kind of debunking, I guess, like the idea of gossip as a bad thing. Um, and it's kind of interesting. I'm really enjoying it.

[00:13:20]And but what I thought was like a funny connection is that the beginning of Grotesque literally reads like someone who's just like I'm about to tell you a story. Like come in. I'm about to tell you the gossip. And I was like, "Oh, that's so interesting. I wouldn't have thought of it that way if I hadn't been also reading this other book." So yeah, I'm excited. I feel like I'm about to get into a groove. Like I feel like I've been in a weird little funk. Uh my mom was just here this past weekend as well, so I was really busy and have been like just like sleeping for the whole week since she left cuz we did a lot of stuff. Um, which Yeah.

[00:13:51]>> What' you do?

[00:13:51]>> Oh my god. Well, we did a few things. We did some some productive things and some not so productive things. So, the first day she was here and like the reason she came was because the big Calgary book sale was happening uh last weekend through to this weekend >> and we went crazy. We both went crazy. I bought 20 books.

[00:14:14]>> It's like I'm not going to mince words here. Okay. We went crazy. We did go crazy. And the funny thing is my mom went even crazier than me and she had to take her stuff home on an airplane. So, let's just think about that for a second. Um, but at the book sale, I did come home with 20 books, but some of them weren't for me. Like, a couple of those 20 were gifts or like books that I was just found for friends. A couple of them were books where I was just replacing an edition that I already had because I was like, "Oh, I like the paper. I like I found the paperback and it was nice, whatever." So, I'd say like five of the books were that. Um, and I'm going to haul a few just of the highlights from that the book sale because there was a lot. But I found a lot of good stuff, a lot of good classics, a lot of cool editions for things. I had one like massive find of the day which was really fun. But yeah, so we did that. We went thrifting a bunch of times, ended up getting more books. We also did something very, very, very hilarious, which was it was Mother's Day also. That was another reason for the weekend. This past weekend was Mother's Day, and the day before Mother's Day, I got an email from the Plaza Theater, which I've mentioned a few times. It's this cute little independent theater that's right next to Paige's bookstore that I go to all the time. And they were doing a special Mother's Day showing of the movie Mamma Mia, >> right? And I got an email about this and I was like, we love Mamma Mia. Like, here's the thing about us. We both love MMA Mia. We've seen it on the stage in Vancouver. like we love it as much as we love lay miz like those are our two shows those are the two things that we both love >> and so we were like well we've got to go and we happened to be with my cousin when we were looking at this and so my cousin was like well I'll come too and like bring her mom so it was me and my cousin my mom and my aunt which was really fun and the thing though that made it funny is that it was a singalong >> this is like my nightmare >> yeah so it was a singalong and I was like this is going to be amazing like if this is a room full of people who just love Mamma Mia and we're all shouting out ABBA for two hours straight. Like, how fun will that be? Um, and it was so fun. We got there though, there was maybe like 20 people in the theater.

[00:16:17]Like, there weren't a lot of us in there, >> but it felt like a lot. There was a lot of presence going on and it was so funny >> because like when the movie starts, of course, like the first song, like people don't know the words as much because it's not like one of the most popular songs and we're all a little like shy and we're just kind of like, okay. Um, but then the moment one of the big songs comes on, we were all like, "Let's go, ladies." And one man, there was one man there, too, which was great. We were just belting our hearts out. And there was one part that was so funny because like >> there's this part where that one of the characters is like trying to get Merryill Streep to come out of a room and she just like starts singing one of the songs and it was like dead silent.

[00:16:56]My cousin starts singing the song a second too early and it was >> the entire theater just erupted. Like we were all laugh. I started crying because I was laughing so hard cuz she just went in with such confidence and we were all like, "Oh my god, what is happening?"

[00:17:12]And from that moment on, everyone was very loose. When Dancing Queen came on, we were all screaming. I was It was just like a moment of pure joy. Like everyone was just so happy and we were all laughing so hard and it was just beautiful. It was beautiful. So that was something else really fun that we did.

[00:17:29]And the last thing that we did that was really fun is we went for a hike. The same big hike that I went on a few weeks ago with the snow. We went and did in the sunshine and it was amazing. I went into a little cave and pretended to be Gollum.

[00:17:43]>> That's amazing.

[00:17:44]>> Yeah, it was fun. I like crawled in there. Yeah. So, it was really fun. And the water was so green and blue again.

[00:17:50]It was nice to see it in a different season, though. I mean, it's funny. It's the same season. It's still spring, but uh it looked very different. And it was yeah, it was nice to do with my mom, too, cuz she she loves taking pictures and so she was like, "We have to see those lakes. We got to get me up there so we can see those lakes." And we did.

[00:18:05]We saw the lakes.

[00:18:07]>> That's beautiful. The most similar thing I've been to, I've never been to a singalong, but I went to a quote along.

[00:18:14]I don't know if you've been to that before.

[00:18:16]>> That sounds fun, too. I could do that with some movies for sure.

[00:18:19]>> Yeah, it was for Mean Girls.

[00:18:21]>> Amazing. It has so many fantastic screamable quotes, >> you know, and it's one of those movies that a lot of us have seen so many times, so you do know them all.

[00:18:33]>> Um, and it's fun. It's fun when you realize like >> in the in the flesh in person, it's fun when you realize that other people love this thing as much as you do and like they're screaming the quotes with you and you're just like, "Wait, yeah, this is like a thing. We all know this. This is so fun to share." So, while I wouldn't want to go to a mama mia sing along, I do love the concept. I love the idea of people, especially cuz like, >> how do I put this? I feel like we, you and me, watch movies a lot. We're big movie people.

[00:19:02]>> I love the movies. I love going to the theater. I love the cinema, >> but it's dying. Like, it is dying. We can admit that. Oh, yeah. To be honest, times have changed are changing.

[00:19:13]>> Yeah, times are changing. Whenever I go to the cinema, there's us and four other people and in a sea of 200 seats or whatever, right? So, like >> clearly there was a time they built them that big because there was a time when those seats would get filled.

[00:19:28]>> And they have I've been in so many theaters where literally every seat is filled. Like they're like squishing you down because they can't leave any open seats. People are sitting in the wings sometimes cuz they sold too many tickets or whatever. That does not happen anymore.

[00:19:41]>> It's so magical when you go to something like that. But the majority of the time it's really dead.

[00:19:46]>> Yeah.

[00:19:47]>> And so my point is it's exciting when you see movie theaters doing fun new innovative things and it's like okay yeah it's not a new release. Mamma Mia has been out for I don't know 20 years >> but there's a certain magic to that too.

[00:20:02]There's a magic to how watchable it is and rewatchable and how people love the songs and people can sing along and so I just love when theaters and stuff do neat things like a quote along or >> Yeah, I've heard that like some theaters are doing Shrek for the because it's like the 20 25 year anniversary of Shrek.

[00:20:19]>> I think Cinniplex is doing >> Yeah, I should look into that. I have not come across that yet in my uh travels. I have been looking at the movies recently, but yeah, Shrek would be so fun to see in theaters again.

[00:20:29]>> That would be really really fun. I love going to go see the retro showings. Like last year, if you remember, one of my favorite experiences was Jaws. Um, actually, one of the best movie going experiences of my life was re-watching Shaun of the Dead in cinemas.

[00:20:43]>> That would be so fun.

[00:20:44]>> Wow, it's so Oh my god, it's just so good. Um, and last year we saw Back to the Future in IMAX, which was just like, when do you get to see it so huge?

[00:20:54]>> Yeah. Uh, no. My favorite one was I saw Psycho, the original Psycho movie in theaters, and it was so cool to see a black and white movie on the big screen.

[00:21:01]I was like, what is happening right now?

[00:21:03]>> This is something special.

[00:21:05]>> Yeah.

[00:21:06]>> Yeah. Oh, well, it sounds like you've had a great week. Um, I should tell you about my week, >> please.

[00:21:12]>> All right. So, it's been a very busy few weeks for sure. Work-wise, it's been crazy with all the chasing and trip planning, booking and like coordinating with so many people.

[00:21:27]>> Um, which has been so exciting and fun, but it has been very busy with that. So, that's been a huge thing. But also, there's just been a lot going on. It feels feels like life's starting back up again, which is so exciting when you go into like spring and summer and everyone's like events are starting cuz I don't know if it's like this in the southern parts of the world, like the warm parts of the world.

[00:21:54]>> But like in Canada, >> it goes into a hibernation mode. Yeah, >> like you know there's events in um around Christmas time but January, February, March there's not that much going on because it's so unpredictable.

[00:22:10]It's so hard to plan things off so many times. I will like oh okay we'll try to go to that and then it's canceled because of a blizzard. So, it's just like people, it just goes into a natural hibernation mode, which I do actually like because you get time at home. It's cozy. It's just a different way of life.

[00:22:26]But then it's so exciting in spring.

[00:22:28]Like, oh my god, Railen, like I me and my brother actually were just like, "Oh my god, when it got announced that patio season is opening up um in Halifax, like the patios are starting."

[00:22:38]>> I sat on a patio when my mom was here.

[00:22:41]>> Magical.

[00:22:42]>> You see, that's so exciting. The other one is that like you know summer's around the corner because um there's this one street downtown in Halifax, Argyle Street, that gets pedestrianized for most like for all the weekends in the summer >> and it's just like oh my god it's pedestrian only. This is it. Summer's here.

[00:23:01]>> Yeah, that's amazing.

[00:23:02]>> So anyways, there's all these little markers of of like the world opening back up which is so exciting. And yeah, a bunch has happened. So, one thing is I went to a quilt exhibition um by this amazing artist, Hanama Amiri.

[00:23:21]Wow, her quilts were unbelievable. I had to share it on the pod because I went um and so we'll share some photos here.

[00:23:30]I'll also share some photos on the Instagram. Um actually, I don't know if I will share some photos on the Instagram because I think they're all landscape. I guess we can share landscape photos.

[00:23:40]>> Yeah.

[00:23:41]>> By the way, >> it was just a really beautiful exhibition. I really enjoyed seeing quilts in a very different form because they they're not like those quilts are not actually meant to be like quilts.

[00:23:52]They're not >> they're textile art as opposed to like a functional practical item, but they are so stunning and when you see people doing really creative things like that, it's very inspiring. So, that was really cool. Um, next up, oh my god. I've decided to mod my Jeep.

[00:24:09]What do you mean? What do you mean? What do you mean? I'm starting to get into modding my Jeep. So, basically, I have a Jeep. I've had this Jeep now for six years. Isn't that crazy? No, wait. Yeah, this summer will be seven.

[00:24:23]>> A, >> that's crazy. I've had this Jeep for so long. That's crazy.

[00:24:26]>> It's a really good companion.

[00:24:27]>> Yeah.

[00:24:27]>> Me and that Jeep didn't bond at the very beginning, but now over the years, I really have. And if you have a name, sorry to interrupt.

[00:24:34]>> Kirby, >> right?

[00:24:35]>> Kirby, >> right?

[00:24:36]>> Yes.

[00:24:37]>> My car is named Grey Wind.

[00:24:39]>> I always know that for I like that really has really stuck in my head.

[00:24:42]>> His full name is Ride the Grey Wind, but his his short name is just Grey Wind, named after the direwolf from Game of Thrones. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:24:49]>> Incredible.

[00:24:50]>> Um yeah, I got like um a little plushy of Kirby that hangs in my window or my windshield and I just like named it Kirby and that has stuck. I need a little wolf for mine.

[00:25:03]>> Yeah, >> if you see a little wolf, >> let me know.

[00:25:05]>> Okay.

[00:25:06]>> Um, but yeah, I have never really modded it. I've always thought that would be fun, but I just I haven't. And then this year I was like, I'm doing it. So, I've started to add stuff on, you know, like what?

[00:25:16]>> I'm making it cool.

[00:25:18]>> Well, first I added some uh just like handles to the front, like some cool cord rope, parachute cord rope handles.

[00:25:26]Like, okay, that's cool. That's cool.

[00:25:27]Then I added, this is like really awesome. On the back tailgate where you open the back, I have a table, like a little fold down camping table. It's all metal. It's really cool. Me and my dad installed it, and now I can like go camping, open the door, flip it down, and there's a little built-in table.

[00:25:46]>> Oh my god. Like van life.

[00:25:49]>> Put in your Jeep.

[00:25:50]>> It's very van life.

[00:25:50]>> That's cool. Okay.

[00:25:51]>> Um, I've added on a really cool water jug. But the coolest thing, absolute coolest thing is I got a netted hammock.

[00:26:03]So basically with a Jeep, you can take the roof off, >> right? You can have the top off. Um, but it comes off in three parts. There's the part above the driver's seat, the part above the passenger seat, and then the part above the rest of the cabin. And you can just take off those two front parts and drive kind of like semiconvertible, which it would be very similar to like when you have a sunroof window and you just open the sunroof window. You can do that.

[00:26:33]>> I have a hammock that goes there now.

[00:26:36]>> What?

[00:26:36]>> And we tested it out. Me and Connor, we drove Okay. Me, Connor, and CJ drove to um like a really picturesque coastal spot and me and Connor climbed up on top of the jeep and hung in the hammock for like an hour and a half while CJ was fishing and Connor was writing and I was reading and I was like, I've reached the peak. I know figured out how to do life.

[00:27:00]>> Yeah.

[00:27:01]>> Yeah. Wow. So, that is extremely exhilarating and exciting. I'll send you some photos. Okay. Um, it was awesome.

[00:27:09]But it's all part of this like buying my Jeep and stuff. I also want to get some decals. I want to get some really cool like stripes on the side or something.

[00:27:17]>> Turn it into an F1 car.

[00:27:19]>> Yeah, basically. Um, this is all in a concerted effort to like spend more time outside. I really want to spend a lot of time outside this year. I'm always happier when I do you, you know, like I talk about it all the time on the podcast. I love reading outside and just opportunities to have fun with the car.

[00:27:36]The thing is I wish I lived in a train centric society.

[00:27:41]>> Yeah, >> but I don't like I don't. We just don't.

[00:27:46]>> I'm sorry. I don't. So, yes, I have a car. I also live extremely rurally, so I have to have a car. I couldn't even walk to a grocery store, right? Like, like I have to have a car. And so, I'm just >> going to lean in. Like, actually, yeah, though, I love cars. I I think cars are really fun. And when you have a Jeep, it's like begging to be >> honest. I know. I wish I had some kind of SUV cuz there's like so many things that I'm like, I just throw that in the back. Like my car is too small to really do anything. Like putting a cooler for camping back there is like, well, you're testing him easily.

[00:28:19]>> On the other hand, you have real fuel efficiency, which I think is very >> true. can zip around and uh >> yeah, me and Connor have always like we we think we have the perfect combo which is we have the Jeep which is really good in the snow and really good for like kind of more adventury type things but then we have a very small car like your car and we're like this you need to have a small car cuz most of the time you're just commuting. You don't need the whole thing on the road. Yeah. Anyhow, modding the Jeep has been a big activity which has been a lot of fun. Um, and the other like another update here for you is that because of the fishing, CJ is like trying to do a bunch of fishing this year, which is so fun because it's just fun to be I don't actually want to fish, but I like being around CJ when he's fishing.

[00:29:03]>> Yeah.

[00:29:04]>> And he was he's always wondered if there's fish in the stream behind my house. You know, there's like a brook directly.

[00:29:10]>> Yes. Okay.

[00:29:11]>> Touching my house. So, he was like, I'll just go try and fish back there.

[00:29:15]>> Second cast, he catches a brook trout.

[00:29:18]Oh my god, >> amazing. So now we know there's fish in the backyard.

[00:29:25]>> Isn't that crazy?

[00:29:26]>> Fish in the backyard.

[00:29:28]>> That's so sick. I mean, I've had kids come up to the house before who are like, "Can I fish in your brook?" And I'm like, "Go for it." Yeah.

[00:29:35]>> Um, but I didn't know if like there actually were fish there and now we know. So now we're thinking of creating like a platform, building some like a bridge that he can stand on. Big plans.

[00:29:46]Big plans for the future. So that's very exciting.

[00:29:48]>> It's taking me back.

[00:29:49]>> My final update for you kind of life update was that this past weekend, so last weekend was Mother's Day. This past weekend, we was not. So I didn't abandon my mom. We had a really nice Mother's Day actually. It was really fun. Um but this past weekend, Connor and I went to Tricon.

[00:30:07]>> Whoa.

[00:30:07]>> This is my little cute badge from Tririccon.

[00:30:11]So, Tririccon was is a speculative fiction writing conference.

[00:30:18]>> This was the first year that they've ever done it. It's called Tricon because it's run by Trident Bookstore, which is a bookstore in Halifax. Um, and the owner of Trident started this conference, so she called it Tririccon, which I think is really cute.

[00:30:33]>> Um, >> it was so much fun. It was really fun.

[00:30:38]Yeah, there's all sorts of panels and all sorts of workshops and stuff.

[00:30:43]Probably my favorite workshop that we went well like yeah workshop that we went to was this like space adventure writing game where basically the plot is that you are a maintenance worker on a spaceship. This is so funny too cuz I don't read sci-fi or fantasy but I was just like I mean it's a writing conference. I'm sure I'll have fun and I did. Um, but like so you're a maintenance worker on a spaceship and you're just doing like routine maintenance outside. You come back inside and you realize everyone on the spaceship is dead. And so that's the like setup. And then you would either roll a dice or pull a random card from a deck to choose your next move. And it's like so if you get the ace of spades, you flip to the ace of spades. And it's like, okay, you hack into the captain's log. What do you read? Oh my gosh. And so then they would give us 5 minutes and me and Connor would like write our own prompts and then it would be like, "Okay, you try to have a drink of water, but the water filtration system is broken. What do you do?" It's like, "Okay." And so we would It was so fun.

[00:31:46]You know, that sounds so fun and it sounds like my worst nightmare. Like I would not have fun there.

[00:31:51]>> This This is your my mama mia sing along. Yeah, >> this is my mama mia.

[00:31:56]>> I would be so scared to be there. Like I don't know what to do.

[00:31:59]>> It was so fun. I mean, I have we played Bananagrams.

[00:32:03]>> Yeah. Yeah. We play every time we get together, I think.

[00:32:07]>> I love Bananagrams. And what I love about it is that it is a board game and you're all playing it together, but you're also all playing it on your own.

[00:32:15]>> You're not actually each other.

[00:32:19]>> You're in your own lane, which is why all of the sports I ever did were like competitive swimming, fencing. It's just you. You can't let down a team. That's my fear, you know, letting down a team.

[00:32:29]I like I was just like, "Well, whatever I did, I did. That's okay."

[00:32:32]>> That's what was really fun about it because I was just like, "No one's going to read what I'm writing. I'm just writing my own little answers to the prompts and telling my own little story." Me and Connor read what we wrote. But it was so fun because Connor's story was so creepy. Like, he went on such a dark, spooky vibe. And my vibe was like, "The maintenance worker returns and he's like, "Oh, well, I guess I'm retired now. I don't have to clean or fix anything anymore." And so whenever anything went wrong, like one of the prompts was that there's a fish tank in a big room, like aquarium room, and it breaks and all the fish are swimming everywhere. And he's like, I know I could make a fishing rod. And he just spends like three hours fishing.

[00:33:12]He's like, I I always wanted to do a big fishing vacation. This is the best. Oh my gosh. And then uh when the water filtration system breaks, he's just like, I remember we were going to throw a party and we have a lot of juice. I'll just go get the juice from the party and live off of that. So I was just like, "This guy's just retired."

[00:33:29]>> Yeah. He's just living life, having a good time.

[00:33:31]>> So it was just it was really fun.

[00:33:32]Anyways, the conference was really good.

[00:33:34]There was a lot to to see and do and walk around. And it was really cool to go to a conference in our own city, not have to like travel for it or whatever.

[00:33:43]It's always feels so cool when the thing is happening in your own town.

[00:33:46]>> Totally.

[00:33:47]>> Um Yeah. So they're going to be doing it again next year. I totally recommend if you're in the area that you attend because it was already really good but you could tell it was their first year doing it and that next year is going to be even better. Yeah. So >> yeah, I had a great time. I also got to meet some viewers which was really nice.

[00:34:04]>> That's so cool.

[00:34:05]>> Oh my god. Really? I saw a person who had a Lunberg bound tote bag.

[00:34:10]>> As you guys know, my favorite book shop in Nova Scotia, the place where I got married.

[00:34:14]>> And so I said to them, uh, love your tote bag. That's my favorite book in Nova Scotia. And they turned and they said, "You're the reason I moved to Nova Scotia.

[00:34:26]That's incredible." I was like, "Oh my god." Oh, hello there.

[00:34:31]Oh, that's cute.

[00:34:32]>> It was so funny. I was like, "Oh, you know, we were all waiting for We were waiting for the elevator." So, I was like, it's one of those situations where you're like, do I say anything? Do I not? And I always opt to say stuff because I think we need to live in a social world where we're friendly to one another. So, I was just like, hey, nice to peg. And yeah, they turned to me and what they actually said was I I said, "I like your tote bag." They said, "I like your videos." I was like, "Oh my god, hi." And then they said, "You're actually the reason I moved to Nova Scotia." I was like, "Oh my god." I said, >> "Do you like it?"

[00:35:06]And they were like, "We love it." And I was like, "Oh, thank God."

[00:35:10]>> Yeah, that's good news.

[00:35:11]>> In that case, this is great.

[00:35:14]>> Awesome. Norm. Um, but yeah, I got to meet a few viewers, which was really lovely, and it was just a lot of fun.

[00:35:22]However, as you can tell from this very booked up schedule, I haven't had a lot of time to read. So, there's just been a lot going on. However, I'm going to be traveling for the next little while and I feel like I am going to read because I'll be on the plane and all all these sorts of things. what I've been reading.

[00:35:40]I have continued to make now I'm like halfway through A Tangled Web >> by Lucy Bon Montgomery. Basically, here's what I've decided.

[00:35:48]>> I can't give up on this book because if I do, I will never read this.

[00:35:54]>> Yeah, it's a random one.

[00:35:56]>> It's not very good. Uh, in my opinion, some people like it, but I'm not. Unless the second half, maybe it's a novel of two halves and the second half really takes off.

[00:36:08]>> So far, it's not very good. Do you remember that I was telling you that Lucy Ma Montgomery has this propensity, she loves short stories, so she has this propensity to like write in a write a quote unquote novel, but really it's a lot of short stories.

[00:36:23]This is that but worse because it's like a lot of flash fiction stories and she's just hopping from. So basically it's about this old lady, Aunt Becky, who is like in her late 80s or 90s and she re has been told she's going to die. And so she is go she's hosting one last party where she has invited everyone in the clan to come out and she's going to read her will and denounce who is going to be the recipient to inherit the old jug.

[00:36:57]There's this jug that everyone wants that's famous in the family.

[00:37:03]>> I love this setup. This is a fantastic setup. you know, like uh this idea of like everyone coming to the same place to >> it does sound like a movie. It sounds like Knives Out a little bit where it's like we're all coming to I mean, obviously that one literally is about a will, but it's just like everybody coming together with all these different motivations and reasons for why they want the jug, why they think they deserve the jug. Great concept. But like, like I say, I'm like almost halfway through.

[00:37:34]So far, we're still just telling me about the people in the room.

[00:37:38]>> Ah, yeah.

[00:37:40]>> That's Uncle Gerald. Let me tell you about him. And then it's like a few pages about his life. And this is Aunt Sharon. Let me tell you about her. And then it's a few pages about her. But they're not connected. It's just literally flash fiction about each character.

[00:37:56]>> And that's fine except that you're pitching it as a novel and you're writing it as if it's a novel, >> but it's not.

[00:38:02]>> It's like it needs to be more focused.

[00:38:04]It's like we don't need to know about all of these people.

[00:38:06]>> Yes, there's no overarching plot. Okay.

[00:38:10]>> Right now. And so that's making it quite feeling itty bitty like what am I even what are we pulling together? What are we building here? But yeah, so I'm not loving it, >> but I still want to read it cuz eventually I want to read everything she's written. So >> like I say though, if I if I stop I know myself. I'm not going to finish this ever.

[00:38:29]>> Yeah.

[00:38:29]>> So I've got to read um >> I'm Yeah, I'm locking in. So, that's kind of what I'm currently reading. I've also continued to make progress on The Mechanic, the audio book by Mark Elvis Priestley, which I'm also not really liking.

[00:38:45]>> Oh, what the hell?

[00:38:46]>> I I'm scared for you. I feel like you're in a really scary position right now.

[00:38:50]>> I'm scared for me, too, >> cuz it's like, how do you get yourself out of this? You either abandon both books or keep reading books that you're not really vibing with, >> one of which you definitely want to finish. Like, >> which is tricky because exactly like you say, you can just bail on them, >> but I I I'm liking them enough that I kind of want to see them through. Yeah.

[00:39:11]>> And I just want to like check them off.

[00:39:13]Usually I bail on stuff like this, but like I'm compelled to finish these for some reason. But it makes the act of reading more difficult because you do kind of have to psych yourself up. be like, "Come on, just a little more. Just keep going. Assume these will be done."

[00:39:26]And it's like, "Okay, well, I'm clearly not reading for pleasure right now."

[00:39:30]>> Yeah, that's what was happening with me for uh Just Kids by Patty Smith. I found myself not wanting to go for walks as much cuz I was like, but then I have to listen to my audio book and I don't really want to. And I'm like, wait, what am I talking about right now? Like I uh I had a little moment where I was like, that is not right. Something's deeply wrong here. So, >> so I had uh I I think I have three hours of the audiobook left. So, I'm just going to plow through it.

[00:39:54]>> Put it on two times speed and just sit there and listen to it for an hour and a half.

[00:39:57]>> That is pretty compelling idea.

[00:39:59]>> You know, just like just listen really hard to make sure you're not missing anything cuz it's going to be fast.

[00:40:04]>> Yeah. Yeah. He start he was bragging about another party that he went to and I'm just like >> you can put those parts on three times speed. Those parts don't matter.

[00:40:11]>> Yeah. HE'S TALKING ABOUT PARTY. FAST FORWARD. Um >> goodbye.

[00:40:15]>> Yeah. We'll see. We'll see how that goes. However, I have a TBR challenge. Yes, thank you.

[00:40:29]So, this big update obviously is sharing that my mashed potato reading is not going well.

[00:40:36]>> My mashed potato movie viewing check, but there's the other goals that I have not checked any of them off.

[00:40:42]>> Yes. And there is no excuse not to finish The Factory by Hiro Oyama. It is so short.

[00:40:50]>> It has been on my list forever. I'm almost ashamed that I haven't read it.

[00:40:55]Not actually ashamed, but you know what I mean.

[00:40:58]>> I just have to read it. And so I am TBR challenging myself to have finished this by the next time that we recording because if I get to the end of this mashed potato May and this is the only mashed potato I read, I will still feel like, hey, listen, that was a big one.

[00:41:14]I've been meaning to read that for literal years. That was my big goal. So I'm TBR challenging myself to read this one.

[00:41:21]>> And I know you were talking about kind of like books on your bedside and like what is maybe maybe next for you. I do still have Mrs. Doway as a little goal for myself. So, I have I didn't I forgot I have three editions. What's going on here?

[00:41:40]>> I bought I bought all of them I think with Claire because like it like I say it's her favorite book and and so I just keep buying them. Oh my god, this is fantastic because I just remembered I had a whole discussion I need to talk to you about right now. But this this is the first one I ever bought. I remember buying this one with Claire in 2015.

[00:42:00]>> Wow, that's amazing. Ay.

[00:42:05]So, that's the number. That's the first one. Then I got this one cuz I really like um Sorry, the first one for our listeners is one of the vintage classic ones that just has the red spine.

[00:42:16]>> Yeah. This next one that I'm holding up is also a vintage classics one, but it's part of the Virginia Wolf series that are all um like watercoly.

[00:42:26]>> I really like that.

[00:42:27]>> Does it have a name?

[00:42:28]>> I don't know.

[00:42:29]>> It just says that the artist is I know Maja Metsola. These are so beautiful.

[00:42:34]>> Yeah.

[00:42:34]>> Yeah.

[00:42:35]>> I really love these. So then I saw this one and I ended up buying it.

[00:42:38]>> And then a whiles later, I actually don't remember where I found this one. I bet you I could scroll back on our Instagram and find when I got it. But this one is a used copy. It's an old cover that I just think is so fantastic and vintage and cool. So, I had to pick that one up as well. So, I have I literally have three copies of this book. I've been collecting this book for a over a decade.

[00:43:03]>> Yeah, you got to read it. It's about time.

[00:43:05]>> I got to read it. And if I read it, I would I've decided check off the read a friendship book and read a classic.

[00:43:14]>> I think at this point you gota >> at this point >> I know I might have to do something similar like I actually >> you got to start stacking.

[00:43:21]>> I know. I'm like if all I've done is watch a movie at the end of this I'd be very very embarrassed.

[00:43:28]>> But this brings me to a question I wanted to ask you on the podcast. Okay.

[00:43:32]Actually, I'm extremely glad that I remembered because I want to hear people's thoughts. I want you to all chime in with your ideas on this one.

[00:43:41]Do you think that I should start writing in my books >> when I've purchased them?

[00:43:51]>> Ooh, yeah. Why not?

[00:43:55]>> Yeah. And I think that it is nice to know because sometimes it's like you don't even realize how long you've had something like I was actually just thinking like uh Grotesque by Natuino. I just recently rebought that in a hard coverver cuz I found it while I was thrifting or something and I just realized yesterday like >> I remember where and when I was when I bought that book originally in paperback and that was over a decade ago. Like I just it just occurred to me how long I've actually had that book and I was like, "Oh my god." Like I I wish that I had like remembered that because now I'm realizing like how big of a mashed potato book it really is. But yeah, I think it's a good thing worth doing, especially for you. Like you keep pretty much all of your books. So it's a nice thing to have in there, you know.

[00:44:36]>> I really agree. So I have a lot of books that I totally remember buying.

[00:44:42]>> Like a lot of them will be very memorable. I will remember the bookshop I was in or the person I was with when I bought them. A a lot of them. I'm just looking at my shelves now. I'm like, "Oh, yeah. I remember getting that one with Connor and that one with Rileen."

[00:44:55]And like I remember a lot of them.

[00:44:57]>> I also always say yes to the receipt.

[00:45:01]>> Yeah.

[00:45:01]>> And put in the book.

[00:45:03]>> Yeah.

[00:45:04]>> But that only works for one of the books. Like, >> can I get four copies?

[00:45:07]>> Often I'll buy I know often I'll buy three books and then I'll put the receipt in one of them. And so that kind of record is useful for that one but not for the other two. And what I think I've realized is this was sparked I have thought about this many times over the years. Like I genuinely have wondered this like should I write when I buy a book?

[00:45:25]>> Yeah.

[00:45:25]>> I don't know. Two things have kind of changed my thinking here. The first is that I bought those those really beautiful editions of um some of the Lucy Ma Montgomery books and in them were written like somebody wrote Green Gable's PEI 1954 or whatever year it was and I'm just like this is awesome. I love knowing that. I love knowing that lady bought this so long ago. So I don't think that it ruins the resellability of the book or whatever. I also never worry about that because books while they're special and and important to us, there's a lot of them. Like I don't own any first editions that I'm going to mess up or something.

[00:46:05]>> It's like a the 18th printing of the fall in our stars. Um >> actually I do have a first edition of the fall stars, but we all do actually.

[00:46:14]So >> there were a lot of them.

[00:46:16]>> Yeah. Seriously. Um, but I seeing that one just kind of like I was like reminded of this thing where I was like I kind of want to do that. I want a record of I want more of myself in my books in that way where I already I've always annotated my books and like I'm not afraid to write in them or or to have them seem worn, >> but I'm like this is like taking it to the next level. You know what I mean?

[00:46:41]>> Yeah. The second thing that happened is that I realized that my memory is a little worse.

[00:46:50]>> Oh yeah.

[00:46:50]>> Because I'm 31. And it's not like actually worse. Like I think I'm fine. I have I happen to have a friend who's a memory specialist.

[00:47:00]>> She's like a professor. She's a professor at the neurological department at a fancy university uh uh university in Toronto. Like she's like actually a memory specialist. And I started talking to her all about memory because I was like, I think I have really good memory, but I feel like over the last few years it's not as strong as it used to be. And and so she started asking me all these questions and blah blah. She's like, your memory is amazing. It's just that you're 31. She's like, you just now are remembering more things than you had to when >> there's more information that is needs to live.

[00:47:36]>> That's what I think and that makes sense to me. There was that that's a very reduced version of a very interesting conversation. There's a lot of other things going on. One of which was that because I moved so much throughout my life. She's like, "It's been very easy for you to tag things to certain places." Oh yeah.

[00:47:50]>> Whereas now you've lived in Nova Scotia for 5 years, it's going to start to blend together. And I was like, "Oh my god." So, like I say, very interesting conversation. It's not that simple. But anyways, moving on. It is true though, right? Like when I was 21, Yeah. I remembered where I bought every single book cuz I'd only bought a hundred.

[00:48:08]>> Yeah.

[00:48:08]>> Now I'm 31 and I have a thousand that I'm expecting myself to remember. That doesn't make sense.

[00:48:16]>> Yeah.

[00:48:17]>> Yeah. That doesn't make sense. And so because of that kind of realization and recognition of the future where I'm like, I'm gonna keep buying books. I'm gonna keep doing it. Like it's not going to stop and my memory is not going to get better.

[00:48:33]probably not.

[00:48:33]>> So, it's like, okay, so in that case, I think I should just write in them because it's not like uh because because the recognition does totally work.

[00:48:44]Sometimes if I hold up a book and I think to myself, where the hell did I buy? This is a bad example because I remember buying this one in Birmingham, but like where did I buy this book? I don't remember. But if I were to flip open the page and it says Birmingham 2015, I'd be like, wait, yes, I do remember. Like sometimes you just need a little help you recall.

[00:49:02]>> And that'd be a fun project cuz you could go through and like write in the ones that you do remember now and then just moving forward continue to do that.

[00:49:10]>> You got me thinking over here, friend.

[00:49:12]Maybe I should do >> I think I'm going to do it.

[00:49:14]>> I think I'm going to do it. And it's kind of a fun change in my life because then I was starting to think like, do I get a stamp?

[00:49:21]>> I was thinking that, too.

[00:49:22]>> Yeah, it's a bit overkill. I think >> I do love stamps. It's a little bit of overkill and it's like mainly I feel a little like if I'm in London and I buy a book and I'm not gonna have my stamp on me. So am I gonna wait until I get home?

[00:49:34]I'm just like >> it's just over complicating things.

[00:49:36]Yeah, >> you're over complicating things. Um maybe it's just simple and elegant to write it in. Just use a pen that whatever pen you have on hand and write it in. I I am thinking about the formatting though. I think like what is the information I want to collect? I want to collect when I got it.

[00:49:53]>> Yeah.

[00:49:54]>> Where I got it. Yeah, >> probably not just the city. Probably also the bookstore that I bought it in.

[00:49:59]>> Yeah. So, I'm just like, how do I want to format that?

[00:50:02]>> Okay. Yeah, this is something. I'm sure that there will be a lot of great suggestions and I'm going to start thinking about this now, too. So, >> I'm excited, but I think I'm going to do it. And I'm excited that you think I should do it, too.

[00:50:11]>> I think you should. I like it just makes perfect sense to me because I agree.

[00:50:15]Like, I love it when you open up a book and it's like this person bought it on that day.

[00:50:20]>> That's so cool.

[00:50:21]>> Yeah, >> that is so cool.

[00:50:22]>> Yeah. 100 years from now, someone will be very happy to find your books and be like, "Look at that."

[00:50:27]>> You'd all I mean, you would start to feel like a celebrity if you had to write that in all you because you look you just are about to haul what did you say 13 books for us. So, you'd have to write like like you'd be like signing like next book, next book. Just line them all up. Yeah.

[00:50:42]And this is why I can't do it.

[00:50:44]>> I can't do it. Speaking of which, let's do it. Let's do our hauls because you have a juicy haul that we're all waiting to hear about. I do. I do.

[00:50:54]>> Lead us through it. Let's go through this thing.

[00:50:56]>> I will do the book sale books first and then and then you can haul because you got something to haul too, right?

[00:51:01]>> Yeah. Okay. I got two.

[00:51:02]>> Okay. So, I'll start with my highlights from the book sale and the thrifting.

[00:51:06]There was a couple books from thrifting in here. But I'm going to start with the big one. You already know about most of these books cuz I just couldn't help but send you photos because it was too exciting.

[00:51:14]>> Though, it was fun.

[00:51:15]>> I was like I I almost screamed when I saw this book. I could not believe it.

[00:51:19]The Alpine Path by LM Montgomery in the beautiful hardcover edition. A beautiful like blue with the pink font. I've been looking for this book and it was funny cuz I texted you a picture. I was like like look what I found and you of course were like can you get that for me? And I was like no no no it's mine like but I would have bought it for you if I wasn't so desperate for it. Like >> yeah. Well it's just like sometimes Railene will go to a book sale and send me pictures of things she thinks I'd be interested in. So I'm just like uh yeah actually I will take that. Yeah.

[00:51:48]>> And then you were like, "No, no, no, no, no. This one's for me. I'm sorry to tell you." Okay. Respect.

[00:51:52]>> This one is is mine. Um Yeah. I This one has been on my like list at my uh local used bookstore. Like I've been trying to find it. I've been looking everywhere.

[00:52:01]And it's in like pristine, beautiful condition. And actually, it's funny that we were just talking about what we were talking about. In the front of the book, >> there's a stamp that says site of Lucy Mod Montgomery's Caendish home. And then there's a an inscription from whoever purchased it. It looks like it was a a gift for someone. And I'm like, that's so cute to know that that's where it came from.

[00:52:21]>> So cool.

[00:52:22]>> Isn't that nice?

[00:52:23]>> Yeah. You see?

[00:52:24]>> You see?

[00:52:25]>> What are we talking? Yeah. Decision made.

[00:52:28]>> Okay. It's going to be easy. It's going to be easy. Although the stamp is kind of cool. If you had something specific that's just like property of Ariel bet or something like it's not about where you got it and stuff and then you just write underneath it. I don't know.

[00:52:40]>> Yes, I do think that you I'm not ruling out the stamp idea. I just think the stamp could be like a little extra a little extra thing that you add.

[00:52:47]>> Okay, next up. I found a couple of books that I was very hyped to find a little while ago. You sent me a uh it was like a list of books that were like Canadian books that were music related because of the Junos. There was some kind of blog post and I found two books off of there that I was like I was, you know, I decided I wanted to get. The first one is Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley. This is one that's like I've been just seeing this everywhere for the past, you know, year or whatever. seeing that everywhere.

[00:53:14]>> Yeah. And every time I see it, I'm like, should I buy it? No, don't do it. Should I buy? No, don't do it. But so, I've been like waffling over buying this one for a while. And I don't even fully know what the plot is. I'm just like, you know what? Canadian author from BC. It's like a love story. Has something to do with music. Sign me up. Honestly, sign me up. That's all I need to know.

[00:53:31]>> And then I also found High School by Tegan and Sarah, which I have been like hunting so hard for this book ever since you sent me that article. I was like, why do I not have this already? Like >> that's funny. Yeah, >> it's crazy. I I think when this book first came out, like this is not new by any means, but I think I thought that it was >> um like it was a novel. I didn't realize that it was actually memoir.

[00:53:54]>> I thought that they just wrote a high school a novel about high school. And I was like, I'm not interested in that.

[00:53:59]>> And I'm like, oh, like I just didn't fully understand what it was. And so I just kind of wrote it off as like I don't really care about that. I don't need to read a novel written by musicians. But >> yeah, now I'm hyped. I'm super hyped to have that. So, that was a cool find. I also found a lot of cool classics at the book. So, like I mentioned, like I I'm not going to haul all of them, but I found like a really beautiful copy of Little Women that I was like, well, I have to buy that. Um, so I found a bunch of cool stuff, but the three that I'm going to haul are as follows. I got Kokoro by Natsumé Sosaki, who this is the author who wrote I am a cat, that huge cat book that I've been hauling around with me for years and years and haven't read yet. So, I found this book, which was one of his that was specifically on my list. I've been looking for this book as well, hunting for it, and I actually found three books by him. I don't have the other ones with me now because it's just like kind of more the same. But yeah, I was so amazed. And now, you know what's crazy?

[00:54:51]I think I own six books by him now, and I haven't read a single one.

[00:54:54]>> Oh.

[00:54:55]>> So, here's my question to you actually.

[00:54:57]If I read one of his books, would it count towards my quarter 2 goal? Even though I technically like >> Okay. Yeah, I thought so.

[00:55:04]>> I just want to make sure% >> 100. You have to. Yeah, >> because like I I made it happen after I made the goal, but it's still it's still possible.

[00:55:13]>> Okay, you know what's funny? Actually, one of those one of the books by him is in my time capsule box that I made. And I know that. And so now I'm like, maybe I should read that when I open up the time capsule, but maybe I won't. We will see. We will see. Um the next book I got is The Sleeper Awakes by HG Wells, which is kind of like a random one. Um, they had a bunch of Yeah, they had a bunch of copies of The Time Machine and I was like, "God, I already I already have that book, but there were so many cool ones I like wanted to buy them." And then I came across this nice Black Penguin Classics edition of this book that I honestly don't really know anything about. Um, but it sounds really cool. On the back it says, "A troubled insomniac in 1890s England falls suddenly into a sleep-like trance from which he does not wake for over 200 years. Uh during his centuries of slumber, however, investments are made that make him the richest and most powerful man on earth.

[00:56:04]>> Wait, this sounds great. I've never heard.

[00:56:06]>> Doesn't that sound great? Yeah, it's kind of like a crazy like futuristic thing, which just sounds so fun. So, I picked that up not knowing anything about it. I was like, "Sure, I'll just grab that." And then another classic I got which I had never heard of, like they had a lot of beautiful classics there that I was just like, "Should I buy them all?" all like there was a bunch of Virginia Wolf but I was like I need to like I know that I I've tried reading Virginia Wolf and she's just not for me but I was like oh these copies are so pretty and like I really wanted to buy them but anyway I did not. But I got this book called The Artificial Silk Girl by Mgard [ __ ] I don't know if you've ever heard this one. It >> I haven't but what a great >> It's a beautiful Penguin Modern Classics Edition. Literally unread. Um but listen to this. It sounds so good. Doris is going to be a big star. Wearing a stolen fur coat and leaving her creepy boss behind, she takes an allnight train to Berlin to make it in the movies. There she discovers not fame and fortune, however, but gnawing hunger, seedy bars, and exploitative men. And as Doris sinks ever lower, she resorts to desperate measures to survive. Um, and it sounds like it's kind of like a funny like light-hearted a little bit, but kind of like grimy book by the sounds of things.

[00:57:11]I'm like, "Oh, that just sounds perfect." And I I took a chance on it, you know? I was like, "I've never heard of this book, but I'm just going to go for it." And then the final book that I wanted to haul from the book sale was another kind of find of the day. My find of the day was uh The Alpine Path, but this one was crazy because I had never even heard of it. And it's like >> a big one. So I found this book by Tilly Walden called The End of Summer. And it's like very tall. I don't know if you guys can tell, but it's like an oversized book, very skinny, and it's a graphic novel by Tilly Walden that I had never even heard of. Okay. So, >> I never heard of either.

[00:57:47]>> Snatched it up so quick. It looks very wintry, so I don't know if I'll end up reading it soon. It's called Yeah, it's called The End of Summer, so that makes sense. Maybe I'll read it at the end of summer. How about that? Um, yeah, that was a big find. I was like so shocked when I saw that. I also found some Calvin and Hobs, which was a big find for me because I have been wanting to find some Calvin and Hobs for a while.

[00:58:05]So, I got pretty lucky.

[00:58:06]>> Was Calvin and Hobbs big in your family?

[00:58:09]>> Yeah, we had a few. Like we had a couple of them when I was growing up like but it was just two of like the sort of smaller books. I found the like compendium versions. So I'm going to be able to read a lot more than what I've read. I've been very limited in my Calvin and Hobbs experience thus far.

[00:58:24]>> That's so cool. Uh I know that Connor's family grew up with Calvin and Hobbs.

[00:58:28]Like they also had some of them. And me and CJ my my mom had bought um a couple of the compendiums. Yeah. And so we we read those a lot when we were little. I love Calvin and Hobs. That's such a great comic, >> right? I'm excited to get into it. Quite frankly, I think maybe that honestly it's a mashed potato for me to like read a lot of Calvin Hobbs. So, >> I don't know. Maybe that's all I'll have read next time we meet.

[00:58:51]>> Hopefully not, but we will see. Um, all right. Well, we will do an intermission of your haul to haul my two books.

[00:58:58]>> So, I went to a thrift store just for fun, just to see what the heck they had in there. And I was so excited. All the books there are 50 cents. Oh, so nice.

[00:59:09]>> It It was a very exciting low stakes type situation. Um, and I went with my brother and and with Connor and CJ found some really cool books, too. But yeah, so I found this edition of Death Comes for the Arch Bishop >> by Willa Cather. I read I don't think I read the whole thing, but I read my Antonia in my undergrad.

[00:59:33]>> So I think so. Um, yeah, it would have been my undergrad and I remember liking it, but like it wasn't that memorable. I don't really remember it very well.

[00:59:42]Something something the Midwest America sad woman. Um, >> but a friend of mine, Kendra, >> who has a great YouTube channel, Kendra Gaylord, >> she's always talking to me about Will Cather, and I am now really wanting to like follow her hype on this. This isn't the one that she has recommended me.

[01:00:02]What is the one that she's recommended me? It's called Ah, shoot. Our world.

[01:00:07]That's not right. Hold on. Hold on.

[01:00:09]>> I wish I could help. I actually don't know many Will Cather titles.

[01:00:12]>> Yeah. What is it called? Oh, one of ours. That's what it's called. One of ours. And so, and I haven't I've been looking for it for a while. I haven't found it. So, I have actually ordered it, but she has also told me good things about this one. And it was 50 cents. And I like these editions of her book. So, I thought, all right, >> you're coming home with me. Yeah. Um, so that sounds great. I've The story sounds fun. It says in 1851 you have Father Jean Marie Lour who comes as the apo apo apostolic wow aposto apostolic.

[01:00:50]Oh no, help me.

[01:00:53]>> Look away apostolic vicor to New Mexico.

[01:00:58]um in the almost 40 years that follow.

[01:01:02]So that's so cool because it's not that long of a book. It's 290 pages. So to have 40 years in that is so cool. Um he spreads his faith and is lonely.

[01:01:16]>> Great.

[01:01:17]>> Cool.

[01:01:17]>> Sounds awesome. Um so that's neat.

[01:01:20]>> The other one that I found though, I also I sent you this one >> also. Wait, I just wanted to say this one. I'm not going to share the thing on it, but it says the name and address to the point of the P.O. box and everything of the person who >> they wanted that book back. They're like, "If I lose this, you better send it back to me."

[01:01:42]>> That's amazing.

[01:01:43]>> Um, but it's like a one of those stickers, like a return address sticker, you know? So, I think she's just using that. She was using that as her uh >> What was her name? I'll at least share her name.

[01:01:53]>> Judy James. What a name. Amazing.

[01:01:56]>> Oh, that's awesome. Um, okay. But this is the other one that I found. An abundance of Catherine's.

[01:02:02]>> So good.

[01:02:04]>> I had to get it cuz obviously in the last episode I was talking about an abundance of Catherine's. Now, ideally, I would have found the same edition I had when I was a teenager. This is not that one, but that's fine. Again, >> 50 cents. Yeah. And in pretty decent condition. What's really funny is that there is a little post note in this one.

[01:02:26]>> God, I love some ephemera.

[01:02:28]>> And it has it has the login for somebody's university portal for them applying to a university here in uh Nova Scotia. I won't say the name of the university, >> but the I'll just say the words, not the number, the string of numbers. cuz I'm not going to like dock someone's code here, but their username has the word doofus in it and the password has the word nasty in it and that was tucked into a cover of an abundance of cash. So, whatever teenage boy got rid of this book, it's so >> that's incredible. I love that so much.

[01:03:15]>> It's so funny. It's so funny.

[01:03:19]Oh man, I love that. So now I own this one. It's shorter than I thought it was.

[01:03:24]It's um first of all, the font is huge, which is great.

[01:03:29]>> I love huge font, but it's 228 pages.

[01:03:32]>> That's nothing.

[01:03:34]>> That's nothing.

[01:03:34]>> You could read that in an afternoon. Are you going to do it?

[01:03:37]>> Read that in an afternoon.

[01:03:39]So yeah, a funny little haul. Two very random books, but actually not that random. A Benz of Catherine's isn't random because I've been searching for it. And Willa Cather isn't random because I've been talking to my friend about her for a while.

[01:03:51]>> Um, >> so I was excited to and all >> for a dollar.

[01:03:56]>> A dollar is crazy.

[01:03:57]>> It's absolutely insane.

[01:03:59]>> Awesome.

[01:04:00]>> Okay, >> when we went to go check out Con or CJ also bought a mug.

[01:04:04]>> Yeah.

[01:04:04]>> And overall it cost $6 and I had found a $5 bill in my bag which would have covered everything or like almost covered everything but like I was like rooting around for a dollar. Mhm.

[01:04:17]>> And the guy was like, "Ah, it's fine.

[01:04:20]Enjoy your books. Have a good day."

[01:04:22]We're like, "Yeah, >> I love it when people are like that."

[01:04:25]Wow. That's like the opposite experience from your last bookstore experience.

[01:04:29]>> I know. You know why?

[01:04:31]>> Why?

[01:04:32]>> Cuz we were in Nova Scotia. So, >> wow.

[01:04:36]>> There you go.

[01:04:37]>> Just a little Ontario shade. I'm kidding. I don't hate Ontario, but I do love Nova Scotia. Let me >> say. Makes sense. All right. What about you, Raen? Let's continue with your haul. What do you got?

[01:04:49]>> Okay. So, continuing on with my book haul. So, that first half was all of the used books, um the thrifting and the book sale. But my mom and I also we continued like we we both got a lot of books at the book sale, but naturally we were like, "It's a book weekend. Let's just keep going." And as I mentioned, a theme.

[01:05:08]>> Yeah. It's kind of like, you know, I mean, we've probably talked about this before, but you know, when you like are on a vacation or you're visiting a friend, you just like go a little more crazy than you might normally. And totally, >> so my mom is like I mean, where she lives, there's not as many bookstores, so it's just extra exciting to come visit me where there's so many. And like I get it. Uh, I feel that all the time.

[01:05:29]Um, but anyways, like I mentioned, we went on that hike which was in Canmore where there is a bookstore that Kyle and I went to when we went and I was like, I've got to take my mom to this bookstore. It's so cute. There were also two little Australian shepherds running around and I was like, >> "Beautiful.

[01:05:42]>> This is the best." Um, >> wow.

[01:05:44]>> But I only ended up getting one book there, but it was a blind date with the book. Um, so I have I already opened it up so I could take uh pictures for the Instagram, but I've got my little sleeve that it was in here. I'm going to read it to you.

[01:05:56]>> Armadillo.

[01:05:57]>> It's got a little armadillo drawn on it.

[01:05:58]I actually really love what they've done with this. I'm going to cut him out and keep him in the book. Um, but so this is the description that was on it. It says fiction, really big. And it says, "A prize-winning semi-autobiographical debut novel that explores a young woman's uh this writing is hard to read.

[01:06:14]A young woman's struggle with mental illness at Oxford University in the 1950s. Josephine is sent away and it is a uh it is a relief to find a sense of belonging for once within the mental institution. A return to real life seems impossible." And so I read that and I was like, "Okay, I'm tempted to buy this book, but I do kind of want to know what it is before I buy it." And they gave a lot of information on there. So, I was like, I've got the main character's name, I've got the plot, I'm just going to look it up. So, I looked it up and I was like, this actually does sound really good. I am going to continue to purchase it. Um, and the book that it ended up being is The Haha by Jennifer Dawson, which I had never heard of. Um, this book is actually from when was it written? It's it's like an older book that is just being brought back. So, this was actually it originally came out in 1961 and then the author did a afterward in 1985 and now there's a new introduction by Melissa Broer that just came out last year. Um, so very exciting. I love books that are set in any kind of institution. Like I've always loved like a boarding school book or anything like academic or a like a mental institution. I also love that kind of setting >> and the fact that it actually came out in the 60s as well as makes it extra interesting. Um, totally. Yeah. So very excited to have that.

[01:07:29]>> Did you pay full price for it?

[01:07:31]>> Yeah. Yeah, it was a brand new book and it was full price.

[01:07:34]>> That's interesting.

[01:07:34]>> That's why I had to know what it was.

[01:07:36]>> Yeah. I always feel like blind dates with books need to be discounted.

[01:07:40]>> Yeah. Yeah. I know. That's why I was like, I just have to know. And they actually had other copies of that book in the bookstore. Like when I was browsing after I already knew what it was, I saw it on the shelves and I was like, "Oh, perfect. I can like flip through it and read the back." And that's what convinced me. I was like, "Okay, this does seem like the type of book I want to read." So, yeah. You're right. That would be nice if they did that.

[01:08:02]I feel like that's the rule of etiquette. I'm a little surprised that it wasn't discounted, but okay. I do I saw someone talking about blind books like uh blind book dates cuz it's obviously like 10 years ago it was so novel. Yeah. Like you you it was rare to see it and it was really exciting. Um, and then it has become very mainstream and you see it a lot now, which I don't think is a bad thing.

[01:08:24]>> Yeah.

[01:08:25]>> But it is a bad thing when book shops use it to just get rid of books they've not been able to sell.

[01:08:30]>> That's what I always worry about, you know.

[01:08:32]>> Yeah, that's the fear because it that does happen a lot, >> especially at a used bookstore. Like I I would be like obviously it's cheaper at a used bookstore, but >> I would fear that those are the books that are kind of just like bottom of the barrel.

[01:08:44]>> Yeah. And it's always really disappointing when you like I've had this before where I rip open a book and it's like an old mass ma mass market paperback western and I'm like >> why would you do that?

[01:08:53]>> Okay. Well, this is not a book that someone like thoughtfully picked out.

[01:08:57]They they just wanted they just couldn't think of another way to sell it. Um I did some blind books at near the end of my book truck days.

[01:09:05]>> Oh.

[01:09:05]>> Because I was like putting everything on sale anyways just to sell all my stuff.

[01:09:10]>> They were all favorite books of mine. I was just like, I'm not you're not gonna get ripped off. They were all discounted, but you're not gonna get ripped off because it's a blind book.

[01:09:19]Like, it was uh Blue Horses by Mary Oliver. I had I think I had Albatross. I think I had The Blue Castle. Like, they're all books that I think people will actually love. Oh, Outlawed was some of like a couple of them were outlawed. I was just like, they're going to be great books that I would have recommended you pay full price for anyways, but I do feel like the with the risk element, you should get a discount.

[01:09:41]>> Yeah. And that's why I looked it up.

[01:09:43]That's why I was like, you know what?

[01:09:44]>> Well, Exactly. Exactly.

[01:09:45]>> I'm not going to take any chances on this. I'm just going to look it up. And I'm glad I did because I was ultimately I was not disappointed. Obviously, when I opened up the book, >> it sounds really cool and I like the cover.

[01:09:55]>> Yeah, it it sounds really cool. Yeah, I love it. And there is an armadillo on the front. So, that's why there was a armadillo on the thing. There's a bunch of animals. It's crazy. It's looks wild.

[01:10:05]Um, okay. Continuing on. After we did that, literally the same day we drove back from Canour, which is, you know, like an hour and a half of driving each way. Yeah. Um my I asked my mom, "Do you still have energy to do something else?

[01:10:20]Like what do you want to do with the rest of our day?" And she was like, "Well, what if we went >> to another bookstore?" Basically, just because of the time of day, it actually made it quicker to go to the bookstore.

[01:10:30]>> People, do you wonder how became the way that she is?

[01:10:33]>> Okay. Can I tell you something?

[01:10:35]Actually, you you probably already know this, but my mom brought home 30 books.

[01:10:41]Three zero three.

[01:10:44]>> You sent me the cutest photo of your mom. She sat at I think it's the dinner the dining table, right? She sat at the dining table like smiling. It's kind of like a fishing photo where you like hold up your giant fish.

[01:10:55]>> I said, "Mom, we should stack up your books and you should hide behind them was kind of how the how the whole thing started."

[01:11:00]>> She's so tall next to her.

[01:11:02]>> She's taller than her. She's quite short and she was sitting down of course. But yeah, the stack is like way above her head and yeah, I have this one photo where she's peeking out of the side.

[01:11:09]It's like one of my new favorite photos I have of her and she bought more books after that, too. So, that wasn't even that wasn't even all of them. But anyways, this is Yeah, my mom and I are both crazy when it comes to books. So, we ended up going um to Indigo, which I have not been to in like years at this point. I was like I've just been going to independent bookstores, but my mom was like, "I have a gift card. We should go to Indigo." And I was like, "You know what? I know nice Indigo, so let's go there." And I'm glad we did because I found some cool stuff. So, first up, I of course I had to get Yester Year by uh Carol Claire Burke. They had it on on sale. So, instead of $28 or whatever, it was only 20. So, I was like, well, this is why we come to Indigo. Um, so excited about that. My mom also bought it, so we both have it now. You also have it. I don't know. We could all buddy readad it if we really wanted to. But yeah, excited to have this one finally. And I'm like itching to read it soon because it's so buzzy right now. Like >> it's so >> I feel like if I don't read it now, >> not that like I would never read it, but like I don't know, it just feels like the right time, especially cuz like there's a movie that's going to be in the works and stuff, like I kind of want to hop on it now while I can.

[01:12:11]>> Um, but the other book that I got at Indigo was a book and I think we need to come up with another like books unbound term for what I'm about to say, but it's a book that I didn't know existed, but the moment I saw it knew I needed to have it. And so what happened was one of the books that I was looking for at the book sale is the first book u by Patrick Nes the knife of never letting go in hardcover because last year at the book sale I found book two and book three and so I've just been sitting here with my book two and book three hunting for book one. So we were at Indigo and I was like they're not going to have it but I should just go check just in case cuz you know you never know maybe they brought it back for some reason. I go over there, there's a new book in the series. So, >> oh, >> the Chaos Walking trilogy is the the trilogy I'm talking about, but Patrick Nes has written a >> uh what's the opposite of a prequel? I guess a sequel series. It's a sequel trilogy that is set like years in the future.

[01:13:06]>> And it's like the children of the main characters um kind of thing.

[01:13:10]>> I had no idea.

[01:13:11]>> And I didn't even know that this was a thing. And so I get to that section and I was like, what am I looking at right now? Like why did no one tell me? I was actually like I felt offended somehow.

[01:13:21]>> I see what you're saying. So a book that is an autoby.

[01:13:26]>> Yeah. An auto buy book, but you didn't even know it existed.

[01:13:28]>> But you didn't know it existed. It's like a It's a shocking moment of discovery. The first thing that came to mind was like the the first thing that came to mind was a flashlight book cuz you're like in the dark. You didn't even know like a flashlight is turned on and you're like >> it's like a and like a spotlight. You know what I mean? Like a flashlight.

[01:13:45]>> I like that. Another one. No, I'm like canary in a gold mine because you're kind of like, you know, but that's not it. But then what about what's a food?

[01:13:55]>> Yeah, it's always got to be food. What's another potato?

[01:13:57]>> What's a food where you like like start moving into it? You break it open.

[01:14:02]You're like, I didn't know there was going to be, you know, like, oh, I >> like a lava cake or something. Or like >> Yeah, like a lava cake where you're like, oh, I had no idea. Like, yes, I knew I was eating dessert, but I didn't know that there was going to be >> Yeah, there was going to be pop rocks in there. or whatever.

[01:14:16]>> Yeah.

[01:14:17]>> Okay. I feel like we're on to something.

[01:14:18]>> I think the flashlight the flashlight thing kind of works though.

[01:14:21]>> Yeah. Yeah. Cuz it's like it was just like, "Wow, now I'm awake. Now I'm seeing the truth." Um, and it's a beautiful book, too. It's got green sprayed edges. Actually looks very wickedesque in a way. Um, but yeah, sorry, I haven't even said the title yet. It's called Piper at the Gates of Dusk, and it says From the World of Chaos Walking. So, I don't know if this is going to be a trilogy or what. Also, it looks kind of like Attack on Titan on the inside. Like I honestly I didn't even I don't even need to know what this book is about. I was just like I need this. I It's one of my all-time favorite young adult series. Like for me it lives up there with the Hunger Games. Like it's not as good as The Hunger Games, but I love it, you know, very similarly.

[01:14:57]And so I was like, I got to get it.

[01:14:59]>> And this is my sign that I need to reread those books. Except I can't cuz I don't own the first one.

[01:15:03]>> What about like a a forgot? There's some here. There's some here. Still cooking.

[01:15:08]>> Like a forgotten alarm. Do you ever like have an alarm set on your phone?

[01:15:13]>> Yeah.

[01:15:13]>> Or whatever. Yeah.

[01:15:14]>> And then you were should have turned it off, but you forgot to.

[01:15:18]>> Yeah.

[01:15:18]>> And so it goes off and you immediately are awake. You have to wake up.

[01:15:23]>> You're like, this is I'm trying to play with the idea that you're like, you've just woken up. You're like, oh my.

[01:15:28]That's what it felt like. I felt shocked.

[01:15:31]>> I felt shocked and like I like didn't know what was happening.

[01:15:33]>> Respond. This is the idea of the alarm.

[01:15:35]Like you have to take action because >> Yeah. Because I needed it. That's not quite right, though.

[01:15:41]>> All right, you keep thinking about that.

[01:15:42]I've got three more books to haul. So, what about this? What about this? Early sunrise.

[01:15:48]>> Okay, let's hear it. Tell me more.

[01:15:51]>> Basically, like a sunrise that happens earlier than you thought it was going to happen. You didn't know that this was going to happen. Maybe like a daylight savings type thing. Um, early sunrise, but it's like so bright and beautiful.

[01:16:03]You got to go up. You got to get up.

[01:16:05]>> That's true. That's part of it. It's like the pull of like I need to do this.

[01:16:09]>> I ha Yeah. There's like it's there is action. There's action involved because you have to buy it even though you didn't know there was going to be an early sunrise. You didn't know it was going to be as beautiful. You had no idea this was happening. It's early but it's a beautiful sunrise. I like that.

[01:16:23]Do you think that's better than the flashlight idea?

[01:16:28]I don't know anymore. I feel kind of lost about this whole situation.

[01:16:32]>> Yeah.

[01:16:32]>> I don't know what I think anymore.

[01:16:33]>> Yeah. We're going to have to hear from the people on this.

[01:16:35]>> Yeah. I feel like there's going to be some really good ideas out there. I honestly think like I like it staying in the realm of food for some reason. The whole lava cake thing is kind of speaking to me a little bit.

[01:16:45]>> I feel like we could do better than that. There's got to be a more surprising food. You know what I mean?

[01:16:48]>> Yeah. What is a food that you like >> break? And it's a good surprise, too.

[01:16:53]So, it can't be something weird. It has to be like >> Easter egg.

[01:16:56]>> Yeah. I mean, you already know what's going to be in there kind of.

[01:16:59]>> Yeah. You know there's gonna Yeah, you're right. You're right. You know there's going to be a surprise in there.

[01:17:04]You're right. It's something about the spontaneity.

[01:17:06]>> Yeah. But it's also like your favorite thing a little bit. It's like I didn't know that that was going to be in there.

[01:17:12]>> But they I guess it varies from person to person.

[01:17:14]>> You know the like double chip in a chip bag.

[01:17:18]>> Yeah. You know what I'm talking about.

[01:17:20]>> Yeah. When they're like morphed together. Yeah. Like folded together.

[01:17:23]>> You had no idea that that was going to be such a crunchy experience. But that's not it.

[01:17:27]>> I feel like we're going downhill now.

[01:17:30]>> You think we're going farther from the truth?

[01:17:31]>> Probably. I really like Flashlight. I feel like that was in the in the right realm. For sure.

[01:17:35]>> Okay. For sure.

[01:17:36]>> I'll keep thinking.

[01:17:37]>> Okay. You keep thinking. I'm I'm going to finish my book haul. You just do do your thing over there. So, um lastly, I took my mom to Paige's bookstore cuz as I mentioned, we were at the theater that was right next to Paige's bookstore. So, beforehand, we went in there. She bought a copy of Annie of Green Gables. Just saying. I'm spreading the gospel. Um and yeah, so that was really exciting. She's never read it. She doesn't really read a lot of classics. So, that I was like, "You got to read this. You got to do this." and she got a beautiful pink copy. So anyway, it's gorge. Um, so and I ended up getting two books that I was not expecting to get there either. Books that I didn't know existed, but a different different from the flashlight book situation in that I was just kind of like, you know what, I just think I'm going to buy these because they're so pretty. Um, the first one is two graphic novels actually. The first one is called St. Catherine by Anna Meyer. And the subtitle is uh, The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions Dun. And this one has such pretty art. like it's mostly dark and like kind of a peachy color, but then there's some pages or like some series of pages that are just like a light blue. So, I'm like, I love it when artists play with color like that. And this one just sounded so fun.

[01:18:41]Like, I just needed to get it. It's about a girl who like goes to church a lot and is kind of, you know, questioning things perhaps and she gets possessed by a demon, uh, claiming to be the prince of hell, it says. And she's trying to like exercise the demon and deal with that. Like, look at the back.

[01:18:57]is so like kind of spooky and cool. Like it's a very it's kind of like it's giving pastel goth. I don't know like how to explain this. It's just it looks kind of like soft and cozy while also being kind of dark and creepy which I think is really cool. And then the other book I got is called This Place Kills Me by Maro Tamaki and Nicole Zu. Um and this one so it's written by Maro Tamaki and she didn't do the illustrations which I thought was very interesting.

[01:19:22]It's not often that we see that. But the art is also so pretty. like very like soft lines like all it's very it looks very pencily but like the color palette is also beautiful and this one is set at a board school uh boarding school sorry and um there's I think a mysterious death and so it's kind of like spooky as well and it just sounds awesome. I love anything to do with a boarding school. I just can't help myself. Um so those are the all the books that I bought. I did have one last one to haul though that was sent to me from Simon and Schustster. What's up Cam? Thank you so much for sending that to me. Um, this book just sounded so cool and it's actually in stores now, so you can pick this one up, too. It's called Homebound by Porsche Elon. And this one is kind of being marketed as like tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow meet Station 11, which I was like, whoa, what does that mean? Um, so basically it had follows four different characters across very different time periods. So like the first character, it's in 1983. It says, "Bex is 19, blasting her Walkman and hiding from the fact that her beloved uncle is dead. When she discovers the unfinished computer game he left behind, she pours her grief and anger into finishing it. One last collaboration to guide her out of loneliness." And so, it's like this video game. It kind of spans like centuries. It's not even decades. It's literally centuries. So, like the next character is in 2078.

[01:20:43]>> The other character is 20 2586. I don't even know how to say that time because it's so far in the future. And then there's also a 400-year-old automaton collecting stories and mining their own memories in a a determined search for another like itself. So I'm like, this just sounds so wild and cool and so up my alley. Like I didn't really like Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. It just wasn't for me. But I do love like video games as kind of like a backbone to a story because I feel like I don't know. I feel like we need more of that because video games are important to me in my life in quite a lot of ways. And so I'm like, you know what? I like that.

[01:21:18]I like seeing that kind of story. And it seems, yeah, like the station 11 of it all is that it's very like it spans a large period of time, has lots of different characters, and kind of how they're all like their stories are all woven together, even though they're all very far apart from each other. So, yeah, I'm very excited about that. And that's >> great. Those are two really cool finds.

[01:21:36]>> I'm tired now. And honestly, I think if I buy if I ever buy another book, I need you to yell at me. Okay. Do you think you can do that for me?

[01:21:46]I think I need to be >> I remember like many years ago when you like were doing some different forms of book buying bands, you know, >> that I felt like >> it was my >> job as a friend and podcast co-host like who's doing the bit >> to to try and help you enforce it. Yeah, >> I've let it go now. I'm in mode.

[01:22:10]>> Yeah. Like I I'm I'm not obviously I'm not holding myself back at all, but I also am not mad at it. I'm not mad at it. I do feel like I am single-handedly keeping thrift stores uh open and alive and I'm helping people by buying their books. The few that I buy new, you know, I'm helping everyone.

[01:22:30]>> Yeah. No, exactly. I feel like I feel happy.

[01:22:33]>> There's no What's the harm here?

[01:22:35]>> Who's getting hurt? No one's getting hurt.

[01:22:37]>> No one's getting hurt. I literally don't buy anything else for myself. Like all I do is buy books. I don't care about clothing. I don't care about food. All I need is books.

[01:22:47]Books is life. Just a woman. Her books and her zoo membership.

[01:22:52]>> Honestly, I feel full. Like my life feels very full.

[01:22:57]>> My life is very rich, actually. Very rich.

[01:23:00]>> Well, let's wrap this episode up by visiting the mail room.

[01:23:11]All right. First, I wanted us to stop by Instagram because I was looking at people who were sharing their mashed potato may update. This update is from the Raven Girl 6. Very cute post. Um, and she said, "The most fitting mashed potato May read I've ever done." And it is Ann of Green Gables. So, obviously I had to highlight this one.

[01:23:33]>> Love that. Um, I was determined to read Ann of Green Gables this spring summer and I'm happy to say I finished listening to the first book. I ended up listening to a lot of this while driving between towns um through the open farmland fields and I think it was the best unintentional thing I I could have done. So, I think that's so so cute. Um, and somebody commented adorable, but what is mashed potato man?

[01:23:57]>> Oh no, >> pardon. What are you talking about? And the Raven girl responded and said, "It's a saying from Books Unbound podcast brackets, aka it's the best podcast." So I was just like, I'm just reading this and I was just like, "This is awesome. I love this." Yep. A mashed potato book is a book you've been putting off because you think you're going to love it. Like mashed potatoes being the best thing on your dinner plate. Oh my god, I love says the other person. So I just loved seeing I was like, >> we really screwed everyone over with this one. Like everyone has to explain it. It doesn't actually make any difference.

[01:24:32]>> I mean, I'm sure whatever we called it, it would have had to be explained to a certain extent, right? And I think I think mashed potato books is a great term because it stands out because it makes no sense at first glance.

[01:24:43]>> Stand out. I feel like if we had done something like to be read or DNF, like those >> really explain themselves.

[01:24:49]>> Yeah, I guess that's true.

[01:24:50]>> For a cover by like you can't we could have been very literal about it.

[01:24:54]>> I would love to hear what would be like a literal translation of mashed potato books. Like what would people call it if it had to have a normal name?

[01:25:01]>> A literal title.

[01:25:02]>> Yes. I I don't know. I don't I wouldn't even know where to begin, but I'd be curious.

[01:25:05]>> Delayed gratification book.

[01:25:08]>> Yeah.

[01:25:08]>> Anyways. Yes. Okay. Rick Rick uh Ricarda 7 says, "In the first week of Mashed Potato May, I finally finished the books on my nightstand that I have been in the middle of for over a month now. Um and I see I think it's called Big Brother.

[01:25:24]It's kind of cut out by Corey Doctoro.

[01:25:27]But the reason I'm highlighting this image is because there's a giant potato in the middle of it. Oh my god, it's a giant baked potato smothered in sour cream and I want it so bad.

[01:25:42]>> Honestly, I should make a baked potato.

[01:25:43]I still haven't done that. I never make baked potatoes. It's not something I really just like have, but I do love them.

[01:25:48]>> Yeah, they there's a lot of baked potatoes consumed in the UK. They they have this big of a jacket potato and so they sell them like frozen at the supermarket and so I'm like everyone's always having >> baked potatoes and they're like these potatoes I don't know if they've been pre-cooked and you're just warming them up or whatever but like they'll just put them in the microwave for like four minutes and then they and I'm like this is brilliant and then I come back and I'm like I actually we don't sell that here. Maybe we do now. This was like a decade ago that I first >> I know it's like I have to bake it for, you know, many many minutes >> for like an hour. It takes forever. Um but yeah, we I should look back into whether or not that's a viable thing, purchasable thing. So those were some of the Instagram posts I saw. Obviously, there's more. Thank you so much to everyone who is sharing the journey with us. It's been a lot of fun to see what everyone is reading. Um but I also pulled some comments from last week's episode on YouTube from the comment section. So, this comment comes from JC Carter. I had a sad start to Mash Potato May with two disappointing DNFS, but at least they're off the TBR, and I'm now really enjoying Braiding Sweetg Grass, a huge mashed potato of mine. I actually think that's part of the that's part of the mission. Yeah.

[01:27:06]>> of Mashed Potato May. it still counts if you end up dnfing it because like the whole point of it is to just know is it actually going to fulfill this promise I had like I've been building it up for so long what if I don't even like it and then you start reading it and you realize you don't >> you still cleared it off the >> Exactly. And it like releases some of that pressure that you like had put on yourself to >> like wow I've had this book for 12 years or whatever I need to read it >> now you don't >> Yeah. Now you don't have to read it.

[01:27:38]>> That's nice.

[01:27:39]>> Is that >> This next comment is from Aptus Staircore. I've had a stupendous mashed potato May thus far. I've read some books I have put off for years.

[01:27:51]Currently I'm in the middle of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which I think has been on my to read list for more than half of my life, and it is fantastic.

[01:28:02]I've also been watching my saved films, as I rarely do, and found a new favorite, Blue J. I've not heard of I don't know that one, but now I want to check it out.

[01:28:12]>> Yeah.

[01:28:13]>> Um, and I've been playing games that have been in my library for ages, just waiting for the perfect time. And also finally finished a game I had been trying to complete for over 10 years.

[01:28:23]Wow.

[01:28:24]>> That just is on a freaking roll.

[01:28:27]>> You're winning. They they then say, "I've had so much fun that I've decided to keep my list going permanently and try to visit at at least a couple every month." So, I love this because it's like mashed potato may has become a lifestyle. You know, it's it's a movement. It's verbal wildfire. Um I do think, you know, like if you can keep it going, that's the best because that will help break the cycle of creating new mashed potatoes and everything. But I also think it's okay if it doesn't become a habit and just every May you just kind of do an effort. It's sort of like New Year's resolutions. Like they wouldn't work if you had to do them every month. That's true. It would be too much pressure. Um but like once a year it's nice to reset and feel like you're wiping the slate clean kind of a thing.

[01:29:11]>> That's beautiful.

[01:29:12]>> Um the final comment I pulled here is from Trift Wisen and it says this is about my new little e-reader that I've been reading on. Um, my tiny little e-reader that's like Oh god, >> he's gone.

[01:29:26]>> I dropped it. Uh, here it is. Uh, the tiny little e-reader that's like half the size of my phone. They say, "Arel, I've already lost your e-reader and I haven't even bought it yet."

[01:29:38]>> I love that.

[01:29:39]>> That really made me laugh. I love that.

[01:29:41]That's so funny. I put it in its case wrong. I'm sorry, little buddy. That's on me. I put it in upside down.

[01:29:46]>> He didn't like that very much.

[01:29:47]>> Um, all right, Ray, where did what you got some from Patreon? Yes, I have a few from Patreon. Um, so this first one is from Abigail who says, "Idea, a book you've been meaning to reread for a long time should be called A Twice Baked Potato."

[01:30:01]>> I love that cuz that's a huge thing for me, too. I have so many things that I'm like, I should really rewatch that or I should really reread that.

[01:30:06]>> So, I can relate to that a lot. Uh, I love Twice Baked potatoes, I guess. Um, next one from Michelle says, "The propaganda has succeeded and I will finally read the blue castle."

[01:30:18]Yes.

[01:30:19]>> Pretty good. Pretty good. Oh, this one's funny, too. Isabelle says, "Just realized I'm watching this while eating a baked potato." So, like, come on now.

[01:30:27]It It's It's a real thing. People do eat potatoes. And my final comment is from Sheila, who says, "Rail is single-handedly carrying the Canadian used book economy, which I thought was funny."

[01:30:38]>> That is funny as it has continued.

[01:30:40]>> I know. I haven't stopped, but I really want to read a book. You know, that's something that interests me. Something I think I should give a give it a try at least once, maybe soon.

[01:30:51]>> How many episodes in a row have we now done where you've hauled more than 10 books?

[01:30:55]>> I mean, three at least.

[01:30:58]>> Yeah, >> I think it's only three, but for me, that's we record these two weeks apart, right? So, that's the past six weeks of my life has been acquiring like so many books. And I like I still haven't finished organizing my bookshelves because I am kind of scared to do it.

[01:31:13]Like >> they're coming in faster than you can sort them.

[01:31:16]>> Exactly. I'm like I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. I have to like cuz I don't like like double stacking my books in front of each other. So I'm like if I just stack everything on its side to make it fit. Like if that's what I have to do, so be it. Um and that's what I'm working on currently. And the stack next to my bed that's this tall.

[01:31:33]>> This is crazy. But would you ever double stack like this and this? Like they're on top of each other pages on pages. You can still see both spines.

[01:31:44]>> That's the scariest thing you've ever asked me. I think um >> I know.

[01:31:48]>> No, I really don't like that. Also, I don't think they're tall enough to do that. Like I would have to make some of the shelves really tall and the other ones would have to be short, you know? I don't think there's enough room for all that. I have definitely done it where they're stacked normally and then you have like sideways stacks on top.

[01:32:03]>> But that just doesn't always it doesn't look the best. So I prefer to just sideways stack everything if I have to.

[01:32:07]Like it it depends.

[01:32:08]>> What about this is vertical space better >> underneath is stacked this way and on top of them it's stacked that way.

[01:32:14]>> Ariel, I need you to stop asking questions.

[01:32:17]>> I think you need to to be an innovative thinker on this.

[01:32:21]>> You might be right though. There might just >> problem too many new books. We need to think outside every single box.

[01:32:30]>> You know what I've started doing is just like I'm going to start making stacks in places that aren't my bookshelves. You know, like >> just like a little aesthetic corner with, you know, on a little table. Like I'll make a little stack of a rainbow or something just to like >> juzj up the whole world around me because yeah, that's advice I've given people before and I have not taken it yet myself, but I need to. I really need to. So >> that's crazy.

[01:32:53]>> I'll I'll keep you updated. Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening to this episode. We hope you had a good one. We always enjoy catching up with you guys about everything that's going on book and lifewise.

[01:33:05]Let's be real. I was pretty excited to tell you about CJ catching that fish. It was a really exciting moment.

[01:33:12]>> I bet >> um it kind of felt like in Castaway when he catches a fish or like when he like makes fire and it was just like there's fish in our stream. We don't even have to like go anywhere. We can just like in the backyard and fish.

[01:33:27]>> Like you literally are living a Stardew Valley life when you when you say that kind of thing to me.

[01:33:31]>> Literally.

[01:33:32]>> Like >> Yes.

[01:33:33]>> There's ducks walking around. Like what are you what are you talking about?

[01:33:37]>> It's amazing. There's Oh, and I sent you pictures of the heron that now lives in the in the I love that heron. So beautiful.

[01:33:44]>> Um Okay. But yes, thank you everyone. We are now going to go record our Patreon mini podcast, The Question Vase, where we answer your Q&A.

[01:33:54]And it's always a great time. Everyone always asks. You said we have extra good questions.

[01:33:58]>> Yeah, the questions are like fire this time. They're really good.

[01:34:02]>> I'm excited.

[01:34:02]>> That's really cool. So, we're going to go record that. Um, if you want to support us on Patreon, it's the way that this podcast works. So, thank you if you are already on there or if you consider checking it out. And if you are participating in Mashed Potato May, you still have some time to finish up a book. I believe in you. You've got this.

[01:34:19]Thank you everyone so much and we will talk to you next time. Bye.