November 3, 2020

Teaser Episode : Our Guilty Pleasure Reads

anna and celine laughing at joking sitting on the ground in downtown knoxville

Celine and Anna discuss guilty pleasures that kept them up at night, made them blush, and are kind of embarrassing to talk about in front of people. You know what they’re talking about. 

Cue the angsty teenager writing her songs about heartbreak and long lost boys. 

Anna talks about her experience with her local library and didn’t know that library cards were free. She’s more of a buy and own type of gal, so a library is a whole new and exciting world for her. 

Anna starts with her spotlight on the book, The Wrath & the Dawn. A fiction novel with similar themes to ‘Arabian Nights’. A murderous leader named Khalid, takes a new bride every night, and kills them by dawn. When his latest victim hits a little too close to home, Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid and break the curse. All well knowing that come dawn she could be his next victim. Of course they start to fall in love, but Anna loves it and totally recommends it. 

Anna from novelbound podcast smiling in downtown knoxville during photoshoot

Next up, Caraval. Goodreads’ synopsis of the book is a perfect description, “Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over. But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.”

Perfect for the person that loves a bit of magic, some tough to love characters and you’ll totally understand why Celine and Anna love it. Celine says it’s one of her favorite reads from 2019! 

Celine talks about The Help. The movie is extremely similar, but the voice that they give the women in the book is incredible. It gives a voice to the women that struggled during that time, and really opens your eyes to what was going on back then. The sacrifices these women made for the children they raised, was incredible to read. Anna brings the Secret Life of Bees into the conversation comparing it to The Help. Both books are incredibly eye-opening and should be read at least once in your life! 

Celine and Anna talk about the books that kept them up at night. Six of Crows and To All the Boys I loved Before were at the top of their lists.

Anna and Celine sitting on stairs in downtown knoxville for novelbound podcast branding shoot

Anna and Celine’s criteria for a guilty pleasure read, drama, comedy, and a slow burn romance. 

Anna kicks off the guilty pleasure segment with the book, City of Bones. It has a slow burn romance, and she’s read it twice. Clary, a 15-16 year old girl in New York. With her friend in a club, and sees 3 people walk into a club and murder someone. Then the body disappears. She finds the people again later on, and finds out they’re shadowhunters. It’s a coming of age and knowing your power. It’s amazing.

Celine shares her first guilty pleasure reads, American Royals. A book full of romance and bits of historical fiction glory. The story follows George Washington and how the world would be if became King and not President, and how his descendents lived on and are still in power. The main character, Samantha, is being trained to become queen. Her family is super close and is being set up with suitors for a potential husband. She chooses the best of the worst suitors who she later finds out was totally hooking up with her sister. Samantha is super close with her guard who protects her and her life, SLOW BURN ROMANCE ALERT. 

Anna shares Six of Crows, and loves this author and her other series, Shadow of Bones. “Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .A convict with a thirst for revenge,A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager,A runaway with a privileged past, A spy known as the Wraith, A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums,A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.” (synopsis provided by Goodreads

Avalon High is another one of Celine’s favorite guilty pleasures. Meg Cabot is one of her favorite authors, with such a funny sense of humor. Celine loves Avalon High because of its ties to King Arthur and the round table. 

Celine in downtown cafe eating crepes and discussing guilty pleasure books for novelbound book podcast

Anna brings up one of her all time favorites, the Percy Jackson book series. Goodreads’ synopsis reads, “Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse – Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena – Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods” 

Illuminae by Amie Kaufmen and Jay Kristoff , “This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra — who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.” (synopsis provided by Goodreads)

One of Celine and Anna’s guiltiest pleasures, The Selection series, “For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.” (synopsis provided by Goodreads)

Wanna listen to the whole dang episode? We’ve got you covered. 

Celine and Anna from novelbound podcast discussing the selection series

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