LanTOK Favorite Books

The discussion is about favorite books and movies. Jessica talks about her favorite book called Yotsuba, which is about a five-year-old girl living a happy and silly life. Nathan's favorite book is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, which is narrated by an autistic main character. Ari likes the book White Noise, which has familiar dialogue and a timely story. Christina enjoys quirky essays and mentions the book Now I See. They also talk about the importance of books and reading in their lives. Thank you for joining us today. We're going to be discussing favorite books and movies and why. We have Jessica, Nathan, Ari, and Christina. And then what do you guys want to talk about? What are some of your favorite books? Are we counting like manga as books too? Yeah. Okay. I'm rereading one of my favorites that I just introduced my girlfriend to called Yotsuba. And it's a little slice of life and it's just about this five-year-old girl and she lives her life doing lots of silly things. And she's always really cute and only occasionally has a fit, just enough to make you believe that she's a real person. And it's just very wholesome and they're like little chapters and they're very fun to read and just be like, oh. And it's also given me like new outlooks on things because they're always just so happy and even when things don't go right, they're like excited about the new thing that is now happening. Like if they don't go to the beach, she's bummed out. But then she's like, oh, the park is super fun. Like just always just like don't get too bogged down on things. Just always being happy and excited to do the next thing. And it's just like so, so, so cute. And it's still being written. So there's always more. That's my new thing recently is I'm rereading it and my girlfriend is reading it for the first time and also enjoying it. We're going to get Yotsuba posters. That's cute. I'm sold. We need that right now. It's very awesome and wholesome. Ari, what about you? What are you reading right now or one of your most favorite books? My favorite book of all time is mostly because of nostalgia than anything else, but it's The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime. Yes, I love that one. It was the first book ever in my life that I read that has like the main character is autistic. It has this curious thing that is like the book is narrated by the main character, not in third person. So you have the opportunity to see how he sees the world, what he's thinking, what is his line of thinking that is not a normal one. And I really like it. The first time I read it, I was like, I think 10 years old and I love it. I reread it like two years ago. I still love it. It's just, it's a beautiful book. It's curious and it's weird, but I love it. Oh, I'm following that one too. This is just a recommendation podcast. Yeah, it was really popular. It was on the bestselling list for a while. For a very long time, yeah. It's always good too when you read one when you're younger and you reread it when you're older and it's still really good. Yeah. That's the mark of a great book right there. I think that was Six of Crows for me. I read it when I was younger, but now rereading it as I'm older, I was like, I appreciate the hidden gems that I did not get when I was younger. It still makes this book so great. What about you, Christina? One of my favorite reads. It is terrifying, so I don't know why it's one of my favorites, but White Noise. I just thought the dialogue in the story just seems very familiar to someone who comes from a dysfunctional family, like the banter back and forth. There's this airborne toxic event. They just made a movie out of it on Netflix. I just thought it sounds very familiar. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I know it has Adam Driver and Don Cheadle. It has a great cast, but again, it's timely. Do you think the movie is going to be as good as the book? I don't think it's going to feel the same. Just because the time I read it, I was just starting college, and I was just so relating to a lot of different aspects of the book. But I'm willing to give it a chance. It's in my queue. It also sounds like a book like that is probably big on knowing what they're thinking in their heads and how that works. It's kind of hard to portray that in a movie sometimes. Even if it's good, movies like that sometimes don't have the same feel as their original book that it comes from. I think some of it was, even though it's a big event, I think some of the interactions between characters were not as wild as they seem like they're going to be in the film version. It was kind of fun to see the way the mom reacts to certain things. I thought that I read a little bit flatly, but acted out it was very animated and just hysterical. Yeah, I'm excited. I cannot pick one. That was not going to happen whatsoever. I looked on my Goodreads. I have about 41 books that I have marked as my all-time faves. These are books that I've all re-read, that I would re-read again, and that have just kind of stood the test of time for me personally. I'm such a genre reader that I read with my mood, so I'm going to feel like reading. I do love pirates. I have a huge thing for pirate books. Or I'll do a Victorian romance, or sometimes I feel like I want to read a little TV bopper. Like, crisis going on right now. But I will say if I had to pick an author that I super admire, it would be Neil Gaiman. For me, he is... I love American Gods. I love Neverwhere. They're such great books. I wouldn't necessarily... Oh my God, these are the books I could read for the rest of my life if I was stuck with one book. I like them, but I think I admire him more than I like his writing, just for... He just does his own thing. He doesn't care. He makes it funny when he does it. He also is very satirical for the world that we live in. And just has this, like... During dark times, light still exists. Just seen throughout all of his books. But I just... One of my favorite things that he ever said, because he actually does a master class writing course, is that the best way to write fiction is to lie by telling the truth. And it's the idea of... You can lie. Fiction is lying. But you need to have grains of truth with emotion. And things that would... Even if you're writing fantasy, would actually happen. And responses make sense to other people. I have an author. Please don't make me choose a book. And he's great, too, because he's a huge librarian. Oh, yeah. He works with an illustrator called Chris Riddle. And they do library books. He'll have a quote about how important books are for kids, or how important the library is. And Chris Riddle will have these illustrations that go with it that are amazing. And they're dream-like, but there's still a child essence to them that really explains being a kid is how important books are and everything. So I actually had a couple questions for you guys. My first one was, is there a genre or type of book that you tend to lean towards? Like, I go towards pirates or thieves books. Or also, is there a book from your childhood that just has stayed with you? And to an adult. I would lean towards, like, monsters. Like, I love if there's a good monster or cool magic in a book. Like, you've got me. The book that came to mind when you were just saying a childhood book that stuck with you. I read this not when I was a child child, but when I was in, like, high school or the beginning of college. But The One and Only Ivan. That was, like, one of the first books where... That's Applegate, right? Yes. I just bought her Otter books, and I'm really excited. For a brief time, we had a bunch of copies. But now they're like a summer reading book, so they're all gone right now. Because I love otters, so I just got it because I'm really excited. But continue, I'm sorry. But that was just, like, the first book that, like, I had read where, like, the characters weren't necessarily related to me or anything like that. But I, like, was very much in the shoes of those. They're animals. And it wasn't just, like, an entertaining book. It wasn't just, like... Like, I read it, and it made me feel like... I don't know. It made me think. It made me think about myself and, like, my place in the world and stuff like that. Instead of just, like, enjoying it or being like, oh, that person's kind of like me. And, like, imagining myself in their shoes. These are, like... I am not like these characters very much, but I could still put myself in their shoes, and I would still very much empathize. And it made me cry, you know? So that's one that just immediately jumped out when you said that about, like, a book from when you were younger that, like, still you think about today and, like, affects you today. Well, it's funny because I'm going through diversity books right now for school. I'm taking a multicultural youth diversity class. And one of the primary things that we're learning about is the idea of, like, other people do need to read about other cultures for culture awareness. But in diversity books, there are always aspects that everybody can relate to. It might be in a different perception or a theme or different role of how you typically would go through it. But, like, everybody has an issue. Most young girls have an issue with the way they look and everything or something like that. And it's just interesting how, like, with animals, like, you may not be an animal stuck in a cage, but there's something that you can relate to in there. And it's like a child's book. I think that's really cool. There were not that many books in my childhood, to be honest, because in Venezuela, like, libraries are not a big thing. So if you wanted to read something, you would have to buy it. And it was not the best idea that you could ever have. I remember when I was a kid, I read the first four books of Harry Potter. And it was because my father gave them to me, and I loved them. And that was everything I read because we couldn't afford to have the other ones. So you would reread them? Yeah. Yeah. I reread the first book, like, at least four times. At least four times. I used to go around with that. And so I think that would be the book that reminds me of my childhood. I would like to have, like, more of a personal connection with other books. But to be honest, I didn't have that many books. It also gets expensive. Yeah. And it is sad that we didn't have that many libraries in Venezuela. The only library that I ever knew in Venezuela closed when I was, like, 13. Because it was from the government, but they didn't have enough money to keep it up. They had to close it. And the library in the school didn't have any books. I don't know why it was a library. It doesn't count. And I strangely forgot the other question. What genres or anything do you tend to like to read a lot of? Or even appeal terms, like we were talking about. I really like, like, this calm romance or even friendship or family. But everything has to be calm. I don't like... Yeah. I like drama to, like, just spice it up a little. But I don't like a book that is, like, every single chapter is sad. And you're crying. And you're around, like, I don't want to read this book anymore. I don't want to leave a book feeling sad. I don't want to. I read these stories because I like them, because I like to feel happy. And it's very happy in this book. I can see that in the mangas that you read. Yeah. Like Nathan says, Slice of Life. It's a way to calm, a way to be just happy. And I like it. It's the way I like it. That's why I read books, and that's the style I go for. When were you able to finish the Harry Potter series? Were you very excited when that happened? Did you, when you were reading the first four, did you realize that there was more to come? And did you think about that, about what's going to happen next? And then when you finally read them, did that, like, make you think anything? That was a strange thing, because I read the first four. Then I have to watch the movies, because we did have a couple of movies. Oh, okay, so you did have a movie. And I feel like, I liked them, but for some reason I feel like they were kind of disconnected somehow. Like what I imagined reading the books was not exactly what I saw when the movies kept going. For sure. Especially after the fourth one. Yeah, definitely, because it took a dark turn that I didn't see coming. Four to five. Four to five. Yeah, that's a big jump. So I was watching the movies, and I was like, what is happening here? That's the jump we make from juvenile to adult, too. Books one through four in juvenile, books five through seven are in young adults. Yeah, it was a big change, and I was scared that I might not be able to like the books. And I was here when I tried to read them. The first time I couldn't, because I didn't know English. So I was reading them, but not understanding nothing. And then it was like, I think three years ago, three, four years ago, that I was finally able to grab a book and read it. And I love it. I got all my friends that I knew read the book. And I have like one, like an on-call friend. No matter the hour, I will write him like, oh my God, I get to this part. And he was like, I knew you would love it. I knew you would love it. I really love the books. They do take a dark turn. They were right in that. But there is also like some things that you're not able to see in the movies that you see in the book. Ginny's character, I love it way much in the book than in the movies. It's just a huge difference. And there are like the little things in their relationship and how they treat each other that you don't see in the movies, but in the books, it's so lovely. I ship that so hard. Yes. That's funny. That's like as a parent, that was one of my favorite experiences was reading those books to both of the girls. And even when my oldest got married last year, we were at a post-wedding shindig and we ended up on the topic of Harry Potter. I think that someone brought it up and the girls were just like, yes, and Mommy did all the voices. And they both agreed, yeah, Mommy does all the voices. And it made me feel so good that they noticed that they remembered that it's a fond memory for them. My dad did that for me too. He did all the voices. I still remember his Hagrid. When my girlfriend was in Spain for two years, a couple years ago, and we mostly just phone called, I read the whole, she's a big Harry Potter fan too. And our thing is every night, I'd go to bed at nine and it'd be a couple hours later for her. And we would call and I'd read her a chapter or two, and I did all the voices and stuff. It took us, I think, over the two years, we did all of them. We did one through seven. You're ridiculously cute! And it's a lot to read. It is, and I had to remember the voices too and stuff. Like, how did I do this last time? It's not as easy. It's not as easy. It made me appreciate my dad more too, because he was always excited and on point. It was really good, and I was always excited to hear it, but yeah. Well, there's some books that I genuinely don't like, but I can't get rid of because of the memories that they represent. Of the time you read them. Of the time of, like, I did them with a group of friends, or like, my parents are not huge readers. My brothers, I'm the only person in my family who's a huge reader. But it's like the idea of, like, the Taliban Shuffle. Like, I have the book. It's the Whiskey Foxtrot movie with Tina Fey. Like, I watched it. It was one of the movies I watched with my mom. I bought her the book because she loved the movie so much. I'm like, here, Mom, we can bond. You read this. Maybe we can read it together. I don't like it. Like, I'm not a huge fan, but I can't give it away because I know what it's like, the memory that goes with it. It represents that time. I think that books that may not be, like, that good or books that you like that much can still be special, like, just depending on, like, the people you're with and stuff. Yeah. Aww. What about you, Christina? I think I tend more towards, like, quirky essays. Okay. Like, Samantha Irby? Oh, my God, yes. This one. Her new one just came out, too. Yes. I have it checked out right now. And, like, David Sedaris, you know, stuff like that. Okay. I enjoy, like, you know, I recognize there's a dark and sad side to life, but I also want to see someone who kind of notes it, but in an absurd way so it, you know, makes it more palatable. One of my all-time favorite nonfiction books is called Now I See, and it's this lady who she has a retinal eye, degenerate eye disease that she finds out, and she's a musician and things like that. Oh, God. That sounds so scary. So it talks about the she, it's such a dark topic of, like, everything she goes through, like, her relationships, like, losing her sight, and, like, when she wants to have children, it does such a hard thing on her body, makes her lose her sight even faster, but it's the most hilarious book I have ever read. Yes. Like, it's, like, it's so messed up, like, incredibly. Like, this lady is telling you, like, but it's the way the author portrays it, like, the personality and, like, you can hear the tone in the book of just the way she's like, this sucks. I cry, die, or laugh. Right? Exactly. And it's wonderful. It's absolutely wonderful. I have, I like nonfiction. I tend to lean towards biographies when I read nonfiction, though, or, like, mental health or woman issues and everything like that. But this was just one of the ones that just, like, kind of stuck with me, where I was, like, my shelf of nonfiction, I have one shelf of nonfiction, but it's, like, maybe a shelf and a half if I count poetry and stuff. And out of six bookshelves. So, like, I don't read a lot, but this is one book I cannot get rid of because it's just, like, I don't know what it's like to have an eye disease. Like, yeah, blind is a bad, but nothing like that. No, but there's just so, there's just something about someone who can take an adversity or just a loss, an awful situation, and just, you know, make some humor out of it. I think it's, you know, an important, like, skill. And I think everybody, like, has lost something, too. It's not even just, like, I don't have to be specific or, like, going through a sickness, but, like, everybody knows, like, you know, they've had a hard time or a loss, and you can take that and, like, like, wow, this person had something way worse that's ever happened to me, and they're still, like, being funny about it and stuff. I kind of have to maybe put things in perspective or, like, yeah. I remember my therapist recommending I'm Glad My Mom Died. Oh, I've seen that, the Jenny, yeah. McCurdy. McCurdy, yeah. And I, her, my mother's health has been kind of gross the last couple years, and I was like, I can't read it because as soon as I take that book up, my mom's going to die, and it's going to be my fault. And she was like, no, no, no, no, you're going to see some parallels. I want, I think that you'd really enjoy it. You know, the kids watched iCarly. Like, I think you'll identify with it, and sure enough, I did. But, yes, and her very, her writing is very much the same way. Like, just tragic, just tragic topics, but, you know, she just approaches it with just a, you know, a sense of humor about it that spoke to me. So that was a good one. Any childhood books? Oh, there was, my parents never, we never went to the library when I was a little kid. I had never stepped in a public library until I was in high school in Jupiter. I remember this one book from the school library. I was constantly, like, I had a respiratory disease from the time I was really tiny, but there was this one book. I think it's called Linda's Air Mount Letter, and I found a copy on eBay, and I bought it. It was written in, like, the 60s, and it was about a little girl who's stuck home sick, but she communicates with the, it sounds so tragic, I'm so sorry. She communicates with the outside world by sending air mail, air letters. And then, you know, the path that each letter takes to reach the destination, it was just so sweet. And I ended up buying a copy as an adult, even though it's awful and, you know, the pages are, you know, a little bit gross and crusty. I can't, I'll never be able to get rid of it. That makes me think of one of my favorite books as an adult that I've recently come across is Dear Edward by Anna Napoleon or something like that. It's the idea that there's this plane crash, and there's this one boy who's the survivor. And it's the idea of the grief that he has to live with, with being the one who's alive. And the book talks about how all the family members from everybody else would send him mail of, like, thank you for surviving. Like, or, like, they would just write to him, and, like, some of it was good, some of it was bad. And, like, going through those letters with him of, like, how much of just, like, that sense of communication can affect someone and everything like that. I have this for him. It's really, really good. As an adult, I think it's sort of, like, within the last, I read it three, maybe four years ago. And it's one of the favorite books I've read as an adult. But, like, I'm like, oh, thank you. This feels real. It's not, I don't want to call it a feel-good book, but it does have, like, a good ending, I will say. I will say and everything like that. Did I mention I like pirates? Yeah. You might have to say it. So, I like to say that I spin the wheel, and that just kind of depends on what I'm reading. When I say I'm a mood reader, like, I will read, like I said, biographies. Right now I'm in a huge high fantasy stream of where, like, Robert Jordan, Samantha Shannon and stuff like that. I love thieves. I also really like fantasy books that take a role on the satire towards society. I think Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors who does that. He has one book in his series called Equal Rights that talks about there's little sorcerers. And typically women are witches and only men are sorcerers. But she's like, I don't want to be a witch. I want to be a sorcerer. Why can't I be a sorcerer? And, like, the entire book is about, like, well, screw you guys. Like, I'm going to do this. So he does it with a very, like, funny, I do tend to really like British humor in everything as well. But there's just so much, like, I love contemporary. I'll read as well. I really do like the contemporary. I like to cry. Like, there's sometimes I have moods where I want to read something that's going to make me cry. So Dear Edward was one crying book. The Me Before You book is just as good as the movie. That is one of the few books to movies that I'll say that the movie does justice. So, like, I can't. I could go in all types of genres that I like to read. But if I had to pick a childhood book that I really liked, it would have to be, I don't know if you guys have read Tamora Pierce. She did the Alana the Lioness series. It's a quartet where, like, this twin girl, her brother, like, it takes place in, like, knighthood. Think, like, Arthurian time, but it's not a King Arthur book at all. Just kind of similar environment where her twin brother doesn't want to be a knight, so he goes off. And she's like, well, I want to be a knight. So, like, dresses up as a boy, a typical theme of dressing up as a boy, takes his place, cuts her hair. And, like, the first quartet is, like, she's a strong, stubborn, like, stubborn, stubborn girl. And I read it when I was a teenager. But when I was a teenager, from the first time I came across this, I read this book between 16 to 22, four times, the series. So it's a quartet, and then it goes into another quartet that has another quartet. It's like, but they're all linear of, like, similar characters, but there's a different primary person in all of them. But it's, like, I think it's, like, the beginning books of, like, teaching girls of, like, you have power. Like, go for it. And I love that. I love when you do that over, like, and they're not ashamed of it. Like, a lot of times you'll see books where, like, oh, you're ashamed of, like, because you did something you're not supposed to, and now she still succeeds. I really like it where, like, she's like, so? And what of it? What of it? Like, I'm the best knight here. I can beat you at sword. Like, so what? Like, what are you going to do? You're going to kick me out of knighthood? I'll go find somewhere else. Like, I'm good at what I do. Yeah. Yeah. So I think that's one of my favorite childhood books I ever read was The Lioness. Sounds like a great book. You know what I mean? It really is. Well, and it's also, like, sometimes when you read YA books, like, they're very, like, you can tell that their writing is not very complex. It's very simple. I like it when there's, like, a complex plot. Like, it's not just a simple, like, girl meets boy, boy and girl fall in love, happily ever after. Like, I like that there's, like, well, we're people. People are complex. There's more to me than, like, oh, boy, the definition of me or the idea of my job makes me. There's so many tiny, itty-bitty pieces, and I feel like the series really establishes that, like, as a person, like, yeah, I like the guy who's illegal, but I have to uphold the law. There's a morally great, like, I love morally great characters. Morally great characters, especially as an adult, are, like, my favorite thing ever. So. Yeah, that was my tidbit. Anybody have anything? Oh, did you see, oh, they, I just saw yesterday, I sent the link to my kid. There's a Nimona film. Yes! On Netflix. I was like, oh, my gosh, is that Alan Cumming? I think I hear Alan Cumming's voice. I could be wrong. But I was so excited. The animation looks great. Like, everything about it, like, that was, my younger one, that was, you know, that was, like, her middle school years, and, you know, it makes me happy that it's continuing on, and that's something that Netflix gave time to. It seems like, you know, they're taking up some space with it, and I totally approve. Have you guys read Nimona? No. You would love it, Nathan. It's right up the alley, the graphic novel stream that you're on right now. It falls right into that. It's a graphic novel where this girl is a shapeshifter, and she kind of gets shunned for it a little bit. And then there's this, like, morally gray character of, like, is he a villain or is he not a villain? It's like, who is he? Like, you have no idea what Robin is doing. He's trying to clear his name. But it also has, like, LGBTQ themes in it. It has, like, father-daughter relationships, but, like, not really father-daughter. Like, it's just, like, it's beautiful. It's awesome. It's just, like, the last four that you recommended to me that were awesome. So, Nimona is one of my favorites. Like, out of all of the ones, like— We have three—this sounds psychotic, but I know there are three copies on the shelf right now. That's where I'm going right after this. And if you like it, I may have bought an extra copy. Well, that's my thing. It's, like, sometimes for, like, my special ones that I really, really, really love, I love getting special edition copies signed. Like, you guys know that's my stick. Yeah. So, Nimona just came out with a hard copy signed, like, stenciled edge sides and everything. And I bought it, but I already have a paperback copy. So, I now have two copies of this book. And no judgment. No judgment. But that's the thing. Like, there's such amazing graphic novels. Even talking about graphic novels as, like, favorite books. Like, Tea Dragon Society that I love. I mean, there's teas and there's dragons. Like, those are some of my favorite things in the world. And then there's even so much. Like, even with manga versus graphic novel, I do think that there is a difference between the two in everything. Just with the art style, the way it reads. They tell stories differently, kind of, too. Like, they all have similar themes, but there's just, it's very different structure. But for graphic novels, like, Nimona's one of my favorites of all time. Snapdragging is amazing, if you haven't read that one. I want to read Crumbs. I haven't read Crumbs yet, but I have a feeling it's going to be great. I was flipping through it the other day when my copy came in, and it was already good. And I sent the picture to my girlfriend, who I got it for her. But, like, that slice of life stuff that you like. I highly suggest that your graphic novels will hit that feel without having to invest yourself into, like, 8 volume, 21 volume series. A lot of the ones now are just, like, one. Like, one normal, you know, 100 pages of comics. I think the biggest one I've ever seen is Witch Boy, which is 3. I don't think I've seen a graphic novel series that, like, is that slice of life that's been longer than that. Heartstoppers is kind of... That's 4. I guess 4 is, yeah, not that many. I haven't watched the TV show yet, but Heartstoppers is a TV show on Netflix. I did not know. It's not really popular, like, really, really popular. Well, I knew the books were, I just, I hadn't realized. Is it a live action? Yes. Oh. And it's got me. Okay. Oh, good. So, yeah. Did anybody have any other topics they think books are, you want to bring up that are amazing and glorious? I have a lot, but we don't need to talk about all of them. Talk about your favorites, yeah. I read a lot of, like, urban fantasy, like, fantasy, sci-fi. One that just finished stuff that I've been reading for a long time that started off more basic and ended in a way I didn't think it was going to end. Which I won't spoil, but I'll give you the idea of, like, The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearn. Oh. They're, like, it started as, like, an urban fantasy where it's kind of, like, a classic, like, it takes place in modern time, which at the time was, like, early 2000s. With, like, cell phones and everything. But he is, like, a 500-year-old, the last druid from, like, ancient times of Ireland. And he's, like, the last druid to hang on to, like, the old ways of, like, brewing. He calls it immortality, which is a tea that, like, allows him to live forever, basically, as long as he takes it and stuff. That's cool. And he just, like, runs a magic shop and, like, just solves problems and, like, solves the problems of the earth. And it's, like, a really cool magic system of how he uses bindings and stuff, just, like, magic. But it starts off with him being, like, a white male character who is more clever than everybody else. He always comes and solves the problem and, like, you know, he just, he's the main character. But as the books go on, by, like, the third book of this ten-book series, he keeps getting the things done that he, like, the small story of that book, but the overarching story. He keeps kind of, like, upsetting different gods and, like, upsetting people and, like, making mistakes, basically. And he keeps going, keeps going, and then eventually, towards the end, all of these things catch up to him. And it turns from him, like, helping other people and solving other people's problems to, like, realizing that even though he was trying to do good, he's also done a lot of bad. And deciding on whether, like, he wants to run from that or does he deserve the punishment that might be coming for him and stuff like that. And it turns it to where, like, oh, it's kind of the classic where it's, like, the main character is always the smartest. And they get things done to where, like, oh, wait, like, of course, all these, like, he's killed demons and he's fought gods. Of course that's going to have consequences later on. And it, like, you know, just kind of turns it on its head from being a, just, you know, like a fun fantasy of, like, oh, this is the way it always goes. To, like, oh, like, consider different things. I read that book for years because I'd, you know, read the first five and then I'd be waiting for the next one to come out. It ended up being ten books. So I waited for, like, four of the books to come out. And as I was waiting and rereading and stuff, I was sort of realizing, like, the shift of things. Kind of like in Harry Potter, how it takes, like, a turn where it's, like, darker and things get more serious. It kind of did that, too. And I was like, oh, that was kind of, like, the first time that happened to me in a book series like that. And I thought that that was really cool. And I don't think that enough people read that book. I've read the first two. I've read the first two. I think, for me, it's just, like you said, the urban fantasy part in it. I think it was just I was so burnt out by the time I got there. Yeah. That it was just like, eh. It's a really cool take on it, too. But it is, you know, at that time, especially, like, all the gym butchers, it's very much like a bunch of other things with its own twist. But it keeps going. Is it so much that he makes mistakes or is it more of he just ticks people off? Both. Okay. Cool. Because sometimes he'll be, like, knowing that this is a bad idea, but he's like, I feel like I don't have any other options. Like, I want this thing, so I'm going to do this and believe that it's worth it. So it's not always like he's trapped and has to make the choice. Sometimes it's like he wants this thing. So, like, he could walk away from all this, but he wants to keep going and so, therefore, makes a mistake because he feels like he has to. That's kind of relatable. Yeah. Yeah. So that one's been on my mind, too. I've been thinking about that. I've been thinking about our favorite books and stuff. Yeah. And that's it. I know we're going to do movies. Go. No, I'm sorry. I just forgot that we were also talking about movies. I mean, we could keep on the books and they can save the movies for a different time. Oh, totally. Yeah. I don't watch a lot of movies, so I wasn't going to be very helpful on that aspect. Maybe Candace will be happy. Oh. We read Charlotte for her. You know, you have seen me carry movies out of this library. Yeah. I don't even have a TV in my living room right now, so. I get the Blu-ray of my house. Like, we have it in the living room. And I realized that my parents weren't using it as much. And I was like, you know what? I'm the one using it. And I move it to my bedroom. It has been five months. They haven't realized. It's my Blu-ray now. Do you like watching, because that is part of, like, favorite books and stuff. Like, do you like watching the movies to your favorite books? Or does it make you mad? Sometimes. Sometimes I don't like it that much. It depends on which movie are we taking. For example, I saw Homecoming Castle. It's a movie that I love. That's my favorite movie. And I watched the movie before reading the book. And although there are things in the book that I like, and the book explains certain things that happen in the movie and makes it make sense, there was a part in the book when something that happened in the movie didn't happen in the book. And I threw the book across the room. Well, because there's not as much romance in the book. Yeah, definitely. The movie has a lot more of, like, oh, hi there. How are you? You don't get a lot of that in the book. It shows you, like, a deeper side of the characters. Howl is definitely more dramatic in the book. And he has this bad side. Because in the movie you are around, like, oh, he's bad, but it's a curse. It's not him. He's just this, like, prince charming wizard that's coming for her. He's always kind of playing it cool, too. He's, like, this cool guy. He's in charge. He has everything under control. Yeah, you can ignore the red flags because he's hot. In the book they don't let you do that. They don't let you do that. He has certain things, and you have to acknowledge them. And you feel so much power from Sofie in the book that you don't get to see that much in the movie until the end. Folio Society has a copy of Howl's Moving Castle with illustrated pages through them in color. So, like, because the way they portray Howl is so different in the book than the movie, you kind of see the, like, how the progression of Howl. It's just, like, he's kind of a douche. Like, he's really, like... I don't like whiny characters, but you get to see how truly whiny he is in the book. Like, it's ridiculous. It's like the bathroom scene on steroids. Yeah. It's funny because he has all this power. Like, these things should be, like, beneath him, but, like, little things above him. He's a petty little boy. Yeah. Definitely. And Sofie has... Like, in the movie, at least for the first part, I was like, why is she letting all these things just happen to her? She doesn't react that much. And then you read the book, and you can get inside her mind and understand why she thinks the way she thinks. How the way she was raised shapes the way she thinks and why she is, like, everything. The world can be over. They can destroy her city, and she will be around, like, well, at least I'm alive. At least she's so calm, but you understand why. And you can see how that goes changing towards the end. So I like it, but at the same time, I feel like they are two different works. I feel like they are not the same book or movie at all. My favorite is... I love watching the movies in the book because comparing them is one of my favorite hobbies. I just like making judgments. Like, Pascal from Tangled, the little chameleon, is one of my soul people because I get that look of, like, really, that's the decision you're going to make right now? That's how I feel when I watch books versus movies. It's one of my favorite things. There are a few, say, ones that I can say that did a really phenomenal job. I mentioned before you earlier The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. The movie is actually better than the book. I liked it a lot better. It could just be because Matt Hooper liked it. I was going to say, it's because Matthew McConaughey did it, and he's not in the book. But he does, I think, what's the character's name, like a Mickey Heller or something like that. He does a phenomenal job. And then the other one, oh, what was it? Did I just lose it? Princess Bride. Yeah. I love the book, don't get me wrong, and I think a lot of people watch the movie before they read the book, and I really wish it was the other way around because, like, you really do get that storybook feel when you read the book, especially if you buy the storybook version that they have. And it's like, it has everything. It has action and love and pirates. But, like, the movie is just as good as the book. They do such a phenomenal job with it. My name is Indigo Lindor. You killed my father. Prepare to die. It's so good. It's so good. But The Lincoln Lawyer was done much better than the book, than I anticipated, for sure. There's one that, it's a show. It's not a movie, but it was a television show. It was a television show. I think it was on Showtime called Penny Dreadful. And I had never seen an adaptation of the picture of Dorian Gray that I really liked, but I thought, okay. They captured the essence of Dorian Gray in that television show. And just to see the other classic characters that are worked into Penny Dreadful, like Frankenstein and, gosh, I forget who. They had a lot in there. There were so many. It was really good. It was good. It was really, really, really good. Oh, my gosh. Because Penny Dreadfuls were our pamphlet, like short story pamphlets about monsters and everything. Yeah. Kind of true crime. Kind of like the gorier, darker side of things that people at that time were, like, loved, of course, but in society had to be like, no, it's terrible. But then everybody was reading it. Right. It was the Lady Whistledown of England, like the little dark and gritty stuff that they wanted to know about. Yeah. But they did a really good job on that show. They really did. Everybody who has been there was well cast. And you're right. That is the best version of Dorian Gray I think I've ever seen. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I just thought it only got, like, what, one or two seasons? Yeah. I think it only got two. I don't think it finished. I think they had to end. And Nick did more Eva Green. He did more. He needed more. There was a really good, I haven't read the book. It's on my list. So I guess I can't compare it really. But the show is really good. And I imagine that it's probably easier for people to read the book called The Terror. Oh, my gosh. The first season. Oh, my gosh. And the wife's on the boat. Oh, my gosh. Who's the author? I don't remember. But it's an older book. So I'm not sure, like, it might just be nicer because it's, like, written in an older style to have the TV show. But I've been meaning to read it. And maybe next time we can reconvene and I'll give a little snapshot. But the TV show is so phenomenal. And all the characters are so well done. And it's so horrifying in a different way. You think that the horror is going to come from one direction. It's not, like, gory. There's, like, a supernatural element. And you think that that's going to be where all the horror comes from. But truly, it's just all of the mundane stuff of being alive in that time. Like, it just makes you feel very lucky to be alive in our current times. Just not having, like, Imodium AD or things like that. Or everything you're eating has lead in it. Exactly. Oh, my gosh. That's the true terror. Oh, gosh. I recently just read T. Kingfisher's Nettle and Bone. It was done very well. But, like, the horror aspects of, like, the actual part of it. And I'm not usually a fan of horror. That's, like, a genre I don't really like. But this one was more of, like, she's, like, making dogs out of bones. And, like, yeah. Like, it's really creepy and weird. But it's just, like, nah, dude. Like, the horror is just the fact that my sister's being beat up. Like, you have an evil wizard after you. And, like, this is what's really, like, it was, like, dark and gritty. And Neil Gaiman does that very, very, very, very well. Like, he scares me. The man scares me. He has his troll bridge one, the story that he does, is, like, terrifying. And then he does the monster in the walls or, like, wolf in the walls story or something. And it's just, like, I can't sleep after this. This isn't happening. He's the king of creeps. I mean, Stephen King probably truly owns that. I want to read Joe Hill, though. I've heard really good things about Joe Hill. I've heard he's better. Horror stuff. Nils Frost is good. I've heard that. I haven't read it, though. Yeah, it is. Well, it's Stephen King's son. Yeah. Oh, is it? Yeah. Oh, I did not know that. Yeah, I think that's Joe King, right? Yeah. Okay. But he changed his name because I think he wanted to make a name for himself. Yeah. Well, he has Lockheed. Was it Lockheed? Lockheed Carr or something like that? Yeah. Yeah. He does several comics, too. And now he has his own. I think he started, like, a year or two ago, his own horror comics that are just, like, basically him telling horror stories in comic form. And we have them at the library somewhere because I've seen them before. So I think it's called Joe Hill. I think he spoke of Joe Hill. It's like Joe Hill Presents or something like that. True, true. That kind of wraps us up with time. Do we have any last-minute words or books or anything we want to tell people that they need to read? Murderbot Diaries. Everybody should read it. Yes. Oh, I totally. I second that one. I second-guessed that one. That was, like, the first time as an adult that I related to a character, like, very strongly. And just, like, before that, it was like, oh, I can kind of put myself in those shoes. I can kind of put myself, but, like, Murderbot was like, oh, this is, like, a real thing. That's the number one science fiction book I tell people to read. I can't top that. I wanted to say, like, I didn't say it right away because I wanted to talk about other things because we've been talking about that already this week, but Murderbot Diaries, number one. Anybody else? I got nothing. I got nothing. Nope. Murderbot is a really good one to end on. For those who don't know what it is, it's a novel, all serious. Most of the books are not more than 150 pages, except for one, which is, like, 220 or something like that. But it's the idea of a sec unit is half robot, half organic, has no gender. So throughout the entire series, it's just called Murderbot. That's what he calls himself. I say him because I view as a him, but you could say her or whatever. But there's no gender. It just calls itself Murderbot. And it hacks its own government entity and just wants to watch space dramas. It's literally an organism or person. I see it as a person that has social anxiety issues and doesn't want to hang out with people. And the idea of what is property? Like, do you actually belong to yourself if you have a personality or do you belong to the government because you technically are something they built? Right. So it hits, like, really hard issues, but at the same time, it's absolutely hilarious. It's so funny. It's real short. Their inner monologue is very funny of them having to protect people because that's their job and, like, he thinks all the other people are dumb because they're always getting killed. But, like, his inner dialogue of, like, trying to help them and trying to save them, even though he doesn't really want to, but he knows it's right, is just, like, very funny. And book seven comes out this year. Mm-hmm. November. November. But that will be our parting words. All right.