Ep. 21: Ghosts (The Dead Romantics + White Smoke)
Summary: Wrapping up spooky season this year with one of the world’s favorite halloween tropes - ghosts! Holly wishes she could believe in them, but is too logical and naturally skeptical to really dig in. Devin respectfully asks any ghosts reading this to please leave her alone and she apologizes in advance if she insulted any of them. No one will be surprised to learn that ghosts appear much more often in the books Holly reads, but Devin enjoys the way that death and the occasional ghost can help amplify the meaning of love in our lives.
Topics Discussed:
- The Heart (5:05): Devin discussed The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston, a novel that follows Florence Day from her job as a ghostwriter for romance author Ann Nichols in New York City to her sleepy South Carolina hometown after the death of her father. The twist? Florence can see and speak to ghosts, and finds herself haunted by her sexy (previously alive) book editor, Benji Andor. Her key takeaways were:
- Even with her quirk of chillin with ghosts, Florence is an incredibly relatable protagonist and navigates the thorny world of grief, family, and love with the enthusiasm of most oldest sibling millennials.
- If you’re looking for a deeper romance, read this novel. Poston takes time to explore death, mortality, and grief - and especially how the certainty of death amplifies the importance of love in all our lives.
- The cast of characters and the apparition of Benji pull you through the novel and will leave you laughing, crying, and decently horny. How, you may ask, when the male protagonist is dead? *Devin winks*
- The Dagger (18:10): Holly discussed White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson, a supernatural horror novel centered around Marigold (Mari) and her family, who move to California to Cedarville, a midwestern city with layers and layers of tension, history, and ongoing battles. Their new, pristine home is nestled inside a dilapidated neighborhood and it isn’t long before Mari isn’t just facing the metaphorical ghosts of her past. Her key takeaways were:
- This novel is YA, and a great introduction to the horror genre for those who want to dip their toes in (Devin will not, of course, be doing this). Jackson, as a Brooklyn-based YA author, has always loved the horror genre and this is her first horror novel.
- Mari’s 10-year old stepsister Piper instantly augments the uneasiness of the new, blended family and their new, confusing neighborhood; she keeps bringing up a “friend” named Miss Suga who wants Mari out of the house and their lives.
- This book blends traditional horror elements of slamming doors, flickering lights, and foul smells with more modern takes like mental health issues, gentrification, and systemic racism very successfully.
- Hot On the Shelf (36:46):
- What’s Making Our Hearts Race (41:47):
- Devin: The Great British Baking Show on Netflix
- Holly: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime
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