Hot Girls Read Podcast

Ayesha

Guys, I am in the middle of too many books! Off the bat, I’m reading a few fulls that we’ve requested at work and it’s so fun to see these unique stories aspiring authors have come up with. That said, why do I keep adding to my ever-growing TBR I will never know. Check out our Insta for what my manuscript wishlist is based on my favorite reads, films, and tv shows.

For non-work-related reading, I am trying to chip away at some ARCs and proofs. One is a vampire sapphic romantasy and I hate to be that person but I’m going to have to DNF it. I feel like the story is dragging (and in desperate need of an edit) and is giving 500+ pages energy when it is in fact in the 300s. If the reading experience is like that, that is a problem which is so unfortunate because I love an enemies-to-lovers set up and in an academic setting. The proof I’m reading is Ahana Virdi’s Sour Fruit. I’m only in the beginning chapters so I’m not entirely sure how to express my thoughts on it other than to point out that it is exceedingly graphic – stay tuned!

The final book I want to share is Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships. Again, only in the beginning but gosh is this filled with fruit for thought! As someone who rarely goes on ChatGPT, it’s beyond eye-opening how some people really rely on AI to answer questions and essentially to act as a replacement for human interaction. I’ve been dragging my feet about posting on my own Substack but I think this might be the book that finally gets me to be a Substacker (is that the right term?).

Julia

I recently finished a book that took me a literal day and a half to read: Strangers, by Belle Burden. This book has been everywhere on social media, and for good reason. It’s shocking. 

In her memoir, Belle Burden describes how her loving husband of 20+ years walked out on her and their children during the middle of covid. Without gracing her with a single explanation then, or later, he proceeds to go after the houses she had bought for them during the divorce proceedings. Not only was he cold, but he was cruel. The book is not only shocking because of the events, and because they happened to a very privileged woman living what many would assume to be a dream life, but because of the unabashed way Belle gracefully tells all. 

She leaves no embarrassing detail behind, from the realities of facing the vineyard’s (Martha’s, that is) blue-blooded traditionalists during her divorce, to realising that her marriage might have even turned her into someone she didn’t want to become. I found Belle’s own voice riveting as she tells us the story of how her life was completely dismantled, and how she built it back up again. 

If you’re wondering if this book is worth the hype, I would say it’s definitely worth checking out for yourself!