Welcome to Plans Are Booked, a podcast for every reader. I'm Molly Geller. Stephanie Blackburn. And I'm Caitlin Madison. Welcome to chapter 33. Episode 33 is about to be in the books. I can't believe it. I know we're saying this like every episode now, but like 33, like I was at my friend Elise's this weekend and she's like, so how many she's like, I'm not caught up. Like how many episodes are there of plans or books? And I was like 32 and she like choked on her drink.
She was like, is it every other week? I was like, it's every week. And she was like, no one? behind. And I was like, yeah, dude, also I'm like out of bookmarks again. I was giving everybody in Portsmouth. Hopefully we got some new listeners. I just had them in my purse and there's all these like cute shop owners. And I was like buying book themed things for the people at this table and they were like, are you like a reader? Like blah, blah. I'm like, well, pardon me.
Let me just take these bookmarks out of my purse. Like a kind of a freak show, but. but I'm out. So I'm out. I'm out of the way. I'm beating everyone. and I'm pretty sure we're handing out the works because I want to have a shooting that. so far. I don't know. I... bunch in my purse during the big two week vacation and like every family member I saw, every friend I saw, I was like, my gosh, I brought this for you. And they were like, you brought this across the ocean?
Like, yes, it's that important to me that you rep the podcast. And meanwhile, I brought an envelope full of them to Chicago that time, a couple of weekends ago. And then as I walked through each bookstore, I started to have guilt about like, are they going to catch me on camera and they're going to think that I'm doing something bad? So then I just didn't stick a bookmark. I think of myself as the biggest goody goody of this group, but that is maybe the most goody goody thing you've ever said.
Yeah, no, I have no, I don't care. I'm like, what's the worst thing they're gonna do? Recycle it? Like, I don't care, it's fine. What I... tuck them into the books. I don't let them stick out. I wasn't going to, but I just figured I would still be on camera doing something shady and then I would get in trouble with airport security. It just seemed... fine. That's fine. stop providing utility to people by adding bookmarks to the books. It's totally fine.
I think what I'm going to do is so to get into the catch up this coming Friday, I will be done teaching. And I think that we should definitely bring bookmarks to my re -retirement party and leave them everywhere we go. Because the seaport is some place that's a place we have not hit up yet in terms of leaving things.
can put me in charge of that and also there is a Porter Square books location in the seaport Correct they have a second very small location I went to a book event there like a few years ago few years ago? I'm just finding out about it now? Yes, it's near, you know where Streka is? So if you keep walking straight back, it's in that next block. my lord. Okay, so one of the shop owners, it was actually Gus and Ruby's, which you guys know and love that place.
Shout out to stationery stores, my second favorite kind of store below books. The woman, the person that was working, I don't want to say woman because I just gendered her and I'm not, I'm not totally sure, but. book, working at Best Buy, I talked to this person before the event was there, I think they're a teacher. Actually, like I heard him talking about it, I don't know if you've ever heard of him there?
And they were saying, we too... coffee shops and basically like any place that has a bulletin board, we should just push pin some up. So like, you know how there's like piano lessons and babysitting and lawn mowing and like take one, you know? And then I'm just, there's a question, so I frankly shouldn't do that. So, I don't know, if you're looking for someone to do this week's stuff, find a small and simple word, and just chat them up.
It will bring joy, I don't think it brings me such joy to give people the work, because no, it's like, no thanks, because it's like, actually useful. Super useful, I think, it's a little shout out to - our designer Jacqueline because they're gorge. like, I don't know. I'm going to the classes after this one. I'm going to the classes after this one. this one. I'm going to the classes this one. I'm after this one. I'm going to this one.
I'm I'm going to hopefully when you meet these people, they think you're classy. We are talking about. This summer will be different, which is Carly Fortune's third book. We've all read all three of her books. This one just came out in the last month. She's. didn't think you were going to add the summer part. I think she has nailed the summer beach pool whatever read. am fresh off of three days in Vermont. Two of my Wheaton College besties live up there now.
So Scout and I got in the car and we drove up there on a Friday afternoon. It was actually beautiful weather. I love what like a sunny summer road trip. There's just something about like windows down, music cranking, like ice cold bev in your hand. I don't know. It's just like great. I totally had that going on this weekend as well. It felt really nice. mine was peach and apple in case anybody was wondering. We had such a good time.
So it used to be in my bestie group of college girls that there are a bunch of us who lived in Boston and the other girls lived in New York. And we've now been redistributed. So I'm the lone wolf here in Boston. There's two girls in Connecticut and two in Vermont. So the tides have turned and I'm now doing a lot of driving these days. But it was great. And I've been up to Burlington now a couple of times and. We just had such a fun outing on Saturday.
We went out to lunch at this awesome vegetarian place called the Daily Planet. They made a blueberry lavender lemonade. That was just insane. And I took two sips and I turned to my friend Helen and I was like, this needs to be a frozen popsicle, like immediately. So hopefully I can try to recreate that. We did a bunch of shopping. I'm now the proud owner of a green sweatshirt that says Vermont State of Mind.
gonna replace my Lakewood and Basaki sweatshirt that is quite literally hanging by a thread. need to pause for one moment. I know that Steph is with me on this, but I probably have 35 sweatshirts. I'd say 25 of them are hoodie style. You're talking about just a single sweatshirt that has to be replaced right now? been clinging to the Lake Winnipesaukee sweatshirt because of its like... like out with the world all of a sudden?
I just felt like I didn't want to get rid of it because of like the emotional attachment. I got it with my cousins and like, I love it so much, but it's really falling apart. And so... Thought you were saying like you couldn't possibly have one more sweatshirt without getting rid of one and I was like, whoa.
Whoa. Whoa Okay, okay, okay I got confused for a second and I was like Molly I just was like, this is such a fun, happy memory now of like getting this Vermont sweatshirt and I'm like having such a wonderful time. I feel like now I'm ready to release the Wendell Basaki sweatshirt. So I'll do that sweatshirt in my closet. And then we just had a bunch of other delicious food outings and my first ever maple creamy. It's chef's kiss every time.
So I first was like, I said, Helen, what is the difference between this and like classic soft serve? I just don't get it. Is it just that it's like maple tasting? No, the reason they call it a creamy is because the milk fat percentage is higher than traditional soft serve. So not only do you get the maple flavor if that's the one you choose, but you can also get creamy vanilla, creamy chocolate, creamy raspberry. Anyway, I went for the maple because that's like the quintessential thing.
I'm such a die -hard chocolate person. I was like, I bet I'm not gonna like this. I took one lick of that ice cream cone and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. Like it was unbelievable. And then this morning I had a maple frosted donut, equally delightful. I just really dig the food in Vermont.
happy for you that well and I know that I know that your friends brought these for you so that they they had you in mind but most of the times when I come across a maple donut it has and have them eat them. Like, when they can't have them. So I'm very glad that we were able to experience that sans bacon because, for instance, my favorite part of the chop is the square dumplings. Out of all the dumplings that I've had, that's still the favorite place that I've gone to.
And although I couldn't have a favorite dumpling, that place is still the best. Can you say something for me? I like can't say a lot. but I think Union Square, I've only had Canes once, I think is part of the problem. So I've had like a really epic Funfetti donut from Canes that was like up there as a donut, but I don't know that I can like say with certainty that Canes is up there because I just haven't experienced enough of it. I've probably had Union Square donuts. I mean not many times.
But I do have that in more pretty pretty ways. And it used to be seasonal and you could fold up the trunks. that now you can get it all the time, which is really nice for me when I want a donut. Blackbird Donuts doesn't do it for me. I hope they don't listen to this, but they don't. They just don't. And there's like more locations of them now. And I'm like, what, people love this. I don't get it. But I will say during Boston Calling, of the video, you.
Somebody who brought me to the front, you should call the pregame front. Somebody brought donuts from Blackbird and they have a new one that is in everything bagel donut. So it is a sweet and savory situation where they cut the bait, the, I'm sorry, they cut the donut in half and put actual whipped cream cheese in the middle. And it is, I can't even totally describe it because it's like, would be willing to taste this because I love everything bagel as a seasoning.
Shout out to the Trader Joe's everything bagel seasoning supreme. actually, why not? Because it's a second season, it's Christmastime, why not? Because it's now here at Watertown. And I just think... glazed one that was like really excellent. I think the thing with donuts is... the Vietnamese coffee one from Union Square Donuts in my personal opinion. I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm like pretty into donuts. I'm pretty into donuts. We might have to have a donut off.
we might have to do an on air head to head tasting of these donuts. Okay, I'll represent. never been there. I've only had canes that people have brought to like something. used when I worked downtown, I could walk to that one, but I would drive up to Rovia to get some. sounds like a fun thing that we should probably do. think we should do this. Steph can represent Team Keynes, I'll represent Team Blackbird, and you can be Team Union Square. We each bring like a smorgasbord. My favorite location.
Yeah, my favorite one, my favorite Union Square Donuts location is the one in Brookline because it's like small and like it's, I don't want to say no for alls, but like it's great in there. And then they also have a stall on Timeout Market now. Yeah. expanded in a great way. I will also say the Union Square Donuts founder, Josh, is an epic person. I've had the pleasure of meeting him back from my food blogging days.
And he was a co -host of an event that Union Square did with the Boston Wine School. And it was pairings of wine and donuts. I went with my friend, Alyssa. It was so awesome. you didn't invite me. Do you remember me like sending you a scathing text and I was like what the hell Molly? I apologize that you did not come with me. that was so fun. it still exist, that event? I'm sure that they're doing other events like that, if not with Boston Wine School, with other partners like that.
They're always doing creative tasting, things like that. So if I see it again, I will be sure that you are my first call. Thank you. Steph, what have you been up to while I was in the Green Mountain State? squat. yesterday I found out that my favorite, I mean, I love scout, but Skylar is my favorite dog. You just insulted Nemo in like an absolutely major way. Nemo's like mine. Yeah, no, sorry. I mean, favorite neighborhood dog. And I found... superlatives for each of the dogs.
I found out that she was home alone and so I went over and hung out in the backyard with her and read for a while. I've just been reading, cooking, using my herbs from the front porch. I really, maybe I've been doing stuff. I honestly couldn't tell you. If you asked me what I did on Friday, crickets. I literally don't remember what I did on Friday. Anyway, it's not important. Now I'm just looking at donut websites. So I had to do a pivot.
I was supposed to go to Portland for a couple of days with two of my good friends from college. And one of them, just has like a lot has like a puppy and a dad that hasn't been well and a renovation in her house and a renovation at our summer house. And it quickly became like Portland's not going to work. So one of the friends lives in Rye, New Hampshire, which is the town next to Portsmouth. And we pivoted to hanging out at her house instead, which is fabulous because I love Portsmouth.
I love the shopping. I love the food. I love the vibes. I was telling Steph from. you know, staff was part of the people that entered into the house and the resource and at the start of the week, we had a third house in Fort Smith. It had like three cool houses, cool wood, it was like... like, and Elise was like, I always feel like such a poser when I like buy a Roxy sundress. I was like, don't. I was like, I love this stuff. I've never even touched a surfboard. Who cares?
surfboard adjacent though, so it's fine. You're friends with the surfer. sure. Okay. I mean, does that even count? And you haven't even gone recently, or if you have, you didn't tell me.
way that Elise said she feels like a poser about the clothes, that's how I feel when Steph and I get in line at the burrito place that's next to the surf shop and people who have been like out on their board for hours are coming into Kenneburrito to refuel and I'm like, I'll have the huge veggie burrito with all the sides from literally just driving there. That's like the exertion. So news flash, I don't know if you know this, but Cinnamon Rainbows is not in that location anymore. They moved.
So they moved and they're not next to the burrito shop anymore. not even sure if secret spots still exist. I have no idea. I don't know either. I feel like we drove near there. Yeah, I don't think it is. But we did drive past Jenis Beach, I waved at it for you. And Summer Fridays are just about the most glorious thing to ever come into existence. So Elise had herself a Summer Friday, I did too, because it was field day.
And since I'm part time, I'm not required to like... hosting a concert or whatever. So, I boogied my way up to the court today. After having heard about the front door, it was not accepted. I boogied up there and, you know, there's like no traffic. I was like, o 'clock on Friday morning. I got up there. She was like, do you want to go to the beach plum for lunch? I was like, yeah, I do. So we went to the beach plum. Have you guys been there? Sure have.
Yes, it's where we got the milkshakes on the way out of town. You know it. and lots of options there. But they have everything from lobster bisque, to like, I had a toasted crab meat sandwich, like every kind of seafood, anything that you could possibly imagine. And then they also have like 50 flavors of ice cream. You usually, you usually are in line and waiting for food for a substantial amount of time. If it's the weekend. And also there's some aggressive work and analysis up there.
It just gets me nuts though. And we were... two of like eight people there because we went at like 145 on a Friday and there was like nobody there and it was glorious. And we just had like this, you know, I had a black raspberry frap. I ate my crab meat sandwich. remember in my case, this is how I got to be. She was like, this is great. And so. we, hung out on her deck and we were drinking Rose and I was like, waiting to find out if I bought a house, which I didn't.
And then we went out to dinner and we went downtown to this bar that she has been trying to get us to go to like for years because.
before all these years we arrived on the other side of town when we were in college and after college so like I know this area really well and we'll be there soon at least but until like three years ago she had been looking for work and then we'd seen so we'll find you back to like basics here like if you're gonna be like you're gonna be spending time in the chat or in the head and you're just going to be like and And so she comes to me and is talking about this place called the Gathlete,
which is just a hilarious name. a bar. now because of the way the batteries are used. So it's basically like three stories. So basically, from what I've heard, it's about... kind of a sketchy like pizza joint. The main floor is a restaurant and then the top floor is a club at night. And I think it's only a club Thursday through Sunday maybe. And they have the largest outdoor bar area like out of any Portsmouth bar downtown.
And they have the security and quality of your pieces, and the greatness and the variety of art that they have. And I heard... And it was just like, the people watching at this place is all me. so good. Can we please go to the bar and just like, I'm sorry to say, make fun of people. and I was like, let's do it. So we went and unbeknownst to us, there was a nineties cover band. They were so good. We were like, they did not look like they were gonna accept.
It was four kids, one of them had high school and we were like, this is it. They were all so good. All four of them were in rum and diet clothes, which one of us was going to be for something on the diet clothes. I can't even look. We didn't know what to think. These four guys roll up. They ordered the diet clothes with mom. Three of them take their drinks. The fourth guy. troughs it and slams the plastic cup on the floor. They then proceed to walk me into the stage area and open the door.
my god, this is the band. The guy that slammed the wrong guy was the drummer. He was once the head of the band. I was rolling up the floor. He was vigorous. Then a couple of years later, he got married so fast. with no guests. It was like the bride and the groom. They were pretty drunk. It was only 930 at night. they got to the bar and all of a sudden this guy came up and started playing. wedding dress. And I was like, there's a chance. They're ordering Tom Collins's at the bar. Nuff said.
They get their drinks. And this other couple to the right of me says, we'd like to pay for that couple's drinks that just got married. And they were like, do you know them? Like, can we tell them your names? And they were like, no, we don't know them. We just want to pay for their drinks. I was like, I was swimming. I need to drink some more tea right now. So I was like, I was like, they don't have any beer. So I was like, these people really was carrying too many little gift bags around.
They had no friends with them. So they didn't drink at the workhouse tonight. And now it's like, getting all the bars and stuff and people are buying them drinks. Or more people are having a drink. that they were like, let's just leave? What do you think? I don't know. I don't know what this place is trying to cause. Like, I don't know what's going on at all. But they were there by themselves at 930 on a Friday night in June in court sitting in the answer at the gas station.
So we were wildly entertained the whole time that we were there. We left before it started getting messy, but like. saw some people that were getting tired and exhausted, and we saw some people that were trying to get out going to give this up. And it was just blast. We just had a great time. I truly felt that it was good. What do you say to that? A million dollar cowboy bar last July. I charged a cover. Yeah, I did. I feel like no one had cash. We must have been using a card.
I feel like someone probably paid the cover for all of us. Do you think someone did that? Did I do that? Okay, well now, okay now that you say that, we need to remember to have cash. One of us. get there by a certain time, because Liv and I walked in one time and it was early enough that there wasn't a cover. It's probably like after eight o 'clock or something. might be a hallucination, but I feel like they also maybe have an ATM inside. We'll see. We'll fact check it when we get there again.
Yeah. So anyways, we had a glorious time and then I went to my friends, Mike and Karen had a like farewell to their house party. I think they've lived there 11 years in Southie and they have this absolutely glorious roof deck. And since I was in New Hampshire, did I buy sparklers? Yes, I did. So I brought sparklers and we did like a little farewell toast to. our house in South Korea, which has a lot of good memories.
And... sad about it, but they're also excited because they're like quadrupling their square footage. So it's in the end, it's great, but like they're also moving to the burbs. It's just like a lot of change. also like who wants to be like 40s and 50s and Southie surrounded by like 22 year olds. so they live in a condo that has three other condos and everybody is their age or older. So I think that's been like the secret to their success for being able to stay as long as they did.
But I will say like the last couple of years of St. Patrick's Day parades, they've just been like, I mean, you can like literally sit in their house and look out the window at people like peeing in their driveway. Like it's bad. So. it was fun. It was fun, but still, it was really cool. Yeah, it was fun at the same time. So I'm excited. I will say I felt like the weather this weekend really moved me into the summer state of mind.
Obviously, I was away the previous two weeks, so I didn't get to feel all the 80 degree days that you guys had. But I just was like, yeah, summer is here. I'm feeling it. I'm feeling it too. And now we're going to talk about a summary book. Okay, so this summer will be different. Carly Fortune's third book, she is a Canadian author. We've talked about her before because we do love her books.
And when we started the podcast in November, she was one of the few authors that all three of us had already read both of her books. So we were like, she's a front runner for an early episode because you know, the comments are not very good at all. to have read the book for us to be able to talk about it. So she was one of our earlier episodes. And when this book was coming out, think it was the book boyfriend episode wasn't it? sure. I don't know.
you had every summer after as a book, am I making this up? Am I misremembering? Isn't that how we mentioned her? not misremembering, you're combining, I think, we spoke about Every Summer After and Love in Other Words in the same episode. And Caitlin did talk about Love in Other Words as one of her favorite book boyfriend characters. I'm remembering now, continue. Yeah, because what's his name with the crazy Greek last name in the dentist?
Dad is like the one of the best book boyfriends of all time. What's his name? His last name, something like Stephanopoulos, basically. Yeah, close enough, close enough. OK, anywho, so we're back at Carly Fortune again because we love her and every summer after was her first book, which we adored. And that's it, actually. We've played many all three on that. that her, her debut book is like the one to beat. I'm sorry, it's a drug. One of the drugs is an allergen control. I was gonna say E .Y.
So I was right. Yeah. right. It's my book boyfriend and stuff knows his name. So this summer will be different. All of her books take place in Canada, but this is the first one that takes place in Prince Edward Island. And this is like, it's sort of a second chance romance. And I say sort of because the way that this book rolls out. we've got two female puppies, Lucy and Bridget, and they... super close, like in their early 20s, and then they become roommates.
And Bridget is from Prince Edward Island originally, so she's like... You know, one of those kids that like would have a bumper sticker that's like your vacation is my hometown or what? You know what I mean? She's like one of those and she has a lot of pride about it. And she comes from like a great family and they've got a cool, funky house. And she has this brother that everybody calls Wolf, but his real name is Felix. And she takes Lucy home to Prince Edward Island.
the first five pages of the book, and there's all the love for example, they're talking about Whiskers, Monster Box, they're talking about seafood, and the peach, and just like the culture there, people, and it sounds like a more old -fashioned approach to God pretty much. And I didn't really know what to talk about for the second half, but I just said it. before. And so this was like a fun book to like immerse yourself in, like when you're reading it and it's like.
You know, it's always fun when you're like, I'm jealous of this best friendship and whatnot, what have you. And basically within the first five pages, Lucy finds herself an oyster shucking, you know, book boyfriend, basically, who she like has a one night stand with. And, you know, within a day finds out that this is her best friend's brother and that she's really like goofed up. because her best friend Bridget has made a rule about. you're not to talk with my brother.
And I don't think this has given anything away, but Bridget has established this rule because of something that's already happened. And so she was like, yeah, we're great brothers, but, like, stay away from him. And so... that's kind of the seed that gets planted at the beginning of the book. And the reason that I say I hesitate to call it a second chance romance is because it's like, they never date.
They have this one night stand that really sparked something and then they're both hands off from each other for years because they both care so much about Bridget that they're like, we're not going to chance this. This could really goof a lot of things up and it's just not worth it. Then slowly we get the like, well, is it maybe worth it? I don't know. no. So that's kind of like third and second chance. But it's hard to call it a second chance because they don't actually make it.
It's not like the best would work out. It's like, in every trip I make, I wouldn't have if you had known what it was from the go. So that's my thought for this. One of my ways of dealing with stress is that I plan vacations that I'm not necessarily going to take. It's just like a mental escape. And I went online and immediately looked at flights to PEI because Nova Scotia and PEI is where my relatives emigrated to from Scotland. My great great grandmother did. And so.
My grandmother used to go up there all the time for vacations and I have heard about it as a sort of like magical place for so long and it's not a far place from Boston and yet I've never been. So maybe I need to add this to the list because it just sounded so lovely and magical. Also, I've never heard of vino verde but apparently I need to start drinking that. Have I? Green wine? Have I had it? I'm sure that we've had it in restaurants. I discovered it when I was studying abroad in Spain.
It's very popular Spain and Portugal for sure. For sure you've had it before. well I've definitely never had it with oysters and also do I also need to start drinking ryan peanuts which sounds horrible to me except in the interview that Carly did god why can't I think of what podcast what podcast was she on? I want to sign it. Okay, maybe it was. It sounds like you need to experience this. So I crumbly peed on it. I was just like, I don't know. I was on a plane ticket.
Maybe you're just sitting there. in your like sweater and shorts on the beach in PEI, that's like part of the whole scene. not interested at all. Okay, when he was producing the fish, there was a lot of this stuff. This house was so good. And I mean that in a different way. The way he just went into the snow or was really into the cute little trucks at the house. They take out all these complaints, but it's really bad.
beach But it's a bit too chilly the description of drinking rye and eating peanuts There's so many descriptions of this oyster shocking contest which for me as someone who doesn't eat oysters. I was like, okay, I get it but her her specificity, one makes it so. like, who we are, and I don't know. bit biased because we know the Cape so well and we know that idea of the summer ritual and the getaway place and the joy of being back at the beach.
It does feel so reminiscent of the New England summer. And even when they talk about going in the off season for Thanksgiving or the dead of winter, I was like, I can picture, even though I've never been. to Prince Edward Island, I can picture it. And I put a little sticky in this book on something that she says in the acknowledgement. So it's just, there's a big debate about whether or not it should be on PEI or in PEI, which is like, people say down the Cape, on the Cape.
I don't say in the Cape. Right. So I was like, this also feels highly relatable because that is just an ongoing. debate about the students, so that's the correct way to say it. I also have to say to me, of all the students, this was actually the most, like, this, canvassing, was bloody, but it's spicier. I'm not sure how you would say it. far and away. I mean, you're not in it. How long? I mean, most of you really thought that was the most gross. So it's like, I've arrived.
Felix. Like I get it now because these gals asked me last week when I had just started this, if I had fallen in love with Felix yet. And I was on page like 48 and I was like, no. And then I got to that bathroom scene and I was like, I'm here for it. yeah, he yeah, he's a he's a good one. And I just feel like she did some really good character building with Felix. Well, with all the characters, but I felt like he was passionate about Yuna and what he was about Yuna. That he was like for real.
There wasn't going to be a moment where he like flaked. Like it was, and like if she had done that, everything would really? Like, are you kidding me? You had to ruin him with this like whatever twist that you had to do. And that just did not happen, which I was really glad about. I saw. on Instagram, but I don't know like, under what circumstances, but Carly Fortune and her best friend went on a trip to Prince Edward Island when the book came out.
She talks about it in the podcast with Kate Kennedy which also maybe that's when I was first before having read this I was like do I need to add this to my list of places to go? two other things I wanted to call out about the story. The first one is at some point, Lucy and Felix start corresponding by mail. I'm not going to say anything more than that because I don't want to ruin anything. Snail mail is my love language.
And I was like, I would fall apart if somebody did this to me, like in a good way. I would be so moved to be like receiving this kind of I also want to say that even if there's not enough attention, that tends to give away attention to everything else. In this story, there is a big tension between the person and the person. And for real, after 80 % of the plot, you do not know what it is. Okay. Stephanie's about to say she knew what it was going to be, but. I never figured it out.
were context clues. Okay, but I - think with this kind of book, I'm not as close of a reader as I am with like books that are like literary fiction as opposed to like romcoms or romances or whatever you want to call this genre. Even though Carly Fortune is in the literary fiction section of bookstores usually. I kind of like I kind of like drift a little bit. Yeah, because I don't want it to I'm it's not the kind of book where I'm trying to figure it out.
Whereas if like I know a book's a mystery, I'm like, okay, I am looking for clues. just felt like it kept you all the way in because at least for me Steph apparently knew what it was but I was like what is it that she is refusing to tell her? Why is she sort of dancing around this and unwilling to say what it is that's bothering her and It's driving the wedge between them even more than it needs to be because she just keeps almost telling her and then not telling her.
And I wasn't even sure if we would get a resolution. I just didn't kind of know where it was going. And I will say there's a point in the romance between Lucy and Felix where it seems like everything's going to tie up with the bow. And I am no dumb dumb. There were still like 65 pages left in this book. And I was like, something bad is going I say though that having figured it out, it didn't ruin it for me because I was still like along the ride of like, they're both keeping secrets.
Both of them eventually have to tell and even if I knew what it was, it didn't deter. the buildup of tension, I also just remembered, I didn't know. I don't wanna give stuff away about the relationship between the heart and the soul. I don't know, there's so many things about it. relationships that are not with your actual parents, but it feels as close as a parent that just gets me more somehow than an actual parent.
either of you think that Lucy's parents were dead at the beginning of the book because of the way she talked about her relationship with her aunt? I thought I forget at what point. I think Bridget at some point says something like, yeah, we were parents, we had to care about it. We did. I was really shocked. And I was like, I was just, hold on. she's not in a couple? Because being raised on the island is kind of a bad luck. And then I was like, I miss them, too.
And it's just not revealed until then. She has 20 parents. Yeah. It seemed like, I would probably just. in her life. And then when the parents appeared later on, I was like, huh, okay. It's not that it didn't work. I was just like, okay, I guess this is also part of what's going on. And then there's a bit around. losing the coolness of the earth, which is obviously a bit crazy, so I'm going to go ahead and say hello to you. Okay? So I don't know.
There were bits certainly that I felt like was this a bigger part of the story before. And it got trimmed in the editing process, especially as it related to Lucy's parents. But I thought the relationship between Lucy and Bridget and Lucy and Felix were both so strong and really just like kept me reeled in. And it is such a fun read during the summer just because of the setting and. this group, or as a whole group of people who are trying to make a difference in the world.
I think if anyone comes to me and asks for a summer recommendation, I think this would probably be my current number one. It's a great book. Yeah. After. Yeah, obviously. That's still our numero uno. Well, I mean, I would say read both of them. If you're going on vacation, pack both. true. can we ask people on Instagram, I'm saying this out loud to Molly, because I'll forget to ask her later.
Can we put on the gram that we want suggestions of books that take place during the summer because we are going on vacation together. And I would love to have some books packed that take place during the summer. I mean, if they take place in Wyoming, I mean, that's like a bonus, but mean, I think we're probably someone's going to bring Swift and Saddled and we'll just pass that around because that'll be like. Yeah. So you have homework. story, funny story.
I was telling Elise when we were at the gaslight about our trip to Wyoming and she was like, man. She's like, she was like, are you guys going to read some like saucy Westerns before you go? And I was like, please hold. And I pulled up Dun and Dusted, like the cover on my phone and she goes, wait. this is probably true right now because like I've been saying this like the last few years, there's already a second one. And she was like, I just want something and steal whatever I want.
was like, no, we've advanced Elise. Like we're, it's more, I mean, it's still a little on the smutty side, but like we were, we have new things to pick from where people actually have cell phones and stuff. So good. And yes, I already own Swift and Saddles. I haven't read it yet because we've been passing around books that we knew we wanted to. okay. So like, let's put it on the gram that we need some suggestions of books that take place in the summer.
I will tell you right now, there are two things that made me a summer book girlie. One was at a very young age. One was in the last 10 years. The first one is Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. Incredible. I think I don't, I might have been in high school when I read it. but I just remember being like, this is totally Cape Cod coded. Like this is going to be me one day. Like I'm going to meet these boys at a carousel and it's like going to be a whole thing.
And like, you know, whatever it, that never happened to me. But, but just like, that book was so good. I should reread it. I'm just going to do it again. And then I also remember my mom reading it. And then and I had read it first. And I was still at that age where I was like, we don't talk about sex. Like we're not. This is not a topic that we like to bring up. And so she knew I had read it and I was like, my God, please don't ask to talk to me about this book.
And I just remember her being like that Judy Blume got real saucy after fudge mania. And I was like, yep. And so. was the first one. And then the second one was The Summer of True Pretty. And even though, I'm sorry, I'm gonna pause. Even though the books are definitely not the most beautifully written books I've ever seen in my life, they definitely fulfill a certain, like...
As some people have, maybe they're... long -term crush on a co -camp counselor, I can say that feeling of... summer being like when I felt alive, like, I totally understand that feeling. And there were definitely people in my life that I knew like, on a daily basis for eight weeks straight, and we would hang we would I mean, I would like blow my high school friends off because I'd be like, it's camp time, I have to be with my camp people, and I will get back to you when camp is over.
And everyone felt that way. And it was just this like, I can't even describe it. I've never experienced anything like it. I was talking to a girl that is from my camp life. She is 38. I'm 39. We worked together from when we were like 18 to 28. And she was talking about how there are some things that she's like, I just have to text a summer friend friend because like nobody else will understand what it is that I'm talking about. And it's really something very easy to talk about.
So you know, it's not something that's like only some of them. them are updated. It can be like a lot of different things, but it was just like a time and a place. And I just feel like every time Summer Sisters and The Summer I Turn Pretty, I'm just like chasing that high all the time with books. And I'm also very strict about, I won't read a summer book in the winter. And some people are like, I like the escape. And especially if I'm going on a tropical vacation or whatever.
And I'm like, it has to be timely. It has to like, put me in the mood, you know, like, and I'm not going to watch the summer. I turned pretty in January. Like, I'm just not going to do that's torture. Why would I do that to myself? That is straight up torture. That is me pining for something that is not possible at that point in the year. so that's one, that's my summer. can't think of them when I'm put on the spot. I'll think of it later.
Yeah, we'll put up the question box and we'll see what folks say. And then I'm sure that that'll spark more of our past fans and we can share with everybody what gets submitted and then both the stuff that we resurfaced that we loved. terms of what we're reading now, I just put a bookmark in the seven -year slip. I have not started it yet, but some seven -year slip is my next read that I will be doing. all on me. All right.
So I recently reunited with a family that I babysat for in my late 20s, early 30s, and they were like in... intricate part of my life. Lucia, I think she was five or six months old when I started babysitting. She's now finishing her freshman year of high school and she lives a mile from me, we discovered. So yeah, way to make me feel old. I met up for coffee and a walk with her mom. that's what I did on Friday. It's all coming back. And we were talking at the end about books. one.
What Lucy did for lunch. into cozy mysteries or whatever, because she was obviously at school while this was happening. And her mom said that she had loved the smile series by Raina Telgemeier. Apologies if that is not how to pronounce it. So I went to Belmont Books first thing Saturday morning. Also shout out to the barista who told me I looked really cute in my overalls. Thank you. So this is a graphic novel. I only bought the book. I didn't have any on my person. Sorry. hear my eye roll.
I feel like we should just drop some off for the employees because they've been wonderful to us. Anyway, so this is a middle grade YA graphic novel based on the true story of Reyna's important years where it starts off, she is coming home from Girl Scouts, racing to her front door, trips and falls, and loses a front tooth. don't think you actually ever have talked about that on the pod. okay. Yeah, I mean, granted I knocked myself unconscious.
So I mean, like part of the memory is just all the after stuff. So I mean, this book, it takes place over the course of years where she is, she's dealing with a flipper, which was like the bane of my existence. Some people may or may not know that I lost it once, excuse me, twice on a dance floor in a club downtown. And one of my girlfriends dove into... the sea of people dancing to pick it up because flippers are not cheap.
And then since I was in the middle of the dance floor, I just dunked it. This is so inappropriate. Dunked it in my booze because doesn't alcohol get rid of germs? Anyways, I don't know why I'm telling you. want to puke in my mouth thinking about this story and I've already heard it before and I was not there and if I had been there I would have left immediately. just felt like my story. But if it happened in the form of it, then I would cry myself to the ground.
And she's like, first we try to hold so that... If I can't do it right, I'm not going to try to do it right. So, I can't do it right. So, I can't do it right. So, I it right. So, I it right. So, it right. So, So, I can the beginning, the orthodontist decides to try to hold out the truth that the audience will hear from and instead of her introducing a car leak out here, she went to the doctor, who had an earring, and broke it and tied it up in her flippers.
And it's a difficult to process just for her to get the spine back in her confidence, but it's more than that. It's about confidence and being brave and not just really afraid and finding new friends, and passion, and being able to... Also, it takes place in our childhood years. So there's no cell phones or none of social media or any of that stuff. I loved it. I read it in like two hours. I'm going to give it to Caitlin. You can either stick it in your library or have it at the dental office.
I don't know. It was a lovely story. I don't know that I need to read the next one, although I don't know what the next one is about. It could just be a different part of her life. But yeah, it was a good read. kind of love the idea of it at the dental office. And that's it. all the illustrations herself. The whole thing is her. God. If she's like this dentist tortured me and like, it was a horrible experience. Yeah. Okay. That's fair.
there's like an endodontist, an orthodontist, a dent, multiple dentists. It's like, you know, the whole process. If anyone ever wants to talk about dental work and what it's like to lose teeth dramatically, I'm here to talk about it. And I'm noticing now that I'm looking at it and won the Will Eisner Award, which is. you should read the Goodreads reviews. Like the top one was like, I've read this book 10 times and love it. know that there was a Will Eisner award.
And if people don't know Will Eisner, he was like the head honcho at Disney for eight million years. And I now want to look up what other books have won that award. I'm fascinated. Maybe it has to do with visuals. Maybe it has to be a graphic novel. I don't know. I don't know the criteria for it. I've never heard of the award before.
if you want to follow along with everything that we're reading and considering reading, and if you want to shout out some of the summer books that you've absolutely loved, please follow us on Instagram. We are at Plans Are Booked. If you have suggestions for books you'd like us to cover in the future, we always want to hear from you. You can write to us at plansarebooked at gmail .com. And until next time, our plans are booked.