this episode went completely off the rails (and the books we read in 2025 are to blame) - talk lit, get lit: merry ever after by tessa bailey

it’s time to say merry christmas, happy new year and wrap up the podcast year that was 2025! this means it’s also time for a few beverages, a little singing and an intense and critical analysis of the highs and lows of our podcast for the year gone by. we’ll discuss our favourite and least favourite episodes, rank our podcast books and circle back and check in on our 2025 goals and aspirations, ins and outs. it’s not all serious though, we play a few exhilarating and inventive party games (quote bingo!!!), discuss an extra special Christmas novella (tessa bailey, we’re looking at you) and sing the intro to rudolph the red nosed reindeer at least seventeen times (all in the name of science). pour yourself an ice cold baileys and get that present wrapping out of the way as we celebrate the holidays the only way we know how. 

books discussed: atomic habits, the spanish love deception, the housemaid, bridget jones’s diary, yellowface, magnolia parks, babel, credence, eat pray love, interview with the vampire, looking for alaska, the favourites.

 synopsis music by u_fqkekalnfb

choose our next podcast read by going here and voting in the first week of each month!

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join talk lit, get hit podcast for deep dives into the hottest BookTok recommendations, trending contemporary fiction, and literary favourites! each episode features book discussions, spoiler-filled chats, and thoughtful literary analysis of novels everyone is talking about - from viral romance and fantasy to modern classics. whether you’re looking for BookTok book reviews, author interviews, or a virtual book club experience, out podcast is your go-to space for readers who love stories and want to explore them in depth.

talk lit, get hit are reading and recording on Giabal, Jagera, Jarowair & Turrbal lands. we acknowledge the cultural diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and pay respect to Elders past, present and future. always was, always will be.  

Transcript

Laura 0:00

I can't change if I can try. Even if I wanted to. Hello and welcome to a Talk Lit Get Hit bonus chapter. The little book chats in between the big ones. We'll talk about reading, authors, and have discussions with people who, like us, can't shut up about books. We might get sidetracked and talk about literally anything else, but this is a bonus chapter we wrote just for you. Welcome to the very last episode of Talk Lit Get Hit for 2025. This episode we are channeling all the cringe and chaos of a corporate Christmas party, complete with a year in review, icebreaker activities, and a few prompts to get us circling back and taking a deep dive on the highs and lows of the reading year that was 2025. Of course, no Christmas party is complete without a couple of alcoholic beverages and a little bit of bad behaviour. So you may find a little more glass clinking and a little less focus in this episode than others. But without further ado, for the third time ever, welcome to Talk Lit Get Lit. Ba-ba-bow! Is it time to bring back? Yeah, it feels right. It feels so right. Oh, welcome to Talk Lit Get Lit. I'm so excited. The first item on our agenda is to discuss our year in review. Every year that goes by, we aim to become a bigger and better podcast. This means reviewing our key performance indicators, stacking up the lits against the shits, opportunities for reflection and growth, and the chance to assess the caliber of the people and places in the books we discussed. I feel like a fun but confusing high point of last year's episode was trying to rank our podcast books from most shit to most lit. So least favorite to favorite for the uninitiated. It's pretty complex. Like try to keep up. I don't know if everybody will get it, but and you know what? It was confusing, but the final product ended up being way less confusing than what it was when we were recording it. It took so long. It was painful. So we're hoping this year we're adequately prepared. We know what we're doing, and we'll be able to do this quickly and with as painlessly as possible. And you know what? That sentence made total sense. Yeah, you know what I mean. Moving on. Would you like to kick us off, Bridget, with your least favorite podcast book? Yeah, and is anybody surprised by this? My least favorite podcast book is Credence by Penelope Douglas. Is it your least favorite book as well? Or are you gonna shock me? No, you know what? I'm sticking to my guns. My least favorite is the Spanish love deception. And I know it's wrong, but it feels so right. Does it? Hmm. Someone who likes brownies versus incest. You choose. I hate Disney adults. Okay, fair enough. Mine is credence. I don't know if I need to continue on. I mean, the episode was about two hours long. We've continuously shitted on it ever since it's come out. And I understand Spanish Love Deception is my number 11. So it was bad. And Credence is my number 11. And it was like splitting hairs. I mean, not for me, but like, yeah, should it have been maybe not, but I don't know. Okay, my number 10 was E Prey Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Are we gonna have the same or is yours different? It's different, but I feel like not too different. Okay, my number 10 is Magnolia Parks. Yep. My number nine is Eat Pre Love. My number nine is Magnolia Parks. Honestly, I just felt like I was just shooting into the dark assembling this list because there is a surprising amount of really bad books here. We talked about this earlier today. We were looking at the stack of books and we were like, what a grim, bleak, depressing year we've had. Not even like the quality of the books, even the covers of the books. All of them are just pretty bland, pretty boring. Hopefully, next year we get some more variety and colour and quality. Yeah, every genre should be books that hot cool girls read. Books that we won't be embarrassed to read in public. My number eight was Atomic Habits by James Clear. So was mine. Finally, we're on the same page. Nowhere near as offensive as the rest of them. It was a book that anybody could have written. If you want to start doing a habit, just do it. And then the next day, do it again. And if you keep doing the habit, then you will have done it. And then your wife will say, Congratulations, babe. And then you can go on to the next habit. That was the book. It could have been a blog post. Could have been an email. Anyway. Next one for me was The Housemaid by Frida McFadden. Is that her what name? McFadden. McMaddden. I never know. Fadden. Okay, I can't remember what I said, but it is funny because I'm pretty sure in the episode when you intro the book, you do say McMaddden. I do. And we didn't we didn't pick up on it at any point during the recording or editing process, ages after we realized. So is that her real name? I don't think so, so it doesn't really matter that we got it wrong. My number seven was The Housemaid as well. But this is where it started to get really unclear. I think this for me was nearing the end of the boring books, and then it was gonna get hard to pick the winner of the few good ones that we had. Yeah. My next one was Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. Anne Rice. I was gonna kick Claudia Schiffer. Claudia Schiffer, maybe, maybe Sting. I enjoyed the movie a lot, which I think made the read of the book way better for me. But it's way better than all these other books that we've mentioned. So I really enjoyed it. I really struggled with the choice between The Housemaid and Interview with a Vampire because as discussed, thought the writing in Interview with the Vampire was pretty good. Very boring though. Yeah. Interesting characters. Housemaid, bad writing, bad characters, bad plot. But interesting against all odds. So how to pick them apart? Not sure. Take a guess. In case you haven't listened to our last episode, Laura and I have recently discovered our penchant for speaking in caveman. What's that thing like? Why say? Yeah, why same many words? A few words. Do same. Yeah. Yeah. I mean say less. Boring book. Why read? Only for podcasts. My number five is The Favorites by Lane Beachley. What's her name? Lane Fargo. Lee Bartuco. Full disclosure, I did forget this book and I just added it in last minute, but I think this feels right. I think number five is good furthered our ice princess dreams. So number five feels good. How about you? I think it's gotta be right for you because it was number five for me. So same brain as always. My number four is Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. What a delight of a book. Was constantly surprised by how relatable this was because I did go into it thinking that it was gonna be really controversial, cancellable, and like it would have aged quite poorly. But I was glad to be wrong about that. I really enjoyed it. What's your number four? My number four is actually Yellow Face. And if I could skip ahead, I will tell you that my number three is Bridget Jones' diary. And I found it really hard to choose between the two. But my logic was that in Bridget Jones's diary, I was laughing. Yes. I might have even cried a little bit. And it just generally swept me off my feet. Like I didn't really root for any characters in Yellowface. And although it was great, I think just the joy of reading Bridget Jones's diary lifted it up a little bit higher. Yes. What about your number three? My number three is Yellowface. Probably for the same reasons. I hated whatever her name was. Compulsively readable book. Really, really good. My number two is Looking for Alaska, which is such a shock because I ri when we picked that, or like when it was put up on the voting, I was like, this is gonna be so shit. Can't wait to get another shit under the belt. Yeah, but no, what a lit this was. It's inspired me to get off my phone. So heartbreaking and so nostalgic and surprisingly, like once again, holds up in 2025. Obsessed. Ditto, all of that, love it same. Wow. It's also we are so boring. So interesting to listen to, guys. At least it's not all the same. Bridget and Laura agree all the time at everything. Um yeah, obviously, our number one is Babel. Yeah. Yeah. Should I be shocked? I don't know, but I'm not shocked by any of this. Tick, that was so much less painful than it was last year. Thank God. Practice makes perfect. Wow. Okay, the next item on our agenda is to discuss our favorite episode and least favorite episode. We also have chalked in a highly commended wildcard episode just like we did last year, and just like we discussed last year. Obviously, we know that our favourite episode isn't always our favourite book, and vice versa. Laura, what is your favorite episode that we did in 2025? Well, I genuinely feel like I could barely separate them in a positive way. Like it was like looking at a cupboard full of white t-shirts, and they're all the exact same t-shirt. Crisp. Yeah. Well laundered. Yes. Tailored exactly to my size. I feel like for so many of our episodes, when it came out, I would message you and be like, oh, what the hell? This episode is actually so good, despite having just listened to it. All that to say it was really hard to pick a favorite, Annalise favourite, which I think is a nice problem to have. I think my favorite would be Eat Pray Love. I think we just found such an unexpected hatred for this book. And I really get a sense of just the mania we were experiencing when recording this. It was mania, which is funny because like it's such an old book. I knew what to expect, but it was still crazy. Yeah, and I think at the time of recording, it didn't really feel like it was gonna be a very good episode as well. It was a hard recording day, things weren't maybe going right, or we just felt really tired and unfocused, and then you whipped it into shape, and there was just so many things that popped up in that episode where I was like, wow, I have no memory. Like the the bit that always gets me. I know is when you talk about like her husband, her once remembered husband's soul going to meet her at the ashram. And also, I shock myself every time at the sound of those screams. They're so harrowing. We have hands. Shut up. Uh, I love it. Many of our episodes make me laugh a lot, but that one catches me so by surprise every time I hear it. I agree, and I actually forgot about that bit. So we have hands.

Bridget 11:13

I can't stop. Elizabeth.

Laura 11:18

How about for you? Uh, I think this is a bit of a boring answer, but my favorite is Credence, and I think just because of the book, the stupid, stupid book. I love the accents that we do in that episode. I love everything in that episode. So it's long too, but it really flies by unlike the book. So yeah, Credence is my favorite. What about your least favorite episode? I found this really hard to choose, but I think maybe I would say Magnolia Parks. And it's not really anything against the episode, but it's more the fact that I know that once again we censored ourselves and held back saying something about the author. You took the words out of my mouth. We were scared of her. Let's put that on the record. I mean rightly so, I think. We're scared of Jessica Hastings. Yeah. Yes. Held back as we have done in previous episodes, only to have that author who our gut feeling was right about be embroiled in some kind of scandal that I think we could have quite justifiably spoken up about later down the track. Yes. So I I'm a little, I don't know, like disappointed seems like overstating things, but like I think we should have stuck to our guns. I thought we were a little bit beyond backing down. Yeah. But we were terrified of her. Yeah. Like we've seen patterns of her coming for people that have dared to say things about her, and we did not, our mental fortitude was not very strong. We did not have our defenses up and we were scared. So yeah, I would agree with you with that one. How about your least favorite? My least favorite episode is actually a bonus chapter episode. It was the anti-intellectualism episode. I think I've only listened to that maybe once because I really worry about it and I feel like we talked around in circles so much. And basically, I'm always worried that we're stupid. If we're being serious and we're being earnest, we're not being funny. I worry that people are gonna be like, oh, you think you have a brain? I mean, maybe if I listen to it again, I would like it, but at the moment the self-awareness is just too strong. I feel exactly the same. I considered picking that, but I didn't want to listen to it again to know if I was right. I didn't listen to it. Some of our listeners have said that's their favorite episode in our listener poll, which is really surprising to me. Because I felt concerned, same as you, that we were talking out of our ass. Yeah, I was like, who do we think we are? We're such snobs. Yeah. And like, what have we got to back ourselves up? Nothing. We're our own worst enemies. We are. What about your highly commended? What is your wild card episode of the year? Well, I don't know if it's a wild card as such, but I really loved the Bridget Jones' diary episode. And I would say I loved it for the book, but one of the other things I really enjoyed about that episode was reading out our old diary entries. And I think that episode somehow really served as a turning point in my own like personal self-reflection. And like not on a not on a huge pivotal level. I no longer hate myself. Let's go to the chocolate factory. Willy Wonka, here I come. Yepie. Um, but no, that was really nice. Can you can you back off? I'm trying to be real. Sorry. I am slightly concerned it's tainted, actually. Like other books we've done are Looking for Alaska and The Sun Ray Turned Pretty because now I feel like I'm like, they're just teenagers. I've been one too. I love teenagers, they can be never doing any wrong. Yeah. No matter what said. It was nice though. Yeah, it was nice. I listened to that the other day and I was like, God, why did I put all this in here? Why did I reveal my poetry? No, I loved it. It's like sometimes you black out and you come to and you're like, what am I talking about? Yeah. Why am I sharing this with everybody? Almost always. Done now. I remember Erin saying in a really early episode that I was like plumbing with the depths of your souls. You really are. Like you're every sometimes you say things and I'm like, you're so brave. Like I'm just yapping. I'm not even thinking about it. No, I love it. I think the first time it really, really shocked me, like to my core, was in our Twilight episode when you were like, I think what makes what I what I liked about this was like I want to feel special all the time. I want to be picked out. And I was like, yeah, like I feel like that too, but I would literally never say that. And so I think you're so brave. I love it. I just think the jigs up, like, I don't think I'm that mysterious in so many ways. And so it's like, I think it's easy for people to see that kind of like to read my desperation. So I just may as well wear it on my sleeve. What are we talking about? Um highly convinced. Yeah, yeah. What are your thoughts? I have two, and they're actually both of the interview with the vampire episodes. I really enjoyed those. I thought they were so fun, but I know that after we recorded them, I was like, I love these episodes. I can't wait to hear them. I love in the I just love your utter enchantment with Tom Cruise in the film. And when you're like, I did not realize Tom Cruise was cool like that. I really didn't. I'm watching so many edits on TikTok and I'm just like, oh my god. I like I'm like, we I know we should be above this. We really should not be celebrating him in this way, probably. This is what pisses me off though. Like, why does everything have to be ruined by like people's bad behaviour? Why can't we just be good people and then like I can enjoy things that I want to enjoy without feeling bad? Scientology. Knock it off. Not good. I think now it's time to circle back to some of the attainable, measurable goals that we set in Q1 of 2025. Uh, namely our 25 for 25 reading lists and our 2025 ins and outs. Now, we're only at the midpoint of November as this episode's recorded. So granted, there's time to change and grow. But I would love to know how your progress on your list of 25 books for 2025 is going, Bridget. It's not going well, I have to say. I have read 12 of them. I have DNF'd two of them. I guess I'm halfway, above halfway. Am I going to read them all? No. Am I going to read another one? Probably not. Maybe next year. There are four that I really loved on the list, and I was pleased about that. The first two were by RF Kwang, Babel and Yellowface. But I also want to shout out Blue Sisters by Coco Malores. I read Cleopatra and Frankenstein when it was, you know, the book on the internet, and I enjoyed it. It didn't blow me away, but this one blew me away. Each sister story really drew me in, and I thought it was so touching and sad. And I really, really liked it. I surprised myself with that one. So that was good. And my last one was Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, which is another one I've already raved on about on the podcast, but I was surprised to like a book by a man so much, especially a book about war. It was great. The two that I DNF'd were The Dream Hotel by Layla Lalamy. And I didn't realize this was like science fiction-y when I put it on the list. And I started to read it. I got it from the library. It was a little bit interesting. I put it down for like a week, and then I was like, actually, couldn't think of anything worse than continuing that book. So I took it back to the library and I felt good about that. The second book that I DNF'd was Tampa by Alyssa Nutting. And this was a thriller, a middle school teacher who was a pedophile, a woman. And I just didn't want to read about a teacher lusting after and grooming children. And so I didn't get very far through that one. And I'm sure it's a great book because I've heard many great things, but I was not interested. So I got rid of that one too. I have read that book, and I would say there's little joy to be found in it. I think there are definitely still books on that list that I want to read. Just not with any urgency. How about you? Well, hearing yours makes me feel better because I have read 11 of 25. I actually haven't DNF'd any of them, and some of the books on this list that I've read have been some of the best that I've read this year. So that would be ones like In the Dream House, Good Material, all fours. I mean, I wouldn't really say it's one of the best, but I did enjoy it. Tom Lake, Monstrilio, Intermezzo, Sunrise on the Reaping, Betty, Signs of Damage, and Babel. All great. There are some on here where I have no clue. Like no idea why I would have put them on here. Long Island Compromise. Okay. Read the blurb. Did I ever read the blurb? I think at some point, I know I was, scrambling to find books. Because I was like, oh, I've got like 19. It's weird, right? Because it's not like there's a shortage of books to read. No. I have Immaculate Conception by Lin Ling Huang, which I think we received it as an ARC. Yeah, I haven't touched it. And I liked Natural Beauty. I didn't love it. Why would I put this as one of the top books I want to read in 2025? I don't know. The ones that I have left are unfortunately big books that I think will be really rewarding, but ever so slightly challenging to me. And that's ones like Beloved by Tony Morrison. That's not long, but it is heavy. And I have started it a few times and thought, oh, I think I will like this, but not right now. Yes. And so I don't want to force it. Homegoing by Yagiasi, which again is not overly long, but I think like reasonably serious subject matter. Persuasion, A Fine Balance, Brideshead Revisited, A Hundred Years of Solitude, The God of Small Things. That's one of my favourite books ever, that one. I'm so desperate to read it. But it is long. And I'm so certain I will love it, but the font is tiny. Yes. And it is long. Yes. So these are not books that I'm disinterested in reading, but I may not get to them this year. Our next professional development activity is to review some of the sweeping assertions we made at the start of 2025. We were discussing our predicted 2025 ins and outs. Neither of us have much of a memory as to what was said at this point in time, but we're here to weigh in on whether those statements have held true. Do you feel hopeful? No. Do you I can't remember a single thing other than wind chimes? That's all I remember, too. Let's take it away. Let's start off. I think you're first. One of my first ones is that this year I really want to get out of the new release book cycle. Oh. It has me by the throat, and I can't stop only reading new books. That's so interesting. Okay. Okay, well, unfortunately, this one has aged like milk. It's only gotten worse from here. Um, it's really funny that uh in this episode I'm talking about like um putting all of the books I haven't read into a spreadsheet and whatnot because I literally just did that again the other day. And I may not have 300, but I do have close to 200, which is still an incredible amount. So many of these would be published like pre-2015. So, I mean, definitely like older back catalogue books. I don't really think I got off the new release cycle because pretty much all of the books I've read off my 2025 list were newer ones. I think unfortunately, I lean towards books that can be read conveniently. So that might be an audiobook or one that I can just scroll away at on my phone. I would really like to change that. So, you know, maybe that'll be a 2026 in, but unfortunately, this didn't really change much in 2025. Let's see what your first goal was. My first in for 2025 is also a reading-related one, and I want to start over-categorizing my books on Goodreads. Great news, everybody. I have been doing this. I have so many bookshelves now, and I don't know if I've really gone to them to see anything, like to make a video or anything, but I have been a bit slack making TikToks this year, so maybe that will change next year. Um, but I have been over-categorizing my books, and I'm very pleased about that because it's nice, I think, when you go to write a review as well. It's just like sort of dot points to remember what the hell the book was about. Wow, goal achieved. So happy for you. Let's keep these good vibes going. Let's go. My second one is financial literacy. Don't really need to expand on that apart from the fact that I have money and I don't know what I'm doing with it.

Bridget 24:19

Okay.

Laura 24:21

Look, two for two, also not going so well. It has improved. I will say that. So I have looked at things like what bank accounts I have. I've closed some, consolidated some. That's very exciting. Looked at like interest rates, that kind of stuff. Write about them. Yeah. I have a budget, which is more than I could have said at that point in time. I've done things like, you know, extra super contributions. Amazing. Attempting to pay off my hex debt. It's never gonna happen in this lifetime, I'm afraid. It's an ongoing process. I will say my husband keeps saying, 2026 is our lock-in year. It's when we get financial literacy. And it's it wounds me a little bit because I feel that I've come so far. Oh. I don't feel that I've come quite far enough to justify those feelings, but it is what it is. It's a hard thing to do. I would say, like, maybe that goal has been a quarter achieved. Well done. I've improved. Good job. Okay, let's see what my next one was. My second one is Margaret Qually. Because I was obsessed with that. Okay, yeah, I have not made any progress with this goal. Still watching The Maid on TikTok. I was watching it probably three days ago. Uh, still haven't seen anything else she's done. I don't know if I'm quite as enamoured with her as I seem to have been then. Like, where was this coming from? I don't know. Who knows? But whatever. I love that the maid is still on your algorithm. Uh the algorithm knows more than we give it credit for because I haven't watched that probably since this came out. And I was watching it the other day. So amazing. I just watched the bit where she's like standing on the pier with the lawyer, and she's like, Oh, I got in, but I'm not going. And the lawyer's like, Why aren't you going? She's like, Oh, my ex-boyfriend would never let me. Like, I could just probably quote it word for word, but that's like the only bit I watch as well. So whatever, I did not achieve that goal. I mean, it was pretty obscure. What does it mean? It's a weird one. Uh, okay, let's see your next one. Uh, my next one is wind chimes. Oh, I love wind chimes. Yay! I did achieve this goal. I did buy some small tinkling wind chimes from the op shop. And that's great. Yet to hear them blow in the breeze, despite hanging, I know I've hung them in several different window locations. They're not catching a breeze anywhere. I don't know what's in place. No, I I don't understand. I it's look, it's another hurdle to overcome, and I'm not afraid of a challenge. I'm not gonna cry. I looked for wind chimes for you for ages, and I could not find any that weren't ugly. Well, it's still a gap in the market, and actually, this was the only goal I could remember. And like two days ago, I was thinking, should I just end? I was gonna say end it all, and my laughing like should I just up and like risk it all and create a win chime business that will help with your financial literacy? Yes. Oh, there's no money in wind chimes. Who would have thought? I'm cured. They're so surprisingly expensive. Are they? They are like you would not expect like how much do you think wind chimes are? $14. Some, yeah. But like Okay, well, like okay, shut up. Um the wind chimes, like bigger ones. What would you reckon? Like $70. Shut up. You're just you're guessing because I gave you context closer. But would you spend okay, no, I wouldn't. Um, maybe it's like the conflict between how much I want them to be and how much they are. Yeah. And that's disappointing. In my mind, they just spawn. Yeah. They've always been here. Yeah. I have a bombshell to drop on you about this, actually. Okay. Because in the episode you did talk about how there's like really ugly ones with dolphins and fairies and spoons. And my mom listened to that episode and she said, Does Laura not remember that she bought you wind chimes once? No idea. With a hanging teacup and saucer. Oh yeah. And do you remember spoons hanging from that saucer? This was like peak 2012 hipster like market vibe. Do you remember that? Yeah, it's rushing back to me in giving detail. And look, context is everything, and those things rocked. They were the shit then. Let's see what my next one was. My next one is not getting hung up on story graph statistics, specifically physical versus audio versus digital. Okay, I think I might have regressed with this one. Damn it. It still bothers me a little bit. I think this is unrelated, but I have read less audiobooks this year. I've read more physical books, but I think it's just because I've been like quite consistent with my trips to the library. So is that a regression? I don't know. I have cared about it less, but it could be that I'm caring about it less because it is more physical books than anything else. So I don't know if you would call that growth. Yeah, a win is a win. Win is a win. Okay.

Bridget 30:02

See what your next one is.

Laura 30:04

Next one on my list is just being a bit more mysteriouslash knowing less about people. But I also just think in terms of social media, I have no interest in commodifying my personal life. Okay, a lot of thoughts spinning through my mind in relation to this one. I still find commodifying my personal life horrifying. Um, although I still try to do it in the hopes that I will receive free things. Yeah. Fortune, fame, glory. Yeah, all of the above. I have certainly regressed when it comes to making TikToks for talklet get hit, but I do still post many silly little outfit videos as often as I can, which is not that often, but I still give it a go. Still consistently getting 200 views. I jumped in on that as well, and I think I've been sharing less at work, which is good. I've been yapping less. My next in for 2025 is the theory that half-assed is better than nothing. Because I have this all or nothing attitude, and I think if I don't do it right, then I shouldn't do it. I would say that I'm getting better at this. I wouldn't say I'm fully past this mindset, but I'm getting better. Well done, me. Well done you. My next is just skin checks, breast checks, pap smears. Go get them. This is just a plug. And in should also probably be accessible and affordable healthcare. So, working off that list, yes, I did get a skin check this year. Extremely thorough. Tick, done. Um, did I get a pap smear? Maybe. Can't remember the years have blurred into one, but I know that I'm meeting my KPIs there. I'm on target. All the boxes are ticked. Well done. As far as affordable and accessible healthcare goes, the jury is still out on that one. My next in is the sun. Once again, please to say I'm getting better at this. I feel like my vitamin D levels have improved so much. I didn't get sick all year. Last year I was sick like four times. I've been taking iron tablets because I was also iron deficient. Vitamin D, feeling great. Get in the sun, guys, but make sure you do also use sunscreen. The sun, it rocks. Yeah. I love it. I think I'm getting better at your goals, not so much mine. But I also have been enjoying some sun. Great tick. Probably the most intriguing one on my list is that I have a strong desire to up my spice tolerance this year. I would chalk this one up as a win. Great. I haven't really been putting myself through like a training regime, but I would, I mean, I haven't regressed. I think my spice tolerance is fairly high. You're so chic. What about me gave me that impression? I think it was when I saw you neckarily hot on chili the other day. Must be a technical term. And then you said good flavour. Yummy. My last in is Googling the plots of movies that you don't want to see. I haven't been doing this, but I also haven't been watching movies that I haven't seen before. So can I really improve on something that I haven't done? No. Let's listen to the outs. My first out is one that I've been feeling for a while, and that is no more threads. I hate threads. The app, I mean, not like closed. I haven't been on threads since. I've been tempted. Oh, I've been nearly tricked, I would say. Swindled, bamboozled, hoodwinked, hoodwinked many times, but I've never done it. I've never opened it since, and I feel so good about that. I feel so good right now. Likewise, you've inspired me every time you're like a like a guru. Guru, yeah. It's like I see your face floating through my mind's eye. Don't go Andread. Lie. Yeah. Exactly right. Inspirational. Okay. Let's see. Your first out for the year. My first out is those TikToks where people are showing a list, but they put their little green screen picture over the whole list. Well, I'm clearly way more consistent with my hatred and bitterness than I am with my quest for improvement because I don't reckon I've watched a single one of those. I scroll straight past them and I aim to continue implementing this into 2026 and beyond. Yes. Well done. Mine is the I'm just a girl trend. I hate it. I was literally talking about this today. This still pisses me off. I still hate it. Stop diminishing yourself. Please. I was like, who are you talking to today? But it was me. We had this chat. I was like, we dug when at the gym at 6 30 a.m. Who? That doesn't seem like you to talk to someone at the gym. Someone other than me. And you would be right. Yeah, I hate it. My next one is asking the internet, what are we wearing? Oh, yes. Yes, still wholeheartedly agree with this one. I think this is a part of my 2012 summer regime. Yes. Because I was thinking about how I had like one of everything. It wasn't always the best of that one. No. But it was what I wore, it was what I persisted with. And I was like, I need to embrace that again. Yes. And I was thinking, God, maybe this is how you become quote unquote out of fashion. Or how you become dated. Yeah. And if it is, so be it, because I'm sick of this loop I'm stuck in. Will this age poorly? Maybe. But that's how I feel for the time being. My next out is speaking up in meetings. I need to start doing this. I think I'm saying less unimportant shit, which is good. A win is a win. I'm still saying things that I need to say. I'm not silent quitting or whatever the phrase is. I'm doing my job. I'm not bringing up things that have nothing to do with what we're talking about. So I mean that's good, I guess. I don't know. It's hard to really reflect. Do you think you were yapping or do you think you were doing like performative expositions? I have no memory of this, so I don't know. So I can't really tell if I've gotten better or worse. It's an ongoing goal. Yeah. The next most pertinent one on my list would be not knowing how to take a proper 0.5 outfit selfie. A sigh of resignation. I feel like I'm at a party and everybody that I'm talking to like knows each other and I'm out of the joke, and everybody's talking and I don't understand because I just like who was this past person setting these goals that I don't remember and I have nothing to do with. No, I haven't improved on this, okay? I haven't gotten any better. It's still bad. I still look so ugly in these photos. I'll post a montage if you want. Fine. It's an ongoing goal. Whatever. Am I about to cry? I have one more, and that is spending more than eight hours on your phone a day. Yeah, this is still an ongoing problem. I'm getting better. I'm down to about five hours a day. If I'm playing the Sims, it'll be less. That's a separate issue. Um, but I'm very happy to report that I am getting better. I think computer screen time is different to phone screen time. Yes. Why use small screen when big screen is fun too? And I think what panics me about the small screen is the broken concentration span or the short concentration span. Yeah. Sims, there's a storyline. Yeah, I'm really working hard to put my girl, you know, single mom who works too just a kid. Oh, I know. Yeah. Yes. Well done, me. Because I'm a hater, I'm just gonna rapid fire go through the rest of my outs. I love it. I have monetizing hobbies, overly complicated skincare, PR hauls, low information literacy slash pretending like reading slash anything isn't political. Anything microfiber inner thigh chafe, iPhone finger, and not getting tattoos because I'm scared of my family's reaction in brackets. I'm 30. Okay, some rapid fire blops from there. Thigh chafe still persists to this day. Microfiber. Look, unfortunately, I go to the gym now, and what other kinds of gym towels can you get? It persists in my life, it sticks to my dead hand skin from sanitizing my hands all the time. iPhone finger, had a recent iPhone finger scare. Um was feeling a bit sore, thought, God, is this arthritis? What's going on? Uh told someone at work who's a little bit older that, gosh, I think I have this darn iPhone finger. And she said, Well, you should check your neck. Apparently, people your age are developing a spur from phone use.

Bridget 39:16

Right.

Laura 39:16

So that's not good. Add that to the list then. PR holes, I still back that. I don't partake. Um, I think that's still correct. Yeah, I don't get any. But if I did, I would not do that for sure. Tattoos, it's still on my list. You know, I'm not in a rush. I would like to get another tattoo, but I obviously want it to be something that I want. Yes. And nothing's jumping out at me, and I haven't had any good ideas. So why rush it? You're not scared of your family. Well, that's neither here nor there. Wow, we have blossomed as women so spectacularly in 2025. I will never change, but I will never stay the same either. They tried to catch me. We're the daughters of the women they couldn't burn. So sorry to those witches, if true. Sorry. Sorry for party working. Oh my god. That laugh kind of sounded like drums. Listen. Okay, anyway. Good news, everyone. Now it's time for party games.

Bridget 40:41

Rejoice.

Laura 40:44

Okay, thank you so much, everyone, for your close attention during that portion of the show. We are now moving away from business and on to fun. Could I get a like react, please, if you're excited for fun?

Bridget 40:57

Thumbs up from me.

Laura 40:59

Bridget, I see you've got your hand raised. Is that oh, sorry, that was a mistake. That was a mistake again. To get us into the festive mood, we've done the honours of reading an extra special Christmas novella. Coming in at a demure 58 pages, there isn't a whole lot of plot to discuss, but the unhinged quotes are abundant. So we've devised a special party game to share our favorites with you. Devise is the right word. We spent so long making up this game. It was really hard. And I don't know why. Before we get caught up in the frivolities, here is a quick synopsis of Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey. A single mother working in a thrift store. A gentle giant farmer who can't find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one. Evie Crow is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer Luke Ward would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way. She can't trust anything more than friends with holiday benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He's fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever if she gives him a chance. There is no point doing our usual things. Because I can tell you right now, little shit, shit.

Bridget 42:29

What?

Laura 42:30

I've read this before, and I didn't realise I'd read it before until I started reading the synopsis. And I was like, oh, I remember this book. It has haunted me, it has plagued me ever since I read it. I obviously tried to block it from my mind. I mean, everything you need to know is in that synopsis. That's the whole plot. Yes. That being said, it's Christmas time. It's 58 pages, it fits the bill. So, as mentioned, this book is endlessly quotable, although not necessarily in the way that you'd hope. We each have separate lists of quotes we highlighted while reading. I, Laura, have numbers 1 to 30, and Bridget has numbers 31 to 60. We're gonna take turns rolling the bingo wheel that we somehow have. Don't smile. To release a ball and read out the quote that corresponds to the number on the ball. If the other person also has that quote, they cross it off and get a point. First five wins. I hope that made sense to everyone because we really nutted it out for a long time and we're still not sure. But we're gonna have fun. We're gonna have fun. And that's the most important thing. I'm gonna roll the first ball.

Bridget 43:49

It is number 12.

Laura 43:52

It's me. It's you! Luke purchased the thrift shop as a wedding gift for me, and now more than half the clothes. We offer our upcycle designs. Soon, the whole store will be original pieces with my name stitched on the inner collar, and with the addition of my new online presence, I'm hoping to create even more demand. That was on my list originally, but I culled it. Why are they explaining marketing to us? Who cares? Okay. Number 51. Oh my god, that's me. I wanted to say this before we started, but apologies in advance for all the accents that will be in this part.

Bridget 44:39

Here's number 51. Hell, I'd be honored to give that child the space he needs to run around to grow.

Laura 44:49

I don't have that one.

Bridget 44:52

Okay.

Laura 44:53

It is crazy though that he meets his kid. The baby. Baby. He doesn't even he's met him. Actually, like, would you say he's met him? I could just be like, God damn, there's a baby in that workroom. I don't know if you can meet a baby. You can see a baby. This is true. Serial killer, get away from this man. Let's see. It's number 19. It's me. I wish I was wearing a hat so I had something to fuss with right now. My hands have no idea what to do with themselves. I'm hoping you'll use it to come see me at the farm, Evie. Who the hell is this man? That's another one I called. Oh it's I can I mean to be fair to Tessa, I can picture in my head what she means. Same. You know, this let's be honest, simpleton standing in the doorway with their hat, Forest Gum style. I can I get it. Is it sexy? Why is it a picture we're painting?

Bridget 45:55

No.

Laura 45:55

You know, I think that a lot of these persisted because I had less highlights than you, and I was scared to highlight the rude bits. Yeah. I highlighted the rude bits. Number 37. Okay. This is when he's talking about his massive chairs.

Bridget 46:19

He says I had to make them myself out in the barn on account of my size.

Laura 46:28

I don't have it. This is amazing. Next one. Okay, this is number 52. It's one of mine. On top of being too honest, I made love to her like a brute. But hot damn, I've never felt anything so wet and hot in my 33 years. Another one I don't have. Oh my god. Are we gonna go through all 60? What if we do? I really thought we'd be on the same page. This is great. Spicing it up a little after being so boring with our favorite and least favorite episodes. Okay. Number 40. Number 40 is short and sweet. I mean, dang, call me slick Rick after a few kisses. Yes, we have our first matchup. I don't understand why they were talking as though they're in like a 50s Western. Yes. At all times. Like we get it. It's set in Texas. You don't need to say this shit every other line. Okay, next one. It is number twenty-seven. Twenty-seven is mine. Mama, I might come like this. Um I'm pretty sure I don't have that one. Um, in case you couldn't understand, that quote was, Oh mama, I might come like this. No, I don't have that one. Okay. You're missing out. Number 41. This is from Luke.

Bridget 48:30

But I'm gonna say something for the record one time, just so it's clear. You're a package deal with your boy. I'm not scared of that. No. Another one. Wow. Okay. Moving through. This is number nine.

Laura 48:47

When done properly and safely, sex is downright healthy. I don't know that. What? This is amazing. There's only so many words in this book. How have we not overlapped more? I know. Maybe we should do all of our book reviews like this. It's gotta be high quality. There's gotta be a way I can make money off this thing. I really want to. Number 22. I don't think I have the strength to say the C bomb on mic right now. So I'm just gonna bleep it. Going to get all of me inside your wet beep, are you? Good girl. He grazes the side of my neck and jawline with his teeth. How hard are you gonna let me pump? Hard as you want. Wreck me forever, Daddy. Yuck. That's gross. Y'all are gross. I don't have it. This can't be right. I think just this speaks to the amount of atrocities that are committed in this book. In what fifty-eight pages. Fifty-eight pages? How crazy.

Bridget 50:16

Yep, okay. Next one. Number one.

Laura 50:23

He's biblically huge. At least six feet six inches of brute force. Broad and stacked, filthy from farm work, mean looking. A grizzly bear wouldn't cross his path.

Bridget 50:37

No.

Laura 50:38

Don't have it. Biblically huge. Stuck out. Stuck out to me. Just can't picture this man. Right, you're done. 31.

Bridget 50:51

That's me. Okay. This is probably the one that stuck with me the most. Maybe. My gaze zips back down to the tuxedo dress design I'm sketching. And I continue to shade beneath the collar.

Laura 51:08

I didn't have this, but I remember reading it and thinking, steampunk. Sick. What do you mean? Tuxedo dress design. You have 58 pages, and this is what you choose to describe. Is this what you're stocking your shop with at the end of the book? Tuxedo dress? From recycled denim. Jesus. Okay. Number six. My pulse stutters. You got a blister. I cull this one. God damn it!

Bridget 51:51

What a stupid man. What a stupid man. What a stupid woman. What a stupid baby. What a stupid book.

Laura 52:01

The sound of him clearing his throat is like a crack of thunder and causes me to drop my pencil, deepening the red flush that encompasses the sides of his bristled face. That's the quote. I don't have it. What the hell do you mean? The sound of clearing your throat is like a crack of thunder. Stop that. It's just not true. It's not true. It's not true. Okay. I can't believe we've only had one double up. It's crazy.

Bridget 52:34

Number 36, that's me. Sure. I'm a farmer constantly covered in dirt. I have zero romance or wooing skills to speak of, and I'm a lumbering assumption-making giant to boot.

Laura 52:52

I think I had this. I think this is one of my partial quotes. To boot. Keep your thoughts to yourself. Please. I hate this man. He did not finish primary school. It's like when you said Anastasia was barely sentient. Yes, that's how I felt. Yes.

Bridget 53:16

54. Oh, that's me. You're a mother, a designer, a business owner. All these things. You do them so well, sweetheart. And if I don't tell you often enough, I'm so damn proud of you. I'll just tell everybody. This was while they were having a quickie, while their son looked after their daughter.

Laura 53:39

He was like six or seven as well, right?

Bridget 53:41

Before dinner. Look after your sister. Your mom and I are just gonna go out back for a second.

Laura 53:45

You are mother. Anyway, do you have that one? No, I don't. Twenty. Me. I'm not even sure what to call the dress she's wearing. Only I think it's technically called a slip. A dress woman wear under the dresses, which makes no sense. But I'm currently grateful for their existence because this one is nearly see-through. Sure, too. I can see damn near all of Evie's thighs. The shape of her. God have mercy on my sanity. Shut up. I don't have one, but I do have one that's related to this later on. Nice. Okay. Also, all of her thighs, cool. Have you never seen a leg before, babe?

Bridget 54:38

What year is it, mate? Oh my god. What I was thinking was, you know, like when you watch a movie about like a grandkid or something going through the grandparent stuff. Imagine, like in you know, 50 years' time, I'm dead. Someone's going through my belongings, seeing all of these highlighted things.

Laura 54:57

Show me grandpa's Amazon highlights. Okay, rest in peace, me.

Bridget 55:14

Hmm. Okay. If you don't have this one, there's something wrong with you. It ain't built for sucking, sweetheart. I know. Just use your hands and lick the head for a while if you can. If you don't mind. Yes.

Laura 55:34

I do have it. The quote word for word, start to finish. Awful. Absolutely. Ringing my hat if you don't mind. I'm up to You're on three, I think. Three, yeah. Three nil. Okay. Shit. I feel like that's on maybe. This is number 14. Uh, spoiler alert. This one's gross too. Wow. What a surprise. Come on then, woman, and take some dick, he grits out. Waltz into my town and make me hard, leaning over the counter of the shop to show me your pretty round tits. I saw 'em, baby. Now they're mine. They're yours. Yes. I have this. Yeah. This book is such a great representation of what we're always whinging about where men in books lose all personality as soon as sex is on the cards. They start being like, show me your pretty pussy. Yeah. Okay. Weren't you talking about like Camus like mere minutes ago? Yeah.

Bridget 56:39

Wind turbines.

Laura 56:44

24. It's me. My shirt comes off and he makes a desperate animal sound, licking my nipples into stiff peaks in between hunger assaults on my lips. And I've never been more relieved I don't wear a bra in the morning. I don't have it. Wow. But what about the nipples licked into stiff peaks? Yeah. She's making a Pablova.

Bridget 57:08

That's what I thought.

Laura 57:10

There's just so many. There's so many. Okay. Guys, don't read this book by the way. It sucks. Save yourself a dollar.

Bridget 57:21

I'm getting all of the filthy ones. This is number 50. I mean, it's my fault. I highlighted them. Actually, is it my fault? Yeah, no, it is. Did I write this book? No. Okay. Number 50. Once again, this is while they're having sex. I'll work my ass off for this tight thing. I'd sweat all day under tans for one little hit. All the way to my balls.

Laura 57:52

Good girl. I don't think I have that. Like, hang on. I do have somewhere where he calls her a good girl, so let me review. Nope, that's a different quote where he calls her good girl.

Bridget 58:04

It's so funny though, because I was like imagining myself being filmed readiness, and my face, the expression, I don't think changed the whole time.

Laura 58:12

Me too. There was zero reaction or feeling or anything. I was like, this is some bullshit. Light work, no reaction.

Bridget 58:26

Yes. Yes. 32. Oh my god, that's me. This is probably one of my favorite ones, actually.

Laura 58:37

And I think this is right up your alley. So I think you will have this one.

Bridget 58:43

Lord, I've been lonely for so long. I'd settle for him scratching behind my ears. I'd probably thump my leg like a carcass spaniel. Tick.

Laura 58:56

Yay! And you miss the first part of that quote that says, What would they feel like taking tight hold of my butt, rocking me up and back? Lord, I've been lonely for so long. I thought you'd have that one. I do. Thump on my leg. How many are on now? Four? Four. I'm one. Amazing. Okay. No, I don't think so. I can't wait to read you the others that I have. Yeah. I don't know if this is in the scope of the game, the deliverables of the game. We made it up. Yeah, true. Okay.

Bridget 59:34

Number 28.

Laura 59:35

It's not that good. But at the same time, like it's ridiculous. Has a man ever gotten me out of breath like this before? Is this what it means to be in a lather?

Bridget 59:47

No, I called that one. My god.

Laura 59:50

You got to the harder things. You got to the good stuff.

Bridget 59:52

Okay.

Laura 59:53

I think we get to read out more.

Bridget 59:55

I originally had about 70 something. So getting them down to 30.

Laura 59:59

I had to cut something. I had 39 and all the ones I was too scared that lived only in my head. 17. That's me. How the hell am I gonna stop touching you long enough to get on a condo? You don't need one, I say in a hot shudder. I'm on the pill. I was just seen by the doctor too. I don't have it.

Bridget 1:00:23

What?

Laura 1:00:24

It was one of them. What the hell? This is so stupid. I hate this game. I feel like the stupid game. No, I love many ways. I love it.

Bridget 1:00:37

I love this game. We spent hours on this game.

Laura 1:00:40

We really did spend a long time. We spoke about this like we were at a meeting of the United Nations.

Bridget 1:00:49

38. Okay. Am I jealous of an Ann statue? Current, I think I am.

Laura 1:00:57

Yes, game! You win! We're free from the shackles of this game. Unimaginable glory. What do you win? What's the prize? We didn't get to that. I guess it's just to read out all of the other quotes that I highlighted. Okay, here's some of my faves. Ah, Jesus, she's got nice sturdy hips. A lot of men don't notice that type of thing. But man, my size does. She would handle me well. Had that one. Oh, this is See, that's the way the cookie crumbles. It does, yes. That is probability for you. This disgusting. His skin is so weathered. It's almost like the sun has baked some of the farm's rich soil into his flesh. That's gross. I don't remember reading that. I don't want to be touched by that man. Yuck. Imagine yuck.

Bridget 1:01:53

Imagine if you had dry feet and you'd accidentally like scratched up against it.

Laura 1:01:58

He's out of fire. Flint. His skin is flint. I didn't have that one. Adjacent to your winning quote. Not unlike most days. I marvel over how a decision centered around an ant statue led me here.

Bridget 1:02:15

So tough.

Laura 1:02:21

King-sized one that will fit me. Do they make king-sized baby slings? Are you a king? Or are you a simpleton? Right before my eyes, his expression transforms from astonishment to unimaginable lust, relief, gratitude. And he begins to buck his hips, his testicles smacking loudly off my backside, the floorboards groaning beneath me. Did not have that. That's astonishing. Fuck. He hasn't even finished breathing the word like an oath before his mouth latches onto mine, and I'm stumbling back over the sensual impact of his need. What the hell does that mean? And that's about it. How about you? I have a few. Good gravy. Am I attracted to this man?

Bridget 1:03:21

That was a good one. This is when she's making him dinner. I usually eat four of those suckers. But I'm not gonna tell her that mum will have to suffice tonight. But thank God there's soup too.

Laura 1:03:36

Yeah, that soup's like fill you up, babe. The little little carpet tomato soup, idiot. This is Darys. Yeah, those suckers. The last one was so boring.

Bridget 1:03:50

Here it is. Cool. It sounds like wind. So I look across the field at my turbine on instinct, as if I might find it malfunctioning. But no, it turns reliably lazy in the wind. What the hell is that sound? It was the bike.

Laura 1:04:11

He's a simple man. He's a simple simple man. What a stupid book. Wow, I feel so festive. I am honestly inspired to keep this Christmas cheer going. At the risk of degrading the quality of this podcast further, I think that we should, with no prior information on the subject, assign each of our podcast books a reindeer. Yeah. Like one of the reindeer, like those girls. The crew. The squad. Yeah. So uh do you like how versed are you in reindeer lore? Yeah.

Bridget 1:04:54

I would say not.

Laura 1:04:59

Oh, cool. Are you all versed? Um, like the extent of it is Dasu and Dasu and Preserv and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donna and Blitzen. Bud Yo Yo Rig. Everybody, the most famous reindeer of Yeah, that's it. That's all I've got. It's gonna be so good. When we came up with this idea like three weeks ago, we thought it was so funny. And then we told Brian before when we were having dinner, not a single chuckle. Okay, which one's first? I gotta sing the song again. We should sing the song for everyone.

Bridget 1:05:52

Okay, I think what's first?

Laura 1:05:57

Stop asking me. Do we even have it right? Dasha, okay. Dasha, I'm looking at the books that we have on a really tenuous level. I would say Dasha could be Alaska because of how they dashed away. Yes, from the principal. Yes. Inspired.

Bridget 1:06:20

Yeah, thank you.

Laura 1:06:21

Yeah, okay. Tick. Tick. Next one. Dasher. Dancer. Dancer should be the favorites. Because they are dancer. Dancers. Yes. Um, this gets complicated because that leads us to Prancer. Prancer. Okay. Hmm. I think Prancer. Or do you have a good one? I think Prancer should be Interview with a vampire. Yes. Yeah. Great. Okay. Vixen.

Bridget 1:06:59

I think Credence should be vixen.

Laura 1:07:02

Okay. Excuse me because she's racing.

Bridget 1:07:04

So seductive. Even her uncle and her cousin and her other cousin want to sleep with her.

Laura 1:07:11

That's a vixen. She's a vixen. Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet. Hmm. Is there one about space? Oh, Ypre Love. She's up on the roof. We have hands. She's looking at the stars. Do you have a better idea? Um, my only thought is maybe Yellow Face could be Comet because it's like Comet in the night. Meteoric rise to fame. Yeah. Like shooting star in the night, fading brilliance. There's some other way of seeing that, but I don't know.

Bridget 1:07:46

Another one could be Magnolia Parks. We're fated to be together. Like comet. It's in the stars. It's in the stars. We will keep falling into one another like the stars.

Laura 1:07:56

Ypre love is good. I think it's that kind of whimsical, spicy. We have hands. Yeah, nonsense. We have stars. We have karmics. That brings us to good segue.

Bridget 1:08:14

I mean, the Spanish love deception does have the word love in the title. But do we want to give that book any accolade at all?

Laura 1:08:25

It's a reindeering accolade. Cupid is uh Magnolia Parks because everybody's struck by Cupid's arrow in that book.

Bridget 1:08:33

For the same person.

Laura 1:08:34

Yeah.

Bridget 1:08:35

Magnolia.

Laura 1:08:36

And like repeatedly being like, I'm not struck by that arrow. Yes. Psych. Next chapter. I am in fact struck by that arrow.

Bridget 1:08:44

I'm going to go cheer to Heathrow. With Cupid. What's next? Comet and Cupid and Donna Donna. Donna.

Laura 1:08:57

Kebab. Bridget Jones's. I reckon Bridget Jones put froth a kebab. And Donna. Donna from Mamma Mia. Yes. Somehow seems to be in the same universe. Yes. As Bridget Jones's diary. Yes. Let's do Bridget Jones' diary as Donna. Blitz and Blitzen. Our remaining choices, excluding Rudolph. Yes. And remembering that we have more podcast books than reindeer. Yes. Maybe one can be Santa. Good idea. So the books we haven't allocated a reindeer to so far are The Spanish Love Deception, Babel, Atomic Habits, The Housemaid. You could say the UK cycling team blitzed their opponents after they learnt that atomic habits. I was kind of leaning towards atomic habits too, because you're gonna like blitz the past you in a blender. Yes. Or you're gonna like drink that smoothie.

Bridget 1:09:52

Go ahead and reinvent your life. Yeah, okay.

Laura 1:09:56

Blitzing is atomic habits. Reindeer Rudolph.

Bridget 1:10:02

Rudolph.

Laura 1:10:04

I mean, he is the reindeer. The total big reindeer.

Bridget 1:10:09

Total main big reindeer.

Laura 1:10:11

I think it has to be Babel. Yes. Babel is the total main big reindeer. People laughed when they heard this story. They couldn't do it. We can do it. Books can have reindeers too. We can have it all. Okay. Who's gonna be Santa? So now our remaining choices are the Spanish love deception and the housemaid. Santa is deceiving us. Is he a trick? He does eat a sweet treat. I can see Santa going to a cafe and being like, I'll take the lot.

Bridget 1:10:46

Yeah, I'll take the lot.

Laura 1:10:49

Yeah. Do you feel good about giving the Spanish Love Deception the role of Santa though? No, not whatsoever. Do you? No, but also don't feel bad about make giving him a book that's full of murderers. I think we've got a great Spanish Love Deception. They do love a treat. They love a brownie. Santa would love a brownie. Would Santa go want to kiss Cam? He'd go to Spain. He does. I've seen him on the map, yeah.

Bridget 1:11:13

And now we need to think of something for the housemaid. The housemaid could be the chimney. Or the sleigh. The naughty list.

Laura 1:11:22

Oh, the sleigh. Slay. Your enemies. Yes. Both good. Either one. Take your pick. Frida. Forgotten child, whatever your name is. Frida, there's one for Frida McMaddden and one for Frida McMaddden. She's in Good Charlotte. She's one of the Madden brothers. Wow, I'm so glad we did that. Hope that was just as high quality for you as it was for us. Dashery. Danchery.

Bridget 1:11:52

We're going to take the rest of our discussion offline and give you five minutes back in your day. We're closing out on another positive year for Talk Lit Get Hit Podcast, and we're looking forward to synthesizing and synergizing and talking lit and shit in 2026 with our favorite people in the world, you.