Galaxies and Goddesses: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Bookcast

Welcome to Galaxies and Goddesses
Andrea: I’m Andrea.
Elizabeth: And I'm Elizabeth.
Andrea: Join us as we chat about sci-fi and fantasy books and beyond.
Elizabeth: Looking for a little escape from reality? So are we.
Andrea: Welcome back to Galaxies and Goddesses.
Elizabeth: Today we're diving into some of our favorite sci-fi and fantasy books and authors, the ones we constantly recommend, reread or rave about.
Andrea: Whether you're looking for mind-bending, sci-fi, epic fantasy, or a fresh new author to obsess over, we've got something for you.
Elizabeth: And stick around ' we're gonna be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day at the end of the episode.
Andrea: Let's get started!
Diving into Sarah J. Maas' Universe
Andrea: Some books are so incredible that we find ourselves recommending and talking about them over and over again. These are the stories that have left a lasting impact, either through their groundbreaking world building, unforgettable characters, or unique storytelling. Or maybe just the memes.
Elizabeth: [00:01:00] Yeah.
Andrea: Sometimes the memes are also worth it to understand them and you just can't get enough of them.
Andrea: One of the first book series that I really started to appreciate memes for was ACOTAR. I had actually read almost all of the series before I really plugged in to TikTok and then I got all the TikTok memes about ACOTAR and I just loved it even more. After I finished ACOTAR, I started the Throne of Glass series and I've read all the series except for the last book, Kingdom of Ash. And for those of you who haven't read or aren't familiar with those books they're by Sarah J. Maas. Once you read the first, I'd say two books of the ACOTAR series, you kind of get sucked into the Maasverse. Would you agree, Elizabeth?
Elizabeth: Yeah. Well actually, 'cause you're the one who recommended ACOTAR to me at first, and what you said was that you just have to get to the first one. It's good, but it's not as good as the book's after. [00:02:00] You really need to go onto the second one, and then once you get into the second one, then definitely you get hooked.
Elizabeth: And I absolutely agree with that. That's exactly what I tell people as well.
Elizabeth: I mean, yeah, you do get sucked into the Maas Universe, but I have not read the Throne of Glass series, yet. I suppose I should say. They are really good. They're really entertaining. They're fun reads, but they're not the most sort of like highbrow books, I guess you could say.
Andrea: I always say
Elizabeth: Yeah,
Andrea: books. Like,
Elizabeth: Totally, totally.
Andrea: It's fun,
Elizabeth: Yeah, for sure.
Andrea: yeah.
Elizabeth: But I feel like sometimes books like that do require a certain amount of space sometimes to really enjoy them.
Elizabeth: Once you get sucked into a particular series, what I find for myself is that then I just have to keep reading that series.
Elizabeth: But then once you're sort of done with one series or you get a little bit, not necessarily bored with it, but you know, it's just time for maybe a little bit of a break. Then I don't necessarily like immediately jump into another similar series. I kind of wanna take some time [00:03:00] between those deep dives.
Elizabeth: So I don't know. We'll see. At some point, I'm sure I probably will read them, but I haven't necessarily made the dive yet.
Andrea: I haven't read the other series she has, the Crescent City series yet. I've heard those are urban fantasy. I feel like I'll get to it eventually, but they all look really thick and
Elizabeth: Also that,
Andrea: you
Elizabeth: yeah.
Andrea: space them out sometimes.
Elizabeth: Exactly. Yeah, for sure. And you know, what often happens with series like that is that each book gets longer and longer, like each subsequent book. And I don't know if that's because , that very first book, there's maybe a little bit heavier editing hand that happens at the beginning to make sure that it is you know, tip top, I guess you'd say.
Elizabeth: And then as they realize the marketing value or publication value, they're gonna be able to sell lots of copies of series like that, then they maybe allow the author to go longer with subsequent books. I don't know, it's just sort of something I've always noticed too.
Andrea: So that's the first fantasy series that really got me into the Book Tok [00:04:00] world and made me wanna start a podcast. So I had to start off by talking about that one.
Elizabeth: Oh yeah. Yeah.
Exploring Deborah Harkness' All Souls Series
Andrea: Another book that kind of goes back a ways, I've liked the series for a long time The All Soul Series and it starts with A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. It's about a vampire and a witch, set in modern day Oxford. They've turned it into a mini series. You can watch it on Netflix now. Back in the day it was on the
Elizabeth: Oh yeah.
Andrea: Channel
Elizabeth: Oh yeah.
Andrea: just to watch that series on
Elizabeth: Oh,
Andrea: but now it's on Netflix.
Elizabeth: You're saying it's really good then,
Andrea: It was really good. I feel like they
Elizabeth: eh?
Andrea: good job with the casting for the characters and it just feels believable. It feels realistic as if these are real witches and vampires and demons, but demons have a different kind of nuanced take in that world . It's, kind of neat.
Andrea: But recently she came out with The Blackbird [00:05:00] Oracle. It's about the character Diana's twins are being tested by The Congregation. So I haven't read that yet, but I would like to, especially now that I have twins, I'm like, oh, I wanted to read this before I had a personal connection to the story. But yeah,
Elizabeth: Nice.
Stephen King's The Dark Tower Series
Elizabeth: One series that well, I don't know. Is it fantasy? Is it sci-fi? Well, that's a good question, maybe both. Stephen King's The Dark Tower series.
Andrea: I think that would lead fantasy, but I'm
Elizabeth: Fantasy, but then there's like sci-fi aspects of it. There's like kind of.
Elizabeth: Older technologies. Yeah. As you get into this other world, there are science fiction aspects to it too.
Elizabeth: It's maybe kinda a blend of both. But yeah, no, I read The Gunslinger the first time, maybe 15 years ago. And it's weird.
Andrea: I read the Gunslinger probably 10 years ago now.
Elizabeth: And is that the only one you've read?
Andrea: Yes.
Elizabeth: Yeah, that's exactly what I think. That's kind of maybe the way it unfolds. So you read The Gunslinger and you're like, that was kind of weird.
Elizabeth: So [00:06:00] I, very randomly, have had only a copy of number five, which is called Wolves of the Calla, and I've had it for probably 30 years. I don't even know where it came from. It's just always been on my shelf. Maybe 'cause like my sister in high school and probably in her twenties, she was really, really into Stephen King and she's actually probably read most of his books. Maybe was her book at some point, and then I just kinda ended up with it anyway, so it's just one of those books that I just kind of carried around forever and had kind of always said to myself like, oh yeah, eventually I'll read that series and eventually I'll get to number five and then I can read the book that I've just always had.
Elizabeth: Well, so, I stumbled upon a random free copy out of a pub in Cork, Ireland. That was actually The Gunslinger and Drawing of the Three, which is the second one. So, when I found them in this pub, they were just a stack of free books just for anybody to take, just in a window sill, just all these just random books in this pub.
Elizabeth: I was like, oh, I'm gonna take those. I'm gonna do it again. Like, this is now the sign to me that , okay. Go back and reread The Gunslinger, and then I will already have the second book to then jump into the second book. 'cause it's [00:07:00] exactly the same with ACOTAR that you literally just have to get to page number one of the second book and then , boom, you are just in.
Andrea: Did you hear that from your sister? Or where? Where, have you heard that?
Elizabeth: Myself. 'cause now I'm about to read number five. Like, I finally 30 years in the making. I'm
Elizabeth: But yeah, so I reread The Gunslinger second time around also was like, this book is weird. It's weird and you're just like, I don't really know what's going on and why do I care about The Gunslinger? You know, chasing after the man in black. Why do I care about that? And then, as soon as you start page one of The Drawing of Three. You're like, oh, this is gonna be really good. Just page one. It just grabs you. It's so good.
Elizabeth: But, so I read the fourth book, which is Wizard and Glass. That's what it's, yeah. Number four is Wizard and Glass. That I finished that one probably last summer, so it hasn't maybe been quite a year. So I feel like maybe sometime this summer I could see myself like, all right, finally the, [00:08:00] the book that's on my shelf, I finally get to read it.
Elizabeth: So there's seven books total, and then I think there's another one that's not necessarily part of the overall arc of the whole series. There's an extra maybe between four and five. There's sort of like a side quest book.
Elizabeth: Yeah. Excellent.
Andrea: Cool. Yeah, I read The Stand by Stephen King a long time ago.
Elizabeth: That's a good one. Yeah.
Andrea: I think that's the only Stephen King I've read
Elizabeth: Oh, really?
Andrea: besides the.
Elizabeth: Wow, man. Yeah I've actually read quite a bit of Stephen King now for somebody who's like not super into Stephen King. I mean, some people are really into him or you know, you go through a phase or something. In the end have just read a lot of Stephen King actually.
Elizabeth: 11/22/63 that's not necessarily science fiction or fantasy, I don't think. It's like time travel. Does that count as science fiction or fantasy?
Andrea: Are there swords or lasers?
Elizabeth: So the book that I'm talking about is called 11/22/63, which is the day that JFK was assassinated. And so it [00:09:00] has to do with time travel, like going back to the sixties, and there are neither swords or lasers.
Andrea: But you need technology to go back in time.
Elizabeth: Okay.
Andrea: So that technology, like advanced technology would be
Elizabeth: There's no technology. They open up a closet in a diner, I think, and then you just walk through it and you're suddenly in the sixties or the fifties or something.
Andrea: more
Elizabeth: They're like,
Andrea: Like Chronicles of Narnia. That's fantasy
Elizabeth: Through , the cupboard or the, the, the wardrobe.
Elizabeth: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Andrea: Outlander is fantasy. There's no time travel machine. There's just kind of the magical stones, right?
Elizabeth: Stones through time. Yeah. So that would be fantasy.
Outlander and Other Fantasy Series
Elizabeth: Speaking of Outlander, that's a perfect segue. ' cause I was gonna say the other series, that I'm sort of in the middle of is also Outlander.
Elizabeth: The last one that I read was An Echo in the Bone, which I think is number seven. That one I maybe read a year and a half ago. I think I read the very first Outlander book, maybe in, 2021. So maybe I've been, it's been like sort of unfolding over some years.
Andrea: Who's
Elizabeth: but yeah, I think I [00:10:00] read, oh, Diana Gabaldon. So I read the seventh book of maybe about a year and a half ago An Echo in the Bone. With that series as well, it does kind of need a little bit of time between each book because they're just written very similarly and also very long.
Elizabeth: I found my favorite books in that series so far have been number one and number three, and now I've read through seven and next is eight. So then, you know, number eight, not to say that I'm not excited about it. I will be, but that's maybe a series that really does kind of need a break between each book. But yeah, so the next book.
Andrea: three in the series, but it's very intimidating. There's three very thick books and it's like, okay, I'm gonna set aside
Elizabeth: yeah,
Andrea: a good chunk of time to read this
Elizabeth: yeah.
Elizabeth: To be fair, I read the first one in like three and a half days,
Elizabeth: Wow.
Elizabeth: But it reads really quickly. I think the first one's really good. Same with the third one. And I think part of that is because of the love story arc of it, that the first one, there's more of the love story.
Elizabeth: Not to say that there isn't more drama [00:11:00] that happens in their love story throughout the other books as well, but I just think that the height of the love story, like romance drama is definitely in the first one and then definitely in the third one. And so I think that's maybe why I like those ones more. So I'm looking forward to number eight.
Andrea: a book series that I devoured was The Legend Born Cycle. It's actually a YA series written by Tracy Deonn. So, it's the descendants of King Arthur. A black female main character and all the things that she faces being thrown into this very elitist secret society of King Arthur's knights that has persisted through time.
Andrea: She becomes part of this group very interesting, magic system based on heritage, bringing to light a lot of issues surrounding racism. It's a really interesting series and think really different than a lot of other fantasy.
Andrea: She just came out with a third book called Oathbound. I pre-ordered it and I got it, but I have had so many other books, I have not gotten to read [00:12:00] it yet, but I feel like the second I do get to start reading it, I'm going to devour it. So I'm, I'm
Elizabeth: Cool.
Andrea: forward to reading that and,
Andrea: that kind of wrapped up my fantasy list.
Andrea: That's five different fantasy series that we've read and are excited to read more of.
Exploring Sci-Fi Reads
Andrea: Are there any sci-fi books that are sitting on your shelf?
Andrea: I know that I recommended All Systems Red to you. Did you get a chance to read that? It was pretty short.
Elizabeth: Yeah, the first one is entertaining for sure. It's sort of one of those things that like, I would read the next one. Yeah.
Elizabeth: And check it out. 'cause then I know that they're turning it into a series.
Andrea: Apple TV+, and it comes out in May.
Elizabeth: Wow. That is very soon. This would've been a little less than a year and a half ago that I think you loaned it to me. And we knew it was gonna be a series then, but I guess I didn't realize that that's like coming up very soon. Wow. Skarsgard?
Elizabeth: Was that like, is he in it? Oh, nice. Yeah. Is he the robot?
Andrea: Yes.
Elizabeth: Yeah, totally. Cool.
Andrea: Which is interesting because the robot is a non-gendered character, and I [00:13:00] always pictured more
Elizabeth: Oh,
Andrea: a feminine robot, even though it's not,
Elizabeth: Oh, I got like all masculine. Definitely. Yeah. I got like
Andrea: like,
Elizabeth: I,
Andrea: like maybe like Gwendoline Christie playing that role.
Elizabeth: I didn't realize it was a non-gendered role, but as soon as you say that, it's like, oh yeah. I guess it probably never is said what the gender of the robot is if robots have genders. 'cause now that is that just us as humans, anthropomorphizing robots?
Elizabeth: But yeah, I totally, I pictured it maybe because as you were loaning it to me and they were gonna be turning into a show, I think we already knew Alexander Skarsgård, so maybe I just was reading it, picturing Alexander Skarsgård the whole time actually.
Elizabeth: Yeah, because I guess I just sort of went with it, the fact that you could have a masculine robot that's really, really into soap operas. Sure. I mean, everyone can kind of get into soap operas, right? I mean, sure. Yeah.
Andrea: And then another sci-fi that I don't think the author's coming out with anything new anytime soon, but they're turning it into a movie, Andy [00:14:00] Weir's book, Project Hail Mary. That was also really good. That's the book I recommend to people if they wanna try something sci-fi. If they don't normally read
Elizabeth: yeah.
Andrea: a gateway book.
Elizabeth: Sure. Totally. 'Cause my dad doesn't necessarily read lots of science fiction or fantasy. I mean, he'll read Stephen King. He's probably read a lot of Stephen King over the years. But that's another book that I will soon have that's coming in the box of books that my parents are bringing me in the next couple weeks is Project Hail Mary.
Elizabeth: And my dad has actually already read it. Then his other book, The Martian ,yeah, I have a copy of that on my to be read list, well on my To Be Read Shelf. 'Cause that was a really good movie. Watching a watching movie and seeing it as a really good movie usually makes me more inclined to read the book.
Andrea: I think they did a good job staying true to the book. There were some jokes in the movie that were from the book, so I'm hoping with the next movie, they're able to sort of keep that level of, fidelity. Is that the
Elizabeth: accuracy. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Cool. I know [00:15:00] I've mentioned it before too though, that New York Times Reader's Choice a Hundred Best Books of the 21st century list that came out, Project Hail Mary is on that list.
Elizabeth: Oh, it's gonna have Ryan Gosling
Andrea: Yes.
Elizabeth: Excellent. Always a delight. Does it take a shirt off? Is there any point? Oh, no. It's in space, isn't it? Oh, that's
Andrea: He has to change out of the space suit,
Elizabeth: but then you gotta come back into like the space station and take off your space suit. Oh, cool. Great.
Elizabeth: Yeah, I mean, another that's not a series, but just a book that science fiction that's on my to be read shelf is Parable of the Sower. I don't remember where I picked up that book, maybe like a used bookstore or like a cheap book sale or a little free library.
Elizabeth: And I think partly it was 'cause I liked the cover and I actually didn't realize that it was science fiction at all, but then realizing that it is, it's like, oh. Great. That makes it even cooler actually.
Andrea: I read it a while ago for a book club discussion and it was more divided. Some people liked it and some people didn't. I remember thinking it was okay. I wasn't blown away, but I thought it
Elizabeth: Sure. Sure.
Andrea: generally good and it's sort of a [00:16:00] post-apocalyptic world or kind of a dystopian world that it takes place in. And it's about the journey as they're going north along California I dunno if it's on, on the coast or just going north to find a new place to live is how I remember it.
Elizabeth: Hmm. All right.
Andrea: Looking to build a new society.
Elizabeth: Let's see. Another one that I've gotten a list is, well, or on the read shelf is Isaac Asimov, I,Robot.
Elizabeth: Same thing that watching the movie, and enjoyed it at the time for sure. Isaac Asimov being just such a classic science fiction writer.
Elizabeth: I actually haven't read anything of his, so I'm realizing like that's sort of a hole that needs to be filled.
Andrea: And Foundation series is also a Apple TV plus
Elizabeth: Yeah, I haven't watched it. I think when I saw that it was coming out, I was excited about it, but then I think I heard not great things about the series when it came out, so I haven't actually watched it.
Elizabeth: . Are they still making the series? I don't even know. Like,
Andrea: Tomatoes it got an 86%.
Elizabeth: Pretty good.
Andrea: Similarly of an author that is always on [00:17:00] my to eventually read some more of her books. I physically have a copy of The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin think it was a book club pick for a local meetup group, and I didn't get a chance to read the book, so I didn't go to the book club, but I still have the book and I would like to read it at some point.
Andrea: I really liked, The Left Hand of Darkness. It has a really interesting take on gender and it was written in the seventies and it still feels really relevant today, which I think is impressive. And the whole
Elizabeth: That's always cool.
Andrea: on is really interesting. If they made a series out of that, I would watch that a heartbeat.
Andrea: I think that up our sci-fi picks.
Andrea: um,
Exciting New Authors
Andrea: we've talked about the books that are on our shelf that we're excited to read. There are two authors I'm really excited to read their books that are coming out this year.
Andrea: One is Rachel Gillig. She wrote One [00:18:00] Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns. It was a duology. I would highly recommend it to anyone that's looking for a fresh magic system based on tarot cards. And it's very, sort of gothic vibes. It was a nice change from all the other fay and vampires, whatever it was Just a nice change from all of that. She's coming out with a new book called The Knight and the Moth on May 20th. So I don't really even know what the book is about, but I liked the first two books that she wrote so much that it's an auto buy for me.
Andrea: When you come visit, you can borrow them because they're back on my shelf back here.
Elizabeth: Oh, all right. Yeah. Cool.
Andrea: maybe you'll have to like stop by at the beginning of your trip and drop them off at the end of your trip. I think they read pretty fast.
Elizabeth: Well, actually I don't know if, Hmm, I'm trying to think about that.
Andrea: You can just
Elizabeth: Like I,
Andrea: You don't have to get 'em back to me right [00:19:00] away.
Elizabeth: I, well, yeah, because like, you know, you got your books in the mail, right? I sent you back All Systems Red in the mail and media mail and what was the other one? Fourth Wing I think actually yeah, I totally sent that to back to you.
Elizabeth: Nice. Yeah, because just a little PSA to our listeners out there, be careful of media mail. It does seem like a really good idea because you're like, well sure it'll go slower through the mail, but it is to get there and I pay less money. I tried to send Andrea some books through Media Mail once, this was probably four or five years ago, and they got lost.
Elizabeth: So then I got to rebuy those books for Andrea and just like on Amazon and then just have them delivered to you. So you know, it just sort of. Buyer beware if you're a media mail that I think there is some increased risk to pay the cheaper postage, so I'm delighted to hear that. Delighted to hear that those ones made it.
Andrea: I don't know if this happened around the holidays, but I think just sometimes packages
Elizabeth: It might've actually.
Andrea: are just a
Elizabeth: Yeah. yeah. It might have. That might have happened. Yeah.
Andrea: The [00:20:00] second author that I'm really excited for their next book is R.F. Kuang. She wrote the Poppy War Trilogy, Babel, and Yellowface. Didn't read the whole Poppy War Trilogy, but I really liked Babel and Yellowface, and she's coming out with a new book this August called Katabasis, believe that's how you say it. I've seen a couple of interviews where she said the name of the book, but it hasn't quite stuck in my head and I can't quite remember how to say it. I think it's Katabasis.
Andrea: Every book she's written has a, point that it's making. It's an entertaining story, but there's also some, social commentary that is also being made. So I'm curious what the angle is, 'cause it's supposed to be dark academia.
Elizabeth: Nice. Yeah, I suppose for myself one newer author, newer fantasy book that I'm pretty excited about is Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, which is of course, if you listening to us, is our next book that we're gonna be reading together and then reviewing during our next episode .
Elizabeth: Pretty excited about that one. [00:21:00] And what Andrea very clearly pointed out to me, I did read it, but it didn't really necessarily register as I was reading it, that it says on the jacket it says that it's a duology.
Elizabeth: It looks good and it's got pretty good ratings, so I'm pretty excited. I don't think it'll take very much for me to be interested to read the the next book as well. Yeah.
The Audiobook Experience
Andrea: I am also excited to read that and I might look up the audio book so that I know how to pronounce some of the character names by the
Elizabeth: Oh, actually on that point, yeah, on that point, I was gonna say that my friend Mandela speaks Mandarin. She doesn't, I don't think she's super fluent, but I think she took some in college or something, and then she's traveled to China a bunch. So I'm actually planning on writing down a list of the names and then at some point calling her, taking a picture of it and being like, okay, just pronounce these for me please.
Elizabeth: So I'm hoping that that actually might work pretty well. So we can kind of both try to figure out in our own way how they're pronounced and then we can come back together and hopefully our pronunciations will agree. That was my plan.
Andrea: Was looking up some information about The Girl Who Drank the Moon after we [00:22:00] talked about it, the audio book is highly recommended and I'm like, oh, I could have listened to the audio book to figure out how to pronounce some of those names as well in that book.
Elizabeth: Could have done that. Yeah.
Elizabeth: I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of audio books, not because they aren't good, ' but I just don't always have an opportunity to listen in that way. I think I just get more enjoyment by reading words on a page.
Andrea: I recently got into audio books because it helped walking the dog faster. We have a very high energy dog that needs a daily walk. Just walking along, to music, isn't always the right vibe, and I feel like listening to a story is much more enjoyable for me personally. It's just the right amount of effort, to pay attention to, and then also manage my dog.
Andrea: I've listened to quite a few audio books now, and it's just a different experience. I thought about even listening to The Girl Who Drank the Moon as a next one because it was talked about as being a [00:23:00] good audio book.
Elizabeth: Particularly good in audio form. Hmm.
Andrea: Right.
Andrea: There's been a couple audio books I would really recommend because the experience is a lot different when you actually hear narrator for example, Verity by Colleen Hoover. They have two different narrators for the different points of view and it was really interesting to listen to that.
Andrea: one I listened to when I was commuting, to and from work at the time. I just find myself listening to audiobooks doing kind of random tasks around the house when I can't just sit with a book. Recently I went on a book retreat and somebody to an audiobook while they were knitting.
Andrea: And I just thought that was a great idea. And I was like, oh, maybe that's someday. A goal , audio book plus knitting or crocheting.
Elizabeth: Yeah, funny. Some sort of crafty undertaking.
Andrea: Yeah.
Elizabeth: Nice.
Independent Bookstore Day Plans
Elizabeth: So the last thing that we wanted to chat about during today's episode is actually, as I learned in my research about it [00:24:00] it's always the last Saturday in April is Independent Bookstore Day, which this year is April 26th.
Elizabeth: What sort of plans are you planning for Independent Bookstore Day?
Andrea: I don't have a plan as of yet, but I have time set aside for that day.
Elizabeth: Yeah.
Andrea: Seattle has a passport program every year. I haven't actually seen the passport I think you just pick it up at the first store that you go to on that day.
Andrea: You can check to see which stores are participating online at indiebound.org/independent bookstore day and they have a big map of all the stores that are participating and different states that have different book crawls. There's so much information on there.
Elizabeth: Nice.
Andrea: No matter where you're listening, hopefully there you can find a local independent bookstore that is participating in the
Elizabeth: It's nice.
Andrea: Yeah.
Elizabeth: Yeah. I am actually gonna be in New Orleans over that weekend, and I've never been in New Orleans. I and [00:25:00] definitely don't know the very niche information about what that particularly city does for Independent Bookstore Day, but I Googled it and it sounds like there actually is a passport type program.
Elizabeth: That I think like seven bookstores, or at least what I was seeing was maybe from 2024. So I don't know if there was information about 2025, but I think this passport book crawl type thing has happened in years past. So what happened last year, at least according to the internet, was that if you went to all seven of the bookstores that are on this little crawl, then I don't know if it was that you got to like enter into a drawing or you got some sort of, gift bag or some sort of particular deal at each of the participating stores.
Elizabeth: But I am only gonna be in New Orleans for a couple of days and my cousin and I are actually gonna be going to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival one of the days. So we only really have kind of two full days be doing stuff. So I don't know that we'll necessarily have the opportunity to go to seven random bookstores around the city.
Elizabeth: It looked like in years past, you had to go to all seven of them in the course of one day, as opposed to maybe last year it was that they gave you a two week window to all those seven of the bookstores. [00:26:00] So I mean, still regardless, once again, I'm only gonna be there for a few days, so I don't think I'll have the opportunity to necessarily do that.
Elizabeth: But there were a couple of bookstores that are really close to the hotel that we're staying down in the French Quarter. So I'm pretty excited that I'm still gonna try to at least go to a couple and see, because then oftentimes it seems like the bookstores might participate in some sort of citywide event, but then they might just kind of have their own specials, sales, you know, buy and get one tote bags, I don't know.
Andrea: on,
Elizabeth: Some giveaways. Yeah.
Andrea: Yeah, on the map online. It'll tell you if they're participating and sometimes it'll say they might have special Indie Bookstore Day items for sale.
Elizabeth: Yeah. Yeah.
Elizabeth: Because then I just earlier today made a couple phone calls to some independent bookstores here in Helena, Montana. One bookstore definitely has a ton of stuff going on. It's on their website already and it looks like they've got you know, sales and there's something about like a golden ticket that there's maybe like a golden ticket hidden in the store somewhere.
Elizabeth: So then if you find that, and yeah, and like author readings and you know, maybe some like kids stuff. They also had the tote bag that they had. I think it might be a tote [00:27:00] bag that's distributed nationally, like it wasn't necessarily specific to the Montana Book Company.
Elizabeth: And then I called the other bookstore, which is a used bookstore in town that's like what I would call kind of sleepy, I would call it a sleepy bookstore. And the lady was like, oh. Yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah. And, and the lady was like, oh yeah, I dunno.
Elizabeth: I was like, okay. And she's like, yeah, the owner, he's outta town this week, but he'll be back next week. So, I don't know. You might go back Then. I was like, okay.
Andrea: Very honest answer.
Elizabeth: Yeah. Like I said, I'll be in New Orleans. I won't be here at the time.
Andrea: Yeah,
Elizabeth: participating, but it's
Andrea: independent bookstore day actually lasts a whole week,
Elizabeth: Oh, cool.
Andrea: to encourage people to visit of the stores and that would be almost impossible to do in one day.
Elizabeth: Well, yeah, I mean,
Andrea: participate.
Elizabeth: and I feel like Seattle is a city of readers and a city of people who are into the idea of a local independent bookstore. So, I mean, what is it like.
Andrea: to visit on Independent Bookstore [00:28:00] Day is in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. It's called The Book Larder, and it's this tiny little shop where they specialize in cookbooks. You know, you'll find something fun there.
Elizabeth: Is that,
Andrea: I feel like if I go to a bookstore, I have to buy something
Elizabeth: yeah,
Andrea: Day to
Elizabeth: yeah,
Andrea: So,
Elizabeth: yeah.
Andrea: the one time a year I
Elizabeth: I,
Andrea: a cookbook.
Elizabeth: Yeah. Is that on Fremont Avenue? Is that close to the Eyes on Fremont? Like across from Paseos?
Andrea: Yes.
Elizabeth: Yeah, totally. I've been in that store for sure. I've been in that store. I resisted the urge to buy a cookbook I don't think I've ever bought a cookbook in my life. I'm not necessarily much of a cook, but and that doesn't necessarily spark joy to like, read about food.
Elizabeth: I'd rather just eat the food, but, you know to each their own. Yeah, I totally have been in that store.
Andrea: I like having ideas of what to cook. I feel like I cook a lot more often now.
Elizabeth: I mean, I have cookbooks.
Andrea: a new cookbook.
Elizabeth: I have a bunch of cookbooks that I basically just inherited from my grandmother.
Elizabeth: uh, Fun little tidbit though. Apparently Trevor Noah is the [00:29:00] 2025 official spokesperson for Independent Bookstore Day.
Elizabeth: Which, what does that mean? Like, how are you the spokesperson?
Andrea: curious about too.
Elizabeth: Yeah.
Andrea: I guess if he's doing appearances or he has a podcast, so maybe he's promoting Independent Bookstore Day on his podcast. Maybe we'll have to listen in and find out.
Elizabeth: I mean, we are also promoting Independent Bookstore Day on our podcast. So are we official spokespeople?
Andrea: No, no, no. We're not.
Elizabeth: No. Dang. Because that would be a great way to meet Trevor Noah. 'cause I would meet Trevor Noah in like the shortest blink of an eye. I would be there. Oh my God. I love Trevor Noah. I'm glad that he's like you know, spokesperson for Independent Bookstore Day.
Elizabeth: That's fantastic. I want him to back to doing something like the Daily Show or something, come on Trevor, you've gotta be working on.
Andrea: basis.
Elizabeth: Yes.
Andrea: was, I
Elizabeth: Yes, he's a voice of reason that I miss like a voice from outside of American culture that has a really great take on American culture and I [00:30:00] think we need that now more than ever.
Elizabeth: Not to say that I'm not stoked to have John Stewart back Daily Show. The Daily Show after Trevor Noah kind of like had to find its way by trying out all the different guest hosts that they'd have for like a week at a time and, you know, which obviously was sort of an interview to see if they could find the next full time host.
Elizabeth: But I actually do really appreciate what they're doing now with the Daily Show. Having all of the the folks that were already working for the Daily Show, taking turns, being the hosts and then having John Stewart on Mondays. I think it's actually pretty great. But that doesn't mean that I don't miss Trevor Noah.
Elizabeth: I do.

Final Thoughts and Farewell
Andrea: Well there was one more bookshop I kind of wanted to talk about because it was one of the TikTok accounts I followed early on when I started watching TikTok stuff. She always had really interesting book reviews, books I'd never heard of before, and books I haven't actually read. But I just appreciated how the store owner slash author, Anne Patchett, talked about these books. I just loved [00:31:00] her style and presentation of talking about the book. I don't think I'll ever read most of those books, but she had a very good way of explaining them. And she owns Parnassus Books located in Nashville and they are participating in an Independent Bookstore Day. They're doing a couple of author signings.
Andrea: So, yeah, if I could go anywhere else or maybe next year if I could go somewhere special for Independent Bookstore Day, I would try going to Nashville. Maybe girls trip to
Elizabeth: Cool.
Andrea: year.
Elizabeth: I was just gonna say that sounds fantastic. I knew that she had a bookstore actually, or I knew that someone, I maybe didn't necessarily remember distinctly that it was Anne Patchett, but an author of her sort of caliber I knew like how owned a bookstore. So as soon as she said that I was like, oh yeah.
Elizabeth: Right. Oh no, I knew that. Oh yeah. Cool. Totally. That was, that'd be awesome. Yeah, I'd love to. I think that would be quite fun.
Elizabeth: Is she there? Can we pick her mind about books?
Andrea: Yeah,
Elizabeth: Like what is she reading?
Andrea: so they're doing author signings. I didn't recognize the other author, but
Elizabeth: cool.
Andrea: of the authors signing
Elizabeth: Oh [00:32:00] yeah, yeah.
Elizabeth: Nice.
Elizabeth: All right, folks, well, unfortunately, we have reached the end of another cosmic journey on Galaxies and Goddesses. We love sharing our favorite reads with you, and we'd love to hear yours.
Andrea: And if you're looking for more recommendations, head to our Instagram at Galaxies and Goddesses. Join us in our next episode where we discuss The Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan.
Elizabeth: In the meantime, keep your mind fueled by the magic stories.
Andrea: And never stop chasing the world's waiting for you between the pages. Thanks everyone.
Elizabeth: Bye.

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