Asha Sabbella on The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
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Host: Julie Strauss
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Guest: Asha Sabbella
Instagram/ Blog
Books discussed in this episode:
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
Book of the Month
#bookstagram
Reese’s Book Club
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid
The Safe Place: A Novel by Anna Downes
Us Against You: A Novel by Fredrick Backman
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
The Jane Austen Collection
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena
Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
The Ripped Bodice Bookstore (located in Los Angeles, California, open for online or phone orders)
East Bay Book Sellers (located in Oakland, California, open for online or phone orders)
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
Discussed in our Patreon Exclusive Clip:
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Dexter
(Note: some of these are affiliate links. Your purchase helps to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business. Thank you!)
Hi, Bookworms. welcome to the Best Book Ever, the podcast where we talk about your favorite books. I’m your host, Julie Strauss, and my guest today is Asha Sabella. Asha is a book blogger and yogi located in Southern California. She enjoys sharing her passion for reading and reviewing the latest books she has read on her blog and on Instagram. She’s also the host of the OC Books and Brunch book club. Asha and I were delighted to discover that we live near each other, and I’m looking forward to meeting up to talk books with our in real life someday, if we’re ever allowed out of our houses again. Until then, I’m so happy she joined me on the podcast today to tell me why The Last Mrs. Parrish is the Best Book Ever.
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Julie Strauss: Hi Asha! Welcome to the Best Book Ever podcast. Thank you for joining me.
Asha Sabbella: Thank you for having me. I’m happy to be here.
JS: I’m so delighted to talk to you. I’m such a fan of your Instagram and your blog, and you’ve got the best job, I think in the whole world, of reviewing books, which I think is so much fun.
AS: Yeah. So, reviewing books is actually just a side hobby for me. I actually do have a full-time job. I’m a project manager at a healthcare advertising agency. Reading is just more of a hobby. I came across this back in March, 2017, when I originally subscribed to Book of the Month. That opened my world to Bookstagram as well. Cause I didn’t realize people focused on reading books, reviewing books. And I started my blog back in November, 2017.
JS: Had you always been a reader?
AS: It’s funny because, when I was younger, I absolutely hated reading. I was put in a reading class in third grade and it was actually my third grade reading teacher, Mrs. Harper, who inspired my love for reading again. And I was obsessed with it until middle school. And then in high school, everything else got in the way. And then, it wasn’t until, I guess a couple of years after I started my job, I was like, Oh, I have to pick up hobbies again. That’s when I picked up reading again and now I just, I love it so much. I can’t imagine my life without it.
JS: Do you remember the story that your reading teacher gave you that sparked it and made you think, Oh, maybe this is for me?
AS: I don’t think it was a particular story. I think it was more of the way she taught and she gave me confidence in reading out loud. And she also helped me a lot with reading comprehension and what to pull out from stories and stuff, because that’s what I struggled with the most when I was younger.
JS: I love stories like that, and I hear it so often, about the kids who just kind of never picked it up. And the fact of the matter is, I’ve met lots of people who were not readers, and then they went to college, or they turn 30 and started reading to their babies or something like that. It really can spark any time.
AS: Definitely. And I love that, especially when I’ve talked to friends as well, like they recently became readers and then there are a few that have been readers since they were like two or something like that. It’s always nice to see that variety and to see how people went into reading or who encouraged them to read as well. Seeing like, if it was a parent or a teacher or a sibling, or a friend, it’s always great to see that too.
JS: Yeah. I often think it’s about the right recommendation and also the right book. And this one that we’re going to talk about today is one you could easily give to a non-reader and, and say just for the fun of it.
AS: Definitely. Yes, it really is.
JS: So can you tell me how you came across The Last Mrs. Parish?
AS: Yeah. So I was actually looking at Reese’s Book Club, and I was looking for a thriller. The Last Mrs. Parrish is actually the first psychological thriller I’ve read as an adult that I really, really liked. And, if people ask me what type of genre I like to read, I always say psychological thrillers. Give me all the domestic thrillers. Cause there’s just like something about that toxic relationship and that those affairs that, you know, you never want that to happen in real life, but like in a fantasy world, they’re like, Oh, this is pretty devious. And just like trying to see what people will do to get to where they want to get to. And this book is really special too, because, this kind of got my sister into reading as well. My sister’s an avid reader now, and this is actually one of our favorite books together. We both agree this is hands down one of the best psychological thrillers.
JS: Can you describe the plot for our listeners who may not have come across this book?
AS: It’s about this woman named Amber. She comes to a point in her life where she just feels like she’s fed up and like she’s just at a really rotten place in her life. But then she becomes friends with this woman named Daphne Parrish. Daphne has the perfect life. She has the rich husband, the two kids, the fabulous house. Daphne’s life looks picture perfect. And Amber is just green with envy about it. And so Amber kind of simulates into the family life a little bit and becomes more of Daphne’s best friend. But then, I don’t want to give too much away, but it kind of involves a family and you see Daphne’s point of view. I mean, first you see Amber’s point of view, and then you see Daphne’s point of view too. And all I can say is that there’s a bunch of unreliable narrators and there’s a lot of duplicity and greed and not everything seems the way it’s supposed to be.
JS: That’s one of my favorite things in books. I love a thriller with a mid-book point of view switch. You hear essentially the same story from someone else’s point of view. And it gives me a jittery feeling because it makes me cognizant of the fact that we never know the whole situation. We only know our side of everything. And this book was a perfect example of, Oh, everyone is up to something.
AS: Right. Just when you thought that you understood something, you’re like, Oh, I thought that was the way it was supposed to be. Nope, there’s a complete 180. And you’re like, Whoa, I did not even think about it from that point.
JS: So, is that what draws you so much to this book?
AS: Yeah, I think, what I liked the best, what I like the most is at first you kind of feel for Amber, and you’re like, Oh, that’s sad. But then you realize how treacherous she is. And same thing with Daphne too. Like just the way that the authors develop these characters, you kind of think one way about them, and then towards like the end of the book, you think the completely different way about them too. I just really liked the character development and this book, I thought it was riveting. It was one of those books where I think I finished it in a couple of days. Cause I was like, I have to know what happens. And like, I just, I didn’t see the twist coming. I didn’t see the plot twist at all. Also I feel like when this book was made, it was maybe during the time where books like this just started becoming popular. Of course, now, you’ll see other books that are kind of similar to this as well. One that comes to mind is The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. It’s kind of like this. Another book I read recently is The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid and also The Safe Place by Anna Downes. Those are all domestic thrillers. And they’re pretty good. And they kind of go in the same realm as The Last Mrs. Parrish. But I don’t know. The Last Mrs. Parish has always been my favorite. It’s always one that I always recommend. And also I think the reason why I like it so much, and it’s so special, not only because my sister likes it too, but Liv Constantine is actually two sisters. They’re called Lynn and Valerie or something. So they combined their names, created Liv, which I thought was cute. And I was like, Oh, that’s sweet that you guys like read this book together. I would be fun to do this. I would love to write a book with my sister. That would definitely be fun.
JS: So we both live in South Orange County. This book is set in Connecticut, but didn’t you think as you were reading it, like, Oh my God. Some of these Mercedes women that we see driving around, I bet they’re up to this.
AS: Yeah. It totally reminded me of like the Real Housewives. And I was like, I could totally see this happening in like South orange County. This would totally happen. Like in Newport Beach or something.
JS: Exactly. Tell me what you think of this: As I was reading it, I was a little put off by the women constantly being pitted against each other. And I was curious to hear what you think of that. Because that kind of went unredeemed. I thought there really was no reliable best friend that kind of saved the day. What did you think of that missing aspect of it?
AS: Yeah. I agree with you. Like the friendship in here is missing, but I think that is what makes it a good thriller though. Because it’s like you can’t trust anyone. I think Daphne does have a good support system in terms of her family. And she has a really good relationship with with her kids, especially, and I love that. And her mom. So yes, women do pit against each other, but it does show that Daphne does have a good relationship with her mother and that her mother did see this. But yeah, I agree with you. If people are looking for like strong female bond or friendship type of thing, this is total opposite of it.
JS: Exactly. I mean, it could almost be given to people as a cautionary tale. Like, if you think that the ultimate prize is a man and his money, and I won’t give anything away, but it’s entirely possible that’s not the best thing to be going for.
AS: I think as you mentioned, I think it gives a real depiction of that.
JS: A lot of my guests, when I asked them to choose the book they want to talk about, really have a hard time. And you did not struggle for even a second. You knew right off the bat that you were going to talk about this one. So do you recommend this one a lot?
AS: Usually when people ask me what my favorite book is, I do have a few in mind. This is always in my top three. This is like one of my favorite ones. Other ones that I like is Us Against You by Frederick Backman. And Where the Crawdads Sing. But I wanted to do The Last Mrs. Parish because I feel like it’s one of those books that people either really, really like, or they really, really hate. It’s one of those books where I feel like you can have a really good stimulating conversation. Cause it talks about marriage, it talks about friendship, it talks about trust and it talks about living in an affluent neighborhood and stuff. And it’s like, do you want all that? Or can you live without it?
JS: There was one line I underlined when Amber goes to Daphne’s house the first time. And she notices that it’s this big estate, but it’s off the main road. And it’s hidden away from the eyes of the people who could not afford to live this way. And then she says, that’s what wealth does for you. It gives you the means and the power to remain concealed from the world, if you choose, or if you need to. And I thought, Oh, this is what we’re really going for. Right? I know a lot of women who would not do the things that happen in this book, but they would like that kind of wealth, to be able to stand back and remain private. It does not sound terrible.
AS: Well, it doesn’t. It’s interesting that you mentioned that because I feel like the wealthier people are, the more private they want to be with it. But then there’s regular people who strive to be famous and to just want to be known everywhere. And they’re just like, just put my name on everything. But then there are other people where, you know, as they become a little bit richer or so, they kind of want to step out of the spotlight and they’re okay with being behind the scenes. But still like donating or something like that, or being an anonymous donor or something like that.
JS: There was a real real commentary, I thought, on the difference between rich and rich, because these people were very much in it. When I read that line, I thought about Beyonce, she has her Instagram and she puts the picture she wants up and she doesn’t put a caption and she doesn’t reply to anybody and she doesn’t explain her albums to anybody. She’s like, I’m Beyonce! I’m doing what I want! There’s that kind of money that we don’t come across at all. And that’s the power it gives you, is the power to just be completely unapologetic.
AS: That’s very true, but then you think about it, you’re like, okay, is that what you really want? Like, what are they sacrificing by becoming so private, too?
JS: Mm. Mm. Because Amber is going to come after you.
AS: Oh my God. Yeah.
JS: So what do you do then when you dislike a book? Do you still review it on your blog?
AS: I do. I think it’s important to give all types of reviews, like just giving the positive ones. I feel like wouldn’t be authentic. The way I go about it is I try to go with it with a critical eye. Did I like the plot? Did I like the storyline? Was it cohesive? Does the summary match what the actual storyline was? There were a few times where it wasn’t and I was completely surprised and it was like, wait, what? Half the time it’s a good thing. And then sometimes it’s not. Another thing that’s really big with me is character development. If I hate the character so much, was there a reason for me to hate that character so much? Did they change at all? Or, why did they stay the same? That sort of thing. And then same with like the narrators. If they have multiple narrators, that’s a huge thing. Do they sound the same? Cause sometimes they say that there’s three different, POV’s and I’m like, these all sound the same. Or, are they distinct at all? Was there a reason to have that third one? I really do thin it’s just being more socially aware and being like sensitive as well. There are times where there were really popular books. Like An American Marriage, that was an Oprah pick. A lot of people loved it. Personally, I did not like it at all. I absolutely hated it. Because I didn’t like it I did a giveaway and I gave it to somebody else who wanted to read it instead. So that always works with books I don’t like. I always preface it with, maybe this isn’t my cup of tea, or, this isn’t really my style, but you know, people who like this may like this book instead.
JS: What exactly did you not like about that one?
AS: I understand the purpose of the book. But I just didn’t like how toxic the relationship was between the two characters. And that they weren’t doing anything to change for the better. There were times where I felt like it was kind of like rambling on and on. And it just wasn’t my style. And there were a few times where I just wanted to yell at the characters and be like, please don’t do this. Which I guess, in a way, it’s good, because it makes me think. Oh, okay, if it evokes some sort of emotion for me, that would work too. But I know other people who said that they really liked it because of that emotional aspect for it, but it just didn’t work for me. But that’s the thing that I love about reviews, is that just because I don’t like a book, I love seeing the other side of the coin, like why somebody liked it instead. So I still read all the reviews just to see, okay, did I miss something? Was there something that somebody else caught that I didn’t get? That that kind of helps too.
JS: A lot of authors I know, really dislike reviews on GoodReads because it can be so vicious, but I’ve always been really impressed by the reviewer community on Instagram. Because even though they have comparatively less space to review, they tend to be very fair and, and do it exactly the way you just did it. This just wasn’t for me because of this style or because of this element or something. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen, in the Bookstagram community, a negative review that just went, this is garbage, and the author kicks puppies. You know, the kind of ridiculous stuff that you can sometimes see in other places. The Bookstagram community, in general, seems to be very fair-minded in terms of reviews.
AS: I totally agree. I think I take Instagram reviews a bit more seriously than GoodReads, but I think maybe that’s because I trust my followers and we usually have similar tastes. So if they say that they liked the book, I’m like, Oh, I for sure have to read that book. I will totally blindly just go read it.
JS: Are there any genres that you won’t read?
AS: You know what’s funny this year I’ve actually been better about expanding horizons. I never thought that I would go back into classics because I was forced to read classics in high school. But now, one of my friends, she just started these Jane Austen buddy reads. And so I started joining those. And I’ve been reading Jane Austen. I’m trying to go through her full, her full collection and have been really enjoying it. So that’s been good. Another genre that I used to say that I would never read was fantasy, but now I’m obsessed with fantasy because of Sarah J Maas. Her Court of Thorns and Roses series is amazing. And I just finished Hunted By the Sky, which was really good as well. That was a phenomenal read. Five star. It’s interesting because it’s the first book that I’ve read that’s Own Voices. She combines both Indian and Persian mythology, which is pretty cool. It’s going to be the first in the series and then I’m not sure when her second book comes out, but I hope it comes out as soon as possible because I totally want to read it.
JS: Can you tell us what that means when you use the phrase Own Voices?
AS: Own Voices is an author that writes about their own ethnicity. So for Taz, in her instance, she writes Indian and Persian characters. Also a book that I’m reading right now, Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn. She’s Thai, and so she actually writes about a Thai girl who is fake dating one of her former friends. In Own Voices, the cool thing is that it could be any genre, but then it also ties into the culture too. So you learn a little bit more about the culture and things like that. In Dating Makes Perfect, she does a great job at it because she talks about Thai families and about being Thai American, having immigrant parents. And also just some of the cultural things that they do and some of the food. But then she incorporates that with the everyday things that happen in America too. So I feel like it gives like a really good representation of it. Another example is David Yoon, who is Nicola Yoon’s husband. He wrote Frankly in Love and he’s Asian-American and he writes about the culture and how it’s different, and how you kind of have to combine America with it too. And how immigrant parents don’t understand. Those books, even though it’s a young adult, they go through really, really heavy subjects, but then they’re able to write it in such a way that everybody could relate to it too. So even though it’s Own Voices and they’re talking about their own experiences, anyone can read it. I feel like it can tie into anything. I’m Indian, and so whenever I read other Asian American books, even though I’m not specifically that ethnicity, I could still relate to it and be like, Oh, I know what you’re talking about. I went through that when I was. Or it’s like, Oh wait, totally. I totally get it. This is normal type of thing. So that’s always great.
JS: I noticed, as I read through your blog, that there was a real diversity of authors. So I’m glad you brought this up because I was wondering, is that something that you do intentionally, or do you just kind of read what comes next, and it just sort of happens that you’ve got a real diversity of authors?
AS: So what’s funny is that for the past couple of years, I haven’t really thought about that. Of how diverse my reading was. I’ve always been cognizant about Asian American authors that I read, cause I always want to support them. And I think there’s like a special place in my heart for them, especially with Indian American authors. So I try to actively seek that out. But since, this year, with the racial injustices that’s happening and stuff like that, I feel like June was like a really big wake up call for everybody. And it was a wake up call for me too, because I was kind of looking back at my reading and I’m like, Okay. Am I reading diverse enough? But at the same time, you want to make sure you’re reading what you want to read and you’re not forcing it on yourself either. So, I’ve been trying to be more mindful of that as well. But, the one thing that I like though is that you don’t have to read all these nonfiction books about race, to diversify your reading. One of my followers, Jess, she actually had like this whole Instagram video about supporting Black authors and she’s like, you don’t have to just read about racism and things like that. She’s like, you know, they write fiction too. Fantasy and romance and thrillers and everything else. You can totally support all these different ways. And it was looking at my bookshelf. And it was like, yeah, I don’t have that much nonfiction, but I do have a lot of fiction. And I was pulling out a few things. I have a young adult and contemporary romance. So, even though I’m kind of feeling more of the lighter reads and I’m like, Oh, I need a lighthearted, happier type of thing, I’m still trying to be a little bit more cognizant of what I’m reading. Right now I’m actually looking forward to reading Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. She is one of my favorite romcom authors and I met her last year at The Ripped Bodice and she is just amazing. I love her. I remember I talked to her about being a minority woman and working in the workplace. Cause she used to be an attorney and just the fact of cultural awareness as well, too. And so she talks about the Black community, but even though she talks about it more in the Black community, I feel like it’s something that other minorities can relate to as well. We may not relate to it at the same level as they do, but we could relate to it at some level. I love that she brought that up and had a really nice conversation about it. And I’m really looking forward to reading her book, which came out last month. I’m just waiting for my order to come from East Bay booksellers, which I’m excited about.
JS: Is that an indie bookseller?
AS: Yeah, they are. They’re an indie bookseller in Oakland. She partnered with them to sign books, so I’m waiting for my signed copy from her.
JS: Oh, you are after my own heart. And you named my favorite bookstore ever, which is The Ripped Bodice.
AS: Yes. Oh my God. I love them. They’re so amazing.
JS: Right? And they are so committed to diversity in the publishing world. It’s really quite fantastic.
AS: They really are. I like, I’m always amazed, looking at their lists and just looking at what they have online and stuff too.
JS: Can you name some Indian authors that you love for us? Anyone in particular that you would recommend?
AS: Yeah, I did a post about this back in May as well. First and foremost, Rupi Kaur. She’s a poet. She’s one of my favorites. Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers. I think The Sun and Her Flowers is my favorite poetry collection from her. I actually saw her perform it a couple of years ago. It’s about feminism, immigration, heartache, and also discovery. I definitely recommend it for anyone who just went through a heart heartbreak or something like that. Or, if you’re looking for feminist poetry, this is a really good one to read. The second author I would recommend is Jhumpa Lahiri, who I think is pretty popular as it is. Her books are very, very heavy. They’re very emotionally draining. Sometimes I read it and I’m like, Oh my gosh, that’s just so sad. But at the same time, I love the perspectives that she gives. One of my favorite books from her that I recommend is her short story collection Unaccustomed Earth. I feel like it’s just so beautifully written, but if you read it, you definitely have to have a box of Kleenex.
JS: I think that hits on exactly what you were saying earlier about how it doesn’t have to be nonfiction to understand other people, because the reading of fiction creates empathy.
AS: Exactly. Yeah. And that actually leads to my third recommendation. I would also recommend Shilpi Somaya Gowda. She has three books. Of the three books, Secret Daughter is my favorite. She’s a Canadian author, and I think her publisher is Harper Collins and Secret Daughter was actually her debut book a few years ago. I think I’m a little biased liking that because one of the main characters names is Asha. But the one thing that I really like about this book is that it talks about this woman in a small village in India who had to give up her daughter because her husband only wanted sons. So she gives her daughter up to an orphanage and this couple in America adopts this little girl. The mom is white, and I think her husband is Indian. I can’t remember what ethnicity her husband is. I think he’s Indian. I can’t remember. But they talk about the assimilation. The little girl, she grows up and she wants to know who her real parents are and she wants to get to know them. But then her adoptive mom feels torn about that because she’s like, you know, I raised you. You’re my baby, that type of thing. So it goes through adoption, family dynamics, identity, and things like that. It’s a very, very strong book. We actually made that as one of our picks back in March for my book club, the OC Books and Brunch, and we actually had a really great conversation around that as well.
JS: Tell me about the book club. Cause I’ve seen you post about that. How does that work?
AS: Yeah, so last year, back in August, I created a book club called OC Books and Brunch. We have about 10 to 12 members who come consistently each month. We choose a brunch place somewhere around South Orange County. This is pre-COVID that we used to actually go out and have brunch. I miss that. And then we would be 10, 12 of us. And then we would talk about the book pick that we have for the month. I love our book club because not only do we have a diverse set of women who join, but we also read a diverse set of voices as well. And that’s very important to me, as well as somebody who hosts this book club. We need to make sure that we continue to read diverse authors and we continue to read all these different aspects, all these different books. Right now, we’re reading The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon, which is one of my favorite romance books. I think that book makes up for like the strong female friendship that you don’t see here. Personally, I think I like the friendship a lot better. I liked the friendship more than the romance, even though the romance is amazing in there too. So yeah, we’ve read The Joy Luck Club back in May, which was nice. For some of us, it was the first time. It was the second time for me. And it was actually kind of nice, rereading a book that you read back when. Cause I read this back in middle school and there were a few themes that I picked up and then reading it again as an adult, I understood the relationships stuff too. And I understood, Oh, okay, this is why they acted the way that they did. So it was a really great refresher.
JS: I haven’t read that book in easily 20 years. I’m going to reread that.
AS: You definitely should. Your mind will be blown on what you may have missed 20 years ago versus now.
JS: Who picks the books for your book club? Do you put it up to vote or do you get the final say? AS: In the beginning, I kinda did the final say of it cause I was doing raffles. I would provide a finished copy of the book and we’d raffle it off. But for the past few months, what we’ve been doing is we’ve actually been doing a poll. Sometimes, some of the members, like they suggest some titles. Or sometimes I’ll just research and see which titles might be the most interesting. Usually we choose three to four books and then we vote for it. And then whichever one has the most votes we go with that.
JS: And you just put it out on your Instagram and invite your followers to join you at the brunch?
AS: The way that it works is that I actually initially posted it on Meetup. A few of my friends from Instagram, who are local, joined. And then I actually had some girls who are on Meetup, who just met me through that, which is pretty cool. It’s kind of nice. We do have consistent people who come, but every once in a while, they’ll trickle new members, which is pretty nice.
JS: Are you able to keep it up virtually during the COVID times or have you just paused it?
AS: No, we have. Back in April and May we actually did Zoom meetings, virtually. So that worked out really well. And then last month was pretty nice. We actually got to meet in person. We met in a park and we practiced safe, social distancing. We had our masks on, we were all sitting in picnic blankets and just talking. We were all six feet apart, which is pretty nice. It’s nice to do that.
JS: That sounds so delightful. Can you believe that? How fun that sounds? We never would have guessed that sitting in a giant circle in a park would sound so wonderful.
AS: Exactly. You know, it’s the small things. We were just talking about it. Just eating in a restaurant and being able to enjoy your time. Just being able to see you and talk to you in person.
JS: Asha, what are you reading right now?
AS: Right now I’m reading The Vanishing Half. I just finished it.
JS: How did you like it?
AS: I love her so much.
JS: She is young, I think. Did you read The Mothers?
AS: No, I haven’t. I heard that was really good too.
JS: It’s so good. And I think she’s under 30. I think. I’m not sure of that. She sure looks young and she writes with such wisdom. I think she just blows me away. What are you thinking of it so far?
AS: It’s so good. I feel like it’s one of those books I’m trying to take my time with it. I’m trying my hardest not to rush because, Oh my gosh, the writing is just, it’s so good.
JS: And I don’t mean that in a condescending way at all when I say she’s young, because if she’s writing at this level right now, I cannot wait for her 10th book, I can not wait for her 20th book. Because she’s just phenomenal.
AS: Oh, definitely. Yeah, I can’t wait to read more of it. I’m excited.
JS: Why don’t you tell our listeners where they can find you online?
AS: I’m on Instagram. You can find me there.
JS: Fantastic. This has been so fun. Thank you so much for joining me today.
AS: Yeah. Thank you, Julie. I really appreciate it.
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Thanks for listening, Bookworms! You can follow the podcast on Instagram. I’m your host, Julie Strauss, and you can find me on Instagram.
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