1
00:00:10,614 --> 00:00:15,294
Speaker 1: You're listening to a Muma Mea podcast. Mumma Mea acknowledges

2
00:00:15,334 --> 00:00:18,174
Speaker 1: the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast

3
00:00:18,214 --> 00:00:24,334
Speaker 1: is recorded on. Hi. I'm Claire Murphy. This is Mumma

4
00:00:24,334 --> 00:00:28,054
Speaker 1: MEA's twice daily news podcast, The Quickie. Just a heads

5
00:00:28,094 --> 00:00:30,534
Speaker 1: up to start. We are talking about sexy books today,

6
00:00:30,614 --> 00:00:32,774
Speaker 1: So if you have little is around that you don't

7
00:00:32,774 --> 00:00:36,214
Speaker 1: want asking some interesting questions, maybe pop your headphones in

8
00:00:36,254 --> 00:00:39,774
Speaker 1: for this one. There's a new TV show currently playing

9
00:00:39,814 --> 00:00:43,734
Speaker 1: on OSSI TV screens and it is very, very saucy.

10
00:00:43,974 --> 00:00:46,094
Speaker 1: Did the Prime Minister give you permission to fuck a

11
00:00:46,174 --> 00:00:47,534
Speaker 1: journalist in the onboard tournament?

12
00:00:47,654 --> 00:00:48,774
Speaker 2: Lou Tony w.

13
00:00:48,934 --> 00:00:53,014
Speaker 1: Plebian Rivals on Disney Plus is the screen adaptation of

14
00:00:53,054 --> 00:00:55,854
Speaker 1: one of Dame Jilly Cooper's iconic novels, part of a

15
00:00:55,934 --> 00:00:59,614
Speaker 1: series that back in their day, were referred to as Bonkbusters.

16
00:01:00,254 --> 00:01:03,534
Speaker 1: But Dame Gilly's books aren't the only spicy stories written

17
00:01:03,534 --> 00:01:06,494
Speaker 1: by women for women that are hitting our screens right now,

18
00:01:06,774 --> 00:01:09,974
Speaker 1: and the rise of genres like romanticy sing regions of

19
00:01:10,014 --> 00:01:13,294
Speaker 1: women delve into the world of fairy erotica. Okay, who

20
00:01:13,294 --> 00:01:15,574
Speaker 1: am I kidding? It's referred to as very smart. The

21
00:01:15,654 --> 00:01:18,134
Speaker 1: once hidden on the back of the shelf book is

22
00:01:18,214 --> 00:01:20,654
Speaker 1: finally out and proud and on the coffee tables and

23
00:01:20,654 --> 00:01:23,774
Speaker 1: bedsides of millions around the world. Today we take a

24
00:01:23,774 --> 00:01:26,334
Speaker 1: look back at romance and erotica for women and why

25
00:01:26,374 --> 00:01:28,814
Speaker 1: it's now out of the shadows. But first, here's the

26
00:01:28,854 --> 00:01:32,494
Speaker 1: letters from the Quickie newsroom. Monday, November eleven. The body

27
00:01:32,534 --> 00:01:35,894
Speaker 1: of former One Direction star Lim Paine has been repatriated

28
00:01:35,934 --> 00:01:38,574
Speaker 1: to the UK, with his funeral set to take place

29
00:01:38,734 --> 00:01:41,734
Speaker 1: this week. The date of the gathering, which will reportedly

30
00:01:41,774 --> 00:01:45,574
Speaker 1: see Paine's former One Direction bandmates Simon Cowe, who helped

31
00:01:45,574 --> 00:01:48,294
Speaker 1: the then Young Boys become stars, his seven year old

32
00:01:48,334 --> 00:01:51,614
Speaker 1: son Bear, and former partner Sheryl Cole attend is set

33
00:01:51,654 --> 00:01:54,694
Speaker 1: for this week. His family has called for privacy, but

34
00:01:54,774 --> 00:01:58,054
Speaker 1: some British tabloids have been speculating about the funeral's date,

35
00:01:58,214 --> 00:02:01,894
Speaker 1: time and location, with fans urging others not to turn

36
00:02:01,974 --> 00:02:04,134
Speaker 1: up and try to get photos of people in mourning.

37
00:02:04,374 --> 00:02:06,494
Speaker 1: This is your friendly reminder at that Liam was a son,

38
00:02:06,934 --> 00:02:09,974
Speaker 1: a brother and a father. If you're thinking of going

39
00:02:10,134 --> 00:02:15,214
Speaker 1: to Limpaine's funeral, think again. Authorities are still investigating the

40
00:02:15,254 --> 00:02:17,414
Speaker 1: death of the singer after he fell from the balcony

41
00:02:17,414 --> 00:02:20,854
Speaker 1: of his hotel in Argentina on October sixteen. They've now

42
00:02:20,894 --> 00:02:24,814
Speaker 1: officially ruled out suicide, concluding Pain was not fully conscious

43
00:02:24,974 --> 00:02:27,414
Speaker 1: or was in a state of decreased or a complete

44
00:02:27,454 --> 00:02:30,854
Speaker 1: loss of consciousness when he fell, so it wasn't intentional.

45
00:02:31,134 --> 00:02:32,934
Speaker 1: He was alone in the room at the time, so

46
00:02:32,974 --> 00:02:36,334
Speaker 1: there's no insinuation that he was pushed either. Three people

47
00:02:36,374 --> 00:02:39,374
Speaker 1: were arrested and charged over Paine's death late last week,

48
00:02:39,774 --> 00:02:42,694
Speaker 1: charging a friend of the singer with abandonment for allegedly

49
00:02:42,774 --> 00:02:45,494
Speaker 1: breaching his duty of care. The person is said to

50
00:02:45,494 --> 00:02:48,814
Speaker 1: be Pain's manager, who found to answer several calls from

51
00:02:48,854 --> 00:02:51,774
Speaker 1: police and who found to notify Pain's family that he'd

52
00:02:51,774 --> 00:02:55,334
Speaker 1: relapsed into drug use a cocktail of substances found in

53
00:02:55,374 --> 00:02:59,174
Speaker 1: the toxicology reports. The two others are a hotel employee

54
00:02:59,214 --> 00:03:02,654
Speaker 1: and a drug dealer who've been charged with supplying the substances,

55
00:03:02,974 --> 00:03:07,174
Speaker 1: including pink cocaine, a cocktail of ecstasy, ketamine, caffeine, and

56
00:03:07,214 --> 00:03:10,654
Speaker 1: a psychedelic It was reported yesterday the police are also

57
00:03:10,734 --> 00:03:14,054
Speaker 1: searching for the singer's missing Rolex watch, which he's seen

58
00:03:14,094 --> 00:03:17,374
Speaker 1: wearing in the CCTV footage in the hours before his death,

59
00:03:17,694 --> 00:03:20,374
Speaker 1: but was not located in the search immediately after the

60
00:03:20,414 --> 00:03:23,694
Speaker 1: police were called. Investigators searched the homes of the three

61
00:03:23,694 --> 00:03:26,494
Speaker 1: people who've been arrested and the two women who spent

62
00:03:26,574 --> 00:03:29,214
Speaker 1: time with the singer before his death, but all failed

63
00:03:29,214 --> 00:03:31,534
Speaker 1: to turn up the time piece. They're now going to

64
00:03:31,614 --> 00:03:34,214
Speaker 1: research the hotel room where Payne was staying at the

65
00:03:34,214 --> 00:03:37,054
Speaker 1: time of his death. The room remains sealed off while

66
00:03:37,094 --> 00:03:41,214
Speaker 1: the investigation continues. Donald Trump has been filled in calls

67
00:03:41,214 --> 00:03:44,294
Speaker 1: from world leaders after his election win, the former and

68
00:03:44,334 --> 00:03:47,814
Speaker 1: now president elect securing the two final states of Nevada

69
00:03:47,854 --> 00:03:51,614
Speaker 1: and Arizona, a clean sweep of all seven battleground states.

70
00:03:51,934 --> 00:03:55,174
Speaker 1: Trump spoke to Ukraine President Vladimir Zelenski the day after

71
00:03:55,214 --> 00:03:58,494
Speaker 1: the election result was called. According to sources, Trump was

72
00:03:58,534 --> 00:04:01,214
Speaker 1: at his Florida resort when the call came through. They

73
00:04:01,254 --> 00:04:04,854
Speaker 1: had a brief and cordial conversation before Trump reportedly handed

74
00:04:04,854 --> 00:04:08,614
Speaker 1: the phone to his friend Elon Musk. Zelensky reportedly thanked

75
00:04:08,694 --> 00:04:11,534
Speaker 1: Musk for the use of his Styling satellite system, which

76
00:04:11,614 --> 00:04:13,974
Speaker 1: is aiding Ukrainian troops on the front line as they

77
00:04:13,974 --> 00:04:17,654
Speaker 1: continue to fight the Russian invasion. During his campaign, Trump

78
00:04:17,694 --> 00:04:20,854
Speaker 1: has cast doubt on the US's continued commitment to supporting

79
00:04:20,974 --> 00:04:23,574
Speaker 1: Ukraine as the war with Russia drags on for more

80
00:04:23,614 --> 00:04:26,494
Speaker 1: than two and a half years, also suggesting the US

81
00:04:26,534 --> 00:04:30,614
Speaker 1: may force Ukraine into a truce with Russia. Celebrity chef

82
00:04:30,734 --> 00:04:33,374
Speaker 1: Jamie Oliver has pulled sales of his new kid's book

83
00:04:33,454 --> 00:04:37,494
Speaker 1: after the plotline revealed an offensive story about Indigenous Australians.

84
00:04:37,934 --> 00:04:40,854
Speaker 1: Titled Billy and the Epic Escape, it's a sequel to

85
00:04:40,894 --> 00:04:44,094
Speaker 1: the chef and author's first kids fantasy series. This time

86
00:04:44,134 --> 00:04:46,694
Speaker 1: it follows a young First Nations girl who's living in

87
00:04:46,774 --> 00:04:49,934
Speaker 1: foster care who's kidnapped by the bad guy because she

88
00:04:50,054 --> 00:04:53,254
Speaker 1: is more in connection with nature. The book also mixes

89
00:04:53,334 --> 00:04:57,574
Speaker 1: up languages and cultures from several different Aboriginal nations. The books,

90
00:04:57,574 --> 00:05:00,934
Speaker 1: published at Penguin Random House, admitted there was no consultation

91
00:05:01,054 --> 00:05:04,974
Speaker 1: with any Indigenous organizations or people prior to the book's release.

92
00:05:05,374 --> 00:05:09,254
Speaker 1: The National Aboriginal and Torrestrate Islander Education Corporation says the

93
00:05:09,294 --> 00:05:13,454
Speaker 1: book Bok is contributing to the Eurasia trivialization and stereotyping

94
00:05:13,454 --> 00:05:17,934
Speaker 1: of First Nations peoples and experiences Oliver has apologized and

95
00:05:17,974 --> 00:05:20,814
Speaker 1: removed the book from sale, saying he was devastated to

96
00:05:20,854 --> 00:05:23,734
Speaker 1: have caused offense, saying it was never his intention to

97
00:05:23,774 --> 00:05:28,534
Speaker 1: misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Australians around the nation will

98
00:05:28,574 --> 00:05:30,974
Speaker 1: pause for a minute at eleven am today to honor

99
00:05:31,014 --> 00:05:34,494
Speaker 1: those who died in military conflicts around the world Remembrance

100
00:05:34,574 --> 00:05:37,534
Speaker 1: Day formerly Armistice Day, which marked the date the peace

101
00:05:37,574 --> 00:05:40,614
Speaker 1: Agreement to end World War One was signed. Now Caesar

102
00:05:40,654 --> 00:05:42,894
Speaker 1: stopped to remember the millions of lives that were lost

103
00:05:42,934 --> 00:05:44,974
Speaker 1: in the Great War and the wars that came after.

104
00:05:45,534 --> 00:05:47,414
Speaker 1: It will be lit up at eleven am with the

105
00:05:47,454 --> 00:05:50,934
Speaker 1: word love. Governor General Sam Mostyn will deliver the memorial

106
00:05:51,014 --> 00:05:54,214
Speaker 1: dress at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. In Sydney,

107
00:05:54,254 --> 00:05:56,014
Speaker 1: the sales of the Opera House will lit up with

108
00:05:56,094 --> 00:05:58,974
Speaker 1: poppies as the sun rose this morning and will again

109
00:05:59,134 --> 00:06:01,734
Speaker 1: as the sun sets tonight. That's what's going on in

110
00:06:01,734 --> 00:06:05,054
Speaker 1: the world today. Next, sexy books written for women by

111
00:06:05,134 --> 00:06:07,814
Speaker 1: women are all the rage, and there's no signs of

112
00:06:07,854 --> 00:06:21,214
Speaker 1: them going away anytime soon. When I was a kid,

113
00:06:21,534 --> 00:06:24,774
Speaker 1: I remember my mum reading Meals and Boone's novels. They

114
00:06:24,814 --> 00:06:28,294
Speaker 1: were small paperbacks adorned with pictures of ruggedly handsome men,

115
00:06:28,534 --> 00:06:30,774
Speaker 1: often with a gorgeous woman by his side or in

116
00:06:30,814 --> 00:06:34,694
Speaker 1: his arms, with titles like Taming Laura, Doctors in Dispute,

117
00:06:34,694 --> 00:06:38,454
Speaker 1: and The Devil's Bride. They were written by women for women,

118
00:06:38,734 --> 00:06:40,774
Speaker 1: and as is so often with many things like this,

119
00:06:41,134 --> 00:06:44,134
Speaker 1: they were considered a little bit taboo, a little bit tacky,

120
00:06:44,414 --> 00:06:47,494
Speaker 1: something you didn't brag about in literature circles, something to

121
00:06:47,534 --> 00:06:50,534
Speaker 1: be tucked away after reading, not displayed out on a bookshelf.

122
00:06:51,134 --> 00:06:53,814
Speaker 1: Of course, romance novels have been around for way longer

123
00:06:53,814 --> 00:06:56,374
Speaker 1: than the one hundred years of meals and Boone. Jane

124
00:06:56,374 --> 00:06:59,294
Speaker 1: Austen and Charlotte Bronte are considered icons of the genre,

125
00:06:59,534 --> 00:07:02,814
Speaker 1: telling stories of heterosexual women and men. But if you've

126
00:07:02,894 --> 00:07:05,814
Speaker 1: never read a romance novel before, we can tell you

127
00:07:05,854 --> 00:07:09,454
Speaker 1: they all mostly follow the same pattern. Women meets men

128
00:07:09,534 --> 00:07:12,694
Speaker 1: and they must overcome some personal struggle to finally understand

129
00:07:12,694 --> 00:07:14,694
Speaker 1: that they do indeed love each other, and then it

130
00:07:14,814 --> 00:07:19,054
Speaker 1: ends with a fairly happy ever after vibe. But when

131
00:07:19,094 --> 00:07:22,654
Speaker 1: journalists Dame Jilly Cooper's Rutshier Chronicles novels started to be

132
00:07:22,694 --> 00:07:25,694
Speaker 1: released in the mid nineteen eighties, the landscape was changing.

133
00:07:26,094 --> 00:07:28,614
Speaker 1: Not only were the characters falling in love. What if

134
00:07:28,614 --> 00:07:29,534
Speaker 1: no one ever loves me?

135
00:07:30,534 --> 00:07:34,254
Speaker 2: I'm mess you someone?

136
00:07:34,454 --> 00:07:34,934
Speaker 3: I love you?

137
00:07:35,454 --> 00:07:38,734
Speaker 1: They were experiencing incredible heartbreak Do.

138
00:07:38,774 --> 00:07:43,654
Speaker 2: You even really exist?

139
00:07:47,414 --> 00:07:50,334
Speaker 1: And they were getting busy between the sheets.

140
00:07:50,014 --> 00:07:57,934
Speaker 2: Too delightfully ambitious of your little brother? Thank you?

141
00:07:57,974 --> 00:08:06,734
Speaker 1: I try, but well many read these stories, Dame Jilly

142
00:08:06,734 --> 00:08:09,214
Speaker 1: Cooper selling more than eleven million copies in the UK,

143
00:08:09,254 --> 00:08:12,134
Speaker 1: a lot and her nineteen eighty five book Writers making

144
00:08:12,174 --> 00:08:15,294
Speaker 1: the BBC List of one hundred Important English Language Novels

145
00:08:15,294 --> 00:08:18,374
Speaker 1: in the Love, Sex and Romance section. Still, the genre

146
00:08:18,494 --> 00:08:21,014
Speaker 1: was kept pushed a little to the back of the bookshelf.

147
00:08:21,534 --> 00:08:24,414
Speaker 1: That was until the likes of Julia Quinn and Sarah J.

148
00:08:24,654 --> 00:08:27,734
Speaker 1: Mass arrived on the scene. Julia Quinn is the author

149
00:08:27,734 --> 00:08:30,494
Speaker 1: behind the Bridgeton series kicking off with an offer from

150
00:08:30,494 --> 00:08:33,174
Speaker 1: a Gentleman in two thousand and one. The book since

151
00:08:33,214 --> 00:08:36,214
Speaker 1: made into the wildly popular TV series on Netflix.

152
00:08:36,894 --> 00:08:40,934
Speaker 2: Come Your Friends, Forgive Me. I do not know what

153
00:08:40,974 --> 00:08:41,574
Speaker 2: I was thinking.

154
00:08:42,654 --> 00:08:48,334
Speaker 4: I don't very much like to be more than friends

155
00:08:48,374 --> 00:08:49,094
Speaker 4: so much more.

156
00:08:56,294 --> 00:08:58,614
Speaker 1: Fifty Shades of Gray, written by E. L. James, was

157
00:08:58,654 --> 00:09:01,654
Speaker 1: released in twenty eleven and subsequently made into a movie,

158
00:09:01,814 --> 00:09:04,534
Speaker 1: but unlike Bridgeton, Fifty Shades was seen as something a

159
00:09:04,574 --> 00:09:07,294
Speaker 1: bit more taboo, almost to be looked down on due

160
00:09:07,294 --> 00:09:08,814
Speaker 1: to its much more sexual content.

161
00:09:09,534 --> 00:09:13,494
Speaker 2: You're a satist, I'm a dominant. What does that mean?

162
00:09:13,974 --> 00:09:16,374
Speaker 2: It means I want you to willingly surrender yourself to me.

163
00:09:17,654 --> 00:09:22,094
Speaker 5: Why would I do that to pleasure more?

164
00:09:22,134 --> 00:09:26,894
Speaker 1: Many discovered Quinn's Bridgeton series retrospectively post show Nothing has

165
00:09:26,894 --> 00:09:30,454
Speaker 1: made waves in the romance, well technically romanticy genre of

166
00:09:30,534 --> 00:09:33,334
Speaker 1: late then. Sarah J. Mass' is a court of Thorns

167
00:09:33,334 --> 00:09:35,814
Speaker 1: and roses, known by its acronym Akata.

168
00:09:36,174 --> 00:09:36,334
Speaker 4: Now.

169
00:09:36,374 --> 00:09:38,094
Speaker 1: Colleague Nicole was the first to get a lot of

170
00:09:38,174 --> 00:09:40,974
Speaker 1: us here at Mamma Mia onto the Akatar series and says,

171
00:09:40,974 --> 00:09:44,014
Speaker 1: the books just hit right where you don't maybe know

172
00:09:44,134 --> 00:09:45,614
Speaker 1: your deep dark desires live.

173
00:09:46,254 --> 00:09:49,214
Speaker 3: I love the Aquitar series because I'm a thirty six

174
00:09:49,334 --> 00:09:54,814
Speaker 3: year old mother who is overwhelmed, exhausted, tired, stressed all

175
00:09:54,854 --> 00:09:57,854
Speaker 3: those really boring things, and Akata allows me to escape

176
00:09:57,894 --> 00:10:01,094
Speaker 3: to a world where there's no real problems. I mean, besides,

177
00:10:01,134 --> 00:10:02,174
Speaker 3: you know, the end of the world and all that,

178
00:10:02,254 --> 00:10:05,814
Speaker 3: But there's magic, there's money, there's saucy sex scenes, and

179
00:10:05,934 --> 00:10:08,254
Speaker 3: let's face it, as much as I'm a feminist, I think,

180
00:10:08,294 --> 00:10:10,534
Speaker 3: deep down I just want to be rescued.

181
00:10:12,294 --> 00:10:14,894
Speaker 1: Sarah J. Mus three series have now sold more than

182
00:10:14,974 --> 00:10:18,654
Speaker 1: thirty eight million copies worldwide. The hashtag akatar has been

183
00:10:18,694 --> 00:10:23,094
Speaker 1: used and viewed billions of times. Rebecca Yaris's Steamy Dragon

184
00:10:23,214 --> 00:10:25,934
Speaker 1: Fourth Wing series has also been a big hit, the

185
00:10:25,934 --> 00:10:28,734
Speaker 1: first book selling two million copies in just six months.

186
00:10:29,574 --> 00:10:32,534
Speaker 1: A twenty twenty three study on romance book genre sales

187
00:10:32,814 --> 00:10:35,854
Speaker 1: revealed that it is the highest earning fiction genre of

188
00:10:35,894 --> 00:10:38,774
Speaker 1: them all, pulling in one point four to four billion

189
00:10:38,814 --> 00:10:41,894
Speaker 1: dollars in revenue and selling over thirty nine million printed

190
00:10:41,974 --> 00:10:45,694
Speaker 1: units in twenty twenty three. It ends with US author

191
00:10:45,734 --> 00:10:48,614
Speaker 1: Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry, who's best known for her

192
00:10:48,654 --> 00:10:50,894
Speaker 1: novel Beach Read, make up the line's share of the

193
00:10:50,974 --> 00:10:55,534
Speaker 1: romance global market. Romance readers are high volume consumers, too.

194
00:10:55,854 --> 00:10:58,614
Speaker 1: Seventy eight percent finish a book at least once a month,

195
00:10:58,774 --> 00:11:01,174
Speaker 1: the vast majority of them through their Kindle e reader

196
00:11:01,374 --> 00:11:04,294
Speaker 1: or on their phone. The average romance reader is forty

197
00:11:04,334 --> 00:11:07,374
Speaker 1: two years old, Caucasian and married, but the eighteen to

198
00:11:07,454 --> 00:11:09,854
Speaker 1: forty four age group is bus catching up at forty

199
00:11:09,894 --> 00:11:13,454
Speaker 1: four percent, twenty nine percent admit carrying a romance novel

200
00:11:13,494 --> 00:11:16,614
Speaker 1: with them, Forty six percent read at least one a week.

201
00:11:17,174 --> 00:11:19,694
Speaker 1: Compared to twenty twenty one global data, the sale of

202
00:11:19,774 --> 00:11:23,534
Speaker 1: romance novels is up thirty six percent, So Ozzie's into

203
00:11:23,534 --> 00:11:27,134
Speaker 1: it too. Lillian Kovats is a sales director for publisher

204
00:11:27,174 --> 00:11:30,214
Speaker 1: Hatchet Australia. Lillian, for those who have just discovered the

205
00:11:30,294 --> 00:11:33,134
Speaker 1: romance genre, it might seem like it went from being

206
00:11:33,174 --> 00:11:36,254
Speaker 1: nowhere to being everywhere overnight, but have we actually seen

207
00:11:36,294 --> 00:11:38,414
Speaker 1: an uptick in readers of the genre in recent years.

208
00:11:38,814 --> 00:11:39,894
Speaker 2: Absolutely so.

209
00:11:40,534 --> 00:11:43,894
Speaker 4: It really started to kick off in our market during

210
00:11:44,054 --> 00:11:47,454
Speaker 4: the COVID years, during the lockdown years, so romance really

211
00:11:47,494 --> 00:11:50,214
Speaker 4: started to serge sort of twenty twenty twenty twenty one

212
00:11:50,574 --> 00:11:53,094
Speaker 4: through to the end of twenty twenty three, the category

213
00:11:53,214 --> 00:11:55,894
Speaker 4: is up two hundred and fifty three percent on where

214
00:11:55,894 --> 00:11:59,334
Speaker 4: it was in twenty nineteen, so that is really significant growth.

215
00:11:59,494 --> 00:12:02,134
Speaker 4: In twenty twenty three, romance books are count of for

216
00:12:02,174 --> 00:12:05,294
Speaker 4: nearly really over sixty two million dollars worth of sales

217
00:12:05,294 --> 00:12:08,854
Speaker 4: in the Australian market, and that's continued this year. So

218
00:12:09,614 --> 00:12:12,294
Speaker 4: romance and saga books so far in twenty twenty four

219
00:12:12,534 --> 00:12:17,334
Speaker 4: are up over twelve percent, and the science fiction fantasy

220
00:12:17,614 --> 00:12:20,334
Speaker 4: portion of that, which can include some romanticy which is

221
00:12:20,374 --> 00:12:22,414
Speaker 4: a subcategory, is up over eighty percent.

222
00:12:22,574 --> 00:12:24,454
Speaker 2: So definitely still seeing.

223
00:12:24,174 --> 00:12:26,734
Speaker 4: Growth, lots of new authors coming in all the time,

224
00:12:27,014 --> 00:12:29,174
Speaker 4: and still yeah, really exciting part of the book industry.

225
00:12:29,614 --> 00:12:32,454
Speaker 1: And which authors are we seeing are really hitting the

226
00:12:32,454 --> 00:12:33,814
Speaker 1: mark here in Australia.

227
00:12:33,894 --> 00:12:37,694
Speaker 4: So it's still very much romance led in that sort

228
00:12:37,694 --> 00:12:39,894
Speaker 4: of that traditional romance space. We have a lot of

229
00:12:39,934 --> 00:12:42,814
Speaker 4: billionaire romance, so our top authors are people like Anna

230
00:12:42,894 --> 00:12:46,294
Speaker 4: Hong who's done lots of billionaire romance series.

231
00:12:45,974 --> 00:12:47,054
Speaker 2: Like the Twisted series.

232
00:12:47,094 --> 00:12:49,894
Speaker 4: But we are seeing some new trends coming through and

233
00:12:49,934 --> 00:12:52,854
Speaker 4: the fastest growing, as I said, is romanticy. So the

234
00:12:52,934 --> 00:12:54,934
Speaker 4: number one author in that category is one of ours,

235
00:12:54,934 --> 00:12:57,974
Speaker 4: Rebecca Yarros, with her Fourth Wing series, and that has

236
00:12:58,054 --> 00:13:00,334
Speaker 4: brought a whole lot of new people into the genre

237
00:13:00,374 --> 00:13:03,134
Speaker 4: who maybe didn't think that romance was so much for them,

238
00:13:03,334 --> 00:13:05,734
Speaker 4: or romance readers who didn't think that fantasy was for them,

239
00:13:05,814 --> 00:13:08,174
Speaker 4: and quite a lot of male readers as well. Interestingly,

240
00:13:08,334 --> 00:13:11,454
Speaker 4: so there are some of the lastest growing areas. Sports

241
00:13:11,574 --> 00:13:14,254
Speaker 4: romance has always done very well, and there's been some

242
00:13:14,334 --> 00:13:17,894
Speaker 4: ice hockey romance that started out. Our author Anahong has

243
00:13:17,894 --> 00:13:21,134
Speaker 4: started a Premier League romance series, so we're definitely seeing

244
00:13:21,214 --> 00:13:25,454
Speaker 4: a shift into the sport area. Cowboys are perennially popular,

245
00:13:25,654 --> 00:13:28,614
Speaker 4: so we've got Elsie Silver and Lilah Stage who are

246
00:13:28,654 --> 00:13:31,214
Speaker 4: at the top of the charts writing their cowboy romances.

247
00:13:31,534 --> 00:13:35,214
Speaker 4: So yeah, definitely lots of different subjtions within the very

248
00:13:35,254 --> 00:13:36,414
Speaker 4: broad romance genre.

249
00:13:36,894 --> 00:13:39,174
Speaker 1: And are we seeing any signs of that slowing down?

250
00:13:39,254 --> 00:13:41,454
Speaker 1: I know you said, sales are still looking pretty healthy

251
00:13:41,494 --> 00:13:43,894
Speaker 1: this year. Any signs that that's backing off at all?

252
00:13:44,334 --> 00:13:46,374
Speaker 4: No, not really backing off at all. It is just

253
00:13:46,414 --> 00:13:49,614
Speaker 4: a category that keeps evolving with people's tastes. Like I said,

254
00:13:49,654 --> 00:13:54,294
Speaker 4: it really started with much more obvious contemporary romance, but

255
00:13:54,374 --> 00:13:57,574
Speaker 4: it has shifted much more into the romanticy space. We

256
00:13:57,654 --> 00:14:01,694
Speaker 4: see certain genres rise and fall as they gain popularity

257
00:14:02,054 --> 00:14:04,974
Speaker 4: on new authors come into space, but yeah, certainly overall

258
00:14:05,414 --> 00:14:08,494
Speaker 4: not dropping off, just a lot more of choice in

259
00:14:08,534 --> 00:14:09,294
Speaker 4: the category now.

260
00:14:11,734 --> 00:14:15,854
Speaker 1: Someone who has read some of the spiciest, sexiest, smuttiest

261
00:14:15,894 --> 00:14:19,294
Speaker 1: books in recent years is Tierney Reads, a content creator

262
00:14:19,334 --> 00:14:23,134
Speaker 1: and soon to be author herself, who regularly posts recommendations

263
00:14:23,214 --> 00:14:25,374
Speaker 1: for spicy books on TikTok and Instagram.

264
00:14:25,814 --> 00:14:26,854
Speaker 2: Books I read and loved that.

265
00:14:26,854 --> 00:14:28,934
Speaker 5: I wouldn't want my family to know I read and

266
00:14:29,014 --> 00:14:30,774
Speaker 5: love why's that, Teerney?

267
00:14:30,854 --> 00:14:31,134
Speaker 6: Do you know?

268
00:14:31,294 --> 00:14:32,974
Speaker 5: Maybe it's we could creed and she goes to pound

269
00:14:33,014 --> 00:14:36,094
Speaker 5: down with two step cousins. Yes, at the same time,

270
00:14:36,334 --> 00:14:38,294
Speaker 5: I never used to read spicy books. I've gone from

271
00:14:38,334 --> 00:14:41,174
Speaker 5: like zero to one hundred. I want all the trigger warnings,

272
00:14:41,254 --> 00:14:43,374
Speaker 5: I want all the semen, I want dicks, I want balls,

273
00:14:43,374 --> 00:14:46,054
Speaker 5: I want vaginas, give me everything. Give me a watch

274
00:14:46,054 --> 00:14:48,854
Speaker 5: these romance with four hot cops, and I'll disassociate and

275
00:14:48,894 --> 00:14:51,294
Speaker 5: disappear down that deep, dark hole real quick.

276
00:14:52,534 --> 00:14:54,814
Speaker 1: Teanney, You're forgiven. If you can't remember the very first

277
00:14:54,854 --> 00:14:56,734
Speaker 1: I couldn't tell you the title of the one I read.

278
00:14:56,774 --> 00:14:59,414
Speaker 1: But do you remember your first spicy book and how

279
00:14:59,454 --> 00:15:00,294
Speaker 1: it made you feel?

280
00:15:01,454 --> 00:15:01,574
Speaker 6: Oh?

281
00:15:01,694 --> 00:15:05,934
Speaker 2: Definitely. So I read my first spicy book.

282
00:15:05,974 --> 00:15:08,414
Speaker 6: It was back in twenty twenty two, so a couple

283
00:15:08,454 --> 00:15:10,214
Speaker 6: of years ago now, and it it was called A

284
00:15:10,294 --> 00:15:13,694
Speaker 6: Court of Thorn and Roses. You've probably heard of it.

285
00:15:13,694 --> 00:15:16,294
Speaker 6: It's by Sarah J. Mass, and she's a really big

286
00:15:16,454 --> 00:15:20,774
Speaker 6: romanticy author. That's how I came across my first spicy book.

287
00:15:20,854 --> 00:15:23,774
Speaker 6: My best friends were reading it at the time and

288
00:15:24,134 --> 00:15:25,974
Speaker 6: they were just talking about it, and I felt left

289
00:15:25,974 --> 00:15:28,414
Speaker 6: out of this conversation, and one of them just said,

290
00:15:28,694 --> 00:15:29,214
Speaker 6: you need.

291
00:15:29,094 --> 00:15:31,894
Speaker 2: To read this, and I did, and I spiraled it.

292
00:15:33,014 --> 00:15:36,174
Speaker 1: Talk to me about that spiral, because obviously the Sarah J. Massworld,

293
00:15:36,174 --> 00:15:37,974
Speaker 1: for those who've not read A Courd of Thorn and Roses,

294
00:15:38,094 --> 00:15:40,974
Speaker 1: is huge, and it's multi universal, and there's different series

295
00:15:40,974 --> 00:15:44,574
Speaker 1: that all sort of connecting together. And so what was

296
00:15:44,614 --> 00:15:47,134
Speaker 1: it about that first book you think that got you hooked.

297
00:15:47,534 --> 00:15:50,854
Speaker 6: I just had no idea that there were romance books

298
00:15:50,894 --> 00:15:53,534
Speaker 6: that existed like that. I mean, of course i'd heard

299
00:15:53,534 --> 00:15:55,574
Speaker 6: of the old mills and Boons that you know, our

300
00:15:55,614 --> 00:15:58,054
Speaker 6: aunties and our mums might have hidden in a chest

301
00:15:58,094 --> 00:16:01,694
Speaker 6: in their cupboard, but I just had no idea that

302
00:16:01,734 --> 00:16:05,414
Speaker 6: there were different sub genres under the romance umbrella. So

303
00:16:05,614 --> 00:16:08,574
Speaker 6: I had no idea that fantasy could tie in romance,

304
00:16:08,814 --> 00:16:10,814
Speaker 6: and that sort of opened up the gate to start

305
00:16:10,894 --> 00:16:15,094
Speaker 6: exploring different subgenres under romance as well. It was just

306
00:16:15,974 --> 00:16:18,094
Speaker 6: I feel as though it was almost a little bit

307
00:16:18,134 --> 00:16:22,174
Speaker 6: empowering because while I was reading, it just opened up

308
00:16:22,214 --> 00:16:25,614
Speaker 6: different conversations with my friends, and it sort of just

309
00:16:25,614 --> 00:16:26,534
Speaker 6: didn't stop from there.

310
00:16:26,614 --> 00:16:28,014
Speaker 2: It kind of just snowballed.

311
00:16:28,534 --> 00:16:31,254
Speaker 1: Can we talk about how it sometimes impacts your sex

312
00:16:31,294 --> 00:16:34,094
Speaker 1: life too, because many women talk about having read these

313
00:16:34,134 --> 00:16:36,774
Speaker 1: books and it really opening their eyes and sort of

314
00:16:36,814 --> 00:16:39,574
Speaker 1: reinvigorating their sex life. Would you say that you've had

315
00:16:39,574 --> 00:16:40,254
Speaker 1: that experience?

316
00:16:40,454 --> 00:16:40,894
Speaker 2: I would.

317
00:16:42,094 --> 00:16:45,494
Speaker 6: I think that the romance novels offer a safe space

318
00:16:45,534 --> 00:16:48,694
Speaker 6: for women to explore different forms of intimacy, whether it's

319
00:16:48,694 --> 00:16:51,894
Speaker 6: you know, relationship dynamics, different sort of kinks, And I

320
00:16:52,094 --> 00:16:55,974
Speaker 6: just think by reading it provides a judgment free way

321
00:16:56,254 --> 00:16:59,054
Speaker 6: for readers to imagine what might appeal to them or

322
00:16:59,134 --> 00:17:03,014
Speaker 6: understand sort of new perspectives on attraction and pleasure. And

323
00:17:03,054 --> 00:17:06,974
Speaker 6: I just feel like it helps normalize talking about desire,

324
00:17:07,334 --> 00:17:08,774
Speaker 6: even when we're trying.

325
00:17:08,494 --> 00:17:09,214
Speaker 2: To discover it.

326
00:17:09,854 --> 00:17:12,774
Speaker 1: You've mentioned the subgenres. Can you give us an idea

327
00:17:12,814 --> 00:17:14,414
Speaker 1: of just how many there are?

328
00:17:14,454 --> 00:17:14,654
Speaker 2: To know?

329
00:17:14,694 --> 00:17:16,614
Speaker 1: There is like way too many to list of, but

330
00:17:16,774 --> 00:17:19,534
Speaker 1: this is a safe space you can use words. Please

331
00:17:19,614 --> 00:17:22,294
Speaker 1: give us an idea of the different kinds of subgenres

332
00:17:22,294 --> 00:17:26,174
Speaker 1: you've come across in your spicy book reading journey.

333
00:17:27,134 --> 00:17:33,134
Speaker 6: Sure, I've come across Monster smart or monster romance, which

334
00:17:33,334 --> 00:17:36,294
Speaker 6: has a little bit more sort of sci fi tied

335
00:17:36,334 --> 00:17:39,254
Speaker 6: into it, so it might be aliens. Then you've got

336
00:17:39,294 --> 00:17:43,774
Speaker 6: your lafia romances, you've got contemporary romances. I've come across

337
00:17:43,854 --> 00:17:48,294
Speaker 6: dark romance, which is actually very popular fantasy romance. And

338
00:17:48,334 --> 00:17:51,374
Speaker 6: then there's sort of little tropes underneath that that people

339
00:17:51,774 --> 00:17:53,854
Speaker 6: look for and it helps them shop for a book.

340
00:17:53,894 --> 00:17:57,134
Speaker 6: So there might be billionaire romance, there might be you know,

341
00:17:57,294 --> 00:17:58,814
Speaker 6: single parent romance.

342
00:17:59,374 --> 00:18:00,734
Speaker 1: Do you know what a couple of my friends are

343
00:18:00,774 --> 00:18:05,254
Speaker 1: really into, which I wasn't expecting is ice hockey romance?

344
00:18:05,534 --> 00:18:09,854
Speaker 6: That one snack up on me as well. I don't

345
00:18:09,934 --> 00:18:13,334
Speaker 6: watch sport, but the first time I read a spicy

346
00:18:13,414 --> 00:18:16,614
Speaker 6: hockey romance book, I loved it. And I didn't know

347
00:18:16,654 --> 00:18:18,894
Speaker 6: what it was about it, and I still don't, but

348
00:18:19,174 --> 00:18:22,094
Speaker 6: there's something in it. And I remember the first book

349
00:18:22,094 --> 00:18:24,814
Speaker 6: that I read was Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, and I

350
00:18:24,814 --> 00:18:26,894
Speaker 6: think that was a lot of people stepping stone into

351
00:18:26,894 --> 00:18:27,774
Speaker 6: hockey romance.

352
00:18:28,374 --> 00:18:32,134
Speaker 1: When did you start reviewing these books on social media?

353
00:18:32,174 --> 00:18:33,454
Speaker 1: And can you talk to me about the kind of

354
00:18:33,494 --> 00:18:35,454
Speaker 1: response you got when you first started doing it.

355
00:18:35,694 --> 00:18:39,054
Speaker 6: Sure, So I first started reading and reviewing these books

356
00:18:39,174 --> 00:18:41,574
Speaker 6: towards the end of twenty twenty two, So it was

357
00:18:41,654 --> 00:18:43,974
Speaker 6: just after I finished reading the Card of Thorn and

358
00:18:44,054 --> 00:18:46,574
Speaker 6: Roses series by Sarah J. Mass and that's when I

359
00:18:46,614 --> 00:18:49,334
Speaker 6: downloaded TikTok and I had never heard about book talk,

360
00:18:49,974 --> 00:18:53,174
Speaker 6: so that's when I started reading all of those. For

361
00:18:53,214 --> 00:18:56,094
Speaker 6: the most part, the response was really positive. I did

362
00:18:56,134 --> 00:18:59,334
Speaker 6: get the occasional more than anything. It was an occasional

363
00:18:59,414 --> 00:19:02,334
Speaker 6: man piping in sort of saying that your friends might

364
00:19:02,414 --> 00:19:04,934
Speaker 6: see this, and what will happen if your family sees this,

365
00:19:05,774 --> 00:19:09,694
Speaker 6: and it's kind of dropping that stigma and just normalizing it.

366
00:19:10,134 --> 00:19:12,534
Speaker 1: Well, that's something you do sometimes mention in your videos

367
00:19:12,534 --> 00:19:14,614
Speaker 1: that like, oh my god, my family's going to see this.

368
00:19:14,734 --> 00:19:17,174
Speaker 1: But like, let's dive right on in. How has your

369
00:19:17,174 --> 00:19:18,294
Speaker 1: family responded to it?

370
00:19:18,614 --> 00:19:19,014
Speaker 2: Do you know what?

371
00:19:19,054 --> 00:19:22,894
Speaker 6: They've been so positive, and they've been really really supportive

372
00:19:22,934 --> 00:19:23,294
Speaker 6: of it.

373
00:19:23,454 --> 00:19:26,294
Speaker 2: I'm married, I've been married for nearly eight years. My

374
00:19:26,414 --> 00:19:29,494
Speaker 2: husband's really supportive of it, and I.

375
00:19:29,454 --> 00:19:32,014
Speaker 6: Think they can see that I've become a lot more

376
00:19:32,054 --> 00:19:34,974
Speaker 6: confident as a person just from reading and talking about this,

377
00:19:35,494 --> 00:19:37,574
Speaker 6: because I mean at the beginning, it wasn't an easy

378
00:19:37,614 --> 00:19:40,054
Speaker 6: thing to do, and it's not easy to jump online

379
00:19:40,054 --> 00:19:42,814
Speaker 6: and be authentic and so open about what you're reading

380
00:19:42,854 --> 00:19:46,694
Speaker 6: with people. But after a while you realize it does

381
00:19:46,774 --> 00:19:50,854
Speaker 6: become normal and there shouldn't be societal expectations around it.

382
00:19:50,934 --> 00:19:55,774
Speaker 6: They shouldn't be stigma around it. It's recognizing that they're valuable.

383
00:19:55,854 --> 00:19:59,534
Speaker 6: They explore emotions and relationships and human desires rather than

384
00:19:59,774 --> 00:20:01,374
Speaker 6: just spice.

385
00:20:02,134 --> 00:20:05,694
Speaker 1: It's not like a porn movie or a graphic magazine, like,

386
00:20:05,694 --> 00:20:07,374
Speaker 1: there's a hell of a lot more to it, right.

387
00:20:07,614 --> 00:20:08,934
Speaker 6: There is a lot more to it, and I think

388
00:20:08,974 --> 00:20:11,534
Speaker 6: a lot of people just don't necessarily realize that, and

389
00:20:11,574 --> 00:20:13,934
Speaker 6: you won't until you read it, and I can understand that,

390
00:20:14,174 --> 00:20:15,614
Speaker 6: but yeah, there is a lot more to it.

391
00:20:16,054 --> 00:20:17,774
Speaker 1: So it's been a couple of years since you've started

392
00:20:17,814 --> 00:20:20,374
Speaker 1: doing this. I mean, I personally have seen a real

393
00:20:20,534 --> 00:20:24,774
Speaker 1: increase in both women and men sharing their sexy book recommendations,

394
00:20:25,014 --> 00:20:28,654
Speaker 1: and even men telling other men, Hey, if you're trying

395
00:20:28,654 --> 00:20:30,334
Speaker 1: to find a way to spice up your sex life,

396
00:20:30,334 --> 00:20:32,414
Speaker 1: go pick up the book your woman is reading and

397
00:20:32,574 --> 00:20:34,654
Speaker 1: get a few ideas. Like have you really seen an

398
00:20:34,654 --> 00:20:35,734
Speaker 1: explosion in this?

399
00:20:36,094 --> 00:20:38,654
Speaker 6: Definitely I really really have, and I think that a

400
00:20:38,694 --> 00:20:40,814
Speaker 6: lot of it I actually put down to the self

401
00:20:40,814 --> 00:20:45,574
Speaker 6: published in the authors. I think that it explores diverse representation,

402
00:20:46,294 --> 00:20:49,654
Speaker 6: so I think with more genres, more relationships and characters,

403
00:20:49,654 --> 00:20:52,614
Speaker 6: I feel as though it reflects a variety of experiences

404
00:20:52,654 --> 00:20:56,814
Speaker 6: and different identities, and people can resonate with personal experiences,

405
00:20:56,894 --> 00:20:58,734
Speaker 6: and I just feel like it would make the reader

406
00:20:59,454 --> 00:21:03,734
Speaker 6: feel validated and more confident about expressing their love and

407
00:21:03,814 --> 00:21:07,094
Speaker 6: their experience or the connection to the book and the characters.

408
00:21:07,134 --> 00:21:12,094
Speaker 1: So definitely that's something too worth exploring in that romance

409
00:21:12,174 --> 00:21:16,934
Speaker 1: novels of old were generally heterosexual relationships, whereas modern day

410
00:21:17,054 --> 00:21:21,574
Speaker 1: spicy books are like all kinds of combinations of straight,

411
00:21:21,734 --> 00:21:23,454
Speaker 1: queer and everything in between. Right.

412
00:21:24,214 --> 00:21:29,454
Speaker 6: Yeah, Definitely there's a movement in promoting sexual positivity for everybody,

413
00:21:29,734 --> 00:21:32,574
Speaker 6: and I think everybody can relate to love and romance

414
00:21:32,694 --> 00:21:37,174
Speaker 6: and sexual desires, and romance just doesn't exclude And that's

415
00:21:37,174 --> 00:21:40,254
Speaker 6: what I really really love about it. It resonates with

416
00:21:40,334 --> 00:21:43,894
Speaker 6: readers because they're just beginning to see characters who reflect

417
00:21:43,974 --> 00:21:49,014
Speaker 6: their lives and experiences, and it's just becoming more increasingly

418
00:21:49,054 --> 00:21:51,574
Speaker 6: inclusive over time, and I just think it's wonderful.

419
00:21:52,094 --> 00:21:54,174
Speaker 1: Why do you think it is happening now though, tiny,

420
00:21:54,214 --> 00:21:57,254
Speaker 1: because like Akatara, Cordthorne and Roses, as you mentioned, like

421
00:21:57,254 --> 00:21:59,134
Speaker 1: that was written all the way back or released back

422
00:21:59,254 --> 00:22:01,974
Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen, but many of us are only really

423
00:22:02,014 --> 00:22:06,294
Speaker 1: discovering this series now. Why do you think in twenty

424
00:22:06,334 --> 00:22:09,974
Speaker 1: twenty four it's really sort of found its niche in

425
00:22:10,094 --> 00:22:12,054
Speaker 1: book talk and in readership across the world.

426
00:22:12,614 --> 00:22:17,654
Speaker 6: I think that platforms like Instagram, TikTok or books talk,

427
00:22:17,694 --> 00:22:22,134
Speaker 6: there's also good Reads, they've created communities of romance readers

428
00:22:22,134 --> 00:22:25,894
Speaker 6: and writers, so not only can you connect with fellow readers,

429
00:22:26,614 --> 00:22:29,694
Speaker 6: but you can also actually speak one on one with

430
00:22:29,734 --> 00:22:31,734
Speaker 6: the authors that you love. And I just feel like

431
00:22:31,774 --> 00:22:36,054
Speaker 6: these platforms have allowed open discussions about romance and smart

432
00:22:36,094 --> 00:22:39,814
Speaker 6: and normalizing what was once considered to be taboo and

433
00:22:39,934 --> 00:22:44,014
Speaker 6: creating excitement around you know, new releases, character tropes, spicy scenes,

434
00:22:44,574 --> 00:22:47,854
Speaker 6: and I think with the rise of ebooks and audio

435
00:22:47,854 --> 00:22:50,894
Speaker 6: books as well, it's just created.

436
00:22:50,454 --> 00:22:52,854
Speaker 2: A much more immersive experience for readers.

437
00:22:52,974 --> 00:22:54,934
Speaker 6: And I think that it's become a lot more accessible

438
00:22:54,934 --> 00:22:55,734
Speaker 6: because of them too.

439
00:22:56,534 --> 00:22:59,774
Speaker 1: I'd love to get your take on turning these books

440
00:22:59,814 --> 00:23:02,734
Speaker 1: into films or TV series, because we've seen Dame Deey

441
00:23:02,774 --> 00:23:05,574
Speaker 1: Cooper's books turned into the TV show Rivals, which is

442
00:23:05,694 --> 00:23:08,214
Speaker 1: now hit our screens. There's been a rumor circulating for

443
00:23:08,294 --> 00:23:10,694
Speaker 1: quite some time that Akataskar be turned into a TV show,

444
00:23:10,734 --> 00:23:14,054
Speaker 1: but the when, who and how of that still remains

445
00:23:14,054 --> 00:23:16,094
Speaker 1: a bit of a mystery. How do you feel about

446
00:23:16,094 --> 00:23:18,974
Speaker 1: bringing these characters to life, because there's going to be

447
00:23:18,974 --> 00:23:20,894
Speaker 1: a whole bunch of people who are like, that's not

448
00:23:21,014 --> 00:23:21,574
Speaker 1: my recent.

449
00:23:21,974 --> 00:23:22,454
Speaker 2: Yeah.

450
00:23:22,934 --> 00:23:25,134
Speaker 6: I think it is really divided, but I think it

451
00:23:25,134 --> 00:23:30,374
Speaker 6: will also just expose readers and viewers to new things.

452
00:23:30,534 --> 00:23:32,814
Speaker 6: Like if you take Bridgitton for example, that was Julia

453
00:23:32,894 --> 00:23:37,334
Speaker 6: Quinn and I hadn't heard of the series before watching it,

454
00:23:38,094 --> 00:23:39,894
Speaker 6: and I knew that that really took off and it

455
00:23:39,934 --> 00:23:43,174
Speaker 6: was amazing for her. And you couldn't buy the books

456
00:23:43,174 --> 00:23:45,694
Speaker 6: anywhere because people wanted to continue the story and wanted

457
00:23:45,734 --> 00:23:47,774
Speaker 6: to read and wanted to immerse themselves in it.

458
00:23:47,854 --> 00:23:49,974
Speaker 2: So I think there's a real divide.

459
00:23:50,014 --> 00:23:52,494
Speaker 6: I think it can be quite difficult, but it can

460
00:23:52,574 --> 00:23:56,854
Speaker 6: also be really exciting. It gives authors so many wonderful

461
00:23:56,894 --> 00:23:59,694
Speaker 6: opportunities as well. I'm not sure if you've heard of

462
00:23:59,734 --> 00:24:02,854
Speaker 6: The After Series by Anna Todd. So that's a movie

463
00:24:02,894 --> 00:24:06,574
Speaker 6: franchise that initially started in romance books, and that was

464
00:24:06,694 --> 00:24:09,014
Speaker 6: way back in the early twenty ten, so she was

465
00:24:09,014 --> 00:24:11,014
Speaker 6: sort of one of the OG's at the same time

466
00:24:11,334 --> 00:24:14,614
Speaker 6: as Fifty Shades of Gray, and she just wrote fan

467
00:24:14,694 --> 00:24:17,974
Speaker 6: fiction and it's changed her life because it's turned into

468
00:24:18,014 --> 00:24:21,214
Speaker 6: a book series, which then subsequently turned into a TV

469
00:24:21,454 --> 00:24:25,654
Speaker 6: series and movies. So I think there's definitely the risk

470
00:24:25,734 --> 00:24:29,494
Speaker 6: of people not feeling as though the characters were represented

471
00:24:29,534 --> 00:24:33,254
Speaker 6: as they were in their mind. But I think it

472
00:24:33,294 --> 00:24:36,574
Speaker 6: also opens up a channel for people to explore new

473
00:24:36,614 --> 00:24:38,654
Speaker 6: things and get to connect with books.

474
00:24:38,734 --> 00:24:43,214
Speaker 1: You know, So romance and romanticy readers are coming out

475
00:24:43,214 --> 00:24:46,054
Speaker 1: of the woodwork and bring it with them less shame,

476
00:24:46,414 --> 00:24:49,214
Speaker 1: more spice, an increased level of exposure to the women

477
00:24:49,254 --> 00:24:52,054
Speaker 1: who write them, and a whole lot more interesting knowledge

478
00:24:52,054 --> 00:24:55,774
Speaker 1: about what really gets them going. But of course we

479
00:24:55,814 --> 00:24:58,014
Speaker 1: won't leave your hanging. Here are some books that Tenney

480
00:24:58,094 --> 00:25:00,894
Speaker 1: says sit at the top of her recommendation list, and

481
00:25:01,014 --> 00:25:02,894
Speaker 1: make sure you check back in on our show notes

482
00:25:02,894 --> 00:25:05,734
Speaker 1: in January, we'll pop a link in to Tenne's new book,

483
00:25:05,854 --> 00:25:06,534
Speaker 1: The Other Brother.

484
00:25:07,134 --> 00:25:10,374
Speaker 6: So I will always recommend the London Mistic series by

485
00:25:10,374 --> 00:25:14,214
Speaker 6: an author named Rosa Lucas. It's a trilogy and it's

486
00:25:14,254 --> 00:25:17,774
Speaker 6: about three multi multi millionaires and they're a little bit

487
00:25:17,814 --> 00:25:21,494
Speaker 6: boisterous and it's them on their little journeys to find love,

488
00:25:22,094 --> 00:25:24,774
Speaker 6: but they all come in unexpected ways. So I would

489
00:25:24,774 --> 00:25:27,414
Speaker 6: definitely recommend that to people who are looking for something

490
00:25:27,494 --> 00:25:31,174
Speaker 6: fun and if they've not read spicy romance books before.

491
00:25:31,814 --> 00:25:35,534
Speaker 6: Also another one is the Off Campus series by l Kennedy,

492
00:25:35,614 --> 00:25:38,974
Speaker 6: So that's a series of spicy hockey romances which will

493
00:25:38,974 --> 00:25:42,294
Speaker 6: also soon be adapted into a TV series. So I

494
00:25:42,294 --> 00:25:45,094
Speaker 6: would recommend getting onto those. That's a five book series

495
00:25:45,174 --> 00:25:45,974
Speaker 6: and they're just.

496
00:25:46,054 --> 00:25:49,214
Speaker 1: Brilliant and what would you say, is like the darkest,

497
00:25:49,294 --> 00:25:50,814
Speaker 1: most twisted one you've ever read.

498
00:25:51,414 --> 00:25:55,214
Speaker 6: So some people will find Credence by Penelope Douglas to

499
00:25:55,294 --> 00:25:57,894
Speaker 6: be a little bit confronting only because it's a little

500
00:25:57,934 --> 00:25:58,654
Speaker 6: bit taboo.

501
00:25:59,334 --> 00:26:01,974
Speaker 2: But I really loved that book. I really loved that

502
00:26:02,014 --> 00:26:05,654
Speaker 2: book and I recommend it a lot. And another one

503
00:26:05,814 --> 00:26:09,174
Speaker 2: would be God of Pain by Riena Kent. That's a

504
00:26:09,174 --> 00:26:13,054
Speaker 2: part of the Legacy of God's series Just Case that

505
00:26:13,134 --> 00:26:13,894
Speaker 2: I hadn't.

506
00:26:13,574 --> 00:26:17,254
Speaker 6: Really heard of before, so it was quite enlightening.

507
00:26:19,454 --> 00:26:22,014
Speaker 1: The Guggie is produced by me Claire Murphy and our

508
00:26:22,014 --> 00:26:25,494
Speaker 1: Executive producer Taylor Strano, with audio production by tig and

509
00:26:25,534 --> 00:26:25,934
Speaker 1: Sadler