The novel tells the story of Smoky Barnable, a young man who travels from the City (New York) to Edgewood to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater. Edgewood, a house designed and built by John Drinkwater, serves as a gateway between the human world and the realm of Faerie. The story spans multiple generations of the Drinkwater family, delving into their unique connections with fairies, magical abilities, and the complex, interconnected nature of their world. The narrative is rich in allegory and symbolism, exploring themes of family, love, and the blurring of reality and fantasy[1][4][5].
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand is set in Nantucket during the peak of wedding season. The story revolves around the Otis-Winbury wedding, which is disrupted by the discovery of the maid of honor's body in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony. Chief of Police Ed Kapenash leads the investigation, interviewing the bride, groom, and other members of the wedding party, revealing a web of secrets and complex relationships. The novel flashes back to multiple timelines, exposing affairs, family dynamics, and the intricate connections between the characters. Despite the tragic event, the book maintains a breezy tone characteristic of Hilderbrand's beach reads, while also delivering a clever whodunit[2][3][4].
The book tells the story of Evelyn Hugo, a reclusive Hollywood movie icon who, at the age of 79, decides to reveal the true story of her life to unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant. Evelyn's life is chronicled through her seven marriages, her rise to fame in the 1950s, and her struggles with identity, love, and the harsh realities of being a Cuban and bisexual woman in a repressive culture. The novel explores themes of ambition, friendship, and forbidden love, and how Evelyn's life intersects with Monique's in tragic and irreversible ways[2][4][5].
Spanning thirty years, 'Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow' by Gabrielle Zevin is a sweeping narrative that explores the lives of Sam and Sadie, two friends united by their love of video games. From their childhood encounters to their adulthood as successful game developers, the book delves into themes of identity, creativity, disability, and the redemptive possibilities in play. It is a coming-of-age story that examines the multifaceted nature of human relationships and the need to connect, love, and be loved. The novel is praised for its mature and nuanced portrayal of characters and its ability to engage readers even without prior knowledge of the video game industry.
The Plot is a detailed and controversial account of the events leading to Boris Johnson's ousting as Prime Minister. The book, written by Nadine Dorries, a former Culture Secretary and close ally of Johnson, suggests that his downfall was orchestrated by a secretive cabal known as the Movement, involving key figures like Dr No, Michael Gove, and Dominic Cummings. The narrative is based on interviews with multiple inside sources, although the credibility and anonymity of some sources raise questions about the veracity of the claims. The book paints a picture of a complex web of deceit and power struggles within the Conservative Party, but its lack of clear narrative and reliance on unverified sources make it challenging to discern fact from speculation.
In today’s episode, Bianca interviews Emmy award-winning journalist and bestselling author, Kate Fagan, about her debut novel, The Three Lives of Cate Kay.
Kate shares how she originally came to listen to the podcast, as well as the details of her journey to publication (which included querying podcast host, Carly Watters).
Bianca and Kate go on to discuss the unique structure of the novel that reads like a memoir featuring multiple POVs. Kate shares insights on the creative process behind her ambitious storytelling and how she played to her strengths as a writer. She delves into the process of creating a book within the book, and how she attempted to do so by repurposing an earlier manuscript.
They also explore how important it is to create fully rounded characters so that readers can connect with so-called villains who see themselves as the heroes in their own stories.
Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
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The Shit No One Tells You About Writing 
