In this episode, author Paige Harbison joins us to unpack The Other Side of Now—a grief-tinged “what if” that drops a woman into an alternate version of her life. We talk about how loss reshapes identity, the fault lines in friendships when reality shifts, and why the book’s timeline jump works without leaning heavy into sci-fi.

Links

• Official author website: (https://www.paigeharbison.com/)
• The Other Side of Now: (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217388211-the-other-side-of-now)
• Paige Harbison on Goodreads: (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4130856.Paige_Harbison)

Chapters

• (01:57) - Why Kristy picked it
• (05:22) - Book summary (spoiler-free)
• (07:18) - SPOILER ALERT!
• (07:36) - Kristy's review
• (09:37) - Jon's review
• (11:44) - What about the 'what if'
• (16:17) - Reshaping choices, values, and relationships
• (23:16) - Fame and identity
• (25:55) - The reveal
• (29:34) - You're not the person I know!
• (33:40) - What would your alternate reality look like?
• (35:25) - Interview with the author
• (01:06:27) - Wrapping up

For this episode, Kristy made Jon read Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson—a thriller where a 27-year-old, given one week to live after a Halloween attack, decides to investigate her own impending murder. We talk about the impending tension and who to trust when everyone’s a suspect. Listen for our takes on character choices, twists, and whether the premise sticks the landing.

Links

• Not Quite Dead Yet (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220223963-not-quite-dead-yet)
• Holly Jackson on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18229614.Holly_Jackson)

Chapters

• (03:20) - Book summary (spoiler-free)
• (04:18) - SPOILER ALERT!
• (04:41) - Jon's review
• (06:15) - Kristy's review
• (08:26) - Jet as a narrator
• (13:04) - A few days left to live
• (16:50) - Police inadequacies
• (20:01) - Who did Jon suspect
• (25:55) - Trust Luke?
• (27:30) - Good & evil
• (29:43) - The final chapters
• (34:39) - Reaction to Luke's decision
• (37:22) - Did it feel YA to Jon?
• (39:19) - Final thoughts

In this episode, we discuss Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerrieri, joined by the author herself. It’s a powerful story of motherhood, identity, and the phantom life that lingers in the background. We unpack the choices, struggles, and regrets that make Leah O’Connor’s journey unforgettable.

Links

• Official author website: (https://www.jessicaguerrieri.net/)
• Book on Goodreads: (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216052784-between-the-devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea)
• Jessica Guerrieri on Goodreads: (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50861087.Jessica_Guerrieri)

Chapters

• (01:23) - Why Krsity picked this book
• (04:05) - Book summary (clean)
• (05:29) - SPOILER ALERT
• (05:45) - Kristy's review
• (07:09) - Jon's review
• (08:30) - A metaphorical title
• (10:16) - A phantom life
• (15:04) - Sympathetic or infuriating
• (18:07) - Reliable or unreliable
• (20:38) - Shaping a sense of self
• (23:23) - Leah’s relationships
• (27:26) - Paving another path
• (30:24) - Making different choices
• (32:53) - Failures or societal pressures
• (35:03) - More from the ending?
• (39:39) - Interview with Jessica
• (01:08:49) - Final thoughts