Torry - Pop Culture and Romance

[00:00:00]

Laura: Hi, Tori. Welcome to. Hi, Tori. Welcome to watch your next podcast. I hope you're doing well. Tell us, tell us what you've been up to.

Torry: Thank you. Thanks for having me back on. I've been up to a lot reading my way through 2024 and podcasting about it.

Laura: We started the new season with two things. We started with a trailer of your new podcast, which we'll talk about it. And then we revisited your episode where you were just a newish reader in 2022. Like you were just getting your feet wet and girl, you have surpassed me now.

Torry: It's so funny. Yeah. I want to say thanks so much for supporting the podcast because yeah, we met through my other podcast, ready to be petty. And then Laura slid into IDMs when. She saw that I was starting Ready to be Romanced. And yeah, it's so funny. I started reading romance in like [00:01:00] 2020. So I still feel very new to the space and I only really started talking about it super publicly in 2022 with you. So I, I like being a new face to it. Maybe a little less jaded but,

Laura: Yes.

Torry: it's been a wild ride.

Laura: Yes, I've been reading Romans since 2016. And I am in the Jada phase. I'm like, I've seen it all. I see book threads. I see threads a day old. It's a recycled drama. I'm like, I've seen this in drama, like so many times, or like this, we talk about bookish tea, and how there's a lot of Romance Land. Yeah, drama and gossip.

Laura: And I was like, we've seen this, like, I was like, yeah, it's been repeated, like five years ago, or two years ago. So,

Torry: Yeah. It's the same in the pop culture space for sure. Like it's like, didn't this happen five years ago and stuff like that. And we just never learn our lesson and just repeat the same mistakes. But yeah, , it's fun to be on the sidelines and just [00:02:00] viewing it all. Yeah,

Laura: start reading romance, like now that you've been looking back for 2020. Did you get, how did you get started with romance? Did you find it on book talk, or early days of book talk, and then just kind of like went through the Kindle limited bin?

Torry: that's so funny. I was actually invited on a podcast, boobies and newbies

Laura: Oh!

Torry: our friend Kelly. Yes. Our mutual friend Kelly, she and I had been mutuals on Instagram because of podcasting and she loves pop culture. So she came on my show and then she was like, Hey, would you ever want to come on mine and read this romance novel?

Torry: And I had always been a really big reader as a kid. We probably talked about this in 2022, but if people don't remember, I was a big reader in, yeah, my childhood and teens. And then when I went to university, I like completely [00:03:00] stopped, like full stop. And I remember I would go to the local library. Cause this was the other thing.

Torry: It's like, this would have been in 2010 and it was so hard to get a book. E readers were like just coming out or like a million dollars to purchase. So I would like literally take the bus to my library and get like, you know, two or three books out at a time and then take them back to my college dorm room, not read any of them because I was so busy with school and stuff and res life, which is another common thread between us.

Torry: And I would be so busy that I wouldn't read them. And then I would have to just like return them in two weeks or whatever. So I just, Didn't really pick up a book since then. Like, of course I've read some, like, maybe some social justice books or like, self help books and stuff like that. But like reading for pleasure does like, didn't come back into my life.

Torry: And then truly Kelly invited me on the show. I read [00:04:00] one book and I was like, Oh, this is fun. This seems like a. easy entry back into reading.

Laura: And the rest is history.

Torry: The rest is history. I think I read, I've read about 400 books. I think since 2020, like I'm averaging like 80 to a hundred a year. So it's like, I really went like full tilt, but yeah, it's also very interesting coming into this space because I was also on TikTok, but I wasn't on BookTok until I feel like Maybe the past year.

Torry: So yeah, it's just been, it's been fun, you know, being part of a new community and stuff like that. And yeah, I've enjoyed myself.

Laura: I love this. And so how do you read for yourself? Like, do you read eBooks, audiobooks, library books, Kindle Limited? You know, you're in Canada. So talk to us about the Canadian system because it's a little different from the U. S. system. I know, I know the book centric, [00:05:00] but you know, what is it like to read in Canada?

Laura: Yeah.

Torry: I, yeah, I'm a mostly ebook reader. I have like a, just the, you know, the classic Kindle. But before that I had a Kobo, which I think is like, yeah, it's

Laura: a Canadian,

Torry: yes, version.

Laura: books are only sent on Kobos.

Torry: Yeah.

Laura: And you can technically, because I know now the Kobo Libra comes in color, so people are not buying it. They're illegally, because Kindle books, you do not own them. Amazon owns your Kindle books, which is Shitty as hell.

Torry: Oh, interesting.

Laura: they're illegally removing the DR, like the, the protection so they can actually move the Kindle books to Kobo.

Laura: So there's like a slowly movement towards the code because it has colors and you can like, you can annotate. But I know like for library systems and non US libraries, you just have to the book sent to Kobo, as opposed to.

Torry: [00:06:00] Yeah. It's so funny how the U S and Canada are similar in so many ways. And then there's just like these really slight differences that actually become really inconvenient,

Laura: Yes,

Torry: but yeah, I, I do do audio books though. Cause I have the Spotify premium account and they offer like 15 hours of listening to audio books.

Torry: So I just covered to all the boys I loved before. And red, white, and royal blue. And I actually listened to those on Spotify premium. And then the Libby app. I don't know if that's

Laura: Yeah, it's

Torry: Okay. Yeah. I use the Libby app a lot to yeah, like get books from my local library. So that's nice, but yeah, I wish I was, I do kind of, miss being a paperback reader slash literally walking down to like my beautiful public library down the street from where I live. So I mix it up a little bit, but just out of [00:07:00] ease and for like how much I'm reading and highlighting and taking notes for the podcast. I think ebook is really my best bet.

Laura: Yeah. I have, I used to be a paperback reader for a long time. I was like, oh, I, my public library was New York Park Library, but now the fancy one that we see on TV is actually like a regular branch, and I used to just go pick up my books like every other, every other week. I just like bring a stack of books, then just read them, read them, read them, and I haven't had that experience.

Laura: I tried to do it when I was in Chicago, but I was like, Nope, not anymore. I've been an ebook reader, and right now I'm just mostly an audiobook listener,

Torry: Yeah. I really enjoy the audio books, especially the ones that are like. narrated by a full cast and stuff like that. It's so immersive and so fun. So yeah, I enjoy that.

Laura: did you try the A Court and Thorns and Roses with the graphic audio.

Torry: Yes, that's how I re read them for the podcast because I had read them Or at least the [00:08:00] first, the first one or two prior to starting the show. So I had read those on my ebook and then I did the graphic audio ones. And especially for fantasy, and it is mostly, I guess, fantasy that are like graphic audio, but like, that really makes a difference.

Torry: Whereas like, if you're just reading like a contemporary romance, it's like. You don't need a full

Laura: need sound effect.

Torry: Yeah. And sound effects and stuff like that. Yeah.

Laura: like when this double point of view where you have the male and the female POV, and the voices I like to add when there's like said there's dual point of view which is each chapters is spoken by the same narrator but do add. If the male voices, the male dialogue will be, even though it's a female POV, there's a male dialogue, the male voice will actually intercede.

Laura: And it's like a really cool experience. You're like, Oh, okay, I'm here for the thinking. So,

Torry: Yeah. It's so funny when it is [00:09:00] narrated by one person and they're doing all the voices and like, it's, it's, it can be hit or miss to be honest. So yeah.

Laura: Awesome. All right. So let's talk. So let's chat about ready to be romance. What is the podcast all about? And where listeners can pick it up

Torry: Yeah. You can find ready to be romance wherever you get podcasts, wherever you're listening to And the concept of the show truly, I would say it's actually I would bill it as a comedy show. I feel like that's maybe the difference between my podcast and other romance podcasts, is we definitely, we recap the book, and we review it, and we have, you know, Certain things we'll talk about for each book that we do for every single one of them, but I feel like we are like mostly a vibes only podcast.

Torry: Like we have covered like 4th wing and ACOTAR and I feel like so many people get into the nitty gritty [00:10:00] about how the magic works and the types of dragons and like, stuff like that. And we definitely talk about that stuff, but like, it's also just like for fun. It's from a comedy perspective, we are, you know, talking shit about the characters outfits.

Torry: We're laughing when the man walks in in a Henley. We're LOLing when the. you know, Shadow Daddy is a thousand years old and the female main character is like 20. Like, those are the things we are pointing out and discussing. And yeah, it's really fun.

Laura: device only so.

Torry: Definitely. Definitely.

Laura: let's talk to some winners. What happened? Some of the winners that you have review or recommend?

Torry: Yeah, it's funny. I've actually really enjoyed, so this, this might not be exactly your audience, but I've actually really enjoyed the, adult, like the YA [00:11:00] novels

Laura: Yeah. Yeah.

Torry: with the Walter boys because it came out as a Netflix adaptation that we covered. Not the summer I turned to all the boys I loved before, which is a.

Torry: Netflix movie series, obviously, so that has been really fun and really sweet. It's, it's nice to look at romance from, you know, a variety of perspectives, a variety of like stages in people's lives. So I really enjoyed that. I loved re looking at Twilight because I was a big Twi hard.

Laura: Yeah. We have a secret project coming up this fall. Huh. Yeah. All

Torry: we do. Spoiler alert,

Laura: those questions.

Torry: yeah, it was, it was just really fun. I'm actually going to Forks this weekend, is like going to be the trip of my lifetime. But

Laura: Take pictures. Take as many pictures as you want.

Torry: yes, I'll, I'll post some of them, but yeah, it's like [00:12:00] those types of things that have been really fun. Because when I started my other podcast, The whole premise of the show is like, I want to talk about things that are like, embarrassing to other people or that are deemed like, superficial and like, vapid or whatever.

Torry: Like, I wanted to talk about High School Musical. I wanted to talk about Twilight. I wanted to talk about all of these things that a lot of people, I feel like, would be fans of but in secret, especially if you're 31 like I am. And then I feel like, The romance genre actually has that same thing. People are so embarrassed to talk about romance and what they like about it and what they're reading.

Torry: And so, yeah, it's very like similar, like a very similar premise. Yeah, I also really, we did a monster romance. We did the, the dragon's bride and like, just like blowing people's minds, which I know for you, you're just like, that's like an old hat at this point, but like, like you're like, that's literally nothing, but like, it literally [00:13:00] blew some people's minds.

Torry: Like

Laura: think you should do a why choose romance if you haven't picked one up, like you should do that just to have a conversation about like, why choose?

Torry: Yeah. No,

Laura: More than ever! Too many dicks! Too

Torry: Yeah. No, I 100 percent should. Yeah. I, yeah,

Laura: That could be, that could be a fun one. You should be like, why choose? Like you, you don't need to cheat on someone.

Laura: You can have both and they can actually like each other too.

Torry: 100%. Yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun.

Laura: Awesome. Okay. So what are you, what are your reading plans? Which books are you planning to read or like you're planning, not just to cover, but like you're looking forward to reading?

Torry: Yeah. Okay. I'm really looking forward to reading My Lady Jane because it's becoming, I think, yeah, a prime adaptation. Yeah. So I've been really [00:14:00] into like pairing Books that I'm reading and covering on the show when it's becoming like an adaptation. So yeah, I, I want to, like, they need to translate the Maxton Hall book

Laura: They really do. I am so mad.

Torry: I'm shocked

Laura: on, I'm on Reddit, I'm on Reddit threads, and they're like, I found a translation that Google translates me by PDF. And I'm like, yeah, but that's not the same. I need

Torry: I know.

Laura: it. So,

Torry: Yeah, that's, that's not as good, but it might have to suffice for right now. So yeah, I'm really excited for that one.

Laura: I'm excited for Maxon Hall season two. I am obsessed with Maxon Hall, like the whole boarding school spoil rich boy who plays lacrosse and the poor, you know, pretty good girl.

Laura: It's like what it's like the recipe for the greatest love story that

Torry: Of course. [00:15:00] 100%. Yeah. I, it was really, really good and kind of like a sleeper hit almost. Not that, not that it, it only was, came out in May and is a big success. So not a sleeper hit in that way, but I think it's just like, there was no coverage on it

Laura: know. Yeah.

Torry: get a lot of lead up I'm also going to read, this is kind of a curveball I would say, but the, Cubie Bad Boy and Me, which is a Wattpad turned, like, published book that Noah Beck is starring in the movie adaptation for, and they are filming it in Victoria, which is where I live.

Laura: Oh my gosh. That's amazing. So have you, have you walk on sets? Have you been walking by and like, how does that work? How does it work for you? Because I, when I live in New York, we used to have signs. New York will tell you when the street was closing. It will tell you where it is, what the project is, unless it was top secret.

Laura: It was like 6th and City. You're not supposed to, but like most of the time [00:16:00] they'll tell you what it is. Do you walk on side? I used to walk. I used to live by across the street from City Hall. So I used to see Law and Order and they used to use, I work at Pace, which is a university and the Law and Order SBU used to use our bathrooms because they didn't

Torry: Oh,

Laura: bathrooms outside.

Laura: So, like, we'll see, like, randomly Mariska, how you'd say, like, walking around down the hall for the bathroom, you know, God

Torry: Yeah.

Laura: But I'm curious like how other cities like, you know, hide or they announce like, Hey, we're filming here.

Torry: Yeah. It's funny because people really call Vancouver and like the area that I live, they call it Hollywood North because we get so much tax rate or the production company gets such big tax write offs when filming in at least my province. I don't know if it's everywhere in Canada. But because we're such a sleepy town, like this is like, literally, this is the city that Megan and Harry [00:17:00] escaped to after they left the royal family, they came to Victoria.

Torry: So, like, we just really let people, like, do their own thing. Lots of Hallmark movies film here. They turn like our downtown into like, you know, Christmas tinsel town and stuff like that. But it's so funny how little I think, like. secrecy they have to do. Like, I literally know like where they are filming and stuff like that.

Torry: And they just, no one really shows up. I feel like, because we all just kind of like mind our own business here. I think that's one of the. I don't know the good things, but I would be very happy to randomly bump into Noah Beck somewhere downtown.

Laura: that would be amazing. I wish I hope you manifest that in the woo woo vibes girl, we're just gonna get vortex.

Torry: I love that. I love that.

Laura: Awesome. So, so any other shows that you're looking forward to it. [00:18:00] Or movies are coming up any pop culture, you know, any pop culture predictions that you have that have come true. And then the ones that are like, you know, you predict something, you know, I'm still waiting for Justin Timberlake getting arrested.

Laura: It's,

Torry: Oh my god. Yeah. That was like the wildest morning just because. I feel like he has kept a pretty low profile personally. He had like a little like pseudo cheating scandal a few years ago when he was like, He was with a colleague. I think he was filming a movie or something like that and was like, kind of getting touchy with her in New Orleans on like a balcony.

Torry: And there was pictures that leaked. But it's like, that was kind of the last like scandal I feel like he had. And I feel like he was kind of on his redemption story with And his tour and all of that [00:19:00] stuff. And then this came out and I was like, Oh, you just, you messed that up. I like, whatever. I like, I don't think he's like a good person.

Torry: I think he's like stepped on a lot of people to get to where he is. I kind of feel bad how he, like, ditched NSYNC and how he treated Britney Spears and Janet Jackson. And so, you know,

Laura: Karma's a bitch.

Torry: yeah, I was just gonna say, karma's a bitch he should have known better, and

Laura: I'm so glad that the police officer did not know who he was. I was like, I know I feel old because I'm actually his age. I'm 40 to 42. I'm turning 43 this year. But I am so glad that he's like, Oh, this is gonna mess up the tour. What kind of tour the world tour?

Torry: Yeah.

Laura: so good. Oh, I'm a celebrity. Get me out of here.

Laura: I'm like, sir. No.

Torry: yeah. And it's in those moments that I really see how [00:20:00] celebrities operate because, you know, we saw that, like, a very similar conversation with when Zach Bryan got arrested, when Reese Witherspoon got arrested, like, it's, yeah, ridiculous.

Laura: So any pop culture predictions

Torry: Yeah. And I'm trying to think, like, what I'm looking forward to. I honestly, I didn't predict. Like something that I didn't predict was like Bridgerton. kind of flopping this season. Like, I feel like it will always be a show that is watched by, you know, 45 million people or whatever, but that was something I was really, like, really didn't think was even in the realm of possibility, to be honest.

Torry: And I just was like, wow, I, I was bamboozled.

Laura: I only watched three episodes, so did not watch the carriage scene, did not watch any of the new episodes. Someone already spoiled it for me, and I think we're gonna keep it that [00:21:00] way.

Torry: that's fair. Yeah. Honestly, the first four episodes I think are really good. The like five to eight, I feel like are like a little bit rough to be honest. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do I have any other pop culture predictions or anything? I just think like. Speaking of like pop culture and the romance genre, I just think like probably because of some of the Like, consequences, I guess, of BookTok.

Torry: Like, I really think that we are having a renaissance in movies and TV shows that are going to be based on books. Like, that is also something I think I didn't really predict. It really feels like Used to in like the two thousands and I'm happy for that.

Laura: Yeah, I just had a conversation with a author who's a screenwriter and she says like, she was frustrated that a [00:22:00] lot of as a screenwriter, a lot of the jobs now are just adapting, adapting original intellectual property. And so she was like, she was complaining about her agent. He's like, well, you need to write your own book.

Laura: She's like, okay, I'm gonna write my own book. She actually, her books are fabulous. But it was like, funny enough, like even screenwriters are like, now their job is to adapt as opposed to, you know. Good original, original IP. So I think, yeah, it's definitely acquiring. It's a, it's a big, it's a big business right now.

Laura: Not, not a lot of things get off the ground, but the ones that are getting off the ground are doing really well. We have Jones. We got the idea of you did really well. Yeah, Bridgeton has done really well, even though it's like, blah we have. Red, white, and blue, and they're getting a sequel. But so yeah, I think it's, it's an interesting time to be a reader.

Torry: And there's been some of the like Spanish YA books. Mia UND

Laura: yeah. [00:23:00] Yep. That one did really well.

Torry: Trove. What's the other one? Trove Me. Ventana.

Laura: there was a Montana. I haven't seen it. Which one is what series is this?

Torry: That one, like I think it taste in Barcelona. I remember I watched the first. movie. And then I was like, I'm going to read the book. And then I must've like fallen off. And then my friend was like, Oh, have you seen this series? There's three movies. And I was like, Oh my God, what? I, I watched the first one like a year or two ago and just totally

Laura: So I may try that one actually, for

Torry: Yeah. Yeah. I also was going to say to you, guess what I was watching this weekend? Midnight's in the para palace. I

Laura: So what do you think?

Torry: loved it. I haven't finished. I think it's 10 episodes. I'm probably like seven in. It's really fun. I, I really like [00:24:00] historical, like, I really liked Cable Girls and Grand Hotel. Like, I really like that type of Historical, like I love oh my gosh, I'm going to forget the name. The one that takes place in New York,

Laura: Gilded age

Torry: Gilded Age.

Torry: Yes. I love that type of era of TV shows. So yeah. Midnight's at the Pear Palace is like. It's really good. Yeah, it's fun. The Turkish adventure, dramas,

Laura: Yes,

Torry: romances.

Laura: I am all here for the Turkish is this one on Netflix or is it on what streamer is a,

Torry: I think it's Netflix.

Laura: I think so I Netflix is acquiring. So, so my show, my other show, I guess, the Turkish TV obsessed that I do co host in another space. We're watching as a crow flies, which I think you should you should watch because it's actually like, it's a new stage and it's like the morning show meets like [00:25:00] thriller vibes.

Laura: So the, the opening scene starts with a bang or like two women fighting. You're like, what is going on? And so we get a manipulative intern who is like totally scamming and scheming and manipulating shit. And then we got the big, like the, the newscaster kind of deal. And they're like fighting, but they don't know they're fighting.

Laura: It's so fucking good.

Torry: This looks really good. So just wait. This is, it is a

Laura: That's a crow flies. There's three seasons,

Torry: three seasons. Yeah.

Laura: but I, my cohost actually watched it and she said she has watched it multiple times. She says it gets better and better each season.

Torry: It looks really good. It looks right up my alley.

Laura: Yes. So, and then thank you. Next. If you haven't watched that one, that's another one that I start watching. And it's about like a, I think she's like a, she's getting divorced or something, and it's like, it is a more flirty, more rom coming wine. So,[00:26:00]

Torry: Love it. Love it. These are great,

Laura: so yeah, we got, we,

Torry: suggestions. Yeah.

Laura: suggestions of what she, what to watch, you know,

Torry: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

Laura: it's all good. Tori, tell us when you can find out online.

Torry: Yeah, you can find me on socials at ReadyToBeRomance, and then you can find my podcast, ReadyToBeRomance, on all podcast platforms.

Laura: Awesome. Thank you, Tori, for the show.

Torry: Thanks for having me.