Ep 6: Permission-Based Book Joy & Heated Rivalry Hype with Ren Reads Too Much
There is an unspoken rule floating around the internet that if you love art, you have to be serious about it. You have to read the classics, keep up with every trending release, analyze the subtext, and have a perfectly curated, high-brow bookshelf.
But if you ask Ren, the creator behind Ren Reads Too Much, she’ll tell you something completely different. She’ll tell you to embrace the chaos, read what makes you happy, and give yourself radical permission to put a book down if it isn't hitting the right notes.
In the latest episode of Culture Coven, host Leah sat down with Ren to talk about everything from the The Hobbit to online burnout. At the heart of their conversation was a beautiful reminder: art exists to be enjoyed, not just consumed.
The Historic Clean Sweep of Heated Rivalry
The episode kicked off with some massive celebration. The Heated Rivalry adaptation had just accomplished the unthinkable at the Canadian Screen Awards, pulling off a historic clean sweep by winning all 16 categories it was nominated for.
For the uninitiated, Heated Rivalry is a juggernaut in the romance and hockey fandom spaces. But as Ren and Leah discussed, its massive success isn't just about the accolades; it's about the profound care, respect, and love poured into the project by director Jacob Tierney and the cast. When a production treats a fandom’s beloved source material with genuine dignity, magic happens. The community feels seen, celebrated, and deeply connected.
From "Romance Skeptic" to Unapologetic Fan
Ren wasn't always the ultimate "book mom" of the internet. In fact, she admitted to Leah that she used to be quite cynical about the romance genre. Like many of us, she fell into a deep reading burnout after forcing her way through books that didn't feed her soul (looking at you, Twilight era!).
Her saving grace? Embracing what she calls permission-based book joy.
Ren leaned into becoming a "vibe reader"—someone who chooses their next book based entirely on their current emotional wavelength, whether that means a heavy piece of historical non-fiction or an incredibly filthy romance novel. Romance, as Ren beautifully noted, acts as a profound coping mechanism for real-world burnout. It offers guaranteed happy endings in a world that rarely promises them.
Navigating the Wild Side of the Internet
Of course, being a fan on the internet isn't always sunshine and friendship bracelets. Leah and Ren dove into the darker, more toxic corners of online spaces, discussing the heavy pressure to constantly keep up with trends and the dangerous parasocial relationships that can form between fans and real-life creators.
Ren’s advice for surviving the digital landscape? "Touch grass" and remember that creators are real human beings who deserve boundaries. True community isn't built on entitlement; it's built on shared appreciation.
From hilarious tangents about homeschooling with Andy Serkis’s narration of The Hobbit to the accidental discovery that fell down a fandom rabbit hole and helped Ren claim her Canadian citizenship, this episode is a love letter to internet friendships. It’s a reminder that talking to our virtual friends is sometimes the fastest way to become our truest selves.
Where to find Ren Reads Too Much
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