Reading Materials

We continue our season of classics with Dodie Smith’s coming of age story ‘ I Capture the Castle .’ Published in 1948, it is the most recently released book we will be covering this season. Join us to hear our thoughts on young love, marrying for money, writer’s block and romantic depictions of the British countryside. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:35 - Life Updates 02:20 - Spoiler Warning...

We kick off our season of classics with Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s stories ‘ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ’ and ‘ Through the Looking Glass .’ Join us to hear our thoughts on mad hatters, hookah-smoking caterpillars, beheadings and whether literary nonsense is anything more than just literally nonsense. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 03:00 - Intro to Season 5 06...

Happy New Year! 2022 went by in a blur of books - a combined 123 books, in fact. In this bonus episode we reflect on our reading journeys in 2022 and look ahead at what 2023 has in store. Join us to hear about our favourite books, characters, podcast moments and more! Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 03:10 - Our 2022 Podcast Stats 07:45 - Our 2022 Reading Goals 11:40 - Our Fa...

Published in November 2022,  Kiss Her Once for Me  by Alison Cochrun is a queer Christmas romance brimming with snow, second chances, and found family. So grab a cookie and something warm to drink, and join us as we dive into fake dating tropes, festive traditions, complicated family dynamics, and the joy of seeing diverse love stories on the page. Happy holidays, everyone, and as always - thank y...

Published in July 2022, The Night Ship by Jess Kidd explores the true story of the Batavia, an ill-fated ship that attempted to make the voyage to the Dutch East Indies in 1629, through the eyes of two children. In this, our final episode of Season 4, we are joined by our friend Dominic to discuss the nature of the supernatural, disaster at sea, and human nature in the face of adversity. Disclaime...

Published in June 2022, This Vicious Grace is the debut Y. A. Fantasy novel by Emily Thiede. Join us for our discussion of this story of good versus evil and hear our thoughts on the Chosen One, the resurrection trope and the inclusion of sex scenes in Y. A. novels. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Life Updates 01:45 - Spoiler Warning 02:20 - An Introduction to the Author 05:40 - Blurb 06...

Published in September 2020, Susanna Clarke's novel Piranesi was highly recommended to us by multiple people, so we have finally taken the jump! Join us as we explore a labyrinthine world where solitude, friendship and the nature of home and self are explored.  Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:19 - Life Updates 01:32 - Spoiler Alert 02:18 - Introduction to Susanna Clarke 07:56 - Blurb 09:...

Published in May 2022, Holly Black's debut adult fantasy novel Book of Night introduces us to a world where shadows can become sentient. Join us for our discussion of this layered and dark story - released just in time for Halloween - as we try to untangle the complex magic-system and hear our thoughts on sisterly relationships, dodgy father figures and compelling male leads. Episode Timepoints: 0...

Published in August 2022, Mohsin Hamid's "The Last White Man" tackles the topics of race, grief, challenging societal norms and managing major life-changing events. Join us as we wrap our head around the themes of the book, the way it is written, relationships between all the characters, and how we feel about this interesting recently published novel. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 01:18 -...

Published in March 2022, The Bone Orchard is the debut gothic by Sara A. Mueller. Join us for our discussion of this dense novel, full of strong female characters, political intrigue, supernatural abilities, mind control and coming to terms with past traumas. Other Books Mentioned: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels by Philippa Gregory The Last White Man by Moh...

Published in April 2022, 'Luxuria' by Colette Rhodes explores illicit fantasies, arranged marriage and a romance like no other in a world where the things that live in the shadows really are monsters - and they can be kinda hot. This episode is rated 18+ due to the mature nature of the content discussed. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 07:07 - An Introduction to the Author 08:00 - Spoiler Warnin...

Published in April 2022, Emily St. John Mandel's speculative fiction novel 'Sea of Tranquility' tells a story across centuries and space. Join us as we wrap our heads around pandemics, time-travel and simulation theory. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 03:10 - Spoiler Warning 03:30 - An Introduction to the Author 08:20 - Blurb 10:00 - Discussion of Sea of Tranquility 01:11:10 - The Book We Will B...

Continuing the theme of recent publications, Akwaeke Emezi's new book "You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty" gives us some real food for thought as we grapple with some interesting issues through the medium of a rather unexpected romance! Described on Emezi's Instagram account as "horny bisexual chaos", we certainly had some Thoughts and Feelings - join us to discover this rather unusual nove...

Emily Henry is back to open the new season with her newest hit, Book Lovers. Join us as we wax lyrical once again about her ability to write great characters, funny dialogue and to give her readers all the tropes they could ask for. In case you couldn't tell, we both loved this one. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 02:10 - Spoiler Warning 05:10 - The Blurb 05:55 - Discussion...

In this bonus episode, we get trapped in the eerie halls of  Mexican Gothic  by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Tune in as we explore haunted houses, unsettling family secrets, colonial undertones—and yes, magic mushrooms. This one’s all decay, dread, and dark delights. Trigger Warnings: this episode contains references to gaslighting, rape, incest and cannibalism, which some listeners might find upsetting....

In this week’s bonus episode, we dive into the tender and tear-jerking pages of  The Travelling Cat Chronicles  by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Philip Gabriel). Join us as we talk about loyal pets, lifelong friendships, and the kind of emotional gut-punch only a cat’s perspective can deliver. Tissues advised. Note: there is some background noise from about 30 minutes until the end of the episode, a...

We wrap up Season 3 with special guest Luisa and a wild ride through Marc-Uwe Kling’s  QualityLand . From rogue AIs to political satire—and yes, unexpected pink dolphin vibrators—we unpack this sharp, strange, and bitingly funny dystopia where algorithms know you better than you know yourself. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Introduction to Luisa 03:45 - An Introduction to the Author 07:...

In the penultimate episode of the season, we unpack Claire North’s  The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August —a time-travel tale with a twist. From looping lives to moral grey zones in science, we unpack nonlinear storytelling and ask: if you could live your life over and over… should you? Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Some Life Updates 06:55 - Spoiler and Trigger Warnings 08:05 - An In...

Surprise switch-up! Instead of aliens, we’re diving into  The Bromance Book Club  by Lyssa Kay Adams. Join us for a chat about second chances at love, subverting romance tropes, and yes—the infamous book boner scale. Turns out, emotional vulnerability  is  swoon-worthy. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 03:15 - Brief Discussion of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars 07:10 - An Introduc...

Welcome to Discworld—a flat planet, four elephants, one giant turtle, and infinite chaos! In this episode, we dive into  MORT  by Terry Pratchett and chat about brilliant world-building, magical mishaps, laugh-out-loud moments, and whether damsels really need saving. Episode Timepoints: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:40 - Life Updates 00:02:13 - Spoiler Warning 00:02:37 - Introduction to MORT  00:05:20 -...

It’s our one-year podiversary! 🥳 And what better way to celebrate than by diving into  Never Let Me Go  by Kazuo Ishiguro? Join us as we get deep (and a little emotional) about creativity, control, and the quiet heartbreak of a life not fully lived.  Episode Timepoints: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:17 - Happy Anniversary to our Podcast 00:02:40 - Life Updates 00:04:50 - Introduction to Never Let Me Go...

We’re back in the Crescent City with  House of Sky and Breath  by Sarah J. Maas! This week, we dive into old favorites and exciting new characters, unpack the whole “mates” thing, and debate the explosive ending that’s got fans buzzing. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Life Updates 01:20 - Spoiler Warning 03:05 - An Introduction to the Author 03:55 - Blurb for House of Sky and Breath 04:5...

We’re back with a fan favourite! Join us as we dive into  House of Earth and Blood  by Sarah J. Maas. Expect best friends, fierce female heroines, sizzling chemistry, and our hot takes on what’s next for the Crescent City series. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:25 - Life Updates 04:00 - An Introduction to the Author 07:45 - Blurb for House of Earth and Blood 09:25 - Spoiler Warning 10:30 - A...

This week we sink our teeth into  Empire of the Vampire  by Jay Kristoff — possibly our biggest read yet! From bloodthirsty vampires to religion, originality, and scientific accuracy, we cover it all in this epic, sprawling tale. Please note it is difficult to put trigger warnings in the below timepoints, as there is discussion of death, murder, blood, gore, rape and bad language throughout this e...

This week, we dive into meritocratic regimes and embark on a fantastical adventure with Kestrel, Bowman, and Mumpo in William Nicholson’s  The Wind Singer . Join us as we explore the power of rebellion, family bonds, and the magic of a society turned upside down. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:18 - Life Updates 01:05 - An Introduction to the Author 04:05 - The Blurb for The Windsinger 05:15...