Shit We've Read

Meet Brittney! In this Season Six premiere minisode, we shoot the shit with the newest co-host of Shit We’ve Read to talk about books, pets, and everything she’s bringing to the podcast. Listen in as we reveal the sad story behind Laura and Brittney's first meeting, we go on yet another mini Heated Rivalry tangent, and Jason comes to the surprising defense of an author he’s never read. Plus, we di...

We’re closing out Season Five with the gothic sapphic romance HOUSE OF RAYNE by Harley Laroux! Join us as we find out if it’s a worthy After Dark finale, compare it to Laroux’s Her Soul to Take , which we previously read on the show, and watch Jason discover the power of the mute button. CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of an adult-themed book, contains explicit language, and is...

Hey, friends! You may have noticed there was no new episode this month. That's because sometimes life gets in the way and, unfortunately, that's exactly what happened this month. As you may have already suspected, we're sorry to announce that we had to cancel February's planned discussion of DEATH OF THE AUTHOR by Nnedi Okorafor. At this time, we're unsure whether we'll reschedule it, but we  will...

We’re kicking off 2026 with a tale of "mind games, kink, and ancient enchantment," because we read SAVAGE BLOOMS by S.T. Gibson! Join us as we spiral into yet another Heated Rivalry tangent, compare the novel to one of its inspirations ( Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë), and debate whether it lives up to the other Gibson books we’ve covered. Plus, find out which After Dark pick Laura chose that...

It's the final episode of 2025, and we're wrapping things up with our 3rd annual Secret Santa book exchange! Join Bella, Emma, Jason, and Laura for our coziest, messiest holiday tradition as we exchange books, hot takes, and answer the following questions: Did the right books go to the right recipients this year? Which one of us didn’t finish their book, and what went wrong? Which host picked thei...

In this special author interview, Bella and Jason sit down with the effortlessly charming R.A. Basu to talk about her debut novel, TO BARGAIN WITH MORTALS —“ a stunning reflection on politics and purpose, blood and allegiance—and what we do with the histories we inherit .” Join us as R.A. spills the chai on the chaotic journey her book took to publication, including the incredible lengths publishe...

You voted, and we listened! Your choice for our Halloween After Dark pick is SING ME TO SLEEP by R.M. Virtues—a dreamy tale of a sleep demon who falls for the woman he was meant to haunt. ⁣ This episode has everything : tipsy hosts, personal encounters with sleep paralysis (we’ll let you guess if any demons were involved), and a passionate discussion about the need for editing in self-publishing....

We’re celebrating spooky season with THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE by Cassandra Khaw—a fantasy horror about a group of magical students who seek refuge in the school’s library when the faculty go on a ravenous rampage . Listen as Laura and Emma try to keep track of the many characters and their unique abilities, discuss the idea of monstrosity—specifically how women are made monstrous by monstrous men—...

Spooky season is officially here! In this episode, we’re celebrating both our favorite time of the year and Hispanic Heritage Month with A CRUEL THIRST by Angela Montoya—a YA fantasy full of vampires, forbidden romance, and Mexican folklore. Join us as we explore how the book draws on Latin American culture to make vampires feel fresh, why this tale about bloodsucking monsters gives off cozy vibes...

In this episode of After Dark , Bella is back and bringing the chaos with her pick, BULL MOON RISING by Ruby Dixon. Join us as we explore this steamy romantasy set “in a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, [where] a woman determined to save her family joins forces with an unlikely partner.” Along the way, Bella reveals which co-hosts are the most (and least) fabulous, Jason makes a...

We’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more dragons! In this episode, we discuss BRIGHTER THAN SCALE, SWIFTER THAN FLAME by Neon Yang, a queer, Asian-inspired fantasy novella about a renowned dragon slayer who never takes their armor off in public. Joining us for this discussion of identity, duty, and the power of love is multi-hyphenate guest host Fictional Tiff—musician, queer activist,...

It’s Pride Month! And we’re celebrating with OF MONSTERS AND MAINFRAMES  by Barbara Truelove, a clever mashup of genres featuring an AI ship, a motley crew of supernatural monsters, and one very vengeful Dracula.  Joining us for this discussion of love, found family, and identity is guest host Arden Harris (they/them) of A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, CA, and host of the Sci-fi/Fantasy Bo...

Sink your fangs into our first After Dark episode of the season with A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER by Kresley Cole—a steamy paranormal romance where “a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire become unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.” Emma kicks off the season with this pick and sparks a conversation about what happens when monster theory meets gender essential...

We’re kicking off Season Five with ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells—and a couple of very special guests! Sir Aaron Carter and Emma Skies join us to talk Murderbot ahead of the AppleTV+ adaptation premiering May 16th. (And yes, they’ll be covering the show in their very own Watch podcast, so stay tuned!) Listen in as we dig into what makes Murderbot such a compelling character, why Emma has read thi...

In this special author interview, Jason and Laura sit down with Olivia Waite to talk about her beautiful new novella, MURDER BY MEMORY —a “sci-fi ode to the cozy mystery, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective.” Listen in as Olivia shares how Star Wars unexpectedly led her to read her first romance novel, and reflects on the ways grief continues to shape her writing. She also ope...

Saddle up for one last ride before the season’s over! For our Season Four finale, we’ve headed to the cowboy colony planet for a discussion of MARRIED TO THE ALIEN COWBOY by Ursa Dax — a sci-fi western romance featuring a quiet alien cowboy, a human woman on the run, and one very messy marriage of convenience. Join us as Jason surprises his co-hosts with this pick, we ponder what makes a tentacle...

This month, we’re sinking our teeth into IMMORTAL DARK by Tigest Girma—a dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family. Join us as we celebrate the portrayal of Black characters, break down what makes this vampire story feel fresh, and examine the delicate relationship between humans and dr...

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s the perfect time to indulge in a cozy, high-heat monster romance novella. But there’s one big question: Has Bella finally broken her streak of bad After Dark picks, or is this another miss? There’s only one way to find out! Join us as we discuss MANEATER by Emily Antoinette and examine how the 1980s play into the story’s setting, why Emma and Bella are...

We’re kicking off 2025 with the divine novella OUT OF THE DROWNING DEEP by A.C. Wise—s et in the distant future, when mortals mingle with the gods in deep space, an out-of-date automaton, a recovering addict, and an angel race to solve the Pope’s murder in an abandoned corner of the galaxy. Listen in as we discuss Jason’s Pirate Era, the casting of Ryan Gosling in the upcoming Project Hail Mary fi...

It's our final episode of 2024, and we're wrapping up the year with our 2nd annual Secret Santa book exchange! Join us for lighthearted fun as we guess who gifted which books, Emma shares a history lesson on the Luddites, and we learn how the results of the recent election affected the book Jason received . All that, plus the most shocking plot twist in SWR history! Thank you for listening, Happy...

It’s an eggnog-filled edition of SWR After Dark ! In this episode, we unwrap the holiday novella RAILED BY THE KRAMPUS by Dalia Davies. When Holly jokingly offers her soul for a lump of coal, she never expects the creature from his winter domain to take her seriously—or demand something infinitely more tempting. Was this book naughty or nice? Join us as we share our thoughts on this paranormal rom...

It’s the thrilling conclusion to our first-ever TTRPG adventure! Join Bellz, Jason, and Laura—guided by Game Master Sir Aaron Carter—as they enter the Blackwood House and confront the mysteries haunting their hometown of Pinewood Falls. Thank you for joining us on this journey! This is Part 2 of our special Welcome to Pinewood Falls series. Missed the first half? Listen to Part 1 here . A special...

Welcome to our first-ever TTRPG special! It’s the summer of 1987, and nestled among ancient forests and rolling hills lies the quiet town of Pinewood Falls. But this idyllic town is far from peaceful—strange weather and mysterious sightings draw three childhood friends back together to uncover a long-buried mystery. Join Bellz, Jason, and Laura—guided by Game Master Sir Aaron Carter—as the echoes...

Trick or treat! It’s a fun size episode of SWR After Dark as we explore MONSTERS’ MANOR by Leigh Miller—a steamy paranormal romance where a reluctant witch finds herself working in a haunted manor brimming with real monsters. Join us as we share whether this tale lived up to our Halloween expectations, Emma talks proper tail hygiene, and we debate whether the vibes lean cozy or fluff. Plus, Laura...

Climb aboard as we set sail through the first volume of EARTHDIVERS , Stephen Graham Jones and Davide Gianfelice's time-hopping comic series about far-future Indigenous outcasts on a mission to kill Christopher Columbus. Join us as we share our occasional frustration with ongoing comic series, explore the 'earth-diver' cosmogony among Indigenous peoples of the Americas, and uncover the moral dilem...