E149: Gothic meets Cozy with Sharon Lynn Fisher

Today I welcome Sharon Lynn Fisher to the show to discuss two of her books I read this year. SALT AND BROOM is a witch retelling of Jane Eyre, and her new book, GRIMM CURIOUSITIES, is a perfect Yuletide ghost story that explores Krampus while using the Dickensian atmosphere of a Victorian curiosity shop. Both books manage to honor their Gothic inspiration while offering a cozy atmosphere, and we discuss that genre bending work on the show.

E148: Do We Still Know How to Read? with Jenny Adams and Jocelyn Codner

 

Today I welcome Jocelyn Codner, an academic librarian that I know from her work with the Horror Writers Association and their Summer Scares program, and Jenny Adams, the author of the delightful mystery novel, A DEADLY ENDEAVOR, and an elementary school librarian. I wanted to dive into the state of literacy in America with two librarians that are connected to the genre work I do on the show, and get their insight on how we started our literacy decline, what we’re seeing now, and give you all some fun and meaningful actions items to get us started on moving the dial towards better literacy. We hope it gives folks a better understanding of why all this matters and what we can do about it.

The following are links and books discussed on the show

• John Green's Crash Course on Navigating Digital Information
• 2024 Summer Scares Programming Guide (stay tuned for 2025)
• NAMLE's Key Questions to Ask When Analyzing Media Experiences
• NAMLE's The 6 E’s of Parenting in the Digital Age
• 
  

E146: Christmas Mysteries with Stephanie Barron

 

Today I welcome Stephanie Barron to the show to discuss both her Jane Austen mystery series and the appeal of mystery books set at Christmas. We talk about Jane Austen in the first half of the show, and what made her an interesting character for detective fiction, and we use the Christmas book in the series, JANE AND THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS as a launch pad for other Christmas mystery recommendations. Here are the books we discussed, linked to my Bookshop if you want to support the show, and I've also made a list on my Bookshop's front page if you want to browse.

• The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
• Lament for a Maker by Michael Innes
• The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
• The Mischief of Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
• Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler
• The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler
• Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
• I'm Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
• The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan
• Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney (not on episode but it's on the graphic)
• Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton (not on episode but it's on the graphic)

E145: Green Academia with Kate Khavari

 

Today I welcome back Kate Khavari to discuss Green Academia, a historical science aesthetic we apply to book recommendations. It’s not a real subgenre, but I thought this would be fun. Kate’s Saffron Everleigh mystery series centers a botanist in academia in the early 20th century, so she was the perfect guest for this discussion. We chat about the difference between STEM and Green Academia, and we revel in how often humor and romance factor into these stories. I also want to mention that I didn’t include EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES in our book recs because the field of study in that book is fairy lore and not science. Here is a list of books discussed on the episode:

• The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
• The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holt
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennet
• The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
• The Runaway Dutchess by Joanna Lowell
• Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book by Brian Froud
• A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
• A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
• Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
• When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare
• The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen
• Bend Towards the Sun by Jen Devon

E144: Sarah Hawley and SERVANT OF EARTH

 

Today I welcome back Sarah Hawley to discuss her new book, SERVANT OF THE EARTH, a romantasy with a sentient knife and strong female friendships. We chat about the origins of this book and how it compares to her witchy romcoms, and we discuss the unintentional timing of a story about a woman rising up against a tyrannical king.

E143: Short Story Collections with Cynthia Gomez

 

Today I have Cynthia Gomez on the show to discuss Story Collections by individual authors. We discuss the point of writing short stories vs novels, and the different ways collections can tell a single broader story from the stories within it. We also give you some great recommendations, listed below. Thanks for listening!

• Hell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman Haunted by RJ Joseph
• Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
• Night Shift by Stephen King
• Pink Agave Motel by V Castro
• Out of Aztlan by V Castro
• Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories by Kelly Barnhill 
• The Raven: Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
• Skin Thief by Suzan Palumbo
• Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
• Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
• Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson

E142: Spooky RomComs with Ivy Fairbanks

 

Today I have Ivy Fairbanks on the show to discuss Spooky RomComs. Ivy is the author of MORBIDLY YOURS, a romantic comedy set in the funeral business. We discuss the work RomComs do and why spooky settings and ghosts are having a moment. We did not include witches or monsters because the non-magical human animal, dead or alive, brings its own spooky elements to any story. We also give you some great recommendations. 

Books mentioned on the show:

• Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
• Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne
• Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson
• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
• The Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore
• Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts
• For Better or Hearse by Ava Hunter