Oh, how the worm turns! We read Dune by Frank Herbert, mostly as a Christmas present to returning guest Anna (@lcarslibrarian) but perhaps also a gift to you, the listener? Please keep in mind: we haven’t watched the movies and we don’t know how these names are pronounced, and if you are mean to us about that you will face our gom jabbars! (Or is i…

Your faithful podcasters decided that they’ve been nice all year, so they get to read a fun holiday romance novel as a treat! Returning guest Helena Greer, author of the Carrigan’s Christmasland series, joined us to make the Yuletide gay with The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky. Listen to this episode while baking cookies for Santa! (Who is re…

On occasion, listeners have suggested Uglies by Scott Westerfeld as a Flashback Summer title, but since we’re all Crumblies here, we were full adults when this contemporary classic YA dystopian novel was released. Our book club hostess/cult leader Grace joined us to discuss this book that some of us think deserves Best Bestseller status. Listen to …

Our Beloved Patrons voted for us to read Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. We invited a woman in STEM, returning guest Sarah, to join us for this episode. Pour yourself a travel cup of C8H10N4O2 and listen to this episode while walking your dog (who is so well-behaved they don’t need a leash, of course). Content warnings: Sexual assault. Reade…

Hold onto your tampons: we read Carrie by Stephen King. Our friend Nicole returned to the podcast to read this classic horror novel that’s even bloodier than Gerald’s Game. Listen to this episode while honing your telekinetic powers! Content warnings: Religious extremism, child abuse, death of children Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode 41 …

It’s spooky season, and what could be scarier than heterosexual werewolf knotting erotica? The fact that we both might have…liked it? Eek! We read Bride by Ali Hazelwood and we still aren’t sure exactly how we felt about it. Listen to this episode while you give blood. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode 201 – The Love Hypothesis How Omegave…

Thanks to Porter Square Books for hosting our 250th Anniversary live show! And thanks to everyone who turned out in person or for the livestream! If you missed it, or just want to relive it without all that pesky visual input, here’s the audio-only version of that episode. Meredith Goldstein (the Boston Globe’s Love Letters columnist, author of boo…

We’ve come so far from our first episode, and yet we’re still talking about teen vampires with Carrie. Unfortunately, we’re still out of Stephenie Meyer content so we had to read Crush by Tracy Wolff. If the cliffhanger ending of Crave left you wondering how Grace was going to turn back into a human after getting stuck as a gargoyle…well, this won’…

Hot Evelyn Summer comes to a bewildering conclusion with The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. We were joined by writer and standup comedian Laura Merli (@passiveabrasive) to discuss this time loop locked room mystery. Fun fact: the American publisher added a 1/2 death to make this title less similar to The Seven Husbands of Evely…

Don’t cry because Flashback Summer is over; smile because Hot Evelyn Summer is beginning! Returning bisexual icon Margaret H. Willison (1/3 of Two Bossy Dames, don’t check the math) joined us to discuss The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. We had a great time unpacking Evelyn’s wardrobe (which is much more substantial than her …

Hold on to your sock wine, because we’re ending this year’s Flashback Summer with a real rager! We were joined by Courtney Summers, author of I’m The Girl and other rad books, to discuss Stacey and the Bad Girls (Baby-Sitters Club #87) by Ann M. Martin. Listen to this episode on your way to the big U4Me concert! Readers advisory: Here. Announcement…

By popular demand, we took Flashback Summer to the land of Tortall. Rebecca Kim Wells, author of Briar Girls and other great queer fantasy books, joined us to discuss Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. Put on your purple contact lenses and listen to this episode while you study the blade. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Tamora Pierce …

We were digging through some boxes in our totally not-haunted attic and found Stonewords by Pam Conrad. It seemed like a chill Flashback Summer vibe, so we had our friend KL join us to discuss it. Be careful not to play this episode around your secret ghost friend–they might get jealous! Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Pam Conrad’s obituary. Com…

Flashback summer, eh? Ann Foster of Vulgar History joined us to read No Coins, Please, an early work by the venerable Canadian author Gordon Korman. Listen to this episode while driving cross-country with a van full of chaotic tweens! Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: About Gordon Korman Coming up next: Stonewords by Pam Conrad.…

It’s Morphin’ Time! We’re kicking off Flashback Summer Animal Style. We returned to the world of the Animorphs by reading the three books in the iconic David Saga–The Discovery (#20), The Threat (#21) and The Solution (#22), all by K.A. Applegate. We were joined by Moniquill Blackgoose, author of To Shape a Dragon’s Breath. Listen to this episode w…

We continue Celebrity Memoir May with another wronged woman of the early 00s, Ms. Jessica Simpson. Annie Cardi, author of Red, joined us in righteous indignation on behalf of our favorite former Newlywed after reading her memoir Open Book. Listen to this episode while practicing your Dukes of Hazzard-style stunt driving. Content warnings: Child sex…

Unlike Scientology, Celebrity Memoir May is inescapable. Known Suppressive Person, librarian, and author Angie Manfredi (@MissKubelik) joined us to discuss Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini. Join us as we swear oaths of fealty to the Queen of Queens! Content warning: Verbal abuse, icky parenting, escaping a cult. Read…