Amy & Book Club

It’s November! The month I (Payton) have eagerly awaited all year! It’s the month we read WHITE NIGHTS by Fyodor Dostoyevsky in partnership with our friends at Fiction Distilling, who recently released their first vodka inspired by the classic novella. In this first episode of the month, Amy schools us all on the long 19th century and the literature it birthed. We discuss this pivotal period of history and where Dostoyevsky stands in the context of Enlightenment, industrialisation, liberalism, and revolution, and we get a wee bit existential towards the end. Do you think free will exists? Did Dostoyevsky think so? Comment your thoughts below and tune in again next week to help us figure that out.

🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

MENTIONS

BOOKS
White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Dracula by Bram Stoker
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Adolescent by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Stranger by Albert Camus
War and Peace by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

AUTHORS
Charles Dickens
Brontë sisters
Jane Austen
Thomas Hardy
Zola
Victor Hugo
Gustave Flaubert
George Eliot

OTHER
English Literature in Context edited by Paul Poplawski (textbook)
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen
Anna Karenina (2012 film)
War and Peace (2016 miniseries)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006 film)

RECOMMENDED YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Learn more about Dostoyevsky's life and philosophy here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmSdxZpseY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykz6Cq9IJPU

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we thwarted all of Amy's attempts to pick a different movie (of which there were several) and sat her down to experience Twilight for the very first time. Join us for a post-movie discussion as we explain the plot of the remaining films in the Twilight saga to Amy (from vampire veganism to resume/rigatoni/nessie) and reflect on the popularity of Twilight in the early 2000's. 

🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

MENTIONS

BOOKS
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

TV SERIES
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
The Vampire Diaries (2009)
Supernatural (2005 - 2020)

MOVIES
Mortal Instruments (2013)
Panic Room (2002)
Speak (2004)
Thirteen (2003)
Underworld (2003)

ARTICLES
Hammer, Emily. 'Consent issues in the Twilight saga extend far beyond Bella and Edward's age gap'. The Conversation, September 29, 2025. Consent issues in the Twilight saga extend far beyond Bella and Edward’s age gap

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to BOTM: Interview with the Vampire. This book might be a classic but it can still give you an existential crisis! This week we dig into the Catholicism of Anne Rice's vampires, Louis' hypocrisy, the horror of a child vampire, and just why Louis is everyone's emotional support vampire.

📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

MENTIONS

BOOKS
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Pandora by Anne Rice
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wildge
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

TV SERIES
What We Do in the Shadows (2019)
Interview with the Vampire (2022)

MOVIES
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Queen of the Damned (2002)

MUSICALS
Les Miserables
Hamilton

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Amy, Abby & Payton get truly academic and discuss a scholarly article that they have not read; deep dive into the history of the undead and the "oops we promise we really thought they were dead"; examine themes of animalism, predation, patriarchy and violence in Twilight, Buffy, and The Vampire Diaries; debate the ethics and practicalities of vegan vampires and human cannibals; and discover what prions are (and that Payton has prions). 

🧛 Our BOTM is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

MENTIONS

🎓 SCHOLARLSHIP: ”Vampires: Reflections in a Dark Mirror” by Wendy Fall in The Palgrave Handbook to Horror Literature; Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula by Christopher Frayling

🪶 POETRY: “The Bride of Corinth” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

📖 BOOKS: Dracula by Bram Stoker; Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice; The Blood Countess by Tara Moss; Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith; Black River by Ruby Jean Cottle

📺 TV SHOWS: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003); The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)

🎞️ MOVIES: The Lost Boys (1987)

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're continuing Vampire month by diving deep into the world of teen vampires. Or vampires who fall in love with teens? Join us as we try to pick apart the "pick me" of it all, question why these old ass vampires are interested in teen girls, and the team once again explain how Edward got Bella pregnant in Twilight. Seriously guys, we can't seem to escape Twilight.

This month, we’re reading INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. And because it’s a 5-week month, our After Dark episode will be all about Amy’s first time (!?) watching the movie TWILIGHT. Get to reading and watching, and we’ll see you next week to talk about YA vampires!

📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

MENTIONS

BOOKS
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice 
The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer 
Dracula by Bram Stoker 
The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

MOVIES
Twilight 2008
The Lost Boys 1987
Vampire Academy 2014
Miss Congeniality 2001

TV SERIES
True Blood 2008
What We Do in the Shadows 2019
Buffy 1997
Charmed 1998
The Righteous Gemstones 2019

OTHER
The Book of Mormon (musical)
Vampire Game by Judal (manga series)
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight playlist (https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-books/twilight/twilight-playlist/)

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to vampire month! It’s now October which means Halloween which means we get spooky which means we contemplate marriage and sex with crusty dusty vampires. Well, for a little bit. But mostly, in this first episode of the month, Amy, Justina, Harry and Millie are talking about their favourite vampires (Nosferatu, but specifically in SpongeBob) and the ways in which vampire lore changes with time. What fears and desires do different vampire myths speak to? Why is the vampire so timeless and compelling? 

This month, we’re reading INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. And because it’s a 5-week month, our After Dark episode will be all about Amy’s first time (!?) watching the movie TWILIGHT. Get to reading and watching, and we’ll see you next week to talk about YA vampires!

📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

MENTIONS

BOOKS
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice 1976
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 2005
Dracula by Bram Stoker 1897
The Vampyre by John William Polidori 1819
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu originally serialised in the magazine The Dark Blue between 1871 and 1872
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King 1975
I Am Legend Richard Matheson
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith 2009
Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott and Lynn Messina 2010
Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland 2010
Gulliver’s Wife by Lauren Chater 2021
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith 2010
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters 2009
The Iliad by Homer
The Odyssey by Homer
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 1929
Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas 2005

MOVIES
Interview with the Vampire 1994
Twilight 2008
Nosferatu 1922, 2024
What We Do in the Shadows 2014
The Last Voyage of the Demeter 2023
I Am Legend 2007
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 2012
Sinners 2025
Daybreakers 2009
Underworld 2003
Van Helsing 2004
Ultraviolet 2006
The Lost Boys 1987
Heathers 1988

TV SERIES
Interview with the Vampire 2022
What We Do in the Shadows 2019
SpongeBob Square Pants 1999
Skins UK 2007
Haven 2010
Salem’s Lot 2024
Midnight Mass 2021
Hemlock Grove 2013
The Vampire Diaries 2009

MUSICALS
Lestat 2006
Dracula, Baby 1970
The Lost Boys 2026
Heathers 2014
Twihard! The Musical by Tiffany Keane Schaefer 2024

OTHER
Dracula Daily (newsletter) by Matt Kirkland and Bram Stoker 2021–
Richard Bachman a.k.a. Stephen King
Suzanne Collins
Dracula (ballet) 2025

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you in need of a cathartic cry from a novel that leaves you feeling warm, optimistic, and craving lobster rolls? This week, the '&' of Amy & kick our host, Amy, off the pod so that we can talk candidly about her latest novel, THE TREASURE HOUSE (spoiler: we're obsessed).

Join us as we discuss which moments left us in tears, the pros and cons of owning a treasure home, how sentimental we feel about objects, and whether mac & cheese should include broccoli.

We can't wait to meet you at some of our upcoming events:

💛 Celebrate the launch of THE TREASURE HOUSE: https://burnside-events.bookable.net.au/#!/event-detail/ev_06c4a4035a5e4cda912ce751cfbb6d2e?utm_campaign=linkinbio&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio

📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

MENTIONS

📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; The McBrides of Montana series by Amy Barry; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews

🎙️PODCAST NARRATOR: Eva Kaminsky

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Justina, Abby & Millie are joined by the illustrious Amy Matthews for a conversation all about writing, publishing and The Treasure House. Join us as we delve into Amy’s writing process, hear about her journey into publishing, cry over her latest book and speculate on when all her various pen names will finally merge into one super author.

🏡 Our BOTM is The Treasure House by Amy Matthews

MENTIONS

📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; The McBrides of Montana series by Amy Barry;  Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy Matthews; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews; End of the Night Girl by Amy T Matthews; Stephen King’s books; Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid; Elsie Silver’s books; Laurie Gilmore’s books; Rebecca Thorne’s books; Hate You to Love You by Joshua Hortinela; Northshine by Amy Barry

📺 TV SHOWS: Gilmore Girls (2000–2007); Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

🎞️ MOVIES: Stephen Spielberg’s films; Nora Ephron’s films; Dirty Dancing (1987)

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Munch on this publishing month with us as we take a peek behind the scenes of The Treasure House and trace its journey from ideation to publication. This week Payton & Amy are joined by three publishing experts: Sarah Younger, agent at Nancy Yost Literary Agency and Amy’s own agent; Anthea Bariamis, publisher at Atria Books (Simon & Schuster) and Amy’s Australian editor; and Alicia Clancy, editorial director at Dell (Penguin Random House) and Amy’s USA editor. 

🏡 Our BOTM is The Treasure House by Amy Matthews

MENTIONS

📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy Matthews; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews; Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Amy Barry

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Bookclub: Amy & Bookclub 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does publishing a novel look like behind the scenes? This month we're following the trajectory of THE TREASURE HOUSE by Amy Matthews, from idea to publication, and asking the agent, editors and publishers our burning questions about the publishing industry. 

This week, we interview the lovely Melanie Hayes, Commissioning Editor at Simon & Schuster UK, to ask what does a commissioning editor do? What does Melanie's journey into the publishing industry look like? What do publishers look for when acquiring new titles? Which genre is the best, and why is it romance?

📚 Our BOTM is The Treasure House by Amy Matthews. Get your copy here: The Treasure House | Book by Amy Matthews | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU

MENTIONS

📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; Return to Sender by Stephanie Parente; Rumours & Whiskey by Victoria Wilder

📺 TV: Schitt's Creek (2015); The Pitt (2025 - present); House of the Dragon (2022 - present)

🎬 ACTORS: Connor Storrie & Hudson Williams

📰 AUTHORS: Amy Matthews; Elsie Silver

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub 
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Bookclub: Amy & Bookclub 
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor 
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.