Dose of Books

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊One sick father, one dangerous supply run, and a world where the vampiric monsters came out on top. This week we dig into Anthony Ryan’s post-apocalyptic horror, and whether a familiar formula still works. Spoiler-free first half, with a clearly marked spoiler section.

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:06:34) Spoiler-free discussion

(00:40:23) SPOILER discussion

(00:54:04) DOSAGE rating & outro

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

Ten short stories. Ten wild premises. Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny, translated by Anton Hur, mixes folk horror, fairy tale and sci-fi. We count them down and ask whether the endings live up to the openings. This whole episode is spoiler-free!

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:09:22) Short story 1 - The Head

(00:19:16) Short story 2 - The Embodiment

(00:26:44) Short story 3 - Cursed Bunny

(00:31:13) Short story 4 - The Frozen Finger

(00:33:44) Short story 5 - Snare

(00:38:30) Short story 6 - Goodbye, My Love

(00:42:08) Short story 7 - Scars

(00:47:43) Short story 8 - Home Sweet Home

(00:50:19) Short story 9 - Rulers of the Winds and the Sands

(00:56:10) Short story 10 - Reunion

(01:03:17) Overall impression

(01:11:25) DOSAGE rating & short stories ranked

(01:18:08) Outro

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
• Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
• Zoo by Otsuichi
• Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
• The Feeding by Anthony Ryan

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

Our first ever guest, Celeste's brother Jamie, joins us for Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, a brutal western about a teenage runaway, a gang of scalp hunters and the unforgettable Judge Holden.

⚠️ Jamie had some trouble with his audio setup, so his sound quality drops a little from the synopsis segment. Thanks for bearing with us!

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:09:51) Synopsis

(00:25:41) Discussion

(00:50:42) Analysis and theories

(01:12:53) DOSAGE rating

(01:17:30) More discussion

(01:26:05) Fan casting

(01:32:53) Outro

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⚠️ SPOILER SECTION ⚠️

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This episode has no separate spoiler section. From the synopsis onward, we cover the book from beginning to end. We'd suggest reading it before you listen, but the ending isn't the kind of twist that will ruin the book for you.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
• Saltblood by Francesca De Tores
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
• I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
• Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

A broke documentary maker is paid a fortune to film the paranormal legend of the Temple of the Last Days, a cult that ended in a massacre in the Arizona desert in 1975. As he interviews the survivors across London, France and Arizona, the shoot starts recording things that shouldn't be there, and the horror follows him home.

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:07:20) First impressions

(00:17:15) Spoiler-free discussion

(00:34:41) SPOILER ZONE - the plot

(00:51:18) SPOILER ZONE - the discussion

(01:07:57) DOSAGE rating

(01:13:02) Outro

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⚠️ SPOILER SECTION ⚠️

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Spoilers for Last Days by Adam Nevill run [34:41]–[1:07:57]. Skipping ahead? Tap the "DOSAGE rating" chapter above to hear our ratings.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
• Last Days by Adam Nevill
• Endless Night by Richard Laymon
• Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
• I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

Celeste has been unwell this week and this week is a Special Episode where Jae talks about his favourite genre: Fantasy!

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:02:10) Honourable mention - Harry Potter

(00:04:01) Top 5 - The Stormlight Archive

(00:07:09) Top 4 - Piranesi

(00:10:38) Top 3 - Mistborn trilogy

(00:14:35) Top 2 - The Realm of the Elderlings

(00:19:29) Top 1 - The Name of the Wind

(00:24:27) Outro

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• ​Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson
• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
• Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
• The Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb
• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

Naomi Roth's husband changes the locks, empties their accounts, and moves in a woman twenty years younger. Naomi starts watching her — and doesn't stop when she should.

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:10:41) Happy Father's Day

(00:17:57) Spoiler zone - the plot

(00:38:47) Spoiler zone - the discussion

(01:07:01) DOSAGE rating

(01:09:19) Outro

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⚠️ SPOILER SECTION ⚠️

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Spoilers for The Divorce by Freida McFadden run [17:57]–[1:07:01]. Skipping ahead? Tap the "DOSAGE rating" chapter above to hear our ratings.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• ​The Divorce by Freida McFadden
• The Housemaid series by Freida McFadden
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
• Never Lie by Freida McFadden
• Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

Natsuki is eleven and believes she's a magician from the planet Popinpobopia. Her cousin Yuu believes he's an alien. It sounds like a story about childhood magic — and then it isn't.

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro & reading updates

(00:03:13) Content warning & first impression

(00:09:50) Spoiler-free discussion

(00:19:41) Spoiler discussion

(00:57:12) Spoiler-free again

(01:04:20) DOSAGE rating

(01:13:02) Outro

━━━━━━━━━━━━

⚠️ SPOILER SECTION ⚠️

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Spoilers for Earthlings by Sayaka Murata run [19:41]–[57:12]. Skipping ahead? Tap the "Spoiler-free again" chapter above to rejoin us.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• ​Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
• Golden Son by Pierce Brown
• The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
• Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
• Loner by Teddy Wayne
• The Divorce by Freida McFadden
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

We read Agustina Bazterrica's Tender Is the Flesh, a dystopia where animal meat becomes toxic and society quietly reorganises around eating people instead. This one's about euphemism, complicity, and how fast the unthinkable becomes routine.

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro & reading updates

(00:06:02) About the author

(00:11:39) Content warning & spoiler-free discussion

(00:40:17) Spoiler discussion

(01:07:19) Spoiler-free again & DOSAGE rating

(01:16:26) Outro

━━━━━━━━━━━━

⚠️ SPOILER SECTION ⚠️

━━━━━━━━━━━━Spoilers for Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica run [40:17]–[1:07:19]. Skipping ahead? Tap the "Spoiler-free again" chapter above to rejoin us.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• ​Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
• ​Someone Came Knocking by Anne Hilton-Bruce
• ​Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

This week's dose is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: a man wakes with amnesia on a one-way mission to Tau Ceti, discovers an organism is consuming the sun, and has decades at most to find out why one star is somehow immune. It's an extinction-level premise that turns out to be one of the warmest, funniest books either of us has read.

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro & reading updates

(00:21:48) About the author

(00:26:49) Spoiler-free discussion

(00:39:00) Spoiler discussion

(01:27:26) DOSAGE rating & outro

━━━━━━━━━━━━

⚠️ SPOILER SECTION ⚠️

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A NOTE ON SPOILERS: Project Hail Mary keeps a major character offstage for the first third of the book, and their arrival is a genuine surprise. The film's trailer gave it away well before release, so we treat it as public — but if you've avoided the marketing and haven't read it yet, be aware we discuss this character throughout, even from [1:27:26] onwards. Read first if you can.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• ​Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• ​The Martian by Andy Weir
• ​Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• ​Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
• ​The Vegetarian by Han Kang
• ​The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠⁠
• ​And Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc⁠
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊

Two book-loving friends. A stack of books. Welcome to Dose of Books. 💊

This week we're taking on Endless Night by Richard Laymon: a fast, savage splatterpunk novel about a teenage girl surviving a massacre and being hunted across one endless night — and it's my (Jae's) very first taste of the genre!

⏱️ CHAPTERS (tap to jump)

(00:00:00) Intro & reading updates

(00:12:05) About the author & trend in horror novels

(00:20:56) Spoiler-free discussion

(00:48:08) eBooks vs. physical books

(00:58:35) Spoiler discussion

(01:31:01) Spoiler-free again & DOSAGE rating

(01:39:20) Outro

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⚠️ SPOILER SECTION ⚠️

━━━━━━━━━━━━

Spoilers for Endless Night by Richard Laymon run [58:35]–[1:13:01]. Skipping ahead? Tap the "Spoiler-free again" chapter above to rejoin us.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED

For anyone who wants to follow up on the reads that came up:

• ​Endless Night by Richard Laymon
• The Cellar by Richard Laymon
• The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
• IT by Stephen King
• Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

• ​Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

🎧 FIND US & CONNECT

• ​Watch this episode and preview Shorts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DoseofBooks⁠⁠⁠
• ​Also on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-books/id6787073960⁠⁠
• And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doseofbookswithjc
• ​Enjoyed it? Subscribe and follow so you never miss a dose
• ​We'd love your feedback — any constructive criticism is welcome
• ​Email us anytime: [email protected]

Thanks so much for listening — see you in the next dose! 💊