Escape with Me Bookclub

Happy Halloween! 🎃 We're closing out our spooky-month celebration with a book that has caused a serious disagreement in the Escape with Me Bookclub household.

For Episode 193, Sam and James are discussing Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker.

Here's the problem: Sam read this book first and gave it 5 stars. Then James read it, and his reaction was less enthusiastic. In fact, he thinks Sam must be gaslighting him about how good this book is.

James has a LOT to say, and he needs to rant. But will his arguments actually hold up? Can he convince Sam that her beloved five-star read isn't what she thinks it is? Or is James simply wrong?

We're putting two very different reading experiences head-to-head for our final spooky-month episode. Come celebrate Halloween with us, and find out whether this book survives the ultimate test: a husband who absolutely hated it.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:17 About the Author

02:47 Background

06:08 Age Level & Content Warning

08:39 Judge a Book by Its Cover

10:22 Discussion

01:08:54 General Thoughts

01:10:48 One Question for the Author

01:12:18 Rating

01:14:21 Read Again?

01:15:42 Outro

Follow the Author: Kylie Lee Baker

Website: https://www.kylieleebaker.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylieleebaker/

Twitter: https://x.com/KylieYamashiro

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It's time for the third book in our spooky-month celebration, and we're heading into gothic horror! 🕯️

For Episode 192, Sam and Hannah are reading The Artist of Blackberry Grange, a gothic horror novel by Paulette Kennedy. Sam loves gothic horror, while Hannah is stepping into the genre with fresh eyes, which means we're coming to this story with very different expectations.

So how does that change the way we see the book? What does a gothic horror fan look for that a newcomer might not? And why did we both come dangerously close to DNFing the book during the first half?

We talk atmosphere, pacing, expectations, and whether the story eventually gives us enough reason to keep turning pages. Was the slow start worth pushing through, or should we have trusted our instincts?

Grab a blanket, turn down the lights, and join us for another spooky-month book discussion. Just don't blame us if Blackberry Grange makes you nervous about old houses. 👀

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:58 About the Author

02:56 Background

04:17 Age Level & Content Warning

04:45 Judge a Book by Its Cover

08:29 Discussion

01:00:03 General Thoughts

01:04:00 One Question for the Author

01:07:24 Rating

01:09:06 Read Again?

01:09:30 Outro

Follow the Author: Paulette Kennedy

Website: https://paulettekennedy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pkennedywrites/

Connect with us:Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

It's spooky month, and we're digging up a vampire series from Sam's middle-school years! But just because a book was a favorite back then doesn't mean it survives an adult reread. 🧛

For Episode 191, Sam and Danielle are reading Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. Sam picked up this series in middle school, while Danielle is experiencing it for the very first time.

That gives us two very different perspectives: the nostalgia of returning to an old favorite and the fresh eyes of someone who doesn't have childhood memories doing half the work.

Does Blue Bloods still have bite more than two decades later? Which parts hold up, and which parts have us questioning Sam's younger self? And perhaps most importantly, has Melissa de la Cruz learned anything since writing this series?

Join Sam and Danielle for a spooky-month deep dive into vampire drama, teenage nostalgia, and the question of whether some books are better left in the past.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:54 About the Author

08:07 Background

10:26 Age Level & Content Warning

11:55 Judge a Book by Its Cover

14:25 The Lore

23:41 The Book

54:27 General Thoughts

56:09 One Question for the Author

57:45 The Author's Other Books

59:09 Rating

01:00:52 Read Again?

01:02:32 Outro

Follow the Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Website: https://melissa-delacruz.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorMelissadelaCruz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelissadelacruz/

Connect with us:Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

A YA vampire story that started in 2000 somehow became a 12-book series, a manga adaptation, a movie, and much more. But does Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare still hold up 26 years later?

For Episode 190, Sam and Tim revisit the beginning of The Saga of Darren Shan and take a look at the first book, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare, by Darren Shan.

We’re looking at this story through a modern lens, asking what works, what feels dated, and whether this first installment still deserves the reputation it built over more than two decades.

But there’s another question we have to answer: is the manga better?

With multiple versions of this story out there, Sam and Tim compare the original book to its manga adaptation and discuss whether the story benefits from being brought to the page visually.

So grab your vampire cape, head to the Cirque du Freak, and join us for a trip back to the beginning.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro

Follow the Author: Darren Shan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarrenShanUSA/

Twitter: https://x.com/darrenshan

Connect with us:Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

What happens when Agatha Christie brings together four detectives from her previous books to solve one murder? Apparently, mystery magic.

For Episode 189, Sam and Hannah are tackling Cards on the Table , the 15th book in the Hercule Poirot series. But Poirot isn't solving this case alone! Christie assembles four detectives from her earlier works, giving us a crossover event worthy of the Avengers.

With four very different investigative styles in the same room, we get to see each detective's personality, strengths, and quirks shine. How do their methods compare? Who brings something unique to the investigation? And why don't more mystery authors bring their detectives together like this?

Sam and Hannah discuss the mystery, the detective dynamics, and whether Cards on the Table proves that detective crossovers deserve to be their own literary universe.

New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨Next week: Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:01 Note from Agatha and Easter Egg

08:19 Age Level and Content Warning

09:28 Judge a Book by Its Cover

11:28 Discussion

46:57 General Thoughts

47:58 One Question for the Author

49:52 Rating

52:26 Read Again?

53:12 Favorite of the Series so Far

54:00 Outro

Connect with Us on SocialsFacebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠

Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

The UK/Australia-exclusive Twisted Tales have done it again. But this time, we have to settle a much bigger question: Are the UK books actually better than the US ones?

For Episode 188, Sam and Kaitlyn read Be Prepared by Farrah Rochon, the fourth Twisted Tales release that has been published in the UK/Australia but isn't getting a US release.

And at this point, we have evidence.

Mari Mancusi gave us Princess of Thieves, which we absolutely loved. Jen Calonita gave us a UK/Australia Twisted Tale after her US books didn't exactly win us over. And then there's Farrah Rochon, who already wrote the Lion King short story for the Twisted Tales anthology and we hated it.

So here's the deal: if we like Be Prepared better, we're finally going to have to admit it...

The United States is being robbed.

Sam and Kaitlyn break down this Lion King retelling, how it compares to the other Twisted Tales we've read, and whether this fourth UK/Australia-exclusive book is enough to settle the debate once and for all.

New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨Next week: Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

⏱️ Time Stamps

00:00 Intro

02:24 Background

06:40 Age Level & Content Warning

09:17 Judge a Book by Its Cover

11:19 Discussion

47:01 US or UK?

51:20 General Thoughts

52:50 One Question for the Author

55:51 Rating

58:20 Read Again?

58:37 Favorite of the Series so Far

59:11 Outro

📖 Follow the Author - Farrah RochonWebsite: ⁠https://www.farrahrochon.com/⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/farrahrochonauthor⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farrahrochon/⁠Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/FarrahRochon⁠BookBub: ⁠https://www.bookbub.com/authors/farrah-rochon⁠🔗 Connect with Us on SocialsFacebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

We’re back in the Kingdom Keepers series with Disney at Dawn and this time, we’re leaving the Magic Kingdom behind and heading to Animal Kingdom!

Keira is especially excited for this one since Animal Kingdom is one of her favorite Disney parks, but we have some questions. Namely: how does a book released in 2008 manage to feel like it’s set in a 2005 version of the park? And why does this story sometimes feel like it was written by two completely different authors?

Sam and Keira break down the Animal Kingdom setting, the changes from the first book, the parts that work, the parts that absolutely do not, and whether the Kingdom Keepers series is getting better or just getting stranger.

So grab your imaginary park map and come wander through Animal Kingdom with us!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:40 Background

03:46 Age Level & Content Warning

05:45 Judge a Book by Its Cover

07:50 Discussion

01:04:23 General Thoughts

01:09:59 One Question for the Author

01:11:29 Rating

01:15:49 Read Again?

01:17:04 Favorite of the Series so Far?

01:17:51 Outro

Follow the Author - Ridley PearsonWebsite: https://ridleypearson.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekingdomkeepersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridleypearsonYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ridleypPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ridleypearson/🔗 Connect with Us on SocialsFacebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

Episode 186 - Love Hina Vol. 4-6 by Ken Akamatsu

We're back with Love Hina!

For James, this series is a core memory. He first read Love Hina in high school, and it was one of his first manga series. For Sam, it's a completely different experience: she's been watching anime and reading manga for more than two decades, but this is her first time actually reading Love Hina.

So what happens when one person revisits a formative favorite and the other comes to it with years of anime and manga experience already under her belt?

That's exactly what we're exploring in Volumes 4-6.

We talk about:

• How Love Hina holds up through James' nostalgia
• Sam's perspective as a first-time reader
• How our previous experience with anime and manga changes the way we look at the series
• The characters, comedy, romance, and increasingly chaotic situations
• Whether James' high-school memories still match the series we're reading today

It's nostalgia versus a fresh set of eyes and we're finding out whether Love Hina survives the comparison.

New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨

Next week: Disney at Dark by Ridley Pearson

⏱️ Time Stamps

00:00 Intro

01:20 Background

02:15 Age Level & Content Warning

03:42 Judge a Book by Its Cover

06:51 Discussion

49:29 General Thoughts

51:56 One Question for the Author

53:09 Rating

56:09 Read Again?

57:42 Outro

🔗 Connect with Us on SocialsFacebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

Episode 185 - Princess of Thieves by Mari Mancusi

Once again, we have read a Disney Twisted Tales book that was published in the UK and Australia.

And once again: WE WERE ROBBED!

Seriously, it will never stop baffling us that some of the best books in the Disney Twisted Tales series aren't published in the United States.

Sam and Kaitlyn dive into Princess of Thieves by Mari Mancusi and this isn't just another enjoyable entry in the series.

This book is FIVE STARS.

It may even be one of our favorite Disney Twisted Tales books we've ever read.

We talk about:

• Why this book deserves to be available to more readers
• What makes it stand out in the Disney Twisted Tales series
• How it compares to other books in the series
• The characters, story, and everything that worked for us
• And why we are once again asking the very important question: WHY CAN'T WE HAVE THE GOOD BOOKS?!

If you've been following our Disney Twisted Tales journey, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨

Next week: Love Hina vol. 4-6 by Ken Akamatsu

⏱️ Time Stamps

00:00 Intro

01:05 Background

05:24 Age Level and Content Warning

07:57 Judge a Book by Its Cover

12:09 Discussion

58:36 General Thoughts

01:03:11 One Question for the Author

01:06:25 Rating

01:06:59 Read Again & Favorite of the Series so Far

01:07:48 Outro

📖 Follow the Author - Mari Mancusi

Website: ⁠http://www.marimancusi.com/⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/marimancusi⁠Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/marimancusi⁠YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/marimancusi⁠

🔗 Connect with Us on SocialsFacebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts

Episode 184 - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Two readers. Two different experiences. And one very important question:

Was Divergent actually done dirty by being compared to The Hunger Games?

Danielle read Divergent when it originally came out. Sam is reading it for the first time, and together they're digging into one of the biggest YA dystopian series of the 2010s.

We talk about why comparing Divergent to The Hunger Games can actually be a disservice to the book, how the movie adaptation helped drag the series down, and (yes) the MANY problems that exist in the book itself.

But then things get really interesting.

Veronica Roth is revisiting the world of Divergent with an alternate-timeline story, which raises one extremely important question:

Which faction will Tris choose this time?

And because we couldn't leave well enough alone, we also took the BuzzFeed faction quiz.

We had our predictions.

We were wrong.

Sam: Candor
Danielle: Erudite

Apparently we know ourselves less well than we thought.

We discuss:

• Divergent vs. The Hunger Games
• Why the comparison isn't necessarily fair
• The book's strengths AND its problems
• How the movies affected the reputation of the series
• Veronica Roth's alternate-timeline rewrite
• And which faction Tris might choose in the new story

New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨

Next week: Princess of Thieves by Mari Mancusi

⏱️ Time Stamps

00:00 Intro

01:40 About the Author

04:42 Background

07:27 Rewrite?

10:09 Age Level & Content Warning

12:30 Judge a Book by Its Cover

13:55 Discussion

01:04:04 General Thoughts

01:09:39 One Question for the Author

01:13:17 Rating

01:14:12 Read Again?

01:15:40 Outro

📖 Follow the Author - Veronica Roth

Website: https://veronicarothbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeronicaRothBooks?fref=ts#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veronicaroth/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@veronicaroth

🔗 Connect with Us on SocialsFacebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts