Smack and Gabi discuss their reading highlights since the summer, which included spooky Halloween reads and a couple of very excellent duologies.  Some reads will be spun off into their own future bonus episodes, including a set of paranormal romances that were Smack’s “Green Creek” and a brick that is impossible to describe in brief.  Gabi explains blorbos and poor little meow-meows, we sulk about novella marketing decisions, Smack breaks down the HarperCollins strike, and we tie everything off with a completely understandable meltdown about Our Flag Means Death, which is not a book but is nonetheless an excellent but tragically incomplete piece of media.

Books discussed in this episode include:

The "fight" continues!  In the third and final part of our second annual showdown, we (finally) find out who had the better reading experience during Mysterious Galaxy's 2022 summer bingo.  Smack was ahead at the halfway mark at the end of Part Two, but the only way to know who ultimately won is to listen!  We also found out that Mysterious Galaxy has fifty (FIFTY) book prompts for a 2023 challenge in honor of their 30th birthday so we may be doing this...a lot.

The books competing in this last segment are:

The stakes are high!!  In part two of a yet-to-be-determined number of parts, Smack and Gabi are at it again, going toe-to-toe to see who had the better reading experience during this year's Mysterious Galaxy Summer Bingo.  By the end of this episode there are some tough calls and a surprising number of ties, but one of us has pulled ahead at the halfway mark (you'll have to listen to find out who!).  Will our friendship survive another twelve PvP fights??  Only time will tell...

The books competing in this segment are:

Who’s gonna win??  It’s time for ITBR’s 2nd Annual Mysterious Galaxy Summer Bingo…thing!  Smack and Gabi go head-to-head to find out who had a better reading experience during our favorite bookstore’s summer bingo event by selecting titles at random and defending our own books until a champion for each pair (or a tie) is declared.  The one with the most champions at the end of…three or four??...episodes will win a steak prepared by the loser!!  Or they might, if either of us liked steak.  The books pitted against each other in this first episode are:

Smack and Gabi continue their discussion from the previous episode swapping opinions about recent reads, a surprising number of which we had in common.  Smack soaks in the nostalgia of a formative book of tactile fairy tale retellings that took her on a profound journey of self-discovery.  Gabi delights in a cozy speculative historical haunted house mystery/romance about a scandalous widow and a sweet family of mad scientists.  We talk about our individual challenges and approaches to reading on planes and stress out about (or are pleasantly surprised by) contemporary romances.  Along the way we learn the difference between blackmail and extortion, celebrate delightful surprise glow-in-the-dark covers (with whales!), and covet cat-sized pet dragons (who wouldn't?).

Main books discussed include:

Smack and Gabi announce the winner of their Annibirthday drawing and touch base on our Mysterious Galaxy Summer Bingo progress, for which Gabi has been tricked into reading a trilogy of three chonkers.  We then catch up on some recent reads we’ve had in common.  Gabi rage-quit a trilogy over a dead beloved character and Smack is still soaking in a book of incredible writing with a bizarre world of violin prodigies, deals with the devil, and refugees from another galaxy who sell donuts.  We compare notes on frustrating worldbuilding and how to nip fascism in the bud, and conclude by yet again trying to remember what year it is.  At least we’re consistent.

Main books discussed include:

Smack and Gabi are celebrating ITBR's Anni-birthday by inviting you (our precious listeners) to email ([email protected]) or follow & tweet @infinitetbr with your favorite book of this year OR the name of a book that we recommended that you enjoyed.  One lucky participant will be chosen to receive a $20 gift card to the independent bookstore of their choice.  We went on to answer selections (requested by our #1 fan) from the Mid-Year Book Freak Out tag, complete with copious tangents and unrepentant cheating when it came to answering prompts.  Winners include:

In this bonus episode, Smack and Gabi discuss genre stigma.  We review general trends and discuss our personal experiences encountering it in the wild as readers, writers, and academics.  We also discuss strategies for overcoming stigma in ourselves (an ongoing process) and how best to encourage others to do so (the power of friendship!).

Smack and Gabi review their San Diego Independent Bookstore Day Book Crawl a.k.a. Book Crawl a.k.a. Book Crawlidays adventure.  They recount their experiences and book hauls from each of the eleven(!!) participating independent bookstores in San Diego, noting their faves and their…not-so-faves, as well as the sweet swag accumulated along the way.  They are also gearing up for the 2022 Mysterious Galaxy Summer Bingo and celebrating ITBR’s first birthday!  Happy Birthday to Us!!

Smack and Gabi cover a lot of reading ground from March and April.  Smack gives a teaser about her faves (further discussion pending Gabi catching up…some day); Gabi waxes poetic about feathered dragons, Faustian bargains, violin prodigies, and donut-selling aliens; and we both gush about a gross and incredible werewolf horror novel.  Smack’s been listening to a lot of popcorn audiobooks while Gabi pre-gamed for Book Crawl.  We finish by reminiscing about nice dragons - one of our all-time favorites!

Main books discussed include: