Firemen, forbidden books, and a future that feels a little too real. 

In this episode, Corrie and Lucia dive into Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury to unpack themes of censorship, control, and what happens when society stops thinking critically—and starts burning.

Episode Time Points:

00:00 - Intro and life updates

02:43 - Synopsis of Fahrenheit 451

04:10 - An Introduction to Ray Bradbury

05:16 - A Discussion of Fahrenheit 451

01:09:17 - The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Time

01:10:13 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury

The Fireman by Ray Bradbury

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

The Bible

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Other Media Mentioned in This Episode:

Love Island

Great British Bake Off

The Archers

Links:

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram

Magicians, mysteries, and a cursed love story that spans decades. 

In this episode, Corrie and Lucia dive into The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers, talking time travel, twisted family legacies, and whether the magic hit the mark—or missed the tent entirely.

Episode Time Points:

00:00 - Intro

00:20 - Reading Updates

05:35 - Synopsis of The Ladies of the Secret Circus

06:40 - An Introduction to Constance Sayers

08:55 - A Discussion of The Ladies of the Secret Circus

01:02:35 - The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Time

01:04:11 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

The Bureau of Second Chances by Sheena Kalayil

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Chaos Circus by Renee Dugan

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kauffman

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Other Media Mentioned in This Episode:

Dark

My Favourite Murder

Gilmore Girls

Links:

Constance Sayers on Instagram

Constance Sayers on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram

Victorian London, autopsies, and a bit of tea—what more could you want? 

In this episode, Corrie and Lucia dig into Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, unpacking its blend of gore and glamour, feminist flair, and that final twist we didn’t see coming.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

02:39 A Discussion of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

01:01:01 Summary

01:02:36 Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Along Came a Spider by James Paterson

"Hunting Prince Dracula", "Escaping from Houdini" and "Capturing the Devil" by Kerri Maniscalco

"Kingdom of the Wicked" and "Kingdom of the Cursed"  by Kerri Maniscalco

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Links:

Kerri Maniscalco on Instagram

Kerri Maniscalco on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram (run by Lucia with minimal input from Corrie!!)

We’re heading back to sci-fi with Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness - an interplanetary deep dive into gender, politics, and icy survival. 

Join Corrie and Lucia as they navigate the frozen world of Gethen, grapple with culture shock, and discuss what this classic still has to say about identity and connection.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

02:50 - Brief life updates

02:55 - An introduction to the author

08:30 - A discussion of 'The Left Hand of Darkness'

58:45 - The book we will be reading next time

59:40 - Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

Dune by Frank Herbert

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin

The Hainish Cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

The Martian by Andy Weir

Artemis by Andy Weir

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Season 2 kicks off with Beach Read by Emily Henry - because nothing says “new season energy” like enemies-to-lovers, lakeside cottages, and a whole lot of emotional baggage.

Join Corrie and Lucia as they unpack what makes this rom-com more than just summer fluff, from grief and writer’s block to banter that actually delivers.

Previous episode: Bonus Questions with Corrie and Lucia

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

01:44 A Discussion of Beach Read by Emily Henry

01:00:04 Summary

01:03:18 Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry

You and Me on Vacation/People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

In at the Deep End by Kate Davies

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

One Day by David Nicholls

The Flat Share or The Switch or The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

Other podcasts mentioned in this episode:

99% Invisible

Links:

Emily Henry's website

Emily Henry on Instagram

NaNoWriMo

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram (run by Lucia with minimal input from Corrie!!)

It's time for a bonus episode! This week we are answering listeners' bookish questions.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Fishes of the Orinoco in the Wild by Ivan Mikolji

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

1984 by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

The Grey Man series by Mark Greaney

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

What Happened by Hilary Clinton

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Other podcasts mentioned:

99% Invisible

We wrap up Season 1 with our first-ever guest! Matt joins us to chat about Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata—a sharp, surreal look at societal norms, personal identity, and the rhythm of retail life. We discuss quirky characters, Murata’s real-life inspiration, and whether we’ve all felt a little bit like Keiko.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

00:32 Welcoming Matthew

06:00 A Discussion of Convenience Store Woman

56:25 Summary

59:00 Outro

Other Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Normal People - Sally Rooney

Never Let Me Go - Kazui Ishiguro

Until the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Christy Lefteri

Earthlings - Sayaka Murata

Will and Testament - Vigdis Hjorth

Fun Home - Alison Bechdel

Firefly - Jos Wheedon

Brave New World - Alduous Huxley

Foundation - Isaac Asimov

Extra Reading/Homework!

The New Yorker Article: Sayaka Murata’s Eerie “Convenience Store Woman” Is a Love Story Between a Misfit and a Store | The New Yorker

Interview with the author: Sayaka Murata: 'I acted how I thought a cute woman should act - it was horrible' | Sayaka Murata | The Guardian

Naoise Dolan: I thought I was too different to see myself in a novel – but Sayaka Murata got me | Naoise Dolan | The Guardian

Interview with the translator: Ginny Tapley Takemori on translating Convenience Store Woman - Books on Asia

We’re back in historical fiction territory with A Death at Fountains Abbey by Antonia Hodgson. In this episode, we discuss whodunnits, visualising Victorian settings (badly), and whether a good murder mystery can survive murky descriptions.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

00:35 Life Updates

02:05 An introduction to the author

06:25 A Discussion of A Death at Fountains Abbey

53:40 The book we will be discussing next episode

56:40 Outro

Other Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith

Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown

Hour Game by David Baldacci

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

This week we dive into The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, a dark, folktale-laced coming-of-age story full of gruesome imagery and haunting twists. We unpack the horror, the heart, and ask: who exactly was this written for?

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

00:35 Quick Life Updates

03:05 A Discussion of The Book of Lost Things

19:50-21:20 TRIGGER WARNING (Pedophilia / Bestiality / Rape)

47:10 The Book We Will be Discussing Next Time

50:25 Outro

Other Books Mentioned in this Episode:

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Black Angel by John Connolly

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm

This week, we reflect on The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri—a moving story of displacement, loss, and resilience. We talk about the emotional weight of grief, the symbolism of bees, and what it means to find hope when everything familiar is gone.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

00:32 Life Updates

01:55 An Introduction to the Author

09:15 A Discussion of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

49:40 The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Episode

51:12 Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Other Podcasts Mentioned in this episode:

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