The 2am Book Review Club

In October, I read 16 books, including spooky season reads, 2026 new releases, a ton of romance books, an overdue classic, and some nonfiction, of course. We've got a lot to talk about in this month's reading wrap-up, which... is why it's almost two hours, I guess.

Timestamps: spooky season reads (20:30), 2026 releases (39:01), romances (57:29), an overdue classic (1:17:10), nonfiction (1:25:54), and a writing update (1:41:33).

If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving me a tip! And if you'd like to buy your own copy of any of the books I discuss in this episode, please check out my bookshop.org storefront, where you can purchase physical or digital copies of my October reads! I receive a 10% commission on all purchases.

Books discussed in this episode: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee, The Typing Lady and Other Fictions by Ruth Ozeki, Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas, His at Night by Sherry Thomas, Snow White with the Red Hair (volumes 7-10), The Blythes Are Quoted by L. M. Montgomery, The Utopia of Rules: On Technology, Stupidity, and the Secret Joys of Bureaucracy by David Graeber, and Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear: A. A. Milne and the Creation of Winnie-the-Pooh by Gyles Brandeth.

You can read about the two editions of Frankenstein here, and you can read the 1831 edition online via Project Gutenberg here.

You can check out my recent deep dive on Anne of Green Gables via Apple, Spotify, or here.

Our Fellowship of the Ring read-along is still live through the end of November, and you can join it here.

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay and "Night on Bald Mountain" via Wikimedia Commons.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

Happy Halloween! Let's celebrate with 10 classic books that are perfect for spooky season. Timestamps: Classic monster books (00:58), Gothic recommendations (13:15), and wildcard recommendations (45:24).

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can shop books through my bookshop.org storefront! I receive a 10% commission on all purchases. And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving me a tip!

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay and "Night on Bald Mountain" via Wikimedia Commons.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

Vote for our November/December book club pick by joining the official book club! Look for the post entitled "⬆️ Vote for the November/December Book Club Pick! 📚" and cast your vote! Voting closes on November 1st, 2026 at 11:00pm EST.

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can shop books through my bookshop.org storefront! I receive a 10% commission on all purchases.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay and Wikimedia Commons.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

Vote for our November/December book club pick by joining the official book club! Look for the post entitled "⬆️ Vote for the November/December Book Club Pick! 📚" and cast your vote! Voting closes on November 1st, 2026 at 11:00pm EST.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's story of an epic battle between good and evil, starring not an Elf, not a Dwarf, not a Man, but one very scared hobbit. In this six-part deep dive from The 2am Book Review Club, we'll be exploring Tolkien's characters, themes, and world-building, and we'll be discussing why, more than 70 years after its publication, The Fellowship of the Ring remains one of the world's most famous and beloved stories.

This is episode 6, in which we're discussing Book 2, Chapters 7-10. If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving me a tip!

Join our Fellowship of the Ring read-along here! If you'd like to buy your own copy of Fellowship of the Ring, and support the podcast, please check out my bookshop.org storefront! I receive a 10% commission on all purchases.

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay and Wikimedia Commons.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's story of an epic battle between good and evil, starring not an Elf, not a Dwarf, not a Man, but one very scared hobbit. In this six-part deep dive from The 2am Book Review Club, we'll be exploring Tolkien's characters, themes, and world-building, and we'll be discussing why, more than 70 years after its publication, The Fellowship of the Ring remains one of the world's most famous and beloved stories.

This is episode 5, in which we're discussing Book 2, Chapters 4-6. If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving me a tip!

Join our Fellowship of the Ring read-along here! If you'd like to buy your own copy of Fellowship of the Ring, and support the podcast, please check out my bookshop.org storefront! I receive a 10% commission on all purchases.

Fellowship of the Ring reading schedule:

• September 14th: Book 1, Chapters 1-4
• September 21st: Book 1, Chapters 5-8
• September 28th: Book 1, Chapters 9-12
• October 12th: Book 2, Chapters 1-3
• October 19th: Book 2, Chapters 4-6
• October 26th: Book 2, Chapters 7-10

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay and Wikimedia Commons.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

Elizabeth Kostova, bestselling author of THE HISTORIAN, is back with a sweeping story of immortality, theater, and what we're willing to sacrifice for love.

MYSTERY PLAY is a brand-new novel about a young man who becomes obsessed with a charismatic but dangerous historical figure, the Gilded Age actor Gael Brogan. This is my exclusive conversation with author Elizabeth Kostova, in which we discuss her favorite books, her twenty-year career, and (of course) MYSTERY PLAY!

You can learn more about the book here. And if you're interested in supporting my work, order your copy of MYSTERY PLAY through my bookshop.org storefront!

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's story of an epic battle between good and evil, starring not an Elf, not a Dwarf, not a Man, but one very scared hobbit. In this six-part deep dive from The 2am Book Review Club, we'll be exploring Tolkien's characters, themes, and world-building, and we'll be discussing why, more than 70 years after its publication, The Fellowship of the Ring remains one of the world's most famous and beloved stories.

This is episode 4, in which we're discussing Book 2, Chapters 1-3. This episode is focused on analysis, but as promised, if you'd like a recap of everything important that happens in these chapters, check out my latest Substack post!

If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving me a tip!

Join our Fellowship of the Ring read-along here! If you'd like to buy your own copy of Fellowship of the Ring, and support the podcast, please check out my bookshop.org storefront! I receive a 10% commission on all purchases.

Fellowship of the Ring reading schedule:

• September 14th: Book 1, Chapters 1-4
• September 21st: Book 1, Chapters 5-8
• September 28th: Book 1, Chapters 9-12
• October 12th: Book 2, Chapters 1-3
• October 19th: Book 2, Chapters 4-6
• October 26th: Book 2, Chapters 7-10

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay and Wikimedia Commons.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

Elizabeth Kostova, bestselling author of THE HISTORIAN, is back with a sweeping story of immortality, theater, and what we're willing to sacrifice for love.

MYSTERY PLAY is an upcoming novel about a young man who becomes obsessed with a charismatic but dangerous historical figure, the Gilded Age actor Gael Brogan. And on Tuesday, October 31st, I'll be releasing an exclusive interview with author Elizabeth Kostova in which we discuss her favorite books, her twenty-year career, and (of course) MYSTERY PLAY!

You can learn more about the book here. And if you're interested in supporting my work, pre-order MYSTERY PLAY through my bookshop.org storefront!

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

In September, I read 10 books, including a book I was peer-pressured into reading, some of my favorite romance books I've read all year, a fascinating biography, and... the most random book I've read all year? We've got a lot to talk about in this month's reading wrap-up!

Books discussed in this episode: J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter, The Tower and the Ruin by Michael D. C. Drout, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson, Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn, Diamonds and Deadlines by Betsy Prioleau, Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews, The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews, Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas, Double Indemnity by James M. Cain.

If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving me a tip! You can also check out my bookshop.org storefront, through which I receive a 10% commission on all purchases.

Join our Fellowship of the Ring read-along here!

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Musical credits: pixabay and Wikimedia Commons.

Musical attribution: Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC), CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Learn more about Henry Purcell, his semi-opera The Fairy Queen, or listen to the Act 1 Overture again.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.

In this very special bonus episode, I'm revisiting THE HISTORIAN, the 700-page dark academia vampire book I first reviewed back in 2024! Why? Well... I guess you'll have to listen to find out!

You can check out my original 2024 review on Apple, Spotify, or here.

If you're interested in Elizabeth Kostova's 2005 interview with The Independent that I reference in this episode, you can check it out here!

Musical credits: Wikimedia Commons.

If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving me a tip!

Want to join the official book club? You'll get to participate in monthly book threads, swap book recommendations, and chat about all things books! Check out this link to join.

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive essays, delivered right to your inbox.

Tune in for exciting book-related content every week here on the podcast, and be sure to also check out the companion Youtube channel: The 2am Book Review Club Youtube channel.