The Dust Jacket

This week, we discuss The Unworthy, the latest novel from the author of Tender Is the Flesh, Agustina Bazterrica. We talk about religion and cults, apocalypses, crazy people--you know, 2026 stuff. 

This is a short book with a weird structure, so spoilers pretty much from the jump

This week we discuss the supernatural mystery Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng, by Kylie Lee Baker. We both liked a lot of this book, but not quite everything. 

Spoilers from 22 mins

Special guest Sonya joins to discuss Kim Liggett's The Grace Year, a dystopian, possibly magical realism, horror novel about the strictures of the patriarchy. We all loved the themes and message, but got a little lost with some of the logistics. 

You can find Dacey's hand-drawn map here

In our final episode of Grinch Month, special guest Alayne joins us to talk shit about A Ferry Merry Christmas, by Debbie Macomber, who writes 5 books per year including a Christmas book every single year. We discuss the basic physics of ferries, the uncanny valley, and much more. 

Spoilers throughout this ep

Join us as we grinch all over the worst book we read this year, Beautiful Ugly. This is a domestic thriller so bad it feels like a parody of Gone Girl. 

Spoilers from 17 mins

This was a tough one--early reviews of this book are glowing, but neither of us liked it. Find out which parts gave us the ick, why we think this book is autobiographical and why that's weird... and also why we thought the twist ending fell so flat. 

Spoilers from 42 mins

This week we talk about what makes a man a curmudgeon, the differences between quirky books and silly books, and when a wedding isn't a wedding. 

Spoilers from 27 mins, and they are significant spoilers, so be prepared to pause if you want to read this book unspoiled. 

We discuss Deadly Animals, by Marie Tierney, in which a young precocious girl helps solve the mystery of who's killing all her classmates. We both loved some parts of this book and were irritated by others. 

Trigger warning for mentions of violence and sexual assault against children. Spoilers from 24 mins in

Special guest Jules returns to talk about Sky Daddy with us. This is a truly weird novel about a woman with a sexual fixation on planes, who wants to "marry" one by dying in a plane crash. 

Warning: This episode has a LOT of talk about sex. If you're around children or just don't want to hear about sex, skip this one. 

Spoilers not until 41 mins

Happy Halloween! For the end of Spooktober, we're talking about the cult hit Slewfoot, by Brom. We discuss why Puritans make great horror villains, why this book is actually two books, and the power and pitfalls of witch hunts in fiction.

Spoilers from 15 minutes.