This week, we have a slight change of pace as hosts Valorie and Cyndi dig into epistolary novels. We talk about the history of epistolary novels as “women’s” writing, discuss why they work so well for horror novels, explore some of our favorite novels, and get wildly off-topic discussing whether or not you can reheat coffee with cream in it. If any of these books sound up your alley, we hope you’ll support The Literary Menace by ordering through our links below:

Shop for Dracula on Bookshop

Shop for The Brides on Bookshop

Shop for The Sorrows of Young Werther on Bookshop

Shop for World War Z on Bookshop

Shop for Sleeping Giants on Bookshop

Shop for Daisy Jones & The Six on Bookshop

Shop for The Collected Works of Billy the Kid on Bookshop

Shop for The Ship of Death on Bookshop

Shop for A Visit from the Goon Squad on Bookshop

Shop for Dear Committee Members on Bookshop

Shop for House of Leaves on Bookshop

Shop for Carrie on Bookshop

If you’re interested in The Cincinnati Review article that Valorie mentioned, you can find that right here.

Thanks for listening!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theliterarymenace.substack.com

This week, hosts Valorie and Cyndi dig into S.V. Lockwood’s upcoming debut novel, A Complement of Scoundrels. We discuss how difficult it is to pull off a heist novel, how interesting Lockwood’s approach to a magic system is, and attempt to uncover the limit on spoilers. If A Complement of Scoundrels sounds up your alley, we hope you’ll support The Literary Menace by ordering through our links below:

Shop for A Complement of Scoundrels on Bookshop

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theliterarymenace.substack.com

This week, hosts Valorie and Cyndi dig into Leigh Bardugo’s upcoming novel Dead Beat, the final novel in the Alex Stern trilogy. We discuss what it takes to stick the landing on a fantasy trilogy, what dark academia really even is. Plus, we gossip about the very cool influencer party Valorie got to attend celebrating Dead Beat in Los Angeles. If Dead Beat sounds up your alley, we hope you’ll support The Literary Menace by ordering through our links below:

Preorder Dead Beat on Bookshop

Order Ninth House on Bookshop

Order Hell Bent on Bookshop

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theliterarymenace.substack.com

This week, hosts Valorie and Cyndi dig into R.F. Kuang’s upcoming novel Taipei Story. We discuss the contradictions of being children of immigrants, the fantasy of “going home,” and how much we love a coming-of-age story. We also get into how much we love Yellowface, and finally Valorie defends Katabasis with her life. If Taipei Story (or any of Kuang’s other books) sounds up your alley, we hope you’ll support The Literary Menace by ordering through our links below:

Preorder Taipei Story on Bookshop

Shop for Yellowface on Bookshop

Shop for Katabasis on Bookshop

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theliterarymenace.substack.com

This week, hosts Valorie and Cyndi dig into Rachel Gillig’s gothic romantasy novel The Knight and The Moth. We discuss our feelings about Ophelia and tragedies, what makes a novel “atmospheric,” and make predictions for the upcoming sequel, The Knave and The Moon—out September 1, 2026! If The Knight and the Moth sounds up your alley, we hope you’ll support The Literary Menace by ordering through our links below:

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theliterarymenace.substack.com

Welcome to the first-ever episode of The Literary Menace podcast! This week, hosts Valorie and Cyndi lay out how this podcast will be structured, and then they dig into the upcoming novel Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher. If this fantasy romance sounds up your alley, we hope you’ll support the show by ordering your very own copy below.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theliterarymenace.substack.com