E146: Christmas Mysteries with Stephanie Barron

 

Today I welcome Stephanie Barron to the show to discuss both her Jane Austen mystery series and the appeal of mystery books set at Christmas. We talk about Jane Austen in the first half of the show, and what made her an interesting character for detective fiction, and we use the Christmas book in the series, JANE AND THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS as a launch pad for other Christmas mystery recommendations. Here are the books we discussed, linked to my Bookshop if you want to support the show, and I've also made a list on my Bookshop's front page if you want to browse.

• The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
• Lament for a Maker by Michael Innes
• The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
• The Mischief of Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
• Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler
• The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler
• Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
• I'm Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
• The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan
• Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney (not on episode but it's on the graphic)
• Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton (not on episode but it's on the graphic)

E145: Green Academia with Kate Khavari

 

Today I welcome back Kate Khavari to discuss Green Academia, a historical science aesthetic we apply to book recommendations. It’s not a real subgenre, but I thought this would be fun. Kate’s Saffron Everleigh mystery series centers a botanist in academia in the early 20th century, so she was the perfect guest for this discussion. We chat about the difference between STEM and Green Academia, and we revel in how often humor and romance factor into these stories. I also want to mention that I didn’t include EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES in our book recs because the field of study in that book is fairy lore and not science. Here is a list of books discussed on the episode:

• The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
• The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holt
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennet
• The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
• The Runaway Dutchess by Joanna Lowell
• Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book by Brian Froud
• A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
• A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
• Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
• When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare
• The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen
• Bend Towards the Sun by Jen Devon

E144: Sarah Hawley and SERVANT OF EARTH

 

Today I welcome back Sarah Hawley to discuss her new book, SERVANT OF THE EARTH, a romantasy with a sentient knife and strong female friendships. We chat about the origins of this book and how it compares to her witchy romcoms, and we discuss the unintentional timing of a story about a woman rising up against a tyrannical king.

E143: Short Story Collections with Cynthia Gomez

 

Today I have Cynthia Gomez on the show to discuss Story Collections by individual authors. We discuss the point of writing short stories vs novels, and the different ways collections can tell a single broader story from the stories within it. We also give you some great recommendations, listed below. Thanks for listening!

• Hell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman Haunted by RJ Joseph
• Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
• Night Shift by Stephen King
• Pink Agave Motel by V Castro
• Out of Aztlan by V Castro
• Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories by Kelly Barnhill 
• The Raven: Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
• Skin Thief by Suzan Palumbo
• Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
• Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
• Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson

E142: Spooky RomComs with Ivy Fairbanks

 

Today I have Ivy Fairbanks on the show to discuss Spooky RomComs. Ivy is the author of MORBIDLY YOURS, a romantic comedy set in the funeral business. We discuss the work RomComs do and why spooky settings and ghosts are having a moment. We did not include witches or monsters because the non-magical human animal, dead or alive, brings its own spooky elements to any story. We also give you some great recommendations. 

Books mentioned on the show:

• Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
• Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne
• Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson
• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
• The Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore
• Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts
• For Better or Hearse by Ava Hunter

E141: Women of Southern Gothic with Del Sandeen

 

Today I have Del Sandeen on the show to discuss Women of Southern Gothic. Del’s debut novel, THIS CURSED HOUSE, revels in traditional gothic tropes in the context of issues embedded in gothic novels set in the American South. It’s a fresh take on a long tradition of this subgenre, and we discuss what sets Southern Gothic apart from other gothic novels. We also give you some great recommendations, which I've listed below:

• When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen
• Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
• The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy
• Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
• The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor by Flannery O'Connor
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
• Spook Lights by Eden Royce
• Root Work by Tracy Cross
• Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
• Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
• Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews

E140: Pumpkin Books with Rachel Harrison and Stephanie Gagnon from Books in the Freezer

 

Today I have Rachel Harrison, author of SO THIRSTY, and Stephanie Gagnon from Books in the Freezer on the show to discuss Pumpkins and Pumpkin Books…mostly. A few of the recommendations are fall vibes that allude to pumpkins. We have the best time and I hope you all have as much fun listening to this episode as we had making it.

The following are the book recommendations made in this episode. I've put a widget for Cackle also because Rachel Harrison did give us a healthy dose of pumpkins in that delightful book too. 

• Willful Creatures by Aimee Bender
• Plain, Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
• Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
• Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
• Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
• The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
• The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow by Alyssa Palombo
• Deja Brew by Celestine Martin
• The Halloween Party by Agatha Christie