Litcast Of Doom: Recent Episodes
Roni Gosch
The latest and greatest in science-fiction and fantasy reviews. Join host Roni Gosch as we explore the hot new books on the scene, what's going down in the industry, and everything you'd ever wanted to know about sci-fi and fantasy literature!
Happy holidays, friends and fiends! To celebrate, we're turning back the clock to Halloween, when we spoke to Chris Panatier on his debut, THE PHLEBOTOMIST! Willa Wallace, a government phlebotomist in a dystopian future where blood donation is mandatory, discovers a shocking secret that will change the world as she knows it forever! Also featuring: Lawyer Tasks, [redacted], and much more!
Forget the holidays, join us for a giggle-filled interview with Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, the brain and brawn behind M.A. Carrick and a deliciously delightful debut, THE MASK OF MIRRORS. Ren, a con-artist, tricks her way into a noble family only to find that it's more of an adventure than she's bargained for. Also featured: not a clown but the whole circus, the sound of one interview cry-laughing, Wonder-Twin powers, and much more!
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a young boy's trauma tearing through the cosmos!
This week we've got Essa Hansen as a special guest to talk about her debut, NOPHEK GLOSS! When everything Caiden is brutally ripped from him, he sets out on a journey filled with discovery and vengeance on a galaxy-wide scale. What could go wrong? Also featured: the best (and worst) versions of Fuck/Marry/Kill, avoiding the word "alien," and much more!
We're back, baybey! This week, we're talking NIGHT TERRORS by Tim Waggoner, graciously gifted to us by the folks at Angry Robot! Welcome to the Night Watch, an organization built to keep the balance between humanity and the physical manifestation of their nightmares. Audra and her partner Mr. Jinx (the clown that haunted her nightmares as a child) are on. the hunt for a mysterious killer and uncover a mystery bigger than either of them could imagine.
Also featured: two dollars in the swear jar for monster-f*cking, empathy as a narrative arc, the lady doth protesting too much, and much more!
We're back in super-powered waters with this week's episode, HENCH by Natalie Zina Walschots! When Anna, a temp who specializes in working for villains, gets badly hurt in an altercation with a hero, she turns to the one thing that makes sense: running the numbers. Who knew superheroes caused so much damage? Her findings lead to her next job with the most powerful supervillain in the world, and it only gets more wild from there. Also featured: villain arcs, my bones (or lack thereof), what superheroes look like on the inside, and much more!
And as promised, the links to Lindsey Ellis's videos on the wolf erotica lawsuit!
Happy Halloween, guys and ghouls! Who's ready for some Halloween horror goodness? We're starting the week off with NIGHT OF THE MANNEQUINS by Stephen Graham Jones! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a monstrous mannequin come to life in search of revenge? Check out the episode to find out! Also featured: the horror of IT FOLLOWS, unreliable narrators with their urges for murder, the makings of horror, and much more!
Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Rik Hoskin flying by the sheer joy I had reading BYSTANDER 27!
BYSTANDER 27, a tale of grief and vengeance compounded with the high-impact trope of superheroes and villains, is one for the ages. Join us as we talk about John Hayes (our main protag), the fuck/marry/kill question that haunts my dreams, and what is easily the most laugh-filled episode yet!
We've got a special treat this week, friends and fiends - the glorious Andrea Stewart has popped by to talk about her debut, THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER! In a society built around constructs powered by pieces of bone, we follow a daughter trying to claim her place as heir, a smuggler discovering his true motivations, a couple clashing over their class differences, and a stranger trying to escape a mysterious island. Also featured: another rousing game of Fuck/Marry/Kill, way too many hands, some well-earned praise, a peek at the timeline of publishing a book, and much more!
Color us clueless, because we thought y'all already had your hands on this bad boy, but this week we're covering ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY by Karen Osborne! When Ash, a salvage pilot trying to hide the extent of her illness from her team and the megacompany that holds her life in its hand, she encounters something dangerous that changes the scope of their alien enemy forever. Also featured: the lack of surprise that I love the aliens the most, dying bookstores, Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness, and much more!
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Our featured Kickstarters: Monster Skulls: Premium Enamel Pins Space: Let's Go! Locus: A Mystery-Horror TTRPG
Who's ready for a classic cowboy adventure, BUT IN SPACE? This week we're rocking with RED NOISE by John P. Murphy, following the marvelous misadventures of a woman known as The Miner, as she faces down dirty cops, petty gang warfare, and - on god - a dude who strapped a nuke to his chest. What a crowd, what a crowd. Also featured: take a shot each time I say "Fantastic!", going full-on John Wick over an orchid, fair Verona, and much more!
Once again, we're also highlighting the Wyrmwood Kickstarter and the Unseen Kickstarter - check them out now!
This week we're here to talk about the marvelous misadventures of Simon Kovalic in THE ALEPH EXTRACTION by Dan Moren. Can his team retrieve this mysterious alien artifact, or will they be beaten to the punch by Illyrican forces? Read on to find out! Also featured: listing The Umbrella Academy and Indiana Jones as comp titles, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE, Kickstarter coverage, and more!
Yes, we're covering some Kickstarters this week! Most notably, the ones from Wyrmwood Gaming and the crew behind Wolf 359! Check them out now!
We're back and better than ever with a brand new debut, THE HEREAFTER BYTES by Vincent Scott! Is there anything better than a thought-provoking sci-fi murder mystery? (Yes, actually - a FUNNY thought-provoking sci-fi murder mystery!) Also featured: murder puppies, arrow aces (wink wink nudge nudge), and a couple callbacks to my years in grad school writing a master's thesis!
We had the distinct honor of having Melissa Caruso over for a chat over her latest book, THE OBSIDIAN TOWER! You want some magic demons? You want some murder mystery? You want some crazy architecture that plays into said murder mystery? Boy howdy, you're gonna have a blast with this one! Also featured: the lack of our swear jar, questions about our crow beau Kathe, reasons to go visit the Winchester Mansion, and more!
Sometimes . . . we build endless cities . . . to cope? Welcome to HEARTS OF OAK by Eddie Robson, where a wooden city is ever-expanding, ever growing, for reasons you'll never guess. And yes, we can confirm that the cat is involved. Also featured: we question Robson's deal with cats, quarantine hobbies, explaining a love for a mystery without spoiling it, impending t-shirts, and much more!
We're back and better than ever! When a small-town librarian witnesses a murder, he reacts in the oddest possible way: an out-of-body experience. We're talking OUT OF BODY by Jeffrey Ford, set for publication on May 26th! Also featured: throwing down some money for the swear jar, exposition on feelings for The Hunger Games, the ever-pressing question of how you want to be mourned, and much more!
OUT THIS WEEK:
RULE by Rowenna Miller The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
LITCAST OF DOOM is a weekly review of the latest sci-fi and fantasy novels to hit your shelves! Find us on iTunes, Spotify, and your favorite podcatchers!
Welcome back to Litcast of Doom, please remember to stay at least 6 feet away! This week, we're bringing you our top 5 plague fiction books to highlight what we want to see with this pandemic, and we're including hits such as THE STAND by Stephen King and QUIETUS by Tristan Palmgren! Also featured: the Itinerary, being mean, the celebrities that need to pony up lest they feel my wrath, one too many resurrections, and much more!
("Roni, why didn't you include (x)?" questions please direct to us on Twitter, @litcastofdoom!)
Not even the gods can save you now.
Say hello to our review of RUTHLESS GODS by Emily A. Duncan! The long-awaited sequel to WICKED SAINTS, this novel is everything you loved about the first cranked to 15 before the knob broke off, with extra body horror and angst! Also featured: burned-out vocal chords, stanning a Queen, some godawful nonsense that I don't want to spoil, and much more!
OTHER BOOKS TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK: WEAVE THE LIGHTNING by Corry L. Lee THE AGE OF WITCHES by Louisa Morgan BONDS OF BRASS by Emily Skrutskie
Y'all want some FOUND FAMILY? How about some SLOW BURN and MUTUAL PINING? Then boy howdy, do we got a book review for you! This week we're talking THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune, featuring Linus Baker as a caseworker for magical youth sent to investigate the mysterious Arthur Parnassus and the children under his care. Also featured: sunshine in troubling times, an intense hatred of St. Patrick's Day, my plans for the rest of the week, and much more!
BOOK TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK:
88 NAMES by Matt Ruff HEARTS OF OAK by Eddie Robinson
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Remember to look for us on Twitter and Instagram at @litcastofdoom!
There is no consent under capitalism.
A harsh magnifying glass is held to our world with K.M. Szpara's novel DOCILE, in which Elisha Wilder, inheritor of decades of family debt, sells himself into servitude to save himself and his family. Today, we spoke with Kellan about what it takes to write a sexy journey with a side of self-discovery, healing from emotional trauma, and relationship building blocks.
Also featured: the best game of fuck/marry/kill you'll ever hear, naked people, the two-act structure, and much more!
A friend will pick up your mantle and take on your destiny as his own, but a BEST friend will do it all while carrying your severed head and hallucinating your voice as he does so :) This week we're talking THE FATE OF THE FALLEN by Kel Kade, following a forest-loving best-bro as he shoulders his friend's destiny to save the world while being constantly and continuously surrounded by death! Fun times, right? Also featured: pirating from The Mouse, a shot for every time I mention The Hero's Journey (by JOSEPH Campbell, not JOHN Campbell), and much more!
WHAT'S COMING OUT THIS WEEK:
MASTER OF SORROWS by Justin Travis Call THE LAST SMILE IN SUNDER CITY by Luke Arnold FINNA by Nino Cipri
How much would you give to save someone? Your name? Your life? Your identity? We're confronted with the concept in THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION by Kiersten White, starring a queen who isn't all that she seems. Also featured: the ultimate form of tree-hugging, the concept of teeth growing back, being soft and gay, and much more!
BOOKS COMING OUT THIS WEEK:
THE UNSPOKEN NAME by A.K. Larkwood STORMSONG by C.L. Polk THE LIGHT YEARS by R.W.W. Greene DAUGHTER FROM THE DARK by Marina Dyachenko and Sergey Dyachenko
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Remember to check us out on Twitter and Instagram at @litcastofdoom!
We've spoken with Sarah Gailey before about their novel MAGIC FOR LIARS, but this week we've got something slightly more futuristic, but not in the lazers-and-jetpacks way. UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED follows Esther, a girl in the futuristic SOuth West under the control of a fascist regime as she stows away with the Librarians, a group of folks handing out more than just Approved Materials. It's here, it's queer, and we're here for it! Also featured: a dollar in the swear jar, who we want topping us, goin' through the desert on a horse whose name we forgot, story-braids, and much more!
WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK:
A CONJURING OF ASSASSINS by Cate Glass MAZES OF POWER by Juliette Wade BURN CYCLE by Joel Dane
We're possessed but don't call this exorcist - he's more likely to wreck me than save me. Though, of course, that might be the best course of action - find out why with our review of PROSPER'S DEMON by K.J. Parker! Also featured: local book reviewer sticks hands in hot bronze and refuses to tell listeners what it feels like, the morality of demon-hunting, bite-sized books, and more!
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED FOR THIS WEEK (besides PROSPER'S DEMON):
HIGHFIRE by Eoin Colfer BUZZ KILL by David Sosnowski
Find us on Twitter and Instagram @litcastofdoom!
The team of Magical Bomb Squad: The Novel is back in Magical Bomb Squad: The Sequel (otherwise known as THE MONSTROUS CITADEL by Mirah Bolender)! Laura Kramer and Okane Sinclair are back and better than ever, only to find out that the worst monsters they fight are human. Also featured: three dollars in the swear jar, me losing my domestication, the grumpy one being soft for the sunshine one, being gay for both Clae Sinclair AND Laura Kramer, and much more!
WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK: THE WILL AND THE WILDS by Charlie N. Holmburg SPELLHACKER by M.K. England A QUEEN IN HIDING by Sarah Kozloff RIOT BABY by Tochi Onyebuchi THE SEEP by Chana Porter
Have you ever wondered if you were meant for another world beyond this one? Welcome to the world of the Wayward Children, who get called to adventure in far-off worlds (be it Wicked or Sweet, Logical or Illogical). In our latest installment COME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuire, Jack and Jill are back in a life-or-death adventure that only twin sisters can come up with. Also featured: the breaking point of siblings, DUDE, the eating of kneecaps, Watsonian and Doylist explanations for a narrator, and much more!
WHAT'S BEING RELEASED THIS WEEK:
DEEP AND DARKEST RED by Anna-Marie McLemore THE VANISHED BIRDS by Simon Jimenez INFINITY SON by Adam Silvera BURN THE DARK by S.A. Hunt THE BROKEN HEAVENS by Kameron Hurley
Find us on Twitter and Instagram as @litcastofdoom!
I've got a monster cold this week, so let's see how well I do talking about fantasy on the high seas - we're talking THE BONE SHIPS by R.J. Barker. When Joron Twiner loses the role of shipwife to the illustrious "Lucky" Meas Gilbryn, he has no idea how life aboard the black ship The Tide Child will change. We had a marvelous time reading this book, but tune in to find out what we loved best. Also featured: turning children into lightbulbs, magical beings so strong it scares the bejeezus out of you, oh my god find out why doctors hate this woman who had 13 children, and much more!
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WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK:
THE NIGHT COUNTRY by Melissa Albert COME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuire NAMELESS QUEEN by Rebecca McLaughlin SCAVENGE THE STARS by Tara Sim
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Spotify * iTunes * Podbean* Instagram
Ready to ring in the new year with something sure to shiver your timbers? Check out book 3 of the Tales of Pell trilogy, THE PRINCESS BEARD from Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne! Sail the seas with the Clean Pirate Lucre, discover what elf butts have to do with the god of Pell, and figure out what happened to slumbering princess Harkovita. Also featured: some salty opinions about Jolkien Rolkien Rolkien Tolkien, what a comedic fantasy trilogy will do for your shelf, the sound of my cat chasing his tail, a dollar in the swear jar, and much more! ----more----BOOKS COMING OUT THIS WEEK:
SPLINTEGRATE by Deborah Temaris Christian FRONTIER, VOLUME 1 by Jonathan Hickman THE DYING AND THE DEAD by Jonathan Hickman ----more----ALSO MENTIONED:
MAINLINE by Deborah Temaris Christian SAGA by Brian k. Vaughan and Fiona Staples THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie SHREK (please don't make me link this) THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien----more---- Twitter/Goodreads/Instagram
We're not saying everyone missed Jedeo as much as we missed Jedeo, but boy howdy are we pleased as punch to get a whole anthology of stories set in the hexarchate. We're thrown back into stories of political intrigue, introspection on what it means to be a person, and shifty Shuos games with HEXARCHATE STORIES by Yoon Ha Lee. Also featured: ghosts of Christmas fanfiction past, gay yearning, the exception to our anthology rule, and much more!
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NEW BOOKS RELEASED 12-17-17
THE HANGED MAN by K.D. Edwards WEATHERING WITH YOU by Makoto Shinkai THE DISASTERS by M.K. England
OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED
THE LAST SUN by K.D. Edwards
There's an art to storytelling, an art to commenting on the storytelling, and an art to commenting on the commentary of the storytelling. (Comment-ception, we have to go deeper.) This week we're talking A CHOIR OF LIES by Alexandra Rowland, a sequel to the amazing A CONSPIRACY OF TRUTHS! Also featured: me almost knocking the mic over out of excitement, angry kitty noises, what it means to be a haunted house, and much more!
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BOOKS COMING OUT THIS WEEK (DEC. 10TH):
- THE LIGHT OF ALL THAT FALLS by James Islington
- CROWNBREAKER by Sebastion de Castell
BOOKS WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT:
- UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 3: HOTEL OBLIVION by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
- THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY by Jonathon Stroud
- BABY YOU'RE A HAUNTED HOUSE by Gerard Way
It's that time of year again - the time to give gifts and use physical items to tell your loved ones how you really feel about them! (Also featured: the roofer coming tomorrow, the lack of time I get to read, and much more!)
BOOKS WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS WEEK: - DEAD ASTRONAUTS by Jeff VanderMeer - CHILDREN OF VICE AND VIRTUE by Tomy Adeyemi - ANYONE by Charles Soule
GIFTS WE'RE EXCITED TO RECIEVE (AND GIFT) - Pin-Pocket Booksleeve from HideYourSpoons - This Victor Vale pin from LitPinsCo - Event Beaus by BookBeau - Subscription from Illumicrate
There's something malevolent afoot, and our angel bro Azarias is the only one who can lead us. Today we're featuring a very special guest - Rick Norris, here to talk about his new book ANGELIC WARS: FIRST REBELLION! Also featured: rockabilly roots, technology swooping in to provide the multimedia experience you've dreamed up, angelic choirs, and much more!
Who's ready for emotional roller coasters and heart-punching? I can't tell how tall you are, so there's no height requirement for this ride, so boy howdy are your feelings about to get manhandled! We're talking THE HEART OF THE CIRCLE by Keren Landsman (shoutout to Angry Robot for hooking me up)! Also featured in this review: going Full Homestuck, a dollar in the swear jar, saying FUCK YOU to terrorists and putting kids in cages, and much more!
Who's ready to talk about feelings? We're not, but we're doing it anyways! This week we're talking THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY by Alix E. Harrow, and what it means to love and be loved! Also featured: THREE DOLLARS in the swear jar, sad feelings about my dead dog (pour one out for Apollo, the goodest boy), grave robbing is bad 2: the squeakwel, and much more!
(We do talk about dead dogs in this episode, and while I only got a little teary-eyed, you might want to avoid this one if it hits you in the soft feels like it does me.)
Our hottest take! Our unpopular opinion! The hill that we have firmly planted our flag into and prayed to our gods on with the intent to die on it!
. . . No, it's #notthatdeep but in all seriousness. In what was meant to be a mini-episode (and wound up 10 minutes long), we detail how OFF stands out from the other indie games of its time and how its theme on violence ties in perfectly with Undertale's. Also featured: TWO DOLLARS in the swear jar, rage the likes of which you've never seen, the video game that's on your side, and much more!
Halloween is in the air, and we've gorged ourselves into a stupor on pumpkin seeds and chocolate. So what better way to contemplate our existence than by recounting some of our favorite fall stories? We've got haunted houses, haunted caves, haunted accountants, and my own personal haunted teenagerhood! What else could you ask for during such a spooky holiday?
What makes a thing a monster? Is it monstrous deeds? Or the self-proclamation of monsterhood? The best way to answer it is check out our review of THE MONSTER OF ELENDHAVEN by Jennifer Giesbrecht! Also featured: burying your gays in the corpses of their enemies, establishing boundaries like a boss, getting mentally pistol-whipped, and much more!
October's been full of doom and gloom, but thankfully we've got a book that's taken those vibes and made them a lot more fun! We're talking GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir this week! Also featured: a lack of a NYCC recap, my favorite fictional trope, necromancy to the max, life goals or wife goals, and so much more! -- Don't forget to check out our Patreon!--
Can you believe that this is my only Spiderman quote? Hope you're ready, we're talking THE DRAGON REPUBLIC by R. F. Kuang! We dive deep into the philosophical nature of power and the trauma it can induce in the bearer! Also featured: vaguely-hinted distain for Game of Thrones, lying on the floor and letting feelings wash over you, dumplings of insidious origins, and much more!
Ever wondered what it'd be like to be a teen detective? Mira Grant answers this question with IN THE SHADOW OF SPINDTHRIFT HOUSE, a horror novella sure to give you the heebie-jeebies! Also featured: the horror of a deer that is no longer a deer, what we would and wouldn't do for 3 million dollars, THE END, and much more!
Talk about a dirty side-hustle, am I right fellas? cricket noises Yeah, I know, not every joke can land as awesome as THE RESURECTIONIST OF CALIGO by Wendy Trimboli and Alicia Zaloga, who are our featured guests today! Also featured: the ins and outs of graverobbing (and the guides that started it all!), letter-writing as a literary device, family drama for the ages, and much more!
To be FAIR . . . I would wholeheartedly adopt this spaceship as my son.
We're talking VELOCITY WEAPON from Megan E. O'Keefe! Also featured: too many narrators in the kitchen, AI hijinks, a teeth-kicking surprise, and much more! Reminder that we're doing something special for Patreon this month because it's our birthday!
(I promise there are no gratuitous RvB references in the episode.) Fall in love with the future, the past, and every second in between with THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone! Also featured: speaking into the void, the difference between romance and capitol-R Romance, the things you need to hear the moment you hear them, and much more.
Reminder, again, that Patreon backers get extra-cool goodies this month because it's our birthday!
I'm all for loving nature, and this book takes you to the next step to say that nature loves you too! We're talking SILVER IN THE WOOD by Emily Tesh! Also featured: a mom almost as cool and butt-kicking as my mom, the inversion of the 'bury your gays' trope, my ability to withstand said trope, and much more!
(Reminder that we're back on Patreon for our birthday month! Check it out!)
Get comfy and grab you plushies, we're talking THE IMAGINARY CORPSE by Tyler Hayes with none other than the author himself! If you love detective noir with heart (that happens to be dinosaur shaped), this is gonna be the book - and interview - for you! Also featured: my absent Carolina-kitty, being ride-or-die, inoculating yourself against a harsh world with harsher literature, and much more!
Reminder that we're live with Patreon as a celebration for our 2-year anniversary!
Hard to warn you of a Phoenix when we don't know where it'll show up! Maybe Sean Grigsby knows? Either way, here's here to talk about his new book ASH KICKERS!
Also featured: tell Sean to turn on his location because I just want to talk, my still-healing heart from DAUGHTERS OF FORGOTTEN LIGHT, every YA/MG horror anthology ever, noir robots, and much more!
(Explicit because Mom said it's my podcast and I can use the fuck word.)
We're talking WANDERERS by Chuck Wendig - a book that unfortunately has been labeled DNF. Also featured: the exhaustion of realistic fiction, dice-painting, love letters to Stephen King, and much more.
TRIGGER WARNING: a rape scene is mentioned and discussed (but not described) from 8:30 to 9:40.
Click to view: show page on Awesound
This week we're talking THE OUTSIDE by Ada Hoffman! Also featured: Lovecraft but make it gay, NYCC appearances, TVTropes, me getting distracted by things I love in stories, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
We're talking magic crimes in AN ILLUSION OF THIEVES by Cate Glass this week! Also featured: some creepy magic creatures, THROWING SOMEONE IN A RIVER OUT OF SHEER RAGE, what happens when you go crazy with some magical heists after some drama-bombs, and much more! (Also ALSO featured: news on appearances this summer!)
Click to view: show page on Awesound
We're talking SHADOWBLADE with none other than Anna Kashina! Also featured: recipe cards, science talk, ballroom dancing, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Welcome, dear listeners, and extend your welcome to Sarah Gailey who came to hang out in Doomland with us! Also featured: the expensive receipt you get from college, the fandom equivalent of wed, bed, and behead, science neither of us can explain, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Double-check your watches, listeners, it's time for TIME'S DEMON by D.B. Jackson! Also featured: upcoming birthdays, how a story is a tapestry, the ultimate OH MY GOD book, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
This week, we're talking MIDDLEGAME from the always-fantastic Seanan McGuire. Also featured: weird sibling relationships, a specific fighting pit, ditching business to get to books, math as a magic system, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
We're talking A BOY AND HIS DOG AT THE END OF THE WORLD by C. A. Fletcher this week! Also featured: memories of middle school, Doylist vs. Watsonian thinking, writing styles to make your professor proud, and much more!
(Note: one whole spoiler is given from 8:30 to 9:20, I say "spoiler" a lot before I say anything, but I promise it's not an earth-shattering one!)
Click to view: show page on Awesound
We're talking the hilarious NO COUNTRY FOR OLD GNOMES by the illustrious duo Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne! Also featured: me struggling not to spoil the ending, Humor for Adults(c), a foine gryphon, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
We're talking RAGGED ALICE by Gareth L. Powell this week! Also featured: television mini-series, the surprising-yet-inevitable twist ending, oh god look how dirty your soul is, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
We're talking THE DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE by the fantastic Joan He! Also featured: Magic System or Not(c): The Home Game, tension the likes of which other books have never seen before, the gravity of a single death, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
We're talking THE MUNICIPALISTS by Seth Fried this week! Also featured: cat-and-dog dynamics, vegan villains, an exercise in words I struggle to pronounce, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Horrors abound this week, dear listeners! We're talking THE LUMINOUS DEAD by Caitlin Starling and trust me when I say we're shaking in our climbing boots! Also featured: my one Harry Potter quote, things you shouldn't read right before bed, how to feature a ghost, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
How wide is your concept of 'you,' dear listeners?
We're bringing a heck of a conversation this week with A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE by Arkady Martine! Also featured: me geeking out over Lacan's Mirror Theory again, 36 All Terrain Tundra Vehicle, loving the arts a little TOO much, and so much more!
(Warning: I spoil the heck out of this book starting around 9:00, but it's in a good way, I promise.)
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Hope we find you healthy, dear listeners - I'd hate to think that any of you might come down with a case of magic! Such is the case in our book this week, THE FEVER KING by Victoria Lee! Also featured: some more icky things in case you were curious, magic systems, DANGER WILL ROBINSON, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Hello hello dear listeners! Happy Solstice - we got you a cool rock :D Yes indeed, this week we're obsess-I mean, analyzing THE RAVEN TOWER by Ann Leckie! Also featured: bumper stickers, a cool new thing called Patreon, something icky, an audience of one, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Once again, we're here to tell you how ECCC went as well as introduce a brand-new way to support us: PATREON!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Who's ready for the desire to burn the world down for someone and the power to back it up? Friends and fam, we bring you EMPIRE OF LIGHT by Alex Harrow! Also featured: coolkid news, impending conventions, The Aesthetic(c), clawing at my face from sheer happiness, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Ready for some literal world-building the likes of which you've never seen before? Here is THE INGENIOUS by Darius Hinks! Also featured: Ursula K. Le Guin, turf wars, me freaking out over non-sentient objects, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
I came back from the future to let y'all know about this book guys! Dear listeners, we're here this week to talk about THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TIME TRAVEL by Kate Mascarenhas! Also featured: a blizzard, the inevitability of the ending, how mean friends can be after a breakdown, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Get ready, dear listeners - I'm listing off some of the books I'm most excited for this year!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Role initiative, dear listeners! We're talking about the online sensation that is CRITICAL ROLE, featuring some beloved voice actors of your childhood! Also featured: dumb excuses, mad friend energy, ECCC, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Greetings, listeners! This week's episode is on SPINNING SILVER by the ever-fabulous Naomi Novik! Also featured: my positivity and absolute love of fanfiction, girls ready to throw hands, an important message about bravery, and much more!
Click to view: show page on Awesound
Welcome, one and all, to a magical two-for-one episode featuring our fave, SEANAN McGUIRE!! On one hand, we have IN AN ABSENT DREAM! On the other, we have KINGDOM OF NEEDLE AND BONE (technically under the pen name MIRA GRANT but we all know it's her). Also featured: frazzled dazzled ramblings, righteous anger in the face of the anti-vax movement, the reason I never got in the Goblin Market, and much more!
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What better way to start a new year off than with some good ol' heartbreak and subterfuge! We're talking THE MONSTER BARU CORMORANT by Seth Dickinson! Also featured: a dollar in the swear jar, me not knowing how to use my own pronouns, the craziest thing with some weird cancer cult, and much more!
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What a heck of a time, friends and fans! This week we're talking IN THE VANISHER'S PALACE by Aliette de Bodard! Also featured: a hint at my displeasure at the Hellboy reboot, monster-lovers, the things that make my weak lil heart just combust, and much more!
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December's upon us, and this week we're talking EMPIRE OF SAND by Tasha Suri! Also featured: hanging on to a job, the inability to put books down, FEELINGS, stories that go for your ankles like the distant cousins from the worms of That One Movie (you know the one), and much more!
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Christmas is on its way, dear listeners - do YOU know what you're getting for the bookworm in your life? Here's a few ideas for some book-based goodies that'll make everyone happy this holiday season!
(Note: as much as I would have loved it, no one gave me any money to rec these items - this is just me being happy with all the cool book stuff I've bought this year lmao)
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Happy late Thanksgiving, lovely listeners! Check out this fantastic interview with Alexandra Rowland, author of the gloriously well-written novel A CONSPIRACY OF TRUTHS! Also featured: a nice conversation about fanfiction, a love-letter to the stories inside us, apologies to a TBR pile, me nerding out harder than any of you thought physically possible, AND MUCH MORE!
(And as a Litcast of Doom first, welcome to our NO SWEAR JAR EPISODE! So be warned!)
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Happy Halloween! As a special treat, we're delighted to bring you this fantastic interview with none other than Tristan Palmgren on his upcoming book TERMINUS! Also featured: personal responsibility, me being way too geeky, threats of breaking and entering, the three genders of screaming, and much more!
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Happy Halloween and NaNo Prep Week, fam! We're talking some of our favorite trashy Halloween movies and some cool books and tech to check out while you're aiming for that 50k! Also featured: migraines, a letter to all the books I've yet to read, a cool surprise, and much more!
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Thanks to the fantastic Library Ladies, we're talking about THE GOOD DEMON by JImmy Cajoleas! A perfect treat to get your Halloween spirit moving! Also featured: burn out, lessons to be learned by people of all ages, something creepy in the woods, and much more!
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It's snowing in Nebraska (big shock there, we know) and we've got all sorts of wiggles going on about impending books! We've got TERMINUS (Tristan Palmgren), EMPIRE OF SAND (Tasha Suri), A CONSPIRACY OF TRUTHS (Alexandra Rowland), and WEST (Edith Pattou)!
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What a week! We've got some super-cool new announcements, and then we're covering the long-awaited VENGEFUL by V.E. Schwab! Also featured: parts long unpoked, a list of books you shouldn't eat while reading, my willingness to die for June and Sydney and to personal shop for Marcella, and so much more!
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Thanks so much to Netgalley for the ARC of TIME'S CHILDREN by D. B. Jackson (to be released October 2nd)! Also featured this week: news in terms of location recording, feelings, the improper way to settle disputes, and much more!
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TIME TO FACE GOD AND WALK BACKWARDS INTO HELL. Welcome to this week's episode where we cover DAUGHTERS OF FORGOTTEN LIGHT by Sean Grigsby! Also featured: the lack of focus, Twitter notifications, books from the heart, and much more!
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Welcome, one and all, andget ready for some heart-wrenching, gut-punching fiction with ONE OF US by Craig Di Louie! Also featured: revolution, the best kind of justice, belated book birthdays, and much more!
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Get ready to play with fire, y'all, because this week we're talking SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT by Derek Landy! Also featured: Baby Roni, publishing practices that leave me in tears, a potential birthday giveaway, and much more!
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We're back from Worldcon, and we've got some cool things to share! Including crying on Seanan McGuire, NOT crying on Ann Leckie, panel adventures, and much much more!
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Thirsting for adventure beyond the ordinary? This week we're talking Hugo-nominated DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES by Seanan McGuire! Also featured: nine-book box sets, trauma recovery, finding yourself, and much more!
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(Did I just quote MCR in the year of our lord 2018?)
Welcome to THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, the Eisner-award-winning comic book series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba! Also featured: TWO dollars in the swear jar, spoilers and warnings abound, and the fact that I've actually waited TEN WHOLE YEARS FOR HOTEL OBLIVION!
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Ready for an adventure? We've got you covered this week with SENLIN ASCENDS by Josiah Bancroft! Also featured: hard feelings about Worldcon76, identity crises, some knitting, and much more!
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This week, we're delighted to show you the stars in the illustrious novel AN UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS by Rivers Solomon! Also featured: a book birthday, gender non-conformity, an author shout-out, my inability to walk straight, and much more!
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What better way to relax in this godless heat than with an amazing post-apocalyptic novel? We're talking TRAIL OF LIGHTNING by Rebecca Roanhorse this week, and we couldn't be more stoked. Also featured: saving yourself, me gushing about Worldcon some more, the best last three chapters you'll ever read, and much more!
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I died and came back just to record this episode for yall! We're talking REVENANT GUN by Yoon Ha Lee, and I cannot be more excited! Also featured: identity issues and my weird obsession with them, the return of Lacan's mirror theory, cement mixers, and much more!
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Happy late birthday to your favorite podcast host, me! This week, we're talking all the fun books I got for my birthday. Also featured: The Belles and Brujas Tour not stopping at my house, my intense love for Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee after one chapter, book-naps, and so much more!
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Greetings, and Happy Memorial Day! It's a double-header this week, but from Angry Robot Books and debuting on June 5th - THE TRAITOR GOD by Cameron Johnston and FREE CHOCOLATE by Amber Royer! Also featured: my inability to read, dead people, and weather too hot for eating chocolate, free or otherwise!
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Welcome back, faithful listeners! This week we're talking BRUJA BORN by Zoraida Cordova! And I'm more than a little excited to get into this fabulous book that comes to shelves June 5th! Also featured: the lady in 25b, baby laptops, rv nightmares, and my complete and utter joy at being able to talk about this book finally! Plus much, much more!
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Ready for some godly destruction? This week we're talking KOJIKI by Keith Yatsuhashi! Also featured: a whole five dollar bill in the swear jar, World Con, pit-fighting, and much more!
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Happy Book Birthday to THE DEFIANT HEIR by Melissa Caruso! We're talking her Swords and Fire trilogy today, and we can't be more excited! Also featured: sunburn, the #MAKEITPOLY movement, my gay hands, and much more!
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What's your favorite thing to hide your enjoyment of? Welcome to this week's episode about guilty pleasures! We're talking quite a few books, ranging from SAGA to The Black Magician trilogy! Also featured: my spending problems, going home again, and things I don't want my mother reading over my shoulder!
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We've got a fantastic surprise by way of an advance (and non-spoiler-ish) review of THE POPPY WAR by R.F. Kuang! You can preorder your copy for April 23rd, but listen to our review to get that hype going! (Note: I checked the release date twice and the first one said May 3rd, which I said several times during the episode, but in actuality the date is actually APRIL 23RD. Hi, I'm Roni, and I never learned how to read.)
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Welcome back, faithful listeners! This week we're talking THE ARK by Patrick S. Tomlinson! Also featured: my book box, the desire for a full set, the best dang museum curator in the universe, and much more!
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Ready for some draconian chaos? This week has you covered with SMOKE EATERS by Sean Gigsby! Also featured: cicadas or locusts, the distinct lack of Mary Sues, and my ever-present fear that I'm pronouncing Sean's name wrong!
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We're talking TORN tonight, with a special spoiler-free episode for its release on 3/20! Also featured: a My Fair Lady-ish deal, a super dark secret, and [redacted]!
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Greetings, dear listeners! This week, we had the distinct pleasure of talking with GABRIEL URBINA of WOLF 359 fame! (Was I a total goob the entire time? LISTEN AND FIND OUT!) Also featured: group activities, unknowable board games, and the vengeance lecture of a lifetime.
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QUIETUS by Tristan Palmgren is our chosen book this week! Hope sickness doesn't make you too squeamish! Also featured: unnecessary snow, my desire to live inside a book, and something you can't tell Sean Grigsby!
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Been home from the con for less than 24 hours and I already want to go back. But here's a small take on what I did and who I met!!
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Our book for this week is THE ARMORED SAINT by Myke Cole! Also featured: Emerald City Comic Con, the gay agenda, the wrong time to eat chicken nuggets, and much more!
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This week's beloved novel is STEAL THE STARS by Nat Cassidy! Also featured: grandma kidnapping, deleted memories, writing advice, and much more!
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WEAVE A CIRCLE ROUND by Kari Maaren has our attention this week! Also included: incoming conventions, rice krispie treats, and turning your feelings into a molotiv cocktail!
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Feeling the itch for some superheroism before seeing Black Panther or after seeing Thor? Look no further than VICIOUS by the fantastic V.E. Schwab! Also featured: wrecked rooms, not-so-fridged leading ladies, and whatever created Rorschach.
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This week we're talking HORNS by Joe Hill! Also featured: hyperempathy, Netflix hints, ECCC, and feeling icky! (Warning: this episode discusses rape, please listen at your own discretion.)
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Do you hear that? It's the voices of your ancesters telling you to straighten up coming from your webcam! This week, we're talking THE UPLOADED by Ferrett Steinmetz. Also featured: clever names, flickering lights, a seperate Self, and dying bigots!
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This week, we talk INTO THE DROWNING DEEP and ROLLING IN THE DEEP by Mira Grant with my good friend Chelsea! Also featuring dolphin chapters, a dollar in the swear jar, graduation, and me finally leaving my house!
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Mini-episode to shout-out to my favorite holiday peeps - you guys!
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Happy holidays! We're talking some amazing books to gift this season! Also featured: my inability to remember an author's name, Emily Dickinson, and Having A Good Time.
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Welcome back to the show! This episode, we explore the depths of the infamous comic HOMESTUCK! Also featured: more words than I'll ever see in a lifetime, and me forgetting Dante Basco's name.
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(TW for animal death up to 2:00 and from 9:00 to 10:00) Welcome back to Litcast of Doom! We're still talking Epic Fantasy by way of ERAGON this week! Also featured: my inability to say no to books, a cancelation of the swear jar, and much more!
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Welcome to our EPIC FANTASY series! Today we're talking the hallmkarks of epic fantasy, and the tropes that need to die off ^u^ Also including: a dollar in the swear jar, Wick and Fable's Grishaverse box, and the unspeakable evil that is Homestuck.
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Happy Thanksgiving kids! This week we're talking LANGUAGE OF THORNS by Leigh Bardugo and WONDERBOOK by Jeff VanderMeer! Also featured: petit fours, Zach Valenti's wholesome advice, and edits by yours truly. And remember, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to talk to me on Twitter @arglebargles!
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN . . . FOR REAL THIS TIME! We're talking AN OATH OF DOGS by Wendy Wagner, and wishing the writers of NaNo a happy start! Also featuring a persistant cold, transubstantiation to a new level, and the man in the basement.
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We've got the flu, kids, so a short ep this week. But we're talking CHUCK WENDIG of Miriam Black fame! Also featured: bed-reporting, TEN THOUSAND WORDS IN ONE DAY, two dollars in the swear jar, and how to properly review a book in a series.
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Welcome back for part two! Last episode focused mostly on some fantasy frights, so we're here with some sci-fi terrors to get you hyped up! Also featuring Monster Factory, the uncaringness of the universe, and my questionable scholarly practices from freshman year in college.
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Happy almost-Halloween! We're talking spooky reads (and maybe a vidya game) so you can get your scare on before next week! Also featured: a dollar in the swear jar, me being unable to Use My Words, and my real one true love, not the one on Instagram.
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This week we're talking two - yes, TWO - books: AN ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS and DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING. Also featured in this twenty-minute episode: some Super Roni Secrets, the YA community, and talking in circles.
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This week, we're talking LABYRINTH LOST by Zoraida Cordova. Also featured: World Mental Health Awareness Day, a singular cat sock, and my secret distaste for Greek gods.
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This episode we talk about PROVENANCE by Ann Leckie. Also featured: me being Liar McLiarson, Space Australia, and my pin obsession.
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In our pilot episode, we talk about the Darker Shades trilogy by V.E. Schwab. Also featured: the swear jar, a game theory, and something you CANNOT tell Zach Libresco.
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