It's CHRISTMAAAAS! This week, we're bringing you a bonus episode and recounting our favourite reads, listens and watches of the past year. We discuss our change in reading habits, talk about some highlights of the year, and think about so

Grandfather Mushroom and MI5 Clive

Dec 15th, 2023 1h 11m

This week, Emily tells us about snowy Russian folklore-inspired series The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden, while Rebecca shares the charming cast of characters in Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan. We fall in love with characters, talk about

A Sinking House and Ficus Carica

Dec 8th, 2023 1h 8m

This week, Emily tells us about the house full of secrets and seawater in A Study and Drowning by Ava Reid, while Rebecca shares the unexpected love stories in The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. We dissect a song full of wordplay, disc

Persimmons and Tomorrows

Dec 1st, 2023 1h 8m

This week, we're joined by friend of the show and fellow nerd Roisin McCrimmon. Roisin brings a SPOILER FILLED discussion about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. We talk about favourite video games, rant about a certain c

A Thing and Eternal Weddings

Nov 24th, 2023 1h 6m

This week, Emily tells us about the myth behind Medusa in Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes, while Rebecca shares moving The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. We discuss a song about dead dogs, a favourite album that hasn't yet been

Amygdalas and Grand Slams

Nov 17th, 2023 1h 15m

This week, Emily takes us through the music career of Korean artist Agust D (SUGA of BTS), while Rebecca shares tennis based drama Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. We wade through Agust D's songs and music videos and documenta

Snuff Films and Grizzly Bears

Nov 10th, 2023 1h 32m

This week, we are bringing you a short story special, each bringing you three of our favourite short and sweet (or not) stories. We discuss why we didn't the format at first, try and (successfully?) avoid spoiling the endings, and ignore Rebecc

Witching Ways and A Clockwork Princess

Nov 3rd, 2023 1h 19m

This week, Emily tells us about suffragists and cycles in The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow, while Rebecca shares the whimsical and wonderful Honeycomb by Joanne Harris. We fully settle into witchy cosy season, Rebecca nearly makes

Juniper Berries and Dead Badgers

Oct 27th, 2023 1h 12m

This week, we celebrate Halloween as Emily tells us about witchy and weird Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid, while Rebecca shares the dark and also very weird Shy by Max Porter. We discuss what costumes we should wear at our Halloween party, and s

Silver Bars and Japanese Bees

Oct 20th, 2023 1h 29m

We're back - with Season FIVE! This week, Emily talks translation in Babel by R.F. Kuang while Rebecca talks transcription in Big Swiss by Jen Beagin. We catch up on our lives since Season 4, talk holidays, and gush about a lot of music!Our

Bonus

Christmas Special: Penny Phantoms and Blindfolds

Dec 24th, 2022 2h 18m

It's the most wonderful time of the year - our Christmas episode! This week, we're bringing you our third special episode of the season and recounting our favourite reads, listens and watches of the past year. We recount our favourite books of

Bonus

Samhain Special: Goblin Fruit and Clockwork Bats

Oct 31st, 2022 2h 1m

It's our Samhain Special! This Halloweeny week (Halloweek?), we each share three favourite spooky reads. We run the gamut of creepy tales, bring you a mix of gruesome and tense stories, and Emily goes full-on gothic researcher mode on one of he

Bonus

Summer Solstice Special: Thumb Biting and Fig Trees

Jun 21st, 2022 2h 17m

It's our Summer Solstice Special! This week, we each share three favourite summer reads. We discuss what we even class as a summer read, our neighbour interrupts us with a loud Stranger Things viewing, and Rebecca reads out a passage that almos

Garden Walls and Wooden Wrongness

May 6th, 2022 1h 40m

This week, Emily tells us about two gothic houses in Gallant by V.E. Schwab, while Rebecca shares the disturbing tale of Pinocchio's creator in The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey. We discuss our writing goals for the rest of the year, gush about

Gremlin Girls and Cherry Pits

Apr 29th, 2022 1h 48m

This week, Emily tells us about feisty and funny Little Thieves by Margaret Owen, while Rebecca shares the very mysterious My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. We discuss what songs make us think of our original characters, discover some new

Perfectly Prepared Eggs and A Wasabi Scarf

Apr 22nd, 2022 1h 11m

This week, Emily tells us about philosophical book Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket, while Rebecca shares short story Vincent from collection So We Can Glow by Leesa Cross-Smith. We discuss the writing advice we thought we knew but maybe

Bottled Memories and A Cloud Maze

Apr 15th, 2022 1h 54m

This week, we have a special episode for you! We have a SPOILER FILLED chat about The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. We talk about our favourite moments, dream up some Le Cirque des Rêves tents we'd like to see, and Emily talks about some th

A Tea Shop and Voicemails

Apr 8th, 2022 1h 6m

This week, Emily tells us about a life and death love story in Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune, while Rebecca returns to poetry with I Love You, Call Me Back by Sabrina Benaim. We talk about recurring motifs in our own writing, ask for

White Apples and Snakeskin

Apr 1st, 2022 1h 36m

This week, Emily tells us about the whimsical Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, while Rebecca shares very creepy The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. We discuss if we're planners or pantsers when it comes to writing, share a tenuous li

Button Eyes and Mango Milkshake with Hannah Barretto

Mar 25th, 2022 1h 4m

This week, we're joined by friend of the show and Gothic Lit researcher Hannah Barretto who tells us about her love for Coraline by Neil Gaiman, and the 2009 film adaptation. We discuss why we are still obsessed with fairy tales, talk about for

Scratch Cradle and Gumball Machines

Mar 18th, 2022 1h 34m

This week, Emily tells us about queer historical fantasy A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske, while Rebecca shares fictional oral history The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton. We talk about the people who inspired us to write, share

Tiny Suns and Eating Light

Mar 11th, 2022 1h 31m

This week, Emily tells us about stories in The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, while Rebecca shares another story about stories with Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. We discuss if English was our favourite subject at school,

Bisexual Sprayed Edges and Boy Dragons

Mar 4th, 2022 50m 3s

It's the first episode of Season Four! This week, we're catching you up on all our favourites from the season break. We talk about some music we've been listening to on repeat, the TV shows we got hooked on, and those other random things we've

Bonus

Christmas Special: Queen Mab and Moon Doors

Dec 24th, 2021 2h 15m

It's CHRISTMAAAAS! This week, we're bringing you a bonus episode and recounting our favourite reads, listens and watches of the past year. We read out some long passages (even by our standards), discuss our favourite authors that we discovered

Sleigh Bells and Negligees

Dec 10th, 2021 1h 39m

It's the Season 3 finale! This week, Emily tells us about wintery tale Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, while Rebecca shares the glamorous City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. We share our favourite moments of the past season, discuss some litera