PODCAST · arts
Shit We've Read
by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, Brittney Wong, Bella Romero, and Emma Skies
Shit We’ve Read is a sci-fi & fantasy book podcast hosted by geeky friends Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Brittney Wong. Each month, we get together to discuss a new-to-us book or graphic novel, sometimes giving it a spicy, adult twist with our After Dark episodes featuring co-hosts Emma Skies and Bella Romero. Along the way, we’re joined by occasional guest hosts and noteworthy authors for insightful interviews, along with other fun surprises.So, join us on our latest book journey and tell us - what shit have you been reading?
Episodes
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After Dark: Dark Lover
This month, Emhma, Laurha, Rhico, and Bhella are sinking their teeth into J.R. Ward’s DARK LOVER, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Before romantasy took over BookTok, paranormal romance was serving leather-clad vampires, tortured alpha males, and… ninja stars?! Listen in as we...
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41: Operation Bounce House
This month, we officially welcome Brittney to her first full episode as we jump into OPERATION BOUNCE HOUSE by Matt Dinniman, the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl. Listen as we break down the lore of Chuck Tingle, discuss the book’s representation and...
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After Dark: She Came for the Pack
Pour yourself a glass of Barefoot Wine, get cozy, and join us as we take our first bite of Season Six! In this After Dark episode, we’re discussing the sapphic werewolf romance SHE CAME FOR THE PACK by Darva Green! Vibe out with us as we discuss content warnings and who they benefit, unpack the...
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Minisode: Meet Brittney
Meet Brittney! In this Season Six premiere minisode, we shoot the shit with the newest co-host of Shit We’ve Read to talk about books, pets, and everything she’s bringing to the podcast. Listen in as we reveal the sad story behind Laura and Brittney's first meeting, we go on yet another mini…
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After Dark: House of Rayne
We’re closing out Season Five with the gothic sapphic romance HOUSE OF RAYNE by Harley Laroux! Join us as we find out if it’s a worthy After Dark finale, compare it to Laroux’s Her Soul to Take, which we previously read on the show, and watch Jason discover the power of the mute button. CONTENT...
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February 2026 Update
Hey, friends! You may have noticed there was no new episode this month. That's because sometimes life gets in the way and, unfortunately, that's exactly what happened this month. As you may have already suspected, we're sorry to announce that we had to cancel February's planned discussion of…
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After Dark: Savage Blooms
We’re kicking off 2026 with a tale of "mind games, kink, and ancient enchantment," because we read SAVAGE BLOOMS by S.T. Gibson! Join us as we spiral into yet another Heated Rivalry tangent, compare the novel to one of its inspirations (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë), and debate whether it...
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The 2025 SWR Holiday Special
It's the final episode of 2025, and we're wrapping things up with our 3rd annual Secret Santa book exchange! Join Bella, Emma, Jason, and Laura for our coziest, messiest holiday tradition as we exchange books, hot takes, and answer the following questions: Did the right books go to the right...
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Author Interview: R.A. Basu
In this special author interview, Bella and Jason sit down with the effortlessly charming R.A. Basu to talk about her debut novel, TO BARGAIN WITH MORTALS—“a stunning reflection on politics and purpose, blood and allegiance—and what we do with the histories we inherit.” Join us as R.A. spills the...
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After Dark: Sing Me to Sleep
You voted, and we listened! Your choice for our Halloween After Dark pick is SING ME TO SLEEP by R.M. Virtues—a dreamy tale of a sleep demon who falls for the woman he was meant to haunt. This episode has everything: tipsy hosts, personal encounters with sleep paralysis (we’ll let you guess if...
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40: The Library at Hellebore (w/ Emma Skies)
We’re celebrating spooky season with THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE by Cassandra Khaw—a fantasy horror about a group of magical students who seek refuge in the school’s library when the faculty go on a ravenous rampage. Listen as Laura and Emma try to keep track of the many characters and their unique...
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39: A Cruel Thirst
Spooky season is officially here! In this episode, we’re celebrating both our favorite time of the year and Hispanic Heritage Month with A CRUEL THIRST by Angela Montoya—a YA fantasy full of vampires, forbidden romance, and Mexican folklore. Join us as we explore how the book draws on Latin...
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After Dark: Bull Moon Rising
In this episode of After Dark, Bella is back and bringing the chaos with her pick, BULL MOON RISING by Ruby Dixon. Join us as we explore this steamy romantasy set “in a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, [where] a woman determined to save her family joins forces with an unlikely...
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38: Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame (w/ Fictional Tiff)
We’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more dragons! In this episode, we discuss BRIGHTER THAN SCALE, SWIFTER THAN FLAME by Neon Yang, a queer, Asian-inspired fantasy novella about a renowned dragon slayer who never takes their armor off in public. Joining us for this discussion of...
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37: Of Monsters and Mainframes (w/ Arden Harris)
It’s Pride Month! And we’re celebrating with OF MONSTERS AND MAINFRAMES by Barbara Truelove, a clever mashup of genres featuring an AI ship, a motley crew of supernatural monsters, and one very vengeful Dracula. Joining us for this discussion of love, found family, and identity is guest host…
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After Dark: A Hunger Like No Other
Sink your fangs into our first After Dark episode of the season with A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER by Kresley Cole—a steamy paranormal romance where “a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire become unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.” Emma kicks off the season...
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36: All Systems Red – The Murderbot Diaries, Book 1 (w/ Sir Aaron Carter & Emma Skies)
We’re kicking off Season Five with ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells—and a couple of very special guests! Sir Aaron Carter and Emma Skies join us to talk Murderbot ahead of the AppleTV+ adaptation premiering May 16th. (And yes, they’ll be covering the show in their very own Watch podcast, so stay...
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Author Interview: Olivia Waite
In this special author interview, Jason and Laura sit down with Olivia Waite to talk about her beautiful new novella, MURDER BY MEMORY—a “sci-fi ode to the cozy mystery, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective.” Listen in as Olivia shares how Star Wars unexpectedly led her to…
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After Dark: Married to the Alien Cowboy
Saddle up for one last ride before the season’s over! For our Season Four finale, we’ve headed to the cowboy colony planet for a discussion of MARRIED TO THE ALIEN COWBOY by Ursa Dax — a sci-fi western romance featuring a quiet alien cowboy, a human woman on the run, and one very messy marriage…
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35: Immortal Dark
This month, we’re sinking our teeth into IMMORTAL DARK by Tigest Girma—a dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family. Join us as we celebrate the portrayal of Black characters, break…
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After Dark: Maneater
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s the perfect time to indulge in a cozy, high-heat monster romance novella. But there’s one big question: Has Bella finally broken her streak of bad After Dark picks, or is this another miss? There’s only one way to find out! Join us as we discuss…
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34: Out of the Drowning Deep
We’re kicking off 2025 with the divine novella OUT OF THE DROWNING DEEP by A.C. Wise—set in the distant future, when mortals mingle with the gods in deep space, an out-of-date automaton, a recovering addict, and an angel race to solve the Pope’s murder in an abandoned corner of the galaxy. Listen...
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The 2024 SWR Holiday Special
It's our final episode of 2024, and we're wrapping up the year with our 2nd annual Secret Santa book exchange! Join us for lighthearted fun as we guess who gifted which books, Emma shares a history lesson on the Luddites, and we learn how the results of the recent election affected the book Jason...
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After Dark: Railed by the Krampus
It’s an eggnog-filled edition of SWR After Dark! In this episode, we unwrap the holiday novella RAILED BY THE KRAMPUS by Dalia Davies. When Holly jokingly offers her soul for a lump of coal, she never expects the creature from his winter domain to take her seriously—or demand something infinitely...
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Welcome to Pinewood Falls: A TTRPG Special—Part 2
It’s the thrilling conclusion to our first-ever TTRPG adventure! Join Bellz, Jason, and Laura—guided by Game Master Sir Aaron Carter—as they enter the Blackwood House and confront the mysteries haunting their hometown of Pinewood Falls. Thank you for joining us on this journey! This is Part 2 of...
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Welcome to Pinewood Falls: A TTRPG Special—Part 1
Welcome to our first-ever TTRPG special! It’s the summer of 1987, and nestled among ancient forests and rolling hills lies the quiet town of Pinewood Falls. But this idyllic town is far from peaceful—strange weather and mysterious sightings draw three childhood friends back together to uncover a...
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After Dark: Monsters' Manor
Trick or treat! It’s a fun size episode of SWR After Dark as we explore MONSTERS’ MANOR by Leigh Miller—a steamy paranormal romance where a reluctant witch finds herself working in a haunted manor brimming with real monsters. Join us as we share whether this tale lived up to our Halloween...
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33: Earthdivers, Vol. 1
Climb aboard as we set sail through the first volume of EARTHDIVERS, Stephen Graham Jones and Davide Gianfelice's time-hopping comic series about far-future Indigenous outcasts on a mission to kill Christopher Columbus. Join us as we share our occasional frustration with ongoing comic series,...
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After Dark: Cosmic Kiss
Taking center stage in this After Dark episode is COSMIC KISS by Clio Evans—a steamy alien romance where a rising star finds herself in a tantalizing love triangle with two irresistible aliens. Join us as we break down the balance of smut to plot, revisit our love (or not) for the fated mate…
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32: The Undetectables
Be gay. Solve crimes. Take naps. In this episode, we dive into Courtney Smyth’s “witty and quirky fantasy murder mystery,” THE UNDETECTABLES. Join us as we celebrate the strong friendships between the main characters, explore the disability representation and its impact on the story, and hear…
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31: The Psychology of Time Travel (w/ Erin Harris)
It’s our most “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey” episode yet! Guest host Erin Harris returns to join Jason and Laura in discussing Kate Mascarenhas’ debut, THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TIME TRAVEL. Tune in as we explore this ambitious time travel murder mystery, attempt to untangle the complexities of time…
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After Dark: Dark City Omega
We’re back with a new set of After Dark episodes, and this one is knot to be missed as we are discussing Emma’s pick—DARK CITY OMEGA by Elizabeth Stephens; a “dark fantasy romance full of [...] omegas with magic and monsters who always get the girl.” Listen in as Emma gives us a rundown of the...
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Author Interview: S.T. Gibson
Join us as we sit down with author S.T. Gibson to discuss her enchanting new book, Evocation; "the first book in a spellbinding and vibrant new series filled with fortune telling, tarot cards, intrigue and unexpected romance." Listen to our impromptu therapy session as we all bond over being...
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30: Saga, Vol. 1
Hello and welcome back to another season of Shit We’ve Read! We’re kicking off Season Four with a discussion of the first volume of the Eisner, Harvey, and Hugo Award-winning comic book series, SAGA! Written by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Fiona Staples, this “sexy and subversive adult drama” is...
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29: Bookshops & Bonedust
It’s our Season Three finale! We’re returning to the world of Legends & Lattes with a discussion of Travis Baldree’s BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST; “a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.” Join Jason, Bella, and Laura as we discuss how well this prequel connects to the first book,...
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After Dark: Good Deeds
It’s the last After Dark episode of the season and we’re discussing Laura’s pick, GOOD DEEDS by Kathryn Moon; a “whychoose romance novel, starring a feisty heroine and five fritzing hot android heroes.” Listen in as we question why the sex scenes weren’t more imaginative, Emma brings up the...
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28: The Road to Roswell (w/ Sir Aaron Carter)
Happy New Year! Joining us for the first episode of 2024 is returning guest host, Sir Aaron Carter, for a discussion of THE ROAD TO ROSWELL—Connie Willis' "novel about alien invasions, conspiracies, and the incredibly silly things people are willing to believe". Listen in as this episode brings…
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The SWR Holiday Special
It's our holiday episode and joining us is EmmaSkies for a good old-fashioned Secret Santa book exchange! How well do we know each other's reading preferences? Find out as we each try to guess who gifted us our books. Plus, Laura gives us all a mini surprise inspired by Bookstagrammer Jaysen...
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After Dark: The Sting of Victory
In this After Dark episode, we’re discussing THE STING OF VICTORY, S.D. Simper’s sapphic tale of the toxic love affair between a witch and her vampiric lover. Settle in and join us as Bella describes the anxiety-induced fugue state they were in when choosing this book, we attempt to figure out…
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27: She is a Haunting
In this episode, the SWR crew delve into the chilling and evocative world of Trang Thang Tran’s debut horror novel, SHE IS A HAUNTING. Join us as we break down this story of “a Vietnamese American girl visiting her estranged father in Vietnam and the house that doesn't want them to leave”, Laura...
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After Dark: Titan
In this After Dark episode, we’re stepping into the supernatural world of Jillian Graves' titillating monster romance novel, TITAN. Grab a glass of wine, dim the lights, and join us as we discuss such thought-provoking topics as “the world’s worst antibiotic-resistant UTI”, Emma’s aftercare kink,...
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26: The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond (w/ Erin Harris)
We’re kicking off spooky season with a paranormal tale of “sisterhood and female defiance— inspired by lives of real teenage twin mediums in the 19th century.” And who better to join us on this episode discussing Amanda Glaze’s historical fantasy debut, THE SECOND DEATH OF EDIE AND VIOLET…
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25: The Mimicking of Known Successes
In this episode of Shit We've Read, we discuss the novella THE MIMICKING OF KNOWN SUCCESSES by Malka Older—a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance, set on Jupiter. Listen in as we examine the balance of sci-fi, mystery, and romance, Jason reveals our Ken's job, Laura compares the…
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After Dark: The Dragon's Bride
When we saw that Emma was reading THE DRAGON’S BRIDE by Katee Robert, we knew it was the perfect opportunity to fit in an impromptu After Dark episode. Join us as we discuss the one glaring omission to the variety of sex scenes featured in this book, Bella explains why they prefer a kraken to a...
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After Dark: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon
In this After Dark episode, we discuss Emma’s pick, THAT TIME I GOT DRUNK AND SAVED A DEMON by Kimberly Lemming; and really, who among us hasn’t found themselves in the same situation? For those keeping score at home, that is now two demon books Emma has chosen. Join us as we reveal if the amount...
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24: Winter's Orbit (w/ EmmaSkies)
Welcome to a special Pride Month episode where we rocket into the captivating worlds of Everina Maxwell's queer space opera, WINTER’S ORBIT, alongside our guest host, EmmaSkies! Set in a futuristic system on the brink of political turmoil, Winter's Orbit follows the arranged marriage between…
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Author Interview: Kika Hatzopoulou
Get ready to be transported to a world where Greek mythology, urban fantasy, and romance collide as we chat with author Kika Hatzopoulou about her debut novel, THREADS THAT BIND, described by Hatzopoulou as a “fantasy noir about a descendent of the Greek Fates, using her skills to work as a...
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After Dark: Soul Eater
It’s our first After Dark episode of the new season and trust us when we say it's going to be a wild ride! This month, we discuss the listener-recommended SOUL EATER by Lily Mayne; a story about monsters and human men falling in love in a post-apocalyptic world. Join us for our most chaotic and...
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23: Legends & Lattes
Welcome back to Shit We've Read! In this Season Three premiere episode, we are excited to discuss Travis Baldree's TikTok sensation, LEGENDS & LATTES—”a cozy, heartwarming slice-of-life fantasy about found families and fresh starts.” Listen in as Laura explains why she has a love/hate…
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22: The Last Adventure of Constance Verity
It’s our last book of Season Two as we read the appropriately titled The Last Adventure of Constance Verity by A. Lee Martinez, a humorous urban fantasy about the world’s greatest adventurer and her quest to become ordinary. Listen in as Jason makes the shocking revelation that he doesn’t like...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Shit We’ve Read is a sci-fi & fantasy book podcast hosted by geeky friends Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Brittney Wong. Each month, we get together to discuss a new-to-us book or graphic novel, sometimes giving it a spicy, adult twist with our After Dark episodes featuring co-hosts Emma Skies and Bella Romero. Along the way, we’re joined by occasional guest hosts and noteworthy authors for insightful interviews, along with other fun surprises.So, join us on our latest book journey and tell us - what shit have you been reading?
HOSTED BY
Laura Benson, Jason Rico, Brittney Wong, Bella Romero, and Emma Skies
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Shit We've Read have?
Shit We've Read currently has 83 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Shit We've Read about?
Shit We’ve Read is a sci-fi & fantasy book podcast hosted by geeky friends Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Brittney Wong. Each month, we get together to discuss a new-to-us book or graphic novel, sometimes giving it a spicy, adult twist with our After Dark episodes featuring co-hosts Emma Skies and...
How often does Shit We've Read release new episodes?
Shit We've Read has 83 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Shit We've Read?
You can listen to Shit We've Read on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Shit We've Read?
Shit We've Read is created and hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, Brittney Wong, Bella Romero, and Emma Skies.
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