Tome & Tome Again

Greedy by Callie Kazumi Butter and Hooked by Asako Yuzuki Hunger by Choi Jin Young Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle Don't Burn Anyone at the Stake Today by Naomi Alderman The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan The Ending Writers Itself by Evelyn Clarke The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski TBRs Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul Lore Olympus, vol 1 by Rachel Smythe I Told You So: Scientisits Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan A Tale of Two Publishing Houses by Linda Martin   Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 20 we talk about Krystal Sutherland's 2021 dark fairytale urban fantasy novel House of Hollow. SPOILER WARNING: From 19:00 we start mentioning big spoilers for the plot and ending, then we come back to discuss upcoming episodes and TBR lists from 42:19. Other books mentioned in this episode: A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland Homebound by Portia Ellen Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann Arborescence by Rhett Davis Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han Kill Your Boomers by Fiona Wright Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 19 we talk about our top reads and honourable mentions for 2025, then get into our anticipated reads for 2026! A full list of the titles discussed is below: The House of Rural Realness by Curtis Campbell Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove Different, Not Less by Chloe Hayden Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell Stag Dance by Torrey Peters Murder by Memory and Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite Hecate the Witch by Nikita Gill Inner Demons by Stephen Platt There Is No Anti-Mimetics Division by Quantum The Secret Lives of Zombie Wives by Barbara Truelove Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum Local Heavens: A Cyberpunk Reimagining of The Great Gatsby Set in 2075 New York by K. M. Fajardo Beth is Dead by Katie Burnett This Wretched Beauty: A Dorian Grey Remix by Elle Grenier Hell's Heart by Alexis Hall The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo (Alex Stern #3) Adult Braces by Lindy West Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe Threads That Bind and Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatsopolou The Long Earth series by Stephen Baxter & Terry Pratchett Midnight Sun and Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 18 we talk about Terry Pratchett's classic 1996 novel Hogfather, which uses Christmas to discuss the importance of belief and ritual. Other books mentioned in this episode: The Nowhere Child by Christian White The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden On Sunday She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Mark Mupotsa-Russell Voidverse by Damien Ober Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 17 we talk about the Monk & Robot duology by Becky Chambers, containing A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy. We discuss the first novella until 39 minutes into the episode, then we talk about the second novella.  Other books mentioned in this episode: A Cinnamon Falls Mystery by R. L. Killmore We Are Legion by Dennis E. Taylor Hogfather by Terry Pratchett Katabasis by RF Kuang A Forest, Darkly by A. G. Slatter Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 16 we talk about the first six books in Martha Wells' brilliant Murderbot sci-fi series: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Fugitive Telemetry, and Network Effect, plus we also talk about the recent Apple TV series, which contains the events of All Systems Red.  Please forgive our erratic pronoun usage when referring to Murderbot - the irony of not getting this right when discussing a series about a character's personhood is not lost on us. Other books mentioned in this episode: Strange Pictures by Uketsu Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada The Bookstore Girls by Kei Aono The Cold House by Angela Slatter The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge Isn't it nice we both hate the same things by Jessica Seaborn Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 15 we chat about Jessica Townsend's delightful magic and wonder-filled middle-grade book Nevermoor, the first of the Nevermoor series! Other books dicussed in this episode: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang Human Rights by Juno Dawson (Her Majesty's Royal Covenant series) Once a Villain by Vanessa Len Cold Truth by Ashley Kalagian Blunt We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor If Wishes Were Retail by Auston Habershaw Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 14 we chat about Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, the first of the Tiffany Aching series within the Discworld.  Other books dicussed in this episode: Willow Close by Helena O'Connor Different, Not Less by Chloe Hayden My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronica de Ponte The Women Are Not Fine: A Dark History of a Poisonous Sisterhood by Hope Reece A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan Assistant to the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer     Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 13 we chat about one of our favourite genres by revisiting one of our favourite books from recent years: Travis Baldree's cosy fiction masterpiece Legends & Lattes! Other books dicussed in this episode: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Welcome to the Hyunam Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood Beyond Climate Grief by Jonica newby Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #2) by Travis Baldree The Wizard's Bakery by Gu Byeong-mo The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 12 we discuss the classic graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, V for Vendetta, and it's movie adaptation directed by the Wachowski sisters. Other books we discuss in this episode include: Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopolou A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher Made of Steam and Stardust by Bianca Breen The Distance Between Dreams by Emily Paull Silverborn by Jessica Townsend The Language of Trees by Katie Holton   Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  

In episode 11 we discuss the first of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy, titled Uglies, published in 2005. Other books we discuss in this episode include: the Murderbot series by Martha Wells Murder by Memory by Olivia Wright The Forcing by Paul E. Hardesty Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum The Thinning by Inga Simpson Human Nature by Jane Rawson Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Lightfall book 1: The Girl & The Galdurian Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 10 we discuss Howl's Moving Castle, both the classic 1986 book by Diana Wynne Jones and the gorgeous 2004 movie by Hayao Miyazaki.  Other books we discuss in this episode include: All Systems Red by Martha Wells Wild Dogs by Michael Trant How High we go in the Dark by Sakoya Nagamatsu The Spear That Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Queer as Folklore by Sasha Coward Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 9 we discuss A. J. Betts' YA novel Hive. If you haven't read this book and want to avoid spoilers (but still want to come back in and here about our TBR lists!), duck out at 22:36 and come back in at 49:13. These times also have chapters if your music platform supports that.  Then read Hive and come back and listen to the middle of the episode! Other books we mention in this episode include: Zac & Mia by AJ Betts The House of Rural Realness by Curtis Campbell Sunny at the End of the World by Steph Bowe To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld (spiler alert for book 4!) Orbital by Samantha Harvey Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Woman's Law: 4,000 Years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi by Sarah Clegg The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 8 we discuss Hannelore Cayre's The Godmother, 'a perfect little slice of French noir'. Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 7 we discuss Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue, a humorous non-fiction romp through the English language and how it got that way! Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 6 we discuss our favourite spooky books for Halloween! These include: Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein Unreal Alchemy by Tansy Rayner Roberts Nettle & Bone by T Kingfisher House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica Honourable mentions: All the Murmuring Bones and Path of Thorns by Angela Slatter; Leigh Bardugo's Alex Stern series; Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt; Woman Eating by Claire Coder; The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones; Oscar & Alice by Jemimah Brewster Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 5 we discuss Emily McGovern's hilarious queer Regency romance and stab-fest graphic novel Bloodlust & Bonnets! Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 4 we discuss Rosalie Ham's 2000 rural Australian Gothic novel, The Dressmaker! Trigger warning for mentions of infant death, violence, rape, and abuse. Books discussed at the end of the episode: A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee The House That Joy Built by Holly Ringland What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst The Girl with No Reflection by Kesha Chow The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 3 we discuss Suzette Haden Elgin's classic sci-fi work Native Tongue! Trigger warning for mentions of infant death and abuse of women. Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 2 we get deep into Julie Koh's brilliant collection of satirical short stories, Portable Curiosities! Trigger warning for mentions of miscarriage and infant death, violence, and abuse. Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In episode 1 we hunker down with a classic, Douglas Adams's quirky and hilarious The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Plus, what's coming up on our TBRs!  Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Meet Jemimah and Jess, your enthusiastic and bookish hosts. Feel free to skip straight to episode one if you want to dive straight into bookish chat!    Intro and outro music: Midsummer’s Night in the Woods by Justin Allan Arnold | https://www.ifnessfreemusic.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/