Author: Lulu

This week is all about the spooky ancestral homes as we talk about And Don’t Look Back by Rebecca Barrow and All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley, two young adult novels about family homes and the dark secrets they hide. Topics include what constitutes a haunted house (does there have to be a literal ghost?), twisty mysteries, and the inherent queerness of the gothic genre.

(Also, as you may have guessed, we did NOT release this episode before traveling internationally despite our optimism about doing so in this recording.)

As usual, this episode is available on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, and more.

Media Mentioned:

• Shogun (2024)
• Dungeon Meshi
• The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
• Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill
• Burning Girls and Other Stories by Veronica Schanoes
• Tramps (2016) dir. Adam Leon
• Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow
• Episode 26: Bad Things at the Beach
• The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
• The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Episode 18: Reduce Reuse Reanimate

Content Warnings: Discussions of parental death, animal death, domestic abuse, murder, drowning

This week, we’re taking a trip to 1950s Italy as we discuss Patricia Highsmith’s classic thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley and its acclaimed 1999 adaptation directed by Anthony Minghella. Topics of discussion include the novel’s iconic con artist protagonist, the twisty plot, homoerotic subtext, and how Minghella put his own spin on the themes and characters. 

This episode is available for listening on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, and more.

Media Mentioned

• Scrapper (2023) dir. Charlotte Regan (note: Lulu was wrong, the lead actress’s name is actually Lola Campbell, not Lola Chambers)
• Aftersun (2022) dir. Charlotte Wells
• The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• The Artful Dodger (2023), starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewliss, and Maia Mitchell
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• Saltburn (2023) dir. Emerald Fennell
• Do Revenge (2022)
• These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
• “Patricia Highsmith” by Richard Brooks for the Guardian
• The Bourne Identity movies
• Nimona by N.D. Stevenson
• Sorry to Bother You (2018) dir. Boots Riley
• The Celluloid Closet (1995) dir. Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
• Hannibal (2013-2015)
• King Arthur: Legend of the Sword dir. Guy Ritchie
• Ripley (upcoming Netflix show)
• BBC Sherlock
• And Don’t Look Back by Rebecca Barrow
• All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

Content Warnings: discussions of antisemitism, racism, murder, violence, homophobia, gaslighting, suicide, and classism.

We’re back this week to talk about the latest Hunger Games movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Topics include our relationship with the famous dystopian franchise, how the movie compares to the book, why we find prequels and villain protagonists compelling, and a detour through Enlightenment philosophy.

As usual, this episode is available on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, etc.

Other Media Mentioned:

• Hannibal (2013-2015)
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
• Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker
• Anatomy of a Fall dir. Justine Triet
• A Murder at the End of the World (2023)
• True Detective: Night Country
• We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian
• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
• Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
• West Side Story (2021) dir. Steven Spielberg
• Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
• Second Treatise of Government by John Locke
• The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac
• Wicked (2024) dir. John M. Chu
• Saltburn (2023) dir. Emerald Fennell 

Content warnings: Discussions of death, violence, hanging, cannibalism and fascism

Happy belated New Year! We return fashionably late with a behemoth of an episode to discuss each of our top 10 books of 2023, a few extra superlatives (scariest book, anyone?), and some reading goals for 2024. Tune in for fantasy fiction, gothic literature, romance novels, unexpected favorites, and only a little bit of human sacrifice. 

(Also, Lulu would like to mention that she forgot to mention Emily Carroll’s works when discussing graphic novels, but they’re all very creepy and amazing. Additionally, we ran out of time for her to discuss poetry, but Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey, The Renunciations by Donika Kelly, and Water & Salt by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha were her favorite books of poetry read last year.)

As usual, this episode is available on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, and more.

Content warnings: discussions of slavery (27:47-31:05), domestic abuse (31:06-33:08), and depression/suicidal ideation (58:18-1:03:18)

Our podcast is back, and we’re in our hater era! In this episode, we tackle the infamously divisive 2023 film Saltburn, a psychological thriller directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, an Oxford scholarship student invited to his wealthy friend’s summer estate, Saltburn, for a summer that takes a dark turn. (Spoiler alert: we didn’t like it.) Topics discussed include the film’s muddled class commentary, our hatred of the film’s ending, and it’s intent to shock and upset the viewer. 

As usual, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, etc.

Other Media Mentioned:

• Blue Eye Samurai (2023-)
• Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
• A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris
• The Holdovers (dir. Alexander Payne)
• Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
• Bellies by Nicola Dinan
• Promising Young Woman (dir. Emerald Fennell)
• The Eternals (dir. Chloe Zhao)
• The Banshees of Inisherin (dir. Martin McDonagh)
• Knives Out (dir. Rian Johnson)
• Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho)
• Can posh people write good slass satire? By Patrick Sproull for Dazed
• Romeo + Juliet (dir. Baz Luhrmann)
• Biting the Hand by Julia Lee
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
• These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
• Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
• Temper by Layne Fargo
• They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
• Interview With the Vampire (2022–)

Content Warnings: Discussions of drug overdose, suicide, murder, classism, racism, manipulation, and sexual assault

Also, not actually related to the content of this episode, but if you are an American listener, we would like to invite you to call your representatives and demand a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. 5calls.org makes it easy to do.  

We’re back for our first episode of the summer! In this one, we take a trip to post-Rome Britain to explore our fascination with a time period that is more myth than history. Going full history nerd, we take a look at three books set in Britain after the withdrawal of Roman imperial powers: Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott, Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve, and Sistersong by Lucy Holland. We discuss the possible origin of the King Arthur myth, queer medieval narratives, and the cultural diversity of Britain at this time–as well as wizards, warlords, and murder ballads. 

As usual, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, etc.

Other Media Mentioned:

• Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
• The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Little Blue Encyclopedia for Vivian by Hazel Jane Plante
• The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
• Bernard Cornwell’s books
• Spear by Nicola Griffith
• Perceval by Chretien de Troyes
• The Two Sisters by Steeleye Span
• On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain by Gildas
• History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Content Warnings:

Discussions of war, death, and body horror

Also 1) apologies for the distant car horn in a few moments and 2) our discussion of Here Lies Arthur involves talking about some characters who present as different genders over the course of the story and so has some varying pronoun usage.

This week, we’ve got a guest on our podcast as author M.K. Lobb drops by to answer our questions about her young adult fantasy novel Seven Faceless Saints. Tune in to hear us discuss the real historical inspiration behind her fantasy world, the joys of writing angsty romance, and the importance of angry female characters. 

As usual, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, etc.

Media mentioned

• These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
• Keep This To Yourself by Tom Ryan
• I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan
• Karen McManus (YA mystery author)
• The Queen’s Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
• Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Content warnings: discussions of war, PTSD, and murder

Episode 30 is out! As usual, it’s available on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

This week’s episode is a blast to the past as we delve into a new genre for this podcast: historical romance novels. Focusing on five novels–A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera, The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian, The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan, and The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite–we delve into how they fit into the overall genre while crafting individual love stories that stand out on their own. We discuss some of our favorite romance tropes and how these books subvert them or play them straight, as well as examining the historical contexts a bit. Plus: seances, heists, and Worcestershire sauce.

Other media mentioned

• AMC’s Interview With the Vampire
• A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Winter Be My Shield by Jo Spurrier
• The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
• The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert
• Bridgerton (TV show)
• Belle (2013 movie)
• “Why Are So Many Novels Set in the Regency Period?” by Jess Romeo for JSTOR Daily
• Jane Austen
• Georgette Heyer
• Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
• The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes Cat Sebastian

Content warnings: discussions of historical racism, sexism, colonialism, homophobia, and slavery, as well as two novels that deal with parental death

Episode 31 is out now! As usual, it’s available to listen on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the character of John Constantine, DC’s infamous dirtbag warlock. Beginning with his iconic Hellblazer comic and going on to discuss his many movie and TV appearances, we tackle some of his most iconic storylines, how various adaptations do or don’t work, and why we find one British magician’s poor life choices so compelling. 

Media mentioned:

• Lockwood & Co. (Netflix show)
• The Last of Us (HBO show)
• The Legend of Vox Machina (TV show)
• Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore
• Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott
• The Newsreader (TV show)
• Andor (TV show)
• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• Sandman by Neil Gaiman
• DC Pride Anthology (2021)
• Constantine: The Hellblazer by James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle
• Hellblazer: Original Sins by Jamie Delano
• DC Bombshells by Marguerite Bennett
• Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
• Constantine: All His Engines by Mike Carey
• The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey
• Constantine: City of Demons
• The Sandman episode 3: “Dream a Little Dream of Me”
• Legends of Tomorrow

Content warnings: lung cancer, suicide, child abuse, homophobia, biphobia, racism

Our twenty-ninth episode is out!

This episode, we’re taking a turn into the classics by reviewing two retellings of Emily Brontë’s gothic novel Wuthering Heights: Black Spring by Alison Croggon and What Souls Are Made Of by Tasha Suri. We indulge our inner English majors by getting very excited about cycles of tragedy, ghosts, and doomed romance while also discussing how the novels put their own spin on a classic work of literature. As always, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Other media mentioned

• The Rings of Power
• The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
• House of the Dragon
• A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
• Sistersong by Lucy Holland
• Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
• A League of Their Own (TV show)
• House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
• Spear by Nicola Griffith
• AMC’s Interview With the Vampire (TV show)
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore
• The Books of Ambha by Tasha Suri
• The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
• Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush

Content warnings: discussions of abuse, racism, murder, colonialism, famine, death