Shit We've Read

• 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 partner.” Along the way, Bella reveals which co-hosts are the most (and least) fabulous, Jason makes a connection to The Mummy (1999), and Emma explains how the book suffers from what she calls the Fourth Wing Phenomenon.Listen now to discover why this book left the hosts so divided! CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of an adult-themed book, contains explicit language, and is intended for mature audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.   Buy the Book!Bookshop.org | Libro.fm   Other books mentioned in this episode: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon Deep End by Ali Hazelwood Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson The Sting of Victory by S.D. Simper Railed by the Krampus by Dalia Davies A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

  --------  

  1:32:05

  --------

  1:32:05
• Update: Listener Survey & Book Sweepstakes

  Hey there, listeners! We need your help. We have been working hard to make Shit We’ve Read as entertaining and enjoyable as we can, but we want to make it better for you! So, we created a quick listener survey and would love to hear your thoughts. As a thank you, if you complete our survey by Sunday, August 31st, 2025, you’ll have the chance to be entered into a book sweepstakes! Thank you so much for listening to the show, and we look forward to seeing your responses!   Take our Listener Survey and enter our Book Sweepstakes!   Support SWR!PayPal | Venmo | SWR Merch We're also an affiliate on Bookshop.org and Libro.fm! Order books and ebooks through our link HERE and audiobooks HERE and a small commission will go towards the podcast. Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr Thank you for your support!   Connect with SWR!Instagram | TikTok | Discord | Website Request transcripts on our website: shitweveread.com/contact   Credits:Shit We've Read is hosted by Laura Benson and Jason Rico, with music by Joshua Chilton and editing by Jason Rico.

  --------  

  0:40

  --------

  0:40
• 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 identity, duty, and the power of love is multi-hyphenate guest host Fictional Tiff—musician, queer activist, and leader of the Sacramento Silent Book Club. Listen as we celebrate the queer-normative worldbuilding and how it allows for exploration of personal identity, Laura draws parallels between the book and blind religious devotion, and Tiff shares why sometimes friendship means saying, “I love you, but you suck.” Plus, find out which of us is hoping for a sequel full of dragon smut.   Guest Host:Fictional Tiff is a book blogger turned many things over the years. From heading up the Sacramento Silent Book Club to being a musician, gogo dancer, queer activist, weightlifter, and writer. She keeps her mind busy and shines bright and loud for her community. Reading books is what set Tiff on the course to being passionate about so many things, and she owes them her life. So ask her what she’s currently reading and be prepared for nonstop chatter. You can find her on Instagram @fictionaltiff and listen to her music on Spotify here.   Buy the Book!Bookshop.org | Libro.fm   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz You Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne Out of the Drowning Deep by A.C. Wise Outdrawn by Deanna Grey We Solve Murders by Richard Osman The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid Death’s Country

  --------  

  1:03:05

  --------

  1:03:05
• 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 Arden Harris (they/them) of A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, CA, and host of the Sci-fi/Fantasy Book Club. Listen as Arden weighs in on this story’s comparisons to both Murderbot and The Locked Tomb, we celebrate the queer representation (and beyond), and discover why Jason blocked the audiobook experience from his mind. Plus, Jason channels Haddaway to ask the eternal question: “What is love?” 01001000 01100001 01110000 01110000 01111001 00100000 01010000 01110010 01101001 01100100 01100101 00100000 01001101 01101111 01101110 01110100 01101000 00100001   Guest Host:Arden Harris (they/them) is a bookseller, crafter, and aspiring writer. You can often find them haunting the shelves at A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, CA, or spending time with their wife and four cats. They tend to lurk in the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror sections, but can occasionally be found creeping into other genres when the mood strikes. They can be reluctantly perceived on Instagram @bookstore.cryptid   Buy the Book!Bookshop.org | Libro.fm   Other books mentioned in this episode: Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill Dracula by Bram Stoker The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft

  --------  

  1:20:06

  --------

  1:20:06
• 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 with this pick and sparks a conversation about what happens when monster theory meets gender essentialism. Meanwhile, Laura draws some surprising parallels to Star Wars, and we collectively urge parents to warn their children about the dangers of fated mates. Plus: find out why this book forced Jason to add a brand-new category in his After Dark grading system. CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of an adult-themed book, contains explicit language, and is intended for mature audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.   Buy the Book!Bookshop.org | Libro.fm   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Sting of Victory by S.D. Simper Twilight by Stephenie Meyer A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Dracula by Bram Stoker A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Bride by Ali Hazelwood Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune Railed by the Krampus by Dalia Davies Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson

  --------  

  1:26:14

  --------

  1:26:14

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About Shit We've Read