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 any demons were involved), and a passionate discussion about the need for editing in self-publishing. Plus, a moment so tense that Emma and Jason almost come to blows.
Remember, listeners, you brought this upon yourselves! Happy Halloween!
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!Amazon.com (unfortunately, the only place to purchase)
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Drag Me Up by R.M. Virtues
Desperate Measures by Katee Robert
Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson
Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicolás
Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
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40: The Library at Hellebore
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 abilities, discuss the idea of monstrosity—specifically how women are made monstrous by monstrous men—and… Jason is there, too! Plus, Emma wonders whether this book is truly part of the dark academia genre.
Happy Halloween!
Buy the Book!Bookshop.org | Libro.fm
Other books mentioned in this episode:
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Katabasis by RF Kuang
The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
Critical Role: Bells Hells - What Doesn't Break by Cassandra Khaw
The Poppy War by RF Kuang
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid
To Bargain With Mortals by R.A. Basu
Sing Me to Sleep by R.M. Virtues
Support SWR!PayPal | Venmo | SWR Merch
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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 American culture to make vampires feel fresh, why this tale about bloodsucking monsters gives off cozy vibes, and what we think of the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Zorro” comparison. Plus, find out how A Series of Unfortunate Events helped Bella with the Spanish vocabulary in this book!
Buy the Book!Bookshop.org | Libro.fm
Other books mentioned in this episode:
The Final Six by Alexandra Monir
The Life Below by Alexandra Monir
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen
Blood Moon by Jillian Graves
Titan: A Gargoyle Daddy Dom Romance by Jillian Graves
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier
To Bargain With Mortals by R.A. Basu
Support SWR!PayPal | Venmo | SWR Merch
We're also an affiliate on Bookshop.org and Libro.fm! Order books and ebooks...
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1:33:12
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
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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.
Shit We’ve Read is a sci-fi & fantasy book podcast hosted by geeky friends Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Bella Romero. 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-host Emma Skies. 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?