Shit We've Read

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 recipients this year? Which one of us didn’t finish their book, and what went wrong? Which host picked their Secret Santa book during an active criminal investigation? And which current Emma obsession led us on a ten-minute tangent? Thank you so much for listening and supporting us this year. We’re endlessly grateful for you. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and we’ll see you in 2026!   Buy the Books! Jason’s Book: Amazon.com | Libro.fm Laura’s Book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm Bella’s Book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm Emma’s Book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm   Other media mentioned in this episode: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Warehouse 13 The SCP Foundation The City We Became by NK Jemisin The Magnus Archives Podcast House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid   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 ou...

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 chai on the chaotic journey her book took to publication, including the incredible lengths publisher Emma Skies went to acquire it. She also shares how her original inspiration began with Jimin from the K-pop sensation BTS, and how she drew upon her own South Asian identity to infuse the story with cultural depth. Plus, R.A. shocks with a (in hindsight, fairly obvious) revelation about the TV series House, M.D. You can grab your copy of TO BARGAIN WITH MORTALS now wherever books are sold!   Buy the Book!Bookshop.org | Libro.fm   Other books mentioned R.A. in this episode: Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite Jade City by Fonda Lee   Guest:R. A. Basu is an Indian Canadian author from Ontario who works in digital development by day and binge reads novels by night. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing on the Nintendo Switch, fighting for her life in a Pilates class, or looking for the best matcha in her city. She is represented by Allegra Martschenko at BookEnds Literary Agency. You can find her on Instagram @rabasuwrites   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

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

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

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...