The Worst Bestsellers

If you’ve been watching us with binoculars, waiting for the podcast to return: well, here we are! (But you already knew that, didn’t you? Because you saw it coming with your binoculars.) Anyway, Christine Ricketts, author of The Ship and Nora Roberts expert, joined us for this year’s Nora Roberts Month to discuss The Collector. It’s the story of a housesitter/voyeur who peeps her way into an international criminal conspiracy involving Faberge eggs and a sexy painter. Listen to this episode while you bake one (1) muffin.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Riverdale’s 10 Most Amazing Fake Brands” by Kristin Baldwin.

Coming up next: Lawless by Nora Roberts.

Another year has come and (almost) gone, and we’ve once again managed to read some good books. Let us tell you about them!

Coming up next: A January hiatus. Happy New Year! We’ll see you in February!

Kait’s Top 5 Best

5.) The Woods all Black by Lee Mandelo

4.) Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zheng by Kylie Lee Baker

3.) The Drowning House by Cherie Priest

2.) Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff

1.) What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher



Bonus: Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt



Renata’s Top 5 Best

5.) The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong

4.) Joyride by Susan Orlean

3.) Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

2.) Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

1.) Racebook by Tochi Onyebuchi

Bonus: To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose

You may be thinking that you haven’t heard of The Company of Vengeful Crows by Lana Pecherczyk, and that’s fair. But perhaps you’ve heard of Plastic Girl vs Dangerous Crow Boy? Well, that’s this. We were joined by writer, podcaster, and corvid enthusiast Margaret H. Willison to discuss this truly wild shifter romance. If you happen to be listening to this episode 2,000 years in the future, you must have figured out a way to stream it without using plastic or metal, because those materials are illegal.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Lana Pechercyzk’s TikTok

Lana Pechercyzk’s Plastic Girl vs. Dangerous Crow Boy FAQ

Dangerous Crow Boy meme

Coming up next: Bests of 2025.

Get in losers, we’re going All The Way to the River. We read Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest book with guest Jack Lawler of Work.Retire.Die, The Daily Friday, and The Daily Friday podcast. If you’ve heard anything about this book, you’re probably wondering: did this lady try to kill her wife or what? Well, you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 209 – Eat Pray Love

“Elizabeth Gilbert opens up about sex, drugs and codependency in a new memoir” by Tonya Mosely

“My Once-in-a-Million-Years Love Story” by Elizabeth Gilbert

“Elizabeth Gilbert’s Latest Epiphanies” by Jia Tolentino

Gavel of Justice sound

Coming up next: The Company of Vengeful Crows by Lana Pecherczyk.

Move over, Rhonda Byrne. The Secret is old news. We were joined by Dr. Sarah Bay, a woman in STEM and our Dan Brown correspondent, to read The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown. Thanks (?) to our Beloved Patrons for choosing this title as this year’s Patreon Choice read!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 27 – Inferno

R2-D2 of Prague

Dale of Norway

The Legend of the Golem

Coming up next: All The Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert.