Erline joins us to discuss Octavia Butler -- not her works of fiction, but her life as told in the new biography written by Susana M. Morris, Positive Obsession. 

Our resident manga experts Dani and Percy come to discuss their favorite manga, from the first manga they every picked up to the ones they're keeping tabs on right now.  Titles recommended:  One-Punch ManOne PieceSkip Beat!Kitchen PrincessMonthly Girls' Nozaki-kunSoul EaterTinker Bell's SecretMiss Not-So-SidekickThe Boy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Boy At AllSakamoto DaysA Man and His CatLibrary WarsAbsolute BoyfriendFull Metal Alchemist

Jake joins us to discuss family dysfunction and Italian ghosts in Jennifer Thorne's gothic horror novel, Diavola.

We're back after a short break with Cherie to review Lynn Painter's new rom-com, Maid for Each Other. 

Sara joins us to talk about a book that got her out of her Romantasy reading slump, Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry. 

Lisa and Katie review the road trip rom-com Anywhere With You by debut author Margo Glynn, featuring Roswell, a variety of Southeastern wildlife, and a viral social media account created to make your ex(es) jealous. 

Rachelle joins us for her debut episode to talk about Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. She and Lesley touch on strained family dynamics, how cool astronauts are, and an epic ending that kept a whole book club on the edge of their seats.

Jake and Katie talk about the top ten reasons you should reconsider a descent into hell to rescue your thesis professor (eg. a lot of math, chthonic dogs, an eventual rivals to lovers romance). Their only cited source is R. F. Kuang's dark academia book, Katabasis. 

Katie and Sara both read a cozy, funny fantasy romance by M. Stevenson called Behooved. It's a LadyHawke situation.

Cherie reviews an action-packed dark sci-fi novel called Not That Kind of Good Guy by John Ringo.

Kathy discusses power, identity, and the cost of change in Red Rising, a 2014 action-packed dystopian sci-fi novel by Pierce Brown that is the start of a seven book saga.

Jake, Dani, Lesley, and Katie talk about some of their favorite vampire reads from this year. We cover Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab, Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, and Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove. There's something on this list for everyone! 

Dani brings Shadow of the Leviathan by Robert Jackson Bennett, a science fiction series and a retelling of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes that features a locked room mystery, murder by tree, and a surprising amount of algae. 

Erline reviews one of her must-read authors, Stephen King, and has some things to say about Never Flinch, the latest in the Holly Gibney series.

Avid Discworld fan Cherie joins us to provide three possible entries into the beloved universe of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. 

Local author Dr. Regina Sims joins us to talk about the history of Juneteenth, her connection to the holiday, and how all of that culminated in her writing a children's book called Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom. 

Dani dives into another retelling with Greenteeth, a brand new debut fantasy novel by Molly O'Neill. 

Our resident Suzanne Collins expert Erline is back to review the latest installment in The Hunger Games universe, Sunrise on the Reaping.

Warning: While these reads feature beaches, they are not all "beach reads".  Lesley reviews three sea-riously good books: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S. A. Chakraborty, The Wager by David Grann, and Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward. 

Jake and Katie review two recent releases entrenched in the tech world: Sky Daddy by Kate Folk and Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams.