AllBooked

Episode 352: She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Katie reviews a gothic Bulgarian horror where the only vampires are the cycles of violence we perpetuate against those we love: She Made Herself a Mo...

Episode 351: For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Cherie and Lisa discuss (after)life, love, and running a customer service desk in For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn.

Episode 350: A Song to Drown Rivers and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Katie and Lesley talk about two books that qualify for the Goodreads "Star Selections" challenge, a mythical retelling called A Song to Drown Rivers ...

Episode 349: Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Katie reviews Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman, a new standalone science fiction novel by the writer of Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Episode 348: Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley reviews Catriona Ward's newest novel, Nowhere Burning. Set to come out on February 24, 2026, Nowhere Burning is a dark and twisty psychologi...

Episode 347: Our Top 25 of 2025

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Katie and Lesley share a list of favorite books of 2025, with features from Dani and Donald. Find out what stood out to us this year, and what we're l...

Episode 346: Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, Positiv...

Episode 345: Manga Sampler

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 344: Diavola

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 343: Maid for Each Other

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 342: Shield of Sparrows

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 341: Anywhere With You

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 340: Atmosphere

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 as...

Episode 339: Katabasis

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

Episode 338: Behooved

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 337: Not That Kind of Good Guy

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 336: Red Rising

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Episode 335: The Modern Vampire's Recommended Reading List

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Episode 334: Shadow of the Leviathan

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dani brings Shadow of the Leviathan by Robert Jackson Bennett, a science fiction series and a retelling of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes that feat...

Episode 333: Never Flinch

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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.

Episode 332: An Introduction to Discworld

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 331: Juneteenth

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 wr...

Episode 330: Greenteeth

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 329: Sunrise on the Reaping

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 328: Beach Reads

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Warning: While these reads feature beaches, they are not all "beach reads".  Lesley reviews three sea-riously good books: The Adventures of Amina a...

Episode 327: Sky Daddy and Careless People

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Episode 326: The Ridiculous Romance Roundup

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sara, Katie, and Lesley review some delightful romance reads with one theme in mind: the premise must be as ridiculous as possible. Featuring: I'm in...

Episode 325: Mother^3

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lesly brings us three books about mothers across genres: All the Other Mothers Hate Me, a mystery novel by Sarah Harman; The Motherload, a memoir by ...

Tales from the TBR: Part Six

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Another one bites the dust for Katie and Lesley's TBR as they respectively review Dating and Dismemberment by A. L. Brody and The Reformatory by Tan...

Episode 324: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jake talks about a work of historical horror from Grady Hendrix that breaks from the author's usual comedic tone: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. 

Episode 323: Hörrörgåsbord

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dani serves up three piping hot titles from the Horror genre: Private Rites by Julia Armfield, Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, and Indian Burial Ground b...

Episode 322: An Academy for Liars

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald and Sara review An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson, a dark academia read that didn't hit the way they were hoping.

Tales from the TBR: Part Five

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley and Katie each take another book off of their TBR: Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff and The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence re...

Episode 321: Victorian Psycho

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jake reviews a brand new novella, Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito. This dark comedy follows Victorian governess Winifred Notty as she delves into ...

Episode 320: Kill the Queen

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cherie talks about pies, murder, and a secret royal from the first book in the Crown of Shards fantasy series by Jennifer Estep, Kill the Queen.

Tales from the TBR: Part Four

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katie and Lesley each knock another book off of their TBR, The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks and You Made a Fool of D...

Episode 319: Onyx Storm

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cherie, Kathy, and Erline share fan theories, favorite moments, and more with Lesley and Katie in a lively podcast about the 3rd installment of the Em...

Episode 318: Whims of the Wicked

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sabrina, Kathy, and Mary join Katie to review Whims of the Wicked by Rebecca Grey, a fantasy romance they co-read as a chapter-a-day book club! 

Episode 317: A Sorceress Comes to Call

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sara and Dani joined Lesley in a buddy read and a buddy review of T. Kingfisher's new fairy tale retelling A Sorceress Comes to Call.

Episode 316: The Daughters of Izdihar

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sara and Dani review a fantasy duology inspired by modern Egyptian history: The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai. 

Episode 315: 24 in '24 from '24

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chazley joins us for her annual review of 24 books she's read in 2024 (that were also published in 2024) and has given each recommendation a special s...

Episode 314: Love You a Latke

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cherie joins us with a holiday romance that will leave you wanting a cozy latte and a cozy latke, Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot. 

Episode 313: The Spellshop

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Apologies for the brief holiday hiatus, but we're back with Chazley and Sara to discuss a popular cozy fantasy read of 2024: The Spellshop by Sarah Be...

Tales from the TBR: Part Three

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley and Katie defeat another read from their TBR list! We cover Tales from the Gas Station by Jack Townsend and The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durs...

Episode 312: The Classics Club and Pride and Prejudice

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jacob and Sara sit down with Katie and Lesley to discuss the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice, the meaning of "classic literature", and the benefi...

Episode 311: The Nightmare Before Kissmas

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you want a cheesy holiday rom com with an extra helping of cheese and a dash of Halloween... say no more!

Episode 310: Bury Your Gays

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dani joins us to talk about Chuck Tingle's new Hollywood horror novel Bury Your Gays.

Tales from the TBR: Part 2

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Katie and Lesley explore the uncharted depths of a list that few readers are brave enough to face: The To Be Read pile. Katie reviews the YA book Sai...

Episode 309: The Imposters Series

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel is back to review The Imposters by Roseanna M. White, a heartfelt series set in pre-WWI England and featuring bankrupt nobles moonlighting as P...

Episode 308: What Happened

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Troller joins the show to talk about Hillary Clinton's autobiography... which gave him some new insight into the 2016 presidential election.

Episode 307: Meddling Kids

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dana and Dani review a horror novel that brings a Lovecraftian take to Scooby-Doo in Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero.

Tales from the TBR: Part One

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley and Katie join forces to vanquish that most harrowing of foes: the To Be Read List. Lesley takes on My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa ...

Episode 306: Yellowface

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jake joins us to talk about the publishing industry, cultural appropriation, and the danger of midnight pancakes in Yellowface by R.F. Kuang 

Episode 305: One Dark Window

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel and Jen review a mystical, magical YA romantasy novel: One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. 

Episode 304: The Last Murder at the End of the World

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley and Chazley team up to review Stuart Turton's 2024 science fiction murder mystery set on a seemingly idyllic island. 

Episode 303: Hurricane Wars

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kathy reviews a top romantasy pick, The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon, which also led her to discovering fanfiction! 

Episode 302: Horror Movie

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jake and Lesley talked about Paul Tremblay's newest novel, Horror Movie, and have nothing but good things to say about this mindbending, meta read. ...

Episode 301: The Future

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Danielle joins the show to talk about Naomi Alderman's newest book, which explores how the wealthy navigate an end of the world scenario.

Episode 300: The 300th Episode!

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After some hurricane-related delays, we present to you our 300th episode! Lesley and I sit back to listen to our top ten hitsof the past 100(-ish) epi...

Episode 299: The Book of Doors

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Erline has good things to say about Gareth Brown's fantasy adventure novel, The Book of Doors.

Episode 298: Christa Comes Out of Her Shell

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cherie reviews a book about a zoologist who is reckoning with her famous father's mysterious disappearance and then reappearance into her life. 

Episode 297: Knife

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jake joins us to talk about Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, written by famed author Salman Rushdie about the attempt on his life in 202...

Episode 296: Someone You Can Build a Nest In

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Danielle, Katie, and Lesley discuss the horror romance mashup Someone You Can Build a Nest In, which is just as unique as it sounds!

Episode 295: Lessons in Chemistry

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley talks about a bestselling fiction novel that was recently turned into an Apple TV series: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

Episode 294: First Spite

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cherie reviews a romance comedy by Olivia Dade that features a spite house! Will Athena and Matthew get together despite their contentious proximity t...

Episode 293: Butcher and Blackbird

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley and Kathy team up to review the dark comedy serial killer romance that took the internet by storm: Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver. 

Episode 292: Black Sheep

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley talks about the good, the bad, and the ugly in the horror novel Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison. Stick around for some bonus horror recommendati...

Episode 291: Happily Never After

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa, Chazley and Cherie review a romantic rom-com read about professionals who help break up bad marriages before they can even start.

Episode 290: Priory of the Orange Tree

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lesley and Danielle set out to detail a beautiful epic fantasy that has been at the top of many reading lists over the years. 

Episode 289: Yours Truly

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Katie reviews a book by Abby Jimenez featuring terrible first impressions between two ER doctors. 

Episode 288: Powerless

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kathy reviews a YA Romantasy title by Lauren Roberts. 

Episode 287: This is How You Lose the Time War

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chazley, Donald, and Lesley chat about a time-travel romance that has a lot of time, a lot of travel, and very little kissing. This is How You Lose t...

Episode 286: House of Flame and Shadow

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jump into a fantasy world filled with Chevy Tahoes and fae with our resident Maas experts: Sabrina, Kathy, Cherie, and Mary! 

Episode 285: Poor Deer

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jake reviews the literary fiction title Poor Deer, a story about a woman whose shame takes the form of a deer who challenges her to recount what real...

Episode 284: The Boys in the Boat

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cherie reviews the book that covers the 1936 US Olympic rowing team and compares it to the movie that was released last year.

Episode 283: 112 Days

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're featuring local author Lauri Smith as she talks about her book 112 Days, which documents her experience of caregiving for her father. She regula...

Episode 282: March and Run

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald and Katie review two graphic novels about Congressman John Lewis and his work in the Civil Rights movement.

Episode 281: Chain Gang All Stars

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Valde joins the show to discuss a dystopian novel that serves up a critique of the American prison system.

Episode 280: I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald and Lesley review this dark horror/fantasy written by debut YA author Jamison Shea. 

Episode 279: Divine Rivals

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel joins our Romantasy experts Sabrina and Kathy to discuss Divine Rivals, a YA fantasy novel written by Rebecca Ross. 

Episode 278: The Gentleman's Gambit

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Katie reviews a historical romance that pairs a suffragette with a man who coordinates heists to return ancient artifacts back to their countries of o...

Episode 277: First Lie Wins

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jamie reviews a book that was published in 2024 that is already receiving quite a bit of buzz. Find out what she thinks of this thriller filled with l...

Episode 276: We Should Not be Friends and Crossing to Safety

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Troller attempted to whimsically select a couple of books to read... with mixed results. 

Episode 275: Reading Goals for 2024

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chazley, Mary, Danielle, Katie and Lesley talk about what they plan to read in 2024. 

Episode 274: 23 Books in 23 Minutes

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chazley finishes out the year by giving a re-cap of 23 books that were published in 2023... and she manages to keep the episode at only 23 minutes in ...

Episode 273: Role Playing

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald and Chazley join Lesley and Katie to talk about Cathy Yardley's 2023 cozy romance novel Role Playing. 

Episode 272: Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jake and Sam review Maria Bamford's humor infused memoir.

Episode 271: July in Christmas?

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you're already over cooler weather and want something closer to beach-y reads... be sure to check out this episode! Jamie reviews Happy Place by E...

Episode 270: The Iron Flame Reaction Episode

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sabrina, Lisa, Kathy, Katie and Lesley all read Iron Flame and have so many feels about the book. Listeners beware: This podcast is full of spoilers...

Episode 269: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Erline discusses the prequel to the Hunger Games series before the release of the movie based on the book.

Episode 268: Romantasy Book Club

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Your Romantasy experts are back and they're recommending their perfect reading list after A Court of Thorns and Roses. Buckle up, because Sabrina and ...

Episode 267: The Spooky Read Roundup

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Erline, Donald, Katie and Lesley review four different scary reads... just in time for Halloween! The titles reviewed in this episode are: Holly by St...

Episode 266: First Ladies

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Troller rejoins the show to review three biographies of three very different and influential first ladies. 

Episode 265: Even Though We Knew The End

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald and Chazley  tell us about a novella that they could not stop talking about: Even Though We Knew the End by C. L. Polk. 

Episode 264: Lies in the Darkness

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Local author C. J. Williams discusses his book, his editing process, and the stories he plans to bring to life next.  Check out his Goodreads page he...

Episode 263: Welcome to the ACOTAR Fan Club

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Katie, Mary, Sabrina, Cherie, and Kathy join forces to discuss the Court of Thorns and Roses series as a group. Hilarity ensues. 

Episode 262: A Court of Thorns and Roses

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join our resident BookTok fantasy expert Kathy as she shares her ACOTAR hot takes and describes what it's like to listen to an audiobook at 3x speed. ...

Episode 261: Book Clubs

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jake and Lisa join the show as the hosts for the library's two book clubs. They discuss the upcoming books for August and September and warmly invite ...

Episode 260: Can you judge books by their covers?

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald, Erline, Katie, and Lesley each selected books based solely on their covers. Did the books meet the expectations set by their cover art? Listen...

Episode 259: Upon the Arrival of Dawn

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Houston area author Joseph Schiller joins the show to talk about his book as well as the Author Indie Book Fair that he's organizing at Spring Streets...