Genre Junkies | Book Reviews
Episodes
72 | Sci-Fi | “The Gone World” by Tom Sweterlitsch
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we go deep. Deep Time, that is! Sci-fi meets horror – plus mystery/thriller with a dash of crime! Spoiler-free first half as always. ...
71 | Horror/Fantasy | “The Babysitters Coven” by Kate Williams – with The Spooky Slumber Party
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our friends at The Spooky Slumber Party join us to discuss Kate William’s YA novel, The Babysitter’s Coven, and hijinks ensue! Enjoy our ...
70 | Horror | “Strange Girls: Women in Horror Anthology” Stories Selected by Azzurra Nox
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We celebrate Women in Horror Month with a brand new anthology of harrowing tales. The first half is (as always) spoiler free! To learn more about our...
69 | Sci-Fi | “Sleeping Giants” by Sylvain Neuvel
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Better late than never! Scott was sick last week, so we present a belated sci-fi extravaganza! SPOILER FREE 1st half, as always.
68 | Contemporary | “Sourdough” by Robin Sloan
14 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Modern day fantasy and science fiction meet in a feel god story of a woman who finds herself through a mysterious and precocious sourdough starter. T...
67 | Favorites of 2019
31 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s that time of year, again! Sandra and Scott present their most memorable books of 2019 and pair cocktails with them. Happy New Year!
66 | Fantasy | “Feeding the Wolf” by Jennifer Leigh with Interview!
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Last book review of 2019!! We are honored to have the author herself, Jennifer Leigh, on tonight’s episode! Join us for the spoiler free first h...
65 | Horror | “Walk The Darkness Down” by John Boden & Favorite Movies About Cults with Jimmy Cajoleas!
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANDRA! This episode was so much fun. Sandra, Scott, and author Jimmy Cojoleas talk their favorite movies featuring cults! But first &...
64 | Fantasy | “The Darkest Part of the Forest” by Holly Black
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Special guest Amanda returns to the show to chat about the queen of faerie herself, Holly Black! The 1st half is, as always, SPOILER FREE! As we all g...
63 | Horror | The Joe Hill Appreciation Episode
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We are proud to present our SPOILER FREE Halloween* episode! We decided to end the season right right by talking about a true master of horror –...
62 | Horror | “Unbury Carol” by Josh Malerman
22 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s still October, so we are still doing HORROR exclusively! We read Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman. The first half of our discussion on this pe...
61 | Horror | “Minor Prophets” by Jimmy Cajoleas with Interview!
08 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
HAPPY HALLOWEEN MONTH!! It’s our tradition here at GJ to only talk spooky stuff in October. We kick things off with a SPOILER FREE 1st half &...
60 | Horror | “Betty Bites Back” Short Story Collection By Various Authors
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Genre Junkies call on one of the fiercest horror gals they know for this one! Kelly Hitman joins the conversation as we tackle this genre defying ...
59 | Sci-Fi | “A Song For a New Day” by Sarah Pinsker with Interview!
10 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
All the excitement of going to the most amazing concerts from the warm confines of a book! In her debut novel “A Song For a New Day”, Auth...
58 | Fantasy | “Five Dark Fates” by Kendare Blake with Interview!
03 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we bid farewell to the Queens of Fennbirn with a special guest interview of the author herself – Kendare Blake! 5 dark fates, 1 kille...
57 | Fantasy | “Sea Witch Rising” by Sarah Henning
20 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not all singing crabs and forks for combs, people! This week Scott & Sandra dive back into the mysterious, magical and watery depths of...
56 | Fantasy | “Gods of Jade and Shadow” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
06 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Join Sandra & Scott as they hop a train to jazz age Mexico! Final stop? Xibalba! This week’s novel is the beautiful and frightful fantasy no...
55 | Sci-Fi & Horror | “The Seclusion” by Jacqui Castle & “The Bedwetter” by Lee Allen Howard
23 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We have two books to discuss! Sandra and Scott both read separate novels and present them to you for your consideration! Thank you to our amazing list...
54 | Horror/Thriller | “Lock Every Door” by Riley Sager with Interview!
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You may want to double check that those doors are locked… What’s better than a review of Riley Sager’s new novel, Lock Every Door? H...
53 | Sci-Fi | “Recursion” by Blake Crouch
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The master behind “Dark Matter” is back for another mind and genre bending thriller! Sandra & Scott are along for the ride, bit will t...
52 | Sci-Fi | “Wildcard” by Marie Lu
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for a sci-fi sequel! We review Wildcard by Marie Lu. Need a refresher? We reviewed the first book, WarCross, last year! To learn more about...
51 | Horror | “Night Shoot” by David Sodergren with Interview!
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What’s better than reviewing David Sodergren’s new horror novel, “Night Shoot”? Well, how about an interview with the author h...
50 | Scott’s Birthday Episode!
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We have a lot to celebrate! Not only is this Scott’s birthday, but this is actually our 50th episode! We decided to make this episode a party, s...
49 | Horror | “Brother” by Ania Ahlborn
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You may think that you are prepared for Ania Ahlborn’s “Brother”, but you probably aren’t. As always, our review is SPOILER F...
48 | Horror | “Creatures of Want and Ruin” by Molly Tanzer
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We are proud to showcase female horror authors this month! We kick things off with Molly Tanzer’s Creature’s of Want & Ruin. Demons an...
47 | Fantasy | The Folk of Air Series – “The Cruel Prince”, “The Lost Sisters”, and “The Wicked King” by Holly Black
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Special guest Amanda returns to the show so she and Sandra and gush about the newest series by the Queen of Faerie: Holly Black! SPOILER-FREE until af...
46 | Sci-Fi | “The Tesla Legacy” by K. K. Perez with Interview!
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We are excited to bring you another author interview this week! We chat with K. K. Perez, author of this week’s selection: The Tesla Legacy. T...
45 | Sci-Fi/Satire | “Severance” by Ling Ma
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Your hosts take a detour to New York City to experience the end of the world – which looks suspiciously like just another day at work. This is S...
44 | Horror | “Little Heaven” by Nick Cutter
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Oh the Horror! This week Sandra and Scott want to share their feelings on Nick Cutter’s “Little Heaven”. Bonus Nugget! Sandra also ...
43 | Sci-Fi | “Resistant” by Rachael Sparks with Interview!
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Do you like science? How about kick-a** female writers? Or maybe sci-fi written by a real life scientist who is also a great writer? We read Resista...
42 | Fantasy | “Deepest Blue” by Mindy Tarquini with Interview!
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra & Scott go to a fantasy land they thought only Shakespeare could dream up. Deepest Blue is the story of three brothers in a magical version...
41 | Favorites of 2018
01 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year! Scott & Sandra reflect back on their 4 most memorable books (each) and pair them with cocktails. See ya 2018, it’s been real...
40 | Horror | “Hark! The Herald Angels Scream” by Blumhouse Books
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Genre Junkie’s are getting hecka festive. We read Hark! The Herald Angels Scream; a horror short collection full of spine-tinglers...
39 | Fantasy | “Select” and “Select Few” by Marit Weisenberg with Interview!
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we discuss “Select” and “Select Few”, two “new adult” contemporary fantasy novels. And even more exciti...
38 | Sci-Fi | “The Altered Wake” by Megan Morgan
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Thanksgiving week for us Americans, and we’ve set the table with some Science Fiction! Join us as we talk super-humans in the context...
37 | Horror | “The Forgotten Island” by David Sodergren
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Talk about a vacation from hell! We couldn’t accept that October was over, so we decided to start November off with one more horror read. We tra...
36 | Horror | “Campfire” by Shawn Sarles
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Halloween! This episode — featuring “Campfire” by Shawn Sarles — is ideal listening whilst carving pumpkins, eating too ...
35 | Horror | “Haunted” by Chuck Palahniuk
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck Palahniuk’s Haunted is a disgusting, depraved and horrifying collection of short stories wrapped together by an even more disturbing meta-...
34 | Horror | “The Hunger” by Alma Katsu & More!
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s here! October! Horror month! The most magical season of all! We had the chance to preview two short stories by Troy Diffenderfer from his u...
33 | Horror/Fantasy | “The Good Demon” by Jimmy Cajoleas
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra & Scott announce their October horror TBR! As a nice little appetizer for the month of horror to come, the Genre Junkies read & discuss...
32 | Fantasy | “Two Dark Reigns” by Kendare Blake
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE! We are breaking all the rules and decided we couldn’t wait to talk about this book any longer. Join us (Sandra & Scot...
31 | Horror | “The Cabin at the End of the World” by Paul Tremblay
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a better way to end the summer than with a family trip to an utterly isolated cabin? You know, the kind where no one can hear you scream as y...
30 | Interview with Kendare Blake
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Happy one-year anniversary, Genre Junkies! Our “journalistic integrity” is right out the window when Sandra and Scott get to fawn over Ken...
29 | Fantasy | “Sea Witch” by Sarah Henning – With Interview!
17 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Book worms, we have a HUGE episode for you! Sandra and Scott got to sit down with Sarah Henning, author of this week’s book: “Sea Witch...
28 | Horror | “Bad Man” by Dathan Auerbach
03 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Calling all horror fans! This week Scott and Sandra work the night shift and discuss David Auerbach and his upcoming horror novel, Bad Man. Out August...
27 | Fantasy | “Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi
19 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra and Scott are on a fantasy excursion to Tomi Adeyemi’s land of Orisha in her smash hit novel, “Children of Blood and Bone”. H...
26 | Sci-Fi | Better Late Than Never Sci-Fi Double Header
07 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sinus infections and patriotic holidays have put us behind schedule! Sandra and Scott make up for lost time and “face off” with SPOILER FR...
25 | Horror | “Hex” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
21 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra and Scott set off on a spooky adventure to find the witch in Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s “Hex”. For safety in numbers, (and the chance of a hig...
24 | Fantasy | “Furyborn” by Claire Legrand
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Legrand’s “Furyborn” – the first book in her upcoming Empirium Trilogy – is certainly a feminist triumph, but do ...
23 | Interview with B.A. Williamson, Author of “The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray”
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra, Scott (and Stitches) had the privilege of chatting with author B.A Williamson about Genre Junkies pick, “The Marvelous Adventures of Gwe...
22 | Fantasy | “The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray” by B.A. Williamson
24 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
To say that we were charmed “The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray” would be an understatement. Author B.A. Williamson’s new mi...
21 | Sci-Fi | “Annihilation” & The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer
11 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Special guest Amanda takes us on a field trip to Area X. Some of us hated it. Some of us loved it. And Scott loses his g*damned mind. Here’s the...
20 | Horror | “Birdbox” by Josh Malerman
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Amy, founder of TheBloodlust.net, joins Sandra and Scott to discuss the terrifying novel “Bird Box” by Josh Malerman – soon to be a ...
19 | Sci-Fi | “Head On” by John Scalzi
12 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We said the we wanted to get a better feel for John Scalzi, so what better opportunity than with his upcoming novel, “Head On”? Listen in ...
18 | Horror | “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski
29 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We have special guest, actress and author Kelly Hitman, join Sandra and Scott to discuss a novel so original and strange that nobody really knows...
17 | Fantasy | “The Hazel Wood” by Melissa Albert
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Escape your sad, boring reality with the Genre Junkies! We journeyed into Melissa Albert’s “The Hazel Wood” and lived to tell the (f...
Sci-Fi | "The Collapsing Empire" by John Scalzi
01 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn’t love a good space opera? Scott convinced Sandra to read Hugo Award winning John Scalzi’s 2017 introduction to his new “I...
15 | Horror | “The Troop” by Nick Cutter
15 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra and Scott set out with Troop 52 on a horrific and disturbing camping trip. Come listen in as we discuss bestselling author Nick Cutter’s ...
14 | Fantasy | Series: “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas | Part 2
08 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
SPOILER WARNING An 1800 page series deserves an equally long spoiler discussion. Join Sandra and Amanda for part 2 as they discuss Sarah J. Maas’...
13 | Fantasy | Series: “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas | Part 1
01 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is the spoiler-free portion of Sandra and Amanda’s discussion of Sarah J. Maas’s book series, A Court of Thorns and Roses. Next week ...
12 | Fantasy/Sci-Fi | “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle
19 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Preparing for the upcoming Disney film adaptation, Scott revisits a book he hasn’t read in (at least) 20 years and Sandra has never read at all!...
11 | Sci-Fi | “Warcross” by Marie Lu
04 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Warcross is the first book in Marie Lu’s new virtual reality science fiction series. It draws a lot of comparisons to “Ready Player One...
10 | Horror | “Mask Beneath Her Face” by Rafael Chandler
21 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Rafael Chandler’s horror novel “Mask Beneath Her Face” is a thrilling love letter to the slashers of the 1980’s. Sandra and Sc...
09 | Sci-Fi | “Artemis” by Andy Weir
07 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra and Scott are in complete disagreement on Artemis, yet somehow come to the same final score. It gets a little heated. Artemis is Andy Weir...
08 | Fantasy | “Three Dark Crowns” & “One Dark Throne” by Kendare Blake
23 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for your Thanksgiving Gave Noir feast! Sandra and Scott, along with return guest Amanda discuss the first two books in Kendare Blake̵...
07 | Fantasy | “The Book of Dust Vol. 1: La Belle Sauvage” by Philip Pullman
09 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra and Scott are so excited to discuss a novel 17 years in the making – the exciting prequel to Philip Pullman’s “The Golden Com...
06 | Halloween | Short Stories and Halloween Favorites
27 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hey Genre Junkies! Sandra, Scott, and a new guest Jen are closing out the Halloween Season! We discuss the 1820 American folktale “The Legend of...
05 | Horror | “The Fisherman” by John Langan
19 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we are continuing our Halloween season celebration with the horror novel “The Fisherman” by John Langan. ATTENTION: In the earl...
04 | Horror | “The Grip of It” by Jac Jemc
05 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra and Scott are celebrating the Halloween season! Join us as we discuss the 2017 horror novel (a novel a novel a novel), “The Grip of It...
03 | Sci-Fi | “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch
21 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This time on Genre Junkies, Sandra and Scott discuss 2016 hit, “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch. It’s another long one! We’re try...
02 | Star Wars | “Thrawn” by Timothy Zahn
07 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra, Scott, and special guest Amanda discuss the novel “Thrawn” by Timothy Zahn. And a lot more Star Wars stuff. Really. Subscribe to o...
01 | Horror | “The China Pandemic” by A. R. Shaw
24 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of The Genre Junkies Book Club, Scott and Sandra discuss The China Pandemic, by A.R. Shaw. Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes&nbs...