Bookstabber

Episode 26: Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

This book is a bloody brick crashing through your wet-grape eyes. Gene and Willow need all of their special crime strength to unpack this revenge story, and to learn intersectional identity politics along the way.

Episode 25: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

Just when you thought it was safe to podcast! Gene and Willow stare into the dark hearts of fictional, meta-narrative murderers and victims. Can our heroes unmask this book before it kills again?!

Episode 24: Novellas! The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed and The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

Two stories of love and loss, families and long journeys. Two short novellas that Gene found to be well-crafted samples of what the form has to offer. I uh... wouldn't ask Willow her opinion of these. 

 

Check out the comics we make at librarycomic.com, barbariangirl.com, and Willow's new site, hauntedskull.com

Episode 23: Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen

Bigmouth bass, seductive women, televangelists, and cold-blooded murder. What have they all got in common? Gene and Willow have to tour the Sunshine State to get to the bottom of this mystery, and maybe eat some roadkill along the way.

 

Have a suggestion for what we should read next? Want to warn us away from your favorite book? Email bookstabberpodcast@gmail.com

Episode 22: Conan the Rebel by Poul Anderson

Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. Conan the Cimmerian struggled to return to his beloved- but not before bedding another dozen random sex objects. Evil priests everywhere wet themselves. Gene foists book after book upon Willow's troubled brow.

Episode 21: The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

A universe-spanning conspiracy threatens human life as we know it. Science is our only hope. Defeatism is at an all-time high. In other news, Gene and Willow read a book.

Episode 20: The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

Spoiler: Boy meets girl, boy clones girl, clone kills boy. A tale as old as time! And Gene and Willow discover shocking secrets about memory retention.

Episode 19: Moon Knight Graphic Novels from the 2010s

Gene and Willow discuss four Moon Knight graphic novels from the 2010s: Vol. 1 From The Dead, Vol. 2 The Dead Will Rise, and Vol. 3 In The Night, plus Vol. 1 Lunatic which was either a continuation or a relaunch or maybe both. Plus find out if "white" the same as "optically white" and hear a list of Willow's peeves about superhero comics!

 

Check out Willow's new comics at hauntedskull.com!

Episode 18: The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson

Gene and Willow are transported on a magical trip to the worst place on Earth. Between shark attacks, abusive Taekwondo champions, poisoned peaches, and state propaganda, it's a miracle they both managed to have a good time.

 

Content warning: This book deals with heavy topics, both sexual and violent. Discretion is advised.

 

Check out Willow's new comics at hauntedskull.com and the comics we make together at librarycomic.com

Episode 17: This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

At the end of time stand two opposing forces: The Willow Agency, who finds this book to be a bloated Writing 201 experiment, and the Gene Garden, for whom each book is like a newborn bird being hatched. Can either win the Time War? Obviously not, it's in the title.

 

Willow has started publishing absurdist-horror-comedy comics stories at hauntedskull.com -- please check them out! And you can still find comics Gene and Willow make together at librarycomic.com