The Dust Jacket

To kick off Spooktober 2026, we're talking about My Sister, the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Okay, we cheated a bit, this book is more thriller than horror; in fact, the reason we picked it is because the NYT just placed it at #6 on their list of the best thrillers of the 21st century. Listen in to see if we agree...

Spoilers from 29 mins

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We're kicking off Spooktober with a classic! This week we're talking about one of the most famous horror novels of all time.... or at least the novel that became one of the most famous horror movies of all time. With its iconic shower stabbing scene, and possibly the most famous twist ever. 

There are spoilers from the jump, but you probably already know the twist, right? 

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The marketing copy alternately calls Fruit Fly a satirical thriller and a domestic thriller. Unfortunately for us, trying to do both of those things at once led to a muddled novel that can't quite get out of its own way. 

Spoilers from 30 mins

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Hudson, New York is "full of drunks and sluts," according to this week's book, Big Swiss, by Jen Beagin. So we went there to record this episode. Luckily, our guest, Jules, lives in Hudson and tells us all about both the sluts and the drunks. 

Big Swiss is a weird, wild ride full of bees, ants, dogs, cheating, betrayal, and truly bizarre characters. 

Spoilers from 45 mins

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This week, we're talking about The Guncle, by Steven Rowley, the rare "heartwarming comedic novel" that is actually heartwarming and funny! We talk about how hard it is to write a novel about grief, the Guncle sequel and why it didn't live up to the original, and much more! 

Spoilers from 26 mins

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This week we have another double guest episode! Regan and Martin join us to talk about Blob, a weird (but not weird enough) novel about a woman who finds a blob and shapes it into a man. 

We all agreed that this book wasn't amazing, but we all rated it higher than its Goodreads rating. Find out why....

Spoilers from 19 mins

Dacey has laryngitis this week, so we cracked open our vault of previously recorded episodes. This book is about the most prolific art thief you've never heard of... but the book itself might be a crime as well. 

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This week, we have TWO special guests--Skye and Isaac--to help us talk about Ann Patchett's latest book, Whistler. We discuss Patchett's Luddite tendencies, the strange sexual tension in this book, and whether it's appropriate to stargaze from a moving vehicle (it's not)  Spoilers from 19 mins Find us on Instagram @dustjacketpod

This week we're talking about Obama's summer reading list pick, Kin, by Tayari Jones. It's a sprawling book about motherhood, daughterhood, and friendship. But did we like it as much as Barack? 

Spoilers from 36 mins

We have a special guest this week, Alice, who helps us talk about Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark, a speculative novella about a Black woman with a magic sword killing "Ku Kluxes" in the Jim Crow south. It's a wild ride. 

Spoilers from 19 mins

This week we discuss poems about dogs and Kevin Wilson's Run for the Hills. Sorry to our friends who liked this one 😬

Spoilers from 20 mins

Bailey's back to help us talk about Gone Girl. It's become one of the most influential domestic thrillers since its publication 14 years ago. But how does it hold up now?

Spoilers from 9 mins

This week we discuss the 2025 epistolary novel The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans. We talk about its charm, its quiet but still propulsive plot, and why we think it's become so popular.

Spoilers from 25 mins

This week we're talking about Xochitl Gonzalez's popular 2022 debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming. It has a lot of interesting ideas and some really good writing, but ultimately these little pieces didn't add up for either of us. 

Spoilers from 23 mins

Trigger warning: non-graphic mention of SA

This week we're talking about the latest David Sedaris collection, which has good and bad moments. We discuss how he's grown bitter and boomerish, and our favorite stories from his career. 

No spoilers!

Second-time guest Sonya joins us to talk about Nothing Tastes As Good, in which an experimental weight loss drug drives a man to cannibalism. It's a wild ride, not always in a good way. 

Spoilers from 36 mins

This week, we discuss the smash hit Yesteryear--what makes it so compelling to so many people but also its significant weaknesses. 

Spoilers from 31 mins