Winter Read Recs

It is dark! The holidays are upon us! We have books to recommend getting through now and into the first blossoms of spring. 

Stuff we mention in the order we mention it is on our website here.

Music is called "Undead Bride" by Pagefire https://soundcloud.com/nerdymetalhead202/undead-bride 

Episode Transcript

EJ (00:02):
Welcome, dear readers.
You are now entering the OrcDen.

Stacy (00:07):
Yeah, don't slip.
We put up some signs.
There's gonna spill.
And don't even

Amy (00:13):
look at the floor.
Don't look at the floor.
Just

Stacy (00:16):
keep walking.
And don't lick the floor.
Ew.

EJ (00:20):
Come

Stacy (00:21):
on, we were

EJ (00:21):
all thinking it.
Oh my god.
So yeah, welcome to Tales fromthe Orc Den, everyone.
This is another interesting one,cause we are We still are not
yet committing to a singularauthor slash book yet for this
recording.
We keep on talking about, on ourlittle Discord chat, all these

(00:42):
interesting Like myriad ofbooks, and it is getting to be
cold and holiday y and icy andstuff.
So today, we are going to betalking about our book
recommendations for winter andthe holidays.
Yay! Mostly, of course, focusingon monster romance, but we are

(01:06):
prolific readers, period.
We will be throwing in somesprinklings of related genres, a
little bit, different.
We'll see where we go.
We'll see where we go.

Stacy (01:18):
We're we're we're an all inclusive.
We prefer our smut, and weprefer to be pounded by
monsters, but, sometimes Idabble in other genres.
For sure.

Amy (01:29):
They have variety.
It's the spice of life,

EJ (01:31):
Absolutely.
We have to find something torecommend to other people on
occasion.
I asked y'all to get books thatare both winter and holiday
because that is this season.
It's a combination of if you'vegot something that's just cold.
This is a great time of year forit because everything is cold

(01:52):
and like where I'm at, it'salready dark by five and I hate
it.

Stacy (01:58):
It's dark here by the sun is almost down by.
Or 30 here.
Oh, like I'm having to

EJ (02:02):
turn on my lamp, like three or four in the afternoon.

Stacy (02:05):
I'm like, yeah, that doesn't fall here right now.
It crashes.

EJ (02:09):
And of course we can't ignore the fact that there's a
lot of frickin holidayshappening all at once.

Stacy (02:15):
Regardless of your personal belief system, or

EJ (02:19):
At the very least New Year's is here, and if you're in
America, you cannot escapeChristmas.
You cannot.
It is here.

Stacy (02:27):
That's fine.
I don't want to escapeChristmas, so I'm okay.
That pisses me off.

EJ (02:32):
Nothing is sacred these days.
No.

Stacy (02:36):
I love Christmas.
I love Christmas.
But let me have my fuckingspookity first.

Amy (02:40):
Yes, please.
I'd rather your monster niche goby, play as I go by rather than
that.
At least before Halloween.

Stacy (02:49):
And on Halloween.
There's a podcast I really lovecalled That Spooky Night.
And they are a couple, they're agay couple in Canada, and in
Canada they do Thanksgiving inOctober, so November for them is
just wide open.
And so Johnny and Tyler do whatthey call hygge Halloween, and
it's, so it's hygge, the, theDanish word meaning or

(03:11):
Scandinavian, I don't know ifit's specifically Danish, but it
means like cozy.
Yeah.
And so I, that's how I think ofOctober, or November, it's like
a Halloween until Thanksgiving,and then after Thanksgiving, it
can be Christmas.
Yeah.

EJ (03:22):
I

Amy (03:23):
like that.
Remember, the funny thing aboutDecember, Krampusnacht falls at
the beginning of December.
That's

Stacy (03:30):
true.
So Yeah, it does.
I keep hoping he'll turn up andspank me, but so far, no soap.
Ah.

Amy (03:36):
Stacy, you're not

Stacy (03:37):
being bad enough.
Or I'm getting away with it, oneor the other.

EJ (03:41):
We will definitely be talking about Krampus at some
point with this.
Because this is how I'm viewingthe discussion.
First up, wintry, like just coldweather stuff.
We'll start off with that.
Then we'll get into the holidayspirit.
I and we'll go from there.

(04:01):
So 1st, I want to ask you toabout your just cold weather
read recommendations, notholiday.
Just it's cold.

Stacy (04:14):
I would think the 1st thing that comes to mind for me
is the book I mentioned earlier,which is ghost story by Peter
Straub.
And it's it's horror basically,and it's really good.
It's.
It's set in New England, it'sset in, or not quite New
England, I think it'stechnically it's set in New
York, but not New York, likeit's upstate New York.
And it's essentially a ghostmeets like a, I think it's

(04:41):
technically supposed to be likea puka or a changeling.
And a huge chunk of the book.
Is the town gets cut off becauseof the weather is basically
under the control of this beingand they're just getting
hammered and hammered andhammered and hammered with snow.

(05:01):
And by this point in time supplylines have fallen apart.
Nobody can get in to offerassistance.
There's only like 1 snowplow intown and he's drunk.
They are snowplow operator townand he's drunk and.
Part of the frightening.
So the basic premise, and thisis a really unusual premise too

(05:22):
I really have to give this toPeter, is, so first of all, you
have to like, roll with it.
He wrote this in like 1975, Ithink.
So obviously there's no cellphones or anything like that in,
in this book.
But the main characters of thebook are a group of old men who
have a club that they call thatone of their wives, like

(05:42):
disparagingly, refer to them asthe chowder society.
And the rule was that the, Ithink originally there were five
or six of them and by the timethe book is going on, I think
there's four, but they would getdressed up in their tuxedos on
Saturday night and would gettogether and started telling
each other ghost stories.
And most of their ghost stories,because they're supposed to be

(06:06):
true stories, and so most oftheir ghost stories are of like
horrible things that they werelike witnessed or were party to.
At different, junctures in theirlives, basically.
And it sounds

EJ (06:19):
like some sort of trauma support group.
Yeah.

Stacy (06:22):
For fancy men.
It honestly is.
Because each one of them, firstof all, they're haunted by
something that happened to themall when they were like 20.
And so there were, there's likea group secret there, in a, I
know what you did last summerkind of vibe.
And then, after that eventhappened.
Which also ties into this beingthat has cut everybody off, uh,

(06:45):
in the town, then what ends uphappening is uh, these ghosts
from these stories that thesemen have told start appearing in
the town and picking off peopleone by one.
Where's the coziness to this?
I didn't say it was cozy.
It's completely horror is whatshe said.

(07:07):
That's right.
it's a really good read, butthere's one section that's
really terrifying towards theclimax and I'm not going to
spoil anything, but.
They end up going into thishouse, and it's this thing where
by this point in time the snowis like way steep, so no one's
driving anywhere, and theytrudge into this house that they

(07:27):
think is like the epicenter ofthis entire experience.
And there's one young man in thegroup, Don Haggerty, who's the
nephew of one of the previousmembers who has died at the
beginning of the book.
That's how he ends up coming totown, and he comes back for his
uncle's funeral.
And he steps into the house,like the house is freezing.

(07:49):
They're literally like, we haveto do this fast because we are
literally gonna freeze to death.
Like it's 10 below.
And he steps inside and all of asudden he's in New York City,
and it's 95 degrees outside.
Like he can feel the heat likecooking up off of the asphalt.
And he's supposed to have methis brother who was also a
victim of this entity.

(08:10):
And at a, like she.
Restaurant on Broadway orsomething like that, but the way
that it's written is it's soconvincing that he genuinely
does not know if he's in thisfreezing house and this is some
kind of like mind fuck that theentity is doing or if as his

(08:30):
brother is saying He had anervous breakdown and he's just
gotten out of essentially arehabilitation home to
reintroduce him to society.
And so it's, it's reallyterrifying.
It's a really good book becauseit's one of those things where
it's, you literally this can beanywhere and be anything.

(08:50):
And like even children likethat's the life cycle of this
entity.
Like it's a really great readbecause it's one of those, it's
a super long book.
Like it's.
It's probably seven, 800 pageslong and, but it's one of those
things where it's like you, yougo to read it and you settle in
because you know that you'regoing to be absorbed into
something.

(09:11):
You know what I mean?
Like it's the same thing withlike classic Stephen King, which
explains why Stephen King readthis.
But like when you go to read it,you're getting this like chunky
filling meal of a book and aghost story is the same way.

EJ (09:23):
Okay.
Nice.
So ghost story.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to writethat down.

Stacy (09:29):
They made a movie of it, too, in 1980

EJ (09:34):
or something like that.
Yeah, I could totally see thatas a really creepy miniseries.

Stacy (09:39):
I wish they would do something like that now.
It's a forgotten classic unlessyou're a horror fan.
One thing that's real weird andinteresting about it, though, is
it was the last movie for a lotof actors because the men are
quite elderly in the story.
It was Fred Astaire's lastmovie.
It was one of Melvin Douglaslast movies.
And the funny part though, isthat, so the book came out a

(10:04):
good five years before the moviecame out, and there were all of
these weird connections to theactors who ended up playing
them.
Like it's a real trip to readthe book and then watch the
movie and then see the actorsthat were referenced doing
something as the character thatreferenced.
There's there's one pointthere's a character named Ricky

(10:26):
and Ricky is this very like,Natty, like clothed horse of a
man.
And I want to say they saysomething like he was like a, he
was like if Fred Astaire was aclothed horse or something like
that.
And then Fred Astaire ended upplaying in the movie.
It's all of these weird.
Yeah.
Trippy, and like Melvin Douglasgets referenced and stuff too
it's weird and fun to go throughand suss out the sort of

(10:46):
accidental easter eggs thatended up happening.

EJ (10:49):
My goodness, that's, that actually sounds like a book and
movie nerds like combined, liketreasure trove.

Stacy (10:57):
Totally, oh yeah, totally.
Yeah,

Amy (11:00):
All right, so I've got my first one, and it is completely
on the other end of the spectrumfrom

Stacy (11:05):
Stacey's.
Yeah.
That's fair.
Not many people expected me torock up with a hardcore horror
in a romance podcast.
I appreciate,

EJ (11:12):
You never know.
You think you know what you'regoing to get with this podcast,
but oh, no.
No, you don't.

Stacy (11:20):
And I've actually got a couple of other weird ones to
pull out of my hat.
So I've got a few.

Amy (11:25):
The first one I wanted to talk about actually came out
this year.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia ofFairies by Heather Fawcett.
And y'all have heard of darkacademia.
Yes.

Stacy (11:36):
Yes.
Yeah.

Amy (11:37):
Welcome to Light Academia, which is pretty much what Emily
Wilde's books are.
Even though the U.
S.
cover would definitely beliethat, considering it went with a
darker cover.
But this, the story inside is somuch lighter than what you have
in Dark Academia.
So I'm like, I'm sorry, it's, Igot the the edition because I'm
like, it's just, it's too cute.

(11:59):
And I loved it so much.

Stacy (12:00):
That's adorable.
It looks like a little it lookslike a little Yeah.
Herbalism.

EJ (12:04):
Yeah, it's got like the little mushrooms.
Yeah, that's really pretty.
Where does the wintery thingcome in?
So

Amy (12:12):
basically Emily Wild is a researcher of fairies.
Based in Oxford, I believe.
And she's one of the foremostexperts on the subject of
fairies, and she has beenputting together this
encyclopedia of differentfairies, and it's funny though,
because looking, reading throughthe book, it's written like a
journal, but a narrative

Stacy (12:33):
kind of journal.
Yeah.
Would you qualify it as like anepistolary?
Like Dracula, where it's told inletters?
Kinda, I was thinking of likethe Dear

EJ (12:45):
America Series.

Amy (12:47):
Yeah.
I think it's more Dear Americabecause it's not really letters,
it's actual

Stacy (12:51):
journals that she I don't think it has to, I don't think
it specifically has to beletters to be, I'm sorry.
I've read the word more thanI've said it.
It's EPIs.
Epistolary.
Okay.
Thank you.
I keep wonder emphasis.
I'm trying to put emphasis onthe wrong salable.
It's all

EJ (13:06):
good.
I can't judge.
When I first read The SubtleKnife, I kept on referring it
with my full chest.
The soup teal knife.
So

Stacy (13:18):
I thought bodice was pronounced bodice.
So don't go.
Yeah.
I got real mad at a an Abbottand Costello movie because he
kept saying odds bodice.
And I'm like, it's pronouncedbodice.

EJ (13:29):
Thank you

Stacy (13:30):
very much.
Oh

EJ (13:34):
goodness.
We are native English speakers.

Stacy (13:36):
We are certainly that and we hate the language.
Nothing like being anautodidact.

Amy (13:42):
Biggest pain in the birdie that you ever had.
But anyways so she's actuallyheard information.
She's received information aboutthe hidden ones.
In a part of Scandinavia calledGrafensvik.
Okay.
I'm probably butchering thatsentence, or that, that city, or

(14:04):
township, whatever.
And it is freezing ass coldthere, especially in the place
where the farmhouse that she'sstaying at.
Okay.
And yeah, you get that sense ofcold all around because, yes,
it's in Scandinavia, where itsnows most of the year anyway,
so it's crazy.
Where the romance comes in is,sorry romance, she has a rival

(14:26):
Wendell Bambleby

Stacy (14:28):
whom she absolutely loathes.
Oh that's a great fucking name.
And obviously.
Wendell Bambleby, that's justhard to say.

Amy (14:34):
There is more to Mr.
Bambleby than you would expect.
I don't know if I should spoilit or anything, but yes, he,
let's just say he's not human.

Stacy (14:43):
Ah gotcha.

Amy (14:45):
But he is fast, he's utterly fascinated with N, whom
he calls, that's what he callsEmily.
It's like N.
Huh.
And it's just basically aboutthem experiencing exploring that
area, but then also having todeal with the Hidden Ones
because apparently there was aking of the Hidden Ones there
and he was buried or locked orwhatever you want to call it he

(15:09):
was, bound in this one area andsomehow, of course, because of
Emily's research and curiousmind.
She manages to unbind him orbreak his, break the bonds on
him or whatever.
And of course, what does thisking do?
He wants to actually

Stacy (15:24):
marry her.
You got two members of the Faewho are fascinated with you,
which practically sounds scarierthan them being mad at you.

Amy (15:34):
Actually, that was one of the quotes I wrote in here.
How was it that I suddenly hadfairy kings, plural, demanding
to marry me?

Stacy (15:41):
The scary thing though,

Amy (15:43):
I'm going to tell you guys, and forewarn other people, there
is some, a little bit ofdismemberment.
bEcause the king under themountain or whatever the hell
you want to call him, I don'tremember.
The winter king, he manages toput some sort of binding onto
her ring finger.

(16:05):
And so the only way to avoid it,because it kept on Oh shit, you

Stacy (16:09):
mean she keeps, she gets a little named.
Yes.
Oh.
Oh shit.
Yes.
That reminds me of, what wasthat story?
I haven't read it since I was alittle kid, but It was like,
there were like, there were, itwas like 15 thieves who were
brothers, and then they had alittle sister, and she had to

(16:32):
rescue them, and they weretrapped, and the only way she
could open it was she had to useher finger bone and turn it into
a key, and she had to cut offher finger to do it.
I didn't remember this story,but I don't remember what it was
called.
All I can remember is that partwhere she had to cut off her
finger to turn her finger boneinto a key.

Amy (16:52):
Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with keys here.
It was basically, that kept onpulling her towards where the
Winter King was, and she's Idon't want to go over there.
So the only way she could do itwas by

EJ (17:06):
Taking matters into her own hands, rather

Stacy (17:09):
literally off of her case.
Yeah.
Yes,

Amy (17:12):
we have Emily of the nine.
Of the nine fingers.

Stacy (17:15):
That sounds, this sounds really interesting.
Yeah, I recommend it.
It really

Amy (17:18):
does.
It's, it was a great read.
I enjoyed it a lot.
I love the format.
I really do I wish I could findmore epistolary novels because I
love communication throughletters.
I love stories written throughletters.
If you're wanting to talk, notnecessarily parodies, but
inspirations, I do have arecommendation.

EJ (17:39):
Go on.
All right

Amy (17:41):
we have I

Stacy (17:42):
like how you said, go on.
We

Amy (17:45):
have Winter Song by S.
J.
Jones, which is heavily inspiredby Labyrinth.

Stacy (17:52):
Oh, cool.

Amy (17:53):
Cool.
And also Goblin Market, OBS.
Basically you have two sisters,along with a little brother
Liesel and her younger sister, Idon't remember her name, she
don't matter.
But anyways Liesel has heardabout the dangerous and
beautiful Goblin King, andthey've just, It's completely

(18:15):
enraptured her mind and spiritand inspired her musical
composition because she is amusician, as is her little
brother.
And her sister is taken by theGoblin King.

Stacy (18:27):
I think I've heard of this, actually.
You probably have.

Amy (18:30):
I do

Stacy (18:31):
not recommend Does she play the violin?
Yes.
Okay.
Yes.

Amy (18:37):
Don't

EJ (18:37):
read the second one.
Oh, really?
Is it bad?
From what a person,

Amy (18:42):
a friend who has read both said, she's I wish I had just
stopped with book one becausebook one ends on a very good
note and book two seems to undoa lot of what was

Stacy (18:53):
done in book one.
Oh, I hate that.
Yeah.

Amy (18:57):
But basically the idea is that it's, it takes place in the
wintertime and in the GoblinKing's world, it is mostly
winter and it's basically abouthim slowly wooing Liesel and her
trying to, break free of thekingdom because she doesn't want
to stay there forever.
And of course there's alsoimplications that her brother

(19:17):
might be a changeling.

EJ (19:19):
Interesting.
Oh sure, oh trippy.
But,

Amy (19:21):
S.
J.
Jones actually wrote someadditional pages that were
definitely not meant for the YAmarket, by the way.
This is technically YA.
Totally.
She is 18.
But yeah, it does lean into thenew adult stuff.
So I don't know how you'd feelabout

Stacy (19:39):
that, Stacey.
It's a good story.
Yeah, young, or new adult is notmy It's

Amy (19:43):
a good story because you don't go into the sex as much in
it, but yes, she and the GoblinKing do engage.

Stacy (19:52):
They smash.

Amy (19:53):
Yes, they definitely do smash.
They bump bump, apologize.
You don't see it, you don't seeit though.
But, I do recommend it.
But like I said don't read thesecond book, Shadow Song, no.
I wonder if even Jay Jonesregrets writing that one, but I
don't know.
Cause it seemed as though shewas having a hard time writing

EJ (20:12):
that one.
Writing it like, Maybe sheforced it when it shouldn't have
been forced.
Maybe she forced it when itshouldn't have been forced.
Like, when it comes to likespicy stuff, new adult seems
like a very tricky sort ofterritory for me.
Cause on one hand, they'readults, but they're not,
they're, again, they're newadults.
Yeah.

Stacy (20:32):
My other issue too is that I hate to be a bitch.
That's not true, I love being abitch.
But new adults are boring.
Yeah.
Fair enough.
They think they've got it allfigured out, but really they're
just eating massive neurosesbecause their brain hasn't
stopped cooking yet.
Oh.
And.

EJ (20:52):
Sorry, I just thought, that reminds me, Stacey, Amy and I
had talked about, Amy hadreminded me of a book
recommendation that is monsterromance and is not new adult.
Quite the opposite, it's matureromance.
It's called Mantras and Minotaurer,

Stacy (21:07):
Minotaurs and Mantras?
Yeah! I read it! Mantras andMinotaurs.
Yeah.
It's the it's super duperfucking cute.
It's the mom of the two from thefirst two in the series.

EJ (21:18):
Yes so the, yes, by Ashley Bennett,

Stacy (21:22):
the Muscles and Leviathan Fitness

EJ (21:25):
Series.
There we go, thank

Stacy (21:26):
you.
The minotaur is the father ofChai, the minotaur who works at
the the gym.

EJ (21:34):
Super cute.
All of

Stacy (21:35):
it is just adorable.
It is! There's I don't, I havezero interest in weed, and it's
not a I don't give a shit if youblaze up all damn day.
But As long as nobody's gettinghurt, but it's just not my, it's
not my bag.
Yeah.
But there is a scene where he,cause his he owns a weed like
empire in Colorado.
And there is a fucking adorablescene where he gets her to eat a

(21:58):
weed gummy for the first time.
And they just are, they just getstoned and listen to like
records.
And it's just like the cutestthing.
Like her glassy eyed and both oftheir eyes are bloodshot and
they're giggling listening toLed Zeppelin.
Like it is so fucking cute.
Yes.

Amy (22:18):
I absolutely love it.
Honestly I'm looking forward toAshley Bennett rounding out the
series because I think Griffinsand Gaines is supposed to be the
last one.
Yeah.

Stacy (22:29):
So she's gonna leave the genre?

EJ (22:34):
Probably not the whole genre.
She's just going to finish upthat series, I think.
Yeah.

Stacy (22:39):
Yeah.
I didn't mean the genre.
I meant the series.
Yeah.
Yeah.

EJ (22:43):
SO I'm right there with you, Amy.
And of course, like you've gotthe whole wintery scenes and
they're stuck in the cabin andit's flippin

Amy (22:48):
adorable.
Cause they're in Colorado.
Cause they're in

EJ (22:50):
Colorado!

Stacy (22:51):
Yeah.
Yeah.
She goes to visit them.
And they

EJ (22:54):
have outdoor sex and it's fun.

Stacy (22:57):
They do, it's hot.
Yeah.
It has to be when it's cold.
It's specifically not.
At Christmas, though, because Iwant to say they spent
Valentine's Day together.

Amy (23:07):
Yeah.
Yeah, but he was in town to helptake care of Chai after her
surgery.
Yeah, that's how they met.
So I think he came forChristmas, but they have since

Stacy (23:16):
progressed into the new year.
Yeah.
Yeah.

Amy (23:19):
Okay, so this is a weird one.
And.
I think it goes with Winter endholiday, but also mostly comfort
and coziness.
It's also funny because Staceywas talking about the weed
gummy.

EJ (23:34):
Oh, huh.

Amy (23:35):
But Berries and Greed by Lily Main was It's adorable.
Because you've got a monster whois, I don't know how you would
want to describe them.
They're like, They come from theunderworld of Earth, and they
have joined the surface becauseI think there's just, there's

(23:56):
not a lot of room down there orwhatnot, and so they've joined
in with this sort of peace withhumans, just, living their
everyday life, which is why Iwas saying it's mostly a cozy
read, because there's no real,there's no real stakes there.
Beryl, who is the human.
Here, has grown up on a, in asex cult that, compound, that

(24:18):
pretty much

Stacy (24:18):
worships the demons as, oh my.
Yeah,

Amy (24:21):
pretty much.
Oh.
They want, the idea of most ofthe members of this cult is
basically they want to become,fuck buddies of

Stacy (24:28):
the like concubines.
Yeah, something like that.

Amy (24:32):
And Beryl's oh hell no, I don't want that.
I just don't want to deal withpeople.
Her aunt actually works on thecompound.
She is not a believer, but sheneeded work.
She needed to be able to takecare of stuff, and her poor
niece was abandoned by herfather, and all this other fun
stuff, and yeah, Greed, he comesto the compound looking for a

(24:54):
roommate because he's lonely.
But He's also a stoner becausehe likes I forget what the heck
it's called.
Sage?
I don't remember.
Basically there's a type ofsmokable drug that he, regularly
partakes in.
It does

Stacy (25:12):
What, like sal like salvia?
I'm not sure.
Is this something that's a drugto humans, or is this something
just to his species?
His people, yeah.

Amy (25:22):
Oh, okay, gotcha, gotcha.
It's something relevant to hispeople.
It's not ours.
I just forget what the hell it'scalled because it's been a while
since I've read it.
And trust me, when I get thepaper back, I'm going to be
rereading it because I enjoyedit so much.
It's actually my first LilyMaine book.
Probably going to be one of thefew because she tends to write
outside my wheelhouse, which isfine.
But I know that a lot of peoplelove her other works.

(25:46):
Honestly, if you're wanting todip into Lily Maine's work, and
you haven't been interested inreading previous stuff, go for
Berries and Greed, becauseyou've got a very, you've got a
very adorable, it is rather longthough, but you have an adorable
Maine male character, who's alsoa sub.

Stacy (26:05):
Yeah, I remember that was a, like a thing like a, I saw
some fan art for it with,

Amy (26:14):
I need to see this fan art, but

Stacy (26:16):
I think it was somebody I follow on Instagram.

Amy (26:19):
The other thing is Beryl actually suffers from vagin
vaginismus?

Stacy (26:23):
Oh, vaginosis?
Vag

Amy (26:27):
vaginimus.
Basically, it's where she cannothave vaginal sex, because

Stacy (26:31):
it hurts.
Oh.

EJ (26:33):
Yeah.

Stacy (26:34):
Is it like the infantitis of the Vagina, like everything's
too small?

Amy (26:39):
That I don't know for sure.
I don't think, I don't thinkThose are just uncomfortable for
her.
Yeah, it's very uncomfortableand painful for her.
She can't have penetrative sex.
But she can have sex in otherways obviously, just without
penetration.
And Reed's okay with that.
The book does end with a familyholiday gathering with his
family.
Because he's like one of sevensiblings, I think.

(27:03):
And I know Lily Nane is going tobe going into another sibling's
book in that world, too and thenI think at least two more
siblings one non binary and onewho is who is gay, but I'm
looking forward to reading

Stacy (27:19):
with you.
No, that sounds awesome.

Amy (27:20):
It is, it has been wonderful, and I'm like, I
didn't mind the length.
It's over 500 pages, but it wasjust so much fun watching their
dynamic change from, I don'tknow why you want me! And I'm
like, he's I just need aroommate.
I don't need anything from you.
Basically going From roommatesto friends to then, couple.

(27:45):
It's a great, I really, I just,I love the coziness of it.
And honestly, I cannot recommendit enough.
I just, that was one of myfavorite reads of August, guys.
It also helped cool me downwhen, we were in those triple
digits for

Stacy (27:58):
a while there.

Amy (27:58):
Yes, highly recommend Berries and Greed.

Stacy (28:01):
No, I love it.
I think

EJ (28:02):
that's great.
Let's see here in the interestof time, shall we move on to
some holiday recommendations?

Amy (28:08):
Because, man, I got so many.
I'm just I got stuff.

Stacy (28:12):
1 of, for some reason

EJ (28:14):
last year, I got really into IHRSA DAXs.

Stacy (28:17):
Stuff.
She's got two

EJ (28:20):
sci fi.
I'm going to start with my sci

Stacy (28:21):
fi Christmas stuff because this is a whole thing.
So Ursa Dax,

Amy (28:26):
she's got a

EJ (28:27):
duet I called Alien Orc for

Stacy (28:30):
Christmas and a previous

Amy (28:32):
one called Chimera for Christmas.
So you

EJ (28:35):
want to read Chimera for Christmas by Ursa Dax followed
by Alien Orc for Christmas byUrsa Dax, and they both take
place on this spaceship.
Anyone who's read I'm thinkingoff the top of my head a Ruby
Dixon

Amy (28:49):
like

EJ (28:50):
world, this is going to be very familiar, where you've got
this gigantic space station witha whole hierarchy of people,
only in this case, unlike RubyDixon's world this particular
world doesn't just enslavehumans and treat them like
cattle except under veryspecific circumstances.
Man, that is the dark part aboutRuby Dixon's Ice Queen and
Herbarian's world.

Stacy (29:11):
But anyway, in this particular It's not a friendly
galaxy.

EJ (29:13):
Yeah, Ursodex has going on.
It's a city space station.
Zora reminds me of somewherebetween a town and a mall,
actually, because of everythingbeing set up in these cute
little kiosks.
And everything is under this uh,Everything is workplace romance

(29:37):
related in some way.
Some in the first novella

Stacy (29:41):
I think I read Alien Org for Christmas.

EJ (29:43):
Okay, yeah.
Alien Org for Christmas, that'slike an entrepreneur couple.
He owns a pub, she owns yes.
I think it's a bakery.
In the previous one, it's alittle coffee shop and they're
coworkers.
I have seen these.
I've definitely seen these.
Yes, in both cases, they aresuper adorable.
And if you like if you wantsomething that is both sci fi

(30:08):
and also really fucking cutewithout, with minimal outer
world angst going on, this isit.
Now, if you wanted a little bitof Outer World angst, Ruby Dixon
is here for you, because she hasa When She's, Mary,

Stacy (30:27):
which is adorable.
And there's also the Ice PlanetBarbarians holiday.

EJ (30:33):
So yeah, so she Barbarian Before Christmas, I think.
Yeah, Barbarian BeforeChristmas, where you've got the
No Poison Day, which is ahilarious miscommunication where
someone had tried to explain

Stacy (30:45):
Mistletoe, yeah.

EJ (30:47):
To the aliens, and they misconstrued it to where like
they fixated on how people kissunder these poisonous berries.

Stacy (30:58):
And then it was like, but you don't poison them.
Yeah.
Do you make them eat it?
No, it's poison.
So you celebrate that they'renot poisoning you.
Sure.

EJ (31:10):
And so they just go with it.
So that's why you have the wholeno poison day.
Yes.
But yeah, it, in, so there's theice plant barbarian stuff when
she's married, very adorable,surface level, very cute.
Of course you've got odd.
You've got more serious stuffbecause you do have there is
this situation where the femalemain character's neighbor has

(31:33):
severe depression because shewas stolen from Earth and has a
very traumatic

Stacy (31:37):
past.
Yeah, it's not even justdepression.
It's like she's so hyper alert.
It's a major trauma that she'sworking through, but

EJ (31:46):
it's very sweet because this older woman who has is dealing
with her trauma and not doing agood job of it.
Yeah, she ends up allowingherself to be distracted by this
nosy, very

Stacy (31:58):
cheerful neighbor of hers.

EJ (32:01):
Who's got this young man, this young alien man who's
clearly smitten over her.
And yeah, she absolutely he is.
He is absolutely into her.
It's insta love on his part.
And

Stacy (32:14):
it's very, I fucking love.
I love how the, or who you are.
I guess in this case, Misaka.
Yeah.
Men fall so hard for theirhumans.
And it's just, and also theshit, what's the cat species?
Oh, yeah.
I can almost see it.
Proxian.
Praxian.

EJ (32:31):
Yeah, so the Praxians are also on that planet.
In this particular story, thereis a cute animal sidekick.
It's like a squirrel cat thing.

Stacy (32:38):
Yes, that's right.
She's trying to make him a scarfor a sweater or something.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.

EJ (32:44):
And I, I read that.
I'm like, that would be me.
I would try to tame the squirrelcat thing.

Stacy (32:50):
Absolutely.
That was one of the things Ithought was adorable.
And one of the It was the firstone of the, when she's at her,
which was when she's ready.
Oh, when it's the Hawaiian chickLeilani and there's a bit where
she keeps trying to, to.
The friend the birds.
So she's trying to feed them,but she's way too eager and

(33:11):
always ends up scaring themaway.
She tells I can't remember hisname, but she tells him
basically she wants to be like aDisney princess and talk to the
birds.
And he's I don't know what aDisney is and I don't know what
a princess is, but so I thinkyou're killing it.
It was super cute.

EJ (33:26):
That is adorable.
And I, yeah, so I'm over hereAmy, you should read Ruby Dixon
with us.
Come join us, Amy.
Absolutely.

Stacy (33:36):
I haven't read Ruby Dixon.
I

Amy (33:37):
just haven't read those.

EJ (33:39):
Oh,

Stacy (33:39):
okay.
Fair enough.
Yeah, she's read The Aspect ofAnchors.
Okay.
And I think you're a bad guy,haven't you?
I need to catch up

Amy (33:45):
on there, but Okay.
I have read

Stacy (33:49):
Bad Guy.
There we go.
Yeah, I thought you said you do.
But that's all on RISDA 3, it'sthat's the only part that I've
read there.
That's the same setting as

Amy (33:56):
I'm not ready for the, I'm not ready for that yet.

Stacy (33:59):
If you want me

Amy (34:00):
to read S.
J.
Sanders backlog, which one?
Both.
You gotta pick one.
Only one.
No.
No.
And I'm only gonna pick S.
J.
Sanders.

Stacy (34:05):
Both.
Both.
I think Vektal, the first of theIce Planet Barbarians that you
meet, is such a goddam giant.
Lump of adorable boy scout thatI just can't fucking handle it.
I am a big, everybody's GE andVechile are boring.
And I'm like, shut your Hormel.

EJ (34:22):
You know what I credit that first IPV book with what I
lovingly refer to as the vetolmeet.
Cute.
And I don't.
Yep.
And I'm not the only oneeveryone knows, like absolutely.
When you read that book andyou're like, it's a veal meet,
cute.
They're, they know's.
Meet cute.
They know.
Damn.
It's.

(34:46):
So those are my sci fi ones.
I also have more fantasy.
I need to bring one particularbook up because I know that this
will this will this will arisesuch a clatter for you too,

Stacy (35:00):
which talk about

EJ (35:01):
the Krampus, there arose such a clatter, tales

Stacy (35:04):
from the Krampus.
Yeah,

EJ (35:08):
the one that I can't read.
So I enjoyed it.
And it is, but also, it's darkas fuck.
It's,

Stacy (35:17):
but it's dark, but in a, it's, it's a gleefully cheerful
maniacally cheerful it's darkthe way Gremlins is dark.
I got the the box that year, thebox for the rest of the clatter
and you actually got, there'sthe scene at the end where she's
orange cranberry tea becausethat's what he smells like.

(35:37):
And you actually got a little oforange cranberry tea.

EJ (35:41):
Oh my goodness.
I love those little details.
That's one of the fun things.
When you're an author, and youcan do your own stuff, including
send your own fucking Her book

Stacy (35:52):
box.
These are fucking amazing.
Yeah.
I've gotten a bunch of them asthey've been released.
I got one from Morning GloryMilking Farms.
I got the Krampus one.
I got Girls, or no, parties, butI haven't read it yet because
I've heard it ends on acliffhanger, so I'm gonna wait
until the third one comes out.
Hold off

Amy (36:11):
on what I've heard too, Stacey, but suppose the
Invitations is coming out

Stacy (36:14):
next year.
Supposedly.
Yeah, but she's got so much inthe works that it'll show up
when it shows up and that is aokay.
anD the thing that I love aboutit too is, oh and I have the How
to Marry a Marble Marquee.
I need to get that one.
And that one was really cool toobecause it actually came with a
tin of uh, ratapia mix andapparently it's like different

(36:39):
spices and dried fruits that youboil in wine.
Okay.
And make a spicy wine drink.
And I want to, it's like youboil it and then you leave it in
the fridge for a month orsomething like that and I really
want to try making that likemaybe in time for Christmas
because I have a huge jug oflike cheap red sangria.

(36:59):
It was supposed to be aChristmas present for somebody
and it never happened and it'sjust like I'm never going to
fucking drink this.
But if I turn it into retapia,but I love it too, cause you get
pins and the pins always go onthe jean jacket of questionable
taste.
So I have a Krampus pin.
I have a naked marble marqueepin.
I've got a plundered pixie pin.

EJ (37:21):
I appreciate that.
Thank you.

Stacy (37:23):
I do too.
Let's see.
I love that fucking jacket.
You enjoy it, Stacey.
I will,

EJ (37:29):
but yeah, I know yeah, there are, to me, like the collection
there arose such a clatter Talesfrom the Naughty list.
By csta.
Big

Stacy (37:37):
recommendation, I think.
I think there's suppo, there wassupposed to be a sequel this
year, but I think it got shelvedfor a little while.
She had too much going on, andthat's again totally okay.
Oh

EJ (37:48):
Yeah.
You roll with the punches

Stacy (37:49):
we support a writer writing in the.
The time that they, well, andjust like at a timeline that's
realistic for them, notrealistic necessarily for
readers.

EJ (38:00):
Yeah.
Yeah.

Amy (38:01):
Honestly, readers should be reading other stuff along with
their favorite authors.
They should have more than onefavorite author.
Absolutely.

Stacy (38:09):
I agree

EJ (38:10):
we, we are spoiled for riches over here oh man, I just,
I can't believe I almost forgotthis, speaking of like fantasy
another Christmassy, it's Yule,would be Yuled by the

Stacy (38:22):
Orcs.
We're gonna talk about it, wegotta talk about it.

EJ (38:27):
We have a whole freaking podcast episode about it.
Of course I think it's reallynotable in many, for many of us,
many Finley fans, it alreadycame out last year, but this

Stacy (38:39):
year she's re

EJ (38:39):
releasing it.

Stacy (38:41):
To the public.
It sounds like maybe there'sgoing to be a new, another
epilogue, too.
A new epilogue.
Quite possibly.
She's

Amy (38:47):
going to try.
She's going to try.
We're not going to pressure her.
No, not at all.
We're just going to pray thatshe has the creative energy to
give us a wonderful epiloguefeaturing our favorite one of
our favorite throuples that areon the older side.
Yes.
Because she's confirmed thatTrigg is, he's definitely in his

(39:08):
fifties, and Azog and yeah.

EJ (39:11):
He'd have to

Stacy (39:11):
be.
Trigger is like in his 20s.
So

EJ (39:15):
yeah.
Yeah.
Unless he was like the productof some sort of teen pregnancy,
which is a different topic.

Stacy (39:20):
Yeah, entirely.
I'm sure there's many who canprobably lay that at a uh,

EJ (39:25):
their parents.
We're not going to go there.
No.
But I love it actually.
Yeah.
When I think of so with FinleyFenn and also Ashley Bennett,
I'm like, okay, I've got likethis cute little like duo of
favorite books that are likeolder couple winter.
Don't know what it is aboutthat, but I'm like, that is a
good combo is cozy.

Stacy (39:45):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think it's because the funthing is.
A, it's just fun to read aboutpeople who are now closer to you
in age than maybe they were whenyou started reading.
You know what I mean?
Because I, I started reading mymother's Bodice Rippers when I
was like 10.
And I can remember reading someof her books that Like, she had

(40:07):
one, I can't remember what itwas called, but it was a set
during the War of the Roses inEngland, and the main character,
Isabelle, was 14 when she gotmarried, which is historically
accurate but she gets married toa 27 year old or something like
that, and there's like graphicsex, there's a Rebecca Brandewin

(40:28):
book, and at the time I rememberreading that and being like, oh,
that's what it's going to belike when I'm 14, and now I'm
46, and I'm like, Oh, Jesus! Idon't want to read about either
of you! So as you start to ageit's nice to, feel represented.
And it's also if you're not tothe same, age as I am, it's also
nice when you're younger to bereassured that it's okay to feel

(40:49):
sexy when you're older.
You're allowed.
Oh my goodness.
It's not like your libido driesup and blows away on your 32nd
birthday.

EJ (40:55):
Wait I, because I was in my early 20s and oh my gosh.
Am I now old and is my lifeending?
I want to hug slap my youngerself, just like I want to hug
slap other young folks who aregoing through the exact same
thing, because one, it makessense.
It absolutely makes sense.

Stacy (41:15):
Because we are like, it's the.
Youth worship.
Oh, yeah.
Our

EJ (41:20):
society has given you an expiration date and you are
coming to it and you're like,what good am I?
Oh, poor sweet babes.
It is but the beginning.
You're doing great,

Stacy (41:31):
all of you.
Yeah, it doesn't matter how oldyou are.
It's but, it is but thebeginning.
That's a great thing, man.
As long as you've got a pulse,you can always start over.
You have

Amy (41:40):
to take into account several things.
One, you're not able to voteuntil you're 18.
A lot of people aren't able todrive until that age either.
And you're not even able todrink until

EJ (41:53):
you're 21.
In the U.
S.
anyway.
And also in the U.
S., they don't allow you to renta car until you're 25.

Stacy (42:00):
Yeah.
That's what Yeah.
I don't know because it's not somuch the car company.
It's not the car rental company.
It's the insurance company.
They won't insure drivers thatyoung.
But you're right

Amy (42:12):
though.
So many young people are like,Oh God, it's I'm going to be 30
next year.
I'm like, Oh, 30 is justanother, it's just another
wonderful decade of

Stacy (42:21):
life experience.
Much

EJ (42:23):
better than my 20s.
I'm fully in the middle of my

Stacy (42:27):
30s.
mY 20s were fuckin miserable,but I still remember on my 30th
birthday having this momentwhere it's like, Oh god, I'm not
in my 20s anymore, like Whatdoes that what does that mean
for me?
I'm not married, I'm never gonnaget married, like that sort of
pressure of you've reached 30.
And then people start sayingshit like, did you know that
you're more likely to get hit bylightning than get married past

(42:51):
blah, whatever arbitrary numberthat

EJ (42:53):
they make up that year.
Oh my goodness.
I feel very comfortable sayingthis as someone who is happily
married.
Don't fucking worry about notbeing married.
Seriously,

Stacy (43:02):
yes.
And I'm saying this as somebodywho's happily single.
Don't fucking worry.
Yeah.
Anytime somebody's I can'timagine being single, I'm just
like, yeah, it's so hard doingwhatever I want, whenever I
want.

EJ (43:14):
It is a pity.

Stacy (43:16):
I cry myself to sleep eating whatever delicious thing
I wanted to make for me fordinner.

EJ (43:22):
Oh, yeah.
We

Amy (43:23):
have three different representatives here.
We've got Stacy, who is singleand fabulous.
We've got EJ who is married withchild and fabulous.
And we've got me who is marriedand child free and fabulous.

EJ (43:35):
Hell yes.
We're

Amy (43:37):
all happy and awesome women.
Doesn't matter what we're doingin life, we're all doing what
women

EJ (43:43):
do.

Stacy (43:45):
You're doing great.
We're talking about orc dicks,for example.
Yes, which is a fabulous thing.
It's a good life.
Listen, you fire hose dicks,monsters, get in my bed.
Right now.

EJ (43:59):
Oh, my goodness.
Actually, that reminds me.
So I love telling my husbandabout things like, okay, we do
have to talk about monsterPuckers because like you'll buy
the orcs.
That is also a that's being

Stacy (44:13):
released.
Yeah, it's Krampus, right?
Yeah, and it's Krampus.
Yeah, it's, so

EJ (44:17):
yeah, there is a Krampus, there's a Yeti.
It's an MMF, so you've got thatmagical unicorn that is about as
likely as a Krampus or a Yeti,and that is two bisexual men who
want a female third.
And the female third,

Stacy (44:33):
She is a sports reporter.

EJ (44:35):
For hockey.
So it's a hockey romance.
The Yeti and the Krampus, theyare teammates and they're secret
mates.
So no one knows about yet andshe gets caught in the locker
room because she's trying to getthe scoop on their team.
She gets stuck in a locker andthen sees them going at it and

(44:55):
they smell her.
Because she gets aroused and oh,that's hot.
And then they're like, I know.
And then they ask her out on adate.
And she's also, she's a plussized female man character,
those who might be interested inthat.
Love, love seeing that.
I have loved seeing Conki, a fanart for this book because she's

(45:17):
got the proper belly rolls ineverything.
It's just proper, like fat,proper fellow fat girl.
I love it.

Stacy (45:30):
I was another fat girl.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yep.

EJ (45:34):
There is hot scene upon hot scene.
Of course, all of it is it'sthreesome

Stacy (45:39):
stuff.
we probably shouldn't go toomuch into it, because I don't
think it's even technically beenreleased yet.
It has only just been released.
It was released today.
Oh, okay.
It is officially it is in thelayout.
Okay.

EJ (45:49):
So we are recording in November when Monster Puckers
has just been released.
I only know because I got an ARCof all of this.
No more spoilers but if you areinto the MMF thing, and let's
say if y'all liked Healed by theOrcs, if you're If you enjoy the
MMO stuff that Finlay Fenn does,you will absolutely love this

(46:12):
Ashley Bennett, Chloe Evansmasterpiece.
Very cute.
Very fun.
It was the sort of thing as Iwas reading it, I was like, this
would be a great thing for me toread.
Younger me would have reallyappreciated this in the middle
of the holiday chaos and familycrapola.
I feel like I deal with lessfamily crapola because now I

(46:34):
have got my own little familyand I don't know, it changed the
dynamics a wee bit because I'mlike, now I have part of your
future.
bUt when you're single, you'reshuffled around because
everyone's you're flexible.
You can go wherever the hell wewant you.
That's my particular family.
Your mileage may vary, but therewere times where I would feel a
little bit strung out during theholidays.

(46:56):
This would have been a reallynice novella for me.

Stacy (46:59):
Like a quiet, sneak off, do

EJ (47:01):
something for you kind of thing.
Exactly.
Exactly.
You know

Amy (47:05):
where I would sneak off to is in the bathroom.

Stacy (47:08):
That's actually a great way to get out of an
uncomfortable situation too.

EJ (47:13):
The food is super rich during the holidays.
People don't ask questions.
They just are like, use thepotpourri or whatever, spray a
little bit before you leave.
And there we go.
Poo pourri.

Stacy (47:24):
Poo pourri, yes.

EJ (47:25):
bUt yeah, so the I know I've got some others, but those are
the ones that like are top ofmind for me.
I need

Amy (47:31):
to read more holiday monster romance stuff.
I, it's not that I don't wantto, it's just I don't think
about it.
I don't.
I read so much stuff.
Granted, you read whatever thehell you want year round, but
yeah, some of the ones that Idefinitely, that are definitely
on my list to hopefully readthis cold season are Snowed In
with an Alien Warlord by NancyCummings and Star

EJ (47:53):
Huntress.
I would recommend it.
Yeah.

Amy (47:55):
A Polar Expedition.
I forget who the

Stacy (47:57):
author is.
That's on your list.
Yeah.
It is hilarious and adorable andit makes use of footnotes in a
way that I wish more authorsdid.
Nice.
Terry Pratchett leveled thefootnotes.
Oh yes.

EJ (48:10):
And then Matchsticks

Amy (48:11):
and A Mother's Night's Gift both by S.
J.
Sanders and of course MonsterPucker, which I've already
checked out through KindleUnlimited because obviously

Stacy (48:18):
I had to.
Is Monster pucker specificallyholiday or is it just winter?
It's holiday.

EJ (48:24):
So at the very least, the epilogue is, so it starts at the
beginning of winter.
It, the epilogue is definitelyChristmas.
Gotcha.
Okay.
Because you get you get somecutesy gift giving scenes and,
that's just, it's a perfectepilogue.
So I think you, yeah, I wouldsay it's primary winter, but
there's enough.

(48:45):
Intersection.

Stacy (48:46):
Yeah, there's enough vibe there that you could turn it in.
You could absolutely put it onthere.
People who insist that Die Hardis a Christmas movie.

EJ (48:52):
Yeah, there we go.
There we

Stacy (48:53):
go.
And of course, rereading Jeweledby the Orcs.

EJ (48:57):
Of course.
Cause that's a sweet one, and It

Stacy (49:02):
absolutely is.
Azog is the OG

Amy (49:05):
cinnamon roll.
Oh man, I love it.
It's just wonderful.
We do love Azog and hisadorableness.
I just want to give him all thehugs.

Stacy (49:13):
And the thing that's so cute about it is Sig Trigger is
very much a Sky, but Azog andLydia are both cinnamon rolls.
It's just fucking adorable.

EJ (49:24):
Sky are good for a triad in Finley's world.
They

Amy (49:28):
really are.
They really are.

EJ (49:31):
Gotta love our Sky.

Stacy (49:33):
my holiday recommendations are matchsticks,
definitely.
One of the things I love aboutS.
J.
Sanders is that she is reallygood Uh, not necessarily, like,
specifically thematically, buttonally, she's really good at
tapping into that vibe of aghost story for Christmas.

(49:55):
None of her books, I,specifically, at least not her
holiday books, I wouldspecifically reference as a
ghost story, but it's got thatsame it's Christmas, but it's
spooky Christmas, and I fuckinglove it.
I love

EJ (50:07):
that.
I think that is, that's missing

Stacy (50:10):
in American culture.
I agree.
Matchsticks really taps intothat.
And and again, it's, A, okay, soA.
Aquilos, I think, honestly, isone of her hottest heroes.
hE's got the huge owl wings.
And then he's got like the fullbeard and then the whore frost

(50:31):
crown I'm just like, yes, all ofthis, please.
Yes.
anD Agatha is just such a greatyeah, like I was a modern human
and then society completelyfucking crumbled and now nobody
gives a shit about interiordesign.
And so it was just but that is abig part of what makes it
holidays.
Agatha actually ends updecorating.
Aquilos's castle or the Yule,basically, along with the lupi

(50:56):
who are later mentioned in theLupercalia.
And yeah, it's just, it hits allof those notes for me where it's
one of those things where it'sit is literally, it will kill
you outside.
It's so cold, but inside it'sit's warm and it's festive and
it's bright and there's goodthings to eat and good things to
drink.
And there's giant roaringfireplaces and holiday
decorations, and that kind ofstuff.

(51:18):
And then I'm, let's see.
Another really good one is Snowsof Attor, which is in the
darville exploratory series.
So it this one's sci-fi, not anyparanormal catch.
And that's one thing S.
J.
Sanders does so well is shedevelops these alien cultures,
basically.
And, gives you just enough thatit's oh this is very compelling

(51:40):
and interesting.
But not so much that you're justlike, alright, Nathaniel
Hoffler, and wrap it up.
And yeah, it's just a good read.
And so it was cool.
That's one thing that I reallylike about her is she'll touch
on a lot of I I'm, I am no way,shape, or form in presuming
Sanders's religious beliefs orlack thereof, but she doesn't

(52:02):
have a super hard focus on JudeoChristian.
Holidays.
And I think that's, I havenothing against Judeo Christian
holidays, but it's refreshing tosee more pagan references and
stuff like

EJ (52:13):
that.
And really we're still so new inthe monster romance world there
is a lot of room to get way more

Stacy (52:22):
diverse and funky fun in the holiday world.
Absolutely.
And she's really good at that.
That like with all of herHalloween books.
It's like the same thing, butshe's doing it for a winter
holiday.

EJ (52:35):
I'm not Jewish, but I would be down for a Hanukkah.

Stacy (52:39):
Yeah, I know.
We were talking about thatbefore we started recording.
I know Julie Cohen just releaseda Hanukkah sci fi romance that
I'm planning on reading.
That looks absolutely adorable.

EJ (52:51):
Yeah, an alien for Hanukkah.
Now I'm over here.
I want to see, like, how thatall works.
And because now you've got,you've also got the whole eight
night thing with Hanukkah.
It's not just like a oneChristmas.
So you can really build

Stacy (53:03):
things up one day and you're done.
Yep.

EJ (53:06):
If Adam Sandler could make a really ridiculous cartoon about
eight crazy nights you can dosomething some real, cool.
For someone out there you can doa cool thing.
If Adam

Stacy (53:19):
Sandler can do it, you sure as hell can.
Considering how much of theentertainment world is made up
of people of Jewish extraction,Jewish holiday beliefs are
criminally underrepresented.
It is quite amazing.
And same thing with Kwanzaa.
I know like a tiny bit aboutKwanzaa, but most of that's what
I learned from Gullah Island andfucking Blippi.

EJ (53:42):
Oh, yeah, we could do some Kwanzaa stuff.
It's actually the whole thing isactually terribly wholesome.
It's very community

Stacy (53:48):
oriented.
Yeah, I know.
It's it's a harvest festival.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And it also deals with candles,too.
Yeah,

Amy (53:54):
it does.
Yeah.
And it deals with, I believe,it's Kind in alignment sometimes
with Hanukkah.
I think

Stacy (54:02):
it's seven days, if I'm not mistaken.
I don't think it's like severaldays and Yeah, I know Hanukkah
doesn't have a set date andKwanza might not

EJ (54:10):
either.
Yeah.
Qua Kwanza, I'm not generally, Iwanna say Kwanza happens.
Yeah.
We're clearly Kwanza expertsover here, so

Stacy (54:18):
please know.

EJ (54:19):
Okay, so there are set dates for Kwanzaa.

Stacy (54:22):
December 26th, January 1st.
Okay, gotcha, gotcha.

EJ (54:26):
Thank you, Ms.
Librarian.

Stacy (54:28):
You're welcome.
Indeed.
Information Hunter here.
Yeah.
Love it.

EJ (54:33):
Heaven knows yeah, Google exists, we have very few
excuses.

Stacy (54:37):
But one more, really quick, one more, SJ Sanders, and
this is actually cool becauseThe first book she wrote was
specifically a Halloween book,and then the second book she
wrote was a Christmas one, andthat's the Derwent Witches, and
the second one is Witch Bellsand Mistletoe, and that's
another great sort of creepyChristmas, where the character

(54:57):
has had this sort of thing withthis dragon where they're
dancing around each other, butneither one of us has pulled, or
neither one of them has pulledthe trigger and actually jumped
the other.
And she, so she goes to take avacation for Yule, and he
follows her.
And while they're wherever thehell they are, she ends up in

(55:22):
this, I want to say they're inColorado, but don't quote me on
it.
Yeah, I want to say it'sColorado.
She finds out that there's thisreally beautiful inn that she's
staying at, and that the town issupported by the inn, and the
guy who owns the inn currently,it turns out that the family two
or three generations back hadmade an agreement with snow
fairies, essentially.

(55:44):
That is the reason for theprosperity of the inn, and he's
not holding up his end of thebargain, and the fairies are
pissed.
Oh, don't piss off, Sarah.
So if you want to read aboutsome creepy fae Showing up to
fuck up Christmas.
That's a really good one.
I have others if you want me tolist them really fast.

Amy (55:59):
I have one, just one, so Stacey has Well, my one is
actually a bunch.
It's another anthology.

Stacy (56:07):
It's called

Amy (56:08):
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, and it actually came out back in
2008.
ANd it had several New YorkTimes bestselling authors you've
got Charlene Harris of theSookie Stackhouse series,
Patricia Briggs, which of courseis Marisa Thompson, Carrie
Arthur Carrie Vaughn, who didKitty I forget what it is, but

(56:30):
it's Kitty in the Howling Hour,Midnight Hour, something like
that, but anyways there'svarious short stories in here
that feature werewolves duringthe holiday season.

Stacy (56:38):
I'm not mad at it.
No,

Amy (56:40):
of course.
And some of them are more on theHorror side and others aren't so

Stacy (56:47):
much.
I'm trying to remember.
So they're not all romance iswhat you're saying?
Some of them are just straightup horror?
Correct.

Amy (56:53):
Some of them lean into the more horror aspect.
But it's just, werewolves atChristmas time.
Some of them could be romance.
Some of them could not be.

Stacy (57:00):
I'm down for it.
Werewolves are hot.
I don't have a problem withthis.
If you

Amy (57:04):
want spooky stuff, you got it.
If you want romantic stuff, yougot it.

Stacy (57:09):
I would recommend, or do you have more to recommend, EJ?
Yep.
Nope.
Go for it.
Okay.
Nancy Cummings, as has alreadybeen mentioned by Amy, has a
couple of good, solid Christmasor Christmas adjacent, uh,
stories.
Snowden with the alien warlorddoesn't really have a

(57:31):
specifically, it's Christmaskind of vibe, but it does happen
over Christmas, basically.
Blackthorn, which just came out,which was book two.
And I don't remember what she'scalling it, but the first one is
Wolfsbane, and it's it's sci fi,but it's sci fi with monsters,
which is cool, where it'sgenerations before human

(57:53):
colonists ended up on thisplanet by accident and couldn't
get back off the planet, andthen some of them mutated.
Due to the strange nature ofwhat's called the nexus on the
planet.
She also has Alien's Challenge,which is more of a cold weather
read than necessarily aChristmas read.
But if you were ever curious toknow what dragon cowboys look
like, this is the book for you.

(58:14):
Alien Warlord's Challenge, whichis in the same series as the
Snowden with the Alien Warlord,although this is a Sengren
modfell instead of a Relusionmodfell, so this isn't the red
space orc Cole is in Snowdenwith the Alien Warlord.
This is the big purple ones withthe horns.
And that one's really, I wouldsay it is Christmas because the

(58:35):
book starts with the holiday ofGalal on Sangrin, which is
essentially Christmas for them.
It's a holiday of light.
And so they do a cool thingwhere they do the lanterns with
the candles.
And the idea is that you make awish at midnight on Galal and
you release the lights up intothe sky.
So again, it's another one whereshe's come up with like really
cool culture and stuff likethat.

(58:57):
And it's a longer one.
But uh, compared to Snowden withthe Alien Warlord, that was
technically a novella, whereas Iwould say this one is probably
more like a full length novel.
But there's a lot ofmisunderstandings.
He said, she said, marriage ofconvenience.
They're really in love, butneither one of them will admit
it.
There's an incredibly precociousseven year old who's pretty

(59:18):
funny.
And then let's see what else shealso has in her tall series,
Pulled by the Tail is the secondone, and it's my favorite in the
series.
And that one is Christmassywithout being specifically a
Christmas themed book, becauseSo you have Georgia and Talon.

(59:40):
Georgia is human, Talon is tall.
Which is like a, he's athundercat basically.
And Georgia's from SouthernCalifornia, when she ends up on
Korra, cause it's the mail orderbride thing, she sees Snow for
the first time.
So that's really cool.
And then they, the holidays turninto this almost like a tentpole

(01:00:01):
moments in their relationship.
Because the first snowstorm isthe first time that Georgia and
Talon hook up and the, theystart like a, as a he refers to
hers as his mate and she's I'mnot your mate.
We're just banging.
Then there's, they have amidwinter holiday that's just
called midwinter and Georgiaends up getting contact

(01:00:24):
dermatitis because the plantsthat they used to decorate for
midwinter is, it turns out,related to juniper, which she's
allergic to.
And so she has this hugeallergic reaction Talon takes
her to the doctor and that'swhen they find out George is
pregnant.
And it's a really great reallyleans on the concept of found

(01:00:44):
family kind of thing.
But then the book has a reallysweet epilogue.
of them three years later, andit's Christmas Day.
And Charles, their friend whohas four arms, he's a guy, or
he's gonna dress up like Santa.
And so it's just this reallysweet way that they show that
they melded midwinter andChristmas, and it's just
wholesome as fuck.
And there's also some justreally booty grinding fucking in

(01:01:07):
it, which is just great.
I'm down for it.
And then, I think, uh, in termsof cold, but not specifically
Christmas y, so this is, I'mgonna go off topic here, just
slightly, this is not paranormalor sci fi.

(01:01:27):
It's actually, of all things, amotorcycle club, but it's the
only motorcycle club series thatI read, because it's by Kate Z.
Wells, and I think she couldwrite a story about a billy goat
fucking a can, and I would belike, this is disgusting, and
then I'd read it, and I'd belike, that is the most
heartwarming story of a billygoat fucking a can that I've
ever read that is just how thiswoman works, and so one of her

(01:01:50):
books is called Wall, so it's inPennsylvania, so there's a lot
of snow.
They've had a, they're stillmarried, but had a really
tumultuous breakup four yearsbefore where he cheated on her.
And normally that would be likea big go fuck yourself.
But again there's, this woman'sa witch, because she can write
stuff that I should be like,contemporary, fuck you.

(01:02:10):
Contemporary motorcycle club,fuck you.
And instead I'm just like, no, Ineed every single book, please.
And then when I'm done readingit, I'm gonna physically rub it
on my gums, because I need allof the hit that I can get from
it.
But it's this incredibly sweetstory where you find out that,
you find out why Walt cheated,because he fucked up, and he
owns that he fucked up.
And there's a lot of traumawhere they had three

(01:02:32):
miscarriages and there was like,depression, like extreme
depression because of it, butit's just this super sweet story
of two people who never stoppedloving each other, finding their
way back to each other, but it'salso great because there's never
at any point, like, There'snever Mona being like he
cheated, but, I guess Iunderstand she is so goddamn

(01:02:55):
angry at him at the beginning ofthe book that she can barely say
his name without spitting inrage.
And it's just, it's reallyfucking good he finds ways to
finagle his way back into herlife.
And they have a couple of justknock down, drag out I would
call them screaming matches,except he stays very calm and
doesn't scream back, whereas shescreams and, dishes might get

(01:03:15):
thrown, and, but it's just, it'sthe ending of it is just so
fucking sweet and wholesome for,a motorcycle club, and, uh,
again, just a really good, it'sa fairly quick read too.
I don't think it's long by herstandards, but it doesn't at any
point in time feel rushed.
And it doesn't feel padded.
I don't know what it is aboutCate Z.

(01:03:36):
Wells, but.
If it turns out she's the PiedPiper, I believe her, and I will
follow her into the mountain,and I'll see you guys on the
other side.
And then, my lastrecommendation, I don't remember
who the author is, dammit, butit's called Abdominal Snow, Ab,
let me try that again.
Abdominal snowman, and it'sabout a guy, you might uh, it's

(01:04:01):
a really f ing cute story whereit's a girl, who I can't
remember why, I think she's upthere, so I want to say she's
like a photographer for amagazine or something?
Yes.
And she goes

EJ (01:04:13):
up to Wooden House.
Yes.
I know this

Stacy (01:04:15):
one.
Have you read it?
Yes.
Oh, it is cute.
It's f ing adorable.
Yes.
It is so adorable.
And she finds out he turns intoa yeti.
Yes.
And she also hugs him as a yeti.
Which I'm just like, fuck yeahyou did, monster fucker.
Yeah.
And it's just this, I don'tthink it's specifically
Christmas.
I think it's just I think it'sjust like a town.

(01:04:36):
It's a town that has a lot ofsnow.
And so it sounds like every,maybe every month or every other
weekend, there's some kind of afestival to bring tourists in
during the cold season becauseit's so picturesque.

EJ (01:04:48):
Found it.
Lana Cole and Zoey Abrams.

Stacy (01:04:51):
Perfect.
But it there's a really adorablescene where there's a, they're
at like a, it's like a snowmarket.
So it's like a farmer's market,but in the snow and they're
having hot chocolate and eatingworm pastries while they're
looking at artisanal crafts.
You know what I mean?
It is just it is just like homeyas fuck, basically.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Major Hallmark vibes.
And again, she fucks him as ayeti, which I'm just like Fuck

(01:05:14):
yeah you did.
And the ending it has thisreally great where like he
thinks he's hiding from the townbut it turns out the town's
known like the entire time thathe was a yeti and has been
protecting him the entire timebecause he can shift between
human and then and yetibasically really fucking cute
pretty quick read as I recalland I really identified with the

(01:05:34):
heroine because she talks abouthow she was born in Florida and
raised in Florida and she hatesthe heat and she sunburns
easily.
And I don't sunburn easily, butdear God, do I feel her on
hating the heat.

EJ (01:05:48):
I think what I'm like I'm thinking of the proper way to
like wrap things up because onething that I know is like a, in
combination, like every, aboutevery day.
Read that I enjoy regardless ofgenre when it comes to holidays
or winter, there has to be somesort of sense of coziness.

(01:06:08):
And I mean that in the mostabstract way.
Yes, like snowed in anytimeyou're snowed in, and you got
like a little fire going boomthat's cozy enough for me.
We're good.
We got the

Stacy (01:06:20):
start.
Even if there's a

Amy (01:06:22):
killer

Stacy (01:06:22):
on the loose.
Yeah, no, absolutely.
I did really quick to wanna domy off topic recommendations.
So I recommended Ghost Story.
I also recommend The Shining.
You can't get more.
Creepy, wintery than that one.
I also, there's a Hellboy shortcalled, it's a Hellboy comic
called Krampus Knocked.
Oh.
Or it's Hellboy vs.
Krampus.
Yeah, that's funny.

(01:06:43):
Really good.
And I want to say Alex Rost isthe art.
If it's not Alex Rost, it'ssomebody else who's a really
well known comic book.
In

Amy (01:06:51):
comic form, we have Krampus by Brian

Stacy (01:06:54):
Joines.
Sure, that sounds awesome.
And I

Amy (01:06:59):
honestly, it's because I actually love how they draw the
Krampus.
I find him hot in this.

Stacy (01:07:06):
I find Krampus hot.

Amy (01:07:07):
I put the link in the chat, but it's great because he's
basically been freed from hisimprisonment and tasked with the
mission to rescue the stolenpower of the secret society of
Santa

Stacy (01:07:19):
Claus.
Okay, that sounds pretty fuckingcool.
I'll have to check that out.
I think you'd enjoy

Amy (01:07:24):
it.
I wish it were on KindleUnlimited.
It is not.
You can either borrow it viapaperback, borrow, buy it via
paperback or on Kindle, butyeah, It's a fun Christmas
thing, but yeah, like I said, Ireally like how they draw him,
and he's just so

EJ (01:07:39):
hilarious.

Stacy (01:07:40):
Okay, I'll have to check that out.

Amy (01:07:42):
I got to read it through I think it was, it's on our
hoopla, and then Ty read it

Stacy (01:07:46):
and I'm like, ah, this is awesome.
And then my last recommendationis The Nutcracker, the original,
I think, what is it, EA Hoffman?
Oh, yeah.

EJ (01:07:58):
E.
T.
A.
Hoffman.
Something

Stacy (01:08:00):
like that.
There's a version of it that youcan get that was the first time
I was ever introduced to theNutcracker was because somebody
had gotten a copy of the bookthat I now have a copy of, but
it was Maurice Sendak was hiredto do set design for the Seattle

(01:08:22):
Ballet Company.
I think it technically it's likethe Pacific Northwest Ballet
Company or something like that.
And they did the Maurice Sendakversion until, I think, two
years ago when they finallyretired it.
But it's really cool.
So they did the original storyof the first story of The
Nutcracker.

(01:08:43):
But it's compiled, and then allof the art that Maurice Sendak
came up with for the ballet, andthen illustrations that he did
specifically for the story, arein it.
And I remember being sofascinated with it, and I think
that might have been, like, myfirst little tendril of monster
fuckery.
Because I thought the romancebetween Clara and the Nutcracker

(01:09:03):
was the most just oh, it's sowonderful, even though her age
gets real weird there in themiddle where it's is she 11 or
is she 18 and what's going onthere?
Who knows?

Amy (01:09:13):
I have to mention the one this is one special that I have
been watching for quite a bitnow, but it's the Gruffalo's
Child.

Stacy (01:09:22):
Oh, interesting.
There's a book called TheGruffalo, right?
Yes, exactly.

Amy (01:09:26):
And it is about that Gruffalo and his daughter is in
The Gruffalo's Child.
Oh, interesting.
The Gruffalo actually takesplace, I think, in either spring
or autumn or something likethat.
Whereas The Gruffalo's Childtakes place in winter.
And man, it has the wonderfulatmosphere and, but also this
spooky journey as, TheGruffalo's Child, who is much,

(01:09:49):
she's a wee one, and she's goingto try and find the big bad
mouse that, of course, took onher dad, and it's so wonderful,
and Helena Bonham Carter is themother squirrel who narrates the
story of the Gruffalo's Child,and guys it's perfect, it's a
great family, or just, ingeneral,

Stacy (01:10:08):
watch around this time of year.
Where do you think we could findit?
Because I've literally nevereven heard of this.
I

Amy (01:10:16):
think it's available

Stacy (01:10:17):
on YouTube.
Oh, okay, great.
I'll look for it then.

EJ (01:10:22):
I will be subjecting my family, including my toddler, to
holidays on ice.
It's an essay collection byDavid Sedaris, for those who are
like, holidays on us, what thehell?
And it's just this collection ofshort stories and essays.
Part of it is from David Sedarisexperience being a Macy's elf

(01:10:44):
for Santa during his broke

Stacy (01:10:47):
years.

EJ (01:10:48):
And there's also a lot of hilarious satirical stuff a
Hollywood producer crashes asmall white trash town to try to
blackmail to try to bribe themto force a mother to sell the
rights to her true story to thisThis producer, apparently like

(01:11:09):
she had saved her child's lifeby through these absolutely
ridiculous means and it's sodisgusting but also really
hilarious because he just goesover the top and that's where
David Sedaris gets funny becausehe'll.
Just take this really absurdgross stuff but makes it
absolutely hilarious becausehe's a Sedaris and if you've

(01:11:30):
also seen Amy Sedaris, hissister's stuff, I also associate
her with like really over thetop almost satirical stuff and
her brother's writing is likesuch the same.
Their family gatherings

Stacy (01:11:44):
must be Well didn't he write for Strangers in Candy?

EJ (01:11:48):
I can only imagine.
I just because he's a prolificwriter.
But I like listening to theaudio book version.
Cause he's reading most of thestories.
He does have some, like a coupleof other celebrities.
I know he gets his sister toread at least one story in
there.
And yeah, it was just funny.
Oh.
And there is like another onewhere one of their sisters

(01:12:12):
essentially brought home ahooker.
to their home.
And and he describes it as ahooker for Christmas.
Essentially, like she, she wasin a domestic violence
situation.
And their sister brings her overto get a respite.
And at first they think they'regoing to get in major trouble
with their mom, who ends upbeing very cool about it.

(01:12:35):
And I just really appreciate howDavid being this young teenager
is trying to impress upon hismother, She's a hooker! And her
response is we better get her adrink.

Stacy (01:12:48):
yEah, I would imagine if anybody needed one, it would be
somebody that's new.
And I'm not.
I am not sneering at sex work inthe slightest.
No.
Somebody who's maybe forced intoit.
It's not as much stress as itis.
Especially if it's maybesomebody who's forced into it by
circumstances.
Yeah, it's for the love of fuck,pour her a drink.

EJ (01:13:04):
Oh yeah, she's definitely like a working poor class sort
of woman.
And it's actually, it's just,it's very funny and it's very
sweet.
The whole dang collection ofholidays on AIS is great.
If you're listening to this inDecember and you're trying to
borrow it from your library andLibby,

Stacy (01:13:23):
I'm sorry, the wait is probably two months long right

EJ (01:13:26):
now.
That's why I splurged and boughtmy own version from Right.
Your own copy of it.
But yeah, it's I think.
It's absolutely lovely the utterdiversity of books and I know we
could continue on.
And we shall this is why we haveour own dang website and I, we
can always post things onsocials in fact actually on the

(01:13:48):
socials I will almost certainlybe soliciting our dear
listeners.
What are your favorite?
Books monster romance, but also,we gave you a bunch of our non
monster romance stuff.
You let us know yours because Icould always beef up my
collection for sure.
Heck yeah.
Yeah.
Like the old

Stacy (01:14:08):
saying goes, how many of those do you need one more than
I have.
Yeah.

EJ (01:14:12):
Help us all survive the holidays, y'all, and stay cozy
this winter.

Stacy (01:14:18):
Yays.
Happy holidays, y'all.
Stay all snuggly happy, whateverthe hell you do or don't
celebrate.
If you don't celebrate, eatsomething delicious, read
something smutty.