All Kinds of Spooky Spooks

Jenn Northington Sep 12, 2019

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Amanda and Jenn discuss spooky reads, books for teens, big city stories, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked.

This episode is sponsored by our Mystery/Thriller giveaway, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, and Yale Needs Women by Anne Gardiner Perkins.

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Feedback

thelesbianreview.com (rec’d by Anon)

Happy All The Time by Laurie Colwin (rec’d by Kristin)

Questions

1. I’m new to the podcast so apologies if you’ve gotten a similar email already. I recently finished NK Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy and was absolutely staggered by it. But since then I’ve been in a bit of rut; no book seems to catch my interest as my brain yearns for more Broken Earth. I’m looking to light the spark again so this rut doesn’t continue into the upcoming semester of my English M.A. (it would be a shame to read Jane Austen in this state). I’ve always been a fan of sci-fi/fantasy writing, but I think the main reason I fell in love with Jemisin’s writing was more to do with her wonderful character work and narrative structure, and the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship at the center of it. Hope this helps, and thanks a lot!

Best,
-Tom

2. I am a teen in high school looking for something to read this summer break, and I thought this would be a great way to do it! I love Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens, I love the witty humour and style, and I would love to find something similar. I love books with demons as well. Other stories I love are Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and H.P. Lovecraft stories. I also love horror graphic novels.

Thanks so much!
-Vinny

3. I just finished City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert and really enjoyed reading about a woman moving to New York City in her early twenties and sort of finding herself. I also really loved how this book covered such a long time span, so you really were able to observe the protagonist’s evolution. This story was very relevant to me as I’m in my early twenties and am starting my adulthood life in a new city. I would really love to find another book with similar elements as City of Girls. I enjoyed the period piece, but it doesn’t have to be one. Bonus points if there is a romance subplot of some sort. I’ve already read Sweet Bitter and didn’t enjoy it very much. Other books I’ve enjoyed: Little Fires Everywhere, A Little Life, Wild, Eat Pray Love and Beautiful Boy. Thanks!

-Emily

4. Last semester my brother asked me for reading recommendations for his English high school class. This semester he asked me for more recommendations, but I am stumped. The two books out of the five he enjoyed were Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain and The Dirt by Motley Crue. When I asked him what he enjoyed about the books, he said “because they are real and the drug use lol.” My brother is 17. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

-Jenny

5. Hi Ladies,

I’m a dancer who has sustained a very bad injury. This is put my life in a tailspin to put it simply. Lost my job, lost my chance to move.. waiting to lose all my savings on a surgery that doesn’t even have a date set. It’s been 8 weeks. I’ve got 9+ months more.
I need something to get me through this waiting. What would make you feel better if you couldn’t stand for a year?
Or alternatively, I have roughly 8 months to learn something new. Maybe a book in that vein? I’m very open to suggestions. I’m just kinda… stuck.
I mention I’m a dancer for a reason, please no dance books. It will make me sad or mad. Not the goal.

Thank you. You guys and book riot are my internet home.

-Claire

6. I am looking for books (classics and “future” classics) for a project for my high-school freshman literature class in Mexico City. I have to start the project ASAP and need some help! I would like female authors (Even though I will also accept male authors), books that are around 300-350 pages long, that would interest a fully bilingual teen audience. The project is basically to teach them how to choose a book (I know, the irony…) they would like to read from a list of appropriate titles that I will give them and to read it. I have the following titles already on my list: 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Dracula, The Secret Life of Bees, In the Time of the Butterflies, The Things They Carried, The Good Earth… but I really would like to put together a much longer list so they really have to do a little research before choosing. Hope you can help and thank you! (By the way, listening to your podcast is becoming very expensive for me!!! Thank you for the great recommendations)

-Jennifer

7. Hi 🙂 I’m looking for fun, romp-y, not-sad sci-fi and fantasy by authors of color. I’ve found that whenever I want to read something funny and silly I always end up reaching for white British male authors ( Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman), and I really think there has to be so much more that I’m missing! Some books I love the feel of are: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett, The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris, Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, and Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente. Bonus points for Black American writers, but any non-white funny fantasy/sci fi author rec I’m into it!

-Weatherly