Episode 138 - Nightbirds on Nantucket, by Joan Aiken

In which we take to the sea, learn more about 19-century whaling than we wanted to know and scream DIDO TWITE from the rooftops! The third book in Joan Aiken’s Wolves Chronicles makes Dido the deserving protagonist as she frees other little girls from emotional and societal expectations. We wrestle with vague memories of Nantucket as we discuss the delightfully subtle fantasy elements and the appeal of a Very Pink Whale. Join us!

Other Joan Aiken episodes:

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Black Hearts in Battersea

Episode 137 - Song of the Wanderer, by Bruce Coville

We’re returning to Luster with book 2 of Bruce Coville’s Unicorn Chronicles! Cara gets into complex lineage tangles, prismatic prisons, and more sparkly magical talismans than our 12-year-old hearts could handle. We discuss how this series inspired Madeleine’s early writing, the lure of the hearth versus the mystery of the unknown, and why the Squijum makes these audiobooks a real challenge. Give your new griffin friend a respectful kiss on the beak and join us!

EPISODE MEDIA

Our episode on Into the Land of the Unicorns

Bruce Coville’s perfect headshots:

Episode 136 - Snow, by Tracy Lynn

Tracy Lynn’s take on Snow White is frightening, enchanting and endlessly rereadable. Jessica escapes her cruel stepmother’s alchemy-fueled attempts on her life and finds respite with human-animal outcasts in the alleys of London. But when her stepmother reappears and promises she’s changed, tragedy strikes. We discuss whether the stepmother is really just a well-meaning woman in STEM, yearn for our own alley hideouts complete with found families and play the fiddle to break a curse.

EPISODE MEDIA

Our other Once Upon a Time series episode - The Storyteller’s Daughter, by Cameron Dokey

Episode 135 - Thick as Thieves, by Megan Whalen Turner

It’s time for Kamet and Costis’ Excellent Adventure! Thick as Thieves sets us up for the conclusion of the exceptional Queen’s Thief series while delivering plenty of hijinks, angst, machinations and roast caggi along the way. Kamet and Costis learn about themselves and each other as they evade slavers, the emperors guard, malicious strangers and plague in their efforts to make it out of the Mede empire. Gods are meddling, Gen is meddling right back, and we’re loving every word.

As always, the biggest of thanks to the many listeners who introduced us to this life-changing series! MWT girlies for life.

Our other Queen’s Thief episodes:

• The Thief

• The Queen of Attolia

• The King of Attolia

• A Conspiracy of Kings

Episode 134 - The Lost City of Faar, by D.J. MacHale

Hobey ho! We’re continuing D.J. MacHale’s Pendragon series with The Lost City of Faar. We travel with the steadfast Bobby to water world Cloral, where we learn about water-powered tech, gain a friend and ultimately lose a crucial ally. Grace and Madeleine discuss the wild tonal shifts, 90’s kid energy and action-packed pacing that make this series so appealing to young readers and so much fun to revisit as adults (disgusting bully Andy Mitchell notwithstanding). Grab some sniggers at Grolo’s and join us!

EPISODE MEDIA

Merchant of Death episode (Book 1)

Bobby through the years: