Revolver Reads: Book Club Russian Roulette

Thirty, flirty, and... nosediving into a sea of red flags.

It's February so it's time to dye your hair, change your personality, and wear things you totally never wear because they don't even belong to you, they belong to your roommate.

You know how it is. Love is in the air and we're just going to change ourselves completely for a love interest. You can't see the red flags when you're wearing rose coloured glasses, okay?

We're joking, please never do this for anyone in your life.

But welcome back reality where we are continuing with our beloved tradition of rigging our wheel to choose from a list of only Black authors and stories in honour of Black History Month. 

So without further ado, please join us in this messy but delightful self-love journey in  Lizzie Damilola Blackburn's debut novel, Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph. 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
X

Credits:
Novel: Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
 Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Jazzy Abstract Beat - Coma-Media

Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 29RR to San Francisco. We are now boarding anyone so busy they have to tie their hair back with a pencil and specifically men who refuse to love due to a tragic backstory.  Please have your boarding pass and identification ready.

Welcome to this month's pick, Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover.  The crew in an attempt to torture themselves had the captain of this aircraft, otherwise known as the wheel of doom, select from a book list that was cursed with only romance novels. Happy Valentine's Day everyone, we hope you are prepared for this trip.

So please,  friends and enemies, on behalf of the crew I ask that you please direct your attention your headsets and as an apology for this bumpy ride, please accept our complimentary w(h)ine.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph. 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
X

Credits:
Novel: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Sexy Lounge Music - saavane
Cameo from Prada the sun conure 

On this side of the Northern Hemisphere January is one of the darkest and coldest periods in the year.

In honour of that, the wheel and Rebecca's taste in literature decided against any chance of uplifting anyone out of this gloomy time and drove us further into the dark with this month's pick. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, is an intensely sombre novel about the failures of communication and learning to survive among monsters.

Yet, there is a candle lit to guide us and it is the love the main character, Little Dog, is able to accept and receive despite everything.

I'm not crying, you're crying.

So please, grab your sad girl starter packs and join us in this emotional journey which takes us from Vietnam, to the USA, and back again.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph. 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
X

Credits:
Novel: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Forget -  Lesfm
Episode title quote from "The Things We Carried" by Tim O'Brien

In the dead of winter and at the shores of this tourist town you may find yourself cold, isolated, and contemplating how you ended up here in the first place.

With nothing but time and the sound of the waves lapping over the din of restaurants along the coastline we thought it would be an amazing time to celebrate winter here.

You should join us as we reminisce about the horror of our mid-twenties akin to the narrator of this month's bonus pick Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin.

So please, grab your blankets and try to keep warm as the temperatures drop and the darkness creeps in.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Waves and Tears - Sad Piano Music with Calm Ocean Waves) -  JuliusH

 Two households, both alike in dignity,
 In green Forks, where Stephanie lays our scene,
 From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
 Where her blood makes a vampire's mind unclean.

Hello to December and hello to the second anniversary episode for Revolver Reads!

In true Revolver Reads fashion we decided to continue our tradition of reading the next installation of Stephanie Meyer's infamous series from The Twilight Saga, New Moon.

Through all of this year's highs and lows we thought we would find some common ground in this nostalgic pick.

So please, grab your galoshes and your teenage angst and join us in juicy episode.

We hope you had as much fun this year as we did!

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

As previously noted in our podcast, the Quileute tribe is raising funds in an effort to relocate their community to higher ground as climate change threatens their community's location with rising oceans levels and tsunamis. If you have anything to spare, please consider donating here. Otherwise, we would love if you shared this link with your friends.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Slow Thoughtful Sad Piano (This Cold Feeling) -  Ashot-Danielyan-Composer

Are you ready to listen to a book club podcast about a book titled after a fictional true crime podcast? Because I'm not certain that we were ready to get this meta this month.

With our fate in the hands of the wheel, it thought a thriller filled with arson, new identities, and a chilling Canadian murderer would be a fitting pick. But, were we chilled to the bone by the Ice Queen? Or did Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier barely make us quiver in our boots?

Time will only tell.  So please grab your big detective magnifying glass and tune in to see who was the villain of this Canadian whodunit.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers (including snakes) that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph. 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits: 
Novel:  Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Tense Detective Looped Drone by Daddy_s_Music

Welcome to the 10th annual Hunger Games!

This month, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins was selected as tribute. As the prequel to the acclaimed Young Adult series, The Hunger Games, we and our inner teenagers had high hopes for this novel.

As a radical change from the original trilogy, we are taken front-row seat to the inception of the Hunger Games as we know today from the perspective of none other than a young Coriolanus Snow (A.K.A. President Snow).

We took the liberty and chose this bonus novel in honour of the release of the movie premier of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and let's just say, we bit off more than we could chew.

So please, grab your weapon of choice and may the odds be ever in your favour.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers (including snakes) that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph. 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits: 
Novel: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Price of Freedom by  Daddy_s_Music

We want to bring you back to a time when Cheers was on television, when MTV still played music videos, Reaganomics was in full swing, and pictures of scantily clad women were still legal in the workplace.

Welcome to the late 1980's and welcome to our Halloween episode (for real this time).

The author of this month's pick thought it would be an amazing idea to throw a vampire into the mix and honestly, we really can't argue with that. What would be more fitting than a bloodsucking monster terrorizing a small town in the Deep South by aiding the husbands of said town with gaslighting their wives and gentrifying the surrounding area?

Does that seem too far off base for y'all?

If you haven't caught on already, this month's creepy pick is The Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires by horror heavy hitter, Grady Hendrix.

So please, grab yourself a big ol' glass of red wine and join us in this mortifying journey to Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This novel has a number of VERY heavy triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. As further warning, there are discussions of the intense depictions of violence and racism towards Black children and adults as it relates to the historical and present day lives of Black Americans, particularly in the Southern United States. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph so please listen at your own risk and prioritize your mental health before anything else.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits: 
Novel: The Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Scary Spooky Creepy Horror Ambient Dark Piano Cinematic -  SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras 

Don't you love a story that is short and sweet? Because we sure do.

It's too bad we joined Kiko's less-than-pleasant journey of self-discovery as she combated waves of self-doubt, a determined stalker, and burdensome familial expectations. Also, let's not forget the highly unexpected and highly suggestive (🌶️🌶️🌶️) surprise at the end of this novel that left us all reeling.

So, was Sayaka Murata's Convenience Store Woman short? Yes. Sweet. Absolutely not. Did we still enjoy it? Hell yes.

So please, grab a snack and a drink of your choice and join us in our most recent Misfire Episode.

As a heads up, this was recorded roughly a year ago in anticipation that we may need an emergency episode. Rebecca is currently on holiday for A Major Life Event so she requested a break. However, we are just giving you all a warning our topics/related books/audio might be a little backdated. Thanks for being patient with us!

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph. We also discuss some of the content of Stephen King's Gerald's Game which contains some of it's own triggers also found here.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music: RINDOU - HarumachiMusic

Good morrow, my friends. We bring great tidings!

In honour of the premier of season two for Wheel of Time we decided to bequeath a bonus episode unto all of you. We journeyed again into the fantastic world full of ogiers, trollocs, and wide expanses where one can begin the quest for the Horn.

Though the journey was rougher than anticipated, we can't say we didn't enjoy it. Thank you Robert Jordan for another glorious adventure in The Great Hunt.

So please, grab your pack and your sword and join us on this dauntless trek through the world of The Wheel of Time. 

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Fantasy Magic - LiteSaturation

Is it just us, or do you feel like class was still in session for the summer? Between a witchy campus, a group of rarely sober students on a Vermont college, and now the Wheel has brought us all the way to an ancient school in the middle of the Industrial Revolution, we've been educated, to say the least.

The Wheel of Doom has granted us mercy and even more so, a brilliant response to last month's pick. R.F. Kuang's Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution dropped us in the middle of one of the most tumultuous era in British history-- in addition to a number of other countries who were unfortunately dragged into the mix.

So please, bring all the aforementioned supplies from the last two unintentionally school themed episodes in addition to a box of tissues, because you're going to need it.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This novel has a number of triggers (especially racism, slavery, and colonialism) that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution - R.F. Kuang
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  loneliness - HarumachiMusic

If you thought this was the end of basic witch summer, think again!

Join us in the pines of rural Vermont. If you travel deep enough you will find an assortment of buildings inspired by the Gothic era and brimming with dipsomaniacal undergraduates.

But don't delve too far into grove, or else you may find yourself embroiled in a cult dedicated to the old gods. Unless, that is your thing, of course. No judgment here.

In celebration of our 500 Instagram followers and 700 listens we are happy to announce our pick in collaboration with the Wheel of Doom and our listeners, The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

Thank you so much for all your support and love sent our way!

So please, don your toga, choose your sacrifice, and grab a glass of wine because you're going to need it.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph. Also, there are brief mentions of Stephen King's It and spoilers are mentioned.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: The Secret History - Donna Tartt
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  A Grave Conversation - ShadowsAndEchoes 

🔮🦇🎃🦇 Happy Halloween!!!!🦇🎃🦇🔮

Just kidding!

Or are we?

You can take the girl out of Halloweentown but you can't the Halloweentown out of the girl.

The temperatures may be soaring, but so is the chemistry between the two main leads in this spicy rom-com novel that left us absolutely bewitched.

Vivienne Jones may be sweet, but she is certainly not to be messed with. Not only would you have her cursing your name (literally), you would also have her family to deal with... and maybe even a talking cat.

Her ex didn't heed our advice and in The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling we're left to watch the plot (among with🌶️ other things) simply unravel.

So please, remember to keep yourselves hydrated and never mix witchcraft with Vodka.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: The Ex Hex: A Novel  by Erin Sterling
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Funny Happy Halloween Party Witches Sabbath - SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras

This month the wheel decided to bring us to a very special city in Canada.

Welcome to the city where hockey tickets cost you an arm and leg, but the team hasn't won the Stanley Cup in nearly 60 years. The city where you'll never be able to afford property in unless you're into crypto and the city where a raccoon is the unofficial mascot. Bless up fam, welcome to TDot and welcome to the wheel's horrifying pick,  Red X by David Demchuk.

This tale takes us to a community nestled in the downtown core which was meant to be a refuge to all queer folk alike, but finds itself plagued by a number of demons. Police brutality and discrimination, the AIDS crisis, and of course, a very hungry mythical hound (sort of).

So please, for this grungy dive into the belly of this Torontonian beast, grab your hand sanitizer and your TTC fare because you're going to need it.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of heavy triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Red X by David Demchuk
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music:  Dramatic Atmosphere with Piano and Violin - UNIVERSFIELD 

🎶 Yo, listen up, here's the story
About a little guy that lives in a red world 🎶

 Welcome to our very first Listener Episode!

Our amazing listeners placed their submissions and Maria's pick, Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson, was chosen by the wheel of doom.

Please join us in this roller coaster of emotional highs and lows as we tackle the austere yet elaborate work of prose.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
 Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music: Dream of Revival - SergeQuadrado

Hoo boy!  It's hotter than a June bride in a feather bed.

The wheel of doom brought us back south and thank god because we needed something to drag us out of hibernation this March.

Gillian Flynn dropped us into the wicked world Sharp Objects as Camille Preaker digs through the skeletons in her hometown's closet and ultimately bites off more than she could chew.

So please, take a look at this our trigger list, grab your libations, and join us in Wind Gap, Missouri. Home of southern hospitality in the form of spiked lemonade, extreme public shame, and murder. 

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of heavy triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
 Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music: Dark Ambient - sharvarian

It's February and love is in the air [ardent sigh].  We hope you're prepared for one of the most breathtaking love stories of our generation because the wheel pick for this month swept us off of our feet.  So grab a glass of wine, some chocolate, and maybe a box of tissues and  listen to our passion blossom over Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

On a more serious note, February is Black History Month and in an effort to bring Black voices and Black art to the foreground, we had the wheel chose from a list filled with amazing Black authors.

It was no surprise that we were blown away by Americanah  and we hoped anyone who read along with us enjoyed it just as much as we did.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music: Inspiring Cinematic Ambient - Lexin Music

It's January so that means it's a new year and a new book we had to bite the bullet for. This month we were under the impression this month's read was going to be like taking a romantic walk down Rodeo Drive, finding a Hollywood heartthrob, and falling in love. Instead, the experience felt like waking up at the back of a Denny's off the side of the highway at 3am and sharing cold hash browns with a raccoon.

We were humbled, so prepare yourself for poorly disguised references, forced drama, a golden retriever love interest, childhood trauma, and so much more. So please, join us as we attempt to digest the RPF (Real Person Fanfic) that is Spoiler Alert by OIivia Dade.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music: Sensual Jazz - Grand Project

From our families at Revolver Reads to yours we wish you a Happy Hanukkah, a Happy Kwanzaa, a bright Yule, and a Merry Christmas!

Here we are again with another novel by Stephen King. This time around it was much colder, but we had more clothes.

Welcome to our special Winter Episode were we bundled up and took a drive through the woods to the most luxurious (ghost-ridden) hotel in the Rockies, The Overlook Hotel. The Shining chilled us to the bone, but the narrative provided us with a bonfire soon enough.

Now, do you like your eggnog with or without redrum?

We'll see you all again in the New Year!

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

Also, please take a look at Princess Weekes' discussion on how Stephen King portrays Black people in his writing here.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: The Shining by Stephen King
 Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music: The Stillness of Winter - Dylan Darby

Happy December and a very happy anniversary to Revolver Reads!

All roads lead to Rome-- or should we say Forks, Washington? In our special anniversary edition we decided to do an homage to the book that keeps haunting our conversations, much like a shiny vampire with nothing better to do.

This December, we gifted ourselves (and you!) with Stephanie Meyer's masterclass novel, Twilight.

This time, you will most definitely need a drink.

Thank you so much for such a wonderful year, we've had a blast.

This podcast includes topics may not be suitable for everyone. This particular novel has a number of triggers that we may be discussing or briefly touching upon. The full list of trigger warnings is available on TheStoryGraph.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE PODCAST.

As previously noted in our podcast, the Quileute tribe is raising funds in an effort to relocate their community to higher ground as climate change threatens their community's location with rising oceans levels and tsunamis. If you have anything to spare, please consider donating here. Otherwise, we would love if you shared this link with your friends.

Socials:
Goodreads
Instagram
Tiktok
Twitter

Credits:
Novel: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Intro and outro music: Esteban del Pino - Darlington Products
Book summary music: Midnight - Lexin Music