In this special author interview, Jason and Laura sit down with Olivia Waite to talk about her beautiful new novella, MURDER BY MEMORY—a “sci-fi ode to the cozy mystery, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective.” Listen in as Olivia shares how Star Wars unexpectedly led her to read her first romance novel, and reflects on the ways grief continues to shape her writing. She also opens up about which childhood memory she’d most love to recover, and makes a case for why the novella is the perfect length for impactful storytelling.

Oh—and did you know a glass brain was found among the victims of Mount Vesuvius? Olivia did, and that’s just the start of the incredible things she wants to share with you.

You can grab your copy of MURDER BY MEMORY now wherever books are sold!

Other books mentioned by Olivia in this episode:

• All Fired Up by M.K. England
• Discworld by Terry Pratchett
• Imperial Radch Trilogy by Ann Leckie
• Warrior’s Woman by Johanna Lindsey
• Babel by R.F. Kuang
• Murderbot by Martha Wells

Guest:
Olivia Waite writes queer historical romance, fantasy, science fiction, and essays. She is the romance fiction columnist for the New York Times Book Review. When the birds are propitious, she sends out the Oliviary: a newsletter full of news, recommended reads, and intriguing content curated from niche corners of the internet. She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary.

You can find her at

Saddle up for one last ride before the season’s over! For our Season Four finale, we’ve headed to the cowboy colony planet for a discussion of MARRIED TO THE ALIEN COWBOY by Ursa Dax — a sci-fi western romance featuring a quiet alien cowboy, a human woman on the run, and one very messy marriage of convenience. Join us as Jason surprises his co-hosts with this pick, we ponder what makes a tentacle a tentacle, and question if Ursa Dax is secretly a pen name for our very own Laura.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of an adult-themed book, contains explicit language, and is intended for mature audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.

Credits:
Shit We've Read After Dark is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, Bella Romero, and EmmaSkies, with an introduction by Jessilee Windhaus and editing by Jason Rico.

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This month, we’re sinking our teeth into IMMORTAL DARK by Tigest Girma—a dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family. Join us as we celebrate the portrayal of Black characters, break down what makes this vampire story feel fresh, and examine the delicate relationship between humans and dranaics. Plus, get a peek at the types of books Bella keeps on her shelves.

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Shit We've Read is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Bella Romero, with music by Joshua Chilton and editing by Jason Rico.

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Join our Discord!
We love connecting with our listeners and are excited to have another way to connect with you all. ⁣Whether you're into sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or anything in between, there's a spot for you HERE.

Support SWR!
Check out our MERCH STORE! Get your SWR t-shirts, hoodies, drinkware, and more. Plus, keep an eye out for new designs coming soon.

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With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s the perfect time to indulge in a cozy, high-heat monster romance novella. But there’s one big question: Has Bella finally broken her streak of bad After Dark picks, or is this another miss? There’s only one way to find out! Join us as we discuss MANEATER by Emily Antoinette and examine how the 1980s play into the story’s setting, why Emma and Bella are craving more pathetic men in fiction, and what this book has to say about sex work.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of an adult-themed book, contains explicit language, and is intended for mature audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.

Credits:
Shit We've Read After Dark is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, Bella Romero, and EmmaSkies, with an introduction by Jessilee Windhaus and editing by Jason Rico.

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Join our Discord!
We love connecting with our listeners and are excited to have another way to connect with you all. ⁣Whether you're into sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or anything in between, there's a spot for you HERE.

Support SWR!
Check out our MERCH STORE! Get your SWR t-shirts, hoodies, drinkware, and more. Plus, keep an eye out for new designs coming soon.

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We’re kicking off 2025 with the divine novella OUT OF THE DROWNING DEEP by A.C. Wise—set in the distant future, when mortals mingle with the gods in deep space, an out-of-date automaton, a recovering addict, and an angel race to solve the Pope’s murder in an abandoned corner of the galaxy. Listen in as we discuss Jason’s Pirate Era, the casting of Ryan Gosling in the upcoming Project Hail Mary film adaptation, and the use of neo-pronouns in this novella—plus what they mean for the future of literature.

Credits:
Shit We've Read is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Bella Romero, with music by Joshua Chilton and editing by Jason Rico.

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We love connecting with our listeners and are excited to have another way to connect with you all. ⁣Whether you're into sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or anything in between, there's a spot for you HERE.

Support SWR!
Check out our MERCH STORE! Get your SWR t-shirts, hoodies, drinkware, and more. Plus, keep an eye out for new designs coming soon.

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It's our final episode of 2024, and we're wrapping up the year with our 2nd annual Secret Santa book exchange! Join us for lighthearted fun as we guess who gifted which books, Emma shares a history lesson on the Luddites, and we learn how the results of the recent election affected the book Jason received. All that, plus the most shocking plot twist in SWR history!

Thank you for listening, Happy Holidays, and see you in the new year!

A special shoutout to our Christmas elves, Jayson LaFrance and Sander Richardson, for their help with this episode!

Credits:
Shit We've Read is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Bella Romero, with music by Joshua Chilton and editing by Jason Rico.

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Deck The Halls (Lo-Fi Hip-Ho...

It’s an eggnog-filled edition of SWR After Dark! In this episode, we unwrap the holiday novella RAILED BY THE KRAMPUS by Dalia Davies. When Holly jokingly offers her soul for a lump of coal, she never expects the creature from his winter domain to take her seriously—or demand something infinitely more tempting. Was this book naughty or nice? Join us as we share our thoughts on this paranormal romance, why Bella will never look at eggnog the same way (it’s exactly what you’re thinking), and how this book turned out to be oddly educational. Plus, Laura asks the big question: “Do people in this world not poop?” Happy Holidays!

CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of an adult-themed book, contains explicit language, and is intended for mature audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.

Credits:
Shit We've Read After Dark is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, Bella Romero, and EmmaSkies, with an introduction by Jessilee Windhaus and editing by Jason Rico.

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Request transcripts on our website: shitweveread.com/contact

Join our Discord!
We love connecting with our listeners and are excited to have another way to connect with you all. ⁣Whether you're into sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or anything in between, there's a spot for you HERE.

Support SWR!
Check out our MERCH STORE

It’s the thrilling conclusion to our first-ever TTRPG adventure!

Join Bellz, Jason, and Laura—guided by Game Master Sir Aaron Carter—as they enter the Blackwood House and confront the mysteries haunting their hometown of Pinewood Falls.

Thank you for joining us on this journey!

This is Part 2 of our special Welcome to Pinewood Falls series. Missed the first half? Listen to Part 1 here.

A special thanks to Jayson LaFrance and Sander Richardson for their invaluable help in setting up this session. This game was played using the Kids on Bikes RPG. Check it out and start your story today!

Credits:
Shit We've Read is hosted by Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Bella Romero, with music by Joshua Chilton and editing by Jason Rico.

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