Backlist and Chill

The third and final Patreon-exclusive episode, originally published Nov 30, 2023. Backlist: It's National Novel Writing Month! Hope everyone has had a satisfying and productive NaNo! Since we're hopefully balls deep in some deeply angsty writing project, we decided to take a break from our Melissa Marr season to do something a little silly and light. And by silly and light we of course mean spending almost two hours LOOKING DEEP WITHIN OUR SOULS FOR UNDERSTANDING with the help of Alloy Entertainment and their Real Human Author Tucker Shaw. This month we're reading WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE (published 2001), a book of extremely '00s personality quizzes designed to help teen readers understand their True Selves. So naturally we had to try them out - for ourselves, and some of our favorite fictional teens. Chill: Nothing fancy this week, just kicking back with some Great Lakes Brewing Co. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Ollie) and pineapple wine (Cyna). Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. (1h 47m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language.)

The second of our three Patreon-exclusive episodes is here! Originally published Sep 27, 2023. Backlist: This episode has been a long time coming. Our good friend Raeven stops by to chat about Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera, an extremely formative and influential story for us, the podcast, and YA at large. Which is why it's extremely funny and extremely weird that the novel is largely some sort of Abbot and Costello sketch with the plot of the musical going on in the background. This is gonna be a wild one. Chill: We are all drinking variations of Raeven's Backlist fan drink "Ambigously Brown". Ollie's got the closest to the original recipe: a hot cocoa with oatmilk, Abuelita drinking chocolate, Rumchata, and cinnamon, topped with mocha Whipshot. Cyna went iced: coffee with almond milk, chocolate syrup, Abuelita drinking chocolate, and Rumchata. Raeven's is on the go: this morning's coffee mixed with Abuelita drinking chocolate, Rumchata, and spiced vanilla rum, all dumped into a McCafe iced coffee, Pics! Cyna / Raeven / Ollie As Mentioned: You can find Raeven on Tumblr, Twitter, and A03 for some extremely Backlist-relevant fanfic. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. (2h 05m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of stalking, sexual harassment, suicide, and self-harm.)

Hey folks! Before this feed vanishes from the internet entirely, we wanted to share with you our Patreon exclusive episodes, as a last hurrah, and a thank you for listening these last five years. This is the first of three, an episode of a short-lived feature from our last podcast called Play YA, in which we played through YA novels as RPGs. Originally published to the Patreon feed Sep 29, 2022, and recorded much, much earlier than that. A group of teens are being hunted through the woods by an unknown threat after a school camping trip goes horribly awry in our rendition of One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards. This game is powered by a rules-lite version of D&D 5e, and features our good friends Maverynthia, Dave, and another who has stepped back from podcasting and asked not to be credited. This was recorded several years ago, so pronouns and audio setups have changed, but we thought it held up pretty well overall! We hope that you'll enjoy this very silly bonus episode. (3h 14m. Content Warning: Profanity, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of vomiting and vomit...uh, consumption, urophagia, gory injuries, i.e. dismemberment, testicular trauma, compound fractures, flaying (no detailed descriptions), and of course, racism.)

Backlist: We're hopping on the mic for the last time to talk about SOULMATE by LJ Smith, published April 1997. Somehow we've managed to end on what is TRULY the most LJ of all books, in which our Lady of the White Woman Woo-Woo finally manages to explain to us what a Soulmate truly is. Thank you, Lisa Jane. It's been real. Chill: Cyna is drinking red wine diluted with bubbly soda, let's call it a Blush, and Ollie is drinking an Old Soul (St George Absinthe, Canada Dry Blackberry Ginger Ale, regular ginger ale, and lemon) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. The Future of the Feed: This feed will remain accessible until July 1st, after which you will still be able to access all episodes, both public and previously Patreon-exclusive, on our Patreon Spotify feed. No need to pledge or even follow, just enjoy! And of course, all episodes are still available to stream on the Patreon app and website. It's been fun, everyone. (2h 23m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of allegorical rape and sexual assault, physical assault and violence against intimate partners.) And check out the Redbubble store if you're so inclined. We'll probably be dropping the season covers on there as stickers in the coming weeks.

Backlist: The penultimate episode of Backlist and Chill is upon us! Today we're chatting about LJ Smith's THE CHOSEN, published February 1997, a kind of fascinating progenitor of the teen vampire hunter/vampire romance. The DNA in this one, you guys! We're all descended from it. Though you know, perhaps SOME more than others. Chill: Cyna is drinking a White Girl Ninja (rum and coke, canned lychee juice, and powdered ginger) and Ollie is drinking a *deep breath* The Heinous Implication of Soulmates in the Night World Via Timmy (St George Absinthe and Fresh Fizz Hibiscus Ginger Ale) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time: Soulmate: A finale! (1h 45m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of pedophilia, human trafficking, sexual assault, depression, and suicide.) And hey, if you're interested on jumping onto the ship as it's sinking, become our patron! Still got a whole month left! Don't forget the Redbubble store! It will outlive us all.

Backlist: It's episode one of our final season, and thank god we got a fun one! We're chatting about NIGHT WORLD: DARK ANGEL by LJ Smith, published December 1996, a book that starts out feeling like a bit of a departure, and ends up being the most LJ thing LJ has ever written. Lisa Jane. Can we talk about the cousins? Chill: Cyna is drinking an Ambiguously Brown (coffee, hot cocoa, cinnamon sugar, Rumchata) and Ollie is drinking a Dark Angel (St George Absinthe and A&W root beer) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time: The Chosen! (1h 54m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of stalking, child murder, incest, body/medical horror, brief description of a slightly gory medical procedure.) And hey, if you're interested on jumping onto the ship as it's sinking, become our patron! Still got two months left! And hey, don't forget the Redbubble store! It will outlive us all.

Hey folks! We here at Backlist and Chill have a very neutral announcement - this next season of Backlist, season 15, is going to be our last. After 5 years and 13 seasons, it's time to move on. A more detailed exploration of our thoughts and plans are in the episode, but tl;dl - we're not going away immediately! We'll be doing a final season covering the middle three Night World books starting with Dark Angel in March and ending with Soulmate in May. The public RSS will be discontinued shortly after, but we hope to maintain the Patreon feed on a $0 tier, if that's possible. And obviously, all our paid tiers will be dropped following the final episode. If there's anything y'all need to do to maintain access, we'll let you know by then. We want to thank everyone for the support and conversation and community you've given us these past few years. It's been so great getting to know other folks for whom these books have been as foundational and life-altering as they were for us, and to share the love (and misery) with those who were new to them, but game enough to come along for the ride. Thank you for listening, and please - come chat with us before it's too late! See you next season.

Backlist: Bob is back - or is he? We return, arms outstretched, to Fear Street - FEAR STREET SAGAS #1: A NEW FEAR, to be specific, published in March 1996. We hoped for more goofy fun, and we found it in, ah, very limited quantities. Got a rad new photo opportunity for the park, though!  Chill:  If Brandon can cut out early for dinner, so can we! Ollie is drinking Blue Moon Belgian White ale, and Cyna made something awful but pretty with Gatorade. Pics!  Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  An announcement. (1h 42m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of gore, misogyny, murder, stalking, emotional manipulation and gaslighting.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy!

Backlist: HEY FOLKS, WE GOT A GOOD ONE! Today we're sitting down to discuss Melissa Marr's blessedly competent WICKED LOVELY, originally published June 2007. A book with a DELECTABLE premise that also knows how to handle themes! What a concept! Chill: Cyna is drinking an Aislinn (lavender simple syrup, lemonade, and limon rum) and Ollie is drinking a Reluctant Queen (St. George Absinthe Verte, Tension Tamer Simple Syrup, and Tension Tamer Tea). Pics in the links! Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time: A suprise! (1h 27m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of sexual assault, rape culture, and misogyny.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend! And hey, if you're interested in some very silly stickers, check out our brand-new Redbubble store!

The fae are back! It's time to treat yo'self with some Melissa Marr facts, that we worked VERY hard to bring to you. Spoilers: she seems SUPER COOL, and her road to publishing was a fascinating one. So sit back, kick up your heels, and let us spin you the tale of Melissa Marr.   As Mentioned: An early interview with Marr ft. her confounding accent and cute voice.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   No booze was consumed in the making of this episode - we'll see you in Episode 1: Melissa Marr: Wicked Lovely!   Thanks for hanging around folks, and come chat with us (we're still on TWITTER for some fucking reason, @BacklistPodcast!)

Backlist: It's over, it's finally over! On this joyous day, we gather to celebrate the momentus occasion of having finished this fuckin trilogy! It's all uphill from here, folks. We're reading BLOODTRAITOR by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in April 2016. NGL it's SSDD BUT we did come equipped with some jokes this time, to make it a little more bearable for everyone. Now let's all hold hands and jump into this abyss together! Chill: Cyna is drinking The Bitter End (whiskey + blood orange cocktail mix + lemon juice) and Ollie is drinking an Exactly What I Expected (St. George Absinthe Verte + ginger ale). Pics in the links! Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time: It's finally over. (2h 42m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, extensive discussion of rape, trauma, physical, mental, and emotional abuse against children as well as adults, slavery, and torture.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend! And hey, if you're interested in some very silly stickers, check out our brand-new Redbubble store!

Backlist: Only book two into this terrible endeavor of ours and already we're struggling for words to accurately describe the MALAISE this series has put us in. This time the """"book"""" in question is Bloodkin by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, tragically published in April of 2015, and we gotta be honest with you folks: not a lot of nice things to say about it.   Chill: Cyna is drinking an ESH (amaretto + lemon juice + honey + lime Bubly) and Ollie is drinking an About What I Expected (St. George Absinthe Verte + black raspberry vodka + diet ginger ale). Pics in the links!   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time: It's finally over.   (2h 22m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, extensive discussion of rape, false rape accusations, trauma, physical, mental, and emotional abuse against children as well as adults, slavery, and torture.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!   And hey, if you're interested in some very silly stickers, check out our brand-new Redbubble store!

Backlist: Hello, friends! We are back for unlucky season thirteen and this shit is just THE WORST. Today we're talking about Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' fuckin' terrible novel BLOODWITCH, published January 1, 2014. Strap in for some slave empire NUANCE, yall! This was supposed to be the best one, but it is in fact still terrible, and things will only go downhill from here. Luckily, we were able to weather this one, at least, together in person! So please forgive any sort of wonky sound issues, this was very new to us XD Chill: Cyna is drinking a Plaguebearer (amaretto + creme de cacao + oatmilk + grenadine) and Ollie is drinking a Bloodwitch (St. George Absinthe Verte + Bruce Cost Ginger Ale Pomegranite and Hibiscus) Pics of our drinks TOGETHER, GASP! Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time: Fuckin' Bloodkin. Stay safe, friends. (2h 54m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, extensive discussion of rape, trauma, physical, mental, and emotional abuse against children as well as adults, slavery, torture, and suicide.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend! And hey, if you're interested in some very silly stickers, check out our brand-new Redbubble store!

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. For the last time. Let's go. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  See y'all next time (face 2 face!) for Episode 1: Bloodwitch. Thanks for listening, yall! Come and talk to us on Twitter @BacklistPodcast!

Backlist: We're back with SPELLBINDER, book three of the Night World series, published in October 1996, which is somehow simultaneously the MOST and LEAST LJ Smith of the Night World books so far. At least we got to see Lisa Jane flex her horror muscles again, though! Chill: Cyna is drinking a Love Potion (Wendy's strawberry lemonade + raspberry licour + limon rum + TOO MUCH edible glitter) and Ollie is drinking a brilliantly-conceived Cup of Lethe (spike Arnold Palmer + ginger ale) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time: the EXTREMELY CURSED season THIRTEEN begins! Stay safe, friends. (2h 02m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of racism, murder, misogyny.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend! And hey, if you're interested in some very silly stickers, check out our brand-new Redbubble store!

Backlist: We're back with THE Night World book, DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (originally published August 1996), in which LJ Smith tries, just really TRIES to write a murder mystery. Like, she did her best. To, ah, varying degrees of success for us. THIS MAY BE A CONTENTIOUS ONE Y'ALL.  Chill: Cyna is drinking a Horny Goat (cranberry juice + limon rum + 7up) and Ollie is drinking a Starry Night (Wollersheim Dancehall Absinthe Blanche (RIP) + blackberry ginger ale) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  NIGHT WORLD VOL 3: SPELLBINDER Stay safe, friends. (1h 45m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of misogyny, sexual assault, racism, classism, violence, violence against animals/animal death.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: FINALLY we're here! After all these years we've made it to...the Night World. Specifically, NIGHT WORLD: SECRET VAMPIRE, published in 1996. This baby has it all: tenderness, grief, last moments, soft boys, characters. Where has this Lisa Jane been hiding?   Chill: Cyna is drinking a Black Rose(ish) (mixed fruit juice + bourbon + food coloring) and Ollie is drinking a Sex Pixie (Wollersheim Dancehall Absinthe Blanche + pinapple soda + Seagram's ginger ale) Pics! Cyna - Ollie.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time:  NIGHT WORLD VOL 2: DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS   Stay safe, friends.   (1h 59m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of illness, cancer, death, blood, homophobia.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

We couldn't leave it that way with our girl LJ, so we're back, standing at the at the foot of the mountain, her unfinished masterpiece, her magnum opus (if you don't count the new Vampire Diaries I guess), NIGHT WORLD! And for once, LJ has provided us INFO. How did she plot the series? Which of LJ's core philosophical belief is WOVEN into each and every book? Which author does she (probably) have a wildly unreasonable grudge against and why? LISTEN AND FIND OUT! Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  See y'all next time (with booze!) for Episode 1: Secret Vampire! Thanks for sticking with us, folks, and stay safe! Come and friend us now, while there's still time! @BacklistPodcast on Twitter, while it still exists.

Backlist: We're back! Hope those who participated in Nanowrimo had a great month. Your co-hosts definitely did! And we are bringing you the third and final installment of LJ Smith's season 11: DARK VISIONS: THE PASSION (published 1995), a book that reads like a first draft Work In Progress the author threw at their publisher at midnight on December 1st after she finished it during her own Nano writing. We're sorry if you went out and read it.   Chill: Both of us start the call outs right with our drinks! Cyna is drinking "The Possessed" (yup, not The Passion) or "Up All Night To Not Go Crazy" (iced coffee, coffee liqueur, Fireball, and cream.) Ollie is drinking "Work In Progress" or a "Dark Psychic Screwdriver" (Smirnoff Ice Smash with ginger ale). Pics! Cyna - Ollie.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time: Season 12 into! Patrons at the Chillest tier find out early!   Stay safe, friends.   (1h 58m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of self-harm, sexual assault/rape, mental health, ableism, and classism.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: What happened, y'all? How did DARK VISIONS: THE POSSESSED (published 1995), a book literally designed for sexy, emotionally intimate rendezvous, end up being so fucking boring??? This is Lisa Jane's bread and butter! HOW??? So anyway it's a short one.  Chill: NGL, we may have phoned these ones in, in our defense, so did LJ. Ollie is drinking A Waste of My Time (Wollersheim Dancehall Absinthe Blanche + honey + Nixie Watermelon Mint sparkling water), and Cyna soothed her throat with The Possessed (apple spice chai + Fireball) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  DARK VISIONS VOL 3: THE PASSION Stay safe, friends. (1h 17m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of racism and classism.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: LISA JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE is back on her bullshit and so are we! This month we're talking about DARK VISIONS: THE STRANGE POWER, published December 1st, 1994 and HOO BOY does it feel like it. LJ is back and indulging in her worst habits, and Ollie is NOT having it. Chill:  Cyna tried to drink a Third Eye (creme de violette, gin, grapefruit juice, and club soda) but ended up drinking wine $9 peach clearance wine, bb! Ollie is drinking a Witch Eyes (Wollersheim Dancehall Absinthe Blanche + Seagram's Ginger Ale + Glacial Freeze Gatorade) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  DARK VISIONS VOL 2: THE POSSESSION Stay safe, friends. (1h 35m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of racism, misogyny, acephobia, homophobia, ableism.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

We're alive! And so is LJ! We're back with an intro to Season 11: Dark Visions, which features our semi-annual State of the LJ and also a shocking amount of chat about Gen 13 for some reason? Listen, it's rough out here - Dark Visions is LJ's most obscure trilogy and not even SHE seems to remember that she wrote it. No worries though, she's definitely writing a sequel. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  See y'all next time (with booze!) for Episode 1: The Strange Power! Thanks for sticking with us, folks, and stay safe! Come check in with us on twitter @BacklistPodcast!

Backlist: RAISE A GLASS, FRIENDS, because we have MADE IT to the end of the Return to Den of Shadows with PROMISES TO KEEP (published January 2013), and after all this, we're left with just one question: what editor looked at this premise and said "Yeah, no, this seems fine."  Chill:  Cyna is drinking a Fuck This Book (just a whole bottle of Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato), and Ollie is drinking an 'Everyone Benefits From Slavery So You're All Complicit' is a Bad Theme (absinthe + ginger ale + crushed up candycane shards) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  WHO CAN SAY???? Stay safe, friends. (2h 35m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, intense discussion of suicide, abuse, slavery, racism, and incest. )   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: The bummer tour continues! We spiral further into our Return to Den of Shadows with POISON TREE (published July 2012), a gloomy mess of a book held together by tape and a prayer. Whoever thought we'd be SO HAPPY to see a vampire weeb?   Chill:  Cyna is drinking a Sparkling Tiger (orange liqueur, tangerine juice, sparkling wine). Ollie is drinking a Tiger Eyes (Wollersheim Absinthe Blanche, simple syrup with lemon, iced lemon-ginger tea) Pics! Cyna - Ollie.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time:  The FINALE: Promises to Keep   Stay safe, friends.   (2h 43m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, intense discussion of physical and emotional abuse against adults and children, torture, slavery, racism.)   Note: There's a snippet at the end of this episode in which Ollie discusses their memories of the production of the Tiger Eyes movie. Due to some audio issues, the part of Cyna in this snippet will be played by a robot.   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: Ollie was asked to edit some text for ToD and couldn't remember the title Token of Darkness, and all they could get to was "Time of Death". And frankly, they're not wrong. TOKEN OF DARKNESS by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (published February 9, 2010), a book that maybe existed. We're not sure. Chill:  Cyna is drinking a Liquified Ghost (coconut rum, crème de cacao, 2% milk, and green food coloring for streaks!) followed by... a bottle of wine lolol. Ollie is drinking a Hey There, Delilah (Cîroc Black Raspberry, Wollersheim Absinthe Blanche, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and a sugar-dipped pineapple chunk) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  POISON TREE. Stay safe, friends. (2h 30m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language from the hosts; discussions of death and ghosts, car accidents, witchcraft, girlhate, shaming of one teenage girl for basically existing, relationship zoning, shitty dudes, classism, hospitals, and weird questions about who gets to decide what happens to a body after your mind/soul is no longer home from the book.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: The tryhards are back, baby, and so are we with PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (published December 9, 2008), a book that comes frustratingly close to being thoughtful and empathetic, and then falls face-first into Nyeusigrube. And fucking Alexander is here???   Content Warning: Take care of yourselves with this one, folks. This episode features intense discussion of suicide and self harm, and a graphic description of self-harm from 2:08:49 - 2:09:09.   Chill: Cyna is drinking a Blood Memory (sparkling wine + blood orange juice), and Ollie is drinking a De-fanged (DuClaw's Dirty Little Freak chocolate beer + whipped cream) Pics! Cyna - Ollie.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time:  TOKEN OF DARKNESS, I guess.   Stay safe, friends.   (2h 39m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, intense discussion of depression, suicide, self-harm, dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health issues.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

It's season ten, and what else could we return to but Amelia Atwater Rhodes' return to the world that they created almost ten years prior? Yes, it's time for the Return to Den of Shadows, and we're firing up the WayBack machine to answer our burning questions: why these stories? Why this order? And has it all really been building to this?   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  No drinks this time, but fear not! Alcohol will return in Episode 1: Persistence of Memory!   Thanks for sticking with us, folks, and stay safe! Come check in with us on twitter @BacklistPodcast!

Backlist: She really is going in for THE KILL with this one. The saga ends here: THE FORBIDDEN GAME volume three by LJ Smith, published July 1st 1994. It's an old tale, it's a tragedy. But maybe it'll turn out this time? (Spoilers: It does not.)   Chill: Cyna is drinking a Gebo (tequila, orange juice, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and a single drop of raspberry liqueur), and Ollie has crafted the amazingly named Joyland (Wollersheim Absinthe Blanche, lemon simple syrup, Nixie Watermelon Mint sparkling water) Cyna - Ollie.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time: SEASON 10 INTRO. WHAT WILL IT BE??   Stay safe, friends.   (2h 42m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of depression, suicide, mental health issues, acephobia, incest.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: Okay we're back, reading THE FORBIDDEN GAME volume two, THE CHASE by LJ Smith, published May 1st 1992 blah blah blah who cares. The REAL question is, DID YOU WIN THE RING? DID YOU? DO YOU STILL HAVE IT? CAN WE SEE IT?   Chill: Cyna is not drinking a Green Creeper, that's for sure. She's drinking a Wall of Flame (fireball and apple cider), while Ollie's coming in with the excellently-named This is Not and Absinthe Cocktail (Wollersheim Dancehall Absinthe Blanche + Seagram's ginger ale + pomegranate-dragonfruit sparkling water ). Pics! Cyna - Ollie.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   As mentioned: Netherlands by Dan Fogelberg (the extremely AM radio song that comes on in the car scene) Charles Ashmore's Trail by Ambrose Bierce (the story Michael mentions) The Greg Land art in question (and if you'd like to know more)   Next time: The finale! Season 9 Episode 3: FORBIDDEN GAME: THE KILL. Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public!   Stay safe, y'all. Get your boosters and mask up!   (1h 57m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, speluncaphobia, discussion of suicide, mental illness, depression, and death.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: It is time, at long last, to return to the series Cyna and Ollie have been eagerly awaiting. We've mentioned it several times in the past, how far away it was, but the wait is over... It's 9 o'clock and Julian is here. That's right, get your game tables ready for LJ Smith's FORBIDDEN GAME. Starting us out is THE HUNTER. Not that titles matter. These three books are one big story, in our opinion. Spoilers for books two and three start at 31:07. Skip to 44:56 to avoid! Chill: Cyna is drinking Blue Curacao, Sprite, sour mix, cranberry juice, and Ollie back on that absinthe train with what they're calling a Community of Sorrow (Wollersheim Dancehall Absinthe Blanche + POM white tea with orange blossom, and a sugared rim). Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 9 Episode 2: FORBIDDEN GAME: THE CHASE! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! Happy New Years, Backlist listeners! May 2022 bring a whole lot better than 2021 did. Get your boosters and keep those masks up! (3h 10m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of suicide, incest, sexual assault, child molestation, violence, mental illness, depression, and death.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: RL Stine is here to keep the spooky season going with the last of the The Fear Street Saga trilogy: THE BURNING (published September 1993), subtile: Evil Wizards Fall in Love. Daniel and Nora? Never heard of them. In this house, we stan Simgelica, the Only Good Pairing in the Fear Street Saga. We're sure it will work out great for them.  Chill: Ollie returns one last time with a Power Through Evil (Angry Orchard Peach Mango Hard Cider + lemon juice), but Cyna is changing it up with a breakfast-appropriate The Burning (orange juice + black vodka) Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 9 begins! Whatever will it be??? Happy NaNo, yall! (2h 30m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and extremely filthy language, discussion of gore, misogyny, death, abuse, and murder.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: Bob is back, and he's bring a SECRET (specifically, The Fear Street Saga #2: THE SECRET, published in September 1993). It's another hundred and fifty pages of ghosts, Goodes, spooky interludes, and skeletons fucking EVERYWHERE. Oh, and rest assured: the allosexuals are NOT okay. Chill:  Back with some familiar faces! Cyna is drinking a Fier But If You Rearrange the Letters It Spells Fire (fireball whiskey + pumpkin spice apple cider), and Ollie is back with a Power Through Evil (Angry Orchard Peach Mango Hard Cider + lemon juice). Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 8 Episode 3: THE FEAR STREET SAGA wraps up with #3: THE BURNING! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! Vaccinate and mask up, y'all. (1h 52m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of gore, misogyny, murder, suicide, emotional manipulation and gaslighting.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: SURPRISE BABY, IT BOB! That's right, hot on the heels of those movies that came out three months ago, we're diving headfirst into the deep end of Bobert Stine's bibliography with book one of the iconic FEAR STREET SAGA: THE BETRAYAL (published August 1st 1993). This book has it all, folks: murder, evil wizards, exclusively heterosexual teenage romance, guys who pretend to be different, younger guys, and so. many. hysterical women. What more could a nostalgic reader ask for??? HEADS UP: SPOILERS INSIDE for all three Fear Street movies.   Chill:  Drinks were weirdly hard to find this month, but we did our best. Cyna is drinking a Fier Inferno (fireball whiskey + maraschino cherry juice + orange juice), and Ollie came in with a Power Through Evil (Angry Orchard Peach Mango Hard Cider + lemon juice). Pics! Cyna - Ollie.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time:  Season 8 Episode 2: THE FEAR STREET SAGA: THE SECRET! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public!   Vaccinate and mask up, y'all.   (2h 01m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of gore, misogyny, murder, suicide, emotional manipulation and gaslighting.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: We've reached the end of the Modern Faerie Tales with IRONSIDE (published 2007). Has Holly Black saved the best for last? Maybe. More importantly OMIGOD KAYE IS BACK! AND ROIBEN. AND CORNY! Hey, is that Luis???? Sweet! Wait, where's Val?  Chill: We're drowning our final book blues in a Dead Queen (red wine, bourbon, lemon juice, and pomegranate liqueur) and an Ironside (cold absinthe and watermelon mint sparkling water) Pics: Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  We've had it too good for too long. Vaccinate and mask up, y'all. (1h 53m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of physical and emotional abuse, violence, death.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: Hey look, it's another Holly Black book that manages to be GREAT despite some pretty big flaws, huge shock. This month's entry is VALIANT, published in June 2005, featuring a Clever Human Girl who must save a Soft Faerie Boy. This is what we're here for. Please forgive our audio issues. We've been cursed by a witch, but we're working out a deal. Chill: Our big takeaway from the book is that Nevermore is great and everyone should do it. To that end, we've created two liquid interpretations: Nevermore, a reskinned Gold Margerita (gold tequila, sour mix, triple sec, lime juice + edible glitter) and Glamour Riot (absinthe and Seagram's Ginger Ale over ice + edible glitter) Pics: Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 7 Episode 2: IRONSIDE! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! STAY VIGILANT OUT THERE, FRIENDS. (2h 18m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of rape and sexual assault, child sexual assault, racism, homelessness, violence, drug use, homophobia, abuse, and animal death.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: We're welcoming the fae with open arms as we discuss Holly Black's debut Modern Fairy Tale TITHE (published, appropriately, in October 2002). You can tell we liked it because the episode is short. Chill: Ollie has created the perfectly-named Glass Swamp (1 part absinthe + 3 parts Diet Ginger Ale + 3 rose petals)  and Cyna has personalized one of the million Green Pixies on the internet into a Kaye Fierch (sour apple schnapps, vodka, triple sec, Sprite, and lemon juice) Pics! Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 7 Episode 2: VALIANT! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! Stay safe y'all! (1h 18m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of rape and sexual assault, racism, internalized misogyny and victim-blaming, homophobia, abuse and abusive relationships.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

The fae have ARRIVED! Welcome to season seven, everyone, in which we are introducing longtime Stan of the Fae Ollie to the wicked world of Holly Black! Cyna could not be more thrilled. HOPEFULLY THIS AIR OF OPTIMISM IS JUSTIFIED. Please join us as we familiarize ourselves with Holly Black's road to publication in preparation for The Modern Faerie Tales!  Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  No booze was consumed in the making of this episode - we'll see you in Episode 1: Holly Black: Tithe! This episode was co-edited by Annie. Welcome to the team! Thanks for sticking with us folks, and stay safe! Chat with us on twitter @BacklistPodcast!

Backlist: And now, the finale! We discuss the FINAL BOOK in the Kiesha'ra series, WYVERNHAIL (published September 2007), by who else? Amelia Atwater-Rhodes! Just SO MANY FEELINGS about the series and Hai and this Extremely Necessary final book. Chill: Cyna attempted to drink a Tears of the Prophet (Absolut Mandarin, pomegranate juice) and ended up with a Sad Prophet instead (triple sec, vodka, pomegranate juice, pineapple juice). Ollie is knocking back a shm'ecl'la'hai (absinthe + Ginger Ale Bold). PICS: Cyna - Ollie. As mentioned: The PG-13 cover Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Author Intro for season 7! PREPEARE THINESELVES. Stay safe y'all and get vaccinated! (1h 50m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of rape and sexual assault, racism, internalized racism, self-hate, and white supremacy.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: Hope you all like them beefy, because this one is a long'un. We are chatting about Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' WOLFCRY (published September 2006), a book that has become the very definition of "mixed feelings". Join us as we spend two and a half hours sorting them out, won't you? Chill: Cyna has Frankenstein'd up a Wolf Shapeshifter (tequila, midori, pinapple juice, and Sprite), and Ollie is drinking a Sakkri'a'she (ginger ale + absinthe, but with the absinthe ON TOP). As usual, we got some sweet pics Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 6 Episode 5: WYVERNHAIL! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! Stay safe y'all and get vaccinated! (2h 34m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, discussion of rape and sexual assault, genocide, suicide, classism, colonialism, racism and white supremacy, eugenics, ableism.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: It's time for volume three, baby! We're back to discuss FALCONDANCE by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (published in September 2005), a pretty good book with one BIG asterisk. A Big. Asterisk. We'll see how it goes. Chill: Cyna is knocking back a White Falcon (horchata, coffee liquor, and vodka), and Ollie is back to The Good Shit (ginger ale + absinthe). As usual, we got some sweet pics Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 6 Episode 4: WOLFCRY! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! Stay safe y'all. (2h 09m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit and generally extremely filthy language, classism, emotional and physical abuse, ritual scarification, torture, colonialism, racism and white supremacy, eugenics, ableism.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: It's round two and the gloves are off! We're discussing SNAKECHARM by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (published in September 2004), and we SHAN'T APOLOGIZE for how much we dislike this book. WHO ARE ALL THESE FALCONS AND CAN THEY PLEASE GET THEIR TAILFEATHERS OUT OF OUR SNAKE BOOK, PLEASE???   Chill: Cyna is honoring a true cobra hero with her CobraStyle Cocktail (tequila, orange juice, grenadine, and lime), and Ollie has constructed a cool green absinthe concoction (iced mint tea + turbinado sugar + absinthe). Take a look at our sweet drinks! Cyna - Ollie.   As Mentioned: @RaevenlyWrites has been doing a knock-out job exploring the events of Hawksong and Danica and Zane's relationship in greater depth! Check out their fic The Ties That Bind on AO3!   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   Next time:  Season 6 Episode 3: FALCONDANCE! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public!   Keep staying safe everyone, there's light at the end of the tunnel

Backlist: Season six is off to a turbulent start! This is take two of our discussion of HAWKSONG by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (published in July 2003), thanks to a recording error. Will an extra read and an extra week to reflect soften our hearts towards this, the so-called (by us, we called it that) "best" of the Kiesha'ra series? Spoiler Alert: no. No, it actually did the opposite. Sorry. Chill: Tangentially related drinks this time - Cyna is drinking a Golden Dream (orange juice, triple sec, vanilla vodka, and cream), and Ollie is drinking an Undeath in-- er, a Hawk's Keep (Absente absinthe - not on fire - and cold ginger ale). Take a look at our pretty pics!   Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time:  Season 6 Episode 2: SNAKECHARM! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! Happy holidays to everyone who celebrates, and we'll see you in the new year! (1h 19m. Content Warning: Profanity, alcohol consumption, sexually explicit language, war, violence and death, classism, traumabonding as romance, sketchy consent.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Welcome to season six, folks, in which Cyna and Ollie are revisiting on of our earliest and most formative authors - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes! This season, we're taking a deep dive into what may be Atwater-Rhodes' most popular series - The Kiesha'ra. This will almost certainly end well! Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  No booze was consumed in the making of this episode - regularly scheduled alcohol to resume in Episode 1: The Kiesha'ra Vol 1: Hawksong! Thanks for sticking with us, follks, and stay safe! Come check in with us on twitter @BacklistPodcast!

Special Backlist: We've been at this drinking game for 2 whole years! Can you believe it? I mean, we can. Definitely feels longer! And at long last, we're re-reading the Season 1 Ep3 book whose original audio was buggered up (Ollie apologizes forever), but it's totally fine: we learned a lot from that read which made this time extra interesting. Get ready for Annette Curtis Klaus' BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE, published August 1997! Chill: Drinking! Cyna is drinking a Blood Orange Chocolate martini (crème de cacao, blood orange cocktail mix, orange juice, orange-flavored vodka). Ollie is drinking an absinthe cocktail, this time an Undeath in the Afternoon (Absente absinthe and ginger ale). Check our drink set ups on twitter since they're extra pretty: Cyna - Ollie We'll be watching the B&C movie on Saturday the 28th, where we'll live tweet it; we'll post the exact time and hashtag on @BacklistPodcast twitter so watch for updates there. You can watch along with us with your own copy (or DM for link details). Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Next time: Season 6 begins in December, and we'll post an announcement to Chillest tier patrons first. Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive the intro episode before it goes public!   (1h 21m. Content Warning: Vulgar language, drinking alcohol, and dramatic readings from the hosts; Horror, body horror, physical and emotional violence, threats of violence, detailed gore, gun violence, dead dogs, human and animal corpses, murder, trial by combat/violent rituals that lead to death, bullying, girl hate, breaking and entering, destruction of property, toxic masculinity, adult werewolves sexualizing teenage werewolves, outdated opinions on women, misogyny, horny teenagers, sexual situations, rejection of self, shitty privileged boys who think over-highly of themselves, gaslighting, kidnapping, casual nudity, suicidal ideation, suicidal preparation, attempted *attempted* suicide, consent issues around women's bodies including sexual grabbing, sexual harassment, pedestal-putting and fetishizing of humans, not being able to fight "your nature", and softness treated as weakness from the novel.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Special Backlist: Time for a spooky Halloween Special! We're reading our first book written by a guy?! Christopher Pike's THE LAST VAMPIRE, published May 1994! Chill: Drinking! Ollie is drinking an absinthe cocktail they love, the Shattered Mirror (Absente absinthe, simple syrup, lime juice). Cyna is drinking a mixed drink she calls a Sita (ginger ale, raspberry liqueur, grenadine, lemon juice, clear vodka + red food coloring). Check out our drink set ups on twitter: Ollie - Cyna Bonus content: Sita's Vampire the Masquerade overpowered (OP) character sheet. How many experience points does this lady have!? Suleikha Snyder's thoughts on The Last Vampire and Racial Representation. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward. Starting at 1:23:44 until 1:38:50 - MAJOR CONTENT WARNINGS! Neither of us are experts but we needed to talk about historical myths around Aryan mythology, mentions of Nazi Germany, propaganda, racism, colorism, appropriation of advancement in a "history to the colonizer" type revision to perpetuate false information that is or can be harmful, discrediting, and dehumanizing to Indian and Hindu cultures, and controversy surrounding those topics. Critical consumption of media herein. Next time: 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT - BLOOD & CHOCOLATE! At long last! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public!  We'll also watch the B&C movie and live tweet it; we'll post the date and hashtag ahead of time on @BacklistPodcast twitter. Season 6 begins in December, and we'll announce to Chillest tier patrons first. (1h 43m. Content Warning: Vulgar language, drinking alcohol, discussions of bad parents and kids stealing shit from libraries, teenage runaways and , homelessness, mentions of Nazi Germany and propaganda, and dramatic readings from the hosts; Extremely over-powered, sexually confident, and self-assured bisexual (probably hetero-romantic) vampire heroine, kidnapping, murder, physical violence, gun violence, horror, whitewashing of Hindu religion and mythology, whiteness as goodness, sex and sexual situations, nudity, reborn true love, teen character with HIV/AIDS, 1990s technology, flashbacks, demons, desecration of a pregnant corpse, insubstantial roles for other women, compressed timeline that requires suspension of disbelief, author self-insert character, cliffhanger ending, male gaze writing, stilted dialogue, Aryan mythology, racism, and colorism from the novel.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: It's finally the finale! Season 5 concludes with LJ Smith's THE SECRET CIRCLE: THE POWER, published November 1992!   Chill: Drinking! Ollie is drinking an absinthe cocktail they love the Shattered Mirror (Absente absinthe, sugar water, lime juice). Cyna is drinking a cloudy dishwater drink we're calling The Power because it sure isn't a Silver Cord (purple box jello, lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice, almond flavoring, ginger ale, shitty cheap vodka). Check out our set ups on twitter: Ollie - Cyna   And all those covers at: ljscovers.insanitysandwich.com - The Secret Circle covers    Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.   List of ACTUALLY queer teen witch books at the end, starting at about 1:04:00!   Next time: SPOOKY HALLOWEEN SPECIAL! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! And in November we have a special 2 Year Anniversary event!   Season 6 will begin in December, and we'll announce to Chillest tier patrons first.   (1h 12m. Content Warning: Vulgar language, drinking alcohol, and dramatic readings from the hosts; Misleading and spoiler-filled blurbs, entitled privileged jerks and unexamined class warfare, magic removing of autonomy, terrible plot seeds, bullshit soulmates, having cake and eating it too from the author, no consequences/tension can last forever, prophetic dreams, misogyny, weird family dynamics, classism, not enough potential for The Gay, mean girls, zero parental oversight, privileged jerks and unexamined privilege, non-Wiccan witchcraft, dark magic, fetishizing of whiteness as goodness, lack of communication, violence, death, horror, and shoehorned romance from the novel.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: Season 5 continues with the middle third of LJ Smith's THE SECRET CIRCLE: THE CAPTIVE (and another title that actually has any meaning) published October 1992! Chill: Drinking! Cyna is drinking a Black John Crystal Skull, a cheap version of a Smoke Crystal Skull  (vodka, tea and lemonade Arnold Palmer, liquid smoke, black gel food coloring). Ollie is drinking an absinthe and tea cocktail (Absente absinthe, green and white tea, sugar). Check out our set ups on twitter: Ollie - Cyna. And all those covers at: ljscovers.insanitysandwich.com - The Secret Circle covers  Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  Next time:  Season 5 Episode 3: THE POWER! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public! (2h 6m. Content Warning: Vulgar language, drinking alcohol, and dramatic readings from the hosts; Misleading and spoiler-filled blurbs, magic removing consent and autonomy (including sexually--like we NEED TO BE CLEAR there's magic-compulsive rape implied against human guys), classism, not enough potential for The Gay, no plot that matters, bi-erasure, mean girls, zero parental oversight, privileged jerks and unexamined privilege, class warfare without addressing structural power, secrets, lies, non-Wiccan witchcraft, dark magic, kids doing petty crimes, extreme lack of diversity while coding antagonists with racist visuals and phrases, fetishizing of whiteness as goodness, lack of communication, breeding?, fire, violence, death, horror, and terribad pacing from the novel.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

Backlist: A new season and a returning author! LJ Smith's THE SECRET CIRCLE series begins with THE INITIATION (and the title kinda has meaning, hooray) published September 1992!   Chill: Drinking! Cyna is drinking a Salem Witch (melon liquor, raspberry liquor, sweet & sour, vodka, grenadine, and club soda). Ollie is drinking a Triple L (Absente absinthe, lime juice, and homemade lilac simple-syrup--making it lilac-lime-licorice flavored). Check out our set ups on twitter: Cyna - Ollie.   And all those covers at: ljscovers.insanitysandwich.com - The Secret Circle covers    Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.    Next time:  Season 5 Episode 2: THE CAPTIVE! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public!   (1h 40m. Content Warning: Vulgar language, drinking alcohol, and dramatic readings from the hosts; Misleading and spoiler-filled blurbs, poverty shaming, witch radar, insta-love, bi-erasure, mean girls, zero parental oversight, privileged jerks and unexamined privilege, class warfare without addressing structural power, colonization, plot holes, coerced and dubious consent (but not with anything sexual), bullshit blood purity, secrets, lies, non-Wiccan witchcraft, dark magic, extreme lack of diversity, lack of communication, first crushes, first kisses, and terribad pacing from the novel.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

In this Intro episode for season five, Cyna and Ollie get ready to revisit LJ Smith (previously read in season 3 for The Vampire Diaries) to continue our trek through her backlist--and going for some witchy YA one more time! Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  No booze was consumed in the making of this episode--WHICH IS WILD, BECAUSE WE'RE SUPER GOOFY. Regularly scheduled alcohol to resume in Episode 1: THE SECRET CIRCLE: The Initiation!  Thanks for being with us, listeners. We hope you're all holding tight out there. Come hang with us on twitter @BacklistPodcast.

"Uh, I dunno, I'm in a YA book, so it could mean death. I'm a YA protagonist now, Cal, this could mean REAL death!"   Backlist: Season 4 concludes with Cate Tiernan's SWEEP series book three: BLOOD WITCH (from 2001)!   Chill: What's in the drink today? Cyna's imbibing a modified Sunseeker she's calling a Seeker (lemon juice, lime juice, vodka, and simply syrup). And Ollie's just being absinthe trash as usual with Absente, lime juice, and sugar-water. But check out our set ups on twitter: Cyna - Ollie. Early on, Ollie mentions a Legolas Eyeball Thing, and you can read all about that here.   Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.    Next time: Our Intro Ep for Season 5! Who will it be....? Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode a few weeks before it goes public!   (1h 45m. Content Warning: Vulgar language, drinking alcohol, dramatic readings, and missing the outdoors from the hosts; Spoilerific blurbs, soulmates question mark??, chosen ones and destiny, extremely obvious foreshadowing, discussions of religion and magic, witches and witchcraft, witch cops, witches being disappeared, the gays do exist but we're not protags or love interests, diary entries of dubious quality, boys being awful, plot that could be solved by texting these day, defacing other people's floors, stalking, trespassing, forgetting about your Catholic upbringing and your science goals, sexual harassment and assault, "purity of the blood" type ridiculousness, intense classism, not getting consent for using witchy powers on people, gaslighting, physical fighting, and overall easy reading from the novel.)   Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!

"We're so good at writing books; we just take all of the conflict right out of 'em!" Backlist: Season 4 continues with Cate Tiernan's SWEEP series book two: THE COVEN (from 2001)! Chill: What're we boozin' today? Cyna's whipped up a Witches Brew (1 part each Midori, Sprite, orange juice, but then also added vodka, more OJ, and more Sprite to make it taste, uh, better). Ollie is drinking a modified Broken Mirror (1 part each Absente absinthe, lime, sugar-water). Check out our set ups on twitter: Cyna - Ollie. Intro theme - "Let It In" by Josh Woodward.  Next time:  Season 4 Episode 3: BLOOD WITCH! Chiller and Chillest tier patrons will receive this episode before it goes public!  (1h 22m. Content Warning: Vulgar language, drinking alcohol, dramatic readings, discussions of imaginary parenting role play, and mentions of 9/11 timeline obsessing from the hosts; Spoiler-filled blurbs, discussions of religion and magic, witches and witchcraft, the gays do exist but we're not protags or love interests, the moral gray of when to tell a kid they're adopted, unsolved murder mystery, recent history persecution of witches, not getting consent for using witchy powers on people, girlhate, bullying, gaslighting, fighting over a boy, "purity of the blood" type ridiculousness, attempted assault from a boyfriend, toxic masculinity, plot that could be solved by technology and communication, possessive boys, and overall easy reading from the novel.) Psst! Want to get B&C delivered to your inbox days before it goes live to the public? Become our patron at the $2 or higher level and you are in! Already our patron? Then you know what we're talking about! Enjoy, friend!