Mostly Fictional

Pam has success with a book club read and Hallie continues Nonfiction November.Books mentioned, in order:The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongOn Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean VuongAlone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration by David RobertsEndurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred LansingMagic for Liars by Sarah GaileyThe Pallbearers Club by Paul TremblayThese Truths: A History of the United States by Jill LeporeDeath of the Author by Nnedi OkoraforNPR Book Concierge https://apps.npr.org/best-books/Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam finishes her fifth vampire book, and we share a short bookish gift guide ahead of the holidaysBooks mentioned, in order:The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesSay Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden KeefeEvery Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-reum, translated by Shanna Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-ReumBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererPlayground by Richard PowersThe Overstory by Richard PowersFriends of the Museum by Heather McGowanGideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirLinks mentioned:https://tertulia.com/Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Hallie continues Nonfiction November and Pam faces an audiobook dilemma. Books mentioned, in order:Flesh by David SzalayThere's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif AbdurraqibA Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance by Hanif AbdurraqibThey Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif AbdurraqibGo Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest by Hanif AbdurraqibThe Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererSay Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden KeefeEmpire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden KeefeFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosThe Booker Prize: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/prize-years/2025 Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Our take on "10 Before the End."Books mentioned, in order: Hungerstone by Kat DunnDracula by Bram StokerCarmilla by Sheridan Le FanuBriefly a Delicious Life by Nell StevensA Certain Hunger Chelsea G. SummersPiglet by Lottie HazellThe God of the Woods by Liz MooreHamnet by Maggie O’FarrellThe Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’FarrellThe Scorpio Races by Maggie StiefvaterTwilight by Stephenie MeyerA Midsummer Night’s Dream by William ShakespeareThe Raven Cycle by Maggie StiefvaterVampires at Sea by Lindsay MerbaumBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererThere’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesDeath of the Author by Nnedi OkoraforWild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghyMigrations by Charlotte McConaghyParadise Logic by Sophie KempThe Afterlife Project by Tim WeedStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelCloud Atlas by David MitchellSaltcrop by Yume KitaseiThe Deep Sky by Yume KitaseiThe Stardust Grail by Yume KitaseiHow to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django WexlerMen at Arms by Terry PratchettGuards Guards by Terry PratchettFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam goes for a hat trick with book hauls.Books and links mentioned in this episode: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon JamesBlack Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon JamesA Prayer for Owen Meany by John IrvingSearch by Michelle Huneven Agatha of Little Neon by Claire LuchetteThe World According to Garp by John Irving100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezHungerstone by Kat DunnDracula by Bram StokerCarmilla by Sheridan Le FanuMacbeth by William ShakespeareTwilight by Stephenie MeyerStories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangAn Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirThe Scorpio Races by Maggie StiefvaterBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererLINKShttps://thebookerprizes.com/the-childrens-booker-prizeFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Surprise, Pam has another book haul! Books and links mentioned in this episode:The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee MohamedMoon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig RiceWhat Draws Us Near edited by Keith Cadieux & Adam PetrashVampires at Sea by Lindsay MerbaumWhimsy by Shannon McLeodDracula by Bram StokerCarmilla by Sheridan Le FanuA Prayer for Owen Meany by John IrvingA Christmas Carol by Charles DickensHungerstone by Kat DunnThe Alaskan Bull Worm: https://spongebob.fandom.com/wiki/Alaskan_Bull_WormA Christmas Story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_StoryFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam hauls 25 books!! Just kidding -- only 6 from her haul make an appearance. Books mentioned, in order: Tantrum by Rachel Eve MoultonRosemary’s Baby by Ira LevinHot Wax by M.L. RioThe Pallbearer’s Club by Paul TremblayThe Goldfinch by Donna TarttThe Last Samurai by Helen DeWittCarmilla by Sheridan Le FanuDracula by Bram StokerBabel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. KuangA Sorceress Comes to Call by T. KingfisherHungerstone by Kat DunnThe Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady HendrixHorrorstor by Grady HendrixWitchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady HendrixWordplay by John LangdonA Prayer for Owen Meany by John IrvingLinks mentioned this episode:Seven Samurai Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/seven_samurai_1956Season 1 of Carmilla web series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uPd3g5wi1A VSauce on Ambigrams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyD6b9ww-1IDracula Daily: https://draculadaily.substack.com/ Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

In this episode, Hallie loves a book that survived a TBR culling, and Pam reads a book with 80s music built right in.Books mentioned, in order: Killer on the Road by Stephen Graham JonesThe Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham JonesAmerican War by Omar El Akkad One Day Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El AkkadLessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane AndersPossession by AS ByattTantrum by Rachel Eve MoultonHot Wax by M.L. RioIf We Were Villains by M.L. RioGraveyard Shift by M.L. RioCulpability by Bruce HolsingerBooker Shortlist: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/prize-years/2025Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Hallie asks Pam why the Canadian government is like that, and Pam is racing against a library deadline. Books mentioned, in order: The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham JonesKiller on the Road by Stephen Graham JonesCulpability by Bruce HolsingerListening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution by Amy Coney BarrettLessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane AndersMiddlegame by Seanan McGuireVenCo by Cherie Dimaline Hot Wax by ML RioAmerican War by Omar El AkkadFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Hallie has finished a dark academia series and Pam tries her luck at reading new releases.Books mentioned, in order:A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky ChambersThe Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky ChambersA Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky ChambersA Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky ChambersTo Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky ChambersVita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, tr by Julia Meitov HerseyAssassin of Reality by the DyachenkosSchool of Shards by the DyachenkosThe Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’FarrellHamnet by Maggie O’FarrellKiller on the Road by Stephen Graham JonesThe Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham JonesThe Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham JonesMy Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham JonesHot Wax by M.L. RioIf We Were Villains by M.L. RioLessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane AndersDisorientation by Elaine Hsieh ChouGilead by Marilynne RobinsonFingersmith by Sarah WatersThe Historian by Elizabeth KostovaDracula by Bram StokerMoonbound by Robin SloanMr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin SloanSourdough by Robin SloanCulpability by Bruce HolsingerFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Hallie, a silly goose, is reading two physical books, and Pam finally conquered a classic.Books mentioned, in order:Death du Jour by Kathy ReichsWhirlaway by Poe Ballantine100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia MarquezLove in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia MarquezLooking for a Alaska by John GreenThe General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia MarquezAssassin of Reality by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko with Julia Meitov HerseySchool of Shards by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko with Julia Meitov HerseyA Closed and Common Orbit by Becky ChambersWe, the Drowned by Carsten JensenTess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas HardyLady Chatterley’s Lover by DH LawrenceLocked Tomb series by Tamsyn MuirEmily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather FawcettWayward Children series by Seanan McGuireMiddlegame by Seanan McGuireFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Hallie learns her series is new this year, and Pam attempts to conquer a classic. Books mentioned, in order:Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko with Julia Meitov HerseyThe Magicians by Lev GrossmanHarry Potter series by JK RowlingThe Poppy War by RF KuangMiddlegame by Seanan McGuireStories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangDeath du Jour by Kathy ReichsDeja Dead by Kathy ReichsI’d Kill For That by Kathy ReichsNo Rest for the Dead by Kathy ReichsTemperance Brennan series by Kathy ReichsAssassin of Reality by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko with Julia Meitov Hersey100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezWhirlaway by Poe BallantineThe Catcher in the Rye by JD SalingerThe Great Gatsby by F Scott FitzgeraldThe Wayfarers series by Becky ChambersThe Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky ChambersA Closed and Common Orbit by Becky ChambersSchool of Shards by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko with Julia Meitov HerseyFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam gets to correct Hallie's French pronunciation and Hallie finished a physical book!Books mentioned, in order:Migrations by Charlotte McConaghyOnce There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghyWild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghySounds Like Titanic: A Memoir by Jessica Chiccehitto HindmanArcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-JonesThe Ravel Cycle Graphic Novel by Maggie StiefvaterHotel Du Lac by Anita BrooknerThe Thirteenth Tale by Diane SetterfieldHamnet by Maggie O'FarrellWhirlaway by Poe BallantineDeath du Jour by Kathy ReichsVita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko with Julia Meitov HerseyThe Magicians by Lev GrossmanFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam is getting her license and Hallie has the Titanic recorder meme in her head.Books mentioned in order:Bug Hollow by Michelle HunevenKitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan StradalSearch by Michelle HunevenJamesland by Michelle HunevenSounds Like Titanic: A Memoir by Jessica HindmanMigrations by Charlotte McConaghyOnce There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghyNonfiction Book Party Substack: nonfictionbookparty.substack.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam continues HRCYED and Hallie gets furniture to read on!Books mentioned, in order:The Raven Boys (Graphic Novel) by Maggie Stiefvater, adapted by Stephanie Williams, illustrated by Sas MilledgeThe Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie StiefvaterKitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan StradalHarry Potter series by JK RowlingBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE SchwabThe Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by VE SchwabThe New Wilderness by Diane CookStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelGood Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-DaltonIsland: The Complete Stories by Alistair MacLeodBroken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Migrations by Charlotte McConaghyOnce There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghyWild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghyThe God of the Woods by Liz MooreThe Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do: https://hrcyed.my.canva.site/Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Hallie's bookshelves are finally done!Books mentioned, in order:Here’s To Us by Adam Silvera and Becky AlbertalliWhat If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky AlbertalliMargo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi ThorpeBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE SchwabKitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan StradalPiglet by Lottie HazellWhere the Crawdads Sing by Delia OwensBallad for Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne CollinsA Conjuring of Light by VE SchwabThe Raven Boys Graphic Novel by Maggie StiefvaterBlue Lily Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater Harry Potter series by JK RowlingCollected works of ShakespeareCollected works of Walt WhitmanCollected works of Emily DickinsonThe Crucible by Arthur MillerTwilight series by Stephenie MeyerThe Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy by Maggie StiefvaterThe Tales of Despereaux by Kate DiCamilloThe Borrowers series by Mary NortonStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Hallie found a book at a farmer's market, and Pam continues her year of series.Books mentioned, in order:The Luminaries by Eleanor CattonBirnam Wood by Eleanor CattonThe Rehearsal by Eleanor CattonSunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne CollinsThe Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsTwilight series by Stephenie MeyerMidnight Sun by Stephenie MeyerSour Cherry by Natalia TheodoridouEmily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather FawcettEmily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather FawcettGood Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-DaltonThe Wanderers by Meg HowreyOrbital by Samantha HarveyStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelA Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky ChambersOne Yellow Eye by Leigh RadfordAmerican Rapture by CJ LeedeBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE SchwabAn Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by VE SchwabA War of Stone and Scales by Samuel A ZamorHeartstopper by Alice OsemanOn a Sunbeam by Tillie WaldenThe Love Hypothesis by Ali HazelwoodOutlander by Diana GabaldonFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam is continuing to work on HRCYED and Hallie is working on her 800+ page read.Books mentioned, in order:I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain ReidLa version qui n’intéresse personne by Emmanuelle PierrotThe Invisible Life of Adie LaRue by V.E. SchwabBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. SchwabThe Luminaries by Eleanor CattonThe Goldfinch by Donna TarttSunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne CollinsThe Hunger Games series by Suzanne CollinsThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne CollinsCain’s Jawbone by Edward Powys MathersThe Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra ClareHarry Potter series by JK RowlingTwilight series by Stephenie MeyerFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

We're halfway through the year, so it's time for a check on all those reading goals we set in January!Books mentioned, in order: Don’t Close Your Eyes by Lisa McMannWake by Lisa McMannFade by Lisa McMannGone by Lisa McMannFallen by Lauren KateHush Hush by Becca FitzpatrickTwilight by Stephenie MeyerThe Cure for Drowning by Loghan PaylorThe Whalebone Theatre by Joanna QuinnChallenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam HigginbothamA Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky ChambersLegends and Lattes by Travis Baldree The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky ChambersTo Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky ChambersThe Luminaries by Eleanor CattonBirnam Wood by Eleanor CattonI’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain ReidFind Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com

Pam has a book haul and is starting what is quite possibly the hardest reading challenge ever.Books mentioned, in order:The God of the Woods by Liz MooreSmoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin DoughtyWhere the Lost Wander by Amy HarmonGone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellEmily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather FawcettOur Wives Under the Sea by Julia ArmfieldPrivate Rites by Julia ArmfieldSalt Slow by Julia ArmfieldUp to the Light by Julia ArmfieldInto Thin Air by Jon KrakauerThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley JacksonBrokeback Mountain by Annie ProulxHalf-Arse Human: How to Live Better Without Burning Out by Leena NormsThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark MansonBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE SchwabHow to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django WexlerBabel by RF KuangConfessions of a Fox by Jordy RosenbergChallenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space:  by Adam HigginbothamThe Cure for Drowning by Loghan PaylorHRCYED 2.0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzS1f5gbt60Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionpod@gmail.com Find Pam and Hallie online!Follow Hallie’s Substack at wordsmithreads.substack.comPam can be found on Youtube and Bookstagram at @pams_inkheartOr, send us both a message at mostlyfictionalpod@gmail.com