On Wednesdays We Read (OWWR Pod)

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Hannah and Laura are wondering if Trudie Skies will cover their therapy costs as they delve into the middle portion of their book, The Children of Chaos. Hannah and Laura also chat about a musical that is hauntingly beautiful, a dystopian novel that hits all the notes, and a return to a favorite novella series.

Oh, GO WATCH WILDWOOD.

CW for the episode: discussions of assault, war, violence, blood, death, sexual assault, gore, vampires, colonization, weapons, familial trauma, trauma, manipulation, religion, religious trauma

Media Mentions:
The Ch...

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Hannah and Laura are diving headfirst into the chaos of the second book in Trudie Skies' Cruel Gods series, The Children of Chaos! They also chat about some great manga, an incredibly heartwarming novella series, and a Netflix series that is made for white women.

GO SEE WILDWOOD IN THEATERS

*This episode contains SPOILERS for The Children of Chaos by Trudie Skies. Spoiler section begins at: 22 min 49 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of racism, sexism, sexual abuse, violence, trauma, familial trauma, religion, religious trauma, mani...

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Hannah and Laura need your help! They don't know what series they should cover for their next season! So, they are pitching potential options in today's episode. Be sure to check out all of the awesome series mentioned and then head over to Bluesky and Instagram to vote for the series you think we should cover next!

Media Mentions:
The Faebound trilogy by Saara El-Arifi
Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter
Between Earth and Sky series by Rebecca Roanhorse
The Bone Witch trilogy by Rin Chupeco
...

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Hannah and Laura are talking about some difficult topics in today's TV Tuesday. They discuss Trust Me: The False Prophet, a Netflix documentary that aired earlier this year. This is a fascinating series and Hannah and Laura enjoyed watching/discussing it but hope that you take care while listening or skip this episode if it isn't for you.

**CW for the episode: child sexual abuse, religious abuse, deconstruction, cults, religion, sexual abuse, polygamy, abuse, mental illness, manipulation, abusive relationships, FLDS, sex trafficking, child pornography

If you or someone you...

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Hannah and Laura are wrapping up their discussion on Trudie Skies' book, The Thirteenth Hour, and they have SO many thoughts. They also chat about movies they watched as kids that they have a soft spot for, the recent Pulitzer Prize winner, and Jackie Daytona.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies. Spoiler section begins at: 44 min 10 secs **

*CW for the episode: discussions of religion, religious trauma, gods, mythology, death, murder, violence, sexual assault, abuse, trauma, mental illness, blood, genocide, familial trauma, chronic illness *

Me...

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Hannah and Laura are covering the middle portion of Trudie Skies' The Thirteenth Hour and are trying to decide what Quen's "vibe" is. They also discuss a fun reality show that Laura has been watching, and Hannah's favorite read (so far) of 2026.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies. Spoiler section begins at: 29 min 5 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of sex, sexual assault, rape, misogyny, sexism, violence, death, blood, magic, abuse, memory loss, police, trauma, abortion, religious trauma **

Learn more about The Crue...

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Hannah and Laura are beginning their 10TH INDIE INTERMISSION!! They cover the first 40% of The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies, gush over the worldbuilding in the novel, and try to figure out why the book isn't more popular. They also chat about a romp of a book that Laura recently read, a movie about dance teams that Hannah loved, and of course, more Taskmaster.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies. Spoiler section begins at: 34 min 10 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of inappropriate language...

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Hannah and Laura are thrilled to be chatting with author K.R. Lockhaven about his new book, Fool! They discuss the book's characters and themes, writing a shocking twist, and the role that humor can play in books. Be sure to pick up Fool, which released on September 14th!

You can follow Kyle and find his works at:
Website: KRRLockhaven.com
Instagram: @authorkrlockhaven
Bluesky: @krlockhaven.bsky.social

Media Mentions:
Fool by K.R. Lockhaven
Mrs. Covington's by K.R.R. Lockhaven
The Azure...

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Hannah and Laura are FINALLY wrapping up the "Year of the Dresden" 2026 edition. They do their best to discuss the characters and themes of Changes by Jim Butcher and speculate on how the series will be going forward. They also chat about a movie Laura didn't enjoy, a book Hannah thought handled motherhood in a nuanced way, and their thoughts on the latest series of Taskmaster (so far).

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Changes by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 41 min 20 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of...

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Hannah and Laura are delving further into Changes by Jim Butcher and doing their best to figure out what is actually happening. Laura is delighted to know that her plot prediction skills are improving and Hannah enjoys sharing some Jim Butcher/Dresden Files factoids. They also chat about some movies that Laura loved watching recently, an interesting sci-fi book they are both connected to, and Hannah's participation on a panel at Mitchell Street Arts.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Changes by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 31 min 56 secs. *

**CW f...

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Hannah and Laura feel like they are following a man who is going everywhere, and yet, accomplishing nothing. Yes, they are covering the middle portion of Changes by Jim Butcher and they are still confused. They also chat about some great audiobooks, some of their favorite moments on WILTY, and authors making the jump from non-fiction to fiction.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Changes by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 27 min 55 secs *

**CW for the episode: discussions of death, violence, sex, police, vampires, kidnapping, racism, gore **

Medi...

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Harry Dresden is going through a ton of changes and Hannah and Laura aren't prepared. They struggle through the first third of Changes by Jim Butcher, chat about a memoir that Laura wants everyone to talk about, a historical fiction book that has interesting themes, and a great album from one of Hannah's favorite artists.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for Changes by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 44 min 15 secs. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of racism, politics, homophobia, transphobia, immigration, death, illness, sex, children, kidnapping, violence, vampires, gore, gu...

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Hannah and Laura are entering into their TENTH Indie Intermission and in order to celebrate they are choosing a completed independently published SERIES to cover on the podcast!! In today's episode they work through a bracket of listener submitted book series and give brief descriptions of all of the contenders. Be sure to check out all of the authors/series mentioned in today's episode!!

Find out more about the indie series in our bracket at: IndieMission X – On Wednesdays We Read Podcast

Media Mentions:
The Triempery Revelations Series by...

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Hannah and Laura are working through their many feelings about the events in Jim Butcher's book Turn Coat, and as a result Laura has decided to start writing Dresden Files fan fiction. They also chat about more BOOOOMM movies, a book Hannah read because Laura wouldn't stop talking about it, and a very funny Apple TV show.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 53 min 48 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of death, violence, sexual assault, childhood trauma, family trauma, horror, sexism...

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Hannah and Laura are covering the final third of Jim Butcher's Turn Coat and are trying to decide if certain events needed to have taken place. They also discuss Hannah's hatred for Christopher Nolan movies, some recent non-fiction reads they loved, and a documentary that goes off the rails.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 36 min 15 secs. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of death, memory loss, sexism, racism, poverty, violence, sex, blood, vampires, magic, drugs

Media Mentions:
Turn Co...

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Hannah and Laura are covering the middle portion of Turn Coat by Jim Butcher in today's episode, and friends, things get very zany! They also discuss some romance novels that didn't "hit" for them, a beautiful children's book, and Hannah's first foray into Alfred Hitchcock's works.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 36 min 11 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of violence, sex, guns, gore, blood, sexism, vampires, racism, sexism, immigration, climate change, incarceration, death, murder

Media Mentions:
Turn Coat...

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Hannah and Laura are covering the first third of Turn Coat by Jim Butcher and are struggling to understand why Harry Dresden is helping out a certain terrible warden. They also chat about the impact of an incredibly popular book, Hannah's journey into The Righteous Gemstones, and a book that Laura is adding to her favorites list.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 47 min 21 secs. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of racism, sexism, politics, climate change, death, violence, blood, gore, immigration, poli...

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Hannah and Laura are welcoming back to the podcast one of their favorite authors, Travis Baldree!!! Travis discusses his most recent release, Brigands & Breadknives, digging into how he finds comedy in his characters and seeing what he can "get away with" in his writing. He also shares some details about upcoming graphic novel editions of his works and what to expect from his new LitRPG.

*This episode contains MILD SPOILERS for Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree. *

You can follow Travis online at:
Website: Travis Baldree
Instagram: @travis_bal...

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Hannah and Laura are wrapping up their discussion on Jim Butcher's Small Favor by discussing the characters and themes. Laura also shares some worries about an upcoming book to movie adaptation and Hannah returns to a fantasy world that she said she would never go back to.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Small Favor by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 51 min 38 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of sexual assault, chronic illness, mental illness, violence, blood, death, consent, vampires, werewolves, magic, sex

Media Mentions:
Small...

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Hannah and Laura would like to be sponsored by Oreo. Nabisco, get in touch. They also chat about Taskmaster, Nic Cage, and a book that frustrated Hannah with its title. Then they cover the final third of Small Favor by Jim Butcher, a book that simply didn't have enough "Gruffs" in it.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for Small Favor by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 49 min 05 secs. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of menstrual cycles, women's health, violence, guns, crime, vampires, magic, gore, abuse, blood, death, self-harm, suicide...

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Hannah and Laura are thrilled to welcome MJ Kuhn back to the podcast to celebrate the release of Killswitch Protocol!! MJ shares all about this revenge-filled, cyber-punk, science fiction book that she calls her "anticapitalist scream into the void."

Be sure to pick up Killswitch Protocol and follow MJ at:
MJ Kuhn, Author | SFF books
Instagram: @mjkuhnbooks

*CW for the episode: discussions of climate change, religious groups, cults, futuristic worlds

Media Mentions: 
Killswitch Protocol by MJ Kuhn
Among Thieves by MJ Kuhn
Thic...

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Hannah and Laura are in the middle of Jim Butcher's Small Favor and they are (spoiler) loving this book so far. They are admittedly struggling to remember all the different plots and characters in this series (SO many) but dig that Harry Dresden pays his taxes. They also chat about Christina Lauren books, a science fiction novel that challenged Hannah, and the movie The Other Guys.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Small Favor by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 33 min 17 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of mental illn...

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Hannah and Laura are hilarious. No feedback necessary. They are also back to discussing Harry Dresden's antics. They cover the first third of Small Favor by Jim Butcher, discuss a book on endometriosis, and discuss their musical crushes. 

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Small Favor by Jim Butcher. Spoiler section begins at: 31 min 2 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of violence, danger, gore, blood, sex, death, vampires, werewolves, chronic illness, mental illness, abusive relationships, poverty

Media Mentions:
Small Favor by Jim Butcher 
Fiction Fans podcast
Th...

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Hannah and Laura are trapped in a video game and are forced to participate in a series of "adventures" created by AI. That's right! Today's episode is a discussion of The Amazing Digital Circus!! Hannah and Laura break down the episodes, characters hitting close to home, and how surprised they were by this very quirky show.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for The Amazing Digital Circus. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of mental illness, harassment, bullying, guns, PTSD, body dysmorphia, artificial intelligence, trauma, depression, masking, existential crises, abuse, unhoused persons...

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Hannah and Laura are welcoming back to the pod their friend, author Adrian M. Gibson, to talk about his newest release, A Murder Most Fungal! Adrian delves into how his experience working in restaurants helped him create characters, the responsibility writers have for the information they put out to their readers, and how he tries to capture the lived truth of ordinary experiences. 

*CW for the episode: discussions of food, racism, politics, colonialism, death, murder, violence, language barriers, ableism, resident schools, genocide *

Be sure to follow Adrian online at:

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Hannah was lucky enough to sit down with Paul Austin Ardoin and discuss the release of his new book A Fatal Ingredient, book 1 of The Milwaukee Foodie Mysteries. We discussed building a work around Milwaukee restaurants, characters you love to hate, and how to create care for a new character. We also discuss building a new series after four series that came before!

Special thanks to Indeed Brewing for hosting this event!

Media Mentions

The works of Paul Austin Ardoin

The works of...

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Warning: this episode has a lot of fruit talk. Hannah and Laura chat about food, a cute anime, and missing the days of mediocre TV. They also wrap up their discussion on Platform Decay by Martha Wells and decide that they want to be "Emotion Check" people instead of "Redacted" people. IYKYK.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Platform Decay by Martha Wells. Spoiler section begins at: 43 min 55 secs*

**CW for the episode: discussions of food, body dysmorphia, mental illness, therapy, political systems, class systems, capitalism, violence, familial trauma, manipulation...

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Hannah and Laura are THRILLED to have romance author Mazey Eddings on the pod to talk about her newest release, You Won't Forget Me! Mazey talks about she sees books as a "snapshot in time," reflects on sharing her purpose with the world, and how she navigates writing mental illnesses in joyful stories. Hannah and Laura geek out over all of Mazey's books/characters, get some good advice related to waffles and dentistry, and decide to make Mazey their new best friend.

*CW for the episode: discussions of familial trauma, depression, m...

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Emotion check: SO happy! Hannah and Laura are back to Season 3: The Murderbot Diaries Diaries, and they are covering Platform Decay by Martha Wells! They also chat about a sci-fi manga series that hits HARD, a really heartfelt movie about sheep, and their individual journeys with Smosh.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for Platform Decay by Martha Wells. Spoiler section begins at: 48 min. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of gender, autonomy, class, violence, climate change, racism, sexism, mental illness, death, murder, blood, gore, artificial intelligence, guns, bombs, neglect, manipulation **

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Hannah and Laura are joined by the amazing FONDA LEE to discuss her newest book, The Last Contract of Isako! They discuss writing complex family dynamics, believable technological advances, grief, and how Fonda's own work background inspires her writing. 

*This episode contains SPOILERS for The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee. *

Be sure to follow Fonda online, sign up for her newsletter and pick up all of her books!

Instagram: @fonda.lee

Fonda Lee | Science Fiction and Fantasy Author

Media Mentions:

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Hannah and Laura have gone to college, become corrupted by their roommates and then entered into bad relationships with British bad boys.  That's right! Today's TV Tuesday is about the movie After. Laura ends up raging out for the majority of the episode... much to Hannah's delight. 

**This episode contains SPOILERS for the movie After. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of sex, alcoholism, stalking, drinking, peer pressure, abusive relationships, family trauma

Media Mentions:

After---Netflix

After by Anna Todd

Never Have I Ever...

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Hannah and Laura are wrapping up this indie intermission by chatting about The Heavenly Sword with the author herself! Alice Poon delves into the characters and themes of the book, her writing inspirations, and shares what readers can expect from the second book in the duology, The Earthly Blaze. 

Be sure to follow Alice online at:

Blog: Alice Poon 潘慧嫻
Instagram: @alicepoonauthor
Threads: @alicepoonauthor
Bluesky: Alice Poon 潘慧嫻 (@alicepoonauthor.bsky.social) — Bluesky

Media Mentions:
The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon
The Earthly Blaze by Alice Poon
The...

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It's still indie intermission time!! Hannah and Laura are covering the second half of The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon, digging into the characters and themes. In other news, Hannah is doing some investigative work into Pedro Pascal's career and Laura is delving into a new anime.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon. Spoiler section begins at: 31 min 50 secs. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of violence, death, blood, gore, religion, sex, neurodivergence, ableism, racism, war, politics, infertility, pregnancy, family estrangement, abandonment, cloning, sexual assault...

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Hannah and Laura are on indie intermission, covering the first half of The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon!! They also chat about a complicated TV show, a beautiful literary fiction, and Laura gives Hannah some career advice.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon. Spoiler section begins at: 41 min 40 secs. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of sex, sexual assault, religion, violence, politics, family trauma, death *

Media Mentions:

The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon

The Boys---Prime Video

Dark Ang...

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Today Hannah and Laura are chatting with author, David Quantick, about his new novella, Imagine a Friend!  They talk about David's writing background and publishing experience, creating a voice for characters, and writing surrealism. 

Be sure to follow David online at:

davidquantick.com

Bluesky: @quantick.bsky.social

And pick up Imagine a Friend, today!

Media Mentions:

Imagine a Friend by David Quantick

The Hyena by David Quantick

VEEP---HBO Max

CS Lewis's works

Diary of a...

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Hannah and Laura are welcoming Oli Schmitz, a bookseller at Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to answer some of our burning questions about independent bookstores! Indie Bookstore Day 2026 is April 25th! Go support your local indie bookstore!

You can find Oli online at:

Oli's Staff Recommendations | Boswell Book Company

and be sure to see them in person for book recommendations at Boswell Book Company! 

Media Mentions:

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Remarkably B...

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Hannah and Laura are closing the case on the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. They share some final thoughts on the series as a whole, talk about some of the more challenging moments depicted in the books, and do their best to decide which of the characters were their favorites to read about. Hannah and Laura also reflect on previous seasons of OWWR pod and throw out some ideas for potential book series to cover in the future.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for all books in Tana French's Dublin...

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Hannah and Laura went to Salt Lake City, but a cure for the Cordyceps infection couldn't be made. So, they return to Colorado and decide to unpack their mental health and the reality of living in a post-apocalyptic world with their friend, Ravi Novais. That's right! Today's episode is a discussion of The Last of Us Season 2! Ravi, Hannah, and Laura do their best to sort out their complicated feelings, discuss the differences between the videogame and the TV show, and try to decide what the season's story actually was.

**This...

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Hannah and Laura are wrapping up their discussion on The Trespasser by Tana French, and friends, they have so many thoughts. They also chat about great British television, a book with Appalachian horror vibes, and a concert that was a dream come true for Hannah to attend.

**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Trespasser by Tana French. Spoiler section begins at: 34 min 50 secs. **

*CW for the episode: discussions of mental illness, death, alcoholism, murder, violence, body shaming, sexism, racism, chronic illness, memory loss, aging, police, detectives*

Media Men...

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Hannah and Laura are covering the second half of The Trespasser by Tana French. They have complicated thoughts about the way that this book ends and whether or not the ending was too obvious. They also chat about a great book of essays, a movie that Hannah used to love as a kid, and Laura's love for Bluey.

*This episode contains SPOILERS for The Trespasser by Tana French. Spoiler section begins at 30 min 10 secs. *

**CW for the episode: discussions of death, sex, murder, sexual assault, abusive relationships, sexism, racism...