The Library Coven

A bi-weekly podcast in which two besties read young adult fantasy through a critical lens

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Top 10 The Library Coven Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Library Coven episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Library Coven for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Library Coven episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Episode 8: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Library Coven

12/03/18 • 70 min

J & K thoroughly enjoyed the dark and twisty world of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Episode 8 features not one but TWO of K’s now infamous research rabbit holes. #RavenclawFTW.

Content Warning: physical, mental, and emotional abuse If you or someone you know has been the victim of child abuse, please call ChildHelp 1-800-422-4453 for assistance

The first is about all the different kinds of faeries. If you want to know more about sprites, dryads, nymphs, selkies, kelpies, banshees, elves, gnomes, goblins, pixies, etc. etc. etc., you can find an encyclopedic list here (complete with illustrations!). And while we’re at it, have another resource. The second research rabbit hole is decidedly less whimsical: forced and “legal” transracial adoptions. Below you can find an excerpt from the episode script that includes resources.

Certainly Taryn and Jude’s situation is more in the vein of forced adoptions. Indigenous children from all over the world experienced this on a wide scale. See Canada’s forced adoptions. This shit is going down right now with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and subsequent financial payout. Or the “Stolen Generations” of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Real forced adoptions of indigenous children are one-thousand-million percent more pernicious, violent and sinister than the ONE case we see in the book since they are a strategy for erasing indigenous peoples and traditions from the face of the earth. One strategy of many, I should say. Let’s settle in for a few minutes and talk about the role the United States Government has played. As an American, and particularly as a white American, I figure the least I could do is find out more about my country’s history on this issue). I’m just going to talk about the mid-1900s to now, since this shit has been happening for centuries—since waaaaay before the USA was the USA.... Between 1941-1978 it is estimated that between a quarter to a third of all First Nations children in what is now the United States were separated from their families, communities, traditions, and histories. Thousands of children. How did this happen, exactly? A lot of this was due to the creation of the Indian Adoption Project in 1958 by the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), which was a response to the widespread poverty and abuse on reservations by out-adopting (aka permanently placing indigenous children with white families). According to the 2012 report “Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation Forums” by the First Nations Orphan Association, quote “The policy of out-adoption intentionally placed Indian children with white families, with the assumption that they would have a better chance at succeeding if they were separated from the unfortunate conditions of reservations. This practice differed entirely from all other adoption policy at the time, which favored “matching” children with adoptive families who shared similar traits, especially race or religion. Indian children, it was presumed, were in special need of being “saved” from their roots” end quote (2). Plenty of other groups did this, like Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services. So instead of asking WHY the conditions on reservations were so dire (hint: it’s because of the colonialism and genocide this country was built on) and trying to undo all the damage, white people got all white-savior-y and systematically removed indigenous children from their communities, thereby blaming indigenous people for problems that white people created in the first place. In 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act was passed to try and keep the system from removing indigenous youth from their communities, but as of 2003, 3x as many indigenous children were in the foster system per capita as compared to white children.

Check out this BBC short documentary

1 Listener

76. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

The Library Coven

02/07/23 • 46 min

Our winter podcast hibernation is over, and we’re back with fortnightly episodes starting with a discussion of The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, an adult fantasy novel about six magical adults who join a secret(ish) society. Again this is a book for adults, but it could be an ok fit for a mature teen as the story does deal with some pretty heavy topics at times.

We chose this book because it was making the rounds on social media, and we wanted to see for ourselves what all this hype was about.

Notes for this ep are short and sweet. Did you read The Atlas Six? Let us know what you think!

Recommend if you like... [read-alikes mostly, but also other media, film, tv, etc.]
- grad school but wish there were higher stakes – like an academic hunger games
- Umbrella academy (misfit crew with powers, stopping the apocalypse vibes— mostly thought of this after the end twist was revealed)
“Museums” – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Drop us a line in the comments or reach out to us on twitter, Instagram (@thelibrarycoven), or via email ([email protected]).

Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

You can support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord.

Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com.

We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

1 Listener

Episode 9: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

The Library Coven

12/17/18 • 70 min

In episode 9 we are discussing Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo For the first time, J & K have quite different feeling about the ships in this book, but we are both very excited about the upcoming King of Scars, which will be released on 29 January 2019.

Content Warning: In this episode we discuss sexual assault and self harm If you or someone you know are the victim of sexual assault and would like assistance, please call RAINN (Call 800-856-4619 or visit their website for assistance) or if you are a member of the LGBTQIA community in crisis, and would like someone to talk to, please contact The Trevor Project. (1-866-488-7386, text 678678, or visit their website to c hat) If you or someone you know are the victims of child abuse, please contact ChildHelp ( 1-800-422-4453) for assistanceThese resources are free and confidential!

There are some spoilers in this episode for the BBC Sherlock, and there may be a moment where you hear the upstairs neighbors vacuuming. Below is additional information on some of the topics discussed in this fortnight’s episode:

We have mentioned it before, but it deserves repeating: read “How to Spend Your Privilege” by Brittany Packnett
We talked about “sowing your seed” in relation to the Apparat, and there is a great video from John Oliver that shows how that money may be used, and how the government protects those who may take advantage and profit from donations
J is absolutely in love with Oncat, and here is a bit more information about witch familiars.
We might have some real life invisibility cloaks in our future! In Ruin and Rising, Alina is able to make things invisible, and that’s also possible in real life!

Transcript to come Spring 2021

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical folx. Post or tweet about the show using #criticallyreading. Let us know what you think of the episode, anything we missed, or anything else you want us to know by dropping a line in the comments or reaching out to us on twitter or Instagram (@thelibrarycoven), or via email ([email protected]). You can also check out the show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

Please support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Even better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like mini-sodes, bonus episodes, and access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord.

The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com.

JK, it’s magic is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (Kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

You can support Indigenous communities by donating t...

48. Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

The Library Coven

02/23/21 • 64 min

Hello, Coven! How is your winter going? We’re excited to bring you a new episode discussing Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland and finishing up the Dread Nation series. If you need a recap of what in the first book, you can check out our episode about Dread Nation!

Please consider taking our supporter survey! It should require only 5-10 minutes and it will help us get to know our audience and get your feedback about the content we create.

http://bit.ly/LibraryCovenSurvey

This episode features some animals trying to make themselves heard in the episode. Sorry not sorry. Now on to the notes!

Racist history of gynecology from Wear Your Voice
Anti-Blackness in Asian communities
Treatment of Black Indigenous folks like Rebecca Roanhorse
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
The Red Nation podcast
A Different Mirror for Young People
Glossary regarding ableism in language
A Few Red Drops
Little Monsters movie

Transcript to come Spring 2021

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical folx. Post or tweet about the show using #criticallyreading or #thelibrarycoven. Let us know what you think of the episode, anything we missed, or anything else you want us to know by dropping a line in the comments or reaching out to us on twitter or Instagram (@thelibrarycoven), or via email ([email protected]). You can also check out the show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

Please support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Even better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord.

The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com.

The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (Kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

#LandBack. You can support Indigenous communities by donating to Mitakuye Foundation, Native Women’s Wilderness, or the Navajo Water Project. These suggested places came from @lilnativeboy.

55. Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho

The Library Coven

08/10/21 • 42 min

Hello, beautiful ones! This fortnight we’re discussing Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho, the second book in the Gumiho series. Join us to find out how Somin, Junu, Miyoung and Jihoon deal with grief and magical/inter-dimensional disruption. There’s romance. There’s banter. What’s not to love?

Check out Episode 40 for our discussion of Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1)

Stay magical, bbs!

We still have a survey going on, and we’d really appreciate if you took it! We’ve already implemented some of your suggestions, so we’d love to know what else you’re looking for in the show!
Recommend if you like...
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
- Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
- Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha
- Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova
Since recording, Kelly has listened to the Revolutionary Left Radio episode about the Korean Peninsula and its past/present. Can confirm: its recommendable. Go forth and learn some stuff!
Kim’s Convenience (available on Netflix). Since the release of the 5th season, there’s been a lot of revelations about racism, an almost all-white writers room, and poor pay for actors.
The “Goblin” K-drama that Kelly mentions is alternatively translated as Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비)
Kat Cho has done a pronunciation video for us (there’s also one for Wicked Fox). Not to mention there’s also a glossary and notes included in the book. #Blessed
Fringe (TV show). Did anyone else watch this?!
Loki show
The “knowing it when you see it” originally comes from a 1964 court case about pornography (you can read the deets here)

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Drop us a line in the comments or reach out to us on twitter, Instagram (@thelibrarycoven), or via email ([email protected]).

Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

Please support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Even better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord.

Our cover art is by the talented artist nimsby. The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “...

96. I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

The Library Coven

05/14/24 • 37 min

Show announcement: several months ago we decided that it’s time for The Library Coven to come to an end, so this will be our final season. Over the past nearly 6 years we’ve loved making the show and forging connections with folks we never would have met otherwise. But it’s time for our HEAs*. Whether you’re a new listener or someone who’s been with us since early days, thank you for giving us your attention <3 Links for ways to keep in touch included below

*happily-ever-afters

Onto the penultimate episode!

We were both captivated by the debut horror novel I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea. Laure has been working incredibly hard at the Ballet Academy of Paris, putting her body on the line in the process in a world filled with seemingly innocent white girls in pink tutus. But the world of ballet is cutthroat, and there’s no space for a Black ballerina. When Laure makes an otherworldly pact, she’s able to make people do her bidding. But when others who’ve also sold pieces of themselves start dying, Laure is sure she’s next – trying to keep up with her ballet while figuring out who’s hunting them down. Chaos ensues as white privilege and racism strike yet again.

Recommend if you like...
- Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
- Get Out
- Black Swan
- Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton or the tv show adaptation
Blacks in Ballet on instagram

how to find us slash keep in touch after the show ends:

Jessie shares baking adventures at jessie.mae.bakes (on instagram and TikTok) and knitting escapades at jessie.mae.knits on instagram.
kelly is less online but can still be found making queer community radio with the OutSources Collective on KNGU (kgnu.org/outsources) or at kellyjdrumright.com.

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Reach out to us on Instagram (@thelibrarycoven) or via email ([email protected]).

Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

Interview with Katy Michelle Quinn, author of The Girl in the Walls

The Library Coven

05/04/21 • 26 min

We’re excited to bring you our second interview! This time we’re chatting with Katy Michelle Quinn. She is the author of Girl in the Walls, which is out June 1, 2021 from Clash Books. You can preorder the book here!

Say ‘hi’ to Katy Michelle Quinn on twitter or instagram.

Katy has attended Bizarro Con and misses those moments of connection at in-person conventions.
She is reading N.K. Jemison’s novel The Fifth Season, listening to hyper pop like Charlie XCX as well as metal, hardcore and country music. Katy is also watching Star Trek for the first time (!) and recently re-watched Will & Grace.
Katy’s horror recs include the director Dario Argento and other Italian horror films from the 1970s and 80s.

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Post or tweet about the show using #CriticallyReading or #TheLibraryCoven. Let us know what you think of the episode, anything we missed, or anything else you want us to know by dropping a line in the comments or reaching out to us on twitter or Instagram (@thelibrarycoven), or via email ([email protected]). You can also check out the show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

Please support our labor by leaving us a one-time tip on Ko-fi or purchasing books from our Bookshop! Even better yet, become a monthly patron via Patreon and you can unlock a bunch of exclusive perks like access to our community of reader-listeners on Discord.

#LandBack. You can support Indigenous communities by donating to Mitakuye Foundation, Native Women’s Wilderness, or the Navajo Water Project. These suggested places came from @lilnativeboy.

Episode 10 (!): A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

The Library Coven

12/31/18 • 59 min

Listeners, we made it to Episode 10! A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir made J & K fear for the fate of our favorite characters and ships in upcoming 4th book of the Ember in the Ashes Series.

At one point we discuss the possible importance of the Nightbringer’s true name and wonder if true names “are a thing” with fae. Further research confirms that true names are indeed “a thing”. Episode notes are short this time because it’s New Year’s Eve, and I (K) am about to go make a hazelnut and chocolate crepe cake. Happy New Year! We can’t wait to read more wonderful books in 2019 and keep sharing our conversations with you. <3

Transcript to come Spring 2021

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

The podcast theme song is “Unermerry Academy of Magics” by Augustin C from the album “Fantasy Music”, which you can download on FreeMusicArchive.com.

You can support Indigenous communities by donating to Mitakuye Foundation, Native Women’s Wilderness, or the Navajo Water Project. These suggested places came from @lilnativeboy

65. Oculta by Maya Motayne

The Library Coven

02/22/22 • 45 min

We’re finally going back to Castellan and reuniting with Finn and Alfie! In this episode we discuss Oculta by Maya Motayne, the second installment of the A Forgery of Magic series. This book is the sequel to Nocturna, which we discussed in episode 41, so go check that out if you haven’t yet!

In Oculta, we’re back in San Cristobal, with Finn and Alfie trying to figure out a murderous plot at the center of a v dramatic peace summit. Of course, chaos ensues!

onto the short and sweet show notes...

Recommend if you like...
- Six of Crows and/or Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo – there’s a heist-y feeling with all of the shenanigans and plotting.
- Tamora Pierce’s Trickster’s Choice and Trickster Queen
From Art Spiegelman’s Maus, a graphic novel about the holocaust and it’s legacy in a family, to the autobiographical All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson and many books in between, censorship and book banning are back in our collective conversation. Below are some related resources and articles.
- “Book Bans Are Targeting the History of Oppression” by Marilisa Jiménez García (in The Atlantic)
- 2020 Banned and Challenged book list from the The Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association (published August 2021)
- “Banned Books Week: A Reading List” by PEN America
We discuss predatory financial practices in the episode, so here is some further reading
- multi-faceted criticisms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) include it’s so-called “debt-trap diplomacy” of foisting the use of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) and austerity policies (don’t know WTF all those acronyms mean? here’s a source with more information)
- In this video, Dari Grant explains the cycle of payday loans and her ideas for disrupting it
K was trying very hard to describe a website where you can drag and see the real size of countries. It’s called “The True Size Of...”
K mentions the scholar and writer Jasbir Puar and the concept of “debility” she develops in the book The Right to Maim. Very heavy and important reading, so take care.

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Drop us a line in the comments or reach out to us on twitter, Instagram (@thelibrarycoven), or via email ([email protected]).

Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

We support #LandBack. The Library Coven is recorded and produced on stolen indigenous land: Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute (Kelly) and Chickasha, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Mascoutin, Miami, Mesquaki, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peankashaw, Peoria, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Wea (Jessie)

71. Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

The Library Coven

10/04/22 • 51 min

This week we’re discussing Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor. This story follows Zahrah, a 13 year old girl who is born with special hair called dadalocks. When her best friend falls into a coma after a snake bite, Zahrah, who is scared of pretty much everything, has to take a journey through the jungle to find a cure.

This is Okorafor’s debut from back in 2005 if you can believe it. The world building is NEXT LEVEL, our MC is feisty and relatable, and there’s a beautiful friendship at the core of the story. What’s not to love?

This was the book choice of our wonderful Patreon patron Grey from@grey_reads. Follow them on instagram for reviews of a wide variety of books. Thanks so much for this one, Grey!

Recommend if you like...
- Matilda (although we’ve only seen the movie)
- Alice in Wonderland – which gets a few mentions in the book, although with a slightly different title
- Ms. Marvel – either the comics or the show
- A Blade so Black by L.L. Mckinney*

we’ve done episodes for this book! but you don’t have to take our word for it – go ahead and scroll thru our episodes page

we looked it up, first iPhone was from 2007
Headspace app/site (not an ad! Jessie just enjoys it)
collective group names for vultures
This novel is dedicated to Virginia Hamilton, a Black author who has won ton of awards for her writing and is one of the few Black people to have won a Newbery
“Friendlove” episode of How to Survive the End of the World podcast
“I’ve Got a Friend” by Maggie Rogers (visualizer on YT)

As always, we’d love to be in discussion with you, magical people. Drop us a line in the comments or reach out to us on twitter, Instagram (@thelibrarycoven), or via email ([email protected]).

Access complete show notes on our website, thelibrarycoven.com.

We really appreciate ratings and reviews on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or any other platforms. Help us share the magic by spreading the word about the podcast!

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Library Coven have?

The Library Coven currently has 120 episodes available.

What topics does The Library Coven cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Podcasts, Books and Arts.

What is the most popular episode on The Library Coven?

The episode title 'Episode 8: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Library Coven?

The average episode length on The Library Coven is 52 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Library Coven released?

Episodes of The Library Coven are typically released every 14 days.

When was the first episode of The Library Coven?

The first episode of The Library Coven was released on Aug 26, 2018.

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The Library Coven