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

Explicit content warning

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

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 to Mitakuye Foundation, Native Women’s Wilderness, or the Navajo Water Project. These suggested places came from @lilnativeboy

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.

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

Previous Episode

Episode 9: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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

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 t...

Next Episode

11. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Happy New Year, Listeners! We are excited to read and discuss new (and old) book with this year. Any suggestions for books you’d like to read with us? This fortnight we’re discussing Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan . J & K have some mixed feeling about this book. We loved the elaborate back story and well fleshed out setting, but had some difficulty with the pacing. And obvi, we were excited to have many different kinds of representation in this book. What were your thoughts about this story?

Content Warning: In this episode we discuss sexual assault and rape If you or someone you know are the victim of sexual assault and would like assistance, please call RAINN or if you are a member of the LGBTQIA community in crisis, and would like someone to talk to, please contact The Trevor Project. These resources are free and confidential!

This week’s show notes are a bit long, but we’re here to provide you with all the background info we can!

There are spoilers for both the movie John Wick and and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
J & K put a lot of pressure on loving this book because it told stories we haven’t read before. And I (J) was hesitant to criticize the book too much because I think these kinds of representation are important (as the episode goes on, I get much more comfortable). It was the Rep Sweats. Listen to this fantastic episode about the Rep Sweats from Code Switch. They focuses a lot on Asian American Rep Sweats, which is pretty on target since that’s part of what we’re talking about in Girls of Paper and Fire. Kat Chow also discusses her Rep Sweats from when Crazy Rich Asians came out. It’s worth a read.
Shamanism came up in both Through the Wardrobe and One Does Not Simply... There is so much information, but Britannica has a good overview of Shamaninism within Asian culture and in other regions.
Free Will vs Causal Determinism ( which has come up in a few different episodes) and Compatibilism (which is supposed to reconcile the Free Will and Determinism). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy offers an in depth overview of all three. There are also these great videos from Crash Course that describe all three in a much shorter amount of time, and they’re entertaining! – Determinism vs Free Will – Compatibilism –
J mentions an English political/comedy show, here’s Russell Howard’s interview of Adam Kay, the former doctor who wrote about his time working as a doctor for the NHS in