Come with us as we evade reality and escape into a new book. From mystery to romance to speculative fiction, we read books from all different kinds of books and love to get together and talk about these books.
It's spooky month, and we're digging up a vampire series from Sam's middle-school years! But just because a book was a favorite back then doesn't mean it survives an adult reread. 🧛
For Episode 191, Sam and Danielle are reading Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. Sam picked up this series in middle school, while Danielle is experiencing it for the very first time.
That gives us two very different perspectives: the nostalgia of returning to an old favorite and the fresh eyes of someone who doesn't have childhood memories doing half the work.
Does Blue Bloods still have bite more than two decades later? Which parts hold up, and which parts have us questioning Sam's younger self? And perhaps most importantly, has Melissa de la Cruz learned anything since writing this series?
Join Sam and Danielle for a spooky-month deep dive into vampire drama, teenage nostalgia, and the question of whether some books are better left in the past.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:54 About the Author
08:07 Background
10:26 Age Level & Content Warning
11:55 Judge a Book by Its Cover
14:25 The Lore
23:41 The Book
54:27 General Thoughts
56:09 One Question for the Author
57:45 The Author's Other Books
59:09 Rating
01:00:52 Read Again?
01:02:32 Outro
Follow the Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Website: https://melissa-delacruz.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorMelissadelaCruz/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelissadelacruz/
Connect with us:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulkListen Wherever You Get Podcasts
5 Oct 2026
Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare - Is the Manga Better?
A YA vampire story that started in 2000 somehow became a 12-book series, a manga adaptation, a movie, and much more. But does Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare still hold up 26 years later?
For Episode 190, Sam and Tim revisit the beginning of The Saga of Darren Shan and take a look at the first book, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare, by Darren Shan.
We’re looking at this story through a modern lens, asking what works, what feels dated, and whether this first installment still deserves the reputation it built over more than two decades.
But there’s another question we have to answer: is the manga better?
With multiple versions of this story out there, Sam and Tim compare the original book to its manga adaptation and discuss whether the story benefits from being brought to the page visually.
So grab your vampire cape, head to the Cirque du Freak, and join us for a trip back to the beginning.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
Follow the Author: Darren Shan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarrenShanUSA/ (https://www.facebook.com/DarrenShanUSA/)
Twitter: https://x.com/darrenshan (https://x.com/darrenshan)
Connect with us:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/ (https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/)TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk (https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk)Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts
28 Sept 2026
Cards on the Table - Avengers Assemble!
What happens when Agatha Christie brings together four detectives from her previous books to solve one murder? Apparently, mystery magic.
For Episode 189, Sam and Hannah are tackling Cards on the Table , the 15th book in the Hercule Poirot series. But Poirot isn't solving this case alone! Christie assembles four detectives from her earlier works, giving us a crossover event worthy of the Avengers.
With four very different investigative styles in the same room, we get to see each detective's personality, strengths, and quirks shine. How do their methods compare? Who brings something unique to the investigation? And why don't more mystery authors bring their detectives together like this?
Sam and Hannah discuss the mystery, the detective dynamics, and whether Cards on the Table proves that detective crossovers deserve to be their own literary universe.
New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨Next week: Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:01 Note from Agatha and Easter Egg
08:19 Age Level and Content Warning
09:28 Judge a Book by Its Cover
11:28 Discussion
46:57 General Thoughts
47:58 One Question for the Author
49:52 Rating
52:26 Read Again?
53:12 Favorite of the Series so Far
54:00 Outro
Connect with Us on SocialsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575460276754Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunar_skulk/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/lunar_skulk
Listen Wherever You Get Podcasts
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
4,849,506
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 70 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
58
Social presence
91
YouTube
93
Engagement
68
Host of Escape with Me Bookclub?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
