Escape with Me Bookclub

Lunar Skulk Productions
  • 4.3 (3)
  • Books
  • Updated Biweekly

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.

  1. 1d ago

    Blue Blood - Everyone Sucks Here

    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

    Blue Blood - Everyone Sucks Here

  2. Oct 5

    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/ Twitter: https://x.com/darrenshan 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

    Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare - Is the Manga Better?

  3. Sep 28

    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

    Cards on the Table - Avengers Assemble!

  4. Sep 21

    Be Prepared -

    The UK/Australia-exclusive Twisted Tales have done it again. But this time, we have to settle a much bigger question: Are the UK books actually better than the US ones? For Episode 188, Sam and Kaitlyn read Be Prepared by Farrah Rochon, the fourth Twisted Tales release that has been published in the UK/Australia but isn't getting a US release. And at this point, we have evidence. Mari Mancusi gave us Princess of Thieves, which we absolutely loved. Jen Calonita gave us a UK/Australia Twisted Tale after her US books didn't exactly win us over. And then there's Farrah Rochon, who already wrote the Lion King short story for the Twisted Tales anthology and we hated it. So here's the deal: if we like Be Prepared better, we're finally going to have to admit it... The United States is being robbed. Sam and Kaitlyn break down this Lion King retelling, how it compares to the other Twisted Tales we've read, and whether this fourth UK/Australia-exclusive book is enough to settle the debate once and for all. New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨Next week: Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie ⏱️ Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 02:24 Background 06:40 Age Level & Content Warning 09:17 Judge a Book by Its Cover 11:19 Discussion 47:01 US or UK? 51:20 General Thoughts 52:50 One Question for the Author 55:51 Rating 58:20 Read Again? 58:37 Favorite of the Series so Far 59:11 Outro 📖 Follow the Author - Farrah RochonWebsite: ⁠https://www.farrahrochon.com/⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/farrahrochonauthor⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farrahrochon/⁠Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/FarrahRochon⁠BookBub: ⁠https://www.bookbub.com/authors/farrah-rochon⁠🔗 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

    Be Prepared -

  5. Sep 15

    Disney at Dawn - This Time for Animal Kingdom

    We’re back in the Kingdom Keepers series with Disney at Dawn and this time, we’re leaving the Magic Kingdom behind and heading to Animal Kingdom! Keira is especially excited for this one since Animal Kingdom is one of her favorite Disney parks, but we have some questions. Namely: how does a book released in 2008 manage to feel like it’s set in a 2005 version of the park? And why does this story sometimes feel like it was written by two completely different authors? Sam and Keira break down the Animal Kingdom setting, the changes from the first book, the parts that work, the parts that absolutely do not, and whether the Kingdom Keepers series is getting better or just getting stranger. So grab your imaginary park map and come wander through Animal Kingdom with us! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:40 Background 03:46 Age Level & Content Warning 05:45 Judge a Book by Its Cover 07:50 Discussion 01:04:23 General Thoughts 01:09:59 One Question for the Author 01:11:29 Rating 01:15:49 Read Again? 01:17:04 Favorite of the Series so Far? 01:17:51 Outro Follow the Author - Ridley PearsonWebsite: https://ridleypearson.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekingdomkeepersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridleypearsonYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ridleypPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ridleypearson/🔗 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

    Disney at Dawn - This Time for Animal Kingdom

  6. Sep 7

    Love Hina 4-6 - Nostalgia vs First Time

    Episode 186 - Love Hina Vol. 4-6 by Ken Akamatsu We're back with Love Hina! For James, this series is a core memory. He first read Love Hina in high school, and it was one of his first manga series. For Sam, it's a completely different experience: she's been watching anime and reading manga for more than two decades, but this is her first time actually reading Love Hina. So what happens when one person revisits a formative favorite and the other comes to it with years of anime and manga experience already under her belt? That's exactly what we're exploring in Volumes 4-6. We talk about: How Love Hina holds up through James' nostalgiaSam's perspective as a first-time readerHow our previous experience with anime and manga changes the way we look at the seriesThe characters, comedy, romance, and increasingly chaotic situationsWhether James' high-school memories still match the series we're reading todayIt's nostalgia versus a fresh set of eyes and we're finding out whether Love Hina survives the comparison. New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨ Next week: Disney at Dark by Ridley Pearson ⏱️ Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 01:20 Background 02:15 Age Level & Content Warning 03:42 Judge a Book by Its Cover 06:51 Discussion 49:29 General Thoughts 51:56 One Question for the Author 53:09 Rating 56:09 Read Again? 57:42 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

    Love Hina 4-6 - Nostalgia vs First Time

  7. Aug 31

    Princess of Thieves - We Were Robbed!

    Episode 185 - Princess of Thieves by Mari Mancusi Once again, we have read a Disney Twisted Tales book that was published in the UK and Australia. And once again: WE WERE ROBBED! Seriously, it will never stop baffling us that some of the best books in the Disney Twisted Tales series aren't published in the United States. Sam and Kaitlyn dive into Princess of Thieves by Mari Mancusi and this isn't just another enjoyable entry in the series. This book is FIVE STARS. It may even be one of our favorite Disney Twisted Tales books we've ever read. We talk about: Why this book deserves to be available to more readersWhat makes it stand out in the Disney Twisted Tales seriesHow it compares to other books in the seriesThe characters, story, and everything that worked for usAnd why we are once again asking the very important question: WHY CAN'T WE HAVE THE GOOD BOOKS?! If you've been following our Disney Twisted Tales journey, this is an episode you won't want to miss. New episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨ Next week: Love Hina vol. 4-6 by Ken Akamatsu ⏱️ Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 01:05 Background 05:24 Age Level and Content Warning 07:57 Judge a Book by Its Cover 12:09 Discussion 58:36 General Thoughts 01:03:11 One Question for the Author 01:06:25 Rating 01:06:59 Read Again & Favorite of the Series so Far 01:07:48 Outro 📖 Follow the Author - Mari Mancusi Website: ⁠http://www.marimancusi.com/⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/marimancusi⁠Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/marimancusi⁠YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/marimancusi⁠ 🔗 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

    Princess of Thieves - We Were Robbed!

  8. Aug 24

    Divergent - Why Is It Being Rewritten

    Episode 184 - Divergent by Veronica Roth Two readers. Two different experiences. And one very important question: Was Divergent actually done dirty by being compared to The Hunger Games? Danielle read Divergent when it originally came out. Sam is reading it for the first time, and together they're digging into one of the biggest YA dystopian series of the 2010s. We talk about why comparing Divergent to The Hunger Games can actually be a disservice to the book, how the movie adaptation helped drag the series down, and (yes) the MANY problems that exist in the book itself. But then things get really interesting. Veronica Roth is revisiting the world of Divergent with an alternate-timeline story, which raises one extremely important question: Which faction will Tris choose this time? And because we couldn't leave well enough alone, we also took the BuzzFeed faction quiz. We had our predictions. We were wrong. Sam: CandorDanielle: Erudite Apparently we know ourselves less well than we thought. We discuss: Divergent vs. The Hunger GamesWhy the comparison isn't necessarily fairThe book's strengths AND its problemsHow the movies affected the reputation of the seriesVeronica Roth's alternate-timeline rewriteAnd which faction Tris might choose in the new storyNew episodes every Monday at 8 AM EST ✨ Next week: Princess of Thieves by Mari Mancusi ⏱️ Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 01:40 About the Author 04:42 Background 07:27 Rewrite? 10:09 Age Level & Content Warning 12:30 Judge a Book by Its Cover 13:55 Discussion 01:04:04 General Thoughts 01:09:39 One Question for the Author 01:13:17 Rating 01:14:12 Read Again? 01:15:40 Outro 📖 Follow the Author - Veronica Roth Website: https://veronicarothbooks.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeronicaRothBooks?fref=ts# Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veronicaroth/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@veronicaroth 🔗 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

    Divergent - Why Is It Being Rewritten
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Lunar Skulk Productions
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    192
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Lunar Skulk Productions
  • Show Website
    Escape with Me Bookclub