Casing the Cover

This week we look at different transformation tales. This troupe has been in fiction for a long time, with many stories being direct adaptations of the Beauty and the Beast story. So this week we look at three such tales: By The Book by Jasmine Guillory, Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, and the 2006 film Penelope. How do these stories stack up to the classic fairy tale they take inspiration from, and will Disney+ listen to Mary’s pitch for their own rom com universe? Listen to this...

In this episode, we take a break from books for our summer movie episode of the podcast. And what are we viewing? The Lost City! This movie is about an author on an adventure through the jungle with her sexy cover model. If there was ever a movie made for this podcast, this is it. We discuss the film (this is your spoiler warning) and how well it takes on romance novel and romance cover troupes, and we hope you’ll join us on this adventure. New episodes of Casing the Cover are released on...

In Part 2 of our look at Hades and Persephone retellings we tackle two popular modern takes on the tale. The first is the webcomic turned graphic novel Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe, a favorite of both your Casing the Cover hosts. The second is A Touch of Darkness, a sexy retelling by Scarlett St. Clair, and we have some feelings. Fair warning folks, this is a rant episode. For more information on Lore Olympus visit:...

This month we are tackling retellings of the Greek Myth of Spring. Before we dive into modern tales featuring Hades and Persephone, we take a look at a classic novel that has obvious allusions to Greek myth but has in turn inspired just as many retellings itself: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Join us as we study an array of covers, from bad stock art choices to covers obviously stealing ideas from the broadway musical. Keep an eye out for part 2 of our exploration of Hades and...

Following the theme of Casing the Cover 2022, we are tackling another set of retellings this month. Since February is the month of romance, we decided to take on Romeo and Juliet, the most doomed romance in literature and our least favorite Shakespeare play. Will adapting this tired old tale into a modern geek love story or a noir mystery make it any better? That’s what we are here to find out as we review Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. For more...

It’s a new year and a new season of Casing the Cover. We’re kicking things off with a double hitter as Mary and Jenn take on one of their favorite topics: retellings. We’ve each brought a modern version of the fairy tale classic Cinderella. Jenn’s pick, My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen by David Clawson, gives us a gender bent LGBT romance. Mary’s choice, If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, reimagines the Cinderela story as a dating show featuring a plus size Cindy. Join us as we compare...

It’s spooky season, and for our Halloween episode Jenn has brought us a very disturbing read: Burnt Tongues, An Anthology of Transgressive Stories. These short stories come with a massive trigger warning, so only listen IF YOU DARE! But seriously, these stories can get disturbing, after all this is a collection compiled by the author of Fight Club. So put on a brave face and join us as we dissect Burnt Tongues. New episodes of Casing the Cover are released on the last Tuesday of each month....

This episode was recorded this year at the virtual CoKoCon 2021. For this episode Mary quizzed Jenn and our virtual audience on how well they know bad covers. We looked at several mysterious covers, all while trying to figure out what classic novel they belonged to. Along the way we discovered some really cool, and some really awful classic covers. Play along and see how many covers you can guess. Special thanks to CoKoCon for having us as guests at this year’s convention! New episodes of...

The news just broke in the publishing world that James Paterson is teaming up with none other than music superstar Dolly Parton on a new book project. As weird as this team up may seem, it certainly isn’t the first time that a celebrity name has been put on a work of fiction. In many cases readers are left to wonder: did the celebrity actually write this? So that is the question we tackle this week on Casing the Cover. In this episode, we take a look at 40 celebrity authors, and do our best...

This week we take a look at The Librarian and the Spy, a good romantic thriller with an awful stock art cover and one incredibly problematic plot point. Come with us to a world where only a librarian can save the world from terrorism with her special research skills, but she certainly doesnt deserve to get paid for it. It’s weird to read a book about your real life job that doesn’t quite understand how your job works... For more information on Susan Mann and her works visit...

Today we take a look at two different literary lives. Jenn introduces us to the perils of Immortality in the Invisible LIfe of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab, and the possibilities of lives unlived in the Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Both of these fantastical novels have excellent and not so excellent cover iterations, and we will take a look at them all this week as we try to decide what’s better, eternal life or infinite lives. Which would you choose? Trigger Warning: These novels touch on...

This week, Jenn introduces us to two devious little old ladies from the novels Before she was Helen by Caroline B Cooney, and Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk. These two novels, while telling very different stories, actually have quite a lot in common, from their bad ass senior protagonists, to their blue toned cover designs. What other surprises do these covers and what lies between them have in store? You’ll have to listen to find out. Trigger Warning: These novels touch...

In this week's episode, Jenn presents to the podcast 1Q84 by Haruki Murakmi and The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. These two Japanese that seem to take some inspiration, for their covers and their plots, from the dystopian classic 1984. However, when you crack opens these two novels they couldn't be more different. Join us as we discuss the influences for these novels and which truly embodies the spirit of 1984. Be sure to stay turned to the end of the episode for information on changes to our...

This week Jenn and Mary take a bit of a late look at book cover trends that are supposedly going to be everywhere in 2021. As we take a look at this article from 99 Designs, we analyse why we think these cover design might be trending and compare the list to what covers we are actually seeing in person at our library. Do we like what we're going to be seeing in 2021? Take a listen to the episode to find out. Check out the 99 Designs article on 2021 cover trends here:...

In this episode Mary will dive into, and tear apart, one of the worst books she has read for this podcast. Though, when choosing a book with a title like Murder Can Confuse Your Chihuahua, she maybe should have known what she was getting herself ino. Join us as we critique the problems with this book, from the lacking cover to the lazy love triangle, and as we try to puzzle out if tired troupes are merely symptoms of this book, or a condition of the entire cozy mystery market. For more...

In this week's episode Jenn and Mary are joined by author Judith Starkston to talk about history, publishing, and her new book Of Kings and Griffins, the third entry in her Tesha Series. Joins us as we geek out about history together and discuss the fascinating evolution of Griffins. For more information on Starkston and her works visit her website: https://www.judithstarkston.com/ and check out http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-official-self-published-fantasy.html for more...

This week we review our first non-fiction book of the year, Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. This book gives us a lot to digest as we tackle the true story of a woman mistreated by science, and we wonder if the media, like the book and its accompanying HBO film, have done her any more justice.We also discuss the wide array of covers that have donned this book, and the ramifications of each new cover. For more information about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks visit...

In this episode we tackle Jenn's favorite read from last year, The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. As we explore this YA novel and its lovely but sinister cover, it also brings up discussions about cover trends in young adult fiction, and questions about why ebook covers and hardcovers are often so very different. So join us as we take on the case of The Grace Year! For more information on The Grace Year visit http://www.kimliggett.com/books/ New episodes of Casing the Cover are released on the...

2021 has just started, but after the past year, it's never too soon to start preparing for the apocalypse! This week we are taking on The Apocalypse Ark by Peter Roman. This book is weird, sacrilegious, genre bending, and perfect for the start of a new year! With a cast of characters including Noah (you know the one from the ark), Alice (Yep, the one from Wonderland) a dude wandering around in the body of Jesus, well you know you're in for a ride. Join us as we take on this wild book, dive...

It's been a hell of a year, so instead of risking a bang, let's go out with a sizzle. In our final episode of the year, Jenn and Mary talk about some of the media that didn't make it to the pod this year, from our favorite new tv shows, to books that were just too boring for their own episodes. We also give some hints to what you will hear on the pod in the coming year, including some planned episode themes and authors who will be joining us in 2021. So join us as we wrap up this crazy year...