Our first episode is... ME (Amanda Stephens) talking with returning guest-host Michelle Chiang about a book I really loved in 2025. After discussing with so many guests about their favorite books, movies, video games, and podcasts from 2025 I couldn't help but share my own: Premee Mohamed's "Butcher of the Forest".

This short fiction book exemplifies many of the trappings of fairytales, with a horror undertone which speaks to adults and makes "the woods" a scary place once more. Mohamed's work immediately puts readers in a reactionary position, forcing you to accept the world as it's presented, including all the terrible consequences it may entail... all within a read of a few hours.