Shows
Reading GlassesEp 409 - Most Anticipated Books for May and June + Cures for Book Hangovers!Brea and Mallory talk about their most anticipated books for May and June! Plus, they give out book hangover cures. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreSponsors -Clarion West Steamy in Seattlewww.clarionwest.orgAncient Nutritionwww.ancientnutrition.com/GLASSESLinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Discord channel, email us proof...2025-05-0149 min
The ARC PartySam Rebelein - THE POORLY MADE AND OTHER THINGSBuy Sam’s Books and preorder GALLOWAY’S GOSPELSomething’s Wrong in the Hudson ValleyGuys, if there’s one thing I’ve been consistent on when it comes to author Sam Rebelein, it’s dragging my ass — to my own detriment. Back when his debut novel EDENVILLE released last about a year ago, I heard great things about it, listened to Sam talk about it on podcasts, and failed to actually read the thing. So when I heard THE POORLY MADE AND OTHER THINGS was imminent and ostensibly a prequel, I knew this time...2025-04-171h 44
Booklist's Shelf CareEpisode 41: Summer Scares 2025It’s time for Summer Scares, and the popular horror-reading program is in fine form again. Shelf Care host Susan Maguire spoke to librarian Becky Spratford, author Kendare Blake, and Booklist’s Julia Smith about this year’s selections for adult, teen, and middle-grade readers; transgressive horror; and Hellmouth Pokémon, as you do. She also spoke to Jocelyn Codner and Carina Stopenski, both of the Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council, about the Summer Scares program guide, why libraries should serve horror readers, and what they’re reading and loving.
Here’s what we talked about:
Summer Scares Resource Page...2025-03-211h 14
The ARC Party2025 Horror PreviewWelcome to 2025!This is the semi-annual Horror Preview episode, with my treasured guests Becky Spratford and Emily Hughes. Every six months, we gather to share with you all the extensive list of books we’re looking forward to in 2025. As is tradition, we talk about six months at a time, so I’m so excited to share with you all 36 books that we talked about in this episode, covering January to June of 2025. Emily and Becky are the guests for these episodes because they are unrivaled in knowledge of horror literature. Emily as the legendary cura...2024-12-271h 41
The ARC PartyScared Up The VoteI’m not going to give a beat by beat, but I want to start by sharing how I got involved with Scare Up The Vote. I am driving in highway traffic when I get a text from Becky Spratford. It just says: “Can you talk. It’s big. Call when you can.”I never thought of myself as an awfulizer, but a vague text like that gets me nervous. So I immediately called back Becky and when she answered I asked the obvious question “Big good, or big bad?”I’d seen Tananarive twe...2024-10-2100 min
Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)Set Your Book Up for Success for the Library MarketOne of the most consequential topics among independent publishers is how they can get their books into libraries. IBPA is always looking for ways to set indie publishers up for success, so we invited Becky Spratford on the podcast who has been working with the library market in multiple capacities for over two decades. Becky shares expert tips about how to collaborate with your local libraries to interest them in your books, how librarians make buying decisions, the best ways to approach a library about carrying your books, and more.PARTICIPANTSBecky Spratford [MLIS] is...2024-08-2952 min
The ARC PartyInterviews Around The House Part ThreePart three! This time, we talk about Josh’s recently-filmed documentary For All The Books. In case this title isn’t familiar, for years Josh has been looking for something beyond social media where he can express the full experience of writing a book. I could go on, but I’ll just let you listen to Josh explain it. It’s a pretty cool story, and the documentary is great too! I got to screen the most recent edit, and I think people are going to enjoy it! Outside the documentary talk, we talk about what aut...2024-05-2859 min
The ARC PartyLitReactor ARChives - 10th AnniversaryHere is the sixth, and final, LitReactor ARChive episode. In this one, I chat with the two head honchos of LitReactor about the genesis of the site, the goals of the site, and some of the highlights over the years. Peppered throughout are some call-in audio clips from contributors. It’s a nice little tribute to the site, and a fitting goodbye. I appreciate everything it worked for and represented over the years, and hopefully people like having this peek behind the curtain. You don’t want to miss the next episode! It’s the 2024 Horror...2024-01-051h 23
The ARC PartyLitReactor ARChives - GrammarLitReactor, as we know it, is closing down. I’m reposting the episodes I hosted for Unprintable (their podcast) over here on The ARC Party, so that they don’t go away when the site shuts down. This is the fifth of six episodes - a deep dive into grammar featuring LR’s managing editor, and two LR columnists who both have written and/or taught classes on the topic of grammar. One more to go after this. I’m rounding out the series with my discussion with Rob Hart and Josh Chaplinsky - where...2024-01-021h 15
The ARC PartyLitReactor ARChives - Book ReviewsIt’s the third of six LitReactor Archive episodes. In this episode, Sadie Hartmann (Mother Horror), and Becky Spratford (The Horror Maven/RA For All) Joined my on LitReactor’s Unprintable podcast to talk about the art of book reviews. If you were ever curious about what goes in to a book review, or what some of the dos and don’ts are, this is the episode for you! Hear a social media influencer talk about her take on reviews and how it’s evolved over the years. Hear about a librarian who writes reviews for other libraria...2023-12-251h 30
The ARC PartyLitReactor ARChives SA CosbyThis is the second of six ARC Party episodes, where I’m reposting my small run of episodes of their Unprintable podcast. As LitReactor is closing down, I wanted to give my episodes a place to live on, because they were great conversations that should not be lost to the ages. In this episode, Rob Hart joined to cohost an interview with SA Cosby, about his then-latest book RAZORBLADE TEARS. Rob was also on the cusp of the release of PARADOX HOTEL, so there was a good deal of discussion about that as well. This ep...2023-12-201h 16
The ARC PartyLitReactor ARChives - Alma KatsuWith the lights at LitReactor going dark for good in the coming weeks, I wanted to find a way to archive the handful of episodes that I recorded from them back in 2021. This is the first of six episodes, where I “re-air” the talks I hosted on their podcast, Unprintable. In this episode, Rob Hart joins me as a cohost to speak with Alma Katsu about her then-newly released book RED WIDOW, and also her then-upcoming book THE FERVOR. It’s a great conversation, and I hope that if you haven’t read Alma’s w...2023-12-201h 26
Horror Makes Us HappyBecky Spratford (The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Horror Readers' Advisory: The Librarian's Guide to Vampires, Killer Tomatoes, and Haunted Houses)Campfire stories, feeling fear with all your senses, extreme literary achievement!If you're seeing this, please leave us a review!2023-10-131h 24Booklist's Shelf CareEpisode 28: Summer Scares 2023!This episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast is all about Summer Scares. First, host Susan Maguire talks to Summer Scares committee member Konrad Stump and librarian Rebecca Leannah (from the Racine, WI Public Library) about what kinds of programming they do around Summer Scares, what to tell patrons who think horror is not for them, the Wisconsin version of Tiger King. Then, Susan gets the skinny on the selections for this years’ readers, first from author spokesperson Daniel Kraus and Summer Scares committee member Becky Spratford, then from Booklist’s own Julia Smith. Spooky! And fun.
This Thing Between Us, by G...2023-05-231h 08
The ARC PartyZoje Stage - MOTHEREDIt’s time to celebrate another great book, and it’s even greater author! This time, Zoje Stage (BABY TEETH, WONDERLAND) joins me to talk about her upcoming release, MOTHERED, along with special guest Becky Spratford. I last had the chance to interview Zoje when her book WONDERLAND was released, but I’ve been an avid reader all along. It was great to catch up with Zoje about this new book, and talk about her journey in publishing. And I gushed a bunch about her amazing dark fairy tale THE GIRL WHO OUTGREW THE WO...2023-02-131h 26
Circulating Ideas233: Actively Anti-Racism Service to Leisure Readers, with Robin Bradford and Becky Spratford
Steve chats with Robin Bradford and Becky Spratford, creators of the Actively Anti-Racist Service to Leisure Readers course for Learn with NoveList, about how they got started doing anti-racism training, the difference between “not racist” and “anti-racist”, working with NoveList to adapt their in-person presentations to a virtual self-paced format, and why they provide serious answers to non-serious questions.
Read the transcript!
Robin Bradford has earned a BA and MA in English, an MS in Library Science, and a JD, but has found a home in building reader-focused, popular collections in public libraries. She was recogniz...2023-01-1900 minCirculating Ideas233: Actively Anti-Racism Service to Leisure Readers, with Robin Bradford and Becky Spratford
Steve chats with Robin Bradford and Becky Spratford, creators of the Actively Anti-Racist Service to Leisure Readers course for Learn with NoveList, about how they got started doing anti-racism training, the difference between “not racist” and “anti-racist”, working with NoveList to adapt their in-person presentations to a virtual self-paced format, and why they provide serious answers to non-serious questions.
Read the transcript!
Robin Bradford has earned a BA and MA in English, an MS in Library Science, and a JD, but has found a home in building reader-focused, popular collections in public libraries. She was recogniz...2023-01-1900 min
Call Number with American Libraries PodcastEpisode 76: Oh, the Horror!Halloween is nearly here. And leading up to the holiday, many of us do all sorts of things to put ourselves in a spooky mood—take haunted hayrides, watch horror movies, carve pumpkins. Sometimes we dust off that shelf of Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, and Anne Rice books, and sink our teeth into a terrifying story that keeps us up at night.
In Episode 76 of Call Number with American Libraries, we examine what it is about the horror genre that fascinates us, sometimes repulses us, and yet keeps us coming back for more.
First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Nu...2022-10-1734 minBooklist's Shelf CareEpisode 21: Spookier than a Clown in a Cornfield: Summer Scares 2022In this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire gets the scoop on the books for Summer Scares 2022; first, the adult and teen titles from librarian Becky Spratford and author Alma Katsu, then, the middle-grade titles from Booklist Books for Youth’s Julia Smith. Plus, Booklist Audio Editor Heather Booth chats with a reviewer about the joys and chills of listening to horror on audio.
Here’s what we talked about:
The Hunger, by Alma Katsu
The Deep, by Alma Katsu
The Fervor, by Alma Katsu
Summer Scares Programming Guide 2022
My Favorite Thing is Monsters, by Emil Ferris
Coyo...2022-05-3156 min
The Library Love Fest PodcastLibrarian Becky Spratford interviews Paul Tremblay, author of THE PALLBEARERS CLUBOn this episode, Becky Spratford, Readers' Advisory expert, running the blog RA for All, interviews Paul Tremblay, author of THE PALLBEARERS CLUB, available on July 5, 2022.
Find show notes here: https://bit.ly/3JVbw9L
Visit our website: librarylovefest.com.
You can find us on Facebook (@librarylovefest), Twitter (@librarylovefest), and Instagram (@harperlibrary). We also have a voicemail! Give us a call at 212-207-7773.2022-04-2024 min
Unprintable PodcastEpisode 31 - Book ReviewsSadie Hartmann and Becky Spratford talk w/ Robb about their philosophy of book reviews.2021-12-011h 29Reading GlassesEp 219 - What Books Are Coming Out? Plus Spooky Season Kickoff with Becky SpratfordBrea and Mallory talk about figuring out which books are coming out when, and interview author and librarian Becky Spratford! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreSponsors -Feals CBDRotman Business School Links -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fm Erotica Book Club!9/5 12pm PST on our Instagram - Live!NetGalleyEd...2021-09-0252 minCirculating Ideas206: The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror by Becky Spratford
Steve chats with Becky Spratford, author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, about RA for All’s origin story, why people read scary books, the importance of promoting diversity in the horror genre, and which book Steve should read next to scare the bejesus out of him.
Read the transcript!
Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Readers’ Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All...2021-08-2400 minCirculating Ideas206: The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror by Becky Spratford
Steve chats with Becky Spratford, author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, about RA for All’s origin story, why people read scary books, the importance of promoting diversity in the horror genre, and which book Steve should read next to scare the bejesus out of him.
Read the transcript!
Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Readers’ Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All...2021-08-2400 minBooklist's Shelf CareEpisode 13: This Book Is a Platypus (Summer Scares 2021)(For the full notes with links, visit booklistonline.com/shelf-care)
On this episode of Booklist’s Shelf Care: The Podcast, Susan gets real scared…Summer Scare(d), that is! Ha ha ha ha ha, good one.
Hear from author Silvia Moreno-Garcia and librarian horror expert Becky Spratford, librarians Konrad Stump and Evelyn Gathu, and Booklist’s own Julia Smith about this year’s Summer Scares program, from how the books are selected to that one author in the UP who can only be reached if you call the gas station in town.
Here’s what we talked about:
Summer Scares 2021 list:
The...2021-02-2358 min
Lit Local PodcastSplatterpunk & Body Horror with Vivian Valentine and Becky SpratfordOn today's special Halloween episode, we are excited to be joined by Vivian Valentine and Becky Spratford! We're talking about writing in the horror genre, and more specifically, about splatterpunk and body horror. Have some questions about these sub-genres? We did too!
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Lovecraft Country Book Club Library Journal
Horror Writers Association
2020-10-271h 02
Ladies of the FrightSummer Scares Recap | Becky Spratford & Konrad StumpHey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahli and Viðarrbjörn Svartalfson at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron.And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway! Show Notes 2019-10-251h 10
Booklist's Shelf CareEpisode #4: Body Horror, Bruce Springsteen, and Vampire FeelingsIn this episode of Booklist’s Shelf Care: The Podcast, we get a little otherworldly, to coincide with our August Spotlight on SF/Fantasy & Horror, and also because it’s never not a good time to talk about helping genre-reading patrons. First, Susan talks to RA maven and horror expert Becky Spratford about nostalgia, body horror, and queer Cthulu retellings, and how horror-reading patrons want to be helped. Then, Audio Editor Heather Booth refutes the idea that writers shouldn’t narrate their own audiobooks with some fantastic self-narrated famous-person memoirs on audio. Finally, Susan corrals Maggie Reagan, Teen Feelings Expert, about...2019-08-2641 min
Ladies of the FrightLOTF 38 "Why Does Horror Matter?" Stoker Con 2019 PanelIt's difficult to put into words what a rewarding experience it was to host the panel "Why Does Horror Matter? An Exploration of the Relevance and—Dare We Say—Necessity of Horror in a Tumultuous World" featuring panelists Stephen Graham Jones, Kathryn E. McGee, Becky Spratford, and Gabino Iglesias this past May at Stoker Con 2019. It was incredibly rewarding and definitely one of the highlights of the con for us. This topic is one we've been thinking a lot about lately, but we had no idea if it was one that would resonate with others. We were pleasantly surprised to a...2019-06-2852 min
Ladies of the FrightLOTF 35: Tropisode #3 | The Devil with Bracken MacLeodFirst things first: we have finally started a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to S.M. Fedor, who has joined the Patreon at the $10 level. Find him on twitter at S_M_Fedor. If you’re interested in our Patreon, check it out over at patreon.com/ladiesofthefright. We would be thrilled to have you join us at any level, and we are offering cool rewards at every tier. The most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to Patrons at every tier. We also have our fi...2019-05-101h 48
Three BooksEpisode 15: Becky With the Good RecsThree Books is Ela Area Public Library’s podcast series where our hosts, Becca and Christen, chat about three popular/favorite books. Becky Spratford is back with her best books of 2018, books she’s looking forward to in 2019, and recommendations of how to buy books for gifts! 0:00:23 Welcome Back Becky0:01:29 How Becky Chose her booksBecky's Best of 20180:03:28 Best Horror Book: Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay0:05:57 Best Audio Book: There, There by Tommy Orange0:08:37 Most Fun I Had Reading a Book All Year: My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyi...2018-12-201h 08
Book Squad Podcast032: Crying or Peeing Your PantsWhat do the genres Romance and Horror have in common?
They bring the feels.
Learn more about Horror as a genre, and get LOTS of recommendations based on different appeal factors and interests. Huge thanks to Becky Spratford and Kelly Peter for being our spoopy gurus!
There are soooo many links on the show notes this time that we suggest you head on over: https://lplks.org/blogs/post/032-crying-or-peeing-your-pants/
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Twice(-ish) a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic, as well as news from th...2018-10-2242 min
Book Cougars Podcast: Two Middle-Aged Women on the Hunt for a Good ReadEpisode 61 - The Libraries, Sleepy Hollow and Upcoming Readalongs!Episode Sixty one Show Notes CW = Chris WolakEF = Emily FinePurchase Book Cougars Swag on Zazzle! AND at Bookclub Bookstore & More.
If you’d like to help financially support the Book Cougars, please consider becoming a Patreon member. You can DONATE HERE. If you would prefer to donate directly to us, please email bookcougars@gmail.com for instructions.
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– Readalong’s 8 & 9 –Born A Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood – Trevor NoahHave questions/comments to us by November 8th
Hum If You Don’t Know the Words – Bianca MaraisHave questions/comments to us by Decem...2018-10-1659 min
Ladies of the FrightLOTF 14: Becky Spratford, Library World's Horror Maven, Part TwoIn part two of our conversation with Becky Spratford, we discuss her ongoing involvement with Stoker Con, how horror authors can do programs and conventions at their local libraries, advice for authors at the beginning of their career, how to use Halloween and the current popularity of the horror genre to your advantage when building relationships with libraries, and more! Becky Spratford is a Librarian [MLIS] in Illinois specializing in serving leisure readers ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through their local public library. She...2018-07-0244 min
Ladies of the FrightLOTF 13: Becky Spratford, Library World's Horror Maven (Part 1)Librarians may ask: why horror? And authors may ask: why libraries? Becky Spratford has the answers to these questions and more—her insight gave us a whole new perspective on ways to strengthen the horror community in libraries. We talk about what writers can do to build relationships with their local libraries, how reader's advisory works, the pros and cons of genres and subgenres, and so much more. Becky shares her philosophy on connecting authors and librarians with the ultimate goal of finding more readers for their books. Becky Spratford is a Librarian [MLIS] in Illinois specializing in...2018-06-2557 min
Ladies of the FrightLOTF 03: StokerCon 2018 Highlights with Kathryn E. McGeeThis special episode comes to you live from StokerCon 2018. Mackenzie and Lisa sat down with friend and fellow horror writer Kathryn E. McGee to talk about the highlights of the event. Show Notes: Paperbacks From Hell, My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix StokerCon 2018 Horror University Workshop DRILLING DOWN: GETTING HONEST WITH YOUR WRITING with Grady Hendrix "Summerland and Lost": Grady Hendrix’s dramatic spoke word presentation of the true story of the Fox sisters, key figures in the dawn of the Spiritualist movement. StokerCon 2018 Horror University Workshop WOMEN AND V...2018-03-0532 minThree BooksEpisode 1: The Horror!Three Books is Ela Area Public Library’s podcast series where our hosts, Becca and Christen, chat about three popular/favorite books. In episode one, the library world's horror maven, Becky Spratford, talks about why we need horror and her three horror book choices.
Introduction 0:00 to 0:35
Guest Introduction 0:36 to 2:02
Learning About Horror and Why We Need It 2:03 to 6:43
Approaching Horror 6:44 to 10:38
Becky’s Three Books 10:39 to 25:28
Book 1 11:06 to 13:02
Book 2 16:56 to 20:39
Book 3 20:44 to 25:12
What Becky is Reading Now 25:29 to 33:09
A Gateway Book to Horror 33:10 to 38:55
Library Origin Story 38:56 to 4...2017-10-2647 min
Get BookedHaunted by HorrorWelcome to Episode 4! This episode is about all things horror, so I’ve brought in an amazing horror expert, librarian Becky Spratford. Becky is a Readers’ Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All and it’s evil twin sister RA for All: Horror and is on the Steering Committee of the Adult Reading Round Table. Becky is also known for her work with horror readers as the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Second Edition [ALA Editions, 2012] and is a proud member of the Horr...2015-10-221h 06