Scary’s Voices – Sound Bites
Week Ending 30th April 2021
Welcome back to Sound Bites where I highlight the best horror podcasts I’ve heard through the week. If you’re looking for content to haunt your earbuds, these podcasts are just what you need.
My Scream of the Week goes to:
Blood Read
This week I stumbled across a fairly new podcast called Blood Read and I was hooked. Set up as a Book Club type format, host Ryan invites a new guest for each episode to discuss a specific book. Titles covered so far include The Descent by Jeff Long, The Good House by Tananarive Due, Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, and The Troop by Nick Cutter.
Episodes are well organised to cover all aspects of the book, including plot, character arcs, thematic elements, writing style, and comparable titles. But there’s also a natural flow to the discussion which creates an engaging listening experience. Ryan also delves into his guests’ favourite books and other recent reads, so be prepared to stock up on titles to add to your reading pile.
Since Blood Read is very much like a book club, you’ll want to have read the book being discussed beforehand if you want to avoid spoilers. As a bonus, each episode ends by letting the audience know which book will be covered next, so you can become familiar with the material ahead of time. Episode 5 will delve into The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, and I’m really looking forward to the conversation.
All episodes so far have a runtime of about an hour and new content is added each week. Blood Read is gradually expanding to cover most podcasting platforms, and all episodes can be found on PodBean.
Shiver-Worthy Runner-Up:
Achewillow
Over the last several weeks I’ve been listing to the wonderful fiction series Achewillow and I find myself sneaking in bits and pieces of this story every chance I get. The tale begins as Miriam DuFour leaves behind her life in Montreal and her dreams of becoming a world-renowned chef to inherit a café from a long-lost great-aunt in the small town of Achewillow situated on the border of Quebec, Canada and Vermont, USA.
Moving from the big city to a quaint town would be an adjustment for anyone, but Achewillow is no ordinary place. A duo of witch-hunters, known as the Inquisition, have their eye on Miriam, and so do the police from both sides of the border when a body is found behind the café. Mix in some magic cake recipes, raccoons trying to place protective salt rings around the café, and a demon on the loose, and that’s barely the surface of town’s strangeness.
Achewillow unfolds like a paranormal mystery and would be best described as a cozy horror story (like a cozy mystery, but with strong horror elements). Fans of shows like Riverdale and Buffy the Vampire Slayer will feel right at home in Achewillow. Miriam is a bit older than typical YA characters, but the story has a distinct YA/NA flavour.
Written by J. F. Dubeau and narrated by Amy Frost, Achewillow began in October 2019 and so far, 3 Seasons of 15 episodes each have been released, plus a few bonus episodes to take the listener behind the scenes.
I did find the first couple of episodes a bit difficult to get through, as they reveal Miriam’s background and life prior to inheriting the café, but by Season 1 Episode 4 the story really picks up and has been a fantastic and entertaining listen from that point forward.
Most episodes are between 30 to 40 minutes long, and you can find them all on most podcast platforms, or for direct links head on over to the Achewillow website www.achewillow.com
That’s a wrap for this week’s Sound Bites!
As always, thanks so much to the awesome podcast listeners and creators who have been sending me terrific recommendations. Keep them coming via the comments section below, or direct messaging on Twitter or Instagram (links below). I can’t promise I’ll enjoy every podcast you throw my way, but I’ll give everyone a fair shot.
Remember, I’m all about scary things and spooky podcasts are what I’m after. Content focused on reviewing horror movies and horror books, true paranormal encounters, facts about cryptids, true crimes, and original scary stories are exactly what I want to hear.
Can’t wait to listen to all the dark podcasts you fine fiends suggest, and I hope you’ll join me next Friday for a special Scary’s Voices Spotlight.
J.A. Sullivan
J. A. Sullivan is a horror writer and paranormal enthusiast, based in Brantford, ON, Canada. Attracted to everything non-horror folks consider strange, she’s spent years as a paranormal investigator, has an insatiable appetite for serial killer information, and would live inside a library if she could.
As curator of “Scary’s Voices” on Kendall Reviews, an article series reviewing horror podcasts, Sullivan loves listening to all things spooky. If you have a horror podcast recommendation, let her know.
On top of contributing short stories to Kendall Reviews, her fiction has appeared in Don’t Open the Door (2019), It Came From The Darkness (2020), and she acted as an assistant editor for Black Dogs, Black Tales (2020). Other spooky tales and updates on her writing journey can be found on her blog.
You can follow J. A. on Twitter @ScaryJASullivan
Check out her blog https://writingscaredblog.wordpress.com
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
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