It's the most wonderful time of the year - our Christmas episode! This week, we're bringing you our third special episode of the season and recounting our favourite reads, listens and watches of the past year. We recount our favourite books of the year, pick out some memorable passages, and we introduce you to the new creature causing havoc in the background of this recording. We also exchange our Christmas presents!   Our infatuations: Babel - R. F. Kuang Honeycomb - Joanne M. Harris Little Thieves - Margaret Owen Chocolat - Joanne Harris Poison for Breakfast - Lemony Snicket The Ghost Sequences - A. C. Wise Blood of Elves - Andrzej Sapkowsk Northern Star - Dom Fera Juniper and Thorn - Ava Reid Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin 5SOS5 - 5 Seconds of Summer Midnights - Taylor Swift NOPE The Midnight Club The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

It's our Samhain Special! This Halloweeny week (Halloweek?), we each share three favourite spooky reads. We run the gamut of creepy tales, bring you a mix of gruesome and tense stories, and Emily goes full-on gothic researcher mode on one of her picks!    Thank you to Titan for gifting a copy of Not Good for Maidens to Emily.   Our infatuations: Not Good for Maidens - Tori Bovalino Goblin Market - Christina Rossetti The Clockwork Girl - Anna Mazzola The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson And That's Why We Drink Winchester Mystery House episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e200-the-burbank-fish-flopper-and-a-homicidal-rhombus/id1204570053?i=1000501479585  The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde Her Majesty's Royal Coven - Juno Dawson Grief is the Thing with Feathers - Max Porter The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

It's our Summer Solstice Special! This week, we each share three favourite summer reads. We discuss what we even class as a summer read, our neighbour interrupts us with a loud Stranger Things viewing, and Rebecca reads out a passage that almost makes us both cry!    Our infatuations: Sweet Sorrow - David Nicholls Everything I Know About Love - Dolly Alderton I've Got This Round: More Tales of Debauchery - Mamrie Hart This Might Get Weird - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-might-get-weird/id1438878323  So We Can Glow - Leesa Cross-Smith The Blood of Stars duology - Elizabeth Lim  The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, Emily tells us about two gothic houses in Gallant by V.E. Schwab, while Rebecca shares the disturbing tale of Pinocchio's creator in The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey. We discuss our writing goals for the rest of the year, gush about season two of Bridgerton, and Emily brings us a quiz to find out which fairy tale trope we would be!    Thank you to Titan for gifting a copy of Gallant to Emily.    Our infatuations: Gallant - V.E. Schwab The Swallowed Man - Edward Carey Missing Piece - Vance Joy Bridgerton The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Buy Rebecca's book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Urbane-Charmed-chosen-pockets-picked/dp/B09MYXX8JH    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, Emily tells us about feisty and funny Little Thieves by Margaret Owen, while Rebecca shares the very mysterious My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. We discuss what songs make us think of our original characters, discover some new words for very specific emotions, and Rebecca finds us some interesting facts about pseudonyms!    Our infatuations: Little Thieves - Margaret Owen My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante  BTS Butter Grammy Performance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFpIwQFNke0  BTS ON Performance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZh-w2nysuI  The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows - John Koenig  The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, Emily tells us about philosophical book Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket, while Rebecca shares short story Vincent from collection So We Can Glow by Leesa Cross-Smith. We discuss the writing advice we thought we knew but maybe didn't, take a look at the first love letter ever written, and Emily reads out perhaps the longest rumination on eggs that exists!    Our infatuations: Poison for Breakfast - Lemony Snicket 'Vincent' and 'A Girl Has Her Secrets' in So We Can Glow - Leesa Cross-Smith We're Not Fucking Historians - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/were-not-f-ing-historians/id1588766832  Love Letter - Lisa Mitchell  The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, we have a special episode for you! We have a SPOILER FILLED chat about The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. We talk about our favourite moments, dream up some Le Cirque des Rêves tents we'd like to see, and Emily talks about some thematic similarities between this this and Morgenstern's second novel, The Starless Sea!    Our infatuations: The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern The Starless Sea - Erin Morgenstern Emily's The Night Circus playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3aYF6lEHfstFZ9jAKh41ce?si=84f6b43de48b4ac7  The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, Emily tells us about a life and death love story in Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune, while Rebecca returns to poetry with I Love You, Call Me Back by Sabrina Benaim. We talk about recurring motifs in our own writing, ask for recommendations for a very specific niche of music, and Rebecca tells us the history behind the lilac flower!    Thank you to Black Crow and Tor for gifting a copy of Under the Whispering Door to Emily.   Our infatuations: Under the Whispering Door - T. J. Klune  I Love You, Call Me Back - Sabrina Benaim  Things Fell Apart - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/things-fell-apart-by-jon-ronson/id1592984136  Annabel Lee - Edgar Allan Poe The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, Emily tells us about the whimsical Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, while Rebecca shares very creepy The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. We discuss if we're planners or pantsers when it comes to writing, share a tenuous link between our quickfire favourites, and Emily finds another excuse to read out a flax-golden tale!    Our infatuations: Once Upon a Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton  Valleyheart - lostboycrow Rookery - Giant Rooks  Erin Morgenstern's flax-golden tales - http://erinmorgenstern.com/writing/flax-golden/  The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, we're joined by friend of the show and Gothic Lit researcher Hannah Barretto who tells us about her love for Coraline by Neil Gaiman, and the 2009 film adaptation. We discuss why we are still obsessed with fairy tales, talk about formative bedtime stories, and Rebecca realises that Hannah and Emily are the same person!    Find Hannah here: https://tiktok.com/@diaryofaphd    Our infatuations: Coraline - Neil Gaiman The Lost Storyteller - Amanda Block Meant to be Yours - Jamie Muscato, Original West End Cast of Heathers all my ghosts - Lizzy McAlpine Outlander Erin Morgenstern's flax-golden tales - http://erinmorgenstern.com/writing/flax-golden/  The Infatuated Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjGlH5FkuYe0jLdWTT4oH?si=BmCCbA96TPKD9AJXykhAaA    Follow us: [email protected] Instagram - https://instagram.com/infatuatedpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/infatuatedpod  Emily's Instagram - https://instagram.com/emiloue_  Emily's Twitter - https://twitter.com/emiloue_ Emily's TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@emiloue Rebecca's Instagram - https://instagram.com/grammour.puss Rebecca's Twitter - https://twitter.com/grammourpuss    Music: https://www.purple-planet.com