We’re sad to say goodbye to dragon month, but happy to send it off with a book club chat about Moniquill Blackgoose’s incredible first installment of the Nampeshiweisit series, To Shape a Dragon's Breath. This book follows the journey of Anequs, who bonds with a dragon hatchling and becomes the first Nampeshiweisit of her people in generations. However, the laws of the Anglish colonisers require her to receive formal training in dragon riding, or face the death of her dragon or even herself. Anequs leaves her home to enrol in a dragon academy. However, it’s far from smooth flying and she faces condescension, suspicion, and outright hostility from the Anglish there.

Join us as we chat all about magic dragon schools, the importance of oral storytelling and indigenous knowledges, and the ways that fantasy holds up a mirror to the devastating past and present of living in a settler colony.

Be warned: This is a book club episode, so we will be getting into spoilers!

MENTIONS

🐉 Our BOTM is To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose.

📚 BOOKS: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers; To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose; Ida by Alison Evans

🎬 MOVIES: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

🖼️GALLERY: Flinders University Museum of Art

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub
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• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Bookclub
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• Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single "Same Old" here.

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Join us for our hilarious interview with USA Today, Indie, and Sunday Times bestselling author Rebecca Thorne. Rebecca talks us through her life-long love of dragons, retrospective worldbuilding, the phenomenon of cozy fantasy, and the joy of writing established lesbian couples. We had an absolute blast talking to Rebecca, so we know you'll enjoy this interview: described by participants as "cozy, like the genre".

This month we’re reading How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Grab your copy and have a read before our bookclub on 21st May!

MENTIONS

Movies/TV
Dragonheart (1996)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Books
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Dragonology by Dugald Steer
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde
Tomes and Tea series by Rebecca Thorne
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce
The McBrides series by Amy Barry
Moss'd In Space by Rebecca Thorne
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Sir Callie series by Esme Symes-Smith
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

LINKS

🐉 Where to find Rebecca:

• On IG: @rebeccathornewrites
• Website: https://rebeccathorne.net/

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

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💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

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This week, Justina & Payton have diligently done their homework on dragon mythology to share with us the history of dragons across time and culture. This includes their connections to colonialism, Christianity, creation, harvest, life, nature and more . . . and then Amy asks us what we would hoard if we were dragons (no books allowed!), and the conversation hatches into something else entirely (I fear that I cannot list the topics here, you'll simply have to listen).

This month we’re reading How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Grab your copy and have a read before our book club on 21st May!

MENTIONS

Books:

Beowulf

Dragonfruit, Makiia Lucier

The Rainbow Serpent, Dick Roughsey

Dragonflight, Anne McAffrey

Dragons:

Mushu, Mulan

Puff, Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow & Lenny Lipton

Toothless, How to Train Your Dragon

Falcore, The Neverending Story

Haku, Spirited Away

Barney, Barney & Friends

Other:

A History of Dragons in Western Literature, Yvonne Shiau

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

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💛 Where to find Amy:

Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/

Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening! 💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's dragon month, which means we're talking fire, scales, and flying. To kick off the month, we dive headfirst into all the dragon lore we know and try to figure out what we consider True Dragon Lore (hint: none, it's all valid). We talk about what we'd like to shoot from our mouths, whether our wings are our arms, and just how small a dragon can get before it's too small. Most importantly, we answer the burning question of whether a dragon is a horse.

This month we’re reading How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Grab your copy and have a read before our bookclub on 21st May!

MENTIONS

Books
How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
To Ride a Raising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Temeraire by Naomi Novik
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons by Dugald Steer
Bringing Up Baby Dragons: A Guide for Beginners by Dugald Steer
Working with Dragons: A Course in Dragonology by Dugald Steer
The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Beowulf
Magician by Raymond Feist

Films/TV
Dragonheart (1996)
The Neverending Story (1984)
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Reign of Fire (2002)
Cars (2006)
Monkey Magic (1978-1980)
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
House of the Dragon (2022-)
Avatar (2009)
Shrek (2001)
Merlin BBC (2008-2012)
Merlin miniseries (1998)

LINKS

• 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub
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• TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's our first After Dark of the season, and we're revisiting a childhood classic, Dragonheart, as a bridge between April's YA month and our upcoming theme for May: dragons!

We reflect on the movie, discuss the lore behind the original script, lament at the lost potential for a romance between Dennis Quaid and Draco, and then deep dive into the fantasy films that we feel nostalgic for (they're just not making them like Ladyhawke anymore . . .)

MENTIONS

Films/TV:

Jurassic Park, 1993

Starship Troopers, 1997

Excalibur, 1981

Robin Hood, 1991

Ladyhawke, 1985

Willow, 1988

Conan the Barbarian, 1982

How to Train Your Dragon, 2010

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, 2002

The Matrix, 1999

Akira, 1988

Neon Genesis, 1995

Princess Bride, 1987

The Dark Crystal, 1982

Hook, 1991

Inkheart, 2008

A Knight's Tale, 2001

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, 2003

The Lord of the Rings, 2001

The Mummy, 1999

Night at the Museum, 2006

Scarface, 1983

Lionheart, 1987

Red Sonja, 1985

Flesh and Blood, 1985

Braveheart, 1995

Kingdom of Heaven, 2005

Bridge to Terabithia, 2007

The Chronicles of Narnia, 2005

Reign of Fire, 2002

Beowulf, 2007

Hercule, 2014

Clash of the Titans, 2010

Jason and the Argonauts, 2000

Game of Thrones, 2011

House of the Dragon, 2022

Willow (TV Series), 2022

Dinotopia, 2002

Dragonheart: Vengeance, 2020

Slipper and the Rose, 1976

Authors:

Charles Edward Pogue

Actors:

Dennis Quaid

Sean Connery

Dina Meyer

David Thewlis

Liam Neeson

Helen Mirren

Tim Allen

Jackie Chan

Tom Hanks

Jim Henson

Paul Bettany

Daniel Craig

Rachel Weisz

Michelle Pfeiffer

Eric Stoltz

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Christian Bale

Dwayne Johnson

Other:

Rob Cohen, Director & Film Maker

LINKS

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

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IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub

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💛 Where to find Amy:

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Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening! 💞

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Eggshell is a young adult novella set in 2000s Adelaide that tells the story of Kira, a sarcastic, cynical teenager living in a council house with her Cantonese grandmother (Apoh) and her rebellious older cousin, Jake. As Kira navigates her experience of Year 12, the novella grapples with themes of identity, racism, romance, sexuality and adolescence.

Join Amy, Payton & Abby as we deep dive into Eggshell and ask each other important questions about teenagers, racism, class, loss, and the young adult genre as a whole (oh, and of course which songs are (and are not) going on the playlists we curate for our crushes).

LINKS

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

📚 Where to find Olivia:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/oliviadezilva/

WEBSITE: https://oliviadezilva.com/

OPINIONATED CLUB: https://www.instagram.com/opinionatedclub/

🌸 Our Socials:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub

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Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

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Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening! 💞

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Join us in conversation with New York Times bestselling author, Amie Kaufman, as we continue Young Adult month! We discuss the novels that shaped Amie as a young adult herself, the YA genre as a literature of transformation, what it's like to write in conversation with teenagers, how to find the quiet moments when writing with pace, how Amie got a tour of NASA, and we take a peek into Amie's soon-to-be finished PhD research (one of us, one of us).

MENTIONS

Books

The Baby-sitters Club, Ann M. Martin

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, Jules Verne

The Dark Is Rising, Susan Cooper

The Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey

Lady's Knight, Amie Kaufman

Red Star Rebels, Amie Kaufman

Illuminae, Amie Kaufman

Films/TV

A Knight's Tale, 2001

The Martian, 2015

Die Hard, 1988

Home Alone, 1990

Speed, 1994

Authors

Marie Lu

Dhonielle CLayton

Lisa Fuller

Sabaa Tahir

Amy Doak

Ellie Marney

Other

Michael Whelan, Artist

Oasis, Band

Miyazaki, Animator and Filmmaker

LINKS

🚀 Where to find Amie Kaufman:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amiekaufmanauthor

WEB: https://amiekaufman.com

Amie Kaufman On Writing: A Podcast: https://amiekaufman.com/podcast/

PUB DATES: https://open.spotify.com/show/33aX9ceG027L7tfU3GK5av

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💛 Where to find Amy:

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Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

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Can you remember what it was like to be a teenager? This week, author Olivia De Zilva joins us again to recall the feelings and stories that shaped us when we were young. As an ex-teenager and current writer for teens/young adults, Olivia has much wisdom to share about the whimsy and grittiness that characterise those formative years. Over the past few decades, what’s changed and what’s remained the same about books for young readers? What do teenagers really want to read? And how do authors express life’s messiness to younger audiences without being paternalistic?

If you love YA or know somebody who does — check out Olivia De Zilva’s latest novel, Eggshell! It’s the current Amy & book of the month and we’d love to see you at our live book club over on YouTube on April 23 (7pm ACST).

MENTIONS:

Authors:
Jacqueline Wilson
John Green
Lemony Snicket
Rachel Hennessy

Books:
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Eggshell by Olivia De Zilva
First Love from Silhouette series by Silhouette Books New York
Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein
I Am David by Anne Holm
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
Max Remy Super Spy by Deborah Abela
My Spare Heart by Jared Thomas
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan
Specky Magee by Felice Arena & Garry Lyon
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant
The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Tom Brown’s School Days by Thomas Hughes
Warriors by Erin Hunter
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Film & TV:
Bluey (2018–)
BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)
Daria (1997-2002)
Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
Skins (2007-2013)
The OC (2003-2007)
The Princess Diaries (2001)
The Saddle Club (2001-2009)
Wuthering Heights (2026)

Other:
Molly Goodrich, 2020, ‘The Rise and Fall of YA’, Your Magazine, August 8
@Comfortable_Bell9539 ‘As a former fan, I feel betrayed by her’, r/EnoughJKRowling, Reddit

LINKS:

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:
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💛 Where to find Amy:
* Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ amymatthewsauthor/
* Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
* Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening! 💞

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