In Episode 4 of Bean Caught Reading, an original podcast from Toil and Trouble Media, self-professed biblio-groupies Mistie Glendenning and Jennifer Beck turn the pages on the dark backstories behind some of our most cherished children's books.

From troubled authors and tragic inspirations to disturbing origins and secrets hiding between the lines, we uncover the stories behind the stories that shaped our childhoods.

Grab your favorite coffee. Some bedtime stories come with nightmares of their own.

In Episode 3 of Bean Caught Reading, an original podcast from Toil and Trouble Media, self-professed biblio-groupies Mistie Glendenning and Jennifer Beck spill the coffee on the dirty truth of self-publishing.

From pay-to-play promises and predatory services to hidden costs, questionable shortcuts, and the very real work behind hitting “publish,” we dig into what aspiring authors should know before putting their book—and their money—on the line.

Grab your favorite coffee. Publishing your own book may be easy. Doing it well is another story.

In Episode 2 of Bean Caught Reading, an original podcast from Toil and Trouble Media, self-professed biblio-groupies Mistie Glendenning and Jennifer Beck take on one of the oldest ways to control what people think: controlling what they’re allowed to read.

From challenged classics to modern censorship battles, we look at who decides which books are “dangerous,” who loses when they disappear from the shelves, and why access to ideas is always worth defending.

Grab your favorite coffee. The books someone doesn’t want you reading might be the ones worth reading most.