Share
Sley House Presents
Episode #188: Year End Superlatives with Amanda Bernat (Her Infinite Archive)
Ep. 188
•
Trevor is joined by writer and book reviewer Amanda Bernat, the owner of Her Infinite Archive, to discuss their 2025 superlative fiction.
For more information about Amanda Bernat, you can follow her on socials @ohtinybibliophile or at her blog https://herinfinitearchive.blogspot.com/.
Our 2025 Superlatives:
Most Gripping
(Amanda) TILT by Emma Pattee
(Trevor) VOLATILE MEMORY by Seth Haddon
Most Unique
(Amanda) HOW TO FAKE A HAUNTING by Christa Carmen
(Trevor) CATHEDRAL OF THE DROWNED by Nathan Ballingrud
Most Visceral
(Amanda) CARRION CROW by Heather Parry
(Trevor) THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE by Cassandra Khaw
Most Resonant
(Amanda) THE HOUNDING by Xenobe Purvis
(Trevor) THE INCANDESCENT by Emily Tesh
Most Unforgettable
(Amanda) THE REDEMPTION OF MORGAN BRIGHT by Chris Panatier
(Trevor) DAEDALUS IS DEAD by Seamus Sullivan
Most Uplifting
(Amanda) DEATH OF A CLOWN by Catherine McCarthy
(Trevor) LUCKY DAY by Chuck Tingle
Most Satisfying
(Amanda) WHY I LOVE HORROR ed. by Becky Siegel Spratford
(Trevor) COLD ETERNITY by S.A. Barnes
Most Cathartic
(Amanda) ON SUNDAYS SHE PICKED FLOWERS by Yah Yah Scholfield
(Trevor) SALTCROP by Yume Kitasei
Most Awe-Inspiring
(Amanda) YOU DID NOTHING WRONG by CG Drews
(Trevor) ANGEL DOWN by Daniel Kraus
Best Reading Experience
(Amanda) NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
(Trevor) MYSTERY JAMES DIGS HER OWN GRAVE by Ally Russell
More episodes
View all episodes
237. Episode #237: The Franchise with Thomas Elrod
49:47||Ep. 237Author Thomas Elrod visits to talk about his latest novel The Franchise. He talks about the book's thematic origins, about art and media in the age of content and commodification, and about the existential crisis of creating art in our current moment.You can find more about Thomas Elrod at thomas-elrod.com, and you can get The Franchise today from your local library or your favorite book retailer, available from Tor Books.236. Episode #236: Misery's Wife with Joan Tierney
41:02||Ep. 236Author Joan Tierney visits to talk about her debut novel, Misery's Wife, available July 14, 2026 from Flatiron Books. She talks about the book's origins as a Portuguese folk tale, about bringing the folk tale to the 21st century, about finding family and the role of luck in our success and our happiness, and a whole lot more as pertains to the book and our own meaning-making.You can find more about Joan Tierney on Instagram @space.selkie, and you can get Misery's Wife at your local library or your favorite book retailer on July 14!235. Episode #235: Mister Magic with Kiersten White
56:34||Ep. 235Award-winning and best-selling author Kiersten White visits the show to talk about Mister Magic, her 2023 novel that has recently been adapted as a graphic novel through Ten Speed Graphic with Scott Peterson. She talks about the magic of adaptation, but also about the book's way of dealing with nostalgia, toxicity in structures of belief, and coming to know oneself in adulthood. For more information about Kiersten White and her work, you can find her at www.kierstenwhite.com and you can get Mister Magic and its graphic novel at your local library or your favorite book retailer today!234. Episode #234: Dead Weight with Hildur Knútsdóttir
46:24||Ep. 234Award-winning author Hildur Knútsdóttir visits the show to talk about her latest translated novella, Dead Weight, available in the U.S. through Tor Nightfire. She talks about hiding bodies, writing about contemporary issues in Icelandic (and world) culture, and about the need for stories of women doing what needs to be done as a form of cathartic justice.You can find more about Hildur Knútsdóttir by visiting her website, www.hildurknutsdottir.is, and you can get Dead Weight and her other novella, The Night Guest, from Tor Nightfire at your local library or your favorite book retailer.233. Episode #233: Abyss with Nicholas Binge
44:10||Ep. 233Bestselling author Nicholas Binge is back to talk about his latest book, Abyss, now available from Tor Nightfire. He breaks down some of the book's allusions, its central conceits and their relationship to our feelings about the world and Capital, and a lot more. You can find Nicholas Binge at his website, nicholasbinge.com, and you can get Abyss now from your favorite book retailer or your local library.232. Episode #232: Moss'd in Space with Rebecca Thorne
57:27||Ep. 232Rebecca Thorne is back to celebrate the release of her latest novel, Moss'd in Space, available June 30, 2026 from Bramble. She joins Trevor and Amelia in a conversation about the book, about neurodiverse characters and representation in the book, about the cozy sci-fi genre and its budding promise in the publishing industry, and a whole lot more about what she loved in crafting one of our favorite books of the year.You can find Rebecca Thorne at rebeccathorne.net and you can get Moss'd in Space at your local library or your favorite book retailer.231. Episode #231: Slasher Summer with E.L. Chen
48:37||Ep. 231Author E.L. Chen joins the show to talk about her newest novel, Slasher Summer, available on June 23, 2026 from Crown. She talks about her origin story with slashers, how the book takes on familiar tropes, and how she uses the slasher to explore issues of identity-making, and a whole lot more.You can find more about E.L. Chen at her website, elainechen.com, and you can get Slasher Summer at your local library or your favorite book retailer today.230. Episode #230: Make Me Better with Sarah Gailey
01:10:47||Ep. 230Best-selling author Sarah Gailey joins the show to talk about their latest novel Make Me Better, now available from Tor Books. They talk with Trevor about high-control groups, about the shape and scope of human hurt and how that relates to decisions and power, about facing flaws and hurts and finding grace, and a whole lot more.For more from Sarah Gailey, you can find them at sarahgailey.com, and you can get Make Me Better at your local library or your favorite book retailer.229. Episode #229: An Impossibility of Crows with Kirsten Kaschock
54:37||Ep. 229Award-winning author and poet Kirsten Kaschock joins the show to talk about her latest novel, An Impossibility of Crows, which is available now from University of Massachusetts Press. She talks about the book's Gothic concepts, about monstrous motherhood and other griefs, and about the space and function of poetry and fiction in her life.You can find more about Kirsten Kaschock at her website, www.kirstenkaschock.com, and you can get An Impossibility of Crows now by ordering it from University of Massachusetts Press, special ordering from your local bookstore, or asking for it from your local library.