Listen to the episode here.

Every now and then, everything seems to come together at once. This week has been one of those weeks.

I’ve been spending a lot of time reading, planning, and recording, and for the first time in a while it feels like Page Chewing is settling into the schedule I’ve been imagining for months. There’s a lot happening, so I wanted to share where things stand.

The Bonehunters Keeps Raising the Bar

Last week I mentioned that I was still trying to reconnect with some of the characters in The Bonehunters. This week completely changed that.

Without getting into spoilers, Chapter 7 has been an incredible experience. It’s a massive chapter (over four hours in audiobook form) but every minute has been worth it. The scale is enormous, yet Steven Erikson somehow manages to keep the story deeply personal through the perspectives of dozens of characters caught in the middle of chaos.

It’s one of my favorite chapters in the entire Malazan series so far, and I can’t wait to discuss it on the podcast.

Returning to The Darkness That Comes Before

Our reread of The Darkness That Comes Before continues, and every time I revisit R. Scott Bakker’s work I discover something I completely missed before.

That’s one of the joys, and frustrations, of rereading complex fantasy. Even on a third read-through, there are details hiding in plain sight.

The Prologue episode releases this Saturday evening, and I’m excited to finally begin sharing this spoiler-filled reread with everyone. If you check the blog on Wednesday you’ll find a sneak listen to this episode.

Other Books on My Nightstand

I’m also continuing:

• Carpentry in the Elven Forest by Alex French
• Lone Wolf and Cub for Panel Chewing

Both have been excellent in completely different ways. Lone Wolf and Cub has surprised me with how thoughtful and emotionally grounded it is beneath all of its violence, while Carpentry in the Elven Forest has been a fun, lighter read that provides a nice change of pace.

A New Era for Page Chewing

One of the biggest announcements this week is the launch of several new recurring series.

Beyond the Page

Starting this week, I’m returning to one of my favorite parts of podcasting: long-form conversations with authors, publishers, creators, and other people working in the literary world.

Beyond the Page will feature one-on-one interviews every Tuesday, with Thursday episodes added whenever we have enough interviews ready to go.

I’m genuinely excited to get back to these conversations.

The Daily Page

I’ve also been preparing a new weekday series called The Daily Page.

These will be short, 3–5 minute episodes released Monday through Friday that explore a single quote and the ideas surrounding it. The first thirty episodes will focus on The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, a timeless collection of poetic essays that’s now in the public domain.

It’s something a little different from what I normally do, and I hope it’ll become a thoughtful way to start the day.

Revisiting Paranormal Activity

I finally gave Paranormal Activity another chance.

While I appreciated a few genuinely creepy moments, it still didn’t quite work for me. It also got me thinking about why The Blair Witch Project felt so unique when it first released.

Timing matters.

The internet was different, audiences were different, and for a brief moment many people genuinely questioned whether The Blair Witch Project was real. That’s incredibly difficult to recreate today, when we’re surrounded by viral marketing, social media, and constant skepticism.

The Great Used Bookstore Hunt

I also spent part of the week visiting a couple of used bookstores.

Unfortunately, neither one quite lived up to expectations.

One was filled with heavily worn textbooks priced higher than brand-new editions online. The other contained what felt like hundreds of thousands of books… but with almost no organization whatsoever. It was fascinating to browse, but nearly impossible to find anything specific.

I love supporting local bookstores whenever I can, but it’s becoming harder when used copies often cost more than new books delivered to your front door.

What Should I Read Next?

I’m looking to take a short break from fantasy between bigger reads.

I’ve been considering another Cormac McCarthy novel, Steppenwolf, or maybe another classic that’s been sitting on my shelf.

If you have recommendations, I’d love to hear them.

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Thanks for following along with Page Chewing.

Whether you’re joining the Malazan readalong, diving into The Second Apocalypse, checking out the new interview series, or simply stopping by for the weekly updates, I appreciate every listen, every comment, and every recommendation.

I’ll see you in the next episode, and until then, happy reading.