May 2026

In this episode, we started a new series, Copper Coins! And it’s not just that, this episode was full of firsts for us.

We welcomed our first guest, Mollie—a long-time friend, professor, and librarian. For the first time, Arlo drew on his art history background to present insights into visual culture and storytelling connected to this story’s themes. And, this marks our first ghost story!

Connecting Literature & Art History

In this episode, Arlo shared a presentation exploring Buddhist concepts & visual storytelling throughout history, & how Copper Coins draws on that theology & history.

Arlo has shared the slides for that presentation on Instagram and Tumblr. Check it out to see examples of the art he discussed in the presentation.

UP NEXT >> Copper Coins Vol.2

Dragon Xue Xian and amnesiac monk Xuanmin remain bound together, trailed by mysteries. Their ghostly companion, Jiang Shining, seeks peace for his parents but must first find his last living relative. Meanwhile, Lu Nianqi, burning for answers, is determined to uncover the truth behind the deadly tomb on Fentou Island.

The group’s journey takes a strange turn when they join a troupe of theatrical ghosts and find themselves in a cursed village filled with spirits. As they investigate, the mysteries tangle and all seem to point to a single source.

Why does everything lead back to Xue Xian’s downfall—and what part does the monk beside him play? If they don’t kill each other first, they might finally discover the truth.

SPECIAL NOTE: Mollie returns to join us for this discussion!

Pride Month Bonus Episodes 🏳️‍🌈✨

Pride Month is just days away, and this year, we are celebrating with BL manga! We are reading three manga, releasing one episode a week until the end of the month, and then resuming our regular novel discussion.

And there’s more! Both Arlo and Pa Ying’s birthdays are in June! And coincidentally, one of the manga episodes will be dropping on Pa Ying’s birthday, which gave us an idea: let’s drop an episode on Arlo’s birthday too! So we’ll also be doing a fourth bonus episode. On June 24th, we will discuss the anime series Spirit Pact.

To see all of the novels, manga, and anime we will be discussing, check out the updated reading list below.