Welcome to my first episode of 2026, wherein you will hear some audio unboxings, I talk about improving my reading habits, and my in-house book reviewer, Fox Loves Carrots (formerly known as Little Munchkin), returns to talk about Carlos Sanchez’s Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces.

Featuring: Helluva Town - Cartoon Gangster RPG from Achron Games, Cosmic Dark by Graham Walmsley, The Wind’s Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin, A Dreamer’s Tales by Lord Dunsany, Bound In Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror edited by Lor Gislason.

Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

This month Movie Monday is dark fantasy action comedy The Golden Child from 1986. Directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Eddie Murphy. That episode will air on January 26th, so please send your submissions by the 24th if you’d like to be included in the show.

Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I’m involved with, entitled With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen.

“Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere

Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands

You can email me at spencer.freethrall@gmail.com, follow me on BlueSky @freethrall.bsky.social or look me up on Discord by searching for freethrall

You can also hear me in actual plays on Grizzly Peaks Radio and find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Boxes & Books (Helluva Town, Cosmic Dark, Rune) (E310)