Welcome back to the Nerdette Book Club! It’s just like a regular book club, only it’s not. It’s a podcast. Duh.

For the spookiest month of the year, we’re reading Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, which takes readers on a genre-bending, sci-fi, fantasy ride through space and Southern California. The book follows Katrina, a young trans woman who runs away from home, and Shizuka, a masterful violinist who made a deal with the devil. It’s a story of redemption, defiant joy and decadent donuts.

We’re joined by two great readers. Jenn Northington is the host of Book Riot’s SFF Yeah! podcast and the co-editor of the Arthurian short story collection Sword Stone Table. And Christina Orlando is the books editor for Tor.com. We talk about why Light From Uncommon Stars has made it onto both of their best books of the year lists!