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In this Episode, Uncle Mike's Book Club discuss Patricia Briggs short story The Star of David. A Christmas Story about David Christiansen, the first werewolf to admit what he was publicly (even though this is before he does that). This was originally our test episode, but we figured we’d publish it anyway, so one can *hopefully* see improvement over time…

As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published. So if you aren’t caught up, maybe join us when you are.

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In this Episode, Uncle Mike's Book Club first talk about who they are, their relationship to the Mercy-verse books, and their favorite books (River Marked, Wild Sign, Storm Cursed). Then they do a fresh-reaction overview of Blind Date with a Werewolf, which had just come out. Including Sherwood Post reveals, how pretty Asil apparently is, and a debate over Asil’s future.

Books we refer to by informal nicknames: the harp book (Winter Lost), the sickle book (Soul Taken), the horsey book (Dead Heat), the happy camp book (Wild Sign).

Random things mentioned: how we got into the Mercy Thompson books and our favorites, Percy Jackson (Apollo books), Chick-fil-a and witches,

As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published (through Blind Date with a Werewolf). So if you aren’t caught up, maybe join us when you are?

Oh, and the things we don't correct each other on- I promise we (mostly) know them. It just makes for lousy conversation to correct constantly on a side point. And I'm not making a directory of all the random things we call books when we blank on the titles. Someone else is welcome to.

Links:
* Patricia Briggs' official website with complete book list: https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
* Stories in the timeline order (how they happen for Mercy): https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/printabletimeline.html



Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:16 How the Hosts All Got Into Mercy Thompson
00:05:33 Our Favorite Mercy Thompson Books
00:11:05 Fresh Takes on Blind Date with a Werewolf
00:40:29 Outtake: Eric's Joke While We're Googling

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In this Episode, Uncle Mike's Book Club Discuss chapters 1-4 of Moon Called—the very first book in the Mercy Thompson universe! They talk generally about the book and world building, then get into the real story of Moon Called, when will Tony ask out Silvia again!?, Kelly’s Lost-like theory about Medea the cat, how long Mercy has known Stefan, Brittany’s weird family, Mercy’s brownie recipe, the half-hidden status of witches, maybe witches own 24 hour news channels and/or Facebook?, how do you get a 300lb werewolf into a vanagon?, communication technology changes (and reminiscing) since Moon Called was published, and Brittany’s theory about how technology moves so fast in Mercy’s world.

Random things mentioned/referenced: Harry Potter, The Star Trek Experience (RIP), Space Balls, Facebook, Led Zeppelin

As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published in the Mercy-verse: shorts, the Mercy Thompson book series, AND the Alpha and Omega book series (everything through Blind Date with a Werewolf, anyway). So if you aren’t caught up, maybe join us when you are?

Links:
* Patricia Briggs' official website with complete book list: https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
* Stories in the timeline order (how they happen for Mercy): https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/printabletimeline.html
* Link to Mercy brownie recipe: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3azuf7oz7v/?igsh=bmd5OXRsZmQ1amJm
Date Recorded: 11/21/2025



Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:04 Religion in Mercy Thompson
00:05:33 Did Mercy Thompson Come Out of a Dare?
00:10:18 Why It Pays to Pay Attention to the Books
00:14:50 Kelly’s Medea Theory
00:17:55 Stefan
00:20:08 Brittany Slow on the Romantic Uptake
00:22:07 All the (Magical) Creatures You’ll Meet
00:22:48 Weird Happy Families Like on TV
00:24:01 Mercy’s Brownie Recipe?
00:25:51 The Status of Witches
00:26:49 Brittany’s Witch Theory
00:30:22 Mercy Not Deliberating Over Montana Trip
00:32:11 Mercy Fled and Didn’t Debate Coming Back
00:35:22 The Status of Phone Technology in Moon Called
00:38:04 Brittany’s Tech Fae Theory

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In this Episode, Uncle Mike's Book Club Discuss chapters 5-7 of Moon Called from the Mercy Thompson Series. Sure, we discuss Mercy's awkward reunion to Aspen Creek, but we also spend a good chunk of time discussing the towing capacity of a Vanagon uphill in the snow, the march of caller ID technology since Moon Called was written, a very Gen X nostalgia trip about pagers (kids, ask your parents), going back to small home towns, *that* motel we’ve all driven past…, bad password choices, very *very* old flames, have a good laugh about Parkinson's Disease and would a werewolf or vampire be a better cure? (In mostly good taste, promise.) And: what makes for a day-walking vampire?


Listener question: What slogan would give the Aspen Creek Chamber of Commerce? (Or Tourism Board)


As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published in the Mercy-verse: shorts, the Mercy Thompson book series, AND the Alpha and Omega book series (everything through Blind Date with a Werewolf, anyway). So if you aren’t caught up, maybe join us when you are?As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published (through Blind Date with a Werewolf). So if you aren’t caught up, maybe join us when you are?


Links:
* Patricia Briggs' official website with complete book list: https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
* Stories in the timeline order (how they happen for Mercy): https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/printabletimeline.html

Recording Date: 12/12/2025

Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:40 Tri-Cities reference in Mercy Thompson books
00:01:52 Can you really haul a werewolf in a Vanagon???
00:12:40 Tech rant about pagers and caller ID
00:23:26 Called on the "real number" repeat
00:24:38 Mercy just ACTS
00:27:06 Samuel yells about not setting Adam's leg
00:28:01 Werewolves are always cranky
00:29:16 Listener Q: What slogan for Aspen Creek Tourism Board?

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In this Episode, Uncle Mike's Book Club Discuss chapters 7-10 of Moon Called. Mercy is leaving Aspen Creek with the bonus of a Samuel to make things extra awkward. We talked about how creators (not Patricia Briggs!) still need to be checked on things, and how refreshing that isn't in Mercy Thompson. We also speculated what is involved in werewolf dominance hashing out that we never witness? And maybe never should?

How many werewolf packs have dominant wolves that aren’t in line to be the alpha?? Kelly and Brittany gush about how much they love Kyle and Warren, we get a deeper look at the Fae and then wonder at the Vampire Org Chart, and how do all the vampires *after* this know to take away her lamb??


**Listener question:** What slogan would give the Aspen Creek Chamber of Commerce? (Or Tourism Board— we misspoke)

Random things mentioned: Brittany keeps finding excuses to rag on the Star Wars Prequels, Tolkien and typewriters, What The Lone Gunmen from X-Files, Boba Fett, and Joey from Friends have in common, Apocalypse Now, Enchanted Forrest, Grocery Outlet Bargain Market… (Actually, they stayed amazingly mostly on topic this time.)


As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published in the Mercy-verse: shorts, the Mercy Thompson book series, AND the Alpha and Omega book series (everything through Blind Date with a Werewolf, anyway). So if you aren’t caught up, maybe join us when you are?


Links:
* Patricia Briggs' official website with complete book list: https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
* Stories in the timeline order (how they happen for Mercy): https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/printabletimeline.html


Date Recorded: 12/19/2025

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In this Episode, Uncle Mike's Book Club Discuss Chapters 11-13 of Moon Called, this time all recording from the same room! (Apologies for resultant echos from microphones kind of near each other during conversation overlap.)

They covers Samuel post-vampire enthrallment a d the junior high gossip machine that is the Colombian Basin werewolf pack, through Thanksgiving with the mercenaries. They rag on Vanagon's yet again... and again later. Other references touched: Star Wars, Lord Of the Rings, WWE (Werewolf Wrestling Entertainment), Mark Gurman and the iPhone Rumor machine, Pulp Fiction, Keebler Elves…

And wrap up taunting the listener by eating Mercy Brownies... sort of.

As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published in the Mercy-verse: shorts, the Mercy Thompson book series, AND the Alpha and Omega book series (everything through Blind Date with a Werewolf, anyway). So if you aren’t caught up, maybe join us when you are?

Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:31 Recap Guy
00:03:08 End Recap Guy
00:04:52 Workflow proposal to help audiobook readers pronounce names
00:06:27 Ragging on Vanagons again
00:08:15 Back to Samuel trying to come out of it and the call from Warren
00:17:29 After the wolves tell Mercy they'll handle it...
00:19:23 Kelly's Thanksgiving Rant
00:20:04 At the Garage on Thanksgiving
00:23:54 Mercy and the Mercenaries
00:34:45 Troll Tangent
00:35:19 Story continues: What the witches want
00:37:33 Snack time!
00:38:53 Goblins Gossip Corner (Mailbag)
00:40:08 Wrap up
00:40:59 Outtake


Links:
* Patricia Briggs' official website with complete book list: https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
* Stories in the timeline order (how they happen for Mercy): https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/printabletimeline.html


Date Recorded: 1/11/2026

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Uncle Mike's Book Club Discusses chapters 14-15 of Moon Called. We go to the warehouse to rescue Adam and Jesse and witness a plan so convoluted, Sheev Palpatine could have thought it up. We discuss Jesse’s relationship to the werewolves, ALL the gun information and video game guns, using a wire coat hanger to get into your car with the keys locked inside, Tad’s offscreen appearances, the Rube Goldberg plan of Gerry’s, a tangent about women choosing to be werewolves and comparing becoming a werewolf to choosing a golf course, sexism in time travel, and why Kelly didn’t love Doc Carter Wallace’s closing scene.

Random things mentioned: Lots of songs I can’t keep track of. Acme Products from the old Warner Bros. cartoons, Star Trek where people in Red Shirts die on away missions, “Bad Wolf” from Doctor Who, “It’s super effective!” from Pokémon, Star Wars Prequels, The Goonies, OK Go videos, Pokémon, using wire coat hangers to get locked keys out of the car (ask your parents), The original Star Wars movie (“That’s a presence I haven’t felt since…”), Girl from Ipanema.

Recording note: We’re all pretty sick with colds in this episode. And Brittany was so busy trying to get Eric lined up to the mic that she kept missing it herself. Whoops. We do (slowly) make quality progress over the various episodes, I promise!

As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published in the Mercyverse: shorts, the Mercy Thompson book series, AND the Alpha and Omega book series (everything through Blind Date with a Werewolf, anyway). It’s okay if you aren’t caught up, as long as you’re okay with spoilers for books you haven’t read yet.

Links:
* Our Bluesky account: SheWhoWrenches.bsky.social
* Patricia Briggs' official website with complete book list: https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
* Stories in timeline order (how they happen for Mercy): https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/printabletimeline.html

Recording Date: 1/16/2026

Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:28 Recap Guy for Moon Called
00:03:44 Start covering the climax at the warehouse
00:13:19 Guard wants to keep dosing Adam & Knee Cap Guy
00:13:39 Adam getting coherent
00:14:02 David Christiansen’s Mole Comes In
00:14:21 Adam Sweating Silver
00:14:39 Tour of Weaponry & Video Game Guns
00:17:10 David's guy shoots the other Mercenary
00:17:42 Pirate Game and Tad Adelbertsmiter’s introduction tangent
00:18:26 Getting out of the warehouse full of werewolf mercenaries
00:19:49 Mercy Thompson sensing witchcraft magic
00:22:44 Calling Gerry with wolves
00:24:19 Gerry's Plan
00:25:30 The take on Gerry’s plan from Bone Crossed
00:27:54 Bran "takes care" of Doc Carter Wallace and the fallout in Aspen Creek
00:30:45 Women and The Change to Werewolf
00:33:51 Are super old werewolves actually less sexist/homophobic than medium-ones?
00:34:34 Healing / germ immunity advantages of being a werewolf
00:34:55 Wrap up the episode

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Uncle Mike’s Book Club Discusses Chapter 16 of Moon Called, where we finally meet Gabriel; discuss Tad being away at school and Zee’s concern (which later morphs into worry about Gabriel in Winter Lost); Jesse’s hair, Warren’s questionable gay cowboy hair-cutting ability, and how awful Jesse’s mom is; why “nudge” is not really a secret word, does not pass the op sec test, and absolutely should not be their password; why Ben isn’t guilty but is still pretty unpleasant (and whether Kelly can get the uncensored version of Ben); and how Mercy is sick and tired of adulting, changes into sweats, and leaves Sam and Adam to one-up each other while she goes to work on cars with Stefan.

Then we wrap up with our overall impressions of Moon Called, which veers into a little pet peeve about the depiction of single-wide trailers in Blood Bound. Even though we do not officially start covering Blood Bound until the next episode, it does become a powerful running gag.

Random things mentioned: pagers and Apple products; hating the Dursleys from Harry Potter (trigger warning!); Astro vans getting up hills; a reference to Lando’s flirtatious line from The Empire Strikes Back; the Star Wars prequels and how unrealistic and unbelievable the characters become over time (I’m looking at you, Padme Amidala); Urkel from Family Matters; the Star Wars show Skeleton Crew; The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and their confusing names; Game of Thrones; and six degrees of Kevin Bacon, but for Mercy Thompson characters.


As always, there are potentially spoilers for every single book published in the Mercy-verse: the short stories, the Mercy Thompson series, and the Alpha and Omega series (everything through Blind Date with a Werewolf, anyway). It’s okay if you aren’t caught up, as long as you’re okay with spoilers for books you haven’t read yet.

And we have social links now, and we’d love to hear from you! Please be patient with us getting back to you or reading/playing messages on air, since we pre-record episodes. As of the release of episode 8, we’ve actually recorded 15 episodes.

Links:
* Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shewhowrenches.bsky.social
* Check out our for-now website: shewhowrenches.carrd.co
* YouTube Channel: SheWhoWrenches
* Podcast subscribe link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2566095/episodes/18525659
* Other Mercy Thompson book resources:
* Patricia Briggs' official website with complete book list: https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
* Stories in the timeline order (how they happen for Mercy): https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/printabletimeline.html

Recording Date: 2026-01-23

YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/c8TvdYLcDPI