RED is Back! 📖🍪🍸
Read. Eat. Drink.
Summer break is over, RED family — and we are diving back in with a pick that's as chaotic and fun as our first gathering back deserves. Grab a snack, pour something dirty, and get ready to crawl.
READ: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
If you've been living under a rock (or, fittingly, in a dungeon), Dungeon Crawler Carl is the LitRPG/GameLit phenomenon everyone's been raving about. Picture this: Earth's buildings are swallowed up overnight, replaced by a deadly multi-level dungeon, and the only survivors are the ones willing to "crawl." Our unlikely hero? Carl — in his boxers — and Princess Donut, his ex-girlfriend's cat turned sharp-tongued, fully sentient sidekick. It's hilarious, weird, dark, and somehow deeply heartfelt all at once. Perfect comeback book for a group that likes their fiction with a side of absurdity.
● 📚 Buy it on Amazon
EAT: Crawler Biscuits (aka Shortbread Cookies)
Nothing says "welcome to the dungeon" like a buttery, crumbly shortbread biscuit. This one's a simple, no-fuss classic that's easy to make in a big batch for the group — and we're taking a page (literally) from a fellow crawler who already put their own spin on it for a book club night.
● 🎲 See how a fellow Dungeon Crawler Carl fan made their "Crawler Biscuits" — great inspo for decorating or theming yours!
DRINK: Dirty Shirley Cocktail
Princess Donut would accept nothing less than her signature drink on the table. The Dirty Shirley is a grown-up twist on the classic Shirley Temple — sweet, a little tart, and definitely not for cats. (Sorry, Donut.)
Non-drinkers: just skip the vodka and you've got a Shirley Temple worthy of any dungeon crawl.
Let's Talk About It: Discussion Topics
Once everyone's got their biscuit in one hand and their cocktail in the other, here are some conversation starters to get the group crawling through the deeper layers of the book:
1. Carl and Donut's dynamic — How does their relationship evolve throughout the book? Why does an ex's cat end up being the perfect (and most brutally honest) companion?
2. The "show" as satire — The dungeon is broadcast as entertainment to an alien audience. What does this say about our own relationship with reality TV, gamification, and spectacle?
3. Humor amid horror — Dinniman blends absurd comedy with genuinely dark, high-stakes moments. Did that balance work for you? Where did it land hardest — or fall flat?
4. Worldbuilding & game mechanics — For readers who love LitRPG, how did the leveling systems, floors, and rules affect your reading experience? Did it feel immersive or overwhelming?
5. Survival & morality — Carl is forced into brutal choices to survive. Where do you think the book draws its line on what's "acceptable" survival behavior?
6. Found family — Who else joins Carl and Donut's crew, and how does the found-family trope show up in a story this chaotic?
7. Would you crawl? — Purely hypothetical (we hope): if Earth were swallowed into a dungeon tomorrow, are you Team Carl (scrappy survivor) or Team Donut (imperious feline overlord)?
Happy Reading, Eating and Drinking!
Comments