Bookwild - 2025 Books We Can't Wait to Read with Gare Billings and Halley Sutton

Episode Date: December 27, 2024

This week, Halley, Gare and I catch up and also share 2025 book releases we are super excited about!Books We Talked AboutThis Book Will Bury MeBeautiful UglyCross My HeartDon’t Let Him InA Serial Killer’s Guide to MarriageVictorian PsychoHigh SeasonA Gorgeous ExcitementVantage Point Get Bookwild MerchCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian 

We briefly touched on dreams. Yes, we did briefly touch on dreams. And I gave Kate a little hot tidbit that I had a dream the other night, that I was the director of the Hurricane Blonde movie. Oh, my God. Yes. And it was the wildest experience because I remember, like, vividly in my dream, like, how it started off. And there was, like, a camera going over, like, Los Angeles and, like, the Hollywood sign. And then, like, you kind of, like, veered down.

into like traffic and you see like the tour bus. Cool. And you go in through the back window and there's like Selma standing in the middle and like talking and I remember like after that part like you kind of are like sitting at an angle where you're looking up at her and like she's kind of like obviously like a little bored but like putting on the show of like and this actress is like you know like where like she was murdered and then when you get to her sister like her face gets really tight and she kind of like fumbles on her words a little bit and that's all I remember. Oh my god. I love this

directorial vision. Such a wild dream. Honestly, I'm hoping that you are a witch and manifesting this for me. And if you want to direct it, I'm game, you know. Okay. It will be my directorial debut, but I would be so pumped to do it. Perfect. I'm just going to take over the reins of like everything except for funding because I'm not, I'm not there yet. We'll leave that to the. I still need some money, but, but yeah, I will take over. Like such minor details, you know? Perfect. Wardrobe, sure.

I got you. Yes. Oh my God, that's awesome. Well, that would be amazing. Yeah, it really would. Especially since we all are clearly obsessed with Hollywood thrillers. Oh, yeah. You did this to me.

I was going to say actually you actually you both of you um I read the hurricane blonde and I was like why can I find more things like this and then like shortly after or like around the same time um Kate was like I am loving like the Hollywood like plot device and like not just thrillers but like any book and like since then it's been like um the Hollywood assistant by May Cobb I fell in love with um the final act by Lisa Gray I just on my radar, but I haven't read it yet. It is one of the darkest things I've ever read. Ooh.

He has me wanting to read it so badly. Dual timeline just like touches on like toxic true crime culture within like TikTok. Love it. Oh my God. It's so good. Oh, it sounds so good. You'll die over at it. It's so good.

Yay. I know. actually left a bar. I was like out one night having like a great time and like left the bar early to go home and finish it. Gary, you are a reader after my own heart. I have done that at like bachelor at parties where I've been like, I'm done now. I'm going home to read. I will see you in the morning. Like. Yeah. I had three vodka sodas and like 45 minutes. And I was like, oh my God, guys. It was so great seeing you. But like I'm going to go home and get a good night's rest. Then I like cramped up my like heating pad and like put on like fuzzy socks. And I was like this is where I belong. Yeah, totally. Yeah, so good. Well, Hallie had kind of an icebreaker type idea. I did.

I also wanted to say, I know Kate knows this, but I don't know if she shared it with you, and I don't think I shared with you. But like, speaking of Hollywood stuff, I had a crazy Hollywood moment last week, which was that I got to go to the premiere of the Nicole Kidman film, Baby Girl. And I saw Nicole Kidman on the Red Carlin. I was not cool about it. I just kept screaming, oh my God, it's a cool kid, Ben! Like, it was like,

no chill. And the film was amazing. I can't wait to see it. I can't either. It's sexy. I'm even more excited about it. It's graphic. It's like, and it's so well done.

It's so female gaze and like so kind of like inside a woman's like subjectivity in a way it. I feel like you don't see. And it's like legit kinky for a mainstream movie starring Nicole Kidman. It's great. Oh my gosh. I love that. I need it now. Yeah. I also love that she's like stuck with that. I remember like to die for was like very like kinky and also like something that I was like, I'm surprised like she did like she went from like far and away. Yeah. To like to die for it. I was like what a range. Gare, I love that you brought that movie up. I love that movie. It is so like, I think last time when

we talked we talked about like candy-coated horror or and like that was like a thing. I felt like in that movie where everything is like so aggressively pastel even as it's like so dark. Oh, I loved that film. There's, um, a well, there's a character. I think she's like Joaquin Phoenix's friend or girlfriend out of the three kids. Yes. I don't know her name, but she is an incredible movie if you have not watched it.

It's called before and after. with Meryl Streep, Edward Furlong, and Liam Mason. Okay. Wow. And she is the girlfriend of Edward Furlong, and he's accused of killing her. And it's like small town turning against him, Meryl Streep and Liam Misen are the parents,

and like, just like what happens when like you don't have all of the facts, but like everybody thinks that he's like guilty of it and like how little things can like kind of like crack the veneer of somebody's like reputation leading up to something like that. It is incredible. It is incredible. Oh my gosh. Okay. I am going to watch that. I'm really, that sounds like so at my alley. It's so good. You will not regret it. And Merrill. And Merrill. Brunette Merrill. Like stringy brunette hair. Like I'm a simple like how like housewife making apple pie like kill me now. Fantastic. Amazing.

Yeah. Okay, so I derailed myself because I had to scream. I'm like telling everyone. I'm like, I went to a film premiere. I was severely underdressed and I saw Nicole Kidman. But like one thing I was talked about with mentioned to Kate that I thought might be fun to cover in our conversation today would be like any bookish or writing resolutions we have coming up for 2025. And I, you just mentioned. that you are writing something.

I don't know how much you want to share, but I'm excited to hear whatever you want to share, truly. I'll share it all. Okay. So was this your first movie premiere? My very first, yes. I have been at, oh, sorry, go ahead. Oh, no, my first and only one was luckiest girl alive.

Oh, my God, amazing. How was that? I wanted to die the entire time. Yeah. Like, it's like probably like one of my top five favorite books. like I'm obsessed with Jessica Noel. How cool. And I think like Milakunis is like such a great actress and like seeing all of them like on

stage like 20 feet away from me. I was like this is wild. Yeah, that's amazing. How cool you got to go. I love that. That's awesome. Yeah. It was so cool.

It was so cool. I was just like, oh my God. Like this is the movie premiere that like I should like go to. You know what I mean? Totally. Totally. It's like the only like, you know. Till the hurricane blonde.

Till the hurricane blonde. But then you'll be walking the red carpet as the director. So, you know. Did you imagine Jacob already has my date? Yes. Perfect. Jacob already has to be my date. I don't care.

And I'll be there with Josh O'Connor and Tom Hardy on the other side. Just like. Living the brother-husband. With it. Yes. It's like that TikTok audio that's like, I want a boyfriend. And I want my boyfriend to have a boyfriend. And I want my boyfriend to be boyfriend.

to be boyfriends. Exactly. Exactly. I love that. So. So. Do you want to talk about your writing goals? Sure. I'll start. Gere already came up with his. Sorry. We did like a little like movie premiere like experience share. Oh okay. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. Yeah. So my writing goals for 2025 are to finish my draft a book three, which is slow going. Partially because I'm trying to like, well, I want to finish something so that I can really, I feel like you don't, for me, I feel like I don't know what the book is until I finished a draft and I can really like read it, like, as a reader and be like, oh, here's what's missing. Here's where I think I'm actually like going with it.

So I want to get to that place. I want to try to write a short story a month because I think that's good practice to finish things and polish them. And then my last one is something I have been thinking about doing for a really long time. It's a practice out of this book called Making a Literary Life by Carolyn C. And it is, I want to write a note of appreciation to an author every month. And you kind of get to do this when you're writing, asking for blurbs, but you're asking for something. I just want to do it to like tell the writers like that I, whose work I appreciate what I appreciate about it.

And I think it's, you know, just a good thing. thing to get in the habit of is like sharing what we like about other people's work and like really thinking about why we like it too. And so the first one I'm going to do is I want to write a note to Carmen Maria Machado, who is a fabulous writer. She just had a short story come out that you can read for free on Lit Hub called Endlings that's like part of a linked short story collection she's working on. And it's kind of an interesting, she takes the figures of the Warrens, you know, like the conjuring the warrants, like the ones who did all the exorcisms and kind of fictionalizes it. And it's just this really interesting, strange story about like grief and daddy issues and

ghosts. And like, it was so I read it and just like loved it. And so highly recommend everyone go read that short story. But I'm also going to be writing her love letter about suit. So those are my goals for 2025. Those are great goals. I am obsessed. It's like not even like just like your goals that are going to benefit you, but, like, also things that, like, other people need to hear to. Yeah. I don't think anybody hates getting a note saying this is what I, like, really loved about your work, you know? Yeah. So I think that's a good practice to get into. It was actually reminding me. We watched the directors on directors with Luca Guadino and Denny Villeneuve. I am an American who struggles with other names.

But Denise started it off. Like the first thing he said to Luca, he was like, I actually think I have to thank you because when I saw Timote, as they call him, when I saw Timote and call me by your name, he was like his performance. And then he starts starting, he was like the intelligence in his eyes, even though he is a youth. Like it sold him on. He was like, this could be my Paul Atreides. So he like started it off by like thanking Luca and being like, you. helped change the trajectory of Dune and I was like what a compliment seriously that's amazing yeah it was good oh little timote oh timote he's just doing everything yeah and Luca like I know

please for the love of God keep that making's career going I know oh yeah yeah we finally just got queer in theaters near us because it had been out but only in LA and New York. It finally just hit theaters here this week. So we're going to try to go see it. But we'll see. Nice. Yeah.

I want to see it so bad. Me too. And he's adopting like the new American Psycho. Yes, that's right. Austin Butler. And the Shards. Yes. He's doing the Shards for HBO.

Which is amazing. Yeah. Wow. He's busy. And if you haven't seen it, I know I've already mentioned this to Kate, but if you haven't seen it, an earlier of his movies called A Bigger Splash with Tilda Swinton and Ray Fines and Dakota Johnson is like great. It's like a kind of a I don't know if I would say remake, but like an homage

to this old French film called La Piscine, which is basically about like four people having like erotic like switcherues in this like house in the south of France plus murder. And so he transports it to Italy and it's just got this like sun baked like all the goodness too of like call me by your name where it just had this sort of like sun-baked feel like just summer like that's a bigger splash as well i need to watch you do tell me about i love dakota johnson yeah it almost i'm looking at the movie poster it almost has uh white lotus vibes too even kind of from what you're saying for sure for sure it's like yeah not rich white people behaving badly right kind of though a little bit yeah kind of like a destination thriller or whatever nice is anyone else excited for white lotus i'm so excited so yes

so i am so envious of whoever the casting director is for that show i know give me like all of your tips like bringing parker posey into the white lotus was probably one of the smartest things anyone did in 2024 totally genius hands down yeah hands down i'm so excited i'm so excited excited. I wish they all aired it once. I know. I know. Yeah. Once you get used to streaming, it's really hard to deal with the sequential. It really is. Of each week, you know. Yeah. It really is. It's like you eventually are going to be like, when people I complain about it, you're like, well, in the old days, I had to wait every week, but I also had to watch commercials. Yeah. Exactly. More commercials. Inferiorate me. I don't know if we've talked about that. I would be surprised if

I haven't ever gone on a rant about it. Infuriate me. I do not watch anything. I can't remember the last time I watched something with commercials. I'm like, you are breaking the flow of the story that I am absorbed in. And now it's this nasty, loud, bright, over-saturated shit just getting blasted at me. And I'm just like, fuck you. Sing it, Sester.

I can't do it. I even hate like the streaming ones that are like 60s commercials and I'm like oh my god my friend like when we watch the housewives together like he has like the peacock that like has the commercials and like they're like 30 to 60 seconds it's not a big deal and it's also like the housewives like I'm not going to lose my train of thought but even when they come on I'm like I know should I like do I like refresh my drink at this point do I like go outside and have a cigarette to like kill the time I don't know like go outside and talk to one of your neighbors like I just

like it's like 60 seconds like give me a break you're up commercials forcing us out of our homes to talk to our neighbors you know who to thunk yeah just smoke big nicotine is behind it all right commercial is the number one cause of lung cancer in america 24 oh man well yeah i pay that 399 to have commercial free peacock like i will just pay the price you make a good point kate like don't mind it as much in shows where they've like like TV shows because they've thought about where they're going to like put the break for the commercial but it really does like interrupt the flow of a movie to just be like and then we're like in a commercial and then you come back like yeah yeah not optimal yeah it's not it is not it was my soapbox moment of the day

I may have more we never know with me um I love it and like Tooby like there's a movie that I'm obsessed with and you can only watch it on Tooby right now because, like, it did not do well. And it's, like, this really bleak, depressing, like, dark. Of course. Tell me more. Heroing story. And, like, all of a sudden it's like, do you use Clorox when you, like, wash your whites?

And I'm like, fuck me. I'm on. Are you joking? What's the movie? It's called The Dead Girl. Oh. And it has Britney Murphy in it. Oh.

Josh Brolin. Tony Colette Roseburn, Mary Steenbergin, and Marcia Gay-Harden. Wow, what a cast. And it is like the story about a woman being found murdered and how it affects different people's lives.

Like, it affects the woman that found her. This woman who thinks this murdered woman could be my sister who disappeared 20 years ago. A mother who's like, is this my daughter? And then like, leading up to a woman. like what actually happened to her. The cast is incredible. Like, the performances are amazing.

It's kind of like a really sad version of like crash, but like about a dead body instead of like racism. Yeah. Yeah. So it's just, I mean, like, sob. Okay. I got to check that out. You'll sob like three or four times.

It's amazing. Oh, it sounds great. I love how you're like, you'll sob. It's amazing. It's great. It is like one of those. things where you're like, oh, if I'm having a rough day and you watch that, you're like, wow, like, my life's pretty great.

Not too shabby now, are we? That's also why I watch, like, teen mom and the TikTok wives. Yes. Ormond TikTok wives. I'm like, it could be this, you know, it could be this. Exactly. That's why, like, when I'm, like, really going through it, I, like, watch, like, something like that or, like, promising young woman.

Oh, yeah. Luckiest girl alive. I'm like, you know what, Garrett? You just got to buck up a little bit. Just a little bit. Well, I have I have goals too for 2020. Okay, let's hear him. Yes.

So ours are kind of similar, except mine is not book three. Mine is book one. But I am going to finish a draft in 2025. I also feel like since I've never published a book, I don't know how many rounds of edits you really go through. but I want to finish the draft and then however many edits I feel like I need before I take it to someone I would like to get through those this year too like essentially have sent it to some people by the end of the year and I'm kind of at a similar spot that you were saying Hallie because I've really been like rereading everything I've written for the last two days because now it is like

okay how can I now have these characters lives intersect with each other now that I know everything that happened essentially so I'm kind of to that same point where I'm like separating out everything I've written and like categorizing it and then I can look at scene cards and move stuff around because I know I'm not going to tell it linearly either um so it's like I can feel the end of it in sight but I need to get there so I will definitely get there in 2020 is the goal with that. Reading-wise, I think I'll probably do the same reading goal. I did 80 this year, and that was like doable while still doing other things as well.

And then I'm going to sell my first bookish or when authors have a book coming out. Why can't I think of this? like the marketing package for a book coming out. So we are doing a practice run with someone in January that we haven't talked about yet publicly who it is. We're doing a practice run. And then we are going to be pitching this to other authors as a way to like spend like six hours doing content and then have a bunch of content for or leading out to your publication day. So cool. That's awesome.

Yeah. Damn, homies. Yeah, Gail. Well, this has been fun. This has been so fun. You're like, have a more sad movie recommendations. Yeah. Well, I have to say, Kate the Great, as somebody who has read some of what you have written,

I am very happy and will do anything I can to help you with this goal of finishing it by 2025 because I'm dying for more. Thank you. Your voice is like so brilliant and you're extremely talented and I can't wait for this to be out in the world, especially on my shelf. Oh my gosh, you're too nice. Your first your first arc better go to me because I've been dying to know. I mean like maybe both of you joint at the same time, you know.

Yeah, I was like, I was like, I want to also read it, please. I want to. And also, when you sell all of these packages, I would like to pay for most of Hallies so that we can all go eat Taco Bell in the Hollywood Cemetery. Oh, obviously. To celebrate. Yes.

All subsidize it. Just come eat Taco Bell with me in a cemetery and I'll be like, there's Toto, there's, you know, so-and-so. We got it. Yes. That would be so fun. I'm obsessed with that. Yeah.

Me too. Oh, my God. Yeah. So you've got big things going. That's the hope. It's the goal. You both do. What's on your mind, Gare?

What are you? I know you mentioned earlier, your writing. So what are you working on or do you want to share? Yeah. I've had an idea in my head for, I think it's about three years. I've been like plotting and like thinking of little things. I write like little scenes here and there on my phone or my laptop. Um, it is like a modern queer retelling of the War of the Roses, but it's like more toxic.

Whoa. Yes. So it's not like as much comedy, but like I definitely like that's been my favorite movie since I was like too young for it to be my favorite movie. And it's like one of my comfort watches. And I'm like, God, I just like love exploring toxic relationships. And like I think it's like very like very. I get TikToks where like people do like toxic things like a woman broke up with her boyfriend and she was like I took a thermostat.

You know what I mean? Like things like that like just like little things that like can turn into a big issue. And like really like put big cracks in a relationship. And I wrote a prologue and I sent it out to like Ashley Winstead and Greg and Liz. And they had really like positive things to say about it. So my goal in 2025. to at least like plot out everything by chapter and then like have like a very roughed like first draft maybe you know like they did this this is this and then like kind of like fill in the the like fluff later you know where i'm like okay like this is what the house looks like this is what you know happened so that would be like my goal that's awesome just we're two little first drafters yeah and i I actually think, I mean, first of all, it sounds amazing.

I too love The War of the Roses. I love that we have like an 80s, 90s sensibility gear going on, like some of the things we've talked about. I like nothing after it. I think I just saw that they're reissuing the book that it was based on, maybe, or they're remaking the movie. It's one of those two, all of which is to say, like, this is a great time to be publishing, like, a spin on it because it's going to be like in the zeitgeist again. So like, that's awesome. Yeah, yeah. Mine is definitely like not.

I think the thing that's like very special about the War of the Roses is it's like, it starts off as a love story and it's about like marriage and children and like, you know, when things like that fall apart and like mine is more like about how like, without knowing it, like 90% of the people play games when they start dating, you know, whether you're like, oh, I'm not going to tell them about like, this little toxic trait. I'm not going to tell them about like, you know, how I do like X, Y and Z or something like small about like maybe I don't wash my dishes every day, you know, things like that. And then how like lies like that can grow into like bigger lies that you feel comfortable

hiding things from people that you're dating and also like little lies and little things that you do to make yourself somebody who is datable. Yeah, like preserving the idea of self when even when it gets to a point of like, I'm kind of lying about who I am. Yeah. And then you, to fall in love and then like when you see the real person for who they are, it's like this is not what I envision myself dating. And now I'm already like too far in. And, you know, I think there's something very interesting with the aspect of like a breakup

is usually like how do you like get rid of someone that you don't want in your life anymore. and how do you hold on to somebody that you don't want to leave your life? And I think it'd be really interesting to combine those into people. I like that a lot. Oh, I can't wait to read this. This sounds amazing. I've been, like, taking notes and I'm like, damn, like, maybe I'm really toxic because, like, I, like, have, like, an idea or something, and then I'm like, oh, my goodness, currently.

No one's going to like these characters. You know what I mean? Like, no one's going to like them, but they're going to be. I think that's more interesting. I mean, that's also like, War the Roses, right? I don't remember finding them, either of them particularly likable, you know?

But like, like, I thought Barbara was totally likable. All right, fair, fair. I loved her. I was like, I understand completely why you wanted to drop a chandelier on Oliver. Like, he is the most, like, infuriating man I've ever seen my entire life.

Well, true, true. But, like, I don't know. I'm excited. This sounds great. I know. Thanks. Oh, we're just going to have a great 2025, all of us. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then reading-wise, I'm just going to try to, like, read a little bit less so I can, like, do things like that. Like, if I'm in the mood to write or if I'm in the mood to, like, research things or watch, like, The War of the Roses for the Hundredth Time. Like, I even have, like, a little, like, novella idea of, like, something I would like to do after the book. Cool. Which is, like, when the catalyst of, you know, the book kind of ends and what is less. behind like media-wise relationships and everything like that. So yeah, that would be fun to like plot out. I love that. Get started on.

If there's any way I can like support you in that journey, let me know. Sometimes Kate and I do like writing sprints. So if you ever want to join in on those. Ooh, that would be fun. Yeah. It helps. I'm going to get flashcards. That's my like my step number one is to get like flash cards and be like,

all right, I'm writing out like every chapter and like what I want to happen. it because like that's like something that like kind of makes me nervous is I know how it starts and I know how it ends but like everything in the middle I'm kind of like do I want this to happen first or do I want them to do this or like you know so have you read have you read save the cat writes a novel by Jessica Brody I haven't so it it's really helpful for like plotting and figuring out like how things should go and it's um it's based on like a popular screenwriting framework, but it really is like pretty universal. Like these are the universal story beats leading up to your traditional kind of like, you know, the traditional climactic thing of almost every story you read.

Not every, but almost every story you read. And they do like a really great job. And I think it's really helpful too for pacing because it'll tell you like, okay, by like 20% of your book, this should have happened. By 50% of your book, this should have happened. So it can be like really useful when you're trying to figure out like that soggy middle, which I think is sort of what you're talking about where you're like, I've got the polls, but how do we get there and why? and when. Yep. I would agree with that because it helped me a lot. I'll have to get that. Yeah. We're like, I know, like, knowing what my midpoint needs to be helped me like write the stuff around it essentially. Yeah. It's very useful. I loved it. Yeah. And then obviously you can adjust

stuff. It doesn't have to be exactly. But it helps give you the like way to think about. it. Yeah, totally. And there's a million frameworks out there, you know, whatever, if any of them speak to you, it's like, you know, I don't, I don't necessarily advocate for one over the other. That's just the one that connects with me the most. Yeah. Same thing. Story genius. That was what Ashley Winside uses for every book she writes. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, Ashley is herself a story genius. So that's also not fair, you know. True. Yes. True. Well, That's also, I know, wow, she's just, the way her mind works, frightens me sometimes.

It's amazing. Yeah. It's, yeah. Well, speaking of Ashley Wednesday, she has a book coming out in 2025. And we were going to talk about a few books that we're all excited, well, that we're each excited for in 2025. And in case you couldn't guess, this book will be. bury me is one of mine. One of mine too,

honestly. It's so good. Yeah. I have a lot. When I went to prepare for this, I was like, there are tons that have been announced. And then I was like, oh, there are tons that have been announced for 20, it's 25. So I have lots in case we have crossover. But since the segue was just there,

I am excited for this book will bury me. But for those who don't know what it's about, after the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to cut how to cunt. Oh my God. You go for 2025? How to cunt killers? You can't cut that out.

You got to keep that in. Yeah, you'll have to keep that in. They teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory. So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. The details don't add up.

The police are cagey. and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions. Something's not adding up, and they begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap. Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane, has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened. She tells the truth.

She tells the true story of the Delphine massacres, and what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans. It sounds bleak, too. It sounds dark and bleak, very, very gar-coded. So I got to read this early because Ashley asked me for a blurb. I've read it. It is incredible. And every Ashley Winstead novel, I read it.

read is my favorite Ashley Winston novel. You know what I mean? Like I finish it. And I was like, this is the best one. But like I loved it. It's so good. It's so smart. It's actually is just like a genius. She like has this ability to tell such a compelling story, but she's also adding in all these layers, like comments on like the kind of toxic nature of like true crime armed detectives and like it's also a meditation on grief. And it's just like so good. Oh, I'm so excited. I'm interviewing her at the end of February. So like I have been wanting to read it. I even have a physical arc, but I'm, like, trying to, like, tell myself, like, read it in February. Like, the interviews are better when it's fresh, but I want to read it so badly.

It's good. But also, like, we did a podcast recently where we were talking about, like, just read what you want when you want to. And I'm going to have your back on this, Kate. Like, when has an Ashley Winstead book, like, ever? slipped your mind. Right. That story, like, you'll remember the details for weeks to come. Yes. I agree. I'm reading it on my Christmas break. I like picked out like three arcs that I'm like dying to read and like I need to, I need to read them on my Christmas break and like cuddle my dog and that's my goal. My gosh. And end 2024. Love that. I think I'm going to be reading my January, my remaining January books.

over Christmas break because like we discovered a couple weeks ago. I not exaggerating had like 11 book in net galley books in January because it was like it was just like once I think a bunch I think I had like four or five get approved in one week all of a sudden and I was like I didn't remember or it wasn't thinking about having them out there. So which I have some that I'm still very excited about. I'm not complaining but I will probably be reading my January books between Christmas and baby girl. Yes. Yes. I have 14 arcs for January. Yeah. Damn. I wonder, like, do you think it's because not as many come out in December, but like also like, does that really, I don't know.

That was the only thing I could think of. There are so many that come out in January. January is kind of like a prestige publishing spot. They often put like some heavy hitters in January. Yeah. Okay. Well, that makes sense. I feel like January, like people are like,

saving money because like they're like the holidays are already over with. They're using money for gift cards. Oh yeah. And it's also like, oh my God, it's January. Like my holiday parties are over. Like what do I do with my time when it's like kind of like a shitty winter? Yeah, you're right. That's a good point.

And I think also for people who aren't like the readers that like you guys are and like your audiences, but like oftentimes people making New Year's resolutions and one of them might be to read more. Right. So, like, they're putting out books that are, you know, hitting that spot. I know. Sometimes I think about that, too, like, for the person who's like, I just read a really good book and I haven't read in forever.

And you're like, oh, like, when was the last one, they're like, I don't know, like a year or two ago. And I'm like, no judgment. It just like crosses my mind sometimes. I'm like, it's such a, there's some people who aren't even like thinking about books that are getting released that year or like, and there are people where it's like, shocking to them when they get like hooked by a book. It's just such a different life.

It really is. I took a huge break until Gone Girl came out. Yeah. And then Gillian Flynn, like I read, I binged all three of her books back to back. And like, that's what kind of brought me back into an avid reader. But like that would have been, that probably would have been me. Like you probably could have asked me and I would have been like, I haven't read a book in like six months. Yeah.

It's crazy. It's crazy. or to be like the person that like I'm a little like jealous of like somebody who like first experiences an author like Ashley Winstead or the person who's like on my list that has a new book coming out and like getting to binge their entire backlist like lucky duckie yeah seriously you want to do you want to share that one with us yeah let's hear it my guess is that it's Lucinda berry I would love if I had an arc of Lucinda Berries, but I, it doesn't come out until May, and I'm not

discussing it until April, because I am, like, feverishly dreaming of the day that, like, an arc shows up on my mailbox because, like, I am, I just know that it's going to fuck me up. It sounds so good. It sounds so good, and the cover is beautiful, and I fucking love her. Like, she called me her soul me on Instagram, and, like, that is, I want that on my tombstone. amazing. Like my dark little heart where she's like, you're in for a wall up and I'm like, that's why I picked it up. Yes.

But my pick is beautiful, ugly by my homegirl, Alice Feeney. I am very excited for this one. I love Alice Feeney. I think that she just like always like reels me in every time. And I've never regretted picking up a book by her. So author Grady Green is. having the worst best day of his life. He calls his wife to share some exciting news as he's driving home and he hears Abby slam on the brakes and get out of the car than nothing. When he eventually

finds her car by the cliff edge, the highlights, the headlights are on, the driver door is open and her phone is still there, but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can't sleep and he can't write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Shortly after arriving, he sees the impossible, a woman who looks exactly like his missing life. I'm very intrigued by this one, and I love the tear in the cover. Yeah, I do too. I freaked out when I got this because I thought that, I thought my book was ripped.

Oh, no. And I was like, are you joking? I finally get the Alice Feeding book and it's ripped. But no, yeah, I'm, I'm obsessed. It kind of gives me, I love when somebody's life falls apart because, in fiction, in fiction, when someone's life falls apart because someone goes missing. Yeah. And like, everything starts to unravel.

It gives me a little bit of the vanishing vibes, which is one of my favorite movies in the entire world, you know, 80s and 90s. Yes, I love it. And it's very dark and bleak. I'm expecting Alice Fini to really sell me with this. Yeah. I want us all to do this again in a few months. And maybe we can like talk about how the hype lived up for these like most anticipated books.

Because I'm curious to hear. Really? I think so too. Yeah. Yeah. Dude, one little thing. Clearly everyone wants that book because I even chose it for my book of the month. And it hasn't.

They like sent me something and they're like, this shipment is delayed because of like. a huge demand. So like they haven't even sent my December one yet. So everybody wanted that book apparently. Wow. Good for her. I know. Good for Alice. Damn. Okay. My first book on my list is Cross My Heart by Megan Collins, which I also got to read early. And I, it's, okay, so I said that thing about the Ashley Winston. I legit think this is my favorite of Megan's books. And I love Megan's books. And like this one really blew me away. You can just like feel how much. fun she had when she wrote it. So I'll read the description really quickly, which is Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find the one. A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she's working at her

parent's bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can't come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precious and precarious. She suspects her heart donor as Daphne Thorn, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, who she begins messaging via an anonymous service called Donor Connect, ostensibly to learn more about Daphne. But Rosie has a secret. She's convinced that now that she has his wife's heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together. As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal detail soon disappears, even if Rosie is keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan's previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she's falling for. Could Morgan have had

something to do with his late wife's death? And can Rosie's heart sustain another break? Or is she next. This one sounds so salacious. It's salacious and she does some stuff with like the structure of the story that is just like chef's kiss masterful like truly. That is so cool. That's one of the ones. It was like on my list too because like I figured we would all have some overlap.

So I was glad that you said it too. But that's going to be one of the ones I'll be reading between Christmas. In the cover. Oh, I know. Yeah, look at that. I know the hand, like, I know. I was, like, working at it the other day and I was like, actually, no one has ever typed like this with just their middle finger, but it looks so pretty.

Well, and it's like, this is like, this is so geeky, but I remember Megan, just so you guys know, I'm friends with Megan. So full disclosure, she did share the cover when it first got designed. And I remember, like, the hand has so much personality. There's something like sexy about the way it's kind of draping up to, like, tap the thing that you're right. It's like no one would ever write that way. Yeah. Like the way, I don't know, it tells a story in that like simple curve of the hand, you know? It's very ominous. Like up close, it almost looks like it's more on the,

the mouse pad or the track pad. Yeah. Yeah. So it's almost like I wrote something that you are going to regret and I'm about to hit set. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. Like when I write something snarky and bitchy to somebody who like deserves it, that's what my hand looks like. Yeah. Totally. Send. And send. Yeah. Everyone that I see you read is success with it. So it's great.

I'm excited. Yeah. Yeah. I'm really excited. I'm also excited that it's your favorite because I was telling Kate, like I think a week, maybe two ago, that like I loved everything she's written. But like, I still vividly remember my reading experience of the Winter Sister and like how it was just like one of my favorite. reading experiences like of any book. Yeah, I'm curious to hear how you feel like it compares.

I love the Winter Sister too, which is just like so lush and like, I don't know, almost feels like this Greek tragedy sort of come to life. Yeah. And then this has a different feel, but like, yeah, it just felt so fun. Like I felt like I knew she had fun writing it. And like that is such a, like, lovely feeling as a reader to me. Mm-hmm. Same.

I am so torn on which one to talk about next because like literally I'm torn between like oh everyone's heard about this one or like talking about ones that less people have heard of but I know I'm just going to talk about Lisa Jules that just like got announced I think like last week because the cover had me excited just with the cover it's called don't let him in and it has like doors within doors within doors like almost think of like like Russian nesting dolls but doors, which like sounds like lots of timelines or something to pay attention to, which is like totally one of my new favorites is books where you have lots to pay attention to. Sounds so silly. So I got I got really, I'm always going to read what Lisa Jewel writes, but I got excited just seeing this cover. And then I read what it's about. Restaurant tour, Patty Swan was The Life of the Party until the Day of man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his 20-something daughter, Ash, and wife, Nina, devastated. Shortly after Patty's funeral, the two women receive a surprise in the mail,

a note and package from Nick Ratcliffe, an old friend of Paddy's, and a nondescript lighter that once belonged to him decades ago. The unexpected gift draws Nick and Nina closer together, much to Ash's dismay. Martha is a small town florist with dreams of expansion. She lives with her second husband, Al, her baby, and two sons from her prior marriage, but they never seem to have any money. And with his constant traveling for work, she feels like a single parent, especially when an emergency makes her realize something needs to change. But Nick and Al may not be who they say they are, leading these three women on a shocking collision course, wishing they had heated a warning. Don't let him in.

It sounds like all kinds of crazy Lisa Jewel stuff going on. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, it does. Yeah, yeah, it does. And also, if you don't have it yet and you need a good comp to kind of get you in the mood, the widow by Fiona Barton is very, very, very, very good. Nice. You will scream at the last chapter.

Oh, my gosh. Like, it is, it has, I'm not going to say what it is because I want to. want you guys to be surprised if you do read it, but it has something that you both love. Oh my gosh. Okay. Yeah. I'm down. It's something that we're all very passionate about. She's going to leave that there. I know. I just scribbled that down on my head. Like, okay, we got something else. Yeah. No, it's really good. Her books are so good anyway, but that's the one that, like, the ending has stuck with me, like, the longest. I love that. I think I yelled like, fuck yeah. like at the end of that. I was like, fuck yeah. It's so good. That's awesome. Excellent. Okay. You've

reeled me in. Yeah. It's so good. Okay. I was going to ask if you were still with us. There's so many is the problem. Like there's so many I want to talk about, you know? Yeah. That's what I ran into. This could almost be like a quarterly thing because like I I think all of mine are, I think all of mine are January. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe we should do it a quarterly thing because I am with you. Most of my other two are January or February.

So, um, yeah. Gere, what's your next one? Okay. My next one is I'm going to pick Asia McKay, a serial killer's guide to marriage. It just seems a little like snarky and like creative to me. obviously all books are creative, but it just seems like something that I haven't read yet. So you guys will love this. I wasn't smashing the patriarchy.

I was killing it, literally. Love it. Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby, except for one small thing. They're murderers. While they used to be, they had it all an enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to rid from the world. Then Hazel got pregnant. Now they're just another mom and dad and baby.

They gave up vigilante justice for life in the suburbs. Arrange play dates instead of body disposals, diapers over daggers, mommy conversations instead of the sweet seduction right before a kill. Hazel finds her new life terribly dull, and the more she forces herself to play her monotonous predictable role, the more she begins to feel that murderous itch again. Meanwhile, Fox has really taken to being a father. Always the planner, he loves being five steps ahead of everyone, and knows exactly what's coming around the bend. Plus, if anyone can understand Hazel needing one more kill, it's Fox.

But then Hazel kills someone without telling Fox, and when the police show up at their door, Hazel realizes it will take everything she has to keep her family together. Murder infidelity. I love it. I cannot wait. And like, having, like, a baby involved is, like, also just, like, chef's kiss because, like, I think that there's going to be, like, a little bit of, like, a dark comedic undertone in this one. You know, like, don't want to be, make up the baby as we're like dragging a dead body across the, you know, floor or something. Totally. And I love it as a twist.

I love it as a twist on the idea of like you have kids and like all of a sudden you say goodbye to your older self or like your partying self or whatever except it's like your murdering self. I think that's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. I do too. And I also like love how like and if this book were written like even a few years ago, like people

would have been like, oh, it was probably the husband. And it's the one that like, you know, couldn't control his murderous rage. So I actually like that it's the wife. That's the one that was like, oh, well, you know, I killed somebody behind your back. Totally. It's giving my lovely wife, but maybe it can't be her. Yeah. And like maybe like a little bit of like you.

Totally. Season two or three, whatever one, it was like love and gel. Yes, that's right. And they had like the baby and stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

So it sounds fun. Mm-hmm. Okay, my next one. Okay, so I'm going to be honest. I do not always do a very good job of pre-ordering books. And I know it's a big thing we need to do to support authors, but like, I have so many books. And so when I tell you, I hit the pre-order smash button last night when I saw this book, like, just like, give it to me. So this next one is called Victorian Psycho by Virginia Fito, I think is how you spell, pronounce her last name.

And it's coming out in February. It's already going to be a feature film starring Margaret Qualley and Thomas and McKinsey. And the cover is amazing. So here's the summary. Grimwald's England. When Fred Nottie arrives at Enzor House prepared to play the perfect governess, she'll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories and only joke about eating children. But long, listless days spent within the estate's dreary confines come with an intimate knowledge of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family. Mr. Pounds can't keep his eyes off Winifred's chest, and Mrs. Pounds takes a sickly pleasure in punishing Winifred for her husband's wandering gates. Compounded with her disdain for the entitled Pound's children,

Winifred finds herself struggling at every turn to stifle the violent compulsions of her past. French tutoring and needlework are one way to pass the time, as is admiring the ugly portraits in the gallery, and creeping across the moon like our lawns. Patience. Winifred must have patience for Christmas is coming, and she has very special gifts planned for the dear souls of Ensor House. Wow. I know.

That cover is also fucking amazing. I know. Well, and I have to ask, there are three covers on Goodreads, and all of them are so cool. Are you guys looking at the one with, like, the yellow text? Yes, I'm looking at the, like, Victorian doll with the, yellow text dripping down it. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Other ones are cool to you. But then I also have to share, I almost laughed while you were reading it because the first review on Goodread says,

holy hell and a handbasket, what did I just mean? Yes. That's what I want. Yeah. This sounds very unique and fresh. Yeah. For sure. I can't wait to read that. That sounds really good. Yeah. I have to pre-order that too. Yeah. I'm going to smash that button as well. Yeah. Just like, what's money? Give it to me. Put it in my hands. Yes, totally. Oh, my gosh. I also love that it like kind of like gives you enough to be like interested, but like you're like, what are, what is everybody really hiding here? Totally. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm in. Fascinating. Okay. I think we have time for one more round. Yeah, we can do it. We can be quick. We can do it. So I was like, for whatever reason, was like, spread them out across 2025. So at least a jewel one comes out in June.

And this one comes out in August. But it is called High Season by Katie Bishop. So never speak of that summer. On a beautiful summer's night 20 years ago, troubled 17-year-old Tamara Drayton was found floating face down in the pool of her family's idyllic mansion in the south of France. leaving her twin brother, Golden Boy Blake, to pick up the pieces of their shattered family. Also left behind was their sister Nina, who at six years old, became the youngest person ever to testify in a French murder trial. Because she's the only one who saw what happened, who watched as her babysitter, Josie Jackson, pushed Tamara under the water and held her there until she stopped breathing.

Didn't she? 20 years later, Nina's memories have faded, leaving her with no idea of what really transpired that night when a new true crime documentary about our sister's murder is announced. Nina thinks this might be her chance to finally find out. But the truth always comes at a cost. Who will pay the price? Set over two unforgettable summers, two decades apart. High season is a dark tense exploration of the nature of memory, the enduring power of truth, and all the gray areas in business. tweet. Love it.

Fuck me. That cover is really cool. The cover is really cool. Oh my God, dude. The cover's great. Yeah, that like rainbow bead. And the like, it feels so south of France, sweltery, sexy. Like, I love it. Yeah. Yes.

Oh, my God. I'm not gonna lie, when I was like, face down in a pool, I was like, this is perfect for a Harley episode. I know. I was like, in all of my boxes. Yes. God, that sounds so good.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm very excited. It comes out in August, so it'll be a while before I read it, probably. But I have it. I have it on that galley. You do? Yeah.

Well, girl, look at you. I think I have an interview scheduled. I think someone sent me this one. Oh, cool. Can I be a fly on the wall during the interview? Yeah, right? Can you all come? Yes.

I'll just be muted and just like. like sit here and you can like read my patience right same gear we'll just be like yeah yeah that sounds so good i'm excited oh um speaking of amazing covers i guess um and this is something that i don't think that i would have really found on my own if the publisher didn't reach out to me so thank you crown publishing for being um i love that a gorgeous excitement by Cynthia Reiner. I'm obsessed with this cover. Yeah. Oh, it's so haunting. I love that cover. Um, it gives me like very like mysterious vibes of like something ominous happening in the summer and totally scaring the shit out of me. But, um, let me see here.

Okay, so it was the summer of 1986 when the girl was found dead in Central Park behind the Metropolitan Museum, half-naked, legs-flayed, arms flung over her head, larynx crushed. There are two things Nina Jacobs is determined to do over the summer of 1986. Avoid her mother's depression-fuelled rages and lose her virginity before she starts college in the fall. Both are seemingly impossible. When her mother isn't lying in bed for days, she's lashing out at Nina over any perceived slight. After a blowjob gone wrong, spectacularly wrong, Nina is the talk of Flanagan's, the Upper East Side Bar where a young Manhattan society congregates. It doesn't help that she's Jewish and outsider in a world of blue-eyed blondes who populate the rarefied world. She can fit in, kind of, with enough alcohol and prescription drugs stolen from her parents' medicine cabinet.

Flanagan's is where she pines for the handsome preppy and charismatic Gardner Reed, whom every girl wants to sleep with and every guy wants to be. After she's introduced to cocaine, Nina plunges headlong into the pursuit of Gardner, oblivious to the warning signs. When a new medication seemingly frees her mother from darkness, and Nina and Gardner grow closer, it seems like Nina might finally get what she wants, but at what cost. Freud called cocaine a gorgeous excitement, but a gorgeous excitement,

but a gorgeous excitement for the wrong guy can be lethal. Oh. You had... I just feel like this one sounds like a fever dream. Oh, yeah. Well, you had me at that cover, and I was, like, frantically scribbling down the title. Yeah. But then you really had me at a blowjob gone spectacularly wrong.

And also, I never knew where that synopsis was going. There were, like, twists in that synopsis, and I just was like, oh. So, like, yeah, I'm into it. Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, without the first paragraph. of like the the murdered person in Central Park that I was like I don't understand why they would why they would reach out to me and see like I think that you would really enjoy this yeah um because

they're like you know it is about a girl who is introduced to cocaine in the 80s after like a bad blowjob experience and I was like to my own horn but I've never had one of those thank you very much crown but you know then you had me at murdered person outside of the metropolitan museum and I was like okay now makes sense I also love the idea that somebody's like hey kid you had a bad blowjob tonight here's a bump you know yeah right like oh my god I could like I just can't imagine being like New York City and being like known as like the person who like had like a bad blowjob experience and now I'm kind of like curious as to like what it is God right I hope braces aren't involved you know it can go wrong because

like if you ask like if you ask like a woman what's the bad like blowjob experience like the guy is not going to say it's a bad blowjob experience because like men are stupid and easy and like I'm just like very curious this like did she get caught did she like use teeth like I just want to know what happened during this BJ that like made her spiral into being like you know what prescription drugs booze cocaine there's a dead girl behind the museum but I don't give a fuck because I had a bad blowjob experience and my life is falling apart completely. Really give some perspective to all of our dating lives, you know, like, well, it's never been that bad. She seems like a little bit of a drama queen, so maybe I can relate.

I'm just thinking like cocaine seems to elevate experiences and make them more prevalent. So I'm also thinking like, I feel like I would want a downer more than an upper if I was trying to forget something. But we'll just see. I'm also so excited that someone put spectacularly wrong blowjob in a synopsis. Oh, yeah. That's some, I love that cover cover. I am too. I am too.

And I also like, I don't know, it's just like very, I don't know, it's going to be like a very fun time travel, I guess, because like doing cocaine in the 80s in New York City doesn't really seem like it was like. it was like, you know, looks like kind of like people having a cigarette now after they have like a couple of like martinis. So I just right. I'm very excited to see where this goes. Yeah, totally. Okay. Thank you for putting that one on my radar. The group check. The group text will be blowing up when I find out what happened during the blowjob. Yes, please. Give me screenshots. Like, let's do it. Yeah. Yeah. I'm just very excited. Very excited to see what happens here. Amazing. Okay. So I have a million others I could mention, but I feel like some of the ones I've already talked about on this podcast in other places. The favorites by Lane Fargo, Death of the Author by Nenadyo Coropor. So I'm going to shout out Sarah Sliger's Vantage Point, which is a book I have been excited about for a long time. Sarah Sliger is an L.A. writer. She's great, very like Megan Abbott with this, like, beautiful literary crime novels and thrillers. Her book, Take Me Apart. I loved. Vantage Point is just,

described as Succession meets Megan Abbott, which I'm like, yes, let's do it. So here's the description. The old money Weeland family has it all. Wealth, status, power. They're also famously cursed. Clara and her brother, Teddy, grew up on a small island in Maine in the shadow of their parents' tragic deaths, haunted by rumors and paparazzi. 14 years later, they've mostly put their turbulent past to rest. Teddy has married Clara's best friend Jess, and the three of them have move back home to take over the sprawling remote family mansion known as vantage point. Then Teddy decides to run for the Senate. An unnerving prospect made much worse when intimate videos of Clara are leaked online. The most frightening part is that she doesn't remember

filming any of them. Are the videos real or are they deepfakes? Is someone trying to take down the wheelings once and for all? Everyone thinks Clara is losing her grip on reality, but she knows the truth. The videos are only the beginning. Years ago, the curse destroyed her parents. Now it's coming for her. I want to read this one so badly. Yeah. And they denied me on NetGalley. But I am just, I'm very excited for this one too.

Rude. So rude. They were like, do you have too many in January? No. Damn it. I want to read this too. Yeah. Yeah.

Because I saw that, it was like one of those things too where, you know, NetGalley will send like first 500 people get access to it. I've clicked it pretty early on, but maybe everyone wanted to. read it. Yeah. I mean, but the succession meets Megan Abbott had me. And it's been getting great reviews. I think it's been getting a bunch of like starred like rave critical reviews. Like, and Sarah's a great writer. So I, I'm really excited to read it. Yeah. It has 155 ratings on good reads and 3.84. That's pretty high for,

for, uh, not published yet, especially. Yeah. Jessica Null blurb that. Ooh, even better. I could get her blurb tattoo. on my body, actually. She said it oozes atmosphere and tension. I was seduced by the fabulously wealthy and famously cursed Wheelan family and could not stop turning the pages until I learned every last one of their dark, dynastic secrets. Yes. Oh, my gosh.

We need this. We all got to read it. We do. We all do. I'm not going to leave my house until August. Same. like fuck oh my god that sounds so good i love the cover yeah me too yeah me too we all picked some pretty sick covers i will say we did we did oh my god let us know if you guys are interested in

any of them or if you have some great 2025 ones that you want to share with us or if you've already read some of the ones that we've mentioned flighted my dms and tell me all especially if it's about the blowjob.