Bookwild - ARCs We Are Excited About with Emma West

Episode Date: August 14, 2026

In this episide, Emma West and I share ARCs we are excited aabout! Kate's Books Hive Mind — Allison Gunn Accidents Never Happened — Penny Zang Scream City — Hannah Morrissey Our Cut of Salt — Dina Nayeri Helm The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman — Deesha Philyaw Emama's Books Kiss Slay Replay — Rachel Harrison She’s a Doll — Barbara Truglove Public Access Afterworld — Jane Schoenbrun Mother Dearest — Claire Bird Bad Words - Rioghnach Robinson All the Bookwild Links:Check Out the Bookwild SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor 

Well, I am back with Emma West from Wild Deast. Yes. Yes. And we were just talking about how cool her job is that she kind of gets to like just buy fun bookish stuff. And she has a really cute pink book blanket that I think I'm going to now get. So, yeah, we were just doing show and tell ahead of time. But. Oh my gosh.

Yes. I am so honored to be back. Kate's podcast is my absolute favorite. I love her. And I just, I'm so happy that we've been. become such great friends and we went and saw Leviticus. Am I a friend? Yes. Okay. We went and saw it recently together and that was so fun and I just all the things. And I also was showing you like my little fidget. I've been like playing with this. So if you hear little taps like just ignore.

She's just stimming guys. It's okay. I know literally just stimming. It's fine. Yeah. I'm so happy be back. Thank you for having me. Totally. Yeah. It's always fun. My girl. Leviticus was so good. I still wish more people were talking about it. I know. I know. Like people keep asking me because like I've been telling a lot of people I've seen. They're like, what's like, how was it?

Tell me everything. I was like, okay, but it was so great. It was such a good horror film and just has so many layers and it's so different. My only thing is that I wish it was a little longer. I know. That was really like, but I think with what kind of. kind of the people in the audience received. I think it makes perfect sense that it left off as to where it was. You know what I mean? Like we were kind of talking about it after. Like that was a very much,

like that was a very much rapid kind of in a bow horror movie ending. It really wasn't. And you don't always get that. You don't. I agree. And it's one of those things too where like sometimes I'm like, I also would still prefer a book to be a book, a movie to be a little too short than to be like three and a half hours long. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, same. But yeah, it did end fast. The Odyssey, that was like three hours long. Oh, my gosh. Did you see it?

No, I don't think I can sit through that. Like in a theater, I don't know if I could go. Is it three, three and a half hours? What did it be? Yeah, it's like three in like five minutes. No, no, I can't. I don't think I could go to a theater and be like a good person sitting there for three hours. I know that sounds so terrible.

Like everybody went and soul. No, I just, I'm like, I'll just wait for it on. streaming like and I fucking love Zendaya. I love her. I think she's so beautiful and I can't even imagine just I bet she just looks like a freaking goddess in this movie like always. Yeah, right. And and I'm so envious of you because I was texting Emily, um, yesterday who works at Wild Geese and um, I had saw that you posted. You went and saw Spider-Man, right? Yes. How was that? It was so good. You can believe the hype about it. Mm-hmm. Oh my God. It's incredible. I enjoy superhero movies that have, like, character growth and emotion in them.

Me too. And it's very much there. It's like, it has your really, like, typical, like, Spider-Man humor. Tom Holland's adorable. He is so cute. I love him. He's also very hot. He's so hot. He may have seen some. He's such a good after. Screenshots, yeah. Literally. So hot. Him is. and day together, like they are so hot. Like, seriously, I'm in love with them. My friends at work and I, we like consistently talk about how in love we are with them. Like, they are just, they're perfect. And they got, I think they got married recently, right? Yes, they did. But they had like a super private, like, looky wedding. Okay, that's good. I'm, yeah, people deserve that for them. Oh my gosh. So you've, you've seen some incredible movies and there's just been some really good ones, too. And a lot of them are

starting to like go to streaming now my sister's telling me she's like well now I need to watch obsession I'm like how the hell have you not seen obsession yet? I know first of all yes and the drama the drama is out on streaming now speaking of Zubria have you seen it drama no I haven't but like that is that is literally like on my list I have a list on my phone it's like shit I need to watch when I have time basically is what it's called but I you actually put me on I just started Widows Bay And I was like, that's my girl. It's like anything you recommend. Of course.

I'm going to put it on the list for trying to watch it. I just started episode one and it is so different. I'm like, oh, I've never really watched anything like this. This is really cool. Yeah, I know. It's really cool. I don't know if you're familiar with like Richard Chisholmars work. I don't know if I'm pronouncing his last name right, but he has a book called Widow's Point.

And I wondered if like there was any correlation or similarity to that. I wonder. I know. but like I was just watching it and I was like kind of reminded me of that but yeah no I'm excited and like the characters are really great I really like the actors and actresses in it it's just I think it's gonna be really fun how many episodes is it eight I think eight oh that's perfect for me unless it was 10 but I think it was eight well I be rough and I don't know if you feel the same way but okay perfect because if every now and then I'll get crazy like two falls ago I started

suits and watched it all the way through. Oh, yeah. Like all the seasons. It had like a response on Netflix. It really did. And I fear I did, I did, you know, give in to that. So I watched that a few years ago and it was so many seasons. Like, it took me so long to watch. So I've kind of realized I'm more of like a

mini series or like a series that drops and then you wait for the season like a year from then. The second season or whatever. So, yeah, no, I'm kind of learning that about myself, but you always give me great to the show rec. So I just wanted to let you know that I started that because of you, Queen. Good. And if you have any more, text me. I know. Maximum pleasure guaranteed. I think you would really, really, really like on Apple TV as well. Okay. It's with Tatiana Maslani, who, oh my gosh. I have been a huge fan of her since Orphan Black,

which is another fantastic show, but it is one that has like five seasons. So it doesn't. I know. I'm like, Oh, hell. I just like wish I had the time to like sit in, like right now. And I think just it's this season of life for me right now. Yeah. Because even just like a year ago, I feel like I was able to kind of like binge multiple seasons. But like now I feel like the mini series are like really hooking me. I actually just have you watched the Idaho murders documentary on her. It was done very well. It was done very well. I really like I don't want to use the words that I. I enjoyed it because I don't want to like find enjoyment of someone else's like deep pain and like all the things. But I think the coverage was yes. The coverage was well done and just like the information they brought to the public that I didn't know when they were, you know, trying, investigating that crime and everything. Yeah. There was just a lot that I wasn't familiar with or didn't know about. So yeah, it was it was done really well.

And I really appreciated like each family's, you know, what they had to say and like the bravery it took to kind of like, you know, come on a TV and do something like that and talk about something that's really traumatic. So yeah, I watched that recently. And I thought of you. I was like, I need to text Kate and tell her. I need to watch it. I have been hooked on my audiobooks, which is just like once books like 10 years ago, I binged more TV. And it is. you know, I made books my identity. I'm not even complaining. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, with it. I kind of go through phases where I'll see movies for sure. Um, see, same here. I go through phases. It's just like, do you feel like it's seasons of life for you? Like, you're either really hardcore books right now. I feel like in the winter and like the fall, I go through a lot of TV and movies. Like, I feel like those seasons for me are when I can be like, let's watch all the freaking movies. Yeah. All the TV. So I get it. I totally. understand. Yeah.

I will, I just a lot of good films, too. There are. There are. And I, well, and I love going to the movie theater for all kinds of reasons. But the biggest one is my dogs can interrupt me while I'm watching a movie. Yes. I'm like, I need to leave and not be barked at. And I want to watch this movie in its entirety. Yes. You're like, you're like, y'all are saying a home. Yes. You all don't have that AMC. Yeah, you aren't A-LISers. Just me.

You aren't A-listers, you gotta go. Yes. Oh, my, I know, I was, um, I just found out that was even like a thing whenever, um, we went to that movie. I was like, I didn't even know this was the thing, but I thought, I thought that was cool. So you said you're in your audiobook era right now. I'm obsessed with that. I and me you, first of all, I've already said this. I just hope that way to be an audio person.

When I wasn't an audio person, yeah. I was like, I want to be. Yeah, it makes me sick because I feel like I'm missing out. It makes me sick. I know. Yes. I feel so lonely and left out of that club. And one of these days, maybe I'll join it. But what are you, what are you? You can't either. Oh my God. Thank God. You're not a look. You're not on this podcast at least. Thank God. I like, thank God for Gary. He gets the vibe. Oh, my gosh. So what are, what have you been enjoying on audio? Yes. So I got access to the fruit fly audio book the day before it came out. that looks sick by the way it is so good um i've been saying uh it's like i mean everyone is saying it's like yellow face by r f quang it's also to me a lot like bury your gaze by chuck tingle um oh okay i would also say that there are bits of it that are like my my husband by mod ventura

so kind of kind of interesting mash up there but the gist of it is like an author who had a big hit in her 20s and has had writer's block for almost 10 years now. Literally Google's how to write a bestseller and finds an article that says go gay, go sad, go dark. And so she basically starts following around a guy, a gay man who has a sad, dark life and is basically exploiting his life for the book that she's writing. um yeah so that's where the yellow face but gay kind of allegations come in a little bit okay the other thing i don't think this is a spoiler for either book barrier gaze does a really good job of examining the literal term in the film industry that says barrier gays where it's like if we're going to put gay people in stories you have to kill them yeah they have to die of addiction

like all this stuff. So that's why also tonally, it's very similar to bury your gaze. Okay. And I've been dying to read anything Chuck Tingle. Like I love his Instagram. I love his whole vibe. Like I've been wanting to read a book of his. He just had a new one come out that looks really, really great too. That cover is awesome. But no, I saw that he posted fruit fly and I looked into it. And it kind of was giving like dark comedy, psychological, like lots of layers, that kind of energy. Because the cover, I feel like really takes you.

Honestly, you see that cover and you're like, oh, that's cool. Like nothing looks. You know, nobody, there's really no cover that looks like that. So it's immediately like I catch you. It grabs your attention. That sounds like a book I would eat up. Yeah. It is very, very darkly funny.

And it just came out Tuesday, right? Yes. Okay. Yep. And then literally Gare got me into this because we recorded two days ago. And he was like, I really want to read this book with friends like you by Amy Chosick. And I was like very in a fruit fly, but like he started. started it. He started that book and he was like, oh my gosh, it's so voicy. It's so good. And so I was

literally like, I'll just listen because I use for anyone who doesn't know, if you pay for Spotify, you get 15 hours of audiobook credit every single time. Oh, cool. I didn't know that. Yeah, it's nice. And so sometimes I will mostly use that to like try books out to see if I want to buy the audiobook. So I started listening. I was like, I'll just listen to a chapter so I know what he's talking about. And now I am equally obsessed with both of these books. Yeah. And I'm at like 70% with both of them. Yeah.

And now you're like, oh my God, I'm in both of these right now. I know. Which one do I do right now? I'm like, how do I pick? You're like, and how do I pick? Yeah. So for anyone who doesn't know, the Amy Chozick, the gist of with friends like you is a new mom, gets really obsessed with finding her college roommate that she had like this soulmate

connection with. And then she's her roommate, Daisy, started to like work at a strip club and got addicted to drugs and then just disappeared from her life. So now she's a mom, like a wealthy mom in New York City. And like the fact that becoming a mom changes your identity so much. It like makes her miss the person she was in college and like her friends. So she goes looking for her. And that is all you get to know. know there are so many fantastic reveals and I'm just going to cover my mouth.

I added, when you texted me last night, you were like, oh, you have to read this. I added it to my list immediately because anything you've personally recommended to me, I've given nothing lower than like a 4.5. Oh, that's awesome. You have killer taste. And I feel like our taste is similar. So anything you recommend, I'm like, oh, my God. Yeah.

And I cannot wait to read that one. And that one came out. Was that a new release as well? Yeah, March. Fairly newish. Okay. Yeah. My friend, for anyone who's listening, my friend who has, her name's Amy, she has the

booking podcast. I just saw she interviewed her in March. So if anyone reads this and also wants to hear about it, you can't. Oh, I'm obsessed with that. Okay. So I'll link that as well for everybody. Yeah. Oh, I love that.

What have you, have you had anything recently that you read? Okay. so I just finished Kissley Replay by Ms. Rachel Harrison, all my little like tabbies and stuff and that. All my little attention are going to be in conversation with her. Yes, yes. I, oh, I'm so honored. I feel like that specifically is, I'm like at a loss for words trying to even explain like my feelings and all the things. But I think that is going to be truly one of like the greatest moments in my career because I've loved her in horror for,

so long. Yeah. And I feel like she was kind of the first like woman, um, horror author I found and really fell in love with and her words and her writing and just like overall, like, because she does such a good job, like intertwining like depression and anxiety and like really, um, just like deep, raw, real emotions. Yeah. With like these horror, you know, topics and all the things. So I just, I love her. I love her work. And she was kind of one of also the first horror authors I really like kind of clung to like her work and stuff. When I read Black Sheep, I was like, what's next? Like so good. I love this. I take it full of it all. And it was just very much giving like American horror story. Yes. And I just, it was everything I needed. I always picture like the Coven House anytime I think of Black Sheep and like how

Vesp's mom was a famous horror movie star. Like I just, there's just too many. elements, too many things. I felt in love with that book. But this specific book, Kisley replay of Rachel's, is so different of hers in the best way. Like, truly in the best way, this is so different. The time loop is so interesting to me. I've never read a book like that before. So I was intrigued. As soon as I read that it was a time loop, I was here for it. I was ready. I don't want to, it's hard to explain this one because I don't want to, it's hard to explain this one, because I don't want to spoil too much about the time loop and kind of where it goes because I know it's been hard.

She's made a few posts just to be like, you know, as you know, have you seen that? Just like, you know, try to spoil the time loop. Especially before it's even out. Like, don't you talk about details like publicly? Exactly. I wish I could go into further detail about like the gory horror parts. but I don't. I feel like I will slip up.

I'm like, oh, I have to tell you this. And I'm like, oh, fuck. I wasn't so say that. And I would cut it out if she did just so everyone feels safe. You're the best. You're the best. But no, I love Richelerson. I'm such a huge fan.

And I love in this book, specifically, I loved all the characters. They were all great. And just kind of the character development that we get from Willa was just so well done as well. Like who she is in the beginning of the book when she's at the wedding. versus, you know, the ending very different. Yeah. And I just, I don't know. I really loved that.

So super different. And I think people, slasher fans, final girl fans who love that kind of energy, this is going, this is a love letter to them. And I felt that way while reading it. I was like, oh, this is like a love letter to slashers. And, you know. And I think sometimes it's hard. I was talking about this with my friend at work yesterday.

I was like, you know, it's, it's hard now. to write slasher's without making them feel overly campy. And then I feel like what I've read recently, SlashoreWise has gotten a little bit too much, too heavy on the pop culture and like all of that. I think we're just like trying to do something that maybe is not the vibe. I've been really seeking like the old slasher, like the old vibe. And this just feels so perfect.

So, um, and maybe I'm. just picky with a slasher. That's okay. You're allowed to be. But maybe and maybe I'm just picky. But you know, like definitely like pop-up trailers too. Totally. Totally. And like for this. So this is definitely going to be for like the divas who love scream and all the things. So I'm, I'm excited for you read it. Yes. I'm so pumped. I knew I love it. I had to tell you something about this book called Destination Funeral. Oh my God. You sent me something of this and I've been dying. Yes. So it was by Pee and.

H. Harbison, but the cool thing that you just brought up time loops and Rachel Harrison, I entered her literally yesterday, like, really recently, actually, because we're recording early this morning. She's fantastic, but Destination Funeral is about a group of four friends who are kind of pulled back to where they grew up on this island together because the matriarch of the friend group, who is. the mom of like the main character Didion which like did he has a name oh my gosh um her mom passes they all go back for the funeral and um the day before the funeral like there we can tell there's a lot of stuff that they have not addressed because they are estranged friends for the

most part now okay and then they wake up the next day and it's the same day so it is a time loop like what I would call like contemporary dark comedy fiction that like also but like also deals with like grief and loss and like complicated family relationships so I was asking her if there was another genre she would ever want to write and she said she thought about horror with some of the like wit and humor and I was like I could see you being like Rachel Harrison so yes oh my gosh this is a time one that's not a thriller but it's there I'm gonna I'm gonna be ready for something like again. I feel like that would just be the perfect book to kind of, you know, put myself into after this. Because I'm like, oh, I was so sad when Kiss I replay was over. I was like, ah,

now it's over. But now what? I know. No, literally, exactly. And so I loved that one. What are some other arcs I really loved? Let's think, Emma. Oh, my gosh. I'm like, what, what have I read? Um, um, um, arcs. Are we talking like, like, arcs are just books in general. Or just books. Or we can start talking about the arcs we have that we're excited about. Okay. I'm like, hold on. Let me see. I, girl, for real.

I can feel time. I read a book called the Quarter Queen by Kayla Hardy. If you loved sinners, if you loved interview with a vampire or vampire list, which I got so obsessed with. It is so good. So good. That's another

really good show that you might like, that has three seven episode seasons. So it's kind of shorter. Oh, I'm like writing this down as we freaking speak. You're totally fine. I'm like, let me get clogged in here. But it's loosely inspired off of Marie LeVoe, who was a voodoo practitioner in New Orleans in the 1800s. So it's, oh, I need that. Yes. I'm like, all I heard was that I said, oh, I need that. Yes. And so it takes place in like 1843 in New Orleans and basically Marie LeVoe is

cursed into a coma by someone who is trying to take over basically in her world she kind of was the queen of that area of that quarter and someone puts her in a coma because they're kind of trying to revolt

against her and her daughter Marie LeVoe the second or re as we know her in the book has to try to for mom. That's like the gist of it. What's very cool though is as I was reading it, I was listening because Angel Paine, my favorite narrator, narrated one of the parts. As I was listening, I was like, there's some like very detailed information here about voodoo and alchemy and zombies and something else. And then when I looked up, this, the author is like has a PhD or something like literally went to

school for like studying the magical healing and all of the stuff that was happening in New Orleans with black, black conjure women. Yeah. So it's so good. And actually I'm interviewing her tomorrow. So this has become a promo. Yeah. Oh my God. That's amazing. Yes. I've just lined up with interviews or just like recording this week and I love it. That's amazing. I cannot wait to listen to that episode. Oh my gosh. I mean any episode. Any time I have time. Like I've been taking walks a lot. So any time I can I've been like putting on your podcast. Just anytime. I've been loving your interviews. And there was one you just posted that. I was like, oh, I need to get on that. I need to. Paradise maybe. Yes. I think it was that one. I was like, oh, I need to listen to that like ASAP. And especially for the people on here who maybe maybe are just getting into podcast or, you know, are trying to find what works for you. Like I. told Kate in the beginning when we first started filming like I'm not I'm not a huge podcast person but seriously like you have made me one and I I love listening to podcast now so it's very special to me it sounds like yes and um like I'm definitely still picky with some don't get me wrong but it's it's

gotten me into other like areas of that makes me happy so that's just very special so you're very you will always be a very special person to me and but no I am I wanted to tell you about have you read dreamland yet by olvie blake no but i saw you i was like blanking as we were speaking because i was like there was one yeah let's talk about it wow like i i think i'm still very out of loss for words and i think i had to i had to process that book for about three days before i even wrote my review wow yeah it was one of those that's going to like leave you on your ass type thing yes Seriously. And I, and oh my God, like, all of Eve Blake does gothic horror and, you know, puts it with fantasy and romance and complicated family and Hollywood and fame and hell. I love, I kind of, I love

when characters go to hell and we're exploring that whole other side of the world. I just eat that up in a book. And I love when, you know, the specific. character in Dreamland. She she kind of goes she's going through kind of a difficult time in her life trying to find work. She's an aspiring actress and she's like I really want to find work for

myself and I want to be successful understandably. Yeah. So she meets someone very famous in the entertainment industry and she kind of goes to their house and she gets a feel for what the vibes are and all the things and she's meeting like all these famous people from Hollywood

who can like make her dreams come true. Right? Yeah. And she kind of ends up selling her soul to the devil in a way, which I don't think is talked about enough in the Hollywood space. Like, you know, selling your soul to Hollywood. Literally and metaphorical. Yeah.

Yes. And all the conspiracies behind that. I mean, that's a whole different rabbit hole. But it kind of fed that rabbit hole for me, I fear. But I loved the, I'm not typically like the biggest fantasy reader. Okay. But the fantasy that. that the fin of saying that was like done in this book was perfect like with hell and everything.

It was just absolutely perfect. And you also, I recommend people like going into it blind too. Seriously. Because I think that gives a whole other experience. And then like, you know, the romance part, who she's kind of with and it's like, is he the person he says he is, you know, is he even part of this world in general? Does he have supernatural powers? Is he real? Is he not real? Is he not real? Is she going crazy? Is she not? Like, those are the kinds of topics and elements in specific areas of books that always draw me in. Yeah. And I know this one for me did it.

And, like, also kind of wondering, you know, trying to escape and then you can't. And then you're stuck. And it's like, am I going to be in this cult forever? Right. I don't know if I explained that well. I feel like I just wanted a lot. I think you did. Oh, I mean.

Well, especially with you saying going in blind, what I will say, one, I like to do that more and more. Like, if I know enough of the things, like very short things or trust the author, I'm like, I'm not, I don't need the whole synopsis. But, I mean, horror, fantasy, gothic in Hollywood, those, those shouldn't be enough for you to know if you would love all of those together. It was so thought-provoking, too. Like, all of E. Blake's writing is just so. unique and gripping in general, but she also makes it so intellectual as well. And so I just think all of that was just tied so beautifully with this book. And I really enjoyed the ending, too. It's hard with horror sometimes, you know, to, you know, grab, have an ending that really grabs you. And you're like, oh, that was beautifully done. Beautifully done. Yeah. And so, yeah, I think you're

going to eat at Dreamland. It was so, it was sick. And, and I loved it. And I loved it. Callie maybe I can get approved we'll see you should if not it comes out uh August 11th literally next week yeah yeah literally comes out next week yeah I would say everybody keeps asking oh in the bookshop like if I'm recommending it yeah well did you love girl dinner or Drainland more yeah was she at girl dinner or did you sorry yes you guys have her here last year we didn't we like more than too we grieve that I don't know oh my god I just saw you post about it I think we I think all of us as a whole at Wild Geese were just post, pose, pose, pose, putting it out there, putting it out there. And then we talked about it on the podcast a lot and stuff too. So that's another thing. But you could ask me, oh, well, which one do you like more?

I'm like, I can't pick. It's like choosing children. It's like choosing favorite child. Yes. Both very different, but love them both the same. So Dreamland was another one. I have been reading some, I read a really beautiful romance book too that I think you might also really enjoy. It's called Let's Kiss and tell by Joss Richard. Okay. So beautiful. And the first chapter, it opens up with, like, she finds out her parent, her dad had an affair with her, you know, with somebody else. And she found out when she was like 15. And I just, that just kind of like immediately struck me. And I was like, oh. I had the same experience. Yeah. Except it was my mom. Yeah. No. And I'm like, I'm like, off topic. I had the same fucking experience. Okay. No. Yeah. I know literally like. And And I wasn't like, and I'm kind of like looking around like, and that's why I love.

Yes. Is this play about us? But no. Yeah. I'm like, is this fucking play about us? Like, did you see my review when I was like, is this fucking play about us? Oh, no, I didn't. Oh, that's hilarious.

I'm just saying it. I literally said that same quote. Like I need to bring up. But no. That's amazing. Oh my God. I let's kiss and tell just was very. There were a lot of childhood happenings.

Yeah. You know, that also like happened to her that I felt like I could relate to deep. and it was just very atmospheric in that sense. And, oh, I just, I loved that romance novel. I think you would, I think you would really eat it up, okay, honestly. I know, because you're not suit, you don't read a whole lot of it. Because we've talked about this. We do more like lip-thick romance, like that kind of vibe.

But this one specifically was really, really wonderful. It was sexy. It was unique. It was very much, like, I love that she was like a sex columnist writer. And that was so different. And, like, just with the agency. see she was working out. I just felt like it was really fun and different. So I just wanted to plug that. But without being like, well, I'm like, is this fucking play about us? Literally.

But no, I would see this. Is she coming to Mario Geese? Or am I just seen post on it? Yes. Okay. Next week. That's what I thought. She'll be. Yes. She'll be here next week. And that was like another favorite of mine. Oh, and I'm going to read Victorian Psycho next. Have you read that yet? No, I haven't because like the one thing that I, some like extreme body horror and sometimes cannibalism are the two like I can handle some cannibalism but I think I saw so many people saying it was so so much body horror but now I'm seeing some people say like it's not so maybe I need to go on this adventure with you see listen I can I'm going to read it next I think after I finish the book I'm reading right now so as soon as I'm known

that I'm going to read that I think Emily and I are going to buddy read it because we really want to see the movie we really want to see the movie. Yes I know. in September. So I'll read it and I'll text you and be like, yeah, it's safe or it's not safe. There we go. I think it's kind of short too, right? Is it like 200 maybe? Yeah, it's giving like when I first saw it, when I first like laid eyes on the book, it was giving novella like with how thin it was. That's what I saw too. And I was like, maybe I really can handle this then. I bet you you could, but I also understand like, you know, not wanting to read that understandably. Like not. That not being a vibe, because I totally understand that.

Oh, my gosh. It's only four hours on audio. Oh, and it's $2 on Audible right now. Oh, my God. Well, I should at least buy it and try it for that price. You could buy it and try it. Yes. We really could.

Like, I couldn't even get coffee for $289. So. This is true. No, you can't get shit for $28. Are you serious? Give for Victorian stuff. Yeah. The dollar tree is not even the dollar tree.

It's like the $2.50. fucking sent story. Seriously. Wow, that's so funny. Well, maybe. Okay, I am going to try because it's been in the back of my head. Yes. Oh, my God. I'm going to try it. I feel like I'm scared. I've either like put you down. Oh, it's not your fault. A terrible

no, no. No. No. No. No. No. It's okay. I also just need to not be on an edible when I'm listening. That's the other part. There was, so there's this book. Why can't I think of what it's or the movie? fuck and then read Victorian like don't need to do it at night before I'm going to sleep

and I'm a high exactly what is that movie that was with okay so there is a movie called Fresh with Daisy Edgar Jones and Sebastian Stan and it's like

a very it's a very clever take on modern dating culture but hardcore hardcore cannibalism going on. I'm pretty sure that's in the trailer and I really don't care if it wasn't because everyone, okay, it is. Like it says only to find out that her partner hides some unusual appetites. Like you should know going in. It's on Hulu. Oh, it was an original Hulu film. Anyway, Gare told me about it. I think like in 2023 and I watched it and I was high and I was freaking the

fuck out. You're like I can't do this. I was like feeling like someone was going to eat me and I was like okay, I need to be careful when I read cannibalism. No, that's, no, that's so fair. I feel like when you, no, if I, if I took an edible and then watched, I don't think I've ever taken an edible and then watched a horror movie. Yeah. That's like a different experience.

Could you imagine going to see obsession? Oh, my God. If you took a fucking edible, I'd be freaking out. Yeah. It'd be terrible. It would be terrible. Oh, yeah. Oh, my God.

That's my, that's my history with cannibalism. My history with cannibalism. I'm dying right now. It's so funny. I wanted to tell you about a book that I just recently added to my plan TBR. I had like a little bit of a break. And mind you, you're fucking with my TVR, by the way. Oh, thank God you're like my bestie. I'm like, oh, hey, stop giving me shit to read. Do you start planning your next year now? Is that what you said kind of in the fall? Yeah. I've added like two books for January so far. So yeah, I'm messing with it. Yeah, you're messing with it. My perfectly curated plan. I'm like, oh my God, but I had to tell you about a book I recently added. It's called She's a Doll. Ooh. I need you to read the synopsis.

Like, I want you to just not know anything about it real quick. And just I want you to read it and set your own expectation. Okay. Because I'm going to read it. And I feel like this is so cake-coded. Like, I need to know on this. Did you read a porcelain doll? mainframes the author's other book. Okay, I, I just saw that it says best selling author of

Monsters and Mainframes. I bought that in a Libro FM sale because it sounded so fascinating to me. Yeah. So, I mean, I'm down. This sounds interesting. Yeah. I just was like, she's a porcelain doll, very revenge horror. I was like, oh, sign me up. Yes. So here's the one sentence, people. Lucy isn't a normal girl, ghost victim killer. She's a doll on a mission to find the man who killed her and return the favor. You're right. You're right. I need to read it. Yep. Yep. Exactly. That's all you need to know. Okay. I'm adding it. I am adding it right now. So that's what I'm really excited about comes out September. So I think that one will be really cool. Really different too. Like I keep saying the word different, but it's okay. Truly. Like it is so different. I mean, who the fuck's writing about a porcelain doll?

Right. Like, I mean, it's, I'm like, is this going to give Annabelle? Like, what is this giving? So I'm excited to, you know, read it and look more into it. And I'm excited for Deadbeat too. I don't think we're going to get access to arcs, but I am excited for Deadbeat. Oh, man. I'm very excited and I need to reread. I think this is one where I will reread because I read them when I read both of them when Helbit came out, which was like. 2021 maybe. Yeah, it was a long time. I feel like that was a while ago. 20, oh, 2023. I thought it was longer ago. But obviously, like, it is a large high fantasy. And I'm like, I think I need, I'm like, I don't think I just want to read recaps. I think I need to listen. But that also kind of means I need to start listening because it's 32 hours between the two. They're chunky books. Yeah. You just read Helbert, right? Yes, I just finished Holbett. loved it. People were telling me you're going to love it so much more than ninth house. I did. Yeah. Right. It was so good. I got a journey to hell. Talk about a journey to hell. I feel like

I'm maybe I'm just a viking with it without. Perhaps. Did you have a catapassus? No. Oh my gosh. I have it and I want to. Yes. I have it and I really want to read it. Oh, man. Because you came to the event with R. Kwong, right? No. I didn't. The tickets were sold out. by the time that I learned of you guys. Yeah. That's such a bummer. I have fingers crossed. We have our quongy and that would be awesome.

Yeah. That would be so sick. I'm trying to think. Yeah, before you guys like even knew who I was, I remember that was one because I think I found out about you guys in like June of that year and she was here and maybe August. So it's like the tickets were still now. And I like DMD you and was like also like trying to be so like I did not want to seem entitled.

But I was like, hey, like I saw there's a wait list. I'm not like asking for anything, but do you think like, do people get on from the wait list? And whoever responded was like, there are like 400 people on the wait list. I was like, oh, okay. That's fine. That's like how our event is with the Boy Meets Worldcast right now. Oh, I bet. Everybody is like, what's going on?

And I'm like, can I get tickets? And I'm like, I fear you're not getting tickets tonight, show my love. I fear. Yes. I'm so sorry. I wish we could. Something I do every day. which is not shocking is I get on that galley like that became a thing for me yeah like probably this

year where I was like oh I could look every day just to see what's there the other thing that I do lately is look at your guys's events website at least two or three times a week because I'm like what if something's there gosh no but I'm I'm I'm super pumped yeah for Deadby and oh my gosh just there's so many arcs oh there's one have you heard okay backstory yeah i just reached out to my rep through penguin i love love love love her she's the best i just like wrote her a love letter email yesterday i swear she's amazing i just got um sent public access afterworld it's a horror novel yes it you heard about fascinating yeah yeah you can borrow my arc like seriously oh my god hold on wait let me get clocked in real quick.

I'm like, I was using it to literally like sit on my. And if my computer's been shaking a lot, I am so sorry. You're okay. If I'm on this. Most people are listening. That's not messing with anything, right? If it like shakes a little bit. Okay, cool.

No. Look how fucking big this is. Oh, I didn't know. It was a long book. Oh, 600 pages. Yeah. Wow. This bitch is huge.

So I just thought I'd show you that. It says writer and director of I saw the TV globe. Have you heard about that? Yes. Yes. I didn't realize it was a book first. I knew they wrote, I saw the TV glow. That's so sick. But no, I was, I was reading this and I, like, the synopsis and stuff, I was like, oh my gosh. And I saw like, Sendlin you blurbed it. I was like, oh, that's really neat. Right. And, like, Paul Tremblay blurbed it, Grady Hendricks. One of the blurbs that psychedelic horror of the first order. Oh, yeah. I know. It kind of feels. feels like back rooms like a little more yes and I'm wondering like what what do we what's going to happen though because this thing's huge is this like two books and one I'm wondering like it does say

spanning decades and realities so that is probably a part of why that makes sense but no I do want this one yes I didn't know if that was on your radar but I was like I need to tell her about that I can't remember who posted about it. I saw a post about it a couple weeks ago and I was like, oh, that's right up my alley. Yes. So that's another one, another arc specifically. I'm really excited about. I did not really read the synopsis of that one though. I just heard bits and pieces from Bookstagram and went, yep, sounds like me. Yes. And just do, do, do you. Can I have this arc? Yes. And they were like, sure. A very short gist for anyone who's wondering is a mysterious realm on the other side of our screens, a dark force that draws very, victims into the static, the unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Clearly, Jane Schoenberg is very interested in TV. And I love it. Yes. I love that. I just, I don't, I've been kind of searching for something like it's like when you've been

searching for something and you didn't know you needed it. I feel like this is going to be that book for me. Yeah. But I'm excited to read that. So that's another arc. I'm excited about too. Not me also not explaining much about that one. Let me just read the synopsis real quick. It's okay. What are some arcs that like you're super pumped about too? So this one doesn't come out until April 2027, but I got an email about it last night. And it said for fans of Gillian Flynn and Marcus Cleaver.

Oh my God. I love them. I hope you're not exaggerating. And if you're not, then this book is for me. I need that in my veins. It's called Hive Mind by Allison Gunn. And for this one, I just wrote like two sentences. When a Hollywood manager is accused of murdering his horror artist wife after a mysterious trip into Appalachia,

he insists that demonic forces not him were responsible. As two journalists investigate the couple's dark past, they uncover disturbing secrets that blur the line between supernatural terror and human evil. Oh, yeah. Pumped. Let me get clock. Let's see if this is on angle. By Allison Gunn. The cover is stunning. Let's see. So cool. See if it's something I can get right now. I'm like literally searching. I'm like first thing. I'm not seeing it pop up yet for like our availability. Oh, but that is one I will be reading. Oh, and I wanted to put you on to Mother Dearest too. Oh my gosh. I know. You said you love that one.

Mother Deeris by Claire Bird. Yes, it is giving up session. It's an. anxiety attack in a book. Not even kidding. Like if you want anxiety attack of a thriller, it's written in letters, mostly too. So it's kind of giving like the correspondent. Yes. Crazy bloody, crazy mother thriller. Wow. Obsessed wife too. Obsessed. Terns obsessed wife. But she is literally I, I just, I could not stop thinking of obsession when I was reading. I was like, this. is so obsession-coded. Wow. But I love, like, she's writing to her mother, you know, all the crazy stuff that's going on and everything. And I just, it's insane. And thrillers are hard to explain because I don't want to,

you know, give the twists or anything away. But oh my God. I just, I think I read that in like two days. It's a very fast-paced read. I could see you loving that. If you're ready, if you're ready for like a quick thriller, that's really good, really well done. And Alas Feeney blurbed it. That's what immediately caught my eye. I was like, oh, yeah. This sounds awesome. I'm going to read this. And just the letter writing was really well done too.

And just it was continuously fast-paced and something was always happening. And yeah, my heart rate. I had to actually go for a walk after I finished it because I needed to like go touch grass. Literally. Yeah, I had to actually go touch grass. I was like, oh my God, let's bring ourselves down to earth for a second. I have not felt that way with a thriller in a little low. long time. So yeah, Mother Dearest, Claire Bird, I had to tell you that before I forgot.

That's amazing. Yeah, I'm adding that to my list. You're just... Yeah, and that comes out, I think, March of 2027. Yeah. So those two come out and, or hive mind in that one are 2027. I have another one called Accidents Never Happened by Penny Zang and it comes out in January. Her first book, doll parts, is an incredible psychological suspense. About like on a on a campus there's like the Sylvia Plath club of girls and there, but there's a long history of them all them committing suicide and no one looking into it. It is very good. But this one accidents never happened after inventing a haunted ghost story to save the family bar. Two sisters find themselves caught in a real nightmare when one vanishes amid a string of murders linked to the mysterious post.

toaster, literally Edgar Allan Poe inspired. Oh my gosh. I know. As her town spirals into fear, Mad must uncover the truth behind her father's disappearance, her sister's fate, and a killer hiding in Baltimore's shadows.

And Penny is an English teacher who like truly has studied Gothic literature and loves it. It is, she's, I love her. So this will be her second book and I'm so excited. Oh, I'm obsessed with that.

Kate, damn it, here we go again. I know. We're both just growing each other's list. I know. It's so bad, but it's so good. It was really fun. I interviewed her for doll parts. And then a few months later, I actually met her at Thriller Fest in 2025.

Yeah. We sat together. And so it was really fun. It was fun getting to see her there, too. That is beautiful. And I want to do a Thriller Fest with you. We need to go together next year. I want to do some kind of, whether it's horror, thriller, I want to do something like that together.

Because I feel like we would have such, we would have such a fun experience together. And I want to meet Gare real bad. Yes. I just feel like, and then I would vibe really hard. Totally. I just feel like we would, we would hit it off. And he, because you said he lives in New York. Is it?

He does, but he, Thriller Fest is hard for him to get to because he's basically at the Canadian border. And then New York City is like, I think. like six hours of a train ride for him even so he has never been to thriller fest but i'm trying i'm trying to convince him oh i would love to go because you said they're kind of announcing the lineup already right yeah i need that in my life i know and you couldn't go because in your like your situation's getting better right like your knee is getting better all the things like you're on the right track okay good that's good yeah i was supposed to go to montreal to meet Gare a couple months ago and I did not go.

Oh my God. It is taking forever, but like the scabs are healed. So we'll just take that win. But someone I also got to meet at Thriller Fest is Hannah Morrissey. I don't know if you've read any of her Hello Trainiber. I am familiar with her. Yes. She is so cool.

She was very, very fun in person. Such a queen. Beautiful too. Oh my God. And she has one coming out. January as well called scream city and I am so excited look at wait until you see the cover um scream city scream city a suspended ex cop becomes the prime suspect when the people he's serving eviction notices start turning up murdered in a series of copycat killings tied to milwaukee's infamous screen city killer to top the murders or to stop the murders and clear their names he must team

up with the haunted bookstore owner and granddaughter of the original killer before the cast claims more victims. Isn't it just like everything in one book? That's everything you've been one. Yeah. Oh, get out. I'm out of man here right now. Yes. Okay, I got a pretty to the arc. January 26th of 27 period. Love that. Oh my God. She is so cute. She was on my list. I need to reach out to her because I am scheduling like January. So I need to Oh, that's so exciting. Is there an episode, like, is there an episode you can, like, tell us about that you're super excited about? Like, one specific, like, that you're just super, super pumped about just so we can all be, like, ready. Oh, that is a really, really, really good question. Like, one that you can talk about, too. I don't want to, like, make you bring up something that's, like, super low key.

Well, I am really excited for the quarter queen, the one I discussed. Yes, I'm doing a interview tomorrow. Love. I do have some coming up. So let me look. Okay, there's one called R-cut of salt that is horror from Dina Helm. And I'm going to be interviewing her at the beginning of September. It comes out.

That's so exciting. Yeah. It comes out September 22nd. And in this lyrical debut, three generations of Palestinian women must put the haunting of their ancestral home to rest before the secrets of the past drowned them all. And I love horror that is basically psychosocial horror. And this sounds like social horror. Yeah, it says it's a powerful and intimate look at what it means to make a home, lose it, and return only to find it irrevocably changed.

So that one I am very pumped about. I haven't started reading it either, but I'm really excited to read it. Oh, another one that I'm very excited for is the true confessions of First Lady Freeman. I remember you telling me you were so excited for this one. Yes. I think it comes out September 22nd. It's by Disha Filia. And if you read her, she wrote nonfiction,

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, which was like a compilation of like the things women felt they needed to kind of hide because they were church-going people. It's really good nonfiction. And then this is her fiction beginning. It says the wife of a popular and powerful mega church pastor upends her charmed rags to Rolex. Not the mega church pastor. Yes.

So dad. Yes. Her rags to Rolex life when her secret past comes roaring into the spotlight. So. Oh, my God. I am so fascinated. I love things that are satirical about church, obviously. Oh, I love that.

Yes. And then there is, there's another horror that like just got put on my radar that I'm excited about called It Looks Like You in the Dark. Oh, I've heard of this one. Yeah. And I am interviewing her. I think that one comes out in October. Oh, that's so exciting. I'm so excited.

So this says it's a propulsive grab you by the throat indigenous horror debut. That expertly blends folklore and supernatural chills to explore all the fearsome monsters that emerge when we turn on. backs on the land and each other. Clearly, I'm in a, like, people who messed up the land or homes of other people kick with my horror. But, yeah, I'm really excited for that one, too. Those are my, those are most of the ones that are coming up.

I did get to interview. Not me adding, like, half of those. Yeah. Nonfiction-wise, I got to interview Kristen Kobez-Dumay, who is the author of Jesus and John Wayne. And she is also the author, of a book coming out in September. I just had to interview her early

because she's so popular. Live Laugh, Love, the secret history of white Christian women in the world they made. It is so good. Really good. So if you like nonfiction that's exploring the kind of like Christian nationalism that you're

experiencing, this explains a lot of it. And for the record, it is not saying that Christianity is bad. It is looking at what evangelical Christianity and Christian nationalism have been doing in America lately. So that one I'm very proud of. That's one I'm probably the most proud of for 2026.

I'm so excited. Oh, my God. Yeah. Yeah. So bummed. Yes. I'm so excited. Oh, my gosh.

And we really just like went to town on all the hearts. Ew. Oh, my gosh. I love that. And so many, like, especially horror. We touched face on a lot of horror. We touched face on nonfiction. We touched based on a little bit of lip-fick.

I mean, we, a thriller. We did the whole. shebang. So a little bit of something for everybody in this episode, truly. I'm so excited for all these books to release so that I can really like go hard on talking about them too. Because it's, you know, it's so hard with horror and thriller sometimes because you don't want to give stuff away, you know? It's a big part of it with those. You're like, you don't need to know much. Right. Like here's what you need to know all the things. Yeah. Well, we'll have to reconvene on some of them if you do read them. Yes. Yes. Yes. A spoiler discussion maybe in the future. Yes. That would be

amazing. Oh my gosh. I always love like the hour. It goes so fast. It goes so fast. Like I feel like we're talking for like 15 minutes. I know. It seriously only feels like we were talking for 15 minutes. Yeah. Oh my gosh. And I feel bad. I hope you don't have to cut too much out. Oh no. I hope you don't have to cut out too much. Not at all. Oh my God. Is there anything you want us to like end on? Anything you want like any last question you want to like end on or anything? Is there is there like a genre that you like want to break into like that you don't typically read but you're like maybe I would. Okay, that's a good question. It's been my new question for authors too. That's a good question. I here's my thing. Here's my thing. Here's my thing. I would love to get more into fantasy

and I've kind of fit my toe in a little bit you know I don't think like the whole dragon thing is for me but I would love to explore more fantasy especially when it has horror elements I typically do a lot better with that that way it's not just fantasy alone

or I read like Sangu Mandana's which is Guide to Magical Inkeeping last year and that was like a romance fantasy book and I did really well with that. Yeah. So that's another one. I, you know, I, oh my God, no, but Kate loves it. Yes.

Loves it. I had to show because it does have a staff pick from me at Wildeese. Blood over Bright Haven. If you were just resonating with Emma said, with what Emma said, this is like horror, fantasy and dark academia. And I'm like, that seems to be the fantasy combo that I love. So. Yes. And the dark academia part too.

Like I noticed with ninth house. I really love that. Yes. I started, you know, the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, I think specific sci-fi is doing well for me and like Project Hail Mary. So yeah, that's that's kind of to answer that question, like to get deeper in a fantasy. I want to find more of my like literary love stories. Yes. Because I did, I loved into the blue so much. Into the blue. I'm obviously so specific about. No, I get that. Love stories, but I definitely want to find more and try out more.

I think bad words might kind of be like that for me. I think you would, you would love bad words. Yeah. It was denied, though, so I will be waiting. No! What? If I had a physical coffee, I'd be giving it to you. It's okay.

It's totally okay. I have so many others to read, but. That's so fair. Yeah, I'm excited for that one. Yay! Yes. Oh, I love that. Emma will be back.

Go follow Emma. She has all of the, and maybe you, maybe you guys can go influence her. She is in. her TBR planning phase. Oh my God. Yes. Yes. Anytime.

Just send me a DM. I would love to hear from any of you and all of you and all the things. I am accepting and Kate's ruining it. Yes. It's rooting it in the best way. Open submissions for M. M.O's TBR. Yes.

My girl. Thank you so much for having me. You're the best. And I just love you so much. And you're just the best person ever. And I can't wait to, I can't wait to come back on. And I feel like we. our next episode, I feel like we need to do it like towards Halloween or something.

Because we can talk about all the horror movies, all the slasters, the whole shebang. Yes. All the things. Yes. Yeah. We'll do it.