Bookwild - Backlist Books We Want to Read with Gare and Steph

Episode Date: November 8, 2024

This week, Gare, Steph and I share backlist books we really want to read.  We also manage to sneak in two that aren't even really backlist, but we still want to read them too!Comfort ShowsEnglish TeacherInsecureTop ChefHow to Die AloneLaw & Order: SVU Books We Talked AboutGodshotThe Year of the WitchingThe Lake of Lost GirlsThe Lighthouse WitchesBeautiful PeoplePlaying DeadBlack SheepThe Memory PoliceReturn to MidnightHer Pretty FaceThe Bright LandsElevenAmerican PsychoThe CipherThe Final Act  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 

This week, I am back with Gare and Steph. Woohoo! And we're recording Wednesday, November 6th. So just so everybody knows at the time at which this has been recorded, that is where all of our hearts and minds are at right now. But we thought we would start it off. stuff had a good idea. We thought we'd have an icebreaker this round with what is a show that you can watch that relaxes you?

Do you want me to go first? So when you mentioned that, I was like, oh, I know exactly what I've watched recently. English teacher on Hulu is so fucking fantastic. Brian, oh, can't I think of this guy's whole name, Brian Jordan something. He is like the star and he co-wrote it. So that's cool. But it is, I would almost say like, if you like Abbott Elementary, it's like Abbott Elementary, but like more PG-13 or R.

No, it's not R. They don't do anything that crazy, actually. It's still like a 20-minute sitcom show. I think it's FX. And then that's like why it's on Hulu, but it's on Hulu. And it just like, it does this really cool job of like looking at how the current times are with the different generations. So he's like a gay man in his 30s who has experienced a very specific version of what it's like to be gay in America. now also teaching like Gen Z, Gen Alpha,

who don't have like a total grasp on what it's been like to live in America for the last 20 years. And so it really touches on those topics, which sounds like it wouldn't be something relaxing right now, but they do it with such humor and the relationships are so freaking cool between like the teachers and then also also his love interests that are in the show. The show cracked my shit up multiple times and it'll make you think too. So it has one season out so far, 25-ish-minute episodes, I think eight episodes. Did I check that out?

Yeah, I just took a screenshot. It's great. I DM'd him. I DM everyone now. He has like 400,000 followers. But I was like, I'd love to talk to you about your show. So I just shoot my shot with everyone. you never know.

I love that for you. Yeah. Oh, my God. That would be so exciting. Oh, I know. Brian Jordan Alvarez, is that what it is? That might be it. Yep, Brian Jordan Alvarez.

He's cute. He reminds me with somebody. Oh, well, that's always a plus. Yeah, he has shirtless a few times. And without going into details, there was a funny little scene where he woke up in bed with his not boyfriend who was just wearing his shirt and socks and that was a that was a funny that was a funny story I look your face when you said that someone else told me the same story so go watch it

I don't think you're going to recover from this one. I'm just a spectator at this point. Oh, God. Steph, what's yours? Well, I have like my typical millennial ones, like Parks and Rec in the office and, like, new girl and stuff. But I'd say right now, it's, I'm working backwards through Top Chef. And like, as you all know, I don't watch as much reality TV. And this is kind of like, like, even when they have drama on Top Chef, sometimes I'm like, oh, God, it makes me feel awkward.

So I'm just like the lowest drama reality competition TV there could be. So, and it very much like relaxes me. So what's the British one? The great bakeoff, great bakeoff? I haven't. I actually one of the one person in my book club just asked if we could read The Golden Spoon, which is I think it was probably because they said it seems like the Great British Bake Off, which I know it relaxes a lot of people.

It does seem to. That's why I mentioned or asked. Yeah, I'm not there yet. So how about you, Gary? Yeah, it's probably going to tell us like the bleakest show ever and be like, it's so relaxing. At the killing? I was like a little stressed because I feel like there's only one show. There's probably like two shows that I like that.

Like people would be like, oh, like this is, I could relax to this. Because like initially, I would say like, honestly, it's law and order SVU. Oh, yeah. I, they always solve the case. I want to believe that there's more than one person who has like the heart and soul of Olivia of Benson out in the world. But my actual answer is going to be insecure

because I just completely fell in love with that show. I will never, never forget Kate for recommending it to me. And it is just like Issa Ray and this amazing cast of like

African American characters, African-American actors and actresses. and I just loved it and it's like sex in the city but it's like funnier and her like delivery like the whole cast delivery but like they're just every character like really shines and like there wasn't any boring parts to it and I just loved it so mine was so be insecure that's really good I love that answer I love her I I've been thinking of that clip for some reason of her with like Zendaya. Oh my God, I was just going to talk about that. Yes. When she's like, do you ever like, is something like, how do you wake up and look in the morning and think like, these bitches, what is it? These other bitches aren't even close. These other bitches aren't even close.

And Zendaya breaks even because it's so bad. Because she looks like serious up until that point. Yes. And I'm just like, ooh, because Zendaya's amazing. Yes. There's a new movie coming out. with Kiki Palmer and Siza. Really?

Have you heard of this? It's like... One of them days. Yeah, it's called One of Them Days. 2025 comedy. We need more comedies. And when I watched the trailer, it kind of reminded me of insecure. I don't know if I, like, dreamed this or if Issa Ray...

she produced it okay so yes i was on to something there yeah so isa ray produced it but it looks so good on the note of insecure and things similar to isa ray i went through like a hulu comedy phase clearly because i watch the the show i watched before english teacher is called how to die alone um i don't think i don't think that Issa produces it. I don't think so. But Natasha Rothwell, who is one of the main friends of Issa in Insecure, she is so fucking funny herself. Like her comedic timing is an actress. It's just stunning. But she wrote, produced, and somewhat directs this as well. And it has some really similar vibes as insecure, except you're not getting lots of bare, naked, hot asses.

So it's definitely more people 13, where insecure is very are. But like it is, it surprised me with how beautiful the writing is. Like it's about like being a woman in your 30s, figuring out who you are, even when you're single. and like learning to feel like a whole person yourself. But then it's also insanely funny. So that one's my thing. I love her. I know.

The general premise, which if you watch a trailer, you would see it. So I don't think this is a spoiler. But she lives alone and she orders takeout one night and almost chokes on a crab ringgoon. And then like the IKEA shelf, she's been setting up, then falls on her and almost crushes her while she can't breathe. So she literally almost dies alone. And so then the concept is like learning to kind of even love being

alone as well and not fearing it as much while also having like really great friends. So it is fantastic. Yeah. I'm going to add it to my list. It is so good. I love Natasha Rothwell so much. It gets even better as you go to. It's even better what? As you get into it. Like, I haven't finished it yet because I think it wasn't, was it not coming out all at once? Yeah, it was coming out weekly. Yeah.

So I haven't finished it yet, but like I was watching with AJ and then he, like a few episodes and he's like, I'm getting more into it and I felt the same way. But yeah, I waited until they had all aired and it definitely makes it a good experience in my opinion. Yeah, it was, it is really good. Can we touch a little bit on SVU? I think that there's something to be said about the consistency of the structure and the music, like, and like the sound and stuff and like characters. Like there's something so comforting about a consistent cast and like a consistent structure

of a show, even if it can be a little darker. I don't know. I get that. I love, I just love SVU, like, in general. Like, I feel like it used to be like, something that I would like binge watch the old episodes on like Sundays on like when they had like the USA network and then like I started it from the beginning and it was like a little like nostalgic but like now I like I agree with you like there's something about like a

consistent cast where you like care about them and then like as you get more into the show there's like you know their own storylines that I really just like love yeah for sure just so good then I like reminisce about certain like DAs and stuff? Uh, yeah. I know. Because I'm on season 21, 22, I think. It's not wild.

I want to start it from the beginning again. That's wild. It has that many seasons. I have seen psychologists talk about like what you're saying. They're legitimate is comfort in watching something where you know, like you're saying, where you know it's going to get solved by the end of it. and when it's like people you're familiar with, you kind of almost have a parisocial relationship with the characters. And it can be very comforting and consistent and all of that.

Yeah. And it's also like, I like that they're like a little shady where like they're like, this is completely fictionalized. But then it'll be something that's like obviously like a dig at like Jeffrey Epstein or like Harvey Weinstein. Oh yeah. Or like Diddy or something. I cannot wait for that one. Oh my God. Right. Oh yeah. well at this rate he's probably going to be our vice president so oh my god did you see the flashback to when whatever year it was Kanye got 1% of the presidential vote and I was like I remember that oh god about that yeah okay so I know this is most people are listening on audio but I had

some of my pretty book mail so this is dead below deck but look at the spine it looks like the waves are on the spine

because it's a story on a yacht isn't that so cool that is sec yeah I thought the same thing and then I've got to watch on YouTube basically but then I also got this one, The Silent Watcher by Victor Mathos or Mithos, which is like a legal thriller that I just started it today.

It starts off with some gruesome, gruesome deaths. But also, look at this. So this is obviously the jacket, but even the inside still has the city on it. Dang. I thought that this week. Yeah. I didn't even realize this until the book pair. Her name's Kaylee.

She got it last week, too, and she posted about it. And I was like, I need to go look at mine. And that's what it was like. And then also this one. I just got this one today. I got that today, too. Oh, my gosh. I'm obsessed with this cover.

So I just had to do a quick little bookmail bit there. Steph, do you have that one? No. I've actually not heard. of those. Okay, so here's my little thinking, thinking mind. I have an arc of it and I also have a finished copy of it. So if I send Steph my finished copy, maybe the three of us could do like a special episode before the end of the year where we all buddy read that. Okay. Let's do it. What's it called the close one? Yeah, the close up. Okay. Yeah, I'm interviewing and I'm interviewing Pip on November 19th, I think.

Oh, okay. But we can totally do an episode about it too. I'm down. I also see it on Neckgalley. I can request it too. But whatever. I can just send you the finished copy. Oh, my gosh. I have an arc of it. Yeah. I'm staring at my arc right now. Oh, my God, you guys, I bought Mad Woman because of you. Oh, that makes me so happy. I got the Canadian paperback. Is the Canadian one? What color is it? It's the same cover. It's just paperback.

set of hard cover. The blue? Is it blue? Is it blue? Is it blue? Okay. Because I bought the, um, I bought the, the UK cover, too, so I wasn't making, I was just wondering. Oh.

It's like hot pink and yellow. It's really cool. It is really cool. Yeah. Well, I'm excited that you got that one. I think you will love it because it's actually pretty bleak. It's everything. I'm so excited for it.

Yeah, it's everything. Yeah, I'm so excited for it because it's, I included it in my 10 before the end. Yes, I saw that. But I made two weeks ago, and I've read 25 pages of one of the books. Well, you know, life happens. It's a hopeful post. It doesn't have to be realistic. I know, but I'm going to like.

I get it. I wish I was reading. If I only finish like nine instead of 10 of them. Yeah. That was going to be my icebreaker too. if you guys had any thing that you thought you would change in your reading habits or behaviors in 2025? Oh, that's a good question.

One of my goals for 2024 was to actually read less because I was like feeling so much pressure because I had such a big TBR to like always have a physical book and always have an audio book to just like power through it. because I almost felt like pressured to get through it. And I'm, and I kind of, I dwindled down my TBR quite a bit. And I'm like, you don't like, take your time. Who cares? Like maybe you have a book club or like a neck galley deadline, but otherwise, so what?

I don't know. Yeah. That's actually my change that I want to make in 2025. I feel like I was like focused so much on like creating like TBR for like every month. and like if somebody like sent me an arc, I felt like I had to read it. And like now I think I'm going to be, I think my reading goal is honestly like going to be a hundred bucks because I think two a week would not be very much for me as a reader. But like it's also like I don't want to be in a position where like a few times this year I felt like

I read a book and I like forced myself to like binge it. And then I was like, oh my God, that was so good. And I didn't get to like really like sit with it after. Like I was like an hour later. I'm like, oh, I'm going to start this other book. so I can like crush my goodreads goal and like kill my TBR because I want to read 12 books in a month. And I'm just like, now I'm like, no, I want to read 100 books in a year. And that's two a week.

And that's what I want to do. You know, I couldn't think of if there's anything I wanted to change. But now that you guys have mentioned it, one of the things I noticed recently is that I had like sacrificed, not sacrifice. It's just I wasn't even trying as many TV shows or movies that came. out because I was like read read read which isn't bad I love reading but then like I've had such cool conversations with people about like the woman of the hour um there's another movie cato lake that I saw and then like tell me lies was really fun like we did some stuff with that and so in some ways I do want to I guess I am kind of with you guys in that same boat where I'm like

it doesn't just have to be like read read read read read because i'm book wild uh so yeah incorporating i just i love stories is the truth of it so incorporating more of that would probably be a 2025 thing i started doing that too like in the summer i felt like where you know before people would be like oh do you want to go out to dinner and then be like no like i really want to finish this book by like tomorrow and like now i'm like yeah i will go out to dinner with you like yeah i'll go like check out this like pumpkin patch in the middle of Canada or like you know like shit like that so like yeah no I agree yeah I was even doing like the other was it last night I was like I have 50 pages left in the whispers we know when we get to the end of a book it kind of goes pretty quickly anyways

and then I but then I was like starting to get tired and I'm like I don't want to sacrifice not really like grasping the end of this book just to say I finished it today. Like, who cares if in the morning you like finish it really quickly, even though I like allow myself like whatever time before work to read in the morning. And I'm just like, enjoy the book. Who cares when you finish it? Right. Yeah. I don't know. Because you know when you're like falling asleep and you're like, I don't even know what just happened probably. Yeah. Sometimes I'm like falling asleep and it's like the book starts happening in my dream kind of and then I like wake up and I'm like wait I didn't just read that my brain just like continued the story I just had that experience

with um the perfect child by Lucinda Berry. The first hundred pages were rough for me because I was gone I was in Vermont so like the first hundred pages were rough because I was like this is really good but I'm not giving myself enough time to like read it you know what I mean like I'm like reading a few pages here and there. And then like when I came home, I like bingeed 150 pages of it. And I was like, this is the kind of reading experience I want because I didn't feel like reading, but I like picked it up and then I got so into it. But like I didn't force myself to finish it. Like I was like, I have 100 pages left. I can do it tomorrow. And it was just like a great reading experience because I felt like I wasn't like pressuring myself or forcing myself to like read it like,

you know, by a certain time. So. Yeah. And. enjoying her backlist has been fun reading experience. It's a big one, too. Yeah. Good segue. It is a good segue. Because we are going to talk about backlist books that we want to read. These are always fun because it's just so full of hope.

You're like, I am probably going to love this book. I love a backlist. Yeah. I'll tell you why. There's nothing like it. Mm-hmm. There isn't. Do you ever feel like you're pressured to read an arc by like a certain time?

Oh, yeah. I feel like that's what I enjoy about back lists is I'm like, I don't have to read this by like a certain date or, you know, whatever. Yeah, and I'm grateful that I get to interview and talk to authors. But yeah, I have two right now that I need to finish because there are interviews coming up. I'm okay with it though. Do you want to hear? Can I go first because I, because we already talked about one of my authors. Yeah, unless, I don't know.

It might be on yours too. I don't know. Well, speaking of Mad Woman and Chelsea Beaker, my, one of mine for a backlist was to read her book called Godshot. And I loved. Mad Woman. And like, I think this is her debut. There's another book I bought by her called Heartbreak. I think it might be short stories, but this one I was reading some of the reviews, and someone said it was comparable to educated, which is one of my favorite nonfiction books from a few years ago that takes

place in Montana, Idaho, mixed with Handmaid's Tale, which I have not read or watched, but no, slightly the premise. Don't start it now. And then someone else said, it's immensely readable. It's fiercely written coming of age in the worst possible ways novel. That's part John Steinbeck, part mean girls. Wow. Like, say less. I mean, I don't remember on my list too.

I'm mean, mean girls, I know, obviously. It's going to be on my list. Yeah. I think it's about, I think it's culty. I think it's about a course. So I am very excited about that. that's honestly like I didn't need I'm not reading the synopsis myself like I'm just going to read it because I loved mad woman so I'm going to go in blind oh that's fine I don't blame me either I rarely read synopsis honestly for

myself I'm just like oh that sounds good someone else liked it mm-hmm I sometimes will obsess over a synopsis oh really oh yeah yeah yeah like sometimes I read a synopsis and I'm like how big is this going to be in the story and what's this going to be like is this going to be something to do with the twist like i like obsess over it especially when i'm like waiting for like the book to arrive like if i don't have like an arc of it and sometimes when there's been this like the main character typically has like seven awful things that's happened to her in her life like give her something or him give them something yeah yeah yeah i just read um the boyfriend by frieda mcfadden a few weeks ago and i like loved it up until the end and I was so

pissed with her ending because she repeated like a twist that was in like a previous book that I've read by her and I was like even her own book I was like you did this again like are you joking now I was like pissed I'll go next I have as as Gere has become a Lucinda

Barry Stan I have become an Alexis Henderson Stan. I just cannot stop talking about her. Also, that was another beautiful cover. She sent me the UK version of an Academy for Liars. It's so

pretty. But this is one of her backlists that I really want to get to called the Year of the Witching. And I just am going to read the synopsis. A young woman living in a rigid Puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in the stunning feminist fantasy debut. In the lands of Bethel,

where the prophet's word is law, Emmanuel Moore's very existence is blasphemy. Her mother's union with an outsider of a different race casts her once proud family into disgrace. So Emmanuel does her best to worship the father, follow holy protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity like all the other women in the settlement. But a mishap lures her into the forbidden dark wood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Emmanuel, the journal of her dead mother, who Emmanuel is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood. Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Emmanuel finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have

consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truth about the church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her. Fuck the patriarchy, right? Yeah. I have seen this cover a bunch of times and did not put two and two together that that was the same author as that book. Yeah. And it's going to have to be cool. It's just not out yet. yes Bethel 1 mm-hmm that's exciting too when you like look forward to a book and you already know that like there's going to be more like either in a series or like at least a sequel so that's really exciting too it is I think it's also cover is so cool it's like mostly black and white and then if you look really closely there are these little tiny blood spatters on yeah I just saw that I love that yeah very cool very very fall reading vibes. Yeah.

Very good. I'm going to get my first one out of the way because when I say backlist, I mean, it came out yesterday. What do you mean? We said your books, your choice. Yeah, no joy. I'm just like, I'm just curious. Yes.

So I feel like I've wanted. wanted to talk about this book like a billion times because I'm really, really looking forward to it. My copy's not here yet as I like chew ferociously on my fingernails. But the reason I wanted to include it today is because I listened to Kate interview the authors of this book. And it made me even more excited for this one. It's the Lake of Lost Girls by Catherine Green. The way that Kate talks about this book and the way that they talk about this book. their writing process and everything that they wanted to include in it and how, like, passionate they were about, like, mixed media elements and all of these other, like, things that were,

like, personal connections to them. I was like, this is going to be so good, and I cannot wait for it. Um, the only thing is I have it on my Kindle, but I don't want to start it on my Kindle because there's mixed media in it and I feel like it would be more satisfying for me as a physical book. Mm-hmm. Do you think that, Kate? Yeah. Sorry, my dogs, you're losing their goddamn minds. Yes.

I was able to, like, read it well on my Kindle, but yeah, it's going to be prettier in print. Yeah, it doesn't zoom in very much on the Kindle. I know this. My eyesight is just not what it used to be. Yeah, I tried to zoom in. It didn't work out, really. So, yeah, the Lake of Last Girls is about 1998 and female students are going missing. at Southern State University in North Carolina.

Freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears. 24 years later, her sister Lindsay is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast,

10 seconds to vanish, that focuses on the cold cases to guide her own investigation. Soon interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of long missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsay down a disturbing road of discovery. In the present, one sister seeks to untangle a complicated web of lies. In the past, the other descends even deeper into darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate. I mean, like, what the fuck?

So many good things. Bruce is sick. I could not put that book down. And I am, like, we need to talk about the ending together at some point because I have, feelings. I was, I will say it challenged me and I like that, but feelings. I, so I bought it on my Kindle and then I listened to Kate's podcast and I was like, maybe I should wait for a physical copy because like I've been looking forward to this so much. I just want to be like, I'm not saying people can't enjoy it or won't enjoy it on a Kindle. I'm just saying like,

for me, this is like going to the movie theater and like being excited to see your movie but not getting yourself popcorn. Like I just want to make it the best experience possible for myself. So when I heard that the mixed media element, I was like, you know, the publisher said they were going to send me a copy like last week and I haven't gotten it yet. So like I might just buy it myself at this point. Yeah. And if I have more than one copy, then I have more than one copy. And I'll just send it to somebody your host a giveaway. But I want to listen to that episode of on the way to it's a book club pick. Oh my God. It's so good. It's so good. It's such like, it's like one of my favorite

interviews that she's ever done. Speaking of Backlist, they had another book. Sorry. Something in the woods. Yeah. Yeah. It's um the woods are waiting. Oh. Um, I don't think I think everyone who's listening and I am not talking much right now. There's so much I want to say. If I talk about fucking. me. Gare's like complimenting me and everyone's like, oh, Kate's just being quiet about this one.

So I am going to try to quickly say between his barks. My interview with them definitely made me even like the book even more, I think, too. And it is just, it is so common elements they manage. Well, I will say that the woods are reading is, has the gear indeed reads. of like approval. That was one of my favorite ones. Like whatever year it came out, I don't really remember if it was last year or the year before.

But it was, if you're like a horror movie fan, especially because I said that it was reminiscent to Halloween with a town haunted by their own boogeyman. The setting had an eeriness of the woods from Blair Witch Project with an atmospheric gray-hued town like My Bloody Valentine. And the central cast reminds me. me of the movie. I know what you did last summer. Oh my gosh. You sold me.

So, yeah. They accolades. Yeah. Yeah. I just remember like, I was like, oh, this sounds good. And I wasn't like, I don't want to say like I wasn't like looking forward to it or my expectations were low. But I was like, oh, this sounds like really good. I'm going to like, you know, kind of go into it. And then like when I started it, I just like ended up loving it even more than I thought I was going to because there's a lot of elements that like you don't get to like experience and just like reading this enough.

is. Yeah. Yeah. The, when you do finish like of Lost Girls, we are going to all have to like hop on a face time or something because there's a lot to talk about with the ending. And coincidentally, how you stuff, you were just mentioning people who like ruin stuff with comps sometimes. There was a comp that I couldn't really think of many comps for it because it is pretty unique the way they do a lot of things. But there's a comp that I thought of. But, if I told everyone what it was, it would give away some big parts of the book. So we'll have to all talk about it once you finish gear. I just ordered physical copies of both of them. Nice. So they're on their way. Can I say one more thing about before we move on? We still have like a

bunch more to get through. But I, the chapters are a little bit longer than my typical preferred chapter length and I did not care. So I will say like it was that good to me that I was like so absorbed that I did not care. Yeah. Okay. I think that's it. To me that's always a good sign. I'm so excited. Yeah. No, that's my like I was like I have to cheat when I talk about this one even though like it just came out like yesterday but I like listened to Cates and I was like, well technically if it's already out, it's considered a backlist. So it's true. They have to have another one coming out soon. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Well, I think my next few are related to books I read in October. One of them,

Book of the Month put out the Lighthouse Witchet, or sorry, the Book of Witching by C.J. Cook. It was my favorite, my first book by her, and I really enjoyed it. So I want to go back into C.J. Cook's backlist. For example, I've heard really good things about a book called The Lighthouse Witches. Oh, did you like it? Yes. Okay. I know that like the Jersey reader really liked it if you follow her account. And so I always like witches, but I never really know what version of a witch is my favorite. And so I sometimes, even though I like the concept, I don't always dive in. And I, And I really like the way she did it. So I'm looking forward to diving into more of her books, The Lighthouse.

Oh, it's funny that you, I just have the year of witching pulled up because of Kate. And we're talking about another. We're witchy this week. And I'm bitchy. What? Witchy and bitchy. Witchy and bitchy. This cover is beautiful.

Girls will be girls. So two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. 20 years later, one is found. but she's still the same age as when she disappeared. The secrets of witches have reached across the centuries in this chilling Gothic thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Nesting, which I think is maybe... I don't think her debut, but an earlier book.

When single mother live is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it's an opportunity to start over with her three daughters, Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she's frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed. 22 years later, Luna has been

searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she's initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers, except she's still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she'll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn't realize just how much the truth will change her. I love. Yeah, I loved in the book of witching that it takes place, I believe in Scotland. So just like it's not like the Salem witch trials or something necessarily like I loved the setting it was it was like I think I want to go there it sounds kind of creepy but like haunting and beautiful yes so that's my first one um if you like gothic thrillers I really

enjoyed the nesting as well man I know you read all of her votes I don't exactly know what can you like tell me in your version what gothic means to you or like what is it like a little like slower and creepier or like what's the I feel like a lot of it for me has to do with like setting like it's like something more like yeah like a little bit slower

eerie it's got to be like a house that's like kind of like drafty and dark and you know like the best way like I would describe like what I envision for like a gothic style is um the haunting of Hillhouse

oh okay yeah yeah absolutely Yeah, like something like that. Okay. Google, if we want to get really specific, it says a literary genre that evokes fear and haunting, characterized by a dark atmosphere, mystery, terror, and often set in a large ancient house or castle. Good job, Gare.

You got it. Nice. Yep. That's me. Gothic Gare. We said so many good names for you. The care of League Billings. Well, my next one is not Gothic, but coincidentally, it's one that Steph actually sent to me this week that Lisa Jewel posted about.

And I just really want to read it now. It's called Beautiful People by Amanda Jennings. And this is also giving me, like, vibes of, like, if you watch Tell Me Lies and needed something else to read like that, I think this sounds. like it. When Victoria escapes her broken home for university in London, she's determined to reinvent herself and make a fresh start. She falls in love with Nick, who welcomes her into his privileged circle of friends, opening her eyes to a world she only ever dreamt of. But things don't go to plan, and life takes a darker turn. Twenty-five years later, the circle is reunited alongside a host of glittering guests to celebrate the wedding of Hollywood darling, Ingrid Olson, to ruthlessly well-connected

Julian Draper. Victoria has spent years trying to forget Nick and put the horror of what happened behind her. Now she has to face the past she tried so hard to bury. As the champagne flows and painful memories resurface, Victoria can't shake the feeling that some people seem to get away with everything. But maybe not this time. Maybe this time someone will pay the ultimate price. I didn't even realize how, like, them all gathering for like a wedding in the future, that's even very, very tell me lies and like everyone's still trying to kind of like ruin each other but step's in it to me because Lisa Jewel posted about it oh and like the words I took a screenshot of her posting about it because I'm like well I love Lisa Jewel so yes love what Lisa Jewel loves

yeah and she like gush she gushes about it in that post so I'm like I have to read this one I just added that I need to read it too it comes out tomorrow oh out tomorrow I just remember. According to Amazon, it says November 7th. Why did I feel like, motherfucker? So this isn't back. By the time the episode comes out, though, it's going to be a backlist. Okay, true.

This will be my random one. Oh, that's funny. I think the cover is insane. It is. Like, I'm obsessed with it. That is a gorgeous color. I think it looks vintage. That's why I think I assume that's why I thought it.

And that's kind of like, one of my favorite aesthetics. No, that sounds so good. Oh, my God, you guys. I know. I'm crushing it. Yeah. Well, I'm going to sign up reading that one as well.

Yeah. Lisa Jewell said that she's a huge fan of Amanda Jennings' work in general, so I'm sure her backlist is wonderful as well. There we go. There we go. I just got you excited. I love it. Yeah.

What's your next one, Gare? my next one actually is because of Steph. What? Yes. Yes. So I'm going to, my first pick was like, I have to talk about this book because of Kate. My second one is going to be because I have to talk about this book because of stuff because I love you guys so much. So originally, my pick was going to be Black Eyed Susans by Julia Heberlin because I really, really want to read that.

And I bought it like that night on my Kindle. But I also like remember going through a period where like I. was overwhelmed with arcs and like wanted to dive into her backlist obviously i'm going to start with um black eyed susans but i'm also very interested in one called playing dead so the reason this book is on my radar is because of stuff love you um it says dear tommy have you ever wondered who you are the letter that turns Tommy McCloud's world upside down arrives from a stranger only days after her father's death. The woman who wrote it claims that Tommy is her daughter and that she was kidnapped as a baby 31 years ago. Tommy wants to believe it's all a hoax, but suddenly a girl who

grew up on a Texas ranch finds herself linked to a horrific past, the slaughter of a family in Chicago, the murder of an Oklahoma beauty queen, and the kidnapping of a little girl named Adriana. Tommy races along a twisting, nightmarish path when an unseen stalker is determined to keep old secrets locked inside the dementia battered brain of the woman who Tommy always thought was her real mother. With everything she has believed in question and no one she can trust, Tommy must discover the truth about the girl who vanished and the very real threats that still remain. Wow. Yeah. So that one in lying still, I have not read yet. Her first two. Yes. It was, I mean, honestly they all sounds so good um it was a combination between this one and i think um paper ghosts maybe

but they all sound so good and very bleak and very like kind of give me like a little bit like like Caitlin mullin vibes. Hmm. Yeah. So I'm very very, very excited for this in black eyed susans and then you know, Black eyed susans has some Caitlin mullin vibes too actually. Yeah, that's what Steph said. Now that you did you finish it?

Yeah. Oh, you did? Yes. It's another ending we all need to talk about. Oh, my God. I need you to like remind me of it first and then we can check. And it's another one where if I give a comp, it gives it away. I'm going to have to keep a list.

Yeah. But yeah. That's awesome. I want to read that one now too. My little cold heart feels so warm. Oh. All the love. My next one, so I just read my first Rachel Harrison book called So Thirsty that just came out, and it's about vampires.

And she does, I would say maybe like horror light. But I was very curious about Rachel Harrison because I've heard that she just has like a really snarky, sarcastic kind of voice to her books. and that always is a draw for me. And I did find that and so thirsty and I did enjoy it. So I really want to dive into her backlist a few of them. But the one I'm the most curious about, I think, was her most recent release right before that called Black Sheep. And so. Oh, yeah.

I've seen that cover. I love that cover. Yeah, I've heard it's really good. good. A cynical 20-something must confront her unconventional family's dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of such sharp teeth and cackle. Nobody has a normal family, but Vesper writes is truly dot, dot, dot, something else. Vesper left home at 18 and never looked back, mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn't return. But then an envelope arrives at her doorstep. In some,

is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper's beloved cousin, Rosie. It's to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn't be the first time Vespers been given special treatment. Is the inside invite a sweet gesture and olive branch? A trap? It doesn't matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding, even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever queen. When Vespers' homecoming exumes a terrifying secret, she's forced to reckon with her family's beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our own place in the world. Oh my God. That reminds me

fantastic. It sounds like something Kate would really enjoy. It does. It reminds me a little bit of the vibes of like lay your body down. That's exactly what I was saying. Yeah. As I was reading it. Yes. Oh my God. So I'm okay, but here's the thing. I think a lot of people are getting into her because I went on a few different websites to try and find like nice hardcover used versions of her books. And there are not that many out there. So I think she's just like getting more popular. It's kind of hard to find.

Yeah. Wow. I've had a couple because like Hallie mentioned her. And then actually Alexis Henderson mentioned her. I've had authors mentioning her more lately, too. So that wouldn't make sense. Yeah. I heard one of her books.

I think it was her debut. There's one called The Return that's like hot pink. That's the cover I recognize the most. Yeah. That's the one I read and I really enjoyed her writing style. And like it was very like unsettling and uncomfortable for me to read. The synopsis of the return reminds me a little bit. I did not read that book.

but I did read Grady Hendrix's like my best friend's exorcism or something. I think that was it. And it kind of, they sounded a little bit similar. So I'm, yeah, I'm curious. Yeah. It was definitely like, I feel like Grady Hendricks has like a little bit more comedy in it. And this one's like a little bit like unsettling and dark. It was scary.

Into it. It was good. We're here for that. Yeah. I mean, I'm also like bleak billing So like I don't know You're like what's the serving at this point But then I've heard like cackle

Her other book cackle I think is about witches And I've heard it's almost like Like cozy friendship witches So I think it seems like she has a little bit of a spectrum Yeah Now I want to dive into her back list too Let's go Can we all just be kind of independently wealthy

So we can read all the time Right Probably I mean I don't really I don't really know that's true, but supposedly it's going to happen. Right. Well, we're definitely going to save on groceries, so.

And gas, maybe gas even. I can get rid of my second job now. And then Elon will get some position and we'll all be forced to drive Tesla's and the gas prices won't matter anyway. Yeah. I wonder if the gas prices and the grocery prices. I wonder if that has anything to do with farmer's dog. is like is my food just going to be cheaper is my dogs too yeah that's a good point only time we'll tell oh god i thank you guys so much well i don't have a segue but who could who could um short of green

handmaid's tail again um but this one i have to give a shout out um the bee stands for books on Instagram. She posted this in her 10 before the end and I was like, how have I never heard of this? It's called the Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. So on an unnamed island, off an unnamed coast, objects are disappearing. First hats, then ribbons, birds, roses until things become much more serious. Most of the island's inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few imbued with power to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian memory police who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten when a young woman is struggling to maintain her career as a novelist when a young okay when a young woman who is struggling to maintain her career as a

novelist discovers that her editor is in danger from the memory police she concocks a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards. As fear and loss close in around them, they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past. A surreal provocative fable about the power of memory and the trauma of loss.

The memory places a stunning new work from one of the most exciting contemporary authors writing in any language. It's a Japanese author. Also does kind of feel kind of relevant, I guess. The power of writing being something

that can still keep us aware of what's really happening. But I am always intrigued by the like sci-fi trope of like not the main character isn't drunk all the time and has memory problems. It's just like something sci-fi instead. So I really want to read this one. I've seen that in some stacks. And like since my time on bookstagram, I've seen that floating around. So I think I've been good things.

Yeah. I'm very intrigued. I love when you, I don't know, I just always think of you as like the sci-fi guru. So like I'm excited that you're finding like another one that you're pumped to read. Yeah. I always need another sci-fi in my life. Well, since my first two were dedicated to you too, my third one is dedicated to me.

Yay! Because I have been compulsively obsessed with this book, and I ordered a physical copy of it because it's compared to scream. So I was like, I need a physical copy of this one, and it just arrived yesterday, and I'm going to lose my marbles when I pick this up this weekend. But it recently came up. That's what I thought. I think I know what it is. You do? it's got to be referring to midnight.

It is. Is that on your list? Yeah. Not on like this literal one, but it's in my tin before the end. Okay. I read the art. Yeah. So I've seen it all over the place and I like saw like the ballerina on the cover and I was like, I don't know if like this will be my kind of thing.

So like I didn't really pay much attention to the synopsis. But then there was a. TikToker and she was like this is like one of like my favorite reads of the year like you have to read it her name is Stephanie and is she the TikToker with like the longish brown hair yes because I definitely saw I think we're thinking of the same one I love her recommendations and I saw her talking about this one selling NWA yeah she's got like longish brown hair she always wears gorgeous sweatshirts. Oh, I might not be thinking the right one.

She did like a long series of like big, um, tell me lies. No, no, you're right. This is the one. Yep, we're thinking the same one. Yeah, I always love her sweatshirts. I think, I don't know, weirdo, but, um, yes. So thank you to her because even though other people put this on my radar, she's the one that like really sold it to me.

Um, and I'm just really excited to read it. And it is. Um, Nearly 10 years ago, oh, it's Return to Midnight by Emma Dues. I think so. Do you, yes. Nearly 10 years ago, five Ohio University students were murdered. What in the hell?

Murdered. Nearly 10 years ago, five Ohio University students were murdered in an off-campus Victorian home. The media dubbed it the Midnight House Massacre. Ever since Survivor and novelist Margo Davis, has wanted to forget it and never again utter the killer's name. Until she's compelled to write her side of the story, to do that, she's returning to midnight house. It'll be a chance for Margot to reconnect with other survivors, heal the trauma, and dispel

the ugly conspiracy theories of obsessed true crime fanatics. But when the news of Margo's book gets out, she receives threatening note demanding that she stopped lying or else. It chills Margot's blood because she hasn't been telling the whole truth. As the threats continue each more sinister than the last, A journalist comes to Margo with new suspicions about that brutal October night. Now to save her own life, Margo must reveal her well-guarded secrets, one that for a good reason, she's terrified to share. Sounds so good.

So I, this sounds amazing for me. And like, I believe there might be a dual timeline with this one. I'm not really sure. But I'm just so pumped for it. and it kind of gives me like we all talk about how much we love the podcast element in a book one of the things I love is the true crime obsession and the toxicity in it that can be like in a story like this um like with the Idaho case of like those four um Idaho students and like how people were like oh my God like it was this guy by the food truck no it was her

boyfriend because he didn't answer his phone at three o'clock in the morning. And like the toxicity of that when you have millions of people pointing their finger at you saying that you were guilty or, you know, had any implication of like a murder. I find it so fascinating in a plot like this because like it obviously like mirrors real life. And that element has me pumped for this story. Yeah. You said that someone or the synopsis made you think it was like scream. The TikToker Stephanie that recommended it, she compared it to scream. Because I was sitting there and I was like, I don't really watch that many like horror slasher movies, but like the vibes I got and like the tension reminded me of like Final Girl energy

and kind of that type of movie. I was like, I don't know if I have like the. the real like expertise to say that. So like that feels really validating and I do I did think that. So I saw that in your review. So I've been just like dying this whole time. I was just like, oh, someone else said that. Okay, perfect. Another Stephanie. Actually, are you Stephanie like government name or are you just Steph? Yes. The most popular name in the year I was born. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm a Catherine. So. With a R-I-N-E or Y.

R-Y-N. R-Y-N. Yeah. Yeah. There's so many variations of that. I love the name Catherine and I love the name Stephanie. You do? That's good.

I do. I love that. 100%. I always loved the name Stephanie. I had a little friend when I was younger and her name was Stephanie and she was so sassy. And we used to get in trouble all the time and we got kicked out of the librarian had to stand in the hallway with her noses against the wall. That's amazing because you and I are the same age.

So like there were three or four Stephanie's in like my fourth grade class. And so that makes so much sense that like in your age group there were there were and I love the name Catherine ever since cruel intentions. When you started that sentence, I thought that's where you were going to go. Oh, well, 100%. One day I'm just going to have like every character name that Sarah Michelle Geller has ever played like tattooed. right next to my bright young women tattoo

you need them all. I think you would love that. Yeah. Oh my gosh. That's amazing. Okay, I'm excited to hear what you think about that one. Yeah, I'm super. I think I'm going to start it this weekend.

I know. Yeah, I think I might too. I don't really feel like creeped out that much, but that book there was like something about it that creep me out. Damn. In a good way. it kind of like reminds me a little bit of like the Idaho case. I saw that in some of the reviews.

And so does the new Ashley Winstead. So I feel like those are both going to be really creepy for me. It also kind of reminds me, the synopsis reminds me of everyone who can forgive me is dead as well. Oh my God, I love that book. Yeah. Oh my God, I love that book. I don't know so good. That had like the best dark academia like atmosphere.

Oh my God. Yeah. Maybe I should start that tomorrow. You should. It is very good. Sweet. Into it. It reminds me of like Jessica Noel, Stacey Willingham.

Yep. And like Carolla lovering, writing a book together. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I agree. Wow. Wow.

So what a recommendation. Okay. I know. My next one, so I just finished. I first heard of Robin Harding from Gare on this podcast. And I read The Drowning Woman when it came out and like everyone was obsessed with it, rightfully so. And then I just finished the haters because I was like, I've been reading so many like really emotionally good, but draining books.

And I needed something like, let's go. The haters, I thought, I liked it. I thought it was good. And then, but she has so many backlist books. So I need to get into them. And I honestly don't even have one specifically. Gare, if you have or either of you have a recommendation of your favorite backlist of hers, I would definitely take it. I do.

Which one is your regret? Her pretty face is my favorite Robin Harding book. I'm going to read that synopsis then. I love this. Can this be like a five-hour episode, please? Yeah, pretty much. I do not, I do not, I don't care about eating or watching an order as well. I just have to like go somewhere by 630, so I haven't learned.

Okay, so her pretty face, cute cover, not cute, whatever, pretty, kind of. I don't know. Like, what Hasley kind of probably like someone's scratched out? Can you really say pretty or cute? I don't know. I know. Trace overlover. Yeah, here we go. Francis Metcalf is struggling to stay afloat. A stay-at-home mom whose troubled son is her full-time job. She thought that the day he got accepted into the elite Forrester Academy would be the day she started living her life. Overweight, insecure, and lonely, she is desperate to fit into Forrester's world. But after a disturbing incident at the school leads to other children and their families, leads the other children and their families to ostracize the Metcalfs, she feels more alone than ever before.

Until she meets Kate Randolph. Kate is everything Frances is not, beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and competent. And for some reason, she's not interested in being friends with any other of the Forrester moms, only Francis. As the two bond over their disdain of the Forrester snobs and the fierce love they have for their sons, a startling secret threatens to tear them apart. Juicy sounding. Mm-hmm. Okay. It's so good. It's like big little lies, but like darker and more sinister.

And like there's just like a really like a lot of like really creepy scenes. And it's based off from, what loosely based off from a true crime story that is very popular in Canada. Whoa. So is it like this you would categorize? it would be like toxic friendship? It would be like toxic friendship but like also like a thriller in the sense of like who are these people really underneath. Okay.

It's like a toxic friendship thriller. Got it. That's really dark. What's do it? Interesting. She got a lot of backlash. Really? from Canadian readers for this one because of the comparison and like what it's because it's like because of like the true crime case that it's based off them.

So like shout out to her for like going balls to the wall and like writing this book and being like who gives a shit at this point. Okay. Did you read the haters? Yeah. That makes so much sense. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. because like I have been I've known Robin Harding since the party came out I think that was like her first like adult thriller and we connected after that one and like her pretty face like I like when I was reading it I was like this is like

sensational like I was like blowing up her DMs like I love this so much and she was like I love that you loved it because I got like a little bit of backlash for it and now I really want to read it I'll always like kind of be like like it's one of my like jar of hearts the woman inside kind of books and like stuck with me for a very long time. I would love to read it again.

I love her. God. That makes me like the haters even more too. Yeah. So now I need to read her pretty face and then the haters. Yeah. Yeah. I was nervous when I started reading the haters that it was going to be like the last word by.

Taylor Adams just because they're both based off like negative book reviews but it was like so different and like totally unique it has like a like that one point is like a similar thing that I think is a unique and cool I guess starting point for a plot but they were very different and they're both really good so yeah she's like her books are like psychologically sinister in the sense of like it's not like gory or like you know like shocking in the sense of like it just kind of like wallops

you with like certain things and like she really goes there you know with like there's like a thriller about like a couple that decides to like swap partners and like things go like south there's one about like a sugar baby called the arrangement and shit goes south

like she just really like takes these very like intricate things that like are like you know kind of like newer or you know that like people talk about more now and then like make them into like a sinister little tale that just makes you not want to sleep at night. I love her. We love her for it. You see her doing like an only fans type thing like making it like gone bad like I could see her doing a really good job at that. I think that she would do an amazing job with that. And I want to say there might be one of her books that has that as something. I think there's like an aspect of that in one of her books. Interesting. Damn. Yeah. She's got a range.

She has got a fucking range. Let me tell you what. Well, I've only read one book from this author, but I loved it so much that I just have to read this one too. So I want to read The Brightlands by John Fram because speaking of Gothic books, No Road Home was my definitely maybe one of my favorite Gothic thrillers ever. So I definitely need to read this one. It's a long synopsis, so prepare yourself. The town of Bentley holds two things dear. It's football and it's secrets.

But when star quarterback Dylan Whitley goes missing, and unremitting fear grips the remote corner of Texas. Joel Whitley was shamed out of conservative Bentley 10 years ago, and while he's finally made a life for himself as a gay man in New York, his younger brother's disappearance soon brings him back to a place he thought he'd escaped for good. Meanwhile, Sheriff's deputy, Starsha Clark, stayed in Bentley. Joel's return brings back painful memories, not to mention questions, about her own missing brother. And in the high school hallways, Dylan's friends begin to suspect that their classmates know far more than they're telling the police.

Together, these unlikely allies will stir up secrets. Their town has long tried to ignore, drawing the attention of dangerous men who will stop at nothing to see their crimes buried. But no one is quite prepared to face the darkness that's begun to haunt their nightmares, whispering about a place, long thought to be nothing but an urban legend,

an empty night, a flicker of light on the horizon, the bright lands. When I started falling him, I don't know if this is his bio, still since he's are since he had another um book come out but yes his bio is waco texas wrote that scary thriller that your mom's book club canceled or no sorry wrote that scary thriller that got your mom's book club canceled oh my gosh i love that yeah so i've got to read this one here soon snarky bio. Yes.

I'm going to tell you right now, you are not going to regret reading that book. I can't imagine that I mean, I loved No Road Home so much. He does. Do you know how like Stephen King is like known for like bringing Maine to life, like the state of Maine? Yes. I feel like John Fram does to Texas what Stephen King does with Maine. That's a great quote and I'm going to tell him he needs to use it.

like it just brings everything alive and it is so creepy yeah i think when i first asked you about this one when i was reading no road home you're like it's like stephen king but make it gay yeah yeah yeah and a little bit darker if we're being honest wow yeah so i was looking up for our next episode that we're doing like books that are i was looking at the number of good readers ratings at some of them to just see like which ones to use this one has like less than 5,000 ratings and so like the cover is really cool it is so cool and it looks like Friday night lights so I'm just kind of I don't know this is a really good recommendation for a lot of reasons I think so getting at yeah I'm excited for it although that is up sorry is that

Is that me now? Yeah. I keep getting Instagram notifications because I put a rant up today. And one of the people that just responded to my story about how they felt was Kevin Williamson who, like, created Scream. Shut up. And I know what you did last summer. He just responded to you?

Yeah. He started following me like a while ago because he said he liked my book recommendations. And I was like, do you have any idea how much like screaming? and I know what you did last summer in like Dawson's Creek and the vampire diaries mean to me, but he just responds to me. Oh my God. You're famous. Wow.

I just like him and Jessica Noel, like I don't. Oh, yeah. It doesn't matter who follows me after this. Unless Sarah Michelle Geller. Hello. Hi. Here. Maybe Melissa Barrera.

Yeah. Oh my God. And Melissa Barrera, I would be like, here's my phone number. Like, take me out to dinner once and I will be a heterosexual. Yeah. Right. she's in a have you seen the trailer for that movie i think it's called the monster she's in like a rom-com horror musical yeah people are like obsessed with it and i'm like i just don't know if i can

jump all in on that i don't know i mean i just think that she like probably watch anything she probably kills it is it called your monster your monster that's what it is oh okay it looks like the guy from the um insurance commercials the caveman the caveman so okay I'm a guy looks like um so okay I'm

this is a real back list you guys like I don't know I think maybe 2014 oh I'm not sure there was a while ago where I kept seeing this author

um her one book Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brandt. I kept seeing it all over Instagram and I was like, oh, like, that sounds good. And then I like had gotten overwhelmed with arcs again and like realize that like when I looked at her backlist, like a lot of her books seem like things that like I would super be into. So there's one called 11 and it came out in 2014.

So it's a real backlist. And it is called 11. For three long years, that's what she was called by the collector, a sexual sadist who enslaved her. Mia fought the odds and escaped only to discover that no one could believe her about the ordeal she endured. Not the police, not her family and friends. Even the investigators she hired couldn't find a trace of the sexual predator. So with the help, she disappeared, always looking over her shoulder living in the shadows. Knowing she'd never be safe while he was still free, security expert Jude Bishop had helped

her vanish. Now he's been hired to bring Mia back. A criminal profiler may have discovered a tenuous link to her case, but Jude is nearly too late because the collector had also found Mia too. And their race to trail the sexual sadist turned killer brings Mia even closer to the man obsessed with her because she became his prize possession the moment she debated him and he'll stop at nothing to see his collection finally complete. Oof, wow. That's dark. Dark. Yeah, yeah. Hey, yo. Yeah.

Okay, I love her Goodreads picture looks like a glamour shot. It does. Does it? Yes, I thought the same thing. Yeah, I read Pretty Girls Dancing in 2018, and it was dark. Like, dark enough that I remember some things. Oh, wait, it is a glamour shot. So Pretty Girls Dancing has a 4.02 with 23,000 plus ratings, and then 11 had a 4.1

five. Wow. So yeah, it's amazing. Yeah, that's a high. It's pretty high to keep your ratings up, up that high on good reads. Yeah, I'm like really pumped for that one. And like just the fact that like I really wanted to read Pretty Girls Dancing. I think at the time, there was something else that came out that had like a similar plot. So I didn't want to be like comparing them, you know, but. Yep. You know, here we are years later and maybe I'll finally. I'm still interested. Still here. Oh my gosh.

Yeah, I like that you brought that up because I've never heard of her before. Mm-hmm. Actually, I saw that 11, pretty girls dancing must be like one of her most popular ones. I'm guessing because 11 had like 1,000 ratings. So I'm like, we need to amp that baby up if you. Yes, we do. Yeah. So I have a few left, but I'm going to pick one.

Okay, so this one I specifically want to do on audio. And this is, so I listened to The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis, and it was incredible. He narrated it himself. And I just found that American Psycho is narrated by Pablo Schreiber, who is like pornstash on Orange is the New Black. Yes. He's in like, Halo and so many other things. But like, I don't know if people know his name, but they would know his face. And so I love listening to his writing a lot.

And so I really want to listen to that on audio, American Psycho, because I've heard it's one of the most like memorably disturbing books. And I just think his voice would be really cool to listen to it. When you read it, will you let me know? Because I would like to read that with you. Yeah, I will. I'm not going to audio it, but I do have my. my little copy right here because I think they're turning this into a I think they're doing a reboot and turning into a TV show oh so this one this one lady and I'm an upcoming adaptations episode oh that'd be cool I want to do like an upcoming cast of

this because I have some ideas for like who would be like an amazing we should yeah I this one lady in one of my book clubs like read it a while ago and she's like I think she said she read it in college or something and she she was like, there are scenes in that book that, like, will not leave my brain, like, just kind of, like, disturbing kind of stuff. And I was like, okay, buckle up. I, somebody warned me about a scene, and I have not forgotten every detail of what they told me that I should be warned about. Damn. Do you want me to read the synopsis? Or do people know this book? I feel like people know American Psychic.

I think people know. Yeah. If you haven't watched it, it's with Christian Bale, the movie. Oh my gosh. The ratings, 329,443. And it has a 3.81. Damn. That's impressive. I want to read this so bad right now.

I want to read everything we've all mentioned. I know. Yeah. Well, my next one is actually, because I read one of this author's books, I also want to read another of hers. So you've probably, I was obsessed with fatal intrusion that Isabella Maldonato and Jeffrey Dever wrote together. But it is just action-packed. And at the time that I read it, I remember even saying, like, I need to prioritize some more of these, like, really high-action ones because I enjoy them so much.

And Isabella actually has two series that are still ongoing. and I think some other stand-alones, but I really want to start with the Nina Guerrera series, and the first book in that series is The Cipher. FBI special agent Nina Guerrera escaped a serial killer's trap at 16. Years later, when she's jumped in a Virginia park, a video of the attack goes viral. Legions of new fans are not the only ones impressed with her fighting skills. The man who abducted her 11 years ago is also watching. Determined to reclaim his lost.

prize. He commits a grisly murder designed to pull her into the investigation, but his games are just beginning, and he's using the internet to invite the public to play along. His coded riddles may have made him a depraved social media superstar, an enigmatic cyber ghost dubbed the cipher, but to Nina, he's a monster who prays on the vulnerable. Partnered with FBI's preeminent mind hunter, Dr. Jeffrey Wade, who is haunted by his own past, Nina tracks the predator or the country. Clue by clue, victim by victim, Nina races to stop a deadly killer while the whole world watches. It almost is giving Nordic noir vibes. As I read that, I was like, this sounds very similar to Nordic noir.

It's crazy. Will you let me know when you read this so I can read it with you. Yes. So I need to read fatal intrusion as well. But I just want to say, I'm going to piggyback off this. It looks like the second, oh, I'm sorry, the third in that series is about her and an FBI team investigating a string of disappearances as a predator stalks the grounds of an elite university. Oh my God. So, like, I mean. Yeah, we've got to read this series. Yeah. When I tell you, because fatal intrusion, I was also telling people, like, it had so many things. It has cyber,

cyber crimes, serial killer, what was the other? There's something else. There's so many elements. But I even, about that one, I was like, if you like the pacing of Nordic noir, I think you would love fatal intrusion. So it sounds like these are all kind of similar, like very dark and action-packed. Yeah. Yeah, wow.

They sound really, the way that it sounds, sounds really cinematic. Like I could be a show. I want to read fatal intrusion. Fatal intrusion was very cinematic. And she's a badass. She was in law enforcement for years before she started writing these books. I love that. Okay, well.

Someone in the review said, if you are a fan of police procedurals and FBI behavioral analysis, which I always think is super fascinating. Yeah. Yeah. They kind of sound like they're giving like Meg Gardner vibes. Yeah. But, like, also, Joanna Schaffhausen has a series.

And it's really good. Yeah. It's the Ellery Hathaway series. Yes. It's fantastic. And it's very, very, very, very, very dark. Yeah. So.

But my last one, I've had this on my TBR for way too long. I don't know who even recommended it to me or like how I even found out about this book. Maybe Kindle Unlimited. I don't know. But it is called the final act by Lisa Gray. It just came out in July, but I feel like that's a long time. Like I feel like I've been staring at this cover for months.

But, okay, so it's somewhat cheating. but I love the cover and it just sounds so good. All she wanted was to see her name in lights. Now her disappearance has made her front page news. It's been 20 years since Madison James had any kind of success in Hollywood. Now she's disappeared in a TikTok sleuth has found her purse discarded in Los Angeles Park. The news spreads like wildfire across a nation hungry for celebrity tragedy and the struggling actress's mysterious disappearance quickly becomes a national obsession. Detective Sarah Delaney and Rob Moreno of the LAPD missing persons unit

take the case. But truth is a rare commodity in Tinseltown. Some people will stop at nothing to get what they want and Delaney and Moreno soon find themselves mired in Hollywood's dark underbelly with little in the way of clues. As revelations from the past emerge, it becomes apparent there's more going on that meets the eye. With an obsessive public watching every step of the investigation, can the police find Madison and before she comes more than just missing. This sounds so fucking good. And that cover is so cool. Yeah.

I think Kate would really like this book. Yes. This is definitely for me. Police procedural. The dark underbelly of Hollywood. A missing address. Like the TikTok crime sleuth. Like it just sounds like put it in a blender and I will chug it with a straw.

Like everything I love in a book is. going to the only thing I will say is I feel like I do kind of know a little bit where the direction is going because somebody wrote something in a good reads review that compared it to something where I was like okay so this might have to do with this so do not read the good read reviews I just scrolled away from them so do not read them because like I read and I'm like I'm still going to read this because I like you know maybe it'll be a surprise but I felt like I kind of like knew where it was going but I'm still very excited to read it people stop what it bumps in unless you are just saying like vibes yes the only thing you should

comparing is vibes or maybe like author's style not I agree we all need to stay up all night reading yeah book I'm reading again now everyone who can forgive me instead you'll love that one. I just, just, just started the coldest case by Tessa Weger. I want to read that one, too. It actually takes place

in like a little town close to me. Really? I thought I like to go to. Yeah, it's called Clayton, New York. Wow. I'm actually supposed to have a getaway there with a friend. for like a like overnight trip coming up so hopefully i don't find any dead bodies

seriously hopefully i don't end up a dead body i was going to say hoping you don't end up the yeah i was like uh well i mean everybody's got plenty of backlist to entertain themselves with now