Bookwild - Bingeworthy Summer Thrillers with Audrey

Episode Date: July 26, 2024

This week, Audrey Egner ( @chapterandconverse ) and I share some of our favorite bingey summer thrillers!Books We Talked AboutDon’t Believe ItThe Weekend AwayYou Can Trust MeMy Summer DarlingsLie By the PoolIt Could Be AnyoneThe Au PairA Flicker in the DarkAn Anonymous GirlHe Started ItAll the Colors of the DarkThe God of the Woods 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 

I am back this week with Audrey chapter and converse on Instagram, as a lot of you probably know her and YouTube. So welcome back, Audrey. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. I am so excited. Yeah. Yeah, I feel like you always have a couple of books where I'm like, huh, I hadn't thought of that. So I'm always excited to hear your recommendations.

Oh, cool. I hope so. I am always like trying not to talk about the same things I talk about all the time, but I feel the same like with you. You always have books that I'm just like, oh, like I haven't even heard of that or that's totally on my list. And like now like I saw the beginning of your John Fram interview and I was like, mine is in the mail. And I'm so excited for it. You were so excited. I can't wait.

Yeah. It's always good recommendations. Feel the same way about each other. Yeah, I loved that book. so I'm really excited to hear what you think. I feel like even just like knowing what you like, I feel safe saying you're going to love it. I've seen some people it didn't work for,

but like even like, I mean, like midnight is the darkest hour is even kind of similar and how it's a southern Gothic. Yeah, but then this is like a very different like set of scenarios. I guess is the best. Yeah. I love, I'm like, anything with an isolated setting, I'm automatically like, what's this book about? I'm in. So like when I saw that part of it too, I was totally hooked. It's really good. I really enjoyed reading that one. And it was even one that I almost included because Gare and I did midyear favorites. And I almost included it. But I had so many favorites that I was like, well, this one comes out at the end of July. So it'll be in my second half of the year. But I almost included it. I almost included it. I almost. I almost. almost included it. That was how much I loved it. Yeah, I'm excited. I'm definitely excited for that.

I really loved the Brightlands. So I feel like he's writing the atmosphere, like all of it. I know. I know it's in the mail. I got the shipping notice yesterday. So it should be here by Friday. I know. That's awesome. He was so cool to talk to you too. And that always like makes me like like the book even more or like appreciate it in a different way. Yes. I know. And I love the story behind. the story so i eat that stuff up yeah me too obviously yeah why we can talk you get all the scoops yeah yeah well um first of all if i don't get all of my cough clearing my throats out to the listeners i'm sorry um i will try to add it all of them out but um since it's the middle of july and first us it i'm sure it's pretty similar for you it is hot and humid and very summery so i was like yeah i hate

it time to some favorite summer thrillers i know and i was like both surprised and not surprised that i don't have a ton because like i have so much fall winter because i would much rather be living in the cool season so i'm like wow i don't really have like a ton of book set in the summer but found some found some well and i will say like for mine um i think most of them are in the summer but i was also like when i was looking at them i was also thinking about like what you like to read in the summer and i feel like sometimes what's also associated with summer is like really bingeable like um sometimes maybe salacious like i feel like i associate that with summer reads too so i have two where i'm not even quite sure what the like legit season it is

but the other ones, I mean, they're summary enough. I'm just really explaining how I chose mine. I was doing the same thing because I'm like, I always like hyperthink like, am I understanding the assignment of what we're doing here? But yeah, I definitely have like something steamy. I don't know.

Maybe we'll even have like the same one where I'm just like, it's in Texas and it's just like always hot there. So I'm, I don't even know what season it is either. But yeah, feel the same way. Yeah. Also, yeah, like books that were like heat,

right, felt like that. Yeah. Warmth and like, got some like Louisiana Bayou coming. Nice. I have no idea. And I tried to go like really deep into my good reads list because I was feeling the same way where I was like, there's some of these books. I was like, I've talked about them a lot recently too. Like I obviously know I can talk about a book again.

It's just like some of them. I was like, I've talked about this one a lot. So I also was like going deep into my red list. Nice. yeah well i can get us started with my first one sure yeah cool so if we cross over this one i love i remember loving reading it so much but i feel like i don't even talk about it that often and it's um charlie don't believe it they came out in 2018 i think that's probably why i haven't read it about it much. It is so good. So the synopsis is

the girl of Sugar Beach is the most watched documentary in television history, a riveting true life mystery that unfolds over 12 weeks and centers on a fascinating question. Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend Julian while on a spring break vacation or is she a victim of circumstance and poor police work? Grace has spent the last 10 years in a St. Lucian prison and reaches out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a last desperate attempt to prove her innocence. As Sydney begins researching, she uncover startling evidence overlooked during the original investigation.

Before the series even finishes filming, public outcry leads officials to reopen the case. Delving into Grace's past, Sydney peels away layer after layer of deception, but as she edges closer to the real heart of the story. Sydney must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career, and even her life. Oh, I feel like I've heard of this. I'm like, I'm almost low-key embarrassed. I'm like, do I own this book and I haven't read it yet?

So I feel like even at the time, because I wasn't, I wasn't heavily, I wasn't like really on Bookstagram until like 2019, probably. So I guess I don't know for sure, but I feel like I definitely don't see this one from Charlie Donnelly pop up very often. But I loved it. Like it was probably like one of my first-ish, first-ish thrillers that had like the whole like a documentary part attached to it. And I had just started like working in like video editing at the time.

And so I remember being like this is so cool. Like it had little kind of like editing, not Easter eggs, but just like things that if you've edited, you're like, oh, I remember that feeling. So that was kind of fun about it, but it's also like it's very Amanda Knox, but Charlie Donnelly, Charlie Donnelly's take on something like that. It was so fun. Ooh, I need to add this like to the list on the sooner side. I feel like I definitely came across it because I also love that true crime, especially the documentary piece. And then you search for like more and more that are like it, but I haven't read it yet. Yes. I'm sleeping on a lot of authors right now. Well, it's easy to do. There's so much. good stuff coming out new. Mm-hmm.

I know. I've been reading a lot of new stuff, but I need to like up my back list quite a bit. So that's a good one. You and Gere and I all feel that way right now. He was literally just telling me like, I have to like September. I'm reading backlist.

Yes. I was doing like a second quarter check-in. And I think like half the books I've read this year at least are 20-24 books, which I, I never do. I'm usually the opposite where I'm terrible about new releases. So, yeah. I'm no, no disrespect to the new releases. Right. I know. I know. And I've gotten myself, I've backed myself into the corner of, like, one author interviews every week. And it works best with ones. But I mean, I'm reading great books no matter what. So. Exactly.

Yeah, it all works out. I know. So when I was trying to do this, I was trying to find a couple backlists too. And now I'm like, they're not really that old. But the first book I came up with, which like you, like I feel like I don't ever talk about this book, but it's called The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson. So this came out in 2021. And it's two best friends.

Like they've been best friends since they were younger. Kate's getting divorced. Orla, like, has just had a baby. And Kate is like, we need to. to go on a girls trip. So they go to Lisbon and kind of have like this wild night. And then Orla wakes up the next morning and Kate's missing. And she's totally fuzzy on the night before.

Like kind of knows the restaurant they went to. Kind of not sure what happened after that. So she's stuck like alone in a foreign country, doesn't speak the language, goes to the police. They're kind of like, I'm sure your friend just, you know, is out having a good time. And she has to like find Kate. and also pieced together what happened the night before. So it was really good.

Super Vingy. That sounds so fun. Yeah. And they made a Netflix movie out of it. And I want to say, I want to say, Leighton Meester's in it. I haven't seen it because I haven't had Netflix in a couple of years,

but I want to eventually see it. That's cool. Yeah. Yeah, super vingy. She wrote this. Yeah. She's really good. No, no, no.

She wrote this book called Friends Like These a few years ago. I feel like I read that. I think that came out before the weekend away. And it's like that toxic female friendship. But she's just sort of like a super bingey kind of twisty writer. That is awesome. And I, that's what I was about to say was the like missing memory when it's done well. I love it.

Which I know is so subjective to say. but like I do end up like it's fun having a character that's like piecing something together. Yes. I love the replaying it and like literally like looking for the receipts, trying to figure out what's going on. They're staying at like an Airbnb so it's not like you're at a huge hotel with cameras and tons of people around and makes you never want to go on vacation. That was my next thing that I was going to say though. Like legit has something because I read so many thrillers. It's why. But it's like legit. sometimes like think about like if you needed to interact with the police for like anything like

but needed to do it in a foreign country like that is so I think that's why it's so cool in thrillers because it's so destabilizing yes and alone and just like have nothing you know nothing with you so I was trying to explain to my boss at work why like I will never road trip alone because I read no exit by Taylor Adams and he was like should I add that to my list? yeah but you'll never stop the rest up but ever slash maybe don't I'm like yeah these books make me not want to do stuff I know well I mean we're also by nature introverts and so maybe we just like experiencing it from the comfort of our home like we're experiencing it yeah yeah vicariously going to Lisbon and getting into

Well, my next one kind of has some isolation going on. And it has one of my favorite covers of all time. You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard. Oh, I haven't read that yet either. Yes. I've heard about it. Oh, this one is so fun. So it is about Summer and Leo, and they would do anything for each other.

inspired by the way each has had to carve her place in a hostile and unforgiving world and united by the call of the open road they travel around sunny california and summer's tricked out land cruiser it's not a glamorous life but it gives them the freedom they crave from the painful past they've left behind but even free spirits have bills to pay luckily summer is a skilled pickpocket a small-time thief and a con artist and leo determined to pay her own way has learned a trick or two. Eager for a big score, Leo catches in her cross hairs, Michael Forrester, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist. When her charm wins him over, Leo is rewarded with an invitation to his private island off the California coastline for a night of fabulous excess.

She eagerly anticipates returning with photos that can be sold to the paparazzi, jewelry that can be liquidated and endless stories to share with Summer. Instead, Leo disappears. On her own for the first time in years, Summer decides to infiltrate Michael's island and find out what really happened. But when she arrives, no one has seen Leo. She's not on the island as far as they know. Plus, there was only one way on the island and no way off for the coming days. Trapped in the scheme that she helped initiate, could Summer have finally met her match? has so much going on. Yes.

I remember the isolated island when you were saying that part. Yeah. Yeah. It was so good. And there's like really some like action scenes in the third act. I would consider it. Yeah. And they're really cinematic too.

Like I still like have the images in my mind. Nice. Yeah. Yeah. I haven't read that. I know. I remember when it came out and like everyone was talking about it. So fun.

And I always love a con thriller. Yes. I know. No, they're good. I feel like when you get into like, like I'm in a missing person's kick right now, but especially when you get into like a zone with something and just like one have been a certain kind. But yeah, I remember hearing great things about that. So now you're going to blow up my TBR. Not that I keep one, but I know. I'm like, we're going to have to make room for my list. Blow up my what to read next list. I'm like reaching forward for a book. Okay. So the book that I picked is like my steamy book is my summer darlings by. I'm like, we're going to make room for my. I'm like, May Cobb. I really feel like any May Cobb book would work for summer. And I know like Gare just talked about Hollywood assistant. So I was like, all right, let me find something like deeper in hers. But this was like her Witches of Eastwick book. So like definitely in Texas, I have absolutely no idea what time of year it is. Oh, actually, duh. I should have opened it in July. Yeah, it's in July. Maybe if I just opened up the book, I would have figured that part out. Crush it.

So it's three lifelong friends and a dangerous sexy new stranger in town. So it definitely has that vibe of like long term like friends been together for a long time. They're all sort of like dealing with different stuff. One's getting divorced. You've got a single mom, one who's married. And then like the new sexy stranger who comes into town and kind of like ruptures all of their lives and create some havoc. And she does one of the things that I love. It's like, you know in the, like, the present day prologue that, like, somebody's in danger.

And then it flips back and forth in timelines to sort of like when he comes to town and then, like, building up to whatever this danger is. So, and it's like got some steamy scenes in it where I was like, go may. Yeah. She's good at it. She just knows how she really is. She really is. Yeah. And she writes just like such interesting women.

like I just love the complexities of them and the dynamic of their friendship and I always love these books where you have like people who've known each other for a long time and like people change and evolved but you're still treated the same way you were like 20 years ago and just sort of how that dynamic of like who you were as teenagers versus who you are as adults and how that can create strain and stress and yeah we like the sexy stranger will come into town in the steamy summer now that I know it's actually in summer. We were pretty sure.

Yeah, I mean, I figured as much, but at the same time, like, yeah, I could have just opened the book. But yeah, I feel like any of her books are definitely like a great summer read because they're also super bingeable. They really are. Like just, yeah, can't go wrong. Definitely can't go wrong. Big fan.

Big fan. I cannot wait to watch the hunting wives. I know. So many great people in it. I know. I can't even imagine what that must feel like. When are you going to come out next? Like I know anything about it.

I'm like, I would think so. I know. But yeah, that feels logical if they're like wrapping up filming now. Sure. I would think so. Maybe that's what it will be. That's what we'll hope for. Well, my next one, similar to yours, has, because that's another thing May Cobb does really well.

and that one is multiple points of view point of views points of views i don't know which words to pro i just say povs all the time p ov exactly um so this susan walter also does multi pov so well i love how she does it in all of her books and she has a book called by by the pool which like just sounds like like summer thriller perfection. Yeah. So Bree's new home is luxurious and private with a fancy Beverly Hill address, Beverly Hills address. What a shame, it's not hers. Widowed, penniless, living in her car, and out of options. She's climbed the fence and crashed in the poolhouse. All she wants is a good night's sleep. But when Sophie, the absentee owner, finds her, she gets a whole lot more. Sophie invites Bree back for.

a party. When it winds down, Bree can't resist sneaking upstairs to sleep in a real bed, but the next morning she wakes to find Sophie's dead body floating in the pool. As the resident of Vagabond, she's both the only witness and the prime murder suspect. Brie knows she shouldn't run, but her husband's death was mysterious too. If she's going to clear her name, she's going to have to work fast because the killer is still out there and she's next. Oh, I don't know this one. Yeah, she, her writing is so cinematic. I've talked about like over her dead body is really good too.

I'm forgetting, I'm forgetting the name of the first one. But this one is just so cinematic. And there are, I can't remember. There's at least three. There might be four. Like, you know, sometimes you get another point of view later on. There are so. many points of view whatever way i'm supposed to say that and like the way that their stories intertwine

at the end is so suspenseful because it's one of those things where like everything is coming together and so every time you're switching chapters you're like oh my god but what's this person doing so i just remember like being like do not talk to me i am leading the last 20% of this book reading. I know. I love that. And I love when there's, like, seemingly disconnected stories. And you're trying to, like, how are they ever going to bring all this together? How is this ever going to make sense? And then it seems like the most seamless thing. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, man. Yeah. She did it really well. And there's just, there's some big twists even that like change. They're just, yeah, it's really fun. And it's like 276 pages. So it's just like,

super fast, super fun, super cinematic. That's impressive for like that many POVs and action too to be that. I'd like, I long to be a compact writer. I'm such an overwriter. It's ridiculous. Yeah. I couldn't learn a thing or two reading some shorter books about how to get it done. Like.

I know. Yeah. I discovered that about myself too. I just wrote everything I needed to know about every, character and I was like I don't need all this yeah like I got to find my way in it's the same thing I can't I don't know how else to do it yeah but yeah same I know but yeah it makes for long early drafts that's for sure when people are like oh I don't have enough words I'm like do you want some of mine I got plenty to spare here's 20,000 have fun with them I don't need them

All right. You can use that one. You stick them. They're probably not that good anyway. It's fine. I hope you're enjoying this episode of Book Wild. And if you are, could I ask you a favor? Could you go and rate and review this podcast and whatever platform you're listening?

Ratings and reviews make the biggest difference in discoverability of the podcast. And I definitely want to find all of our fellow thriller readers out there. So if you could go rate the podcast and leave a short review, that would make a huge. difference. Thank you. And let's get back to the show. All right. The next book I picked. Also for the hot setting. And I don't know, in my head, I'm like, I feel like it's May, which makes absolutely no sense. So it's her husband's murder, aka it could have been anyone by Jamie Len Hendricks. So this is the UK one. When I saw these, I was like, oh, she wrote books I've never heard of before. And then I realize they just have different titles there. So it's actually,

It could be anyone. So it's the five friends arrive in Miami for a destination wedding. And no one would guess that each of them has a reason to want the groom dead. So this is one of those, again, like delicious, like on page one, it's the reception of the wedding and the groom is dead. And then we go back to the beginning of the weekend to find out what happened and why everybody has a motive. And I love, so multiple POVs like you were just talking about. But like a book that like, any. Anybody could be the killer.

And I just love it. Like, everybody's got a motive. Any, like, any explanation would have been wholly satisfying, like, the way that it was designed. So you would have believed any outcome of this book. And this was the first of her books that I read. And I was like, oh, my God. Like, this woman is amazing. Yes.

It's so good. And it was so flipping high. That's my favorite of hers. I haven't read her newest one yet. I got it at Thriller Fest and I got to meet her, but I haven't read it yet. but I've heard it's, I want to say Abby from time by the book, compared it to in my dreams. Yeah.

I mean, I guess I think so much about dark academia with that one. Mm-hmm. And so my gut is to say no, but I guess I could kind of see that. There's like backstory. Yeah, and maybe just friends in the past and friends in the present. I don't know. When she said that, I was like, oh, that's interesting. So we'll see.

I need to read it. summer but as of now i agree this is my favorite of hers yeah and it was i've been to miami once i don't need to go again and it was hot yeah so reading this like you feel like you're there totally different than when you were talking about with like a videography component but like to be able to capture a place so well too and just transport you there but yeah i loved this book yeah i i do feel think it's my favorite of hers. It's just really satisfying, like you said. And like, anyone could do it. And the ending is still like great. Right. And it's like one of those books,

like if you don't know on page one, like who I think of like the hunting party with Lucy Foley. Like again, you know like something bad's going to happen to somebody. And like anybody could be dead and anybody could have done it. And I just, I love those books where like every character is a possibility. in such an organic kind of a way. Yeah. Yeah. From like, like kill anybody.

It's good. And like anybody could be the villain. It's good. Yeah. And then you're like, wait, can anybody be the villain? I know. I feel like given the right circumstances, right? Anybody could be.

Right. I've read enough thrillers. I think anyone can be. I know. And like what's the, the villains, the hero of their story. So.

So, yeah, that is possible. Yeah. Well, my next one, I don't have a segue because it's just a little different. But this is another one that came out in 2018. Clearly, like when I got to my 2018 here, I was like, oh, these work. So this one is called The Opaire by Emma Rue, I think, R-O-U-S.

Also, I haven't read this, but I've heard of it. the cover is so cool. Like I feel like the cover is really memorable. So the synapsis is Serafine Mays and her twin brother, Danny, were born in the middle of summer at their family's estate on the Norfolk coast. Within hours of their birth,

their mother threw herself from the cliffs. The opair fled and the village thrilled with whispers of dark cloaks, changelings, and the I can't speak. and the aloof couple who drew a young nanny into their inner circle. Now an adult, Serafine mourns the recent death of her father. While going through his belonging, she uncovers a family photograph that raises dangerous questions.

It was taken on the day the twins were born, and in the photo, their mother, surrounded by her husband and her young son, is beautifully dressed, smiling serenely, and holding just one baby. Who is the child and what really happened that? day one person knows the truth if only seraphine can find her so dual timeline stuff going on and just like kind of like secretive rich people in an isolated location secrets yeah i remember it's like you're crushing me with these books where i'm like i've heard of this and i haven't read it yet which is kind of the best part too because it's like something new but yeah i remember I remember when that book came out.

And again, yeah, I can see the cover too. Yeah. It's so cool. I love the cover. I read it like so long ago, but I still do like, there are parts of it that I like really remember. And I gave it five stars. So I loved it. That's a good endorsement for five star.

Yeah. I'm stingy with the five star. So I am the opposite lately. And I was just accepted it about myself. Yeah. I'm like, not that I'm like loose with a four star, but I feel like that's my sweet spot. Like I loved it. The five star is like kind of life altering in some way. Yeah. That's what I was just debating if they all have to be life altering or I was actually having this conversation with Steph about like so for an action thriller, this to me was a five for an action thriller.

And I'm not even saying it in like a negative qualifier. It's just like I used to be like only if it like changed my life or stuff. Like that kind of feeling like exactly what you were saying. And then lately it's been like but like if I just super enjoyed it and it was a five genre. Because I'm saying this and I'm like or it could have just been a really good time. Yeah. Yeah.

Ratings are hard to pick sometimes. They are. And like I'll have subscribers asked like, oh, you only gave it four. Like what didn't you like about it or like you said you loved it. Why was it four stars? I'm like I loved it like to me that's Amazing. Yeah like if I don't I mean if I don't like it. I don't like talking about it But same yeah I don't I don't have like qualifiers like how some people have like statistics and like rating scales and stuff like that like I'm just sort of like I loved it That's like my yeah you must read this

Yeah I don't like the stars. I don't. I know. That's like, because I don't even really post them on Instagram. Just on. No.

No. Yeah, I don't do it on Instagram. And I had posted, I don't even know what book it was, but I wrote like the title of the book. I was doing a book review. So like if I did like the kind worth killing and then put the star like emoji next to it

and then was writing about it. And somebody was like, you only gave it one star, blah, blah. And I was like, no, grabbing your attention. I love it.

So I was like, can't put a star next to anything is like an excitement thing or it had something maybe it might have even been Flickr in the Dark because of the stars. Like it had something to do with the book. And I was like, oh, now everybody thinks I gave this book one star. I have to go edit my review now. Oh my gosh. Internet. Can't win.

I know. Internet's going to Internet. But the next one I picked is a flicker in the dark. No, I keep laughing. by Stacey Willingham. Such a good book. And this was like the Louisiana, like, Bayou Heat,

like, kind of like all or Baton Rouge. Um, mm-hmm. Such good atmosphere. So this book to me, so like when I talk about like life altering, I binge this.

I was so blown away by it. Totally fell for all the things you were supposed to fall for. So this is when Chloe Davis was 12, of six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move on while dealing with the aftermath. So we pick it up 20 years later. She's a psychologist.

She's like getting ready to get married. She's planning her wedding. And all of a sudden, girls start to disappear again in a very, like, reminiscent way of what happened when her father went to jail. So she's starting to wonder, is there a copycat? She's being haunted by her past, having to deal with all the stuff with her dad. And it was so good. Like, I can't believe this is a debut. Just so good.

That's how I felt. Mm-hmm. What a, like, what a talent. Loved it. Yeah. I did too. And I think it's my, it is my favorite of hers. Same.

Same. So good. Mm-hmm. Her image, like you were saying, like, it's atmosphere. her imagery is really impressed. Yeah, and I've never been there, but I feel like it's one of those books where, like, you can feel it and you can smell it, like, all of it. But, yeah, super well done.

So dual timelines, lots of great characters. And I'm just so impressed, but, like, it was just so good. Like, I need to read this book again because I haven't read it since I originally read it and just loved it. But, yeah, I always recommend this one. And it's like definitely on the, obviously on the dark side, but it's a good one. Yes. I feel like all of these are kind of dark. My makeup is probably the least dark.

Yeah. Yes. The scale has extra stuff. Yeah. She makes up for it in this face. Yeah. Well, my last one is really psychologically dark is what I remember about like. how much I could not put this one down. And it is an anonymous girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Peckinan.

Yep. So the synapsis is, looking to earn some easy cash. Jessica Ferris agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. But as the study moves from the exam room to the real world, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shield's experiments blurs. Dr. Seald seems to know what Jess is thinking and what she's hiding. Jessica's behavior will not only be monitored but manipulated. Caught in a web of attraction, deceit, and jealousy. Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly. And it was just like so intense. Psychologically, literally that she's like, am I being psychologically manipulated? And then like, why if I am?

Mm-hmm. Yeah, that was a good one. I read that. I feel like I read that when it came out. I think so, yeah, 2019. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So good.

Yeah. I know. You need the, like, the psychological darkness, too. It doesn't always have to be serial killers. Yeah. Yeah, I'm in for that. I'm like, mess, mess me up, mess with me. Right.

I was talking about it in a video and I was like, not that I'm like actively looking to have a nightmare but like if you give me one or like maybe kind of make me too scared to go to bed at night I feel like your work is done like well right I'm impressed yeah because there's definitely some books where you get like the serial killer point of view and stuff that like really yeah get to you yeah yeah I keep reading same can't stop so this one also isn't like scary, scary. And I don't even, I'm like, I don't even think it takes place in the summer,

but it's a road trip, which makes me think of like family summertime road trip kind of stuff. Yeah. And it's he started it by Samantha Downing with like, I figured when you said road trip. I was like, worst family road trip ever, which of course makes it amazing. So it's, I haven't read this in forever. So I'm going to read the blurb. So it says Beth, Portia, and Eddie are siblings. Like all siblings, sometimes they don't get along. They just have better reasons. Like all siblings, sometimes they don't get along. They just have better reasons than most. So when their grandfather dies, he leaves a troubling, specific condition in his will. For them to inherit his wealth, they're required to retake a road

trip they took with him when they were children and scatter his ashes at the end. Of course, reuniting after all this time brings back memories of that ill-fated trip and memories of what went wrong. But that's not all they have to worry about. Someone is following them. Each of them is keeping secrets and all of them are all too aware of what happened last time because you can't inherit the money if someone kills you first. I love her. This was so good. I did not like see any of this book coming. Yeah. I keep something. saying cinematic, but maybe that makes a book feel summary, but the ending is so cinematic. Like, it's still like burned in my head.

Yep. It's good. It's just, and you just feel claustrophobic the whole time. Yes. Stuck in that car and all the different points of view and like some multiple timelines. Gosh, it was so good and it was so bingey. So like to your point of like summer reads being just like quick bingey books. I felt the same way about

why am I blanking on the name of her first book? My lovely wife. My lovely wife. I was like the perfect wife, my lovely wife. Also like super bingey. That one. Yeah. I remember like walking into the bookstore buying it,

coming home and reading it. Like have such a weird vivid memory of like on the front table buying it and coming home and reading it. Yeah. Yeah. She's fantastic. It's so good. I know. I'm excited for whatever she does next. I know. I still have for your own good, which I haven't read yet, the Dark Academia one.

Yes. Yes. I haven't read that one yet. I always, not always, but like there's a few authors where I'm like saving a book of theirs for like. Yeah. When I like am in a slump or I don't know what to read and I'm like, oh, I've got one of these saved from this off. Yeah, so I haven't read that one yet. Yeah, that one was pretty good. I know, trying to make sure you can always have something dependable to read if you need it. Because sometimes you just get, or I get in those modes as such a mood reader where like you don't know what to read. And sometimes like I don't want to reread, but you kind of want to be in familiar hands. So, yeah, that's my strategy.

I feel you. I haven't read it yet, but I will. Yeah. I know. My TBR, it's like that meme that's like, you're never going to finish your TBR and I'm like, I know. I wish I could be one of those people who reads faster.

Like you see these people who read like multiple books a week or, I don't know. I just, I'm not, especially now, I feel like my reading has slowed down a ton. I'm trying to work on writing, but I'm reading The God in the Woods by Liz Moore, which I like debate at talking about it, but it's like, because it's summer camp, I love it. I don't know if I'm like 110 pages in or something, which it's like a 400-something page book.

So like every time I close it, I'm like, I've read this much. But it's like not quite thriller, but summer camp, but I am all in. Like, I am totally into this book. But, like, slowly taking my time. Like, I don't want to binge it. You know, like, some books you just want to, like, spend time in it. And that's what I'm doing. So it's probably going to take me, like, two weeks to read it.

But it's okay. That's okay. Yeah. Yeah. I typically like the summer camp thing. So I've debated it to get into my list. I have a couple I need to read for August. yeah I thought about last time I lied by Riley Sager for this but you know we talk about him

but that's a really good summer camp look god of wood made me think of um last time I lied it was like maybe it'll be but I think that's my favorite of his yeah it would be so I was like maybe I'm still final girls yeah I feel like it's it's like similar but different but I had the same like echo when I heard about the god in the woods, God in the woods or God of the woods? I can't remember. Of. Yeah. The cover's so cool.

I love that like paint drip. I took it off. Yeah. And I want to know what the paint drip is. Yeah. Me too. Like does the cover? Yeah.

Right. Because I feel like even the UK cover has like a drip down the front of it because of course I love it. Oh, really? interesting oh my gosh now I really want to read it I need to know where the pink paint came from exactly I'll keep you posted on the book but so far I'm in I feel like it's a little out of my wheelhouse but the writing is so good and I literary is that what I've heard yeah and it's like the core story is 1975 but then it goes past like past tense of that so that you're like in

50s and the 60s, like building up the back story of the family. So I usually don't read anything historical. I shuddered a call like the 70s historical, but still, I know people do. I know it was a long time ago. But the writing is so good. Like it feels contemporary. Like it doesn't feel like I'm reading a book from a long time ago. Or sometimes like that's not my go to, but it feels like a very contemporary book. Nice. Yeah. So far you've told me.

I'll have to add it in. Yeah. Did you read all the colors of the dark? I just bought it today. Nice. Everybody was talking about it. Yes. And I feel like I was like I heard about that first.

It's like it's like massively long. It's not really in my wheelhouse. Like I'll wait, I'll wait. And then last night, no joke, Jordy from Jordy's book club posted the UK cover of it and was like UK covers are better. And I literally was like, oh my God, you're like making me want to go shopping. And then I went online and it was like sold out. So I put my name on the list for like the wait list. And this morning I got an email.

It's like back in stock and I bought it. Nice. So check back with me in a couple weeks. Right. I think I thought, did you share it in your story? or like his post the UK cover okay so someone else they're basically I saw the UK cover this week too and I was like wow that's beautiful yeah I'm so influenced it's not even funny like it's pathetic how heavily influenced I am I know because I'm even like how can I fit in 600 more pages

I know and I was like is it really yeah it's you and even like out of the way I'm like this feels real big. So I know. It's keeping me busy. But where it starts to you're like, oh, this is longer than usual. Yeah. This is I don't read fantasy or anything. Hmm.

Yeah, this is 478 pages. Oh, wow. It's almost 500. It's basically 500. Yeah. Yeah. I haven't read a big book like that in a while. I think I read.

I read Fatal Intrusion by Isabella Maldonato and Jeffrey Deaver. It comes out in September, but they needed to interview in July. And it flew by. It's like a serial killer cop action thriller. Like it does all of those really well together. And it was like 437 pages. And I read it in like a day and a half. like it was a weekend.

But I was like just glued to the action. It was so good. That's great. And I feel like like this book doesn't feel long to me in the sense that like. Yeah. Like there's so much happening but also it's like it's just moving along. So it doesn't feel big. But it feels big in my hand when I'm holding it.

Right. Such a weightier than the last book. Go ahead. Kindles. You're nice. It's a lot heavier than the Derville-McCyrna book I just read. Yeah. Yeah.

But I feel like the new Lisa Jewell book is bigger too, right? Like you just read the Jessica Jones book? Yes. It's 400, like right at 400, I think. Yeah. It looks big. Yeah. It's longer.

Sitting on my end table. Yeah. That cover is so pretty though. Mm-hmm. I know. I know. Maybe I'm in my big book season. You are. You're having a big book summer. That's what it is. I'm having big book summer.

But we could name that episode. People are going to be like, what?