Bookwild - Books that Give #Scandoval a Run for Its Money

Episode Date: June 9, 2023

This week, we share our most scandalous reads for those of you who are caught up in the drama of #Scandoval who want more shadiness in your life!Follow us on Instagram:Gare @gareindeedreadsKate @thegirlwiththecookonthecouchBooks We Talked AboutBooks We Talked AboutThe WhispersThe Favorite SisterMade For LoveDysfunctionalMore Than You’ll Ever KnowHer Pretty FaceStone Cold FoxDon’t Forget the GirlAll Good People HereLook CloserShe Started It 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 

Hey guys, welcome to the Killing the Tea podcast. This is Gare and Kate. And we are going to be discussing all things, chills, thrills, and kills. Kate and I are going to be talking about our favorite books, TV shows and movies that are in the thriller or crime fiction genre, as well as some reading habits and other items related to how we met on Bookstagram that will fit in with this podcast. So, Thank you so much for joining us, and we hope that you have fun and get totally terrified. Well, you have like the icebreaker of all ice breakers today. I do. I do. I am out on my sun porch because I got a new little angel yesterday. She looks like a straight up teddy bear. He is a teddy bear, but he is also a lot of work.

far in the last 24 hours. So I am hoping that he's a good boy during his first podcast. We'll see. We'll see. A third dog co-host. I have two with me right now. Okay. All right. Here's our. Who knows what's going to happen? Here's our older than nine weeks. So I hope that he's just. Oh, he's popping his little head up. He's like, what's going on? He's like, what is my dad? I do. What is he doing? He already took a nap on my lap once today, so I'm hoping that he takes a nap on my lap now.

Because he did last night. Well, hopefully our soothing conversation just really puts him to sleep. He can only hear me because I don't know how to work the audio and visual aspect of all of this, but we're just going to roll with that. We're just going to roll with that. So how are you? I'm pretty good. I had some coffee so that I would be nice and awake and it worked well. I'm ready.

That's all we can hold for. I had two cups of coffee today. Yeah. We are great training. It's just necessary. And I can't stand the sound of a puppy crying and screaming. It breaks my heart. It's so sad

So it's like a kid I'm like what happened It's like a puppy I'm like oh my God I'm coming to save you You know I couldn't We created when we would leave

And then realize like they were fine But I we didn't even try With sleeping So Now I have a little bud Who sleeps under my weighted blanket with me Well hopefully But I love it

He learns To just chill. He's super pumped right now. That's how it goes. But I love your idea for tonight's episode. Yes. So. Important question. Have you seen part three of the Vandapromp Rules reunion?

I do not. I might watch it after this. Yeah. I hope I've really watched it today. I didn't get to take a nap on my lunch break. Like being a single dad, it's it's not for the week so we're doing this thing where we like let him out every like three or four hours so i let him out at midnight last night which made him cry hysterically when i put him in his crate

so i probably didn't fall asleep until like 12.30 1 o'clock and then my dad got up at 3.30 and let him out and he cried at 4 o'clock. So I woke up at 4 and I woke up at 7.30. Or puppy. So he's just, now he's chewing on a shoe. But you know what?

He's living his best life. At this point today, just, I guess we just let him. Mm-hmm. I guess we just let him. What wrong with that? I brought out his llama. Whoa. One of my dreams two nights ago was really random.

And we came home. And in our backyard, there were like 10 pit bull puppies and a llama and like a golden retriever. And we were like, where did all of these come from? And I don't know the last time I talked about a llama. So that's kind of trippy. Yep. I went yesterday and I was like, do you think he's ready to come home? And they said he can come home tonight.

but I had like nothing. Like I was like, I'm going to go see him, but then I fell in love with him. And I was like, I can't, I can't have him not, not living with me one single day. So, yeah. Off we went to the dollar store and got him a couple of toys, but tomorrow's the big shopping day. So. Yeah. To really get everything.

Yeah. Yeah. To really get everything. And hopefully tonight goes better. great training. I took care of him and watched him while I was working. Luckily, he, like, slept on my lap

at work for, like, an hour. And my parents got to take, like, a two-hour nap, and then, like, because everybody's just waking up with him. And so after that, I was like, okay, it's my turn. And they just did not watch him as carefully as I did. They were like, puppy's going to pop, you know?

So I was like, Okay, well, you know, we'll see what we can do here. So, yeah. Single dad with a podcast. Single dad with a podcast life. Yep. My puppy is angry breathing at me, so we'll see how that goes. We'll see.

We'll see what happens. Whose dog will disrupt tonight? Yeah. But I was watching part three of the reunion, and I was like, the scant of all of it all. And then I was like, I bet we have some books that could give Scandaval a run for its money. So we're going to talk about scandalous books.

Yes. Yeah. Some of mine are like scandalous, but I like that we discussed this. I mean, we usually discuss our topics ahead of time. But I like that we discuss this one with like specifics because mine also, I mean, including Scandabal here. Mine also include, like, shitty people who do shitty things or just general shitty things that can happen to people that hopefully you will only find in a book and not have to experience, like, Ariana or any of the characters in this book. For real. I mean, I don't.

Who knows if you can really get more scandalous than sleeping with your best friend's husband? But we're going to try. Yes, we're going to try. Mm-hmm. Adobe. I don't need a PDF every time I record the podcast. I don't know why it's always when we do the podcast. It's like, hey.

So. Yeah. All right. How many did you pick? Five. Okay. Good. Me too.

You're right at first. Yeah, kick it off. It's your brilliant idea. Kate the Great. Brilliant. So this one, I actually. have my physical copy. Yes.

So it's kind of a first for me because, as you guys know, I'm a Kimball Girlie, but I interviewed the author of The Whispers, is what I'm holding up for our audio people by Ashley Audrain. So I got a physical copy in the mail a couple weeks ago, and that was super exciting. But it is about my internet is not loading. So good thing I have the physical copy right here. So on Harlow Street, the well-to-do neighborhood couples and their children gather for a barbecue as the summer winds down. Everything is fabulous until Whitney, the picture-perfect hostess, explodes in fury because her son disobeys her. Everyone at the party hears her exquisite veneer crack, loud and clear.

Before long, that same young boy falls from his bedside window in. in the middle of the night. And then his mother can only sit by her son's hospital bed where his life hangs in the balance. Over the course of a tense three days, the women of the neighborhood grapple with what led to that terrible night. People pleasing Blair, Whitney's best friend, suspects something isn't as it seems. Rebecca, the ER doctor, who helps treat Whitney's son, has struggled to have a child of her own. And the all-knowing Mara, the older woman next door, watches everybody's world unravel from her front porch, exploring envy women's friendships, desire, and the intuitions that we silence. It is like a messy, like an extra messy

Leanne Moriarty book. As you pointed out. Perfect. I like the, well, I mean, I said this to you, but like I was like, I like the comparison to Leanne Moriarty because it's kind of one of those things that as you read with like all of these characters like things really do start to unravel but like you said it's a lot messier it's so messy and it's so good and the characters are i just loved how real all of the characters felt they're like four four perspectives yeah four perspectives and they all feel really distinct so good that's such a good and i love that one i love that one i interview with her will be out next Tuesday on between the lines. If anyone is looking to talk spoilers about the book, but also most of the interviews, not spoilers. That is the Kate,

the great version of see you next Tuesday. If we want to really connect everything tonight. Oh my gosh, you're right. I love that. Well, I have one that I need to kick it off with. Yeah. Because mine involves a reality show. Nice. So I am going to, and it's my girl, Jessica Knoll. So I'm going to talk about the favorite sister by Jessica Knoll, which is about a reality television show called The Goal Diggers involving Brett and Kelly who have always kind of, you know, flirted with the idea of either being supportive sisters or. arch nemesies. Brett was always the problem child and Kelly was like the perfect daughter. But in adulthood, everything

kind of changed. Kelly's a struggling single mother and Brett has skyrocketed into huge success throughout the reality television show Gold Diggers. But then Kelly gets a little jellybelly of the success of Brett and manipulates her way onto the show,

which obviously that sibling rivalry will kind of get a lot worse because Kelly and only Kelly knows Brett's secret

and it could ruin her so when the truth comes out about Brett in the finale weekend of filming it erupts in murder murder Murphy. Murphy and murder, people.

Murphy. Oh, he's just been a little angel today, but now he's like, okay, I was good today, so let's be back. Uh-huh. Let's hang. Let's hang. Let's hang. Let's hang. Let's do things. You know, I started reading after work, and, like, he laid on my lap in the chair and was just, like, super. cool. Good. But now he's just like... He's putting on a show. He's like, isn't this what reality TV is all about?

Yeah. Oh, he's going to give you a little kiss. Yeah. I can't believe I still have not read that book. Oh my God. It's so good. There's some like really good like social commentary on. Yeah.

Like reality TV and like kind of the like horrible people that you'll find on. it, which is why, like, I immediately thought of this. And, you know, it does evolve the scandal because you have, like, sibling rivalry, but you also have, like, it'd be kind of like, who could I say? I mean, I guess the biggest shining star in Bannerpump rules right now is Ariana. So it would kind of be, like, Lala being Ariana's sister and coming on and being like, oh, here's, here's everything that, like, Ariana's been preaching about being really.

real on television and then just being like, here's her big secret that she's been keeping from all these guys. Like, she's a liar. Yeah. It's kind of a Melissa and Teresa coded. Yeah. Like they're not completely related, but Teresa holds on to this like, she just got on because I was on. Yes. Yeah. And like, Kelly is like, no shame in my game. Like you're damn right I did, Brett. Yeah. Yeah. I need, I've got to bump it up on my list. I just have so many neck galleys that I need to read. So I'm going to be reading those like all summer. Yeah. I have like a lot I need to. I have a lot I need to read in June before my vacation starts because I have a feeling something is going to keep me very busy on my week off. Nice.

This little monster rate. here. You met a puppy. I met a puppy. I have a huge TBR for my vacation as well because I like to do that, but I met this little guy right here. I'm kind of like learning in the past 24 hours about the whole like, you know, when they say you have a baby and you're like sleep in the baby sleeps. Yep. You know, like do your dishes, do your laundry. Shower like when your baby is asleep. But yeah. My baby just likes to sleep on me unless I'm recording a podcast and then he's just all about chewing on everything. He's awake and he loves your headphones. Yeah. He's like, I am awake and I'm pumped for this. That's cute. Well, we'll keep it

moving. Yeah. We'll keep it along here so Murph Dog can have his time with you. Um, my next one. He's going to pass out as soon as we're done recording. You know he will. Yeah, he's going to be like, oh my God, it's exhausting. Yeah. But in eight hours that an office, job. You're like, whoosh. That was a long day. Yeah. He's like, I'm just a baby.

Thirstings are a lie. I'm just a baby. That's Bruce's energy. But my next one is made for love by Alyssa Nutting. This one is scandalous, but also like

very like toxic. relationship gaslighty vibes. So that's where this guy really, really connects to Scandival. So Hazel has just moved. What? You're so good at this. I'm so jealous.

Like every time we have a topic, I'm like, Jar of Hearts. What inside? I think he's been a couple weeks since you said Jarvarts. I know. I know, which is funny because there's a, there's another topic that we were talking about today that we're going to have in the future. And my first instinct was, oh, jar of hearts, but maybe it'll be something else. Okay.

So made for love is about Hazel. Hazel has just moved into a trailer park of senior citizens with her father and Diane, his sex doll companion. Life with Hazel's father is strained at best, but it's got to be better than her marriage to dominating tech billionaire Brian Gogol. For over a decade, Hazel has been quarantining in Byron's family compound her every movement and vital sign tracked. So when Byron demands to wirelessly connect the two of them via brain chips, turning

Hazel into a human guinea pig, she makes a run for it. Will Hazel be able to free herself from Byron's virtual clutches before he finds her? So he also installs it in her head without her knowing. that he's about to just have access to all of her thoughts and what she sees. So like next level, manipulative and controlling. And it's like this book is like the craziest mashup of sci-fi and like quirky humor and also a thriller,

a kind of like tech thriller. It's very unique, but it's also a show on HBO. So. Oh, it is? It has two seasons. The third one is in production, I think. I hope it's better in production than Euphoria.

Oh, for real. Third season to come out in 2025, like 10-year high school reunion. Like, finally. Yeah, I know. We're like, oh, my God. As they enter the retirement home. Yeah. Yeah.

For season four. Yeah, that sounds good. That sounds really good. I love to, like, not only how much you love, sci-fi but I also love how much you find like sci-fi that are like like it's almost like sci-fi for beginners if you will like I would agree not in the sense of like easy reading but in the sense of like if you like thrillers if you like other genres like this isn't like heavy on the sci-fi aspect but it's like in there to kind of like it's like a setting with your other favorite genres

yeah like I kind of enjoy a sci-fi setting I'm actually reading An arc that I have called The Deep Sky right now, and it's sci-fi, and I'm really enjoying it. So feeling positive about that. It's about a girl who is a part of a crew on a spaceship, the Phoenix, that's like traveling to a whole other planet. And for like the first 10 years, they're like frozen asleep, and then they wake up. and then they're awake for 10 years and then they get put back to sleep for another 10 years and then arrive at the planet. But in the time that they're awake, an explosion happens.

And basically then everyone is a suspect and it's kind of like a locked room space thriller. Amazing. Yeah. I don't even like sci-fi that much. that one sounds like sci-fi i got the christie yes yeah it's a lot like that with like social commentary like very feminist by by yume katase is my best guess i apologize if i messed that up better than i would have done yeah i love it well since you're going to bring up your genre of choice. I guess I'm going to bring up my genre of choice, which is male-male

romance. You said that part so seriously. But if you like dark thrillers and you're looking at a male-male romance, because what I'm finding on Bookstagram lately is that there are a ton of women who have accounts that only read and feature male male romance. And I'm just like obsessed with that. And I, it's like really funny because I always think of you when I see them. Because I'm like, if Kate had more time on her hands, you would have like this account because I would get you hooked on so many. But if you like dark thrillers, very dark, I'm talking like graphic sex and graphic violence. so we're not just talking about steam and spice here. I'm talking about the book Dysfunctional by Isabel Lucero,

which is a dark male-male romance about a man named Ezra Hamilton. What's happening? Bruce is just digging aggressively behind me. Oh, I can't even hear it. Okay, cool. I can't even hear it. I was like, I was like, did my dog, too? No.

Mine's just freaking out, spazzing out. Ezra Hamilton hasn't felt the warm spurt of blood flowing through his fingers or the feeling of pushing a knife deep into someone's flesh in a long time. He's been watching a man-stock women curious as to what he's doing with them, and Ezra's never encountered someone with similar dark tendencies before. So what starts off as a genuine curiosity turns into much more when Caspian turns the tables on Ezra. But as he turns the tables, their chemistry and mistrust build at the same time. Can we just talk about the copywriter who wrote that first sentence of the synopsis that like captures

the fact that it's steamy and violent? Because like when it says hasn't felt the feeling of warm and you're like, ooh, what's it going to be? And then they say blood. Like, it really encapsulates the whole book. So props to whoever wrote that. I've read like a couple of dark male male romances where there's like 50 Shades of Gray kind of relationship or a stalker. But the thing that I really enjoyed about this one is you're like, oh, there's this dude name Ezra. And he hasn't felt like those warm and fuzzies of like stabbing somebody or having blood on his hands in a long time. And then you're like, and then there's a guy named Caspian who he thinks is a serial killer. And like, Caspian is like, there's this dangerous man following me. So if I am doing something bad,

I should probably stop. But playing mind games with him at the same time that are like sexual attraction to one another is like skyrocketing. It was so good. So good. I got it on Kindle Unlimited because my girl sign me up for Kindle Unlimited. Yes. And my girl, I mean you, obviously. I know. Anybody who did. I was having a hiccup.

That's why it sounded weird. Well, I didn't want anyone to be like, oh, he's a new dog dad and a heterosexual. That's another girl. That's not happening. No, I don't have another girl. He is my main girl. Hannah and Paige have a joke about that on Giggly Squad. Like, it makes sense.

Paige is always like, you have. Other friends. We all know that's not true. I have a handful of friends that I talk to, but I don't talk to them as much as I talk to like you. Yeah. You, my friend Nicole and Cindy, like the trifecta. Yep.

I've got you and Tyler and my friend Jody. And I'm content. Yeah, I was like sleep deprived and like starving. I had five sweet potato fries for like the whole day. Because being a dog dad, I'm going to be so fucking skinny. Oh, my God. You might be. I'm going to be like next week when you guys see me.

I'm going to be like. We're going to be like, ozempic. Some say ozempic, some say Olson twin. That's what I have. I'm on the dog dad diet. Yes. For life. But yeah, dysfunctional.

good like my girl kate the great sign me up for kindle unlimited it was one of my picks um loved it so much i immediately got a physical copy of it love it it sounds so good it's so good so twisty there's like twist and turns everywhere it's kind of like double dexter's yeah yeah it's kind of like dexter chasing after like scarlet from they never learn yeah but with mail on mail action. Right. That's quite a combo. And I love like Caspian. Like you don't know if he's a serial killer or if he's responsible for these women going missing. It's just like Ezra's like, I have all of these dark desires. So I think that I can see them in other people or I think I can see them in Caspian because he's got to have what I have basically because I've never seen it

in anybody else. So you don't really know if Caspian is responsible or if he is as to why he would be. That's cool. But the fact that Aspian decides to turn the tables on Ezra, even like if he is or isn't guilty of this, is just kind of like two dangerous people. Yeah. Hot sex. Like there's nothing vanilla in this book when it comes to the.

It doesn't sound like it. The gettings on and the gettings on. That's our new, like, meter for steam. Yes. I love that. Well, I have one that's about complicated relationships. That's my best segue. Honestly, that's the perfect segue because...

That's going to be all of them. Their relationship is very complicated, as I'm sure everybody can guess. Yeah. Mine, or my next one, is more than you'll ever know by Katie Gutierrez. So it's about Laura Rivera, was married to two men at once, until on a hot day in 1986, one of them found out and shot the other. A secret double life, a tragic murder, that's the story the world knows. It's not the story that fascinates Cassie Bowman.

Carrying the weight of her own family tragedy, true crime writer Cassie, wants to know more about the mysterious woman at the heart of it all, Laura. How did one woman fall in love with two different men? How did she balance the love and the lies? To her surprise, Cassie finds that Laura is willing to talk to finally tell her heartbreaking story and how a dance became an affair, how a marriage became a murder. As the two women grow closer, Cassie finds she can't help but confess her own darkest secrets. But when she slowly starts to realize that there might be more to the murder than anyone has realized, can either woman face up to the thing they've been hiding from?

The truth. You are so fucking good at this. Maybe I read a lot of scandalous books. No, it's not even that you're reading scandalous books. It's that you're taking these genres and you're taking, like, our topic, but you're picking, like, not just your typical scandalous books. You know what I mean? Like I was kind of proud of my list when I saw it.

I was like it's kind of a wide range of stories. Yeah, no, you absolutely are crushing it. That's such a good thing. I'm so pissed. Someone might like any of them. Yeah. I'm so pissed. I love that one.

It is longer. It's 435 pages. So read it when you're in a longer mood. But I would almost say like if you're, especially if you're someone who kind of likes when there's just a little bit of women's fiction in your psychological thriller, that's kind of the vibe of that one. It leans a little bit more toward that. I think the thing too is that like the thing that's really like interesting with that story is that if you like family drama. Yeah. There's two of them. Well,

technically three if you include Cassie. Yeah. You know, so it's got that family drama aspect to it. So yeah. And multi-generational. I have been enjoying more books. that are multi-generational. Damn. Now I don't know. Well, okay. All right. I'm going to go with a little scandal here.

Yeah. involving murder. Instead of two men, we're going to go with two women. Ooh. Okay. So I've got her pretty face by Robin Harding, which is scandalous because there was actually a real life scandal with this book. and I don't know if a lot of people know that.

But Robin Harding is a Canadian author. And this book is loosely based on the Barbie and Ken Killers. Whoa. Which involves the case of Carla Homulka in Canada. She and her boyfriend were basically accused of murdering, well, sexually assaulting, raping, murdering a bunch of women in Canada in the 90s. And when they were caught, Carla was like,

I'm a victim just as much as they were. Like, you know, he forced me to do these things. I was, you know, a victim of his as well because I feared for my life. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But you know what else happened in the 90s? Video cameras. Okay.

So Paul was a huge person. that loved having a video camera in your face. Parties, family events, stuff like that. Well, obviously, their crimes, if he loves video cameras, they tape their crimes. And then when the tapes came out, people were just kind of like, she's not, she was a lot more of a willing participant than she let on.

Wow. Yes, there's an excellent thank you to my friend Cindy for recommending it to me. I knew about the Carla Homolka case because of being so close to Canada because the thing is is that Carla Homolka is out in society. And nobody, like, she could be your, she could be your friends like mother. Like, she's out in society, probably a soccer mom, just living her life. So because there are a lot of angry people out there, this book was a little controversial because Robin Harding's Canadian, you know, a lot of her Canadian fans were kind of like, but it's a story to tell.

And it's a story that people should know about because it is scary when you, you know, have people who are manipulative. Yeah. So this one is basically about a woman named Francis, who's a stay-at-home mom. Her troubled son is her full-time job. She thought that the day that he got into this elite academy would be the day that she could kind of start living her own life. life. And she's just desperate to, like, fit in with the other moms from this academy. But a disturbing incident at the school leads the other children and their families to ostracize her. And she feels more alone than ever before until she meets, like, drop-dead beautiful, rich, powerful, confident,

Kate Randolph. And Francis is kind of taken back by the fact that Kate wants to be be her friend, you know. I mean, everybody and their, like, mother should have a friend in Kate. I highly recommend. Of course. But the thing is with this friendship is that one of the two women is hiding a very

dangerous secret related to their past. And you don't know which one. It be. Oh, that sounds so good. Mm-hmm. Gotta read it. Her pretty face by Robin Harding.

Such a good book. such a good book. It's one of my favorite reading experiences with her. Nice. Because it was just, I want to say it's her second thriller. Her first one was called The Party and it was like more women's fiction, family drama kind of thing like that.

But because it involved like this young group of teenage girls, it kind of reminded me of like a cross between like a book that not isn't like isn't just necessarily like women's fiction or a thriller, but like something that a woman and her daughter could read, if that makes sense. Because there wasn't anything horrible in it that it could be like four young adult readers. But with this one, it was like, you know, that one was like twisty and really good. But for her pretty face to be her second book, I was like, wow, like you really kind of went dark with this. Wow. So her pretty face for her own. Her cover is so cool too. Oh my God.

One of my favorite bookstagram pictures that I ever took was with that cover. Yeah. Yeah. It's such a good book. Well, my next one has a really cool cover. And it is Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Collar Croft. Love it.

It's like this neon green text. You will all know when you look at it. but it is about B and basically after spending most of her life being forced to swindleman with her mother she just wants to escape that life, completely leave it and like never have to go back to doing something like that.

So she picks her mark and it is a really wealthy man child. basically named Colin. And so he's definitely in love with her, but she's going to have to win over his family because it's like very old money and they're fancy and picky and all of those things.

And his friend, Gail, like childhood friend, is, wishes she could be with Colin. So she is trying everything she can to get B to leave. and so things just keep escalating as really as things escalate between B and Gail. And it's so fun. It's just a really fun con thriller. Yeah, yeah. I would love to see what she does next.

And I just love that cover. Yeah. One of my favorite color combinations is like a neon green and beige. Yeah. Like what is gorgeous? cover. Yeah. Yeah, I love that cover.

And that's such a good book. I told you, you're crushing it. Thanks. Absolutely crushing it. It was a good topic. It was a good topic. I, okay, my next one,

I kind of, like, really reached with this one. But mine and involves a really shitty man. That'll do it. A scandal. But it involves the media as well. Because you know when scandal, scandabal broke, it's all over the media.

And people are like, oh my God, why is Vandepam rules in the New York Times and like the view and like all this other stuff? And it's like, because Honey Bunn, this is like the most intense thing in the entire world. It's insane. And it's nuts. It's nuts. And I just like don't. I also like don't agree with. Not letting him speak.

I don't agree with. How do I say it? I don't agree with the people that are like, oh, like everybody in that cast has like done shitty things in their 20s. Oh, yeah. I just. He's not in his 20s. Just to begin with, there's that. second it wasn't a one time second i put up one finger second it wasn't a one time thing all of the

things he brings up to everyone else are one time things where they felt bad and it got dealt with like yeah this took planning and lying and they continued lying in the reunion like there that is what makes it so much worse than like anyone who's that ever like cheated once. It's such a different thing. And it sounds like it was going on for a very long time. Like that's a lot of planning. I've definitely, I mean, I'm not proud of this.

I've definitely been in a situation where I've done something really shitty that I'm proud of when it comes to hooking up with people when I'm drinking. But it's kind of one of those things where like the first time it happened, I was like, okay, that was not a good idea. Like get yourself together. The second time, you're just kind of like, okay, this is obviously

something I need to work on. You know what I mean? Because like shit happens. Can't beat yourself up over something that happens one time. But like when it happens like a second time, whether it's like with the same person or not, you know, you can just do like something else that's shitty. You're just kind of like,

okay, like these are some things I need to work on myself. And like the anxiety that comes with something like that. That's what I would think. Oh my God. I have never in my life been so happy to be boring. Exactly. He's his and Raquel's face, Raquel, where their faces are just blank. They don't look like it caused them too much anxiety. The thing that I hate about him is that he is so defensive when people call him out. And I'm like, I'm like, you can't. be really defensive with this dude. Like you you did this. Like you got to deal with the repercussions. And it like is one of those things where like it does affect other people.

But yeah. A lot. A lot of other people. And they're like they're calling us pathological liars, but this is the only thing we've lied about. And you're like, yeah, and you lied about it for like nine months. That's a little pathological. Have you... Have you... Have you seen like the... Instead of saying armchair detectives... Oops.

Instead of saying armchair detectives, I'm going to say like, armchair like mental health specialists and everything where all these people are diagnosing her as saying that like they think that she's on the spectrum. I have seen some of the... Some people saying that. And I'm like, I don't think that's what's going on here. If anything, she makes me think she's on like a beta blocker, the stuff that like celebs will take when they are in like really terrifying situations. And it just like you,

the adrenaline doesn't surge and you're just like. Stoic. Blank. I think being on the spectrum, you would not, in my armchair mental health opinion, you wouldn't be seeking out being on the show that way. I think it would be a lot. I just think when people say that, it's kind of one of those things where, like, to my knowledge, not everybody who is on the spectrum has situations

where they completely lack empathy. Yeah. And that's been like a lot of arguments. And I was like, I would think that, I mean, I'm not a mental health specialist. I'm not like anybody who knows, you know, the ins and out. of autism and things like that.

But like I just don't like when people say that because I think that it like creates a bad name for people who are on the spectrum. Yeah. But it's also like don't don't make excuses for somebody. I know. Because I think it's like a little bit different than if she only did it once and she carried on an affair for a long time. Right. Yeah. So that's the big difference in all of it.

Yeah. I just didn't pick. I just kicked my dog. I just sent you a pick. I think we're good for the rest of the episode. I thought he was being nice and quiet. Passed out. Or he's passed out on my feet.

So if anyone keeps hearing me go, oop, it's because I keep accidentally kicking her. If I go oop, it's because he has like long legs and he's like curled up on me. But one leg keeps like slipping and falling and I don't want it to wake him up. Oh. So. that's adorable um that was a very long tangent that i went on about vanderpump rules and the media and stuff but my pick is about a shitty man the media and a scandal and it is i don't know if this is out yet it might be

i don't i think it's the 13th it could be the 20th of june either way by the time this comes out people won't have to wait too long. Good time to pre-order. Yeah. Yeah. It's don't forget the girl by Rebecca McKenna. And it kind of is, okay, so 12 years ago, an 18-year-old girl named Abby Hartman disappeared. And now John Allen Blue, the serial killer, suspected of her murder, is about to be executed. With, you know, this happening, her two best friends, Bree and Chelsea, they kind of see

how Abby's memory is on earth and like overshadowed by this man who was a serial killer and did all these horrible things and they were estranged. So now they're kind of like putting their differences aside, I guess, to kind of be there for one another because like no one knows what they're going through like one another, obviously. Right. Um, because a high, profile podcast dedicates its next season to his murders. So the reason I picked this is because

obviously the shitty man is the serious killer. Yeah. And the thing that I always take into effect when it comes to true crime is it's one thing if you watch something like the movie Zodiac, right?

Yeah. It's one thing if you watch Zach Ephron play Ted Bundy and you're like, oh my God, that was good. But when people are doing podcasts, I really respect people like Ashley Flowers and Crime Junkie because I think when you do a podcast, when you do a documentary about a serial killer, like you need to paint a portrait as to what their victims are like as well. Because there's that age-old question of people kind of saying this with, you know, you can always talk about Ted Bundy and everybody knows who he is, but nobody can really name any of his victims.

Yeah. You know, and it's kind of, I mean, it's very true when it comes to high profile serial killers and things like that where you're having like the Zodiac killer who was never caught, like the Golden State killer, you know, everybody talks about how he was caught and how long ago. But that's why I picked this because I think that's something that is a big media scandal. so that would be my pick because yeah i think you know i really respect a lot of documentary makers documentarians documentarians okay okay well i knew it then um i really respect them when they're like

here is care billings he had you know a dog and a best friend named k and like two like parents and like his favorite thing to do is like chill at home and read and i really respect that when like you yeah talk about the victims um which is why i love some of the crime fiction books that have taken that whole you know you can name the killer but can you name any of their victims and they've turned that into like a plot point like um these women by ivy pachota very much yeah like that um notes on an execution does that fantastic Real easy by

Marie Rokoski and what's the last one I was thinking of please see us by Caitlin Mullen There we go, yeah and I just want to say if you heard a hitch in my voice while I was talking about Ted Bundy and his victims I'm not laughing

Murphy's having a nightmare So he's shaking and just kind of like whining a little bit. So I'm trying to like wake him up to comfort him. But I also just want to make sure that my baby's okay, but I'm not laughing at anything like that. So if you heard a hitch of my voice. Definitely not. It was because he started to shake and was like, oh my God. I'm having a nightmare about Ted Bundy.

Yeah, you scared him. Yeah. So. Another one that I almost included when you mentioned, Ashley Flowers. I almost included all good people here because that one is definitely small town scandal. So bonus bonus recommendation. Shout out to Ashley Flowers. Yeah, that too. She, her book is amazing. I love her book. And I know for a fact that she's writing a second one. Nice. That's exciting. Well, I'll talk about something less Ted Bundy. So Murphy can

fall back into happy dreams. My last one is Look Closer by David Ellis because I can't get away from recommending con books ever. But it's about Simon and Vicky. They seem

like a really normal Chicago couple. And Simon's law professor and she's an advocate for domestic violence victims. but it's not what it seems, of course. Of course. They are far for normal and one of them just may be a killer.

So then the body of a beautiful socialite is found hanging in a mansion in a nearby suburb. And Simon and Vicki's secrets begin to unravel as that person is discovered. A secret whirlwind affair. a $20 million trust fund about to come do a decades-long grudge and obsession with revenge. These are just a few of the lies that make up the complex web and they will have devastating consequences. And it is just twisty and fun and like a con. It's like it's just one of the most impressive. It's one of the most complex con thrillers I've ever read.

It's so good. I will 100% agree with you on that. I loved it. Yeah. I remember devouring that one in one day and it's pretty big. It's 448 pages. I was going to say, I think, I know it's over 400 pages. Yeah.

But I did that word that. It did not feel long. Yeah. No. No, it was very hard to stop reading that one. Mm-hmm. It is so fun. Yes.

Yeah, that was a very good book. I'm interested to see, too. He's like one of those authors that I'm interested to see like what is the next one it'll be like? Yeah. Is it going to be, you know, like another? Because like you said, it's like a con thriller, but it also like is a who done it. Yep.

And it's also like a psychological thriller. It is. And it just like wraps up and includes a lot of things that. It does. I did not realize how many books he has. Oh, he does? He has been publishing since 2003. For him.

four, five, six, seven, eight. It looks like he has ten. Damn. So I'm going to have to try one of these. One looks like one's a series, Jason Kohlerich. We might have to try that. Mm-hmm. I'd definitely be down to read more of his.

Yeah. It looks like it's a legal thriller. I know he's a lawyer. David Ellis is. Oh, he is? Yeah, the author's a lawyer. Mm-hmm. That book was.

like a lot of very, like, intricate information when it came to, like, the plot. Not to say, not to spoil anything, but. Yeah. He was having to keep track of a lot of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Well, my last one is about shitty people and shitty things they do. and the reasoning behind it and all of the fun things with Scannaval without

I would say without hurting people but that's not true but yeah so this one is about like shitty people and shitty things and how the past is never really settled we'll say right settled past is never past is never really in the past yes there is um I'm talking about the book. She started it by, I believe it's Sean Gilbert. But it's S-I-A-N. Yeah, it seems like a English spelling of Sean. Yes. So it is about Annabelle, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe, who are the best of friends, or at least they were as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept

them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven't quite turned out as they hoped. One day, they all receive a very unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome, invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them to her extravagant bachelorette party, a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand cocktails and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas. But none of them have spoken to Poppy in years. So her Instagram picks show that, like, the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group is definitely made. like really good money and a good life for herself. But curiosity gets the better of them and like who could turn down such a like luxurious vacation.

Well, they should have. The first class play and the island's accommodations are just as opulent as expected. Even if the scenic island proves more remote than they anticipated. There's no cell service and no other guests. The women quickly discover that they underestimated Poppy and each other. their darkest secrets are revealed the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare

this one will keep you shot until the very end so good I can't wait to read that one so good it comes out on the 13th as well yeah it's so good

it's one of my favorites of the year oh I can't wait I love when I completely enjoy like an island or getaway thriller. Sometimes it's like it doesn't have enough of its own things going on. But I love it when there's tons of stuff happening. Sometimes, I don't know how to say this. Sometimes I feel like the island is more of a character than the characters, right?

Exactly. Somebody who did it very well was Wendy Heard. Yes. with having the island not overshadow what's happening on the island or the characters. But sometimes it's like it almost reads more of like an adventure mystery or an adventure thriller because they're like, oh my God, we have to like Ben for yourself. This is not one of those. This is just like, I guess that Christy inspired kind of like all these people are stuck on an island with somebody who's like,

that you wish you didn't come here. And now I'm realizing that should have been my segue when you talked about your like deep skybook. Oh yeah. It was kind of just like a random like, hey, here's what I'm reading. If you don't want to go into space with people you shouldn't trust, but you want to go to an island, I recommend she started it by Sean Gilbert.