Bookwild - Caileigh's @thebookpear Favorite Reads from 2024

Episode Date: September 6, 2024

This week, Caileigh Hynes @thebookpear joins me and shares 5 of her favorite reads in 2024 so far!  We dive into what we love about thrillers, how she started her account, and our matching pet names!Books We Talked AboutKill for Me Kill for YouThe Return of Ellie BlackLook CloserShe’s Not SorryMurder Road 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 

So this week, I'm super excited to be talking with Kaylee Heinz, who is at the BookPair on Instagram or Bookstagram, whatever you want to call it. So welcome to Book Wild, Kaylee. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. Thank you for having you. Yeah. I actually, so it's kind of cool. I love these like random ways you get connected to people, but I listen to you. You were the episode on Thrillers by the Book Club like the week before mine. And so then I started following you through that and then we've just kind of like interacted a little bit and i was like hey how about you come on because i just love talking to bookstagramers and um step i have followed her since i first started my bookstagram like oh nice she's one of the first accounts i followed so that is so cool it's just all

interconnected yeah yeah so were you always a reader or when did that start for you yeah yeah I mean, I kind of has always read, especially in middle school and high schools, when I really started to get into it. And I was also those, like, sad children who like to read, like, the historical fiction books about, like, Dear Diary, I think they were called. Dear America, yeah. Yeah, so I read all those. So I started really by historical fiction, and I was really into historical fiction for a long time. And then, yeah, I kind of just have always read. Yeah.

Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, I was always reading as a kid too. And then I don't know what I would even say. Like, it was just all kinds of different genres or like whatever you end up having access to as a kid. And then I read, I've said it before, but I read Gone Girl and the Kind Worth Killing when I was in college. And I was like, oh, thrillers are where it's at. I think, I can't remember the first thriller I ever read, but I think it was. was probably one of those like gone girl or then i started reading karen slatter and it all went out the window

i was like this is what i went to do things i just love her there's yeah like anytime i go like deep into my red shelf on good reads i always get to the point where i'm like oh that's where i found karen slaughter because it's just like 13 of her books in a row yeah i think it's chari it's chari la pania and uh-huh yeah like i read all of her books in a row i was like why did i do that Yes. Yeah, I love hers too. She's so cool. I need to read her. I just like didn't see it. Yeah, I didn't see anything about it until it was out. So I like missed it on Netgalley. So I need to read that one. People seem to love it. Yeah, I think it's different than her normal stuff too. That's what I've been hearing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, Gare read it. Um, and he was like obsessed with it. Like he was like, you have to read this. I'm like, oh my gosh. I just have, I have so many September books. to read. Me too. Yeah, July and August are huge pub months. Like yes comes out in those two months over the summer. So I've been like yeah in arcs. Yeah, July was insane. I read so many like, because I'm typically reading like a month ahead in terms of like neck valley at least. And so I read

so many books in June and I was like I love all of these. I want to talk to all of them. So I just interviewed so many authors in July. So do you interview a lot of authors? Is that? Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yeah, so that is where it started. So, like, four years ago, I was like basically for work. My husband and I, like, help people with social media, but we also produce podcasts for people. And it was like, it just kind of got to a point where it was like, why am I not you? Like, I have the equipment for this. Like, I love to talk about books. Why don't I see if authors would talk with me? And so I reached out to like six of them and like five of them responded. And I was like, like, okay, I guess I've got to start this now. So that was between the lines started then. And then as I just like was on Bookstagram longer, basically, I was making more friends and Gare and I were talking more. And so then we got to a point where I was like, what if we did like a buddy podcast too, like where it's just like fun and friendly and just talking about books? So then we started killing the T two and a half years ago, I think.

Okay. And then he had some health stuff come up at the beginning of this year. So it's been a hard for him to commit to an episode every week. Yeah. So then I was like, all right, can I merge these two together? Because I was really still enjoying talking with authors and talking with like bookster grammars and just having like fun episodes too. Not that the episodes with authors aren't fun.

But sometimes, yeah. Yeah, just like chatty conversational ones. So then I just merged it together into Book Wild because my maiden name used to be Buckner. And so my husband calls me Buck Wild and has for a really long time. And so then when I started like going so crazy with reading, he was like, Book Wild is what you really are. So we just merged it together. Yeah. Yeah.

What about you? Like, what was your journey to starting your bookstagram? So I started it, well, I signed up for an account in 2021, but then I, like, was not brave enough to post until 2022. Oh, yeah. So I had the account for a while. Then I was like, okay, just post one picture, see how it feels. And then it started to get fun.

But we started because I was in, like, kind of like another neat. community, the baby loss community. I used to draw art, like grief and loss art. And then one of my good friends who lost her son, she also was on Bookstagram and I was like,

okay, I love to read. Like she's doing, yeah, I can do both. So I started to kind to meet a break from the grief and loss stuff. So then I kind of transitioned onto bookstagram and started really getting into that. So it's been kind of like escapism a little bit.

for me yeah yeah I mean it is like I think we all know it kind of is like just reading all the time and escaping reality yeah and so your approach is I don't know if you can hear my dog or not here okay you're okay she she just wants to bake in the sun like it's like 95 here right now and I'm like you don't want to go outside but she thinks she does oh and here's the other one We're just going to have some furry co-hosts. His name is Bruce, right? Yeah, I have, this is, Bruce just appeared. Your cat is?

Yeah, his name is Bruce, too. Oh, my gosh. That's awesome. In one of your stories, I was like, hey, but she has Bruce. Yeah. Yeah, we were, I mean, we still are into superhero stuff, but when we got them, we were really into it, so we have Bruce Wayne, and then that's Hardy Quinn. That's what we need are Bruce after.

Oh, my gosh. With his markings are so weird, his whole gray shirt is up here, so it looks like he's wearing this superhero mask. Oh my gosh. Yeah, so that's my name for Bruce Way. That is adorable. I've never met anyone who also named their pet that way. Oh, that's so cool.

And then Millie is just Millie Cushes. Yeah. Little girl. Yeah. That's, oh my gosh, I love that. I love that. Your approach is kind of like bite-sized book review. Is that kind of just what you wanted to do from the beginning?

It's not how I started. I started, I think, with like the longer form book reviews, but then it was starting to like stress me out a little bit. So I decided like most people probably are seeking out like little snippets like to figure out if they would vibe with a book. So I was like, let me just try to get down into a couple sentences and see if like it's less stressful to post more reviews that way. Yeah.

How far it is. But sometimes I still find myself being like a little long winded. what I really love a book. Yeah, but I think sometimes I can't. Sometimes I'm like, it goes both ways for me. Sometimes I'm like, let me try and make it really short. And then trying to make it really short is what takes me longer because like otherwise I would just like type about it forever.

And then other times it's like writing a long one is what's harder. So it just depends. Yeah. Yeah. So what I see you have a pair behind you on your bookshelf. Do you love pair? Where'd the pear come from? Going back to my baby loss account, I lost my daughter Ella in 2019.

And so I gave me seven weeks pregnant with her. And my one pregnancy craving was pears. I'm like, I never eat pears. I don't like pairs, but I ate hundreds of pairs. Oh, wow. So it kind of became like her little symbol. And my best friend Ashley got me a set of pair. Bookends.

Bookends. you. And then it was like, oh, you know what? That would be a really fun name. Yeah. And it kind of sounds like book fair. Just kind of adult bookstagram kind of feels like. No, you're right. It is kind of like, look at this book. Look at this book. Yeah. So, I mean, that's that's really cool. Um, that you can kind of honor her, remember her that way, too. Yeah, because I, I was moving away from kind of the grief-in-law stuff because it was because of heavy for me, but I still wanted, like, make her part of it. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. I think it said you mainly read thrillers. You read some romance, too. Are those little main genres? Yeah, when I need, like, a good palate cleanser, like, right now,

I think I'm in need because I've read, like, 12 or 13 thrillers in a row. Oh, yeah. And sometimes I just need something different. Yeah. Sometimes I'll read romance. It's not my favorite genre. But then my other favorite is historical fiction and that. Yeah. They're pretty sad. So it's been hard to use it as a pallet clenzer. I know. I was just talking to my sister-in-law said she had like a long phase where she was mostly reading historical fiction, but it was like all like during wars.

And she was like, I need to stop reading this. I'm like depressed. I'm having dreams about being in war. I felt the same. I was like, how many more World War II in London books can't read before? I can't stop thinking about it. Yeah. I know. They just tend to be so heavy. I feel like there are just not many historical fiction where you're like, it's fun.

Yeah. Yeah. It is, every now and then, like, they, I wouldn't say that I like read it, read it as a genre, but like at the same time, I feel like every year lately there are like two or three. that like stand out to me that I end up reading. Yeah. Oh, I guess. You go ahead. I interview Marjan Kamali. And I actually, I have read the Lion Women of Tehran.

Oh, my gosh. Isn't that fantastic? So good. And the stationary shop is amazing also. I know. I'm thinking I need to read that one too. Yeah. I read that one last year, I think.

And then I was lucky enough to get an arc for the line. Yeah. Yes. That's what happened for me. Yeah, I got. I got. like her publicist reached out with like a bunch of books that were coming out then. I loved it though. It was, it is so heavy, but it was so thought-provoking and like I was so attached.

I love Homa so much. Yeah, me too. Yeah. I love her so much. I'm never going to forget her. Yeah, I'm excited to, we had to, we had some rescheduling come up, but I'm super excited to talk to her about it, especially just because like a lot of it came from like her experiences too yeah so that one that one will be a fun one um what was i going to say there's something that kind of came to mind i don't know maybe maybe there wasn't maybe i thought there was do you have you have any favorite thriller or romance tropes so i don't know if it's a trope it might just be like a subgenre but i love crime fiction. Like if I can get a good

thriller and crime fiction mix, that's a spot where there's like a detective. Yeah. In a thriller. And then for a romance, I don't really know. I haven't read enough of the genre, I think, to like pick a favorite trope.

I thought I liked second chance romance, but then I read some and I'm like, why would you give him a second chance? Yes. I don't know. I think I need to like explore a little bit more. That's sometimes by hang up with romance where I'm like why would you do that though or like why are you talking to this person doesn't deserve your time actually I know I know there's did you read or watch tell me lies no okay well levering yes okay okay yeah I haven't

yeah I think I it is the first season came out last year and I remember just like thinking like I don't know like we'll see and i was so addicted to it like i was burning through it last year and the second season is about to air so i've kind of like had it on in the background when i'm like cleaning or whatever just to like kind of touch up again and it is just it is such a guilty pleasure like it is she writes romantic suspense right or is it yeah yeah and i would say this is like It definitely qualifies for dark academia, like almost all of it's taking place on a college campus. And then there is all of the like romantic, not even romantic. Like some of it is so toxic.

I wouldn't call it romantic. But all of the like interpersonal relationships with this friend group and like a student dies. So it kind of has like it has the suspense elements. It has some of the romance, even though I wouldn't say this is like traditional romance. It is so. addictive. Yeah. We'll have to look into that because I'm always looking for shows. Yeah. Criminal minds from the beginning for the first time. Oh, yeah. And I'm always done with it, I think. I mean, I'm on season 13. I know. There's so many seasons. Yeah. Yeah, that one is so good.

Harley. Harley. Do you have, do you have any auto buy authors that come to mind? Yeah. So many. I feel like Mary Kubica. yes Mons Saint James Karen Slaughter I'm not that deep into the Will Trent series but I have them I just need to read them

Yeah Who else The Nadine Matheson The Jigsaw Man Yeah I need to pick someone of hers up Okay I love that series I'm reading the third one right now It just came out the kill list

Yeah Yeah I really if you like serial killer thrillers, I do. Oh, Riley Sager is another one. Yes. I got to go to a book event with him. Oh, that's so cool. It was really cool. He's very funny. Yeah, yeah.

And I love his books where, like, kind of campy, kind of fun. They are. I would agree. Yeah, that was one at his, the last time I lied was one of those, like, early books I read as a thriller reader, and I was like, this is just so fun. Yeah. Yeah. really fun. Yeah, I will always remember those. Do you have auto buy others? What? Mine? Oh my gosh. I feel like the crazy thing is like I feel like the longer you read the more your list grows. And then I'm like, how am I going to keep up reading like all of these authors that I love lately? When they're all being a year. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So Ashley Winstead, I can't help

talking about her every episode. I think one of her rom-coms, I think. The boyfriend. Yeah. Yeah, I think that was the second one. Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy to me that she can write both.

Obviously, I'm bigger on the thrillers, but she did convince me to write. I mean, not like she was DMing me, but like because I like her, I did read two rom-coms, basically. So I love hers. Ava Glass would be one that comes to mine, too. She has a spy series. Yeah. Yeah, do you have ALEASD, Emma? Yeah. Yeah. I loved that one so much. And I just finished her, the third one in the series, comes out, I think September 3rd really soon. So I read that a couple weeks ago. I just love it. It's like she gets all kinds of reviews like saying that like this is a,

like basically a female James Bond. And I couldn't agree more. Like it is so fun. So she's definitely, definitely one and then Yasmin Ongo is another one. Same thing. She had a spy trilogy that I was obsessed with. And it wrapped up. It was just three, but it's the Nina Knight series. So I love all of hers. There's just, there's so many, Audra McLeer. I just actually recorded with her two days ago for her third book as well. And she's like been on three years in a row now too. So it's kind of cool. like the relationships where like the authors are even like on the podcast each year it's kind of fun to talk with them you have to talk to them like through their debut yeah career is progressing that it's really cool yeah Jamie Lynn Hendricks is another one like that where like Ashley Winstead actually

connected me to her when because they they their debuts were the same year actually yeah so they connected me so it's just cool like so longer your as you probably know too like the longer you on bookstagram. It's just like you have different connections to authors and readers. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 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. So I did want to know what five of your favorite reads so far this year are. So do you have some? So many good ones. Yes. Okay. So do you want me to show them or just talk about them? Yeah, you can. A little basket here. I love it. Well, I have a focus basket where I like throw five books I want to focus on in a month and like I try to stick to it because otherwise make it. I like that. Yeah. So my first one, I feel like, is very popular. It's Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Gads.

It's kind of like Strangers on a Train type dealio, but I think he does it in such a unique way that it's so like twisty and insane. Oh, and it also had multiple POVs with like, one of them was a crime investigator. So it was kind of like crime fiction vibe. Oh, very much. Yeah. What I have always said about that one is it's the most unique take on Strangers on a train that I've read in a long time.

Like, it's so unique. And I've never read Strangers on a Train, do you? Yeah. So I don't know. But I feel like when you read the thriller genre for a while, you see that a lot of like Hitchcock. It's Strangers on a train. I was like, I don't know. But I've never seen the original. Yeah.

Okay. And then number two is the return of Ellie Black. Oh, gosh. I have to read that. You have to read this. Okay, I bought this on an airplane, not on an airplane, in an airport. Yeah. On the plane, and I think I finished the whole thing. And it was a short, like, two and a half hour flight. Wow.

I was like, are you a speed reader? Are you speed reader? Kind of, but not in the way where I can like skip words and put stuff together. Like I read each word. Yeah, yeah. All you do is like make inferences in your head. I was like, I cannot do that. No, yeah, yeah, I can't either.

That's fast, though. Yeah, it was really fast, but I think it's because it was just so good. Yeah. No one can interrupt you on a plane, I guess, too. I was trapped on a plane with my sister and not that. I mean, she's a great conversationalist, but both reading her own books. Yeah. So this one was pretty dark.

Yeah. Well, and it kind of gave me Karen Slaughter vibes, except it, like, wasn't as gruesome. Mm-hmm. So I think it's probably a good, like, starter thriller. Yeah. They'll, like, want to get into it. Where it's dark enough, where I think it's, and I like dark.

So, like, I refer to read, like, a really dark thriller. But I don't think it's, like, so dark that it's, like, off-putting for new thrillers. Right. Yeah. I think there's a dark of it in here, too. and her sister had also gone missing. So she was dealing with like her own past traumas. Yeah.

That dynamic. Yeah. And then I've got to move that one in. Look closer. I was late on this one. One of my all-time faves. Yep. This might be my favorite book.

I think about it a lot. I think about it all the time. And oh, and I think it starts on Halloween, right? So I think people should add look closer to your Halloween TBR. I think. Yes. It starts on Halloween. People are in costume if I remember.

Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So this one is like my ultimate suspense thriller. Like it's domestic suspense. Mm-hmm. Like a little scandalous at times. Very twisted.

Like I didn't see anything coming. Right. Like once you know something, it's wrong. I know. And I think it's like four POVs. I think we're in four different POVs. And I remember. I remember like telling my husband when I finished it. I was like, I just want to be able to think of a story that complex and manage that many characters someday. And I just read his new one too. Yes, the lies I tell. I think best. Best. No. Something. You're right. It's not the lies I tell. I'm sure. So many books with lie in it.

A little different because it was more like mobster style, like FBI. Yeah. still very good and layered. Yeah. Like he has to be so smart. I know. Plot that out the way he does. Yes. So much thinking.

And I'm not. Yeah. And so many points of view. And then he uses it so well to misdirect you. Like you're with someone and then the best of lies. That's what it was. Then you like, then you're like in someone else's POV and you're like, wait a second. But I, but I didn't figure that out in the other POV.

He's so good at you doing that. Yeah. It's like red herrings. that don't make yeah but they like blow your mind they do you do okay and then i also she's not sorry yes good so i haven't read a ton of mary kubukas like i've read local one thing oh i love that um but this one was very unpredictable to me also very and also i gasped at one particular at like 60% or 70% yeah i was like no what was very good was very good So five stars making me gasp out loud because I didn't see any of that coming.

Yeah. And then my final one is murder road. I need to read that one still. So this one kind of gives you, it's like spooky murder mystery in the 90s. So you kind of get that grunge era of the 90s that I really love. Yeah. So I'm a little nostalgic. And I don't even really like parents.

paranormal thrillers. But I like everything that Simone St. James writes. Yeah. Like, not into paranormal, but I am into Simone St. James. So Murder Road, for me, it was like, I've seen some mixed reviews. But I know, like, I was reading it at night. And I was in, like, fight or flight mode the entire time. Yeah, I need to put this off.

Like, I can. My gosh, yes. I have a photo on my Kindle. Because I think I got an arc of it before it came out. Yeah. And I was like, okay, I need to turn this. offer I'm never going to sleep. Right. Yeah, I feel like a lot of people say that too, where they're like, I don't read paranormal, but I love Simone St. James. Yeah, the way, you must have just enough.

He like mixes historical mystery, thrillery vibe so well. Yeah. I don't know. It's good. Yeah. Yeah, I know. I need to read more of hers. I just like, it's just, you know, like, every now and then you have a couple authors where you're like, I know the books are great. I just haven't gotten to all of them. Start with is it called the Sundown Hotel? Yeah. That is what a lot of people say to start with. Yeah. Yeah.

And then I think the Broken Girls and the Book of Cold Cases was also good. Oh, yeah. People talk about that one a lot too. And then there's like the haunting of Maddie. Maddie? I can't remember. Yeah. Yeah.

I haven't read her older ones because I know they're all new covers, which is very exciting. Yeah. Because you can tell from. the old covers, it was like the most historical mystery because it was like fair maidens on cliffs and stuff. Right. But it did by ghosts of like a decrepit house. But now she's getting more of like new covers that are pretty exciting.

So yeah. I need to read them because I'm also like just, I'm discovering more this year. I read John Fram's No Road Home. I've seen that one ago. Yeah. And I really loved it. Like it's mostly just like a gothic thriller with kind of a family saga element to it. But it's like even he was saying like when he went to write it, he wasn't thinking like,

I'm going to write a horror novel. But like there is horror slash paranormal. It's like maybe like 10 to 15 percent that. And I really liked that amount of it. And then I just finished yesterday an Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson. it comes out September 17th. Yeah. And it was like dark academia with like dark psychological magic is like what they're learning.

Or they call it like the art of persuasion or forcing your will onto people. It's called a lot of things throughout it. But there's also like paranormal and horror elements to that. And I was just like in time travel. Yeah. So many things going on. And I was like I was glued to this. book. Like when I got, I was so sad because I was getting to like 80% when I would and it was like 10 o'clock at

night and I could just like feel my eyelids just like betraying me and trying to fall asleep. And I was like, no, I can just tell that everything's about to get insane and I still fall asleep. So then I had to finish it the next day. But like it was so and it's so cinematic too. I'm just I've warned people on my Instagram already that I'm not going to stop talking about this book for a while. But all of that to say, I'm like realizing like, I think I, I think sometimes when like a paranormal explanation is used at the end of a book that wasn't paranormal, I had like disappointing experiences with that sometimes where you're like, oh, that's an easy way to explain it. And so I think I just never thought like, oh, that stuff is fun for me.

But it's like I'm read, I've read two of my favorite books this year had that in it. So I think I need to read more of it. Yeah, I just read Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Yeah. That was kind of like a gothic thriller with like a little paranormaly vibe. Yeah. And I really enjoyed that one too. Yeah, Steph really enjoyed that one too.

Speaking of Steph earlier. Yeah, yep. I think I saw it through her account actually. And I was like, okay. Nice. Something I would read. Because it's. I know.

I think I want to, I need to read that one. It sounds kind of because it's really Gothic too. right like the setting i think the harlem renaissance which is interesting oh yeah yeah it was really cool yeah i need to read more of that i think um who knows i kind of am like i also said that about action thrillers a couple weeks ago i was like i've got to read more action thrillers but i guess i'm just going to always be like i've got to read more of anything period i need to read more of everything yeah yeah we're just like i just love it all If it's a thriller, is typically the main thing.

Yeah. Do you have any books you're like looking forward to in the next couple months that you can think of? Oh, there's a new Steve Kavanaugh coming out. Oh, really? But I think it is actually part of a series, which I didn't realize, which always happened. When I request something on Netcali and it's like, oh, yeah. Congratulations. Number eight in the series.

I'm like, no. You're like, well. I guess it helps in reading to do. But that one is supposed to be getting, I mean, it's supposed to be good. It's getting pretty good reviews. Yeah. I believe it can be read as a standalone. Nice.

I'm excited about that one. There are a couple of books that I got from your podcast. Oh, nice. What is it called? The Hunter's Daughter is the one that I grab. Yeah. Your recommendation, I'm really excited to read. Yeah.

That one is fantastic. Another one. I forget. It was maybe Gare's recommendation. It was please see this. Yeah. Caitlin Mullen. Yeah, about missing women.

I've never read that author. Yeah. I can't believe I haven't read it yet because he's been like, not that this is what you're pointing out, but he's been saying that since like I think like our second episode together how much he loves that book and I still haven't read it. I'm like, how have I not read it? Retraying your friendship. I know.

Um, there's a new, I'm currently reading the puzzle master by Daniel Roussoni. And I believe it's kind of like an action thriller. Yeah. Where this man has like, it's not a superpower, but he can, he's really good at puzzles. Like he has a traumatic injury. Um, and he is trying to solve. There's this woman in jail. And he's trying to like, I guess clear her name that she didn't actually

my boyfriend um so i'm reading that and then the second one from this series comes out soon i think maybe in october oh it is a series nice i think so yeah i remember seeing the cover everywhere i just never ended up yeah yeah so far it's good and he has uh he has a weiner dog named conundrum um and she goes by conony and we had a weiner dog he passed away yeah so i'm like yes That's adorable, though, calling Conundrum Connie. I love that. Yeah, so cute. Yeah.

Yeah, that's so cool. Yeah, it sounds like you have tons of exciting ones to pick up. Yes, for sure. Which I guess is always the case. Always the case. Like, never not reading. Never not. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I know. I wish I could literally just monetize this enough to read all day long. If I didn't have like a normal email factory job, then I would definitely like, can I work for publishing? I don't know. I know. I think it would be cool. I mean, I'm sure like all jobs, there's like some of the downsides. Yeah. Yeah. But it would be fun. I would think it would be fun at least. And you have access to even more books, not that we need it. Yeah.

Oh, well, that's, that's awesome. I'm going to have to, I need, I need to read, please see us. I need to read some Simone St. James. Yes. I just need to read, which is the conclusion of most of these podcasts. Dokey Stephen. I feel like Simone St. James. Yeah. The vibe. Yeah. That's what I, I liked, this dark academia, it didn't feel like it was hot. It felt like it was cool most of the time. So I was a fan of it. I mean, they were in Savannah, though, so it was kind of. It's foggy, actually. But, like, it was fall when she started school, I think. Yeah. But, yeah, I'm going to be telling everyone to read that for the next few weeks. And Academy for Liars.

The cover is really cool. And I just saw because I followed the author on Instagram. I'm going to be interviewing her in October. But I followed her. And there, some of the printed copies. have like, I don't know what that's called. I think it's like embossed where it's like some of the background details are like kind of engraved into it and it's like gold on black. Yeah, the cover is so pretty. So is it not out yet? The one that? No, it comes out September 17th is when it comes out in

the U.S. I think I saw there was a different UK date in her post. But yeah, that one comes out in September. And it's, I think that's perfect. Yeah. Release time. for dark academia yeah i feel like a lot of people want to read it in the fall but yeah it just had it had so many elements in it and it was so cinematic like i just saw everything yeah yeah and i mean it was very actiony too the other thing it was making me think i'm assuming like i didn't i'm not like a hardcore harry potter fan so like don't ask me any specific questions but i was also getting like a vibe from what I do know about it, that it's kind of like that except like adult and are rated, is what I would say.

Okay. So it wasn't like, um, not the X-Men kind of like. No, yeah. It is more magical. And I feel like like I know I read one or two of the books eventually because like at, at first like, uh, my dad's a pastor and my family is very conservative. until they were of the group of people that thought, like, you shouldn't read witchcraft. So I know I read it at some point later on in my life, but, like, I know, like, mind control

or that kind of stuff was kind of a part of that in Harry Potter. I think that's what was reminding me a little bit of it where it's, like, a bunch of, like, it's not as, they're not as young. Like, they're, like, 24. I think the main character is 24 and the other characters are a little older. But it is, like, a bunch of young. adults running around with magical powers and everything that can go wrong. Are you one of those readers that can like see scenes in your head?

Yes. Are you? No. I don't see anything. I don't always like I don't always have a rich like if it's not really over describing it, but like I do. So you just you just don't see nothing. And then I wonder like, why do I love reading? Other people are doing movies? Like I don't. know yeah so it's kind of just like if someone tells you a story do you see stuff no okay one of those people who really like the purple apple thing I can't envision oh yeah yeah it is so fascinating do you have because the other question that I see related to that do you have an inner monologue going like no okay I feel like I've seen those in relation to each other your mind's

quiet sometimes sometimes but I do also have like general generalized anxiety so it's not that okay so you've got some but yeah yeah oh that is crazy yeah but you obviously do still love reading you love it yeah and I wonder like the psychology is behind that like since I can't see anything I know and like I wonder I wonder what it is like in brains where it's like different for people do you dream sometimes I do dream because I did just have a weird dream about a giraffe like I was trying to take care of a baby giraffe and like no one could tell me what to feed it. Oh my gosh. That's fascinating. Yeah. I had a dream last night that I was like needing to pack everything up from an Airbnb. And like then like the drive to wherever I was

going was taking forever. And it was like and I also like don't leave my house very much. So it's not like I've been so many places, but in the dream, it was like every few hours, it was completely different terrain and like everything was just so different. I was like, man, I'm just so tired of driving. And then actually the dog who was joining the podcast a few minutes ago, she woke me up. She was like in my face. She was like, er. I was like, oh, okay, thanks for waking me up. I guess I don't have to drive anymore. But yeah, dreams are so weird sometimes. So weird. Yeah. That is crazy, though. I think you're the first. person I've talked to who doesn't see it because I've asked a couple of people recently.

Yeah. I don't know why. It's weird. That's wild. At least you can still enjoy it though, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. I need to like Google more about the psychology behind that. Like why do you like it if you can't see anything and other people are getting, you know, full movie theater experiences? Right. Yeah. Like that's what I was thinking about with this an Academy for Liars like the last 20% was like I think that'll be like singed in my brain like so many of the scenes are like stuck there and I was even like the books I would have compared it to I was like oh yeah uh these had very similar like the end scenes were like so distinct in my mind so that's like what ends up sticking with me yeah yeah fascinating

it's crazy well not everybody does I know. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I love talking with you. I'm glad we got to connect. You do. You definitely convinced me to read some more Simone St. James.

I need to. For sure. And then people, if they want to follow you, you're at the book pair on Instagram. And that's the main place, right? Yeah. Also, the book reads and the story graph all the same. Yeah. Nice.

Yeah. Awesome. Well, I will put those links in the show notes. What? Oh, sorry. Make sure you also read The Broken Girls because I just remember that's dark academia. Oh, nice. Yeah.

I really, maybe I'll start with that one. Yeah, I think it's just. I'm kind of in the mood now. Well, I will put the links to that and the show notes so people can follow you. And thanks so much for being on. Yes, of course. Thank you for having me.