Bookwild - First Quarter Favorite Reads of 2026 with Gare and Steph

Episode Date: March 27, 2026

Gare, Steph and I share and discuss our favorite reads from the first quarter of 2026! Kate’s Books Queen of Faces by Petra Lord Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke She Drinks the Light by Yasmin Angoe Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson These Heathens by Mia McKenzie Gare’s Books The Secret Lives of Murderers Wives Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding Ours Is a Tale of Murder by Seraphina Nova Glass Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass Steph’s Books We Used to Live Here The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

We have the trio back. We've got Gare and we've got Steph because she stayed in the country this month for us. Unfortunately. Yeah. Unfortunately. I was going to say, girl. Gare and I might not come back from Montreal. Yeah, I was going to say. I will happily come visit.

Yeah. For real. I'll be like, Tyler, we got an apartment. Sorry. We're Canadians. Yeah. But yeah, it's kind of the perfect time of. the year to do our like first quarter favorites. So we're going to do that. But also,

Gare, of course, has an icebreaker for us. Yeah. I'm really excited for this one because it's related to somebody I love very much. Um, Sarah Michelle Geller. Yes. Nice. Oh my God. Okay. So for those of you who don't know, Sarah Michelle Geller is my favorite celebrity. And she's also huge into reading. Like she's like a huge book word. Oh yeah. So, um, I saw a TikTok the other day that some interview that she did for the new ready or not movie. And they were asking her like what some of her favorite books are. And she said that she loves the secret history by Donna Tart. And she had said basically that one of the things she loves about it is that nobody's adapted it yet and that like people have tried to, but like no one's adapted it. So like,

every memory that she has with that book is like in her own mind in the sense of like what she pictures the characters like in the setting and everything. So I was like wondering, do you agree that there are some books that are better off not being adapted or do you think that it just needs to be in the right hands? That's a great question. I certainly think there are some that don't need to. Yeah. I think I always like that. Especially some of the character-driven ones. Like I think about this a lot.

Actually, like when you had brought up like, do we want to talk about that at some point soon? And there were certain ones I was thinking and I was like, could you even do it or is it like really in their head? Like would you even be able to like get it across? So like that's something I consider. But then also like, please do not fuck this up. Yeah. You know, like maybe they could do it easily. but I'm like, do not ruin it.

Yeah. Do not pick the wrong person. Like, do not. Yeah. Yeah. That was kind of like my follow up too because like there are some that I'm like, hmm. And then there are others that I'm like, please don't touch that. You know, like tell me lies the show is so much more different than the book.

But like I don't think it ruined my experience reading the book with how different the show was. So it's kind of like I had two things that I could enjoy. but then like there have been some pretty like pretty bad ones like I think the movie the girl on the train gets a lot of hate from people because they're like oh my god the book is so much better but I'm also like if you read the book it's so hard to adapt that so that it's like shocking and like you kind of feel like you know what's going on yeah so like I personally love that adaptation but I can see like where some books maybe just didn't need to be done. The first thing that came to mind for me is like

it's at least going to be really challenging when it's a book where like a reveal is that maybe like someone is the same person as this other character. But since you were reading it and not watching every scene, you just didn't know. And so it like changes so much whether you get that reveal at the end or like in the middle. I always think about those. I'm like, because I mean, spoiler alert, I guess, but big little lies did kind of find a way to do it. But the character that they were doing it, one part of the character isn't that big a part of the actual plot. So I think that's why they were able to. But with some of them, there are some coming to mind, but I won't say them because it would be spoilers. It's like sometimes it's integral people to the plot. And then at the end you find out like, oh, this person and this person's perspective.

is the same as this person in this person's perspective and that would just be really hard. That's how I felt with tying it back to Sarah Michelle. That's how it is with I know you did last summer. So the book has like a few secondary characters and you find out in the end that they're all the same person. It's just like he goes by a different name depending on who he's talking to. And then I was like, God, how would they do that on like film? but then obviously they just went in a huge different direction with the movie. You just didn't.

Yeah, there's a lot. Yeah, that's fair too. They just might not. Yeah. I need to rewatch Big Little Lies, I think. I do too, because they're the second book's coming out. I thought that was a little bit strange. The Big Little Truths, in the sense that the TV series went on without, quote unquote, without her.

And then the series has been off for a really long time, but there's also a third one, right? They are coming back together. So then there's also a third season, but now there's a second book. It just felt strange. So I think this is just my, I don't know 100%, but Leanne Moriarty worked with them on the second season. So she was the one that was like, after the first season, this is. this is where I see these characters going. And I think the third book is going to follow up with the second season.

Right. So like Mary Louise, the second book is going to follow up with like the second season of the show. Okay. So. So we kind of know what will happen. No. It's kind of like if you were to like, if you were to like go in chronological order, it would be like book one, season one, season two of the show. And then the second book.

Oh, and then maybe the third season. Okay. Yeah. So I think the third season is going to be loosely based on the third book. Okay. Interesting. So kind of like the second season of the show is everything that's happened in between book one and book two. Mm-hmm.

Okay. Because I think Mary Louise, like Merrill Streep's character, is a character in the second book. Okay. And I don't think she was in the first one. I don't think she was either. I don't remember her. Well, she also wouldn't really need to be in the book, given how it ends. Yeah.

Yeah. I never read the book, and I think I watched both seasons of the show, but it was so long ago. Yeah. It's my like. It's like such an entry level. You'll know what I'm saying when I get to my point. It's like so entry level, but I have someone in my life who tried to watch it. And she was like, this is so, so dark and sad and just so, so dark.

I can't even watch it. And I was like, big little lies. Like, this is like one episode in. So she doesn't even really know like the real darkness that's coming. And I was like, don't finish it. That was kind of like my experience is like when I read the book, I thought it was going to be like more like lighthearted and like. comedy drama and then like as a book went on obviously like it got very dark and I was like oh my god like this is so much but that for me is a good thing so like when I start reading a book and it's

darker than I thought it was going to be I'm like yeah this is awesome I know like I could see where like other people would be like okay I'm like I know I was like getting into horror at the time or yeah some horror movies at the time too and so I remember being like big little eyes is keeping you up at night but anyway scars guard will do it i mean i still watch how you got to see recently in theaters yes that's what i want to watch i want to watch it he was in theaters here for like three days not even a full week i thought i had time i didn't my friend carlly said she was so excited to see it and this is in the episode from last week for anyone who listened and the whole time she had to go to the

bathroom and she was finally like I just have to go and she missed the one scene with full frontal and she was very sad oh my god I know so you have to send send out of picture you just randomly and ominously send her it be like this is what you missed this is the first and only dick pick that you're going to be getting unexpected that you're going to enjoy yeah right exactly be coming out soon on streaming though. I know, I was wondering when it would. I just loved like when someone asked his dad, he was like, are you, like, are you, like,

how do you feel about the fact that your son like did something with BDSM or are you embarrassed? And he was like, I'll be embarrassed if his acting is bad. That was all he said. Yeah, I like that. Yeah. It says Pillion's going to be streaming on March 31st. kind of close. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Especially from this air date. Yeah. There's your 4-1-1. That's not next week but the week after. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Let's go.

Oh, that'll be fun. Well, I guess I could kick us off with our first quarter of 2026 favorites. So we're doing five, our top five. Yeah. Well, okay. So I'm going to try to kind of go in chronological order of when I read them. But Queen of Faces by PetroLorge, you have heard me talk about this book. I'm sure if you've listened to the podcast.

The short synopsis, because we're keeping it short and sweet now, is a desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death, become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. That's like their one sentence. The other thing about her decaying body drawing its last breath. This is also a world where you can buy bodies. And so rich people have tons of different bodies they can choose from. And poor people only get one of the same body, as in like lots of them have the same body even.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. This is like very dark fantasy. but I was like immediately drawn to the concept of swapping bodies. And the author really uses it in some very fun ways, as you can imagine. Is it adult or is it YA? It is considered YA, but they're like 18 and 19 years old and like I think some of them in their 20s. So it didn't even feel like YAs me when I listened to it.

And I got like a copy so early that like I wasn't seeing like the genre labels. And then I was like, oh, I guess it's considered YA. I would not really consider it YA, but new adult isn't something that I was almost going to say, is that like new adult? Yeah. Yeah. New adult, look at us. I know because that's what I've heard now there's middle grade, young adult, and new adult. Yeah.

Yeah. Which I guess is kind of middle school, high school, college beyond. Yeah. That sounds really wild. I might read Akatar soon, so maybe I'll be the next one to talk about fantasy. You should. We need someone to report on it. I read the first couple of pages on a sample on Amazon, and I was like, I don't know.

Do you kind of like it? I kind of liked it. Is step hiding? Have you read it? No. Okay. Just never would have expected it. Like, all of a sudden, I thought you were talking about.

Avatar. And I was like, those are books and like, you want to read it? I was just wondering why you're so... I'm just like... Which probably isn't that different. I just watched the Parks and Rep episode again where like Andy Sandberg like never stops talking about Avatar. So I was just like, okay. It's on your brain.

Yeah. Okay. Akatar. Yes. Okay. I could see you liking it. I have no clue. I can't tell.

It seems like so many people enjoy it. There's got to be something about it. It seems like people enjoy it who don't really like love fantasy. Yeah. It's kind of like curious about. Yeah. Okay. I thought it was a super fantasy or whatever.

I think it is, but like I feel like it's kind of like I don't know because I haven't. So like I hope this is like insulting to anybody who likes it or or to SJM. But like I. I think that like it's kind of like Akitar is to fantasy what like. Twilight was to like supernatural things. Okay. Yep. So like people might have been like, oh, I don't like vampire books, but like I really liked Twilight or maybe it was like kind of like a gateway into it.

Okay. I've heard that like a lot of people that like thrillers and like a lot of people who don't like fantasy really like to actor. Yeah. I have some friends who like I would have never thought it was their taste. And they ended up really liking it. And I think it's like really, I think it's like really, I think it's like really, I think it's really like approachable okay and like you can find it at target so people just buy it at target you

know hey buddy oh mine are here but i can't move my camera starving for attention are you starving for attention uh say hi hi buddy miserable if i use my cute dog voice he will wake up so i'm just waving correct um it's gonna be hilarious if all of a sudden you're like Like, when we record, you just have like dark circles all the way down in your face. And you're like, I read all of them in one week. I barely slept. Like game changers. I still am chasing that high.

I think we all are. I do have one though. A little transition here. Nice. The last book that I did lose sleepover is my first one because this was the most addictive thing I've read all year. and like if this isn't in my top five by like year end i don't know what's coming for me because like i still can't stop thinking about the secret lives of murder wives by elizabeth arnett it is so good it's one of my favorite books and i don't think people talk about how like

dark it gets which i'm like surprised by kind of right um i would say that this is if michel mcgne who will all be gone in the dark about the Golden State Killer. Uh-huh. Combined with Taylor Jenkins Reed. I saw a Taylor Jenkins Reed comp. Yeah. Big time. Really?

Yeah, big time. I do have to listen to this one next. Okay. Taylor Jenkins read, like, will transport you to, like, wherever her book is. Like, you will feel like you're in a, like, on a beach in Malibu, or you feel like you're, like, a 1950s, like, Starlet or whatever the case may be. Right.

That's how he felt with this. And it's California, right? 1966, California. Yeah. And it's summertime, so there are a lot of things about heat. But you like, I warned you. That's okay. I'm warning you.

But the good thing about California is that it like really cools down at night. So. There we go. So basically Beverly, Elsie and Margo, they all have one thing in common. And that's that they were all married to a serial killer. And with each of their husband, either dead or behind bars, they kind of formed an unlikely trio of a friendship. And then someone starts murdering local women in a really eerie and unusual fashion. And the three of them decide to take matters into their own hands and see if they can hunt down the killer because they were all married to one.

So they kind of know. They have some experience. They have some experience. Yeah. It's just a smart concept. It's such a smart concept. and like, I don't know. Like, it's just like there's something about like the 60s in California

where like there isn't a huge amount of like DNA forensics and stuff like that where it gets complicated or like how your phone can track every single thing in the entire world now. And times were more simple for murderers. But like, yeah. Just like kind of like using more of like the site. psychological advances that they have with like the things that they looked for in their husbands and how like like the things that they were kind of like suspicious about or like that they thought were weird before their husbands were like convicted and stuff. Yeah. And how they kind of use those tools to look for a killer.

And it was really fucking good. That's making me think too about how like it would have been a lot hard. Like you didn't have access to the internet to be like, yes, my husband's gaslighting me. Like you didn't have access to that. I feel like also like, I don't know like how else to explain it, but like I feel like there wasn't a ton of like communication back then either. Right. Like if your husband was two hours late from work, like he could just come home and be like, I went and had drinks with some of my colleagues and like you didn't question it. Like you were a housewife.

It's like a madman. Yeah. Yeah. Or like for a woman to like follow her husband and see like what he's up to. Like she has to be really desperate to like. No. Yeah. It's a big commitment. And there were like a lot of, there were a lot of scenes in the book that like were just like very vivid visually.

And I'm kind of hoping that because it's so popular right now that they will adapt it. Oh, it sounds like it would be an amazing show. I think it would be like if it was like a mini series on like Hulu or HBO or Apple TV like God, if those even exist anymore. Oh, I need to, I'm trying to look it up on my library app. I can't believe. At first I was about to say I couldn't believe, I have a dog growling behind me, that I couldn't believe that net galley didn't, it felt like one that is weird that net galley didn't give

it to me. but it's Berkeley so you and me stuff they're denying both of us now i well i think i also requested it like the day it came out so that was my bad um i guess i'll go in chronological order as well i feel like i've been talking about the same books every time but i haven't read that much this year um my first one was one that i was had to read for a book club and i did not know if i would love it and ended up really liking it was kate Fave. We used to live here. Yeah. And I just got approved for his second one.

Kate's like, oh my God. Then like Bruce barks and she's like, he's just still barking. Oh, he's he's having a feeling. And then also I just had a friend who like read it and is now obsessed with it. I know I sent her Kate's podcast and she listened to it. So that was cute. Yeah. And so comments, multiple comments a month still. It's crazy. I think people like it just lends itself to people wanting to know more. Like I'm sure the Reddit threads are just still wild. Yeah, you're right. There are a few books like that. Like when I read Bunny, it was like that. Like there's a ton on Reddit. And then when I texted you here after I finished the paper palace, I was like, people have to have opinions on this. It's not obviously as complicated, but people have a lot to say. Yeah. So this one, there's a young couple that bought this new house and they want to flip it. And immediately, like, the action starts and this family comes.

They're like, I used to live here. I grew up here. Like, can I show my kids this house? And all of a sudden, things go awry. And everything is like, what's happening? Who are you? It's hard to explain. So I'm just going to leave it.

That's how I'm like you don't want to know. Yeah. And also like I actually think it helped me that I had told Kate a while ago, like I'm probably not going to read it. And so like you can talk about it and like spoil it for me. And I actually think that having some clues helped me a lot in like liking it and kind of maybe at least knowing someone's perspective of what's going on. It's good feedback or whatever like knowledge.

If someone is like I don't know if I would understand it or like maybe it'll go my head like I think it's okay to have like a little bit of that spoiler yeah it helped me um yeah i was like if you want to know what spoiler she's talking about and she'll help you out or me yeah i still don't know what the fuck happened in the book yeah i think the ending helped me i liked the way that it ended i think that helped me and then also um i just i don't know i couldn't put it down Like I kept wanting to know what happened. And also like I appreciated the action started right away. Yes.

And it gets creepy. I couldn't explain to you why. I just like couldn't put it down. So I was like, I think I really liked this, even though I'm not really sure. Like I could not put it down and I thought it was so creepy. And I really enjoyed my reading experience. But like if somebody put a gun to my head after and was like, tell me what happened in this book, I'd be like just.

the trigger. I don't like, I don't fucking know, but I like it. Yeah. Same. So I was trying to not do any more on NetGalley, but I have one audio and then the caretaker because I was like, I did really enjoy it and like the reviews so far are really good. I have the caretaker too. Yeah.

It is wild. It is very wild. Do you feel like your, like the concepts were similar? is it a totally different experience? It is a totally different experience in the sense that like obviously I enjoyed it. I still loved we used to live here more. And yeah, the stories are very much in that like vein of psychological horror, but the setup is so different. You really don't get as much crossover. I don't think I could have missed some things because I didn't actually have time to reread it before I interviewed him so I like just had to read the caretaker.

But I don't think there were there's not there wasn't as much crossover as I thought there was going to be basically. While it's in the same universe. Yes. Yeah. Okay. And I think he was kind of hinting at the idea that like maybe later other books will contextualize how they're all in the same universe, but I can't remember for sure if he said

that or if I just wanted it. Like Easter eggy kind of. Yeah. Well, the next one that I read and just loved is yesterday by Carol Claire Burke obsessed. Short snopsis, though, a traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers,

suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1805, where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel. It is so good. It's like one of the best really like anti-Christian nationalism tradwives novels I've ever read. The only thing I will say is she is an unlikable character in the sense that you will never like her. It's not the fun kind of unlikable character. So just know that.

That's what I see in the reviews. People are like, she's terrible. And I'm like, yep. Yes, she is. And so is the system that she is a part of. Does her whole family go back or just her? Oh, the whole family does. She wakes up and like they all look more rugged and a little bit different, but they're also there.

and they're like you are what are you talking about because she keeps me like I'm not from this time they're like yes you are oh my god and you get and then it's kind of dual timeline

you get like her modern life leading up to the moment and then you get little flashes of her trying to figure out what happened I want to read this so bad I'm pissed because it's not out yeah it's so good I know it doesn't come out until April

and I wanted to read it so badly that I read it out of order. Nice. Mm-hmm. Fuck. I've only seen one other review of it, and it was, like, really negative. But, like, it's a very different reader than you. It's a very different book.

Yeah. It's hard to even call it a thriller, so I will warn you of that gear. It doesn't necessarily feel super thrilling. Yeah. I'm really into the Tradwife thing. Mm-hmm. So I think that like I can I would be fine with that like I really like the mad wife, right? There's just one book that was pitched to me as a thriller that was not a thriller.

I know that's what I was talking. But this I think this might be more at my alley. You also tell me if you read it because I have one one friend who has read it and that's it. I am going to read it because it's going to be very cheap in Canada when it comes out. It's going to be like $20 Canadian, so I can probably get it for like 15 American. Nice. Which that's going to be fun, too, to teach you all the Canadian bookstoreways. I know.

Girl, girl. I'm not going in any specific order, I don't think. But my next one actually. is one that I does like a trope that I don't really like but like the way that it was done was amazing and it was the stranger in the villa by Robin Harding.

I just got like a little sick of like rich people in a villa. Yep. This one is spectacular because it's very claustrophobic. So it's there's like pretty much only four characters in the book. And it is about

Sydney and Curtis. So they're married and her world is like basically ripped out from under her because Curtis can't keep it in his pants and has a freaking affair with somebody that he knows from work. So in order to like rebuild their relationship, he ends up getting this like remote hillside like Spanish villa. And so they go there and they're like working on the relationship. And then these two us Australian travelers show up and they're like, oh, we need help. Our band doesn't work. And I don't know if it's like that they were to like, it was just too much of only the two of them that they are like are kind of like, sure, come on in. We'll help you. But the minute these two strangers go into the villa, like the bonds of their marriage are tested even more and like dark, dark, dark shit starts to emerge. Damn. And you never know.

Like, you're like, oh, this is what I think's going to happen. You're wrong. You're wrong. You're wrong. It's so frigging good. It's, I love when a book, I don't know if there's, like, a name for this because, like, I'm not like a bookish, bookish kind of person. I'm just like, I love to read. But, like, when a story is told in, like, three or four parts.

And then each one ends on, like, a major cliffhanger that kind of, like. that's cool changes the whole course of the story that's what this is wow so like you get to the end of like part one and you're like holy shit what the hell's going to happen next and then you go into part two and you adjust to that and then part two ends and you're like holy shit what the hell was that and then like you get to part three and you're like goddamn robin hardy you never miss i remember when you were talking about this and you were kind of like i'm not sure if i'm gonna like it because it was something that you're not really like into i didn't want to be in a villa that's so cool though i didn't want to be in a villa

feeling. She's good. She's just so good. She's so good. And you know the thing that I really I really respect about her is that like her books are always so much darker than like what you get with the synopsis. So like my synopsis was like pretty much like an elevator pitch. Like here's a couple. He cheated. They now live in this like villa in Spain to work on their marriage. And then these two other people show up and like the shit has. it's the fan. But like there's like once you get into the story, it's like crazy. But like I don't think that you want to know more than that before you start the book. Yeah. It sounds like it. Like you just don't want to, you like go into it blind. And I think that this is one of those

situations where like I won't be able to help myself because I have, I'm a man. I have no self control. But like I if I had self control, I would just continue to read Robin Harding books blind and not know anything about them. But I know that when she like announces a book, I'm going to want to read what it's about. Yeah. Because I have no self-control because I'm a man. But she's one of those people. Sometimes I just read the one sentence part. Yeah. I ain't going to stop myself. I have zero self-control. You're like, did you hear me? Zero. Zero self-control. Like, where are you listening? Kate, when you are in Montreal with me and you see me go into a donut shop, a bookstore and then like I go to order like a putteen, you were going to be

like yeah he's right he has no self-control whatsoever we're hungry and we're like relatable and understandable no i'm like zero i'm very self-aware that like as a man i have zero self-control you know i just wish people would be more self-aware and transparent but i also know that my zero self-control does not affect anyone other than me right which is something that most men need to work on. I'm halfway there. Me and my baby. This thing that we feel like I have shrug hands.

It is just so little. I can even think about that. He's drinking a teeny tiny diet Coke for the listeners, not viewers. The little minis. It's very cute. I don't know. I do not know if I have a segue from that one. I almost have a little segue from

one before, I don't know. My next one, these were both from like the first half of January. So it's a good month, I guess, is the act of disappearing by Nathan Gower. And when you said, Gare, that you're like, I liked the Madwife. And we were talking about yesteryear, how it's not really a thriller. Like this one, to me, I feel like could fall into that where it's like a little more emotion. there's certainly a mystery aspect, but it's a little more like emotional. There's like that mental health component of like historical fiction that's fascinating and maddening.

But there's this struggling bartender who's the main character. She had written one book that like not that many people read. But as she's bartending, this famous photographer comes in. He's like, I did read her book. And I have this photo that like I took. but like no one else really knows about it and like I think you should write about it. And it's a picture of a woman jumping off a bridge and it looks like she's holding a baby. So it's like really sad and bleak.

And so she goes to from New York to Kentucky to figure out the story. And you have alternate timelines of her doing research and then like the actual person. That's cool. In the photo. Yeah. So I would say if you like that kind of madwife, like not super twisty, turny, but also like maddening and some satisfying parts too, I think it's a good one. I want to read this so bad. Yeah, it was really good. Like her mom has mental health issues and it's like so sad.

But it's like in that time frame where it's like, oh, she just, you know, is like up in her room. Yeah. This is one of my favorite book talkers. His name is Ian. He recommended this and like said it's like one of the most like underrated books like he's like ever read and that like more people should be talking about it. So now that I have like Nathan Gower. G-O-W-E-R. And I was kind of like what is with this cover, but it has like this sheen to it that I think it's supposed to look like a photograph. I think so. I realized later. She also looks like she could be twins with Ilya from. Oh, you're right.

Like, I was like, why does she look familiar? Oh, yeah, because I saw her giving Shane Allender backshots. Guys, that was so good. Oh, I know. She really does look like him. Yeah. That's funny. So good.

I just checked in my bookstore does not have it. Oh. So I'm adding it to my car on Amazon. This was one where like when I got it from the library, I think like one or two of the libraries and the whole Madison like big area. I had it. Yeah. So we got to hype it up. Yeah.

It sounds really good. Well, my next one that I really enjoyed is called She Drinks the Light by Yossman on go. Have a side story. I saw a thread that she, Yossman, posted. talking about how someone asked how to pronounce her name and so she pronounced it to them yasman and then the person said yesman back and that was how i learned that i've been saying her name wrong for five years and i've been like she didn't correct you in your interviews and so i even commented on her thread and i was like not me learning five years in that i've been saying it wrong and she was like

oh nobody ever says it right so i just don't correct anyone anymore and i was like well you could have correct to me just so you know so now I'm saying it right for the first time Yasman it's not as it's like an A-H yeah and then like a S so I'm finally saying her name right five years later it's like that singer like people call her Tovlo but like we found out

like recently that it's Tuveilu What? Really? Yeah she's like I'll answer to Tovlo because like that's how like Americans pronounced it but it's really pronounced Tuvalu. Oh my gosh. Where's she from? Is that? Sweden, I think.

Oh. That was like, what's his face to? Taylor Lautner is Taylor Lautner. And we just, he never corrected anyone. I don't know. I mean, everybody can choose. But so she had one come out in February and then in February or it was the beginning of March. But it's called She Drinks the Light and the very short synopsis.

For fans of sinners and immortal dark, a teen must uncover her family's deadly secrets in order to save her best friend and her island in this heart- pounding YA debut. It is really all you need to know. There are some supernatural elements happening, but it's not necessarily spelled outright. And so when she goes to look for her friend, and she's never lived anywhere but the island, when she goes to look for her friend, she's like, oh, what's really going on here? And it's very good. I loved it. And I listened to it, actually.

This is, like, pushing me to, like, I want to read this now. Yeah. But I also, like, this is pushing me to finally watch sinners. Yeah. Oh, yeah. My presence, if my presence in your life was not enough, I cannot have shut up about it. You know what the problem is, is that my, I have been. so bad at like focusing on TV lately.

That's it. Me too. And I'm like, this is a two and a half hour movie and I got to pay attention. But I think tonight's the night. It is long too. I think I'm gonna fuck up a pizza with Murphy and make him watch them vampires. It doesn't feel it doesn't feel that long. It really doesn't. It doesn't. I saw it in theaters twice. There's a Michael B. Jordan and I don't think that two and a half hours is going to be like two months. So. Oh my God. He's so beautiful.

There's too much. I know. Oh my God. That's right. I like that. Is his name Jack? Is it O'Connell or Jack Connell? Oh.

I don't remember. He showed up to like the awards recently and like the all white suit with like the bloody vampire teeth. Mm-hmm. He did? Yeah. And I was like, what a fucking lot. Yeah. I was like, I'm sorry.

I know. Excuse me. Because I also started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer again from the beginning. And like the minute I saw David Boreanas as Angel, I was like, okay, this is definitely what turned me into a homo. Like this is like, this was like probably my sexual like awakening. So I was like, okay. Buffy. Bones is the first thing that I introduced.

me to him. Oh my god, he is so good in Buffy. Oh my god, he's such a little cupcake. I love him. But if you're looking for men that you would hate... Hey-oh. This book is called Ours is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy and it needs the gone girl treatment.

like the fact that this is not on like everybody is just like not shutting up about it. Do you know how they talk about chapter 39 and keep it in the family by John Mars? They sent stickers with this book about like checking your like mental health after I think it's like page 247 or something. Because there's like such a big twist in the middle of the book that I was like holy fucking shit. I lost sleep because I was like, I'm going to finish part one and then I'm going to go to bed and be a responsible good boy. And then I finished part one and I was like, now what the fuck am I supposed to do? Like, there's no way I'm going to be able to fall asleep after watching that or reading that. So good.

So good. This is top notch, top notch thriller. What did you say the name was again? Ours is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy. So men are people. of shit and the book is fucking twisty but basically Troy sets his eyes on Clara and he's convinced that she's who he wants to marry and have that like white picket lifestyle with um but Claire is not so convinced so while the seemingly happy couple is hiding something behind closed doors we have

another woman whose name is Mary and she's cleaning out her son's room while she's being haunted by a tragedy from her past and then there's Henry who who was recently laid off from work and is living with his parents, but he enjoys watching all of the housewives a little too closely. So while all of this is going on, you kind of have like multiple POV, before you know what, murder hits the neighborhood in a way that no one will ever see coming,

including you as the reader. There are four narrators, too. It's a full cast for the audiobook release. I just need to quit my job. Fucking bananas. I was like reading it and I was like... The Whispers. The Whispers.

Oh, like that pink color. Yeah, there was a version of that cover that had like that and like a house, the houses. I haven't been like that enthralled with a thriller that like in a long time. Like I'm really good at like putting a book down and being like, oh, like, I'm excited to pick it back up and see where this is going. But, like, I was, like, a little psychotic when I read this. Like, running errands or, like, going out to dinner with friends, I was, like, trying to be present by having a really hard time

because, like, all I could think of was, like, what could happen in this book. Oh, my God. I thought it was so good. I fucking love it. Damn. Only two libraries have it in my system right now. Is it kind of, like, a little under the radar? Yeah.

I think it needs to be way more popular. Yeah, how many? I have 20 weeks on audio on hold and 19 copies in front of me or holds in front of me. Oh, well, that's kind of good. Physical, not too bad. Yeah, it does have 1,400 ratings on good reads, which is higher than I thought. But yeah. It should be 14,000.

Yeah. Yeah, I see a lot of like people that I follow. Really liked it. Yeah, it's fucking good. that's really good it's like I don't know there's something about like a little cul-de-sac and like evil being in it that I'm like it just makes me like you get a little like tickle up my spine or something I know what you mean yeah well speaking of like a little street in a neighborhood I did talk about this last time but it is definitely one of my quarter favorites is mad mabel oh yeah I say I have a and I I actually just thought of Sally Halfworth because I was like reading her backlist and I there's like one of her like blue and yellow covers that like just I was like oh yeah I like do love of just a little like suburban chaos. You know what I mean? Um, but like, okay, one thing.

If you think you're like, oh my gosh, is Mad Mabel going to be like Samantha Downing is too old for this? Like not, no. In my opinion, I felt like they were different. but yeah I feel like that I guess almost a trope of like a senior killer seems to be like popular right now works for me I'm scared I just being sassy especially like not only a senior citizen as a killer but like a senior citizen woman is a killer yeah like ma'am I'm sorry if I were the judge and jury I would just be like you know what ma'am you've been through some shit in your life and I'm I don't really blame you. Yeah. I don't want to see you in here again.

Like to me, she's like this guy in her street dies. And she's kind of like, yeah, he was fucking annoying. Like she's like, and so everyone's like, oh,

they didn't get along. She must have done something because like all of a sudden this like thing from her past comes up that she like changed her name didn't think would come up. And she's like, okay,

I thought he was annoying, but that doesn't mean I did anything. So she's just kind of. kind of like curmudgeony and I love that. And then also there's like this little like seven year old girl that lives across the street that's like super annoying to her, but also like warms her little cold heart up. And I think it's really cute. But then and you learn throughout like what's happened what happened in her past and why she got the reputation. And it's like very sad and dark. But I don't know. So there's a really nice.

balance, I guess I'd say. I think you'll like it. You said sad and dark and like all of a sudden. I'm like, oh, okay. So I was like laughing and crying and then like, oh my God. Like, no, like all of those. So then I was like, wait, I think when I laugh and I cry, I have to give it five stars. Like I just have to do it.

I get that. I'm really excited for that one. I feel like you're like just talking about my like upcoming TBR are because the next like two books in the next couple of weeks are the caretaker and madamele. Oh, yeah. I just have like Mad Mabel coming up. I can't wait. I think you'll really like the audio, like the narrator who does the old lady who also does like the little kid is hilarious.

I'm excited. Yeah. I also give a lot of respect to Sally Hepworth because she's another one that you always think that her books are going to be like a lot darker than what they are. And then like you read them and you're like, oh, okay. Like she's like, oh, you think this is going to be like a cutesy little like suburban mystery? Like, you know, here's all this fucking dark shit in that. Yes. Yeah. Like I feel like she goes there in some capacity. But then also at times can, like, it's fascinating to me. Like even in like the good sister or something. Like there's this little bit of levity somehow and like her characters,

but also it's super dark. Yeah, I don't know. So props Ms. Hepworth. Yes. Enjoy. I'm excited. I'm really excited for that one. Well, the next one I love, love, loves.

And I technically talked about it a week ago for anyone who was listening. But I thought I heard Bruce eating something out in the hallway. I think we're okay. Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson. Oh, yeah. I got the audio book. Viola narrates it. I'll say the synopsis before I get too off, off base.

But the most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama, Murphy made an appearance. Is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It's there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South. Criminally, it's open and shut. ethically there's no middle ground essentially it's a choice between life and death no judge can satisfy everyone it would be dangerous to try but judge stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people in place she loves and that's actually it's a really really short synopsis and doesn't even

tell you what the case is about so i have just opted for not talking about what the case is about because like it you do it hits hard it hits pretty hard as you're learning about about it. So I feel like that must be why they left it out. But you like feel Viola in this story. So like I am not a James. I can't remember last time I read James Patterson. And this doesn't feel like, and more power to him, it doesn't feel like the ones where he just had an outline and he passed it to someone. That's what he said he does at Thriller Fest. This is, this very much feels like Viola was like, I think I have a novel to write. And it almost feels like she wrote it. And then like he, kind of came in as an expert. So that's my long-winded way. I've had multiple people be like,

I just don't like James Patterson anymore. And I'm like, it doesn't feel like a James Patterson book to me. But I can just hear her. I can just hear her and her emotion and like, yes. I love her. Yeah, like really covers like poverty and like the stuff that like she wants to cover. Yeah. Um, do you feel like, Mary Stone is like Viola. Like can you picture her playing her in a movie? Oh yes. Yes.

Yeah. Yeah. And then I saw in one of her interviews, she for most of her characters, writes about 200 pages of backstory herself for the characters that she plays. So she's been doing that for like decades like with these characters. And then she was like, I think I could write a novel.

Like I actually really enjoy writing and writing is as much a part of acting for me. So yes. I could see her playing. There's 17 copies. She's so different than Annalise Keating. Like, it does not occur either. There's 17 copies in my bookstore. I might have to get it.

How can you, like, not want to support Viola Davis? I know. Even if I don't read it for like three months, I need to. I love her. I have another one that is, it's my turn, right? Yeah. Yeah, okay. Um, I'm just like, takeover.

I have another one that like, I feel like needs to have more loving. Um, so for everybody who likes kind of that like unhinged female character, like, and best offer wins. Um, and count my lies. I know what it is. You do? Mm-hmm. What is that? Is it good intentions?

No. Oh, I'm wrong. That's why. This is why this book needs more loving. It's called Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh. Okay. I am obsessed with this book. Like, I have never been more addicted to something in my entire life.

Oh, wow. And it's completely unhinged and it's fucking crazy. And I love, love, love it. So it's about Iris. who is a little bit of a dark soul. She's grieving a recent loss. So she finds herself at a local grief group to kind of like keep her on the straight and narrow. But then she meets a new guy there who is a recent widower and his name is Jack and he is fine as fuck.

And then all of a sudden she finds like new meaning in life and like all of a sudden it has like the will to go on. So from the moment she lays eyes on him, she believes that fate brought them to together and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. But as she's drawn into his world and learns more about him, she finds herself too happy to be part of like this deadly cat and mouse game. And nothing is as it seems. Never is, you guys. So it's like unhinged female stalker.

There's some like really like cinematic parts in it. And then there's also some like like, like Frieda McFadden sort of twist. Right. Nice. Very good. Where's this book been? It's so good. It's so, so, so good. I love that. Hmm. My next one is nothing. Well, actually, I'll flip them. I also felt, I'm going to do my other one next. I felt like this one had some unhinged moments, and it is exactly what I expected and needed from her, and she always follows through, was Lisa Jewell. it could have been her, which comes out, I believe, in June. Yeah. Yeah.

So I was like on the struggle bus with like my book and I was like, you know what I need? I need Lisa Jewel right now. She is always on my like reading slump cure. And like it reminded me a little bit. Like I don't know exactly the plot, but like my feeling about it reminded me a little bit. of then she was gone, which is the first book I read by her and like made me kind of think, I think I like dark thrillers. Oh, yeah.

Because it's just like dark. Like there's clowns, which a lot of people think are scary. Yeah. There's like creepy rooms and houses where you're like, what happened in there? Like you know that like a family has like some dark secrets and it's like very like dread inducing. I just feel like she's not afraid to try kind of go there, but it doesn't, to me, it doesn't, like, cross-up line. It just is, like, entertaining. Yeah.

So, Jane, who is in, don't let him in, but, like, you don't have to have read that. She just is in it. She is just kind of, like, going through it, and she's wondering, like, maybe I'd be interested in being a PI. she's always been interested, but like, then this kind of case falls on her lap. She sees this dog, like, out. And she's like, where did this dog come from? And it just, like, leads to, like, a missing person. And she, there's a connection with this missing person to this house where she had, like,

a really scary experience in her past. And so, like, everything starts to connect. Yeah. It's, like, kind of a... Damn. Not a haunted house, but like a creepy house and a dark family. So it kind of also gave me a little bit of like the family upstairs vibe. Mm-hmm.

So I don't know. Lisa just gets me. I feel like I get her. I don't know. It's a good feeling. Yeah. It's nice when someone's just like reliable. Yes.

Like it may not be a five, but it's exactly what I needed right now. Yeah. You know, it was like. I don't know. It sounds. You're, your synopsis, like your pitch,

is making me more excited for it than the... Than the cover? Because that's what I was going to say. The cover did not give me any of those vibes. Oh. Just what I thought it was going to be like. Yeah. Like you made me more excited for it than what I thought.

I know that like Lisa Jewel, like, I'm always going to really like her book. And like, it's going to be like twisty and like a little dark. But like, I... Yeah, I'm more excited for this because of you. I'm very, very fucking curious about the clowns. The synopsis is like so basic. Yeah. Like maybe that's why.

Like, you know how it kind, like sometimes it's like, wow, you put three paragraphs and like didn't really say anything. Yeah. Which is probably on purpose because like I don't even know how you would explain it. But. Yeah. I was excited. I was like, damn. I feel like this is dark.

Mm-hmm. And I was like, but I was like, it could not. I was like, okay, in my last book, it took me a week to get like 15%. I read this in like two, two and a half days while I was still like doing other things. So I was just one of those where it's like you want to know what's going on. Yeah. And I think I'm like, what is with that cover now that I'm looking at it? But I feel like in, I don't know if it's in England or something where like every neighborhood has like gardens everywhere.

And it is always like she is very like suburban. but it does it does not reflect the darkness of the book also props to you for already reading i know a June release oh yeah there's times I don't want to and this one was like I need it right now nice put it in my veins my last one is these heathens by Mia McKenzie it is so good it is very fun um in 1960s Georgia, a 17-year-old Doris Steele travels to Atlanta in secret to seek an abortion, aided by her teacher and a wealthy childhood friend whose world is far more radical and expansive than anything she's known. Over the course of one transformative weekend, Doris is exposed to

activism, queerness, and new possibilities for forcing her to confront not just what she doesn't want, but who she might become. Very much a coming of age that has like a lot of sweet, but like also like Dr. Martin Luther King is like friends with them so there's like also like Korena Scott King like spends time with them there. So you get these little bits of history but it's also like a coming of age story from someone who grew up extremely conservatively in the South. So like she's been told these people these people are the heathen. So the title's kind of cool because it's her

Her Starting to understand who these heathens are to her If you're I don't know why I'm failing to explain this Basically like the people that her religion has told her are heathens She's like wait actually I think you're maybe a heathen for thinking That's kind of the vibe But it's really good it's really good via audio

That felt Now I have a list That sounds really good No, that sounds really good It is I feel like I've heard that name before too Me too She has one other book

I thought the same thing I'm like do I know who this is? She has a bunch but I don't think they're Is there someone with a similar name That we talk about a lot? Maybe it's your friend McKenzie Like I don't know if that's why But I'm like

I'm like man that sounds familiar I felt the same way Interesting Um, my last one is a catch 22 because I love this book so much. But I feel like when I mentioned the name Serafina Nova Glass, everybody talks about on a quiet street. Yep. I really enjoyed that book. But I want to know why nobody told me years ago to read The Vanishing Hour by Serafina Nova Glass because this is like perfection in a thriller.

and I don't know why more people aren't talking about it. I am obsessed with this book. Three people's lives are about to merge together in a deadly thriller in which young women are vanishing in Rock Harbor, Maine. So we have Grace who pretty much keeps to herself and works on an inn ever since she escaped from the man who kidnapped her. We have Kira, who is racing against the clock as she looks for answers regarding her daughter, who recently disappeared in the small town. And then we have Aiden, who is returning to Rock Harbor when his father doesn't return home and is believed to have vanished. So when Grace finds that the missing girls oddly look like her at the time that she went missing, she begins to fear that the man who kidnapped her is still around and might have his eyes set on her.

It is so good. It is so good. What is the, do you know, I think it's called like The Lost Girls. I don't know. There's a movie that was out on Netflix a few years ago. and it's basically about the Long Island serial killer. That's the vibes I kind of get from this because it's like a very small town, but it's very main, right? So it's like lush woods and there's like an inn and everybody's like, oh, like the weather's so chilly today and it's rainy. But there's like a very small section that's like the bad part of town. And it's like that's where the strip clubs are.

That's where like people go for like sex work, drugs. If you were down there as a woman, you have to be like fully armed because like they like literally say in the book like this is where girls go missing. So it just like kind of reminded me of like that Long Island serial killer case but like also like a little bit of a different twist on it. And I thought the way that like all three storylines came together was so fascinating and so. so good. And it was dark as fuck. That is the theme today. Yeah.

Yeah. Oh my gosh. So that was my. I read that too. Oh my God. It was so good. I loved like on a quiet street, but I was like, okay, like that was fun, but this was just, I don't know, like, so much wilder and crazier and like very

atmospheric like kate you will be in your element in this like that's so good i i do prefer the cold or at least yeah whatever that is northeastern right chili it's like that kind of cold that like goes into your bones is like in this book yeah like dreary cold never hot again I had to pop to pull out the desk fan because Oh my gosh Oh my god Already getting hot at here March in the desk fans out Yep for March

I guess my segue This is not a thriller could be that This is also like sad In a way But it's also It's sad It is sad It is sad

subject matter is sad. There's also like a little bit of like humor in it as well, which is a nice balance. But I think I talked about this one and like our predicted five stars of the year and like this one hit for me was Cleo Deng would rather be dead. Oh yeah. By my new one. And it is about Cleo and her and her sister or her and her friend Paloma are like best friends have done everything together like gotten married at the same time got pregnant at the same time um but Cleo experiences like child loss and so she like that's in the very beginning of the book so this is like her grief journey so like obviously it is very sad yeah and like for some people that maybe cannot read about that I think it would be obviously too

much. But I think for some people, it could be like an experience of maybe they wouldn't feel alone. Because I, you could tell that the author has gone through something similar and she put that in the notes. So like, because it felt like so like perfectly written, like perfectly phrased. Yeah, but it was like kind of darkly humorous and like eventually hopeful. But it was like so good you guys like just how she like deals with her story and with her friendships and she ends up getting like a part-time job at um the funeral home where they had the baby and just like the team of people working there was just like so sweet um and it talks a little bit about like she is i want to say she's Vietnamese so even just like her family and parents and like how

those dynamics are i just thought it was all just like so interesting and i think i love when people like come together. Yes. When people help other people, when they're going through a hard time, is just like such a sweet thing to read about for me. Yes. Yeah. So it's very good.

And also like I think I mean the thing that made me request it was I was like so curious about like working at a funeral home. Like I don't know. I feel like that would be a really interesting experience. And I know that people like go to school for it. And I think it's like a pretty intense. program. It is. So.

I can't imagine. I know. Yeah. So, I don't know. I thought like it was super good. Oh, I thought it. No, I did give it a five. Sorry, the average community reviews are exactly four and a half.

I was like, did I give it a four and a half? No, I did give it a five. But that must mean other people like it too.