Bookwild - Our Favorite Book Series Part Two

Episode Date: December 1, 2022

We are back this week to talk about our favorite series!  Follow us on Instagram:Garehttps://www.instagram.com/gareindeedreads/Katehttps://www.instagram.com/thegirlwiththebookonthecouch/ Get Bookwild MerchCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian 

Hey guys, welcome to the Killing the Tea podcast. This is Gare and Kate. And we are going to be discussing all things, chills, thrills and kills. Kate and I are going to be talking about our favorite books, TV shows and movies that are in the thriller or crime fiction genre, as well as some reading habits and other items related to how we met on Bookstagram that will fit in with this podcast. So, Thank you so much for joining us, and we hope that you have fun and get totally terrified. So is it my turn? Yeah, it is my turn. Yeah, it is your turn. Well, I'm going to like kind of strategically try to help you out to get through your list and talk about one that we've both talked about too much, which is Grant County from Karen Slaughter, which we've talked to death. So I know everyone knows we love it, but we have to say it. What if this is the first episode someone's listening to? Okay.

Can I say something before? Go for it. The only other two series that I had to discuss was the Natalie Lockhart series by Alice Blanchard, which I've already discussed, but I thought that was going to be a good segue to be like, how's it going? Like, what do you think of it so far? But also the reason that I was laughing when I was laughing when I was, I said I was like a rule breaker is because I had six series on my list that I wanted to mention.

Uh-huh. But it was technically seven because the last one on my list, which is my favorite series in the entire world, is the Grant County slash Will Trent series. Yes. It's kind of one. Like it is two series, but it's one series. Yes. Same through line.

And they, I like knew like no matter how the conversation flow. and like what I wanted to discuss that I was going to save Grant County and Wiltrend for last because it's my favorite series in the entire world. Yes. So you kind of did have an order going on. I did not have an order. I just knew that I was going to save Karen for last because like people on Bookstagram are probably like, oh my God, Garrett never shuts up about Karen Slaughter.

Like standalones, Grant County, Will Trent. Like I never shut up about. about them. So like if people start to listen to this episode and they were like, okay, Tessa Weger, we know. We know. Meg Gardner, we know you love her. Joanna Schaafhausen, Junalena. Like, obviously, we know, but like people would have been like, where the hell is Karen Slaughter? Because he has not mentioned. Yes. Grand County and Will Trent. But yeah, I'm so glad it had to be mentioned. It could not not be mentioned. Mm-mm. How do we, how do we sum them up?

small town who doesn't know what they are though yeah yeah but it is like small town murder mysteries yes with some love between yes there's a love story so grant county would be um doctor sarah linton and her ex-husband Jeffrey tolliver or tolliver nice, yep. Who is the sheriff. And so they have that relationship of being exes, but also like having to work together on some pretty gruesome and horrible, horrible, horrible crimes. But yes. And you have to read Grant County before you read.

Oh, yeah. I know, like, a lot of people are like, but they're two separate series. But, like, characters from Grant County will pop up and will Trent. events that have happened in Grant County because every single book in Grant County is like a season finale of your favorite show. Like they are just action-packed. The pacing's amazing. They are. So there's six books in Grant County. Yep.

I believe 10 or 11 in Will Trent. Yes. So just read Grant County before you read Will Trent. It's not that hard. You'll love it. You will love it. You will love every single one of them. My Karen shelf. I'm staring at it right now.

I've actually thought about. 10 books and two of those like half books, like book 6.5 in Wiltrent. I don't know if this is 100% true. Mm-hmm. But I believe in the note of her last book, she did say that Sarah, or that Wiltrend is going to be back in 2023, because people have been like wondering what's going on. Yeah. So her latest book is

the sequel to Pieces of Her. It's not really, they're connected, but like I don't think that you have to read pieces of her before you read this one. but there was like something because the one before that was a standalone and I want to say there was something that said something to the effect of um the Will Trent series continuing in 2023 well that's exciting and in the beginning of the book where it has the list of her other reads they actually have everything all mixed in together um so you'll just have to take advice from us. You have to read Grant County before you read Will Trent. It's just worth it.

I probably have a word document somewhere because when I really got into Grant County and started reading Will Trent, I was sending people the two different ways that you can read the series. Did you know about this? No, I did not. Yeah. So you can read books one through six of Grant County. and then start Will Trent. Or you can read books one through five of Grant County, read triptych, which is the first in Will Trent, and then the sixth book in Grant County and then go from there, because that's the order they were published, I guess.

Oh, okay. So I think she wrote like the first five, and then she had an idea for Will Trent and then kind of did that six book to wrap up everything with Grant County. But yeah, Grant County and Will Trent, best series ever in the entire world. Just consistently. All of them are great. Also, there's going to be a Will Trent TV show. I didn't know that.

You didn't? No. Yeah. I think they start filming like really soon, really soon. That is very exciting. Yes. I don't know how I didn't know. Yeah.

Oh, my God. I think ABC I think it's going to be on. Oh, nice. So that'll be really interesting and really good. And and your psycho sleuth, I know what book the first season is going to be based on. Okay. Go for it. You heard it here first. I don't.

Okay, so I don't remember the name of the book. but in one of the Will Trent books, the plot to the book is a woman comes home and finds a man murdering her daughter and she kills the attacker. Fractured, the second book. Fractured. That is the one. And the only reason I know that is because I was looking at the cast of the Will Trent series on IMDB and I recognized the mother's name who um who I the mother who kills the man who's

murdering her daughter um is so cool that you caught that so I was like oh my God I know that name and then I like searched in my phone like this is how much I love Karen Slaughter in this series so I mean but like I searched into my phone and I was like okay that's why I remember Um, so yeah, that would be what I believe the series is going to be about. I'm super pumped for the cast. I'm very excited for, um, what is the crazy girls? Erica Christensen, she was the crazy girl and swim fan. Yeah.

She's going to be playing Angie. Okay. from Will Trent, which is his on again, off again, girlfriend. Yes, yes. And she's a long time ago when I read it. Very interesting character. And there is a man named Ramon Rodriguez, who was going to be playing Will Trent. Nice.

I am very into this. He was actually a big role in a show called The Affair. that I used to watch. That was one of my backless TV shows. Shut up. Not even kidding. Do you remember Ben Cruz?

I'm looking at him. Yeah, I do. That's who's playing well, Trent. Oh, that is so cool. And hilarious. I can't believe that was one of your shows. Yeah. It's one of my shows.

Oh, thrown phones. Everything with this micro, phone is so like amplified like because I can hear it. So like that literally in my ears sounded like a car accident. God, I think that's terrible. You just dropping my phone. Yeah. We'll have that to talk about. Is there anything else you want to add for Grant County or Will Trent? Because I just kind of blacked out during that conversation and like don't even know if like you got a word in to be honest. No, I did. I did. There is like very perfect balance of, like, especially Grant County.

I guess it's both, but Grant County, I was so in love with their relationship the whole time. I won't talk about who, but there's just such a sweet relationship in it. And it made me so happy. Yes, I love all of the relationships and so good. And I'm excited for this Ramon Rodriguez as Will Trent, because Will Trent is a he's white in the books. Yeah.

He's very white. He's very white. He dresses like a funeral director, you know, and I think that I picked Charlie Hunnam for, for, yeah, yeah, yeah. I love having a Latino actor play Will Trent. Yeah. Especially this one, because I think this guy is going to nail Will Trent, just based on his performance in the affair, I think he's going to be fantastic.

Yeah. Now I want to reread this series. Like, sorry, dude, you're alone for like all of the books that I told you I'd read along with you because I'm just going to read Grant County and we'll trend again. That's okay. So good. So good. And it kind of like falls into place with me.

I think I mentioned this on like a previous episode, how when I got into this series, like I was unstoppable because I read all of Grant County and all of Will Trent in like a matter of like, I think it was like six or seven months. It was something ridiculous. And then when I went and looked at mine, mine was pretty similar. Like, I burned through a lot of them in like four months. And then I clearly took a break. But I didn't even realize until I was looking at my red list.

Then I did something similar. Yeah, they're so good. So that is both of us saying like, if you need a series to binge. Yeah. Grant Kelly. I just don't want to think about it. like what to read next, just get started on Great County. Yeah.

I remember the book hangover when I caught up. Like when I didn't have any more. And I was like, it doesn't matter. Like if it's not Karen Slaughter in this moment, like I don't want it. I know. And you get so used to like her writing style and her voice and the people. And then you're like, nothing's ever going to be the same. I love her so much.

I love her so much. I know. And she's so like down to earth and like super nice. That's cool. I did an Instagram live with her and it was like the most like nerve-wracking thing of my entire life. I bet. Because I was just like how do I like actually speak to her without just like dushing how much I love her for like 15 minutes and have her being like, okay, bye. Right.

But yeah, she's awesome. I love her. I think she's so funny. Amanda Wagner is one of my favorite characters in Will Trent. I don't remember names. I'm so bad. She's the boss. Like, she's the big bad boss. For some reason, I picture her as being, like, Jody Foster. Okay. Yeah. But she's like their boss. And I just love her. And I want to recast that, too, because I have some other ideas. But, but yeah, I'm super pumped for the show. I'm super pumped for more Will Trent books. Because the only Karen Slaughter book that did not

work for me, which was pieces of her. And the only reason is not because it wasn't a great book. It's just because of that espionage aspect that I just don't, that's just not my jam. Yeah. But all of the other books that she's written. I mean, so like out of what? Like 22 books. There's like one that like just wasn't my favorite.

Like I don't like, who cares, you know? I know. Because even the sequel to it, Girl Forgotten was. was so good. I loved it. Yeah. 100% loved it. Another series, actually.

The Andrea Oliver series is what it's called. I need more Will Trent, though. Something about Will Trent, it feels like home to me. Mm-hmm. I have to agree with you. It's the best. That was so good. That was so good that you brought up Grant County.

I know. Because when you said like Sean Emergent, I was like, oh my God, yeah. Like, da-da-da-da. And then, like, I was like, I had Alice Blanchard on my list because I knew that, like, I had to mention it because I just think they're so good. And I love, like, the small town vibe. Because I don't know, like, it's just so isolating when shit, like, that happens in a small

town because, like, like, wait, has evil been living here this, like, whole time, you know? Then I was like, why do what, why would I keep mentioning? Like, I knew I had to mention Alice Blanchard in that scene. series because like I've been harping on you for weeks to start. No. And but like also want to be like, hey, listen, like this is one of my favorites. It's not just like, oh, you know, but yeah, that's amazing. Yeah.

Will Trent, Grant County. And you know what? If you don't read them in order and you read Will Trent before Grant County, just don't tell me. Yeah, don't, we don't need to know that. Because if you do tell me, then like I have no control over. I haven't had any control over what I've said in the. past like 20 minutes talking about the series. So like I have no control over what I say if you chose

to read, Will Trent before Grant County. So just don't tell me because then that's just yeah, burying yourself. I know. I was doing the same thing though where I was like, I don't want to just bring up all the series we're like already talking about, but it was reading some more series that made me think of the topic. But yeah, for the ones that we haven't like directly said, there's Frost Easton that you've been reading and that I really loved. So that's one that you're just like reading that we kind of talked about. Then the Shelby Lake one is there, Selina and the deep, deep snow that we really loved. And was there another one? Oh, Natalie Lockhart is the Tracy Crosswhite. I have that one on my list, too. I was about to say that one. Tracy Crosswhite?

Mm-hmm. For real. That was my next. one. Okay. So tell me all about it because the series that I told you was like an Easter egg that I've been collecting is the Tracy Crosswhite series. Okay. So I only have like three. I think I have like three bucks I still need to get, but I ordered like three of them this week because I think there's nine of them. Yeah. Maybe. And I found out that I haven't read all of them recently. And I own three of them. So I have three more. And you've read two or you've read one? I've read two. Okay.

That's what I thought. So it is the first book is my sister's grave. And Tracy Crossway, her sister died 20 years before this book started, basically. And she's always been wanting to solve it, obviously. and there have just been so many unanswered questions for two decades. So the first one is about when her sister's remains are finally discovered and she tries to solve the mystery of what happened so long before. It is, we do keep talking about small town ones.

We really like our small town, our small town mysteries because it's at least a somewhat small town. It might not be as remote as the other ones we've been talking about. But Seattle, not too small, but it feels small. I feel like it was a suburb of Seattle, maybe. I don't know. I just love that they take place to Seattle, to be honest with you. The perfect place for a thriller, honestly.

Yeah, I would thrive there. I would be totally fine with rain often. And it's another one that blends like a crime procedural. we're both having strokes crime procedural uh with there's a little romance that develops between her and a lawyer that she meets on the case and it makes me so happy and he has the best dogs and i love dogs so i also remember that about the series and then they're nine there are so many of them she just goes on to continue to solve different murderers, serial killers or regular killers, single killers?

Cold cases too, I think. Yeah. Your sister's case is definitely a cold case. Yeah. So the thing that I liked about the first one is it almost blends in aspects of a legal thriller as well. You're right. But between the setting and the character,

I am so, so, so excited to pick the series back up. I think it's going to be perfect for October, November, because that's like, by the end of November, I plan to be caught up to this series. Yes. You have a lot of reading ahead of you then. I'm so excited. I literally have them right here. I know I'm looking through them now.

Oh, I love those covers. Yeah. The covers are gorgeous. And nothing against it because I know that you like these books and they're not always my vibe. But there's, I think I looked at the synopsis of like every single one. And I don't think any of them are like spy action espionage thrillers. Like they're all like. No, I don't think there are.

Definitely like police procedural. So yeah, I'm excited. You need to let me know when you get to book number seven. Yeah. Okay. And then I'll read that one. Okay. So let me see here

because I have a list and all the covers are so beautiful. Is that one called a cold trail? Yes. Okay, so I'm just going to literally put down for books seven, eight, and nine that we're going to buddy read

them together. Yeah. Probably all in one week. I just love when I'm like the thing that I love about our friendship is that not only we talk about books forever, but like I literally will just not care if you sign me up for a buddy read. If you pick what I'm reading next, I don't care if like, I'm like, okay, like this is what you should read next or just like, be like, hey, listen, like, I'll let you know when I get to book seven, but I'm also letting you know that we're going to read eight and nine together as well.

Like the fact is that we can just be bossy about reading together in our friendship. also they're Kindle Unlimited for anyone who loves that that was actually how I found it years ago because I was reading on a budget I want to reread the first two but like I'm like I think that when I pick up the third one

it'll probably have things that will remind me as to what I miss because I've read them over the past like few years but yeah I really love the first two books. I want to read them. I'm going to continue with this. Like, this is my mission. This is my mission. I actually even have, like, because I plan out my TBR, Saturday is when I'm reading the third one. So once I finish Frosty Sin book two, then I'm going to be reading in the clearing. In the clearing. That one, the ending.

shook me up. Well, I'm ready for it. I, like, viscerally remember it still. Fuck. I'm excited. But I'm also scared. But I'm also excited. Yeah. And I think because I ordered, God, I think I ordered three of them

this week that they should be here by the time I, you know, by the time I finish the third book. So if I just keep, if I just keep going, then I just keep going. Yeah. So that's, that would be so fun. That's what I'm doing. You heard of your first, kids. Mm-hmm.

I'm so glad you mentioned it too because I'm just so excited to read them. I know. It's all I've been thinking about. as a character. I just had, I had an idea, too, to like, because I read the first two and I cast a certain somebody who, like, people were like, oh my God, I love Tracy Crossplay, but I hate the actual actress that you cast it because she's so boring. You said that. I was like, damn. So I was like, and like, a few people said it to me. So I'm like, we're going to have a little switch up here for book three and on because I think I have somebody in mind that I'm going to

that I'm going to pick, but I love, I love Tracy Crosswhite as a character. I love her journey. And I'm really bum that I can't read the first two books again, but I know. At least I'll have them. It's hard to fit it all in. It's really tough. It's really tough because like now I'm, you know, like as a mood reader, I'm like really enjoying the second Frost Easton book. But I really want to get into the Tracy Crosswhite book. Yeah. So I'm like, I guess I'll save the third Frost Easton book for another time. It did have the crime bosses in it too, so you weren't sure if you were going to like it.

Yeah. Yeah. So for me, the Frost Easton series may just be two books. It's two. That's okay. It's just two. That's okay. Yes.

And, okay. So did you have any others on your list? That's what I was just looking at. I don't think I do. Okay. So segue to this is because I'm a rule breaker. I had all my little series that we discussed already, but I also had three honorable mentions,

which my first honorable mention is going to be the Taylor Jackson series. by J.T. Ellison. Yes. They all have updated gorgeous, gorgeous covers on the Kindle. Mm-hmm. But I wanted to mention that because the Taylor Jackson series reminds me a lot of, like, combination of Tracy Crosswhite and also, like, Shawna Merchant. Mm, nice. So they're fantastic.

Like I, there was not one of them that let me down and they're all like very dark, very creepy. So the Taylor Jackson series by J.T. Ellison, honorable mention. The Burning Girl series by Christopher Rice, which I've already mentioned to you. Again, fantastic. I want to start that one so badly too. You can read that while I reach, well, I catch up on Tracy Crossbyte. Yeah, I'll do that. Oh my God.

We should just move to Seattle together and I can just yell out my window. what we're reading next and you can just be like Tyler and I got El Rodeo tacos come over and like those have you seen those houses that have like a walkway in between them that would be the walkway so much fun like Bruce would be coming over and being like box box box box you have the best Bruce impression I know he's being quiet now I know he's like okay I'm finally getting used to this idea. Yeah, he's adjusting. And then my last honorable mention is the Angie Palerino trilogy by Lorethe Ann White.

Gorgeous covers, super dark, very character-driven. Yeah. They're so good. So good. So that is my rule breaking of the series. I love it, though. I love it because my TBR will never, literally never end. Never.

I have like, I saw that before and then I met you and I was like, oh, I have like multiple life sentences of books to read. Yeah. I have a regular list like on my phone of like backlist books that like have already come out that I want to read. I have backless arcs that like I didn't DNF but I just want to like I wasn't feeling them at that time but I do want to read them. Yeah. I have like a list of books that like I'd love to reread. I have a list of series that I want to read. I have my list of books that I got on NetGalley. I have all of my arcs that I have. And then I have like all of my like rom-coms and just like a bunch of books on my Kindle like listed that like I want to read. Yeah. It's insane. And then I have my Tracy Crossway list. Yeah. But my Tracy Crossway list is getting like pushed way up.

Yeah. I love it. I love it. Because you. You've been a huge fan of the Tracy Crosslight series for a long time. Very long time. Yeah. And the thing that I like about the fact that you've been a fan of that series for a long time is the fact that there are nine books. And you are still like, okay, I want to catch up. Yeah. Yeah.

When did I finish it? Yeah, I read it in 2016. was when I read the first one six years ago. Yeah, they're good. It's been with me for a little while. Yeah, I love him. That'd be cool to get Robert Dugoni on my other podcast. New goal acquired.

I also think Brian Freeman, I just remembered this. When you were talking about Karen Slaughter, I was like, I think Brian Freeman might become similar when you were saying how she has like 22 books and there's only one you've like not liked. I'm starting to like, or I have loved every single Brian Freeman book I've read. And he has like 20.

So I'm like, I'm going to slowly throw those into my list. Yeah. Those, is it the Jonathan Stryker series? That's what we talked about maybe reading too. Yeah, the first one at least. Yeah. I could definitely see me wanting to read some of those.

Yeah. Because like I don't, I'm like really into. like a series that I want to binge right now. The Tracy Crossway is just really calling my name. This is what happens every time I have a conversation with you, whether we're recording a podcast or we're just DMing as like, I got so pumped to be like, I'm reading the second book in the Frost Easton series. And then I'm like, okay, I'm only a fourth of the way through that book. And I really want to pick up the third Tracy Crossway book. I know. It's just insane. It's insane.

I get that. You know, I guess it's... Hopefully, we help people find more good books. Yeah. One of my biggest fears is like, boom, I don't have anything to read or anything to look forward to. I know. So, like, I don't... I kind of don't understand the concept of being bored because, like, I always have something I'd rather be reading or watching.

You know what, though? I've always been a reader. I've always enjoyed readings. but like I went some periods in my like early 20s and stuff months and months without picking up a book and finding myself bored because yeah some people just haven't found their hobby yet. Right. And if that hobby is the same, I didn't use to read this much in my early 20s too. Never.

I never read as much as I am now. I'm hopefully going to continue to read as much as I do now for the rest of. of my life until I would think I think we will until I'm murdered in my small little town apparently what I'm reading but yeah I mean yeah if anybody's looking to pick up reading as a hobby like this is we're we're going to make sure we get you started yeah we will we'll never run out of recommendations point you in the right direction yeah so so you heard me mention earlier that we were going to try to fit in TV shows. But we just had too many books to talk about.

So next week, we're going to talk about series, but we're going to talk about TV series that aren't on anymore that we loved. And possibly a second topic that we may have hinted at that we will discuss before the next episode. Yeah. That's all you guys are getting, though, because he is. gear of mystery tonight. I'm very in my midnight's era.

Oh yeah, the next time we talk, you will have heard the new album. It'll have to be the icebreaker. I know, right? Like, the thing that's, like, so weird is, like, I think icebreakers are really fun,

but, like, sometimes we're just, like, fuck it. And, like, we start, like, recording because, like, we're just like, hey, how is your week? All right, let's go. get right into it. Like, we're just like, pumped to, like, pump to be here. Like, what are you reading now?

Yeah. But, yeah, that is, yeah. So next time will be the TV shows because, listen. We had too many books to talk about. Way too. And in our defense, when you're talking about a series, you are talking about multiple books at a time. Yeah.

It is like, nobody talks about a TV show. Good segue. Nobody talks about, nobody talks about a TV show and they only talk about one episode. They talk about that season or the show in general. So that is what's what you hear about next week. Yeah. So you will hear about TV shows. And we have to make sure that in the next week that we promise one another, we don't give any hints as to what shows are on our list.

Because I'm very. I won't say any more. very curious to see if any of them overlap. I know like the affair. Like that was, it's kind of a niche one. Not everyone talks about that show. So I was, my mind was blown when you said it. I didn't even think of that show.

Yeah. For like a crime TV series or a thriller TV series. But like it literally fits so well, especially considering like what we enjoy reading that I was just like, well, that's incredible. So. Yeah, that'll be your little bit more. You'll get to hear all the other ones next week. Yeah, I won't say anything. We'll start with the affair because we both love that. Yeah. But yeah. Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the episode. Be sure to follow us on Instagram so that you can keep up with everything we're reading and talking about. You can follow Garrett at Garrett Indeed reads. And you can follow me, Kate, at The Girl with a Book on the couch.