Bookwild - Our Last, Current and Next Reads with Gare and Steph

Episode Date: December 6, 2025

This week, Gare, Steph and I share our last, current and next reads!Kate's BooksLast - Degenerate by Matt CasamassinaCurrent - Children Like Us by Birttany PennerNext - Good Dirt by Charmaine WilkersonGare's BooksLast - All the Little Houses by May CobbCurrent - Heated Rivalry by Rachel RiedNext - The House Guests by Amber and Danielle BrownSteph's BooksLast - Everyone is Lying to You by Jo PiazzaCurrent - At Least You Have Your Health by Madi SinhaNext - Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian 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 

The trio is here. It is Gare and Steph and me, Kate, if you somehow don't know. But yeah, Gare had an idea to do like a last current next, which is always fun because you just get a little update on what people are thinking about reading, what they are reading. But I also think we'll just have like all kinds of books talked about again, which was kind of how it was last time too. Yeah, I think they're always like fun because,

like those always perform really well for me on Instagram when I do like a last current next and then I was like well if you have more than one person talking about it it would probably be like a very fun book party yeah and I feel like we all have our own I feel like all of our tastes have like we all have our like little areas that other people that like each other doesn't read I don't know why I'm sure to say this no I feel that but yeah we have kind of like our little niches. And so then since it's not like a literal topic, people can kind of choose from all kinds of stuff. Yeah. For sure. So that'll be so far. Um, did you think of an icebreaker. Oh, I did. Nice. I did. I posted, I posted something on Instagram. I think it was

like last weekend or the weekend before about how like, you know, it's getting colder and like all I want to do is, like, batten down the hatches, grab my pup and, like, read a book, like, 24-7. And I just thought, like, generally that, like, people would feel the same. And then, like, a lot of people were like, oh, I barely get any reading done in the winter because of, like, the kids being out of school and, like, different things. And I was like, well, I never thought of that. Yeah. And then I thought, like, some people get more reading done in, like, the summertime because they're reading, like, at the beach or the pool or, like, whatever. So I was wondering, like, what time of the year do you think you get most reading done and why?

The months where Tyler has a business trip. There you go. I was just thinking about that whenever everyone else in my house is gone. Yeah, I kind of wouldn't say the kids part. I'm like, it is true that, like, if you're mostly alone, it's easier to read. but because i don't i don't think like i'm not a like i don't really travel in the summer i can't think of like a oh it it's always during this season or something if anything i might technically read more in the winter because i'm there's just not as much to go to um but i just

I just be reading as often as I can. 24-7. So that's my answer. But yes, if he leaves, like, that was how an Academy for Liars, one I have never stopped talking about this like dark academia with psychological magic that I'm obsessed with, with 600 pages or like close to it. And he was gone for three days. And I like finished it in two.

So that, that raises my numbers. yeah yeah i will say i do like just like work slows down in the winter i work at a very like seasonal job i think i don't know what this winter is going to be like but i hope i've been like waiting for winter to just like you said like snuggle up and like have some snow days where i don't have to go anywhere yeah i think that's me too like i don't like being hot but like i'm realizing that like I don't mind the summer like less than I mind the winter

because like when I'm out and it's cold I'm like oh I can't wait to get home and like warm up and cuddle with my dog and like whatever but like in the summer if it's like hotter or whatever like it's not as like crappy to like go out for me because the roads aren't shitty and generally if I'm going somewhere there's going to be air conditioning so i feel like i do get more reading done in like the winter months because like cozying up with a book is like my jam it's the best especially now that i'm like

trying to read as much as possible so i can binge watch stranger things every single night oh yeah is the is the final season did it air all at once or is it weekly it's like three episodes episodes, maybe four on Thanksgiving. There's three more on Christmas Day. And then there's the finale on Christmas Eve. Or no, I'm sorry, three more episodes on, yes, Christmas Day and then the finale's on Christmas Eve. Or, fuck, New Year's Eve. That is really smart of them because there are a lot of families that watch that show. I mean, I would hate it if I was watching it, but it's smart on their part. I will be caught up by by Christmas, I'm sure.

Are you into season four? I'm into season three. Okay. And I am obsessed with it. Season three is like turning out to be like one of my favorites so far. But, um, I just think that like Christmas day, it's going to be like such a vibe to like spend time. Because my mom's watching it with me and she's super into it too. so like it's going to be such a vibe to do like the whole like presence thing with my parents

do like the dinner with like family and then like just binge the new episodes I know I binged season one and I must have watched season I like honestly don't know I'd have to start over we made it like three or four episodes into season one the year that it came out and we were like I'm just not clicking in with this show For which season? The first season. Oh. But, like, sometimes I'm like, maybe I could now.

It definitely, like, at the beginning when it's, like, kids and adventure vibes, we were like, this is not what we typically watch. I think because you are, like, so much more into, like, horror and speculative horror that, like, it would vibe with you because it's kind of, like... Because it gets a lot darker and they grow up really fast, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

It gets darker. Even, like, the first season, like, the things that are going on, it's, like, I can't believe this is happening to kids. Yeah, I did see some of the, like, her 11 scenes. Yeah. So I just, I don't know, it's really working for me. Yeah, I feel like it almost was that, like, easing into it. It's almost like a, I hate to compare it.

But, like, you know, when you, like, a lot of us started Harry Potter and it was, like, very kiddish. And then by the end, I'm like, why are there kids in this theater? This isn't a good point. This isn't for kids in here. You know what I mean? But this is, I feel like this one was like a. faster transition. Yeah.

You're kind of like getting endeared to the characters and then all of a sudden it's like, oh shit. I feel like the kids bring like a little bit of a comedic relief in like the first season. And then the second season, like you just really like like all the characters and there's like a lot more going on each episode. And like now they're kind of like turning into teenagers in the third season. Right. So and hot billies in it.

Billy is hot. Billy is so hot. Mullet and all. Billy is, what's his name in real life? Dacrey Montgomery. Yeah, I was very into him. I was like, where did you come from? I don't know.

At that time, I did not know him. And he's like a lifeguard and like all the moms go to the pool during the day. And like they're like hot like hottest like swimsuit. Hey Billy. Yeah. Like the teased 80s here. I'm obsessed. Yeah.

Oh my God. I was I I love that vibe yeah oh my god I did watch Dexter I finally have you finished it yes or are you all caught up yes oh it is so good I understand why everyone was like no really you need to watch it like I didn't think I was going to like it as much as I did I didn't either like I hope it's as I hope it's this good and it is it really feels like a great Dexter season yeah that's so interesting because I think that's one of the reasons I haven't prioritized prioritized it because like I loved the first original so much and I'm like it can't be as you know it can't be as good they're they're just so good at like writing multiple multiple lines of escalating

tension is kind of the best way I can say it without spoiling anything that was what I was noticing as I was watching I was like they are really good at having tensions from multiple angles coming at him yeah like you get you just like get more immersed in the story but like you're also like oh god now this is bad too yeah yeah and even if you're on the fence about it i just want to remind you that like umma thurman has never made a bad career choice in her entire life and she's true that was it was crazy i was like that i was like that is oh my god and her like another kill bill movie i feel like i just saw is there really i feel like oh now to be fair when i take binadryl i make things up when I like am falling asleep and dreaming I think they might be releasing

them in the theater maybe that's what it is like I think like certain theaters are doing something for like whatever anniversary it is yep you're completely oh and they were released December 5th today so I at least was kind of right it is his original two volumes have been re-edited into one definitive four-hour version called kill bill the whole bloody affair. And it's in theaters for anyone who really wanted to see it. There's a local movie theater by me, well, in Canada. That is like this old school like movie theater that like you would think you would see in like a college town. And they're doing a big thing for the 30th anniversary of Scream. Oh, that'll be so cool. And I'm like so excited to go. Oh, I love that. I

Because, like, I don't get special things like that around here, so I'm really excited, especially for screen. Yeah. That's so perfect. I love that. Maybe Ski O'Rch will be there. Doubt it. Doubt it. That would be amazing.

If anyone can manifest that 4K or please do. Please do. Anyone listening with connections? Yeah. You got to know because you never know. Ski Alarch is like, I've been a huge fan of the podcast since you guys started it. I listen every week In that realm

I'm not going to end up talking about it But I actually really enjoyed Joe Hill's King of Sorrow So if anyone is connected to Joe Hill out there And he wants to talk about that book I'd love to have them on too But I don't think he's going to see my team So

That's Stephen King's son, right? Right Did he write Nosephiratu? Not Faratu, yeah Did you read that? No, but it was $3. on sale so I bought the audio book like two days ago so I want to I want to listen to that one next Dennis of scared straight reads loves love loves that book and says that like winter Christmas time is like

the best time to read it oh really I didn't even know that part yeah oh I remember that now okay yeah it was Libro had some fantastic sales going through like the end of November and I definitely have quite a few books, audiobooks. I'm full of audiobooks. And I got Alice Feeney's today like an hour ago.

I got the audiobook version from NetGalley. Me too. I haven't started it yet. I'm so happy. My bookstore has Nils Frautu, so I'll pick it up tomorrow. We could kind of say my buddy read it.

Oh, 700 pages. Hey-oh. All right. All right. How many hours is it? I think it was 14. Oh, that's not bad. That's not bad.

That's a short chapter. I know. Oh, nice. I didn't know that came out in 2013. Is that right? Yeah. I thought I didn't believe that either. Oh, no, I'm very wrong.

It is 19 hours and 40 minutes. That sounds more like a 700. Oh, it's married by a woman. I think the character's a woman. It's the, okay, she is the. I think there's a show What? There's a show I think too Based off of his interpretation of it

Based off his book Based off the Nospherati one Yeah I think like Zachary Quinto's in it Wow I didn't know that I just think about the one that came out The end of last year And everyone Oh drama series dude I never would have guessed

That's how you say that on that book cover. Yeah. Well, if you don't know that Gostferratu is like an infamous vampire, you're definitely not going to assume that. I wouldn't have connected the two until you told me. And then I'm like, oh, I bet it's about vampires. Yeah.

Like, okay. Interesting. There were two seasons even. Yeah, I did not know this. Interesting. I also learned one of the books I read last year or last month, Kindred by Octavia Butler, was made into a show on Hulu. It is?

Yeah. So now I'm going to watch the show. I'll be like, tired. Here, you can be hard to watch. The story I read. Yeah. Do you ever want, I mean, like, I know it, I'm sure, I know it does just based on a few, like, reading books about experiencing the violence of slavery is like really hard to read probably everybody. I'm like, how do you put that into a show or like on screen?

I know. I mean, I know they do it and it happens. I'm like, I wonder if some of us are just, like, so desensitized to, like, screen violence compared to book violence. That's a good point. Now I really want to watch and kind of see how they handle it. Oh, man. So, yeah, if anyone knows Joe Hill, you think even, like, if you don't think he's the right fit for the podcast, that's fine, too. but if you know him and think he'd be a good fit like just let me know if he writes for he's probably

a great fit for the podcast that's a good point you the thing is you don't always know sometimes like you read a book and you're like I'm going to be able to talk to this author about so many things it's going to be so fun and you're like oh they're giving me nothing and then other times I'm like I know if I can make a whole conversation out of this book and then they come on and I'm like whoa this person can talk about everything But I think he's a good fit. I'm just saying, like, it's almost like, well, I knew him, but I don't know. If he has similar vibes to his dad, I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about.

Yeah, I think so. Oh, my God. Seriously. And it seems like he is, like, fantastic. He's not just an epa baby. Because that's also, I mean, I'm just even meaning, like, just even having opinions and thoughts but, like, social commentary and stuff. So, yeah.

I can't remember if there's something else, but generally. we're going to talk about our last current next oh it was kind of because uh king of sorrow was like my last last read it was two reads the one i'm reading right now i'm listening to it and this one has like a random story of how i found it but it's called degenerate by matt casa masina um and it is about mason who's a 24 24 year old copywriter for a san matthew start up and he's on the on the verge of a nervous breakdown when he inexplicably suffers widespread vision loss in one eye his doctor states macular degeneration triggered by overwhelming stress working in silicon valley but he understands but he wonders i can't read today but he wonders if it's something more especially when the shadows and his peripheral vision begin to take shape and whisper wonderful and horrible things to him is it madness or destiny the answer could destroy everything and everyone he holds dear. I was supposed to be like short because it was two sentences,

but they were very long sentences. Okay, so this one, I literally logged on to NetGalley, saw the cover. And the cover to me, I'm interviewing the author next week, felt like an homage to some of the 1984 covers. So I was already intrigued because we all judge books by covers, even if we don't think so. And so I,

so I pulled it up and then when I saw like it said that it was being compared to Stephen King Blake Crouch and Chuck Windig kind of all together

and I've enjoyed books from all of them can you guys hear that fucking police are coming and get me let's go I'm just gonna I'm just gonna mark this

so I get rid of that Where'd my mouse go? Okay. So I've enjoyed all of those authors. And I was like, yeah, this, I mean, it sounds like sci-fi that has satire, like that right up my alley. And so then I looked the dude up and he had like a whole blog post about creating the audiobook because he loves the audiobook so much and why he collabs with like who he

lab and I'm like this is going to be a perfect guy to talk to like good genre and also um he's like really passionate about audiobooks um and they did like audio flourishes so I don't know if you've ever tried the like graphic audio books which is like I tried one recently and I was like oh no I don't like this they don't read everything and it's like you are having to get like all of your cues from like footsteps and like I don't like it as much um I don't know why they call it graphic audio either because all, it's all audio. It's just like they use sounds for a lot of it where I'm like, I'm fine with having sounds every now and then, but like I need the book read to me too.

Like I need no. Yeah. So all of that to say, he did this after I had had that experience, he did this blog post talking about how they, they like to produce the audiobooks, but just with like flourishes. And that is what I'm learning is the kind of, I think that's a lot like Lucinda Barry's would be probably considered flourishes so it's like they like when I when he listens to a voicemail it sounds different it sounds like a voicemail when he's like on the phone it sounds different and then in between scenes like if he's like going outside sometimes you just hear

a little bit of wind for like 15 seconds and then it fades out so I'm enjoying this style of it or I enjoyed it I finished it earlier today um yeah that's I should probably just stop talking about at this point but love sci-fi and audiobooks i do recommend this one i certainly think that having some sound effects like really enhances it even just for people feeling like it's high quality yeah and and people will if word of mouth travels like people will listen to it for yeah knowing that so that's a good i mean it's good marketing for sure i agree yeah that's definitely something that, like, helped me with, like, the few, like, audiobooks that I listen to. Mm-hmm.

Because I, like, am a very visual person, so, like, I might listen to some, or read something and say, like, oh, I can, like, almost hear, like, the wind or you can, like, feel, like, the breeze on the back of your neck kind of thing. So, like, I feel like that really helps with, like, people kind of transitioning into audiobooks. Yes. Yeah, totally. Cool.

Speaking of cool books I brought visually My last book was all the little My last book was All the Little Houses by May Are we doing current or last Sorry I start with my last

Oh sorry, okay, got it Okay Your last one, sorry My last one was All the Little Houses by May Cobb And It's exciting There's little blood drops on the letters and there's a canoe in the water

and then there's some little flames down here. And everything on this book is connected to the story. This isn't just like a picture that's like a vibe. Yeah. It is a chunker. It is 460 pages. It is a banger. It is one of my favorite books

that I have read in the last like two years. I'm obsessed with it. She did it bad with this one. So this one is like Desper Housewives meets Little House on the Prairie on steroids And it is It takes place in the 80s

In Longview, Texas The Anderson family Especially mom, Charlie and daughter Nellie Along with the whole town of Longview, Texas Are shaken up with the Swift family When they move into town The Swifts are far from what you'd expect With a trad wife, hot woodworking husband

and their three daughters, but nothing makes a deadlier combo than mean moms and shady secrets. Ooh. Ooh. It is. Little House on the Prairie, but it's in the 80s. Is it a giveaway to say why it's like Little House on a Prairie? Um, because they are like, so like... Are they like homesteaders?

Kind of. Like, she's like, she's a trad wife. But like, she's not doing the social media thing, obviously. and he's a woodworker. So, like, all of the families in this Longview, Texas are, like, what you would expect with, like, the TV show, like, Dynasty. Like, they're all, like, rich. And, like, they have, like, their boats and everything.

And then this family comes in and kind of shakes things up. But they're, like, you know, making, like, all of their own food. And, like, the teenage girl, for instance, like, doesn't have a car, like, all these other rich teenagers. So she just, like, rides her horse. all over town as her like mode of like transportation and it's like they're kind of like shaking up because they're like a little bit mysterious and alluring but like they're also shaking up the tension within the whole town yeah every single family member i forgot this is coming on january i thought

it was february so i do no it's january is going so fast yeah um save your save your gift cards this is like sensational sensational um so the gossipy salacious like stuff that you like from the hunting wives

is like times 10 in this the sexy like sexual tension of my summer darlings is times 100 in this and and it was it was pretty there before twists and turns twist and turns galore and there's like four or five POVs I believe um she's so good at that like they always feel she's so good at it she's so she's the nicest human

being in the world but like I have never read a book full of so many entertaining unlikable people I mean that's a big accolated a thriller Yeah And like it's in the end of the book So this isn't like A gossipy thing But like there is going to be a sequel to this

I know I saw that Yeah Yeah And after I finish this Miss May Cobb I would like I already want book three I know you're working on book two now

But I already want book three there's like so much going on oh I'm so excited and it's very voicy I love that part and there's oh my gosh there's some there's some man eye candy in it let me tell you what it was the easiest book for me to cast in the like that I've ever read and I was texting her I was like what do you think of this person and this person I love that I bet she lost that she was like yeah i i think i texted her more than anybody else this entire week because i was she's like i'm living for these updates oh yeah yeah yeah i was like i was like god i have another of the book that i'm going to read next and then i'm trying to think like that could be my next one

i don't think i have anything else i have to read yeah i think that could be it It's so juicy and good. Oh, I just loved it. I loved it so much. Oh, my God, you guys. That was such a good segue here. Speaking of juicy, my last book that I know you loved to,

and it was one of my thrillers that I have, it's been a minute since I've had a thriller that really, like, felt satisfying to me. Everyone is lying to you by Joe Piazza. I was thinking about, making this my next read. Dude. It was so satisfying. And juicy. Yeah.

Holy mother of God. Yeah. It was to, well, okay, I guess I'll read on my little synopsis I can't up with. Let the people know. Let the people know. Okay, so this is in storygraph the Who's It For? It says, for readers who crave dark breakneck thrillers about the glittering masks people wear when everyone is lying to you.

perfect if you want razor-sharp pacing, bite-sized chapters that punch like scalpel cuts, and a voyeuristic peak behind curated perfection. No patience for dense exposition, just pure adrenaline and creeping dread. Wowza. That was a lot of words in it. It's pretty much a homesteader influencer is one perspective, and then her friend from college, who's a journalist, is the other perspective. they have they had kind of a falling out but they reconnect in present day um and then the influencer goes missing her husband was murdered and it's kind of like who did it and why um

and you kind of find out why their friendship fell apart but it was i live for people telling me that influencers are lying like i love it it's like oh this person like only eats healthy but I've seen them having a Coke at the store and a happy meal. Like, you know what I mean? I'm like, I know. Like, I know that shit like that is true. Yes. So it's just like, it was like crack. And also it just like it had like the right amount of like emotional and thrillery like entertainment. Like it was just a really nice balance for me. I interact with a lot of her stuff. And I'm like, I need to listen to it. And then we could like, I talk to her about it. Because she, I love her online. She shares like.

like she's fiery and I love it. You can tell that she's fine. The voice is so fiery. Especially in the first half when she's kind of introducing everyone. She's like, yep, I'm holding nothing back. Yeah. Yeah. It's really good.

I love like the trad wife and like social media aspect and like a thriller. And I read that one back to back with the trad wife secret by Leanne Chy. and that one's even more bonkers. Wow. And like a Freedom McFadden kind of way. Like a Joe Piazza is like kind of like the trad wife, Gillian Flynn. And the Leon Child is like Freedom McFadden,

bash it crazy like popcorn thriller. But it's like even like more bonkers. And I was like now like I read them back to back and I was like, I need more trad wife. I know. I would say also if you liked like Julie Chan is dead. but like not as like not as like bonkers a little more serious like but on the same vein yeah yeah like if you liked one you'd like the other but it's like not as like oh my oh my god yeah a little

there's a little more like emotion i would say yeah yeah um but yeah it exceeded my expectations and I feel like she has a lot of books but I have a feeling this one's kind of like in its own brand of hers but I don't know if that's true necessarily I would say I don't know I don't think I've read anything else by her but I'm like if she is like in her bag

with this one and this is like kind of more in the vein that she's doing I definitely am curious to see what she'll do next agree Yeah, I really liked her voice a lot. Yeah, she has, yeah, she even has stuff from like 2015. It's like that seems like the Sicilian inheritance. Yeah, the other ones seem more women book club fiction.

Like litific or like contemporary. Well, it'd be fun to talk to her. I just, I love what she posts. even too. I was like, I've got to listen to this one. Because it has a full cast, or mostly full cast of audio, too. Oh, nice. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's really good. That shit. So this is like, yeah, this is my current. It's confusing because I have like a current that I'm reading physically um but this is children like us a Métis woman's memoir of family identity and walking herself home by Brittany Pinner um so her story is fascinating basically it's a memoir

I think it said I said that part yes um but by the time Brittany was seven years old she had loved and lost 21 foster siblings who came into her home and left and all of them were indigenous like her and she would ask like when will it be my turn um when will i be taken away and her mom's like you won't be you're adopted you stay here like you're the lucky one um and so basically what's fascinating is that some i'm not far enough in to know for sure how similar it is but the book that i can't stop talking about to the moon back also dealt with this concept of like um when a native baby is or like a baby is born from an indigenous person and it's given up for adoption there is like encouragement within that community to be like can she be

adopted into our community basically um and so the other book to the moon and back deals with a girl who got adopted into a white family and kind of didn't want to. So I just have a big scratch on my neck. I don't know what I'm from, but if you're watching video, I guess you've been getting to see that the whole time. Anyway, it's a really complex issue. I'm not trying to explain all of it, but basically it's kind of dealing with she's an indigenous girl who is adopted into this family who then also fosters kids, but then she's

see these foster kids getting to go be with people that look like more like her act like are you get what I'm saying um so yeah like I have just started it but it's like it was actually I posted about the other book and then this other publicists like told me like I think you'd really like this and so now I'm interviewing the author of this next week too so that I didn't mean to turn this into like oh and next week on book wild but i am in prep mode it's your platform it's your platform girl so yeah but it was kind of cool like it's like a what was fascinating into the moon and back is the way she like explores identity like in a complex case like this where like her it's like her dad's minnonite her mom no her mom's mininite her dad's catholic they have like different white race

backgrounds even that and then she's like an indigenous kid and they like are not like I don't know what the relationship is like now either like at this point their parents aren't doing anything terrible but like how confusing it is for your identity and it is kind of weird or it would be it would have its weird moments so it's kind of cool that like a fiction book I read then this publicist was like I think you'd really like this one too and then it's kind of dealing with something that was in the other book i'm like this is trippy sounds yeah like but it's in a nonfiction now yeah this is because i've been thinking about doing nonfiction and fiction pairings yeah so it's like if you don't think you like nonfiction like i read this book and it made me want to read this nonfiction so here's like both

yeah i think this will be a good one to pair with to the moon and back i think that's great that's really good yeah i love that cover someone who never has physical books i understand why it's just so much fun to have the book when you're talking about the book. Yeah. Most of my books exist in my AirPods and my, my Kindle app. There was like some, oh, go ahead. No, you, there was some article that I saw that was like saying how like books are like the new accessory. Definitely. And like, like, especially like on public transportation or like bigger, you know, cities, like when somebody sees somebody with a book they're like oh my god is that good like i keep hearing about it and like even like people who carry around like advanced reader copies so like bloggers and stuff like they're like oh my god

is that the new like whatever and like they're like saying it's like kind of like you know like uh advanced copy of a new alice feney might be like the new work and the new burken bag so i was like that's so cool uh well that's so interesting because i hear you hear and hear that like no one's reading anymore. And then you're like, oh, it's like a, how like, because everybody's at home reading. Everyone's at home reading. Yeah. I know. I was like, I don't feel like no one's reading anymore. Oh, I feel like it's like more popular than ever. Yeah, like my book club, like I keep getting, I don't know, maybe it's just the community I'm in, but like there's people asking to join it all the time. It's like the cool thing to do now. Nospheratu came after Kate.

clearly like what happened i will say a lot has happened i'm just weird i always have just like real random dog marks and i think that's what that is because somebody got off their leash yeah i'm just coming to tyler unfortunately yes tyler chew through another leash oh god um while speaking of men who should be on leashes I'm reading Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reed. Relevant. Because the show is out and I don't know if this was like fake or whatever, but like somebody said that it like when, so this show, this book was adapted by Crave in Canada. And then everybody was like, well, we don't get Crave in the U.S.

to like, do we pirate it or like whatever and then HBO bought it and they put it on HBO. Oh. So, with that being said, everyone was like freaking out about this book and now I'm going to read it.

Because there's six of them. Dude, and everyone's talking about the show. I'm hearing that it's filthy. I've seen some TikToks where I'm like, I'm hearing it. Good for you. Feltie.

And I'm also hearing that it was like the second biggest debut of an HBO show. They're like they got, people got obsessed like immediately. Yeah. Yeah. People go hockey romance. I do. Oh my God. I'm so obsessed.

So it makes me happy that that many people got into it. And it's, it's two men. That does make me really happy that there's that many people out there that, you know. I guess this is sold out in the U.S. and Canada. I saw that too. Like you can't get it. Yeah. That's cool.

And something about how like some tax dollars, I saw something to like some Canadian like tax subsidies helped like in the way that I think anywhere you film on set, you can like apply for different things. But I saw people that are like Canada's tax dollars are the reason that we have heated rivalry. And the person was just like singing, oh Canada. That's amazing. That is amazing. I know it's part of a six book series. and these are the new covers I read the first book

Game Changer and I guess those characters' storyline is going to be in episode three but Heated Rivalry is about two other hockey players and I guess these are like all connected but basically Are they standalones?

I think they're standalones but from what I can tell this is book two and this is like the one that starts off like what the show is and then this couple like one of these hockey players is in book one as like a side character and then there's something with them in book five

and then their sequel is book six so I'm just going to read all six books because the first one let me tell you what I was like girl If one of these episodes is as filthy as this book, I'm going to be in for a wild January. I heard it is filthy. Nothing filthy has happened in this yet, but I can tell it's going to. So this is Montreal Voyager's hockey star, Shane Hollander, is one of the best in the NHL.

His rival is none other than the sexy Russian captain of the Boston Bears, Ilya Rosenoff. Although off the ice, things between the two. are hot and heavy, but keeping their relationship from the public is a struggle in its own. I love enemies to lovers. I love when two people hate each other and then they just knock

in boots to get it out of their system. So they actually, they were enemies, not just their teams. Mm-hmm. Okay. Yeah. They're on the same team? Nope, they're on two different teams. They're on two. They're rivals.

This is the Montreal. Voyager, and then this is the Boston Bear. Haba, Haba. I don't have a brain tonight, apparently. The Ilya is like a super dickhead in like the first book. And I was like, I can't wait to see him be like a likable character in heated rivalry. But the first one also deals with like, I don't want to say average in like a mean way, but like this guy who works at a smooth. movie shop and a

NHL star. So it's kind of like trying to keep their relationship private because the hockey player's not out yet. So now that it's like two hockey players that are trying to keep a relationship secret from like

public eye because they're like famous. I'm like really into it. Honestly like when I hear stuff like that or like um wow Issa Ray's show insecure insecure i think insecure covered it a little bit where sometimes you get in that spot

where someone is not ready to be out but they're with you it's always such a tense dynamic like that gets introduced like and i feel like it's like a very human feeling too is where i'm going with it because i'm always like you feel bad for the person who is living in a society that makes them feel like I just am not ready for people to know. Like, you feel sad for them. But you also feel so bad for the person who's like, don't you just love me? Like, why do we have to do it like this? Like, so you feel, you just feel so much feelings for both sides of like when that's

in a story. I'm always like, oh. And it's explored a lot in that game changer, which is the first book where it's like, like, I'm not ready to have. the notoriously homophobic NHL know that I'm gay and but like I like love you so much and like the other guy's like I know that like you love me but I feel like a dirty little secret right now yeah and then they just have a lot of sex it's like so doesn't stop yeah that reminds me I just had this clip come up that's old from when Lil Nas X came out and like someone interviewed

Laverne Cox and they were they were like how do you feel about that and she was like oh I didn't know that I thought it was just a rumor I didn't know he actually came out yeah and they said do you think more people in hip hop will come out or are there more that that you know of and she's like girl yes she's just like yeah that clip And I'm like, I feel like she knows, I know, I feel like she knows. She knows so much. And I'm just like, oh, because she's just like, girl. Yeah.

I love that clip so much. Mm-hmm. And, um, yeah. Jeffrey, Star knows a ton as well. Yes. If you've ever heard like Jeffrey Star on a podcast, he is like unhinged. Yeah.

And he's basically like your favorite rapper, your favorite. your favorite like football player and like NBA player um yeah he said like the only one that he knows is like Acon Acon is like 100% like into women and like nothing will change that but like that's such a reason well he was assigned to so Acon had convict music and Jeffrey started music under convicts okay so I think that's how he like has the connection to Acon yeah yeah but yeah it's very interesting yeah and to kate's point like some of these associations institutions are just like so misogynistic that it's like they probably could never even imagine that being public yeah and but like behind the scenes it's probably it's just like wild

for all it's like how like sometimes i think about how many lavender marriages have existed because like they've existed like and there's so many people that are like gay gay people couldn't even get married until recently I'm like on the emotional on the emotional level there were people were people found ways to still be together basically and sometimes I'm like that's even well and that's well no I won't say which book it we've all read it but actually you don't want to know that about the book but um where am I going with that oh lavender marriages are also really fascinating dynamic to read about. Well, everybody that is a lot of people that are married are in relationships that no one knows about. You know what I mean? Like a lot of people have

secrets that. Yes. You know what I mean? Like it's been happening forever. Yeah. There's also like a very, very, very, very popular actor who has a reputation for dating like young women. And there's like rumor after rumor after rumor that like the reason he dates young women is because he's like closeted and like they are like young women who like don't mind being like a beard and like along for the ride along for the ride and whatever um because like most women his age would be like I'm not doing that oh my gosh is it the one with we're 25's the magic yeah yeah interesting I was like, you do always wonder in those cases. Yeah. What might, just any time that like you're never with someone close to your age,

you just wonder like what's there. So. Yeah. The ones I hear them. And then on the flip side, like I think it's so compelling. Like they're both getting what they need out of the relationship. Like,

oh yeah. Her status gets to increase. She gets to be seen with someone like that. She's going yachts. there's a lot of incentives for her especially to be in the presence of a man that is never going to take advantage of her yes there's like such a strange freedom to it yeah it's so strange yeah yeah those dynamics fascinate me yeah me too the like do we just all need to lavender married each i want a lavender marriage i do well i feel like one of the but the thing is

is that like i could use some some of the funds i don't have those to give you guys. I don't know. I need some DeCaprio funds. Yes. I first, I thought you meant the funds, like F-U-N-S?

And I was like, oh, Stas. I know. I was like bad girl. I just mean like I have nothing to contribute. Yeah, we don't have a fake part. We don't have that part.

God, I don't know. always joke about like oh maybe we should should have a three three people in this marriage and like find someone who's just like insanely wealthy and just like loves taking care of people a thruple there you go it's just a joke but also sometimes it's like yeah sometimes you probably want somebody to take him off your hands like both of us like can you just take care of both of us I want I want a sugar daddy but then I like

realized how turned off I am when like when somebody when somebody's like way too into me that I'm not into I had an encounter the other night was he more was he like kind of clingy

at the end was he what was he like you said like like was he it was okay I didn't have as much fun as he did and then I was like well that's over with and I like went home and went to bed and then like I've had like 10 messages in the last like two days and I'm like I don't know how like I don't know how to

tell you that this is like the most disgusting thing in the world to me that you want me more than I want you it is the biggest turn off for me like and it's so awkward to be around someone where you can tell that they're so obsessed with someone and you're like they're not obsessed it's even worse when it's when I'm that person yeah because I'm like do I just fake my death to get out of that like if it was like Jacob Allorty I'd be like oh my god you're obsessed with me and I love this but like this is just like I don't plan on ever seeing this person again and I'm like this isn't how this was supposed to work is there like an etiquette of just being like it just wasn't working this I'm just this isn't working for me I wasn't interested or something

I think that if I said that he would be so persistent That like it wouldn't be worth that Yeah So I'm like I'm finding Jesus I'm just gonna lie and say I'm finding Jesus Oh yeah that'll work Because like wasn't that the whole deal

From the beginning of the arrangement That this was just like momentary Yeah You would think but like I feel like I found like On a gay dating app Yeah It's not even a date

We didn't go out to, like, an Italian restaurant. Like, I was, like, listening to Doja Cat at midnight on the way to your house. Like, I thought we knew what this was. It's so portable. Oh, there he is. Oh, my God. Okay. We were on a segue to my book.

And now that we left it. I'm going to say talking about rich people problems. We left a little bit. I found this book at the library, and it's like, I'm really slowly reading it, but I really like it a lot. And it's called, at least you have your health by you know, Maddie Sina. It kind of has a little bit of, like if you liked everyone is lying to you, I think you might like this. It is about this OBGYN, who gets fired after an incident from her job. She has her kids in this, like, rich kids school, and one of the moms runs, like, a private health care facility that does, like, house calls, and they need a OB, or a gynecologist.

So she, like, is like, yeah, I'll make a bunch of money and make my own schedule. but it's also a like a very what's the word I'm looking for a little woo-woo I guess you could say so she's like what's happening like some lady had a crystal

shoved up or hoo-ha and she had to like extract it it's very good at Paltrow yeah it was kind of that yeah But then they're, but like, but the owner's daughter, yeah, it's his wild. We lost him. We lost him to get him.

She was trying to get the toxins out of her hoo-ha. Yeah. You're like cleaning your hoo-ha. And the main character's like, your hoo-ha does that itself. You don't put stuff in there. Yeah. Oh, my God. So, but then.

Amazing. You need to read it, Gary. You would die. You would die. I also just, like, love any book or movie or anything where an adult is talking to, like, a very clear adult and being, like, you don't do this. Right? Like, you don't eat wild berries that you don't know what they are. And, like, you just don't put things in there that don't belong there.

Yeah. Yeah. like you have a what where and you did that why yeah people do tic-ttox of these like little like miniature like Christmas trees that they find in like home goods and stuff and they're like some gay man

is going to use this as a pop-puck and I'm like they're they're like literally not wrong about how unhinged some people are about putting things in like one of the most important parts of your body and you're just like, I wonder if this will fit. Oh, my God. I'm dying. I saw a TikTok with someone whose grandma was really excited because she got Christmas tree ice molds at a garage sale. It was definitely like butt plugs that you freeze in. And she was

showing, she was like, it's a Christmas tree. He's like, it's very smooth. It does not look like a Christmas tree. And he's just like trying to figure out how to be like, don't use those. Just just don't You should boil that first. Oh, my gosh. So this owner, her daughter starts having some mysterious health issues, and you kind of learn about why she is against some of more traditional practices. So there's like some mystery, but it's funny, and I'm very much enjoying it. I want to read it.

So, yeah, I think you'd like, it's. It's kind of like richy-bitchy, but like then there's this, the main character is like a very normal human being. And like a real doctor. It is not for $9 on Audible until December 8th. I think I listened to a sample and it was pretty good. It was a decent narrator. Yeah. And then also the main character is Indian, like from Indian descent.

and so just kind of like that commentary on that as well which is always interesting like she has like a really shitty Honda Odyssey that like is filled with like crumbs from all of her kids and they call it the hodicy

all the time because it's just like so shitty and so like I just laugh all the time oh my God who's the author again I'm sorry Maddie M-A-D-I-S-I-N-H-A.

Sin-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H. She also wrote a book called The White Coat Diaries. That's what I saw. Oh, I may never survive that. I don't think I'm going to recover. I got to go. Well, I have no segue. You've had the most random tangents today.

It's so funny. I have no segue. Oh, I could pass out. I laugh so hard at this. Why is someone on our door? Oh, I hate that. Oh, God. Ew, why?

Can you see who it is? Someone just delivered the pizza to the wrong house. Oh. Bummer. And then Tyler was like, I think, oh, so I was like, you are. pizza he's like holding pizza i was like no i did not i will take some so the pizza's still there yeah but he's taking it to the other house oh it might not even be pizza we would like

i don't know what it was oh my god okay so what was even happening that was so weird because nobody ever rings our doorbell unless we order delivery and i was like why is someone ringing our doorbell right now not leaving i'm so far out in the sticks nobody delivers out here so i'm like otherwise i would have taken that pizza dude i have been talking a little bit more about my experience with my parents and so sometimes i'm like oh my god my dad's doing that thing where he shows up and won't leave oh my god it was not him but that's fun that's fun not today i'm busy yeah okay he like hears stuff talking about a fun

He, like, hears Steph talking about a crystal in someone's who... I have to stop. I'm going to save her. Okay. Okay. All right. What are you reading next, Kay? I said it, yeah, I said I didn't have a good transition.

And then weirdness happens. So, yeah, the next one I'm going to read. I was just looking because, like, I bought a lot of books. Because a lot of books were on sale in the last two weeks, or audiobooks. A lot of audiobooks were on sale. and I got good dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson and I've heard multiple I've also like it's been on my TVR and then I heard like two other people talking about it recently um but the short version is the daughter of an affluent black family pieces together the connection between a childhood

tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the author of black cake um It's the author of Black Cake? Yes. I didn't know that. Yeah. And now I want to read Black Cake. I so haven't read Black Cake either. But there is, I, um, yeah, I'm, anyway, I am starting it next, but like, it's also probably

going to be my next audiobook. And now I'm like, wait, did I talk about it? And I just need to not worry about it. um i started this one because i finished degenerate um and just like the first few chapters i i really like it's it's like sparse crows that's also like asking a lot of questions up front like through emotion is the best way to describe it but i think i'm going to like it a lot i just listen to a little bit of it and january levoy narrates it nice she started talking And I was like, wait a second.

I really want to read black cake. And I keep hearing about this one, too. Talking about how great black cake is. And I'm like, I need to read black cake. And then that was made it into a Hulu show, too. There's a lot going on in that book. I thought, I will say, I listened to it on audio, and I kind of wish maybe I would have read it.

Yeah. Just because there's so much, like there's so many characters and a lot of things going on. But maybe I just wasn't paying close enough to. mention. Never know. Because it like, it's like the chapters, I think, are short and there's a lot of perspective.

So it's just like, oh, wow. But yeah, I've heard good things about people love her. I know. This would be my first of hers. That's exciting. What are you reading next year? I thought Kate was going to say. I thought she looked at her phone and was like, the pizza's still here.

Oh. It is Tyler texting me about the pizza. He's like, should we keep it? Please keep it. Look at it first and then keep it. Yeah. So next for me is the house guests by Amber and Danielle Brown. My favorite writing duo.

I love them so much. They are sisters and they are. twisted like their books are so good and they're always so different i love the cover of this like give me a like spooky little house with like the little light behind it some trees um super pumped for this one uh a year after her mother's tragic death iris jumps at the chance to escape with some friends at a lake house in the caskills her peace turns into a nightmare when she sees a blood-soaked man burying something or someone behind the house when none of her friends believe what she saw she finds herself in a deadly cat and mouse game with a killer

wow so i'm very excited for this um i didn't know they had a new one coming out yeah i'm always like very on top of it and i didn't know either until their publicist reached out and was like hey i know you're a huge fan um so do you want this and i said give it to me now and then here it is give it to me baby Yeah, it's hard to, it's hard to say a lot about, like, what you're looking forward to because you don't really know what's, what's going to happen. Right. Um, my last one also has hot pink on the cover and I feel like mean girls where it's like Regina George was wearing army pants and flip pops because Chelsea Beaker was reading this one and said it was super good. So I requested it from the library.

He called Seduction Theory. I love that. reading it i'm going to read it um and it says i don't know i think it's basically about like someone that has a affair with their professor it is i think that's i think that's i was like what do we really want to say i feel like i could just say that it's like grad school like there's not even as much of like they're older there's something about it Did you read it? No, no, no, no.

I read the synopsis, though, because I was interested in it. I think it's supposed to feel like all intellectual, not like a 30-year-old professor with like an 18-year-old freshman was kind of what I was trying to say, but I did not do it well. At the end of the synopsis, it says simultaneously provocative and tender, it explores the intoxicating nature of power and attraction and is a masterful demonstration of how love and betrayal can co-exist. And then also it is only 210 pages. So if you want a book before the end of the year.

There you go. Oh, it says Nails Camp. Oh, Rufie Thorpe also, who wrote Margot's got money troubles, which I love, said she nails the campus satire with, I can't see with the label, savagery, something like that. Savagery works. Savagery and Grace. You worked for it. Yeah.

You got it. Thanks Middleton Library for protecting our books. But yeah, I'm excited because I'm like, I love Chelsea Beaker's writing a lot, so I'm curious to see what she loves. Yeah. And so I feel when Jessica Knoll like blurbs the book. Yeah. Or she, like, talks about anything.

I'm like, okay, I'll read it. Sometimes I'm like, I trust you. Do I trust what you like to read? Yeah. Yeah. She hasn't let me down very much. I just don't like when somebody's like, oh, you should read this if you like Jessica Noland.

It's like a publicist trying to trick me. Oh, I hate that. And I'm like, where's the Jessica Nol in this book? I know. Liar. I've started trying to take some of those things with a grain of salt or like, oh if you like this book you'll like this and I'm like what's the connection somebody sent me a book that I absolutely hated and the reason they hooked me is because they said that it was

comparable to Jessica Noel and then I found myself being like not only did you trick me and this is nothing like Jessica Noel this book is not up my alley but I am also offended that you are using Jessica Knoll's name to get people to read this book. Yeah. It would be like if... You didn't even sound like a Jessica Knoll book. No. No. And it would be like if somebody was like, oh, if you like

Beyonce, you should listen to this person who made a really shitty R&B song in their basement. And I'd be like, put some respect on her name. Oh, for real. Tummies. Well,

do we have any... libyes. I have a short one that I'll kind of, that I think is like kind of next. And since we were kind of talking about, oh yeah. Short ones for the end of the year. I really want to listen to audition by Katie

Kitamura. I keep seeing it all year long and people are, it's divisive. So like you just don't know. You're just going to have to read it and see if it works for you. But it's supposed, to be like a pretty like profound like you get a moment and you're like whoa so i don't i don't know if it's plot twist or what um but two people meet for lunch in a manhattan restaurant she's an

elegant and accomplished actress in rehearsals for an upcoming premiere he's attractive troubling and young young enough to be her son who is he to her and who is she to him and that is all you get about it. But apparently halfway through, you're like, wait, what? And I don't even know what that means. So I'm like, I've heard halfway through that book is comparable to chapter 39 of the John Mars book. And like everyone is like, everyone talks about audition how good it is.

Yeah. And it's 197 pages. It's like five hours on audio. So like that is one that I'm going to. That's kind of. next next for me and very short i who have never known men is very short too so yeah i like i'm always teased by that but i also have a feeling it'll like go over my head a little bit so i want you to read it first i will read it first and just sometimes i'm like just tell me if it's

good yeah that might be enough for me i'll let you know because also what was another one I'm doing um I don't know if you remember like just swipe right or don't swipe right yeah it was like kind of this like comedy like slasher thriller um that like talked about like online dating and stuff but they're LM Chilton who wrote that has a new one coming out called everyone in the group chat must everyone in the group chat dies oh and I want to read that one and it's like this woman who like is like wants to escape from her life and like I guess like her town is like only popular from like a serial killer in the 90s and then she gets a message in a group chat with her friends that said like everyone in the group chat must die but it's from a friend who died

a year ago and then like the people in the group chat start like dropping like flies and I heard it's like kind of like witty like funny but like also like a little bit of like a thriller mystery and I just kind of want to giggle a little. I hope somebody has a crystal up there, hoo-ha. Yeah. You might. You never know.

Oh, my God. So yes, that's my next night. Yeah. That's what we got for you this week. I feel like we have some good wrecks. Some good wrecks. Also, I never have topics you want us to do. you can dm any of us i was going to need to start saying that at the end just yeah your dms are always open yeah so if you have any ideas we can we'll figure them out hell yeah