Bookwild - Pyschological Thrillers, Reality TV, and a Tornado with Marishka Lunde and Gare Billings

Episode Date: April 18, 2025

This week, Marisha Lunde, Gare and I set out to talk about psychological thrillers, but veered into all kinds of other topics, including reality TV. The episode may feel a little disjointed at times, because a tornado touched down near my home and I lost power in the middle of the episode as well as a few other times. Otherwise, enjoy meeting Marisha Lunde and hearing about her journey on Bookstagram!  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 

This week, I am with Gare and Marisha Lundy. I guess I should have said Gere Billings since I was saying full names, but the people know who you are. But the people. The people. The people probably know by now which Gare is. They don't. We don't care about them. I don't think I know any other Gare ever, so.

It's just you. Gear bleak Billings. Care bleak billings. Bleak and bitchy. yeah that's such a good podcast name I know I know if you ever have people to call me that in the streets like I want to like go into like my local bar like me friends for happy hour and have somebody like just like yell at or like name on a drink of bleak and bitchy

oh my god right it'd probably be like a tequila soda here for it yeah um but marisha for anyone who doesn't know who you are, you are an awesome bookstagramer. But what was your like start or like what made you start your bookstagram or what was like, what was like your inspiration moment to have a bookstagram? So I have a really basic bitch story. I think like most of us that started a bookstagram probably have the same story.

It was I was posting about books a lot and I was like people that follow like my real life account probably don't give a shit. So let me just hop on over and make an account dedicated to just books. Um, little did I know. I didn't even know bookstagram like existed. Um, so I literally just made up an Instagram account to talk about books and then all of a sudden this whole new world opened. I literally cannot tell you the last time I posted on my personal Instagram. Like I don't use it anymore. Um, that's what started to happen to me. And it's like last year. I legitimately just go over to check it so that the stupid notifications go away on the little dots on the bottom right because it drives me crazy.

But I truly, I don't even go over there anymore because Bookstagram is my main account now. But for a while, my whole like schick was I would do makeup looks to, like, eyeshadow looks to match book covers. And it was so much fun. So cool. The book that actually inspired it was Beth House. I didn't know that.

Oh, that's so cool. The OG book look was Beth House and it was fucking iconic. I'll have to find it for you. Which cover? Was that the like black and pink one or the orange? I'll find that for you. I'll just pull it on my phone here while we're talking. To this day like has, well, for one, has a special place in my heart because it was the OG.

To PJ Vernon, that's his name, right? Was like falling over himself appreciative about it. I feel like that book did not get enough love by the way. It deserves way more. dark, so good. So, two, I think he was just really appreciative that anybody posted a review of his book, but then it was sick. Like, one of my favorites I've ever done. So then for a long time, that was like my thing.

And from there, I got to start doing like lives with authors where I would do my makeup live while talking to them about the book that I was doing a look for. Oh, that's what they're called, by the way, book looks. Perfect. Yeah, then I had a baby and I don't have time. that shit anymore unfortunately but I did just do alive with yeah

I did just do a live with Ashley Winston last Friday and we got shit faced on wine and talked for two and a half hours it was so much fun yeah I started it and I listened to like 20 minutes of it because my dogs and babies were interrupting me okay I remember well this is going to show up

but like it just it doesn't do it justice I'm just going to DM it to you Yeah, I'll put it. If you watch on YouTube, you guys, I actually think that's the... Go scroll her account. It's, you got scroll. You got a deep scroll for this one.

You have posted July 10th of 2021. Nice. I think that might have been the post that I found you. Truly, it might have been because it got some reach, girl. Yeah. That was back when I was in engagement groups and shit. And I don't know if you guys are, well, oh my God.

Neither one of you need them for one. But like I used them obviously to like help grow my account because for a while before you could hide your like count and stuff cared about how much engagement your posts got versus just your followers. So when I would send like emails to publishers asking for like a review copy of a book to be able to put in there like my posts get over a thousand likes, which they're not organic that these people had to like it because I was in an engagement group with them.

I don't know. This might be a... You guys know what engagement groups are, too. Yeah. I remember hearing about them, yeah. Yeah, and so that's the thing is, one, I left them all when I got pregnant because I was so tired all the time,

and I just, like, didn't care anymore. But you also, like, can get banned on Instagram for, likeing things too quickly and liking too many things. So, like, you'll notice a lot of people are in insta jail. go and see how many engagement groups they're in. I can pretty much guarantee you that's why they're getting put in jail. It's because they're like too many things too fast. It feels very culty to me.

And it's not. Again, I have no like no shade to anybody who's in. I get it. I understand like I did it. So I'm never going to whatever. But yeah, it kind of is. And then on top of that, it's like a job. Like it takes forever, especially if you're in a lot of groups. And then on top of that, I still wanted to read books and like make posts about them and I had no time because I was too much in posts. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So, like, got a lot better when I loved those. Did you do anything in like cosmetology or do you just like enjoy doing makeup?

I'm so bad with eye shadow. I can do. Hilariously. Fault eyelashes and that's about it. So hilariously, I actually went to school to be an engineer. So no, nothing to do with cosmetology whatsoever. I've just always loved it. um yeah and a hundred percent like self-taught like youtube tutorials and stuff like that is um and even now

like i don't really have an excuse to do it anymore so that's why it was so fun and then it was like a reason to like have fun with makeup and if i did like a subtle enough one it could be like a night outlook too but now it's like i just stay home all the time so there's really no need i even joked on friday my skin was going to like absolutely lose its mind because um it's like this makeup what is happening. I haven't seen you like five years. Yeah. It's so iconic to like I just think that like when you see a lot of people

on bookstagram and this is like no shade to people but like you see people like use other people's ideas or whatnot for like engagement and stuff and like I remember like around the time that I had met you on bookstagram I was running into like blocking a lot of people because they were like copying all of my casting collages like even down to like the program I was using like the black and white photos and then like I found you and I was like oh my God like this is such a cool way to like introduce yourself to such like a huge community I again I loved it so much and I really do miss it and then doing it with Ashley on Friday too

I was like I could find time to do this again probably like every now and then, like, special little pub day looks for books that I'm super passionate about. But I do miss it. It was so much fun. Yeah. Yeah. But, like, it's also one of those things, too, where, like, the, like, the more, like, spontaneous it is and, like, the more time that goes in between them, like, people are going to, like, appreciate it more. That's true. That is very true. I can always count on Shelley to be, like, bitch is back whenever I post one, because it's just the best. but that's very true. It's little teasers every now and then to kind of do them again. Yeah, it's like when your favorite artist comes out of like retirement to do like a special concert.

Mumford and Sons tickets go on sale tomorrow. Speaking of, they haven't toured in forever. So my husband and are very excited about that. There you go. And you'll have on point eye makeup for the concert. Oh, hell yeah. And it's in October. so it'll be fun yeah fun little falls well the other podcast tie you have to us is you introduced us to

marshal carp who is truly a legend like human gem just absolutely the best yes so much fun he's so fucking cute all of us ended up reading don't tell me how to die and we're obsessed and i think that all came from you telling gear it's actually really funny that i'm the one that told him to do it because, Gary, if you look back through our messages, you posted about bookmail one day and you got, don't tell me how to die from Blackstone. And I was like, yo, send me the back cover of that. I want the contact for it because that sounds like something that's right up my alley. And sure shit, I finally read it a couple months later. And I message you because I knew you had it because you're the one that posted the damn thing. And I was like, move this up on your list.

It's so fucking good. That book broke my brain. yeah oh yeah yeah it's so funny like i get like bookmail and i'm like oh my god like sometimes i'm like getting things and i'm like this book's like three or four or five months away but like i this is what like i love about my friendship with you is that like i think i told kate this is like it wasn't even like um like you being like hey like if you're looking for your next book like you should like you were like you have to read like this is your next read oh no i don't recommend i i bully you i don't yeah yeah you like boss me around yeah yeah it's what you need i get it yeah i know Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like you're like, no, pick this up like immediately. Like finish what you're reading really

quickly and like pick this up next. I'm like, okay. I think I literally told you that this needs to be your next book. Yeah. I think I read it. Seriously, I was doing something at work for like a couple weeks where I happened to have like a lot of time to read while I was doing what I was doing. And I seriously read that book in one sitting at work. Like I just ripped through it. Oh, it's so good. I read it in two days. Yeah. My mom just finished it over the weekend too. What the hell. And you killed me first. I think you were the one that got me to read that too. Oh, really?

Ah, you read that one first. You read that one before I did with John Mars. That one? Oh, so I bullied you into reading that? You bullied me and doing that one. You and like everybody else that I was seeing it everywhere right after it pubbed because they killed that one close to the best. That was one they guarded pretty hard. They didn't let a lot of people read that one early, which good. him because that means he's like made it. Right. But yeah, I pre-ordered that one and read it probably within two weeks of it coming out. And yeah, you were, I think I may have posted it on my story and you replied and were like,

oh my God, that book is nuts. And it's fucking nuts. Yeah. It is nuts. It's so good. But ending is just layers of bonkers. It's giving like this season of White Lotus a little bit. That's true.

That girlfriend, that girlfriend which is just, it's so well, that friendship is so well written. It's so spot on. Yeah. Oh my God. Everybody that I know have, like, talked about how they've gotten out of like a friendship like that. I told my husband, too, like, it's so spot on for female friendships. Like, I don't know.

Like, they wrote it so well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You tell he watches Real Housewives. I love that that's like, Renewa. Marisha's wearing a real house

so I was a booksterine books. That's why I said like that. I love a book shirt. That would be hysterical. Yeah, my mom made me do this. She's a real one. Oh, I love that. She makes me all of the things.

Every time I get a stupid T-shirt idea in my head, she'll, she has like a T-shirt press. So I'm like, what are you making this? I love that. I need someone in our family to have a T-shirt press. And if Bravo ever ends up. up watching this. She didn't sell it to me and she didn't make any money off of it. So leave her alone. Protect her at all costs.

They've been known to cease and desist people for shit like that. Yeah. It's crazy. Bravo. Bravo. Bravo. Bravo. Bravo. Fucking. Bravo. Fucking. Right. Yeah. Worry about that. But you have Erica Jane still on the show. No fucking shit. I don't watch Beverly Hills anymore because of it. I don't. I hate Erica. had enough of Kyle, like enough. Yeah. Oh, it's even worse. But like the clips from the reunion have me considering just watching the reunion. Is it messy?

Yeah, it seems like it. And Andy actually like calls Kyle out on a couple of things. That's the first time. It's pretty funny. Ever, I think that he's like, truly. I heard that the reunion, if you do not like Erica and Kyle are like, is like more frustrating and infuriating because, like, they really, like, come for Garcel and she's like, okay, like, this is how I feel, like, whatever. And it's just like... Yeah, and the reunion's why.

Yeah. Yeah, she walks off. They did the same thing to her that they did to Denise Richards. It's ridiculous. Like, Target on her back. I think Kyle's just, like, not having to share it. She's like, no, Morgan wants to be private. Yeah. Are they a thing? Is that real? Was it? The gosh did all for them.

She is. yesterday. I saw a headline that was like, Kyle admits that they've been together. I'm like, this is not an admission. Was it an April Fool's joke? Oh, it was. That's a good point.

It could have been. He just outed, he just outed Kyle. Some Bravo account is like April L's. They're like, fuck yeah, Kate got you. You're probably right. I didn't think of that.

I was totally buying it. Yeah, it was something I saw while the dogs were outside, so I did not do follow up on it. I was like buying so much. Like somebody like said something about like one of the housewives was going to be on White Lotus and it was like somebody like random. Like so. You know,

I would have bought that too. Kim Wiley from like the OG like Orange County. Ossie. Yeah. Who like bragged about sunglasses and then like last. the show. Oh my gosh. Okay, but the OG-O-C is some of the best reality television ever made. Insane. Yes. Vicki Gunnelson would just be, well, actually the Tracy of Old would be hilarious at a

White Lotus resort. Truly, I've heard if you meet Vicky in real life, too, she is like an absolute gem, like loves her fans and is just like super nice to meet. I need Vicky and I need Kelly Dodd back on Orange County. Oh god, I hate Kay's so much, but she is good TV. She's such a TV. And I love how she's always like a little drunk and always like pissed. She's a mess. She's a true mess.

Like hates her life so much that she's just angry. Yeah. But I, like, she's such good television. So was Vicky, truly. I mean, oh, yeah. And say she wanted about the woman, she was fantastic on TV. Yeah. And I'm just sick of whiny Shannon.

Yeah. is my favorite housewife all time. Period. I think, I think Atlanta was the first housewives I watched, actually. And I was like, this woman is iconic. I saw a rumor that she's going to be on the next season of traders. I did not see it yesterday. I saw it last week.

I know. We've got to vet everything from yesterday. Do you think, since Karen Hugar is going to jail or prison, do you think that Candace will come back to Potomac? No. As a mom now, I think... They kicked her off, right, too? I think she left because she was pregnant.

No, she left because she was pregnant. Oh, okay. I didn't realize that. Yeah. Okay. I don't see her coming back ever, truly. I really don't. I don't think she needs the show. I saw an interview and she was like, now that like I've had my baby, like, the door is like always open. Then maybe.

But I don't know if she was like teasing something because, like, Like, you need something big to happen with Karen gone because, like, nobody wants to watch fucking Giselle. No. Not just you so. I actually, she should have been fired years ago. I actually forgot Potomac was on, so I've, I've not watched this whole season. I also can't stand Mia. So.

I hate Mia. Mm-hmm. And Karen used to be one of my favorites. Right. And then she had to go drive drunk. Yeah. Yeah. I can't condone that.

And, like, had the crooked wig and, like, asking the guy if he knew who. she was. Oh, God. What a way to go out, though. That's one way. And, like, the camera footage, like, looked like she was, like, kind of flirting with the cop. I was like, Karen. For sure was.

Karen. Poor, good old Ray. That's just like, they go to Wendy's. Is it Wendy's house? Not Wendy. Somebody's house. And she gets, like, just fucking lit on fireball in the basement. Yeah.

Oh, my God. Yeah. Wasn't that? Or was it Monique's house? I think that was Monique's like vacation house, wasn't it? Like, didn't they go on like some trip? Yes, because Tachala. Okay, so it was Monique's house because Tichala was there and he like flew at Wendy's head. Tachala.

Oh my God. RIP. RIP. Oh, we should have known we weren't going to talk about books when I get out of here. Anyone who's like, what are they talking about? almost an emotional support bird. He was not doing a good job because Monique was the biggest asshole I've ever seen in my entire life. She was like such an asshole.

She and Chris are divorced. And she like, I just like loved how like they were like, you were like coming for Candace and she kept apologizing to you and you kept coming for her. And she's like, no, I did it. And then they like, no. Like all the footage where she like, Candice is like, okay. Like I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. And she's like. And then I'm pissed about it.

too, and she's like stomping off. I'm like, oh my God. Oh, reality TV. What a blessing. What a blessing. Anyway, should we talk about books? Is Kate Frozen? Oh, yep. Yep, we lost her. It's always what. God, and I told her I was cursed because you couldn't get in and now, you know, we lost her.

What happens when, because she's the one recording? I think she just restarts and she pops back up. See gone. This has happened before and she'll just like pop back in. Just right back into conversation. She's the admin or she controls the universe, as I say. I believe that. It's just a professional.

I just like love how we've already talked about how you would just like bully me into reading whatever. It's real. I'm not going to ask you to read something. I tell you to read it. Yeah. You can do the same to me. I'm probably not going to like. listen, but you can do the same to me. I do. You do listen, though, what I do. That's true.

And on the few occasions, yeah. There's so few people whose recommendation I take as gospel, and you are one of them. So it's like when you feel about you. Yeah. Yeah. Like you and Kate and like Steph, like if you guys tell me like, oh, you're going to love this, like I know that I'm going to love it. And you guys are never wrong. Yeah. We do tend to agree, don't me? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I agree with you. You don't always agree with me. That was one time. That was one time. And I tried really hard.

I was like, just put it to the side. Because I tell you what, if it was any other book, I would have stopped listening. I would have stopped reading. But I was like, I'm going to push through this because Garrett loves this book so much. I'm going to like it. And I didn't like it. But I have the worst memory. That's why like I'm not a good book to grammar because people are like, I'm like, this is five stars.

It's iconic. I'll never forget it. And then like a week later somebody mentioned something about the book. And I'm like, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. So I have two funny stories about that. Especially if people mention, especially if people mention like, a B or C character like a week later you're like

I don't know who the fuck you're talking about anymore That person doesn't like they're like the twist in the end I'm like yeah iconic and I'm like what the fuck happened What happened? Somebody at work asked me about Fourth Wing because she follows my bookst account and she saw that I was reading it and she asked me what it was about

and I literally was like dragons like I couldn't come up with anything better than dragons like I had just finished the book and I was like I don't know how to explain this book. So yeah, it's going to be dragons. And then I had friends in a group chat that were reading,

don't tell me how to die, like, I don't remember how long ago it was. It could have been that long. And they were like talking about characters. And I was like, I don't know who the fuck that is. Literally my favorite book of all time. And I was like, I don't know who you're talking about. That person doesn't exist to me.

I love that. Oh, my God. I have my my boss does not follow my bookstagram but like he will be like oh like what should I read what should I read and he'll be like what's it about and I like literally will say like two words and he's like don't spoil anything I'm like will you shut up like let me finish like I know how to explain a book and not spoil it that's like literally like what I do

three out of four of my jobs like you think I'm spoiling shit on a podcast or she reads no that's a good point it's a very good point you're not I'm like shut up or I'll say like something really sassy and be like this movie came out 20 years ago if you didn't watch it yet that's your fault here's the ending I actually said that about a book I don't know what I was I don't know if I was doing alive with I want to say it was with Marshall carp because we talked about gone girl and I was like truly if you haven't read that book by now I don't want to tell you so I'm a spoil it yeah I said something about like my boss and I have like a very like good relationship thankfully but like one day we were like going back and forth at work in the office and like he like said something and I was like I'm gonna pull a gone girl in like two seconds if you don't like get on my side with this and like this girl that I work with was like oh my god I haven't watched the movie yet you're spoiling yet I was like the movie's 12 years old at this point like you're shut out a lot and the book is even older than that so yeah yeah yeah if you did not watch that movie for Ben Affleck's dick then like I don't know what to tell you at that point I think I saw it in theater's twice I saw it in theater mm-hmm Yep, I went to the theater for it. Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's one of the best

book-to-movie adaptations I've probably ever seen. It stayed very true to the book. Same. Yeah. And they cast it spot on. Mm-hmm. Roseman Pike was iconic. In my mind, I pictured Ben Affleck as Nick.

Did you really? When I was reading it, but like, I didn't have a bookstagram and I didn't do like the casting shit, but I was like, oh my God, this guy, like, reminds me of Ben Affleck because he's, like, so fucking hot and stupid. But my Amy. was Sarah Michelle Geller. That's a good choice, too. She would have also crushed it.

Because, like, cool intentions. I was like she will fucking ruin him. Well, so the theme of tonight was, you know, supposed to be psych thrillers, but I turned it into reality TV. We all did, collectively. And I was like, how many was I supposed to pick? Was I only supposed to pick three? Because I couldn't pick three.

I picked five. I picked five. That's fine. Go for it. I don't do rules. Rules aren't my thing. But I was like, I even told kids. I was like, I'm going to try to do like deep tracks, like books that aren't on every single psychological thriller list.

And I have a couple, but some of them, I'm like, fuck, they're on that list for a reason. Like, they're so goddamn good. Mine are so fucking basic. Because they're good. So mine are too. Okay. So I'll tell you there's, I would say, I would say there's three that are basic. And I didn't put Gone Girl on here, which is probably a crime.

But it's again. No, that's good. It redefined the genre. You know what I mean? It did. Yeah. Oh my God. People have been trying to do it since she did it and nobody has even come close.

But so I would say my most basic is probably the silent patient. But for the longest time, that was probably like my favorite book of all time. I absolutely loved that one. I think so. Me too. I loved reading it so much. Oh, yes. And I just like did not see it coming at all.

that's one of the few books where I still remember the big twist. Same. Because it was same with Gone Girl. Yeah. So I feel like books like that just deserve a special place in your heart when you this many years later, I couldn't even tell you when I read Silent Patient. It was well before Booksta and I just was on Bookstaff for five years in December. So I read that a long time ago.

My second most basic is Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter. That was one of mine. It's so fucking good. It's so dark, so, so dark. But so good. If you want to, like, that book will obviously emotionally wreck you, but, like, if you want to, like, have your shit rocked even more, there's a novella called blonde hair, blue eyes. That is Julia's last day before she disappears. Oh, fuck.

To, like, put everything in, like, her perspective after, like, reading pretty girls and, like, you get, like, her point of view. Did Karen write it? Yeah. That's what I was going to ask. Oh, wow. It was like fanfic. No. I didn't know that.

It's a little itty bitty baby. And I know I have... Which is so unlike her. She writes chunkers. Yeah. And her... I love her, but God, her chapters are so freaking long. Oh, look at that little guy.

It's so cute. It's just a little baby. That's like one of her chapters, usually. Yeah. Yeah. It's 100 pages. Yeah. Damn.

Okay. Okay, well, good to know. I just put it in my notes out. you have to write at we bully each other in reading things my third most basic is this is why I lied is that what it's called by Riley Sager

yes that's what it's called ironically that was the first book I read by him so sadly I've been chasing that high ever since because that's by far my favorite of his books I've liked a lot of the other ones but nothing nothing touches this one for me that one's my favorite

and it was my first Yeah, same. And it just, you know what? I might have lied. I think final, is it final girls or final girl? I don't know. Girl girls. That one actually might have been my first now that I think about it. Either way, it was one and two.

And I really liked that one too, actually. That's my favorite of his. Well, of course. That's very on brand for you. So, yeah. It was my first arc I ever got on Books of Graham. Are you serious? Yeah. My very first one. And now it's like, well, you still get them, I'm sure.

but you have to be like one of the chosen ones to get a Riley Saver Ark now. Yeah, I did have to donate a kidney. I will say which one did I get? So I got denied for, okay, what were his last few in order? Now I can't even think of you got so many goddamn books. The only one, no, what was the? So the House of Us, the Lake was two books ago. What was the one that just came out last summer?

middle of the night yes middle of the night yes he finally wrote from a man's point of view bless him okay so it wasn't middle of the night I got declined for that so then it must have been house across the lake that I got to read early no the only one left

the only one left that's the one I got to read early because I got declined I think for the one before that and I reached out to Dutton and they were you know they were like we review it on case by case and so I ended up reviewing like a couple books for them that weren't getting a lot of love on NetGalley and I'm 100% convinced that's

why I got Riley Sager's next one approved but now he's so fucking big that they'll only give it to librarians pretty much and like media damn even on NetGalley yeah they just I don't even know if they I definitely didn't get an email when they declined me

I haven't seen the new one on there I got declined for that shit so fast I got an arc of the new one of course you did the train you're the chosen one the train one yeah

but nope I it'll be on paying a random house audio so yeah eventually

and because I said I picked five in my dreams I hold a knife I don't know if you'd categorize it as a psych thriller but I do I think so

I would 100% yeah yeah it's all in their heads all of their fucked up heads yeah yeah And that fucking ending, that's an ending I'll never forget, girl.

I had a listener, well, or she might just be a follower. I can't always tell. I was someone who follows me, she DMs me. And she was like, she was reading dreams for the first time. And in the last like 20% her Kindle kept just turning off on her, like out of nowhere. And I was like, that is diabolical with that book. And then she messes me when she finished it and was like, oh, my God, what was with that ending? I was like, great.

My fifth favorite was Look Closer by David Ellis. Because for the longest time, that was my favorite book of all time. I don't think David Ellis gets enough love either. He doesn't. Because he's awesome. He has some books with James Patterson and I got, I mean, I think we all know. Well, maybe like you, Gare know better than most because you're in the book world professionally. But like I got like T.T on like how that works because I was like,

we know James Patterson ain't writing these books. Like he turns him out so damn fast. And yeah, he doesn't write them. Right. So I thought that was interesting to have confirmed. He already has a ghostwriter. No, it's not a ghostwriter. He, okay, so David didn't do this just so like anybody who's listening isn't like,

ooh, shady. What? He's a big team. Bruce is like, yeah. Fuck him up. Fuck him up. Fuck he. He has few things about this.

I was going to joke and say he's a big James Patterson fan. I was telling me to pipe down. So what James will do is he will send an idea, like a storyline idea. And then maybe 10,000 words. It might not even be that many to whoever he's partnering with. And then the person that he's partnering with, it's up to them to write the rest of the book. Oh. But because you put James Patterson's name on something,

you become an instant New York Times bestseller. So it's like, it's pretty good deal. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, that's how that works because I've always wondered because he comes out. He has to publish 15 books a year with the people that. Yeah, true. I don't think he writes solo anymore. I was like wondering that because I saw like some of his books in like the grocery store the other day when I was shopping.

But like I was just having a conversation about like Frida, like how it was. an October release, a January release, and then a May release, and I was like, how is she a fucking brain surgeon with two children and pumping all these out? I don't know, man. I don't know. Like, it just tells you her brain

operates on a different level than ours. It has to. Have you read the tenant yet? Yeah, I fucking loved it. Did you? I loved the show. I loved the boyfriend. Mm-hmm. Which was two books ago. I did not like the crash

at all. Like I found it insulting. But I have high hopes for the tenant. So I hope I like that one better. So I, like right now, I'm going through her backlist. And I read the tenant and like what I saw like other people who have like read everything by her is that it's like more reminiscent on like her older stuff. Oh nice. I thought it was like really good and really twisty. See, the thing about Frida is she is the queen of the popcorn thriller.

like you're gonna devour her books. They're not gonna like, it's not gonna like look closer to you or like don't tell me how to die you, but like, no. You're never gonna see it coming. No. She's gonna keep you on your toes.

Yeah, it's like when you turn on a lifetime movie and like it's actually something that you enjoy. I think it's like actually a good one. This is like really good. Yeah, like oh my God, that was not a huge waste of my time. But I've only read like a couple by her that I was like, me. But the crash was mine.

I don't think any. I truly haven't read that many by her. really gotten into her backlist at all. I've been just kind of reading the new ones as they come out. Oh, that's actually not true. I have big feelings about housemaid, but I won't get into that. But yeah, the ones I've read for the house for that. That DM was like all caps full of rage. Oh my gosh, Kate just said there's a tornado near us and our power went out. Oh, no. Getting in her closet. Oh, my God. But like this is, okay, so like if it was

me, I would be like, there's a tornado warning. Like, we're going to resched. But, like, Kate will just be like, I'm going to, like, ride this out until, like, my roof gets ripped off. She's so right or die. You guys just stay and talk. I'll be back. Yeah. Like, she's just like, right or die. I just, like, love everything. You fucking maniac. Okay. You're probably going to, like, get all of this, but I'm like, leave it to Kate to literally not warn us that there was, like, a tornado warning in her area. She's just going to be a ride or die and, like, keep recording until the roof comes off. That's pretty much. have just been texting you guys like I'm dead I'll never see you guys again because I'm so

dramatic and that's when the tornado would have been in like a different state like not even in mine I would have been like oh my god there's a tornado in New Jersey like see you in heaven just kidding I will not be going there we're going I was like I'm a heathen same well this is just going to be weird we were talking like mad shit oh really but not about you gossiping yeah just like about me if it's neat if I Industry tea. Ooh. Do you know what I really want to read, and I'm so terrified?

I don't know. I think you're going to have a huge opinion about this author. I'm so curious. Oh, there's tea about him, right? I don't know, is there? Why do I have a huge opinion about the author then? I thought there was tea. I don't know.

You usually know tea before I do. What's his name again? Easton Ellis. Right, Easton Ellis. I've heard he's like a wicked asshole But like he's There's definitely tea But let me figure out what it is

Um I'm dying to read American Psycho I heard it's actually really good I've heard it's really good But I heard it's like disgusting Have you had to have seen the movie Well yeah but like I don't care what Christian Bale does You know what I mean

Like running around naked with like covered in blood with a chainsaw I was like, this is the most sexual thing I've ever seen in my life. Not to find you. Yeah. And that's probably why I will literally be the victim of a serial killer one day. Dear, didn't you read the Shards? Didn't you love the Shards? I was obsessed with the Shards.

I still am obsessed with the Shards. Did you know HBO is adapting it? Yeah. I didn't know that. Mm-hmm. The guy who is directing it is the guy that did, call me by your name. And he met with Jacob Allorty. I remember seeing that.

Shut the fuck up. Oh, I feel like I did see that because you're so obsessed with him. If Jacob Allorty is Robert Mallory, I will fucking be so pumped for that. Okay. That would be awesome. I swear there was tea with that author, but nothing's going to mine. So I don't have big feelings about the other. I think the shards had pretty vicious animal cruelty in it, though, didn't it?

Yeah, I did. Yeah, so that's why I never read that one, I think. Yeah. yeah yeah I usually do not like animal cruelty when I read it in the shards I was like oh my god like this is like really fucked up but then like there's something so horrible that happens to like a female character like in the end of the book that I was like I forgot about like the animals

yeah that doesn't sound like a book I need to read I don't think I'm good it's not like there's no like sexual violence or anything like that with her it's just like Just violence. It's like psychological, like disturbing. Got it. Where you're like, that poor girl. It did sound really good, but that book was long as hell.

So good. I fucking love it. I have the UK edition. I have the U.S. hardcover and I have the U.S. paperback. I'm like obsessed. I think I have the audio from Penguin Random House. I just never started it. Was it a dog?

Was it a dog, Kate? I didn't read it because I was scared of the animal cruelty. I know there's something with, like, fish. I think it was a dog, though, that you told me. And I was like, ugh. I'm pretty sure you warned me about it, and I think it was a dog. Yeah, I think there's a dog toward the end. And it's, like, one of those, like, little, like, yappy, long-haired dogs.

You're like, it's the worst kind of dog, though. It's not, like, a golden doodle or a pit bull. Like, we're fine. Right. We're fine. Speaking of, what's Murphy up to? Is he sleeping? He's hanging out with my mom.

Probably snoozing and, like, acting like he's abused. Because he's dramatic as fuck. As dogs do. Oh, my God. He's so bad. Like, just started crying when I was on the phone today because he wasn't getting attention. And I was like, shut the fuck up. If you get me fired, you only have no money for treats.

Yeah. Well, so I disappeared for a little bit because there was almost a tornado. Well, there was a tornado near me. Apparently two of them. Like the two towns that are like closest to us had tornadoes touchdown. But then it just went south of us and we were safe. So I'm back. I can't remember.

Did you say all five of yours, Maritia? Yes, I ended on Look Closer by Beautiful. You did. You did. That's what we were talking about. How underrated he is when the tornado rudely interrupted us. It did. My power just completely cut out. And all of a sudden, I was just sitting here in the dark. And I was like, okay. You'll get to hear funny commentary from Garen I about that. I was like, oh my God, Kate just DM me. There's a tornado. And he's like, what? Why didn't you tell me? Oh, my phone's not to disturb. No, I said. Somebody was like texting me and I put my phone on, do not a stir for the first time. I never fucking remember to do that. And I was like,

I hit like deliver or like notify anyway or whatever. I'm like, hopefully he sees it. We'll see. It didn't. It didn't notify me anyway. Yeah. But I love that. I always do that to people.

I'm like, fuck you. I should be. Oh, yes. I don't do it. It was just because I was like, I need them to know that I'm like, might be gone, gone. Not in a dead way, but like, you know, the podcast is done way. Like I might not be coming back on the internet. Oh my god

What a night I would just start texting Tyler and be like I know Kate's dead but how do we pause the recording so we don't lose this I want to play this out her funeral he would he'd be down he'd be like it's what she would want Yeah she would want it

She would want to go out She would want to go out knowing that she was dying And you and Marisha were talking shit about like The publishing industry Yeah that's true it's what we did oh my god I love that thank you

I had to talk about this one as one of my options because I just got a beautiful special edition it is so beautiful so beautiful so it's local woman whistling local woman missing by Mary Kubica

for the people who aren't watching but if you're not watching You should go watch and look at how pretty this shiny pink cover is. It was made for me. And then the edges are so cool. It has trees. Everyone who's watching is like they took all of the characters from inside out and shook them in a fucking snow globe. And that's what this episode is.

Right. Reality TV, sass, shade, a tornado. I guess fear. I can't remember if that's an inside out. anxiety anxiety definitely anxiety um ever present omnipresent um

I just said this in my live with Ashley last Friday but I'm a slept for sprayed edges like I fucking love a book with sprayed edges so beautiful I agree it just really adds to it oh and the inner page is really oh my god I love that I know when Mary posted about it I was like yeah I've got to order that um so I pre-ordered it

it even got the back the back is like this too um what is the naked cover look like like you take the dust jacket off take your dust jacket off Kate take it off oh it's a little underwhelming well there's that at least the foiled title and this gray book that's probably what my husband thinks when i also take my clothes off so i get it same like oh okay simple basic really overwhelming

that is not true that is not true well I was going to share this to my Facebook when you went live with it but never mind but but local woman missing is about

a woman who goes missing um just locally believe it or not and then a girl returns who had been missing years before

and nobody can be able to be local women missing yes there's a woman and a child local woman and girl missing but the way that

it kind of is like it's almost domestic suspense the way that the lives of like all of these neighbors intertwine into these stories is just absolutely bonkers in one of my faves ever. I did love that one. Did you read? She's not sorry? Mm-hmm. Because I almost put this on my list too, right?

Yeah. Yeah. I love that one. The twist in that one. I was like, oh, it would be fun. I was not anticipating it at all. It would be kind of fun to reread knowing what you know, but I don't, like, I don't have the bandwidth to reread books.

I don't either. even though I forget everything about them. Dare does. Do you reread? That's amazing. He does. I don't reread and I typically don't rewatch unless it's been years. I love to reread and I love to rewatch.

Rewatch is my comfort. We had rewatch Severance because it was like four years. There was three years. Yeah. Yeah. And my husband didn't watch it when it came out. So then he needs to watch it. And I was like, oh, I can definitely rewatch this one.

hopefully no writer strike between season two and season three so that we get it in a relatively timely fashion. Yeah, if we can get it in like a year and a half or so, that would be nice. I tell anybody who will listen that that is the best show on TV right now. And Ashley, bless her heart, was like, I can't watch it. I don't like it. I know it's a show on TV, but I just can't do it. And I was like, you know what? I respect it.

I know. She was like, you're going to be so mad at me. And I was like, I am I mad at anyone for whether they can watch this show or not. Like, it's okay. Because I told her, I was like, you know, we got like five episodes in before her stuff even starts making sense. And she's like, does it ever make sense? And I was like, well, no. No, I am.

We're not at the end yet. I get it. I do get it. That's what I told Kay. I was like, I don't think I'm smart enough to stick on that long. I don't know that anyone is smart enough for that show. Yeah. It's also just very dystopian.

And like, I don't think I've ever heard you say anything about something dystopian. that you, maybe Handmaid's Tale, I guess, though. That's the only one I can think of. It's corporate. It's like office dystopia. So it just doesn't make me think of you necessarily. Not even smartness. I can't even do Handmaid's Tale anymore. It's like mirroring reality a little too much for my liking.

Yeah. I know. I don't know if I'm going to watch. I actually thought that I didn't even watch the last season. So I haven't even watched. Last season was like a lot more fucking like close to home. It was. than any of the other ones, especially like foreshadowing, I guess we'll say, but I'll just continue to enjoy my fifth rewatch of Tell Me Lies. I've been obsessively rewatching Banderpump Rules.

Like, I can't stop. It's a problem. It's great. It's fantastic. I don't like to watch new shows typically, although I did just watch adolescence. Oh, I've got to watch it. I still need to watch it, too. Tyler wants to watch it with me, and so it's like our schedules have just not.

lined up. It's tough, but it's so good. It's really tough, though. Yeah. As a parent, it hit probably harder than it should have. It's just like the acting and the kid that's in it is a debut actor and he's quite a wild. He's so good. Yeah. And then I can't think of the famous guy that's in it, but he's incredible. Yeah. I still like am disturbed by there's something about Kevin? Kevin. Oh, yeah. Yeah?

I tried to... I... Everybody loved the push, and I was like, that book disturbed me to my core. Oh, it was deeply disturbing. Yeah. Yeah. Did you read The Perfect Child?

Listen to Barry. I haven't read it yet. Makes the push with like a fucking fairy tale. Did she also write Saving Noah? Because I also can't read that one. saving Noah. Yeah. I had friends that read it and they were like, yeah.

So that's like my one like now is stuff with kids. Like I can't do it anymore. It's got to be so much different if you're actually a mom. 100% because I used to be able to like handle stuff like that. And now I just absolutely can't do it. There's no. You don't want to start wondering about what could happen with your kids. Especially the mom of a daughter.

Like typically in thrillers, it's girls who are victims. so it's like stuff with kids now is just a hard no for me yeah yeah i will say like for any anybody listening like there's no there's nothing graphic in saving noah like there's nothing like philosophical isn't it it's very much like this is what i did i know that it was wrong and like i like don't know what to do now um i think there's like a scene where like one of the parents is like i hope your son fucking dies in a fire basically which i Any parent would react that way, but, like, the ending is so sad. Like, it's just, like, heart-wrenching.

Mm-hmm. And-hmm. And-s that read it all said they cried reading it. I got really misty-eyed, but there's also one of the best twists I've ever read in a book in my entire life. Oh, really? Yep. Didn't know that. Yep.

Maybe I do need to read it. It's so short. It wouldn't take me along. No, it wouldn't. Although books are taking me forever to get through these days. So what the fuck do I know? I can't. One in four is my new favorite.

Have you read it? Have you read it? Okay, I have the arc on neck telly. Yeah. It's hard. It's going to be hard to read. Oh, fuck, really?

It deals with, like, it deals with a lot of, like, sexual assault and... Self harm. See, okay. Ashley and I, on Friday, I talked about how I never read the synopsis of a book before I read a book. And she was like, how do you choose what you want to read? And I said... one, authors that I know I enjoy, two, vibes, like, some of the vibes of the cover.

Yeah. And then three, if it's recommended by somebody that I trust, I'll read it. So I was like, I don't need to read the synopsis because that gets me through everything. And so I got the one in four when it was read now on Neck County because it's Lucinda Barry. Frick. Okay. I didn't know that. I think we were planning a buddy read for that, too.

It's not, it's not apparent in the synopsis necessarily. either. It's not. Trigger warning in the beginning? I don't know. I had the net galley arc. I can't remember. I think it's more psychologically dark. There's not, there's not like a lot of like graphic like pretty girls. You know, like it's just like this is like what's happening.

I think the character like disassociates, honestly. But when I talk to Lucinda Berry, she told me like one in four is my next book. and like if you know about like female statistics, you know what the book's gonna be about, basically. Oh shit. Yeah. And so... She like does tell you in a roundabout way. She, well, she told that to me. No, but you know what I mean? Like in the title.

Yeah. And then like when I finished it, I was like, you made me like sob out loud. And she was like, I, like, respect your opinion. Like, did I go too far? Hmm. And I told her no. Truthfully, do you think she did? Okay. No. Emotionally, like, her books are always going to, like,

emotionally got you, but like my, my example was like, people have read pretty girls and said that, like, Karen Slatter, like, did not go too far with that book. So, like, yours is more, like, emotional. Like, you know what's, like, happening and, like, you feel like awful for the characters, but it's not like, you're physically, like, there

in that moment. You know what I mean? Like, you're not, like, graphically describing things. Yeah. Um, oh, shoot, was I just going to say? Oh, did you... There are... There are? No. Oh. Well, if it's if it's more psychological, I could see that. Yeah.

Plus, you really don't see him in thrillers that much, if I'm being honest. That's more of a spoiler kind of thing. Well, I would say, so this is what's interesting. I would say thriller readers view that as a spoiler. Romance readers read, um, demon a necessity. Right. Like you have to have shit like that. So I find that interesting. But, um, I'm not against it. I just don't, I don't know if I have any that I would ever need to check for, so I just wouldn't check it. But like, if some Thriller readers want it, I'm not against having it at the beginning.

Yeah. You can always skip it. You don't have to read it. I always like forget them sometimes. Dogs. I do have one. Animal cruelty. Yeah. The shards is like my only exception. Yeah. Because I didn't tell when it's about to happen. I generally see it coming. And I don't remember if it was graphic. Like, I don't remember if it was

described. Pretty sure that it was. because I feel like you messaged me about it. Mm-hmm. That's how I, I think you warn me too. We both have memories. I know to, like, warn people, but, like, compared to, like, the characters, like, that, like, the deaths of, like, the humans and the serial killer,

I was like, fuck me. Like, that kind of, like, but, um, no, I, like, feel so horrible because thriller trigger warnings, I'm like, I'm not going to pay attention to them because they're spoilers. Mm-hmm. romance trigger warnings, the longer the list, the more I want it right now. Bring it on. Bring it on. Bring it on. This is kind of related. I think you read the new Abigail Dean, right? The death of us? Uh-huh.

I loved. I just finished it. And it's the saddest fucking shit I've read in a long time. I don't think I expected to fall in love with that book as much as I did. But I pre-ordered it immediately after because it's, It's going in my top 10 of the year, for sure. I didn't know. And I went back and read the synopsis because I was like, would I have known this if I read what it was about? It was read now on Netcali for a little while, and Viking is like really hard to get a proof for on Netcali.

So I was like, I'm going to go get this while I can. And it's not in the synopsis, like who the serial killer in the book is modeled after. I'll just say that. So I don't spoil anything since it's not out yet. That's not fair. But I was really surprised. but I thought she did a really good job. Yeah.

I don't even think it's a spoiler to say that. I just don't want anybody to be like, oh, I would have liked to find that on on my own, I guess. Well, I mean, to be fair, I put it in my review, so I'm just going to say it. The Golden State Killer is who the serial killer is modeled after like to a T. I'm a crime junkie, like lunatic. So when I read the synopsis, I assumed that it was the Golden State Killer. True, because it's couples that he was terrorizing, yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh. It is like, oh my God. Really, really, really hard to read. Oh, my gosh. But so good. I was like, like, there's humor in it still. Mm-hmm. But yeah, I was like sobbing when I got to the courtroom scenes and stuff. It reminds me of Tony and Susan. I don't know what that means. Did you ever watch the movie Nocturnal Animals?

No. with Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams? No. It's wild. Yeah. I love Jake Jllenhaal, so I feel like I would love that. Oh my God, you will fucking love this. It's unhinged.

I feel like he was in a movie. Aaron Taylor Johnson's in it. Oh, yeah. But he's married to a pedophile. Mm-hmm. But that's a conversation for another day. I feel like my husband and I watched a Jake Gyllenhaal movie. Nightcrawler.

It was awful. No, okay, I loved a night crawler. I love night crawler. It's one of my favorites. I think it was a Jake Jeline. I'm sorry, I'm looking at IMDB right now. Is that the journalist one? Yeah, that one was awesome.

Phot journalist. Well, this is Tony and Susan. It's one of my favorite psychological thrillers. I thought you were saying Tony and Susan were nocturnal animals. That's what Nocturnal Animals is based off. Oh, okay. Cool. Thank you.

That's hilarious. We've come full circle. Yeah. It is one of my favorite books. And the movie is so freaking good. Prisoners, too. That's such a good movie. That was so good.

Devastating. Prisoners is so freaking good. That's one of my favorite movie endings. Oh, my. God. Of course it isn't. Whatever. It's so bleak.

When Jake Gyllenhaal goes and he thinks he can like briefly hear that whistle and then like that's how it ends. It's heart wrenching. I'm trying to find a spree. I want Jake Jillon Hall to like body slam me in that movie. The neck tattoos. Oh my God. Oh, it's just all the tattoos. Two hours.

You would have no ink left on your skin. It is so hot. Mm. it's criminal. And his little like Twitch and his anger issues, sign me on. There's a reason you liked me. Yeah, Kate, you get a neck tattoo. It's on.

It's not right. Um, I don't think there's any animals that die in this, but this is my hidden gem. Kate is going to be like, Kate's going to probably roll her eyes and just like, hang up. because I can't stop talking about this book. The Last Winter of Danny Lansing by PD Viner. It scares me. Oh my God. Because it's like one of the saddest things I've ever read in my entire life.

I have gears saying that. You know it's sad. It's bleak. It's so bleak. But what I love about this is so it's like literally about like a girl who's murdered. And her boyfriend at the time like becomes a detective to solve cases like hers. Um, the father becomes like a recluse and like thinks that the ghost of her like spirit is like in the house and is like very emotional. And the mother is out in the streets like vigilante.

Like I'm going to fuck up people that I think killed my daughter. So I love like the gender reverse roles where like usually like people would be like, oh like the woman's the one upset like at home and like she's like out in the streets like doing some pretty brutal shit to people to be like if you had anything to do with my daughter. like this is your last day on earth actually is really interesting it's so good and then when you find out what happens in the end it's like shit bleak sad bleak and super sad

yeah yeah I love last one Danny Lansing oh my god that's up good my other ones were sometimes I lie by Alice Feeney that was one of my I was like thinking back to on like

what was the what were the like the psychological thrillers I read that made me like oh, this is fun. And I remember, I think that's, that is my first Alice Feeney that I read and that I could not put it down. It is so good. It's dark.

The general gist is like Amber Reynolds, or is the main character and it says, one, I'm in a coma. Two, my husband doesn't love me anymore. And three, sometimes I lie. So she basically wakes up and can't move in this coma, but you're kind of hearing what happens leading up to her being paralyzed. And then the whole time you're also like, the title makes you aware that it's an unreliable narrator in some way, but you're, you still don't figure it out. It's wild. Oh, it's so good.

My other psychological thriller that I'm obsessed with that I will always be obsessed with is jar of hearts by Jennifer Hillier. Okay. So I actually, I cut that one and put Riley Sager in over that one. I had a hard time trying to decide between the two. But I was like, I already said I would do three and did five. So I've probably read it three or four. four times. I love Jennifer Heller. When I meet her, I'm going to fucking sob my face off. Oh, you've never met her in person. No. No. Oh, that's going to be so cool. No. I've only DM'd her. I've never even, like, done alive with her because I'm, like, too anxious. But like, I will probably just be sobbing in Montreal. Oh my gosh. Uncontrolledly and being like, thank you for changing my life with every single book. Now I just want to be there to be a little BTS crew capturing the moment. It'll probably be like a restraining order. She'll be like your,

You haven't even introduced yourself and you're just like sobbing. Just kidding. She won't ask you that. But she's a gem. She's got gray hair too. She's so sweet and her books are so dark. It just like boggues my mind. It doesn't compute.

It doesn't compute at all. It doesn't. Well, my other one is the lies I tell by Julie Clark. And this cover was what influenced, I should have grabbed. are killing the tea artwork for a while when we were doing that. Yeah, the half faces and the purple and the blue. I was like, I have to at least mention this one.

But this is like, the gist of it is a con woman who's had multiple aliases and a journalist who's trying to track this con woman and figure out who she is. So it's like this, it's a psychological. magical thriller. Obviously, that's the whole whatever podcast title. But it's also like cat and mouse in a really, really, really fun way

bouncing back and forth. I loved it a lot. Shout out to Julie Clark's upcoming thriller for the summer. Ghost writer. It's fucking banger. It's good. Is that? I'm so excited. Kate, did you read it?

I think I'm waiting. That's what I just realized. I think I requested it, but I haven't heard anything. I have a physical copy if you want it. I'll send it to you. Okay. I'm looking. I, well, I thought Kate put it on my radar and I was like, oh my God, that sounds good.

And then, like, I checked my mail and, like, they sent me a copy of it. Oh, nice. But she didn't do they send you a copy. Of course, they were going to send you money. They didn't tell me ahead of time. That cover, too, is fucking sick. It's so cool. Mine came with this, like, cool little pen.

Mm-hmm. Right? They did like a cute little promo package for it. I got a really cute promo package. Oh, I do have it. From them for French. I'm on a delay over here. Well, the way that Maritia and I are, it's like 10 topics, three minutes.

We always still break it right back around, though. Yeah. They sent me, source books sent me a really cute promo package for, French honeymoon. It was like a cute little Yeah, that cover is really cool. That book was really good. I actually just read it last week.

It's short and it's like really bingeable. Like the first half you're like, what the fuck is going on right now? I love books like that. What's even going on? Who even are you? And the end got a little like far-fetched, but I still liked it.

What's like the psychological three? that you think, like, took so many twists and turns that, like, you had no idea what it was going to come next. Like, I'm not talking about, like, you're like, okay, like, I'm on a steady pace and, like, the end has, like, one twist or, like, a reveal that you didn't see coming, but, like, something where, like, every other chapter was like, what the fuck is going to happen next? That's a really good question. Because if you'll know, if you look at, you know, my list, the ones that I tend to

gravitate towards our like really big to us like only one yeah um i guess if i had to say i would probably say the best lies by david ellis because it felt like every chapter you're right and then at the end there was like a mega bomb i still can't get over that and then there's another one after it yeah like that i haven't read that one yet oh i love to look closer so there's a lot of Oh, did I say best lies? I meant look closer. I meant look closer. Best lies is like this.

I'm fucking idiot. The best size is like the same formula as look closer. It's like the same. Yeah. Like twist, twist, twist, twist, final twist. But also many micro twist at the end too. So both of those could probably be in that category. I'm such a dumb ass.

Yeah, well, Best Lise was his latest book, wasn't it? I loved. I love Look Closer. And I love that cover. Truly, like, always what I think of if someone, like, your question, like, with so many twists, like, you asked, and I was like, I mean, we already talked about it, but look closer, just, like, blows your mind multiple times.

But they're done so well, like, you don't. Yes. Sometimes you feel like the plot is, like, in service of all these twists, and I didn't feel that way with that one. No. And you feel really connected to the characters the whole time, and then the twist makes you, like, it makes the character is even more real.

Like it actually makes everything more real. It's crazy. If I were a rereader, I would have immediately re-read that one, knowing what the twist is and being like, are there a little like hints along the way? You know what? Okay, speaking of that, a book that does not get enough love is bad tourists by Carol Carver, I think. She's actually CJ Cook, I think. That's the same author. Really?

I'm pretty sure. It's either CJ Cook or CJ Tutor. It's one of those. I think it's C.J. Cook. Please hold. Let me look it up. You've had so much fucking tea. The only reason I know that is because Carol Carver. CJ Cook. She is C.J. Cook. She is C.J. Cook. I do love this cover. I see it every now and then. So bad tourists. I want to say. It feels very white lotus.

I remember the big twist. I'm going to try and tell you what it's about. It definitely gives white lotus energy. And I want to say, it says a post-divorce retreat with three friends. Very white lotus energy. A post-divorce retreat? Yes.

People go on post-divorce retreats. Oh, yeah. It's like a girls trip. Like a posture. Oh, okay. I thought it was like, yeah, it's three friends. I thought it was like, uh, like, oh, this is like an event for. Like you pay for it.

No, no, no, no, no. No, it's, it's three friends. This is no ordinary friendship and they're not the only guest on the island was secrets. Who left a body on the beach and who's next? It sounds fun. It's underrated in my opinion. And then I found out that the author was actually CJ Cook and I was like, I've liked her. other books too so that's crazy.

I just am fascinating. I feel like I just found this out about a different author too that they were somebody else but it's not coming to me right now. That one blew my mind though. I did not see that coming. But it was CJ Cook. Mine's um, Density of Souls by Christopher Rice.

Hmm. There are so many things in that book where I'm like, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. and it's like psychological, like, trauma. Like, it's just, like, so sad, but, like, the twists are incredible. You just never know what's going to happen. I'll have to add that to my list. I've never read that one.

Oh, my God. I've got to read it sometime. It's so good. I just keep requesting things on that galley. I'm in a galley timeout right now. I should be. What is wrong with me? I haven't.

Oh, no. I did that. I got my show to one. Nine. I have myself down to nine books left. I'm now at 25. Yeah, I have 30 now, but they do go out into November, thankfully. So. I'm in the 20s, and they go to July. Oh. Oh, broo. And I have physical arcs that I have, too. And I'm like, what were you thinking? I think my macho blacked out. My macha Kendall had like one too many tequila sodas and was like, tincto, request for crust. I think I only have two April ones on there right now. I'm actually reading one from source books. That's like really fucking cute. A town with half the lights on.

I know this is not at all the theme of what we're talking about today, but it's written entirely in emails and newspaper articles and like stuff like that, which I love. I love mixed media. And it's not even really mixed media because there's actually no writing at all. It's entirely emails. and like that's how the whole story is told which I think is so interesting

because there's no like you know and then this happened and then this happened like it's all pretty much dialogue and like somebody telling somebody else a story so I'm really enjoying it it's like really cute I think it's going to get kind of heavy just that's the vibe

I get but it's really good I've been trying to find it and I couldn't find it on good reasons because I was searching a town with all the lights on, not half the lights on. I was like, oh, half is a little different than all. Yeah.

It makes sense once you've started to read, oh my God, I'm on fire again. There's this like, there's this like, M.M. Romance duology that I keep, like, hearing about and, like, I really want to read them. I'm more interested in the second book, and it's like 350 pages, but the first one is, like, over 700. who has a time And I'm like

Oh You're kidding I read all three They're like super dark Well you'd probably enjoy it I know True T

What are they called Who writes them The mortuary and the Mortician The mercenary and the mortician And then the second one Is a MMMROMANC romance Called Make Me

Interesting I'm intrigued by the title of the first one. She shared, the author of the second book, shared some not safer work, like artwork for like special editions. And I was like, oh my God. Her characters, like, immediately I saw the cover and I was like,

oh my God, I heard Sabrina Carpenter be like, have you ever tried this one? Give me. I love it dark. Well, it's half. passed my bedtime. Yeah. Well, you've been through some shit.

He had a brush with death. Literally. I was almost gone and gone. That was so funny. Yeah, when I'm gone, I was like, Jesus, that's dark. Marisha, I expect that out of my mouth. He's like, wow, Kate.

You guys are like being in my sleep by, really murdered in my sleep by Jake Jelinell from prisoners. That's just a fantasy. of your scare. It is. That's how I want to go. That's how I want to go. There are a worse ways.

Yeah. But yeah. I like just talking about psychological thrillers. Oh my gosh. We talked about everything. He did a dash of psychological thrillers and a whole shitload of

reality TV. Yeah. Yeah. Which is pretty much my life in a nutshell.