Bookwild - Some of Our Favorite Reads from August with Gare and Steph

Episode Date: August 29, 2025

This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about some of our favorite books we read in August!Books We Talked AboutMy Husband by Maud VenturaToo Old for This by Samantha DowningDon’t Forget to Write by Sarah Goodman-ConfinoHappy Land by Dolen Perkins-ValdezThe Locked Ward by Sarah PekkanenKnife River by Justine ChampineDominion by Addie CitchensEveryone is Lying to You by Jo PiazzaEverything is Tuberculosis by John GreenThe Trad Wife’s Secret by Liane Child 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 

Okay, so here are my ideas for... Oh, go ahead. Go for it. No, no, you go. This is your show. You can keep going? No, I'm just a guest star. No.

Now I'm shy. I just have to do some kind of intro. The Gare stuff K-Trio is back this week. And Gare has options for us is what I just learned. I like. I do. I'm going to start with, I have ideas for icebreakers, but now I'm just not going to tell you the other two that I had. And I'm just going to save them and like surprise you guys.

Okay. So my icebreaker today is if you have a bookish or book community related hot take. Bruce has one. Yeah, he's like, he's like, I hate book podcasts. That's what I hate book. He's like, you guys take up my mom's time and I walk her here with me. You guys yap all the time. Shut the F up.

Yeah. He's like, I have the opinion. Okay, a hot take. I know I do have hot takes. Of course I do. Oh, someone posts about how much they love a book. You don't need to comment in the DMs and talk about how much you hated it. Amen.

It's just not the place for it Yeah You only come across as like raining on someone's parade There's no other interpretation Yeah it'd be different if someone was like What did you guys think? Yes

Yeah if someone's just gushing and you're like I hated this It's like okay I have nothing to follow that up with I'm looking up at Carousel right now though Even when people are like, what did you think or did you like this one? I never feel the need to tell somebody I hated it. Same.

Right. Like unless somebody, if somebody posts a story and they're like, I hated this book so much and I did not like it. Yes. Then I'm like, okay, like, let's have a little like kiki moment. But like, or when somebody says like I hated this book so much and then I loved it, I'm like, okay, you didn't like it. But like, I'm not going to argue with you as to why the book was good. So it's just, that's weird. Yeah. My first reaction, which isn't necessarily better, is to like question my own thoughts about it. Like, was it better than I thought it was? Or like, did I, why did I like it so much? Or like, you know what I mean? I would never like yuck someone's yum about it.

It almost kind of feels like, not intentionally, but like, it almost feels like insulting when somebody's like, I hated this book so much. And you were like, loved it because like not that they're doing it on purpose unless they're like if you love this book you're like a moron you're a loser but like I don't know I don't know I know I know I know I have a bunch but like I oh I I think my hot take is more I find myself defending or like pre defending books like I read it I loved it I can already tell what some of the critiques might be and I'll get like frustrated with publishers who market things improperly. Like I don't know if that's a hot take, but I'm like, if it's not a, if it's not really a thriller and you know everyone's going to get pissed that it's not a thriller, don't market it as a thriller because I just

get like so annoyed when people critique a book because like it wasn't the thriller I was expecting. I know. Yeah. Like maybe you should just go in blind and not be like, well, I just wasn't what I thought. well, no one owed you anything. Yeah. That's like, I just feel bad for authors. I think that like that book that I loved, a gorgeous excitement by Cynthia Weiner.

Oh yeah. I love that book so much. But like them marketing it as being like, there's a dead body, like a dead young girl in Central Park. Like that was like the tail end of like the last like 10% of the book, I would say. Oh. So like when they like publish that, like you're probably thinking this is like an 80s like murder mystery or something and I'm like I love this book so much for what it is. But like I wouldn't have even had that in the synopsis. Totally. Like you're not doing anybody a favor. No. By marketing it that way. No. It's kind of like I don't even know what I could compare it to. It's kind of like when something happens in like a rom-com and you're just like like it's like one of the serious moment happens right? Like when somebody's like, mugged or like in a car accident and you're like okay like that's not really like central to the

plot but like it'd be like if they put a trailer out for a movie and it was like oh this car accident happens and then like it happens in the last like five minutes yeah yeah otherwise it was a romcom yeah otherwise it's romcom yeah i heard so gregg wands he said one time that mystery is what happened and thriller is what's going to happen is like an easy way to like boil it down. Bruce doesn't like your air conditioner. I'm sorry. He doesn't like anything right now.

Don't be sorry. I thought it was a really good way to think about it and helps me like talk about books really decently. That makes sense. Because I hate when people are, well, I don't hate it. But like I get like confused or like frustrated with myself when people are like, is this more mystery thriller or suspense? And I'm like, okay, like mystery is definitely like Agatha Christie like slower burn. but like thriller and suspense to me are like very similar like similar like I still don't really differentiate between the two so I just call everything a thriller yeah I guess I've learned

that if you want to call something a thriller it has to be like warp speed breakneck tornado high octane otherwise people are up and even if the twist doesn't make sense it better be a surprise or it doesn't count yeah that's my high take is that I maybe that's it is that like I don't need to be surprised I want a good story yes I don't know I want it to make me getting old though too I'm not I'm like I just wanted to be a good story I'm like I'm the oldest and I'm like I want everyone to die in the end of the book Yeah, you are. I think I have a bleak billings today. You know what I was thinking about, interestingly, this week.

I have a friend who's been on the podcast a couple of times, McKinsey, and she read King of Ashes and is just like, she is beside herself. She was like, I didn't think things would be this depressing. I didn't think books could get this depressing. And it's like dawning on me that, like, to her, I'm probably, like, like oblique fillings and to me i'm like that was like hardly as bad as endings can get is this is that her first essay cosby yes oh yeah and i think what i'm realizing is she really does read books that there's a lot of like triumph at the end oh never heard of them yeah i i love to listen

to episodes of this like when I'm working, just like in the background. I feel like I'm like with my friends and stuff. And I listened to our Ethel Cain episode. And I was like laughing, but also feeling like so sorry for you because like I was like literally talking about this like fictional teenage character going through all this stuff. And you were like, this is so sad.

And like your voice would get really small sometimes when you were like, that is so. And I'm like, and I love this album. So I love the story of Ethel Cate. And I'm just like, this is so heartbreaking. And you're like, this is the saddest thing you're like. Yeah. It was. Gere, what's your hot take?

I feel like mine is controversial. But I don't care because I will I will yell it with my chest. Wait, is it controversial to what we just said? No. Or is it contradictory? No. Oh, no. I agree with you guys.

Oh, okay. I support women. Okay, so even if I didn't agree with you guys, I'd be like, you say what you need to feel. Get it. Right? Like, just say whatever you feel. Um, mine is that I feel like book talk is a lot negative things compared to books to gram, which is more positive. Like, when I am scrolling, they're like, honestly a handful of like book talkers that like I trust in love at this point.

Like my girl Abby, I'm obsessed with her. I think she's like the sweetest human being in the entire world. Which Abby is she? A.B.B. I.E. on TikTok She's also on Instagram too What's her like do you know what her name is on TikTok Just in case people want to know Yeah I'll

I'll find there because she's I She's like you will see her TikToks It be like I just want to hang out with you so Yeah Bad because I love her so much Um Hers is Abby Connick K-O-N-I-C

Okay And then my guy Ian Ian reads and then underscore I feel like they're generally like really positive like here are the books I love to

but like some people on book talk like I hate this one challenge where it's like my five star reads my four star reads my three star reads my two star reads and my one star read I'm like that is so that is such an asshole thing to be like, oh, here are like two and one star read.

Like, because like generally like it's just like, okay, if a book doesn't work for you, like why even like yop about it that much? Right. Or they're like, here are the authors that I will no longer be supporting. And like they'll say like all of these authors and not give any context as to why. Or say like if you need more information, like look it up. And it's like, okay, like we all have been in the position where like an author has gotten canceled for being problematic.

Some booktalkers or books to grammar still hang out with those authors, but that's another story. And like, you will know it because like everybody's yapping about it and has like a good reason. But like, don't tell me that Colleen Hoover is like canceled when like nobody's talking about that anywhere else. Or don't tell me that like Rebecca Yaros is canceled

when nobody else is talking about it anywhere else. You know what I mean? Like there's nothing like, it's not like widely known. Yeah. just mad a little jerk and sometimes like you can give a one sentence just so people have some context yeah i'm like i don't i don't like it when people are like i'm not doing the work for you and why are you talking about it like why are you here presenting it to the world unless it's in a previous post you can refer to right oh yeah that is so i i have that is not the first time i've heard that. I've heard that more recently gear that same thing, that that's just a more negative space.

Yeah. Or they have like negative things like that. And I'm like, when you get on like bookstagram, people are like, oh my God, this is a book I loved. Or like, yeah, there might be like some negative things and like a reading wrap up. But like other than that, like it's like pretty positive. And like, I don't know. I just like would not be making a challenge to be like, here my one and two star reads. Because like once they're done and I don't like them, I don't want to talk about it. Yeah, I hadn't seen that one. That is, oh, that's a shitty. That's a gnarly challenge to go ahead and too. Yeah. So, just as I was thinking about it, so my book talk seems positive, but it could be. So I'll just say, I follow Sydney books. Like she has like three wise than Sydney. She's really getting big on Instagram now too, but I found her. lights in the background? Yes.

Yeah. Does she have long brown hair? Yeah. Every time I see her, I think of you. I know. And she has like transparent glasses. And she dabbles in horror. Everywhere.

Yes. Oh my gosh. Yeah. I really love her recommendations for sure. And then Britt and her books I first saw on TikTok. And now she's more on Instagram too. And then where's my library card on TikTok? I think that's who she is.

Yes. Yes. I was just like the judge gavel. I was just looking her up because I wanted to give her a shout out. Yes. I love her. She's so positive. I love her.

She does funny things like smiling or silent but smiling to show you how I felt about each book and like those are funny. She had a gavel that was kind of like one of her bits that got her like traction a couple years ago. I love her. When she takes out the hammer, I'm like I need to ask this. I love her so much. She is amazing.

Yeah, and she reads all over the genres. So that's kind of fun, too. She's actually the one. I'm going to give her credit now because I love her. She's the one that pushed me. We never had a conversation about it, but she's the one that, like, inspired me to read Lucinda Berry's backlist. Yes, I remember her talking about, she did, she did like a series about Lucinda.

She did a series about Frida. Yeah. Yeah, she's, I love her. She's great. I love her. not and I'm not trying to be like I liked her before she had millions but like I remember when I first started seeing her and she had a couple hundred thousand like I even DM'd her because I was like you want to come on the podcast but I think she was too popular at that point still so good for her not mad about it yeah I love her I do too yeah she's great so there's some they are fun people to follow on Instagram you can find amazing booktokers on book talk on book talk like her, Abby, Ian, like people who are like generally like positive and like if they have anything

where they're like this book didn't work for me, it's like generally like constructive feedback, you know, but like some of the challenges and the stuff that I see like it's just like not hitting for me with like how like negative it is or how much they just want to like bash authors and books. Yeah. Yeah, I'm not here for that. because they'll be the first ones to cry like if somebody's like giving an author like so much backlash and they're just like fuck out i'm not going to write anymore then they're going to be the first ones to cry and be like oh i wish i had a book by like this person because that's what i'm feeling right now and then like it can be very negative much yeah i like to yeah not a good look doesn't put a good taste in my mouth to like want to follow somebody like that there's so much ick in other arenas of life yeah unless you're like close with someone because we say all this stuff where I'm like keep that positive but like I have a friend that read night watcher public facing stuff yeah I have a friend that read night watcher and like just did not work for her whatever to each their own but like she gave it

three stars and when I saw that I was like okay like I have to know we generally like agree a lot on things so like what like what was it that you like why you gave it three stars her review included spoilers when she told me so like I'm not going to show you what her feedback was. But I was like, okay, like, yeah, I kind of get that. Like, some things that work for me didn't work for you or whatever. But then she posted that she was in, like, a reading slump. And I was like, this is what happens when you rain night watcher three stars. Savage. Your constructive criticism. I'm like, I'm like the little night watcher, which, like,

you don't like it? Reading slump for you. I need, like, a little wand. A book wand. Yeah. my gosh. Good one. Thanks. I'm excited to see what other ones are on your list next time. I know, I'm excited too.

We should have one night where I just have like three or four margaritas and I just come up with like all of the really good ideas for ice breakers and we just do ice breakers a whole episode. That would be fun. Because I literally thought of these last night when I had three margaritas with dinner. Just like bookish questions. Yeah. That would be fun. That'll be my test. We'll have to do that. Yeah. Because I thought of those when I had three margaritas with dinner last night and I was like, oh my God, am I on to something? Is tequila my brain food?

I think it's a super food. I know. I must be. There's like this line where it's really productive and then after that it is no longer productive. I feel like three was like the perfect number because I slept like a baby last night. But I was like I had like pizza, deep fried pickles and three margaritas. So like, where do you go wrong? That's amazing. But like, where do you go wrong?

Oh, seriously? Where? Yeah. Well, since we're going to wait on his other ice breakers from the three margaritas, we're going to shift into our August favorites. I like this idea, Gere. It was good. Like, every month to do it.

You're just a machine. I had the monthly favorites idea when I was drinking aporal sprits. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, we just need to keep you drunk. I was like, huh. Oh, that's funny. Are you, like, out with friends? And all of a sudden you're like, hold on, I need to put this in my notes.

Or like, are you just like, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I'm like literally, like, out with, like, friends and we're, like having a conversation and then it'll, like, be something that, like, makes me think of you guys. Or it'll be, like, after I'm done with my friends and I'm, like, driving home. And I'm like, huh. this would be like some really good ideas i'll think of like content i want to make i'll think of like

things that i want to like talk about with you guys or like questions that i have and it's like it's like that when i'm driving and i want to say for the record when i go out to dinner with my friends my limit is always three and it's not like three i'm not like getting like wasted and like driving around like what can i talk about box left just to be transparent um so yeah um so like yeah um So, like, yeah, I'm just like on my way home and like most people are like, oh, like, I'm going to like let my mind wander or whatever. And I'm just like, no, I'm not going to clear my head. I'm going to think about book things. I love it.

So we're doing our top four from August. Yeah. Okay. We're recording on August 27th. So we're pretty near the end. But you never know. We might have a new favorite happen in the next week. We'll see.

I know, and it's a three-day weekend. Oh, yeah. If you do finish on Monday, it is September. Yeah. Oh, that's true. Wow. I always love when I finish something on the first, and I'm like, I'm already one in. Yeah, I'm like, it's September 2nd.

I'm on my second book of the month. You losers. So bad. Yeah, let's speed reader. Oh, my gosh. Seriously, though. Well, actually, I'm going to use that segue because sometimes I have that same experience when it's like a five-hour audio book and you're like, who is she?

She read a book in like 18 hours. So I had that experience with my husband by Mod Ventura. I remember Hallie telling me last year that she read it and she was like, boy, is it unique. And then Justine read it up in a book club. And she then pointed out that it's a five-hour audio book. And I was right at the end of my Spotify hours. So I just snuck it right in. And it is very unique.

At 40 years old, she has an enviable life. Okay, we're just not going to give a noun. Okay. At 40 years old, she has an enviable life, a successful career, stunning looks, a beautiful house in the suburbs, two healthy children, and most importantly, an ideal husband. After 15 years together, she is still besotted with him, but she's never quite sure that their passion is reciprocated.

After all, would a truly infatuated man ever let go of his wife's hand when they're sitting on the couch together? Determined to keep their relationship perfect, she meticulously prepares for every encounter they have, always taking care to make her action seem effortless. She watches him attentively, charting every mistake, in punishing him accordingly to help him improve. And she tests him, setting traps to make sure that he still loves her just as much as he did when they first met.

Until one day she realizes she may have gone too far. Dang. I didn't know. This book was so short. Yeah, it is so short. I was going to say, I've seen this cover so much. I've seen, I've been seeing it like for two years, I think. Oh, we have 2021.

Mm-hmm. It is very unique. It's not a thriller to our conversation earlier. Like this is unhinged literary fiction. Why does this say horror? It is not horror. Okay, well, don't look at the genres on Goodreads. There is an ending that is fantastic, but this is not a thriller.

but it is like a literary deep dive into a very obsessive mind and what can go wrong with that basically is what I'll say so I burned through it and it was I'm still thinking about the ending I love all the covers like when you look at all I know because her other one make me famous I want to read that one soon when they turn it into a movie I think Nicole Kidman's going to be here probably yeah you've um 100% She's already trying to buy it probably It kind of reminds me of This book that I loved

That I thought was going to get way more hype Called The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison It was like very like literary And kind of like not what I expected But the ending was That shit So satisfying Oh, that's amazing.

Was this a book originally in French? Yeah. It's translated. Just like inconvenient woman. I know. I was thinking about that too. That's going to be her next thing. What's going to be her next thing?

You. It's going to be like Kate is like in this like era of like now she's like in her like audiobook era and she's in her like speculative horror era. And now she's going to be like I just like love French translated literary frillars. It gets more and more specific. It might have it. It gets more and more specific. Only by authors born in 1981 to age three.

Yes. You know how people talk about wine? They're like, this is a 91. Yeah. Like, East French noir. Yeah. Oh my gosh. That sounds good, though.

Yeah. So aren't there like classes on like Russian literature from? Yeah. To blank. Mm-hmm. So my first one is too old for this by Samantha Downing. Ooh. I probably my favorite one of hers now.

Really? Yeah. I've ordered it, but I have not read it yet. I go back and forth with like this and my lovely wife where like one day I'll like one more than the other and then like some days I'll just be like they're equal to me. Like I just see them as a partnership. Yeah.

But it's just so good. So Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her. Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends. When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie's past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can't have that. But getting away with murder is hard enough when you're not. young and when Lottie receives another annoying knock at the door she realizes this crime might be the death of her.

Nice short synopsis. Yes. It's really good. It is by far her highest rated book so far. Oh, really? Like it has a 4.03. Wow. It's so snarky.

Yeah. Like I think it's snarkier than anything she's written yet. But like also like the chapters are kind of short and they have like little cliff. hangers where you're like well what's going to happen next how is she going to deal with this see i love her her books are so fast-paced for me like with the chapters and stuff yeah yeah even when i read it like physically like in front of my face i feel like she's still telling the story specifically just to me oh yeah you know what i mean a good way to describe it yeah thanks you're welcome i think reading for you right first what was that i said my copy is somewhere back

there. Oh, yeah. I think for your own good was like the first like snarky book I had read and I like didn't even know how to describe it until I listened to you guys on Killing the T and I was like, oh, snarky. That's such a good word. So I was like, what is this like attitude? I love it. Yes. Yeah, I love an unapologetic woman in a thriller or in my life. Who us? Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's such a great segue actually. Ooh. So remember when we did like, what are things we love the most in books? And I said snarky grandmas.

I read another book by the person that inspired that this month. And this is Don't Forget to Write by Sarah Goodman Confino. And I love the women she writes. They are so like witty and snor. and strong and the great aunt in this book is like is it maril streep and devil devil wears prada like like her relationship is kind of like that with anne hathaway where they're like bickering with each other but it's like the best so i like was sobbing at the end so when maryland kleinman is caught making out with a rabbi's son in front of the whole congregation

her parents ship her off to her great aunt Ada for the summer. If anyone can save their daughter's reputation, it's Philadelphia's strict premier matchmaker. Either that or Marilyn can kiss college goodbye. To Marilyn's surprise, Ada's not the humorless, well, septuagenarian. Septuagenarian.

That means you're in your 70s. Ah, that's good. Sometimes I'm like, I think I have a decent vocabulary until I read a synopsis on this. That's a random word. her mother described, not with that, platinum blonde hair, Hermes scarf, and Cadillac convertible. She's sharp, straight talking, takes her job very seriously and abides by her own rules,

mostly. As the summer unfolds, Ada and Marilyn head for the Jersey Shore, where Marilyn helps Ada scope out eligible matches for anyone but Marilyn. But if there's one thing Marilyn learns from Ada, it's that she doesn't have to settle. With the school year quickly approaching and her father threatening to disinherit her, Marilyn must make her choice for her future. Return to the comfortable life she knows or embrace a risky unknown path of her own. I love female relationships, as you know.

I love when there's like a little romance, but it's not a main point. It's like a side plot. Yeah. And this one really got me. So. Yeah. I love that. That's so cool that it can be witty and...

That was one of each of you. One was Bruce and one was scared. Oh, my gosh. You've got to stop. Well, anyway, I'm always impressed when something can make me laugh and then still makes me cry at the end was what I was trying to say. Oh, yeah, I'm just like, well, five stars, I guess, because... Yeah.

Who can do that? And you know when you really love a book, when you like all of a sudden see reviews that are like really critical and you're like, excuse me. Go fuck yourself. Yeah. How about that? What? Get a personality or something. Like, I don't know.

That's how I would feel if like I haven't even looked at the reviews for them. But like if I ever saw a negative review for how we met the stars, I would be like, I'm going to find you. I will find you. Yeah. Because like that is. shit. Yeah. And then if I see comments that are like, agree, what? Unfriend. Like, I need to get out of here. I need to get up. We're not friends anymore. We're not friends anymore. Who are these people? What are you doing hating on my book? God. Even if it like has an average of like 4.2. So like it's

definitely an outlier. Oh well. Well, I have one about. someone going across the country to reconnect with a relative. Which is kind of similar. Yeah. But I listened to Happy Land by Dolan Perkins Valdez this month. I loved it so much. Bonnie Turpin is now one of my favorite audiobook narrators as well. I'm listening to One here right now.

Yeah. In the hills of Appalachia, there once existed a land ruled by a and queen, inspired by memories of African kingdoms, a community of formerly enslaved men and women grasped freedom on mountain land they owned. But freedom doesn't always last forever. Today, after years of silence, Nikki has been summoned to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother. But instead of revealing answers about their recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki a shocking story about her great-great-grandmother, Queen Luella, and the very land they stand on. Land-mother Rita insists land-mother Rita insists must be protected at all costs. As Nikki learns about the kingdom of the

happy land, she comes to realize how much of her identity is rooted in this family land and how much they stand to lose if it, like so much else, is taken from them. It's time to reclaim what's theirs. So it doesn't make it very clear, but you do get dual timeline in this one as well. So like you get a timeline with Luella and then you have the timeline with Nikki as well. But the women in their relationships with each other are just amazing to also echo what Steph was just talking about. And the writing is just really beautiful. I loved the narrators. And like, again, not a thriller, but she's like trying to figure out what happened in the past so that she can prevent something from happening in the future. So there is like an urgency to it. And you are kind of like fitting together puzzle pieces. So I really do enjoy that. Yeah, for sure. I feel like it's you realize how many within like every genre, there is like an unknown of some sort. You know what I mean? That's a good point. Yeah.

I really loved it. Even the paper palace kind of felt like a thriller at some point because of like the story and the pacing. Yeah. One of my friends just asked for just like some recommendations. He doesn't really read any fiction. And so I just like grabbed a bunch and just was like read a chapter and put it down if you don't like it. And like, you know, just take a bunch of these. And his wife was like, I don't think he would want like a murder mystery.

like in any genre there's probably like some kind of like death or unknown like just so you know that like you think you i was like just going in with an open mind because like otherwise you're just gonna i think you're going to cut out a lot of opportunity yeah that's a good way to do it i don't know i had a friend reach out to me today who was like i want you to pick out my book club book. Whoa. And I was like, oh my God, I feel so honored. Yeah.

That's fun. I'm interested to see what you pick. Because I feel like there's so many good books, but like in the thriller world, like there are certain ones that actually have like a lot to talk about. You know what I mean? Oh, it was that person. She's doing, um, return to midnight by Emma Deuce. Oh.

Because there's like a lot of them like thrillers and like a lot of them also like, really fast-paced things like Freedom McFadden. So like that's what they like kind of like lean toward. And I was like well this is like 300 pages or less and it's amazing. And there's like really bitchy ballerinas in it. So you'll think of me. Yeah. Because I am the bitchiest.

That is trippy because I just recommended that book to someone in their stories today. It's so good for their book club. It's so good for a book. It's so good for like the fall weather approaching. That's what she was asking for. Yeah. And yeah, just like all the vibes. Yeah.

And bitchy Bichie ballerina I have a book about relatives and dual POV Even better I randomly picked this up

because I got an arc of it even after it was like already out basically I picked up the locked ward by Sarah Pekennon and between like the synopsis I was like I don't know if that's for me but then like I started reading it because a friend told me I would like it fire fire so good it was the most addictive fucking thrill ride I have had in such a long time I could not put it down um oh my gosh I love that last week you had the locked door locking everything.

Yeah, you're just locking it all up. Locking all shut up. I'm looking for more locked things. Just not locked room mysteries. No. It is the crime of the decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, love the name, who was adopted as a newborn is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy Southern family.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only word she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, I didn't do it, you have to get me out of here. Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing that it seems to exist in another dimension. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down the path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?

Whoa. Fucking. Kill up. I had not read that synopsis. I've seen it everywhere. So fast pace. So amazing. I am also going to say for my readers out there, like me and Kate, even though it is a southern Georgia town, I did not realize that until I just read the synopsis now.

So there's really not any times where you're like, I'm hot. So you're not trying to solve the mystery and like southern. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. It's very like glamour chic. Yeah. Nice.

Air conditioning. There's no one is sweating until the end. What is going to happen? I love that. So good. I binge 200 pages of it in one sitting. That's wild. It was just, I was like,

oh my God, what's the phone going? I can't get through anything that long without being interrupted. I feel like Murphy has pots. I know dogs can't get pots, but I'm like, do you have pots? Because you just love napping. Oh. I need that reach. So he just like naps like belly up and then like I rub his belly and he'll just sleep and I read.

Yeah. What a big. Oh, do I have anything of that? Oh, sisters. I'll go sisters. Sisters segue. Okay, this is my bleak billings book. I just finished this morning.

So when we talked to Rebecca McKenna, I asked her if she could think of any comps that were like similar vibes to don't forget the girl, which I also reread this month. And it was still five stars. But she brought up Knife River by Justine. champagne. Mm-hmm. I'm going to say that. This was a slow burn,

I will say. Very character-driven. The first chapter, the mom is disappeared. So you're like, is this kind of a thriller? But it was very much like how we have talked in the past

about like the effects of someone going missing on a family. Mm-hmm. Especially. When Jess was 13, her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister Liz never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother had done, survive. As soon as they, as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost

in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning, 15 years after her mother's disappearance, Jess gets the call she's been bracing for. Her mother's remains have been mind. Jess returns to find Knife River and her sister, frozen in time. The town is as claustrophobic and run down as ever. Liz still lives in their childhood home and has become obsessed with unsolved missing persons cases. Jess plans to stay only until they get some answers, but their mother's bones exposed to the elements for so long, just leave them with more questions. As Jess gets caught up on the case and falls back into an entanglement with her high school girlfriend, her understanding of the past of Liz, of their mother

and of herself becomes more complicated and the list of theories more ominous. It was like very well written, I thought. I'm going to binge the shit out of that. It is sounds so good.

It is very emotional. It's very much like when you're in a person's head and especially when they like, you know, someone like their mother is gone, it's like a lot of memories that flow into every situation. a lot of like complex feelings with the sister who's like been there the whole time and then like moments of appreciation which are really sweet and then you're like oh wait there's also kind of a mystery here I kind of forget sometimes um but yeah it is giving my favorite movie that I've watched in 2025 so far is American woman oh I just saw a screenshot I took from your stories of that in my photo album.

It's literally like, it is, oh my God. It is my favorite movie this year. I'm obsessed with it. Like, Sienna Miller's daughter goes missing one night and like you follow her life for like years and years after. And it's like that's what it's about is like her life like the minute her daughter goes missing until like through the stages of like grief and understanding and all of like this stuff.

And it's just so good. But like I'm the same way as you like when I was watching them. movie. I was like, wait, like, I still don't know what happened. Yeah. To the daughter. You know what I mean? Like, you just get like so, like, wrapped up in her character in the story that you're like, oh, shit, wait, like, I'm going to find out eventually. And it's a bleak. It's like, fuck. And there was a point where I was like, you know what? We very, very well might not find out. You know what I mean? Like, I thought that to myself and I'm like, I mean, not to give any spoilers. I just thought that as I was reading it. I was like, what if we don't find out? I was. I was like, what if we don't find out? I was. I was. I was like, what if we don't find out. out like how will I feel about that because that could be a very real scenario and like what if what if like will I be disappointed or will I just be like wow this was such a good emotional story so it's just kind of like one of those yeah yeah that's like kind of relative to like what we were talking about with like the bookish hot takes where you're like sticking up for a story you know what I mean or like somebody's like I hated this because of this it's like I felt that way sometimes where like I'm reading a book

and like, yeah, it's bleak and like, you don't get the answer to like the mystery and it's like still sad, but like the character like journey is just so good and the story so emotional that like sometimes I'm like, like people have been like, oh, I didn't like this or whatever because of that. And I'm like, but that's how life is. Like it hits me harder when some books are like more realistic. Like sometimes people go missing and vanish and you do not find out if they're dead.

If somebody hurt them, if it was an ass. accident. Like, you just don't find out. And, like, sometimes that's sadder than not, like, than knowing and finding out, even if it was, like, something really horrific, you know? Yeah. But I'm like, that's life. I know, yeah. Like, I get that I'm, like, partly reading for entertainment, but also, like, not everything has to be wrapped up with a bow. Mm-mm. And that cover? Yeah. Yeah, the cover is so cool. That is a cover I would get tattooed on my body. If you did, like, don't forget the girl.

and like the vibes of it. Like there was, I would say like between Bree and Chelsea. Like I feel like the main character, Jess, is very like that. I'm so pumped. That's amazing. I can't wait to read the shit out of this book. Everything about it is like screaming at me to buy it. It's screaming gear.

And I even love like the title like, Night for her. I know. And like, I honestly. Honestly, could I'm interested to hear what you think of some parts? I'd like, I'll, if when you read it, let me know. Yeah. Oh, God. I'm so excited.

Well, I have one that also takes place in a very small town. And the ending is not perfect. I'm not saying it's a bad ending. But it is one of those ones where, like, you have to accept some things about the world at the end, essentially. And this one, there's someone I just started talking to a little bit more on Instagram, Bella Metaphor, so her Instagram handle. And she was telling me about it. I looked it up, the cover of Dominion by Addy E. Kitchens. I was like, Orboros with a church, I was like, you got me, you got me interested.

So this is what it's about. Reverend Saber Winfrey, shepherd of the Seven Seals Baptist Church, believes in God, his own privilege. and enterprise. Besides the barbershop and radio station he owns, he has an iron hand on every aspect of Dominion Mississippi society. He and his wife Priscilla have five boys. The youngest, Emmanuel, is called Wonderboy. No one sings prettier, runs as fast, or turns as many heads. After a surprising encounter with a stranger, Wonderboy finds himself confronted by questions he'd never have imagined and his response will send shockwaves through the entire community told from the perspective of the women who love these two men dominion illustrates how we enable the everyday

violence and casual sins of the motherfucking patriarchy i added the mother fucking part but it just felt right um as you can tell this book uh covers so many different things um i will say like like, might be says like told through the perspective of Priscilla and

Wonder Boys Lever Diamond it explores the double standard set for women and men, especially in the context of religion,

the all-consuming corruption of control through shame, the possibility of being a mother to black sons in

the South and the oftentimes steep cost of the lies we tell ourselves is what I said about this

one. So there's like a lot of subjects and it's 240 pages. Like she manages to really, really get into that stuff. And I was like the Southern Gothic part of it is so,

has so much, uh, the feel of like S.A. Cosby except, like there is some really dark stuff that happens in this book. Like there really is, but I think there's more instances of like violence in S.A. Cosby's book. But there's violence in this book too. So I'm just saying like,

for the most part, if you like the vibes of his book, you're going to really enjoy this one too. Kind of a Southern Gothic tragedy. Completely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My same friend who was freaking out about King of Ashes, and I was like, it's a Shakespearean tragedy. She's like, oh, my God, I hate those.

That's why I hated it. She didn't hate it. She's just, like, so sad and so, like, emotional at the end of it. And she knew I realized it was. She didn't, she didn't, or I was reading this when I was talking to her about that. And so then when I finished it, I sent her like an alert in her DMs. And I was like, Dominion is a tragedy too, just so you know. Don't do it.

But it's good. It's very good. It really, it really gets into some stuff. Marking it. Oh, my God. Full cast narration, Bonnie Turpin and Angel Pene are the women. And fittingly, I can't remember the men's names. but Angel Queen has become my absolute favorite narrator.

I have finally decided she narrated all of Junie and I could have just like if she could be the voice in my head I'd probably be a happier person even like her voice is just amazing. So amazing that I was looking up all her books because like this was the first time that I listened to a book and I was like, wait, I know this person. And I was like, I think I know her. And then I did. And like she also narrated this like one about a, a biracial pirate woman. And I'm like, am I about to read an adventure pirate book because of the narrator?

We'll see. If I do, you'll all hear about it. Yeah. I mean, it can really make a huge difference. Yes. I love her. That's when you say that. You know, when you're on ways and you could like, I don't go ahead.

Sorry. No, go ahead. You know, I'm like, now you can do it on multiple apps, but it used to be just on ways. That one thing that was like Google Maps where you could like pick the voice. Oh, yeah. And there was like a Morgan Freeman option, I remember for a while. Yeah. I'm like, that's what, that's what Kate wants of angels.

Like, can you narrate all the things I'm doing? Yes. I love her. I just want to see. I just want to be alive for Kate to go through her bi-pac female pirates. Right. like all I'm reading is queer biracial because they're also queer she's in love with a woman I'm just reading like queer biracial pirate adventure stories yeah gonna be in romance to see next

we're never gonna see her again oh my god never I think we're safe I think she's gonna be in a totally when do you want to record your next episode she's like I'm available January to 2027 goodbye fairies and you guys are like no like talk to a fairy get over here no we're pretty safe romance is a turnoff for me in books

which is kind of funny to say all loud I have struggled with most romances I've read so I get that but I mean maybe I'm not a romantic person but I'm also I don't mind like I still enjoy spies, so. I don't mind spice.

It's sometimes just how cheesy romance can be. So like dark romance isn't always as bad, but. Yeah. I mean spies. It's a trope. Like, um, like KGB type shit. Spies, not spice. Correct.

Oh, I did say spice, right? Yeah. Oh, I had said spies before. I didn't know if you thought I was saying I like, I don't romance. That was funny. That was a good one. I just told him.

He was oblivious on this. What? I don't mind spice. Kate's like scaling a building. I'm like James Bond. Although toxic romance isn't bad, because like the one I'm going to be talking about next, I'm like, that's... I fucking love toxic romance. Yeah.

I love toxic romance. Steph, don't forget. I love toxic romance. This isn't even a romance. It's not even romance. It's a dark comedy and you'll just eat it up. Maybe that's what I mean. Like it seems toxic romance, but it's not really a romance. It's more like domestic something. Cool. Um, well, I'm in my era of tradwives. Yes. And I can't get enough. And I am obsessed with them. And there's something about, like, I've always kind of gravitated toward, like, influencer in a thriller. But now when it's like tradwives, it's so specific because there's so many different directions you can go in with like how toxic or like how creative you want to be with it.

But like I'm obsessed and I can't get enough. I'm so curious. Like, are they just trad wives for the internet? or are they actually tradwives in practice? Like, I'm so curious. Are they performing in general? Or in the books? Like, in general?

Well, I guess both. Like, I'm curious to see how they're portrayed in the books because I don't know in real life, you know? So how they're portrayed in the books, I feel like I can't answer that question because it's a spoiler. I'm sure. If that gives you any indication as to, like, how different they can be. Yeah.

But my opinion is it depends on the woman. It's either a popularity trendy thing. It is either a fame-seeking thing or it is a way to lure a man into thinking that you are the woman that you claim to be when you're not thing. Mm-hmm. So. And none of those options where you actually want, it was the woman actually wants to be that. Right.

No, because like it started off and I was like, girl, you are very traditional. You have a lot of kids and like your husband's like working on this like ranch and there's like dust and stuff, you know, because it's like dusty like farm and stuff. And I was like, how am I? And then like the shit starts to hit the fan like relatively quick in each one. and I'm like, oh my God, what is happening?

I have never been this, like, abducted by it. Because both of my next books are Tradwife thrillers. But they're, like, so entirely crazy different that I was like, is this like my next thing that I'm, like, completely obsessed with and I don't want to turn away from? Because I, like, got into them very quickly and was, like, postponing things to read more. I love that. And when I say postponing things, I mean like my mom and I tried a new place for lunch on

Saturday and it was like one of the best sandwiches I've ever had in my entire life. But like I was like, can we leave in like a half hour instead of now? Because like I want to read more of this. I got my sandwich. I got my sandwich. Of course. I got the sandwich. I got the sandwich.

But still worth it. So my first one is everyone is lying to you by Joe Piazza. And it's about Lizzie and Bex, who were best friends in college. But after graduation, Bex vanished, leaving Lizzie confused and devastated. 15 years later, Bex is now Rebecca Summers, a traditional Instagram influencer with millions of followers who salivate over her perfect life on her ranch with her five children and handsome husband, Gray. Lizzie is a struggling magazine writer watching reels while her young children demand her attention. One night out of the blue, Bex calls Lizzie with a career-making proposition, an exclusive interview with her about her multimillion dollar business venture

and an invitation to Mom Bomb, the high-profile influencing conference. At the conference, Bex goes missing and Grace found brutally murdered on their ranch. Lizzie finds herself plunged into the dark side of the cutthroat world of social media that includes jealousy, sordid affairs, swingers, and backstabbing. she must learn who her old friend has become and who she has double crossed to try to find her, clear her name, and maybe even save her life. This has, we just like literally talked about how, um, I was reading some like dark and disturbing book that involves like sex trafficking and stuff.

This has not like gory, violent or like, like, in your, face, but it has one of the most disturbing things I've ever read in a book psychologically. Wow. Where I was like, that is so messed up. Wow. That's fucked. It was, I was like, that is fucking wild to me. And then the end has like one of like the coolest like, like final sentences in a chapter.

Where you're like, is this going to happen? Is this going to happen? And then it's like, oh, no, they're going there. And like, like that sentence, I read it like three times in a row and I was like, Joe Piazza, give me a tradwife. Like if she announced tomorrow that this was going to be a tradwife series of 10 books, I would pre-order every single one right now. I would give up grocery money to pre-order a tradwife book by her. Oh my gosh. It's that intense.

I would chew on cardboard if I could read another one of these books by her. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Fucking incredible. Is this her most? Like, I know she's written some, like, historical fiction slash mysteries. This is, is this one of her first, like, thrillers?

I think so. Like, this one is more, um, I would say, like, this is more of, like, a who done it, like, kind of, like, slower. Like, you're still, like, interested, but, like, I would say because you, you know the husband is murdered it's like a murder mystery um it deals a lot with like female influencers and like that as well as like this friendship that these like two women were very close with so like it deals a lot with like female friendship like female influencers it's like a murder mystery she's also missing and then like there's just like a lot of like things that like

it's kind of like a slower burn for the first half but it's very interesting with all of the things that are going on. And then like the second half, like it starts to like ramp up and there's like reveal after reveal after reveal. And you're like, wow. That's fun when it like really sets the playing field. Yeah. For sure. It was so much fun.

Fun of that. Well, speaking of some toxicity. So I know that you two have. talked about this a bunch but i finally just like snagged it from the library was bathhouse by p j vernon and um i haven't been reading as many thrillers lately but like a this covers amazing b you guys said it was amazing c i like had this feeling it would feel fresh in like the thriller realm and kind of like you're what the book you were just talking about feels fresh because I think there's sometimes when you're reading the same genre so often where like it kind of all blends together.

Oh yeah. It's nice when something feels new. Okay. So Oliver Park, a young recovering addict from Indiana, finally has everything he ever wanted. Sobriety and a loving, wealthy partner in Nathan, a prominent D.C. trauma surgeon. Despite their difference in age and disparate backgrounds, they've made a perfect life together. With everything to lose, Oliver shouldn't be visiting house, a gay bathhouse, but through the entrance he goes, and it's a line crossed. Inside, he follows a man into a private room, and it's the final line.

Whatever happens next, Nathan can never know. But then everything goes wrong, terribly wrong, and Oliver barely escapes with his life. He races home in full-blown terror as the hand-shaped grooves grows dark on his neck. The truth will destroy Nathan and everything they have together, so Oliver does. the thing he used to do so well he lies it certainly starts off with the bang

like the first chapter's like boom yeah boom you are right in it yeah that one's so good I remember the climax just being insane too yeah very cinematic

yes yes I can still see it yeah yeah it's like there's you know like I think there are some people that struggle with like the oh my gosh why do you keep making these choices blah blah blah blah and then i'm like but the stakes are high in this book so it's like he is like oliver is always like weighing like is it my relationship is it my sobriety is it like what's going on

so i just think like it could be easy to fall down that path of like why does he keep choosing these things but i'm like i get it like i don't know it's like hard too like when you get yourself in that position. Do you know what I mean? Like to like not like if you come clean now like fuck. You know like and then like things keep happening and you're like well like I think when you're somebody who's like used to like lying your way out of something like it's hard for you to not you're thinking of like you're thinking of more of a lie to get yourself out of where you are right now compared to like having a rational mind of being like if I just tell the truth this is what's going to happen, right? Right. Right. I also love, like, go ahead. You go ahead. It's your book.

Oh, I was just saying, I think some people, it's like you, you don't, you haven't lived the life that that that person in the book has lived to get them to where they are. Like, we've just, we're just sitting here reading in our, like, comfy little couches. Yeah. Yeah. And I also, like, I don't want to, like, stereotype, like, the queer community by any means. but like it is very like from way back when like men had to like cruise in parks at night to like bath houses to grinder and like all these other apps like it's just like always kind of been part of like I don't want to say the gay lifestyle because there are people that like don't do that and are into that but like if you called me right now and said like oh like I just

like met the stranger on the internet and I'm going to go like have sex with him and I don't know where we're meeting but like whatever I'll like text. a little bit. You're like, oh my God, like, girl, like, stay home. Like, don't do it. You know what I mean? But like, if a queer man is like, oh, I met this guy on Grindr and like, we're going to go like hook up or whatever, like, it's hard to like wrap your mind around that because like it's just like so like prominent in like the queer community, you know? Yeah. That was the weirdest time for a thumbs up bubble to show up. It was. For me? Yeah. Oh my God. I didn't even know one did. When it was right, when you were like, this happens in the queer community and it's like thumbs up.

It's like, get on Grindr, go ahead. Yes. It happened. That was weird. But anyway. Yeah, that's an interesting point as well. Like, every, like, if you're not in a certain, like, demographic, you might not understand. I think there were a lot of people that, like, kind of, like, judged it who, like, aren't used to that.

You know what I mean? Because, like, my friend Nicole and I have, like, talked about this where I'm like, you know, like, I've, like, there were times that like I don't think that I should have survived my 20s because I got on Grindr in Boston and like when I met a guy that I didn't know at like one o'clock in the morning. And like to me it was just like it was just another experience as to like how other people feel when they go out to a bar and have a drink and they meet somebody and they like go home with them. You know, but like it's just like a little bit more accessible. But like also like when you're part of the queer community no matter where you are like it's not as easy for you to like just go pick somebody up at a bar as it is. like somebody who's not queer. Yeah. So then you kind of get like acclimated to like those like stories and that like experience whether you like are part of that lifestyle or not. So I think it's a really good book too called My Government Means to Kill Me by

Rashid Newson. And it's about like a black gay man growing up or not growing up. He's like coming of age as an adult in New York City. And it covers a lot of the topics that you just talked about. like especially so then like because you do have to go to like bath houses it's a place where you don't want to call the police because the tension especially in the 80s we're still so against gay men but it covers all kinds of like the socio-cultural stuff that you may not know about if you don't talk to gay people or don't have lots of gay friends but it can give you a lot of

background on kind of why some things are different than just in a heterosexual culture, basically. There's actually a really interesting movie that I watched, like, for the first time last year, and it's an Al Pacino movie from the 80s called Cruising. And it's somebody killing queer men who are cruising in, like, parks and stuff. And Al Pacino goes undercover as a gay man to, like, these bathhouses and, like, gay bars and stuff to, like, look for the killer. How progressive of the 80s. Yeah, it's a really good movie. I really liked it.

It's 1980. Wow. It's 80s. Like, it is total, you know what I mean? Like, it is like, oh, the cover. 80s to a T. But I was like, this is like a very interesting movie.

Bruce is like, Bruce is like, too old, too old. The cover, it looks like he's in. It looks like he's in. Like he's in the, what's the YMCA group? The village people? Village people.

That's what the cover made him look like. The first cover I saw, it looks like a boxing movie. Oh. Really? But I know what you're talking about, Steph, like the one with like the hands and he's in a leather. Yeah. There's like one. It goes down to like his deep bee.

Oh, I see the boxy one. Yeah. It felt like a box, like he was in the ring. for some reason. Yeah. It's like the red spotlight on him. Yeah. Yeah.

And the clear, like, you can tell he's wearing a wife feeder. So, yeah. Bathhouse cruising. My government means to kill me. Just a typical roundup for us. How does that, what's the word where it, like, starts in one place and just like, oh, yeah. I love that.

Snowball. My, yeah. Snowball. I, um, brain is just like, that's okay. Well, my last one is not like that. It's not like that. I have nothing. The author is a man.

So I finally, and Gary, you sent me the book forever ago when it came out. But I've wanted to read the last murder at the end of the world for so long. And this was another one where like audio books helped me like fit in some of the books that I didn't read years ago. But anyway, this one is it's just super unique. Solve the murder to save what's left of the world. Outside the island there is nothing. The world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet killing anyone it touched. On the island, it is idyllic.

122 villagers and three scientists living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm, and feast to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists. Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learned that the murder was triggered, that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that is keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will be. smother the island and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking. So it has so many things going on that were like really fascinating about it. There is the narrator is almost an omniscient narrator. I'm just going to leave it at that and not tell you exactly what that means. But there's a really creative use of narrator here. But it also uses this like speculative setup as a way to talk about community and freedom and control and power. You get where I'm going. A little political.

It's a little political. But yeah, I loved it. It's this really, really unique blend of like. It doesn't totally feel like a speculative thriller. And it almost feels like it's not modern, but it is. So there's just, there's all kinds of things going for it. That sounds really interesting. Yeah.

It does sound really good. And the narrator just had this, like, cute little British accent. So sometimes it's just fun listening to a British accent. Yeah, I agree. There's some good ones. I love a British accent. Oh, you guys. I read a lot.

in August, but like, I read a lot. I'm looking for my last one. I read a lot of like mids in August. Go ahead, Gare. Um, my last one is a little spoilery because I already said that it's a tradwife. Oh, yeah. So, uh, my last one is the tradwife's secret, treadwife's secret by Leanne Child. Um, a marriage. Um, is between two people and their millions of followers. Madison March is the perfect wife, the perfect family, and the perfect life. She spends her days baking sourdough and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the field surrounding her Montana homestead. Dinner is always on the table for her husband and they end their days sitting on the porch watching the sun go down. It's a life anyone would dream of and it's all a lie.

That's wow, what a synopsis. Keeps it short. I like it. I love a short synopsis. Yes. So this one is more of a psychological thriller. And there are three to four POVs in this one. The twists. Like in everything that's like, or everyone is lying to you, like the twists are like, oh my God, like it's so good and it's like crazy.

And like things keep like happening that you don't expect. And in this one, it's like you question everything you read kind of twist. and there's like some very there's some very good twist in it that are comparable to popular books that we've all loved like all three of us um and it's only tradwives so there's no like other influencer like that kind of thing um and you focus like pretty much on Madison um but there's a lot of secrets there's a lot of twist and turns there's a lot of that shit crazy things that go on and um and um it almost felt like tradwives meets desperate housewives in this one. Like with like the campiness of it. Right. So yeah, I loved it. Clearly.

Good. I just put those, marked those as wanting to read. And I got a paperback of Knife River on Pingo for $1. Stop. Because I had Pango Box. How much is shipping? I had Pango Box.

I don't even know. I didn't care. I had Pango Box. Oh, that covers shipping too? Yeah. Nice. Oh. Yeah.

So I paid like $1.50 for it. Go Pango. Mm-hmm. I'm going to like cry when it gets here. I can't wait to fall my face off. Excuse me. Is the, is the cover the same? On the paperback?

I think so. It just said it was a paperback in excellent condition and I was like, I don't care of order. I have to look. Give it to give it to me now. It's just something. I think it's going to be like missing mom meets like rabbit hole by Kate Brody. Oh yeah. It does kind of feel that way. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Okay. Yep, yep, yep, yep. I see that. Yep. I just was looking at that book the other day and like, wow, that covers.

so good. Like, it's just not that. It is. Okay. Well, I think even though I talked about this last week, I really, really, really enjoyed this book that I read this month. And it is a quick nonfiction called Everything is

Tuberculosis by John Green. So if you are, we talked about it last week because it was short and it get, like if you want to hit your reading goal, this is definitely like one that could help with that. But also, it was one of my favorites of August.

tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it. In 2019, John Green met Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Laca Government's Hospital in Sierra Leone while traveling with partners in health. John became fast friends with Henry,

a boy with spinly legs and a big goofy smile. In the years since that first visit, to Laca, Green has become a vocal and dynamic advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, treatable, infectious disease to also be the deadliest killing 1.5 million people every year. Man, I know. So I think that this one is just like a nice, like, given that synopsis, it could be like so political and like divisive. and like preachy but it is not it's like a nice like he weaves like the humanity in with the facts

and so like learn a lot while being like captivated and then I definitely like got teary at the end because he was very much like we can make the choice for this to be better right since we have a cure right literally let's share it yeah what do I know what do we know yeah I guess I need to write a book about this. Yeah. So I just thought that was so interesting. And I have actually seen quite a few people pick it up and review it and also enjoy it, who I usually am also reading like similar fiction books to them.

Mm-hmm. So it may be an interesting one for a lot of people. Yeah. I think so. Can I take this opportunity to applaud Kate for like her nonfiction kerosy. she created. I really, because I'm like, I struggle with nonfiction, especially in this current climate where everything feels really heavy, but I still care and I'm interested.

So, like, learning through that is really helpful to me. Oh, I'm glad. Keep it up. I know. Yeah. I try to do some nonfiction stuff. I'm loving a lot of Kate's carousels lately because they're very different than anything that I've been seeing.

and also like her venturing out in other genres and like different things is like I feel like you're like when I think of like a book podcast like for me it would be like thrillers and like hockey romance where two dudes are going at it. But like I feel like for a one woman show you are you are hitting such a broad audience with your carousels and your podcast and like no matter what genre you like you are going to get something. out of book wild. Thank you. Yeah. Because also like you hit the you hit the pop culture immediately when it needs to be hit. Yeah. Yeah.

But then you also hit this like, oh, that's actually really interesting. You know what I mean? Like you're not a one trick pony, I guess some people would say. Thank you. Yeah, you're definitely somebody I think that proves that like your reading journey is not going to plateau. unless you allow it too. Yeah. I agree.

I totally agree. It's blowing my mind how many more things I enjoy this year. Yeah. It's kind of crazy, but I do love it. And it seems like you've read some of those things because of the connections you've made and you've made other connections because you're talking about this stuff. So it's just like it's this cool. It all kind of informs itself.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think I'm going to start doing like, uh, pairing. So like if this nonfiction subject is interesting to you, here are like three fiction ones that will also kind of teach you about it, but it's fiction. So you can still kind of have fun with it. Yeah. Enjoy that story.

Yeah. I think that's a really cool idea. Um, and like to Gehr's point, I think that like some of I've seen, you know, you see the, the trends of like, let's say a challenge of like whether we think that challenge is great or not whatever but like I think that starting your own comp ideas or stuff you know like doing a fiction of nonfiction I think that's like really special yeah it'll be cool I'm excited to do it I do want to do more like animated versions of it but I need to create more time for that so that will be that will be in the future Thank you.