Bookwild - Spooky Season Book Recommendations with Gare & Steph

Episode Date: October 31, 2025

This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite recommendations for spooky season!Kate’s PicksNo Road Home by John FramThe Getaway by Lamar GilesThe Buffalo Hunter HunterThe Macabre by Kosoko JacksonJackal by Erin E. AdamsGare’s PicksNightwatcher by Daphne WolsoncroftPlease See Us by Caitlin MullenThe Sundown Motel by Simone St. JamesKeep This For Me by Jennifer FawcettSteph’s PicksLook Closer by David EllisAlmost Surely Dead by Amina AkhtarPlay Nice by Rachel HarrisonSlewfoot by BromHow to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine 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 

Well, I'm back with Gare and Steph. We're doing it a little bit late. So long, I feel like. I know it has. We're doing it a little late in the season, I guess. But we're going to talk about some of our spooky favorites. Is that what we landed on calling it? Yeah.

That's what I thought. Hooky and spooky. Yeah. I kind of, what I realize is I read it year-round. and I were talking about this a couple of nights ago. Like I was just like, I'll just read horror all the time. I've been reading way more like just regular fiction this month and not actually doing much Halloween stuff at all.

That's cool. But I feel like I do do it all the rest of the year. I've been trying to read all the creepy things and I have five books that seem like they're going to be super out my alley to try to read all next week when I'm, not working. Oh, really? And do you have any like Halloween traditions?

No. I actually don't. I watch, I watch all of the Halloween movies. Oh, yeah. Except for, I usually skip Rob Zombies. Yeah. Because I just don't like the whole like sexualizing of everything he does.

Yeah. I do try to do like hocus pocus. once a year, like nightmare before Christmas, like some of the lighter ones. And I do think our house would be like, because we have a black house, it would be really cool to decorate. But like we live in such a small neighborhood that like no one trick or treats or anything. Yeah. So I like haven't put in the effort. But I would if we lived in like a bigger neighborhood. I always shut all the lights.

Turn all the lights off and pretend I'm not here because there have a lot of kids. I can imagine. And that's not my fact. I can imagine. I'm also, have I admitted this before? I don't, I really don't like holiday movies

or like episodes like doesn't work for me. I feel like that fits your vibe of like not really watching. Like we don't have to go out. Like yeah. True.

With that. Because I feel like if you did, you would probably. probably watch them through like that's a good point yeah yeah like I like scary movies so it's not like I've never seen a movie with like Halloween but I definitely don't watch anything Christmasy definitely don't watch some people have Valentine's Day ones I don't really watch that I have a Valentine's Day horror one that just is about oh yeah horrible men are if you guys think we need a recommendation and Denise Richards is like the meanest fucking person

in it. Amazing. I think some holiday related things can be so cheesy. That might be part of it too. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I'm not watching romantic comedies on Valentine's Day. No. I don't care if I'm married to Jacob Allorty. Like, that's not even happening.

Or Tyree. You'll be safe. Not from not marrying him, but even if you did marry him. Oh my God. He was... I saw a TikTok yesterday where he was like talking about how he just loves to hang out with his dog and how, like, He learned so much from being like a dog dad and how much he like loves her and all of this stuff.

And I was like, oh my God. He's so baby girl. We could be so like just two dog dads. Like the gay Brady bunch, but with like only four. Oh, that would be so cute. Just blending together our family. So. Wait on you, Jacob.

I'm ready when you are. Ready when you are. Well, I just started listening to Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber. And it is so cinematic is what I'm realizing. So I was actually just listening to it right before this. And I had such a clear image in my mind of what was happening. So it kind of made me think a good icebreaker would be, do you see images when you're reading or listening?

Both things. I definitely do. I feel like there are sometimes when I notice my brain hasn't been like making the clearest image. Probably so like if people are like in dialogue and maybe I'm just like kind of just thinking about the dialogue. But most of the time I have a loose image going on in my head at least. I 100% do. I figured you did with all your casting. I can think of a book and like have like at least one like very clear image in my head of like like the broken girls by Simone St. James. I can imagine the field that her sister's body was found on.

And like that whole scene or I'm trying to think of like I can like picture like different things for like everything that I read. Almost like a director where like I see it more from like a certain angle. Like when I read the sundown motel, I can think of what the motel looks like, but it's from a specific angle, right? It's not like dead center. So I definitely see that. I even see like outfits. Yeah.

Like what I imagine characters wearing. Mm-hmm. Some characters I do. Yeah. It also depends on how much the author mentions it. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's how I'm.

I don't really see faces or I can't see like a whole face. I think I just see like what they're describing at the moment. Oh, she was sitting at her desk and I'm like, oh, I'm picturing that. But it's usually like from here down or like I don't really see a place. I just see like kind of what's happening. Yeah. Unless there are very, there's like I could probably put on one hand. Like I can pick a celebrity that I see as a person, but it's very rare.

Yeah. I do sometimes when you were saying that about like seeing what's, what's happening. Sometimes when it is first person, it feels like I see more first person. Like, it feels like I am experiencing it too. Kind of like you're saying, like, I'm sitting at a desk, like watching people fight in front of me or something. I don't know why that was when my brain went to first, but fighting with the person. But then when it is third person, I feel like it is more like watching everyone. So I hadn't thought of that. That is very interesting. I just finished book where like she was in high school and I could just like see high school and see like a

classroom particularly and like see like she was with her teacher in the room and like oh I can see all that happening but I have no idea really what anybody looks like yeah you know it's kind of it's just do you do you picture like your high school that happens for me sometimes I was going to ask that too. I'm sure it's a loose. I'm sure it's a loose connection. Yeah. Like, because I was wondering, because like when I read, I've been reading a lot of like the suburbia disturbia books where there's like a group of women in a cul-de-sac and every single one looks different when I, like, imagine them when I'm reading. Wow. So like, that's why like I wonder like if Kate reads them, does she picture like kind of like her area because you're very like wisteria lane where you left yes it is

sometimes like in when it's like really wealthy homes it's like some of the homes i used to be in when we did real estate photography yeah because every now and then we were in some like multi-million dollar homes yeah i feel like what if it's almost like dreams or like some of it is your own experience. Some of it is something you maybe saw on a show. Yeah. It is like, you know how like everything kind of like blends, blobs together? Yes. I don't know. It does. I, um, when I read something that's like a high school setting, I don't picture my high school, but I will picture like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or like Dawson's Creek or like Ginny and Georgia. Like I can picture like those high schools. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, most of the time I don't

think of my high school because it was so small that it doesn't fit most. If it's a small town, I probably am picturing my, like, I remember I'm thinking of ending things by Ian Reed has like a very extended section in a small town high school and it was like, my brain was like entirely

in high school for that part. That makes sense. That one was so bleak. Yeah. I've never pictured like my area or like my house for a book until last summer when I read the Shari Lipina book where the girls found like dead in the field. Oh yeah. What have you done? I think so. I could picture the field across from my house because it's very much like when you drive in my area. It's like here's a farm. Here's a field. Here's a farm. Here's a field. And it's all like very like small towns. Like I could picture my town like when I read that. But I usually don't picture.

even anything, like, remotely connected to me. Yeah. I forgot to take my prescription today, so. She's just popping pills. Excuse me, guys. Sometimes I'm like, I have experiences from, like, I have an idea if I took mine today. I just. I hate when that happens.

I know, and then I take, like, I'm like, if I take two. So I don't do over, like, double dose. I don't know. Yeah. I've had that with Benadryl and I'm like, I don't want to have two. You know. One is hard enough. Yeah.

But yeah. Such a wide array of reading experiences, which is so cool. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. I can still picture like the crib in the book Hush by Ann Frazier. Because that's like about a serial killer who like target single. mothers in New York City and like I can picture like some of those because like I don't I haven't visited a lot of apartments in New York City you know what I mean like that's not where I like ideally

would picture like a book but like I still remember like what that room looked like when I read it oh I would love that one yeah I'm going to the list okay I emailed you oh okay I've been sending over horror recommendations to Kate because like I keep getting them and I'm like I can't be a horror guy only movies. It's not me. Ooh, this one looks good. Bloodfire baby. What?

I know. Erin me. Arony, Carson. A bold examination of motherhood, mental health class, intergenerational inheritance and family secrets. Well, you got me. What you did. Hate Codad. Sign me up.

Oh, well, wow. Well, okay here. Oh, S.A. Cosby blurbed it. Oh, what a blurb. Bloodfire Baby arrives kicking and screaming with flames in its hair and lightning in its hands. That's amazing. Wow. Well, oh, Chelsea Beaker is the next blurb.

Oh, my God, Gaird, do you know me? Wow. Beaker? Yeah, she says it's a ferocious, hypnotic descent that burrows under your skin and refuses to let go. Sheesh. Well, if the next blurb is Jessica Noel, then it would be like... Yeah, it's Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. I don't know. I like this one. Well, there we go. I'm distracting Murphy with peanuts. Another one. Well, I guess we could get into more book recommendations. a nice little setup there from you. Here's our little.

Spooky, spooky time. So, Gare and I were texting a couple days ago about this. I can't remember. Or just talking about horror in general. I don't know. And I was like, I really did say like about a year ago when I read No Road Home by John Fram. I was like, I think I'm going to like read more horror. And then boy, did I.

But I felt like I should talk about that one first for anyone who hasn't read No Road Home by John Graham, because I loved it so much. When single father Toby Tucker marries into a powerful, fanatically religious Texas family, he's thrust into a nightmare of wealth, deceit, and murder. Trapped on the right family compound during a violent storm, Toby must confront both human, evil, and a ghostly presence to protect his son and survive the family. these deadly secrets. Wow. I should have added into this. Did you read that? Yeah.

Oh, my God. That was good. A little word, baby. Yeah. I should have added, they're not just fanatically religious. They are, they are a televangelism family. They've gotten wealthy off of them. So there's that vibe.

But this was another one where Gare sent me an email. That's kind of perfect. You just teed this up so perfectly. he sent me an email and was like, I think you might like this one. I'm reading it. And so I requested it and loved it. I'm starting the Midnight Knock this weekend. So I'm so excited for that one. My copy's on the way. Yeah, it came out Tuesday. An Angel Pene is one of the narrators. I'm dead. One of my favorite authors and narrators together. Nice. Yeah. Did you read? The Brightlands. Yeah. That was wild. I think No Road Home was still my favorite, but Brightlands. He's so creative, too.

So the Brightlands reminds me of like a queer story written by like a Stephen King prodigy. I agree. No Road Home, the ending to his books, or that book reminds me a lot of the endings of a density of souls in the Snow Garden by Christopher. Bryce. If that helps you. Like with the shit hits the fan, like crazy. So I'm excited with what the vibes are with Midnight Knock. Yeah.

Everyone's like everyone who posts about it says it like bent their mind like out of shape almost. So it's mind bending and it's a puzzle box thriller, which is one of my favorites. Kind of like what we read probably was senseless. What does puzzle box mean? It kind of means that they're like all these. different parts and you don't understand how they fit together.

And so it's like, it kind of feels like a game the whole time trying to fit like different pieces together. And it tends to have them, it tends to also be described as mine, Bendy for any of who watches Sever and Severus is a puzzle box. Cool.

I've heard that term more recently lately. Mm-hmm. I love a good puzzle box. Senseless was so fucking crazy. So wild. That one, it also kind of reminded me of everybody knows by Jordan Harper. It's not exactly the same because there's no supernatural element there, but the vibes were similar. L.A. was similar.

That kind of stuff. Love it. That baby girl. Beautiful. Steph's beautiful little cat is here to talk with us. I'm in my Spanish class. and when something's little, you add like Ita at the end. So Godot's cat, and I heard they call little cats Gatita.

And I was so cute. She's only like a six pounds. She's so little. She's so little girl. Gera, what's your first one? Oh. Are we doing five or four? I don't know.

We can do however many we have time for. I have five. Cool, cool, cool. I also have more if we need up with more time. Same. So all of mine are like fall creepy vibes of like not like, oh, you've got me all. I'm talking like the chill is going to your bones. Chilly.

It's dark. It's scary. It's atmospheric. It's creepy. So with that being said, my first one is Return to Midnight by Emma Duce. Ooh. Ironic. I didn't.

I didn't choose. use that one, but I was like, I saw it and I was like, I think gear's going to pick it. Oh, yeah. There's actually like, I'm looking at all five that I have and I'm like, these two little hose could definitely steal like every single one that I have. I always think about that one. I'm picking my books. I usually do too and I'm like, because I almost did Senseless.

Yeah. I didn't even realize we could have used that one. Yeah, right? but return to midnight. I love it. Ten years ago, Margo was a ballerina who lived with her other ballerina friends in an off-campus home. And then someone murdered her friends and Margo survived the heroing night. But now she's returning to the media dubbed Midnight House for the first time to tell her side of the story.

When someone begins to leave her threatening messages, they know she's hiding something about what really happened that night. That one is creepy. Fall vibes all the way. way it is so creepy the cast is so good it needs to be a movie i love love love everything about that book like that is the perfect book does it actually take place on halloween or around halloween yeah yeah yeah and it's very dark your academia yeah good fall and if you like it with like the female dynamics and like their friendships um the house reminds me of the house in the 1970s version of the movie Black Christmas.

The other house had like definitely some vibes. Yeah. Yeah. I loved it. And I'm not like a big like, I don't know. I think like one of my bookish red flags is like sometimes when people are like, Victorian house, I'm like, oh, it's going to be Gothic and I don't want to really want to read it.

Yeah. And with this one. You mean gothic and I don't want to read it. And I'm just like, well, I just like, when. ever somebody's like, oh, Victorian house, it's like, it's gothic. I'm like, okay, so everything's outdated and ugly and there's like a bunch of dust everywhere. I just don't want to read it. But this one, I'm glad I did because I did not get bad vibes from the house.

I'll come at gear with outdated appliances, okay? How do you get comfortable in a house that's like covered in dust? With like, that's a great point. Old gross furniture? Yeah. Like, not comfy furniture. A cleaning company. Like, it's never part of it.

it. Yeah, it's like when you do those like house tours on like HGTV or like selling sunset, then they're like, this is my sofa and I'm like, who the fuck would want is it on that? It looks like stiff as a board. All aesthetic. Not comfy. Yeah. For sure. Oh my gosh. I love her in the corner. She's such a vibe. She is. She doesn't bark. It's so nice. I wish my dog was as well as she is. I know. That's true.

Every once in a while, she'll, like, kind of get too in a mood, and I'll be, like, at my other computer working, and she'll start, like, biting me, and I'm like, that's it. Just, like, you're out of here. Like, something must have to set her up. Speaking of Halloween setting, I have some that are, like, just spooky and some that actually take place around Halloween.

And this is one that takes place. around Halloween. It is Look Closer by David Ellis. Such a good pig. Yeah, I was like, I I think this is a book that I know so, so many people really enjoyed, like universally recommendable. Simon and Vicki couldn't seem more normal. A wealthy Chicago couple with a stable, if unexciting marriage. But with these two, absolutely nothing is what, oh my God, what am I doing? I have a two sentence

synopsis over here. Oh, were you in the full one? Wow. I was like, no, we're not doing that. A slick, twisty thriller full of unreliable narrators, perfect for readers who love a Halloween binge. That's more psychological mind game than ghost story. I love that. The victim is found in Halloween and for Halloween circumstances.

I like it. What was that? I was saying like the character is found. on Halloween and her Halloween costume. Mm-hmm. The intrigue. Yeah, it's a chunky, chunky book, but short chapters and definitely, like, engaging and well-paced.

Yeah. I kind of had the same experience reading that as I did A Kind Worth Killing. Mm-hmm. And what's that? Kill for me, kill for you. Yeah. Yes.

When I picked it up, I was like, I can't put these down. Yep. So like multiple perspectives, how are they all going to? Would that be considered a puzzle box where like there's so many perspectives that you don't know how they're all connected? Or is puzzle box? There is normally a like speculative fantasy or sci-fi element. Oh, okay. But like at the same time, it's what it is is it's like, what is it's called, nesting dolls kind of.

of like it's a nesting doll con artist yeah story that makes sense but I don't know you get something weird in the background of mine it sounds like someone's walking around

it's Murphy chewing on a bone oh it's okay like he is like I just don't know how he's not losing teeth but your blurbs are so good guys I'm like I'm like my with a ballerina and she lives her ballerina friends i mean i am kind of like stealing sentences

from the synopsis and kind of just like shortening well my next one has a kind of cool story too because i saw tiffany d jackson recommend the getaway by lamar giles and i requested it through liby and the day that i went to see tiffany um because she came here for the scammer I got this book, so I was listening to it on the way to seeing her, and it just felt very meta. But I loved it, and I listened to the audiobook, and there are parts of it that are, like, produced, like, actual news broadcasts, and, like, it's a great production. At the luxurious Karloff Country Resort, teen employee Jay enjoys paradise while the outside world collapses. But when guests begin to vanish and the wealthy elite turn the park into an end-time sanctuary, Jay and his friends must uncover the truth and fight for their freedom before they're trapped forever.

This one is so freaking creepy. Like the entire thing is creepy. When I posted about it, I had Journal of Jada. She responded and she was like, oh my gosh, my jaw dropped at 60%. And I was like, well, this is going to be. interesting and so i'm reading listening whatever listen listening and then i got there and my job did literally drop and i t-m turn i was like you were not kidding and by the way it's right at 60% like you just knew yeah it has some of the creepiest it's kind of like like a thriller at disney world

that also kind of feels like west world vibes like mistreating the employees like to make yourself feel good is kind of a theme there too so it is very very good. I'm not going to spoil anything and people should read it if you like that kind of vibe. Someone wrote, I dug this diabolical dystopia. Yeah, that is great.

That sums it up too. I love the cover of that book too. Oh, the cover is so cool. It's very creepy. I like it a lot. Does it have like a queer aspect to it? No.

I'm thinking of something else. No. Camped Damascus that I read recently was horror that had queer. But no. He's with a camp Damascus. Oh, I loved it. Really? I have so many highlights.

So good. I think I have that. I would recommend it. It's very horror, though. Like, it is more horror. There's a Y.A. book that had a multi-cast narration that also sounded like newscast and stuff sometimes. And it took place in a school, and like for the life of me, I cannot remember what it's called.

But I enjoy it as well. I'll look it up. Okay. January Levoy, narrating the scammer, by the way. Wonderful. Okay. She gets Bonnie and January. Cool, cool, cool, cool.

I know. Nice, nice. Boomtown also has Angel Pene and Bonnie Durbin in its audio. Oh, nice. Boomtown. Yes. Did you finish it? Yeah, I finished it last night at 11.

Oh, that's that amazing. I have such a bad book hangover. Yes, it is so good. I got to bring in the heavy hitters because, like, I tagged her in my story and she was like, I need to know what you think of the end. And I was like, this is one of my favorite books I read. Yes, her publicist just emailed me and asked if she could be if I would interview her. So I'm going to.

You let me know what it is. Yeah. Well, I can send her different ones if you want to do it. I'll just join. Okay. If I can. Yeah. We'll see what happens.

Find out. In a couple weeks on Book Wild. Yeah. Speaking of podcasts, my next pick is by popular podcaster, Daphney Wilsoncroft, who does a true crime podcast. And it is called Nightroach.

Night Watcher And it is one of my favorite books of the year I could not put it down It scared the hell out of me Like I started it Loved the Fall creepy vibes in it Because I think it takes place in like Portland I think so too

I think so And but it's not like big city Portland It's like the suburbs outside of Portland And it's just chef's kiss When it comes to atmosphere But then I started reading it and I was like loving it. So I went and got takeout and I was having like a total vibe with it. And then I started reading it at night and I was like, no.

No, no, no, no. Like I was like legit scared to take Murphy outside to go pee. I was like, you're going to watch your dad get murdered. Run for your life. I have a similar story for my next one. So it's basically about a woman named Nola Strait. as a child she survived a chilling encounter with a serial killer

but now she's a popular radio show host who has never spoken about her experience one night when a woman calls into the show she describes an intruder that sounds exactly like the hiding man so Nola begins to fear that he's back right as she starts to feel like someone is watching her

yeah terrifying terrifying does that like to play around Halloween or is it just about a masked person. I think the, like, the weather feels fallish,

but I don't know if it takes place around. Yeah, I can't remember. I don't think it does. I feel like she would have, like, incorporated more because, like, Daphne is, like, a spooky girlie down, down bad. Mm-hmm. Um,

and she's already writing her third book. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. That's exciting. Yeah, she posts it on TikTok last night. Oh, interesting segue. I am segueing to a book with supernatural elements, but if you're not super into scary stuff,

I think it could still work for you. And that is Amina Akhtar's Almost Surely Dead. Yes. We haven't talked about in a while, but I was like, it is supernatural, but I feel like most of it. people could handle it. I agree. A darkly funny...

That's not true. He kind of is. No, the next thing. Oh. But anyway, so it is about a woman of Pakistani heritage, and she goes missing. There's some supernatural elements, which I thought were really fascinating of, like, Pakistani lore in regards to... some supernatural things and there's also a podcast element so it's like a little snarky a little

commentary on true crime and then a little bit of like a learning element which I really thought interesting yeah it is creepy I want to read that one but you're right it's approachable yeah I wouldn't I think it's creepy it's not like haunted house you know, like that kind of stuff. But yeah, some of it's like unsettling for sure. Definitely. I love fashion victim by her. It's one of my favorite books in the world.

So good. I need that to be a movie or a TV show. Mm-hmm. Or something. Oh, Murphy. Well, you know, how Gere was saying he could not go outside in the dark with Murphy.

I started listening to the Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, like one night. And then I was listening to it in a morning because Harley just wakes me up really early and whatever. I was just sitting there in bed. But then Bruce really wanted his W-A-L-K. He's in the room with us. But it was still dark.

So I was just, but you just kind of have to just still take him. And I stepped on like, a twig and it like bounced up and like hit my leg and I was kind of freaking out because of the ambiance of the book I'd just been listening to. Um, so it is it's not even like scary, scary. It's also like visceral and creepy. But a diary written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow, told and transcribed interviews by a blackfeet named Goodstab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits.

And then it also, that was like the whole synopsis. It had a short synopsis, so I just copied it in. And it says, this is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror. So, like, revenge is a big part of it. And the ending is one. Wonderful. Very grateful. I'm diving into some of his books this weekend. I just got, because it's on sale and audible, I got, I was a teenage slasher. I have that one, but I haven't read yet.

Yeah, it sounded, it sounded like I would like it. Okay, because it's kind of like parodies, slasher films in a fun way. So I'm intrigued. His Indian Lake trilogy. Yeah, my heart is a chain. Or is that the one that's the parody? I can't remember. I know that that one is, like people say it's like the indigenous

scream franchise. Okay. But I have heard that I was a teenage slasher does parody some horror movies. Okay. And then. Maybe I was right then. There's that duology with like the hitchhiker one and the babysitter one that are like in the same book.

Mm-hmm. That's what I'm going to try to read this weekend. Yeah. I think my heart is a chainsaw, the main character, like, really, really loves slasher movies. Oh, that makes sense. And then people start getting murdered in her town similar to, like, slasher movies. Mm. Yeah.

Nice. Dude, I want to listen to all of them. Yeah. His marketing team was, like, genius when my heart is a chainsaw came. out. Oh, yeah. They put all of the books in a little box that looked like a BHS box. Oh, that's so cool.

I'll send you guys a picture of it when we're done. That's cool. Yeah, it's really cool. Mm-hmm. Well, speaking of supernatural and creepy. Ooh. This one, you have to, if you read it, you have to pretend that you don't pay attention to the weather because it takes place.

the summertime. But when I read it, I felt like it was like it gave me fall vibes because it's very creepy. So I just like kind of was like, they're not hot. I can't see them sweating. So my next one, if you want something really creepy for spooky season is please see us by Caitlin Mullen. Oh yeah. One of my favorite books in the entire world. I think about it at least once a day. I am obsessed with it. Her new book comes out next summer. I don't know what it's about, but I know that I'm ordering it. So please see us is about a young woman named Lily, who is relocated to Atlantic City from New York following a horrible breakup.

Meanwhile, Clara is the young boardwalk clairvoyant who's having disturbing vision. She believes could be related to some of the women who have vanished in the city. When Clara and Lily's lives converge, the two come together in hopes that they can save whoever is next in a serial killer's path. So... Good one. I love this book. much. There's, we've like talked about this before and I feel like it's like ahead of its time because like

in the past couple of years with true crime and crime fiction, whenever somebody's talking about a serial killer, like a lot of people have been like, you focus so much on the killer that you don't focus on the victims. And I feel like this was one of the first books that I saw that did that because the whoever the serial killer murders, they're called the Jane chapters in between. it like gives you like an outlook on like who they were like how they grew up like what they enjoyed who their parents were and it was just like I felt like it brought like a lot of emotion of the story because like not a lot of people did that then they still don't really but um I just feel like that brought so much to it I agree and the super natural elements I felt like

were believable because I believe in clear boy hints. Yeah I said what I said. I said what I said. I know it's like on the cover literally, but I felt like the way that like the marshy little palms and grasses move, I could just visualize so much like a woman like just in the marsh. You know what I mean? It was one of the first books. Like I will say KTT, KT, KT, KT, killing the T really like brought that subgenre to life for me and made me realize my love for it. But like that book, I think it was the first time I was like what is like when you guys say bleak I'm like that's the word I was looking for because I'm like I just feel some sort of way when I was done mad I almost like couldn't

give it a rating because it just felt like so sad you know yeah yeah oh that's a that's a bleak billing special right there oh yeah that's probably one of the books that like created bleak billings because I was like here's a book that ends realistically and it's not like oh let's tie everything up and live happily ever after and like now the sun is shining and everyone's lives are perfect. So like the ending to that book, the like final, I don't even want to say like twist, but like the final like reveal of that book is one of my like favorite. Favorite things in the entire world.

I like don't know anything about it anymore, but like the vibes still live in my soul. There were a lot of heartbreaking moments in that one. A lot of heartbreaking moments. that one. And I remember like, like you, the marsh, like, the women are dumped in a marsh behind this like motel. And I remember like kind of like being like you and like I can see like the women in the marsh and then like the Atlantic City like lights kind of in the background. Yeah. And that's where my mom's in Atlantic City right now. So hopefully she does not run to him. Come home safe, Kathy.

Yes, Kathy. That's a good one. Did you see that recently, like the paperback? It was picked as like a Barnes & Noble book choice. No, I didn't see that. It's good. The last few months, I think. I feel like it's one of those books that's gotten, like,

it's kind of like a cult classic book version. Like, it's gained more popularity as, like, time has gone on. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. What's direction I want to go? I think I'm going to go opposite. I'm going to go play nice by Rachel Harrison.

I think if you're looking for something that's not going to leave you feeling really bleak, but still has some like elements of paranormal and stuff like that. I think she's a great pick, regardless of which book. Yeah. But her most recent release is Play Nice. So this one is about a woman who has an estranged relationship with her mother. Her mother passes away and there's a house that they all grew up in that is left to three sisters. And the main character, Cleo, is the one who's like willing to maybe use flipping the house for her social media popularity.

but when she goes in she's like maybe my mom was right maybe it is haunted so it's snarky it's creepy it's fun it's very fun I love the charm pink horror that people are using for stuff like that lately oh I like yeah yeah she was kind of talking when she came here I want to read her bonds you need to I want to read. I still haven't read such sharp teeth. That one I almost started this morning. Oh, wow. That's like one of the only ones I have left by her.

Yeah. I have that one. And I haven't read the return. I've only read the return. I know. And I was kind of like, I don't know. Well, sometimes it's like you go, I don't know, sometimes you go to an author's debut,

and it's like, it might be like your, favorite or it's like how I've really enjoyed how they've grown since then. Right. How they've evolved since then. So it's hard to know. It's also like how I've evolved as a reader too is like maybe there's some things with that one that I didn't like pick up on. Yeah. You know or like didn't like view as like snarky. Because you know like sometimes like you're like, oh like this is like satire or snark but like maybe like earlier on in my like reading I didn't really recognize that as much. So I definitely would be curious to read that

again. Yeah. And I think sometimes even seasoned readers don't just don't like there's some people, it's just not their style. It wasn't their style then. I don't know. I didn't realize Tanana Reeve do even blurbed this

one. I noticed it when I was like there, like when I picked up that when she was talking and I was listening to the reformatory on my way to see Rachel Harris said and then I got her book and saw that to nothing to read you. I was like, this is wild. Well, speaking of authors who evolve from their debuts,

Kosaco Jackson has been writing YA for a while and his adult debut is called The Maccob. And I loved this one. It's like a blend of magic and horror and thriller. elements. When painter Louis Dixon discovers his unsettling art is mysteriously tied to his great-grandfather's cursed masterpieces, he's drawn into a secret world where paintings can trap and destroy their creators. Tasked by a shadowy museum official to destroy the tin paintings before their powers consume the world, Lewis must confront black market magic, ancient curses, and the horrors lurking within his own creations.

So this one, like, travels in time a little bit because he'll go back into time in some of these paintings. It goes, like, all around the world. So, like, some of it even has, like, elements of what you may enjoy in, like, spy thrillers. It was one of the things that stood out to me. And then there's magic, but mostly the magic is he can go through these paintings. So it's not like Wave Your Wand

Magic all the time kind of stuff Don't mean that rudely I'm just trying to explain how much magic is it I know I get what you're saying Yeah

I asked recently So that was how I kind of They're like what is the magic Like I was like really It's just that the paintings are portals I love all of these like terms and like phrases that Kate has come up with now that she is like full on all over the genres.

Someone asked me about a book the other day and they asked like how what was magical realism about it? Yeah, I've asked you that. And I think some people are like truly curious because I think they might be a little skeptical. Yeah. Depending on what your answer is. So I think that's a really common question actually.

Yeah. So it's nice that you have come up with some relatable terms. Yeah, kind of like sometimes I'm like, it's not like sci-fi, like space opera sci-fi. It's like speculative, more speculative or it's more black mirror sci-fi, like things that people can kind of connect with a little easier. Because all the genres have sub-genres. It's so fascinating. I mean, of course they do, but that's just what I've been really well. kind of like the one I'm reading right now. I was thinking about that with like alchemy of secrets. I see how like it really is more magical realism than fantasy, but I understand why they're saying fantasy. But it's like you're so much in LA, like present day LA. And there's just a magical element. But yeah. Because isn't that technically the difference is the world? I think so. I think that's typically the big difference between fantasy, like straight fantasy versus magical realism.

Yeah, because I think, yeah, like, if you're in, like, your regular life world, but something's a little, like, magical, then it's magical realism. Yeah. That would make sense. Yeah. Sometimes Goodreys just puts both of them. Yeah. You're like, okay. I mean, could you even say necessarily that, like, I don't know, but could.

like please see us be like magical realism like is clairvoyance kind of magical or not like I don't know I mean but I think that's kind of that like flirting line is like it's very realistic you're right I don't know it probably comes down if you think it's real or not like you're saying yeah I don't know me personally I do not consider like psychics clairvoyance anything like that to be like magic necessarily because I feel like a medium wouldn't be magic for me but like if somebody

like we're like telekinetic and could like move things with their mind or like cast spells or things like that like that would be more magical for me but that's because I believe in like psychics and mediums kind of like the intuitive stuff yes I believe in that

more than I do like magic. I think I agree with you. I think so too. I also think that there's like a really broad definition of what you could consider like witchy. You know what I mean? It's like to me I think that all of that stuff is like so fucking cool and could like be put under that umbrella. Yeah. Like a gift. Yeah.

So I think it's like- Especially since witch was just used as a term for women who will be used. Yeah. So I think it, but yeah, I think you're right. It isn't as like fantastical as magical. So it's like really interesting. It's a interesting conversation. Yeah.

And I think like also like a lot of like intuitive medium, clairvoyant sort of things like are very common in like Native American or like indigenous culture. So like that's probably like for me like it's just not something that I would consider like magic. Yeah. But I can see why some people might because if you don't believe in things like that, then it is a very, like, unrealistic thing for you to, like, read in a book, you know?

I mean, the Bible is fantasy. Yeah. Well, and I also wonder, too, like, for some people is... Not my kind of fantasy. No. Dysopians. Sorry. Hey, guys, I'm diving into fantasy. first pick is the Bible. That would be

like my... Kate, what did you just disconnect? She would like give me out. No, I would know that you had been replaced by like an AI robot and I would have to find what happened to the real gear. My first pick is the Bible. This is my wife. Your wife.

Melania. I hate Taco Bell. I decided to start running miles instead of my mouth. Oh yeah. You would know. There would be something. There would be signs. Well, my next one has a little hint of supernatural in it too.

But I feel like it is believable supernatural. It's not world building or like stuff that you really have to like wrap your mind around. It's just kind of like, what made that move? You know, why did that can move? What made that move? What would that? so nobody's going to be surprised the sundown motel by simone st james i just feel like is like the perfect fall yeah

step just pulled pulled it up for people who are only listening she had it too i'm glad stuff had like seven or eight picks because i knew you're going to pick that one or broken girls and you brought up both of them already today so i was actually curious as to which one you were going say today. I love broken girls. And it is fall vibes and spooky vibes. But like this one, there's like a few elements in it that I would say

were surprised to me when I was reading it that like really hit the nail on the head for me. It's like what I like as a reader. But also like a creepy motel and like a woman gone missing. It's just I don't know. It's all fall vibes for me. And it's upstate New York. Yeah.

So like I could probably send you guys. like 10 pitchers. You know what I mean? This is what the sundown motel could look like. Yeah. So in upstate New York in 1982, Viv had dreams of moving to New York City. To help pay for her trip,

she decides to take a job as a night clerk at the sundown motel. She soon vanishes after. In 2017, her niece Carly finds herself in the same town refusing to let go of her aunt's disappearance. When there's an opening for the same night clerk job at the sundown motel, she takes it in hopes of

finding answers. When Carly begins to have the same experiences as Viv did before she disappeared, she fears she could be next. What the hell happened? What to hell happen to them? What happened? Read the book. I need her. I think she's just,

she announced a new book, but also another one of hers got re-released knock at midnight. No, not that one. You guys just talked about that one. There's something a box full of darkness. A box full of darkness. That's a re-release, right? No. This is the new one. Oh, that's new. Oh.

No. This comes out January, January 20th. This one comes out. Oh. I don't know what the recent re-release was. Well, like, haunting a Maddie Claire and Silence of the Dead are re-releases with new covers. Would it be an inquiry into love and death?

That one, I think I still need to get. Oh, that was quite a time ago. I know. She's good, you guys. It's crazy. keep bringing her out too because I keep bringing this book up. The main character in Alchemy of Secrets,

her name is Holland, St. James. And I keep thinking of Simone St. James because, like, she has a twin sister, so they keep saying different names with St. James. I like it. And then there's Celia St. James. Yeah.

From one. There's where from? Evelyn Hugo. Hugo. Oh, yeah. Yeah. All the St. James. Maybe I need to listen to everyone here with one day.

Oh, I bet that it's good on audio. I'll say that. I probably won't. Let's be real. I'll be like, but this other book. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's what's like tough now that you're sticking with audio books.

Yeah. I think one thing that has helped, if I have to reread, sometimes for like a book club, you could just like look at spoilers online. do sometimes like the audio reread experience. Yeah. I've been thinking about that since I read my first audiobook. I would like to, that I would like to revisit some of my old favorites on audio. I bet the shards on audio. So fucking good. I bet they surely they introduced that. Oh, you did. Oh my God. American Psycho would probably be good on audio. Yes. Okay. I think American Psycho's been done twice, but more recently it's been done by Pablo. He's an actor, and it's only an

audible. Pablo Schreiber. Yeah. Yeah, sometimes they redo audiobooks is like the fascinating thing. Gillesquenlist narrates the shards. I don't know. I'm just like, what? I was in that world. I was in that world and I think he was really good at it. I'll never forget. That's another one I can picture things from. Because I read that on my Christmas vacation when it was like coming out. And I was like, what a vibe. Just being like, like with my parents being like, oh my God, I love you guys. Here's all the presents I buy you and like having like Christmas dinner together. And then like me like reading shards. I think the way he reads is like very, it almost feels casual the way he reads. But it's like, I don't know, you'll hear the way he says Robert Mallory for your head in your head your whole life.

I feel like after, I don't know. You just, it's cool. It's similar self-autobiographical too, right? So that makes it pretty meta. Yeah. Yeah, I think there's. Yeah, his main characters named Brett. Mm-hmm.

Well, speaking of audiobooks I want to listen to, this one is actually on my TBR. and I saw someone bring it up on Instagram so it made me want to read it more is SluFut by Bram I keep seeing it I know this one I thought it had like

color images, bounties but there's like cool pictures in it like illustrations of like the creepy monsters in the woods that I don't know it's really I think it's a unique reading experience experience from what I've heard. But anyways, this one I actually double-checked. Folklore witchcraft and Puritan fear collide in this lush, brutal tale of power and myth. It's earthy, eerie, and impossible to forget.

And I've heard it's a pretty, like, revengey, which in the time of the witch trials. Okay. crunchy. Oh, I thought it was a shorter book since I'd seen like the coffee table, like the square version essentially. It's 14 hours, so it must not be. It's like 300 pages, but it does. See, I thought I bought the one that had like the color illustrations, but I guess I didn't. But it has like, it's a really unique format.

Yeah. But I really like Barry Krienig. the narrator. Oh. I really want to read that. I know. Creepy-ass Puritan-looking guy. Ew. Oh my God, he looks like...

The hell's that actor's name. I wonder if the audio book comes with a PDF. You know, sometimes they do. It looks like Adam Driver or like an older version, though, like that long. Right. He looks like that, like... Like, can we think of this guy's name? Well.

Yeah, I want to read that. Yeah. I think it is very, very historical fiction. But I'm hoping, like, I'm hoping the audio will help more with, like, I don't know what the dialogue is like. Like, that's sometimes hard about historical fiction or even sometimes, like, fantasy to me sometimes. I'm like, is the dialogue easy to understand? That's a good one. That's a good point.

major point for me yeah well my next one actually i heard about from you for the first time uh i almost call you liz steps oh this is why i almost called you liz it's jackal by aaron e adams and so i was looking at the first sentence of my synopsis which is when liz returns to her mostly white hometown for her best friend's wedding the night takes a horrifying turn when a young girl vanishes into the woods echoing a string of past disappearances of black girls. As Liz digs into the town's buried history, she uncovers a monstrous force feeding on its racism and must face the darkness to save the missing child and herself. I loved this one. It was, it's so, it gets really creepy. It doesn't start off creepy necessarily, but it really builds up into it. And like, she kind of

had a bad experience growing up. So there's like wondering what happened to her as well. I loved her character too. Like she's very she's very snarky. That's of course that's what it is if I love the character. But she was just like I liked being in her mind basically. And it was just I just, I enjoyed it a lot. There's one quote. So the one with the woods. Is there like something with the woods. They keep disappearing kind of into the woods. Yes. Okay. I think I read some of that. It's really, it kind of like went over my head at the end, but I liked it so much that I just was like, okay, whatever, I'm here and I'm loving it. But I kind of want to like reread it to think, I feel like if I could understand like the end a little better. But this one quote from that book I

took a picture of and I've had it in my phone since 2023. She didn't need. to be an adult to know that sad men are the most dangerous. Oh, I loves that one. Yeah. Mm. Mm. Like I just was like, and that wasn't reading like the kids chapters because it's almost like please see us where there's chapters sprinkled in of like the girls. Missing girls.

Yeah. And I was like, what a sentence of an observation. Beautiful. Like there are other things within I think the author's note that talked about just like when especially men, but anyone is like scared, sad. like that's when they do the worst things I think here and I'm just like that is so spot on and explains a lot stunning somebody would have told me that in 2023 I tried yeah true true I was like I was like oh you think I should have ran six months ago

you didn't make that clear at all yeah you think I should have ran six months ago I got worse me keep my opinions myself I'm like I need to listen to Kate's opinion 24-7 now I'd love so much um well my last one

is the return of bleak billings so yay get your clean X um my last one is keep this for me by Jennifer Fawcett. Well, that's new, right?

Yes. It's, I cannot stop thinking about it. I've seen so many people posting good reviews and makes me so happy. I'm so happy. It is just a freaking emotional odyssey. Like, it's creepy, it's atmospheric. It is, like, very sad. It's very, like, mysterious.

And it's just, oh, that's so good. It's so good. There's multiple POVs. And they're all written, like, in these, like, very, different voices. Yes. It's distinct. That like, yes. Yes. Thank you. On a hot summer night

in 1993, a couple's car breaks down. A trucker comes along, the man is attacked, and the woman is abducted, only to never be seen again. When Eddie Ward, the trucker, is caught, they find his victims buried in a mass grave, but the young woman is never found. 30 years later, on his prison deathbed,

Eddie claims that he never took the life of her, but her daughter, Fiona, is returning to the small town where her mother disappeared looking for answers. Upon her arrival, another young woman goes missing and the only suspect is none other than Eddie's son, Jason. Damn.

It's so good. She's put it on hold at the library. Oh my God. I will fucking buy it for you. I think I said this when we interviewed her, but it reminds me of a little bit of the other green cover, Lake of Lost Girls. Yeah. Probably because there's

death related to a lake, but also kind of like, examining, like, what's really happening. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's good way. Yeah.

And I feel like the lake of lost girls is, like, more psychological. And then this one is like, everyone has a shitty life. and it's not going to get better. Yeah, true. And I was like five stars. Like all the stars. All the stars. I remember like reading the first sentence of it and I was like, this is going to be,

this is just going to work for me. I can just tell. Yeah. It's great. The first sentence is. Yeah. The whole book is awesome. Well, for my last one, I'm going a little the other direction.

You just been scruiting. Yeah, I gotta get away from the bleak town. I think that you told me about it, though. So there's a connection. Said something about it that I read it. I'm not sure, but another set on Halloween book is How to Survive Your Murder by Daniel Valentine. Oh, God, good pick. Yeah.

I was just, but it's like not bleak. It's crazy. Yeah. I think this one is, it is Y.A. It's like high school age characters. Pure slasher movie fun, fast, bloody, and clever with meta horror vibes and final girl energy. So if any of those things are appealing to you, I will say, I think, I flew through it. It doesn't take long.

I think the ending surprised me. Uh-huh. Me too. Oh. Me too. Wow. I still think about that ending. Oh.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I still think about that ending because I was like, holy shit. Yeah. Yeah. Not what I anticipated happening. No. But like, okay. I'm not used to big twist.

There are some YA books that just like work really well for me. And then there are some that I'm like, maybe this is why I don't read a lot of YA. But that was one of the ones that I was like this fucking masterpiece right here just had me. Yeah. I loved the ending to that. I'll just hold on. It does not feel like YA. Yeah, that's the...

It gives kind of like Megan Lally vibes to me. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God, Steph. That was a fucking genius pick. What a genius... Gotta go out with the bang.

Good idea, you guys. I do love a little Halloween episode. Yeah, I love being spooky. But... But... It's a wild style.