Bookwild - Spring Thrillers We Can't Wait to Read

Episode Date: March 23, 2023

This week, we are talking about thrillers with powerful moments of female rage, empowerment or survival.Follow us on Instagram:Gare @gareindeedreadsKate @thegirlwiththecookonthecouchBooks We Talked AboutThe Drowned GirlsThe Hurricane BlondeDreamboundThe DaydreamsI Didn’t Do ItGirls and Their HorsesYou Shouldn’t Have Come HereBefore We Were InnocentWe Were Never HereDon’t Believe ItYou and Only YouDon’t You DareThe Revenge ListUp CloseNot So Perfect StrangersTV Shows We Talked AboutThe VowWild Wild Country Get Bookwild MerchCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian 

Hey guys, welcome to the Killing the Tea podcast. This is Gare and Kate. And we are going to be discussing all things, chills, thrills, and kills. Kate and I are going to be talking about our favorite books, TV shows and movies that are in the thriller or crime fiction genre, as well as some reading habits and other items related to how we met on Bookstagram that will fit in with this podcast. So, Thank you so much for joining us, and we hope that you have fun and get totally terrified. I just haven't been able to stop yawning. If you yawn, I'm just going to pull a Doree, like, during the reunion of Beverly Hills. Am I boring you? Oh, I'm sorry. Am I boring you, Andy? Sorry, am I boring you, Andy?

Long-winded Doree. Oh, my gosh. She's something else. She has something else. I'm very excited for the new season of Beverly Hills. because I'm one of those people. I like Doree, but I don't think she brings a lot to the show other than like fashion. But.

And she's coogee sometimes. I was thinking the other night during BravoCon, they asked Erica Jane who the next couple she thought would get divorced is. Uh-huh. And she said Doree and P.K. I don't have any films that I would like get away with that joke. You what? I don't have any friends that I would let get away with that kind of joke. Yeah.

Yeah. I know because I'm like, because what is Erica actually scheming? Like you and I are very close. You have a very good head on your shoulders and like you're very reasonable. But like if I were on another person's podcast and they were like, which one of your friends do you think will break up next? And I'd be like, okay and Tyler, whether I was joking or not, you'd be. like, fuck you, Gara.

I'd be like, cool, cool. Yeah, thanks for that. Yeah. Then you'd get to see the version of me that you saw after I saw the Vanderpump Rules season trailer. You would be confronted with that, Kate. I was like, oh my goodness. Very valid points.

Yes. If you had like a secret like double life, I think you would do really well as like a lawyer in your other life. Yep. That was what I was supposed to be. I wanted to be a lawyer when I was growing up. And like I still think I could be good at it.

It's just didn't go that route. I'll write some legal procedural or some legal thrillers. I really do love Bonnie Kistler's legal thrillers. I'm enjoying the legal thriller that I'm reading right now. Is it a sexy legal thriller? Oh, no, you're talking about it's the Charlie Dunley. The Charlie Dunley one. I couldn't tell from your smile if you had a side book on the side.

Oh, no. That's how I would start this puppy off. That's a good point. That would be a good gay thriller for me to write. Yes. The lawyer that's like banging his like. the judge defendant

no the prisoner the person on trial that's good that's good too imagine like a sexy like gay thriller when he's like having sex with the felon

and then it's like oh my god maybe he really is guilty yeah kind of like you know how did you watch any of Grey's anatomy but like

basically in the very first episode how they like hook up when they don't know that they're going to be working together and that's kind of like a trope that you see. So it'd be funny to do it with that where like maybe he like hooks up with him on Grindr or something. And then he finds out that the guy, whatever, and he's like, should I defend him? He seemed like a good guy.

Oh, that is a good one. That would be fun. That's a trope. It happens like very early on, but that's a trope in the Angie Palerino series that I recommended by. Laura Van White is like The drowning girls. Yeah, it's like the detective has this like wild night in like of sex and a motel with this guy and then she goes to work and he's there.

And she's like a detective. I want I want to read those so bad and every time I bring it up to you, you're like, you're going to have to like read all of them. You'll want to. And I believe you. And so then I'm always like, I don't know. But I like everything you say about that series makes. we want to read it.

There's like some, the thing I think you'll really like about it is everything you've talked about with religion. Ooh, yeah. So a lot of the, a lot of the plots deal with like not just regular, schmegular religion, but like the fucking

cucking ass people who like, fascinates me, think that they're God. Yes. Yes. and how fucked up they are. So I'm like, oh, can't really? Some of the most fascinating documentaries, most enjoyable documentaries for me are like ones about cults.

The Nixium one was so good. So if anybody is into cult-ish documentaries, the Nixian one on HBO is amazing. And I'm trying to think of what the one, I can't think of this one on Netflix, so I'm pulling it up. Cults terrify me. Yeah.

Especially like, why can't I think of this? It was so good. I've been in like somewhat like verbally abusive relationships. Mm-hmm. Where people try to like gaslight me or like

pray on my insecurities. Mm-hmm. and like that's one person on one person so like the fact that you have like somebody that can manipulate that many people to like join a call and gaslight and prey on them and all of that thing like no because I'm a pretty like good with like bullshit like I'm like I smell bullshit you're out of here so the fact that like some of these men have gotten away with this I know because they were tall and toxic and that's what I'm into and like oh my god well and I love when our girl Ashley was talking about the last housewife that the way she wrote it was like how could

I see this like what are like steps that I could see this like luring me into it which is like an even scarier take but she was kind of like if I was that age how could it slowly shift into something and when you're young that's when it's so easy yeah yeah I'm thinking of like men who emotionally manipulated me and stuff when I was in like my early 20s, like late teens, early 20s and how they like, I was like, holy shit. Because even back then I was like a little snarky like, you know, but then I was like, oh my God, look back on it. I'm like, Jesus. Yeah. And yeah, anybody who just tries to gaslight and emotionally manipulate me over 30, I'm just like, it'll never change.

not today you'll never change not tomorrow either the other documentaries called Wild Wild Country on Netflix and it is like a thrilling experience of a documentary basically a guru Bhagwan and his personal assistant

Ma Sheila basically make a larger and larger and larger and larger and larger and larger cult that starts to include like sex stuff and they try to even like create they try to overtake a city in Oregon it's wild and there's so many wild things it feels like you're reading a thriller about a cult like each episode you like it feels like you're left on a cliffhanger every single episode like there's six hours of content and we started it and finished it like three in the morning because we like could not stop watching it so

Anyone who can really get into those docs, you need to see wild, wild country. That would be, like, the most disturbing thing for me. I think I would fall asleep faster watching a documentary about cannibalism than I would, like, organize religion and cults. And cannibalism is the one that I can't handle lately. Like, in my old age, all of a sudden. I mean, it would definitely disturb me, yes. Yes. Yes, but then, but like the religion cult thing also terrifies the living hell out of me.

Yeah. So. Yeah. I am enjoying that we're recording and it's still daylight out. Oh, yeah. It is for the people who don't like to live in the dark like me. This is your time. It's, I will say, I do like when it's light out longer, but I also would.

prefer like brisk weather. Yes, definitely that too. Mm-hmm. Tyler's happy, though. He gets, the seasonal, effective depression gets bad in February. Mine usually does, too.

January and February. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But yeah, looking forward to, like, nicer, longer days, sunshine, vitamin D. Yes.

So speaking of looking forward to things. Mm-hmm. Like spring. Like spring. And books. As always. This is a new chapter for us. Because we're having a baby.

We're having a baby and it's a thriller. Oh my gosh. I'm sorry. We would have like a genre reveal party. Oh my God. That's amazing. It's like, okay, is it going to be a thriller, a spy novel? Oh, my God.

A smuddy gay book, or is it going to be something by Taylor Jenkins to read? Or a smutty gay spy book. Oh, my God. Mm-hmm. But also, there's something that we're kind of introducing that we discussed called tentative title right now is Radar Corner. where, you know, if we think of something, I kind of did it a few weeks ago with Whisper by Brian Dearborn,

but if we come across a book that we're like, okay, this sounds really good, something that we want to keep in mind, we're just going to like shout it out. So like next week, you know, you might find a book that you're like, oh my God, it's coming out in September, but I'm super pumped for it and we're just going to go from there.

Oh, yeah. We can both do one then. Yeah that you say that. So I'm going to pull it up. Good. Good. All right. Will you pull it up and I'm going to shout it out?

Shout it out. Shout it out. So the only thing I thought of is there is a book coming out that came across my radar a couple months ago. And I read the synopsis and I was like ad to cart. I don't care when this comes out ad to cart. And I keep thinking of it and keep thinking of it and keep thinking of it. And the reason is because I knew that.

it was coming out sometime in the near future. But I just keep checking, hoping that the release date is pushed up. So the novel is called The Hurricane Blon by Hallie Sutton, which is like the fucking coolest name ever. It is. And I also like. And the coolest cover. Oh, my God. Just cool.

Give me. so many things to do with this book that I love. We've got Hollywood, 90s vibes, cold case murder, sign me up. So Hurricane Blonde by Hallie Sutton is about Hollywood being a sickness. And there are a few people who understand this better than Salma Lowe, progeny of Hollywood royalty and former child star turned guide to the six, no, SARS, six be under tour bus.

Say that ten times fast. Selma spends her days leading tourists around star-studded avenues of Hollywood, pointing out where actresses have met spectacular or untimely ends. Salma knows better than anyone that a tragic death is the surest, surest path to stardom. Jesus, Garrett. There's a lot of S's. My God. Samma, Samma.

So she knows better than anyone that attracted us is the surest path to stardom. Her own sister, Tani, dubbed the Hurricane Blonde for her off-camera antics, was murdered in the mid-90s, and the case remains unsolved. Salma herself has sworn off acting in hopes to stay out of trouble until a real dead body is discovered on her tour, on the property where her sister once lived. Salma soon realizes something uncanny. It's not just that this woman is dead at her sister's address. It's that she also looks just like her and is wearing her distinctive hair clip. When the police investigation goes nowhere, Salma has no choice but to clench herself into the world where she left behind and searched for her sister's killer, who may have just struck again.

But the search for the truth will take her deep into the rot of Hollywood, past and present, into her family's own long buried and terrible secrets. That sounds so good. So good. I fucking love, love, love, love, a cold case murder. Yes. All I'm thinking of is like, especially somebody who has a reputation for having, like, poor behavior on camera, or off camera, I mean.

I can't speak today. so just I might not be able to either I'm like oh my God this book sounds amazing let me botch the fucking synopsis Selma Jesus but yeah it just sounds really good

it sounds really really good I also love like a story of like how she had like turned away this Hollywood presence in order to like literally be a tour guy for stars who have been murdered and have died. Yeah.

Like, this is very far. But the only thing I could think of with that is my best friend and I used to live in Boston together. And her mom is like the coolest. So shout out to Rochelle. Like, you are the coolest lady. I fucking love you. Like, she was reading a Patricia Cornwell book. when she went to visit.

Oh, my God. And she, like, she came to visit one time. And I think it was around Halloween, but, like, I had gotten done work. And my friend, Nicole, had texted me and was like, hey, my mom got us tickets to this haunted Boston tour. So, like, it's, like, a tour, like, you walk around Boston and they show you, like, where all of these crimes have happened. Oh, my God.

Like, they would, you would. you would like be walking and they'd like point at like a window and be like that was where like the fifth victim of the Boston Strangler was found or like something like that. It was so interesting and so cool because I love true crime so much. Yeah. That like it was one of my favorite memories of being in Boston. That's so cool. Mm-hmm.

I love that. It was just so. I don't want to go to Boston. I love Boston. One day. I dread New York City like nobody's business like listen

if you're a New Yorker and you love it like good for you right way too much for me I would hate it I'd love watch a movie

and you're like you see like people walking on the streets of New York and there's like six people on the sidewalk and then you go to New York and it's actually 600 people

like even at like 430 in the morning yeah that would just in subways mm-mm no no not for me

They, oh, it even just reminds me of being in buses on college. And I hated that so much. I tended to walk more because I hated the buses so much. So. Public transportation is. I will say the T system in Boston was always very clean. I feel like I've heard that before. Yeah, like it did not bother me whatsoever.

That's good. And I get nauseous very quickly. so and easily. Same. We're so fun. Yeah. I've a blast to go out of town with. Well, I did think of a book.

Actually, this is kind of crazy. So the way you described it, like, oh, sometimes you find a book that you're like, ooh, this is kind of cool. And you're like, but maybe it comes out in September. and I was like, oh, I think there is a book. It's actually in September. So like you prophesized it. But I was actually just like in a net galley, like a dashboard or whatever and saw the cover.

And the cover is so cool for this book, Dreambound by Dan Fry or Frey. So like the cover actually even like grabbed my attention initially. But then also I just feel like this synopsis is so interesting. So in this thrilling contemporary fantasy novel, a father must uncover the secret magical underbelly of Los Angeles to find his daughter who has seemingly disappeared into the fictional universe of her favorite fantasy series. when Byron kids' 12-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue left behind is a note claiming she's taken off to explore the hidden world, a magical land from a series of popular novels.

She's not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron, a cynical and hard-nosed reporter, is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids. Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastical than he ever could have dreamed. As he uncovers locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, real world, I can't talk either. He must shed his doubts and dive head first into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles

if he ever hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey, but if he's not careful, he could be the one to disappear next. And it's just like, it's the most unique synopsis I've read in a while. Like there's a lot going on there. But like as a bookworm, I love the idea of like kids escaping into books. And like what you could do with that. Yeah.

So yeah. It's also one where like I'm like, maybe this is way too much. fantasy for me, and that could be what happens. But I'm, I feel like I'm going to like it. It's got a lot, too, with Hollywood and everything. Yeah. But it's September. It'll probably be refreshing to honestly read a book about missing children where you know that the ending's not going to be very bleak. I have to agree with you on that. I would have, as a child, would have love to disappear into some books. I remember so badly wishing that I could and like thinking I could like will it maybe if I wanted it. Oh my god. I'm just glad that we don't have any train stations around

here because I probably would have gotten abducted trying to like find Hogwarts. Right. Oh my gosh. My God. That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Well, those sound very. Very good. Both of our books. So that's a radar corner. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Nothing like a good old California setting. Mm-hmm.

I think I could segue it from that. Oh, my God. Oh, yes. Yeah, you can. Okay, I can't. They're not in California. But I can also just jump in with my first. Oh, so we're going to talk.

We kind of pre-cute it. And then we did our corner. What is it called? Our radar corner. But we are going to talk about the books we're excited for that are getting published this spring. And we kind of chose April, May. Yep. We sprang forward our clocks and now we're going to spring forward our TBRs.

Yeah. Yeah. Toats. But yeah, you can. Well, how many do you? have. I got six. Oh my god, I have six as well. Yeah. I love it. Okay. And I'm very interested to see if any of them overlap. But I also tried to like choose some where I was like, I don't think he would mention this one. I picked some that I think, let me see, I have one. Oh shit. One, two, three, four. I have four. I have

four that I think might overlap, four and a half out of six. But I don't care at this point if we overlap, because the thing is that sometimes if we overlap, there's certain things that speak to us from the book or the synopsis that, like, I might be excited about versus you, what you will be excited about. So if we overlap, we overlap. Yeah. Who gives a fuck? It just means if we overlap, that means you need to pre-order it because that's both of us being excited for. That's a really good point. So you kick it off little honey bun. So if any of our listeners are watching Daisy Jones, and I think some of them are, then you're feeling the buzz of the fun of like dysfunctional musicians. And when I was on TikTok a couple of weeks ago, the author of this book was

promoting it by saying don't you wish there was like a Daisy Jones but set in like the 90s like Britney Spears type era and I was like fuck yeah that sounds great and then she was like was that one of yours

and she's like I was like held her what the fuck that the funny thing is that was literally the one I didn't think we would overlap. Oh, God.

We both thought we're so easy. Yeah. Oh, that's hilarious. Well, she basically did this brilliant TikTok and was like, well, that story does exist. It's my book. And I was like, holy shit, I want to read that. So. Yeah.

Me too. It calls the day dreams by Laura Hankin, as Gare mentioned. Um, so this is another one of those ones where it makes sense to read the like part before the synopsis. Um, a deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s and the reunion special 13 years after their scandalous flame out that will either be their last chance at redemption or destroy them all for good. back in 2004 the daydreams had it all a cast of innocent seeming teenagers acting and singing their hearts out amazing ratings and a will-day or won't-they romance that steamed up fan fiction forums then during the live season two finale it all imploded leaving everyone scrambling to understand why afterward the four stars went down very different paths cat is now a lawyer in washington dc leana is the board of the board of wife of a famous athlete. Noah, the show's golden boy, emerged on skays and is poised to become a household name. And Summer, the object of Noah's fictional and maybe real life affections is the cautionary tale. But now the fans are demanding a reunion special. The stars all have private

reasons to come back. Forgiveness, revenge, a second chance with a first love. But as they tentatively rediscover the magic of the original show, old secrets threaten to surface, the real reason behind their downfall. It just sounds so, so freaking fun. I read a book by her. I think it was her first book. Oh, yeah. And I really enjoyed it.

And then I bought her second book, but I haven't read it yet. So, but she's, she's, the reason I'm very excited for this one, is because of my previous reading experiences with her in which I know that she is fantastic at an ensemble cast. So that's really good to know. She just, like, writes the kind of person that's like, oh, like, she had, like, beautiful bangs and wavy hair and, like, loved spearmint gum. And, like, you automatically are like, oh, my God, it's Blake lively.

Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, she just, like, she has, like, this knack for, like, writing characters that are, like, very distinctive. Nice. I love that. And I love that. It's like I haven't read Daisy Jones yet, but like I wasn't like a Fleetwood Matt kind of boy and like was like maybe I just wouldn't be able to get into it.

But like Britney Spears and Insink and Christina Aguilera and all of that, like I'm going to fucking avower out. It's that same, but I will say about Daisy Jones, like especially if you read the book, you don't have to listen to any music. Am I like getting into it? It's happening. I just, that was a lecture. If you, if you read the book, you don't have to listen to the music. I will notice sometimes I get bored during the show because, like, it's not my style of music. But the book very much is, like, that same scary relationship dynamic just in the 70s.

Okay. If you read the book. I said that another time. And I'm just generally saying No cracking T.J.R. jokes around Kate. Oh my gosh. I really just meant it. Like, if there are people that have read the book. I just, I don't care. I don't care if you rip my head off when it comes to T.J.R. It just means how much you love her. And I love that for you.

I like it when you scare me a little bit because usually I'm like the fucking psycho on here. Yeah, mine's like a little more hidden. That's all. I know. That was like kind of like sexy too. Especially because your hair is so like thick right now. You're just like really doing, it's living its life.

Yeah. Yeah. I loved it. And my roots are filled. So that's also. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Did your hair and you, like, Marco Poloed me, I was like, oh, my God, your fucking hair is so great right now. I know. And after being sick, we're like, I just didn't, I couldn't care about my appearance.

It felt so nice to be able to dry my hair again. I know. My ladies know what I'm talking about. Me too. Yeah. You myself a little blowout before. I'm just, I'll dry it and brushed it with my hands. Yes, that book sounds amazing.

Amazing. I am I don't have a segue other than since you took one of mine I'm just going to go with this one first before you can get to it. I think we did this a couple weeks ago. Speaking of an ensemble

cast of characters in a situation of celebrity status. Yeah. Let's talk about murder paloza in the book, I didn't do it, by Jamie Lynn Hendricks.

When you said, I knew which one you were going to take to. It's so fun. It's so fun for us to fuck with each other. Yeah, I didn't do it by Jamie Lynn Hendrix comes out. this spring. I believe it's May 23rd. Yeah.

I felt really cocky about that until I like said it. And I just closed the tab because I was like, I'm going to go with May 23rd, but if you pre-order it now, it doesn't matter when it comes out because you'll have it when it's available. Yeah. Murder Palooza is the premier thriller writers conference meant to be an exciting celebration of the genre in its preeminent writers. But when bestselling author and industry favorite Kristen Bailey is found dead in her hotel room,

four rival authors, a midlister, an egomaniac, a has-be, and the newbie, also get targeted by an anonymous social media account and wonder if they're next. First, they find themselves bonding to try to find out who's behind it. But as the account taunts them, it slowly reveals secrets that each of them have been connected to Kristen, secrets that make them a suspect in each other's eyes. Soon they are turning on each other and silently accusing each as a killer. With time running out until the award ceremony where the social media account has promised a big reveal, the only thing they know for sure is that no one is better at both creating and solving a mystery

than the people who write them for a living. I just love all of the elements at play. I just love that there are some elements to this. that I think would be based off from real things. Like, Jamie Lynn Hendricks has never had a negative thing about any author to say to me, but when it comes to like Thriller Fest and other things, there has been other authors that have spilled some tea with me about other authors as well and how, and like other people like who are like books to grammar and stuff about the difference,

between how some authors portray, which is the same with any celebrity also. Yeah. But how people portray themselves online for their fans versus how they are in real life. Mm-hmm. Like, and I just, like, love the combination of, like... It's fun finding out who is different.

In person. Fun finding out who's different. And you also have four people who are right about murder for their job. Yeah. that like makes it even like higher stakes. Yeah. Yeah. So these are all like four people who have and can create good ideas, whether it's getting away with murder or framing someone for murder.

Yep. There's so many different elements to it. I'm also curious to read this and wonder if any of the authors in the books remind me of authors in real life. That's what I think we talked about. when like the synopsis first came out. Yeah. Everyone can have their own theories after they read the book.

I definitely have some theories for the egomaniac. It's like a Taylor Swift song. Like, you know, everyone's trying to figure out like who she wrote it about. Yeah. And like Easter eggs, we're all going to be like, who did Jamie write this about? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That would be fun.

I know. I know. I have some ideas for the egomaniac and the newbie. Yeah. But they're just ideas. Yeah. And everyone can have ideas. I'll tell you what, though.

Coming out in May, right before Thriller Fest. Yeah, I know. Some good timing. That is going to be, that is going to be a book that is discussed by the book community for a long time. And I'm very excited to be part of that conversation. I know.

It's so exciting. I can't wait to do that. I might want to read that one next. Just like read it early. If you do I will because I was just thinking about that. Let's do it. Okay.

I'll start at Thursday or Friday. I might go to Thriller Fest. Kind of want to read it now. I know. Yeah. Let's do it. Do it. Do it. Do it.

well i have a recommendation that involves people in competition ooh doing dangerous things um also i had your voice in my head because this one comes out the first week of june and we said april and may and i heard you like it's our podcast and so i'm including it but it comes out june i have one that comes out march 28th Okay, nice. That's fine. You know what, though?

The thing is, is when we do this for summer, there's so much that comes out June, July, and August. That, like, if you sneak in a June book now, go ahead. Because there's some places in the world that it's still going to feel like spring or winter in May. Yeah. So they might not feel like spring until June. So you do, you do, you do, boo. Yeah. Plus, it's one more book that we won't have in common.

Yeah, I don't think, or maybe we might. We've talked about the author, but I don't, I feel like it might not have been on your list. Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier. So close. Okay, cool. I couldn't tell. Set in the glamorous, competitive world of show jumping, a novel about the girls who ride, their cutthroat mothers and suspicious deaths at a horse show. When the Nouveau-Reach Parker family moves to an exclusive community in the heart of Southern California, they believe it's their chance at a fresh start. Heather Parker is determined to give her daughters the life she never had, starting with horses. She signs them up for riding lessons at Rancho Santa Fe Equestrian, where horses are a lifestyle.

Heather becomes a barn mom, part of a group of wealthy women who hang at the stables, drink wine, and prepare their daughters for competition. It's not long before the Parker family is fully enmeshed in the horse world. It's not long before the Parker family is fully enmeshed in the horse world from Mean Girl Clicks to barn romance and dark secrets. With the end of summer horse show fast approaching, the pressure is on and these mothers will stop at nothing to give their daughters everything they deserve.

Before the summer is over, lies will turn lethal. accidents will happen and someone will end up dead. Ooh. What were they called barn moms? Barn moms, like dance mom or stage moms. I've never heard that term before, but I love it. I know. And also like barn romance.

Do you think some of the moms are cheating on their husbands in the barns? Probably. You have to be in some serious love. or he's got to look like Henry Cavill if I'm hooking up with someone in a barn Yeah, like that Can you, like, Hayes is not good on skin No, no, I would like leave there

smelling like horse shit and be covered in hives. I was supposed to say it, I would actually probably have an allergy attack and like die. That could be your thriller. But we're never going to do that. We will live vicariously through these women. I'm not going to say I would never do it because at the end of the day

I would be like this would be a really good story and you would be the first person to be entertained by it It would be so fun because you'd be like the fight like I'd be like on Marco Polo with like a baili in my hair like you're never going to get what I got and I'm like I had a dream about this Oh my God I know like when you were talking about

there was something you said earlier about like me being like picking up on vibes or something to the I was like, okay, you're like literally the one who was drinking an olypop when I was thinking about them for two days straight. I know. And I'd been drinking them because I was on antibiotics. I had my first poppy last night. Oh, you had your first poppy or ollie poppy? I had the raspberry rose one. How was it? It was fucking amazing.

I feel like I would really like that flavor. I was like, it's a prebiotic. It's healthy, even though I had Taco Bell for dinner. Cockable is one of the healthier fast food places. I know, but my doctor was not impressed, and he was like, your blood pressure is really high. And I was like, I had Taco Bell for dinner last night, and I'm really sorry. He can get over it.

And I was like, and I got pissed off like three times today, even though I took a half day. And all I had for lunch was an ice coffee from Duncan. Oh, no. Today's not the day should be here. Thankfully, he was like, oh, as long as you're, blood pressure is good at home.

He doesn't talk like that, but... I know. He just kind of, like, laughed it off. Like, let me walk you out. He's like, you're done here. So, yeah, Barn Moms. Super pumped. Barne Moms. Cover's pretty cool, too. I'm very excited for that.

The cover's really cool. I think it's going to be, like, snarky and... Yeah. Yeah, it's going to be, like, snarky and, like, not, like, rely on, like, twists and turns. I feel like. Yeah. Sometimes that's just really entertaining. I feel like it's going to be like big little lies.

Mm-hmm. Combined with like a Maycott book. Like it's going to have that snarkiness, but like the big little lies vibes. Yeah. I really want to read that. I know. I'm excited for it. Do you have that on that galley?

I don't. I requested it a long time ago. well i did interview her so i'm gonna i'm gonna yeah oh uh yeah uh yeah exactly what you're thinking that's what you should do good rich people um i'm gonna reach um reach out i'm gonna just pre-order a copy because i think that she's an author that i'm gonna continuously buy i love her yeah yeah she's really cool oh my gosh random side note but like it's not even fits what we're talking about this is another one of those weird coincidences I just saw on her stories like earlier today.

Her dog, she got him like a miniature version of him or just like a toy that looks exactly like the kind of dog he is. And he's like jumping around the room like freaking out like he can't figure out what it is. And it was so who is this new baby? Yeah. He was like, is it real? Is it a toy? Like he was so confused.

He couldn't tell him it was a real dog or something. He could like chew. It was so cute. I'm not to check that out. Yeah. I love a cute dog story. Also, you do not have to stop Marco Poloing me when your dogs are acting up in the background because it secretly, like, gives me a lot of entertainment.

It'd be like the same thing if, like, you had, like, kids and they were, like, fighting in the background. Or, like, being like, mom, mom, mom. But, like, I just think it's, like, super funny because your dogs, like, have zero problem, like, giving you shit. and like putting you in your place. Yeah. It'll just be like standing. You're like Bruce. Give me a second, Bruce.

And he's like, rah. No. Mom, you fucking pay attention to me right now. You wrap up this story with gear in like 30 seconds and your fucking ass over here. So yeah. No. And you got to hear them how in unison. Oh my God.

I know. They're so funny. They do it a lot. I love them. They're very cute. I'll let you listen to it now. Yeah. I don't even have a segue.

It's okay. Barn moms. I don't know. Yeah. Just speaking of an author who was really cool and snarky, I guess. My next one that I am very, very, very excited for. Like, can't wait to read this. is you shouldn't have come here by Geneva Rose.

Is that one of yours? That was one that I was like, I think he'll take it. So I like picked another author. I didn't think you would. So I came this close to picking it. But it just sounds really good. It's about a woman named Grace Evans, who is an overworked New Yorker

looking for a total escape from her busy life who books an Airbnb on a ranch in the middle of Wyoming. So when she arrives, she's pleasantly surprised to find that the owner is a handsome man by the name of Calvin Wells. Maybe there's a barn. I don't know. But there are things Grace discovers that she's not too pleased about. The lack of cell phone service, a missing woman, and a feeling that something isn't right with the town.

Despite her uneasiness and misgivings from Calvin's friends and family, the two grow close and start to fall for one another. However, as her departure date nears, things between the same. them start to change for the worse. Grace grows wary of Calvin and his infatuation for her seems to turn into obsession. Calvin fears that Grace is hiding something from him. Told from dual points of view, you shouldn't have come here as a thrill ride and a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when you open up your house and your heart to a total stranger. That synopsis is so cool. that synopsis is amazing because the thing that I love is how you kind of feel like you're like oh my God grace get the fuck out of there you know what I mean like things are starting to look a

little crazy then get out of there but then like as you get farther down it's kind of like you realize that you're going to get dual perspectives from them and knowing how she writes it's going to be a wild wild twisty ride yes that was exactly that was exactly out to you what it made me think. I was like, she does multiple P of me so well. Oh, my God. I know. It's going to be so good. So fun. Yeah. I love her books. Me too. Yeah. She is amazing. I love, love her. So Geneva Rose. I'm staring at the arc right now. And then if you love that one, she has a bunch of other ones you can try out. Uh-huh. Yeah. A lot of them are on Kindle Unlimited.

Yeah, she has thrillers and I believe one or two contemporary fiction. Mm-hmm. So she's just an amazing storyteller, in my opinion. Yeah. So, yeah. My girl. My next one. Mm-hmm.

Not similar. But it's called Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman. 10 years ago after a sun-soaked summer spent in Greece, Best Friends, Bess, and Joni were cleared of having any involvement in their friend Evangeline's death. But that didn't stop the media from ripping apart their teenage lives like vultures. While the girls were never convicted, Joni, ever the opportunist, capitalized on her newfound infamy

to become a motivational speaker. Best, on the other hand, resolves to make her life a small, small in control as possible, so she wouldn't risk losing everything all over again. And it almost worked. Except now Joni is tangled up in a crime eerily similar to that one fateful night in Greece. And when she asks Bess to come back to L.A. to support her, Bess has a decision to make. Is it finally time to face up to what happened that night, exposing herself as the young woman she once was and maybe still is? And what happens if she doesn't like what she finds.

It's kind of Amanda Knox vibes. Yeah. That sounds really good. Vamped up. And I have to order that. You see the cover's really cool, too. I have seen the cover because somebody shared the cover on their stories

on Instagram today. Yes, I saw it on Instagram, and I was like, whoa, I'm going to be talking about that. Yeah, I really like the cover. Mm-hmm. I'm a sucker for gray and like a pastel. Me too.

Oh, sign me up. We're such millennials. I know. I'm here for it. Berkeley, too. Berkeley always publishes the best stuff. I know. Okay.

I added it to my wish list. That sounds incredible. It also sounds a little like, what is the name of it? We Were Never Here by Andrea Barts. I haven't read that. Oh, you would really like that. Okay.

Really like it. It's like two friends who go on vacation every year together and like one of them comes back to the hotel room and this man is dead in their hotel room and the other like friend is like he attacked me. Like I killed him in self-defense. And the other friend is like, okay, like I understand that you killed this man in self-defense this time. but why is this really similar to something that happened last year when we were on vacation? Oh my gosh. Yeah. And it follows like a relationship where you're like, is this person guilty or not?

Oh. And like toxic female friendship, you will devour the shit out of it. You will fucking love that one. Yeah. You will love it. Believe me, you. I don't. I think it's like, don't believe it.

Don't Believe Me by Charlie Donnelly, too. There's a similar. Yeah. Yeah. The podcast one? Don't believe it. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. It follows a similar. Yeah. Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend while on spring break vacation? Yes. I remember that. I really, really enjoyed that one. I did, too.

Well, speaking of somebody committing multiple crimes. or not. I can't talk about spring without my boyfriend, Joe Goldberg. Oh, yeah. Yep. The fourth U book comes out the 25th of April. And your boy is very excited for it.

It's called For You and Only You. And Carolyn Kappness wrote it for me. So it's for Gare and Only Gere. Let's see. Joe Goldberg is in the hallowed halls of Harvard University where he earns a coveted place in a writing fellowship and leaves crimson in his wake. Joe Goldberg is ready for a change. Instead of selling books, he's writing them and he's off to a good start. Glenn Shottie, an acclaimed literary author, recognizes Joe's genius and invites him to join a tight. knit writing fellowship at Harvard. Finally, Joe will be in a place where talent matters more than pedigree, where intellect is the great equalizer and anything is possible, even happy endings. Or so he thinks, until he meets his already published, already distinguished peers who all seem to be cut from the same privileged cloth. Thankfully, wonder enters the picture. They have so much

in common, no college degrees, no pretensions, no stories from prep school or grad school, just a love for literature. If only wonder could commit herself to the writing life, they could be those rare literary soulmates who never fall prey into their demons. I like lost my space. There's so much they're up against, but Joe has faith in wonder. He will sacrifice his art for hers. And if he has to, he will kill her darlings for her.

I love the way she picks names for her. the women he fixates on. Like, wonder. Wonder. It, like, adds to the, to the, like, whimsy of the story almost. Yeah. Yeah. I'm very excited for them. There's just, I just keep laughing because I've also thought this before, too. Like, I was waiting to get to the part in the synopsis where people knew that

wonder was a person. Because I also love that. Like, I love, like, the, like Beck in the first book and Peach Yes and then love Love But the funny thing is

is like the third book She was like I'm not doing this Name game because the woman in the third book that he becomes fixated on Her name's Mary Kay I know

Back love Mary Kay and Wonder Poor Mary Kay Mary Kay was like, I'm just trying to like My life Two little assholes on a podcast I get in front of me Maybe Joe subconsciously was like I need a bland woman this time

I wonder I wonder because Mary Kay was a little bit more bland than the others In comparison to like first appearance and stuff. Yeah. But yeah, I just... That sounds good.

Love Carolyn Kepness. And I'm very excited for this book. Excuse me. But yeah, I'm very excited for it. I don't know. I don't know if this is the last one. I don't know if there's going to be four or five. I have two left.

No, I mean, in the series. I was like, he never. me this. Let's wrap this up now that I talked about Joe Goldberg. I know. You're like, I have two left. I'm like, in the series.

Still talking about Carolyn Kepniss, as I always am. I know. You should, though. I love her. She commented on my Instagram post yesterday about Jennifer Hillier, and I was like, Oh, I love that.

Like, why are you just such a fucking cool human being. I love her so much. I know. Well, speaking of sexy, maybe villains, maybe bad guys. Don't you

dare by Jessica Hamilton has one of those in it. I totally forgot. You picked that. Yeah. So when Hannah and Scarlet meet Thomas in college, the Chemistry is instantaneous. They grow closer while playing the daring game, where each dare is riskier than the last.

As the trio grows closer and jealousy develops, Scarlet dares Thomas one final time, a dare that ends in tragedy. When Thomas gets expelled from school and leaves without a trace, it seems like the daring game has finally ended. Sixteen years later, Hannah is unhappy in marriage and in life. that is, of course, until she gets a mysterious email about the daring game from none other than Thomas himself. With Scarlet out of the picture, the sparks begin to fly between them once more. When Hannah and Thomas are called back to the place where they first played the game, they are welcomed by a single dare to tell the truth. Someone else is playing the game and knows about their affair,

going as far as leaving a cryptic message in Hannah's house. Don't you dare? Hannah's list of suspects is long. Could it be her noisy neighbor Libby, who has a few secrets of her own, or did her husband plan this as revenge for the torrid affair? Is Scarlet back and ready to play again? The truth may set Hannah free, but only if she dares to risk everything she knows and loves. Suspensful A.F.

I have to say so. I love like a thrift. back to the past too, and I'm so obsessed with that cover. Mm-hmm. I love everything about it. Yeah. I'm obsessed

with that. Yeah. Fuck. Where is that? It's stuck in my cart. Oh. There's no coming out. This spine's pretty. Yeah. Look at up yourself.

That sounds really good. I love like a throwback to like the past in a book. Yeah. So whether it's like dual timeline or like flashback, it just something about it. When you have reveals in the present time and the past, it's just so good. It's the best.

That's how I'm writing my book right now. The way I'm finally structuring it is now I'm like figuring out how the things in the past matter in the present and then like figuring out which order to put them in. Ooh, I like that. Yeah, it's been fun. I like that.

You know, I just can't wait to read it. I know. I have an episode where whatever the subject is, I'm like, this book by Kate the Great. I know. It's one of my picks for this subject. It'll be so fun. Mm-hmm. While speaking of someone's past coming back to haunt them,

Go on. One of my favorite storytellers has a book coming out this spring, and her name is Miss Hannah Mary McKinnon. Yes. The Revengellist, which sounds to me like it's going to be her most, like, complex, most meek book yet, but in such a good way. They say life flashes before your eyes when you're about to. die, but all she could see was regret. The people in Frankie Morgan's life say she's angry,

emotionally stunted, combative, but really who can blame her? It's hard being nice when your clients are insufferable, your next-door neighbor is a miserable woman, and the cowardly driver who killed your mother is still out there living it up somewhere. Somehow, though, she finds herself at her very first anger management group session, drinking terrible coffee and learning about forgiveness is a process. One that starts with a list. Frankie is skeptical. A list of everyone who's wronged her in some way over the years?

More paper, please. Still, she makes the pointless list with her own name in a prominent spot and promptly forgets about it until it goes missing. And one by one, the people she's named start getting her in freak accidents, each deadlier than the last. Could it be coincidence? giving her the revenge she never dared to seek or something more sinister. If Frankie doesn't find out who's behind it all, she might be next.

I love tales of revenge in general. I do too. And I also love like the main protagonist and this is like just pissed. She's just mad. She's mad. Like, please. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. And Hannah, Mary, Mary, can and will make that so fun. Yeah, she can tell a story. She's got a good, like, amount of, like, snark and, like, something else I can't put my finger on. Yes. I agree. Yeah. She's a gem. So I can't wait to read that. My next book is from a gym as well. And I think they're kind of friends. Danielle Gerard is the author of my next book and her Badlands Thriller series continues

with up close and it is about it's every parent's worst nightmare in only a few months a small town of Hagen has lost two high school seniors both under strange circumstances when a third senior the mayor's son drives through the plate glass window of the town

diner and ends up in a coma. The deaths no longer seem unrelated accidents. The town is paralyzed with fear. The police can find no good explanation. Other students deny any knowledge of what's happening, but Detective Kylie Millard is certain at least some are lying. Hagan's sole investigator Kylie Millard fears that something sinister is at play, but she can't convince the town's powers that be to take her concerns seriously. Mounting discord between herself and Hagen's sheriff have her thinking that it may be time to leave Hagan for a bigger city and a new job,

but she's not going anywhere until she just determines the connection between the self-destructive act of the mayor's son and the two untimely deaths. Whoever is behind the dangerous stunts doesn't want to be discovered. To keep their secret, they're willing to take out anyone who gets too close. With time running out before the next stunt,

Kylie is in a race to solve the puzzle. She's all too clear that until she does, no one, not the students nor the town, is safe from danger. Small town. Missing persons. Darkness. Yeah. I love the first two books. I did too.

Yeah, they're really good. I love the way she tells the story. I do too. I really like her a lot. Yeah. Yeah. She's really sweet, too. Like, incredibly sweet.

I agree. I talked to her about the second one. White out. Mm-hmm. So good. Yeah, both of her books were really good, and they're really dark and twisty. Yeah, they are. She does not hold back.

Layers. Lots of layers. Yeah. Yeah. Really good at characters. So good with characters. Yeah. I love Danielle Girard.

Me too. I have an author for my last one who's been incredibly sweet to me on Instagram. And the reason this book, I mean, the book sounds really good to me, so don't get me wrong. But the reason that this book came across my radar is because I fell in love with the cover. Yeah. Like to the point that I was like, oh, my God, I don't care if this is about aliens and like spaceships and stuff like that. Like, I'm just going to buy it. But it comes out March 20.

And it's called Not So Perfect Strangers by L.S. Stratton. Okay. Let's see. It is two women in a tense domestic thriller, which is a modern spin-on Alfred Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train, that flips the script on race and gender politics. I'm a big believer that women should help each other, Tasha, she says, don't you think? Tasha Jenkins has finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband. Taking her teenage son with her, Tasha checks into a hotel the night before their flight out of D.C. and out of Cordell Jenkins' life forever. But escaping isn't so easy, and Tasha

soon finds herself driving back to her own personal hell. As she's leaving, a white woman pounds on the car window begging to be let in. Behind the woman and angry man is in pursuit. Tasha makes a split second decision that will alter the course of her life. She lets her in and takes off. Tasha and Madison Gingle may have had different everyday realities, but what they have in common is marriages they need out of. The two women want to help each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means.

They are on a collision course that will end in a case files of DC MPD homicide unit. unraveling the truth of what really happened may be impossible and futile because what the truth has ever done for women like Tasha and Madison. I can't believe I've never heard of this book. Yeah. It sounds really, really good. And the cover is very, very cool. Amazing. Amazing.

I love an aerial view. And I feel like you don't see it on book covers very often. No. So. You don't. And especially after reading the plot, the cover, I'm like, oh my God, that's fucking incredible. I know. But yes, it sounds so good.

I cannot wait to read it. Same. Yeah. And I'm glad I saved it for last because it's the one that comes out the soonest. That's true. Yeah. It is? Yeah.

Yeah. Mm-hmm. and definitely going to be ordering a physical copy of that one. Yeah. I might have to add to the shelf. Oh, I know. Oh, you could have it like right on the top since the cover is so pretty. Yeah.

I am going to get like lights. You can get lights that you put like here that like shine down on the books. I wish I had room somewhere because I'm obsessed with that bookshelf. it is really small but you have a lot of workshops so maybe you really don't have room I just don't I don't have room anywhere yeah for anything that I want in life

other than books books books books books yeah most of mine are on a device so that's why I can do that