Bookwild - The First Buddy Read: The Ursulina

Episode Date: November 10, 2022

We are back this week to talk about our first buddy read!Follow us on Instagram:Garehttps://www.instagram.com/gareindeedreads/Katehttps://www.instagram.com/thegirlwiththebookonthecouch/ 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. Speaking of Brian Freeman. Yes. I think you and I have something in common.

I think we're going to read the same thing. I think we're going to read the same book for the first time in our friendship. Yeah. Together. Yeah, we really haven't done it yet. We just happen to have read a lot of the same books. Yeah. Like at different points in our life.

but now we're like, let's read the same thing. Let's do it on purpose. Let's do, yeah, let's do it on purpose. ESP, we are starting the Earth Selina by Mr. Brian Freeman. And I'm super excited for this one. Me too. One of my guilty pleasures. The cover is really cool.

I love the cover. I love those colors. the cover and it's a prequel. Yes. And the prequel or yeah. The other one is in only audible right? The deep, deep still. Um, no. You can get it on, you can get it paperback, audio, Kendall. That's weird. Um, that's weird. I could read it just said audible. That's weird. Oh, that's strange. Yeah. But yeah. So we're going to read the Ursulina, which is, a prequel to the deep deep snow. I'm excited for this because one of my

secret what would you call it? Like, what are those things called? Like, guilty pleasure. Guilty pleasures, yes. My guilty pleasures is like the Bigfoot, Yeti reality shows

where people like search for evidence. I don't know why I'm so addicted to it. Because I live out in the middle of nowhere and there's a lot of woods around me and why would I be into that, right? like why on earth would that be something but it just does like it just calls to me because it's scary as shit and that's what I love yeah yeah so the ursalina by brian freeman is our next read and it is a book that has a mythical beast called the ursulina which is similar to bigfoot

Sasquatch, a Yeti, blah, blah, blah. So this book takes place in Black Wolf County. And there is a young deputy, Rebecca Calder, and she is investigating a serial killer who has taken on the identity of the monster with each body left behind. And there's a chilling message written in blood stating, I am the Ursulina.

Dumb, dumb, dumb. Does it get spookier than this? Doesn't get spookier than that. It does not. And I also... I'm fascinated. I've never read one with a mythical beast. That will be new for me. I am loving the fact that it's... Here's the thing. Every town or city, anywhere you live, there is an urban legend that will haunt your town. 100% or there's something that like did you know this about the next town over blah blah blah blah like everybody has one everyone's town has some like weird thing that people talk about or something creepy that's happened i love the combination of that combined with a serial killer police procedural

in a small town in the dead of winter when like things are scary as it is and you also are tying in a serial killer that is using an urban legend mythical creature. Yeah. As like their whole persona. Mm-hmm. I'm into it. Yeah, I'm super excited because I love Brian Freeman. Yes. I love good crime fiction. And typically, because I'm, when you were saying to you, you don't really get into supernatural. It's not normally your vibe. But then like obviously in some cases it is, I feel the same way. And then I feel the same way about this stuff where it's like, I feel like if I love the author enough and the general plot enough, like I can get on board with a with a mythical beast. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. I can get in. And the thing that I'm also very excited about is that this one just like

really jumped out at me. And I was like, you know, I think this would also be a good fit for Kate the great because you kind of have a more broad horizon when it comes to like super and science fiction than I do. So like when I was like, if I'm into this, I'm sure you'll be into this because you also kind of understand more of those things, like kind of like what we were talking about last week, where like, there are some things in books that like are science fiction or supernatural elements that like kind of go over my head in regards to like fully getting the big picture. But because you're used to that.

Yeah. I think this one's really going to hit the mark for both of us. Yeah, I think so too. And it's wintery. It's wintery and it's creepy. That's what I'm hoping for. So my expectations are I love a small town vibe, wintry. I want like atmospheric and scary.

I looked at good read reviews and they were like, do not read this book at night. Oh boy. So that means it's perfect. Because like small town woods, things like that, like nothing will get. me more terrified. Like the Blair Witch Project is one of the scariest things in the entire world for me. Like it's not only the weird little figures and stuff, but it's like nothing is scarier than being in the woods and hearing something that you shouldn't be hearing, whether it's like a screaming or a crying or a cackling witch or something. So like if there's like literally people who

work in the police department in this book that are afraid of a Sasquatch-esque. kind of character. Yeah, sign me up. Like, because if you're scared of it, I'm going to be scared of it. I know. You're right. I'm reading these reviews and they are cracking me up. Like the first one says, if you're looking for a bedtime story, don't read this one. And then if you get to around 95% of the book and it's late at night and you think you can finish in the morning, think again.

That is the one I saw. And then he goes on to say he did not sleep the whole night after he finished it. That's amazing. That's what I want. I love being scared in a book. And the thing also too is that like when I saw this, like I didn't realize it was a prequel to in a deep, deep snow. So I thought they were both standalones.

And then when I saw it was a prequel, I was like, okay, because if this really hits the mark for me, I can read the next one. And that's what I was just realizing. Because when I looked at this when you brought it up this week, I just like, for whatever reason, the series page on, Goodreads shows the image of the next book and it just says

it says audible only so I was like oh so it's just an audiobook and now I'm like I have a whole other book I'll get to read yeah that's what I'm excited for and also the the covers are very similar in the sense that I think that they use

the same like woman standing model. Yeah. Because they look very, very similar. Yeah, I like that a lot. It would be so fun to

sometime I want to like shadow an author while they're going through like the design process. It'd be fun like vlog. Oh my God. That would be so much fun. Like picking your cover. I actually know an author

and I won't say who. But I actually know an author who was like, hey, listen, like, can I get your opinion? Here are the eight choices for my next book cover. Like, what ones do you like best? That's fun. And it was so cool. It was so cool. I also, like, if I were, like, I make my, like, imaginary movie posters on Instagram,

but, like, I literally use, like, an app on my phone to make them. like it's very much like all about filters and distortion and like putting like cast names on them that will like draw people's attention but like if I had the like programs on my computer I would also love to be the person who's like let me read this book and see what I can come up with for like that would be so much fun I agree design covers and it must be. such a wide range of which direction you can go 100%. And can you imagine how good it would feel to design a book cover like I love books. I love reading. I love being creative, but I'm not a writer. So like I'm going to design this book cover and it would be such a freaking amazing thing to go into a bookstore

and see the cover that you created. To see that book trending on TikTok to see like the pictures that people take on, you know, Instagram and all of those other things. So I agree. That would be so freaking cool. So if anyone wants us to dream up, cover ideas for them. Just hit us up. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Get right on it. I actually have, it's not even a cover, but I actually had designed a poster for the nightbird that I need to send you. because it's of the Golden Gate Bridge and something else that's like super creepy. And I thought of you when I made it. So I got to send that over to you because it was nice. Super, super cool and fun. But yeah, that's like kind of one of those things too that I like to do with the movie posters is like it's fun to like create something related to the book, you know?

Yeah, it is fun. The Ursulina, I cannot wait for us to be terrified and scared and spooked out. Because yeah, I mean, if it's a hit, I'll probably go into the deep, deep snow after. Yeah. I mean, I've been curating a list. I've been curating a list of like stuff I want to read in October and trying to make it all about just what I'm looking forward to this month. I think I'm going to pick up Tracy Crosswhite number three. Nice.

I am going to read a book that I bought on my Kindle a very long time ago. Oh, boy. That I was like, I saw on Bookstagram. I actually really want to say that you very well could have been the person that shared this book. It's called The Pretty Ones. I don't think it was me. By Jamie Lee Fry. The cover is really cool. It's like black with like a little like, it looks very like gone girl.

Okay. But it is about a girl who like tries to escape her past by moving across the country to go to college. And then she meets like the bold, fun, flirty, you know, popular cool girl. And then the fun, flirty, popular cool girl goes missing. Of course she does. Of course she does. He can't stick around. No.

Hell no. If anyone's going to go missing, it's going to be the popular girl. So we can root for the underdog. So that's on there. And I also have... Red sign here. Did you read that one? Is that the black cover with like the little devil horn thing?

Yeah. Yeah. I have not read that. Yeah, people keep posting about that one. I keep seeing it. And I'm very intrigued by it. I'm very intrigued by it. That's on my radar.

Is it? Also, though, is that the Burning Girl series you told me about, I'm very interested in that. But how many series can I start in one month? Is that the Natalie Lockhart one? Burning Lake. Christopher Rice. Oh, yes. Yeah.

The one that's kind of sci-fi and history. That'll be up your alley. I know. I can tell. And so it's like up there for me. But what's the other thing? Oh, I still want to read the Minka Kint one. I haven't read that yet.

I have a lot. I need to read this month. Minka Katt would be a good one. I think that would be a good one when you find yourself overwhelmed and you need to like decompress after work with a good book. Because I think the thing with her is that like her books are not very long. But you can put it down for like if you have to like a day or two. And like she does a really good job of like when starting the next chapter reminding you of where everything's at. Oh yeah.

You don't have to like remember as much. Like that's what I really appreciate about her as a storyteller. Yeah. So that would be a good one for you. I think the Burning Girl series would be outstanding for you. I know. I was telling Tyler about it. I was like, I think I'm going to love it.

There's one that I'm dying to. Do you read the Corey Girls? I also got that one for like a Kindle First Reads. I have it. It's on my list. It's funny that you mentioned. the Corey girls. Nice.

That's awesome. But I, so, okay. I love, love, love, Jess Lowry. Like, she always, always kills it for me. I love how her books, like, take place in like 70s, 80s, things like that. And they're just like so dark and twisty and scary and creepy. But the thing is, is that I want to read her in one day. I don't want to find myself in the position where I'm going to bed early because I have to work in the morning. I want to read her stuff one day. So I always take the week of Halloween off from work. Oh, yeah. I love your reasoning. Oh, hell yeah. Especially like this year, like my legit first day of vacation is Monday the 31st. That's so perfect. It's just, I mean, I'm so pumped. But.

I'm saving that book for that vacation. Nice. Maybe I'll read it then too. Or I also. So like our company does like floating holidays. So like if you do work on like, you know, coming up is indigenous people's day. So if you do work that Monday, you can just use that day somewhere else. So like I might take Friday the 21st off from work as well and do like a little bit of like lounging, reading, whatever I want to do, maybe go to the bookstore, have a day.

So yeah, there is God, I have to have an entire full day off to read Jess Lowry. So when you want to read that though, let me know because I will buddy read the shit out of that with you. That is 100%. Her books are 100% are by. Like I'm saying it from here on out whenever she has a new book out, you and I have to buddy read her entire collection, like starting now going forward. That is also why I recommended chasing the bogeyman to you. Oh, okay. I have that one because I was Kindle Unlimited. So it's just chilling on my Kindle right now.

You are going to love that. It is definitely a Jess Lowry kind of vibe to the point that people talk about like dream collaborations. in a sense of like, I want like Selena Gomez and, you know, whoever to like sing a song together. And like mine would be Richard Chisholmire who also writes books with Stephen King,

which is super cool. Like him and Jess Lowry did something together, I would just completely kill over. Just combust. Completely heal over. Yeah. There's. Well, they heard it.

You guys heard it here. Make it happen. Make it happen. But yes, also, I am picking up something that might be our vibe. So this weekend, yeah, this weekend, it's part of my, like, I want to read, like, spooky, creepy, cool stuff the month of October. So I'm going to, you know, read Ursulina with you and then pick up the third Tracy Crossplate book. but I also have for this weekend. I want to read a book called The Silence by Luca Vest.

Okay. You read a book called The Bonekeeper that I really liked a few years ago. And this one is about a group of friends who accidentally murder somebody and try to cover it up. Okay. Very, I know what you did last summer, so I'm obviously into it. But the real kicker is... How to get a with murder? Yeah.

The real kicker is... though, the person that they accidentally murdered was a serial killer. Ooh, I love that. And that is what they're trying to cover up. Oh my gosh. I love an ensemble cast. I love like the twist on that whole like, because usually when you read a book like that, like you don't find out that they accidentally killed somebody and they were trying to cover

up until like the end. Yeah. So I am super pumped to pick that up. I'm adding that one. That is amazing. Yeah. Yeah. That would be. I love that. We'll just read. We'll just read all it. We'll just go take all of October off.

We'll just read everything together. Like, we'll just combine our TBRs to like one giant stack that we like, like, it's almost like it's, it's almost like when you have like a couple. Uh-huh. And like, he's like, oh, like poker night with the boys. and she's like, oh, like, why night with the girls? And it's like, okay, like, when you need to pick up something that's like science fiction that, like, I wouldn't be into, I'm like, okay, that's what I'm going to pick up, like, you know, one of these things. But, yeah, that's too funny.

Yes. So, yeah, that's what I'm looking forward to coming up here. Yeah. What was the other one I was looking forward to? There's something else I was. Maybe it was just the minkicant one that I was thinking of. That's probably what it was. I'm, I think my like excitement level for you to read the Burning Girl series chasing the boogeyman and the Natalie Lockhart series, I think like my excitement for you to dive into all of those is like insane right now.

I know. I just want to read all the time. Because the thing is like, the thing that I love about you is like you don't like actively like, diss or talk shit about books. Like you're just like, you know, it was okay, whatever. Like, I'm moving on. You're not going to, like, go on, like, a huge rant about how much you hated it.

And, but the thing is, is, like, I love when I can, like, tell that you, like, loved it. Like, when you message me about, like, Daisy Darker, when you message me about the Ashley Flowers book, like, you were like, oh, my God. Like, this is, like, life has changed completely. Yes. Yes. Um, this also might be the month that I, I love the movie American Psycho. Yes. Like, I haven't seen it a long time. I should probably rewatch it.

Love it. But I've heard the book is like horrifying and awful and disgusting. And like will give me the biggest book hangover ever. And I have it because. I saw it on like one of those like Barnes and Noble like buy like books that are banned you know like how they do that like buy banned books so I bought it

so that might be something I try to read that would be good for her but I've heard some very horrifying things I thought there's sometimes I'm with cannibalism. Cannibalism is the main thing but like it just hits me different. Yeah. Yeah.

I actually speaking of that, one of the things that I was really looking forward to that I didn't think would affect me this way was the Jeffrey Dahmer show by Ryan Murphy. Yeah. And I watched the first episode. My anxiety and my like just overall mental health watching that

was way out of shape. That's what I'm seeing a lot of people saying, and so I haven't started it because I haven't been in that mood. I don't know how else I could prepare myself because I love how Ryan Murphy does the like American crime story. Like when you did like OJ Simpson and stuff. OJ.1 was amazing. This is going to be really good.

And then the next thing I know, like I watched the first episode and I was like, wow like I am very like I was just so uncomfortable I was so anxious I like found myself like just feeling overall like very sick to my stomach yeah yeah and that's exactly why I haven't started it my friend Tyler is like oh my God I think it's really good and like props to him for being able to but like he's the one that I've told you like certain things make me feel like I'm going to have an anxiety attack and like pass out. And like to him, it's just like walking through a doorway. Like it doesn't like face him whatsoever. So like when he's like watching it like he he watched the first episode the same night I did. And like we were texting

back and forth and all of a sudden like I'm like, hello, where are you? And like the next one he's like oh sorry like I fell asleep. And I was like cool. Like I'm glad you watched that first episode and you literally fell asleep like 10 or 15 minutes after it was over and like slept like a little angel baby that night. And I was the one that was like checking all of the locks in my house. Like feeling sick to my stomach. So anxious over that show that like I could not physically fall asleep and it just overall like terrified me. So I don't know. I don't know if I'm going to be able to continue it. I mean, there's a lot of things too about like how people need to like remember the victims of Jeffrey Jones, which I mean, I also agree with. I think that

they need to do that like not only with just this one, but like obviously with every thing that they do with this. But like, I also think that it is very important to bring awareness to the fact that there are sick, horrible people out there. Like, yeah. It's not so much of, you know, protect yourself so like somebody doesn't hit you with your car and you die. Like, it's about, protecting yourself in this sense of like there are sick people out there that could do horrible things to you that you could survive or you may not survive and like the effect that it has on their families and stuff and I think that's probably why like there's a lot of things that it's like uncomfortable for me to watch because yeah I can read pretty

girls and go right to sleep because I know that Karen Slaughter made that story up it's when I read true crime. Me too. I just get like really upset by it. It is different. It is very different. And they, the thing about this is that it's so like raw and almost like unfiltered. Like it's not your pretty Hollywood like Jeffrey Dahmer's a babe.

Right. You know, like like nothing against it, but like. Zach Ephron playing Ted Bundy. Yeah. Like Ted Bundy was a stud because Zach Ephron was playing him. But like with this, it's like, I find Evan Peters to be like oddly kind of hot in like a weird way. Right. Right.

But it's off kilter hot. Yeah. Yeah. It's like a little like mysterious hot. Like could I be into this? But like when he's Jeffrey Dahmer, like it's not like, oh, there's a hot. guy playing Jeffrey Dahmer. It's like, right. He does such a good job, but like he also like looks creepy. He doesn't have like perfect hair and like, you know, like a six pack and everything. Like,

he literally looks the part and like shows off how much of a predator Jeffrey Dahmer was. Right. That is not something I'm going to be watching. Yeah, he's fantastic. He's fantastic. He's fantastic. He can play anything. And props to him, like, from what I watched in the first episode, like, you should be winning an award for playing this man because- That's what it seems like. If it's hard for me to watch you do it, it must have been very hard for you to mentally put yourself in the position where you were playing somebody like this. So good for you. Good for you. Even if I don't watch another one, I know that you should be winning an award for it. I agree. It's just not something that I don't know. It's not your journey right now. I don't think it's my

journey right now. I actually think that I would need therapy after I watched it. Yeah. Because it's just very. I watched. Was that Hannibal or was it? Yeah. That was the series. There was a Hannibal TV series that I watched. And I'm like, how did I watch that? How did I get through that? Like, I can't, I don't know how I used to. But somehow I did. Not anymore. It's not my vibe. I used to be the person that was like, I can handle any. as long as it's not an animal death. Yeah. Or something disturbing happening to a child.

Like those were like my two rules kind of. And I was like anything else I can handle. And then I watched The Hills have eyes. And I was like, no, I can't handle anything. Right. I can't handle it. I was like that. I use the website.

Like, have you ever used the website does the dog die.com? I have. I have. I can't have that happening. And if it's going to happen, I need to be forewarned. No, I can't have it happen. If it does happen, it has to be off screen. And I want it to be like a two-second conversation.

Like, the dog is dead. Okay, we got to move on. Yes. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to see like you, I don't want to see anything happen, especially on the screen. Even when dogs die on real housewives, I have to skip it. I just can't. I can't do it.

Oh, yeah. No, like, I mean, it's just, I even have a hard time. still thinking that the reason all of us are like this in the sense of like I can watch whatever crime or like splatter movie you want but I cannot watch anything happen to a dog or a cat or an animal we are all traumatized yeah to this point because of the movie Homeward Bound oh you're right you're right you're so right that's what it is your face just like dropped like oh my god yeah yeah yeah I'm like don't make me cry right like that was just the most traumatizing movie as a child I think that I probably would have been better off for the future had my parents like

had me watch like American Psycho instead of yeah instead of Homeward Bound like you could have had me watch like the worst movie in the entire world that has to do with like sex or a serial killer or murder whatever and I probably would have grown up to be like a chipper young fellow but like you had me watch that and like literally like one of the reasons that I'm afraid to have animals is because like that is the worst thing in the entire world like homeward bound will emotionally wreck me more than anything in the entire world yeah I know I can't let myself go there no I can't go there right now No, just rewatch all of the Halloween movies.

Yeah, yeah. No animal dust there. There isn't the first one. Oh, you're right. You're right. He kills a dog in the first one. But if you watch the movie enough, you know when to fast forward. That's a good point.

That's my secret. I always just like fast forward because I see it coming and then I just am like, all right. That's far. Or because it's done off screen, but you kind of hear it, I always convinced myself that instead of the dog dying in Halloween that he got sprayed by a skunk and just ran away. I love that. That is the kind of denial I'm here for.

The mind tricks I play on myself. And then he kills like 500 people and I'm like, oh, oh, well. There are people. Who would live in that town anyway, honestly, after all of that? That's their fault. We would. We would. You're right.

It would be us. It would be us. Like Halloween would come around and I'd be like. Like, do you think he's going to get you this year? Hold on to your bangs, Larry. Oh, my gosh. I almost say you a picture when I was marking the dogs this morning because it was 38.

So I was like kind of bundled up. And I didn't even have my bangs down, but I still felt like I had a Larry vibe. Oh, my God. I love it. I had a whole other vibe. I was cracking up at your story the other day of you reading in the car wash. Because I was trying to finish my, like my, well, my latest read, I was trying to finish it so that I could start the Ursulina tonight. And I, like, went to my hair appointment yesterday and I got there about 10 minutes early because, and I wasn't expecting to, but like I literally did not run into like any slow driver or anything.

Like, I made it there. Yeah. And I was lucky enough to have my Kindle with me. I usually don't bring my Kindle with me anywhere. But now I'm turning into that person. I'm turning into that person that's like either bringing my Kindle everywhere with me or my current read everywhere with me because you never know when you'll have a few minutes to read.

You never know. Yeah. That day I thought I was going to finish the book before Tyler woke up because he doesn't wake up very early. And I was at like 92% when he woke up. So he wanted to stop at the car wash on our way to break. breakfast and I was like, I'm reading. You can't stop me. Can't stop me. I know I went to bed last night, 85% done a book and it was like driving me nuts. It's so hard. There was, I would had that because,

you know, yesterday we both talked about how we thought we were going to finish the books we were reading. Same. And then that happened to me. Like, I was trying so hard to stay awake. I was like, just finished. But like, I just like kept falling asleep. I had to give up. Yeah, I finished out of my lunch break today and like when it was like over I was like I feel so much better. Yep I finished mine earlier today too definitely felt better. So now it's time for ursulina and hopefully by next week we will have a little ursulina corner of mini non-spoiler reviews and if you know feedback is good then we'll just probably do it again. Yeah. You know next one like I mean I I'm sure we're going to.

Literally, we have enough. Without having to plan, I know that there's going to be enough where it might not be like, we'll announce it on the first and have you review by whenever. But I think that there's going to be enough in the future that like this will be like an ongoing thing. It's just like whenever it fits our schedule. But I know that we'll have more in the future. So yeah, until next time. Dot, dot, dot.

Don't let the Ursulina get job. Yes. That is the best ending to an episode ever. Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the episode. Be sure to follow us on Instagram so that you can keep up with everything we're reading and talking about. You can follow Garrett at Garrett Indeed reads. And you can follow me, Kate, at The Girl with a Book on the couch.