Bookwild

This week, I shared a quick ThrillerFest Recap (more to come on that front), and then Gare and Steph and I shared some of our favorite iconically blue and yellow covered thrillers! Books We Talked About No Road Home Keep it in the Family Believe Me Now When No One is Watching The Pact Daughter of Mine Not a Happy Family What Have You Done Darling Girls Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check...

This week, I got to talk with Rob Hart about the second book in his Assassins Anonymous Series The Medusa Protocol. We dive into the inspiration for the title, how he crafts action without letting his main characters kill anyone, and plans for the third book in the series. The Medusa Protocol Synopsis When Astrid, known in her assassin days as Azrael, stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the...

This week, I was lucky enough to go to Chicago with Steph to see Julie Clark in conversation with Mary Kubica about her new thriller The Ghostwriter!! If you haven't seen the sprayed edges already, you need to. We had so much fun at the event, but also had the best time recording our first IRL episode! The reading gods smiled down on me and now specific fiction books work for me in audio form, so...

This week, I got to talk with Kimberly G. Giarratano about her newest installation in the noir Billie Levine series, Make a Killing! We dive into what was different about writing this one, how she landed on a luxury luggage company for the story, and how capitalism has seeped into college. Make a Killing Synopsis Private Investigator Billie Levine should be ecstatic. She’s finally getting the chea...

This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite LGBTQIA+ books for Pride Month! Also, don't forget you can #ReadQueerAllYear! Books We Talked About Harriet Tubman Live in Concert Winging it With You We Are Never Meeting in Real Life Glitter in the Dark Game Changer One Killer Problem This Violent Heart Just By Looking At Him House of Hunger The Snow Garden The Honeys Extras These Violent D...

This week, I got to talk with Jennifer Oko about her uniquely crafted novel Just Emilia. We dive into how she created the three women in the elevator as their own characters, but also all the same woman, and the inspiration for the story. Just Emilia Synopsis The past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emoti...

This week, Steph and I ask all about Gare's experience as a moderator at the Montreal Mystery Festival, and we all share some of our favorite reads halfway through 2025! Don’t Tell Me How to Die This Book Will Bury Me The Paper Palace Julie Chan is Dead Keep it in the Family The Devil and Mrs. Davenport The Manor of Dreams Night Watcher The Secret Lives of Church Ladies Check Out Author Social Med...

This week, I got to talk with Allison Bucola about her new thriller The Ascent. We dive into her cult research, the long term damage of growing up in a cult, and how Ophelia's postpartum mental health contributed to the story. The Ascent Synopsis Twenty years ago, the members of a reclusive commune outside Philadelphia vanished without a trace. The mystery of their disappearance has never been sol...

This week, I got to talk with Kristen L. Berry about her debut mystery thriller We Don't Talk About Carol! We dive into Kristen's writing process, the inspiration for the story, and how one person can still make little differences against systemic oppressors. We Don't Talk About Carol Synopsis A dedicated journalist unearths a generations-old family secret—and a connection to a string of missing g...

This week, Halley Sutton and I catch up on everything we've been reading and watching, including The Studio and how it examines the intersection of creativity and commerce. We also get into the messy subject of what to do with the art of problematic artists, and the pernicious linguistics and attitudes about women's body image. It's a little bit of everything this week! Halley's Substack The White...

This week, I got to talk with Tori Eldridge about her newest novel Kaua'i Storm. Tori shares the inspiration for the book, how her settings matter so much to her, and how this book had her personally invested in nailing the culture. Kaua'i Storm Synopsis Returning to Kaua‘i, park ranger Makalani finds her family divided and their way of life at risk in this rich and emotional adventure by the best...

This week, I chat with Brian Watson @readingwithbrian about how long we've both been reading, thrillers that stood out as ones that created our love for thrillers, and some of our favorite domestic suspense thrillers! Books/Authors We Talked About Regrets Only by Kieran Scott The Push by Ashley Audrain You Deserve to Know by Aggie Blum Thompson The Woman Inside by E.G. Scott A.R. Torre Madwoman by...

This week, the iconic Jaime Lynn Hendricks is back for the fifth time to chat about her newest page turner Their Double Lives! Gare and I ask all our burning questions, and we discuss Gare's dog Murphy's debut in a book! Their Double Lives Synopsis A down-on-her-luck waitress at a posh New Jersey country club, Kim Valva couldn’t be living a more different life from the carefree socialites she serv...

This week, Gare, Steph and I are talking about the 2025 Summer thriller releases we are excited to read! Bookwild Merch ThrillerFest GoFundMe Books We Talked About Love You to Death by Christina Dotson Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft The Laughing Dead by Jess Lourey Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko One Dark Night by Hannah Richell The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Doll Parts by Penny Zang Forget Me N...

This week, I talk with Judy Hutson about her new spy thriller Spy Notes! We dive into the inspiration for the story, how her job as a publicist in the music industry informed the book, and how she chose the places for Johnny to travel to! Spy Notes Synopsis Music, Mayhem, and Missions... When music publicist Johnny Harrington isn't managing her superstar client Naive, she's enjoying Christmas on h...

This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about five of our favorite authors and our favorite book of theirs! Books We Talked About The Last Housewife Bright Young Women Play Nice The Woman Inside Jar of Hearts The Family Next Door The Night She Disappeared Dark Highway The Quarry Girls They Never Learn The Trap The Children on the Hill Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Communi...

This week, I got to talk with Robert Bailey about his emotionally driven action thriller The Boomerang. We dive into the inspiration for the book, the research he did for certain parts, and his favorite parts of writing the relationships in the book. The Boomerang Synopsis The president of the United States has terminal cancer. Chief of Staff Eli James, his faithful consigliere and best friend, is...

This week, Halley Sutton is back and we delve into character development, the subconscious influences on storytelling, and the darker themes that often emerge in our work. Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Get Bookwild Merch Follow @imbookwild on Instagram Other Co-hosts On Instagram: Gare Billings @gare...

This week, MacKenzie Green and I dive into everything we loved about Sinners. We dive into Ryan Coogler's succinct visual storytelling, how he tackled the themes of religion, spirituality and race, and how social horror paired with humor comes together so well. Follow MacKenzie here Listen to Manifestation Monday here TikToks I mentioned Seven Deadly Sins from TheReel Voice Vampires Needing to Be...

This week, I got to talk with Liann Zhang about her incredibly voicey and suspenseful thriller Julie Chan is dead. We dive into the inspiration for the story, how her ability to write the environment of the Internet is linked to how she is chronically online (same), and her favorite backstories she created for some extra vapid influencers. Julie Chan is Dead Synopsis Julie Chan has nothing. Her tw...

This week, Gare, Steph and i talk about books we took risks on that we ended up loving! Books We Talked About Lion Women of Tehran Marjan Kamali Hush Anne Frasier The Wedding People Alison Espach An Academy for Liars Alexis Henderson A Density of Souls Christopher Rice The Shards Bret Easton Ellis We Used to Live Here Marcus Kliewer The Paper Palace Miranda Cowley Heller IKEA Bookshelf Ring Page T...

THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR AGATHA ALL ALONG A couple weeks ago, Halley told me she watched Agatha All Along and loved it, which lead to me binging it in one week. We reconvened and broke down all of our favorite parts of this (dare I say) perfectly written show! Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack...

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

This week, I got to talk with Saumya Dave about her new thriller The Guilt Pill! She shares how she found the inspiration for the book, how her work as a psychiatrist informed the book, and how she started the book while pregnant with her first child, and finished it while she was pregnant with her second! The Guilt Pill Synopsis What if women could get rid of their guilt? Maya Patel has it all—he...

This week, Halley and I do a DEEP dive into our thoughts after the season three finale of The White Lotus. Grab a piña colada and enjoy! 🙃 Links Mentioned: White Lotus Podcast No Nonsense Spirituality Take on Death in Season 3 Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Get Bookwild Merch Follow @imbookwild on In...