Bookwild

This week, Erin Ashley is back, and we talk about our Last, Current and Next reads, as well as books we are intrigued by on our TBRs.Kate’s BooksKill Show — Daniel Swearen-BeckerWhen the Reckoning Comes — LaTanya McQueenThe Future Saints — Ashley WinsteadBlade — Wendy WalkerReader Bot — Naomi S. BaronOn Sunday She Picked Flowers — Yah-Yah ScholfieldGirl Gone Wild — Courtney KocakErin’s BooksTruly— Lionel RichieTiny Experiments — Anne-Laure Le CunffLittle One — Olivia MuenterHeart the Lover — Lily KingDeep Cuts — Holly BrickleyAn American Marriage — Tayari JonesKin — Tayari JonesSay Everything — Ione SkyeKeeper of Lost Children — Sadeqa JohnsonThe Ballad of Teena Marie — Teena Marie Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, I talk with Matt Casamassina about his genre-bending sci-fi-horror-thriller Degenerate. He shares his unique approach to audiobook production, how reading Stephen King as a kid influenced his writing, and how one of his co-workers inspired the story.Degenerate by Matt CasamassinaMason Kowalski, a twenty-four year-old copywriter for a San Mateo startup, is on the verge of a nervous breakdown when he inexplicably suffers widespread vision loss in one eye. The doctors say it’s macular degeneration triggered by overwhelming stress, but he wonders if it’s something more, especially when the shadows in his peripheral vision begin to take shape and whisper wonderful and horrible things to him. Is it madness or destiny? The answer could destroy everything and everyone he holds dear. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, MacKenzie Green is back, and we talk about 2026 releases we are excited about!Books MacKenzie Talked About2026 ReleasesHalf His Age – Jennette McCurdyFear and Fury – Heather Ann ThompsonThere’s Only One Sin in Hollywood – Rasheed NewsonVigil – George SaundersAmerican Fantasy – Emma StraubLady Tremaine – Gretchen McNeilOther BooksFrankenstein – Mary ShelleyBlood in the Water – Heather Ann ThompsonThe Gods of New York – Jonathan MahlerChallenger – Adam HigginbothamMidnight in Chernobyl – Adam HigginbothamFrostbite – Nicola TwilleyLolita – Vladimir NabokovMy Government Means to Kill Me – Rasheed NewsonLincoln in the Bardo – George SaundersGirl Dinner – Olivie BlakeBooks Kate Talked About2026 ReleasesYesteryear – Caro Claire BurkeSublimation – Isabel J. KimScreen People – Megan GarberLanguage as Liberation – Toni MorrisonJapanese Gothic – Kylie Lee BakerOther Books Separation of Church and Hate –  John FugelsangThe Bluest Eye – Toni MorrisonBeloved – Toni MorrisonProject Hail Mary – Andy WeirThe Martian – Andy WeirScream With Me – Eleanor Johnson Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Yasmin Angoe is back for the fifth year in a row to talk about here new mystery-thriller Behind These Four Walls! We dive into her inspiration for the story, how she created the wealthy, villainous Corrigan family, and Isla's private investigator adjacent job.Behind These Four Walls SynopsisIsla Thorne had a rough start in life. Orphaned young, she spent her formative years in a group home where she met her best friend, Eden Galloway. At sixteen, they decide to run away to LA…but Eden never makes it.It’s been ten years since Eden vanished. And Isla’s determined to find her.She begins at the last place Eden visited: the Corrigan mansion in Virginia. Eden claimed to have unfinished business there. Posing as an aspiring journalist, Isla insinuates herself into the wealthy family’s home and begins searching for the truth.The more she digs, the more Isla discovers Eden isn’t who she thought she was. Was she even a victim, or did Eden plan this all along? Desperate for answers and to keep her identity hidden, Isla finds an ally in one of the Corrigan sons. But as she wades deeper into this power-hungry family’s secrets and lies, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a bloodline that’s more lethal than loyal. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Gare, Steph and I share our 2026 bookish goals, and January and February releases we are excited about! Steph also shares a few backlist she will be reading in January and February.Kate’s BooksKin by Tayari JonesSpies and Other Gods James WolffQueen of Faces by Petra LordOn Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah-Yah Scholfield Unread: A Memoir of Learning (And Loving) to Read on TikTok  by Oliver JamesGare’s BooksA Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. JamesDead in the Water by John MarrsHere Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma SimmermanThe Exes by Leodora DarlingtonLast Seen by Christopher CastellaniSteph’s BooksDark Sisters by Kristi DeMeesterThe Act of Disappearing by Nathan GowerIt’s Not Her by Mary KubicaBest Offer Wins by Marisa KashimoThe Correspondent by Virginia Evans Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, I talk with Amanda Jones, a dedicated small-town Louisiana librarian, about the challenges she faces in her fight against book banning and censorship. She discusses her passion for literature, the importance of representation in books, the defamatory posts about her that spread like wildfire, and the impact of misinformation on community perceptions. Amanda has always championed the importance of diverse literature and the role of libraries as safe spaces for all children, particularly those from marginalized communities.Read all about Amanda's journey in her book That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Halley and I catch up on what we've been reading and watching, and then dive into bookish plans and goals for 2026! Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, I talk with Brittany Penner about her memoir Children Like Us, a haunting, deeply reflective exploration of identity, faith, and survival. Brittany shares what it was like growing up as an Indigenous child adopted into a Mennonite family that fostered dozens of other children, unpacking the long-term impact of the Sixties Scoop, religious indoctrination, and being taught to feel “grateful” for circumstances rooted in colonial harm.We dive into dissociation, self-abandonment, storytelling as a tool for healing, and the complicated reality of holding love for family while confronting the systems that caused lasting damage.We discuss grief, nuance, and reclamation, ultimately asking what it means to trust your own memory, honor your pain, and slowly learn how to walk yourself home.Learn more about Brittany here Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Gare and I talk about what we've been watching lately, our favorite 2025 reads, and some 2026 books Gare already loves, as well as some 2026 hopefuls!Our 2025 FavesKate's BooksProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirJunie by Erin Crosby EckstineAnd Then She Fell by Alicia ElliotBlood Over Bright Haven by M. L. WangSky Full of Elephants by Cebo WilliamsThe Reformatory by Tananarive DueGare's BooksNight Watcher by Daphne WoolsoncroftThis Book Will Bury Me by Ashley WinsteadBoom Town by Nic StoneKeep This For Me by Jennifer FawcettHeated Rivalry by Rachel ReidToo Old for This by Samantha Downing2026 Books We Talked AboutBoring Asian Female by Canwen XuHelpless by Jessica KnollOn Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah ScholfieldThe Better Mother by Jennifer Van der KleutThe Future Saints by Ashley WinsteadSundown Girls by L.S. StrattonShows We Talked AboutThe Beast in MeDexter: ResurrectionSlow HorsesDown Cemetery RoadStranger ThingsHeated Rivalry Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, I talk with Brian Recker about his book Hell Bent, which examines how fear-based teachings about hell distort Christian spirituality, replacing love, connection, and moral discernment with control, shame, and punishment avoidance. Drawing from his upbringing in fundamentalism and later work as an evangelical pastor, he shares how early indoctrination around hell fractures relationships with God, self, and others, discourages intuition and questioning, all while propping up systems of domination—from abusive religious authority to political movements rooted in fear. Rather than abandoning spirituality altogether, he reclaimed Jesus from these systems, reframing faith as a practice of love, justice, and liberation in this life instead of an anxious fixation on the afterlife. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Halley Sutton is back, and we dive into everything we've been reading and watching - which is quite a lot! We also share a few 2026 books we are excited to read.What We’ve Been ReadingEveryone Is Lying to You — Joe PiazzaAlchemy of Secrets — Stephanie GarberVantage Point — Sarah SligarGood Dirt — Charmaine Wilkerson 2026 HopefulsThe Future Saints — Ashley WinsteadAll the Little Houses — May Cobb The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru — Olyseia Solnikova GilmoreVigil — George Saunders The Story Eaters of Yamm — Kevin HinckerLady X — Molly FaderMurder Bimbo — Rebecca NovakThe Temptation of Charlotte North — Camilla Bruce Movies & TV Shows We Talked AboutPluribusDexter: ResurrectionThe Beast in Me BallardDeath By LightningSlow HorsesThe BeastFrankensteinHamnetWake Up Dead Man  Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, I talk with John Fram about the creative process behind his new horror-thriller The Midnight Knock, a genre-blending desert nightmare. He dives into selling the book early, wrestling with a complex multi-POV structure, and navigating the behind-the-scenes realities of publishing—from word-count limits to printing costs to foreign rights. He traces the story’s roots from a childhood moment of awe in West Texas to the unsettling idea of an endless highway, explaining how claustrophobia, cosmic horror, indigenous-informed mythology, and a terrifying owl-snake creature all converged in a motel where the guests can’t outrun their pasts—or the desert itself. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Gare, Steph and I share our last, current and next reads!Kate's BooksLast - Degenerate by Matt CasamassinaCurrent - Children Like Us by Birttany PennerNext - Good Dirt by Charmaine WilkersonGare's BooksLast - All the Little Houses by May CobbCurrent - Heated Rivalry by Rachel RiedNext - The House Guests by Amber and Danielle BrownSteph's BooksLast - Everyone is Lying to You by Jo PiazzaCurrent - At Least You Have Your Health by Madi SinhaNext - Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Kristi DeMeester shares how her new novel Dark Sisters emerged from a collision of personal history, cultural rage, and the disturbing ease with which faith, patriarchy, and power can be weaponized. We discuss purity culture, megachurch hypocrisy, witch-trial history, feminist reclamation, the generational impact of religious fundamentalism, and how horror can become a perfect container for social truth-telling, female rage, and bittersweet hope.Check out the book here:Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, MacKenzie Green is back and we dive into the complexities of pop culture, the deeper meanings embedded in modern media, how storytelling has evolved, the impact of anti-intellectualism, and the importance of critical engagement with entertainment.We discuss the intersection of identity and societal issues, emphasizing that every piece of content carries a message, whether overt or subtle, and the necessity of understanding historical context in shaping narratives amidst a growing trend of superficial engagement with media.We also share how finding and creating communities that value intellectual rigor and deeper analysis of art is has helped both of us, and how even if you don't align with everyone in your family, a found family can be just as powerful. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, I talk with Keith Giles about how the early Christian world was far more diverse and mystical than most people realize. He unpacks the history of suppressed gospels, the erasure of Mary Magdalene’s authority, and how non-duality, interconnectedness, and compassion sit at the heart of Jesus’s original teachings. We dive into deconstruction, Christian nationalism, biblical misuse, and how theology shapes our relationships with ourselves and others.Keith offers a grounded, hopeful vision of spirituality rooted not in fear or hierarchy, but in transformation, justice, and shared humanity.The Quantum Gospel of Mary Info Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Gare, Steph and I all chose one of our own favorite plot devices and recommended books in that vein! This episode definitely has a book for just about everybody!Kate's Books - Books with Dramatic IronyI, MedusaStalkerDark SistersSky Full of ElephantsHappy LandGare's Books - Thrillers with Sex WorkBoom TownReal EasyThese WomenThings We Do in the DarkThe Girl in 6ESteph's Books - Books with Road TripsThe Road to Tender HeartsNeedle LakePaper GhostsI Thought You Said This Would WorkHe Started It Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, I talk with Erin Crosby Eckstine about her debut Southern Gothic, Junie. She shares how the book developed across years of writing, the importance of portraying enslaved characters with full humanity rather than stereotypes, and why she crafted Junie as a flawed, emotionally real teenager navigating a world she can’t yet fully understand. Erin also explains Gothic and Southern Gothic traditions, the role of ghostly elements like Minnie, the influence of literature within the story, and how intergenerational family history shaped both the novel and her own life.Follow Erin on:InstagramTikTok Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Audra McElyea returns to talk about her new locked-room, cancel-culture thriller Not Good People, a twisty ensemble mystery set in a blizzard-stranded Blue Ridge Mountain castle. Audra shares how a decades-old British play inspired her to blend popcorn-thriller pacing with a deeper moral reckoning, how she crafted eleven interconnected characters through actor-based mannerisms, and why the story’s escalating secrets force readers to examine not just the cast—but themselves. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

This week, Gare, Steph and I share books we think are good discussion starters for book clubs!Books We Talked AboutKate's PicksBlood Over Bright Haven by M.L. WangDominion by Addie E. CitchensMy Husband by Maud VenturaProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirAllegedly by Tiffany D JacksonGare's PicksKeep it In the Family by John MarrsBest Offer Wins by Marisa KashinoHis & Hers by Alice FeeneyAmerican Psycho by Bret Easton EllisSteph's PicksWitchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady HendrixNone of This is True by Lisa JewellSisters of the Lost Nation by Nick MedinaDon’t Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKannaAll the Sinners Bleed by S.A. CosbyThe Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba