← Books With Your Besties
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- [00:00]
A
Hi, I'm Emily.
- [00:01]
B
I'm Ashley and this is Books with youh Besties.
- [00:05]
A
Hi, besties. We are back and today we are talking about Miranda Smith's Smile for the Cameras. And Miranda was one of our expo authors at retreat this year and we both got the book from her and were unbelievably excited to read it.
- [00:21]
B
Ashley, how did you like the book?
- [00:24]
A
I absolutely loved the book. I read it with my ears. How did you like it and what did you read it with?
- [00:31]
B
I read it with my eyeballs and I really loved it. I thought it was super fun. You know, it's. I would describe it like a throwback book. It's like a classic true thriller. And that's because, of course, it's set off of the concept of like, all the old, like, 90s thriller movies that came out. Like, think Scream a note you did last summer. It's those franchises. It's basically one of those. The actors from one of those coming back together. And obviously if you read it, then you know we're going to get into all of the spoilers. If you haven't read it honestly, go read it first. It's a quick read. Like, I would call it a weekend read. It's not because it's short or trite. It's just fast and easy to digest.
- [01:16]
A
It's entertaining. Like, it's a fast moving, fun book to read that also has more than just like one major twist. And I definitely, definitely got invested in a lot of the characters. And just like you said from growing up in the 90s, the throwbacks to, like she said, he had the Tiger Beat poster on the wall. I was like, I got Tiger Beat.
- [01:35]
B
I loved thinking about it. Okay, here's the thing. I'm going to tell you before we even get into this so much because Scream was. I saw that in the theaters when I was a teenager and I loved it. It, like blew my mind. Of course, it terrified me and I had nightmares. But I still remember, like, the moment, you know, I remember that day, like, seeing the movie who I was with, going home, being scared that night, but talking to my parents about this incredible movie. I also loved I Know what yout Did Last Summer. I loved all of those fun thrillers. And like, I went back as an adult and watched Halloween and like, what's the franchise at? Where it's at the camp, the first one. Oh, what's wrong with me? It's because I get these all mixed up. Friday the 13th and Halloween and stuff. So it's.
- [02:20]
A
Well, because they all have similar storylines and similar types of villains. I do feel like we're missing these days, though. I'm going to talk like an old lady. The types of thrillers in the 90s where it was like these groups of friends and these crimes that would happen while they were just being like groups of teenagers hanging out, having a good time. I don't feel like they make movies about that anymore.
- [02:40]
B
Those were my favorite. I missed that so much. Okay. It was Friday the 13th. See, I get so confused. I get so confused. But I went back and I watched Friday the 13th. I loved it so much. And that's exactly what this is. It's like scary guy in a mask chasing teenagers and killing them one by one with an ax or whatever. And that's smile for the cameras. Right.
- [03:04]
A
And I do feel like we're seeing a resurgence right now of successful franchises that were successful maybe more like in the early 2000s, coming back and recreating series or just doing a reunion. And that was a piece of this book too, that some of the actors were like. It took me a long time to be convinced to come back because they had been part of this huge hit movie and they just weren't all sure they wanted to come back and basically do this, like, reunion.
- [03:33]
B
Like, what tangible examples, please.
- [03:35]
A
Oh, well, I'm thinking. Here we go.
- [03:38]
B
I don't know.
- [03:38]
A
Don't you think there are so many shows we used to watch being recreated?
- [03:42]
B
Now tell me, because I know exactly what you're talking about, but I want the actual examples because I feel like this is happening, but I can't remember.
- [03:50]
A
I know, so. And of course, I can't think of any.
- [03:53]
B
I know one. I know one. Like the Hills from mtc.
- [03:58]
A
Yes. Yes. Or like, I mean, Jersey Shore. That's a horrible example.
- [04:03]
B
Aren't they having a reunion?
- [04:04]
A
I don't know. I saw something last night like Jersey Shore people are getting back together. Or just spin offs of shows that were really popular. Because I just feel like the 90s were. And probably it's because when we were teenagers, like, you know how they say that when you're 14 years old, like, those songs are the songs that you will remember forever. Have you heard this?
- [04:24]
B
Oh, no. But that's probably true.
- [04:27]
A
And I feel like maybe we feel that way about these types of movies and shows that, like, I'm just an old lady. But I don't think they make scary movies like they used to. And I don't think they make rom coms like they used to.
- [04:40]
B
Same. You know, my daughter Absolutely loves all the rom coms from my childhood and teenage years. Like Sleepless in Seattle. You've got male Runaway Bride, like Notting Hill, all those. And two, it's like they do make rom coms now, but they're super raunchy and so much nudity and swearing and stuff. Like, I miss the old sweet. Like, those are totally fine for my 10 year old to watch, right?
- [05:08]
A
And I mean, they're starting to remake movies like True Beverly Hills. I'm like, yeah, some of these movies in the 90s were amazing and you should remake them.
- [05:17]
B
Oh, that's one of my daughter's favorite movies. True Beverly hills from the 90s. I did not know there was a remake. I'm so excited for that.
- [05:23]
A
I personally love the remake of Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis.
- [05:29]
B
Oh, yeah, and there's Devil Wears Prada too, coming out. And that one was pretty old, like, and Rosie loves that. Okay, listen, we're off track here, but I want to go back to the thriller movies. But I think you're right. I think you're right because they mean so much to me that I actually have had for the last two years. I'm like, you know what I want to do at Halloween? There's so many Halloween events and we always go to a Halloween party and then there's like 15 events for the kids for Halloween and it just seems like it goes on and on. And I love Halloween and I love fall. But what I really want to do is I want to do a girls night where women come over in their PJs, we have wine, we have snacks, and we watch Scream or Friday the 13th or something like that. One of the iconic thrillers.
- [06:18]
A
I would absolutely love to be a part of that. One of the thrillers I saw. And I'm pretty sure, no, they're not. They're remaking Cape Fear. Did you see the movie Fear? Oh, I love Fear. Same like that just hit me. I'm like, that's one of the first ones I saw that scared the pants off of me to be like, there are bad guys out there.
- [06:37]
B
Did I see it? Did I see it this year is the question. I've seen it like 30 times. I still rewatch it. I love it so much.
- [06:45]
A
Which actually that movie does bring us back to the topic of this book. Because although this book was, I would say, fun, a quick read, very entertaining, it also took on really serious topics like men who are in positions of power, sexually assaulting women. Like the book had real current day Issues in it.
- [07:05]
B
Yeah, it did. And I really liked the way that she made Leo seem like this good guy who really gave Ella so much affection and love and attention. And actually, guess what? He was a wolf in sheep's clothing, which is the reality of how those things work. So I really liked that. I liked that it wasn't like, oh, yeah, Riley the drug addict was actually the bad guy. Like, no, he had addiction because he was so racked with guilt. And he was a good, good person.
- [07:36]
A
Right. And, you know, we get to talk with Miranda, and I'm excited to talk with her and ask her a little bit about doing some research for this book, because it definitely had whispers of Harvey Weinstein and that type of crime getting covered up. And then also nepotism. Right? Like, Cole got to where he got because his dad was a really good director. And you're just like, this is a story as old as time.
- [07:58]
B
Absolutely, it is. I mean, nepotism is so rampant. And look, would I do it too? Yes. Guess what? Our next podcast host coming up is my son. No, I'm just kidding. But I do think, you know, that is very, very rampant in Hollywood. Entire families are all actors, and entire families are all directors. And I love the way that she did introduce those concepts and make them. Yeah, they're not the murderer. They're not the bad guy. Should they be killed? But guess what? They did. These behaviors that led to the death of somebody.
- [08:31]
A
Right. Did it make you think at all of the actors from the movies in the 80s and 90s? We saw that then, unfortunately, kind of were one hit wonders or, like, got typecast as this particular actor and then never kind of did anything different.
- [08:47]
B
Oh, yeah, there were so many of those. I mean, I think that's really common, actually. I saw this interview with Matthew McConaughey, who was doing all kinds of rom coms, like Reese Witherspoon rom coms over and over. And he kept getting typecast into that. And he was like, I don't want to do that anymore. And they offered him a bunch of money and they offered him $8 million, and he turned it down. And he was like, I was not getting any work. And I was like, I guess I'm gonna have to get another job. I'm gonna have to become a teacher or something, but I'm not gonna allow myself to do this anymore. Which, I'm sorry, put me in a rom com for the rest of my life for $8 million. Are you kidding me? Anyway, he had some standard, but. But it was like, A risk that he took and it paid off. But imagine how many people did that and it didn't. They were like, I'm not gonna be the scream queen anymore. I don't wanna be the Thriller girl anymore. I'm not gonna take any more of those jobs. And then they never made it to anything else.
- [09:46]
A
Right. Maybe I see these particular actors or actresses as like, this was your huge role and I just haven't followed them enough. But like Ryan Philippe. Was that his name from Cruel Intentions?
- [09:58]
B
Yeah.
- [09:58]
A
I feel like he kept acting and like he had a career. But I'm like, I feel like that was your big moment.
- [10:05]
B
It was, but it wasn't really typecast into anything. I don't know. Like, I think about the people in like series, like Nev Campbell or however you say her name, like the scream gal. She was in four versions of it, at least three where she was in it. And then she did a couple other
- [10:21]
A
things maybe, but you know, she was
- [10:23]
B
in some other stuff. But I feel like she probably did get kind of stuck there. Right.
- [10:27]
A
And probably hard to get out of it. Especially if you're like, did you work that for 20 years?
- [10:33]
B
Yeah. I don't know, whatever. That sounds dreamy.
- [10:36]
A
I know. Put me in a franchise. I don't care what it's about. I'll reality TV show with snakes. I'd be like, you've got a 10 year contract. I'm at.
- [10:44]
B
I know you want me to do Home Alone 5, 6, 7 and 8
- [10:49]
A
in the book. I do think she did a really good job portraying these actors. Kind of being sick of being recognized in the public as like this person they played 30 years ago. Right. Like, you know the guy from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Not Will Smith, but whatever his name is, Alfonso. I'm sure he's like, I don't want people to just know me as Carlton.
- [11:08]
B
Really, you should Carlton. You probably retire.
- [11:13]
A
But I thought she just did a great job of having these people be like, I know I'm your hero. And we have this. It's not called parasocial, is it? Em? Because it wasn't social media. What is it when you have a relationship with someone you see in a movie or a TV show? Is it still parasocial?
- [11:27]
B
Yeah, that's parasocial. Relationships where you think you have a relationship with someone. It's just that social media now the only reason you're affiliating with that is that's our celebrities, which is bizarre. But it's really anything like you can have a. I Mean, tons of people have a parasocial relationship with Taylor Swift, right? And she's like the biggest real celebrity probably that there is or one of them. It's just that, that having a relationship with someone that like brings you some emotional, I don't know, release and it's one sided because they're a figure on a screen.
- [12:01]
A
Total 180. But did you have any idea who ended up being the real killer? I did not, no.
- [12:07]
B
No. I mean, well, she was kind of as her agent. I mean she was kind of a random. She wasn't like a central character. So like I kept thinking, oh, is it going to be cold? Is it going to be Riley? Is it going to be Petra, Leo? I actually, you know who I thought it was going to be? I thought it was going to be Ben.
- [12:22]
A
Oh, you did? Yeah.
- [12:24]
B
I thought Ben didn't die of cancer. Oh.
- [12:26]
A
Oh, that was sad.
- [12:27]
B
It was sad. And now I feel bad that the whole time I suspected Ben because I never really thought of him in a very positive way then throughout the book because I thought he was coming back and killing everyone in the lion. Right?
- [12:39]
A
He actually is dead.
- [12:41]
B
I looked at. I do not feel sorry for him. He's a killer. But then it turns out, no, he did die of cancer. So that was sad. I'm gonna reframe my feelings about Ben.
- [12:51]
A
Oh, it was such a good book.
- [12:52]
B
I loved it.
- [12:53]
A
I just loved it.
- [12:54]
B
Here's what I really liked. It didn't scare me at the beginning. Like I couldn't read it at night. It didn't like give me the, like I can't keep going because the only violence was in the movie scene. So it was fake. Like it was still graphic.
- [13:09]
A
It's still graphic.
- [13:11]
B
But the whole last third of the book where all the killing was happening like in a movie. Like she wrote the book. A movie within a movie. Isn't that cool to think about? Like she literally wrote the book like it was Friday the 13th, the movie where it's like all set up, all the like conversation, all the kids getting to know each other and then murder, murder, murder, murder. Right. So it's like this same thing. And she was writing about the movie they had made the exact same one. So it was like a parallel thing. I loved it.
- [13:47]
A
I loved it too. And she had some of the true aspects of the 90s, like thriller slasher movies. Like when they looked up and someone was in a mask. I'm like, masks played such a huge role in every movie. That scared the pants off of me in the 90s.
- [14:00]
B
I know.
- [14:02]
A
Getting stabbed. I'm like, yes, this is how we do it.
- [14:06]
B
Jason and Freddy Krueger and the Scream mask. That Scream mask is iconic. I know what you did last summer. All of those were like, the scary masked man in the woods.
- [14:19]
A
Yeah. And that you had no idea who the killer was. Just like, in this book.
- [14:24]
B
I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it this year and have my little party. That's what I wanna do.
- [14:28]
A
Okay. I'll buy my plane ticket today.
- [14:30]
B
It's okay. Everybody's invited. You're all invited to come over to my house. We're doing a pajama night. It's gonna be in October.
- [14:36]
A
O. I do feel like a movie night at retreat would be epic. Like, giant screen, Everybody has popcorn, and we do a giant movie night, and we let people vote on, like, a throwback movie.
- [14:50]
B
That would be so much fun. Can we do that?
- [14:54]
A
Why? I think we're the bosses.
- [14:57]
B
We have to tell Lauren we're in charge. Let's do that. Okay. Movie night at retreat. We'll do it maybe the first or second night. Because the third night, the last night, we'll have a different thing. I think so. Maybe the second night. Like, and it could be late, like,
- [15:10]
A
8pm and it could even be outside if there's enough space, like on blankets with a big old screen.
- [15:17]
B
Let's do a maybe an 8 to 10pm outside. We'll see if the weather has to be really, really warm to enjoy that.
- [15:24]
A
Okay, we're gonna pivot because we're talking about 90s and 80s books and movies. I want you to tell our friends who are listening to this about what you brought home from your mom's house and what kind of books you read when you were a child.
- [15:37]
B
Okay, I know. How did I forget? I was like. I was, like, shoving these to the side, but my mom gave me boxes of books. And this smile for the cameras book actually made me think about not only movies, but all of the, like, thriller books I used to read. So I have here an R.L. stine book, the Babysitter, which I was obsessed with. R.L. stine. I bought every R.L. stine book. I read every single one. And then Christopher pike, see you later. And I know there were other authors that I read. There's a few others down there, but these were, like, my primary. Like, I loved Christopher pike books. I loved Earl Stein. I know right now that most of our little thriller friends out there who are listening to this books with your bestie podcast are like, same, same, same. Ashley, I'd like not to shame you, but I would like you to feel ashamed while you tell me, did you read these kinds of books?
- [16:24]
A
I did not. I was reading Oregon Trail books where you got to choose your own adventure with how it ended. And I was reading Babysitter's Club. But I did read a book I just remembered that scared the pants off of me. Was it called the Girl on the Milk Carton?
- [16:39]
B
Did you read that? Yes, I did read that. I do remember that.
- [16:43]
A
And then I'm going to tell you a story that I haven't told you. Maybe I did, because at retreat, I did Jason Rakulik's session while you were doing Seropecinens, and he talked about. Drumroll, please. Flowers in the Attic.
- [16:58]
B
In his session?
- [17:00]
A
Yes. Like, talking about his, like, obsession with this type of genre and these books and being like, I read it at a very inappropriately young age.
- [17:08]
B
Okay. Because we talked about it again at dinner that night. I don't know if you remember that.
- [17:13]
A
Oh, yeah, I do. Maybe I do. Or maybe I wasn't sitting by you. But in his session, he was just like, that book was terrifying. And I was too young to have read it when I read it.
- [17:23]
B
Oh, that's funny, because we were talking about it, and BA Paris, I believe BA Paris had not read it before, and Jason Rakulik and some of the other authors, maybe, I don't remember who, but we were like, oh, yeah, you should read it. And Jason was like, oh, yeah. And I was like, I can't believe I read that when I was, like, 11. Are you sure that he talked about it in his session? Because we have.
- [17:47]
A
Maybe I'm telling your story that you told me, but I feel like he had a whole slideshow about how he got into this genre and liking this and reading these books. And I swear it was a part of his session to all of us, because I swear he put it up on the cameras and was like, who in the room has read this book? And we were all like, ah, us. But maybe I'm making this all up. Jason.
- [18:09]
B
He probably did, and that's probably why we had this whole conversation. But it was very funny because we were talking about. I was like, I think we were just talking about our kids and how what I was consuming at, like, 11 and how I think about my own child at 10 years old and what she is and being like, I can't imagine her reading Flowers in the Attic right now or, like, in six months, you know? And BA Paris being like, why? You know, like, all sweet. And we were like, well, it's about incest. It's got a lot of incest in it. And she's like, oh, oh, boy.
- [18:42]
A
I feel like the scary books that I read were just those scary stories you tell in the dark with the black and white covers that were super scary. I definitely did those. But that was because of peer pressure because everyone was reading them.
- [18:56]
B
Yes. See, I got into thrillers young. I know. I read all these R.L. stines and I just cracked open this one the other night just to be like, oh, let me prepare and read what it's like. It's good. It reads, you know, it's just a short, shorter thriller. Like, it reads like something I would read anytime. So might revisit this. I probably. It might give me nightmares. That's what I'm thinking.
- [19:19]
A
I went straight from not really reading those types of books as a kid to in middle school, starting with Stephen King. Like going straight to Stephen King books and then watching the movies like Misery, Cujo. I went straight to that.
- [19:34]
B
Oh, wow. No, when I was in elementary school, you know, it was the wild west back then and we were able to do whatever we wanted on sleepovers. I mean, there was no cell phones or anything like that. So there was no like checking in. So I remember watching Chucky when I was like nine. It scared the bejeebus out of me. I had to like sleep in my parents room after that for a while. I was so afraid.
- [19:56]
A
Okay, can I tell you a true crime story? I'm going to keep it short that you have not heard about. But while we were reading this book, it absolutely made me think of this case.
- [20:06]
B
Yes, please.
- [20:07]
A
Okay, I'll keep it short. I'm going to just kind of storytell it, but I'll link in the show notes anywhere. I got facts I just don't want to like to you, but it was in Pocatella, Idaho, which is a really small town in Idaho. The girl's name is Cassie Stoddard. She was a junior in high school. She was spending the weekend house sitting for relatives. And she had her boyfriend and some friends come over to watch movies. So this is like a movie. So her boyfriends and her friends come over because I'm sure she's like, we're house sitting. Come on over. There's no grownups here. Like, let's just get together. So her boyfriend came over. Two friends came over. They were watching a movie. The friends that were there were named Tori and Ryan. And before they came to where she was house sitting that night. They secretly unlocked a basement door before they left. So she's still there with her boyfriend. They leave, but they secretly unlock a door, pretending that they were leaving to go to like a movie theater to go watch a movie. But instead they came back. They were wearing masks, they had dark clothing. They came back in through the door that they left unlocked. And they started doing things like flickering the lights and doing things to scare them, which is like a 90s movie. Right. So they started doing things to scare the people in the house. Her boyfriend offered to stay because Cassie got really nervous. She's like, the lights are flickering. This is really weird. I don't know. Her boyfriend offered to stay, she said no. He left at about 10.30pm so Cassie was home alone. The boys were obviously there doing these things, flickering lights, scaring her. They went upstairs, they stab her and murder her. So obviously this is disturbing enough. It's a horrifically violent crime. They get arrested, they go in and they're each telling their own version of the story. So one's like, he was the one who stabbed her and I tried to help. And the other one's like, he's the one who stabbed her and I tried to help. So all along you're kind of wondering, what's happening here? Why would they kill her? No, they had planned this. They had videotaped themselves talking about it, planning what they were going to do. And they had a list of other people that they were going to then do this to as well. They were obsessed with horror movies. And not that that made them do this in any way, shape or form, but it was like they were trying to recreate some things. And they had all of this documentation of them on videotape saying what they were going to do. And they had a death list. So it was completely premeditated. They murdered her. And it's just absolutely horrific.
- [22:38]
B
Yes. And a very important part of this, I mean, that's very disturbing, but is that you told me that they were inspired by the movie Scream.
- [22:46]
A
They call it the Scream Murders. Like that's the name of the murders.
- [22:50]
B
Yes, which is why it connects to this book. Because even though the horror movies didn't make them do this, I mean, of course, like most people watch thriller movies and don't do this, like that was their inspiration was these kinds of movies, right?
- [23:03]
A
Yeah. It says in 2007 they were both sentenced to life in prison. It became widely known as the Scream murder. And just another piece of this is that both of the boys have tried. Now men have tried to be paroled or get out because they try to say, you know, when we did this, we were 16 year old boys and basically like, you don't make the same decisions as boys that you would as men. And anyway, it's just, if you haven't watched it, I'll link the documentary. There's a documentary on it. It's called the Scream Murders. It's very, very good. And you get to the end and you kind of think, I feel like it's over. And then there's one more episode. But I'm not going to spoil it for people who want to watch it.
- [23:43]
B
Very disturbing. I don't know what I think about them ever getting out.
- [23:46]
A
I know. So I know that's not reporting like we usually do at True Crimes, but the second I saw it, I thought, oh, we have to talk about this because it's literally called the Scream Murders.
- [23:56]
B
Totally. Yes. That is very, very dark and disturbing. And also it just really freaks me out the most when teenagers do stuff like that because I'm like, man, that's just these teenager crimes, they're just teenagers in your town. It's not like some, I don't know.
- [24:12]
A
Well, when you see them being interrogated and you're like, you just murdered someone but you don't have this frontal lobe development and you're asking questions like, do I get to go to prom? And they're like, no, you're going to prison. Like, no.
- [24:27]
B
Oh, they didn't, they didn't know.
- [24:29]
A
I'm not going to say anything because I want people to watch it. But when you watch the police talk to the boys in the rooms, they just seem like these 16 year old boys. I mean, Hunter's 16. But then you hear about the premeditated murder they did and it's, it's just, just watch it.
- [24:46]
B
Okay, I will. I'll watch it. It's very weird. You hear about some of this teen violence and I think they do have different threads. Like this one sounds like they were trying to be in a movie. Like they loved these movies. They wanted to be part of it. They wanted to do the same kinds of things and thought that seemed cool and fun. As opposed to Daniel Marsh, who we talked about, when we talked about the New House, the books S. Stimson's the New House. We talked about it briefly and then we did a Patreon only episode like with detail about Daniel Marsh's case, remember, but where he was 15 and he stabbed those two older adults to death. And he was very different. Like, he was like, I've never felt better in my life. Like, it was the best thing I ever did. Like that you go to prison for life. Life, life, hopefully and ever and more. And maybe die in there. Will definitely die in there, but also, maybe not too long. But these two kids, I'm not saying I have any kind of sympathy for them, but it just. I want to watch the documentary. I want to see, because were they into the violence? I want to know, and I'm not
- [25:45]
A
going to tell you. I will say that when you watch the documentary, it's clear that maybe one of the boys already had a propensity for violence and had some disturbing behaviors and one didn't. So you're like, at what point are you so hungry for acceptance by a peer and so willing to kind of do something just to feel like you are a part of a friendship or a part of a community? I just. I don't like the access that teenagers have to make terrible choices with such limited brain development scares me.
- [26:21]
B
I know. I told my son that I was gonna keep him in a bubble going forward, and he said, great, I won't have to go to school. And I said, you have to stay in his crate in the garage. He said, that sounds good, but I don't like it either. I'm like, I don't want to go through these years where you think you're invincible. I mean, we just had this huge conversation where he's really into skateboarding, and he, like, loves to go to the skate park. And I'm like, it's great. It's fun. But also, teenagers make horrible decisions in those contexts because they think they're invincible. And I'm like, this is where you could get significantly hurt if you do something that you're not ready for. You know, be careful.
- [26:59]
A
Amen, 100%.
- [27:02]
B
Just going back to the book. Is it time for me to poke a hole in the plot? I mean, it's a thriller book. Should I poke a hole? I just feel like knowing at the end that it was a woman behind the lion mask. And, yes, she had an ax, but an ax is heavy, and you can't, like, yes, you could wield it and smack somebody. I think that the five of them that were together in the beginning should have gotten a weapon, like a bat or something. You know, they should have found something in the house. I'm sure there were, like, large, Like, a lamp. You could get a larger lamp to, like, try to hit the ax while the other four jumped on Her.
- [27:43]
A
That does sound reasonable. Now that you say it out louder. Like a fire poker. I bet they had one of those in there. It felt like a place with a fireplace.
- [27:53]
B
It sure did. I'm just saying, I think the four or five of them, even if it was a man, but especially knowing that it was a woman. Not to say that, you know, women are weak, but we are generally in comparison. Right. That there was like three men. Leo, Riley, and after finding Austin and after finding Danny, Danny's bodies and Austin all like chopped up to death. Like, I feel like Leo, Riley, Cole, Aries and Ella were all together and they were all just running scattered.
- [28:29]
A
And you had to do that because.
- [28:31]
B
That is correct for the book and the movie. I understand. But I'm just saying if we find ourselves in this situation, it's important for us to talk about what we should do. And so what we should do, if we're ever at a camp and someone with an axe is attacking us, is we all attack. Because one of us might take an axe to the back, but hopefully we'd survive. Does that sound good?
- [28:52]
A
I'm going to put that in my notes app in my phone. What to do during an axe attack in the middle of the woods in case. But it wouldn't be a thriller book, right? Because we're supposed to be screaming like, don't go that way when they're going that way. Or like, why don't you attack the person with the ax?
- [29:10]
B
And we do make fun. We're always like, don't go up the stairs. And then, you know, we. They ran upstairs. But the reality is we probably would do exactly what happened in the book, but I just felt like we should talk it through. Okay.
- [29:22]
A
Yeah. I mean, they probably could have stopped it, but then the book would have been shorter and wouldn't have been as good.
- [29:30]
B
Well, good job, Miranda Smith. We liked it. I look forward to your next book. She has another book coming out.
- [29:35]
A
Oh, when does it come out? I'm so excited to talk with her about this book. Wait. It's called Scary Movie Night and it releases in July 2026. A horror themed birthday party turns deadly when guests start disappearing and the birthday girl realizes that she must face a long buried secret to make it out alive. Yep, that sounds great.
- [29:58]
B
I'm into it. I'm gonna do this one with my ears. Maybe I did the smile for the cameras with my eyes. We gotta announce other books that we're gonna be so that people can read them that we're gonna be talking about.
- [30:10]
A
Wait, the one you just read that. You absolutely love that.
- [30:12]
B
I'm gonna read next Long Bright river by Liz Moore. I just finished it. It's more of like a detective novel. It's gritty. It reminded me of Mare of Eastt, that HBO show with Kate Winslet. Do you remember that?
- [30:26]
A
Love that Feels that.
- [30:28]
B
Or like Broad Church. Or like it's the Broad Church would be another good example. It's like, gritty and dark, and I loved it. I loved it a lot. And I think you should listen to it. Okay. On my list, I'd really like to read and I have a feeling we're going to want to talk about it only because people loved it so much. And I think you should send it to me.
- [30:49]
A
Okay.
- [30:50]
B
Because you're in charge of our audible. Okay. And you should get Drowning in paper flowers by E.L. westbury.
- [30:58]
A
Oh, hi. Look what's literally on my recommended for you.
- [31:01]
B
Yes, yes. It's on my wish list. I have it on my wish list. So can we do those two and say that we're going to probably talk about them? Let's guarantee Long Bright river because I think we have stuff to chat about with that. And then I want to read Drowning Paper Flowers and put that on our maybe list. But that way people can read with us and know what's coming.
- [31:23]
A
Okay. And then the other book that people should definitely read and they can get it on thecreepybookclub.com is our book of the month, which is the Girls Trip by Allie Condie because it is our book of the month for May. And then join us for a Zoom chat about it.
- [31:41]
B
Can you please send me that one with my ears? Because I'm reading the Kate Alice Marshall, the Girls before with my eyes. And you know what else? I'm reading with my eyes. I'm started two and I need to just focus on one, the Tracy Sierra warning signs. There's a list of a bunch of books that we're reading. Yeah. Anyway, Drowning in Paper Flowers, the Girls Trip, Long Bright river, and maybe Warning Signs. I don't know. We'll see.
- [32:06]
A
Yeah. So if you do Long Bright river, and the other one you said before that. Yeah, Drowning Cape of. You're set for, like, the next month of book chats. And then if you read Girls Trip, you're set to chat with us on Zoom at the end of May.
- [32:19]
B
Bye.
- [32:20]
A
Thanks for listening.
- [32:21]
B
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