SPOOKY Book Recs

Summary

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I'll Read What She's Reading

Episode: SPOOKY Book Recs

Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Reggie, Mikayla, and Kennedy

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Main Theme

In honor of October’s “spooky season,” the hosts trade recommendations for the scariest, most unsettling, and atmospheric thrillers and horror books they’ve read (or want to read). The episode is filled with personal stories about reading creepy books in eerie settings, strong opinions about what makes a book “spooky,” and a lively exchange of underrated gems and popular favorites—all delivered with the trio’s familiar chaotic and relatable bookish banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What’s the Spookiest Book You’ve Ever Read?

(00:43–08:55)

• Reggie’s Story:

  • Not the scariest book, but the most scared she’d been reading was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, read alone at night in a stormy hotel room.
  • Quote:

    “I was so spooked... people's footsteps in the hallway of the hotel... But I was dying to know what happened. Like, it was gonna kill me if I went to sleep without reading it.” (01:57 – Reggie)

  • Emphasized that the setting amped up the fear factor, even if the book itself isn’t pure horror.

• Kennedy’s Pick:

  • Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica—a body horror dystopian novel that left her feeling viscerally ill. She had to “DNF” (did not finish) it and looked up the ending online instead.
  • Quote:

    “I would not recommend this book to anybody... I’ve never felt so nauseous reading a book.” (05:39 – Kennedy)

• Mikayla’s Memory:

  • Childhood terror from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps series.
  • She hasn’t read many books as scary as the horror from childhood but noted The Only One Left by Riley Sager gave her chills as an adult.

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2. Why Are Books Less Scary than Movies?

(11:48–13:04)

• Discussion about the lack of music/soundtrack making books less frightening than films.
• Kennedy and Reggie note their tastes for thrillers over horror, preferring suspense, mystery, and adrenaline while disliking being truly scared.
• Quote:

  “Books in general aren’t as scary as movies... what makes scary movies so scary is the scores.” (11:48 – Kennedy)

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3. Spooky & Thriller Book Recommendations

(13:20–34:45)

Reggie’s Recommendations:

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  • A modern classic—fast-paced, unsettling, great both as a book and as a movie.
  • Quote:

    “There’s a lot that feels very unsettling... fun to try and figure out what is going on and what actually happened.” (13:39 – Reggie)

• Wayward Pines series by Blake Crouch
  • A sci-fi/horror/thriller set in a mysterious small town in Idaho; praised for its plot twists and creepy atmosphere.
  • Quote:

    “I had to turn it [the audiobook] off because I got so creeped out.” (20:57 – Kennedy)

• The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
  • Young Adult, dystopian, compared to Handmaid’s Tale meets Yellowjackets. Girls banished to the woods to “release their magic” with dire consequences; dark, emotional, and unsettling.
  • Quote:

    “I remember sobbing reading this book... It’s a pretty wild ride.” (32:03 – Kennedy)

Mikayla’s Recommendations:

• Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood
  • Lesser-known thriller involving a father’s desperate search for his missing daughter and his unraveling mental state; dual timeline.
  • Quote:

    “The dad kind of had, like, a psychotic break... It was a good one. Pretty underrated.” (17:50 – Mikayla)

• A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
  • Psychological thriller with cult-like village isolation; praised for its unique storytelling and twist.
  • Quote:

    “It was really interesting... By the end you’re like, oh my gosh, that was crazy.” (28:04 – Mikayla)

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  • Favorite “OG” thriller for its shocking twist; keeps coming up as a recommendation for readers new to the genre.
  • Quote:

    “I chucked my book across the room... There’s not a book I’ve had that big of a reaction with.” (22:51 – Reggie talking about The Silent Patient)

Kennedy’s Additions:

• General plug for Blake Crouch:
  • Any of his books are reliable for sci-fi thrillers with horror elements.
  • Quote:

    “Blake Crouch has got the sci-fi thriller recipe down.” (21:43)

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4. Anticipated “Spooky Season” Reads:

(34:53–47:50)

• The Ghost Writer by Julie Clark (Reggie)

  • Thriller set in the '70s about a family tragedy and a daughter ghostwriting her infamous father’s final book—described as “brilliantly twisty.”
  • Quote:

    “She’s offered a job to ghostwrite her father’s last book... After 50 years of silence, her dad is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night.” (38:31 – Reggie)

• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Mikayla)

  • Experimental, horror classic; known for its unconventional and disorienting page layouts. The group jokes about reading it together, but Reggie bows out due to the child-centric horror.
  • Quote:

    “The writing doesn’t go like, from left to right—it’s spiraling... My brain will just be having a heyday with it.” (41:04–43:36 – Mikayla)

• Strange Pictures by Yuketsu (Kennedy)

  • Short, translated Japanese collection of interconnected horror stories, featuring illustrations and an interactive detective element; likened to Hidden Pictures.
  • Quote:

    “Features a series of interconnected, unsettling stories... that allows the reader to be the detective.” (45:24 – Kennedy)

• General consensus: thrillers and horror are often picked spur-of-the-moment, especially if they’re instantly available as audiobooks or on library apps. The October/November season inspires most of their spooky reading.

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5. Honorable Mentions & Miscellaneous Recommendations

(47:50–49:57)

• Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
  • Recommended for those who love audiobooks and podcast-style murder mysteries. Described as snarky, clever, and darkly funny.
  • Quote:

    “It was really fun. I rated it four stars... a good audiobook.” (49:28 – Mikayla)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Unsettling Books:

  “I remember one certain part of the book that I was sitting in my car reading it and I had to, like, turn my Kindle off... turn a happy song on because it made me feel so gross.” (07:03 – Kennedy, on Tender Is the Flesh)

• On Childhood Terrors:

  “Stories to Tell in the Dark, scarred me for life... even just the covers. I don’t know why I was feeling adventurous with my library checkout.” (08:24, 09:39 – Mikayla)

• On Movie vs. Book Scare Factor:

  “For some reason I feel like when I read a book I can separate myself from the story, whereas a movie just feels a little bit more immersive.” (12:50 – Kennedy)

• On Reading Mood:

  “I feel like thrillers, more so than any genre, we have all read different books... it’s not necessarily planned out.” (34:23 – Kennedy)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening Spooky Book Stories: 00:43–08:55
• Books vs. Movies (scariness): 11:48–13:04
• First Round Rec Lists: 13:20–29:08
• Discussion of “The Silent Patient”: 22:48–26:25
• Discussion: Finding Thrillers, Mood Reading: 34:23–34:45
• Books the Hosts Want to Read This Fall: 34:53–47:50
  • The Ghost Writer (35:12)
  • House of Leaves (40:10)
  • Strange Pictures (44:49)
• Honorable Mentions & Audiobooks: 47:50–49:57

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The Vibe

The hosts are playful, candid, and slightly “unhinged” as described in their intro, poking fun at each other’s reading habits and playfully debating what qualifies as “spooky.” There’s an emphasis on the group’s differing thresholds for fear, their love of a good twist, and their approach to reading thrillers as mood-driven and seasonal. The episode captures the feeling of a casual, bookish group chat-turned-podcast, making it very welcoming to any listener seeking authentic recs with plenty of personality.

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Actionable Takeaways for Listeners

• For classic thrillers with big twists, try Gone Girl or The Silent Patient.
• Looking for something lesser-known? Finding Sophie and A History of Wild Places are praised as underrated.
• For visceral, disturbing horror, only the brave should try Tender is the Flesh.
• Fans of unique formats should check out Wayward Pines, House of Leaves, or Strange Pictures—especially if you like a side of creep factor with your literary experimentation.
• Prefer podcasts in your thrillers? Listen for the Lie offers a fun audio experience.

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Connect

Listeners are encouraged to share their own spooky reads, thoughts, and reactions to these recommendations on TikTok and Instagram @WhatShesReadingPod.

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Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hi, guys. Welcome back to I'll read what she's reading. I'm Mikayla.

[A]

I'm Kennedy.

[C]

And I'm Reggie.

[B]

And today we're going to be talking about spooky books.

[A]

Today.

[B]

October. Yeah. It is the second week in October. And season. Spooky season is upon us. So we thought, why not talk about spooky books? Thriller books.

[A]

Unsettling books.

[B]

Unsettling books. Books.

[C]

Surprise, surprise.

[B]

You didn't know this is a book podcast. Actually, we just thought it was very fitting for the season that we're in to talk about spooky books. So we're first going to start off with a bang. What is the spookiest, scariest, most unsettling book you guys have ever read?

[C]

Okay, this one. I don't think it's necessarily the spookiest book I've read, but it's the most scared. I've been reading a book because of the setting I was in.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Have you guys, either of you read the Girl on the Train?

[A]

No.

[C]

No, they made a movie of it. It's with Emily Blunt. Or am I making that up?

[A]

I don't know. Let me look it up.

[B]

Girl.

[C]

Remember Girl on the Train? I think it's actually the first scary book I've ever read, like, as an adult. But I was very invested in the story. And I was out of town shooting a wedding. I was staying in a hotel by myself. A thunderstorm outside of my window.

[A]

Perfect storm.

[C]

And I was laying in my bed reading it on my phone.

[B]

Oh, by yourself, Reggie.

[C]

And I. Because I was just so invested. I was like, I've got to see what happens. And I was so spooked. And it was like lightning. Oh, thunder. People's footsteps in the hallway of the hotel. And I remember being so spooked out, but I was like, I have got to finish this book. Because I was dying to know what happened. Like, it was gonna kill me if I, like, went to sleep without reading it. But then I freaked myself out so bad.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, I remember I finished the book and my husband was asleep, and I was, like, trying to text him to wake him up, because I was like, I need to, like, talk to somebody.

[A]

I need to.

[C]

Anyways, so I wouldn't necessarily say that's, like, the spookiest book I've read, but that's the most spooked I've been reading a book. Cause I just put myself in the.

[A]

Most spooky setting imaginable.

[B]

Alone. Yeah.

[C]

On a stormy night. But I'm having a hard time Thinking of, like, the actual scariest book I've read. I've just. It's been so long since I've read a strictly thriller book. But I think this episode's gonna give me some good wrecks for what I should read these next couple of weeks. Sorry, I can't think of this actually.

[A]

The spookiest book I've ever read.

[C]

So that's why I said that.

[B]

No, that's great.

[A]

It is. Starring Emily Lunt. Yes.

[B]

I kind of wish. This is kind of off tangent that. Yo.

[A]

Something just moved in here.

[B]

That was totally.

[C]

We got a ghost.

[B]

I'm out of here.

[C]

I can't recording this at night.

[B]

Wish that. Goodreads. I feel like that's the platform we usually tend to use the most. Had, like, a spot where you could pick genres, like a. Oh, like sort it by.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, that would be nice. All the thrillers you read, you've read.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, that's more.

[C]

I've been trying to scroll. I don't know, maybe I've been trying to, like, squeeze. Like, this is a little tricky.

[A]

Fable has it. What does Fable not have? Let's be honest here. Yes. So you can filter on Fable by Thriller.

[B]

Okay. So because you imported your Goodreads. Can you do that?

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Okay, I'm gonna do that. Mine's never up to date, though.

[A]

You just have to. You have to take it off and then put it back on. Yeah. Every time you wait list. Wait, what do you go to? So you go to your list, and then you go to finished, and then you go filter. And then. Then you select thr.

[B]

Oh, my.

[A]

Yeah. Honestly, Fable.

[B]

Is the superior app. Yeah, it is. It is.

[A]

Which I really haven't read very many Thriller guys. Now that I can filter.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's saying I've only read. Every time I do it, though, it says I've only read 22 books this year.

[B]

Every single time I applied horror. But that. Oh, my gosh. I have read a lot, actually. Wow.

[A]

Okay. Do you want me to go with my spookiest book? Yeah, why not? Okay. The. The problem is, is I feel like reading is so hard because I don't feel like I get really spooked reading. There's been very few times that I've been spooked reading a few books. I'd be, like, driving, get a little scared, have to take. Turn the audiobook off, whatever. I feel like I read a lot more unsettling books than, like, scary books. They make me feel like.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

The book that comes to mind, that makes me Feel the most. And I'm not telling you to read this because I would not recommend this book to anybody. I feel like this is going.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Tender is the Flesh. I tried that last.

[B]

Was it last year?

[A]

I think it was last year and it was horrible. Quite frankly, I've never felt so nauseous reading a book. I did end up DNFing it, but then I searched on Reddit to learn how the book ended and the ends did. The ends did not justify the means. So I'm really glad I DNF'd it. I think it's. It's. I. I think it's straight up horror. I don't think it's a thriller book, but it's like body modification. Think like the substance, like body mod horror. That's kind of what Tender was. The flesh was. But also with the weird.

[C]

In.

[A]

In a weird sense. It was like this dystopian futuristic book. Basically, if you guys are unfamiliar, it's like you can't eat animal meat. So you can see where that's going. There's no animals. You can't eat animals. So. Yeah.

[B]

Anyways, would not rock.

[C]

A very.

[A]

Would not recommend. But that's. That's the most spooky book I've read because it made me unwell.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I was ill when you were just.

[A]

Talking about it, so I remember there's not a lot of books that, like, I. That's not true. I do react viscerally to a lot of books. Emotional, emotion wise, like giggling, laughing, whatever. But there was just. I remember one certain part of the book that I was sitting in my car reading it and I had to, like, turn my Kindle off and like, put it, set it in the seat next to me and just like sit and turn a happy song on because it made me feel so gross.

[C]

Gross.

[B]

So.

[A]

And that's not what I want to feel like reading. So the rest of my recommendations will be unsettling, but not.

[C]

Yeah, gross.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

I feel like I'm trying to remember. It's been hard to remember, like, how I felt about books after, especially because I don't tend to rate them the highest. So it's hard to kind of remember how I was feeling when I was reading the books. If I was like, scared or whatever. I'm taking it back to the old days.

[A]

Spooky, scary stories. Oh, my gosh. Are you talking about the Goosebumps?

[C]

Stories to tell in the dark.

[B]

Stories to tell in the dark, scarred.

[A]

Me for life stuff. Do you guys remember the Goosebumps Book where it was like, choose your own adventure.

[B]

No, you don't. I didn't ever read any of the Goosebumps.

[A]

That was before your time.

[C]

There's a Goosebumps book sitting in my car right now. That linen got. Oh, wants me to read to her. Oh, love that. I'm like, she likes spooky, so every night she asked for a spooky story. I'm like, she likes being scared. It's weird.

[A]

So didn't they make a tv.

[C]

Like a TV series?

[A]

Scary Stories to tell in the dark.

[C]

Ooh, I want to.

[B]

I think they did.

[A]

I feel like they did too. I know they made a Goosebumps series, but I think they also made a Scary Stories to tell in the Dark.

[B]

I just can't believe I was able to get that from the library as a. Oh, no.

[C]

Yeah, they did. It's a.

[B]

As an elementary school. Elementary school. I was so freaked out.

[A]

Wait, now I need to Google.

[C]

Oh, that's terrifying.

[A]

Is it a movie? I'm afraid, actually.

[B]

Okay when I say those actually scared me so much as a child.

[C]

Well, and the movies aren't. The movie does not look like a. I just kid friendly movie.

[B]

Anyways, it was. I. I think I can remember, like, the way I felt when I like even just the covers. I don't know why I was feeling adventurous with my library checkout.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Never again.

[C]

I.

[B]

Well, yeah, anyways, if you want like an actual serious answer of. I don't know. I just don't remember being like. And I don't know if these are like, the scariest things. I remember being like, feeling very like, oh. Or like, oh my gosh. I feel honestly the only one left by Riley Sager. I remember I wasn't like, scared, but I definitely was like, you know, get little chills, you know. And it's not like a very scary book, but I feel like sometimes I have a very active imagination, especially in my own setting of my house and stuff. And I just kept like, imagining things and I. Sounds. I. I don't know if you guys have ever dreamt, like, it's very, like, real.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

In like, your life. And so when I read thriller books that. That my mind goes, like, psychotic. I've had so many dreams where, like, there's a giant spider crawling across my pillow and I like, think it's all, like, real.

[C]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[B]

And like, alive. And I like, freak out or like, you know.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So anyways, it's kind of cool. I tend to not read a lot of scary stuff, but I Also feel like I'm growing and maturing as an adult where things don't scare me as.

[A]

Bad as they used to for sure.

[B]

But I will never read the spooky scary story, whatever they're called.

[C]

Yeah. Spooky stories to tell in the dark or whatever.

[B]

Never.

[C]

You couldn't pay me to watch that.

[A]

I also think that just like books in general aren't as scary as movies because I think what makes scary movies so scary is the scores. Yeah. So just the fact that like, you don't really have that musical element in books. A lot of the times I feel like I don't know. And for some reason I feel like when I read a book I can separate myself from the story, whereas a movie just feels a little bit more immersive. But also, I think I also don't get very scared very easily because growing up when I would go to my dad's house, our like family movie nights would be like the Exorcist, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, like all of these super scary movies that at like 8 years old, they probably should not have been watching, but that's what we would watch as a family.

[B]

That's actually crazy that you're.

[C]

That is crazy. Yeah.

[B]

I don't like scary, but not being.

[A]

I don't either. I don't.

[B]

I don't like the way they make me feel. Yeah. But I do enjoy thrillers, however, because I feel like it gets my adrenaline pumping, but I don't feel like they're necessarily like, scary.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. And when you read a good one, it's fun because you want to know what happens next.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

There's just something so fun about a page turner. And when you can get that in a thriller, it's like a special kind of high.

[B]

Yeah, for sure.

[C]

So for sure.

[B]

All right, well, let's get into it. Some spooky re or thriller re.

[A]

Okay, who's going first?

[C]

I can go.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I'm going to say Gone Girl.

[A]

Oh, yeah. That's like a classic one.

[C]

Yeah. That book. I think I read it in like a day and a half and it was good. I know that. I mean, I've seen a few people say they didn't really enjoy it. I don't know if people think it's over hyped or whatever, but I like it because there's a lot of it that feels very unsettling. But it's very fun to try and figure out what is going on and like what actually happened.

[B]

And.

[C]

It'S also fun too because there's A movie?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And then you can go watch the movie. After which I actually think they did a really good job for the movie, with the movie. I know some people maybe didn't.

[A]

I made it. Me and Kyle tried to watch it and he fell asleep. So then I had to turn it off. And we haven't, like, revisited it, but.

[C]

I literally finished the book, you guys. And then three minutes later, I was like, okay, let's start the movie. Like, I was like, I don't know. So, yeah, I like that one because I think. Who is it by?

[B]

Gone Girl.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Gillian.

[A]

Karen.

[B]

Gillian.

[A]

Gillian.

[C]

Gillian Finn.

[B]

Gillian Finn.

[C]

Gillian Flynn. Flynn. I just feel like she does a very good job at. @. She thought things out very well, was very methodical in everything. And so seeing things kind of come together and then the way I felt when that book ended, there were so many emotions. The movie was just very well done, I thought. And gave me that same kind of like, spooky, eerie, unsettling vibe. But, yeah, I really liked that one. It's been a long time since I read that one, but I'm like, I would read that one again.

[A]

Now. If I'm remembering correctly, wife goes missing and the husband's accused of murdering her.

[C]

Correct? Yes.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

That's the premise. Without saying too much. So I'm trying to remember how it ends. Yeah. The movie has Roseman Pike. Roseman pike and Ben Affleck. Ben Affleck. And I was gonna say Robert Downey Jr. No, that's not his name. Series of Unfortunate Events guy.

[A]

Oh, how I met your mother.

[C]

Yes. That guy. What's his name?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I cannot remember.

[B]

I don't know.

[C]

Anyways. Oh, Neil Patrick Harris. Yes.

[A]

I mean, it is kind of like Robert Downey Jr. But Neil Patrick Harris.

[C]

I don't know why I thought that. Anyways. Yeah, yeah, yeah, That's a good one. Good thriller, mystery.

[A]

A little bit, like, creepyish. Got something creepy. Little like. Not like paranormal, but, like, unsettling creepy. Yeah, that's a good read.

[B]

I need to go, like, reread the synopsis of that. I feel like with thrillers, sometimes it's hard to. When you start reading a lot, it's hard to, like, keep them separate or straight.

[A]

Yeah, they mesh together.

[B]

You know, none of these two have read that, but there's a book called Finding Sophie. It's on my shelf. Imran. Imran Mahamud. I'm sorry if I just butched his name. I really. I'm trying to remember exactly, but I remember liking it. It's about this dad. And I'm pretty sure. I know there's a dual timeline, which I really liked the dual timeline. But there's a daughter. She is like. She's like a teenager, and she goes missing. And there's, like, a bunch of different, like, elements. The dad is, like, trying to solve where she went. So it's kind of like, you know, dad trying to save the day moment. And there's like.

[A]

There's so many, like, different elements.

[B]

There's like a suspicious neighbor. There's, like a boyfriend. There's like, all this stuff. It's just. It was really fun. And it was. I think I really liked it because the dad kind of had, like, almost like a psychotic break, if that makes sense. Yeah. Where he's, like, just doing everything he can.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

To, like, find his daughter. And I think it was just like, a really cool element because I feel.

[A]

Like you don't see that very much. You know, usually it's the mom.

[B]

Yeah. And no. But it was the dad. And. Yeah. I just remember really liking it. And it's a pretty underrated book. It only has, like, a thousand ratings on Goodreads, so I thought it was a. It was a good one. It was thriller. I wouldn't say it's like my favorite thriller book I've ever read, but I remember I rated it like 3.5, which is pretty good for, yeah, thriller books.

[A]

And it's one that's un. Like not super well known.

[B]

So. Yeah, that's a good rec. Maybe you might not like it, Reggie, because it might be hit a little close to home.

[C]

Thought of the woods for my fall.

[B]

Tbr.

[C]

Good, good.

[B]

So. So, duh. Yeah. If anyone's read it, let me know what you thought or maybe you guys will read it.

[A]

But read it and let us know. Yeah, I'll get. I'll get to it eventually.

[C]

I have it and there.

[B]

There's an audiobook for it.

[A]

Oh, perfect.

[B]

So it. Yeah, I think the audiobook. I listened to it completely. So it was pretty good audiobook. So audiobooks for the win, right? Truly.

[A]

Truly. Truly. Okay. My first recommendation I've talked about before on the podcast, and these two still have not read it yet. And that's okay. I don't know if anybody else has read it because nobody's talked to me about it and I'm just waiting to talk to somebody about it. It's Wayward Pines by Blake Crouch. Okay. I know I've talked about it before, but I'm going to talk about it again. It is A three book series, but they're short books. The first book is like just over 300 pages. So they're very short. They're quick listens. I listened to this on a drive one time coming home from a photo shoot in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a mountain, in a canyon. It was pitch black, dark. I had to turn it off because I got so creeped out. So the premise is we're following our main character. He works for the FBI, I believe. Okay. No, he's Secret Service. He's Secret Service and he goes to a town in Idaho, which was also fun. It's based in Idaho. Goes to a town in Idaho to investigate the disappearance of these FBI agents, and he gets in a car accident. He wakes up in the hospital with no id, no phone, nothing. They take all of his belongings, but they won't let him leave the town. He can't leave the town. If you know Blake Crouch, he's got like, there's some horror elements to this series. There's sci fi, there's thriller elements, there's some plot twists. It's a little bit of a mystery. It's just a really good fall October read because there's so many twists and turns. It feels a little bit eerie. And the ending of the series is crazy. So if you've read this series, please talk to me because I desperately need somebody to talk about it with. And if you haven't, this will be my last time talking about it. But it was very good. And you honestly can't go wrong with any of Blake Crouch's books. Some of them are a little bit more creepy than others, but Blake Crouch has got the sci fi thriller recipe.

[C]

Down, wanting to go add that I know to My Libby.

[A]

It is a TV show, but it was done in like the early 2000s, so I do not think I will be watching it. But it was. They're quick reads. Like it's not a lot of time, but I like to.

[B]

Did you. You listened to those ones, right?

[A]

Yes, I did.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

And I don't think the wait was super long on Libby because it's an older one.

[C]

I didn't even see them on my Libby.

[A]

Did I buy them?

[B]

Did I get them on audible? Maybe I don't have them with my Libby or it's with the card I don't have anymore.

[C]

But the audiobooks were good.

[A]

Yep, the audiobooks were good.

[C]

Love that it's raining.

[A]

It just really fitting the vibe.

[C]

Yeah. I'm trying not to sound basic because, like, you know, sometimes I'M like basic. But my first thought whenever I think of thriller is the Silent Patient.

[A]

Oh yeah, that's the OG Thriller.

[C]

That's kind of like the OG But I feel like if you read a ton of thrillers, maybe you wouldn't be. And you haven't read the Silent Impatient. Maybe it wouldn't be as exciting or shocking to you. I don't know. But that book made me like, I chucked my book across the room. Like I will never forget my experience reading that book.

[A]

Like, has it been picked up?

[C]

Slammed it shut. There's rumor that it has, but there's been nothing talked about. My mother in law brings it up all the time because I introduced that book to all my in laws and they loved it.

[A]

Oh, like the way I would love to see that be a movie just out of like curiosity. Curiosity, yeah.

[C]

That's a great one. I mean, if you live under a rock and you haven't heard about the Silent Patient. Just kidding. Some people haven't. I'm actually surprised sometimes. But yeah, essentially it is about a woman who. Okay, help me with this. Her husband has been murdered and she will not speak.

[A]

Yep, she's a silent patient. A silent patient.

[C]

And so her therapist is trying to get her to speak.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And she.

[B]

In like a psych.

[C]

Yes, in like a psych unit type thing.

[A]

Honestly, that's a book that I would love to reread because I remember I know how it ends, but I can't remember beginning to end. Do you know what I mean? I feel like I would really enjoy the journey again.

[C]

Oh yeah. So anyways, yeah, there's just not a book that like I've read that I've had that big of a thriller that I've had that big of a reaction with. Like my husband was like, what is wrong with like he thought I was like possessed for a second because I was just like chucked my book across the room and then it's been fun because I've gotten like a ton of people in my family to read it and they, they all have such like big reactions to it as well, which is really fun to hear. So that's why I'd recommend that one because I've got, I've had a lot of people read it in my life who are always like, I love that book. So if you haven't read it, now's your sign to go read it. But if you've read it, you know, I'm not surprised. Yeah.

[A]

So that one.

[B]

How many. Ooh, just for my flashlight.

[C]

How many People have released more books. Like, he has only two other ones, but I feel like he.

[A]

I think I've read all of them.

[C]

I haven't read the Fury. Is that the latest one?

[A]

Oh, maybe I haven't read.

[C]

It's like, with the eye on the COVID I haven't read that, but I have read the Maidens. That one was okay.

[A]

I've read all of them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The Silent Patient is by far the best.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, that's three.

[A]

But million. If you are going to read. I think it's Alex Michelides. I don't know how to say his last name. Yeah, you need to read the Silent Patient first.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That's all I'm gonna say. Because you'll miss something in the Maidens if you haven't read the Silent Patient.

[C]

Yeah, sorry. Maybe that was, like, a basic one.

[A]

But it's a good one, though.

[C]

It's.

[A]

And do you know how long it's been since we've talked about the Silent Patient on the podcast? Like, probably some of our first episodes. So that's. That's a. That's a good recommendation. It really, truly is.

[B]

It is. Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

The Seventh Place was really good.

[A]

I remember when you were reading that, me and Reggie were, like, foaming at the mouth while you were reading it. And you finish it and you're like, yeah, it was fine. She got the twist.

[B]

Just figured it out.

[A]

She got the twist.

[B]

And it's not like I felt like I was really smart. I just felt like I read a book that set me up to figure it out.

[A]

I see.

[B]

Okay. Another one. This was actually recommended to me.

[C]

Or.

[B]

To us a while ago. And I read it and I really enjoyed it. It's called A History of Wild Places by Shay Earnshaw.

[C]

Oh, I've been wanting to read that one. I forgot about that book.

[B]

It was. Yeah, I really, really liked it. And this is one that I didn't figure out. Maybe other people would be able to figure it out, but I just, for some reason, was just like, la, la, la. Couldn't figure it out. I just took everything as it was. And it's about a private investigator, and he is hired by a family to find their daughter. Daughter. Something like that, if I remember correctly. And he finds himself in this. Like.

[A]

I don't.

[B]

This is not the correct terminology, but almost like a cult village.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So they, like, have no contact with the outside world. They, like, grow their own food and stuff like that. And he starts like. I can't remember exactly.

[A]

I don't know if he, like, joins.

[B]

It to like figure it out or if he just says like, hey, I just need to like ask people some questions. I can't remember exactly how he does his investigation, whether he joins it to be just a part of it or he just asks questions. Anyways, it was really interesting. It's not like necessarily scary, but I think it was more like a psychological.

[C]

I love a psychological thriller.

[B]

Yeah. So it's not. Yet, I don't think it's very scary. But by the end you're like, oh my gosh, that was crazy. So I think I rated that 3.5.

[A]

That's high for Michaela.

[B]

That's for Taylor.

[C]

That's high.

[A]

That's very high.

[B]

So yeah, I, I, whoever recommended that to us, thank you. It was, it was actually pretty good and I just liked how refreshing and unique the storytelling was. So, yeah.

[C]

Awesome.

[A]

You know, I feel like it's so funny because maybe you guys disagree and maybe it's because we're not in the.

[C]

Thriller space per se.

[A]

I feel like there are so many like psychological thriller esque TV shows and movies, but then that everybody rants and raves about and gets, they get awards and everybody thinks they're so great. And then I feel like for books you just don't really hear about them as much. Do you know what I. Do you guys know what I'm trying to say?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I feel like it's because you can.

[B]

Do a lot with like sound. Yeah. And like picture like the cinematic parts of it that can be really hard to put in words.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know what I'm saying?

[A]

Yeah, that's a good point.

[B]

Because you can do so much with your senses when you know there's always gonna be like this creepy music and scary movies that elevates this jump scare.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, or like there's just so much you can do to heighten people's senses or like visually rather than just.

[A]

Like words on a page.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what I think is probably the reasoning.

[A]

Maybe next time, maybe next time I read a thriller book, I'll just put on some creepy music to really set the scene. Yeah. Heightens my experience.

[B]

I'm sure it would. It'd be interesting to see what your brain does. Like if you could somehow hook up your brain. You know how they do that?

[A]

Like hook up your, like brain mapping. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

When you watch something versus when you read. I don't know, maybe it's, it's got.

[A]

To have different synapses firing between the two because they're two completely different Mediums, but. Okay. My last recommendation that I'm going to give is one that I have talked about on the podcast before, but I haven't talked about it in a really, really long time. And I remember absolutely loving this book. So I did Rate it 4 stars. It's the Gracier by Kim Liggett. And if you're listening to this and you have seen yellow jackets, kind of gives off similar vibes in the sense of, like, these girls are sent in to these, like, the forest to fend for themselves and lives. I know that's not exactly the plot of Yellow Jackets, but, like, girls having to survive by themselves. Similar vibes. So basically, these girls are sent to live in the forest.

[B]

Because.

[A]

Of their womanhood. You guys catching my drift? Okay. Yeah. So they're banished when they turn 16 because they think. I don't know how to phrase this, like, eloquently. I'll just read the synopsis. Okay. Because I don't know how to. I don't know how to phrase it. They're banished at 16 to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified, ready for marriage. Okay. But not everybody will come back alive. So they go out into the woods. There's also these people that are trying to kill them. They're trying to survive. And it just has so many layers. I remember sobbing reading this book because there was just something that happened that, like, touched me. So it's a pretty wild ride. Pretty wild ride. I wouldn't even necessarily call this a thriller. I think it's probably marketed more as a horror book. Let me see what the genre is. It is young adult, which is crazy. So it is a young. Young adult thriller, dystopian fiction. So if you, like, think of it as the Handmaid's Tale meets Yellow Jackets. Okay. And that's how I would describe the Grace year.

[B]

Yeah, I remember you talking about it.

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

I haven't read it yet.

[A]

It's pretty. I would say it's pretty gruesome. Not super gruesome, but it is a little. A little bit, like, there's a little bit of violence in there.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

For a young adult book, I would. I would say it's, like, on the edge. Hmm.

[C]

But very good.

[B]

I love it. I need it. I think I have it. I don't know if I do. I don't know. I need to add it. It's funny that I feel like thriller more so than any genre. We have all read, like, different books. Like, I feel like it's not it's very rare for us to have read the same thriller books.

[A]

I don't know, it's. I feel like thrillers when I have to be like in the mood. And a lot of the time it's a random book that I see on TikTok that someone's like, I read this book and I liked it. And it just so happens to be available instant to me instantly, to me on the Libby app. Yeah, that's how I pick the thrillers that I read for the most part.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

It's like a spur of the moment decision, short way.

[B]

Or like it's immediately available. It's not necessarily planned out.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, no, I agree.

[A]

And I typically only will read or listen to thrillers in October, November. Beyond that, I don't really get into that. But okay, we're all going to share one book that we want to read this spooky season. Reggie, do you want to go first?

[C]

I got this one. This one is also from Book of the Month. I got this from Book of the Month. The premise just sounded. Sounds interesting. And I feel like there's so many thrillers that I've had on my TBR for a while and they're ones that like, I keep hearing people kind of talk about, but I haven't heard anyone talk about this one. So maybe that's why I'm like more intrigued by it. But it's called the Ghost Rider by Julie Clark. So it's set in the 70s and there's two teenage siblings that are found deceased in their home. And there's one surviving sibling.

[B]

And.

[C]

Like a few decades later, there's like this growing legend that the sibling you know was the one who did it. And then this girl is offered a job to. Okay, wait, what was this one called again? The Ghost Rider. Okay, who was it by? Julie Clark.

[B]

Julie Clark.

[C]

So then, okay, so the, the brother, the surviving sibling, he becomes a horror writer. Oh, and there's a ghost writer named Olivia Dumont.

[B]

And.

[C]

Hold on, I'm so confused. Okay, hold on. Can I read the synopsis?

[B]

Yeah. Not me thinking it was like an actual Ghost Riders on a horse. Like with.

[A]

Yeah, Nicholas Cage. Yeah, Like, I don't know why, like.

[B]

When you say Ghost Rider, I was.

[C]

Like, okay, someone writer, a horse. Okay, I'm going to like read the synopsis. So yeah, two teenage siblings found deceased in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers that he was the one who killed them. So then a few decades later, the legend starting to grow as his career as a horror writer skyrockets. And then enter Olivia Dumont, a ghost writer that has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she's the only child of him. So the. The surviving sibling writes horror novels.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Everyone speculates he's the one that killed.

[A]

And he has a daughter, but he.

[C]

Now has a daughter.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And she's a ghost writer.

[A]

Okay. Okay.

[C]

Does that make sense?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So now she's on the brink of financial ruin, and then she's offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book.

[A]

But he doesn't. But he doesn't know that she's a ghostwriter.

[C]

I mean, I guess, you know, I think the dad knows that she's a ghostwriter, but like, the world doesn't. Oh, that's what I'm gathering. What she doesn't know though, is that this project is another one of his lies. So she's realizing that, like this book that she's ghostwriting for her dad is more than just some uncover something.

[B]

She's becoming a.

[C]

So after 50 years of silence, her dad is finally ready to talk about what really happened. Happened that night. So then she's writing. It's almost like she's writing that story, true story of what happened. So it just sounds really interesting because it just makes me wonder if this ghostwriter, the daughter, like, what she knows before she starts writing this book, you know? So the reviews have me very curious. They all say very brilliantly twisty.

[B]

I love a good twisty book.

[C]

Pick that one up.

[A]

I love a twisty twisty.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I feel drama.

[B]

Yeah. That doesn't seem like too traumatizing.

[A]

No. Yeah.

[B]

If that makes sense. Because some thrillers out there.

[C]

Because there's. There's a few things when it comes to thrillers that I have a hard time. Like if you are involving small children. No, if you're. If it's like super eerie to the fact of like you're possessed by some spirit. I can't do that. Any sort of demonic anything just like really freaks me out. But I love a good like psychological, like a who done it? Yeah. Murder mystery.

[B]

That does sound really fun and different. It seems like a different kind of thriller. I might be adding that to my list. Don't be alarmed if you see me add it as well.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

This has been on my TBR for literally forever. I added it in 2023.

[C]

Oh, so now. Oh, I just saw the COVID on your phone. I've heard of this.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't know. I'm kind of scared. It's House of Leaves by Mark.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I feel like crazy. I feel like we all talked about this. Like, the writing goes in. Crazy. Yes.

[B]

Yes. And that's, like, the only reason I'm, like, interested in it, because I just want to see.

[A]

Can we all read it at the same time?

[B]

Yeah, let's do it. Are you guys in?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I have no idea.

[C]

I can't really remember what it's about, but I remember the concept.

[A]

I think that someone moves into a.

[B]

House and they go crazy.

[C]

Yeah. And so then, like, it starts to show on the pages because.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, the writing doesn't go, like, from left to right. It's spiraling.

[B]

This actually seems terrifying.

[A]

Wait, let me pull it up on Goodreads.

[B]

Okay. Okay. Okay. It says, I don't know if Reggie can read this. It says, their two little children wonder.

[A]

Reggie's out.

[B]

She's out.

[C]

I'm kidding. I forgot.

[B]

Their two little children. Children wander off. And their voices eerily began to return. Another story of creature darkness. Have no idea what that means. I don't. Yeah.

[C]

I don't know, actually.

[B]

And then an ever growing abyss behind a closet door. I don't know. I might give it a little try.

[A]

Yeah. So it's like. Yeah. They go, yeah. A family moves into a home and they discover something's wrong. Their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

[B]

I don't know. I kind of want to try it.

[A]

I kind of want to try it too.

[B]

Just.

[A]

Just for the experience of it. I've seen tiktoks of, like, what the book looks like and.

[B]

Yeah. I searched up on Amazon, the book, because I wanted to see if anyone had, like, posted about the pages. Pages. You know how they can just post, like, photo reviews? Yeah, photo reviews. And it actually looks crazy. Like crazy.

[A]

Yeah, I. I really want to try because you can't. I just tried to look it up on Libby. I don't think it's available as an ebook.

[C]

No.

[A]

Reggie's like, nope, I'm out.

[B]

That's okay, Reggie. I don't want you to.

[C]

There's children involved. Maybe it's not as like.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Yeah. I fear I may be too dumb to read it, though. So I don't think I'll be able to keep things straight.

[B]

I don't know. I just feel like it will be. Oh, this says forgive.

[A]

Yeah, I'm. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

Yeah. I'm gonna have you.

[B]

I think.

[A]

I. One time when I was in Barnes and Noble, I went over and, like, just was thumbing through the pages. And it looks crazy, but I feel.

[B]

Like it would actually be a really quick read, especially if, like the pages are.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I don't know.

[A]

Because it's a 700 page book.

[B]

Yeah. But I. Yeah. I don't know. Oh, and then the text changes. Then it goes to this.

[A]

Yeah, I'm.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Anyway, I just.

[B]

I feel like it would keep my brain at least intrigued because it seems like it changes fonts, it changes the direction that the text. The text goes. Like. I feel like my brain will just be having a heyday with it because you almost.

[A]

It's almost like, okay, what's gonna be.

[B]

On the next page?

[A]

You know?

[B]

I don't know. Anyways, we'll see if I'll actually get to it because I've had it on my TBR for almost two years now, but I feel like now's the time, right?

[C]

Yeah. This October.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Yeah, It's House of Leaves time.

[B]

And if anyone wants to join this, let's do it. Minus Reggie. We'll just tell you about it. Okay.

[C]

Yeah. The more I'm thinking about it, more I'm like, you know, you read it. Tell me all about it. That's what I do with spooky movies sometimes. I don't know if anyone else does that, but, like, I have this weird fascination of wanting to know what all these scary movies are about that I know I will not watch. Like, I see a spooky trailer and I'm like, I can't even bear to watch the trailer. But then I'm like, let me run to Wikipedia really quick and read a whole plot synopsis.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

So I feel that. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. What book are you wanting to read this fall? I saw a tick tock about this book a few weeks. Not a few weeks ago, like a month ago. And I added it to my tbr. It's called Strange Pictures by Yuketsu. I don't know. So it kind of is giving me hidden pictures, vibes.

[C]

So the first thing.

[B]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[A]

Yes, the book does have photos in it. So this is what? No, insane, though. This is what the.

[C]

Oh, that's strange.

[A]

This is kind of what it's about. So it says, it's. It says the book features a series of interconnected, unsettling stories that are linked together by images and drawings and that allows the reader to be the detective to uncover the truths between all the interconnected stories. So kind of almost sounds like you're doing like, almost like an interactive murder mystery. But I don't think it's a murder mystery. But I've heard really great things about this author. They also have another book that's called Strange, Something about a house. Strange Houses. And it's very similar vibe. It has house plans in there. Anyways, they're very short books. They're like 200 pages. And so I just think it's cool to have something that's a little bit more interactive. Like, I loved Hidden Pictures, having the photo element to the book. And so where. This is so short, I feel like, why not?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It's crazy. I was looking. So it's. It's a translated Japanese mystery horse story.

[A]

Mm. And apparently this author is some famous Japanese YouTube horror author. I don't know.

[B]

That's crazy.

[C]

So.

[A]

I'm gonna try it, see how it goes.

[C]

I just remember reading Hidden Pictures, and I was reading it on my Kindle, and I'd just be like, reading, and then I'd, like, tap to the next page, and then it was like this jump scare, spooky, jump scare picture. I was like, okay. So I don't know if the pictures. I mean, from what I'm seeing of the COVID they don't look super spooky, but, like, maybe they progress.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

Maybe eerie.

[C]

Yeah, I don't know.

[A]

I guess I'll find out.

[C]

Read it and report back. Yeah, read and report back. Yep. My goal is to read more thrillers this next year or just, like, mysteries in general, because I feel like I have this thing where I'm like, a fluffy romance, a fantasy book. A fluffy romance, a fantasy book. And I need to. I need to kind of, like, branch out a little bit. I think that's why I've been in a bit of a reading slump.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So try some different genres. Yeah, I need to kind of, like, add some other genres into my mix of things. And, you know, I used to be a big thriller girly and need to kind of go back to my roots a little bit.

[B]

I. Okay, sorry. I know this is, like. I think you guys would, like, listen for a lie.

[A]

It's on hoopla. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, I need to listen to it. Is that by.

[A]

I can picture the COVID It's red.

[B]

Yeah, it's red.

[A]

It's on hoopla, and.

[B]

Yeah, it was actually really good. It's like a. It has a podcast element to it. And so, you know, they always do, like, the. The podcast is in, like, a different. It's by Amy Tinteria.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And it's it's like a murder mystery.

[C]

Okay, I know what you're talking about.

[B]

But it doesn't have to do anything with kids.

[C]

Love it.

[A]

No kid, no spirits.

[C]

Not too long. Last year.

[B]

Okay. And it. Yeah, it's like they're at a wedding. Yes, they're at a wedding. And her best friend dies and she, like, someone kills her and the best friend is like, the suspect. Ooh.

[C]

Yeah. One of my friends that read it says it was snarky and clever and witty and sexy and twisted.

[A]

I'm so dark and dark.

[B]

It was really. Yeah, it was really fun. I rated it four stars. Whoa.

[A]

So that's basically an Infinity star read for McKellen for thrillers.

[B]

Set your expectations too high. Maybe it was like a good time.

[A]

When I read it. Yeah.

[B]

You know what I'm saying? Don't. I genuinely don't remember what the plus twist was. Must have been good. All right, so anyways, sorry, I just. Just had to shut that up.

[C]

Oh, no, I like that it's a.

[B]

Good audiobook because I know we're like all in our audiobook grind right now. It was a good listen.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I'm listening to a thriller next, so.

[B]

Okay, well, I hope you guys join us this October with some thriller books. Let us know what you guys read. If you read it, have read any of the ones that we talked about or if you plan on reading them, let us know. We'd love to hear what you guys thoughts are. And just like always, you can follow us on TikTok and Instagram @What She's Reading Pod. And we'll see you guys next week.

[A]

Bye.