National Park After Dark

Episode 332: The Morbidly Curious Book Club x NPAD
Release Date: October 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special, book-focused bonus episode, Danielle and Cassie are joined by Patricia, aka Patches, the creator and host of The Morbidly Curious Book Club and The Morbidly Curious Podcast. The theme is a vibrant crossover between lovers of the outdoors and those “morbidly curious” about the darker side of nonfiction. The conversation dives deep into the world of macabre books, cult followings (of both the literary and literal kind), the surprising rise of book clubs in the digital age, and the transformative, often underappreciated, power of nonfiction. The trio brings a cascade of dark, spooky, and thought-provoking book recommendations—both fiction and nonfiction—that ignite curiosity and inspire both critical thinking and compassion, all while keeping things lively, casual, and filled with laughs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Growth of The Morbidly Curious Book Club

• Origins:
  • Patches started the book club post-COVID, first as a way to get through her own TBR pile of dark nonfiction while living in Los Angeles, including local LA history and true crime sites (07:01).
  • Initially launched online to find people interested in “reading weird shit” (08:42).
  • Rapid growth: From a handful of members to over 17,000 globally, largely due to TikTok and word-of-mouth (02:09, 09:29).
• Book Club Evolution:
  • Started with member voting, now mostly curated by Patches and her team for a subscription box model (11:06).
  • Curatorial priorities: Spacing out topics, focusing on new reads (not too new to avoid accessibility issues), no “double-ups” on topics in a row (12:42).
  • Books are nonfiction and often have a “morbid” element—cults, plagues, witches, true crime, paranormal, and more (11:06–12:42).

“People wanted to read weird shit with me, so I was super excited.” — Patricia (Patches) (08:42)

2. Community, Accessibility, and Book Distribution

• Subscription Boxes:
  • Monthly boxes via partnership with indie bookstore Fred and June’s in North Carolina; includes the main book pick, goodies, bookmarks, author letters/bookplates (14:54).
  • Popular enough to sell out authors’ printings, causing backorders and publisher scrambles (16:00–16:03).
  • Paperbacks months get two books, often with thematic overlap (16:03).
• Chapters & Virtuality:
  • Numerous local, national, and international chapters (18:14).
  • Mix of virtual (Zoom, live shows) and in-person meetings; website features chapter locator and instructions for starting new chapters (18:14–19:43).
  • Supported by Facebook, YouTube, Discord, and more.

“If you think like, there’s not going to be one in my city, look it up. There might be one there.” — Patricia (Patches) (18:14)

3. Why We Gravitate Toward the Dark Side: Cults, Crime, and More

• Most Popular Themes:
  • Cults consistently the surest draw for readers (12:53).
  • Memoirs about cult experiences especially in demand—examples include Forager by Michelle Doughty (13:24–14:24).
  • Serial killer psychology in demand among certain segments (12:53).
• Why Cults?
  • Cassie: “It’s so secretive… when people come out of it and they give you a tell-all, it’s like, wait, what’s happening?” (14:07)
• Memoirs vs. Journalistic Nonfiction:
  • Memoirs relating to cults more commonly selected, rather than general memoir (14:24).

4. Book Recommendations: The Spooky and the Significant

Ghostland by Colin Dickey (Current Morbidly Curious Book Club Pick)

• Explores the meaning behind American ghost stories; skepticism, history, unpacking the often-sinister roots (racism, bigotry) of “haunted” locations (20:40–22:32, 23:03).
• Danielle and Cassie both praised its thought-provoking, critical style.

“He does debunk a lot of stuff… a masterclass of what it means to have history correct.” — Patricia (Patches) (21:55)

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (Fiction, Recommended by Cassie)

• Dystopian, eerie novel of young women exiled for a year to rid themselves of “dangerous magic”—evokes themes of patriarchy, control, and power (24:14–27:38).
• Recurring comparison to The Handmaid’s Tale and Yellowjackets in its dark realism.

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings (Fiction - Recommended by Patches)

• A near-future world where witches are real (and persecuted), state-enforced marriage/fertility, explores gender, race, autonomy (28:04–30:44).
• Cassie: “It doesn’t feel that far off from real life, just when you look at some of the stuff that’s being pushed right now—women, have children…” (30:12)

The Killer Whale Who Changed the World by Mark Leiren-Young (Nonfiction - Danielle)

• The story of “Moby Doll,” the first captive killer whale, changing perceptions of orcas from monstrous to intelligent, misunderstood creatures (31:12–33:45).
• Gripping and emotional—raises questions about animal captivity.

The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster by John O’Connor (Nonfiction - Patches)

• Not a believer’s tale, but an exploration of who believes in Bigfoot, why, and what it says about American culture (36:25–39:01).
• Witty and sociological—debunking, but also empathetic.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (Fiction - Cassie)

• Suffrage movement meets witchcraft; sisterhood, power, and the history of women’s oppression via magical lens (41:14–43:29).
• Noted for beautiful physical editions and immersive writing.

Leech by Hiron Ennes (Fiction - Patches)

• Gothic/mysterious steampunk-inflected novel about a doctor uncovering sinister happenings in a wintry, isolated world; explores gender, identity, and consent (44:54–47:28).

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka (Fiction - Patches)

• A death row serial killer story told from the perspective of the women whose lives he affected—centering victims, not perpetrators (56:49–59:10).
• “In my opinion, a perfect book… It’s tough. It’s not going to be a beach read.” — Patches (59:00)

Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin (Fiction - Patches)

• Black Mirror-style chilling story: global craze for “Kentukis,” toys that let strangers watch you through a camera (59:24–63:52).
• Unsettling, uncanny, brilliantly executed.

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (Nonfiction)

• Explores why we join cults, culty language, and how “cults” permeate daily life (63:59–66:09).

Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson (Nonfiction - Patches)

• Investigative look at the true story behind infamous “anonymous” diaries like Go Ask Alice—revealing the real (and morally questionable) author; a dark slice of 1970s/80s moral panic history (66:32–69:46).

Other Notable Mentions:

• Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (Danielle) (70:01)
• From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty (Danielle & Patches) (71:00–71:55)
• Trail of the Lost & Ranger Confidential by Andrea Lankford (Danielle, Patches) (74:32)
• Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville (Danielle & Patches) (73:54)
• 18 Tiny Deaths by Bruce Goldfarb (Danielle, Patches) (74:32–75:49)

5. On Reading Habits, DNF-ing, and Audiobooks

• On DNF (Did Not Finish):

  • Patches is a proponent: “If you’re not feeling it, I mean, there’s a million books behind me…” (54:44–56:01).
  • Danielle struggles with not finishing due to deeper need to “finish what I start” (55:19).

• Paperback vs. Hardcover:

  • Patches and Danielle prefer hardcovers, Cassie loves bending paperbacks (“paperbacks are meant for folding”) (76:17, 78:00).

• Physical vs. Audiobook:

  • All agree audio can be great for multitasking; Patches often “immersion reads”—listening to the audiobook while reading along (84:00–84:44).
  • Enjoyment of both depends on context (bedtime, travel, etc.).

• Annual Reading Quantities:

  • Patches averages 15-20 books/month, ~140 so far this year (91:16).
  • Both Cassie and Danielle emphasize that “any reading is good reading,” regardless of numbers (93:42).

“If you read two books a year, that’s great. And I, I think too, unfortunately, especially with nonfiction, we tend to correlate reading with having to do a book review for your teacher.” — Patches (94:31)

6. On Book Club Culture and the Power of Nonfiction

• Patches is passionate about making nonfiction approachable, relatable, and entertaining.
• Book club model allows for exploring under-appreciated, “taboo,” or obscure subjects, building community around curiosity.
• Critical of book bans & censorship; encourages joy in reading and learning for personal betterment, not just assignments (94:31–95:25).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There’s Patches, and there’s Oprah.” — Danielle, on the size and success of the book club (02:47)
• “Weird shit with me—I was super excited… it’s a way to show nonfiction’s not all boring; it’s not just history class. It’s entertaining.” — Patricia (Patches) (08:42)
• “People come for the cults.” — Patricia (Patches) (12:53)
• “It’s like the Handmaid’s Tale, but, like, worse.” — Cassie, describing The Grace Year (25:57)
• “I have some friends…who really wish I picked more Mindhunter-type stuff—people that want in the mind of the serial killer.” (12:53)
• “If you think there’s not going to be one [a book club chapter] in my city, look it up. You have no idea.” — Patricia (Patches) (18:14)
• “I love finding used books that have old boarding passes, photos…like a story, my trinkets.” — Patricia (Patches) (80:57)
• “If you’re reading at all, that’s great…Reading, in general, we need to be reading!” — Patricia (Patches) (93:42, 95:25)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [05:29] - Introduction to the guest, Patricia (Patches); background of the Morbidly Curious Book Club
• [07:01]–[09:15] - How the club began; LA true crime TikTok origins
• [11:06] - How book picks are chosen
• [14:54] - Subscription box model explained
• [18:14] - Local & international chapter structure
• [20:40] - Deep dive into Ghostland, current book club pick
• [24:14] - The Grace Year book review (Cassie)
• [28:04] - The Women Could Fly (Patches)
• [31:12] - The Killer Whale Who Changed the World (Danielle)
• [36:25] - The Secret History of Bigfoot (Patches), Bigfoot hunting
• [41:14] - The Once and Future Witches (Cassie)
• [44:54] - Leech (Patches)
• [49:09] - Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, Addie LaRue discussion
• [54:44] - DNF (not finishing) book guilt discussion
• [59:00] - Notes on an Execution (Patches)
• [59:24] - Little Eyes (Patches); Black Mirror vibes
• [63:59] - Cultish & the power of cult language (Patches)
• [66:32] - Unmask Alice; literary hoaxes and moral panics
• [70:01] - Danielle reviews past Morbidly Curious picks she loved
• [76:16] - Paperback vs. hardcover “Would You Rather”
• [84:00]–[84:44] - Audiobooks vs. physical books, immersion reading
• [91:16] - Reading volume, balancing multiple books
• [93:03] - Book clubbing as a social activity

Closing & How to Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club

• Interested listeners can find chapters, join, or start their own at themorbidlycuriousbookclub.com.
• Follow on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Discord.
• Book discussions, live shows, and more happen regularly both virtually and in person.

If you want to read, learn, and commune with the morbidly curious, this episode—and the book club it features—offers a kind-hearted, intelligent, and sometimes irreverent invitation to explore the wildest corners of nonfiction alongside fellow Outsiders.

Enjoy the view, but watch your back!