Bookwild

Over the last two months, AMC has been my Third Place.  In what feels like the Generational Run meme experience, I've seen 7 movies that I enjoyed or loved for many different reasons.  

Listen to hear my SPOILER FREE thoughts on:

• How Digger uses dark satire, unconventional storytelling, and the worship of wealth to examine power, capitalism, and the people we turn into gods.
• The complicated ethics of consuming entertainment, from supporting controversial actors to the sensationalization of real-life predators in Primetime.
• Why If I Go, Will They Miss Me? feels like literary fiction brought to the screen, exploring fatherhood, mythology, and the stories we tell ourselves about family.
• How Wicker delivers an unexpectedly heartfelt, hilarious exploration of individuality, societal expectations, and embracing what makes us different.
• Why Mike Flanagan's Clayface is so much more than a comic book movie, blending psychological horror, body horror, trauma, and a deeply unsettling villain origin story.
• How Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother combines high-stakes action with a moving examination of motherhood, faith, grief, and the desperation of survival.
• Some surprising thematic connections between this year's films, particularly their explorations of mythmaking, identity, power, and morality.
• What's ahead for Bookwild in 2027, and why I'm reconsidering the balance between author interviews, reader episodes and solo episodes.  DM me about what you enjoy most from Bookwild!

Links:

You Can See Everything Episode with Halley Sutton

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer 

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

In this episode, I talk with Patricia Knight Meyer about her new book Wonderland: A Black Market Adoption.

Listen to hear about:

• The shocking story of Patricia Knight Meyer's black-market adoption and how an illegal transaction shaped her identity, childhood, and relationships.
• Growing up with an alcoholic, abusive mother and learning to balance compassion for flawed parents with accountability for the harm they caused.
• The complicated emotions of reuniting with biological family, from the joy of finding belonging to the painful realities of rejection, grief, and unmet expectations.
• How childhood trauma, codependency, and generational patterns influence our relationships—and why establishing boundaries is essential to healing.
• The dark history of America's adoption industry, the lasting effects of maternal-infant separation, and why Patricia believes adoption reform is urgently needed.

Follow Patricia or check out the event she mentioned:

WONDERLAND memoir page: https://myadoptedlife.com/wonderland-the-memoir/
Book website: https://www.wonderlandthememoir.com
Audiobook on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EZEbVZQAAFVyeaDvcnG2i
Free livestream, Nov 6, Down the Rabbit Hole: The Fight for Texas Adoptee Rights Then and Now. A scene from WONDERLAND unfolds live on stage, then a panel on the fight to open Texas adoptees' birth certificates: https://bit.ly/TXADOPTEERIGHTS
My Adopted Life: https://www.myadoptedlife.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriciaknightmeyer
Instagram (book): https://www.instagram.com/wonderlandthememoir
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wonderlandthememoir
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myadoptedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myadoptedlife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-ann-meyer
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/myadoptedlife.bsky.social

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

*ALL SPOILERS* This week, Halley Sutton and I break down everything in a 2 hour time period that we could about You Can See Everything.

Listen to hear:

• Nathan Fielder's unconventional documentary approach and how his strategic silences expose more than traditional interviews ever could.
• Elizabeth Holmes, white woman tears, privilege, and why society remains so fascinated by certain types of scammers.
• Billy Evans's increasingly bizarre behavior, his attempts to control the documentary, and the power dynamics within his marriage to Elizabeth Holmes.
• The psychology of narcissism, manipulation, gaslighting, and the possibility that Elizabeth and Billy are more alike than they initially appear.
• Elizabeth Holmes's emotional performances, contradictions, and the difficulty of distinguishing genuine vulnerability from calculated manipulation.
• Amanda Seyfried's unexpected involvement and how her portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes complicates our understanding of authenticity, performance, and identity.
• The disturbing implications of Theranos 2.0, Silicon Valley's culture of deception, and the blurred lines between ambition, innovation, and fraud.
• The film's shifting narrative, shocking revelations, and why its refusal to provide definitive answers makes it so compelling.
• How personal experiences with manipulation and uncertainty shape our interpretations of the documentary—and why two people can watch the same scene and come away with entirely different reactions.
• The larger questions surrounding accountability, empathy, wealth, gender, and whether someone can be both a victim and a perpetrator.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

In this episode, I talk with Tara Goedjen about her new gothic triller Please Enjoy Your Stay.

We had some technical difficulties at the end, so it ends somewhat abruptly!

Listen to hear about:

• How Tara Goedjen's love of gothic fiction, mysteries, and horror inspired her adult debut, Please Enjoy Your Stay.
• The inspiration behind the novel's atmospheric Austrian castle setting and its blend of true crime, psychological suspense, and supernatural horror.
• The complicated ethics of true crime entertainment, from the impact on victims' families to the power of public perception.
• How unreliable memories, buried trauma, and family secrets shape the stories we tell ourselves—and the truths we're willing to believe.
• A behind-the-scenes look at Tara's writing process, including dual timelines, crafting twists, and learning to embrace discomfort while writing.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

This week, Erin Ashley, Kayla Hardy and I chat about books that have been on our TBRs for waaaay too long.

Kate's Books

Babel by R.F. Kuang

The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Kayla's Books

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Astarion: Baldur's Gate 3: by T. Kingfisher

Erin's Books

On Time: A Princely Life in Funk by Morris Day

The Mayor of Maxwell Street by Avery Cunningham 

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

This week, I chat with Mathilda Zeller about her new horror It Looks Like You in the Dark. 

Listen to hear all about:

• How Inupiat folklore, family history, and a troubling account of cultural appropriation inspired this chilling Arctic horror novel.
• The intersection of supernatural horror, colonialism, capitalism, and environmental destruction—and how the real monsters aren't always supernatural.
• The complicated relationships between mothers, daughters, and sisters, and the ways generational trauma shapes our identities.
• The tension between honoring Indigenous traditions, protecting ancestral land, and finding your own path forward.
• How Zeller's remarkable family history influenced her writing, her pen name, and her approach to storytelling.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

In this episode, I chat with Sara Fashandi about her book From Tehran to Tomorrow, which chronicles her brother Mohsen's story as the first in their family to immigrate to America.

Listen to hear all about:

• How a family storytelling contest inspired Sara Fashandi to become an author and preserve her older brother's extraordinary life experiences.
• The hidden hardships of immigrating to America in the 1970s, from language barriers and homesickness to financial struggles and homelessness.
• How Sara's brother Mohsen helped bring all five of his siblings to the United States, transforming his own difficult journey into opportunities for his family.
• The role of education, cultural exchange, friendship, and family in building a new life—and how the Iranian Revolution changed the family's plans to return home.
• Why preserving family histories matters, especially the sacrifices, resilience, and untold stories that can disappear between generations.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

In this episode, Gare and I chat with Tessa Wegert about her new thrill The River Runs Black!

Listen to hear about:

• How the Thousand Islands and North Country become characters themselves, creating the perfect mix of cozy fall atmosphere, isolation, and underlying dread.
• Why Tessa set The River Runs Black around Halloween and how trick-or-treating, pumpkin festivals, orchards, and other seasonal details actually play into the mystery.
• How she uses multiple POVs, secrets, cliffhangers, and carefully timed reveals to keep readers guessing—and why she changed one major character’s perspective while writing.
• The real-life inspiration behind the novel’s drug trafficking storyline, including a late-night police encounter on the St. Lawrence River and the uniquely porous U.S.–Canada border.
• How the novel explores the impact of drugs, boredom, isolation, and vulnerability among teenagers in a small community, plus what’s next for Tessa’s North Country series and her hopes to eventually publish a standalone thriller.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

This week, I talk with Sarah Langan about her novella Bloody 13 and her horror novel Trad Wife!

Listen to hear about:

• The inspiration behind Bloody 13, and the conflicting reactions to it when she initially published it.
• How Sarah Langan turned the trad wife movement into horror, using the seemingly idyllic online lifestyle to explore control, gender roles, motherhood, and the systems operating beneath the aesthetic. 
• Why accusations of “selfishness” can be so powerful against women, and how Trad Wife examines the difference between selfishness, agency, and basic survival. 
• How neglect, isolation, and high-control environments affect mothers and children, and why Langan uses supernatural horror as a way to make those less-visible forms of harm tangible. 
• Why Langan loves ambiguity in horror, how The Yellow Wallpaper and other classic horror influenced Trad Wife, and why she’d rather leave readers thinking than explain every mystery.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

In this episode, I chat with Chital Mehta about her literary mystery Have You Seen Romit?

Listen to hear all about:

• How motherhood, an MFA, and a lifelong love of reading led Chital to pursue her dream of becoming a novelist.
• The real-life missing-person article that inspired Have You Seen Romit? and why shifting the story's focus from a father to a mother changed everything.
• How adoption, sibling resentment, and parental expectations, create the complicated challenge of loving your children equally.
• How Usha's search for her missing son becomes a journey of self-discovery, challenging patriarchal traditions and finding agency later in life.
• The extensive research, discarded drafts, alternate endings, and character development that helped Chital turn a missing-person mystery into a deeply human family drama.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor