On Tuesdays, Kate Hergott talks with authors about their books and writing processes. On Fridays, Kate talks with different co-host Bookstagrammers and BookTubers about a variety of bookish topics.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 1:03:08
In this episode, I chat with Marcia Chatelain about her new non-fiction book How Bright the Path Grows: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the March on Washington. Listen to…
Sep 29, 2026 · 1:26:52
This week, Cassie Goodwin and I chat with Deesha Philyaw about her fiction debut The True Confessions of Lady Freeman ! Listen to hear about: How The True Confessions of First…
Sep 22, 2026 · 1:00:17
This week, I talk with Deena Helm about her debut literary horror novel Our Cut of Salt! Listen to hear about: How Deena Helm turned a haunted house into a living embodiment of…
Sep 19, 2026 · 1:15:35
This week, Gare, Steph and I share books we wish we could wipe from our brains and reread! Kate’s Books Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian The Ursulina by Brian Freeman But Won’t…
Sep 15, 2026 · 56:59
This week, I talk with Kristin Kobes Du Mez about her new book Live, Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made. Listen to hear all about:…
Sep 11, 2026 · 1:06:31
This week, Kayla Hardy - screenwriter, reader, and author of The Quarter Queen - and I talk about horror books we are excited to read this year! Kate’s Upcoming Reads The…
Sep 9, 2026 · 56:00
This week, Gare and I talk with Amy Chozick about her suspenseful literary debut With Friends Like You! Short Synopsis Emily, an exhausted new mother in Manhattan, becomes…
Sep 1, 2026 · 1:01:12
This week, I talk with Andre Hardy about his fresh take on noir in his debut novel Tear the City Down ! Listen to hear about: How Andre Hardy’s debut novel, Tear the City Down ,…
Aug 26, 2026 · 1:11:20
This week, I talk with Keith Giles, David Agranoff, Brian Evenson, Gordon Bonnet, and Andrew Turck about Pink Beam Press , a new speculative-fiction imprint inspired by Philip K.…
Aug 21, 2026 · 56:17
This week, Gare and I share fall book releases we are excited about! Kate’s Books The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson Have You Seen Romit? By Chital Mehta It…
Aug 18, 2026 · 1:01:48
This week, I talk with Kayla Hardy about her dark fantasy The Quarter Queen ! How The Quarter Queen began as a television pilot. Kayla Hardy’s screenwriting background shaped the…
Aug 14, 2026 · 59:48
In this episode, Emma West and I share ARCs we are excited about! Kate's Books Hive Mind — Allison Gunn Accidents Never Happened — Penny Zang Scream City — Hannah Morrissey Our…
Aug 11, 2026 · 1:03:25
In this episode, I talk with Paige Harbison about her new time loop novel Destination Funeral! Listen to our whole conversation to hear about: How Destination Funeral uses being…
Aug 7, 2026 · 56:00
This week, Gare and I share some of our best reads of the summer, and forecast ones we think we will love for the rest of summer! Kate’s Best of Summer Killer Vibes by Jack…
Aug 4, 2026 · 38:38
In this episode, I talk with Olesya Lyuzna about the second book in her Ginny Dugan series Liars in Paradise. Listen to hear all about: The roots of modern self-help,…
Jul 31, 2026 · 1:52:51
This week, I talk with Kate Johnson about her deconstruction journey and healing from religious trauma. Listen to hear all about: How growing up in evangelical culture created an…
Jul 24, 2026 · 1:08:47
This week, Brian Watson @readingwithbrian is back, and we share our take on Summerween book recommendations! Kate’s Books Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo Junie by Erin…
Jul 21, 2026 · 1:07:53
This week, Halley Sutton is back, and we discuss tv shows and movies we've been watching recently, and share some of our favorite reads so far halfway through 2026! Books We…
Jul 14, 2026 · 56:27
In this episode, I talk with Jack Friday (a.k.a John Fram) about his new P.I. series Killer Vibes! Listen to hear all about: Building a detective unlike the classic hard-boiled…
Jul 14, 2026 · 1:15:04
In this episode, Gare and I talk with V.A. Vazquez about her dark, twisty thriller The Death Row Club ! Listen to hear all about: The deeply personal experience that inspired The…
Jul 14, 2026 · 49:15
In this episode, I talk with Molly Fader about her ragey, dual-timeline thriller Lady X ! Listen to hear all about: How her teenage daughter and Taylor Swift inspired the story.…
Jul 14, 2026 · 1:07:07
In this episode, I talk with Arvind Ethan David about his historical mystery thriller The Great Game ! Listen to hear all about: How Arvind Ethan David reimagined classic…
Jul 10, 2026 · 1:01:01
Ashley Winstead IS BACK! Gare and I ask all our burning questions about Hot Girl Murder Club. Listen to hear about: How Ashley Winstead wrote Hot Girl Murder Club as an act of…
Jul 7, 2026 · 40:03
**If you're listening when this airs, note that this episode was recorded at the beginning of May and should've come out in May. Due to an injury (and painkillers) it's been…
Jul 7, 2026 · 46:14
In this episode, I chat with Zac Cannon about his new speculative thriller Stillwater Trace ! Listen to hear about: How a "dad action movie" premise transformed into a layered…
Jul 3, 2026 · 1:20:43
In this episode, Gare and I chat with Avery Bishop about his new thriller The Girls in the Dark! Listen to hear about: An unfiltered look at editorial disagreements, publishing…
Jul 1, 2026 · 51:47
This week, I talk with Kate Williams about her new romance spy thriller Fake Out Make Out! Kate's journey from self-publishing and writing across genres to landing a traditional…
Jun 26, 2026 · 1:34:17
Halley Sutton is back from a trip through Greece and Turkey, and she shares some of the highlights of her trip! We also discuss books, tv shows and movies we've been watching and…
Jun 23, 2026 · 1:03:46
This week, Emma West , Kara Confer and I talk with Emma Brodie about her love story Into the Blue! Listen to hear about: How a single character—Noah—kept appearing across…
Jun 23, 2026 · 48:52
This week, Gare and I talk with Olivia Worley about her new horror-thriller Man of My Dreams! Listen to hear about: How Olivia's real-life dating experiences—and meeting a man…
Jun 19, 2026 · 1:04:00
This week, Elizabeth Rose Quinn and I discuss revelations we had while reading Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Each Other by Sophie Gilbert.…
Jun 16, 2026 · 48:33
This week, I talk with Rob Hart about his third Assassins Anonymous book Three Hitmen and a Baby! Listen to hear about: Why the series resonates beyond action: Hart uses…
Jun 12, 2026 · 1:17:53
This week, Gare catches Steph and I up on his trip to the Montreal Mystery Festival, and we all share what we gravitate toward in books, movies and TV shows when we need a…
Jun 9, 2026 · 55:00
This week, I talk with CJ Leede about her new horror novel Headlights ! Listen to hear about: How CJ originally planned to become a medieval historian, but after a professor…
Jun 5, 2026 · 1:21:03
This week, Emma West joins and shares her reading journey, her favorite genres, and how she ended up the Inventory Manager at Wild Geese Books. Listen to hear about: Emma's…
Jun 2, 2026 · 47:36
In this episode, I talk with Isabel J. Kim about her debut speculative fiction, Sublimation! Listen to hear about: How Isabel J. Kim's inspiration for Sublimation came from her…
May 29, 2026 · 55:26
MacKenzie Green is back, and she's now the Global Head of Social for Audible! Listen to hear about: How MacKenzie grew up dyslexic, relied heavily on audiobooks to keep up in…
May 26, 2026 · 1:22:14
In this episode, I talk with Promise Backlund about her book Gospel of Lies! She shares her experience growing up in evangelical Christianity, examining how fear, purity culture,…
May 23, 2026 · 1:07:22
This week, Erin Ashley is back, and we dive into all our thoughts and reactions to Patmenna Sabit's stunning debut novel Good People ! THIS IS A SPOILER EPISODE. All the Bookwild…
May 19, 2026 · 50:06
This week, I talk with Sara Hamdan about her journey from finance and journalism into fiction, and how writing What Will People Think became a way to explore identity, belonging,…
May 12, 2026 · 57:22
This week, I talk with return guest Karen E. Osborne about her newest mystery Justice for Emerson! Listen to hear about: How Karen approached a dual-timeline mystery that blends…
May 12, 2026 · 36:00
This week, I talk with Aimee Poktwatka about her hew horror book Accumulation ! Listen to hear about: Aimee's unconventional path to becoming an author—from anthropology and…
May 8, 2026 · 1:02:16
This week, you get to meet the book girlies who I haven't been able to stop talking about! Kara Confer and Emily Hone are the event team at Wild Geese Bookshop , and they are…
May 5, 2026 · 1:11:14
This week, I talk with repeat guest and friend Elizabeth Rose Quinn about her new, somewhat locked room thriller Payback! Listen to hear us discuss: Payback ’s fascinating…
May 1, 2026 · 59:30
This week, MacKenzie Green and I talk with Bridget Howard about her new Romantasy Lovers' Journal. Listen to hear about: Bridget’s journey from book blogger to Bookstagram…
May 1, 2026 · 58:31
This week, Gare and I talk about books we think deserve adaptations ASAP! Gare also brought a messy icebreaker to the episode. Books We Talked About Good People by Patmeena Sabit…
Apr 29, 2026 · 42:12
This week, I talk with Priya Parmar about The Original , her fictionalized portrait of Katharine Hepburn’s early life and Hollywood reinvention, diving into how academic rigor,…
Apr 24, 2026 · 1:44:01
This week, I chat with Rachel Kramer Bussel —editor, essayist, and founder of Open Secrets Magazine —about a lifelong love of reading, writing and editing. Listen to hear about:…
Apr 21, 2026 · 44:27
You all know how excited I am to say that this week, I got to chat with Marcus Kliewer about his newest horror book The Caretaker! We dive into his unconventional path to…
Apr 17, 2026 · 1:46:41
Today is a solo episode, and I share all of my thoughts on Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, The Drama and Trust Me: The False Prophet. I briefly discuss the discourse around…
Apr 14, 2026 · 45:00
In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Sharpe about her debut con-thriller Harmless Women. Listen to hear about: Rebecca's long, bumpy publishing journey How the book explores the…
Apr 7, 2026 · 1:00:06
In this episode, I talk with Justin C. Key about his speculative novel The Hospital at the End of the World. Justin shares how his medical training and fascination with AI,…
Apr 3, 2026 · 1:12:53
In this episode, Gare and I chat with our long time favorite John Marrs ! John shares his journey from journalist to author, his out of order writing process, why he doesn’t…
Apr 1, 2026 · 1:02:58
In this episode, I chat with Courtney Kocak about her debut memoir Girl Gone Wild ! She shares how it is both a personal reckoning and a cultural critique, tracing her journey…
Mar 31, 2026 · 1:24:19
In this episode, I talk with Jeremy Jernigan about his deeply personal and intellectual journey behind The Edge of the Inside , unpacking how Jeremy’s lifelong love of writing…
Mar 31, 2026 · 1:10:07
In this episode, MacKenzie Green and I talk with Ashley McGirt-Adair about her new book, The Cost of Healing in Silence, and the deep, often overlooked impact of racial trauma…
Mar 27, 2026 · 1:07:37
Gare, Steph and I share and discuss our favorite reads from the first quarter of 2026! Kate’s Books Queen of Faces by Petra Lord Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke She Drinks the…
Mar 24, 2026 · 1:02:20
This week, I talk with Olesya Salnikova Gilmore about her historical-suspense The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru. We dive into: Her writing process as a "plantser" Why she's drawn…
Mar 24, 2026 · 37:22
This week, I talk with writing duo Katherine Greene, aka Claire C. Riley and A. Meredith Walkters, about their new small town thriller Where the Truth Lies! We dive into: Writing…
Mar 20, 2026 · 1:27:51
Halley broke the news to me that The Bachelorette was cancelled after the video of Taylor Frankie Paul was sold to TMZ, so we start off right in the mess of pop culture. Listen…
Mar 17, 2026 · 1:10:57
This week, I talk with Andrea M. Butler about her debut speculative fiction Mother. We dive into a wide range of topics, including: The origin of the novel’s idea Dreams and…
Mar 16, 2026 · 1:29:16
As promised, MacKenzie Green and I share our Oscars reactions, and thoughts on just about everything: - Awards season and Oscar campaigning - Timothée Chalamet discourse - Misty…
Mar 13, 2026 · 1:20:18
Erin and I both adored Kin by Tayari Jones, and we decided to do a whole episode discussing it! The first 15ish minutes are spoiler free, so if you haven't read it yet, you can…
Mar 10, 2026 · 1:22:44
This week, I talk with Keith Giles, Mary Terhune, Zac Cannon and Nish Dubashia about their collective work in Quantum Theology: Volume One. Listen to hear about: How science and…
Mar 6, 2026 · 1:18:13
Steph has been traveling the world, and now she is back with Gare and me, talking about our Last, Current and Next Reads! Kate’s Last, Current and Next Kin by Tayari Jones The…
Mar 3, 2026 · 31:28
This week, I talk with Juliet Izon about her debut contemporary fiction novel The Encore. Listen now to hear about: How Izon, a longtime journalist pivoted into fiction, writing…
Feb 27, 2026 · 41:27
It's a solo ep today! I get into the full story of my first ever in-person author interview at Wild Geese Bookshop with Kate Alice Marshall! I give a play by play of what was…
Feb 24, 2026 · 32:18
This week, I talk with Stephen Graham Jones about his new short story Night of the Mannequins , and the many horror books he's also written. Listen to hear: A behind-the-scenes…
Feb 24, 2026 · 1:00:07
This week, I talk with Susana M. Morris about her Octavia E. Butler cultural biography Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler. Listen to hear about: Octavia…
Feb 20, 2026 · 54:01
This week, I talk with Susan Walter about her new airplane thriller Murder at 30,000 Feet. She shares her inspiration from the story, how she writes such cinematic thrillers, and…
Feb 20, 2026 · 1:21:39
This week, MacKenzie Green (who auditioned for ANTM) and I talk about the cultural implications of America's Next Top Model documentary Reality Check. We also share fiction and…
Feb 17, 2026 · 49:29
This week, I talk with Wendy Walker about her new ice skating thriller Blade! We dive into her past with ice skating, how she developed her cast of characters, and how she chose…
Feb 13, 2026 · 1:13:06
This week, Halley Sutton is back, and we catch up on what we've been reading and watching, as well as our thoughts in Emerald Fennell's upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation. We…
Feb 10, 2026 · 1:25:43
BONUS EPISODE!! MacKenzie Green and I were set to record yesterday (the morning after the Benito Bowl) for a Friday episode, but all we could talk about was Bad Bunny's…
Feb 10, 2026 · 39:29
This week, I talk with Jeff Rake and Rob Hart about the first installment of their new series Detour. Jeff shares how he got the idea for the story originally for TV, but when he…
Feb 6, 2026 · 1:02:50
This week, Gare and I chat with May Cobb about her new, messy thriller All the Little Houses! She shares the inspiration for the story, how she managed multiple POVs, and what it…
Feb 3, 2026 · 1:37:39
This week, Gare and I talk with Ashley Winstead about her new contemporary fiction (tragi-comedy but don't tell Ashley's publicists we said so) The Future Saints! We dive into…
Feb 3, 2026 · 48:41
This week, I talk with Petra Lord about her debut genre bending fantasy-sci-fi-dark-academia book Queen of Faces. She shares the eight year journey of writing the book, how she…
Feb 1, 2026 · 44:43
This week, I talk with Amy Meyerson about her new mystery thriller The Water Lies. We dive into her inspiration for the book, how audiobooks changed her approach to pacing, and…
Jan 30, 2026 · 1:20:33
This week, Gare and Steph and I attempt to predict which books will be some of our favorite books in 2026! Kate’s Books Dead Beat Alex Stern Leigh Bardugo Hot Girl Murder Club by…
Jan 27, 2026 · 43:20
This week, I talk with L.S. Stratton about the her new YA mystery thriller Sundown Girls . Stratton discusses how the story began as an adult novel and transformed into YA once…
Jan 27, 2026 · 1:04:53
This week, I talk with historian Heather Ann Thompson about her new non-fiction Fear and Fury, which traces how the 1984 Bernie Goetz subway shooting became a flashpoint for the…
Jan 24, 2026 · 1:02:22
This week, Erin Ashley is back, and we talk about our Last, Current and Next reads, as well as books we are intrigued by on our TBRs. Kate’s Books Kill Show — Daniel…
Jan 20, 2026 · 41:07
This week, I talk with Matt Casamassina about his genre-bending sci-fi-horror-thriller Degenerate. He shares his unique approach to audiobook production, how reading Stephen King…
Jan 16, 2026 · 1:10:20
This week, MacKenzie Green is back, and we talk about 2026 releases we are excited about! Books MacKenzie Talked About 2026 Releases Half His Age – Jennette McCurdy Fear and Fury…
Jan 13, 2026 · 40:34
This week, Yasmin Angoe is back for the fifth year in a row to talk about here new mystery-thriller Behind These Four Walls! We dive into her inspiration for the story, how she…
Jan 10, 2026 · 1:32:20
This week, Gare, Steph and I share our 2026 bookish goals, and January and February releases we are excited about! Steph also shares a few backlist she will be reading in January…
Jan 6, 2026 · 1:07:42
This week, I talk with Amanda Jones, a dedicated small-town Louisiana librarian, about the challenges she faces in her fight against book banning and censorship. She discusses…
Jan 3, 2026 · 1:21:39
This week, Halley and I catch up on what we've been reading and watching, and then dive into bookish plans and goals for 2026! All the Bookwild Links: Check Out the Bookwild…
Dec 23, 2025 · 1:07:34
This week, I talk with Brittany Penner about her memoir Children Like Us , a haunting, deeply reflective exploration of identity, faith, and survival. Brittany shares what it was…
Dec 19, 2025 · 1:05:17
This week, Gare and I talk about what we've been watching lately, our favorite 2025 reads, and some 2026 books Gare already loves, as well as some 2026 hopefuls! Our 2025 Faves…
Dec 16, 2025 · 1:06:54
This week, I talk with Brian Recker about his book Hell Bent , which examines how fear-based teachings about hell distort Christian spirituality, replacing love, connection, and…
Dec 12, 2025 · 1:12:29
This week, Halley Sutton is back, and we dive into everything we've been reading and watching - which is quite a lot! We also share a few 2026 books we are excited to read. What…
Dec 9, 2025 · 1:06:49
This week, I talk with John Fram about the creative process behind his new horror-thriller The Midnight Knock , a genre-blending desert nightmare. He dives into selling the book…
Dec 6, 2025 · 1:10:00
This week, Gare, Steph and I share our last, current and next reads! Kate's Books Last - Degenerate by Matt Casamassina Current - Children Like Us by Birttany Penner Next - Good…
Dec 2, 2025 · 1:07:08
This week, Kristi DeMeester shares how her new novel Dark Sisters emerged from a collision of personal history, cultural rage, and the disturbing ease with which faith,…
Nov 28, 2025 · 1:18:38
This week, MacKenzie Green is back and we dive into the complexities of pop culture, the deeper meanings embedded in modern media, how storytelling has evolved, the impact of…
Nov 25, 2025 · 1:12:02
This week, I talk with Keith Giles about how the early Christian world was far more diverse and mystical than most people realize. He unpacks the history of suppressed gospels,…
Nov 22, 2025 · 1:49:36
This week, Gare, Steph and I all chose one of our own favorite plot devices and recommended books in that vein! This episode definitely has a book for just about everybody!…
Nov 18, 2025 · 1:20:37
This week, I talk with Erin Crosby Eckstine about her debut Southern Gothic, Junie . She shares how the book developed across years of writing, the importance of portraying…
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