Free Daily Podcast Summary
Bookwild: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Kate Hergott, Bookwild Collective
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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- 4 days ago48 min
Cursed Diamonds, Gilded Age Secrets, and the Price of Obsession: Anna Rasche's The Cursed Diamond
This week, I talk with Anna Rasche about her book The Cursed Diamond!Listen to hear about:How author Anna Rasche's background as a gemologist and researcher at the Metropolitan Museum of Art inspired The Cursed Diamond.The real-life mystery of the Brunswick Blue diamond, its connection to the infamous Hope Diamond, and the legends surrounding cursed gemstones.How the novel's dual timelines explore New York City's Gilded Age and the fascinating, secretive world of the modern Diamond District.The complicated relationships between wealth, greed, ambition, and obsession—and whether a curse is supernatural or simply the consequence of human choices.The challenges of writing historical fiction, from researching Gilded Age heiresses to weaving together two timelines separated by a century. All the Bookwild Links:Check Out the Bookwild SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor
- 6 days ago1h 0m
The Movies Are So Back: Horror, Satire & Everything in Between
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 SuttonMonsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer All the Bookwild Links:Check Out the Bookwild SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor
- 1 weeks ago1h 7m
The Dark Side of Adoption: Inside America's Black-Market Baby Trade with Patricia Knight Meyer
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.comAudiobook on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EZEbVZQAAFVyeaDvcnG2iFree 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/TXADOPTEERIGHTSMy Adopted Life: https://www.myadoptedlife.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriciaknightmeyerInstagram (book): https://www.instagram.com/wonderlandthememoirFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WonderlandthememoirTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myadoptedlifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myadoptedlifeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-ann-meyerBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/myadoptedlife.bsky.social All the Bookwild Links:Check Out the Bookwild SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/gareindeedread
- 1 weeks ago2h 8m
You Can See Everything: Two Narcissists and a Nathan Fielder with Halley Sutton
*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 SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor
- 2 weeks ago50 min
True Crime, False Memories, and Family Secrets: Tara Goedjen's Please Enjoy Your Stay
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 SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor
- 3 weeks ago1h 1m
Books That Have Been on Our TBRs for TOO LONG with Erin Ashley and Kayla Hardy
This week, Erin Ashley, Kayla Hardy and I chat about books that have been on our TBRs for waaaay too long.Kate's BooksBabel by R.F. KuangThe House of the Spirits by Isabelle AllendeFingersmith by Sarah WatersKayla's BooksHouse of Hunger by Alexis HendersonAstarion: Baldur's Gate 3: by T. KingfisherErin's BooksOn Time: A Princely Life in Funk by Morris DayThe Mayor of Maxwell Street by Avery Cunningham A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams All the Bookwild Links:Check Out the Bookwild SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor
- 3 weeks ago43 min
When Folklore Meets Colonial Horror: Mathilda Zeller's It Looks Like You in the Dark
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 SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor
- 4 weeks ago1h 2m
Immigration, Education and Family: Sara Fashandi's From Tehran to Tomorrow
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 SubstackSubscribe to Bookwild on YouTubeGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramCheck Out Author Social Media Packages Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mbaErin Ashley @bellametaphor
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About Bookwild
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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