I finished The Last Housewife yesterday and I agree with everything you said. It was really dark, but it felt so real and I kept thinking that cults like this really exist and that is terrifying. It also made me think a lot about what it is to be a woman and the "male gaze". I also gave it 5/5 stars and I'm sure I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. Winstead is now an auto-buy author for me as well as I have given both of her books 5/5 stars!
🙌🏻 It’s always the scariest when it hits so close to home. We are literally conditioned to both want and be afraid of the “male gaze” at the same time. It’s so messed up!
Loved this video! Cults are really interesting from a psychological perspective. I think people have a pretty definitive idea, or at least a picture in their head, when they hear that word. However, if you break down basic cult-like behaviors, really analyze things you see/hear/read... things get VERY interesting lol. Super excited to read The Last Housewife. Feel like it's going to be an easy 5 star 😊
I didn't think I was interested in cult-stories but with The Last House Wife you have CONVINCED ME. When you started giving the plot details, it reminded me of something I read earlier this year ...I think some guy moved into his daughter's room at Sarah Lawrence after he got out of prison and started up some sex cult and it was a whole big thing, I think there were tons of articles on it. Larry Ray, I think that was his name. UGH, so, so skeezy. And yes, yes Scheherazade! The teller of the tales from One Thousand and One Nights! It was reading her clever stories when I was a little girl that made me want to be a writer all those many years ago :)
I’m in the minority, but I loved the ending of When She Returned because I feel like few cult books focus on the experiences of the family members affected by the cult, versus the person in the cult themselves
Loved the deep dive into The Last Housewife. I’m about finished with it and your discussion really confirmed for me my love and understanding of it. Seriously such a good book!
I’m so fascinated by cults. I recently got out of one myself. Had an inkling of getting out for years, but officially took the plunge a little over two years ago. Im fascinated by socially acceptable cults that a lot of people may not consider a cult. I won’t be super specific because I don’t want to offend anyone. This is just based on my lives experience, but I t’s all very interesting to me. Did you read Cultish? Oh, and House totally did it to me too! And Grey’s Anatomy. I can’t watch it anymore. Lol!
When she returned wrecked me rollercoaster of emotions. Im really interested in Cult books after reading Lucinda Berry. Thanks for this video I'm intrigued.
Yay so happy for a new video from you! I'm really excited about The Last Housewife and super curious about the When She Returned because I love Lucinda Berry but that book doesn't intrigue me for some reason.
If you are interested in NXIVM, I would suggest reading Scarred by Sarah Edmondson and Still Learning by India Oxenberg. Both high up members of the cult and left. I found both books fascinating.🤔
I love books about cults - fiction and non-fiction. They're just so fascinating but not easy to read as women are always abused. I just read the The Last Housewife. I really enjoyed it. I love her writing but I felt the book was a little flat in the middle. There was more telling then showing, Tho, I was really stressed out reading it, so on the one hand, I'm glad there wasn't more showing but I think it would have elevated the plot for me. (I LOVED IMDIHAK. I reread it and still gave it 5 stars) I will read anything Ashley Winstead writes. Within These Walls and When She Returned have been added to my tbr - thank you very much. Today, I started & finished - After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss. It's about life after the cult. I cried 3 times. Highly recommend.
This is one of my favorite videos of yours and I’m definitely adding The Last Housewife to my list because it sounds right up my alley! I imagine it’ll make me spiral into madness a bit though based on your thoughts 😂
I watched a korean drama called 'save me' and I read History of wild places and I've been craving cult centered books. I find it ineteresting that someone did research to narrow down the characteristics of people who enjoy books about cults, I don't fit in the first part of those; I'm religious, not that educated, not financially stable lol but the rest is one hell of a check list...I'm more interested in the psychological part of cults, since I enjoy psychological thrillers and I love hating a bad guy in my books. Adding the Last Housewife rn!
Oh, the research was about people who join cults, not people who enjoy reading books about cults. Not sure if that was a typo, but just to clarify. I haven’t heard of Save Me, but I’ll have to look it up. History of Wild Places is also on my TBR. Netflix just released a limited series called Devil in Ohio, which I think is actually an adaptation. But I’m watching it now and it’s pretty good too.
@@ReadingWryly oops it wasn't a typo, I definitely misheard. As for Save me, I think it has the 3 factors you're looking for, more or less, it depends on your personal experience. I don't think history of wild places has them but it was very enjoyable and weirdly atmospheric. Just watched the trailer of devil in ohio and I missed that actress! Another reason to watch
I read When She Returned and enjoyed it. I like Lucinda Berry! And I have the Ashley Winstead one, ready to read maybe this week. I also read some nonfiction: a couple of Jim Jones' books, The Road to Jonestown, and another by a female author and I can't track down her name. I did read a few Scientology books, including the one by Leah Remini and Going Clear by Lawrence Wright, the best cult book I've read. I don't know what it says about me that I enjoy cult books! I had to edit because of your last few minutes. Liberating is being able to consent to what you want to happen. If the person is being submissive to appeal to another then she is not following her own path; she is following someone else's idea. You make great points here!
Thanks for your input, Rita! I love Lucinda Berry too. This is the lowest rated of her books for me so far, but I will still read ANYTHING she writes. ❤️🙌🏻
a cult book that I read was “the children of red peak” I’ve seen people describe it as one of the most disturbing books they’ve read, but it wasn’t really to me. it’s deals with these people who were kids in this cult and now they’re out of it, but they’re still effected and they’ve constantly been questioned what happened on the day the cult dispersed. it has that is it paranormal is it not…but the author definitely picks which one it is at the end, and while I didn’t like which one the author chose it was interesting. there’s some pretty extreme bodily harm though…but with the ending you have to decide personally whether it was justified or not
look…. It makes zero sense to me why that man would suddenly decide to jump of that very specific building, especially because he landed in such a strange spot. like the circumstances around that whole situation is so sketchy
Honestly Ania Ahlborns characters are never believable or enjoyable for me, so it ruins my experience of reading her books. I’m glad they work out for you!
@@ReadingWryly I’ve read brother, the shuddering, and if you see her. Two of them I admit I didn’t finish, but I did get pretty far into them before I quit. The other I did finish and still didn’t feel happy. I might try one more, just to see!
