Tastemaker Salon: An interview with Kailee @noseinabook
The pleasure of a fictional antihero(/ine), why lay flats are the best Booksta spread, and the great American Wedding Crasher Thriller still to be written
I first met Kailee at a book event for May Cobb’s book, THE HOLLYWOOD ASSISTANT, at Zibby’s Books this past summer and it kicked off the start of a lovely budding friendship! She’s super sweet, I love her take on thrillers, and I’m SUPER lucky because I got to hear the inside scoop on her own thriller…and let me tell you, when it hits bookshelves one day, it’s gonna be a must-read.
Take it away, Kailee!
What’s your bookstagram handle?
When did you start your bookstagram?
June 2019!
How did you get started/what made you get started?
I don’t remember how I stumbled upon Bookstagram, but it never occurred to me that there was an outlet to share books. I appreciate this community so much!
How many books a year do you read?
Between 80-100 [Editor’s note: 🔥]
What are your favorite genres? How would you describe your taste/social media aesthetic?
My favorite genres are suspense thrillers because I enjoy donning my detective cap and figuring out the “whydunit”. My track record is not stellar, but it’s still fun and I’m constantly surprised (because I’m a terrible detective!). I also love a family story that sweeps generations (REAL AMERICANS, PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING) and ones with found family (TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW).
I have a bookcase that is color coordinated, so I like to use that as a background for my posts. I also recently found that flat lays gain the most engagement for me. [Editor’s note: An excellent tip for those of us looking to up our ‘gram game!]
Who are some of your favorite authors? What about their work really captures you?
S.A. Cosby - his stories feel like you’ve been tossed in the middle of an action sequence. Taylor Adams and TJ Newman also have those fast-paced vibes that instantly pull me out of a reading slump!
Chris Whitaker – no one writes a character like Chris. There are a lot of people in his stories, yet they all play a part and are memorable, from the main roles to the supporting cast. His writing is beautiful, his words impactful, and he’s a nice guy!
May I be so bold as to say my *newest* favorite is Halley Sutton? [Editor’s note: 🥰] I am addicted to true crime, so a story set in Los Angeles centered around some of the most notorious crimes in the city made me pick up HURRICANE BLONDE. I stayed for the characters. My mind zeroed in on one person and refused to let go. Halley did a fantastic job of making this person so despicable that I wanted them to be the killer so badly – he still makes my blood boil just thinking about him now! Gah! The ending blew up everything I thought I knew about the story, leaving me floored and desperate to talk to someone about it. Thankfully, Halley was kind enough to entertain my unhinged reactions to every twist! [Editor’s note: It was MY absolute pleasure! The most fun part of being an author!!]
What makes a book stand out to you?
Some of my most surprising reads have been books with characters that I relate to, good or bad, but mostly bad! It’s fun to live vicariously through someone’s fictional naughtiness. I don’t care what genre, if I read a character whose story brings me to a place in my past that evokes a strong enough emotion or memory, I’m hooked.
How do you decide which books to read, and then which books to feature?
It’s a smorgasbord of options, but usually whatever I see on Bookstagram piques my interest. If an author I admire recommends a book, I’m on a few bookstore mailers, monthly national book club picks. I have repeat authors that I’ll buy and read without hesitation. I also participate in book tours with publishers.
If a book doesn’t resonate with me, but I’m tied to a book tour, I’ll spotlight it, usually with news of its upcoming publication date and the synopsis.
If it’s a book that I read for enjoyment, but didn’t connect with, you’ll never hear about it! One of my pet peeves on Bookstagram are people who either rate books in their reviews or post negative reviews, with major negative points if they hashtag the title and/or tag the author or publisher. Reading is subjective! What might not be for me, could be someone else’s favorite book!
What's the best way for authors to reach out to you? Are there things authors do when they reach out that you hate?
Authors can DM me on IG or send me an email attached to my IG profile.
N/A re: author outreach that I hate – I appreciate when authors reach out on their own! I haven’t had a bad experience.
What kind of book are you dying to read? (I don't mean a book that exists—but if you could design the perfect book you're dying to read, what would it be/what kind of elements would it have?)
I love when a setting is strong enough to be a character in a story. There is something about a haunted house that always intrigued me. A book where the haunted house is the main character would be a dream – not like a talking house, but an atmospheric character that leaves the reader unsettled, but wanting to know more about the house – why is it haunted, and more importantly, when did it become haunted?
Also, I recently got married and we had a crasher! I didn’t know about it until later in the evening, but I feel like there’s something there… like why does someone choose to attend a wedding where they know no one? Is it because they’re bored, or could it be something more…sinister. Dun dun dun! Like WEDDING CRASHERS but make it about murder! Okay, Halley – if you don’t write this, I will!! [Editor’s note: GAUNTLET OFFICIALLY THROWN, KAILEE!]
What's a thing you see publishers or authors do on social media that drives you CRAZY and not in a good way? (you don't have to name names!)
N/A! I appreciate the creativity that authors put in to promote their books.
What's the book you recommend the most often and why?
THE QUIET TENANT by Clémence Michallon – about a serial killer with POVs from the women in his life, including the woman he’s holding captive. I read that Michallon did not want to give the killer a voice because they are given one too often, so the focus on the women, particularly the unsuspecting ones (his daughter, his girlfriend) was fascinating to me, particularly from a psychological angle. There was also enough tension built throughout that kept my anxiety at an all-time high.
What's a book you love that you don't see getting enough love on social media?
BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison – had the most surprising twist early on that reshaped my initial understanding of the story. It’s also a fun book!
Do you ever DNF books? And if so, at what point/what causes you to DNF?
Yes! My rule of thumb is to read the first 100 pages, but sometimes I get through the first chapter or even a few pages and set it aside. If it grabbed me a little bit, I might come back to it after a thriller palate cleanser, but if it doesn’t grab me at all, I’ll pick up something else.
Thank you, Kailee! Such great answers to dig into—so many more books to add to the TBR! Thank you for closing a book to answer!
Backlist beauties
Recommending: In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona Chollet
Year published: 2018
If you, like me, were: sad, angry (like…really angry), disappointed, and in despair over the election results last week, might I recommend Mona Chollet’s In Defense of Witches? Chollet is a French/Swiss feminist and writer, and Witches is part history lesson, part feminist theory, part pragmatic storytelling about how history has treated women who step outside the patriarchy for centuries. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say I highlighted a passage on almost every page of this book; that’s how much Chollet’s wisdom resonated with me.
I loved this book when I first reviewed it for Ms. magazine (a publication, by the way, which could probably use some support right now, and for the next four years), and I gulped it down like clear cold water in the desert. Maybe the patriarchy and white supremacy, like all evils, are things that are never really exterminated — but Chollet’s book helped ready me to sustain the fight.
And if you’re looking for more backlist reading, might I recommend my friend Kate’s excellent Patreon? The Bookwild Community, where you might’ve heard me podcasting from time to time, has expanded into a Patreon with premium content for subscribers—including a Backlist Book Club (where you may see a familiar face in the future, ahem!) Check it out!