All Thing Freida McFadden

The news is out! We officially know Freida McFaddens true identity… But what else is there to know about her. In this episode T & T are diving into all things Freida McFadden. We will be discussing her books and what makes her such an amazing author!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hey book lovers, it's TNT Bookhaven.

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Where Tyra is chaotic and free spirited. And Tabitha is organized and type A. And our TBR piles are totally out of control. Totally out of control. So today we are doing a mini episode on all things Frida McFadden. Yay! Um and the really cool thing is when this episode drops on May 26th, which is today when you're listening to this, Frida's newest book called The Divorce is coming out.

unknown 0:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

Very another Frida book. Woo! She is just a freaking powerhouse man. The fact that she literally just she just came out with a book and now she's already releasing another. I'm like, keep them coming, keep them coming. So um, if you've listened to anything that we've put out before about anything Frida related, you will know that we are both really big fans of hers. Um, I feel like I have read the majority of her books. I can't say that I've read them all yet, but that is the goal. I I cannot get enough of her books. They are just amazing. Um, but we kind of wanted to just do a little bit of a, I don't know, like an intro of things about her, things that we found out about her, interesting facts, that kind of thing, um, and just get into some of her books and her characters. So we'll just jump right in.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

So Frida McFadden was born in New York City, um, which is why so many of her books are set there. But she does live in Boston now um with her family. I don't know how many kids she has. I believe she has at least two kids.

SPEAKER_03 1:49

I think she does have two. It's funny that we didn't find that, but I do I know that she is a mom. Um, but yeah, her favorite color is blue.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Good color, good choice.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

It's a good choice.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

She is a real life doctor, which is pretty crazy. It's like, yeah, yeah, you're a doctor, but on top of it, you're a mom, and then on top of it, you're like a huge book author.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Yes, who's released a ton. I mean, like we were just saying, she has released a ton of books. Like she must be writing left and right, or she is just a I don't know. She just it just like comes out of her.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

Yes, she is just a power horse, which kind of, you know, her being a real life doctor kind of goes into our next point. Because she was a real life doctor, Freedom McFadden is not her real name.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

Yes, she recently just came out with a whole whatever, was it like in People magazine, a whole article with her revealing her true identity?

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Yes, she revealed her true identity, and her actual name is Sarah Cohen. Um, so if you didn't know before, Freda McFadden is not her real name. She used a pseudonym so that she could remain professional as a doctor.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

Yep. I I think it's pretty commendable that she's been able to keep her identity hidden this long. Of course so. Um but it yeah, it does sound like she's still planning on releasing books as Frieda McFadden, which I feel like duh, I don't know why she would change it at this point when so many people know her as that. Um she's super famous as Frida.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Yeah, she does not plan on changing it up. She she's been known as Frieda McFadden throughout her entire writing career, so she's gonna remain Freedom McFadden.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Yes. Um, one of the cool things that I found from her website, so feel free to go and look there as well if you'd like. But she actually mentions her favorite thrillers, so from other authors that she has really enjoyed in the past 15 years or so. And it is a it's a pretty long list, but I'll just pick a couple from here that she mentioned. So Gone Girl by is it Gillian Flynn? I think that's how you pronounce her name, Gillian Flynn. Um, Until I Met Her by Natalie Borelli, Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. That is literally on my TBR pile right now. I need to pick that one up. Um, The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion. Um Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. That is a book talk book I have seen all over the place. Um The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier. Um Verity by Colleen Hoover. Very cool to see that on the list. Yes. Um Ask for Andrea by Noelle Eiley. I actually just finished that book. It is very good. And I tried to add it to my Fable, and it is clearly not hyped up enough because it's not even on Fable as a as a recognized book. So Fable, get it together. It's a very good book. Ask for Andrea by Noel Eiley. Very, very good. Um, and then The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. She did say honorable mention to the entire Rosolian Isle series. I've never heard of that particularly. I haven't either. So I need to look that up. But she said that was amazing from beginning to end, so it must be a really good series. So um I just thought it was pretty cool to see her recommendations on thrillers that she personally has read that she has loved. So very cool to see.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

I think that is awesome. Um, she also, because you know, obviously she writes thrillers herself, so it's it's very it's not surprising at all that she reads so much thrillers, so many thrillers. Um, but it is said that she does write her thrillers in the early mornings or late at night, and she sometimes is drafting while dealing with medical work-related stress.

SPEAKER_03 6:08

Which makes sense because I feel like medical stuff sometimes finds its way into her books. Yeah um, and with her line of work, it makes total sense of like she can easily pull from that information and make it a part of whatever it is that she's writing. Um, she did say that, because I'm I'm guaranteeing she gets this question a lot, but that she doesn't have a favorite of her own books. Like she can't pick one that is her favorite, and she actually said that that is like asking her who her favorite child is, simply.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

Um, which is such a great way to put it.

SPEAKER_03 6:43

Yep, she loves them all equally.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

And one of her books that just became a movie, which is extremely popular, The Housemaid. Um, she did say that she got the idea, um, and it was inspired by a dream she had.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

Which is so crazy. Um, yeah, and if you if you listen to our episode on The Housemaid, um, like there's certain parts of that that were actually inspired by her real life. Like the attic area was inspired by her actual attic. I think she said in the house she lived in growing up or her current house, something like that, but it's like in a house that she she lived in or lives in. Um, so yeah, just very cool that she takes her inspiration from her day-to-day, which is it makes sense. She she uh she's a very talented lady.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Extremely talented.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

But yeah, just a couple quick little facts about her. I just thought it was interesting to kind of get to know her a little bit more. Um, but speaking of her books in particular, when you've read through her books, how did her books make you feel while you were reading them?

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Or even afterwards?

SPEAKER_03 7:54

Because she writes some crazy people.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

Oh my gosh. No, they just they really get you thinking, they really just like you're always like, what's gonna happen? What's gonna be? It's she always throws you for a loop, but yeah, it makes me feel a little less crazy of a person. But yeah, you've read a lot more of her books than I have. How does how do they make you feel?

SPEAKER_03 8:18

I I just love thrillers in general. I love the kind of like spooky being scared, you don't know what's gonna happen, the twists and turns and all the crazy things that go on. And so I feel like it is a nice escape of like it just gets you out of your own head and you feel immersed in someone else's drama and the crazy things that are going on. So I just feel like it it is an I don't know that it necessarily makes me feel a certain way, but I I like to have the escape.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Yes, yeah. I I think that's you know the biggest thing about reading fictional books is the escape. It's just getting get it jumping into a different world.

SPEAKER_03 9:04

Yep, getting out of your own head and having to read through the craziness that she puts her characters through.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

But um what like out of all of her books um that you have read, what is one of your favorite characters and why?

SPEAKER_03 9:26

One of the characters, um it is from the book The Locked Door, and I don't know if it let me I'm gonna Google it real quick because I don't know if it uh if it gives her last name, but her name is Trisha, and she is a doctor, um which is fitting. Again, another uh tie-in to her her life, um, but she I can't think of like specifically, but just her character throughout the whole story. Um there's just so many different things that happen, and you just really feel for her. Um yeah, I don't want to say too much because I'm hoping that you'll you'll read that one. Um so, but yeah, she she's one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Yes, without any spoilers, my favorite character is Spider Dan from Ward D.

SPEAKER_03 10:23

Um He is one of the best, man. He if you haven't read, please go read that book. It is it is one of her best books, in my opinion. I just think it's so entertaining. Um, and his character, yeah, he's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Yeah, he just kind of like a little bit, he has schizophrenia, but he believes that he is Spider Man. So I I just I love that. I love that.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

Love it. So on the flip side of that, who would you say is one of your least favorite characters and why?

SPEAKER_01 10:57

So my least favorite character, and I feel like this is hard because it is a spoiler, kind of. It kind of gives it away a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 11:06

I feel like if you're listening to this and you know anything about Frida and you love her, I hope that you've at least read this book or watched the movie already. Yes. So spoiler warning: if you don't want to hear something, just skip ahead like 30 seconds.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Yes. So um my least favorite character is Andrew from The Housemaid. Because man, does he turn out to be psycho?

SPEAKER_03 11:34

Psycho, man. He is crazy. Yes, he is. And I originally had a different answer to this, and I still am gonna say that, but tying into that, I think his mother is equally Oh my gosh, she's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

She's insane. I didn't even think about her. And she's not even a big character, but she is psycho, she's insane.

SPEAKER_03 11:56

She's an awful one for sure. But the one that I picked is actually Whitney from The Tenet. Again, I don't want to say too much because I'm hoping that you will read this one as well. Um, but out of all of the books that I have read of Freedom McFadens, for some reason she stuck with me more than other people. And um she crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Oh my gosh. Well, in general, though, I mean, that's just a little bit about, you know, the characters, um, and just a little bit about Freedom McFadden in general.

SPEAKER_03 12:35

Well, what before you get into the next section, just knowing that you've I know you've only read a couple of her books, which would you say so far is the favorite one that you've read?

SPEAKER_01 12:54

Probably The Housemaid so far. I really did like Ward D. I think the reason why um it's not a favorite of mine is because it really just messed with my head. Like it really made me like it made me feel crazy.

SPEAKER_03 13:16

It is it's a twisty turny one where you're like, what is going on, man?

SPEAKER_00 13:20

And then it's just like, oh my gosh, I don't trust my instincts, I don't trust myself.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

And then the end, the very, very, very end. I was like, John. This drop this is not happening.

SPEAKER_03 13:37

Yeah, that's another thing. Oh my gosh. Yep, if I'm saying if you're listening to this and you have not read Ward D, that is one you should immediately add to your TBR pile.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

It is good, but it's start reading it immediately because it is it's a good one. Uh, what would you say is your favorite freedom book?

SPEAKER_03 14:01

Oh my this is a very hard question for me because I I just love her book so much. It okay, if I had to pick. I'm looking at a list of her books right now because I'm like, how do I pick a favorite? Um I'm gonna say Okay, I can't pick a favorite. I'm gonna pick my top three. Um I'm gonna say never lie. I'm gonna say Oh gosh, this is seriously freaking hard. Um I'm gonna say The Tenant and I feel like I have to say The Housemaid, because I feel like that is just one of her best books. Um And I have not read Never Lie or The Tenant, so I need to go read those now. You've got to read them. Oh my gosh. And I don't even know if that's accurate for my top three. I just I it's so hard to choose because they're so they I'm not joking. I don't know that I've read one of her books where I'm like, nope, that one just didn't stick with me. Yep. Yeah. Um, I will say, looking at this list of books though, there's some that she she wrote um back in like 2013. There's a book that she wrote called The Devil Wears Scrubs, and it says it's a short comedic novel. So I'm wondering if that's not a thriller, and maybe that was like her first book. I don't know that I've ever even seen that one. So that that is a it's interesting to see. I'm wondering if um if that is when she started out, because it looks like that may have been her first book. But I will say, as I'm looking through this, she has the book that we just mentioned, The Divorce, which is coming out today when this episode releases. But there is another book on this list that says 2026 called The Witch that says cover to be revealed, and it is not, it doesn't have a release date. So I think she has another book. Book coming out later this year.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

That is crazy. Later this year is honestly stacked with books.

unknown 16:33

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 16:33

That are good. And honestly, yes, like fantasy, there there's just so many things coming out in 2026, which is very, very cool. Um, but no, I think the just the the gist of what we're saying here is you need to go read Frieda McFadden books. Yeah. Everybody, we will recommend her to everybody. Because they are so good. And I will say, knowing that we said our favorites that we've read, um if you've read her books and you have a different favorite, I would love to hear, and I'm sure Tyre would too. We would love to hear which one is your favorite because if it's one that I haven't read yet, I need to immediately go and read that.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Yeah, and uh like we said too, I mean, Tabitha recently showed me to Freda McFadden. So I'm not deep into her books yet. I've read a few of them, and I need to read more. So please give me your recommendations.

SPEAKER_03 17:25

They really are um, like speaking of recommendations, who we would recommend Freedom McFadden books to. Honestly, I think anybody who likes a good thriller, um, they are so fast-paced and such an easy read that even if they are a couple hundred pages, it feels like you fly through it. So that is one thing that I really love about her books is if we read um, like it happened earlier when we were reading through Quicksilver, I got done with that one. I was like, I need to read a Freedom McFadden book that is like enjoyable and short and fast-paced, and I know that it's gonna be quick and twisty, turny and very enjoyable. Um, so that is one thing I will say is if you like thrillers in the slightest and you have not picked up a Freedom McFadden book, which I can't imagine that that's the case because she is so popular, um you have to, you have to start on her books. They are just amazing. And it's nice because we've talked in the past about Colleen Hoover and how much we like her, but she does not put out books often. Like it's been a long time. I think she just put out Woman Down this year, and it had been a while um since her last book. So it's just nice with Frida, where you know you're gonna keep getting multiple books regularly.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

She is a power horse.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

Yep, that is just and it's crazy. We were talking about her her favorite thriller books. And it's like, honestly, lady, how do you even have time to read? You're writing, you're working, you're being a mom, you're doing all these things, and you're like, and you're still powering through these books, like it is honestly it is it is insane. She's just she's insane in a in the best way.

SPEAKER_01 19:11

Yeah, yeah, she is. She gets no sleep.

SPEAKER_03 19:15

Yes, not at all. But yeah, um, hopefully you guys enjoyed just a little bit of an overview of all things Freedom McFadden, and we're excited to get her new book, The Divorce, and see how it measures up to the other books that we've read of hers that we love.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

But that is it for um our mini episode of TT Bookhaven. So make sure you are following the show so you never miss a bookish moment.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

And we would love if you would come over and chat with us on our social media. We're on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. And we are also on the Fable app. So we do have a monthly book club that we would love for you to come and be a part of as well. And all of that is us as TNT Bookhaven. So please come over and hang out with us. But we will see you in the next one. Happy reading. Bye. Bye.