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Alison Brie and Dave Franco in Together (2025).
Friends, Spooktober is a lifestyle, and, as we’ve mentioned on the podcast many times, we are busy people. But as the weather begins to cool (for some people), the leaves begin to change, and the pumpkin-flavored treats begin to appear on store shelves, it’s time for Emily, Mary, and Kelli to see some horror movies. Here’s our conversation about Together, directed by Michael Shanks.
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BSG #108: Shocking and Revolting / El Dorado Drive
Hey, hun! It’s your old friends, the Book Squad, with an exciting opportunity for you! We’d love to invite you to join us for our discussion about El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. We talk about the sisters’ relationships, money troubles, good ol’ fashioned pyramid schemes, and all things shocking and revolting. Drop in for our next Othersode on 7/22 featuring guests Janet Dale and Allison Renner, co-authors of Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle. We’ll be revisiting Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby with them!. Then read along with us for our second Sayaka Murata Bookpisode pick, Vanishing World, on 8/5! Don’t forget to check out our Patreon and leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts!
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Othersode #107: Lily Gladstone Worked At Gay / The Wedding Banquet with Susie Dumond
A deliciously queer romcommy episode is here! Author Susie Dumond returns to chat with us about the 2025 remake of the film The Wedding Banquet in all of its low-key chaotic glory. Then we interview Susie about her brand new novel, Bed and Breakup (available TODAY, June 24th, wherever you get books!). Drop back in on July 8th for our next Bookpisode on El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. Then we’ve got another returning guest, Janet Dale, and a brand new guest, Allison Renner, joining us on July 22nd to talk about Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and their new co-authored book of flash fiction and found poetry, Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle! Want more BSG? Well you can at least get a monthly email of BSG pet pics by supporting us on Patreon for just $3 a month!
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BSG #107: Reading: Do You? With Jenna / The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
It’s time to read with (?) Jenna again! Join us for a discussion of The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami. We talk about surveillance, the unfortunate parallels to our present moment, the novel’s structure, the characters, and of course, Jenna Bush Hagar and her book club antics. Then we dig into some listener feedback and chat about what’s up next! Watch The Wedding Banquet and tune in on June 24th for our next Othersode featuring Susie Dumond, author of Bed and Breakup! Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Megan Abbott’s new novel, El Dorado Drive, on July 8th! Check out our Patreon and consider supporting your fav indie pod for just $3 a month!
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Othersode #106: Good American Duplass / Good American Family with Mary Kay McBrayer
Author and pal Mary Kay McBrayer joins us to talk all things Madame Queen, AKA Stephanie St. Claire, mysterious criminal mastermind and numbers genius. Before we jump into discussing Mary Kay’s latest book, Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair, we discuss Hulu's Good American Family, another tale of crime, scams, and a case of a misrepresented age. We dig into the story of Natalia Grace, the way this series compares to the documentary and real-life details of the case, and our general affection for Mark Duplass. If you love true crime, organized crime, or really, any old kind of crime, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
On June 10, come on back for a discussion of The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami, and on June 24 Susie Dumond will be here to discuss The Wedding Banquet – and more importantly, her new book, Bed and Breakup!
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BSG #106: Don't Trust the Government / When the Wolf Comes Home
None will be spared…when we talk about When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy! Join the Book Squad for a chat about this wild ride of a novel—we talk about the action and pacing, horror subgenres, the characters, mom/dad stuff, and goodness vs. badness. Then we finally read some really old feedback from husband of the pod, Ben (sorry about that, Ben). Tune in on May 27 as special guest Mary Kay McBrayer (author of Madame Queen) drops by to talk about her new book and Good American Family (Hulu). Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode about The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami on June 10. Don’t forget to check out our Patreon and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts while you’re at it!
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Othersode #105: The Animal Community / The White Lotus with Todd Osborne
We’re briefly leaving our luxury villas to talk about season three of The White Lotus! Join us as we chat about the cast, the season’s setting, the characters we loved and hated, and what we can learn about the characters based on their book choices. Then we have a long overdue conversation with Todd Osborne about his debut poetry collection, Gatherer. You’ll even be treated to a few readings of his poems in this section of the episode!
Look for our next Bookpisode on May 13th where we’ll be discussing When the Wolf Comes Home, the new novel by Nat Cassidy. Then join us and special guest Mary Kay McBrayer (author of Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair) to talk about Good American Family (Hulu) on May 27.
P.S. Our lil podcast just turned 8 years old! If you’d like to get us a birthday gift, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and consider supporting us on Patreon for just $3/month!
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BSG #105: For Peat's Sake / The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
Get ready to listen to us say “peat” about a hundred times because we’re discussing The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister. We talk about the Haddesley sibling dynamics, the infamous Bog Wife herself, the bog as a character, and of course, generational trauma. Join us and special guest Todd Osborne (husband of the pod) on April 29 for a special one-year celebration of his poetry collection, Gatherer, and a chat about The White Lotus season three. Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode about When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy on May 13. Feeling extra supportive this week? Head over to our Patreon and consider supporting us for just $3/month! Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts, and we’ll read it on the pod!
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Othersode #104: Cooch to the Wind / A Scythe & Sparrow Hatepisode
It’s appropriate this book involves a circus because we about to clown on it. Join the squad for a Hatepisode about Brynn Weaver’s Scythe & Sparrow, the third installment in the Ruinous Love Trilogy. After Mary gives us an overview of the other two books, we get a special review of Butcher & Blackbird by Emily’s dad, Charlie. Then we talk about the cringeworthy “trigger warnings” and then spend a lot of time dissecting the “spice,” which is not as transgressive as it thinks it is. After we barely survive this discussion, we get into some listener feedback. Read along for our next Bookpisode about The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister on April 15th. Then join us April 29th for an Othersode about season 3 of The White Lotus, plus a conversation with Todd about his poetry collection, Gatherer.
Have you read any of the Ruinous Love Trilogy? We need to hear from you. Email us at thesquad@booksquadgoals.com or DM us on social media! Also, are you a patron yet? Support us on Patreon for only $3 a month and get a monthly newsletter of pet photos!
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BSG #104: All Natalies Grow Up Eventually / Entitlement by Rumaan Alam
Join us in the depths of the NYC subway system for an accidental hatepisode! We didn’t love Entitlement by Rumaan Alam, but we had a good time talking about billionaires, flat characters, lying to get a cool apartment, and of course, the guy on the subway poking people with a hypodermic needle. Join us on April 1st for an intentional hatepisode about Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver! Then read along for our next regular Bookpisode on The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister on April 15th!
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Read moremade with love by emily, kelli, mary, and susan. <3 thanks to Katelyn Elaine Photography for our group photos.