WELCOME BACK to YA Book Club. This month, Mary and Emily discuss Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, a YA fantasy novel with a huge scope—and maybe even a movie in the works. Read on for our chat-style conversation!
Read moreFantastic Beasts 2: The Fact That These Movies Exist is Fan Service
So what we learned from this scene is that Lupin straight up stole a lesson plan from Dumbledore. Cool. Moving on.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Gindelwald is finally here!
In case you have no idea what this movie is or why we’re excited about it, we’re, first of all, judging you really hard right now. Secondly, let us fill you in, you muggle: The Fantastic Beasts series is the J.K. Rowling-penned prequel to the Harry Potter series, following Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his fantastic beasts (mostly nifflers in this latest movie) as they haplessly wander around and somehow get mixed up in the bigger battle between good and evil raging on in the Wizarding World.
Our first adventure saw our hero traipsing around 1920’s New York with his charming pals (Tina, Queenie, and muggle Jacob) and his adorable animals. This second installment takes us to London and Paris, adding on Jude Law as Dumbledore and, oh yeah, way too much Johnny Depp as the titular character Gellert Grindelwald.
Joining Kelli and Emily to discuss this film is our friend and our outside Harry Potter expert/consultant, Grace Treutel — let’s get into this. There’s a lot to cover. Deep breaths, everyone.
PLEASE NOTE: This post has SO MANY SPOILERS. Continue at your own risk.
Read moreHarry Potter and the Cursed Child: No Secrets Kept
Last weekend, Emily and Kelli had the ABSOLUTE PLEASURE of attending the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts I and II. Now, as promised, we offer you their spoiler-filled discussion of the play — just don’t tell JK Rowling, please. #KeepTheSecrets #UnlessYouHaveABlog
(SPOILERS TO FOLLOW. SERIOUSLY. DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.)
Read moreMinisode #5: Sorting Orphans / Interview with Laurel Snyder
Minisode #5: Sorting Orphans / Interview with Laurel Snyder
The Book Squad supports Susan in the next step of her Harry Potter journey: her official sorting! Find out what house she gets and what the other Squad members are. Plus, Emily interviews Laurel Snyder, author of Orphan Island. They discuss where the idea for the book came from, YA and middle-grade literature, books that make you think, and, of course, pets! Be sure to enter our giveaway contest to win a signed copy of Orphan Island!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreHarry Potter, Where Have You Been All My Life?
It’s long been a source of shame that I, a 29-year-old writer and book podcaster who studied literature for well over a decade, have never read the Harry Potter books.
That’s right. Not a one.