I am no stranger to writing about musicals on this blog, but today I am bringing something a little bit different. Last school year, one of my students mentioned this musical based on The Odyssey. After listening to it, I became hooked, much to Mary’s dismay. As I have continued to listen to the musical and really think about it, I realized that there was a disconnect for me between how much of the fandom perceives the musical and what its creator intended. So please join me as I put on my PhD in English (with an emphasis in Creative Writing - Poetry) hat and discuss EPIC: The Musical!
Read moreOthersode #90: Leo's Lemonade / This Is Me... Now
Othersode #90: Leo's Lemonade / This Is Me... Now
From the hearts…the minds…the dreams…of the Book Squad…comes a special discussion of the Jennifer Lopez film? visual album? This Is Me…Now. It’s hard to describe our chat because it’s hard to describe this project. But some topics we cover include: celebrity zodiac signs, eye-roll moments, which husband is which, and the meaning of a factory. Then we head back to non-green screen land to catch up with what’s on the blog, including YA Book Club and Bachelor recaps! Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, featuring special guest Jen Roy, on 3/19. Then put on your best green outfit for our next Othersode on Irish Wish, the new Lindsay Lohan movie, on 4/2. Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts – we’ll read it on the next episode! Send listener feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com!
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Read moreOthersode #80: Are You There, Pod? It's Us, BSG / Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
Othersode #80: Are You There, Pod? It's Us, BSG / Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
Are you there, God? It’s us, the Squad – and special guest Annika! This time we talk about the 2023 film adaptation of Judy Blume’s coming-of-age classic, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. There’s no time like the present to jump into Blume’s work and think about the agony of young adulthood. Join us!
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Read moreOthersode #78: Follow Me to the Bowl / Daisy Jones and the Six
Othersode #78: Follow Me to the Bowl / Daisy Jones and the Six
Tell me, tell me, tell me…would you like to hear the Squad sing? Join us for our discussion of Daisy Jones and the Six (the Amazon Prime show, but also the TJR book)! We talk about the differences between the novel and the show, the casting and acting, and of course, the original songs created for the show and the now REAL album, Aurora. Read along for our next Bookpisode on Our Share of Night by Maria Enriquez (with special guest Ellis!) on 4/17. Then join us for our next Othersode featuring Gabriella Saab, author of the new novel Daughters of Victory on 5/1. Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe so you never miss an ep!
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Read moreLet's Get Weird
Roku Channel
Mary: We are here today to talk about our best friends, Weird Al Yankovic and Daniel Radcliffe. JK, we are here to talk about Weird:The Al Yankovic Story, a parody biopic starring Radcliffe and focusing on Yankovic’s life – sort of. I know that both of us have been hyped about this movie for a long time – years?? Hard to say – so what drew you to it? Did you listen to Weird Al growing up? Obviously Daniel Radcliffe was a draw!
Read moreSensuality and Spirituality in Asha's Awakening
Appropriately enough for a Valentine’s Day post, I initially heard of singer/songwriter Raveena during my first ever queer romance, when the girl I had just started dating made me a playlist (lol, gay). I remember being immediately struck by Raveena’s music, which is queer and sexy and undeniably magical, and texting the aforementioned Girl about how much I loved it. I have since bitterly unsubscribed from that playlist, but I simply could not unsubscribe from Raveena.
Raveena’s latest, Asha’s Awakening, is a concept album centered around the titular Asha, a Punjabi space princess from ancient times. In an instagram post promoting the music video for the album’s first single, “Rush,” Raveena writes of Asha: “[She] is trained by peaceful aliens in highly advanced spiritual magic. When she comes back down to Earth after her 2000 years of training in space, she attracts an obsessive cult following around her, which leads to her eventual demise.” The album weaves together a number of musical influences, from Bollywood scores to R&B of the early 2000s, and the result is a joyful and sensuous experience that demands repeated listening.
Othersode #62: It Made Me Want to Die / Our Favorite Things of 2021
Othersode #62: It Made Me Want to Die / Our Favorite Things of 2021
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—time for us to talk about all of our favorite things! Listen to us chat about our pop culture highlights of 2021, and as a special treat, hear from this year’s guests too! Then we exchange Secret Santa/non-denominational gifts and tell each other how much we love each other. Read along for our next Bookpisode on January 24th as we discuss My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones. Then get post-apocalyptic with us on February 7th for our next Othersode on the HBO series Station Eleven. Email us at thesquad@booksquadgoals.com with your favorite things of 2021!
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Read moreAlbum Review: Lucy Dacus' Home Video Delivers
via Matador Records
On June 25th, Lucy Dacus released Home Video, her third studio album. I’ve been a fan of Dacus since I heard her first single back in 2016, “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore,” a song which explores the niche yet relatable experience of being the “funny one” and how that impacts one’s sense of identity. I was so taken by that song in particular that I began following her career in earnest, and she has yet to disappoint. I was obsessed with her sophomore album, Historian—I think I’ve listened to the song “Night Shift” over 100 times at this point—and I’m also a big fan of Boygenius, the sad!queer supergroup Dacus formed with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers.
Needless to say, I was fully primed to love her new album, and I’m pleased to report that it still managed to exceed my expectations. With Home Video, Dacus shifts the lens from the present to focus on her suburban Christian upbringing in Richmond, Virginia, and how those memories and romantic entanglements inform the person she’s become. It’s a crush of nostalgia, confusion, naivete and burgeoning queerness, and it’s proof that Dacus has hit her stride.
Read moreTwerkin' on the Devil: An Analysis of "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X released a music video on March 25, 2021 that changed the world.
Okay, maybe it didn’t change the world, but it did get people talking, and it definitely incensed a huge chunk of America. For those not in the know, I live in Mississippi, which doesn’t have the best history when it comes to supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
Othersode #48: IN CONCLUSION / Our 2020 Pop Culture Faves
Othersode #48: IN CONCLUSION / Our 2020 Pop Culture Faves
It’s the MOST wonderful time of the year! (Which isn’t saying much because, you know, this year was 2020.) It’s time for our annual Best of the Year episode. Join us for some much-needed happy talk as we talk about our favorite pop culture things of the year, from books to TV shows to podcasts to music. Some of this year’s podcast guests “stop by” to share their faves as well! Then it’s time for “Secret” Santa gifts! The Squad exchanges Christmas/Hanukkah gifts (prepare for delightful squeals!). Next, we get into some listener feedback for Lovecraft Country and check in on the #BookSquadBlog, which is full of great TV recaps and Emily’s 12 Days of Christmas Movies series. Our next #Bookpisode will be our final episode of the year! We’re covering The Paper Wasp by Lauren Acampora on 12/28. Then we’ll kick off 2021 with an #Othersode on Wonder Woman 1984 on 1/11! Please send us YOUR favorite things of 2020 by emailing thesquad@booksquadgoals.com or sending us a DM on social media! We can’t wait to hear from you!
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