Apparently, we just love horror over here at the BSG Blog! Here’s a non-comprehensive list of some YA Horror novels to get you in the mood this creepy season.
Read moreOthersode #99: Weird Little Guy (Derogatory) / Bride and Prejudice with Tirzah Price
Othersode #99: Weird Little Guy (Derogatory) / Bride and Prejudice with Tirzah Price
Book Squad meets Bollywood as we discuss Bride & Prejudice (2004) with special guest Tirzah Price! We talk about how this Austen adaptation works in a Bollywood setting, racism and xenophobia, surprise appearances from western actors, and (obviously) the musical numbers. Then we chat with Tirzah about her new novel (out now!), In Want of a Suspect. Don’t worry – no spoilers here! Read along for our next Bookpisode about Hum by Helen Phillips on 11/26. Then join us and special guest Samantha Allen (author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet) to talk about Music & Lyrics on 12/10! Consider becoming a patron for just $3 a month, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode!
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Read moreWhat to Read When You Feel Down About Your Body
If you’ve ever listened to the podcast, you know me, but you may or may not know that I have a PhD in English with an emphasis on disability studies and children's literature. That all means that I spent a lot of time thinking about how fat bodies are represented in literature for young people, which led me to so many great resources!
Read moreYA Book Club: Burn Down Rise Up by Vincent Tirado
Mary: Whew, hello. Here we are to talk about Vincent Tirado’s Burn Down, Rise Up. This is their first novel, but they had another one come out in May of this year.
The book follows Raquel, a teen who’s undergoing several crises all at once. Her mother is in the hospital with a deadly, mold-like infection and getting worse every day, and her friend Charlize’s cousin Cisco has gone missing. On top of all that, Raquel has the average teen stuff going on—will her crush like her back?—etc. Soon, the group of friends discovers a dangerous game that might be behind the recent disappearances—as well as Raquel’s mom’s condition. The only way to stop what’s happening is to dive into the game for themselves and face the atrocities of the past.
Spoilers to follow.
Read moreYA Book Club: Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling
Emily: Let’s start this edition of YA Book Club out with a little bit of honesty. After the last book we read, I really needed something light, refreshing, and (most importantly) actually good. Enter Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant. I have been looking forward to this one because of its cute premise. Delilah is a cool girl in a punk rock band. Reggie is a D&D nerd so deeply steeped in the culture that he writes essays about D&D for fun. They’re from different worlds, but they see something in each other that they admire, and yes, they spend a year falling for one another (just as the title suggests). I know a big pull for me was the D&D angle. And I know it was for Mary too. And D&D is such a huge pull that we even got TODD to join us for this month’s YA Book Club.
So hi, Mary and Todd. Thanks for being here. Tell me, was there anything else that had you excited about reading this book? Cause I know we were really looking forward to it.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!
YA Book Club: Hell Followed With Us
Mary: It’s time once again for YA Book Club, where we share our love of young adult lit by reading the most interesting picks we can find. Today we’re talking about Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White. This apocalyptic tale follows Benji, a 16-year-old transgender boy, as he attempts to escape his claustrophobic religious cult.
Read moreBSG #75: Homewritten: The Weight of Blood
BSG #75: Homewritten / The Weight of Blood
This holiday season, the Book Squad is heading to prom! Join us and special guests Scott and Amber as we discuss Tiffany D. Jackson's The Weight of Blood. Yes, this is a retelling of Stephen King's Carrie, and yes, we discuss the stories' similarities and differences. We also chat about what it was like going to high school in Georgia. And of course, we talk about racism, sexism, witchiness, creepy dads, and what it means when a Goodreads review seems "homewritten." Did you read The Weight of Blood? What are your thoughts? Be sure to send us some feedback at thesquad@booksquadgoals.com and we'll read it on our next bookpisode. Stay tuned for our next episode: the highly anticipated hatepisode on Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us, featuring the return of Susan! And after that, read along for our next bookpisode, which will be on Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley. Follow us on social media @booksquadgoals, and visit our website at www.booksquadgoals.com.
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Read moreYA Book Club: Whiteout
Mary: It is officially the holiday season, and we’re beginning the celebrations with Whiteout, a collaboratively written novel by Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Nic Stone – all STARS of the YA genre!
Read moreOthersode #73: Some of Those Aspects Are Dead Now / The Midnight Club
Othersode #73: Some of Those Aspects Are Dead Now / The Midnight Club
It’s midnight, and the Squad is gathering together to discuss Mike Flanagan’s latest Netflix series The Midnight Club, based on the novel by Christopher Pike. We won’t be telling our own scary stories, but we will be breaking down all the themes explored in this show and discussing each character’s astrological sign. Do you agree with our takes? Listen in and then let us know by emailing thesquad@booksquadgoals.com. Don’t forget to come back next time to join our discussion of The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings (11/28). And on our next othersode, we’ll chat about nurse Mark’s new favorite TV show Interview with the Vampire (12/12).
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreYA Book Club: The Getaway by Lamar Giles
Emily: Welcome back to YA book club! We’re here to chat about The Getaway, the latest novel from Lamar Giles. We read Lamar Giles’ Not So Pure and Simple for YA book club back in February 2020 (simpler times), and we LOVED it. So we were super excited to pick this one up.
The Getaway is the story of Jay, who’s living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world’s most famous resorts. We get serious Disney World vibes from this place. It is Disney World, basically. Anyway, Jay’s got good friends, a great family, and a job he loves, working after school at the property’s main theme park. Outside, the world might be falling apart, but inside the resort, people can escape from their problems. But behind this perfect community are dark secrets. When the richest and most powerful families arrive and don’t leave, employees discover that the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis. The world may be ending, but the most powerful people will remain safe. Now Jay and the rest of the resort’s employees will be the ones to care for them, whether they like it or not.
Spoilers to follow obviously.
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