YA Book Club: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

August 4, 2019 Mary & Emily

YA Book Club is back! And this month, we’re presenting to you (with the help of Mary’s sweet kitty Edward) The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Read on to see what we thought, and yes, there will be spoilers.

Mary: Hello! This month, we read The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. The basic premise is that a girl named Alice comes from a long tradition of fairy tales--her grandmother Althea Prosperine wrote a famous collection of stories called Tales from the Hinterland. But Alice never met Althea, and figured that Althea wanted nothing to do with her or her mother, Ella. After Ella receives a letter that Althea has died, Alice thinks she can finally stop wondering about her grandmother. But that's when weird things start to happen. Ella goes missing, and Alice must discover what happened to her mother, and discover who she is along the way! Spoilers to follow, of course!

Emily: All the spoilers.

Are You The One? Season 8|E7: My Icy Heart is Melting

August 3, 2019 Emily

Wow, what an eventful night of #AYTO television. There’s a lot to talk about here.

But… before we get into it, a little news about the remainder of this season of Are You the One: it’s moving to Monday nights at 11pm. That’s right. Definitely way past my bedtime. On the one hand, I’m excited about this move because it means I don’t have to wait a whole week for the next episode since it will be coming out THIS MONDAY. On the other hand, how bad is this season doing that it’s getting moved to 11PM on a Monday?? Like, why are you people not watching this quality content?

Either way, recaps will be moving to Wednesdays to adjust to this new programming schedule. Mark your calendars accordingly.

On to this week’s episode.

The Bachelorette S15 Finale: We Can Ship It

August 1, 2019 Susan & Emily

Emily: It all comes down to this, Bach Nash (that’s short for nation). A two-part finale in which we finally find out if Hannah Bama got that fierce love she’s been looking for since Colton’s season. Don’t worry. I came prepared with enough wine to get me through two live episodes. So let’s get into this.

Susan: I made the mistake of not having any wine on hand. I truly regret it.

Featured Bookstore: Star Line Books, Chattanooga, TN

July 31, 2019 Emily

Once a year, my family meets up in Chattanooga, TN to chat, enjoy each other’s company, and yes, usually we wander around in downtown Chattanooga to pick up a cup of coffee and see a movie. It wasn’t until more recent trips that I was able to add shopping at Star Line Books to my list of yearly activities in downtown Chattanooga. Star Line just opened their doors in August of 2015, and they are a welcome addition to Chattanooga’s charming downtown area.

Tiny But Mighty!--Why The Kitten Lady's New Book is a Must Have

July 30, 2019 Mary

I’ve always loved cats, even before I had cats of my own, even when my family insisted dogs were better and cats were “evil.” The Kitten Lady, and the larger community of cat foster parents, have helped me see the highs and lows of fostering while also presenting tons of cute kitten photos. The thing is, when a good, hard message gets wrapped in something sweet, you listen. The Kitten Lady’s approach to education is one like I’ve never seen before, full of compassion, a willingness to explain small details, and a profound love for the smallest cat population.

Are You The One? Season 8|E6: You're Quite Literally Following Your Private Parts

July 27, 2019 Emily

Another AYTO episode, and another week of me shipping Max and Justin harder than I thought possible. Dang.

I mean, just look at them. I really want them to be happy. but I’m nervous they aren’t going to be a match since the group only got one beam in the previous week when these two were sitting together. On that note, let’s just barrel ahead with this recap.

The gang only got one beam of light in this Match Up Ceremony. Their response? Let’s get drunk. They do get to some strategizing while drinking, though. You know, sometimes alcohol helps you think more clearly. Wait, no that’s not a thing.

The Bachelorette S15E11: The Luke P. Show Is Canceled

July 26, 2019 Susan & Emily

It’s time for the Men Tell All, except this really should have been called “Man Tell All” because 85% of this episode was just about Luke P. Away we go!

Bachelor & Bachelorette Villains Who Are Still Cooler Than Luke P.

July 22, 2019 Susan

This season of Bachelorette recapping has involved a lot of Luke P., and frankly, I think we’re all over him. But not all Bachelor/ette villains are as truly awful as Luke. Here are some memorable villains I’d rather be stuck on a desert island with than Luke P.

Are You The One? Season 8|E5: I'm Definitely Feeling FOMO Right Now

July 21, 2019 Emily

Are you feeling FOMO because you weren’t in on this fivesome?

You’re not alone, AYTO fam. But before we get into the big main event, let’s talk about how we got there, yeah?

As always, we begin this episode by reflecting on how the Match Up Ceremony from last week went. Danny says this was a successful Match Up because they switched it up and still got two beams.

The Queen Stays Queen: an Appreciation of Survivor’s Sandra-Diaz Twine

July 18, 2019 Todd & Mary

Survivor-Boston-Rob-Mariano-Sandra-Diaz-Twine-to-return-as-mentors.jpg

Over its 38 seasons, Survivor has had its fair share of memorable characters, from inimitable winners like Tony Vlachos and John Cochran, to strategic masterminds like Cirie Fields and any number of likeable people in between, but ever since Season 20, Heroes vs. Villains, one has stood out among the rest, the only two-time winner, Sandra Diaz-Twine.

In preparation for Season 39, Island of the Idols, Todd and Mary have been re-watching old seasons of Survivor that feature both Sandra and “Boston” Rob Mariano, and after finishing Game Changers one thing became clear, the title of Queen is not bestowed lightly, and it only belongs to one player. So in this post we will be talking about all things Sandra (and we might even include some Rob love as well).

A SPOILER WARNING, I GUESS? for Survivor: Pearl Islands, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains, Redemption Island, Game Changers, uh, and a bunch of others probably. Just, read at your own peril if you are not thoroughly versed in Survivor lore and don’t want to be spoiled.

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