Mary: Hello and welcome back to YA Book Club! Today we’re discussing The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. You might remember Marie Lu from another little book we read, Warcross. However, The Kingdom of Back is a completely different sort of story, focusing on historical fiction and fantasy rather than science fiction. In the novel, the young Mozart siblings (yes, THOSE Mozarts) journey back and forth between Europe and The Kingdom of Back, a fantastical fairy land inhabited by the fey-like Hyacinth. As the novel progresses, Nannerl begins to question her role as a sibling and as a woman, all as she fights to save her brother.
Read moreWheel of Time Update: Lord of Chaos
The cover of Lord of Chaos looks like a romance novel gone wrong. Rand looks like a Dorito.
Hello again, Wheel of Time fans! The wheel has woven as the wheel willed and now I’m ⅔ through Lord of Chaos, the sixth book in the series. My thoughts are, as always, ever-changing, so here we are with a little update. Yes, I’m still reading it with Todd, and yes, I’m still enjoying it. Here are my latest observations.
Read moreThe House In Between: I Have 1,000 Questions
I’ve been in documentary mode after watching the incredible Icarus a few days ago, so when I saw a new documentary recommendation by one of my favorite podcasters (Ben Kissel of Last Podcast on the Left) this morning, I was so excited to watch The House In Between. The House In Between is a film covering the decade-long investigation of the unexplainable happenings in a house in Florence, Mississippi, and for fans of the paranormal, this film is well worth the watch. Some spoilers for The House In Between to follow.
Read moreLittle Fires Everywhere: A Conversation About the Series Part II
In the second part of their conversation about the miniseries Little FIres Everywhere, Janet and Emily get a little nostalgic for the 90s, and discuss the time period of the show, the soundtrack and specific songs, other pop culture references and you get the idea. Take a trip down 90’s memory lane with us and let’s chat about this show some more. And if you missed, part one, it’s right over here.
Spoilers ahead!
Read moreListen to Your Heart Finale: It's All Over
Bri, Chris, Rudi, Matt, Jamie, and Trevor await a meeting with their master, Chris Harrison.
Emily: Believe it or not, we’ve already come to the end of this strange journey that has been Listen to Your Heart. And Mary and I are here to break down the final episode for you.
Read moreFive Things That Went Off-the-Rails in Twin Peaks Season 2
David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, which originally aired from 1990-1991, is a weird time. I first watched the series in 2011, when I’d just graduated college and was about to embark on a grad school journey while living in a tiny studio apartment that didn’t have a kitchen. I felt isolated then because I couldn’t have anyone over (this is funny to think about now, as we’re all self-isolating), so I spent hours upon hours blasting through TV shows I’d never seen that everyone loves. After Arrested Development, I moved on to Twin Peaks, and the captivating weirdness of small town life hooked me immediately.
Read moreListen to Your Heart E5: We're Far From The Shallow Now
Emily: Hi everyone. Apologies for getting this recap to you late. I know it feels like it’s been ages since this episode happened, but actually it was just last Monday. COVID-19 time is weird, isn’t it? Anyway, we’re very sorry, but we’re here now. And better late than never, right? I’m going to let Mary take it away.
Mary: As usual, everyone is hanging out and living their lives until Chris Harrison shows up. Chris starts out calm, asking Bri and Chris how they feel after saying they love each other the night before.
Emily: You can tell Chris and Bri are truly in love because they’re both wearing purple now. Matching shades of purple. That’s the kind of synchronicity that only comes about when you have true, open hearts.
Mary: Chris says, “You can only like someone so long.” This seems like a bold statement, and I’m curious how long they’ve actually been filming at this point. I’m a slow turtle in relationships, I think, but also I’m not sure I’d say I love someone after like, a week or two.
Emily: This is The Bachelor world. So you should at least be “falling in love” after two dates.
Read moreRewatching The Tudors: A Royal Quarantine Distraction
During the first week of stay-at-home time, I settled in to watch some Netflix and found that the number one trending show was something called Pandemic, to which I said “Hell nah.” I needed a real distraction—something in a time and place where the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t happening. Enter: The Tudors, a historical fiction series that aired on Showtime from 2007 – 2010 about King Henry VIII and his six wives.
Read moreSurvivor S40 Finale Recap: It All Boils Down to This
No, Jeff, we will not be seeing you in Los Angeles for the finale.
We finally made it! And so there is no suspense throughout this post: yes, Mary did win our family Survivor Fantasy league, and she will be treated to a dinner out on the rest of us...at an appropriate time. Still, we have more to talk about! Is Tony the GOAT? Is Michele a goat? Did Ben basically just give up, and how do we feel about him now? What about Natalie? She was there! And Lacina (which is how we should all refer to her from now on)! And why didn’t Jeff play the entirety of the Winners at War theme song? Can you hear the people sing, Jeff? Ya better be ready...they’re coming...for you! Let’s get into it!
Read moreThe Erlking, Over the Garden Wall, and Kindness in the Face of Death
Wirt, Greg, and their trusty frog
Fairy tales are part of the world’s vocabulary, with tales of various types spreading from continent to continent. There’s a Chinese version of “Cinderella,” for example, and an Italian version of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Something about the home-away-home structure of fairy tales is written into our brains as children and continues to stick with us as we grow up. Each semester when I teach a unit on fairy tales, college students are shocked to realize (or re-learn, maybe) that the tales that seemed so innocent when they were children are filled with death, ruin, and depravity. Those parts--the truly dark parts of fairy tales--always get glossed over in the Disney versions.
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