Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic: What Did I Just Read?

August 7, 2020 Emily

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You might remember your friends here at #BookSquadGoals reviewing one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s previous novels, Gods of Jade and Shadow, in a podcast episode. This book… is not that book. This one is very different.

One of the things that is so intriguing to me about Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work is her willingness to try different genres. Gods of Jade and Shadow is a play on Mayan mythology set in Mexico during the jazz age. Earlier this year, she came out with a thriller novel called Untamed Shore. And in this, her SECOND novel of 2020, Moreno-Garcia taps into gothic horror.

But was it any good? And what does it mean for something to be Mexican gothic? And can I manage to talk about this book without spoiling anything? And what the heck did I just read?

My answers to follow. And yes, I am going to try to avoid spoilers here. Wish me luck.

“Say Hi Intrepid Heroes!”: Dimension 20 Takes Actual Play RPG Shows to the Next Dimension?!?!

August 2, 2020 Todd Osborne

If you’re like me, you love a good actual-play RPG show.

But first, a crash course: an actual-play RPG show is a podcast, Twitch stream, or otherwise recorded content of people playing a role-playing game (usually, because it is the biggest and most popular, Dungeons and dragons a.k.a. D&D). There may be some editing to keep things moving, but in general it is just a group of friends playing D&D, whether they be nerdy-ass voice actors, brothers with their dad, or a bunch of sketch and improv all-stars gathering around a lushly designed set.

The Great OCD AMA: Answering Your Questions about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

August 1, 2020 Susan

Between a global pandemic, racial violence, and the fact that this is also an election year, it’s no surprise that many of us who experience mental illness are feeling heightened symptoms. I’ve seen more and more people being open about their experience with mental illness on social media this year, and that openness is something I think is important for others to see, whether they have also experienced it or not.

In the spirit of vulnerability, I opened up my DMs on Instagram a few weeks ago to shed some light on my own experience with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Quarantine Got You Down? VIVARIUM Won't Help

July 29, 2020 Emily

Hello. We’re four months into the Coronavirus takeover of America. I know a lot of people in this country have decided that “we have to move on with our lives” and that “Coronavirus is here to stay.” So they’ve just been vacationing, going to bars, attending Chainsmokers concerts, and what have you. But that’s not the reality in our household right now. Some days the closest I get to an outing is sitting on my porch and staring at the parking lot. Yeah, it sucks. But this is the reality the other half of Americans who aren’t “moving on with their lives” are going through.

So to spice things up, my husband and I have been having movie nights just to give ourselves something to look forward to. This past week, we watched Vivarium, a 2019 film directed by Lorcan Finnegan, written by Garret Shanley, and starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots.

Oh boy. Spoiler-free review to follow.

Indian Matchmaking, Marriage, and the Isms it Ignores

July 22, 2020 Mary

It’s an open secret that I love trashy reality TV shows, especially things like the Real Housewives franchise and 90 Day Fiancé. These shows require such little brainpower, and they work well as background noise for other activities like cross stitching (my favorite) or making grocery orders. I don’t have to absorb every second of RHONY to know that Tinsley is having another meltdown. Michael and Angela will still be just as problematic if I return from the bathroom after missing their scene. So when I saw that Netflix had released a new reality show titled simply Indian Matchmaking, I knew I had to at least try it.

Cut to three hours later, when Netflix is gently asking me if I’m still watching. You know I am, Netflix. You know I am.

Queer Girl Book Club: In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

July 16, 2020 Kelli & Emily

Emily: Okay hello. Welcome to a new blog series which we have named... what did we name it again?

Kelli: Girl and Girl on Girl on Girl.

Emily: 4G for short.

Kelli: JK I think we’re calling it Queer Girl Book Club.

Emily: We're workshopping this as we go, people.

Kelli: Mostly because I wanted to focus on queer women/NB people, but we'll see what choices we make moving forward!

Emily: Yeah who knows. We might throw some dudes in there. But like... we may never. That's our prerogative. This is our blog.

Kelli: Also, we're girls, so the name still works.

Emily: Anyhow. For our inaugural Queer Girl Book Club blog post, we're talking about Carmen Maria Machado's memoir In The Dream House.

Say Hello to Your Friends: The Babysitter's Club on Netflix

July 12, 2020 Mary, Jen, and Emily

Jen: Say hello to your friends!

Mary: Yay!

Emily: hiii

Mary: Hello, fellow babysitters.

Just kidding, I have zero babysitting experience.

Jen: We did a summer camp! That kind of counts?

Mary: Oh yeah! I think that counts.

Emily: I've done a ton of babysitting.

Jen: You are our actual babysitting expert!

Last week, Netflix released a reboot of The Babysitters Club, based on the series by Ann M. Martin in the 80s and 90s! It is focused on a group of young girls who decide to start their own babysitting business, but it's also really about the friendships they form along the way!

(Minor spoilers for BSC ahead.)

Todd's Fantasy Series Corner

July 10, 2020 Todd Osborne

Since finishing up grad school last spring, I have been diving into the world of contemporary fantasy. I am mostly a novice to this world, though I have read the entire Wheel of Time series (and classics like LotR and The Chronicles of Narnia). Still, I haven’t read much or really any contemporary fantasy outside of WoT and wanted to dip into it and see if any of it was worthwhile. (Spoiler: yes!) So, here is a rundown of 5 books/book series that I have read, along with a general overview of what to expect and whether or not you should read it!

Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen is Necessary Viewing

July 7, 2020 Kelli

On June 19th, Netflix released the documentary film Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen. Acquired by Netflix just after its premiere at Sundance in January, Disclosure is an in-depth examination of the representation of transgender people in media, specifically on film and TV. All of its interview subjects are trans, nonbinary, and/or queer people in media who reflect candidly on the impact these representations of trans people have had not just on their own lives, but on society’s perception of trans and nonbinary people at large.

This film was released during one of the most difficult Pride Months in recent history, amid a global pandemic that prevented people in the LGBTQ+ community from celebrating their queerness in the streets, and amid another epidemic — the murder of countless Black people, including trans man Tony McDade, by police — which has forced Black people into the streets to defend their right to simply be alive in this country. The film came out just days after author JK Rowling released a firestorm of anti-trans tweets, then published an essay on her website doubling down on her “opinions.” All of this is to say that Disclosure is an incredibly timely and important film, perhaps in more ways than even the filmmakers could have anticipated.

Violence, Ludonarrative Dissonance, and The Last of Us Part II

July 5, 2020 Mary

Like many other avid gamers, I played The Last of Us in 2013, and at the time it felt like a revolutionary game, and a good argument for games to be interpreted just like any other text. The Last of Us puts you in the shoes of Joel, a father who takes in a teenager named Ellie during an apocalyptic event. The pair navigate across America, fighting off hordes of zombies (which are never actually called zombies, but as in The Walking Dead, we know what’s up), as they journey to Salt Lake City so that doctors can examine Ellie’s immunity to the cordyceps infecting the world.

The Last of Us attempted to show players that humans are the villains, not zombies, and that every action—even those made with good intentions—has consequences. The Last of Us Part II picks up where the first left off, following Ellie as she journeys to seek revenge. But what’s shocking is just how much revenge Ellie wants, and what she’ll do do obtain it. Enter: extreme violence.

Some spoilers for The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II to follow.

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