Mary: I regret to inform you, my dear readers, that I love Mr. Boop. I didn’t want to love it, and I resisted for a long, long time, but eventually I became enamored with his creepy smile, absurdist humor, and undying commitment to his wife, Betty Boop. Yes, that Betty Boop. You know, the one from the old cartoons.
10 Weeks of Spooktober: The Rental (Week 1 of 10)
Ready or not, here it comes… 10 Weeks of Spooktober is back for its sophomore season. It’s 10 Weeks of Spooktober 2: 2 Spook 2 Tober.
In case you’re new here, here’s how this will work. We have officially entered Scary Movie Season. If you’re like me, scary movie season is an all-year-round affair, but I like to amp things up in the fall as we head straight into the best time of the year. 2020 has been an indescribably awful year for everyone, so maybe marking this as the “best time” of the year isn’t saying much. But we’ll take what we can get.
Anyway, for the second year in a row, to count my way through pre-Halloween season, I will watch and review one new (to me) horror movie each week. We’re kicking of the second year of fine spooky fun with a new movie available on VOD: The Rental.
Prepare yourself for my spoiler-free review.
Read moreThe Comfort of Donkey Kong Country
We keep saying it, but it’s a really weird time right now. I’ve been feeling the anxieties of both the pandemic world we live in, and the stress of starting a new job in the midst of said pandemic. It’s a lot of adjustment and I’ve spent many a night lying awake and wondering what time it is, and what time I might finally fall asleep. I’ve washed my hands until they’re raw and sanitized between every class at school. And while I’m excited about so many things in my life right now, I’m also very scared about the world, you know, how things are going.
This is why I played through the entirety of Rare’s 1994 Super Nintendo Entertainment Center (SNES) game, Donkey Kong Country.
Let's Talk About Divorce: The Chicks Burn it Down on 'Gaslighter'
As a childhood fan of The Dixie Chicks—now known as The Chicks—and longtime Natalie Maines stan, I was primed and ready for Gaslighter to drop. When I first listened to the lead single, also titled "Gaslighter," I loved its energy, marching beat and biting burns ("repeating all of the mistakes of your father..."). When the full album was released, it was pretty clear after listening to just a few tracks that Gaslighter isn't just an album of breakup songs; it's largely Natalie Maines's divorce album. And I'm here for it.
Read moreYA Book Club: The Circus Rose by Betsy Cornwell
Mary: Hello, fellow YA lovers! This month we’re talking about The Circus Rose by Betsy Cornwell. This book follows twins (with different fathers?!) Ivory and Rosie as they grow up, work in the circus, and battle against racism against the Fey. It’s a lot. There’s simply a lot going on in this book. What did you think about all the converging plotlines, Emily?
Also, it should be noted, THERE BE SPOILERS TO FOLLOW.
Read moreInsecure Reflections: On Being Team Molly, If That Even Matters
Like many of you, I’ve been using my newfound time during lockdown to catch up on some of the TV I’ve missed out on over the past couple of years. One of the first shows on my list was Insecure, which, if you haven’t watched it yet, is just as good as everyone has told you it is, and I devoured all 34 episodes in less than a week. Season four may have ended back in June, but I am here to once again throw my belated opinion into the mix, if only because Team Molly appears to be short a few players. That’s right, you heard it here first. TEAM. MOLLY.
(Minor spoilers for Insecure to follow)
Read morePoetry and War in Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima, a new game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, places players in the shoes of Jin Sakai, a 13th-century samurai hoping to liberate his island home from the clutches of the invading Mongols. The game plays much like other “map games,” inviting players to explore the island and find interesting collectibles along the way. Many aspects of the game are customizable; you can change your armor, your bow color, your weapons. You can even pet foxes that helpfully show you the way to shrines. The game is beautiful, with lush fields of pampas grass and surprisingly detailed NPCs. It’s a fun game.
But today, I’m not here to tell you how fun Ghost of Tsushima is. I’m here to talk about poetry.
Read moreSilvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic: What Did I Just Read?
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.
Read more“Say Hi Intrepid Heroes!”: Dimension 20 Takes Actual Play RPG Shows to the Next Dimension?!?!
Our sweet band of misfits.
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.
Read moreThe Great OCD AMA: Answering Your Questions about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
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).
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