YA Book Club: Dear Martin by Nic Stone

September 12, 2020 Mary & Emily

Mary: Dear Martin is the 2017 debut of Nic Stone, who has since had a pretty successful career in YA lit. Stone is about to release the sequel to Dear Martin, Dear Justyce, and I’m personally really hyped about it.

Dear Martin follows Justyce McAllister as he’s mistakenly arrested––violently––then left with a lot of confusion and emotion over the arrest. Justyce undertakes a personal growth project by writing letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (the titular Martin). Through his letters, he investigates racial prejudice in his Georgia prep school, as well as the country at large.

I don’t want to say what I most want to say just yet because, well, it’s a pretty big spoiler. The book takes a turn partway through and becomes kind of intense. So consider this a ~spoiler warning.~

10 Weeks of Spooktober: The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Week 3 of 10)

September 11, 2020 Emily

Hi friends. For this next installment of 10 Weeks of Spooktober: 2 Spook 2 Tober, we’ve got another sequel. It’s not that I’m attempting to do a bunch of sequels for the sophomore run of this blog. It’s just sort of turning out that way.

Anyhow, this week, we’re looking at the new Netflix film The Babysitter: Killer Queen, which apparently is the “long awaited” sequel to The Babysitter, starring Samara Weaving, whom I loved in Ready or Not, the movie I covered for the FIRST EVER Spooktober post. So basically she’s legendary. Do you see how I’m creating my own Spooktober mythology here? Spooktober is undeniable.

The reason I put “long awaited” in quotes is because… was anyone really awaiting this movie? Apparently when this sequel was announced people were excited? But I have to say I watched The Babysitter when it first came out, and I don’t remember being very impressed. Honestly, I don’t remember ANYTHING about it. I had to look through this blog to make sure I hadn’t covered it already. It left such a non-impression on me I couldn’t even remember if I had or hadn’t written about this movie franchise before.

So did this HIGHLY ANTICIPATED sequel live up to the non-hype?

10 Weeks of Spooktober: Pooka Lives! (Week 2 of 10)

September 5, 2020 Emily

Welcome back to 10 Weeks of Spooktober: 2 Spook 2 Tober. Yes, it’s the second year of Spooktober, and we’re finally getting that crossover blog post you’ve all been hungering for. What am I talking about? Well, last year, I did a series called 12 Days of Christmas movies, and I rated a Christmas/horror film called Pooka! using my patented (not really) Christmas moving rating scale. Spoiler: Pooka! rated really high as a Christmas movie. Who knew?

Now, I’m reviewing the sequel Pooka Lives! for this blog series. For the second film in the Pooka! universe (or the Pooka-verse), all the Christmas spirit is gone. This is a straight up horror movie. But is it any good? And what happens when you take the Christmas out of Pooka?

I Love Mr. Boop, a Webcomic About Alec Robbins and His Wife, Betty Boop

September 2, 2020 Todd & Mary

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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)

August 29, 2020 Emily

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.

The Comfort of Donkey Kong Country

August 23, 2020 Mary

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'

August 16, 2020 Susan

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.

YA Book Club: The Circus Rose by Betsy Cornwell

August 14, 2020 Mary & Emily

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.

Insecure Reflections: On Being Team Molly, If That Even Matters

August 12, 2020 Kelli

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)

Poetry and War in Ghost of Tsushima

August 9, 2020 Mary

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.

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