BSG #10: Put a tail on it! / The Book of Speculation

January 1, 2018 The Squad

91A8+mFtlxL.jpg — BSG #10: Put a tail on it! / *The Book of Speculation*

Special guest Mary Kay from *Everything Trying to Kill You* joins the squad to discuss Erika Swyler’s novel *The Book of Speculation*. In this episode, we discuss the ins and out of circus literature (which is totally a thing), tarot readings, family curses, and much much more. Plus, we answer your burning questions about *Stranger Things* and *Star Wars: The Last Jedi.* Wonder what those space cows are really called? We have the answer!

Click through for table of contents and show notes!

Runaways: Two Perspectives on Hulu's New Show

December 22, 2017 Mary

Today Mary and guest blogger Todd Osborne talk about one of their new favorite shows, Runaways, a Hulu original based on the Marvel comic series of the same name.

The show follows a group of friends--Alex, Chase, Karolina, Gert, Molly, and Nico--as they discover that their parents are not what they seem.

As always, this post will be full of spoilers (though lighter ones than usual). Read more under the cut!

Minisode #9: Star Wars is Just Like the Lizzie McGuire Movie

December 18, 2017 The Squad

sb_dolby_worldwide_handout_13x19_v3_lg_use_this_one_cc3cc869.jpeg — Minisode #9: *Star Wars* is Just Like *The Lizzie McGuire Movie*

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…four women known as the #BookSquad braved crowded theaters on opening weekend to see the new Star Wars movie: *The Last Jedi*. Listen as we discuss our favorite Star Wars movies, the best characters (Kylo Ren and Poe, duh), what's up with Luke Skywalker, why Leia is still a badass, how the Force works, and of course, PORGS. Plus, we give you the scoop on our next book, Erika Swyler's *The Book of Speculation*, and what's on the #BookSquadBlog. Don't forget to rate and review us on iTunes. May the force be with you, Goalies.

Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!

Just Carrie: Reflecting on Carrie Fisher's "The Princess Diarist"

December 14, 2017 Gabriella Geisinger

Because I’m a masochist, I decided the best way to read Carrie Fisher’s memoir, The Princess Diarist, was not to read it at all, but to listen to it. I knew going in that it was Fisher herself who narrated her story, detailing her life before, during, and after Star Wars: A New Hope. Like many of the people Fisher writes about in her memoir, I was introduced to Star Wars at a young age. I think I was seven; my brother would have been two. We rented A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi on VHS and our lives were never the same. I wrote ardent fan mail to my heroes — addressed to Leia, Han, and Luke. My brother wept openly when Darth Vader died. We kept A New Hope, never returning it to the video store down the block. It was, and is, part of our lives.

The Male Gaze of Zack Snyder’s "Justice League"

December 12, 2017 Bryana Fern

If you’re a DC fan like me, then you probably had veiled and desperate hopes for this month’s Justice League—anything to replace last year’s Batman v Superman. And if you’re like me, then you were perhaps pleasantly surprised by the latest film. It maintained the seriousness of the DC comics, as well as the darkness of the threat its main villain carried. And since the threat is darker, the team assembled to fight it is darker. But thanks to Joss Whedon’s influence, we got more comedy in the balance. The overall disappointment with this film was the blatant male gaze that uplifted the macho and the overbearing, and belittled the feminine and the powerful. I will point out things the film did well, but unfortunately, that aspect tainted the majority of the storyline, so much so that it wrote the title of this article itself. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at areas where this film succeeded and failed, starting with the team itself.

Watch out for spoilers after the cut!