His Dark Materials S1E3: Make Your Mind Go Blank

November 20, 2019 Emily

New episode of His Dark Materials with a new director!

The first two episodes of this season were directed by Tom Hooper. This third episode was directed by music video and documentary director Dawn Shadforth. How much of a difference does a director make here? It’s hard to say because so far, each episode has taken place in a very different world. The first, the world of Jordan college took over most of the episode. The second, Mrs. Coulter’s posh London. This third episode is the episode of the Gyptians. And much like the Gyptians themselves, this is an episode of movement and transitioning.

As always, spoilers for episode 3 to follow.

Who's Watching the Watchmen? Me.

November 19, 2019 Mary

People have been talking about a potential Watchmen television adaptation since 2015, but here, in the Year of Our Lord 2019, it’s finally happened. Though we’ve known about the HBO series since last year, nothing could prepare us for what the series has revealed so far, or how good it is.

(Some spoilers for the Watchmen comic series to follow. I’m keeping the show spoiler free!)

Othersode #34: Vaccinate your cult members / Doctor Sleep

November 18, 2019 The Squad

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Put on your magic hats and watch out for bathtub ghosts because the #BookSquad is discussing Doctor Sleep this week! Join us and special guests Jen and Justin as we dig into the sequel to *The Shining* and discuss the films vs. the novels, what is “scary” in this movie, and how well the movie works overall as a sequel to the original. Head over to the #BookSquadBlog for more content on television, movies and books, and join us for our upcoming episodes! Read along with us for our next #bookpisode on *American Spy* by Lauren Wilkinson (12/2), and listen as we celebrate our favorite things of 2019 on our next #othersode (12/16). Send listener feedback to **thesquad@booksquadgoals.com**, and keep an eye out for our giveaway with Workspacery on social media this week!

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

12 Days of Christmas Movies, Day 1: Last Christmas

November 17, 2019 Emily

Well, there were requests for another movie series, so here we are.

And while this isn’t going to be about spooky movies, I might throw in a spooky movie or two as we go along because I can’t help myself. And, hey, Black Christmas is coming out soon, sooo…

Anyway, we’re starting off this series with Last Christmas, a new entry into the holiday movie world, starring Emilia Clarke aka Khaleesi and Henry Golding aka that hot guy from Crazy Rich Asians. Also, notably, the film was written by Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings, and directed by Paul Feig. Sounds promising, right?

Survivor S39: e8

November 16, 2019 Todd & Mary

We wish this wasn’t the lead picture we had to post.

Welcome back to our Survivor coverage at the Book Squad Goals blog! Last week saw the rise of Kellee, the master manipulator, as she managed to get Jack voted out without casting a single vote. Will her masterminding of this vote come back to haunt her? Can she trust Noura and Dean? And what will happen if/when the tribes merge? The only way (to find) out is through (this blog)!

Missing Rasputin: A Review of Anastasia the Musical

November 14, 2019 Leah Rachel von Essen

For my birthday last year, I bought myself a last-minute ticket for Anastasia the Musical.

I was excited, looking forward to a spectacular dress transformation in “Once Upon a December,” to the live musical twist on the fantasy, to Dmitri enchanting.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed; and I ended up staying up late that night to watch the animated film, which reminded me even more distinctly how much better it was.

There were many “small” choices that bothered me about the musical’s execution. One of the biggest was that the actress who plays Countess Lily, aka the Sophie analogue, is thin. From when I was young, Sophie being so sexy while being unapologetically fat, without it being a big joke, was vital for me, and I was incredibly disappointed to see a rather thin actress play her. “Once Upon a December” was not nearly as big as I anticipated it would be, especially considering that the scene of the ballet was so breathtaking—they could have done better for sure.

The creators of the musical took an interesting turn that had tremendous potential: they decided to make the story more realistic, getting rid of the demonic sorcerer Rasputin and the green monsters that haunt the film. It was an intriguing twist with a lot of potential, but ultimately, it didn’t work because of their indecision and their failure to commit to the idea fully.

His Dark Materials S1E2: I Don't Think I Understand Any Grown Ups At All

November 13, 2019 Emily

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We’re two episodes in, and the adventure is starting to kick off. But first, to London!

Lyra’s is introduced to Mrs. Coulter’s world in London: her fabulous and very comfy-looking apartment, her wealthy and important friends, her fancy clothes. And almost immediately, Lyra is forced to choose between being true to herself or putting up with abusive behavior in exchange for indulging in all the things Coulter’s London has to offer. I will say Mrs. Coulter’s apartment is very Blair Waldorf’s apartment in Gossip Girl. Maybe that’s just me.

YA Book Club: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

November 12, 2019 Mary & Emily

In this installment of YA Book Club, Mary and Emily discuss a book they chose because of its pretty cover. And it all worked out fine.

WARNING: SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

Mary: Today we’re discussing Wilder Girls, Rory Power’s debut novel. The novel takes place at the Raxter School for Girls, an isolated boarding school. What was once an idyllic island paradise has turned into a dangerous, overgrown mess ever since the Tox hit the school and began transforming both the environment and the girls themselves. With most of the teachers dead, and most of the girls in various stages of illness, protagonist Hetty isn’t sure if a cure is coming or not. She does the best she can, hanging out with her best friends Byatt and Reese and scrounging as much food from the sporadic government shipments as she can. But when Byatt goes missing, and Hetty becomes part of the infamous Boat Crew, everything changes. Mysteries begin to unravel and the island’s hierarchy crashes around the girls. Can they survive?

Notably (for me!), this book has been compared a lot to Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, which I might have mentioned once or twice on the podcast and blog. I think it gets that comparison (even from Vandermeer himself!) because Wilder Girls focuses a lot on nature and what happens when man’s relationship with nature begins to deteriorate. What did you think of the nature themes in the book?

My Father's Continued Battle with the Green Hearse: SIX FEET UNDER Season 1 Part 2

November 11, 2019 Emily

In case you missed our recap of the first half of Season 1 of my favorite show of all time, let me fill you in on what we’re doing here. This is a special rewatch for me of the best show ever made. For my dad, it’s his first time watching it. In this installment, we will cover the second half of season 1. I hope you’ll watch along with us, and feel free to leave comments letting me know why this show is special to you. I love to hear that.

Spoilers for the second half of season 1 to follow, but nothing will be spoiled beyond what we’re covering in this post. Because, of course, my dad hasn’t seen it yet.

Survivor S39: e7 Recap

November 9, 2019 Todd & Mary

Last week, Vokai went to tribal council for the 2nd time and, thanks to some smart and quick thinking by Elaine, the old Lairo 4 were able to block Jason’s vote and send him packing, leaving them with an upper hand in the tribe. What will happen this week? I know as much as you! Let’s get to the re-cap already!

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