Hello! And welcome back to our coverage of this season of Survivor. It is the 3rd episode and somehow Rob and Parvati are still here? Who would have guessed that? Not me. Are their days numbered? Maybe, but who knows! Can their tribe ever win an immunity challenge? Well, no, they cannot. Is Mary winning the Survivor fantasy league? Yes, she is. But is Todd in 2nd place? Yes! He is. Have we had enough of this question-answer format? Yes, so let’s get on to the recap!
Read moreYA Book Club: Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
YA Book Club is finally here to round out your February on a positive note!
And it’s going to be very positive, because Mary and Emily both LOVED their pick for this month: Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles. We hope you had the opportunity to read along with us, but if you didn’t, go read the book and then COME BACK, because spoilers to follow.
Read on at your own risk.
Read moreThe Bachelor S24E9: G'Day Sheilas!
Narrator: It was not a g’day.
Okay, fam. It’s Windmill Week, but without the windmills this time. Let’s see what went down (pun intended) in the Fantasy Suites this week.
Read moreFebruary Foreign Films: Portrait of A Lady on Fire
It’s the penultimate installment of February Foreign Films, and for this one, I had to bring in a little help.
Real talk. Portrait of a Lady on Fire was so good that I couldn’t just talk about it alone. So I brought in my good friend and yours Kelli to chat about this excellent film about art, love, feminism, the Orpheus myth, and a whole lot more.
Because we couldn’t help ourselves, spoilers to follow. Please go see this movie. Then come back and join the conversation.
Read moreBSG #38: The Dangling Modifier / The Need & Interview w/Julie Marie Wade
BSG #38: The Dangling Modifier / The Need & Interview w/Julie Marie Wade
Dive into the pit with the Squad as we discuss The Need, a novel by Helen Phillips. We talk about genre fusion, motherhood, and what exactly “the need” is. After we dig into The Need, Emily interviews author Julie Marie Wade about her book, Just an Ordinary Woman Breathing. Then we read some listener feedback about Elevation and tell you about the newest stuff on the #BookSquadBlog. Read along with us for our next #Bookpisode on 3/23, where we’ll cover Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Head to our Instagram to enter our giveaway with Monthly Mane – winner will be announced 2/27! Song in our Monthly Mane ad is Acid Trumpet by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3340-acid-trumpet
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreDid Love Island Thrive in Winter?
Fans of the UK’s reality TV show Love Island rejoiced when it was announced we wouldn’t have to wait for the summer for our next Love Island fix!
And I mean, thank goodness. I was really over having my evenings free to watch whatever television show I wanted. I always think Love Island is going to be too much tv for me to handle when I first get going, what with a new episode airing every night of the week except Saturdays. But then that first Saturday rolls around… and I find myself sitting there wondering what on earth they’re up to in the villa and how much I can’t wait for Sunday night.
So yeah. I was pumped for the first ever Winter Love Island. To make sure the islanders would be ready to spend their extended vacation in the villa in sexy swimwear, a new villa was born in South Africa. The series started airing in January 2020, and it wrapped up the final episode tonight (which… if you watch Love Island, you can only hear the word “tonight” in his dramatic voice when you read it). Another successful series in the books right?
Well… this series was not without its challenges and criticisms.
Read moreSurvivor S40: Episodes 1 & 2
It’s finally here: Survivor: Winners at War, a season that could not have been more anticipated (or more needed) if it tried. After the debacle that was last season, every Survivor fan is excited about watching 20 former winners come back and try to win again. And guess what? If you put 20 people who know how to play Survivor on 2 separate beaches, good things happen!
Read moreThe Bachelor S24E8: I Don't Want Easy, I Want Crazy
Emily: Hello and welcome back for more insanity. Fair warning: my notes this week are kind of slim because I was too busy LITERALLY SCREAMING AT MY TELEVISION!
Susan: Peter says he has the right four. He absolutely does not. Victoria F. is still here.
Emily: None of these women scream “ready for marriage to me,” but honestly neither does Peter so… *shrug emoji*
Read moreFebruary Foreign Films: Girl
When I chose the Netflix film Girl as my next entry in February Foreign Films, I was unaware of the controversy behind this movie.
I watched Girl, a story of a young transexual teenage girl who is pursuing a career as a ballerina, before reading about the film, which is always how I prefer to watch movies. I chose it because I love movies about dancers, and I’m also interested in stories that explore gender issues. My initial reaction to the content of the film is that it was well-acted, evoked emotions in me, and was, yes, at times disturbing.
I read about the film afterwards, and I think I have to acknowledge the controversies surrounding Girl in order to discuss this movie responsibly.
When I chose the Netflix film Girl as my next entry in February Foreign Films, I was unaware of the controversy behind this movie.
I watched Girl, a story of a young transexual teenage girl who is pursuing a career as a ballerina, before reading about the film, which is always how I prefer to watch movies. I chose it because I love movies about dancers, and I’m also interested in stories that explore gender issues. My initial reaction to the content of the film is that it was well-acted, evoked emotions in me, and was, yes, at times disturbing.
I read about the film afterwards, and I think I have to acknowledge the controversies surrounding Girl in order to discuss this movie responsibly.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad – Newcomers: Star Wars, With Lauren Lapkus & Nicole Byer
Comedy, television and podcast veterans Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byers have never seen a single Star Wars film. They know nothing about Star Wars except some random names, phrases, and a couple of iconic moments they’ve heard over the years. In fact, they’ve kind of avoided all things Star Wars for their entire lives. Now, these two brilliantly funny women are joining forces (see what did there?) for Newcomers, a podcast that has them watching one Star Wars film per week, in theatrical release order.
Read more