Interview with Adrienne Brodeur

August 24, 2020 The Squad

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

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)

BSG #44: Four Brunettes and a Book / Magic For Liars / Interview with Karen Salyer McElmurray

August 12, 2020 The Squad

magic for liars.jpg — BSG #44: Four Brunettes and a Book / Magic For Liars / Interview with Karen Salyer McElmurray

Things get a little magical this week as the Book Squad discusses "Magic for Liars" by Sarah Gailey. We cover the inevitable comparisons to those *other* books set in a magical school, how this book works as a mystery novel, and how we feel about our narrator, Ivy. Then, Emily interviews Karen Salyer McElmurray, author of "Wanting Radiance." Later, we dig into a little listener feedback and catch up on what’s happening on the #BookSquadBlog. Rent "The Secret Garden" for our next #Othersode on August 24th, and read along with us for our next #Bookpisode on "We Set the Dark on Fire" by Tehlor Kay Mejia on September 7th!

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

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.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic: What Did I Just Read?

August 7, 2020 Emily

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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.

“Say Hi Intrepid Heroes!”: Dimension 20 Takes Actual Play RPG Shows to the Next Dimension?!?!

August 2, 2020 Todd Osborne

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.

The Great OCD AMA: Answering Your Questions about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

August 1, 2020 Susan

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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