I’m back on my bullshit, and that bullshit is talking about podcasts all the damn time. This time I’m here to talk about You’re Wrong About, which is a podcast I absolutely cannot stop listening to right now. Hosts Michael Hobbes (Maintenance Phase, HuffPost) and Sarah Marshall (journalist, currently working on a book about the Satanic Panic) delve into the stories behind the cultural phenomena, moral panics and public figures that we all think we know the stories of, but in fact, we’re wrong about. Here’s why you should check it out.
Read moreWe Need to Talk About Sabriel
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I’m reading the Old Kingdom Chronicles, a series by Garth Nix. The series isn’t new by any means, but it’s new to me, and I’m having a lot of feelings about it. We need to talk about Sabriel, the first book in the series.
Read moreThe Official BSG Guide to the 2021 Oscars
AMPAS
For the first time since I started doing our annual “BSG’s Guide to the Oscars That You Probably Should Not Reference For Your Oscar Pool Because I Don’t Know What I’m Talking About,” I actually… don’t have that many complaints. At least not when it comes to the nominations. Were there oversights this year? Absolutely. Are there films nominated that I consider to be trash? No question. But considering the many disappointments and failures of the 2018, 2019, and 2020 nominations (and let’s not even get started on the wins), I am pleasantly surprised by this year’s selections.
This is a historic year in several different ways. For the first time ever, two women are nominated for best director AT THE SAME TIME. One of those women, Chloé Zhao, is the first woman of color to ever be nominated for best director. Steven Yeun and Riz Ahmed are also firsts in their categories — first Asian American person and first Muslim person to ever be nominated for best actor, respectively. Every acting category has at least one person of color (low bar, but still), and none of the nominees for best picture are as maddening or offensive as something like 2018’s Green Book.
Maybe these improvements have something to do with last summer’s BLM protests, which brought even more visibility to the ongoing systemic racism in our country, or this past year’s uptick in violent crimes against the AAPI population. Maybe sitting around inside for a full year has forced Academy members to do some introspection. Maybe not being able to see anything in a theater has an impact on our perception of award-worthy filmmaking. I’m sure it’s a combination of all of these factors, and I’m also sure that as much positive change as we’ve seen this year, the Academy is not done making stupid mistakes. After all, they're still extremely far behind where they should be in terms of representation within their organization, which continues to be reflected in their choices. I just hope that this year marks an actual turning point rather than a blip.
Anyway, let’s get on with the predictions!
Read moreTwerkin' on the Devil: An Analysis of "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X released a music video on March 25, 2021 that changed the world.
Okay, maybe it didn’t change the world, but it did get people talking, and it definitely incensed a huge chunk of America. For those not in the know, I live in Mississippi, which doesn’t have the best history when it comes to supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
BSG #53: I Don't Fantasize About Capitalism / Make Up Break Up with Tirzah Price
BSG #53: I Don't Fantasize About Capitalism / Make Up Break Up with Tirzah Price
Join the Squad and special guest Tirzah Price to chat about Make Up Break Up, the first novel for adults by Lily Menon! We discuss the romance, the characters, and of course, the fancy apps the love interests each created. Next we talk to Tirzah about her debut YA novel, Pride and Premeditation. She tells us about the inspiration for the series, the writing process, and what to look for in upcoming books! Then we get into some listener feedback for When No One is Watching and catch up with what’s on the Book Squad Blog, including new installments of YA Book Club and Queer Girl Book Club, as well as TV and podcast reviews. Join us and special guest Clay McLeod Chapman on May 3rd for our discussion of House of the Devil (2009) and Clay’s new novel, Whisper Down the Lane. Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam Joo on May 17th. Send your feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com or hit us up on social media!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreYA Book Club: Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
Mary: *sigh* Here we go.
Lost in the Never Woods is the second published novel by Aiden Thomas, the author of Cemetery Boys, but it was the first one they wrote. The story follows Wendy Darling (yes, that Wendy Darling) as she teams up with Peter Pan (yes, that Peter Pan) to help solve the mystery of why neighborhood kids are going missing. Wendy also hopes to find out what happened to her younger brothers, who disappeared years ago.
Full disclosure: we read this book because of two main reasons. First, we’ve heard so many good things about Aiden Thomas’ Cemetery Boys and wanted to check out their work. Second, we both got an Advanced Listening Copy from Libro.fm (whoop whoop!), and thought it might be a nice fit for YA Book Club. Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with this book. It was a lot.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: Maintenance Phase
For the past week, I haven’t been able to shut up about Maintenance Phase, a podcast that decodes and debunks everything related to wellness and weight loss. The podcast, hosted by Michael Hobbes (You’re Wrong About) and Aubrey Gordon (Your Fat Friend, What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat), examines everything from anti-fat bias to Weight Watchers to Dr. Oz to diet pills, and I guarantee that every episode contains information you’ve never heard before. Here are some of the reasons you should check out Maintenance Phase. Get ready to learn, unlearn, and gasp out loud when you listen.
Read more10 Reasons to Watch Revolutionary Girl Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena probably feels familiar to many viewers. The 1997 anime features a magical girl, campy baddies, and plenty of friendship. The premise of Utena sounds an awful lot like Sailor Moon, and with good reason. Kunihiko Ikuhara, one of the series directors for Sailor Moon, wanted the freedom to craft the anime he wanted to see in the world, so he left Sailor Moon, teamed up with manga artist Chiho Saito, and the rest is history.
Read moreOthersode #52: Cultpisode / The Project / Interview with Sarah Edmondson
Othersode #52: Cultpisode / The Project / Interview with Sarah Edmondson
Things get culty in this BSG #Othersode! Join us for our discussion of The Project by Courtney Summers and a special author interview with Sarah Edmondson (HBO’s The Vow) about her book, Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life. Read along with us for our next #Bookpisode on Lily Menon’s novel Make Up Break Up, featuring special guest Tirzah Price, author of the new novel Pride and Premeditation (April 19th). Then come get scared with us on our next #Othersode when we talk about House of the Devil (2009) with Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Whisper Down the Lane, a new novel inspired by the McMartin Preschool trials and the Satanic Panic (May 3rd). Please leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts, and subscribe so our episodes hit your feed right away!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreQueer Girl Book Club: They Never Learn
Kelli: Welcome back to Queer Girl Book Club! This time we read They Never Learn by Layne Fargo, a thriller which follows two women at the same university and their adventures in punishing bad men, namely those accused of sexual assault. So, let this serve as a content warning for the following topics: sexual assault, rape, abuse, suicide, and murder (does murder need a CW?).
Anyway, now that we’ve covered that: Emily, what made you choose this book?
Spoilers to follow!
Read more