Hey, purveyors of the world wide web—Gossip Girl here. What do you get when you mix the romantic lives of rich parents and the premiere of a Jeremy O. Harris play? Mess. That’s what. Read on for our thoughts on last week’s episode, but don’t forget: no eating, speaking, or direct eye contact will be tolerated.
Read moreOthersode #56: Uber for Rooms / WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn
Othersode #56: Uber for Rooms / WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn
It’s time to work till you drop! Just kidding, we’re not about that life. But we are all about discussing the new documentary WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn. We are joined by special guest “Nicole,” who has some real-life experience with WeWork, to talk about hustle culture, cult-like workplaces, toxic positivity, and the many things that went wrong with WeWork. Next we get into some listener feedback and catch up with what’s on the blog, including Bachelorette recaps, Gossip Girl recaps, and more. Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Then watch Dev Patel in The Green Knight for our next Othersode, featuring special guests Mac and Zoe from The Maniculum podcast! Don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe, and send us your feedback on this or any other episode!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreThe Bachelorette S17E7: Eating My Way to Her Heart
Craig Sjodin / ABC
It’s getting real, people. Hometowns are next week, which means all these dudes’ families are quarantining nearby. Will Greg’s second one-on-one seal his fate as the frontrunner? Will Mike P. cuddle his way into Katie’s heart before it’s too late? Will Blake insult an artist’s self portrait of her vagina right to her face? Read on to find out!
Read moreGossip Girl S1E2: She's Having a Maybe
via HBO Max
SPOTTED: A group of high school teachers who look to be the same age as their students, if not younger. It’s parent-teacher conference time, Upper East Siders. And for some reason I, Gossip Girl, care about parent-teacher conferences. Could it be because I am a teacher? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO Kate Keller. I mean Gossip Girl.
Emily: So as we get into the second episode of this Gossip Girl reboot, I think we’re getting a better idea of what this show is and isn’t going to be. And that would be a great thing to explore this week on the blog. The first episode sets up the show, its characters, and the storylines. But the second episode starts to set our expectations. We’re learning the rules of this world and how the characters are going to exist in it. We’re learning about what’s important to these people. I for one feel like I have a firmer grasp on the show’s trajectory. At least for now. If this series is anything like the original, it will go off the rails sooner rather than later.
Read moreSurvive the Book: Mary and Emily Read Riley Sager
Wow, do we have a treat for readers today. On a recent road trip (to see the rest of the Squad!), Emily and Mary listened to the new book by Riley Sager, Survive the Night. The novel focuses on Charlie Jordan, who needs to get out of town as quickly as possible following the death of her roommate and best friend, Maddie. Charlie uses a rideshare bulletin board (oh yeah, it’s 1991) to find Josh, a lonely college student looking for a companion on a road trip of his own. Charlie quickly begins to question if Josh could be the infamous Campus Killer as she plots her escape.
(Spoilers for Survive the Night to follow.)
Read moreThe Bachelorette S17E6: Operation WOWO
Photo: ABC
What’s hotter than a day in the New Mexican desert? Trying not to touch yourself for a whole week while you live in close quarters with 10 other people! Oh, and a “roast”—those are heated too, right? Read on to find out if this week’s episode had us all hot and bothered or just left us feeling like we need to throw up in the middle of a group date. Let’s go!
Read moreGossip Girl S1E1: Just Another Girl on the MTA
these outfits are a collective crime against humanity
Hey Upper Eastsiders. Gossip Girl here. You thought I was gone, didn’t you? Well… I’m back. And I’m now publishing exclusively on BSG. It’s where all of the cool rich teens hang out. It’s basically the Dumbo of the internet.
Just kidding. We know that was a really convincing impression of the voice and general essence of THE Gossip Girl, but it’s actually just Emily and Kelli here to provide you with recaps of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl, a reboot of/sequel to the original show, which aired on the CW from 2007 to 2012 for six godforsaken seasons. If you’re thinking, there’s a Gossip Girl reboot/refresh/sequel?, fear not. We’re here to get you all caught up.
(Spoilers for episode one to follow, as well as spoilers for the original GG.)
Read moreBSG #56: A Gatsbyness About Him / The Chosen and the Beautiful / Interview with Laura Blackett & Eve Gleichman
BSG #56: A Gatsbyness About Him / The Chosen and the Beautiful / Interview with Laura Blackett & Eve Gleichman
Jump into the Jazz Age as the Book Squad discusses The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, a queer, magical retelling of The Great Gatsby. We tread new and old territory as we talk about perspective, race, sexuality, magic, and both books’ messages. Next, Kelli hosts a delightful interview with Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman, authors of The Very Nice Box. Don’t miss our next very special #Othersode with returning guest Grady Hendrix, author of the new novel The Final Girl Support Group, as we talk about his book and the Scream franchise movies! On our next #Bookpisode, we’ll be joined by writer and book blogger RJ to discuss Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Send your feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreMy Favorite Reads of 2021 (So Far)
Since we’re a little more than halfway through the year, I thought it was a good time to check in on my reading goals for 2021 and reflect on my favorite non-podcast reads so far. I set a goal of reading 50 books at the beginning of the year, which is significantly more than I read last year, so this is a pretty lofty goal for me. While I’m ever-so-slightly behind schedule, I credit my progress to making a habit of tracking my reads. If you’re not already using the Book Riot 2021 Reading Log (made by author and friend of the pod Tirzah Price!), I highly recommend you start now. Using this log has changed my reading habits. I seriously get really excited every time I can fill in a new line on this spreadsheet.
Without further ado, let’s get into my top non-podcast reads of 2021 (so far)!
Read moreThe Bachelorette S17E5: Into the Woods
We’re back with another week of The Bachelorette and another recap! Unfortunately Blake is back too, but we’re just going to deal with it.
PLEASE NOTE: Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault.
Let’s get to the episode.
Read more