I have a slight confession. I haven’t been excited about a book in a long time. Sure, there have been plenty of books I’ve enjoyed lately, but not many that I’ve been genuinely excited about. You know that feeling when you can’t put a book down because it’s just too good to not keep reading? It’s a great, thrilling feeling, and I just haven’t really gotten to enjoy it much lately. After treating myself to a day off Friday (freelance life, amiright?), I decided to pick up a book for fun, just for me. Settling on Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, I prepared myself to read for about 15 minutes then delve into TikTok for an inevitable doom scroll session. Then those 15 minutes passed, then 30, then an hour, then two. I couldn’t put down Iron Widow. I didn’t want to.
Read moreBSG #65: Non-Consensual Oil Change / The Atmospherians
BSG #65: Non-Consensual Oil Change / The Atmospherians
The Book Squad (with special guest Jayce Chambliss) goes semi-off the grid for our discussion of The Atmospherians by Isle McElroy. We talk about online harassment, toxic masculinity, gender performance, satire, and the mall comeback no one anticipated. Next we get into some feedback on No Exit and catch up with what’s on the blog, including a new installment of YA Book Club, a video game review, and a podcast review. Join us on April 4th for our Othersode about the film The Lost City. Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Reprieve by James Han Mattson on April 18th! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!
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Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: Twin Flames
A few weeks ago, I was listening to A Little Bit Culty, and the episode was about Twin Flames Universe (TFU), a high-pressure group I'd never heard of before. The guest was Keely Griffin, a former member of the group. I've heard of the concept of "twin flames," but I had no idea there was a whole culty organization centered on the idea. A few days later I heard an advertisement for a new Wondery show called Twin Flames that explores and exposes the group, and I immediately downloaded the first two episodes.
Read moreOthersode #64: Chekhov's Cocaine / No Exit
Othersode #63: Chekhov’s Cocaine / No Exit
Get trapped in a snowy rest stop with the Book Squad for our discussion of the film No Exit, based on the novel by Taylor Adams. We talk about whether this thriller is also a mystery, explore the differences between the book and the movie, and pick apart the characters. Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy on March 21. Our next Othersode topic is TBD, so stay tuned. Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe, and send your listener feedback on this or any other episode to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com!
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Read moreYA Book Club: Of Curses and Kisses
Mary: Hello and welcome back to YA Book Club! Today we’re talking about Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon, which has been on our TBR for quite some time now. Menon is one of our favorites, and we’ve talked about her novel There’s Something About Sweetie in the past, and we even did a whole podcast episode about Make Up Break Up. Of Curses and Kisses is different from any other Menon book I’ve read before simply because it has kind of a fantasy spin. It’s a contemporary retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” (we can get into which version later), and there is a curse as the title implies. There’s not really magic or anything, but there is a fabulous boarding school and lots of money, which is basically magic, isn’t it?
Read moreElden Ring Stuns and Saddens
I spent the last weekend in February planted firmly on my couch, playing hour after hour of Elden Ring, the latest offering in the Soulsborne series. A while back, I wrote about Bloodborne, another FromSoftware game that is incredibly punishing. I concluded the post by saying I wasn’t sure if I liked it, and now, even much later, the answer is still unclear.
Read moreBSG #64: Space Racism / Goliath
BSG #64: Space Racism / Goliath
The year is 2050-something and the world is…confusing? Join us in near-future America (and space!) for our discussion of Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi. We discuss the “big ideas” the novel puts forth, as well as the writing style, the difficult-to-understand bits, and moments of joy(?). Then we get into some listener feedback and catch up with what’s on the blog, including new book reviews, TV show chats, and music reviews. Join us on March 7th for our Othersode on No Exit (the film adaptation), and read along for our March 21st Bookpisode on The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy. Send your listener feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com or DM us on the socials!
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Read moreSensuality and Spirituality in Asha's Awakening
Appropriately enough for a Valentine’s Day post, I initially heard of singer/songwriter Raveena during my first ever queer romance, when the girl I had just started dating made me a playlist (lol, gay). I remember being immediately struck by Raveena’s music, which is queer and sexy and undeniably magical, and texting the aforementioned Girl about how much I loved it. I have since bitterly unsubscribed from that playlist, but I simply could not unsubscribe from Raveena.
Raveena’s latest, Asha’s Awakening, is a concept album centered around the titular Asha, a Punjabi space princess from ancient times. In an instagram post promoting the music video for the album’s first single, “Rush,” Raveena writes of Asha: “[She] is trained by peaceful aliens in highly advanced spiritual magic. When she comes back down to Earth after her 2000 years of training in space, she attracts an obsessive cult following around her, which leads to her eventual demise.” The album weaves together a number of musical influences, from Bollywood scores to R&B of the early 2000s, and the result is a joyful and sensuous experience that demands repeated listening.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window: Yes, Really
Emily: Welcome to the blog friends, and welcome to another blog post in which Susan and Emily talk thrillers. We love it here. Susan and I both read (and LIKED) The Woman in the Window, and yes, we do know it’s problematic. So we were excited about discussing the Netflix film The Woman in the Window, which was bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. And so now we’re coming around full circle to chat about The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, which is a Netflix series spoofing domestic thrillers. But let’s be real. It’s mostly a spoof of The Woman in the Window, which is fair, because that’s a story that’s pretty easy to make fun of. Oh, and this series stars my queen, Kristen Bell.
So how was this series? Was it funny? Was it thrilling? Did Kristen Bell crush it, as always? That’s what we’re here to chat about.
Anyway, spoilers to follow.
Read moreOthersode #63: Hot Patel Winter / Station Eleven (HBO)
Othersode #63: Hot Patel Winter / Station Eleven (HBO)
Remember when we did an episode on Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel back in 2018? We barely do either! But now we’re talking about the HBO limited series Station Eleven. Full circle! We discuss the differences in the book and the show, the role of art and pop culture, favorite episodes, and what it was like to watch a pandemic show during an actual pandemic. Next we catch up with what’s on the blog (lots of fun stuff!). Read along with us for our February 21st Bookpisode on Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi. For our next Othersode on March 7th, it’s book-to-film adaptation time with the Hulu movie No Exit. Send listener feedback on this episode or any other to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com and don’t forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts!
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