Emily: It’s time for another installment of YA book club, and this month, we’re talking about This is Not the Real World, Anna Carey’s sequel to This is Not the Jess Show, a book we covered for a previous YA Book Club blog post. And we both really liked that one a lot, so we’re back here for round 2.
Read moreOthersode #69: We Got a Dollar Once / Persuasion with Tirzah Price
Othersode #69: We Got a Dollar Once / Persuasion with Tirzah Price
Wink, wink. ;) Why is the Book Squad winking at you? Because we watched the new Persuasion adaptation on Netflix, that’s why! Join us and special guest Tirzah Price for our discussion about the film, including the fourth wall-breaking, the anachronisms and other bold choices, the plot simplification, and the characterization of Anne. Next we chat with the always delightful Tirzah about her latest novel, Sense and Second-Degree Murder, and potential future novels! Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez on August 8th, featuring special guest Janet Dale! Then we’ll lean into our new status as your go-to Sandra Bullock podcast for our next Othersode on Bullet Train on August 22nd. Send us some listener feedback to read on the pod, and don’t forget to leave us a review!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreBSG #69: A Chilling Portrait of Womanhood / Notes on an Execution
BSG #69: A Chilling Portrait of Womanhood / Notes on an Execution
The Book Squad visits death row this week with our discussion about Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. We talk about the narrative structure and writing style, morality and choice, and the fascination with serial killers and crime. Next we get into some feedback for Book of Night and catch up with what’s on the blog. Returning special guest Tirzah Price (author of Sense and Second-Degree Murder) will join us for our next Othersode on Netflix’s new Persuasion adaptation on July 25th. For our next Bookpisode, we’ll be covering Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González with special guest Janet Dale on August 8th. Send your listener feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com or DM us on social media. Don’t forget to leave us a (five star!) review on Apple podcasts.
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreQueer Girl Book Club: The Memory Librarian
Kelli: Hello and welcome to an extremely belated edition of Queer Girl Book Club! This month (or last month? Or maybe the month before that, who is to say?) we read The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae. The collection is an expansion of the Afrofuturistic universe Monae initially explored in their 2018 studio album, Dirty Computer, and features five stories written alongside five different collaborators: Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, Eve L. Ewing, Yohanca Delgado, and Sheree Renée Thomas.
So, the obvious place to start is with Janelle Monae, right? How familiar are you with their work, and were you a fan of Dirty Computer? Bonus Q: have you watched any of the “emotion picture” released alongside the album?
(Note: Janelle Monae uses they/them and she/her pronouns. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be using they/them)
Read moreOthersode #68: Everyone's Gay! / The Time Traveler's Wife
Othersode #68: Everyone's Gay! / The Time Traveler's Wife
Zip back in time with the Book Squad for our discussion of the new HBO series The Time Traveler’s Wife. We talk about the differences between the novel and the show (and that one movie no one liked), the “grooming” criticisms, the pacing, the casting, and how the show ends…or does it? Join us for our next Bookpisode on Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafa on July 11th. Then tune in on July 25th for an Othersode on the new Netflix adaptation of Persuasion featuring special guest Tirzah Price, author of Sense and Second-Degree Murder! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreOur Crooked Hearts: A dark mother-daughter tale about modern-day magic
Would this pup lie to you?
If you like witchy stories about rituals, mother-daughter relationships, and missing time, be sure not to miss Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert. This parallel story follows a mother’s descent into magic with some serious teeth, and a daughter uncovering the mystery of a woman who appears suddenly in the woods followed by the appearances of some dead rabbits – and it’s a gripping page-turner.
Read moreRead It or Skip It?: How to Win the Bachelor
One of the great things about Audible is the ability to return a book if you’re not loving it. But sometimes this backfires. If you’ve made too many recent returns, you might get stuck with a book you’d rather DNF. Well, reader, I lived it. And I powered through just so I could write this blog post and something could come out of the time I spent listening to this painfully detailed breakdown of our beloved show, The Bachelor. That’s right. I listened to How to Win the Bachelor by Chad Kultgen and Lizzy Pace, so you don’t have to. Spoilers to follow.
Read moreBSG #68: Who is Raven? / Book of Night
BSG #68: Who is Raven? / Book of Night
Special guest Ellis (and her shadow) joins the Book Squad this week for our discussion of Holly Black’s adult debut, Book of Night. We dig into the novel’s magic system, adult vs. YA fantasy writing, character development, and how we felt about the ending. Check out The Time Traveler’s Wife series on HBO before our next Othersode on June 27th. Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode about Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka on July 11th. Send listener feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com and don’t forget to leave us a rating and review!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreYA Book Club: A Snake Falls to Earth
Mary: Weeeeelcome to YA Book Club, where we talk about a new YA book approximately once per month. This time around, Todd is joining us to discuss Darcie Little Badger’s A Snake Falls to Earth. You might remember that Emily and I read Elatsoe last year and loved it. We had (perhaps unrealistic) high hopes for A Snake Falls to Earth, so it shot to the top of our to-read list when it came out. Todd also loved Elatsoe, and I happen to be married to him and think he’s smart, so he’s here, too! Hello, Todd!
Read moreIt's Time to Revisit Red Clocks
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (Little Brown) By the way, this is the best abstract illustration of a vulva on a book? Right? The cover was designed and illustrated by Lauren Harms and I’m obsessed.
Since the Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked at the beginning of May, showing the court is posed to overrule Roe v. Wade any day now, I can’t stop thinking about a book I originally read when it was published in 2018.
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