Mary: Here we are with another YA Book Club! This one has a big back-to-school vibe for me, since a bunch of it takes place in high school, and even though school around here technically started back in July, I’m still feeling the Fall school feels. What made you want to pick this book, Emily?
Read moreTodd's Fantasy Series Corner Part 4
The Murderbot Diaries
Welcome back to my blog series where I ramble about the fantasy and sci-fi books I have read recently! It has been a while since my last blog, and I am happy to report that I have many series to speak on! First, I have a little update on a couple of series I have mentioned before, and then I will jump into some new series I have been reading recently.
Read moreThe Whale, Critical Conversation, and the Shame of Being Fat
A24
“It just feels really isolating to feel like people don’t see me as human,” I told my husband, Todd, after a long day of anxiety stemming from Darren Aronofsky’s new film The Whale. Blinking away tears as I drove to pick up a grocery order of food I didn’t want to cook anymore, I felt like I was out of control in my own body, trapped in a too-big vessel that kept most people from seeing me for what I am: a person.
It probably sounds like an exaggeration for me to be upset about a movie that hasn’t released yet, a movie I couldn’t even have seen. Unfortunately, the media discourse surrounding The Whale has reemphasized that many people—especially those in the business of Hollywood—don’t see nonnormative bodies as human.
Some spoilers for The Whale to follow. CW: Disordered eating.
Read moreOthersode #70: Trigger Warning: Train Too Fast / Bullet Train with Samantha Allen
Othersode #70: Trigger Warning: Train Too Fast / Bullet Train with Samantha Allen
Take the WORLD’S FASTEST TRAIN on up to the PNW with the Squad and special guest Samantha Allen as we discuss the new film Bullet Train (based on the book by Kotaro Isaka) as well as Samantha’s new book, Patricia Wants to Cuddle. We cover everything from the film’s whitewashing allegations to the way the Bachelor franchise is basically a horror movie, so you definitely don’t want to miss this.
Next episode: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi - 9/5
Next Othersode: Don’t Look Now with Clay McLeod Chapman - 9/19
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Read moreBSG #70: The True American Dream: Colonialism / Olga Dies Dreaming
BSG #70: The True American Dream: Colonialism / Olga Dies Dreaming
Okay, but seriously, what IS the American dream? This week, we’re joined by special guest Janet Dale as we attempt to find the answer in the pages of Olga Dies Dreaming, the debut novel by Xochitl Gonzalez. Also on the agenda: dysfunctional families, Puerto Rico’s historic and continued struggle as a U.S. territory, the personal cost of becoming a revolutionary, and men with coca cola-colored eyes who make love with their socks on. We also shout out Emily, who is absent due to her recent move to Seattle, and Susan, who welcomed her new baby girl, Amira Justine Reach, to the world! Join us for our othersode on August 22nd when we’ll talk about the new film Bullet Train with author Samantha Allen—and don’t worry, we WILL be discussing her lesbian bigfoot novel Patricia Wants to Cuddle. Then, on September 5th, you can enjoy our next bookpisode on You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts, follow us @booksquadgoals on social, and email your feedback on this or any episode to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com!
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Read moreYA Book Club: This is Not the Real World
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!
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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.
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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!
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