Book Squad Goals
by #BookSquadGoals
Looking for a book club but don't have time to squeeze real-life meetings into your schedule? Join Book Squad Goals, a bi-weekly podcast about—you guessed it—books, plus all the garbage pop culture we consume when we’re not reading (that’s what our “othersodes” are for!). While you’re paying attention, check out our website & blog at booksquadgoals.com, where we have weekly posts about books, pop culture, and probably our pets. We love our pets.
Episodes
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BSG #125: Nature’s Push-Up Bra / The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham
We’re off to the kingdom of Gyldan for a discussion of The Secret World of Briar Rose by beloved BookTuber Cindy Pham! Special guest Hena joins the squad to discuss all things Cindy, the book’s dual timelines, the joylessness of reading about depression, the characters, and more. On our next...
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Othersode #124: Autobiography: A Memoir / Verity
Wipe the blood from your neck and meet us at our remote chalet for a discussion of the new film Verity, based on the novel by Colleen Hoover. Along with our two guests, Angela and Emily, we talk about our experiences viewing this film, differences between the book and movie, the performances, our...
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BSG #124: Home Shopping Network Baby / Hustle, Baby by Priya Guns
If you think about it, this podcast is our hustle. (Minus the money.) Join us for a discussion of Hustle, Baby by Priya Guns. We talk about the distinctive voice, quirky characters, the (North) American Dream, and how this is eerily similar to another book we covered recently! We’re headed back...
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Othersode #123: We Bought A Zoo / Death Becomes Her with Ally Russell
Do you ever wonder if the squad looks so good because we all took a magic potion? Turns out we’re just that beautiful. But we’d love it if you joined us for a chat about Death Becomes Her, featuring special guest, author Ally Russell! We talk about our personal experiences with the film, body...
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BSG #123: Avril Está Morta / Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
Come along, dear flock, and join us for a discussion of Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash. We talk about the Flynn sisters as characters, conspiracy theories, the writing style, and more. Plus we once again try to define what satire actually is. Were we successful? Listen to find out! Author Ally…
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Othersode #122: Boop! / Fallen with Clay McLeod Chapman
Next time someone casually taps your shoulder, ask yourself: “Am I possessed now?” Even if the answer is yes, you can join us and special returning guest Clay McLeod Chapman for a discussion of the 1998 film Fallen. We talk about how the film mixes genres, the performances by every working actor…
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BSG #122: RELIGIOUS TRAUMA SUMMER IS CANCELED / All Us Saints by Katherine Packert Burke
A “literary drama packaged as a two-act play”—or is it? Join the Book Squad for a discussion of All Us Saints by Katherine Packert Burke. We chat about the book’s unique format, the St. Cloud family dynamics, and what’s up with Roland. And we ask the big important question: what even is this…
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Othersode #121: Love Island Chicken Horror / The Big Lebowski with Paul Tremblay
Get out the half and half and pour yourself a White Russian because we’re talking about The Big Lebowski with returning guest, author Paul Tremblay (Horror Movie, The Cabin at the End of the World)! We chat about our own connections to the film, the Coen Brothers’ oeuvre, why the film is a cult...
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BSG #121: Religious Trauma Summer / The Body by Bethany C. Morrow
Grab your shovels for a conversation about The Body—no, not that The Body. This one is by Bethany C. Morrow and we’re not totally sure why that’s the title! We talk about the protagonist, Religious Trauma, infidelity, that ending, and whether or not this is a horror novel. Next up on the podcast,...
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Othersode #120: A Secret Third Thing / She's the Man with Samantha Allen
Put on your best bad wig and join us for our discussion of the Amanda Bynes classic She’s the Man with returning special guest, author Samantha Allen! We talk about the star quality of Amanda, the original text of Twelfth Night, gender stuff, romance, and feminism(?). Then we have a spoiler-free...
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BSG #120: Why Are You White? / Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
Are we ghosts? Find out with us as the Book Squad chats about Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker! We ask “What is gothic, anyway?” and discuss the dual timelines, genre mixing, why Lee was a white guy, and who was masterminding this whole thing. We would have then gotten into listener feedback…
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Othersode #119: The Netflix of It All / Wayward with A LITTLE BIT CULTY's Sarah Edmondson and Nippy Ames
Join the Book Squad—and special guests Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames from A Little Bit Culty podcast—to talk about the Netflix series Wayward. We get into the real-life horrors of the troubled teen industry and talk about how this show depicts it. Then we interview Sarah and Nippy…
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BSG #119: B’nuts and Err Err / Wreck by Catherine Newman
Get in, losers—we’re getting obsessed with a local tragedy! Join the Book Squad for a chat about Wreck by Catherine Newman. We talk about our beloved Rocky, parents and family, grief and anxiety, and of course, Chicken and Angie (the cats!). On May 26, we’ll be joined by Sarah Edmondson and Nippy...
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Othersode #118: She's Come Out of Her Wig / The Boyfriend
Returning hatepisode guest Jayce (@TheEditBookshelf) joins the full squad to talk about Freida McFadden’s The Boyfriend! We discuss McFadden's recent "coming out," wonder how she has time to be a Traumatic Brain Injury Specialist and mother of two while moonlighting as a thriller author, and try…
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BSG #118: Regular Amount of Complaining / George Falls Through Time
Try not to catch the plague with us as we travel back to 1300s England to discuss George Falls Through Time by Ryan Collett! We talk about the author’s YouTube career, George as a character, medieval times vs modernity, the mechanics of time travel, and of course, the romance. Hate-read along…
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Othersode #117: Kids are Morons / Stand by Me with Catriona Ward
You guys want to see a dead body? Well we’re not going to show you one, but we ARE going to talk about Stand by Me (1986) with one of our favorite authors, Catriona Ward! We talk about our personal experiences with the film, which characters we’d be (à la Sex and the City), nostalgia, grief, and...
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BSG #117: Egg Mentioned / Swallows by Natsuo Kirino
We’ve got a dozen reasons you should listen to this episode, and all of them are eggs. Join the Book Squad for a discussion about Swallows by Natsuo Kirino. We talk about what the title means, whether this book is a thriller (it’s not), the Japanese cultural context we’re probably missing as...
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Othersode #116: The Most Romantic Podcast Ever Told / Wuthering Heights (2026)
Listen to everyone try to stay calm as they talk about Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Because this movie is oh so romantic, this is a double datepisode! Emily and Kelli are joined by their partners, Ben and Ang, to discuss Sex Fantasy with Jacob Elordi—er, wait, that’s...
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BSG #116: The Fifth Poem is Really Important / Sunbirth
Is it just us or are things…dark lately? We’re not just talking about the news – we’re discussing Sunbirth by An Yu. We talk about the meaning of the sun slipping away, the writing style and pacing, the narrator, and the general ennui of it all. Then we take a brief side quest to talk about The...
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Othersode #115: Trash is Taking Off Her Clothes Again / Return of the Living Dead with Lindsay Currie
Come get undead with the Book Squad and special guest, author Lindsay Currie, for a chat about Return of the Living Dead! We dig into zombie tropes and talk about cemeteries, the cool practical effects, and of course, that ending. Then we have a spoiler-free chat with Lindsay about her new novel…
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BSG #115: Worry About Your Own Breaths / How to Sleep at Night
Get snuggled in tight – the Book Squad is here to discuss How to Sleep at Night by Elizabeth Harris. We talk about mis-matched political relationships, queerness and performance, emotional honesty vs. just being an a**hole, and sympathetic characters (or lack thereof). Join us on February 3rd for...
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Othersode #114: Beautiful, Medicated and Moneyed / Best of 2025
It’s the episode we look forward to all year: our favorite things! The Squad counts down their favorite things from 2025. Plus, you’ll get to hear from the past year’s guests about what they loved most in 2025. And after you listen, we’d love to hear from you about YOUR favorite things too, so...
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BSG #114: Chekhov's Blood Sugar / Crafting for Sinners
For our final bookpisode of the year, we enter Hobby Lobby Hell to read Crafting for Sinners, the latest from Jenny Kiefer. We discuss the sordid history of Hobby Lobby’s crimes, debate whether an entire town can be homophobic, and try to understand blood sugar. Plus, Emily regales us with a...
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Othersode #113: Book Squad Goals' Monster / Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein
The podcast itself is Book Squad Goals. This Othersode is Book Squad Goals’ Monster. Anyway, we’re talking about Guillermo del Toro’s beautiful new Frankenstein adaptation featuring more than one of BSG’s Favorite Actors™ – and we’re joined by husband of the pod, Todd! The Squad discusses some...
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BSG #113: Between Hard & Soft / Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
It's time for the squad to meld minds with Seattle Book Club's Sam Clark to discuss Immaculate Conception, Ling Ling Huang's sophomore novel. Is this a sci-fi novel? Is it literary fiction? Is this queer? Does the art described in this book sound legit? Well, yes to all of that... but it's...
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Othersode #112: I Work Here / Midsommar with Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
It’s cold outside, but the squad is still thinking about Midsommar. Author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne journeys to the Hårga with the rest of the squad for a fun, sunny, nine-day midsummer festival. What could possibly go wrong? After we chat about human sacrifice, bears, “good for her” horror movies,...
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BSG #112: Hell is Kelli / Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
You know what they say: Hell is going to grad school. Or that’s what R. F. Kuang says, and we here at Book Squad Goals tend to agree with her assessment. This week, the squad dives into Kuang’s latest, Katabasis, discussing everything from the state of Booktok and the publishing landscape to...
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Othersode #111: Woman Preposition Noun / Netflix's The Woman in Cabin 10 with Tirzah Price
Things get creepy on the BSG podcast when four unreliable female narrators come together to discuss the Netflix adaptation of The Woman in Cabin 10, based on the thriller by Ruth Ware. This week, Tirzah Price, author of In Want of a Suspect and the upcoming A Matter of Murder, joins the squad...
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BSG #111: Perturbation of the Mind / Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
Husband of the Pod Todd joins Mary, Kelli, and Emily for a discussion of John Green’s new nonfiction book, Everything is Tuberculosis. They ask important questions about the ethics of illness narratives, cowboy hats, the US presidents, and whether or not it is sexy to look tired. Plus: an...
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Othersode #110: Are Twins Even Real? / Sinners with Ally Russell
Author Ally Russell (Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave) joins the squad to discuss Ryan Coogler’s Sinners! Ally graciously stuck around to tell us about her new book as well, and we had a great conversation about the supernatural, cemeteries, and all things strange and unusual. Ally is an absolute...
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BSG #110: Clear Lesbian Tendencies / The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
In a post-apocalyptic world, a mysterious convent is some women’s only hope for survival, but when the beautiful Lucia enters the scene, the unnamed narrator feels inspired to get to the bottom of the convent’s many secrets. This week, Emily, Mary, and Kelli discuss Agustina Bazterrica’s The...
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Othersode #109: Another Thing / The Thing with Paul Tremblay
Horror author Paul Tremblay joins us for ANOTHER episode, this time to discuss John Carpenter’s The Thing. Then, we turn our lens to Paul as we talk about his latest book, Another, a horror tale geared at younger readers. Tune in for our next episode where we will discuss The Unworthy by Agustina...
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BSG #109: Everyone is Mother (Slay) / Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata
Mary, Kelli, and Emily convene to talk about Vanishing World, the latest work by Sayaka Murata to be translated into English. When Amane finds out she was conceived in an unnatural way, it sets her up for a lifetime of mental anguish. Will Amane find her place in normative society? Will she have…
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Othersode #108: Negative Chills / The Great Gatsby (2013) with Janet Dale and Allison Renner
Hello, old sports! Join us and our young and beautiful guests, Janet Dale and Allison Renner, as we revisit Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013). Then we chat with Janet and Allison about their new collaborative chapbook, Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle. Read along for our next Bookpisode about...
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BSG #108: Shocking and Revolting / El Dorado Drive
Hey, hun! It’s your old friends, the Book Squad, with an exciting opportunity for you! We’d love to invite you to join us for our discussion about El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. We talk about the sisters’ relationships, money troubles, good ol’ fashioned pyramid schemes, and all things shocking...
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Othersode #107: Lily Gladstone Worked At Gay / The Wedding Banquet with Susie Dumond
A deliciously queer romcommy episode is here! Author Susie Dumond returns to chat with us about the 2025 remake of the film The Wedding Banquet in all of its low-key chaotic glory. Then we interview Susie about her brand new novel, Bed and Breakup (available TODAY, June 24th, wherever you get...
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BSG #107: Reading: Do You? With Jenna / The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
It’s time to read with (?) Jenna again! Join us for a discussion of The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami. We talk about surveillance, the unfortunate parallels to our present moment, the novel’s structure, the characters, and of course, Jenna Bush Hagar and her book club antics. Then we dig into some...
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Othersode #106: Good American Duplass / Good American Family with Mary Kay McBrayer
Author and pal Mary Kay McBrayer joins us to talk all things Madame Queen, AKA Stephanie St. Claire, mysterious criminal mastermind and numbers genius. Before we jump into discussing Mary Kay’s latest book, Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair…
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BSG #106: Don't Trust the Government / When the Wolf Comes Home
None will be spared…when we talk about When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy! Join the Book Squad for a chat about this wild ride of a novel—we talk about the action and pacing, horror subgenres, the characters, mom/dad stuff, and goodness vs. badness. Then we finally read some really old...
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Othersode #105: The Animal Community / The White Lotus with Todd Osborne
We’re briefly leaving our luxury villas to talk about season three of The White Lotus! Join us as we chat about the cast, the season’s setting, the characters we loved and hated, and what we can learn about the characters based on their book choices. Then we have a long overdue conversation with...
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BSG #105: For Peat's Sake / The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
Get ready to listen to us say “peat” about a hundred times because we’re discussing The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister. We talk about the Haddesley sibling dynamics, the infamous Bog Wife herself, the bog as a character, and of course, generational trauma. Join us and special guest Todd Osborne...
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Othersode #104: Cooch to the Wind / A Scythe & Sparrow Hatepisode
It’s appropriate this book involves a circus because we about to clown on it. Join the squad for a Hatepisode about Brynn Weaver’s Scythe & Sparrow, the third installment in the Ruinous Love Trilogy. After Mary gives us an overview of the other two books, we get a special review of Butcher &...
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BSG #104: All Natalies Grow Up Eventually / Entitlement by Rumaan Alam
Join us in the depths of the NYC subway system for an accidental hatepisode! We didn’t love Entitlement by Rumaan Alam, but we had a good time talking about billionaires, flat characters, lying to get a cool apartment, and of course, the guy on the subway poking people with a hypodermic needle....
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Othersode #103: We're All Just Structures, Man / The Monkey with Samantha Allen
It’s safe to listen, but whatever you do, don’t wind that monkey! Join us and special guest Samantha Allen, author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet, for a fun chat about The Monkey film, based on the short story by our man Stephen King. After discussing cursed toys of our own childhoods, we talk...
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BSG #103: Incidents Around the Tri-County Area / Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
Who’s that talking to you through your AirPods? Is it the Book Squad, or is it Other Mommy? Join us as we discuss Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. We talk about the novel’s POV and try to figure out what Other Mommy actually is. Plus, Mary gives us a children’s lit lesson! Go see The...
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Othersode #102: Clady McHendrix / The Craft with Grady Hendrix and Clay Mcleod Chapman
Returning guests and two of our favorite authors, Grady Hendrix and Clay McLeod Chapman, join us to talk about The Craft. We talk about our experience with the film and try to dissect what it’s really saying about witches. Then we have a spoiler-free chat with Grady and Clay about their newest...
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BSG #102: I Like Diven / One of Our Kind
Come with us to a utopian (?) community as we discuss One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon. We talk about the responses to the book from POC readers (our standard disclaimer: we are white ladies), the book’s ending, class and characters, and comparisons to similar stories. Tune in on February 4 for a...
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Othersode #101: A Group of Haters is Called a Podcast / Best of 2024
Happy New Year! We’re celebrating by talking about all of our favorite things from 2024. This is the fun kind of retrospective where we just talk about the good things and leave out all the bad! Plus, you’ll get to hear from many of this year’s podcast guests about their favorite things from the...
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BSG #101: Is it Cobbler or Pie? / Model Home
Our gift to you on this very special Christmas and Hanukkah twofer is our final episode of the year: a discussion of Rivers Solomon’s latest novel, Model Home. Join us for a truly haunting discussion about family dynamics, gender exploration, and the difference between cobbler and pie. In the new...
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Othersode #100: Past-Peak Hugh Grant / Music & Lyrics with Samantha Allen
POP! goes our 200th episode! Join the Book Squad (plus Ben) and special guest Samantha Allen, author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet, to talk about the 2007 Hugh Grant/Drew Barrymore romcom Music & Lyrics. We discuss our personal connections to the film, the romance, the music, and what might not...
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About this show
Looking for a book club but don't have time to squeeze real-life meetings into your schedule? Join Book Squad Goals, a bi-weekly podcast about—you guessed it—books, plus all the garbage pop culture we consume when we’re not reading (that’s what our “othersodes” are for!). While you’re paying attention, check out our website & blog at booksquadgoals.com, where we have weekly posts about books, pop culture, and probably our pets. We love our pets.
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