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Feel like a townie with us as we go to Lackawanna, NY for a strange reunion of a group of childhood friends in Rebecca Kauffman’s novel, The Gunners. We talk about revealing secrets, character development, the problems with Mikey, and whether people can really change. Plus, we tell you all the goodies currently on the #BookSquadBlog. Go see Captain Marvel, and join us for our next #Othersode on 3/11/19! Email us your feedback to [email protected] and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe! :30–tell us about your hometown! (and petition for baby c) 21:04–book intro 27:18– S E C R E T S 40:29- The BIG secret 1:02:47–can people ever change really? 1:06:02–workshop corner and closing thoughts 1:12:12–The Power feedback! 1:13:57–what’s on the blog? What’s up next?

Things get downright whimsical this week as the #BookSquad plays Magical Fury with special guest Todd! Join Becky, Kitty, Heather and Hook at North Bay High School as they encounter a ~strange happening~ and transform into magical girls to battle with some unsavory creatures. We'll let you decide who has the coolest magical girl powers after you listen. After the magic dust settles, we cover what's on the #BookSquadBlog and what's next on the podcast. Write to us about anything you'd like at [email protected], and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe! Episode TOC: 0:30 – Game intro 4:45 – Let’s get into the game! 7:45 – Becky Prescott 16:30 – Kitty Singh 26:07 – Heather Wilcox 44:06 – Tori Hooker (Hook) 55:25 – That fateful day... 1:07:20 – We transform! 1:29:30 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Please consider donating to the The Adam Cramond Martin Travel Award, a University of Georgia scholarship created in memory of Emily's brother and our friend, Adam. Give here: https://gail.uga.edu/giving/as/fy19-adam-cramond-martin-giving-page Next episode: "The Gunners" by Rebecca Kauffman, February 25th Next othersode: Captain Marvel, March 11th

What if women all across the world were suddenly given the power of electricity? The Book Squad entertains this question and so many more as they dive into Naomi Alderman’s speculative alternate history novel “The Power.” Get ready, because we’re going to talk about race, we’re going to talk about gender, and we’re going to talk about erections. You don’t want to miss out on this. Plus, we get into a little Riverdale and Bachelor chat as we discuss what’s going on in the blog world, and coming up on our next ‘pisode: the launch of #BookSquadGames, starring friend of the pod, Todd! Be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and love us. We love you! TOC 0:27 - Susan’s fabulous hair 1:23 - What is your online conspiracy theorist user name? 7:45 - "The Power": the Goodreads summary 10:00 - The frame narrative 12:25 - "The Handmaid’s Tale" connection 13:35 - The "American War" connection 15:30 - Let’s talk about curbing 23:00 - How are we supposed to feel about this book? 30:50 - Who is the voice in Allie’s head? Is it Dick Cheney? 36:00 - Power controls history 39:30 - The MRAs on Goodreads 42:00 - What about race and power? 44:11 - What about trans women? 50:20 - Tunde and the male perspective 59:55 - Our ratings 1:08:40 - Listener feedback: more best of 2018 1:16:20 - "Little Fires Everywhere" feedback 1:19:48 - "Girls Burn Brighter" feedback 1:25:37 - What dat blog do? "Riverdale" is always back 1:27:18 - Bachelor chat 1:32:30 - Other blog things 1:35:30 - #BookSquadGames is our next othersode, February 11th! 1:36:39 - The Gunners by Rebecca Kauffman is our next book, February 25th!

Come with the #BookSquad on a not-so-luxurious European vacation to 1950s postwar Naples, Italy to discuss the HBO series My Brilliant Friend. We talk female friendship (and frenemy-ship), toxic masculinity, and the show’s (forgive us) brilliant choices in setting, design, and photography. And of course, we answer the most important question: F*ck, Marry, Kill: Stefano, Nino, and Marcello? Yes, we fully expect you to write in with your answers. After the show, we get into listener feedback on Suspiria and read your favorite things of 2018. Mary tells us about Lemuria, this month’s featured bookstore, and we break down what’s on the #BookSquadBlog right now. Be sure to start reading Naomi Alderman’s The Power for our next bookpisode! :30—Icebreaker game—Fuck, Marry, Kill, MBF edition! 12:25—Summary of and intro to the show 17:30—Friendship and Frenemy-ship 31:05—Elena’s awful summer trip, and Sarratore (CW: Child molestation) 41:37—Men men men! Toxic masculinity and machismo 53:00—The setting, design, and cool show choices 1:09:00—Feedback on Suspiria and favorite things of 2018! 1:24:09—Mary’s featured bookstore and what’s up next on the show! 1:29:53—What’s up next on the blog? Aforementioned Bustle Article: https://www.bustle.com/p/the-men-of-hbos-my-brilliant-friend-can-be-hard-to-keep-track-of-hopefully-this-guide-can-help-13234578

Finish 2018 the right way: with the story of a powerful friendship and #squadgoals. In our final episode of the year, the Squad discusses "Girls Burn Brighter" by Shobha Rao. We talk about the novel’s themes, including grief, light/dark, and hope, as well as Rao’s writing style. We get into what shapes and drives the two main characters, and of course, we discuss the harrowing (seriously, it’s really bad) journey the women endure as they try to find one another again. Plus, we’ve got listener feedback on "Little Fires Everywhere" and "Suspiria." Watch "My Brilliant Friend" on HBO for our next #othersode and read "The Power" by Naomi Alderman for our next #bookpisode! 2:18 – What meal/food would people be able to identify you by? 9:49 – Summary and book intro 12:44 – Themes and shit: Grief 16:35 – What does “girls burn brighter” mean? 23:20 – Sensory details and what they might mean 32:33 – What happens with Poornima’s father? 34:46 – Sexual violence 43:20 – Bodies as commodities and disability 46:15 – Fear 50:30 – What about that ending, though? - NYT Review: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/26/books/review/girls-burn-brighter-shobha-rao.html 1:02:29 – Ratings! 1:09:07 – Listener feedback! 1:30:34 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Next Othersode: HBO's "My Brilliant Friend," January 14th Next Bookpisode: "The Power" by Naomi Alderman, January 28th

It's time for our second annual End-of-the-Year celebration here at the Book Squad Goals clubhouse. Grab a hot cuppa tea and/or a tall glass of wine and party with us as we go through our favorite things of 2018. And then... we open presents! Sorry, we didn't get you anything. This is awkward. Please don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and come back for our final episode of the year when we'll be discussing Shobha Rao's novel "Girls Burn Brighter"! Table of Contents 1:07 - Intros & New Year’s resolutions 7:40 - Our Top 3 Favorite Things of 2018 - Susan’s #3: “Nailed It!” on Netflix 10:45 - Mary’s #3: cat instagrams! @chicagoblackcat, @dawnandmaymay, @iamthecatphotographer & @kittenxlady 14:19 - Kelli’s #3: Man Repeller! How to Genuinely Find Your Personal Style: https://www.manrepeller.com/2018/10/advice-on-finding-your-personal-style.html A List of Things I Consistently Regret but Continue to Do by Amelia Diamond: https://www.manrepeller.com/2018/12/cat-eye-eyeliner-and-other-things-i-regret-starting.html 15 Women Share Their Most Bone-Chilling Ghost(ing) Stories: https://www.manrepeller.com/2018/10/15-women-share-their-best-stories-about-ghosting.html 21:40 - Emily: “Mandy” 25:22 - Guest pick! Janet’s 2018 fave: Audiobooks 28:22 - Susan’s #2: “Trench” by 21 Pilots 32:41 - Mary’s #2: “Be the Cowboy” by Mitski 36:27 - Kelli’s #2: “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” on Netflix 42:28 - Emily’s #2: “Atlanta” Season 2 47:20 - Guest pick! ASMR Todd’s favorite thing of the 2018: “Mission Impossible: Fallout,” specifically Henry Cavill punching the air. Please visit twitter.com/cavillpunching 48:53 - Our 2018 honorable mentions: “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” “Queer Eye,” Ariana Grande (music & gossip), CHVRCHES, Pete Holmes & “Crashing” 54:55 - Guest pick! Stephanie’s 2018 fave: “Love is Dead” by CHVRCHES 57:10 - Susan’s #1: “Dr. Death” 1:03:09 - Mary’s #1: Spider-Man for the PS4 1:08:50 - Kelli’s #1: “Dirty Computer” by Janelle Monae NPR’s Best Albums of 2018: https://www.npr.org/2018/12/04/671206573/the-50-best-albums-of-2018-page-1 Janelle Monae’s response to Grammy https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8489341/janelle-monae-dirty-computer-emotional-reaction-to-grammy-awards-album-of-the-year-nomination 1:13:27 - Emily’s thoughts on horror and grief / Guest Pick! Ben’s 2018 fave: “Annihilation” 1:16:24 - Emily’s #1: Hereditary 1:18:15 - Guest Pick! Elizabeth’s 2018 fave: Creating the headpiece for Polaris on “The Gifted” 1:22:02 - Secret Santa!!!!! 1:40:35 - Final guest pick: Emily’s Dad, Charlie, AKA “the Dad to call if you’re taken prisoner by a cult” 1:42:50 - What’s on the blog? What’s next on the pod? Next episode: “Girls Burn Brighter” by Shobha Rao, December 31 Next othersode: “My Brilliant Friend” (miniseries), January 14, 2019 Happy holidays, GOALIES!

Come with us to the idyllic community of Shaker Heights, Ohio for our discussion of "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng. We discuss whether the novel is character- or plot-driven, which characters were most effective, why the book is set in the 1990s, and more (like which of us were bitchy teenagers). Plus, we read some listener feedback on "Goodbye, Vitamin," and Emily tells us about MyTBR, which you should definitely subscribe to. Hear about this month's featured bookstore, The Strand, and catch up on what's on the #BookSquadBlog. Read along with us for our next #bookpisode on "Girls Burn Brighter" by Shobha Rao and tune in on 12/17 for our Best of 2018 #othersode! 0:40 – Who would you cast in the film adaptation? 7:21 – Novel synopsis and intro 9:00 – What characters did we like? Who did we hate? 18:40 – Wow the time period affects the book 28:33 – Kelli thinks she doesn’t love the book; are these characters stereotypes? 34:10 – Artists and artistry 46:03 – Is the novel plot driven or character driven? What’s with the POV shifts? 1:03:46 – “She’s never known the touch of a man” 1:05:45 – What is this book about? And ratings!! 1:11:35 – MyTBR! 1:16:31 – Listener feedback ("Goodbye, Vitamin") 1:23:02 – Featured bookstore—the Strand! 1:24:00 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Want more Celeste Ng? Read Emily's interview with her for Book Riot: https://bookriot.com/2018/04/27/celeste-ng-interview/ Next Othersode 12/17: Our 2018 Faves! Next Bookpisode 12/31: "Girls Burn Brighter" by Shobha Rao

Join the #BookSquad — er, #BookCoven — for a not-so-scary look at the new "Suspiria," directed by Luca Guadagnino. We talk about what worked and what didn't work (but mostly what didn't work) in this re-imagining of the 1977 film. Is the dancing good? Why is Tilda Swinton playing so many characters? And most importantly, what would "Suspiria" sound like as a Rihanna song? We answer all this and more, plus we hear some listener feedback on "Castle Rock!" Read along with us for our next #bookpisode on Celeste Ng's "Little Fires Everywhere," which drops on December 3rd. 1:00 – What would you use as a front for your secret witch coven? 3:38 – Spoiler warning and movie summary 7:20 – Is there ANYTHING we enjoyed? 15:28 – Susan’s issues with the filmmaking 20:58 – What even is going on in this movie and why was it hard to figure out? 26:54 – Turning horror into ART - Variety review: https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/suspiria-review-dakota-johnson-1202924220/ 37:12 – Is this movie feminist? Feminine? 40:00 - The angry New Yorker piece—what is this movie even about? - New Yorker review: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/review-luca-guadagninos-suspiria-is-the-cinematic-equivalent-of-a-designer-che-t-shirt/amp 44:15 – Ratings 47:27 – A scheduled surprise 51:20 – Feedback time! 56:13 – "Castle Rock" feedback (spoiler alert!) 1:06:57 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? BSG is proud to be an affiliate for the 2019 Refresh Weekly Planner by Workspacery. Visit http://bit.ly/2RnXx1g to get your planner today! "Suspiria" Lyrics by Emily, music by "Rihanna's people" Tilda S. plays a shrink In old man make-up We’re not sure what to think About this weird shake-up So much blood, so don’t blink How much time will this take up Feels like I'm going insane, yeah Violent dreams in the night Dead moms might drop by Dakota Johnson is a fright With that red hair dye When you dance, it’s a spell You might just fly Or break every bone in your body Throw on your sweatpants It’s time to dance with no music It’s time for witch chants Writhing can be therapeutic It’s like you’re in a trance Dancing the dance of another This isn’t vanity, it’s art! You’re watching Suspiria It's a two million hour snore Suspiria Obscure references to the war You’re watching Suspiria Prepare for nudity and gore Suspiria, Suspiria

Goodbye, Vitamin and Hello, new episode! This week the Squad discusses the plight of Ruth, a 30-year-old woman caring for her father, who has Alzheimer’s disease in Rachel Khong’s debut novel. We discuss the fickleness of human memory, the switch from cared-for to caretaker, the book’s narrative format, and the overall writing style of the novel. Then we get into some listener feedback about "Fledgling" (well, mostly about vampires). Plus, we tell you what’s on the #BookSquadBlog. Our next othersode will be on "Suspiria," so get to the theater and get spooked! 1:00 – Favorite weird trivia 8:15 – Book Intro and summary 11:15 – What role does memory play in the book? 18:45 – What is truth and how true should creative nonfiction be? How should novels be structured? 27:35 – Seeing the inner workings of a novel 30:47 – FOOD 35:10 – Personal experience and enjoyment of the novel 41:15 – Humor and sadness 48:50 – Ratings! 52:19 – Feedback! 1:05:50 – What's on the blog? What's up next? - This month's featured bookstore is Ernest and Hadley in Tuscaloosa, AL! https://www.ernestandhadleybooks.com/ - Kelli's post on HTLYT: How to Start a Podcast! http://howtolearnyourtwenties.com/2018/10/29/guest-post-how-to-start-a-podcast/ 1:14:15 – Tree of Life Remembrance - If you’d like to donate to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, please go to https://jfedpgh.org/donate. BSG is proud to be an affiliate for the 2019 Refresh Weekly Planner by Workspacery. Visit http://bit.ly/2RnXx1g to get your planner today! Next episode: "Suspiria," November 19th Next Book: "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng, December 3rd

Enter the spoooooky world of Stephen King with The Squad as we discuss the Hulu show “Castle Rock.” Together, we’ll tackle the tough questions, such as: What does it mean to be “evil”? Does this show have too many balls in the air? Is Bill Skarsgård hot or just tall? Why did Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson break up? Plus, stick around for an interview with the amazing Gabrielle Moss, Bustle columnist and author of “Paperback Crush.” Do you have opinions about “Castle Rock”? Theories about what the ending meant? A love letter for your favorite paperback series from when you were a teen? E-mail us and let us know at [email protected]! And don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe! Why? Because we love you. 1:00 - Intro: What TV Shows do we want? 4:51 - Introducing "Castle Rock" 7:28 - Expectations: Did we have them? Were they met? 14:16 - In which we gripe about "American Horror Story" 24:34 - All the previous Stephen King adaptation actors 29:00 - The ending 38:30 - What is evil? 40:10 - Stephen King and Sci-Fi 42:00 - Introducing Gabrielle Moss! 43:20 - Which Babysitters Club Member R U? 44:30 - The Mid-90’s and all the Teen Book Series(es?) 51:30 - The lack of diversity 55:00 - Horse girls 58:30 - Why do people keep moving to Fear Street? 1:03:10 - Taking it back to Sweet Valley High 1:08:00 - Ghostwriters 1:09:45 - The "Riverdale" Treatment 1:15:17 - OMG WE’RE DOING A GIVEAWAY! Check us out @booksquadgoals on social media for details. 1:17:50 - "Riverdale" is the McDonald’s Ball Pit 1:19:15 - Susan’s Pod Squad 1:20:40 - Mary tells us about "Speechless" 1:22:00 - Kelli finally did it 1:23:40 - A Moment of Silence for Ariana & Pete Thanks again to Gabrielle Moss for talking with us! Her book, "Paperback Crush," comes out October 30th, and you can preorder it here: https://www.quirkbooks.com/book/paperback-crush. Next time on the podcast: "Goodbye Vitamin" by Rachel Khong. Episode drops November 5th, so be sure to read along with us!

It's October, which means it's time for a spoooooky bookpisode about vampires... or Ina... whatever. In this episode, the squad chats about Octavia Butler's novel "Fledgling," vampire mythology, Anne Rice, current events, politics, unicorn clubs, and much much more. Check it out, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and send us e-mails/pictures of your pets in Halloween costumes. Happy Spooktober! 1:40–if you could reimagine any supernatural creature, which would you reimagine and why? 5:13–book intro and synopsis 6:50–Weird relationships with child vampires 15:57–the mythology of vampires 27:27–how are vampires in fledgling different? 32:18–symbiont draaaaaama 34:13–the trial—and how it reminded us of current events 41:37–dear Theodora, and more about symbionts 46:25–does the novel have tone shifts? 52:59–ratings and final thoughts 58:25–feedback on "The Tresspasser" 1:09:07–featured bookstore—Parnassus in Nashville, TN! 1:13:16–what’s on the blog? What’s up next? Next Othersode: "Castle Rock"/Interview with Gabrielle Moss Next Bookpisode: "Goodbye Vitamin" by Rachel Khong

It's finally here! This week, our long-awaited "Sharp Objects" discussion is finally ready for your ears. (Don't tell Mama.) Joined by special guest and honorary squad member Janet, we get deep into spoiler territory as we chat about the beloved HBO miniseries, currently available to stream in its entirety. Conversation topics include Missouri, southern accents, mood music, and distressingly beautiful wallpaper. In the second half of the episode, Kelli interviews author and pop culture expert Sam Maggs about her latest book, "Girl Squads," which will be available October 2nd. Kelli and Sam talk about girl squads of yore, the erasure of important women throughout history, and—you guessed it—Josie and the Pussycats. Finally, our usual plea: send us comments and questions at [email protected], rate and review, and SUBSCRIBE, y'all. 2:04 – What’s the scariest toy for children? 9:50 – Summary and overview of the show 11:35 – What’s up with the relationships between women in the show? 21:05 – Camille has so much going on 33:07 – The big reveal! 37:15 – Alan is kind of a creep, right? 40:25 – Adora’s special medicine and sickness 48:00 – The small town v big city complex 52:46 – Does this story work best as a miniseries or a book? 58:01 – Interview with Sam Maggs, author of "Girl Squads!" 1:28:52 – Feedback! What’s on the blog! What’s up next! Next bookpisode: "Fledgling" by Octavia Butler, Monday, October 8th Next othersode: "Castle Rock," Monday, November 5th Thanks again to Sam Maggs for the interview! "Girl Squads" comes out October 2nd and is available for pre-order here: https://www.quirkbooks.com/book/girl-squads. You can learn more about her work at her website, https://www.sammaggs.com/.

Get out your magnifying glasses because it’s time for a classic detective story as we dive into Tana French’s newest novel, ‘The Trespasser.’ The #BookSquad talks about the mystery genre, the “femme fatale” character type, and subverting expectations in detective fiction. Plus, we answer the question: Just how Irish is this book? (Spoiler: Jaysus! It’s very Irish.) There’s even a new segment in this episode called Emily Recommends, where Emily tells you which Tana French book you should read next! Then we read some listener feedback from our last fullpisode on ‘The Leftovers.’ After you listen to this, check out our latest content on the #BookSquadBlog, and start watching Sharp Objects if you haven’t already, because that’s what we’re discussing on our next othersode! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe, and follow us @booksquadgoals on social media! 1:50 Introduction - Experience with mysteries! 9:32 - Goodreads Summary 12:08 - How damn Irish is this book? 18:39 - What makes this a straight-up mystery novel? The great genre debate 23:20 - Interrogations & dialogue 26:00 - Subverting conventions / Aislinn’s revenge 29:26 - Whodunnit and why? (SPOILERS) 30:53 - Aislinn’s stupid plan 33:30 - Women in mysteries & 'The Trespasser' 35:34 - Sexism & Antoinette’s anger 37:35 - Antoinette vs Aislinn 40:45 - Antoinette’s Da; men are terrible 43:35 - Is 'The Trespasser' “literary?” What does that even mean? The Washington Post review: http://wapo.st/2ds3OKF?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.e8768633e392 47:19 - Poetry sidebar 49:45 - Ratings 55:06 - Tough cop talk 55:20 - Scheduled Emily Recommends Corner Jessica Woodbury’s Tana French reading order: https://bookriot.com/2016/10/06/tana-frenchs-murder-squad-series-is-your-perfect-binge-read/ 1:02:53 - Listener feedback, 'The Leftovers' 1:11:38 - Our next othersode is ACTUALLY Sharp Objects! 1:13:55 - What’s on the blog? YA Paradise, SYTYCD and AYTO recaps, and more! http://booksquadgoals.com/blog Our next book is "Fledgling" by Octavia Butler. Episode drops Monday, October 8th!

Souls are being sold all over the place in this #othersode as the squad discusses ‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009) and Emily interviews Grady Hendrix, author of the forthcoming book ‘We Sold Our Souls.’ In the 2009 horror-comedy ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ the squad (with special guest Mary Kay!) talk about feminism, horror movie tropes, whether Megan Fox can act, and the dangers of demonic possession. Next Emily and Grady talk about his newest book, as well as his other work (which all features female characters!). Grady talks about his hands-on research processes, why the horror genre makes him happy, why vampires are kind of lame (but yes, he is currently writing a vampire novel), and, of course, Stephen King. Plus, get a rundown of what’s currently on the #BookSquadBlog and what’s up next on the podcast. For our next #fullpisode, get out your magnifying glass and trench coat because it’s mystery time! Read along with us for Tana French’s ‘The Trespasser.’ See ya on the social meedz - @booksquadgoals. Until next time, keep an eye on your soul! 0:27–hellos and welcome to Mary Kay! 7:10–summary of Jennifer’s Body 9:20–That old, dated 2009 language 14:06–Race in the film 16:10–is this a feminist movie ahead of its time? 23:53–emphasis on the body 28:58–hell is a teenage girl 31:27–emo culture 34:22–what’s up with Needy? And is this movie funny? 40:00–Grady Hendrix interview! 1:20:24–what’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links Mentioned in the Pod: 1. Jennifer's Body and The Feminist Revenge Hero Who Came Too Early - https://www.refinery29.com/2018/08/206237/jennifers-body-review-defense-female-revenge-movie 2. Why Jennifer's Body is Still Socially Relevant - http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/why-jennifers-body-is-still-socially-relevant 3. Jennifer's Body is the Queer Love Story I Always Wanted - https://anatomyofascream.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/in-defence-of-that-kiss-jennifers-body-is-the-queer-love-story-ive-always-wanted/ 4. The Great Stephen King Reread - https://www.tor.com/series/the-great-stephen-king-reread/

What would you do if people started disappearing for no reason? Would you join a cult? Take a vow of silence? Run around barefoot smoking weed? Act like everything was normal? This week on the podcast, the Book Squad delves into this, Spongebob Squarepants, and more as we discuss the novel “The Leftovers” by Tom Perrotta. Plus, we finally get answers on how Michael was able to eat his flatbread and we apologize A LOT. Sorry. Don’t forget to check out http://booksquadgoals.com for info on our upcoming books and to read all of our cool blog posts. On our next episode: We discuss “Jennifer’s Body” (now streaming, so watch it or rewatch it to prepare), and Emily interviews Grady Hendrix about his latest novel “We Sold Our Souls.” Please rate & review us on Apple Podcasts, and send any and all feedback, questions, and pet pictures to [email protected] 0:41 - Which of our pets would get raptured? 5:45 - The Leftovers: WHOOSH a summary 7:41 - Disclaimer: Kelli works for The Man 8:37 - The Garveys and grief 13:45 - Why did everyone disappear? 17:17 - What people turn to in moments of desperation 19:15 - The Guilty Remnant 22:30 - Which cult is the worst? 23:52 - Which characters do we identify with? 31:20 - Christmas 35:00 - Spongebob Squarepants 43:22 - Emily’s Theory 47:00 - It’s easier to move past things when you’re angry 54:06 - What of the ending? 1:08:40 - The TV show 1:14:11 - Our ratings 1:17:14 - Some other Tom Perrotta books 1:18:40 - Send us feedback on these books, guys 1:20:02 - What’s on da blerrrg 1:26:33 - Michael explains his flatbread 1:28:20 - Our next episode: Not about Sharp Objects SORRY Our next book is "The Trespasser" by Tana French!

Hi, um, sorry to bother you, this is the #BookSquad, and we just want to talk to you about this movie we saw. Listen as we discuss Boots Riley's directorial debut, Sorry to Bother You, starring LaKeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson. We talk about "white voice," political satire, and that VERY weird thing none of us saw coming. (Yes, there are spoilers, as always!) Plus, we read some great listener feedback on Westworld and Hereditary. Check out the #BookSquadBlog for more awesome content on books, video games, tv shows, and movies. Next up on our fullpisode: The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta. Read along and join the discussion! Send listener mail to [email protected] and rate & review us on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening! 0:35 - Going to see Sorry to Bother You 2:00 - This is a spoiler podcast 3:00 - Good things that happened to us this week 6:40 - Sorry to Bother You Synopsis 9:15 - Sorry for being white girls 11:00 - White Voice 18:24 - Comparisons to Get Out 21:29 - Worry Free and Lack of Subtlety 25:42 - Armie Hammer (the CE-Bro) & His Secrets 32:40 - The Importance of Activism 37:30 - Punk Rock Movie 47:13 - Detroit’s Style (https://store.sorrytobotheryou.movie/) 48:12 - Our ratings 53:16 - Donate to LLS - LLS: https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate - Adam's episode: https://www.spreaker.com/user/booksquadgoals/bsg-5-the-book-is-always-better-the-girl 54:54 - Listener Feedback: WESTWORLD 1:02:28 - Hereditary Feedback AGAIN (buckle up) 1:07:30 - Some things on the blog 1:08:23 - Featured Bookstore: Murder by the Book 1:12:28 - Next Time: The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta! 1:13:27 - Next Next Pod: SHARP OBJECTS!!!!!!!

Drink along with us as the #BookSquad discusses "Super Extra Grande," a short novel by Cuban sci-fi author and metal band member, Yoss. Find out what our metal band personas would be before we delve into some serious misogyny issues in this book. We talk sci-fi tropes, Spanglish, and how the heck a thing can be both giant AND a single-celled organism. For listener feedback, we go all the way back to "Fates and Furies" to revisit Lotto and Mathilde and talk about our favorite books we never want to revisit. We've also got tons of great posts for your reading pleasure on the #BookSquadBlog, so check them out! Next time on the othersode, we're talking about the film "Sorry to Bother You," so go see it and join our discussion! Send feedback to [email protected], and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe! 0:30 – We all look good and have metal personas 6:40 – Who is Yoss and what is "Super Extra Grande?" Documentary: https://vimeo.com/117932844 12:00 – How’s the plot and writing? 15:00 – How bout this doozy of a narrator? 18:00 – Some quotes and thoughts about women in the book 27:08 – Intersectionality 30:00 – Spanglish 34:19 – Guest starring Cersei 35:04 – Reading pace and gosh how short is this book 38:15 – The laketons, secrets, and dumb women 40:35 – Ratings 52:54 – Letters! 1:04:06 – Stuff we’re into 1:09:14 – T-shirts! Light: https://amzn.to/2mph1p0 Dark: https://amzn.to/2KZKh4o 1:12:16 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Next Othersode: "Sorry To Bother You" Next Fullpisode: "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta

Join the #BookSquad in the dusty, violent old west as we take on season 2 of HBO's 'Westworld' and spoil literally everything. Find out what "world" squad members want to go to, how we think season 2 compares to season 1, who are favorite characters are, and what worked and didn't work this go-round. Also, what's a robutt? We read some great listener feedback about 'Solo' and 'Hereditary' (and therefore get spooked about 'Hereditary' all over again!). Plus, find out what's on the #BookSquadBlog and what's coming up on the next fullpisode! Read along with us for 'Super Extra Grande' by Yoss, and be sure to catch 'Sorry to Bother You' in theaters before our next othersode. What did you think about season 2 of 'Westworld'? Email your thoughts to [email protected]. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe! 0:36 – Intro question—what park would you want to visit? 7:27 – Summary and spoiler warning 9:50 – Thoughts about this season in general 25:00 – Nonlinearity and narrative 27:08 – Interview with Lisa Joy (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-season-2-finale-explained-lisa-joy-season-3-1122744) 33:00 – Linearity and character and comparisons to 'LOST' 37:18 – Characterization and favorite characters 47:20 – Dolores! 53:00 – Radiohead and music and the show 57:11 – 'Solo' feedback 1:06:00 – 'Hereditary' chat 1:15:24 – What’s on the blog, what’s up next?

Join us for a deep dive into the case of the Golden State Killer as we discuss Michelle McNamara’s book, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” Joined by special guest and true crime aficionado Stephanie, the Squad covers all of the juicy details of the GSK case, the unique approach McNamara took in blending true crime and memoir, and where our obsession with the true crime genre may stem from in the first place. Plus, we shit talk our least favorite audiobooks and get in some serious gushing about Paul Holes. Stick around ‘til the end for listener feedback on our Station Eleven episode, our elusive ‘Stuff We’re Into’ segment, and a little bit about our featured bookstore of the month, Books are Magic! PLEASE remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on any and all of your podcatchers, and check out our blog for more of our incessant rambling. Our website is http://booksquadgoals.com, you can follow us on social media @booksquadgoals, and you can send any feedback to our email address, [email protected]. TOC 0:31 - Introduction/say hello to our special guest, Stephanie! Check out her mystery novels, ‘Murder on the First Day of Christmas’ (http://a.co/iskeiz5) and ‘Murder in a Two-Seater’ (http://a.co/dZMWyE9) 1:39 - If you could have all the answers to an unsolved murder, what would it be and why? (JonBenet, duh) 12:12 - Goodreads summary (abridged) 14:20 - Who is the GSK? What did he do? 17:00 - The crime descriptions/what scares us 22:10 - Were we aware of the case prior to reading the book? 24:30 - The intersection of True Crime and Memoir 34:00 - Do the time jumps and multiple timelines work? (Kelli is a true crime downer) 37:54 - Quick break to trash multiple audiobooks 40:30 - Mary loves this book! 44:25 - Paul Holes Obsession Corner 48:28 - Michelle’s approach & what happened to her 51:20 - True Crime ASMR for your sleeping pleasure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADXGW_Jv9SQ 52:10 - Men vs women when it comes to true crime 53:06 - Mary’s short reading of the epilogue - ‘Letter to an Old Man’ 55:04 - THEY CAUGHT HIM! Thanks to Michelle? 1:00:04 - Final thoughts & ratings 1:03:40 - IBGITD listener feedback! We saved a 12-year-old’s life! 1:07:24 - Station Eleven listener feedback from Claire and Charlie 1:14:48 - Stuff We’re Into! 1:23:49 - Featured Bookstore: Books are Magic! https://www.booksaremagic.net/ 1:27:07 - What the fuck is on the blog? Take our quiz to find out which squad member you are: https://www.booksquadgoals.com/blog/book-squad-quiz 1:30:28 - Next time on the podcast: 'Westworld' Othersode! Our next book is ‘Super Extra Grande’ by Yoss.

The Squad returns to a galaxy far, far away to discuss Solo: A Star Wars Story in this othersode. We get into the film's production woes, the reasons behind exploring this particular character, action versus world-building, the fate of the female characters, the dumb spelling of Qi'ra, how this stacks up to recent franchise installments, and THAT CAMEO. You know which one. Plus, catch up on what's on the #BookSquadBlog and read along for our next fullpisode by picking up I'll Be Gone In the Dark by Michelle McNamara! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Send your thoughts on Solo to [email protected]! 0:20—Introductions/favorite things about Donald Glover 7:00—Movie summary 8:09—Production woes: http://www.vulture.com/2018/03/solo-a-star-wars-story-actor-details-production-troubles.html 14:45—Underperformance at the box office and how Solo had to be “better” than The Last Jedi; what’s canon and not canon? 25:25—Chemistry between Chewie and Han, central relationships to the film 27:30—Potential Lando spinoff? 34:16—Qi’ra (the most ridiculous spelling in the world) 39:17—What’s up with all the ladies in Solo? Also, peripheral characters. 41:30—How would it work? It would work. 44:45—What is the message of this movie? 51:00—THE BIG CAMEO—what does it mean?! 55:45—Final thoughts about the film 57:55—What’s on the blog? Riverdale, Bachelorette, robots, Nailed It!, and more! 1:01:45—What’s next on the pod? I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara!! And later…Westworld! Other articles mentioned in the podcast: https://dailytimes.com.pk/244158/donald-glover-reveals-his-plans-for-star-wars-spin-off-film-about-lando-calrissian/ https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/05/solo-star-wars-darth-maul-alive-died-cameo-explained

If the world as we know it ended today, how would you survive? What would you miss? Who would you be? The squad explores these questions and more in our discussion of Emily St. John Mandel's 2014 novel "Station Eleven." Join us and our special guest Todd (a man) as we wax philosophical, argue about which character is the best, and gush through every last detail of this book, which—spoiler alert—we liked a lot. At the end of the episode, check in with the BSG blog and hear about Susan's bookstore of the month: E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, GA. Plus, listeners tell us why they identify as feminists, and we announce the winner of our MOXIE giveaway! It's all right here waiting for you, so you'd better hurry and listen before your device runs out of battery and is donated to the Museum of Civilization. :30 – Intros and icebreakers! With A Todd 9:47 – So what’s this book about? 12:45 – Who’s the narrator? 17:57 – How to have an apocalypse without zombies 25:18 – Is there a main character? They’re all great, really. 32:45 – Miranda is really cool, ok? 35:19 – You’re a cult leader, call your dad! 39:26 – A text within a text 42:14 – Clark’s the bomb and the writing is great 44:20 – Kirsten’s tattoos 45:40 – “Everything happens for a reason” 48:11 – Call your dad if you’re in a cult, just like the MFM ladies tell you! 49:30 – Let’s talk about Star Trek 53:20 – Why Shakespeare? 55:32 – What is this novel about? 1:06:13 – What about the ending? 1:09:44 – Ratings! 1:13:32 – The rights have been sold! 1:15:16 – Bookstore of the month— E. Shaver, Bookseller! http://www.eshaverbooks.com/ 1:18:29 – What’s on the blog? 1.23:15 – Almost paradiiiiise! YA book club and our GIVEAWAY! Congrats, Chloe! 1:27:00 – Next on the podcast: SOLO, A Star Wars Story! Our next book (in one month) is "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" by Michelle McNamara. **We want to apologize for some sound issues we had during this recording due to 'technical difficulties,' as they say. We assure you that we're doing our best to eliminate them in the future! We're still new at this... kinda.

If the world as we know it ended today, how would you survive? What would you miss? Who would you be? The squad explores these questions and more in our discussion of Emily St. John Mandel's 2014 novel "Station Eleven." Join us and our special guest Todd (a man) as we wax philosophical, argue about which character is the best, and gush through every last detail of this book, which—spoiler alert—we liked a lot. At the end of the episode, check in with the BSG blog and hear about Susan's bookstore of the month: E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, GA. Plus, listeners tell us why they identify as feminists, and we announce the winner of our MOXIE giveaway! It's all right here waiting for you, so you'd better hurry and listen before your device runs out of battery and is donated to the Museum of Civilization. :30 – Intros and icebreakers! With A Todd 9:47 – So what’s this book about? 12:45 – Who’s the narrator? 17:57 – How to have an apocalypse without zombies 25:18 – Is there a main character? They’re all great, really. 32:45 – Miranda is really cool, ok? 35:19 – You’re a cult leader, call your dad! 39:26 – A text within a text 42:14 – Clark’s the bomb and the writing is great 44:20 – Kirsten’s tattoos 45:40 – “Everything happens for a reason” 48:11 – Call your dad if you’re in a cult, just like the MFM ladies tell you! 49:30 – Let’s talk about Star Trek 53:20 – Why Shakespeare? 55:32 – What is this novel about? 1:06:13 – What about the ending? 1:09:44 – Ratings! 1:13:32 – The rights have been sold! 1:15:16 – Bookstore of the month— E. Shaver, Bookseller! http://www.eshaverbooks.com/ 1:18:29 – What’s on the blog? 1.23:15 – Almost paradiiiiise! YA book club and our GIVEAWAY! Congrats, Chloe! 1:27:00 – Next on the podcast: SOLO, A Star Wars Story! Our next book (in one month) is "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" by Michelle McNamara. **We want to apologize for some sound issues we had during this recording due to 'technical difficulties,' as they say. We assure you that we're doing our best to eliminate them in the future! We're still new at this... kinda.

Join the #Squad on a deep dive into the world of cyberbullying and spooky Internet things as we discuss the 2014 film 'Unfriended.' We talk about how well the movie's conceit is working, why Blaire is kind of terrible, and the scariest parts of the story (The glitch just typed!). After that, take the "Who is Your Bookish Boyfriend?" quiz with us and find out about your literary lover. Plus, what's coming up on our next fullpisode: 'Station Eleven' by Emily St. John Mandel. Don't forget to check out the #BookSquadBlog for extra content, and rate and review us on Apple podcasts! 0:42 - Why Unfriended and NOT Infinity War 2:24 - If you were an Internet ghost… 3:53 - Should we be using Instagram stories? 5:33 - I guess we should just get into the thing 7:06 - Why is this movie so good? It’s so good. 13:00 - Is Blaire the worst or only the second worst? 19:20 - Poking fun at teen horror stereotypes 24:00 - How do we feel about the computer screen conceit? 31:12 - PSA Time with Kelli: Cyberbullying is bad 34:10 - Real life rich white teens 38:03 - So is it scary? 40:20 - What’s the deal with Laura Barns? 41:18 - We plan out the 'Unfriended' prequel 42:19 - Why doesn’t everyone love this movie? We don’t get it. 45:03 - There will be an 'Unfriended' sequel! 47:11 - Quiz: Who is Your Bookish Boyfriend? Take the quiz with us! https://bookriot.com/2018/05/01/bookish-boyfriend-quiz/ 58:10 - Listener Feedback: More about 'RP1' 1:00:48 - Men, I’m talking to you 1:01:59 - What’s on the blog? 1:06:41 - We have a podcast! What’s coming up?

The #BookSquad visits SoCal this week as we discuss The Mothers, Brit Bennett's stellar debut novel. We cover motherhood (duh!), guilt, grief, and the like. But have no fear, this isn't a bummer episode! In fact, it's pretty cute. The Squad is celebrating the one-year podversary of #BookSquadGoals, so you'll also get to hear us exchange "secret Santa" gifts in honor of this special birthday. Thank you for listening to us for a whole year, and don't forget to rate and review us and check us out on booksquadgoals.com! 1:08--Podcast new year resolutions 5:27--Summary 8:00--Perspective and the mothers 11:23--Motherhood and moms 21:11--Grief and guilt 26:25--Luke 35:30--FEELINGS 38:08--Mom2BE is back! 40:53--Nadia 47:00-Emily's magic make out skills 57:40--Ratings! 1:00:05--RP1 feedback 1:03:03--featured bookstore: bombshell comics! 1:07:25--presents! 1:21:37--Mary's Cheryl Blossom poem, then more presents! 1:29:35--whats up next--UNFRIENDED

Put on your haptic suits and join the Book Squad in Halliday’s OASIS as we discuss the new Steven Spielberg movie, "Ready Player One." We’ve got lots of thoughts and feelings about Parzival, Aech and Art3mis in the movie, as well as in Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel on which the film was based. Plus, the squad gets into some questionable poetry by Cline and dives into how Gamergate affects some feminist readings of the book and the movie. Also, hear what’s up on our next fullpisode and what’s on the #BookSquadBlog! 1:00 – Summary and intro 3:55 – What’s your favorite 80s movie? 9:10 – Let’s jump into it—what is everyone saying about this movie? (Science Fiction by women, for reference: https://bookriot.com/2018/02/20/read-harder-sci-fi-novel-female-protagonist-by-a-female-author/) 1:06 – Funny responses to the book/film Jenny Nicholson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWPMJwHrWFU McSweeney's: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/excerpts-from-my-upcoming-novel-ready-player-two-girl-stuff 14:36 – Mary and Susan can overlook things; also, Artemis is cooler in the book! 16:28 – Kelli’s big moment: the poem. Read along here: https://www.reddit.com/r/justneckbeardthings/comments/6pfmim/this_incredible_poem_by_ready_player_one_author/ 25:40 – How the poem relates to the movie 32:20 – Gamergate and RP1 Vox article: https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/26/17148350/ready-player-one-book-backlash-controversy-gamergate-explained 38:40 – Ok, let’s talk about the movie though 46:25 – The first challenge and why Mary is mad it was changed 49:09 – But "The Shining" though! 56:00 – Aech 1:05:50 – Ratings! 1:14:53 – Giveaway!! 1:18:04 – What’s on the blog? Next time on #BSG: A review of "The Mothers" by Brit Bennett, and our BIRTHDAY!

Join the #BookSquad in Pinewood, North Carolina for a not-so-Gatsby retelling of 'The Great Gatsby' in 'No One Is Coming to Save Us' by Stephanie Powell Watts. The squad discusses characterization, pregnancy and motherhood, and the role of memory and the past in this novel. Find out which Squad members liked the book and which ones felt... differently. Plus, we dig into some great listener feedback on our 'American War' and 'Annihilation' episodes! Emily tells us about this month's featured bookstore, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA, and we tell you what's on the #BookSquadBlog and what we're discussing in our next othersode in two weeks. Rate, review, subscribe, and listen! 1:09 – Intro and summary 3:55 – What did we rate it? 11.:25 – JJ? Gatsby? Same dude? 18:28 – Is this book about parenting? 21:30 – The past; we are depressed 29:05 – The end—what of it? 31:07 – Motherhood and pregnancy 38:06 – Race and stereotypes 42:45 – Dream cast of NOICTSU movie 46:28 – Featured bookstore: Little Shop of Stories - http://littleshopofstories.com/ 50:15 – Listener feedback: ‘American War!’ 57:35 – The power of the DNF 1:05:02 – 'Annihilation' feedback. Helplessly Hoping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGtFRsCXRcc 1.15.43 – New site announcement! Visit us at our new home, http://www.booksquadgoals.com. Also, what’s on the blog? Next time on BSG: an othersode on Wes Anderson’s ‘Isle of Dogs!’

Join the squad as we journey deep into Area X for our long-awaited discussion of ANNIHILATION! In this episode, we tackle Alex Garland’s trippy adaptation of the Jeff VanderMeer novel, and we ask all of the important questions: What is this film “about”? How does it compare to the book? Does Alex Garland think all relationships take place primarily in bed? Was Oscar Isaac’s accent switch intentional, or is this a Nic Cage in “Con Air” situation? The answers you crave and more lie ahead… just try not to get any Shimmer in your ears. 1:23 – What would your job be in Area X? 5:47 – Summary and intro 11:58 – Kane and Lena’s relationship 13:36 – Is “Annihilation” really just Sailor Moon?? 24:09 – What is up with Area X? 29:30 – What happens to Josie 33:55 – THE TAPE and weird things happening to people in Area X 38:44 – The Bear - Article about the visual effects: https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/28/17059970/annihilation-visual-effects-interview-andrew-whitehurst-bear 45:10 – THE END. What does it mean? Emily Yoshida’s article: https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/annihilation-review.html 59:58 – Transition to book talk 1:08:20 – The whitewashing controversy 1:14:58 – Ratings and reviews 1:24:45 – What’s on the blog?! What’s up next?? Next time on #BSG: A discussion of “No One Is Coming to Save Us” by Stephanie Powell Watts!

This week, the squad tackles global warming and animosity between the North and South. Are we talking about the past? Are we talking about the present? Neither! We're discussing America in the year 2073 as the country is in the middle of its second Civil War. Join us as we discuss Omar El Akkad's novel "American War," which gave us a lot of material to talk about. Then we read listener feedback about "The Book of Speclation," "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," and our favorite: "Fifty Shades Freed"! 1:05–we miss Susan! 2:15–who’s your favorite president and why? 6:40–Book intro: why Mary picked it and what it’s about 13:06–feminine vs. masculine—the twins 19:23–Sarat’s body 23:50–The racialized body 26:05–but what about the civil war? 31:06–WHERE IS FLORIDA 31:31–The south and the past 34:55–Geography we know! 38:00–South Carolina...also screwed. Zombie Carolina 38:41–how does the war end? 50:00–Simon’s Story 1:02:00–final thoughts and ratings! 1:11:10–featured bookstore: Church Street Coffee and Books https://booksquad.ink/blog/featured-bookstore-church-street-coffee-and-books-birmingham-al 1:14:34–Book of Speculation question 1:16:30–Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo question (and Mary’s thoughts on the book!) 1:21:36–50 Shades Freed 1:29:40–what’s on the blog? What’s up next?

On a very sexy edition of #BookSquadGoals, the squad breaks down the new film "Fifty Shades Freed," the so-called "climax" of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Join us as we discuss the strange plot, the use of ice cream during sex, pop sensation Rita Ora, and the utter lack of chemistry between the film's leads. We take a look at what this franchise gets wrong about BDSM and answer the most important question: Is this movie sexy? Plus, hear what's on the #BookSquadBlog (there's LOTS of great stuff right now!) and learn about our next book for the upcoming full episode, "American War" by Omar El Akkad. 0:30 – Intros and why we are now doing 'Othersodes' 2:12 – Elizabeth is here—and ratings 11:07 – This is not how publishing works 14:20 – Susan’s experience—more reviews! 17:00 – Plot (?) summary, and then our much better plot summary 24:28 – Pop sensation Rita Ora and how the Grey family seems unrelated 26:07 – What’s a good heist outfit? 28:50 – When Mary said WHAT in the theater 35:50 - But the acting tho, and the lack of chemistry 38:15 – Elizabeth’s filmmaking takes 41:33 – Is this movie sexy? Is it interesting? 44:00 – Sex and emotional manipulation and BDSM 48:20 – Kelli’s least fave parts 53:03 – Dream casting 57: 20 – Review time! 59:35 – Emily Yoshida’s article - http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/fifty-shades-freed-review.html 1:10:00 – Shout out to 3 Parks Wineeeee - http://www.3parkswine.com 1:12:30 – What’s on the blog? What’s next? Next time on Book Squad Goals: A discussion of Omar El Akkad's "American War."

Come with us to the glamorous world of old Hollywood as we discuss Taylor Jenkins Reid's "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo." The Squad talks about the narrative framing of the novel, how race and queer sexuality are treated, juicy Hollywood gossip, and the real-life starlets on whom the beautiful and mysterious Evelyn Hugo is based. And what about that twist?! Plus, find out why men are canceled and women are renewed for another season, and how strict binaries keep us in boxes. Then we dig into listener feedback and hear your favorite things of 2017, and of course, we tell you what's on the #BookSquadBlog and what's up next on the podcast. Hint: it's supposed to be sexy, but it mostly isn't. Listen to find out! 0:30–Mary is missing and sad! 1:23–book intro 2:53–general impressions and ratings 10:05–the twist!! 14:40–frame narratives and how Evelyn is more interesting than Monique 16:45–Emily’s workshop corner 21:10–Monique as a character 25:46–women are renewed, men are canceled 29:20–bi-erasure 32:22–race and passing 34:48–“book club books” and women’s fiction 42:45–speaking of shitty men—Hollywood! 49:26–bookstore of the month-ish 52:48–Susan feedback - Link to Stephanie Meyer/Twilight video essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O06tMbIKh0 59:46–listener feedback! - Link to the "Rape Joke" poem: https://www.theawl.com/2013/07/patricia-lockwood-rape-joke/ 1:04:30–what’s on the blog? 1:06:34–next ep—ROMANCE 1:19:40–next book—American War

2017 was a trash fire at times, but the Squad found joy amongst the garbage in books, music, movies, comedy and podcasts. We each count down our top three pop culture things from 2017 and tell you why they were seriously awesome in their own special ways. (If you were looking for recommendations, you've now got 12 things. You're welcome.) In the second half of the show, Susan interviews Louisville-based author James Markert, whose newest novel, "All Things Bright and Strange," will be out on January 30. Plus, we tell you what's happening on the #BookSquadBlog (a lot!) and introduce our next fullpisode book: "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 00:30–WELCOME TO 2018, DUDES 02:17–Emily-When Dimple Met Rishi 06:40–Kelli-Lorde’s Melodrama 09:44–Mary-The Bold Type 13.33–Susan-American Vandal 17:36–Emily-Coco 22:00-Kelli-Kedi 26:37–Mary-Phoebe Bridgers’s Stranger in the Alps 31:42–Susan—Dirty John 34:57–Emily—The Big Sick 41:09–Kelli—Heavyweight 45:11–Mary-Night in the Woods 48:23–Susan-Thank God for Jokes 50:55–Interview Intro 51:54–Interview with author James Markert! 1:22:10–what’s up next/what’s on the blog?

Special guest Mary Kay from "Everything Trying to Kill You" joins the squad to discuss Erika Swyler’s novel "The Book of Speculation." In this episode, we discuss the ins and out of circus literature (which is totally a thing), tarot readings, family curses, and much much more. Plus, we answer your burning questions about "Stranger Things" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Wonder what those space cows are really called? We have the answer! 0:28 – Introductions! Welcome special guest Mary Kay, from http://everythingtryingtokillyou.blogspot.com/ 2:50 - Icebreaker—what would your circus profession be? 8:20 – Why did Kelli pick this book/summary 10:48 – Ratings and general thoughts 17:12 – A leeeeetle bit more background bc goodreads is vague 21:21 – Stereotypes about the circus 25:10 – Past timeline v present timeline characters 28:28 – Do the storylines work together? Or nah? 33:24 – A weird big twist we reveal! 38:16 – but which storyline is better really? 40:30 – What about the narration (which changes)? Workshop corner! 44:54 – What is this book really about? 49:32 – Let’s talk about tarot! 53:12 – Back on themes—Mary Kay’s thoughts 57:46 – Is there enough magic? Or mermaids? 1:00:55 – Doyle, the motherfuckin' electric boy! 1:03:14 – Who is the curse REALLY about?? 1:07:59 – Mary’s tangent about criticism 1:11:50 – Listener feedback on "Stranger Things" 1:14:08 – Emily’s take on "The Girls" 1:16:20 – STAR WARS! Todd VanDerWerff's piece on the Episode VIII backlash: https://t.co/9Ks2CWRlEk Porgs & Puffins: https://kotaku.com/the-last-jedis-porgs-are-just-puffins-which-the-film-c-1821485957 1:30:08 – What’s on the blog? Next time on #BSG: An interview with author James Markert and our 2017 wrap-up! Our next book is "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…four women known as the #BookSquad braved crowded theaters on opening weekend to see the new Star Wars movie: The Last Jedi. Listen as we discuss our favorite Star Wars movies, the best characters (Kylo Ren and Poe, duh), what's up with Luke Skywalker, why Leia is still a badass, how the Force works, and of course, PORGS. Plus, we give you the scoop on our next book, Erika Swyler's The Book of Speculation, and what's on the #BookSquadBlog. Don't forget to rate and review us on iTunes. May the force be with you, Goalies. 0:30 - An epic intro, in a galaxy far far away... 2:25 – What’s your favorite Star Wars movie and why? 9:18 – Characters in the new trilogy: Kylo 15:20 – Can the Force work like a telephone? 19:00 - Stuff that got dropped from this movie—like, uh, where are the Knights of Ren? 21:00 - Finn’s story, or lack of story. 25:40 - and Benicio del Toro is in this movie? DJ Oops. Also, Holdo is awesome and also disappointing. 27:33 – Poe and Kelli’s thirst tweets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPtNK9kitO4 31:27 - Leia 35:17 – Poe’s true love 38:10 - Will DJ Oops return? 39:08 - We kind of hate action movies, how much we pee, exciting adventures in sneaking food in. 41:37– HUX 42:58 – We are sad about Phasma 45:07 – Rey’s parentage problem 51:16 - Luke v Kylo and memories 53:45 – Mary cries about puppets 55:40 – WHERE CAN I GET A CRYSTAL FOX? Also, PORG NATION 58:36 - BB8 is so cute. The true hero. 59:06 - Rey and Poe meet! 59:59 – Critics v fans 1:14:00 – Our general thoughts! Review time! 1:17:27– Tubby and Coo’s: our featured bookstore! http://tubbyandcoos.com/ 1:21:20 – What’s on the blog? 1:24:18 – Next up: The Book of Speculation!

Dive into the gritty, acid-soaked world of Emma Cline's 'The Girls' with the Squad. Get in the Mansony mood by taking the Which Famous Serial Killer Are You? quiz with us. Then we discuss Cline's writing style and why we love our narrator, Evie, and explore Evie's complex relationships with the various female characters in the book. (Bonus: you get to hear a bit about what the Squad members were like as teenage girls!) We get into the real story of the Manson Family and the character of Russell, the cult leader from 'The Girls.' Plus, hear what we're into lately, what's on our #BookSquadBlog, and what's coming up in our next episodes. Don't forget to listen to Emily on the latest episode of 'Everything Trying to Kill You,' and be sure to enter our giveaway for 'The Book of Speculation.' Go to booksquad.ink/giveaway for the simple rules! 0:00 – Help us honor Adam Martin. Visit http://www.lls.org/donate. 1:53 – Intro & serial killer quizzzz: https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/quizzes-trivia-riddles/which-famous-serial-killer-are-you/ 15:54 – The results! 17:17 – The book and the events it’s based on 19:50 – General thoughts and ratings 29:41 – Writing style and narration 37:18 – Evie’s relationships—Suzanne 45:00 – Tamar 48:44 – Sasha 53:48 – Russell Manson 1:00:40 – Final thoughts 1:01:40 – Stuff we’re into! 1:11:28 – 'Everything Trying to Kill You — listen to their episode on 'The Lure' ft. Emily: http://everythingtryingtokillyou.blogspot.com 1:13:44 – What’s up next? What’s on the blog? And our new GIVEAWAY! Next time on #BSG: A very Star Wars minisode! Our next book: The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

It's time to enter the Upside Down with the Book Squad as we discuss Stranger Things 2. Play some synth music and take the Which Stranger Things Kid Are You? quiz along with us. Then we're talking character arcs, strong female characters, middle school "romance," and 80s pop culture. Don't worry; we do discuss the controversial 7th episode: "The Lost Sister." Plus, we discuss our next book. On our next fullpisode, we get a little murdery with The Girls by Emma Cline. Read along with us and send us your Stranger Things 2 comments and questions! Don't forget to check out this month’s featured book store, Avid Bookshop! http://www.avidbookshop.com 1:30 – Quiz Time (https://www.buzzfeed.com/yeezytaughtme/which-stranger-things-kid-are-you-24u4f?utm_term=.uveWOzx4q) 18:27 – Stranger Thiiiiiings *synth noises*/what is it? Overall thoughts? 23:30 - KING STEVE and other characters who have grown 27:00 - Hopper and El 29:25 - Will the Wise 34:20 - Dustin and why he’s maybe the worst 39:30 - Gotta Keep em (female characters) separated (https://www.avclub.com/stranger-things-2-keeps-its-strong-female-characters-1820280840) 47:60 – The Lost Sister Article 1: https://www.wired.com/story/stranger-things-2-discussion/ Article 2: http://ew.com/tv/2017/11/05/stranger-things-2-chapter-7-defense/ 55:20 - Thoughts on the ending 1:02:45 - Questions? Comments? Tell us about your now memories! 1:03:20 - What’s on the blog? What’s up next? 1:07:52 – The Girls by Emma Cline!

What is Borne? Human? Weapon? Flubber?! The Squad discusses Jeff Vandermeer’s "Borne." Join us for the great sci-fi vs. fantasy debate and hear what we think about “The New Weird.” While this book is no Southern Reach Trilogy, there’s still lots of cool stuff going on, including one very questionable twist that shocked Mary in real time. Plus, what’s up next on the blog and the podcast. Rate, review, and enter our next giveaway! Rules at booksquad.ink/thegirlsgiveaway. Check out this month’s featured book store, Avid Bookshop! http://www.avidbookshop.com 0:27 – Welcome, welcome to the Borne episode 0:50 – What is your fav Sci-Fi story? 6:40 – Description of "Borne" by Jeff VanderMeer 9:05 – What did we think about this book? 15:45 – What even is this book? "The New Weird" (http://www.avidbookshop.com/book/9781892391551) 24:55 – Mary can’t stop talking about the Southern Reach Trilogy 26:26 – Mord was Mary’s favorite thing & Jeff VanderMeer’s notes 27:17 – We would like to thank all the cats in the world 27:44 – The difference between science fiction and fantasy 31:00 – Have you guys heard of Zardulu? (@Zardulu on Twitter Reply All's 'Zardulu' - https://gimletmedia.com/episode/zardulu/) 36:16 – What is the point of this story? What is Borne? 39:38 – Borne exploring humanity in his own special way 42:59 – When Borne reveals his true nature 43:53 – Borne-isms 44:29 – You can’t trust something that doesn’t poop 46:00 – What’s the twist???? 51:52 – Emily is the best at picking books 52:39 – Do you guys want to talk about narration? 58:20 – Featured Bookstore of the month: Avid Bookshop (http://www.avidbookshop.com) 63:35 – Listener Feedback: "All the Ugly & Wonderful Things" (Hit us up on THA GOODREADS - https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/220870-booksquadgoals) 1:07:20 – "Room" and Gender 1:12:10 – Stuff We’re Into 1:17:04 – What’s on the blooooog? What’s up next on the podcast? 1:22:15 – Giveaway for "The Girls" by Emma Cline (ENTER NOW! Rules at booksquad.ink/thegirlsgiveaway.) Next time on #BSG: "Stranger Things!"

The Book Squad explores the tiny yet oh-so-rich world of "Room" by Emma Donoghue. We talk about our favorite Jack-isms, Ma's character, and how we feel about the child narration. We also answer a terrible bookclub discussion question and dive into the real (and really awful) story that inspired "Room." Plus: Emily and Mary review Happy Death Day, and we tell you what's on the #BookSquadBlog and what's coming up on the podcast. Rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! And don't forget to enter our Borne giveaway! The simple rules are at booksquad.ink/bornegiveaway. May the odds be ever in your favor! 0:33 - Intro to the book/What is your favorite Jack-ism? 5:00 - Summary from Goodreads (which surprisingly isn’t bad!) 6.55 - Ratings and thoughts 13:28 - Different perspectives 16:45 - Why does the narration in this book work? 21:57 - Breastfeeding, Room, and Jack 26:05 - After the escape: How "Room" deals with trauma 30:22 - Terrible discussion questions! What’s your Sunday Treat? 34:08 - SEAMUS THE DOG 37:50 - Complaints? 41:24 - True Crime Corner: The real story of "Room" 48:30 - "Happy Death Day!" 53:15 - What’s on the blog, what’s up next, and GIVEAWAY NEWS Next time on #BSG: A discussion of "Borne" by Jeff Vandermeer.

Find out what happens when the whole Book Squad finally agrees on a book! (As Kelli says, now we know "what we can all get on board with.") This week the Squad discusses Bryn Greenwood's "All the Ugly and Wonderful Things," and questions their own morals as they root for a very problematic relationship to succeed. Listen as they dissect Wavy and Kellen's relationship, the book's varying POVs, and why they're mostly happy for Wavy in the end. Plus, the Squad answers "IT" questions and talks about other horror movies. Don't forget to enter our "Borne" giveaway! Simply rate, review and email us! 0:47 – Intro: our happy things this week 4:50 – Summary time 8:46 – General thoughts and Goodreads ratings 18:00 – Horror stories from Goodreads 22:40 – Kellen and mental age and ~morality~ 28:57 – POV is jumpin’ jumpin’ 36:25 – Characters of all sorts 42:00 – Kellen—and WHAT EXACTLY WENT DOWN 47:26 - So, Amy’s a lesbian 50:29 – Is this a love story? Yes, but... 54:40 – "IT" questions and comments (we just love Stephen King ok) 1:17:20 – What’s on the blog AND GIVEAWAY NEWS! 1:23:30 – Specific giveaway details. Please enter! For more information, visit https://booksquad.ink/bornegiveaway.html Next time on BSG: A special minisode discussion of "Room" — the book and the movie.

Join your favorite squad of "losers" on a journey through the sewers of Derry, Maine as we discuss the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King's "IT." How does Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise compare to Tim Curry's performance in the 1990 miniseries? Why did director Andrés Muschietti give Mike's character so little to do? How many clowns is TOO many clowns? Listen now for our thoughts, and don't worry — you'll float too. 0:29 - Intro (Where's Susan? Who's Ben?) 4:00 - What Losers Club member are you? 11:33 - Fear, "IT," and the case of Pennywise 18:17 - Drooling, lip gloss, or both? The Babadook thinks it's hot 21:00 - The scariest scene / Mary doesn't understand projectors 22:57 - "We all float" - literally 27:17 - Our big problem: WHERE IS MIKE?! 33:06 - What'll happen to Mike in the next movie - http://ew.com/movies/2017/09/11/stephen-king-it-sequel-details/ 37:55 - Suspicious adults and speculation about their roles 39:43 - ALL THINGS BEV 43:10 - Bev and sex and teen boys 47:00 - Bev's biggest fear 49:50 - Emily has a crush on Jonathan Brandis (also, who is our fave new actor?) 55:16 - Ben doesn't like the haunted house 59:40 - The weird kids TV show 1:01:00 - Child orgy. Yes it exists - https://moviepilot.com/p/stephen-king-it-sex-scene-disturbing-2017-movie/4249079 1:04:40 - Susan's special message! 1:08:50 - A "Silver Linings Playbook" question for Ben! 1:10:53 - What's next? What's on the blog? Mother!!! Thanks again to the inimitable Ben for filling in for Susan this week! Next time on #BSG: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood.

Can you ever truly know your spouse? The Book Squad tackles relationship conundrums and more as we discuss Lauren Groff’s novel “Fates and Furies.” There’s even a special guest appearance by Ask-A-Man favorite Joe! Plus: We weigh in on BiP/The next Bachelor, read listener feedback about movies that are better than the books, and reveal the lucky winner of a signed copy of “Orphan Island” by Laurel Snyder! 00:25 - Introduction: Lies we’ve told 08:05 - Intro to "Fates and Furies" and the terrible Goodreads summary 10:30 - Our general thoughts: Mary rages 11:55 - Is it pretentious? Is the language too fancy? 18:18 - Fates vs. Furies (spoiler: Furies wins) 20:53 - Discussing an interview with Lauren Groff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4P0Sq2k0lI&t=0s 21:59 - Lauren Groff is so cool 25:28 - You can’t Woody Allen it in the Theatre World 27:05 - Lotto is a misogynist and an idiot 28:33 - My mind is telling me no, but my body’s telling me yes 30:00 - How do we feel about the structure? 31:40 - Bitch, you don’t know her 32:38 - Is Lauren Groff pulling a "Gone Girl?" 33:49 - Are Lotto and Mathilde glamorous? 34:45 - Lotto’s Artist Retreat! 37:00 - Dick-related writing advice 39:40 - Not all marriages! 40:55 - Why don’t we talk about all the sex/the lie? 46:23 - Ask a man! We ask Joe about marriage! 50:20 - Losing your virginity vs. getting your period 52:02 - Can you ever really know your spouse? 55:33 - Listener Letters: Melanie and Justineau 58:00 - "Silver Linings Playbook" 58:42 - Bachelor talk: Dean is a fuckboy & no one likes Arie 01:00:23 - Kelli’s Bachelor Plans 01:01:33 - Bradley Cooper’s face 01:02:45 - "Me Before You" 01:04:30 - "The Shining" 01:09:58 - Things on the blog - ARE YOU THE ONE? 01:11:05 - Fresh off the Boat 01:14:10 - NEXT TIME ON #BSG: STEPHEN KING’S "IT!!!!" 01:16:00 - Next next time: "All the Ugly and Wonderful Things" by Bryn Greenwood 01:18:30 - Future love-pisode about "Room?" 01:20:30 - The Winner of the "Orphan Island" Giveaway!!!

The Book Squad supports Susan in the next step of her Harry Potter journey: her official sorting! Find out what house she gets and what the other Squad members are. Plus, Emily interviews Laurel Snyder, author of 'Orphan Island.' They discuss where the idea for the book came from, YA and middle-grade literature, books that make you think, and, of course, pets! Be sure to enter our giveaway contest to win a signed copy of 'Orphan Island!' Details in the episode and on our website, http://booksquad.ink (like a squid). 00:28 - Introduction: our favorite books as kids 7:35 - Speaking of JK, how do we feel about the Hogwarts houses? 13:58 - What house do you WANT to be in, Susan? 17:00 - THE SORTING BEGINS 23:50 - The results! (and quiz analysis) 26:25 - Susan's thoughts on HP Book 1 29:11 - Intro to 'Orphan Island' and Emily's review 32:29 - Interview with Laurel Snyder 34:45 - What house is Laurel in? 37:04 - Where did the idea for the novel come from? 42.10 - Order & age on the island 44:48 - The neglected middle grades 46:30 - Do middle grade books get the middle grade experience wrong? 49:47 - Why is reading a survival skill in the novel, and why did Laurel mention the books she picks? 54:13 - Who does Laurel write for? 56:14 - Will there be a sequel? 58:30 - Or maybe a prequel? 60:50 - Free time! Extreme reactions to the book 63:16 - GIVEAWAY DETAILS: We are giving away an author-signed copy of 'Orphan Island' - to enter, leave us an iTunes podcast review and send us an email with your iTunes username so we know who you are! Details at http://booksquad.ink/orphan-island-giveaway.html 65:30 - What's on the blog? What's coming up? 69:13 - Next time on the podcast: our discussion of 'Fates and Furies' by Lauren Groff! Thanks again to Laurel Snyder for taking the time to answer our questions! Learn more about 'Orphan Island' here: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062443410/orphan-island

Special guest Adam joins the squad for a discussion of M. R. Carey's "The Girl with All the Gifts." We talk zombie tropes, narrative style, and what it means to be human. We also talk about the movie, which we were led to believe would be better than it was. Plus: five-minute Bachelorette thoughts, what's on the BSG blog, and what's happening in our next minisode (spoiler alert: we've got our first author interview!). 3:05 - Introducing special guest, Adam! 4:45 - Introduction to the book and the terribleness of Goodreads summaries 10:22 - Initial thoughts and ratings (no half stars, cheaters!) 21:28 - What does 'TGWATG' add to the genre? 25:48 - Zombies and video games 29:20 - But why zombies? Explaining them is a choice 30:35 - Melanie! And what it means to be human 40:05 - POV issuesssss 47:20 - Book vs movie (where are the junkets??) 51:09 - Race implications in the book and movie Links referenced: + http://www.raisingself.com/blog/white-washing-the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-why-im-pissed-helen-justineau-is-being-played-by-a-white-actress + https://blackgirlnerds.com/girl-gifts-race-analysis/ 58:45 - Sally, why did you say "Girls Trip" was good? 59:47 - The ending of the movie 1:03:36 - Movies that are better than the book - tell us your thoughts! 1:05:02 - "5-minute" Bachelorette finale thoughts + Susan's Bachelorette blog post: https://booksquad.ink/blog/let-rachel-lindsay-live 1:12:10 - "Perfect Little World" listener questions and comments: true love, BBQ, and the IRB 1:17:11 - "Couple Next Door" questions and comments: Doritos and irredeemable books 1:27:50 - What's on the blog! The Bachelorette, "Hamlet," "Angels in America," and a pantsless Oscar Isaac. https://booksquad.ink/blog/ 1:30:00 - Next time on BSG: A special children's lit minisode with Laurel Snyder (complete with a signed book giveaway!)

The Book Squad finally exorcises our anger over "The Couple Next Door" by Shari Lapena, the book we love to hate, in our first ever hate-pisode. This book has everything: baby kidnapping, shoddy detective work, kinky sex games, and, of course, Zoloft. Listen as we throw shade at the mistreatment of mental illness, flat characters, non-thrilling "thriller" twists, and that batshit crazy ending. We even do some dramatic readings of the most ridiculous scenes and read some GoodReads reviews. Plus, what's on the BSG blog and what we're reading next! 00:30 - Intros and medication 1:53 - Goodreads summary...the drama! 3:40 - How did this podcast come to be? And more summary 10:45 - But who is the couple next door?? 13:00 - "This is like the longest episode of Law and Order...but not good." 16:28 - Ann and sympathy and bad bad writing 18:12 - Postpartum depression, mental illness, and twists (oh my) 26:40 - Hospitality Baskets (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQD2nmcHsSI) 28:38 - THE ZOLOFT SCENE, and discussions of medication 36:11 - Ok, back to the book. Is this detective even real? Does anyone know what postpartum depression is? 39:17 - The end of the book and how mental illness is the villain...again. 46:10 - Dramatic readings about postpartum depression 48:50 - How the book conceals information 50:20 - Ok, but for real, that ending 55:46 - Sue1958 reviews the book and we learn all about her life 1:01:19 - The implausible story train (choo choo)! 1:02:03 - Miss gives us a review we can agree with 1:04:15 - Sped up audiobooks and "The Girl with All the Gifts" by M.R. Carey (our next book)! 1:06:45 - What's going on on the blog? 1:09:45 - We are all very excited Susan is reading Harry Potter!

BBQ. Child Psychology. Group Parenting. Kevin Wilson's "Perfect Little World" has just about everything, but the Squad would really like some more reality show-style trash, please. Join the Squad as we discuss the novel's characters, pacing, and of course, the significance of the almighty BBQ. Plus, the Squad tells you what we're into lately and answers listener questions on "Horrorstör" and "The Handmaid's Tale." Stick around for hot takes on which Fiennes brother is the superior one and why dry weddings are the worst. 00:16 - Disclaimer: We’re still learning how microphones work 00:56 - Introductions: Cute pet stories! 6:48 - Introduction to "Perfect Little World" by Kevin Wilson 8:40 - General thoughts and our review of the book 13:50 - Subscribe to Book of the Month!!! https://www.mybotm.com/vtsjjnbfwmw8kt9 Use a coupon code to get free shit: REV3 = Free book credit & free tote 15:08 - What happens at the end of the book? 16:10 - Pancakes = love 16:32 - Are there enough chances for Izzy to find love in the novel? 17:56 - Emily REALLY HATES David 19:50 - Tiny Kelli in a black beret in art school 20:35 - Izzy and Dr. Grind and other affairs of the heart 22:31 - If your parents are named Ellen and Jeremy, you were adopted 24:13 - On a craft level, what is the point of having this many damn characters? 25:01 - Preston Grind’s evil parents 26:35 - How the novel deals with mental illness 31:49 - Where are everyone’s parents? 33:45 - Can we talk about BBQ? 39:50 - What made Mary throw the book across the room 43:10 - "Horrorstör" Questions! Panopticon Prisons? 45:34 - Were these employees destined to be punished by the warden? Or was it just random? 50:17 - What motivated the ghosts and the warden? 52:32 - "The Handmaid’s Tale" Questions! Humanizing refugees. 55:55 - Aunt Lydia… how are we supposed to handle her? 58:44 - Happy Father’s Day, Emily’s dad! He has "The Handmaid’s Tale" questions too. 1:11:51 - Women can be just as misogynistic as men 1:13:34 - Things we’re into right meow! 1:21:18 - Get ready to read "The Girl with All the Gifts" by M.R. Carey for next month’s podcast! 1:22:37 - Send us your pet pics and we will post them on Instagram! --- email us at [email protected]!

The Book Squad dissects the blessed fruit that is Hulu’s 'The Handmaid’s Tale.' Hear our thoughts on the show’s political timeliness and its feminist wins (and shortcomings). We have lots of feelings about Serena Joy, as well as the fabulous red cloaks, and we’re weirded out that Elisabeth Moss is a Scientologist. Spoiler alert: people still really misunderstand feminism, but we try to get their minds right. Under His eye. 1:00 - Intros: How we are healthy 3:50 - Did we even read the book, though? How the show compares to the book/general thoughts on the show 11:00 - Symbolism and cinematography 12:13 - Things that have changed; the squad gets political 18:44 - SERENA JOY! 26:00 - Acting and actors - our preconceived perceptions 28:05 - Men in the show: are they boring or nah? 31:48 - Second season thoughts: unsatisfying endings 33:48 - Actors who say the show isn't feminist/what even is feminism? + Read Margaret Atwood's take here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/books/review/margaret-atwood-handmaids-tale-age-of-trump.html?_r=0. Also, Emily and Kelli have side blogs. 43:30 - Race in 'The Handmaid's Tale:' "How can you talk about women's issues and not talk about race issues?" + Read Angelica Jade Bastién's Vulture piece here: http://www.vulture.com/2017/06/the-handmaids-tale-greatest-failing-is-how-it-handles-race.html 50:50 - Final thoughts - Mary loves capes and cloaks/Emily's haunted school bus 52:47 - Next time on #BSG: A tale of group parenting, romance, and BBQ! Kevin Wilson's 'Perfect Little World.' On the blog: Mary and Emily's YA summer book club!

This week, the Book Squad explores a haunted IKEA-esque furniture outlet in a discussion of Grady Hendrix's 'HORRORSTÖR!' Warning: spooky sounds to follow. 1:13 - Introductions - What horror movie subgenre is scariest to you? 6:03 - What did we think? General thoughts and Giveaway Info! Official rules here: https://booksquad.ink/giveaway.html 17:19 - The book design 21:07 - Was this book scary? 29:19 - How important is it to be scared of a horror story? 30:34 - We are Babashook! 34:18 - Action descriptions and why they’re hard to read 35:44 - Metaphors, IKEA, and you! 38:00 - Ask a man! Ask a man! Retail work and how it’s horrible, ft Ben, a real life man 47:36 - The end of the book, and PLANET BABY! 50:18 - A 'Horrorstör' TV show is happening! (Also a tangent on 'American Horror Story,' which Mary loves and Kelli hates) 58:09 - Final thoughts on the book 1:00:57 - 'White Teeth' feedback and questions 1:10:38 - More 'Guardians of the Galaxy' questions! Read more about Ego & Imperialism here: http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2017/05/12/the-solipsistic-imperialism-of-ego-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol.-2 1:20:08 - Bachelorette thoughts 1:25:40 - Stuff We’ve Been Into Lately 1:30:02 - Next time on #BSG: Handmaid's Tale minisode, followed by full-length episode on 'Perfect Little World' by Kevin Wilson. Read along, and for more info, find us on social media @BookSquadGoals or visit our website at http://booksquad.ink!

This week, the Book Squad lands on Planet Ego for a conversation about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! Plus, hear our reactions to the first two episodes of the Bachelorette. 0:30 - Introductions & quiz time! Take the quiz along with us here: https://www.sweetyhigh.com/read/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-character-quiz-050517 10:18 - General thoughts on Vol. 2 13:30 - Kelli hates poop jokes 14:20 - How does Guardians compare to the rest of the MCU? 19:12 - Listener question time! Question 1: manmotions? 22:40 - Ask A Man! 24:16 - But what about Mantis? 29:01 - Drax's newfound figurative speech 32:17 - Hopes for Vol. 3 34:20 - It's cool to have cool villains 36:00 - Susan's hopes — MORE NEBULA! 38:05 - The B-B-Bachelorette — were our snap judgements correct? 41:20 - Mary's bet. Get in on it! 42:35 - Where did all the Asian men go? 44:00 - What is BIP? Kelli is concerned 46:25 - Episode 2 47:35 - The Demario incident 51:24 - We want Kelli to go on the bachelor 52:38 - Lucas and Lee are terrible people on the internets 1:01:30 - Predictions for final 4 1:03:34 - Next time on #BSG: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

What is FutureMouse? Are our teeth a part of our identity? And who, for the love of god, is KEVIN? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week's episode as the squad dives into Zadie Smith's 2000 novel 'White Teeth.' 0:20 - Introductions 2:41 - Introduction to 'White Teeth' and first impressions 17:10 - What is an epigraph? The past is the present 22:25 - Concerns over getting culture right—worrying about the Anglicization of culture 24:00 - What's up with the twins? 28:38 - Dr Sick's Murder (?) and its place in Archie and Samad's friendship 37:30 - The Chalfens: our favorite late addition 41:00 - FutureMouse rises 46:05 - Who is KEVIN? 48:18 - Catty corner with Penelope (and Pea) 49:30 - FutureMouse is the present 50:00 - Kelli loves twins - The mirrored experiences of Magid and Millat 51:31 - Teeeeeeeeth 56:20 - Zadie Smith is a boss 59:30 - Mary is obsessed with FutureMouse - FATE 1:01:51 - The end of the book 1:13:30 - Feedback/questions for Beauty and the Beast minisode 1:27:00 Next time on #BSG: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Join the Book Squad on a journey to provincial France for a discussion of Disney's Beauty and the Beast! On their first-ever minisode, Emily, Kelli, Mary, and Susan cover the recent live action adaptation of the story and how it compares to the 1991 classic. Introductions and announcements - 0:50 Beastly - 3:29 Initial reactions to 2017 adaptation - 4:30 Cinderella vs Beauty and the Beast - 8:00 The “Exclusively Gay Moment” - 9:50 Kelli vs. Emily: GASTON - 14:22 But can they sing? - 21:00 Mary loves the Today Show and Josh Groban (also, WHO IS DAN STEVENS?!) - 26:17 "When he touched her, I felt gross"—CGI, bestiality, and the Beast - 28:00 Angela Carter’s Bloody Chamber - 30:48 Misc. Thoughts—Prince Adam, weird sex, and Maurice - 31:55 Next time on #BSG - 38:23

Books. Pop culture. Doggos and kitties. Four cool ladies trying not to say "like" so much. Join the Book Squad for their first ever episode, a discussion of Jonathan Safran Foer's 2016 novel 'Here I Am'. Introductions - 1:39 Summary of 'Here I Am' - 4:39 Why did Susan choose it? - 7:25 Initial reactions - 8.25 Emily in the Google Doc - 22:20 Existence or Presence - 23:18 Sam and Gender Identity - 35:09 Foer seems to need a disaster - 46:38 Bachelor/Dancing with the Stars - 1:16:12 Pet time! - 1:17:57 Next time on #BSG - 1:26:06