Book Squad Goals

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/.