Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Brenna and Joe are late to the (Oscar) party, but we're finally checking out Sian Heder's delightful film CODA (2021).

Yes, we recorded this episode before CODA won several significant Oscars, but the conversation about why the feel good film featuring multiple underrepresented actors from the deaf community wound up resonating with audiences. We celebrate Troy Kotsur's performance, Brenna wants more of Daniel Durant's Leo and Joe just wants more of the family (despite appreciating Emilia Jones and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo having great chemistry, we've seen this story before).

Plus: why populist isn't bad, comparisons to the French original and how Oscar splitting works.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• April 19: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino
• May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the pod, Brenna and Joe hit the vampire theme hard with a discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's 2004 novel 'Let The Right One In', as well as the 2008 Swedish adaptation by Tomas Alfredson AND the 2010 American remake, 'Let Me In' by Matt Reeves. C/W: bullying (all texts), pedophilia & sexual assault (book)

Brenna is really put through the wringer this week as we tackle a very long book (filled with a million characters with their own subplots and a hyper-accelerated finale), plus two movies. And they're about vampires?!

The truth is that the bullying and pedophilia/sexual abuse are the hardest aspects to process, not the supernatural "romance" between the two pre-teens. 

Plus: lots of thoughts on the importance of place, high praise for all four of the child actors, why Joe isn't mad at the US remake anymore and a specific question about pronouns/gender in Sweden (if we have listened from there, we have a call to action!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• April 20: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino
• May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another entry in our Banned Book Club series as we tackle a classic YA text: Paul Zindel's 1968 'The Pigman"

It's time to discuss another book arbitrarily banned or challenged by aggrieved parents! This time it's Paul Zindel's ode to two teens who befriend a lonely widower and (maybe? likely?) wind up contributing to his untimely death.

Chiming in on this episode are listeners Victoria, Brian and Tea, Books & Chocolate who help us unpack the book's confronting ending, the complicated family dynamics and why readers may struggle to get into the classic prose. 

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• April 19: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino
• May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're diving into Blonde territory this week with another weak book/strong film discussion. First up is Brown's self-published novel, which...isn't great (Elle is unlikeable? She fails to see through Warner's BS til the end? None of the supporting characters matter?)

Perhaps we're just blinded by the super fun film adaptation, which rectifies a lot of the storytelling missteps and also stars Witherspoon at her most winsome. Throw in a great cast (Blair! Coolidge! Garber!), a smart script that emphasizes female solidarity and believing in yourself (courtesy of Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, the writer[s] of former episodes 'Ella Enchanted' and 'Trinkets') and you've got yourself a winner that (mostly) holds up.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
• April 20: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe travel to Oklahoma to discuss the first season (eight episodes) of Sterlin Harjo  and Taika Waititi's Reservation Dogs. The show follows a quartet of teens with dreams of leaving their reservation behind and it's a great blend of comedy and drama, with some surprising pathos in the back half (C/W: suicide in episode seven). 

We praise the show for its representation in front of and behind the camera (though there is a glaring omission), as well as how it handles the (lack of) white characters. Plus: Zach McClarnon finally gets to cut loose, pickle dicks and why we may need to check out Rutherford Falls.

Reference:

• Kyle T Mays. "Representation and Black & Hip Hop Culture in 'Reservation Dogs.'" Ethnomusicology Review

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
• April 21: George by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Put your brain on hold because we're getting dumb with one of the worst books we've ever covered on the show, as well as a surprisingly good film whose last act is very frustrating!

Is Ryan's book poorly written, judge-y and lacking in both critique AND YA thrills? Yes!

Is the film, whose stars Emma Roberts and Dave Franco have great chemistry and depicts social media (but NOT hacking or the deep web) in a realistic way, a ton of fun? Yes! Plus: Netflix connections, thrilling stunts and Sherlock?

This is 50% a vent-y episode and 50% a soft plea to go watch the film. Enjoy!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
• April 21: George by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another Banned Book Club! This month we're checking out the gentle coming of age story of Rose and Windy (with thanks to listeners Arthur and Victoria for contributing their thoughts). 

We're talking internalized misogyny, age gaps, the point when you realize your parents have feelings and you can hurt them, and monochromatic art.  Oh, also: why the heck was this gorgeous comic banned?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
• April 21: George by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're jetting off to Europe (the UK and France specifically) for an episode that revisits Brenna's coming of age author Aidan Chambers, whose measured and considered prose frequently tackles queer coming of age tales. Here it's the story of the troubled romance between Hal and Barry, which avoids being just another queer tragedy thanks to its often unreliable narrator and Chambers' clever framing device.

Ozon's film relocates the story to France in a faithful adaptation that focuses more on the romance between Alex (the Hal character) and David (the Barry character), but adds gorgeous sun-touched imagery and a beautifully vital club scene that anticipates the finale. 

There's a lot to like here, so don't be afraid of checking out this lesser known pairing!

Want more Aiden Chambers? Check out Book Three, episode 34 "The Toll Bridge (Book Club #4)"

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
• March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grab a tissue because we're in for another emotional episode (guess who cries twice? It's not Brenna) as we tackle a grounded, non-sensational depiction of the aftermath of a school shooting. 

Featuring astounding performances by Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler with strong supporting roles for Modern Family's Julie Bowen and The Divergent Series' Shailene Woodley, The Fallout is powerful consideration of the lingering traumatic effects of gun violence. Be warned: it's rough*.

*In a good way. A good soul-crushing way.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
• March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a while since we've talked about "the procedure", so prepare yourself for an education as Brenna reviews the state of reproductive health in Canada and the US (caveat: we use the term "women's" reproductive health, but should have acknowledged that non-binary and trans people also get abortions). 

It's in-depth, and disappointing (we might get a touch upset!) but it's in service of our discussion of Caplan and Hendriks' delightful book that does a lot of heavy lifting in a funny, quick-to-read package.

Plus: comparing the book's crappy men to their film counterparts, Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira's great film chemistry and just how many times will Joe say the A word?

If you want more "Big A" talk, check out episodes 1.01 "Perks of Being a Wallflower"  and 2.32 "Never Rarely Sometimes Always (And More Sex!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

• Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
• March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.