Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

It's time to tackle some heavy material...or rather it would be if Blackman's intriguing premise weren't executed better. Once again we're left wondering if we're reading Middle Grade YA because there's not enough world building and the "absolute power corrupts absolutely" take-away is too simple.

The BBC series plays better because the influence of the dominant culture is visualized and while the tendency to amp up the (Baz Luhrman's) Romeo & Juliet love story is the least interesting aspect, at least the politics of this Albion are clear right from the start. 

Plus: THE COSTUMES!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

Admittedly this sweet, saccharine and, yes, very God heavy Netflix musical starring  Kevin Quinn and Bailee Madison is a bit of a departure for us. 

For faith-based audiences, this is a slice of G-rated entertainment that is doing exactly what it sets out to do. For non-religious audiences, however, this is pretty derivative of other properties like Camp Rock and feels out of touch (could it have been made in the 80s/90s/00s? Yes).

It's not long before we dig into the uncomfortable politics surrounding the lead character's criminal backstory and how Jahbril Cook's George and his mother (Sherri Shepherd) act as Black saviours for the white lead. 

It just wouldn't be HKHS if we didn't, right?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

Whoo boy - we hope that there aren't any big fans of Stargirl because we are not fans of either text.

Brenna at least appreciates the (unsuccessful) attempt by Spinelli to unpack the cost of being a manic pixie dream person. Joe, on the other hand, is frustrated by the simplicity and obviousness of the book's message and both of us think Leo is a garbage protagonist.

The film has its own share of problems: namely a lack of conflict, characters, lazy inclusion of POC secondary and queer characters. It also appears to be an extended music video for former America's Got Talent contestant Grace VanderWaal. 

In short: this is an angry episode, folks!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

After a  temporary delay, we are finally ready to talk about moving to the suburbs, fighting over religion, kissing boys at parties and persistent grandmothers. Shout out to listeners Erin, Sophie, Jane, Nadia and Virginia for contributing reactions in tweet and email format. This is how we always envisioned Book Club going!

And just because we're dealing with correspondence, we also circle back to address a few responses to our Placelessness in YA episode (thanks to Spencer and Tea, Books and Chocolate).

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

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

To celebrate the contributions of two women who helped elevate stories about girlhood, Brenna walks Joe through a few notable titles from both Cleary and Little, including

Cleary: Ramona and Beezus

Little: Mine for Keeps, From Anna and her Canadian “Girl Journal Books”

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

Whose ready for boys, fangs and a surprising amount of gory bits? We're checking into the lurid, sultry pages of L.J. Smith's vampire love triangle (The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury and Dark Reunion) as well as episodes 1, 6 & 13 of The CW's first season.

Up for discussion: why is Elena so terrible?! The strange Civil War coding in both the books and the TV show. A dash of white supremacy for Klaus. Plus: Joe's defense of the series (which Brenna hates), and an extended discussion of how it represents a mode of serialized, weekly TV  that no longer exists.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

With Brenna gone, Joe and Jessica head to a secluded island party, but isn't it just our luck that the guests begin mysteriously dying? In Gretchen McNeil's contemporary (80s?) take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, the characters are thinly sketched the ableism is off the charts!

Plus: the sadly non-campy, ultra-cheap Lifetime adapation; why the character of Minnie is so insulting; and the silliest and most thrilling parts of the film.  

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Joe: @bstolemyremote
• Jessica: @WeWhoWalkHere / @MonsterBooksPod

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

In an unorthodox pick,  this week's minisode is on Apple TV's music documentary of singer Billie Eilish. Along for the ride is returning guest Jenny Nulf, who brings her vast knowledge of pop docs and her love of Eilish's music.

Up for discussion: Eilish's rare confessional intimacy, her supportive family, concerns about the singer's safety and health, the sexualization of female pop singers, and comparisons to similar docs from Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. 

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Joe: @bstolemyremote
• Jenny: @jennyleighx33 / Jenny's review for the Austin Chronicle

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

Brenna:

• Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
• Giant Days by John Allison

Joe:

• Ragnorak S1 (Netflix)
• Fate: The Winx Saga S1 (Netflix)

March Hold List:

• Once Upon A Quinceanera by Monica Gomez-Hira
• Bruised  by Tanya Boteju

April Forecast:

• Shadow and Bone S1 (Netflix - April 23)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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

At the behest of listeners Andrew and Max, Brenna and Joe  discuss the Groundhog's Day-inspired story about two teens stuck in a temporal anomaly. This one surprised us, particularly the protagonist subversion that switches up some of the more conventional tropes (take that, silly Roger Ebert reviewer!)

Plus: an ableist cancer plot, a plea to stop with the twee titles and m83 musicality, and questioning why these two don't get arrested? 

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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