I Talk Sh*t and Read

We're back for part two of our Little Fires Everywhere chat. This time around, Shanna decided to jump in the mix. We're picking back up with the discussion expanding beyond dragging Pearl - although there's still a bit of that - and into the themes and moments that kept us engaged, made us pause so to think, and the mess that still has us puzzled. 

We give reasons to add Hulu's Little Fires Everywhere to your watch-list

Little Fires Everywhere turned out to be the perfect balance of mess, emotional turmoil, and family drama. In a time when television adaptations seem to leave out the core elements that made the book work, showrunner Liz Tigelaar and the Little Fires writers' room not only preserved Celeste Ng's narrative, it cut to the heart and soul expanding on its themes and making great television. 

So tune in while we chop it up and remember at the end of the day. minding your business is always free. If you haven't added 

 

All Episodes Streaming on Hulu 

Reese Witherspoon (Elena Richardson), Kerry Washington (Mia Warren), Joshua Jackson (Bill Richardson), Rosemarie DeWitt (Linda McCullough), Jade Pettyjohn (Lexie Richardson), Jordan Elsass (Trip Richardson), Gavin Lewis (Moody Richardson), Megan Stott (Izzy Richardson), Lexi Underwood (Pearl Warren), and Huang Lu (Bebe)

 

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Sometimes, there's a book that catches your attention because it takes a popular trope (reincarnation) and builds a story around that feels like a fresh approach especially when it's main characters are under 21. Cries from the Lost Island certain fit the bill.

I had the opportunity to sit down and ask Kathleen O'Neal Gear some questions about her latest stand alone novel (and solo project) Cries from the Lost Island. 

Bio: Kathleen O'Neal Gear is an archaeologist and historian. She lives in and raises bison (yes, you read that correctly) in the Owl Creek Mountains in northern Wyoming. She began writing full-time in 1986 and has been prolific (non-fiction and fiction) pretty much ever since. She's authored 10 novels under her name and 37 international bestsellers with her husband W. Michael Gear. 

What started out as a pretty straightforward curiosity about what made her want to write about Cleopatra turned into an interesting discussion about her inspiration, process, and random facts I discovered while prepping for the interview. 

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Little Fires Everywhere is the Messy Drama/Mystery You Didn't Know You Needed...

Welcome back to another I Talk Sh*t & Read Book-to-Screen chat. This time, Ro and Joi are kicking off  a new one and the topic's Hulu Original series, Little Fires Everywhere.

Hulu's Series is an Adaptation that Elevates the Source Material  

Adapted from the novel by acclaimed writer Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere is the story of two different worlds (we're talking class difference folks) colliding when a nomadic artist Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and her daughter (Lexi Underwood) arrive in Shaker Heights, Ohio and meet Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon) and her picture perfect family. 

In the hands of showrunner (and executive producer) Liz Tigelaar, this adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere masterfully adds depth and contemporary nuance to both the overall story arc and each character. 

The writing, directing, and production teams bring it all together with irresistible visuals and perfectly time irreverence. 

Questions At Every Turn...

What starts as just another a story about two women and their journey as mothers is now moody mystery with a subtly addictive narrative in the hands of actors giving masterful performances. There's emotional complexity, clashes of privilege, angst, and dangerous upheaval.

Thus far, the writing and direction seamlessly (despite the varied creators) blends shifting perspectives and dramatic highs and lows together in a way certain to keep attention.

To start things off we limited our discussion to topics arising out of episodes one through four respectively. The first four episodes, 'The Spark', 'Seeds and All', 'Seventy Cents', and 'The Spider Web' set the stage for what's shaping out to be an exciting second half.

We've got opinions, theories, and serious gratitude for the realness buried in all this glorious mess. 

Directors:

Lynn Shelton (The Spark, The Spider Web) and Michael Weaver (Seeds and All, Seventy Cents) 

Writers:

Liz Tigelaar (The Spark), Nancy Won (Seeds), Raamla Mohamed (Seventy Cents), Attica Locke (The Spider Web)

New Episodes

 Wednesdays on Hulu (Eight Episodes) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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New Book Tuesday: March 10th Edition 

My March watch list exploded. This isn't really a surprise, it's me we're talking about here. So to keep up with my reading goals and help you add to your TBR pile, Ro Recommends is now a permanent segment on I Talk Sh*t & Read. Welcome to New Book Tuesday: March 10th Edition.

Twice a month, I'll share my "must reads" from the month's new releases. First up are some fantasy picks that may just satisfy that jones you've got for sibling rivalry, arranged marriages gone awry, first love, revenge, or a dangerous quest...or two. 

Historical Fantasy: 

 

Reincarnation and Reimagining history make intriguing entry points into magical worlds and dangerous journeys with questionable guides.  

 

 

 

 

 

Young Adult Fantasy 

 

Fairytales and Mythology in an urban fantasy setting. Chupeco's world-building style takes a bit of getting used to, there's always more to learn but the journey's ended up being worth it in the past. 

Think you maybe up for discovering if a dethroned Prince can return magic and save his kingdom? 

 

 

 

High Fantasy 

 

Anne Bishop returns to the Black Jewel saga and doesn't miss a step. If you're already down this rabbit hole then the eleventh installment is certain to shake things up. I hit the highlights in my audio review but simply put Bishop found a new gear to shift into that promises interesting times ahead. 

 

 

 

 

Short on Time? How About an Anthology:

Synopsis: Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A Phoenix First Must Burn shine brightly. You will never forget them.

Authors include: Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Dhonielle Clayton, Jalissa Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Davis, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, Danny Lore, L.L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi.

Enough Said. 

 

 

If you like what you hear, click on a book cover to find an independent bookstore near you to purchase from. Shopping indie when you can may just keep someone's lights on.*

*this post contains affiliate links and some books were provided by publisher's in exchange for an honest assessment and/or review. 

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We're back to discuss HBO's The Outsider.  Things are getting so good, Brandon jumped on board to discuss. 

Terry's been arrested and revealed his alibi. It's got rock-solid proof he was nowhere near town when the murder occurred. But the DNA evidence linking him to the crime is still seemingly unbreakable as well. Detective Anderson' starting to feel like such a public arrest was a mistake. The Maitland family's being harassed and Terry's lawyer is out for blood. More pieces of the puzzle unravel and what, at first, looked like an airtight case soon unravels as witness and evidence continue to contradict. 

Then in a turn that leaves the number one suspect dead and the murder victim's family in a destroyed, The Outsider up-ends what started like an ordinary police procedural and crime thriller.

Now, what's better than  story where a main character dies before the lead detective admits there may have been better ways to go about establishing the truth?

Finally, Folks Seem Ready to Investigate...

From this point the show begins to intertwine the supernatural into everything as the story drills down on its players in the aftermath of a double tragedy. 

But something's moving around this town enjoying the fall out and it has no intention of being stopped. Anderson reaches out to other investigators and Maitland's lawyer hoping to join forces in the hunt. This is point at which private investigator Holly Gibney joins the investigation. 

We're inches away from outpacing the source material and for once, it seems like the best choice to be faithful to the story's deeper themes while making for excellent television.

Ro, Latoya and Phenom decided one mega recap is called for because HBO's The Outsider decided to go all the way left as each episode deepened the "what the hell" factor at the show's center. 

We're all convinced there'll be a lull in the episodes, but it hasn't happened just yet. 

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The Outsider: So That's How Y'all Gonna Do Him

January 12th marked the premier of HBO's adaptation of Stephen King novel The Outsider.  The show's executive produced and written by HBO veteran Richard Price.

The Outsider is a supernatural procedural as only King would decide to do it. There's murder, mayhem, small town upheaval, and a boogeyman. Stephen King novels are at the height of popularity once again after big film adaptations Dr. Sleep, It (Part I and II), Shudder's Creepshow and Hulu's Castle Rock.  It was only a matter of time before HBO threw it's hat in the ring. HBO's on a roll and it seemed like a good idea to keep up. 

Ro and Toya, two among the many horror fans on the MTR Network, decided The Outsider was perfect for a read-along as they watch. Despite it's size (560 pages), this particular King story is a steady-building supernatural suspense story (or listen) that's easy to follow and digest. It shoves the weird directly in the middle of a police procedural and keeps you questioning. The show, however, reorders information for maximum use and plays with all the cards face up on the table.

From the very start, it's best to brace because it's easy to miss something. 

The Premise

Cheerokee City's on the hunt for a vicious killer. A young boy's been found violated and mutilated in the woods and all the evidence points to favorite son, Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman). Everyone trusts Terry. He's been coaching Little League and Pop Warner football for years. Convinced they have an air tight case, Maitland police detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) stages a public arrest. Anderson has Terry taken into custody in front of the entire town during the big Little League game. 

HBO's The Outsider features a stellar cast all who bring depth and grit to a believable investigation happening under unbelievable circumstances. It's edgy and intense yet balanced with facts that keep you invested in both the investigation and the people. The Outsider's always had a contemporary feel but Richard Price brings an extra layer of authenticity to the game and it's ensured we're in for all ten episodes ride. 

HBO released episode 1 and 2 back to back on the 12th. So, we'll be doing the show discussion in batches. Trust me, you'll definitely want the time to think about all the interlocking narratives before moving on. 

This first review is general Stephen King discussion and our few of our favorite King novels and then we dig into the books themes and how the show kicks things off in episode one. The next review will cover episode 2 and 3. Then we'll take the show in batches (with hopefully some other folks from the network joining in the discussions) from there. 

If you want to read along (or just pick up The Outsider) shop indie and thwart our would-be corporate overlords. 

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The Sun is Also A Star Adaptation Is Missing It's Center On Screen 

Shortly after The Sun is Also A Star hit theaters, Ro sits down with critic Joi Childs to talk about the film's adaptation and on why the story context should've mattered more in this charming day-in-the-life love story, and how it feels like the screenwriters (and possibly the actors) fell short of the mark when deciding on what angle to take. Joi and Ro both wonder if the uneven ability in the lead actors weighed in on the seeming decision to not spend much time on showing substantive backstory for an entire family or if perhaps Yara's skillset wasn't up to carrying the weight this story needed to be more than a superficial one-and-done romance story. Ro and Joy wonder does how much the seeming maturity of the actor matter should be taken into consideration. 

The discussion contains a few excerpts from the book which may feel spoiler to some. So, Ro delayed sharing this chat to give folks time to see the film (or read the book) themselves. Both Ro and Joi enjoyed The Sun is Also A Star (beautiful people are never a bad thing) but each wishes that it hadn't fallen so far short of what it could've been with just a bit more care. 

We talk likes, dislikes. Joi ponders accurate portrayals of chemistry between strangers and teenagers and confirms that Charles Melton is absolutely old enough for us to drool over for years to come. 

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In the second episode of I Talk Shit & Read, I spent some time with  L.L. McKinney (aka Elle) about her debut novel A Blade So Black. 

Guest: L. L. McKinney

Because the Twitterverse has no chill, we started off discussing an online controversy surrounding a YA novel, Blood Heir, the author eventually decided to pull in order to address racially problematic elements in the writing. (I wanted to hyperlink to an article about the issue but damned if I'll promote clicks to skewed hot-takes that just want to bash anyone who vocally took issue with the novel or the marketing direction. I asked about Elle focused on pointing to the initial marketing "blurb" labeling the story "color-blind" and how that in-and-of-itself is problematic, in publishing and in life.  Our conversation took off from there.

Elle went on to share how exploring fear, its physical effects, and a concept of accountability influenced the creation of "Wonderland." How race is processed by readers (and writers) and how it matters beyond being a buzz word even in fantasy.  Our discussion touched on other real-life elements that impact her writing and how that helped this world evolve. We talked about what she hopes to see in the coming television adaptation from Lionsgate.

And because I have no sense, the conversation went left on more than one occasion. Thankfully, Elle was happily on board; probably because she knows she's gonna kill a character I like somewhere along the way...

A Blade So Black:

After barely escaping an attack with her life, Alice agrees to be trained to fight Nightmares invading her world. But to do so, she'll have to juggle a protective mother, school, friends, and her secret job as a slayer.  Set in an alternate Atalanta and a Wonderland reimagined, A Blade So Black is the tale of a young girl coming of age carrying a burden she'd like nothing better than to put down driven to sacrifice in order to save the world knowing she'll have to live with the consequences.

If you like your friends snarky and jokes relatable and your heroes to carry swords, A Blade So Black may be the trip down the rabbit hole for you. This is not your typical fairy tale but it looks to have the makings of one helluva adventure.

Plus, the second installment, A Dream So Dark hit shelves on September 24, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In the first episode of I Talk Shit & Read, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tasha Suri about her debut novel Empire of Sand. What started out as a convo about the inspiration behind her story turned into a chat about everything from the Mughal Empire (think Taj Mahal), recognizing her own history in her writing, owning her voice, colonialism, a short geography lesson, my thoughts on the themes and relatability of her world and characters, the difficulty of fan-casting a movie when colorism is truly a thing, and why we definitely need to build a compound for supervillains.

Guest: Tasha Suri

Tasha Suri is a London-based librarian and author. Suri is witty, well-informed and hooked on good things like Bollywood films, history, and mythology. Her South Asian influenced fantasy is a blend of knowledge, heritage, and a damn good idea.

Book Synopsis: Empire of Sand is set in a world inspired by medieval India. It's the tale of a girl named Mehr, the illegitimate daughter of a powerful nobleman and a woman from the exiled and despised nomadic people known as the Amrithi. Mehr inadvertently reveals that she's inherited - from her mother's bloodline - the ability to manipulate the dreams of sleeping gods. She swiftly draws the attention of the Empire's semi-immortal and extremely powerful religious leader known as the Maha. And that's when things go left...

Shortly after we finished talking on January 17th, Variety broke the news that production companies Kronicle Media, Amyale, and Rebel Maverick partnered together to develop Empire of Sand into a television series. It's pretty safe to assume I'll be watching.

 

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