One of the great things about Audible is the ability to return a book if you’re not loving it. But sometimes this backfires. If you’ve made too many recent returns, you might get stuck with a book you’d rather DNF. Well, reader, I lived it. And I powered through just so I could write this blog post and something could come out of the time I spent listening to this painfully detailed breakdown of our beloved show, The Bachelor. That’s right. I listened to How to Win the Bachelor by Chad Kultgen and Lizzy Pace, so you don’t have to. Spoilers to follow.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: Twin Flames
A few weeks ago, I was listening to A Little Bit Culty, and the episode was about Twin Flames Universe (TFU), a high-pressure group I'd never heard of before. The guest was Keely Griffin, a former member of the group. I've heard of the concept of "twin flames," but I had no idea there was a whole culty organization centered on the idea. A few days later I heard an advertisement for a new Wondery show called Twin Flames that explores and exposes the group, and I immediately downloaded the first two episodes.
Read moreThe Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window: Yes, Really
Emily: Welcome to the blog friends, and welcome to another blog post in which Susan and Emily talk thrillers. We love it here. Susan and I both read (and LIKED) The Woman in the Window, and yes, we do know it’s problematic. So we were excited about discussing the Netflix film The Woman in the Window, which was bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. And so now we’re coming around full circle to chat about The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, which is a Netflix series spoofing domestic thrillers. But let’s be real. It’s mostly a spoof of The Woman in the Window, which is fair, because that’s a story that’s pretty easy to make fun of. Oh, and this series stars my queen, Kristen Bell.
So how was this series? Was it funny? Was it thrilling? Did Kristen Bell crush it, as always? That’s what we’re here to chat about.
Anyway, spoilers to follow.
Read moreYA Book Club: Those Who Prey
Mary: WELCOME TO YA BOOK CLUB! This time around we have Susan joining us, because we know that Susan loves a good cult book. We read Those Who Prey (see what they did there??) by Jennifer Moffett. It follows Emily, a student at BU hailing from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as she becomes embroiled in a dangerous cult, eventually traveling to Italy on a mission trip. Things get wild fast once Emily leaves the country, stuck with an unenthusiastic mentor that seems to be hiding something.
Emily: I’m really disturbed by the fact that this person’s name is Emily. Oh, and before we get started, since Susan picked out the book for us this time, I wanted to ask her a little bit about why she picked it. Like, yes, it’s a cult book. But what made you excited about this specific cult book, Susan?
Susan: Of course, the cult was the first thing that got my attention, but I also love books set in or around schools. I thought the college setting would make for a fun way into the cult plot line. I also don’t read a lot of YA and wanted to mix things up a little with this one!
Spoilers for Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett to follow.
Read moreThe Wild Ride of The Way Down
The culty content keeps coming with HBO's The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, a new docuseries that investigates the Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, and its strange leader. The "church" evolves from a weight loss-focused workshop to an evangelical Christian spinoff to an full-fledged cult. The Way Down traces the rise and fall of Gwen Shamblin, the cult's body-obsessed leader, as she transforms Remnant Fellowship into the dangerous high-control group that it still is today. Some spoilers for The Way Down to follow.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: Something Was Wrong
somethingwaswrong.com
Our listeners know we love a scam. Last summer when I was in search of some new scammy content, I stumbled upon Something Was Wrong in Stitcher. At the time, the show was already several seasons in, but I’d seen some buzz for season one in reviews, so I started at the beginning. What I found was better than just a scam story; I found an empathetic storyteller centering victims of abuse, control, and manipulation. Something Was Wrong is riveting in its subject matter, but more importantly, it’s bringing attention to some really crucial issues.
Read moreThe Bachelorette S17E10: My Head Just Feels Like Scrambled Eggs
ABC
What a ride, readers. We basically got three episodes in one for this finale, and it was full of emotional whiplash, profound declarations of love, incorrect word definitions, and fantastic outfits (from Tayshia and Kaitlyn). Read on to find out who won Katie’s heart, and more importantly, who got the most points this season!
Read moreThe Bachelorette S17E8: Your Opinion is Wrong
It’s that time of the season! It’s the MEN TELL ALL! That episode where the men tell some things, yell at each other, and remind us of who they are before we see them again on the beaches in Bachelor in Paradise. Are you ready for this?
Well, you gotta wait. Because first we have to deal with some Michael drama.
Read moreThe Bachelorette S17E7: Eating My Way to Her Heart
Craig Sjodin / ABC
It’s getting real, people. Hometowns are next week, which means all these dudes’ families are quarantining nearby. Will Greg’s second one-on-one seal his fate as the frontrunner? Will Mike P. cuddle his way into Katie’s heart before it’s too late? Will Blake insult an artist’s self portrait of her vagina right to her face? Read on to find out!
Read moreThe Bachelorette S17E6: Operation WOWO
Photo: ABC
What’s hotter than a day in the New Mexican desert? Trying not to touch yourself for a whole week while you live in close quarters with 10 other people! Oh, and a “roast”—those are heated too, right? Read on to find out if this week’s episode had us all hot and bothered or just left us feeling like we need to throw up in the middle of a group date. Let’s go!
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