Mary: Hello and welcome back to YA Book Club! Today we’re talking about The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky. The novel follows Rachel Chavez, who starts school atan exclusive prep school, only to fall in with a group of horror-loving teens called The Mary Shelley Club. Soon, Rachel discovers that things with the club aren’t as they seem, and her own terrifying ordeal begins. Be warned that from here on out, there will be spoilers for the novel!
Read moreA Definitive Ranking of Book-Shaped Gravestones in Green-Wood Cemetery
Arthur Tappan Pierson (March 6, 1837-June 3, 1911)
Green-Wood cemetery is many things: the eternal resting place for over 570,000 people, an arboretum, a Revolutionary War battle site, a bird sanctuary, an art and performance venue, a community space, and, I would argue, a library. One popular gravestone motif over the course of Green-Wood’s 183 year history is the form of a book, usually symbolizing the bible or the Book of Life. Whether or not the religious background is of interest to contemporary visitors, many of these grave markers are endearing sculptural works and landmarks for bibliophiles amidst the cemetery’s angels, obelisks, and nondescript headstones. Check out a book or two, ranked here based on style, content, and my completely non-objective opinions.
Read moreHalfway Through Wheel of Time and Feeling Fine
Hi, everyone. How are you? Hanging in there? On my end, I’ve been in a massive reading slump. Sure, I’ve kept up with my podcast reading, and read an additional book here or there (like Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch), but it’s been hard to muster up the mental energy to do much more than watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Read moreDeciphering Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
Mary: Well, pals, do we have a doozy for you today. Emily and I are here to talk about Nightbitch, the new novel by Rachel Yoder. Nightbitch follows an unnamed mother as she slowly descends into madness (or is it madness?). As she comes to terms with what it means to be a mother, Nightbitch grapples with her increasingly doglike nature, her isolation from others, and her growing urges to embrace her animalistic nature.
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 moreFive Times Armond from The White Lotus Made Me Say "What the Fuck"
There are so, so many takes about The White Lotus on the internet right now that I did ask myself if I should even bother writing about it. In case you haven’t watched it and aren’t on Twitter: the show, created entirely by Mike White, follows the events over the course of six days at The White Lotus resort in Hawaii. From the show’s first moments, we know that by the end, someone will be dead. The White Lotus is exploring a lot of ideas, and while there is a lot of debate about whether it can be a successful satire of white privilege and a condemnation of colonialism while also centering its white characters… that is not what I’m going to be talking about in this blog post. No, I’m here to talk about Armond.
(Spoilers for The White Lotus to follow. Big ones.)
Read moreGossip Girl S1E6: Parentsite
Hey, Upper Eastsiders. Gossip Girl here. Back for one last hurrah before we take a short hiatus from following the highs, lows, and outright disasters of Manhattan’s young, beautiful, and filthy rich teens. Will I be back for more later? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. Because I don’t know if Kelli and Emily will want to recap after this episode.
Kelli: This week, HBO has delivered yet another episode that I would describe as “fine.” Was this the worst episode of the season? No. Was it the best? Also no. Did it feel like a mid-season finale? Hardly. Maybe the CW set my expectations too high, but I expect a mid-season Gossip Girl finale to be full of high stakes and drama, and to end on a cliffhanger. This… was not that.
Read moreThis is it! Here Are The Top 10 A24 Movies
We here at Book Squad Goals have covered a lot of A24 content in our day. Next week, we’re keeping up the trend by covering A24’s latest film The Green Knight. It seems like A24 movies get a lot of buzz around them, no matter what they’re about or who’s in them. One thing’s for sure with A24. You’re probably going to see someone catch fire, and there’s going to be some sad music. Either that or there’s going to be a blinged out Furby necklace. That’s just the A24 aesthetic, everyone.
But what are the best A24 movies? I’m here to tell you! Here are the top 10 best A24 movies. We’re going to count down from 10 to 1. Enjoy!
Oh, and this will be spoiler free, so feel free to read and add these movies to your list!
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 moreGossip Girl S1E5: Hope Sinks
PHOTO: ALYSSA LONGCHAMP/HBO MAX
Hello guys and ghouls—it’s me, GG. If you thought this Halloween episode would feature anything remotely spooky, you’re in for a trick. Everyone knows celebrities only dress up as other celebrities on this hallowed occasion, and that the scariest thing you’ll find at Hulaween 2020 is an ill-advised Chuck Bass costume. Read on and discover what continues to haunt us from the latest episode of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl.
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