Book Squad Goals

If you think about it, this podcast is our hustle. (Minus the money.) Join us for a discussion of Hustle, Baby by Priya Guns. We talk about the distinctive voice, quirky characters, the (North) American Dream, and how this is eerily similar to another book we covered recently! We’re headed back into the CoHo-verse on October 13 to talk about the Verity film adaptation, so you don’t want to miss th...

Do you ever wonder if the squad looks so good because we all took a magic potion? Turns out we’re just that beautiful. But we’d love it if you joined us for a chat about Death Becomes Her , featuring special guest, author Ally Russell! We talk about our personal experiences with the film, body image, the icons Meryl and Goldie, and why this film is still so great. Then we have a spoiler-free inter...

Come along, dear flock, and join us for a discussion of Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash. We talk about the Flynn sisters as characters, conspiracy theories, the writing style, and more. Plus we once again try to define what satire actually is. Were we successful? Listen to find out! Author Ally Russell is joining us for our next Othersode about the film Death Becomes Her on September 15th. Then on our...

Next time someone casually taps your shoulder, ask yourself: “Am I possessed now?” Even if the answer is yes, you can join us and special returning guest Clay McLeod Chapman for a discussion of the 1998 film Fallen. We talk about how the film mixes genres, the performances by every working actor in the 90s, the demon mechanics, and that twist at the end. Then we have a spoiler-free Q and A with Cl...

A “literary drama packaged as a two-act play”—or is it? Join the Book Squad for a discussion of All Us Saints by Katherine Packert Burke. We chat about the book’s unique format, the St. Cloud family dynamics, and what’s up with Roland. And we ask the big important question: what even is this about? On our next Othersode, returning guest Clay McLeod Chapman will be with us to talk about the film Fa...

Get out the half and half and pour yourself a White Russian because we’re talking about The Big Lebowski with returning guest, author Paul Tremblay (Horror Movie, The Cabin at the End of the World)! We chat about our own connections to the film, the Coen Brothers’ oeuvre, why the film is a cult classic, and how it holds up in 2026. Then we have a spoiler-free Q and A with Paul about his latest nov...

Grab your shovels for a conversation about The Body —no, not that The Body . This one is by Bethany C. Morrow and we’re not totally sure why that’s the title! We talk about the protagonist, Religious Trauma, infidelity, that ending, and whether or not this is a horror novel. Next up on the podcast, it’s an Othersode with returning guest Paul Tremblay, author of the new novel Dead But Dreaming of E...

Put on your best bad wig and join us for our discussion of the Amanda Bynes classic She’s the Man with returning special guest, author Samantha Allen! We talk about the star quality of Amanda, the original text of Twelfth Night, gender stuff, romance, and feminism(?). Then we have a spoiler-free interview with Samantha about her latest novel, Puck, which is inspired by another Shakespearean play!...

Are we ghosts? Find out with us as the Book Squad chats about Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker! We ask “What is gothic, anyway?” and discuss the dual timelines, genre mixing, why Lee was a white guy, and who was masterminding this whole thing. We would have then gotten into listener feedback but we DIDN’T HAVE ANY and that’s on you. Do better next time. Speaking of next time, our next Othersode...

Join the Book Squad—and special guests Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames from A Little Bit Culty podcast—to talk about the Netflix series Wayward. We get into the real-life horrors of the troubled teen industry and talk about how this show depicts it. Then we interview Sarah and Nippy about their new book, A Little Bit Culty. The book is out now, so go check it out! Join us on June 9th to t...

Get in, losers—we’re getting obsessed with a local tragedy! Join the Book Squad for a chat about Wreck by Catherine Newman. We talk about our beloved Rocky, parents and family, grief and anxiety, and of course, Chicken and Angie (the cats!). On May 26, we’ll be joined by Sarah Edmondson and Nippy Ames to talk about Wayward (Netflix) and their new book, A Little Bit Culty, on our next Othersode. Ou...

Returning hatepisode guest Jayce (@TheEditBookshelf) joins the full squad to talk about Freida McFadden’s The Boyfriend ! We discuss McFadden's recent "coming out," wonder how she has time to be a Traumatic Brain Injury Specialist and mother of two while moonlighting as a thriller author, and try to remember if the main character of this book has a job. Plus: Jayce's stirring defense of Freida, an...

Try not to catch the plague with us as we travel back to 1300s England to discuss George Falls Through Time by Ryan Collett! We talk about the author’s YouTube career, George as a character, medieval times vs modernity, the mechanics of time travel, and of course, the romance. Hate-read along with us for our next Othersode on April 28th about The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden. Then join us for our...

You guys want to see a dead body? Well we’re not going to show you one, but we ARE going to talk about Stand by Me (1986) with one of our favorite authors, Catriona Ward! We talk about our personal experiences with the film, which characters we’d be (à la Sex and the City ), nostalgia, grief, and the adults in the movie. Then we get into a totally spoiler-free interview with Catriona about her new...

We’ve got a dozen reasons you should listen to this episode, and all of them are eggs. Join the Book Squad for a discussion about Swallows by Natsuo Kirino. We talk about what the title means, whether this book is a thriller (it’s not), the Japanese cultural context we’re probably missing as Americans, feminism and capitalism, and of course, motherhood and pregnancy. Then we get into some juicy li...

Listen to everyone try to stay calm as they talk about Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Wuthering Heights . Because this movie is oh so romantic, this is a double datepisode! Emily and Kelli are joined by their partners, Ben and Ang, to discuss Sex Fantasy with Jacob Elordi —er, wait, that’s Ben’s alternate title idea. The couples talk about the rules for book-to-movie adaptations, the big cha...

Is it just us or are things…dark lately? We’re not just talking about the news – we’re discussing Sunbirth by An Yu. We talk about the meaning of the sun slipping away, the writing style and pacing, the narrator, and the general ennui of it all. Then we take a brief side quest to talk about The Traitors US S4 because we can. Grab your windbreaker for our next Othersode about Emerald Fennell’s film...

Come get undead with the Book Squad and special guest, author Lindsay Currie, for a chat about Return of the Living Dead ! We dig into zombie tropes and talk about cemeteries, the cool practical effects, and of course, that ending. Then we have a spoiler-free chat with Lindsay about her new novel, X Marks the Haunt ! Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on February 17th about Sunbirth by An...

Get snuggled in tight – the Book Squad is here to discuss How to Sleep at Night by Elizabeth Harris. We talk about mis-matched political relationships, queerness and performance, emotional honesty vs. just being an a**hole, and sympathetic characters (or lack thereof). Join us on February 3rd for an Othersode about Return of the Living Dead, featuring special guest Lindsay Currie, author of X Mark...

It’s the episode we look forward to all year: our favorite things! The Squad counts down their favorite things from 2025. Plus, you’ll get to hear from the past year’s guests about what they loved most in 2025. And after you listen, we’d love to hear from you about YOUR favorite things too, so email or DM us so we can read it on the next Othersode! Read along with us for our first Bookpisode of 20...

For our final bookpisode of the year, we enter Hobby Lobby Hell to read Crafting for Sinners, the latest from Jenny Kiefer. We discuss the sordid history of Hobby Lobby’s crimes, debate whether an entire town can be homophobic, and try to understand blood sugar. Plus, Emily regales us with a chilling anecdote about knitting. Have feedback? Email us at thesquad@booksquadgoals.com. Stay tuned for ou...

The podcast itself is Book Squad Goals. This Othersode is Book Squad Goals’ Monster. Anyway, we’re talking about Guillermo del Toro’s beautiful new Frankenstein adaptation featuring more than one of BSG’s Favorite Actors™ – and we’re joined by husband of the pod, Todd! The Squad discusses some greatest hits of the people-playing-god genre, why this story is adapted so frequently, what makes this a...

It's time for the squad to meld minds with Seattle Book Club's Sam Clark to discuss Immaculate Conception, Ling Ling Huang's sophomore novel. Is this a sci-fi novel? Is it literary fiction? Is this queer? Does the art described in this book sound legit? Well, yes to all of that... but it's complicated. Tune in to find out more. And don't forget to come back next time for our discussion of Guillerm...

It’s cold outside, but the squad is still thinking about Midsommar . Author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne journeys to the Hårga with the rest of the squad for a fun, sunny, nine-day midsummer festival. What could possibly go wrong? After we chat about human sacrifice, bears, “good for her” horror movies, and responsible mushroom use, stick around for a spoiler-free talk with Tatiana about her latest horro...

You know what they say: Hell is going to grad school. Or that’s what R. F. Kuang says, and we here at Book Squad Goals tend to agree with her assessment. This week, the squad dives into Kuang’s latest, Katabasis, discussing everything from the state of Booktok and the publishing landscape to whether or not an erection qualifies a book for Romantasy status. Feel free to weigh in by sending an email...