Book Squad Goals

Join Emily, Susan, and special returning guest Janet for a discussion of Angie Kim’s second novel, Happiness Falls! We talk about the mystery plot, the role of communication and understanding, whether you can quantify happiness, and how we feel about the ending. Then we get into some listener feedback and continue our feud over whether Kennedy from Come and Get It is actually evil or pretty ok. Go...

Pick your astrological enemy because it’s time to fight them in this high school gymnasium! JK, but we are discussing Bottoms (2023) with special guest Susie Dumond! After talking about the film, we chat with Susie about her new novel, Looking for a Sign . She gives us some great insights into her process, and we get to talk about astrology and dating apps too! Susie’s book is out now, so go get i...

Is your credit card tingling? That’s because this week we’re talking about A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon. Join the squad for a discussion about the magical rules of this book, climate change as a villain, magical girl romance hopes, and how the book pushes against magical girl type. Then we get into some listener feedback about Come and Get It . (Do you have feedback? Send it to us!) Get...

It’s Mary’s Big Baby Bonanza! And we’re celebrating with unhinged presentations on niche topics followed by baby gifts! Come party with us and learn about everything from US presidents to Vampire Potter fanfic to phantom jellyfish, and a bunch of other random things along the way. Join us on July 9th for a Bookpisode on A Magical Girl Retires by Seolyeon Park. Then get ready for a special Othersod...

We’re going back to college to talk about Come and Get It by Kiley Reid! There’s a lot to cover in the book, and issues of race, classism, and plain old mean girl behavior all come up. Plus, learn about the Squad’s weird and wonderful college jobs! Considering how much buzz Kiley Reid received for her first novel, Such a Fun Age , you won’t want to miss the talk about her latest work. Does it hold...

Special guest Paul Tremblay (author of The Cabin at the End of the World , Survivor Song , and the forthcoming Horror Movie ) joins the Squad to talk about one of our favorite underrated horror films, The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2017). We talk about the movie’s unique take on possession, the performances, the (somewhat controversial?) ending, and the dangers of having Spring Break in February. Then...

Spend ten days with us as we become fluent in the language of literary criticism! For our discussion of Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi’s debut novel The Centre, the squad breaks our usual form and starts with the ending first. From there, we share our thoughts on the book’s main character, its ideas about translation, the role classism plays in the story, and, crucially, blowjobs (just blowjobs in general...

This week the Squad goes to sunny Florida (NOT Australia) to discuss the Peacock series Apples Never Fall, based on the novel by Liane Moriarty. We talk about the differences between the book and the series, the family dynamics, the acting (including the tennis acting), and other Liane Moriarty adaptations we’ve seen. Then we get into some feedback on Irish Wish because we have to talk about Irish...

Get transported to the other side of the world with the squad (minus Mary) as we discuss The Sun Sets in Singapore, the debut novel by Kehinde Fadipe! We discuss the main characters’ struggles and story arcs, the women’s friendships, the ~drama~, and the setting. Then we get into some listener feedback and catch up with what’s on the Book Squad Blog! Steal your friend’s Peacock login info to watch...

You probably didn’t think we were going to cover the new Lindsay Lohan Netflix film Irish Wish …but what if we did?? Come along to the Emerald Isle with the squad and special guest Nathan Simmons, co-host of Oh! That’s a Scary Movie podcast, as we discuss the nature of wishes, what it means to “be” Irish, couture fashion, and the James Joyce of it all. Plus, enjoy a very special tangent on the scr...

Mirror, mirror, on the wall... oh wait, that was our last book. Join the squad on another journey into the land of fairytales and their tropes as we discuss  Thornhedge,  the latest novella by T. Kingfisher. Special guest Jen educates us on everything from the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index to the many crimes of Giambattista Basile, and Susan educates us on The Frog Prince (1986). Make sure to tune in...

From the hearts…the minds…the dreams…of the Book Squad…comes a special discussion of the Jennifer Lopez film? visual album? This Is Me…Now . It’s hard to describe our chat because it’s hard to describe this project. But some topics we cover include: celebrity zodiac signs, eye-roll moments, which husband is which, and the meaning of a factory. Then we head back to non-green screen land to catch up...

Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty – we’re talking about Rouge by Mona Awad! Special guest Mary Kay McBrayer (author and podcast host) joins us for a deep dive into this surreal world to chat about genre, mother-daughter relationships, the toxic beauty industry, and of course, Tom Cruise himself. Next we catch up with what’s on the blog, including a post about Hazbin Hotel and new Bachelo...

Get in, losers; we’re listening to a podcast the whole way there! Join the Book Squad, aka the Army of Skanks, to discuss the new Mean Girls movie, which IS in fact a musical. We talk about our individual histories with Mean Girls, the music and singing, the performances, and changes that worked and didn’t from the original. Next we catch up with what’s on the blog and Kelli shames listeners (Send...

Biography, but make it fiction. Join the Book Squad for a discussion of Biography of X by Catherine Lacey. We talk about the novel’s alternative-America backdrop, the depiction of the South, X’s “art, and what is up with the narrator. After that, Kelli interviews author Emily Austin ( Interesting Facts About Space , Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead ) about her latest novel, her writing p...

It’s the most wonderful time of year – time for our (pretty much) annual “Best of the Year” episode! Join us as we chat about our favorite pop culture from 2023. Plus, hear from some of our 2023 guests on their favorite things of the year. Read along for our next Bookpisode on Biography of X by Catherine Lacey on January 23rd, and go see Mean Girls for our next Othersode on February 6th! Send us y...

Help! We're trapped inside this podcast and we can't get out! Just kidding, that didn't happen to us. It happened to our friend. Or did it...? This week, the squad attempts to untangle the complexities of Catriona Ward's latest novel, Looking Glass Sound. We spend a good chunk of the podcast nailing down the plot, but we also find time to discuss the merits of stories within stories, watery books,...

Special guest Jayce Chambless is back to discuss The Only One Left by Riley Sager with the Squad. We talk (complain) about the characters, try to do some Sager math, ponder the 1980s setting, and reveal what moment made us sigh with resignation. Then we review some reviews from Goodreads because we love that unhinged shit. Then we get into what’s on the blog and let ya know what’s up next on the p...

The whole Squad is back together and on a hunt for CAMP of any sort in our discussion of Chuck Tingle’s Camp Damascus. Put a pink bag over your head and join us as we talk about the novel’s plot and pacing, YA vs. adult fiction, religious trauma, autism, and of course, CAMP. Then we catch up with what’s on the (still alive, we swear) Book Squad Blog. Join us for what will probably be a Hatepisode...

This week, the Squad and special guest Ang Ferraguto (aka Kelli’s gf) discuss Sofia Coppola’s new film, Priscilla , based on the 1985 book Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley. We talk about our own personal connections to Elvis, the Sofia Coppola aesthetic of it all, the problematic nature of Elvis and Priscilla’s relationship, and the ~discourse~ around the movie. Tangential conversation addresses...

Listen, we NEVER talk about vampires on this podcast, and we’re not gonna do it today. Just kidding; yes we are. In our discussion of Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, we also talk about romance, historical fiction, cover design, and the fact that westerns have to have a hot person for anyone on the squad to be interested. Next we get into some listener feedback and catch up with what’s on the...

Return guest Clay McLeod Chapman (author of The Remaking, Whisper Down the Lane, and Ghost Eaters ) joins the Squad to chat about the depressing 2021 horror(?) film What Josiah Saw . We dig into the film’s narrative structure, characters, and general bleakness and ask the important question: did this movie abuse us? Then we have a two-part (spoiler-free and spoilers-ok) discussion about Clay’s new...

So what if we stole this whole episode from some other podcast and called it our own? Is that a crime?? JK, this whole episode is our (four white ladies’) original take on Yellowface by R. F. Kuang. We talk about the protagonist’s decision-making skills, satire of the publishing industry and Twitter, cancel culture, and the author’s own publishing experiences. Then we get into some listener feedba...

Be a podcast vampire and consume this episode about What We Do in the Shadows, featuring special guest Grace Treutel! We talk about the show’s mockumentary style, favorite character arcs, the Guillermo of it all, and even fanfiction. Next we talk to Grace about her short story chapbook, From the Humid Chambers of My Heart. Read along for our next Bookpisode about Yellowface by R.F. Kuang on 10/3....

Gidday, Goalies! Join the squad on the sun-drenched Australian coast for a tale of love (?) and loss with Thirst for Salt , the debut novel by Madelaine Lucas. We discuss the writing style, the book’s central relationship, and themes of motherhood. Next we catch up with what might or might not be on the blog and share some news about our Patreon – that’s right, we have a Patreon now! Tune in on 9/...