Marginalia Pod

Pretty grim topic this week but one that comes up often enough for these characters, sadly – we're reading chapters 33-37 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue through the theme of violence. In this section, the Greenmantles go spelunking. Piper continues to be weird and it's freaking Colin out! Gwenllian, meanwhile, is wreaking noisy havoc at 300 Fox Way, but the Gray Man asks her to sing her story, and she do...

We're all about hospitality this week as we read chapters 28-32 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue. In this section, it’s raining blood and there’s a comet and they’ve rescued an ancient madwoman who just happens to be Gwenllian, illegitimate daughter of Owen Glendower. They trundle her back to 300 Fox Way, where Persephone has been waiting for her. Malory tells Blue a little bit about Gansey before. Ronan a...

This week, we’re reading chapters 22-27 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue through the theme of suffering and boy, do we suffer with these characters. In this section, Blue makes another attempt to get into Jesse Dittley’s cave and Noah goes very dark and scary. Back at 300 Fox Way, Blue mentions Jesse Dittley is on the church watch list and Adam immediately divines that one of them is on it, too. Later, Gan...

Inside you are two wolves… or something! This week, we’re reading chapters 17-21 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue. In this section, Blue finds Jesse Dittley’s name on the church watch list. Gansey has begun waiting for Blue to call… which she does. We finally meet Henry Cheng but Gansey, while polite, doesn’t have much time for him. Adam and Ronan visit the Barns, where Ronan tells Adam what he’s been work...

What does it mean to have faith? In a greater power, in your friends, in yourself? That's our theme this week as we read chapters 11-16 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue. In this section, the boys tell the women of 300 Fox Way about Greenmantle. Blue joins Gansey and Malory in search of a cave, and they meet Jesse Dittley. Adam and Ronan fight about the future Adam wants and Ronan despises. We’re well into...

Wasting no time having the deep conversations, this week we talk about family as we read chapters 6-10 of Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. In this section, Blue’s first day back in school is pretty terrible–she’s reminded again of the impossibility of dreaming beyond her means, and then Noah goes nuts and supernaturally breaks things in her guidance counsellor’s office. A creepy, smarmy...

We’re back in Henrietta! We’re continuing our journey with The Raven Cycle by reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. You can check out season 5 for The Raven Boys and season 8 for The Dream Thieves. We’re starting how we mean to go on (in our feelings) by reading the prologue to chapter 5 through the theme of loss. And we’re picking up the overarching theme of connection again! We’re a...

We are tackling another 2000s classic this week and watching Legally Blonde! And our loose themes were confidence and ambition. What, like it's hard? You can find the show notes  on the website .  This episode was recorded on 9 April 2023. Thanks for listening! We're taking a week off and then well be back with Season 10 (!!!) on 4 May. We'll be back in Henrietta and reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue b...

Well, here we are again! We're wrapping up Wayward Son this week through the theme of failure. It's been a big ol journey. In this section, Baz thinks Simon is dead. Simon is trying to rally, but he can’t get up, not until he hears Baz calling for him. Shep gets Agatha and Penny out of the SUV, and they come to the rescure with magic. Shep comes up with a getaway plan, and once they get somewhere...

What we've got here is failure to communicate... like actually, that's the whole book. This week, we're reading chapters 54-59 of Wayward Son through the theme of communication! In this section, Lamb helps the crew get to an alleged NowNext lab in the desert to rescue Agatha… but it turns out to be a big fat trap. Simon goes into fight mode and there are gunshots and it’s terrible and Baz is freak...

Loyalty is such a big topic - and a great way for looking at the way our trio behaves! It's our theme as we read chapters 47-53 of Wayward Son this week. In this section, Simon is devastated at the thought of losing Baz. He goes out to get a haircut. Baz goes shopping. Penny and Shep try to scry for Agatha. Baz and Lamb meet up for their lunch, and Lamb realizes Baz is completely new to vampirism....

We're getting back to nature this week while reading chapters 41-46 of Wayward Son. In this section, Simon and Baz share several lovely, tender moments. Agatha realises NowNext is just a fancy vampire nest. Once in Vegas, our intrepid heroes and their cheerful guide check into a vampire hotel and go out to find some vampires to learn more about NowNext.  In case you missed it, we’ve already read t...

Everything hurts and we’re dying - that’s right, the theme is heartbreak this week as we read chapters 34-40 of Wayward Son. In this section, Simon, Baz and Penny encounter a dragon. Shep’s timely intervention is the only thing that gets them out of this jam, so they agree to let him be their guide. They head towards Hoover Dam where Shep’s got a “friend” who can help them out, then decide to head...

We’re channeling Ted Lasso by being curious and not judgemental this week as we read chapters 28-33 of Wayward Son through the theme of curiousty! In this section, there’s a nasty fight but our trio manages to escape with Shep’s help. He offers to be their guide but Penny shuts him down repeatedly. They ditch Shep at the first opportunity. While Simon and Baz discuss going home, Penny gets a voice...

We love escaping into Wayward Son every week, and there’s certainly a lot of escaping happening in chapters 21-27 as well. From feelings, from talking, from reality… good thing it’s our theme this week so we can get stuck in!  In this section, our faves have some fun exploring the Ren Faire until they find some actual vampires taking advantage of the festival. They immediately swing into action an...

We're all about freedom this week as we read chapters 14-20 of Wayward Son.  In this section, our intrepid trio discover that America is actually really, really big. While this is joyful and amazing to Simon, Baz is supremely unimpressed by the Midwest. Penny remains too crushed to pay attention to the scenery (or lack thereof). They decide to press on to California, with a wee detour to Omaha to...

We're getting straight into our feelings this week - no messing around! We are commited! Which also happens to to be our theme this week.  In this section, Agatha is at a NowNext conference/seminar/retreat as a favour to her mate Ginger, but she’s bored and annoyed. Braden, the founder, takes a special interest in her, which is even more annoying. Meanwhile, Penny, Baz, and Simon land in Chicago....

It’s time to dive headfirst back into the World of Mages! We’re so looking forward (?) to getting our hearts ripped out by Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell for season 9. This is the second book in The Simon Snow Trilogy - we read the first, Carry On, for season 6 . We’re picking up the same overarching theme of expectations. This week, we read the epilogue to chapter 6 through the theme of choice. We...

Scott, if your life had a face, I'd punch it! We're watching one of our fave films for this one shot - Scott Pilgrim vs the World! Our (very loose) themes are closure and arrogance.  You can find the show notes  on the website .  This episode was recorded on 17 December 2022. Thanks for listening! We're taking a week off and then well be back with Season 9 ón 9 Feb - we're reading Wayward Son by R...

Take heart everyone, it's our last episode of season 8. We’re reading the final chapters of The Dream Themes through the theme of courage, and wrapping up the novel. In our section this week, The Gray Man is forced to face his worst fear. Gansey and Ronan enlist Blue’s help in finding Kavinsky’s fourth of July party. Kavinsky dreams a dragon, draining Cabeswater and leaving Ronan with nothing left...

Second to last episode! It always comes around so quickly. This week, we read chapters 54-59 of The Dream Thieves through the theme of integrity. In this section, the Grey Man decides to run but has one last dinner at 300 Fox Way. Adam and Peresephone race against the clock to focus the ley line. Gansey and Blue avoid each other after their not-kiss, and Ronan turns up at church to find only Decla...

Ah yes, revenge! Fun to think about, but not great for the soul, if we’re honest. That’s our theme this week as we read chapters 48-53 of The Dream Thieves. Fair to say some of our characters are more hung up about revenge than others - lots to discuss! In this section, Blue calls on Calla’s psychometry and then has a hard conversation with Adam. Persephone helps Adam balance his Cabeswater bargai...

We're back! This week, we're reading chapters 41-47 of The Dream Thieves through the theme of arrogance. And look, there's a lot of different flavours of arrogance at play with the Gangsey so we've got lots to unpack! In this section, Kavinsky and Ronan indulge in some destructive dreaming. In DC, Adam goes missing and the whole Gansey family searches for him. And at 300 Fox Way, the Gray Man real...

Happy Festivus! We interrupt your regular season with this re-run of our Festivus episode because... well, it's festive! And this was delightful! We watched three festive films and discussed their feats of strengths, and aired our grievances. At this metaphorical Festivus dinner, we gather round to chat about Happiest Season, Last Christmas, and The Holiday. You can find the show notes  on the web...

We get furstrated when we want something and we're not getting it... and a lot of Gangsey are not getting what they want at the moment! This week, we read chapters 34-40 of The Dream Thieves through the theme of frustration. In this section, Ronan takes the Camaro and meets Kavinsky for a race... it does not end well. Meanwhile in DC, Gansey and Adam are at cross-purposes, which sparks a fight. Ga...