17 APR 2024 · 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 Apples Never Fall for our next Othersode on 4/30. Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode on The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi on 5/14. Send your feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com and don’t forget to leave us a rating and review! TOC :30 – welcome! 8:25 – book intro 13:20 – which story were you most interested in? 20:45 – friendship! 29:18 – the Jenna bush of it all 49:38 – ratings 56:04 – listener feedback! 1:00:16 – what’s on the blog? What’s up next?

3 APR 2024 · 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 screenwriter and her many, many favorite things. Read along for our next Bookpisode about The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe on 4/16, and check out the Peacock series Apples Never Fall (based on the Liane Moriarty novel) for our next Othersode on 4/23. PS: We would loooove a five-star rating if the spirit of St. Brigid moves you!  TOC: 0:30 — Welcome, Nathan! And icebreaker 10:50 – Movie intro 13:20 – What’s this movie’s whole deal? 20:02 – The wish 41:28 – Who wrote this?? And more miscellaneous comments  51:53 – What is everyone wearing? 56:32 – Why is this set in Ireland? 59:00 — James Joyce 1:07:03 – Ratings  1:09:54 – Reedback  1:12:00 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links: https://www.vulture.com/article/netflix-irish-wish-is-an-ai-generated-harbinger-of-doom.html

20 MAR 2024 · 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 next time, when we'll be joined by Nathan Simmons of the Oh! That's a Scary Movie podcast for a discussion of the latest Lindsay Lohan/Netflix vehicle, Irish Wish (4/2), and read along for our next bookpisode on The Sun Sets In Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe (4/16). Follow us on social media @booksquadgoals, subscribe to our Patreon, leave us a rating and review on the Apple podcasts app, and send LITERALLY any feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com! TOC: :30 – Icebreaker Q, welcome Jen! 5:05 – Book intro 6:50 – Tale types 14:48 – What’s up with Toadling? 24:13 – Other subversive fairy tales? 28:42 – Halim  41:00 – Fayette and the ending of the book 49:00 – Why do we keep retelling tales? 52:44 – Ratings 56:44 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/emily-and-ben-beat-cancer

6 MAR 2024 · 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 with what’s on the blog, including YA Book Club and Bachelor recaps! Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, featuring special guest Jen Roy, on 3/19. Then put on your best green outfit for our next Othersode on Irish Wish, the new Lindsay Lohan movie, on 4/2. Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts – we’ll read it on the next episode! Send listener feedback to thesquad@booksquadgoals.com! TOC :30 – Icebreaker 10:26 – Movie description and expectations 13:08 – Previous J-Lo feelings 22:48 – What is this? 30:25 – The Great Heart Factory Debate 44:56 – Kelli’s tweet corner; where are the kids? 50:00 – What else? The music? 57:50 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next?

20 FEB 2024 · 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 Bachelor recaps! Buckle up for our next Othersode on Jennifer Lopez’s movie-thing, This is Me…Now on March 5th. Then read along for our next Bookpisode about Thorn Hedge by T. Kingfisher on March 19th! Please leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts, and we might read it on the pod! Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/booksquadgoals TOC :30 – Welcome Mary Kay! And childhood crushes 9:11 – The very extra Goodreads summary 14:44 – Genre 21:41 – Mother Daughter relationships 52:57 – The ending 1:08:40 – Tom Cruise 1:23:30 – Cover art corner 1:26:35 – Ratings 1:31:16 – Mary Kay’s new podcast, what’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links: https://www.vogue.com/article/mona-awad-fathers-day-essay https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-greatest-true-crime-s-128412643/

6 FEB 2024 · 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 feedback! Leave a rating! Write a review! Become a patron!). Read along for our next Bookpisode on Rouge by Mona Awad, featuring special guest Mary Kay McBrayer on 2/20. Then brace yourself for whatever This Is Me…Now is because we’re discussing it on our next Othersode on 3/5. TOC: :30– Welcome! And Icebreaker 9:40– Movie intro and spoiler warning 29:54– What was up with the marketing? 40:45– The cast and the music 1:00:40– Changes the new adaptation made 1:14:10– What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Kelli’s shame corner

24 JAN 2024 · 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 process, the importance of queer stories, and of course, space! Plus, Emily asks Kelli some questions about designing her beautiful book covers! Then we get into some listener feedback for Looking Glass Sound and catch up with what’s on the blog. Go see the new Mean Girls movie and join us for our next Othersode on 2/6 to hear us talk about it. Then special guest Mary Kay McBrayer will join us for our next Bookpisode on Rouge by Mona Awad on 2/20! Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and consider becoming a patron for just $3 a month! TOC :30 – Welcome! And icebreaker 6:29 – Why biography?? And book intro 14:00 – Alternate history 23:39 – And how it relates to the south 35:00 – How X sucks 46:04 – What is up with the narrator? 50:37 – Kelli’s art corner 59:00 – Ratings 1:02:30 – Emily Austin interview! 1:51:10 – Listener Feedback 1:56:26 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/01/catherine-lacey-that-constant-nervous-twitter-energy-repels-me-biography-of-x

10 JAN 2024 · 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 your highlights of 2023 via DM or email at mailto:thesquad@booksquadgoals.com! Thanks for being with us in 2024! TOC 2:34– Icebreaker 11:22–Round 1 30:24– Round 2 48:22– Round 3 1:07:30– Honorable mentions 1:20:30– Listener feedback! 1:28:00–What’s on the blog? What’s up next?

2 JAN 2024 · 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, and, obviously, gay stuff. If you feel like you can explain any of this better than we did, please drop us a line at thesquad@booksquadgoals.com, and if you're not all Christmased out, check out Emily's 12 Days of Christmas Movies series on the blog! Stay tuned for our upcoming othersode on our favorite things of 2023 (1/9), and read Biography of X by Catherine Lacey to prep for our next bookpisode (1/23) which will also feature an interview with Emily Austin, author of Interesting Facts About Space. Happy (???) New Year! TOC :30 - Unhinged milk conversation 3:55 - Actual welcome & intro question 9:49 - Dog advice 11:30 - Goodreads summary (featuring a mistake) 14:25 - Remembering what happened in this book 16:55 - Establishing basic plot points 27:26 - When things start to spiral 36:40 - The “present” of the book 47:30 - Witchcraft? 51:02 - Stories within stories - do these work? 56:00 - Catriona Ward’s other books that we’re obsessed with 1:01:08 - Gay stuff! 1:06:30 - The setting and wet books 1:10:50 - Character specifics and humor 1:14:21 - Emily’s ONE critique 1:19:00 - Ratings 1:26:45 - Listener feedback 1:33:10 - What Emily wrote for the blog 1:40:00 - What’s next on the pod

12 DEC 2023 · 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 pod! Read along for our next Bookpisode on Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward on 12/26, and drop in for our Best of 2023 episode on 1/9! Please do us a solid and leave us a 5-star rating, write us a review, and/or become a Patron! Toodles, our bookish noodles! TOC :30 — Welcome, Jayce! And intro question 12:20 — Book intro 14:30 — The characters (other yahoos) 34:09 — So many twists. Riley Sager math 54:48 — Why is this set in the 80s? 58:20 — What’s a moment that made you sigh with resignation? 1:11:19 — Review Reviews 1:22:50 — Ratings 1:28:00 — What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links: https://www.booksquadgoals.com/blog/survive-the-book-mary-and-emily-read-riley-sager