Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Film: Tuck Everlasting (2002)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe wrap up Book 7 with a look at the 2002 Disney adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, starring Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson (and his schwoopy hair!)

The big change in the film is the focus on Winnie and Jesse's love story, as well as an updated time period (and no jailbreak!)

Plus: Joe's movie-ruining factoid; Ben Kingsley's villainous performance; and why being abducted on a horse isn't the same as walking.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: Tuck Everlasting (1975)

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to middle grade fiction with Natalie Babbitt's 1975 classic novel, Tuck Everlasting.

It's a beautifully simple, but effective story with some age-appropriate moral lessons.

Plus: Brenna's experience with the graphic novel; the jailbreak finale; and why immortality is such a drag.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film: Along For The Ride (2022)

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to discuss the film adaptation of Along For The Ride, written and directed by Sofia Alvarez (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before).

Shocking no one: the complicated relationship with the parents is downplayed in favour of the romance with Eli.

But we're thankful that the friendship with the girls remains in place, and the parents still suuuuck (though Andie McDowell is barely present).

Plus: beach prom, post-partum, and music montages!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: Along For The Ride (2009)

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to the world of Sarah Dessen to discuss 2009's Along For The Ride.

There are no surprises here: it's all predictable conventions and tropes...and we don't care *at all* thanks to Dessen's fantastic writing and characterizations.

Plus: possibly the worst parents we've ever seen; internalized misogyny; and issues with the title and cover art.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beans (2020)

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe check out Tracey Deer's Indigenous Canadian film, Beans (2020), which we've both been eager to check out for years.

Pre-teen actor Kiawentiio gives an incredible performance as the title character in a film that mixes coming of age elements with historical re-enactments of the 1990 Oka Crisis, when settler colonialists tried to take over Indigenous land to build a golf course and a 78 day stand-off followed.

It's a solid film, though we're more invested in the historical details than some of the traumatic elements that unexpectedly develop in the last act.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You Can Live Forever (2022)

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:05:00 GMT

Joe and Brenna venture into new territory to discuss writing/directing duo Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky's queer Canadian Jehovah's Witness romance.

Featuring stand-out performances by Anwen O'Driscoll and June Laporte, the 90s-set film is beautifully quiet and contemplative.

Plus: debate about the effectiveness of the ending; a surprising best friend character; and questions about the "mom on the phone"

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Muppet Show (2026)

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to the world of Jim Henson to discuss the one-off reboot of The Muppet Show (2026).

We discuss why Sabrina Carpenter was an inspired first host, how kiddos handle the "scary" Beeker skit, why Kermit sounds a little different, and our hopes for more felt friends in the future.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag: Aging Out of YA

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Former guest Alex Heeney writes in to gently read Brenna and Joe about recent comments that suggest they may be aging out of YA.

At what point do you realize you're no longer the target audience and move onto New Adult literature?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians S02 (2025)

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe wrap up our coverage of Percy Jackson with a look at Disney +'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians S02.

It's an improvement on the film in every way, including the depth of characterization for the central trio, the great depiction of Tyson, and a fantastic episode featuring Circe.

There are, however, still a few missteps, including Mr. D and Tantalus (UGH), occasional slavish to Rick Riordan's source material, and a finale we kinda hate.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return for week two of our discussion on Percy Jackson's second adventure, with a look at the 2013 film Sea of Monsters.

Armed with a new director (Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Thor Freudenthal) and a mostly new adult cast, the film makes the odd decision to change a million little elements from the book.

Plus: pitch perfect roles for Nathan Fillion and Stanley Tucci; Logan Lerman's snoozy performance as the titular character; too many fleece resurrections; and discussion of the CGI cyclops eyeball

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters (2006)

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe kick off the first of three weeks on Percy Jackson and the Olympians with a look at Rick Riordan's second novel of the series: The Sea of Monsters.

Up for discussion: new character Tyson (and what that means for Grover), Middle Grade writing structure, how the book renders Greek mythology accessible, and the very 2006 era inclusion of Confederate soldiers.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Show: My Lady Jane (2024)

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe close out revisionist history month with a look at the first (and only) season of Prime's My Lady Jane (2024).

This New Adult text ages everyone up because it is *horny* (and quite hilarious).

Plus: a male voice-over for a female-driven show; a messy metaphor, a reliance on needle drops, and our favourite beautiful gown.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: My Lady Jane (2016)

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe gallop through Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows's My Lady Jane (2016). Our final revisionist text concerns England's nine day queen, Jane Grey, but uses a fantasy metaphor to tackle the real life Prostestant vs Catholic battle.

Plus: thoughts on the YA romance; Jane as a modern heroine; and how the three authors' voices blend together.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film: Rosaline (2022)

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:05:00 GMT

This week Joe and Brenna find ourselves in uncharted waters. Rosaline (2022) is most definitely NOT an adaptation of When You Were Mine (if anything, it's a contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet, the play).

With that bizarre fact aside, Rosaline is extremely enjoyable. A fantastic cast, playful direction, and a screwball screenplay make this a breezy good time. Just don't call it an adaptation!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: When You Were Mine (2010)

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe's revisionist theme continues with author Rebecca Serle's When You Were Mine (2012).

This contemporary version of Romeo and Juliet is from Rose's perspective as she watches her childhood crush, Rob, stolen by her unhinged cousin Juliet. But the propulsive (and highly readable) book has us asking: do we even need the R&J connection?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film: Catherine Called Birdy (2022)

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe turn their attention to writer/director Lena Dunham's 2022 adaptation of Catherine Called Birdy.

Starring Bella Ramsey and Andrew Scott, there's some queer subversion embedded in the film.

Plus: stunt casting Billie Piper, modernizing a classic (the music!) and a new YA BINGO board for a new year.

Correction: Joe should have said David Bradley, *not* Doug

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: Catherine, Called Birdy (1994)

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe get a head start on the new year with a slightly tweaked weekly format.

This week we're talking about Karen Cushman's award-winning novel Catherine, Called Birdy (1994) about a headstrong 14 year old Lady in the Middle Ages who refuses to marry.

Plus: the pros and cons of using diary entries as a narrative structure, eel pies, and plenty of women's issues

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club: Whiteout (2022)

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:05:00 GMT

Our annual holiday episode is on the collaboratively written novel Whiteout (2022). Featuring an all-star line-up that includes Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, Brenna, Joe and listener Tea, Books & Chocolate are left wondering: why is this so...slight?

Plus: great representation, debating distinct voices, comparisons to Love, Actually, and a tease for what's to come in January.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 47: 'I Wish You All The Best' Non-Binary Discussion & Heated Rivalry

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe respond to non-binary listener Kai's thoughtful feedback about the nuance we missed in our discussion of I Wish You All The Best, as well Tea, Books & Chocolate's request to cover Heated Rivalry, the new Canadian romance series about queer hockey players

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skam Season 1 (2015)

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:05:00 GMT

As promised, Brenna and Joe return to finish the remainder of S01 of Skam.

Obviously we're appreciative of listeners' demands we do so because we *love* Noora and Sana.

Plus: thoughts on Eva's S01 evolution, Vilde's pregnancy vs disordered eating storyline, the tease of Isak's queerness, and wanting more of girl Chris

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 feat. Jenny Nulf

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:50:11 GMT

It's time for another Twilight saga as guest Jenny Leigh joins Brenna and Joe to once again discuss a Stephenie Meyer text.

This time it's a wedding, an island named after mom, furniture breaking sex, instant Mormon pregnancy and Bella's super gaunt face.

That's right: it's Breaking Dawn: Part 1!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I Wish You All The Best

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:05:00 GMT

Thanks to a recommendation from listener Andrew, we're checking out non-binary author Mason Deaver's 2019 book I Wish You All The Best and transwoman Tommy Dorfman's 2024 film adaptation.

This is an interesting pair: they're each doing things that the other isn't (for better *and* for worse), including a fantasy ending and a welcome focus on therapy in the book and acknowledging queerness more quickly and an intimate ending for the film.

Plus: soliciting feedback from non-binary listeners, shifting genres from book to film, and feeling frustrated by Ben's passivity

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question or a response to Dec's Book Club pick, Whiteout? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clown in a Cornfield

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe wrap up another scary season with a look at Adam Cesare's YA slasher Clown in a Cornfield (2020) and Eli Craig's 2025 film adaptation.

Joe is a big fan of both texts: they each deftly balance comedy and horror, along with some surprising subversions, such as the killer reveal and the queer relationship between Cole and Rust.

Brenna likes the comedy of the film, including the kills (!), though there are a few issues with performance, the supernatural bent of the adults' motivations, and the ending lacking an old man on a plane. Overall, though: these are solid!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question or a response to December's Book Club pick, Whiteout (2022)? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 46: Skam Follow-Up & Dec Book Club Announcement

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Oh my gosh, we get it: YOU LIKE SKAM!

We have *never* gotten as much listener mail as we did for episodes 1-2 of Skam S01, so thank you to listeners Reuben, Earl, Charlotte, Anne, and Alex, who touch on everything from the release pattern of the show, other countries' entries, the meaning of the bus, fave characters we haven't met, and why we need to cover more.

Plus: our December Book Club book has been announced and Brenna has selected Whiteout (2022) written by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dark Harvest

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe kick off scary season with Norman Partridge's 2007 Stoker award winning novel Dark Harvest and David Slade's 2023 adaptation.

The book isn't exactly YA (and intriguingly features a second person narrator), but it mostly works as a Vietnam war allegory.

The film has elements of camp and great practical FX, though its incredibly grim ending doesn't entirely satisfy.

Overall, though, this is a great start to our annual creepy tradition!

While Brenna may be disappointed that the film doesn't exactly feature a pumpkinhead creature

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Swim (2024)

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe unofficially wrap up summer with Sasha Nathani's feature directorial debut Last Swim (2024). The UK film is about Ziba (Deba Hakmat), a girl with an undisclosed terminal disease, who plots one perfect day with her friends.

It's beautiful, intimate, has a great friend group and secretly does a great job of addressing class and race.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skam S01 (2015): Episodes 1 - 2

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:05:00 GMT

At the urging of past guest Alex Heeney, Joe and Brenna finally check out Skam, the "Norweigan Skins" that began airing in 2015.

In the first two episodes, we under why the show translates to "Shame" as our main character Eva struggles with a terrible boyfriend, bad grades, and uncertain social popularity.

Plus: two Chrises, absent parents, and a Degrassi-like production.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 45: Weeding The Library

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe respond to listener mail from Shaun (about Book Weeding), Andrew (about Harry Potter references in Felix Ever After), and Tea, Books & Chocolate (about a great Douglas Copeland quote).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Good Girl's Guide To Murder

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe dig into the death of Andie Bell with a look at Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2019) and S01 of the BBC3/Netflix series.

There's plenty to like in this well-constructed mystery, particularly Pip, her burgeoning romance with Ravi, and the many, MANY twists and red herrings.

Plus: Brenna's rant about a bizarre editorial decision, making murder victims likeable in the series, and yes, C/W: the dog does die.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club: Clap When You Land (2020)

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Book Club is back in session for the last time this summer as Brenna and Joe dig into Elizabeth Acevedo's novel in verse, Clap When You Land (2020).

We're joined by listeners Tea, Books & Chocolate, as well as Miriam, who contribute their thoughts on this beautiful (near) perfect book.

Expect discussions on class, race, gender, and money; whether this is representative of a typical book in verse, and Brenna's plea for this to be adapted!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 2: Episodes 9 & 10

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back to wrap up Series two of Skins and...it's a lot of mixed emotions!

On one hand, we think 2.10 "Final Goodbyes" is a pretty solid finish for these characters, while 2.09 "Cassie" left us with plenty of questions and concerns.

Plus: a tearful eulogy, Brenna worrying about Cassie's end, and after a whole summer, we finally play YA BINGO with the show!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dìdi (2024)

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:05:00 GMT

It's been a while since we've had a feel good coming of age dramaedy, so Joe has brought Brenna writer/director Sean Wang's Dìdi (2024).

Obviously Brenna has big feels about mother Chungsing (Joan Chen), but there's plenty to applaud about Izaac Wang's performance as Chris and the depiction of 2008 Internet friendship.

Plus: sibling rivalry, internalized racism, and talking animals.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 2: Episodes 7 & 8

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are barrelling towards the finale of Skins Series 02, but first we need to cross off the back-door pilot for Series 03 with 2.07 "Effie" and (finally!) a Jal-centric episode with 2.08.

It's all moving very quickly - to such a degree that we wonder when the creative team knew they were swapping out the cast.

Plus: Cassie's bisexuality, bad friend Michelle, Brenna's frustration with Tony's mom, and Joe's temptation to immediately dive into the next series.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freaky Friday

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:05:00 GMT

To coincide with the release of Freakier Friday, we're checking out all things Freaky Friday.

Kicking off the discussion is Mary Rodgers' 1972 book, which weirdly doesn't feature the mom's experience in her daughter's body!

Then it's onto the 1976 film starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris, which gives the latter much more to do than the former.

Finally we tackle the 2003 remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. Aside from the racism, this one is still very fun.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 2: Episodes 5 & 6

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

We've hit the halfway point of Skins series two with "Chris" and "Tony" and...Brenna is not impressed.

Episode five focuses on the burgeoning relationship of Chris and Jal, which we don't entirely believe. Meanwhile Brenna has no time or patience for Tony's episode, which feels like the writers realizing they make a huge mistake giving Tony a traumatic brain injury.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club: Felix Ever After (2020)

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back to discuss Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After (2020), our Book Club pick for July. We have one response from listener Miriam on this incredibly rich text, which features a complicated, even occasionally frustrating protagonist that we ultimately come to love.

Plus: the messy villains of the text, exploring trans identity beyond the binary, the plethora of Harry Potter references and an epic rant from Joe about fascists and conservatives (that required both editing and censoring).

Wanna connect with the show or comment on August's selection Clap When You Land (due Aug 22)? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Not Summer Without You / The Summer I Turned Pretty S02

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe head back to Cousins for another swing at Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty series. First up: decent beach read It's Not Summer Without You (aka book 2), which works when it focuses on the loss of Susannah and is *fine* when it does the usual love triangle.

The same cannot be said for the Amazon TV show, which pads the runtime and adds a frustrating new character played by Kyra Sedgwick.

Are Brenna and Joe #TeamConrad or #TeamJeremiah? We may actually be #TeamOverIt

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question or a contribution to July's Book Club on Felix Ever After (before July 18)? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 2: Episodes 3 & 4

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

We're back for another round of Skins Series 2, but Brenna has mixed feelings. It probably has something to do with the death of Peter Capaldi's character, as well as the fact that one of the two episodes is about Michelle.

Plus: Cassie travel logistic questions, hook-ups galore, and continued proof that the only good Skins parent...is a dead one?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club Announcement: July 18 Reminder & August's Pick

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

A quick reminder that your responses to Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After is due Friday, July 18.

And also: the announcement of our August 2025 selection, which is Elizabeth Acevedo's Clap When You Land (2020). If you wanna read along, the due date for responses is Friday, August 22.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forever

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

We're back for our third Judy Blume text with Forever! The 1975 book was written to candidly discuss a sexual relationship between teens and even if some aspects don't quite hold up, Brenna and Joe find its frankness refreshing.

On the flip side, the Netflix series from 2025 falls somewhere between IP cash grab and spiritual adaptation. Creator Mara Brock Akil interprets the text through a celebratory Black lens, though we could do with less blocking and breaking up between Keisha and Justin.

Plus: musicality, stereotypical secondary characters, the most excessive house porn we've seen, and Brenna's pandemic speculation about the series' 2nd season.

Reference: Candace Frederick. "Mara Brock Akil Grew Up With Judy Blume’s Very White Characters. In Forever, She Made Them Black." Refinery 29

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question or a contribution to July's Book Club on Felix Ever After (before July 18)? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 44: Corrections, Elaborations, and Recommendations

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

We're doing a mega mailbag round-up with bits and pieces from listeners Neera, Victoria, and Sophie.

First up: an apology to Neera about Inkheart and an observation about 2000s YA and middle grade fiction.

Then: More fall-out from Quiet on Set with regard to Drake Bell's sexual misconduct charges, as well as the Pride Month murder of Indigenous gay man Jonathan Joss.

Finally, a few recommendations from Sophie, including a pair of titles by director Lukas Moodyson.

Reference: Kelly Lynne Dangelo. We All Need to Be Talking About the Murder of Jonathan Joss This Pride and Beyond. Harper's Bazaar

Recommendations:

> Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

> Show Me Love (1998, dir: Lukas Moodyson) / Lilya 4-ever (2002)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 2: Episodes 1 & 2

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Class is back in session as Brenna and Joe kick off Skins Series 2 with a look at the first two episodes.

From the bold decision about Tony's traumatic brain injury to the sidelining Cassie to Maxxie's dancing to...Sketch (?) it's a brand new summer of the kids are not alright!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club: Just Listen (2006)

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Book Club returns as Brenna and Joe discuss Sarah Dessen's 2006 novel Just Listen, along with responses from Miriam, Victoria, and Tea, Books & Chocolate. C/W: sexual assault and disordered eating.

We *loved* this book, which feels fresh, accessible and side-steps glamorizing or wallowing in the trauma.

Plus: girlhood, placelessness, glass house metaphors and radical honesty.

Wanna connect with the show or comment on July's selection Felix Ever After (due July 18)? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uproar (2023)

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe check out coming of age film Uproar (2023), directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett and written by Bennett and Sonia Whiteman.

The 80s-set New Zealand movie follows Josh (Julian Dennison), a Maori boy who becomes politically engaged when his small town hosts a South African rugby club during Apartheid. It is an unintentionally timely text considering the recent wave of protests and the reticence of older people to get involved.

Plus: Minnie Driver and Rhys Darby stunt casting, rugby factoids, and why white "allies" are the worst!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky: @HKHSPod

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:05:00 GMT

It's easy, breezy time as Brenna and Joe check out our first Jennifer E. Smith text with Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2015) and Michael Lewen's 2022 Netflix adaptation.

This feels like a classic first year HKHS combo: a beach-read book and an enjoyably slight romantic film, anchored by likeable leads. We're especially shocked at the negative reviews for the latter!

Plus: our fave stops on the tour, Jordan Fisher's music, Joe's frustration with book Clare, and a surprising film development around diverse inclusion.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club Announcement: June 20 Reminder & July's Pick

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:05:00 GMT

A quick reminder that your responses to Sarah Dessen's Just Listen is due Friday, June 20.

And also: the announcement of our July 2025 selection, which is Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After (2018). If you wanna read along, the due date for responses for July is Friday, July 18.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inkheart

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Thanks to listener requests, Brenna and Joe dig into the fantasy world of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart and its 2008 film adaptation starring Brendan Fraser.

It's...not what we expected. In addition to less driving, Joe wanted more fantasy, while Brenna wanted more famous characters.

Possible reasons this didn't connect for us: translation issues and the revelation that it may have been meant to be read aloud at bedtime!

Plus: Helen Mirren doing Judy Dench, obvious sequel set-up, our interest in Fenoglio (but not Elinor) and the surprising longevity of the film's FX!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club Announcement: Just Listen (June 2025)

Tue, 27 May 2025 07:05:00 GMT

At the request of Miriam, we're re-starting Book Club! Our first pick is Sarah Dessen's Just Listen (2006), which concerns rape and eating disorders (C/W).

In order to proceed, we need your thoughts! Send us an email response at hkhspod@gmail.com before June 20th!

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adolescence (2025)

Tue, 20 May 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe tackle the buzzy four episode Netflix limited series Adolescence (2025).

Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (with all episodes directed by Philip Barantini), the show has drawn raves for its single long take format and outstanding acting.

But what's missing from the discussion? Does it earn the acclaim? And what should a potential S02 look like? Let's discuss!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 43: Olympic & Lottery Winners

Tue, 13 May 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe have a quick conversation about Miriam's email regarding the stark realities of Olympic winners, with a quick comparison to lottery winners.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Fire Inside (2024)

Tue, 06 May 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to inspirational sports movies with The Fire Inside (2024), but this is secretly two movies in one!

The first is the story of Clarissa "T-Rex" Shields fighting for boxing gold at the Olympics; the second is what happens upon her return to Flint, Michigan.

Anchored by two stellar performances from Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry, we prefer the second, more interesting movie and speculate the stronger film that could have been if writer Barry Jenkins and director Rachel Morrison had just avoided the familiar, trope-y underdog part altogether.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 42: Comic Adaptations and Kids on Screen

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:05:00 GMT

We're back with a fresh Mailbag courtesy of Sophie and Tea, Books and Chocolate.

First up: a question about the popularity of comic adaptations of books such as the After series?!

Then, a response about the recent Quiet on Set episode which further complicates the issue of kids working in entertainment.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024)

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Thanks to a prompt from listener Victoria, we're checking out Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024), the five part docuseries exposing harmful working conditions on Nickelodeon shows in the early 2000s.

It's grim to say the least, not just for survivors like Drake Bell, but broadly speaking all of media that employs children. Should we even be watching this kind of content? Cue the existential crisis!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rez Ball (2024)

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 07:05:00 GMT

We're checking out director Sydney Freeland's Indigenous basketball movie, Rez Ball (2024). C/W: suicide (off-screen)

Co-written by Reservation Dogs' Sterlin Harjo, this underdog feel-good sports film does exactly what you expect and not much else (Prompting another round of "it's fine, why does it need to be more?"). Still, at nearly 2 hours, Joe wishes there was stronger character work and Brenna is frustrated by the mother character's incomplete arc.

Plus: Navajo language, beautiful New Mexico scenery, and colourful Pitch Perfect-esque commentary!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uglies

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return with their first book to film adaptation episode with a discussion of Scott Westerfeld's 2005 dystopian novel Uglies and the long delayed 2024 film adaptation by McG.

This is...a miss. The book has extremely shallow commentary and has editing issues, while the film has (yes) ugly CGI hoverboard action and an unconvincing love interest. And then there's Laverne Cox as a villain who forces children to undergo surgery, which is just unfortunate considering the current political transphobic moment. Yikes!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus Track (2023) feat. Conrad Chambers

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are joined by Conrad Chambers, Joe's co-host from The Queer Gaze podcast, to discuss 2023 UK gay coming of age film Bonus Track.

It's a little bit slight, albeit full of charming performances and nicely fills the gap left by Heartstopper and Sex Education.

Plus: nepo babies, a Josh O'Connor cameo, and confusion about the period setting.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Conrad: @thequeergaze

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 41: Heartstopper's Tara & Darcy, Banned Book Club, and Child Actors

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back for another mailbag, with recommendations from Tea, Books and Chocolate, gentle criticism about Heartstopper S03 and a call to action from Miriam, and request for coverage about child actor exploitation on set from Victoria.

Want to recommend a book or participate in a new iteration of Banned Book Club? Contribute your suggestions in this open Google Doc: https://tinyurl.com/mryhx96a!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My Old Ass (2024)

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to discuss My Old Ass (2024), our second Megan Park text (after The Fallout).

Don't let the title put you off! This is an extremely sweet and charming coming of age film, although as listener Spencer wondered: is this more for millennials than actual teens?

We tackle the question, as well as the hilarious reverse "coming out" scene, which parts made us cry, and why we hope Park continues to surround herself with female talent to tell more stories about girlhood.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heartstopper S03 (2024)

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:05:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe continue their tradition of covering Heartstopper with a look at S03.

We discuss how creator Alice Oseman tackles Charlie's eating disorder and treatment, the absence of Olivia Colman, and look ahead to the fourth (and final) season.

Plus: concerns about Darcy and Tara's subplot, wanting Nick's growth to continue, how the season adapts a multiplicity of texts, and, oh yeah, A LOT of crying.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag: Redwall! Queer Sex! Libraries!

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:05:21 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to tackle two emails from the Mailbag:

1) Tea, Books & Chocolate wrote about a prolific series called Redwall by Brian Jacques, which spun into a conversation about romance novel Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday and full cast audiobooks.

2) Maddy wrote in about queer sex - specifically in Heartstopper, but also a recommendation for Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min. This resulted in Brenna and Joe getting on our soapbox about why dominant majority book readers need to butt out or get uncomfortable, and also why we all need to support the library.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S07 Begins

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:05:04 GMT

Brenna and Joe kick off HKHS Pod S07 with a few updates, including a revised schedule and an altered format for the time being. Let's just say we were a touch ambitious!

Plus: details on Brenna's mat leave, the adjustment to having two kids, and why we need more Mailbag items!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase (2017)

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:05:21 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back for a special holiday bonus episode on Cynthia Hand's The Afterlife of Holly Chase (2017).

The novel is very enjoyable, imminently readable, and surprising - which is nice considering it could have just been a simple Scrooge tale.

Plus: colourful supporting characters, a great romance that's not the point, and why hasn't this been turned into a movie?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holiday Episode Tease...

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:05:01 GMT

Watch out for falling hammers because Brenna and Joe are back next Tuesday for a special holiday episode on Cynthia Hand's utterly delightful Scrooge tale, The Afterlife of Holly Chase (2017). Get reading!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Series of Unfortunate Events S01 Episodes 5-8

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 07:05:12 GMT

Brenna and Joe conclude our special Halloween coverage with episodes 5-8 of S01 of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which adapts books 3 & 4.

With a caveat that we were burnt out by Snicket's texts by this point, we still find things to like, including Woodard's wordplay, Harris' utterly unconvincing drag and the surprise queerness of Rhys Darby in 'The Miserable Mill.'

Plus: More Catherine O'Hara, less Poe (please!), and the tease of the parental mystery.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Series of Unfortunate Events S01 Episodes 1-4

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:05:22 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back to untangle the first four episodes of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

We compare Neil Patrick Harris with Jim Carrey, how The Reptile Room works better on the TV show, and why Aasif Mandvi is such a delightful Montgomery Montgomery.

Plus: a few gripes about the length of episodes and Brenna's least favourite child actor!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:05:54 GMT

Brenna and Joe return for the first of three special Halloween episodes, all focused on Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket)'s popular Middle Grade books A Series of Unfortunate Events.

First up: books 1-3, as well as Brad Siberling's 2004 movie, starring Jim Carrey, who we're mixed on, as well as the film's pacing/ending. Thankfully the costumes, make-up and art direction are outstanding!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse feat. Jenny Leigh

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 07:05:10 GMT

For our S06 finale, Brenna and Joe bring back guest Jenny Leigh to tackle the third entry in Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga series, Eclipse (2007), as well as director David Slade's 2010 film adaptation.

Guess what? Something actually happens in this book (!), though the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob remains as frustrating as ever. Meanwhile, on the film side, Slade feels weirdly disconnected to the material.

Plus: hilarious BTS pictures, rants about misusing Wuthering Heights, Mormon influences, and Brenna's first taste of imprinting!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Genèse / Genesis (2018)

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:05:38 GMT

Brenna and Joe tackle one last Canadian text in 2024 and it's a doozy: Quebecois filmmaker Philippe Lesage's Genesis (2018). C/W: Sexual assault

This is a challenging triptych, filled with difficult characters, as well as slow & methodical pacing. It also doesn't end in a conventional sense or with any catharsis, which means it's quite a polarizing text!

What does Brenna make of this and does Joe still like it as much on a second watch?

References:

> Sophie Hacsek. "Exclusive Interview with Philippe Lesage: As Long As There’s Movement, There Is Hope." Art Here Art Now

> Eric Lavallée. "IONCINEPHILE of the Month: Philippe Lesage – Genèse (Genesis)" Ion Cinema

> Justine Smith. "‘Creating characters that have inner lives’: Philippe Lesage on Genèse" Seventh Row

> Seventh Row Podcast. "Ep. 50: Canadian YA Films" (Behind Paywall)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Under The Bridge feat. Lindsay Traves

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:05:38 GMT

Brenna and Joe collect fellow Canadian Lindsay Traves to discuss Under The Bridge, the murder of Reena Virk and its contemporary (Emmy-nominated) TV series.

We have *a lot* to say about both texts, which feature heavily fictionalized events and characters, including the roles played by stars Riley Keogh and Lily Gladstone.

Plus: bizarre creative choices, Reddit sleuths and true crime, a questionable queer romance, and a great debate about Canadians and shoes!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Lindsay: @smashtraves (Instagram)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 40: Australian Place(lessness)

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:05:17 GMT

Brenna and Joe revisit the idea of place(lessness) thanks to Australian listener Neera's email about two recent YA romances: Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle (good) and Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood (scrubbed clean).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Skins Series 1: Episode 9

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:05:38 GMT

Brenna and Joe are ready to wrap up Series 1 of Skins, but we're having a few issues with this finale.

Is this a redemption arc for Tony? Is the depiction of mental health still dangerous? Is Cassie going to be ok? And how to interpret Anwar's father's reaction to Maxxie's queerness?

It's not quite the end we want, but give us the cast singing "Mad World" any day! Oh, and stay tuned for the longest string of Outtakes we've ever had!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Backspot (2023)

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 07:05:50 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to Canada for a reprieve on "the kids aren't alright" summer with D.W. Waterson's feature directorial debut, Backspot (2023).

Starring HKHSPod fave Devery Jacobs, this exceptionally queer film focuses on the athleticism of the gymnastics, though Brenna is frustrated at its placelessness.

Plus: strong performances from Jacobs and Evan Rachel Wood, advertising for Cineplex Odeon movie theaters, and a discomforting new form of self-harm (C/W)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Skins Series 1: Episodes 7 & 8

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:05:42 GMT

Brenna and Joe close in on the end of S01 of Skins with episodes on Michelle and Effy (kinda) as the show becomes a wild fever dream!

Up for discussion: cheering on Michelle and Sid, hating Tony, critiques about the depiction of mental illness, more laments about Chris, and what we want from the finale.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 39: Revolutionary Recommendations and Pregnancy Pauses

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 07:05:59 GMT

Before providing an update on future programming (in anticipation of Brenna's new baby!), we list listener Tea, Books, and Chocolate's recommendations for texts that deal with sexism and classism, including:

> Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce

> The Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell

> A Matter of Profit by Hilari Bell

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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A Monster Calls

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:05:04 GMT

Ready to cry? Brenna and Joe discuss Patrick Ness' surprising A Monster Calls (2011) and J.A. Boyana's 2016 film adaptation.

These texts are both beautiful and emotionally devastating, which means we both cried A LOT.

Plus: Sigourney Weaver as a British grandma, Tom Holland's secret role, Jim Kay's beautiful illustrations, and debating why the film flopped so hard in North America.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 38: Filing The Serial Numbers Off

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 07:05:57 GMT

Brenna and Joe respond to listener Tea, Books, and Chocolate about how "filing the serial numbers off" of source material can lead to more successful fan fiction (see: our episode on Like Real People Do).

Plus: listener Miriam's disappointment in that episode, and a few more responses to To Kill A Mockingbird.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Skins Series 1: Episodes 5 & 6

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:05:04 GMT

Our summer series on Skins continues and Brenna & Joe are ready to call it: Tony is irredeemable.

Between his public show of embarrassing Michelle in episode five and then sexually manipulating Maxxie in episode six, there's no saving this character.

Plus: Maxxie and Anwar's relationship, Russian stereotypes, girls punching people, and a swear-y Peter Capaldi!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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To Kill A Mockingbird

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:05:28 GMT

Joe is on the struggle bus as he and Brenna tackle a classic text: Harper Lee's 1960 book To Kill A Mockingbird and director Robert Mulligan's 1962 adaptation.

Issues include the shifting narration, the simplistic moral message, and the egregious use of the N word.

Plus: censorship vs contextualizing, why the book isn't more studied, and Brenna's vote for the worst performer in the Oscar-winning film!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 37: Skins Music

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:05:22 GMT

Brenna and Joe are dismayed to hear from listener Dann that (of course!) the Muzak we're been hearing on Skins isn't what originally aired. And when we find out what we *could* be hearing, it's even more galling. Grrrr!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Skins Series 1: Episodes 3 & 4

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:05:41 GMT

Joe and Brenna's journey through the first series of Skins continue with extremely different episodes: an underwhelming episode on Jal that doesn't even put her front and center, and a harrowing episode about Chris that nearly broke Joe's husband.

Plus: a ratings discrepancy, hatred for Michelle, and Brenna finally confesses why her mothering instinct is kicking in so strongly.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 36: Heart Break High

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:05:55 GMT

Actual teenage listener Neve (who is the child of listener Toni from Australia!) writes in to recommend the new iteration of Netflix's Heart Break High, which sounds like an Aussie version of Degrassi!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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The 5th Wave

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:05:24 GMT

Brenna and Joe dip back into dystopian territory with The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey's 2013 novel and J Blakeson's 2016 film adaptation.

This one is unique because it's aliens, though we are still dealing with a Chosen One narrative and a potential love quad.

Plus: changing (sometimes inefficiently) perspectives, a film that moves too fast but is too long, putting film critics on blast, and whether we'll check out entries 2-3 in Yancey's trilogy.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Skins Series 1: Episodes 1 & 2

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:05:08 GMT

Brenna and Joe kick off our summer programming with a long requested title: Skins.

Every other week we're watching two episodes of Series 1, starting with "Tony" (episode 1) and "Cassie" (episode 2) and already we're into the thick of bad parents, hedonistic behaviour, and major empathy for Hannah Murray's Cassie, who is struggling with disordered eating.

Plus: handlebar moustaches, disgusting food fight parties, and a mid-career Nicholas Hoult!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 35: Neurodivergence Recommendations (Updated!)

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 07:05:29 GMT

After Victoria requested positive depictions of neurodivergence last week, Miriam reached out with a list of recommendations:

Autism Titles

> A Kind Of Spark - Elle McNicoll

> Geek Girl - Holly Smale

> Even If We Break - Marieke Nijkamp: Marieke Nijkamp

> On The Edge of Gone - Corinne Duyvis

> Metal Fish, Falling Snow - Cath Moore

> The Winter Knight - Jes Battis

ADHD Titles

> Fresh - Margot Wood

> Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas

> Kat And Meg Conquer The World - Anna Priemaza

> The Colours of the Sea (Dutch Only) - Miriam Bruijstens

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Dare Me

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:05:55 GMT

Brenna and Joe kick off "the kids aren't alright" summer with Megan Abbott's 2012 novel Dare Me and its 2019 TV adaptation. C/W: implied sexual assault and disordered eating.

We're talking sociopathic girls, awful parents, and red hold blooded cheerleading in a pair of texts that may just feature the most unlikeable protagonists we've ever covered.

Plus: backstories galore, celebrating Willa Fitzgerald and Marlo Kelly, endless musical montages and ponderous voice over, and the dark side of female friendships.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 34: Positive Depictions of Neurodivergence

Fri, 31 May 2024 10:34:43 GMT

After a brief lament about Sia's misguided directorial debut Music, Brenna and Joe tackle a question from listener Victoria about positive depictions of neurodivergence. Brenna defers to former guest Jes Battis' piece in the Los Angeles Book of Review "Imperfect Rhetorics: Neurodiversity in YA Literature and Popular Culture" which focuses on three titles:

> Rainbow Rowell. Carry On

> Rachael Lucas. The State of Grace

> Jen Wilde. Queens of Geek

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Fitting In (2023)

Tue, 28 May 2024 07:05:53 GMT

Joe and Brenna return to Canadian YA to discuss writer/director Molly McGlynn's semi-autobiographical text, Fitting In (2023).

The film has a great cast and explores a compelling story of non-normative female bodies. We have a few issues with the film's messaging, but overall the film is pretty enjoyable.

Plus: praise for lead actor Maddie Ziegler, wishing better for Ki Griffin's Jax, a dilator montage, and plenty of running!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Aquamarine

Tue, 21 May 2024 07:05:07 GMT

Joe and Brenna dip a toe into romantic fantasy with Alice Hoffman's 2001 novel Aquamarine and Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum's 2006 film adaptation.

The book is a cute, slight, fast read, which begs the question: how is the film 1hr 50 mins?! Answer: Add a villain, give her endless cronies, then stretch the action out over a whole summer!

Plus: teen feminism, mermaid FX, himbo lifeguards, and the film's perplexing soundtrack decision.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 33: A Series of Unfortunate Events & The Satanic Mill

Fri, 17 May 2024 13:07:03 GMT

Brenna and Joe respond to a question and a request from listener Tuck, who wants to know if we'll cover A Series of Unfortunate Events and recommends Otfried Preussler's hard to find (in English) book, Krabat: The Satanic Mill (1972).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Like Real People Do (2022)

Tue, 14 May 2024 07:05:44 GMT

Brenna and Joe dip back into queer romance (and fan fiction!) with Book 1 of E.L. Massey's Breakaway series, Like Real People Do (2022).

This is very cute and sweet...but where is the conflict?! Everyone is so perfect! Massey needs to let people suck!

Plus: comparisons to Heartstopper, Red, White & Royal Blue and The Kissing Booth 2, predictions for where Books 2-4 will go, and why Kuzy and Hawk are our fave characters.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Turtles All The Way Down

Tue, 07 May 2024 07:05:19 GMT

Brenna and Joe discuss John Green's last YA novel Turtles All The Way Down (2017) and its 2024 adaptation by Hannah Marks. C/W: self-harm.

This is a tough read because of its visceral depiction of OCD, but we love the friendship between Aza and Daisy. Meanwhile, the long in-development film does a great job of visually capturing the intrusive thought spirals, though Brenna is unimpressed with a new character who steals Daisy's best bits.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Boys State (2020) / Girls State (2024)

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:05:41 GMT

For the first time on the show, Brenna and Joe check out a documentary...or rather a pair of documentaries: Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine's Boys State (2020) and Girls State (2024)

These docs fill us with dismay for the future of US politics. But while Boys State has a dark nihilism to it, Girls State feels slight and surprisingly unaware; even its own subjects seem determined to break free of the narrative that the camp and the directors are trying to box them in to. It's quite odd.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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The Spiderwick Chronicles S01 (2024)

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:05:56 GMT

As promised/threatened, we're back with a review of Roku's The Spiderwick Chronicles S01.

Join us as Joe walks Brenna through the highs (the focus on Jared's mental health) and lows (that theme song!) of the series' first eight episodes.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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The Spiderwick Chronicles

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:05:23 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back in fantasy territory with the first five books in Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's The Spiderwick Chronicles, as well the 2008 adaptation from Daniel Waters.

We're mixed on lead Freddie Highmore's success playing twins, though we both like Sarah Bolger's Mallory, the use of fencing and Brenna even likes the CGI!

Plus: innocuous voice casting, the film's horrifying end, and a mini tangent about Hollywood nepotism and privilege.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians S01

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:05:43 GMT

At listener Kaetlyn's urging, Brenna and Joe check out S01 of the Percy Jackson TV show on Disney+.

It's a much better text than the film! With more time, the central trio gels better, the motivation of Percy's mom is more clearly defined, and the adventures aren't as rushed.

Plus: our fave Gods, a "feminist" Medusa episode, a few rushed elements, and whether we'll watch S02.

References: Selome Hailu. "How ‘Percy Jackson’ Updated the Book’s Medusa Storyline to Get Closer to the Original Myth: ‘She Was a Victim of Rape.’" Variety

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 32: Listener Recommendations

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:05:10 GMT

Mailbag returns after a brief hiatus, so we're showcasing listener recommendations from Clara, Charlotte, and Tea, Books and Chocolate, including:

> Silverhorse by Lene Kaaberbøl

> A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

> Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur by writers Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder and artist Natacha Bustos

> Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Never Been Kissed (1999)

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:05:55 GMT

Just in time for its 25th anniversary , Brenna and Joe check out Raja Gosnell's Never Been Kissed (1999).

While Joe thinks this take on As You Like It is totally rufus, Brenna thinks he's blinded by nostalgia, particularly about the student/teacher romance.

Plus: a charismatic David Arquette, Drew Barrymore's lisp, physical pratfalls, and - oh yeah - is this film even YA?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Kissing Booth 2 (2020)

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:05:12 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to the world of Wattpad to check out Beth Reekles' 2020 sequel, The Kissing Booth 2: Going The Distance, as well as its Netflix adaptation.

The book is better written, but where is the conflict? There's nothing here! The film is much better thanks to a committed performance by Joey King (and her wig), as well as the addition of Taylor Zakhar Perez.

Plus: questioning the book's interest in Elle & Noah as a couple, egregious montages, fun closing credits, and Dance Dance Revolution?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 31: Adult Julie Murphy and Girls in STEM

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:05:53 GMT

Brenna and Joe answer emails from Tea, Books & Chocolate (about Julie Murphy's adult fiction novel Merry Little Meet Cute) and Alex (looking for recommendations of YA featuring girls in STEM).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Wild Pork and Watercress (1986) / Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:05:59 GMT

Brenna and Joe close out a month of New Zealand programming with a look at Barry Crump's 1986 novel Wild Pork and Watercress, as well as Taika Waititi's long-in-development adaptation from 2016.

We're talking about how prolific Crump is, Waititi's humour, and the depiction of Māori youth across several texts.

Plus: montages, survivalism, tanks, and justice for Aunt Bella!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flight of the Albatross (1989)

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:05:42 GMT

New Zealand month enters its third week as Brenna and Joe tackle Deborah Savage's 1989 book Flight of the Albatross.

Despite being very readable, we're got some issues with the white saviour storyline and the use of Maori characters to further the protagonist's journey.

Plus: Sarah's obsession with weight, bad mom Pauline, the German (!) film adaptation we can't screen, and bizarre 80s book covers.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Whale Rider

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:05:24 GMT

New Zealand month continues as we tackle our first Māori text with Witi Ihimaera's 1987 novel and Niki Caro's 2002 film adaptation.

The book is short but beautiful, particularly the unusual "framing" device from a whale's perspective that provides an underlying religious element.

The film plays more like a standard coming-of-age tale made for a broad (read: white) audience. It's still good, but the intention is surprisingly different considering the many 1-to-1 adaptation choices that were made.

References:

> Ed. Gonzalez. "Whale Rider: Review" Slant Magazine

> Michael O’Sullivan. “Niki Caro: lifting the lid on the Whale Rider 'backlash’” Stuff

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 30: Dutch Margaret Mahy

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:05:21 GMT

Listener Miriam writes in with her reflections on Margaret Mahy's The Catalogue of the Universe, its Dutch language title and book cover, and why it appealed to her as a slightly pretentious teen.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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The Catalogue of the Universe (1985)

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:05:29 GMT

New Zealand month begins with a classic text: Margaret Mahy's The Catalogue of the Universe (1985).

Brenna and Joe discuss the literary prose, the need (even in the 80s) to use romance to sell YA, and the divisive reader reactions to our dual protagonists.

Plus: great families, a wild finale, and an overview of Mahy's prolific career...which weirdly never made a splash in North America.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 29: YA Isn't Just For Young Adults (Shocker)

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:05:10 GMT

Guest Alex Heeney trolls Brenna and Joe with an article from The Millions entitled "YA Isn't Just For Young Adults". Naturally we have thoughts, including how 2018 this argument is, Book Tok, Threads, and what we call "fighting with air."

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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One of Us is Lying

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:05:44 GMT

Brenna and Joe venture to California to discuss Karen M. McManus' 2017 book One of Us is Lying and S01 of Erica Saleh's 2021 TV series.

We're discussing the characters we latched onto in each version, as well as the changes made in the adaptation and how that would change the next book/season.

Plus: thoughts on the "twist" and "villain" reveal, the beautiful 25 year olds on the show, and its sheer Canadianess.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dark Rise (2021)

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:05:17 GMT

Following recommendations from listeners Emma and Line, we're finally checking out C.S. Pacat's Dark Rise (2021).

The magical fantasy text features a multiplicity of Chosen One protagonists, as well as tons of twists and turns. Could it have used a firmer hand in the editing and an abbreviated first part? Sure, but there's plenty to like here.

Plus: abusive queer sexuality, (non)binary roles, and Brenna's surprising favourite character.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 28: Toxic Fandom

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:05:35 GMT

Using Twilight as a launchpad, listener Victoria prompts Brenna and Joe to consider the differences between good and toxic fandom, using examples from Star Wars, RuPaul's Drag Race and Formula 1 (that's right!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Orion and the Dark

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:05:19 GMT

We're skewing extremely young with our latest pick: Emma Yarlett's 2014 picture book Orion and the Dark, and Sean Charmatz's 2024 animated adaptation.

The book is fun and cute, perfect for young ones who have anxiety or fears. The film is from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich and Adaptation) so it has A LOT going on, including new characters, a focus on generational storytelling, and time loops. It's more of an exercise than an adaptation, which doesn't always make it successful!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wonka (2023)

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:05:53 GMT

You've never had a Wonka movie like this before! Well...unless you've seen writer/director Paul King's Paddington films, which have a lot of shared DNA, including a silly role for Hugh Grant (delightfully slumming it).

We're not surprised at the incredible success of the film, which is anchored by Timothée Chalamet and a deep bench of character actors. And though the film doesn't quite hang together and features some odd choices (fat suits?!), this secret musical is still a crowd-pleaser.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 27: Twilight Book Club

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:05:33 GMT

Now that we're recording regularly again, Brenna and Joe are back with new Mailbag episodes. To kick off 2024, Tea, Books and Chocolates writes in to tell us about a mom & daughter book club experience reading Twilight.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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The Twilight Saga: New Moon feat. Jenny Nulf

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:05:04 GMT

It's Stephenie Meyer time as we, along with returning guest Jenny Nulf, tackle the second title in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

Our main take-away? This is a deeply boring book and while Chris Weitz's film isn't more interesting, at least the actors, particularly Michael Sheen, bring some fun/camp to the proceedings.

Plus: Bella's misread of Romeo & Juliet, pop parties in Salt Lake City, why no one can possibly be #TeamJacob and why Edward deserves to die.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 08:05:48 GMT

The second half of our "17" double bill concludes with Kelly Fremon Craig's The Edge of Seventeen (2016) which finds Hailee Steinfeld playing a frustrating/unlikable social outcast. C/W: Attempted sexual assault

Plus: Why it's important to read the film from Nadine's perspective, the film's cringe-y but authentic scenarios, Joe mispronouncing Kyra Sedgwick's name, and Brenna spotting a Dawson's Creek alum.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:05:04 GMT

It's finally time for Brenna and Joe to discover Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Sáenz's award-winning 2012 novel and Aitch Alberto's 2022 film adaptation.

We're *huge* fans of the book, which has 2(!) sets of great parents and a beautiful, heartwarming queer friendship/romance. The film is solid, but it's missing nearly all of the parents' backstory and makes the queerness something more violent and scary.

Basically what we're saying is: READ THE BOOK!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Again (2009)

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:05:42 GMT

Brenna wanted to remember Matthew Perry, so we're revisiting Burr Steers' 17 Again (2009) starring Perry and Zac Efron.

While some of this hasn't aged well, this time travel/body swap has a lot of heart and Efron's comedic chops are solid. While Joe could do with less Thomas Lennon, the sweet romance between Efron and Leslie Mann generates a lot of goodwill.

Plus: slaps, incest jokes, tired geeks, and losing your house in divorce court.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loveboat Taipei / Love in Taipei

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:05:57 GMT

Brenna and Joe kick off 2024 with Abigail Hing Wen's fantastic 2020 book Loveboat Taipei ...and Arvin Chen's extremely generic 2023 film adaptation, Love in Taipei.

The book is rich, readable and filled with complicated characters which only makes the film, bland even by YA rom-com standards, even more of a disappointment.

Plus: class critiques, challenging female friendships, sexual mistakes, street food and our surprise that - despite its standalone story - the book is actually the first in a trilogy!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 26: Brenna's Top 5 YA Scandals

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:05:41 GMT

Brenna and Joe squeeze in one final Mailbag for the year. At the request of listener Tea, Books and Chocolate, we're talking about the juiciest of YA scandals from recent years, including John Green leaving Tumblr, Maggie Stiefvater vs Halsey, Sarah Dessen's Twitter mob, Lauren M Davis vs Marvellous Michael Anson (unfolding *right* now) and Kathleen Hale stalking a Goodreads reviewer.

Happy holidays everyone!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My True Love Gave To Me (2014)

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:05:59 GMT

Brenna and Joe celebrate the holiday season with a look at the Stephanie Perkins-edited collection of seasonal stories.

We chat about the stories we liked the best ("It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown", "Krampuslauf", "Midnights", "The Girl Who Broke The Dreamer" and "Welcome to Christmas, CA") with special lumps of coal for a few less successful entries ("Polaris is Where You'll Find Me", "What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?" and "Star of Bethelem").

It's a mixed bag!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 25: Dark Rise Recommendation

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:05:24 GMT

Here's a short and sweet Mailbag from Tasmanian listener Emily, with a recommendation for a future read: Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Wonka / Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:05:21 GMT

We've got a golden ticket! To coincide with the release of new film Wonka, Brenna and Joe dip into Roald Dahl's problematic 1964 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as Mel Stuart's 1971 adaptation and Tim Burton's 2005 "more faithful" take.

There's *lots* to discuss: colonialism, racism, slavery, "the deserving poor," mixed moral messages, Anna Wintour hair, Michael Jackson and practical FX.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Shamer's Daughter

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:05:37 GMT

Thanks to listener Charlotte, we're checking out The Shamer's Daughter, book one in Lene Kaaberbøl's The Shamer Chronicles, as well its 2015 film adaptation by Kenneth Kainz.

This medieval fantasy novel has a fantastic protagonist, strong female friendships, and complex moral stakes. The film is less memorable: it is a little too grey and happy to forego politics for explosions, but it does keep the book's dark ending.

Plus: why Brenna won't forgive the puritans who complain about the book's language.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 24: Bat Mitzvah

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 18:29:31 GMT

After our episode on You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, listener Tea, Books & Chocolate wrote in to share her experiences, including expensive gifts and a Mitzvah project that involved a protest rally with grandma!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:05:36 GMT

Brenna and Joe are working on our Mitzvahs as we discuss Fiona Rosenbloom's 2005 book You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah and its 2023 Netflix adaptation by Sammi Cohen.

While both texts are relatively slight, we found these quite enjoyable. The book's conflict is a little manufactured and the Judaism lessons can be a little after school special, but we're big fans of Stacy's relationship with younger brother Arthur.

The film, meanwhile, features the whole Sandler clan, but Sunny and Sadie are great comedic actresses and there's so much musicality here that we're willing to forgive how Mean Girls-ish this feels.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 23: Alanna Recommendation / Imogen Consolation

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:05:40 GMT

We're responding to mail from listeners Aimee, who has an Alanna-inspired contemporary recommendation, and Victoria, who is drawing on lessons from Imogen, Obviously and There's Someone Inside Your House to confront toxicity in her personal life.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:05:33 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to Panem for The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, directed by franchise regular Francis Lawrence.

While Joe struggles with the transition from Part 2 to 3, Brenna is unconvinced by lead actor Tom Blyth or the romance between Snow and Lucy Gray.

We do, however, have plenty of praise for Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer and Jason Schwartzman, as well as the costume design and the politics of the dystopia.

Perhaps it simply needed to be a (mini)series instead of a 2 hour 40 minute movie?

Missed our discussion of the book? Listen here https://tinyurl.com/5n6apjy8

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mockingjay Part 2 feat. Alex Heeney

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:05:29 GMT

We're wrapping up Mockingjay which means our resident The Hunger Games expert Alex Heeney of Seventh Row is back!

We're closing out the back half of Suzanne Collins' book (Chapter 13 -> End) and Francis Lawrence's Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) with a discussion about PTSD, the Capitol as arena, and the heteronormative baby-centric ending.

Plus: settling the Peeta vs Gale debate once and for all, the ugly visual palette of the film and Katniss as soldier.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Alex: @bwestcineaste / @SeventhRow / Website

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 22: Cursive

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 08:05:53 GMT

Brenna and Joe gush over new listener Chantal's cool grandmother (reader of Harlequin romance novels), then sidestep into a conversation about cursive writing as a lost art form and how it can connect us.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reservation Dogs S03

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:05:09 GMT

Brenna and Joe bid a sad farewell to S03 of Reservation Dogs. We spend a lot of time discussing the use of elders, the unique portrayal of the effects of residential schools, cycles, and where our fave characters wind up.

Plus: stunt casting Elora's dad and Graham Greene, the spin-off we want, and that exquisite finale.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's Someone Inside Your House

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:05:51 GMT

Brenna and Joe wrap up another Spooky Season with Stephanie Perkins' 2017 slasher novel There's Someone Inside Your House and Patrick Brice's 2021 Netflix adaptation.

The book is fast-paced, although it loses its message and winds up being a little forgettable, while the film starts off strong, then nosedives.

Plus: gory murder descriptions, a case *against* colour-blind casting in the film, and which set pieces we like the best/least.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goosebumps feat. Paul Farrell

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:05:24 GMT

We're still on the gateway horror track with a look at three R.L. Stine texts and Rob Letterman's 2015 film adaptation, starring Jack Black (again!)

Guiding the discussion with encyclopedic knowledge is Goosebumps super fan Paul Farrell, who advised Brenna and Joe to read The Ghost Next Door, The Blob That Ate Everyone, and Night of the Living Dummy 2 to prepare.

Plus: terrible families, brightly coloured cover art, the new Disney+ show, and Stine's approach to hooking young readers.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Paul: @PaulIsGreat2000

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:05:18 GMT

Spooky Season continues as Brenna and Joe tackle Alvin Schwartz's collection of folklore urban legends, as well as André Øvredal's 2019 adaptation.

We heap praise on the illustrations by Stephen Gammell and acknowledge Schwartz's campfire tales as gateway horror.

The film doesn't work as well: the Vietnam backstory is undercooked, villain Tommy is dispatched too early and the monsters aren't persuasive to Brenna.

Plus: Joe's fave sequence, the ableism/abuse in the Bellows storyline, and that bizarre sequel tease.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Love and Monsters (2021)

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:05:58 GMT

Spooky Month continues, but we're moving away from scares into drippy monsters!

Thankfully Michael Matthews's Love and Monsters features plenty of comedy and heart, courtesy of star Dylan O'Brien's voice over and a script from Matthew Robinson and Brian Duffield (the latter wrote previous episode Spontaenous).

We're big fans of the best good boy, Dog, the way the film handles Joel's relationship with Aimee, and the Oscar-nominated realism of the CGI.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Mailbag 21: Alanna Apology & Political Dystopias

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 23:34:00 GMT

Mailbag returns with an Alanna apology to Earl, a political dystopia discussion for Tea, Books & Chocolate and a thank you to Eric, who appreciates Brenna's musical taste.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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The House with a Clock in Its Walls feat. Dede Crimmins

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:05:23 GMT

Spooky Season begins with a look at John Bellairs' 1973 franchise starter The House with a Clock in Its Walls, as well as Eli Roth's 2018 adaptation. Joining us for the ride is film critic Dede Crimmins, who brings a unique POV because she saw the film first.

The book is *very* 70s and features surprisingly little character development, despite oozing atmosphere (that car chase!).

The film is far more male-centric, but fleshes out its characters and set pieces while (obviously) giving stars Cate Blanchett Jack Black much more to do, including turn the latter into a baby with adult face! Creepy indeed!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky / Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Dede: @dedecrim

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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Queens Bees & Wannabes / Mean Girls

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 07:05:37 GMT

On Tuesdays we wear pink! After many years of missing Oct 3, Brenna and Joe *finally* cover Mark Waters 2004's film Mean Girls and its source material, Rosalind Wiseman's parenting guide, Queen Bees & Wannabes.

We've got some pretty major problems with Wiseman's 400 page tome, which relies heavily on gender binaries, barely addresses queer or racialized teens, and seems to hate girlhood?

Thankfully the film is highly enjoyable. Despite being very white and featuring very 2000s language, these performances and jokes have stood the test of time. We're still trying to make fetch happen!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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First Daughter (2004)

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 07:05:25 GMT

Joey is off to College in this film from director Forest Whitaker (!) from a story by Jerry O'Connell (!!)

Alas that's what's most interesting about this frankly boring movie that fails to create a character for Katie Holmes' Sam.

The romance isn't interesting and the narrative seems stuck on repeat, plus there's some weird sexual chemistry between the President and First Daughter.

Thankfully we'll always have "My Date with the President's Daughter" and that banging theme song!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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A Sister (2017) / Falcon Lake (2022)

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 07:05:34 GMT

Brenna and Joe kick off Book Six with Bastien Vivès' 2017 comic Une Soeur/A Sister and Charlotte LeBon's film, Falcon Lake (2022). C/W: Vivès is under investigation for child pornography.

We're fascinated by the similarities and differences in these texts, which both focus on a sexual awakening, but change the location and feature wildly different endings, which dramatically alters readings of the text as an autobiography.

Plus: sex in comics, swingers and incest, and the ethereal beauty of the Canadian wilderness.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allegiant

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:05:27 GMT

It's the end of Book Five, so we're closing the door on Veronica Roth's Divergent series with a look at her 2013 book Allegiant and director Robert Schwentke's 2016 film adaptation.

We actually find good things in the beginning and end of the book, though the draggy middle section about eugenics (!) is...not great. Then we're onto the film, which adapts roughly 75% of the book, features horrible FX and a terrible Miles Teller performance, and should be thrown into the dustbin of history.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Mailbag 20: More on Alanna

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:05:46 GMT

We missed listener Victoria's contributions to Book Club, so we're revisiting Alanna: The First Adventure to talk about a few extra scenes.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Alanna: The First Adventure (1983)

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 07:05:47 GMT

It's our last Book Club for the year! Brenna and Joe are joined by listeners Emma, Charlotte and Tea, Books & Chocolate to discuss Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure (1983).

While folks warned us the book hasn't aged super well (colonialism, white saviour, gender essentialism, etc), overall we *really* liked this and can understand the nostalgia of a fantasy series with a female protagonist in the 80s. After all, Alanna is a great heroine and this is solid middle-grade fiction.

Up for discussion: bullying, menstruation, and a potential trans reading. Our big question? Where. Is. The. Adaptation?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Bluesky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray / @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Mailbag 19: More on Red, White & Royal Blue

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 13:06:51 GMT

We have follow-up work from our Red, White & Royal Blue episode, including an apology (courtesy of Miriam) about Casey McQuiston's pronouns, and three points about characters and politics (courtesy of Tea, Books & Chocolate).

Then we fold in one additional thought about Charlie & Ben in Heartstopper S02 (courtesy of Jeremy).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Mailbag 18: Ben & Heartstopper S02

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna and (moreso) Joe discuss listener Andrew's response about Joe feeling bad for Ben in Heartstopper S02.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Red, White & Royal Blue

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:05:25 GMT

Brenna and Joe are late to Casey McQuiston's phenom Red, White & Royal Blue which has just been adapted to film by Matthew López for Amazon.

We're fans of this fun, flirty read which tackles a few substantive topics in a low-key fashion.

The film...isn't working for us unfortunately. Despite stars Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine's best efforts, there's no romantic electricity here. Throw in cheap production values and a undercooked queer-revenge villain and the film is sadly undercooked. (And don't get us started on Uma's accent!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Insta, Bluesky and Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Imogen, Obviously (2022)

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:05:45 GMT

We couldn't help but discuss Becky Albertalli's new book Imogen, Obviously which feels like a semi-autobiographical account of the author's own experiences coming out as bisexual.

Yes there's fluffy, bubblegum romance, but Albertalli is doing something far more complicated with the book's "villain" Gretchen and her dangerous gatekeeping of queer identities. It's really fascinating!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heartstopper S02 (2023)

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:05:15 GMT

Who's ready for Paris?! Brenna and Joe return to the world of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper for S02 of the Netflix series, which loosely corresponds to Volumes 3 & 4 of the comic.

There's hickey drama, more queer teachers and even more diversity in the LGBTQIA umbrella. But while we're loving more Tao and Elle, Joe is frustrated by how quickly Isaac's "coming out" is handled and he finds the Ben subplot lacking. Thankfully the soundtrack and the kissing remains on point!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Piglettes (2015)

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:05:18 GMT

Thanks to listener Laura's recommendation, Brenna and Joe check out Clémentine Beauvais' delightful Piglettes (2015) about three fat girls who bike to Paris.

There's nothing lost in translation because the witty wordplay shines through in this fun, breezy, feminist book. While Brenna has issues with how Mireille treats the other girls and Joe desires cathartic punishment, we're both appreciative that the girls don't change who they are and the only "lesson" learned is the value of friendship.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Tomorrow, When The War Began

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 07:05:59 GMT

Thanks to listener Miriam, we're tackling John Marsden's Tomorrow, When The War Began (1993), as well as its 2010 film adaptation by Stuart Beattie and the Brendan Maher-directed season of TV from 2016.

This massive Australian hit is highly teachable, though don't go looking for commentary on colonialism or political curiosity from its teenage protagonists. The film is a big budget action film that Joe prefers, while Brenna likes the direction and relationship between the kids in the TV series, even if both adaptations lean into uncomfortable racism in their depiction of the invading force. Yikes!

Plus: let no one doubt Brenna's commitment to podcasting because Brenna was on tornado watch when we recorded this episode (listen to the outtakes for proof!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Mailbag 17: Can Literature Change The World?

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 07:05:37 GMT

This week's mailbag is courtesy of listener Victoria, who asks if it's possible for literature to incite change anymore. Despite Brenna and Joe's initial melancholy outlook, John Green's interest in tuberculosis and the power of individual readers (plus the vital importance of YA) offers a possible sunny outlook.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Stolen (Book Club)

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:05:34 GMT

At the behest of listener Evelina, we're reading 2023's Stolen, by Sami author Ann-Helén Laestadius. C/W: graphic animal murder.

Using contributions from listeners Victoria and Tea, Books & Chocolate, we dig into this three part intergenerational tale of trauma, environmental activism, racism, and suicide. It's a very heavy book (!) but it's also thrilling and beautifully written.

Plus: queering Elsa and Minna's relationship, Lasse's suicide, Sami magic, why the ending is so unexpected, and fears for the forthcoming Netflix adaptation

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Mailbag 16: Defining NA

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:05:13 GMT

Thanks to listener Neera, Brenna and Joe cook up a definition of NA (New Adult), who or what falls into it, and why agents shouldn't dismissive of the category!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray / @mittenstrings (Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Nimona (2023)

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:05:11 GMT

After waiting forever, Brenna and Joe finally get to watch Nick Bruno and Troy Quane's feature film adaptation of Nimona (2023) and it's...fine?

Ok, it's more than fine, but there is something missing. While the obviousness of the trans elements and the changed ending are perfect for the current political moment, the messy, interesting character flaws and unpredictable format of ND Stevenson's original comic are missing.

References:

> Sam Adams. "Nimona Is the Rare Story Hollywood Made Gayer. Is It Better?" Slate

> Caroline Cao. "Nimona’s radical page-to-screen story changes were a queer necessity." Polygon

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Mailbag 15: What's a Wattpad?

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:05:29 GMT

Listener Tea, Books & Chocolate asks the important question: what *is* Wattpad? Brenna and Joe discuss the platform's model, why we have issues with it, and announce a lucrative new partnership!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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The Summer I Turned Pretty S01 (2022)

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:05:33 GMT

Zzzzzz.

Oh sorry, Brenna and Joe fell asleep trying to read Jenny Han's debut YA novel The Summer I Turned Pretty and watch her seven episode Amazon TV show. Belly...is so boring and we can't make ourselves care about her romantic triangle, which is confusing because we're huge Han Stans!

Plus: Cam Cameron deserves better, back to back drunk episodes, musicality overload, and how will S02 of this show work?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clone High S02 (2023)

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 07:05:06 GMT

Joe introduces Brenna to the silly, satirical humour of Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Bill Lawrence's Clone High (we watched all 10 episodes of S02).

Up for discussion: the Gandhi controversy that literally got the show cancelled, how the white male creators are a model for controversy, the angular cartoon style, the wit and wordplay, our fave characters, and the musical episode!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Mailbag 14: Monkey Beach Genre Exercise

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 07:05:32 GMT

Listener Jessica writes in with details about how she used the show's Monkey Beach episode as a genre categorization exercise for her university students, which prompts Brenna and Joe to discuss our desire for the show to act as a breezy accessible academic text.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

> Alanna: The First Adventure (Tamora Pierce, 2006) - Submit by Aug 11

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Through My Window

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 07:05:25 GMT

Ready for more Wattpad? Brenna and Joe are utterly baffled by Arianna Godoy's 2022 novel Through My Window, as well the lack of chemistry between the leads of Marçal Forès' Netflix adaptation.

In addition to being poorly edited, the book features far too much anatomically incorrect (and dangerous!) sex. The film is better, but outside of a weirdly incestuous sex scene and a hilariously melodramatic climax, it's surprisingly snoozy. Folks, we can do better than these texts!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ready When You Are (Book Club)

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:05:10 GMT

We're headed Down Under to discuss Gary Lonesborough's beautiful text, Ready When You Are.

Joining us are listeners Tea, Books & Chocolate, Victoria, and Miriam (who recommended this, along with listener Toni) who praise the relationship between Jackson and Thomas, the depiction of Koori art, and how real the fictional Mish setting reads.

Plus: racism and class, hot sex, and comparisons to last month's book club.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American Born Chinese

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 07:05:35 GMT

Brenna and Joe tag along on a Chinese quest as we read Gene Luen Yang's exquisite 2006 comic American Born Chinese and watch Kelvin Yu's eight episode Disney+ adaptation.

We *love* the comic, with its gorgeous art, confronting imagery and careful pay-off (stick with it!). The TV show is a mixed bag: the cast, including all of the stuntcasting, is great, but the narrative is both streamlined and drawn out which reduces its emotional components. And what's with the cliffhanger? We don't need a second season!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

XO, Kitty (2023) feat. Jenny Nulf

Tue, 30 May 2023 07:05:12 GMT

Thanks to listener demand, Brenna spends 5 hours with her least favourite To All The Boys I've Loved Before character: Kitty, who gets the spin-off treatment with XO, Kitty (2023)

We're joined by returning guest Jenny Nulf to unpack the highs and lows of S01, which has too many characters and subplots, a traditional Korean fascination with poop, and a surprising queer plot we want more of.

Plus: Joe's frustration with Minho, Rahim from Love, Victor, and why Brenna is done with the dead mom storyline.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

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Mailbag 13: Library Thing List

Fri, 26 May 2023 07:05:33 GMT

On this week's mailbag, Brenna stumbled onto a Library Thing list created by norabelle414 that has documented all of the books we've read. We love it! Send us all the things you use the show for!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

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Moffie

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:05:53 GMT

Thanks to listener Alex, Brenna and Joe head to South Africa to discuss conscription, Apartheid, and queer New Adults in André Carl van der Merwe's semi-autobiographical 2006 novel Moffie and Oliver Hermanus' 2019 film adaptation.

This is a rough one! Apart from the homophobia we expected from a military narrative, there's also plenty of racism, misogyny, and animal death.

Each text has something to recommend: the book is poetic and rich with detail, while the film's scenery and a key long take flashback are stunning.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 12: Menstruation

Fri, 19 May 2023 07:05:29 GMT

Following Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, listener Tea, Books & Chocolate writes in to recommend books about menstruation, including Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure and The Naming by Alison Croggon.

Plus: real life stories and Joe's fave pop culture euphemism!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

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Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (2023)

Tue, 16 May 2023 07:05:04 GMT

After 50 years and a few delays, we're *finally* talking about Kelly Fremon Craig's Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, only our second Judy Blume adaptation! (We previously talked about the book in our third Book Club episode)

Brenna and Joe adore this gentle, charming adaptation which maintains the gist of the iconic book, with expanded screen time for Rachel McAdams's Barbara and a stuntcast grandma (Kathy Bates).

Plus: period comedy, resisting Hollywood conflict, showing blood on screen, and a last minute catch from Brenna about gendered language.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Sorta Like A Rock Star (2010) / All Together Now (2020)

Tue, 09 May 2023 07:05:35 GMT

Ready for a discussion neither Brenna or Joe wanted to have? We're ready to tackle Matthew Quick's 2010 novel Sorta Like A Rock Star and Brett Haley's 2020 (confusingly retitled) All Together Now...so that we never have to talk about them again.

We're unhappy with both texts for different reasons. Quick's grating prose, inauthentic voice, and unbelievable characters are deal breakers, and while the film correctly diversifies the cast, it squanders its musical components and leans into the underlying "deserving poor" theme of the book. We can't lie: these texts are just bad!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Mailbag 11: "Not Gay Enough"

Sun, 07 May 2023 00:57:20 GMT

On this week's mailbag, Tea, Books & Chocolate follows up on her Book Club email and zeroes in on the trans elements of Naomi Kanakia's We Are Totally Normal.

Plus: Brenna ponders TB&C's question about a "white lady pipeline" from slash or fan fiction to Goodreads reviewer.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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We Are Totally Normal (Book Club)

Tue, 02 May 2023 07:05:55 GMT

We're back with a contentious book club pick in Naomi Kanakia's We Are Totally Normal (2020), which is light on plot and big on (unimportant?) HS politics, frank sex, and questioning sexuality.

With help from listeners Victoria and Tea, Books & Chocolate, Brenna and Joe unpack this divisive pick, grant it leeway considering its timing with Kanakia's own coming out as a trans woman and raise the alarm over Goodreads criticisms that it's "not gay enough."

Reference:

Naomi Kanakia. "If you dislike my novel, you’re really not alone!" Woman of Letters

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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The Center Of The World (1998) / Center Of My World (2016)

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 07:05:08 GMT

Brenna and Joe travel to Germany for Andreas Steinhöfel's 1998 novel The Center of the World and (arbitrary title change alert!) Jakob M. Erwa's 2016 film adaptation, Center Of My World.

While this boy-led / dysfunctional family / coming of age narrative is quite long, it is incredibly well-constructed and features fascinating characters.

The film's reliance on sex and sexuality, however, feels very "queer film festival circuit". We both like it, but in trying to adapt too many key moments, Erwa simplifies the book's richness, particularly nuanced characters like Nicolas and Dianne.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Mailbag 10: Swedish Reparations

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 07:05:07 GMT

On this week's mailbag, we hear from Swedish listener Evelina about reparations for the Sami people and we endeavour to read Stolen by Ann-Helené Laestadius for Book Club.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Sami Blood (2016)

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:05:43 GMT

Brenna and Joe head to Sweden to discuss Amanda Kernell's 2016 film, Sami Blood. Thanks to listener Alex for recommending this one!

This film is beautiful, features great performances, and is also very tough to watch as an Indigenous girl faces racist treatment and ultimately rejects her culture.

Plus: needing additional context for the Sami people, comparisons to Canada's residential schools, and complaints about the framing device!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Mailbag 9: Bulletin Board & Groot Recommendations

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 07:05:36 GMT

Our eyes are watering (from all the dust in the air, of course) as we give thanks to listeners Aimee and Tea, Books and Chocolate for their recent emails, which highlight an adaptations bulletin board and a book series recommendation for Brenna's son, Groot.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Say Anything (1989) feat. Mike Snoonian

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 07:05:15 GMT

Raise your boombox and get your yearbook signed because we're talking Cameron Crowe's feature directorial debut, Say Anything (1989). Along for the ride is super fan Mike Snoonian of The Pod & The Pendulum and Psychoanalysis.

This is a very sweet romance and we will fight anyone who says otherwise (looking at you, contemporary revisionist takes)

Plus: Clash t-shirts, John Cusack's iconic Lloyd, bad adults, why Ione Skye never quite broke out, and more!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Mike: @mike_snoonian

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Mailbag 8: Relatability and Likeability

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:05:13 GMT

On this week's mailbag, Joe makes a correction about listener Miriam, who also provides insight into what books are translated in the Netherlands.

Plus: we revisit an email from Tea, Books & Chocolate to discuss teaching diverse texts, relatability and Joe ponders where that intersects with likeability.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Thumbsucker

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:05:07 GMT

It's disaffected middle class white boy problems as Brenna and Joe tackle Walter Kirn's 1999 novel Thumbsucker and Mike Mills' directorial debut from 2005.

While the book took some time to get into, we're both big fans of the third part which explores converting to Mormonism. The film, however, completely omits that section, favouring Garden State musical montages that feel so 2000s.

Plus: child abuse, Holden Caulfield comparisons, handy js, the film's stuntcasting, and arguably one of the worst father characters we've ever encountered!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Mailbag 7: Translation (Again) & Percentage of Access

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:03:51 GMT

Brenna and Joe are making it up to listener Jane, who we neglected to mention had previously written in about translated texts.

We're continuing the conversation about translation, plus expanding the discussion to include popular/mass market texts and accessibility.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Apple: Skin To The Core (Book Club)

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 07:05:49 GMT

It's time for another book club and we have three listeners (Tea, Books, and Chocolate, Victoria, and Addie) who contributed their thoughts on Eric Gansworth's 2020 memoir in verse, Apple: Skin to the Core.

We discuss why this is a memoir and not a collection of poetry, how Gansworth hooks readers and uses pop culture subversions, its depiction of queerness, and the materiality of the physical tome.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Mailbag 6: Translation & Cultural Structures

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 07:05:36 GMT

On this week's mailbag, Joe and Brenna go deep on a line in listener Laura's email pushing back on the challenges of reading a translated text.

After apologizing for the faux pas, we debate the accessibility of translated texts, how it informs cultural structures and what story that tells.

Plus: a call to arms for foreign listeners particularly

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2021)

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Emil and The Detectives

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 07:05:29 GMT

We're headed to Berlin thanks to listener Alma's suggestion to check out famed German author Erich Kästner's Emil and the Detectives (1929), as well as its 1964 Disney adaptation by Peter Tewksbury.

This new-to-us middle grade book is a *massive* bestseller and survived eradication from the Nazis, so we feel pretty silly not having it on our radar. The shot on location film, however, is both too childish and too scary.

Plus: why can no one pronounce Emil's name and what was Walt Disney's secret plans for Roger Mobley (Gustav)?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2021)

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Mailbag 5: Dahl Edits, Culture Wars and Authors Entering Review Spaces

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 11:48:27 GMT

This week we're responding to listener Kaetlyn's email about Roald Dahl's books being edited, why this isn't censorship, and how the culture war outrage is selective to certain groups.

Plus: a bonus conversation about whether creatives should enter review spaces to challenge takes they disagree with (short answer: no!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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Plan B (2021)

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:05:07 GMT

We've been good for too long, so it's time for some raunch courtesy of Natalie Morales' 2021 girls gross out comedy Plan B (seriously heed that R rating!)

Brenna and Joe definitely appreciate the heart and the messaging, but there's some iffy tonal shifts in this one, despite great lead performances and a pair of manic pixie love interests. Strap in because we're going on a road trip!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2021)

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Mailbag 4: Why Do You Like YA?

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 08:05:01 GMT

This week's we're tackling listener Keith's question: why do you like YA? Bonus: the question spins us into a bit of a tangent as to why we also like doing the show!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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Monkey Beach

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 08:05:14 GMT

Brenna and Joe are checking out another Eden Robinson text: her award-winning 2000 novel Monkey Beach, along with Loretta Todd's 2020 adaptation.

While we love the book - with its incisive mix of generational trauma, Haisla life and coming of age narrative - the film doesn't work for us - either as a standalone film or as an adaptation.

The book includes great characters, a gripping narrative, and unflinching deaths, while the film has a handful of great performances (Adam Beach!), but is marred by a terrible script and distractingly bad CGI.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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Mailbag 3: Reese's Book Club & Forever Teas

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 08:05:56 GMT

We're circling back to listener Victoria's email about A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow being chosen as a Reese's Book Club selection, Joe makes a faux pas, and Brenna laments her discounted forever tea.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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A Cuban Girl's Guide To Tea and Tomorrow (Book Club)

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 08:05:11 GMT

It's time for Book Club as Brenna and Joe (along with input from listener Tea, Books & Chocolate) discuss Laura Taylor Namey's delightful 2019 romantic drama, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow. This comfort food book feels refreshing thanks to its focus on character as opposed to romance and its ties to place, though there is one strong criticism about its depiction of "Africa."

Still: we're swooning, we're hungry and we can't wait to read the sequel and watch the film adaptation when they come out!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about Own Voices book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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Mailbag 2: Own Voices

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:20:25 GMT

Our second week of mailbag brings us questions about Own Voices from listener Tea, Books and Chocolate

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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Jasper Jones

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 08:05:01 GMT

Thanks to a suggestion from listener Toni, Brenna and Joe check out Craig Silvey's celebrated 2009 book Jasper Jones, as well as Indigenous filmmaker Rachel Perkins's 2017 adaptation.

We both really like the book, which is long and takes awhile to get into, but offers a complicated analysis of racism and class in a small Australian town. The film is still good, but too much has been cut out to do the book justice, particularly Toni Collette's Ruth, whose motivations no longer make sense.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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Mailbag 1: International Picks

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:46:22 GMT

On the inaugural edition of the HKHS mailbag, we discuss a few titles for future coverage courtesy of listener Miriam.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about Own Voices book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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Reservation Dogs S02

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 08:05:37 GMT

Brenna and Joe *finally* check out S02 of Sterlin Harjo's Reservation Dogs and we're still head over heels for this series. We're not in sync, though: Joe wants the focus to stay on the central four, while Brenna has no problem on the expanded focus.

Plus: overwhelming guest spots, why Cheese and Willie Jack are the best, and the pressure put on the show by the continued lack of other Indigenous TV options.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Feb 17: A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (2019)

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E10 (2023)

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:05:16 GMT

It's the end of the road for HBO Max's Gossip Girl revamp, so expect plenty of sighs and complaints as Jenny, Ari and Joe say goodbye.

First we tackle the satisfying lock-up of Kate and the nonsensical Met Gala plot before moving onto the Gossip Girl-free Roman vacation. Joe likes this version of the show, while Ari and Jenny are tempted by the Roger Menzies/app tease and the mysterious stranger that would have driven S03.

Sadly it's the end of the show, but we've still got fan fiction!

Reference: Andy Swift. "Gossip Girl EP Answers Our Burning Series Finale Questions, Reveals What Would Have Happened in Season 3" TV Line

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 08:05:25 GMT

Listener Max is taking Brenna far outside of her comfort zone as we discuss Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2016) by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II, as well the 2019 animated film Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Jake Castorena.

We're talking properties with plenty of lore, different art styles and mostly similar plots, but the comic feels stuffed and overly adult compared to the film, which has a better handle on its comedy and youth appeal. We may not know how to pronounce Ra's al Ghul, but we know which text we prefer!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say about last week's episode or a comment about Own Voices Book Club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Feb 17: A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (2019)

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E09 (2023)

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 08:05:12 GMT

Jenny, Ari and Joe are back to unpack the penultimate episode of HBO Max's Gossip Girl and even though we know the show has been cancelled, we're still worried about the throuple!

Plus: surprises aplenty at an event we don't fully understand, a pair of strategically framed sequences and we're suddenly interested in the Obie storyline?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All American Boys (Banned Book 10)

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 08:05:15 GMT

Banned Book Club comes to an end with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys (2015), a book about racialized police violence from two different perspectives and featuring contributions from listeners Victoria, Miriam and Tea, Books and Chocolate.

This (maybe Middle Grade?) book is one of the most challenged books in America, and still feels too timely and relevant. Brenna and Joe talk about Reynolds' writing, why we're attracted to Quinn's portion, and praise the lack of tidy resolution while pondering why there's no movie.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about Own Voices Book Club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Feb 17: A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (2019)

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E08 (2023)

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 08:05:07 GMT

Jenny, Ari and Joe are delighted that Gossip Girl FINALLY gives Luna her own episode (and shitty parent, natch). It's time for the Tribeca Film Festival and Audrey, Max and Julien are making big moves, but it's Aki and Julien who are paying the price.

Plus: more shitty parents, Jenny's cruel streak, Andrew's appreciation that Julien isn't off the hook, and predictions of a European vacation.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 08:05:51 GMT

Grab your Playboy because Brenna and Joe are headed into the big scary city with Chris Columbus' 1987 feature directorial debut, Adventures in Babysitting.

Brenna calls this a romp and it's true: the children-in-peril comedy starring Elizabeth Shue and an annoying Anthony Rapp is delightful, though we still have plenty to contextualize in its suburban fears, its racialized fears and why doesn't Disney consider unhoused people a talking point?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E07 (2023)

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 08:05:22 GMT

Welcome back listeners. This week Jenny, Joe and Ari are divided as Georgina Sparks' two episode run comes to an end, Kate executes an odd plan and the De Haans are back to their dastardly plans.

Plus: More Wendy! Audrey vs Julien! And are we setting up Obie's storyline as the end of season arc?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013)

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 08:05:38 GMT

We're celebrating the late great Indigenous filmmaker Jeff Barnaby with a look at 2013's Rhymes for Young Ghouls. C/W: infanticide, suicide, drug abuse, threat of sexual assault, residential schools (basically everything).

This is a rough text, but Barnaby's tale of Indigenous vengeance against colonial oppressors is also extremely cathartic. Plus: The Aila Test, a brief history of residential schools, how the film uses genre to disarm white audiences, and debate about whether the end of the film is "happy"

References:

> Ali Nahdee. “The Ali Nahdee Test”

> Taylor Sanchez Guzman. “Moving with the Dead” in Rhymes for Young Ghouls. Cleo Journal

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E06 (2022)

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 08:05:02 GMT

Georgina Sparks is back, and Ari, Jenny and Joe couldn't be more excited! This wild energy is exactly what Gossip Girl needs, particularly when we're still juggling snoozy storylines like Julien sleeping with a maybe married man (eyeroll), Zoya's sex tape blackmail and Obie's...who could care?

Thankfully we're seeing glimmers of hope (a Zoya/Monet team up?). Plus there's clearly more Georgina to come!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E05 (2022)

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 08:05:30 GMT

Welcome back listeners. We've hit the snoozy halfway point of S02 of HBO Max's revamped Gossip Girl...but "Games, Trains, and Automobiles" is a bore.

From Julien's affair with a clearly married man to Shan's out of character behavior to our fears that the throuple is breaking up, Ari, Jenny and Joe don't find a lot to love in this Spring Break episode. Plus: we don't care that Obie's mom is back, Jordan needs to get over Kate and WHERE IS GEORGINA?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E04 (2022)

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 08:05:23 GMT

Little Brooke isn't quite as boring anymore, is she?!

Welcome back listeners. It's Valentine's Days on Gossip Girl and Ari, Jenny and Joe are ready to declare "One Flew Over the Cuck's Nest" the best episode of the series to date. Sure we're not enthused by Shan's betrayal or Julien's potential affair, but between the bottoming stuff in the throuple, Round 2 of Monet vs Camille DeHaan, Max reading Jenny for liking 2046, Luna being vulnerable and yes, a Chris Pratt read, this episode is amazing. And just when it can't get better, Charli XCX shows up!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 08:05:19 GMT

We're closing out 2022 with one final foray into big budget spectacle with Andrew Adamson's 2005 epic adaptation of C.S. Lewis' 1950 British classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Up for discussion: the uncomfortable racial aspects of the film, CGI vs practical effects, the wartime elements, religious propaganda, which Pevensie child we identify as, and why it's ok to hate Edmund and Turkish Delight.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us!

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E03 (2022)

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 08:05:42 GMT

Welcome back followers. This week on XOXO, Ari, Jenny and Joe are discussing the third episode of the rebooted Gossip Girl's second season "Great Reputations" which takes the action to the Guggenheim, focuses too much on boring Brooke and Obie, and gives Monet another great storyline.

Plus: more skin, Joe's continued frustrations with Zoya, and Luna drags Jenny!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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Spice World (1997) feat. Bobby Torrez

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:05:05 GMT

In honour of the 25th anniversary of Spice World, we're giving you everything...or at least an episode on the iconic UK film! Along for the ride is Bobby Torrez, who - like Brenna - loves this film (Joe, meanwhile, is mostly just overwhelmed).

Up for discussion: British humour, cameos and cut scenes, the $25 M budget and whether a film like this could even get made today.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Bobby: @BobbyTorrez

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Dec 30: All American Boys (2015) by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E02 (2022)

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:05:36 GMT

Welcome back followers. This week on XOXO, Ari, Jenny and Joe are discussing the second episode of the rebooted Gossip Girl's second season "Guess Who's Coming At Dinner?" which finds our crew attending a series of eventful dinner parties. While we're frustrated with Nick and annoyed at the repetition with Kate and Mike, we're living for the Monet vs Julien cover spread storyline and dying at the comedy and heart of The Birdcage-inspired storyline with Max's dads.

But also: Brooke is sooooo boring.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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High School (2022)

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 08:05:23 GMT

We're headed to Calgary in the 90s with Canadian lesbian twin sister singing sensations Tegan and Sara, reading their 2019 memoir High School and the 2022 Amazon Freevee adaptation, showrun by Clea DuVall.

We're talking raves and acid, multiple perspectives of the same events, the twins' meteoric rise to stardom and the many girls they had crushes on.

Plus: the show's challenging short episodes and split focus, great performances and our continued issues with the "all or nothing" approaches by streaming services.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Dec 30: All American Boys (2015) by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S02E01 (2022)

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:05:28 GMT

Greetings listeners. School is back in session as HBO Max's Gossip Girl returns for a second year and a new semester. How are Jenny, Ari and Joe feeling about the fresh start? Well, we're big fans of Monet as a multifaceted villain, Luna's glow-up, the status of our fave throuple, and the curious lack of Obie.

Plus: thoughts on the Deb ball, the new Russian classics teacher and will Zoya ever become more interesting? We'll find out soon. XOXO

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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On The Come Up

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 08:05:33 GMT

It's an Angie Thomas gush fest as Brenna and Joe cover the author's On The Come Up (2019) and first time feature director Sanaa Lathan's 2022 film adaptation.

We are *huge* fans of the book, which is covertly about trauma and features a more challenging teen female protagonist. The film is still enjoyable, but it takes the more commercial approach of focusing on Bri's art/ascent to stardom.

Plus: Method Man is great, why Aunt Pooh is such a great character, Jay as a great mom, and why we do not care for a freeze frame ending!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Dec 30: All American Boys (2015) by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

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XOXO: Gossip Girl S01 (2021)

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 17:23:33 GMT

Greetings listeners. We know you love us, but do you love Gossip Girl (2021)? That's one question we feel is worth pursuing, so join Joe, as well as Ari Drew and Jenny Nulf, as they provide weekly commentary on the HBO Max remake/revamp/sequel.

We're starting with our thoughts on S01, including which characters we find hot, which throuple we're obsessed with, and which characters are boring (hi Obie!). Plus: the narrative risk-taking, why Julien and Zoya need to get along, and where the show will go in S02. You know you love us. XOXO

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Ari: @TheAriDrew

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

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Lord of the Flies (Banned Book 9)

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 08:05:29 GMT

It's time for our final Banned Book Club of the year and we're going out with a "classic": William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies and Peter Brook's 1963 adaptation. Thanks to listeners Natalie and Miriam for chiming in!

This is Joe's first time reading the book, but it's so familiar because of its pop culture legacy. It's deeply colonial, though Brenna is frustrated by Golding's penchant for asking questions he doesn't want to explore.

Plus: fatphobia and ableism for days, wanting more characterization, how the black and white affects the viewing experience, a trauma-filled shoot, and why Joe would rather watch The Wilds on Amazon!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Dec 30: All American Boys (2015) by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

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Mockingjay Part 1 feat. Alex Heeney

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 08:05:49 GMT

On its eighth anniversary (and with one year until the prequel film drops), Joe returns to Panem to revisit Mockingjay Part 1. Along for the ride is Alex Heeney, who guested on our episode on The Hunger Games and has strong opinions about Suzanne Collins' book and Francis Lawrence's film. Please note: we're only discussing Chapters 1-13 for this episode.

We're still chatting about love triangles and dystopian world-building, as well as whether director Lawrence is better suited to directing action than actors, the mega stunt casting and why the film doesn't deserve its "cash grab" moniker.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Alex: @bwestcineaste / Seventh Row Website

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Nov 24: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) / Peter Brook (1964)

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The Last Unicorn feat. Justin Nordell

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 08:05:41 GMT

Joe is joined by Justin Nordell to discuss Peter S. Beagle's 1968 fantasy novel The Last Unicorn, as well as Rankin and Bass' 1982 animated film, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

We talk about the kindertrauma of both texts, particularly the Harpy and the Red Bull characters, as well as the universality of searching for self-identity and losing yourself pretending to be something you're not. Plus: the "feminine" animation style, the first all-star voice cast and why Tammy Grimes' performance as Molly Grue is so emotionally impactful.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Justin: @jnordell / Insta: @mogwai47

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Nov 24: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) / Peter Brook (1964)

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Do Revenge (2022) feat. Jenn Adams

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 08:05:44 GMT

With Brenna taking a breather, Joe recruits former guest Jenn Adams to tackle director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's Netflix's '90s throw-back, Do Revenge. The Camila Mendes/Maya Hawke film is perfectly cast and feels extremely timely in its discussion about female friendship and the patriarchy, with plenty of commentary on race, class and queerness.

Plus: spotting all of the YA homages, costume designer Alana Morshead's influences, why Max is so hateable and SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR (!!!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Jenn: @jennferatu

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Nov 24: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) / Peter Brook (1964)

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Boo, Bitch! (2022)

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:05:59 GMT

We hopping on the Lana Condor train for one last Spooky Season entry with Netflix's Boo, Bitch! Spoiler: the first half of the season is silly fun...then the back half happens.

We're *extremely* annoyed at the "twist" (not a twist) that the creative team isn't really interested in exploring, how heavily prom and the idea of a high school legacy figure into the narrative and how grating Condor's Erika Vu becomes. What went wrong here?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Nov 24: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) / Peter Brook (1964)

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The Moth Diaries

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 07:05:59 GMT

Spooky season continues as Brenna and Joe tackle 2002's gothic vampire lesbian boarding school text The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein and its 2011 adaptation by Mary Harron. While we're intrigued by the unreliable unnamed narrator and the teen girl drama, Brenna is very frustrated by the book's Afterword, which eliminates all ambiguity. Joe is more receptive because of his familiarity with Carmilla, but finds the film's disinterest in vampirism perplexing.

Plus: Scott Speedman in full whisper phase, Joe's love of a particularly bloody scene, bad flying and Brenna delivering backhanded compliments about Joe's choice of vampires

Reference: Scout Tofoya. "The Unloved: The Moth Diaries" Roger Ebert.com

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Nov 24: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) / Peter Brook (1964)

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The Witches (Banned Book 8)

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 07:05:23 GMT

We're back for another Banned Book discussion about Roald Dahl's The Witches (1963) which we've partnered with Nicolas Roeg's 1990 adaptation, as well as tangential conversation about Robert Zemeckis' 2020 film. Thanks to listener Miriam for contributing!

Yes, this book was banned...for promoting witchcraft, not Dahl's anti-semitism, which we have to discuss . It's such a shame because the book - with its willingness to put children in danger and its "grim dark" ending - is still great (bonus points for Quentin Blake's illustrations). Then the film is all about Anjelica Houston's Grand High Witch, cute Jim Henson mice, Roeg's POV camerawork and great practical FX.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Nov 24: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) / Peter Brook (1964)

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Paper Girls

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 07:05:51 GMT

It's not often we get to a show just after it's been cancelled, but that's the sad situation here as we tackle Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang's excellent feminist sci-fi comic series Paper Girls and Stephany Folsom's 2022 Amazon adaptation.

We discuss how Vaughan has grown since Y: The Last Man (see previous episode), the perfectly 80s art, and the effortless representation. Then we praise the show for focusing on characters, particularly the interactions between the girls and their older selves and the tampon conversation in episode five. We miss this one already!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Oct 13: The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983) / Nicolas Roeg (1990)

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Vampire Academy (2022)

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 07:05:33 GMT

It's week 2 of our coverage of Vampire Academy and we're ending with a whimper! The 2022 Peacock series by The Vampire Diaries co-creator Julie Plec and actress Marguerite MacIntyre is confusing, boring and poorly paced. Sure the people are pretty, but that isn't getting us through 50+ minute episodes of some of the worst world-building we've ever seen on a YA series.

References: Joe's Bloody Disgusting Review

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Oct 13: The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983) / Nicolas Roeg (1990)

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Vampire Academy (2014) feat. Jenny Nulf

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 07:05:55 GMT

With Brenna away one more week, Joe recruits recurring guest Jenny Nulf to gush over Zoey Deutch's star-making turn in Mark Waters' 2014 Vampire Academy.

The film wisely eschews a ton of the mythology in author Richelle Mead's novel, though the mix of comedy, YA and horror don't always mesh well (looking at you, Claire Foy).

Plus: the book's oh-so-2000s depiction of self-harm and slut shaming, the bland blonde playing Lissa, and complaints that Dimitri is too old and not attractive enough for this adaptation!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Jenny: @jennyleighx33

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Five Feet Apart (2019) feat. Nichole Goble

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 07:05:27 GMT

In Brenna's absence, Joe recruits Nichole Goble for a return to Sick Lit with Justin Baldoni's directorial debut, Five Feet Apart (2019) and its novelization by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis.

This free flowing discussion tackles the depiction of CF in the film and the criticisms lobbied at both texts, which acknowledging that they did help to raise awareness of the disease. Plus: the sick bodies of stars Richardson and Sprouse, why we don't buy their love affair, the realities of divorce, and how the different endings between film and novelization change its meaning.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Nichole: @bodiesofhorror

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Tenure and Transparency

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 07:05:02 GMT

Brenna's back! Eschewing our usual approach, Brenna catches Joe up about her tumultuous summer and her decision to make her Portfolio for Tenure & Promotion open to the public, which leads to a discussion about why transparency and failure is so important.

Then we run down some significant YA texts to keep on your radar, including a few that we're very excited about!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Oct 13: The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983) / Nicolas Roeg (1990)

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian feat. Dr. Debbie Reese

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 07:05:09 GMT

We're wrapping up Book Four with a very special guest: Dr. Debbie Reese joins us to discuss Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Since this is Banned Book Club, we're also pulling in responses from listeners Miriam and Victoria. Expects LOTS of discuss about Alexie as a problematic figure, whose writing is marketable to white settler audiences but whose personal and professional actions have been irrevocably harmful to indigenous communities. It's a great conversation!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Dr. Reese: @debreese / Website

Have something longer to say? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Anything's Possible (2022) feat. Terry Mesnard

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 07:05:29 GMT

It's time for a trans rom com...or is it? Joe is joined by guest Terry Mesnard to discuss Billy Porter's directorial debut, 'Anything's Possible' (2022) which tries to awkwardly marry fantasy and reality to mixed results.

We really appreciate that the leads with great chemistry (we're swooning for Abubakr Ali) and that the film doesn't redeem its villains, but it feels like screenwriter Ximena García Lecuona and Porter couldn't settle on a tone or message (grrr on that end credit dance sequence). 'Anything's Possible' is a noble failure, but we'd still watch a sequel in a heartbeat!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Terry: @gaylydreadful

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

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Moonshot (2022) feat. Jessica Scott

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 07:05:38 GMT

With Brenna taking a breather, Joe recruits former guest Jessica Scott to launch into space with Chris Winterbauer's old school rom-com 'Moonshot' (2022) starring Cole Sprouse and Lana Condor.

The film is both funnier and more clever than we anticipated considering the title makes no sense and HBO Max film has no budget for Mars effects. Carried by the charm of its leads (albeit with no romantic chemistry), 'Moonshot' has some interesting things to say about the environment, capitalism and greed. Oh, and the interiors of the ship are very cute and the robots are very fun!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Jessica: @WeWhoWalkHere

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

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Crush (2022)

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 07:05:07 GMT

We're head over heels in love...with King Pun! This week we're talking Sammi Cohen's lesbian/bi romance film Crush (2022) which features tons of representation, but not enough kissing. The film isn't perfect, but it is very enjoyable and that's enough for us.

Plus: loving the adult actors, Brenna's track and field experience, bad art, and the challenges of casting queer actors to play straight.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

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Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 07:05:00 GMT

In advance of its fortieth anniversary, Brenna and Joe check out Amy Heckerling's 1982 film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. We discuss Cameron Crowe's investigative reporting, what has - and hasn't - changed in YA in 40 years, why sex and abortion don't seem like a big deal in the early 80s, and the cast that almost was.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

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The Knife of Never Letting Go / Chaos Walking

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 12:55:17 GMT

Mind your Noise because we're headed to New World for a discussion of Patrick Ness' famed first novel in the Chaos Walking series, The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008), as well as Doug Liman's long-delayed 2021 adaptation.

This one is a struggle: not only is there plenty of walking, but the repetitive writing, the whimper of a climax and the disinterest in exploring colonialism (despite introducing it!) makes for frustrating reading. The film is watchable thanks to Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley's charm, but it fails to adapt large parts of the book and feels like a pretty standard big budget dystopian YA. Overall this is a mess...and the dog dies to boot!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

> Sept 7: Lord of the Flies by William Golding / Film by Harry Hook

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Ms. Marvel

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 07:05:03 GMT

It's embiggen time as we tackle many volumes of G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel, as well as the entire six episodes of Bisha K. Ali's Disney+ TV series. We're both BIG Kamala Khan fans, so we were psyched to discuss the Brown girl from Jersey City who saves the world.

Talking points: why Kamala is such a great character and why Iman Vellani is perfect to play her, the series' focus on her family, Bruno's disability arc in the comics and why we have no patience for those who criticize the Partition storyline.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> July 21: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wildhood

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 07:05:16 GMT

We're delighted to be tackling a new queer Canadian Indigenous film with Bretten Hannam's Wildhood (2021).

Featuring great teen performances and picturesque Nova Scotia landscapes, this road trip movie about a pair of two-spirited Mi'kmaw boys is beautifully shot by cinematographer Guy Godfree (Giant Little Ones). We have some quibbles with the leisurely pacing, the sex scene and the arbitrary use of subtitles, but we're happy to see another side of Atlantic Canadian represented onscreen.

Reference: Herb Wyile. Anne of Tim Hortons: Globalization and the Reshaping of Atlantic-Canadian Literature. Wilfrid Laurier University Press

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> July 21: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Sky Is Everywhere

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 07:05:56 GMT

It's time for a Brenna pick as we tackle Jandy Nelson's 2010 story of sibling grief, as well as Josephine Decker's 2022 adaptation. It's a bit magical, a bit too busy and filled with extremely messy characters who are grieving.

The film is visually exciting, but sometimes feels at odds with its emotional resonance (and features no chemistry between either love pair). Overall: Brenna teared up and Joe found it too long.

Reference: "Josephine Decker Talks ‘The Sky Is Everywhere,’ Visualizing Emotions & More [Interview]" The Playlist.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> July 21: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wetlands (Banned Book Club 6)

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 07:05:50 GMT

Wanna read/watch something gross? Well we have you covered! This month's Banned Book Club is tackling Charlotte Roche's notorious, controversial German bestseller Wetlands (2008) and David Wnendt's 2013 film adaptation.

Using insights from Laura (who originally brought this to our attention), as well as Miriam, Juha, Victoria and Tea, Books & Chocolate, we tackle the gross out factor, ponder the "feminist" interpretation, and critique the ending.

Plus: why is the film more palatable? How delightful is star Carla Juri? And, that age old question: are we just prudes?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> July 21: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love, Victor Season 3 feat. Terry Mesnard

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 07:05:50 GMT

It's the end of the road for Disney+ & Hulu's Love, Victor, which is sad and disappointing. Sad because Brenna, Joe and special guest Terry Mesnard still love these characters, and disappointing because this final season...isn't very good.

Whether it was always designed to end here, these last eight episodes seem to forget basic plot and character beats from earlier seasons, particularly issues of class.

Plus: Doing Pilar dirty, our eternal love for Felix and male friendships and discussion about Victor's "Bravery" (aka Gay) award.

Joe & Terry's written coverage:

-Love, Victor S3 Part 1. Gayly Dreadful

-Love, Victor S3 Part 2. QueerHorrorMovies

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

-Brenna: @brennacgray

-Joe: @bstolemyremote

-Terry: @gaylydreadful

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

-June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

-July 23: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heartstopper

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 07:05:11 GMT

We're late to the party, but it's time to talk about the exceedingly cute Heartstopper, which has taken the world by storm!

The family friendly queer Netflix juggernaut is adorkable in both comic and TV form, and while we take issue with the suggestion that this is an "ideal" for queer media depiction, the inclusion of a trans girl, male bisexuality and male eating disorders is important.

Plus: Tao's less complicated TV interpretation, why Isaac is Joe's fave, and MVP stuntcasting from Stephen Fry and Olivia Colman.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

-Brenna: @brennacgray

-Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

-June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

-July 23: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back To 15

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 07:05:36 GMT

For the first time in the show's history, we travel to South America to discuss Netflix's Brazilian series Back To 15. The time travel series features likeable actors and a fun, Being Erica-esque premise about fixing the mistakes of the past, though it maintains too tight a focus on Anita at the expense of its more interesting supporting cast.

We talk about the odd North American critiques of the show, debate about what is "messy interesting" and Joe has some issues with the trans storyline. Overall this is slight, but mostly fun!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

-Brenna: @brennacgray

-Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

-June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

-July 23: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wonder

Tue, 31 May 2022 07:05:54 GMT

Ohhh we're nervous for this one! We know that RJ Palacio's 2012 book Wonder and Stephen Chbosky's 2017 film adaptation have a lot of devoted fans and while we're able to acknowledge the light it has shone on disability, we have some pretty major reservations about the storytelling (in the book) and the casting (in the film). From Palacio's inspiration for the story (and the creation of her Wonder mini-empire) to Auggie's perfection to the fear of acknowledging that this is disability to the inspiration porn of it all.

Plus: why is Via the most interesting character? Why is class, race and queer sidelined? Why were disabled actors auditioned if the role went to an able-bodied actor? Problems, problems, problems

References:

> Carly Findlay. “My concerns about Wonder the film (and how to talk to your kids about Wonder)”

> Ariel Henley. “What “Wonder” Gets Wrong About Disfigurement and Craniofacial Disorders.” Teen Vogue

> Ariel Henley. ‘Wonder Is a 'Feel-Good' Movie That Needed More Realism.’ The Atlantic

> Mike Moody. “Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio” Disability in Kidlit

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

- Brenna: @brennacgray

- Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

- June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

- July 23: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Go Ask Alice (Banned Book Club 5)

Tue, 24 May 2022 07:05:38 GMT

Write this in your diary: this month's Banned Book Club entry is Go Ask Alice, the 1970s "true story" and runaway bestseller that is completely and utterly ridiculous.

We're not only making fun of Beatrice Sparks' lousy writing, but also how profiteering scheme. Listeners getting in on the fun and exasperation include Victoria, Miriam, Sophie, Gavin and Tea, Books & Chocolate who take note of the fatphobia, the ethical issues and the book's curious relationship to queerness.

Plus: Sparks' other 'Anonymous' diaries, why this book is actually an important time capsule and overall mockery and disdain for the text.

References:

- Daniel Mallory Ortberg. "Lines From Go Ask Alice That, In Hindsight, Should Have Tipped Me Off That This Was Not A True Story" The Toast

- Frankie Thomas. "A Queer Reading of Go Ask Alice." The Paris Review

- Caitlin White. "Go Ask Alice Lives in Controversy." Bustle

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

- Brenna: @brennacgray

- Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

July 23: Cousins by Virginia Hamilton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If I Stay

Tue, 17 May 2022 07:05:31 GMT

Brenna and Joe return to the liminal space between living and death for a discussion of Gayle Foreman's 2009 novel If I Stay and its 2014 film adaptation by RJ Cutler.

Brenna grates against the prioritization of the romance, preferring Foreman's more complicated sequel, while Joe critiques the disappointing visual depiction of Mia's condition and Chloë Grace Moretz's bored performance. On the positive side, we think this is better than Before I Fall, and that the film features the best YA parents since Easy A.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

> June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lumberjanes

Tue, 10 May 2022 07:05:04 GMT

With summer around the corner, Brenna and Joe opt for a feel good, comfort food minisode on Lumberjanes, the wildly feminist adventure comic (we read Volumes 1-3 for this episode). We discuss why the long running comic was so successful, its effortless representation and why we're still a little iffy about that animated HBO Max adaptation.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

-Brenna: @brennacgray

-Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

-May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

-June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Derby Girl / Whip It

Tue, 03 May 2022 07:05:44 GMT

Lace up those skates because we are hitting the rink with Shauna Cross' 2007 novel Derby Girl and Drew Barrymore's 2009 directorial debut, Whip It.

In addition to focusing on female friendship, the texts are a celebration of roller derby, which is brought to life exceedingly well in the film!

The book is a very fast read that's totally fine, but we're slightly frustrated by Bliss as a boring protagonist, especially in comparison to Elliot Page's inspired lead performance in the film.

Plus: BINGO buses, sucky band boyfriends, daddy/daughter bonding and that stacked film cast (who look like they're having an absolute blast).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George / Melissa (Banned Book Club 4)

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 07:05:43 GMT

We're telling off the transphobes and celebrating radical queer joy with our latest Banned Books conversation on Alex Gino's wonderful Melissa (originally published as George). This *wholly* appropriate Middle Grade book about a young trans girl coming out amidst a production of Charlotte's Web is exactly what the world needs more of, so you better believe Brenna and Joe are on a tear about its status as the #1 banned and challenged book THREE YEARS RUNNING.

Thanks to listeners Miriam, Victoria, Sophie and Tea, Books & Chocolate for their wonderful contributions to the discussion.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray

Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

June 23: Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Better Nate Than Ever

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 07:15:29 GMT

This week, Brenna and Joe are headed to Broadway to discuss Tim Federle's 2013 Middle Grade book and his 2022 Disney+ adaptation.

We love the Adventures in Babysitting vibe of the book, which has real stakes as Nate navigates the dangers of NY through rose-coloured glasses. The film mistakenly gives best friend Libby (played well by Aria Brooks) and older brother Anthony (played horribly by Joshua Bassett) more to do...to the film's detriment.

Plus: why this film is the perfect synthesis of Disney's current "Don't Say Gay" woes, and co-star Lisa Kudrow's terrible hair and gorgeous Queens apartment.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

April 19: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino
May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CODA

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 07:05:03 GMT

Brenna and Joe are late to the (Oscar) party, but we're finally checking out Sian Heder's delightful film CODA (2021).

Yes, we recorded this episode before CODA won several significant Oscars, but the conversation about why the feel good film featuring multiple underrepresented actors from the deaf community wound up resonating with audiences. We celebrate Troy Kotsur's performance, Brenna wants more of Daniel Durant's Leo and Joe just wants more of the family (despite appreciating Emilia Jones and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo having great chemistry, we've seen this story before).

Plus: why populist isn't bad, comparisons to the French original and how Oscar splitting works.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

April 19: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino
May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let The Right One In

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 12:57:44 GMT

This week on the pod, Brenna and Joe hit the vampire theme hard with a discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's 2004 novel 'Let The Right One In', as well as the 2008 Swedish adaptation by Tomas Alfredson AND the 2010 American remake, 'Let Me In' by Matt Reeves. C/W: bullying (all texts), pedophilia & sexual assault (book)

Brenna is really put through the wringer this week as we tackle a very long book (filled with a million characters with their own subplots and a hyper-accelerated finale), plus two movies. And they're about vampires?!

The truth is that the bullying and pedophilia/sexual abuse are the hardest aspects to process, not the supernatural "romance" between the two pre-teens.

Plus: lots of thoughts on the importance of place, high praise for all four of the child actors, why Joe isn't mad at the US remake anymore and a specific question about pronouns/gender in Sweden (if we have listened from there, we have a call to action!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

April 20: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino
May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pigman (Banned Book Club 3)

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 07:15:00 GMT

It's time for another entry in our Banned Book Club series as we tackle a classic YA text: Paul Zindel's 1968 'The Pigman"

It's time to discuss another book arbitrarily banned or challenged by aggrieved parents! This time it's Paul Zindel's ode to two teens who befriend a lonely widower and (maybe? likely?) wind up contributing to his untimely death.

Chiming in on this episode are listeners Victoria, Brian and Tea, Books & Chocolate who help us unpack the book's confronting ending, the complicated family dynamics and why readers may struggle to get into the classic prose.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

April 19: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino
May 19: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legally Blonde

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 07:05:00 GMT

We're diving into Blonde territory this week with another weak book/strong film discussion. First up is Brown's self-published novel, which...isn't great (Elle is unlikeable? She fails to see through Warner's BS til the end? None of the supporting characters matter?)

Perhaps we're just blinded by the super fun film adaptation, which rectifies a lot of the storytelling missteps and also stars Witherspoon at her most winsome. Throw in a great cast (Blair! Coolidge! Garber!), a smart script that emphasizes female solidarity and believing in yourself (courtesy of Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, the writer[s] of former episodes 'Ella Enchanted' and 'Trinkets') and you've got yourself a winner that (mostly) holds up.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
April 20: George (or Melissa) by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reservation Dogs

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 07:15:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe travel to Oklahoma to discuss the first season (eight episodes) of Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi's Reservation Dogs. The show follows a quartet of teens with dreams of leaving their reservation behind and it's a great blend of comedy and drama, with some surprising pathos in the back half (C/W: suicide in episode seven).

We praise the show for its representation in front of and behind the camera (though there is a glaring omission), as well as how it handles the (lack of) white characters. Plus: Zach McClarnon finally gets to cut loose, pickle dicks and why we may need to check out Rutherford Falls.

Reference:

Kyle T Mays. "Representation and Black & Hip Hop Culture in 'Reservation Dogs.'" Ethnomusicology Review

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
April 21: George by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nerve

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 08:15:00 GMT

Put your brain on hold because we're getting dumb with one of the worst books we've ever covered on the show, as well as a surprisingly good film whose last act is very frustrating!

Is Ryan's book poorly written, judge-y and lacking in both critique AND YA thrills? Yes!

Is the film, whose stars Emma Roberts and Dave Franco have great chemistry and depicts social media (but NOT hacking or the deep web) in a realistic way, a ton of fun? Yes! Plus: Netflix connections, thrilling stunts and Sherlock?

This is 50% a vent-y episode and 50% a soft plea to go watch the film. Enjoy!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
April 21: George by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This One Summer (Banned Book Club 2)

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 08:05:00 GMT

It's time for another Banned Book Club! This month we're checking out the gentle coming of age story of Rose and Windy (with thanks to listeners Arthur and Victoria for contributing their thoughts).

We're talking internalized misogyny, age gaps, the point when you realize your parents have feelings and you can hurt them, and monochromatic art. Oh, also: why the heck was this gorgeous comic banned?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel
April 21: George by Alex Gino

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dance On My Grave / Summer of 85

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 08:05:00 GMT

We're jetting off to Europe (the UK and France specifically) for an episode that revisits Brenna's coming of age author Aidan Chambers, whose measured and considered prose frequently tackles queer coming of age tales. Here it's the story of the troubled romance between Hal and Barry, which avoids being just another queer tragedy thanks to its often unreliable narrator and Chambers' clever framing device.

Ozon's film relocates the story to France in a faithful adaptation that focuses more on the romance between Alex (the Hal character) and David (the Barry character), but adds gorgeous sun-touched imagery and a beautifully vital club scene that anticipates the finale.

There's a lot to like here, so don't be afraid of checking out this lesser known pairing!

Want more Aiden Chambers? Check out Book Three, episode 34 "The Toll Bridge (Book Club #4)"

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Fallout

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 08:15:00 GMT

Grab a tissue because we're in for another emotional episode (guess who cries twice? It's not Brenna) as we tackle a grounded, non-sensational depiction of the aftermath of a school shooting.

Featuring astounding performances by Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler with strong supporting roles for Modern Family's Julie Bowen and The Divergent Series' Shailene Woodley, The Fallout is powerful consideration of the lingering traumatic effects of gun violence. Be warned: it's rough*.

*In a good way. A good soul-crushing way.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unpregnant

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 08:05:00 GMT

It's been a while since we've talked about "the procedure", so prepare yourself for an education as Brenna reviews the state of reproductive health in Canada and the US (caveat: we use the term "women's" reproductive health, but should have acknowledged that non-binary and trans people also get abortions).

It's in-depth, and disappointing (we might get a touch upset!) but it's in service of our discussion of Caplan and Hendriks' delightful book that does a lot of heavy lifting in a funny, quick-to-read package.

Plus: comparing the book's crappy men to their film counterparts, Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira's great film chemistry and just how many times will Joe say the A word?

If you want more "Big A" talk, check out episodes 1.01 "Perks of Being a Wallflower" and 2.32 "Never Rarely Sometimes Always (And More Sex!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Catcher in the Rye (Banned Books 1)

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 08:15:00 GMT

What more can be said about Holden Caulfield, the teenage protagonist of Salinger's iconic 50s novel? Buoyed by contributions from Sophie, Gavin, Miriam and Tea, Books & Chocolate, Brenna and Joe weave through the trauma, the misogyny, the homophobia, the class and the privilege of one of literature's most famous - and frustrating - teenage male protagonists.

With discussions on: a childhood lost, boarding schools, repetition, sexual assault and rape, 1950s crisis of masculinity and "The Man in the Flannel Suit."

Plus: an exciting (and slightly daunting) challenged book recommendation courtesy of German listener Laura: Charlotte Roche's Wetlands (2008).

References:

S. N. Behrman. "The Vision of the Innocent: J. D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.” The New Yorker

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
March 24: The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 08:05:00 GMT

It's time to revisit the Divergent series and oh boy are we tired of the false conflict between Tris and Tobias!

It's time to revisit the Divergent series and oh boy are we tired of the false conflict-

Oh sorry, we fell into the same habit as Veronica Roth and just started repeating ourselves.

Look folks, we bet you never thought you'd get an episode where Brenna apologizes to Suzanne Collins, but the lack of world building, the shallow attempt at dealing with Tris' PTSD and martyr complex and the overwhelming need for an editor in Insurgent has Brenna re-appraising her disdain for The Hunger Games.

Thankfully the film has Shailene Woodley and her 31 year old love interest Theo James, plus a bevy of A-list actors (none of whom have anything to do) to make it bearable.

Plus: the struggle with 2nd entries in YA dystopias, frustration with the Christina subplot, and Woodley's chemistry with all of the boys who want to kill her, but not her boyfriend. Yeah, this isn't terrible; it's just so...meh.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Jan 27: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 08:05:00 GMT

Dance your cares away! Brenna is living for the revival of Fraggle Rock, another Jim Henson series that she worshipped as a child. Joe doesn't have the same connection, so it's up to Brenna to clue us in on how the new show compares. Expect talk of the visual splendour of the show, the great new incarnation of Doc, as well as which episodes stand out and why even non-fans should give the show a chance.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Jan 27: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saved By The Bell S02

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 08:05:00 GMT

School is back in session at Bayside and Brenna and Joe are very happy to be back with this lovable crew of misfits!

Since we've previously covered the show, we jump right into how the show has matured in its second season, how it handles its own COVID year and which storylines are working best for us, including the season-long Spirit Award rivalry with Valley and the Lexi/Jamie relationship.

Plus: using the adults wisely and more sparingly (Joe is especially appreciative of Elizabeth Berkley's Showgirls riff), wanting more for Devante, uncertainty about how Aisha's bisexuality is revealed, and why Principal Toddman needs a win.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Jan 27: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

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When Dimple Met Rishi / Mismatched

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 08:05:00 GMT

Who's ready for massive cliffhangers? Not Brenna or Joe! After gushing over the swoon-worthy romance of Menon's debut meet-cute coding novel, the majority of the episode tackles the adaptation issues of the TV show, which misses the mark in more than a few ways.

Don't get us wrong: we love Prajakta Koli and Rohit Saraf as Dimple and Rishi, but the series is so concerned with packing in supporting characters and issues (Disability! Class! Coming out! Mature widowers who don't know Urban Dictionary!) the whole series is just too stuffed to be satisfying.

Also: Brenna really needs to know that that kitten is ok.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or Tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

Jan 27: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

See you on the page and on the screen!

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Banned & Challenged Books

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 08:05:00 GMT

Ready for an impassioned and rant-filled episode? After a year of books about POC, LGBT+ and anti-police books being banned and challenged, Brenna and Joe are ready to take a stand. We discuss why freedom to read is so important, our own childhood reading experiences (Judy Blume!) and what we think is driving the new wave of intolerance.

Plus: read along with us! Here's the Banned Book Club schedule, including deadlines to email or Tweet us your responses:

Jan 27: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Feb 24: This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 08:15:00 GMT

It's the end of the year, so we are once again reading a Levithan & Cohn collaboration. Unlike Dash & Lily... last year, though, we're not quite as satisfied this time around. Is it the manic pace of this "all in one night" romantic adventure or just the fact that the book doesn't offer enough beyond its obvious romance?

Sadly the film only fares a little better! While Ari Graynor's Caroline is a runaway delight and Kat Dennings can do no wrong, Michael Cera has baggage, the queer representation is not GLAAD award-worthy and the repeated, egregious use of the "R" word is a major distraction (oh these 2000-2010 YA films).

Neither book nor film are a slam dunk, but overall this is a step-up from recent full-length episodes. Hopefully we'll have better luck in 2022!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Ravensong (Book Club #10)

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 08:05:00 GMT

Big thanks to listeners Tea, Books & Chocolate and Victoria for contributing responses as we read Lee Maracle's famed novel about the coming of age of Stacey, a teen struggling to find her place in both her village and the white town across the bridge. We discuss whether this is literary fiction or young adult literature (answer: yes), Maracle's elliptical approach to time, real life parallels (both historical and contemporary) and, finally, Maracle's legacy as a mentor of female Indigenous writers.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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A Walk To Remember

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 08:15:00 GMT

Who's ready for tragic teen romance? We're back on a sick lit kick with A Walk To Remember, the tale of "bad" boy Landon and literal good girl / angel Jamie, whose pure love changes him forever.

This is...not a text for us. While we find the book highly readable, Landon is definitely a garbage character (even if that's the point!) while Jamie is too perfect in all the wrong Manic Pixie Dreamperson ways. And then there's the ending, which is both ableist, icky and just plain dumb.

We know we're probably in the minority, but this faith-based love affair just didn't stick the landing (also: it just ends!). On the plus side, at least we got to watch Mandy Moore sing - even if it was a whole darn song for no good reason.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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In My Skin

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 08:05:00 GMT

Woo boy, is this the wrong text for Joe! While In My Skin is undoubtedly an excellent show with great performances, this was a rough watch for Joe, who cried his way through all five episodes of series one.

Talking through the feels, Brenna addresses the class issues in this depiction of Cardiff, Wales, we discuss the depiction of queerness and how (if?) the comedy works to balance out the upsetting depiction of Bethan's really difficult life.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Darkest Minds

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 08:05:00 GMT

Are you Green or Orange? We're not quite Red over this listener recommendation (thanks Em!) but both Brenna and Joe find that Bracken's text doesn't fully want to engage with its rebellion or world-building as much as it could (or should?) Instead it's a lot of road trip, with an unconvincing romance and a cliffhanger that suggests we might enjoy the next book in this series more.

Alas the film fares worse: despite decent special effects and a more convincing romantic pairing between returning champ Amandla Stenberg and someone named Harris Dickinson (*not a Hemsworth), the film doubles down on the book's least interesting aspects.

As it stands, this pairing simply doesn't stand on its own two feet and Stenberg (see previous episodes: Everything, Everything; The Hate U Give, and The Hunger Games) deserves better!

Please note: we learned after this recording that Stenberg identifies as non-binary and will refer to them with their intended pronouns moving forward in future episodes.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Serpent King (Book Club #9)

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 08:15:00 GMT

We're ready to talk about class, parental abuse and friendship as we travel to rural Tennessee for The Serpent King. Guided by thoughtful emails from listeners Tea, Books and Chocolate, Emily and Victoria, we discuss the deeply upsetting lives of Dill and Travis, as well as their rich, entitled friend Lydia (boo, hiss).

We joke because obviously Lydia has a role to play in this narrative about escaping from small towns, bad parents and looking ahead to the future. Are there tears? Yes (Possibly on air) Is it relatable? Absolutely. Basically this book is all the feels, so much so that we're not at all bothered by the overly happy ending.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Baby-Sitter's Club S02

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 08:05:00 GMT

Put on your red hat and mind the children because this meeting of HKHSPod is now in session! You had to know that we couldn't pass up the chance to talk about season two of our fave feel good show, The Baby-Sitter's Club.

It's with great pleasure that Brenna dives into Marie Anne and Logan's relationship, why Mallory needs more screen time, and how relatable seeing Alicia Silverstone cry in a bathroom is.

Plus: more canonical lesbianism, saying goodbye to Mimi and Joe's shock at learning this season is two episodes shorter!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Ready Player One

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 08:15:00 GMT

Whew boy are we ever unhappy this week!

In the decade since the celebration of all things* geeky and nerdy was published, we've done a complete 180 on this property. In part it's because of the over saturation of nostalgia and corporate IP, but also because things like Gamergate and Comicsgate have darkened explicitly male-oriented perspectives on fandom (to say nothing of things like the "Not That Kind of Girl" movement).

In hindsight, this is Ernest Cline's shopping list of what he thinks is cool, which means excluding *female texts and even family-oriented material. While the idea of celebrating marginalized pop culture and embarking on mythic quests is still fun, the sad reality is that this book has aged very badly.

So what's the film's excuse?! Not only does it misunderstand the point of the book, but the challenges are dumb, Artemis is somehow even worse and it's nearly TWO AND A HALF HOURS long! Don't even get Joe started on all ofThe Shining stuff.

In Brenna's words: "Thanks, I hated it."

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Ronny Chieng: International Student

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 08:05:00 GMT

We found a lot to laugh about in this show about 30-something actors playing first year university students in Melbourne. Whether or not that's part of the joke, there's plenty of relatable comedy in this accessible sitcom from Australia's ABC (it's also available on CBC Gem in Canada and the Comedy Central app in the US).

We have lengthy discussions about how the show does and doesn't address racism, and see a little too much of ourselves in the Post-Grad Student character.

What did we do to you, Ronny Chieng?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club, Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Y: The Last Man

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 07:15:00 GMT

We're dipping back into comics! This time we're hitting some New Adult content with Y: The Last Man, which is Joe's Gateway back into comics as an adult. Both of us have read all of these before, though we don't remember a great deal (we certainly didn't remember how frequently Vaughan trots out the R slur).

This one's tough because the premise is killer (literally) and the comics are a speedy, easy read, but the politics - from the reliance on hypnotized, angry women; the cavalier treatment of trans and lesbian character and the weird war-mongering of Israel - have not aged well.

The TV show definitely updates and modernizes this, particular the characters of Elliot Fletcher's Sam and Amber Tamblyn's Kimberly, though Brenna takes issue with the uncertain use of Nora (Marin Ireland) and Yorrick (Ben Schnetzer)'s stupidity. All in all, we have a good conversation despite Brenna's microphone going on the fritz multiple times!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club, Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Nightbooks

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 07:15:00 GMT

There's nothing like getting lost in a good scary story, so it's apt that we're closing out Halloween with White's book about a witch who lures children into a magical apartment and makes them tell her horrifying tales. It'll be evident very quickly that we're quite taken with the character development, the scope and the speedy pace of the book!

The more action-oriented film is also effective, though we *do* have a few quibbles (the plant nursery scene doesn't hold a candle to its book counterpart and we prefer the book's "shared custody" ending). The casting of Krysten Ritter, her Clueless-style costuming is inspired and the witch's candy-facial prosthetics are all spot-on perfection, though.

Overall this is a really solid combo!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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I Know What You Did Last Summer feat. Jes Battis

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 07:15:00 GMT

Blame Brenna for this pick! After learning about Lois Duncan's real life history, Brenna wanted to tackle the author's infamous hit and run thriller, I Know What You Did Last Summer, which is both completely different and simultaneously very similar to the film adaptation by screenwriter Kevin Williamson (see previous minisode).

We're joined by Jes Battis to dissect the book's problematic ableism and fat phobia (curious because Duncan updated the book in 2010), the queer coded relationship between Barry and Ray, and why Barry is the worst.

Then in the film, we're talking the female focused friendship, Sarah Michelle Gellar's nuanced performance as Helen, Jennifer Love Hewitt's Julie as a bad Final Girl, and Freddie Prinze Jr's queer friendly (but also dumb) portrayal of Ray.

There's a lot to unpack! But, most importantly, Brenna actually liked both of these and wasn't scared!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Jes: @jesbattis / jbattis.com

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Trickster Drift (Book Club #8)

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 07:15:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back in Trickster territory as the Canadian Indigenous lit sequel moves sober protagonist Jared to Vancouver and introduces a bevy of new family members, but keeps villainous ex-step father David around for conflict.

Up for discussion: our fears for Jared, who refuses to let anyone in, the queer/Chosen family the book spends so much time with; the harrowing pedal-to-the-metal last fifty pages of the book and our predictions for where the story goes in the final book.

Also: stick around for one of the show's funniest gags post-credits!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about the next book club, Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Muppets Haunted Mansion

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 07:15:00 GMT

Continuing our spooky theme for the month, we're checking out the 50 minute special, which finds Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn locked in the Haunted Mansion along with a bevy of (undead) stars.

Mega Muppets fan Brenna walks novice Joe through the brand's plush history before the discussion turns to the new special. We discuss Rizzo vs Pepe, confusion about Taraji P. Henson's character, the split narrative and fan service, as well as Disney's trust issues and how it informs (or alters) the creative process.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am Not A Serial Killer

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 07:05:00 GMT

It's time to scare Brenna! We're digging into the first novel in Wells' series about John, a death-obsessed teen who discovers that his elderly neighbour is a shapeshifting murderer . The good news is that both the book and the film are pretty good, especially Christopher Lloyd's very low-key performance as the titular killer.

Plus: getting grossed out about autopsy descriptions, the film's mostly restrained used of practical effects, an ill-advised relationship for John's mom and how vividly both texts capture the feel of a small town.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Nimona

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Prepare your magic, your dragons and your plucky shapeshifting henchwomen because we are talking about Nimona! This delightful MFA thesis project began life as a fun, episodic webtoon (see previous episode Orange Marmalade) before eventually becoming a sprawling action adventure about trauma and tragedy. But it's super fun, we swear!

Also fun: Stevenson's evolving artistic style and the text's "no big deal" inclusion of queer and disabled characters, which sadly got lost in a lot of critical reviews at the time (Brenna has thoughts!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about Trickster Drift, this month's book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com.

See you on the page and on the screen!

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Runaways

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 07:05:00 GMT

To kick off book four, we're checking in on a Brenna fave with a doozy of a hook: Runaways, which features a group of kids who discover their parents are supervillains and set out to stop them.

Joe isn't quite as enamoured, in part because the art doesn't sit right with him (leading to a discussion of comic sizing and who the intended audience for this imprint was). Still, there's something laudable about a book that presents a tragic backstory for its characters and then lets them move past it.

Less successful is Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage's TV series, which takes ages to get going and mistakenly spends too much time on the parents. While it has a sunny teen vibe and great music, and Rhenzy Feliz and Lyrica Okano are well cast, the show is simply too labourious to get into!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Celebrating 150 Episodes

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 07:15:00 GMT

Special thanks to Tea, Books & Chocolate, Kaetlyn, Jana, Andrew, Victoria, Miriam, and Max for helping us to celebrate.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She's All That (1999) feat. Lindsay Traves

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 07:05:00 GMT

In advance of the gender flipped Netflix remake He's All That, Brenna, Joe and special guest Lindsay revisit Pygmalion / My Fair Lady update She's All That.

The film has an all-star cast, but doesn't seem to know what to do with most of them. And while Lindsay and Joe still find it funny, there's no question that the gender politics, as well as the handling of race and fatphobia have aged *badly*. The film's disinterest in exploring Cook's Laney Boggs in order to prioritize Zack's white male privilege is very late 90s.

On the plus side: we have two of the most memorable dance sequences in contemporary YA, a bizarre arc for Jodi Lynn O'Keefe's character and Anna Paquin as the character we wish the film were actually about!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Lindsay: @smashtraves

Have something longer to say or a comment for our 150th episode extravaganza? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Moxie feat. Jenn Adams

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 07:15:00 GMT

It's time for some activism! Brenna, Joe and Jenn Adams tackle feminism, intersectionality, representation, the Patriarchy and misogyny in a book about girls fed up with male privilege.

Up for discussion: Jenn's forecast for fourth and fifth wave feminism; making the case that this is one of the stronger adaptations in recent memory; advocating for female vulnerability; the difference between bath robes and tank tops; the frustrating tokenism of trans and disability characters in the film; and Brenna's complete unawareness of who Patrick Schwarzenegger is related to.

Plus: for burgeoning Riot grrrls, Brenna recommends Carrie Brownstein's memoir, Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Jenn: @jennferatu / @PsychoAPod / @LosersClubPod

Have something longer to say or a a memory for our 150th episode? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Case of Windy Lake

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 07:15:00 GMT

After discussing journalist/activist/author Hutchinson's book several times, we finally decided to check it out for the pod. It's definitely aimed at a younger audience, but the book is doing a surprising amount of work to educate its audience about pressing contemporary Indigenous issues.

Up for discussion: the book's casual indifference to its central mystery, how white characters are stereotyped, the multiplicity of points of view within the Indigenous community, the importance of First Nation teachings and why this location feels unique and different from our other (Canadian) Indigenous texts.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a message for our forthcoming 150th episode? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Please Ignore Vera Dietz (Book Club #7)

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 07:15:00 GMT

With no listener feedback, we're riding solo on this Book Club outing, but there's no shortage of things to talk about! We discuss the unconventional stylistic structure (non-linear, multiple perspectives and a touch of magical realism), as well as how the book negotiates trauma and grief.

There's also talk of about absent parents, small towns and just how damn good King is at writing both teens and adults. For anyone who didn't read along, we really recommend this one!

Plus: Brenna provides an overview of King's work and how it has changed, which contributes to an extended discussion speculating why her work has never been adapted for TV or film.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod::

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Twenties

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 07:15:00 GMT

Blame Brenna for this one! We're tackling Lena Waite's autobiographical series Twenties, about three Black women trying to make it in Hollywood, and it is very clearly not a show for teens.

Thankfully we both really enjoy the show, which has some frank discussions about sex and love, has a very funny depiction of well-meaning white allies and features a rare example of a "masculine-presenting stud" lesbian in Jonica T. Gibbs' Hattie.

Plus: relating too hard with know -it-all Marie (Christina Elmore), wanting more for Nia (Canadian actress Gabrielle Graham)and fan girling over Vanessa Williams and Parker Young!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter - @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Wanna send us a note in advance of our 150th episode? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Shadow and Bone

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:15:00 GMT

Grab your daggers and your Kefta because we are diving into the sprawling lore of Ravka, Fjerda and Ketterdam! Brenna starts off grouchy, but eventually she acknowledges that this series is pretty compelling (despite all of the walking).

Joe is more friendly to the world of magic, particularly the two twists that subvert expectations involving the Darkling and Alina's friendship at the Little Palace.

Plus: praise for Inej, Jesper, Kaz and Zoya, discussions about the show's racism and cultural appropriation, Joe disses Ben Barnes, Brenna's Hot Take on the age of the Six of Crows' crew, and a big conversation about whether they should even be in this adaptation!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Blinded By The Light feat. Brennan Klein

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Shout out to listener Andrew for recommending what turned out to be our most divisive text to date! Brenna quite likes both the book and the film, while Brennan and Joe...do not.

Brenna argues for the book as reflective of a specific period in British history and also of a kind of British Dude Lit ©, while Brennan and Joe find it too cold and episodic.

All three of us agree that the film amounts to fan-fiction for Manzoor’s own life. As a work of "mainstream" pop culture, Chadha's film leans pretty heavily into coming of age tropes that Joe feels sands off the edges, while Brenna thinks is cute and delightful (white saviour narratives aside).

Brennan's homework:

Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June
The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
I’ll Be The One by Lila Lee
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Brenna's homework:

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Brennan: @itsrainingbrens / @alternateendng

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Marrow Thieves (Book Club #6)

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 07:05:00 GMT

It's time for a timely and difficult Book Club as we unpack Cherie Dimaline's dystopian YA novel about Indigenous people hunted for their ability to "dream". As listener responses confirm, this is an upsetting time to discuss residential schools in Canada, but the book's hopeful (albeit open) ending, the focus on resilience and joy, and the continued survival of Indigenous people helps a great deal.

Plus: what does dreaming actually mean? How do trauma and gender intersect? Why is Canada especially complicit in these kind of appropriative enterprises? And how do we feel about the very traditional YA romance between Frenchie & Rose?

Resources:

The Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Volume 4
Thomas Longboat Wikipedia Page
CBC: Daniel Health Justice "Why Stories Matter Now More Than Ever"

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Fire Song

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 07:05:00 GMT

For the first time in nearly 150 episodes (!), we're covering a novelization of a film instead of a straightforward adaptation!

Fire Song is a dark and grim tale of contemporary Indigenous life that makes for a tough read/watch. The non-professional actors occasionally make the drama a little too real, and the overwhelming feeling that Shane's life is awful can feel oppressive, but we appreciate the moments of levity and acceptance (particularly the text's somewhat "Hollywood" ending).

Up for discussion: the literally unsustainable options for Indigenous teen girls, performative masculinity and societal pressures (both from within the community and the long historical legacy of residential schools) and how to read Shane's queer identity from film to book.

Plus: Brenna's love for Canadian royalty, Jennifer Podemski!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Love, Victor Season 2 feat. Terry Mesnard

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 07:05:00 GMT

We're checking back into Creekwood High with the crew of Love, Victor. In between seasons the show has really figured itself out because S2 is a marked improvement in both complexity and maturity.

First and foremost: we're obsessed with how the Hulu show is tackling tough issues like bad allyship, unsupportive parents, racism, class, and religion. The two mom storylines hit Brenna hard, while Terry and Joe appreciate the discussion of 'masc for masc' culture and the depiction of different types of gay men (though when will we see a few queer ladies, show?!)

Plus: Joe offends Brenna, praise for Ana Ortiz and Anthony Turpel's performances, the show's tendency to turn boyfriends into Prince Charming, justice for Mia/Rachel Hilson and speculation about S3.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Terry: @gaylydreadful

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Our unofficial Pride month continues with Danforth's lengthy, sprawling story of queers in Montana, which gets abbreviated in Akhavan's film, but we're ok with it?

It's a good conversation about growing up gay in a small town (vs big city), why Coley's betrayal stings in more ways than one and whether Chloë Grace Moretz deserves blame for being a bit of a bland protagonist (we prefer Forrest Goodluck's Adam and Sasha Lane's Jane Fonda).

Plus: why Jennifer Ehle is the perfect "Disney villain" antagonist and a CW for indigenous listeners after the recent trauma that occurred in Kamloops.

Resources:

Indian Residential School Survivors Society

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Camp (Book Club #5)

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 07:05:00 GMT

We're off to queer summer camp to discuss Rosen's novel Camp (2020) about a femme theatre gay who transforms himself into a masc jock to win over his crush, against the advice of everyone in his life.

Despite the uncomfortable premise, the book is actually really good! Frank discussions about queer sexuality, a broad diversity of LGBTQIA characters (including great mentor figures) and a surprisingly well-handled discussion of internalized homophobia, representation and repression make Rosen's text a winner.

Plus: listener contributions from Max, Jane and Tea, Books and Chocolate about their experiences at camp or with the book itself!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Ender's Game

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Ho Launchies!

We've finally worked up the energy to discuss noted homophobe author Orson Scott Card in a conversation that addresses if it's possible to separate the artist from the art (spoilers: the answer is no).

Still, Ender's Game is an undeniable classic and we both love it. There's so much to discuss: the xenocide, the treatment of boys and masculinity, how women exist solely to balance out men, childhood martyrdom, and the role of religion.

Plus: Asa Butterfield's height, the infamous Battle School fight scenes, how badly Harrison Ford phones it in and debates about whether Viola Davis' Anderson is a made up character.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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High School Musical: The Musical - The Series

Tue, 25 May 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Put on your tap shoes, prep your showmance and get off vocal rest because we are talking the wild and ridiculous HSM:TM:TS (yes, you have to say the WHOLE title every time).

This is a very Brenna show, but it also has lots to talk about: why can't the writers acknowledge Ashlyn is fat? Does the show have a responsibility to depict real life issues like racism when it's so clearly fantasy escapism? How does the series make up for the lack of explicit queerness in the original HSM film series and where does Mormonism come into play (we may need help with that last part).

Plus: comparisons to A Week Away and Glee, Miss. Jenn as a Kristin Chenoweth doppelgänger, and Joe's struggle to enjoy the central romance knowing the very public IRL fall-out between stars Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Tiger Eyes

Tue, 18 May 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Oh Judy!

We're not quite sure what went wrong with Judy Blume's only filmic adaptation (actually we do: we blame Lawrence and his flat direction and Michelle Branch soundtrack!) Thankfully we still have the original source material, which despite its age, remains a powerful and affecting tale of grief, mother/daughter relationships and finding solace in an older boy who doesn't like you romantically!

Sadly the film leans into the trope-y YA romance, so despite solid performances by Willa Holland and Tatanka Means, this isn't the film we want! Plus: a criminally underused Amy Jo Johnson? Unforgivable!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Toll Bridge (Book Club #4)

Tue, 11 May 2021 07:05:00 GMT

It's time for another Book Club, which means we need to thank listeners Miriam and Jane for their thoughts on the philosophical, challenging prose of Aidan Chambers.

After explaining her history, Brenna guides Joe through the book, in which both nothing and everything seems to happen. We discuss Chambers' "Dance Sequence" novels, the double naming of characters, the provocative "twist" ending, the capital L literature (read: adult) handling of the material and why #JohnGreenCouldNever.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Noughts & Crosses

Tue, 04 May 2021 07:05:00 GMT

It's time to tackle some heavy material...or rather it would be if Blackman's intriguing premise weren't executed better. Once again we're left wondering if we're reading Middle Grade YA because there's not enough world building and the "absolute power corrupts absolutely" take-away is too simple.

The BBC series plays better because the influence of the dominant culture is visualized and while the tendency to amp up the (Baz Luhrman's) Romeo & Juliet love story is the least interesting aspect, at least the politics of this Albion are clear right from the start.

Plus: THE COSTUMES!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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A Week Away

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Admittedly this sweet, saccharine and, yes, very God heavy Netflix musical starring Kevin Quinn and Bailee Madison is a bit of a departure for us.

For faith-based audiences, this is a slice of G-rated entertainment that is doing exactly what it sets out to do. For non-religious audiences, however, this is pretty derivative of other properties like Camp Rock and feels out of touch (could it have been made in the 80s/90s/00s? Yes).

It's not long before we dig into the uncomfortable politics surrounding the lead character's criminal backstory and how Jahbril Cook's George and his mother (Sherri Shepherd) act as Black saviours for the white lead.

It just wouldn't be HKHS if we didn't, right?!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Stargirl

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Whoo boy - we hope that there aren't any big fans of Stargirl because we are not fans of either text.

Brenna at least appreciates the (unsuccessful) attempt by Spinelli to unpack the cost of being a manic pixie dream person. Joe, on the other hand, is frustrated by the simplicity and obviousness of the book's message and both of us think Leo is a garbage protagonist.

The film has its own share of problems: namely a lack of conflict, characters, lazy inclusion of POC secondary and queer characters. It also appears to be an extended music video for former America's Got Talent contestant Grace VanderWaal.

In short: this is an angry episode, folks!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (1970) (Book Club 3)

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 07:05:00 GMT

After a temporary delay, we are finally ready to talk about moving to the suburbs, fighting over religion, kissing boys at parties and persistent grandmothers. Shout out to listeners Erin, Sophie, Jane, Nadia and Virginia for contributing reactions in tweet and email format. This is how we always envisioned Book Club going!

And just because we're dealing with correspondence, we also circle back to address a few responses to our Placelessness in YA episode (thanks to Spencer and Tea, Books and Chocolate).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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In Memorium: Beverly Cleary & Jean Little

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 07:05:00 GMT

To celebrate the contributions of two women who helped elevate stories about girlhood, Brenna walks Joe through a few notable titles from both Cleary and Little, including

Cleary: Ramona and Beezus

Little: Mine for Keeps, From Anna and her Canadian “Girl Journal Books”

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Vampire Diaries

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Whose ready for boys, fangs and a surprising amount of gory bits? We're checking into the lurid, sultry pages of L.J. Smith's vampire love triangle (The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury and Dark Reunion) as well as episodes 1, 6 & 13 of The CW's first season.

Up for discussion: why is Elena so terrible?! The strange Civil War coding in both the books and the TV show. A dash of white supremacy for Klaus. Plus: Joe's defense of the series (which Brenna hates), and an extended discussion of how it represents a mode of serialized, weekly TV that no longer exists.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Ten: Murder Island feat. Jessica Scott

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 07:05:00 GMT

With Brenna gone, Joe and Jessica head to a secluded island party, but isn't it just our luck that the guests begin mysteriously dying? In Gretchen McNeil's contemporary (80s?) take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, the characters are thinly sketched the ableism is off the charts!

Plus: the sadly non-campy, ultra-cheap Lifetime adapation; why the character of Minnie is so insulting; and the silliest and most thrilling parts of the film.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Joe: @bstolemyremote
Jessica: @WeWhoWalkHere / @MonsterBooksPod

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry feat. Jenny Nulf

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 07:05:00 GMT

In an unorthodox pick, this week's minisode is on Apple TV's music documentary of singer Billie Eilish. Along for the ride is returning guest Jenny Nulf, who brings her vast knowledge of pop docs and her love of Eilish's music.

Up for discussion: Eilish's rare confessional intimacy, her supportive family, concerns about the singer's safety and health, the sexualization of female pop singers, and comparisons to similar docs from Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Joe: @bstolemyremote
Jenny: @jennyleighx33 / Jenny's review for the Austin Chronicle

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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March Holds & Homework

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 07:05:00 GMT

Brenna:

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Giant Days by John Allison

Joe:

Ragnorak S1 (Netflix)
Fate: The Winx Saga S1 (Netflix)

March Hold List:

Once Upon A Quinceanera by Monica Gomez-Hira
Bruised by Tanya Boteju

April Forecast:

Shadow and Bone S1 (Netflix - April 23)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 08:05:00 GMT

At the behest of listeners Andrew and Max, Brenna and Joe discuss the Groundhog's Day-inspired story about two teens stuck in a temporal anomaly. This one surprised us, particularly the protagonist subversion that switches up some of the more conventional tropes (take that, silly Roger Ebert reviewer!)

Plus: an ableist cancer plot, a plea to stop with the twee titles and m83 musicality, and questioning why these two don't get arrested?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Placelessness in YA

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 08:05:00 GMT

What is important about "setting" a narrative in a specific location and why does it seem somehow less important to white writers? We dig into how place contributes to YA stories - particularly indigenous and migrant stories, list the best examples we have covered on the pod and identify our own knowledge gap (fantasy books!) .

Plus, in homework:

Brenna

Ashley Garcia S2: Genius in Love (Netflix)
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks

Joe

Ragnorak S1 (Netflix)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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To All The Boys: Always and Forever

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 08:05:00 GMT

It's time to close the rom-com fairy tale book on Lara Jean and Peter!

Up for discussion: Joe's struggle to connect with Covey, the appropriate size of backyard weddings, letting teenage girls get drunk, the ramping up of stakes between novel and film and the strategic use of the "Korea trip" in both properties.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Brown Girl Dreaming (Book Club #2)

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 08:05:00 GMT

With a sprawling inter-generational tale of displacement, poverty and racism, Jacqueline Woodson has written an evocative, lyrical novel about her time growing up.

Special shout-outs to listeners Melissa and Kailie who chimed in with their thoughts.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter: @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod.

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Words on Bathroom Walls

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 08:05:00 GMT

We're unintentionally tackling another text with accusations of ableism this week. After a brief lament about the lack of reviews from disabled readers, we dig into the book, which we think is doing pretty solid work, and the film, which takes a few Hollywood shortcuts, but is also decent.

Up for discussion: a gentle male friendship for Brenna, Canadian stunt casting, the visual depiction of schizophrenia in the film and why we would politely like to recommend Charlie Plummer to refrain from taking any more "Bang roles".

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or want to chime in about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Ultimate Playlist of Noise

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 05:05:00 GMT

Let's talk about ableism, shall we? In the new YA film dealing with a teenager on the verge of losing his hearing, there are a few tone-deaf moments that no Sick Lit properties should be making.

Plus: musicality, aggrieved mothers, emotional manipulation, the sad temporary ramifications of the #MeToo movement and the film's great use of silence...but not voice over.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 05:05:00 GMT

Special thanks to listener Emma for recommending A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, which proved to be a great companion to last week's The House on Mango Street. This coming of age narrative takes its time, allowing for tangents as it tells its tale of class struggle at the turn of the 20th century.

Up for discussion: female friendships, put upon mothers, widowers in the wings, the surprisingly feminist read (for the time).

Plus: the film's condensed timeline and why we love Aunt Sissy, even if she caused a real life scandal!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The House on Mango Street (Book Club #1)

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 05:05:00 GMT

Considered a classic of Latinx literature, Cisneros' book is a series of vignettes set on a street in Chicago. Brenna selected this book to complement our regularsode next week, so we tackle the novel's class and feminist themes. Plus: an ode to lyrical, poetry-like texts!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Twilight

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 05:10:00 GMT

Who's ready for an abusive relationship? What about "storytelling" as opposed to good writing? Do you like your FX dodgy and your vampires sparkly?

The truth is...we didn't like Twilight. But we do try to be fair about how it became a cultural juggernaut and with whom, in addition to dissecting why it is harmful, problematic and filled with bad representations. Hope you're ready for a mega-sized discussion, because we have thoughts!

For reading context:

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Bummer Bonus: Michelle Latimer Controversy

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 05:05:00 GMT

We felt a responsibility to address the breaking news from the holidays surrounding Trickster and Inconvenient Indian director Michelle Latimer. We also offer some context and include statements from writer Eden Robinson and film director Jeff Barnaby.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Saved By The Bell (2020)

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 05:05:00 GMT

Saved By The Bell mega-fan Brenna introduces Joe to the wonders of Pacific Palisades as we tackle the very self-aware new version, who is surprisingly smart, class-oriented and progressive. It's also very funny!

We also follow-up on our holiday activities.

Brenna:

Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds

Joe:

PEN15
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Slay by Brittney Morris

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Outsiders

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 05:05:00 GMT

We're staying gold through the end of 2020 with arguably one of the most significant YA texts in history! This is ultimate "YA for boys" (although it is written by a woman); it's also deeply nostalgic and kinda terrifying.

Expect comparisons to our previous discussion on Stephen King's The Body/Stand By Me, talk about whose story this really is and why Hinton's staunch refusal of a queer reading is misguided. Plus: Tom Cruise, prank wars and struggles with on-screen violence.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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2020 Look Back / 2021 Look Forward

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 05:05:00 GMT

In the final minisode of 2020, we each selected a news item to capture a trend in YA for the year.

Brenna looks at an evidence-based study out of the UK that has found improvements in the percentage of published authors of colour

Flood, Allison. "Number of young adult writers of colour doubles to almost 20%" The Guardian. Sept 29, 2020

Joe , meanwhile, tackles the dominance of Netflix as the main exhibitor of YA TV and films, courtesy of The Ringer.

Baker, Katie. "The New Generation of Teen Movies Is Nicer (and on Netflix)" The Ringer. Aug 28, 2010

Plus: starting January 2021, we're starting a Book Club! Read The House on Mango Street with us for Jan 19.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Funny Boy

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 05:05:00 GMT

This week on the pod, we're getting literary with a deep dive into Selvadurai's acclaimed queer coming of age novel (or is it a collection of short stories?) and the long-delayed, highly controversial film adaptation (now available on CBC Gem in Canada and on Netflix in the US).

Up for discussion: how the book seamlessly interweaves history and coming of ages narratives, negotiating discomfort about our lack of knowledge about the Sri Lanka Civil War, comparing the ending of the two texts, and why the film has sparked not one, not two, but three (!) controversies, including one involving Ava DuVernay.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Julie and the Phantoms

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 05:05:00 GMT

We're on the edge of great courtesy ofJulie and the Phantoms, the candy coloured confection of a Netflix trifle that isn't good per se, but is incredibly enjoyable.

Up for discussion: the surprisingly heartfelt exploration of grief and music (shocking no one, both of us cried watching!); the very Vancouver production, Brenna's bemusement at Julie's "hologram" box and an appreciation of "out" director Ortega's cultural contributions.

Plus: our first game on the fully redesigned Book Three YA BINGO board!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Dash & Lily

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 05:05:00 GMT

It's the most wonderful time of the year...for a scavenger hunt across NY city!

Brenna and Joe are feeling nostalgia for Big Apple circa Dec 2019 (when the series was filmed), though there's a bit less passion for stars Austin Abrams and Midori Francis, who are well-cast and also mildly aggravating.

Plus: we speculate who writes who in the book, tackle the ridiculous written ending, praise director Fred Savage and disagree about the use of holiday music. It's a magical episode!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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YA Syllabus (2nd Anniversary Episode)

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 05:05:00 GMT

Happy 2 years listeners! We're celebrating this milestone with 10 essential texts (ok 11, but who's counting?) that we've covered on the show. Care to wager what makes the list?

Plus:

Our six least fave texts
Our top ten episodes
Our "Wish List" of books & comics that we want to see adapted so that we can cover them!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Spontaneous

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 05:05:00 GMT

The time has come to cover the fall season's buzziest YA adaptation, in which high school seniors are mysteriously popping! And the verdict is: both texts are fine. Lol.

For this episode, we're asking the hard hitting questions:

-What happens when a book about friendship becomes a movie about romance? (Bye Tess!)

-Why do so many wealthy, successful people have bad hair? Charlie Plummer

-What's more distracting: the way Katherine Langford's body is shot or her atrocious wig?

-Did Starmer have a plan for this story beyond its great hook?

Plus: great parents! A terrible role for Insecure's Yvonne Orji! And, finally, egregious Dude Bro voice!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Nov / Dec 2020 YA Forecast

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 05:05:00 GMT

Brenna:

Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins (Nov. 10)
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (Nov 10)
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley (Dec 1)

Honourable Mentions:

Captain Marvel YA Novel by Shannon and Dean Hale (Dec 31)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Nov 13 - Netflix)
The Prom (Dec 11 - Netflix)

Joe:

The Way Back by Gavriel Savit (Nov 17)
Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon (Nov 17)
Link by Link: An Anthology of Haunted Holidays, edited by Meg Dailey (Dec 2)

Honourable Mentions:

Dash & Lily (Nov 10 - Netflix)
Alex Rider (Nov 13 - IMDbTV)
His Dark Materials S2 (Nov 16 - HBO)

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Princess Diaries

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:05:00 GMT

As we head into the last two months of the year, we're in need of some guaranteed enjoyment. Enter The Princess Diaries, wherein 15 year old Mia finds out - and detests - that she's the princess of a fictional European nation called Genovia.

Now, we have questions (would the world really be interested in such a small country? Also: why does it have such a tiny banquet hall?). Overall though we're mostly interested in the small stakes and unconventional family structure of the book, as well as how very Garry Marshall (ie: rom com) the film is.

Plus: why we love Julie Andrews and Fat Louie, the cat. Oh, and Joe forgets Brenna’s inability to recognize pop culture figures (confession: Francis Ford Coppola is Robert Schwartzman’s *uncle*, not grandfather).

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Body And Bones

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 04:05:00 GMT

We're heading to the East Coast of Canada to discuss class, isolation and abortion. The recently released on VOD film is anchored by an amazing performance by Kelly Van der Burg as a small town Newfoundland teen who falls in love with a much older man, Joel Thomas Hynes' Danny Sharpe.

Topics include: how appreciative we are that Oates doesn't attempt to rescue Danny, region differences and universal storytelling in Canadian cinema and two very different reads of the film's abortion scene.

Homework:

Brenna: Let Me In (Reeves, 2010)
Joe: Indigenous YA episode of Seventh Row podcast

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Body / Stand By Me feat. Michael Roffman

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 04:05:00 GMT

Just in time for spooky season, we go hunting for bodies in King's novella (or is it a novel?), as well as Rob Reiner's seminal 80s film, which boasts an all-star cast of young male actors (RIP River Phoenix)

Up for discussion: the meanness of Castle Rock and the tragic backstories (and future lives) of these protagonists; the purpose of that infamous pie-eating contest; disagreements over the success of John Cusack's Denny and Richard Dreyfuss' narrator, and speculation about switching the year of the text from 1960 (in the novella) to 1959 (in the film).

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Michael: @michaelroffman

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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YA In Focus: Kevin Williamson / Judy Blume

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 12:24:56 GMT

On the advice of Max (and liberally stealing a page from Joe's friends' podcast - thanks Talk Movie To Me) we're putting the careers of Kevin Williamson and Judy Blume under the microscope to consider how and why they've made an impact in YA.

Homework:

Brenna:

Lucky Penny by Anath Hirsch & Yuko Ota
Giant Days by John Allison
A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt

Joe:

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Son of A Trickster

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 04:05:00 GMT

Someone has finally sunk some money into a new Indigenous YA adaptation and we couldn't be more excited! After attempting to tackle the sprawling, slow burn narrative of Robinson's book (don't call it magical realism), Brenna and Joe discuss why this tale needed to be adapted by an Indigenous creative. Expect lots of gushing praise for break out Joel Oulette, as well as Crystle Lightning.

Plus: the complicated history of other Canadian Indigenous YA properties, janky FX and four new squares on the YA BINGO board. Can you spell "abuse"?

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Interview with Meredith Russo

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 04:05:11 GMT

After a fortuitous series of social media connections, Meredith Russo joins us for a chat that encompasses a little bit of class politics, a little bit of video gaming and a little bit of punning.

In addition to giving us an overview of her career, Meredith tells us about the ways that fiction is always already autobiography, how her work addresses the traditional depictions of the American South and why we expect trauma (but not romance) in trans YA narratives.

Plus: Meredith's "secret plan" to turn up the heat on cis readers with each successive book, rants about the watering down of YA and also…the ridiculousness of Rent, the musical!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Meredith: @Mer_Squared / Meredith's Patreon

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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All The Bright Places

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:05:03 GMT

As requested by listeners, we're kicking off a new season of the pod with a book that combines manic pixie dream people with healthy doses of ableism! Strap yourselves in for a mixed episode from Brenna and a downright hostile episode from Joe, who finds both texts "baffling."

Up for discussion: Haley's many blandly titled projects, Niven's confounding creative decisions adapting her own text, Justice Smith's chest hair, Elle Fanning's Urban Outfitters glasses and bad, BAD parents and friends.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Degrassi

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 07:05:12 GMT

Ready for a 40 year run down of Degrassi? Well Brenna has you covered as she walks Joe through the cultural importance of the series, its evolution across multiple broadcasters (public and private), how it handled sensitive topics in non-patronizing, but still teen-friendly ways and why suddenly we may need to consider a future episode on Road to Avonlea!

Episodes (if you wanna watch along with Joe)

Degrassi High

"It Creeps"
Abortion arc 1 & 2
HIV/AIDS arc 1 & 2

Degrassi: The Next Generation

School Shooting arc 1 & 2:
Trans arc 1 & 2

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Holes feat. Jenny Nulf

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 07:05:05 GMT

We're finally getting around to a listener request. Poor Kadija requested Holes ages ago, but we're finally ready to tackle the story of poor Stanley Yelnats.

Up for discussion: how femininity is used as a weapon, as well as the absence of mothers and maternal figures. We're very impressed at the readability of Sachar's book considering it's basically a take-down of the prison industrial system.

Plus: Jenny explains why the book is a cornerstone of a Texas education (and that the film is popular on TikTok?!); Joe gets judgey of people with neck tattoos, and, finally, why Sachar's incredibly faithful screenplay and those missing pounds on Shia LaBoeuf's Stanley wind up hurting the film.

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Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Sept & Oct 2020 Forecast

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:05:11 GMT

Right off the top, we're super excited for Michelle Latimer's Trickster (click for the trailer), an adaptation of Eden Robinson's Son of a Trickster.

Brenna:

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, Exonerated Five (Sept 1)
Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe (Sept 8)
Thoughts and Prayers by Bryan Bliss (Sept 29)

Honourable mentions: bookstore theme!

This Is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi
Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

Joe:

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera (Sept 15)
Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds (Sept 22)
I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan (Oct 6)

Honourable Mentions:

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp (Author of This Is Where It Ends) (Sept 15)
Come on In (Anthology) Edited by Adi Alsaid (Oct 13)

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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A Wrinkle In Time

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 07:05:06 GMT

After hearing so much about what this book means to fans - particularly young girls - Brenna and Joe are surprised to discover that it has not aged with. Blame the current pandemic, but a story that prioritizes individuality above all else doesn't quite the same way in a society that refuses to even wear a mask for the greater good.

There's also the strange critique of communism/totalitarianism that is also an unabashed ode to Christianity that doesn't quite sit well. Thankfully we can see why Meg Murry is a friend to all smart, outsider girls (even if her last name is misspelled. Lol).

The film doesn't fare too much better. Joe wonders if the issue is screenwriter Jennifer Lee's background in animation, while Brenna takes issue with the tired fan-service and janky FX. But we like the diverse casting, practical set design, costumes and make-up. It's all a big toss-up!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Bring It On / Work It

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:05:01 GMT

To celebrate the great Kirsten Dunst/Gabrielle Union showdown of 2000, Joe makes Brenna watch Bring It On ! While some of the racial politics and its approach to queerness haven't aged particularly well, we appreciate the white girls coming in second, a competitive approach to female rivalry and a bounty of sassy dialogue.

Faring less well is director Laura Terruso and writer Alison Peck's Work It (2020) which exists solely as a vehicle for Sabrina Carpenter, whom Joe describes as a charisma vacuum. Thankfully we have the comedically styling of Liza Koshy's Jas and the cuteness of PS I Still Love You's Jordan Fischer to ease over the many, MANY bumpy parts.

Homework:

Friend of the show Miriam recommends f/f YA books:

Queer horror: Wilder Girls by Rory Power, Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, and The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera
We are Okay by Nina LaCour

Brenna catches us up on:

Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Alisha Sayeed
Internment by Samira Ahmed
Love, Creekwood by Becky Albertalli
Tomboy’s Survival Guide by Ivan E. Coyote
Don’t Stand So Close To Me by Eric Walters
The Prince and The Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 07:05:17 GMT

When we said we wanted more female stories in YA, this isn't *exactly* what we meant. Sadly Gloeckner's autobiographical comic/memoir is a misfire for us from both a storytelling and content perspective. Heller's film is a stronger, more streamlined approach but it features a distractingly beautiful Alexander Skarsgård in what is meant to be a frumpy, middle-aged man role.

Up for discussion: why is this book praised for being daring (primarily by men)? Is the film's use of animation a success?

Plus: praise for Bel Powley in her big break through performance and lots of Brenna sighing!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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No Good Nick feat. Lucia Lorenzi

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 07:05:06 GMT

After bringing this bizarre oddity to our attention, we invite returning guest Lucia Lorenzi to chat with us about just what creators Keetgi Kogan and David H. Steinberg are trying to do with the series (spoiler: they think they're making ground breaking television).

Nothing about this makes sense, and yet the series is compulsively watchable thanks to performances by Siena Agudong, Melissa Joan Hart and Sean Astin (alas they're all performing in completely different shows!). Throw in hugely problematic portrayals of child abuse, horrible foster care, jailhouse beat-downs, upper/middle class privilege, and the show's performative us of "Italian" as a tactic to avoid addressing race and No Good Nick is quite possibly the weirdest text we've ever covered!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Lucia: @empathywarrior

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Sun Is Also A Star

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 07:00:02 GMT

Perhaps the second time is the charm? After a *not great* experience with Yoon's first book Everything, Everything (see previous episode), Brenna and Joe tackle her most recent text, which balances a timely discussion and racism, immigration and deportation with a falling-in-love-in-one-day perfect date.

Brenna is much more in favour of the book, especially Natasha's Jamaican background and Yoon's playful side-story telling. Joe is less enthused with Daniel's Korean storyline, which he argues feels too familiar, as well as the narrative confines of the single day premise.

What we can both agree upon is that the film, particularly Tracy Oliver's screenplay, fundamentally misunderstands the book. Despite Russo-Young (previous episode Before I Fall)'s gorgeous lensing of New York, the film proves to be a misfire due to a lack of chemistry between leads Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton, its issues with colourism casting and the fumbling of the book's key Karaoke scene.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 07:00:06 GMT

In addition to checking out the New YA film, which apparently has no idea how universities work, Brenna forgets our most covered actress Theresa Palmer, but did read a German poem (all 14 stanzas).

In other news, we address some more reader mail, address our plans to include an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement (coming in two weeks) and review some homework:

Brenna: The new Apple TV Ghostwriter and Marieke Nijkamp's This Is Where It Ends
Joe: Angie Thomas' On The Come Up

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Baby-Sitters Club

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 07:00:10 GMT

Are you a Claudia, a Kristy, a Mary Anne, a Stacey, or a Dawn? Brenna certainly has her dream answer (and her reality) as we nostalgically revisit one of the most enduring YA series of the 90s. As a novice to the series, Brenna walks Joe through the format of each book, why these characters played such a significant role in her life and why Logan is so dreadful!

Questions for discussion include whether the Netflix revival should have wrapped after 8 episodes instead of 10 and why Alicia Silverstone is such an asset as Kristy's mom. Plus: which episodes/plot lines made us cry? Why the series is libel to be called "woke" and why that's not a bad thing and the unexpected queerness of the text.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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July & August 2020 Forecast

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 07:00:01 GMT

Thanks to Covid, the typically hopping summer book release schedule has shifted to September, but we've still come up with some great picks to occupy your time.

After some feedback on racial stereotypes in Never Have I Ever, we tackle Indigenous and lesbian book recommendations:

Indigenous:

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (dir: Jeff Barnaby, 2013)
#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women, Edited by Lisa Charleyboy & Mary Beth Leatherdale
Honourable mentions: A Girl Called Echo // The Marrow Thieves // Surviving the City

Lesbian:

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson
The Henna Wars by Abida Jaigirdar
Honourable mentions: Dark & Deepest Red // Hot Dog Girl

Then it's time for the main event, our anticipated July/August 2020 books.

Brenna:

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert (July 7)
Loveless by Alice Oseman (July 9 - UK/Canada)
Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner (August 18)
Reminders: Faith by Julie Murphy (July 7) // Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (Sept 15)

Joe:

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (July 7)
Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest (Aug 25)
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (Sept 1)
Honourable mention: Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare (Aug 25)

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets feat. Hannah McGregor

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:00:14 GMT

In a freewheeling discussion that can't help but address J.K. Rowling's recent transphobic comments, we also tackle the need for critical fandom, as well as Chamber of Secrets’ fat phobia and obsession with blood purity.

Also on the table: Why Gilderoy Lockhart is an obvious villain in the Rowling tradition and speculation about his real reason for joining Hogwart’s as the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher.

Plus: how to define Easter Eggs (they're not synonymous with retconning!), how magic resembles close readings and and why we should appreciate the film's set design - and Jason Isaacs - more.

Here is a brief (incomplete list) of trans and non-binary authors to support:

Ronnie Mandias: Runebound
Sara Codair: The Evanstar Chronicles
Everett Maroon: The Unintentional Time Traveler
April Daniels: Dreadnought
Aiden Thomas: Cemetery Boys
Kai Cheng Thom: Fierce Femmes
Ivan Coyote: Rebent Sinner
Mason Deaver: I Wish You All The Best
Fox Benwell: Kaleidoscope Song; and finally
The Gayly Prophet Podcast

And search #BlackTransLivesMatter #BlackTransCrowdfund #BlackDisabledLivesMatter hashtags and donate to CanadaHelps.org

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Hannah: @hkpmcgregor

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Minisode: Love, Victor feat. Terry Mesnard

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 07:00:02 GMT

Brenna and Joe - with special returning guest star Terry Mesnard (of Gayly Dreadful) - check out the first season of Disney+...er...Hulu's Love, Victor.

We're primarily discussing the first five episodes (with helpful hints from Brenna, who watched the whole series) which follows new transfer student Victor (cutie Michael Cimino) who immediately falls into a love triangle with uber-popular Mia (Rachel Hilson) and publicly-out barista Benji (George Sear).

Oh if only the series were just about them! Alas, there's another half dozen characters, each of whom has their own storyline and arc, including Victor's parents (James Martinez and Ana Ortiz) and Mia's dad (Mekhi Phifer)! This is a series that's doing plenty of good things, but it's also overstuffed, surprisingly tame considering Disney+'s weirdly conservative decision to move it to Hulu and sadly averse to featuring predominantly queer musicians.

In short: we have THOUGHTS!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Terry: @gaylydreadful

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Artemis Fowl

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 07:00:29 GMT

Oh for the love of Judi Dench, what is going on here?! Brenna and Joe tackle the character-lite, action-heavy world of villainous child genius Artemis Fowl as he kidnaps, blackmails and holds for ransom the Fairies. It's a tale as old as time...but one we struggle to connect to.

Of course, our *shrug* for the book pales in comparison to the WOOF of the film, which may just be one of the worst films we've covered on the Pod!

Which brings us to a complicated discussion (involving our first bad review, no less!) as we work through the need to distinguish "hating" books we dislike and "critically" addressing them.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Minisode: Never Have I Ever

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 07:00:20 GMT

At the behest of critics (and a few listeners), we dive into Never Have I Ever, which has a great lead performance by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as a grief-stricken teen who directs her energy into becoming popular and having sex.

We discuss the cultural comedy, the show's nuanced treatment of female agency, and debate the mother/daughter relationship. We also have some strong thoughts about what's not working, including the best friends playing stock caricatures and that voice over by famed tennis star, John McEnroe.

In homework: Joe checks out "Spanish Gossip Girl" series Elite (also on Netflix) and Brenna reads through listener emails, including a call for resources for a UK Librarian.

Links:

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 07:00:34 GMT

We're so ready to discuss the most flattering pair of shared jeans you've ever owned! After a few weeks in the arena, a gentle realist YA is just what we need, so let's dive into the shared adventures of Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bee.

Up for discussion: Joe's flip flop appreciation for two stories in the book and the other two in the film, the antiquated ableism of the book, frustration at the sex of the director, and the amazing ferocity of America Ferrera in the film. Plus: a surprising discussion of the book's ties to 9/11 and a plagiarism scandal that ties back to Gossip Girl!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Minisode: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Tue, 26 May 2020 07:00:13 GMT

For a second week in row, Brenna and Joe dive into The Hunger Games, but this time we're venturing back to its 10th iteration, when Coriolanus Snow was but a mere 18 years ago. Little did he know he was about to create literally Every.Single.Component that defines the Games 64 years later!

We joke because we're tired. Reading this 528 page tome in 6 days is not recommended, as Collins' capacity for world-building is overwhelmed by poor editing, sheer repetition, as well as a continued reliance on children's death and the misguided belief that anyone wants a backstory for this main character (who P.S. has no arc!)

It's not all bad, though, so grab a bowl of cabbage soup, prepare a song and settle in with us for a mix of spoiler-free and spoilers.

Spoiler-Free Review: 00:00 - 18:22
Spoiler Filled Review: 18:22 - 40:56

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Tue, 19 May 2020 07:00:06 GMT

Prepare your fire retardant costumes and choose your allies carefully because we are headed back into the dystopian wilds of The Hunger Games. For our second episode on a podcast namesake, we break out the big topics:

Why is the love triangle so exhausting?
Logistical questions about the need to return to the arena
Peeta (once again) getting short shrift
Is the book ableist or is it a critique of ableism?
The curious incident of Katniss' disappearing pregnancy
Joe repeatedly saying monkeys instead of baboons; and
Our interest/apprehension about the forthcoming prequel

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Sierra Burgess Is A Loser & The Half Of It

Tue, 12 May 2020 07:00:05 GMT

While Joe refuses to read a Victorian-era play, he's more than happy to watch film adaptations of them! This week we're checking out a plethora of YA tropes: the collaboration between suitors in an impersonation ruse, a "tricky kiss" and an epistolary romance.

On one side of the ring is Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, one of our few remaining Noah Centineo joints, which gets as many things right as it does wrong (pour one out for the disinterest in female friendships!).

On the other is the queer, POC frontedThe Half Of It, which is a warm, delightful film. Aside from a slightly frustrating climax, this is an absolute gem and features one of the best friendships we've ever seen on the show.

In homework: Brenna has finished Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (mentioned in the May/June forecast) and "similar to The Virgin Suicides" Long Live The Tribe of Fatherless Girls by Tier Kiera Madden. Joe, meanwhile, advocates for the fantasy escapism of House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Trinkets

Tue, 05 May 2020 07:00:01 GMT

No one is more surprised than us to discover that the escapism we need and want could be found in the tale of three teenage girls from different backgrounds who meet at Shoplifters Anonymous. But here we are!

Brenna and Joe find the novel, filled with as many innovations as it has YA tropes, is an absolute delight. Alas the TV show, which has been unnecessarily stretched out to two (!) ten episode seasons, has lost sight of what makes the book so special. Despite great performances by its three female leads, all of the romantic relationships are icky and/or problematic and the narrative takes a hard left turn around episode 5 or 6 that loses us.

At least we have the book!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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May & June 2020 Forecast

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 07:05:08 GMT

It's time for another YA Forecast as we run down our top picks for May & June 2020. First up we discuss homework: Brenna lauds Tiffany D Jackson's fall release, Grown, as well as Nic Sheff's Tweak, while Joe praises Liz Lawson's The Lucky Ones.

Then it's time for our interview with former The Hunger Games guest, Alex Heeney. She stops by to discuss Seventh Row's new ePub, The 2019 Canadian Cinema Yearbook, which includes several prominent coming of age films.

Finally, it's time to forecast for May & June. Here are a few stand-out picks:

Brenna:

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Breath Like Water by Anna Zarjab
Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

Joe:

The Mermaid, The Witch & The Sea by Maggie Toduka-Hall
Wonderland by Juno Dawson
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

Honourable Mention: Selah & The Spades (Amazon Prime)

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 07:00:29 GMT

Grab your magical item and prepare for a road trip across America because Brenna and Joe are embarking on a quest fit for a (Demi) God as we dive into Rick Riordan's 2005 YA franchise starter, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, as well as Chris Columbus' 2010 adaptation of the same name.

We discuss how the genesis of Riordan's epic is both empowering and also far too long. The author himself is similarly thorny: Brenna praises him for the advocacy work his Disney imprint is doing, but we find his entitled comments about the film and the looming shadow of Harry Potter off-putting.

As for the film, we have questions: has screenwriter Craig Titley (or Columbus for that matter) ever actually met a black person? Why does the film think its audience is so dumb? And why does the final result feel like a such a bland, boring C-grade effort to kick-start a franchise?

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Never Rarely Sometimes Always (And More Sex!)

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 07:00:12 GMT

Now we're talking!

After a provocative minisode, listeners reached out to share their thoughts and stories on Sex in YA. Clearly it's a topic that resonated because we got a wide variety of fascinating insights!

In homework: Brenna highlights Julie Murphy's Faith: Taking Flight (due in July) while Joe circles back to Catherine Linka's What I Want You To See , which he mentioned in the Feb YA Forecast.

Finally, we dive into the beautiful artistry of Eliza Hittman's third feature film, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, which is essential viewing - provided you're in the right frame of mind. Viewer advisory: this isn't an easy, casual watch, so be kind to yourselves!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The DUFF

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 07:00:24 GMT

DUFFs unite!

Brenna and Joe are diving back into YA written by teenagers and it's another rocky property as we struggle with Kody Keplinger's 2011 book, The DUFF, as well as its 2015 film adaptation by feature novices Ari Sandel (director) and Josh A. Cagan (screenwriter).

Part of the problem? That title! Despite the book's best attempts to reduce the stigma of the term, Brenna can't overcome the cruelty and judgment of the moniker. While the book at least attempts to explore challenging topics (shame is handled well; alcoholism less so), at least it's more interesting than the film.

Joe and Brenna can't help but wonder if Cagan simply watched other (better) YA films and read the back of the book before sitting down to write the screenplay, because the film is uninspired! Thankfully we have Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell, who may just have the best chemistry of ANY couple we've seen thus far. That's right, we said what we said!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Sex In YA

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 07:00:05 GMT

Under threat of duress, Joe manages to wrangle Brenna into recording a minisode and, given the current state of the world, what better subject to tackle than S-E-X in young adult literature.

Prompted by Joe's polarizing reactions to books that are graphic (Lev AC Rosen's Jack Of Hearts), pre-occupied (Camryn Garrett's Full Disclosure) or tepid "fade to black" fantasy (Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue), we tackle the shift from provocative, even risque sexuality in the 70s to the response to AIDS in the 80s and 90s, with a brief bit of blame on the chastity of franchise trend-setters Harry Potter and Twilight.

For reference:

Chambers, Aiden. The Toll Bridge. 1992
Skurnick, Lizzie. "In Y.A., Where Has All the Good Sex Gone?" The New York Times.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a book that prompted your sexuality maturity as a teen? Send us your story at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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I Am Not Okay With This feat. Terry Mesnard

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 07:00:01 GMT

Brenna and Joe are joined by Terry Mesnard to discuss Charles Forsman's stark and nihilistic 2017 comic I Am Not Okay With This and Jonathan Entwistle's 2020 Netflix adaptation, starring Sophia Lillis.

Up for discussion: Forsman's depiction of young women, why the bleak ending is unearned and one thing the comic actually does well (if we're being charitable). This is in stark contrast with the series, which avoids Netflix bloat, casts talented actors and expands on characterizations to humanize the drama into something compelling and watchable. There are still quibbles with the end (and possibly The Breakfast Club-inspired episode), but overall, we're pretty enthusiastic about the series.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Terry: @gaylydreadful / @ScarredPodcast

Have something longer (or a minisode suggestion)? Send an email to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen.

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Netflix Algorithms and The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 07:00:06 GMT

Brenna and Joe check out a new Netflix YA series, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, using its under-the-radar status to pose some questions about Netflix's changing priorities and the relevancy of its algorithms.

Broad discussion: how Netflix Originals have altered the streamer's original niche programming angle (the "made for Brenna" channel), why everyone winds up watching Love Is Blind, and how little (read: diverse) shows get buried.

Narrow discussion: with special help with listener Max, Brenna and Joe discuss Ashley Garcia's appeal, its connection to a burgeoning movement of smart Latina girls and why a hot young actor like Jencarlos Canela was cast to play Uncle Victor.

Reference: Castillo, Monica. "TV has a new kind of heroine: The Latina genius. Here’s why it matters." LA Times, Feb 26, 2020.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer or a minisode topic? Send us an email: hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Me And Earl And The Dying Girl

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 07:00:05 GMT

Ugh.

Brenna and Joe jump back into sick lit for Jesse Andrews' atrocious 2012 novel Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and its (better) 2015 Sundance award winning film adaptation by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, starring Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke and a stunt cast of adults.

We dedicate A LOT of time up front addressing our issues with the book, which is racist, misogynistic and features one of the most excruciating mediocre white boy protagonists since I Love You, Beth Cooper. We find it hilarious that Andrews believes he's subverting (or avoiding) YA tropes; instead he's simply produced an unreadable book. Our advice: do not read this "book"!

The film - ironically adapted by Andrews - smooths out some of the books more egregious issues, but it comes at a cost. Earl is diminished to a non-character and Greg's selfish behaviour can't be redeemed. The actors and Gomez-Rejon's vibrant, experimental direction save this film.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say (like a minisode suggestion)? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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More Sex Education S2 / March & April 2020 Forecast

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 08:00:15 GMT

With so little precious podcast time to spare, Brenna and Joe are scaling back the forecasts. Presented for your enjoyment is a double dose for March and April, along with two important pieces of correspondence about our recent episode on Sex Education, which demanded we dig in (and problematize) both our reactions and word choice a little more deeply.

Brenna's Picks:

We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia
Avocado Bliss by Candace Robinson and Gerardo Delgadillo
Check Please Book 2: Sticks and Scones by Ngozi Ukadu

Joe's Picks:

Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer
Fight like a Girl by Sheena Kamal
The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer (like minisode topics!) to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You feat. Jen Crocker

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 12:51:21 GMT

In a Uni miracle, Brenna and Joe are joined by their YA Lit classmate and bestie Jen Crocker to discuss Jenny Han's super cute 2015 realist romance sequel, PS I Still Love You and its (awkwardly titled) 2020 Netflix film, which reunites Lana Condor and Noah Centineo and introduces Jordan Fisher as fan favourite John Ambrose McClaren.

The changes between source and adaptation are significantly impacted by events from the first film, which retroactively affects the readability of the second book. Also switching things up: new director Michael Fimognari, who brings a "big screen" visual aesthetic that works for some, but not others.

Plus: why the new film isn't as re-watchable, why it's probably good that the book's game of Assassins wasn't adapted and the film's issues with female agency and *gasp* class.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Jen: @jencrocker / @crocksy23 (Instagram)

Have something longer? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Sex Education Season 2

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 08:00:02 GMT

Minisode or regularsode? You be the judge as Brenna and Joe check back in on the British Netflix series Sex Education, which released its second season back in January.

How does the series avoid traditional (read: North American) depictions of trauma and abuse? How are new (potentially tokenistic) characters introduced? What aspect does Brenna think the show handles best? And why character has quickly become Joe's favourite?

Also, we're getting back to homework basics! Brenna provides an update on her Bingeworthy promise to check out the ridiculously-named High School Musical: The Musical, which Joe catches up on Jan 2020 Forecast entry Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore (not Macklemore, the rapper).

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer (like minisode topics!) to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Z For Zachariah

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 08:00:01 GMT

It's time for a Nuclear dystopia, so Brenna and Joe hunker down in a Garden of Eden...er...valley of plenty in the hopes that a man of science never comes to threaten the peace. Or is it two men? This week, we're traveling back to 1974 to discuss Robert C. O'Brien's Z For Zachariah, a compelling, female-centric YA account of the end of the world. We're also talking about Craig Zobel's 2015 not-YA film adaptation, which is...a romantic triangle with sexy adults?

Both texts are solid in their own right, but we're primarily attracted to the excellent tension and incredibly gripping gender dynamics of the book. The film is decent, although the more on-the-nose religious elements, romance and poorly constructed racial stereotype doesn't work nearly as well. Bottom line: if you only check out one of these texts, make sure it's the book!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode suggestion? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Feb 2020 Forecast

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 08:00:12 GMT

Feb 2020 is a slighter month than January, so there are still great books to add to your library hold lists! Brenna and Joe have poured over the month and selected their top 3-4 picks, along with a few honourable mentions.

Joe

Alice by Heart by Steven Sater
No True Believers by Rabiah York Lumbard
Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
What I Want You To See by Catherine Linka

Plus: Solstice by Lorence Alison and Below by Alexandria Warwick

Brenna

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertelli and Aisha Saeed
The New David Espinoza by Frank Aceves
Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario

Plus: To All The Boys I've Loved Before 2 on Netflix and a new adaptation of Emma

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode idea? Send us an email to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Looking For Alibrandi

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:00:06 GMT

At the request of listener Emily, Brenna and Joe travel Down Under to Sydney to check in on Italian-Australian Josephine Alibrandi, the sassy/spunky heroine of of Melina Marchetta's 1992 Aussie YA Classic, Looking for Alibrandi and its 2000 film adaptation by Kate Woods.

The pair are hardly surprised that the book is a staple of the high school curriculum, given its myriad of relevant YA themes focusing on the immigrant experience, class issues, societal pressures and sex & relationships. Brenna and Joe dedicate a lot of time discussing the novel's handling of John Barton and his suicide, how it doesn't work nearly as well in the film, and the need for happy endings.

Plus: speculation about John Green's Looking For Alaska (see earlier episode), ties to Canadian play/film, Mambo Italiano and a really successful round of BINGO!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer (like minisodes topics!) to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Definition of YA Lit

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 08:00:26 GMT

More than a year into the podcast, Brenna and Joe decide to tackle the definition of Young Adult literature (better late than never, right?)

Thanks to a prompt from listener Garrett, in the first (true) minisode of the new year, we delve into the specifics:

YA as a category, not a genre
Using content and age ranges to distinguish Middle-Grade from YA from New Adult
The appeal of YA for adult readers
A bit of history, including the term "adolescent" and its ties to capitalism, particularly in North America; and
Why YA exploded in the mid-to-late 90s and beyond (hint: think wizards and sparkly vampires)

In homework: Brenna champions How I Made It To 18 by Tracy White and Joe compares #MurderTrending to One of Us is Lying.

Next week: full length ep on Looking For Alibrandi, so get reading & watching!

Want to connect? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray / Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/107851618-brenna
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or email us something longer or a minisode topic: hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and the screen.

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Anne of Green Gables

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 16:19:02 GMT

The wait is over! We're back for 2020 with a brand new full length episode that delves deep into Brenna's childhood love: Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (1908). This is easily the most popular Canadian YA text of all time, especially when we're considering its adaptations, including the 1985 miniseries and Moira Walley-Beckett's recently cancelled CBC/Netflix co-production, Anne with an E (2017-2019).

Join Brenna and Joe for a SUPER sized episode as we discuss the timelessness of this text, why it continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, and how Montgomery's own dark history informs the book series. Plus: all of the brilliant Marillas, the perfect chemistry between Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie in the '85 miniseries and where Anne with an E both succeeds and completely fails its source material. And we debut a new BINGO superboard!

Extra Reading: Hoy, Helen. "Too Heedless and Impulsive’: Re-reading Anne of Green Gables through a Clinical Approach" in Anne's World: A New Century of Anne of Green Gables (Eds: Gammel and Lefebvre). University of Toronto Press, 2010.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer or a minisode suggestion? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Jan 2020 Forecast

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 08:00:12 GMT

Jan 2020 is now firmly underway, so it's time to update those library hold lists! Brenna and Joe have poured over the month and selected their top 3 picks, along with a few honourable mentions, to start the year off strong.

Joe

Deep and Darkest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
We Used To Be Friends by Amy Spalding
You Too? Edited by Judith Gurtler

Plus: Spellhacker by M.K. England,Tweet Cute by Emma Lord and Freeform's Party of Five reboot

Brenna

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

Plus: What I Carry by Jennifer Longo and Rogue Princess by B.R. Meyers

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode idea? Send us an email to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Bingeworthy

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 08:05:16 GMT

In our second minisode wrapping up 2019, we're going all in on binge mode!

It's the holidays, so hopefully you have a little more free time on your hands. Brenna and Joe walk through the films, TV and books that they plan to binge over the break, in addition to teasing a few TV shows that will drop in and around the New Year.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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2019 Wrap Up

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 08:00:12 GMT

Brenna and Joe are wrapping 2019 with a double dose of minisodes!

First up: a look back on the year that was, including books that Brenna finally caught up on, our favourite serious, not-so-serious and least successful episodes (sorry CC - we did you wrong with Ghost World!). Also, the two biggest news stories that we think encapsulate YA at this moment, including Heartprint, an Indigenous Imprint from Harper Collins and a biased think piece about censorship and OWN voices from Refinery29.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Let It Snow

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 08:05:16 GMT

For the final regular...er...full length episode of the year, Brenna and Joe embrace the festivities of the season with a trip to Starbucks and a dip into 2008's Let It Snow, the trio of novellas by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle. We're also checking out the 2019 adaptation by Luke Snellin, which coincidentally stars every teen actor under contract on a Netflix series.

Up for discussion: which of the three novellas does Brenna *strongly* dislike and what makes it far less successful than the other two (A: Addie & Starbucks)? A debate whether this is the most slight book we've ever covered and why the film fails in its ambition to be a YA Love, Actually. Also: the laughable snow, the logistics of animal adoption and a serious discussion on ableism.

STARBUCKS.

In homework: Brenna asks for some holiday cheer in the form of reviews, while Joe circles back around to explain why Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women may be the best interpretation yet.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode suggestion? Send us an email to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Little Women

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 08:00:11 GMT

On the eve of a brand new interpretation by Greta Gerwig, Brenna and Joe travel back 151 years to discuss Louisa May Alcott's defining American text Little Women, as well as Gillian Armstrong's 1994 adaptation and the excruciating 2018 modern take by Clare Niederpreum.

Comparisons to Jane Austen abound as we try and identify the source of the text's popularity, which prospers in the first half and fumbles the second half by betraying its lead protagonist, Jo March. Up for discussion: May Alcott's erasure of the Civil War, how the heat between Winona Ryder's Jo and Christian Bale's Laurie actually harms the '94 adaptation and why someone needed to tell Sarah Davenport to stop yelling in the '18 version.

Also: Brenna makes a very salient point about the depiction of armed forces in the modern version and how what is seen (or excluded) ties into readings of the political moment. Worth keeping in mind!

In homework: Brenna introduces the Lumberjanes graphic novel "The Shape of Friendship" while Joe teases the premiere of Sex Education S2 on Jan 17, 2020.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email or minisode suggestion to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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It's Kind Of A Funny Story

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 08:00:13 GMT

Brenna and Joe are feeling a little "Under Pressure" so we're taking a mental health break with Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel It's Kind of a Funny Story and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck's 2010 adaptation, starring Keir Gilchrist (Brenna's favourite!), as well as Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts.

Brenna struggles to grapple with the disconnect between the hopefulness of the book and the real life circumstances of Vizzini's passing as we discuss the way readings of a book change due to context. There's also discussion of how the film acts as both a faithful adaptation and simultaneously changes the fundamental purpose and tone of its source material by becoming a "wacky, feel good" film about mental health.

In homework: Brenna laments the cancellation of Anne with an E, which spirals into a conversation about the state of Canadian television and - more specifically - co-productions with Netflix.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer or minisode ideas? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Tschick (Why We Took The Car / Goodbye Berlin)

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 08:05:01 GMT

For the first time in ages, Brenna and Joe venture outside of North America and the UK to tackle a foreign text: German author Wolfgang Herrndorf's bestselling 2010 novel Tschick (published in English in 2014 as Why We Took The Car), as well as Fatih Akin's 2016 film adaptation (English title: Goodbye Berlin).

Brenna and Joe discover that this deceptively complicated road trip narrative is the anti-thesis of I Love You, Beth Cooper (see Book 1, Episode 28). Maik's journey of self-discovery addresses both class and race, as well as lessons about trusting strangers and not judging people by their appearances. There's also one of the worst YA fathers we've ever met, the film's completely abbreviated third act that still somehow works and a delightful musicality that we neglect to mention until halfway through BINGO.

In homework: Joe reads back mail on the Watership Down episode while Brenna praises the CBC's "100 young adult books that make you proud to be Canadian".

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

If you have something longer or minisode suggestions, email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Golden Compass / His Dark Materials feat. Heather Cyr

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 05:18:09 GMT

Brenna and Joe are joined by Heather Cyr to discuss the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy: Northern Lights or, to North American audiences, The Golden Compass (1995). We're also chatting the failed 2007 $180 bloated children's film adaptation, as well as 2019's HBO/BBC One co-production, His Dark Materials.

Brenna and Joe have more interest in the complicated politics and religious tension than the text itself, so Heather steps in to round out our appreciation. Along the way we discuss CGI effects, Nicole Kidman vs Ruth Wilson and why the two minute fight scene between bears loses the film points.

In homework: Heather introduces The Girl of Ink and Stars & The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Brenna reluctantly chats about the recent Sarah Desson / Just Mercy Twitter controversy and Joe talks up the announcement that Tamora Pierce’s expansive Tortall Universe series will be adapted for TV (thanks to TeaBooksAndChocolate's tweet!)

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Heather: @heathcyr

Questions or comments for minisodes? Use hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watership Down

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:00:14 GMT

One year ago, Brenna and Joe embarked on a grand podcasting adventure. This episode marks our birthday/anniversary and we can't think of a better way to celebrate than read the book that we bonded over back in university: Watership Down, the horribly traumatic story of a group of intrepid bunnies who embark on their own adventure to find a new home.

Yes, folks, the time has finally come to discuss Richard Adams' 1972 classic YA tome and Martin Rosen's 1978 animated adaptation (along with brief mentions of the 90s TV show and the 2018 Netflix remake). Up for discussion: the various political systems represented in the text, arguments for its longevity and whether it is particularly "British". Also: criticism of its treatment of violence (that dog!), gender (ugh, the does) and race (UGH, that bird).

Plus: Brenna and Joe reminisce about the YA Lit course from nearly two decades ago that brought them together and Joe shares an unusual childhood connection to the text...or 42 of them.

In homework: we discuss a big format change that will take effect in the New Year!

Wanna connect us? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Speak feat. Lucia Lorenzi

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:00:03 GMT

The time has come for Brenna and Joe to discuss Laurie Halse Anderson's revelatory 1999 YA bestseller, Speak, its 2004 made-for-television film adaptation starring Kristen Stewart and the recent comic with art from Emily Carroll. Joining us for some difficult conversation is Lucia Lorenzi, who helps to unpack why both book and film are so powerful and important.

This episode is quite broad, and it addresses sensitive topics such as rape, suicide, depression and trauma. Many of these topics can be triggering, so we recommend listeners proceed with their own self-care in mind.

Up for discussion: the humour that Anderson embeds in the text, the use of symbolism and allusions to classic lit such as The Scarlet Letter (see previous Book One episode) and why the film's ending does and doesn't work for us. Beyond the texts, we chat about the importance of institutional rules, training and creating a space for both teens and adults to speak their own truth, as well as the issue of responsibility.

It's heavy, but it's important.

In homework: Joe (re)introduces The Babysitter's Coven by Kate Williams, Brenna promotes a contemporary Indigenous Hardy Boys series called The Mighty Muskrats by Michael Hutchinson and Lucia strongly recommends Renee Watson’s Piecing Me Together, as well as the Call Number Subscription Box which is a subscription service for books by Black authors.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Lucia: @empathywarrior

Have something longer to say? Send an email to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Howl's Moving Castle

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 08:00:20 GMT

Lock up your hat store and prepare to meet the wizard because Brenna and Joe are jumping aboard British author Diana Wynne Jones 1986 fantasy novel Howl's Moving Castle and Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's 2004 animated...interpretation.

That's right, we're calling it: in a first for the podcast, we have two titles so radically different that the film is barely an adaptation of the source material. The novel is a female coming of age narrative that's a little draggy and a little too full of serialized adventures. The film eschews its female character to tell a war story, replete with stunning visuals but thin characterizations.

Up for discussion: Jones' musical depiction of the Welsh language, the book's connection to Enchanted (see previous episode) and the challenges of examining older YA through a modern eyes. For the film, Brenna admits her struggle with subtitles, we discuss which character designs work for us and the grieving process inherent to analyses about adaptations.

In homework: Brenna reads a listener review, while Joe outlines the 2019 YALSA Teens’ Top Ten.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer? Send an email to hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Looking For Alaska

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 07:10:07 GMT

Is the third time the charm? After The Fault in our Stars and Paper Towns, Brenna and Joe are checking back into Manic Pixie Dream Girl territory with John Green's problematic first novel Looking for Alaska, which was just adapted by The O.C. and Gossip Girl scribes Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage into an eight episode Hulu series.

Up for discussion: does the book contain enough sign posts that protagonist Miles' perspective should not be trusted? Does the book suffer without its titular object of affection? And how has the controversy around this novel driven Green's entire career?

Meanwhile, in the film (as Brenna keeps referring to it), we discuss an odd case of streaming creep, the decision to re-structure the novel's "Before" and "After" section and Brenna dives into the adaptation's iffy track record on race and class. Plus: has Joe fallen for John Green's ploys by falling in love with Alaska?

In Homework: Joe keeps the Green "love" alive by discussing the trailer for the author's anthology film Let It Snow, which debuts on Netflix Nov 8. Meanwhile, Brenna tackles reader mail.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Excerpt F. Interview with Kai Cheng Thom

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 07:05:15 GMT

Part of HKHSPod's mandate is to highlight the work of Canadian YA Lit writers. In this exclusive interview, Brenna and Joe are joined by writer, performer, cultural worker & speaker Kai Cheng Thom to discuss her YA novel, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir, her refusal to write a conventional trans narrative for cis audiences, her political and historical issues with the concept of "Canada", and why Guillermo del Toro needs to contact her ASAP.

Find out more about Kai's work on her website or on Twitter.

Connect with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 07:10:02 GMT

With Halloween fast approaching, Joe forces Brenna to indulge in a creepy (not scary) pick for the pod: noted speculative science-fiction author Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel Something Wicked This Way Comes and Jack Clayton's 1983 Disney adaptation. How does Brenna fare with this tale of a dark carnival that arrives in the middle of the night to feed on the souls of small town Americans?

Just fine, it turns out! The pair discuss Bradbury's lyrical prose, his disinterest in writing women and the text's fairly simplistic moral message. The film, alas, doesn't fare quite as well: the child actors and the penchant for FX sequences, as well as a safe ending, all get a dressing down, though Joe lauds Jonathan Pryce's villainous turn as Mr. Dark.

The true mystery in both texts, however, is whether Charles Halloway is a janitor or a librarian?!

In homework: Joe provides an update on The CW's modern take Nancy Drew, while Brenna champions There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

If you have something longer to say, send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Nancy Drew

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 07:05:09 GMT

Riverdale is SO last week! This week, Brenna and Joe are solving mysteries - with convenient expertise - in River Heights, as we both tackle our first ever Nancy Drew mystery in advance of the new CW series.

Just to make things extra complicated, we're discussing the first two books by Carolyn Keene (The Secret of the Old Clock & The Hidden Staircase) as well as two movies - Andrew Fleming's Nancy Drew (2007) and Katt Shea's Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019).

Up for discussion: how post-war American history contributed to changes in Nancy's characterization in the 30s and the late-50s, speculation about why the character has endured and some of the many challenges in modern attempts to adapt the teen sleuth for film and TV. Plus: the wild swings in tone of the 2007 film and the more successful, grounded characters in the 2019 version.

In Homework: Joe excitedly introduces the news that Julie Murphy is writing a Faith adaptation, as well as the title of the new Suzanne Collins Hunger Games prequel. Brenna, meanwhile, discusses Meredith Russo's latest, Birthday.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

If you have something longer, send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Archie / Riverdale

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 07:05:24 GMT

Building on the discussion that began in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and continued in Josie and the Pussycats, Brenna and Joe travel to a place outside of time and space to discuss the long history of Archie comics. Specifically we're tackling Mark Waid and Fiona Staples' revitalizing run on Archie, Vol 1 & 2 that began in 2015, as well as Roberto Aguirre-Saca's television series, Riverdale, which began in 2017.

Up for grabs: the unconventional friendship between Jughead and Betty, the nebulous tonal balancing act that is undermined by Archie's pratfalls and Staples' iconic art. But the focus is really on Brenna's not-quite-guilty-pleasure TV show, its curious sprawl and sense of nowhere (and simultaneously everywhere). Plus: Archie's eyebrows and pecs, praise for Lili Reinhart and criticism over the show's treatment of Jughead.

In Homework: Joe reads listener email, including curated picks from Max, a warning from Leo and some constructive criticism by Andrew, while Brenna discusses Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu, Wil Shriner's 2006 film, Hoot and a shout-out to Put A Blurb On It podcast

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma / Clueless feat. Brennan Klein

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 07:05:09 GMT

For only the second time, Brenna and Joe venture far into the past for a classic lit / contemporary adaptation comparison. Thankfully we have Jane Austen superfan Brennan Klein around to lend a hand unpacking her 1815 text, Emma, as well as Amy Hecklering's "loose" adaptation Clueless (1995).

On deck for discussion: how Austen uses her narrator to comment on her most "unlikable" heroine, Brennan's queer reading of Emma and how quietly groundbreaking a book that is seemingly just about marriage actually is.

And for the film, we talk about Cher's progressive take on virginity, the litany of likeable actors, and why the term "cake boy" needs to be (re)appropriated.

In Homework: Brennan discusses Darius The Great Is Not Ok by Adib Khorram, Joe encourages resistant viewers to take a chance on Taika Waititi's coming of age Nazi comedy film Jojo Rabbit and Brenna stans a possible Saved By The Bell revival.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Brennan: @itsrainingbrens

Have something longer to say? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hunger Games feat. Alex Heeney

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 07:05:13 GMT

Brenna, Joe and special guest Alex Heeney are ready to volunteer as tribute as we dive into the 74th annual Hunger Games, courtesy of Suzanne Collins and filmmaker Gary Ross.

The trio have plenty of thoughts on the value of Peeta to the text, how the film sets up future franchise instalments for failure, why Collins is such a skilled world-builder and the retroactive damage of Mockingjay on perspectives of the first book/film.

In Homework: Joe discusses YA Forecast pick Destroy All Monsters by Jeff Jackson, Brenna dips her toe into Buffy water with Kiersten White's Slayer and Alex pitches 1980's coming of age film, Gregory’s Girl.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Have something longer to say? Send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Ghost World feat. CC Stapleton

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:05:07 GMT

Prep your cynical disdain and your green tint (or is it blue?) because Brenna and Joe - plus special guest CC Stapleton - are headed back into comic territory with Daniel Clowes' 1997 comic and Terry Zwigoff's 2001 film adaptation, Ghost World.

The discussion includes the depiction of teen ennui, the idea that certain texts are more meaningful if you read them at a particular stage of development, as well as the film's focus on new character Seymour (Steve Buscemi). Plus: thanks to a completely out of touch Roger Ebert review, the trio make the startling discovery that the two texts not actually YA at all, but rather they are autobiographical works about their old white heterosexual male creators!

In Homework: Brenna touches on a recent news story involving censorship and author Jo Knowles, CC praises Brian K Vaughan's Paper Girls, and Joe addresses another book from the recent YA Forecast Part 2: The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
CC: @callsinthenight / Something Red Podcast

If you have something longer, send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Maze Runner

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:00:07 GMT

Brenna and Joe have patched up their differences and just in time, because they find themselves locked up with the Gladers, a bunch of annoying, mediocre (mostly) white boys from James Dashner's 2009 dystopian YA, The Maze Runner and Wes Ball's 2014 film adaptation, starring Teen Wolf break-out Dylan O'Brien.

Brenna is firmly displaced with both texts unwillingness to explain the need for an all-male society and for their poorly reductive use of women. Joe is more willing to embrace the action sequences of the film, but finds the endless unanswered questions of the book and its abrupt cliffhanger a lazy attempt to goose sales.

Plus: both are angered at the crappy allusions to both Lord of the Flies and, more significantly, Watership Down which is one of Brenna and Joe's favourite YA texts and not one to be messed around with.

In Homework: Brenna eulogizes the end of The Amazing Squirrel-Girl comic, but offers hope for a new writer of Ms Marvel (prompting a general discussion of Disney & corporate conglomeracy). Joe, meanwhile, gushes about Kai Cheng Thom's Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir and catches up on reader mail, one of which prompts an apology and calls for education.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone feat. Hannah McGregor

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 07:05:02 GMT

Brenna and guest star Hannah McGregor arrive at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Joe is nowhere to be found! The result is more drama than a Gryffindor v Slytherin Quidditch match as Brenna has to duck out early, meaning Hannah is less guest, and more like the glue holding this episode together.

When Joe finally joins (presumably after his Remembrall turned red), the trio discuss the reasons why Harry Potter has become such a phenomenon, why the series has lent itself to so much fan fiction and the troubling class and race issues that Rowling historically reproduces. Plus: Brenna admits a startling preference for an unusual character, Joe reveals a feud with his husband with regard to House sorting and Hannah explains the rules for real life Quidditch (despite claiming to hate the sport!).

If you want to find out which House you would be sorted into, complete the quiz Hannah mentions via Tumblr Sorting Hat Chats.

In Homework: Joe is absent and Brenna is exhausted, so Hannah explains the queer attraction to Stardew Valley.

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Hannah: @hkpmcgregor (Pods: @ohwitchplease / #SecretFeministAgenda)

Or shoot us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Excerpt E. Interview with Tim Wynne-Jones

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 07:00:30 GMT

Part of HKHSPod's mandate is to highlight the work of Canadian YA Lit writers. In this exclusive interview, Brenna and Joe are joined by Governor General award-winning novelist Tim Wynne-Jones to discuss his new adventure novel, The Starlight Claim, his unusual connection to Rafi and JK Rowling, and why it is important that his characters are never black or white.

Find out more about Tim's work on his website or on Facebook.

Connect with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 07:00:08 GMT

Brenna and Joe head off to College for a sexy educa-

Nope! Can't do it! There are no jokes to be had regarding the painfully unsexy and potentially damaging "erotic" coming of age book by Wattpad "author" Anna Todd.

On the other side of the gulf is director Jenny Gage's bland-as-white-toast film adaptation starring human block of wood Josephine Langford and horribly miscast (and inconsistently British) Hero Fiennes Tiffin.

Looking for better erotica? Check out Smart Bitches, Trashy Books instead!

Topics for discussion include the sad reality of why this book didn't employ an editor, the preoccupation with "technical virginity" and why foreign movie audiences are to blame for a potential sequel. Also: Brenna makes a startling discovery at the 1 hour mark that will have a ripple effect on YA Bingo for the rest of Book Two and leaves Joe scrambling to explain himself!

In Homework: For back to school, Brenna praises Spider-Man: Far From Home and recommends Debbie Reese's Twitter thread on Child's Garden of Verse while Joe gushes over Meredith Russo's trans fairytale If I Were Your Girl (prompting Brenna to recommend Gwen Benaway and Love Lives Here by Amanda Jette Knox)

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every Day

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:00:16 GMT

Brenna and Joe aren't feeling quite themselves - in fact they may be experiencing an out of body event as a result of reading David Levithan's 2012 book Every Day and screening Michael Sucsy's 2018 film adaptation.

Or perhaps it is simply that they are struggling with pronouns and personhood as a result of A's constantly changing bodies.

In addition to callbacks to the repetitive cycles of Before I Fall and Everything, Everything, Brenna and Joe discuss how the book, like Adam Silvera's writing, fails to understand its own appeal. Thankfully the film adaptation makes a strong narrative choice that helps to strengthen its storytelling ability.

Also on the table: Brenna's disdain for the book's horrifically awful use of a fat body as a plot device, and the pair's mixed feelings about the film's diversity (yay) of almost uniformly rich, model beautiful characters (boo).

In homework: Brenna catches up on Gossip Girl and Joe checks out Amy Rose Capetta's queer-and-body positive The Lost Coast.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Giver

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 08:00:17 GMT

Brenna and Joe join the uniformly black and white life of the 'Sameness' as they dig into Lois Lowry's 1993 Newberry medal winner dystopian text, The Giver. Unfortunately because this is still a YA adaptation podcast, they're also forced to check out Philip Noyce's 2014 film adaptation, which Joe politely describes as a "run of the mill dystopian garbage fest with hot people".

In this episode Brenna provides an overview of Lowry's quartet of novels, the pair discuss why the book's focus on empathy, feelings and ambuigty is so powerful, and why The Giver may actually be inappropriate for middle school kids. Oh - and we bash the film A LOT.

In Homework: Brenna petitions Joe to read Jeff Zentner's great Rain and Delilah’s Midnight Matinee while Joe reaches all the way back to the Jan 2019 Forecast for an update on Jennifer Dugan's summer love story Hot Dog Girl.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josie And The Pussycats

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 08:00:05 GMT

Brenna and Joe return from their long recording sabbatical with bright eyes and cat ears. For the start of Book 2 (aka our second season) we wanted something fun and frothy, so what better to kick things off with than the tale of friendship, success and capitalism that is Josie And The Pussycats?!

For the first time Joe & Brenna are covering two texts that don't speak to each other, as the 2001 film by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan was produced well before the Marguerite Bennett and Cameron Deordio scripted / Audrey Mok inked comic revival in 2016.

We discuss why the metatextual humour is more successful in the film, how Josie (and by extension the entire Archie universe) is being sold as a mix of nostalgia and contemporary sensibilities and how the film bombed because it was too smart for adults (who claimed it was too dumb for teens).

Wanna connect with the show? Tweet us using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HKHS / Horror Queers Crossover Alert!

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:00:20 GMT

Gentle listeners, some big news! HKHS won't return with new episodes until Tues, Aug 6, but if you need your fill of Joe and Brenna, check out Horror Queers on July 31 for a special crossover episode on ParaNorman, a delightful family horror film that even scaredy-cat Brenna can watch.

Click here to check it out

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Mysterious Skin

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 06:00:13 GMT

Book One comes to a close as Brenna and Joe delve into the dark and horrifying world of Scott Heim's 1995 novel Mysterious Skin and Gregg Araki's 2004 adaptation, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week.

Take the trigger warning to heart as both texts deal with very mature themes. Brenna and Joe, while appreciative of the craftmanship of both texts, frequently resort to the word "horrifying" to describe their experiences. Rest assured that there is lightness to be found, though, including Joe's embarrassing mix-up over Heim's last name, the struggle to reconcile Brian as a "boring" character and questions about the tastiness of peanut butter peach pie.

In the last homework report: Brenna works through her relationship with The CW's Riverdale while Joe catches up with listener emails from Leo and Andrew.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 06:00:25 GMT

It's graduation night and Brenna and Joe should be enjoying a wild night of debauchery and wacky hijinks, but instead they're angry (like REAL ANGRY) about Larry Doyle's 2007 book, I Love You, Beth Cooper and Chris Columbus' 2009 adaptation.

Listeners who enjoy the episodes where the pair get a little frustrated with one or both texts (think The Kissing Booth) are sure to delight in just how much Brenna and Joe HATE this pairing. The structure is repetitive, the characters are stock, the content is frequently offensive and the jokes simply aren't funny. Strap in and expect plenty of swearing and sighs!

In Homework News: Brenna cleanses her palate with Laurie Halse Anderson's memoir, Shout, while Joe thanks the listeners who responded to the call (in the YA Forecast episode) for forthcoming books to keep an eye out for.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything, Everything

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 07:00:08 GMT

Brenna and Joe are under house arrest, so please be sure to decontaminate properly before you listen to this episode on Nicola Yoon's 2015 novel Everything, Everything and its accompanying 2017 film adaptation by Stella Meghie.

In all seriousness though: MEGA SPOILER WARNING - If you have not read the book and plan to, DO NOT LISTEN!!!

Brenna and Joe discuss why the format of both texts don't quite work, how the film wastes the likeability of gifted teen actors Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) and Nick Robinson (Love, Simon) and why we need to become more comfortable with "own voices" narratives failing...or simply being fine.

In Homework news: Brenna pitches a new comic series byGiant Days writer John Allison, colourist Sarah Stern and letterer Jim Campbell while Joe ties the new Blumhouse horror film Ma into the discussion on Everything, Everything.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Appendix E. Homework Report

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 08:05:01 GMT

We've done our homework and we're ready to chat about books that we've both hyped up and ACTUALLY finished. It’s our much-in-demand homework report episode!

We’re providing updates on texts that we briefly discussed at the top of the show over the last few months in order to let you know if they're worth your time.

We also address managing expectations for an author’s new & different work when you’ve loved their past texts, pondering the correct entry point to get into Adam Silvera’s writing, struggling with Netflix’s creative decisions as Disney+ looms on the horizon and the need for YA to step up and address abortion, especially at this crucial moment in time. Plus: giggles from Brenna’s toddler and sirens outside Joe’s downtown apartment!

Times are approximate:

3:21 - 10:14: Dear Sweet Pea - Julie Murphy
10:15 - 15:31: Kens by Raziel Reid
15:32 - 23:15: Let Me Hear a Rhyme and Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson (plus His Hideous Heart)
23:16 - 29:33: They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera
29:34 - 34:29: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
34:30 - 36:36: The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
36:37 - 40:10: The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
40:11 - 47:38: The Umbrella Academy and Netflix vs Disney+
47:39 - 59:20: Sex Education and the depiction of abortion in YA

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Appendix D. 2019 YA Forecast Part 2

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 08:00:01 GMT

Welcome to the halfway point of the year! As promised, Brenna and Joe have selected some forthcoming new young adult literature and adaptation selections for summer/early fall 2019. Get the Library holds list prepped for an onslaught!

Brenna:

The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren (June)
An Indigenous People’s History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese (July)
Frankly in Love by David Yoon (September)

Joe:

Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh (June)
Destroy All Monsters by Sam J Miller (July)
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (September)

Honourable Mentions
Viral by Ann Bausam
Slay by Brittney Morris (Aug)
Words on Bathroom Walls
Suggested Reading by Dave Connis (Aug)
Birthday by Meredith Russo and There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhaya Menon
The Babysitter’s Coven 1 by Kate Williams (Aug)

If you have a selection that didn't make our cut, please reach out to us at #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Gossip Girl

Tue, 28 May 2019 08:00:17 GMT

Greetings podcast listeners. J & B here with an exclusive scoop: we've read the first book in Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series and watched the first two episodes of The CW's TV adaptation and one of these texts is very, very bad.

Which one? We'll never tell (ok, that's a lie - we will, but you have to listen).

You know you love us.
XOXO -J & B

In homework: Joe advocates for a timely re-read of Christopher Pike's Final Friends Trilogy (also known as Until The End) while Brenna...is alive (barely)

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

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The Virgin Suicides

Tue, 21 May 2019 06:00:17 GMT

Brenna and Joe head to the 70s suburbs for a deep dive into the problematic world of Jeffrey Eugenides' 1993 "not YA" novel The Virgin Suicides and a comparison of Sofia Coppola's film adaptation, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

After 25 episodes, Brenna FINALLY clarifies to Joe a foundational component of YA Literature. The pair also discuss Eugenides' lack of empathy for his female characters, Coppola's feminist treatment of the material and Brenna's biggest issue about the adaptation.

In homework: Brenna galley-brags about her advance reading copy of Julie Murphy's new Middle School book, Dear Sweet Pea while Joe provides an update on Chaos Walking, the delayed film adaptation of *The Knife of Never Letting Go.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Paper Towns

Tue, 14 May 2019 08:00:18 GMT

If you're going to revisit a YA author, who better to sample a second time than prolific writer John Green? Brenna and Joe dive deep into manic pixie dream girl territory with Green's 2008 novel Paper Towns and its 2015 film adaptation by Jake Schreier.

The pair continue the discussion about male protagonists in realist YA romance, question the blandness of white boy actors and debate the casting of Cara Delevingne. The single biggest question, however, is how screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber screw up this adaptation - and particularly its ending - when they did such an admirable job on The Fault In Our Stars.

In homework: Brenna raises the Easter weekend controversy involving author Jacqueline Jules, prompting an extended discussion about safe spaces and working with people of other cultures.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Stand-In / The Perfect Date

Tue, 07 May 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe put on a puffy prom dress and rent a tux for their first dip into male protagonist realist YA romance. Unfortunately they selected Steve Bloom's 2016 novel The Stand-In and Chris Nelson's 2019 Netflix adaptation The Perfect Date which not even current It-Boy Noah Centineo can save.

The pair marvel at how badly written and problematic the book is, while acknowledging that it is one of the few texts to actually address wealth & income inequality. They then contrast it with the film, which has removed 95% of the book's problematic aspects, but in the process, has also been scrubbed clean of any and all interesting aspects, leaving behind only a bland and dull text. Also up for discussion is the hilariously bad father/son casting, the ineptness of Bloom's narrative plotting and the legitimate question of who is the target audience?

In homework: Brenna is uncertain about whether The Fosters' spin-off, Good Trouble is worth pursuing, while Joe begrudgingly acknowledges the new KJ Apa YA film on Netflix, The Last Summer.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Orange Marmalade feat. Paul Le

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are joined by Paul Le as they venture into the world of South Korean manwha and webtoons. The trio checks out the first 25 episodes of Seok-woo's Orange Marmalade, a YA vampire romance that originally ran between 2011-2013, as well as its accompanying 2015 KBS2 TV series.

The unique episodic format of the webtoon poses some narrative challenges, but its clever and unique use of space and scrolling generates plenty of discussion. The trio also analyzes why the TV season is like melodramatic catnip, its unusual ties to Felicity and Brenna poses a Stephenie Meyer-inspired question about vampires and that time of the month.

Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/orange-marmalade/list?title_no=97
TV series: https://www.viki.com/tv/26963c-orange-marmalade?locale=en

In homework: Brenna and Paul chat Ry Russo-Young's latest YA adaptation, The Sun Is Also A Star and Brenna offers a director update on the film adaptation of John Green's Turtles All The Way Down while Joe counters with award-winning text Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Paul: @afinalboy

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Excerpt D. Interview with Tanaz Bhathena

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 08:59:00 GMT

Part of HKHSPod's mandate is to highlight the work of Canadian YA Lit writers. In this exclusive interview, Brenna and Joe are joined by Tanaz Bhathena to discuss her cross-cultural romance The Beauty of the Moment, the ironic story of her first YA book (deemed "too dark for adults") and why including diversity in her writing is natural and completely Canadian.

Find out more about Tanaz's work on her website: https://tanazbhathena.com/ or on Instagram at @bhathenatanaz

Connect with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Changeover

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe travel to the other side of the world for an investigation into Margaret Mahy's 1984 Carnegie Medal winner, The Changeover and its 2017 film adaptation by Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie. Brenna appreciates the prickly, unconventional mother/daughter relationship, Joe unpacks how the film uses the 2011 earthquake to inform its narrative and, for the first time on the podcast, an ending dramatically alters the pair's appreciation of one of the texts.

In homework: Brenna and Joe chat about the impact of Disney's closure of the FOX 2000 studio, which produced Love, Simon, The Hate U Give and other 'mid-tier' prestige films. Joe also introduces The Changeover star Nicholas Galitzine's upcoming Netflix series, Chambers, which also deals with mysterious events (the guy has a type).

Links for next week:

Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/orange-marmalade/list?title_no=97
TV series: https://www.viki.com/tv/26963c-orange-marmalade?locale=en

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Lesser Blessed

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe venture to Canada's Northern Territories to spend time with Richard Van Camp's lyrical and melancholy 1996 novel The Lesser Blessed and Anita Dorin's 2012 film adaptation. This is an extremely heavy, but ultimately rewarding pair of texts that merit the extra-long run time (fun fact: when Brenna teaches the book, it takes her three weeks to unpack!)

Brenna goes into much-needed teacher-mode to elaborate on the background of Residential schools, one of Canada's most shameful historical events, which is essential for understanding the book's exploration of trauma and pain. Joe, meanwhile, makes a shocking discovery in a review of the film from the time of its release and the pair celebrate the book's willingness to tackle challenging material. It's not an easy read, but it is vital.

Other Contemporary Indigenous text recommendations: The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King.

In homework: Brenna recommends The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo while Joe opts for Raziel Reid's Heathers-inspired book, Kens, after its recommendation by a listener!

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Ella Enchanted

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe stumble into a fairy tale world that compels them to do everything they're told...so long as it's compare Gale Carson Levine's 1997 Ella Enchanted and Tommy O'Haver's over-the-top wacky 2004 adaptation, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week!

The book proves to be a good example of how straightforward and non-subversive books for young adults were in the 90s, while the film makes good use of a game Anne Hathaway's capacity for physical comedy, but goes over board on extra characters and bad CGI. Plus: come for the discussion about misused WOC and stay for the jokes about how uncomfortable Hugh Dancy looks!

In homework: Brenna recommends unreliable narrator book A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa B. Sheinmel while Joe has high hopes for Kai Cheng Thom's Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir.

Other Trans and Non-Binary YA Lit recommendations: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo Girl Mans Up by M.E. Girard

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina feat. Emily von Seele

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe venture deep into the Greendale woods to perform a dark ceremony in advance of Brenna's birthday and they're joined by a very special guest: Emily von Seele! The three unpack the gorgeous art and risky narrative in Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's 60s-set dark reboot of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and contrast it with the more risk-adverse 2018 Netflix adaptation - just in time for its return on April 5.

Along the way Brenna wonders why the goat masks in both Sabrina and its companion series Riverdale mean completely different things, Joe vents about the series' aesthetic choices (enough with the Vaseline Iris!) and the three lament the series' antiquated approach to feminist storylines and bland milquetoast boyfriend while praising its liberated "bad girls": Prudence and Madame Satan.

In homework: Joe is dismayed to learn that the new Noah Centineo Netflix movie The Perfect Date (April 12) is based on a YA book and Brenna makes a special birthday plea to listeners.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote
Emily: @horrorellablog

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Divergent

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Break out your black tights and your pink hair because Brenna and Joe are headed into the Dauntless Pit with Veronica Roth's 2011 bestseller Divergent and the Neil Burger-helmed 2014 adaptation. Both hosts have mixed feelings, contrasting their initial enjoyment of the texts back in the day with the more complicated, less fun reading of both in a post-Trump, anti-intellectual world. It's not all doom and gloom, though: it turns out Brenna's brother and Joe's husband have nearly identical reactions to the film, Brenna gets far too much pleasure whispering the titular term and the episode ends with a SHOCKING revelation that Brenna has been keeping from Joe for the entirety of their friendship!

References:
Hudson, Laura. "The Divergent Movie Is Social Commentary for Simpletons". Wired: https://www.wired.com/2014/03/divergent-review-online-quiz/

In homework: Brenna rediscovers Marvel's rebranded Runaways written by Rainbow Rowell and drawn by Kris Anka, while Joe checks out Becky Albertalli's bestie, Adam Silvera's They Both Die At The End.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda / Love, Simon

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 11:00:00 GMT

After several weeks of...challenging texts, Brenna and Joe dive into the warm comfort of Becky Albertalli's 2015 Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Greg Berlanti's 2018 adaptation Love, Simon. The pair break down the book's great writing, problematize the film's depiction of Leah and Ethan and praise what may be the best, most supportive parents in YA.

It's a bit of a gush fest, honestly.

Plus: Brenna doubles down on Albertalli with a discussion of Simon's sequel/spin-off, Leah On The Offbeat while Joe softly recommends the new Sick Kid film, Five Feet Apart, starring Haley Lu Richardson and Riverdale's Cole Sprouse.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Mortal Engines

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Hold onto your Old Tech because Brenna and Joe are on the run from London and the other Traction Cities as they tackle Phillip Reeves' 2001 novel Mortal Engines, as well as 2018's significantly less interesting film adaptation by Christian Rivers. The text has fascinating colonialist and caste implications that are mostly abandoned in the film, in favour of pretty CW-styled actors and a really bad hairpiece by Hugo Weaving's villain. Come for the discussion about the impressive visual rendering of Municipal Darwinism and stay for Joe's invention of a brand new Harry Potter pre-quel franchise.

Oh, also, this podcast is not dedicated exclusively to Robert Sheehan.

Plus, in the News segment: Brenna strongly recommends the Netflix series One Day At A Time, as well as Ben Filippe’s The Field Guide to the North American Teenager while Joe preps for the latest Canadian YA author interview with Tanaz Bhathena’s The Beauty Of The Moment.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Persepolis

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMT

After several weeks of dystopian and urban fantasy, Brenna and Joe travel back in time to the 1980s and the Iranian Revolution for a deep dive in Marjane Satrapi's award-winning comics & animated film, Persepolis.

Brenna touches on a vital lesson in semantics re: the classification of the text as a comic vs graphic novel (and why the distinction is so important). We also address the cyclical nature of the two volumes, the melancholy implications of the text’s ending and the universality of Satrapi’s sparse visual style, which is so effective at drawing audiences in.

Plus: Brenna pitches Joe on Jacqueline Woodson's Harbour Me and Joe discovers (after the fact) a potential future Chapter in Dan Wells' I am Not A Serial Killer (aka Jr. Dexter).

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Mortal Instruments

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Mundanes Brenna and Joe muddle their way through a three for one as they tackle Cassandra Clare’s 2007 urban fantasy novel The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the CGI atrocity that is the 2013 film adaptation and the 2016 Freeform TV adaptation, Shadowhunters (which they declare the best version of the story).

Expect A LOT of sighs, guffaws and questions as the pair address the book's generic narrative and love triangle, Clary Fray's lack of agency in the climax and the film's failures in set design, special effects and acting. Perhaps the best thing to come out of this week’s adventure is the concept of an Idris Elba World?

Plus: Brenna advocates for Angie Thomas’ new book, On The Come Up while Joe pitches David K Yeh's A Boy At The Edge Of The World.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Excerpt C. Interview with Steven Bereznai

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 12:01:00 GMT

Part of HKHSPod's mandate is to highlight the work of Canadian YA Lit writers. In this exclusive interview, Brenna and Joe are joined by Steven Bereznai to discuss his bestselling books, why superhero narratives are so appealing to gay men, and which former Teen Wolf stars should begin preparing for a cinematic adaptation of 'I Want Superpowers.'

Find out more about Steven's work on his website: https://stevenbereznai.com or on Twitter at @stevenbereznai

Connect with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Umbrella Academy

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Strap on your space gear and take off your shoes because Joe and Brenna are tackling The Umbrella Academy, Netflix's latest TV adaptation, which is based on the first two volumes of the mega successful comics by Gerard Way (of the band My Chemical Romance) and artist Gabriel Bá.

Join the pair as they attempt to unpack the generic apocalyptic threat and similarly drawn characters, discuss why sometimes you should begin with Volume two instead of one and heap praise the show's fun, evocative dance sequence set to a classic 80s tune. Just be warned: if you prefer to stay completely spoiler free, you may need to delay listening to this episode until you're caught up on S1!

Plus: In an important extended news segment, Brenna and Joe unpack the recent racist Bookseller article about falling YA book sales and challenge the "youth" reading habits reported in Chris McCrudden's Twitter thread (https://twitter.com/cmccrudden/status/1093874037460226049). Special thanks to Hannah McGregor, friend of the show and host of Secret Feminist Agenda podcast, for flagging this

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Kissing Booth

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Welcome to full-on vitriol. Brenna wants to barf and Joe wants to burn this book.

In this take no prisoners dressing down of Beth Reekles’ massive Wattpad success The Kissing Booth, Brenna and Joe don’t expect to make any tween fans from Los Angeles happy (or is it South Wales? Or is it South Africa?).

Adult listeners wishing to destroy their livers are welcome to play the “Edit!” drinking game as Brenna and Joe lament the inept job that Random House UK did in shepherding a 15 year old’s online serial into a book. Thankfully Vince Marcello’s 2018 film adaptation fares better, although both texts contain abhorrent depictions of “fantasy romances” that young girls should steer far, FAR away from.

Plus: Joe finally delivers on his promise to check out the Syfy adaptation of Rick Remender & Wesley Craig's graphic novel Deadly Class to mixed results, while Brenna strongly recommends Tiffany Jackson's unreliable narrator thrillers, Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Fault In Our Stars

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe tackle our second namesake in as many weeks with a deep dive into John Green's 2012 realist YA The Fault In Our Stars and Josh Boone's 2014 film adaptation. The discussion skews a little more towards the book, including Green's extensive fan community, issues of representing "cancer kids" authentically and Joe's issues with the character of Gus.

Plus: our news is dedicated exclusively to Canadian Indigenous content! Joe discusses Patti LaBoucane-Benson's graphic novel The Outside Circle while Brenna recommends both Pemmican Wars (written by Katherine Vermette and illustrated by Scott B. Henderson), as well as Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves, which was recently optioned for TV.

References: S.L. Huang. "Review: The Fault In Our Stars" Disability in Kids Lit: http://disabilityinkidlit.com/2015/07/17/review-the-fault-in-our-stars-by-john-green/

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Hate U Give

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Fasten your SJW seatbelts because Brenna and Joe are tackling racism, privilege and duality in our most vital (and emotional) Chapter yet as we cover Angie Thomas' amazing The Hate U Give and George Tillman Jr.'s 2018 film adaptation.

The discussion about the book and recent racist events in the media brings one host to tears, prompts a rage-fuelled clap back against #AllLivesMatter, but we're mostly here to heap effusive praise on the best YA book we've covered to date.

Plus: Brenna goes to bat for book two of Strong Female Protagonist, a web comic written by Brennan Lee Mulligan and drawn by Molly Ostertag while Joe saves his homework assignment with Becky Albertini and Adam Silvera’s cute queer romance, What If It’s Us.

Finally, in an unlikely scenario, we have to swap out a pair of YA Bingo spaces. Which ones get the chop? You'll have to listen to find out!

References: Desmond Cole’s The Skin I’m In: https://torontolife.com/city/life/skin-im-ive-interrogated-police-50-times-im-black/

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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A Discovery Of Witches

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe dive deep into Deborah Harkness’ 600 page tome A Discovery of Witches and discover…that they don’t care for supernatural romances. They debate the attraction to mates that can kill you, question the editorial decisions of the book and praise Teresa Palmer’s performance in the TV adaptation (available now on Sundance Now and Shudder).

Plus: Brenna gets excited for the June release of Abdi Nazemian’s Like a Love Story, a vital queer love story set during the AIDS crisis. Joe, meanwhile, seeks comfort in John Allison’s graphic novel series Giant Days.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Show Notes:

Mukherjea, Ananya . “My Vampire Boyfriend: Postmodernism, “Perfect” Masculinity, and the Contemporary Appeal of Paranormal Romance”. Studies in Popular Culture Vol 33, No 2 (Spring 2011)
Silver, Anna. “Twilight is Not Good for Maidens: Gender, Sexuality, and The Family in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series.” Studies in the Novel Vol. 42, No. 1/2 (Spring & Summer 2010)

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Appendix C. Sex Education

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

In a special appendix edition of the show, Brenna and Joe check out the first episode of the new Netflix series, Sex Education. The discussion ranges from Joe's love of Gillian Anderson, the balance between raunch and heart, and speculation about what role nostalgia, timelessness and class will play in the subsequent seven episodes of the first season.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Scott Pilgrim

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe dive headfirst into the graphic novel universe of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim, its toxic masculinity and its Maple-soaked Canadian identity. A text to film comparison with Edgar Wright's adaptation reveals that some problems persist in both mediums, but - mores than any other text thus far - this is the one that reveals how far YALit has changed in just a short span of 8-9 years. Strap yourselves in folks…’cause we’re calling out the fanboys and the haters!

Plus: Brenna recommends Netflix comedy Atypical, in conjunction with the hashtag that problematizes the show (#ActuallyAutistic) while Joe fails, then salvages his homework assignment with post-holiday YA book, The Afterlife of Holly Chase.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Excerpt B. Interview with Carrianne Leung

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Part of HKHSPod's mandate is to highlight the work of Canadian YA Lit writers. In this exclusive interview, Joe is joined by Carrianne Leung, two time Toronto Book Awards nominee and author of The Wondrous Woo and That Time I Loved You. Here Carrianne discusses her work, why Canadian literature is having a moment and why Michelle Yeoh should get the animated treatment in a movie adaptation of Woo.

Find out more about Carrianne's work on her website: https://www.carrianneleung.com/ or on Twitter at @kayee13

Connect with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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The Scarlet Letter / Easy A

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Brenna and Joe are back with our first full Chapter of 2019 and it's a doozy: Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 puritanical novel The Scarlet Letter and Will Gluck's delightful 2010 "loose" adaptation, Easy A. Come for the lively discussion about how to pronounce Hester Prynne's last name, why Salem sucked for women (shocking!) and how much we love Emma Stone.

Plus: 2 new YA Bingo terms. In the news, Joe laments the 50 Shades of Grey-esque trailer for the YA adaptation of Anna Todd's After while Brenna champions the rare Indigenous YA text, Cynthia Leitich Smith's Hearts Unbroken, and Debbie Reese's great resource: https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Appendix B. 2019 YA Forecast

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year (or whatever it is that you celebrate)! Brenna and Joe have gathered to survey the young adult literature and adaptation landscape for the first quarter of 2019 to select a few picks to add to your Library holds list.

If you have a selection that didn't make our cut, please reach out to us at #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Appendix A. YA Holiday

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 12:00:00 GMT

Happy holidays from the HKHS crew. Brenna and Joe are here with a list of seasonally appropriate - and entirely non-denominational - YA picks to check out over the holidays, including a few book and TV "special" suggestions.

Connect with us on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or shoot us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dumplin'

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 12:00:00 GMT

The time has come to enter the Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant! That's right, Brenna and Joe are talkin' Julie Murphy's 2015 fat-positive YA hit Dumplin' and Anne Fletcher's 2018 Netflix adaptation. Listen as Joe tries a Southern accent, we discuss Manic Pixie Drag Queens and Brenna offers a few other texts to check out in the same vein (including Jes Baker's Landwhale: On Turning Insults Into Nicknames, Why Body Image Is Hard, and How Diets Can Kiss My Ass).

All that, plus: 2 new YA Bingo terms and Brenna offers a YA text for your holiday shopping needs.

If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or reach out to us on email at hkhspod@gmail.com. We'll see you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before I Fall

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 12:00:00 GMT

This week's "Chapter" is a doozy! Brenna and Joe struggle through Lauren Oliver's breakout 2010 novel Before I Fall and the 2017 film adaptation of the same name by Ry Russo-Young. Tackling questions about character likability, white privilege, redemption arcs, the financial viability of killing your protagonist and a quick discussion of Vancouver housing prices, this may just be the week that breaks Brenna!

Also: we introduce three new YA BINGO squares, Brenna highlights Paperback Crush by Gabrielle Moss and Joe goes off on J.K. Rowling's bad screenplay for the new Fantastic Beasts film "The Crimes of Grindelwald".

Stay in touch with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Excerpt A. Interview with Kevin T. Johns

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 12:01:00 GMT

Part of HKHSPod's mandate is to highlight the work of Canadian YA Lit writers. In this exclusive interview, Joe is joined by Kevin T. Johns, writing coach and author of The Page Turners series and M School, to discuss his work, his influences and why Drew Goddard should option his book for a movie.

Find out more about Kevin's work on his website: http://www.kevintjohns.com/ or on Twitter at @Kevin_T_Johns

Connect with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 12:00:00 GMT

After abuse and zombies, Brenna and Joe are psyched to dive into the adorably sweet love life of Lara Jean Song, the heroine of Jenny Han’s 2014 book To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and the 2018 film adaptation by Susan Johnson. Come along for the frank discussion of POC representation, how the two texts balance the family vs romance storylines and heartthrob ‎Noah Centineo (of course!)

Also: A bunch of new YA BINGO squares and we gush about the pitch perfect trailer for Anne Fletcher’s Dumplin’. Meanwhile, Brenna gets excited for Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone while Joe highlights Best of Goodreads YA finalists Samira Ahmed’s Love, Hate & Other Filters and Claire Kann’s Let’s Talk About Love

Connect with us on Twitter using #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or contact us via email at hkhspod@gmail.com. We'll see you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warm Bodies

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 12:01:00 GMT

It’s time for a Zombie Rom Com! Brenna and Joe tackle Isaac Marion’s 2010 book Warm Bodies and Jonathan Levine’s 2013 film adaptation of the same name to discover which one has an obsession with penises and which one can’t help but conform to typical action finale shoot-outs.

Also: We add 2 new squares to our YA BINGO cards. And in our news update, Brenna is excited for Netflix's adaptation of Anne Fletcher’s Dumplin’ (out Dec 8), while Joe doubles up on actress Teresa Palmer’s filmography with a screening of her new UK TV series, A Discovery of Witches.

If you wanna connect with us, use the hashtag #HKHSPod on Twitter:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or shoot us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See on you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 12:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the inaugural outing of Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr! Brenna and Joe tackle Stephen Chobsky’s 1999 coming of age novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and his 2012 film of the same name. Marvel at the heaps of misery loaded onto these young teens, lament the excised abortion plot in the film and join us in our first ever round of YA BINGO!

Also: in our news updates, Brenna is excited for Nic Stone's Dear Martin and Ibi Zoboi's Pride, while Joe is annoyed by a spoilery trailer for YA adaptation, Mortal Engines.

Connect with us on Twitter using the hashtag #HKHSPod:

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or shoot us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See on you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preface to Chapter 1

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 14:30:00 GMT

Join Brenna and Joe as they embark on a wild podcast odyssey into the world of YA literature, their filmic adaptations and everything in between. In this bonus episode, we introduce ourselves, explain our history together and elaborate on all of the tawdry details about why YA texts mean so much to us (all while trying to limit the number of times we say “um” and “like”). It’s going to be a wild ride, so strap yourself in

Connect with us on Twitter using the hashtag: #HKHSPod

Brenna: @brennacgray
Joe: @grabmyremote

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.