Book Squad Goals

Latest Episodes:

BSG #109: Everyone is Mother (Slay) / Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Mary, Kelli, and Emily convene to talk about Vanishing World, the latest work by Sayaka Murata to be translated into English. When Amane finds out she was conceived in an unnatural way, it sets her up for a lifetime of mental anguish. Will Amane find her place in normative society? Will she have a child the “right” way? As usual Murata takes us on a wild ride with twists no one saw coming! We discuss how uncomfortable this book made us feel for a variety of reasons, and also talk about Murata’s profile in the New Yorker which left us with more questions than answers. Then, we address an unexpected piece of feedback from the blog.
TOC:
:30–Welcome! And congrats, Susan!
14:25–Book intro and a big ole content warning
18:34–the basic premise of the novel
24:09–Murata’s “Alien Eye”
39:12–“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking”
46:25–Deriving pleasure from your uterus
49:30–So, the ending. The pivot.
59:00–What is she trying to say?
1:09:47–Ratings
1:11:22– Survive the Night feedback
1:20:44– What’s up next?
Links:
Sayaka Murata interview: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/14/sayaka-muratas-alien-eye
WithCindy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEWdtN0l0Is
Emily and Mary talk Survive the Night: https://www.booksquadgoals.com/blog/survive-the-book-mary-and-emily-read-riley-sager

Othersode #108: Negative Chills / The Great Gatsby (2013) with Janet Dale and Allison Renner Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

Hello, old sports! Join us and our young and beautiful guests, Janet Dale and Allison Renner, as we revisit Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013). Then we chat with Janet and Allison about their new collaborative chapbook, Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle. Read along for our next Bookpisode about Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata on August 5th. Then watch The Thing for our next Othersode with Paul Tremblay, author of the new novel Another, on August 19th.
TOC
:30 – Hello everyone! Welcome, Janet and Allison!
17:00 – How does this movie hold up?
32:00 – Casting
44:15 – The music
48:45 – Why do people still love Gatsby?
57:12– Interview with Janet and Allison!
1:38:39 – What’s up next?

BSG #108: Shocking and Revolting / El Dorado Drive Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Hey, hun! It’s your old friends, the Book Squad, with an exciting opportunity for you! We’d love to invite you to join us for our discussion about El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. We talk about the sisters’ relationships, money troubles, good ol’ fashioned pyramid schemes, and all things shocking and revolting. Drop in for our next Othersode on 7/22 featuring guests Janet Dale and Allison Renner, co-authors of Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle. We’ll be revisiting Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby with them!. Then read along with us for our second Sayaka Murata Bookpisode pick, Vanishing World, on 8/5! Don’t forget to check out our Patreon and leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts!
TOC:
30– Welcome! And icebreaker
9:00–Book intro
11:20–The Bishop sisters and their relationship
23:33–What’s their problem?
29:45–MLM business
46:00– The murder part
56:56–TWISTS that are SHOCKING AND REVOLTING
1:01:00–Ratings
1:04:40–Feedback
1:08:00– What’s up next?
Links:
The chefs at sororities: https://www.instagram.com/oldscoolkevmo/?hl=en

Othersode #107: Lily Gladstone Worked At Gay / The Wedding Banquet with Susie Dumond Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

A deliciously queer romcommy episode is here! Author Susie Dumond returns to chat with us about the 2025 remake of the film The Wedding Banquet in all of its low-key chaotic glory. Then we interview Susie about her brand new novel, Bed and Breakup (available TODAY, June 24th, wherever you get books!). Drop back in on July 8th for our next Bookpisode on El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. Then we’ve got another returning guest, Janet Dale, and a brand new guest, Allison Renner, joining us on July 22nd to talk about Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and their new co-authored book of flash fiction and found poetry, Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle! Want more BSG? Well you can at least get a monthly email of BSG pet pics by supporting us on Patreon for just $3 a month!
TOC:
:30– Welcome to Susie! And icebreaker
8:52–Movie intro
16:00– Let’s talk about the decisions these characters make
27:00–Is this movie successful in recontextualizing this type of story?
33:37–Mommy corner
46:44– Interview with the wonderful Susie Dumond! About Bed and Breakup, her new book!
1:17:00– What’s up next?
Links:
Go find Susie!:
https://susiedumond.com/
https://www.instagram.com/susiedoom/?hl=en

BSG #107: Reading: Do You? With Jenna / The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

It’s time to read with (?) Jenna again! Join us for a discussion of The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami. We talk about surveillance, the unfortunate parallels to our present moment, the novel’s structure, the characters, and of course, Jenna Bush Hagar and her book club antics. Then we dig into some listener feedback and chat about what’s up next! Watch The Wedding Banquet and tune in on June 24th for our next Othersode featuring Susie Dumond, author of Bed and Breakup! Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Megan Abbott’s new novel, El Dorado Drive, on July 8th! Check out our Patreon and consider supporting your fav indie pod for just $3 a month!
TOC
:30 – Hello! And Icebreaker
10:20 – Book intro
12:00 – So, this is prison, right? Data tracking and surveillance
18:50 – Dreams and old fears
27:02 – Jenna Reads (maybe)
34:59 – Pacing… and more Jenna
51:10 – Ratings
54:20 – Feedback about Hum (spoiler warning)
58:45 – What’s up next?

Othersode #106: Good American Duplass / Good American Family with Mary Kay McBrayer May 27, 2025

Show notes

Author and pal Mary Kay McBrayer joins us to talk all things Madame Queen, AKA Stephanie St. Claire, mysterious criminal mastermind and numbers genius. Before we jump into discussing Mary Kay’s latest book, Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair, we discuss Hulu's Good American Family, another tale of crime, scams, and a case of a misrepresented age. We dig into the story of Natalia Grace, the way this series compares to the documentary and real-life details of the case, and our general affection for Mark Duplass. If you love true crime, organized crime, or really, any old kind of crime, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
On June 10, come on back for a discussion of The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami, and on June 24 Susie Dumond will be here to discuss The Wedding Banquet – and more importantly, her new book, Bed and Breakup!
TOC
:30 – Welcome, Mary Kay McBrayer! And icebreaker
9:25 – Show intro
11:06 – Shifting perspectives
19:42 – Acting and casting
36:05 – Thoughts on the real case
42:15 – Interview with Mary Kay!
1:13:07 – Feedback
1:16:26 – What’s up next?
The Greatest True Crime Story Ever Told: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatest-true-crime-stories-ever-told/id1718699612
Madame Queen: https://www.amazon.com/Madame-Queen-Underground-Racketeer-Stephanie/dp/0778310655

BSG #106: Don't Trust the Government / When the Wolf Comes Home May 14, 2025

Show notes

None will be spared…when we talk about When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy! Join the Book Squad for a chat about this wild ride of a novel—we talk about the action and pacing, horror subgenres, the characters, mom/dad stuff, and goodness vs. badness. Then we finally read some really old feedback from husband of the pod, Ben (sorry about that, Ben). Tune in on May 27 as special guest Mary Kay McBrayer (author of Madame Queen) drops by to talk about her new book and Good American Family (Hulu). Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode about The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami on June 10. Don’t forget to check out our Patreon and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts while you’re at it!
TOC:
30– Welcome!
10:47–Book intro
12:30–Pacing
18:30– What’s actually happening?
24:49– Theme of Nat Cassidy’s “trilogy”
30:40–The Afterward
40:05–Characters
49:00– The power of improv
51:39– Let’s talk about the dad
1:02:00– Was there any other ending that could’ve happened?
1:14:19–Ratings
1:19:25–Feedback
1:22:23–what’s up next?

Othersode #105: The Animal Community / The White Lotus with Todd Osborne Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

We’re briefly leaving our luxury villas to talk about season three of The White Lotus! Join us as we chat about the cast, the season’s setting, the characters we loved and hated, and what we can learn about the characters based on their book choices. Then we have a long overdue conversation with Todd Osborne about his debut poetry collection, Gatherer. You’ll even be treated to a few readings of his poems in this section of the episode!
Look for our next Bookpisode on May 13th where we’ll be discussing When the Wolf Comes Home, the new novel by Nat Cassidy. Then join us and special guest Mary Kay McBrayer (author of Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair) to talk about Good American Family (Hulu) on May 27.
P.S. Our lil podcast just turned 8 years old! If you’d like to get us a birthday gift, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and consider supporting us on Patreon for just $3/month!
TOC::
30– Welcome, Todd!
10:24–What is White Lotus?
13:09–Cast talk
15:00–Setting
30:00– Characters
54:14– What’s up with the storyline with Rick?
1:05:38– What characters are reading
1:12:46–Interviewing Todd about Gatherer!
1:57:30– What’s up next?
Links -
“One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop- https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47536/one-art
“Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas- https://poets.org/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night
“Morning Rituals” by Todd Osborne- https://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/morning-rituals
Gatherer, available at Belle Point Press- https://bellepointpress.com/products/gatherer

BSG #105: For Peat's Sake / The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

Get ready to listen to us say “peat” about a hundred times because we’re discussing The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister. We talk about the Haddesley sibling dynamics, the infamous Bog Wife herself, the bog as a character, and of course, generational trauma. Join us and special guest Todd Osborne (husband of the pod) on April 29 for a special one-year celebration of his poetry collection, Gatherer, and a chat about The White Lotus season three. Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode about When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy on May 13. Feeling extra supportive this week? Head over to our Patreon and consider supporting us for just $3/month! Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts, and we’ll read it on the pod!
TOC
0:30 – Get on our Patreon, and icebreaker
12:14 – Book intro
16:20 – Siblings and their relationship dynamics
33:33 – Who is the bog wife?
44:00 – The bog is a character
52:00 – How did they stay isolated?
56:20 – Generational trauma and the patriarchy
1:03:20 – Ratings
1:06:18 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next?
Links: https://electricliterature.com/in-kay-chronisters-novel-a-father-is-sacrificed-for-a-bog-wife-who-never-arrives/

Othersode #104: Cooch to the Wind / A Scythe & Sparrow Hatepisode Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

It’s appropriate this book involves a circus because we about to clown on it. Join the squad for a Hatepisode about Brynn Weaver’s Scythe & Sparrow, the third installment in the Ruinous Love Trilogy. After Mary gives us an overview of the other two books, we get a special review of Butcher & Blackbird by Emily’s dad, Charlie. Then we talk about the cringeworthy “trigger warnings” and then spend a lot of time dissecting the “spice,” which is not as transgressive as it thinks it is. After we barely survive this discussion, we get into some listener feedback. Read along for our next Bookpisode about The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister on April 15th. Then join us April 29th for an Othersode about season 3 of The White Lotus, plus a conversation with Todd about his poetry collection, Gatherer.
Have you read any of the Ruinous Love Trilogy? We need to hear from you. Email us at thesquad@booksquadgoals.com or DM us on social media! Also, are you a patron yet? Support us on Patreon for only $3 a month and get a monthly newsletter of pet photos!
TOC
1:11 — Icebreaker question
13:15—Charlie's review
35:30—The spice!
45:28—Dialogue during sex scenes
47:00—The audiobook--man doing man voice
47:27—Cringy sex scene reading
50:12—Ask a Man
55:51—Marriage: why?
58:00—The epilogue
1:03—1 star reviews
1:09—Feedback

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