Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

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The Umbrella Academy Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

The Kissing Booth Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

The Fault In Our Stars Feb 05, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

The Hate U Give Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

A Discovery Of Witches Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

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)

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

Scott Pilgrim Jan 15, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

Appendix C. Sex Education Jan 15, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

Excerpt B. Interview with Carrianne Leung Jan 08, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

The Scarlet Letter / Easy A Jan 08, 2019

Show notes

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!

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

Appendix B. 2019 YA Forecast Jan 01, 2019

Show notes

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.

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