Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Latest Episodes:

Mailbag 45: Weeding The Library Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

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 Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

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) Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

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 Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

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) Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

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 Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

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 Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

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 <gulp> 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 Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

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) Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

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 Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

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.