Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @bstolemyremoteJessica: @WeWhoWalkHere / @MonsterBooksPodHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @bstolemyremoteJenny: @jennyleighx33 / Jenny's review for the Austin ChronicleHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brenna:Concrete Rose by Angie ThomasGiant Days by John AllisonJoe:Ragnorak S1 (Netflix)Fate: The Winx Saga S1 (Netflix)March Hold List:Once Upon A Quinceanera by Monica Gomez-HiraBruised  by Tanya BotejuApril 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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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:BrennaAshley Garcia S2: Genius in Love (Netflix)Bloom by Kevin Panetta Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell  & Faith Erin HicksJoeRagnorak S1 (Netflix)Wanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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:Feminist Mormon HousewivesSucking the Quileute DryReckoning with Twilight, 10 years laterWanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 LevithanDarius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib KhorramLong Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason ReynoldsJoe:PEN15Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-GarciaSlay by Brittney MorrisWanna connect with the show? Follow us at our new Twitter handle @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 colourFlood, Allison. "Number of young adult writers of colour doubles to almost 20%" The Guardian. Sept 29, 2020Joe , 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, 2010Plus: 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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

 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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.