Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

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: @bstolemyremoteHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the fol

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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 adaptationWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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." PolygonWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremoteHave 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 i

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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

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

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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: @bstolemyremoteHave 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.

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: @jennyleighx33Have 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.