All in Good Storytime πŸ“š Episode 8

All in Good Storytime is an interactive, bookish, book club podcast hosted by Alanna, Katya, and Tia. To join the club, make sure you're following us on Twitter to get updates on what book we're reading and to what chapter we are reading through (or what anime we're watching and what episode we are watching through), and listen to the podcast here or on iTunes (see link below) to join in on the discussion. Read along!

In the eighth episode of All in Good Storytime, we discuss episodes five through eight of The Eccentric Family. We discuss the events that led up to the death of the father of the Shimogamo family, recap a dinner with the Friday Fellows, have a deep conversation about what it means to eat what you love, and discover why Yaijiro is stuck as a frog. Finally, we rant about how casually some tanuki accept their death and how uncaring humans are about the sentience of the tanuki they eat, and learn that tanuki are real creatures that ride the train in Kyoto.

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The Beguiled πŸ’˜ Film Review



Written by Thelonia


The Beguiled began life as a novel (originally titled A Painted Devil by Thomas Cullinan), was adapted into a film in 1971 (starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page), and has now been brought back to the cinema by Sofia Coppola, who works the film into aesthetic beauty with a tense narrative, but who also falls prey to many of her cultural blind spots.

Okja πŸ– Film Review


 

Written by Thelonia


I had high hopes going into Okja. I really enjoyed director Bong Joon-ho’s previous film, 2013’s Snowpiercer, and Okja, produced by Netflix, promised to be a feel-good adventure-filled romp built around a young girl and her superpig. I even defended it when shit went down at Cannes and it got booed for forgoing movie release standards.

But what I got instead when I sat myself down for an animal caper was a solid two hours of misery and heavy-handed condemnation of the meat industry.

No Improvement Podcast πŸ‘― Episode 21


No Improvement is a sort-of-funny talk show that explores the vast, untapped potential of TV shows, books, films, and more. Quill & Slate blog runners Thelonia and Tia review—and then reimagine—the stories you know and love until you can barely recognize them anymore. Hopefully in a good way. And if not, well, we hope you are still entertained.

In the 21st episode of No Improvement, we take a look at the third episode of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale (check out the book as well and our podcast on that) and talk about what we liked, what we didn't like, how we would improve it, and where we hope the story will go.

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All in Good Storytime πŸ“š Episode 7

All in Good Storytime is an interactive, bookish, book club podcast hosted by Alanna, Katya, and Tia. To join the club, make sure you're following us on Twitter to get updates on what book we're reading and to what chapter we are reading through (or what anime we're watching and what episode we are watching through), and listen to the podcast here or on iTunes (see link below) to join in on the discussion. Read along!

In the seventh episode of All in Good Storytime, we begin watching The Eccentric Family an anime based on a 2007 Japanese comedy-drama novel written by Tomihiko Morimi. In The Eccentric Family we are introduced to a group of tanuki and tengu in Kyoto. Tanuki are mischevious shape-shifters and Tengu are bird-like creatures.

The protagonist is a Tanuki named Yasaburo of the Shimogamo family. He was once taught by a Tengu, Professor Akadama, along with a mysterious human woman with Tengu powers named Benten. We explore the love connections that Benten has formed, discuss the hot pot induced death of the father of the Shimogamo family, make predictions regarding an arranged marraige, plan our vacation to Kyoto, gush over how cute Tanuki are, and complain about the rude Professor.

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No Improvement Podcast πŸ‘― Episode 20


No Improvement is a sort-of-funny talk show that explores the vast, untapped potential of TV shows, books, films, and more. Quill & Slate blog runners Thelonia and Tia review—and then reimagine—the stories you know and love until you can barely recognize them anymore. Hopefully in a good way. And if not, well, we hope you are still entertained.

In the 20th episode of No Improvement, we take a look at the second episode of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale (check out the book as well and our podcast on that) and talk about what we liked, what we didn't like, how we would improve it, and where we hope the story will go.

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What Remains of Edith Finch 😭 Video Game Review


 

Written by Thelonia


There's a curse on the Finches. From mysterious murders to bath-time accidents to strange disappearances, the family is just unlucky in life (and, more often, death). In this 2017 game from developers Giant Sparrow, you play as Edith Finch, a young girl who returns to her childhood home to uncover the secrets of her family - and to maybe understand the family curse once and for all.

All in Good Storytime πŸ“š Episode 6

All in Good Storytime is an interactive, bookish, book club podcast hosted by Alanna, Katya, and Tia. To join the club, make sure you're following us on Twitter to get updates on what book we're reading and to what chapter we are reading to, and listen to the podcast here or on iTunes (coming soon!) to join in on the discussion. Read along!

In the sixth episode of All in Good Storytime, we discuss the final section of Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. The biologist is now all alone on her expedition in Area X and she seeks to uncover its mysteries before her time runs out. Here we discuss the relationship between the crawler and the lighthouse keeper, recap an attack by the crawler in the tower, talk about witches, and examine the physical nature of the border. We finish by considering what purpose doppelgΓ€ngers might serve outside of Area X, concluding that brain monsters are fake news, and imagining a relationship between a dolphin and the biologist.

Next week we'll be watching The Eccentric Family. Be sure to watch the first four episodes to follow along with us!

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No Improvement Podcast πŸ‘― Episode 19



No Improvement is a sort-of-funny talk show that explores the vast, untapped potential of TV shows, books, films, and more. Quill & Slate blog runners Thelonia and Tia review—and then reimagine—the stories you know and love until you can barely recognize them anymore. Hopefully in a good way. And if not, well, we hope you are still entertained.

In the 19th episode of No Improvement, we take a look at the first episode of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale (check out the book as well and our podcast on that) and talk about what we liked, what we didn't like, how we would improve it, and where we hope the story will go.

Subscribe on iTunes!

All in Good Storytime πŸ“š Episode 5

All in Good Storytime is an interactive, bookish, book club podcast hosted by Alanna, Katya, and Tia. To join the club, make sure you're following us on Twitter to get updates on what book we're reading and to what chapter we are reading to, and listen to the podcast here or on iTunes (coming soon!) to join in on the discussion. Read along!

In the fifth episode of All in Good Storytime, we discuss the third and fourth sections of Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. We continue following the biologist on a mysterious mission to Area X, which has cost the rest of her teammates their lives. We question the origins of the eerily humanoid plants and animals that inhabit Area X, share predictions about the biologist's nickname "ghost bird," discuss the meaning of the "brightness" that infects the biologist, investigate the meaning of the lighthouse, and finish by analyzing similarities between The Lorax and Princess Mononoke.

Subscribe on iTunes!

No Improvement Podcast πŸ‘― Episode 18



No Improvement is a sort-of-funny talk show that explores the vast, untapped potential of TV shows, books, films, and more. Quill & Slate blog runners Thelonia and Tia review—and then reimagine—the stories you know and love until you can barely recognize them anymore. Hopefully in a good way. And if not, well, we hope you are still entertained.

In the 17th episode of No Improvement, we talk about our monthly favorites in movies, tv shows, and books.

Next time on No Improvement, we'll be starting Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. Catch up on the book the show is adapted from on our sister podcast at All in Good Storytime.

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