It's easy, breezy time as Brenna and Joe check out our first Jennifer E. Smith text with Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2015) and Michael Lewen's 2022 Netflix adaptation.

This feels like a classic first year HKHS combo: a beach-read book and an enjoyably slight romantic film, anchored by likeable leads. We're especially shocked at the negative reviews for the latter!

Plus: our fave stops on the tour, Jordan Fisher's music, Joe's frustration with book Clare, and a surprising film development around diverse inclusion.

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” 

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A quick reminder that your responses to Sarah Dessen's Just Listen is due Friday, June 20.

And also: the announcement of our July 2025 selection, which is Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After (2018). If you wanna read along, the due date for responses for July is Friday, July 18.

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” 

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Brenna and Joe return with their first book to film adaptation episode with a discussion of Scott Westerfeld's 2005 dystopian novel Uglies and the long delayed 2024 film adaptation by McG.

This is...a miss. The book has extremely shallow commentary and has editing issues, while the film has (yes) ugly CGI hoverboard action and an unconvincing love interest. And then there's Laverne Cox as a villain who forces children to undergo surgery, which is just unfortunate considering the current political transphobic moment. Yikes!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @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” 

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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 adaptation

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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." Polygon

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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Brenna and Joe are joined by Conrad Chambers, Joe's co-host from The Queer Gaze podcast, to discuss 2023 UK gay coming of age film Bonus Track.

It's a little bit slight, albeit full of charming performances and nicely fills the gap left by Heartstopper and Sex Education.

Plus: nepo babies, a Josh O'Connor cameo, and confusion about the period setting.

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)

> Conrad: @thequeergaze

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com 

Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” 

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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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: @jennyleighx33

Have 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

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On this week's mailbag, Brenna stumbled onto a Library Thing list created by norabelle414 that has documented all of the books we've read. We love it! Send us all the things you use the show for!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have a mail bag question or a comment about book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us

> Stolen (Ann-Helén Laestadius, 2023) - Submit by July 3

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Thanks to listener Alex, Brenna and Joe head to South Africa to discuss conscription, Apartheid, and queer New Adults in André Carl van der Merwe's semi-autobiographical 2006 novel Moffie and Oliver Hermanus' 2019 film adaptation.

This is a rough one! Apart from the homophobia we expected from a military narrative, there's also plenty of racism, misogyny, and animal death.

Each text has something to recommend: the book is poetic and rich with detail, while the film's scenery and a key long take flashback are stunning.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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Following Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, listener Tea, Books & Chocolate writes in to recommend books about menstruation, including Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure and The Naming by Alison Croggon.

Plus: real life stories and Joe's fave pop culture euphemism!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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

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After 50 years and a few delays, we're *finally* talking about Kelly Fremon Craig's Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, only our second Judy Blume adaptation! (We previously talked about the book in our third Book Club episode)

Brenna and Joe adore this gentle, charming adaptation which maintains the gist of the iconic book, with expanded screen time for Rachel McAdams's Barbara and a stuntcast grandma (Kathy Bates).

Plus: period comedy, resisting Hollywood conflict, showing blood on screen, and a last minute catch from Brenna about gendered language.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Ready for a discussion neither Brenna or Joe wanted to have? We're ready to tackle Matthew Quick's 2010 novel Sorta Like A Rock Star and Brett Haley's 2020 (confusingly retitled) All Together Now...so that we never have to talk about them again.

We're unhappy with both texts for different reasons. Quick's grating prose, inauthentic voice, and unbelievable characters are deal breakers, and while the film correctly diversifies the cast, it squanders its musical components and leans into the underlying "deserving poor" theme of the book. We can't lie: these texts are just bad!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Brenna and Joe are back for another mailbag, with recommendations from Tea, Books and Chocolate, gentle criticism about Heartstopper S03 and a call to action from Miriam, and request for coverage about child actor exploitation on set from Victoria.

Want to recommend a book or participate in a new iteration of Banned Book Club? Contribute your suggestions in this open Google Doc: https://tinyurl.com/mryhx96a!

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” 

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On this week's mailbag, Tea, Books & Chocolate follows up on her Book Club email and zeroes in on the trans elements of Naomi Kanakia's We Are Totally Normal.

Plus: Brenna ponders TB&C's question about a "white lady pipeline" from slash or fan fiction to Goodreads reviewer.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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We're back with a contentious book club pick in Naomi Kanakia's We Are Totally Normal (2020), which is light on plot and big on (unimportant?) HS politics, frank sex, and questioning sexuality.

With help from listeners Victoria and Tea, Books & Chocolate, Brenna and Joe unpack this divisive pick, grant it leeway considering its timing with Kanakia's own coming out as a trans woman and raise the alarm over Goodreads criticisms that it's "not gay enough."

Reference:

Naomi Kanakia. "If you dislike my novel, you’re really not alone!" Woman of Letters

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Brenna and Joe travel to Germany for Andreas Steinhöfel's 1998 novel The Center of the World and (arbitrary title change alert!) Jakob M. Erwa's 2016 film adaptation, Center Of My World.

While this boy-led / dysfunctional family / coming of age narrative is quite long, it is incredibly well-constructed and features fascinating characters.

The film's reliance on sex and sexuality, however, feels very "queer film festival circuit". We both like it, but in trying to adapt too many key moments, Erwa simplifies the book's richness, particularly nuanced characters like Nicolas and Dianne.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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On this week's mailbag, we hear from Swedish listener Evelina about reparations for the Sami people and we endeavour to read Stolen by Ann-Helené Laestadius for Book Club.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Brenna and Joe head to Sweden to discuss Amanda Kernell's 2016 film, Sami Blood. Thanks to listener Alex for recommending this one!

This film is beautiful, features great performances, and is also very tough to watch as an Indigenous girl faces racist treatment and ultimately rejects her culture.

Plus: needing additional context for the Sami people, comparisons to Canada's residential schools, and complaints about the framing device!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Our eyes are watering (from all the dust in the air, of course) as we give thanks to listeners Aimee and Tea, Books and Chocolate for their recent emails, which highlight an adaptations bulletin board and a book series recommendation for Brenna's son, Groot.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Raise your boombox and get your yearbook signed because we're talking Cameron Crowe's feature directorial debut, Say Anything (1989). Along for the ride is super fan Mike Snoonian of The Pod & The Pendulum and Psychoanalysis.

This is a very sweet romance and we will fight anyone who says otherwise (looking at you, contemporary revisionist takes)

Plus: Clash t-shirts, John Cusack's iconic Lloyd, bad adults, why Ione Skye never quite broke out, and more!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

> Mike: @mike_snoonian

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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On this week's mailbag, Joe makes a correction about listener Miriam, who also provides insight into what books are translated in the Netherlands.

Plus: we revisit an email from Tea, Books & Chocolate to discuss teaching diverse texts, relatability and Joe ponders where that intersects with likeability.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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It's disaffected middle class white boy problems as Brenna and Joe tackle Walter Kirn's 1999 novel Thumbsucker and Mike Mills' directorial debut from 2005.

While the book took some time to get into, we're both big fans of the third part which explores converting to Mormonism. The film, however, completely omits that section, favouring Garden State musical montages that feel so 2000s.

Plus: child abuse, Holden Caulfield comparisons, handy js, the film's stuntcasting, and arguably one of the worst father characters we've ever encountered!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Brenna and Joe are making it up to listener Jane, who we neglected to mention had previously written in about translated texts.

We're continuing the conversation about translation, plus expanding the discussion to include popular/mass market texts and accessibility.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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Brenna and Joe return to discuss My Old Ass (2024), our second Megan Park text (after The Fallout).

Don't let the title put you off! This is an extremely sweet and charming coming of age film, although as listener Spencer wondered: is this more for millennials than actual teens?

We tackle the question, as well as the hilarious reverse "coming out" scene, which parts made us cry, and why we hope Park continues to surround herself with female talent to tell more stories about girlhood.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @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” 

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It's time for another book club and we have three listeners (Tea, Books, and Chocolate, Victoria, and Addie) who contributed their thoughts on Eric Gansworth's 2020 memoir in verse, Apple: Skin to the Core.

We discuss why this is a memoir and not a collection of poetry, how Gansworth hooks readers and uses pop culture subversions, its depiction of queerness, and the materiality of the physical tome.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (2021)

> May 16: Ready When You Are (aka The Boy from the Mish) by Gary Lonesborough (2022)

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On this week's mailbag, Joe and Brenna go deep on a line in listener Laura's email pushing back on the challenges of reading a translated text.

After apologizing for the faux pas, we debate the accessibility of translated texts, how it informs cultural structures and what story that tells.

Plus: a call to arms for foreign listeners particularly

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2021)

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We're headed to Berlin thanks to listener Alma's suggestion to check out famed German author Erich Kästner's Emil and the Detectives (1929), as well as its 1964 Disney adaptation by Peter Tewksbury.

This new-to-us middle grade book is a *massive* bestseller and survived eradication from the Nazis, so we feel pretty silly not having it on our radar. The shot on location film, however, is both too childish and too scary.

Plus: why can no one pronounce Emil's name and what was Walt Disney's secret plans for Roger Mobley (Gustav)?

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2021)

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This week we're responding to listener Kaetlyn's email about Roald Dahl's books being edited, why this isn't censorship, and how the culture war outrage is selective to certain groups.

Plus: a bonus conversation about whether creatives should enter review spaces to challenge takes they disagree with (short answer: no!)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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We've been good for too long, so it's time for some raunch courtesy of Natalie Morales' 2021 girls gross out comedy Plan B (seriously heed that R rating!)

Brenna and Joe definitely appreciate the heart and the messaging, but there's some iffy tonal shifts in this one, despite great lead performances and a pair of manic pixie love interests. Strap in because we're going on a road trip!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2021)

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This week's we're tackling listener Keith's question: why do you like YA? Bonus: the question spins us into a bit of a tangent as to why we also like doing the show!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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Brenna and Joe are checking out another Eden Robinson text: her award-winning 2000 novel Monkey Beach, along with Loretta Todd's 2020 adaptation.

While we love the book - with its incisive mix of generational trauma, Haisla life and coming of age narrative - the film doesn't work for us - either as a standalone film or as an adaptation.

The book includes great characters, a gripping narrative, and unflinching deaths, while the film has a handful of great performances (Adam Beach!), but is marred by a terrible script and distractingly bad CGI.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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We're circling back to listener Victoria's email about A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow being chosen as a Reese's Book Club selection, Joe makes a faux pas, and Brenna laments her discounted forever tea.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have 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:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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It's time for Book Club as Brenna and Joe (along with input from listener Tea, Books & Chocolate) discuss Laura Taylor Namey's delightful 2019 romantic drama, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow. This comfort food book feels refreshing thanks to its focus on character as opposed to romance and its ties to place, though there is one strong criticism about its depiction of "Africa."

Still: we're swooning, we're hungry and we can't wait to read the sequel and watch the film adaptation when they come out!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about Own Voices book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

> April 13: We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia (2020)

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Our second week of mailbag brings us questions about Own Voices from listener Tea, Books and Chocolate

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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Brenna and Joe continue their tradition of covering Heartstopper with a look at S03.

We discuss how creator Alice Oseman tackles Charlie's eating disorder and treatment, the absence of Olivia Colman, and look ahead to the fourth (and final) season.

Plus: concerns about Darcy and Tara's subplot, wanting Nick's growth to continue, how the season adapts a multiplicity of texts, and, oh yeah, A LOT of crying.

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” 

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Thanks to a suggestion from listener Toni, Brenna and Joe check out Craig Silvey's celebrated 2009 book Jasper Jones, as well as Indigenous filmmaker Rachel Perkins's 2017 adaptation.

We both really like the book, which is long and takes awhile to get into, but offers a complicated analysis of racism and class in a small Australian town. The film is still good, but too much has been cut out to do the book justice, particularly Toni Collette's Ruth, whose motivations no longer make sense.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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On the inaugural edition of the HKHS mailbag, we discuss a few titles for future coverage courtesy of listener Miriam.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about Own Voices book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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Brenna and Joe *finally* check out S02 of Sterlin Harjo's Reservation Dogs and we're still head over heels for this series. We're not in sync, though: Joe wants the focus to stay on the central four, while Brenna has no problem on the expanded focus.

Plus: overwhelming guest spots, why Cheese and Willie Jack are the best, and the pressure put on the show by the continued lack of other Indigenous TV options.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:

> Feb 17: A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (2019)

> Mar 16: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (2020)

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