Episode 113: ABBAsode with @renatasnacks

In this episode (ABBAsode) we invited @renatasnacks to rank the contents of the 1992 greatest hits release ABBA Gold with us, discussing the relative merits of each track and sharing our personal histories with ABBA. Spoiler: We totally went to Sweden about it.

Links


ABBA Greatest Hits
ABBA Gold
Columbia House
Hannah Montana
Kesha
Lady Gaga: Poker Face
Ace of Base
Gravity Falls/Babba’s Disco Girl/Dungeons Dungeons and More Dungeons

ABBA Gold, ranked:

Track	Song	Renata	Alene	Anna	Score
1	Dancing Queen	10	6	3	19
2	Knowing Me, Knowing You	13	8	6	27
3	Take A Chance On Me	5	7	13	25
4	Mamma Mia	6	4	2	12
5	Lay All Your Love On Me	4	9	10	23
6	Super Trouper	8	18	7	33
7	I Have A Dream	18	15	18	51
8	The Winner Takes It All	17	14	17	48
9	Money, Money, Money	14	12	5	31
10	S.O.S.	3	1	8	12
11	Chiquitita	19	5	19	43
12	Fernando	15	3	9	27
13	Voulez-Vous	2	10	4	16
14	Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)	1	13	11	25
15	Does Your Mother Know	7	17	16	40
16	One Of Us	16	19	14	49
17	The Name Of The Game	11	16	12	39
18	Thank You For The Music	12	11	15	38
19	Waterloo	9	2	1	12

Our winners take it all: Waterloo, S.O.S., Mamma Mia

Erasure: Take a Chance on Me, Abba-Esque
Episode 54: Song Covers
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Jukebox musicals
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream
ABBA Oro
ABBA Mania

Nina Pretty Ballerina
Under Attack
Pick a Bale of Cotton
Hey Hey Helen
When I Kissed The Teacher
Ring Ring
Angel Eyes
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Mamma Mia
The Martian: Waterloo
Miss Congeniality: Dancing Queen
Chess: One Night in Bangkok, Anthem, Embassy Lament

Musical Obsessions
Renata: Dolly Parton’s America podcast: “Mule Skinner Blues”
Anna: Şeftali ağaçları (Turkish folk song)
Alene: “Love Me Like That” by The Knocks feat. Carly Rae Jepsen

Obsessions
Renata: Sarah J. Maas and her horny fairies (Worst Bestsellers episode 99)
Anna: Headliners by Lucy Parker
Alene: They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

Episode 99: Best of 2018

In this episode, we look back over a year of movies, television, music, experiences, and books. We did the same for 2017 in Episode 77, 2016 in Episode 53, and 2015 in Episode 27.

Links

Movies

Black Panther
Crazy Rich Asians
Ocean’s 8
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Love, Simon
Insidious: The Last Key

A Simple Favor
The Meg (Episode 94)
Skyscraper
Looking forward to: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Autostraddle review), The Favourite, The Wife, Mary Queen of Scots, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Mary Poppins Returns

Television

Killing Eve
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

One Day at at Time (Season 2)
The Good Place (Episode 85)

FBI
Black Lightning
A Very English Scandal
Doctor Who

Jesus Christ Superstar Live
Nanette
Looking forward to: Pose, Insecure, Vida, Howards End, Killing Eve, The Good Place, One Day at at Time, Trinkets

Music
“Party for One” by Carly Rae Jepsen
“Thank U, Next” by Ariana Grande

“Pynk” by Janelle Monae
“The Hamilton Polka” by Weird Al Yankovic
Crazy Rich Asians motion picture soundtrack
Looking forward to: “Fake Love” by BTS, “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monae, “Curious” by Hayley Kiyoko, “I Like It” by Cardi B, “Love It If We Made It” by The 1975, Golden Hour (album) by Kacey Musgraves, Mitski, Christine and the Queens, boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen

Experiences

Hamilton (and other live performances)
Royal Weddings
Seattle
Walker’s Shortbread

Books
#libfaves18
Broken Ice by Matt Goldman
Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken? by Kelly Jones
My Life as a Goddess by Guy Branum
Looking forward to: The Shallows by Matt Goldman
Thundercluck by Paul Tillery IV and Meg Wittwer

The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
The Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao
Spellswept by Stephanie Burgis
The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis
The Neighbor by Gerri Hill
Intercepted by Alexa Martin
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Rosewater by Tade Thompson
Zero Sum Game by S. L. Huang
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Treason of Hawks by Lila Bowen


Looking forward to: The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory, The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole, The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee, Jade War by Fonda Lee, The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker, A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian, The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty, The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey, Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Book Riot: 51 New Romance Novels Scheduled for 2019

Musical Obsessions
Anna: Spotify 2018 playlist, “Whistle” by Flo Rida
Alene: “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John

Obsessions
Anna: Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch, read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Alene: Inclusivity

Episode 83: Classical Music Advisory with @Tuphlos

In this episode, we follow up Episode 82 with Classical Music Advisory, bringing back Robin @Tuphlos Bradford (previously our guest on Episode 36) to share her expertise. We learned a lot about Robin’s dark musical past in the process, including her love for the cello and her secret years as a flutist?!

Robin’s sheet music!

Links

Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic
Mstislav Rostropovich
Bagpipe scholarship

Jean-Pierre Rampal
Mozart: Flute Concerto in G Major
Chaminade: Concertino for Flute
Bach: Cello Suites
Ennio Morricone
Rachel Portman
Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B Minor
Johannes Moser
[Gramophone]
Zuill Bailey (Oz)

Yo-Yo Ma (Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor)
Saint-Saens: Cello Concerto in D Minor
Odegaard Undergraduate Library
Dr. Robert Greenberg (Twitter)
The Great Courses: The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works (get it from your library!)

Beethoven: 5th Symphony
Mendelssohn: Italian Symphony
Mozart: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro

The Guardian View on Diversity in Classical Music: Quality and Equality
10 Female Composers You Should Know
Ten Black Composers Whose Works Deserve to be Heard More Often
14 of the Most Influential Latin American Composers of the 20th Century
Classical So White and Male: Time is Overdue for Diversity
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Violin Concerto in G Major
Fanny Hensel (nee Mendelssohn): Overture
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Violin Concerto in G Minor
Florence B. Price: Concerto in One Movement
Mozart Camargo Guarnieri: Three Dances for Orchestra
Silvestre Revueltas: Sensemayá
Fathom Events

13 Best Classical Music Movies
10 of the best (and worst) films about composers
Immortal Beloved
Impromptu
Amadeus
The Red Violin
Fantasia
Fantasia 2000
Shine
Hilary and Jackie

Twelve of the Best: Books Featuring Classical Music
11 Musical Novels That Hit All The Right Notes
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Orfeo by Richard Powers
Mozart in the Jungle by Blair Tindall (also TV)
Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
The Ensemble by Aja Gabel
Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis

Musical Obsessions
Robin: Johannes Moser playing Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor
Anna: first movement of Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony
Alene: “The Hamilton Polka” by Weird Al Yankovic

Obsessions
Robin: YouTubing cellists
Anna: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
Alene: My Lady’s Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris

Episode 82: Classical Music Favorites

In this episode, we talk about our favorite classical pieces and our recent live symphony experiences.

Also: our What to Watch Next Bracket poll results! By the will of the popular vote (or the person/s with the most ways of accessing the internet), we will be watching The Good Place.

The playlist for this episode is on Spotify.

Links

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven: Für Elise
Seattle Symphony
Tanglewood

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
Classic King FM
Mozart Piano Concerto no. 21 “Elvira Madigan”
Amadeus
Mozart: Turkish March
elizabethruth on Instagram
Mozart: Requiem
Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik

Ravel: Bolero
Torvill & Dean 1984 Gold Medal Ice Dancing Routine
Tchaikovsky: Final Waltz & Apotheosis
Great Courses: The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works
San Francisco Chronicle: “Classical So White and Male: The Time is Overdue for Diversity”
Handel: Hallelujah Chorus (stand up)
Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Beethoven: 5th Symphony
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra/2001: A Space Odyssey
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini/Somewhere in Time
Pachelbel: Canon in D

Satie: Gymnopedie
Rossini: William Tell Overture
Beethoven: Pathétique
Beethoven: 7th Symphony
Billy Joel: This Night
Vivaldi: Four Seasons
Star Trek/Star Wars Spectacular
John Williams

Musical Obsessions
“Belle of the Ball” by Leroy Anderson
“Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty

Obsessions
A Wrinkle in Time
One Day at a Time

Episode 61: The Daughter of Time Deep Dive with @twobossydames

We joined forces with Margaret and Sophie of Two Bossy Dames to take a closer look at the 1951 mystery classic The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Much cleverness, and many readalikes and watchalikes, ensued. PLUS: A Young Olds discussion of Harry Styles and his debut single.

Links
The Two Bossy Dames wall clock
Simini Blocker
Persuasion Deep Dive
Derek Jacobi reads The Daughter of Time
“Decades After Her Death, Mystery Still Surrounds Crime Novelist Josephine Tey” (Vanity Fair)
History in the Archives by Natalie Zemon Davis
Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg

The Lion in Winter
The White Queen
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
“How Can This Be So Gripping? Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time” by Jo Walton
Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
“Five Things We’ve Learned about Richard III Since He Was Found” (CNN)
Richard III by William Shakespeare
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
“Tonypandy” (Wikipedia): “Grant adopts the term “Tonypandy” to describe widely believed historical myths, such as the supposed shootings at the Tonypandy Riots, and believes popular accounts of Richard’s activities to fall into this category.”
Kenyon College
Denison University
Colleges that Change Lives

Reign
Brat Farrar
To Love and Be Wise

Readalikes and Watchalikes
The Hollow Crown (Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 and 2, Henry V)
The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir
The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman
Hild by Nicola Griffith

The Usual Suspects
The Singing Detective

Lady Jane
Jo Walton’s Small Change series (Farthing, Ha’penny, Half a Crown)
Hamilton: An American Musical
Richard III: The King in the Car Park
Richard III: Martyr or Monster?
The King’s Grave: The Discovery of Richard III’s Lost Burial Place and the Clues it Holds by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones
The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters
The Wench is Dead by Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse)
To Prove a Villain by Guy Townsend
The Josephine Tey mysteries by Nicola Upson
O’ Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Rear Window
Dorothy Dunnett (start with The Game of Kings)
Val McDermid
Tana French

Musical Obsessions
Margaret: “Let’s Get Out of This Country” by Camera Obscura
Anna: “Fall Apart Again” by Brandi Carlile
Alene: “Welcome to New York” off the Greatest City in the World Spotify playlist
Sophie: “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles

Honorable mention musical obsession

Obsessions

Sophie: Harry Styles/One Direction
Margaret: Please Like Me (see also Disappointing Gay Best Friend)

Anna: An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
Alene: Fleabag

Episode 60: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season One

We discuss the winner of our What to Watch Next Bracket challenge: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Links

“Where’s the Bathroom?”

“I Could if I Wanted To”

“I’m So Good at Yoga”
Glee
Musicals with Rebecca (Episode 49)
Girl Groups Galore with Margaret (Episode 34)
Paste: All 39 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Songs, Ranked
Glen Weldon: Updated! The 100% Definitive, Empirical, Ruthlessly Objective, I-Will-Brook-No-Dissent Ranking of Every Song From Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season One
Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella
Lea Salonga

Men at Work
“Diet Coke Break”
“New York City Beat” by RuPaul and Michelle Visage

Musical Obsessions
Alene: “Waiting for My Real Life to Begin” by Colin Hay
Anna: “New York City” by They Might Be Giants

The Greatest City in the World playlist on Spotify

Obsessions
Anna: Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Alene: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Episode 54: Song Covers with @AmandaStretch

 

 

In this episode, we talked about cover songs, because Hamilton Mixtape. We brought in @AmandaStretch, a librarian and musicologist, all the way from Japan to lend our conversation gravitas. Also, we made a playlist!

Links
The Atlantic: The Hamilton Mixtape, a Love Letter to a Love Story
The Hollywood Reporter: Lin-Manuel Miranda Teases Songs From Second ‘Hamilton Mixtape’

Tom’s Diner
Nolo: When You Need Permission to Sample Others’ Music
Who Did It First?: Rhythm and Blues, Pop, Rock and Roll

Buzzfeed: 31 Cover Songs That Didn’t Pull A “No Homo” By Changing The Pronouns
Trolls
Sing
Two Bossy Dames: Molly Weasley, Acoustic Guitar Crimes, and Additional Ephemera
Pitch Perfect (Pitch Perfect 2)
Weird Al

Vitamin String Quartet
“Roar” by Maco (Katy Perry)
“Band of Gold” by Belinda Carlisle (Freda Payne)
“Across the Universe” by Rufus Wainwright, Moby, and Sean Lennon

The Voice
“Love Lockdown” by Janina Gavankar (Kanye West)
“Wrecking Ball” by Haim (Miley Cyrus)
“…Baby One More Time” by Travis (Britney Spears)
“Shake it Off” by Meghan Trainor (Taylor Swift)
The Baseballs
The Puppini Sisters
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
Ryan Adams and Taylor Swift
“Stairway to Heaven” by Dolly Parton (Led Zeppelin)

Who Sampled
Napster: The 100 Best Muddy Waters Covers
Napster: The 80s Cover the 60s
Rebeat: 10 Covers of ’60s Songs That Were More Successful in the ’80s
Rebeat: 10 Covers of ’60s Songs That Hit #1 in the ’70s
Paste: 50 Cover Songs Better Than the Originals
Diffuser: 17 Cover Songs Better Than the Originals
Buzzfeed: 21 Cover Songs That Make You Realize How Amazing The Originals Were

Musical Obsessions
Amanda: “Heaven is a Place On Earth” by Katie Thompson (Belinda Carlisle)
Anna: “Faint of Heart” by Tegan and Sara
Alene: “100x” by Tegan and Sara

Obsessions
Amanda: Japan (also: Japan), Habitica
Anna: Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon
Alene: Crock-Pot

Amanda’s blog.
And do you know about Mango Languages? Use it free through your local library!

Episode 53: Movie Advisory and Best of 2016

 

In this episode, we talk about movies we’ve seen since our last movie advisory (episode 35), share our picks for best of 2016, and squeal over what we’re looking forward to in 2017.

Links

Movie Advisory
Love and Friendship
Finding Dory
From The Washington Post: How Finding Dory and Finding Nemo Deal Beautifully With Disabilities
The Secret Life of Pets
Trolls
Kubo and the Two Strings

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
From Slate: J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts Flirts With Gay Allegory. Its Sequels Should Go All the Way.
Witch, Please: Roaring Anachronisms and Where To Find Them

Moana
From Bustle: Moana Kicking The Love Interest Storyline To The Curb May Not Be Something To Celebrate

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
Bridget Jones’s Baby
Queen of Katwe

Rogue One
Moonlight
From The Atlantic: Moonlight Is a Film of Uncommon Grace
Fences

Best of 2016

Movies
Deadpool, Finding Dory, Love and Friendship, Moana, Moonlight, Trolls, Ghostbusters

Books
#libfaves16
American Housewife by Helen Ellis
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Behind the Throne/After the Crown by KB Wagers
Hold Me by Courtney Milan
A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson

Television
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Conviction, The Crown, Steven Universe, Supergirl Pending: Stranger Things, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Music
Soundtracks: Moana, Trolls, Hamilton, Hamilton Mixtape
Love You To Death by Tegan and Sara
Musical Obsessions Playlist

Other
Tater Tot Casserole (or this recipe)
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel
Styling/Volumizing Powder

In Memoriam

Looking Forward to in 2017

Movies
Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Ghost in the Shell, Murder on the Orient Express, Hidden Figures, Fate of the Furious, Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Despicable Me 3, Pitch Perfect 3, Beauty and the Beast, It, Baywatch, Power Rangers, Wonder Woman, Fifty Shades Darker, Before I Fall, Annihilation, Star Wars Episode 8
From E!: Movie Preview 2017: 84 Films You Should Know About in the New Year

Music
Spirit from Depeche Mode
Katy Perry, Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson, Fergie, Icona Pop, Lorde, Taylor Swift
From Billboard: 2017 Music Preview: 40 Most Anticipated Albums

Books
Illuminae Files #3 by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch
Buried Heart by Kate Elliott (Court of Fives #3)
Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn
#fridayreads
Gone to Dust by Matt Goldman
Avon romance authors: Sarah Maclean, Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Tessa Dare
From The Millions: Most Anticipated: The Great 2017 Book Preview

Television
Star Trek Discovery, Emerald City, American Gods, Twin Peaks, Riverdale
From A.V. Club: The A.V. Club Tells You What to Watch in 2017

Musical Obsessions
Alene: Club Tropicana by Wham! UK (La Isla Bonita by Madonna)
Anna: Careless Whisper by Wham!, Freedom! ’90 by George Michael

Obsessions
Alene: Pusheen
Anna: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Episode 50: Comfort with Carolyn

 

We made it to fifty episodes! In this very special post-election installment of Bellwether Friends, we talked to founding Friend Carolyn about comforting pop culture (and food) to consume when we’re trying to recharge our batteries.

Via Two Bossy Dames,  “A post specifically for white women from a white woman”

Code Switch, “A Muslim and a Mexican Walk into a Bar…”

Still Processing, “The Day After”

Music

Bustle, “52 Songs To Cheer You Up Every Time”

“One Way Road” by John Butler Trio
“My IQ” by Ani DiFranco
“Born Free” by MIA
“Sheep” and”Sitting on a Fence” by The Housemartins
Spotify playlists: 80s Ladies for Margaret
Hamilton Mixtape
Inc.com, “Neuroscience Says Listening to This Song Reduces Anxiety by Up to 65 Percent”
“Borderline (An Ode to Self Care)” by Solange
“I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan

“Stop” by Spice Girls
“Hasa Diga Eebowai” from The Book of Mormon
“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten

Television

30 Rock
The Muppet Show
Law and Order
Gilmore Girls
The West Wing
Sports Night
Quantico
Sleepy Hollow Season One
Arrow
The Shannara Chronicles

The Dresden Files
Person of Interest
The Flash
Dateline

Endeavor
Inspector Morse
Grantchester

Movies

Best in Show
Charade
D.E.B.S.
Fire
Saving Face
Pitch Perfect
Love Actually
Shaun of the Dead
The Sure Thing
Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies
Pretty in Pink
Sisters
Kate McKinnon

Books

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Vorkogisan series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Latin@ Rising: An Anthology of Latin@ Science Fiction and Fantasy
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough
The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood, read by Stephanie Daniel
#booksfighthate
@diversebooks

Food

27 Uplifting Foods to Get You Through Uncertain Times
Mushroom Marsala Pasta Bake
Dill pickle Halfpops

Other

Coloring
Candletime
Warm Beverages
Crafting

Obsessions

Anna: Lego sets
Alene: Supergirl recaps on Autostraddle

Carolyn: Cider with bourbon

Musical Obsessions

Anna: “They Don’t Know” by Ariana Grande from Trolls
Alene: “Get Back Up Again” by Anna Kendrick from Trolls
Carolyn: “U-Turn” by Tegan and Sara

Episode 47: Audiobooks with @Nerdista

 

 

We talked with our friend Paula (aka @Nerdista) to talk about a variety of hot topics and burning questions related to audiobooks. Anna had some trouble managing with twice the normal number of Alenes.

Links
Bangs
“And the Audie Goes To…” Library Journal article
More from Anna (2010)
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
As Far As Your Brain Is Concerned, Audiobooks Are Not ‘Cheating’ New York Magazine article
13 Audiobooks That Make Every Drive Worth It
36 Best Audiobooks For Your Road Trip

Breakthrough Audiobooks
Alene: Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling read by Jim Dale
Anna: Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich read by Lorelei King (and others)
Paula: Agatha Raisin mysteries by M. C. Beaton read by Penelope Keith

Favorite Narrators
Jim Dale
Bronson Pinchot
George Newbern
Simon Vance: Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
Kate Reading: Bellwether by Connie Willis
Stephanie Daniel: Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood
Wil Wheaton: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Redshirts by John Scalzi
Jeremy Irons: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Steven Weber: Myron Bolitar books by Harlan Coben, It by Stephen King
Davina Porter: Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
Katherine Kellgren: Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood

Full Cast Productions
Tamora Pierce
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
As You Wish by Cary Elwes

Cary Elwes finds Alene fascinating

Read by the Author
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Krakatoa, The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester
The Clancys of Queens by Tara Clancy

Best Experience/Recommendations
Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, read by James Marsters
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, read by Simon Slater
Temeraire books by Naomi Novik, read by Simon Vance
Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold, read by Grover Gardner
Dublin Murder Squad books by Tana French, read by various
SPQR by Mary Beard, read by Phyllida Nash
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, read by the author
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, read by Dan O’Grady
The Passage by Justin Cronin

Musical Obsessions
Anna: “We Used To Be Friends” by The Dandy Warhols
Paula: “Tilted” by Christine and the Queens
Alene: “#1 Spice” by Young Cardamom & HAB

Obsessions
Paula: My Favorite Murder podcast, Wallander
Anna: Goldie Vance , Crossover Appeal podcast*
Alene: Law & Order mothership , bacon cheeseburgers

*Anna has now listened to all of this, and it’s great!

Episode 45: Comedy Hour with Shayera Tangri

Shayera Tangri joined us from the other coast to discuss funny books, movies, television, and other humorous pop culture. Much pun was had by all.

Toughest audience ever

Lewis Black

BuzzFeed: 21 Puns
BuzzFeed: Clever Jokes
Punderdome
O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships
A Chocolate Moose for Dinner by Fred Gwynne
Bennet Cerf
Silver Woven in my Hair by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
Garfield
Ghostbusters

Holtzmann

Funny Movies
Blazing Saddles
Best in Show
Spaceballs
Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Blades of Glory
Semi-Pro

Funny TV Shows
Waiting for God
30 Rock
Scrubs
Parks and Recreation
Black Books
Great British Bake Off
Rupaul’s Drag Race
Suburgatory

Funny Books
Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen by P. G. Wodehouse

Wooster and  Jeeves

Pest Control by Bill Fitzhugh
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (caaaaaake)
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Gail Carriger
Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
Shelly Laurenston/G. A. Aiken

Live Comedy

Eddie Izzard

Two Dope Queens: Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams (PARENTAL ADVISORY: EXPLICIT)
Eddie Murphy: Raw

Funny Twitter
@mysadcat (@cox_tom)
@kenjennings
@sblackmoore
@dog_rates
@darth
@altonbrown
@rstevens
@renatasnacks
Take My Wife @cameronesposito and @rheabutcher
The Bugle

Musical Obsessions
Alene: “Dancing With Myself“by The Donnas
Shayera: “Everlong” by Foo Fighters (also acoustic), “Just Like Fire” by P!nk
Anna: “God is a DJ” by P!nk

Obsessions
Anna: Acorns (the nut. really.)
Shayera: Tsum Tsums
Alene: Fried dough

Episode 44: Star Trek and Bullet Journaling, Oh Myyy!

In this episode we discuss Star Trek (TV and movie iterations) and the organizational tactic/life-wrangling practice known as the bullet journal. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?

Links

Star Trek Memory Alpha Wiki
@picardtips
Star Trek Beyond
Eddie Izzard on Star Trek
Star Trek Discovery (coming in 2017)

Janeway and Seven of Nine

Spock

Eight Space Operas Written by Women

Star Trek Official 50th Anniversary Convention

Extra Hot Great’s Star Trek Fantasy Draft

Bullet Journals
Getting Started
Mental Health
Bookish Ideas
Staples Arc/Levenger Circa

Musical Obsessions
Alene: “Rise” by Katy Perry
Anna: “Reaper” by Sia
Mark and Sarah Talk About Songs

Obsessions

Alene: Single Malt Scotch
Anna: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid (coming November 2016)

Gene Wilder

Silver Streak

 

Episode 41: We Love Historical Romance!

For this episode, we talked with Cory Eckert (aka @helenstwin aka Joint Chief of Storytime Underground) for a discussion on historical romance tropes, types, and favorites. We apologize in advance for sound quality issues that we had during recording.

Links

Sarah MacLean’s Recommended List of Romance Novels

Lace by Shirley Conran

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Jane Feather

Georgette Heyer

Patricia Veryan

Kathleen Woodiwiss

Victoria Dahl
Lisa Kleypas
Laura Lee Guhrke
Amanda Quick
Betina Krahn
A Lily Among Thorns by Rose Lerner
Celeste Bradley
Joanna Bourne
Deanna Raybourn‘s Lady Julia Grey mysteries
C. S. Harris’s Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries
Sherry Thomas
Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series
Stephanie Laurens’s Cynster series
Lisa Kleypas’s Hathaways series
Loretta Chase‘s Mr. Impossible [and Lord of Scoundrels!]
Mary Balogh‘s Slightly series
Jeannie Lin
Rebekah Weatherspoon
Beverly Jenkins
Yellowthroat by Penny Hayes
Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller (Alma Routsong)
Pembroke Park by Michelle Martin
Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule
Colleen Gleason‘s Gardella Vampire Hunters series
Jacqueline Carey‘s Kushiel’s Legacy series
Mary Jo Putney
Courtney Milan
Sarah MacLean
Julie Anne Long‘s Pennyroyal Green series
Sophie Barnes
Sophie Jordan
Elizabeth Boyle
Grace Burrowes
Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
Eva Leigh
Megan Frampton
Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan
Elizabeth Hoyt Maiden Lane series
Sally MacKenzie’s Naked Nobility series
Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

TBR Challenge
Anna:

A Lady Awakened
by Cecilia Grant

Cory:

The Countess Conspiracy
by Courtney Milan

Alene:

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Musical Obsessions
Cory: Jbrary, “Sober” by Selena Gomez, “Sober” by Pink
Anna: “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera
Alene: wrestling with iTunes; “Angeleyes” by ABBA

Obsessions
Cory: Masterchef Australia
Anna: Witch Please podcast
Alene: Buy Nothing

Episode 39: Persuasion Deep Dive

In this Especially Long Episode, we bring you a discussion of Jane Austen’s best work (come at us), Persuasion, featuring Margaret and Sophie of Two Bossy Dames and Ally of the Girl Gang. The discussion includes some diving into the gay subtext, some trips down memory lane, and some heated pros and cons of different movie adaptations. Plus: readalikes and watchalikes!

Links:
Persuasion‘s cast of characters
Every Jane Austen Novel If They Were Gay and Also Historically Inaccurate from Autostraddle
Personality Quiz: Which Jane Austen Heroine are You?
1995 Persuasion movie trailer
2007 Persuasion movie trailer

Advanced Studies in England
Emotional Labor Thread condensed

Readalikes:
Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion by Regina Jeffers
Frederick Wentworth, Captain series by Susan Kaye
Jane Austen in Scarsdale: or Love, Death, and the SATs by Paula Marantz Cohen
Persuasion, Captain Wentworth, and Cracklin’ Cornbread by Mary Jane Hathaway
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
The Mr. and Mrs. Darcy series by Carrie Bebris
The Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane stories by Dorothy L. Sayers: Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night, Busman’s Honeymoon
The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin

Watchalikes:
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
The Royal Tenenbaums

Half Agony, Half Hope: a Playlist by @MrsFridayNext

Musical Obsessions:
Ally: “Faint of Heart” by Tegan and Sara
Margaret: “You and I” by Margaret Glaspy
“She Used to be Mine” and “You Matter to Me” from Waitress
Sophie: fleetwood mac’s album tusk, “Sorry” by Beyoncé
Anna: “Alexander Hamilton” from Hamilton
Alene: “L.A. Hallucinations” by Carly Rae Jepsen

Obsessions:
Ally: 2 Dope Queens podcast
Margaret: Playing House TV show
Sophie: Laurinda by Alice Pung (look for it in the US under the title Lucy and Linh; buy Australian at fishpond.com)
Anna: Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix
Alene: Lady Power: Hillary, WNBA, Elizabeth Warren, Rachel Maddow

Episode 34: Girl Groups Galore with @MrsFridayNext

In this episode, we had Margaret aka @MrsFridayNext back to talk girl groups (both classic and more modern) in a belated companion piece to our boy band episode. This included not one but two quizzes created by Quizmaster Helgagrace. We hope you enjoy listening along!

Links:
Dreamgirls
“The Real Dreamgirls: How Girl Groups Changed American Music”

Jennifer Hudson
Lake Street Dive
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Honey Cone
The Shirelles

Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart
Jacob’s Ladder
Grace of My Heart
Sparkle
The Pipettes
The Andrews Sisters
Wilson Phillips

Musical Obsessions
Margaret: Lucius, “What We Have (To Change)“and Basia Bulat, “Fool”
Alene: Shakira, “Try Everything“Anna: Gwen Stefani, “Make Me Like You”

Obessions
Margaret: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Alene: Rose Under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein
Anna: Dark Days Club, by Alison Goodman

Episode 29: From Foreign Shores Show Notes

Download the podcast here.

In this episode, Anna and #NumberOneFan @surlyspice talk about pop culture they’ve encountered from countries that don’t use English as their primary language. Please send us your favorites as well! Tweet at us! Comment on Facebook! Send us one of those old-fashioned email things (bellwetherfriendspodcast [at] gmail)! In the meantime, check out our new playlist on Spotify.

Links

Our benchmark:

Edith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose
Eurovision
Shakira on the Latin Grammys
“Music Has No Borders” Buzzfeed list
One Hundred Years of Solitude vs. Love in the Time of Cholera
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Lottie and Lisa by Erich Kästner
Candide by Voltaire

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
Wings of Desire

Foreign Film List Challenge

Musical Obsessions
Alene: Natacha Atlas’s covers
Anna: Perfume’s Chocolate Disco

Obsessions
Alene: Golden Globes red carpet, Michelle Obama at SOTU
Anna: The Normal State of Mind by Susmita Bhattacharya, Slash

P.S.

Episode 29: From Foreign Shores

In this episode, Anna and #NumberOneFan @surlyspice talk about pop culture they’ve encountered from countries that don’t use English as their primary language.

Show notes here.

Episode 27: Hamilton and Best of 2015 Show Notes

Download episode here.

After three months away, we are back to discuss Hamilton (one of us is an expert and one is not) and discuss some of our highlights for 2015. And make an important announcement. Thanks to all our fans for your patience and support.

Links
Hamilton: An American Musical
Lin-Manuel Miranda
LMM and This American Life
LMM on Jeopardy!
“Hamilton” is the Very Model of a Modern Fast-Paced Musical
Disney’s Moana
The Wiz Live!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Carol
Magic Mike XXL
Inside Out
Carly Rae Jepsen
Walk the Moon
Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
Supergirl
The Flash
The Nine Lives of Christmas
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Crosstalk by Connie Willis
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley
The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
Mr. Fahrenheit by T. Michael Martin

Obsessions
Carolyn: Justin Bieber: “What Do You Mean?”

Anna: Adele: “Hello”

The Princess and the Prix by Nell Stark
A Lego Brickumentary

Mini Debate: Holiday Music

The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time, according to Rolling Stone.

The 50 Worst Christmas Albums of All Time, according to BuzzFeed.

Note: There is at least one album that is on both lists. Also, Anna knows it’s a BNL/Sarah M cover of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “We Three Kings,” she swears.

Our Holiday Hits(?) list on Spotify is here.

“In Defense of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’” from Persephone Magazine

“‘Christmas Wrapping’ Charms Even the Surliest of Hearts” from the A.V. Club

The Little Drummer Boy Challenge

Episode 27: Hamilton and Best of 2015

After three months away, we are back to discuss Hamilton (one of us is an expert and one is not) and discuss some of our highlights for 2015. And make an important announcement. Thanks to all our fans for your patience and support.

Show notes here.

Episode 15 Show Notes: Boy Band Extravaganza! and Song of Your Birth

Episode here.

For this episode, we took a much closer look at a subject that we’ve touched on a few times before: the animal known as the “Boy Band.” DISCLAIMER: We know that there’s no British boy band named “Take Five,” we really do. Let’s blame Robbie Williams or something. We also took a look at what song was topping the charts when we came in to the world.

Links

98 Degrees (They have four members! And toured in 2013!)
The Monkees (also still touring)
Menudo (currently inactive)
New Edition (toured in 2014)
New Kids on the Block (touring in 2015)
Boyz II Men (touring in 2015 + recently released album)
Backstreet Boys (touring in 2015 in China)
*NSYNC (inactive until Justin Timberlake hits sixty)
Arashi
Photo History of Boy Bands: 31 Essential Acts

“I Swear” by All 4 One
“Please Don’t Go Girl” by New Kids on the Block
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” by Thelma Houston
“Star Wars Theme” by Cantina Band
“Gold Digger” by Kanye West
“I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor

This Day in Music

Obsessions

Anna:
Lego Catalog
Star Wars Rebels
Texts from Jane Eyre audiobook (available now!)

Carolyn:
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & The Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright