Episode 43: Olympics Nostalgiafest

August 18, 2016helgagrace Leave a comment

Just in time for the Closing Ceremonies, we were joined by Anna’s sister (@semisponge) to discuss Olympics past and present, uniform fashion, rooting hierarchies, and more!

Links
Katarina Witt
Kristi Yamaguchi
Beach Volleyball
@shotdiva
Fiji wins first Olympic gold
Singapore wins first Olympic gold
Puerto Rico wins first Olympic gold
No Olympics GIFs

grasshopper

Oksana Chusovitina
Rowdy Gaines
Manicures
everyone’s an expert
Rugby Sevens
By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions by Richard Cohen
Simone Biles
John Williams

Musical Obsessions
Alene: “Olympic Fanfare” by John Williams
Anna: “Can’t Stop The Feeling” by Justin Timberlake
Kristina: “The World Ender” by Lord Huron

TBR Challenge
Kristina for Anna The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
Alene for anyone Neverhome by Laird Hunt

Playing footsie

Obsessions
Alene: Vacation
Kristina: Dota 2 International
Anna: A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson (October 2016)

Anna was on Worst Bestsellers talking about Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!

Kristina’s RPG posts their sessions at kilobops.ladderface.net

Episode 42: Firefly, Deadpool, and Arcade Games with Amy!

August 4, 2016helgagrace Leave a comment

For this episode, we took advantage of a visit from Amy Diegelman (aka @amydieg aka half of #jointhegirlgang aka WTF is America aka Panels contributor) to watch Firefly and Deadpool, plus spend a morning at the local arcade. Firefly fans be warned: Anna doesn’t like it much. She looks forward to hearing from you on the topic.

Links

Firefly (note belt placement)
giphy
Serenity
Gilmore Girls la la las
Deadpool

Ms. Pac-Man
X-Men
Simpsons
Q*bert
Tetris
Arkanoid
Space Invaders

TBR Challenge
Anna for Alene: Vicky Bliss series by Elizabeth Peters
Street of the Five Moons
Amy for Alene and Anna: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
My Favorite Bride by Christina Dodd
Kieran Kramer‘s Impossible Bachelors and The House of Brady series

Musical Obsessions
Anna: “Infinity” by Mariah Carey
Amy: “White Flag” by Joseph
Alene: Firefly theme song; Ms. Pac-Man theme song

Obsessions
Amy: The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera (Summer 2017)
Alene: The Victorian language of flowers, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Anna: We are on Tumblr! And, being on vacation.
gogos

Episode 41: We Love Historical Romance!

July 21, 2016helgagrace 1 Comment

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

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 40: 2 Classic Movies and the TBR Challenge

July 7, 2016helgagrace Leave a comment

For this episode, we watched the 1944 classics Arsenic and Old Lace and Gaslight. After a brief digression into the mysterious ways of straight people, we introduced a new segment: The TBR Challenge!

Links

Arsenic and Old Lace