BSG #98: Schemer and Dreamer / The Eyes Are the Best Part

Book Squad Goals

#Books #Cinema #BookSquadGoals #Book Squad #Arts

1:14:43

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace—what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI . Anil helps us explore the journey and many breakthroughs that have propelled machine learning from simple perceptrons to the sophisticated algorithms shaping today’s AI revolution, powering GPT and other models. The discussion aims to demystify some of the underlying mathematical concepts that power modern machine learning, to help everyone grasp this technology impacting our lives–even if your last math class was in high school. Anil walks us through the power of scaling laws, the shift from training to inference optimization, and the debate among AI’s pioneers about the road to AGI—should we be concerned, or are we still missing key pieces of the puzzle? The conversation also delves into AI’s philosophical implications—could understanding how machines learn help us better understand ourselves? And what challenges remain before AI systems can truly operate with agency? If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits. Links: Read Why Machines Learn, Anil’s latest book on the math behind AI https://www.amazon.com/Why-Machines-Learn-Elegant-Behind/dp/0593185749 Learn more about Anil Ananthaswamy’s work and writing https://anilananthaswamy.com/ Watch Anil Ananthaswamy’s TED Talk on AI and intelligence https://www.ted.com/speakers/anil_ananthaswamy Discover the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship that shaped Anil’s AI research https://ksj.mit.edu/ Understand the Perceptron, the foundation of neural networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptron Read about the Perceptron Convergence Theorem and its significance https://www.nature.com/articles/323533a0…

about a year ago 1:13:38

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If you could eat any body part, what would it be? Join Emily, Kelli, and Susan as they discuss the delicious body horror of The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim. Between the gross out horror scenes, this novel discusses misogyny, sexuality, and what happens when, well, you’re just kind of a jerk. Join us next time as special guest James Markert joins us to discuss Silence of the Lambs and his new book Sleep Tight. Then, Mary returns with a discussion of Leigh Bardugo’s historical vampire novel, The Familiar!
TOC
:30– Icebreaker!
10:52– Goodreads description
15:44–Why is the book about eating eyeballs?
22:00–Men suck, but in various ways
40:15–How Ji-Won is kinda not a good person
48:57–Unpacking the ending
1:02:35– Ratings
1:07:40– What’s on the blog? What’s up next?

211 episodes

BSG #98: Schemer and Dreamer / The Eyes Are the Best Part

Book Squad Goals

17 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

211 episodes

#Books #Cinema #BookSquadGoals #Book Squad #Arts

Kaikki jaksot

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Othersode #103: We're All Just Structures, Man / The Monkey with Samantha Allen 1:15:52

9 days ago1:15:52

1:15:52

It’s safe to listen, but whatever you do, don’t wind that monkey! Join us and special guest Samantha Allen, author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet , for a fun chat about The Monkey film, based on the short story by our man Stephen King. After discussing cursed toys of our own childhoods, we talk about the horror-comedy genre and how it relates to grief, the family relationships, performances, and our favorite deaths. Read along for our next Bookpisode on Entitlement by Rumaan Alam on March 18th. Then get ready for a special Hatepisode on Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver on April 1st! (Pure coincidence that it’s on April Fool’s Day. We’re actually very serious about being haters.) Drop us a rating and review, and if you’re feeling extra supportive, head over to our Patreon and become a patron of the pod! TOC :30 – Welcome, Samantha! And icebreaker 13:30 – Movie intro 15:09 – Short story v movie; genre 23:00 – Let’s talk about the gore 30:00 – Familial relationships and performancss 45:40 – Fave deaths 47:43 – Questions from the group 57:00 – Ratings 1:03:45 – Romance chat and what’s up next…

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BSG #103: Incidents Around the Tri-County Area / Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman 1:27:50

24 days ago1:27:50

1:27:50

Who’s that talking to you through your AirPods? Is it the Book Squad, or is it Other Mommy? Join us as we discuss Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. We talk about the novel’s POV and try to figure out what Other Mommy actually is. Plus, Mary gives us a children’s lit lesson! Go see The Monkey and tune in for our next Othersode on March 4th. Then read along with us for our next Bookpisode on March 18th about Entitlement by Rumaan Alam. We would like to extend an extra special thanks to Benjamin Mitchell for his editorial assistance. TOC :30 – Welcome, everyone! 11:20 – Book intro 12:40 – Stop crediting Neil Gaiman 17:45 – POV 30:02 – Other mommy 39:20 – The end? 1:09:47 – Ratings! 1:16:56 – One of Our Kind feedback 1:22:54 – What’s up next?…

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Othersode #102: Clady McHendrix / The Craft with Grady Hendrix and Clay Mcleod Chapman 1:59:37

5 weeks ago1:59:37

1:59:37

Returning guests and two of our favorite authors, Grady Hendrix and Clay McLeod Chapman, join us to talk about The Craft . We talk about our experience with the film and try to dissect what it’s really saying about witches. Then we have a spoiler-free chat with Grady and Clay about their newest books, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and Wake Up and Open Your Eyes , respectively. Read along for our next Bookpisode on Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman on February 18th. Then go see The Monkey for our next Othersode on March 4th! TOC :30 – WELCOME to Clay and Grady! 9:16 – Movie intro 12:00 – Previous experience with the film 23:22 – What is this movie trying to say about witches? What’s any story trying to say about witches 1:07:00 – Interview with Clay and Grady about their new books 1:54:00 – What’s up next? Emily’s The Craft: Legacy Blog: https://www.booksquadgoals.com/blog/10-weeks-of-spooktober-the-craft-legacy-week-10-of-10…

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BSG #102: I Like Diven / One of Our Kind 1:34:04

7 weeks ago1:34:04

1:34:04

Come with us to a utopian (?) community as we discuss One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon. We talk about the responses to the book from POC readers (our standard disclaimer: we are white ladies), the book’s ending, class and characters, and comparisons to similar stories. Tune in on February 4 for a special Othersode on The Craft, featuring guests Grady Hendrix and Clay McLeod Chapman. We’ll also talk to them about their newest books, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, respectively. Then read along for our next Bookpisode about Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman on February 18. There’s still time to enter our giveaway to win three signed books and an audiobook! Visit our Instagram and see pinned post for details! TOC :30–hello and welcome! 13:42–book description 15:21–what Black readers said 24:00–what’s the ending? 44:25–class 56:23– characters 1:01:16–comparisons to other similar stories 1:06:52–ratings 1:13:52–feedback! 1:23:18–what’s up next?…

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Othersode #101: A Group of Haters is Called a Podcast / Best of 2024 1:35:26

9 weeks ago1:35:26

1:35:26

Happy New Year! We’re celebrating by talking about all of our favorite things from 2024. This is the fun kind of retrospective where we just talk about the good things and leave out all the bad! Plus, you’ll get to hear from many of this year’s podcast guests about their favorite things from the past year! Tune in on 1/21 for our next Bookpisode on One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon. After that, we’ll be covering The Craft with special guests Grady Hendrix AND Clay McLeod Chapman. We’ll also be discussing (spoiler free!) their new books, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and Wake Up and Open Your Eyes. Look out for that episode on 2/4. Please leave us a rating and review, and while you’re at it, enter our giveaway! Check out our IG for details. TOC 1:00– Lamar Giles’s fave thing of the year 2:30–Welcome! New things we tried in 2024 11:23–Giveaway details 12:47–Number 3s 26:00–Susie Dumond’s fave thing, Ben Mitchell’s fave thing 29:00–Number 2s 46:00– Ang Ferraguto fave things, Todd Osborne’s fave things 52:00– Honorable mentions 59:56– Samantha Allen’s fave thing, Paul Tremblay’s fave thing 1:04:00– NUMBER 1S! 1:25:50– Tirzah Price’s favorite thing, Nathan Simmons’ favorite thing 1:30:54– What’s up next?…

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BSG #101: Is it Cobbler or Pie? / Model Home 1:28:03

11 weeks ago1:28:03

1:28:03

Our gift to you on this very special Christmas and Hanukkah twofer is our final episode of the year: a discussion of Rivers Solomon’s latest novel, Model Home . Join us for a truly haunting discussion about family dynamics, gender exploration, and the difference between cobbler and pie. In the new year, we’ll be releasing our annual ‘faves’ episode where we cover the things we loved most in 2024, and then on January 21st we’ll publish our first bookpisode of 2025 on Nicola Yoon’s One of Our Kind . DON’T FORGET to enter our giveaway by 2/4 — go to our instagram for instructions — and if you’ve got some cash to spare, subscribe to our Patreon for $3 a month! Thanks for being a goalie this year. We love you. TOC 0:30 – Welcome! Giveaway info! 4:30 – Intro. Questions and the pie vs cobbler debate 11:03 – Book intro 14:00 – The twist 28:35 – Gender and body stuff 42:00 – Eudora and her impact 1:02:00 – Racism 1:09:19 – Elijah 1:16:14 – Ratings! 1:18:00 – What’s up next??…

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Othersode #100: Past-Peak Hugh Grant / Music & Lyrics with Samantha Allen 2:01:49

13 weeks ago2:01:49

2:01:49

POP! goes our 200th episode! Join the Book Squad (plus Ben) and special guest Samantha Allen, author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet, to talk about the 2007 Hugh Grant/Drew Barrymore romcom Music & Lyrics. We discuss our personal connections to the film, the romance, the music, and what might not hold up in 2024. Then we interview Samanatha about her new novel! It’s a fun Q and A you don’t want to miss! Tune in for our next Bookpisode on 12/24 where we’ll be covering Model Home by Rivers Solomon. And then it’s time for everyone’s favorite episode: The Best of 2024 Othersode! That’ll be hitting your feeds on 1/7/25. Keep an eye on our Instagram for more official information about our 200th Episode Giveaway, and go buy Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe! TOC: :30–welcome Ben and Samantha!! 13:40– our history with the movie 22:00– do drew Barrymore and Hugh grant have chemistry? 36:30–problematic elements and weird things 59:11– interview with Samantha Allen, author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet 1:49:29–what’s up next?…

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BSG #100: Whale Tail Dystopia / Hum 1:38:46

15 weeks ago1:38:46

1:38:46

We’re off to the sad botanical garden for our ONE HUNDREDTH (!) Bookpisode about Hum by Helen Phillips. We talk about climate change, artificial intelligence, human connection (or lack thereof) and, of course, the ultimate villain: capitalism! Then we get into some special 100th episode feedback and give a quick blog update. Our next Othersode will be about Music & Lyrics , and we’ll be joined by special guest Samantha Allen, author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet . That’s on 12/10! And then, our holiday gift to you is our next Bookpisode on Model Home by Rivers Solomon dropping on 12/24! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe, Goalies! TOC :30 – Icebreaker and happy 100th bookpisode 13:00 – Book intro 14:58 – Climate change 23:50 – Late stage capitalism and ads 40:58 – What happened at the botanical gardens 56:35 – Human connection and cosmetic procedures 1:11:15 – Epilogue 1:18:15 – Ratings 1:23:50 – Listener feedback! 1:31:50 – What’s on the pod? What’s up next?…

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Othersode #99: Weird Little Guy (Derogatory) / Bride and Prejudice with Tirzah Price 1:41:56

17 weeks ago1:41:56

1:41:56

Book Squad meets Bollywood as we discuss Bride & Prejudice (2004) with special guest Tirzah Price! We talk about how this Austen adaptation works in a Bollywood setting, racism and xenophobia, surprise appearances from western actors, and (obviously) the musical numbers. Then we chat with Tirzah about her new novel (out now!), In Want of a Suspect. Don’t worry – no spoilers here! Read along for our next Bookpisode about Hum by Helen Phillips on 11/26. Then join us and special guest Samantha Allen (author of Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet) to talk about Music & Lyrics on 12/10! Consider becoming a patron for just $3 a month, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode! TOC :30–Welcome, Tirzah! 10:57–Movie Intro 11:50– Adaptations and interpreting characters 15:38– Do any parts of the story not work? 28:29– Surprise celebrity sightings 33:14–How does the movie tackle big topics like racism and xenophobia? 54:13– Interview with Tirzah! 1:28:30– What’s on the blog? What’s up next?…

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BSG #99: Alternate Universe She’s All That / The Familiar 1:14:14

20 weeks ago1:14:14

1:14:14

If you start with the basic knowledge that Spanish Inquisition = Bad, you’ll be just fine. This week the Book Squad discusses Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar . We talk about the historical piece of this historical fantasy, question where the vampires are, play “hot or not,” and dig into the romance. Then we read some great listener feedback (Alex’s Version) and catch up with what’s on the blog. Tune in for our next Othersode about Bride and Prejudice with special guest Tirzah Price (author of In Want of a Suspect ) on 11/12. Then read along for our next Bookpisode on Hum by Helen Phillips on 11/26. TOC :30 – Welcome! 7:25 – Book intro 10:00 – Disclaimers, the historical fantasy of it all 18:53 – Where are the vampires? 34:16 – Did anything surprise you? 49:00 – How was the romance? The ending? 52:05 – Ratings 54:50 – Listener feedback: Alex edition! 1:09:53 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next?…

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Othersode #98: As Sexy As Cholera / The Silence of the Lambs with J. H. Markert 1:49:02

21 weeks ago1:49:02

1:49:02

Goodbye, Eyeball Fall; hello, Cannibal-tober!(?) We’ll workshop it. Special guest J.H. Markert (aka James Markert) joins the Squad to revisit 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs and talk about his latest novel, Sleep Tight ! We talk about why Hannibal is so iconic (“the late, great Hannibal Lecter,” anyone?), the interplay between trauma and horror, getting inside the mind of a killer, and LGBTQ+ representation in the early 90s. Next we pepper James with questions about his new novel, Sleep Tight (a September Book of the Month pick!), in a spoiler-free interview. Speaking of scary things, Spooktober is back on the Book Squad Blog! Go check that out for more spooky season content. Join us on October 29th for Mary’s triumphant return to discuss even MORE spooky content – The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. Then go watch Bride & Prejudice for our next Othersode featuring Tirzah Price, author of In Want of a Suspect , on November 12th! TOC: :30 – Welcome, James! 14:35 – What makes this story so appealing? 25:45 – How do trauma and mental illness inform the story? 32:10 – Why are we all so obsessed with serial killers? 39:50 – Transness and LGBTQIA+ issues in Silence of the Lambs 53:03 – Interview with James Markert! 1:36:17 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links: https://screenrant.com/silence-of-the-lambs-buffalo-bill-lgbtq-controversy/…

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BSG #98: Schemer and Dreamer / The Eyes Are the Best Part 1:13:38

23 weeks ago1:13:38

1:13:38

If you could eat any body part, what would it be? Join Emily, Kelli, and Susan as they discuss the delicious body horror of The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim. Between the gross out horror scenes, this novel discusses misogyny, sexuality, and what happens when, well, you’re just kind of a jerk. Join us next time as special guest James Markert joins us to discuss Silence of the Lambs and his new book Sleep Tight . Then, Mary returns with a discussion of Leigh Bardugo’s historical vampire novel, The Familiar ! TOC :30– Icebreaker! 10:52– Goodreads description 15:44–Why is the book about eating eyeballs? 22:00–Men suck, but in various ways 40:15–How Ji-Won is kinda not a good person 48:57–Unpacking the ending 1:02:35– Ratings 1:07:40– What’s on the blog? What’s up next?…

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Othersode #97: Latex Paint and a Dream / Nightmare on Elm Street with Lamar Giles 1:49:57

25 weeks ago1:49:57

1:49:57

Whatever you do, don’t go to sleep while listening to this episode…because we’re talking about A Nightmare on Elm Street with special guest Lamar Giles, author of the new novel Ruin Road! We talk about the icon himself Freddy Krueger, horror tropes, potential alternate endings, and how this movie stacks up to other slasher franchises. Then we have a fun and spoiler-free conversation with Lamar about Ruin Road, which is out TODAY! Tune in on October 1 for part two of Eyeball Fall when we discuss The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim. Then join us for another classic horror movie chat when we cover The Silence of the Lambs with special guest J.H. Markert, author of the new horror novel Sleep Tight on 10/15! TOC: 30– Welcome Lamar!! Evil Genie Wishes 12:20– Happy 40 years Nightmare on Elm Street! 14:48–Freddy Kruger as a villain 20:49–Horror tropes 34:37–Supernatural horror 40:53–the end of the movie 58:23– final thoughts 1:06:19– talking with Lamar Giles about RUIN ROAD! 1:41:20–what’s on the blog, what’s up next? YA Book Club about The Getaway by Lamar Giles: https://www.booksquadgoals.com/blog/ya-book-club-the-getaway-by-lamar-giles YA Book Club about Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles: https://www.booksquadgoals.com/blog/ya-book-club-not-so-pure-and-simple-by-lamar-giles…

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BSG #97: Georgia Croissant / The Pairing 1:18:16

28 weeks ago1:18:16

1:18:16

Pack your bags — we’re off to Europe for a second-chance romance! This week the Book Squad is talking about The Pairing by Casey McQuiston. We discuss romance tropes, ~sexy stuff~, gender dynamics, and food and wine writing. Join us and special guest Lamar Giles, author of Ruin Road , for our next Othersode about Nightmare on Elm Street on September 17th. Then read along for our next Bookpisode about The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monica Kim on October 1st. Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review! TOC :30 – Welcome, pastry talk! 6:30 – Book intro 8:55 – Romance tropes and Kit and Theo as characters 33:50 – Let’s talk about sex, baby 44:02 – Gender and romance 56:55 – Travel 1:05:42 – Ratings 1:12:14 – What’s on the blog? What’s up next? Links: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/casey-mcquiston-the-pairing-queer-love-self-discovery-1235067954/…

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Othersode #96: Lip Bite ASMR / It Ends With Us (The Movie) 1:38:45

29 weeks ago1:38:45