Strange and Beautiful Book Club
Strange and Beautiful Book Club
Strange and Beautiful Network
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Long time partners, Rachel and Matt, bring their unique blend of wit and weirdness to the worlds of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. From quirky movie reviews to lively book discussions, they keep you entertained and informed with their mature humor and infectious enthusiasm. Join them as they chase their little nerd hearts through the genres they love.
Book - "Planet of the Apes" by Pierre Boulle
On this month's Book episode:"Planet of the Apes" by Pierre Boulle is a science fiction novel that tells the story of a group of astronauts who land on a distant planet where intelligent apes are the dominant species and humans are primitive and mute. The protagonist, Ulysse Mérou, along with two other astronauts, find themselves captured by the apes and treated as experimental subjects.As Ulysse navigates this strange society, he forms bonds with some of the apes, including the sympathetic chimpanzee scientist, Zira, and her fiancé, Cornelius. Through his experiences, Ulysse learns about the societal hierarchy of the apes and their disdain for humans.Stay tuned for our discussion of the movie adaptation! (The first one, not you know... all the other ones. Yet.) Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
May 3
1 hr 11 min
Monthly Book Club - "Godkiller" by Hanah Kaner
Matt and Rachel discuss the short(ish) but awesome fantasy epic, "Godkiller" by Hanah Kaner. Refreshing change from 900 page mega-epics that are half filler with a novel that packs 900 pages of story into a third the size. With ten times as much representation as any other book we've read. Get it, read it. You'll love it.  Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Mar 28
1 hr 15 min
"Anguish (1987)" - There's mommy issues and then there's MOMMY ISSUES
"Anguish" is a 1987 horror film directed by Bigas Luna. The movie revolves around a mentally unstable mother, who hypnotizes her son John to commit murder and harvest eyes for her collection. The mother is portrayed as a controlling and manipulative figure, and John becomes increasingly disturbed as he struggles with his mother's influence. The film explores themes of psychological manipulation, the blurred lines between reality and illusion, and the consequences of unchecked obsession. As the story unfolds, viewers are drawn into a surreal and unsettling narrative that challenges perceptions of sanity and morality. Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Mar 21
48 min
Spoiler Free Book Review - "The Day Tripper (2024)" - Character growth done to perfection
I absolutely adored this book. I thought the concept was interesting, the execution was flawless, and the journey that Alex goes on was heart-breaking, inspiring, and believable. The conceit of time-travel is not new but the way that James Goodhand shapes it in this novel made it feel seamlessly fresh and integral to the story rather than a plot device to make an otherwise boring world intriguing. The main character, Alex, is living his life out of order and must unpack each day to put together scattered pieces of what has happened to him in the time between and how can he get back the future he'd hoped to have.This novel would appeal to fans of fantasy, science fiction, or even real life fiction because, at it's core, it's a story about a man who was moving through life blind to the consequences of his choices until he is forced to confront them through chance and bizarre circumstance. What he does afterwards is where all the heart in this story lies and it will make you cry, scream, and cheer for Alex. Sometimes in the same chapter. I had no idea from page to page what I was going to find and it was an absolute delight to live in mystery just like the main character and to watch him assemble the pieces of himself and create something better. Read this book. Right now.   Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Mar 14
39 min
"Solaris (2002)" - George Clooney shows off his acting and his ass-ets
The 2002 film "Solaris" is a psychological science fiction drama directed by Steven Soderbergh, based on the novel of the same name by Stanisław Lem. The movie stars George Clooney as Dr. Chris Kelvin, a psychologist sent to a space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris. Upon arrival, Kelvin encounters strange phenomena, including the appearance of his deceased wife, Rheya, played by Natascha McElhone. As Kelvin grapples with his own guilt and grief over Rheya's death, he confronts the enigmatic forces at play on the station and on the planet itself. The film explores themes of memory, love, and the nature of reality, all set against the backdrop of a haunting and atmospheric space station. Soderbergh's "Solaris" is a contemplative and visually striking adaptation of Lem's novel, known for its introspective tone and minimalist style.Did we like it or were we just in it for nude scenes? (George Clooney naked eating noodles isn't a hard sell). Was it a better adaptation than the 1972 movie? Did anyone read the book or did they all just get the gist and go full into "erotic problems in space" as Lem put it?Listen to find out! Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Mar 7
1 hr 15 min
Dune DEEP CUT - "Dune: Part 2 (2024)" - Out of the theater reaction
We finally did it. After over a dozen episodes of Dune content, we made it to the epic release of Denis's Dune: Part 2! What did we think? Did we like it? Was it worth all the time and hype? Is one of Tim's legs shorter than the other? Trust Strange and Beautiful to ask the truly important questions around here.  Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Mar 6
43 min
"Solaris (1972)" - Less about the planet, more about the hot wife.
"Solaris" is a 1972 Soviet science fiction film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, based on the novel of the same name by Stanisław Lem. The film follows psychologist Kris Kelvin, played by Donatas Banionis, who travels to a space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris. There, he encounters strange phenomena that seem to be manifestations of his own memories and desires. As Kelvin delves deeper into the mysteries of Solaris, he grapples with questions of identity, love, and the nature of reality. The film also stars Natalya Bondarchuk as Hari, Kelvin's deceased wife who mysteriously reappears on the station. Tarkovsky's "Solaris" is renowned for its philosophical themes, atmospheric cinematography, and meditative pacing.Did we agree? Do we like the "meditative pacing" or is that just another name for dragging on endlessly for no particular reason? Was it a good adaptation?Listen to find out! Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Feb 29
1 hr 5 min
Bonus - "The Unknown Best: Book 1" by Matt Wilkening
A book recommendation from Rachel and Matt! The Unknown Best: Book 1 by Matt Wilkening! Get it here!Do you have problems? Good. Michael Malbon doesn’t, and he hates it. His supernatural synesthesia confuses smell with normative information, so Mike always knows what to do to produce the best outcome despite not even knowing what the best outcome is.But success is a paradise, and a paradise which one cannot leave is a prison. So when Mike finds himself mysteriously thrust into a war-ravaged far future, occupying the body of a hapless highschool girl with no knowledge or understanding of the world around him, he does what he always does— turns lemons into lemonade.Mike flees from the utopia of his causal nose into the dystopia of the world around him. He adopts the identity of his new body in perverse defiance of the mystery it poses. He enlists in the future-military to pilot a giant mech against the bug-monsters and the killer robots. He befriends the friends of the highschooler whose life he usurped, and uses them as the brick and mortar of a fate which he architects unknowingly. He’s unhinged. He’s sociopathic. But can he find a reason not to be when dystopia and utopia are one and the same? Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Feb 27
25 min
Monthly Book Club: "Solaris" by Stanisław Lem
Rachel and Matt discuss the novel "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem which has been adapted into film twice (episodes incoming!) was it an easier read than Star Maker? Did we think this author was also on some really good hallucinogens? You'll find out! Riverside.fm is a video/audio recording platform built for podcasters. Check them out today for uncompressed audio and video recording, unlimited transcription services, AI Social Media clips, teleprompter and on screen scripts, and a bunch of other cool stuff too. Make long distance podcasting 100x easier. (Don't work harder, work smarter)There's more from the Strange and Beautiful Network!Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Feb 26
1 hr 13 min
"Radius (2017)" - Neat Sweet Indie Suspense Thriller
Rachel and Matt mostly talk about "Radius" from 2017 but also sort of talk about a lot of unrelated stuff too. From Wikipedia: Radius is a 2017 Canadian science fiction thriller film directed and written by Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard. It stars Diego Klattenhoff, Charlotte Sullivan, and Brett Donahue. Klattenhoff and Sullivan play two survivors of a car accident who discover that one causes the death of anyone who comes within a certain radius of him, and the other has the ability to nullify this effect.Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ Listen to Rachel, Kate, and Hannah discuss spicy books, serious books, and everything in between (but mostly spicy!). It's like sitting down with girl friends to chat about hot book boyfriends but in podcast format! Listen now at Feast, Sheath, Shatter: A Book Chat PodcastLove Movies, TV Shows and Books in the Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror genre and want to hear more? Check us out at The Strange and Beautiful Book Club where Rachel and her husband Matt discuss all things genre-related.Longing for a simpler time in the police procedural genre AND love Vampires? Matt and Rachel also review the classic television show Forever Knight on their podcast, Come in 81 Kilo.Not getting enough sweaty 90s sexcapades from your television and movie content? Listen to Meg and Rachel discuss the finer points of Geraint Wyn Davies' career over at Ger Can Get It!You can also:Join us on Instagram here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeandbeautifulnetwork/⁠⁠⁠Join us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/strangeandbeautifulnetworkFind us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9ENwKdHrm57Qmu8L4WXwQ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Feb 22
1 hr 2 min
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