#82 - It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover (with Saba)

Explicit content warning

11/30/22 • 112 min

4 Listeners

Tune in as my bestie Saba comes back to the show for a discussion on It Starts with Us, the latest novel by Colleen Hoover. This is the sequel to what’s arguably one of her most popular books, It Ends with Us, which even has its very own episode in the 2CC catalog. ISWU isn’t nearly as dark as IEWU, but it still treads into some heavy territory while following the rekindled romance between Lily Bloom and Atlas Corrigan, the challenges that Lily has to confront thanks to the persistent presence of her ex-husband Ryle Kincaid, and the unexpected changes in Atlas’s personal life. Whether or not this sequel is necessary, an explanation of the tragic opening scene in Finding Nemo, and the sinking ship that is Twitter are just a few of the subjects that Arthur and Saba chat about here.

TW: abandonment, emotional abuse, gaslighting, toxic relationships, child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual content, a brief reference to sexual assault

Spoilers start at 16:50

Good Word:

• Saba: Chainsaw Man (specifically the manga)

• Arthur: Coraline (not only the movie, but also the Neil Gaiman book)

Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!

Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, and Letterboxd: @arthur_ant18

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram: @two_centscritic

Follow Arthur on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144101970-arthur-howell

TW: abandonment, emotional abuse, gaslighting, toxic relationships, child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual content, a brief reference to sexual assault

Spoilers start at 16:50

Good Word:

• Saba: Chainsaw Man (specifically the manga)

• Arthur: Coraline (not only the movie, but also the Neil Gaiman book)

Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!

Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, and Letterboxd: @arthur_ant18

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram: @two_centscritic

Follow Arthur on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144101970-arthur-howell

Previous Episode

#81 - You by Caroline Kepnes (with Laura Petro and Meggie Gates of YA, We Read It!)

6 Recommendations

Tune in as Laura Petro and Meggie Gates (YA, We Read It!) hang out with Arthur for a review and recap of You, the 2014 debut novel by Caroline Kepnes. This psychological thriller is quite the wild ride, following bookstore clerk Joe Goldberg as he endeavors to show aspiring writer Guinevere Beck just how much he loves her and wants to take care of her—so much so that he’s willing to stalk, kidnap, and murder his way into her heart. The chillingly fleshed-out layers that Kepnes has written for the monstrous Joe, the many literary and film references, reimagining Werner Herzog as a food critic, and the parts of the story that play out like a rom-com are just a few of the topics that the hosts cover.

TW: stalking, murder, toxic relationship, misogyny, sexual content, drug abuse, infidelity, mentions of suicide, brief self-harm

Spoilers start at 26:00

Good Word:

• Meggie: Season 3 of Netflix’s Love Is Blind

• Laura: Season 31 of Survivor

• Arthur: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!

Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, and Letterboxd: @arthur_ant18

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram: @two_centscritic

Follow Arthur on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144101970-arthur-howell

Next Episode

#83 - A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (with Torry of Ready to be Petty)

2 Recommendations

Tune in as returning guest Torry (Ready to be Petty) drops by 2CC for the first episode of Christmas Month 2022, where we’re kicking things off by reviewing and recapping A Merry Little Meet Cute, the 2022 Christmas rom-com novel by Julie Murphy (Dumplin’) and Sierra Simone (Priest). Equal amounts of sugar and spice can be found in the romance that plus-size porn star Bee Hobbes and former boy band member Nolan Shaw try to keep secret while shooting the Hallmark-esque Christmas movie Duke the Halls. On top of unpacking all that, Arthur and Torry chat about subjects like Edward and Bella’s kiss at the end of Twilight, the book’s handling of the surprisingly numerous societal issues that it brings into the narrative, screenwriting troubles, and the misogyny and other forms of bigotry that tabloid culture promote.

TW: sexual content, fatphobia, body shaming, misogyny, biphobia, bullying, mental illness, a brief instance of recreational drug use

Spoilers start at 19:20

Good Word:

• Torry: Meet Me in Los Feliz by Kelly D. Reynolds

• Arthur: Disney+’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Apple TV+’s Severance

Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!

Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, and Letterboxd: @arthur_ant18

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram: @two_centscritic

Follow Arthur on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144101970-arthur-howell