Daree Allen is a professional voice actor and a genuinely great conversationalist. I really enjoyed speaking to her about everything from being yourself to her detailed voiceover 101 tips. Get Daree's Voiceover 101 Dos and Don'ts on comrom.co. Daree was really a delight to chat with and I hope to do it again. If you want more of the voiceover 101 or would like to hire Daree, check out her official voiceover site. You know I like to go deep sometimes. We started this episode talking about line dancing suddenly started talking about how getting comfortable with who you are is the secret to success. If you're interested in more of Daree's Life Coaching side, check out her fantastic podcast, Kickin it with Daree.   Find Common Room on Facebook and Hadas on Instagram.

Common Room: Passionate Discussion of Pop Culture, Food, Fitness, & Fashion!

Voiceover 101 with Daree Allen, Voiceover Artist and Life Coach

We've made it easy for you, Pat Sponaugle and I (Hadas!) got together for a Game of Thrones recap chat to prepare for the final season. It's finally here! The last season of Game of Thrones is upon us. Literally, it starts tonight. Do you remember who's who? Who's alive and who's not so much? What open questions are left to answer? Pat and I get into it. If you feel lost, don't worry, I ask Pat so many questions you'll probably be a pro after listening. Check out comrom.co for a more textual cheat sheet. Pat writes about Game of Thrones for Watchers on The Wall and on his own site! He's also pretty active on the Twitters. You can find me, Hadas, right here on Common Room or on Instagram and Twitter as Hadsterific.  

Game of Thrones Recap with Pat Sponaugle!

Jonathon Rosenthal is the lead organizer of the best Harry Potter Meetup group. This isn't an exaggeration. It's the best out there. The Group that Shall Not Be Named has been around for over a decade and has over 2000 members. I was lucky enough to enjoy an hour of chat with the man behind this community's magic. If you live in New York, or even if you're visiting, head here https://www.meetup.com/TGTSNBN/ and join the Meetup group for good discussions and to find out about cool events coming up. Some are scheduled months in advance! The events range from discussions to trivia to cosplay photoshoots and even craft nights. There are so many different types of events you could attend that fit your level of Harry Potter appreciation. Listen to our convo and join the group. Hope to meet you soon! -- Follow us on Instagram for updates on the latest episodes and our favorite quotes. Like us on Facebook for all of the above plus some memes that will make you laugh or feel really happy. :)

The Best Harry Potter Meetup Group

Alejandro Montoya Marin is someone I've been hearing about for quite a while. I've been lucky enough to see many of his shorts (including the first version of Monday) and am so excited he was handpicked by Robert Rodriguez to take part in the show Rebel Without a Crew. Alejandro and I chatted about Monday, the RWaC show, movies in general, growing up with pop culture, and more. It was a blast. I can't wait to chat with again and am excited for all of his future projects. On January 6, there will be a mini-marathon of the current episodes. Head here to find out where you can watch. Share a login with a friend... that's what I'm doing! Rebel Without a Crew: Facebook, Site Alejandro Montoya Marin: Instagram Common Room: Facebook  

Alejandro Montoya Marin from Rebel Without a Crew

After having a blast recording the Sorcerer's Stone movie commentary episode for #Potterweek, we did it again! On this Chamber of Secrets movie commentary episode, you'll learn all about our Weasley crushes, our favorite books, our first impressions, and more. This is a long one, so listen to it whichever way you'd like: use it as a commentary track while you watch the film, enjoy our banter as you commute to work, school, or home for Thanksgiving, or just take it a bit at a time. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our many passionate opinions in the comments or on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter  

Chamber of Secrets Movie Commentary

This one's from the archives and not spoiler-free. Meet Summer Summer, my friend from the International Geek Girl Pen Pals club, is one of the biggest Wonder Woman fans I know. Summer poked me right away. She had to be on the episode of Common Room where we review the Wonder Woman movie, and so here we are.     Show Notes Lots of spoilers. Did Wonder Woman meet everyone's expectations, hopes, and dreams? How did Gal Gadot, a relative unknown, do as this monumental heroine? What makes a good villain story? Was the movie absent of a male gaze? Wonder Woman's creator Listen in and maybe take some time to rewatch. It's been an actual year. :) Twitter: www.twitter.com/comromco, www.twitter.com/hadsterific, www.twitter.com/thefinchery  Facebook: www.facebook.com/comromco  Website: www.comrom.co 

Wonder Woman Movie Review with Summer!

Welcome! If you've never listened to the Common Room podcast or visited our site, you're probably asking "What's Common Room?" I hear you, and I'm trying to figure that out myself.   Common Room is a place for the renaissance woman who loves pop culture and lifestyle equally.  Where To Begin I won't be deleting the backlog or moving to another feed. So please check out some of our most downloaded Common Room podcast episodes and most read posts: Star Wars Rewatch- if you're the geeky type or into film, listen to some of my favorite episodes to record. Our Revenge of the Sith episode remains our most downloaded episode EVER! Potterweek- from religion to journalism to race and more. Check out our out of the box discussions about the series. The True Cost- watching this documentary changed my buying habits. I'd actually recommend you watch the documentary instead of listening to this episode. :) Australian Aboriginals- it's hard to be a cultured person if you don't seek out information. For International Women's Month, I reached out to my friend Ebony to get an education on the Australian Aboriginal community and their history. We Saved You a Seat! Who am I? I'm Hadas! With roots in Yemen, a birthplace in Israel, a family in Brooklyn, and product work in NYC. I love to learn, streamline, be silly, save our planet, look at turtles, and argue with you about Harry Potter.

Welcome to Common Room: A Reintroduction

When Noma Dumezweni was cast as Hermione Granger in the stage play of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, many praised the casting choice. Fans around the world wondered if a black Hermione could possibly be canon. JK Rowling applauded the casting by saying "Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever." But is this world capable of producing a black Hermione without ever commenting on her blackness? Is it capable of producing a main character of color with a rich story? My friends Mimi (Hugo Award nominee!) and Robyn (the famous Geek Girl Strong) suggested discussing race in the Potterverse for this Potterweek episode. They really opened my eyes and made me think. Listen in and let us know your thoughts. Find more of Common Room on iTunes, Spotify, social media as @comromco, and at our site, comrom.co!

Potterweek: Race in Harry Potter

Listen to this quick 20-minute gab with me (Hadas) and Tony, aka Crazy for Comic Con and creator of the fabulous Hero Within fashion line. Fabulous isn't a word I use in my daily life. This line is designer level fandom gear. It simultaneously lets you flaunt your fandom while being subtle enough for your office. Check them out on Instagram! Tony and I bonded over our love for the mesmerizing and randomly uplifting Japanese reality show, Terrace House. If you have no idea what Terrace House is, this will be a quick 101. If you are obsessed with Terrace House listen in and please let us know your thoughts. We need more and more friends to discuss this wonderful phenomenon with. Find more from Common Room on iTunes, Spotify, comrom.co, and as @comromco on social media.

Terrace House: The Only Self Care You Need Right Now

Happy Birthday, Harry + Jo! The first seven books of the series gave us all the story we needed. Or did they? With the additions of Pottermore, Twitter, The Cursed Child, and Fantastic Beasts, JK Rowling has many outlets to share more information about her universe. But does it all "count?" What is Canon? Is canon anything that comes from JK Rowling? Is it anything that was approved by JK Rowling? Books vs movies? First 7 or everything afterward? I'm joined by Elayna of SpeakBeasty and Paul of Blokebusters. We discuss our feelings about this and our thoughts on the new elements introduced by The Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts. Art used by permission from Iriusabellatrix on DeviantArt, see more here. More Episodes from Potterweek This is our third year of Potterweek. Here's a recap of what's coming up this year and what's already on the feed: Potterweek 2017 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie commentary with Nicole of We the Immigrants, Geeky Gatherings, How to Fangirl for Adults, and Common Room, and Debbie of The Geeky Twin, You Haven't Seen, and Common Room! Race in Potter with Robyn of Geek Girl Strong and Mimi Mondal. We Hate Quidditch with Nathan of Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights (and Channel: Superhero) and Fitz of SO MANY PLACES (also heard on our Star Wars Rewatch episodes)! Potter as YA with Greg of Adventures in Poor Taste! Neville Longbottom: The Boy Who Could Have Been with Melissa of Readerly Geek! Potterweek 2016 7/25 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie commentary with Megan Gotch aka The Nerdy Girlie and Katie Elhoffer of Elhoffer Designs. Big kudos to our podcasting intern Kristen! 7/26 Hermione: Our Favorite Know it All GirlBoss with Amanda of Great Beer Adventure! 7/27 The Dursleys: A Look at Harry's Only Living Family Members with Kris of No Extra Words! 7/28 Relationships in Potter: Ginny + Harry, Snape/Lily/James with Alice of Girl Who Roams and Kayla of Epicfied! 7/29 Villains in Potter with Akua and Ashley both officers of Geek Girl Brunch NYC. Also of A Stylish Jedi and You Haven't Seen respectively. 7/30 Magic vs Muggle: How Each World Views the Other with Jada an officer of Geek Girl Brunch NYC and Julia Perkins (soon to be featured on our Lost rewatch podcast!). 7/31 Religion in Potter with Stefani and James (my friends from work!). Potterweek 2015 http://comrom.co/potterweek-modern-geek-show-an-attempt/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterpotpourri-draygons-spew-fan-fiction/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterflex-felix-felicis-fitness/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-ashley-and-debbie-from-you-havent-seen/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterhouse-iggppc-charm-bomb/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterponderings-lessons-harry-learned/  http://comrom.co/potterpeeps-severus-snape-hero/ 

#Potterweek: What is Harry Potter canon? Fantastic Beasts? The Cursed Child?

Happy Birthday, Neville Longbottom! When we meet Neville in his first year at Hogwarts, we couldn't have imagined he'd turn out to be the hero we see at the end of the series. The biggest turning point came in Order of the Phoenix when Harry and Dumbledore discuss Sybill Trelawny's prophecy. What If? Melissa from Readerly Geek and I try to have fun by asking What If about each part of the series. We also try to explain the whys behind the plot points in the series. From did Voldemort pick the Potters over the Longbottoms to how would Neville handle the Triwizard Tournament and would Dumbledore care for Neville as much as he did Harry in this alternate universe. More Episodes from Potterweek Potterweek 2016 7/25 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie commentary with Megan Gotch aka The Nerdy Girlie and Katie Elhoffer of Elhoffer Designs. Big kudos to our podcasting intern Kristen! 7/26 Hermione: Our Favorite Know it All GirlBoss with Amanda of Great Beer Adventure! 7/27 The Dursleys: A Look at Harry's Only Living Family Members with Kris of No Extra Words! 7/28 Relationships in Potter: Ginny + Harry, Snape/Lily/James with Alice of Girl Who Roams and Kayla of Epicfied! 7/29 Villains in Potter with Akua and Ashley both officers of Geek Girl Brunch NYC. Also of A Stylish Jedi and You Haven't Seen respectively. 7/30 Magic vs Muggle: How Each World Views the Other with Jada an officer of Geek Girl Brunch NYC and Julia Perkins (soon to be featured on our Lost rewatch podcast!). 7/31 Religion in Potter with Stefani and James (my friends from work!). Potterweek 2015 http://comrom.co/potterweek-modern-geek-show-an-attempt/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterpotpourri-draygons-spew-fan-fiction/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterflex-felix-felicis-fitness/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-ashley-and-debbie-from-you-havent-seen/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterhouse-iggppc-charm-bomb/  http://comrom.co/potterweek-potterponderings-lessons-harry-learned/  http://comrom.co/potterpeeps-severus-snape-hero/ 

#Potterweek: Neville Longbottom: The Boy Who Could Have Been

A few months ago (read: over a year ago) I (Hadas) set out to do another tv show rematch with my Iggle pals. Rewatch Recap: We previously rewatched Roswell, the alien teenage romance drama from The WB. Then Freaks and Geeks, a very short-lived cult classic. Next up was Twin Peaks, which divided our hosts. Some were die-hards and others were apprehensive, or just down right angry at it. What's Next? The show we decided to watch and rewatch was Veronica Mars. On the panel, this time, were Cassidy, Kristy, Meghan. Check them out on their own blogs and Twitter accounts! Veronica Mars is a cult classic yet Kristy and I have never seen it before. We came into it with different ideas of what the show could be and we're both very pleasantly surprised. The show is more mature than it seems. It's well-executed plot wise and by its incredible and underrated cast. Quick Intro to Veronica Mars' Themes: Mystery Mature Themes Class Divide Racial Issues What Do You Love about Veronica Mars? -- The IGGPPC are great friends that created a friendly inclusive community of passionate people aka geeks.You can find a friend that is into what you're into. You can find people who are passionate about almost everything. My favorite "geek love?" Tea! Sign up to find your own pen pal or to join the community! To be a part of our IGGPPC rewatches, join the community and this group on Facebook. Stay tuned for our Rewatch of Veronica Mars's Season 3!! -- On Common Room we don’t have ads. We use affiliate links and sell merchandise from the art we commission on Redbubble. If you’d like to support us and our artists financially, click it up. :) Subscribe via iTunes or your favorite podcast directory! Follow Common Room with Bloglovin   If you enjoyed this episode, check out our most recent main episodes: All of International Women's Month Content here! Blogging as Therapy with Jamila Rowser of Geek Girl Brunch and Megan Gotch aka The Nerdy Girlie Jean Barker: Stories, Idealism, + South Africa Folklore + Myth Meet in 1920s NYC Michael Harle and the Town of Idiots (OUAT) Elhoffer Design Part 1 and 2 Amanda Palmer's Art of Asking Star Wars Rewatch Ep I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII Or more F3 (Food, Fitness, Fashion):  F3: Episode 29: How to Survive the Hunger Games F3: Episode 26: Fairy Tales/Into the Woods F3: Episode 23: 2/3 Yemenite  More from Potterweek 2016: 7/25 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie commentary with Megan Gotch aka The Nerdy Girlie and Katie Elhoffer of Elhoffer Designs. Big kudos to our podcasting intern Kristen! 7/26 Hermione: Our Favorite Know it All GirlBoss with Amanda of Great Beer Adventure! 7/27 The Dursleys: A Look at Harry's Only Living Family Members with Kris of No Extra Words! 7/28 Relationships in Potter: Ginny + Harry, Snape/Lily/James with Alice of Girl Who Roams and Kayla of Epicfied! 7/30 Magic vs Muggle: How Each World Views the Other with Jada an officer of Geek Girl Brunch NYC and Julia Perkins (soon to be featured on our Lost rewatch podcast!).

Veronica Mars Season 2 Rewatch with Geek Girl Pen Pals

A few months ago (read: over a year ago) I (Hadas) set out to do another tv show rematch with my Iggle pals. Rewatch Recap: We previously rewatched Roswell, the alien teenage romance drama from The WB. Then Freaks and Geeks, a very short-lived cult classic. Next up was Twin Peaks, which divided our hosts. Some were die-hards and others were apprehensive, or just down right angry at it. What's Next? The show we decided to watch and rewatch was Veronica Mars. On the panel, this time, were Cassidy, Kristy, Meghan. Check them out on their own blogs and Twitter accounts! Veronica Mars is a cult classic yet Kristy and I have never seen it before. We came into it with different ideas of what the show could be and we're both very pleasantly surprised. The show is more mature than it seems. It's well-executed plot wise and by its incredible and underrated cast. Quick Intro to Veronica Mars' Themes: Mystery Mature Themes Class Divide Racial Issues What Do You Love about Veronica Mars? -- The IGGPPC are great friends that created a friendly inclusive community of passionate people aka geeks.You can find a friend that is into what you're into. You can find people who are passionate about almost everything. My favorite "geek love?" Tea! Sign up to find your own pen pal or to join the community! To be a part of our IGGPPC rewatches, join the community and this group on Facebook. Stay tuned for our Rewatch of Veronica Mars's Season 2!! -- On Common Room we don’t have ads. We use affiliate links and sell merchandise from the art we commission on Redbubble. If you’d like to support us and our artists financially, click it up. :) Subscribe via iTunes or your favorite podcast directory! Follow Common Room with Bloglovin   If you enjoyed this episode, check out our most recent main episodes: All of International Women's Month Content here! Blogging as Therapy with Jamila Rowser of Geek Girl Brunch and Megan Gotch aka The Nerdy Girlie Jean Barker: Stories, Idealism, + South Africa Folklore + Myth Meet in 1920s NYC Michael Harle and the Town of Idiots (OUAT) Elhoffer Design Part 1 and 2 Amanda Palmer's Art of Asking Star Wars Rewatch Ep I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII Or more F3 (Food, Fitness, Fashion):  F3: Episode 29: How to Survive the Hunger Games F3: Episode 26: Fairy Tales/Into the Woods F3: Episode 23: 2/3 Yemenite  More from Potterweek 2016: 7/25 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie commentary with Megan Gotch aka The Nerdy Girlie and Katie Elhoffer of Elhoffer Designs. Big kudos to our podcasting intern Kristen! 7/26 Hermione: Our Favorite Know it All GirlBoss with Amanda of Great Beer Adventure! 7/27 The Dursleys: A Look at Harry's Only Living Family Members with Kris of No Extra Words! 7/28 Relationships in Potter: Ginny + Harry, Snape/Lily/James with Alice of Girl Who Roams and Kayla of Epicfied! 7/30 Magic vs Muggle: How Each World Views the Other with Jada an officer of Geek Girl Brunch NYC and Julia Perkins (soon to be featured on our Lost rewatch podcast!).

Veronica Mars Season 1 Rewatch with Geek Girl Pen Pals

Instead of an in-depth discussion on Twin Peaks listen in to Travis the Grimm and Hadas (that's me!) get nerdy. Sometimes not everything goes according to plan! When it came time to record our second episode of the Twin Peaks rewatch focusing on season two, one co-host had to miss the recording and the other didn't finish watching the season. Such is the life of podcasting. You really never know what will happen even if you try and plan well or you overcompensate with multiple prepared cohosts. For a more accurate Twin Peaks discussion, please listen to the IGGPPC rewatch of season one. It features Rosa as a true blue fan of Twin Peaks, Lulu as the first time watcher and immediate hater on the show, and myself, Hadas, as the lukewarm pop culture consumer. Travis has been a long time friend of the show and one of my absolute favorite people. Where can you find him? Oh boy, don't get me started. Listen to the ep and you'll see that Travis is everywhere doing so much! It's pretty impressive. Heads to his twitter to find links to what he's working on and to make a fantastic new friend. :) The IGGPPC are great friends that created a friendly inclusive community of passionate people aka geeks.You can find a friend that is into what you're into. You can find people who are passionate about almost everything. My favorite "geek love?" Tea! Sign up to find your own pen pal or to join the community! To be a part of our IGGPPC rewatches, join the community and this group on Facebook. Stay tuned for our Rewatch of Veronica Mars!! -- On Common Room we don’t have ads. We use affiliate links and sell merchandise from the art we commission on Redbubble. If you’d like to support us and our artists financially, click it up. :) Subscribe via iTunes or your favorite podcast directory! Follow Common Room with Bloglovin  

Talk with Travis the Grimm and a bit of Twin Peaks Season 2

As you know, on Common Room, we are religiously and politically neutral. We'll never post happy holidays for any holiday or support a political candidate as a site/podcast. So, when I asked friends and strangers to be on the show for #Potterweek and got a request to talk about religious allusions, I was a bit nervous. Stefani, a friend who I met through work suggested this for a reason that was pretty interesting. Stefani and her siblings were not allowed to have Harry Potter in the home. Stefani has a personal connection that she generously shared. We moved on to talk about bigger Harry Potter themes, favorites, and even took some time to do some sorting and discuss those large introspective questions. Enjoy this last episode of Potterweek on what I'm calling Potterday. Happy First Day of Hogwarts!! Check out Stefani- nowhere! She hates the internet! And check out James on social media as thejacksonjd! More from Potterweek 2016: 7/25 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie commentary with Megan Gotch aka The Nerdy Girlie and Katie Elhoffer of Elhoffer Designs. Big kudos to our podcasting intern Kristen! 7/26 Hermione: Our Favorite Know it All GirlBoss with Amanda of Great Beer Adventure! 7/27 The Dursleys: A Look at Harry's Only Living Family Members with Kris of No Extra Words! 7/28 Relationships in Potter: Ginny + Harry, Snape/Lily/James with Alice of Girl Who Roams and Kayla of Epicfied! 7/30 Magic vs Muggle: How Each World Views the Other with Jada an officer of Geek Girl Brunch NYC and Julia Perkins (soon to be featured on our Lost rewatch podcast!). Bonus Jonases for Potterweek 2016: Potter as YA with Greg of Adventures in Poor Taste! Quidditch is THE WORST with Nathan of Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights (and Channel: Superhero) and Fitz of SO MANY PLACES (also heard on our Star Wars Rewatch episodes)! Hogwarts + Dumbledore are THE WORST with Allison of Podlander, Nicole of Geeky Gatherings, How to Fangirl for Adults, and Common Room, and Debbie of The Geeky Twin, You Haven't Seen, and Common Room!

Religion in Potter

Join us in our Common Room as we discuss Pop Culture, Food, Fitness, & Fashion. We saved you a seat!

Common Room: Passionate Discussion of Pop Culture, Food, Fit...