Welcome to November! I hope that you enjoyed the last little bit of October and our Halloween-flavored shenanigans. November is in full swing here at Speculative Chic, and we intend to enjoy every second of it. Have you kept up with this week? Whether you have or not, I’m here to put all of last week’s links in one handy spot. Maybe you missed something? Read on to find out!
Monday
Monday brought our weekly dose of My Favorite Things. This week we were honored that science fiction author Rhonda Mason took time out of her busy schedule to sit and geek out with us for a while. What does Rhonda love? “Tabletop gaming in person and on YouTube, the painting of miniatures, science fiction rock operas that describe the rise and fall or alien races, and a favorite cover artist.” Read on for more!
Tuesday
I hope you had an outstanding Halloween! Bram Stoker Award-winning poet and author (and occasional Speculative Chic contributor) Stephanie M. Wytovich took us with her on a personal journey through the paranormal. She says “I wanted to go to the places where spirits were broken, where minds were erased. I told myself that if I could see where people were tortured, touch the instruments that left behind invisible marks as well as physical lacerations, I could understand what madness was, both how it was born and how it was bred. What I didn’t expect to find behind the yellow wallpaper was compassion and heartbreak, and I couldn’t have prepared myself for the amount of horror and disgust that followed in its footsteps.” This is a haunting piece accompanied by stunning black and white photography. You don’t want to miss it.
Our Halloween extravaganza concluded on Tuesday afternoon with Nu Yang‘s review of what many consider to be the scariest film of all time: The Exorcist. Whether you agree with her assessment or not, you must acknowledge that The Exorcist is a classic film whose influences are wide and far reaching. How did Nu like it? Will she ever look at pea soup the same ever again? Read her review and find out.
Wednesday
What kicks off the holiday season better than a trip to J.K. Rowling’s fantasy world? It’s hard to beat a Harry Potter film in late fall/the winter, even one that’s not focused on the brave Boy Who Lived. Lane Robins continued her Silver Screen Resolution project with a viewing of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. How do you like this prequel to the main Harry Potter storyline? What did Lane think? Read her thoughts and join in the conversation on this charming film.
Thursday
Thursday gave us a peek into the mind of the mysterious and wise bookseller. Our bookstore guru, Nicole Taft, gave us a walking tour of what your local book-wizard might be thinking and offers advice on how to best to interact with them. You know what they say. Do not meddle in the affairs of book-wizards, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup (…wait). Anyway, if you want to know the best way to approach your local bookseller, please read Nicole’s advice and take it to heart.
Friday
Friday was a double-header for us. To begin your weekend right, read Coach Sherry Peters‘ newest piece of advice. This week, Coach Sherry offers words of wisdom to a writer who has a novel stuck in their head. It’s great advice, and if you’re an aspiring writer (or even a seasoned one), you should read what she has to say on this matter.
Friday’s second post was our December book club announcement. Please join us in reading and discussing Terry Pratchett’s excellent Hogfather! If you’ve already read this gem (and I have!), pick it up again and get into the holiday spirit with us!
Book Club
You can still get in on our discussion of The Grip of It if you haven’t already! If you’ve already read and commented, check back to see if the conversations have blossomed!
As a reminder, our November read is The Night Circus, a lovely novel that was once recommended by then-guest contributor Kelly McCarty as a perfect gateway for those who may believe that they don’t like speculative fiction, Use our forthcoming discussion as a way to snag that naysaying friend you may have who poo-poos upon your love of the fantastical and unbelievable.
I already mentioned that our December pick is Hogfather. Please check out the link to the announcement because we are already voting for January’s pick. There are some intriguing options to choose from. As book club president Merrin stated: “January is a month of firsts of the year. First times spent with friends, first meals at a favorite restaurant, etc. In keeping with the “first” idea, January’s book club selections are all about first contact between humans and an alien species.” And what are those options? See for yourself!
And that was our week! How was yours? Hope you have an excellent weekend. If you don’t have plans, I hope that some of our writers have given you things to think about or ideas for activities. Maybe watch The Exorcist or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, then have a chat with Nu or Lane. Maybe pick up one of Rhonda Mason’s fantastic space opera novels. Read over Coach Sherry’s advice and use it to jump straight into NaNoWriMo. Whatever you do, I hope it’s great! We’ll see you on Monday!
Newt Scamander’s amazing suitcase from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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