Can you believe that we’re halfway through November? I can’t. Time is flying by at such a clip that it’s hard for me to keep up. Take some time to relax this weekend. Maybe take in some of the excellent posts that our contributors posted this week. If you missed something, that’s OK. I am your helpful guide to all of the things worth knowing on our blog. Think of me as a sort of The Good Place Janet (though, tragically, I am occasionally more of a Bad Place Janet).
Ahem. Anyway, here’s what we did this week. While you’re perusing, take note! We hope that you’ll find something to pique your interest. Maybe a book that you hadn’t heard of before, or a show that looks interesting enough to watch. You never know what you’ll find!
Monday
Kendra Merritt jumped started our week with our weekly dose of My Favorite Things. You should check out her post! Here’s what she’s into right now: “Writing deadlines, Sailor Moon reboots, paper bag princesses, fairy tales as a woven art form, nerdy music, and Girls’ Gaming Nights!” Come for the geeking out, stay for the photos of the beautiful quilt that Kendra has lovingly created for her daughter.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, Calie Voorhis published a sobering edition of Changing the Map. This month’s post, Changing the Map: The Lingering Gloom of Darkover discusses the moral dilemma that one faces when a beloved creation is tainted by the actions of the creator. It’s great food for thought and rather unfortunately timely.
Wednesday
First on Wednesday, Erin Bales wrote up a great list of inspiring spec fic actresses for whom she is grateful. It’s a fabulous, inspiring list and you should most definitely check it out!
Our second post on Wednesday was Betsy Whitt‘s review of Curtis Craddock’s An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors. Betsy had this to say about the book: “Not being an avid follower of steampunk, this is a little bit out of my normal wheelhouse, but I couldn’t ignore when one of my favorite authors (Carol Berg) recommended her critique partner’s newly-released book.” So even if this may not be right up your alley, it sounds like this is something that’s worth your time.
Thursday
Nu Yang started off Thursday’s double header with her thoughts on Stranger Things 2. Was season two a worthy successor to season one? Find out what Nu thought by checking out her review. (Warning: if you haven’t watched already, beware of spoilers in this review.)
Thursday’s second post was Lane Robins‘ turn to review a book. This time she chose In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. Haven’t heard of this book? Here’s a quick blurb:
Sometimes it’s not the kid you expect who falls through to magic land, sometimes it’s . . . Elliot. He’s grumpy, nerdy, and appalled by both the dearth of technology and the levels of fitness involved in swinging swords around.
Intrigued? I was! Yet another title added to Mount TBR for me with this one.
Friday
We began Friday with another edition of Sherry Peters’ excellent Coach’s Corner. This week’s topic is one that most creative people will find important and useful: How to refill the creative well. It’s great advice even if one isn’t of the creative persuasion. We could all make more time for self-care, and Sherry offers some wonderful advice.
To close out our week, Kendra Merritt was back again, this time with a review of Tamora Pierce’s newest, Tortall: A Spy’s Guide. As Kendra mentions in her review, this isn’t really a new novel. This book may be considered more of a reference and collection of deleted scenes from Pierce’s Tortall series. I wasn’t familiar with this series, but Kendra’s spoiler-free review has me interested. Check it out!
Book Club
It’s almost time for our discussion of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. You still have time to catch up and join in on the fun. As a reminder, voting is still open for January’s selection. Go to the bottom of this page and cast your vote! The theme is first contact, and there are some meaty selections to choose from. Go, make your voice heard, and then read about aliens with us for January.
And of course, we mustn’t forget that December’s book is Terry Pratchett’s delightful Hogfather. Jump right in with us, it’s an absurd yet profound book that is well-suited for the winter holiday season.
And that’s that! As we move into next week, take some time to look back on what you may have missed from last week. As always, please feel free to join any discussion that draws your attention. We love to chat, so never hesitate to start a conversation up with any of our contributors in the comments section.
For those of you in the US, if you observe next week’s holiday, please enjoy yourself. If not, enjoy the day (hopefully) off and take some downtime for yourself. If you work retail and are gearing up for Black Friday, may the odds be ever in your favor. And for the non-US readers out there, enjoy your week too! I’ll be back next weekend with my oh-so-helpful guide to what’s new! So everyone, enjoy your weekend. Read a good book *cough The Night Circus* or maybe catch up on what’s new and shiny in fandom.
The power of Eleven compels you.
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