Come one, come all! It’s that time again, Speculative Chic’s weekly roundup! Normally, our roundup editor, Casey Price, would be regaling you with all the things you missed this past week, but like so many of us, she’s been struck by the plague, so the Editor-in-Chic is going to attempt to fill Casey’s shoes. Keyword: attempt. She’s much funnier than I am. Let’s wish her a speedy recovery from the plague and take a look at what you may have missed last week, or want to read again!
Art by Tyler Scarlet
Monday
Normally, Mondays are when we regale you with My Favorite Things, but quite a few people were celebrating a little holiday called Christmas, so we figured it might be better for YOU to tell US your favorites instead! Yours truly shared a few of her favorite Star Wars holiday cards, and I’m still wondering how I didn’t know these were a thing until now. What were your favorites from the holiday, holiday-themed or no? Come tell us!
Tuesday
Speculative Chic got back in the saddle with Carey M. Ballard‘s Resolution Project Review: a reread of The Neverending Story. Personally, I never knew that this book was originally translated from German, or that the movie everyone knows and loves “doesn’t take up even the first half of the novel.” She goes on to talk about what makes her first edition hardcover so gorgeous, and why it was difficult to reread this particular time around. Want to know more about the book that inspired a movie that makes everyone weep? Let Carey tell you here.
Wednesday
Wednesday brought us not just one, not just two, but three different posts! Kendra Merritt kicked us off with her minimal spoiler discussion of Gail Carriger’s The Custard Protocol, a series current made up of two books. If you’re a fan of The Parasol Protectorate, which Kendra discussed last month, don’t you want to see the adventures continue with Alexia’s and Conall’s daughter, Rue? I’ve read the first book and loved it, so I know I’m looking forward to continuing this series! Hear what Kendra has to say here.
Second up, your Speculative Chic contributors fessed up to how their 2017 Resolution Projects went. 2017 isn’t quite over, but it’s over enough to tell how we fared with our resolutions. How’d we do? Well, why don’t you take a look and tell us?
Last, but certainly not least, our Sound Off! editor J.L. Gribble wrote up her review of the Netflix Original Movie, Bright. I admit, I’ve not been seeing great reviews for this movie, but J.L.’s reaction has me intrigued. What about you?
Thursday
We decided not to bombard you with three posts on Thursday, so you only got two! Nancy O’ Toole Meservier started off the day by telling us all about her favorite geektastic violinist. No, not that one. This one. Have you heard of Taylor Davis? I haven’t before Nancy told me all about her, and now I definitely want to check out her music.
We ended Thursday with what’s becoming a favorite post each year: our 2017 Disappointments! Disappointments only happen when we have high hopes, so come check out what let us down in 2017 (at least in the spec fic world), and then come tell what disappointed you!
Friday
We couldn’t end the week on a downer note by dwelling on our disappointments, so we wrapped up the week with not just one, but two high notes! First, a bunch of us gushed about our future favorites, aka, what we’re most looking forward to in 2018. There’s a lot of great things coming down the pike, and some of us had a hard time picking just one. Are you looking forward to any of these? What else are you looking forward to next year?
Lastly, Kendra Merritt shared with us why The Shape of Water a great movie in her Sound Off was such ! I know this is one I really, really want to go see, so I’m excited to hear that Kendra walked away happy. What about you? Have you seen The Shape of Water? Come tell us your thoughts!
Book Club
We’re still discussing Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather, and for such a popular book, the comment section sure is quiet! If you haven’t read it yet, there’s still time! If you have, or know someone who has, please chime in!
Don’t forget, in January we’re reading Dawn by Octavia E. Butler, though if you’re having trouble finding the title on its own, you can certainly get your hands on the Xenogenesis omnibus, Lilith’s Brood, and read Dawn there, as it’s the first part of the Xenogenesis trilogy! Butler is a must-read for any speculative fiction reader, and this trilogy is one of my favorites, so I hope to see you join our discussion starting January 26th!
Already caught up? There may still be time to get your vote in for our February selection, featuring books from Nalo Hopkinson, Nnedi Okorafor, and Karen Lord. Vote now by scrolling to the bottom of this post!
Happy New Year!
It’s hard to believe that 2017 is practically over, but despite some of the great entertainment we’ve consumed, I know I’m not the only one glad to see the door close on this year. 2017 has been a challenging year on a host of levels, and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t struggled. Yet rather than ruminating on the bad, let’s look ahead to 2018 and the good: on making it the best year we can. I know here at Speculative Chic, we’re grateful for all of you, and we’ve got a lot of great content coming your way.
So here’s to 2018, and to making it the best year we can!
Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein and Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Photo by Jaap Buitendijk)
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