The weather is chaotic. The earth is chaotic. Humans are chaotic. The universe is chaotic. When everything and everyone feels like a storm of bees around your head, what do you do to relax? We recommend getting lost in speculative fiction — the place where you can escape, where you can imagine a variety of pasts, presents, and futures, build new worlds, and answer the great philosophical question, “What if?” We have a healthy dose of goodies from the genre to help you get away from it all, so let’s get to it!
Monday
This week we have the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguire share her Favorite Things, and wow, does she have a busy year! We’re celebrating her upcoming four releases, the newest of which dropped July 9th — Heartwood Box, published by Tor Teen. So what speculative things make her heart beat faster? How about a Netflix sci-fi series auf Deutsch, a writer of grim, eerie, and beautiful imagery, the latest addition to an addictive game franchise, an interactive game à la Choose Your Own Adventure, and a healthy obsession with K-drama! There’s something here for everyone to enjoy, so take a look!
Tuesday
Casey gives you the lowdown on ever-growing problem in the publishing world — piracy. Citing the debacle with Maggie Stiefvater to illustrate the repercussions of theft (spoiler alert: it hurts us all), Casey’s post focuses one of the more common methods of stealing: the leaking and torrenting of eARCS. This article is equal parts fascinating and infuriating, and a must-read if you love books and their authors.
In lighter fare, Shara and Nancy bring you our latest Sound Off! with the next offering in the MCU, Spider-Man: Far from Home. Did Spidey sling his way into their hearts? Did the post-credits pack a crunch? What does the latest and greatest mean for the MCU and the superhero genre? Your questions will be answered and more. Be wary of spoilers, but hop in for a fun time!
Wednesday
Andrea has been covering Delilah S. Dawson and Matias Basla’s comic series Sparrowhawk, and alas, we’ve reached journey’s end! The fifth and final volume wraps up the story of Artemesia, who has stoked the ire of the Faerie Queen and struggles between the mortal and fairy realms. In a nutshell, the series pitches itself as “Teen Victorian fairy fight club!” Now that the comic has ended, how has the fairy fight club fared? Check out Andrea’s post for her take!
Thursday
Venessa brings us a review of Seanan MacGuire’s urban fantasy Discount Armageddon, the first book in the InCryptid series. Venessa went the Audible route with this one, and at the end of her 11+ hour adventure, how did she do? What’s her verdict on this book? Take a look here (and a hat tip to her post title, which is so much fun!).
Merrin also announces the results of the August poll, and brings you a special announcement regarding Once and Future book clubs. Ch-ch-changes are coming, so read up!
Friday
Celebrate our new series Blast from the Past with our inaugural post! Going beyond our favorite things, Blast from the Past honors “those foundational favorites, the works that shaped us, that we find ourselves returning to again and again.” We’ve invited horror author, poet, and talented musician Donna Lynch to walk down memory lane and discuss the very things that impacted her. For an epic nostalgia trip, start the journey here.
Book Club
Time’s a-ticking! Soon we’ll be discussing V.E. Schwab’s magical masterpiece, A Darker Shade of Magic, for our July Book Club. If parallel worlds, perilous magic, and lowly criminal enterprises are your cup of tea, then this is the perfect book for you.
And in August, we’re enrolling in Brakebills University and knocking out Lev Grossman’s fantasy The Magicians. Hit the books! We’re going to Fillory…and further!
Where I live, this marks a three-day weekend for me. What am I going to do? I could be a responsible adult and clean, or fix up my fledgling (read: dying) garden, or prepare for next week’s EFL lessons…but, nope. I’m planning my escape from this world. I’m deep-diving into the speculative multiverse and Netflixing my cares away, catching up on some overdue reading, and writing fantasy. Here’s hoping you take some time for self-care and a healthy escape to the otherworlds, too. Until next time!
By Mystic Arts via Pixabay.
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