May 6, 2020
So I’m spending more time hanging out at home these days, and more time seeking serious distraction from real-world worries, as one does. Just before the shelter-in-place order came down, I had (thankfully) stopped by the library and picked up a slew of (frankly disappointing!) books, and one wildcard TV choice: season 1 of Killjoys. Why Killjoys? Hannah John-Kamen. I’ve…
May 5, 2020
I like fantasy. I like romance. I like both of those things together. But I have to admit that the reason I picked up this book is not a good one. It was the title. I thought the title was so corny. And if I’m being honest, I still do. I really don’t like it. And yes, I realize plenty…
May 4, 2020
They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Melissa Caruso, who — if you haven’t heard — is…
May 2, 2020
Hail and well met, strangers! This week marked the beginning of the fabled Golden Week in Japan, a series of multiple holidays in close proximity to each other that make for a nice, long break. April 29 was Shōwa Day, and then we’ve got the rest of the holidays aligning in a way that makes it a five-day weekend: Constitution…
May 1, 2020
The Tethered Mage (2017) Written by: Melissa Caruso Genre: Epic Fantasy Host: Lane Robins Discussion Date: 5/29/2020 The Premise: The first book in a spellbinding fantasy trilogy for fans of The Queen of the Tearling and The Red Queen, where two young women — a mage with coveted powers, and the scion of a powerful family — are magically bound…
May 1, 2020
At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. But why not also share their fiction? Welcome to Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! Today, we’re featuring Sherry Peters, whose name…
April 30, 2020
Can you believe that we’re already through the first four months of the Speculative Chic Book Club? One thing we’ve learned is that everyone gets their hands on books a little differently, and as a result, they may need a little more time to do so and finish reading. Between that and social distancing making library lending is a challenge,…
April 29, 2020
I continue to sojourn on with my 2020 Resolution Project, tackling two great Netflix animated series, starting with Voltron: Legendary Defender. We’re already up to the third season, and if you need some refreshers, take a look at my breakdowns of Seasons One and Two. I’m not exaggerating when I say these are breakdowns — I’m not just covering the…
April 28, 2020
For the first time since the challenge started, I thought about not doing the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge this year. I haven’t been thrilled with the most recent prompts and the challenge had started to feel like a chore. Then I perused the list and much like the mafia, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in…
April 27, 2020
They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Jeff Young, who is participating in a Kickstarter with eSpec…