August 20, 2019
Being a chronicle of the voyages through the realm of the fantastic, recording a summary of the journey through perilous islands to bohemian cities. As we take a brief tavern break, a welcome respite from the wilderness of words, let’s take a moment to reflect upon our journey through the year. This month marks the second year of our arduous,…
July 29, 2019
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 fellow Speculative Chic contributor Nancy O’Toole Meservier, whose latest book,…
April 16, 2019
In the eighties, the era where I reached menarche (such a fancy word), there were few books that addressed the topic of menstruation in popular fiction. One of course, was by the unparalleled Judy Blume – Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret (1970) about a girl growing up in a mixed faith household. (And let’s face facts, we all…
November 21, 2018
Ahhhh. The unrelenting heat and humidity of summer has passed. It’s finally time for sweaters and boots and hot chocolate and curling up in front of the fire with a good book. It’s also a great time to dig into a new (or new-to-you) series. If you’re looking for some amazing worlds and some richly drawn characters to warm you…
March 30, 2018
I had the flu a few weeks ago and while I lay in bed groaning, I thought, “This is the perfect time to catch up on some reading.” Except I only wanted to read one thing and it definitely wasn’t what I was supposed to be reading. But I knew it would make me feel better. A comfort book, if…
March 27, 2018
It’s March! It may be two more weeks before we can work in our yards, and there may be snow in the East, but let’s talk about growing things. Because spring. We all need something to look forward to. Reading stories about people with green thumbs, and the business of magically growing things, ought to help usher in that necessary…
December 20, 2017
Every year on Christmas Eve, my friends and family perform an epic rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” People group up and choose numbers. We have a conductor. It’s loud and ridiculous, and probably the reason this idea popped into my head. So, my friends, come forth and join me in a chorus of “The Twelve Days of Spec…
November 18, 2017
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…
November 17, 2017
Tortall: A Spy’s Guide (2017) Written By: Tamora Pierce Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Pages: 320 pages (Hardcover) Series: Tortall Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Why I Chose It: Anything by Tamora Pierce is an instabuy for me. I even dragged my husband and child to the bookstore at dinner time because two-day shipping wasn’t quick enough. The Premise:…