I am absolutely thrilled to share my return to The Purrrcast this week. Steven Ray Morris and Sara Iyer asked me to tell them a bit about my aunt…who was a Peak (Purrfect) Crazy Cat Lady. On top of loving to talk to Steven and Sara, it was my honour to share a bit about one of my fave people of all time. I really hope that you’ll check it out. Click below or visit here:
I’ve been really bad lately about sharing other updates and fun things I’ve been doing so here’s a quick little roundup of a few other podcasts I’ve been on recently:
And whew! I think that’s it for now. There should be some more coming soon so stay tuned for that and hopefully exciting other updates too!
The year is really just flying by and I’ve put together a list of the TV shows watched through the month of March. If you’re curious about the films I watched (no reviews though!), visit my Letterboxd page here. Otherwise, let’s dive right in!
- Love is Blind S2 – What can I say? I love me some garbage reality TV and this gives me exactly what I crave! Is love really blind? Not when it comes to the people they bring on for these shows…and I am absolutely here for it.
- RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. the World S1 – I will watch pretty much any and all versions of RuPaul’s Drag Race. That being said, this series was a disaster with alliances being formed between the queens that already knew each other (since they brought numerous ones in from the same country) paired with All-Stars rules. Those rules NEED TO GO and honestly, no one that ended up in the finale deserved to be there. SORRY NOT SORRY.
- Ted Lasso S2 – I reactivated my Apple TV+ subscription just to watch this and it was exactly what my soul needed. Not quite as good as Season 1 but still excellent.
- Schmigadoon S1 – As mentioned, I reactivated my Apple+ account so once Ted Lasso was over, I needed more and this was on my list. I really enjoyed it! Kind of like a rom-com musical version of something like Pushing Daisies, which…I am here for.
- Babysitter’s Club S1-2 – Don’t even get me started on how mad I am that Netflix cancelled this ABSOLUTELY PERFECT SERIES. There are so few franchises like BSC and it was done so well. I’m heartbroken that it’s not being given a chance to continue. Almost every episode had me in tears.
- The Afterparty S1 – Christopher Miller? Murder mystery? OTHER ACTORS AND STUFF? Sold! I had a blast watching this and trying to figure out what was going on from the very first episode. A lot of fun and highly recommend it.
- The Gilded Age S1 – I meaaaan, as a Downton Abbey fan (well, the first few seasons), there was no way I wasn’t going to watch this show. It had a few ups and downs for me but ultimately was extremely compelling and enjoyable. I am here for the power couple that are the Russells’.
- Bridgerton S2 – Not quite as good as the first season but still incredibly enjoyable and a really refreshing take on romance properties and historical fiction.
- Starstruck S1-2 – ROSE MATAFEO!!!! Okay, I am a big Taskmaster fan and when I saw that Rose had a TV show? SOLD. As frustrating as the show can be at times, I was totally invested and enjoyed it all.
- Our Flag Means Death S1 – My friend Steph bullied me into watching this so I obliged and binged the entire thing in two days. I LOVE THESE GAY PIRATES SO MUCH!!! As does the rest of the internet…yes, this show is as good as everyone is making it out to be. Also speaking of making out: LET THE GAY PIRATES MAKE OUT!
You might be able to tell that I had a brief Apple+ subscription from the three shows that I binged. I really wanted to watch the second season of Ted Lasso and watched the others as an added bonus.
What did you watch in March?
It’s been a little over a year since the first Oh My Gods! came out by Insha Fitzpatrick, myself, and Juliana Moon. And the second book in our graphic novel series is here and available wherever you buy your books. We are so excited for you to read it and enjoy your return to Mt. Olympus Junior High with Karen, Tina, Dita, Artemis, and Pol.
In this story, we explore a little bit more of what’s going on with Karen and a mysterious maze that they discover in the basement of their school. Here’s the official synopsis: “When Karen moved to Mt. Olympus, she certainly didn’t expect to start junior high with a bunch of gods and goddesses—let alone discover she’s a demigoddess (who doesn’t yet know her powers)!
Having recently joined the school newspaper, Karen decides to investigate a mysterious online troll that goes by the moniker M1N0T4UR. This leads her to a treacherous maze beneath the school where Karen and her friends must complete a set of phases to leave the labyrinth.
The stakes are higher than ever and a wrong move could lead to some terri-BULL consequences in this a-maze-ingly action-packed, fast-paced, pun-filled companion to Oh My Gods!.”
CHECK IT OUT AT OHMYGODS.ORG
Another month has passed by and I’ve collected my reading list from March. It was a pretty chaotic month (and is continuing into April) so the overall list is here and some have mini-reviews and some do not. Forgive me! If you want to chat about any of them though, say hi on Twitter or Instagram and I’ll share my thoughts.
- All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
- A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson – A sapphic, polyamorous love story surrounding the partners of Dracula? HECK YES. I picked this up on a whim and flew through it in barely two days. The writing is so fluid, smooth, and dreamy, following a compelling story that most of us are familiar with but from a different POV. I loved seeing this story through the eyes of his beloved and how things played out from her perspective. Everything about this book was just so damn good and I highly recommend it.
- The Airless Year by Adam P. Knave, Valentine Barker, and Frank Cvetkovic – A highly relatable and empowering story that explores those awkward transition years that all young people experience—the ones where everything feels up in the air as you desperately try to discover who you are. The Airless Year is filled with delightful wit, dry humor, and themes that will hit home for many young people. The art is simplistic but effective in conveying the story. With an especially excellent focus on artist Valentine Barker’s character expressions that expertly bring you into each moment on the page.
- Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur
- Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 1 by Kamome Shirahama – Stunning and delightful. I can’t wait to dig into the rest of the series ASAP.
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison
- Paws: Gabby Gets It Together by Nathan Fairbairn and Michele Assarasakorn –
- Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – What an incredible book! I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish, drawn in by the engaging characters and brilliant prose. A haunting story that I couldn’t put down! It’s obviously called Mexican Gothic as an ode to its gothic romance genre…and although I am a firm believer that Crimson Peak is incredible (seriously who doesn’t like that film??), I haven’t explored a lot of other gotchic stories. But this made me want to find more. And this was a top notch read and I highly recommend it, ESPECIALLY if you too believe that Crimson Peak was criminally underrated.
- Katie the Catsitter: Best Friends for Never by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue – This continues to be an incredibly fun series! As I said in my summary of the first book, THIS is the middle-grade (unofficial) Catwoman book of my dreams. And not with her as the full-on leading lady but as the classic anti-hero who is training their loyal sidekick/catsitter. Lovely messages in here about friendships and the growing pains that can come with all relationships. Plus family, doing what’s right, and knowing your limits. An excellent addition to this series.
- Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock – Really spectacular. I feel like I do a lot of comparisons to Studio Ghibli but this has an air of that too it, embodying bits of stories like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. I love the strong family bond that sets our protagonist on her quest and the journey that it takes her on. It’s magical and beautifully brought to life on the page.
- This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede – An engaging new YA series for fans of Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns series. Featuring a compelling lead character wrestling with a powerful gift…or curse? And a fun cast of supporting characters – OUT JUNE 28, 2022
- Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil – Witches! Werewolves! Queer romance! This graphic novel has it all and it’s every bit as good as you’ve probably heard. Beautiful art, engaging story, and a delight from start to finish.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – What a great book. While I didn’t love this quite as much as Daisy Jones, I’ve clearly and quickly become a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid and her body of work. I can’t wait to dig into more going forward.
What did you read in March?
