Coming up on October 16 is Mississauga Comic Expo. I’ll be set up with my books and moderating the author talks and sketch battles for the event. I’ll be at Table 211 (see below for layout) and this is my lineup for panels:
- 11:00-11:30am – Sketch Challenge with Scott Chantler, Meaghan Carter and Jey Pawlik
- 12:00-1:00pm – Author Talk with Scott Chantler
- 2:00-2:30pm – Sketch Challenge with Paris Alleyne, Joy San, Jey Pawlik and Angela Poon
- 3:00-4:00pm – Author Talks with Jey Pawlik & Michelle Parker
Most of my time will be spent at the Rogers Theatre but my partner will be at my booth to help with sales and I’ll be sure to stop by to sign anything that y’all might want to have signed.
I can’t wait to see you all!
Coming up this month is the Toronto International Festival of Authors. Additionally, they have TIFA Kids too! I’m happy to announce that while I’m not a formal guest of the show this year, I’ll be around moderating a couple of events for them.
If you’d like to say hi, this is where I’ll be:
September 22 – October 2, 2022
I do my best to keep my Appearances page updated, so if you’re ever curious about where I’ll be next, check it out.
The summer has come and gone, and even though I was outside a lot, I still managed to watch tons of stuff last month. This is the roundup of (mostly) everything, minus some reality TV that I’ve been putting on in the background. As per usual, if you’re interested in the films I’ve been watching, you can visit my Letterboxd profile. Otherwise, here we go:
- Holey Moley S4 – I forgot to include this one on July’s roundup but I love this very goofy, mindless game show of EXTREME MINI GOLF. It’s basically MXC or Wipeout but then mixed with mini-golf? And also inexplicably, Steph Curry is involved. And The Muppets. It’s great.
- Stranger Things S4 – Controversial opinion here but…Stranger Things is just fine. Its episode format with some runtimes nearing 3 HOURS is absolutely bananas and not friendly as a bingeable show anymore. It’s a time commitment now. I love the characters but it’s very formulaic and again…it’s fine.
- The Most Hated Man on the Internet – I was fascinated by this show. I go through phases where I’m very into true crime and this offered a different take on it with a look at a truly terrible man on the internet…as opposed to watching something focused on assault and murder. I thought this was a compelling and well-put-together three-part series. My one complaint about it is that it had an opportunity to shed light on how few laws exist to protect people online and how we could push that to change.
- Amphibia S3 – What an incredible series! This was the end of it and it went out on such a high note after endearing me to the entire cast. I laughed. I cried. I had a lot of feelings throughout and if you haven’t checked Amphibia out yet, you definitely should.
- Sandman S1 – I don’t know what I could say about Sandman that hasn’t already been said online. As someone who knows of the comics and has read only the first volume, I went into the show relatively blind. So without the knowledge of the source material, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope that they get to tell more of the story.
- Great British Bake-Off S12 – It’s that time again: comfort TV season. And my GOD do I love GBBR. Cozy, emotional, and wonderful…as always.
- Obi-Wan S1 – Okay…another controversial opinion here: Obi-Wan was fine. I really want Star Wars stories that don’t revolve around the legacy characters. I know we all love the characters that have been covered by these shows and such so far, but I’m really interested in watching shows set in the SWU without being beholden to the masses of continuity. There’s such an opportunity to play in new spaces within the sandbox and I’m so curious to see where they could take that.
- Only Murders in the Building S2 – Not as strong of a season as the first but the trio of leads are so fun and charismatic that I was happy to still be along for the ride. Could’ve done with 100% less Amy Schumer though.
- Never Have I Ever S3 – A brilliant and funny show that highlights the cringe of being a boy-crazy teenage girl while tackling heavy topics such as mental illness and grief. Truly excellent.
- Owl House S2 – Last but not least, I made my way through the second season of Owl House and loved every moment. I think this season was stronger than the first as it really found its footing, and it’s just a shame that we won’t be getting much more of it.
What have you been watching and enjoying?
For August, I made it through a few more books in my (massive) TBR pile. A lot of romance and romcoms but then also paired with some creepier reads as I prepared for Spooky Season. Of the six books I read last month, I think three or four of them are going to wind up making it into my overall fave books of 2022. So it was a good month! But without further rambling, here’s the roundup:
- The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – An enchanting story perfect for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Practical Magic. Easily one of my favourite books of the year, casting its spell over me with its charming characters, wonderful premise, and strong themes of family, love, and belonging. A must-read for anyone who enjoys found family tropes and romantic enemy-to-lovers stories with a dash of magic.
- Shades of Fear, edited by Allison O’Toole and Ashanti Fortson – A brilliant array of creators, each with their own chilling tale to get under your skin and give you goosebumps with.
- The Whisper Man by Alex North – A creepy and captivating book. I kept forgetting this was a book I was reading, it felt like a crime series I was watching and immersed in. Very well written and thoroughly haunting.
- Beach Read by Emily Henry – A perfect summer read! Emily Henry writes a heartfelt and delightful romcom with the classic enemies to lovers trope. I was rooting for our two protagonists and thoroughly enjoyed the ride from start to finish. Clever, fun, and witty.
- The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty – I made it about halfway through this and then DNFed it. It’s a well-written and intriguing story but it’s SO dense and there’s so much worldbuilding and history that it was extremely overwhelming to keep up with everything in my head. I still gave it four stars since I recognize the incredible talent and skill that went into the story, characters, and world, but it ultimately wasn’t for me.
- Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen – A beautiful multi-POV that mixes the ordinary with fantastical. While the larger story revolves around the tenants of a small, whimsical building called The Dellawisp, it weaves in the supernatural as well. The multi-POV incorporates that of the dearly (and not-so-dearly) departed as we find out about the lives of those who carry on, even after death. It’s a breezy read and reminds me of a slightly less dark Her Fearful Symmetry.
What have you been reading and enjoying?
I guess I should attempt to post some more stuff besides just my roundups, eh? Well, we’re nearing the end of summer (thank god) and it’s been a busy one. Juggling work (when you’re constantly hustling to find paying gigs) is hard to sometimes balance the rest of your life with. I’ve been really lucky this past year to find consistent work and to be able to mostly be able to enjoy the nicer weather.
…although real talk: summer weather is not what I would call nice. It’s just that it’s not a workout to go outside and trudge through snow and gross slushy winter. Spring and Fall are where it’s at and I will be enjoying those seasons thusly.
But anyways, I don’t have much that I can really update y’all on but I’ll do my best:
- Racc Pack 2 is in the works! Whitney and I are working on the second draft right now (oh god, oh god, oh god…) and we’ll have news regarding that soon.
- Pillow Talk is coming along and is still on track to be released in Fall 2023. Mel finished the final line art for the book and let me tell you: it’s incredible. I can’t wait to share it with you all!
- Animal Rescue Friends Tales are starting to trickle out into the world! I spent the last year and a half curating and editing the line of short stories with a bunch of talented creators. They’ll be released exclusively on Epic! and you can see which ones are out by checking in on my Editing page.
There’s not much else to share right now but I’ll be sure to fill you in ASAP. I’m still working away on Pekoe. Kaylee is doing wonderfully (see photo above). Annnnd that’s mostly it!
Enjoy your Fall Season and I’ll see you soon.
