It’s been a while since I’ve got a chance to share big book news, so I’m excited to be able to share not one thing but three! You may or may not be familiar with Epic Originals. If you are, amazing! If not, it’s a wonderful digital platform aimed at young readers. It not only turns reading into a fun activity but incorporates an educational component for parents, teachers, and librarians. It helps to gauge reading comprehension and more…all with wonderfully delightful stories!
I’m genuinely such a big fan of everything they’re doing. Since early last year, I’ve been editing a spinoff to their series Animal Rescue Friends, curating short stories within that universe with all-new creators and characters. Those are starting to roll out now, with Rats Are Good Pets Too as the first to be released.
But on top of that, I’ve been working as a Staff Writer for Epic too! Myself, along with Matt Cody, Marcie Colleen, Paul Ritchey, Nick Murphy, Steven Scott, and Rana Bumbardatore, are the new writers on three books there:
- Cat Ninja Season 6
- Time Buddies Season 2
AND A BRAND-NEW SERIES!!!
- Master Hamster Super Science Season 1
I am beyond excited to share more about these wonderful and delightful series as we get closer to their release dates. It’ll still be a little while before they’re out, but this has been a dream come true. I can’t wait to share what we’ve cooked up.
Stay tuned for more soon!
As you may have guessed from my other posts, I really love recs. I also love sharing the things that I’m enjoying…I sometimes forget to talk about them regularly since I no longer have an entertainment site to write for. But I’ve been thinking more about changing that a bit and incorporating it here (we’ll see…) But that being said, I’d love to tell y’all about a few things I’ve been enjoying recently.
CULT OF THE LAMB
I know this game is being talked about by loads of people but it truly lives up to the hype. It’s a very dark game, similar to Moonlighter. You fight in dungeons against the evil bishops and their mighty minions while leading an ever-growing cult of worshippers. It’s so stylistically adorable that you sometimes forget the ritualistic sacrifices and killing that goes on regularly throughout the game. I put a ridiculous number of hours into the game in the first few days, but I’ve since slowed down, not wanting it to be over. Highly recommend.
MARVEL’S WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
I couldn’t do an end-of-October post without including at least one spooky thing! I went into this with a low bar, not sure what to expect…and I think it’s one of my fave things Marvel has done in a long time. It’s such a fun, dark and spooky adventure featuring one of my fave lesser-used characters, Elsa Bloodstone. The whole aesthetic of the short was so fun and campy! It made me really excited for the possibility of more standalones like this in the future—stuff that doesn’t require previous knowledge of Marvel or the MCU to enjoy.
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
I was lucky enough to see a screening this week and really enjoyed this dark comedy. If you’re familiar with Martin McDonagh’s work (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), this is definitely in line with what you might expect from him. Although that being said, it’s more akin to In Bruges with its witty and sharp dialogue and a quirky story to go along with it. Colin Farrell is great as “nice guy” Pádraic who is confusingly at odds with his best friend, Colm, played by Brendan Gleeson. The two work together wonderfully and if you’re again familiar with In Bruges, you’ll enjoy seeing them bounce off each other here too. Barry Keoghan is fantastic as the Inisherin dunce, Dominic too.
I suspect it’ll have some trouble finding ground with a more mainstream audience and I don’t know that it’s quite as charming as In Bruges but it’s definitely worth checking out.
“PREACHER’S DAUGHTER” BY ETHEL CAIN
I heard about this album from someone on TikTok who was talking about surprising albums of the year. They spoke about it really fondly and it got me curious. I played the first track and was immediately on board, listening to the whole thing from start to finish. I haven’t been captivated by an album entirely since Phoebe Bridger’s “Punisher” and this was just what I was looking for. Haunting vocals that bridge a gap between pop and alternative folk—I’d call it a marriage of Phoebe Bridgers and Florence + the Machine, but that could be because I’ve been listening to a lot of those both, respectively.
Another month has passed us by and I have some TV show updates for you, if you’re curious. I didn’t watch a lot (mostly because I’ve also been obsessed with a ton of junk food reality TV too) but here’s the list:
- Glow Up S4 – I’m obsessed with makeup transformations and I was thrilled for another season of this show to get wrapped up in. Everyone is so dang talented and it’s wild to see what they can do with makeup.
- What We Do In The Shadows S4 – WWDITS is maybe my favourite TV show on right now. It’s just so funny and perfect. This season dropped the ball a bit for me (compared to other seasons) but overall, I had a great time as these beautiful vampy ding-dogs try to navigate the modern world and their relationships.
- Hacks S1-2 – I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this show! I initially didn’t feel a strong pull to it and I remember telling my partner that it was “fine.” But I couldn’t stop watching it! Before I knew it, I’d gone through all the available episodes. Definitely worth enjoying.
- Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls S1 – I think this and the Magic Mike reality series might be my two feel-good reality shows of the year. I loved how loose Lizzo was with her rules, elimination process, prizes, etc. Her compassion for the contestants and how she chose to uplift them was inspiring. Truly wonderful reality TV.
- Westworld S4 – This was a strong season for Westworld. I can’t say that I entirely understand what happened but I very much enjoyed the ride.
I also started Paper Girls but it honestly didn’t capture me overall. Good performances from the cast but I didn’t find myself being pulled back to it so I DNFed it. I know lots of people loved it though, and I’m bummed to hear that it got canceled. A women-led sci-fi series that deserved better.
What have you been watching?
As I mentioned last month, I really don’t have a whole lot of projects that I can talk about. Everything is in limbo or under NDA for the most part. BUT I do want to let you know about whatever I can talk about and discuss so let’s dive in and discuss what’s new and good.
- Racc Pack 2 – Whitney and I just wrapped on the script for Racc Pack 2. We should have more details on release dates for both books very soon. Also, I’ve seen some of the cover sketches that Whitney’s worked up…and they’re so good.
- Pillow Talk – Speaking of covers, I’ve also seen a sneak peak at the cover for Pillow Talk and it’s looking great! We should also have more details on that very soon, including (hopefully) a release date and pre-order link.
- Appearances – I wrapped up moderating some TIFA Kids panels recently and have a couple more events coming up. I’ll be at MCX in Mississauga on Oct 16. And on Oct 29, I’ll be at Gotham Central all day for their Halloween Indie Fest. More details on both appearances are here.
And honestly, that’s pretty much it for now! It’s not a big update but it’s all I’ve got. Hopefully next month I’ll have more exciting stuff to tell you about…including what spooky movies I watched for October.
If you’re in Mississauga, please be sure to come say hi later this month for Gotham Central’s Halloween Indie Fest event. I’ll be one of the guest creators with a booth and I’d love to see you! I’ll be selling copies of ParaNorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse, as well as Oh My Gods! and other wares.
The event details are:
- WHEN: Saturday, October 29
- TIME: 11:00am-6:00pm
- WHERE: Gotham Central – 1400 Aimco Blvd. Unit 1 Mississauga, ON L4W 1B2
It’s shaping up to be a really fun event with lots of other talented creators on location too, including Keith Grachow, Becka Kinzie, Jonathan Kociuba, and more.
Hope to see you there!
It’s already October and I’ve got a new roundup of books with mini reviews for y’all. Check out my list and be sure to let me know what you’ve been enjoying in the comments.
- The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston – A fun, delightful twist on the romcom with witty writing and engaging characters. TDR is as insightful as it is funny too, providing little bits of wisdom throughout as our protagonist tries to find her way back to love again. Feels like Beach Read x Cemetery Boys…the overall vibes of Beach Read with the ghostly bits of Cemetery Boys.
- The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi – Funny and quirky, albeit it a bit of a surprisingly slow read.
- Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid – A solid, GOOD FOR HER type of story. Set in the same world as Ava Reid’s The Wolf and the Woodsman, this standalone story reinvents more Slavic lore in a great and witchy read to kick off spooky season.
- This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub – An exquisitely beautiful love story not about one person or soulmate but an ode to life itself and the special people in it that are our constants, no matter what. Who we really, really love and who really, really love us back, to borrow from This Time Tomorrow itself. A perfect combination of About Time and The Midnight Library. One of my favourites of the year.
- The Restless Dark by Erica Waters – A perfect spooky read, following the story of a young woman—the last victim of a serial killer—who is trying to reclaim herself and face the darkness that’s haunted her for the last two years. And the story of Carolina whose dark past is one she can’t quite remember. Is her past dark or is she herself the darkness?
The Restless Dark is an exciting and riveting dual-POV YA thriller for fans of Sadie and Yellowjackets. Sadie is an especially apt comp title for the content here, offering a similar mode of delivery for the story but with its own unique spin.
Well-fleshed out characters with depth and lots of personality. They aren’t always likable but you’re rooting for them to make it out of what they’ve gotten themselves into. It’s a page-turner that keeps you engaged from start to finish—you might guess some of the twists and turns but the joy is seeing it unravel as you go.
And that’s a wrap on what I read in September. I was hoping to wrap up a couple more books but didn’t get to it. You’ll just have to hear about those on next month’s roundup. What have you been reading and enjoying?