Mary: Well, here we are with another Wheel of Time update. It feels like we haven’t made one in forever (okay, since August 2023), but a lot has changed in terms of where we are in the series. Do you want to explain where we are now, Todd?
Read moreSlogging Through Wheel of Time
Todd: The time has come for another Wheel of Time reading update, and this time Todd (me) is here! To quickly recap, Mary and I spent more than a year “reading” Winter’s Heart before finally finishing it this summer and then zooming through Crossroads of Twilight. We have now almost finished the prologue of Knife of Dreams and we have some thoughts! I will let Mary kick things off by asking this: now that you are through it, how bad was the dreaded “slog”?
Read moreYA Book Club: Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling
Emily: Let’s start this edition of YA Book Club out with a little bit of honesty. After the last book we read, I really needed something light, refreshing, and (most importantly) actually good. Enter Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant. I have been looking forward to this one because of its cute premise. Delilah is a cool girl in a punk rock band. Reggie is a D&D nerd so deeply steeped in the culture that he writes essays about D&D for fun. They’re from different worlds, but they see something in each other that they admire, and yes, they spend a year falling for one another (just as the title suggests). I know a big pull for me was the D&D angle. And I know it was for Mary too. And D&D is such a huge pull that we even got TODD to join us for this month’s YA Book Club.
So hi, Mary and Todd. Thanks for being here. Tell me, was there anything else that had you excited about reading this book? Cause I know we were really looking forward to it.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!
Todd's Fantasy Series Corner Part 4
The Murderbot Diaries
Welcome back to my blog series where I ramble about the fantasy and sci-fi books I have read recently! It has been a while since my last blog, and I am happy to report that I have many series to speak on! First, I have a little update on a couple of series I have mentioned before, and then I will jump into some new series I have been reading recently.
Read moreYA Book Club: A Snake Falls to Earth
Mary: Weeeeelcome to YA Book Club, where we talk about a new YA book approximately once per month. This time around, Todd is joining us to discuss Darcie Little Badger’s A Snake Falls to Earth. You might remember that Emily and I read Elatsoe last year and loved it. We had (perhaps unrealistic) high hopes for A Snake Falls to Earth, so it shot to the top of our to-read list when it came out. Todd also loved Elatsoe, and I happen to be married to him and think he’s smart, so he’s here, too! Hello, Todd!
Read moreWheel of Time Season 1 Impressions
(Amazon)
Mary: Welcome to the much anticipated (by us) discussion of Season 1 of The Wheel of Time TV show! I started reading the series back in 2018, and felt moved to write a defense of how it “doesn’t suck.” Now, I’m still halfway through the 14 book series and feeling the worst effects of the dreaded Slog. BUT, we’re not here to talk about the novels. No, instead, Todd and I are going to be discussing the Amazon Prime TV adaptation of the novels. Weirdly, we’ve been anticipating this show for a long time, as we both keep tabs on showrunner Rafe Judkins (who previously starred on a season of Survivor). It’s a small world, and basically the same 5 people are in every reality show. But I digress.
Todd, kick us off by talking about how the show is choosing to adapt what you have called “unfilmable.”
Read moreReturn of Todd's Fantasy Series Corner: Part 3
It has been a minute since we last talked fantasy, hasn’t it? Well, I have returned to talk all things fantasy, SF, and anything else I feel like talking about.
First: a quick rundown of series that I have already touched on: I finished Oathbringer, the 3rd book in Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive, and while I still enjoyed it, it did have the feeling of a middle act kind of book. The characters were a little more dour, a little less self-confident, but the book still had its hooks in me and I am excited to pick up Rhythms of War soon! Mary and I also recently got the first 3 Mistborn books, so I am looking forward to digging into some earlier Sanderson soon as well.
Read more10 Reasons to Watch Revolutionary Girl Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena probably feels familiar to many viewers. The 1997 anime features a magical girl, campy baddies, and plenty of friendship. The premise of Utena sounds an awful lot like Sailor Moon, and with good reason. Kunihiko Ikuhara, one of the series directors for Sailor Moon, wanted the freedom to craft the anime he wanted to see in the world, so he left Sailor Moon, teamed up with manga artist Chiho Saito, and the rest is history.
Read moreYA Book Club: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Mary: Hello, and welcome to YA Book Club! This month we’re reading Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, who has a PhD in Oceanography and is definitely an author to keep your eye on. She seems very cool.
If you haven’t seen this book in person, please run out and find a hard copy because the cover and art throughout is gorgeous! Elatsoe follows Ellie, a Lipan Apache, who is tasked by her recently murdered cousin to solve the mystery of his death. There’s a twist to this mystery, though. Ellie knows who killed him but she doesn't know why.
Why You Should Be Watching The Amber Ruffin Show
Sometimes it seems like every late night show is the same these days: a bland white guy tells jokes, celebrities Zoom in from their magnificent houses but only show a boring white wall, and then it’s all over. Sure, occasionally a show will feature a not-white, not-man, but that still seems to be the exception more than the rule. If you love comedy and are looking for a show to break you out of your funk, then look no further than The Amber Ruffin Show (streaming weekly on Peacock!).
Read more