Tag: media roundup
June 2022, fave media
Lots of Ilona Andrews, good tunes, and some live events.
Rereads
Ilona Andrews’ Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) & Blood Heir (Aurelia Ryder #1)
This series/universe continues to be a joy/comfort.
Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy #1-5
In case you couldn’t tell, Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors. I didn’t time this in order to be ready for Ruby Fever, but it worked out quite nicely. Also I will take Alessandro over Rogan any day.
Forthright’s Dragged Through Hedgerows (Songs of the Amaranthine #3)
Another comfort read.
Audio
Beyoncé’s Break My Soul
A jam.
Seinabo Sey’s Blessed
Blue and Rom Com were two of my favorite tracks last year, and this one is no exception.
Wooden Overcoats S4
Whewwww the character development/pay off, especially Antigone’s. Also Chapman’s mysterious backstory revealed!
Relisten: Life With Leo(h) S1
Which is also crowdfunding it’s second and final season here!
Live
Hadestown
I hate unhappy endings, and yet here I am saying this was excellent. See it live if you can.
Stars on Ice
Holy smokes, watching the Olympic programs live was an Experience. Especially Jason Brown’s Sinnerman, which broke my brain with its brilliance.
May 2022, fave media
Books
Akwaeke Emezi’s You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty
Whewww, what a book about being alive. The implorement to live reminds me of Princess Mononoke, tbh.
Ed. Andrea Purcell’s Sordid Past
An Iron Circus comic anthology is guaranteed to be great art and very gay. Their Smut Peddler line continues to be some of the best erotica anthologies on the market. This one is no exception.
Re-reads: Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels #6-9 + Iron Covenant #1
Smart, hilarious, and unforgettable characters you love dearly. In other words, magic.
Read More »
April 2022, fave media
Music
Olivia Dean’s I Wish I Didn’t Miss You (Angie Stone cover)
This grooves hard.
dollstr!ke’s In the Blue
I love a good pop song.
KAINA’s Casita (Live at NPR Tiny Desk x SXSW)
Rebirth Canal’s AI
I keep thinking about these lines: “i want to you be gentle / i want you to be strong // with all senses uncompressed”
Allison Russell’s Nightflyer (Live at the 2022 Grammys)
I love her voice in this lower register.
Sophia Subbayya Vastek’s The Seas That Made Us
The Suffers’ Don’t Bother Me
Doesn’t it just make you wanna dance?
Misc.
Film: Maggie Q’s The Protege
The cat-mouse UST? *chef’s kiss*
TV: Bridgerton S2
OMFG. SO GOOD! I know a lot of people weren’t into all the changes between season, but I am into it. (Also, it’s normal in romance books anyways.) The eye-fucking! The UST! A dark-skinned leading lady! I do think the season could’ve benefited from additional episodes to work through the fall-out though.
Podcast: Where Should We Begin? S5x06, Twice Married, To Each Other
I really liked her tips that to help diffuse an argument, try arguing while lying down or touch each other. Transcript here.
March 2022, fave media
This was a slow month for me, but was carried by good TV and film.
Books
Melissa Febos’ Body Work
Will be thinking about the essay “Mind Fuck” for awhile.
Erica Ridley’s An Affair by the Sea (The Siren’s Retreat #2)
Hilarious.
Reread: Nalini Singh’s Whisper of Sin (Psy-Changeling #.75)
Music
Caitlyn Scarlett ft. Her Ensemble’s Forgive Yourself
Videos
Lizzo’s Watch Out For the Big Grrrls S1
I binge-watched this and it was so much fun.
Niecy Nash Betts & Jessica Betts React to Couples Astrology Reading
11 minute video, English captions available. I believe in love!
Queer Disability Justice Dreams
1 hour 45 minute video, ASL and English captions available. Discussion between Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and Sami Schalk. I’m especially thinking about the mutual aid parts.
Honorable Mention: Domee Shi’s Turning Red and Lana Wachowski’s Matrix Resurrections
Feb 2022, fave media
Books
Jessie Mihalik’s Hunt the Stars (Starlight’s Shadow #1)
Tremendous fun. I picked this up sight unseen based on how much fun I had in her previous trilogy, and it was totally worth it.
Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis
Hysterically funny. Also the demisexual rep took me out.
Read More »
Jan 2022, fave media
Books
The Mask of Mirrors and The Liar’s Knot by M.A. Carrick (Rose and Rook #1 & 2)
I binged these. Once Mask of Mirrors popped off at the 50% mark, I read like… 1100 pages in 3 days? During which I read 90% of The Liars’ Knot in one day. TMoM is broody, but TLK is rip-roaring fun full of humor and identity shenanigans.
The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith
Hello, yes, sisterhood of nuns who spin the wind into magic. I need a sequel ASAP about Grace when she’s older and on her pilgrimage. And yes the magic system is cool AF.
Read More »2021, fave media
Books
E.J. Beaton’s The Councillor (The Councillor #1)
Dom/sub UST. *chefs kiss*
Olivia Dade’s Spoiler Alert and All the Feels (Spoiler Alert #1 and #2)
If you read fanfic, don’t miss this self-aware series.
Kiese Laymon’s How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America
JFC the way this man writes.
Trung Le Nguyen’s The Magic Fish
JFC what Trungles accomplishes in a debut no less. Patreon.
Rebecca Roanhorse’s Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1)
This makes it onto the list solely for the tenderest bathing scene I’ve ever read.
C. Spike Trotman, Emilee Denich, and Kelly Fitzpatrick’s Yes, Roya (2021 color edition)
Kinky OT3? Yes, please!
Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue’s Katie the Cat Sitter (Katie the Cat Sitter #1)
A delight. I’m still thinking about Chat Guevara. XD
Read More »Dec 2021, fave media
Books
N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s Far Sector
Everything I love about Jemisin, plus creative world-building around cat memes! Would love to see more from her in this universe.
Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Clayton Cowles’s Die vol. 4
Ash!! When she faces herself? *chefs kiss* I’ve always loved moments like that. Would’ve loved a longer epilogue on how the lessons in-game effects everyone’s lives too.
Read More »Nov 2021, fave media
I have a number of poems that have been sitting on my harddrive gathering dust, so I’m trying to post them here and on IG. It’s made it so I’m posting more than twice a month; and I’m trying not to overthink that.
Oh, forgot to mention I was published in the Backbone zine; it’s free/pay what you can online!
Books
Melissa Caruso’s The Quicksilver Court (Rooks and Ruin #2)
The Obsidian Tower was one of my favorite books last year, so I was very excited for the sequel to come out. While not identical, Ryx and Severin give me similar vibes as Jude and Cardan from Holly Black’s Folk of the Air. Patreon.
Olivia Dade’s All the Feels (Spoiler Alert #2)
If you read fanfic, you gotta check out this series. Plus, a hero who loves fanfic tropes!
Erica Ridley’s Lord of Pleasure (Rogues to Riches #2)
A fun and magical novella with a hint of fairy tale vibes.
Misc.
Article: Fonda Lee’s Twitter is the Worst Reader
“Never have I witnessed a clarification or apology on Twitter lead to reciprocal outreach or reconcilation. The Twitter mob does not say, “Oh, thanks for clarifying. I’m also sorry about the misunderstanding and for jumping to conclusions. Shake hands and move on, shall we?””
“But diffuse offenses unknowingly caused by one-off tweets don’t justify online dog-piling when nothing about the underlying structures of power or representation are actually changed and the only real result is exhausted creators withdrawing.”
Film: Eternals dir. Chloé Zhao
So I know it’s getting mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it. I forgot I was in a movie theater full of people who were too close to me. Love the family dynamics. Also Makkari/Druig that is all.
Podcast: All That and Mo’
I’ve long been a fan of Mollena’s, and I will follow her wherever. She also has the gift of storytelling; I could listen to her talk about anything. Patreon.
Podcast: Where Should We Begin?
Esther Perel’s podcast is back! Spotify airs the episodes before it gets to other podcast apps.
Esther O. Lee 