In which I'm baaaack!
Hello again, hello.
Personal update that may only be tangentially related to genre stuff
Hey-o! It’s been awhile but I’m back, baby! Speaking of babies, having one and then trying to keep it alive during a global pandemic with zero outside support while also working from home is…a lot! I don’t recommend it, but I’m grateful that my husband, Jon, was home as well to help with everything. I couldn’t have gotten through these months without him.
We’re slowly crawling our way back to something manageable, however, and our daughter is awesome. I’m also excited to be back here, and I have some fun ideas for this space that I’m going to implement in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
So what have I been up to these last few months besides working, taking care of a baby, and trying to keep it together? Not much! Like everyone else, we’re edging up to the one-year anniversary of being mostly at home because of the pandemic, and gosh it’s been quite a year!
There are a lot of things I can say about the last 366 days. A lot. I’ve decided, however, that instead of reflecting on how long it’s been since I’ve spent time outside these four walls, I would share a list of the super exciting changes we’ve made to our home and lifestyle that kept things interesting:
Jon and I switched what sides of the bed we sleep on; the novelty of it made me feel like we were on vacation for a week.
We had our bathtub reglazed and bought a Batman shower curtain to up the ante on our Batman-themed bathroom (AKA, the Batroom).
We had a baby. Did I mention that? Our second bedroom is now a nursery.
We bought a fake Christmas tree, which was a GAME CHANGER. THE LIGHTS ARE ALREADY ON THE TREE AND IT DOESN’T SHED PINE NEEDLES. I’m never going back.
It’s good to appreciate and reflect on the small things sometimes.
But meanwhile, in a fictional universe…
Books? Books!
(Disclaimer: I use affiliate links here through Bookshop.org, and may get a small commission if you purchase these books through them. This, however, does not impact what books I share or what I say about them.)
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
This is the second book in Becky Chambers Wayfarer series and I recommend them all. You don’t have to read them in order either—even though some characters overlap, there’s nothing you need to know beforehand to appreciate a given story. The fourth book in the series, The Galaxy and the Ground Within, comes out in April and I can’t wait to read it. Chambers creates such a wonderful sci-fi universe here, and the books are extremely character-driven rather than plot-driven. If that’s your jam, definitely check these out.
Not Books But Still Nerdy!
I’m cheating a bit because this is book-related, but I am insanely excited for the Shadow & Bone series coming to Netflix. The show is based on Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse series, of which I have read in its entirety (start with Six of Crows if you’re interested; it’s the first of a duology that takes place after Bardugo’s first trilogy but is by far the best of the books).
Even if you’ve never heard of the Grishaverse, I bet this trailer for the show might entice you:
Cool right?! I can’t wait!
Articles!
Brent Spiner talks playing evil on Star Trek & whether there should be a 'The Next Generation' reboot: I got to interview Brent Spiner! He’s got a book coming out in October that’s a fictional memoir/mystery/thriller. Intrigued and/or confused? I have another article where he talks specifically about the book, which you can preorder here.
‘The Expanse’ Showrunner and Creators on How the New Season Differs from the Books and Choosing to End the Series: I also got to interview the showrunner and co-creators of The Expanse television series! This interview is a bit in the weeds, but if you’re familiar with the books and/or show, you might find it interesting. If you haven’t watched The Expanse, I highly recommend it; it’s one of the best shows out there.
Obligatory Pennydog photo
Penny is afraid of the wind and needs some extra lovin’ when we get the Santa Anas here. My sweatshirt is also on backwards in this photo, which I didn’t realize until I took it off that night. Oh well!
