Speed-Dating with a Book

 

"Blind dates with a book" have become increasingly popular. At a time when there are always more books to read, and finding one you'll enjoy can be difficult, it's a fun (and aesthetically pleasing) way to change up the process. It's also a great way for smaller and indie bookstores to get unconventional recommendations into the hands of readers.

But what about speed dating with a book?

Wandering Pages, a local mobile bookstore that frequents my neighborhood farmer's market, set up just that in August. The event took place at Traditions Brewing and offered guests a chance to get to know 16 books and choose their favorites from across the selection.

This first iteration of the event was limited to 16 participants to keep things moving quickly, and it was a good decision for early days. It was large enough to make the selection meaningful and offer plenty of opportunities to chat with new people, but small enough to be manageable. Each participant received a "dating passport" to keep notes on each selection: number of book, immediate chemistry, and other notes. All 16 books, wrapped in traditional Blind Date with a Book style, had their own spot at a series of tables, and each potential reader got two minutes to go over the notes and make decisions. The decorations were simple, with a little wooden number marker for each book.

At the end of the speed dating segment, the host called out random numbers, and that was the order in which we selected our final books. It was easy enough to have second and third choices ready, thanks to the passport.

I ended up with my overall second choice, Debbie Cassidy's Wicked Onyx. I look forward to digging in; based on the back, this speed dating day absolutely did the trick. A pop-up shop for Wandering Pages also had additional Blind Dates (including some featured in Speed Dating) handy for attendees who wanted a little more.

Traditions Brewing was an excellent choice of spot: big enough to accommodate without being too noisy. And the drinks on tap were fantastic. I especially liked the mango coconut sour I started with.

What worked best about this first iteration of the event is that it was on the small side. I've seen a lot of events start enthusiastic and end up being too big to manage. Small and safe, no matter how promising an event is, is always the best course. There were no mishaps (that I could see), and the scheduled but laid-back vibe of the event kept things moving while still encouraging conversation.

My hope is absolutely to see more events like this, ideally with other themes and genres. There are some very cozy holidays coming up, which feels like the perfect time for it.

Be sure to check out Wandering Pages - even if you're not local, you can shop online and support a small business!

Sir Sherlock 2: The Sickle and the Sea

 

The concept of AUK Studios' new Sir Sherlock series is, as I mentioned before, a delightful one: fresh off his retirement as a beekeeper and reluctantly accepting a knighthood at last, Sherlock Holmes rejoins Dr. John Watson for another round of deductions in a more modernized London. This means working with the granddaughter of old friend Lestrade, crossing paths with a new generation of consulting detective and — in The Sickle and the Sea — stepping into a whole new era of politics.

Kenton Hall pens both the script and the novelization for this new adventure, which takes place at sea on our lead trio's return from Russia. Rather than going aboard a passenger liner, Holmes, Watson, and Sergeant Lestrade cross the sea accompanied by a small crew, a handful of fellow travelers, and a great deal of grain. But the very small manifest begins to grow even smaller when one of the crew is found dead: seemingly drowned. But there are two problems: the drowned body is bone-dry, and Watson believes the victim to have died several days ago... despite them having just had dinner with him.

Before long, more of the people on board begin to lose their lives. But Holmes and Watson are quickly running out of suspects. How could someone be recently alive and dead for several days? Why are multiple drowned corpses turning up dry? And how many murderers are there really aboard the ship?

As always, Tom Baker and John Leeson are delightful together. The Red Letter Day established that this Holmes and Watson are, while recognizable, still quite different. Age and experience have made Sir Sherlock slightly more whimsical; but despite his assertions to the contrary last episode, this Holmes is still as quick-witted as ever. The banter between Baker and Leeson is beautifully natural; there are old friends reunited, aware of each other's foibles but still full of affection and respect for each other.

Kenton Hall offers every actor a fantastic story arc, but Emily Lestrade in particular has a great opportunity to shine. We see her view of her role in society and in the story: a desire for herself and all women to be judged independently on their merit rather than being subjected to any extreme of judgment. There's always a danger of new characters in classic groups feeling "off," but Katy Ashworth fits right in with her costars.

As the second in the series, The Sickle and the Sea doesn't have the baked-in issue of needing to do setup and worldbuilding. It can comfortably tell its story with all the characters introduced and known, and that works in its favor. There's more time to get down to business exploring the new "modern day" of the series — in this case, discovering Holmes's view of rebellion, revolution, and the juxtaposition of individuals and their government. Sir Sherlock was already good, but it continues to get better.

And there's a third installment currently being crowdfunded! Check out the campaign for Sir Sherlock 3: The Parting Shot, featuring a guest appearance from Sophie Aldred! And if you missed either of the previous campaigns, you can pledge for one of the bundles featuring past CDs.

BOOK REVIEW: I Am the Night

 

I AM THE NIGHT: THE ULTIMATE UNAUTHORIZED HISTORY OF BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
by Daniel Dockery
Available September 1

I've known Daniel Dockery for quite a while through our mutual work for Crunchyroll, and one thing that's always impressed me about him is his ability to write deep dives that never once stop being meaningful, relevant, or interesting. Reading his work feels like chatting with a well-versed friend: casual but informative. Monster Kids put that strong narrative voice in book form, and I knew before reading I Am the Night that he'd bring that same care to his treatment of Batman: The Animated Series.

If you, like me, were raised in this animation renaissance, this book is as informative as it is nostalgic. For every old memory it brought to the surface, I Am the Night offers twice as many new tidbits of information. Interviews with the many people involved with this seminal series (many of which are new and conducted by Dockery himself) shine a new light on a series that has already been interrogated through numerous articles and podcasts.

The strength of both I Am the Night and Dockery's previous deep-dive, the aforementioned Monster Kids, is that these aren't just about the shows themselves. Any piece of art or media both inspires and is inspired by its contemporaries, and understanding the landscape in which a title was born increases our understanding of the title itself. Thus, I Am the Night is also about the Batman feature films and their connected marketing, the broader state of superhero comic adaptations, Steven Spielberg's foray into TV animation, the rise of other series like Animaniacs and Gargoyles, and so much more. Because BTAS challenged what animated TV series even are, it brings so much in its wake, often from unexpected corners. (Expect little jumpscares from Ralph Bakshi at extremely unexpected times.) You come away with an understanding of the making and influence of the series, yes, but also why it mattered and how its influence echoes to this day.

I Am the Night is, additionally, the exception that proves one of my own rules: repeated presence of opinion in an analytical work. In my time working on Obverse Books' Black Archive line, I've fallen prey to this while also calling out other writers on it. Sidelining a work meant to be as academic or factual as possible with comments that something is or isn't "good" is tricky, because even the most astute fan can struggle with the difference between "structurally unsound" and "not for me." But Dockery interweaves his own assessments (which are admittedly few and far between) with broad fan sentiment and the thoughts of the people who made the series, creating a tapestry of opinion that informs the work more than taking away from it. And even in the moments when something is assessed from what is clearly the author's point of view, it feels less like a proclamation and more like a casual assertion between friends.

This is a must-have for fans of BTAS, of Batman in general, and of animation of any era.

DRINK PAIRING: Elixir of Inner Light
Okay, this is largely because of the color: the sparkling orange reminds me both of the gold in the iconic Batman logo and the very cool cover of this book. But I also use this as part of my morning reading ritual, which included I Am the Night for several days. I love it because it's full of Vitamin B and D, as well as other things my work-from-home brain needs. Check out my link to try out this and other elixirs from Velvet Hammer!

NOW AVAILABLE: Doctor Who 70-79

 

So, you know. It's downtime for Doctor Who. Maybe it'll be back soon, maybe it won't. We simply do not know at this point. But, fortunately, there are plenty of other things coming out in the interim: reference books, charity anthologies, official fiction, and the like. I'm embedded in some of this stuff, some of which is still in the chute waiting to come out. But one thing is currently ready, and it's very pretty.

Doctor Who 70-79 is a publication by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, covering an entire decade of the series during the tenures of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. The volume includes interviews with Caroline John and Mary Tamm, reminiscences about specific serials and major events of the era, and much more. Like the other special publications (including DWAS annuals), this is a gorgeous full-color hardcover, as nice to look at as it is to read.

As for my part, I cover two fourth Doctor stories: Genesis of the Daleks and The Deadly Assassin. And just from that selection, you may have an idea of what topic I discuss.

My major fascination in this space is how fans and surrounding media interact with the show, and how that in turn affects the story and evolution of the series. In this case, I'm zooming in on two of Mary Whitehouse's major complaints as regards violence. Granted, I do bring an American viewpoint to this (as I state early on), but my focus is more on how this shock value serves the narrative than on if it's "okay" for young viewers. Having lived through the congressional hearings on violence in video games at an age when I would have been the demographic "at risk," I'm always fascinated by this sort of topic.

If that sounds like your jam, I hope you'll pick it up. And if not, there are so many other articles to choose from, including look-ins from Dale Smith, Simon Guerrier, Don Klees, and many others I'm very fond of. Bruce Nicholson and Paul Smith did an amazing job bringing this together, and I look forward to working with the DWAS more on similar projects in future.

Grab your copy of Doctor Who 70-79 here, and be sure to let me know what you think!

BOOK REVIEW: Little Monsters

LITTLE MONSTERS
by Máire Roche
Available now

It's Halloween in Salem, and the March sisters and their foster mother Marmee are scraping by as best they can. Meg is working hard to ensure she and her sisters can afford the Halloween costumes of their dreams, but there's a more pressing issue on the horizon: the neighborhood is being terrorized by a monster. And given the gaps in her memory and the dirt on her feet in the morning, Meg is very worried that that monster is her.

You see, the March sisters have a secret: each has a unique monstrous form they are working to hide, and even Marmee doesn't know. But the attack on the Laurences' chicken coop has many of Meg's classmates curious, and some appear to know more about her than they should. While Meg would prefer to spend her time with cute tutor John Brooke, she feels she has to solve this problem on her own, before the whole neighborhood finds out her family's dark secret. But it seems like the neighborhood at large may have secrets of their own, too.

As a middle-grade book, Little Monsters is a great read, with an important lesson threaded throughout. As Meg learns, no one can be expected to handle everyone's problems on their own. And similarly, we can't know what others are going through. The girls' monstrous forms could easily be a metaphor for any number of unique issues, including and especially neurodivergence.

That said, I have one major quibble with this book, which is that I'm not sure what makes it a Little Women retelling beyond extremely surface-level similarities. There are four girls who share names with the March sisters, and there are surrounding characters who fill similar roles to their namesakes, but it feels too much like its own thing - possibly it's both present-day and paranormal, and thus most of the trappings of the original are left far behind. It doesn't seem to be saying or doing much that ties it to Little Women meaningfully. Perhaps it's because this year also brought us the exceptional Beth Is Dead, a modern retelling whose differences from the original were the entire point of the story. But Little Monsters feels more like a fanfiction that's strayed so far from the source that it might as well file the serial numbers off and be its own story.

This doesn't mean that this book "shouldn't exist" - as I said before, it's a good story with good lessons and interesting worldbuilding. But cramming it into the Little Women box rather than letting it exist on its own distracts from the story and leaves it feeling like it's missing something. Since so many elements of the original are absent or glossed over, Little Monsters ends up feeling incomplete. Amy and Beth are barely there, to the point that I can't remember who had the mermaid traits and who had the bat traits. Jo is something of a caricature of what a modern Jo March might be, right down to dressing up as Louisa May Alcott for Halloween. It feels like the Little Women ties exist solely to get eyes on the book; and, ironically, I believe it would be a far better and stronger book if it embraced its worldbuilding and presented itself as fully original.

TEA PAIRING: March Home in Bloom
A really nice white tea that much more forgiving than other white teas if you steep it a bit too long. I enjoy the light floral blend and, while white tea absolutely has caffeine in it, it's still nice for a lighter brew later in the day. Use my code KARA15 for this and other bookish teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: March Family Pudding
Another Little Women-inspired find, this candle is a bit more Christmas than Halloween: a super-cozy blend of fig, almond, and brown sugar. Use my referral link for a discount on other book-inspired candles from Frostbeard!

BOOK REVIEW: My Killer Family Reunion

 

MY KILLER FAMILY REUNION
by Dinesh Thiru
Available now

Everyone in Jayshree's family has plotted out how they'd kill Grand Mom. It's been a running joke for years. But at the most recent family reunion, Grand Mom declares that she's changing the will so only three people will receive a share of her massive fortune in the form of valuable properties. So it's a nasty coincidence when Grand Mom is nearly hit by a car in the parking lot right after dinner, leaving her in a coma.

That is, of course, assuming it was a coincidence.

Jayshree may be all but invisible to most people, but Grand Mom knew she had a keen eye for mysteries. While the family waits for their matriarch to wake up, Jay and her cousins put their deductive skills to the test (and their lives on the line) to figure out who's behind the attempted murder. But it's not all dire: her family has done a bit of playful matchmaking between Jay and Hernando, a very handsome friend of one of her cousins. Working out her feelings for him provides a fun distraction... assuming, of course, he's not involved somehow.

Mysteries for teen readers are hit and miss; they're either overly patronizing or so dense that they don't stick the landing. My Killer Family Reunion threads that needle, while also ensuring that any red herrings lead to equally valuable secondary discoveries.  Jay's family is both loving and broken in equal measure, with some members doing their best while others are outright abusive. But both are depicted well, and the latter pulls no punches (sometimes literally).

Jay is also allowed to be as smart as the reader, which can be a difficult thing in mysteries for readers of any age. Oftentimes the detective is a step behind (to give the reader the thrill of discovery) or much too far ahead (to stake their claim as a brilliant detective). Jay moves at about the same pace as the reader, and it's a believable pace for someone of her age and intelligence: analytical enough, but still prone to the worries and hesitations that we all feel as teens.

The introduction of Hernando, while he does eventually play a role in the plot, felt a little odd, though. Perhaps it's because I'm not from the demographic depicted in the novel, but his introduction via a fake wedding "prank" (meant as part of Jay's cousins' attempts to get her a "coat closet hook-up," which... fair enough) felt odd. But just because a Lebanese girl doesn't get it doesn't mean it's unrealistic. I'm perfectly willing to assume I'm missing something. That said, Hernando's early appearances do still have that sort of shoehorned-in romance feel to it, and I'm not sure if that detracts from or offsets the mystery at the book's core.

All that aside, My Killer Family Reunion is a fun summer read with a lot of interesting and unique characters, including and especially the highly-targeted Grand Mom. All else being equal, that woman is truly aspirational.

TEA PAIRING: Sunrise Breakfast
While a lot of chai is drunk in this book, it's also used as a way to get women out of the room when men are talking, so we're not doing that. Instead, we're going with Sunrise Breakfast: a bold English breakfast that's caffeinated enough to get the grey cells working. It's also blended with bright yellow marigold petals. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other bookish teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: Fictional Crush
With the pretend romance between Jay and Hernando underscoring much of the book, it felt like a good time to highlight one of my favorite limited scents from Frostbeard. This blend of sandalwood, dark musk and resin is legitimately one of the best they've ever put out. Use my affiliate link for a discount on other book-inspired candles from Frostbeard!