Things I Liked In June 2023

I don’t know about where you are, but where I am it’s been a very, very rainy June. I read that something like 55% of the time it was overcast and/or rainy, so hardly a good summer month! Not that I have any immediate plans to do anything super summery, but still. It would be nice to do something outside! (I say that but realistically I’d be holed up in my home no matter what but it’s fun to pretend.)

Anyway, in terms of writing, I should be getting the draft cover for the final book in my “Forgotten Monsters” trilogy in the next week or two. I’m excited to see what my cover designer has come up with! It will likely be a little while still before I can share it publicly, but that time is coming up fast. I can’t believe I’ll be wrapping up this trilogy in September. While I’m excited to move on to a different project, completing a series is a big deal. I’m gonna miss those characters!

Speaking of my next project, I’m doing a first round of edits for the third book in that series and it’s going really well so far. It’s funny how the editing process for each book is so different for me. The second book in the series required way more editing, but this third book is in decent shape for a first draft. Anyway, I need to think about hiring an editor for the first book and sending it off to them in the next few months, so I have to get the ball rolling. I’m still querying but I fully intend to publish this book myself unless something major happens soon.

Anyway, onto things I liked this month.

I Love TV

I’ve been wanting to check out “Party Down” for a while now – after all, its first season premiered in 2009! But I never had Starz so I never got to watch. Apparently the first two seasons are on Hulu in the US, though, so I figured this was my chance! The show follows a group of aspiring entertainers as they work for a catering company in Los Angeles. Each episode centers around a different event so there’s an ever revolving cast of guest stars. It’s a really funny show and the premise lends itself to some hilarious encounters. I have to say that Ken Marino doesn’t get enough attention for being the comedic genius he is. He’s hilarious in everything I’ve seen him in. The whole cast is really great – Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally – so talented! I’m hoping the recently released third season gets added sometime soon, but the first two seasons were definitely worth a watch, regardless.

I’ve been a big fan of “Black Mirror” since before it became a Netflix show. Last season, consisting of only three episodes, was hugely disappointing to me. I’m really glad to say that this new batch of episodes is a big improvement. This season seems to focus less on the technology aspect of things, but I found most of the episodes very entertaining. You get kind of typical but fun “Black Mirror” episodes like “Joan is Awful,” which stars Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek. This episode asks us to consider what would happen if companies used our likenesses and images and recreated them using AI for profit. “Loch Henry,” which felt the most like earlier episodes of “Black Mirror” examines people’s fascination with true crime and trauma exploitation. The only episode I didn’t care for was “Mazey Day,” which was definitely a miss and I’m not really sure what the point was. I’d probably rank the episodes like this: “Beyond the Sea,” “Joan is Awful,” “Loch Henry,” “Demon 79,” and “Mazey Day.” All in all, a solid season.

The Books I’ve Liked

The question I have is, will I ever read a TJ Klune book that I don’t absolutely adore to pieces? So far, the answer is no. This month I picked up two of his books, the first and second in his YA superhero trilogy. “The Extraordinaries” and “Flash Fire” follow Nick Bell, a teen with ADHD who is obsessed with the real life superheroes in his hometown of Nova City. Of particular interest to Nick is Shadow Star, who he has a huge crush on – so much so that he even writes fanfic of him. Shadow Star’s main enemy is Pyro Storm, who also makes appearances in Nick’s writing. Nick’s obsession with these superheroes and supervillains spills over into his every day life as he tries to find a way to get involved in all these superhero shenanigans. He tries various things to give himself powers so he can join the fight. Nick’s best friends, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz, are all along for the ride and they are all just the best. There are quite a few twists and turns in this series, which definitely kept me on my toes. These stories are absolutely hilarious and heartwarming in true TJ Klune fashion. Since I don’t want to give away spoilers, most of this information is just from the first book, so if you choose to pick up this series (you better), then there are still so many fun aspects to discover!

Music

• Doja Cat: Attention
• Dom Dolla ft. Nelly Furtado: Eat Your Man
• Janelle Monáe: Champagne Shit
• Olivia Rodrigo: Vampire
• Gwen Stefani: True Babe