Welcome to Offbeat Offline, where I bring you up-to-date with what went on in my life during the month just gone, give you a sneak peek of my next shenanigans, and share my favourite posts of late!
What happened last month to yours truly? Annoying things, mostly LOL. A seasonal illness wrecking my plans (though on the positive side, it gave me more reading/blogging time), finger surgery delay, plus I finally got around to watching the last season of Supernatural and I was...not impressed, to say the least. I read some good books though (except for a DNF, but it was definitely one of those "it's not you, it's me" cases), so there's that. I also managed to schedule (mind you, not actually FINALISE - some posts haven't been written yet!) my blogging for the rest of the year, yay! (I'm even tentatively planning for 2022...yep, that's how I roll 😅).
📚 LESS IS MORE. Since I'm fixated on reviewing any single book I read (though as you know, I've recently decided to only write mini reviews for a bunch of stuff), and since my full reviews take lots of time, I'm doing my best in order to not overburden myself. I posted 2 full reviews and a round of mini reviews last month, for a total of 3 ARCs...This month I only have 1 full (ARC) review and another round of mini reviews scheduled. I'm trying to take it easy, though I do plan on writing full reviews for the first two books in my next Review Morsels installment eventually, because I loved them so much.
So this is what I have in store for November: I'm going to review an adult mystery/supernatural novel I was approved for on NG (Exposure by Louis Greenberg), and I have a Review Morsels installment planned that will contain a supernatural YA standalone (House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland), a YA novel steeped in magical realism (The Valley and the Flood by Rebecca Mahoney) and a genre-crossing - but mostly supernatural/horror oriented - YA anthology from 6 years ago (Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke et al.).
Reviews aside, I'll participate in a Tell Me Something Tuesday round on the 16th - question: Do Authors/Narrators' Actions, Political Beliefs, Etc. Impact Your View of Their Work?
💻 ...AND IT'S A WRAP! As I said above, I'm also scheduling the rest of my blogging year. I've even started to flesh out my 2021 wrap-up post, since those are usually monsters that take plenty of time and energy (though I plan on on making them less wordy, which might be easier now that I've started writing these monthly recaps). I hope to carve out some quiet reading time for myself during the holidays, and even before...so I want to have all my 2021 posts done for the end of November (though of course, once I do, I'll start worrying about my 2022 ones 😂).
🤧 SICK JOKE. Despite taking immune system boosters, I got sick with my usual virus-induced laryingitis around middle-month. No fever - just a cold and a throat problem. So I had to postpone the (routine) ultrasound I should have taken on Monday 18th, because of course, if you have a seasonal illness, they won't let you go in for medical procedures (especially in Covid times). It's a good thing that my trigger finger surgery isn't mean to happen until November 30th anyway (these kinds of surgeries are only done every last Tuesday of the month, and I didn't make the October list), because I was still half-sick on October 26th, and they wouldn't have operated on me. Anyhow, I had to take a sick leave from Monday 18th to Tuesday 26th, because of course I can't do my job voiceless (for the record...I'm still a bit hoarse, so I'm taking antibiotics now. I'm also going to see an otolaryngologist, because heck, it's been 3 weeks and counting since I first got sick, and this thing isn't going away). The only upside is, the whole time I read and scheduled posts like a madwoman...all while coughing my liver off (well, not all the time, but still).
📺 SUPER-BUMMED. The last season of Supernatural aired in September here in Italy, but I only got around to watch it last month and...mmph. It had the potential of being a great sendoff, what with Chuck/God himself being the antagonist...but some episodes were cringe-worthy (The Heroes' Journey and Last Holiday, I'm looking at you), and the ending was cheap. I felt robbed of the chance to properly mourn two beloved characters whom I've been travelling with for 9 years (me and the hubs started watching the series by chance in 2012/3 with the reruns, and proceeded from there). The two supposedly pivotal scenes of the last episode (three, if you count the real ending) should have been epic and emotional, and instead they felt so staged and random (the first two), and underwhelming (the last one). A pity, really. But the show, its characters and its actors will forever have a special place in my heart.
PUBLISHING NEWS/TIPS
- None this month.
THINK-PIECES, DISCUSSIONS, ORIGINAL FICTION
- Louise asks if horror is misogynistic (I've read too little straight-up horror to have an opinion, but maybe some of you can contribute to the discussion).
- Sam asks what makes an historical novel (is it just the time setting?).
- Lissa shares a fun, imaginative sci-fi story about a being who watches over planets.
- Greg celebrates Halloween with an atmospheric yet bloody piece of fiction where not everything's what it seems...
- The Orangutan Librarian has the perfect Halloween story for the digital/blogging age (completed with screenshots).
REVIEWS/RECOMMENDATIONS
- Veronika shares four horror and thriller mini reviews (some with supernatural and queer content), along with a list of "books with morally gray and villainous female leads" because they rock 😉.
- The Literary Phoenix has a list of problematic authors (thanks to Lissa - see above - for bringing it to my attention).
- Kit recommends "slightly spooky/creepy/horror-ish books, games, movies, & more for scaredy cats" that may have slipped under your radar.
- Greg reviews The Lights of Prague, a "historical vampire tale with nuanced characters and amazing atmosphere".
That's it for now! My next post will be up on Thu. 11th - I'm reviewing Exposure by Louis Greenberg (see above).
So, what were your highs/lows in the past month?
Sorry you are unwell, but glad it hasn't been too bad. I totally forgot about your finger. It seems like forever since you had that injury identified. I want to read The Valley and the Flood. I will be keeping my eyes open for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I woke up with a trigger finger at the end of August, but it only got confirmed in September...ages ago anyhow.
DeleteIt's so exciting that we might have a book in common! 😂 😉
I hated the ending for Supernatural. It could have been so much better. I really hated Chuck though. I would rather they brought back Crowley and did a storyline with him but instead we got Chuck who was all kinds of awful.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you watched Supernatural! Honestly, I didn't hate Chuck (though I LOVED Crowley...then again, the ending they gave him was satisfying IMO, and I hate it when people get resurrected for the sake of it). But he was like a psychopath without a cause in the end.
DeleteI'm quite envious that you have already planned out your blogging schedule for the rest of the year. I can't even make a plan for a single week. I keep changing my mind about what to post.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your health issues, it's not easy being sick or injury at any time. I hope you'll get that surgery and get well real soon.
I'm with you on the Supernatural show ending. I didn't watch the show but I can understand not enjoying an end to a show that you adore. I have seen a lot bad series ending and those shows aren't even long. It's hard to please all the viewers but if they didn't kill off the main characters, then I wouldn't complain as much.
I don't if it's me but somehow whenever I get interested in a show, they get cancelled so there are many show that didn't have endings. But I don't watch tv shows that much these days.
I kind of don't like that everyone used October to read horror books which is sort of natural with Halloween and all but I don't read horror.
I can't remember anything that I did last year so last month is also a blur but at least, I can still say I did something, although, nothing worth mentioning.
Thanks for linking me again. I actually do love that piece I wrote.
Have a lovely day.
Don't feel bad - I need to plan in order to survive (I'm joking...or maybe not LOL), but it doesn't work for everyone. The fact is, back when I didn't do it, I was a very sporadic blogger...not that I post THAT much now, but more than I used to for sure.
DeleteI'm not as mad about characters getting killed as I am when they die in a random way that doesn't do anything for the plot, or in a stupid way, or just for shock value. OK, it happens in life, but I want more from my made-up stories. I followed you to this point, I deserve more - and the characters as well. And yeah, there are so many shows that get cancelled before they can have a real ending, so maybe we should be grateful when one does end properly, even if the main characters die...
October must be hard for non-horror lovers. We're so used to celebrate Halloween and all things scary, that we hardly have time for a different kind of posts. I should probably give it a thought next year and post at least one nice/non-scary thing...
I'm sure you do lots of things worth mentioning, or they happen to you at least. Of course, we have a choice of not telling if we don't feel at ease with it, but believe me - if "I" have stuff to tell, you have too 😉.
Nice! I've started planning ahead with posts as well after months of winging it and writing them at the last minute. It's a good feeling getting a little ahead. :)
ReplyDeleteSlasher Girls is from 6 years ago... wow.
I'm sorry to hear you're still sick. Good luck with your appt and I hope that passes soon!
And oh my gosh thank you for the TWO shout outs! I appreciate it so much!!!
"I've started planning ahead with posts as well after months of winging it and writing them at the last minute."
DeleteHave I rubbed off on you? LOL.
Thank you! And the shout-outs were well deserved 😉.
Maybe so! I'm like- who am I to suddenly be PLANNING a post???
DeleteThat's scary LOL.
DeleteSounds like a mixed bag of a month. I hope you stay healthy and get your surgery in November. October was very busy for me. My son turned 18, and had a school dance. He also went skydiving. I flew to Nashville to visit a friend and helped my daughter start learning to drive.
ReplyDelete18 is a huge thing! So is skydiving (I bet you were more nervous than he was LOL). Plus your daughter learning to drive...you had your hands full!
DeleteHooray for getting your blogging sorted for the year! Sorry about the illness though. I hope you're feeling all better soon. I remember everyone being disappointed by the Supernatural ending when it aired here. I read about it and watched a clip of something, and yeah, it sounded pretty bad.
ReplyDeleteThank you! And yeah, Supernatural...I mean, I've known it in my bones for years that it would end that way, given the type of series it was, but I expected things to be handled very differently...😥
DeleteI'm sorry you've been sick, Roberta! Also equally sorry for my own inactivity on the blog in a bit. I too got sick quite recently. This weather can really mess people up!
ReplyDeleteI thought you were just busy with grad school, not sick on top of it. I hope you'll feel better and come back soon!
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