March is my “pandemic anniversary,” and I gotta admit the last year has made it difficult for me to muster up the energy to post. That said, pandemic blues are not the only reason why I stayed away. I’ve also been working on a very big project that will drop at the end of this month!

Details on the project can be found below, along with new book recs, links to new Metamashina episodes, and info on new podcasts I’ve been listening to.

Metamashina Podcast: New Episodes

It’s been many moons since I last updated, so there are multiple episodes to talk about.

In November 2020, Metamashina covered Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, along with the Francis Ford Coppola adaptation of it. It’s a classic gothic tale that—while it hasn’t aged well in some areas—still remains one of my favorite stories.

In December 2020, we also covered the classic novel LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott, before dipping into the 2019 film adaptation of the book.

In January 2021, a friend of the show Daniela joined us to talk about Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC: An absolutely stunning story about a secretive colonial family living in the Mexican countryside. The family is obsessed with eugenics, land rights, and mold, and they want to draw the protagonist into a horrifying scheme with them.

In February 2021, we discussed the infamous gothic novel FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, along with its 1987 and 2014 film adaptations. This one was a wild ride, folks. Read the trigger warnings before listening.

Finally, we covered 2014’s Ex Machina, a movie that is so relevant it could have been made yesterday.

New Articles

If you’re looking for some new recs, especially in the romance category, my most recent Frolic articles are:

• 4 Phantom of the Opera-Inspired Romance Novels That You Should Read
• 5 Debut YA Romances to Check Out
• 5 Steampunk Romance Novels to Check Out
• 5 Winter-Themed Paranormal Romance Books
• The Best YouTube Channels to Follow for All Things Romance

Each book recommendation contains a list of content warnings and heat levels along with links on where to buy (where applicable).

What I’ve Been Listening To

My longtime friend and Metamashina co-host (Erin) has branched out and started her own podcast! With the witty, acerbic title “So You Want to Be an Actor,” the podcast interviews actors in the American entertainment industry, to get to the heart of why they decided to go into this career.

I’ve also started listening to the podcast “Rewriting Ripley.” It covers feminism and fandom and how these two topics intersect.

Odds n’ Ends

I’ll be talking about the movies I’ve been watching in the near future, but for now, I just joined Letterboxd. If you don’t follow me on there, you should! It’s a great way to see what I’ll be recommending in real-time.

I also attended an online panel called The State of Cyberpunk in the South Pacific. The discussion was fantastic, and a really great exploration of the genre outside of an American context.

Upcoming Projects: One Book a Week

At last! More news on the project I’ve worked on in total silence for almost half a year.

On Wednesday, March 31st, I will officially launch my pandemic-era initiative, loosely titled “One Book a Week.” It’s a twist on those “read one book a week” challenge(s), but this time I’ll be reading, reviewing, and illustrating a scene from the books I’ve just read. The project is open-ended and will continue on a weekly basis.

More details can be found at what is One Book a Week? When the series drops, I hope you all tune in and check it out! The read/write/illustrate idea sprung up as a way to help my friends find adult SFF/romance books and as an excuse to dive into a new sequential art project.

Want to recommend a book for review in advance? You can check out what genres I will be covering.