I recently had to do a bit of wardrobe update as I realised mine contained entirely too many pairs of ripped jeans and sleeveless t-shirts to survive another Glaswegian winter; nothing dramatic, a couple of smart jumpers, good boots, new Big Coat, jeans that aren't ripped to fuck. I was round my parents after and my dad goes: "You look very smart. That's different."

And I, affronted, go: "What do I normally look like?"

"You usually look-" and here there is an extremely long pause as a seventy-two year old Scottish man tries to think of a synonym for gay that isn't gay "-practical."

A day or so later, still affronted, I'm relaying this story to my buddy Cameron in the pub and he just looks at me deadpan and goes: "You're wearing a flannel shirt under a denim shirt."

It was November. I'd walked there. It was chilly. I think that's a fine style choice.

Anyway.


Books

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - I don't read much in the way of horror because I am, and this is the technical term, a big jessie, but this one kind of blew me away. It's set in the early days of Montana being a state and features a native american vampire recounting his very long life story to a pastor who has a sinister connection to a massacre half a century earlier. It's a revenge story, except it can't be, because how, even as an immortal monster, can you ever get revenge for a crime as large as genocide, you have to pick a crime within the crime. It also has this really unique take where vampires become what they eat, so that when the protagonist tries to feed on only white hunters he can't without losing himself, and the only way to defeat a vampire is to trap it and feed it only harmless small animals until that's what it becomes. It is super interesting in about twelve different directions.

The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett - Ah, I wanted my love for the Shadow of the Leviathan series to be uncomplicated and pure. In a fantasy empire beset by leviathans from the sea a Holmes and Watson analogue investigate high crimes and corruption aided by the superhuman abilities the empire grants its servants by way of distilled leviathan blood, in their case a photographic memory and prodigious deduction skills respectively. And all of that's so awesome! None of the elements are super original, but they are all done so well that it doesn't really matter. But there's one thing that's niggling at me... So, in the first book, our pov character Din, the assistant investigator, has a little romance with another dude, it's pretty chaste, mostly happens off page, and doesn't really effect the plot. But it's a cool little detail to have, our main character is a gay guy. Anyway, when we pick up with Din in book two he's in a bar trying to pick someone up and he thinks something about how he mostly likes men but none of the guys in this bar appeal to him so he picks up a woman. And, like, okay, a preference for the same sex but with exceptions is a very real sexuality. This relationship also doesn't really impact the plot, the love interest isn't really much of character either, the only difference is they bang on page, like, a lot. I'm not entirely sure why I feel a bit ick about this, except that it feels like a Decision Was Made. I am planning to read book three, though, so it's obviously not a dealbreaker.

Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee - I did, er, not enjoy Mackenzi Lee's YA historical romances. Less to do with the books, I'd guess, than that I have long since reached the age where the doings of young people are simply none of my business, especially as this one, which in not YA, I really liked. Two women are pursuing the same Duke, one is an actress, a rake, and illegitimate daughter of the crown prince who wants to marry the only man she thinks will allow her to both keep her inheritance and keep banging her way through her sapphist theatre company, the other is a proper country miss who needs a titled husband to convince her parents to let her out of her betrothal to a man she suspects of killing his first wife...and they were romantic rivals, oh my god, they were romantic rivals.

The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur - A pastry chef is heartbroken when her vapid influencer girlfriend rejects her marriage proposal, so heartbroken that a demon (a hot blonde demon, to boot!) offers her six wishes to get her ex back in exchange for her soul. It's deep as a puddle, but in the best possible way. It's adorable, cannot recommend it highly enough!


Comics

Peacemaker Tries Hard! - There's a dog in this! A tuxedo french bulldog called Bruce Wayne because he's a little fancy man! On the off chance you don't decide whether or not to read something based on whether or not there's a dog in it (the only correct method!) this is charming and fun. It's less canon compliant post S2 but still worth it, I'd say.

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth - Diana wakes up on a post apocalyptic Earth only to discover that the world ended following a war between humans and Themyscira. This was really good, and I was wondering why I hadn't heard of it until my buddy's wife insisted that he get rid of any trade paperbacks he also had digitally - it was more than 1000 trades. I have a had a comics windfall, my friends - until I saw it came out in March of 2020, when it's fair to say that I had other things on my mind.


Movies

Frankenstein - I'm really surprised this didn't get more of a cinematic release. Like, I feel like Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, put out the week before Halloween, would have been a hit, especially with how awesome it feels like it would have looked on a bigger screen. The costuming especially was gorgeous, I thought. It held my attention all the way through, which is not something that can be said of extruded Netflix product of late. And while it became obvious in the last third of the movie that del Toro was much more interested in Victor than the monster, I still think it is well worth a watch if you haven't yet.

Hedda - Speaking of gorgeous costumes, I really enjoyed Hedda, although if you've any issues around social cringe, especially in relation to alcohol, you should have a cushion ready to hide behind, or an excuse ready for why you have to leave the room. I am one of ten(s) of people who enjoyed The Marvels but I'm glad Nia DaCosta's career doesn't appear to be suffering from Disney having sent that one out to die.


Telly

Peacemaker S2 - First thing, the opening dance number is not as good as S1, which should have been my first clue. Like, it's good, but it felt like two seasons jammed awkwardly together, the madcap hijinks of Nazi world, which was fun and all, but not enough to fill a season which is why every episode was about half an hour long, and the character focused, sobriety metaphor first and last episodes. Also did he finale feel a lot like late in the day edits/reshoots to anyone else? Like, there was clearly meant to be a Rick Flag snr. twist that just didn't happen.

Currently really enjoying Plur1bus, and obviously shipping Carol with the avatar of the hivemind because I'm me, and kinda sorta enjoying The Mighty Nein even though Molly's accent feels like even more of a hate crime than it did in the campaign.