Geek Out

Whatcha Watching, Geekly? August 2025

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Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Today’s Whatcha post will be what our writers have been watching, movies and television, over the past month. We won’t be including Fantastic Four: First Steps because we have a full review of the movie. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching this past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang.

Kyra’s Movies

I didn’t know what a vivarium was before watching the Vivarium film. A vivarium is a glass enclosure where someone can examine a living being. This object is a fitting name for this film. The first two films I’m including in this month’s whatcha watching have a common theme: horror films that use liminal space. Vivarium is trippy. It puts protagonists Imogen Poots (Gemma) and Jesse Eisenberg (Tom) in a suburb functioning like a vivarium, but this suburb is more sinister than an observation bowl.

The human-like otherworldly being (behind the odd suburb the humans can’t escape) drops off one of its babies and commands the pair to care for it. During a classroom scene with Gemma during the film’s opening, Vivarium establishes an analogy of a cuckoo bird, a bird that replaces a baby bird with one of its own, tricking the mother bird to care for the cuckoo’s young. The cuckoo bird analogy fits. Vivarium also serves as a cynical version of The Giving Tree, with humans replacing the tree. Quick spoiler: When Gemma asks who she is in relation to the cuckoo humanoid, the cuckoo humanoid answers, You’re here to die. Yeah. Vivarium may be more of a pessimistic version of The Giving Tree.

Overall, Vivarium was a disturbing but enjoyable watch if you’re into films with an uncanny valley aesthetic. And thank you for the nightmares of an odd child screaming at the foot of my bed. I needed that, Vivarium.

I watched Vivarium on YouTube. There’s no telling if Vivarium is still available on YT as you’re reading this. Fingers crossed.

The above image sums up Skinamarink. This horror film follows two young children in the middle of the night. Their parents aren’t at home, the house loses its doors and windows, and an other-worldly presence is in the house with them. The film uses limited lighting. In fact, there are multiple scenes where the only source of light is a television or flashlight flickering on and off. That’s Skinamarink’s premise, but I don’t think the movie upholds this premise.

The doors and windows disappear and then reappear for “reasons.” I don’t know who or what the entity is. The entity has the power to erase the older sister’s mouth and does so because she calls out for her parents, but the same entity does nothing when the four-year-old boy calls 911. While Vivarium has a tight narrative, Skinamarink is all about the vibes.

Skinamarink gave me the impression of Community’s Abed making an atmospheric horror film. The shots lingered on images for too long. The images were often nonsensical. But hey, if you want to get creeped out by some bizarre imagery for an hour and a half, Skinamarink can scratch that itch.

I watched Skinamarink on Hulu. Hopefully, it can still be found on that service.

Nimona is a Netflix original film. I won’t go into too much detail. I’m writing a transgender representation deep dive for Nimona set for a December 2025 release. Yeah. Nimona offers some fantastic gender non-conforming representation, and I can’t wait to share that deep dive with you later this year.

Nimona gives me Shrek vibes, as in I haven’t watched an animated feature as refreshing as Nimona since Shrek. Nimona exhibits great storytelling. Its characters go on a roller coaster of personal growth. Good thing it’s infinitely rewatchable because I had to rewatch Nimona a lot for the deep dive. I highly recommend Nimona. In fact, one of the things my family did for Mapa Day (July 27, 2025: Parents Day, which is also for gender non-conforming parents) was watch Nimona. It was metal.

I don’t remember too many of the shows I watched over the past month. I’m certain I watched at least a few. Oh, well. I’m sure I’ll have shows for next month. Until then, let’s see what Season and Skye have been watching.

Season’s Movies

I haven’t been watching as much anime lately, but I had the itch. The Stranger by the Shore (or L’étranger de la Plage) is a short love story about Shun Hashimoto, a gay novelist ostracized by his family, and Mio Chibana, who lost his family at a young age. Both of them struggle to connect with people, which draws them to one another. They end up separated for a few years when Mio moves to Tokyo.

I won’t go into too much detail, but as a romance, The Stranger by the Shore was grounded in reality. Shun has moments of internalized homophobia. He rejects Mio’s advances for most of the movie before accepting himself and Mio. A lot of BL (Boys’ Love) manga and anime tend to shy away from real-world struggles people of the LGBTQ+ community face (outside of trying to not get caught). I found The Stranger by the Shore to be refreshing. And super cute.

The only reason I watched Jurassic World: Rebirth is that I love dinosaurs, and I wanted to see them on the big screen. I don’t care for the hybrids, even though they’re supposed to be the big bads of the movie. Jurassic World: Rebirth followed a similar formula to the original Jurassic Park, even down to the timing of the main theme song. The theme song played when we saw the Titanosaurs in Jurassic World: Rebirth. In the original Jurassic Park, the theme song played when we saw Brachiosaurus. They’re both sauropods. Coincidence?

We also had an evil dude (I forgot his name) run away with the blood samples and got eaten (just like Dennis Nedry). Jurassic World: Rebirth played it safe with the plot. It wasn’t a bad movie. But it wasn’t amazing, either.

Jurassic World: Rebirth claims Quetzalcoatlus was the biggest pterosaur to ever live. Geekly Gang, of these two giant pterosaurs, do you believe Quetzalcoatlus was bigger than Hatzegopteryx? I’d love to read your answers. 😀

Let’s see what Skye has been watching.

Skye’s Movies

In light of the recently released remake (alliteration; you’re welcome), I felt the need to revisit the original The Naked Gun. Simply put, The Naked Gun is still funny all these years later. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to rewatch it. O.J. Simpson’s inclusion in the film as a side character, Officer Nordberg, is off-putting. I tugged at my shirt collar when I saw him on screen. However, Nordberg’s scenes involved him getting injured in a ridiculously over-the-top way. That makes those scenes go down easier.

Chungking Express plays like a slice-of-life film that highlights the complex lives of people we pass by on the street. We don’t know them, we never will, but here’s a movie about them. That may go against the director’s intention, but that was my takeaway. The most notable thing I got from Chungking Express was the fantastic cinematography, namely the masterful one-takes, which made Chungking Express feel so much more like a glimpse into people’s lives.

I hadn’t heard of Night Moves until a couple of months ago. I thought watching Night Moves would be fitting since the recent passing of Gene Hackman. Rest in peace. Put simply, Night Moves was a roller coaster mystery. Most of the film is slow-paced and low-key, but once you get to the final half hour, boy, does Night Moves deliver. Hackman’s Harry Moseby is a private investigator tasked with locating a has-been movie star’s daughter. He’s not John Shaft, but he’s got drive. What will he discover…?

I had never seen Titanic up until this past month. I figured it was about time. Titanic’s focus is the romance between its two leads, but I got more from the side characters. The string quartet that was playing as the ship sank to lift the people’s spirits. The captain and designer of the ship being distraught and mortified at what became of their pride and joy. The heart-breaking moment when the naval officer shot himself after realizing the error of his ways. Those were Titanic’s real emotions.

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle again. That’s all our writers have for this month’s Whatcha Watching. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching; you’re part of the Geekly Gang, too. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Cinema Swag: Toothless Plushie

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Hi, Geekly Gang! Season here. How to Train Your Dragon (2025) has been in theaters for a hot minute, so I want to talk about a movie tie-in plush, the magnetic Toothless plushie that sits on your shoulder. I’m sorry, parrot owners. Polly got eaten by this tiny carnivore.

Credit: The Mystery Shack

Let’s go over the categories for review. Like I did with Krypto Plushie, I’ll be looking at size, softness, kid-friendliness, and cuddliness. There won’t be an aggregated score.

Size

Toothless is similar in size to Krypto. He can also fit in the crook of your arm, but due to his hands-free nature, he doesn’t need to. He flops around on your shoulder, but don’t worry. The magnet that holds him in place keeps him steady.

Softness Versus Firmness

Toothless is slightly firmer than Krypto. Slightly. His fur isn’t as soft as Krypto’s, either. I mean, he’s a dragon. The fibers used to make him soft on the surface are in the shape of scales. That’s a nice touch. Toothless’s scales add texture to an otherwise smooth plushie.

Kid Friendly Versus Adult Only

Toothless is more kid friendly than Krypto. His eyes, nose, and mouth are stitched on, leaving fewer pieces for kids to rip out and eat. And the magnet is easily removable. I could argue a kid taking scissors to Toothless and cutting off his wings or something, but the danger there comes from the scissors, not Toothless. Toothless is a good dragon.

Cuddle Buddy Versus Desk Buddy

Toothless is more of a desk buddy. He’s easier to cuddle if you take the magnet off, but since he sits on your shoulder, he makes a better desk buddy. He reminds me of a trophy. Except you can play with and snuggle this trophy. I talk to mine. Toothless is an amazing listener.

Final Thoughts

Toothless is fun to parade around, but he isn’t the softest when it comes to his fur. He doesn’t soothe me as much as Krypto does, but he’s a lot of fun for people who want to wear a dragon on their shoulder. He’s sold out of many Marcus Theater locations, but you can buy one online for $29.99 at The Mystery Shack.

What’s your favorite cinema swag? Do you agree with my assessment of Toothless? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading and have an amazing day.

Geekly News: August 17, 2025, Board Game Industry Drama

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s another Sunday, and we have another week of Geek News. I mentioned in last week’s post that the board game industry has seen a lot of drama over the past several weeks. I had a week to collect my thoughts and figured I would try to make some sense out of the chaos.

Board Game Industry Drama

Two major incidents occurred over the past month: one involving Devir Games and the other CGE (Czech Games Edition). CGE’s drama will need a little more context and has more layers. Devir’s is more straightforward, so we’ll begin with Devir Games.

Devir Games Ace of Spades

Devir Games’ recent release Ace of Spades includes depictions of white slave owners and (as Devir mentioned in a press release last week) a black person in a state of enslavement. According to Devir Games (in the same press release), their intent was to reference the film Django Unchained. While this can explain the inclusion of these images, the terminology Devir used in Ace of Spades, and the cards’ effects, it doesn’t excuse the behavior. To Devir Games’ credit, they issued an apology and took immediate action.

Ace of Spades is being recalled, the offensive cards swapped out with new art and terminology, and the new cards will be available for anyone who purchased Ace of Spades before this change. The original game will not be available for purchase.

I first heard about Ace of Spades‘ misstep several days before this apology. I hadn’t yet seen the images. Several of the board game communities I’m a part of discussed Ace of Spades in detail. In a post that has since been taken down, one community member posted the offensive pictures and said they didn’t see anything wrong with them. Personally, seeing the images was worse. I figured they were bad. They sounded bad. But they were worse than I imagined. The one titled “Fugitive” looks like it was taken from Birth of a Nation. Wow! Hopefully, board game publishers will hire cultural consultants or community representatives (of the ones depicted) in the future.

Czech Games Edition Codenames: Back to Hogwarts

The Ace of Spades fiasco is straightforward and found a swift conclusion. Czech Games Edition’s (CGE) Codenames: Back to Hogwarts gets a lot messier. While Ace of Spades displayed obviously disturbing images, Codenames: Back to Hogwarts upset a large percentage of the board game community because of Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling’s politics and her hateful actions against a marginalized community.

Quick Thoughts on Themed Versions of Codenames

I likely won’t review the newly released Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because I don’t care for themed versions of Codenames. I’ve read a lot of Marvel Comics, and if you’ve read JK Geekly, you’ll know I keep up with the MCU, and yet, I find little enjoyment in Codenames: Marvel. People who know the intellectual property well will stomp on people who don’t. The same will be true of Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because of the game’s trivia-like nature, but this new version could give the standard Codenames’ formula a new twist.

Full Disclosure: I also won’t purchase Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because I’m non-binary, I have a trans daughter, and J.K. Rowling intends to use her royalties to target the trans community. In fact, I don’t care for Rowling’s moniker sounding too close to JK Geekly, so I’ll refer to her from this point forward as Joanne Rowling.

Quick Note on JK Geekly’s Name Origin

We named ourselves JK Geekly for Jim and Kyra Geek-Weekly (Geekly) or (Just Kidding) Geekly. JK Geekly is in no way affiliated with Joanne Rowling. We’re the jolly, queer, and effeminate JK.

Czech Games Edition’s Response

CGE’s response took longer than Devir’s because the issue is nuanced. Codenames: Back to Hogwarts is the first Harry Potter-themed board game in years. Honestly, it’s the first Harry Potter-themed board game since Joanne Rowling began her hate campaign against trans people. CGE made the decision (to go forward with the game initially) because many of the people in CGE’s staff enjoy the world of Harry Potter, but CGE came to the determination that they can no longer support Harry Potter’s writer, Joanne Rowling.

CGE had gone too far with the production process with Codenames: Back to Hogwarts and couldn’t back out of releasing the game. With Joanne Rowling’s intent clear (per LGBTQ Nation, she’s a billionaire and will donate most or all royalties to anti-trans causes), CGE chose to donate 100% of Codenames: Back to Hogwarts profits to trans charitable organizations. CGE promises its charitable donations will at least equal Joanne Rowling’s royalties.

I like CGE’s response if they were stuck with having to publish the game. I love the board game community who stood up for trans rights and spoke out against Codenames: Back to Hogwarts when it was first announced. You made my daughter and me feel accepted at the gaming table. And while I respect CGE’s decision, this situation is as messy as my toilet bowl after my colonoscopy prep. There weren’t enough disinfecting wipes.

Unlike Devir’s Ace of Spades where no hate group (or person who associates with a hate group) benefited from the sale of their game, Joanne Rowling, a member of several trans hate groups, stands to gain from Codenames: Back to Hogwarts.

Many people grew up reading Harry Potter. I’m not one of them, but this situation reminds me of when I stopped watching American Football, a sport I grew up watching, and more specifically, the NFL, because the NFL lied and covered up CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) findings. Quitting something you love consuming is difficult. If you still love Harry Potter, you don’t need to give it up entirely. Enjoy it. But perhaps you can find a way to avoid lining the pockets of a billionaire hell-bent on destroying a marginalized minority. You could try buying Harry Potter swag second-hand.

Alright, let’s get to some happy topics.

Skyscratchers Pounces on KickStarter

Every month–sometimes every week–another awesome cat-themed board game launches on KickStarter or GameFound, and I’m here for it. Keep them coming. Skyscratchers is the latest fantastic-looking cat-themed board game. Players compete by having their cats climb to the top of a skyscraper. Skyscratchers is a 3D game where magnetic kittens climb on the side of a skyscraper.

You can coax your cat to climb a level by using cat toys. Typically, you’re “safe” when your kitten sits on one of their matching color windows, but staying exclusively on your color is a slower path to the top. Calculated risks are needed to win the day.

Skyscratchers looks amazing. It’s easy to teach, and the toy factor alone has me interested. Pledges range from $30-75. If you’re interested in Skyscratchers, check out its KickStarter page.

Risk of Rain: The Board Game Crashes Onto KickStarter

Risk of Rain adapts the indie roguelike platform game into a replayable, progression-based board game. Your spaceship crashes. Players pick a survivor to guide through the alien planet Petrichor V. Risk of Rain is a truly cooperative game, because players must communicate every step of the way, and the game features some interesting game mechanisms.

I like Risk of Rain’s inclusion of a “Row.” Survivors play cards facedown to the row. While you can’t say exactly which card you played during a turn, you can hint at what you played. Monster cards are also added facedown to “The Row.” When all the cards for the turn are chosen, they all are revealed and then rearranged based on speed. This is a cleaver adaptation to Gloomhaven’s initiative system.

Publisher Nerdvana Games is a relative newcomer, but I’m impressed by their catalogue so far. If you get a chance, you should also check out Nerdvana’s previous game, Everbloom. I like that Risk of Rain plays out swiftly. Most scenarios last about an hour, and Risk of Rain offers a campaign if that’s more your thing. Risk of Rain’s pledges range from $125-235. If Risk of Rain sounds like fun, check out its KickStarter page.

Ducks in a Row Waddles Onto KickStarter

Ducks in a Row takes the idea of Mastermind (one player creates a code and the other attempts to crack it) and turns it into a multiplayer experience. One player (the Conducktor) hides the 7 Ducks of Legend behind their screen in a secret order. The other players use guessing to figure out where these Ducks are. Whenever someone draws the Goose card, everyone gets one final turn. Players score points for the highest uninterrupted row of ducks.

Ducks in a Row has a simple premise that I’m sure will go over well with families and younger gamers. Ducks in a Row pledges include a $25 standard edition and $40 deluxe edition. But you could spring for one of ten $999 pledges and turn yourself (or your character) into one of the 7 Ducks of Legend. If you’re interested in Ducks in a Row, check out its KickStarter page.

Ark Nova 3rd Edition Releases on GameFound

Ark Nova should need little introduction. As of the writing of this post, Ark Nova is the third-ranked board game on BoardGameGeek. Players build the best possible zoo in Ark Nova. And since Ark Nova is launching its 3rd edition on GameFound, game piece upgrades abound.

We don’t know much about the Ark Nova project yet because it has yet to launch, but the third edition should look amazing. If you’ve been waiting to pick up a copy of Ark Nova, you may want to consider backing Ark Nova 3rd Edition on GameFound. But I’ve found more people are willing to unload their current copy of a game at a reduced price when they back the next edition. Hmm. If you can’t tell, I’m making my scheming face on the other side of the computer screen.

Ascension 15th Anniversary Edition Lands on GameFound

I always enjoyed Ascension, but I never owned a physical copy of the game; I played the video game adaptation for Ascension, which I highly recommend. Ascension builds on Dominion’s framework. Ascension managed to add enough to separate itself from Dominion, but not add too much to bog down the gameplay. I may finally break down and purchase the 15th Anniversary Edition of Ascension because the game offers all of the previous expansions.

Ascension has consistently earned awards over its 15 years. The Ascension 15th Anniversary Edition gathers all of the award-winning game into a single package. We don’t yet have Ascension’s pledge details, but you can follow the campaign when it releases on GameFound later this week.

That’s all the Geekly News we have for this past week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Tabletop Game Review: Flip 7

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Flip 7 takes the premise of Blackjack and extends it to party game proportions. Flip over cards one by one without flipping the same number twice. While the game choices are simple (hit or stay), the ramifications of your actions aren’t. Are you the type of player to play it safe and bank points before you bust, or will you risk it all for the bonus by flipping over seven unique cards in a row? Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’ll review Flip 7 in a moment, but before we draw our first card, let’s discuss Flip 7’s fine print.

The Fiddly Bits

Designer: Eric Olsen
Publisher: The Op Games; KOSMOS
Date Released: 2024
Number of Players: 3-18
Age Range: 6 and up
Setup Time: Nominal
Play Time: 10-20 minutes

Game Mechanisms

Card Game
Party Game
Push Your Luck

Game Setup

Shuffle the deck and choose a player to be the Dealer for the round.

In turn order, the Dealer deals one card face up to each player, including themselves. If an Action card is drawn, resolve it immediately (more on Action cards in the Game Flow section). Once any Action cards are resolved, continue dealing until everyone has been dealt a card. Not everyone will have a Number card (a card with a number). Some players may have multiple cards because of other Action cards.

Game Flow

The Dealer now offers each player in turn the option to “Hit” (deal them another card) or “Stay” (exit the round and bank their points). If you Hit, put the Number cards in a single row with Score Modifier cards.

Flip 7 features a special deck of cards. It’s Number cards range from 0 to 12. There are copies of each card equal to the card’s value. For example, there are 12 copies of the 12 Number card and 5 copies of the 5 Number card. Zero is the only exception; there’s only one copy of the 0 Number card. Flip 7’s deck also contains Score Modifier cards (Times 2 which doubles your point value and the rest adding a flat number to your score). Flip 7 also has three Action cards: Freeze, Flip Three, and Second Chance. Second Chance allows you to ignore one bust (drawing the same Number card). Flip Three allows the player to choose a player (even themselves) to draw three cards in a row. Freeze cards are given to a player to force them to stay for the round (they will not be able to draw more cards).

Remember: Players bust (don’t receive points and are eliminated from the round) if they draw two of the same Number card.

The round continues until one of two criteria are met. 1) There are no active players because all players have busted or chosen to stay. 2) One player can Flip 7 number cards, ending the round immediately.

At the end of each round, players score points. Add the value of all your Number cards. Adjust your score with any Score Modifier cards. If you Flip 7 Number cards during the round, score an additional 15 points.

When starting the next round, set all cards from the previous round aside. Do not shuffle them back into the deck. Pass the remaining cards in the deck to the left, that player becomes the new Dealer. When the deck runs out, shuffle all discards to form a new deck. If you need to reshuffle mid-round, leave all cards in front of the players where they are.

At the end of the round when at least one player reaches 200 points, the player with the most points wins.

Review

Flip 7 has taken the tabletop gaming community by storm. I can see why. It has a simple premise (party game Blackjack) and easy-to-understand choices each turn and round. Flip 7 is necessary for the tabletop community. In practice, Flip 7 is the game I can play with my grandma and my four-year-old niece. It’s the most gateway of gateway games.

Since this is the case, I’ve played Flip 7 a ton over the past several months. Seriously, Flip 7 was released during the holiday season (December 2024), I’m writing this in early May (we write many of our reviews weeks, if not months, in advance), and I’ve played this game with 10 different game groups and over 150 times. That’s about 30 times every month. I’ve almost played Flip 7 once every day. One of those months was February, so I’ve definitely played Flip 7 once every day. Frankly, I’m sick of playing Flip 7. It’s a good filler game, but I haven’t seen a game with this much crossover appeal.

And that’s a strength for Flip 7. It’s one of the few games I can get everyone on board playing. That’s why it’s necessary for the tabletop community and for tabletop gaming. But does it convince non-gamers to try other games that aren’t Flip 7? I’m unsure.

But I do like the inclusion of Action cards. There are three copies of each Action card. Freeze seems mean, but it could be pivotal in stopping someone who had an easy rise to the top of the scoring track; it’s a decent catch-up game mechanism of sorts but this can devolve into targeting the leader (like Munchkin). Players can only hold onto one Second Chance. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a player forced to give a second copy of Second Chance to an opponent. Those cards have a way of finding the same player. But Flip Three has the most strategic value. During the early game, you may want to target yourself. Later in the game, you’ll want to choose someone else and force them to bust. Is this enough strategy? Probably not for many tabletop gamers.

I can see that people who can count cards have an advantage in Flip 7, but that takes the fun out of the game. While the rules don’t forbid someone from looking at the discard, it goes against the soul of Flip 7. The Number cards value equaling the number of copies in the deck is clever, and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome—unless you’ve played it over 150 times in a handful of months.

Flip 7’s box says 3+ players. Its entry on BoardGameGeek lists it as 3-99 players. The rulebook suggests that if you have more than a dozen players, use a second copy of Flip 7. While this may be technically true, the game plays best at 5-6 players. Flip 7 would overstay its welcome if you included over a dozen players. It would take forever for twelve people to determine whether they should hit or stay. There isn’t much else to Flip 7, but I’d be bored if I had to wait for eleven other people to make that simple choice. And forget 98 other people. I’d walk away from the table.

Too Long; Didn’t Read

While not my first or second choice of filler game, Flip 7 has enough crossover appeal to appease the masses. It doesn’t have enough strategy for hardcore tabletop gamers, but Flip 7 is the kind of game I can get my grandma or four-year-old niece to play. Therefore, Flip 7 is a good game to keep on hand for non-gamers.

Whatcha Reading, Geekly? August 2025

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s Wednesday again, so we have another post from the Whatcha Reading series. Today, we’ll have our writers share what they’ve been reading over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading in the comments, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang.

Kyra’s Reads

Kyra’s Comics

I picked up a handful of comic books and graphic novels at the recent Comic Con Nebraska. FairSquare Graphics’ stand stood out to me. Founded in 2019 by Fabrice Sapolsky (co-creator of Spider-Man Noir), Kristal Adams Sapolsky (consulting producer for various Hulu and Netflix shows), and Ethan Sapolsky, FairSquare’s mission is to produce comics for underrepresented groups. And they sure do deliver.

I love FairSquare Graphics’ production value. Each book (even the comic books) has a sturdy, soft finish. The art is stunning. But the stories. It’s all about the stories. 2024’s A Boy Named Rose was a finalist for an Eisner Award. I’m happy to see queer stories like A Boy Named Rose in comic books (or rather, a trade, graphic novel). There needs to be more, and that’s part of FairSquare’s mission. Set in 1920, A Boy Named Rose exists in an era where it was difficult for someone to express their gender and love freely. The title character, Rose, grew up in Le Jardin (The Garden) and has lived a life of greater self-expression. Rose has blossomed within Le Jardin’s protective walls. Rose’s coming-of-age gender fluid story touches numerous people who are stuck within the confines of a world not yet ready to accept them. A Boy Named Rose offers hope. And if you might be struggling with your identity or know someone who does, maybe even a hug.

Gaelle Geniller’s art elevates A Boy Named Rose’s narrative. I can’t imagine one without the other. I enjoyed all the gorgeous dance scenes. They were liberating. And as a gender non-confirming person who’s been interviewed, I felt every moment of Rose answering the reporter’s questions. I loved how the reporter’s cigarette smoke obscured what Rose was saying. That’s so relatable.

I love Black Girl Magik’s banter. It makes sense Black Girl Magik would sport excellent banter. Writer (and FairSquare Graphics’ cofounder) Kristal Adams Sapolsky is also a stand-up comedian. You can catch her on Season 2 of Laugh After Dark on Amazon Prime Video. Black Girl Magik has a hilarious premise. “Incel Whisperer,” Moriyah Pleasant, is helping one of her clients to score a date, when her client’s would-be date winds up being an Alchemist from another dimensional. Magical shenanigans ensue after the Alchemist passes, and her mystical and sentient tool (usually in the shape of a hammer) chooses Moriyah as its new Alchemist.

Holy Beyoncé, Black Girl Magik is a fun ride. I’m glad I picked up the first two issues (the only two available at the time of writing this post) and had the chance for Kirstal Adams Sapolsky to sign them. I highly recommend A Boy Named Rose and Black Girl Magik, and I’ll be checking out more of FairSquare Graphics’ titles. If you’re interested in FairSquare Graphics, check out their website.

Kyra’s Poetry

I often revisit poetry collections. You never know what you’ll find during a subsequent read after several years. I first read Miles Waggener’s Afterlives almost a decade ago; it’s time for a reread. Waggener has amazing command over diction and enjambment. Afterlives offers vivid imagery and poems that change gears, both metaphorically and with speed. These poems flow. I love it. The pictures Waggener paints vacillate from brutal to gorgeous, but they always feel lived in and human.

I’ll share I quick snippet of “Grooming” from Afterlives.

Well into the hairdresser’s
nervous breakdown, she snapped
the smock around my neck, and in
locks and curls, the hair, more hair
than I have grown in many lifetimes,
fell onto the tiles, and I grew thin
in the oily hum of the clippers,
in the perfume of tattooed Carlotta.

I love how you can read the above in its entirety and gain one message, and then read each line as a separate entity. The language used here reflects what you may find in Afterlives. If you can find a copy of Afterlives, you should give it a try. Phoenix Suites and Sky Harbor by Miles Waggener may be easier to find, and also well worth the read.

Kyra’s Non-Fiction

Ah, Jeff Vandermeer’s Wonderbook is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to write a science fiction or fantasy novel. Wonderbook provides thought-provoking images and writing prompts/exercises, while giving the reader numerous ways of looking at the writing craft. Wonderbook gives me the vibe of a writer’s companion for the Codex Seraphinianus, only you’re supposed to understand what you’re reading. Lol

Loaded with graphs/charts, art, and writing advice from dozens of popular speculative fiction authors, Wonderbook offers a little bit of everything. No matter how you learn, Wonderbook has you covered. And Wonderbook is a living document. Vandermeer and company update Wonderbook’s online companion page. If you’ve ever wanted to write speculative fiction, you should check out Wonderbook.

That’s all I have for this month’s Whatcha Reading. Let’s see what Season’s been reading.

Season’s Reads

season’s comics

I decided to switch things up this month. Normally, I’m down for a good romance story. Is Love the Answer? scratched that itch differently. Chika is asexual, and all of her friends go on dates. But she doesn’t want to go on dates. She thinks there’s something wrong with her, so she studies psychology to figure out why she doesn’t want to be involved with anyone romantically. She discovers much about herself, but none of it is clear-cut.

Is Love the Answer? felt realistic. I appreciated the ambiguity of how Chika expresses herself. She didn’t know who she was, which is relatable to most audiences.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s all our writers have for Whatcha Reading this month. Let us know what you’ve been reading. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.