I was looking forward to working on this post and including a bunch of spooky things in celebration of tomorrow. However, the news that Sir Patrick Stewart died hit me really hard when I saw it yesterday afternoon, and I am no longer in much of a whimsical mood. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, but my enthusiasm for anything has been dampened.
Parasocial relationships are strange. I’ve long said that I’d have a lot of trouble when he passed; I spent my formative years watching him as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek and have loved him since. He seemed like a genuinely lovely individual who learned to not take himself too seriously. (I mean, what other classically trained Shakespearean actor do you know who’d be willing to play the Poop Emoji?) His videos with his foster pitbulls also never failed to make me smile. I didn’t know the man, but I would have loved to. My heart goes out to his loved ones, and the rest of the fans around the world who are mourning as deeply as I am today.
We have two Stewart-related posts in our archives:
Stream It: Star Trek: Picard (Season #1)
Your New Fake Uncles: Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart
FYA HQ will be a much more sedate place today.
Onto the links.
ICYMI on FYA
Sarah reviewed Best of the Best for this week’s Stream it, but the Bollywood-adjacent dance movie is actually more meh than magical.
In this week’s Book Reports:
- Brian revisited Alex Sanchez’s Rainbow Boys, a seminal YA novel celebrating its 25-year anniversary.
- Stephanie reviewed Rae Carson’s Monster, Monarch, Maiden, which was filled with Carson’s trademarked talent but ultimately left her wanting more.
Book-Related Things
Your favorite Halloween candy will reveal your next read. (I got Practical Magic, Bookshops and Bonedust, and Cemetery Boys.)
Not sure where to dive into the bloody end? Libby has suggestions on where to start with horror.
Susanna Clarke: In Defense of Fantasy Fiction.
Reactor’s new Read Receipts podcast kicks off with a discussion of Lady Knights and Sword Lesbians.
Here’s a first look at Emily Henry’s upcoming Modern Classic.
The artist behind R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps covers revisits his work and reveals little-known details.
Beth is Dead author Katie Bernet is tackling The Secret Garden in her next novel, Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.
Jason Reynolds is getting into adult fiction with his new novel Father, Father.
Publisher’s Weekly sat down with Cassandra Clare.
Onscreen Things
Check out test footage of would-be James Bonds (Jameses Bond?), including Henry Cavill, James Brolin, Sam Neill and more.
For your edification (and because we were all wondering about it):
Scott Foley is starring in a new Hulu show called Young Americans (not to be confused with this Young Americans).
We’re in.
Connor Storrie is joining the MCU; he’ll join Ryan Gosling in Ghost Rider.
Any bets on where this will land in rankings of P&P retellings?
The Diplomat‘s getting a fifth season.
Disney will be adapting Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals. (Check out our review of the book—which was a December 2024 FYA Book Club selection—here.)
Social Things
Noah Wyle remains a good egg.
No theories, just ✨vibes ✨.
(Full disclosure, I am two books behind on the Crescent City series. I am behind.)
Miscellaneous Things
Wishing you all a happy—and safe—Halloween.
What’d we miss? Add your fave distractions of the week in the comments.
