September 2025 Media Round-Up!

[crashmargulies]

Watching

stink_mikenzie has gotten us into Dan Da Dan, I'm dragging dawnsupernova into My Hero Academia, and I've been comfort/nostalgia watching the original Sailor Moon, which means it's been an anime-inspired fall here at Cat House.

It's kind of overwhelming to have every good anime revolve around characters in my prime trauma years (~last year of middle school, like 13 & 14 years old or so), but BNHA finished in both the anime and the manga, and I never finished it, so I'm excited to get to the end! And the aesthetic of the OG Sailor Moon is just SO pretty. One day I'll make visual art that looks like Sailor Moon and I'll be pleased.

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Reading

I've fallen into a supernatural-creatures-are-real-and-becoming-legally-recognized harlequin romance series that my friends and I surreptitiously passed back and forth in high school. While the first few books put my hackles up a bit, both our protagonist (Anita Blake) and our author (Laurell K. Hamilton) seem to loosen up as the series progresses. I read to something like Book 12 in high school (it was all that was out on trade paperback at the time). I've reached book 10 or so in my current reread, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the ethical nonmonogamy representation, especially for a series starting in the mid-1990s. It's pretty cishet right now, but future books in the series are tagged "LGBTQIA+" on StoryGraph, so I'm vaguely hopeful, and either way, I'm enjoying myself.

I've also picked up Aubrey Gordon's What We Talk About When We Talk About Fat, a book that I've attempted to read before but am determined to make it through. Despite regularly listening to the health & wellness podcast she co-hosts [Maintenance Phase] which is dedicated mostly to debunking misinformation in this field, I find the book difficult to read. Maybe this is for personal reasons, but I often find her coming right up to disability justice concepts, struggles, and ideas, and just not taking the extra step to connect the dots. I may come back with more thoughts if/when I make it through.

I wanted to start Midwest Medicinal Plants by Lisa M. Rose, but I have a digital copy, and the work is definitely more suited to its original hardcover, so I'll have to keep an eye out for a copy.

You can follow me on StoryGraph to see my reading adventures if you'd like!

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Listening

Podcasts: I've been in a rotation of favorites recently, so we've got a lot of re-listening to Maintenance Phase, Knowledge Fight, and If Books Could Kill.

Music: Partly because of the aforementioned anime autumn occurring, we've got a lot of Creepy Nuts playing here at Cat House recently. Regular internet favorite LoFi Girl has made a few appearances, as has Hozier (well-loved).

All of Cat House has divested from Spotify at this point, but my phone battery needs replacing and doesn't hold a charge well, so what I listen to somewhat varies depending on what music library I'm plugged into at any given moment.

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Playing

Hades II by Supergiant Games finally come out of early access on 25 September! I've put over 400 hours into Hades the original, and about 150 into the H2 Early Access, so I'm thrilled to have the whole plot of the sequel finally available to me.

Balatro and Pokémon TCG Pocket are also a regular rotation for me. Balatro makes the numbers-go-up brain go brrrrr. PTCGP is just a great socially-distanced version on play cards with friends, which I adore. My friend-code for Pokémon is 1742643429745116 if anyone plays & wants to add me!

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Creating

I still really haven't had the energy to do much creating recently, although I did make Void a moon wreath/hanging for their 30th birthday that turned out really well, so I'm pleased with that! As always, the creative spirit is willing and the disabled flesh is weak. So it goes, et cetera.

What have you been reading, playing, or hearing that you've enjoyed lately? Book recommendations are always extra appreciated, as it's the media I consume fastest, so let me know what kind of horror, thriller, and queer romance you have on your shelves.