Hi Wild Ones! Every month I recommend books, movies, and TV that I’ve enjoyed. Looking for your next read or watch? Read on. This month I’ve got a VERY SPICY Paranormal Romance with a future post-apocalyptic feel, perfect for Halloween! Plus a couple of TV shows for you to watch: a sci-fi one with some wonderful characters and relationships, and a contemporary show which explores sex, motherhood, and the modern woman.
Together Bound by Elizabeth Noble
This is the second book of the Sentries series, where the overall series plot thickens. I read the first one a while back and meant to get back to the series, but it took me a while. This one is great for October because it has some supernatural action in it. Plus lots of sexy times for the two characters! It’s set in a post-apocalyptic future after a huge volcano eruption, but it’s not the kind of post-apoc type story that The Road is. The world has been bumped back to the old west in terms of technology, and slavery exists, but people are mostly just living their lives. Except one of the guys in this M/M is a slave, FYI. It’s kinda like a historical urban fantasy gay episode of the tv show Supernatural where one of them is a slave. It’s an interesting mix.
Sense8
This is one of my favorite shows of all time. I rewatched the first season this month, for probably the fourth time. I’m not sure anymore how many times I’ve watched it.
It’s a favorite because it’s got some of everything: amazing characters, romance, action, science fiction elements, twisty plot mindfucks, lovely LGBTQ+ representation, non-monogamous relationships, and a huge dose of found-family.
Really, the entire thing is a found-family adventure. An exploration of all the ways good people will make you feel seen, loved, understood, and healed. How you can kick ass even when you think you can’t, and how you can be tender and open to love even when you thought you’d lost that ability.
I absolutely adore it, and if any of those things sound interesting to you, you should watch it. But know that the show does explore some areas of trauma, and it gets very heavy at times.
CONTENT WARNINGS: suicide, drug use (recreational and forced), discussions & depictions of character death (including children), some graphic violence at times (including murder), homo and trans phobia towards characters, parent/child issues of various kinds. I think that’s it, but honestly I could have missed something, so consider yourself to be warned to expect anything with this show.
Sex/Life
I have mixed feelings about this show (I finished season 2 this month, but watched the first season when it first came out), but ultimately I’m glad I watched it.
It explores a suburban stay-at-home mom who has a sexual/identity crisis which throws her life into chaos. She’s trying to figure out who she is after marriage and two kids, with a sex life that isn’t doing it for her anymore.
It’s a premise that I completely understand, and I expect many moms will relate. The show asks a lot of hard and good questions about feminine sexuality, the roles of a wife and mother in modern life, and what it means to be a modern woman.
All of those are things I like. What I don’t like is that the show sometimes does stuff for the sheer drama of it. It’s a little over the top at times. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the second season, which is why I waited to watch it. But despite some drama along the way, I really liked the way the show wrapped up. I’m happy for the characters, so it’s all good. As far as I can tell the show is done with this second season, so not too epic of a commitment.
What have you read and watched this month? Hit reply and let me know if you have something fantastic!
Or check out the rest of my Recommended Reads for even more!
Note: I don’t provide links for the books in these rec lists anymore, but you should know I get books from all over the place: Amazon (including Audible), Barnes & Noble, Chirp books, Kobo, Smashwords, the library, direct from the author, Kickstarter, and Storybundle. So if you don’t find the book at your usual store please consider looking around for it. Don’t forget the author’s website! Authors make more when you buy direct from them.