#098: Nifty.
Pop culture, cosy nonsense & axolotls for March 2026
The front door
Hello and welcome to The Brew.
I quite like axolotls, but I don’t mention them much, so here is one:
That is all.
On with the newsletter!
Library
Tome & Tome Again podcast
February’s episode of Tome & Tome Again podcast is a reflection of our reading in 2025 and a look ahead to what’s coming up this year, some of which I mentioned in The Bew #097. Books we talk about in this episode are:
The House of Rural Realness by Curtis Campbell
Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
Different, Not Less by Chloe Hayden
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Stag Dance by Torrey Peters
Murder by Memory and Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite
Hecate the Witch by Nikita Gill
Inner Demons by Stephen Platt
There Is No Anti-Mimetics Division by Quantum
The Secret Lives of Zombie Wives by Barbara Truelove
Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum
Local Heavens: A Cyberpunk Reimagining of The Great Gatsby Set in 2075 New York by K. M. Fajardo
Beth is Dead by Katie Burnett
This Wretched Beauty: A Dorian Grey Remix by Elle Grenier
Hell’s Heart by Alexis Hall
The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski
Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger
Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo (Alex Stern #3)
Adult Braces by Lindy West
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
Threads That Bind and Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatsopolou
The Long Earth series by Stephen Baxter & Terry Pratchett
Midnight Sun and Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer
Find it on Podbean, Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Lounge
TV
Wednesday (2022-present)—Based on Charles Addams’ The Addams Family, this spin-off directed by Tim Burton focuses on eldest-daughter Wednesday. She attends Nevermoor, a boarding school for Outcasts, aka people who don’t fit in elsewhere, usually by dint of being Gorgons, Sirens, werewolves, vampires, able to control insects, or otherwise outside of the Normie mould.
The series follows Wednesday as she solves the mysteries of the monster mauling people in the woods, a strange connection across time to the founder of the nearby town, several stalkers, a serial killer, a malevolent flock of crows, more murders, a zombie, a psychiatric ward, an invisible 13-year-old, and other Gothic paraphernalia suitable to the vibe.
Season 1 aired in 2022, s02 last year, and a third is scheduled for this year. I’m catching up on s02 and this show has such an atmosephere. It could be too much, but it’s just enough: Gothic, silly, campy, deadly serious, fun, mysterious, quirky. I wasn’t fully on board the first time I watched s01, but this time I’m here for it 👌🖤
Music
If I have another Spotify Wrapped full of Taylor Swift I’m throwing my phone in the ocean, so this year I’m curating a collection of albums by female artists who are queer and / or Australian.
Mallrat is already historically high on my listens, so I’ve been delving into her albums, specifically 2025’s Light hit my face like a straight right. Her song Horses popped into my head unexpectedly and it kind of went from there - I’m regularly getting lost in her dreamy pop landscapes of synth sounds and soft singing - perfect for autumn’s misty mornings and crisp evenings.
Games
Era: Medieval Age by Cranio Creations
I recently played this at my local board game group and it was easy to learn, very fun, and super cute! Sort of like a very simple Catan that progresses much more quickly.
“In Era, your dice represent different classes of medieval society as players attempt to build the most prosperous city. The “build” comes into play as players actually build their cities on their boards. You will use beautifully modeled three-dimensional components such as walls, keeps, farms, and other structures. By the end of the game, each player will have a unique city of their very own!” ~ BoardGameGeek.com
And another thing…
Some linkolas:
And a memola:
Find more of my book stuff on Instagram @jemofthebrew and my website Oddfeather.
I create and send The Brew from the lands of the Gunaikurnai people, where I also live, work, and drink lots of hot beverages. I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land, and pay my respects to the Elders, past and present.