Casey Lawrence's Blog, page 19
December 13, 2023
Monthly Theme 6: Entries & Winner
Photo by allison christine on UnsplashGreetings reviewers! Welcome to Reviewsday Tuesday, the publication that posts reviews of all kinds. Books, movies, TV shows, people, places, things, even words in the English dictionary — you name it, you can review it.
Our Monthly Theme for November 2023 was “Sweater Weather.” Reviewers were asked to submit reviews based on this theme for the opportunity to win a small cash prize.
The winner will be announced at the bottom of this post, but first, let’s review all the wonderful entries. I hope you’ll join me in reading, clapping for, and commenting on the other entries in the contest below!
Book & Movie ReviewsThere’s Always Room for One More by Robyn McGrath, reviewed by Tiffany
Change Can Bring About New Memories!
A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon, reviewed by Margherita Reads
[ book review ] A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon
A Haunting in Venice , a Hercule Poirot mystery reviewed by Tiffany T.
Hercule Poirot Returns For His Toughest Case Yet
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney, reviewed by Margherita Reads
[ book review ] Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney
Godmothered , a Disney film reviewed by Tiffany T.
Godmothered Is Disney’s Underrated Holiday Movie
Other Reviews“Champagne, Cricket, and Pavlovas: An Aussie Summer,” a review of Australian Christmas by Kristy C
Champagne, Cricket, and Pavlovas: An Aussie Summer
Tapestry by Carole King, reviewed by Willow Dickerson
Cardigan by Taylor Swift, reviewed by Dr. Casey Lawrence
‘you put me on and said I was your favourite’
A mugshot t-shirt, reviewed by Willow Dickerson
The Trouble with That One Shirt
❄️🧣🧶The Winner🧶🧣❄️Thank you to everyone who submitted a review this month, whether as part of the Monthly Theme or not. I had a lot of run reading your entries on the theme “Sweater Weather,” many of which were creative interpretations of the prompt! However, I must choose one winner, and the prize this month goes to…
WINNER: Tiffany’s review of Hercule Poirot’s ‘toughest case yet’, A Haunting in Venice!
Tiffany T. outdid herself this month with four fantastic reviews on the theme “Sweater Weather.” Her review of Kenneth Branagh’s latest installment of Hercule Poirot’s story, which is loosely based on Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, reminds me why I like “cozy mysteries” in the fall. With a touch of spookiness coming out of October, A Haunting in Venice is the perfect November film and Tiffany’s entertaining review re-introduced me to the classic detective who “doesn’t let seasonal depression get in the way of unmasking a murderer”.
Congratulations Tiffany! Reach out to me in a private note with your PayPal information to arrange payment.
Honourable MentionIf I could give a second prize this month, it would go to Kristy C for her review of Christmastime in Australia. Her review humbled me by reminding me how this month’s theme — and media and culture more generally — are often Eurocentric. In Australia, November isn’t “sweater weather” at all, but nearing the height of summer Down Under! Kristy flipped the script this month, and I appreciated her creativity, good humour, and spiritedness.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this month’s Monthly Theme contest! If you would like to write for Reviewsday Tuesday but haven’t done so before, check out the submission guidelines. I am accepting new writers at this time.
Reviewsday Tuesday Submission Guidelines
There is still time to enter the last Monthly Contest of 2023 (and the last for a while, since I’m taking a hiatus for my wedding & moving to Sweden), December’s theme is “Second Chances”!
Reviewsday Monthly Theme: December 2023
[image error]Monthly Theme 6: Entries & Winner was originally published in Reviewsday Tuesday on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
December 12, 2023
December 10, 2023
November 30, 2023
Reviewsday Monthly Theme: December 2023
Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on UnsplashGreetings reviewers! Welcome to Reviewsday Tuesday, the publication that posts reviews of all kinds. Books, movies, TV shows, people, places, things, even words in the English dictionary — you name it, you can review it.
In December 2023, there will be a small honorarium ($5 USD) awarded for the best review submitted during the month based on the theme(s) below.
Ground RulesYou must be a writer for Reviewsday Tuesday in order to participate. You can join by following the Submission Guidelines. All entries must adhere to the rules outlined in the Guidelines, including formatting, tagging, and citation of images.All entries must be submitted before the final Tuesday of the month. Since all our stories are published on Tuesdays, stories submitted too late will end up being posted the following month and will therefore be ineligible to win.Each entry must use the tag ‘Monthly Theme’ and identify itself as participating by linking back to this post at the bottom of the story.All entrants must be following Reviewsday Tuesday in order to be eligible for the prize. If you have Twitter, please also follow @Reviewsdays. The winner will be announced on Twitter and the Newsday newsletter.The PrizeThe best review submitted to Reviewsday Tuesday that follows the monthly theme will receive $5 USD. The prize will be paid via PayPal unless otherwise arranged.
Image created by the author using CanvaMonthly Theme: Second ChancesWhen December rolls around, a countdown begins. Those of us who celebrate Christmas may wonder if we’ve been good enough this year to make it onto Santa’s “Nice List,” but even if you don’t, there’s a countdown to the end of the year, when we make New Year’s Resolutions. It sometimes feels like we’re running out of time to make this year count, you know?
That’s why I thought I’d do something different this month and make the theme “Second Chances”. We still have four Tuesdays left of 2023 — let’s make them count!
For this month, I want you to write a review based on one of the previous monthly themes. Maybe you really wanted to review a creature feature in October, but lost track of time. Maybe you were on vacation during August and want to try your hand at that month’s prompts. Maybe you joined Reviewsday Tuesday in September and missed out on the summer’s themes.
Each month’s newsletter came with a list of prompts to get you started. Check them out now and find one that speaks to you:
June: “Pride”Reviewsday Tuesday Monthly Theme: June 2023
June was LGBTQ Pride Month. For our first monthly theme, I asked for reviews that celebrate the LGBTQ community in all its diversity.
July: “Family”Reviewsday Tuesday Monthly Theme: July 2023
Other than Christmas, midsummer is the time of the year when we are most likely to be surrounded by family. This month I asked for reviews that reminded you of family — whatever that means to you.
August: “Vacation”Reviewsday Tuesday Monthly Theme: August 2023
In August we turned up the heat and asked for reviews about “vacation.”
September: “Back to School”Reviewsday Tuesday Monthly Theme: September 2023
As we all returned to our daily routines in the fall, I asked for reviews on the theme “back to school.”
October: “Creature Feature”Reviewsday Tuesday Monthly Theme: October 2023
During the spooky season, I asked for reviews that celebrated all things nonhuman: creepies, crawlies, ghosts, and ghouls — but also animals, aliens, and anything else not-quite-human.
November: “Sweater Weather”Reviewsday Monthly Theme: November 2023
The time between Halloween and Christmas is usually pretty cozy. While you curl up in front of a fireplace with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa, I asked for reviews that evoke “sweater weather”!
The links above contain tons of prompts to inspire your creativity — but of course, not all reviews submitted to Reviewsday need to follow a theme. Unrelated stories will still be published, they just won’t be eligible for a prize.
Old prompts not speaking to you? Take the theme “second chances” more literally and try your hand at one of these:
Review a remake, sequel, retelling, or reboot. Review it on its own merits or compare it to the original.Review a story about second chances, such as a later-in-life love story.Re-review something you’ve reviewed previously. Look at it in a new light, compare your review now to when you last reviewed it, etc.Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and good luck to everyone who participates! Please note that the Monthly Theme Contest will be going on hiatus in January, so this “second chance” is the last chance to enter for a little while — so make sure to get your stories in!
Reviewsday Tuesday is run by yours truly, Casey Lawrence. Running a publication is a time-consuming volunteer activity. If you’re enjoying my content, consider showing your support by buying me a coffee.
If you would like to write for Reviewsday Tuesday, check out the submission guidelines. I am eagerly accepting new writers at this time. Follow the publication here on Medium and also on Twitter.
Reviewsday Tuesday Submission Guidelines
[image error]Reviewsday Monthly Theme: December 2023 was originally published in Reviewsday Tuesday on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
November 29, 2023
The Janitor
First Contact with aliens couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy
November 26, 2023
November 20, 2023
November 18, 2023
The Sting
Photo by Auguste A on UnsplashThe following story was entered for the On the Premises mini-contest for November 2023, which had the theme, “Eat It.”
Prompt: “Write a story between 25 and 50 words long in which food plays an important role.”
It looked like any other fruit of the garden, ripe and enticing. She sunk her teeth into its tender flesh with delight.
“You have eaten one of God’s creatures,” the serpent hissed.
Eve’s eyes widened in horror as she realized the truth. The fig of knowledge concealed a wasp.
Most of the fun with a contest like this is condensing a story into so few words. Although I didn’t win this contest, I enjoyed sinking my teeth into the micro-flash genre. You can check out the contest winners here, if you’re interested.
Enjoying my content? Check out my YA novel, Out of Order , available in eBook and paperback from JMS Books and Amazon. Not looking to buy a book right now? Consider showing your support by buying me a coffee , and make sure to subscribe to my stories on Medium!
Praise for Out of Order by Casey Lawrence. Image created using Canva[image error]The Sting was originally published in The Brain is a Noodle on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
November 15, 2023
Monthly Theme 5: Entries & Winner
Photo by Hayffield L on UnsplashAfter the summer slump, October was Reviewsday Tuesday’s most active month yet! We had a whopping 25 stories submitted on the theme “Creature Feature,” a topic that inspired some real enthusiasm and creativity. Reviewers were asked to submit reviews based on this theme for the opportunity to win a small cash prize. The competition was steep this month; I had my work cut out for me choosing one winner.
The winner will be announced at the bottom of this post, but first, let’s review all the wonderful entries. I hope you’ll join me in reading, clapping for, and commenting on the other entries in the contest below!
Book ReviewsFrankenstein by Mary Shelley, reviewed by Julia A. Keirns
The Alien’s Ransom by Ella Maven, reviewed by Margherita Reads
[ book review ] The Alien’s Ransom by Ella Maven
Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta, reviewed by Margherita Reads
[ book review ] Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta
I Married a Minotaur by Regine Abel, reviewed by Margherita Reads
[ book review ] I Married a Minotaur by Regine Abel
Sweet Vengeance by Viano Oniomoh, reviewed by Margherita Reads
[ book review ] Sweet Vengeance by Viano Oniomoh
Movie and TV ReviewsThe Call of the Wild , reviewed by Julia A. Keirns
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “ The Outcast ,” reviewed by Kenny Minker
Star Trek’s 1992 Episode on Gender and Sexuality
Cocaine Bear , reviewed by Dr. Casey Lawrence
This is Your Bear. This is Your Bear on Drugs.
Ginger Snaps , reviewed by J. S. Wong
The Horror Movie I Always Recommend: “Ginger Snaps”
Jurassic Park , reviewed by Dr. Casey Lawrence
Bait and other shark movies, reviewed by Heather Lawrence
Sweet Tooth , reviewed by Dr. Casey Lawrence
Two alien movies, 65 and Prey, reviewed by Margherita Reads
Bringing Aliens into Historical Settings
Star Wars , reviewed by Willow Dickerson
Star Wars: Obi Wan Kenobi (not the show)
Netflix’s Fantastic Fungi , reviewed by Dr. Casey Lawrence
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark , reviewed by J. S. Wong
A Film Adaptation of a Childhood Classic: ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’
Monsters, Inc. reviewed by Cinephile
Monstrous Delight: “Monsters, Inc.”–Your Halloween Pum-tastic Treat!
Werewolf by Night , reviewed by Tiffany T.
Marvel’s Fascinating Foray into the Monster World
Gremlins , reviewed by Dr. Casey Lawrence
Does “Gremlins” (1984) Hold Up?
Chupa , reviewed by Gabriela Trofin-Tatár
From Myth to Movie: ‘Chupa’ Unearths the Endearing Side of the Chupacabra
“ Seeing the Monster ,” by Willow Dickerson
Other Reviews“ I Love Finding Pups !” game, reviewed by Grace Mary Power
Game Review: I Love Finding Pups!
Australian birds , reviewed by Kristy C
The Aussie Wildlife Take Over: When Birds Get Sassy
Piczinke Pony Farm , Budapest, reviewed by Gabriela Trofin-Tatár
Stamping Spooktacular Memories
Zombie fungi , reviewed by Tovah Rainsong
The Attack of the Zombie Fungi
👽🦇🐦⬛🐈⬛🎃The Winner🎃🐈⬛🐦⬛🦇👽I had my work cut out for me this month! I wish I were able to give out more than one prize; there were so many fantastic entries this month, it was impossible to narrow it down to just one! Although I have chosen one overall winner for the prize, I will also be shouting out three runners-up this month to celebrate more of my favourite stories.
WINNER: Kenny Minker’s review of Star Trek’s 1992 Episode on Gender and Sexuality, “The Outcast.”
This review really stood out to me, not only for the decision to review a single episode rather than a whole series (a first for Reviewsday, I think!) but also for its thoughtful and nuanced discussion of gender and queerness within both the historical context of the 1990s when the show aired and our current political/cultural register of it. The use of external sources, as well as personalized commentary, elevated this review and made it a pleasure to read, in addition to being very topical/relevant. Even though the review isn’t Halloween-themed or spooky, the discussion of how nonhuman (alien) characters allowed the Star Trek universe to push the boundaries of social commentary worked on multiple levels.
Congratulations Kenny! Reach out to me in a private note with your PayPal information to arrange payment.
Runners-UpJ. S. Wong ’s review, “A Film Adaptation of a Childhood Classic: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark ”
Sometimes the books we love as children don’t 100% translate into film or live up to the promise of our nostalgia. J.S’s comparison between the Scary Stories books and the recent movie really dug into that feeling, and was a top contender for the prize this month.
Kristy C , “The Aussie Wildlife Take Over: When Birds Get Sassy. ”
I love it when reviews give readers a glimpse into the life of the reviewer. Kristy’s review, which includes her own photography, is both spirited and informative. I really enjoyed reading about these cheeky birdies!
Margherita Reads , “ Bringing Aliens into Historical Settings. ”
I love comparative reviews, and Margherita does the genre justice in this comparison of 65 and Prey (the latest addition to the Predator franchise). This thoughtful review teases out why one movie “worked” and the other didn’t, despite the two movies having a similar premise.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this month’s Monthly Theme contest! If you would like to write for Reviewsday Tuesday but haven’t done so before, check out the submission guidelines. I am accepting new writers at this time.
Reviewsday Tuesday Submission Guidelines
There’s still lots of time to submit an entry or two for the November Monthly Theme:
Reviewsday Monthly Theme: November 2023
[image error]Monthly Theme 5: Entries & Winner was originally published in Reviewsday Tuesday on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
