#And what a brilliant way to honor Sarah... by having the companion who was most like her continue on to travel with the Doctor

[trekkingthroughthestargate]

We're less than a month away from the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials, and I can't help but think back on Sarah Jane Smith, inarguably the most important Companion in the history of Doctor Who and one of two Companions who was brought back for every single anniversary special until her untimely death. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, the other Companion who was in every special until his death just 2 months prior to Elisabeth Sladen's, has had his legacy brilliantly upheld through his daughter Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. While the Brigadier himself has been absent from the past 2 anniversary specials, his daughter carries on his legacy and has appeared in every one that he missed.

But Sarah Jane, so beloved, so deeply missed, was not so honored in the 50th anniversary special. And that's partly because Lis' death was so sudden and unexpected nobody knew whether Sarah Jane should canonically be gone or not. But now, semi-canonically, the world of Doctor Who has also said farewell to Sarah Jane, and my most desperate hope is that, since she's canonically gone, the 60th anniversary specials will take a moment to recognize her or honor her in some way. We deserve to see the Doctor mourn her, the way we saw him mourn the Brigadier. We, as fans of Sarah Jane, deserve to see her honored in the show proper, and not just in the lockdown short that was made in her honor.

I desperately need Sarah Jane to get just one moment to be honored in the 60th anniversary specials, since she cannot grace them with her presence, whether that be through the appearance of her children, Luke and Sky, or through the appearance of her own companions, Maria, Rani, and Clyde. Because for so many young people, Sarah Jane Smith was their Doctor, even more so than the Doctor himself, and she deserves to be honored and remembered in Doctor Who's specials.

Until the main show actually honors her the way she deserves, I'm glad we got this:

There is no one single piece of media that makes me cry more than this right here, and I really hope that the 60th anniversary specials can manage to surpass this by honoring her in some way.

We deserved at least another 20 years with her, but at least in the world of Doctor Who we got Sarah Jane for almost ten years longer than we got Elisabeth.

[caitsbooks]

Caitsbooks Top 10 October Releases

The best month of the year! October is swiftly approaching, meaning time for Halloween, costumes, pumpkins, and of course, amazing new book releases!

Read more for titles, authors, release dates, and honorable mentions!

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October 2

1. Muse of Nightmares - Laini Taylor The sequel to Strange the Dreamer. "In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep." (Goodreads).

2. The Ladies Guide to Petticoats & Piracy - Mackenzi Lee A companion novel to the amazing The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. This book follows Monty's sister Felicity, a year after the first book, as she sets her eyes on medical school.

October 9

3. What if It's Us - Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera An LGBT YA contemporary romance by the king and queen of YA contemporary?! Arthur is a musical theater geek who is a romantic at heart. When he meets Ben at the post office, they must figure out what the universe has in store for them.

4. Blanca & Roja - Anna-Marie McLemore "The del Cisne girls have never just been sisters; they’re also rivals, Blanca as obedient and graceful as Roja is vicious and manipulative. They know that, because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. They know that, one day, the swans will pull them into a dangerous game that will leave one of them a girl, and trap the other in the body of a swan"(Goodreads).

5. Odd One Out - Nic Stone Rae Evelyn Chin is the new girl in town, and is confused by her attraction to both Coop and Jupiter. Courtney "Coop" Cooper has been dumped again, and his best friend Jupiter is busy texting some girl. Jupiter is terrified of losing the girl she is falling for to her best friend because then she would lose him too.

6. Black Wings Beating - Alex London Brysen wishes to be a great falconer, while his twin sister Kylee just wants to be free of it. "Together the twins must journey into the treacherous mountains to trap the Ghost Eagle, the greatest of the Uztari birds and a solitary killer. Brysen goes for the boy he loves and the glory he's long craved, and Kylee to atone for her past and to protect her brother's future. But both are hunted by those who seek one thing: power." (Goodreads)

October 16

7. A Very Large Expanse Sea - Tahereh Mafi "It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped."(Goodreads). I got my hands on an ARC of this back at BookExpo and it blew me away! I can't wait for everyone else to read this fantastic and beautiful novel.

8. A Sorrow Fierce & Falling - Jessica Cluess The third and final book in the Kingdom on Fire series, so I can't say much about the plot here without major spoilers. However, if you're looking for a historical fantasy full of magic and mystery, give this series a shot.

October 23

9. Kingdom of Ash - Sarah J. Maas The final Throne of Glass book is here. There's no way for me to vaguely explain the synopsis for this without spoiling the various plot twists and surprises that were introduced in each previous book. If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend picking up the first book!

October 30

10. The Darkest Star - Jennifer L. Armentrout A spin-off to the amazing Lux series, "When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher is caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen...but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she'd only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head..."(Goodreads).

Honorable Mentions:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa (Release Date: 10/2)

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich (Release Date: 10/9)

The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta (Release Date: 10/30)

And that ends my most anticipated October releases! Are you interested in any of these books? Are there any books that I didn't include on the list?