Posts

The winning audiobooks are: Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth, read by the author Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne, read by the author Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas, narrated by Dion Graham Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, narrated by Isabella Star LeBlanc Game Changer by Neal Shusterman, narrated by Andrew Eiden & Jennifer Jill Araya How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, narrated by Kyla Garcia K-Pop Confidential by Stephan Lee, narrated by Joy Osmanski Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, narrated by Emily Woo Zeller Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke by Andrew Maraniss, narrated by Kevin R....

These little bookish things that I do every day, week, or month are not, individually, profound. They’re just habits that, with time and attention, have become meaningful. Taken together, they keep me centered. They remind me to slow down and pay attention. They give me strength to face the chaotic mess that is the world. Morning Tea & Poetry (Daily) This past month, I participated in The Sealey Challenge, a challenge started by poet Nicole Sealey designed to encourage poets and poetry lovers to read more poetry....

Of course, book Twitter was not going to let that stand, and after the initial shock and joking subsided, they began discussing the real differences between science fiction and fantasy. From pointed commentary on fundamental problems in SFF publishing and fandom to jokes about actors that play in both spheres, there was a huge range of responses using this format. I was watching this unfold with rapt attention, because I love a bookish Twitter meme....

“Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros’ coming-of-age novel The House on Mango Street is to be adapted into a TV drama by Gaumont, the producer behind Netflix hit Narcos.” About time! “Nancy Drew, one of the most beloved characters in children’s literature, is dead. Don’t worry though, the Hardy Boys are on the case. At least that’s the premise of a new comic from Dynamite meant to celebrate the young sleuth’s 90th anniversary....

As I was perusing Etsy, I stumbled upon an utter treasure trove: queer coloring books. These coloring books feature LGBTQ+ themes and images, all packaged with joy, hope, and resistance. It is no surprise to see that, given how much small and indie presses, as well as zine culture, have always been an outlet for queer people, but it struck me as especially powerful now. In an era of big rainbow capitalism, there is something particularly valuable in highlighting individuals who are creating for others like them, with little incentive other than to connect (and make some pennies because frankly, with all of the work that goes into creating a coloring book, there’s not a price point that would make them especially profitable — and that’s the point!...

These aren’t unusual moments for Jack and Lily. They dated for two weeks IRL before her family moved out east, so physical proximity, rather than separation, is what’s strange. They have meals together. They go on walks together. They’ve developed their own gestural version of the private language any long-term couple generates: while watching sports, for instance, they high-five each other onscreen using their index fingers. Lily is there when Jack delivers a speech at a funeral....

Something happened in the finale to Killing Eve. You know what’s funny? I would bet a majority of you reading this already know what it is, even if you have never watched an episode, just from that sentence. (If you don’t and you don’t want to know, maybe skip this post, because it will be implied. I won’t discuss it directly, though.) Queer media has a special relationship to spoilers....

Twenty years ago in the dead of night, four seemingly random individuals pulled the ultimate heist and almost walked away with half a million dollars. But by daybreak, one of them was in the hospital. One was in jail. One was dead. And one got away with it. Arden Maxwell, the daughter of the man who disappeared all those years ago – presumably with the money, after murdering his accomplice – has never reconciled with her father’s abandonment....

Mae Whitman may be 26, but she’s the only person who could possibly play Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle series. Also: I didn’t realize this series was to be a quartet, not a trilogy, so when I finished Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I was so pissed. The last time this happened, I’d just finished The Hunger Games and had begun reflecting on its bittersweet, open ending, when I flipped the page and saw Catching Fire mentioned....

“In case you weren’t satisfied by the Netflix’s Tiger King documentary series, or the reunion episode, or TMZ’s Tiger King investigation, or that podcast about it, then maybe you’d be interested in reading about it. According to Joe Exotic’s husband Dillon Passage, the controversial zoo owner is spending his 22-year prison sentence writing a book. However, it’s apparently less about tigers and more about his difficult childhood, and now all they need is a publisher....

One-Shot: Again, fairly self-explanatory: this is a single issue of a comic that is not part of a series. Annual: An annual is, as the name would imply, theoretically published on a once-a-year basis. They usually tie into an existing series – for example, Superman publishes monthly and Superman Annual publishes, well, annually. They can be referred to by number, like a monthly comic (Annual #1, #2, etc.) or by year of publication (Superman Annual ‘96)....

Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will by Judith Schalansky, translation by Christine Lo “Paradise is an island. So is Hell.” Truer words have not been written! When you start to imagine yourself getting away to a tropical paradise, grab this lovely, short book. Believe it or not, every entry describes a real place complete with its own microcosmic dramas, histories, tragedies, comedies....

In the last years, however, I’ve felt the need to pick up the pace and search for poetry again. With the help of my smartphone I even installed an app, that way I know that I’ll read a poem at least once a day. It doesn’t seem like too much, but 365 poems a year isn’t all that bad. I get to be notified daily, so I won’t forget to have my dose of poetry everyday....

The artist Christophe Blain is not a new name for French comics fans after his acclaimed work on Donjon Potron Minet (in collaboration with Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim) and Isaac the Pirate (that he wrote and illustrated). The writer on the other hand, Abel Lanzac (nom de plume of Antonin Baudry, a French diplomat) signs his first comic book with this fictionalized account of his time as a close collaborator of Dominique de Villepin....

Science fiction has always been divided on how good our future is predicted to be. In some books we live in a wonderful future exploring the galaxy. In others, humanity is all but wiped out by robots or aliens. In grimdark, stories things are especially bad with no hope. Science Fiction is considered to be a largely depressing genre, especially due to the rise of the dystopian and apocalyptic sub-genres in the past 10 years....

Film noir is defined largely by its aesthetic, which was directly influenced by the German expressionist films of the 1920s and ‘30s. Stark, “natural” lighting, such as a single lamp casting light across a room or sunlight coming through a window at the side of the frame, filtered through blinds and uncanny shots created with “Dutch” angles, or tilts (the Dutch in question is actually Deutsch, or German, not Dutch as in from Holland/the Netherlands)....

Summer reading programs look different in 2020, and libraries are ready for the challenge. American library systems are planning ways to implement their summer reading programs from a distance using technology, social media, and reaching patrons in creative ways. Summer Reading Programs At All Kinds Of Libraries Libraries are as diverse as the communities they serve. Some large urban systems serve millions of people, while small rural libraries may only have one or two employees....

No surprise, then, that I wanted to spread a bit of holiday cheer with a fictional Christmas character quiz. These characters from beloved Christmas stories each have a unique relationship to the holidays — just like you! Sure, most of them are pretty integral to their own Christmas stories, so if you’re a total Scrooge you may not like the outcome, but the festive rest of us can find our perfect Christmas match!...

You are cordially invited to the wedding of the decade, when Christian Grey will make Anastasia Steele his wife. But is he really husband material? His dad is unsure, his brother wants to organize one helluva bachelor party, and his fiancée won’t vow to obey… Their passion for each other burns hotter than ever, but Ana’s defiant spirit continues to stir Christian’s darkest fears and tests his need for control....

Of course, people have said things like this before – Book Riot published an article six years ago saying pretty much the same thing. But that was SIX YEARS AGO, and since then, I really don’t think anything has improved. So I’m here to say it again: authors, for the love of God, do not reply to reviewers. Since I was 18, I’ve been reviewing (on both Goodreads and my blog) every single book I’ve read....