#birde bookclub

[grubloved]

booklist for my anthropology class about race in america

Caste: the origins of our discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson

White Bound: Nationalists, Antiracists, and the shared meanings of race, by Matthew Hughey

The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin

There, There, by Tommy Orange

Tours That Bind: diaspora, pilgramage, & Israeli birthright tourism, by Shaul Kelner

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu

more honorary mentions that didn't make the official cut in order to not swamp us in work (but i want to check out later)

How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says About Race In America, by Karen Brodkin

Making Monsters: the uncanny power of dehumanization, by David Livingstone Smith

The Souls of Black Folk, by W. E. B. Du Bois

In the Eye of the Wild, by Nastassja Martin

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Life Beside Itself, by Lisa Stevenson

White Trash, by Nancy Isenberg

How Real is Race? a sourcebook on race, culture, and biology, by C. C. Mukhopadhyay, R. Henze & Y. T. Moses

[rakkuntoast]

new wingwoman chapter destroyed me thank you author

[semperardens-juli]

The world had ended, and I was the only person who knew it. People walked along the streets as if the pavements hadn't all crumbled beneath their feet. They pretended to breathe in and out while all the time I knew the air had been sucked away in a monstrous inhalation from God himself. I alone was suffocatung in the nightmare.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou (x)

leave a little kindness (x)

[joy-haver]

I was asked today “how do you get community? How do you feel a part of it”. This is my answer.

0. Do things in real life that involve other people. There are free poetry events, there are parks to walk in, there are popular places to fish, there are library events. If you have neighbors, go for a walk in the evening. If you absolutely cannot go anywhere irl, like if you are bedbound, join a local online bookclub, or a local support group, and ask if you can join by zoom. It’s is very important that it is local. Community isn’t just people who like you, it’s people who you build interreliance with. It’s very hard for people to help you if they live across the country.

1. Compliment, regularly. If you think something nice about someone and it wouldn’t hurt them to hear it, tell them. This is best done with things they have some control over. Compliment hair style, not just hair, compliment clothes, not body shape.

2. Smile at everything you can, at least some of the time. Smile at your own chest, and dead trees, at the bed being all messed up in a nest. Start the smile in your cheeks, then your lips. And maybe then your tongue and your teeth. Show the world that you love it. That you are coming to people on good terms, seeking joy.

3. Ask people questions. Let them talk. Listen. When in doubt, rephrase what they said in a kind way. Ask a new question.

4. Give things to people when you can. Food, knowledge, love, time. Make these gifts.

5. Talk to people in a secondary way. If you met someone at the hobby store, or at church, add them on Facebook, or text them pictures of birds you see. You move from acquaintanceship to friendship by being around a person in more than one type of activity.

6. Don’t ghost people. Infrequent communication is fine if that is what is expected. But sudden changes in communication frequency are scary. Don’t make someone wonder if you are dead. If you are going to disappear for a while, it’s okay to just tell them that. People are very understanding; they just need to know what they are being understanding of.

7. Host sometimes. Mix friendgroups. You can have a party. Or you can organize a trash pickup at the park. Or you can go to dinner with people. Or all carpool to the same event. But this is the thing that solidifies community. Interreliance. The members of the community taking steps to include each other and provide for each other.

Good luck. You can do this. It is never too late to start trying. You will fail at it. You’ll push some people away. That is okay. This is a learning process. Do it anyway.

[arwainian]

Reading This Week 2024 #27

words

Finished:

Counting Out Stitches by chinuplargepup (chinuplilpup) on ao3 ough... Dick and Joey....what an excellent point in time to set this too

The King is Dead, Long Live the King by Havendance on ao3 an excellent fic about what if Batman actually for real died and stayed dead. sad, interesting, very well written, I'd been meaning to finish it for ages and just this past week finally read the third and final chapter

a conversation at 4:30am by xscintillate on ao3

the rest of the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast's fiction backlog:

"Cardinal's Gambit" by Catherine Lundoof, narrated by Onerae Clark "Your Fingers Like Pen and Ink" by Jeannelle M. Ferreira, narrated by Violet Dixon "Give Us This Day" by Jennifer Nestojko "A Soldier in the Army of Love" by Diane Morrison, narrated by Laura Pinson "The Adventuress" by Catherine Lundoff, narrated by Heather Rose Jones "Margaret" by Eleanor Musgrove, narrated by Heather Rose Jones "Moon River" by Mandy Mongkolyuth, narrated by Heather Rose Jones "Abstract" by Kat Sinor, narrated by Jasmine Arch "Palio" by Gwen C. Katz, narrated by Violet Dixon "The Spirit of Cabassus" by Ursula Whitcher, narrated by Heather Rose Jones "A Farce to Suit the New Girl" by Rebecca Fraimow, narrated by Violet Dixon "The Wolf that Sings on the Mountain" by Miyuki Jane Pinckard "From the Bird's Nest" by Jennifer Nestojko, narrated by Emma Ross "The Pirate in the Mirror" by Catherine Lundoof, narrated by Heather Rose Jones "To the Fair Muse who, Loving Me, Imagin'd More" by Annemarie KD, narrated by Heather Rose Jones "The Salt Price" by B. Pladek, narrated by Jasmine Arch "Battling Poll" by Rose Cullen, narrated by Heather Rose Jones "Daughters of Derbyshire" by Daniel Stride, narrated by Heather Rose Jones

my favorites were "A farce to suit the new girl" and "Battling Poll"! check them out, and check out the whole podcast

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian like I said last week when I started reading it, enjoyable but not super compelling! But i like the relationship dynamic that's set up between the leads, so it was sweet and I finished it

"Consent" by Emily A. Owens absolutely a must read in terms of thinking through what the place of consent is in discussions of sex and sexual violence

"Sexual Violation and the Question of Experience" by Linda Martín Alcoff

"On Not Being a Victim: Sex, Rape, and the trouble with following rules" by Mary Gaitskill an essay on date/acquaintance rape, and how we understand being and feeling violated. it takes a little digression into attitudes about PC moral purity in opinions about media. all of it written from a personal anecdotal perspective that I think is written deeply compassionately to one's past self and will be sticking with me. however I don't like how it picks up race as a topic at the beginning and then quickly drops it

"Convicted Rapists' Vocabulary of Motive: Excuses and Justifications" by Diana Scully and Joseph Marolla

"The Right (Way) to Represent: The Emotional Politics of Remembering Mass Rape in Germany After 1945" by Katherine Stone

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill recently released YA romance I read for the queer lit bookclub bc its a gay romance involving a newly out trans boy. I have many complaints but the group chat has already heard them

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 12 by Kamome Shirahama, translated by Stephen Kohler I finished reading this RIGHT before I saw the trailer for the anime. i am overjoyed! excellent art and storytelling as always

Uzumaki by Junji Ito finished reading this right after the new Shelved by Genre episode came out, bc its due back at the library soon! has the sort of dramatic denouement that I was missing in Tomie

"The Unwanted Guest" by Tamsyn Muir borrowed @quiriusblack's copy of Nona the Ninth to finally read this bonus story. i love palamedes he's so insufferable

What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 11 by Fumi Yoshinaga, transalted by Jocelyn Allen cute as always

Started/Ongoing:

You Should be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian set in the same friend group as we could be so good, this one has marginally more plot and I'm liking in better! love the main couple, and I like that they have similar struggles to the first around like living authentically as gay people in the 1950s and 60s and also trying to live safely

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 11 by Kousuke Oono thought I had already read this but I guess I had not! as always light silly fun

[ofliterarynature]

JANUARY 2024 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok DNF (reread) bookclub*]

Mammoths at the Gates • An Impossible Imposter • Greywaren • The Hexologists • Mister Impossible • Reclaiming Two Spirits • (Check, Please: #Hockey)* • Thornhedge • Call Down the Hawk • All the Hidden Paths • All the Beauty in the World • (The Raven King) • (A Strange and Stubborn Endurance) • (Blue Lily, Lily Blue) • The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie • The Missing Page • Bird By Bird • Lucky Red • Portrait of a Thief

I suppose I may as well start with the giant pile of Maggie Stiefvater and get that out of the way, lol. According to Goodreads, this was at least my 3rd time through the entire Raven Cycle. Despite that, I had only the vaguest idea of what happened in the last two books, and now having reread them (again), yeah, that tracks! I can hang with book 3 but I have no idea what was really going on in The Raven King, and as a series finale I didn't love it. It felt a lot like the dreamer plotlines drowned out the original Glendower and ley line story that we started with. But, Maggie being Maggie, I love the way she writes so much that I at least still enjoyed the reading experience. And it made an incredibly clear lead-in to the Dreamer Trilogy (which I had not read), it made total sense, I was hopeful! Again, Maggie being Maggie, I had a good time reading them, I liked learning more about the Lynch brothers, I'm always down for some art forgery, but I just didn't really like it and (while I'm glad for Maggie that she was able to write it) I could have lived without it. It completely did not have the vibe or charm of TRC and, criminally, did not include the Gangsey. How!!!!

The Missing Page - liked it! It felt a lot more solid as a mystery than the first book, which I greatly appreciated, though the villagers in the first book were maybe a bit more fun. I'm not feeling particularly inspired to go look up more Cat Sebastian after this, but if she writes another one of these I'd read it.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - I've had this one on my mystery tbr for a while, and for some reason I'd thought it was set in a much earlier time period than the 1950's? lol. Our protagonist is the youngest of 3 sisters growing up in genteel poverty with an absent father, and she has the run of the village, the house, and an incredibly well stocked chemistry lab left by an ancestor. She is both incredibly clever and terribly naive, and absolutely terrifying because of it. Flavia is fascinating as a detective, because she's not written as the protagonist of a middle grade mystery novel - she's a child. This was an interesting read, but I'm not sure it's what I'm looking for in a mystery novel and I don't think I'll continue the series.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance - reread this in advance of the sequel - it was a bit easier to see some flaws this time around, but had a good time! This *was* my first time listening to it on audio though, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it. It had a different person reading for each of the main characters and their voices just didn't pair well for me - not to mention one of them also read Lev AC Rosen's Lavender House and boy does he do some distinctive character voices.

All the Hidden Paths - didn't go quite so well. I think primarily my mental space was not pairing well with the tensions of reading this for the first time, I do think on a reread I might like it better. Somehow the spy/saboteur was my favorite character? He was soo bad at his job, I found it very funny. But overall, I think it was just a little too close to a rehash of the plot from the first book, leaving me to think Meadows might not be the best at writing mysteries. Luckily it does at least score high on my romance scale.

All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me - first nonfic of the year! I've been eagerly anticipating my library getting an audio copy ever since I first heard about this last year, it sounded cool, I'm fascinated by art museums and behind-the-scenes! Unfortunately I was not into it, and almost 2 months on I can't remember enough to even try to tell you why. It did pair interestingly with another recent read, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, but I'm still learning how far into memoir territory I can go. Someone stop me from trying the other Met nonfic book I found recently lol.

Thornhedge - wonderful! No notes! I love fairy tales and this was a delight to read.

Check, Please! #Hockey - loved getting to revisit this for book club! I've been meaning to for a few years, because y'all. I've read so much fanfic, and I have no idea what is in the comic, what Ngozi posted as extras, and what is fanon. The comic had less than I was expecting! Still fun, my fellow book-clubber liked it, but my real love was the tweets! I'll definitely try to read Vol 2 this year so I can then browse the larger collection of them compiled in the Chirpbook.

Reclaiming Two Spirits: I saw this one on tumblr and fortunately was able to get access to the audiobook! It's a topic I was very interested in learning more about, and I did! But - this is a research project, more than anything, it could be very repetitive (which, fair. colonizers suck), and it felt distanced from its subject. I feel it's a book that definitely has its place, but it's not objectively a 'good read,' and I'd rather have had something from someone who is indigenous and two-spirit themselves.

The Hexologists - it has its quirks, but this was unapologetically a delight to read and I had a fun time! I'm a sucker for a world with a magic vs industrial revolution, not to mention a married pair of established investigators, and I always appreciate an author who's willing to get a bit silly. If there's ever more books I'd love to read them!

An Impossible Imposter - she is what she is, I had a good time! This one felt like it might have taken some inspo from The Moonstone 👀

Mammoths at the Gate - had a good time with this, as I always do with the Singing Hills books. Stories about stories are like catnip, I should reread them all sometime!

Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott (DNF) - I have only the vaguest memories of reading parts of this for a creative writing class in college, and now that I'm getting more into nonfiction thought why not? Unfortunately the audiobook version I got was read by the author, who absolutely does not have an audiobook voice/cadence. I considered trying again with the version read by someone else, but decided I wasn't actually interested enough to continue.

Lucky Red By Claudia Cravens (DNF) - the host of one of the podcasts I listen to was gushing about this one and I was like, sapphic western? Sign me up! I read about 25% of it, and it all seemed fine, it just wasn't feeling particularly interesting to me. Absolutely give it a shot if you'd like!

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D Li (DNF) - I knew going in this had been getting mixed reviews. I really like the idea of it - I enjoy a heist, am always interested in fine arts/art history drama, and vigilante art repatriation hell yeah! But this felt very much like it was trying to emulate a heist *movie*, and it just wasn’t working for me as a book. If this ever gets adapted I’d love to see it.

[bookgeekgrrl]

CATCH UP ｡*･♡;

indirectly tagged by @mycupofstars and i love doing these things

LAST SONG: "Heart and Soul" by The Monkees

CURRENTLY WATCHING: the weekly/biweekly ep drops of stuff on Dropout, latest season of QI on BritBox, Murdoch Mysteries s16 (but in a very lackadaisical, desultory fashion)

THREE SHIPS: stucky, steddie, marcus/esca [literally just the last 3 ships I read fic for]

FAVOURITE COLOUR: Purple 💜😈👿🍆

CURRENTLY READING: atm nothing published, only fanfic (but I did just finish KJ Charles' Death in the Spires, which was fantastic!)

CURRENTLY CONSUMING: nothing, it's too late to be eating but I did make brownies today

FIRST SHIP: i mean honestly probably han/leia? but the first ship I went looking for fic for was buffy/angel/spike, about 25 years ago now.

PLACE OF BIRTH: smallish military base in North Carolina

CURRENT LOCATION: a few miles south of Lake Erie, next to window with a bush full of very spicy birds just outside

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: blissfully single for more than 25 years

LAST MOVIE: according to my media spreadsheet, the last movie I watched was The Holdovers, back in January. I don't watch a lot of movies.

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: revamping the stucky bookclub spreadsheet, some other digital organizing stuff, always reading reading reading

Tagging people directly makes me anxious (and maybe them too) so if you want to do this, consider yourself tagged. I do want to see everyone's answers though! Really, really.

[alena-reblobs]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol10 Part 3

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3

My commentary for Chapter 4 and 5 of vol10

Maybe...maybe this is exactly the time for reminiscing.

Back to the orphanage and the kids, but also, back to their friends. And back to Vash.

This hurts. I hate this dawning realization on Vash's face.

I will dig myself a Vashwood grave, anybody wanna join?

This, though. This is the theme of the whole series, is it not? Because in the end, everybody's actions can be reduced to somebody loving something and wanting it to protect, may it even be in a weird and twisted way. Every person in Trigun is moved by something they deem important, or a want to protect and ideal or people which they love. That is why the series feels so tangible, and so real.

Oh god the zoom in on the hand grabbing onto him

Vash doesn't even notice the daggers piercing his shoulder. And then...reluctantly, he has to let go.

This...this is pure bloodlust. The only reason he's not going for the kill for Razlo is because Razlo is Wolfwood's target. His last mission, and Wolfwood NEEDS to do it, he needs to save Livio himself.

Vash wouldn't need telepathic abilities to read Wolfwood's mind in that moment, I guess.

Someone else already made a beautiful connection between this scene and the scene of the Wolfwood chapter and where he talks about the bird, that isn't free. I can't really recall what was said, maybe you already saw this post...but I just want to add, Vash's stare into the sky...the darkened face. He is trapped, in this situation, in his emotions, in...everything. He is so visibly suffering.

Chapter 5:

Using the power of the explosions to get catapulted close to Razlo! The fight scenes in these chapter are really so awesome and well thought through..even if a bit confusing sometimes, if you DO get them they are hella cool!

He just shot off the third arm, what a badass move!! Vol 9 and 10 are evil volumes, but they hold the record of most badass Wolfwood moments ever

How does it feel when you're watching the last battle of your dead friend/lover walking?

This is an awesome page and must be part of this post. Love all the action!! They are just trying to clobber each other on the head with the Punishers now, are they? It would be funny if the situation wouldn't be so sad! AArh

Get Wolfwoo'd, bitch!

Ooookay I'm not gonna put the panel of Razlo's melted head here. Ugh yucky.

Goodbye, Punisher. You've done your part in this battle.

Phew I think I might need a short pause before the next chapters. Still 3 to go, how is this volume so damn long? The stagnant air in my room is starting to give me a bit of a headache.

[pandorlily]

regulus black headcanons. 🖋🕯🗝

disclaimer: if u don't agree with some of these, please keep it to yourself. these are just my hcs!

if the marauders were set in 2023, he would run a semi famous poetry blog on tumblr.

he likes to play chess with remus/peter but gets annoyed if he doesn't win.

he loves birdwatching/birds in general. especially white doves and crows?? (has a little crow friend that brings him trinkets?!)

goes to the forest when anxious/upset and just walks around writing poetry about the forest. (example down there)

friendship headcanons:

regulus + pandora: 🌲

pandora is regs nr. 1 supporter.

pandora and regulus visit the ocean/forest together at night and they just talk for hours.

the trinkets reggies crow friend brings to him, he shares with pandora. (i just thought of the crow thing and i love it.)

regulus + barty: 🎸 (with help of gf)

they were eachothers first kiss.

they play guitar together, and make songs together.

they both wanted to be in a band with eachother.

they wanted to run away together bc of barty's dad and reg's parents.

regulus + dorcas: 🍃 (with help of gf)

weed buddies!!!!! (indica's usually)

they give eachother stick n poke tats!!!

regulus helps dorcas with her outfits. (he's a fashion guru.)

they dance together.

regulus + remus: ☕️

reading/cafe dates!!! (/p or /r however u wanna see it.)

they have a bookclub together. (the books they read are mostly classics and greek mythology retellings.)

give eachother lots of music recs, talk about their favorite songs.

regulus + lily: 🥀

when lily goes to the fields or forests with reggie, she and regulus pick flowers for lily to press.

they both carry journals, although lily puts more colorful stuff in hers, she always carries some paper and stickers for reg.

lily and reg make flower bouquets together. (not necessarily dark ones all the time, it just fits with the theme :)) (example down there)

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

Wake up, besties. New chapter of the greatest story ever written ✨

@lutavero @freneticfloetry @wandering-night19 @just-inside-her @rosedavid

It’s buried pretty deep in the show tag so I thought I’d send out an alert. Everybody go read then come back here to discuss! #bookclub

[grubloved]

ive been reading Caste: The Origins of our Discontents and i think this review sums up (and expounds upon!) a lot of the qualms i had with the book, but here's one i think this review doesn't talk about:

in the 13th chapter, Wilkerson talks for five pages about dogs and wolves -- using outdated "alpha and beta" terminology. she finishes the chapter by talking about "natural-born alphas" and how society needs to freely order itself according to who "naturally" rises to the top, alleging that the caste system is bad because it prevents "natural" alphas from lower castes from rising to their deserved station, and also that it places unnecessary stress on "natural" betas from the higher caste who should "naturally" be in a lower station.

this was absolutely bewildering to read in a book ostensibly about the ridiculousness of hierarchy, and as i read the rest of the book i just thought about it over and over. i couldn't really reconcile the claim that some people should naturally assume a higher position with what i thought the intention of the book was.... but i think thinking about it more and reading this review i am realizing that Caste is not really about hierarchy being bad because it is a hierarchy; i just had the intention of the book wrong from the beginning. i definitely did fixate upon the wolf chapter because it falls into my specific areas of interest/knowledge, but i also think it really does illustrate the central problem in the book.

Wilkerson seems to be an absolutely staunch believer in a mythic capitalist meritocracy, where the naturally-born alphas should get to take their real standing. the main problem with caste, in this book's eyes, is not that it exists: but that it exists incorrectly. she even goes so far as to allege at one point that racial tension negatively affects upper-class Black people worse than it affects working-class Black people -- because upper-class and "deserving" black people are constantly confronted by their "rightful place" being obstructed -- which was really something. Wilkerson seems to mostly argue not for the destruction of caste, but for its reallocation: instead of a caste system based on appearance or on blood quanta or on family line, we should have one based on "personal merit". what exactly this means and how exactly it should be determined is, it seems, mostly to be left up to the capitalist systems we already have (one that is definitely not in any way responsible for existing race relations).

[ian-galagher]

hello there! let's spread some positivity (if you want to! this game is completely voluntary). if you wish to take part please list 5 things that make you happy and then ask the same question to the last 10 people who reblogged from you 💖✨

CROSS 🤗🧡 I'm so happy to see you in my inbox! *hugs*

funnily enough I saw this tattoo today and went, oh hey someone got Cross tattooed on their knee! 🤭

2. biting the goblin @creepkinginc 🤗🧡💚

3. my cat, the snails in the garden, and the million birds that have taken up permanent residence because my garden rocks 😎 and I feed them a lot 😂 I found the PERFECT rock and put it in a big bowl of water and today about 20 sparrows came and fought over it: they sat on this one good spot and took a bath in the water and the rock was just perfect for them to perch on, I WISH I'd taken a picture but I didn't want to disturb them 🤗

4. THIS playlist, because it rocks 🥰🧡 also this jacket 🤗🧡💚

5. gallavich bookclub!!!!! link to discord here! it's so exciting! 🤗🧡

[deadboyfriendd]

I love your taste in books! I've already started reading The Salt Grows Heavy and I can't wait to read your fic when you've written it. Can you recommend any other books you've read and liked?

Ahhhh okay,

My current read is Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and you’re going to see a very heavy handed influence of this book in Cochise and Bisbee, my Wild West AUs!

One of my favorite books of all time is Tender is the Flesh. It is a dystopian future novel in which cannibalism becomes legal told from the point of view of the head of a human processing plant who is also processing grief and the weight of the universe he lives in. Augustina Bazterrica is up there with Cassandra Khaw for me! She also has a collection of short stories called Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird that I just finished and she has an excellent essay about women novelists in horror as well!

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton tells the story of a domesticated crow that serves as a spokesperson and savior for house pets left behind after the initial outbreak of a zombie apocalypse. It’s such an interesting and comedic take on the zombie apocalypse but also horrendously sad. I plan on reading the sequel to this as well!

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder is about a new mother who is struggling with being a stay at home mom, who ends up befriending a group of women who she believes to be in an MLM scheme, and it turns out they have formed a society of supernatural women. The main protagonist believes she is turning into a dog. I could go ON about this book and femininity and so many aspects of the horrors of womanhood.

The Southern Bookclubs Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix was supposed to be my palette cleanser for all of the profound psychological horror I’ve been reading, and I actually ended up loving it! It is about a group of women in a prominent neighborhood in the Deep South Bible Belt area in the 80s, right during the midst of the satanic panic. They are all women who have been exiled from the “it” group bookclub, and they all decide to feed their morbid curiosity by reading classic horror and true crime novels. They convince themselves that their new neighbor is a vampire abducting children from the nearby neighborhoods. It’s actually a great thriller, easily palatable, and great introduction to horror in general! It’s the predecessor of My Best Friend’s Exorcism, which I will be reading because of Southern Bookclubs!

If you’re looking for some more mindless violence splatterpunk bangers, I would recommend Dead Inside by chandler morrison, Woom by Duncan Ralston, The Slob by Aaron Baureguard, or The Fetishists by A.S. Coomer.

Remember that these titles are EXTREME HORROR and splatterpunk so please please please check your trigger warnings before you dive into any of these titles! These books contain things that are NOT suitable for all audiences and I cannot stress this enough, PLEASE BE ADVISED when deciding if you’re going to read them or not. I know for certain that Woom and The Slob I had to take breathers from and almost didn’t finish because of the potency of violence in the contents.

I also have a TBR a mile long if you’re interested in seeing that!! I would love to share it!

[semperardens-juli]

Fortunately, Mother was tied up tighter than Dick's hatband in the weave of her own life. She noticed me, as usual out of the corner of her existence. As long as I was healthy, clothed and smiling she felt no need to focus her attention on me. As always, her major concern was to live the life given to her, and her children were expected to do the same. And to do it without too much brouhaha.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou (x)

leave a little kindness (x)

[l0stfoster]

May I offer you Harpy Two-Bit doodles >:)

Based on the Cursed Tulsa AU we made in the Bookclub server!! A ton of the greasers in town are just weird little critters. Only the greasers tho, socs aren't cool enough to get it LMAO. - Darry has emotional/psychological manipulation (he's a hella good liar bc of it) & can lessen/heighten the other's emotions or powers - Soda pretty much has a siren song, and can make people do what he wants with it. - Ponyboy's pretty much just favored by Mother Nature. Can grow plants and shit iirc, it's emotional-based as well. - Johnny's blessed by death, he can sense when/how people are going to die n just has a very.. off vibe - Steve's got telekenisis - Two-Bit's a Harpy, got all the bird shit >:) - Ace can manipulate and control fire (can't create it though, L) - Cherry's the only soc with power; can make sparks and little explosions iirc (Cherry Bomb!!!) - Dally is the only one of the gang with no power but he's a New Yorker so he's fucking insane anyways Follows the book, only Johnny and Dally don't die. Two's wings are fucked up because when he's jumped in Justice For Tulsa they pretty much destroy one of his wings L. Only canon relationships are QPR Johnny n Pony and Toxic Yaoi of Darry n Paul (who are bitter exes). { Tag List: @nova-drawzz @timewing06 }

[iffoundreturntosea]

April 24, Day 114/115

Day 114 2015

Beautiful springtime sunset after a wonderful spring rainstorm.

#beautiful #springtime #sunset #wonderful #spring #rainstorm #raindrops #rain #grass #clouds #sky #nature #outdoors #freshair #picoftheday #project365 #day114

Day 115 2016

Rainbow lizard

#lizard #colors #animal #outdoors #nature #shadesofspring #pastels #april #picoftheday #project365 #day115

Day 114 2017

Bruce wants to know where you're from or where you're at??

#globe #earth #location #travel #live #bruce #shark #gooddaybruce #findingnemo #april #picoftheday #project365 #day114

Day 114 2018

Stiff-stem Flax (Linum berlandieri)

#stiffstemflax #yellowflax #yellow #orange #flowers #wildflowers #beautiful #texas #spring #nature #outdoors #april #bouquet #picoftheday #project365 #day114

Day 114 2019

I’m not a pig eater so here are two pigs in a blanket...😬

#iwastoldnottoeatthese #stuffedanimals #pigs #piggie #oink #blanket #cozy #nationalpigsinablanketday #april #april24 #2019 #nationalday #nationaldaycalendar #picoftheday #project365 #day114

Day 115 2020

Cardinal

#fbf #art #create #animal #bird #flight #color #cardinal #thingsthatstartwithc #april #april24 #2020 #picoftheday #project365 #day115

Day 114 2021

A lone Indian paintbrush at the lake 💝

#nature #outdoors #sunset #color #wildflower #flower #indianpaintbrush #texas #spring #lake #lakepatcleburne #april #april24 #2021 #picoftheday #project365 #day114

Day 114 2022

This wildflower season has been sparse here but we did our best. 💖

#photoshoot #wildflowers #niece #sogrownup #dragonsandpokemon #nature #outdoors #love #auntlifeisthebestlife #april #april24 #2022 #picoftheday #project365 #day114

Day 114 2023

This is from yesterday but I didn’t see Magnus today because I was busy. Busy diving deep to bring out and magnify my inner glow. Thanks to the art of livin with @officiallymcconaughey and Unbroken bookclub with @mc.phd It was a very enriching day.

#theartoflivin #unbrokenbookclub #doingthework #myvisionisminealone #beach #innerglow #selfishisselfless #magnus #magnifyself #april #april24 #2023 #picoftheday #project365 #day114

Day 115 2024

Just trying to find some inner peace.

#orange #dailytheme #backyardview #justbreathe #april #april24 #2024 #picoftheday #project365 #day115

So much changed in a year. This time last year I was feeling so good. I'm hoping I'm back to feeling good again by this time next year.