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JOMP BPC - October 3rd - Faceless

feat. Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk

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But at least it’s not drugs, right? 🥲

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"“Life is beautiful and life is stupid. This is, in fact, widely regarded as a universal rule not less inviolable than the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the Uncertainty Principle, and No Post on Sundays. As long as you keep that in mind, and never give more weight to one than the other, the history of the galaxy is a simple tune with lyrics flashed on-screen and a helpful, friendly bouncing disco ball of all-annihilating flames to help you follow along.” - Cat Valente, Space Opera

Quilt wall hanging tribute to one of my favorite books. Mostly traditionally pieced with a bit of applique.

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While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a slapping,

As of some one gently flapping, flapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some fairy,” I muttered, “slapping at my chamber door—

            Only this and nothing more.”

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Rereading Sunshine by Robin McKinley (one of my favourite vampire books). All I remember from reading it 10 years ago is the amount of page-time dedicated to baking cinnamon rolls. But I've realised, this time round, that the baking of cinnamon rolls is the symptom of a much larger theme in characterisation - Rae's ride-or-die commitment to the 'I'm just some guy' bit.

Every single chapter, another thing is revealed about Rae that puts her closer to being a special snowflake Chosen One: her name is Raven Blase but her nickname is Sunshine, she has sunlight powers, she's not just an innocent bystander but the daughter of a powerful warlock, she can help a vampire walk in sunlight, she's performing powerful magic. And every single time Rae just turns round and says to the reader, "but that's not important :) I'm just some guy :) I really like baking :) ignore that gothic heroine coding :) it's time to get up at 4am to make bread :)"

Her commitment to being Just Some Guy is genuinely carrying the novel. Every single day she becomes more of a Chosen One, but there's cinnamon rolls to make. Fucking D&D-ass characterisation. High art.

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anyone wanna do a quick (think 3-5 question) interview about their reading habits? it's for a class on adult readers' advisory, so bonus if you read books written for adults, but if you're an adult who mainly reads YA that'll also work

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btw if you haven’t seen pics of the Seward Library you are missing out

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Toronto Horror Bookstore - Little Ghosts Books!

Wanted to shout out this absolutely delightful independent bookstore-cafe in Toronto, Little Ghosts Books!

It's got something for horror fans of all ages, it's cozy and the staff is friendly, and they have a giant skeleton in the back ;)

Got to sell some comics over there in November!

Please do give them a visit! Independent bookstores deserve more love. They're in the Trinity Bellwoods area, right on the corner of the park, which on its own is a worthwhile place to visit when you're in Toronto.

(also Toronto has been weirdly warm lately so locals can just come on over anyway! Go on!)

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But all the while I sit and think of times there were before

I listen for returning feet and voices at the door

Working with traditional media is a treat! My take on Bilbo and Thorin from the hobbit!

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You can't stop people being assholes.

They do love it so.

The best you can hope for is that some people, sometimes, will turn out to be somewhat less than the absolute worst.

When they manage to trip and fall over that incredibly low bar, they'll make you want to end it all.

But when they leap over it, they'll make you believe this whole mess really was created for a reason - the bastards.

Except me, of course.

I'm superb.

Ask anyone.

And you're all right, I suppose.

-Goguenar Gorecannon's Eleventh Unkillable Fact

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My friend and I were spending too much time at home reading. So we met up for lunch to read together 😌

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The Ghost Sequences by A. C. Wise

💀🖤

[text ID: Gorgeous writing. Each short story deals with hauntings, including being haunted by grief, regret, and guilt, but several take completely different approaches to what a haunting is, weaving in fantasy, surrealist, scifi, and contemporary elements.

Quote: “A haunting is a moment of trauma, infinitely repeated. It extends forward and backward in time. It is the hole grief makes. It is a house built by memory in-between your skin and bones.” /end]

I read this back in August, and holy crap, this short story collection is my favorite read of 2023. Maybe one of my favorite books of all time. The stories are beautiful and sad and haunting and filled with love, which are frankly my favorite kinds of ghost stories. I had to draw an illustration in my reading journal for my favorite story from the collection: “The Nag Bride”

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Just added to the shop—a hand-printed mouse librarian bookplate. Perhaps they work in an abbey and can point you toward a clue that will help you on your adventure?

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Sorry about the slightly blurry photos, but I wanted to share this part of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The first image reads:

"What you press in my hands is more than all I have!" I said, because it hurt to hear her saying those things that were not true, as if I had only come and helped her to be good, and not because I wanted silver, and wanted to be safe. "Then you don't have enough, and I have more than I need," she said. "Hush, sweetheart. You don't have a mother anymore, but let me speak to you with her voice a minute. Listen. Stepon told us what happened in your house. There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. That is what was in your house with you, all your life. But here you are with your brothers, and you are not eaten up, and there is not a wolf inside you. You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away. That is all we can do for each other in the world, to keep the wolf away. And if there has been food in my house for you, then I am glad, glad with all my heart. I hope there will always be."

The second image reads:

I nodded without saying anything. I couldn't say anything. She smiled at me and wiped more of my tears, then she gave up trying to wipe them and just gave me a handkerchief out of her skirt and touched my cheek again and went out. Sergey and Stepon were sitting at the table staring at the food on it. There was soup, and bread, and eggs, and when I sat next to them, Stepon said, "I didn't know it was magic, when you brought it home. I thought it was just food." I reached out my hands to them, suddenly: I put out my hand to Sergey on one side, and to Stepon on the other, and they put out their hands to me, and to each other, and we held tight, tight; we made a circle together, my brothers and me, around the food that we had been given, and there was no wolf in the room.

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Have you seen Bride and Prejudice lol

I love Bride and Prejudice! Especially what they did with Mr. Collins! No Life Without Wife lives rent free in my head:

Mr. Collins (Kohli) is exactly what he should be, a very safe option but not someone Elizabeth (Lalita) likes.

I like how they maintained class distinctions and found a modern way to explore the pressure to marry to improve economic realities. I like their Caroline Bingley (Kiran). I love the songs. I love the ending.

I wish they had spent a bit more time on the Darcy/Lalita dynamic. Darcy seems more "fish out of water" than disdainful of India (I think to be in his original character they should play up the disdain). It's a difficult line to walk though.

Also, Wickham was appropriately cute and charming!

Overall, great, one of my favourite Pride & Prejudice adaptations.

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the priory of the orange tree 🍊🔥

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I finished Legends and Lattes and I am obsessed with this little guy