Books I read, games I played, things I watched in September 2025. Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let's find out!

The next issue of WFMU’s program guide/magazine, LCD, will be out in late January, and we welcome submissions! The theme is THE SONG. We’re looking for comics, illustrations, or short essays on songs that are amazing, groundbreaking, or outstanding. Deadline is Nov. 1. More info here: wfmu.org/lcd

An insightful long read from @tajjaisen.bsky.social that saves its most compelling argument for the end: publishers helped create the zero-sum casino they're now trapped in by putting all of their chips on two bets — consolidation and bestsellers. thewalrus.ca/the-publishi...

#NationalComicBookDay honors creators, the art form, and the stories told in comics. We’d be remiss if we didn’t pay homage to our favorite medium on this tremendous day! #ReadAllTheComics #LibComix #DigitalComics #Manga #ComicSky

"Knowing how to deconstruct a complex system is a critical first step." On digital distractions, middle grade readers, indie publishing, bloggers getting paid, and systems that fight back.

Really enjoyed this session, shared a few thoughts in the other place. No, not that one; this one. 👇 gardenstate.social/@glecharles/...

"Reluctant reader" is terrible and I wish the publishing industry and educators would stop using it. 🤬 "It centres what the person defining that reader wants them to read... when you shift that lens, then it’s not about their reluctance. It’s about their access." web.archive.org/web/20250315...

i love making comics for kids but genuinely hate how the tagline "great for reluctant readers" gets applied as though it's some consolation prize for kids who feel dumb & not an actual art form to be appreciated in & of itself

"Knowing how to deconstruct a complex system is a critical first step." On digital distractions, middle grade readers, indie publishing, bloggers getting paid, and systems that fight back.

One of my favorite books is now available in print and can finally sit next to my other all-time favorites! Kudos, @baldurbjarnason.com 👏🏽 www.baldurbjarnason.com/2025/the-pri...

Insightful take from Kleefeld on Image's impending exclusive window for direct market, including the difference b/w print & digital readers and availability. The ripple effects from Diamond's poorly handled bankruptcy will definitely continue into 2026. www.kleefeldoncomics.com/2025/09/imag...

I give @publisherswkly.bsky.social a hard time b/c I expect more from them, and they're at their best when they remind the industry that the publishing world is so much bigger and more interesting than the corporate conglomerates ever will be. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

@lorifreshwater.bsky.social Thought you'd appreciate this. 😁

Medium’s core pitch is heavily mission-driven, but it’s tied to a BHAG that reminds you of their origination and very troubled history. #MediumDay

This 'skill' will be obsolete by 2027. This is like going to school to learn cheat codes for Elder Scrolls IV. Might as well teach how to fax. The demand is going to be for people with critical thinking skills, ethics, who can research.

Every now and then I read something I wish I'd written myself that is way better than I'd have done it, and this is one of the most nuanced takes on reading and digital distractions I've read in a long while. CW: "Reading isn't natural." lithub.com/how-to-raise...

While our reading tastes don't often align, Maris always brings a little something extra to her newsletter beyond the reviews. This one is a particularly good example.

“Every single company that offers AI-generated material should have some sort of transparency standards put in place so that people know what they’re getting." Our ED @littlewow.online on AI slop in libraries and our efforts to fight it. /1 americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/b...

Why does @everylibrary.bsky.social continue to undermine its credibility with this AI slop? It's hypocritical, too. Stop it.

"It makes me wonder what's changed since 2020?" On racism in publishing and sports, moving to Spain, and cozy library mysteries.

100+ hours into my second playthrough, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is without question my GOTY. Warning: this one's for my true #gaming nerds and contains random spoilers.

Books I read, games I played, things I watched in August 2025. Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let's find out!

"I’d argue that the last 10 years haven’t been all that revolutionary for publishing, at least not as much as the 10 years before that." @janefriedman.com Everyone in publishing should read this, and if you're not already a subscriber, you absolutely should be. janefriedman.com/how-publishi...

"I’ve never felt that the world was straight up ready to receive me without somebody else cosigning me." An impressively candid, inspiring, and frustrating interview. PRH did Lucas dirty; I'm glad it didn't break her, and curious to see what she does next. www.thebeliever.net/an-interview...

Comics Plus is available exclusively through libraries and schools, offering unlimited, simultaneous access to thousands of great comics and manga. No wait lists, no borrowing limits! iykyk Ask your librarian how to #ReadAllTheComics! #LibComix

Is my long-term relationship with the Xbox finally coming to an end? Maybe.

Every immigrant with an accent can relate to this: a former boss made up a pronunciation for my *very common French first name* because my accent is not French but Latinx, and therefore my name had to be mangled. (it's racism, which like misogyny, can be internalized) #WorldCon #2025Hugos

Thanks to @publisherswkly.bsky.social always giving Substack free promo, this makes it sound like @emilymbender.bsky.social is also writing there, which was a disappointing shock. Thankfully, that's not the case; she's using Buttondown, which somehow doesn't qualify for free promo. 🤔 #cmonson

"Bullying promptfondlers and botlickers is a socially acceptable, and required, practice now." On AI Slop, consumer backlash, credit where due, that newsletter platform, and adults reading comics.

Why Do Adults Read Comics in Japan? How Pioneering Weekly Magazines Transformed the Image of Manga www.nippon.com/en/japan-top...

😞

I've seen people say things like "our troops weren't designed to be used on US!!!" and look, I totally understand, I agree in some ways, but I really, really hope that if you feel that way you spend time thinking about the fact that there's no such thing as a weapon that can't be pointed at you.

"¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics to Open October 4, 2025 at The New York Public Library" Nice! www.nypl.org/press/wepa-p...

maybe its too blunt of an object but i will go to my grave thinking a big part of why we got here is a refusal to say dumb people and dumb ideas are dumb. we were too polite, and instead we said "that's an interesting take" when we should have said "shut the fuck up, you absolute dumbass."

Andrew Albanese has a typically great overview of the big decision in Florida this week at Words & Money, always a must-read for anyone involved with libraries. www.wordsandmoney.com/court-wipes-...

This is why you don't comply in advance. Kudos to @heykellyjensen.bsky.social for her ongoing work reporting these stories and, more importantly, always putting them in context so the bigger picture remains crystal clear. bookriot.com/penguin-rand...

aka, be the OG Influencers y'all have always been and influence the demand curve in the direction of new voices. Stephen King and James Patterson will be okay.

I just sent out a new edition of Paved with Good Intentions, the monthly newsletter where I share musings about transportation. Among the topics discussed: 🔹 Human intuition & dangerous car design 🔹 The challenges of Ivan Illich 🔹 A warning to bike advocates Online here: mailchi.mp/551fbd621b29...

Oh, hey! It's me talking #comics at the day job!

One of my all-time favorite indie series (Sean Wang's RUNNERS) has a new volume, and I'm going all-in for the hardcover collection. Check it out if you like fun sci-fi adventures with an interesting cast of characters. www.kickstarter.com/projects/sea...

On Comics Plus, "popularity" is purely organic. No algorithms, no targeted ads; just human curation (every featured list is manually curated by us) and reader engagement. #ReadAllTheComics lets readers read whatever they want, whenever they want. #LibComix FTW! librarypass.com/2025/07/25/c...

"This is not what Substack set out to be, but it is what Substack has become: a reactionary incubator where bigots of varying stripes can meet and collaborate, then take their work into the world, laundered with a tech unicorn’s imprimatur." J. Katz via M. Kabas www.thehandbasket.co/p/substack-e...

"Meanwhile, if you’re reading this via email or RSS, be sure to check out my WordPress!" #cmonson On FOLIO:, robotic parrots, free-ola, and extra Medium.

Do you want ALL kids to have access to books and education or just the kids who live in middle & upper class communities where people have the money and time to make and curate Little Free Libraries? LFLS are cool, and they are governed by nothing but luck and disposable income. It's not DEMOCRACY.

Books I read, games I played, things I watched in July 2025. Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let's find out!

The second quarter of 2025 saw many older favorites remain popular with Comics Plus' readers in the 3,500+ schools and libraries that help make #ReadAllTheComics happen. #LibComix #ReadersAdvisory librarypass.com/2025/07/25/c...

Me: I don't need any more t-shirts. @bittersouth.bsky.social: Are you sure about that? bsgeneralstore.com/collections/...

Private Equity's business model is death by a thousand cuts because they're basically vampires. Vampires can be killed by sunlight, though. Related... loudpoet.com/2020/03/10/t...

You can apply this to life, too!

Wow. Wow. Wow. ☹️ www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...