I got asked if I had any Fantastic Four puns. I handed them a segment of Reed Richards. They said that was a bit of a stretch.

It’s very fun that it’s the year of the horse. Imagine that. The creature of the year is an imaginary animal that does not exist 😌

this is worth reading. a longtime NYT insider confirms that the paper's abrupt turn into seething anti-trans bigotry came directly from the top: AG Sulzberg and his 2 deputies, Joe Kahn and Carolyn Ryan transnews.network/p/a-directiv...

Absolutely listen to this. I'm not a habitual desert island discs listener but checked it out because there was a snatch of Rufus Wainright on the trailer. Came for the Rufus, stayed for the other excellent choices and life narrative.

I've committing to finally completing lego Rivendell, and getting all 3 parts into their special case. In the meantime I'm having fun with minifigs. Figwit & Boromir got into Elrond's 1st Age Wine before NY, and they're regretting the consequences

Thanks to @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social and @louiestowell.bsky.social 💛 🧵3/5 #GoAllIn #NationalYearOfReading #ReadingForPleasure #KIdLitUK

A huge thank you to @peters-books.bsky.social for providing a 30% discount on books on our book list 💛 We also have extra discounts on January's three featured books - see thread. 🧵2/5 #GoAllIn #NationalYearOfReading #ReadingForPleasure #KIdLitUK

Happy New Year and welcome to the National Year of Reading 📚 Our new website is live, with FREE resources for 60+ books for state schools. Visit bookclubsinschools.org for ideas for primary, secondary & AP. 🧵1/5 #GoAllIn #NationalYearOfReading #ReadingForPleasure #KIdLitUK

Ah yes. That was an absolute joy. This wan't bad either - especially Olivia and Cesario: youtu.be/C9FL3P8ua38

You are now forced to have the same job as the main character in the last book you read. What is the job? Is dragon a job...?

Q: What do you call a taxi app that's aimed at one specific son of Ragnar Lothbrok A: Ubbe

This is the energy I'm bringing into 2026

I got both story pitches (for my new story ideas) ready to send to my agent 😊

When I popped into Carlisle Cathedral to get pictures of its short end and ask about any historical drama, I met a lovely collie-type dog. Our eyes met, I said hello, and they dragged their human halfway along the choir to come and talk to me some more.

My kitten has lost his first canine and looks particularly daft now. (It’s probably wedged on a Christmas tree branch we’ll discover in December)

I am (as ever) shattered after hosting the family for dinner yesterday, so I’m not going to feel one bit guilty about frittering away my time today doing nothing whatsoever.

I solved a sewing problem that had been annoying me, and made a thing. I've set my sewing goal for 2026 and planned three projects around it.

Getting proof once more that I have the best friends. I need to do a very long and sad drive to southern Germany soon, and two pals have spontaneously volunteered to join me and help with the driving and provide moral support... one heading down and one coming back.

I got a cricut cutter machine for Christmas and am having so much fun with it. I made boxes! And personalised gifts! (Which still looked a bit like your primary school kid tried something out at school, but it was the first thing I made.)

I grew up in the late 70s early 80s and was constantly told by my parents that Attenborough was worth the BBC licence fee alone; 45 years later I think that still applies…!!!

Our brontes episode is on radio 4 TODAY at quarter to 3 & it was my favourite one and also I play Emily due to us only having one actress

Just to come back to this, to demonstrate quite how pervasive it is - I saw something the yesterday which was supportive of comics, however it unconsciously talked about younger readers picking up ‘graphic novels’ and ‘books’ as two distinct categories, with the latter being the goal.

Nephew passed his driving test on NYE. Delighted for him. Managed lunch out with a friend (a bigger deal than it sounds, my body is complicated).

(hug your library!!!). (give your librarians cake!!!).

(related: this is why things like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and people like BookTrust will always have my proverbial sword).

My good news is not realising it was Friday cause I’m not yet back to days of the week! My main thing is coming out of Christmas feeling good though. Feeling v positive about the new year.

I do think sometimes that there's more of a discussion needed about how one can 'find' reading rather than being told 'you're not doing it'. Simply accessing stories is not the most straightforward thing for everybody & then, when you couple that with the swathes of closed down / hrs cut libraries!

It's friday! Time for the weekly good news thread. Whats YOUR good news of the week? What's made you smile?

I think a gentle start to a new year of #KidsBooksFriday is in order. Did anyone (or the kids in your lives) get any good books over Christmas or is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to reading in 2026? My suggestions in the photos / captions. #KidLitUK #UKKidLit #KidLit

When eldest was doing GCSE English I kept pointing out to the teachers that in 5 years she’d studied no books by women and they all looked at me as if this was new and confusing information. Youngest has studied one book by a woman with an entirely male cast of characters. Arghh!!!

The best part of the Pluribus season finale is when Carol dropped this bomb. Absolute masterclass from Gilligan.

funniest thing pluribus could do right now is give carol and laxmi a two season long enemies to lovers arc

Hi Carol, we have some book recommendations for you. Here's what to read after finishing Pluribus: #PLURIBUS

the best part of pluribus is when she says "it's plurbin' time"

And while we’re at it, imagine if the GCSE curriculum had some actually enjoyable books that pass the Bechdel test - ideally a few that are different from the books I studied in 1990. Thank god for Much Ado or daughters books would have had 0 women beyond Jekyll’s housekeeper.

I was taught to read by writing a book with my dad. I was given many books of my own. I read across age ranges and, realistically, suitability. I grew up to work in words and now, to spend my life connecting authors with readers. It’s a glorious thing, being surrounded by stories.

@louiestowell.bsky.social I have said this before so apologies if I am boring but: I grew up in a house crammed with books. I was allowed to read anything in the house. (Though encouraged to keep my mom in the loop about what, hence my famous Iceberg Slim story.) It made me a reader.

Just back from another chilly walk in Richmond Park and about to start my first book of the year but decided to do a very self-indulgent look back at the books I read in 2025 first. It would be impossible to choose a favourite so I have picked a memorable one from each month. #KidLitUK #UKKidLit

Gamers! Can you confirm if Fenton really does make an appearance in Assassin's Creed Valhalla? Reddit says so. I'm genuinely tempted to get into gaming just to meet fenton in it.

Rama Duwaji and her date, I think his name is Zohran? Also @jumaane.bsky.social!

80s me, I’m going to read Misty, have a crack at I Claudius, and read a 1950s Donna Parker novel. Just give me stories, and also let me look at the Architectural Digests that my mum got from the local newsagent (they were returns and we got them for free)

Ah, the Oxford Reading Tree… “Oh no!” said every parent ever.

Happy New Year! So chuffed that my blog had a 65% increase in readers in 2025 compared to the year before. As the ‘year of reading commences’ feel like I need to up my game even more! Check out the blog for some great children’s books and a poem or too. tomsbookcorner.wordpress.com

This is why @ylglondon.bsky.social are planning our NYR training to be around encouraging adults with influence (teachers/library staff/parents/carers/siblings etc) to themselves engage in RfP*. To be Reading Role Models but mainly just to make their own lives better! *defined as broadly as possible

My children’s teachers (mid 2000s) refused to accept any book as “read” that was not on their reading scheme. So they carried round “Biff and Chip Bk1” in their bag for 6 years. It was a petty battle of wills, but I like to think that I won. (Both have top grade A Levels and the eldest a degree)

I had forgotten how much l loved asterix as a child until my children got into things like bunny vs monkey and Robobros. They wait for the Phoenix eagerly each week and now 12yo is reading a graphic novel of the Odyssey. Read anything and everything I say!

Parent: "I can't get my child to read books." Me: "It's a good idea to encourage them by sharing your own enjoyment.How often do you read books?" Parent: "..."

Our primary school (70s) 'reading scheme' was a big list of books you were supposed to read in order. A supply teacher gave me the 'wrong' one, and suddenly I was thirty books ahead, and enjoying reading much more, rather than being bored by the books I 'had' to read. What a terrible system.

Whilst gently nudging a copy of Alan Moore’s Jerusalem towards them with your big toe* (*I am firmly in the camp of never telling a child that a book is too difficult for them)