Lara Elena Donnelly - No Such Thing As Duty (Neon Helmock) W Somerset Maugham as intelligence agent + vampire story. It gets in a way a lot of modern vampire fiction doesn't why vampires are both sexy and scary and how the two are linked. Does exactly what it intends in perfect novella length form.

Such sad news for the library community. So appreciative of Ettarh’s voice and work.

New pod is out featuring my convo(s) with @ahsimlibrarian.bsky.social and Donna Seaman, and a note from @booklistaudio.bsky.social! Listen now! Or later!

The nurses are pissed

Nuremberg trials for ICE is the moderate position

notice something: there were 50k out there yesterday and there were no incidents. ICE was not there. ICE is back today and this happens. guess who the problem is

once again i am asking literally anyone in a position of power to do literally anything so that our neighbors stop getting fucking murdered in the street

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It's our last episode! We're so grateful to everyone who's listened to us for the past 7 years. We're using this occasion to talk about the state of science fiction and fantasy in the 21st century — and what has shaped the stories we've loved. www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes/20...

If you like post-modern lit, do I have a recommendation for you! LITTLE BLUE ENCYCLOPEDIA (FOR VIVIAN) is a work of genius. Hazel Jane Plante creates a world, a world within it, and vivid characters in both. It's one of the best things I've read in years. www.hazeljaneplante.com/little-blue

Amazon owns Goodreads, so yes your choice in reading tracker is political. Choose Pagebound instead, we’re 🌱 indie & self-funded 🧃 anti-AI & ad-free 🧙‍♀️ built by 2 women #booksky

Loved this piece

The paradox of reading (and writing) is that you go away from the world in order to come back to it closer than you were before. (It’s the same way that returning from a trip temporarily makes home more visible.) All good books provide this experience in some measure. Probably most good art.

I agree that we should frame reading as a pleasure and that reading is not necessarily a virtue. But why do we persist in allowing the framing that learning and expanding your thinking or even defending democracy can’t also be pleasurable and joyful?

Floptologist in chief

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Listening to Pulp’s “We Love Life” after learning that Jarvis Cocker is a Booker Award judge! What!?

I said it before, will say it again -- generative AI fetishizes "ideas" while sneering at effort, execution, and education. That, despite Gen-AI being built on and out of other people's effort, execution and education.

you know you elected a good mayor when the NYT does this in a headline

Katie Wilson has been elected Seattle's next mayor www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

It was a hilarious lesson

Good news for once www.cnn.com/2025/11/10/p...

It’s absolutely terrific.

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Looking for big scares during the Big Dark? Becky Spratford @raforall.bsky.social shares some of her favorite horror anthologies on our Shelf Talk blog: blog.spl.org/2025/11/03/n... Becky discusses her latest book, "Why I Love Horror," this Thursday (Nov. 6) at the Central Library! Register 👇

*uncontrollable screaming intensifies*

An excellent conversation tonight with Cory Doctorow @edzitron.com & Whitney Beltran @clarionwest.bsky.social on ENSHITTIFICATION and the rot economy.

If you think something doesn't matter, you don't respond to it. He responded. The people have the upper hand.

In the current @uncannymagazine.bsky.social I interview @danielhwilsonpdx.bsky.social about "Whalesong," a gripping tale of communication, family relationships, and whales. Read the story: www.uncannymagazine.com/article/whal... And the interview: www.uncannymagazine.com/article/inte...

My neighbor’s Halloween decor is legit 👌🏼

Excellent conversation last night with @danielhwilsonpdx.bsky.social @nisishawl.bsky.social & Alan Boyle. Wilson’s latest novel HOLE IN THE SKY is a story of first contact that also explores our relationship with the unknown. Indigenous technology & interrelatedness to the unknown also themes.

I see pieces like this a lot, often w/ a spin of lamenting cultural degeneration, but reading is a LABOR issue, it’s declined because so many people are working overtime or two jobs & employers expect after hours work. France has Earth’s highest reading rate b/c long lunch breaks & labor protections

Goodreads asked me to curate some October-Inspired Book Recommendation lists for them, so here they are! www.goodreads.com/blog/show/30... . @caitlinstarling.com @spookypurcell.bsky.social @stejhoward.bsky.social @sgj.bsky.social @tananarivedue.bsky.social @anovelescape.bsky.social and more

STARRED review in Library Journal for WE WILL RISE AGAIN, the speculative activism anthology edited by @drkarenlord.bsky.social, @older.bsky.social and me! Pre-order here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/We-Wil...

EVERYONE STOP EVERYTHING Mychal the Librarian is hosting the Reading Rainbow revival!!! reactormag.com/reading-rain...

Shut it down. Shut it all fucking down. Trump has the losing hand here & he knows it, so he's trying to blame his shitty shutdown on the dolls, hoping spineless dems will sacrifice them on the altar of civility. Fuck anyone who crosses to help him. Fuck them and primary them and hassle them to Hell

🎶 Take a look, it's in a book 🎶 🥹 After nearly 20 years... Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course... new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow 📚🌈 #FollowTheRainbow

This is my regular reminder to everyone that jstor is open to the general public now; a free account there will give you access to 100 papers a year.

“Leave their church potluck casserole untouched” If you didn’t grow up in evangelical circles, you have no idea how cold this is. I’m just picturing a woman hissing at her husband who works for ICE because“They won’t even touch my tater tot casserole anymore Bob.”

Why are people saying "this is not normal" over and over again, instead of "this is illegal" or "this is unconstitutional" or "this is treason?" Not normal sounds subjective, wishy-washy and neurotic. It communicates nothing of substance.

There is no measured way to say what I am about to say. If the Supreme Court agrees with the Trump administration to end birthright citizenship, we must end this current Supreme Court. I do not say this lightly.

The superintendent they just kidnapped is a former Olympic athlete who runs footraces with the kids from his schools while wearing a maroon suit and a bowtie. This is quite simply about the people in power feeling threatened by Black excellence.

This is EXCELLENT. 1) this is spot-on analysis of the problem & a great immediate 1st thing a city can do to improve outcome. 2) as a 2 min clip? He's giving history, hope & change. Speaking to women, to Jewish & Black NYers, saying "abortion." & also naming eugenics in feminism. 100/10 no notes.

Sometimes a column is about something specific, and sometimes it's just about everything I've been reading and thinking about, and this one is definitely the latter!

WIRED spoke with more than 200 federal workers in dozens of federal agencies to learn what happened as the Department of Government Efficiency tore through their offices. This is the oral history of DOGE, as told by federal workers:

He launched a more powerful defense of journalism than the vast majority of mainstream journalists have and that's an indictment of them.

One of the most interesting things about Jimmy Kimmel, and what I loved most about his conversation with Bill Burr a few months back, was that they’re both middle-aged white comedians who heard how culture has evolved, took notes, grew up, didn’t get defensive, and became *even more* successful.

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If you're a cis person who wants to be kind to your trans and nonbinary friends right now, please do not forward us links to stories about trans people being abused, having their rights taken away, or living in fear. We already know. A friendly "hey I hope you're OK" is much more helpful. 💖

Thursday!