V Is for Vanished

Everyone knows a lot of the stock horror tropes so it was very exciting to see Riley Sager put a realistic spin on them with Final Girls. This summer he did it again with The Last Time I Lied and it was even better than the first.

With slashers, ‘crazy motherfucker’ is ultimately the explanation and it’s not very satisfying. TLTIL has 3 teenage girls vanish from a summer camp without a trace leaving behind their lone cabin mate Emma still dealing with it years later. When the camp reopens, Emma starts looking for answers.

No spoilers but I will say that all of your questions get answered. This makes me so happy because I love a good resolution. You don’t always get it in life so I want it in my fiction.

Emma is clearly troubled and stalled in her life and goes to get closure. In the process of looking for new information, Emma finds a lot more than she bargained for. Sager toes the line of making Emma unreliable and keeping us guessing who is the bad guy then and now.

The gradual reveal of everything that happened back then is interspersed with the contemporary events of the novel. I understand why Sager did this because it drove me crazy and I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened. The layers are peeled back in just the right amount to give some of the reveals extra punch.

It’s a perfect summer read and I highly recommend it. It resonates even more because Hubs and I will be going to a lake in the Adirondack mountains in a few weeks. 4.5/5

Library Lover Rage

I want to bitch slap Panos Mourdoukoutas, author of this trash piece, with my copy of War & Peace. The hardcover one.

He makes the argument that Amazon should replace local libraries which tells me he’s never actually utilized his local library. Here’s just a short list of the services I know libraries can provide.

I went to a support group that used free meeting rooms at the library.

I canceled my Netflix to save money. I still check out DVDs from the library.

I have 3 different library books in my home right now for the low price of free.

My library does a 1,000 books before kindergarten program and story time for kids.

We’ve had award winning authors come and talk about their books and engage the community.

My library is doing a big community engagement with a group chat and podcast for reading War & Peace. Someone who isn’t even in our local community joined in.

My library participates in local community events like book fairs.

I knew someone whose rural library let people cash checks and receive government benefits. It was one of the few public community spaces available.

My library sells used books and magazines for cheap making book ownership easily accessible for a lot of people.

My library has a community garden at its central location.

Every branch in my county has free WiFi

My library offers free online classes through Lynda and, I think, Mango (learn a foreign language).

It gives the local homeless a place to go during the day. Ours are usually quiet and respectful and don’t need the ‘watching porn squirt bottle.’

One location near the metro has a book swap, another affordable way to own books.

There are quiet study rooms, encyclopedias, computers, audiobooks, digital collections, printers/copiers, and so much more.

Libraries are an integral part of so many communities and are often one of the first places to lose funding. Despite living in a wealthy community with a fantastic library, my library recently had budget cuts.

Support your local libraries with donations of books, money, or time. Use their services. The more members of the community that utilize their services, the more they can ask for in next year’s budget. Libraries matter so go and make sure your library knows it.

SDCC Themed Entertainment

San Diego Comic Con is on my bucket list of things I want to do someday. I’m waaaaaay too broke to do it now but that doesn’t mean I cant enjoy it from afar.

My weekend reads

A geeky themed playlist.

To everyone going, have fun and bring me back something awesome.

Sing It

The internet does a nice job of making you realize you’re not crazy. Basically, a lot of pet parents have little songs they sing their dogs.

I modified the lyrics to Sugar, Sugar as follows:

Aw, Sugar, Sugar

Aw, puppy, puppy

You are my corn chip dog

And you got me loving you

Sugar gets corn chip feet and when she curls into a ball, it spreads to her whole belly. I love it.

Several people use the line “Come on Barbie. Let’s go party.” and switch it to “Come on doggy. Let’s go potty.”

I added my own version which turns “We like to party” to “You gots to potty.”

Love makes you weird.

Gray Sweats

I am a big fan of shopping ethically. It’s a great way to help the environment and let your dollars talk. I can’t always do it as much as I’d like. An absurd amount of ethical companies don’t make plus sizes. Thrifting is very hit or miss, especially when you’re a certain size or body type.

Sometimes I have to buy things new that likely came from unethical conditions because they’re affordable and I know they’ll fit. But sweatshops are not the absolute evil we are lead to believe.

Some are worse than others with Gap and its subsidiaries literally getting awards for their ample human rights violations. Even if it’s a loophole to get their stuff secondhand, I still feel kind of dirty. It’s not that hard to agree to not beat your staff with rubber hoses (yes, really).

Sweatshops are also frequently located in places awash in abject poverty. Forget get the bootstraps-American-dream BS westerners pretend is possible. There is no good way out for these people unless a micro-finance charity shows up. The working conditions are bad and often deplorable but it’s work where there might otherwise be none.

Child labor is not good but in places with this level of poverty, what else are these kids doing? They’re not off having a childhood as we understand it. There is not a branch of the Boys and Girls Club in Bangladesh IIRC. These kids are trying to survive or help their family. My husband had a classmate in college who said exactly this.

This awful factory jobs gave these kids somewhere to go, something to do, and a way to help their families. Is it good or ethical? Hell no but there is a moral gray area buried within this awfulness.

This problem exists because of bigger wealth inequality all over the planet. I think we need more ethical options but if you have to skip them, you are not a bad person.

Sweatshops beat abject poverty. Child labor gives these kids somewhere to go, something to do, and money to bring home. It’s not good but it’s not pure evil. Still avoid the worst of the worst and thrift where you can but don’t beat yourself up over not being able to live the ethical fashion dream. Do the best you can with what you have where you are.

Little Free Library Musings

I love Little Free Libraries. I’ve gotten some fantastic ARCs and beautiful books from them. I’ve sold a few and paid some great finds forward.

I live in an affluent area and our library system is fantastic. Access to literature is not a problem for us. What about the poorer, rougher areas just a short ways away? Do they have the same luxury?

I grew up in this area so I can attest that some of the school systems are lacking. Is there some well meaning white person loading up their Little Free Libraries? Do they even have them?

I have no idea how to even find this out but I wonder how many people putting these up in their yards are asking this. Are trying paying their good fortune forward? How can I help?

Mid Year Book Freakout Tag

Best Book You’ve Read So Far

This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins – This is a fantastic memoir about what it means to be a black feminist in America.

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far

The Radical Element edited by Jessica Spotswood – I love the Tyranny of Petticoats series and this is the second book. It’s fun and empowering. Highly recommend.

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To

Ginger Kid by Steve Hofstetter and Bearskin by McLaughlin – Hofstetter is one of my favorite comedians and McLaughlin’s book is perfect for my vacation in the mountains next month.

Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of the year

My Own Devices by Dessa and World’s Seen in Passing: 10 Years of Tor.com Short Fiction – I’m broke AF and still pre-ordered these. I’m middling at bring an adult.

Biggest Disappointment

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman – This was sold as a woman who is comatose and buried alive. It was not. I have a full review/rant here.

Biggest Surprise

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung – I discovered this at a Little Free Library and really enjoyed it. It was relatable, funny, and heartfelt. A must read for those looking to understand introverts.

Favourite New Author

Morgan Jerkins – Her book was a brilliant and nuanced take on what it means to be a black woman in America. I can’t wait to read more of what she has to say.

Newest Fictional Crush

Black Panther: World Of Wakanda – Crushes on fictional characters aren’t really a thing I do but the Dora Milaje were pretty fantastic.

Newest Favourite Character

Manfried the Man by Caitlin Major – I’m really amused by all the little naked human men in this story. They say “Hey” and shake hands.

Book That Made You Cry

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp – I don’t cry easily but this brought out all the feels. It’s a multi-person perspective of a high school shooting. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and important.

Book That Made You Happy

Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen – Her comics are silly and fun. I just adore them.

Favourite Book To Movie Adaptation You Saw This Year

I am terrible about seeing things in theaters. I meant to see Ready Player One but it didn’t happen. Does Black Panther count? Let’s go with that.

Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year

And Now We Have Everything by Meaghan O’Connell – This book is an important and interesting take on motherhood but never acknowledges the place of privilege it comes from.

Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year

Doctor Who: Tales Of Terror and the hardback of The Essex Serpent – I love the cover of the latter and the former is a naked hardback with lots of metallic detail.

What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year

Any Man by Amber Tamblyn

Rising Out of Hate by Eli Slaslow

Bearskin by James McLaughlin

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

I’m not making this list any longer because there are so many gorram books I need to read.

June Wrap-Up and July TBR

These months never go quite as planned.

I decided to join my local library in reading War and Peace. With the goal of reading 100 pages a week, this epic tome seems manageable. Once you get going, it’s also surprisingly readable.

June Wrap-Up

This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins

This got a full review here and it is absolutely worth the read. 5/5

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

Based on the author’s real life, I devoured this delightful graphic novel in one sitting. It deals with otherness and the desire to belong so many of us endured growing up. 5/5

The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn’t by Gail Carriger

This adds some interesting color and backstory to Carriger’s beloved series, Parasol Protectorate. It still left me with several questions but was still fun. 4/5

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman

This was a western, not a horror novel and the premise has a misleading set-up. I was very disappointed. Full review here. 2/5

Ayiti by Roxane Gay

This is her first book and it is being rereleased this summer. It’s a collection of short fiction about what it means to be Haitian. It’s short and beautifully written. Go read it. 5/5

Biketopia edited by Elly Blue

Another fantastic read. The full review is here 4/5

Can’t Help Myself by Meredith Goldstein

A memoir of the woman who writes the Love Letters column in Boston. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking 4/5

Black Panther: World Of Wakanda by Roxane Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates

I didn’t realize Gay has dabbled in comics until I saw her live. I immediately put this on hold at my library and very much enjoyed it. It’s far more complicated than the films but still provides interesting color if you only know that world. 4/5

Scream All Night by Derek Milman

A failing horror studio, pain from a family’s past, and many livelihoods hanging in the balance. I liked the ideas behind this but it was just meh for me. 3/5

July TBR

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

I meant to read it last month and didn’t get to it.

Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow

A reformed white nationalist tells his story.

Bookish Boyfriends: A Date with Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt

I discovered this cute gem at my local indie. I’m not big on contemporaries but this seemed fun

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The marathon continues

TBR Jar: Dust

The spirit behind this is something that’s been collecting dust on my shelves for a while. I’ll likely raid my graphic novels if I get pressed for time.