Without doxing yourself plzzz

Some of you are reading so much with full time jobs😭 I gotta know what y’all do and how many hours you’re doing it. I know a few people are lucky enough to get to read on the job! That’s the dream.

the immediate mention of Dr. Hans Asperger is shocking—and the lack of his affiliation with Nazi Germany is disturbing. while there was a blip of contention about the renaming and denouncement of Asperger's syndrome, this was easily established before 2019 when this book was published. any current clinical psychologist would fucking know this.

there is so much discourse on why the scientific and medical field (and the autistic + neurodivergent community!!) moved away from using the term Asperger's, not solely related to Hans Asperger's history, but also his "scientific reasoning" for the separate diagnosis. Asperger's Syndrome was purposely created with the intention of separating "low and high functioning" autistic people, in regards to how they could function in society. foundational ableist, this allowed neurotypical, powerful people to determine what form of autism was acceptable and to be exploited. to quote,

"‘High functioning’ autistics often appear to be able to function in society easier, seeming more ‘normal’. But if an autistic person is labelled as high functioning their very real struggles can be dismissed. On the other hand if they are labelled ‘low functioning’ people often dismiss their abilities. A non verbal autistic person may be seen as low functioning because they communicate differently, but this is no reflection on their intelligence, value as a person or the rich diversity of their lived experience." Bristol Autism Support

what's so fucking frustrating is while the author shares information about high and low functioning, specifically in gender binary stereotypes, Dr. Bargeila says in her footnote how high and low functioning are "considered by many in the autism community to be unhelpful", and then rambles about IQ testing. are we just skipping over WHY autistic folks don't like or agree with the terms??? why use a big ass graphic with both terms used with this lil ass footnote?

there are a few different articles, a few recent too, regarding Hans Asperger's knowledge or affiliation with Nazi Germany. let's make a few things clear. whether he knew what would happen to the children he determined were worthy of society standard or not, his actions and diagnosis murdered autistic children. end stop. I highly encourage those to read a few articles, but genuinely any educated doctor who supposedly has an interest in autism and gender should know this. while the DSM-5 has issues itself, Asperger's Syndrome was reclassified and grouped into Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2013. The Truth about Hans Asperger's Nazi Collusion Understanding Why the Term ‘Asperger’s’ Is No Longer Used From Asperger's Autistischen Psychopathen to DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder and Beyond: A Subthreshold Autism Spectrum Model

beginning this book with ableist, scientifically inaccurate and outdated information when your goal as an author is to "help" teach others about autism is a choice and a fucking wrong one at that.

hi folks! Black History Month is fast approaching & i look forward to engaging with Black works and continuing to decolonise my relationship with art this february, and always.

below are some lists curated by myself and others to help diversify the books written by Black authors that you’re reading:

poetry: Black queer poetry by me, Black women poets by heathersdesk

Black & queer: Black lesbian/wlw books by haileyraet

speculative, strange & surreal: Black girl magic by kissandswoon, Black horror by me, weird Black girl lit by me, African-inspired fantasy by kishmish, Black fantasy, sci-fi & speculative by heathersdesk

specific authors: Toni Morrison & Black womanhood by LiahEverAfter

specific places & communities: African diaspora in Australia by vumaisbooked, What do you know about Africa? by vumaisbooked, African-American classics by jjongbear, Caribbean diaspora reads by greter

non-fiction: Black & Caribbean feminist theory by booklempt.gyal, Black women in non-fiction by displacedcactus

this is my first experience with this author and i must say the writing is so beautiful🥹🥹 idk if it’s because i’m dual wielding the ear balls and the eye holes, but the prose is so soothing and smooth so far.

So I'm ordering a book on thriftbooks, and I need to spend about $4.50-5 more to get free shipping. Of course, my brain has completely drawn a blank as to what I would like. I'm thinking something along the lines of a book that has been around for a while, so I could get a nice worn out used copy on the cheap. Basically I'm iso any recommendations for books you love that I could potentially add to cart!

Hi everyone, we're excited to share the 4 selections for the Spring Readalong, running March - May! We announce Readalong titles a month in advance to give everyone time to place library holds; head to the Seasonal Readalong page to see the Spring badge and the full selections (on the app: click Seasonal Readalong from the More menu. On desktop: click the purple "View Spring Picks" button underneath the "Winter 2026 Readalong" header).

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby: A mystery/thriller by the iconic S.A. Cosby, this story follows a Black and white father seeking vengeance for their two sons who were married and murdered in cold blood.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark: A steampunk fantasy set in Cairo in 1912, we follow Agent Fatma as she investigates a murder in a secret brotherhood and an ancient magic unleashing danger on the city.

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill: A sapphic literary fiction set in 19th century Montreal, this is a coming of age tale following Marie and Sadie as they navigate their intense & passionate relationship through Montreal's high society (and brothels)

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel: From the author of Kaikeyi, this is a reimagining of the story of Hindu goddess Ganga who is cursed to become mortal until she fulfills the terms of her curse.

Excited to read with everyone in the coming months!

Happy reading, Jennifer & Lucy

We're nearing the end of January - and therefore coming to a month before the end of the Winter readalong which I think is when the selections will drop. If I remember correctly. Which I might not.

But anyway!! I am excited already and looking forward to it. Anyone else? What would you see or want to have on selection?

Personnally I'd enjoy having Howl's Moving Castle, just because it's on my physical TBR and I'm planning to tackle it soon!