My first post here so hope I’m doing it right! I recently had to say goodbye to my soul dog of 16 years and have cried ever single day for almost 5 weeks now. Ive never felt a grief so physically painful in my life. He lived in 2 diff countries with me, 5 homes, and was with me and my now-husband the entire time we’ve known each other. I know this is a book space and not for pets, but I find the bookish community to be incredibly empathetic. Anyone here have recommendations for books that helped them through pet loss grief? Or other ways to just stay above water while experiencing this? ❤️‍🩹

Epistolary tales are sooo motivating for keeping a journal! I've never been able to keep any sort of journal or diary together, but this really makes me want to. I suppose the other option is to simply write people letters...

"Now and again I have expressed the opinion that every nation, and even every person, would do better, instead of rocking himself to sleep with political catchwords about war guilt, to ask himself how far his own faults and negligences and evil tendencies are guilty of the war and all other wrongs of the world, and that therein lies the only possible means of avoiding the next war. They don't forgive me that, for, of course, they are all themselves guiltless, the Kaiser, the generals, the trade magnates, the politicians, the papers. Not one of them has the least thing to blame himself for. Not one has any guilt. One might believe that everything was for the best, even though a few million men lie under the ground."

What is the story behind your username (if there is one) and is there a ‘proper’ pronunciation for it if it’s not pretty self-explanatory? I’m so curious sometimes when I see certain usernames and I’m like “am I saying it right? What does it mean??”

Mine is my first and middle name mushed together 😂 And while I spell my name with only one ‘s’, it’s pronounced the same as Alyssa (you’d not believe how many ppl struggle 😩)

Giving Dostoyevsky another try after feeling very meh about White Nights. I've been told reading C&P is life-changing 👀. They were probably exaggerating but who knows...