Grief Settles Comfortably Into Any Host; It Is An Ever-mutating, Vigorous Organism With An Ever-renewing

Just a reminder that Zadie Smith is cool and brilliant (as if anyone could forget!) I don’t remember where this photo is from (a gala? Oscars after-party?) that’s her husband Nick Laird to her left but it doesn’t really matter who anyone is ... that’s Zadie f’ing Smith in the middle and don’t you *ever* forget it!

-Melina Marchetta, Quintana of Charyn

It began with a kiss. It almost always begins with a kiss.

'Unzipping', in 'Suddenly, A Knock at the Door' by Etgar Keret 

What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore it knows it's not fooling a soul.

'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman 

How do you ruin someone's childhood?

Ellie Marsden was born into the legendary Lovinger acting dynasty. Granddaughter of the infamous Lottie Lovinger, as a child Ellie shared the silver screen with Lottie in her one-and-only role playing the child monster in a cult horror movie. The experience left Ellie deeply traumatised and estranged from people she loved.

Now seventeen, Ellie has returned home to Hobart for the first time in years. Lottie is dying and Ellie wants to make peace with her before it's too late.

When a chance encounter with a young film buff leads her to a feminist horror film collective, Ellie meets Riya, a girl who she might be able to show her real self to, and at last comes to understand her family's legacy.

⭐️ Top 25 Reads of 2021 ⭐️

I’ve had an amazing reading year this year (mostly due to the super-boost I got last January from starting my reread of The Saddle Club) so I wanted to highlight some of the best books I had the pleasure of reading. Feel free to ask me questions about any of these books or you can find my reviews of them by searching the title or author on my blog 😊

I’ve listed the titles below in the order they appear in the collage above (which is no particular order lol) and I’ll mark them with rainbow flags and wheelchair symbols to denote queer and disability rep!

The Other Side of Perfect by Mariko Turk ♿️

Social Queue by Kay Kerr ♿️ #LoveOzYA

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones ♿️

The Boy From the Mish by Gary Lonesborough 🏳️‍🌈 #LoveOzYA

(US release March 2022, also titled “Ready When You Are”)

Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton & Aśka ♿️🏳️‍🌈 #LoveOzYA

Near the Bone by Christina Henry 

Growing Up Disabled in Australia (ed.) by Carly Findlay ♿️🏳️‍🌈

The Monster of Her Age by Danielle Binks 🏳️‍🌈 #LoveOzYA

Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh

Every Single Lie by Rachel Vincent

The Degenerates by J Albert Mann ♿️🏳️‍🌈

How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi 🏳️‍🌈

Burden Falls by Kat Ellis (also titled “Wicked Little Deeds)

The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa

Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson ♿️🏳️‍🌈

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero 🏳️‍🌈

Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare 🏳️‍🌈

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller #LoveOzYA

Echo After Echo by AR Capetta 🏳️‍🌈

Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs-Waller

Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan 🏳️‍🌈

Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron ♿️🏳️‍🌈

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling 🏳️‍🌈

This Is Not A Ghost Story by Andrea Portes

I Kissed A Girl by Jennet Alexander 🏳️‍🌈

There comes a point where you just love someone. Not because they're good, or bad, or anything really. You just love them. It doesn't mean you'll be together forever. It doesn't mean you won't hurt each other. It just means you love them. Sometimes in spite of who they are, and sometimes because of who they are. And you know that they love you, sometimes because of who you are, and sometimes in spite of it.

'Anita Blake: Incubus Dreams' by Laurell K. Hamilton