Nekomarro (cat marshmallows) floating in hot chocolate
Not sure where your travels will take you, but look out for a chance to buy some Nekomarro, objectively one of the five cutest things on the planet.
www.yawahada.net/product/576
Fairly unremarkable interior page layout, since the point is the bottom paragraph text doesn't come to within 1 cm of the bottom of the page like the Tor edition I received
fwiw the UK edition by Solaris is better typeset than the Tor paperback edition, it doesn't have the oddly narrow bottom margin
Cover of the Solaris paperback edition of Asunder by Kerstin Hall
I'm ridiculously fond of ASUNDER. It made @kerstinhall.bsky.social an instant pre-order for me for whatever she writes next. Thanks @solarisbooks.bsky.social for bringing out a UK paperback edition, hope many more people pick up this book which was so deserving of its Nebula and Locus nominations.
Pre-ordered, but I'm going to keep a watch out for special editions
Covers for Works of Vermin (and Leech) on left and Starving Saints on right, held in hand in front of orchid
My two favourite novels of 2025:
WORKS OF VERMIN by @hironennes.bsky.social and
STARVING SAINTS by @caitlinstarling.com
These were the kind of books I wanted to slow down reading so I could enjoy them longer.
Sure, agree with your thesis on voter vibes. But the worst of all worlds: a salary sacrifice announcement that upsets, but eventually doesn’t even bring in the tax money. Fiscal drag that increases tax burden, but is more regressive than just increasing the rate. Etc.
Salary sacrifice was industrialised by corporate benefits companies. There is no way that most of the planned tax take from these changes aren’t dodged by a different arrangement (e.g. making the pension payment inflexible and not a voluntary sacrifice) given the lead time available to “innovate”.
jwz’s better second life
Every author thread about fountain pens / ink is for me a cautionary tale that I should not buy my first because this would end very badly for me. Thank you for your service. Also, lovely collection.
Starving Saints and Works of Vermin are my two favourite reads of 2025, and I certainly don’t identify as a horror fan. They’re just that good.
This and Works of Vermin were my two favourite books of 2025
Thirlwell is a name I haven’t thought of in a looong while
Sylvie Cathrall, Antonia Hodgson and Emily Tesh
Really enjoyed it. Antonia Hodgson was in London (with Emily Tesh and Sylvie Cathrall) back in May when The Raven Scholar and The Incandescent launched, they held a talk about academia as a theme/context in their respective works.
Insane. I got to about 115 and gave up. I couldn’t adopt reasonable strategies for many remaining jokers so it became a matter of trying to just hang on to one useless joker to the end, and so slow. I admire your patience.
A copy of Works of Vermin and prior novel Leech
@hironennes.bsky.social's Works of Vermin is easily one of the best books I've read in 2025. Weird, dark, artful, and rich with drippingly gorgeous prose. Felt like the first time I read Perdido Street Station - simply transported and enveloped.
Cover of Joel Dane's The Ragpicker held in front of a random plant
It's so good. You need to get a copy right now, and put it near the *top* of your TBR pile.
JLR is well capitalised. The guarantees weren't needed, but the government needed to be seen to be "doing something" to announce during their party conference, so they're not really an indication of anything. The ones who are actually suffering are the upstream part supply companies.
Terrific summary of the depressing situation. Just FYI a very small typo should you care to correct it: “It is likely cause grave difficulties”
So sorry. I'm never going to take my quietly competent postal delivery for granted again.
Ordered! Was going to get it anyway after enjoying Leech, but I’ve been hearing great things about Vermin and I’m absolutely stoked.
I need the shittiest take you have… no, that’s too shitty
Holding a copy of Uncertain Sons
Bought it on your recommendation, and it’s killer
Copy of Uncertain Sons in my hand
Uncertain Sons and other stories, by Thomas Ha
My copy of @thomasha.bsky.social’s Uncertain Sons arrived in the UK and it’s every bit as good as Premee said.
In the UK some of the grocery stores have started selling butter in 200g bricks rather than 250g. 250g bricks of butter are the basis of every single damn baking recipe, it would be like in the US making butter 7/8ths of a standard “stick”. They’re morons.
Cover of The Ragpicker in front of a plant
Joel Dane’s The Ragpicker. Harrowing and moving. A hidden gem of 2024.
A dozen bagels cooling on two metal cooking sheets
Made sourdough bagels. Left the levain starter overnight. Mixed a little seeded flour into the dough for extra flavour. Boiled 30 seconds per side, then seeded (poppy and sesame) and baked 12 minutes. Pretty good chew, excellent flavour.
#baking #breadsky
Starving Saints book cover with the launch event enamel pin on a card
Also, the gorgeous enamel pin for the book!
Oval (or slightly kidney) shaped loaf cooling on wooden peel
This turned out great. Kibbled malted wheat and malted barley flours diluted in plain strong white flour. Sprayed with water and applied poppy seeds. Baked with water in tray for extra steam and firmer crust.
#baking #breadsky
One of the most impressive shows I’ve seen on an artistic level in the past few years, congratulations on your and your colleagues’ extraordinary work.
