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my little brother’s unbelievably awkward cat for your viewing pleasure. I told him she always looks like she’s in a really uncomfortable social setting she doesn’t know how to get out of. He told me “that’s because she is in one whenever she’s around you”

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Current status of this year's book bingo by @batmanisagatewaydrug

I don't have a bingo yet, but I'm getting there :)

Literary fiction: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. This was the last Austen book I had not read before, and it is usually considered her most difficult one. I thought it was a very interesting read, but definitely not a particularly fun one. It does have her usually funny and witty moments and scathing observations, but it is also pretty harrowing, mostly because the heroine is in a truly awful position and has very little opportunity to defend herself. Austen has always been great at writing hate-able characters, but in other books they are usually fun, mostly because in those books the heroine can clap back, but Fanny in this book can't. But it also means that the themes of the complicated class differences and intricacies in Regency England can be looked at a lot more clearly. So while I usually re-read Austen books fairly regularly, I don't think I'll do that with this one, but I'm glad I finally read it.

Sequel: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. I could have put quite a few books here, Heavenly Tyrant for example, but I went with this. I'm new to Sanderson, a friend got me into his books late last year. I enjoy them a great deal, they are very comfortable in a way. I'm currently reading The Stormlight Archives.

20th century Speculative fiction: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. I actually read this at the beginning of the year, before I saw the bingo, so it is purely coincidentally one of the recommendations from the original bingo post :) But my god, what a book. What a book to read in the year 2025 of all years. Two words: Too real. I have the sequel waiting for me, but I had to take a breather before continuing. But if you are even remotely considering reading this book, do it. Do it now.

Fantasy: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett. I'm slowly making my way through all of the Pratchett books. While this one wasn't my favourite, I enjoyed it a great deal. I especially enjoyed banter and chemistry between the three witches it revolves around.

Published before 1950: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I have to be honest, this one has been slightly overshadowed in my mind by the Ang Lee adaptation starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. I honestly think the movie might be better than the book, which is drier than I remember. It's still an enjoyable read.

Indie Publisher: The Antarctica Conspiracy (Time to Orbit: Unknown) by Derin Edala (aka @derinthescarletpescatarian): Ok, I think I technically cheated here, because I might have finished this last year, I'm not quite sure. But I wanted to include it, because I just love it so much. These books are absolutely addictive, both in the way they have a slowly unraveling mystery, but also in the way they look at life on a spaceship from so many angles, be it technological, sociological or psychological. Just deeply crunchy sci-fi, think Asimov but with actually enjoyable and memorable characters.

Animal on the cover: Empress of Salt and fortune by Nghi Vo. A very short but very interesting and moving story, definitely recommend.

Set in a country you have never visited: Chain-Gang-All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. I have technically been to an American airport, but I don't think that counts. Another near-future dystopia set in the US, those just seem very topical right now. Without giving too much away, this books reminded me of the greatest thing dystopia can do: Giving you characters to love in a terrible situation, giving you a tiny glimmer and then snatching it away again. Another definite recommendation.

Nonfiction: Die Suchtfibel ("a primer on addiction") by Ralf Schneider. I technically read this for work (I work in addiction rehab), but it is a pretty good and accessible book on addiction for patients and their loved ones. I have recommended it to plenty of patients. Unfortunately I think it is only available in German. So I suppose if you happen to speak German and have a professional or personal interest in the topic of addiction, this is a pretty decent place to start.

Social Justice and activism: The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. A book on "disaster capitalism", or the way capitalist and imperialist nations use disasters further their economic interests. Written in the 2000s, but it has only gotten more relevant with time.

Romance Novel: Emma by Jane Austen. Yes, I've read a lot of Austen this year, I didn't even put everything on the bingo card. This one is my absolute favourite of her's, and one of my favourite books of all time. It is probably her funniest, and the titular heroine is a lovable disaster. I debated whether to put this one as the Romance book, or whether to use Persuasion instead, which I also re-read this year. I went for this one, mostly because I just love it so much. I also watched several adaptions on this book this year, the Netflix one I was underwhelmed by, the BBC miniseries was pretty decent. Jonny Lee Miller makes a pretty good Mr. Knightley.

Read & Make a recipe: I tried a new eggplant and white bean dish a couple of days ago. Even though I tripled all the spices it was still pretty bland. A bit disappointing, but maybe it has potential with a couple of fixes.

Published in the aughts: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. I liked this one a lot, especially the way it shows how complicated things get after a revolution, even a successful one.

Books I've also read, which didn't make the bingo card:

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Northers Lights by Philip Pullmann

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Books I'm planning to read soon which will fill other spaces:

Short story collection: Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. I ordered this a couple of days ago and just have to pick it up, so it will probably be my next read.

Graphic Novel: I am probably going to continue reading Saga by Brian K. Vaughan, I'm a couple of volumes behind.

Essay Collection: Annotated Essays by Jacob Geller. This might also double as 2025 debut author :)

Science Fiction: I have some unread Asimov I might read, though I gotta be honest, I can only take Asimov in short bursts. His ideas are incredible, but his prose is dry.

Will update when I fill further spaces :)

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hello dragonagepolls, i'm hoping you can help me decide on which quest to do first. i am playing da:i for my friend and it is my friend's first time seeing it, so: here lies the abyss and then wicked eyes wicked hearts, or wicked eyes wicked hearts and then here lies the abyss? which order does everyone else like doing them in? thank you for your time.

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these are literally just cat pics. pls tell mr. morrison how handsome he is.

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Welp, I started playing Inquisition for the first time in years, and I had completely forgotten how atrocious the lighting in the character creator is. So the make-up that looked fine under green lighting looks absolutely awful in the rest of the game. I'm too lazy to restart, so welcome to the adventures of Inquisitor Noelle "Clown Make-Up" Adaar, whose superobjective it is to find a mirror to fix her goddamn make-up. Nobody will tell her whether her eye-liner is smudged, because they fear she will go full Qunari on their ass, so now she has to help these stupid motherfuckers fix their little mess, and maybe find a decent mirror in the process.

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Organic yarn holder

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2/3 of these people do not do cardio

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fuuuuck i just realized that the future idealized version of myself cant exist without current me being the catalyst for change and doing hard things. has anybody heard about this

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ANHEDONIA REMEDIES!

GET YOUR ANHEDONIA REMEDIES HERE!

if you are lost in the rut, i am begging you to read this essay by Sasha Chapin suggesting what, essentially, my take, are potential jump-starts back into living life in real time. like actually experiencing experiences

do it now! don’t lose months, years, or decades! there is a life beyond doomscrolling, and it’s finite (sorry. sorry. i know okay)

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(don't leave me alone here.)

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made this last week, i'm actually really proud of it! i have never had to draw so many hands consecutively in my life,,,

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It’s Pride Month Eve, so leave out some milk for Freddie Mercury and his cats.

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Check out the bonus panel on the site!

SMBC ◆ PATREON ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ BLUESKY ◆ STORE

Buy this comic as a print!

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If you're reading this you need to tell me the name of your favorite black character NOW‼️

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A Ranking of Jane Austen Heroines, in Ascending Order of Culpability

Fanny (Mansfield Park): Has done nothing wrong ever in her life (but would never say this as she is far too humble).

Elinor (S&S): Must have scoliosis from carrying the whole weight of the Dashwood family at the ripe old age of 19. Should probably have asked for help by now, but who's she going to ask? Her mother? Unlikely.

Anne (Persuasion): Pros: is the only functioning member of her family. Cons: took some really bad advice when she was 17.

Elizabeth (P&P): So dead-set on hating Mr. Darcy that she falls hook-line-and-sinker for the lies Wickham tells her with no questions asked. Otherwise has good sense.

Marianne (S&S): Throws herself headlong into the Romantic Experience™️ and gets her heart broken by a playboy when Colonel Brandon is literally RIGHT THERE. 

Catherine (Northanger Abbey): Good-hearted, but easily led astray. So obsessed with Gothic novels that she kind of accuses Mr. Tilney's father of murdering his wife and burying her in the basement.

Emma (Emma): Tells Harriet to refuse the nice guy she likes, too prideful to see that Mr. Elton is pursuing her instead of Harriet, gossips about Jane Fairfax, feels like the rules don't apply to her, won't listen to Mr. Knightly. Is a menace.

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(to the tune of Purple Rain) 🎵🎶 Random pain, random pain. Random pain, random pain. 🎵🎶

🎵🎶Once you're in your thirties you'll have so much random pain! 🎵🎶

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Finished this bag made out of 13 granny squares. Based on this pattern by PassionateCrafter, only I made the straps longer because I wanted it to be a shoulder bag instead of a handbag.

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It's both a turtle and a bag! Just a friend to help you out, and protect wildlife. ❤️

Pattern by @TruColorStudio