#in luminary and the books

[thelaurenshippen]

hello it is world radio day and I want to talk about the state of audio drama very quickly--

over on bluesky, there's a lot of chatter about saving AD at the BBC and it's really worth reading through the tag. public funding for the arts, especially a medium in which experimentation and diversity are prioritized, is crucial and I'm deeply concerned about the BBC getting out of the game.

and, for me, this feels like part of a bigger discussion. the state of art in general is, uh...tough right now. when it comes to getting stories that you feel represent you - that are exciting and inclusive and meaningful - we just have to hope that some big stakeholders have spines and want to still make challenging stuff. idk about you, but I don't want to put all my eggs in that basket.

audio drama has always thrived in america because of you - welcome to night vale, wolf 359, the bright sessions, even the magnus archives (which isn't american but very popular here) have all been able to exist because of listener enthusiasm and support, not public funding or investment from large companies.

the best thing about podcasts is that they are mostly separate from governing bodies/regulations. sure, we all rely on hosting services to carry our shows but if push came to shove, we could create our own RSS feeds. the state of both the us government and tech (and the ways in which those two things are becoming increasingly intertwined) makes me nervous for free expression, but I take comfort in the fact that a lot of shit would have to change for someone to be able to bully me into making my art less diverse.

we have to start aggressively supporting small studios and independent creators again. if you can do that monetarily, fucking great - atypical has a membership program, most shows have patreons or crowdfund, etc. - but that's not the only way to support the art you love. talking about it, making fanart, telling your friends, reblogging, live posting, whatever! we talk a lot about the health of fandoms/reblogging here on tumblr and that's part of it too--we need to start really actively participating in our enjoyment of art again.

anyway, here are two crowdfunds you can give to right now that are still trying to meet their goal:

Camlann Season 2 Heartglass

and an incomplete list of audio dramas that I've been enjoying recently:

Red Valley Un(con)Trolled Havana Syndrome Sherlock & Co

[torpublishinggroup]

GET BOOKT

A guide of books to gift the people in your life and yourself!

For the people looking to put a different kind of magic into their holidays…

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

For the genre connoisseur with a love for high concepts in short form… 

Africa Risen edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, & Zelda Knight (now in paperback!)

For the treasured party member who’s saved your character’s life many times on TTRPG night…

Bookshops & Bonedust by @travisbaldree

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

For those who love (or possibly are 👀) gay werewolves

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

For the mutual who devoured the epic highs and lows of Riverdale and craves more…

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard, now in paperback!)

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

For your brave and luckless friend, constantly trapped in transit purgatory and upset about it…

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey

For the true buckaroos trotting beside you…

Camp Damascus by @drchucktingle

For the friend who says “but have we considered burning it all down?” on an alarming and refreshingly regular basis…

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

For the friend who has a hot date on Friday night (with their book)...

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

For the avid doodler who sketches plans for their future volcanic villain lair equipped with a space laser…

Starter Villain by @jscalzi

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

Not enough books? We agree. Check out our other GET BOOKT guide.

[quotespile]

Dawn is such a private hour, don’t you think? Such a solitary hour. One always hears that said of midnight, but I think of midnight as remarkably companionable — everyone together, sleeping in the dark.

Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries

[torteen]

We’re advertising a book for readers of dark fantasy: The Hunting Moon—the highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller, The Luminaries—by Susan Dennard.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

[litsnaps]

[alefarben]

Dawn is such a private hour, don’t you think? Such a solitary hour. One always hears that said of midnight, but I think of midnight as remarkably companionable; everyone together, sleeping in the dark.

Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2024 📖 no. 144

The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard

“The time is basically panic o’clock.”

[booktineus]

This review is a good 6 months overdue because I've been struggling to put into words how much I loved The Luminaries by Susan Dennard -- not just the first book, but the entire trilogy and the Choose Your Own Adventure Twitter thing it started as.

The Luminaries is a fantastic fast-paced YA with a creepy forest full of nightmare creatures, a secret society, a looming threat, and lots of family secrets. I binge-read all 3 books via audio so fast and can't wait to read them again.

My favourite part might have been Winnie's inner dialogue and voice. She's a scientist at heart and you could tell by the way she described things. It was gory, analytical, shocking, and detail-oriented. I loved it.

For those of you who followed the Twitter series, this story (specifically aspects relating to the Diannas) is different to what you remember. Some of these changes surprised me and the story was better for them (unsurprising, considering Hive Mind Winnie's… interesting decision loops 🤣 and Twitter's character limits ). But even though many plot things are different and more fleshed out, there are plenty of familiar elements. You'll laugh at some of the Easter eggs Dennard has woven in.

If you didn't read the Twitter series, don't worry. You'll enjoy this book series too -- you just might not pick up on all the subtle in-jokes.

Have you read The Luminaries? What was your favourite nightmare?

Thank you, Daphne Press for approving me for that Luminaries eARC all those months ago 😅 I finally got to reading them once I owned all three books 🫣

[bookishlyvintage]

Stack Challenge: I is for....

Invisible Life of Addie Larue

Ink in the Blood

Immortalists

In the Lives of Puppets

Isn't it Bromantic?

Ivory Key

[wannabe-british-fangirl]

~ books read in 2024 ~

#28: The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard

The old cabin is neither old nor is it really a cabin.

Rating: 5/5

Three Sentence Review: What a fast-paced, heart-pounding, and dramatic conclusion to this series! Everything leading up to the climax at the lake was so intense, I was just relieved to come out of it with everything (mostly) resolved - though I see the potential for more from this world in the future. Winnie's ultimate acceptance of love and support from her wider circle was really my favorite part, and I am so happy for her moving forward into her future!

[susandennardfan]

Pure Heart. Trust the Pure Heart.

The Whispering Night

[fishskails]

"Reason is no match for desire: when desire is purely and powerfully felt, it becomes a kind of reason of its own."

– The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton

[quotespile]

When he spoke, he did so originally, and with an idealistic agony that was enough to make all but the most rigid of his critics smile; when he was silent, one had the sense, watching him, that his imagination was nevertheless usefully occupied, for he often sighed, or nodded, as though in agreement with an interlocutor whom no one else could see.

Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries

[torteen]

“I lost myself from page one in Hemlock Falls and its deadly forest, as vicious as it is inescapably alluring.”

—Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gilded

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

The Hunting Moon is a contemporary YA dark fantasy, and the highly anticipated sequel to The Luminaries by New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

[litsnaps]