#year in review reading

[miss-tilney-tarot]

A spread I just did to look back at 2023:

1. What was the main idea of the year?

2. What did I learn this year?

3. What am I leaving behind this year?

4. What am I taking with me into next year?

5. What is the main idea of next year?

[nedlittle]

it drives me bonkers the way people don't know how to read classic books in context anymore. i just read a review of the picture of dorian gray that said "it pains me that the homosexual subtext is just that, a subtext, rather than a fully explored part of the narrative." and now i fully want to put my head through a table. first of all, we are so lucky in the 21st century to have an entire category of books that are able to loudly and lovingly declare their queerness that we've become blind to the idea that queerness can exist in a different language than our contemporary mode of communication. second it IS a fully explored part of the narrative! dorian gray IS a textually queer story, even removed from the context of its writing. it's the story of toxic queer relationships and attraction and dangerous scandals and the intertwining of late 19th century "uranianism" and misogyny. second of all, i'm sorry that oscar wilde didn't include 15k words of graphic gay sex with ao3-style tags in his 1890 novel that was literally used to convict him of indecent behaviour. get well soon, i guess...

[clonerightsagenda]

Spotted the word "blorbo" in The New York Times book review. Listen NYT romance reviewer, I really do not think your paper's audience is going to recognize that one

[myjetpack]

My Reading Year.

(My last @guardian Books cartoon for 2023)

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

you want a new kind of guy, fine, i raise you: the lady i was briefly roommates with in college who once smoked a blunt at a party and then spent an hour confessing earnestly to me that she genuinely preferred reading detailed episode recaps over actually watching the tv show in question

[thelailasblog]

[kirby-the-gorb]

[the---hermit]

Only Dull People Are Brilliant At Breakfast by Oscar Wilde

I read this collection of quotes a couple of years ago, and ever since I have wanted a physical copy of this book. I decided it was finally time to get one and have a reread. I love Wilde and this collection of quotes feels a lot like a trip into his brain, it got me really motivated to finally pick up The Ballad Of Reading Gaol.

[stealingyourbones]

Ok! You've convinced me! If I want to be part of this community, I should explore the source material. I don't know if I'll like the artform, but if nothing else it's a cultural juggernaut I can research. My mom grew up watching Batman the Animated series, so I know that's an entry point I can try out, but I do like webcomics and manga, so I know that I might like comics better. It's an odd criteria, but is there a batman comic I can start with that's aesthetically pleasing?

Ooo aesthetically pleasing? That’s one I haven’t heard before. I’ll throw you a handful of choices of my favorite pretty comics!

Also I do 100% reccomend Batman The Animated Series which is my favorite interpretation of Batman to this day as it is for many, that and Justice League and Justice League United are WONDERFUL gateways too! (My favorite animated DC series of the time is Superman The Animated Series tied with BtAS)

I always recommend in order: Batman Year One, Batman Long Halloween, and Batman Dark Victory as it’s how I got into Batman in the first place and it’s a pretty good jumping off point. They also have movies of all 3.

mAN ok this is hard because aesthetic comics are SUCH a personal preference. Comic artists will constantly change around all the time. The current Batman/Superman Worlds Finest comic run is INCREDIBLY aesthetically pleasing and pretty as it’s drawn by Dan Mora so that could be a good go to.

- The Dark Knight Returns. It’s has a very fun gritty artstyle that I adore and it’s a comic that changed comics as we know it.

- Batman Universe is a wonderfully fun comic and his artstyle is fun so definitely check that one out.

- All Star Superman (2005-2008) has… ok artwork. But you get used to it and it’s story is one of the best written for Superman modern day.

- JLA Tower of Babel. Art is nice and the story is about Batman’s contingencies falling into the wrong hands. Good shit

Onto some Elseworld stories that aren’t canon but I LOVE the artstyles:

- Batman White Knight’s artstyle is BEAUTIFUL but isn’t a very good interpretation for your first time reading comics as it isn’t normal characterization of everyone.

- Batman Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth drawn by Dave McKean. It isn’t my favorite comic with it’s very edgy “hey what if batman is insane” (which yeah no shit he is insane) but the artstyle is uncanny and disturbing and beautiful.

- Kingdom Come. You have to know a bit about comics beforehand, I’d just recommend reading an article or blogpost critiquing 90s comic books, and behold the genuine beauty and glory that is this story. Painted by Alex Ross it’s one of the most beautiful comics out there.

They’re available online, your local library, or at your local comic shop! I hope you have a blast checking out the cool things comics have to offer!

[youremyonlyhope]

Wow, Eloise is so ahead of her time that she's reading Emma at least 6 months before it was even published.

[valtsv]

hey :D I was wondering if you had any book recommendations on A) psychological horror fiction and B) nonfiction on topics which are generally considered taboo (e.g. cannibalism, cults)?

can't think of any books off the top of my head but i can recommend two podcasts: painfotainment by hardcore history, which examines the history of the death penalty and the changes in social and cultural attitudes to public execution, and the cults podcast (called "cults") hosted by greg poclyn and vanessa richardson, which looks at the history of various well and lesser-known cults and their leaders and members, and which i like because despite being a popular true crime podcast it doesn't overly sensationalize the events and people it covers or come across as exploitative and insensitive to the victims

[catalysmic]

just finished the song of achilles. i dont think i’ll ever move on 💔💔

[eli-zab3th]

My 2023 Reading Year in Review!

For more details, see my Goodreads page or The Storygraph

[urteachersfave]

them: so what are you doing in your sabbatical year?

me: taking a year of rest and relaxation

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© gisela_ofranco on pinterest

currently re-reading and annotating it<3

[andreai04]

Her heart of compressed ash, which had resisted the most telling blows of daily reality without strain, fell apart with the first waves of nostalgia. The need to feel sad was becoming a vice as the years eroded her. She became human in her solitude.

[thelailasblog]