VKNask > Recent Status Updates

Book 18 release date Jan 2026: time to do a series reread to remember all the things I've forgotten given since the last book, lol.

This is the first book I'm reading towards the community building and change I want to be a part of going forward.

The introduction and first chapter largely define terms and set the stage for why we need intersectional environmentalism. This was helpful for me as I've never studied the feminist movements for example. I definitely want to read more about the Combahee River Collective.

My friend Og Maciel is an author (his novel I.C.Q. really hit me in the nostalgia with making friends and dating on the old chat services) and he's started up a weekly book rec, Bellwether, sometimes with guest posts. This week he talked about his first introduction to Frank Miller's Batman as a kid.

Please check it out! It's short and there's an audio option.
https://bellwetherweekly.substack.com/

Just finished reading "Who Do You Think You Are?" by Mary B. Gray, a book of poetry I got via Kickstarter but that you can now purchase online at Target.

5 stars! Wish it were included in Goodreads.

The poetry is excellent and highlights the Black experience, from US history to current events. I have huge gaps in my knowledge, but each poem was an invitation to educate myself and reread with greater appreciation.

I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in following along with this tale chronologically through the Dracula Daily emails this year.

5/6 months complete, one to go, and I'm now inspired to watch the old Universal film version of Dracula for comparison as part of my 31 days of Halloween movies.

What other epistolary stories could be read this way over time instead of straight through?

Hey! There's this neat "Dracula Daily" email that sends you the text from the book on the dates of each entry from May 3 to November. Seems like a fun way to do a community read/reread, and only about a week in today,
so easy to read the few entries missed so far on their online archive (or just read along with a copy of the book).

https://draculadaily.substack.com/about

Reading as part of a book group, finished first chapter last week, planning about one a week. Great anecdotes and interesting history of the way languages tend to change so far.

It's National Poetry Day in the UK, so I looked and I think the only poetry books I have in the house at the moment are Equilibrium by Tiana Clark (definitely recommend) and Anthologie de la poésie d'afrique noire. I'd like to change that.

What poetry books do you recommend? Any topics, love, life, death, etc, and any language (just please also share preferred translations that do them justice).

Banned Books Week is coming up in a few weeks. What will you be reading? Any suggestions?
https://bannedbooksweek.org

Babbel asked foreign ambassadors to the US what one book they would want first time visitors to read before travelling to their country. Have you seen other recommendations like this? Please share! Take a look at the list: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/22...