Since we are coming up on June, it seems like a good time to check in with everyone here on @bookstodon regarding favorite reads of 2024 so far. Whatcha got?
My top five reads of 2024 so far:
The Criminal series of graphic novels by Ed Brubaker (ten primary works)
In the continuing quest to boost my mom's nutrition, the nurse said to get her some supplemental protein drinks. Is there a brand that is both sound nutritionally, and tastes good, in Yall's experience? She doesn't really care for Ensure or Boost, but so far, she does like the Owyn chocolate and she especially likes the Atkin's Chai Latte.
@bookstodon Another really good graphic nonfiction book I've read recently, and recommend, is WE HEREBY REFUSE, regarding the Japanese-Americans forced into internment camps in WWII.
The story addresses a common victim-blaming response to the plight of others: "Why didn't they fight back?" It's almost always the wrong question, even though indeed, they did fight back. Victim-blaming is a pernicious permission structure, allowing us not to care about terrible events that happen to other people.
@DemocracySpot I'm having trouble finding the Orange Crush. There's Orange Fanta. I know. Not as good. Kinda like Vines vs. Twixzlers or Lemonheads vs. Brach's or way back when: McDonald's root beer (discontinued in the early 80s) vs. any other root beer, though A&W fountain version is close.
@DemocracySpot oh wow. I LOVED THOSE! There's a gas station that still has Squirrel Nut Zippers. And Tractor Supply has all the old candies, even Mallow-cups which I love but need to avoid.
No one remembers it besides me, but in the 1970s there used to be a Milkshake candy bar. It was a lot like a Three Musketeers.
@bookstodon It's Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. which is a great time to do some meaningful reflection. To that end, I picked up HEAVYWEIGHT, by Solomon J. Brager. The title is aptly chosen, in so many ways.
It's a graphic memoir about family, identity (including trans/nonbinary), intergenerational trauma, greed, war, bigotry, eugenics, class inequality, privilege, colonial genocide, the plight of political and religious refugees, and the process of confronting personal ghosts. It involved a massive research undertaking that formed the basis of the author's dissertation. I learned so much, even though I thought I knew a lot about the historical time period. Def recommend. #books#bookstodon#holocaust
Overnight, a tornado tore through an campground, which is one of the worst places to be in severe weather. If you get enough warning, there is usually a sturdy shelter in any large campground, sometimes it's the bathrooms or showers.
Or, as some opted to do, get to the nearest business*. Some went to the huge casino near the campground. Others escaped to a nearby restaurant and rode it out in the walk-in cooler, one of the best places to go.
Everyone in tornado country should have a weather app on their phone to get tornado warnings, especially while you sleep. You know the drill: take cover in a basement, cellar, or the lowest most interior room with no windows (bathrooms/bathtubs are strongest because they are anchored by plumbing.)
*gas stations and convenience stores are not great, but better than a tent, car, or RV. I have actually survived a campground tornado, so this news hit me hard. #Oklahoma#KOA#Campground#Tornado#Claremore
Okay, I totally suck at flower/tree/plant identification, so I don't know what these are, but they're in front of my mom's house. Hydrangeas, maybe? #bloomscrolling
@Well_Worth_A_Read@horrorbooks@horror thanks for letting me know. I had this on my radar, but I wasn't sure about it. What did you think of Fairy Tale? I liked the gist of it, but it bugged me when he overexplained which fairy tales were being parodied instead of trusting the reader to catch the references.
