I was at the bookstore the other day, staring longingly at the French version of Iron Widow, when my dad came up to me and asked what I was looking at. I made him read the blurb and he asked if I had read it and if it was good. When I said yes he said "okay let's buy it"

Cut to today, we were talking on the phone and he told me "oh by the way, I finished your book with the Chinese people. It was good, really good actually. Is there more?". I cannot describe to you how happy that made me

“book with the Chinese people” I’M LOSING IT

THIS IS SO WHOLESOME THOUGH 😂

Review: Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White Rating: 5/5

I said to someone recently that I never think I'm going to like Andrew Joseph White's books based on their synopsis but once I'm actually reading them, I can't turn away. Well, we're 3 for 3 on his books being favourites of mine so I think I can throw that doubt out the window next time. 

This was fantastic. It's about class warfare and growing up trans and disabled in a rural town. It's about how family history can follow you around but also how it can liberate you and give you something to connect with. It's about the absurdities of capitalism and "democracy". It's about the wonders of community and activism. I loved every page.

If you are despairing about Trump right now, read this. It will make you feel better.

Hunger Games new French edition ✨

I'm not usually one for white books but damn, these are super pretty. Way better than the English edition or even the old french version

They finally did the same thing with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, of course I had to get it!

Coming in 2025: Vesuvius

Clever thief Felix slips from city to city to survive the present and escape a past he can’t remember. When Felix steals a mythical artifact—Mercury's helmet—from a temple in Pompeii, pieces of his forgotten past begin to surface. Loren, an ambitious temple attendant, has seen Felix in his apocalyptic nightmares for years. The last thing Loren expects is for his dream to stumble headfirst through his temple doors, moments after an earthquake rocks the city. When Felix shows Loren the helmet, Loren sees the world coming to an end. He knows they have mere days to uncover Felix’s ties to the relic and to Loren’s visions if they have any hope of saving the city. But Ancient Rome is ruled by bloody politics and unstoppable destinies, and now that Loren and Felix are intertwined, their lives aren’t all they risk losing. When all has turned to ash and rubble, the boys will have to piece together their fates to make it out of a burning city alive.

I seriously need to sit down and do some serious work on my pitch packet already. Hell, we're over halfway through October... I should be posting about these guys EVERY DAY.

Reading Mockingjay as an adult is extra devastating because. Of course the plucky teenager and her ragtag friends aren't going to sneak into a government building to kill the president with a bow and arrow. That's absolutely ridiculous. It's the kind of thing that's only possible in the kind of propaganda that Coin developed. But she's so good at it that in some ways she tricks the reader into thinking that's the kind of story this is, too--even after 3 books reminding us that pretty much everything that Katniss does the second she volunteers is manipulated by adults pulling strings to make propaganda in some form or another.

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Fullmetal Alchemist is a classic. You've probably seen stuff about it on the internet (maybe a cute little girl with her big doggo?), maybe you've watched one of the many adaptations (animated or live action) or even read the manga. But maybe manga and anime aren't really your usual stuff and this is the first time you've heard about this.

If so, this post is for you!

The series deals with a lot of different themes (war, genocide, racism, politics, how far to take science/alchemy...) and has a very cool and diverse cast of characters: the women are badass af (Riza Hawkeye and Winry Rockbell were big role models for me as a kid), we get a few characters from an Asia-inspired country as well as the Ishvals who have brown skin. Ed is also disabled: even though he has automail to replace his missing limbs, they aren't indestructible and have their limitations. In my head I compare him a bit to Toph from Avatar, in that they're both strong and have adapted their fighting styles to their disabilities. As for Al, it's a bit different because he's just an empry suit of armor and as long as his Blood Seal is intact, he'll keep "living". In case you were wondering, no there aren't any queer characters, but romantic relationships aren't the main focus of the story.

It's a complex story with incredible characters and storytelling, and Hiromu Arakawa's art style just keeps getting better as you read it.

If you're interested in this story but would rather watch an adaptation instead of reading it, I strongly recommend that you watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it's the most faithful to the original story. The first Fullmetal Alchemist anime was pretty good but really emphacized the more gore-y and creepy aspects of the manga and didn't follow the original plot. As for the other live action stuff... I don't really know, I haven't seen it but I'm always suspicious of those soooo...

On a more personal note, I've been obsessed with Fullmetal Alchemist on and off for almost 15 years now, it was one of my first manga so it basically helped shape who I am today. If there's one thing I'm grateful for when it comes to my brother is that he introduced me to manga and anime.

AHHH TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY! Bakery Dragon hits shelves!!!! Very last chance to pre-order :') Thank you all SO MUCH for your support in the lead up to the release - and all the way back from 2021 when I first painted this little guy in the rain!

JOMP Book Photo Challenge hosted by  Just One More Page 📚 📷

Month: October; Tags: #justonemorepage • #jompbpc

October is a week out, and I am READY for it. 🎃🎃🎃

Click here for the FAQ, and as always please feel free to ask me if you have any questions. ❤️ Enjoy!

💜 Books for Bisexuality Visibility Day

Off the coast of Australia Macroctopus caught the shark, wrapped all its tentacles around it and soon released it. Most likely, he scraped all the parasites off her.

The octopus