'Political gamesmanship'

The vote in the House came out 310 to 118.

The original video of Musk does not show him mentioning gold bars. 

There is more than one species of ‘corpse flower’ and in an incredible coincidence‚ two managed to bloom at the same time in a Japanese botanical garden‚ allowing the two to pollinate naturally. The result of this incredible stroke of fortune is that one of the corpse flowers has now fruited‚ bearing 736 seeds critical […] The post Pair of Endangered Corpse Flowers Defy Odds to Bloom at Same Time–Now Bearing 700 Seeds appeared first on Good News Network.

Ever wondered why your canine friend treats your feet as his personal resting spot? Many dog owners experience that familiar sensation of a pup planting its paws firmly on their toes or choosing to sit right atop their feet. Our article dives into the reasons behind this behavior‚ from seeking protection to expressing dominance‚ and...

When Neil Gaiman said he was already writing a third season of Good Omens‚ it did‚ one must admit‚ seem likely that such a thing would come to pass. But now it is officially official: a third and final season is coming to Prime Video. Which means it’s the end of the world again. In a press release‚ Gaiman said: I’m so happy finally to be able to finish the story Terry [Pratchett] and I plotted in 1989 and in 2006. Terry was determined that if we made Good Omens for television‚ we could take the story all the way to the end. Season One was all about averting Armageddon‚ dangerous prophecies‚ and the End of the World. Season Two was sweet and gentle‚ although it may have ended less joyfully than a certain Angel and Demon might have hoped. Now in Season Three‚ we will deal once more with the end of the world. The plans for Armageddon are going wrong. Only Crowley and Aziraphale working together can hope to put it right. And they aren’t talking. It’s very satisfying‚ isn’t it‚ knowing that we’ll get to see the ending that Gaiman and Pratchett planned all those years ago? One thing will be different about this season‚ though: Douglas Mackinnon‚ who was Gaiman’s co-showrunner (and also a director) for seasons one and two‚ is no longer involved with the show. We also don’t know anything about the cast for season three yet—except that David Tennant and Michael Sheen will return as Crowley and Aziraphale. Good Omens 3 will start filming “soon” in Scotland. No release date has been announced.

Things in Elantris are slowly turning towards all-out war‚ my Cosmere Chickens. It’s not looking good for any of our characters… Not Raoden‚ who’s been forced to bid farewell to his sweet princess; or to Sarene‚ who’s now faced with the daunting task of leading a full-on rebellion against Telrii; or even Hrathen‚ whose plans have backfired on him after trusting the wrong person. War is brewing‚ and our heroes (and Hrathen‚ whom I reluctantly place beside them) are right in the bottom of the pot. Spoiler warning: This week’s article has no spoilers from other Cosmere works. Read on fearlessly‚ chickens! Last time on Elantris: Revelations &; Reckonings… Serene continues her aerial bombing of poor Raoden’s psyche‚ telling him all about Iadon sacrificing his maids and cooks to a creepy cult‚ the entire plutocracy having been converted to a hereditary monarchy‚ and the people slowly being converted to Shu-Dereth. She reveals that she’s got a seon‚ lies about the fact that she was TOTALLY into Raoden before he “died‚” and then Ashe returns with the unpleasant but expected news that Telrii has been crowned king. Hrathen gets a message from Eventeo‚ promising to convert to Shu-Dereth if Hrathen heals his daughter. Back in Elantris again‚ Serene finally gives Raoden the hint he needed to begin putting the mystery of the Aons together (the link between the physical geography and the Aons themselves) and in turn‚ Raoden realizes the truth about her shaod. As her “illness” fades‚ he insists that she leave Elantris in order to save not only herself‚ but the Elantrians she’s leaving behind. Chapter Essentials POV Character(s): Serene‚ Hrathen Discussion Chapter 47 Five days before‚ she had thought her life ruined. She had wished‚ prayed‚ and begged for Domi to heal her. Now she found herself craving to return to her damnation‚ as long as Spirit was there. L: ::wistful sigh:: How romantic… Now if only she knew who he really was! P: I know! If he hadn’t lied about how long he’d been in Elantris‚ she’d have surely figured it out. “I will die first!” “You already have‚” the gyorn pointed out. “And I brought you back.” L: Sick burn‚ Hrathen. P: Ugh‚ he makes me sick. So cocky when he freaking poisoned her. He took another step forward‚ and Sarene shied away‚ pulling her hands up against her chest. Steel whipped in the sunlight‚ and suddenly the point of Eondel’s sword was at Hrathen’s neck. L: Love this. Her friends and family are protective of her‚ and rightfully so! P: I love that they’re so loyal to her after such a short time. It speaks to their honor‚ I think. L: Not to mention her leadership abilities. Then‚ moving more quickly than Sarene’s eyes could track‚ the gyorn bent backward and pulled his head out of the sword’s range. He kicked at the same time‚ smashing his foot into Eondel’s hand and knocking the weapon free. Hrathen pivoted‚ crimson cape billowing‚ bloodred hand plucking the sword from the air. Steel reflected sunlight as Hrathen twirled the weapon. He snapped its tip against the paving stones‚ holding it as a king would his scepter. L: Damn. Hrathen once again providing a clear example of his martial prowess. If Sarene and her allies didn’t already know to be wary of him… now they do. He’s showing a strong front on all sides; he’s won politically‚ religiously‚ and physically. P: Yeah‚ he learned a thing or two in that monastery. She had been told that if one starved oneself long enough‚ the stomach would shrink‚ thereby reducing the amount of food one could eat. The man who had invented that theory would have thrown up his hands in despair if he could have seen Sarene feasting. L: To be fair‚ she was only gone for five days. P: She was a hungry girl. “She’s a big girl‚” Lukel said. “It takes a lot of fuel to keep that body going.” Sarene shot him a look between bites. L: I absolutely adore the family dynamics here. It’s just so refreshing to have a hero/ine with a healthy family dynamic in a fantasy novel! P: Truly. The same old trope about losing all of one’s family gets old. “But they don’t need to‚” Kiin said‚ “so they can afford to stockpile.” Sarene kept eating‚ not looking up at her uncle and cousin. Her mind‚ however‚ wondered. How did they know so much about Elantrians? L: Glad to see Sarene picking up on this! They know because one of their sons underwent the Shaod‚ and they’ve kept this fact a secret‚ managing to avoid getting him thrown into Elantris. P: With everything else weighing so heavy on her mind‚ it’s good to see she’s paying attention to the here and now! We opposed Iadon‚ but we did not plan to remove him. If we take direct action against Telrii‚ then we will be traitors to the Crown.” “Traitors to the Crown‚ but not the people‚” Sarene said. L: I really respect her. She’s got so much strength of character! P: This is why I adored her the first time I read this book‚ ages ago. She’s the kind of heroine I always wanted to look up to‚ like Princess Leia when I was a kid. Eventeo was an honest man. He had sworn to Hrathen that if Sarene returned safely‚ he would convert. It didn’t matter that the gyorn’s trickery was behind both her curse and restoration; the king would honor his promise. L: Gotta respect the man’s moral code‚ but… hooboy. To be beholden to an oath made to a liar who deceived you… That’s gotta hurt. P: I wouldn’t be as moral. I’d totally claim take-backsies. Of course he claimed that he also knew it was best for the country. No matter how good Teod’s navy was‚ sheer numbers ensured that a determined Fjordell campaign would eventually punch through the armada. Eventeo claimed he would not fight a hopeless war. Yet this was the same man who had instructed Sarene that principle was always worth fighting to protect. Eventeo had sworn that truth was immutable‚ and that no battle—even a hopeless one—was in vain when defending what was right. But apparently his love was stronger than truth. She was flattered‚ but the emotion made her sick. Teod would fall because of her‚ becoming just another Fjordell state‚ its king little more than Wyrn’s servant. L: Some interesting points to be made here. If Fjordell rules everything‚ then… theoretically‚ there’d be no more war‚ right? Do we have any evidence of them using inhumane methods of governance like slavery‚ ethnic cleansing‚ etc.? The fact that they’re forcefully invading other countries and subsuming their religious/cultural autonomy is problematic‚ for sure‚ but… from their perspective‚ I bet they think they’re uniting everyone in peace. P: They think they are‚ but really‚ forcing people to forsake their religions to convert to a totally controlling and harsh religion that subjugates its members isn’t exactly peaceful‚ IMO. Chapter 48 Hrathen‚ however‚ was backed by the power of Wyrn’s kingdom and Jaddeth’s empire—the very power that had given Telrii the wealth he needed to claim the throne. And yet Hrathen was forced to wait. L: ::snicker:: Called it… P: As much as I don’t care for Telrii‚ I like that he’s tweaking Hrathen’s nose a bit. ::chuckling:: The palace sitting room was so draped with cloth plushness that Hrathen had been forced to shove a mountain of pillows out of the way before finding a stone ledge upon which to seat himself. P: Who’da thunk that Telrii was so boujee. I guess he needs something to spend all that money on. Still‚ the opulence annoys me. L: It doesn’t surprise me. Those who lust after power and wealth often also display the need to show it off. The room had once been Iadon’s study‚ and at that time it had been marked by a businessman’s efficiency. Everything had been well placed and orderly; the furniture had been comfortable without being lavish. Telrii had changed that. Attendants stood at the sides of the room‚ and beside them sat carts heaped with exotic foods… Telrii reclined in a massive pile of cushions and silks‚ a pleasant smile on his purple-birthmarked face. The men I am forced to work with … Hrathen thought with an inward grimace. Iadon had at least been businesslike. P: And the opulence continues into Telrii’s “study.” Expensive foods and tapestries on the walls. He’s such a diva. And it really surprises me that Hrathen thinks something positive about Iadon. L: In comparison to a worm‚ I guess even a snake seems to have positive attributes. “Promises‚ Hrathen?” Telrii asked idly. “I made no promises.” And so the game began. “You are to join the Derethi religion‚” Hrathen said. “That was the deal.” “I made no such deal‚ Hrathen‚” Telrii said. “You offered me funds; I accepted them. You have my gratitude for the support‚ as I said that you would.” L: Yuuuuuuuuuup. A liar and cheat through and through. I’m honestly shocked that Hrathen is at all surprised by this. P: And he’s just expecting Telrii to ask for more money. Oh‚ my sweet summer child… “You think me a fool‚ ignorant of the ways of the East? Kings bow to gyorns. What power will I hold if I let you make me into nothing more than a Derethi slave? No‚ that will not do for me. I don’t plan to bow anytime one of your priests comes to visit. I will convert to your religion‚ but I will do so only with the promise of an ecclesiastic rank to match my civil one. Not just King Telrii‚ but Gyorn Telrii.” L: This reminds me of Jafar in Disney’s Aladdin‚ when he keeps wishing himself into higher levels of power. Not just a Sultan… the most powerful sorcerer in the world! No… even better‚ an all-powerful GENIE! P: OMG‚ this is exactly what he reminds me of now that you’ve said it. ::chuckling:: Hrathen stood‚ stunned. The man had sent a letter to Wyrn himself … Telrii had made demands of the Regent of All Creation? “You are a foolish‚ foolish man‚” Hrathen whispered‚ finally realizing the severity of his problems. When Wyrn received that message … “Go!” Telrii repeated‚ pointing toward the door. Dazed‚ Hrathen did as commanded. L: And now Hrathen reaps what he’s sown in trusting the word of someone who would betray his own people. Power and riches are more important than anything else to a man like that‚ and in so doing‚ he’s brought destruction down on everything he holds dear (namely‚ himself). P: I love how horrified Hrathen is at the thought of Telrii sending a messenger directly to Wyrn. He’s probably a bit worried about his own situation! L: Understandably so. Telrii’s gone over his head‚ and that’s a dangerous thing to do when you’re dealing with a tyrannical despot like Wyrn.   We’ll be leaving further speculation and discussion to you in the comments‚ and hope to join you there! We’ll be taking a couple of weeks off to celebrate the holiday season with our families‚ but we’ll see you again on January 4th with chapters 49 and 50. Until then‚ happy holidays to you and yours‚ and merry cluckings to all and to all a good night! Paige resides in New Mexico‚ of course. Between work and school and the SA5 beta read‚ she’s trying to work on book 3 of a YA/Crossover trilogy with just a hint of the supernatural. Links to her other writing are available in her profile. Lyndsey lives in Connecticut. She makes magic wands for a living and will be helping out Santa Claus this season in Essex‚ CT. If you enjoy queer protagonists‚ snarky humor‚ and don’t mind some salty language‚ check out book 1 of her fantasy series. Follow her on Facebook or TikTok!

Chaos Terminal is the second installment in Lafferty’s Midsolar Murders series‚ books that center around a young woman named Mallory Viridian who‚ after aliens make contact with humans in what is our near future‚ flees to a sentient space station. Wherever she goes on Earth‚ murders inevitably follow (so much so that she‚ à la Angela Lansbury‚ writes murder mystery books about the cases after she helps local law enforcement solve them). The first book‚ 2022’s Station Eternity‚ sees Mallory take up residency in the titular station as one of the few humans on board. There‚ despite her best efforts‚ the murders keep on coming‚ though more than one mystery is solved by the book’s end‚ including a sci-fi answer as to why Mallory always seems to be around when murders happen. Chaos Terminal picks up after the events of Station Eternity‚ and while you don’t need to have read the first to understand and enjoy the sequel‚ you will absolutely have the whodunnit of the first (and those other mysteries as well) spoiled. You’ll also have some catch-up on getting to know the cast of characters who make the station their home‚ but if you’re up to overcoming that hurdle that’s inevitable in most sequels‚ the book turns into a fun read. I’ll do my best not to spoil either Midsolar Murders book in this review‚ but given this is a murder mystery series set in space‚ it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that the murder of at least one human once again takes place on Station Eternity soon after a new human delegation arrives… a delegation that not only includes the agent who Mallory helped solve murders on Earth‚ but also her best friend from high school‚ and her best friend from high school’s twin brother‚ someone she had completely forgotten about even though they harbored an unrequited crush for each other as teens. Buy it Now And just like in the series’ first book‚ there’s more than one mystery going on in Chaos Terminal. There’s the requisite human murder‚ yes‚ but there’s also something going on across the space station. Eternity is essentially in sleep mode after its symbiotic host flies off on a planned trip‚ leaving Mallory as the point person on board for the Sundry‚ the wasp-like aliens who manage the moon-sized station’s life support‚ and also as the de facto representative of the station for the human delegation set to arrive. Mallory‚ however‚ is out of sorts and doesn’t understand why. Everything‚ in short‚ is chaos! Just like the book’s title suggests. Creating that chaos is a a smorgasbord of characters of different species—there are the aforementioned Sundry‚ whose collective hivemind puts humanity’s best supercomputers to shame‚ and also the Gneiss‚ a rock-like species who live for centuries and “evolve” by absorbing the bodies of other species (which a couple of them did in Station Eternity‚ prompting one to morph into a spaceship and another‚ the impulsive and less-than-smart Tina‚ to become a dangerously armed mech). The other human residents on Eternity‚ particularly Xan‚ the stowaway soldier who went AWOL in the first book‚ have their own parts to play in how the events of Chaos Terminal play out. Add to that the five or six additional humans of note that come with the latest delegation‚ and you’ve got a panoply of chapters told from varying points of view. It is‚ in short‚ a lot. But intentionally so‚ given the title of the book. And so‚ while one could say the cast of characters is arguably too many‚ having more potential suspects also arguably ups the intrigue of the whodunnit. And even though some of the clues nodding toward solving the case are obviously laid out‚ understanding why and how certain clues fit into the overall murder plot is appropriately harder to figure out. Solving the human mystery‚ however‚ is only part of the enjoyment of reading this‚ and arguably not the most important part. This is a science fiction murder mystery‚ after all‚ and the sci-fi elements going on with the characters aboard Eternity are where the book shines‚ buoying up the story beyond the machinations around the human body count. Something‚ for example‚ is going on with the Sundry‚ and Lafferty’s reveal of what’s really going on is a fun foray into xenobiology. The rock-like Gneiss are also the cause and solution for much of the book’s problems‚ with Tina in particular bringing levity and proverbial face-palms whenever she wreaks havoc by trying to “help.” Reading Chaos Terminal is more like trying to put together a puzzle while someone (perhaps the toddler-like Tina‚ who by the way is also Gneiss royalty) periodically flips the table over. In that vein‚ this is not an immersive book in that you likely won’t feel like you’re on Station Eternity yourself and walking the halls with Mallory. This book is character- and plot-driven rather than focused on describing locations with long paragraphs of prose. If you like trying to suss out what the heck is going on with the folks on this poor station while getting peppered with character-driven flashbacks and unexpected shenanigans from quirky aliens‚ Chaos Terminal is a fun read. So go ahead: Embrace the chaos and try to solve the many mysteries—you’ll have fun along the way‚ even if you’re confused at times. And you’ll also likely learn more about certain species of wasps as a bonus. Chaos Terminal is published by Ace. Vanessa Armstrong is a writer with bylines at The LA Times‚ SYFY WIRE‚ StarTrek.com and other publications. She lives in Los Angeles with her dog Penny and her husband Jon‚ and she loves books more than most things. You can find more of her work on her website or follow her on Twitter @vfarmstrong.

We are well and truly in the era of the massive video game adaptation. A24—known for clever and arty fare—recently announced that it plans to expand into more commercial and action films‚ and now they’re taking the next step in that direction. With Kojima Productions‚ A24 is developing a feature film adaptation of the popular video game Death Stranding. In a statement‚ game creator Hideo Kojima said‚ “There are a lot of ‘game adaptation films’ out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game. The intention is that our audience will not only be fans of the games‚ but our film will be for anyone who loves cinema. We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before‚ achievable only through the medium of film‚ it will be born.” The game is set in a post-apocalyptic United States after an event called the “Death Stranding” leads to “Beached Things” appearing on the earth. These creatures—which have something to do with the afterlife‚ and the dead—create real big explosions when they eat people. (They also make rain that ages you? This game sounds wild.) Humanity is living in colonies; outside their walls there are‚ of course‚ terrible people preying on anyone who tries to move from one place to another‚ and couriers who brave all these deadly elements to deliver supplies. (I’m not getting into the part with the psychic fetuses. I’m just not. Wikipedia can help if you would like to know more on that front.) Norman Reedus is the main character in the game‚ which also stars Mads Mikkelsen and Léa Seydoux. It remains to be seen if any of the game actors appear in the film. [ed note: ALSO CONAN IS IN IT AND SHOULD BE IN THE MOVIE HE SHOULD BE IN EVERY MOVIE.] Does it sound like this could be cinematic and gripping? Sure does. Also terrifying. A different adaptation was announced last year‚ but presumably that one is no longer moving forward. The scary-ass future will come to screens near you at some not-yet-announced date.  

’Tis the season for lists‚ and I don’t mean the checking-it-twice kind. Best books lists‚ best movies lists‚ best games‚ best best-of lists‚ best reviews‚ best cookbooks‚ best albums‚ best songs. You name it‚ and there’s a list for it. I love a list except when I don’t. A good list is personal and knows it. A bad list is one of those clickbaity rankings of superhero movies‚ or Star Wars movies‚ or other things that it should frankly be illegal to rank at this moment in time. A great list breaks the rules—like Leah Schnelbach’s list ranking all the superhero origin movies they could remember. What did I just say? I said no more superhero ranking lists. But this one is what a good list should be‚ what it can be: Personal‚ clearly subjective‚ unexpected‚ and fun. I used to have to make a ranked list every year—my top ten movies‚ and then ten more for good measure (and because ten is never enough). I agonized over this list. I spent hours and days and weeks trying to cram in viewings of all the movies I had not yet seen in a given year. (It is‚ to put it lightly‚ challenging making a complete movie ranking list in a small town that doesn’t get many independent films until months after their big-city releases.) Now I bask in the simplicity of our Reviewers’ Choice lists‚ which do not require ranking and can be as personal and loose as we wish. But I also like other lists. Personal‚ subjective‚ unexpected‚ fun lists. So here are several lists made up of books I read this year. They were made using a small number of simple rules: Not everything I read is on one of these lists‚ but every book I read this year‚ regardless of publication date‚ could be included. Each book can appear only once. Each list can have a maximum of five books on it. And sometimes‚ a list is just one thing.   Three Excellent Series Books The Witch of Maracoor‚ Gregory Maguire (2023) Blade of Dream‚ Daniel Abraham (2023) Mammoths at the Gates‚ Nghi Vo (2023) The Witch of Maracoor ends a series that is not going to go down easy for every lover of Maguire’s Wicked—but the thing is‚ you should try it‚ you should let it unsettle you‚ you should see what happens to Rain. Do it for Elphie‚ do it for Rain‚ do it for all the girls burdened by hope and ancestry and loss and discovery. Blade of Dream is the middle book of Abraham’s masterful Kithamar trilogy‚ but you could probably read it first‚ and in fact I wish I could have the experience of reading each of the books in this not-yet-complete trilogy first. If only! As for Nghi Vo‚ every single book of hers is worth your time‚ and this entry into the Singing Hills cycle was particularly elegant and affecting at once. I hope this series never ends.   Five Books I Should Have Read a Long Time Ago Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality‚ John Darnielle (2008) The Night Circus‚ Erin Morgenstern (2011) The Revolution of Every Day‚ Cari Luna (2013) The Folded Clock‚ Heidi Julavits (2015) Dear Mr. You‚ Mary-Louise Parker (2015) A wonderful thing about books that will become important to you is that you can read them whenever. When they come out‚ sure‚ but fifteen or forty years later is fine‚ too. That said‚ I still feel a ridiculous urge to apologize to the authors of books I should have read a million years ago. Sorry‚ Erin Morgenstern; your book is everything everyone told it would be‚ and I wish I’d had it in my brain this whole time! Sorry‚ John Darnielle; I know you’re a genius but I just kept wondering if I wanted to read about Black Sabbath‚ when the answer was clearly‚ “Yes‚ when Darnielle is writing about them!” Sorry‚ Cari Luna‚ who is also an excellent writing instructor; I should have read this book the minute it came out‚ because it’s just great and also it’s my old neighborhood through new eyes! Sorry‚ Heidi Julavits‚ I should have listened to my friend David about this genius book! And sorry‚ Mary-Louise Parker; I was being a dick and had doubts about a book by an actor‚ but this book made me cry more than once‚ and made me think even more times! Please write another one.   Let’s All Read More Books About Art Monsters‚ Claire Dederer (2023) Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel‚ Jane Smiley (2005) Appropriate: A Provocation‚ Paisley Rekdal (2021) Thin Skin‚ Jenn Shapland (2023) If I were to recommend one single nonfiction book from this year‚ it would be Monsters‚ which I have talked about on and off in this column since I started it. It is just that good. If you had told me some years ago that I would love a Jane Smiley nonfiction book about the novel‚ I would have been confused‚ because I have never otherwise read Jane Smiley. But this deep dive is an absolute treat for thinking about form and style and what makes a book a novel. And this Paisley Rekdal book? Sharp‚ thoughtful‚ difficult‚ considering‚ full of questions‚ full of every bit of nuance missing from a million online discussions. I also have to mention Jenn Shapland’s Thin Skin‚ which is not just about art‚ but it is about living‚ and making art‚ and writing and trying to exist in a world that would often like us to stop thinking about the weird feelings it causes. I will follow Shapland to any topic; I learned that with her first book‚ My Autobiographies of Carson McCullers‚ which was ostensibly about an author I had never read but was‚ in fact‚ about so much more. This kind of expansive nonfiction makes me feel like the world is bigger every time I read it.   One Book From Which I Learned Something I Did Not Know That I Did Not Know The Glass Hotel‚ Emily St. John Mandel (2020) I did not fully understand the term “Ponzi scheme‚” despite reading it in the news approximately seven thousand times‚ until I read this book. It is a very‚ very‚ very good book‚ but for some reason I wanted to note this thing that I did not expect to learn from it. You just never know what you’ll take away from a great book‚ is all.   Two Books by One Criminally Under-read Author Trouble the Saints‚ Alaya Dawn Johnson (2020) The Library of Broken Worlds‚ Alaya Dawn Johnson (2023) Trouble the Saints won the World Fantasy Award‚ yet I feel as if it also‚ quietly and frustratingly‚ faded from view too quickly. The Library of Broken Worlds is this year’s City of the Uncommon Thief for me—a young adult novel that crosses genre boundaries‚ reading-age boundaries‚ boundaries of how you can tell stories about teenagers‚ stories about stories‚ stories about impossible places and the lies our parents taught us and the difficulty of bringing truth to light. Among other things. This book needs more champions. I hope it will find the readers who will need it‚ and who will love it.   (Some of) The Most Excellent Books I Read This Year That Came Out Last Year The Spear Cuts Through Water‚  Simon Jimenez (2022) Wolfish‚ Christiane M. Andrews (2022) The Visitors‚ Jessi Jezewska Stevens (2022) Body Work‚ Melissa Febos (2022) Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands‚ Kate Beaton (2022) These five books are impossible to pithily cover in a paragraph because they have nothing to do with one another except that they came out in the same year. The Spear Cuts Through Water is‚ I think‚ the great overlooked novel of 2022‚ the one that should have been everywhere‚ but it’s really long and somewhat challenging and you have to trust the person who says‚ as they shove it into your hands‚ “You really‚ really have to read this.” I still feel that this book could rewrite what fantasy is‚ as a genre‚ if only we would let it. Wolfish is a beautiful middle-grade novel that exists so fully in the natural world that I can’t think of it without thinking of textures: fur‚ dirt‚ worms‚ stone‚ mud‚ sheep. The Visitors is a book so fascinating and unexpected that I think I need to read it again. Body Work is necessary reading for writers‚ a craft book about the personal that reminded me how joyous it is to learn. And Ducks just broke me. Never underestimate Kate Beaton. Never.   One Absolute What the FUCK? Book The Engagement‚ Chloe Hooper (2012) How is this book not a movie? How is this book even a book? How did Chloe Hooper write the breathtaking nonfiction work The Tall Man and then this unnerving psychological thriller? No‚ it’s not speculative. No‚ I don’t care. I need someone to read it. I need to talk about it. It’s under my skin and it itches.   Two Beloved Poetry Collections Tanya‚ Brenda Shaughnessy (2023) I Do Everything I’m Told‚ Megan Fernandes (2023) Here’s the thing about poetry‚ No‚ two things: I don’t read enough of it‚ and I am incoherent about it when I do. But I first read Brenda Shaughnessy over twenty years ago‚ and lately I have grown determined to read all the books of hers that I missed between Interior with Sudden Joy and now. Tanya is‚ like all her work‚ beautiful‚ and lingering. And as for Megan Fernandes‚ there is no chronicler of modern living quite like her. She can be sharp‚ she can be clever‚ she can be wise and desperate and funny and there is nothing she’s afraid to write about.   Five Brilliant Debut Novels (And One Story Collection) I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself‚ M. Crane (2023) Some Desperate Glory‚ Emily Tesh (2023) Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind‚ Molly McGhee (2023) The Saint of Bright Doors‚ Vajra Chandrasekera (2023) Drinking From Graveyard Wells‚ Yvette Lisa Ndlovu (2023) This was‚ in fact‚ the hardest list to keep to five books‚ but I made the rules and I’m going to stick to them. Here you have unexpected and uneasy dystopias‚ brainwashed soldiers‚ desperate debtors‚ unchosen ones‚ and a child with two shadows; you have books published as SFF‚ books published as literary fiction‚ and one short story collection from a university press that simply needs to get the attention of a big-publisher book. I started my year with Exoskeletons and ended it with Some Desperate Glory and Jonathan Abernathy; in between I was knocked sideways by Bright Doors and Graveyard Wells. I specify this timeframe because while I think you should read all of these books‚ I also think you should give them breathing room. Read one‚ and let it settle. Let it sink. Let it percolate and grow into your mind. ***   What lists would—could—you make from your year in reading? Molly Templeton lives and writes in Oregon‚ and spends as much time as possible in the woods. Sometimes she talks about books on Bluesky.