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Articles by Sonja Palmer
Pequot Lakes senior tells classmates to remember that the average person can achieve greatness
PEQUOT LAKES — Good evening friends, family, faculty and finally, the Class of 2022. My name is Sonja Palmer and today we are here to celebrate our accomplishments. First, I would like to thank those around us that guided us through the last 13 years of our education. To the staff, you not only taught us skills, but you mentored us through challenging times. To our family, you shaped us into who we are today and supported us through each hardship we faced and each moment of celebration.
I Don't Think About My Boobs As Much As Male Novelists Think I Do
This morning, I woke up and my first thought was: “God, why so early and why is the sun a thing and do I want to work out today. Also why is my cat making a nest in my hair.” It was not about the sun dappling over my “firm breasts” as I lazily stretched. (Also, why are they always firm in these scenarios? Just wondering.) I yawned and went to get breakfast, and at no point did I think about how my boobs moved as I got out the stuff to make a breakfast smoothie.
Read More Books by Entirely Disconnecting From Reality
So you want to read more books to beat Becky in the Goodreads challenge. She’s beaten you every year, but not this year. BECKY IS GOING DOWN. I mean *cough cough* the joy of reading beckons. via GIPHY 1. Do not engage in the news at all; in fact, find a hobbit hole and unplug all TVs and never look on the internet so you don’t distract yourself with real life. Engaging with reality will often make it hard to read, so don’t. 2. Never have any kind of personal crisis.
What Classics Would Look Like On Different TV Channels
Pride and Prejudice CW: Very broody. Set in high school. Every actor is 28 and also has a breathtakingly symmetrical face. Mary has glasses, and thus, is a nerd. CBS: Pride and Prejudice FBI. Eliza whips off her glasses and announces “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a tired agent must be in want of a MURDERER”. via GIPHY Fox: Canceled when Lydia runs off with Wickham. HBO: There is so much hate-sex between Elizabeth and Darcy, but it’s like, art, you know?
8 Miles Morales Costume Ideas To Buy And DIY
Ultimate Spider-Man post Peter Parker has long had one of my favorite Spider-Man costumes, so I’ve rounded up a couple of Miles Morales costume options in light of the Oscar-winning (!!!) movie Into the Spider-verse. (Have you seen it? GO SEE IT!) Miles Morales costume ideas Want easy? There’s a Miles Morales Into the Spider-verse suit available on Amazon through Alicosplay for $45-$59.
Superhero Hoodies to Keep You Warm This Winter
Looking for something warm to wrap yourself in to make it through winter, and also inspire you to kick its ass? Look no further. This list of superhero hoodies is for you. Aquaman Hoodie – HeroWears – $47.99 Whale, let’s get started here, instead of floundering through a bunch Namor options. You’ll look super ofishial in this orange hoodie, and your outfit will be kriller. Sorry, Jason Momoa is not included. Miles Morales Spider-Man Hoodie – Merchoid – $60.99 This is so beautiful.
5 Ways to Bookishly Donate this Holiday Season
Towards the end of every year, a lot of people decide to give money to charities to make the world a better place (or get a tax write-off. Hey, your mileage may vary). Here’s a couple of suggestions of bookish charities for this year: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library donates a free book every month to children birth through five in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
Superhero Teams' Strengths and Weaknesses
HEAR YE, HEAR YE PEOPLE OF THE INTERNET. I have made the definitive list of superhero teams, and I have not left even a single one off, so you don’t even need to comment, AND I have decided with great authority their strengths and weaknesses that you will definitely agree with, so uh no worries there, either. (That was sarcasm, and if you had a hard time, HOLD ON TIGHT for the rest of this post, I guess). West Coast Avengers (2018) It’s a team with not one, but TWO Hawkeyes, so uh, good luck guys.
Look at These Authors' Adorable Pets and Feel Better about Life
Are you having a rough day? Is something getting you down? Let me present: amazing authors’ adorable animals from Instagram. You’re welcome. Oh my goodddd. Mackenzi Lee got a new puppy named Queenie, and there are some QUALITY pictures of her on Lee’s Instagram. Pupper doesn’t know tree isn’t food! My eyes are literal hearts. Daniel José Older is so literary, even his CAT is into reading. Get on his level. Sad dogs are like my kryptonite, and Marie Lu’s corgi is DELIVERING.
People Are More Important Than Books: Weed Your Bookshelves of Jerks
Every now and then my husband and I go through the extremely necessary process of weeding our bookshelves. When two English Literature book nerds live in an 800-square-foot 1-bedroom apartment with a 60 pound excitable dog and a cat whose life inspiration seems to be Kevin Bacon from Footloose, it is required.
10 Mister Rogers Quotes to Give You Hope for the World Again
It’s easy to feel like the fight isn’t worth fighting, or that people are all terrible, so I thought I’d compile a list of Mister Rogers quotes from You Are Special: Neighborly Wit And Wisdom From Mister Rogers and The World According to Mr. Rogers (in honor of his new documentary) to remind us all that good people do exist and that kindness matters. “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.
Pre-Rebuttals to Your Next Terrible Book-Related Opinion
It seems like every week, there’s some asinine article by some robot masquerading as a person in a bid to get outrage clicks, so I thought I would do us all a favor and not link to a specific infuriating inducing incident that would result in said person getting paid, but instead just write pre-rebuttals to whatever douchebaggery is probably about to occur in the foreseeable future. “Well-regarded lady author is not actually good, because of *incoherent mumbling* REASONS.” *Sigh*.
5 Memoirs By Men Of Color to Watch For in 2018 and 2019
If you can’t get enough of memoirs, here are a few more by men that you should plan on checking out soon! Trevor Noah announced a new book coming out in 2019. If you enjoyed Born a Crime (which is amazing on audio), this should be on your radar for sure. Since the cover isn’t out yet, I’ve decided to show his old book cover. Looking at blank green pages isn’t quite as fun.
Poetry by your Favorite Musicians
Want more lyricism from your favorite musician? Check out their poetry books! Florence Welch, from Florence and the Machine, just came out with Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poems, this month. Full of doodles, lyrics, some photos, and poems it might be worth checking out if you can’t get enough of High as Hope. Leonard Cohen has written many poetry books (unsurprisingly, considering his talent with words).
Show Off A Thor's Hammer Necklace With These Stunning Designs
Want to channel your inner Norse god by wearing a super awesome Thor’s hammer necklace? Need something to really help you feel like you can smack down your enemies in one mighty blow? Check out these options for sporting Mjolnir, and picture smiting your enemies while looking hella fine. Viking Merch has a lot of hammer necklace options, but I have to admit to being kind of fond of this version. The beard gets me. This shop is called Dragon Soul, which speaks to me on a spiritual level.
Gear for the Real Superhero in Your life: Your Dog
In this age when men are disappointing, let us turn to our canine compatriots for solace and treat them like the heroes they are. If your dog is full of angst and sadness, and also perpetually haunted by the past, might I suggest a Batman bed? The next time your dog sighs deeply about the tragedy of their lives, they can slink off to this yellow and black corner and stare at you while they concoct their plans for taking down the birds in the yard.
And the 2017 Nebula Award Winners Are...
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America announced their Nebula award winners last weekend. With a plethora of good speculative fiction to choose from last year, it was really an embarrassment of riches. (Hey, the more our world gets wackadoo, the easier it is to create commentary using futuristic tech and dystopia, I guess.) Novel: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemison. The third, and final, installment in her Broken Earth series brings everything together in an epic and beautiful conclusion.
Reading Pathways: Seanan McGuire Books
It is a super great feeling to realize an author you like has written ALL THE THINGS. It is even better when you realize they wrote even more things in a different genre under a pen name. Helllloo Seanan McGuire (fantasy) and Mira Grant (science-fiction). She is awesome, but her bibliography can be a littttle overwhelming. Well, lucky you, because I’m here to be your guide to all of Seanan McGuire books. Do you want to start off with fairy tales? I n that case, start with the Wayward Children series.
I Don't Think About My Boobs As Much As Male Novelists Think I Do
This morning, I woke up and my first thought was: “God, why so early and why is the sun a thing and do I want to work out today. Also why is my cat making a nest in my hair.” It was not about the sun dappling over my “firm breasts” as I lazily stretched. (Also, why are they always firm in these scenarios? Just wondering.) I yawned and went to get breakfast, and at no point did I think about how my boobs moved as I got out the stuff to make a breakfast smoothie.
Readalikes to Catherynne Valente's FAIRYLAND Series
So, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is fantastic, and the whole series by Catherynne Valente is truly one of my favorite things I have ever read. I find Fairyland life-affirming and honestly inspiring, with how it talks about growing hearts, choices, and the ability to revise your life. The only problem is that it is REALLY hard to find books that measure up, in my opinion, so it can leave you with a bit of book hangover.
The Best Comic Book Stores
It’s no secret that comic book stores are not always welcoming and wonderful places. They should be awesome nerd havens, but sometimes they can be unwelcoming or full of gatekeepers. So, we here at Book Riot thought we would compile a list of the best comic book stores we’ve been to and what makes them so great. Enjoy, and make sure to share the best comic book stores in your area in the comments! What really makes me love Comics Factory are the people who work there.
Bookish Left Turns for Awkward Holiday Moments
I love the holiday season. I love the smell of Christmas trees and the sparkly lights and the plethora of GREAT Hallmark holiday-themed movies (like Holiday in Handcuffs, which involves Melissa Joan Hart legit kidnapping Mario Lopez to pretend to be her fiancé. Do I need to say more?) BUT, the holidays DO come with their own awkward family moments. You know the ones: “SO! You’ve been with your partner for about 10 years. When are you having children?
Amazon and Warner Bros in Talks to Develop a LORD OF THE RINGS Series
Listen, I loooove Lord of the Rings. I mean, love. I read the books annually for a long time, and I have Fellowship of the Ring pretty much memorized. Like, could recite the extended edition almost word for word through the Council of Elrond memorized. (I know, I didn’t have much of a life in high school. That would also explain my self-insert Legolas fanfiction).
Stop Saying Things Don't Count as Real Art Because You Don't Like Them
At least once a week, I hear some version of “This doesn’t count as SERIOUS ART because I SAID SO.” I used to be one of those people. I am an English Literature graduate, and I used to guiltily enjoy fantasy novels but think they didn’t count as real literature. I corrected people’s grammar like a snob, and I was furious about any number of books I deemed not worthy MAKING MONEY. Oh, the horror. Well, lately I’ve changed my mind. Listen up people. I don’t care about these discussions any more.
More Classics That Need to be Massively Multiplayer Online Games
With the announcement of Ever, Jane–a Jane Austen-themed MMO game, where the weapons are gossip and the events are balls, I started thinking about what other classics should become their own online multiplayer games. So, we had Club Penguin when we were younger, but that shut down, so what is more 2017 than Club Rabbits Destroy Fascism and also find a homeland? Come on! There’s adventure, and relationship building, and you know-rabbit police states.
STARFISH And Other Monsters
I picked up Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman last week based on a recommendation that made me want to cry when they described the mother-daughter relationship (Liberty recommended it on All the Books). There are certain books that come into your life at the exact right time, and I think this book landed at the exact moment I needed it. There’s a lot that’s different between Kiko (the main character) and myself. For one, I’m not half-Japanese, so that was never a weapon wielded by my mother.
Generations: Maybe There’s Hope After All
I have to admit, when I saw the marketing for Generations, this new series that Marvel is doing where they pair older versions of heroes with the new characters that have taken over, my first reaction was to roll my eyes. You could say I have Marvel trust issues? You could say that I am tired of gimmicks, and with good reason.
Things We Want Our Local Comic Book Stores to Know
So listen, I’m pretty lucky with my local comic shop (Shout out to Comic Envy in Asheville for being the BESSSST.) But I know everyone doesn’t have an awesome local store like I do. Man, I’ve definitely had a couple of bad experiences. So here’s what a couple of Book Riot contributers would like to tell all comic book stores, because hey, we like being nerds and spending money on comics.
Robin McKinley: A Pioneer in YA Fiction
Every time someone says, “Oh yes, some white dude really invented YA,” I want to scream at them because that is blatantly untrue. People have been writing YA for a long time, but like a lot of things in life, it wasn’t given as much credit until some white dude does it. PLEASE. So let’s talk about one of these original YA authors today, shall we? I present to you Robin McKinley. Robin McKinley was writing fiction that had young women as protagonists starting in 1978.
5 Times Comics Were More Normal Than the News
I don’t know about everyone else, but lately every time I look at the news I think “Is this real life? This can’t be real life. This is too ridiculous to be real life.” And yet it is. All this stuff that is directly opposed to everything I believe is actually happening. It has been that kind of year where when I read comics now I think, well that seems relatively normal compared to the real world. SO, I present to you five times comics has seemed more normal than real world news.
We Need To Talk About Batgirl's Love Life
Batgirl was the first comic I added to my pull list, and I have read it faithfully ever since, even when the quality hasn’t always been the best. I’ve seen her go through your well-known DC grimdark phases, and then be moved to a new location and have a lot of lightness added. She’s been through different love interests and friends, and many different motivations and some costume changes, but she remains an old favorite of mine because she was really my gateway into comics.
Parental Inadvisory: Books Our Parents Banned
Once upon a time, every Book Riot contributor was a youngling (hard to believe, I know), and every now and then our parental units would decide that a book was…not quite what they wanted us to be reading. So they would bring down the banhammer and attempt to quell our appetites for reading. They… were not always successful. Here are some stories of a few of the more memorable instances (spoiler alert: Harry Potter is mentioned at least once to the surprise of absolutely no one).
5 More Lady-Led Comics and The Men Hollywood Will Probably Ask to Direct Them
With Joss Whedon being handed the new Batgirl solo movie, I thought I’d just save Hollywood some time and help them figure out which women’s comic book stories should be paired with which famous male director, because it’s not like we can trust women with women’s stories. can be directed by Quentin Tarentino. Well guys, I mean he did Kill Bill so we know he like, knows about women and stuff because there were women in that.
More Bookish Board Games
We’ve already talked about a couple of options for bookish board games over here at Book Riot, but I thought I would throw out a couple more options for the people who just can’t get enough of nerding out with friends. You’ve played all the ones suggested, and you just want MORE. Well, my fellow board-game aficionado, I am here for you. Never fear. If you are the type of person who really, really loves Jane Austen, then look no further my friend. This one is for you.
I'm Childfree, and I Don't Want to Murder You, I Swear
You guys, what is with this trend in mysteries/thrillers where the killer ends up being the childless woman who SECRETLY WANTED CHILDREN ALL ALONG *gasp* and doesn’t think the mothers around her are doing a good enough job so she’s fine with just straight up murdering them. Alternatively, there’s the charming version where her inner emptiness (caused by lack of said children) means she is totally fine with sexing other people’s spouses and you know, a little light homicide on the side.
Literary Tourism: Asheville, NC
Asheville is a beautiful town nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, and man do the tourists love it. While many people are drawn to it because of hiking, biking, good beer, and kayaking, there is plenty for a book lover to do in between exploring the great outdoors and breweries. Asheville has quite a few lovely, independent stores that you should check out if you are in the area. Malaprop’s is a local favorite.
I Am Tired of Saying Goodbye to Good Comics
I’ve been a comics reader for several years now, and so I am used to saying goodbye to series I love as they abruptly get canceled due to low sales, massive events, or editorial whims. It happens; I know. To put it in a truly cliche Hallmark movie way: to truly love something you have to let it go. Well, here we are again. Last year I bid adieu to Mockingbird and felt anger, and now I’m saying so long to Hellcat and Silk.
Things We Want Our Local Comic Book Stores To Know
So listen, I’m pretty lucky with my local comic shop (Shout out to Comic Envy in Asheville for being the BESSSST.) But I know everyone doesn’t have an awesome local store like I do. Man, I’ve definitely had a couple of bad experiences. So here’s what a couple of Book Riot contributers would like to tell all comic book stores, because hey, we like being nerds and spending money on comics.
D is for Defiance: Fairyland and the Fight
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is one of my favorite books; I have quotes from it around my office at work, and I’m planning on re-reading the series this year. (Confession, I haven’t read the last one yet because I don’t want it to end. I went to a reading and cried my eyes out and fully embarrassed myself.) I started reading the books at a time when there was a lot of upheaval in my life, and I found them full of courage and humor and bravery.
Unf*ck Your Habitat: Its Time to Clean Up My Mess
When the world feels horrifying, it can often seem like cleaning your house is 1) not important 2) nigh impossible. I feel you; I do. Sometimes you just want to crawl under the bed instead of make it. But living in a messy house isn’t that fun, and a lot of times organization in your home can bring a little more mental space. I have pretty high anxiety, and living in chaos can ratchet it up to uncomfortable levels. So I was pleased when Rachel Hoffman came out with her new book Unf*ck your Habitat.
Audiobook Problems
Audiobooks are awesome, especially because I always want to be reading and find it really hard to walk my squirrel-obsessed dog with a giant hardback. (I’m sure it is POSSIBLE, but it would probably end in doom.) It’s not always a perfect solution though.
Civil War: Well, This Sucks.
As I write this, smoke billows around my town from wildfires in the area. They’ve been raging all week, partly due to clueless tourists and largely thanks to an arsonist. No matter what the cause, thousands of acres are now burning and we all have to deal with the smoke. I don’t think I’m going to thank the universe for the perfect metaphor though, as shit is literally burning to the ground around here. Maybe instead of using my ash-ridden town for this article, I’ll look to comics instead.
My Lady-Rage Reading List for This Year's Election
I started this post about five times as I struggled to put into words how this year’s US Presidential election has made me feel. I could say things like unsafe, undervalued, ignored, sick…I could talk about how it feels as men talk over you and still get more credit for the words you are saying while you say them. But I guess I finally settled on a word to describe my feelings, somewhere around Trumpy’s 100th WRONG: Sometimes, you just want to be angry.
5 Comics for the Snark-Inclined
So, you want your comics with a heavy dose of sarcasm you say? I mean, sure, sometimes sincerity and emotional catharsis is exactly what you want, but every now and then a girl just wants a little side-eye in her graphic novel reading. Look no further! Here are a few picks from my current shelf. As soon as I started thinking about this list, I knew Nextwave: Agents of HATE by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen had to be on it.
What Comics Taught Me about Starting Over
This post was originally published at Panels, our sister site about all things comics! Check out more from them here. So, this week I start a new job in a completely different field, and I have a lot of FEELINGS. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled. I’ve wanted this for a while. I get the chance to reinvent myself a little bit….But it also means starting from scratch, which means All-New All-Different Ways to Fail Spectacularly! My life-long friend anxiety is so here for this.
How Comics Taught Me About Starting Over
So, this week I start a new job in a completely different field, and I have a lot of FEELINGS. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled. I’ve wanted this for a while. I get the chance to reinvent myself a little bit….But it also means starting from scratch, which means All-New All-Different Ways to Fail Spectacularly! My life-long friend anxiety is so here for this.
Should You Read the Latest Marvel/DC Event?: A Flow Chart
This post was originally published at Panels, our sister site about all things comics! Check out more from them here. _______________ Sign up for The Stack, brought to you by Book Riot's sister site Panels, for awesome comics content delivered straight to your inbox. We're giving away a year-long membership to Scribd. Get your fill of ebooks, digital comics, and audiobooks each and every month, twelve months in a row. Go here to enter, or just click the image below.
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