b0nfire.xyz is a Fediverse instance that uses the ActivityPub protocol. In other words, users at this host can communicate with people that use software like Mastodon, Pleroma, Friendica, etc. all around the world.

This server runs the snac software and there is no automatic sign-up process.

Site description
It's lit
Admin email
ww@mailfire.xyz
Admin account
@firekeeper@b0nfire.xyz

Search results for tag #books

[?]It's just a Queer Old Blog... » 🌐
@aqueerold.blog@aqueerold.blog

Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Funny, sad, touching, triggering, endearing and heartwarming, and that's just the cover. Read it, now. [SENSITIVE CONTENT]

Trigger warning: if you have any form of gender dysphoria, and clothing forms a particularly triggering aspect of your dysphoria, you might find that this book goes hard. Be prepared to take a break during reading before coming back to it.

Actually, what I would suggest is reading the author’s appendix, “I am not August Crimp”. There’s a version of it on the Guardian website. Steven Appleby is a trans woman who for many years lived her truth in secret and as many will recognise and empathise, she paid the price for it.

The important thing to take away from her potted autobiography is that when she writes things that hit home hard, that make you feel putting the book down, that send you spiralling down a internalised shame spiral, she’s writing them after having experienced them all herself. If this book causes you pain, then know that she’s lived it, and got through it, and you will too.

If you are any flavour of LGBTQ+, this is going to look and feel horrifically familiar.

So, what is it?

Quick note: we will discuss this book in general, spoiler-free terms and discuss the plot from a high level, general viewpoint. I will try not to include any detailed plot information that you can’t get from the back of the book, which is pictured below, or the article linked above.

‘Dragman’ (Appleby, Steven, 2020, Dragman, Jonathan Cape: London) is a large graphic novel – 330 pages including a couple of afterwords – that deals with the story of unlikely crossdressing superhero August Crimp, aka the titular Dragman. In the Expanded Appleby Universe, superheroes have quite literal powers (people stick to the superhero called Flypaper, and he can fly, as his name suggests) and they are all unionised and collectivised. It’s not quite as bad as Vought International in terms of superhero management, although there is a similarly soulless corporation in this graphic novel.

As a young man, August discovered a love of wearing women’s clothes. Like many people in that situation, it wasn’t for kicks or any form of sexual fulfilment – crossdressing was more soul fulfilment for our August. He does not wish to transition, he simply wishes to present as a woman.

One day, August discovers that dressing as a woman can literally make him fly, and Dolly Marie (his femme name) becomes Dragman. But events conspire to drag him (pun intended) into a murky world of corrupt superheroes and soulless capitalism when T-girls that Dolly Marie knows from the nighttime scene start being murdered.

Alongside – I think I’m contractually obliged to describe her as “a trusty sidekick” – Dog Girl, Dragman starts to investigate the crimes but quickly discovers they’re linked to a far more wide-ranging and insidious plot. Dragman wants to investigate, but spending so much time as Dragman means that he’s not spending time as August Crimp, and that starts to put a strain on his relationship.

The book intersperses short prose interludes with chapters drawn in Appleby’s idiosyncratic but strangely touching style. Whilst it looks messy, an artist friend helped me realise that maintaining this homely style whilst making all characters immediately recognisable is quite the skill. It mixes line drawing with colour, huge spreads with tightly panelled action, and current events with flashback action. The watercolours are provided by Nicola Sherring, to whom Appleby is still married and still lives with, although they are no longer a couple. They are large and eye-catching and beautifully sympathetic to the novel. 

The book is heavy on metaphor and whilst it is often very on the nose, it’s usually for comedy effect. As mentioned, a lot of the superheroes have very literal powers – Pipe is a conduit from one place to another, Believer can do anything as long as he believes it, and so on. Other metaphors are more subtle, and usually relate to capitalism (no spoilers, you’ll see what I mean when you read it). 

It’s not a laugh out loud funny book, it definitely is funny but it’s a far more wry style of humour. But the humour is mixed with difficult details about gender dysphoria, outsider syndrome, internalised and external transphobia, and general anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice and violence (even the prejudice and violence that trans people receive from members of the LGB community makes an appearance, in metaphorical form).

As someone who came to a nonbinary identity later in life but struggled with understanding they were different for most of it, it can be a bloody hard read in places. When you read about the harmless and innocent joy that young August feels just from putting a dress and heels on, you know full well that he is going to pay for it later in some way because that’s just the way that the universe seems to treat trans people. You read that, you know August is going to get kicked for it, and it makes it hard to continue reading if you recognise your own experiences and you know what’s coming. I would be interested to know how cishet people, especially ones that aren’t overtly allies, perceive the novel and whether they recognise the internal and external shadows that LGBTQ+ people live their lives under.

The Lowdown

Diversity and Inclusion

It’s all here, pretty much the whole spectrum of human and superhuman existence. A

Sustainability

It’s printed on FSC certified paper, but there are no more details than that. There are different grades of FSC certification and it would be good to have more detail. B

Vegan status

No information given. E

Rating

I can’t speak highly enough of this book and I recommend it unhesitatingly to everyone. It’s not ‘just’ a graphic novel or ‘just’ an LGBTQ+ novel, it’s a sad, funny, touching, triggering and heartwarming story that can and should be enjoyed by everyone. A

Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Alt...Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Alt...Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Alt...Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

Alt...Review: Dragman, by Steven Appleby

[?]Walt » 🌐
@astralcomputing@bookstodon.com

RE: mastodon.art/@colorblindcowboy

More collectible Ray Bradbury:

astralcomputing.com/books/the-

astralcomputing.com/books/dand



@books @scifi @Scifiart @sciencefiction

astralcomputing.com

    [?]Dr. Or M. Bialik » 🌐
    @ombialik@mastodon.world

    Hey! Artists!
    I want to do a giveaway of my books (ombialik.weebly.com/books.html) to awesome people who still make art. All you need to do is ask and point to where you post your art. I will send you a private message to coordinate file transfer.

    I'd love to see any of my work inspiring you, but no obligations, no strings attached.
    You just ask, and you get an ebook, that's it.

      [?]Philipp DK3IP » 🌐
      @DK3IP@social.darc.de

      Hier, j'ai fini de lire « Tout le bleu du ciel » de Melissa Da Costa : à pleurer, captivant, parfois drôle. Pour les apprenants de niveau intermédiaire, ce n'est pas trop difficile à comprendre. Pour moi, le meilleur livre que j'ai lu cette année jusqu'à présent.

      The image features the cover of a book titled "Tout le bleu du ciel" by Mélissa Da Costa. It showcases a vintage yellow and white VW bus on a grassy background. There are quotes praising the book from various publications.

      Alt...The image features the cover of a book titled "Tout le bleu du ciel" by Mélissa Da Costa. It showcases a vintage yellow and white VW bus on a grassy background. There are quotes praising the book from various publications.

      [?]It's a me, Mauro [He/him] » 🌐
      @mauro@mograph.social

      After craving some more Moby Dick I ended up reading a 2025 novel by E. Rutherford called "North Sun".

      Very well written and definitely lots of connections to Melville's work (honestly if I hadn't read Moby Dick so recently I wouldn't get a lot North Sun's whaling lore), but in the end it didn't deliver to me.

      Longer review here: app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

        [?]Dirk » 🌐
        @Alltagsmensch@nrw.social

        Mein persönliches "Buch des Sommers" ist "Die Wellen" von Virginia Woolf.
        Mein erster Versuch das Buch wie einen Roman zu lesen ist gescheitert. Jetzt lese ich langsam und nicht mehr als 20 Seiten am Stück. Ich lese mehr oder weniger meditativ, mache Pausen und lasse das Gelesene auf mich wirken. Dabei erfahre ich auch einiges über mich selbst und meine Lebensabschnitte. Man muß sich darauf einlassen, dann ist es ein empfehlenswertes Buch.

          [?]Walt » 🌐
          @astralcomputing@bookstodon.com

          Died this day: 07/12/2010 (b. 06/27/1941) James P. Hogan was a British science fiction author. The Giants series, a quintet of science fiction novels by James P. Hogan, were published between 1977 and 2005. Locus Nominated "Inherit the Stars" (1977) was the first in the series.

          en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_P.


          @books @scifi @Scifiart @sciencefiction

          astralcomputing.com

          Art by by Darrell K. Sweet

          The cover of James P. Hogan's "Inherit the Stars", illustrated by Darrell K. Sweet, depicts three astronauts on a desolate, rocky, moon-like landscape under a dark, star-studded sky. In the upper center, large, bold, yellow sans-serif text reads "INHERIT THE STARS," with "THE" smaller and positioned between the other two words. Above the title, a white quote reads, '"Pure science fiction...Arthur Clarke move over!"—ISAAC ASIMOV'. Below the title, the author's name, "James P. Hogan," is written in a white, stylized, cursive-like font. In the foreground, an astronaut in a bright red spacesuit lies prone on the brown, rocky ground, facing the viewer; their visor reveals a skull-like face. To the left, a second astronaut in a grey, textured spacesuit uses a shovel to dig into the dirt, featuring a reflective blue and white visor. To the right, a third astronaut in a similar grey suit leans over a large, dark brown rock, looking toward the astronaut in red. All suits feature visible patches, straps, and life-support backpacks. The background is a deep navy sky peppered with bright white stars and faint nebulous patches. The light brown, monochromatic ground is filled with uneven terrain and various rocks. Dramatic lighting casts deep shadows, suggesting a single, harsh light source from above. The top right features a white "SF" logo over "A DEL REY BOOK," and the top center reads "Ballantine/30107/$2.50".

          Alt...The cover of James P. Hogan's "Inherit the Stars", illustrated by Darrell K. Sweet, depicts three astronauts on a desolate, rocky, moon-like landscape under a dark, star-studded sky. In the upper center, large, bold, yellow sans-serif text reads "INHERIT THE STARS," with "THE" smaller and positioned between the other two words. Above the title, a white quote reads, '"Pure science fiction...Arthur Clarke move over!"—ISAAC ASIMOV'. Below the title, the author's name, "James P. Hogan," is written in a white, stylized, cursive-like font. In the foreground, an astronaut in a bright red spacesuit lies prone on the brown, rocky ground, facing the viewer; their visor reveals a skull-like face. To the left, a second astronaut in a grey, textured spacesuit uses a shovel to dig into the dirt, featuring a reflective blue and white visor. To the right, a third astronaut in a similar grey suit leans over a large, dark brown rock, looking toward the astronaut in red. All suits feature visible patches, straps, and life-support backpacks. The background is a deep navy sky peppered with bright white stars and faint nebulous patches. The light brown, monochromatic ground is filled with uneven terrain and various rocks. Dramatic lighting casts deep shadows, suggesting a single, harsh light source from above. The top right features a white "SF" logo over "A DEL REY BOOK," and the top center reads "Ballantine/30107/$2.50".

            [?]shadownlite » 🌐
            @shadownlite@mastodon.social

            Currently reading....

            Cover of book Lovers XXX by Allie Rowbottom

            Alt...Cover of book Lovers XXX by Allie Rowbottom

              [?]Sherwin Arnott » 🌐
              @sherwin@mastodon.social

              The most banned books in Alberta school libraries

              These titles have been removed from libraries in five or more school divisions this year

              xtramagazine.com/power/alberta

                [?]Kerry Mitchell 🍁 » 🌐
                @KerryMitchell@mastodon.social

                Tom Nolan gave a positive review to “Murder at the Hotel Orient” this weekend - a mystery novel with an intriguing setup: indigo.ca/products/murder-at-t

                  [?]Coach Sankhavaram ® » 🌐
                  @paninid@mastodon.world

                  An image featuring the text "Empty minds make the most noise" at the top. Below the text, two heads are shown in profile facing one another with mouths wide open. The head on the left has a pale complexion and light-colo light-colored hair, with its scalp appearing smooth and featureless. The head on the right shows an interior view of a dark space filled with stars alongside a bookshelf containing colorful books. Both necks end in jagged edges against a plain white background.

                  Alt...An image featuring the text "Empty minds make the most noise" at the top. Below the text, two heads are shown in profile facing one another with mouths wide open. The head on the left has a pale complexion and light-colo light-colored hair, with its scalp appearing smooth and featureless. The head on the right shows an interior view of a dark space filled with stars alongside a bookshelf containing colorful books. Both necks end in jagged edges against a plain white background.

                    [?]J M Berntson [she/her, they/them] » 🌐
                    @jedimb@mastodon.gamedev.place

                    #01 (2026-07-09)

                    I finished the main story back in April, and finally picked the book up again a few days ago to read the last few pages of the prequel story at the end.

                    A very sweet, cozy, and queer story about Viv—an orcish former swordswoman—who has given up her mercenary life to open up a coffee shop. And the friends she makes along the way.

                    Kind of Pratchetty in style, but a bit light on character descriptions.

                    The cover of the novel "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree. Features Viv—a muscular, light-green orc woman—and Tandri—a pink/magenta-skinned succubus with forehead horns, short hair, and east Asian features—standing behind the counter in a coffee shop with pastries visible in the foreground.

                    Alt...The cover of the novel "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree. Features Viv—a muscular, light-green orc woman—and Tandri—a pink/magenta-skinned succubus with forehead horns, short hair, and east Asian features—standing behind the counter in a coffee shop with pastries visible in the foreground.

                      [?]Veselin.blog » 🌐
                      @veselin.blog@veselin.blog

                      The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman, Book Review

                      Kinch Na Shannack is a low-level thug with good education and some magical talent. He’ll start a journey that will exceed our worst nightmares.

                      First of all, this is a beautiful-looking book. The pages, cover, typography, and overall design are all great. Kudos to the publisher for doing a nice job here, and also kudos for them for giving me a book for free, after messing up the order and sending me something else.

                      The Blacktongue Thief starts off really well. It’s set in a fantasy world of biting goblins, giants, magical tattoos, and vanished horses. Our thief possesses some rare magical skills that are supposed to help him finish the quest, which is objectively way out of his league.

                      I don’t know why this wonderful setup had to turn into epic fantasy. As the book progressed, it became increasingly complex and difficult to follow. If it had been another hundred pages longer, I’m not sure I would have finished it. Fortunately, it ended just in time.

                      I think it’s a nice book, grows up on me, and I’d compare it to Orconomics as a general feel but better because it’s shorter.

                      5*/5 from me. Looking forward to the continuation.

                        [?]Celebrity » 🌐
                        @celebrity@mas.to

                        東京、7月に開催する注目のマーケット4選

                        タイムアウト東京 > Things to do >東京、7月に開催する注目のマーケット4選 2026年の7月に東京で開催されるマーケットは、個性的なものが勢揃いしている。本記事では、買い物の枠を超えて感性を刺 [...]
                        :Thingstodo
                        magmoe.com/3093326/book/2026-0

                          [?]WildAtHeart » 🌐
                          @WildAtHeart@gram.social

                          Week Sixteen was #mess. That pile of #books has been sat on my living room floor all weekend. I'm having a clearout at work, bringing stuff home, and preparing for the big summer break. I have nowhere to a really put these books.

                            [?]J M Berntson [she/her, they/them] » 🌐
                            @jedimb@mastodon.gamedev.place

                            A while back, I watched a video on YouTube about Mœbius (Jean Giraud) and just how much sci-fi was influenced by his art.

                            So I took note of The Incal, specifically, and eventually put in a request/reservation with my local library.

                            Picked it up Thursday—three days ago—and finally finished my copy of Legends & Lattes the same day.

                            It's been a busy weekend, but I've read the first chapter and it's interesting so far.

                            More later.

                              [?]chris h - author » 🌐
                              @StitchedInkMedia@flipboard.social

                              The important thing about however a story turns out, the writer has nothing to do with it. Writers just try to write books.

                                [?]Author Krishna Prasanth Guttikonda » 🌐
                                @krishna-author.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy

                                Yesterday was a miracle

                                Highest grossing day yet

                                  [?]Dave Fischer » 🌐
                                  @davefischer@hachyderm.io

                                  My current "to be read soon" pile:

                                  Six books laid out on a table: John Cleese - So Anyway, Stanley Tookie Williams - Blue Rage Black Redemption, Anita Desai - The Zigzag Way, Gustav Meyrink - The Green Face, Monique Wittig - L'Opoponox, Tomas Disch - Camp Concentration.

                                  Alt...Six books laid out on a table: John Cleese - So Anyway, Stanley Tookie Williams - Blue Rage Black Redemption, Anita Desai - The Zigzag Way, Gustav Meyrink - The Green Face, Monique Wittig - L'Opoponox, Tomas Disch - Camp Concentration.

                                    Roknrol boosted

                                    [?]Some Geek Told Me » 🌐
                                    @somegeektoldme@universeodon.com

                                    The Austrian Government passed the Verbotsgesetz (Prohibition Act) of 1947, and part of this meant that Nazi ideology, symbols, and literature were banned. Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf (1925) is still technically legal in Austria, but it is heavily controlled and prohibited.

                                    Credit: Getty Images

                                    Alt...Credit: Getty Images

                                      [?]BookShelves eBook Reader » 🌐
                                      @getbookshelves@mastodon.social

                                      📅 This Day in Literature — July 12

                                      Born on this day: Henry David Thoreau (1817)

                                      Lived deliberately at Walden Pond. Still teaching us to simplify.

                                      lk0.eu/bks169m

                                        [?]Book dedications bot » 🤖 🌐
                                        @dedication_bot@stefanbohacek.online

                                        Ottoman Odyssey: Travels Through a Lost Empire by Alev Scott

                                        In memory of my Granny Şifa, and other victims of nationalism.

                                        Alt...In memory of my Granny Şifa, and other victims of nationalism.

                                          [?]Alex Seifert » 🌐
                                          @alexseifert@mastodon.social

                                          Before reading The Bride of Ashbyrn House, I had never read anything by Amy Cross. Not only did the novel impress me, but it quickly became one of my all-time favorites.

                                          blog.alexseifert.com/2026/07/1

                                            [?]7sleepersmusic » 🌐
                                            @7sleepersmusic@mastodon.social

                                            "Fellow-men have turned out to be evil spirits, monstrous and weird." -- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Man is not Alone" (1951).

                                            Scan of a page from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's "Man is Not Alone". First two-and-a-half paragraphs read: For us, contemporaries and survivors of history’s most terrible horrors, it is impossible to meditate about the compassion of God without asking: Where is God? Emblazoned over the gates of the world in which we live js the escutcheon of the demons. The mark of Cain * on the face of man has come to overshadow the likeness of God. There has never been so much distress, agony and terror. It is often sinful for the sun to shine. At no time has the earth been so soaked with blood. Fellow-men have turned out to be evil spirits, monstrous and weird. Does not history look like a stage for the dance of might and evil—with man’s wits too feeble to separate the two and God either directing the play or indif- ferent to it? The major folly of this view seems to lie in its shifting the responsibility for man’s plight from man to God, in accusing the Invisible though iniquity is ours. Rather than admit our wn guilt, we seek, like Adam, to shift the blame upon some-

                                            Alt...Scan of a page from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's "Man is Not Alone". First two-and-a-half paragraphs read: For us, contemporaries and survivors of history’s most terrible horrors, it is impossible to meditate about the compassion of God without asking: Where is God? Emblazoned over the gates of the world in which we live js the escutcheon of the demons. The mark of Cain * on the face of man has come to overshadow the likeness of God. There has never been so much distress, agony and terror. It is often sinful for the sun to shine. At no time has the earth been so soaked with blood. Fellow-men have turned out to be evil spirits, monstrous and weird. Does not history look like a stage for the dance of might and evil—with man’s wits too feeble to separate the two and God either directing the play or indif- ferent to it? The major folly of this view seems to lie in its shifting the responsibility for man’s plight from man to God, in accusing the Invisible though iniquity is ours. Rather than admit our wn guilt, we seek, like Adam, to shift the blame upon some-

                                              [?]Verdant Square Radio » 🌐
                                              @VerdantSquareRadio@mastodon.social

                                              NOW PLAYING == NPR Book of the Day: Eddie Glaude on the tension at the center of America's milestone birthdays

                                              youtube.com/watch?v=Dt9wkjXLf9k

                                                [?]Divining Comics » 🌐
                                                @spikestonehand.com@spikestonehand.com

                                                Imprinted Image: I’m Going Live Today at 2 Central

                                                Comics Link Roundup July 12

                                                Last week I asked and you answered. I now have more than 50 subscribers on YouTube, the requirement before you can go live. So, to celebrate, I’m doing a livestream today at 2 PM Central time. You can watch by clicking the video embedded below.

                                                https://www.youtube.com/live/hKSD-jnWpaY?si=e1gSFJH0izDeoM0p

                                                Anyways.

                                                Welcome to Imprinted Image, my comics newsletter. If this is your first time, welcome! This is the best way to keep up with my comics blog. After links to my most recent writing, I’ll provide a roundup of comics industry links. This can be news, media, criticism, or anything that I personally found interesting.

                                                Please don’t forget about the resources tab on this website. It’s a collection of reading guides, tutorials, and free legal resources like public domain image archives. I want this to be as useful as possible, so if you have any additions please send them my way.

                                                I made a comic! It’s a two-page mini-zine, and you can read it for free here. But! If you would like a cool print version mailed you, there are two ways you can do that. Either support me on Patreon to get this and any future physical media I do, or buy it on Ko-fi for as low as $ 1.

                                                I also have a behind the scenes video previewing the physical mini-comic, as well as some behind-the-scenes information on my inspiration.

                                                https://youtu.be/C1938iMGzOc

                                                Divining Comics is sponsored by readers like you

                                                I have a Patreon! For as little as $3 a month, you can keep the lights on at this blog and get your name at the bottom of every article. At higher tiers, you can vote in monthly Patreon polls and more! Anything you can offer means the world to me, and I cherish all my supporters.

                                                Support Divining Comics on Patreon

                                                Comics Challenge YouTube

                                                I designed and am participating in a comics challenge this year, alongside some friends in the My Marvelous Year community. I have picked 52 comics from 52 categories, shown below. I’d love for you to participate and comment along as you are reading! Note that on this list, categories that match with episodes from the Extra Issues podcast.

                                                Comic Challenge Extra Issues Edition 2026Download

                                                I decided to create a YouTube documenting my reading journey!

                                                This week, I read the incredible LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK. Who knew that Disney tie-in comics could look so good?

                                                https://youtu.be/XmH4DUhoxps?si=nWj_TY4tXOYoV_Xw

                                                Next week, in honor of Bastille Day, French month begins with THE SMURFS

                                                I’ve also been doing little shorts where I poorly read a scene I liked from these comics. I guess shortform video gets juiced in the algorithm because they have been blowing up. You can check out the playlist of them here.

                                                It would mean the world to me if, in addition to watching this video, you subscribed to my channel and gave the video a like. No one knows exactly how the black box of social media algorithms work, but I do know that if you interact with the video in different ways, YouTube might show it to more people who would be interested. The other easy way you can help is by sharing this video with a comic fan in your life!

                                                Link Roundup

                                                News:

                                                Variant Covers are continuing to be hot, but not without controversy. Due to claims by fans that comic shops are creating artificial scarcity with their custom variant cover drop schedules, DC comics has made a list of rules for their variant covers to prevent price gouging, and violators can be banned from purchasing DC comics going forward.

                                                There’s a new sales record for a piece of original comic art. No, it isn’t from Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Jerry Siegel or Bob Kane. It’s a piece by Don Heck, one of the first page drawings of Iron Man.

                                                The digital comics market is still in flux. Image takes their titles away from GlobalComix, meaning the only way to buy them now is on the Kindle, Apple, or Google Book store, or if you have access to the SweetShop beta, the only comics-focused reader with Image titles.

                                                Comix Wellspsring, a print service popular with independent comics, is suspending operations. This is after they recently announced a deal with GlobalComix to bring their digital first comics to print.

                                                Comic Book Yeti has a list of crowdfunding projects you may way to back

                                                Buy a bundle of digital comics for cheap over on Humble Bundle. They have a bunch of Sonic the Hedgehog comics.

                                                Other News Roundups:

                                                Comics Beat’s biweekly Digest: 7/7. 7/10.
                                                SKTCHD’s Comics Disassembled: 7/10.
                                                The Comics Journal’s This Week’s Links: 7/10.

                                                Stats:

                                                PranaDM’s Top 400 Comics sold: 7/10.
                                                Bleeding Cool’s Top Weekly Bestseller List: 7/11.
                                                Bleeding Cool’s Most Anticipated Comics: 7/5. 7/11.
                                                Bleeding Cool’s Hottest Comics: 7/7.
                                                ICv2 Top Graphic Novels – Superhero, Author, and Manga:
                                                Image Top 10 Comics: June 2026.

                                                Writing:

                                                Comic Book Herald published a TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE LAST RONIN reading order.

                                                SKTCHD posted a retrospective on Nick Dragotta‘s career and how he became one of the hottest artists of the moment.

                                                Shelfust has an article on ultraviolence in SIEGE # 2.

                                                The Comics Journal posted a career retrospective on Gerry Conway and a reconsideration of Jim Shooter‘s legacy.

                                                My favorite video and podcasts:

                                                Podcasts:

                                                OFF PANEL had on Ed Brubaker to talk the CRIMINAL TV show and his upcoming UNFINISHED TALES and Iman Vellani to talk her debut comic writing in CHACHU.

                                                LET’S TALK COMICS also interviewed Iman Vellani about CHACHU.

                                                MY MARVELOUS YEAR posted 2014 Variant Cover F, talking X-MEN ’97 season 2. Their sister podcast, EXTRA ISSUES, published part 6 of their Osamu Tezuka series, talking PHOENIX and LETTERS TO ADOLPH. On patreon, you can get early access to their first episode on HELLBOY.

                                                Divining Comics is brought to you by generous support from the “Best Friends of Divining Comics,” Alex Seubert and Dustin Commet.

                                                Divining Comics is also brought to you by the support of the “Friends of Divining Comics,” Comic Book Herald.

                                                If you would like to add your name to the list of friends, best friends, or best friends forever, support this work for less than the cost of one cup of coffee a month at patreon.com/diviningcomics. You can also leave a one-time tip/buy my zines at ko-fi.com/spikestonehand. Follow me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky and share my posts there.

                                                  [?]Amalia Zeichnerin » 🌐
                                                  @amalia12@mastodon.social

                                                  Nazis Holocaust [SENSITIVE CONTENT]

                                                  A writer decided to work on a historical dark romance with a romance between a literal Nazi and a Jewish woman. Over on Instagram, she is now getting a shitstorm, and many people, including me, either state that this is a horrible idea, or explain to her why. Among the commenters are some Germans, Austrians and Jewish people.

                                                  I sincerely hope this author either stops this project, or re-writes it entirely, for instance in a dark fantasy setting.

                                                    [?]Martin Rundkvist » 🌐
                                                    @mrundkvist@archaeo.social

                                                    Here are my best reads in English during January through June. Dear Reader, what were your best recent reads?

                                                    aardvarchaeology.wordpress.com

                                                      [?]Lorna Peel » 🌐
                                                      @LornaPeel@mastodon.ie

                                                      In 19th-century Dublin, a disillusioned doctor and a fallen woman discover that some meetings change everything.

                                                      The Fitzgeralds of Dublin series is a sweeping Irish family saga following Will and Isobel through hardship, secrets, and the choices that shape their lives in a changing Ireland.

                                                      Begin with A Scarlet Woman - free to read in Kindle Unlimited - mybook.to/ascarletwoman

                                                      @bookstodon

                                                      Promotional image for the Irish historical fiction novel A Scarlet Woman by Lorna Peel, book one in The Fitzgeralds of Dublin series, a 19th-century Irish family saga. The image shows a Kindle device displaying the book cover, which shows a late 19th-century woman with dark hair and a pink flower on her white dress, looking down pensively. Text on the ad reads: “Love that defies society. Secrets that shape a family.” and “Step into 19th-century Ireland and meet the Fitzgeralds of Dublin. Start the series today! Free to read with Kindle Unlimited.” The background is a faded image of Georgian townhouses on Merrion Square in Dublin, Ireland.

                                                      Alt...Promotional image for the Irish historical fiction novel A Scarlet Woman by Lorna Peel, book one in The Fitzgeralds of Dublin series, a 19th-century Irish family saga. The image shows a Kindle device displaying the book cover, which shows a late 19th-century woman with dark hair and a pink flower on her white dress, looking down pensively. Text on the ad reads: “Love that defies society. Secrets that shape a family.” and “Step into 19th-century Ireland and meet the Fitzgeralds of Dublin. Start the series today! Free to read with Kindle Unlimited.” The background is a faded image of Georgian townhouses on Merrion Square in Dublin, Ireland.

                                                        [?]Colorado Authors League » 🌐
                                                        @ColoradoAuthorsLeague@bookstodon.com

                                                        Congratulations to our Romance Finalists: The Terror of Roan by Jodi Bowersox, All's Fayre in Love and War by Sheri Cobb South, and Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner!

                                                        The authors with their books

                                                        Alt...The authors with their books

                                                          [?]Mark B Tomlinson » 🌐
                                                          @mbt3d@graphics.social

                                                          A quick book review:
                                                          markbtomlinson.com/books/2026/

                                                            [?]penpencilbrush🇨🇦 » 🌐
                                                            @penpencilbrush@mstdn.social

                                                            Some reading inspiration...

                                                            August is month. Women in Translation. Female authors who write in any other language but English and have been translated for the benefit of English readers.

                                                            It's a great opportunity to discover some new, remarkable authors from all over the world.

                                                            This utuber gives a good intro to along with some potentials.

                                                            youtu.be/RczNgNsZa84

                                                              [?]Media Japan » 🌐
                                                              @media@wakoka.com

                                                              wacoca.com/media/709087/ プログラミング本が50％還元！「プログラマ脳を鍛える至高の問題集」やアルゴリズム解説書、Python、TypeScript本も。Kindle本 夏の超大ポイントフェア – Book Watch/セール情報

                                                              プログラミング本が50％還元！「プログラマ脳を鍛える至高の問題集」やアルゴリズム解説書、Python、TypeScript本も。Kindle本 夏の超大ポイントフェア - Book Watch/セール情報

                                                              Alt...プログラミング本が50％還元！「プログラマ脳を鍛える至高の問題集」やアルゴリズム解説書、Python、TypeScript本も。Kindle本 夏の超大ポイントフェア - Book Watch/セール情報

                                                                [?]nuagezero » 🌐
                                                                @nuagezero@mamot.fr

                                                                "In pruning my books I learned some important lessons about editing for the advanced collector, the kind who derives joy from too many kinds of books to use the Kondo Method effectively."

                                                                lithub.com/how-and-why-to-cull

                                                                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                  SHERIFF'S BALL. An execution. To dance at the sheriff's ball, and loll out one's tongue at the company; to be hanged, or go to rest in a horse's night-cap, i.e. a halter.

                                                                  A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                  --
                                                                  @histodons

                                                                  Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): SHERIFF'S BALL. An execution. To dance at the sheriff's ball, and loll out one's tongue at the company; to be hanged, or go to rest in a horse's night-cap, i.e. a halter. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                  Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): SHERIFF'S BALL. An execution. To dance at the sheriff's ball, and loll out one's tongue at the company; to be hanged, or go to rest in a horse's night-cap, i.e. a halter. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                    📅

                                                                    [?]offbeat amsterdam » 🌐
                                                                    @relay@offbeat.amsterdam

                                                                    ALARM! (SE) + HARD PASS (SE) + KRIME

                                                                    OCCII, Friday, September 25 at 08:30 PM GMT+2ALARM! (Stockholm, Sweden, w/ VICTIMS/OUTLAST members) + HARD PASS (Malmö, Sweden) + KRIME ALARM! are a hardcore punk band from Stockholm, Sweden. After twenty-plus years of playing together in Victims, Andy, Jon and Gareth reunited in early 2023 with the ambition of making some new noise. Jon switched from guitar to bass and the trio wrote a bunch of songs. About a year later they were joined by Jon’s childhood friend, Henrik. This would be the first time the two had played together since their legendary hardcore band Outlast folded in the late 90’s. Henrik’s vocals and Jon’s bass playing are the key ingredients in taking ALARM!’s sound away from these Swede’s well-known crust punk roots. The bass is both manic and melodic at the same time, pummelling the riffs behind the wall of guitar and drums. Henrik’s piercing vocals, raw yet steeped in emotion, scream of personal anguish and pissed off, political rage. ALARM! have endeavoured to evoke the classic Swedish sou... [SENSITIVE CONTENT]

                                                                    ALARM! (Stockholm, Sweden, w/ VICTIMS/OUTLAST members) + HARD PASS (Malmö, Sweden) + KRIME

                                                                    ALARM! are a hardcore punk band from Stockholm, Sweden. After twenty-plus years of playing together in Victims, Andy, Jon and Gareth reunited in early 2023 with the ambition of making some new noise. Jon switched from guitar to bass and the trio wrote a bunch of songs. About a year later they were joined by Jon’s childhood friend, Henrik. This would be the first time the two had played together since their legendary hardcore band Outlast folded in the late 90’s.

                                                                    Henrik’s vocals and Jon’s bass playing are the key ingredients in taking ALARM!’s sound away from these Swede’s well-known crust punk roots. The bass is both manic and melodic at the same time, pummelling the riffs behind the wall of guitar and drums. Henrik’s piercing vocals, raw yet steeped in emotion, scream of personal anguish and pissed off, political rage. ALARM! have endeavoured to evoke the classic Swedish sound whilst harking back to an ever-so-slight hint of melodic hardcore pre Y2K.

                                                                    <a href="https://alarmhardcore.bandcamp.com/album/failure-by-design">Failure By Design by ALARM!</a>

                                                                    ALARM!: Unrelenting Swedish Hardcore intensity !

                                                                    Born from the ashes of Victims and Outlast, Sweden’s ALARM! returns with Failure By Design. This isn’t just nostalgia—it’s pure, visceral, and socially conscious hardcore that hits like a freight train.

                                                                    If you like your music raw and fuelled by political rage, this band is mandatory listening.

                                                                    📖 Read the interview: https://roughtimes.net/interviews/alarm-this-is-not-a-test-sweden-hardcore-interview-with-gareth-henrik

                                                                    HARD PASS (MÄLMO SWEDEN)

                                                                    Hard Pass – Distorted Eyes

                                                                    New-ish band, veteran players that have paid their dues in such diverse bands as PYRAMIDO, SATANIC SURFERS, BURST, and ANCHOR. Since their debut Hardcore 2024, the Malmö band has been in constant forward movement. Distorted Eyes is their first full statement, or as the official line puts it, “ten tracks of unrelenting hardcore punk.” No exaggeration there. The opener “Lies” sets the picture of systems failing, truth being commodified, and everyone’s complicity in it. Lyrics read like headlines chewed up and spit back out through a punk filter. The message is consistent: distrust power, reject passivity, and call out the machinery. Sonically, it’s classic hardcore chassis, but not stuck in time. What makes Distorted Eyes stick is conviction. This is hardcore as a delivery system for change.

                                                                    Reviewer João Seixas – Maximum Rock n’roll, IssueMRR #517 • June 2026

                                                                    <a href="https://hardpassmalmo.bandcamp.com/album/distorted-eyes">Distorted Eyes by Hard Pass</a>

                                                                    #hardcore #dbeat #hardcorepunk #swedishhardcore #hardcoremusic #dbeatrawpunk #newmusic

                                                                    KRIME
                                                                    Krime, formed early 2024, is a hardcore punk band from the Netherlands, featuring ex members of Citizens Patrol and Brat Pack. Our sound might appeal to fans of Poison Idea, Long Knife, RKL, Government Warning, Annihilation Time, Syndrome 81, etc.

                                                                    <a href="https://krimepunk.bandcamp.com/album/s-t">S/T by Krime</a>

                                                                    Presale/door prices adjusted: our events are set up by volunteers in favour of supporting DIY touring acts, but it is getting ever more risky to plan and book events – please support the community and buy your tickets early! Presale end at 16:45 on day of the show. No tickets at the door if the show is sold out online!

                                                                    Attachment: https://occii.org/events/alarm-hc-punk/

                                                                    Attachment: https://occii.org/events/alarm-hc-punk/#bookings

                                                                    ALARM! (SE) + HARD PASS (SE) + KRIME

                                                                    Alt...ALARM! (SE) + HARD PASS (SE) + KRIME

                                                                    Time: 2026-09-25 20:30:00+02:00

                                                                    [?]LaraK » 🌐
                                                                    @Lara@metalhead.club

                                                                    I finally finished "Horde of the Counterwind" by Alain Damasio.
                                                                    I can't really say whether I think it's good or bad. I don't think it's possible to judge that objectively. Subjectively, I was a little disappointed in the end.

                                                                    It’s supposed to be the inspiration for Clair Obscure Expedition 33, but it really has very, very little in common with the game’s story or world.

                                                                    If you’re into highly philosophical fantasy, you’ll find a treasure trove here. If you prefer something more concrete, coherent, and within the bounds of conventional fantasy, you’re better off staying away....

                                                                      [?]Ace » 🌐
                                                                      @AceBookReviews@mastodon.social

                                                                      Up til 2am devouring my latest advance reader/ARC for "Between Tides & Thunder" by Leena Kazan. Loved it, rated it 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5), and wrote my Goodreads review about the two minor things I noticed: goodreads.com/review/show/8763

                                                                        [?]Bookworm » 🌐
                                                                        @wpbookwarm.wordpress.com@wpbookwarm.wordpress.com

                                                                        The Best Gift for the Kid Who Always Wins the Argument

                                                                        When we think about career books for kids, we usually expect simple descriptions of a standard workday. But the law isn’t just a 9-to-5 job—it’s a tool that has shaped history.

                                                                        In So You Want to Be a Lawyer, author Linda Soules balances the practical mechanics of the legal world (like writing briefs and understanding civil vs. criminal law) with the inspiring history behind it. The book features brilliant profiles of legal giants who changed the world, including:

                                                                        • Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley fighting for civil rights.
                                                                        • Ruth Bader Ginsburg advocating for gender equality.
                                                                        • Bryan Stevenson standing up for individuals the justice system overlooked.

                                                                        By showing how these icons used the law to protect scared or forgotten clients, the book gives middle-grade readers a profound look at the true purpose of the profession. Coupled with practical advice on how to get started today—like visiting a local courthouse or joining a mock trial—it’s an invaluable roadmap for the next generation of changemakers.

                                                                        👉 Read our deep-dive review over at BookBelow

                                                                        [?]Stefan Mesch » 🌐
                                                                        @smeschmesch@mastodon.social

                                                                        5 von 5 Sternen: 20 Bücher - v.a. Comics - las ich 2026 bisher, von denen ich dachte

                                                                        "Lieblingsbuch/exzellent so!"

                                                                        20 Buchcover. alle Titel nenne ich oben im Beitrag.

                                                                        Alt...20 Buchcover. alle Titel nenne ich oben im Beitrag.

                                                                          [?]Stefan Mesch » 🌐
                                                                          @smeschmesch@mastodon.social

                                                                          Kristina Gehrmann - The Jungle
                                                                          Lizzy Stewart - Alison
                                                                          Luisa L'Audace - Behindert und stolz
                                                                          Anais Flogny - Beyond the Sea
                                                                          Ryosuka Fuji - 2 Bände Shangri-La Frontier
                                                                          Claus Daniel Herrmann - Pinke Monster
                                                                          Grace Ellis - Flung out of Space
                                                                          Tom King - Strange Adventures (2. Hälfte)
                                                                          Tim Probert - 2 Bände Lightfall
                                                                          Deena Mohamed - Shubeik Lubeik
                                                                          Olivia Hälterlein - Wir Töchter
                                                                          Dan Santat - A First Time for Everything

                                                                            [?]Stefan Mesch » 🌐
                                                                            @smeschmesch@mastodon.social

                                                                            Miroslav Sekulic - Petar & Liza
                                                                            Volker Kitz - Alte Eltern
                                                                            Renaud Roche - Lucas Wars
                                                                            Lee Lai - Cannon
                                                                            Alice Oseman - Heartstopper, Bd. 6
                                                                            Hisaya Amagishi - Dahlia in Bloom, Bd. 6

                                                                              [?]Dennis Fischman` » 🌐
                                                                              @dennisfischman@babka.social

                                                                              "Yes, but" sums up my general feeling about this spy adventure by Agatha Christie.
                                                                              goodreads.com/book/show/176547

                                                                                Stacey Cornelius 🇨🇦 boosted

                                                                                [?]CurlyParakeet 🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈🇺🇦 [She/Her] » 🌐
                                                                                @CurlyParakeet@mastodon.online

                                                                                Too hot to do anything outside, so I made a little “book box”.

                                                                                Really fun to make. 😊

                                                                                But corners are hard! 🙃

                                                                                Alt...Video of a small (hand sized) black leather bound book which opens up to shows it’s actually a little box.

                                                                                  [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                                  @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                                  Are we living through the end of reading?

                                                                                  npr.org/2026/07/11/nx-s1-58862

                                                                                  In Federico Zandomeneghi's painting "Girl reading a book," a young girl with bright red hair is shown in profile, looking to the left. She is holding an open book and wears a light blue dress with a ruffled collar. The background is filled with warm shades of orange, red, and soft yellow.

                                                                                  Alt...In Federico Zandomeneghi's painting "Girl reading a book," a young girl with bright red hair is shown in profile, looking to the left. She is holding an open book and wears a light blue dress with a ruffled collar. The background is filled with warm shades of orange, red, and soft yellow.

                                                                                    [?]Book dedications bot » 🤖 🌐
                                                                                    @dedication_bot@stefanbohacek.online

                                                                                    This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher

                                                                                    To all the heroes in the group chats, who save the world for one another

                                                                                    Alt...To all the heroes in the group chats, who save the world for one another

                                                                                      [?]Alexjan » 🌐
                                                                                      @alexjan@mastodon.social

                                                                                      Giovanni — «I’m an engineer; I’m not trying to have a discussion, I’m just explaining why I’m right.»
                                                                                      Public service announcement from the passenger seat: he is not arguing, he is educating. There is a measurable difference. 🛠️ Giovanni bringing the exact kind of energy we all secretly wish we could use in our Monday meetings. Just the facts, no room for "perceived offense." 👇
                                                                                      📖 From Certosa to Oxfordshire (Chapter 7, Page 148).

                                                                                        [?]RJT » 🌐
                                                                                        @many@subconscioussignature.earth

                                                                                        Border Rushes on Stall-wick Proposals

                                                                                        subspacewagon.systems/border-r

                                                                                        ___
                                                                                        poet.garden
                                                                                        subspacewagon.io
                                                                                        selections.directory
                                                                                        ___

                                                                                        @poetry
                                                                                        @writingcommunity

                                                                                          [?]Media Japan » 🌐
                                                                                          @media@wakoka.com

                                                                                          wacoca.com/media/708869/ 【ビルボード】『HUNTER×HUNTER 39巻』が“Reiwa Books”初の首位獲得、村上春樹の3年ぶり長編『夏帆 The Tale of KAHO』が3位デビュー（Billboard JAPAN）

                                                                                          【ビルボード】『HUNTER×HUNTER 39巻』が“Reiwa Books”初の首位獲得、村上春樹の3年ぶり長編『夏帆 The Tale of KAHO』が3位デビュー（Billboard JAPAN）

                                                                                          Alt...【ビルボード】『HUNTER×HUNTER 39巻』が“Reiwa Books”初の首位獲得、村上春樹の3年ぶり長編『夏帆 The Tale of KAHO』が3位デビュー（Billboard JAPAN）

                                                                                            [?]Book Corners » 🤖 🌐
                                                                                            @bookcorners@mastodon.social

                                                                                            A charming community book exchange box sits outdoors, stocked with books and lightly dusted with snow. A simple invitation to share and read.

                                                                                            📍 Celles-sur-Plaine, France

                                                                                            bookcorners.org/library/celles

                                                                                            A small outdoor book exchange cabinet on a red book-shaped base, filled with books and dusted with snow beside a wall.

                                                                                            Alt...A small outdoor book exchange cabinet on a red book-shaped base, filled with books and dusted with snow beside a wall.

                                                                                              Back to top - More...

                                                                                              about this site - powered by snac/2.92