OK so one of the things I find so fascinating with being published in the US is getting a peak behind the curtain and seeing how publishing works there.
Because I've been published in Iceland for 15 years, I've published over 20 books and I feel I know almost everything about the industry here 🧵
Whenever I encounter someone who believes in using the Oxford comma, I find myself encouraged, delighted, and hopeful.
Book cover of A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau featuring a a woman in early-20th-century clothing standing under a streetlight, facing away from the viewer. The woman wears a blue jacket with a long red skirt and a wide-brimmed hat. The street is cobblestoned and lined with buildings receding into the background under a twilight sky. Ornate ironwork adorns the corners of the image. The title is displayed in large, decorative white letters, with flowers incorporated into some of the letters. The author’s name is printed in bold white letters near the bottom right. The words "A Mystery" are written in smaller text under the title.
A Dangerous Business
Cathy Pegau
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
A cozy, historical, sapphic mystery set in 1912 NYC. A super atmospheric read w/ likable characters, impressive due to the whole story rather than a great reveal. A few gripes w/ the editing, copy editing & otherwise.
Full review: anon.to/epTJZ8
#booksky
‘I Thought I Was Going to Die’: Video Shows Mass Force at California Women’s Prison - KQED
www.kqed.org/news/1207966...
Yesterday: “This is someone who maybe had one speeding ticket in the last 30 years and [is] being treated like a notorious criminal.”
Texas' only licensed Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu translator taken by ICE.
Barbara Rosbe Felisky (American, born 1938)
"The Blue Port", 1990s.
Oil on Canvas, 30 × 24 inches.
Private Collection.
#art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt
Rob Browning (American, b.1955)
"Woman Reading," 2020
Oil on panel
12 x 16 in
#art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt
Audiobook cover of The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman. It features a vibrant blue background with a close-up view of metal trays containing food remnants, like scraps of vegetables and sauce, along with utensils. The topmost tray has some uneaten lettuce and tomatoes, while a nearly empty glass of water is placed nearby. The author's name is prominently displayed in white text, with the narrator's name, Jonathan Todd Ross, beneath it. The logo for "rb media" is located in the bottom right corner.
The Reservation
Rebecca Kauffman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
👥 Multiple POVs
🍽️ Restaurant Setting
🤝 Relationship-Focused
Quick, fast-paced read set in the restaurant industry w/ great character development, surprising depth, & a few fun plot twists.
Full review: anon.to/E71sAl
#booksky
Oooooh, that sounds so good! Would love to try out that muffin recipe if you don't mind sharing it. ❤️
hahaha, the mango puree was part of my dish. this feels v full circle.
A mad person in a psych ward is the failure of community to care for them. It is the failure of their having social support to be well, & society's failure for not being able to imagine another way to care for them than brutality.
Book cover for Motherlover by Lindsay Ishiro featuring an image of the upper bodies of two characters lying on grass, gazing at each other affectionately. The character on the left has longe orange-red hair tied back in a pony tail, wears a yellow and white striped sleeveless top and round glasses, and has a ring on thie left ring finger. The character on the right has long dark hair tied back in a ponytail as well and wears a black sleeveless shirt and a ring on their left ring finger as well. Around the two characters, the grass is dotted with yellow flowers, a few fallen leaves, and a baseball lies nearby. The title is prominently displayed at the top in large white uppercase letters. At the bottom right corner, the author’s name is written in smaller white uppercase letters.
Motherlover
Lindsay Ishiro
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
A graphic novel about both biological & found queer family that manages to address challenging topics while still being an incredible feel-good read, not least thanks to the beautiful artwork & the well-written characters.
Full review: anon.to/YlWWHv
#booksky
Arthur Streeton (Australian, 1867-1943)
Traveller's Rest, 1896
Oil on canvas
40.7 x 35.5 cms
#art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt
Just called @schumer.senate.gov to let him know for the record that I am against the killing of an entire civilization. I’m sure that will be just the thing to make him take action.
this 💯
I talk about a better world because I genuinely believe it's inevitable.
A world without imperialism and war and climate change, without income and wealth inequality, without settler-colonialism and ethnonationalism, without racism and cisheteronormativity and ableism and hate, WILL COME.
Five books to get to know me by:
1️⃣ The Ordinary Acrobat by
Duncan Wall
2️⃣ Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg
3️⃣ A Thousand Naked Strangers by Kevin Hazzard
4️⃣ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson
5️⃣ An Amerikan Family by Santi Elijah Holley
Book collage titled March 2026 Reads featuring the following titles: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise The Spiral Key by Kelsey Day The Gift by Zoe Maeve Killing the Black Dog by Les Murray Attensity! by The Friends of Attention
In other news, March was a pretty spectacular reading month! #booksky #marchreads
Book cover for The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley featuring a painted image of a pregnant torso in the middle stages of pregnancy wearing a green bra and green bikini bottoms. She is holding a cellphone in front of her upper body in one hand as if taking a picture of herself in the mirror. The background is a textured mix of blues and oranges, adding depth to the artwork. The author’s name and book title are printed in large white capital letters across the upper two thirds of the torso.
The Girls Who Grew Big
Leila Mottley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
One of my favorite reads so far this year! Told from the perspectives of three young mothers, this book illuminates the struggles of teenage motherhood focusing on resourcefulness & resilience w/o romanticizing.
Full review: anon.to/isG1tT
#booksky
Audiobook cover for Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise featuring a painted landscape of a coastal scene. In the foreground, there are rugged rocks and vibrant green foliage leading to a small white house with a dark roof. The house is perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. The background showcases a vivid blue sky with streaks of white and gray clouds. The sea in the foreground is a muted shade of blue, reflecting the calm sky. The title and author’s name are prominently displayed in white upper-case letters in the upper and middle sections of the image, contrasting against the sky.
Saoirse
Charleen Hurtubise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Won this book in a @thestorygraph.com giveaway & LOVED it! Literary but fast-paced, following Saoirse's trans-Atlantic struggle for freedom & the life she builds in the process — until her past catches up w/ her.
Full review: anon.to/dqIFh0
#booksky
Arturo Arvizu (Messican Artist, born 1959)
"Frida, Vincent & Salvador", 2021.
Oil on Canvas, 100 × 80 cm.
Private Collection.
#art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt
Rolf Jansson (Swedish/Norwegian, born 1946)
"Stars and Windows", 2014.
Acrylic & Spray Paint on Canvas, 31.5" × 39.4".
Private Collection.
#art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt
Nicholas Hely Hutchinson (British, born 1955)
"Morning After the Rain", 2021.
Oil on Canvas, 101 × 127 cm.
Private Collection.
#art #painting #artist #BlueSkyArt
Book cover for The Gift by Zoe Maeve featuring an illustration dominated by shades of blue. A young girl, wearing a long, flowing white dress, stands in the center. She holds a small, old square camera in her hands. The background features textured, dark blue curtains on the left and a panel door on the right. The scene is lit from the front, creating subtle shadows around the figure. Above the girl, the title is prominently displayed in white uppercase letters. At the bottom, the author's name is written in a cursive style.
The Gift
Zoe Maeve
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This graphic novel was a really quick read & both whimsical & haunting, if that is a thing. Powerful b&w artwork that tells the fictional story of Anastasia, the real-life youngest daughter of the last tsar of Russia.
Full review: anon.to/aOmp6v
#booksky #graphicnovel
Love this so much! #fucktransphobia
I don't know who needs to hear this, but one day, you will pull a loose book from a bookshelf and that hidden door will finally open for you.
Book cover for Killing the Black Dog by Less Murray featuring a background of muted brown color, creating a stark contrast with the black silhouettes overlaying it. The silhouettes appear to depict a dog and a person running, their forms blurred and abstract. The text on the cover is centered and in white, standing out against the darker elements of the image. The title is followed by the subtitle "A Memoir of Depression." The author's name is displayed prominently beneath the title and subtitle.
Killing the Black Dog
Less Murray
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
An eloquent exploration of the author's life w/ depression & its connections to his childhood, sexuality, & work as poet from a working-class background. Breathtakingly vulnerable.
Full review: anon.to/EG2Dhi
#booksky #memoir #mentalhealth
“not having any participation in governing” has always been the Soviet way
Audiobook cover for The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine. The cover features a vintage teacup with a crack, tipped over and with a light brown liquid spilling out of it, and surrounded by a winding red ribbon. The background is a light teal color with a decorative dark teal and golden floral pattern. The text is prominently displayed in bold, dark blue letters, centered on the cover. At the top, the author's name is written in smaller black all-caps text. The title of the book is displayed in large black letters above and below the teacup. Below the title, it says "(and His Mother)" in small black letters on a golden background. On the right side, the phrase "Read by GM Hakim" is placed in black.
The True True Story of Raja the Gullible
Rabih Alameddine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Slow initially, but then a whirlwind, carried by the witty midldle-aged gay protagonist & his no-nonsense mother w/ her connections to the generator mafia of Beirut.
Full review: anon.to/TtzKVU
#booksky #queerfiction #aspenwords
👀