Happy Friday from the Branch Manager

If you'd said a year ago that all this would be happening, you would have been dismissed as a fantasist. Even after everything, I can't really believe what I'm seeing from the streets of America.

Sunday Friends #9
@judithbolyard.bsky.social
@southerngayteacher.bsky.social
@banblew.bsky.social
@scmmoose.bsky.social
@gentlem.bsky.social
@genxer-71.bsky.social
@gmoyer17.bsky.social
@deanpitt.bsky.social
@wiseguy482.bsky.social
@katanon.bsky.social
@latina4jesusdshw.bsky.social

Oh dear.

I wish you all a year with love in it.

PORTRAIT OF YOU IN FIVE PSYCHICS by Kirsti MacKenzie First guy says: you’re gonna see a UFO. Like, BOOM. He lays this on me. Right now you’re probably thinking well, if that doesn’t torpedo the whole thing for you. But it didn’t. Okay? It didn’t. I sat ...

Without further ado, here are my favorite stories of 2025, to give you something to read today.

Other than my two favorites, these are in chronological order.

My FAVORITE story of 2025 was this one by @keersteemack.bsky.social in @xraylitmag.bsky.social xraylitmag.com/portrait-of-...

Went to martial arts class for 2 hours (2 hours) and emerged to find:

Visitors to the USA will need to provide 5 years of social media history.

The US Navy have pinched a Venezuelan oil tanker without saying why.

Toffee Crisps can no longer be categorised as chocolate.

Hell in a hand basket.

European Robin (Erithacus rubecula): Photo taken by Paul Shaw in Cumbria, UK. #EuropeanRobin #RobinRedbreast #RedRobin #robin #bird #birds #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #bsky

I have been thinking about this in terms of the written word. I am not convinced that AI will ever be able to create a great novel for example as what is compelling is the personal perspective of the novelist. That perspective is by definition narrow. AI's strength is its encyclopedic broadness.

I've got to do Secret Santa wishlist for a gift under a tenner.

What reasonably priced paperback should I ask for and why is it the perfect choice?

#booksky #fiction #xmas

Young lives cut short on an unimaginable scale: the 18,457 children on Gaza’s list of war dead Every name on a list compiled by health authorities in Gaza of the child victims of Israel’s offensive

www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

It goes on and on and on. Every single one, an innocent.

Massive achievement. Well done.

Can anyone recommend a good history of the Celts? #history

This is a lovely thing.

I wish you all a 2025 with love in it.

The cover of the sword of shannara. Fantasy catnip.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
(18/20)

#Books
#BookSky

The cover of Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. It's bloody good, you should read it.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
(17/20)

#Books
#BookSky

Looks great! Is there any way to get my hands on High Tide in the UK?

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
(16/20)

#Books
#BookSky

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
(14/20)

#Books
#BookSky

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
(14/20)

#Books
#BookSky

Oh, thank you! I really appreciate your taking the time to read and feed back.

Amazing piece. Congratulations Megan for writing and surviving.

Ah, thank you!

Thank you, Sumitra! That's really kind!

This is a really lovely piece of flash. Congratulations.

KitKat Santa, you are weapons free.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
(13/20)

#Books
#BookSky

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
(12/20)

#Books
#BookSky