Cover for Diana Gabaldon's "A Breath of Snow and Ashes", book 6 of the Outlander series. It is a minimalist white background with a stylized image of a snowflake in the centre. The text is all upper case and in an old fashioned font. Narrated by Davina Porter.

A side profile portrait of author Diana Gabaldon. She has long black wavy hair and looks to the side toward the camera.

A Breath of Snow & Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (2005)--rr

One of my favs in the series! I love living vicariously on Fraser's Ridge with all the oddball characters--it makes me so sad to see how the tv series failed to capture the magic of the later books.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books #Outlander

Cover for Penguin Classics version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. There is a painting on the top half of the cover of a man crouching and looking aggressive

Painted portrait of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. It is a somber portrait in dark colours, Shelley has a soft smile. The background is black & dark brown. She wears a black, off-the-shoulder dress and her hair is parted in the centre and swept down into what's likely a bun

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) -- rr

An emotional rollercoaster that demonstrates the evil potentials of humanity & how they can spread thru the wiring of neurons. Frankenstein's "monster" was a blank slate & became a mirror--the evils of humanity tortured all involved.

#HaecReads2026 #Books

Colorful abstract book cover with bold vertical paint strokes in red, teal, yellow, purple, and blue on black. The title “Soul Design” appears in large white script at the top. A diagonal dark band reads “A Regressionist’s Guide to Past Lives, Origins & Purpose.” At the bottom, “Dr. Linda Backman” is in white capital letters, with smaller text noting it is read by Shana Pennington-Baird and the Tantor Media logo.

Book cover of How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. A soft blue sky with clouds forms the background. Gold circular and crescent shapes resembling phases of the moon or eclipses are arranged vertically, with fine radiating lines around a central circle. The title appears in spaced black text stacked down the center, with the author’s name in smaller white text across the middle.

Book cover of My Husband by Maud Ventura. The cover shows a stylized, softly painted close-up of a woman’s face with pale skin, bright blue eyes, and bold red lips. The title ‘My Husband’ appears in large blue brush lettering above her face. The author’s name, Maud Ventura, and the translator Emma Ramadan are printed at the bottom

Background is black and white photo of a crowd of people, mostly white with some diversity as well. Text overlay in white: #1 NYT Bestseller "Almost certainy the keynote nonfiction book of the Amerian century thus far" -- Dwight Garner, The NYT Caste: The Origins of our Discontents Oprah's Book Club Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Author of "The Warmth of Other Suns" With a new afterword by the author

March #BookSky recap! I finished 6 books.

1. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (2020)
2. My Husband by Maud Ventura (2023)
3. README.txt by Chelsea Manning (2022)
4. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu (2022)

cont. (1/3) ⬇️

#Haecreads2026 #BookSky #Books

Colorful abstract book cover with bold vertical paint strokes in red, teal, yellow, purple, and blue on black. The title “Soul Design” appears in large white script at the top. A diagonal dark band reads “A Regressionist’s Guide to Past Lives, Origins & Purpose.” At the bottom, “Dr. Linda Backman” is in white capital letters, with smaller text noting it is read by Shana Pennington-Baird and the Tantor Media logo.

Portrait of Dr. Backman smiling at her webcam. She wears a red white and green floral top and rounded tortoiseshell glasses. She has short curly greying hair and side swooped bangs.

Soul Design by Dr. Linda Backman (2025)

I love Dr. Backman, I've seen many interviews! She is clear, kind, thoughtful & always evolving. To know your gifts & how to use them here is to know yourself, regardless of what you believe. I'll read anything she publishes.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

I feel so weird investing energy & content in this fascist platform other than mutual/direct aid

Trying to spend less time online & less time fussing with posting generally so I’m considering just not posting #HaecReads2026 here anymore (insta & gander instead)

Idk leftists how are you feeling? 📚💙

Book cover of Right Story, Wrong Story: How to Have Fearless Conversations in Hell by Tyson Yunkaporta. A dark, cosmic-style scene shows two large ghostly figures on each side, a bright moon in the center, and small human-like figures standing below with raised arms. The title appears at the top in white text.

A portrait of author Tyson Yunkaporta. A man with medium-length curly dark hair and a beard is smiling warmly outdoors. He is wearing a dark button-up shirt over a black T-shirt, with sunlight highlighting parts of his hair. Behind him, trees and greenery create a blurred natural background.

Right Story, Wrong Story by Tyson Yunkaporta (2025)

Very stream of consciousness & I struggled thru some chapters. The chapters that clicked for me REALLY clicked though. I have a feeling that I'll return to this in a couple years and get a lot more out of it.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Book cover of How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. A soft blue sky with clouds forms the background. Gold circular and crescent shapes resembling phases of the moon or eclipses are arranged vertically, with fine radiating lines around a central circle. The title appears in spaced black text stacked down the center, with the author’s name in smaller white text across the middle.

Author portrait of Sequoia Nagamatsu. He leans against a stone projection against a brick wall. He wears a blue checked shirt, blue blazer and jeans. He smiles at the camera

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu (2022)

THIS. WAS. DEVASTATING. Still reeling. I will think about it for years.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Book cover for README.txt by Chelsea Manning. Background is warm brown grey with black stripes in what appears to be a camo pattern. In the center is a text file icon labeled "A Memoir"

Chelsea manning stands against a cream coloured brick wall with orange concentric circles painted. In the centre is a graffiti tag in white. Chelsea has long blonde hair, red lipstick and a navy blue suit. She smiles at the camera

README.txt by Chelsea Manning (2022)

I blew thru this. Chelsea is v candid about the abuses she experienced growing up, in the military, & in prison after the leaks. But questions linger--why can she move freely in the US when Snowden & Assange can't?

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Book cover of My Husband by Maud Ventura. The cover shows a stylized, softly painted close-up of a woman’s face with pale skin, bright blue eyes, and bold red lips. The title ‘My Husband’ appears in large blue brush lettering above her face. The author’s name, Maud Ventura, and the translator Emma Ramadan are printed at the bottom

Author Maud Ventura sitting on a couch, smiling gently. She has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a floral patterned blouse. Her hands are slightly raised as if explaining something, and a vase of yellow and pink flowers sits on the table in front of her

My Husband by Maud Ventura (2023)

OMG I **LOVED** this. Main character is absolutely awful and toxic but in a way that was such a treat to read... but also really sad? I can't say too much but this was a *chef's kiss* book & part of me wants to read again immediately

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Background is black and white photo of a crowd of people, mostly white with some diversity as well. Text overlay in white: #1 NYT Bestseller "Almost certainy the keynote nonfiction book of the Amerian century thus far" -- Dwight Garner, The NYT Caste: The Origins of our Discontents Oprah's Book Club Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Author of "The Warmth of Other Suns" With a new afterword by the author

Portrait of Isabel Wilkerson standing next to some bookshelves holding a copy of Caste. She has long wavy black hair, a pearl necklace, a red sleeveless top, and large dangly earings. She smiles at the camera.

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (2020)

Struggling to review sensitively & w respect for my lack of authority here: A very valuable reframe of systemic racism against Black people in America but I was also surprised by the neoliberal lens in places (given the content)

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

February #BookSky recap! I finished 4 books.

1. The Men Who Killed the News by Eric Beecher (2024)
2. Becoming Bulletproof by Evy Poumpouras (2020)
3. Paradise by Toni Morrison (1997)
4. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (1951)

cont. (1/3) ⬇️

#Haecreads2026 #BookSky #Books #BannedBookSkyClub

audiobook cover for The End of the Affair by Graham Greene performed by Colin Firth. Plain black background with green and white text. Part of the A List collection.

Black aand white portrait of author Graham Greene. He wears a three piece suit and rests his elbow on a table. There are bookshelves in the background.

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (1951)

At once both immaculate & utterly human. Greene recognizes the depth in the mundane, teasing out details & expressing them w such care. He leaves the reader with a resonant ache whether one likes Maurice Bendrix or not.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

A rust coloured background with the word Paradise at an angle in a semi script font in navy blue. Below it says “a novel by Toni Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize, read by the author, unabridged”

Black-and-white portrait of Toni Morrison, an African American woman with short, curly hair, wearing a dark long-sleeve top. She rests her chin on her hand, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. The background is softly blurred.

Paradise by Toni Morrison (1997)

This literary treasure of small town morality policing & convent community care will take multiple reads to unpack. Morrison’s singular voice laces each sentence as it unfolds, each word chosen rings fresh & unexpected

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #BannedBookskyClub

A book cover showing a blonde woman with her arms crossed, wearing a black turtleneck on a white background. Large blue and white text reads: ‘Becoming Bulletproof: Life Lessons from a Secret Service Agent’ by Evy Poumpouras. Additional text notes it is read by the author and includes a quote from Gavin de Becker.

A studio portrait of Evy Poumpouras, a blonde woman with long hair styled to one side, wearing a black blazer and subtle makeup, looking directly at the camera against a light gray background.

Becoming Bulletproof by Evy Poumpouras (2020)

Idk what I was thinking really. There was good safety info but a lot felt manipulative, highly conformist & unquestioning of hierarchy or authority. V neutral like Switzerland (where the rich pdf class stashes their 💰)

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

The image shows a book cover with a white background and bold black and red text reading The Men Who Killed the News by Eric Beecher. The design features stark, oversized typography and red vertical borders on each side, with small cut-out photos of men in suits placed around the title to suggest powerful media figures. A subtitle at the bottom states that the book explores how media moguls abused their power, manipulated truth, and distorted democracy.

Portrait of author Eric Beecher. An older man with short gray hair and glasses, standing against a light gray wall. He wears a light blue button-down shirt and a wristwatch, with his arms crossed. Soft natural light falls across his face, creating gentle shadows.

The Men Who Killed the News by Eric Beecher (2024)

Starts off quite dry but does pick up. Really solidified my sense that what we have collectively decided is “a reliable source” for news just… isn’t. At all. Even remotely. Humanity is cooked if we don’t fix this.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

5. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)
6. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (1860)
7. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (2025)

(mini reviews found here: #HaecReads2026)

#BookSky #Books

(2/4)

Book cover for Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. The background is a warm orange gradient with small white speckles resembling snow. A pale, stylized leaf is centered vertically. The title and subtitle are printed in black text, with the author’s name at the bottom.

Cover art for DEFUND: BLACK LIVES, POLICING, AND SAFETY FOR ALL by Sandy Hudson. The cover is an orange to yellow gradient with bold black, yellow & white block lettering.

Colorful illustrated book cover with a textured blue background. A stylized profile of a Black woman faces upward, her head and clothing decorated with vibrant patterns in gold, red, and blue. White hand-drawn text reads “Zora Neale Hurston” at the top and “Their Eyes Were Watching God” at the bottom, with “A Novel” in smaller text.

A book cover for Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. The center shows a large black silhouette profile of a person’s head with braided hair, facing left. Inside the silhouette is the title in tall white letters: “DEATH OF THE AUTHOR,” with “A Novel” beneath it and the author’s name “Nnedi Okorafor” below. At the top is the phrase “THE FUTURE OF STORYTELLING IS HERE” and a quote from George R. R. Martin reading, “This one has it all.” The background is a repeating patterned design in teal, orange, and red that resembles circuit boards and geometric motifs, suggesting a blend of technology and African-inspired design.

January #BookSky recap! I finished 7 books.

1. Wintering by Katherine May (2020)
2. Defund by Sandy Hudson (2025)
3. The Vegetarian by Han Kang (2007)
4. A Rebel in Gaza by Asmaa Alghoul & Sélim Nassib (2016)

cont. (1/4) ⬇️

#Haecreads2026 #BookSky #Books #BannedBookSkyClub

5. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)
6. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (1860)
7. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (2025)

(mini reviews found here: #HaecReads2026)

#BookSky #Books

(2/4)

A book cover for Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. The center shows a large black silhouette profile of a person’s head with braided hair, facing left. Inside the silhouette is the title in tall white letters: “DEATH OF THE AUTHOR,” with “A Novel” beneath it and the author’s name “Nnedi Okorafor” below. At the top is the phrase “THE FUTURE OF STORYTELLING IS HERE” and a quote from George R. R. Martin reading, “This one has it all.” The background is a repeating patterned design in teal, orange, and red that resembles circuit boards and geometric motifs, suggesting a blend of technology and African-inspired design.

A black-and-white photo of author Nnedi Okorafor smiling. She is wearing glasses, earrings, and a necklace with a large shell pendant. Her hair is styled in thick locs pulled up into a bun.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (2025)

I absolutely PLOWED this. Okorafor perfectly captures how it feels to know you’re consistently a “cause for concern” to your loved ones. The sense that nobody trusts ability to perceive, to make decisions, to be human.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Audiobook cover for The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, featuring a purple and beige textured background resembling layered fabric or veils. The title appears in large white serif text, with “Performed by Ian Holm” below, and a yellow diagonal badge reading “Only from Audible.”

Painted portrait of Wilkie Collins, a 19th-century white man seated at a desk, wearing a dark jacket and white shirt. He holds a pen and looks slightly toward the viewer, with a calm, serious expression against a muted, dark background.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (1860)

In most ways a masterclass of a novel but MAN does the author seem to hate fat ppl & the chronically ill. Some dated opinions always expected in classics but this went beyond. Otherwise incredibly satisfying

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books #CancelAudible

Colorful illustrated book cover with a textured blue background. A stylized profile of a Black woman faces upward, her head and clothing decorated with vibrant patterns in gold, red, and blue. White hand-drawn text reads “Zora Neale Hurston” at the top and “Their Eyes Were Watching God” at the bottom, with “A Novel” in smaller text.

Portrait of author Zora Neale Hurston. Black-and-white historical photograph of a smiling Black woman wearing a dark coat and a brimmed hat, standing with her arms raised outward as if greeting or welcoming. A suitcase and a patterned bag sit beside her, suggesting travel. The background is plain and dark.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)

This was my top #BannedBookSkyClub read to date! I fell in love w Janie & ached as she went unseen again & again—until she found Tea Cake & was finally seen for the first time. The last 1/3 had me GLUED

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Illustrated book cover with a green background and a stylized portrait of a woman with long red hair looking to the side, set against a simplified cityscape. Text reads: “Asmaa Alghoul and Sélim Nassib — A Rebel in Gaza: A Daughter of Rafah Speaks.” Additional text says: “Read by Dina Elshinnawi.”

Portrait of author Asmaa Alghoul. A close-up selfie of a woman indoors, looking calmly at the camera. She has wavy dark hair, light makeup, and is wearing a brown textured coat with a pale pink scarf. A metal staircase and light wooden panels are visible in the background.

A Rebel in Gaza by Asmaa Alghoul & Sélim Nassib (2016)

Alghoul empties herself into these pages & none of her oppressors are spared, neither Israel, Hamas nor Fatah. But this isn’t just a diary of pain—you will also soak in her ebullient Palestinian joy✨👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Book cover for The Vegetarian by Han Kang. A white feather lies diagonally across a dark charcoal background patterned with bright pink leaf veins. The title “The Vegetarian” appears in large white capital letters, with the author’s name in pink beneath it. Additional text notes it is read by Janet Song and Stephen Park, and includes a Guardian quote calling it “An extraordinary experience.”

Portrait photograph of Han Kang. She is standing outdoors, wearing a dark coat and a thick grey knitted scarf, with her arms crossed. She has straight, shoulder-length dark hair and a neutral, serious expression. White text on the image reads: “Han Kang Is Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature.”

The Vegetarian by Han Kang (2007)

A v painful read, I could only tolerate a little at a time. The dehumanization of Yeong-hye suffocated me. Han’s storytelling is potent & political—it’s not for everyone (SA warning). Recommend it to your apathetic relatives.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Cover art for DEFUND: BLACK LIVES, POLICING, AND SAFETY FOR ALL by Sandy Hudson. The cover is an orange to yellow gradient with bold black, yellow & white block lettering.

Portrait of author Sandy Hudson. A woman stands in the middle of a busy city crosswalk with her right fist raised. She wears a black shirt and looks directly at the camera with a calm, determined expression, while blurred pedestrians move around her, emphasizing motion and contrast.

Defund by Sandy Hudson (2025)

I don’t think any reasonable person w empathy for their fellow human can, after reading this book, come to any conclusion other than that defunding the police & creating compassionate new systems oriented around prevention is the answer

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Book cover for Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. The background is a warm orange gradient with small white speckles resembling snow. A pale, stylized leaf is centered vertically. The title and subtitle are printed in black text, with the author’s name at the bottom.

A close-up portrait of a smiling person with short hair and glasses, wearing a dark coat. They are outdoors against a softly blurred, light-colored background, with a warm, approachable expression.

Wintering by Katherine May (2020)

This book is MAGIC & perfect winter prep reading for anyone in a cold climate (like me!). A breathtaking mediation on cozy hibernation for neurodivergents, chronically / ill, & anyone. I have a feeling I will return to it every fall.

#HaecReads2026 #BookSky #Books

Green and white graphic that says reading is sexy in a retro serif font and a picture of a young woman with a rounded bob and bangs in the style of the early 80s. She tips her glasses down the bridge of her nose.

Out of respect for my illness I'm only bumping my goal to 650h even tho I managed 800 this year. I never know what's around the corner for me.

I will be participating in #BannedBookSkyClub again in 2026 & I'll continue posting mini reviews for all books read at #HaecReads2026.

Happy Reading!

/end