It’s time for another round of things on my recent radar which I think are worth sharing! It’s short because January has been so long, but it ends with a bunch of books to absolutely have on your radar.

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Listen, if a true crime author whose books I constantly recommend throws up a red flag for a new true crime podcast hosted by a celebrated mystery author, I’m gonna drop everything and read his “take down”: Michael Connelly Should Stick To Fake Crime by Elon Green at Defector.

Ps: if you still haven’t read Last Call and The Man Nobody Killed you should.

Make Your Own Lego Mini Figure!

This would make a super cute Valentine’s Day gift (and also birthday, parent’s day).

The energy I want in everything right now.

This is from November—I’m catching up on my reading— but nothing has changed and I felt a lot of this in my soul.

“More importantly, I have seen people use the internet and social media to respond to the material needs of our planet in ways that move me beyond words and that are worth ten thousand lost book blogs. The problem is that the people who own these tools want to keep us from using their inventions in joyful and anarchic ways. In the most profound and basic sense, the engineers of our current situation, cultural and otherwise, are our enemies. They want to make money from us, not build a better world. They take the things we make and use them to replace the makers.” List and Shout by Lydia Kiesling via The Baffler

Don’t need deets, I want it

Taylor Zakhar Perez Teases Ali Hazelwood Adaptation: 'Really Excited About It' via People

There are SO many ways to help.

• Publishing for Minnesota: Live Auction (ends January 30th, 11:45 PM EST)

• Massive directory for orgs you can help at Stand With Minnesota

• Haven Watch MN – Support at the gate, care beyond it

• Take action against ICE: A comprehensive guide.

And finally, Some Recently Acquired Galleys I’m Excited to Read

Adult Braces by Lindy West (March): I love her essay collections, which are always the best combo of hilarious and smart take-downs, but even if I didn’t the trailer for this book = SOLD!

Espíritu (Cemetery Boys #2) by Aiden Thomas (September): The sequel to Cemetery Boys!

The Sleeping Sisters by Jennifer Givhan (August): I have enjoyed her last two books, I am obsessed with this cover.

Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan (June): YA novel in verse!

Holy Boy by Lee Heejoy, Joheun Lee (Translator) (February): I love reading Korean and Japanese crime novels as they usually have a big focus on their society and use the crime/mystery aspect as a way of shining a light on problems. In this case 4 Korean women kidnap a K-Pop idol.

The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes (August): I still shudder when I think about Montes’ thriller (which was actual straight horror to me), Perfect Days.

Recently Prebought Graphic Novels I Can’t Wait To Read

House of Harkness (A Marvel Scarlet Witch Graphic Novel) by Preeti Chhibber (July): Preeti Chhibber is an automatic buy and I’m always down for witches!

Lore Olympus: Volume Ten by Rachel Smythe (June): I remain obsessed with this reimagined, slow burn love story of Hades and Persephone.

Front Desk The Graphic Novel by Kelly Yang, Fumio Obata (Illustrator) (October): I love, love, love Kelly Yang’s Front Desk book series so it being adapted into a graphic novel is super exciting.

Heartstopper #6 by Alice Oseman (July): Bittersweet that this series is coming to an end but glad to have a completed story.

That’s it for now! I hope wherever you are you’re safe and warm.