Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David

@bluebookballoon.bsky.social

2.2K followers 1K following 3.3K posts

Oxford, UK. When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? No pasarán. He/him. https://bluebookballoon.blogspot.com

bluebookballoon.blogspot.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 5d

Happy publication day to
@writtenbythea.bsky.social for #romance The Second Chance Cinema, from @harpercollins.bsky.social. A #magic midnight cinema? A couple with unacknowledged second thoughts? A chance to make it all right? A beautiful read? Yes! bluebookballoon.blogspot.com/2025/10/revi...

Review - The Second Chance Cinema by Thea Weiss

The Second Chance Cinema Thea Weiss HarperCollins, 7 October 2025 Available as: PB, 320pp, audio, e Source: Advance copy ISBN(PB): 978000876...

bluebookballoon.blogspot.com

8 5

Reposted by David

Fantasy Book Nerd @fantasybooknerd.bsky.social · 1d

NEW REVIEW: Afternoon folks! Running a bit late today, but today I join the Blog Tour for Ringlander: Fallen Stars by Michael S. Jackson @mikestepjack.bsky.social, the second book of his Ringlander Series.

www.fantasybooknerd.com/2025/10/book...

BOOK REVIEW | RINGLANDER: FALLEN SHARDS | MICHAEL S. JACKSON

www.fantasybooknerd.com

5 7

Reposted by David

@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 2h

Over £3,000! Yes! Who wants to hear of Welsh myths coming back to life to save us. We may even wake up Arthur is the need is desperate enough. If you haven't please back it as there is still 40% to go.

Wizard's Tower Press @wtpress.bsky.social · 2h

It being a Sunday, there's no update today. Things are quiet as usual. But we do want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has got us over the £3000 mark. Everyone else, why not click the link and find out more. www.kickstarter.com/...

The cover of They Are Still Here (Mae Nhw Yma O Hyd).

The image is of the sorceror, Gwydion, surrounded by wild animals (wolf, boar, deer) in a Celtic knotwork frame. Gwydion's hat is crowned with antlers. He carries an axe in his right hand and an oak twig in his left.

Art by Josh Arklin.

3 3

Reposted by David

Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 7h

“I’m old enough to remember when mainstream British politicians, who should know better, stirred up racial hatred as a path to power. You’re old enough to remember too because it was last Tuesday. And it was Robert Jenrick”

Cathartic anger at flag-flying racism.

www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...

Stewart Lee: The thugs have taken my flag. So I’ve taken theirs

What do you do with a lot of cheap banners hanging from motorway bridges once you’ve torn them down?

www.thenerve.news

48 590 1.6K

Reposted by David

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 7h

My local bookshop @allgoodbookshop.co.uk has sold 35 copies of The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder - crikey!! They sell my signed copies. It's also in the Quaker Book Centre, Euston Rd, London.

Check out this "astonishing feat" "absolute perfection" "fun read" of a novel

#books #bookshop #crime

A book cover surrounded by the following aspects in matching Victorian lettering - spooky / Vicious Baronet / Spiritualist Scammers/ Hidden Crimes / older grumpy sapphics / snarky dock-lass/ twisty mystery / Lady in Danger/Queer Found Family
The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder by Stephen Cox
A striking book cover with the title and author name dominating.
A rich dark blue background, and a touch of mist. The text appears in gold in a gold rectangular frame, the font is old fashioned implying C19th century. The frame has three rondels or cameos each containing a picture. Top right is a golden bee brooch with the body and one wing streaked with red blood. Middle left is foxgloves, spires of small bell flowers in pink, white and purple. Bottom right is a dark brown medicine bottle, with a pale label. The word LAUDANUM is just visible.
There are pink highlights on some of the letters.
Taken together it is bold, mysterious, and Victorian.

1 3 3

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 7h

Good morning Womble and I hope all is well in the Burrow. I’m reading Secrets of the First School by T L Huchu - how will this brilliant sequence of books end?

1 5

Reposted by David

Runalong Womble @runalongwomble.bsky.social · 8h

Good Morning Blue Sky! Hope you’re all ok? Today I’m in a novella mood and first up I’m finishing The Cold House by AG Slatter for a great taste of modern horror. What are you reading at the moment?

88 10 64

Reposted by David

Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 12h

found exactly the one use of “evil recoils in the presence of Christ” I am willing to sign off on, HOOOOOOOOLY SHIT

Father Larry did not come here to fuck around

Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 19h

Chicago priest Fr. Larry Dowling describes procession to ICE facility: “No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ.”

23 840 3.3K

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 21h

Got an email this week at work about copilot training. It stressed that one won’t be issued a license for the thing until one has done the training. Suits me fine.

Reposted by David

Alex Blechman @alexblechman.bsky.social · 21h

Every once in a while a group of 10-15 tourists vanish without a trace in the Paris Catacombs and then afterward the Eiffel Tower is a few feet taller

13 110 500

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 21h

Please, spare me from pictures of Little Lord Haw-Haw.

(The one on the right though is fine).

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 22h

Had this problem when we moved house and I was carrying boxes a lot. The cardboard shredded my fingerprints. It took about a month for them to come back. (There’s probably a crime story somewhere is this).

Paul McAuley @unlikelyworlds.bsky.social · 22h

Spent the morning sandpapering cracked paint from old window frames and now my iPad doesn’t recognise my fingerprint.

1 4

Reposted by David

Philip Purser-Hallard @purserhallard.com · 1d

It occurs to me that the Doctor's polyethnic identity in recent times recontextualises Peter Davison's casting in quite an interesting way.
(For context, although you'd be unlikely to guess it by looking at him, Davison's paternal family is Guyanese. He has close relatives who are visibly Black.)

Peter Davison, a fair-skinned blond man, as the fifth Doctor, circa 1982.

10 99 320

Reposted by David

Runalong Womble @runalongwomble.bsky.social · 1d

And last for now

Runalong Womble @runalongwomble.bsky.social · 1d

New Wombling Along - you deserve your weekend so feet up and let me share some reviews, articles and conkers - www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/10...

Wombling Along — Runalong The Shelves

Helloooo! Hope you survived stormy weekend and whatever the week blew at you. It’s been a quiet week and things are going ok and sometimes that’s just nice. I can see soon a week off, World Fantasy C...

www.runalongtheshelves.net

2 7

Reposted by David

Runalong Womble @runalongwomble.bsky.social · 1d

New Review - today I’m on the blog tour for #AllThatWeSeeOrSeem by Ken Liu which is a science fiction thriller that also has a lot to say about the world we are entering soon. Strongly recommended and huge thanks to @headofzeus.bsky.social www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/10...

All The We See or Seem by Ken Liu — Runalong The Shelves

I would like to thank Head of Zeus for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review Publisher – Head of Zeus Published – Out Now Price – £20 hardback £6.02 ebook ...

www.runalongtheshelves.net

2 8 10

Reposted by David

Charlie Stross @cstross.bsky.social · 1d

Incidentally, "in 2020, Earth was taken over by a consortium of Bond villains" works PERFECTLY as an explanation for our current situation. Doesn't it?

25 18 170

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 1d

Yes (though, they don’t have the style, wit, vision or indeed genius of the classic Bond villain. A poor gang of third raters).

1 5

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 1d

Do I detect the note of sad experience here?

Reposted by David

Girl’s Own advice @girlsown.bsky.social · 1d

We are sorry to hear you have failed to pass your examination, and can only advise you to try again. We do not at all agree with your idea that “the only thing that can be done for you is to run away to London and try to get on the stage” nor do we see how that would help you.

10 13 56

Reposted by David

Girl’s Own advice @girlsown.bsky.social · 1d

And thanks to you all, up to the 1,000 followers mark, just need another 32,000 to equal the old days in the other place now!

7 11 40

Reposted by David

Paul Cornell @paulcornell.bsky.social · 1d

I've put a 1973 Countdown Annual up on ebay, starting at 99p! Doctor Who comic strip, UFO Interceptor cutaway. Do have a look! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/33622767...

3 4 22

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 1d

Tonight’s #HIGNFY suggesting that MPs are unacquainted with Gregg’s rather ignores there being a branch in Westminster tube station…

Reposted by David

W&S_BOOKCLUB @wsbookclub.bsky.social · 2d

I read How to Survive a Fairy Bargain by Laura J. Mayo.

What did I think?

"How to Survive a Fairy Bargain is fast-paced fun, a book with a little silliness and a whole lot of heart."

@orbitbooks.bsky.social #bookloggers #booksky #bookreview

Book Review: How to Survive a Fairy Bargain (Fairies and Familiars Book Two) by Laura J. Mayo

Theodosia’s already survived being the evil stepsister in one fairy tale, but surviving fae bargains, fairy rings, and being turned into a hedgehog will be a whole new challenge in this hilarious s…

wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog

9 9

David @bluebookballoon.bsky.social · 1d

There are two images of horror that stick with me from the series. The jeering, grotesque, legions of evil mocking Aslan before killing him in LWWW and the fake Aslan in Last Battle. They both touch something.

Reposted by David

Fantasy Book Nerd @fantasybooknerd.bsky.social · 1d

Over on GNOH there are some guest reviews today. The first is by Colleen Anderson who reviews Those that Pursue us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward

Ginger Nuts of Horror @gnofhorror.com · 2d

Today, we have two special guest reviews on GNoH.

First up Colleen Anderson reviews Those that Pursue Us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward

"It’s a well calculated journey into two women’s beliefs and perspectives,"

gnofhorror.com/those-that-p...

@kylaw.bsky.social

Those That Pursue Us Yet By Kyla Lee Ward: Surreal Horror & Dreams - The Ginger Nuts Of Horror Review Website

Those That Pursue Us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward A lucid dreamer is hunted by the nightmare god Phobetor a surreal tale blurs reality & dream

gnofhorror.com

1 4

Reposted by David

Fantasy Book Nerd @fantasybooknerd.bsky.social · 1d

And the second guest review is from Andreas Giesbert, who reviews Thin is The Skin by P. J. Burgy

Ginger Nuts of Horror @gnofhorror.com · 2d

And

Andreas Giesbert reviews Thin is the Skin by P.J. Burgy

"It is not only extraordinarily well written, but also something more than “just” entertaining fiction."

gnofhorror.com/thin-is-the-...

Thin Is The Skin By P.J. Burgy: A Valley Of Subdermal Horror - The Ginger Nuts Of Horror Review Website

Thin is the Skin by P.J. Burgy: A Valley of Subdermal Horror check out our latest horror book review

gnofhorror.com

1 5