Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Gabriella Buba - Preorder Daughters of Flood and Fury @gabriellabuba.bsky.social · Sep 6

Quick Rose City Comicon photo dump!!!
Sidekicks and side quests moderated by @readingismagical.bsky.social with @tkingfisher.com and Terry Brooks and the lovely @rmgilligan.bsky.social and @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social was such a cool discussion!

1 1 8

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Sep 5

i legit get overwhelmed thinking about it 😭💖🥹

1 2

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

you’ve been poisoned @spookyfox.bsky.social · Aug 29

Not a corporate shill, but it’s hard to put into words the impact of seeing a display of @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social’s Cemetery Boys - with its trans, gay, Latino protagonist - as the YA pick of the month at Barnes and Noble in my red state yesterday. 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈💗

Photograph of a small round table inside the American bookstore Barnes and Noble with a sign celebrating “Our Monthly Young Adult Pick: Cemetery Boys (by) Aiden Thomas.” Smaller white text below contains a blurb by K. Ancrum, author of The Wicker King: “A story much bigger than the paper that binds it, Cemetery Boys is the tender intricacy we have all been waiting for."
Stacks of the book surround the sign on both sides.

2 8 47

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Nicole Zelniker @nicolezelniker.bsky.social · Sep 3

Queer books from our giveaway! Check out my 📌 on IG for details.

Thanks to @transhorrors.bsky.social, @tqsims.bsky.social, @xvictoriawrites.bsky.social, @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social, @nghivo.bsky.social @zefrrr.bsky.social, @sophieburnham.bsky.social, @clmontblanc.bsky.social & more for your books!

3 8

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Multnomah County Library @multcolib.bsky.social · Sep 4

Try Cemetery Boys by @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social if you want to read "LGBTQ books for spooky season." #AskALibrarian

Cemetery Boys — Multnomah County Library

Cemetery Boys — Thomas, Aiden, — Yadriel, a trans boy, summons the angry spirit of his high school's bad boy, and agrees to help him learn how he died, thereby proving himself a brujo, not a bruja, to...

multcolib.bibliocommons.com

1 4 10

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 23

here’s my appearances on Velshi’s banned Book Club on MSNBC this morning! 🤩

Ali Velshi @velshi.com · Aug 23

Why is fantasy such an important and popular genre? “Cemetery Boys” author @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social says when “we’re talking about heavy stuff [...] it eases it a little bit with a little magic and mystery and mayhem.” #Velshilass="text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400">#VelshiBannedBookClub #Velshi
www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/w...

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Cemetery Boys’ by Aiden Thomas

A deft exploration of identity, self-acceptance, and the power of first love, “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas is a masterclass in why fantasy isn’t just such a popular genre, but why it is used so often to explore complex topics. When exploring a nuanced and complicated topic like transgender identity and understanding, fantasy helps make it more tangible to readers. “We’re talking about heavy stuff,” says Thomas, “I’m always going to ease it a little bit with a little magic and mystery.”

www.msnbc.com

1 3 27

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Velshi Banned Book Club @velshibbc.bsky.social · Aug 23

Why is fantasy such an important and popular genre? “Cemetery Boys” author @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social says when “we’re talking about heavy stuff [...] it eases it a little bit with a little magic and mystery and mayhem.” #Velshilass="text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400">#VelshiBannedBookClub #Velshi
www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/w...

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Cemetery Boys’ by Aiden Thomas

A deft exploration of identity, self-acceptance, and the power of first love, “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas is a masterclass in why fantasy isn’t just such a popular genre, but why it is used so often to explore complex topics. When exploring a nuanced and complicated topic like transgender identity and understanding, fantasy helps make it more tangible to readers. “We’re talking about heavy stuff,” says Thomas, “I’m always going to ease it a little bit with a little magic and mystery.”

www.msnbc.com

1 8 31

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Ali Velshi @velshi.com · Aug 23

Why is fantasy such an important and popular genre? “Cemetery Boys” author @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social says when “we’re talking about heavy stuff [...] it eases it a little bit with a little magic and mystery and mayhem.” #Velshilass="text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400">#VelshiBannedBookClub #Velshi
www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/w...

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Cemetery Boys’ by Aiden Thomas

A deft exploration of identity, self-acceptance, and the power of first love, “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas is a masterclass in why fantasy isn’t just such a popular genre, but why it is used so often to explore complex topics. When exploring a nuanced and complicated topic like transgender identity and understanding, fantasy helps make it more tangible to readers. “We’re talking about heavy stuff,” says Thomas, “I’m always going to ease it a little bit with a little magic and mystery.”

www.msnbc.com

1 13 71

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 22

IM VERY EXCITED!

1

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 22

FRIENDS! tomorrow i’ll be on @msnbc.com for the @alivelshinews.bsky.social Banned Book Club to talk about “Cemetery Boys”, it’s 5 year anniversary, and the new paperback!

this is a HUGE deal and it’d mean a lot to me if you tuned in! my segment will start at 11:45 am ET / 8:45 am PT!

2 5 28

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Nicole Zelniker @nicolezelniker.bsky.social · Aug 19

Just some of the books from next month’s massive giveaway for 🇵🇸 on Instagram! Check out my IG (same name) for rules.

Thanks to @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social, @lisellesambury.bsky.social, @camrikohler.bsky.social, @sarahgailey.bsky.social, @literarydesiree.bsky.social, and more for donating!

3 8

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 18

FRIENDS! the KidLit4CeaseFire, We The People auction is now live!!

you can bid on signed/personalized copies of "Cemetery Boys" and "The Sunbearer Trials", along with other amazing items and services!

check them out here! www.32auctions.com/organization...

1 11 20

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Grigory Lukin ✨️is on sub✨️ @grigorylukin.bsky.social · Aug 17

Seattle Worldcon has asked for feedback on their Discord. I have obliged:

A screenshot of my post on Discord. It reads:
Don't giggle when encountering a
nominee's unusual foreign name during their once-in-a-lifetime awards ceremony.

Pause. Or ask for advice. Or take 30 extra seconds to look up the pronunciation guide. Or hey, maybe rehearse how to pronounce names as much as you rehearsed that song.

But do not goddamn giggle.

That is unacceptable and is against the very idea of diversity. Do you want an award ceremony full of only Johns and Janes. Because that's how you get an award ceremony full of only Johns and Janes.

2 11 83

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Miri Baker @miribaker.bsky.social · Aug 17

This is such an inexcusable error. When you're running something like this, you HAVE to honor the fact that this might be the most important night of someone's life.

Do better.

1 1 25

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

Meg Frank @peripateticmeg.bsky.social · Aug 17

As respectfully as possible, if you are a Hugo MC it is your actual job to make sure you have the pronunciations of the people you are celebrating down. If you don’t get given a list from Worldcon you need to make your own or demand one in time to learn.

This is egregious.

18 74 530

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

so much ick, Xoch!! 😖

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

publishing makes us believe that in order to matter — to “make it” and been taken seriously as an author — we HAVE to cater to the people running an award to get a nomination, to then only to be treated with disrespect once we finally DO make it.

1 1 24

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

I KNOW THIS AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT.

1 2

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

AND there was no pronunciation guide given to the presenters for Darcie Little Badger’s title “Sheine Lende” 🫠

1 1 30

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

i literally said “nominate BIPOC but rarely win”

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

source: pen.org/a-censorship...

A Censorship Tale Ensnares a Prestigious Book Prize - PEN America

The CCP’s censorship system transforms the people who should be the greatest defenders of creative freedom into accomplices of censorship.

pen.org

1

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

WHY are we still holding the #HugoAwards on some pedestal when we KNOW they censored Xiran Jay Zhao from the Lodestar list because the execs wanted to go to China?? or the fact that they nominate BIPOC but rarely win?? and then treated Kamilah Cole this way??

HUGO AWARDS DONT GIVE AF ABOUT BIPOC.

Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · Aug 17

Hey, I have had a largely great experience at Worldcon, but the #Hugos owe @wordsiren.bsky.social an apology for forgetting to include her in the announced Lodestar nominees during the award ceremony. Kamilah deserved celebration, not this blatant disrespect.

2 19 80

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!

1

Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸 @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social · Aug 17

i’m so glad you liked it!!

1

Reposted by Aiden Thomas 🇵🇸

KaoticKai @kaotickai.bsky.social · Aug 16

Helloooo!! I finished Celestial Monsters and OH MY WORD THIS SERIES WAS SO GOOD I would definitely recommend! @aidenschmaiden.bsky.social is SUCH A GOOD WRITER

I'm definitely taking notes for how plot development, Character arcs, and world building was executed

#sunbearertrials #book #art #queer

1 1 11