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nightingaelic.bsky.social
✨️Night of Wands✨️
@nightingaelic.bsky.social
84 followers 220 following 430 posts
Adult, bi, very into Fallout, currently into Red Dead Redemption 2, AEW, Naruto, the evolution of feminism, my cats, and running a book club
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nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.75-star review of Collapse Feminism: The Online Battle for Feminism's Future by Alice Cappelle — Can't wait to see the section on Justin Baldoni in Cappelle's next book, now that we know he's trash
Text: Alice Cappelle's first novel serves primarily as a literary introduction to feminism and its struggles in the digital era. It's a great way to learn about things like tradwives, the manosphere, the I Don't Dream of Labor movement, heteropessimism and heterofatalism and the like, as well as a great reference for other great video essayists who made their start on YouTube like Cappelle. My main criticism is that if you are already a fan of Cappelle's video essays, you've already seen most of this book on her YouTube channel. I can't criticize her too much for that — I'd rather her work be as accessible to as many people as possible — but it does make reading the book feel a little redundant. Aside from a poorly-aged section on Justin Baldoni's work in the feminist podcasting space, there's not much new here. Cover for the book Collapse Feminism: The Online Battle for Feminism's Future by Alice Cappelle.
December 16, 2025 at 6:58 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
I have this irrational fear that if I don't return my inter-library loan on time today, the home library a state away will release an agent to track me down and snipe me from a tree stand along the route I take to go visit my in-laws for the holidays
December 15, 2025 at 3:56 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.25-star review of The Good Luck Girls (The Good Luck Girls No. 1) by Charlotte Nicole Davis — It's not "The Handmaid's Tale meets Westworld", don't believe the advertising, whoever came up with that is on my personal shit list
Text: Whoever came up with the tagline advertising this book as "The Handmaid's Tale meets Westworld" should be sent to detention. It's not really a dystopian examination of the roles foisted upon child-bearers, or an exploration of slavery through sentient robots in a sadistic, honeypot theme park. Charlotte Nicole Davis' book is about a group of young, indentured sex workers in a fantastical Wild West setting who stage an escape from their brothel, pool their talents to rob the men who used to frequent it, and make for the border and the promise of freedom. That's not to say that Davis isn't tackling heavier themes in her novel. The basic structure of inequalities created by capitalistic wealth is holding up the story. Learning to trust again after years of trauma is front and center, particularly for main character Aster. And of course, the catharsis of the Good Luck Girls taking the skills they were forced to learn for the benefit of others and turning them against their abusers is both welcome and thought-provoking. Overall though, the book feels unpolished. The wider world of Arketta isn't very fleshed out, though it has oodles of potential. Aster, Zee, and Violet get plenty of time in the spotlight, but Tansy, Mallow, and even the book's catalyst, Clementine, feel underdeveloped. I found myself wishing for the story to slow down and linger, even as I knew that it couldn't do so for very long by virtue of the girls' escape that drives the plot. I wanted more time in the world, and I didn't get it, which feels like both a compliment and a shortcoming. Cover for the book The Good Luck Girls (The Good Luck Girls No. 1) by Charlotte Nicole Davis.
December 11, 2025 at 8:23 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My workplace does an annual holiday Tour of Treats, and the standouts from this year are:

- Savory snowman made of cheese balls
- Five different takes on Oreo truffles
- Wreath of broccoli and cherry tomatoes
- Single baby carrots in dipping cups of ranch dressing
- My chocolate caramel toffee bars
December 11, 2025 at 7:49 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
‪My 3.5-star review of Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries No. 2) by Martha Wells — Can't wait to find out who they get to voice ART for the Apple TV series, because the showrunners can't figure out how else to convey the research vessel's looming, digital omnipresence
Text: Martha Wells has a wonderful talent for writing deep, thought-provoking science fiction in a way that feels like slipping on a fuzzy bathrobe. She absolutely delivers on that expectation with her second installment in Murderbot's life and times: It's a quick, cozy read all around. My main complaints are that this novella feels like a repeat of the first book, and in the moments where it strikes out on its own, it's anti-climactic. The fuzzy bathrobe may be plush and comfortable, but it's not meant for stakes-raising action and intrigue. Still, we get to see Murderbot's world expand, and I never get tired of seeing this introverted SecUnit navigate the newfound anxieties of freedom. Cover for the book Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries No. 2) by Martha Wells.
December 9, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
tappytoeclaws.bsky.social
Wisconsin is for the real lovers 😘
(Suck it Ohio)
December 9, 2025 at 12:23 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
YouTube algorithm is hardcore judging me on this fine Monday
YouTube thumbnail for Kyle Kringle's video entitled, "Why it's Immoral to Linger in Chapter 2 | Red Dead Redemption 2", featuring a picture of Arthur Morgan next to the words "MOVE ON".
December 8, 2025 at 3:18 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
I read when I bike, and I bike faster when I'm angrier, so if I really want a good workout I read exposés about corporate America, modern feminist lit about doomerism, or Sarah J. Maas
December 6, 2025 at 5:41 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
I am killing it on Teams today
Coworker: [screenshot of school lockdown warning notice] Although I'd prefer to NEVER receive the "Your kid's school is in Secure Shutdown Status" notification... I suppose a mountain lion is a decent excuse Me: Not the kind of cougar they expected at the PTA meeting
December 3, 2025 at 7:55 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 1-star review of House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City No. 1) by Sarah J. Maas — Born to write shōnen, forced to write romantasy
Text: I was tempted to rate this one higher because, despite my better judgment, I have a soft spot for urban fantasies and the messy ways they try to marry modern, technological society with elves and fairies. I should have known that this attempt by Sarah J. Maas would come off looking less like Shadowrun, and more like Bright (2017). The first book in the Crescent City series boils down to a depressed, half-fae woman named Bryce teaming up with an enslaved angel cop guy named Hunt to solve the murder of Bryce's best friend, an up-and-coming werewolf named Danika. The story can't decide if Bryce is a careless, carefree party girl or a cold, calculated strategist skilled in all forms of combat who's only using the party girl image as a facade. Hunt is an asshole for pretty much the entire book, reserving his most scathing treatment of the woman he's destined to wind up with for when she's acting particularly feminine, until suddenly he's over it and every dress she puts on is the hottest thing he's ever seen. The mystery, like the two main characters, is impossible to pin down until the plot decides it's time to reveal a new twist. Text: And still, I was willing to ignore most of this because the story was about a semi-regular woman trying to do right by her dead friend, and getting kicked around by higher powers while she attempted to make peace with a life cut short. Until suddenly, Bryce is revealed to be the key to everything. She inherited the fabled magic of the Starborn. She had an ancient fae relic tattooed onto her back without her knowing. She killed an Archangel with Chekhov's Godslayer rifle that was hanging on the wall at her workplace. She made the Drop to gain immortality with the help of Danika's ghost, and came out even more powerful than her deadbeat Fae dad, the Autumn King. Her angel boyfriend jumped out of a helicopter so he could land on top of her and shield her from a magical nuclear blast, which fried him instantly but somehow saved her. Maas doesn't want to write romantasy, she wants to write shōnen. It's not even GOOD shōnen! You can't just replace Goku with a hot redhead who has pointy ears and likes manicures, and expect it to be cohesive! Cover for the book House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City No. 1) by Sarah J. Maas.
December 2, 2025 at 4:50 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Just in time for me to go home and argue about declining birth rates at Thanksgiving dinner
leftoblique.bsky.social Dana Fried @leftoblique.bsky.social · 21d
This is an insightful but deeply upsetting article about why everyone in the US feels poor, and why the current political situation emerges as a direct result.

www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
Part 1: My Life Is a Lie
How a Broken Benchmark Quietly Broke America
www.yesigiveafig.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:25 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.25-star review of Neon Leviathan by T.R. Napper — This book taught me that Australians (and also extra-dimensional aliens) are just as into gambling as Americans
Text: As a debut book, T.R. Napper's anthology of short stories set in the same cyberpunk future triumphs more than it stumbles. Its settings feel lived-in, touchable, and its examination of a history where human memory loses all reliability before becoming a controlled resource is brilliantly claustrophobic. Napper's characters, however, feel incomplete. Some of this we can attribute to the various things their literary environment has taken from them, such as memory, purpose, opportunity, or safety, but much of it comes down to how their personalities are given a backseat while that environment and its injustices take center stage. This isn't to say that Napper can't write good characters: One of the best stories in the anthology is "The Weight of the Air, The Weight of the World," when much more time is given to the main character and the way she relates to the totalitarian regime she lives under. All in all, a decent start for this author, and I am keen to see what more he might conjure when given the time and space to do so. Cover of the book Neon Leviathan by T.R. Napper.
November 25, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
bodegacats.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 3:56 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Why are we using the word "czar" again
November 23, 2025 at 5:49 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 4.75-star review of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917–2017 by Rashid Khalidi — 🍉
Text: If something's bothering you about the way Palestine is vilified by Israel's government and its allies, Rashid Khalidi has created a very thorough starting point for anyone in need of information about how the conflict began and how it has endured. This book is a frank, disheartening description of how Zionism was co-opted by the great military and colonial powers of the day, from 1917 to 2017, to produce a nation intent on stamping out the native people of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. It understands the major players and their motivations beyond religious belief, and it details the many governments that are at fault for the oppression and genocide that continues today. The text is also packed full of references to other works, many of them from Khalidi's ancestors and relatives that were preserved in the Khalidi Library. This does lend a noticeably-privileged perspective to the history within, as it is apparent that Khalidi's family and sources came from enough wealth and power to shield them from the worst atrocities, but it does not distract from the overview of inequality that emerges when the full picture is formed. Cover for the book The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917–2017 by Rashid Khalidi.
November 21, 2025 at 5:55 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Victim complex aside, this lady and her accomplice did distressingly little to cover their tracks, I could stage a crime better than these people
'Trump whore': Congressman's aide staged her own attack, feds say
Natale Greene, a former congressional aide, is facing federal charges after she allegedly staged an elaborate politically-motivated attack on herself.
lawandcrime.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
They're like little sugary hay bales, Tyler, and I'm the horse
nathanwellman.bsky.social Nathan Wellman (Acolytes of Horror) @nathanwellman.bsky.social · 26d
Everyone else seems to have all these fantastic dreams about flying or smooching a sweetie. Meanwhile I'm over here having dreams where I'm like, explaining to some barely interested acquaintance from high school why I like Frosted Mini-Wheats
November 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.75-star review of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada — I like Frieren well enough, but why are Himmel and Heiter so gross in the flashbacks
Text: A light, airy start to an elf's journey to understand her companions too late. This opening volume has a good sense of scale, a smattering of hooks, and a warm, fantastical tone that hints at a deeper world to explore ahead. Cover for the manga Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada.
November 19, 2025 at 4:10 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
Y'all ever see a take so bad that it sends you into a late-night research frenzy in order to learn about the benefits of food security programs like SNAP
November 19, 2025 at 4:47 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.5-star review of Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson — Who the fuck is Hoid and why is he here stealing the spotlight
Text: Fans of The Princess Bride will like this one, as it pulls at many of the same heartstrings and Brandon Sanderson openly admits in his acknowledgments that his book was inspired by it. Tress is a sweet, lovable protagonist, even if she is supremely lucky beyond realism - but if she wasn't, this book wouldn't be as fun. That said, I hadn't read any of Sanderson's other works when I started this, so the narration being handled by a judgmental wizard of renown from outside Tress's world who becomes a MacGuffin that saves the day in the end was a strange decision. I'm sure Hoid is a great important somebody elsewhere in the Cosmere, but he's a baffling point of view for a newcomer to this setting, and a wild narrator for a cozy little story about a girl becoming a pirate who can literally manipulate the seas. I almost don't want to recommend this to anyone else unless I know they've read more from the same literary universe. However, I admit that I'm a bit older than the target audience, and younger readers probably won't mind Hoid's silly asides - they may even see him as a hook into a larger world. Cover for the book Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson.
November 18, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
usedpizza.bsky.social
losing my mind over youtube's suggested reply for this comment
youtube suggesting i reply to a comment with "i miss my ffamily"
November 17, 2025 at 3:50 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 2-star review of Cold War Wisconsin by Christopher Sturdevant — I went to a meet-and-greet for this author and he spent half the presentation talking about competing in the 2015 Pyongyang Marathon, which is admirable but not super helpful if you're trying to write a Fallout TTRPG campaign
Text: Informative, if a little dry. I was hoping for some more details in Chris Sturdevant's book about day-to-day life and how it affected the people of Wisconsin, but he chose to focus on the individuals (and military machines) who left the state or traveled to the state or resided within the state to mark the 44 years of geopolitical tension. More of a tour through the highlights of Wisconsin's contributions than an immersion in the world of Cold War America. Cover for the book Cold War Wisconsin by Christopher Sturdevant.
November 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
With a taste of a poison paradise
November 16, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Reposted by ✨️Night of Wands✨️
alartton.bsky.social
he's back
December 20, 2024 at 2:36 AM
nightingaelic.bsky.social
My 3.75-star review of The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley — Gripping, flawed, and squishy, just like a... no, I shan't say
Text: The first, and most obvious, adjective to describe Kameron Hurley's space epic is "visceral," and it's no wonder that critics have leapt to use it. This novel does not shy away from layering blood on top of desire on top of mucus on top of betrayal on top of entrails on top of ecological collapse on top of unidentifiable, cancerous goop. Main characters Zan and Jayd have to claw and crawl their way through fleshy landscapes, gut-wrenching space battles, sticky sex, and political intrigue toward an unknown, uncertain future. It's an odyssey in tandem: The women trade the spotlight, and the reader squirms and cheers and internally debates which of the two has the worst of the whole affair. Also? No men whatsoever. The second adjective I would apply to the story is "insufficient." Zan and Jayd's mysterious, taxing journeys build to a final reveal that does not meet the moment of triumph at all. It feels completely removed from the mountains the characters climbed, lacking in both context and weight. What could have been clues about the setting are instead packaged into exposition, telling us about the cool things that happened to lead up to this novel rather than showing them. Obviously, this is completely fixable. Hurley just has to write another book explaining why the tentacle planets are developing cancer, how the Mokshi managed to break away from the Legion, and how Zan and Jayd met and became inextricably linked in the first place. But perhaps those mysteries will remain mysteries, floating among the fleshy stars. Cover for the book The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley.
November 13, 2025 at 9:23 PM