Cass McLean
@barredandbeloved.bsky.social
FND | BPD | ASD.
actual werewolf. xxxv.
ink drinker. page eater. library rat.
reading. writing. wrestle with your existence.
More about DRIVE: https://shorturl.at/e6OTf
actual werewolf. xxxv.
ink drinker. page eater. library rat.
reading. writing. wrestle with your existence.
More about DRIVE: https://shorturl.at/e6OTf
Pinned
Cass McLean
@barredandbeloved.bsky.social
· Jan 20
When I had to reclaim my ability to read I was reading whatever I could focus on and that led to a few years of wild variety as I got reacclimated to my own taste in books. But I came up with a rating system that helped me make recs to my friends and I think it's pretty neat.
Not me reaching for one of my old favorite books because I'm stressed out and it makes me feel better.
Thanks Jacqueline Carey 💙
Thanks Jacqueline Carey 💙
January 28, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Not me reaching for one of my old favorite books because I'm stressed out and it makes me feel better.
Thanks Jacqueline Carey 💙
Thanks Jacqueline Carey 💙
Reposted by Cass McLean
Black indie authors to support!
List in comments cos alt text isn’t working for videos.
#booksky #blackbooksky
List in comments cos alt text isn’t working for videos.
#booksky #blackbooksky
January 26, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Black indie authors to support!
List in comments cos alt text isn’t working for videos.
#booksky #blackbooksky
List in comments cos alt text isn’t working for videos.
#booksky #blackbooksky
I live in North Florida and it's supposed to snow today and I'm like a kid in a candy store.
January 21, 2025 at 8:21 PM
I live in North Florida and it's supposed to snow today and I'm like a kid in a candy store.
Reposted by Cass McLean
When you’re quoting Tolkien, this is what you’re saying, whether you know it or not.
I borrow a lot of strength from this idea. It’s also not at odds with feeling upset.
I borrow a lot of strength from this idea. It’s also not at odds with feeling upset.
I think there’s a lot to the Catholic framing of despair as a sin, and it’s because despair in the face of darkness and violence and oppression is a form of capitulation to it
People need you, when you despair you are giving up on them
People need you, when you despair you are giving up on them
They want you to give up, to check out, to drown in misery and nihilism. They want you to believe they are inevitable. They want you to believe that nothing matters, nothing can be done, and only naive fools think there’s any point in fighting or anything worth fighting for
January 20, 2025 at 11:29 PM
When you’re quoting Tolkien, this is what you’re saying, whether you know it or not.
I borrow a lot of strength from this idea. It’s also not at odds with feeling upset.
I borrow a lot of strength from this idea. It’s also not at odds with feeling upset.
Reposted by Cass McLean
Reposted by Cass McLean
A book about a perimenipausal woman who tries to be unremarkable, tries to be Good, but is having urges and seeing things. She moves home and questions asked, weird experiences, killings. An exploration of middle aged, misogyny, internal and external, wrapped in a horror book. Enjoyed.
January 20, 2025 at 11:26 PM
A book about a perimenipausal woman who tries to be unremarkable, tries to be Good, but is having urges and seeing things. She moves home and questions asked, weird experiences, killings. An exploration of middle aged, misogyny, internal and external, wrapped in a horror book. Enjoyed.
Reposted by Cass McLean
In case knowing a little about my views is important to you:
- 🖕Donald Trump
- Free Palestine
- Trans Rights are Human Rights
- Reading is Political 📖
- 🖕Donald Trump
- Free Palestine
- Trans Rights are Human Rights
- Reading is Political 📖
January 21, 2025 at 1:41 AM
In case knowing a little about my views is important to you:
- 🖕Donald Trump
- Free Palestine
- Trans Rights are Human Rights
- Reading is Political 📖
- 🖕Donald Trump
- Free Palestine
- Trans Rights are Human Rights
- Reading is Political 📖
Reposted by Cass McLean
Black YA fantasy book rec of the day
Magic users in Orisha are oppressed by a ruthless king. One teenage girl sets out on a quest to defy the regime and restore magic to her people, no matter the odds.
A tale of resistance inspired by West African mythology & Yoruba culture.
#booksky #blackbooksky
Magic users in Orisha are oppressed by a ruthless king. One teenage girl sets out on a quest to defy the regime and restore magic to her people, no matter the odds.
A tale of resistance inspired by West African mythology & Yoruba culture.
#booksky #blackbooksky
January 20, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Black YA fantasy book rec of the day
Magic users in Orisha are oppressed by a ruthless king. One teenage girl sets out on a quest to defy the regime and restore magic to her people, no matter the odds.
A tale of resistance inspired by West African mythology & Yoruba culture.
#booksky #blackbooksky
Magic users in Orisha are oppressed by a ruthless king. One teenage girl sets out on a quest to defy the regime and restore magic to her people, no matter the odds.
A tale of resistance inspired by West African mythology & Yoruba culture.
#booksky #blackbooksky
'"Too many words,” said Gideon confidentially. “How about these: One flesh, one end, bitch."'
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
⭐⭐⭐⭐
DRIVE Rating: 3
D: 4
R: 1
I: 1
V: 4
E: 3
Bad-tempered, fast-talking lesbian sci-fi? Sign me up. Add in some theology and political intrigue and I'm sold. 💙📚 #booksky
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
⭐⭐⭐⭐
DRIVE Rating: 3
D: 4
R: 1
I: 1
V: 4
E: 3
Bad-tempered, fast-talking lesbian sci-fi? Sign me up. Add in some theology and political intrigue and I'm sold. 💙📚 #booksky
January 21, 2025 at 1:42 AM
'"Too many words,” said Gideon confidentially. “How about these: One flesh, one end, bitch."'
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
⭐⭐⭐⭐
DRIVE Rating: 3
D: 4
R: 1
I: 1
V: 4
E: 3
Bad-tempered, fast-talking lesbian sci-fi? Sign me up. Add in some theology and political intrigue and I'm sold. 💙📚 #booksky
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
⭐⭐⭐⭐
DRIVE Rating: 3
D: 4
R: 1
I: 1
V: 4
E: 3
Bad-tempered, fast-talking lesbian sci-fi? Sign me up. Add in some theology and political intrigue and I'm sold. 💙📚 #booksky
I don't know if Tamsyn Muir intentionally put this Dune nod in Nona the Ninth, but I am choosing to believe that she put this Dune nod in here on purpose. #booksky
January 20, 2025 at 8:52 AM
I don't know if Tamsyn Muir intentionally put this Dune nod in Nona the Ninth, but I am choosing to believe that she put this Dune nod in here on purpose. #booksky
Reposted by Cass McLean
Make sure you use your library cards. Check out books by Black authors, indigenous authors, queer authors and other marginalized communities.
Also, ask your local library to buy more titles by marginalized folks. We often buy those requests.
Use Libby! A lot!
#booktok #booksky
Also, ask your local library to buy more titles by marginalized folks. We often buy those requests.
Use Libby! A lot!
#booktok #booksky
January 19, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Cass McLean
4 women involved with forensics or crime. Frances Glessner Lee, who created the Nutshell miniature crime scenes; Alisa Starman who finagled her way into Sharon Tate's family; Lorri Davis, who fought for West Memphis 3 & married 1; Lindsay Souvannarath, would be mass killer. A clean, thoughtful read.
January 20, 2025 at 3:35 AM
4 women involved with forensics or crime. Frances Glessner Lee, who created the Nutshell miniature crime scenes; Alisa Starman who finagled her way into Sharon Tate's family; Lorri Davis, who fought for West Memphis 3 & married 1; Lindsay Souvannarath, would be mass killer. A clean, thoughtful read.
Like the absolute beast that I am, I didn't tag this so hopefully #booksky catches this one. ❤️
When I had to reclaim my ability to read I was reading whatever I could focus on and that led to a few years of wild variety as I got reacclimated to my own taste in books. But I came up with a rating system that helped me make recs to my friends and I think it's pretty neat.
January 20, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Like the absolute beast that I am, I didn't tag this so hopefully #booksky catches this one. ❤️
When I had to reclaim my ability to read I was reading whatever I could focus on and that led to a few years of wild variety as I got reacclimated to my own taste in books. But I came up with a rating system that helped me make recs to my friends and I think it's pretty neat.
January 20, 2025 at 3:37 AM
When I had to reclaim my ability to read I was reading whatever I could focus on and that led to a few years of wild variety as I got reacclimated to my own taste in books. But I came up with a rating system that helped me make recs to my friends and I think it's pretty neat.
Trying to get settled to try to finish reading Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.
This has been a rollercoaster. I'm exhausted but have enjoyed every minute. Even if I keep finding myself shouting at the book. #booksky
This has been a rollercoaster. I'm exhausted but have enjoyed every minute. Even if I keep finding myself shouting at the book. #booksky
January 20, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Trying to get settled to try to finish reading Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.
This has been a rollercoaster. I'm exhausted but have enjoyed every minute. Even if I keep finding myself shouting at the book. #booksky
This has been a rollercoaster. I'm exhausted but have enjoyed every minute. Even if I keep finding myself shouting at the book. #booksky
"Stop traumatizing yourself." -Me to the character that I'm writing who's supposed to be a representation of C-PTSD and how it affects someone.
I just wish she'd stay on the path I gave her and not make it worse. 🤣😭
I just wish she'd stay on the path I gave her and not make it worse. 🤣😭
January 19, 2025 at 6:34 PM
"Stop traumatizing yourself." -Me to the character that I'm writing who's supposed to be a representation of C-PTSD and how it affects someone.
I just wish she'd stay on the path I gave her and not make it worse. 🤣😭
I just wish she'd stay on the path I gave her and not make it worse. 🤣😭
The problem with chewing on a story and it's world building for a decade is that now I've created a Tolkien level universe to write in and have to keep breaking open the lore to fact check myself on my own bloody universe.
Congratulations to myself I guess. #booksky
Congratulations to myself I guess. #booksky
January 19, 2025 at 5:45 PM
The problem with chewing on a story and it's world building for a decade is that now I've created a Tolkien level universe to write in and have to keep breaking open the lore to fact check myself on my own bloody universe.
Congratulations to myself I guess. #booksky
Congratulations to myself I guess. #booksky
Reposted by Cass McLean
Ok #booksky, let’s talk.
👎🏼Goodreads, owned by Amazon, fuels its monopoly on books.
👍🏼StoryGraph, a Black woman-owned platform, offers an ethical, ad-free alternative with mood-based recommendations, user control over data, and a focus on inclusivity. Support diversity over corporate power!
👎🏼Goodreads, owned by Amazon, fuels its monopoly on books.
👍🏼StoryGraph, a Black woman-owned platform, offers an ethical, ad-free alternative with mood-based recommendations, user control over data, and a focus on inclusivity. Support diversity over corporate power!
January 19, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Ok #booksky, let’s talk.
👎🏼Goodreads, owned by Amazon, fuels its monopoly on books.
👍🏼StoryGraph, a Black woman-owned platform, offers an ethical, ad-free alternative with mood-based recommendations, user control over data, and a focus on inclusivity. Support diversity over corporate power!
👎🏼Goodreads, owned by Amazon, fuels its monopoly on books.
👍🏼StoryGraph, a Black woman-owned platform, offers an ethical, ad-free alternative with mood-based recommendations, user control over data, and a focus on inclusivity. Support diversity over corporate power!
It's as good a time as any to actually participate in #booksky
I'm Cass, I stopped reading after a neurological failure made it impossible in 2016. I had to relearn the skill.
In 2024 I read 93 books.
In 2025 I'm shooting for 100.
Got any recs? 🐺
I'm Cass, I stopped reading after a neurological failure made it impossible in 2016. I had to relearn the skill.
In 2024 I read 93 books.
In 2025 I'm shooting for 100.
Got any recs? 🐺
January 19, 2025 at 6:31 AM
It's as good a time as any to actually participate in #booksky
I'm Cass, I stopped reading after a neurological failure made it impossible in 2016. I had to relearn the skill.
In 2024 I read 93 books.
In 2025 I'm shooting for 100.
Got any recs? 🐺
I'm Cass, I stopped reading after a neurological failure made it impossible in 2016. I had to relearn the skill.
In 2024 I read 93 books.
In 2025 I'm shooting for 100.
Got any recs? 🐺
Reposted by Cass McLean
should art ever be destroyed? a debate in the RA magazine in which I argue, carefully, that to make it inviolable disempowers it.
November 16, 2024 at 2:50 AM
should art ever be destroyed? a debate in the RA magazine in which I argue, carefully, that to make it inviolable disempowers it.
Reposted by Cass McLean
My great aunt was a soul friend, and she passed away in 2016.
I have her annotated cookbooks, though, and this one had me giggling and missing her so much. For someone born in the 1920s she sounded pretty modern here.
BASIC GARBAGE
I have her annotated cookbooks, though, and this one had me giggling and missing her so much. For someone born in the 1920s she sounded pretty modern here.
BASIC GARBAGE
November 15, 2024 at 8:13 PM
My great aunt was a soul friend, and she passed away in 2016.
I have her annotated cookbooks, though, and this one had me giggling and missing her so much. For someone born in the 1920s she sounded pretty modern here.
BASIC GARBAGE
I have her annotated cookbooks, though, and this one had me giggling and missing her so much. For someone born in the 1920s she sounded pretty modern here.
BASIC GARBAGE
Finding TinMan streaming sounds like a good way to end the day.
November 16, 2024 at 7:54 AM
Finding TinMan streaming sounds like a good way to end the day.