Karis Lou Sirak
@karislousirak.bsky.social
PhD Researcher, amateur photographer, freelance researcher, writer, and ethnographic researcher. Public art, reading, birds, wildlife, the coast, Lego, SciFi TV, folklore (Peg Power 💚), doodler.📍NE Eng, UK.
https://linktr.ee/karislousirak
https://linktr.ee/karislousirak
Got this week's target editing done in the manuscript. Now to try and get some semblance of Christmas spirit over the weekend with a Christmas read, and related activities.
December 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Got this week's target editing done in the manuscript. Now to try and get some semblance of Christmas spirit over the weekend with a Christmas read, and related activities.
Today is Christmas Jumper day at one of the places I work. Do you think this counts?
December 11, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Today is Christmas Jumper day at one of the places I work. Do you think this counts?
Well this book is an absolute blooming delight, just what's needed in December. "The Dead of Winter: The Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas" - Sarah Clegg. Going to try and source Clegg's previous work "Women's Lore" too. #WhatAreYouReading
December 8, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Well this book is an absolute blooming delight, just what's needed in December. "The Dead of Winter: The Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas" - Sarah Clegg. Going to try and source Clegg's previous work "Women's Lore" too. #WhatAreYouReading
Currently feeding my longest held interests by reading Adam Allsuch Boardman's An Illustrated History of Urban Legends. It seems to be the best distraction from the world right now.
December 4, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Currently feeding my longest held interests by reading Adam Allsuch Boardman's An Illustrated History of Urban Legends. It seems to be the best distraction from the world right now.
Stottie fungi (barm, bap, bun, bread) growing alongside a regular route.
November 16, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Stottie fungi (barm, bap, bun, bread) growing alongside a regular route.
But, libraries aren't very well protected either...
October 6, 2025 at 7:45 AM
But, libraries aren't very well protected either...
It was a two walks kind of day yesterday. Today is a yoga kind of day. Distraction is the name of the game right now. It'll all be okay🤞
September 17, 2025 at 7:13 AM
It was a two walks kind of day yesterday. Today is a yoga kind of day. Distraction is the name of the game right now. It'll all be okay🤞
Been for a walk, now making a proper meal from scratch, these are things I heartily recommend doing right now because while the world is going into darkness and there's not a thing you can do about it, you can distract yourself and take moments of joy from the small things.
September 13, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Been for a walk, now making a proper meal from scratch, these are things I heartily recommend doing right now because while the world is going into darkness and there's not a thing you can do about it, you can distract yourself and take moments of joy from the small things.
Well this book hits hard. Tired of reading the same spooky tropes and guessing what was going to happen, I picked up Lafcadio Hearn's Some Japanese Ghosts from the Amnesty Book shop in Newcastle. Needless to say, it's anything but predictable 👻 #ReadingGhostStories 📚
September 12, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Well this book hits hard. Tired of reading the same spooky tropes and guessing what was going to happen, I picked up Lafcadio Hearn's Some Japanese Ghosts from the Amnesty Book shop in Newcastle. Needless to say, it's anything but predictable 👻 #ReadingGhostStories 📚
Went to a public lecture recently in an old theatre that is now a nightclub. Used to go to the nightclub years ago. It still has the same smell, the same inexplicable heat in the upper floors, the same warren-like structure which meant you lost people regularly. Still the same random eccentricness:
September 5, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Went to a public lecture recently in an old theatre that is now a nightclub. Used to go to the nightclub years ago. It still has the same smell, the same inexplicable heat in the upper floors, the same warren-like structure which meant you lost people regularly. Still the same random eccentricness:
Watched Versailles, The Musketeers, and Marie Antoinette in a row. They are now the definitive versions in my mind, down to the actors who appear in various roles meaning that those characters are canonically related, and there were several men in iron masks. Historical accuracy.
September 4, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Watched Versailles, The Musketeers, and Marie Antoinette in a row. They are now the definitive versions in my mind, down to the actors who appear in various roles meaning that those characters are canonically related, and there were several men in iron masks. Historical accuracy.
Lone Canada Goose wandering round a priory garden.
August 6, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Lone Canada Goose wandering round a priory garden.
What's the most niche Angel of the North merch or ephemera money can buy? This is a window crystal. #AngelOfTheNorth
August 5, 2025 at 9:16 AM
What's the most niche Angel of the North merch or ephemera money can buy? This is a window crystal. #AngelOfTheNorth
Submitted the PhD thesis, went for a walk in the sea, saw a lovely poppy patch (pictured). Little breather before we start preparing for the Viva (start the PGR Summer School tomorrow). #PhDLife #PhDMilestone
June 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Submitted the PhD thesis, went for a walk in the sea, saw a lovely poppy patch (pictured). Little breather before we start preparing for the Viva (start the PGR Summer School tomorrow). #PhDLife #PhDMilestone
Visit to the library yesterday - free book: one of the Reading Agency Quick Read titles, "The Suprise Visitor" by Cathy Bramley. These are great original stories. I know I'm not the target market, but these make great back pack books (emergency reads) 🎒📖 #LoveLibraries
April 25, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Visit to the library yesterday - free book: one of the Reading Agency Quick Read titles, "The Suprise Visitor" by Cathy Bramley. These are great original stories. I know I'm not the target market, but these make great back pack books (emergency reads) 🎒📖 #LoveLibraries
Finished reading The Night Counsellor by L K Pang - a really engaging read. I have been to the library, book group, and book shop today. My book loving rediscovery continues... 📚
April 24, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Finished reading The Night Counsellor by L K Pang - a really engaging read. I have been to the library, book group, and book shop today. My book loving rediscovery continues... 📚
Just finished Sara Nisha Adams' The Reading List (2022) - a magnificent book, and one I'd add to my own reading list. I also want to read and re-read the books contained within. I was once so engrossed in To Kill A Mockingbird that I missed my train stop (Durham) and ended up in Newcastle (KX to Ed)
April 18, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Just finished Sara Nisha Adams' The Reading List (2022) - a magnificent book, and one I'd add to my own reading list. I also want to read and re-read the books contained within. I was once so engrossed in To Kill A Mockingbird that I missed my train stop (Durham) and ended up in Newcastle (KX to Ed)
It's the return of outdoor reading weather! First couple of chapters of Sara Nisha Adams' The Reading List (2022) - which promises to be a goodie.
April 12, 2025 at 3:56 PM
It's the return of outdoor reading weather! First couple of chapters of Sara Nisha Adams' The Reading List (2022) - which promises to be a goodie.
Back to Who-Ray. It's an amazing shop that sells Dr Who collectables, greetings cards, gifts, incense sticks and the like. But they also do hand drawn paper bags to take your purchases away in, which are gorgeous. I guess my message is: local independent shops are well worth supporting!
April 9, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Back to Who-Ray. It's an amazing shop that sells Dr Who collectables, greetings cards, gifts, incense sticks and the like. But they also do hand drawn paper bags to take your purchases away in, which are gorgeous. I guess my message is: local independent shops are well worth supporting!
A while back I found this amazing business card in Who-Ray in Silver Street in Stockton-on-Tees (anyone not familiar, it's got a bookshop, record shop, gifts, cafe, like a street from a cosy work of fiction). It's embossed, it's amazing, thought I'd stumbled onto a real life detective agency,🧵
April 9, 2025 at 7:02 AM
A while back I found this amazing business card in Who-Ray in Silver Street in Stockton-on-Tees (anyone not familiar, it's got a bookshop, record shop, gifts, cafe, like a street from a cosy work of fiction). It's embossed, it's amazing, thought I'd stumbled onto a real life detective agency,🧵
Weekend #ReadingForFun: Joanne Harris - The Moonlight Market. Waited for this one to come out in paperback as I'm getting older, and hardbacks make my hands and wrists hurt. Anything read for fun should be away from the desk, cosy and snug. Reading in bed also has the added face clunk factor.
April 5, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Weekend #ReadingForFun: Joanne Harris - The Moonlight Market. Waited for this one to come out in paperback as I'm getting older, and hardbacks make my hands and wrists hurt. Anything read for fun should be away from the desk, cosy and snug. Reading in bed also has the added face clunk factor.
Really enjoying this book, particularly the sentient fig tree.The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. #CurrentlyReading
March 19, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Really enjoying this book, particularly the sentient fig tree.The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. #CurrentlyReading
Disassociating from news and current events and following the Elsie Inglis statue story. Now Val McDermid and The Proclaimers are getting involved.
March 19, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Disassociating from news and current events and following the Elsie Inglis statue story. Now Val McDermid and The Proclaimers are getting involved.