Filed under: Books, horror, Literature, Reading, Science Fiction, writing | Tags: Charleston, Charleston SC, Hallucinations, Jason Merchey, Joan of Arc, Mongrels, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, Smoke and Mirrors, Stephen Graham Jones, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Lost City of Z, Ursula K. LeGuin, Wicked Charleston, Witches Sluts Feminists
It’s time for the third and final part of my epic book haul! Don’t worry–if you missed the first two parts, you can check out part one here and part two here.
And now that you’re caught up, let’s jump in to part three!!
The Lost City of Z, David Grann
A friend of mine raved about this book, so I had to get it. Looking forward to checking it out in more detail.
Machineries of Joy, Ray Bradbury
I LOVE some Ray Bradbury, and check out that cover! Beautiful!
Mongrels, Stephen Graham Jones
Witches, Sluts, Feminists, Kristen J. Sollee
Not sure why I got this one? Check out the back cover:
Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman
My brother has been after me to read this book for years now, and I finally got it!
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
Wicked Charleston, Mark R. Jones
For those of you who don’t know, I live in Charleston, and I couldn’t pass this book up. “The Dark Side of the Holy City”? Sign me up!
The Beginning Place, Ursula K. LeGuin
Again…that cover! Be still my heart.
Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words
I’ve been fascinated with Joan of Arc since I was a kid…and that fascination never went away.
Kicking in the Wall, Barbara Abercrombie
This looks like a killer book for writers!
Hallucinations, Oliver Sacks
What can I say? I like reading about weird shit.
Values & Ethics: From Living Room to Boardroom, Jason Merchey
And that’s it for the final part of this epic book haul! Which of these books would you like to crack open?
The above books were purchased via AbeBooks.com, Amazon.com, eBay, and Collectible Science Fiction.
*Heads up: if you click on the links to purchase any of the mentioned books from Amazon, know that I’m an affiliate. Your purchase will help me keep this blog going (i.e., I’ll earn money to buy books that I will then write about).*
Filed under: Books, News | Tags: books, Charleston Church Shooting, Charleston SC, LGBTQ, Marriage Equality, Mother Emanuel AME Church
“The courage of life is a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy” (JFK).
This month has seen its fair share of both tragedy and triumph.
A Racist Act of Terrorism
On June 17, a racist-terrorist attack occurred in my town of Charleston. If you’ve been away from all media and news outlets for the past week or so and don’t know anything about the Charleston Church Shooting, you can find out more on NBC News.
I won’t repeat the shooter’s heinous statements or even type his name. Instead, I’d like to take a moment and send love to the nine victims (pictured below) and their families.

Courtesy of NBC News
There have been countless events, fundraising efforts, etc., to spread awareness about this horrific attack and the shooter’s motives (white supremacy–don’t even get me started), to raise funds for Mother Emanuel AME Church as well as for the victims’ families, and also simply to show support and love for our city and those who inhabit it. Today happens to be Blue and White Friday, and according to the Facebook event, tens of thousands of people are participating. The mission of the event is to “send a strong messages (sic) to the world. South Carolina is united. We are strong. We will not tolerate evil and we will not be afraid.”
All right, on to the celebration part of this post (because we have to stay positive, right?!)
Love Wins
Today, June 26, 2015, will forever go down in history as the day a momentous step was taken toward truly encompassing the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation that “all people are created equal.” (“People” being my modification.)
As the final ruling of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court determined that same-sex couples now have the right to legally marry (it was a close one at 5-4).
In celebration of marriage equality, I researched some books that look awesome and have great reviews–unfortunately, I’ve only read a few of them (in bold) and those titles are indeed badass. Oh, yeah–and the books have a LGBTQ theme. Duh!
- The Color Purple, Alice Walker
- Hero, Perry Moore
- Maurice: A Novel, E.M. Forster
- Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence, edited by Marion Dane Bauer
- Annie on My Mind, Nancy Garden
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
- The Lost Language of Cranes, David Leavitt
- Our Lady of the Flowers, Jean Genet
- Boy Meets Boy, David Levithan
Bonus poem: “Howl,” Allen Ginsberg

“Last of the Colour Coding” by Juhan Sonin (Flickr)
Also, something to consider before I wrap up: This is my site, so it’s run according to my rules. Name-calling (I know, it sounds like I’m talking to kindergartners, but this sort of thing often needs to be said), aggressive comments, threats, or anything else that I determine is downright nasty will be deleted. I’ll tell you why, of course. But I’m doing my best to keep this site positive and sprinkled with laughs. Let’s keep it that way.
Tragedy and triumph occurring within a week and a half of each other. Life is strange (and so are people, as I learned from Jim Morrison in high school). How do you feel about any of the aforementioned topics? And are there any books you think should be added to the LGBTQ list?
PS: I didn’t even get into the Confederate Flag controversy, although I wanted to, because my word count was hastily approaching what I try to set as my “ideal.” Want to get up to speed on the Rebel Flag debate? Read this, and then let me know your thoughts!
Filed under: Me on Other Blogs/Sites | Tags: aggregate content, Charleston SC, food, food and drink, local restaurants, Opal, restaurants
Opal: freshly-made pasta, local ingredients, and more (click to read full post)
Filed under: Me on Other Blogs/Sites | Tags: aggregate content, Charleston SC, crime, Lava Salon, local news, robbery
Lava Salon deals with second robbery in just over a year (click to read full post)
Filed under: Me on Other Blogs/Sites | Tags: aggregate content, beverage, Charleston SC, food, local restaurants, milkshake, restaurants
Here’s where you can get the ultimate milkshake fix (click to read full post)