I’ve been meaning to do this links round-up for approximately ten thousand years, so some of these links are a little older. You know what? Who cares! They’re still terrific!

Resy won the reservation wars. Here’s how.

“Despite the Black-film streaming guides that proliferated on the internet during last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, the streamers themselves have been ill-equipped to fully articulate the wealth of important Black titles that are available.” The Black Film Archive is here to help.

While we’re on the subject of Black cinema, Slate and NPR have teamed up for a very cool project called The New Black Film Canon.

“Sudden, dramatic hair changes, she says, ‘are a big part of who I am.'” A profile of the lady who invented at-home rape kits, and how, uh, that’s all going.

Eurgh, the world is a hellscape, including TikTok.

This is a fascinating story about Black journalists who were hired to train Nigerian reporters in the 1980s.

A really stellar breakdown on SFF world-building, by TV writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach.

“Vitriol is a precious resource. Spend it wisely.” Steven Hyden contemplates the decline of the negative review. (He’s talking about music but I suspect it applies to other spheres too.)

“The hardest stunt I ever pulled off.” Stunt people are so cool.

This is a fascinating article about transnational corporate espionage.

Oscars-related things I am mad about: Jamie Lee Curtis winning over Angela Bassett or Stephanie Hsu. The Whale.

On the trope (ongoing!) of the disabled villain.

It has made me SO happy to witness Abbott Elementary come for the throat of charter schools.

A woman from Leicestershire devoted her energy to trolling Madeleine McCann’s parents on Twitter. When her involvement in the online harassment came out, she killed herself. Now her son is trying to find meaning (for himself and others) in her life and death.

Swarm dehumanizes Black women.

FINALLY, a deep dive on whump fic!!

The always-wonderful Linda Codega takes us inside the dysfunctional, sexist, unsafe offices of Wyrmwood Gaming.

Dara Horn asks if the focus on Holocaust education is, paradoxically, making anti-Semitism worse.

“There was a woman who was Irish, which was not her job, but, my God, she was good at it; she owns a pug who apparently is a successful working actor, which was also not her job.” Caity Weaver went on a package tour for millennials trying to make friends.

And Lauren Oyler went on a GOOP cruise. My cup runneth over.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! Or if you do not have a wonderful weekend because the world is dumb and bad, at least know that you have not lost thirteen billion dollars in a single day. Yay!

The post I finally remembered to do this: A links round-up appeared first on Reading the End.

Akwaeke Emezi talks to Elle about their latest book title, ghosts, and getting plot ideas from their dreams.

Thailand is a premiere destination for gender-conforming surgery — a sign that the rest of the world’s healthcare systems are badly broken for trans people.

What is the future of academia, read through the lens of “quit lit”?

“Governmental fiat had the power to turn fable into fact.” The story of the Chagossians, their quest to return home, and the imperial powers arrayed against them.

Malala Yousafzai likes Ms. Marvel.

Sometimes, now and then, I am just very much in the mood for a really good pan of a book.

Elaine Hsieh Chou has had enough of the trope of Asian women in films being nonexistent, slutty, or both. (Her book Disorientation is excellent btw! A rare satire that I enjoyed!)

“I am frightened by my own affection toward Sox.” On the new Lightyear movie, which is pretty good, and the IP dystopia we currently live in, which is real real bad.

Vilissa Thompson on Lizzo’s use and correction of an ableist slur, and how the response to her erased Black disabled people.

Navigating the red carpet as a wheelchair user is an exhausting nightmare.

Thanks to BookTok for getting me more books with sprayed edges. Appreciated.

On resorts.

From all I know of her, Lisa Lucas is a tremendous person, and I loved this article about her work and the broader work of making publishing more inclusive.

This is a story about poop. Well, IBS. Well, bodies.

Here’s what happens during a craniotomy.

Naomi Kanaka explains why literary fiction refuses to write about the labor and financial side of things.

“break my back like a glowstick daddy” Katy Waldman on Kaitlyn Tiffany’s new book about One Direction fandom (which I loved).

Young children explain why their preferred shape of chicken nugget is the best one.

I really enjoyed RRR and was super grateful to this newsletter (the author of which ALSO loved the movie) for unpacking its shortcomings around caste and nationalism.

Here’s what’s going on with the weird fake texts you may be receiving now.

Becca Tilley was nervous about coming out to all of Bachelor Nation. She’s been very touched by the reception she’s gotten.

This is a story about feral peacocks in a Canadian town. Some people are like “yay, feral peacocks!” and other people are like “omg something has to be done about these feral peacocks.”

One big reason your groceries are so expensive? The ocean freight industry is engaged in crazy-making systems of obstruction and price-gouging against truckers.

Marina Warner talks about the work of fairy tales and the work of memoir (and the role of cruelty in each).

I loved this story about the Future Library.

Long live the food-themed romance novel.

Have a glorious weekend, friends. I wish you very much swimming and lots of good books.

The post Not Quite the Millions Book Preview Yet: A Links Round-Up appeared first on Reading the End.

“It’s disingenuous to say their race doesn’t matter in this world, when the most prominent and numerous people are white.” On the racial casting choices of Bridgerton. https://observer.com/2021/01/bridgerton-sees-race-through-a-colorist-lens/ And along the same lines: If Bridgerton wanted Black aristocracy, why didn’t they portray Haiti? (link)

Repressed memories, implanted memories, false memories: How did the narrative around these things develop in psychology, and is it merited? (cw: child sexual abuse and CSA apologism) (link)

This GQ story of the 2020 capture of a Rwandan war criminal who has evaded justice for decades was extremely fascinating. (It does talk about the Rwandan genocide, and early in the article there’s some disturbing descriptions of the violence in that period.) (link)

I just can’t get enough of profiles and interviews with Amanda Gorman, whose performance was an absolute standout in the inauguration. (link)

“To tell a student that ‘said’ is her only option is ‘not to teach her to write better, but to teach her whose writing is better,’ Salesses argues.” An interview with Matthew Salesses, author of the new book Craft in the Real World. (link)

This is a fascinating, and horrifying, deep dive into the story of a German doctor accused of sexually assaulting vulnerable HIV patients for decades. (link)

“The character of a distributed, rules-optional game isn’t made of paper and ink, stony tropes or immovable stereotypes. First and foremost, it reflects the character of its players.” On racism in D&D. (link)

Namwali Serpell considers the racial politics of Soul and the tradition of race-transformation tales in American cinema. (link)

The Rahm Emmanuel Livejournal fan community is an embarrassing relic of the days when many liberals uncritically idolized political figures. WERE WE EVER SO YOUNG. (link)

Reading Sara Ahmed’s work always requires a lot of focus from me (her language is simple but her ideas are dense), but it’s invariably worth it for gems like this: “Reconciliation can be experienced as the enforcement of communication.” (link)

Who gets to escape into fandom? (White people! It’s white people.) (link)

Joshua Yehl considers the case of Harry Potter fandom and how, if at all, it’s possible now to ethically engage with JK Rowling’s work. (link)

“How many women—one, two, fifty, ten thousand, more—will we sacrifice to the ravenous maw of men’s promise?” Carmen Maria Machado on Promising Young Woman. (link)

AOC refuted the lies that Republicans want to tell about what happened on 1/6 of this year. (link)

The invention (and consequences) of printing books. (link)

“The fact that Levinson, who is white, has decided to deploy Washington, who is Black, as a shield for his rhetorical bomb-throwing inspires enough eye-rolling to power a household appliance.” Soraya Nadia McDonald on Malcolm and Marie. (link)

“Knowing that some people are already invested in the characters does mean you can skip straight to being very nasty to them.” The best line of an excellent interview with Emily Tesh, Everina Maxwell, and A. K. Larkwood. (link)

“They want to be safe from us, but they don’t want us to be safe from them.” On policing library patrons. (link)

What have y’all been reading this week? Books, internet articles? Tell me everything!

The post Really a lot of thoughts on racism: A links round-up appeared first on Reading the End.

Episode 61

What We’re Reading

City on Fire, Garth Risk Hallberg
The Summer before the War, Helen Simonson (see also: Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand)
The Only Rule Is It Has to Work, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller (excerpt) (excerpt) (excerpt)
The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig

Bullet to the Head, Matz, Colin Wilson
Total Chaos, Jean-Claude Izzo
Have Mercy on Us All, Fred Vargas

Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery (here’s the link about the new TV show!)

Spring Books

The Only Rule Is It Has to Work, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours, Helen Oyeyemi
The Passenger, Lisa Lutz
Ear to the Ground, David Ulin and Paul Kolsby
The Raven King, Maggie Stiefvater
The Association of Small Bombs, Karan Mahajan
Marriage Material, Sathnam Sanghera
Hex, Thomas Olde Heuvelt

The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach

Summer Books

Shrill, Lindy West (May, Hachette)
June, Miranda Beverley-Whittemore (May, Crown)
Places No One Knows, Brenna Yovanoff (May, Delacorte)
Everybody’s Fool, Richard Russo (May, Knopf)
The Sudden Appearance of Hope, Claire North (May, Red Hook)
Barkskins, Annie Proulx (June, Scribner)
Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching, Mychal Denzel Smith (June, Nation Books)
City of Mirrors, Justin Cronin (May, Ballantine)
The Fire This Time, edited by Jesmyn Ward (August, Scribner)

Dear Emma, Katie Heaney

Nobody asked for this, but here are some advice columns I enjoy. Note that these links do not imply my cosign on any of the people’s specific advice. I just enjoy reading these columns a lot.

Dear Prudence advice column (Mallory Ortberg)
Carolyn Hax
Savage Love
Captain Awkward

Father’s Day, Simon Van Booy (he grew up in England and Wales incidentally) (and here is his New York Times wedding announcement)

Get at me on Twitter, email the podcast, and friend me (Gin Jenny) and Whiskey Jenny on Goodreads. Or if you wish, you can find us on iTunes (and if you enjoy the podcast, give us a good rating! We appreciate it very very much).

Credits
Producer: Captain Hammer
Photo credit: The Illustrious Annalee
Theme song by: Jessie Barbour

The post Reading the End Bookcast, Ep.61: Summer Book Preview and Katie Heaney’s Dear Emma appeared first on Reading the End.