The second half of 2019 Millions Book Preview is here at this link. Let the glad songs of rejoicing resound throughout the land!

Here at this link is a deep dive into the cultural concept of Essex, a place I lived and was briefly incredibly happy.

Rich people are the worst: Brooklyn preschool edition.

“Many of the older feminist utopias sound like delightful fantasies until you learn the price of their equality.”

Do Muppets fuck? An investigation.

A child recovering from a terrible accident claimed to have seen angels and spent time in heaven — OR DID HE?

“Monsters rule over us, on behalf of monsters.” This Rebecca Solnit piece on Jeffrey Epstein is a bracing reminder to eat the rich.

How secrets spread (without anyone doing any big reveals).

The Illustrated Page has launched a queer SFF database, and she’s looking for recs to expand it! Stop by and help her out.

Who’s hosting the websites for hate groups? Gizmodo investigates. (The WordPress hosting company actually…took down the websites Gizmodo inquired about. Imagine that!)

I loved this review of Emily Nussbaum’s collected essays so much that I’m considering spending a RARE AND PRECIOUS nonfiction chit to read it.

Alexandra Minna Stern has written about the alt-right and the way they source their horrific claims.

Some times Claudia Rankine didn’t say aloud that race was present in her interactions with white men, and some times that she did.

Remember all those rich people who pledged millions to rebuild Notre Dame? Yeah. Not so much.

Happy weekend! Are you doing the 24 in 48 Readathon? Cause I sure fucking am, and it’s not too late for you to sign up, too! The Reading the End Bookcast is sponsoring one of their prizes this year, even! Hooray!

The post THE MILLIONS BOOK PREVIEW: A Links Round-Up appeared first on Reading the End.

A personal account from a former teaching assistant to Avital Ronell, the NYU professor accused of harassment.

The brilliant Carol Anderson recommends books about democracy and its challenges.

Okay, maybe — MAYBE — I will consume this Sherlock Holmes property. MAYBE.

Design a spaceship: Some instructions.

Over at the Book Smugglers, Foz Meadows reminds us to critique the critics when we’re talking about problematic elements in media.

Constance Grady goes in on redemption narratives for men in Hollywood, versus women. Guess who gets the benefit of the doubt.

I absolutely love this piece about the jokes comedians regret making. The people who aren’t white dudes generally have more interesting, thoughtful things to say.

Deadspin and Jezebel understand how hard this time is, and they have accordingly switched out their editors. Two Jezebel writers attend a football game, and a Deadspin writer covers a fashion show.

Why the Serena Williams thing was so viscerally upsetting for black women.

I don’t know what this partnership between Sony and the owners of The Ripped Bodice but I am ALL ABOUT IT.

I just adore this piece about how authors dress their characters — with accompanying fashion images!

Want to know how Crazy Rich Asians managed to look so, like, crazy rich? The Wrap has you covered!

How to fart when sharing a bed.

Here’s some measurements and statistics about how stupid and useless the pockets in women’s clothes are WHEN WE EVEN GET TO HAVE THEM.

Women retell myths from classical antiquity: a top ten list.

Is social psychology in a replication crisis? Professionals differ on the answer.

What women really want from Jian Ghomeshi. Also: a conversation with the editor who decided to run the Jian Ghomeshi piece, in which Isaac Chotiner gives no quarter to bullshit, and which I believe led to the editor being fired/resigning. Also: Rebecca Solnit on the tradition that men are objective and women are subjective. Also: Mo Ryan on abusive men rewriting their stories (badly). Megan Garber on the question of (vis-a-vis Kavanaugh) whether sexual assault is Just How Things Are. Jia Tolentino on dudes being not very sorry at all. Also Lili Loofbourow on Kavanaugh because Jesus Christ this fucking week.

Are we in a romcom renaissance? God I hope so.

Willa Paskin reviews (with spoilers) the show Forever, and gets into some of the reasons I find it frustrating when the whole marketing push for a thing is KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS THING GOING IN or it will be COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY RUINT.

Everything you know about obesity is wrong.

Have a great weekend! Cuddle up with blankets and gin and good friends, as I will be doing.

The post More Harassment Links than I Would Prefer: A Links Round-Up appeared first on Reading the End.

The writers of Deadpool have never heard of fridging so that’s cool. (Spoilers for Deadpool 2 in this link.)

Rebecca Solnit on the idea of sex as commodity. (I.e., women as commodity.)

Living beyond tragedy: The danger of a single story about Native Americans.

Here’s how one chef, Erin Wade, stopped harassment of staff at her restaurant.

This piece about Sephora’s new in-store cosmetics classes for trans folks made me tear up a little bit.

Is fandom etiquette changing? Clare McBride argues that it is (for the worse).

If you missed the Arrested Development interview where Jason Bateman acts like an absolute sack of shit, count yourself blessed. But do check out Linda Holmes on why it was so hard to read (and, apparently, listen to).

The important thing about the Starbucks sensitivity training is the acknowledgement that racial bias is pervasive in American society.

Have a joyous weekend!

The post One Day There Won’t Be Sexist Poops in My Links Round-Up: A Links Round-Up appeared first on Reading the End.

In this utter fuck of a fortnight, I drew some small inspiration from Rebecca Solnit.

Ideas are contagious, emotions are contagious, hope is contagious, courage is contagious. When we embody those qualities, or their opposites, we convey them to others.

An AI tried to generate romance novel titles, and I laughed at the results until I wept.

This is a rhino charging cars on the road. My favorite part is when the guy doing the filming says “this is like one of those bloody African movies.”

A scientist’s perspective on That Google Memo.

So I’ve not been impressed by what I’ve heard about Netflix’s new show Atypical, whose creative team has mainly said “oh we talked to people who know autistic people” when asked about the challenges of representation. Autistic actor Mickey Rowe discusses some of the problems/stereotypes in the show.

The patriarchy is awful for everybody, part ten million: There’s an epidemic of loneliness among men.

Hang out with your friends this weekend, pals, and take some good actions against white supremacy. We all have to team up to stop it.

The post F*** This Week: A Links Round-Up appeared first on Reading the End.

First and most importantly, Book Blogger Appreciation Week is NEXT WEEK. I’ll be hosting a Twitter chat on Tuesday at 9 PM EST, and the blogosphere at large will be squeeing about our love for each other all week long. Don’t miss it.

I admit this has nothing to do with anything, but Caity Weaver’s GQ profile of Justin Bieber is magic.

It’s unsettling to share a personal story, or ask a long-winded question, and be met with Justin Bieber’s silent, cool-eyed stare the entire time you’re talking. Justin Bieber makes eye contact like a person who has been told that eye contact is very, very important.

Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings is a fantastic blog that you should be following if you’re not already. Here she is on Aubrey Beardsley’s weird, attenuated illustrations for Oscar Wilde’s weird, attenuated play Salome.

Survey says: Publishing is super white. Dit dit dit. Alert the presses to this breaking news.

An interview with Frances Hardinge, author of The Lie Tree which DAMMIT I still haven’t read. It looks sooooooo goooooooood.

Why you can mash up Hamilton with litrally anything.

So, I am perfectly willing to believe, if given sufficient reason to do so, that multiple regression analysis is a garbage statistical method. On the other hand, this reads like Mickey Rooney in his latter years so I have grave concerns about its validity. THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH NOT KNOWING EVERYTHING.

Elif Batuman on passing for Muslim in Turkey.

NPR’s Code Switch compiles a round-up of responses to Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance and new video “Formation.”

Rebecca Solnit on the CDC’s alcohol recommendations for women and the men who are missing from the narrative.

The post NB, Tulum: A Links Round-Up appeared first on Reading the End.