There Must Be Blood, The Girl Thought. There Must Always Be Blood. The Green Wind Said That, So It Must

There must be blood, the girl thought. There must always be blood. The Green Wind said that, so it must be true. It will be hard and bloody, but there will be wonders, too, or else why bring me here at all? And it’s the wonders I’m after, even if I have to bleed for them.

Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (via poolofjello)

“There are a number of recommended methods of dealing with ghosts—salt and iron, harmonic resonance, some people swear by exorcism, and not just the priests—but that’s the first time I’ve seen anyone try a left hook.”

KJ Charles - The Magpie Lord (via platypusreads)

Two death sentences? Really? I mean, you look very well, considering.

LdyEnki reads Anger is a Gift Chapters 5 and 6

The continuing adventures of LdyEnki being unprepared for Mark Oshiro’s “Anger is a Gift”. 

Chapter 5:

Being a librarian influences my priorities so I’m not sure anyone else had the “Wait. What?!” reaction I did about the library inventory being sold off.  So please excuse me a moment as I say, “They did what!?  Why!?” 

Now weeding out books and other material from a library is important for keeping a library current, relevant and helps prevent books from being lost and overwhelmed by no longer active materials.  I’m not going to go into my defense of weeding diatribe here, though if anyone wants to talk about it I’m happy to.  But if a book (or several copies of a book) in the library is still being used in a classroom, you don’t weed out that book.  You weed out the book that the teacher who left for a different job 5 years ago used in their classroom.  I want to know who sold off “most of the library inventory” and why.

Moving on to the much more plot relevant scene with the girl having her locker searched.  To quote Mark, “Fuck.”  I can see the shape forming of the coming conflict, Officer Hull, an abusive bully, targeting these kids.  Moss won't be able to avoid him forever.  I’m glad there are some good teachers who care in all of this. 

Chapter 6:

Alternate Title: “Or why I love Moss, his Mama and their whole found family.”

Chapters 1 and 2 are here.

Chapters 3 and 4 are here.

I cannot help that readers will always insist on adventures, and though you can have grief without adventures, you cannot have adventures without grief.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente (via the-poetic-mathematician)

LdyEnki reads Anger is a Gift Chapters 7 and 8

The continuing adventures of LdyEnki being unprepared for Mark Oshiro’s “Anger is a Gift”. 

Chapter 7:

Well that happened sooner than I expected it to.  That was intense.  The call is knocking on your door Moss.

Chapter 8:

Much needed release.  I love the detail of Moss’s dad bringing home stray furniture.

That last line of the chapter has me very worried.  Please don’t let that be foreshadowing.  Mark don’t do that to us.  I am now very concerned for Moss’s mother.

Chapters 1 and 2 are here.

Chapters 3 and 4 are here.