DocoftheDarkArts | What Blood Remembers

What Blood Remembers

C. William Phillips

How far would you go to save the thing you cannot lose? Violent seeds grow bloody trees. In an instant, with a choice he never had the chance to make, Cole Traeger's life was ripped apart. Now, set on the path of revenge, he must reckon with his past, mistakes made, and games still to be played. But more than Cole's life hangs in the balance. This brutal story of family, grief, and revenge will take readers on a journey from grimy city streets and shootouts between rival gangs to the sprawling southwest and into Mexico.

Posts about this title from DocoftheDarkArts

Symptoms: Tribalism in Bookish Spaces
I have been thinking a lot recently about how we, as people, have a natural tendency towards tribalism. From an evolutionary sense, it is a highly logical reaction - often in our ancient history, finding a group of people and sticking with them meant safety and access to resources. It's a fascinating phenomenon from a neuroscience standpoint as well. Research has shown that feeling like you are part of a group activates circuits in our brains that have to do with rewards and positive associations, and even activates empathy (at least within our tribe). And of course, as with all things, there are positive and negative aspects of tribalism.

Over the last year in the online book space, I have seen many positive aspects of this - the support from people who feel some connection with the content has been overwhelming and amazing. However, there are downsides, especially when discussing where one gets their books.

I love books in all forms - a good special edition, buying used and new. I consume stories in hardbacks, paperbacks, e-books, and audiobooks, and use a library when possible. But when I post about a purchase, I often receive criticism from those on the opposite side. If I mention being a Broken Binding rep, comments about special editions ruining books and gatekeeping arise.

The diversity in book formats and purchasing options is essential. As studies show literacy and reading for pleasure are declining worldwide, providing options is crucial. Whether it’s through special editions, libraries, used books, e-books, or audiobooks, all paths promote reading and support authors in different ways.

The Rx: What I'm Reading and Doing

I was on vacation last week and had a lot of reading time at the beach! I finished several books and started new ones. My current reads include What Blood Remembers by C. William Phillips and the audiobook of Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove. I also started our July book club pick, Jade City by Fonda Lee, and I'm diving back into the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien with a read-along.

I am excited for July, running various book clubs and reading challenges. One such challenge invites participants to choose a book based solely on its cover. I'm looking forward to reading A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang for this.

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Thank you for joining me on this reading journey! Hope you have a great week of reading!