The 13th: A Monthly Brain Dump from the Spite Club

Welcome, little one. You have been chosen to join us, in the dark and in the light, in love and in cloth, in safety and in danger. You join us. Everyone thinks that Clark is too old to still play with stuffed animals. He's almost eleven! Bullies target him at school while his mother tries increasingly un-subtle ways to wean him off his toys and introduce more “normal” interests. But Clark can’t shake the feeling that his stuffed friends are important, even necessary. Sometimes they move around in the night, and sometimes in the morning they look a little worse for wear, as if they’ve engaged in battle. And it turns out . . . he’s right. Clark’s dad is under attack by a nefarious, shadowy monster called a King Derker, and only Clark’s stuffies are able to fight him off. The problem is, no one believes Clark, and when his mom attempts to rid the house of stuffed animals to try to get him to grow up, she’s actually putting Clark’s dad and the entire household in mortal peril. Now it’s up to Clark’s grandma-made sock animal, Foon, to save the day. Luckily, being handmade by a loved one gives Foon extra battle points, but he’s still a brand-new stuffy. Does he have what it takes to rid Clark’s house of all its monsters? Told through both Clark's and Foon’s points of view, Stuffed confirms every kid’s dream: that stuffed animals do have a life and a purpose, and that sometimes the most unconventional friendships are also the most valuable.

What I Finished This Month

And Side by Side They Wander by Molly Tanzer — I wanted to love this more than I did, and I think that's admittedly probably a me problem. The premise is genuinely brilliant: a ragtag group of misfits on a mission to steal back Earth's greatest art from aliens who won't return it — a direct parallel to the very real and very ongoing battles between colonized cultures and the countries that stole from them. That emotional core should have gutted me. I wanted it to. Instead I got some art history, a deeply strange ending, shallow characters, and the dawning realization that I was apparently supposed to know the full story of Orpheus going in. I did not. If you're an art buff or a mythology girlie, you will probably get significantly more out of this than I did. I'm not saying it's bad. I'm saying it required homework I didn't do. I used to not read novellas because I didn't think they had enough depth. This is the kind of story that made me think that. But hey, 3 stars, would recommend to someone artier than me.

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite — Cozy, queer, autistic auntie detective in space solves the case of the impossible baby — the first baby in 300 years on a ship where fertility is supposed to be paused until they get to their new planet. Mystery isn't my genre because it's historically full of old racist grumpy white dudes with a drinking problem who are all somehow Billy Bob Thornton, but if it were all written like this, I would pick up a lot more. I started with book 1 in this series and absolutely plan to continue it as more come out.

Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur — A bisexual's dream!!! Think: the two sexy lady agents of TSwift and a bisexual Travis Kelce falling in love, but make it gay. Extra gay. Contemporary isn't my genre, but I am OBSESSED with this one. The kind of obsessed that makes me want to pick up everything else this author has ever written. There is so much character depth and back story, and the spice level is friggin hot. And Hallelujah, Alexandria Bellefleur is an established author with lots more books that I will be picking up.

Amari and the Despicable Wonders and Amari and the Metalwork Menace by B.B. Alston — The inclusive magical world that replaced a certain wizarding world in our household (we don't speak of its author due to her harm to the trans community). My kids and I have loved every minute of this action-packed series, and book four ends on a cliffhanger I will be saying nothing further about except: BB Alston, how DARE you, and also please hurry up with book five. Let Amari be a kid for five minutes.

Stuffed by Liz Braswell — My family loved this book, which I say through gritted teeth because I bought this book to personally attack...myself. If you have a child who loves stuffed animals, fair warning: this will make your entire household hold on to them a little tighter and a little longer. Trigger warnings for younger kids: some stuffed animals are harmed by monsters. They get sewn back together.

Space Battle Lunchtime graphic novels 1-3 by Natalie Riess — Cute, cozy, sapphic, and about a TV cooking competition that the main character gets kidnapped from Earth to star in. These are SO fun and cute and heartwarming. Read these. They are good soup and they will not expose your insides.

Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland — I am a sucker for the "found family group of misfits taking on the fascist regime" trope and this delivered.

What I'm Currently Reading

I want to preface this by saying that I have a problem. I admit it. I have an audiobook, a hardcover for my nightstand, a paperback for my kid's baseball practice, fiction for my heart, nonfiction for my brain, a book I'm reading aloud to my dyslexic kid, and an ebook (or two or seven) on my phone.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu — in ARC audiobook format, thanks to the lovely folks at Macmillan. I am enjoying this immensely and I will report back.

Platform Decay by Martha Wells — Murderbot book 8. I will always read this series because I relate to Murderbot on a cellular level. I haven't loved Martha Wells' other work as much as this series. Every time.

Stuffed Book 2: Into Darkness — yes we are reading the sequel. Apparently one round of emotional self-flagellation was not sufficient.

10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager — This is not self-help. This is science. Highly recommend for any parent, educator, manager, or person who has ever been or dealt with anyone between the ages of 10 and 25.

The End of Violence by Dr. Gary Slutkin — This is a book by a CDC disease doctor who has found, through long-term scientific study, that if you treat violence like a transmittable disease you can address it the same way you'd address tuberculosis: educate the community, treat the afflicted, and identify and support those most at risk before they become vectors.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad — Listened to it, purchased a hard copy, currently annotating it.

Something I Want To Try (And I Want Your Opinion)

I'm planning a series where I review books with full spoilers. I want to know what you think about this in the comments.

How Am I Actually Doing

Fucking terrible, if I'm honest, but I don't know how anyone who isn't actively choosing delusion can be doing much better right now. The world is burning, democracy is dead, and my TikTok views are in the gutter. But here's the thing. Sci-fi has always been our proof that we have a future worth imagining. So I will keep showing up on the 13th and I will keep reading books and talking about them, because in our darkest hours the most radical thing I know how to do is keep hoping.

See you next month. Probably still terrible. Definitely still reading.

— Zee

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