Apropos of books and teens, one of the people who led the workshop about Queerness we did a couple of weeks ago looked at our bookshelf at the center and was flabbergasted that we had so many new releases in different genres by a wide range of authors.
I think the funniest argument I saw over there though was "sixteen is the perfect age to read more challenging material! They should be reading adult books, not middle grade!" Made me laugh a bit, tbh.
But also I find it funny that adults who are apparently not frequently in direct contact with teens and young adults always have the loudest opinions about the youth these days. The platforms and communication channels might change, but the content does not.
Five minutes in the other place and I'm ready to argue with grown adults about shit they're pulling out of their ass after reading but not comprehending other grown as adults' tweets about young adults and literacy. Now I remember why I was always so exhausted after being online there, jfc.
I started my reading month with two DNFs. I am sad about it.
I think I need to not look at books anymore that are hyped as "real enemies to lovers". I too like my enemies to be actual enemies. What I don't do well with is when the source of it is systemic oppression. Case in point, I don't think witch/witch hunter books will ever really work for me.
Also I'm pretty sure I've grown out of my "brutal, bloody fantasy" stage. It's just... These kinds of books don't do much for me anymore, I guess? Some very specific books and authors still work for me. But overall I've lost all my taste for it, I think. I end up skipping the blood, gore, etc.
Still scrubbing my wax through the whole kitchen, it's exhausting. But progress, so yay 🥲
Struggling with this a lot actually. The amount of food we had to throw out is making me cry, especially bc we're not in the financial situation to replace everything just like that. A whole moth family tried to start their life in the pantry and it's really terrible tbh.