Clarissa Grunwald
@clarissagrunwald.bsky.social
Full time librarian, sometime writer, recovering theater kid of the pit orchestra variety. I also like TTRPGs. https://clarissagrunwald.wordpress.com
It feels almost insulting to describe a thoughtful, carefully-written memoir about a difficult and under-discussed topic (queer partner abuse) as "super readable" but, it is. It's all of those things. #booksky
November 15, 2025 at 6:32 PM
It feels almost insulting to describe a thoughtful, carefully-written memoir about a difficult and under-discussed topic (queer partner abuse) as "super readable" but, it is. It's all of those things. #booksky
Made one-page TTRPGs with my class! They're pretty neat.
November 12, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Made one-page TTRPGs with my class! They're pretty neat.
Finished this one while working at the polls Tuesday. At its best, it's nightmarish, unreliably narrated, weird in the best way. But certain quirks of the writing style didn't quite agree with me...it may have benefitted from a final editing pass. Overall, 3.5/5 #booksky
November 10, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Finished this one while working at the polls Tuesday. At its best, it's nightmarish, unreliably narrated, weird in the best way. But certain quirks of the writing style didn't quite agree with me...it may have benefitted from a final editing pass. Overall, 3.5/5 #booksky
My wealthiest friend has a mortgage
October 6, 2025 at 1:55 PM
My wealthiest friend has a mortgage
I read this title wrong
August 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM
I read this title wrong
If nothing else I feel like I've accurately represented what happens to the human brain when in proximity to a cat #writesky #musicaltheater
July 18, 2025 at 2:44 PM
If nothing else I feel like I've accurately represented what happens to the human brain when in proximity to a cat #writesky #musicaltheater
This is going to be one of the ones I recommend to everyone. A really good monster story, cleverly intertwined with small-town lesbian romance, beautifully written. #booksky
July 16, 2025 at 2:36 PM
This is going to be one of the ones I recommend to everyone. A really good monster story, cleverly intertwined with small-town lesbian romance, beautifully written. #booksky
Most of my reading has been nonfic lately but did finish galley for "Beasts of Carnaval". Beautiful imagery. Story w/ twists and nuances. The early middle stretch, where the narration gets dreamlike and unreliable, is v clever. I hope this is 1 of those YA fantasies that really takes off #booksky
June 30, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Most of my reading has been nonfic lately but did finish galley for "Beasts of Carnaval". Beautiful imagery. Story w/ twists and nuances. The early middle stretch, where the narration gets dreamlike and unreliable, is v clever. I hope this is 1 of those YA fantasies that really takes off #booksky
The #library is beset by vultures (not a metaphor) so facilities put a balloon guy on the roof to scare them away and you can see it through the skylights.
April 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
The #library is beset by vultures (not a metaphor) so facilities put a balloon guy on the roof to scare them away and you can see it through the skylights.
Finished my gally for Wearing the Lion in the nick of time last week, then forgot to review. Anyway, it's decent but didn't live up to my high expectations. Maybe that's on me for liking "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" too much. The characters felt a little flat...
April 9, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Finished my gally for Wearing the Lion in the nick of time last week, then forgot to review. Anyway, it's decent but didn't live up to my high expectations. Maybe that's on me for liking "Someone You Can Build a Nest In" too much. The characters felt a little flat...
Indivisible Town Hall that Rep. Lloyd Smucker was too chickenshit to show up to. #indivisible #lancaster @lancasteronline.bsky.social @wgal8.bsky.social @indivisible.org
March 15, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Indivisible Town Hall that Rep. Lloyd Smucker was too chickenshit to show up to. #indivisible #lancaster @lancasteronline.bsky.social @wgal8.bsky.social @indivisible.org
I love high school theater! These kids did so good!!! #musicaltheater
March 2, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I love high school theater! These kids did so good!!! #musicaltheater
Do this and then, if doing this means you save money, invest that money into organizations that serve your community. There's a lot of people doing good work--shelters, food banks, bail funds, civil rights groups--and they need $. Scare the banks, help the helpers. #economicblackout
February 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Do this and then, if doing this means you save money, invest that money into organizations that serve your community. There's a lot of people doing good work--shelters, food banks, bail funds, civil rights groups--and they need $. Scare the banks, help the helpers. #economicblackout
Finished audio book for The Eye of the World (1st in Wheel of Time series.) I'm sure it's some sort of faux pas to compare high fantasy titles to Lord of the Rings but, well, it's very much like LotR. But with more prophecies. And female characters. And fantasy gender roles. #booksky
February 11, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Finished audio book for The Eye of the World (1st in Wheel of Time series.) I'm sure it's some sort of faux pas to compare high fantasy titles to Lord of the Rings but, well, it's very much like LotR. But with more prophecies. And female characters. And fantasy gender roles. #booksky
Just finished audiobook of Babel. I love a really immersive historic fantasy and this one is a very interesting celebration/critique of Oxford specifically, and academia generally. Can't get into the ending here without spoilers, so you'll just have to decide for yourself. #booksky
February 5, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Just finished audiobook of Babel. I love a really immersive historic fantasy and this one is a very interesting celebration/critique of Oxford specifically, and academia generally. Can't get into the ending here without spoilers, so you'll just have to decide for yourself. #booksky
Finished my Netgalley for Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi.
+: Fantastical element is unexpected and striking. World fleshed out with language, politics, history.
-: Scenes change very quickly between chapters in a way that sometimes feels rushed/confusing. Some scenes feel unfinished. #booksky
+: Fantastical element is unexpected and striking. World fleshed out with language, politics, history.
-: Scenes change very quickly between chapters in a way that sometimes feels rushed/confusing. Some scenes feel unfinished. #booksky
January 31, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Finished my Netgalley for Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi.
+: Fantastical element is unexpected and striking. World fleshed out with language, politics, history.
-: Scenes change very quickly between chapters in a way that sometimes feels rushed/confusing. Some scenes feel unfinished. #booksky
+: Fantastical element is unexpected and striking. World fleshed out with language, politics, history.
-: Scenes change very quickly between chapters in a way that sometimes feels rushed/confusing. Some scenes feel unfinished. #booksky
January 19, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Surprisingly funny & sweet ace love story where one of the love interests is a man-eating blob monster with a bear trap in its stomach. There's a couple of clever 3rd act twists that I didn't see coming but made perfect sense retrospectively. #booksky
January 19, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Surprisingly funny & sweet ace love story where one of the love interests is a man-eating blob monster with a bear trap in its stomach. There's a couple of clever 3rd act twists that I didn't see coming but made perfect sense retrospectively. #booksky
So much viscera in this book but the elevated, fairytale language and surreality of it all made it feel less...visceral. My scaredy-cat self could even handle the medical horror, which is rare for me. #booksky #thesaltgrowsheavy
January 17, 2025 at 2:54 AM
So much viscera in this book but the elevated, fairytale language and surreality of it all made it feel less...visceral. My scaredy-cat self could even handle the medical horror, which is rare for me. #booksky #thesaltgrowsheavy