Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

I’ve always want to doodle! Yesterday, I gave it a go. Had the word picnic in mind. #doodle #procreate #sketch

May 26, 2025 at 8:00 AM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Love these.

Julia Allum @juliaallum.bsky.social · Apr 22

A few nature prints for #Earthday

April 22, 2025 at 9:00 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Jam-packed, super-useful talk on @write-mentor.bsky.social today about editing novels. Thank you, @authorsaragrant.bsky.social! I do love a craft book and this one sounds brilliant! 📝 #writers

Front cover of Sara Grant’s The Ultimate Guide to Editing Your Novel. The word ‘editing’ is highlighted in yellow.

April 22, 2025 at 1:37 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Now reading! #books #ursulaparrott #newyork

January 18, 2025 at 6:40 PM

Reposted by Melanie Whitmarsh

Tom Gauld

@tomgauld.bsky.social

My cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com Books

Image: a huge pile of crumpled gift wrap in the corner of a room.

Caption: By concealing herself within a cocoon of discarded wrapping paper and surviving on a diet of surplus festive chocolates and liqueurs, Emily hopes to read undisturbed as far into January as possible.

December 29, 2024 at 2:50 PM

Reposted by Melanie Whitmarsh

Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal

@booksforkeeps.bsky.social

ICYI - read interviews with each of the four authors on the shortlist for the #NeroBookAwards Children's Category now via #BooksForKeeps. Winner announced 14 January 25. Which is your pick? #Awards #KidLit
https://buff.ly/4iZhh9p

Photographs of the four authors shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards Children's Category: Catherine Bruton, Scarlett Dunsmore, Liz Hyder and Patrick Ness

Graphic with the four books - spine on - shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards Children's Category: Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton, Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness, How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunsmore and The Twelve by Liz Hyder.

December 29, 2024 at 9:59 AM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Just finished Murakami’s short, interesting memoir looking at the parallels between long-distance running and novel writing. Also, his thoughts on aging, marathon prep, and disappointing race times. A good companion to his essay collection Novelist as a Vocation. #HarukiMurakami #marathonrunning

Front cover of Haruki Murakami’s memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Cover shows a slinky black river crossing a white land, disappearing into a black sky. A red sun sinks at the horizon. The book is photographed between a pair of grubby white shoe laces.

December 28, 2024 at 3:42 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Have you taken the @mcnallyeditions.bsky.social reader quiz? 📚Turns out I’m an Escape Artist.💥 How about you?! 🔎

December 24, 2024 at 5:50 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Just finished Edward Carey’s Heap House. Not sure if I want to chuck out all my junk, or cosy up to the clutter and make pets of random tins and trinkets. #EdwardCarey #book #ya

Front cover of Edward Carey’s paperback novel Heap House. Cover shows the unsmiling faces of the hero and heroine underneath the bright red title. In the background is a giant hodge-podge mansion atop a massive rubbish dump.

December 24, 2024 at 1:48 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Sally Jones, what a delight! Loved the muted palette, the worldwide travel, all the boats, and Wegelius’s economic writing - with drama, twists, and surprises unfolding in single text boxes. Cannot wait to settle down with The Murderer’s Ape. @sushibooks.bsky.social #JakobWegelius #kidlit #books

The front cover of The Legend of Sally Jones by Jakob Wegelius. It shows an illustration of a sinking ship with a single sailor escaping through the waves in a wooden lifeboat with a gorilla at the stern.

Showing an illustrated spread inside the graphic novel The Legend of Sally Jones. On the left is a pale-faced detective in a black hat. On the right is a lavishly-dressed jewel thief walking beside the Bosphorus River.

December 19, 2024 at 11:13 AM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Just picked up Alex T. Smith’s latest as a Christmas present. How fabulous is this opening line?! “I never thought I would be lucky enough to stumble across a dead body because I don’t have a dog.” Can’t wait to read it! #middlegrade #kidlit #kidlitUK

December 17, 2024 at 10:41 AM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Just came across this fabulous artwork. Too good not to share and marvel! That’s Lora Senf’s #middlegrade creepfest and Alfredo Cáceres’ darkly delicious illustrations. @redolaf.bsky.social @lorasenf.bsky.social This is my weekend read! 🫣👻 #kidlit #books

December 4, 2024 at 7:30 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Starling, darling. Doodling when I should be editing… 😬
#doodle #illustration #procreate
#birds #procrastination

November 26, 2024 at 7:04 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Canongate for Quote of the Day! @canongate.co.uk

Canongate @canongate.co.uk · Nov 26

Haha, I might have phrased this differently if I thought the Guardian would be quoting me…

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/n...

A screenshot from the article. It reads:
"Independent publisher Canongate said “these dingbats … don’t care about writing or books”, in a Bluesky posts"

November 26, 2024 at 6:39 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Congratulations Fleur Hitchcock on #MyBookBuzz news! 🎊Let’s make Murder at Wintertide today's Book of the Day! A cosy, Christmassy, middle grade thriller with fossils and technology... @fleurhitchcock.bsky.social www.pageturnercliffhanger.com/home/murder-... #kidlitUK @nosycrow.bsky.social

Murder at Wintertide by Fleur Hitchcock — Pageturner Cliffhanger Book blog

Peril, intrigue, and hot chocolate in this cosy middle-grade Christmas thriller.

www.pageturnercliffhanger.com

November 26, 2024 at 11:21 AM

Reposted by Melanie Whitmarsh

Jonathan Emmett

@jonathanemmett.com

#KidLit #PictureBooks #BookSky #ChildrensBooks

Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · Nov 23

Some interesting research on how animal characters in children’s books can significantly boost their theory of mind skills and may have particular benefits for autistic children. …
neurosciencenews.com/animal-chara...

Animal Characters in Children's Books Boost Theory of Mind - Neuroscience News

Animal characters in children's books can significantly boost their theory of mind skills, which are essential for understanding social cues.

neurosciencenews.com

November 23, 2024 at 2:24 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

My favourite garden bird. #doodle #illustration #procreate #birdart

Simple cartoon of a blackbird on a white background. The bird is looking into the top right cover, and is standing on a yellow textbox reading Blackbird in capital letters.

November 25, 2024 at 1:48 PM

Reposted by Melanie Whitmarsh

SF Said

@whatsfsaid.bsky.social

What are the children's books that changed YOUR lives? Here are a few of mine: books without which my own books would not exist...

November 21, 2024 at 10:07 PM

Reposted by Melanie Whitmarsh

Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal

@booksforkeeps.bsky.social

Our NEW Book Of The Week is here: MAGGIE BLUE AND THE LOST CHILD is the thrilling conclusion to Anna Goodall's deservedly acclaimed Dark World fantasy trilogy #kidlit. booksforkeeps.co.uk/review/maggi...

Decorative graphic with the cover of Maggie Blue and The Lost Child. Artwork by Sandra Dieckmann features Maggie standing on a rock in a pool holding a wrapped object - a baby presumably but deliberately rock shaped too in a buccolic scene with trees all around. She is looking alarmed, behind her is a big tabby cat with one eye missing. In the distance are mountains with birds flying in front of them and a huge domed city with watchtowers all around.

November 21, 2024 at 4:33 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

“All I need is a window to not write.” 🪟That’s author Tobias Wolff talking about office design in Issue 171 of the Paris Review. 📝Yep, am with you on that one, Mr Wolff. #TobiasWolff #ParisReview #writingcommunity #📚

November 19, 2024 at 2:31 PM

Melanie Whitmarsh

@mgwhitmarsh.bsky.social

Going back to 2021 for this Book of the Day: my current favourite in Elizabeth C. Bunce’s fabulous Myrtle Hardcastle historic whodunnits. Archaeology, poison, and secret societies... #KidLit #KidLitUK #📚 #💙📚 www.pageturnercliffhanger.com/home/coldblo...