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staycoolmommio.bsky.social
StayCoolMommio
@staycoolmommio.bsky.social
180 followers 150 following 700 posts
🙋Queer Elder Millennial - Educator by day, reader/creator/mom by night
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Mom to 2 under 4
📚My TBR is infinite: SFF, Queer, and/or BIPOC tales in heavy rotation
🔗Reviews linked here: http://linktr.ee/staycoolmommio
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staycoolmommio.bsky.social
Alex Easton would like a word… saw this and thought of you, @tkingfisher.com

(I am so sorry…😂)

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www.reddit.com/r/moldyinter... (in case you’re like me and can’t look away)
A screencap of a hideous moldy growth between a wall and a doorframe. It’s giving “the dead don’t walk” and falling houses of Usher.
November 10, 2025 at 7:32 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
Sometimes a book catches you at the perfect moment in time. If you’re lucky, you see it happening and savor the pages as they pass. Sometimes you pause and laugh out loud or wonder at the thread you see being so finely woven.

It was a joy, as always, @alixeharrow.bsky.social .

#booksky 📚🦋
The cover of the everlasting by Alix E Harrow My review. Full text: I cannot choose a favorite Alix E Harrow book; they are all too precious to me and have each come to me at just the right moment. This one is no exception and oh my heart needed it in these times we are surviving. The genre bending is stellar. The ruminations on gender and dominance and empire and ambition cut deep. The love is pure and steamy and soul deep. The horrible horse is a badass. The yew is iconic. Everything I expected to love about this book is there and a dozen more things besides. Sid and Moira are Phenomenal on the audiobook and I cannot fathom reading it any other way. I cannot believe I read so quickly. I cannot wait to read it again. Pick this one up. You won’t regret it.
November 5, 2025 at 3:26 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
Gender! Gender! Gender!

Genius, @alixeharrow.bsky.social - bravooooooooo
November 3, 2025 at 2:53 PM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
@alixeharrow.bsky.social … oh my god, Alix?! You mad, magnificent genius, hot DAMN.

The pure joy of reading a book by my favorite author for the first time is so TANGIBLE right now. Here. For. It.
November 2, 2025 at 8:10 PM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
I am desperate (desperate!) to read @alixeharrow.bsky.social ‘s new masterpiece and homage to the lady knight, but first I have to finish this weird and wonderful and so freaking trippy tale, also featuring a knighted lady.
October 28, 2025 at 1:39 PM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
It isn’t “the size of an index card,” you idiots, IT’S A FKN 100 DOLLAR INDEX CARD. WITH A SUBSCRIPTION.

Kudos to the guy laughing all the way to the bank, truly, but this is some sort of capitalist dystopia joke too bizarre to be fake. Hot damn.
October 17, 2025 at 7:05 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
75 of 75 @sgj.bsky.social is such master of his craft in so many ways and this story does such a good job of showcasing his talents. Gory, hilarious, heart wrenching, profound… I’ve got a lot of adjectives for it and all of them good. Can’t wait to read more of his books ☺️
October 11, 2025 at 1:23 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
How about your book baby and my literal baby?

(Reading as I help her fall back asleep lol)
October 2, 2025 at 2:04 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
This is the first time in months that I’ve posted my wrap up graphics on time.. proud of me! It was a strange month and I didn’t love everything that I read, but there were a few standout excellent ones. And importantly, I pushed through eye reading burnout Twice and am now started on a great one!
My monthly shelfie from fable showing the 8 titles I read this month. Another view of the 8 books I read this month and a graphic showing I’m 2 books away from reaching my goal of 75 books in 2025! My storygraph summary graphic showing the 8 books I read and my ratings. My big storygraph summary showing I read 2552 pages this month along with other fun data.
October 1, 2025 at 2:02 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
Sometimes you read a first chapter of a book at 430 AM while your toddler falls back asleep on your chest and then suddenly the kid is fast asleep but you don’t want to stop reading bc sleep isn’t That important and DAMN this book is good.

Anyway, love your book @barbaratruelove.bsky.social 😍
Cover of “of monsters and mainframes” by Barbara Truelove
September 28, 2025 at 10:16 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
71 and 72 of 2025. I’ve been meaning to read both of these authors for ages and both of these books definitely lived up to the hype. I look forward to reading more of both of them soon!
The cover of certain dark things by Silvia Moreno Garcia Screencap of my review of Certain Dark Things. Full text: There is a certain breed of fantasy novel that is meticulously well crafted and yet seems simple on its face. The prose is straightforward and unbelief and the plot is action forward moving smoothly from start to finish. P Djèlí Clark is like that. VE Schwab sometimes. And then this book. I loved the atmosphere here and the characters were complex and believable. The contrast between innocence and experience in each of them is compelling, as are their complicated motivations for the things they do and don’t do. And zooming out, it’s a story about movement and escape that is all too real-worldly if you stop for a second and swap a few of the variables. It works, beautifully so. I’ve wanted to read this author for ages and this was a great first foray into her work. I’ll definitely be reading more this fall! The cover of Binti by Nnedi Okorafor A screencap of my review of Binti. Full text: It’s hard to say what the best word for a work of this length is. Novella, sure, but even by novella standards, it’s quite short. That doesn’t stop it from packing a delightful punch, however, and I enjoyed it immensely. Gifted sci-fi fantasy writers integrate their magics and technologies so seamlessly into the lives of their characters that they seem natural, logical and well-used. The author of this book does that spectacularly well, both in terms of the futuristic tech and in terms of Binti’s home customs. The story these elements exist within is extremely tight and well-paced, and the character of Binti herself feels well fleshed out. I’ve been meaning to read Nnedi Okorafor for quite some time now and this book definitely lived up to the hype. I look forward to reading more of her soon!
September 28, 2025 at 1:10 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
70 of 2025: A dark and gloomy tale with a shining glimmer of hope under a few layers of leaves and mud - perfect for a sickbed read at the start of autumn. I love that even when the fmc is a literal toad, @tkingfisher.com can make her relatable and lovable. Perfect little fall novella! #booksky
The cover of T Kingfisher’s novella, thornhedge A screencap of my review for thornhedge. Full text: Quick and delightful. I love that even in a story this short, the author can fully flesh out her characters with her signature flair for describing extraordinarily ordinary details that make them so relatable, even when they’re toads. I fell right into the world of Toadling and loved watching her interact with Halim. Some of the timeline/world shifts and dark twists were a little hard for me to follow, but that could definitely be a just me thing. I may try to pick up a copy of this one in print to revisit the latter third, but in any case, it was deeply enjoyable and I will definitely continue to read my way through T Kingfisher’s body of work.
September 22, 2025 at 2:47 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
69 of 2025. What a fantastic, anti-authoritarian, clever as hell, tightly-plotted mystery about the injured people who make the horrifying decisions that shape our worlds. And also Ana verbally eviscerating anyone on the premises. I’ll definitely be reading more @robertjbennett.bsky.social! 📚🦋
The cover of a drop of corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett A screencap of my review of a drop of corruption. Full text: I love the way the author crafts these Ana and Din mysteries. There is certainly a puzzle at the heart of them and there are many intertwining elements, but ultimately, the puzzle serves to develop the characters, flesh out the world and deliver the real world message. We get to see Din in many new lights and situations in this story and I especially liked the revelation of some of his inner conflicts. Don’t get me wrong. I loved how he was portrayed in the first one. But this one goes deep and shows us some of the nuance to his competent and compliant face from the previous story. And we get more Ana, of course, and she continues to steal the show in every scene she is featured in. The world of the shadow of the leviathan is as well wrought and fascinating as ever. The magic system goes deeper here, as does the implications for ways it can be misused. There is some really shockingly beautiful prose at some key points in the novel that serve to drive home the strange juxtaposition of a verdant plant based magic with the strict imperial structures of this society. Ultimately, it’s a great story, and I will definitely be reading the 3rd one next year!
September 20, 2025 at 8:40 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
68 of 2025 I’m so glad that this is the year I finally sat down and read @emilytesh.net . I’ve wanted to read this one since I heard about the Tamsyn blurb on the cover and it did Not disappoint. It healed the person in me let down by the allegory and cishet privilege of Ender’s Game. So. fkn. good.
The cover of Emily tesh’s book, some desperate glory. Screencap of my review of some desperate glory. Full text: I do find it funny that this was the last of Emily Tesh’s books that I read this year, since it earned her so much praise when it came out. And rightly so - this book is So good. The pacing and plotting are excellent and the characters are flawed and complicated, but think one of my favorite things about this book is the way Emily Tesh harnesses word choice and repetition to hammer home her themes. Without giving away any spoilers, there are canonical reasons for characters to be experiencing Deja vu and I absolutely love the way the author puts us in their position by repeating specific phrases at various key points. And as a person who was Deeply hurt by realizing far too late that Ender’s Game was a Mormon allegory, I felt so redeemed with this story. It’s like that, but not, if only because it is incredibly feminist and innately queer. And such a better story for it.
September 13, 2025 at 1:42 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
Is this an official tie-in for ladyknight October next month? 🤣

I really don’t need another MagSafe base, but golly I’m tempted.
September 12, 2025 at 11:44 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
I love the authors of bsky and their responses to *gesticulates wildly at 2025*

Now don’t mind me while I go back to reading @emilytesh.net ‘s queer space opera. You know. The one about dismantling fascist, colonialist structures from within and giving your aggressors the middle finger. That one.
September 11, 2025 at 11:33 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
August wrap up a few days late. I read fewer books last month but I’m still well above my goal pace for the year. Very dark. Very academia. And also robot noodles 🤣
September 7, 2025 at 5:43 PM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
The best kinds of books defy easy categorization. We can call it horror, sure, or generic “SFF,” but it goes deeper than that (without taking itself too seriously). I had the pleasure to read an early draft of this one and can’t wait to see it here in its final form. Heartily recommended! 📚🦋📚🪐
The cover of Veilrender by OA Bhatti.
September 2, 2025 at 9:29 PM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
65 of 2025. I love me a cozy joy-in-work tale and the characters here were so lovable and memorable. Like many stories of not-humans, it shines in its humanity and relatability. Also I would Delight to eat a bowl of those noodles. Definitely recommended.
The cover of automatic noodle by annalee newitz Full text of my review (screencapped here) There’s a certain genre of modern SFF that centers around fulfilling work. You see characters finding a job that they love and they’re good at, putting in the time and effort, overcoming adversities, and reaping the benefits. Travis Baldree, Emily Tesh, and Becky Chambers have all written great books that fit this sub genre for me. And Automatic Noodle is now right there with them. Like many novellas, the story is tight and the characterization is quick and distinctive. Certain elements of the story before this story are revealed by degrees and layered in as background nuance to the story being told. I’m fascinated by the idea of the humanity of various types of robots and I think the author has fun here with her all robot cast of characters. And of course, we learn so much about our own humanity by seeing it reflected against their technical lack of it.
September 2, 2025 at 7:36 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
66 of 2025. I regret how long it took me to finish this magnificent tome; eye-reading has been so hard this summer and I’ve been so Tired. Fitting then that I finished it with a fall nip in the air between the first and second days of September.

I loved it so much, though. And the cat! Love. 📚🌈🦋📚
September 2, 2025 at 7:31 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
Oh my god. I had to stop to CACKLE at Moira using a riff on her Our Lady of the Passion (Pash, my love!) voice for @melissacaruso.bsky.social ‘s grumpy Linnaeus.

Absolutely. Cackling.

(This book is so good the second time around 😍)
August 27, 2025 at 5:43 PM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
This feels pretty great, not gonna lie. My ADHD brain is very typically bad at committing to new habits, but joke’s on it bc I actually really like reading and it’s been great to have an excuse to do it literally every day for most of a year.
A screencap showing I’ve read for 250 days straight.
August 26, 2025 at 2:14 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
63 of 2025 - I liked it, hey Mikey! And idk what cover this is, but I love the color 😂

Onwards and upwards!
The UK cover of T Kingfisher’s book: what feasts at night. A screencap of my fable review for this book. Full text: I don’t think T Kingfisher is capable of writing a story I dislike. Her characters are always so real and flawed and lovable and she moves them naturally through neat and well-chosen plots and settings. I enjoyed seeing Alex and Angus (and Hob!) again and thought the eerie gothic vibes from the first story were well maintained in this new setting. It’s hard to beat a Poe retelling though and while the folklore embedded in this one was somewhat similarly chilling, it lacked the spark for me that I got from What Moves the Dead. I’ll still happily read more stories with these characters and would especially love if they get to inhabit more classic horror tales.
August 20, 2025 at 12:50 PM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
Very fitting that I see this in my inbox while waking up with my kiddos in the middle of the night. Can’t wait to read it (again) and spend some time in @melissacaruso.bsky.social ‘s worlds.

This will be my first time reading a final copy after advanced reading an ARC and I’m stoked it’s this one!
A screencap of my email stating: Your Libro.fm pre-order of The Last Soul Among Wolves is here The time on my phone is visible. It’s 12:43 AM and the sleep icon can be seen next to the time. The cover of Melissa Caruso’s The Last Soul Among Wolves
August 19, 2025 at 6:01 AM
staycoolmommio.bsky.social
62 of 2025 This book, y’all. This book is the perfect example of using a fantasy world to tackle real world problems under a dazzling spotlight of unflinching truth. It has such complex things to say about race and class and gender and power structures… but does so in a world with magic users. Love!
The cover of blood over bright haven by ML wang. An intricate old fashioned type writer has a window in a circle above it that is filled with a red melting flame. A screencap of my fable review of blood over bright haven by ML Wang. Full text: I started this book almost a year ago but then DNFFN’d it because the first chapter was so viscerally horrific that I didn’t think I’d be able to endure the rest until I was in the right headspace. The way ML Wang manages that start with the rest of the book she has written is nothing short of masterful. I read a lot of very tightly structured novellas and short stories and this had that sort of a sailors knot of looping and intersecting themes and ideas that all pull together so satisfyingly by the end. I truly loved it, as much as it was beyond challenging to read at times. I usually write more in my reviews but this one is such a challenge to praise without giving major spoilers. Suffice to say: ML Wang has written a masterful tale that unflinchingly looks at societal horror and what we can do to survive it. And it does so couched within a vivid magical world (with a magic system like computer programming!) and enacted by complex, carefully-wrought characters. And as always, the spectacular Moira Quirk makes the audiobook an absolute joy and pleasure to read, despite the dark subject matter.
August 18, 2025 at 3:19 AM