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Ron Payne

@accipiterf1.bsky.social
522 followers 549 following 1.5K posts

Birder. Reader. Otter Creek Audubon Society President. Vermont eBird hotspot reviewer. Tsundoku master. He/Him. Book reviews in 500-characters or less: accipiterf1.wordpress.com

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Reposted by Ron Payne
Alex Brown 🇵🇸 (they/them) @bookjockeyalex.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
It's Banned Books Week. My fellow librarians, listen carefully: your book displays should be almost exclusively writers who are alive. Yes, I know classic literature is also being banned, but most of those authors are dead. They aren't suffering financially from bans and challenges.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
There we go. That's the right take.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
My September reading wrap-up
An infographic generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's September 2026 reading Wrap-Up showing he read 9 books and 1632 pages, 46.6 hours. with an average rating of 4.0. Highest rated reads were Charity & Sylvia by Tille Walden (5 stars), Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi (4 stars), and The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley (4 stars). Average book length: 336 pages. Average time to finish: 6 days. Genres read were Mystery, Fantasy, Crime, Horror, LGBTQIA+. 89% of the books were fiction, 11% nonfiction. 56% were audio, 22% print books, 22% digital.
A collage generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's September 2026 Reads with book covers and star ratings. Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano (4 stars), Charity & Sylvia by Tille Walden (5 stars), Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones (4 stars), Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner (4 stars), Prosper's Demon by K.J. Parker (4 stars), The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood (3 stars), The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley (4 stars), The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (3 stars), Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi (4 stars).
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I got today's Blird Game in 🐦! That's a 2 day win streak! 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 app.academy.allaboutbirds.org/blird
app.academy.allaboutbirds.org
Blird Game | BirdWise ID Quizzes
A daily bird identification game. Identify today's blurred bird in less than 5 guesses.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
🏀 Immaculate Grid (Women's) 1132 9/9: Rarity: 259 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: www.sports-reference.com/immaculate-g...
sports-reference.com
Immaculate Grid: Women's Basketball
Put your women's basketball knowledge to the test! Immaculate Grid is a daily trivia game powered by Sports Reference. Come back for a new grid every day!
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Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Lots of pieces in the print media recently about the decline of reading in children. Here's a little thread on ways to help your kids get reading again:
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I'm asking people to please take action to help stop the closing of the Academy of Natural Science
youtu.be
The Plan To Destroy Americas Oldest Natural History Museum
YouTube video by Miniminuteman
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Nanjala @nanjala.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
A Senegalese college basketball player, Amina Seck, is currently in ICE detention. Seck was travelling with her team to a tournament in New York when she was detained by ICE at Louisville Airport. She has been moved four times since her detention. #wnba eu.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...
eu.courier-journal.com
KSU women's basketball player detained by ICE at Louisville airport | Exclusive
Aminata Seck, 26, was detained while traveling as part of Kentucky State University's women's basketball team.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
After watching that Indiana vs. Toronto game, this Portland vs. Golden State game looks like it's being played at 2x speed. #WNBA
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Nerds of a Feather @nerdsofafeather.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Book Review: Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler Nayler is back on animal consciousness, but this time with a whole lot more of man's inhumanity to man to go with it says @chloroformtea.bsky.social at the blog: www.nerds-feather.com/2026/09/book...
nerds-feather.com
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Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Needless to say, Ed Sheeran is a little piss boy
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
New art in downtown Middlebury.
A brick building  with a wood and paint art piece depicting a sheaf of wheat next to the text "Bakery Lane"
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I need TNT to fix this scoring bug. Italy is wearing white and blue, and Austrailia is wearing green. I never notice when it's right, but it drives me nuts when it's wrong. #fibawwc
A picture of the scoring bug for the FIBA Women's World Cup game between Italy and Australia. ITA has a green background and AUS has a blue background.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Ref's arm is in the way at what might be the crucial moment. We need another angle. #FIBAWWC
A screencap of basketball action. Cecilia Zandalasini and Jackie Young mostly obscured by a referee in the foreground while playing in the Italy vs. USA round robin game of the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup tournament
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Nailed it. Apparently "grinder" and "Cabbage Night" were the biggest tells. mydialect.us/quiz-standar...
A graphic with the following text:
"Your dialect map

You talk most like someone from Vermont — about 58% of your answers match a typical resident."

Followed by  heat map of the US showing what my dialect is most like. Hot in the New England, cold in the South, cool everywhere else.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
August reading wrap up.
An infographic generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's August 2026 reading Wrap-Up showing he read 9 books and 2446 pages, with an average rating of 4.22. Highest rated reads were The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (5 stars), Palace of the Crows by Ray Naylor (5 stars), and Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (4 stars). Average book length: 291 pages. Average time to finish: 8 days. Genres read were Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Historical. 100% of the books were fiction. 22% print books, 78% audiobooks.
A collage generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's August 2026 Reads with book covers and star ratings. The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee (4 stars), The Compound by Aisling Rawle (4 stars), Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung (4 stars), Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (5 stars), Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei (4 stars), Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (4 stars).
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I visited the newly renovated Ilsley Public Library today and it is amazing.
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Chaz Stein @charlottestein.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
The reason JKR is suddenly saying more and more “moderate” seeming things is not because her views are “moderate”, you daft shits. It’s because she is registering that her extremely overtly transphobic points are now making her very unpopular.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
And the internet is 100% Dolly Parton memorials now, as is appropriate.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Mood
music.youtube.com
Cancel Me (I’m Tired)
YouTube video by Fat Dog - Topic
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ArtButMakeItSports @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Phaedra and Hippolytus, by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, 1802, 📸 via @ErikTedJohnson
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Wordle 1,889 1/6 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🥳 Lots of people got it today I'm sure. It's a popular start word.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Captions wrote "Charlisse Laser Walker." #WNBA
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
I think I have the only dog in the universe who doesn't like popcorn.
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thene @thene.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
out it goes: my long post about Rachel Hope Cleves's claim that Tillie Walden plagiarised her book. It's long because Cleves's claim is much, much more bizarre than it looked on first reading. I'm not going to bury the lede here. Cleves's claim does not hold up. buttondown.com/thene/archiv...
stick a pin in this metaphor

…because these covers are a microcosm of the entire conflict; Walden's book is mostly built on writing and other objects left by Sylvia Drake, Charity Bryant, and others. Her work includes many elements from these records that Cleves does not refer to in her book, and many of her interpretations of those records are different from Cleves's interpretations, often intentionally so. In addition to her historical basis, Walden's book includes fictional dialogue and story elements that are original to her work, some of which are inspired by Walden's own life.
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Kingfisher & Wombat @tkingfisher.com · 13/08/2026
I was literally JUST doing a talk about this with @mcmanlypants.bsky.social an hour ago! The thing is that the Rockies are so much bigger than you that they don’t notice if you exist. But the Appalachians are so much older than you that if they notice you, bad shit’s about to go down.
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jessamyn @librarian.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Dear #Vermont voters, there are two amendments to the Vermont Constitution which will be on the ballot in November. One is about the right to collective bargaining, the other is about equal protection/treatment under the law (which it should have had already). governor.vermont.gov/press-releas...
A woman in a voting booth in a black and white photo. She is wearing a long fur-lined coat and a bit hat with a feather. A caption at the top reads "Ready to Vote"
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CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Ryan Ruocco noting Cheryl Reeve's shirt and then video of Cheryl talking to Sophie Cunningham earlier
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
My July reading month.
An infographic generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's June 2026 reading Wrap-Up showing he read 10 books and 2865 pages, with an average rating of 4.1. Highest rated reads were The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (5 stars), My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (5 stars), and She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor (4 stars). Average book length: 236 pages. Average time to finish: 6 days. Genres read were Fantasy LGBTQIA+, Literary, Magical Realism, and Romance. 100% of the books were fiction. 80% print books, 20% audiobooks.A collage generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's July 2026 Reads with book covers and star ratings. Chocolat by Joanne Harris (4 stars), My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (5 stars), The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (5 stars), Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher (4 stars), A Mouthfull of Dust by Nghi Vo (4 stars), A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo (4 stars), Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang (3 stars), The Wizard by Gene Wolfe (4 stars), She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor (4 stars).
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Chuck Tingle @chucktingle.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
YOULL NEVER TAKE MY EM DASH
cover of THE SENTIENT LESBIAN EM DASH--MY FAVORITE PUNCTUATION MARK--GETS ME OFF featuring a large blue living em dash on the left and a beautiful ladybuck on the right they are standing in a yard in the evening lookin good
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
The Aneesah Morrow for Betnijah Laney-Hamilton trade rumor is dumb. Why would the Sun trade a walking double double on a controlled rookie scale contract for a washed veteran on an expiring contract? It makes no sense. #WNBA
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William Gibson @greatdismal.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g79G...
youtube.com
Neuromancer — Official Teaser | Apple TV
YouTube video by Apple TV
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Birds of the World | The Cornell Lab @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
With no confirmed sightings of a Ghana Cuckooshrike in 13 years, they knew the odds of seeing one slim. But after a long day of hiking and driving, the team...read on for more!
birdpartners.org
Lost bird found: Ghana Cuckooshrike documented in Taï National Park, Ivory Coast
20 July, 2026By David GoodmanGhana Cuckooshrike (Lobotos lobatus) in Taï National Park, Ivory Coast. Photo by Stephanie Bartlett. The Upper Guinea rainforests of West Africa once stretched unbroken ac...
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Big3 accidentally getting it's highest ever TV ratings. Can't believe they delayed the start of the W game for that. #WNBA
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Who are the incompetent stewards today? #F1 #BelgianGP
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Connecticut Sun news and notes @ctsunwnbanews.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
The good people of Italy would like you to know Tilman Fertitta sucks. #WNBA
reuters.com
Venice protests greet U.S. Ambassador Fertitta's arrival on superyacht
A few hundred people in Venice protested on Friday against U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta as he arrived in the ​lagoon city aboard his superyacht, drawing criticism of President Donald Trump...
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WCAX-TV @wcax.com · 12/07/2026
📷: Sue Wetmore, "Loon family. Lake Dunmore loons with chicks." We love receiving photos & video from WCAX viewers! For a chance to be featured on our news & social platforms, send yours here: www.wcax.com/community/audience/use… 
Image 1
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PWHL @thepwhl.com · 10/07/2026
No surprise here 😉 Congratulations to all of the PWHL players recognized with ESPYs nominations!
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Andrew Liptak @andrewliptak.com · 09/07/2026
The classic science fiction magazine STARLOG is being rebooted, with io9 founder @annaleen.bsky.social at the helm! The first issue drops later this year: www.andrewliptak.com/starlog-anna...
andrewliptak.com
Legendary magazine Starlog is being resurrected
The classic magazine is being relaunched
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Suddenly realizing that even if I don't have the spoons to book blog anymore, I can at least post storygraph wrap-up graphics.
An infographic generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's June 2026 reading Wrap-Up showing he read 6 books and 1,935 pages, with an average rating of 3.38. Highest rated reads were  Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (4 stars), The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan (4 stars), and The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks (4 stars). Average book length: 342 pages. Average time to finish: 14 days. Genres read were Science Fiction, Thriller, Historical, Fantasy, and LGBTQIA+ 100% of the books were fiction. 67% audiobooks, 33% print books. 
A collage generated by The Storygraph showing @ronpayne's June 2026 Reads with book covers and star ratings. The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper (4 stars), The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (3 stars), The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Naylor (4 stars), The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks (4 stars), The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan (4 stars), Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (4 stars).
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Pope about to sub-homily him again.
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Ursula K. Le Guin @ursulakleguin.com · 29/06/2026
We're thrilled to present the shortlist for the 2026 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction:
A bouquet of flowers next to a stack of books that includes:

Audition by Pip Adam (Coffee House Press)
Sunward by William Alexander (Saga Press)
Call and Response by Christopher Caldwell (Neon Hemlock)
Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur (Algonquin)
The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes (Tor Books)
Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman (Tor Books)
Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta (DAW Books)
One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed (Psychopomp)
Slow Gods by Claire North (Orbit)
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Tom Toro @tbtoro.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
📚🤔 My latest for @climateconnections.bsky.social
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The Ignyte Awards @theignyteawards.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Novel: Adult are: Cursed Daughters – Oyinkan Braithwaite Harmattan Season – @tochitruestory.bsky.social Motheater – @lincodega.com Song of Legends Lost – @mhayinde.bsky.social The Buffalo Hunter Hunter – @stephengrahamjones.com
OUTSTANDING NOVEL: ADULT
for novel-length work (40k words) Works intended for an adult audience

Cursed Daughters – Oyinkan Braithwaite (Doubleday)
Harmattan Season – Tochi Onyebuchi (Tor Books)
Motheater – Linda H. Codega (Erewhon Books)
A Song of Legends Lost – M. H. Ayinde (Saga Press)
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter – Stephen Graham Jones (Saga Press)
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Boston Fleet fans watching what is happening to the Seattle Torrent in the PWHL expansion. www.thepwhl.com/en/teams/det...
static.klipy.com
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) - Yes! That's How It Feels
Alt: Loki (Tom Hiddleston) - Yes! That's How It Feels
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Amal El-Mohtar @amalelmohtar.com · 04/06/2026
Watching MASTER AND COMMANDER (2003) for the first time & deeply appreciating how a decades-long friendship might end because Aubrey won’t let Maturin go birding
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Finished off a bottle of fountain pen ink for the first time ever. A 30ml bottle of Pelikan Blue-Black, which I do not recommend. It's too dry. It took me almost a full year of writing morning pages to get through it, and I'm glad to be almost done with it. Only the 1/2ml I put in a pen to go.
An empty bottle of Pelikan Blau-Schwarz Blue-Black ink tipped on its side with its cap off sitting on a paper towel splattered with various colors of fountain pen ink.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
So basically the education secretary—who's nomination the legislature didn't want to approve, but who somehow got job anyway—forgot to put a reading program in the budget she submitted, and is now trying to blame the legislature for that. #vermont
wcax.com
Read Vermont literacy program at risk with lack of funding
Vermont's first statewide literacy initiative faces elimination as lawmakers move forward with a budget proposal that does not include funding for the program.
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Ron Payne @accipiterf1.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Audubon Vermont wants your Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warbler sightings. 🐦 #Vermont
ebird.org
Making sure you're not a bot!
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