iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Helensburgh Book Festival is this weekend, 27th & 28th March. Here's a look at the Saturday (check my earlier post for Friday) We will have What's Hot, Pitch Perfect, Crime Writing Workshop with Michael J Malone...contd

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Ian Green @ianthegreen.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

This is out in August! Writers and reviewers, my dearies, if you fancy an ARC drop me a line- they are heading out shortly! Preorder it if you like cool books about swords and ships and monsters and guilt and arcane archipelagos and betrayal and hope and disaster and fate amzn.eu/d/08ibViSi

The cover of the book THE DEEP AND The Drowned by Ian green, a sea serpent in dark blue water with red plants and a small ship on stormy seas above

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Line up for the Friday, 27th March, for our Helensburgh Book Festival: D.V. Bishop at The Hill House, then at the Helensburgh Community Hub, Len Pennie and later, Alistair Moffat. #bookfestivalsuk #Helensburgh #lomond

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Not long to go until Reading Minds - Helensburgh Book Festival, taking place Friday 27th - Saturday 28th March. We have a fantastic line up of talented authors taking part in the festival. For more info on events & to book tickets, click below: linktr.ee/HelensburghB... #bookfestivalsuk

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

My reading wrap-up fir January & February (excluding graphic novels - in) separate posts. A fairly good mix but I would have liked to have got a non-fiction book in & more poetry. #books

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

I've been on quite a kick of reading graphic novels of late with 12 read so far in 2026. Most have been on my shelf a while & I thought I'd finally read them to see which ones I wanted to progress with. Also, I wanted to read the ones I had before buying more. #graphicnovels #comics #books

A Guest in the House by E.M Carroll - 3⭐️
Lightfall Book 1: The Girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert - 5⭐️
Batman: Hush Vol. 1 - 4⭐️
X-men: Phoenix Rising - 3⭐️
Isola Vol. 1 - 4⭐️
Gideon Falls Vol. 2 & 3 - 4⭐️
Monstress Vol. 1 - 4⭐️
Saga Vol. 1 - 3.5⭐️
Shadow Over Innsmouth - 2.5⭐️
Basilisk Vol. 1 - 3⭐️
BZRKR Vol. 1 - 3⭐️

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

The Reading Minds - Helensburgh Book Festival programme is now live. We have a great line-up of talented authors coming along. I'm glad to be part of the team, which organises this event and look forward to it each year. I'll be posting more over the next few weeks. #helensburgh #ukbookfestivals

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Absolutely loving my recent purchases from @rowynnellis.bsky.social The artwork in Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts is absolutely stunning, as are the 2 bookmarks I purchased along with it. I also really appreciated the gorgeous thank you note - on the back of the black & white illustration card.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

Not even half way through the 1st month of 2026 & I have my 2nd 5⭐️ read - Seven Legendary Monsters by Clara Elena García. This is a collection of insightful and impactful poems that held me gripped from start to finish. It is also an enlightening glimpse into Guaraní mythology. #poetry #books

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

How I'm spending my Saturday night - in bed early with a damn good cocktail & an equally damn book, The Terror by Dan Simmons. Such a wild child I am 😄 If anyone's interested in my cocktail it's Satryna Blanco Tequila with cactus liqueur over ice & topped up with orange juice. #booklover

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Not even 10 days into the New Year and I already have my first 5⭐️ read of 2026 - Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert. #childrensbooks #graphicnovels #Lightfall

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

First poem of the year inspired by first photo taken in 2026:

Black & white photograph of a small white feather stuck amongst a weed growing between paving slabs.
Accompanied by the following poem:

Quivering in the wind
waiting to lose hold,
waiting to be snatched away
and thrown to the whims
of the mindless gusts
and heedless breezes.
Shivering yet stuck
fast to the earth.
Its clutches refusing
defeat. Refusing to release
that which it falsely proffers
to the air, teasing.
And as one seized you
and one plucks at you,
you wait and you shake
with no choice
with no voice
to your fate.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

July is Disability Pride Month, so here are some non-fiction books by disabled authors and/or about living with disability. #DisabilityPrideMonth

Books shown are:
Top Row
Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig
The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Against All Odds by Ellie Goldstein

Middle Row
To Exist As I Am: A Doctor's Notes on Recovery and Radical Acceptance by Grace Spence Green
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong

Bottom Row
Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Activist by Judith Heumann
Mean Baby by Selma Blair
Haben: The Deaf-Blind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Electric Dreams: On Sex Robots & the Failed Promises of Capitalism by Heather Parry 4⭐️ This was a really thought-provoking read that starts with the topic of Sex Robots but delves so much deeper into issues such as sexuality, colonialism, misogyny, regressive feminism, capitalism & more. 1/ #books

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Not long back from a fab @hburghbookfest.bsky.social event promoting Liam McIlvanney's new book with fellow crime writer Neil Broadfoot. It was great to get their insight into writing crime fiction. I picked up each of their books, The Good Father & No Quarter Given, which they both signed for me.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

5⭐️ Read Some Body Like Me by Lucy Lapinska is a beautifully written story about identity, love & the definition of being alive. With great skill, Lapinska merges sci-fi with romance to create an emotional & impactful novel. I loved this book & it will be a permanent addition to my bookshelf. #books

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

A few Science-fiction & Speculative fiction books I put together for the Helensburgh Community Hub to celebrate & show our support for Pride month. If you have any other recommendations for fantasy LGBTQIA+ books, please fire away. 🏳️‍🌈 #pridemonth

Books listed are:

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
The Long Way to a Small & Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Transcendent 3 by Various
The Space Between Worlds by Micah Johnson
Some Body Like Me by Lucy Lapinska
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ancillary Justice by Ann Lecki
This How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
The City We Became by N.K. Jemesin

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Second batch of bookmarks made for celebrating Pride month 🏳️‍🌈 at the Book Nook in the @helensburghcommunityhub If you missed picking one up earlier in the month, I should be dropping these off on Saturday. Designed & made by me. #pridemonth

Heap of bookmarks with designs of a shelf of books in LGBTQIA colours. Also showing reverse side of bookmark which have stripes of rainbow colours.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

A few Young Adult books I put together for Helensburgh Community Hub to celebrate & show our support for Pride month. If you have any other recommendations for fantasy LGBTQIA+ books, please fire away. 🏳️‍🌈 #Pride2025

Books listed are:

Sixteen Souls – Rosie Talbot
Cemetery Boys – Aiden Thomas
Iron Widow – Xiran Jay Zhao
Felix Ever After – Kacen Callender
Hell Followed With Us – Andrew Joseph White
Pet – Akwaeke Emezi
Infinity Son – Adam Silvera
The Brightness Between Us – Eliot Schrefer
Spellbound – F.T. Lukens

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

I probably shouldn't be allowed in charity shops as it seems I have no self (or is it shelf 😄) control. Anyway, today I picked Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Shaw, End of the World & Hard-Boiled Wonderland by Murakami and finally, The Beholders by Hester Musson.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that grabbed my attention from the start & kept me hooked. Amongst the action, we delves into important themes such as identity & belonging as we follow the story & struggles of Cara, a traverser of worlds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #books

Front cover of The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson.
Text on front: 380 Realities, 8 Chances To Survive.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

A few fantasy books I put together for Helensburgh Community Hub to celebrate & show our support for Pride month. If you have any other recommendations for fantasy LGBTQIA+ books, please fire away. 🏳️‍🌈 #pride2025

Books listed are:
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
The Unbroken by C.L. Clarke
The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang
Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

On at the Helensburgh Community Hub - everyone is welcome to come along to enjoy our events & show their support for our LGBTQIA+ Community. #Helensburgh #argyllandbute #Pride2025 #lomond #PrideScotland

Pride at Helensburgh Community Hub.
Friday 27th June
Everyone is welcome to help us celebrate!

4pm: Pride themed storytime and crafting.
5pm: Line dancing taster.
6pm: Singalong session with Sounds Good community singing group (and featuring a bit of Dolly Parton, we hope…)
7pm: Pride Quiz (BYOB)

and showcasing Pride authors and novels in the Book Nook along with LGBTQ+ information throughout June.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

That's the Book Nook at the Helensburgh Community Hub sorted for Pride month 🏳️‍🌈 We want everyone to feel welcome. I found a great resource explaining terms from York LGBT Forum, which we've displayed to help educate people. Amnesty International also provided resources & bunting.

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Lyndsey Croal (she/her) @lyndseycroal.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

✨️Dark Crescent Giveaway! ✨️ Two copies 1 here/ 1 on IG - just repost for a chance to win + bonus entry if you comment a favourite Scottish folklore thing! Signed book comes with a real hagstone, art card, kelpie sticker, bookmark & stickers ft. folklore lino designs by me! Ends 1st June! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿📚🌙

Two copies of Dark Crescent by Lyndsey Croal, with two Bookmarks, two hagstones, lino art stickers featuring folklore creatures and art cards with a stag inside a bottle.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Very apt reading for sitting along the seafront on the West Coast of Scotland - 'Scottish Folk Tales of Coast and Sea' by Tom Muir 🌊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #scottishbooks

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due - an easy 5⭐️ read. A beautifully written, heart-wrenching and engaging poignant historical fiction with supernatural elements. In short I loved this book and would highly recommend it. #books

Book - The Reformatory by American Award Winning Author, Tananarive Due.

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Helensburgh Book Festival @hburghbookfest.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

🚨Pop-up event announcement! We’re delighted to announce that crime writers @liammcilvanney.bsky.social and @nlbro.bsky.social will be joining us at Helensburgh Community Hub on 4th July to discuss Liam’s new novel The Good Father Tickets are available to buy here: www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Gla...

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

Too true, I always 'need' another book 😊

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

I've been having a run of great books lately, with the most recent being Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley - 5⭐️ This was an enthralling crime fiction with a hint of the dark and supernatural. Would highly recommend to those who enjoy crime fiction or stories with supernatural/folkloric vibes. #books

Front cover of Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley.
Cover has a greyscale picture of an hour glass with a kirk on the dark sand on the top. At the bottom the sand transforms into crows flying. On top of this is the font for the title & author in a bright pinkish-red. Underneath this is the tagline: When the Crow Moon rises, the darkness is unleashed...

Additionally is text which reads: Shortlisted for the McDermid Debut Award and Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year.
Quotes: "Dark, gothic, and dripping with dread, this spellbinding debut is a triumph" from C.J. Cooke
"An extraordinary debut: intriguing, unsettling, heavy with the atmosphere and with a formidable leading lady...Suzy Aspley is one to watch" from Mari Hannah

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

The Monsters We Deserve by Marcus Sedgwick 5⭐️ I borrowed this book from the library on a whim & I'm so glad I did, I absolutely loved it. This book won't be for everyone, but it is definitely for me. (So much so that I've bought myself my own copy.) #books

Front cover of The Monsters We Deserve by Marcus Sedgwick.
The cover has a white background, and in the middle is the black silhouette of a man-like figure with antlers & branch like arms reaching down. Merged with the figure is the outline of a triangle, in black, pointing downwards.

Words in black on the back cover, which is white. The words read:
Do monsters always stay in the book where they were born? Are they content to live out their lives on paper, and never step foot into the real world?

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

The poem came to me as I was typing on my laptop... #poetry

You’re always wanting to start again.
Wanting me to drop everything
so you can take up my time
to patch yourself up
as though this time you’ll improve.
Most times, I can’t see
the changes that you’ve made
and if I do, I’ll wonder
what they all were for.
And they’ll be more things
I will have to learn
to live with or try to ignore.
But if I refuse to start over?
Let things go on as they are?
You’ll harass me to frustration,
inundate me with your needs,
or hold me back until I agree…

...to press the button and install the f@#king updates!

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

New book arrived today - a Waterstones signed edition of The Buffalo Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. Going to read this before the author's (online) appearance at the Cymera Festival.

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Hay Festival @hayfestival.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

– Seamus Heaney, born #OnThisDay in 1939, in Personal Helicon from Eleven Poems.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Got myself in the local paper in connection with the @hburghbookfest.bsky.social It was a fantastic event & I'm very much looking forward to start planning for next year's festival. #Helensburgh #bookfestival

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Spring has definitely sprung. The pond at the local park was teeming with tadpoles & the odd newt popped up for a snack. Had to get my camera out & take a few snaps.

Photograph - Looking into a pond. On the right hand side is a fallen bright pink camelia floating on the water. On the left are several tadpoles swimming about.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Decided to pick up SF Caledonia & an issue of Shoreline of Infinity to read & examine more short stories between returning back to writing some of my own. #shortstories #sciencefiction #scottishwriters #fantasyfiction #speculativefiction

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Back to the theatre, this time for An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley at the King's Theatre. #theatre #glasgow

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Did I write poem inspired by building an IKEA desk this week? Yes, yes I did. Did it also come to me at 11 o'clock at night whilst I was trying to sleep? Yep, because that's how my brain works apparently 😄 #poetry

IKEA FURNITURE

You came to me in pieces
and I had to sift through them
to find what was needed.
With each step together
I built you up a little bit more
and when we reached our climax
I was spent and sore
but at least, you were complete.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Rather nice evening, so got my phone out to take some shots. Here's one of them. 📷 #Helensburgh #photography

Photograph showing a church tower in the background, with a rooftop & branches in the foreground. One side of the tower is bathed in the evening sunlight & another side is in shade. The sky is clear blue.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

I was enjoying the Helensburgh Book Festival so much I forgot to take actual photos of the event so here's a wee pic of the merch & some books by some of the authors involved. 1/

In the photo the books shown are Dwams by Shane Strachan, Deliver Me by Elle Nash, Some Body Like Me by Lucy Lapinska, Dark Island by Daniel Aubrey and Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley.

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Adam Farrer @adamjfarrer.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Had the greatest time at @hburghbookfest.bsky.social this weekend. Came second in a literary quiz where I was on a team with a dog, had a packed event, sold all my books, met so many wonderful people and ate so many biscuits. An incredible literary festival. Can’t wait to come back.

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Suzy A @suzyaspleybooks.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Had such a lovely day @hburghbookfest.bsky.social today. What a smashing community event with loads of great people, panels, readers, writers and bookworms. Fab chat with Valentina, and the pitching panel was so much fun too. Thanks for inviting me to be part of an weekend by the Clyde. 📚💫🖤

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Callum McSorley @callummcsorley.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Had such an incredible time at @hburghbookfest.bsky.social at the weekend. One of the best going, it's wonderful. ❤️

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Lucy Lapinska / LD Lapinski 💛🤍💜🖤 @ldlapinski.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

My first ever adult-book event and I had an absolute blast. Thanks hugely to everyone who came to and asked questions at the event with me and @saderotica.bsky.social, to @caileansteed.bsky.social for chairing and to @hburghbookfest.bsky.social for organising. I cannot wait for the next one! 🩵🤖

Three authors sit in discussion around a small table at a book event

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

My wee haul after my first day of the @hburghbookfest.bsky.social A great day, finished off with a fantastic workshop with the talented Tendai L. Huchu. #Helensburgh

Books shown: Some Body Like Me by Lucy Lapinska, Deliver Me by Elle Nash, Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley & Dwams by Shane Strachan.

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Kaela @mikaelawalker.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Just finished reading Perfume by Patrick Süskind. I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure what I think about it. It's a very strange book, that's for certain and it was definitely interesting. It will most likely waft around my mind like some lingering scent for a while to come.

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