iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

If you like a book with a deeply unlikeable and unreliable narrator that dives into terminal illness and parental dynamics around queerness, check out NIGHT NIGHT FAWN by Jordy Rosenberg. Strange and devastating. #booksky #reading #books app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3828...

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Review by banana_hutch - Night Night Fawn

This book does the unreliable/unlikeable narrator thing very well. Barbara feels unredeemable....

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

UPROOTED by @naominovik.bsky.social checked a lot of boxes for me -- magic, folklore, mantis monsters -- the romance aspect wasn't my cup of tea but overall a fun and fantastical adventure. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1df0... #booksky #reading #books

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Review by banana_hutch - Uprooted

A fantasy book infused with rich folklore and magic. I can't quite figure out why I didn't enj...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

LULA DEAN'S LITTLE LIBRARY OF BANNED BOOKS by @kirstenmiller.bsky.social has all the rage and humor of her other novels, with just a little bit less witchiness. Fantastic read. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c5a3... #booksky #reading #books

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Review by banana_hutch - Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books: A Novel

I was a little leery of a non-witchy Kirsten Miller book because The Change is probably my all...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

ISABELLA NAGG AND THE POT OF BASIL by @deathbybadger.bsky.social is absurd in the best way. Many laugh-out-loud moments interwoven into a whimsical (and at times heavy) story. #booksky #books #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/d738...

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Review by banana_hutch - Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil

Oh, this book was so much fun. Fantastical village pettiness, some dark little twists and turn...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Juliet Faithfull's LIAR'S DICE is my second 5-star read of the year. Set in Brazil, it tells the story of Dolores and her identical twin, Mita. it's lovely and sad and beautiful. #booksky #books #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/bd12...

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Review by banana_hutch - Liar's Dice

This story grabbed me from the first page and did not let me go. The story is deeply emotional...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

"The self comes to us through others" is a line from @wiswell.bsky.social's WEARING THE LION that struck me very deeply. This one is so fun and heartfelt. #booksky #books #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/30ea...

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Review by banana_hutch - Wearing the Lion

Honestly one of the most compelling depictions of the Greek pantheon I've read. This was such ...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi is one of those books that settles into your psyche and stays with you awhile. Lovely, heartbreaking, chilling, and tremendously detailed. #booksky #books #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/46c0...

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Review by banana_hutch - Homegoing

Homegoing is a beautiful, devastating, multigenerational epic. There's so much I could say abo...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

THE BAD-ASS LIBRARIANS OF TIMBUKTU by Joshua Hammer was, in places, a little dry for my tastes, being penned by a news correspondent. But the story is fascinating and librarians continue to impress and amaze me. #booksky #books #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2009...

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Review by banana_hutch - The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts

Honestly, librarians should be in charge of way more things than just libraries. Librarians ha...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

What's a book you wish you could read again for the first time? I have so many but the two I will share now are THE CLOISTERS by Katy Hays and MONK AND ROBOT by Becky Chambers. Very different works but both so lovely in their own way. #booksky #books #reading

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I had an absolutely lovely birthday this week. Every year I am reminded that I am loved and also that I am the deadbeat friend in every relationship.

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

THE ASTRAL LIBRARY by Kate Quinn is a good palate cleanser if you're on a streak of reading heavy or challenging books. I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. #booksky #books #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f9cd...

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Review by banana_hutch - The Astral Library

I had high hopes for this book. Everyone seems to love it and the premise is delectable. But I...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

My book club just selected Wearing the Lion for September but I cannot wait to read this one too holy hell.

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Whoops! I actually read THE BANE WITCH by Ava Morgyn back in April and completely dropped the ball on marking/reviewing it. This one has basically everything I enjoy in a book these days - like bad men getting what they deserve. #booksky #books #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/bd56...

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Review by banana_hutch - The Bane Witch

Feminine rage? Intergenerational witchcraft? Poison? A secluded little town in the mountains? ...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Talk about being late to the game. I should have read THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY sooner than 2026. Alas. A lovely, epistolary novel that guides the reader through some very bleak topics with care and gentleness. #books #booksky #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/aba7...

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Review by banana_hutch - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I took my sweet time getting around to this and I wish I'd read it sooner. The story and chara...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

FEVER by Mary Beth Keane is a novelization of the life of Mary Mallon, better known to some as Typhoid Mary. Keane does a good job humanizing an oft-maligned woman and putting her story into the larger context of NYC in the early 1900s. #books #booksky #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/09e1...

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Review by banana_hutch - Fever

Grabbed this at a used book book sale a few months ago and made it one of my summer reads. The...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

WITHOUT YOU, THERE IS NO US by Suki Kim was a glimpse behind the veil of North Korea. If you've read any defector memoirs, add this to your list -- it'll give you a small snapshot of the privileged class. #books #booksky #reading app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/569e...

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Review by banana_hutch - Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite

A rare look inside North Korea. It's one thing to know that North Korea is isolated and oppres...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

@samreich.bsky.social we're a full season behind and catching up but give Jacob travel show immediately. The people need it. It's me, I'm people.

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

NAGASAKI: LIFE AFTER NUCLEAR WAR by Susan Southard is emotionally devastating and I wish I had read it sooner. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/feb5...

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Review by banana_hutch - Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War

A deep and heart-wrenching look at Nagasaki in the hours, days, months and years following Ame...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

THE (MOST UNUSUAL) HAUNTING OF EDGAR LOVEJOY by @roanparrish.bsky.social is gentle, sweet, queer, just a little spicy and full of ghosts and family secrets. If that sounds good to you, check it out! app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/86cf...

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Review by banana_hutch - The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy

This was such a sweet love story with just a touch of oddity and it was really fun to read. On...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

THE BOOK OF I by David Greig was quick, charming, and oddly cozy given the descriptions of violence in a few spots. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/8efe...

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Review by banana_hutch - The Book of I

I wouldn't have expected the violence of a viking raid to be described so gently, but here we ...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Picked up DARK EARTH by Rebecca Stott at my local library based solely on its lovely cover and ended up checking it out. I wanted to love this one, but while it was beautifully written, I found myself wishing for more on all fronts. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/78d3...

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Review by banana_hutch - Dark Earth

Dark Earth is a beautifully written book. The language, the style, the flow -- an absolutely g...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

This weekend I saw a billboard vilifying wind power and like...I'm so tired, you guys.

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

IGNORE ALL PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS by @ada-hoffmann.bsky.social was my long-weekend read and it was GREAT. What do you do when the rules you thrive under support a status quo that renders people like you invisible? app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7eff...

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Review by banana_hutch - Ignore All Previous Instructions

This was such a fun read. But it was also thoughtful and deeply emotional.Kelli is someone who...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Another book makes it to the 'finished' pile. ORBITAL by Samantha Harvey is short and sweet - a day-in-the-life tale of six astronauts orbiting our planet. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7736...

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by banana_hutch - Orbital

This was a lovely little novel, almost cozy despite space being as large, dark and cold as it ...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

I just finished @levacrosen.bsky.social's THE BELL IN THE FOG after not realizing that LAVENDER HOUSE was the start of a series and stumbling across the 4th book at the library. If a queer 1950's detective sounds good, then these books are for you. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/d018...

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Review by banana_hutch - The Bell in the Fog

When I read Lavender House, I wasn't aware it was the start of a series -- until I stumbled ac...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

APPARENTLY, SIR CAMERON NEEDS TO DIE by Greer Stothers is sort of like a jack-in-the-box but in book form. At no point did I see the next thing coming and I was delighted the entire time. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/9c0d...

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Review by banana_hutch - Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die

Me, closing the book with a big stupid smile: What the hell did I just read?This book was so b...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Another lovely and emotional story finished. GIRL AT WAR by @novicsara.bsky.social gave me a glimpse of a sliver of world events that I knew little about. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/5fc3...

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Review by banana_hutch - Girl at War

An aspect of history and world events I have not read much about, and I'm glad to have read th...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

I hit my reading goal for the year last night by finishing FRESHWATER by Akwaeke Emezi. It's a dark, challenging tale of queerness, mental illness, and the way people cope with violence and trauma. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/a8d0...

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Review by banana_hutch - Freshwater

Freshwater tells the story of one young woman's life through the eyes of the alternate identi...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Someone tell Tom Hanks I need a 60-minute "Behind the Music" special about The Wonders featuring the original cast reprising their roles, giving interviews, covering their quick rise to fame and subsequent fall. Some "Where are they nows" and maybe a reunion performance.

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

THE ANIMALS IN THAT COUNTRY by @laurajeanmckay.bsky.social is a raw, gut-wrenching, depiction of an epidemic with one key symptom: the ability to understand and speak with animals. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/df4d...

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Review by banana_hutch - The Animals in That Country

I was not expecting this book to go as hard as it did. But wow, was it bleak! A flu epidemic w...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Took a bit, but I finished OUR SHARE OF NIGHT by Mariana Enriquez. Supernatural horror set in Argentina - truly a wild ride. Not something I'd gravitate to normally but really fascinating! app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/5128...

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Review by banana_hutch - Our Share of Night

Our Share of Night is dark, gruesome, and deeply visceral. Not my usual cup of tea but I don'...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

SALVAGIA by Tim Chawaga -- such a fun premise -- I wish there had been more world-building. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3864...

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Review by banana_hutch - Salvagia

The premise for this book is fabulous and I was really excited to read it. It was fun and fast...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Best read of the year so far and my first 5-star rating of 2026 is MONK AND ROBOT by Becky Chambers. A beautifully written tale of hope and friendship. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/64e2...

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Review by banana_hutch - Monk and Robot

This was such a cozy, heartwarming read. It is hopeful and kind. The worldbuilding is magical ...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

"...knowing that your wicked life is over and that we will carry on." -a very good TMBG lyric that I think about a lot

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Next trip read was THYME TRAVELLERS, a collection of Palestinian spec fic edited by @soniasulaiman.bsky.social. Short stories are not my usual vibe, but there are pieces here that are absolutely beautiful. My favorite was The Generation Chip by Nadia Afifi. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3fc6...

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Review by banana_hutch - Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction

These stories were lovely and sad. They brimmed with rage and injustice.But. I tend to struggl...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

First trip read was MOON OF THE TURNING LEAVES by @waub.bsky.social and I cannot overstate what a heavy and beautiful experience it was. Shit. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7ab9...

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Review by banana_hutch - Moon of the Turning Leaves

I was dreading this one because the first book filled me with such an unsettling, horrible fee...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Finished YELLOWFACE by @rfkuang.bsky.social yesterday and really enjoyed it -- not in a joyful way, but in more of a riveted way. At every moment I wanted someone to take June aside and give her a reality check. But she just. kept. getting. worse. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/fca5...

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Review by banana_hutch - Yellowface

This book made me feel deeply unsettled and gross. It is like watching a trainwreck unfold in ...

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

at my son's IEP meeting 7yo: "Mom! I'm doing math with letters!" Me: "Whoa, bud! That's cool, that's called Algebra!" 7yo: "Yeah, see? E+E = J! Because E is the 5th letter and J is the 10th letter!" Me: "Ohhh, I see. Yeah, that is cool!" Husband, helpfully: "That's called Cryptography!"

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A. Banana @sandshrewd.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Also, just now realizing that more than one book I've loved in recent months have featured people becoming animals and I think what this means is that the Animorphs had a profound effect on me.

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Reposted by A. Banana

Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition. Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology

She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.

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