The Last Safe Place
Books for Bleak Times
Books are my safe place. Whether I need to learn more about something or just escape the the current hellscape our facist government has plunged us into, books are always the answer. I firmly believe that if we want to change the world we need to understand it and each other. And I aim to change the world. That means I have a lot of reading to do and so do you! Here are some titles that will help you escape, imagine, and remain woke.
Confidence is Key: I Am a Tiger by Karl Newson
This master gaslighter mouse will show you how to say bitch I am a tiger to all the haters in your life. Only without the cursing…cause you know, it’s for the kids.
When You Need to Forget About Nazis for Five Minutes: A Bad Beginning By Lemony Snicket
After the election I fell hard into this series. This book is the right amount of funny and distraacting in a time when joy can be hard to find. It helped me deal with the ennui of suddenly realizing that not only do you have no control, the people in control are either evil or inept.
When You Just Need to Stab Someone: Sadie by Courtney Summers
This book combines my love of murder podcasts and revenge. It follows a podcast dedicated to the murder of Sadie’s younger sister and Sadie’s subsequent dissapearance. But mostly this is a book about rage. Specifically, the rage of a teenage girl who is done with the patriachys shit.
Why Poverty Fucks Your Brain Up: Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Sendhil Mullainathan
This is a great book for understanding how poverty affects your thinking. If you’ve been poor it will make you feel better about how hard it was to make choices when every one of lifes drizzle was a downpour. If you’ve never gone to the grocery store with $12 that need to last for the week, congrats you need this book even more.
If You Want to Save the World: Doing Democracy: The MAP Model for Organizing Social Movements by Bill Moyer, JoAnn McAllister, Mary Lou Finley, Steven Soifer
Being an activist isn’t easy but it’s also something everyone can and must do. In these trying times we have to help each other. This book is an amazing guide for organizers. It lays out all the stages of social movements and how they become succssful. It also provides ways that everyone can be involved. This book proved to me that everyone has a role to play in the revolution. (A word I use to mean creating a non-violent world of mutual aid and assistance. You can miss me with that violent overthrow shit)
In the mean time, tell your friends!