A few days ago I was at the bookstore and Vicky asked if I’d seen the duck someone had left me as a gift and I was like, “Is it dead? Because I’m running low on space for taxidermy” and she was like, “Of course it’s dead, but also I think you’re going to want it” and then she brought it out and I said, “Well, fuck I have to keep this because she perfectly matches my taxidermied burlesque rat, right down to the sequined nipple pasties” and several customers looked baffled, because I guess they’re new. (Thank you, Pretty Dead Shop.)
(The cat is a fan, as well.)
In other book-related news…my pick for the Fantastic Strangelings Bookclub is Kristen Arnett’s STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE. Three words: complicated lesbian clowns.
And my pick for Nightmares from Nowhere Bookclub is THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904 by Erika T. Wurth. It’s a gritty paranormal thriller that is as edgy as it is heartfelt. (Erika is the same author of White Horse, which I’ve recommended before.)
Here are a few more new releases that I enjoyed you might want to check out:
The Antidote by Karen Russell – A gripping Dust Bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town. So good.
Tilt by Emma Pattee – Set over the course of one day, a heart-racing story about a woman facing the unimaginable, determined to find safety. Quick and heart-pounding.
GothicTown by Emily Carpenter – slow-burn horror as a restaurateur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic town in Georgia where all is not as it seems.
Cry When The Baby Cries by Becky Barnicoat – Born out of a viral “Shouts & Murmurs” piece in The New Yorker, this dark but funny and charming graphic memoir brings the first few years of parenthood to life.
Passing Through a Prairie Country by Dennis E. Staples – A thriller about the ghosts that haunt the temples of sin and excess we call casino, and people who get caught up in a web resting on high stakes and low odds.
Malinalli by Veronica Chapa – An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico’s history and mythology
Luminous by Silvia Park – a debut novel set in a unified Korea that tells the story of three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood
Happy reading!
PS. We’ll be opening up new spots for the bookclubs soon and giving out some fun gifts to new and old members, so keep your eyes open if you want to join!
Stephen Graham Jones’ new book, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter just came out, and it’s one I’m very excited to read!
“From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians is a chilling historical horror novel tracing the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.”
(It’s on my nightstand right now! ~ Jenny)
You’ve changed the way I see taxidermy. I would definitely keep that pole dancing duck. She’s fantastic!
I believe you need sequined pasties for yourself. You can surprise Victor when you show off your collection.
The cat seems to enjoy these fancy gifts! ❤️
complicated lesbian clowns
I want to see a PG drawing of this. I want a trailer. I am intrigued yet also disturbed. Well, I was disturbed before I read this but that’s another story.
What is the fabulous duck’s name and preferred gender pronouns?
I’m quite sure the cat is wondering why it looks like food but doesn’t smell like food.
What a wonderful gift from a fan!
If you run out of room at home, there always the bookstore where customers can enjoy your menagerie of taxidermy friends hanging out.
Consternation Puss! Wish I lived close to your bookshop. Thank you for the book suggestions.
My husband and I are coming to San Antonio in April. I am so stoked to visit the shop to see the everything! Sequined nipples!!
So, Room 904….9+4=13. Shades of 1408? Sounds good.
Don’t you remember that old commercial, “There’s always room for taxidermy?” Maybe it was Jello.
Look at Southern Curiosities! She had the most adorable taxidermy and dies custom pieces too!
Love Erika Wurth, plus I live in Denver, so I know the places in her books
I’m a pole dancer and I’ve never wanted a pole dancing taxidermied duck in my life more…
I cannot tell you just how much this photo amuses me!
OK, yes, the sequin pasties on both these critters are hilarious, but THE LITTLE BLUE HIGH HEEL PLATFORM SHOES, you guys! The little shoes!
Your Pal,
Storm the Klingon
That is the absolute best taxidermy rat I could have imagined.
Of course it’s DEAD LOL and LOL! Love you
Marvellous duckling
I was naming my new hens yesterday and thought of you!
The current theme for my flock names is Women Artists, so we have Yolko Ono and Judy Chickago
This has got to be the most adorable dead animal I have ever seen lol 😍
This is so adorable and I love all the tiny moneys…LOL
Ducks love water and they definitely made it rain bwahahaha
Cat: Not another boring stuffed one! Gees! Come on people! No one understands me.
The Antidote is wonderful.
spectacular! New Evidence Suggests Life Could Exist on Mars 2025 sublime
Thanks for the recs, Jenny!
heeloo iam atus. thank you for useful post.
This hilarious anecdote captures the quirky charm of unexpected gifts, making it a delightful read! The vivid storytelling and humor shine through, perfectly highlighting the joy of unique finds. It reminds me of creating one-of-a-kind art with a String Art Generator, turning surprises into treasures.
OMGGGG I totally missed this post! 😭❤️ I was literally cruising pics of taxidermy ducks and spotted my girl in the wild! I’m so glad you like her 🫶🏻
I found something similar veck io. The bookstore story had me laughing out loud. She’s got a great sense of humor, I must visit more often. Especially after she mentioned the taxidermy burlesque rat. Veck io, the details were just…priceless.
Lol, chopchains, that unexpected duck gift scene made me chuckle. I mean
I found something similar granny3!
At the bookstore, a sequined-pasties duck waddles straight into my Poképath td; I name her Glitterduck, she spawns beside my burlesque rat, both shinies guarding the new-release shelf. Customers stare like confused NPCs—guess they haven’t unlocked the taxidermy side-quest yet. pokepath td
A Duckday on the Poképath: my new taxidermy duck—sequined pasties blazing—waddled straight out of Violet City’s PokéMart like an unexpected gift. Meowth hissed, then posed; I swear the sparkles boosted his Pay Day. STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE: even lesbian clowns need Rare Candies. pokepath td
Dead duck in sequins? I laughed, then plotted my escape: grab the clown-lesbian novel, duck under the baffled customers, and sprint for the prairie casino where sequins fade into ghost-lights. Books are getaway cars; pasties just the glittering rear-view mirror. escaperoad