Jessi Grieser
@jessgrieser
Sociolinguist, novelist, photographer, quilter, saxophonist and Boglehead. Associate Professor of Linguistics at UMich.
Me being geniunely confused. “I dunno. Is Demnark in the G20? Sweden, perhaps?” My friend: “I don’t think that’s what they mean by superpower.”
I stole this currency folder idea from a blog once. Not only is it convenient, it makes me happy because it’s my promise to myself that I will go visit these cool places again. Just added a ZAR pocket.
Careless People by Wynn-Williams. Eye-opening account of the author’s time as chief diplomat at Facebook. While in many ways unsurprising, it’s a insightful account of how extreme wealth blinds people from their own humanity. That the author was fired hurts the credibility. #booksof2026 #booksky
Wake up y’all new structure ambiguity exercise just dropped. #linguistics
The Quitters Club by Strawser. Another really great Strawser book. Four really interesting women characters with relatable concerns, and just the right amount of romance without moving the focus from friendship. And mostly gets academia right, which is rare! #booksky #booksof2026
McBride, Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Wonderful wordcraft and many characters are absolutely fabulous. Partially my fault for putting it down, but there were so many characters and subplots that it was hard to keep track and come back to. Ending nevertheless delivered. #booksky #booksof2026
You’re trapped in the last TV show you watched, where are you? Gilead.
Reid, Game Changer. Much better than HR. An actual plot, two characters who aren’t trapped in gay panic, and a cast of side characters who feel real instead of like props. And there was hockey! The audiobook narrator is breathtakingly awful, though. Be forewarned. #booksof2026 #booksky #latepost
Weir, Project Hail Mary. Decided I needed to read this after seeing the movie. It is even more charming than the movie was. The characters are drawn well, the science makes sense, and as much as it can, and the non-linear storytelling works well . #booksof2026 #booksky
STG you let *one* male live in your house and he just assumes he’s necessary to replace a garbage disposer…
My timeblocking software @sunsamahq.bsky.social started keeping track of when you did the actual work, and not just when you planned to do it. It really reveals the fragmented nature of an academic day and why it's so crazymaking.
Since I count audiobooks, I am not going to deny myself the entirety of a book read aloud. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. An amazing production of a book with such a rich visual imagery that it slides onto the stage with zero scripting. One of my all time favorite novels.
Happy Oberon Day!!! My drinkkng buddy informs me this is called a “nucleation site.” #whenacademicsdrink
The stat isn’t even beat Serena Williams, it’s guys who think they’d get at least one point. And the answer is the same except it’s @emilymbender.bsky.social with the racket:
@jofrhwld.bsky.social posted this once and wrote “is it like, a prosody thing, or…?” and now I crack up laughing every time I come home. #detroitmichiganisintheeasterntimezone
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown. Forgettable. I accidentally left it on the plane and I don’t even care that much. Langdon wasn’t even involved in solving any of the mystery, really, and there was no real “a ha!” foreshadowing of the villain. Next time Brown should just make the woman the star.
This is a hilarious juxtaposition. Is chapter one “how to preemptively pick a fight about something that doesn’t matter and then claim everybody else isn’t engaging?” And, yes. Most recently and most WEIRDly Aotearoa. But it’s happened to lots of non WEIRD countries also.
Still Life by Louise Penny. A good introduction to this world. Sometimes harder to follow because lots of characters and names are introduced and their specific concerns (eg Philippe) are not resolved until the end. But the mystery is satisfying & the characterization is solid. #booksof2026 #booksky
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. A tour de force of well developed female characters and excellent attention to the matters if the era. I am especially appreciative that the author didn’t force unrealistic happy endings; the story seemed very real. #booksof2026
A good sociolinguist always learns and respectfully accommodates to the cultural language practices of the local community.
Game Changer by Rachel Reid. Much better than HR. An actual plot, two characters who aren’t trapped in gay panic, and a cast of side characters who feel real instead of like props. And there was actual hockey! Don’t know why they picked HR to make a show out of. #booksof2026 #booksky
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. It was free on Spotify and that’s what I can say for it. A plot did emerge out of thin air toward the last third of the book but it was otherwise not a book. #booksof2025 #booksky