Rene Astle 🇨🇦🌻
@castle88
Author of science fiction and fantasy where characters find their families and their place in the world ... or the universe. Reader of same. Urbanist and environmentalist (the former stemming from the latter). She/her. Find me at reneastle.substack.com.
On Impulse is a great start to this sci fi series by Heather Texle! books2read.com/On-Impulse
I usually have a few experiments in the garden each year. This year: barley
How about Never, Samsung? I swear next phone is going to be a dumb phone.
A friend has a new sci-fi book release today - a new book in a new series! I've enjoyed @peterjfoote.bsky.social's writing before, so I'm looking forward to reading this. books2read.com/EncryptedSta...
A friend made this potting table for me. Gargoyle approves. I've realized that I need to start a lot more plants to make The Farm monetary give more than it takes, rather than buying starts. So this will come in handy. Now I just need a shelf / lighting system.
So I did a thing, though there's at least one issue that's a poser. I think my other machines are jealous (yes, I have two more but only one I bought). The one that was working decided to act up, and the other one inspired the purchase because its plastic body broke in a way I probably can't fix.
I love thrift shops. Can you tell what it's a stamp of? Unfortunately, I have no ink to see if it turns out.
Behold, The Farm! Aka, a big field of dirt. Luckily I'm not alone in this insanity.
In my latest newsletter I reveal my latest project and share how cool insects are. reneastle.substack.com/p/apparently...
I picked up a book from the library on drawing insects. It had a note for parents and educators 😄 Might not be meant for me, but I'm enjoying it. Here is a slightly skewed ant.
Another book finished last week... Or the week before. The Two Lies of Faven Sythe is a sapphic romance space pirate adventure tale.
I finished Stranger in the Desert this week, the story of the author's family and their migrations from the Middle East through Argentina to the US. I quite enjoyed it, and the glimpses it gave of the history of segments of the Argentine Jewish community.
A Lonely Ship in a Crowded Sky is published! The adventures of the crew of the cargo ship Lyra continue in book 4 of The Lyra Cycle, where they have to rescue the most important member of their team. books2read.com/lyracycle4
I mostly post about my sci-fi, but did you know I also write books with vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night? Get 25% off the complete Bloodborne Pathogens series at Kobo with the code MARBOX until March 30. www.kobo.com/ca/en/p/marc...
I'm off today and making progress on the first full corset. I have made *so* many mistakes so far. Many more to come. But busk is in and seemingly the two halves are aligned.
Looking for a few moments of escape? Check out these free #scifi books - and maybe discover a new-to-you author. books.bookfunnel.com/free-sci-fi-...
I might have stopped at the thrift shop in the basement of the nearby United Church on my long way around to the grocery store. Now to find vegan waffle recipes to test it with
Seems about right, though I don't see the crankypants urbanist community 😄
Books 5 & 6 of 2026 ... Or is it 6 & 7? I've lost count. Two more books finished anyway. Enshittification was largely things I knew but good to crystallize them.
Book 4 of 2026 done. Definitely an ideas book, though I liked Automatic Noodle by the same author more.
Another images from the files as I clean up my phone. I need to get back into doing more art.
First two... three books of the year finished. Murderbot 3 and 4 and Mickey7.
New runners from Yul Run have gone for a test jog up and down the hall in my building. So far, so good - toe box is wide enough. With these colours they could almost be my new dress sneakers.
Thanks to everyone who voted red for the zipper definitely the right choice. Coat isn't quite done (as you can tell from random threads) but it's getting there. Now on to the inside.