You are alive and it is Friday. The world is bad: as it’s always been in many ways, but better in some and worse in others. Go into your weekend with thoughts of how to make it more good than bad, even if many of those thoughts are brunch- and mimosa-based. Just try to have the occasional thought outside considerations of self-medication.

- More reflection on the face of publishing as the industry tries to diversify;
- New Fellowship to study Octavia Butler? Yes, please;
- Revamping Asterix for a less-racism-tolerant time;
- D&D ads in the back of 80s comics lead to new series of graphic adventures;
- A grand, unified theory of the thriller?;
- Joyce Carol Oates thinks we’re being a bunch of wusses about her foot;
- Happy 100th, Ray Bradbury! Enjoy your read-a-thon;
- Dads in the UK write kids books to help educate about Sikhism;
- Are “little free libraries” a Covid-times lifeline?;
- Is it time to finally read War and Peace?;
- Clickbait site article that happens to pique my interests: how to trick your kids into reading more;