Category: Non-fiction

Trans History by Alex L Combs & Andrew Eakett

subtitled From Ancient Times To The Present Day. Because no, being trans is not a new thing, and it’s important that we not pretend that it is. Y’all, I’m tired. Twelve days into the new year and I’m at the point where I can never know what new horrors to expect from this administration and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/01/12/trans-history-by-alex-l-combs-andrew-eakett/

True War Stories, Vol 1 edited by Alex de Campi and Khai Krumbhaar

Sometimes I feel like if people truly knew the reality of war (and pain and loss,) they’d be far less happy to embrace it. You’ve got all these weird macho cosplayers acting like war isn’t a big deal when they’ve never seen any action themselves. Then, ofc, you have the sociopaths happy to risk, if …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/12/17/true-war-stories-vol-1-edited-by-alex-de-campi-and-khai-krumbhaar/

The Glass Pyramid by Jeanne Walker Harvey & Khoa Le

subtitled A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I.M. Pei. I had no idea that the glass pyramid of the Louvre was only built in 1989! For some reason, I thought it was far more modern, tho perhaps I just wasn’t paying much attention at the time. After all, I’d visited the Louvre a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/12/03/the-glass-pyramid-by-jeanne-walker-harvey-khoa-le/

The Spiritual Meaning Of Birds Oracle Deck by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Can’t decide whether it’s better or worse for me to review this deck this week rather than next, which contains the US’ foremost holiday nicknamed for a bird, lol. Regardless, it was nice to be able to finally get this deck to the top of my queue. While I originally received it in May, my …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/11/20/the-spiritual-meaning-of-birds-oracle-deck-by-arin-murphy-hiscock/

Are You A Friend Of Dorothy? by Kyle Lukoff & Levi Hastings

subtitled The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped. Hand to God, I did not know that the Dorothy of this saying wasn’t a real person! I always assumed it was an allusion to Dorothy Gale, the heroine of The Wizard Of Oz so iconically portrayed by Judy Garland in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/11/19/are-you-a-friend-of-dorothy-by-kyle-lukoff-levi-hastings/

Plant Magic by Anastasia Mostacci (EXCERPT)

with gorgeous illustrations by Quorr, and subtitled The Magic Connections Of Plants With The Universe. Readers, we have a treat for you today! This beautiful book encourages readers to recognize the magic contained within the plants around us, and how we can use their earthly histories to connect to the cosmic guidance they have for …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/11/03/plant-magic-by-anastasia-mostacci-excerpt/

Black History Is Your History by Taylor Cassidy

What I would give to have been as confident a teenager as Taylor Cassidy! As this book progresses, it becomes clear that good parenting played a huge role in raising such a well-adjusted, intellectually curious, boundlessly creative person who, in turn, wants to shine a bright, warm light for others to follow and be inspired …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/10/27/black-history-is-your-history-by-taylor-cassidy/

Devil’s Contract by Ed Simon (EXCERPT)

Hello, dear readers! Today I’m excited to bring to you a fascinating examination of power and corruption, with an excerpt from the paperback reissue of Ed Simon’s provocative, persuasive and just downright mesmerizing Devil’s Contract: The History Of The Faustian Bargain. To quote the press materials: “From ancient times to the modern world, the idea …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/09/17/devils-contract-by-ed-simon-excerpt/

Portrait with Keys by Ivan Vladislavić

Portrait with Keys by Ivan Vladislavić

Ivan Vladislavić paints his Portrait with Keys: The City of Johannesburg Unlocked in a pointillist style, dividing up not quite 200 pages of main text into 138 anecdotes and observations, each of which shows some aspect of his life in the city in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The sections are numbered, enabling the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/09/06/portrait-with-keys-by-ivan-vladislavic/

What Happens After? by Diane Namm & Laura Jager

I really needed to read this terrific book, on the heels of Lauren Munoz’ absolutely devastating (to me) YA mystery Very Dangerous Things, which triggered yet another round of grief over a long-ago loss that I’m still trying to grapple with. The nice thing about What Happens After? is that it doesn’t try to dive …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/08/26/what-happens-after-by-diane-namm-laura-jager/