Hello, dearest blog voyeurs! Did you keep track of all the books you read in 2024? I didn’t, but I read a ton thanks to that sweet Quimby’s discount and being within walking distance of my local public library. Everyone has different reading styles, and I’m always curious about the habits of fellow readers. The more distractions, the better for my undiagnosed ADHD brain. I personally love to sprinkle a little fun in between marathon book reading, so here is an exciting list of shortform reading to keep you going in between the pages.
County Highway, “America’s Only Newspaper” (their words).
I’m late to the County Highway game, but am glad to have finally arrived. Filled with essays, classified ads, music reviews, and dispatches from small town America, County Highway is an enriching paper that touches on subjects the mainstream media fails to cover. Some of my favorite stories from past issues: a man who inherits a cabin with beastly neighbors; how ginger (the herb) can cure most of what ails you; a boots-on-the ground report of the devastation in Asheville, NC after Hurricane Helene; and the cultural importance of Dolly Parton & Dollywood.
It’s refreshing to read journalism written with heart and integrity, served offline in a satisfying format that makes me feel like I’m in my old man era.
If you like your horror injected with lots of fun, don’t miss out on ISSUE TWO of Chicago’s finest horror and exploitation zine, Full Bleed! We’re big fans of Full Bleed around here and are extremely stoked about the latest issue. If you aren’t able to make it into the shop or order it online, checkout their Instagram page where the editors post upcoming and relevant film screenings and events in Chicago.
One of my favorite underground comic artists is Ivy Rose, who just came into the shop from Albuquerque, NM to restock her zines! Ivy’s style mixes personal journal entries with hand drawn comics in a way that pulls at your heartstrings. All of the comics are full-color and truly gorgeous. I recommend the most recent issue, Cat Miscall, about keeping yourself safe as a femme and staying away from the creeps. These sweet zines are on our mini-comic wall.
You can’t go wrong with mini-kuš! comics!
Published in Latvia by editor David Schilter and team, kuš! comics gives comic artists around the globe a platform to share their stories by introducing new artists to comic enthusiasts. We recently received a huge shipment of restocks and new titles, as modeled by our resident Devil Lady. Issues #127-130 (pictured) are ready to come home with you.
That’s all I got, you’ll have to come in and explore our collection of zines and books to add to your 2025 reading stack.
xoxo, Angel
