Robin Bird
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robinxbird.bsky.social
Robin Bird
@robinxbird.bsky.social
1.2K followers 340 following 2K posts
Pronouns em/em/eir (they're singular, nice and easy)
Trainee counsellor, attempting to write eir dead father's memoir, bookish, lefty, nerdy, disabled and British.
https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/skeletonrobin
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robinxbird.bsky.social
5⭐️ for Modern Gothic. Not often a short story collection will get an over all 5stars as i usually find one or two stories are stronger than others. But each story in this really hit the mark for me. Unique stories that really felt like they understood the genre.

📚💙🩸
A copy of the sort story collection Modern Gothic on a navy bedspread with a bold paisley pattern. The book cover has a design of skulls and flowers in a sketchy lithograph style in bright red on a black background with the title in a bold white serif font.
November 26, 2025 at 7:54 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I can't find a better photograph but this is a design i did a few years ago when i was selling art. Whimsy!
A Gothic Christmas scene: a black painted Edwardian fireplace against a white wall. One half of the mantle is filled with antique books in shades of navy db's brown leather. Next to the books is a greetings card and sprigs of faux holy and berries. The card depicts a watercolour illustration of a skull in profile with a tall candle, trailing ivy abs green holly and the phrase "seasons greetings".
November 25, 2025 at 9:33 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
A movie that takes place where you're from.

(There's a few filmed on location but this is actually set there)
Official promo poster for the film Awaydays featuring 6 lads and an older bloke against a yellow background. The majority of lads wear similar green parkas, polo shirts and jeans with carefully styled hair. One lad wears a stylish maroon leather jacket over his tight jumper and is especially well coifered. The older bloke is in a buttoned up sheepskin coat and sports a moustache and close cropped dark curly hair.
November 23, 2025 at 9:27 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
10 books in the TBR pile. Rolled a d10 to decide what to read.
It's a 1: Modern Gothic short story anthology.
A stack of books on a shelf with a green and orange swirly 10 sided die showing a 1 facing up.
November 22, 2025 at 8:56 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
People are good actually #1765:

Two women working in cafe are trying to restart Alexa after the wifi went down.
First woman, for some reason, whispering: Alexa play George Ezra.
Alexa, also whispering: i'm sorry i didn't hear that.
Second woman: whoops with laughter.
We all have a giggle.
A warm brown wooden table next to a safe green wall. On the table is a berry topped golden brown muffin on a plate, a perfectly made flat white in a beautiful orange hand made ceramic mug and saucer. There is a bottle of water abs a glass a tin full of cutlery and a vase full of dry flower stems. It's welcoming and tempting.
November 21, 2025 at 2:18 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
A hinderance appears
A book lies open on a person's lap, atop ac yellow blanket. A cat is also on the lap approaching the camera abs therfore getting up in the person's face. The proximity and urgency of the cats need for attention mean that he is out of focus. You can still see he is very cute, fluffy black and white, with a pink nose.
November 18, 2025 at 12:12 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Discovered a ghost has taken up residence in our vegetable garden. The ghost of scarecrows past?

(Enjoy Tom's pictures)
A picture of a community vegetable plot, lush with (over)growth and winter vegetables. In the background is green hose and compost bins and a wild hedge and fence line. Hovering over the greenery in the centre is a draped translucent white sheet, quietly haunting the late potatoes.
November 16, 2025 at 3:38 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I'm sharing this everywhere but really how can i not when it's this pretty.
Mushroom byriani stuffed pumpkin (with kale).
A small orange pumpkin sits on a plate next to some kale. The pumpkin has been sized halfway down and the skin is lightly crisped and browned. The kale has a mustardy dressing on. It is all waiting to be eaten. The same pumpkin and kale on a plate but now the pumpkin has the top removed revealing the bright yellow inside and a pile of golden brown mushroom byriani in the centre
November 11, 2025 at 6:42 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I'm just starting Death in the Arctic by Tom Hiddle and honestly I'm a little giddy with excitement because this is the sort of premise i adore.

It's for our community book club so i need to finish it by Sunday and have just had the group's signed paperback passed to me
A paperback held open to show the signed title page of Death in the Artic by Tom Hiddle. The author name and title are in a bold art deco style font. Sound the title in bold black pen is the hand written note "to Chaco, happy reading!" And the author signature. The book lays open on a lap covered in a yellow knitted blanket and a very cheeky black and white fluffy cat is attempting to stand on the pages. He must take centre stage!
November 10, 2025 at 7:50 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Boycotts and demos work.
Make support for Israel untenable.
'It has become untenable for us to continue'- Premier Tech terminate Israel- Premier Tech sponsorship despite name change
November 8, 2025 at 5:43 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
When your client cancels last minute so you sneak in some extra reading

💙📚
Obituary of the graphic novel "the thrilling adventures of lovelace and babbage" in black on a dark red background with a comic illustration of the two titular characters. The full text reads: THE THRILLING ADVENTURES S OF LOVELACE AND BABBAGE THE (MOSTLY) TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST COMPUTER UCELEBRATED ANd DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS INSTRUCTIVE AND AMUSING SCENES; AS PERFORMED WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE REMARKABLE DIFFERENCE ENGINE EMBELLISHED WITH PORTRAITS AND SCIENTIFICK DIAGRAMS THE PERFORMANCE TO CONCL WITH THE LIVELY FARCE W
November 5, 2025 at 11:44 AM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Far fewer books finished this month but it's not a competition. Glad to have finally finished The Waves after starting in the spring. It is actually very good i just had to be in the right headspace for it, which i frequently wasnt.
📚💙
Collage if book covers from Storygraph titoed October 2025 reads, showing: Blood on her Tongue; A Skinful of Shadows; Warlords of the Wyrdwood: The Waves; Before your memory fades.
November 1, 2025 at 8:50 AM
robinxbird.bsky.social
What concerns you Ollie?
A photograph looking down on a fluffy bosh and white cat. He is sitting with his front paws together and looking up towards the camera, possibly more judgemental than concerned. His little pink nose is a touch of whimsy compared to his otherwise dignified monochomatic look.
October 30, 2025 at 10:07 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
This mug has actually been intrinsic to my mental health the past few years.
On a dark wood desk sits, two small tea pots, one modern and grey, the other round with a matching nesting cup and blue floral design, and a small white porcelain mug. The mug has simple lower case lettering that reads "i like myself just the way i am". There is also a watch on the desk, a massive stack of CDs, a black and white framed photograph of a man and a small plastic figurine of a nun. The wall behind is a bright acid yellow.
October 28, 2025 at 11:11 AM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Small joy is cycling home with a leek stick or if my pannier. Whimsy in the mundane, the minor incongruance.
(And possibly some smug satisfaction of being the sort of person who cycles home with groceries. I can live with this)
An aubergine coloured flat bar bike is left against a railing and stairs on a paved patio. On the back of the bike is an overstuffed black pannier bag with a bright green leek top poking out of one corner.
October 27, 2025 at 1:08 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I've been creating again after a hiatus. In feels really good and i like how it's turning out.
A painting on an easel with bright cloudy swirly background in shades of magenta, cyan and yellow. There are several dark drips trailing down the canvas running the colours together. The focus of the painting is a grey heron, stood tall and facing to the right, shared of blue grey and white with a bright yellow eye and beak. Very faintly around the heron are charcoal sketches of alder and willow.
October 26, 2025 at 6:20 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
My cats are being very clingy with the changing seasons which makes reading - especially if i want to annotate - tricksy.

📚💙
A black cat sat on a blanket covered lap leaning on a book. The cat is faced away from the camera, and is a silhouette of velvety softness, a round fluffy head with peaked ears. She is snuggled into a knitted yellow blanket the folds bunched up around her and you can only assume there is a human under there. Book is open, face down, blue and white paperback being gently shoved to one side by the big soft head. In the background is another book, a pile of cushions, and a bright yellow wall. This is the cosy reading, and cat, space.
October 23, 2025 at 9:08 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I both love train/bike (the freedom! The destinations! The sportines) and hate train/ bike (what is this joke of a bike space? Lugging the bike up station steps)
An actually quite small frame hybrid bike in a lovely shade of aubergine, sporting a black and yellow pannier is awkwardly wedged into the designated cycle space on a train, the rear while sticks out into the isle. It looks like it could wobble over at any point. There a single sad strap hanging forlornly from the wall that doesn't have any hope of actually restraining the bike. This, is a good cycle space.
October 23, 2025 at 7:15 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Realised i have just the cosy book I'm looking for in my TBR. So I'm happy to be starting that this evening.

The TBR provides.

#booksky
A copy of Before your memory fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi lies open, face down on a bed. The cover is half white and half a strong blue tone with a simple illustration of a chair, three windows and a black cat. Each window shows a different seasonal landscape. The book congrats with the dark floral and skull print bedding. The lighting is low. This is cosy evening reading.
October 19, 2025 at 8:24 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I made a tiny bit of progress. This is good. (I added the eye and more texture on the wings)
An in progress painting of a grey heron, stood tall and facing to the left. It has a blue grey wing and a bright yellow beak with a black stripe around the eye. It looks somewhere between regal and confused. The background is clouds and drifts of pale yellow, cyan and magenta. There are some drops trailing down the canvas.
October 18, 2025 at 7:23 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I'd gotten my tbr down to 4 books. I also had destashed and given 10 books to community shelves. Unfortunately i also bought 3 new books and picked up 5 from the shelves. So the tbr is back to double digits.

Hmm this is gonna be a thread.

📚💙
Stack of books on a shelf. Top to bottom: William S Borough, Queer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, chronicle of a death foretold Octavia Butler, Fledgling Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Tales from the cafe & Before Your Memory Fades Percival Everett, James Nguyên Phan Qué Mai, The Mountains Sing Jennifer Saint, Elektra Sándor Márai, The Rebels Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon Rebecca F Kuang, Yellowface Fly on the wall peess, Modern Gothic There are more books behind. The shelf is bare wood, the wall bright yellow. It's a bit chaotic in a bookish way.
October 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Do you have SAD (seasonal affective disorder? Time to get the SAD lamp out. Studies in support of light therapy suggest at least 10000 lux so you need a proper lamp not just a phone app. But for me it's totally worth it.
An extremely bright glowing lamp casting the rest of the picture into darkness. The rectangular lamp switched off so you can seen it sat on my desk next to a laptop with a stack of books behind
October 11, 2025 at 8:53 AM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Dropping off books at a community bookshelf at a local queer cafe. Going to have a rummage and see if there's anything to take home.

I'm a big believer in passing on books and that i don't need to keep them all, even the 4 star reads!

📚💙
Big stack of books on a shelf including Devils Breath, A Botanical Daughter, My Life in Sea Creatures and, All Fours. A wider view of the bookshelf packed full of books with faux flowers and fairy lights.
October 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
robinxbird.bsky.social
I have a new friend! Find in my broccoli so must have been living in the fridge for at least a week. I gave it a few drops of water on the leaf and it uncurled and stretched out. I'll probably let it rest there overnight then put it out in the garden: it's still fairly warm in the day.
A small plastic pot containing a couple of broccoli leaves. On one stem is a small caterpillar about 2cm long Close up of the green caterpillar in which you can see the tiny fine hairs.
October 6, 2025 at 5:48 PM
robinxbird.bsky.social
Find myself in a bookshop today. Oh no. How terrible.

📚💙
Stack of three books on a dark floral throw. Top to bottom: William S. Burroughs - Queer Gabrial Garcua Marquez - chronicle of a death foretold Octavia Butler - Fledgling
October 5, 2025 at 7:51 PM