What I’m Reading: Shinto deities, an Old World fairy tale, the least dangerous big cats, and more
Yes, I am copying the Medium Staff with this post. Supposedly there are ways for readers to help recommend stories in development at the Medium labs, but I’m impatient. 😉
Hope you enjoy these recommendations! I’m thinking about making this a semi-weekly thing until I get the recommend-to-your-followers button that my heart desires. 🤞
And if you decide to do your own “What I’m Reading” post, please @ me! I’m filing this post under the Recommended Reads topic, which hasn’t been used for much so far. Maybe we can make this a thing! ✨
Note: this post isn’t monetized, but some of the linked stories are paywalled. Those stories are indicated by a star icon.
Omatsu Daigongen — The Amazing Cat Temple of Shikoku
By Diane Neill Tincher, 7 min read ⭐️
Suddenly, the vassals saw what seemed to be a white shadow break through their ranks near the palanquin. Confusion broke out with yells and cries. Samurai unsheathed their swords.
Then a quiet voice stilled them, “Stop.”
Diane has lived in Japan for over thirty years and has a wealth of knowledge to share about the country and its history! I especially enjoyed this piece, which was surprisingly spooky at times.
An Apple’s Worth
By Wing and Thorn, 4 min read
The beautiful apple went rolling down a hill and Autumn ran quickly after it. It rolled until it hit a log, from which a troll presently crawled out. It grabbed up the apple before Autumn could reach it, looking it over satisfactorily.
“Excuse me, but that apple is mine,” said Autumn to the troll.
If you enjoy dark fairy tales, check out Wing and Thorn! I thought this story was so well-crafted. It’s just like an Old World fairy tale one would find in an antique storybook.
The World’s Least Deadly Big Cats
By Joelle Marlin, 11 min read ⭐️
Deadly, ferocious felines! Lions, tigers, man-eaters, oh my! We are drawn to the beauty of these peerless predators even as we fixate on their ability to harm us. Naturally, humans are interested in keeping themselves and their families safe and secure, and we are intrigued by power. …
Does anyone ever ask, though, which ones are the least dangerous big cats?
I recently saw a news headline that a clouded leopard had escaped from a zoo in Dallas, Texas, and it immediately made me think of this article by Joelle! I highly recommend her work if you enjoy reading about animals or prehistoric times.
A Dream of Outer Rings
By Beth Peterson, 4 min read ⭐️
Fia was a Delta droid. Fourth generation. The first droids to be fully designed, programmed, and assembled without human interference. The closest any sentient being could come to perfection, so they said.
But Fia didn’t feel perfect. Not even close.
This is a really well-written flash fiction with a twist that caught me by surprise. It has Wall-E vibes while being very fresh and original at the same time. If you have a few minutes, read this one!
The Danube Mermaid
By Mairi Bunce, 4 min read
While their needles clicked, the older fisherman told tales to the younger.
He began with the story of the Danube Prince who lived with his children at the bottom of the river. His children were beautiful. His palace was tall and elegant and made of green glass. But he was cruel, walking the banks disguised as a hunter and dragging fishermen into the depths of the raging river.
I happened to run across this piece from 2021 when searching for mermaid legends on a whim the other day. It’s wonderful to learn a piece of local folklore from Vienna, and Mairi does a lovely job recounting the tale.
14 Beautiful Excerpts From My Favorite Christina Rossetti Poems
By Lark Morrigan, 6 min read ⭐️
The lyrical and somber way she describes universal themes reminds me of why I fell in love with poetry in the first place, even when I was too young to understand the gravity and depth of her emotional expressions.
I was in awe of the beautiful and symbolic language when I first read a poem of hers.
If you’re someone who would like to read more classic poetry but doesn’t know where to start, check out this selection of excerpts from one of history’s greatest poets. As she describes what each verse means to her, Lark shows how poetry can touch our hearts.
On the ‘Snow Globe’ Fantasy of an Idyllic Creative Life
By D.C. Martin, 4 min read ⭐️
Maybe I find them so beguiling because I’ve been wanting my own snow globe life for the longest time — by which I mean a blissfully safe space to create. One uninterrupted by jobs or bills or worries, where I can just write and dream in perfect peace and quiet. And in my heart, I’ve seen this ideal as my ‘real life’ and everything else as a kind of tedious lead up period.
As someone who struggles to find the peace to create in this busy modern world, I loved the metaphor in this piece! This should speak to anyone who longs to create but often can’t find the time and space to focus on the artistic life.
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