books
here is my (academic) reading list for year 56 of the thursday calendar. this year’s list was taken from satanic colorado’s 2026 book club selection, plus a couple from previous years
if you also want to truly become an evil woke radical satanic leftist, you should read too
- Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism–and What Comes Next
- review: this was a really good book. it traces the events leading up to january 6, 2021 by discussing the history of evangelical christianity and white supremacism in america. onishi explains trump’s insurrection as the logical outcome of the white christian nationalist movement, set in motion by barry goldwater’s loss in 1964 but really stemming from the failures of the reconstruction era following the civil war. the book argues that, as conservativism became increasingly radical, what emerged was the new religious right— a violent and conspiratorial force hellbent on establishing a ubiquitously racist, sexist, and heteronormative nationstate, built by white, patriotic christians for white, patriotic christians. overall, this read was very invigorating and informative! onishi’s use of narrative storytelling was an engaging and effective way to validate his characterization of evangelicalism, which nicely complimented the history lessons. while his speech-like prose was occasionally a little repetitive, it certainly helped emphasize the significance of key points. this was an overall enjoyable read. 8/10
- openlibrary
- How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety: And Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism, and Other Dangers That Threaten Their Nine Lives
- review: well, this book was certainly interesting. the entire gimmick is that it satirizes conservative talking points and christian reasoning by making it about the cats instead of the children or whatever. it’s admittedly very funny at times, and there are several passages in the book that are just ridiculous in the most perfect way. but unfortunately, the bit does get a little old after several chapters. it’s just a funny parody and nothing else, after all. i enjoyed reading it but i’m glad it was a short book. also, warning for people who may be interested: it contains so many cat puns. an unreasonable amount, honestly. 5/10
- openlibrary
- Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials
- this book was really amazing. it covered the history of witch trials through 13 trials, from helena scheuberin in the late 15th century to stormy daniels today. it’s a longer read but goes into a significant amount of detail for each accused witch, describing their circumstances as individuals rather than victims of witch hunters. in the introduction, marion gibson describes the book as a recount of the victim’s lives, as opposed to the many resources which exhaustively cover the stories from the hunter’s perspectives. in doing so, gibson emphasizes the perspectives of the accused to more clearly define the typical demographics of people who are killed. spoiler: “witches” are usually women, and/or also people who are accused of sexual misconduct, impoverished, indigenous (in opposition to colonial regimes), disabled, claiming unsanctioned knowledge or power, or perceived to be politically subversive. again, this one’s a longer read but it’s definitely worth it just because of how effective its conclusion is. there are definitely some parts where it’s slightly meandering, but its usually to provide key historical context or detail, which i appreciate even if it’s a little boring sometimes. 7/10
- openlibrary
- Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic Over Role Playing Games Says About Religion, Play, and Imagined Worlds
- Saving Our Own Lives: A Liberatory Practice of Harm Reduction
- A Head Full of Ghosts
- On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century
- The Penguin Book of Exorcisms
- Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism
- Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America
- Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America
- Compassionate Satanism: An Introduction to Modern Satanic Practice
- Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
what if i don’t have access to these books????
pirate them? duh
i really dislike when morally superior people tell me that piracy is wrong or whatever. your loss i guess
read this rambling about piracy
(image source: satanic colorado)