u/Suspicious-Fig-4715

beginner here looking to buy my first set of oil pastels! i’ve heard this brand being recommended lots of times on tiktok. is it good if i’m looking for creamy, thick, and textured?

also, should i buy the 48-pc set or the 72-pc set? i’ve heard that it’s better for beginners to start with a smaller set so we can learn color theory with what we have. but would i be missing out on anything? thanks!

just wanted to share some recent reads that i really like but don’t often see being recommended here!

🏡 the safekeep: such intense sapphic yearning! but more than that, this was a nice exploration of what is lost and left in the wake of war.

🐾 flush: one of my favorite books ever! a biography written in the pov of a real dog that lived in the 1800s, it has such profound musings on life and love.

👯‍♀️ miss kim knows: a collection of short stories spanning the unique lives of different women in south korea. my favorite chapter was 'night of aurora'.

⚓️ small boat: based on a real tragedy that occurred where a group of immigrants drowned while seeking shelter, this is an important read that explores empathy and our role in the suffering of others.

🍵 lady tan’s circle of women: a fictional retelling of the life of one of china’s first female physicians. this was such a heartfelt story of female friendship. one of my favorites.

🕰️ wrong place, wrong time: an underrated thriller for fans of groundhog day and russian doll, this reimagines the time loop trope as a mother goes further back in time with every waking day to stop her child from committing murder.

🗳️ the lottery: a super short read (6 pages!) from a horror icon that shows us the dangers of mob mentality and blindly following traditions. you can read this for free via the new yorker.

hope you find something you like! happy reading 📚

hello! not sure if this is the right sub for this. pls point me in the right direction if not :)

i’m new to drawing and am looking for artists to look up to! i’m interested in whimsical art and art that tells a story through its environment. art style doesn’t really matter to me, though hyperrealism isn’t my preference as i really do lean towards more fantastical and whimsical pieces. medium also doesn’t matter much!

attaching some examples of art i found on pinterest that i like. but feel free to recommend anyone who fit my description above!

thank you :)

this felt like a refreshing take on murder mysteries. instead of starting with a dead body, it takes you through the entire sequence of events that lead up to the murder. told entirely through mixed media such as emails, texts, and reports, your job is to read between the lies and figure out who’s guilty of a future crime.

i really enjoyed this and finished it within 24 hrs! not sure if this is considered a cozy murder mystery, but it sometimes felt like it due to the small town setting and close-knit cast of characters. i appreciated how the killer was not predictable, but also still made perfect sense.

if you’re looking for a murder mystery novel that feels like a real puzzle, i’d recommend this! looking forward to reading hallett’s other novels 🕵️‍♀️