Luke Sweeney

Writer, knight of infinite resignation, Mainer in the South, Pre-order novel here:

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

https://t.co/wB4LS9H24Z

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

Come on and pre-order my book Roxanne Gay isn't going to save me y'all. https://t.co/6BFFffEMkZ

#mustread #booktwitter #mustread #fridayreads #bookrecommendations #bookpromo #writerlife #writingcommunity #author #novels

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

Finalized cover for August publication. New spin on The Work Novel (and a stab at The Richmond Novel). Everyone said social media helps you sell books. Let's prove them wrong!
#WritersLift #BookTwitter #WhatToRead #MustRead #TeaserTuesday #WritingCommunity @StyleWeekly

[Karen Vaites @karenvaites]

One year into cell phone bans, Dallas schools see 24% increase in library book checkouts.

👏👏👏

"Public school districts in Texas are almost one school year into the first statewide cellphone ban, and a North Texas school district is seeing positive impacts.

Dallas ISD officials said that, district-wide, they have seen a significant increase in library book checkouts, which they largely attribute to students no longer having cellphones with them during the school day.

"I started hearing, 'Oh, I'm so bored. I can't get on my phone after I do my work or during lunchtime,'" Hillcrest High School librarian Nina Canales said. "Once they lock into these stories, they don't seem to care about their phones at all."

From the first day of school to March 31, 2026, the district reported an increase of more than 200,000 additional books checked out compared to the previous year.

A look at the library checkouts for the previous year:

2025-2026 Total Circulation (1st day of school to March 31, 2026) – 1,084,837
2024-2025 Total circulation (1st day of school to March 31, 2025) – 872,430

Total library book checkout increase: 24.35%

At Dallas ISD's Hillcrest High, students are following this trend.

Canales said there were roughly 500 books checked out in the first nine weeks of the 2024-2025 school year. This school year, that number spiked to about 1,800 books.

"That floored me," Canales said. "I had to re-do the report again because I was like, 'What, are you kidding me?'"

Students felt the impact too.

"Now that I'm busy with a bunch of work and college, I don't find myself missing my phone that much, even at home," said Yamilet Jimenez, 9th grader."

By @laceybeasnews.

@JonHaidt @safe_screens

[Boyan Slat @BoyanSlat]

I have an irrational hatred toward this genre of books.

[Roger Boylan @BoylanRoger]

Charles Bukowski mowing his lawn.

[Neil Renic @NC_Renic]

“riding in a golf cart fatly”

[law dog, esq. @ggooooddddoogg]

for sale: dodge ram, never drunk driven

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

Would've loved an Iago here, but none of the real-life players are smart enough to qualify.

[Senator Thom Tillis @SenThomTillis]

A sycophant is more than just a "yes-man."

It refers to someone who acts excessively servile toward someone important in order to gain an advantage. They aren't just being nice, they are using excessive flattery, often insincerely, to get what they want, whether that's a promotion, social status or favor.

Some characteristics: The motive is self-interest. They aren't praising you because they like you; they're doing it because you have something they want. The behavior is over the top fawning, or constant agreement (including when you're wrong).

Common Synonyms: toady, flunky, bootlicker.

Some parallels for movie buffs:

Grima Wormtongue (the Stephen Miller of Lord of the Rings) is an advisor to King Theoden. He uses whispers and false flattery to control the King’s decisions, all while secretly serving Saruman. He is a classic example of a sycophant who uses his position to poison a leader's standing for his own benefit.

Dolores Umbridge (the Kristi Noem of Harry Potter) is an example of a bureaucratic sycophant. She is terrifyingly sweet while she is around those she considers her superiors and she sucks up to authority to gain the power she needs to bully those "beneath" her.

[Dan McClellan @maklelan]

"My concern isn't that the government murdered a civilian in the street & then openly lied to the public about it, it's that that civilian should have known better than to exercise his constitutional rights in a way a fascist government might not like." Cowardly bootlicker talk.

[Mindy in Chitown @MontysMom1222]

@SNLinReview I'm close to giving up after 50 years of watching. Replacing talented performers with folks like Jane is excruciating to view. Plus the writers seem to only cover sketches with pop-culture references that no one over 25 will understand.

[Jonathan Fine @jonathanbfine]

two words: book holster

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

Need Roxanne Gay to swoop in here and save me.

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

I'm shamelessly hunting for blurbs for my forthcoming novel. Anyone want to help a guy out? #WritingCommunity #readingcommunity #writerslift

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

@Perez_Writes What about the French Open? Too effete?

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

https://t.co/92NiF8KUHv
He doesn't get enough attention stateside

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

@MDFitness1975 Will this affect the pressure coming from my bidet?

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

Simply. Incredible. This is fraud. @NarrativeMag

[Becky Tuch @BeckyLTuch]

Hahahahahaha oh god THIS IS SO BAD

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

My immediate reaction after reading The Article was to look up what a Byrna is. Very intriguing.
#readingcommunity #WritingCommunity

[Luke Sweeney @LukeSweeney5000]

Jake Paul = roided, artless Layne Staley