#mongrels

[malinaa]

Stephen Graham Jones, Mongrels

[doggirlsotd]

Today’s dog girl of the day is Destiny from Mongrels!

thank you @str8aura-no-not-that-one for submitting!

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: werewolves

Want your monsters a little hairier? Then this list is for you! Whether you prefer your werewolf books fantasy, horror, slice of life, or romance, this list has a something for everyone (especially if you want your werewolves queer!)

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Lobizona (Wolves of No World series) by Romina Garber

Young adult. As an undocumented immigrant, Manu has been told her existence is illegal. When her mother is arrested by ICE, Manu is left alone, and decides to seek out the only connection she has left: her dead father's criminal connections. Here she finds a secret underworld of Argentinian folklore, where a seventh daughter is a bruja and a seventh son is a lobizón - a werewolf. But as Manu understands more about who and what she is, she comes to realize her self is seen as forbidden in more ways than one, and that she will have to fight for her way to exist. Tackles heavy subjects in a more lighthearted magic school setting.

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Horror. Nearly a year ago, Joan's husband Victor disappeared seemingly into thin air. That is, until Joan stumbles across a revival tent where the local Métis have gathered to listen to the charismatic preacher Eugene Wolff - a man with Victor's face. But when she faces him, he doesn't recognize her at all, claiming his mission is only to spread the word of Jesus. Only, that is far from all he's doing. Now Joan must find out the truth of what happened to her husband.

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal*

Young adult. Priya had plans to go to Stanford, but is derailed when the fallout from lyme disease puts her back, making her question if she'll ever get back to normal. Luckily she has her discord support group with whom she can chat and vent about her illness. Even more - she has Brigid, online fandom friend and fellow chronic illness sufferer. But when Brigid disappears from the web without warning, Priya must drive to Pennsylvania to make sure her friend is okay - and finds that Brigid's condition is a bit hairier than she expected.

Santa Olivia (Santa Olivia duology) by Jacqueline Carey*

Is this werewolf fiction? Technically not. It's sci-fi more than fantasy or horror, with a plot reminiscent of superhero stories. It follows Loup Garron, a young girl growing up in Santa Olivia, an isolated town by the border between the US and Mexico, where the inhabitants aren't allowed to leave. Loup is the daughter of a "Wolf Man", a soldier enhanced with wolven traits which she have now inherited, allowing her to take a stand against the soldiers keeping her small home town oppressed. Also features a main f/f couple!

A Wolf Steps in Blood by Tamara Jerée*

Novella, lesbian soulmate romance. Red wolves went extinct in Alabama long ago - except for the ancestors of Yasmine's family, who were saved by witches putting a spell on them, allowing them to take human form to hide. Now, that spell is growing weaker, and Yasmine is struggling for control with her wolf. When a chance encounter with the exiled blood witch Kalta reveals the two to be not only fated mates but also the possible answer to the pack's struggles, Yasmine and Kalta both must work together to overcome the grief in their hearts and save their families.

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

Horror. A coming-of-age story following a boy and his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, living on the road and staying outside the law. They're all outsiders, but Libby and Darren are mongrels, mixedbloods, werewolves waiting to see if their nephew is like them or not. The boy, meanwhile, must decide if the wandering life of his family is for him, or if he belongs somewhere else.

How to Be a Werewolf by Shawn Lenore*

Graphic novel, available as printed or webcomic. Malaya was bitten by a wolf as a child, and ever since she has lived an isolated life with her family, working in their coffee shop and fearing she will lose control of her wolf side. Having never met another werewolf, Malaya knows little of what she is - until she meets a stranger claiming to be like her, and that she's far from alone. But the more she gets involved with other werewolves, the more she also gets dragged into the dangerous conflicts between packs.

Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens

Middle grade graphic novel. One night, young Artie witnesses something incredible - her own mother turning into a wolf. She finds out she's from a lineage of werewolves, and to help her awaken her abilities her mother invites family friends who are like them. A new world opens up for Artie, but so do dark secrets: werewolves have a deadly enemy, and it's coming back for them.

Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella

Brian is a slacker, having dropped out from college, working as a waiter, and spending his nights drinking with his friends - except the nights when he turns into a werewolf, of course. But after having slipped and killed a jogger, Brian is noticed by fellow werewolf Tyler, who's working on a self-help startup for werewolves and offers to mentor Brian. At first Tyler's methods helps Brian get back on his feet, but the more he learns of Tyler's expansion plans, the more he realizes he might be bad news. A good read if you want a funny, goofy take down of toxic masculinity that doesn't take itself very seriously.

Such Sharp Teeth by Kim Harrison*

When her pregnant twin sister is left by her boyfriend, Rory decides to go back to her home town and stay with her for a time. But the town is also the home of old childhood trauma, and something wild is roaming the woods. When she gets attacked and mauled one night, Rory's successful life is changed forever. Lycanthropy used as a metaphor for female rage, trauma, and bad coping mechanisms.

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

Young adult horror. It's been years since Eleanor Zarrin last saw her family, having been sent away to boarding school when she was little. But after a bloody misstep, Eleanor must flee the school and return home to her family's manor. Here she's reminded of her family's darker side, and that she has never been able to run and hunt in the woods alongside them. But in a family of wolves Eleanor is something else - and even more dangerous.

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold

Young adult horror. A take on the little red riding hood tale where the girl is both the victim of the wolf and the huntsman who slays it. After a particularly embarrassing incident, young Bisou flees into the woods, only to be faced with a predatory wolf. To her shock, their face-off ends with the wolf dead, not Bisou. Even more shocking: the dead wolf turns into a boy. Suddenly, Bisou finds herself a hunter and a protector, routing out the wolves who masquerade as boys. Visceral and bloody, but pretty feminism 101 in its portrayal.

Fear the Wolf by Stefanie Gilmour

Urban fantasy. Alex never wanted to be a werewolf, but when a latent gene was triggered by a traumatic event, causing her to shift, she had no choice but to accept her new reality. Now she stays under the radar, avoiding other werewolves as she tries to keep a job and keep her temper under control, fearing that she will be discovered or even hurt someone. The only person outside her family who knows her secret is Emma, a wizard and Alex's closest friend. But when Emma gets a new boyfriend and starts acting strangely at the same time as attacks and disappearances of supernatural citizens are on the rise, Alex might have no other choice but to get involved in the local werewolf community to fight back.

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

Urban fantasy. Kitty Norville is a midnight radio host and a werewolf, having been turned after a traumatic attack. Stuck in an abusive pack, Kitty needs an outlet, and decides to use her radio midnight hour to speak about the supernatural. Soon others like her are calling in, seeking advice, and Kitty's life is looking up - but in drawing attention to the supernatural, she has also put a target on her back, and someone wants to make her shut up, no matter what.

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

When Laina's brother gets shot and killed, a video recording the incident reveals something shocking: a giant wolf which, when shot, turns into a naked man. The video gets leaked, and little by little monsters start coming out into the open. But there’s a reason monsters have decided to step put of hiding, something otherworldly and far more dangerous than them. Follows a large cast of characters, among them members of a werewolf pack.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

Rules for Werewolves by Kirk Lynn

A story told entirely in dialogue, Rules For Werewolves follows a group of young outsiders, drifting from place to place and squatting in empty suburban houses as they try to build a life in a world that has no room for them,

Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson

Young adult. New kid in town, Virgil Knox, has been attacked by a monster. Only, no one believes it was actually a monster, insisting it must've been a bear. But Virgil knows it was really a monster, and now he fears that it will come back for him - or that he will become one himself.

The Devourers by Indra Das

In Kolkata, India, college professor Alok encounters a mysterious stranger who tells him a story of a race of people at once man and beast, and a wanderer in 17th century Mughal who is torn between two worlds.

Thor by Wayne Smith

Thor the German Shepherd is devoted to his suburban family, and when Uncle Ted comes to live with his family, that devotion is put to the test. For Ted is no longer human, and Thor can sense that there is something dark and dangerous hiding inside him, something which he must keep his family safe from.

Wild by Meghan O'Brien

Selene leads a lonely life, avoiding forming close relationships to keep herself and others safe as she turns into a remorseless wolf creature every full moon. Eve is a forensic pathologist who has sworn off romantic relationships after having had an ex cheat on her, focusing instead on catching murderers. But when a masked man attacks Eve and Selene comes to her rescue, the two become unavoidably intertwined as a monster even more dangerous than Selene stalks the streets.

Wolfsong by T.J. Klune

Ox Matheson's neighbors, the Bennett family, aren't ordinary people: they're shapeshifters, able to turn into wolves. Intrigued by their lifestyle, Ox becomes close to the youngest son, Joe. But when murder comes to town, Joe ends up leaving, and won't return until years later. Now adults, the feelings between them can't be denied any longer.

[yourfavouritebookseller]

Book 1 of 2026

[b-plot-butch]

Is Stephen Graham Jones a really good author? I only ask cause I apparently have one of his books checked out from the library (Mapping the Interior) and well, I’ll have to move it up in the reading list if so.

Ofc no author is for everyone, but he’s one of my favorites personally!! I’ve read 7 of his books and novellas in the past couple years. I will say, Mapping the Interior was my least favorite of the bunch—I found the writing of a disabled character to be very poor. I’d recommend Mongrels (a werewolf book to end all werewolf books; delves into Monstrosity as the Racial Other re: the Indigenous experience in the US in such a gutting way) or My Heart is a Chainsaw (Jade Daniels is one of the most torrential and viscerally felt protagonists that I’ve ever encountered) instead, if you’re interested in getting started with SGJ’s work :)

[bloodwolfie]

my personal favourite pieces of werewolf media🌕

- series: being human (uk)

- series: wolfblood

- movie: ginger snaps 2/ginger snaps unleashed

- book: mongrels by stephen graham jones

long rambling explanations under cut

i have lots of werewolf opinions and lots of specific werewolf Moments that i love like i could go on and on but i thought i'd compile a little list of some of my favourite werewolf features.

being human

i was SO excited when i found this show as it was like the show i had always wanted but didn't know was out there. it is full of angst and friendship and conflict and features exactly the kind of werewolfism i love so much which is like shame and self-hate and trying to navigate the split of yourself and how to come to terms with the wolf. however the multiple different werewolves that feature throughout the series offer a wide range of attitudes and perspectives which i just LOVE,, is it a curse that burdens you with secrecy and pain or is it a gift that your body can mend itself again and again every time?? i'm just here to talk about werewolves but for a show that also features other supernaturals it balances all of them out really well and it doesn't feel like any just get lost in the background. characters you will love and hate. a touch of that 2010's flavour that might make you occasionally grimace but overrall it is an interesting and engaging show full of depth. shoutout to some of my favourite werewolf Moments eg rushing to find somewhere to transform, not realising it's a full moon, waking up naked and confused in the woods etc etc i love that stuff. i also enjoy for the most part that it is not afraid to show an extremely painful transformation and have a guy scream his lungs out every time!! awesome! anyway i recommend this show deeply to like everyone.

wolfblood

it must be considered that this is a show made for kids/young teens but especially considering this it is REALLY good and i am surprised that there aren't more shows that were of this standard cos it was very very popular at the time as well. very much captures the feeling of being weird at school and having this inherent feeling that you are different to everyone else. it differs to what i usually like about werewolf stuff which is that wolfbloods also have the ability to basically 'shapeshift' outside of the full moon but i feel like it is never over-utilised and also never done without reason. a lot of the time it is due to loss of control and seen as an inconvenience which i think is awesome. the specific werewolf things i love are the trying to hide the early onset physical changes of the wolf and stop yourself from turning, werewolf parents with a werewolf child, and most of all the overarching theme of keeping the secret and hiding what you are!!!! deals with friendship and trust and family and found family. season 4 and 5 are a very different flavour but to me also very good and very underrated.

(if u are like me this was like the childhood turning point that activated my werewolf autism like OH MAN this had a chokehold on me. but the thing was i used to pretend i didn't like it cos to me being obsessed with werewolves was like the secret of Being a werewolf and so something i was like. dark and brooding i can't let people find out what i am....)

ginger snaps 2/ginger snaps unleashed

ginger snaps the original is a classic and i would recommend more people go on to watch the sequel because it's so underrated in my opinion. i may be biased because i absoloutely Adore brigitte and this movie is centered around her but it has a completely different vibe and is almost arguably darker. brigitte is angsty and cold and very very determined and it's only in fleeting moments that you see her reminded of, no spoilers, what she went through in the first movie. i find the ginger snaps werewolfism very interesting and it's not my favourite as it's more slow and permanent but!! it's still enjoyable to watch and i love moments of trying to stop the transformation and trying to fight these gradual changes to your body happening against your will. i like unexpected allies and characters that are just kinda weird in an endearing way to me. this movie has a strong theme of being trapped and inevitability and fighting against history repeating itself which i love. i will note for this one it is sometimed a bit heavy in a wsy that makes me skip forwards ten seconds so it's important to be prepared to watch it.

mongrels

if i had read this when i was younger i would have LOST my mind. it's the book i have always wanted. i have read a few sgj books and one thing he always gets in there is very very interesting, unique, and well thought out lore for like supernatural stuff you are already familiar with. when i started i almost thought i wouldn't enjoy it because the narrator is not a werewolf like the other characters, but i found this made me really connect with that feeling of really really wanting to be like them and wanting to transform. like the others in this list, it has the aspect of hiding what you are amongst humans and trying to live a normal life but i think mongrels really turns it up in applying it realistically to real life. these people move around a lot, they drive from town to town constantly, they struggle to keep a job and have enough money and be able to eat, they rarely connect with other people, even other werewolves. this book is meandering, non-chronological, and deeply full of heart. the characters feel so real and alive i attached to them all so quickly.

[yonderghostshistories]

Idk yesterday I got bored and decided to take pics of my 2 bookshelves (from the main living room and the middle room respectively) filled to the brim with books, DVDs and CDs (among other things) that I own/have got, and then I thought it’d be cool to show y’all my lovely collection of things.

Here’s my 2 Exquisite Collection of Things I have (mostly consisting of my special interests, both former and current <33)

(From the Main Living Room shelf)

Items Found:

Specific Labels for the things which are featured on my shelves :

(F) = Films

(TVS/MS) = TV Series/Miniseries

(CD) = Compact Disc(/s) (aka CDs)

(CT) = Cassette Tape(/s)

(B) = Books(/s)

(LP) = Live Performance

(Z) = Zine(/s)

#1 : (from top - bottom) (Left; Top Shelf)

DVDs including; “American Friends” (1991) (F), “Holy Flying Circus” (2011) (F), “In The Earth” (2021) (F), “A Field in England” (2013) (F), “A Liar’s Autobiography” (2012) (F), “Remember Me” (2014) (TVS/MS), “Vanity Fair” (2018) (TVS/MS)

#2 : (Middle; Top Shelf) “Torchwood : Tropical Beach Sounds & Other Relaxing Seascapes #4” (2020) (CD)

#3 : (from top - bottom) (Right; Top Shelf) DVDs including; “Psychoville” (2009-2011) (TVS/MS), “The League of Gentlemen: Live Again!” (2018) (F) (LP), “The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You!” (2006) (F) (LP), “The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse” (2005) (F), “The League of Gentlemen: Live At Drury Lane” (2001) (F) (LP), “The League of Gentlemen : The Complete Collection” (1999-2017) (TVS/MS)

#4 : (from top - bottom) (Left; Bottom Shelf) Books including; “A Kind of Spark” by Elle McNicoll (B), “My So-Called Bollywood Life” by Nisha Sharma (B), “Submarine” by Joe Dunthorne (B), “Baby Love” by Jacqueline Wilson (B), “The League of Gentlemen : A Local Book for Local People) (B) (a Tie-in Book for the TV show), “Ghosts : The Button House Archives” (B) (a Tie-in Book for the TV show)

#5 : (Bottom) (Right; Bottom Shelf)

“Be Funny Or Die” by Joel Morris (B)

(From the Middle Room Shelf)

#1 : (from top - bottom) (Left; Top Shelf) CDs & DVDs including; “Spot The Loony” (2015) (CD), “Spot The Loony” (2001) (CD), “Shanghai Knights” (2003) (F), “Harlots” (2017-2019) (TVS/MS), “Imagine Me & You” (2005) (F), “Monty Python : The Movies” (2006) (F), “Monty Python’s Flying Circus : The Complete Series 1-4 (1969-1974) Fully Restored in HD” (2019) (TVS/MS), “Queer As Folk : Definitive Collector’s Edition” (1999-2000)(TVS/MS)

#2 : (from top - bottom) (Right; Top Shelf) Books including; “Graham Crackers : Fuzzy Memoirs, Silly Bits and Outright Lies” by (Monty Python’s) Graham Chapman (compiled by Jim Yoakum) (B), “The Life of Graham : The Authorised Biography of Graham Chapman” by Bob McCabe (B), “Calcium Made Interesting : Sketches, Letters, Essays & Gondolas” by (Monty Python’s) Graham Chapman (edited by Jim Yoakum) (B), “OJRIL : The Completely Incomplete Graham Chapman (Unpublished Scripts by Monty Python’s Pipe-Smoking Genius)” by Graham Chapman (edited by Jim Yoakum) (B), “Ghosts : Brought to Life (The Making of a Classic)” (a BTS Tie-in book for the TV Show and that looks into the making of the show itself) (B), “There and Back : Diaries 1999-2009 (Volume #4)” by Michael Palin (B)

#3 : (top & across) (Left; Bottom Shelf)

Includes; “Peter Falk Tries on Hats” (a Zine about Peter Falk) by Ren Wednesday (Z), The Michael Palin Diaries Volumes #1-#3 (in chronological order; “The Python Years : Diaries 1969-79 (Volume #1)”, “Halfway to Hollywood : Diaries 1980-88 (Volume #2)”, “Traveling to Work : Diaries 1988-98 (Volume #3)”) (B)

#4 : (top - bottom) (Middle; Bottom Shelf) Books, Zines & DVDs including; “The Little Guide to Monty Python” (B), “High Precision Ghosts” (a Zine about Graham Chapman) by Ren Wednesday (Z), “A Liar’s Autobiography: Volume VI (#6)” by Graham Chapman (B), “A Liar’s Autobiography” the audiobook cassette tape from the 1980s, recorded by Graham Chapman (CT), “Medieval Lives” by Terry Jones & Alan Ereira (B) (a Tie-in book for the TV show), “Erebus : The Story of A Ship” by Michael Palin (B), “Spy” (2011-2012) (TVS/MS), “Murder Rooms : The Mysteries of The Real Sherlock Holmes” (2000-2001) (TVS/MS), “The Pythons Autobiography By The Pythons” by Bob McCabe (B), “Great Uncle Harry : A Tale of War and Empire” by Michael Palin (B)

#5 : (side and top - bottom) (Right; Bottom Shelf) Side (DVDs) includes; Hunderby (Series 1) (2012) (TVS/MS), Hunderby (Series 2) (2015) (TVS/MS)

Top - Bottom (DVDs) including; “(Monty Python’s) Graham Chapman : Looks Like A Brown Trouser Job” (2005) (F) (LP), “Mongrels” (2010-2011) (TVS/MS), “Romance With A Double Bass” (1974) (F), “Simon Magus” (1999)/“The Nine Lives Of Tomas Katz” (2000) (F), “Bunny And The Bull” (2009) (F), “Treacle Jr” (2010) (F), “The Taming Of The Shrew” (1980) (F), “It’s A Sin” (2021) (TVS/MS), “Do Not Adjust Your Set” (1967-1969) (TVS/MS), “At Last The 1948 Show” (1967) (TVS/MS), “The Terror” (Series 1 & 2) (2018-2019) (TVS/MS)

Anyway, that’s it for what’s on my shelves!! Do let me know y’all’s thoughts on my shelves full of stuff, and let me know which is your personal favourite thing(/s) from my shelves and why!!

[joys-things-99]

The aftermath of an end of term paper 😂📚📓