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April 30, 2026

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A Hidden Place

A Hidden Place

A Hidden Place book cover

A Hidden Place

Christy Mannering17 years ago1 year ago09 mins

Sometimes, I judge a book by its cover. If the cover appeals to me but I know nothing about the…

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A quirky blend of Tink and Scrappy, sharing insights on music, movies, TV, and all things geeky since 2005.

My therapist asked what makes me happy, and the an

My therapist asked what makes me happy, and the answer came fast: loud music in the car.So I wrote about the playlist that helps me feel alive again. The songs that hold longing, grief, memory, release, and those brief flashes of joy that still count even when life feels messy.This one is for anyone who has ever cried at a stoplight, belted a chorus like a lifeline, or let a playlist tell the truth first."My Driving Playlist and the Kind of Happiness I Can Feel" link in the bio ☝🔗#DrivingPlaylistJoy #MusicAndHealing #PersonalEssay #PlaylistEssay #PopCultureWriting

Yesterday’s rabbit hole turned into a full-on Tyle

Yesterday’s rabbit hole turned into a full-on Tyler Ward deep dive, and honestly, I’m glad it did.I started with “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” covers, got my feelings involved, and ended up thinking about why Tyler Ward has mattered for so long: he takes huge pop songs and makes them feel intimate, human, and close enough to sit beside you in the family room.This piece gets into his Colorado roots, acoustic-pop style, instruments, career timeline, Nashville era, Song House, and whether he’s touring right now.Head to the link in bio to read the full article. ☝🔗#TylerWard #TylerWardMusic #AcousticCover #SingerSongwriter

Spotify gave me a green aura playlist and, wow, th

Spotify gave me a green aura playlist and, wow, the app has opinions about me. I loved some of the new discoveries, side-eyed the repeats, and ended up with one big question: is this a fun new feature or just an annual check-in with my emotional support songs?Link in bio ☝🔗

I turned 45 this month.I had a brief moment of “

I turned 45 this month.I had a brief moment of “wait… is this it?” and then immediately decided no, it is not.The last three years have been about showing up for myself in ways that actually work:
– 158-week fitness streak (boxing is still my go-to)
– 60 pounds down, but more importantly, I feel strong and supported in my own body
– over a year in therapy
– 3 books published (still kind of wild to say that)
– a few more tattoos w/ @remtattoos, because that is part of how I process and reclaim thingsI am still a single mom, still working multiple jobs, still figuring out who I am outside of all of that.But I like who I am.I am not chasing the “perfect version” of me anymore. I am focusing on being my favorite self. The one who is actually living this life, not just trying to optimize it.Also, shoutout to @goodmythical.morning for becoming part of my daily routine. Did not see that coming, not mad about it.This is 45. Still building. Still becoming.Read the full reflection at scrink.com, link in the bio.#Turning45 #FavoriteSelf #MidlifeRealness #StrongNotPerfect #StillBecoming

Blaming Meta alone for the youth mental health cri

Blaming Meta alone for the youth mental health crisis is too easy.Yes, social media can do real harm.
But one company did not create a generation-wide crisis by itself.Underfunded schools.
Limited mental health care.
Overworked parents.
Weak support systems.
And now, AI tools kids are using with protections that still lag far behind adoption.That is the bigger picture.My new article argues that if we are serious about helping young people, we need to expect more from everyone, not just one tech company.Read at the link in bio.What do you think: Are we blaming platforms because it is easier than fixing the deeper failures?#MentalHealth #Meta #SocialMedia #DigitalSafety #ChildAdvocacy

I usually write about pop culture and the things t

I usually write about pop culture and the things that bring me joy, but some stories hit somewhere deeper. This one did.At the 2026 UN Commission on the Status of Women, the United States was the only country to vote no on agreed conclusions centered on access to justice for women and girls.As a woman and as a mother with a daughter, I could not let that pass without saying exactly how personal and enraging it feels.For the full post, check the link in the comments or head to scrink.com with the links in my bio.#WomensRights #HumanRights #UN #CSW70 #AccessToJustice

The sun came back. The sky was blue. I was drive d

The sun came back. The sky was blue. I was drive dancing to Djo @djotime like my car had become a tiny moving therapy-adjacent disco.My new piece is up on why “End of Beginning” and “Delete Ya” have me fully in my feelings.Scrink.com is the place to visit or tap the link in my bio ☝🔗#Djo #JoeKeery #EndOfBeginning #DeleteYa #TheCrux

Yesterday in Delaware it was **82°, humid, and sto

Yesterday in Delaware it was **82°, humid, and storming like July**. Thunder, lightning, wild wind.Today?
**32° and snowing.**I’m not saying anything definitively… but this feels like strong evidence that **Mother Nature is also going through perimenopause.**Sudden hot flashes.
Emotional outbursts.
Unpredictable mood swings.And now you know. You're welcome. 😌Anyone else experiencing meteorological menopause where they live?

Do you want to survive quietly? Or do you want to

Do you want to survive quietly?
Or do you want to live out loud?NO MORE Week 2026 is March 2 to 8. And this year, it hits differently.With the Epstein Files in the headlines (regardless of whether folks deliberately push them down by other headlines), survivors are watching powerful people debate the details while remembering what it felt like not to be believed.Here is the thing. Abuse is about power and control. Always.Surviving is keeping your head down.
Living is telling the truth.
Surviving is minimizing.
Living is setting boundaries.You do not have to consume every headline to care. You do not have to retraumatize yourself to be informed.But silence is not neutral.This week, choose one action. That is how culture shifts.#NOMOREWeek2026 #ChooseToLive #Accountability

I respect that some people feel strongly about cer

I respect that some people feel strongly about certain phrases. That said, I do not believe my saying "oh my God" is what dishonors God.To me, using the Lord's name in vain looks more like invoking faith to justify injustice, exclusion, or harm. I work hard to live in a way that supports equal access, dignity, and rights for all people, regardless of race, gender, orientation, or income.If we’re going to talk about taking God’s name in vain, I think our actions carry far more weight than a figure of speech.That's all.#ActionsMatter
#LiveYourValues
#FaithInAction
#JusticeAndLove
#CompassionOverJudgment

Over a decade later, and The Fray @thefray still k

Over a decade later, and The Fray @thefray still knows how to hit that tender place in your chest.A Light That Waits feels like a quiet return to what made their music last in the first place. Piano. Honesty. Songs you carry with you.Ready for this next chapter.Post linked in the bio!#TheFray #ALightThatWaits #TheFrayTour #HowToSaveALife #2000sMusic

Iron & Wine meets Will Swinton… with a little twan

Iron & Wine meets Will Swinton… with a little twang.Leave the World Behind @calebhearnmusic is calm, reflective, and deeply intentional. Some songs are forever, a couple are boundaries.And “Play It Safe” feels like loving someone long enough to grow old together.Full review on Scrink. 🤍Link in the bio, as always.#CalebHearn #LeaveTheWorldBehind #AlbumReview #NewMusic

I used to avoid anything remotely metal because I

I used to avoid anything remotely metal because I assumed it would be all screaming and rage and nervous system alarms.Then @sleep_token happened.Now "Take Aim," "Give," and "The Apparition" are in my regular rotation like they pay rent.On the drive to school yesterday Amelia goes, "I did not know you liked rock music," and I scoffed because I grew up on Aerosmith, Van Halen, and Heart. But she was not wrong. This is different.There are more genres and sub-genres now, and Sleep Token lives in the overlap where heavy music can still be tender, haunted, and weirdly comforting.Also, I am not even sure I would want to see them live. Masks and theatrics can flip my system into nope mode (Ghost taught me that). So for now, I am keeping my devotion in the earbuds, on the school run and in the office if I find myself solo.Read the full article on scrink(dot)com. Link in the bio.#SleepToken #Vessel #AlternativeMetal #ProgressiveMetal #GenreBending

A little glimpse of Tulip in her natural habitat:

A little glimpse of Tulip in her natural habitat: kicking down supernatural red tape.THE INK WITCH (Fern Glade Series, Book 3) arrives 02/17/2026.And it’s the finale. 🖤✨For more details, visit afterlightpress.com or your favorite online book retailer to pre-order now.

My brain hosted a Darwin Day afterparty in my slee

My brain hosted a Darwin Day afterparty in my sleep. 🐜🌿Ceiling holes, driftwood, ants, and a very clear lesson about unintended consequences. Sometimes the weird-looking fix is the one that actually works.I wrote about the dream and what it shook loose for me.Link in bio if you want to read the full driftwood parable.#DreamReflections#UnintendedConsequences#InnerLife#CreativeNonfiction#MeaningInTheMundane

I started scrink.com nearly 20 years ago to share

I started scrink.com nearly 20 years ago to share my writing, but I’ve been writing my whole life.And somehow… in the last year, I wrote three books in one series. 😳
The final book drops February 17, 2026.Details at afterlightpress.com (also on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers). Thank you for cheering me on through all of it. 💛📚#SupernaturalFiction
#IndieAuthor
#Bookstagram
#ComingSoon
#SupportIndieAuthors

Bad Bunny did not "exclude America." He expanded i

Bad Bunny did not "exclude America." He expanded it.I do not speak Spanish (I wish I did), and I did not know every song, but I understood the message: Puerto Rico is worthy of the biggest stage, and music can connect us even when language does not belong to us yet. The symbolism, the community energy, and yes, the real wedding on the field, made it feel like a love letter.Nothing will ever represent "all of America," because America is a chorus. Last night we heard a part of it that deserved the mic.Head to scrink.com using the link in the bio for the full reflection.#BadBunny #SuperBowlLX #HalftimeShow #PuertoRico
(Photo Credit: Matt Slocum AP News)

🌙✨ THE FINAL CHAPTER ARRIVES ✨🌙The Fern Glade Tr

🌙✨ THE FINAL CHAPTER ARRIVES ✨🌙The Fern Glade Trilogy concludes with THE INK WITCH.When words become weapons and ink binds forever, Kiera, Paige, and Harvey face their most dangerous enemy yet: language itself.Some truths refuse to stay on the page. Some sentences rewrite you.THE INK WITCH — Coming February 2026Learn more at afterlightpress(dot)com, the link is in my bio!#TheInkWitch #FernGladeTrilogy #FolkHorror #BindingMagic #NewRelease #DarkFantasy #SmallTownHorror

We did not know her personally, but it felt like w

We did not know her personally, but it felt like we grew up with her voice.Her scream was an instrument. Beetlejuice chaos. Moira’s operatic yelp. Then that “KEVIN.”And in between, the soft places. The listening. The generosity.Drop your favorite Catherine O'Hara line below.Full tribute post linked in the bio from scrink.com#CatherineOHara #HomeAlone #SchittsCreek #Beetlejuice #MoiraRose

Today I’m remembering my grandmother, Grandmom Wil

Today I’m remembering my grandmother, Grandmom Willey. Navy thread, corduroy hems, homemade pasta, and the way love keeps showing up in ordinary places.If you’re navigating loss, I hope this offers a steady place to land.You can find the full post at scrink.com, the link is in my bio.#rememberingmygrandmother #grandmotherlove #griefandlove #familyrituals #smallmoments

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