Verified Influencer: A Book Review of Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
“My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.”
Compared to the Classics
A connection to others is so important to our own perseverance in what we can accomplish.
Personal Hauntings: A Book Review of The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
A weeping djinn roams a haunted house on the coast of South Africa.
Another podcast, really?
No matter how intellectual a podcast might be, in between the lines you can always discover a human sharing a story.
Debunking "The" War Narrative: A Book Review of A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling
“But she also knew that everyone’s eyes were on her at this moment. They were measuring her to see how tough she was—or rather, how soft.”
Burnt Out Reader: A Book Review of Can't Even by Anne Helen Petersen
“We shouldn’t be this worried, this terrified, this anxious about everything.”
Much More Than a Magic Trick: A Book Review of Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Elsie Camden had every intention of leading her steady and secret life until she got caught, mid spellbreaking.
History Never Dies: A Guest Interview with Historical Nonfiction Author Tim Brady
“I would only have to convey the story accurately to make it compelling.”
The Personal Side of the Law: A Book Review of Hill Women by Cassie Chambers
“And, maybe, we can still agree that our communities are more important than our politics.”
Riffs and Rifts: A Book Review of Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Astonishing music and stellar stage performance grows in the rocky, weedy soil of turmoil, strife, and pain.
Re-imagining the Classics in 2020: A Guest Interview with YA Author Shannon Price
I had an opportunity that few people get to have, and that was to help readers see themselves in books.
The Wars Within: A Book Review of A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price
“My heartaches outnumber the stars.”
Arise, Queens! A Book Review of The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
“The women that rose up were not replacing a queen, they were replacing the king, who left. They were the shadow kings.”
Sticky Blood Relations: A Book Review of The Old Drift
More than just family history, The Old Drift is a complex narrative of blood relations.
Cheers and Tears: A Book Review of When All Is Said by Anne Griffin
Maurice Hannigan stalls until the very last night of his life to experience and reflect on all the feels from his eighty-four years.
A Tapestry of True Community for the Modern Reader: A Book Review of There, There by Tommy Orange
Each character arrives at the Big Oakland Pow Wow a different person with unique experiences yet Tommy Orange reveals through their background story one element they all share, a hope for connection to their community.
Our Witch's Story: A Book Review of Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe devotes energy and empathy to the banished daughter of the Sun God in this modern retelling of the legendary hog tale.
A Happy Ending to Global Cooling: A Book Review of Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
Good stories work well to disarm us.
Saying No Will Help You Find the Perfect Book
The key to snagging that perfect book and finishing it cover to cover is saying no. Be prepared to put down books that are not for you.