By R.F. Kuang ©️2022 The Facts: “1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel […] the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic.” Alternate History, Fantasy Adult / New Adult The Feelings: Compelling, absorbing, thought-provoking Characters you’ll fall in love with Couldn’t stop thinking about it Beautiful ..read more

By Erik Larson ©️2020 The Facts: An intimate look into the first year of Winston Churchill's ministry during WWII. Focuses on the Royal Air Force, aerial warfare, and the Blitz. Historical Nonfiction The Feelings: A fascinating deep-dive into Churchill’s politics and personal live. Gave me a much better and deeper understanding of WWII from 1939-1941. Explores the political relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt / the UK and the US. An easy read and a great introduction to historical nonfiction. Recommended for: Historical nonfiction newbies Fans of 20th century h ..read more

By Daphne Du Maurier ©️1938 The Facts: After moving to her new husband’s country estate, a young woman finds herself haunted by the memory of his first wife. Classic Fiction Slow paced, particularly in the middle. The Feelings: This book has the feeling and flavour of a classic mixed with the tension of a psychological thriller. Jane Eyre meets Gone Girl. Mistakenly (in my opinion) marketed as a love story, this is really about the complex relationships between two women (one living, one dead), and their shared husband. An early feminist novel. It is absolutely worth reading ..read more

By Isabelle Schuler ©️2023 The Facts: Lady Macbeth’s fictional origin story. Fiction, Historical, Romance Revisionist, Feminist The Feelings: Enjoyably readable, but thematically disappointing. Doesn’t cover the events of Shakespeare’s Macbeth but is full of allusions to the play. Not-Quite-Revisionist: Doesn’t revisit or reinterpret the familiar narrative. Not-Quite-an-Origin-Story: Establishes characters that are psychologically and emotionally inconsistent with their Shakespearean counterparts. A missed opportunity to explore the icon of Lady Macbeth, but an enjoyable stor ..read more

By Suzanne Collins ©️2020 The Facts: At the start of the tenth hunger games, a young Coriolanus Snow mentors a tribute from District 12. Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Series Prequel Young Adult (ages 12+) The Feelings: My favourite of the series. The most psychologically and emotionally complex. Totally unpredictable. Darker/more disturbing than the main series. Fun to read the prequel after the main series. Dramatic irony heightens the tension and emotional experience. Recommended For: Any Hunger Games fan. Any YA reader interested in speculative fiction, action/advent ..read more

Let me be honest with you: I’ve written multiple versions of this blog post in my head more times than I can count. I’ve struggled with what to say, how to say it, how much to say, and whether or not any of it even needs to be said at all. Ultimately, I’ve decided to wing it in the spirit of my resolution to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) more often and with less self-judgment. In short, 2021 was one hell of a year. It some ways, it was one of the best years of my life and it other ways, it was one of the worst. What I’ve learned about big life events — be they good or not-so-good ..read more

Last night, I took part in an online writer’s workshop. It was the first time I’d been a student, rather than the teacher, since I finished my MFA in 2017. It was a refreshing change. It had been too long since I put myself back in that position of exploration, of not knowing the answers or knowing what to expect, of purposefully trying to wipe away my preconceptions and hard-earned existing knowledge, even just for a couple of hours. More than anything, it was good to simply be writing again, without any possibility that the words I was putting to page would ever be published or read by anyon ..read more

I talk about books a lot. So much, in fact, that I recently got a DM over on Instagram asking me where I find my book recommendations. I always have a very long list of books to read so it honestly hadn’t occurred to me that some people might be looking for ideas on how to choose their next book or how to find titles that might appeal to them. If that sounds familiar then this post is for you! I figured I’d pass on the advice I gave to my Insta-friend in a more public format in case anyone else out there has the same question. This is by no means fully comprehensive, but these are a few of my ..read more

By now you’ve likely heard all about capsule wardrobes and, if you’re reading this post, you’re likely considering how to start one of your own. There is a lot of stuff online about what a capsule wardrobe is and how to start one, but much of it can feel not only overwhelming but also too prescriptive. There seem to be a lot of rules around capsule wardrobes that may have been holding you back. This drives me crazy! The whole point of having a capsule wardrobe is that you simplify your closet and make it work for you. And by extension, you simplify at least one part your life, designing it to ..read more

If you’re self-employed, a freelancer, or in any way working in a creative field, you’ve likely heard SO much about the importance of building a big social media platform. Even when I was in grad school for creative writing, platform-building through social media always seemed to be a topic of discussion. With the importance of social media to your professional career and personal brand being emphasized left-right-and-centre, it’s hard not to get obsessed with making those follower numbers grow. I myself have fallen into the trap of getting all caught up in the race-for-followers, believing t ..read more