Finally, after a long year and a half of going almost nowhere and missing lots of people, I was able to go to a place that is chock full of good books and my favorite people - that would be my parent’s house. The house I grew up in holds my lovely parents plus 1…
Unlike-able Main Characters in Like-able Books
In this list I have compiled 6 books with main characters that are easily disliked by the reader- but they are not necessarily unlikable enough to ruin the book. All of these books have great literary value, though with their nasty characters, some people may like them more than others. My list may be different…
8 Great Novels with Great Film Adaptations: I Read the Book First Edition
I am always trying to get my hands on the film adaptations of every book I read, no matter how obscure or badly reviewed they are. You can expect several lists like this in the future! But without further ado, here is an eclectic list of 10 books and their film adaptations that I enjoyed.…
Novels with Characters that are Unable to Communicate Verbally
What are the main elements of a novel? Plot, setting, character, dialogue.. but wait- what if one of the characters is unable to talk? Millions of people all around the world are mute or unable to communicate to others with verbal speech. This could be due to mutism from birth, or as a result of…
3 Novels-in-Verse, 2 Poetically Themed Novels, and 1 Heavily Annotated Poem
novels in verse out of the Dust by karen hesse I am starting off this list with Out of the Dust, A young adult piece of fiction, because most of the works coming up are heavier, in terms of content and difficulty. However, this book is heavy in its theme. Billie Joe transforms her heart-wrenching…
Five Adult Books with Animal POVs
Books from the point of view of animals run rampant in children’s fiction. I can still name many beloved mice, owls, and rabbits (so many rabbits) in the classic fables and children's stories in my childhood. Adults tend to have less of a desire to join a mouse on a great adventure, but some novelists…
“De-colonizing” My Bookshelf
As I was reading the only novel written by a black male on my bookshelf, a notification for a news article popped up on my phone and caught my eye. The article came from NPR and was titled “Your Bookshelf May be Part of the Problem.” You can find it Here. To educate myself on…
How Much do we Really Know about our Favorite Writers?
I think that any fiction writer would admit to getting a bit autobiographical at times. Some writers may keep this more hidden than others, but it is difficult if not impossible to completely remove our world experience out of our creative endeavors. Our past lives shape us, and our writing and art too. Very few…
Stumbling into Being Paid to do What I Love
My career journey so far has felt like an outcome of luck, having the right connections, simply being in the right place at the right time. It has yet to feel like something I have earned, but I feel grateful for this journey all the same. I applied to my first job in my senior…
Barn Burning: A Bibliography
Barn Burning (Def): An event that is extremely exciting, or a person who is extremely exciting. Barn Burner (Def): An event, typically a sports contest, that is very exciting or intense. Origins: First used in the 1800's to describe a type of politician, one who, "when faced with a barn infested with rats, was willing…
The Empiricist 