white fragility review.

I spent a lot of time contemplating how to write this blog post. I've been stuck on being extremely worried about speaking out of turn, or offending people with differing views. Then I realized that's the whole point of this. By not speaking out, I'm not allowing change to happen. It starts with conversations, questions, …

stray review.

For so long I've been fighting my way toward what I imagine is light, but I'm beginning to wonder what's on the other side. I have been a fan of Stephanie Danler since I read her first novel, Sweetbitter, back in college. Her writing is electric. I was drawn to her style of storytelling that …

where i was from review.

It’s no secret that Joan Didion is one of my all time favorite authors. She has been inspiring me for years with her writing. It had been some time since I read one of her works, so I decided to change that. Where I Was From is a nod to Didion’s homeland, California. It is …

bird by bird review.

Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott is a book that beautifully captures what it means to be a writer. It is a lot of frustration and feeling like you should just give up. It is also incredibly satisfying to craft stories and know this is exactly what you were meant to do. I turned to …

heart berries review.

This memoir/ collection of essays was something else. I’ve never read stories that convey so much love and incredibly deep pain. This book is not one to read if you are looking for sunshine and rainbows. I finished reading this last night and wasn’t ready to let Terese Mailhot’s words go. She is an indigenous …

how to come alive again review.

Insightful, heartbreaking, and healing. Those are the words I would use to describe this book. How to Come Alive Again: a guide to killing your monsters, by Beth McColl came into my life at the right time. I have felt the pressures of anxiety more so than usual recently. Let me just say that it …

national short story month.

While scrolling through Instagram I stumbled upon the information that it is national short story month. What better way to celebrate than sharing a few of my favorites from my bookshelf? I am very obsessed with the concept of short stories. Reading a few short stories after getting through a lengthy novel is always refreshing …

the source of self-regard review.

A writer's life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity. I have heard of Toni Morrison, but never read any of her work. When I saw this book in the store I was drawn to it. I am always trying to expand my reading genres and this seemed like a …

not in the mood review.

A collection of works that left me breathless at times. Words spun into dictum that made me think, "Did she crawl into my brain?" First and foremost: Too Much and Not in the Mood by Durga Chew-Bose is an assortment of essays exploring creative writing. The title is lended from Virginia Woolf’s A Writer’s Diary, …