I’ve always celebrated the coming of spring by reading books about nature, trying to defrost from long winters and appreciate the warmer months ahead. The best nature writing helps us connect to the natural world, and better understand the active role we play in its survival. Today, I’m giving you nine of my favorite piecesContinue reading ““A blank place on a map is the most valuable part”: my favorite nature writing”
March 2021 reading wrap-up
If you had your doubts about my reading slump, let it be known that I did not finish my first book in the month of March until March 14th, and afterwards I blazed through a number of books, hitting some fantasy, a short story collection, a memoir, and an essay collection. In the end, IContinue reading “March 2021 reading wrap-up”
Watching the Oscar contenders, part 2
On March 15th, the nominations for this very strange year’s Oscars ceremony were announced, with the three movies I profiled in Part 1 each snagging six nominations, including the all-important nomination for Best Picture. In Part 2 of Watching the Oscar Contenders, I will highlight three films that also received multiple nominations this year andContinue reading “Watching the Oscar contenders, part 2”
A Toni Morrison read-through, part 2
Back in February, I kicked off my project to read all of Toni Morrison’s published novels with a reread of The Bluest Eye, which I liked, and Sula, which I loved and ended up being my favorite of the month. I was humming along, and then a slump hit. I don’t blame Song of SolomonContinue reading “A Toni Morrison read-through, part 2”
Watching the Oscar contenders, part 1
No one would call 2020 a banner year for movies, with many major releases being pushed to 2021 with the hope of a theatrical release post-pandemic. Despite this, awards season is barreling ahead, with a strong crop of films to boot. In the lead up to this year’s Oscars, I will be watching as manyContinue reading “Watching the Oscar contenders, part 1”
March reading preview
Today, I’m going to walk you through my reading goal check-in, and then write a little about some of the books on my TBR (to be read) for March! Yearly reading goal report card At the start of each year, I create some reading goals to challenge myself and help me broaden my reading. Here’sContinue reading “March reading preview”
February 2021 reading wrap-up
When I started putting this together, I thought that the story of this month would be the long reading slump that I endured during its middle. Realizing that I had read more books this month than I had in January, I figured I had to reframe that just a bit. This month is marked byContinue reading “February 2021 reading wrap-up”
Midas touch: an overview of celebrity book clubs
As an avid reader, I’d always romanticized the idea of belonging to a book club. Reading was always such a solitary activity for me (and for most people), but the idea of a shared experience reading and gathering with close friends to discuss a title every month warmed my heart. Having recently started a bookContinue reading “Midas touch: an overview of celebrity book clubs”
A Toni Morrison read-through, part 1
A few weeks ago, a foundational belief of mine was shaken. In a casual discussion with a friend, I had mentioned that I will probably suggest a Toni Morrison novel for my book club when it was next my turn. “I don’t know who that is,” they responded. I was in disbelief, and, unable toContinue reading “A Toni Morrison read-through, part 1”
A primer on Joyce Carol Oates
There are very few writers as prolific as Joyce Carol Oates, and even fewer who are able to maintain a high level or literary quality like Oates can. Since her first novel in 1963, Oates has published 58 novels, as well as numerous collections of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. She has won a NationalContinue reading “A primer on Joyce Carol Oates”
