“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
Summary: In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an… Continue reading Book Review: “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles (Spoiler-Free)
Summary: In 1925, Miss Nan O’Dea infiltrated the wealthy, rarefied world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. In every way, she became a part of their life––first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. Soon, Nan became Archie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife, desperate to marry him. Nan’s plot didn’t begin the… Continue reading Book Review: “The Christie Affair” by Nina de Gramont
Hey everyone, just got back from vacation so I'm just regaining my equilibrium. No time for super-involved posts today so I decided to do another WWW Wednesday. What are you currently reading? As usual, I am reading 3 books at once ....Okay, more like 4, but let's keep this brief. No summary because it's pretty… Continue reading WWW Wednesday May 25, 2022
I was checking my blog stats the other day when I saw a little message pop up informing me that it was my 7th Bloggiversary Now, as someone who still thinks 2019 was a couple of months ago, this came as a real shock. Have I really been blogging for almost 10 years? What can… Continue reading My 7th Bloggiversary
I've never done a WWW before so I thought I might give it a go. What are you currently reading? Dead Lake by Darcy Coates. Summary: Sam is excited to spend a week at her uncle's remote lake cabin. It's a chance for her to focus on her art without distractions: no neighbors, no phone,… Continue reading WWW Wednesday- May 11, 2022
In my middle-school and high school days, I was a huge fan of bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco. Not only were the beats catchy and the lead singers ridiculously talented, the lyrics for the songs themselves were like puzzle-boxes to open. I spent an embarrassingly long time going over each… Continue reading I Stopped Caring About Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Post
I have a confession to make. As someone who is vocal about my opposition to literary snobbery—making fun of adult YA readers, claiming only certain genres are "literary", etc—I must be honest. I am guilty of the same sort of pretentious douch-baggery that I so often criticize. For the longest time, I was incredibly snooty… Continue reading I Owe E-Reader Users An Apology
In our day-to day lives we play a role—small or large—in each other's stories. Sometimes we are the comic relief, the best friend, the loving mother/father figure that espouses wisdom. Other times we have a less flattering role: We are the bad guy. To be the bad guy in someone's narrative, you don't necessarily need… Continue reading POV: You’re The Bad Guy
I am.....tired. Fatigued. Weary. I'm tired of stories I care about—stories about friendship, perseverance, love, miracles—being plundered like a bloated corpse on the battlefield. It's no secret among my social circles that I have a vehement hatred against remakes. Most people don't like them, they think they are lazy and pointless, but I have transcended… Continue reading To All the Stories I Loved Before: a Lament About Remakes, Cash-ins, And Reboots
Summary: Rachel lives in constant fear that she will burst into flames. She can feel the heat building in her gut. She keeps buckets of water under the bed. She keeps them to fend off the flames that her body may create. Autocombustophobia. That's what they say she has. No one will believe Rachel when… Continue reading Thoughts on “Combustion” by Jyvur Entropy
The Crooked Pen 