book-blog
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Tea with Mariko Turk, Author of ‘The Museum of Modern Love’
What would you do if you had the Metropolitan Museum of Art all to yourself for one night? For Miki, the answer is simple: she’d spend it with the boy she loves, walking through the galleries and retracing the paintings her grandparents saw when they fell in love. I sat down with Mariko Turk, author… Continue reading
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‘The Pirate Queen’ by Ariel Lawhon
Grace O’Malley has long occupied the space between history and legend, but in The Pirate Queen, Ariel Lawhon restores her humanity. More than a swashbuckling adventure, this is a richly researched work of historical fiction about leadership, resilience, and a woman determined to chart her own course in a world that continually tried to confine… Continue reading
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‘The Three Graces of Pearl Street’ by Elizabeth Wellington Rollins
Some novels entertain us, while others quietly prepare us for the seasons of life we cannot avoid. The Three Graces of Pearl Street by Elisabeth Wellington Rollins is one of those rare books—a moving story about family, faith, kindness, and the legacy we leave behind. In this review, I explore why Graziella’s quiet life of… Continue reading
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‘This Is Not About Us’ by Allegra Goodman
A literary family saga about grief, forgiveness, and the relationships that shape us, This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman is a compassionate novel that reminds us reconciliation is always a choice. Continue reading
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‘Taipei Story’ by R.F. Kuang
College student Lily Cheng travels to Taiwan with the goal of improving her Chinese. Like many language students, she imagines that immersion will quickly solve the problems that textbooks cannot. Instead, she discovers just how exhausting it is to live every day in a language she does not fully understand. Continue reading
American Literature, authors, book review, Book Reviews, book-blog, books, booktok, contemporary, fantasy literature, female author, feminism, fiction, japanese mythology, literary analysis, literary essays, literary fiction, literature, new releases, publishing, reading, The Tearoom, travel literature, world history, writing -
3 Lessons We Learn Rereading Old Books
Why have I decided to reread old favorites in 2026? I believe it will satisfy an emotional need. Venturing back to The Secret Garden will make me reminisce about childhood. A trip to Hogwarts will remind me of my teenage years, when the Harry Potter books made everything around me vivid. Too often, a brand-new… Continue reading
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Things I’m letting go of
Originally published on Substack In the first week of January, 2026, I got my hands on a few new journals. One is going to be used for Bible notes and prayer. The other is a bulleted journal, and I have decided to use it for short daily notes, as well as ‘sidebars’ where I will… Continue reading
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 