reading
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A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
I was looking for a lighthearted read to end the year of 2017. Perfectly suited for the job, A Study in Charlotte turned out to be a clever and captivating spinoff of Sherlock Holmes. Parallels to the classic mystery books give it a sense of familiarity–“I’ve read this before!”–while the new setting made it refreshing.…
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Merry Christmas! I hope you’ve had a blessed day! Every year at around this time, I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is my favorite book, because Scrooge’s experiences with the Ghosts of Christmas make me reflect on my own life. The link between his story and our lives might be difficult to admit.…
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12/22/2017
i believe in honesty – x is x and y is y – like frost on snowy days, and also in the off-key notes that every artist plays, half-developed photographs, barely thought out rhymes, and in the bizarre colors that you see when you take time.
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Every couple of years, I find myself in the mood once more to read the Harry Potter series. The story never gets old; it’s earned itself a special place in my heart. I think people are still drawn to these books because they feel like home. When thousands of people gather to read a story,…
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The Belly of Paris by Emile Zola
The Belly of Paris is a unique, fast-paced novel about justice, revolution, and hunger. It is the third book in a 20-part series titled Les Rougon-Macqyart. The series examines two branches of a family: the respectable (legitimate) side, and the disreputable (illegitimate.) The third installment follows Florent Quenu, a French convict who escaped exile in…
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Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
Occasionally we find books so beautifully written that it seems the style, not the plot, keeps us turning pages. Though translated from its original French, Swann’s Way did not lose its beauty in the process: every sentence reads like a verse from an old, nostalgic poem. As an example: Meanwhile the scenery of his dream-stage…
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The Autumn Prince Returns
In October of 2015, I released a serial on my blog called The Autumn Prince. It became more popular than I had anticipated; one reader called it the “highlight of her month,” and I am still humbled by that. The following year it was adapted into a short story for the Crows on Heartstrings anthology,…
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Of Ghosts and Old Doorbells
The old doorbell had been silent for over twenty years. After this house was abandoned, people eventually stopped coming to visit, or even to try and sell things. It had been so long, in fact, that the ghosts started to assume it was too rusty to ever make another sound. Three generations of ghosts dwelled…
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3 Reasons Why We Need Dreamers
It’s recently come to my attention that I am too much of a dreamer…and I don’t want to change. These aren’t the sorts of dreams with a set goal at the end of the tunnel. When your chosen career is storytelling, it’s easy to forget the ‘rules’ and stand out even in your own crowd.…
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Into the Enchanted Forest
You’ve lost yourself in a daydream again. The paths of your wondering have led to the greenest forest you’ve ever seen – even colors appear bolder in this place. There is a breeze but it’s not unpleasant; branches are thick, yet you don’t fear what you will find here. You’ve been walking for quite a…
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Book Review: Wendy Darling – Stars by Colleen Oakes
I am fascinated by retellings of classic novels! Some stories are so beloved that they capture imaginations for years, never losing their magic. Often these retellings can be shallow and unoriginal, but Wendy Darling: Stars did not disappoint. It’s the story of Peter Pan told from Wendy’s point of view, and though it’s been a…
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The Blue Lady, Part II
The wind appeared to whisper words as Lady Evelyn walked up a familiar cobblestone road. Her destination was in sight, the home where she’d grown up. Light spilled through one of the windows; she remembered it had been the parlor where her father used to sit and read. It had been years since she came…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 