Beth Miller’s novel posits the question: What happens when you love someone outside of your faith? There are thousands of answers to this question, and arguably loving the ‘wrong’ person is something humans seem pretty good at since we have been doing it for centuries. The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom is in many ways … Continue reading
Category Archives: Book Reviews
“Mindfulness and Its Discontents”: why we need to rethink mindfulness
Mindfulness has become a buzz word in the last few years. The term has taken on so many different meanings in the West and is all at once meditation, letting go of your ego, getting to know your inner self, practicing kindness, learning to let your thoughts go, sitting still for a long time, not … Continue reading
Life Lessons from Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”
Michelle Obama’s memoir is a bestseller for all the right reasons. Regardless of your political affiliations and opinions, this book reflects a new era in politics. The lines between politicians and the contemporary notions of celebrities are becoming more and more blurred. The way that we consume, critique, and engage with politics and celebrities is … Continue reading
5 Books to Gift this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is approaching and whether you’re romantically in love, single, or anything in between Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to just be about roses, chocolates, and platters of oysters. For me, Valentine’s Day is a day where you get to tell the people in your life that you love them. This is not just for … Continue reading
“The Boys Who Woke Up Early”: a reminder of America’s complicated past and present
When I read books, sometimes I know exactly what I want to highlight in my review and other times, ideas and themes from the novel need time to grow and develop in my mind like an oyster and its pearl. The latter was very true for my reading of A.D. Hopkins The Boys Who Woke … Continue reading
A Review of J.M. Monaco’s “How We Remember”
CONTENT WARNING: discussions of sexual assault, cancer, death by suicide, and drug/alcohol abuse. As a passionate researcher in memory studies I am always drawn to books, both fiction and nonfiction, that draw on and play with the way we remember collectively and individually. J.M. Monaco’s novel is an exquisitely painful exploration of collective remembering within … Continue reading
Escapism in Ottessa Moshfegh’s “My Year of Rest and Relaxation”
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. Clicking through for additional information or to make a purchase may result in a small commission. “Who hasn’t—sometime—wanted to escape? But from what? To where? And once we have arrived at the good place, is this the end of the desire to move? Or does it stir again, … Continue reading
“The Land Before Avocado”: a truly bittersweet look at Australia’s past
When I saw The Land Before Avocado by Richard Glover I knew I had to read it. Not only am I missing Australia a little bit these days, but I also felt drawn to the title, which I assume is a not so subtle reference to millionaire real estate mogul Tim Gurner and his ‘advice’ … Continue reading
“The Witches of New York” by Ami McKay: the importance of sisterhood
I recently read Ami McKay’s novel The Witches of New York whilst I was on holiday on the Spanish island, La Palma. I spent a lot of time enjoying the sunshine and catching up on some much needed rest and reading. McKay’s novel struck a chord with me and felt it arrived in my life … Continue reading
The Best Reads of 2018
2018 was a year of exploring new genres and discovering new and first-time published authors. The year wasn’t all success when it comes to books and you can read about my worst reads of 2018 here. Fear not though, this post is about the best five reads of 2018 and gosh there were some amazing … Continue reading
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