The Danish Way of Parenting

I think every parent should read this book. It's short enough that you can finish it in a few commuting sessions, or over a week of reading a bit at night after your little ones have gone to bed. Honestly, people who don't have kids should read this book, because it will help you re-parent…

The Golden Compass

I don’t know how to adequately describe my love for this book, and for Philip Pullman’s writing.The first time I read this, I was 13 years old. It was a formative year for me. I found Paganism, decided I was a writer…and read His Dark Materials. Pullman created a world that was familiar and yet…

Naamah’s Curse

I’ve never read a more beautiful, terrifying story. If you know me, you know that a basically Pagan Celtic protagonist driven by her soul’s passion to form meaningful connections with people is…well, me. Reading characters that so closely mirror ourselves can be an interesting exercise. You learn a lot about yourself. In reading this book—which…

Star Ratings (on Goodreads)

I was thinking a lot about the way I rate books on Goodreads. The 5-star system is pretty effective to capture my thoughts. 1-star: I typically don’t rate books that I’ve rage-quit, because what’s the point? Those would probably get a single star, if I did. I just don’t feel right giving an opinion on…

Dark Tempest

Okay, real talk: I wanted more of this book as soon as I finished listening to it, so I went back to halfway through and listened to the second half again. I wasn’t ready to move on to the third, because that’s too close to the end of the trilogy, and I never want that…

Lirael

Please excuse me while I gush about one of my favorite books ever. SO GOOD. The world you get in Sabriel is amazing and beautiful and dark and you get EVEN MORE of it in Lirael. Not to mention a protagonist who you might be able to identify with a lot more, if you’re anything…

Gangsterland

This book is smart, and funny, and it surprised me in good ways. I shouldn’t be surprised, of course. If anyone can write a creative, funny, yet still emotionally evocative gangster novel, it’d be Tod Goldberg. This novel was inspired by a short story that Tod wrote, included in his collection OTHER RESORT CITIES. Those…

Will I Ever Be Good Enough?

With the current political climate in America, I think this is a really powerful book to have read. I read it a long time ago, and have been putting off writing the review. Some self-help books are a little too revealing, when you mention that you’ve read them. It can be pretty personal stuff. However,…

Reckless

I tend to love Cornelia Funke's stories, and this one is no different. Having to read all her work in translation is a little disappointing, depending on the skill of the translator and how well her prose survives the transition. The translator of Reckless did a fabulous job, though. I was expecting Young Adult, like…

Tarzan of the Apes

I love Tarzan. I’m fascinated by the way that some characters can exist beyond their original forms—Tarzan is right up there with Dracula, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland. To say that I’m excited about the coming movie would be a gross understatement. I joke with my friends that going back to work after having the baby…