If you’ve read A Tale of Two Cities (I just finished it for the first time, catching up on English Lit I missed the first time ‘round), you’re familiar with Madame Defarge, the proprietress of a Parisian tavern that’s secretly a hub of revolutionary activity. She’s constantly knitting but “sees nothing,” or so we’re told…Continue reading Knitting as spycraft
Category: Grown-up books
A 7th century riot grrl
Check out this piece of art I found on the street in New Orleans! My guess is it was part of a costume or handmade float in a recent Mardi Gras walking parade like Chewbacchus, Krewe Boheme, or Krewe du Vieux. Why anyone would get rid of it is a mystery, but the ephemeral nature…Continue reading A 7th century riot grrl
Monsters, witches, and ghosts
It’s no secret that I love Halloween. All things spooky and weird that go bump in the night are totally in my wheelhouse. At the same time, I’m picky. I prefer well-crafted creepshows with a bit of heart and/or humor (bonus points for both). So in honor of my favorite holiday, here’s a roundup of…Continue reading Monsters, witches, and ghosts
My favorite books of 2022
For the past seven years, I’ve kept track of every book I read on Goodreads, a handy tool to keep track of authors and series that I’ve enjoyed so I can remember to grab the next installment. (It’s also where I park my enormous To Be Read list.) And of course there’s the stats: the…Continue reading My favorite books of 2022
Book review: Reverie
One of my favorite books of 2020, Ryan La Sala’s Reverie is an effervescent YA fantasy that explores identity, responsibility, and friendship with humor and supernatural butt-kicking. Main character Kane can’t remember anything from before his car accident a few months ago, but his family, his therapist, and the police have questions: Why did he…Continue reading Book review: Reverie