Best Books of 2021
December 31, 2021I’ve been quietly obsessed with Goodreads since I was in college. It’s a lovely way to keep track of every book I read and re-read. Last year, I pledged to read 30 books by the end of the year but have cashed in at a whopping 52. Considering some were short stories and I am a literal literature teacher, it’s not actually that big of an accomplishment. I get paid to read. Before moving ahead to my 2022 to-read list, here are some of my highlights from the last year: Best Book of International Literature I didn’t know what to…
Thanksgiving Literature: Two Thanksgiving Gentlemen
Following last Thursday’s Thanksgiving and in celebration of Giving Tuesday, I originally wanted to create a list of “Thanksgiving literature” to share. But, honestly, what is Thanksgiving-themed literature? There just isn’t as much as there is for…
The Halloween Tree: Book or Movie?
The Halloween Tree. This cartoon haunted me as a child. I found it absolutely mesmerizing. I used to cherish the VHS tape where my mother had recorded it from TV, loving it despite the parts where the…
Review: Like Water for Chocolate
When most people travel, they research local cuisine and cultural heritage markets. I research celebrated writers and literary works. In my opinion, literature adds something to travel. So when I went to Mexico a few weeks ago, I decided…
Review: Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Summary of Long Bright River “Mickey” is a thirty-something single mom working as a cop in Kensington, a community rocked by America’s opioid epidemic. Mickey and her sister Kacey grew up in an environment of rampant drug…
The Library of Babel
I hope everyone has the opportunity at some point to stumble upon a job so well-suited for them, it seems pre-destined. That’s honestly how I feel teaching my academic seminars every weekend. I get paid to talk…
Journaling into the Past
I started journaling as soon as I knew how to pick up a pen. After every school book fair, I would bring home another kitty cat journal, equipped with lock and key (because everyone wants to break…
The Gift of Fear
Have you ever returned home, walked into your bedroom, and immediately sensed something was off? You can’t explain what it is exactly (Did I leave that light on when I left this morning? Did I leave the…
What Is American Lit?
I am quietly obsessed with Goodreads. If you haven’t heard of it, please go look it up. This website has every known book in the universe listed on it. It even has the anthology of sci-fi works…
Readers Make Better Travelers: Why I Skip the Travel Guides and Head to the Fiction Section
I’ve never been much of a fan of travel guides. This is funny because I grew up with a mother who would browse the travel section of Barnes & Nobel to kill time, pick up a guide…
Shall We Shakespeare?: Is Shakespeare Still Relevant?
I rarely get culture shock in the ways I used to when I was a travel novice. Squat toilets, different languages, or strange menu items just don’t rattle me these days. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still…