03 May

You Are Fatally Invited: A Flatter Than Pancakes Experience I came across You Are Fatally Invited by Lainey Pliego, drawn in by its intriguing premise and the allure of mystery writers trapped on an island. I thought, "How fun could this be?" Alas, it turned out more like a questionable pancake: delectably anticipated yet utterly flat. From the outset, the premise had promise. An ensemble of famous mystery writers gathered at an isolated mansion, ready to craft a story — or so I thought. Instead, what unfolded was a...

08:21 / Reviews
03 May

I first encountered Virginia Woolf's A Room of One’s Own in a dusty corner of my local library, its pages aged like fine wine. I was immediately intrigued not just by the title, but by the promise of a unique exploration into women and fiction. Woolf’s famous assertion that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction” resonated deeply with me. It invited me to reflect on my own creative spaces and financial stability, offering a poignant commentary on...

07:05 / Reviews
03 May

Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process – A Reflection When I first picked up Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process by John McPhee, I was coming in almost completely blind. I had never been a reader of The New Yorker nor was I familiar with McPhee's oeuvre. Gifted this book as a thoughtful holiday present, I was curious but unsure what to expect. Little did I know, it would speak to my inner writer and ignite a deep appreciation for the craft of nonfiction. McPhee's Draft No. 4...

05:54 / Reviews
03 May

A Chat About Clarity: Dreyer's English Is there anything more maddening than realizing you’ve been following outdated writing rules your whole life? Benjamin Dreyer’s Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style caught my eye like a magnetic strip catches a stray paperclip. As a passionate word nerd, the title promised a mix of both clarity and a bit of cheek, and let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint. I found myself laughing, nodding in agreement, and occasionally cringing as I instinctively recalled rules I should have...

04:50 / Reviews