A Laughing Matter: My Take on The Serious Guide to Joke Writing by Sally Holloway As someone who has always admired the craft behind a perfectly timed punchline, The Serious Guide to Joke Writing: How To Say Something Funny About Anything by Sally Holloway caught my attention in the most delightful way. The idea of transforming everyday occurrences into something laugh-out-loud funny felt like an elusive skill, one that I was eager to explore. After all, who could resist the charm of a well-crafted joke? Curiosity piqued, I dove...

Review: On Writing the College Application Essay, 25th Anniversary Edition by Harry Bauld When I first stumbled upon On Writing the College Application Essay, I was immediately transported back to my own college application days—those nail-biting months filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and relentless discussions about how to craft the "perfect" essay. Author Harry Bauld, with his background as a former Ivy League admissions officer, seemed like the perfect guide to navigate this treacherous landscape. His direct approach and wealth of experience intrigued me, and I found myself diving headfirst...

Book Review: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson From the moment I stumbled upon the intriguing title of Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, I felt an irresistible pull—a mix of curiosity and trepidation. Who could resist a darkly humorous mystery that causes you to ponder your own family's skeletons? Here we find a clever blend of classic and modern murder mystery that keeps you guessing while eliciting hearty chuckles. Spoiler: it didn’t disappoint! At its heart, we meet Ern Cunningham, a lovable,...

Embracing Nonfiction: A Journey with The Writer's Practice As an ardent lover of the written word, I often grapple with that familiar question: “Am I good enough to be a writer?” This nagging uncertainty found its perfect foil in John Warner's The Writer's Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing. I stumbled upon this book while searching for a resource that spoke to the essence of writing, not just the mechanics. Warner's approach intrigued me; he promised a departure from the rigid templates we often associate with composition, aiming...