16 Oct

Posted at 02:39h in Reviews by

Review of Don't Believe Everything You Think (Expanded Edition) by Joseph Nguyen Have you ever found yourself trapped in a whirlwind of thoughts, where every anxious whisper felt louder than the last? I certainly have. So when I stumbled upon Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen, it resonated deeply with me. This book promises a refreshing perspective on how our thoughts can both bind us and, paradoxically, create our freedom. And I knew I had to dive in. In this expanded edition, Nguyen explores the root causes of...

03 Sep

Posted at 16:55h in Reviews by

A Glimpse into the Extraordinary: Review of The Society of Unknowable Objects As a book blogger who revels in the whimsy of urban fantasy, Gareth Brown's The Society of Unknowable Objects immediately piqued my interest. I remember stumbling across his previous work, The Book of Doors, and being entranced. When I discovered Brown was releasing another story set in the same universe, I knew I had to dive in. The tantalizing concept of a secret society hidden beneath a bookstore, safeguarding ordinary items imbued with extraordinary powers? Yes, please!...

01 Sep

Posted at 13:07h in Reviews by

Discovering the Depths: A Review of The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis by Dr. Jason M. Baxter It’s rare for a book to make you feel surprised at every turn, but that's precisely what happened when I picked up The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis: How Great Books Shaped His Philosophy by Dr. Jason M. Baxter. As someone with a fondness for C.S. Lewis—partially born from a childhood spent wandering the magical streets of Narnia—I was drawn to Baxter's examination of how Medieval thought influenced Lewis’s literary legacy. The...

09 Aug

Posted at 23:07h in Reviews by

Review of Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life by Zena Hitz From the moment I stumbled upon Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life, I felt the stirring of something deeply familiar. Zena Hitz's exploration of learning not for the sake of prestige or approval, but for pure love of knowledge, resonated with my own experiences in academia. Here I found an unexpected companion in Hitz, who invites readers to embark on a journey toward the rich inner life that so many...

04 Jul

Posted at 03:20h in Reviews by

Discovering the Art of Storytelling with Aristotle As a book blogger, I often find myself enchanted by the timelessness of literature, and when I stumbled upon How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling by Aristotle, I felt like I had hit the literary jackpot. In an age dominated by fleeting social media snippets and 30-second reels, revisiting Aristotle's intricacies of storytelling seemed both essential and enlightening. With Philip Freeman’s accessible translation and thoughtful introduction, I was eager to dive into this ancient text...

01 Jul

Posted at 05:06h in Reviews by

Book Review: A Journey Through Daniel Handler's "And Then? And Then? What Else?" As someone who grew up enchanted by Lemony Snicket's whimsical, yet often bittersweet tales, I felt a surge of excitement when I discovered that Daniel Handler was releasing a memoir focused on his writing journey. The peculiar charms and poignant insights of his fictional universe shaped my childhood, and I couldn't help but wonder how his unique voice could translate to nonfiction. Thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company/Liveright for providing me with a...

24 Jun

Posted at 02:17h in Reviews by

Navigating the Circular Paths of The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey I still remember the moment Avery and I met at MoMA, both a bit lost in our own writing journeys. Surrounded by Matisse’s vibrant canvases, we shared a knowing sigh about our struggles to find satisfying endings in our work. Those lingering thoughts came rushing back as I dove into The Möbius Book, Catherine Lacey's captivating hybrid of fiction and creative non-fiction. It felt like this book was almost designed to echo our own writing frustrations—the narrative twists...

12 May

Posted at 18:07h in Reviews by

Reflecting on Roland Allen’s The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper As someone who appreciates the tactile joy of putting pen to paper, Roland Allen’s The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper immediately caught my eye. The rich history of notebooks, combined with their profound impact on thought processes, sparked my curiosity. I often carry a Field Notes notebook, jotting down everything from random musings to inspiring quotes, so diving into Allen's exploration of this beloved tool felt like a welcome invitation to reflect on my own...

07 May

Posted at 07:20h in Reviews by

Reflections on Any Person Is the Only Self: A Journey of Divergent Perspectives When I first stumbled upon Elisa Gabbert’s Any Person Is the Only Self, I was immediately drawn in by her poetic approach to life’s minutiae. She writes, “Sometimes I think of the seed of the essay, whatever idea first made me want to write it, as a tree that I'm building a house around—I have wanted a house with a tree inside.” This imagery struck a chord with me; it felt like an invitation to explore...