It's no secret that most of us have a friend or two who are aspiring artists, musicians, writers, and the like. We might even be that friend in our social circles, or part of a larger group of people who just wants their work to be seen or read or heard. However, getting to that... Continue Reading →
I always see motivational quotes and images telling people to get outside of their comfort zones, but what does that mean really? Do we crumple up our comfort zones like used paper and discard them in a bin? Do we straddle the fine lines between comfort and discomfort? These quotes and images tell us what... Continue Reading →
I love nothing more than a book that can send a chill down my spine without having to rely on being overly gruesome and grotesque. For me, I want a book that can steadily build its thrill factor and keep my heart racing without trying too hard. I know horror isn't for everyone, but I... Continue Reading →
Poignant, and often heart wrenching, Lynn Michell's The Red Beach Hut follows two outcasts as they form an unlikely friendship that brings hope and healing along the lonely coastline of an English beach. Abbott is a youth worker on the run from what he believes is a homophobic cyber attack and a looming mistake from... Continue Reading →
Several months ago, I received a lovely package from Vagabond Voices (a Glasgow-based publisher) containing four poetry books. Of the four, Theresa Muñoz's Settle was my first choice and I've continued to return to her words on more than one occasion. In her debut book of poetry, Muñoz works through the themes of migration and technology.... Continue Reading →
It's not very often that I choose to review a non-fiction book, but Susan Hawthorne's Bibliodiversity: A Manifesto for Independent Publishing was too good to keep to myself. If you're not familiar with the term "bibliodiversity," don't worry. I wasn't either until I came across this book while researching sources for a project I was... Continue Reading →
I've never been much of a graphic novel reader, but there's something about Emily Carroll's Through the Woods that enchanted me from the start. This book first made its way to me via my Secret Santa over the Christmas holidays. It was the eye-catching cover that drew me in and the spine shivering tales that... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, as I was speaking with two Texas Tech University librarians, the topic of libraries as author and publisher came up. This was a new concept for me as I've never thought of libraries that way. In fact, it's an idea that seems almost foreign as libraries tend to only be seen as community centers,... Continue Reading →
I've been in a creative funk lately. Every time I sit down to write, nothing comes to mind or I have to forcefully pry my ideas to the surface. This current creative situation is what led me to pick up Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist. I've been following Kleon on Twitter for a... Continue Reading →
