My favorite moment of a summer day is the late afternoon, when the heat finally begins to subside, but the sun still lingers. Like a siren’s call, I feel the urge to be on a patio with a cool drink sitting nearby. For a season that is usually packed full of vacations and outings, I love the inherent coziness of a summer afternoon. There is a certain quality of that part of the day that feels carved out from regular life, and I want all my books during the season to feel exactly like that.

In I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, Glynnis MacNicol goes to Paris post-pandemic to simply enjoy herself. There’s no redemption arc, no productivity, no lesson, just dancing on the Seine, plenty of handsome men, and a plethora of cheese. That’s it – the radical act of a woman taking her own pleasure seriously.

“Women in myths are forever condemning the world to chaos in their search for knowledge - the apple bitten, the box opened. But I know plenty. I am not here to learn. I am here to feel.”

This quote has stuck with me ever since I read her memoir. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning new things and reading from a different point of view, but it’s also okay to simply have fun. To me, that is what summer is all about – fun, pleasure, and no responsibilities. And summer reading can feel like that when you let it. Forget the Goodreads goal; all that matters is that you take some time in the afternoon to read a book that you genuinely enjoy, and that’s enough.

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Summer is the season we give ourselves permission to read selfishly. So if you need to get in the mood, here are some books about women doing that same thing, living for themselves, in different ways.

Françoise Sagan wrote Bonjour Tristesse when she was 19 years old. The book follows a teenager during her summer on the French Riviera as she meddles in the lives of the adults around her, consequences be damned. At that age, nothing matters but the exact moment you are living in, and that is just the feeling you get when reading this book. Bonjour Tristesse is a pleasure with a little bit of guilt baked in that you’re choosing to ignore. This is the kind of book you read with the AC blasting, not worried about what it’s going to cost, because all you care about is feeling comfortable in that moment.

Sex and Rage by Eve Babitz, which is less plot and more vibes, is another great seasonal read. Babitz perfectly captures the wayward feelings of your 20s and sets it all in a sun-kissed, drifting, unhurried summer. I remember the first time I read this, and it put me at ease. For a Type A person reading a book about a girl with no direction, that isn’t the reaction you would expect. But it made me realize that everything will work out and come along when it’s supposed to, and in the meantime, I might as well have as much fun as possible.

What is more fun than a little romance in the summer? They call it a summer fling for a reason. Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage is your one-way ticket to a guilty pleasure, and you earned it. The book follows Emmy, a professional barrel racer who moves back home after an accident derails her career. A bummer start, but we get to watch Emmy reclaim her spark and find her way back to something she loves (with a little help from a cute cowboy), and that is the exact energy I want this summer.

Summer is the time to be the main character. Yes, have fun and relax, but also don’t let the season pass you by. In Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters, we get to see several minor characters, women who spent entire novels adjacent to the story, finally get their own stories. There is something about summer and the endless possibilities it prompts that gives us all the space to be the main character, even if it’s just for our own afternoon.

Glynnis MacNicol argues that the pursuit of enjoyment is a political act, both a right and a responsibility. Honestly, I agree. Summer reading isn’t a frivolous activity that you squeeze in between productive things. Whether you’re reading a western romance, hanging out in Eve Babitz’s California, or enjoying a problematic summer in the French Riviera, that is an act of possession over your own interior life.

This summer, I’ll be on the patio with a cool drink, enjoying the afternoons and, more importantly, having a lot of fun.

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When did my TBR start feeling like homework instead of recreation? It crept up on me, one day I was using Goodreads casually to keep track of the books I was reading in high school, and the next thing I knew, I felt like a disappointment because I “only read” 10 books in 2021. Then BookTok swept in and made me feel like there was a list of books that I owed the internet an opinion on; if I hadn’t read these specific classics, then I wasn’t “well read,” and there is a hierarchy of readers based on the kind of books you like to read.

I built my TBR with good intentions, and suddenly it became a source of anxiety instead of anticipation. Someone (BookTok, Goodreads, reading culture) trained me to treat it as a measure of productivity, with failure states, rather than a perfectly curated list based on what seemed interesting to me in that moment.

When you go to your favorite restaurant, you order your favorite dish again and again. You don’t feel guilty because you decided to get the soup instead of the sandwich. It was cold, and you wanted something warm. The sandwich will still be there next time. Our TBRs should be treated the same way as this menu – a list of things you made for yourself, organized by what sounds good, chosen in the moment based on how you feel right now.

Earlier this year, I had just wrapped up a month-long stint where I exclusively read hockey romances (who’s shocked?), and my TBR was staring back at me with East of Eden and Villette, two classics I had made the goal of reading that winter. I was not in the mood. I was craving another love story to quell the hangover I was feeling after finishing all those hockey romances. So I found myself on Libby, and the audiobook for Mate by Ali Hazelwood was available. I borrowed it on a whim and spent the next 3 days completely enraptured by the book. I truly did not expect to like it that much, but it ended up being my first 5-star read of the year.

I chose the soup. I still ended up reading those classics, but when it felt right for me. Picking a book for the moment versus forcing one is always going to be a better reading experience. The idea that a book is on my TBR at all is already an indication that past-me thought I would want it someday, and someday might be today, or it could be three winters from now.

I love choosing books based on my mood. Sometimes it’s because of the season. In the fall, I love to read gothic classics and thrillers, but in the summer, I prefer romances and any book under 250 pages. Other times, it’s based on what I just finished, whether I am flying through a hockey romance series or need a palate cleanser after defeating a classic. To be a mood reader with a considerable TBR, I have to give myself permission to ignore the list. I don’t have to read in order, I don’t have to finish everything, and I certainly don’t owe my TBR anything.

I also have to remember that my TBR is not the enemy. It’s the pressure modern reading culture has created around it. My TBR is essentially the most accurate self-portrait I could conceive of myself. Every book I added was a version of myself saying I want to spend time with this someday. It’s a record of my curiosity over time, and that’s kind of beautiful. Some of the books on there, I know I will probably never read, and that’s fine, but I leave them there because I also never know who I may be, and if that person will want to reach for it.

Reading is my favorite hobby, a reward at the end of a long day, and I have to stop thinking of it as a task I am behind on. Picking up the perfect book, for me, has nothing to do with what’s been on my TBR the longest or what everyone else is talking about, and everything to do with what I am feeling in that specific moment. A gothic novel in the fall, a spicy romance to center me after a classic, a novella on the beach. It doesn’t matter if the internet thinks I’m “well read” because I think I’m reading just fine.

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May has been the perfect appetizer for summer. I packed away my sweaters and broke out my sandals. We are staying out later, spending more time outside, and feeling the urge to be fun and flirty.

Pages Turned

Exit Lane by Erika Veurink

I bought this book at the L.A. Times Festival of Books last month, and it was the perfect little romance to get me in the mood for summer reading. The book follows two people over the course of about 10 years of chance encounters, fighting off their obvious feelings for each other (imagine When Harry Met Sally). I love a shorter book in the summer months, and at barely 200 pages, this book packed a punch. The yearning was so real, and I was screaming every time they decided to ignore their obvious attraction to each other. I have been loving a good slow-burn romance recently, and Erika delivered! My only qualm: when they finally got together, the book wrapped up too fast. I wanted them to work for it a little more, especially since it took so long to get there in the first place!

Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters

For all my girlies out there who love Jane Austen, you have to read this! The book is an anthology of short stories, each an imaginative reboot of the lives of Jane Austen’s minor characters. Usually, with anthologies, I never like all the stories, which puts a damper on the book as a whole. That was not the case here! I genuinely loved each one! My favorites were “Lace and Larceny,” which reimagines Caroline Bingley as a white-passing black woman from New Orleans traveling through the Wild West, and “Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons,” starring Margaret Dashwood as she finds true love. I had so much fun reading this and could not recommend it more!

On the Nightstand

I have been listening to the audiobook for Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki ahead of my Boston move (my bestie said she wouldn’t let me into the state of Massachusetts until I read this, and she was right). The book is a biographical fiction about Margaret Fuller, who was an important member of the Transcendentalist movement with Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, and even inspired Louisa May Alcott’s work. I knew absolutely nothing about her before this, and now she is up there as one of my favorite women in history. She had such an impressive life, I find it criminal that she isn’t mentioned alongside her male counterparts more often.

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Not a Book, But –

I went to the Ren Faire earlier this month and got whimsical! This was only my second time going, and it is such a fun experience; I understand why people are so hyped about it. While I was there, I bought a bunch of loose-leaf tea and a special cold brew jar to make iced tea, which is definitely going to be my hyper fixation this summer during these Los Angeles heat waves.

A Quote I’ve Been Sitting With

I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot, especially as I am listening to my book about Margaret Fuller. I don’t need to tell you all that being a woman is truly one trial after the next. We have to scream from the rooftops to be heard, and still won’t be taken seriously. Not to mention, with the current state of the country, we are fighting each and every day for the rights to our bodies, minds, and well-being in the face of a society that deems us lesser than. That isn’t living, it’s surviving. Life is never going to give us permission, and I hope you all do it anyway, and remember to celebrate even the smallest of wins.

See you next month!

Xx,

Liv

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I remember, after he died, I took all the books down to organize them and place them back in an orderly fashion, as they were before he got sick. It’s practically a bookstore on those shelves; he has every genre – poetry, history, science, religion, classics, international authors – whatever you might desire, you can find there. My favorite shelf is the one bursting with John Steinbeck’s novels. I swear he has every single book, and multiple copies of what I can only assume were his favorites. You would think a man born and raised in Quito, Spanish being his first language, would have far fewer books by Americans.

When I was growing up, my grandpa had the best bedtime stories. My favorite was about a magical forest called Esmeralda – him walking through the dense trees, hearing the distant noises of a jaguar approaching. He ran in the opposite direction, but the forest had no end; the spirits were playing tricks on him. Finally, when he came across a clearing, he could hear the jaguar so close that it had to be right there behind a log sprawled across the underbrush. As he neared, shaking with fear, he peered around the log only to find my grandma, no jaguar in sight. Magical realism, before I knew what to call it.

I recently found a binder full of printed pages where he had written down all these bedtime stories, original poetry, and one of my favorite anecdotes from when he worked in the Amazon. At one point or another, he was prepping to send it to publishers in the hopes of turning it into a book. Since English was his second language, he had my mom edit it for him. I had leafed through the pages; they were good. Why he never saw the project through is a mystery. But I would like to change that someday.

I always loved reading. As a kid, I would tear up the library summer reading challenge, and by the time high school came around, reading was one of my favorite hobbies. My grandpa recognized this; he always asked me about school and loved to hear what I was learning, and gave me some of his typed-up stories to read. When I read things in school that I thought he would enjoy, I would ask my parents to buy him a copy for Christmas so we could talk about it together. Books became a core part of our relationship as I grew up, even if neither of us truly noticed it at the time.

At the beginning of this year, I finally read East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I have no idea what my grandpa thought of this one in particular, but as I read his copy of the book, I couldn’t help but think of him the entire time. The story is rife with religious themes, and I can imagine him analyzing the words, maybe even pulling out a Bible alongside the novel. I know he would have loved those parts. The book, while incredible, made me sad to read. Not because of anything in the book, but for the regret it stirred in me. I wish more than anything I could call him up to talk about all my favorite parts and hear what he thought. Unfortunately, that can never happen. The funny thing is that for a man with an entire shelf dedicated to John Steinbeck, reading that book made him feel farther away than ever.

My grandpa and I never really talked about Latin literature, but it’s a door I’ve accidentally found that allows me the closest access to him. I have never felt closer to him than when I read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. Novels by Latin authors feel different. They are no better or worse than the other books I like to read, but they are layered with something deeper, more personal. They are a way to stay close to something he gave me – my culture.

Ironically, we never spoke Spanish together. Food and stories were how we experienced our Ecuadorian heritage with him. My grandpa would make arepas and tell us about his childhood in Quito. Language was never a part of that. Later, books were the bridge he built to me in English. Now, I am building my own back towards him in Spanish.

Starting my journey with Latin literature without having him around to guide me has been hard, to say the least. I don’t know what authors he loved, which books were his favorites, or which ones he hated. And I can’t ask. I have to make my own path, reading the books I find interesting, and wondering if he has ever read them too.

Yes, reading is one of my favorite hobbies. It’s a form of self-care, and it’s how I like to relax at the end of the day. But I’ve found that it’s also a way to show love and to access someone who is gone. When I’m standing in front of my grandpa’s bookshelves, I am peering into his soul. I don’t have a grave to visit him at, but I have those books. Even when I am 350 miles away in Los Angeles, I feel him all around me while I read. He’s in between the pages, peering over my shoulder, and always in my thoughts.

Last November, we took a trip to Ecuador to visit our family, and I was reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. I loved the book, but I loved even more being able to read something by a South American author while I was in my grandpa’s country. By the time we returned, I had finished the book and become Allende’s biggest fan, determined to read all of her novels. As usual, I decided to check out my grandpa’s shelves to see if he had any of her books before spending money on my own copy. Right there, hidden beside his copy of Wuthering Heights, was The House of the Spirits, along with three of her other books. I had never noticed these copies before and felt like they had been placed there just for me to find. It was proof. I had just discovered these books, but he had already been here. The bridge I had been working tirelessly to build was standing strong, end to end, complete.

The regret still lives with me. I can’t talk to him about these books, and I’ll never know which were his favorites, but in that moment, something shifted. I had finally found a thread that truly connected us. Reading, as it always had been for us, was what let me share an experience with him, even though he wasn’t here anymore. He was still guiding me, even if I couldn’t see it. He was still sharing his love of books with me, even if I hadn’t noticed it before. And he was still telling me he loved me, and so was I.

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April swept in, and it’s finally starting to feel like spring! I’ve been buying tulips every week to decorate my living room and commemorate the sun setting after 7pm. Slow mornings, a lot of tea, and a reading pace that feels right for this time of year.

Pages Turned

Heart the Lover by Lily King

This book was HEARTBREAKING!! I was not ready to be so in my feels at 11am on a Tuesday, but I am so glad I finally got around to this one. The story was beautifully written and truly made me believe in love. I highly recommend going into this blind if you can. I did not read the synopsis of the book and instead trusted my friend’s recommendation, which I think made the book so much better since I had zero expectations. It’s also a quick read, so perfect to bring along for any vacations you have planned!

D.C. Stars Series by Chelsea Curto

One of the hockey romance series that has been eluding me until now. The first and third books were fine, but Power Play and Hat Trick had me locked in. Instant book boyfriend statuses for both, and you all know I love forced proximity!! I also loved how the author includes an evil man as a side character in each book, who gets what he has coming for him every time. She doesn’t hold back on how men really treat women, and I appreciated being able to enact vengeance through the FMC.

On the Nightstand

I have finally started Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters, which includes eight short stories from various authors reimagining the minor characters from Austen’s novels. So far, I have read a fabulous story about Miss Bates from Emma, and have started a story about the Bennets, which has been so fun in conjunction with watching The Other Bennet Sister on BritBox.

Not a Book, But —

It’s two things, I can’t help myself. First off, I have been playing Untouched by The Veronicas on repeat after seeing a Pride & Prejudice edit on TikTok (check it out here) using the song. I feel like it’s prepping me for summer.

Next, I have been watching The Man in the High Castle on Netflix and have become totally addicted. It’s a period drama, but it operates under the impression of what the US would be like if Germany and Japan had won WW2. I’m on Season 3 now and cannot wait to see what plot twists come for me next.

A Quote I’ve Been Sitting With

This quote has been haunting me, truly a dagger to the heart once you read the book and understand the context. While the quote is from the perspective of a lover, I have been thinking about it mostly in terms of regret. With summer approaching, I always feel the need to seize the day, every day (and that’s exhausting), always leading me to regret not doing “enough” by the time September rolls around. But what this quote has made me realize is that this summer I want to truly be present in every moment. It doesn’t matter if I go out every day or have a music video-worthy summer. I want to look back and realize that in every moment I was there, I felt all the feelings, saw all the things, and experienced everything the moment had to offer. That is what makes a great summer to me.

See you next month!

Xx,

Liv

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My grandpa loved to read, and even though he was born and raised in Ecuador, his immigrant status meant his bookshelf was full of American authors. Meanwhile, I’ve set a goal for myself this year to read more books by the Latin community. Maybe we are both just trying to connect with a different part of our culture? I attribute my love of reading to him, and my foray into Latin authors definitely started with books I recognized from his shelves. Since then, I’ve developed my own taste, one that heavily leans towards books by and about Latinas.

Maybe I’m on the wrong side of the internet, but I don’t see these books being recommended nearly enough! From classics to magical realism to horror to romance, Latin literature contains multitudes, and I hope you’ll see that in my recommendations below. Make 2026 the year you start reading more Latin books, too!

If you are interested in any of these books, use the link below to access my bookshop.org storefront and support independent bookstores!

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Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

A supernatural western set on the Texas-Mexico border where childhood sweethearts, separated by grief and war, must reunite to face a creature that nearly killed them both. A slow-burn romance with actual monsters and a heroine who refuses to be underestimated.

I am obsessed with this book and will continue to recommend it until my dying day! One of my favorite parts of the book is how Isabel Cañas effortlessly weaves Spanish into the English dialogue. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the narrators were incredible. I loved the gothic feel to the book, and the romance was the perfect slow burn. I think my absolute favorite part of the book was the vampires, genuinely terrifying creatures who were sucking the lifeblood out of the Mexican people, just like the Americans invading their land in the story.

Favorite Quote:

“He was a man of dust who served men of silver: it was impossible not to know his place in the world.”

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

The Buendía family build, survive, and slowly lose the town of Macondo, watching it transform from an isolated paradise into something unrecognizable through civil wars, exploitation, and time itself. It’s a story about what we inherit from the people who came before us, told in a way that feels like magic.

This is a book where your favorite part is going to be the family tree in the front. I will not lie, I was often very confused about who we were talking about in the story because each family member has a variation of the same name. Good lord! It’s an undertaking for sure, but insanely worth it. This was my first foray into the magical realism genre, and now it’s one of my favorites to read! Gabriel García Márquez is popular for a reason, and I highly recommend you check this one out!

Favorite Quote:

“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars

Four Dominican sisters transplanted to New York piece together who they are between two worlds, two languages, and two versions of home. Funny, aching, and deeply true.

This book, in my opinion, perfectly captures the immigrant experience. It is told in 15 interconnected short stories from the perspective of each sister, but it is told in reverse chronological order. Genius! I think this story is so timely in today’s political climate, and I could not recommend it enough. I was definitely close to tears in parts of this story, and in others I was laughing out loud. What is your reaction going to be?

Favorite Quote:

“He had told them he was seeing ‘a Spanish girl,’ and he reported they said that should be interesting for him to find out about people from other cultures. It bothered me that they should treat me like a geography lesson for their son. But I didn’t have the vocabulary back then to explain even to myself what annoyed me about their remark.”

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

A tyrannical patriarch, his clairvoyant wife, a rebellious daughter, and a granddaughter who becomes a revolutionary – the Trueba family carries a century of love, power, and political upheaval across its generations. Allende weaves the supernatural into everyday life so seamlessly that by the end, the magic feels like the least remarkable thing about them.

I wish I could read this book for the first time all over again! Isabel Allende is a super-famous Chilean-American writer, and many of her novels deal with the revolution in Chile in the 1970s. I loved the way she weaved supernatural elements into a very real story, another great example of magical realism. I was hooked on this book when I read it last year, and now I have all of her novels on my TBR to be devoured next.

Favorite Quote:

“Just as when we come into the world, when we die we are afraid of the unknown. But the fear is something from within us that has nothing to do with reality. Dying is like being born: just a change.”

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars

A year in the life of the wickedly wry Catalina Ituralde, an undocumented Harvard student, forced to navigate an opaque past, an uncertain future, tragedies on two continents, and the tantalizing possibilities of love and freedom.

Another must-read in today’s political climate!! This book is pretty short, so you can get through this one fast if you want something easy to start with. I loved this one so much, and it probably has a lot to do with the fact that Catalina and her family are from Ecuador! I loved hearing her talk about places I have been, and wondered if my grandpa had gone to the ones I was not familiar with. I will warn you, it gets to be quite heartbreaking in parts, but it’s so worth it.

Favorite Quote:

“Anyway, another thing that kept me from reading the book is that Nathaniel told me to read it and I do not like it when boys tell me what to read.”

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

Two women, decades apart – one a rising artist who died under suspicious circumstances, one a student who stumbles onto her forgotten story – connected by the same dangerous kind of love. Propulsive and a little infuriating in exactly the right way.

I wish Goodreads would let me rate a book 6/5 stars, because this book would get it. I did the audiobook for this one, and the narrators were off-the-charts amazing. When the men in this story finally get what they deserved, it unleashed absolute unbridled joy within me that I was evil laughing in the car! I was obsessed with the dark academia/art world setting. Pitting the inherent whiteness of these worlds against the “otherness” of the two Latina women in the story was absolute genius. I cannot recommend this one enough!

Favorite Quote:

“And that revelation sparked one that was even more painful: the reason that Raquel subconsciously believed that Nick knew ‘better’ than her was that it was Nick’s point of view that had been affirmed and internalized by the white walls of every museum or gallery they had ever been told was worth looking at.”

I hope the next time you’re at the library or browsing the shelves of your local bookstore, you’ll think of this post and pick one up! As always, I’m looking for new books to add to my TBR, so if you have any recs, leave a comment!!

Xx,

Liv

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Can you feel it? The warm breeze, the fresh blooms, and the seasonal allergies? It’s officially spring, which means I’m putting away my dark, moody books and opting for something a bit lighter. With the long winter nights behind us, I’m no longer in the mood for long books about moody castles and dark academia. In the spring, I always find myself gravitating towards books with a less weighty subject matter. Stories that are inspirational, deal with coming-of-age, and take place in the spring are a go-to.

If you aren’t sure what to pick up to kick-start your spring reading, let me offer you some recommendations!!

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The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

A humorous, coming-of-age novel that follows young American Sally Jay Gorce’s chaotic and romantic adventures in 1950s Paris as she seeks an unconventional education in love and life.

I read this book for the first time last spring, and it instantly became a favorite. Elaine’s writing is witty, charming, and relatable. The setting of Paris in the late ‘50s was so beautiful and the perfect backdrop for a story that highlights female independence. I loved the protagonist in this novel; she may be naive, but I admire her determination to get the most out of life. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for some inspiration to make the most of the upcoming warm months.

Favorite Quote:

“It’s amazing how right you can be about a person you don’t know; it’s only the people you do know who confuse you.”

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars

Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship.

I really enjoyed this book when I read it with my book club a few years ago, and I am itching for a re-read!! Elena Ferrante perfectly captures the subtleties of female friendships in this novel. I love the way she puts these two opposing characters head to head; sometimes, the best of friends can come in the most unlikely of pairs. This book is one of my favorite coming-of-age novels, as Elena captures the limited possibilities for women at the time while also showcasing the new opportunities becoming available.

Favorite Quote:

“She was struggling to find, from inside the cage in which she was enclosed, a way of being all her own, that was still obscure to her.”

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

Dolly Alderton’s debut memoir is a witty and heartfelt account of her journey through early adulthood, focusing on female friendship, romantic relationships, career, and self-discovery.

This book quite literally changed my life. I was crying, laughing, screaming, and everything in between. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, narrated by Dolly. I was so inspired by this one; it had me reframing how I thought about my life in every aspect, and by the end, I had a much more positive outlook. This is a great read for anyone in their 20s and 30s who feels like they can’t quite figure it out.

Favorite Quote:

“Love is a quiet, reassuring, relaxing, pottering, pedantic, harmonious hum of a thing; something you can easily forget is there, even though its palms are outstretched beneath you in case you fall.”

Emma by Jane Austen

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen’s most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain, and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.

It’s no secret I love this book! Emma is my second-favorite Austen novel, and for good reason!! I think this is the perfect spring read because it’s light, witty, funny, and has some of the best side characters in all her novels. I also highly recommend the 2020 movie starring Anya Taylor-Joy, which has an amazing spring aura.

Favorite Quote:

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

Mary, the bookish ugly duckling of Pride and Prejudice’s five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own.

I love this book!!! I think the author did a great job of building upon Pride and Prejudice, retaining aspects we all know and love from Jane Austen, while also challenging our perceptions. I will admit that I cried at the end of this book. I was just so touched!! I have a newfound appreciation for Mary and honestly relate to her more than I thought I would. And what better for spring than an ugly-duckling-turned-beautiful-swan story?

Favorite Quote:

“It might seem an unromantic circumstance; but in truth, there is no state that better demonstrates real firmness of affection than the ability to remain quietly comfortable together without conversation.”

Thanks for tuning in! If you have any recommendations for me to read this spring, I would love to hear them!

Xx,

Liv

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I’ve seen other similar genres called “Feral Women Books” or “Books About Women Going Insane,” but the difference with my subgenre is quite simple. These women are not wild, strange, or contemplative. My Unhinged Women have been pushed off the brink, and it’s going to be everyone’s problem now.

With Women’s History Month almost over, I figured we should all end the month with a book about a woman losing it! So, without further ado, here are some books in this spectacular subgenre that I recommend, along with a few I am looking forward to reading soon!

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The Woman Destroyed by Simone de Beauvoir

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

Quick Teaser: Published in 1967, this collection of three short stories explores the crises of three mature women as they deal with aging, loneliness, and the collapse of their relationships, especially with men.

This book is such a fun, quick read! I could not recommend it enough. Each story is written in a different format – diary entry, stream of consciousness, and standard novel – and deals with different existential crises women face. You guessed it, the men in their lives are driving them to the brink, and by the end, you will agree with me that they were completely in their right to act that way!!

Favorite Quote:

“There was once a man who lost his shadow. I forget what happened to him, but it was dreadful. As for me, I’ve lost my own image. I did not look at it often; but it was there, in the background, just as Maurice had drawn it for me. A straightforward, genuine, “authentic” woman, with out mean-mindedness, uncompromising, but at the same time understanding, indulgent, sensitive, deeply feeling, intensely aware of things and of people, passionately devoted to those she loved and creating happiness for them. A fine life, serene, full, “harmonious.” It is dark: I cannot see myself anymore. And what do the others see? Maybe something hideous.”

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars

Quick Teaser: Originally published in 1892, this short story follows a woman diagnosed by her physician husband with a “temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency” after the birth of her child (aka Postpartum Depression). The woman is urged to rest for the summer, forbidden from doing work of any kind. She spends her days in the house’s former nursery, with its barred windows, scratched floor, and peeling yellow wallpaper.

This short story is one of my favorite things I’ve ever read in school, and you can read it right here for free! It’s only 10 pages, but the author packs a punch! This story is what inspired my Unhinged Women subgenre – an amazing critique of patriarchal control and the dismissal of women’s health. The character’s quick decline to a full mental breakdown is something all women can relate to when dealing with doctors.

Favorite Quote:

“But I MUST say what I feel and think in some way — it is such a relief! But the effort is getting to be greater than the relief.”

Circe by Madeline Miller

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars

Quick Teaser: A beautiful retelling of the Greek mythological witch Circe from her own perspective, transforming her from a minor, often villainized figure into a complex protagonist. The book follows her journey from an outcast nymph in the house of Helios to her exile on the island of Aiaia, where she encounters figures such as Odysseus.

I wasn’t familiar with Circe outside of her appearance in Odysseus’ famous adventure, and by the end of this book, I believed she was right to turn his men into pigs! Madeline Miller wove together such a beautiful story that places Circe, a woman alone, unwittingly drawing the wrath of gods and men, as not the evil witch we all know her as, but a woman protecting what she loves most.

Favorite Quote:

“Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Stars

Quick Teaser: This short story collection blends genres like science fiction, horror, and fantasy to explore themes of women’s bodies, sexuality, and violence. A wife refuses her husband’s entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague slowly consumes humanity. A sales clerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery in the seams of the store’s prom dresses. And many more…

I thought this book was super well done and unique. It had a similar vibe to Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber with its darker themes. I didn’t love every short story in the book, but I still think it’s worth the read. My favorite was the retelling of The Girl With The Green Ribbon!

Favorite Quotes:

“‘It’s not that I hate men,’ the woman says. ‘I’m just terrified of them.’”

“‘Why do you want to hide it from me?’ ‘I’m not hiding it. It just isn’t yours.’”

And here are some books I want to read that fall in this genre!

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

In the 1700s, an Irish noblewoman, on discovering her husband has been murdered, drinks handfuls of his blood and composes an extraordinary poem. In the present day, a young mother narrowly avoids tragedy. On encountering the poem, she becomes obsessed with its parallels with her own life, and sets out to track down the rest of the story. A devastating and timeless tale about one woman freeing her voice by reaching into the past and finding another’s.

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.

Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods’ hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did. If power isn’t given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

As always, thank you for reading! If you have any books you think I should add to my little subgenre here, leave a comment!!

Xx,

Liv

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Winter nights, long and somber, so easily coax me into hibernation. The call to hide from the world and sink into all my darkest thoughts is irresistible. Yet, March 1st is the day that hope returns to my heart – cold and desolate winter is finally behind us. The warmth of the sun on my bare arms is a signal of freedom, the jailer’s keys finally releasing me from the confines of my enclosed haunts.

Daylight spurs me into action; I’m going to take that morning walk and linger in the evening air because I can. Everything seems possible, and nothing is standing in my way! It’s time to start fresh, revisit those resolutions, and embrace the renaissance that naturally comes with the season.

And it’s not just me; the earth below my feet feels it too. The tree outside my window stands a little taller as hummingbirds circle the fresh blooms now adorning its branches. Colors of spring are everywhere – front stoops, vases in windows, framing sidewalks, embellishing every nook and cranny in sight. It feels like the world is covered in confetti from a birthday party after the blanket of winter gray we all had grown accustomed to.

Images of hills covered in daffodils and shining lakes framed by snowcapped mountains beckon me to release the negative energy left over from winter. It’s like my heart has finally defrosted, and I am capable of recognizing the charms of life again. My apartment no longer feels like a prison I’ve been sentenced to, but a safe harbor to dock at. The biting air of winter has given way to a warm breeze, encouraging me forward. Evening hours that once signalled an unspoken curfew to seek shelter now urge us to stay in society.

Spring, oh the wonder that you are! It’s no wonder you’re my favorite season. I anticipate your return the moment temperatures begin to drop and rejoice each and every equinox.

I wish to end this post by sharing a poem I recently discovered. It brings me such comfort each time I read it, and I plan to carry these words with me throughout the season. I hope you find as much joy in it as I have!

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

By William Wordsworth (1807)

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

-

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

-

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

-

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Xx,

Liv

Thinking about the future and planning ahead is a natural side effect of my crippling anxiety. If I am prepared for what is to come, then everything will work out. In reality, I am trying to control something I have zero control over – life.

Last fall, it dawned on me that I had a hard time remembering a lot of things that had happened to me over the course of the year. I attributed it to job stress, but the truth was I couldn’t remember anything because I hadn’t lived it. Yes, I was physically present and did fun things, but my mind was on the future, worrying, planning, strategizing, so I didn’t actually experience anything.

This honestly made me sad. Your 20s are supposed to be an amazing, fun time, and I was letting them pass me by. I was going out, seeing friends, and having new experiences, but had no memories to show for it. What’s the point of life if you’re not even living it?

So here we are, living in the moment, and it has not been easy. I am a chronic multitasker and overthinker, so trying to force my mind to focus on one thing is a battle I was not trained for. What I had so long considered a strength, a survival skill even, quickly became my downfall. My brain is Napoleon, I am England, and this is the Battle of Waterloo (the English eventually win, btw).

The best strategy I have found is romanticizing my life. I’m talking, you’re 13 in the back seat, looking out the window, listening to A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, and feeling like you’re in a music video level of romanticizing. In many ways, it has made me enjoy the small things; it makes the day-to-day an experience worth living, not something to get through.

When I’m cooking dinner, I turn on a playlist that makes me feel like I’m in a rom-com, the endearing female lead who lives in an apartment we all want to know how she can possibly afford. Every week, I buy myself flowers at the grocery store because the act of cutting the stems to fit my vase feels intentional and grounding. And I like to have pretty things around me! In the morning, I brew myself a cup of tea, not from a bag but loose leaf, and it makes me feel like a fancy Victorian lady (plus I like the taste better).

A while back, a friend sent me a YouTube video by Julyssa Rose (you can watch it here) about The Art of the Tea Tray. Essentially, Julyssa shares her method of putting together a tray to elevate your experience of an activity. First, you choose an activity such as reading, crocheting, journaling, etc., that you will do alongside your tray. Then, you choose a cute tray to hold the following items: a cute teacup/mug/glass with your beverage of choice, a decorative plate with a snack, and something that serves no purpose other than being nice to look at (i.e., a candle or trinket). After you have all your materials ready, sit in a comfy spot to work on your activity and enjoy your tray of goodies.

I immediately became obsessed with this idea (and have been looking for my perfect tray for months) because I loved the self-care that went into making a simple activity an experience. I already enjoy turning on some classical music, lighting a candle, and having a drink close at hand when reading or embroidering, but this took it to the next level. It was about being cozy, using your nice things rather than saving them for an occasion, and treating yourself.

When I started my journey of forcing myself to live in the present, I didn’t expect the surplus of attention I was suddenly focusing on myself. When I was future-tripping all the time, yes, I was thinking about myself, but that was future me – someone who didn’t actually exist and, in many ways, felt like a different person. But present me is very real, and I’m not used to her.

Much of this has felt like I’m getting visited by The Ghost of Christmas Future, and it’s done a great job of striking fear in my heart. I don’t want life to pass me by, I don’t want to magically wake up and have achieved it all (I’m looking at you, 13 Going On 30), I want to build memories and have experiences! I also want to do things for me, not because of some arbitrary goal with a deadline I’ve set, but because I enjoy them. I want to stay out late, go to bed early, eat chocolate cake, travel to Greece, text my friends when I get home, and experience everything else in between.

When I started working on this, I intended to give you 5 ways to make parts of your day-to-day life an experience, but as I was writing, I realized I wasn’t an authority on that, since I’m still figuring it out myself. I’ve seen so much online about going analog, adding whimsy to your life, or even simple self-care tips, so why add to the limitless posts already out there? At the end of the day, we are all just trying our best, and that’s a beautiful thing.

I’m still getting to know present me; so far, she seems okay, but I’m mostly excited to spend some more time with her this year.

When do I get this feeling most? While reading a romance novel. Actually, anytime I pick up a romance novel, there is a 99% chance I’ll stay up until 3am. The genre gets a lot of unnecessary hate, and I don’t stand for it. Romance is not taken seriously, and don’t even get me started on the fact that this is probably due to 85% of the genre’s authors and 82% of its readers being women.

I will not list all the reasons why romance is actually the best, but I do want to harp on the fact that it is fun for a moment. Isn’t the main reason people read enjoyment? When I am reading a romance novel, I’m having a silly little fun time! Of course, it can be a bit unrealistic, but do you watch The Bachelor or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days with the mindset that you can definitely replicate that exact situation to find the love of your life? No! You watch it because you love the drama, and it can be sweet! Similarly, I’m not going to read The Odyssey for some quick tips before my next vacation; I want to be entertained and expand my mind. And those are the same reasons I read romance.

Ok, mini rant over. I read a lot of romance, and there are tons of subgenres and tropes I enjoy. I always get asked for recs, so I decided to put together a little list of my faves! Of course, these are not all the romance books I have read; for that, check out my Goodreads.

My Goodreads

I have also organized this list by sub-genre (with clickable links) for your ease of reference when looking for a good book! You’re welcome! Without further ado, here are some of my favorite romance books:

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Sports Romance

Romantasy

Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity

Trope Spotlight: Love Triangle

Historical Romance

Cowboy Romance

Trope Spotlight: Age Gap

Sports Romance

The Off-Campus Series by Elle Kennedy

This series actually altered my brain chemistry. I read the first three in 4 days and have spent every waking moment since then thinking about them. Elle Kennedy also wrote two spin-off series based on these books, which have been keeping me satiated until the TV adaptation premieres later this year.

You don’t have to like hockey to love a hockey romance! Elle Kennedy uses hockey and team dynamics as a setting, but the books cover way more than a game! As always, she creates the most deliciously complex character arcs and plot lines that hook you in every book. The romance is also top tier and I have 100% shed some tears when the couples finally admit they love each other. If you want to try out a Sports Romance, I could not recommend these enough!!

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood never ceases to amaze me!! I love her STEMinist novels, so when she dropped a book about two pre-med students getting ready for the Summer Olympics in diving & swimming, I knew it was time to lock in. This one is extremely spicy, but also had me giggling and kicking my feet. For this one, I chose to listen to the audiobook, and the voice actors were incredible.

Not only was the romance amazing, but I genuinely cared about the characters. There were so many layers to both of them, and I was rooting for them (not just in the Olympics but in life). I would definitely recommend this one if you want to dive in (wink wink) to a standalone book rather than a series!

Romantasy

A Court of Thrones and Roses (Series) by Sarah J. Maas

The man, the myth, the legend–ACOTAR!! This was the first Romantasy series I ever read, and it changed everything for me. I was nervous about undertaking these giant books but low and behold I finished all 3,000 pages in 15 days. To this day, I stand behind the fact that the second and fourth books in the series are some of the best books I have ever read in my life.

I know these can seem daunting, but I promise it is so worth it!! Sarah J. Maas is a genius at world-building. There were so many layers to the world, and the political intrigue had me hooked. The romance was, you guessed it, incredible. I love an enemies-to-lovers arc, and Sarah delivered on this one!

Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison

This book was so sweet!! I loved both of these characters so much, and watching them get together made me so happy. I love forced proximity as a romance trope, and you can’t get any closer than squeezed together inside the sound booth! For fans of the movie Sleepless in Seattle, you will eat this book up.

If you are looking for a cozy romance to warm you up during these rainy winter days, then this is the one for you!!

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood, I will read anything you publish. This is one of my favorites of her STEMinist novels. I hate a miscommunication trope, but I will let this one slide since it is more of a misunderstanding. And, the forced proximity of these two working in the lab makes up for every second of it.

This book is steamy, entertaining, and you will unexpectedly learn a lot about physics. I think the reason I like this book most, though, is that the female main character, Elsie, is wonderfully written, and in many ways I relate to her. Her arc is a favorite of mine for sure, and I hope you read it so you can admire her as much as I do!

Trope Spotlight: Love Triangle

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

This book is the definition of screaming, crying, giggling, kicking your feet. I absolutely adore this novel, and it's one of my all-time favorites of the entire romance genre!! Forget the romance for a second because the plot of this book is award-winning. I literally still would have given this book 5 stars if it was just the background plot and had none of the romance. Abbey is a history major, and when she isn’t falling in love, she is tracking down a mysterious woman with a hidden past from a portrait she bought at an estate sale. Tea!!

Now to the love triangle–this is one of those books where both men stand a chance, and there is no clear favorite. You will be going back and forth the whole book on who you think she should pick. And just when you think you know what she’s going to do, Elle Kennedy hits you with an insane plot twist that will have you guessing everything!! Please read this book, for me.

Historical Romance

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll

I bought this book as a joke, but it actually knocked my socks off. The author does an amazing job of writing in the same style as Jane Austen, so it truly feels like you are reading the second book in a series.

This book is sweet, spicy, and at times shocking. There are parts of this book I believe are 100% fact, and Jane would agree they are canon, and others I am choosing to ignore. If you love Jane Austen or just want to step into Regency England for a romantic time, read this!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Ugh, this story is actually incredible. If you love an Old Hollywood, 1950s vibe, this book delivers everything you could want and more. Evelyn Hugo is an exceptional character, and her life feels completely real, a real celebrity, not just a person in a book.

If you enjoy a slightly tragic romance, then this one is definitely for you. Not only was Evelyn a woman of color in predominantly white Hollywood, she was a lesbian. The story of her forbidden love and the seven husbands she had along the way will have you clutching your heart!

Cowboy Romance

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

This book was super cute! I listened to the audiobook for this one and thought the voice actors were so great! I love the vibe of a Cowboy Romance, and while I may not want to ride a horse, this book definitely made me see the appeal of riding a cowboy. I will also eat up a brother’s best friend romance any day of the week.

Lyla Sage created an amazing vibe with this book, and the romance is spicy!! Emmy and Luke are such a cute couple, and I loved watching them get together. If you want something fun and light-hearted, this is perfect!

Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

Another amazing Cowboy Romance by Lyla Sage. The two voice actors in the audiobook are some of my favorite narrators, and they did an amazing job with this one! I thought this book was such a fun time! Enemies-to-lovers is a favorite trope of mine, and these two absolutely hate each other at the start of the book. They are grumpy and would rather be in any other situation than one that helps each other out, but alas, here they are. The romance is spicy, endearing, and unexpected, and I highly recommend!

Trope Spotlight: Age Gap

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

I was a little skeptical of this one when I started it, but it turned out to be the perfect summer romance! Again, Ali Hazelwood never disappoints! This book is the definition of grumpy x sunshine, and I adored it. I also love when the MMC gets a little jealous and is forced to admit his feelings!!

The book takes place over the course of a wedding weekend for Maya’s older brother, and the whole wedding party is stuck in an Italian Villa together. Did someone say forced proximity?? This story is a recipe of all my favorite tropes, and voilà, it created something wonderful!

That’s all for now! If you’re curious to see what else I am reading or want to read, make sure to follow me on Goodreads! I am ALWAYS looking for romance recs, so please leave a comment with some of your favorites, and I will definitely add them to my TBR!

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Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

But the emotion that I found has lasted the longest, inexplicably tied to my grief, is regret. Regret is the dark cloud that crosses the sun, lingering, that forces those enjoying a nice picnic at the park to start packing up for fear of rain. It’s the shattered glass in your sink; you didn’t mean to break it, but now your perfect set of four looks out of place with only three on your shelf. And it’s the scratch on your record, the one you found at a garage sale, that you can’t bring yourself to throw away even though it ruins your favorite song.

They said with time, I would feel okay, better even. I told myself that somehow, now that they are gone, I feel closer to them because they are always with me. That I don’t feel sad anymore because I have the happy memories to hold on to. I have the books, the pictures, the notes, all stored away, there to remind me that they existed and that I loved them. And they do make me happy. But what I didn’t realize was that happiness would come with a cost.

When the cool breeze of grief enters my room, I wrap myself in my memories to keep me warm. But regret is there too, in the room, tied to my memories, inescapable. The nagging voice in the back of my mind is the cost of remembering.

“I should have spent more time with them.”

“Why didn’t I read it when they gave it to me the first time?”

“I wish I had asked when they were still here.”

Whenever I visit my grandparents’ house, I go into my grandpa’s office, where he has shelves along the right side wall, full of books. My grandpa loved to read–classics, poetry, history–it didn’t matter. Sometimes I think that I got my love for books from him. Going into the office has become a sort of ritual; sometimes, I check to see if he has a copy of a book I want to read to save me the money of buying my own, sometimes, I want to look at them and see which ones look to be the most loved, and sometimes, I just want to feel closer to him.

Whenever I am reading a classic, especially one I know I’ve seen on his shelf, I start to wonder what he thought of the book. Did he like it? What was his favorite part? What would it be like if we could talk about it together? But then I start thinking about that time when I was 15, and he gave me a stack of books from his library that he thought I would like. I remember two of the titles still - Les Misérables and The Red Pony. He brought them over one weekend when he was visiting, and I took them to my room. At 15, I was reading like crazy, but I didn’t want to read these “old man books,” and I let them collect dust on my nightstand for months before I put them away in a box, never to be seen again until years later when I was packing up for college.

God, I want to strangle that girl. Why didn’t I read them? He picked them out especially for me, his only granddaughter, who shared his passion for reading, probably longing to talk to me about them the way I wish I could now. I hate her. She had the chance to do something I would give anything for, and she didn’t even open the books once.

Now those books sit on the shelf in my room in Los Angeles, and I still haven’t read them.

My grandpa was one of the biggest supporters of my academics. He used to ask me about what I was learning in school and actually listen when I went on long tangents about a random fact I had learned that fascinated me. I would let him read my papers–I was weird and actually enjoyed writing essays. Once he gave me a copy of a short story he had written, typed up and bound together in a plastic folder. Years later, I remember my mom telling me that he had written it, along with a few poems, and wanted to publish it. Since English was his second language, she had edited it for him.

I didn’t read the story. I was in my Junior year of high school, weighed down by SATs and college prep, and told him I didn’t have time when I returned the folder. I did have the time, but I decided not to use it to read his story. I found the binder with all his poems and the short story in his office the last time I visited my grandma. It was good.

I’m reading East of Eden right now. John Steinbeck was his favorite author. As I’m reading, my mind often drifts to those familiar places: “I wonder what he thought of this book, I wish we could have talked about it.” But then I start thinking about the story he had handed to me. Why didn’t I read it? He read my things, why was I so selfish I couldn’t do the same?

The regret follows me everywhere. I love that I can share my love of books with my grandpa, even if he isn’t here to talk to me about them. The shared passion, thinking about whether or not he might have liked a book, it makes me happy. It reminds me that he existed and that I loved him. But I regret not taking advantage of the time I had with him while I had it.

In his last days, I went over to my grandparents’ house every day. He was so frail in his hospital bed in the living room. The first day, I sat in there and showed him the pictures I had just taken for my college graduation on my phone. He cared about my academics, and I wanted him to know that I had done it, graduated from college. After that first day though, I couldn’t go into the room anymore. I stayed in the dining room because I was too scared to look at him. Dying.

Part of me is happy I did it. Because now I don’t have to remember him like that, because I didn’t see it. But a darker part of me regrets my choice. Why didn’t I sit with him more? Hold his hand? Tell him about the book I was reading? It’s the regret that usually wins out.

It’s always the regret that wins out.

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Back in 2019, while I was studying abroad in England, my bestie and I traveled to Ireland over the Valentine’s weekend. While that might not be the first European city you associate with Valentine’s Day, I assure you, love was in the air! We counted over 50 men on the street carrying flowers, and the sun even came out to play that day. That trip is probably one of my favorite memories associated with the holiday.

I’m the type of person who thinks Valentine’s Day is a holiday invented by Hallmark, but even I can’t help getting in the spirit! For starters, my favorite genres to read are classics and romance, so love is always only a few short taps away on my Kindle. No matter what your mood is going into this holiday, there is a book out there for you–let me help you find it! Without further ado, here are my classic recommendations based on your Valentine’s Mood:

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For The Matchmaker: Emma by Jane Austen

Do you love setting up your friends on blind dates? As soon as you meet someone, are you immediately thinking about who you might know that would be perfect for them? If this sounds like you, then bestie, you are a matchmaker, and Emma is the perfect book for you!

Emma Woodhouse doesn’t envision a sweeping romance for herself; instead, she prefers to meddle in the love lives of her friends. Unfortunately, even the witty Emma is wrong sometimes, leading to humorous and complex situations as she learns about her own feelings. If you feel like being the matchmaker this season, you must learn from the best, and Emma Woodhouse is the girl for you!

This is my second-favorite Austen novel (and the 2020 movie is one of my all-time faves as well). Emma is funny, light, and juicy! We all know I love some hot goss, and this book is full of it. This isn’t a sweeping romance like some of her other novels, but I can assure you that you will be giggling and kicking your feet nonetheless! I mean, the declaration of love scene is so powerful, I got part of it tattooed on me!!

Favorite Quote:

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”

For The Galentines Enthusiast: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

February 13th is the official date for Galentine’s–arguably the more fun holiday! If you prefer getting together with the girls rather than going out with a man (or woman), then Little Women is the book for you.

A beautiful story about four sisters, Little Women will have you feeling all those warm and fuzzy feelings of girlhood. No matter how far away their lives take them, the March Sisters always find their way back to each other. I will warn you, you will be crying during this book! Galentine’s is the day to celebrate female friendships and all the special parts of being a girl, and Louisa May Alcott does just that in this book.

This book is so special to me and for good reason! To all my girlies out there–how wonderful it is to be a girl!! I wish I could go back in time and read this one for the first time all over again. Whether you have blood sisters or friends who feel more like sisters, this story will make you want to call them up and tell them how much you love them. Valentine’s Day might be about celebrating romantic love, but the love shared between friends is just as important to celebrate!!

Favorite Quote:

“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.”

For The Tormented: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Do you enjoy a tragic love story that makes you want to rip your heart out? Are you tortured at night over heartache and longing? Well, if you need a dark story to get you through Valentine’s Day this year, look no further than Wuthering Heights.

Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff fell in love and made it EVERYONE’S problem. Their love was a multi-generational curse that tormented the families of the Yorkshire Moors. This book isn’t even a love story; it’s a gothic novel, so think tragic, bitter, and vengeful. If you want passion, especially the tortured kind, this is the book for you.

Emily Brontë is a genius! I was completely wrapped up in this story the first time I read it. If you are an annotator, get out your highlighter because this book is one banger line after another!! I might be in the market for another book quote tattoo after this because she went crazy! I loved the dark imagery and feral nature of this book. I promise you will eat it up too!!

Favorite Quote:

“You said I killed you–haunt me then. The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe–I know that ghosts have wandered the earth. Be with me always–take any form–drive me mad.”

For The Love Struck: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

For those of us who are completely, incandescently happy, you must read one of the greatest love stories ever written - Pride and Prejudice.

What else is there to say? This is one of my all-time favorite books! Jane Austen is truly a God walking amongst men, and she left no crumbs when writing this one. Lizzie and Mr. Darcy certainly get off on the wrong foot, but over time, as they get to know each other, they realize there is no one else in the world who suits them better than each other. For a feel-good, warm-and-fuzzy book this season, I cannot recommend this one enough!

Favorite Quote:

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

For The Man-Eater: Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Are you the type that would never deign to stoop so low as to care about the opinion of a man? They are lowly creatures anyway, and you have better things to do with your time. Yet, you still love the chase, don’t you? All predators do! Diva, look no further than Carmilla.

The inspiration for Dracula, this novel follows a young woman in an isolated castle who forms an intense, romantic friendship with the mysterious Carmilla. This book explores themes of forbidden desire and eroticism–perfect for Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for a quick read or just want to laugh in the face of men everywhere, Carmilla is your girl.

This is my all-time favorite gothic novel. Carmilla is passionate, sure of herself, and a little crazy!! But aren’t we all? It can be a bit unsettling at times, but the payoff is worth it! And when you’re done, you can join me in my conspiracy that there is no way a man wrote such a genius piece of lesbian vampire literature!!

Favorite Quotes:

“But to die as lovers may - to die together, so that they may live together.”

“If your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours.”

For The Forbidden Lover: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

What is more thrilling than a little sneaking around? There will always be what society says is right, and what your heart feels is right, and sadly, they are rarely the same. If scandal, secrets, and forbidden desire are what you long for this V-Day, look no further than The Age of Innocence.

Edith Wharton paints a masterful portrait of desire and betrayal during New York’s Golden Age, when people “dreaded scandal more than disease.” Torn between duty and passion, our main character struggles to choose between his beautiful, yet conventional fiancée, and the mysterious divorcee who has just arrived in town.

Another absolute favorite book of mine! Edith Wharton is able to portray society in all its wonderful yet claustrophobic colors. No one can look away from a love triangle, especially one that comes with such high stakes. If you feel your heart being torn in two different directions, or simply want a little drama in your life, this is the book for you!

Favorite Quote:

“Each time you happen to me all over again.”

And with that, I hope you have found a classic to cozy up with during the season of love!! As always, thank you for tuning in. Love you!!

Xx,

Liv

Gossip, and women who gossip, have been looked down upon for far too long! I am here to argue that we need to reclaim gossip. At the end of the day, gossip is simply a means of sharing information and creating community. Yet, men have deemed it necessary to defend themselves from female talk, for when women talk and have access to information, they are no longer easy to control. Therefore, to me, one of the most feminist things you can do is gossip with your friends.

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The idea of gossip as idle talk is actually relatively recent. The word originated from the Old English words “god sib,” meaning godparent or close family friend1. The common definition of gossip that we know today didn’t start showing up in dictionaries until the early 19th century. So what changed?

By the mid-18th century, Dr. Johnson (a famed English poet and essayist) offered 3 definitions for gossip, one of which was “one who runs about tattling like women at a lying-in.” There it is! A lying-in, the period of postpartum confinement and bed rest after childbirth, is a space where men are not welcome. We can begin to see the resentful tone of female spaces and mysteries in this new definition, which was previously absent.

Gossip is dangerous to the patriarchy. To defend its power, it has established a pattern of gossip marked by denial and contempt - contempt conveyed by dismissive verbs, denial in the refusal to grant significance. To scar gossip as “bad” keeps people from partaking, for fear of being ridiculed by society. To mark gossip as trivial means nothing discussed can hold any weight, for it is not conversation based on evidence.

In her article In Praise of Gossip, Patricia Meyer Spacks writes, “gossip, like poetry and fiction, penetrates to the truth of things, reporting not fantasies of human greatness but realities of human pettiness.”2 Gossip, by nature, is meant to be discussed behind closed doors and with trusted groups. When a society is pushing one version of the story, gossip is extremely dangerous as it serves as a means of secretly broadcasting another version, and perhaps, the true story. Gossip is looked down upon to prevent this, much like regimes ban and burn books that disagree with their narrative.

In reality, gossip is none of these things we have been taught to know. In a work published in 1892, Julia Byrne wrote, “history owes most of what little truth it contains to the gossip of diarists and annotators as well as to the intimate confidences of friendly correspondence.” When you read a historical account of any event, most of the time, the information is coming from a letter or a journal. Is this not, at the end of the day, the same thing as gossip?

Gossip serves many positive purposes in society, including fostering social solidarity and facilitating the transmission of information. In the novel Persuasion by Jane Austen, Mrs. Smith, a poor, sick, widow, tells Anne Elliot, “Call it gossip if you will; but when Nurse Rooke has half an hour’s leisure to bestow on me, she is sure to have something to relate that is entertaining and profitable, something that makes one know one’s species better.” For Mrs. Smith, gossiping with Nurse Rooke enlarges her world. She is bedridden and cut off from society, hearing “trivial” information is healing—it keeps her connected with others. This quote also emphasizes another purpose of gossip—pleasure.

Furthermore, people and their concerns matter to gossipers. Gossip isn’t simply the relaying of information but the discussion of it. For example, if a friend and I were gossiping about someone we knew who got pregnant, it would inevitably lead to a discussion on the feelings associated with pregnancies at various stages of life; reflections on contraception, child care, and abortion; and the possibilities open to women outside of the domestic sphere. The discussion is what makes gossip important. This type of talk supports connection and declares closeness by sharing secrets. In a way, gossip is the foundation of many friendships.

Gossip is knowledge, knowledge is power, and knowledge about other people is power over them. Women, and other oppressed classes, need to reclaim gossip, especially in our current political climate. It is a resource, but also a means of coming together. But, most importantly, gossip is fun.

All in all, I hope you will join me in making 2026 the year we all gossip.

This year, I completed a feat of nature and read 46 books! I haven’t done that since I was a child, raiding the library during the summer, trying to win the reading challenge prizes. I have to give credit to audiobooks during my long commute, and later, unemployment, for giving me the time to finish so many.

It was a good year of reading - I discovered a new favorite author (Elle Kennedy), finally read some Gothic classics (Dracula and Frankenstein), and finished all of Jane Austen’s completed novels. So, when it came down to trying to pick my top 5 of the year, you can imagine it was quite difficult. But sometimes we have to do hard things! Without further ado, I present to you my favorite books that I read in 2025 in no particular order:

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The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Mary, the bookish ugly duckling of Pride and Prejudice’s five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own.

I loved this book!!! I think the author did a great job of building upon Pride and Prejudice, retaining aspects we all know and love from Jane Austen, while also challenging our perceptions. I will admit that I cried at the end of this book. I was just so touched!! I have a newfound appreciation for Mary and honestly relate to her more than I thought I would. For any Austen fans out there, this is a must-read!

Favorite Quote:

“It might seem an unromantic circumstance; but in truth, there is no state that better demonstrates real firmness of affection than the ability to remain quietly comfortable together without conversation.”

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

From a fondness for Gothic novels and an active imagination that distorts her worldview, the naïve young protagonist, Catherine Morland, develops a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her.

This book surprised me, I’ll admit it. Pride & Prejudice and Emma have always been my favorites from Jane Austen, and now I rank this one amongst them. Catherine was such an amazing heroine, level-headed and intelligent. I also loved the parodies of Gothic literature and Jane’s commentary about novel readers throughout the book. The self-aware nature of the book was fun and definitely some of her best work!

Favorite Quotes:

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

“I assure you. I have no notion of treating men with such respect. That is the way to spoil them.”

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

A series of essays based on a lecture Woolf gave at Cambridge University in 1928, the book argues that for women to achieve creative and literary success, they fundamentally require financial independence and a private, uninterrupted space - “a room of one’s own” - to escape societal constraints and domestic duties that historically limit their intellectual freedom.

This book quite literally changed my life. Her perspective was so interesting, and by the end, I was riled up and inspired. I felt the need to write a book, not because I wanted to, but because I could, something many women before me didn’t have the freedom to do. The final line in the book has stuck with me all year - “But I maintain that she would come if we worked for her, and that so to work, even in poverty and obscurity, is worth while”. For any writers or creatives out there, I can not recommend this book enough.

Favorite Quote:

“What genius, what integrity it must have required in face of all that criticism, in the midst of that purely patriarchal society, to hold fast to the things as they saw it without shrinking ... [Jane Austen and Emily Brontë] wrote as women write, not as men write.”

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Hannah Wells makes a deal to tutor hockey captain Garrett Graham in exchange for his help in getting noticed by her crush, leading to an unexpected romance as they overcome personal baggage and learn to trust each other.

I will not apologize, this was one of the best books I have ever read. I think I read this book in one sitting and ended up reading the whole series that same week. Elle Kennedy is a genius; her brain is so big that Einstein should be shaking in his boots. The romance in this book was incredible, but what really won me over was the plot. Elle Kennedy has a talent because even without the romance, this would have been a 5/5-star book just based on plot and character arcs alone. I will be reading every book she publishes from now on.

Favorite Quote:

“Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them.”

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The book follows Haymitch Abernathy’s tragic journey as he is reaped for the brutal 50th Hunger Games, where double the tributes face deadly Capitol-engineered challenges.

Wow! Another addictive read, I spent every waking available moment listening to this audiobook when it came out. I truly regressed back to my middle school days when I was all over the dystopian YA novels of the time. This book was so powerful, and honestly, a bit too relevant in today’s political climate. I cannot wait for the movie’s release next year, and I highly recommend reading this beforehand.

Favorite Quotes:

“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.”

“My dreams are nothing I want to remember, full of people I must never forget. I visit death after death. It’s a relief to be woken up.”

What a fun year! I am very excited for 2026 and reading some more life-changing books. I’m setting a goal of 25 books for next year, and below are a few I hope to read. I would love to hear about the amazing books you've read this year or some you are looking forward to tackling in 2026!

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• The rest of the Off-Campus universe from Elle Kennedy

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck

• Villette by Charlotte Brontë

• More books from Isabel Allende

• The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

• I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

Here’s to 2026!

Xx, Liv

I love a good adaptation! When done right, the visual medium of TV or Film can add so much to a well-loved story. But it can also be a dangerous game. There are certain story devices that work well in a book but cannot be effectively translated to the screen, and vice versa. When creators fail to make this distinction, an adaptation can quickly crumble into literally the worst thing you’ve set your eyes on. You might think I’m a hard critic, and maybe I am, but the joy of seeing a favorite book turned into an amazing film just hits different.

With all that being said, I thought I would share a few of my favorite adaptations, some that genuinely upset me, and a few I am looking forward to coming out next year! The only criterion for the movies below is that I have read the book, so don’t try to call me a fake fan, I was there when it was written!

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My Favorite Adaptations

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

No surprises here, my favorite book and my favorite movie. I love this adaptation for so many reasons, but I have to commend the actors here. Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen perfectly interpret Lizzie and Darcy. And don’t even get me started on the cinematography, set design, coloring, and score - Joe Wright put every feeling you get reading this book and translated it into a film. I could write an entire essay about how perfect this adaptation is, but I will spare you all.

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Another one of my favorite books! This movie is hands down the best book-to-screen adaptation I have ever seen in my life. Things played out exactly like they did in the book, but it still felt original, like its own piece of art. Edith Wharton tends to spend a lot of time in her characters’ heads, something that can be extremely hard to translate into a visual medium. Yet, somehow, Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks managed to adapt this without missing a beat.

Little Women (2019)

I think we can all agree this is another perfect adaptation. I am obsessed with how Greta Gerwig told this story using regular temporal shifts instead of following the book’s linear narrative. Not all adaptations should be direct copy-pastes, and this is an amazing example of how to stay true to the source material while also creating an incredible movie in its own right.

Emma. (2020)

I love this movie. It can feel quite different from other Jane Austen adaptations as it really leans into the comedy of her writing. The thing I love most about this adaptation is how it looks and sounds. The movie is bright and eccentric, just like Emma Woodhouse, and the score’s mix of folk music with a classical orchestra perfectly encapsulates the rural flair of Highbury with the strict conduct of Regency society. I could also write another 500 words on Anya Taylor-Joy and the absolutely impeccable casting of her as Emma, but once again, I will spare you all.

Adaptations That Genuinely Upset Me

(because hate is a strong word)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

A wise person once said, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula? Bram Stoker had nothing to do with this.” What the actual hell was Francis Ford Coppola thinking when he made this movie, and why did nobody stop him? I’m convinced he picked up this book and threw it in the trash without a second thought. Somehow, he managed to change every single character trait, motivation, and overall vibe of a beloved classic, and everyone cheered. Well, here I am, booing. One of my favorite parts about Victorian vampire literature is the subtext of sexuality, right below the surface but never in your face. Dracula, as a story, depends on this subtext to work, and instead Coppola decided to put in a scene of Lucy getting railed in the garden by a bat-human creature right after a rainy lesbian makeout scene. Make it make sense.

Persuasion (2022)

I vividly remember watching this movie on Netflix with my mom and spending the entire 1 hour and 50 minutes yelling at the TV over how bad it was. The worst offense this movie made was the modernization of dialogue. Jane Austen wrote, “Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement.” Yet, Netflix took that banger of a line and had Dakota Johnson say, “Worse than strangers. We’re exes.” I am throwing myself down the stairs as you read this.

My Thoughts on Upcoming Adaptations

“Wuthering Heights”

In Theaters Feb 14, 2026

Listen, I’m scared. When this movie was first announced, I was ready to be sat, but the moment we started seeing images from the movie, I was shaking in terror. The book girlies started coping by hoping the quotation marks in the title meant it was an interpretation, not an adaptation, but after the latest trailer, I’ve lost hope. If you haven’t read this book yet, I cannot recommend it enough, especially because I think this movie is going to absolutely mutilate the story. Emerald Fennell might be my new nemesis.

Sense and Sensibility

In Theaters Sep 11, 2026

I read this book for the first time this year, and I am very curious to see how this adaptation turns out, especially after the genius casting of Daisy Edgar-Jones. I didn’t love the novel as much (Miss Jane literally skipped over the declaration of love and proposal moments, arguably the best parts of her books), but I’ll watch anything Austen-related!

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

In Theaters Nov 20, 2026

I am extremely excited for this movie to come out! The book had me completely obsessed; I couldn’t put it down! Although we have to wait a whole year, the first trailer was released last week, and it looks absolutely perfect. Can we buy tickets now?

Thanks for tuning in! I’d love to hear what some of your favorite adaptations are or any that you are looking forward to next year :)

Xx, Liv

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Our current administration has begun to mimic rhetoric about “parents’ rights” and “returning education to parents,” which in turn is being used to advance book bans and censorship in schools. It is no surprise that the books first to be tossed deal with LGBTQ+ representation and diversity, equity, and inclusion - all in the name of barring schools from “promoting un-American ideas.”

Reading is the backbone of culture and thought; it teaches patience, memory, empathy, imagination, and critical thinking, among other valuable skills2. When societies cease to read, there is a collapse of memory, thought, and culture. After the fall of Rome in 476 CE, Europe tumbled into the Dark Ages, losing track of its own knowledge in medicine, science, philosophy, and engineering. Some of this information wasn’t rediscovered until the Renaissance in the 1400s - a thousand years later.

Reading is a form of resistance. It’s no mystery that the invention of the printing press was quickly followed by the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution3. Where books flourished, so did thought. Governments know that books are dangerous because they contain the tools for dissent. In 1821, the German-Jewish poet Heinrich Heine wrote, “Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people too”4, and we all know what happened in Germany between 1933 and 1945.

America has long been touted as the land of opportunity; however, the literacy level in the US is estimated to be 79%, ranking it 36th globally. In the 1980s, 60% of teenagers read for fun; now it’s under 20% with only half of adults finishing four books a year5. People - we need to wake up! We no longer need oppressors to burn books for us; we are doing it ourselves. Societies that turn away from books see their attention spans collapse, truth become distorted, and history forgotten.

A civilization that stops reading is easy to manipulate; they are shallow in culture, weak in imagination, and blind to what history can teach them. To read is to strengthen a capacity that everything else conspires to weaken. So without further ado, here are a few of my favorite books that have been banned throughout the US:

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The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Why It’s Banned: Reasons cited include “lots of graphic descriptions and lots of disturbing language” and “an underlying socialist-communist agenda.”6

The Bluest Eye is a novel that explores the themes of beauty and conformity, with a particular focus on race, class, and gender. It follows an 11-year-old black girl who thinks she is “ugly” and prays to have blue eyes so that she can be “beautiful” and people will finally notice her. I first read this book in college for a Women’s Studies class, and I couldn’t put it down. Aside from its obvious themes on racial stereotypes in beauty standards, it also captures the feeling of being a girl. The fact that this book is banned on account of “disturbing language” and a “social-communist agenda” says all you need to know about how important a book it is.

Favorite Quote:

“And fantasy it was, for we were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were polite; not good, but well behaved.”

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Why It’s Banned: Reasons cited include “containing violence and abuse against women.”7

This is one of my all-time favorite books. It follows two Afghan women during the rise of the Taliban who are wives to the same abusive man. Initially strangers, they form a deep bond as they endure the cruelty of their husband and attempt to escape. While the book can be extremely devastating as it highlights the oppression of women under patriarchal and extremist rule, it also emphasizes the power of love and sacrifice, especially that of female friendship. I could not recommend this book enough.

Favorite Quote:

“Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.”

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

Why It’s Banned: Reasons cited include “sexual themes in the book.”8

Another one of my favorite books! The novel follows four sisters as they grow up in two distinct cultures. The family flees the Dominican Republic to NYC in the 1960s after their father tries to overthrow the brutal dictator. While the parents try to hold on to their old ways, the girls try to assimilate into their new lives. The “sexual themes” in the book refer to a chapter where one of the girls attempts to report to the police that a man flashed her on her way home from school, but has trouble explaining the situation as she is still learning English. Eye roll, people! I could not recommend this book enough. It is beautifully written and perfectly captures the internal battle felt by many immigrants who are caught between their old world and the new life they are attempting to create - that sentiment of not feeling truly at home in either place.

Favorite Quote:

“He had told them he was seeing ‘a Spanish girl,’ and he reported they said that should be interesting for him to find out about people from other cultures. It bothered me that they should treat me like a geography lesson for their son. But I didn’t have the vocabulary back then to explain even to myself what annoyed me about their remark.”

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Why It’s Banned: Reasons cited include “human sexuality,” “material that may discomfort students,” and “the discussion of feminism and extremism.”9

Well, well, well, looks like they aren’t even trying to conceal the real reason they don’t want young people to read this book anymore. The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel in which fertile women are forced into sexual servitude to bear children for the ruling class. The main character, Offred (“Of Fred”), must navigate her new reality while trying to escape. I think a lot about this book, mostly because the way it begins is eerily familiar to a time not long past. Before women lose all their freedom in the novel, the government slowly begins to take away their right to have a credit card, own property, and more, until they lose their bodily autonomy - sound familiar? I first read this book in high school and then again for my Women’s Studies class in college. The second read, when I was older, completely changed my perspective on certain characters that I initially thought were “helpful” but then realized were equally as oppressive and evil as the government itself. In today’s political climate, this book could not be more important.

Favorite Quote:

“Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.”

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Why It’s Banned: “strong language” referring to the 8 curse words in the book and a depiction of a naked woman, who is drawn as a mouse.10

If you didn’t read this in school, I need you to go out and buy a copy of this graphic novel right now. The book is from an American cartoonist who interviewed his dad about his experience during the Holocaust as a Polish Jew. It is the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize. I always loved reading in school, but no other book has stuck with me like this one.

At this time, I would also like to give an honorable mention to Fanny Hill: Or, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland, the most banned book in history. Written in 1748, the novel was banned almost immediately until 1963, when a court case in the US and UK finally allowed it to be published. I read the book earlier this year, and it was a treat!

I also want to point out some other “top” banned books that you should probably read immediately:

• Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

• The Giver by Lois Lowry

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Buy More Banned Books Here

Thank you all for tuning in. If you pick up one of these banned books, please let me know your thoughts!

English class required slow, methodical reading, frequent discussions of themes, and literary analysis. These days, I usually skim through a preface (if I read it at all) and then quickly move on to the next book on my TBR. This style has made me realize that, although I have read many books, I may not have truly understood them all.

With only a general knowledge of historical context and picking up on purely the prominent themes, there is a lot to be missed when reading a classic. Especially when I’m not sitting there to absorb the book after I’m done, thinking critically about what I’ve just read. Instead, I just move on to the next book without a second thought. I could be missing out on a potential favorite because I am too focused on reaching my Goodreads reading goal!

I love to learn, and talking this over with Mady made me realize how much I had been missing out on. I need to slow down and absorb books, finding ways to delve deeper without overwhelming myself. In essence, I want to be more intentional when reading and remember the joys of English class.

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Book clubs are the easiest way to do this. My book club, Book Sommeliers, always has the best discussions in our meetings (usually accompanied by a glass of wine). Getting the perspective of my friends forces me to think in new ways and sit with the material longer than I usually do on my own. I have also spent hours dissecting Carmilla with my friend Daria, and now I feel like I know the themes and layers of that book like the back of my hand. But not every book I read will be discussed in this way.

On social media, there has been a trend of creating your own “reading curriculum.” This entails coming up with a course title (e.g., A Study of Female Promiscuity in Victorian Literature), a learning objective, selecting course materials (books, plays, podcasts, etc.), and optionally writing a reflection or paper on what you learned.

Don’t get me wrong, this sounds awesome, and it’s probably a great way to organize learning as an adult, but it also seems extremely overwhelming and restrictive. I am a major mood reader; what I am feeling in that moment dictates what I want to read, and being tied to a “course,” even one self-created, feels like a prison sentence. I want to learn, but I also want to keep reading fun.

So, I’ve decided to create my own version of a reading curriculum to promote deeper learning, analysis, and intention when I read. Here we go:

Step 1: Focus on what I think is interesting

When reading a classic, I often find myself thinking about the historical context that surrounds the story, as well as the author. This can inform a lot as to the themes to keep an eye out for. I also find the use of specific language, such as the transformation of a word’s meaning through the main character’s arc, extremely fascinating.

Step 2: Actually read the preface and maybe an article too

I think this is pretty self-explanatory - I’m curious to hear what other people picked up on; there might be something I missed. This can be done before, during, or after I read my book.

Step 3: Take notes!

That random thought I had in chapter 12 that I will surely forget in an hour? Write it down! Maybe I will finally become one of those people who annotate in the margins of their books. Very chic.

Step 4: Sit with the book when I am done

I need to let things marinate before I can truly form an opinion or take. I can’t just move on to the next book and expect to be subconsciously mulling over the layers of what I just read - I need to take a moment and process.

Step 5: Keep it light, keep it chill

Reading is supposed to be fun, not homework. If I get bored with the preface, skim it. If I don’t feel like taking notes on an article I am reading, I won’t. And, not every book needs this treatment - I have been known to read 3 romance books in a 36-hour period, and if you think I’m gonna stop to analyze the themes of each one, you’re wrong.

When I got home from my lunch with Mady, I found an old notebook in my drawer, ripped out the used pages, and created my own reading journal. I found an article on Google Scholar about Dracula and wrote down some ideas that stood out to me. Then, I journaled - my opinion and what stood out to me. It was genuinely fun, and I felt like I walked away with a greater understanding of the novel than I would have otherwise.

I’m not going to sit here and preach that this is the way everyone should start reading. This is for me - a reminder of my love for learning and trying to get more out of books. Consumer culture has infiltrated every part of my life, even my TBR. I will never read every book that I want to, but I want to make sure the ones that I do, I get the most out of as I can.

You can also follow Jane Austen’s Heroine on Instagram!

To me, fall is its own New Year’s celebration. The days are getting colder, we start to nest in our homes, and I set new goals for myself, the same way you would a resolution. Fall is a demarker of a new way of life, and I love the coziness that it so easily invites. Yet, looming around the corner are the winter months, full of darkness, despair, and dreariness. Seasonal depression is drawn to me like a moth to a flame, and there isn’t much I can do to escape its icy claws.

Every year, as fall fades into winter, and the depression takes root until the sun comes back out in March, I become addicted to my phone. It’s as if the blue light becomes a substitute for the Vitamin D my body so desperately craves. Mornings that once included an early Pilates class or a cup of tea on the couch have become hours of scrolling through social media in bed. I wish I could throw away my iPhone or go back to 2013 and tell my teenage self you don’t need an Instagram that badly. But I am too weak to give it up - my phone and the internet are my close personal friends.

I recently saw a Substack post about having an analog fall1, and it got my wheels turning. That and the weekly promise I have been making to my roommate that I will start taking morning walks. My phone is a curse, a toxic relationship I can’t seem to leave, but it’s about time I start cutting some cords. I’m not saying I’m buying a Nokia flip phone or can only be reached via courier pigeon going forward; I’m not crazy, just making a solid effort to cut back on screen time.

So, in advance of hibernation, I need to start building habits. As I mentioned, fall is an ideal time to set new goals and refresh those New Year’s resolutions. If you feel so inclined to join me on this journey, here are some things I will be doing to prepare for Winter:

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Reading Physical Media

I cannot stress this enough - my phone has bewitched me. If I open that thing, we are locked in for at least an hour. The simple answer is to avoid my phone like the plague, so I plan to incorporate more physical media into my daily life. This can be more than just a paperback book (my beloved Kindle counts too) - I’m thinking magazines, newspapers, a trip to the Library. About a year ago, I subscribed to this monthly newspaper, and it has been such a fun treat to receive in the mail and expand my mind. Let’s do more of that!

Fiber Arts

Like most women in their 20s, I have taken up a fiber art hobby. My poison of choice is embroidery, but crochet, knitting, and cross-stitch are all wonderful options as well. The reason I love this hobby is that it requires deep focus, no chance for your mind to wander to your endless to-do list or get the itch to scroll. It is also a wonderful opportunity to spend hours with an audiobook, which is how I plan to reach my Goodreads goal this year.

My Embroidery Instagram

Meditation

The greatest disease faced by younger generations is a lack of boredom2. I struggle to sit with my thoughts, I need something to do with my hands at all times, and there is no such thing as going with the flow. I picked up meditation during the pandemic, and it helped me so much during those endless days stuck at home, but since then, I have lost my practice. Enjoying a moment of quiet in this chaotic world is something everyone can benefit from.

Writing Letters

You all know I love receiving mail!

Cooking Soup

I love soup season. It’s the only time a year I willingly spend hours standing over the stove. The reason I added this to the list is that cooking soup is an extremely mindful and intentional activity. It isn’t something you can rush, and in many ways it makes me feel like I’m cooking up a potion for peace and abundance. I urge everyone to make at least one soup this fall!

More approved activities:

• Photobooths

• Walks

• Sitting next to a window

• Podcasts

• Going to the movie theater

• Dinner parties

• Collaging

If you have any other habits you plan to incorporate into your life this fall, I would love to hear them! And please, someone, keep me accountable.

In October, I like to lean in and read some ~scary~ books, whether that be thrillers, gothic classics, or books featuring monsters. Yet, if you know me, you know my favorite creepy creature is the vampire, and I love nothing more than a vampire book. I’m sure this began during my formative years when I was obsessed with Twilight, but that is neither here nor there.

I have recently started reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. Listen, I know what you’re thinking - Liv, you talked about the Nosferatu movie for over a month last year and have told everyone and their mother to read Carmilla, but you haven’t read Dracula yet? Sue me. I’m reading it now, and it has inspired me to put together a list of my favorite vampire media for you all to consume this month! Without further ado, please enjoy!

Books

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars

Quick Teaser: Published in 1872, 25 years before Dracula was published, this is one of the earliest known works of vampire literature. The book follows the story of Laura, a young woman living in a secluded Austrian castle, who becomes the object of both affection and predation by Carmilla. The female vampire gradually becomes drawn to Laura, leading to a complex and dangerous relationship marked by both romantic desires and vampiric violence.

I read this book for the first time about a year ago and have already read it twice. This was one of the inspirations behind Dracula and laid the foundation for the vampire lore that we know today. I am still convinced this book was actually written by a woman - you’re telling me a man in 1872 wrote a lesbian, feminist vampire book? I don’t think so. This is a super quick read, so if you are looking for a little gothic romance to put you in the spooky season mood, Carmilla is your girl.

Favorite Quote:

“If your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours. In the rapture of my enormous humiliation I live in your warm life, and you shall die - die, sweetly die - into mine.”

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars

Quick Teaser: The book follows the story of Nena, the daughter of a ranchero, and Néstor, the son of a vaquero, during the Mexican-American Civil War. Néstor and Nena are sent to the front lines (Nena acting as a healer) when they discover the Americans are using vampires to weaken the Mexican forces. Nena and Néstor must work together to save the ranch and might fall in love in the process.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and could not recommend it more. The voice actors were amazing and really brought the story to life. Since the book takes place in 1840s Mexico, the author uses a lot of Spanish, which I loved, really making you feel like a part of their world. I love a good romance, but what I love even more is an interesting plot, and this book hits both right on the mark. I also enjoyed how the vampires in this book weren’t the usual Twilight or Dracula type, but real, bona fide monsters.

Favorite Quote:

“It all made her want to shed her skin like the witch in Abuela’s story, let everything that made her a woman fall to the ground to be salted and ruined as she flew into the night, her bones bare and cold in the starlight.”

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars

Quick Teaser: Late one night, exploring her father’s library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to “My dear and unfortunate successor,” plunging her into a world she never dreamed of —a labyrinth where the secrets of her father’s past and her mother’s mysterious disappearance connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.

I thought this book was a lot of fun; it explores the idea of what if Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler, a real historical figure) were Dracula, and he had survived into modern times. It also shifts between two perspectives: the young woman and her father, and I really enjoyed the suspense it created. This was recommended to me by a friend when she saw me reading Dona Tartt’s The Secret History, and this novel definitely taps into that same dark academia feeling.

Favorite Quote:

“As a historian, I have learned that, in fact, not everyone who reaches back into history can survive it. And it is not only reaching back that endangers us; sometimes history itself reaches inexorably forward for us with its shadowy claws.”

Movies

Nosferatu (2024)

Available on Prime Video

A true Gothic film! This is a remake of the 1922 silent film, which, in itself, was an unauthorized adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stoker. I was obsessed with this film when it was released last year, and I remain just as obsessed now. The vibes are absolutely immaculate and perfectly eerie, yet not scary. This would be a great film to watch at night with a warm drink in hand during this spooky season. I also need to give a special shout-out to the costumes and set design - chef’s kiss!

Sinners (2025)

Available on HBO Max

If you were living under a rock and didn’t see this film back in April, this is your chance to right your wrong. This is probably in my top 3 favorite films of the year. Again, I love how this film captures the feelings of suspense without being scary. Michael B. Jordan was absolutely fantastic in this, and I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Available for Rent

This is a mockumentary set in New Zealand that follows the comings and goings of some vampire roommates. To this day, this is one of the funniest movies I have ever watched. If you don’t like scary movies but want to partake, this is perfect for you! I mean, it was so well-received that it spawned the popular FX show of the same name. Cannot recommend this one enough!

Vibes

Wolf in Lace Instagram Account

Instagram

I first discovered this account on TikTok and later started following her on Instagram. She has the best videos recommending anything for the eclectic and darkly inclined, whether it be clothes, stationery, perfumes, or home goods. Even if you just need inspo to get your spooky on this month, she’s your girl.

Open Sea Design Co. Stationery

Correspondence Set

I should be sponsored by this company for the amount I talk about their stationery! This is one of the best sites I have found for Gothic, Victorian, and medieval-inspired stationery. I personally have a few of their correspondence sets and the planner. I have linked to a specific stationery set that gives vampire, but everything they sell is a 10/10!

I hope you are feeling inspired to take full advantage of spooky season and delve into some vampire media. If you have any recommendations for me, I am all ears and would gladly like to know what else I can add to my repertoire to feel blood suckingly good this month.