I picked up Shell Games thinking it would be light and entertaining—a good “palate cleanser” read. And in a way, it was. But it also surprised me by going deeper than expected. The setup: Kate is 70, wealthy, and fabulous—and about to marry her teenage sweetheart. But on their wedding night, she calls the cops,
Why Shell Games by Bonnie Kistler Is Smarter Than It Gets Credit For Read More »
Spoiler warning: this reflection includes major plot details from the novel. If you haven’t read the book yet and want to go in blind (which I recommend), maybe save this post for later. Reading Dark Matter felt like falling down a rabbit hole I didn’t even realize I’d entered. One moment I thought I knew
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch & The Weight of a Single Choice Read More »
Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River is a historical mystery—filled with court scenes, cold winters, and buried secrets. But what struck me most wasn’t the murder or the suspense. It was Martha’s relationship with her husband, Ephraim. Martha Ballard is a force of nature. She’s a healer, a midwife, a record-keeper, and a woman who doesn’t
Love That Protects, Respects, and Still Desires: What I Learned from The Frozen River Read More »
“I am not sorry my brother died.”That’s how the story begins. One sentence — sharp, unsettling, unforgettable. Tambu, a young girl growing up in rural Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), dreams of an education like her older brother’s. But her parents laugh at her. “Can you cook books and feed them to your husband?” her mother
When Education Awakens You — Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga Read More »
Masculinity, mentorship, and why our boys need men who show up. I went into Seven Days in June expecting a love story. And sure, it’s that. But what stuck with me—maybe even more than the romance—was the theme of mentorship. Especially men mentoring boys. It’s subtle, tucked between steamy chapters and hilarious banter, but it’s
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