Throughout history, stories have been told through poetry. My first introduction to these wonderful tales was through The Odyssey as I first delved into Greek mythology. After digging into other epic poems, the ability for stories to shape their culture became increasingly apparent. These works are kinetic and often times visceral with words that have […]

“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” – Melinda Gates Throughout the world there are incredible women doing remarkable things. With International Women’s Day taking place on March 8th, I wanted to recommend a few memoirs and biographies by or about women from around the world. These are just a few […]

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” – Lord Byron With the pandemic still raging and the news cycle attempting to drive us all into some new form of madness, laughter as medicine has never seemed so enticing. As usual, I have been turning to books for respite, and I wanted to share […]

“There are no truths, only moments of clarity passing for answers.” – Michel de Montaigne After finishing high school and college, I thought I would be happy to never read or write another essay. Fast forward several years, and once again the saying of “never say never” completely applies. I think school got me too […]

As this crazy year draws to a close, I have noticed my tendency to take more time for reflection than in previous years. There are quiet moments that I have worked into my morning routine that add a sense of serenity and stillness that I appreciate. As part of my reflection, I figured what better […]

As Halloween and Daylight Savings have passed, I find myself looking forward to the quiet slowdown before things usually ramp up for the holidays, even though this year they may look markedly different. I enjoy taking in the chillingly cold mornings and the subtle stillness that permeates until Thanksgiving. It’s a time that reminds me […]

As we have entered a new season with new demands on our time, sometimes the most satisfying feeling is sitting down and devouring an entire book in one sitting. It might be rare to find the time for some uninterrupted binge reading, but below is a selection of recent releases that are all short enough […]

“The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words.” – William H. Gass As I have struggled in the last few months, I have found a new sense of artistic resonance in the genre of memoir. These authors play with words and my sense of the world by blending […]

Deep breath – it’s over. Between the vows, cake, and dancing, you got married. Now, it’s time for the romance and relaxation of the honeymoon. The best part of packing for the honeymoon (even if it’s currently a staycation) is picking out what to read. Here are some fun and fabulous honeymoon reads: Recipe for […]

“The freedom of the open road is seductive, serendipitous and absolutely liberating.” – Aaron Lauritsen The open road can surely beckon. In these crazy times, packing up for a drive seems like a great way to mitigate the wanderlust that has been brewing while staying at home. As Chris Humphrey said, “The road is there, […]

Summer reading is right around the corner! I always look forward to the plethora of books that arrive during the course of the summer (and to hopefully having some extra time to read them). Here are just a few of the books that I am eagerly waiting to get my hands on. The Margot Affair […]

As the world slowly begins to re-open, my stress levels have yet to abate. Re-opening has brought a new set of challenges and like many of us out there, the amount of bad and confusing news has begun to take its toll. I have found myself not interested in many of the plethora of time […]

As the stay-at-home order continues, my news feed has been filled with images of parents and their kids attempting to figure out how to navigate this new world. Although I don’t have children, I have been enthralled at the activities that people have come up with and sympathetic to struggles that I can’t begin to […]

“Reading was my escape and my comfort, my consolation, my stimulant of choice.” – Paul Aster As we enter into another week of social distancing, I can’t help but be grateful for the millions of stories that I can escape into at a moment’s notice. Reading has always been my escape from the world, and […]

Many years ago when I graduated to more young adult-and adult books, I was incredibly interested in the thoughts and perspectives of the characters. I wanted to know why they made the decisions they did and what drove them. Those questions have driven me through many a biography and it’s why I have a particular […]

With the resurgence of the romantic comedy genre and the release of the sequel of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix later this month, I thought it might be fun to lean into the explosion of pink and red this year rather than fight against it. To that end, I’ve rounded a […]

As you know, January marks not just the beginning of a new year, but also a new decade. Instead of starting the year off by looking forward, I thought it might be fun to look back at some of the wonderful books of the decade. This decade marked the beginning of me keeping spreadsheets to […]

As the year wraps up and there are gifts to be wrapped, I thought it would be fun to continue the tradition started last year to share a few of my favorite books of the year. These were books published in 2019 and several have made it into my giving list. I hope that there […]

In conjunction with the release of Give KC within the November 9th issue, and giving season right around the corner, I wanted to focus on a few books that tell the stories of inspiring people. Reading can give us a glimpse into the stories behind the people that we admire. It can allow us to […]

With the release of the Downton Abbey movie, historical fiction has been at the forefront of mainstream media. With the beautiful costumes and historical research taking center stage, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite historical fiction novels set across the ages and across the globe. A Gentleman in […]

In this busy back to school season, I love both being able to finish a book in one sitting and learn something new. Short novels are fascinating to me because an author accomplishes so much in so few pages. I also find it mind expanding to read books from other countries because I believe that […]