Story time… it’s a long one I am nearing the end of the writing process for my first book manuscript. It is a historical fiction novel aimed at middle readers (typically defined ages 9-12, although I’ll admit that the vocabulary is rather more advanced than most 9-10-year-old children). The novel is the first in what…
Tag: nonfiction
Book Review: How Should One Read a Book?
“Most commonly we come to books with blurred and divided minds, asking of fiction that it shall be true, or poetry that it shall be false, of biography that it shall be flattering, of history that is shall enforce our own prejudices. If we could banish all such preconceptions when we read, that would be…
Off line – Pt. 2
What do you do when you stand in line? Can you wait patiently? Can you maintain focus on the back of your predecessor’s head? Can you keep your mind engaged without a glance at technology? What about in the nonlinear lines in which we spend our time— the doctor’s office, the DMV, the pew of…
Book Review: Greater Than Grief
In Greater Than Grief, Christena Estby documents her family’s journey through the trials, triumphs, pains and joys of raising four kids, two of whom have a terminal diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It is an amazing story of embracing life as it comes and along the way, finding positive coping mechanisms to manage when things…
Book Review: Until Heaven Parts Us
I have been dancing and teaching dance for the majority of my life, which means that I have met so many wonderful dancers along the way. Our paths don’t always continue to cross after they leave the dance studio where I teach, but thanks to social media, I often follow along their adventures from afar….
Book Review: The Woman Who Smashed Codes
I’m not entirely sure how I first knew about The Woman Who Smashed Codes, by Jason Fagone, but it’s been on a list of “books to read” on my phone for a few years. I know I received my copy after putting it on a Christmas wish list one year and was pleased to open…
Book Review: World of Wonders
Have you ever been so enthralled by a book that you were at once inspired to go create and yet totally contented to sit and just be in the present moment? Such was the case for me in reading World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. One…
Book Review: In the Garden of Beasts
After devouring The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson’s deep dive into the infamous serial killer who plagued Chicago at the time of the 1893 World Fair, I promptly bought another of the author’s titles at my local Barnes & Noble. Due to a series of life events (and overall lack of interest in…
Book Review: A Promised Land
With the unforgettable events of early January, it is safe to say that America experienced extreme division through its political landscape. So, what better time to read a political memoir? Written by former president Barack Obama, A Promised Land, was my hefty, but timely choice for early 2021. The 701-page, first-person narrative briefly covered Mr….
Closing Down a Decade
Earlier this week I crossed the threshold of a new decade. One that by no means have I been dreading, but rather anxiously awaiting what will be in store for me. My twenties were good to me. Honestly, they were great. Throughout the highs and lows of seasons of challenging personal development, navigating relationships, finishing…
L.M. Beatty 