It’s Erev Shabbat, and I’ve just said goodbye to my husband who left for work, leaving me to watch the Dawn as I drink my tonic of coffee. Soon I’ll be going to the DMV for some much needed name changing...stuff, cleaning our home, get my hands covered in dough kneading challah, cooking dinner, preparing myself — all in anticipation of greeting the Sabbath. Except now as I sit in the stillness, I need to find silence. I need to quiet my soul. It is the month of Elul, a time of ...
YA fiction
Don’t Give Up
My heart palpitates as my finger hovers over the SEND button, my palm clammy with a sudden burst of perspiration. "This is it," flashes through my mind, and before I lose my nerve, I tap the screen. Expelling a heavy sigh from years of bent up disappointment, frustration, and whatever minuscule amount of hope remains, I lean back in my chair to relax my racing heart. I've only just sent the beginnings of my revisions for my manuscript to a friend for review. She read the first dreadful, ...
What’s on my Shelf: May-June
As promised last week, since June has ended, here are my latest book reviews. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker I’ll begin with this delightful beauty since I’ve literally just finished it. My first thoughts are of gratitude to Wecker for embracing two cultures which are so intimate to myself, I felt I was reading a personal, alternate history of familiar lives long parted from me. It made me proud to read a story about these two cultures I cherish. The way she captured ...
What’s on my Shelf: Malediction Trilogy and ACOTAR Series
I realise this a bit of a change from the bi-monthly reviews I write. However, between tweaking my new website and reading new material, I realised I neglected to write a few reviews in addition to needing to write my bi-monthly update. Thus, we’re going to break from tradition a bit. The following reviews are for two series I’ve read. And as always, spoilers! Malediction Trilogy by Danielle L. Jensen I stumbled across this series thanks to Elise Kova, who was instagramming about ...
What’s on My Shelf: March-April
I’ve been home sick the past couple of days, using this cold to my advantage to just relax, and I realised I haven’t done my “monthly” book review since February. Thus, since I have such an abundance of free time, here’s what I’ve been reading as of late. (Also, before we dive in, if you want to read a more broad overview of all the books I’ve read recently, or if you’re into reading people’s soapboxes, then check out this post where I rant about the lack of romance in teen fiction. Ironic, ...