modern girl detectives

Cozy to Cold-Blooded: Modern Girl Detectives

In my last column, I talked about classic girl detectives. This time, the modern girl detectives get their chance.  The girl detectives from the late 20th-early 21st century comprise a much more diverse group. But they share with each other and their predecessors the qualities of intelligence, bravery, and grit.  Some of you might notice… Read more »

September

The Book Nook — September Edition

It’s already September! The new school year may be starting, but I am still clinging to the last vestiges of summer. Last month was a great reading month for me, despite a beach vacation where I didn’t actually get much reading done. That’s all right though. I had a great time and can’t wait to… Read more »

Title Image: The Book Nook - August Edition

The Book Nook — August Edition

I’ve been having such a hard time doing anything productive. All I want to do is sip a cold drink and read…yet my attention span isn’t super great right now either. Thank you, August heat. (We’re actually having a bit of a weird cool spell at the time of this writing, but whatever.) I haven’t… Read more »

Title Image: The Book Nook - July Edition

The Book Nook — July Edition

It’s July and we’re hitting the dog days of summer here in rural Oklahoma. Nothing is moving out there, not even the wind. (I might be exaggerating slightly) Still, you’d think if it was that hot outside, it would be perfect for some indoor reading.  Not exactly. I’ve struggled to concentrate for whatever reason. I’ve… Read more »

Title Image: Not Just Dudes in Tights: Lumberjanes

Not Just Dudes in Tights: Lumberjanes

Welcome back to Not Just Dudes in Tights, a column about our fave comics starring, well, not just dudes in tights. This time: Lumberjanes! It’s hard to express how much I love Lumberjanes. Yes, it’s technically a comic book for children about summer camp, but it’s so much more than that. It’s heartwarming, it’s funny,… Read more »

June

The Book Nook — June Edition

It’s the first Sunday after the first Tuesday of the month, which can only mean it’s time for another edition of the Book Nook! We’ve made it to June and I can’t tell you how much I enjoy dropping into your feeds each month to share a new list of books. I was very fortunate… Read more »

May

The Book Nook — May Edition

I’m not going to declare my surprise that it’s already May. I did that in the preceding months, and time only sped up incrementally each month, which is interesting because sometimes the days drag on interminably. But here we are—it’s May. The flowers are blooming, the baseball bats are swinging, I’m enjoying cool drinks out… Read more »

eyre

Cozy to Cold-Blooded: An Eyre for Every Era

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre remains a cultural touchstone 174 years after its debut. It is one of the best examples of Gothic Romanticism, a predecessor of modern domestic suspense. Gothic novels are characterized by sensational aspects, such as strange noises, dark houses in desolate settings, shattering secrets, and women in distress. But Jane Eyre was… Read more »

queer fantasy

The Magic of Queer Fantasy

Often when readers think about the origins of LGBTQ+ literature, we think about poetry and drama. Certainly, these two modes have a long history of presenting a wide range of non-heteronormative stories and themes, and perhaps they have been best suited for it. But LGBTQ+ stories in prose narratives have equally long histories. More interesting… Read more »

Book Nook April Edition

The Book Nook—April Edition

How is it already April? March was both a slog and a blur, and I am so glad to leave it in my rearview window. I know this post should have gone up on the first Sunday in April, but that was Easter, and we’ve had some other behind the scenes stuff going on here… Read more »