The Ohioan

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

January 25, 2020

As the best of 2019 lists began rolling out, Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe was in everyone’s best books of the year lists. I had seen the advanced reader’s copy on our shelf in the library workroom a few months before it was published, but by the size of the tome (nearly 500 pages) … More Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

One Last Post for 2019

December 28, 2019

Writing and publishing one blog post every month for 2019 was one of my new years resolutions last year and I am proud to announce that with this post, I will have successfully reached that goal! Here is my 2019 in review: This year I: taught myself how to do embroidery applied for a job … More One Last Post for 2019

Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

November 29, 2019

Once Upon A River is a novel of fairy-tale-adjacent historical fiction that manages to skillfully avoid hackneyed genre tropes to deliver a powerful and engaging account of family, community, and the power of storytelling. From the first line of the novel, Setterfield brings you into a world completely consumed by the ebb and flow of … More Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

Our Words Are Dangerous, Especially When We Don’t Use Them

October 15, 2019

Language is a dangerous thing not only for what is said but often because of what is left out, especially during history lessons. Slavery verses enslavement. The state of being a slave verses the action of making someone a slave. “Slavery” conjures images of black bodies in chains, laboring in cotton fields, and being sold … More Our Words Are Dangerous, Especially When We Don’t Use Them

The Crawdads Sing of Romance

September 30, 2019

In literature there is a bias against Romance. There is a pervasive belief amongst readers that a novel, where the driving plot device is a romantic relationship, cannot be considered Literature and is therefore unworthy of critique. Women call books with a busty corseted Queen their “guilty pleasure,” waving their hand in the air as … More The Crawdads Sing of Romance

What’s the Word for the State of Missing Someone?

September 15, 2019

Everyone knows that being alone and being lonely are not the same. Alone is a fun treat where you have the whole house to yourself: you can listen to your podcasts without headphones, eat ice cream for dinner, and not worry about someone else’s schedule. Lonely is when you start to putter. Putter around the … More What’s the Word for the State of Missing Someone?

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

August 21, 2019

In a fantasy world where a divorcée from Texas with Mexican-American children wins the 2016 presidential election, the idea that her bisexual son might begin a lasting love affair with the Prince of England doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Casey McQuiston is a masterful storyteller: Red, White, and Royal Blue is pure bodice-ripping romantic fantasy set … More Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Two Sides to The Netherlands

August 13, 2019

If you’ve been thinking about a trip to Europe but you can’t decide where to go—or are intimidated by the French—I encourage you to consider The Netherlands. The country is seething with history, art, cosmopolitan cities, whimsical villages, and really lovely people who all seem to speak at least seven languages. At the end of … More Two Sides to The Netherlands

The Travel Bug

July 18, 2019

For me, The Travel Bug goes by another name and that name is anxiety. When The Travel Bug (TTB) bites it leaves behind a virus which lays dormant until anytime between 6 weeks and 4 days before your trip. Often, if you’ve been bitten in the past, you will have built up some immunity to … More The Travel Bug

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

June 28, 2019

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015) is a fairy tale that takes place in what is probably Poland in a time that is probably the Middle Ages. It features a few powerful wizards, at least two equally powerful witches, and just a little bit of sex. Uprooted is also – unlike most of its historical fantasy … More Uprooted by Naomi Novik

I travel, and write about it. I read, and write about it. I eat, and write about it.