book club

  • Somebody’s Daughter: Reflection

    Typically, when reading for the Book of the Month Club, I finish before my partner. I have a strict timeline for finishing. My partner, not so much. Sometimes, if he’s unsure about a genre or author, he’ll wait for me… Continue reading

    Somebody’s Daughter: Reflection
  • How to Do Nothing: Reflection

    Hello all, and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! If you were a little surprised to see a notification pop up today, I can understand. Christmas festivities often involve pushed-back obligations and a weekend full of festivities. Many log off,… Continue reading

    How to Do Nothing: Reflection
  • Book of the Month: How to Do Nothing

    Something strange happens between 11:59 PM and 12:00 AM on the night of Thanksgiving. Immediately, every brand and store in America becomes laser-focused on Christmas. Black Friday deals, Christmas trees in every window, holiday music blaring on loudspeakers. Any store… Continue reading

    Book of the Month: How to Do Nothing
  • Braiding Sweetgrass: Reflection

    Some loves are born out of necessity. As one of four children in a one-car household, I walked everywhere I could: elementary, middle, and high school; my first job; friend’s houses; dates. It didn’t matter if it was a block… Continue reading

    Braiding Sweetgrass: Reflection
  • Book of the Month: Braiding Sweetgrass

    This Halloween, I gave out candy to more trick-or-treaters than ever. Princesses in pink tutus, mummies in toilet paper, anime characters with lopsided wigs, and movie villains with bright orange buckets lined up at my doorstep. I commented on my… Continue reading

    Book of the Month: Braiding Sweetgrass
  • The Sympathizer: Reflection

    “I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces. Perhaps not surprisingly, I am also a man of two minds. I am not some misunderstood mutant from a comic book or a horror movie, although some… Continue reading

    The Sympathizer: Reflection
  • Book of the Month: The Sympathizer

    TeaReads has been up for nine months. I’ve written for this blog in snowstorms, in torrential rain, on sunny spring days, and on warm summer nights. The leaves are changing now, and the nights are getting longer. My morning walks… Continue reading

    Book of the Month: The Sympathizer
  • Mexican Gothic: Reflection

    Gothic literature has been following the same tropes for centuries: old, dilapidated mansions filled with secrets; wealthy families fallen from grace; oil paintings illuminated by candelabra in a thunderstorm; young heroines, fleeing into the night in terror. Since the late… Continue reading

    Mexican Gothic: Reflection
  • Book of the Month: Mexican Gothic

    September’s book literally fell into my lap.  I started planning this blog about a year ago. I created lists of topics, themes, pictures, and, most importantly, books. The book list ebbed and flowed. Some titles stood steadfast from their initial… Continue reading

    Book of the Month: Mexican Gothic
  • Americanah: Reflection

    About halfway through Americanah, we see the origin of Ifemelu’s blog, “Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black”. She makes her first post and checks the stats a little later. Nine… Continue reading

    Americanah: Reflection