#Olivia Castetter

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Foster Care for a Better Tomorrow

Foster Care for a Better Tomorrow

On Tuesday afternoon, my phone went off with a news alert about something that had happened in Louisville, Kentucky. I live in southern Indiana, directly across from Louisville, and it’s a city that profoundly breaks my heart every day. It’s a city steeped in history—much of it rife with discrimination, racism, poverty, and violence of all kinds. Louisville is also a major corridor for human…

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Might Be Different, Yet Definitely Human

Might Be Different, Yet Definitely Human

Over the past several months, I’ve noticed a significant amount of anti-Italian humor on Twitter. Perhaps it’s the algorithms, and I’m seeing more of it because I’ve posted a bit more lately about being an Italian-American, or maybe there is a surge for some reason I’ve yet to discover. Whatever the reason, the reality remains: there shouldn’t be anti-Italian humor anywhere. My grandfather was…

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Women's Rights are Human Rights

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve spent part of the pandemic taking classes online through Coursera. One of those courses is from Stanford University, taught by Anne Firth Murray. The class explores Women’s Health and Human Rights around the world, and one of our first assignments was to read the 1995 Beijing Declaration, which emerged from the Fourth United Nations Conference on…

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The Audacity of Hope

It wasn’t just the struggles of these men and women that had moved me. Rather, it was their determination, their self-reliance, a relentless optimism in the face of hardship. It brought to mind a phrase that my pastor, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., had once used in a sermon.The audacity of hope.That was the best of the American spirit, I thought—having the audacity to believe despite all the…

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My Letter to All 50 Indiana State Senators Regarding Senate Bill 135

My Letter to All 50 Indiana State Senators Regarding Senate Bill 135

On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, I sent a variation of this letter to all fifty Indiana State Senators. My aim is to demand their attention on a bill that would remove the civil statute of limitations on victims of child sexual abuse receiving justice (i.e., permission to sue their abuser(s)). This bill is of particular importance to me because of the example set by Ashley Nation, who needed…

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Land of the Free?

Land of the Free?

Every summer, it happens. The cookout gear goes on sale. SUVs laden with camping equipment and boats speed down the interstate. Tri-color attire appears en masse as matching flags are raised on porches. All of these things happen in a celebration for the day American colonies declared their independence from King George III’s tyranny. Yet it seems to me that we’ve traded the tyranny of a foreign…

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Who Will They Come for First?

Who Will They Come for First?

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.Martin Niemöller After finishing The Fault in Our Stars by John…

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Querying Author Interview: Jake Fluekiger

Here on The Pensive Bookworm, one of my favorite things to do is interview authors—traditionally published, indie, and querying authors alike. One of the biggest pieces of my career’s mission is to build the bridge between creator and consumer because I believe in authentic connection, and as a reader, I love being able to talk to my favorite authors about their books and what their hard work…

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Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Ever since I did my undergraduate thesis on the entire Harry Potter book series, I wonder what new thing I’m going to pick up each time I read the books. I spent six months studying these books in-depth—my outline for the thesis alone was nearly 100 pages! How could there possibly be anything new to find?

But when I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secretslast week, all I could think about…

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Book Review: Photographing Kate by Elle Sweet

Book Review: Photographing Kate by Elle Sweet

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Emma Welton of Damp Pebbles Blog Tours and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Photographing Kate by Elle Sweet is the perfect book to read with your Saturday morning cup of coffee, which is exactly what I did today. It’s rare that I read a book in one sitting, but this one is worth the delayed chores and responsibilities!

From the first page,…

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Lifetime Reading List: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Lifetime Reading List: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

With the consideration of the current state of affairs in the United States of America as it pertains to the Black Lives Matter Movement as well as the tensions as we approach the November election, I bumped The Help by Kathryn Stockett higher on my Lifetime Reading List. Originally, I put these books in an order based on my interest in each, but after seeing an article titled Don’t Watch The…

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Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

“I finished Catching Fire today,” I texted Valerie. “Read all but the first chapter in one day.”

“That good?!” she replied.

“I love Catching Fire. Five stars compared to the three I gave The Hunger Games.”

“Oh snap… I’m curious what the difference was!”

The difference, dear reader, is in the motives. I think this is what sets Catching Fireabsolute leagues above its predecessor. As I…

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Book Review: Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

Book Review: Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

The conclusion to the original four-book series, Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares bittersweetly sends Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby off into their adulthood.

After several tormented years of trying to banish the love she lost from her mind, Lena spends her summer painting, trying to see if she can truly move on from Kostos. As she paints, she begins to form a new picture in her mind: What…

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Thoughts on The Chamber by John Grisham

Thoughts on The Chamber by John Grisham

I have always been fascinated by the Civil Rights Movement. No matter how many times I ask myself why, I’m can’t seem to develop a concise answer. I’m tempted to say it’s the bravery of the folks who fought, both followers of MLK and Malcolm X alike. I grew up reading every book I could about Rosa Parks and other famous protestors. Originally, I wanted to be a high school English teacher,…

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Lifetime Reading List: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Lifetime Reading List: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

If The Hunger Games is a necessary addition to the Lifetime Reading List, then Catching Fire most certainly belongs there as well.

Normally, I don’t think I’d say something like this about a sequel. I expected to say “Well, if you’ve read the first book, you’ll probably read the second, so shouldn’t that ‘must-read’ spot go to something else?” But I can’t say that at all about Catching Firebec…

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Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Book Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Of all the books I’ve seen on Twitter get ripped from one cover to the next, I’ve not quite seen a book cause as much disagreement and dissension as The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. As you can see from my analysis (here) of The Handmaid’s Tale, I find this book to be very thought-provoking when you focus on the themes and overall story of Offred, the protagonist.

However, the technical…