wolfythoughts

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Book Review: Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin

An essential, genre-inclusive writing guide packed with practical advice and thoughtful exercises for writers at any stage. Summary:From the celebrated Ursula K. Le Guin, “a writer of enormous intelligence and wit, a master storyteller” ( Boston Globe ), the revised and updated edition of her classic guide to the essentials of a writer’s craft. Completely revised and rewritten to address modern…

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Book Review: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

A psychological thriller about a grieving husband who sees his missing wife’s double on a remote Scottish island. Summary:Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on,…

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Stories That Heal: 5 Books for Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—an annual observance founded by Mental Health America in 1949 to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing, educate the public, reduce stigma, and promote support for those affected by mental health conditions. As someone who believes in the power of books to change lives, I thought this was the perfect time to share a mental health–focused reading list.…

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Book Review: A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen

A sweet, closed-door sapphic romance set in Sài Gòn, where two foodie 18-year-olds fall for each other while uncovering family secrets and rekindling a love of food writing. Summary:In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be the perfect daughter, dependable and willing to care for her widowed mother and their bánh mì stall. Her secret passion, however, is A Bánh Mì for Two, the food blog she started…

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Book Review: Sula by Toni Morrison

A lyrical and haunting novel about two Black women whose lifelong friendship is tested by betrayal, love, and the weight of their small-town community’s judgment. Summary:Sula and Nel are two young black girls: clever and poor. They grow up together sharing their secrets, dreams and happiness. Then Sula breaks free from their small-town community in the uplands of Ohio to roam the cities of…

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Book Review: Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías translated by Heather Cleary

A quiet dystopian novel from a Uruguayan author about a woman navigating love, caregiving, and survival as a mysterious plague and environmental collapse unravel the world around her. Summary:In a city ravaged by a mysterious plague, a woman tries to understand why her world is falling apart. An algae bloom has poisoned the previously pristine air that blows in from the sea. Inland, a secretive…

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Book Review: Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

A poetic and powerful collection of life lessons drawn from marine mammals, rooted in Black feminist thought and visionary activism. Summary:A book-length meditation for social movements and our whole species based on the subversive and transformative guidance of marine mammals. Our aquatic cousins are queer, fierce, protective of each other, complex, shaped by conflict, and struggling to…

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Book Review: The Dragon from Chicago: The Untold Story of an American Reporter in Nazi Germany by Pamela D. Toler

Discover the untold story of Sigrid Schultz, the fearless American journalist who exposed the rise of Nazi Germany—at a time when women were underrepresented in jouranlism. Summary:Schultz was the Chicago Tribune ‘s Berlin bureau chief and primary foreign correspondent for Central Europe from 1925 to January 1941, and one of the first reporters—male or female—to warn American readers of the…

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Announcement: My New Podcast - Acutely Amanda: Fiction, Folklore, & Fiber Arts

I’ve always believed that stories aren’t only told through what we read with our eyes (or fingers, in the case of braille)—they’re also heard. But up until now, most of my content has focused on the visual. After months of writing, recording, and researching, I’m thrilled to share something new: 🎧 Acutely Amanda: Fiction, Folklore, & Fiber Arts officially launched today! Whether you’ve been…

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Book Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

A chilling blend of historical fiction and supernatural horror, this novel explores what happens when pregnant teenage girls—hidden away in a 1970s home for wayward girls—discover the dark power of witchcraft. Summary:They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their…

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Book Review: A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants by Ann Claire

A charming cycling tour in the French countryside takes a deadly turn in this cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Emily in Paris—if Emily spoke French and solved murders between croissant breaks. Summary:Nine months ago, Sadie Greene shocked friends and family by ditching her sensible office job in the Chicago suburbs and buying a sight-unseen French bicycling tour company, Oui Cycle. Now she’s…

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Book Review: A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell

A chilling yet deeply human collection of short stories where ghosts, goblins, and the macabre collide with everyday life—showcasing a rising star in Argentinian literature.Summary:Welcome to Argentina and the fascinating, frightening, fantastical imagination of Mariana Enriquez. In twelve spellbinding new stories, Enriquez writes about ordinary people, especially women, whose lives turn inside…

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Book Review: She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor

Blending science fiction and fantasy in a near future West African setting, this engaging prequel offers a compelling plot blended with a unique coming-of-age story in a quick read. Summary:Najeeba knows. She has had The Call. But how can a 13-year-old girl have the Call? Only men and boys experience the annual call to the Salt Roads. What’s just happened to Najeeba has never happened in the…

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Book Review: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

This witty farce cleverly comments on romance and class while offering a glimpse into the sharp mind of a writer who was silenced by society for his homosexuality. Summary:Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Ernest while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack’s ward, Cecily. When all four…

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Announcement: Special FREE Newsletter Exclusives

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Book Review: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

A Potawatomi author and botanist explores the concept of gift economies through the author’s reflections on nature, reciprocity, and the lessons of the serviceberry tree. Summary:As indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she…

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Book Review: My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church by Amy Kenny

A disabled Christian woman shares her experiences with ableism in the church and offers solutions and actionable steps for fostering disability justice and inclusion. Summary:Much of the church has forgotten that we worship a disabled God whose wounds survived resurrection, says Amy Kenny. It is time for the church to start treating disabled people as full members of the body of Christ who have…