The Goldfinch Captures the Essence of Theme
This post written by Terra Luft, Operations Manager. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel expertly weaves the theme of loss—both literal and figurative—into a contemporary coming-of-age story so beautifully that I couldn’t put it down. I loved it so much that I had to read it again, and again. In the opening chapter, Theo Decker enters a […]
Skyward and side characters that work!
This post written by editor Emma Farnsworth. Brandon Sanderson has done it again! In his newest novel, Skyward, Sanderson has created a fascinating alien world of complex and dynamic characters and an action-packed coming-of-age story filled with intrigue and lots of snark. Skyward is a YA sci-fi set far in the future on an alien […]
Is New Adult Even a Thing?
This post written by founder and managing editor Callie Stoker. Have you heard of New Adult (NA)? It’s a book category that the publishing world started playing around with ten years ago and—at the time—was shopped around as a sort of “older YA”. What’s interesting is how New Adult has actually found its place in […]
Children of Blood and Bone. A Lesson in Layering
This post written by Charity West, managing editor. The Story: When magic disappeared from Orïsha, its once-powerful practitioners were murdered by a ruthless king, leaving their children alone and oppressed. Zélie is one of these children, and she has trained secretly her whole life to fight the king she hates. But when the king’s daughter […]
Self-Publishing Might Not Be For You
This post written by founder and managing editor Callie Stoker. We are experiencing an exciting time in the book world where nearly anyone who wants to be an author can publish something. Sure, there’s still a lingering stigma when it comes to publishing your book yourself, but in the last decade, we’ve also seen self-published […]
What a Difference a Content Editor Makes
This post written by founder and managing editor Callie Stoker. There are so many elements to good writing—premise, plot, structure, character development, world-building, clarity, dialogue, prose, the list goes on and on! It is near impossible to be excellent at all these things all the time. Right? And in order to win the readers’ heart, […]
Strange the Dreamer: Master of Metaphor and Simile
The Story: All his miserable life, Lazlo Strange has dreamt of folktales, fairy tales, myths, and legends. As he grew up in a joyless monastery, tales of the lost city of Weep kept his spirit alive. When warriors straight out of the tales arrive at his library, asking for help to solve the very mysteries […]