Carrie, by Stephen King

Carrie is, and probably will remain, my favorite Stephen King book. I’ve read it so many times that there is a deep crease in my copy’s spine. I can picture so many scenes with spine-tingling clarity, thanks to King’s masterful writing. Which is ironic since Carrie was his first published novel. I’m glad that Mr. … Continue reading Carrie, by Stephen King →

The Writing Retreat, by Julia Bartz

When trying to find something to read, I thought maybe I would need something frothy and fantastical. Given everything going on in the world right now, it seemed like the best solution. It worked during the pandemic, so I thought it would work now too. But nothing seemed interesting. Then, I was going back and … Continue reading The Writing Retreat, by Julia Bartz →

The Witch Haven, by Sasha Peyton Smith

You all know by now of my love (okay, perhaps obsession at this point) with witch books, but The Witch Haven presented a new historical angle to this obsession. The book takes place in 1911 New York City, with a summary that promised mystery, underground societies, and magical sisterhood. So of course I was going … Continue reading The Witch Haven, by Sasha Peyton Smith →

‘Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King

I'm most certainly a broken record when it comes to Stephen King at this point. Many of you probably saw King's name in the review title and thought, "I can sit this one out, since it'll be nothing but praise and adulation for King." I mean…you would not be wrong about that. King's career has … Continue reading ‘Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King →

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire

I try not to hop on bandwagons, but I could not help myself. The Wicked movie, based on the acclaimed Broadway musical, based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, captured my imagination unlike any movie I've seen in forever. If Elphaba and Glinda were icons before this movie, they have been absolutely cemented into pop culture … Continue reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire →

Holes, by Louis Sachar

Welcome to another edition of "Book that Stephanie Liked a Lot as a Kid But Did not Fully Appreciate Until Adulthood." And this time, we're covering the children's classic Holes. Holes appeared in me and my sisters' classroom libraries when the 2003 Disney movie adaptation came out. All three of us read it, and consequently, … Continue reading Holes, by Louis Sachar →

Twelfth Knight, by Alexene Farol Follmuth

Of all Shakespeare's comedies to adapt for a modern audience, Twelfth Night is a terrific one. Playing around with gender and sexual identities plays very well into a comedy about everyone falling in love with the wrong person without it being too weird. And what a genius move it was to use an anonymous MMORPG … Continue reading Twelfth Knight, by Alexene Farol Follmuth →

A Secret Princess, by Melissa de la Cruz and Margaret Stohl

I'm not sure when crossovers were invented, but my goodness, are they fun! Whether they happen in movies, TV, or in books, it's a mind-blowing experience to see different stories cross paths to make even more creative and epic adventures. I remember Nickelodeon and Disney Channel building up these huge crossover events between their biggest … Continue reading A Secret Princess, by Melissa de la Cruz and Margaret Stohl →

Toil and Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft

I admit that I have not read a short story collection since grad school, but when you're looking for a very particular story, but you don't want to commit to a full-length book, these collections can come in real handy. In this case, being that it's spooky season and naturally I am all about the … Continue reading Toil and Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft →