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Letters from the Reading Perch: The Owlet Goes to a Convention
Sometimes it’s easy to feel like reading is the most isolated of the modern hobbies – at least the nerdy ones. Most of my nerd friends have hobbies that boast conventions and gathering spaces: whether it’s a weekly meet at the board game store or the many Comic Cons, there are so many places for
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Stories Between the Lines: Classics and the Art of What If
When I was younger, I used to love fanfiction. Whether it was romances between my favorite ships or extended AUs that unpacked beloved worlds, I’d spend hours on hours lost on fan sites, devouring more content. And while many Traditional Readers deride fanfiction as simply wish fulfillment, those online chapters taught me a lot about
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Girlhood and grief in Victorian London: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion
Sometimes, the algorithm gets it right. (She said begrudgingly.) A few weeks ago, I saw a new book series all over my feed. “The best book series you’ve never heard of!” “The best-kept reading secret!” At first, being a good Snobby Elitist, I paid the recommendations no mind… But as they kept coming across my
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Letters from the Reading Perch: The Unique Joy of Travel Tsundoku
I’ve been doing quite a bit of local travel recently. Two weeks ago, we were soaking up coastal sunsets; this weekend, we headed inland for a few days in Tahoe. (California is a truly incredible state – in the coldest months of the year we can enjoy sea and snow in a matter of miles.)
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Reading Adventures, Pt. 13: A murder, a flock, and the Pacific sunset
I know most of the country has been battling mountains of snow this week… But I’m lucky enough to be in California, and Mr. Owlet treated me to a special stay in Elk for a lovely dinner and hours spent reading by the sea. We were somehow the only two guests at the Harbor House
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A Door Book for the in-between month: The Ten Thousand Doors of January
January is an in-between time of year. It’s in the name, with the god of beginnings reminding us to keep the past in view while planning for the future. It’s a month full of possibility, tinged with nostalgia and memory, the winter sun illuminating faint visions of the perfect year ahead. Of course, that vision
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TCO Reviews: The Starseekers by Nicole Glover
Faithful readers already know I have a huge love of both mystery and fantasy novels. I love reading and writing about these genres, particularly when entries feature complex characters and social settings to match. What might be less familiar are my STEM roots. My father is a professor in the department of engineering; my mother,
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On Projects, Patience, and the road to Julia Child
Could there be any warmer way to kick off the New Year than with Julia Child? When the days are this dark, I find myself drawn to the warmth of my kitchen. And with the Dutch oven bubbling with a delicious tomato-dal soup, I settled in to learn more about “Our Lady of the Ladle.”
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Letters from the Reading Perch: New Year, new pages
I love the fresh feeling of a new year. Yes, it’s a totally arbitrary date, not tied to anything physical—but the feeling of turning a new page, a blank canvas onto which we can paint our intentions for the next 12 months, is exactly the inspiration I need in the darkest months. So I want
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Letters from the Reading Perch: Farewell to 2025
As the skies get dark and the year winds down, it’s the season of reflection. As you read this, I’m likely drinking a mug of Poirot-themed tea, solving my Miss Marple puzzle, and looking forward to a bowl of desi tomato soup. A perfectly cozy end to an extremely busy year. So busy, in fact,