The Library

On the nightstand (Adult):

• The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Beth Brower (it’s all Lion all the time–currently savoring Book #5. Update, finished all books anticipating 2027 release, hoping new novel will be at least 800 pages long, at least)
• The Correspondent, Virginia Evans
• How to Bury Your Husband and The Sisterhood of Invisible Murderers, Alexia Casale
• Orbital, Samantha Harvey (2024 Booker Prize winner, as you know)
• Heartwood, Amity Gaige 
• I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy (let’s def keep shining a spotlight on the seedy side of Hollywood) 
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Maria Semple (staple)
• Euphoria, Lily King (staple)
• Surfacing, Kathleen Jamie (impossible to read just 1 Jamie after reading 1 Jamie)
• The Soul of an Octopus, Sy Montgomery (staple)
• The Sea Around Us, Rachel Carson (staple)

Recently read/reading/love (MG/YA):

• Rooftoppers, Catherine Rundell (finally reading!)
• In Your Light, Annalie Grainger (read late into the night, couldn’t stop)
• Our Castle by the Sea, Lucy Strange (setting takes over your senses–thinking about the young heroine, Petra, quite a bit after reading–she goes through so much, conveyed brilliantly IMO)
• A Language of Dragons: An Epic Tale of Forbidden Romance, Dragon Languages, and Civil War in an Alternate 1920’s London, S. F. Williamson (I especially found the first half of the novel absolutely brilliant, she’s such a great writer)
• Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons, Abi Elphinstone (magical creatures abound)
• Blood Moon, Lucy Cuthew (talk about timely YA fiction)
• Lightfall, A Place Between, Tim Probert (final book in this gorgeous series)
• The Book of Boy, Catherine Gilbert Murdock (I am late to this Medieval party)
• The Inquisitor’s Tale, Adam Gidwitz (late to this Medieval party too)
• The Bletchley Riddle, Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin
• Synch, Ellen Hopkins (do not miss)
• The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo (but you already know about this novel–I am once again late to a party) 
• Hide and Seeker, and Nightmare King, Daka Hermon (lessons in MG suspense) 
• Valley of Lost Secrets, Lesly Parr (beautiful, realistic storytelling, WW2)  
• Orphans of the Tide, Struan Murphy (Bath novelist winner)
• The Last Whale, Chris Vick 
• The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, Mary Averling (Mary weaves classic fairytales into a contemporary-ish thread–reminds me of The House with Chicken Legs, Sophie Anderson). 
• Ruby Hollow, Sharon Creech (how was I so late to this gem)
• Everything Rebecca Stead
• Everything Jacqueline Woodson
• Everything Laurie Halse Anderson
• Everything Ellen Hopkins
• Everything Cornelia Funke
• Everything Kathryn Fitzmaurice (RIP) A Diamond in the Desert should be a staple in elementary school libraries. Kathryn was a diamond in real life. I was fortunate she was my writing mentor when I was a sleepless mother way back in the teen 2000’s. Love her forever.
• Everything Gary D. Schmidt
• Everything Sally Rogan
• Zilpha Keatley Snyder, my go-to author when I was growing up (besides C.S. Lewis).

Poetry

• RIP Mary Oliver. you helped so much.
• The Language of Fractions, Nicelle Davis (Nicelle’s work is smart, quirky, and she’s a high desert dweller, like me–love her)
• Hearts Forged in Resistance, Chella Courington (everything Chella writes resonates)
• Everything Diane Seuss
• Everything Louise Mathias
• Everything Nicky Beer (especially ‘The Octopus Game’)
• Everything Amy Gerstler
• Everything Terence Hayes
• Sarah Hannah (RIP) 

Music

• Became a Swiftie in 2023 because my sisters attended the L.A. Eras Tour and sent me videos. Nothing has changed and it’s 2026.
• Maggie Rogers (Esp. Alaska)
• Haim (fortunate to see them live at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, 2025)
• Sophie Tucker (Ah woo!)
• First Aid Kit (Esp. To a Poet)
• Brandi Carlile (known to wake up in night with The Joke on repeat in my brain)
• The Chicks & Courtyard Hounds
• Neko Case (Esp. This Tornado Loves You)
• Indigo Girls (follow on Facebook)
• Almost everything Bjork
• Elbow 
• U2 my forever fav band

Podcasts

Wiser Than Me, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Gaslit Nation, Andrea Chalupa
Shannon Watts
Katie Phang