For The Book Obsessed
[ad_1] In my early days as a published author, I was invited to visit a book club made up of professional women from the local university. If you have ever been part of a book club, you know how delightful such meetings can be. You’re surrounded by fellow book lovers. There are delicious snacks, sometimes … Read more
[ad_1] “Oh, that cover has a woman in a pretty dress on it. I really don’t read that sort of thing.” If you’ve ever thought this while coming across an unknown title in a book store, chances are the novel you just passed on based on its cover is historical fiction. Before you set it … Read more
[ad_1] During my first pregnancy, I had a recurring dream that I was awake and lying in my bed, listening to a stranger downstairs watch television. It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, but in it I felt unsettled. Who was this person? How had they got in? And why was it more sinister that they’d simply … Read more
[ad_1] Of all the questions I get from readers, I’m most often asked about what inspired my books. This makes sense, because beginnings are exciting, right? People love a good origin story. Unfortunately, for my first two novels, Domestic Violets and We’re All Damaged, I’ve never had terribly satisfying answers. I’ve resisted the urge over … Read more
[ad_1] From the hilarious Chevy Chase Vacation movies to the harrowing 1981 novel Mosquito Coast, the family adventure story ends in a rainbow of fates. One hopes that the family, when put under stress, will rise to the occasion, and nurture and protect one another. But who behaves like a saint under stress? I have … Read more
[ad_1] Dear books, I love you. I really do. You’ve brought me comfort, humor, knowledge, inspiration, and a lot of joy. I first found you when I was little. Pictures were included! Reading seemed miraculous, eyes moving over little squiggles that transformed into dragons and spaceships and clever kids solving neighborhood mysteries. I read everything … Read more
[ad_1] Research shows that as people age, they often become less “open to new experiences.” We can become creatures of habit, and stop trying new things. It turns out, this is really bad for learning, and even for enjoyment. Personality is defined as your consistent attitudes and behaviors—how you typically go about doing things. For … Read more
[ad_1] Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist and professional speaker, and is the bestselling author of We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter. She is a cohost for the new weekly series Retro Report on PBS and season three of the Scene on Radio podcast—MEN. Celeste’s latest book, Do Nothing, illuminates how to stop … Read more
[ad_1] As someone who comes from a large extended family, I’ve always been fascinated by sibling relationships, and how they change over time. When we’re young, our siblings are a constant—and occasionally annoying—presence in our lives. But as we grow older, those relationships are often eclipsed by the ones we form in adulthood—husbands and wives … Read more
[ad_1] Growing up in rural Washington, my inexplicable fascination with the world of elite American schools began with a dog-eared copy of The Preppy Handbook. My L.L. Bean Blucher moccasins stood in sharp contrast to the Tony Lama cowboy boots roaming my high school hallways on the daily. But I believed if I studied the … Read more