THE READING ROOM
Notes from
other worlds.
Book recommendations, mythology, science fiction, favorite tropes, and occasional dispatches from behind the stories.
FEATURED READING
Selkie Mythology: Why the Seal-Wife Legends Aren’t Romance
Fantasy Deep Dives · Mermaids & Ocean Fantasy
Selkie mythology from Orkney, Shetland, Ireland and the Faroes: stolen seal skins, a curse that isn’t finished, and why these legends aren’t love stories.
LATEST FROM MSK
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Choose a doorway: deep water, distant planets, beloved tropes, or the stories behind the stories.
Tropes & Worldbuilding
Wizards and Witches – A Trope Gone Tired?
Today, we're diving into an interesting topic that's been debated in cozy reading nooks and heated online forums alike: Have […]
Shifter Fantasy · Tropes & Worldbuilding
From Dracula to Twilight: How Bram Stoker Shaped YA Fiction
From vampires to gothic horror, Bram Stoker's 19th century novel Dracula still has its fangs sunk deep into YA fiction […]
Shifter Fantasy
Basing Fantasy Creatures on Real Animals: Creature Design Tips
When designing fantastical beasts for YA fantasy novels, one technique authors use is basing their made-up creatures on attributes of […]
Tropes & Worldbuilding
YA Tropes: Cliche or Classic?
Love 'em or hate 'em, YA tropes are here to stay. As a hardcore YA fiction fan, I have a […]
Book Recommendations
The Intricate Dance of One of Us Is Lying
I recently dived into Karen M. McManus's One of Us Is Lying, and let me just say—wow, what a ride. […]
Tropes & Worldbuilding
Befriending Fictional Characters: A Revisit to “The Catcher in the Rye”
Remember how I mentioned I recently reread The Catcher in the Rye? Well, I’ve got a few thoughts about it […]
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