THE READING ROOM
Notes from
other worlds.
Book recommendations, mythology, science fiction, favorite tropes, and occasional dispatches from behind the stories.
FEATURED READING
Merman Books: Where Are All the Male Mermaids?
Mermaids & Ocean Fantasy · Mermen
Found any male mermaids lately? Try this. Search “mermaid books” and you will drown in results. Lists, subgenres, entire BookTok shelves, gorgeous covers with iridescent tails and hair […]
LATEST FROM MSK
Keep exploring.
Choose a doorway: deep water, distant planets, beloved tropes, or the stories behind the stories.
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 […]
Fantasy Deep Dives
Juggling Projects and Introducing Izzy: The Half-Leprauchaun
Sometimes, life as an author feels a lot like standing at the center of a three-ring circus, trying to keep […]
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