Mara Franzen is a Chicago based lover of literature (duh), coffee (also duh), and sunset picnics at the beach (wink wink). Both a writer and an actor, Mara is pretty much always working on some creative endeavor. A Minnesota native, she moved to Chicago for school, and just never left. She and her dog, Fig, can be found rifling around for loose character development and spare story arcs.
Catching up on books that were released at the height of the pandemic? We’ve got your must-read spring 2020 novels, including It’s Not All Downhill From Here by Terry McMillion.
Are you CottageCore curious? Here’s an intro to the aesthetic and a reading list to help you master the lifestyle, including The Little Book of CottageCore by Emily Kent.
With daring adventures, magic, and yes, also sword-fighting, these books are page-turners you need to add to your fantasy TBR.
We've got some tips, tricks, and encouragement to help you organize your bookshelves to fit your space, preferences, and style.
One reader shares thoughts on making time for the joy of rereading old favorites—and the guilt of passing over unread books.
These middle grade graphic novels like Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward would make excellent gifts — and, of course, they make for excellent reading.
So you've found a book that you just know your friend will love. Here's how to recommend that book so your friend will actually read it.
The best reading journals help organize and log your reading. Here are options for great reading journals to get you started.
An open letter to all of the books one reader has lied about reading, and why she won't be getting to some of them anytime soon.
There can and should be stories about the lives of queer people beyond who they're attracted to and choose to sleep with.