A B i t G r a c e f u l.

Reading has become such an essential part of my life. By committing myself to reading more this year, I have discovered and fallen in love with many new authors. I want to share with you the four women who's work has stood out to me this year and encourage you to pick up one of their novels and delve in with an open mind. ZADIE SMITH English social commentary novelist Known for: White Teeth, On Beauty, Swing Time LAUREN GROFF American linguistically pyrotechnic novelist Known for: Fates and Furies, Arcadia, Delicate Edible Birds, The Monsters of Templeton SARAH RUHL American metaphysical playwright Known for: Eurydice, The Clean House, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) MARGARET ATWOOD Canadian badass feminist poet, novelist, & activist Known for: The Handmaid's Tale, Cat's Eye, Hag-Seed Here are my favorite novels/plays from each of their bodies of work. Now, I know there are so many female authors out there that I still need to read and...

Does anyone else feel as passionate about Goodreads as I do? I became a little obsessed with the site back in late 2016 and spent hours computing in all of the books and plays I have ever read to my online bookshelves. If you are familiar with Goodreads, you will know there are three main shelves - Read, To Read, and Currently Reading. I also have a couple other custom shelves, such as my favorites shelf and my book club's shelf. So with my Goodreads passion growing, I challenged myself to read 50 Books in 2017 and with four months left, I am ahead of schedule at 37 of 50 read. Stay tuned for a post highlighting some of my favorite reads from this year, as well as some tips for reading more and staying on track during a challenge like this. Look out for that in December/January. In the meantime, here's the lineup for my next reads, my Autumn Reading List: 1. The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder | Nichi Hodgson Dating has never been easy. The r...

1. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath "I took a deep breath and listened to the bold brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am."  Michelle Taliento:  "It can be nice to hear someone going through what you're going through." Grace Leneghan:  "I read The Bell Jar only this past winter when I was in the process of healing from some rough times. When I went to see a psychiatrist, she greeted me, saw I had it with me, smiled, and commented, "Interesting choice"... I think about that and try not to take myself too seriously." 2. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert "It was in a bathtub back in New York, reading Italian words aloud from a dictionary, that I first started mending my soul. My life had gone to bits and I was so unrecognizable to myself that I probably couldn't have picked me out of a police lineup. But I felt a glimmer of happiness when I started studying Italian, and when you sense a faint potentially for happiness after such dark ti...