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Pond by Claire-Louise Bennett
“The large-scale changes in fact were of no interest to me at all; it was the small things that remained constant which sort of attracted me.” We all have those books that we pick up and put down in the library or in bookstores — pick up and put down, time and time again, but Continue reading
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The Overstory by Richard Powers
“Until today, he has never planted anything. But Now, that next best of times, is long, and reunites everything.” There are good books, and then there are those that make you fall in love with reading all over again, that make you savor each word and feel for each character. The Overstory is one of Continue reading
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Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet
“Inside the castle hovered a shadow version of him, alone, watching this full, well-lit house from the other’s emptiness. Looking through the glass, he was divided in two.” When I first learned the premise of Dinosaurs — a man moves into a new home next to a house with a glass wall, showing him his Continue reading
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What I read in April (belatedly)
Somehow it’s already mid-May, and the reading outside season has fully begun where I live. I figured it was high time to chat about the books I read in April. Saving Time by Jenny Odell. I read Odell’s prior book How to Do Nothing a few years ago and loved it. While I didn’t enjoy Continue reading
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My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
“Upon reflection, I decided I had three main weaknesses: I was confused (evidenced by a lack of facts, an inability to coordinate my thoughts, and an inaility to verbalize my ideas); I had a lack of confidence, which caused me to back down from forcefully stated positions; and I was overly emotional at the expense Continue reading
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Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
“A gripping psychological thriller from the Booker Prize–winning author of The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood is Shakespearean in its drama, Austenian in its wit, and, like both influences, fascinated by what makes us who we are. A brilliantly constructed study of intentions, actions, and consequences, it is a mesmerizing, unflinching consideration of the human impulse to ensure Continue reading
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Reading plans for spring
As springtime approaches, I look up from my dense winter books and set out in search of something lighter, something airy. Birdsong is gradually increasing in volume and melody in the mornings. Night starts later and later as the sun steals a bit more time away from the moon. Each day I feel closer to Continue reading
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5 books about focusing
Our ability to focus — or the lack thereof — is a major topic of conversation nowadays. From social media platforms with algorithms specifically designed to keep us scrolling to buzzing phones that hardly leave our sight, there’s so much about our surroundings that makes it hard to truly focus for more than a few Continue reading
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Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
“Anna read and understood everything, but she found no pleasure in reading, that is to say, in following the reflection of other people’s lives. She was too eager to live herself.” What an incredible, incredible novel. I’d been intimidated by Anna Karenina for years, despite reading Tolstoy’s tome War and Peace a few summers back Continue reading
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On slowing down and reading
Every January when I set reading goals for the new year, I tell myself that this will finally be the year when I slow down. I won’t care about how many books or pages I read. I won’t feel pressured to finish a book as fast as possible, or to rush through longer reads. Yet, Continue reading
About ME //
i’m holly — former english major, current twenty-something book lover, allergic to nuts. drop me a line at nutfreenerd@gmail.com or on instagram.
nut free nerd 