Blog Entries

Nora is just like any other woman in her mid-twenties. She works a job she hates, hangs out with friends, and has been through more bad relationships than she can count. She perhaps finds her true love in the most unlikeliest of places: a literal 500 pound American black bear who, after scaring her in the woods, returns something she dropped. Kind, considerate, big, and fuzzy, she must convince her friends, family, and even herself, that this is more than just an extreme rebound: it’s true love.

Friends and Strangers tells the story of two women at a crossroads in their life. Sam, a senior at an all girls college, has signed on to babysit Elisabeth's baby, Gil, part-time. The women indulge in a quick friendship, relying on one another for honest insight as Sam prepares to adjust to a new more grown up life outside of college and Elisabeth adjusts to her new life in a small town. Both women, however, find themselves dealing with personal demons, elitism and privilege.

In Blood Heir, Zhao has created a fantastical world where people called Affinites have the ability to control the world around them. In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are considered to be dangerous, unnatural, and touched by demons. Ana, the crown princess, has the Affinity to control blood, which is a monstrous gift even to other Affinities. After her power is revealed as child, Ana is hidden away in the palace and the kingdom is told that she is ill.

Bookshelves are awash with advice for those wishing to organize their living spaces.  Techniques vary from no-nonsense clutter-busting to thanking and discarding items that no longer spark joy.  Anyone who has had to clear out a relative's home will understand the practicality of the Swedish concept of death cleaning: the organizing of one's worldly goods before passing away.  The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning serves as a friendly guide to undertaking this admittedly gloomy-sounding project at any stage of life.

In the village of Varenia, all girls are trained to be the most beautiful and charming, so that they may be chosen at the ceremony to marry the prince of Ilara. Nor and her identical twin sister Zadie are born undoubtedly as the most beautiful in Varenia, but a childhood incident gives Nor a small scar on her face. In a village that believes the beauty of a woman is all she has, this scar makes her damaged goods. This takes the burdens of being perfect off of her, allowing her to help her family as the village begins to suffer.