books

Black Voices

by
Dard-haired woman, facing away and perusing a tall bookshelf

My plan for this week’s blog was to share a list of books and publications by writers Plume has published (and I will return to that later), but considering the racial injustice and violent unrest that has boiled over in the past week, I think it’s much more important right now to lift Black voices … Read more

Support Local with Audiobooks

by

Hello, friends. How are you? We hope that you are all hanging in there okay. It’s a strange, overwhelming time in the world right now, and it is our hope that you are safe and healthy. So many businesses are struggling and/or shut down right now, and one that has been on our minds (brace … Read more

A Review of In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

by
Old Victorian house in disrepair

If you’ve clicked on this review, you have most likely read Carmen Maria Machado’s debut short story collection, Her Body and Other Parties. If you haven’t yet, run–don’t walk–RUN to your local bookstore or library and get yourself a copy (if you want a taste first, you can read the Law & Order: SVU-inpsired novella … Read more

Books to Be Grateful for from 2018

by
book stack with cat eye glasses on top

Sometimes you write a blog when you’re about to go on maternity leave, but you forget to schedule its publication. Although it’s a little late, here is my take on the books I read last year.

Taking Stock of What We Read

As we look back on 2018, one thing we here at Plume like to mull over the books that we read this past year (whether new or old). What did we most enjoy reading? What challenged us? Surprised us? Felt so necessary we couldn’t believe we had never read anything like it before?

My Favorite Books I Read This Year

The most gorgeously written book I read last year was Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. This will likely come as no surprise to anyone else who has read this award-winning tour-de-force. Its haunting, lyrical prose is still stuck in my head months after I finished it. 

Read more

Spooky Stories

by
black silhouette of cat against smokey orange sky

‘Tis the Season

As we get closer to Halloween, sometimes it can be fun to get into a little creepy reading. I’ll be the first to admit that I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to scary things (though movies and TV shows tend to scare me more than books). If you remember the series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, let me just say, those stories (and the illustrations!) still terrify me. And they’re meant for children!

Sometimes, though, I do try to get outside my comfort zone and read things beyond my typical wheelhouse.

Read more

Workspace Update

by
Cork board covered with postcards and other images

Back in May I wrote a blog called Spring Cleaning Your Creativity. I always intended to check back in on this topic, namely because my desk, which I consider the central hub of my own creativity, was, well, a giant mess. I put off this update for some time, mostly because I knew I was going to have to move my office space back into my bedroom, as I’m turning the former into a nursery. At long last, I have my space set up the way I like, and in a manner that’s conducive to encouraging my imagination. I thought I’d walk through the different parts of this newly remade space to share some ideas about how to maximize the creativity available in what’s really just a wee corner of a room. 

Read more

Why Ban Books?

by
Close up of colorful books arranged on a shelf

Banning Books

If you are even a casual bibliophile, you’ve likely heard that it’s Banned Books Week. Whenever I hear about banned books, I think how and why? Isn’t the purpose of books to open our eyes to new ideas and perspectives? Surely this is a good thing, right?

Well, not according to those who wish to censor certain titles they find offensive, it isn’t. When books are challenged or outright banned it’s almost always literature meant for or read by children and young adults (but this is not true in every case). So what is it that people are trying to shield young people from?

Read more