Meredith Summers

Saints and Villains by Denise Giardina A Novel

This historical fiction book is about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who spoke out against Hitler and the Nazi regime. I loved the questions of morality that this book asks and it felt especially timely right now.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#booksky

Who paid for the Super Bowl ICE ad? The group behind Sunday's bizarre commercial has a sparse paper trail.

Who paid for the Super Bowl ICE ad?

"Ideally, in a democracy, we’d know who is spending millions trying to change public opinion on the secret police. But, in the American system, that’s just not how it works."

Cincinnati, OH Bookstores Last year around this time, I took a trip to Cincinnati where I visited some indie bookstores and wrote about it here. But, as I said in that post, the Cincinnati area has a lot of independent booksto...

In January, I took a trip to Cincinnati, OH where I got to see a few more of their awesome independent bookstores!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#cincinnati #ohio #bookishdestinations #bookstagram

NYC Libraries Last time I went to New York, I visited several public libraries and wrote about them here, and it’s no secret that I LOVE public libraries.

Here are some libraries and a bonus place I visited on my trip to New York City.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#bookishdestinations #newyorkcity #libraries #thepersonallibrarian #bookstagram

I deleted TikTok this week. It was difficult, and I keep going to open the app before realizing it's not there anymore. But the censorship currently happening on TikTok is criminal and I can't keep making excuses to support it anymore.

Footage, documents at odds with DHS accounts of immigration enforcement incidents • West Virginia Watch As a growing number of encounters between civilians and Department of Homeland Security agents — including the widely scrutinized fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis — are scrutinized in…

As a growing number of encounters between civilians and Department of Homeland Security agents are scrutinized in court records and on social media, federal officials are returning to a familiar response: self-defense. @amandavhernan.bsky.social reports.

ICE must be destroyed. The US government is funding rapists and child abusers.

The Secret Astronomers by Jessica Walker A Novel in Notes

A modern epistolary novel set in West Virginia?! Sign me up! While I had some bones to pick with the plot, I thought this book was well executed.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#jessicawalker #thesecretastronomers #fiction #art #westvirginia #greenbank #astronomy #booksky

Consider the Consequences by Doris Webster and Mary Alden Hopkins The Original 1930s Interactive Gamebook

I found this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style book on one of my trips, and while I'm not usually a big fan of the genre, this book, reprinted from the 1930s surprised me.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#considertheconsequences #doriswebster #maryaldenhopkins #booksky

Asylum Speakers collated by Jaz O'Hara Stories of Migration From the Humans Behind the Headlines

This book looks at the real humans behind the global refugee crisis, with a focus on those trying to immigrate to Western Europe. This book is eye opening.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#asylumspeakers #jazohara #nonfictionreads #refugees #migrant #immigration #booksky

Such a great article!

anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/h...

NYC Bookstores Part 2 For Part 1 of my NYC trip, I focused on bookstores in upper Manhattan.

I'm back with part 2 of the bookstores I visited in NYC last month!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#independentbookstore #newyorkcity #bookishdestinations #travel #booksky

NYC Bookstores Part 1 I got to travel to New York City for a couple of days before Christmas.

Right before Christmas, I got to take a trip to NYC and I have a lot of things to tell you about! I'm starting off with three independent bookstores in my old neighborhood.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#independentbookstore #newyorkcity #bookishdestinations #booksky

2025 End of Year Wrap Up 2025 in Books

Happy New Year! Here's a look at my reading stats and favorite reads of 2025.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#2025wrapped #booksky #reading #bookreviews

Persuasion by Jane Austen A Novel

Last but not least is Persuasion! If you, like me, love a man who yearns, this is the book for you!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#persuasion #janeausten #penguinclassics #250anniversary

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen A Novel

Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate! As a present, I've got a review of my favorite Jane Austen novel, Northanger Abbey!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#janeausten #northangerabbey #penguinclassics #250anniversary

Emma by Jane Austen A Novel

Today is actually our girl Jane's birthday! Emma remains my least favorite of Austen's novels, but it still has its moments.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#emma #janeausten #classics #bookstagram

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen A Novel

I hadn't previously read Mansfield Park before, and it's not my favorite Austen, but with the holidays approaching, I'm about to have my Fanny Price moment sitting in silent judgement of others.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#mansfieldpark #janeausten #fannyprice #booksky

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen A Novel

Pride and Prejudice is maybe the best known of Austen's works!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#janeausten #prideandpredjudice #bookstagram #250anniversary

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen A Novel

Here's my first review for Jane Austen month! I hadn't read Sense and Sensibility before and I loved it.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#janeausten #senseandsensibility #250anniversary #bookstagram

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén A Novel

This book is an emotional tour de force about the complex and rewarding relationships a person encounters in a lifetime--both human and animal.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#whenthecranesflysouth #fiction #bookstagram #teamprh

Come See Me in the Good Light A Documentary

Get your tissues ready before you watch this absolutely stunning documentary about poet Andrea Gibson!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#comeseemeinthegoodlight #andreagibson #poetry #documentary #booksky

The Lilac People by Milo Todd A Novel

This emotionally complex book looks at the lives of transgender folks before and after World War II in Germany.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#thelilacpeople #5starreview #historicalfiction #queerhistory #community #fiction #bookstagram

Some More West Virginia Independent Bookstores In October, I took a week off from work and spent four days driving around the great state of West Virginia.

I recently got to do some traveling around West Virginia and I visited some new independent bookstores!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#almostheaven #visitwv #independentbookstore #bookstagram

Charlotte, North Carolina Area Bookstores My husband and I took a trip to Charlotte, NC last weekend to see The B-52s and DEVO in The Cosmic De-Evolution Tour.

Last weekend, I took a trip to Charlotte. The trip didn't exactly go as planned, but I still got to go to two awesome bookstores!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#independentbookstore #northcarolina #clt #booksky

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens A Novel

This romance combines a spicy love story with a paranormal mystery. It's the perfect October romance.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#ifistoppedhauntingyou #colbywilkens #fiction #romancebooks #paranormal #mystery #scotland #booksky #ghosts

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White A Novel

I loved this YA thriller that talks about identity, community, and labor history set in West Virginia!

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#compoundfracture #ya #thriller #westvirginia #history #minewars #translivesmatter🏳️‍⚧️ #autismacceptance #booksky

Blennerhassett Island Books and Candlelight Tour I got a ticket to go to the annual Harvest Dinner and Candlelight tour at Blennerhassett Island this year, so I decided to do a little reading about the island before my visit.

I went to the Blennerhassett Island Candlelight Tour and Harvest Dinner so I did a little reading about the history of the island before I went.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#blennerhassettisland #history #westvirginia #aaronburr #nonfictionreads #booksky

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline A Novel

I've been seeing this book on a lot of Best of Indigenous Horror lists, so I had to pull it off my TBR. This is a chilling tale about a woman trying to get her husband back and the Métis stories about the Rougarou.

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#cheriedimaline #booksky

The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins A Novel

Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear? This book asks, "Why not both?"

Read about it here: open.substack.com/pub/theresti...

#thewoodsarealwayswatching #stephanieperkins #fiction #ya #horror #thriller #booksky