Tag: novel

Winner of Reviewers’ Choice Award

Excited to share that my novel The Warmth of Ashes is one of the winners in the Fantasy category of the 2024 Nerdection Reviewers’ Choice Awards! 

The reviewer, Georgia, wrote a lovely blurb:

The Warmth of Ashes sees multiple characters experiencing similar dilemmas. The raw emotionality of characters doing the best that they can, believing that they are making the best decisions that they can, either for the masses and strangers, or for themselves and the ones they love, builds an incredible suspense.

 

Read the full review

Get the book on Amazon

The Warmth of Ashes

My science-fantasy novel The Warmth of Ashes is available on Amazon!

The Warmth of Ashes is a science-fantasy family drama and coming-of-age story that will appeal to fans of Kamilah Cole’s So Let Them Burn and Caroline O’Donoghue’s All Our Hidden Gifts.

Maka Garrett has no hope of getting accepted to the Royal Institute. What would the prestigious academy for Ensom’s most powerful citizens need with a blind 17-year-old aura reader? She’s as ordinary as extraordinary gets, much to the disappointment of her mother Helen, who was banned from the Institute years ago despite her godlike ability to control the wind.

And yet, it’s Helen who insists that Maka apply.

Professor Soren Harkonen is furious that Maka even shows up to the interview, though she appears unaware that her mother is plotting revenge against him. He ruined Helen’s life to save his boyfriend and he’d do it again without hesitation. Despite Soren’s best efforts, Maka is accepted to the Institute when it’s discovered that her ability to read and extract the auras of books can be used to manipulate people.

Maka is as reluctant to learn to wield this power as Soren is to teach her, but neither have a choice — the Queen demands a well-trained arsenal. Because discontent has been brewing since the volcano at the heart of Ensom erupted ten years ago. An extremist group is claiming that the island only survived due to a deal the monarchy made with the devil. And the people, still poisoned by the ashes, are starting to listen.

When Maka’s ability suddenly evolves into something far more dangerous, she not only becomes the most terrifying student in school but a crucial pawn in the clash between the Queen and the extremists — as well as the key to Soren and his boyfriend’s freedom.

That is, if Helen doesn’t convince Maka to destroy them first.

As Maka unravels the horrifying truth about what happened when the volcano erupted, she learns that no one is innocent. And in the end, she will be forced to make a harrowing choice: save her mother or save the island.

“Falling Man” & Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese

Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my review of Don DeLillo’s difficult novel Falling Man.

Here’s a snippet of my piece:

Falling Man further illustrated that crater, deftly weaving in the perspectives of those who were on the ground and those who were thousands of miles away, the arguments about ideology, the suddenly nationalistic foreign policy decisions, and the secondhand implications the attacks had on children like me. One of the things that struck me most was how DeLillo managed to capture how this national tragedy trickled down to impact the minutiae of a single family’s lives: the decisions and uncertainties that make up our every day that suddenly become frivolous and absurd, and yet we must somehow go on with them because they are our ties to the world before everything changed.

I did know this before reading Falling Man, but I didn’t quite feel this. Lianne’s complicated emotions for her ex-husband – who survives the towers and returns to stay with her and their son – are blurred at times and jagged at others as 9/11 brings them back together and pushes them apart. Although an emotionally difficult and messily human story, Falling Man is worth the time and the tears, especially for anyone who keeps a piece of their heart in New York City. To quote Lianne reappropriating a haiku: “Even in New York — I long for New York.”

You can read the rest of my article and discover my new favourite grilled cheese recipe HERE.

PAPER/PLATES is an awesome blog run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books. So make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

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“The Lacuna” & Pan Dulce

Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my review of Barbara Kingsolver’s luxurious novel The Lacuna.

Here’s a snippet of my piece:

The Lacuna doesn’t read like historical fiction, but it is a lush exploration of how momentous events like World War II and the Cold War impacted the lives of everyday individuals. It’s one thing to learn from a textbook that the fear of Communism pushed the U.S. to unfairly persecute foreigners, but when it starts happening to Shepherd, who you as a reader know intimately after several hundred pages, you feel the tragedies of history with a fresh pang.

Like I said, I love serendipitously finding the perfect book. The Lacuna is a luxurious examination of two themes very close to my heart: the impact of words and a writer’s inability to not write, as well as the infinite questions of identity that come with belonging, soul and citizenship, to more than one country.

You can read the rest of my article and explore my attempt at Pan Dulce HERE.

PAPER/PLATES is an awesome blog run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books. So make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

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“Property Of” by Alice Hoffman & Crunchy Honey Nut Granola

Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my review of Alice Hoffman’s very first published novel Property Of.

Here’s a snippet of my piece:

As a person still working on her first novel, I’ve recently become curious about the first publications of my favorite authors. The evolutions in their writing are fascinating, as are the themes that some writers just can’t seem to let go of – like Kazuo Ishiguro with memory or Amy Tan with Chinese family politics.

Alice Hoffman gained international fame with Practical Magic (which I adore) and though her first novel Property Of is very different in style and tone, you can see the fresh shoots of themes she later returns to over and over again: the tensile nature of women’s strength and a fairytale-like focus on characters dabbling with gritty or suburban forms of magic.

You can read the rest of my article and explore my addictive granola recipe HERE.

PAPER/PLATES is an awesome blog run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books. So make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

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“Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage” & Orange Endive Salad

Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my review of Haruki Murakami’s latest novel Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.

Here’s a snippet of my piece:

True to his name, Tsukuru becomes an engineer with a focus on railroad stations, but it’s only when his girlfriend urges him to untangle the emotional knots left by his past that he decides to find his colorful friends and learn what happened. While I was as eager as Tsukuru to uncover the mystery, Murakami is a master of reminding us that no matter how many questions we ask, we can never really know everything about people, even those we consider closest to us.

You can read the rest of my article and explore my tasty winter salad recipe HERE.

PAPER/PLATES is an awesome blog run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books. So make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

Paper Plates updated logo

“The Secret History” & Il Palio Cocktails

Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my review of Donna Tartt’s ice cold novel The Secret History.

Here’s a snippet of my piece:

A gift from a friend, The Secret History did what any great thriller does: kept me glued until the last page. It’s unconventional in its telling, as we know from the very beginning who did it and how. What drives the reader’s curiosity is the search for answers to more complicated questions like “Why?” and “What Now?”

More than a mere mystery, though, Tartt’s novel is a gorgeous exploration of the emotional ride of being a college freshman: that longing to escape where you came from and that desperation to belong to some more divine social group.

You can read the rest of my article and discover why I paired The Secret History with a recipe for Il Palio cocktails HERE.

PAPER/PLATES is an awesome blog run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books. So make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

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“A Single Man” & Baja Fish Tacos

Woo! Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my review of Christopher Isherwood’s short novel A Single Man, which is 50 years old this year and still incredibly meaningful.

Here’s a snippet of my piece:

George not only faces the challenges of an expat but, due to his sexuality, he also has a much smaller pool of people he can trust with his true self. It’s akin to speaking a foreign language well enough for day-to-day interactions but not for communicating deep feelings or complex thoughts. You get along with the people around you but you are forever dogged by the knowledge that their impression of you is incomplete, that you have yet to find a way to say exactly what you’re thinking, and that you have no idea how they would respond even if you did.

You can read the rest of my article and discover why I paired A Single Man with a recipe for Baja Fish Tacos HERE.

PAPER/PLATES is an awesome blog run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books. So make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

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“The Cave” & Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cookies

Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my piece about Portuguese Nobel laureate José Saramago’s novel The Cave and why it inspired me to make peanut butter filled chocolate cookies. PAPER/PLATES is run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books.

Here’s a snippet of my post:

Reading The Cave is a very tactile experience. Since pottery is a key centerpiece of the novel, I knew I wanted to tackle a recipe that involved molding and sculpting material with my hands. However, I also wanted something with layers, as the modest appearance of the story cloaks a more complex exploration of humanity. These peanut butter filled chocolate cookies fit the bill. Much like the art of clay pottery and much like Saramago’s prose, this recipe requires patience and sometimes one or two tries to get down. But it’s hard to deny the satisfaction you feel upon completion. Be warned that these cookies are very rich; you WILL need a glass of milk to wash them down.

You can read the rest of the article and find the delectable cookie recipe HERE.

And make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

PAPER/PLATES

“The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet” & Wasabi Cocktail Sausages

Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my article about The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, the latest novel from David Mitchell (author of Cloud Atlas), and the fusion party food recipe it reminded me of. PAPER/PLATES is run by my friend Amina Elahi and it features book reviews, delicious recipes, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books.

Here’s a snippet of my post:

Mitchell seamlessly alternates between the protagonists’ starkly different perspectives: Jacob’s pious, well-meaning but often clumsy standpoint; Ogawa’s careful balance of personal desires and societal demands; and Orito’s feminine strength and fierce will to survive. The author paints rich pictures of both Dutch and Japanese interpretations of the state of the world in the 18th century, which means one thing: fusion recipe. And since Mitchell doesn’t skimp on the tiny details, I thought something that required a bit of finesse was in order. Dejima was built to constrain foreign traders as part of Japan’s self-imposed isolationist policy, and this recipe delightfully mimics that concept by constraining European sausages in Asian ingredients: wasabi and spring onion.

You can read the rest of the article and find the Wasabi Cocktail Sausages recipe HERE.

And make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

PAPER/PLATES

“Kitchen” & Mom’s Chicken Divan

 

Recently posted over at the super awesome blog PAPER/PLATES is my article about Banana Yoshimoto‘s short novel Kitchen and how it reminds me of my favourite chicken dinner from childhood. PAPER/PLATES is run by my friend Amina Elahi and it features book reviews, delicious recipes, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books.

Here’s a snippet of my post:

What is remarkable about Kitchen is that it manages to explore the many facets of loss without being a depressing story. Grief is revealed to be simple actions and complex reactions. It is depicted as a lingering emotion in a world that eventually succeeds in pulling us forward. It neither validates nor invalidates who we are and what we believe in. Whenever I feel tragedy is overplayed in movies and underplayed in the news, I return to this refreshing reminder that grief is a part of all our lives but it is not the only part.

You can read the rest of the article and find the chicken divan recipe here.

And make sure to check out the rest of the blog too!

PAPER/PLATES