by Esther Scherpenisse | J Sep 2025 | No category
Everyone has them—books that don’t wear out. The evergreens you can pluck off the shelf, open halfway through, and instantly drop back into, as if you’d been reading from the start. They are different for everyone, but these are mine, in no particular order. Stephen...
by Esther Scherpenisse | J Sep 2025 | No category
Some magic systems make your head spin with rules. Others drift more like a feeling—quiet, atmospheric, and hard to pin down. As a reader, I enjoy both. But the ones that stay with me, the ones that feel real, all have one thing in common: they mean something....
by Esther Scherpenisse | J Aug 2025 | No category
I read a book recently where the so-called “morally gray” love interest made me want to root for a potted plant over him. He was creepy, stalkerish, and every time he showed up, it set my teeth on edge. (No, I won’t name names.) The wild part? He was meant...
by Esther Scherpenisse | J Jul 2025 | No category
Every story is about something. That might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often I come across stories that feel like they’re not. Especially in writing contests, where I have at times helped judge entries, I still encounter that rare breed of story...
by Esther Scherpenisse | J Jul 2025 | No category
In the corner of my living room stands an old wooden barrel filled with books I mean to read. Some of them have been waiting there for years, gathering dust so thick I could probably carbon date it. The bright, shiny covers get pulled out first. The dull, beige...
by Esther Scherpenisse | J Jun 2025 | No category
You’ve probably had this happen: you pick up a book with a great premise. The world sounds cool, the main character has a tragic backstory and a sword, the stakes are high. You start reading… and something just feels off. You can’t put your finger on it, but the...
