reading notes, little fictions, and thoughts from the margins
Welcome to the archive
Bookish Whims is a casual home for reviews, musings, short stories, and whatever else falls out of my brain while I am reading.
Book Reviews
Finished-book reflections, favorite lines, complaints with evidence, and the occasional attempt at a coherent thesis.
Book Musings
Reading moods, genre thoughts, book lists, and the small observations that do not need to become full reviews.
Short Stories
A little cabinet for original fiction: probably few and far between unless I become extremely inspired.
Also around here
Sometimes I will post full reviews. Sometimes I will talk about a book before I know what I think of it. Sometimes I may have a story to share. Let me know what you think!
Latest Posts
-
Earthlings, by Sayaka Murata
This is a book I can’t recommend to anybody I know, because they’ll think I’m crazy. I can’t say I loved it, because that wouldn’t be the right word. I endured this book, but not in a bad way. Earthlings is an experience; my stomach was in knots from the very beginning. Still, it’s one…
-
The Price of Idolization: A review of The Secret History by Donna Tartt
An honest, in-depth The Secret History book review exploring Donna Tartt’s dark academia masterpiece, its unreliable narrator, and the price of aestheticism.
-
May Reading Summary, General Thoughts
Some recent reading thoughts and life events
-
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Finished 5-09-2026 on my couch on a lazy Saturday Rating: 5/5 Forged Introduction Assassins Apprentice is my first foray into the world of Robin Hobb’s writing as the first book in the Realm of the Elderlings universe, and it was long overdue. Fantasy is my favorite genre, but I’ve had a hard time reading it…
-
Thoughts on Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
This won’t be a full review, as this was a very quick impulse read between books for me. Despite my 3-star Goodreads rating, I remember really enjoying Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. It felt impossible not to – it was like listening to a True Crime podcast, except it wasn’t real and much juicier. I’m trying to…