Category: review
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5-star reads from 2025
Let’s take a look at what I read in 2025. According to Goodreads, I read more than 15,500 pages in published books. I say published books because I also read unsolicited submissions for Parisian Phoenix and piles of pages for editing and critique. The shortest book I read was Exactly how I Promote and Sell…
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What I’m reading
Not including manuscripts we are publishing, I finished I’m currently reading I’m currently editing
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A holiday wish for our intern
This semester, I had the joy of working with intern Emily Lichius from Eastern University. Internships are a necessary evil in our society— with young people needing experience and not having opportunities like apprenticeships for tradespeople that offer it. We have a ridiculously expensive educational system that doesn’t really provide much in the way…
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Best Christmas Pageant Ever
On Tuesday, Parisian Phoenix joined other Made in the Lehigh Valley vendors attending the Friends of Pete networking event/holiday party in Fogelsville, Pa. Of course, between that and the recent cold and snow, I am pondering books and the holidays. In our house, I always encouraged the reading of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.…
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What I am reading
Last year, I read at least 80 books. (I also spent $5,000 on books in 2024, which was shocking to realize.) I balance the titles I chose to read among many categories. I rotate between small press and independent authors who I meet. I regularly pick something popular; I just…
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Drag Culture and Existentialism
Now, if Existentialist explores the meaninglessness of existence, (I talked about Existentialism yesterday) I would propose that drag culture celebrates our existence in every form and every nuance. Both Existentialism and Drag Culture force us to explore and critique society’s values, but wheres Existentialists are rather sullen about their conclusions, drag culture…
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For the love of airplanes and travel… part 2
Early aviation and romance Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote the wonderful illustrated story, The Little Prince, but is also one of the 20th Century’s most daring aviators. He disappeared in flight during World War II. He wrote and he flew, and the two arts fed each other. Before his renowned novella, he…
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Bookstore Review: A visit to C. Simpson
I have mixed feelings about used book shops. They are often dusty and cause issues with my allergies. They are sometimes disorganized or have vague pricing policies. So, I don’t often stop at random used book shops. But I have seen C. Simpson Used Books in Gilbert, Pa., on Route…
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