by Kristin A. Oakley | Aug 18, 2025 | Books and Movies, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter, Writer's Book Club
I’ve recently discovered Blake Crouch and his sci-fi, dystopian novels including Dark Matter and Recursion, so I went looking for more of his work and discovered Pines. The first book in the Wayward Pines Trilogy, this novel had me hooked the minute I started...
by Kristin A. Oakley | Jul 20, 2025 | Books and Movies, Newsletter, Writer's Book Club
As a big Hunger Games fan, I was looking forward to Suzanne Collins’ latest addition to the series, Sunrise on the Reaping. The first book, The Hunger Games, is so well written, I refer to it often in my Crafting Unforgettable Characters workshop. Honestly, I...
by Kristin A. Oakley | Jul 6, 2025 | Books and Movies, Conferences, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter, Writing Life
Kristin celebrating with her new neighbors June was a whirlwind of “life getting in the way” of writing, making me neglect both my book and newsletter. Buying and moving into a brand new condo will do that to you. But my daughter and I have finished...
by Kristin A. Oakley | Jun 8, 2025 | Books and Movies, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter
Philip K. Dick is one of the best, if not the best, science fiction writers, so why has it taken me so long to discover he’s the creative genius behind many movies I love? No idea. But after listening to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (here’s my...
by Kristin A. Oakley | May 5, 2025 | Books and Movies, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter, Writer's Book Club
For this month’s Writer’s Book Club, I enjoyed listening to the audio version of Shelby Van Pelt’s charming novel Remarkably Bright Creatures (narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie). Then, halfway through the book, I didn’t want to keep...
by Kristin A. Oakley | Dec 6, 2024 | Books and Movies, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter
Here are my favorite books, games, and present ideas for the 2024 holidays. My favorite books of 2024 Tana French’s The Searcher and The Hunter – murder mysteries involving a Chicago cop who retired to Ireland. These books have well-developed...
