Laura M.

Project Songbird: past the midpoint!

Seven days back to writing fitness: a writing experiment set up to get me back in the swing of writing and to make some progress through my novel.

Book Review: Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi

Piranesi, Susanna Clarke’s long awaited second book, is a confusing but deft work of literary fiction. This review discusses some of its merits without giving the game away.

Book review: Octavia Butler’s Dawn

This book review discusses Octavia E. Butler’s novel, Dawn (book one of the Xenogenesis trilogy). The novel deals with challenges of being human/posthuman and constructions of otherness.

Project Songbird: jumpstarting the car

In this blog, I give a short update on my progress for my novel project. I’m really glad I’m back on track, or on the way to being on track.

On period dramas: corsets, culture and the stories we tell

I think through some reasons we love a good period drama, including the glitz, glam and romance, while also considering some more problematic elements of period dramas, and why the stories we tell matter.

New year, setting goals and being better

In the spirit of the season, I write about why I find new year’s resolutions challenging (because I love a good sweeping goal), and how I’m working towards kinder, more malleable targets this year.

I should really know by now

I struggled with setting some goals during the November lockdown, and consider the challenges of being an achievement-driven person who needs to acclimatise to not reaching every goal she sets.

November Poetry – Week 1

First Today’s the day that we celebrate youThe special man who you’ve grown to beI’ve never known you to blossom like this under all the attention Maybe this weird year’s been differentAnd you’re leaning into it because of the distance that you’ve never had between you and loved ones, while celebrating,before. I hope, my loveYouContinue reading “November Poetry – Week 1”

Book Review: Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men

After having finished the behemoth that was Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (see review here), and accidentally on purpose binging some kinda spooky Netflix (nothing really terrible, just the TV show, Whitechapel, which I enjoyed but was disappointed in the ending of it – could have been better wrapped, but I understand it was notContinue reading “Book Review: Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men”

Book review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

It has taken me so long to finish this. Really. It was given to me as a birthday present in May, and I think I started reading it in July-ish (if my Goodreads start date is accurate, which I think it might be here). I finished earlier today. It is slowwwwww going. Very interesting, butContinue reading “Book review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell”