Book Talk: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

In Conversations with Friends, Rooney introduces us to Frances, a stoic 21-year-old college student and poet in Dublin. Her only close friend is the ever-boisterous Bobbi; they used to date, but now don’t. Still, their lives are intertwined, particularly by the spoken word poetry that they perform together. It is through this poetry that they meet an older couple, Melissa and Nick, who begin to shift the balance of their friendship. As Bobbi is drawn in by Melissa, Frances gravitates towards Nick, who offers a sense of calm and fulfillment she craves. As the plot unfolds, the characters act in ways you might not expect.

Book Talk: The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

I wanted to love this YA novel. Look at it! It’s beautiful and the premise is something I’d jump to read. Once you open the pages and dig in, however, you might find yourself wishing it were more.

Book Talk: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

If you enjoy creepy murder mysteries and psychological thrillers then you’ll probably like Sharp Objects. I took this photo right before a red-eye flight a few weeks back, then proceeded to finish it on the plane when I definitely should have been sleeping. Oops.

The Regrettes Are the Perfect Teen Band for People Who Don’t Like Teen Bands

There is nothing like a bunch o’ kids who love to rock.

I found out about The Regrettes when their album Feel Your Feelings Fool! was released early this year and they’ve been in my regular rotation for the past few months. They’re a young band—the lead singer, Lydia Night, is just 16 years old, and her band-mates are only a couple of years older—but they’ve managed to pump out a well-rounded album that’s filled to the brim with dance-worthy pop-punk tracks.

In a Pinch: How to Make a Simple Envelope From Scratch

I’ve been relatively crafty since I was a kid. I went through painting phases, beading phases, pottery phases, collaging phases—you name it, if it involved art supplies, I probably tried it. So creating things from scratch was a skill I developed early on and sometimes take for granted today.