iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

this novel is going on my Best Writing of 2026 list, no question. i cannot recommend highly enough bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/08/unpr...

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Unprecedented Times by Malavika Kannan

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

upside: tamora pierce's Tempests and Slaughter scratched the same itch as rothfuss's Doors of Stone will. (if it is ever released) downside: the sequel to Tempests and Slaughter is also to this date unreleased. (we are cursed) bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/05/temp... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

what other thrillers fit this bill? this has been my favorite genre recently & i would love more recs! #booksky

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

sure, thrillers are about the thrill, but the really good ones are actually about the protagonist's very damaged psyche. see: sharp objects by gillian flynn. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/05/shar...

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

why do metafictions always, always flop at the end? even when they're otherwise excellent books? case in point: percival everett's Erasure bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/05/eras...

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Erasure by Percival Everett

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

my broken language took me by surprise & is now one of my favorite memoirs i’ve ever read?? its about language & life, and also thinks about art so beautifully. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-b...

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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Reposted by ella kirshbaum

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 25/03/2026

When movies were shot on physical film, the film was measured in feet. This is why any recorded thing is now called ‘footage.'

185119911584

ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

if you need some sweet, fluffy, well-executed escapist fantasy, here she is bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/03/pala... #booksky @tkingfisher.com

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

why is every Alex Michaelides book after The Silent Patient just a little bit less excellent than The Silent Patient? his newest book was fun, but i had higher hopes. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

if you have not read If Beale Street Could Talk, please put down whatever less-excellent book you might be reading and read it immediately. Baldwin is magic; this book is magic. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/03/if-b... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

ironically, Hell of a Book failed to be a hell of a book in the end—why does metafiction always fail in its conclusion? bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/02/hell... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

should i be concerned that samuel beckett's Murphy is extremely relatable? maybe! bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/02/murp... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Murphy by Samuel Beckett

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

i can't believe i'm the one saying this (you could not pay me enough to convince me to do math most days) but shakespeare's King Lear is a fascinatingly mathematical play bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/02/king...

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

King Lear by William Shakespeare

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

can someone convince me that i should have liked Virginia Woolf's novel To The Lighthouse? because everyone talks about it so glowingly but i just. could not. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/02/to-l... #booksky #classics

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

why do i keep taking classes that make me read Oedipus Rex? somebody save me pleaseee i hope i never have to read it again, but also—we already know Oedipus is a killer; why does it only become a problem when he realizes his victim was his dad? bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/02/oedi... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Oedipus the King by Sophocles

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

is anyone searching desperately for a short, escapist novel so they can stop thinking about the world for two seconds? here's my pitch. (yes, it inspired the movie. no, it's nothing like the movie.) bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/02/anni... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Southern Reach # 1)

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

ooh thank you that's such a compelling title too

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

can anyone recommend a *very good* ann patchett to me? i read Tom Lake and was underwhelmed, but i've heard such good things i want to give her another try bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/01/tom-... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Tom Lake by Anne Patchett

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

i picked up Disappoint Me by chance in a bookstore, and was blown away within the first pages by how strong the narrative voice is bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/01/disa... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

i was NOT expecting to love Anna Karenina this much. if you haven't read it, i would recommend adding it to the top of your list bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/01/anna... #booksky #classic

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

(but also according to online discourse, the lowell blair abridged edition is the one to read if you're not prepared to sit through the entire full-length novel/translation) (i'm not mad that i read the abridged) (i felt like it worked quite well)

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

(although, fun fact, apparently the actual book is like 4,000 pages long; after finishing the novel i was clued in to the fact that i had actually read an abridged version, which clocked in at a reasonable 525 pages)

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

i love getting pleasantly surprised by a classic—The Count of Monte Cristo was so exciting?? as long as i was able to tune out all of the patriarchal classist weirdness, i was on the edge of my seat through every page bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Book by Book: 365 Days of Reading

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

was the movie or the book better? usually i think the answer to this question is very clear, but in the case of Hamnet, i'm not so sure. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2026/01/hamn... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

if anyone is looking for a good way to dip their toe into theory surrounding modern-day criticism, i highly recommend this book. it's both broadly intelligent and gloriously scathing: bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/auth... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Authority by Andrea Long Chu

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

for all i'd heard about A Room of One's Own, it honestly doesn't seem to be worth its page count. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-ro... #booksky #classics

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

"The girl had nothing on under her shirt. Her skin was pleasantly sunburned and her shoulders and fine breasts shone with health ... the impression of a healthy animal peasant girl was heightened by the chunky hips ..." um. help. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/from... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

From Russia, With Love by Ian Fleming (James Bond # 5)

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

i had some issues with this novel (horror is not at its best when it's purely overt commentary!!) but for being a book about sexism written by a man, i was quite impressed bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-... #booksky #horrorsky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

if you haven't read barbara kingsolver's Demon Copperhead, you're missing out on a dickens retelling, a story of love and family and opioid addiction, and one of the most charming and compelling narrators i've ever read. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/demo... #booksky #classics

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

y'all if you haven't read The Scar by china miéville, you need to get on it—there's a giant pirate city, a whole slough of badass protagonists, an island populated by deadly bloodsucking mosquito women, and a very very big fish. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-... #booksky #linguistics

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

The Scar by China Miéville

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

for all the readers who love a good book-within-a-book situation, i highly recommend you check out The History of Love bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

i'm not sure if i would consider isabel allende's novel Maya's Notebook to be true YA, but it was certainly a compelling read. for allende fans interested in seeing her do something new, i highly recommend you check this book out. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/maya... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

if you love toni morrison's Beloved, i highly recommend you read maggie stiefvater's The Raven Cycle series. the series' second book, The Dream Thieves, is both lovely & similar in a lot of interesting ways bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle # 2)

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

i think we would all be a lot better off if we were reading more books by aging women about aging women. isabel allende's The Japanese Lover is a great place to start. bookbybook365.blogspot.com #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Book by Book: 365 Days of Reading

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

for anyone who has audible and likes metafiction or thought experiments in pretty packages: you should absolutely listen to the audioplay of david henry hwang's "yellow face." it's incredible, and very thought-provoking. bookbybook365.blogspot.com #booksky #theater

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Book by Book: 365 Days of Reading

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

what is your favorite poe story? i (re)read & reviewed half a dozen of my favorites this weekend, but i'm ready to branch out. give me your recs!! bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/11/asso... #booksky #horror

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Assorted Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe, read by Basil Rathbone

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

ooh good question! zora neal hurston's "their eyes were watching god" is amazing, and for something a little more ... peculiar, i was fascinated by john berendt's "midnight in the garden of good and evil" bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2024/04/thei... bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/05/midn...

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

is Toni Morrison's novel Beloved a gothic novel? no. is it a southern gothic? absolutely. bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/11/belo... #booksky #ghosts #gothic #classic

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Beloved by Toni Morrison

book, book review, books, reading, reader

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

definitely not for everyone! but as far as the romance/fantasy genre goes, this one is quite good i think. if you want a truly heinous romance let me know; i’ve read my fair share of clunkers

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

it’s definitely not YA!! it follows a similar moral logic/plot structure, but it’s very much adult romance haha i promise

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

even if Fourth Wing is basically just a genre-bent, aged-up Divergent, it's still an impressively fun read bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/11/four... #booksky #romantasy #romance #fantasy

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

what makes a good middle grade novel? i think kelly yang's Front Desk is a pretty solid example of one bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/10/fron... #booksky #middlegrade #readers #fiction

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

i love when people set vaguely gothic stories in unconventional places—case in point: this book, where instead of a gothic manor it's a very very creepy island bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/09/wild... #booksky

bookbybook365.blogspot.com

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

(i did, in fact, try to pin it down)

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ella kirshbaum @ella-celeste.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

The Raven Boys is a beautiful book, but the plot structure is surprisingly hard to pin down bookbybook365.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-... #booksky #trc #ya

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The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

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