The Pen and Book Files

  I don’t run fifty miles an hour. it’s not within the limits of my machinery. drop straining my limbs to your pace before I break again. the replacement parts weren’t an instant fit, but they were made with joy and love. I can tell myself the truth that I can live. Formed of words, the ghosts shake and fall apart.

  “In smooth, methodical prose, Broad tells the story of self-discovery across the ocean and finding your voice. Unique and alluring.” A small store in Barcelona, smaller than an apartment yet crowded in among countless other buildings. With the intention of showcasing authentic Japanese culture in a space 10 thousand kilometers from Tokyo, Satori is a store which makes the most of its limited space. Books about Japanese culture lined one wall, most in Spanish but with a few Catalan books in between. As appealing as those bound works appeared to be, for an American tourist who didn’t speak much Spanish, they were far out of my reach.  On the opposite wall, stacked upon each other with all the organization of mismatched brick, was a small pile of English books. From the stack, I picked out Abroad in Japan, intrigued by the words written across the top. That classic phrase, which had accomplished its intended purpose by luring me in by promising the text within its pages was wor...

  "An enemies-to-lovers romance with neurodivergent characters that voices the struggles of opening oneself up to love. A vivid depiction of living as both queer and neurodivergent, and a triumph. I'll be re-reading it forever." It's rare that I pick up a book and know from that instant, this is meant for me. This is meant to be in my hands. Wandering through Barnes & Noble for airport reading material at the close of Pride Month, I spotted Late Bloomer on a small display surrounded by other LGBTQ+ works. I was a late bloomer growing up, so the novel's title incurred thoughts of periods despite the flowers liberally placed throughout the cover. (This is a normal association for my neurodivergent brain.)  After reading the summary, I was even more intrigued. The comic-style cover, combined with the opening line and something that I couldn't quite place, had wrapped a rope around my middle and was pulling me inward. A subtle siren's call, without the lif...