One of the most interesting discussions to me in the Star Wars fandom is in what order one should view Star Wars media. This is kind of a complex question, because there is SO MUCH Star Wars media at this point, really an embarrassment of riches. And it gets more complicated when you are recommending … Continue reading So You Want to Watch Star Wars? Here’s What (I Think) You Should Watch First
The Fantasy of Historical Romance
With a new season of Bridgerton almost upon us, Pop DNA decided to cover the Netflix series and the books it's based on for the month of February. We had my TikTok mutual Sanjana (aka @baskinsuns; check out her BookTok and her Newsletter!) as a guest for one episode to discuss the history of historical … Continue reading The Fantasy of Historical Romance
Guessing These Pop Singers’ Inner Jane Austen Heroines
This idea started, as many things do, with Taylor Swift. As the entire English-speaking world must know by now, Swift recently released her re-recorded version of her 2012 album Red, and it's stirring up some decade-old emotions for all of us. While listening to the 10 minute version of "All Too Well" several times over … Continue reading Guessing These Pop Singers’ Inner Jane Austen Heroines
What Would Elizabeth Bennet Do? Or, How to Kick A** in a Corset
This post is sponsored by Kicking Ass in a Corset by Andrea Kayne, available now wherever books are sold. Have you ever thought about why we all want to be Lizzy Bennet so much? I know I’ve subconsciously (and sometimes intentionally) shaped my personality, and even made decisions, based on my deep emotional connection and … Continue reading What Would Elizabeth Bennet Do? Or, How to Kick A** in a Corset
The Delicate* Feminism of Jane Austen
The title of this post comes from a comment by TikTok user @dramaticsonglyrics on one of my recent videos. I had never heard this phrase before, but thought for sure it must be from a famous quote. But strategic googling shows that, no, in fact, it is not very common. The phrase "delicate feminism" got … Continue reading The Delicate* Feminism of Jane Austen
Where Have I Been???
I suppose I think I can just waltz in here like I own the place and just pretend I haven't been away for... *checks notes* ...eight months? Wow. Ok. But for real, here's a list of things I've been doing: 1. Grad School So, yes, I started grad school back in February, which if you're … Continue reading Where Have I Been???
Fan-Casting WENCH by Maxine Kaplan
This post is part of the Wench blog tour with TBR and Beyond Tours. Be sure to check out the other stops here! And thanks to TBR, NetGalley, and Abrams Books for providing me with an ARC! When I first read the description of Wench, Maxine Kaplan's new YA fantasy novel, my immediate thought was, … Continue reading Fan-Casting WENCH by Maxine Kaplan
Why I’m Not Setting Reading Goals in 2021
Is this post title a little clickbaity? Maaaaaybeeee... Because while I'm not setting a goal for how many books I want to read in 2021, and I'm not going to be a stickler about tracking my reading or making monthly TBRs or anything, I do have some more general or thematic intentions for my reading … Continue reading Why I’m Not Setting Reading Goals in 2021
Jane Austen, Mother of Dragons: A Lady’s Influence in Modern Speculative Fiction
If I could only describe my reading taste in two terms, they would be "Jane Austen" and "fantasy." This is a totally hypothetical and unlikely scenario, but the point is that I love Jane Austen and I love fantasy fiction, almost (well, not really, I'd say about half-way) to the exclusion of any other reading … Continue reading Jane Austen, Mother of Dragons: A Lady’s Influence in Modern Speculative Fiction
Review: Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten
This post is part of a blog tour for St. Martin's Press, who provided me with an advance copy of Tsarina for review. More information on the book and the blog tour can be found at the bottom of this post. My experience with fiction that takes place in Russia basically extends to Katherine Arden's … Continue reading Review: Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten