The Best & Worst Fictional Characters to Invite to Your Book Club

October 9, 2022October 9, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

Because I participate at varying levels of involvement in online fandoms for several franchises/media works, I often see fans posing questions like "who would win in a fight, [insert character] or [insert other character]?" Basically, discussions that are overwhelmingly concerned with powerscaling and/or combat skills as if they're playing League of Legends or something. Like … Continue reading The Best & Worst Fictional Characters to Invite to Your Book Club

What Makes a Good Vacation Read?

July 28, 2022July 28, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

It is the middle of summer and many of us are travelling–or dreaming of travelling!–and looking for a good book to read on the plane or the train, on the beach or by the pool, or an audiobook for that family road trip. But what exactly do we look for in a vacation read? Do … Continue reading What Makes a Good Vacation Read?

Un-Persuaded: Who is the Real Anne Elliot?

July 15, 2022July 15, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ 1 Comment

I’ve always had a harder time with Persuasion than other Austen novels. Every time I reread it, I get this sense that Anne has been placed in this box by everyone around her, by her society and time, and even by the narrative itself, and she can’t break out. It frustrated me because I could … Continue reading Un-Persuaded: Who is the Real Anne Elliot?

So You Want to Watch Star Wars? Here’s What (I Think) You Should Watch First

June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

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

February 20, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

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

November 30, 2021November 30, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ 1 Comment

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

November 24, 2021November 23, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

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

October 3, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ 1 Comment

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???

September 29, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ 4 Comments

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

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ 2 Comments

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