This book is BEST for those who have never written a résumé before or for those struggling to find a job and need help figuring out why their current résumé isn’t working.

HOWEVER, I read the 4th edition (which was published in 2010) and some of the information included is VERY dated. As someone with quite a bit of hiring experience from the employer’s side (from hiring and interview committees to professional résumé critiques) much of the information is no longer as relevant as it was 10 years ago. The job market has changed drastically since the 4th edition came out and what is now considered “preferred” has also changed.

After a brief internet search it appears this book hasn’t been updated since 2010, so use it as a starting place to revise your résumé but be aware not everything may be accurate. The strongest parts of this book include: picking keywords, writing concise and informative copy, organizing résumé sections, and lots of generalized examples for traditional 9-5 jobs.

If you like 1) fiction writing, 2) language in general, or 3) statistics you will probably enjoy this book. I, for one, found this book fascinating and can't wait to apply some of the same tests Blatt used to my own writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Gobblin’ Society was a disappointing read for me, primarily since I felt the synopsis (at the time of this review) was misleading. As the eleventh addition to Blaylock’s Narbondo series, the author is talented at creating atmosphere with his prose and, for those interested, it can be read as a standalone.

However, I did not find this novella to be “often quite funny” or a “thorough delight to read” primarily because of the gruesome descriptions of cannibalism with little to no humor to balance the story. I thought I had thoroughly researched the previous books in this series before requesting this novella from NetGalley, but apparently the ‘off-screen’ violence mentioned in other reviews was not carried through to this tale.

Although I did not enjoy this novella, thank you again to NetGalley and Subterranean for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

3.5/5 stars

I discovered this book through Megan Tennant's #indiecember and finally had a chance to pick it up. It was an enjoyable read and a decent debut novel; however, it could really benefit from a copyedit.

This was one of those impulse books I took a chance on at the library, and I’m so glad I did: this was an incredible book. In essence, the entire book is about memory and how learn in ways that are more efficient, effective, and engaging. Fluent Forever is full of helpful resources and examples and is something I will definitely be adding to my personal collection. I’ve used what I’ve learned in this book to redesign my language-learning routine and am so far quite pleased (my current routine involves brushing up on a language I used to be proficient in, gaining proficiency in a self-taught language, and starting a brand-new language).

While it’s geared towards language-learning, I would also recommend this book to anyone needing tricks to memorize material for schoolwork and other courses.

I remember this case when it happened. I read about it in the news. I remember being disgusted at the fact how rapist Brock Turner was always described in terms of his lost potential while every minute aspect about the victim was scrutinized and shamed online.

I remember reading Chanel’s victim impact statement on my computer and being unable to stop crying. I had never experienced even a tenth of what Chanel had endured, but she is such a powerful writer it was impossible not to empathize with her and be horrified at the lack of justice this trial received (Brock’s initial sentencing of 6 months - or, really, 3 months because of “good” behavior - was a slap in the face to women everywhere).

Flash forward to September of 2019, when I discovered Chanel had created a public Instagram account. Of course I followed her immediately - she’s just as talented at drawing as she is with words (if you don’t follow her on Instagram, I highly recommend that you do). Reading her posts brings me a sense of calm and hope: they are a reminder of the beauty in this world and that while your obstacles might be different, you too can overcome them.

I waited to read Chanel’s book, however, because I knew this would be so emotionally difficult for me to get through. Her victim impact statement had already managed to create such emotional turmoil when I read it - how could I manage through an entire book? Finally, I started out with the audiobook, which is read by the author and is EXCELLENT. However, the audiobook was too much for me to handle and I switched to reading the book by the third chapter.

Even though it was difficult (and my emotions ranged from sad to angry to frustrated), it is definitely worth reading. We, as a society, have already done better since 2015 but there is still so much more we can (and should) do.

I am so happy Chanel has been able to find her voice again and that she’s chosen to share it with the world. She’s brave, powerful, eloquent, intelligent, and totally incredible to boot.

Chanel, thank you.


One last thing: a note on the book cover. The cover represents the Japanese art of kintsugi which is the practice of mending broken pottery with powdered gold and lacquer. This technique celebrates healing and is a beautiful detail to include.