About Victoria Waddle
Victoria Waddle is a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer and has been included in Best Short Stories from The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest. Her books include a collection of feminist short fiction, Acts of Contrition, and a chapbook on grief, The Mortality of Dogs and Humans. Her YA novel about a polygamist cult, Keep Sweet, launches in June 2025. Formerly the managing editor of the journal Inlandia: A Literary Journey and a teacher librarian, she contributes to the Southern California News Group column Literary Journeys. She discusses both writing and library book censorship on her Substack, “Be a Cactus.” Join her there for thoughts on defiant readers and writers as well as for weekly library censorship news.
We’ve got some new books for October reading, and they look great! If the title is hyperlinked, click on it for my review. iDrakula by Bekka Black An updated version of Dracula told through a series of text messages, instant … Continue reading →
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd) Ever since his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatments, Conor has been haunted by nightmares. Just after midnight, at 12:07 AM, a monster enters … Continue reading →
Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow I have several teacher friends and family members who like to make fun of me for being a looney liberal. To avoid the teasing, I’ thought I’d read Drift but … Continue reading →
Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Historical Fiction/Historical Element, Human Rights Issues, Non-fiction
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Tagged Adult books for teens, Afghanistan War, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bosnia, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Iraq War, military power, military service, military spending, privateers, Ronald Reagan, Vietnam War, war
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Many people love dogs, and in the last several years, they’ve realized that they could share that love through books. It’s hard to count the number of books about dogs that have made the bestsellers’ list since Marley and Me … Continue reading →
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry Benny Imura thinks his older half-brother, Tom, is a coward. After all, on First Night, the night when zombies began to reanimate—about 6 billion of them, actually—Tom, who was a young man, grabbed … Continue reading →
Breath by Tim Winton Which risks are worth it? How do you challenge yourself in a way that makes you grow as an individual? That can make you feel alive and so adrenaline-fueled that every day you’re ready and waiting … Continue reading →
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott Deeply disturbing, Living Dead Girl was a novel I couldn’t put down. It’s a quick read—under two hours, but the impact lasts (and maybe the bad dreams do, too). ‘Alice’ is a girl who … Continue reading →
Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall In September 2007, a packed courtroom in St. George, Utah, sat hushed as Elissa Wall, the star witness against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, gave captivating testimony of how Jeffs forced her to marry her … Continue reading →
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin Philosophers tell us that we have the right to work for our own survival. What are the rules about helping others survive? Are we required to do so? Are others required to help … Continue reading →
The List by Siobhan Vivian Every year at Mount Washington High School somebody posts a list of the prettiest and ugliest girls from each grade–this is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, and how they are affected by … Continue reading →
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