The Search for Identity in Coming-of-Age Novels: 20 Authors Who Did It Best

Hot Take: I Hate Jane Austen (& 5 Female Authors I'd Read Instead)

Is Jane Austen one of the greatest novelists of all time... or one of the most overrated? In this episode, I'm sharing what may be my most controversial literary opinion yet: I simply don't enjoy Jane Austen's novels. From Pride and Prejudice to Northanger Abbey and my abandoned attempt at Emma, I discuss why Austen's writing has never resonated with me, despite her immense influence on English literature. I'll also share five female authors whose work I personally find richer, more compelling, and ultimately more rewarding. Whether you're a devoted Austen fan or someone who's always wondered what all the fuss is about, pull up a chair by the fire and join the conversation. I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts.

On Emerson, Nature, and the Search for God

*Correction: I meant to use the word "fallible" in this discussion, not "infallible." What if the divine isn't found only in churches, sacred texts, or religious rituals, but also in the quiet of the woods, the voice of your own conscience, and the beauty of the everyday? In this episode, we explore the thought of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalist movement, tracing their vision of a spirituality rooted in nature, intuition, and the inherent worth of every human soul. We'll unpack ideas like the Over-Soul, self-reliance, and the sacredness of the natural world, while considering what Emerson's essays can still teach us about faith, meaning, and our relationship with the divine today.

The Duty to the Self vs. The Duty to Others: The Awakening

In this episode, we unpack the themes of love, identity, and the tension between selfhood and responsibility in The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Is fulfillment found in others, or in devotion to the self? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between.

Where Conviction, Justice, and Fate Collide: Lessons from Greek Tragedy

In this episode of Fireside Lit, we explore some of the common themes across Greek tragedy, as emphasized by playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and discuss how these themes or "lessons" are still applicable to modern life.

The Search for Identity in Coming-of-Age Novels: 20 Authors Who Did It Best

Join us by the fire as we discuss some of the best, most impactful, and influential authors who have contributed to the YA/coming-of-age genre through the years. We'll also discuss some of their most memorable books, taking a stroll down memory lane to literature that shaped us as we grew up.