by Kelly K. Branyik | Jan 5, 2026 | Book Reviews
What is Yellowface About? Authors Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena is a literary darling while June is a nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls?, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak...
by Kelly K. Branyik | Dec 29, 2025 | Book Reviews
What is Dark Matter About? A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy. Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace...
by Kelly K. Branyik | Dec 13, 2025 | Short Stories, Writing
Sensitive Note: Story contains mentions of death and starvation. Originally posted on Reedsy Prompts. “Water signifies Spirit and cleansing,” her father said, pouring warm, clary sage-infused water over her hand from a silver pitcher. The extra liquid trickled like a...
by Kelly K. Branyik | Nov 15, 2025 | Book Reviews
What is Leftover Women About? In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, the Communist Party sought to transform gender relations, but those gains have been steadily eroded in recent decades during China’s transition to a post-socialist era. In fact, women...
by Kelly K. Branyik | Nov 5, 2025 | Musings
In today’s world, women are still punished for being too loud, too emotional, too much, not enough, constantly living up to unebelievably impossible standards. Women as a whole are up against generational and patriarchal systems that have never stopped trying to...
