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Liza Achilles - Literary/Autobiographical Author. The Blog for the Discerning Reader.

Literary / Autobiographical Author

♡ Books to make you laugh, hope & ponder ♡


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News & Events

Two Poems Published by The Big Windows Review

September 5, 2022 by Liza Achilles No Comments
“My writing career, like all writing careers, has been one of dashed hopes, of rising from failure, and of trying again. Writing is a pick-yourself-up, dust-yourself-off profession. It’s a business of endurance.” —Siรขn Griffiths, “When the Affair Is Over,” Poets & Writers, Sept/Oct 2022 Indeed. That’s why I’m so excited to have a string of wins to report to you...
woman and man holding hands and walking through field
News & Events

Three Poems Published by Brief Wilderness

August 24, 2022 by Liza Achilles 4 Comments
The online literary journal Brief Wilderness has published three poems from my unpublished collection Two Novembers: A Memoir of Love ‘n’ Sex in Sonnets. Click here to read them on the Brief Wilderness site. Read the poems to learn about complications and ironies of my love life and to watch me riff on my last name. I hope you enjoy...
Tofu Ink Arts Press Volume 4
News & Events

Three Poems Published by Tofu Ink Arts Press

June 24, 2022 by Liza Achilles No Comments
I’m excited to announce that three love sonnets from my sonnet sequence Two Novembers have been published by Tofu Ink Arts Press. The poems can be found in Tofu Ink Arts Press, Volume 4, available in print from various booksellers. Purchase Tofu Ink Arts Press, Volume 4 through Bookshop. Purchase Tofu Ink Arts Press, Volume 4 through Barnes & Noble....
roses on pink paper
News & Events

New Published Poetry

March 16, 2022 by Liza Achilles 4 Comments
Another of my love sonnets has been published. Check out the poem in The Headlight Review: https://www.theheadlightreview.com/poetry/sonnet-114 This is one of the best stand-alone poems in my sonnet sequence. Since it’s a sequence, many of the poems require the context of previous poems. But this one, sonnet 114, stands alone nicely. Check it out today!
girl blowing bubbles
News & Events

Update From LizaAchillesLand

October 15, 2021 by Liza Achilles 4 Comments
Hi, Blog Readers! I hope you have been enjoying the photographs featured on Photography Friday. I have been diligently using the time gained to submit my poems to literary journals for publication. It’s a big job. Each literary journal has different submission requirements, and each time I submit I must make a careful selection of poems, format them to specification,...
roller coaster with mountain and clouds and blue sky
Guest Posts

Clutching Our Books While Riding a Rollercoaster: the Solace and Challenges of Reading During a Pandemic

February 24, 2021 by Liza Achilles 1 Comment
The following is a guest post by Vicki Ziegler, a book lover, blogger, web designer, social media manager, information architect, and organizer of Silent Book Club events in east end Toronto. The two of us set ourselves the challenge of writing about the same topic: how to keep reading during a pandemic. Below is her response. I’ll share mine with...
black fingernail painted fingers on keyboard goth
Incidental Musings

Dear Liza

September 7, 2020 by Liza Achilles 16 Comments
The Rejection Dear Liza, Thank you for sending us “TWO NOVEMBERS: A Memoir of Love โ€™nโ€™ Sex in Sonnets.” We enjoyed reading your manuscript, but it did not quite make it to the finalist round . . . The Hurt I receive emails like this on a regular basis. It’s part of being a writer. Yeah, it hurts. But it’s...
beltway poetry quarterly
News & Events

Read Two of My Sonnets: I’m a Published Poet!

April 17, 2020 by Liza Achilles 10 Comments
I’m thrilled to announce that you can now read two sonnets from my (unpublished) poetry collection, Two Novembers: A Memoir of Love โ€™nโ€™ Sex in Sonnets! What I’m trying to say is, I’m officially a published poet!!!! A big THANK YOU to Beltway Poetry Quarterly for accepting my poems for publication. I am deeply honored and very excited. I hope...
Liza Achilles
News & Events

Fun, Happy Stuff

January 29, 2020 by Liza Achilles 6 Comments
Poetry Night Recap Here’s a photo from my poetry performance two evenings ago. My sister-in-law Anne Tartaglia did an amazing job of capturing some of the most dramatic moments. Check out all the photos on my new Events page! And if you missed this week’s performance, no worries—I’ll be performing again soon. Check the Events page for future updates. FAQ...
Poetry at the Port 2020
News & Events

Tonight’s the Night! (Today’s the Day!)

January 27, 2020 by Liza Achilles 2 Comments
Tonight’s the Night!!!! This evening, I’ll be performing poetry from my collection of love sonnets. Come out and see my live performance! Bring your own poems or songs or jokes to share at the open mic! Who Me. You. All our friends. Plus cool people we haven’t met . . . yet. What Poetry at the Port! Poetry, music, and...
tall solo microphone with stage lights at a performance
News & Events

One Week From Today: See Me Perform Live!

January 20, 2020 by Liza Achilles 8 Comments
Poetry of Love, Performed Live Curious about my love poetry? Since my book of sonnets is unpublished, the only way you have access to it is at my live performances! I’m excited to share that I’ve been invited to be a featured poet at an event one week from today. Come out and watch me perform poems from my sonnet...
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Book Previews

Performance Art: the Beauty, the Pain, the Reality

January 17, 2020 by Liza Achilles No Comments
Performance Art, Life as Performance I want to tell you about one of the most unique and powerful books I have ever read. Paradoxically, its uniqueness and power arise not from something exotic, but from what’s literally everywhere, all around us. A lot of books lift you out of your ordinary, blah life and drop you into a fantastical or...
the river so calm and clear
Incidental Musings

The River So Calm and Clear

January 6, 2020 by Liza Achilles No Comments
I have never seen the river so calm and clear. I had to take a picture. Maybe it will inspire a blog post? A reader of this blog recently sent me this message and photo. Yes, inspired! Let’s take time to appreciate the aspects of our lives that are calm and clear. Further, let’s strive to bring calmness and clarity...
one giant pink and yellow and blue firework - let's celebrate 2020 - happy new year
News & Events

Let’s Hear It for 2020. . . . This Is Our Year!

January 1, 2020 by Liza Achilles 9 Comments
Happy New Year! Let’s hear it for 2020! This is our year, . . . the only one we’ve got right now. Let’s make things happen! I’m excited about so many things I’m planning for this year. Here are just a few of the many upcoming events and activities in the works around here in LizaAchilles-land. What’s on the horizon...
close-up of the eye of a donkey
Book Previews

How to Text a Girl, Woman, Boy, Man, or Other Divine Spirit

August 19, 2019 by Liza Achilles 7 Comments
I recently met, through a dating app, a man with an interesting philosophy about text messaging. In his view—if I may presume to attempt to state it correctly here—texting should be purely transactional. The purpose of texts is to set up a time and place to meet in person. To try to convey emotion or wit through a text is...
yellow orange red sun hot white heat love - like the poetry of Hafiz
Book Previews

Hafiz, Oh, My Love, Hafiz

August 16, 2019 by Liza Achilles 6 Comments
Hafiz, oh, my love, Hafiz! Last month, I wrote about stories that were so beautiful that I could not bear to write in the margins of my book. Today, I hesitate to write anything at all—in the margins, on this blog, anywhere!—about such wondrous poems as I have found. In the Islamic tradition, I understand, there is a centuries-long idea...
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Hi! I’m Liza

selfie of Liza Achilles literary and autobiographical author writer blogger

About this blog

THE BLOG FOR THE DISCERNING READER: This blog will feed your mind and soul, plus the soles of your feet, if you're ticklish there. Read previews of intellectually and artistically great books, as well as insights on living life well, always with sprinkles of humor.

Categories of posts

  • Author Interviews (7)
  • Book Previews (350)
  • Guest Posts (8)
  • Incidental Musings (158)
  • News & Events (70)
  • Tales (82)

Featured books


candlestick with lit candle on round table with books in living roomNote that the link for the most recently added book(s)ย will not work until I have published the corresponding blog post.

On the Calculation of Volume III Solvej Balle
Joyride Susan Orlean
Vigil George Saunders
When Nothing Feels Real Nathan Dunne
Just Love Me for Who I Am James Styers
The Glory of Giving Everything Crystal Haryanto
Strange Houses Uketsu
On the Calculation of Volume II Solvej Balle
The Literati Susan Coll
Bring the House Down Charlotte Runcie
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain George Saunders
Intimacies Katie Kitamura
On the Calculation of Volume I Solvej Balle
Hunchback Saou Ichikawa
Pop! Mark Polanzak
Dreaming Reality Steven Jay Lynn & Vladimir Miskovic
Audition Katie Kitamura
Free Amanda Knox
The Pleasure Plan Laura Zam
Shakespeare’s Sisters Ramie Targoff
Unshrunk Laura Delano
The Vegetarian Han Kang
Viable Chloe Yelena Miller
Animal Liberation Now Peter Singer
A Little Life Hanya Yanagihara
Ghost Pains Jessi Jezewska Stevens
Hope for Cynics Jamil Zaki
Midnight in Chernobyl Adam Higginbotham
Cork Dork Bianca Bosker
The Scent of Bright Light Jean K. Dudek
Rejection Tony Tulathimutte
Intermezzo Sally Rooney
Do I Know You? Sadie Dingfelder
James Percival Everett
There Is No Ethan Anna Akbari
The Other Significant Others Rhaina Cohen
Slow Productivity Cal Newport
Blue Ruin Hari Kunzru
Get the Picture Bianca Bosker
Lawn Boy Jonathan Evison
Congratulations, The Best Is Over! R. Eric Thomas
Kairos Jenny Erpenbeck
Exhibit R.O. Kwon
All Fours Miranda July
The Year of Living Constitutionally A.J. Jacobs
Ghosted Jana Eisenstein
Disease Of Kings Anders Carlson-Wee
Why We’re Polarized Ezra Klein
Molly Blake Butler
The Big Bang of Numbers Manil Suri
Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow Steve Almond
Doppelganger Naomi Klein
King Jonathan Eig
The Rachel Incident Caroline O’Donoghue
The End of Loneliness Benedict Wells
Poverty, by America Matthew Desmond
The Trees Percival Everett
The Great Experiment Yascha Mounk
Study for Obedience Sarah Bernstein
Some People Need Killing Patricia Evangelista
The Words That Remain Stรชnio Gardel
Pageboy Elliot Page
Post-Traumatic Chantal V. Johnson
Stuart: A Life Backwards Alexander Masters
The Girls / The Guest Emma Cline
Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs Kerry Howley
The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Gogol
I’m Glad My Mom Died Jennette McCurdy
Unlearn Your Pain Howard Schubiner with Michael Betzold
The Way Out Alan Gordon with Alon Ziv
The Best Minds Jonathan Rosen
Monsters Claire Dederer
Spare Prince Harry
As I Lay Dying William Faulkner
Rebuilt Michael Chorost
Losing Music John Cotter
Kokoro Natsume Sลseki
Party Going / Living / Loving Henry Green
Chatter Ethan Kross
Tender Is the Night F. Scott Fitzgerald
Stay True Hua Hsu
The Invisible Kingdom Meghan O’Rourke
How to Be Perfect Michael Schur
Orfeo Richard Powers
Unwinding Anxiety Judson Brewer
The Confidence Men Margalit Fox
Liberation Day George Saunders
Pandora’s Jar Natalie Haynes
Night of the Living Rez Morgan Talty
The Journalist and the Murderer Janet Malcolm
Mislaid Nell Zink
Exercised Daniel E. Lieberman
Lapvona Ottessa Moshfegh
Empire of Pain Patrick Radden Keefe
Furious Hours Casey Cep
First Person Singular Haruki Murakami
Klara and the Sun Kazuo Ishiguro
Dead Souls Sam Riviere
The Pale King David Foster Wallace
Lightning Flowers Katherine E. Standefer
Beautiful World, Where Are You / Normal People / Conversations With Friends Sally Rooney
Swan Dive Georgina Pazcoguin
A Passage North Anuk Arudpragasam
Lucky Jim Kingsley Amis
Projections Karl Deisseroth
The Indian Lawyer James Welch
Atomic Habits James Clear
The History of Philosophy A. C. Grayling
Dusk, Night, Dawn Anne Lamott
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick
Nothing to See Here Kevin Wilson
Change Damon Centola
Homeland Elegies Ayad Akhtar
Becoming Attached Robert Karen
Piranesi Susanna Clarke
Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes
Solitary Albert Woodfox
Girl, Woman, Other Bernardine Evaristo
Enlightenment by Trial and Error Jay Michaelson
Death in Her Hands Ottessa Moshfegh
The Cooking Gene Michael W. Twitty
The First Bad Man Miranda July
Upheaval Jared Diamond
A Journal of the Plague Year Daniel Defoe
Creatures Crissy Van Meter
Indelicacy Amina Cain
Say What You Mean Oren Jay Sofer
Habits of a Happy Brain Loretta Graziano Breuning
Bad Behavior, This Is Pleasure Mary Gaitskill
The Brother Gardeners Andrea Wulf
Severance Ling Ma
How to Be an Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi
The Museum of Modern Love Heather Rose
Why I Write George Orwell
The Woman Destroyed Simone de Beauvoir
Educated Tara Westover
The Gift Hafiz
The Collected Schizophrenias Esmรฉ Weijun Wang
Your Duck Is My Duck Deborah Eisenberg
Sapiens Yuval Noah Harari
Milkman Anna Burns
Under the Banner of Heaven Jon Krakauer
Waiting for Bojangles Olivier Bourdeaut
A Mind Unraveled Kurt Eichenwald
Eugรฉnie Grandet Honorรฉ de Balzac
The Body Keeps the Score Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
The Bookshop Penelope Fitzgerald
Digital Minimalism Cal Newport
The Sisters Brothers Patrick deWitt
Dare to Lead Brenรฉ Brown
My Year of Rest and Relaxation Ottessa Moshfegh
Almost Everything Anne Lamott
Born to Run Christopher McDougall, Bruce Springsteen
The Ladies’ Paradise ร‰mile Zola
The World Beyond Your Head Matthew B. Crawford
All the Birds, Singing Evie Wyld
Barracoon Zora Neale Hurston
Dandelion Wine Ray Bradbury
JavaScript & jQuery Jon Duckett
Home Fire Kamila Shamsie
The Weather Detective Peter Wohlleben
Play It As It Lays Joan Didion
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Mark Manson
Convenience Store Woman Sayaka Murata
Perfect Me Heather Widdows
Sorry to Disrupt the Peace Patty Yumi Cottrell
Why Buddhism Is True Robert Wright
What Is Real? Adam Becker
Kudos Rachel Cusk
The Days of Abandonment Elena Ferrante
F*cked Corinne Fisher & Krystyna Hutchinson
Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine Alan Lightman
Wide Sargasso Seaย Jean Rhys
Infinite Jest David Foster Wallace
A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf

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From the book tour

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     ๐Ÿ›’  Buy my debut book Two Novembers at Politics & Prose, The Ivy Bookshop, Bookshop, Beltway Editions, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
     ๐Ÿšš  Review Two Novembers on Amazon. This helps more than you know. Thank you.
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Best. Modern. Books.

Intellectually great nonfiction. Artistically great fiction and poetry. Get the inside scoop on the best 21st-century books!
 
Your free gift: 20 Best Books in the Last 10 Years