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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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Tales

The Inquisitive One Gets Attacked by Lanternflies

October 6, 2025 by Liza Achilles 2 Comments
Someone is impersonating me! Scam Alert! Some unethical person has been presenting themselves as me and inviting authors to be featured by Silent Book Club of Rockville in exchange for a fee of $258. This person is not me, but rather, an evil imposter! I am indeed the organizer of Silent Book Club of Rockville, but we do not feature...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Proves a Point

August 25, 2025 by Liza Achilles No Comments
The inquisitive one ran to DC, choosing a neighborhood to hang out in at random. Excited to get in on the social media craze, the i.o. came to a walk, whipped out the phone, and started shooting a video. “I’m here in Washington, DC!” the inquisitive one said to the phone’s camera, while navigating the uneven sidewalk next to some...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Writes an Autobiographical Novel

July 14, 2025 by Liza Achilles No Comments
Upon feeling a jolt of inspiration, the inquisitive one called up Domino’s and ordered, for delivery, 30 large supreme pizzas and 30 2-liters of Coke. Next, the i.o. went on Amazon and ordered 30 gallons of fresh spring water and 30 large buckets. The i.o. selected the option for FASTEST DELIVERY! GUARANTEED WITHIN 90 MINUTES! DELIVERED BY DRONE WITH PERSONAL...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Enrolls at Harvard

May 26, 2025 by Liza Achilles 2 Comments
The inquisitive one was admitted to Harvard University! Excited, the i.o. ran all the way to Massachusetts without once stopping to walk. The i.o. enrolled in some courses, and soon received an email from the administration. Not the university administration. The federal administration. The email said: Dear Inquisitive B. One, It has come to our attention that you are not...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Eats at a Restaurant

March 31, 2025 by Liza Achilles No Comments
The inquisitive one picked up the menu and scanned through it. Unbelievably, there was only one item on the menu that did not include gashbphigi berries. That item was the boiled leeches, which the i.o. wasn’t in the mood for. “Do you know what you’re going to order?” the inquisitive one inquired. “The gashbphigi berry special looks great!” said the...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
News & Events•Tales

The Inquisitive One Gets Laid Off

March 10, 2025 by Liza Achilles 8 Comments
The inquisitive one, having taken some vacation time off work, ran to Nashville, hung around in honky-tonks for a couple days, and then ran back home to the DC area. Now, at 11am on the last day of the mini vacation, the i.o. relaxed into a bouncy red movie theatre seat, in a venue just outside DC. The i.o. tapped...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Gets an Email

February 3, 2025 by Liza Achilles 2 Comments
The inquisitive one heard a DING! So the i.o. clicked and read the following email: This is a message from your employer. In case you were wondering, we would like to state upfront that THIS EMAIL IS LEGAL AND TRUSTWORTHY. We feel compelled to tell you this because we got word that some people no longer think we are acting...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Bans a Book

November 4, 2024 by Liza Achilles No Comments
The inquisitive one was sitting on the couch, reading a library book. It was a young adult book. Young adult books are fun to read sometimes, even when you’re an adult. The wise ant happened to be marching over the hardwood floor nearby, toting a crumb. At that point, the wise ant couldn’t help but notice that the inquisitive one’s...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Talks With Jeff Bezos

June 17, 2024 by Liza Achilles No Comments
Hey, this is Liza. Just a quick note before we get into today’s tale. My new book Two Novembers is not currently buyable from Amazon due to a mixup in Amazon’s computer system. People who order from Amazon are being shipped a different book. My publisher and I have been trying to resolve this problem for weeks. I apologize for...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Loses Something

November 20, 2023 by Liza Achilles No Comments
The inquisitive one woke up in the morning and went “brr . . .” with the lips, something the i.o. had never done before. The inquisitive one rubbed the eyes. But to the inquisitive one’s amazement, there were no eyes! There was only smooth skin where the eyes used to be! “Wise Ant!” cried the inquisitive one. “Bring me the...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Passes Someone

September 1, 2023 by Liza Achilles No Comments
The inquisitive one was running. Up ahead, moving in the same direction as the i.o., was a woman with a baby carriage and six dogs. The i.o. imagined the worst-case scenario, which was in fact quite likely: getting tangled up in all six of the leashes, flailing about and knocking the baby carriage over, and all the chaos which would...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Learns a New Term

June 23, 2023 by Liza Achilles 4 Comments
The boss called the inquisitive one. “Good morning,” said the boss. “I have important news to share with you. Starting in August, you will be required to come to the company office two days a week. One of those days must be Tuesday. You can choose the other day. You can also choose to come in more than two days...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Takes a Survey

May 12, 2023 by Liza Achilles 2 Comments
The inquisitive one was talking to an insurance customer service representative on the phone. At the end of the call, the rep asked the i.o. to take a short survey regarding the service received today. “Sure, I’ll take a survey” said the inquisitive one. “Surveys are fun!” The inquisitive one listened to an automated voice give the survey. The i.o....
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Goes on Yet Another Date

April 28, 2023 by Liza Achilles 2 Comments
The inquisitive one arrived at the appointed restaurant at the appointed time. The date had already arrived and was sitting at a quaint wooden table adorned with a little candle. “Hello, nice to meet you!” said the inquisitive one, sitting down at the table. “Greetings,” said the date. “Would you like to order a drink?” said the i.o., picking up...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Acts

April 14, 2023 by Liza Achilles No Comments
“Caffeine is bad for you,” said the doctor to the inquisitive one. “Do not drink it.” “Loud colors are obnoxious in clothing,” said the friend to the inquisitive one. “Wear black.” “Running is bad for you,” said the neighbor to the inquisitive one. “You will end up hurting yourself more than helping yourself.” “Work on this soul-sucking project,” said the...
cartoon art of the inquisitive one running through trees
Tales

The Inquisitive One Writes a Poem

March 22, 2023 by Liza Achilles 2 Comments
The inquisitive one sat down and wrote a poem. It went like this: !!!!!!!!!??????,,,,,,, ,,,,,,???????!!!!!!!!! !!!!,,,,?,,,,,!!!!,,,? ??????,,!,!,!,!,!,!!!! Satisfied, the inquisitive one smiled and went out for a run. The next day, the i.o. reread the poem and frowned. It was not quite right. So the i.o. edited the poem. It now went like this: !……..??????,,,,, ,,,,???????……..! !…,,,,?,,,!!!!,,,? ??????,,.,…,.,!!!! Satisfied, the...
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Hi! I’m Liza

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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 (6)
  • Book Previews (346)
  • Guest Posts (7)
  • Incidental Musings (158)
  • News & Events (67)
  • 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) will not work until I have published the corresponding blog post.

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 Stênio 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 Sōseki
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 Esmé 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
Eugénie Grandet Honoré 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 Brené Brown
My Year of Rest and Relaxation Ottessa Moshfegh
Almost Everything Anne Lamott
Born to Run Christopher McDougall, Bruce Springsteen
The Ladies’ Paradise Émile 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 Sea Jean Rhys
Infinite Jest David Foster Wallace
A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf

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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, every Monday!
 
Your free gift: 20 Best Books in the Last 10 Years