Author: Tiffany Renee Harmon

Tiffany Renee Harmon is a poet and mystery enthusiast originally from Cincinnati, OH. She has an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University. Her first novel Suburban Secrets debuted in July 2020, and her second novel Crooked was published by World Castle Publishing in 2023. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of the poetry journal Ephemeral Elegies. In her spare time, she loves spending time in nature, knitting, and doing crossword puzzles. She lives with her husband in a forest nestled in the Ozark mountains.
Book Review

Book-to-Movie Dream Adaptations

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I was thinking recently about how much I enjoy movies and TV shows that are based on books I’ve read. I have very much enjoyed shows like Pretty Little Liars and The Shannara Chronicles. And, of course, I love reliving the Harry Potter Books and Confessions of a Shopaholic and the Devil Wears Prada. Sure, there are some disappointing adaptations, but I love re-experiencing some books through other mediums. Here are the top three books that I hope are someday adapted into movies or TV shows (if you haven’t read the books yet, you should definitely check them out!):

  1. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – This is an interesting take on witch and vampire mythology. Harkness is a trained historian, and you really get a sense of her background in this. I love the characters of Diana, Matthew, and Ysabeau, and I’d love to see them come to life on screen.
  2. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen – I love this cozy mystery series about a distant royal relation who turns to solving crimes when the money runs up. There’s so much humor in this series, and I could absolutely see this translating well into a television script.
  3. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine – I didn’t want to put a second vampire-related book in this list, but I’ve just always wanted to see this on screen. I got sucked (pun intended) into these books the summer after high school, and I obsessively devoured them all. It was fun escapism with some very interesting characters. I can’t see myself ever re-reading them, but I’d love to return to Morganville if it ever became a CW show or something.

What would you love to see adapted for TV or film? What has been your favorite book-to-movie experience?

Uncategorized

Book Clubs

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I’ve been really busy lately, so I haven’t had a ton of time to read. Instead of book reviews, this week’s blog series is going to be about other book-related things. First up: book clubs.

I love reading books, but sometimes it’s even more fun to share what I’ve been reading. That’s obviously one of the reasons why I blog about books that I’ve enjoyed reading, but there’s something even more exciting when you can share great books in person. One of the ways to do this is to start or join a book club!

Book clubs can be pretty informal. Just a pick a book and a time to meet and discuss it. You can meet in someone’s home or a coffee shop or restaurant. Maybe you want to just join a book club to meet new people or to share common interests. Most libraries have book clubs, and some book stores do too.

The thing I love most about book clubs is that I’m often required to read something I otherwise wouldn’t have picked up. Sometimes, you just don’t think you’ll like something, but you end of loving it! That certainly happened with me and some historical fiction like Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.

So, do you have any interest in book clubs? Have you had any positive or negative experiences with them? Feel free to continue the discussion in the comments section.

 

Book Review

Book Review: The Golden Compass

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I came to Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” series as an adult when I was required to read the first book for a university class, but I absolutely loved it. Since Pullman has just announced that he is writing a companion series, I thought that this would be a great opportunity to review the first book in the original series: The Golden Compass.

119322

This is such an interesting fantasy series. It’s ultimately a coming-of-age story for the precocious protagonist Lyra. Watching her grow is a delight, and the interesting characters are mixed with an exciting plot. This is a great start of a great series.

While Lyra’s growth is integral to the series, the character in this book that intrigued me the most was the larger-than-life Mrs. Coulter. I don’t want to give away any of her secrets in case I spoil something for new readers, but she was written in such a way where I could absolutely feel the same level of intrigue that Lyra felt when she looked at this complicated woman.

The fantasy elements in this book are very clear, and they have a great balance between traditional and new when it comes to the structure of the world-building. There is a traditional quest and hero and sidekick and wise elder. However, the freshest thing about this book is the addition of personal daemons – individualized creatures that are connected to each person. Each one takes the shape of a specific animal and have a very close bond with their human. This is such an interesting take on a spirit animal since they are tangible and seen by everyone.

Overall, I think this is an amazing, fast-faced book that people of all ages will enjoy. I can’t wait to read the new trilogy that Pullman has in store for us!

Book Review

Book Review: My Name is Lucy Barton

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I recently encountered a great character study, My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.

25893709

This was a beautiful book, and I loved the character of Lucy Barton. When we meet her, she is recovering from complications from a recent surgery on her appendix. (Fun fact about me: one of my greatest fears is appendicitis!) While she’s recovering, her estranged mother comes to her side. Throughout this short novel, we learn a lot about the past and how discovering the past can change the future. The family secrets and the odd mother/daughter relationship made this one very intriguing, compelling literary novel. While it is certainly character-driven, it was also remarkably fast-faced. My only criticism is that I wanted more when I reached the end.

Industry News

Big Little Lies on HBO

Tiffany Renee Harmon

It’s no secret that Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is one of my very favorite novels! I’m so excited that HBO is turning this into a mini-series. I’ve been counting down the months until it arrives, and it is finally arriving tonight!

19486412

I hope that HBO can do this amazing book justice. It is one of the best books that balances character and plot so well. I think it’s probably the book that has impacted me most as a writer, and I would love to meet Liane Moriarty in person some day. Feel free to check out my review of the novel for more about that gem.

Poetry Review

Poetry Review: Why I Wake Early

Tiffany Renee Harmon

A lot of contemporary poets seem to avoid too many images of nature. They see them as cliche and overused, which I do think is a fair criticism. However, once in a while, a poet will emerge who can use these images to speak to the soul. One of those poets is Mary Oliver, and her collection Why I Wake Early is no exception to her history of adding a bit of magic to the world around us.

71654

This collection actually came out in 2005, so it’s not her latest offering. Still, I read it recently and just felt compelled to share. Nature is something that we all experience. I love that her poems use these images in complicated ways to speak to universal truths about the human condition. These poems are remarkably accessible, and I think that anyone who is not in love with poetry who wants to give a contemporary poet a try would be mesmerized by this collection.

When you read these poems, you can live a moment in Oliver’s world. You can see through her eyes. You can feel what she’s feeling. Unlike the deliberate ambiguity that makes other contemporary poets feel inaccessible to their readers, Oliver invites you in. She wants to share experiences with you and take you on her morning journeys.

Book Review

Book Review: Wordcatcher

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I am such a nerd when it comes to books about words or the origin of words. I just love the English language. So, I loved Phil Cousineau’s book Wordcatcher.

7871653

This book was a fascinating exploration of the origin of many common words. To be honest, a lot of books like this are kind of dry and have to be read slowly, but Cousineau does a great job at adding levity to this subject. His entries for each word are relatively short but contain a lot of fascinating information. Personally, I loved reading about the word origins for “fornicate” because I even learned some additional history from this entry.

I think that all word nerds will love this delightful book. It’s almost like candy – small bon bons of word knowledge instead of a really dense dessert that takes a month to get through. This book can be digested easily and quickly.

Book Review

Book Review: Manners

Tiffany Renee Harmon

When I was in junior high, I checked out every book on etiquette that I could. I remember scouring that section of the library and checking out every Emily Post or Miss Manners book. I was take them home and read them and pretend that someday I would grow up to be one of those effortlessly chic women with tons of confidence and impeccable manners. I would go to a different dinner party or gala each weekend, and I would know exactly how to behave and what to wear. Now that I’m an adult – I can assure you that I did not become one of those women. I’m far too anxious and awkward. Still, a girl can dream.

I recently read the book Manners by Kate Spade, a phenomenal designer.

219967

I’ve always loved Kate Spade. She has the perfect blend of classic minimalism and exciting whimsy. Her designs are amazing, so I was so excited to read this book with a more personal flair. I was not disappointed. The book Manners was peppered with fantastic personal anecdotes while still giving lots of practical advice. There’s truly something in here for everyone. Even the most well-mannered etiquette expert would still enjoy fun facts interspersed in this book. Something about this book gave me hope that maybe the adult version of myself that I used to dream about could still come true someday with a little effort. We’ll have to see.

Book Review

Book Review: Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I work in a library, and when a patron came in ranting and raving about Anne Perry committing a murder, I thought maybe she was confused. However, after I googled it, I discovered that Anne Perry had helped to commit a murder when she was just 15 years old. To learn more about this situation, I read the book Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham.

16277504

I must say that this story was fascinating. Back in the 1950s, Perry was known by her birth name Juliet Hulme. She and her friend Pauline had a bizarrely close relationship and together murdered Pauline’s mother. In this book, Graham did a great job at showing how their home lives and psychological issues might have contributed to what they did. He shows many factors that could have led to the murder and also discusses what happened to both women after they were let out of prison. Hulme served five years in prison because she was minor and then was reinvented as Anne Perry and became a wildly prolific author of murder mysteries.

After learning more about the situation, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to read another Anne Perry book. I feel like I’d just be distracted by thinking of her life and wouldn’t be able to separate that from the fiction. What do you think? If one of your favorite authors committed a horrible crime, would you still be able to read his or her works? I’m very curious!

Book Review

Book Review: Small Great Things

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Jodi is a tour de force in contemporary literature, and her latest book is no exception. Small Great Things is a book that is timely and tackles the difficult subject of racism in America.

28587957

In this book, an African American nurse named Ruth is on trial after a baby in her care dies. This baby’s parents are white supremacists who had requested that Ruth not be allowed to touch their child. But when the baby starts having a medical emergency when Ruth is on duty, she has to make a decision whether to jump in anyway or respect the parents’ racist request.

This book is told from three different perspectives: the nurse, her public defender, and the white supremacist father. It took me quite a while to get into this book, but the ending was really great. While a lot of characters seem to rely on stereotypes, I felt like there were really good intentions by the author, and I think that a lot of people will hopefully understand the world a little better after reading this book.

I found that I identified with the public defender’s perspective more than the other two perspectives, so I enjoyed those sections more. However, the sections from Ruth the nurse’s perspective were also very enlightening. I’m sure Picoult was trying to be balanced by including the white supremacist father’s perspective as well, but I must admit that I skimmed over most of his portions and rolled my eyes a lot. I know people like him exist in the world, but it’s pretty impossible to sympathize with him in any way.

Overall, I think this is a good book with a slow beginning. However, the ending more than makes up for the beginning. I would definitely recommend this one to people looking for contemporary fiction. This doesn’t tackle racism as deeply as other books do, but it is still a good read.