Book Reviews Archives - Victoria Waddle

26 Mar 2025

I Have a Novel! Keep Sweet!

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews, Inlandia Institute, Victoria's Books, YA authors, YA fiction, YA literature | 0

Family. Faith. Stability. Chosenness. Who suffers when these ideals are exploited by powerful patriarchs? Keep Sweet traces Elizabeth’s path of resistance as she navigates the Prophet’s terrible maze of expectations and discovers the shocking complicity of his accomplices within their religious community. scape may be dangerous, but a teen’s disruptive questions uncover surprising allies along the way.

10 May 2024

Scapegoats: Book, Library, and Dog Blaming

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews | 2

My last Substack post might be of interest: It’s so strange, the way librarians and library books have become the scapegoat for American society’s ills. I found myself needing to talk about the blame game. Blaming books for dangerous teen … Continued

9 Jan 2024

Preemptively Banning Books is No Way to Curate a Collection

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews, Censorship | 1

I’ve switched to writing almost all my content on my Substack “Be a Cactus: thoughts on resistant writers and how we bloom.” It’s a weekly post delivered on Sunday morning. It’s very similar to what you have received from me … Continued

17 May 2023

Morgan Llywelyn’s Finn Mac Cool

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews, Character Development | 0

In Finn Mac Cool, Llywelyn presents Finn as an opportunist. His magical beginnings/powers are just stories he makes up in the spur of the moment. They become his legend.

26 Apr 2023

The High Deeds of Finn Mac Cool

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews | 2

A discussion of “The High Deeds of Finn Mac Cool” by Rosemary Sutcliff, focusing on Finn, Oisin, Dearmid, and Saba.

12 Apr 2023

Ireland’s Immortals: Part 3

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews, Inspiration | 2

The main focus of Chapter 5 of “Ireland’s Immortals” is early thirteenth century literature, especially the Finn Cycle, where gods decline.

5 Apr 2023

Ireland’s Immortals, Part 2

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews, Inspiration | 0

Part 2 of Ireland’s Immortals discusses the tenth through twelfth centuries, when the Viking Wars ended and the island was politically stable, allowing for scholarship and monastic learning. Centuries’ old writing and stories were revived. Scholars of this period have given us most of what is known of early Irish literature.

8 Mar 2023

Ireland’s Immortals

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews, Creativity | 6

A discussion of the first chapters of “Ireland’s Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth” by Mark Williams. How writers recreate gods.

25 Feb 2023

Happy Book Birthday: Dogs and Humans

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews, Victoria's Books | 1

In her chapbook memoir, The Mortality of Dogs and Humans, Victoria Waddle explores her (our) relationship with dogs, the joy and comfort of their companionship, and the lessons they can teach us about being better humans.

22 Feb 2023

Who Let the Dogs Out? I Did!

by Victoria Waddle | posted in: Book Reviews | 4

This week “The Mortality of Dogs and Humans” launches. I’m celebrating by sharing photos of the pups who star in the book and a story not included in the chapbook.