The Reading List
A personal collection of books and literary works that have left a mark — curated by Brendolyn Marie.
Recommended Reads
Sometimes, Giving Up Is the Bravest Thing You Can Do
A reflective essay on the quiet courage of letting go, originally shared on the blog in August 2016.
You Are Only Allowed Three Great Loves in Your Lifetime
A widely-shared piece exploring the idea that we each get three defining loves, featured on the blog in July 2013.
Sleeping With the Enemy
The author's own serialized fiction work (copyright 2016), weaving a story of deception, relationships, and tangled loyalties across multiple chapters.
Here's How You Can Avoid Dating a Fuckboy, Based on Your Zodiac Sign
A sharp, zodiac-driven take on modern dating pitfalls, reposted on the blog in late 2016.
Don't Fear My Words, Fear My Silence
A powerful short piece about the weight of unspoken truths, linked from the blog's homepage in 2016.
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."
More to Explore
Beyond the titles above, the blog has featured reposts and reflections from outlets like Thought Catalog and personal essays that read like literary vignettes. Check the Blog Posts archive for the full collection of dated entries — from Olivia Pope monologues to personal narratives about family and growth.
For style-focused content, visit The Style Files or the Nailed to Perfection feature on Liquid Frosting Nail Color.
The reading list is more than just a collection of titles — it is a window into the mind of a writer who sees life as material. Every book and essay featured here reflects the themes that pulse through this site: love, loss, fear, and the quiet courage it takes to let go. For a writer, reading is how the craft is sharpened, how empathy is built, and how the stories of others become the scaffolding for your own. Whether it is a reflective essay on surrender or a piece about the loves that define us, each recommendation carries the weight of personal experience and artistic curiosity.
There is an irony in keeping a reading list on a site that warns against dating writers. The very act of curating stories — of collecting other people's words and making them your own — is a confession that a writer can never truly switch off. Every page turned is a detail filed away for later, every character a possible stand-in for someone real. So browse this catalog if you dare, but remember: the woman who shares her favorite books with you is also taking notes. She is always writing, always watching, and everything she reads becomes part of the story she will one day tell.