Social work. Eventually you find your flow, you get into the motions. You do your best, you make mistakes, you seek supervision. But it no doubt catches up to you. It sneaks up during a session, or after you’ve disconnected for the day. And how could it not? This is heavy stuff we’re dealing with here, after all. Not to mention during a pandemic. So, … Continue reading Social working: checking in, coping with burnout
Harper | November 17th, 2020 Quick take: thriller, domestic thriller, family drama, atmospheric Thank you to Harper Collins for my advanced gifted copy! Of course I didn’t get around to reading this one until after its publication date, but *gestures widely.* Shortly after packing up her family and moving back to Wales to go into business running an inn following a traumatic event in London, … Continue reading DO NOT DISTURB by Claire Douglas
You won’t understand what I mean now, but someday you will: the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are—not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving—and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter … Continue reading A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara
QUICK TAKE: true crime, LGBTQ+, informative, emotional A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, LUST, AND MURDER IN QUEER NEW YORK Friends, I thought this book was so well done that I’m not even sure how to coherently compose my thoughts. This book releases in 2021, but it is definitely on my list of favorites of 2020, and quite frankly one of my new true crime novels. … Continue reading Advanced Book Review- LAST CALL by Elon Green, Coming March 2021
Whew. This one is a wild ride. I remember hearing about NXIVM only when it was being brought down, and as actress Allison Mack (Smallville) was being arrested for sex trafficking. I had no idea who Keith Raniere was, or just how massive this weird, abusive sex cult was. The Vow follows a group of people who were deeply involved in NXIVM (pronounced Nexium), ready … Continue reading Series Recommendation- THE VOW on HBO
It goes without saying that my little true crime obsessed heart goes out to My Favorite Murder, 100% of the time. However, the ladies at Crime Junkie are holding it down, too. Every week, Ashley and Brit are serving up episodes on murders, mysterious deaths, missing persons, and conspiracies helping you, fellow true crime junkie, to get your fix. Some of my favorite episodes include … Continue reading True Crime Podcast Recommendation- CRIME JUNKIE
As much as I absolutely love a true crime podcast, I’m relatively new with dipping my toes into social work and mental health related pods. I’m sure plenty of us have heard of Brené Brown- professor, author, and Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work at University of Houston. I remember watching Brown’s TedTalk on vulnerability during my undergrad, so I was thrilled when … Continue reading Podcast Recommendation- UNLOCKING US by Brené Brown
A large part of being a social worker is being an advocate and an ally. I want to use this space to spotlight some organizations that are important to me as a social worker, and the Marsha P. Johnson Institution is one of them. A fiery, beautiful soul, Marsha P. Johnson (when asked about their gender, Marsha would say the P. stood for “pay it … Continue reading Marsha P. Johnson Institute
She hadn’t realized how long it takes to become somebody else, or how lonely it can be living in a world not meant for you.” Brit Bennett, The Vanishing Half WOW. This is definitely a favorite of 2020 for me. If I’m going to read fiction (literary, historical), I really need it to get me intrigued from the beginning. THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett … Continue reading Book Review- THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett
As a licensed social worker and lifelong book worm, books on mental health have a special place in my heart. My relatively brief experience in social work is largely based in substance use and severe mental illness (schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and others), with the recent shift to family therapy with at-risk youth. Even in my time off, I’m always interested in brushing up on … Continue reading Mental Health Reads
MURDERINO READS 