January 26, 2026
A wooded trail in rich brown and yellow-green of a deep forest dominates the image. In the top, lefthand corner, an image of the cover of the book The Artist's Way sits. TEXT: Zina Mona - Free Your Creativity in 12 Weeks: A Review of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way
Published by Zina Mona at January 26, 2026
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Free Your Creativity in 12 Weeks: A Review of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way

Although the book works best as a program, The Artist’s Way can also be used as a reference book filled with exercises to complete anytime a little creative push is needed, and I think it is a great resource for educators. As a writer, I found the exercises well suited to creative writing, but activities can be used or adapted for other kinds of art, such as dance or photography.
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January 20, 2026
Red background with impression of man and woman touching noses in a romantic way while holding each others' faces/ Deep Cuts scrawled in black over top - black bars on either side with "Book Review" on the left and "Zina Mona" on the right. Beneath the red cover, "Holly Brickley" in printed, with descriptive text beneath.
Published by Zina Mona at January 20, 2026
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Deep Cuts, a Romance Novel Review

Deep Cuts — by Holly Brickley, published February 2025 — tells of Percy Marks, a music nerd who meets songwriter Joe Morrow in a campus bar. The journey follows her through her twenties as she jumps across the country and is defined by the songs — new and old — that inform her life. As Percy grows, Joe evolves, too, from a quiet student to a confident frontman.
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November 17, 2025
Vivid turquoise background with images partially hidden of book cover. Book cover in foreground, unblurred, for Maya and Natasha. Text: Maya and Natasha: A Cold War Novel of Twins and Ballet - A Review - Zina Mona
Published by Zina Mona at November 17, 2025
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Maya and Natasha: A Cold War Novel of Twins and Ballet — Review

Despite the difficulty of creating a historical novel, Durham skillfully depicts the love, jealousy, and other complexities of a twin sisterhood influenced by trauma, distance, and forgiveness.
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November 14, 2025
A stack of books on a wooden table top. The tones of the image are warm and orange-brown (natural wood). Text: Zina Mona - 5 Nonfiction Books to Introduce You to the Genre - Book Roundup
Published by Zina Mona at November 14, 2025
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Five Nonfiction Books to Introduce You to the Genre

Nonfiction has the reputation of being dull and complicated, but that’s simply not the case. Just like fiction, nonfiction is its own diverse world with its own conventions. From self-help to histories, there’s a nonfiction book for every kind of reader.
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October 31, 2025
Deep red rose on a black, otherwise "darked out" image. Rose is lying on the ground, with a short stem and leaves piercingly obvious. The cover of the book "Carmilla" (all black and white with two women illustrated from the Gothic era, looking off into the distance) in upper right hand corner. In deep red text, matching the rose's color, Carmilla: Review of a Classic Vampire Novella. Zina Mona.
Published by Zina Mona at October 31, 2025
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Carmilla: a Review of the Classic Vampire Novella

Filled with gothic imagery, Carmilla makes for a dark and spooky reading experience. I was immediately enamored with the setting, from the vast castle to the village ruins. I easily became absorbed in the story, and the tense atmosphere from the start pulled me right through to the end.
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September 22, 2025
Blue, blurred background with yellow and aqua accents in background - Book Cover for The Life Impossible by Matt Haig - TEXT: An Environmentalist Fantasy Review - Zina Mona
Published by Zina Mona at September 22, 2025
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The Life Impossible, an Environmentalist Fantasy Review

The premise writes itself — a one way ticket, an idyllic island, and a mysterious death. But it is not thrilling, in the pure sense of the word, nor is it a pure fantasy; The Impossible Life exists in a plane of reality that is magical and precisely mathematical.
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September 16, 2025
Lit up laptop keyboard with blue light underneath. Text: Free Writing Apps for Long-Form Writers: A Comparison - Resources for Writers - Zina Mona
Published by Zina Mona at September 16, 2025
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Free Writing Apps for Long-Form Writers

Pen or pencil? Typewriter or laptop? Paper or screen? With so many choices, it’s hard to pick the right vehicle for our craft. When drafting, writers prefer a method that best connects our minds to the page. Although we can’t always type as fast as our thoughts, computer-based writing is a popular choice, yet the software options available are overwhelming.
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July 5, 2025
Book cover of swimming pool beside modern, tropical house. TEXT: The Imagined Life, a Literary Novel Review, Zina Mona, Book Review
Published by Zina Mona at July 5, 2025
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The Imagined Life, a Literary Novel Review

Of course I judge a book by its cover. I know it’s wrong, but a pretty cover will lure me in. The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter possesses one of those magical covers that’s not merely beautiful, but reflects equally the gorgeous writing within.
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