October 3, 2023

A Book Dedicated to Staying

Starling House is a book that’s sort of a love letter and sort of a break-up text.

A Book Dedicated to Staying

Starling House is a book that’s sort of a love letter and sort of a break-up text.

Dear Reader,

When I was twenty-four, I moved back home to Kentucky and spent my life savings to put a down payment on an abandoned house. When we signed the deed, the realtor asked, in a horrified whisper: Lord, where will you start?

There was no obvious answer. The roof leaked. The pipes leaked. There were things living in the basement that scuffled and scratched at night. Half the windows were broken, and the first time we turned on the breaker we started a small fire in the attic.

It took us seven years, but we made that place habitable, then comfortable, and then beautiful. We made it feel like home.

And then—plot twist!–we moved away. And it was only then, once I knew I was leaving Kentucky, that I could write Starling House, which is a book about staying.

I put everything I love about my home into this book. John Prine. Ale-8. Honeysuckle and wisteria, hills and caves. Women I don’t know calling me “sugar.” Summers that are a little too hot and stories that go on a little too long.

And I put in everything I hate about my home, too. Coal. Rebel flags. Violent, escalating homophobia. The way people are simultaneously obsessed with the past and determined to erase it; the way people will sometimes stop in the road to talk and block traffic both ways until they’ve caught up. Men I don’t know calling me “sugar.” Welcome mats that only apply to certain kinds of people.

And the result was a book that’s sort of a love letter and sort of a break-up text. It’s the kind of nightmare you don’t want to wake up from; the kind of fairy tale you aren’t sure has a happy ending.

I hope you like it. I hope it feels—for better or worse–like home.

Alix

Because we don’t owe anyone likability. We owe ourselves authenticity. ✨

This week on Bookmarked, the Reese's Book Club podcast, our August author @AshleyJordanWrites sits down with @DanielleRobay to chat creating fanfic based on Beyonce's Lemonade, almost giving up on this book, and the power of creating community around writing.

Start listening at the @iHeartPodcast app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen!
Soaking up the last few days of summer with this truly special book, Spectacular Things! ☀️

"If you enjoy layered family dramas with both heart and grit, this one is worth picking up."

📷+💬: @storiesbytheshoreline
Your favorite authors + online community IRL = Shine Away ☀️📖💞

Our annual #ShineAway event is coming up this October! From powerhouse speakers to an RBC-stocked bookshop, there's something for everyone during this inspiring weekend — and we can't wait to share  with all of you what this year has in store 👀

Early bird pricing ends TODAY! Grab your tickets now at the link in bio 🔗🎟️

Get ready for open conversations, lasting connections, and a whole bunch of bookish joy ✨
Enjoy this peaceful moment in the serene Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the setting of Once Upon A Time In Dollywood, taking in the day with author @AshleyJordanWrites herself! ✨

Throughout the book, Eve embarks on a journey of healing and self-discovery, ultimately embracing these mantras as truths about herself. 💙
Kicking off the week on a high note by finishing Once Upon A Time In Dollywood and getting ready to hear from @AshleyJordanWrites on the latest episode of Bookmarked, the Reese’s Book Club podcast. 🎧📖

New episode drops tomorrow — and trust us, you won’t want to miss this one. Expect all the feels: romance, stepping out of your comfort zone, and the journey of writing a debut novel. We're calendaring it in! 

Listen tomorrow on the @iHeartPodcast app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen!
"I hope you will also find that there is reassurance, maybe even a promise, whether you’re coming of age or not: that your anger is righteous and just. That the endurance with which you face the world is admirable. That your vulnerability, your longing to be wanted just as you are, is worthy." — @afarolfollmuth

To girls and women everywhere, we see you. 💙
Welcome to the club, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood. 💙

📷: @therealbookhustler
"You are important and you are powerful. Just as you are, in yourself, standing alone. Don’t let anyone, and especially no man, treat you as anything less."

We're still hung up on this iconic line from Stuck Up and Stupid. A fantastic reminder that you are worthy and certainly not stupid. 🩷
This weekend’s mood: resting, recharging, and rendezvousing with every iconic and authentic version of Cate Kay. 🧖‍♀️✨
This book gives us all the fireflies (iykyk) ✨ It's just so easy to ship Eve and Jamie in Once Upon A Time in Dollywood. We’re always here for the sunshine-and-stormcloud duo that just make each other better 🌤️💙