June 6, 2023

The Search for Love is Universal

After a lifetime of searching for someone like herself in a book, Holly Smale wrote one herself.

The Search for Love is Universal

After a lifetime of searching for someone like herself in a book, Holly Smale wrote one herself.

If ‘art is a mirror held up to nature’, then I have spent a lot of my life searching for my reflection and finding very little. While books have always been what I turned to for comfort and escapism – to see the world through other lenses – I have also been left feeling a little like a ghost, desperately ripping down dust-sheets but seeing nothing. And so the conviction that I was alone, and possibly ‘broken’, became more pronounced with every page I turned.

When I was diagnosed as autistic in my late 30s, that belief began to shift. I am simply wired differently, and – as the shame slowly melted away – my attention turned back to the page. If I had failed to find many women like me in books, perhaps I could write one. Thus Cassie was born. Like me, she would struggle with human connection and communication; she would find relationships difficult, emotions confusing and her environment sensorily overwhelming. Like me, she would be considered ‘weird’ and frequently ‘unlikeable’ and would struggle to find her place in a world that held her permanently at arms’ length.

But I didn’t want to write an ‘issues’ book. I wanted to write a joyful, fun story, albeit one with a slightly less usual protagonist. At its heart, this book is about what we all experience: a basic human desire to connect with the people around us, and ultimately to ourselves. Cassie uses time travel – in a very autistic way, looping, repeating, hyper-focusing – to do what we’ve all found ourselves wishing we could do at some point: undo our mistakes, rewrite our histories and edit our own lives. She may do it in a slightly unconventional way, but the search for love is universal. And this is what Cassandra In Reverse has always been about: love, in all its different forms. Love for each other, as humans, despite our differences.

We deserve books that reflect us all, and with Cassie I found a way to rip down the dust-sheet. Whether you’re autistic or not, this is a story that ultimately encourages you to be yourself and celebrate the beauty in our individuality.

None of us are truly alone.

"Even as my mind fades, I give my story to you, you who know in the same way that I know, their power. I have lived mine, and you have lived yours."

Inspiring words from The Phoenix Pencil Company and the power of story☀️
Sun's out, book's out ☀️ Enjoying the sunshine with a book we can't put down, Stuck Up and Stupid by @angourierice & @katericewriter.
Want to know the secrets behind writing those heart-pounding romance novels? @yulin.kuang spills all on the first episode of Bookmarked. Tune in to learn about her approach to writing complex female characters in the realm of romance — it’s an art form we’re in awe of.

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The best book recs come from the people who write the books we love 💛 

@RileyKeough, @The_PastaQueen, @emilyhenrywrites, and @ashleyelston are doing the ultimate lit check, sharing the romance, thrillers, memoirs, and fiction they're obsessing over. Which one are you reading (or listening to) next? 📚

Discover their full list of summer book recs on @AppleBooks!
"It hasn’t been entirely joyful, discovering her, unearthing her truths, and seeing her tears. But there has also been joy, and that’s what I cling to as I try to frame this into a story that feels true."

The Phoenix Pencil Company by @allisonkingwrites explores the importance of preserving stories from generation to generation and how they shape who we are to become.
Psst… have you heard? The first episode of Bookmarked, the new Reese’s Book Club podcast, just dropped with special guests @emilyhenrywrites and @yulin.kuang. Press play on the must-listen episode, and go behind the scenes each week with host @daniellerobay for your favorite stories, characters, and authors.

Listen in every Tuesday on the @iheartpodcast app, @applepodcasts, or wherever you listen. Got questions? Take the mic. Ring 501-291-3379 to ask, recommend, and discover.
"Human will is a particularly powerful magic."

On our TBR this week? Anita de Monte Laughs Last by @xochitltheg of course 💙