Dangerous Gifts
I recently finished reading Kate Milford’s The Boneshaker and I highly recommend (see Demons, Monsters, and Death for more thoughts) but as a writing invitation this book offers up a lot to consider. The Boneshaker the title references is a bicycle that the main character’s father (re)built just for her but her struggle to cope with that bike and the other “gifts” that are burdening her take the reader on a truly wild ride. We are all given birthrights and gifts. Some of these we asked for or are pleased to receive, but others turn out to be great burdens or downright dangerous. That is one of the tricky things about being human and loving other humans. Of course, simply loving other humans can be dangerous and might lead you into tempting deals with the devil. Birthright also came up in some of my other March reads (The Winter Soldier and Giant). Check out Demons, Monsters, and Death to explore my March reads, favorite books of 2026, and recommend books for the future. All these books offer plenty of inspiration! What gifts and monsters are on your mind this week?
Last, but not least, two members of the Rebel Cartographers shared Old Mama Saturday by Marie Ponsot which offers a lot to reflect and write about.
As always you should write about what is on your mind, but I rely on poets and storytellers to get my mind out of the same old worry ruts.
