“Reading is cheaper than therapy, and sometimes just as devastating.”

Welcome, fellow literary disaster. I’m Ashley and you’ve stumbled onto Stories, Sips, and Shenanigans, where we can celebrate the sacred trifecta of storytelling, mild chaos, and that one glass of wine that turns into four while debating whether that morally gray character deserved redemption or not.

Grab a drink (wine, iced coffee, tea, beer, vodka shots – whatever you’re into), silence your notifications, and let’s talk about how I got here, why this blog exists, and what kind of delicious nonsense you’ve just signed up for.

How It All Started: One Dad, Ten Books, No Regrets…

My love affair with stories began way before I could even tie my shoes or form coherent sentences. My dad worked nights, but before heading out, he’d tuck me in with a bedtime story. He’d tell me, “Go pick one book,” and I, being the overachiever I still am, would return with ten, balancing them like a pint-sized librarian on a mission.

And instead of saying no, he read every single one.

I learned to read by age two (shout out to Hooked on Phonics!). At four, I marched into the library like it was my personal kingdom and got my first library card. From that moment, it was over for the rest of the world. I had found my first and greatest love: stories.

Books became my constants – my first teachers, best friends, and sometimes my emotional support system during 3 a.m. breakdowns. I’ve grown up, burned out, reinvented myself, and fallen apart again a few more times along the way, but books have always been the thread stitching everything together.

Why I Created This Beautiful Chaos

I made Stories, Sips, and Shenanigans because my love of storytelling doesn’t stop at books – it spills into everything else: writing, video games, movies, TV shows, Broadway, and music. Basically if it makes me cry, laugh, or dramatically stare out of a window while it rains, it’s fair game.

This blog is where I get to combine all of that – my inner English major, my inner gamer, my inner musical theater nerd, and the chaotic goblin who thinks she can emotionally recover from Hadestown or a Kingdom Hearts ending with just a glass of wine and new books.

I wanted a space that feels like a late-night group chat where we overanalyze fictional relationships, share book recs, and maybe trauma-bond over the ending of A Court of Mist and Fury.

My Favorite Genres (a.k.a. My Personality)

Look, I’ll read anything. If it has words and a plot (and preferably emotional devastation), I’m there. But if you want to know my happy place, it’s usually between the pages of:

• Fantasy – Give me morally gray characters, magic systems that don’t make sense until book 3, and someone who would absolutely burn down kingdoms for love
• Historical Fiction – I want to sob over 19th-century letters and political intrigue while wearing a blanket like a shawl.
• Romance – Slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, “there’s only one bed” – inject it directly into my veins
• Literary Fiction – The “let me highlight this one sentence and cry” and/or laugh about rich people problems genre. There’s is no happy medium here.
• Thriller – For when I want to feel anxious on purpose
• Dark Academia – Tragic geniuses, Latin quotes, and emotional repression? Say less.

If there’s a book that makes me feel something, I’m in.

What Kind of Chaos You’re Signing Up For

You’re not just here for neat little book reviews. Oh no. You’re signing up for a full-blown emotional rollercoaster – complete with snacks, questionable takes, and an occasional existential crisis over fictional characters.

Here’s what to expect:

• Book Reviews that range from thoughtful essays to “I just finished this at 6 a.m. and need therapy.”
• Movie & TV Show Reviews where I overanalyze everything and sometimes rewrite the ending out of spite
• Video Game Commentary (again, yes I will cry over pixelated characters and make it everyone’s problem).
• Fun Lists, Quizzes, Surveys, and Tags – “Which Academia Aesthetic Are You?” “My Reading Life from A-Z,” and more vital information
• Bookish Products (because capitalism, but make it cute)
• Nostalgia (especially 90s and early 2000s chaos – we’re talking Tamagotchis, VHS rewinds, and Disney Channel Original Movies)
• Snippets of my life – Sometimes I’ll overshare, sometimes I’ll spiral poetically about why Beauty and the Beast still hits too close to home. Balance.

So, if you love stories in any form – and you’re okay with a little chaos, a lot of heart, and maybe a dramatic monologue about fictional characters – then welcome home, my friend.

Final Toast

Here’s to the stories that raised us, the soundtracks that healed us, and the bad decisions that made life a little more interesting. Whether you’re here for the deep dives, the unfiltered rants, or just the cozy vibes – thank you for being part of the chaos.

Now grab your drink, light a candle, and let’s get lost in the next story together.

Love,

Ashley