WELCOME TO KATIE READS

Voraciously reading, curiously traveling

ABOUT

Hi, my name is Katie, and I love books. I graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2020 (go Tribe!) with a double major in English and Secondary Education. After two publishing internships, an assistant job for the Poet Laureate of Virginia, and 5 years of teaching high school and middle school English, my love for reading and the craft of writing has only grown.

As a Navy wife and soon to be mom, I'm currently enjoying being a freelance writer in Guam. When I'm not writing and reading, you can find me at a pub trivia night, baking, or planning my next trip.

If you're interested in collaborating, please send me an email at kmbrownfiel@gmail.com

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Our Next Duty Station Is...

I can’t keep this announcement quiet any longer…it’s official, we’re moving to Okinawa! We’ll be making the move to Japan in September, and while moving with a baby is intimidating, I’m so excited for the opportunities this presents us professionally and personally. We had hoped for the chance to move back to the States to be close to family as ours starts to grow, but we’ve heard nothing but good things about raising a family in Okinawa. With so much to see and do in Okinawa

kmbrownfiel5

Feb 2310 min read

The Importance of Farms, Genre Bending, Cozy Magic, and Mythic Historical Fiction

In my original draft, I was lamenting the “hurry up and wait” mentality that was driving me slightly batty. We have a lot of balls in the air surrounding travel and moving, and while I’m well aware that it’s all very outside of my control, I really wish I was more in control of it all. Well, just as I was finished with this draft, I got some notifications that showed positive progress and some answers, yay! One of the toughest parts of life for me is dealing with the uncertai

kmbrownfiel5

Feb 129 min read

The Most Magical Birthday

Celebrating my 27 th birthday in Paris with my husband was nothing short of magical, and Tom was so supportive of making my dream day perfect. Our morning started with breakfast in bed from room service. We fueled up with omelets, sausage, charcuterie, and cappuccinos before catching a cab. I don’t know what they do to those cappuccinos in Europe, but they are a step above. Is it the milk? The coffee? Is it just the magic of vacation? Our first stop in our delightfully o

kmbrownfiel5

Feb 712 min read

Saipan Spotlight: A Holiday Weekend Travel Guide

I grew up on Long Island, so I was spoiled by the ease of getting from place to place. The LIRR made going into the City a breeze, we could drive onto the ferry to Connecticut for an easier trip up to Massachusetts, and Amtrack, while not the fastest mode of transportation by any stretch of the imagination, made traveling to Virginia a relatively stress-free experience (except for that time that storms shut down the trains and Dad had to come pick me up from Northern Virginia

kmbrownfiel5

Feb 311 min read

Two of My Favorite 2025 Reads

I’m one week away from the third trimester, and things are starting to feel more and more real. After not having pregnancy symptoms besides fatigue for a while now, my three straight days of leg cramps and muscle soreness were not a welcome change. For the most part, though, I’ve been feeling good and still like my normal self, and I’m grateful that everything is progressing normally. I have to knock out my dreaded glucose test this week, but at least it gives me plenty of ti

kmbrownfiel5

Jan 268 min read

From quirky narrators to finding love at NASA to a celebrity tell-all

I have a little over 100 days left in my pregnancy, and while the days are long, the weeks are flying by. I can’t believe I’m almost 26 weeks pregnant and am feeling my little girl kick already! I’m excited to meet her, but there’s so much that still needs to be done. Being back home and in a routine has given me a lot of time to read and write, and I’m feeling a renewed sense of purpose and joy in my work. I know life is going to be chaotic and busy once spring comes and e

kmbrownfiel5

Jan 1612 min read

Memoir, Romance, and Women's Fiction, Oh My!

Taking a step back from reviewing books will catch up with you fast. No big deal I’m just…30 books behind…so…yeah we’ve got some catching up to do. My reading is eclectic, and there’s not a whole lot that’s off the table for me. As it stands now, I most enjoy reading contemporary romance (Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, Carley Fortune, etc…), historical fiction (World War II, but we can blame that on the current state of the publishing market), memoirs (especially audiobooks rea

kmbrownfiel5

Jan 1112 min read

I'm Back and a 2025 Recap

Hi there, it’s been a minute! 2025 was the single biggest year of change for me. Tom proposed on January 31 st , 2024, we were married June 21 st , and we found out that we’re expecting our daughter in late April 2026! I’ve always dreamed of being a mother and am so excited to meet our baby girl in a few short months. She has been the single best surprise and blessing of our lives. However, that first trimester of pregnancy had me dragging with nausea and food aversions. I

kmbrownfiel5

Jan 66 min read

A Book That Brought Me to Tears and Kingsolver's Backlist

While we’re about to enter the “ber” months and summer is winding down with Labor Day, time feels different here on Guam. Our leaves...

kmbrownfiel5

Aug 29, 20255 min read

I Only Eat it If It Starts With “C”

During our two days in Paris, I joked with Tom that I only ate foods that started with “c:” croissants, crepes, champagne, croque...

kmbrownfiel5

Aug 25, 20256 min read

What a Romance Book Should Be

I've had some exciting updates in the past two weeks! I have dreamed of being a writer since I was in elementary school, and this step...

kmbrownfiel5

Aug 18, 20257 min read

From Leiden to Paris

On our final day in Leiden, we wanted to squeeze in as much as we could before our afternoon train to Paris. This is where our Discover...

kmbrownfiel5

Aug 10, 20256 min read

Civil War Drama, Toxic Workplaces, and a Mystery

After a busy and fulfilling month of traveling, it’s been nice to be settled back into our home as newlyweds. I’ve been exploring what...

kmbrownfiel5

Aug 4, 20257 min read

Delftware and Greek Fare

The best things happened in Holland when we let ourselves have the freedom to wander. On our third day we took a meandering stroll with...

kmbrownfiel5

Aug 1, 20256 min read

Harper Lee's Kind-of Second Novel and the Danger of Influencers

I’ve been married for a little over a month now, and what a whirlwind it has been! We’ve travelled through the Netherlands, Paris,...

kmbrownfiel5

Jul 25, 20257 min read

The Arts of Amsterdam

Art comes in many forms: paintings, sculptures, and, yes, food. Our second day in Holland was dedicated to consuming the visual and...

kmbrownfiel5

Jul 22, 20256 min read

A Very Holland Honeymoon

When Tom and I were brainstorming where we wanted to go for our honeymoon, we decided to go somewhere that was distinctly different from...

kmbrownfiel5

Jul 16, 20258 min read

The Favorites and Everything is Tuberculosis

I have a lot to say on today’s fiction and nonfiction books, so I’ll keep this long overdue life update short and sweet. Tom and I got...

kmbrownfiel5

Jul 14, 20258 min read

Bright Spots in Teaching and Recent Nonfiction Reads

I’m teaching Romeo and Juliet for the first time this year, and I was so, so nervous going into it. My focus in literature is pretty...

kmbrownfiel5

Apr 18, 20258 min read

The Trouble with Dual Narration

I’ll keep the intro today pretty short and sweet. My first book is a fiction read that screams to be part of a book club because of its...

kmbrownfiel5

Apr 1, 20256 min read

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CONTACT

Thanks for your interest in Katie Reads. For more information about reviews, collaborations, and partnerships, feel free to get in touch and I will get back to you soon!

kmbrownfiel@gmail.com

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