Kar·a Bab·cock

/ˈkɑɹə ˈbæbˌkɑk/

noun

An inveterate reader.
A word goddess.
A force of nature.

Welcome to my personal site, including my blog of 21 years and links to my book reviews, podcast, and other projects around the web.

Now offering freelance copyediting services!

Find Me Elsewhere

Recent Blog Posts

Must the spice flow?

Published February 22, 2025

What happens when we mistake the portrayal of sexual freedom for actual sexual liberation?

Jan 02

2024 book awards

Highlighting my favourite reads of the year through creative categories.

Oct 20

You should watch Will & Harper

Will Ferrell’s road trip documentary is more about friendship than transgender issues, and that’s exactly what this moment calls for.

Sep 24

Moving my body more with Ultimate Frisbee

If you had told me summer 2024 would mark the beginning of my Sports Girlie Era, I’m not sure I would have believed you. Nevertheless, this summer I started playing Ultimate Frisbee through the league here in Thunder Bay—and it was everything I wanted from joining up for a sport.

Earlier this year, I was meditating on turning thirty-five in September. As I age and feel more and more how my body has changed from…

Aug 16

Two thousand reviews and counting

Sometimes it’s OK to admit you need to care less and let go.

Recent Book Reviews

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak

4 out of 5 stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Published June 19, 2025

What’s that, did Kara wait four years to read a sequel again? Yes, yes she did. My bad. I enjoyed Victories Greater Than Death enough to buy Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak because the library didn’t have it. Clearly, though, I have dragged my feet on reading it, and I am regret. Charlie Jane Anders’s young adult science-fiction series about queer teenagers leaving Earth to discover an interstellar society at war is … wow.

This book…

Jun 17