Leah Rachel von Essen is an editor, writer, and book reviewer who writes regularly for Chicago Review of Books, is a senior contributor for Book Riot, and reviews for Booklist.
Her blog, While Reading and Walking, features book reviews, meditations on chronic illness, fatphobia, and mental health, and coverage of local bookstores and bookish spots around the world. Founded in 2015, While Reading and Walking has over 10,000 dedicated followers over several social media outlets.
Leah was previously editor-in-chief of Chicago Booth Magazine, the alumni magazine of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Leah received a Bachelor’s with honors in Comparative Literature from the University of Chicago. She also achieved a minor in Religious Studies.
She lives on the South Side of Chicago with cat Ms Nellie Bly.
Get to Know Me
I have been passionate about writing for most of my life, whether it be journaling, crafting interviews, writing poems, or crafting novels. My friends know me as a determined, caring individual who always goes the extra mile and is willing to do the hard work. A skilled multitasker, I always have a book in my hand and a pen in my pocket.
I grew up in a small town in New Jersey with a sprawl of gorgeous forest. I rowed and coxswained for the varsity crew team in college, and grew closer than I’d like to the Chicago River in the process. I am a passionate women’s sports fan and root for Chicago soccer and basketball.
I have traveled solo to Spain, Argentina, Scotland, and Mexico. I also studied for three months in India, spending time in Amritsar, Mysore, and Pune. I love the adventure and the discovery of travel—so I often come back from a vacation more tired than when I left.
I love the smell of books and leather, of eucalyptus and mint. My favorite season is spring, but my favorite aesthetic is autumn. I feel most at peace beside the lake or the ocean, in any weather.
Some of my all-time favorite books, out of the thousands I’ve read, include The Waves by Virginia Woolf, This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, The Stone Sky by NK Jemisin, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, What You Can See From Here by Mariana Leky tr. Tess Lewis, and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer.
