About me

The view, as soon over the top of a book, of two overflowing bookshelves (and so many plants) in my living room, from my perspective on the couch.

Hi! My name is Emma. I'm the first-person reader, watcher, and writer of this website. Originally from the Bay Area of California, I've been living in Europe now for as long as I lived in the States.
‍
With both my Sun and Mercury in Gemini, it makes sense that I’m a reader. Having big, overflowing bookshelves was a point of pride for me for most of my life.

In Barcelona, where I lived for 19 years, it was easy to find books in English, but when I moved to Italy, my reading ground to a halt. Books in English are difficult to find, cost their weight in gold, and having books sent here by post is prohibitively expensive.

After 4 years of reading very little, I could feel my mind getting dull.

Even though I said I never would, I caved in and bought a Kindle. Cue the horn section. My life changed dramatically. Every spare minute is filled with reading now. I look forward to getting to bed early just so I can read, and I love having a story in my head as I go about my day.
‍
After a year of gobbling up books, I decided to begin writing about them so friends could be inspired to read and so I'm forced to slow down a bit and put into words my thoughts and feelings about what I'd read (instead of just rushing off to the next book). After a year or two, I also began to write reviews about things I’d watched.

When the Notion file I’d been keeping all my reviews in became unruly, I decided to merge my passions and create Shelf & Screen.

My bookshelves are still overflowing, and I’ll always prefer a real book over an electronic one, but I’m grateful to have hundreds of books at my fingertips, and for adjustable font size and backlit text that allow me to read anywhere, anytime.

Please do get in touch if you'd like to recommend a book, film or TV show, or just say hello.

emma(at)emmasottardi.com

Subscribe to receive new reviews

You’ll receive an email once a month, and I’ll never sell your information.

By clicking Sign Up you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.
Your sign up has been received.
Thank you for your interest in my reviews.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
I ask for this info because it filters out the bots and it helps me create a more personalized email.
This icon is a navigation button that leads to the page where one can filter to find the perfect book. This icon is a navigation button that leads to the page where one can use filters to find the perfect TV show or film.
About
Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCookies Settings
© 2025 Emma Sottardi. Made in Webflow