I feel as though my reading preferences have become notoriously predictable here on my blog thanks to my Read or Rid series. If you haven’t figured it out yet, my reading genre preferences tend to be fantasy, historical fiction and, as of late, classics. I’ve always stated that I would like to read more literary … More Read or rid: ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley
I’ve mentioned in a couple of different posts that I am attempting to familiarize myself with what are considered literary classics, and while I still have a very long way to go, I am pleased that I have several under my belt. My mom recommended John Steinbeck’s works to me because she has read many, … More Read or rid: ‘East of Eden’ by John Steinbeck
I’ve been claiming for ages now that I wish to read more books that are considered classics, and I am pleased to report that said wish is actually, and finally, coming to fruition. I sort of unintentionally started on this classics journey by reading The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I thoroughly enjoyed it, … More Read or rid: ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald
There is a possibility that you have caught wind of the fact that this October, author Sarah J. Maas will be releasing the next book in her A Court of Thorns and Roses series, whether or not you have read any of her books. The woman is a literary wizard with a tremendous fan following, … More Recognizing the double standard of intimacy in books
It seems as though reading The Catcher in the Rye has stirred up an inner desire to read more books that are categorized as classics, and I am not upset about it. Did I love Catcher in the Rye? No. Do I regret reading it? Absolutely not. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is a text I … More Read or rid: ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ by George Orwell
While The Catcher in the Rye was not a mandatory component of my high school curriculum, I know plenty of people who did have to read it in their high school years, my sister included. I’m not sure why I didn’t have to read this for English class, but because it is such a well-known … More Read or rid: ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D. Salinger
When my dear friends and I met for our last book club meeting, I was selected, at random, to be responsible for choosing the next book we would read and discuss. I had been eyeing a text on Goodreads for a while, and because it sounded incredibly interesting, I opted for ‘Yellow Wife’ by Sadeqa … More Read or rid: ‘Yellow Wife’ by Sadeqa Johnson
When my dear friend, Jheri, loaned me her copy of a book titled Finding Flora, I knew immediately upon reading its synopsis that it would be one I would thoroughly enjoy. I don’t believe I was aware, however, of how much of an impact this text would have on me prior to reading it, and … More Read or rid: ‘Finding Flora’ by Elinor Florence
Goodreads, as fantastic as it is, is not something I started making use of until I joined my book club. I knew it existed, but I never bothered to really investigate it or look into it in detail until my friends in my book club strongly recommended using it. I haven’t looked back ever since, … More Read or rid: ‘Broken Country’ by Clare Leslie Hall
My dear friend was next in line to nominate a title for our book club’s monthly read, and she opted for one she had read a little while ago and rather enjoyed – Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I had never heard of the book prior to my friend choosing it for our book club … More Read or rid: ‘Red Rising’ by Pierce Brown
I’ve made mention of the fact that my preferred genre of books to read is fiction, but in the last couple of years, I’ve developed a sincere appreciation for historical fiction. I can thank Kristin Hannah for this, seeing as the first historical fiction text I ever read was The Nightingale, and if you haven’t … More Read or rid: ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr
I wrote a post a little while ago sharing my thoughts on Caro Claire Burke’s novel, Yesteryear. I won’t be too redundant, but to offer you a very brief summary, the book follows the marriage between Natalie and Caleb and their aspirations to farm together. There is a hell of a lot more to the … More Appreciating the romanticization of farming in ‘Yesteryear’ by Caro Claire Burke
For someone who possesses a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature, I’m a little ashamed of myself that it took me this long to delve into one of John Steinbeck’s works. The man is renowned as an author, with several incredibly successful publications, and while I might be lagging in getting around to reading … More Read or rid: ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck
In the unlikely instance you’ve found yourself questioning why I haven’t addressed a book club book pick as of late (I assume you have better things to do with your time), allow me to explain. I unwillingly had to skip out on the last chosen book, but I am pleased to report that I’m back … More ‘Yesteryear’ by Caro Claire Burke: read or rid?
I feel as though my blog, as of late, is discussing and providing quite a bit of material in the context of reading. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me personally, but for those of you who don’t, allow me to say that I’m not intentionally dedicating so much content … More The beauty of rereading books
If you read the title of today’s post and found yourself a wee bit confused, I can’t say I blame you. A little while ago, I wrote a post about the first book in Sarah J. Maas’ Crescent City series, said book being titled House of Earth and Blood. For context, Maas is responsible for … More Yes, the Crescent City books really are worth reading
I have made my love for Sarah J. Maas’ books more than apparent here on my blog. The A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series is what I started with, and after flying through those five books, I knew I needed to get my hands on more material by Maas. I read the entire … More Read or rid: ‘House of Earth and Blood’ by Sarah J. Maas
As I find myself in the midst of re-reading the Harry Potter books (I’m just about finished The Goblet of Fire), I can’t help but think about how there must be a better way of adapting books to film. When I say better, I mean refraining from leaving out key book scenes when said book … More Book-to-film adaptations: how can we do better?
When our book club came together for our last meeting, I was pleased to be elected as the person responsible for choosing the next book we read. We choose at random, taking turns, and when my name was selected, I was more than happy to suggest Theo of Golden by Allen Levi because I had … More Read or rid: ‘Theo of Golden’ by Allen Levi
In case anyone is curious, I have decided that it is a personal goal of mine to read all of Kristin Hannah’s works at some point or another. I’ve made mention of wanting to do this in previous posts, but now that I have actually decided, I feel obliged to share the news with all … More Read of rid: ‘Between Sisters’ by Kristin Hannah
I am slightly embarrassed to admit that it took me this long to read what is widely considered to be a literary classic because of my English background, but I’m only human. To be entirely transparent, I had chosen not to read it up until now because I figured I wouldn’t enjoy it, and I … More Read or rid: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen
When I caught wind that our book club’s chosen book for this month was The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri, my interest was immediately piqued. I had not heard of this book, but upon reading the synopsis and learning that it tells a story of two heroes working in secret throughout the duration of the … More Read or rid: ‘The Sunflower House’ by Adriana Allegri
If you follow my blog to any extent, it is highly probable that you have read about Kristin Hannah and the tremendous respect I have for her as an author and a storyteller. In yesterday’s post, I mentioned how Hannah’s works are the reason I have broadened my reading genre preferences, and I have yet … More Read or rid: ‘Home Front’ by Kristin Hannah
Few things in life provide me with the exquisite happiness that reading does, assuming what I am reading is one hell of a book, and anyone who considers themselves a reader can arguably attest to my statement. Sure, television shows and films are also great, but I can’t seem to lose myself and disassociate while … More Don’t let yourself fall into a book rut
Rereading and rewatching are arguably two terms that could potentially define my entire personality in the context of entertainment materials. I am a serial television series rewatcher, with zero regrets about it, and while I wouldn’t say I reread to the same extent I rewatch, I have read a handful of books many times. When … More Appreciating the nostalgia of rereading books
Here we are, yet again discussing a Kristin Hannah novel, and I am anything but sorry about it. Not to sound like a busted record, but if you’re a reader and have yet to explore any of Kristin Hannah’s works, allow me to make the subtle suggestion of reevaluating your life choices and doing so … More Read or rid: ‘The Things We Do for Love’ by Kristin Hannah
While the book we will be focusing our discussion on today isn’t one that was read by my book club, it was recommended to me by one of my good friends who happens to be in our book club. She and I have similar tastes in what we enjoy reading, and she loaned me her … More Read or rid: ‘You’ve Reached Sam’ by Dustin Thao
This month’s selected text for the book club I am involved with is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. My dear friend, Jheri, recommended this book for us to read this time around, and I was quite inspired by Jheri’s reasoning; she explained to our group that while we have covered some historical fiction, we haven’t … More Read or rid: ‘Pachinko’ by Min Jin Lee
I know, I know – here we are, discussing yet another one of Kristin Hannah’s books. I’m not sorry about it, if I’m being entirely transparent, and if you’re a fan of Hannah’s writing or have read any of her works, I know you get it. I could boot myself in the shins for waiting … More Read or rid: ‘Night Road’ by Kristin Hannah
While I won’t go so far as to say this is the first time I’ve been let down by a Kristin Hannah book, I do have to admit that On Mystic Lake is not one I believe will stand out years from now when I think back upon it. If this book were composed by … More Read or rid: ‘On Mystic Lake’ by Kristin Hannah
