If you have the (debatable) privilege of knowing me on a personal level, you are well aware of my fascination and appreciation for all things Viking. I can thank my sister and her educational background in history for prompting my interest in this facet of history, because she is the one who told me to … More Read or rid: ‘The Last Kingdom’ by Bernard Cornwell
Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray has me feeling a wee bit befuddled, to be completely honest. I still don’t know how to feel about it, despite finishing it a few weeks ago, and I’m frustrated with myself that my brain can’t determine whether or not I truly enjoyed it, although I do wonder … More Read or rid: ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde
I’ve made mention of the fact that joining a book club has significantly broadened my reading choices and genre preferences, and I am not mad about it by any means. For years, I essentially only read fantasy, and when some of my closest friends introduced me to Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, I haven’t looked back … More Read or rid: ‘When the World Fell Silent’ by Donna Jones Alward
YouTube has become quite a close friend of mine as of late. I use Spotify mainly for music purposes, but the platform does offer, depending on what plan you opt for, an allotted amount of audiobook hours every month. I’m quite pleased with the audiobook options that are available to listen to via Spotify, but … More Read or rid: ‘Agnes Grey’ by Anne Brontë
I’ll begin this post by stating that I had high hopes for Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck after reading The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, and was left feeling rather disappointed upon the completion of Of Mice and Men because of how thoroughly I enjoyed the other two. Out of all … More Read or rid: ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck
I’ve mentioned a few times now here on my blog that I’m in the process of trying to read more literary classics as opposed to strictly fiction, and thus far, I’m quite enjoying the experience. I figure it’s only appropriate to read classics, seeing as I majored in English Language and Literature, and actively choosing … More Read or rid: ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott
As my close friend Jheri pointed out to me, I’m jumping the gun a wee bit by reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I mentioned in my previous Read or Rid post that the chosen book for our book club is Whistler by Ann Patchett, and at our last Book Club meeting, we agreed that the book … More Read or rid: ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley
When Ann Patchett’s Whistler was selected for our book club’s next read, I did not have any inclination about what to expect. My dear friend, Jheri, chose Whistler, and seeing as she has impeccable taste when it comes to reading, I began reading with assurance and trust that this book would be great. I am … More Read or rid: ‘Whistler’ by Ann Patchett
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
This month’s selected book for the book club I am involved with is Weyward by Emilia Hart. My good friend, Kaiden, recommended it for this round, and because I absolutely trust her taste in books, I figured it would be a decent read at the least. So far, I am tremendously enjoying this book. I … More Read or rid: ‘Weyward’ By Emilia Hart
My book club and I are meeting soon to discuss this month’s chosen book, The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. This might sound a little odd, but as soon as I learned the title of our chosen text, I had a sneaking suspicion it would be a damn good book, and I wasn’t … More Read or rid: ‘The Lion Women of Tehran’
