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May Reads: Revisiting a Beloved Classic
This past month I read some good books, but the book that truly transported me was actually a classic I haven’t read for years! I feel like A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles flew under the radar when it first came out, but it is truly a masterpiece that I wish had received more attention when it came out. With this book currently being turned into a show, I’m hoping more folks discover it soon! A Gentleman in Moscow is the story of Alexander Rostov, who through a series of fortunate/unfortunate events, ends up living out his life under house arrest at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow during the…
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Looking Forward: TV and Movie Adaptations Coming out in 2023!
One of the (few) joys of the mind-numbing array of streaming platforms is that everyone seems to be looking for the next great adaptation, and a lot of great books are being made into TV shows or movies. There have been endless adaptations over the last few years, including Ann Cleeves murder mysteries, new and glossy Agatha Christie renditions, great space operas like The Expanse and literary classics like Pachinko, Kindred or Station Eleven. I think it is fair to say that some of these are wonderful additions to their worlds, and some of them are….not. I’m not necessarily an adaptation lover in general. For me to want to watch…
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January Reads: Leadership, New (and Old) Children’s Classics, and Great Non-Fiction
Hello Everyone, It is hard to believe that the first month of 2023 has already come and gone! This month has been hectic and stressful for me on a personal level, and I am hoping that February brings a little more clarity and sense of purpose. I am struggling to focus on reading right now, and I am recognizing that the next few months will perhaps be a little less full of books than I would like. That being said, I have a lot to share with you today. One of my goals for this year is to read more books I truly love and to figure out which books…
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A Holiday Reading Vacation
There is a strange time of year when the “best of” lists have come out, but we still have some time before we actually start the next year’s reading/watching/listening. It means I can blow my Spotify up with Christmas music, watch some of the TV shows that I haven’t gotten to yet, but I when it comes to reading, I don’t always know what to do with December, especially as there just are not a lot of books being released this time of year. Some years, I use this time to “catch up”, to read the books I had meant to read and to finish books that I have been…
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Irish Stories: Nonfiction, Mysteries, Cozy Books and More
Hello everyone, In honor of St Patrick’s Day (which I think is a much bigger holiday in the United States than it is in Ireland), I did want to share some wonderful Irish stories with you all. Ireland is a country that has a rich storytelling culture and nowhere is that more evident than in their literature! Below you will find great Irish suggestions of all kinds, from highbrow literary fiction to really fun television. I tried to find options from both Northern Ireland and the country of Ireland, and I hope you find something that works for you here! This is by no means comprehensive, so chime in if…
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Weekend Joys, Books and More: December 11th
Hello everyone, The holiday season continues! Hanukkah started this week, and we are looking forward to actually getting some snow this weekend. In honor of snow and Hanukkah, here are 5 things to start your weekend off right: 1.) This is really for kids, but if you have kids in your life, this is a great Christmas/Hanukkah hybrid story 2.) Book Riot has a wonderful list of book-adjacent gifts for the book lovers in your life who already have enough books 3.) Have you heard of #Emojireads? If that isn’t your cup of tea, you may still like these modern classic retellings. 4.) Look at this beautiful and interesting project.…
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November: Old Favorites, Graphic Novels and American Voices
Hello Everyone, November was a big month for me in terms of my 2020 reading. It started with a lot of escapist reading as we waited with bated breath for the results of the election, and ended with a lot of escapist reading when I got hit by Covid-19 and spent about a week in bed. I also started leading a graphic novel book club, and had a great time doing “research” for it! Today I have three pairs of books for you that fall into some fun categories. These books cover YA to adult, brand new to old classics, and I hope there is something for everyone for you!…
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August: diverse genre books (and slumps)
Eek, First of all, where has this summer gone!?! One minute it was June, and now I feel like I blinked and it was September. Honestly this month has been the most “splumpy” I have had this year (although I did get married and write my organization’s annual budget, so perhaps there is a reason for the slump. This month, I have what I consider to be a small success which is that the majority of my books were by BIPOC authors, which leads me to be give you a few recommendations of the diverse author variety, particularly in diverse genre fiction. One of the things I am working on…
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A Jane Austen Re-read: Persuasion
Hello, I’ll be back in the next few days with a few other things, but today, I bring you the last of Jane Austen’s books, Persuasion. This short and sweet book is a great one, and I have been looking forward to it! There are spoilers below. If you haven’t already read this book or watched one of the movies, this post likely isn’t going to make much sense anyway. Rereading The Book Persuasion is the story of 27 year old Anne Elliot, the second daughter of Sir Walter Elliot, a spendthrift landowner who ends up having to relocate to Bath to reduce expenses. Anne is sensible, quiet and reasonable,…
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A Jane Austen Re-read: Northanger Abbey
Hello! Another week in quarantine, another Jane Austen marathon down. This week, I have been hoping for spring to come, and trying to stay upbeat despite some dreary weather. I’m working on what comes next on this blog, because I have one of these books left, so let me know if there is anything you want to see! Next week, we are wrapping up this series with Persuasion, which is both short and one of my favorites, so I am looking forward to it! There are spoilers below. If you haven’t already read this book or watched one of the movies, this post likely isn’t going to make much sense…
because stories are important
