As I stated on my personal blog, Don’t Ask Liv, reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has been quite the experience for me—and not for reasons that are altogether associated with the book. Last week, I posted “Dear Brutus,”, which explains why The Fault in Our Stars is difficult for me. I’m … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
When I started the Amazon/Goodreads 100 Must-Read Books in a Lifetime list in January of this year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Skimming the titles, I recognized several, either because I’d already read them or they were the commonly-used books in films about high school or college—you know, the “coincidental” book the protagonist is … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List Review, Part 1 – 2020
As I’ve said before, anytime I re-read a Harry Potter book, I wonder what new aspect of the story I’ll enjoy. When I set out to re-read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban yet again, I was struck by the amount of emotion J.K. Rowling was able to evoke from me, particularly regarding Remus … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
I’ve worked in theater for nearly a decade and minored in Elizabethan Culture in college, but when it comes to William Shakespeare, I’ve never described myself as a fan. Generally, I think this is because I’ve yet to see most of Shakespeare’s plays onstage. Of course, when in showbusiness, I’ve often had to read a … Continue reading Book Review: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Ever since I did my undergraduate thesis on the entire Harry Potter book series, I wonder what new thing I’m going to pick up each time I read the books. I spent six months studying these books in-depth—my outline for the thesis alone was nearly 100 pages! How could there possibly be anything new to … Continue reading Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Out of the 100 books on the Amazon/Goodreads Lifetime Reading List, three are plays by William Shakespeare. I read Romeo and Juliet in February and Hamlet in March. Although I believe both plays are tales worth viewing, I don’t think these have any place on a reading list—I think these works should be viewed as … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
When I saw on Twitter that a new Hunger Games novel was being released this year, I wasn’t sure what to think. At the time, I hadn’t re-read the original trilogy, and I barely remembered anything about this new book’s protagonist, Coriolanus Snow, a.k.a the tyrannical President Snow of the seventy-fourth and -fifth Hunger Games … Continue reading Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
As much as I adored Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay fell short of my expectations, akin to The Hunger Games. The action of Catching Fire was captivating; by contrast, the majority of Mockingjay focused on the political affairs of District 13 and Panem (which were interesting) until the final third-or-so of the book, which … Continue reading Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
As I begin to write these analyses, I ask myself a variation of the same question: Is this book one I am grateful to have read because it gave me something I believe we all should know? If my answer is “yes,” then I seek to identify what the “something” is, if I knew it … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Many of you know that I am a work-from-home, stay-at-home mother of toddlers. As such, it isn’t often that I’m able to read a book quickly, but rather in short twenty-minutes-here, an-hour-there bursts. However, for The Help by Kathryn Stockett, the Fates aligned perfectly. My kids were happy to play with Legos, and I devoured … Continue reading Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Pensive Bookworm 