Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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 →

Book Review: Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews? by Peter den Hertog

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley and am leaving this review voluntarily. Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews? by Peter den Hertog is the most fascinating book about Europe in the twentieth century I have ever read. Exceptionally well-researched and presented in a manner that is easy to comprehend, … Continue reading Book Review: Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews? by Peter den Hertog →

Lifetime Reading List: 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 →

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

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 →

Lifetime Reading List: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

If The Hunger Games is a necessary addition to the Lifetime Reading List, then Catching Fire most certainly belongs there as well. Normally, I don’t think I’d say something like this about a sequel. I expected to say “Well, if you’ve read the first book, you’ll probably read the second, so shouldn’t that ‘must-read’ spot … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins →

Lifetime Reading List: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Since I began increasing my social media activity two years ago (namely, on Twitter), one of the books I’ve seen most often debated, discussed, praised, and criticized is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I’d been hesitant to read The Handmaid’s Tale because I like to read for pleasure, not to get angry, and rage … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood →

Lifetime Reading List: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I bought the Hunger Games trilogy boxed set earlier this year, excited to read these books for the first time. As it turns out, I’ve already read these books – in high school, like almost every other book on this Lifetime Reading List so far in 2020. So, I suppose it’s safe to say these … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins →

“Would You Marry a Non-Reader?”

One of the recurrent discussions I’ve seen in the Writing Community on Twitter poses a simple question: Would you (a reader) marry a non-reader? I want to take some time today to explore my thoughts and answer. I met Nick just after my nineteenth birthday. At that point in my life, I didn’t have the … Continue reading “Would You Marry a Non-Reader?” →

Sharing the Joy

This weekend, my son turns three-years-old, and over the past couple of months, he has discovered books. I’ve kept books around the house in baskets, on shelves, casually stacked on tables, and pretty much anywhere I could since before he was born. Around the time he was six months old, I started mixing in some … Continue reading Sharing the Joy →

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I talk to one of my former teachers a lot, and as I’ve been making my way through this Lifetime Reading List (see post regarding To Kill a Mockingbird here), I’ve been talking to her about some of the “classics” that are typically assigned reading in high school/college. Yesterday, we were on the phone, and … Continue reading Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee →