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 said in September’s Lifetime Reading List post regarding Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, I’ve often had mixed opinions about this book. The primary villain—Lord Voldemort—only appears in name. If such a book were released today, I can already imagine the ways in which the Writing Community on Twitter … Continue reading Book Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
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
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
Before you read any further, please be aware that this post contains many spoilers of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. As soon as I finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I texted my best friend who’d loaned me the book. “Lucy Gray is Katniss’s grandmother!!!!!!” Quickly, Hannah responded with a … Continue reading Is Lucy Gray the Grandmother of Katniss Everdeen?
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
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
Whenever I finish a culturally-favored book (especially several years after its peak popularity), I always struggle to write the review. After all, if the majority of my peers and culture adore it, shouldn’t I? But, as many of my long-term readers know, I tend to go against the grain. I read The Hunger Games by … Continue reading Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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
The Pensive Bookworm 