This Tuesday we're dishing or dissin' book tropes. A trope is a commonly used theme or plot device. There are a few bookish themes that ring my chimes every time, while others make me cringe with each encounter. Declaring my bookish love it or leave it judgments below: 10. Breaking away from the plot to... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday: Book Besties
I have a weird quirk that I pride myself on and it's this: somehow I've managed to surround myself with the loveliest people whom I'm lucky enough to call friends. In thinking of this week's topic, not many characters could compete, so I had to go big. 10. Richard Gansey III- The Raven Boys. Up... Continue Reading →
Reading Challenge update Part 1: from Bob Ross approved to book from my birth decade
Hello book friends, good news! I've finally reviewed some books for my reading challenge with The Redolent Mermaid: Bookish Jay and the Reading Mermaid challenge. The bad news, depending on how you look at it, I write too much for my brain to handle more than 5 at a time. I'll be adding 5 more... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday Freebie: Authors I Can’t Believe I Haven’t Read Yet
About a year ago, I took stock of my bookshelves and found them woefully lacking. Most of my favorites were represented but conspicuously missing were some of the greats--the standards--the authors of note whom my friends and contemporaries owned and swore by, read in their youth, or were currently reading. I made a list of... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday: Beloved Children’s books
I truly love this week's prompt, but I'll be honest--I did no soul-searching to dig up my childhood favorites. Instead, I listed the first few that came to mind. I limited the list to legitimate childhood years-strictly below age thirteen. I recommend them all. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes- by DuBose Heyward, Marjorie... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Releases and Bonus Bookish opinions
Summer releases I'm semi-excited about: I will read most of these novels, but I doubt I'll be the first to report on them (see #4 below). The Recursion by Blake Crouch- June 11- a twisty fast-paced futuristic thriller Whitehead's follow-up to The Underground Railroad looks to be just as heart-breaking. The Nickel Boys- July 16... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday: favorite (fill-in) *Eye-opening reads*
The topic this Tuesday is top 10 fill-in your favorite genre. Eye-opening books may not be my favorite (or even a genre) but it's the theme I felt compelled to write on this week. Influenced by the spirit of the truth-telling finale in the gut-wrenching HBO series, Chernobyl, I relate ten favorite eye-opening reads. I... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday: Inspirational Book-ish quotes
Books and authors inspire in countless ways, one of the most lasting is through a well-built quotation. Quotes that capture an ideal, an entire theme in a few brief words, or those which stand alone on their own power are the ones I respond to the most. My Quotes 10. “Maybe our favorite quotations say... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday: Rainy Day Reads
Back at it with your weekly dose of bookish lists, Top Ten Tuesday. While not a full return to blogging, yet, inspiration struck for this week's topic when I had a spare moment to open my dusty laptop and compile a few thoughts. This Spring, adjusting to a new job and ending each day mentally... Continue Reading →
Farewell, friends (for now)
Currently, my life has much in common with the jigsaw puzzle above; it's overly complicated, exhausting and feels half-finished. And like the two-inch wide black border around this design, I can't seem to make the pieces come together. With that, I'm taking a break from blogging for the first time in 3 years. It is... Continue Reading →