Christmas was never a huge deal in my family. Of course we celebrated, but when I was a kid, the importance of the holiday was placed on spending time with family, and as I got older, that didn’t change much. I think as the years go on, we all become a little more aware how important time with our loved ones is, and Christmas is the perfect time to come together and celebrate each other. But alas, people still ask you what you want each year. I like to think I’m pretty easy to buy for because I have so many interests, but my parents still make me tell them…
Books I am Thankful For
It’s not quite yet 2018, but I’ve still got a handful of books that I am incredibly thankful for this year. Maybe they were just entertaining, or maybe they taught me an important life lesson — either way, 2017 wouldn’t have been the same without these page turners on my nightstand. Photo from Amazon 1. “Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes I’ve probably already talked about this book too much already, but Shonda Rhimes truly crushed it with this wonderful piece of work. This is one of my favorite books of 2017 (so far) for two reasons: 1) It kept me sane and entertained for seven hours of a 13…
The Circle: A Review
Title: The Circle Author: Dave Eggers Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia Quotation: “This was a new skill she’d acquired, the ability to look, to the outside world, utterly serene and even cheerful, while, in her skull, all was chaos.” Would recommend to: anyone who questions the role social media plays in our lives. An all knowing, all powerful global corporation with unlimited access to your personal data, running the gauntlet from your fingerprint to your first kiss? To many, this dystopian scenario conjures up thoughts of Google, Amazon, or Facebook gone rouge. In his dystopian novel “The Circle,” Dave Eggers takes us to what many will say is our not-so-distant future. The Circle is a…
Top 5 Books to Read on Halloween
Happy Halloween! I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of the spooky holiday (I blame my introvert side), but I definitely love getting in the spirit of the season with a good book (as any good bibliophile should). Here are five recommendations of books to read this Halloween to get you feeling in the ghosty, ghouly mood . Photo from Books About Books (booksaboutbooksblog.com) “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson I am actually currently reading this short story, and I have to say I am highly impressed with it (as one should be with Robert Louis Stevenson). I’ve owned the book…
Man Booker Prize: My Short List
Last week, the Man Booker Prize was announced. More commonly known as the Booker Prize, this award is given each year to the best novel written in the English language and published in the UK. This was the second year that the prestigious award went to an American author (originally, the award was given to British, Irish and South African citizens, but in 2014 it grew to include any English-language novel). There is a Short List and a Long List for the award (check out both here). Here is my Short List from the Long List nominees. (Image from Amazon) The Winner: “Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders Of course…
Top 10 Books to Read in College
Most universities have been in session for at least a month now (some for two), so I thought, what better way to welcome the new school year than by creating a book list just for college students (honestly, the lessons these books teach are timeless, but I think they especially pack a punch for those still in school). I know it’s hard to make time for reading when you’re rushing between classes, meetings, and study sessions, but if you’re anything like me, reading is your therapy, and you can manage to squeeze in at least 15 minutes a day to pick up a good book. Here is my list of…
Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge
Every book read by Rory in Gilmore Girls. 47/339 1984 by George Orwell Winter 2013 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 2013 Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Elementary School The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt Summer 2010 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Archidamian War by Donald Kagan The Art of Fiction by Henry James The Art of War by Sun Tzu As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Atonement by Ian McEwan Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy The Awakening by…
Goodreads: 100 Books You Should Read in a Lifetime
100 Books You Should Read in a Lifetime from Goodreads 47/100 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 2009 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Spring 2017 Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 1984 by George Orwell Winter 2013 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling First Grade The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald January 2017 Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Elementary School Little Women by Louisa May Alcott The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 2015 Fahrenheit 451: A Novel by Ray Bradbury 2014/2015 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Animal…
The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.: A Review
Title: The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. Author: Adelle Waldman Genre: Fiction Quotation: “Dating is probably the most fraught human interaction there is.” Would recommend to: anyone dealing with a break-up looking for perspective. “I feel like you want to think what you’re feeling is really deep, like some seriously profound existential shit. But to me, it looks like the most tired, the most average thing in the world, the guy who is all interested in a woman until the very moment when it dawns on him that he has her. Wanting only what you can’t have. The affliction of shallow morons everywhere.” If you want a summation of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by…
Feed: A Review
Title: Feed Author: M. T. Anderson Genre: Science Fiction Quotation: “We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.” Would recommend to: anyone who is weary of the development of technology. Feed‘s book jacket describes it as a science fiction tale of two teenagers who fall in love and choose to fight the “feed”, basically the internet in your head, together. I was expecting a story relatively similar to Divergent or The Hunger Games, both stories that include strong protagonists that challenge the current way of life to find something better. That is not what Feed is. Feed is the story of Titus and Violet and their struggle to overcome socio-economic prejudices they didn’t even…
