I had never really thought about this prompt, but once I started looking, I realized how many books do have animals on them – and also that animals on covers tend to make me feel attracted to a book. Once I started looking, I was blown away by the variety of different animals that
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WEDNESDAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE | SUPERSTITIONS I FIND INTERESTING
For the most part I find most superstitions a bit strange. Which isn’t to say there’s no point to them. I know that some people find them comforting or that they give a sense of control over uncontrollable circumstances. Though I know it’s ridiculous, I do sometimes knock on wood to ward off something
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TOP TEN TUESDAY | HALLOWEEN FREEBIE
This week’s prompt is a Halloween freebie, of course. As anyone who’s been around here for a while knows, I don’t do scary, I don’t do creepy, I definitely don’t do horror because it’s both. So Halloween prompts are always a bit of a challenge because what can I really add to the conversation?
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | I AM, I AM, I AM – MAGGIE O’FARRELL
Maggie O’Farrell is quickly becoming an author who I just know, before I even read the blurb, will deliver. I’ve only read three of her books so far, and each has been completely different (first was Hamnet which is a fictional novel about Shakespeare’s family, then Instructions for a Heatwave which is about a
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WEDNESDAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE | WHAT I DO WHEN I’M BORED
I don’t know if it’s because of being an only child, having a busy mind, lots of interests, or not a lot of free time, but I very rarely get bored. I’ve got chores to do, a kid to hang out with, books to read, TV to watch, hobbies I enjoy… there’s always something
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TOP TEN TUESDAY | HOW MY READING HABITS HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME
This is an interesting prompt. Because I have definitely found that my reading has changed many times and in many different ways. When I was in college and university, I was so burned out with all the course reading that I rarely read anything for pleasure during term. Sometimes I’d pick up the trashiest,
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | SPLINTERS – LESLIE JAMISON
I was intrigued by the blurb of this book, because I’ve really been enjoying memoirs written by women who are around my age who are writing about what it means to be a mother, and further to that, what particular challenges are thrown down for mothers in this day and age. Jamison dives head-first
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BOOK BLOGGER HOP | HORROR GENRE MIXES
This week’s prompt: What novel would you recommend that blends characteristics of your favorite genre with horror concepts, and why? I don’t read horror. It’s not my jam, plus I have the spine of a jellyfish when it comes to anything scary or creepy. But there is one book I’ve read that sort
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WEDNESDAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE | SOMETHING THAT’S IMPROVED SINCE I WAS A KID
Hmm. This is an interesting one. I’m one of those who don’t really fit into any generation. Depending which article you’re reading, I’m Gen X, Millenial, or some other random alphabet soup of a generation. I think once I even saw myself referred to as “The Lost Generation.” So it’s hard to pin down
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TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOKS I READ AND WISH I READ IN SCHOOL
I went to three different high schools. Each one seemed to have a very different approach to English Literature, and some were better than others. Because of this, I missed out on a lot of the quintessential classic books people read in school. I don’t think I really mind that much. I was reading
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME – GILLIAN MCALLISTER
Wow. That’s the one word version of this review. I can’t believe it took me this long to finally read this blockbuster book, or that I went into it with zero idea what I was getting into. Honestly, I think that’s probably the best way to experience it, so if you want to go
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BOOK BLOGGER HOP | HALLOWEEN READS
This week’s prompt: Do you have a favorite book or author you turn to every October to celebrate Halloween? I don’t, because most of the books that are associated with Halloween and that time of the year aren’t ones I have any interest in reading. I don’t like horror, nor am I into
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WEDNESDAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE | SOMETHING THAT WAS BETTER WHEN I WAS A KID
This is an interesting question. There are so many things that have gotten more accessible, easier, and more convenient since I was a kid. I can no longer imagine a world without my cell phone, for example. The number of times I use it to find businesses I’m looking for, look up directions or
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TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOKISH BRAGS OR CONFESSIONS
I’m not finding this week’s prompt very easy, partly because I don’t really think about bragging about anything to do with my reading, and likewise I don’t really feel shame about anything I read or don’t either. If I like a book that’s a “guilty pleasure,” I’m happy to openly praise it. If I
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LINK-UP | IT’S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING?
It’s one hell of a week this week, and last wasn’t great either. Lots going on and lots of stress. For me, it’s taking on most of the driving as my husband has started a new job, and trying to pass my road test so I can continue to do so when there’s no
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | IS THIS ANYTHING? – JERRY SEINFELD
Thanks to the 90s TV show, it feels as if Seinfeld has been part of the backdrop of popular culture for most of my life. I wasn’t an early devotee to Seinfeld – I saw the odd episode here and there, I knew who Kramer and George Costanza were, but I didn’t go out
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BOOK BLOGGER HOP | UNPLEASANT FEELS IN BOOKS
This week’s prompt: Are there any books that you find particularly creepy or unpleasant, even if they aren’t horror novels? Hmm, I’m not a horror person, so I definitely don’t have any straight up, proper horror books to include here. I do occasionally dabble in the supernatural, which can go either way. One I
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WEDNESDAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE | A GENRE I WANT TO READ MORE OF
I like to read all kinds of things. In the past couple of years I’ve tried cosy fantasy, sci-fi, graphic novels, and even romance. I’ve found some books I’ve loved among my experiments. But I think the thing that I enjoy most is when a book subverts my expectations. A literary fiction that has
