There are certain struggles in life that only bookworms experience. One day you pick up a book that looks mildly interesting, the next you’re ordering entire series on Amazon and planning on naming your future children things like Peeta and Katniss. Welcome to the bookworm club, my friend. If you have any affinity for book-reading, you’ll identify with some or all of these bookworm lies. I didn’t have to go far to find these examples. Every single one of these is a lie I’ve told myself about reading.
“I’m just going to read one more page.”
Ha. Everyone knows you can’t just stop reading a book in the middle of the chapter.
A good idea in theory. But also, every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, and don’t you need to find out what’s next?
“If I buy this book, I will definitely read it.”
Okay, okay. So maybe most bookworms have dozens of unread books on their shelves that they haven’t gotten to yet. We’ll get to them eventually, and this looks like a really interesting book.
“I can put this book down anytime I want.”
Seriously. Any time.
“Going to bed at 3 am isn’t that bad. I can make it up tomorrow.”
Everyone does this, right? Being sleep deprived is no big deal. Except for if you didn’t finish your book and stay up just as late the next night.
“Staying up till 4 am will be worth it. I need the closure.”
I mean, closure is pretty important. Plus, if you didn’t stay up late to finish the book, you would probably just stay up late wondering what happens in the book anyways.
“I love the book so I’ll probably like the movie too.”
“I don’t compare real life people to my book characters. And I certainly don’t find them lacking.”
I think every bookworm is guilty of this. We look at our bank tellers and wonder why they can’t take us on a rollercoaster in the back to see our money piled up in a secret vault. It can’t be helped. Real life bankers are way less interesting than goblins. — link to harry potter
“It’s totally normal that I sometimes like books more than people.”
Sometimes, the idea of being around people instead of reading a good book sounds so boring.
“I’m not obsessed; it’s just a little guilty pleasure.”
At the end of the day, though, I don’t think we’d have it any other way. They may be lies, but they’re lies we bookworms want to believe. Once a bookworm, always a bookworm, and we’re not even a little sorry.
Leave a comment and let me know which bookworm lies you’ve told yourself!
You know how we all wish that someone would tell us that there’s been a recent scientific discovery that eating tons of sugar is actually good for you? Yeah, that’s probably not going to happen. What blows my mind is that reading, unlike sugar, is good for you. Pleasure and the moral high ground in one fell swoop. Okay, I guess we all know that reading is good for us. Maybe you’re in a reading rut, or are trying to think of a reason you shouldn’t grab the remote and turn on Netflix. Here are 13 very specific ways that reading makes your life better.
1. It saves you money
Reading is free (or at least very cheap) entertainment. In general, other activities cost more money. We’re fortunate to live in a world with publiclibraries that have thousands of books that we can read for free! Many of us marveled at the Beast’s library as little girls. What we fail to realize is that all of us have access to libraries like that ourselves. You don’t even have to actually go to the library to get the free entertainment. Most libraries have ebooks or audiobooks that you can download for free without stepping foot outside your house. Talk about instant gratification.
When you open a book, you’re able to see life from another person’s perspective. Having a new point of view is one of the best ways that you can gain more compassion for other people. According to this article, reading literary fiction helps the most. Which is a relief, because literary fiction is incredibly fun.
3. It makes you smarter
For real. Even if you’re not reading anything terribly difficult, reading more helps you become a smarter person. Don’t believe me? See the next several reasons reading is good for you. They all tie into how the habit of reading makes you more intelligent as a whole.
4. It gives you a bigger vocabulary
I always love it when I hear people mispronounce words because it means that they’re probably an avid reader. People who read a lot are exposed to a lot more new words, and sometimes you have to guess at how they’re pronounced.
5. It develops your analytical skills
Watching characters in books process situations and make decisions helps you get better at those skills too. It’s like exercise for your brain, trying to puzzle out the mystery or challenge and then seeing how the characters figure it out. Reading also simply increases your knowledge. With increased knowledge comes a greater ability to reason and analyze.
There are no flashing lights to keep you engrossed in a book. You have to exercise your brain muscles in order to keep focused. Reading certainly helps people of all ages gain, and keep, a better attention span. Focus doesn’t come easy in our present age. There are so many distractions and it’s so easy to fill up with bite-sized entertainment, whether that’s short instagram captions or a 20 minute tv show. Anything that can help foster a better attention span is worth doing.
7. It helps you have better conversations
Well read people can often have incredibly interesting and informative conversations, whether they’re debating over whether or not Ron and Hermione should have gotten together or relaying an interesting theory they learned about productivity. If you read a lot, there are lots of interesting things to talk about.
Sidenote: They totally should not have gotten together. They’re all wrong for each other.
8. It improves your writing skills
The more you read, the better you write. This is due to a lot of different things, such as the bigger vocabulary and better analytical skills we already discussed. Reading also helps you understand your genre better, absorb different writing styles, and increase your creativity. All of these are helpful in developing writing skills. I think that a lot of people subconsciously absorb grammar rules and spelling when they’re well read as well.
9. It reduces stress
This is one of those things that seems too good to be true, but here it is. Reading reduces stress. Part of this is the escapism in reading. You forget your own problems and worries while you’re immersed in a book. I’m pretty sure the rest can simply be explained by book magic, but the article has some other details.
10. It helps you connect to other people
We often think that reading is a purely solitary act and that it isolates people rather than bringing them together, but this isn’t usually true. Whether it’s at a book club or just in life in general, reading can help you connect to other people. In part, this is because it increases compassion. It also gives you the opportunity to learn about other people and better relate to them. It’s hard to connect to someone that you don’t understand and don’t know anything about. Reading helps bridge that gap.
11. It causes you to reevaluate your beliefs
This is usually a good thing. Sometimes we believe some pretty messed up things without realizing it. Imagine if no one read books and we all still believed the world was flat. Reading challenges your current beliefs and then either changes or sharpens what you believe–a wonderful thing.
12. It helps you understand yourself better
The more you’re exposed to different people, the more you learn about yourself by contrast. If you’re an American woman reading 18th century British literature, then you’ll probably realize that you have some different opinions on courtship. But if you’re an American woman reading 20th century American literature, you might realize that modern courtship has evolved quite a lot since then as well. The more you read, the more you understand the world, both past and present, and yourself.
13. It prevents memory loss
According to this article, the more you read, the better off you are in the long term. In my opinion, there are few things that contribute to long-term health so pleasurable as reading.
I don’t typically plan out what I’m going to read next. I’ll get inspired by a blog post and then reserve a book from the library moments later, meanwhile all the books that have been getting dusty on my TBR list never get read. That also means that I read a lot of books of one genre while neglecting to diversify. This summer I’m going to try and be a lot more intentional with my reading life. As you can see, I’m working on reading more fiction, so I have a lot more of that category on my summer reading list. Take a look through and let me know if we’re reading any of the same ones!
I heard about this book from the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide. Out of all the books she recommended, this one most appealed to me, which is interesting, since she thought it would appeal to the least amount of readers. I just finished this book a few months ago, and while it was a bit darker than I expected (because I neglect to read descriptions for fear of spoilers – I really bring it upon myself), I really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to this read as well.
I devouredthis series andthis series, so I’m really looking forward to reading the Kane Chronicles. These books are about Egyption mythology in YA Lit form. Admittedly, I’m already halfway through the first book and I’ve certainly enjoyed it so far. These are easy, fluffy reads, meant more for my entertainment than self-betterment. To be honest, Rick Riordan and Orson Scott Card are currently my primary educators on mythology, so perhaps I should branch out from YA Lit to more educational mythology books. Perhaps. Both of these authors make for great audiobookreading, if that’s what you’re looking for.
My husband and I made a deal while we were still dating that if he read all the Harry Potter books, I would read some Star Wars books that he recommended. It took a while for him to finish his end. Now that we have theaudiobooks, he’s actually read them almost as many times as I have, but I have yet to hold up my end of the deal. I’m planning on reading the first of this series this summer.
This was another one I found off of Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide. She suggests a book that is a sequel to this one, but I feel strongly about reading books in order, so I’m checking this one out first. This book features a federal investigator from Melbourne facing his past. It falls into the twisty, mystery category. I’ll save this for a weekend when I have some downtime so that when I inevitably get sucked in to obsessing over the ending, I’ll have time to finish.
Yet another Modern Mrs. Darcy recommendation. What can I say, the woman has great taste. This is supposed to be an easy but substantive read, which is great for summer reading. If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy then you’ll likely enjoy this book too. But mainly the cover is pretty, and I’m all for a pretty cover.
This bookby Laura Vanderkam completely changed the way I think about time and productivity. I would basically read anything she said about the subject, so I preordered Off the Clock, which comes out May 29, 2018, and am looking forward to reading more.
Even though I can be super frugal, I still have a hard time not spending money at all. I definitely want to cultivate more gratefulness in my life and stop relying on spending money to meet my needs. I’m looking forward to learning from and being challenged by this book!
I feel like lately I’ve been hearing Daniel Pink mentioned everywhere. I haven’t read any of his books yet but this felt like a good place to start. Any help in finding motivation would be much appreciated.
I have been hearing about this book for ages and am really looking forward to diving in. I’ve been thinking a lot about spiritual disciplines lately. It’s easy to think that once my current season is over, I’ll have more time for that. Now that I’m in my late-twenties (unless it can be mid-20s till you’re 30, in which case I’m mid-20s), I’m realizing that I’m going to have to fight hard to make the time for what’s important to me.
This book is all about the reading life from a gospel point of view. I’ve never heard of any books like this, but I love reading and I love the gospel, so I figured this would be a good fit.
I have been listening toher podcast for months and always come away feeling so encouraged and inspired. But I’ve never read any of her books! That for sure needs to change. I chose this title because I’ve been feeling like I could use some more bravery in my life lately. I can’t wait to hear what Annie has to say.
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What’s on your summer reading list? Do you go light + fluffy for summer or stick to the usual titles? Leave a comment and let me know!
It’s not often that I really dislike a book. I have a lot of respect for authors. I can only imagine how challenging it is to put your work into the world. This is a list of books that I didn’t care for not necessarily because they were poorly written. I know for certain plenty of people adore these books. The simple truth is, I just didn’t care for them myself. That happens sometimes. We all have our personal preferences for the written word, our own experiences and lenses that we bring to the table when reading. What is the best book in the entire world for one person might not quite hit it out of the ballpark for another, and that’s okay. So here are 7 really popular books I didn’t like.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This is at the top of my list, because I really didn’t like this book. Nevertheless, I have mad respect for it. I was thinking about it constantly for weeks afterwards. That rarely happens for me with a book. Any author that can get me to think that much is pretty good. Even so, I still don’t like it. The ending made me mad, but since we’re a spoiler free zone, you’ll have to email me if you want to talk about it.
The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
I actually really liked this series for the vast majority of all three books. I mean, sure, there were some things I didn’t care for. But there has to be conflict in order for there to be a story. I’m fine with that. But I went from really enjoying the books to being 100% displeased in the last 10 pages. Again, no spoilers here, but send me a message if you completely disagree with me!
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My feelings one way or the other about this book aren’t as strong. It was okay. Normally, my thirst for closure drives me to immediately start reading the next book in the series, but I didn’t really feel that way with this book. I could take it or leave it, so I’m deciding to leave it. This way I can make room for more books that I would enjoy more.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
There are parts of this book that I really enjoyed, but I feel like it sort of fizzled out in the last quarter of the book. I didn’t come away with inspiration or resolve or tangible knowledge or anything much, other than some entertainment and a bit of education on India and Indonesia. The information on Italy didn’t seem to go much past the stereotypes that people are typically already knowledgeable about. In general, the story felt a little bit self-absorbed to me. That being said, I really did enjoy her other book Big Magic, which is all about creativity.
His Dark Materials Series by Philip Pullman
I liked how this series started off. The fantastical elements are really fun and Pullman creates some really interesting characters. At first I was a little bit put off by the anti-Christian message, being a Christian myself, but I was certainly willing to give the books a shot for the sake of having an open mind. Just because my personal faith is that of Christian doesn’t mean that I think there can be no criticisms of church or church leadership. But by the end of the series, it felt like all that the books were about were Pullman’s extreme distaste for Christianity. This is especially frustrating when his of Christianity seemed incomplete and misguided in the first place. It felt more like a crusade than a young adult fiction series. I wanted to like the series but I felt like I was getting slapped in the face repeatedly in the last one, so it was hard to enjoy it.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
I honestly think I’m just not cool enough to like this book. It was okay. Just okay. I didn’t come away with strong feelings like I did for some of the others. The story felt a little bit shallow and the protagonist hard to relate to. I felt like the book was mostly just going for the world building and the general feelings it evoked, similar to “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Corpse Bride.” I would have liked a little more plot and morality lesson. But then again, I never felt the appeal of those movies to begin with, so maybe I’m just not the target audience.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
I really wanted to like this series. I read the first book or two and then was like, nope. Who wants to read a story in which horrible things keep happening to children and there’s no light or redemption to be found in the end? (I don’t think this is much of a spoiler since it’s basically the premise of the book). I like to read fiction because it’s not like reality, thank you very much.
I’d love to hear your insights! Disagree with me? Is there something you think I’m missing with any of these books? What’s on your list of books you didn’t like?
When I was working on finishing my English degree, I had very little time to read for fun. I’m sure you’ll notice the irony in that. It was my love for reading that drew me to English in the first place. But it didn’t take long for me to discover that I didn’t have to give up on reading for fun entirely. I started regularly listening to audiobooks. I’m definitely a visual learner, so I was very resistant to listening to audiobooks at first, but I picked up a few tricks along the way and now I love it. Before audiobooks, it felt like all my free time went to studying or working, but listening to books while I drove, cleaned, and cooked made it possible for me to keep checking books off my list. I meant to write a quick post about a few places you can find audiobooks, but then I realized that I have years of knowledge and experience to share with you. Here are my best tips for listening to audiobooks!
Best Free Audiobooks
Overdrive
As a college student, listening to books through Overdrive was a lifesaver. Here’s how it works. Overdrive is a website/app with hundreds of thousands of free ebooks and audiobooks that you access through your library or school. You’ll have to check that your local library participates, but as far as I can tell, it’s pretty universal. Using your library card, you sign into your library’s Overdrive account and can then download all kinds of audiobooks. If you’re a Kindle user, you can also check out ebooks and have them sent to your Kindle.
Each library only has a certain amount of copies, so sometimes you have to put yourself on a waiting list before you can download certain books. The nice thing about using Overdrive instead of picking up physical books from the library is that there are no late fees. Once your loan expires, you can no longer access the book and have to check it out again, which is a pain if you’re in the middle of a book and there’s a waitlist.
Pros
Free
Easy to use
There are no fees for forgetting to return your book
Cons
You sometimes have to wait a while to check something out, especially if it’s a popular title
There’s a limit to how long you can have the books
YouTube
I’ll admit, I haven’t plumbed the depths of YouTube for audiobooks yet, but I know they’re on there. It’s definitely something you could try out while you’re doing stuff around the home. I listened to some of The Canterbury Tales on YouTube for school so I could hear how things were supposed to be pronounced in Middle English. If Middle English is your jam, now you know where to find it. If it’s not (which would truly be shocking 😉 ), this link for Greatest Audiobooks looks like a good place to start on YouTube.
Pros
Free
Cons
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Requires streaming and so could use a lot of data if you’re not on wifi
AudioFile Magazine
Every year, AudioFile Magazine makes it their mission to put books into the earbuds of teenagers. The great thing for those of us who aren’t teenagers is that they’re not exclusive. Anyone can download two books per week each summer. The caveat is that you have to make sure you download them the week that they’re offering them, and you have to store the audiobooks either on your phone or your computer. Anne Bogel has a wonderful guide plus some recommendations here.
Pros
Free
Don’t expire
Cons
Take up a lot of storage space
You have to download them the week that they’re available
Most Convenient Audiobooks
Spotify
Spotify is so much more than music now. You can also listen to podcasts and audiobooks. I haven’t tested this out yet, but it seems like it would be a great way to listen to books without worrying about them expiring. They have things like Charles Dickens’ Classics and Love Poems and Scary Stories. Let me know if you’re a fan of listening to audiobooks on Spotify! I’d love to know what I should check out.
Pros
Don’t expire
Free
More short stories and poetry available here than elsewhere
Cons
Would probably use a lot of data if you’re not on wifi and don’t have a Spotify subscription
iTunes
My husband has a collection of books on iTunes that he listens to over and over again. Personally, I rarely re-read (or re-listen to) books, so purchasing books on iTunes doesn’t really appeal to me. There are plenty more people who do love to revisit their favorites though, so buying some audiobooks through iTunes would be a great option for you.
Audible is basically the king of good quality audiobooks. The narration is usually fantastic, though the books are a little pricey. I only recently jumped on the Audible bandwagon, but so far I’m really enjoying it. My husband and I have an Amazon Echo in our kitchen/living area. We’ve been listening to audiobooks together while we’re relaxing or while one of us is cooking. We liked it so much that we got an Echo Dot for our bedroom so we can listen to audiobooks while we fall asleep. Of course, you definitely don’t have to have an Echo to enjoy the benefits of having a book through Audible. But if you do have an Echo, this is definitely the most convenient way to listen to audiobooks. We just say, “Alexa, play Sherlock Holmes,” and away we go to 18th Century England.
There are a couple ways you can listen to books from Audible.
Get an Audible membership. You get at least one book credit per month plus discounts on all other audiobooks.
Buy Audible books without the membership. They won’t be discounted, but you don’t have to commit to $15+ a month.
Buy books using Whispersync (I’ll explain more below!)
Pros
Great quality audiobooks
Your first book is free
No waitlist
You can find pretty much anything you’re looking for
They’re the perfect way to listen to audiobooks if you have an Amazon Echo
There are usually a lot of sales if you have the membership, so definitely watch for those!
If you really hate a book, you can exchange it for another (though there IS a limit to how many times you can do this)
Cons
They cost money
Whispersync
This is the secret to finding cheaper Audible books, especially if you already own a fair amount of Kindle books. This is a way for you to “upgrade” your Kindle books to include the audio version. The neat thing about this option is that you can switch back and forth between the Kindle book and the audiobook, and Amazon will sync where you’re at in the book. Sometimes you can upgrade your books for only pennies, but often it’s much more than that, especially if you’re buying something other than classics. The best way to find out if you can upgrade your existing books is to use this link, and Amazon will do all the work for you, giving you a list of Kindle books you already own and telling you how much it would cost to upgrade.
You can also upgrade to the Whispersync version when you’re purchasing the Kindle version as well. If it’s available, there will be a little checkbox underneath the purchase button that says “Add Audible book to your purchase for just $2.95” (or whatever the price is). Just make sure the box is checked when you purchase the book and the book will automatically show up in your Audible account. You can look for new Kindle books with Audible companions here. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy the Kindle + Audible than it is to buy the book straight from Audible, so that’s always worth checking into.
Tricks for picking out a good audiobook:
Always listen to the sample, especially if you’re going to buy the book. Most of the time the narrators are great, but sometimes you can’t stand the narrator for one reason or another.
Pick things that you know are going to be easy to listen to, especially if you’re just dipping your toe in the water of audiobooks. This is especially true of those who are more visual learners, like me. Maybe you’re the type of person who can listen to Moby Dick or Les Miserables, but I’m certainly not. I gotta see that stuff. I like to listen to Young Adult novels or recent (and usually easier to understand) memoirs.
Listen to a story that you’re already familiar with, like this one read by Kate Winslet or this one read by Rachel McAdams.
Of course this is on my list. The narrator, Jim Dale, is fantastic, though my husband and I don’t love his voice for Hermione. You get used to it after a little while though.
This is a really fun series to listen to. If you haven’t read these books because the movies scared you off, just know that the books are basically nothing like the movies.
This is a classic worth reading… I mean listening to. My husband and I are listening to this version narrated by Stephen Fry right now. It’s plenty long so you definitely get your money’s worth. There’s also a book read by Benedict Cumberbatch that I’ve had my eye on.
This is a recommendation for this book particularly, but also of an entire sub-genre–celebrities reading their memoirs. There’s something about hearing their books read in their own voices that makes them extra special and extra funny. This one and this one actually had me laughing out loud, which is rare for me.
There’s nothing like listening to a spooky classic late at night. Dracula is one of the rare classics that’s not super difficult to comprehend, so it makes for a great audiobook.
If you haven’t heard of Jim Gaffigan, you’re definitely missing out. He’s a comedian who lives in NYC with his wife and 5 or 6 kids (I lost count). He narrated his own audiobooks and they are hilarious. This one is just as funny, and educational too. I definitely learned about food culture from listening to this book.
On my TBR:
Pride and Prejudice narrated by Rosamund Pike (who played Jane in the Keira Knightley adaptation)
If you’re anything like me, you love to learn and to experience new stories. A problem I sometimes run into with audiobooks is not giving myself enough white space. Definitely listen to as many books as you want to, but don’t forget to let your brain rest too. Believe it or not, the silence is good for us.
I hope you were able to learn something new about listening to audiobooks. Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite audiobooks are!
Young Adult novels are some of my favorite books to read. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for reading high literature, and I also seem to be on a years-long non-fiction streak. But young adult literature is the best way to gently escape into another world, and sometimes that’s all you need. Despite the easy escapism, YA novels can be surprisingly thought-provoking too. Here’s a list of some of my favorite Young Adult novels that adults will enjoy too.
Whatever you do, don’t watch the movies. I proudly fall in the camp of “the book is always better than the movie.” Even movie-lovers will tell you that these movies just don’t cut it, though. The series, however, is delightful. I attribute 95% of my knowledge of Greek and Roman gods to Rick Riordan, so it’s educational too 😉
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea.
Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends — one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena — Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
This is, sadly, another movie fail. The movie series started out okay and then completely flopped at the end. The book series, however, keeps you engaged and curious for the entire time. If you haven’t read these yet, definitely give it a try.
One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior’s society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions. Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she’s determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.
I listened to these while doing my first mind-numbing data entry job. They feel sweet and light-hearted, but if you look closely, they have some serious and deep themes. From what I’ve heard, these really come out in the Netflix series, which I have yet to watch.
When red-headed orphan Anne arrives at the Cuthberts’ home, Green Gables, she feels sure she’s found the home she has longed for. They, however, are less certain; their request to the orphanage had been for a boy. But before long Anne’s irrepressibly optimistic, loving nature has charmed them. While her temper is unpredictable and her extravagant imagination makes her dreamily whimsical and prone to comic mishap, the Cuthberts come to love Anne as if she were their own child. Montgomery’s classic tale is a celebration of the transformative power of love and the unique qualities of a girl who has a second chance at childhood.
Who would I even be if I didn’t mention Harry Potter? If you haven’t read the series yet, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. Do it. I promise you won’t regret it.
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
I read the entire Hunger Games series in three days. Yes, a book a day. My eyes were so tired by then, and my heart felt a little traumatized, but in a good way. Going beyond just entertainment, I think the books are great at provoking thought about Western culture in general.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games.
But Katniss has been close to dead and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Collins delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.
I’m not sure why, but the cover really put me off of this series. The book seemed cheesy and unrealistic and I was not interested. However, after seeing tons of people rave about the series, I decided to try it out. I surprised myself by discovering that I really enjoyed it. This is definitely one of those books that you shouldn’t judge by its cover.
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
Similar to the Percy Jackson series, I attribute the majority of my knowledge of norse mythology to this series. For the most part, I really enjoyed this series. There were periods when I didn’t care for some of the main characters, but overall it’s a great story. If you’re wanting to read this with your children, there are some more adult themes. I’d recommend looking into it before diving in with kiddos.
Danny North knew from early childhood that his family was different, and that he was different from them. While his cousins were learning how to create the things that commoners called fairies, ghosts, golems, trolls, werewolves, and other such miracles that were the heritage of the North family, Danny worried that he would never show a talent, never form an outself.
He grew up in the rambling old house, filled with dozens of cousins, and aunts and uncles, all ruled by his father. Their home was isolated in the mountains of western Virginia, far from town, far from schools, far from other people.
There are many secrets in the House, and many rules that Danny must follow. There is a secret library with only a few dozen books, and none of them in English ― but Danny and his cousins are expected to become fluent in the language of the books. While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.
Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny as well. And that will lead to disaster for the North family.
I read this the first time in middle school and enjoyed it for the escape from reality. I reread this when I was older and enjoyed it for the deeper themes and messages. It really got me thinking about the idea of choice and the choices that I make.
At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy’s gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it’s to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate…
Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.
I’d love to hear what you guys think. Did these ones stick with you? Are there other awesome YA novels I haven’t read yet? Leave a comment with your faves!
Hi, I’m Kelsey! I live in the DC area with my husband and two cats. I currently spend my days working from home, reading all the books, and enjoying home life in our new-to-us 1940s condo. Read more about me here.
by Laura Vanderkam completely changed the way I think about time and productivity. I would basically read anything she said about the subject, so I preordered Off the Clock, which comes out May 29, 2018, and am looking forward to reading more.
Any help in finding motivation would be much appreciated.
