Sunday, December 31, 2023

The Sunday Post #351

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Christmas Book Haul

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Did you get any books during the holidays? I did! Here's my haul. Thanks to my Secret Santa for gifting me these books from my wish list. I can't wait to read them.


Sunday, December 24, 2023

The Sunday Post #350

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, December 19, 2023

All I Want For Christmas Is Books

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Happy holidays, bookworms! Do you typically get books as gifts from your friends and family? I don't, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. Here are ten books I'm hoping to find under the Christmas tree. Many of them are nature nonfiction because I'm slightly tempted to get better at my day job.


Sunday, December 17, 2023

The Sunday Post #349

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Books To Read In Winter

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The year is almost over, and we're all reading short books to hit our Goodreads goal, right? No? That's just me? Dang.

Here are 10 books I'm hoping to read this winter. Not all of them are short, but they all look fantastic.


Sunday, December 10, 2023

The Sunday Post #348

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, December 5, 2023

When Books "Talk" To Each Other

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Okay, if your books are literally talking to each other, you should probably step away from your TBR mountain and visit a doctor, but I want to discuss a bookish phenomenon that has happened a few times in my life.

Sunday, December 3, 2023

The Sunday Post #347

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Best Books Set In Mansions

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Have you ever thought about how many books are set in giant houses? There are a lot. The first time I wrote this list, all 10 books on it were classics. I swapped out most of the older books for newer ones because there are so many to choose from!

Also, I realize there are differences between mansions, McMansions, manors, estates, castles, and large houses. I'm calling the list "Best Books Set In Mansions" because I like how it sounds. Some of these houses might not be mansions. I don't care. They're close enough.


Tuesday, November 21, 2023

It's My 10th Blogiversary

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The title of this post is a lie. It was actually my 10th blogiversary back in August, but do I have time to write blog posts in summer? No. Like all summer holidays, my blogiversary has to be acknowledged late.

I didn't have time to write a post, and I also had no idea what to say in a post about 10 years of blogging. Luckily, Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight solved that problem for me. When her blog turned 10, she wrote a list of things that have changed in her life during the past 10 years. I'm completely stealing her idea. Make sure you visit her blog and thank her for being brilliant.


Sunday, November 19, 2023

The Sunday Post #346

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, November 14, 2023

How To Make Fun Graphs With Canva



Graphs are useful tools, but they're also very boring. Last year, I made a blog post to show off the data from my bookish spreadsheets. The graphs in the rough draft of the post sucked, so I spiced them up with fun illustrations. After the post went live, I got a bunch of emails from people who wanted to know how I made the graphs. Today, I'm going to tell you!


Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Nonfiction November Reading List

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It's November, and bookworms all over the world are participating in the Nonfiction November reading challenge. We're devoting the month to reading nonfiction and learning new things. Here are the books I'll be reading in the next few weeks.


Sunday, November 5, 2023

The Sunday Post #345

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Best Portal Fantasy Novels

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If you're reading this on the day it's posted, happy Halloween! 

Halloween is the day of the year when the veil between our world and the afterlife is thinnest, which makes it the perfect day to read portal fantasies.

What's a portal fantasy? It's a story that involves characters from one world traveling through a portal to another world.

In honor of Halloween, here are my thirteen favorite portal fantasies (in publication order because I can't pick a favorite-favorite).


Sunday, October 29, 2023

The Sunday Post #344

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The End Of The Year Book Tag

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It's not the end of the year yet, but we're getting close, which means it's time to do The End Of The Year Book Tag. Hopefully these six questions will help me (and you) organize our reading lives before the year is over. It's time to get our butts in gear and smash our reading goals, people!

If you want to answer these questions on your blog, go for it. Consider yourself tagged. You still have a few months before the year is really over!


Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Best Books About Extreme Weather

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A book won't get 5 stars from me unless it has a strong sense of place. That means I'm drawn to books where nature plays a role in the story. Here are ten books that feature extreme weather. I hope you love them as much as I did!


Sunday, October 15, 2023

The Sunday Post #343

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Year-End Reading Goals

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Can you believe the year is almost over? I can't. How does time keep going faster and faster? I have all these life-improvement plans and no time to actually improve my life. It's madness!

My life is probably unfixable, but I still have a chance to work on my reading goals. Here's what I'm hoping to accomplish before the year ends.


Sunday, October 1, 2023

The Sunday Post #342

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Reading Ideas For Spooky Season

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It's the most wonderful time of the year! It's spooky season. Break out your horrifying, mysterious, and magical books. Not sure what to read? I have recommendations.


Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Books To Read In Fall

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Guess what, bookworms? It's the time of year where all of us basic bitches come to life. It's autumn! Break out the fluffy clothes and pumpkin spice everything. Here's what I'll be reading while I munch Halloween candy.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

The Sunday Post #341

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, September 5, 2023

September 2023 Book Releases

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Happy September, Bookworms! There are tons of amazing books coming out this month. Here's what I'm looking forward to reading.

Note: Some of the release dates may change or be different in your part of the world. Don't come for me if they're wrong. I'm trying to keep up!

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Best Books Set On Islands

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Islands are one of my favorite book settings! There's so much potential for drama in remote locations. Here are 10 atmospheric island books I couldn't put down.


Sunday, August 27, 2023

The Sunday Post #340

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Nature Books I Want To Read

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I've been working at a state park since 2019, but I rarely read nonfiction books about parks or nature. It's time to change that! I think the information in these books might make me suck less at my job. Or, maybe they'll just entertain me, and I'll still suck. Either way, it's a win.

I apologize for how western-US-centric this book list is, but I've never lived or worked in anywhere else's wilderness. 

Here are 10 books about nature that I hope will educate and entertain me.


Tuesday, August 15, 2023

My Book Buying Ban: One Year Later


In August 2022, I ran out of space for new books. They overflowed my shelves, and I started stacking them on the bedroom floor, where I promptly tripped over them. It was a problem. I decided to put myself on a buying ban until I've read (and donated) all my unread books. That was a year ago. Here's what I've learned so far.


Sunday, August 13, 2023

The Sunday Post #339

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by 
The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Recent Additions To My Book Wish List

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I've been on a book-buying ban for nearly a year, and I've been trying very hard to read the books I own and ignore new ones, but occasionally a book creeps onto my wish list.

Here are 10 books that I just couldn't ignore.


Tuesday, August 1, 2023

August 2023 Book Releases

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Happy August, Bookworms! There are tons of amazing books coming out this month. Here's what I'm looking forward to reading.

Note: Some of the release dates may change or be different in your part of the world. Don't come for me if they're wrong. I'm trying to keep up!

Sunday, July 30, 2023

The Sunday Post #338

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Really Good Books That Need A Bigger Spotlight

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I write a lot of blog posts, but occasionally, a book doesn't get the spotlight it deserves on this blog. Here are 10 books that I adore but don't talk about often enough. I hope you love them as much as I did!


Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Attention-Grabbing One-Word Book Titles

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The best book titles don't just sum up a book. They grab the reader's attention. A good title is important. That's why I'm always impressed when a one-word title gets me to pick up a book and read the synopsis.

Here are 12 titles that got my attention and made me spend my money.


Sunday, July 16, 2023

The Sunday Post #337


This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Best Books Of 2023 (So Far)

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Welcome to my favorite blog post of the year! These are the best books I've read so far in 2023. It's a short list because I've only read 40 books, so I'm just going to show off my top-top-top favorites. For extra drama, I organized the list countdown style.

Drumroll please . . . .


Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Mid-Year Reading Check-In

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The year is half over! Can you believe it? So . . . how's everybody holding up? Are you doing okay?

If you're reading this on the day it's posted (July 4), I'm at work. Today is the busiest day of the year for state parks. I'm probably directing traffic and suffering in the heat. Fun times.

But, we're not here to talk about work. Let's talk about books! I've read 38 of them so far this year, which isn't ideal. I was hoping to have read 50 by the beginning of July. That hasn't happened, but I can't complain because some of the books were really good.

Here are the highlights (and lowlights) of my reading year so far.


Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Best July - December 2023 Young Adult Book Releases

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Welcome to the second half of 2023! There are tons of amazing young adult and middle grade books coming out in the next 6 months. Here's what I'm looking forward to reading.

Note: Some of the release dates may change or be different in your part of the world. Don't come for me if they're wrong. I'm trying to keep up!


Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Books To Read In Summer

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Do you know which books you're reading this summer? I do! Here's my summer reading list. A few of these books may have been on my summer reading list last year. Oops. In my defense, I work a zillion hours between April and October. I'm reading as fast as I can!

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Best July - December 2023 Book Releases

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Welcome to the second half of 2023! There are tons of amazing books coming out in the next 6 months. Here's what I'm looking forward to reading.

Note: Some of the release dates may change or be different in your part of the world. Don't come for me if they're wrong. I'm trying to keep up!


Sunday, June 11, 2023

The Sunday Post #336

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, June 6, 2023

June 2023 Book Releases

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Are you getting ready for summer? It's time to plan your vacation book list. Here are the new releases I'm looking forward to reading. There aren't many this month.

Note: Some of the release dates may change or be different in your part of the world. Don't come for me if they're wrong. I'm trying to keep up!


Tuesday, May 30, 2023

What Makes Me Avoid A Book?


Last week, I listed some of the reasons I will add a book to my to-be-read mountain. Today, we're going to talk about the opposite. What makes me run away from a book and refuse to read it?

(Warning: I sound like a complete asshat in this post. I'm sorry! I swear I'm nice! Well, mostly nice.)

Let's get into it:


Sunday, May 28, 2023

The Sunday Post #335

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, May 23, 2023

What Makes Me Read A Book?

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There are so many books in the world! How do I decide which ones to read? Here are a few things that grab my attention and make me add a book to my to-be-read mountain.

I've included some books as examples of what I'm blathering about in this post. Click the covers to see a synopsis.


Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Gateway Books

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Today, we're going to take a deep dive into my reading life. I have a lot of favorite genres and tropes, but why do I like those things? Which books got me interested in them?

Here are the "gateway" books that got me hooked on my favorite types of stories.


Sunday, May 14, 2023

The Sunday Post #334

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.


The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.


Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Books I Recommended (And People Actually Bought)

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The internet calls book bloggers "influencers," but how much influence do we actually have? Do people really buy the books we shout about incessantly?

I checked the data from this blog's affiliate links* to find out. I discovered that the answer is yes! People do buy the books I screech about.

Here are the last 10 books people bought from my affiliate links.


*What the heck are affiliate links? In many of my blog posts, you'll see buttons that say "Buy it on Amazon" or something like that. When someone clicks the button and buys the book, Amazon tells me which book was bought. That's all they tell me.

Books are not more expensive when people use my links, but I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.