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

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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, 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.


Tuesday, May 2, 2023

May 2023 Book Releases

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Happy spring, book nerds! It's time to load up your beach bag with new releases! Here are the ones I'm looking forward to reading the most.

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, April 30, 2023

The Sunday Post #333

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, April 25, 2023

10 Blogging Myths—Busted!


I've been blogging for a long time. I've had this book blog for nearly 10 years. Before that, I had a blog about the history and ethics of capital punishment. Before that, I had a lifestyle blog. I've been a blogger since 2005, and I've come across a lot of misconceptions about blogging during that time. Today, we're going to bust some myths.

Here are 10 "facts" I've been told about blogging. Let's see how they match up to my actual experiences.


Tuesday, April 18, 2023

What I Do When I'm Not Reading Books


Today on the book blog, we're not going to talk about books. (I know. I'm scared too.) We're going to talk about what I do when I'm not reading. Here's a list of my . . . hobbies? Is that what you'd call them? Lifestyle choices? Things forced upon me by society?

Here's some stuff I do.


Sunday, April 16, 2023

The Sunday Post #332

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, April 11, 2023

Books With Fancy Hats On The Cover

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Every time I think I've created the stupidest blog post ever, I raise the bar and come up with something even stupider. Today, I'm going to show you a bunch of books with fancy hats on the covers. I know you're all desperate to see the hats, but first I have three observations.

Observation #1: We're defining "fancy hat" very loosely. Some of these items are not fancy or hats. However, "Book Covers With People With Things On Their Heads" is not a compelling blog post title.

Observation #2: Historical fiction book covers are not historically accurate. I thought it would be easy to find historical fiction with fancy hats. It's not! All the characters are strolling down the street—in public—without their fancy hats. What is this nonsense?

Observation #3: A lot of book covers only show the characters from the neck down. Why are there so many decapitated people on book covers? In my mind, all of these people are wearing fancy hats, but since I have no evidence of the hats, they're not in this post. We have to be scientific here.

Okay. That's it. Here are some hats (and hat-adjacent items) on book covers.


Tuesday, April 4, 2023

April 2023 Book Releases

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April showers bring book releases, apparently. So many books are coming out this month. It was hard to narrow down my list to a reasonable number of books. Here are the ones I'm looking forward to reading the most.

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, April 2, 2023

The Sunday Post #331

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, March 28, 2023

Reading The Lowest Rated Books On My Shelf

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Last week, I looked up the Goodreads ratings of all the unread books on my shelf. I want to read some good books, so I thought I'd prioritize the ones that other readers love.

While I was looking at the popular and beloved books, I couldn't help scrolling down and checking out the . . . um . . . not-as-loved books. Which books on my shelf have the lowest ratings?

I was kind of shocked. I'm super excited to read these books! Why did readers feel so "Meh" about them? Now I'm extra curious to find out if I'll like them or hate them.

During 2023, I'm going to read these books. I'll tell you how I feel about them in a few months.


Sunday, March 26, 2023

The Sunday Post #330

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, March 21, 2023

Reading The Highest Rated Books On My Shelf

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I’m going to make book predictions! At the start of 2022, I chose 10 books that I hadn’t read but thought I’d love. Over the course of the year, I read the books, then shared my reviews. I’m going to do that again. These are my 2023 5-star predictions. I promise I will read all these books sometime this year.

I currently have 50-something unread books on my to-be-read shelf. I think all of them have the potential to earn a 5-star review from me. (They wouldn’t be on the shelf if I didn’t think I’d love them.) But I’m extra excited about the books in this post because they have mostly positive reviews on Goodreads. They're actually the 10 highest rated books I own. I hope I love them as much as everybody else does.


Sunday, March 19, 2023

The Sunday Post #329

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, March 14, 2023

Books To Read In Spring

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It's nearly spring, bookworms! Do you know what you're reading this season?

Usually, I'd look over my to-be-read shelf and pick out a bunch of books that are set in spring or that have spring-like cover art.

This year, I'm going to do something different. I have a bad habit of buying books and then leaving them on the shelf for years without reading them. I decided to look at my old book haul blog posts and find the books that have been sitting around the longest. This spring, I'm determined to read them.

Here are my 10 most neglected book babies.


Sunday, March 12, 2023

The Sunday Post #328

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, March 7, 2023

March 2023 Book Releases

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March is an excellent time for book releases! So many books are coming out this month. It was hard to narrow down my list to a reasonable number of books. Here are the ones I'm looking forward to reading the most.

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, February 28, 2023

Historical Fiction Book Recommendations

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Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre. I love every flavor of it: realistic historical fiction, historical fantasy, historical horror, dual timelines, family sagas. I even read history nonfiction.

Today, I'm going to recommend some realistic historical fiction. These are fiction stories set in the past with no magical elements. Here are 10 that I've read and obsessed over in the last few years.


Sunday, February 26, 2023

The Sunday Post #327

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Usually, I just slap a meme up here, but today's artwork was done by Brooklyn. Here's a happy bee for you.



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, February 21, 2023

Best Modern Classic Heroines

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Who's your favorite fictional heroine? I have so many that I couldn't narrow it down to a reasonable number for a blog post. To save my own sanity, I decided to choose characters from modern classic literature. (Modern classic means "popular and published after WWII.") So, here are my 10 favorite modern classic heroines.


Sunday, February 19, 2023

The Sunday Post #326

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.