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Top 10 Reads of 2022
I read about 75 books this year, and here are my favorites (in no particular order). The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah Genre: Historical Fiction This novel is about the dust bowl in the US in the 1930s, and a family who becomes “Oakies” trying to survive by going west to California. Kristin Hannah always…
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In Defense of Hallmark Films
I recently watched two romance comedies, and the difference was striking enough that I had to write about it. The films were Home Again (2017) and Falling For Christmas (2016). Home Again was a “modern” rom com—so modern, in fact, that there isn’t a clear romance. The main character (played by Reese Witherspoon) is a…
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My Favorite Books, and Why They Change
The conversation question I both love and hate is: “What is your favorite book?” As a bookworm, it’s impossible to pick just one. But I also read so many books that my list of favorites does occasionally change. I used to think that was a problem—after all, shouldn’t your favorite books stay favorites forever? But…
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Why Fantasy Heroes Have Too Much Power
I’ve recently grown tired of main characters with too much power. My husband inadvertently gave me a term for this (it’s a video game term): Overpowered. In a video game, if you have a character who is too powerful, it makes the game unfair because it’s either too easy (if your character is overpowered), or…
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Top 10 Reads of 2017
Hi all! As this is the last day of 2017, here is a highlight of my favorite reads this year. My reading goal on Goodreads for 2017 was 80 books, and I managed to read 91. Of those 91 books, all but two were in my five favorite genres: fantasy (42%), historical fiction (16%), classic literature…
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Book Review: A Million Junes
I read A Million Junes through Penguin Publishing’s First to Read program. The book comes out on May 16. Imagine a Sarah Dessen novel—filled with serious questions and teenage vulnerabilities—paired with a collection of American tall tales. Now mix it all up into the Romeo and Juliet story, and the result is A Million Junes by Emily Henry. Synopsis…
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The Wanderers: Introspective People Who Don’t Go to Mars
I recently joined Penguin Publishing’s program called First To Read, which allows reviewers and bloggers to read books before they come out. The first book I’ve read through the program is The Wanderers, a literary fiction novel by Meg Howrey that comes out on March 14. Here’s my review. Synopsis: The book is about three astronauts…
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February Bookstagram Challenge!
Welcome to the #booklovefebruary challenge! If you’re coming over from Instagram or Simona’s blog, welcome! We’re super excited to be co-hosting this February challenge together. Here are the daily prompts, along with a few ideas: February TBR: Your To Be Read list for this month—what books do you want to get through in February? Book…
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5 Contemporary Fiction Books to Read
This is the last installment of the 5×5 series, where I’m exploring five of my favorite books in five different genres. If you missed them, check out my posts on fantasy, literature, historical fiction, and nonfiction. I don’t read contemporary fiction as often as several other genres, but I should. Contemporary fiction deals with real-world…
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5 Books to Expand Your Mind This Year
In this 5×5 series, I’m sharing five of my favorite books in five different genres. Revisit the posts on Fantasy, Literature, and Historical Fiction if you missed them. I’ve always loved stories, so when it comes to books, most of what I read is fiction. However, I’ve read quite a bit of nonfiction too—mostly philosophy and theology…
Victoria Van Vlear 