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5 Compelling Reads for Book Club Discussions
I remember being in school as a kid and wondering why we were only taught about historical Black figures during February. I then remember being confused because we only talked about well-known names like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.
3 Reasons the Hunger Games Holds Up
Suzanne Collins’ groundbreaking young adult novel The Hunger Games was first published on September 14, 2008. With over 100 million copies of the original trilogy sold, five box-office hit films, and two best-selling prequels, it goes without saying that the series is a huge success. But what is it that keeps readers returning for more over a decade later?
Why Adults are Reading YA
Adults are reading Young Adult (YA) literature. Yeah, adult adults — grown people with jobs, who pay their own bills, chat about interest rates on mortgages, or maybe even have young adult children themselves. Not only are they reading it, they also make up most of YA literature’s readership.
People We Meet on Vacation
2021 was a great year for romance novels. Being a romantic at heart, I devour romance books with relish and it’s so refreshing to see an increasing number of diverse authors writing books with diverse characters falling in love. It’s also interesting to see this genre evolve into several sub-genres including contemporary romances with multidimensional characters who warm your heart with their goals, quirks, worries, likes and dislikes.
Reading Recommendations in Your Inbox
We have added new categories to our NextReads Newsletters. Whether you enjoy fiction or nonfiction, we have a list for you. If you like a little faith with your historical fiction, romance or suspense sign up for our Christian Fiction newsletter. The Fantasy & Science Fiction newsletter brings you the best of fantasy, science fiction and everything in between.
Books Are Magical
Unleash the magic — open a book and make today extraordinary. September 25 is National Open the Magic Day. After discovering this celebration, I did a little digging because it reminded me of unicorns. My five-year-old daughter is rather obsessed with them.
Wine, Cheese & Books, Please
Since July 25 is National Wine and Cheese Day, I thought I’d make some reading and pairing suggestions. Who likes perusing their favorite genre or author with a nice red? Try reading on the patio with a chilled white? Here’s a list of some great pairings to get you started. If you have suggestions, we’d love to hear about some of your favorites, too.
Top 5 Checked Out Picture Books
Have you ever wondered what the most popular books are at your library? Well, look no further, we’ve got your answer. You can even make it a game, grab a pen and piece of paper and jot down your guesses to see how many you get right.
Books in Verse
Roses are red, violets are blue, we recommend reading novels in verse, as something you should do. Novels in verse are not a new invention; if you haven’t experienced this thriving genre — now is the time, after all, April is National Poetry Month.
Coretta Scott King Book Awards
February is Black History Month. It’s a time to bring more awareness and recognition of African American authors and illustrators whose work bespeak an appreciation of African American culture.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
“Bah, hum bug.” Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly, cantankerous miser, made his way into the homes and hearts of many people in the 1800s and has remained steadfast for decades. Charles Dickens wrote the classic tale A Christmas Carol, and published his work on December 19, 1843. Hoping to write his way out of a financial slump, Dickens penned this work as a commentary on how Victorian society treated the poor, as well as, the importance of goodwill towards all human beings. What better time to show goodwill than Christmas, right?
Fairy Tales: Little Red & Cinderella
Fairy tales are an important genre in children’s literature and have been passed down from generation to generation. Usually ending “happily ever after,” fairy tales make for a perfect family read aloud. These favorites …
Upcoming YA Fiction Releases
YA (that’s young adult literature for newbies) has a lot of hot titles hitting the shelves this month — including books from some of our favorite authors and breathtaking debuts from fresh voices. We’ll experience the beginnings of exciting new series and the much-anticipated continuations and conclusions of others. No matter what you love, whether it’s thrillers, romance, fantasy, nonfiction or graphic novels, you’ll find a wide variety of books sure to satisfy every kind of reader. With all of these great works to read, you’ll be happily turning pages all summer long.
Literature’s Love Guru
As a Jane Austen novice, I was intrigued to read about one of her most popular novel characters, Emma, of whom Austen stated, “I am
The Joy of Rereading
My friends have always known me as the girl who’ll read anything — cereal boxes, bottles of ketchup, warning labels on medicine — if there are words
From Real to Reel
First coined in the 1940s, a biopic is a movie that dramatizes the life of one central historical figure. The majority of biographical films focus
Jane Austen
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of the most influential writers to this day. Jane Austen was born on December
A to Z Reading Challenge
It’s time to wrap up your 2019 resolutions and think about what you want to accomplish next year. Most of us consider the same resolutions
Cozy Up With a Mystery
As the temperature continues to creep closer to freezing and the frigid winter winds begin to blow, the more tempted we are to stay inside
Pretend to Be a Time Traveler
One of the first time travel stories recorded appears in a Hindi epic written in 400 BCE. However, the idea of time travel didn’t gain
