It's hard to believe that it's already December 4th, but we're only a few short weeks away from my favorite holiday...Christmas! Over the past couple of weeks, I've been thinking a lot about my family's holiday traditions and what they mean to me. There are so many things that my family really looks forward to…
I love the new book section of my public library! My local library always does a great job of stocking exciting new titles, both fiction and nonfiction, and I usually find myself perusing the shelves every time I drop in to pick up and return books. My last trip to the library was just a…
When I have the opportunity to talk to other readers, I'm always interested to know the kinds of books they prefer reading. I've met a lot of people over the years who have very definite preferences when it comes to the books they read. Some people prefer to read books in specific genres, while others…
If you've been waiting for the official prompt list for next year's POPSUGAR Reading Challenge, your wait is over! POPSUGAR released their list yesterday, along with a slideshow of prompt-fulfilling books on their website. Based on the flurry of posting I've seen on Goodreads, I think it's safe to say that people are excited for…
Thanks to Clipart Library for these pretty fireworks! After having participated for the past few years, the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge has become something of a tradition in my home. If you've never taken part in the Reading Challenge, the basic idea is that participants are encouraged to expand their reading horizons through a series of…
Before I decided to leave the classroom to pursue a career in writing, I taught English/Language Arts at the middle and high school levels. One of the concerns that I frequently heard from parents was regarding reading. Usually the conversation involved the parent saying something like this: "I've been trying to get my kids to…
This week I finally had a chance to read Riley Sager's Lock Every Door. I had read one of her other novels (Final Girls) earlier this year as part of the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge and really enjoyed her writing style, so I was excited to dive into her newest book. Lock Every Door is a…
As someone who is always carrying around a book, I find myself reading in public on a frequent basis. Some of the places I have been caught reading include, but are not limited to: restaurants, public transportation, doctor's offices, grocery stores, sporting arenas, movie theaters, and work. But while reading in public can be a…
What kinds of things scare you? During this time of year, our thoughts may turn to ghosts and zombies, killer clowns, or other murderous characters from horror movies...the "things that go bump in the night." A close friend once told me that she found psychological thrillers far more frightening than traditional horror movies, because they…
Does anyone else get annoyed by all of those Internet lists telling you what you should and should not have in your home? It seems like I'm always coming across these things, and the vast majority of them only serve to make me mad. All of them attempt to tell you how best to create…
