Homegoing Might Be the Best Book of 2016 (According to Me)
Yaa Gyasi’s groundbreaking debut novel, Homegoing, begins in 18th century Ghana with two half-sisters who will never meet. Effia, of the Fante tribe, marries a British slaver and lives her life in relative luxury in the Cape Coast castle. Beneath her, captured tribes wait to be shipped to the Americas as slaves. Among them is Esi of the Asante, Effia’s half-sister.
Three Creepy Ghost Stories for Halloween
This is the week leading up to Halloween. So of course I felt obligated to make a post about books that would be great to read over the holiday. And by obligated, I mean I’m super excited about this list because I’ve been super into horror lately. So here are some books that you should pick up to get in the right holiday spirit.
The Mystery Behind The Sister
In the wake of her best friend Charlie’s death, Grace goes on a mission to find Charlie’s father. Things aren’t what they seem, though, and soon Grace starts to question what’s really going on. If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train, I think you’ll enjoy Louise Jensen’s debut novel, The Sister.
Highlights from Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad
Normally,I’m not a fan of historical fiction. I can watch a television show that’s centered around a certain time period, but I can’t stand reading it. Weird, I know. The furthest I went with it was reading Dear America and American Girl books as a child. However, I decided to give The Underground Railroad a chance because I read the description and thought it was interesting. Also, this book is one of Oprah’s Book Club picks and I knew it would gain popularity; so I wanted to see what the hype was about.
My time with Holden Caufield
My only school experience with Catcher in the Rye was in junior year of high school in English class. One half of the class read it and my half read 1984 by George Orwell, another banned book. Somehow along the years, I ended up with a copy of Catcher in the Rye, so I thought, why not read it? I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. I had a few people tell me what a great book it was.
A Close Look at Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy
Are you interested in an excellent fantasy trilogy as you settle into your long(er) Autumn nights? Have a thing for banned and challenged books? Look no further than Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.
Paulo Coelho’s Best Stories
Prior to this year, I had never read a Paulo Coelho book, which is surprising being Paulo Coelho is one of the most famed Latin American writers of our times and I love all things Latin American.
Readers Live Longer Than Non-Readers
If you’re over 50 years old and read a book for thirty minutes a day, you’re likely to outlive your non-reading peers, according to a new study published in the September 2016 issue of Social Science and Medicine.
All Hail The Queen of the Tearling!
Tired of the same old story in fantasy novels? Check out Erika Johansen’s The Queen of the Tearling for a truly unique and exciting read!
Mirrors and Windows
When you read a book that doesn’t have a character that reflects you, but is more about viewing others and different experiences, that is a window book — and they are just as important.