I liked the concept of this book more than the storyline itself. I thought it would go in a different direction than it did. It took me longer to get through it than I expected but it wasn‘t a terrible book.

#ChosenOnes #NewAdult #Fantasy #Fiction

“Let the world we dream about be the one we live in now.” ~Orpheus, Hadestown

“We are like books. Most people only see our cover, the minority read only the introduction, many people believe the critics. Few will know our content.”
~Emily Zola

Cheers to those who know the content of our life story.

#Poetry #ToTheOnesWhoKnow

Do yourself a favor and read this book. EVERYONE needs to read it to gain a deeper understanding and empathy for the history Black folk in the U.S.

#MustRead #WEBDuBois

Wishing this for all of you throughout the rest of this year!

#MayYourDaysBePlenty #MayYourCupNeverEmpty #Be

When a friend buys you four books that are all spot on with your preferences…..I feel so SEEN!

Which one should I start with?!?!

#ThisIsLove #BooksAreMyLoveLanguage

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.” ~Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

This isn‘t a story about romance but this line is especially poignant and heartfelt. Do not sleep on this book!

#TheAlchemist #Top10 #Fiction

This book is in between a pick and a so-so to me. The middle of the book is the most interesting and page turning section. The ending was just okay to me. It felt like a little bit of a let down. That being said, the writing is spectacular. I can only imagine how hard it was to write a book like this. So, I would still recommend it!

#MurderMystery #TheBishopAndTheKnight #TimeTravel

“A book, too, can be a star,
explosive material, capable of stirring up
fresh life endlessly,
a living fire to lighten the
darkness, leading out on
the expanding universe.”
~A Wrinkle in Time

I appreciate Paulo Coelho as an author. He‘s not timid about writing about deep matters concerning the philosophy of society all wrapped in fiction. This particular book is related and loosely based on his own lived experience which makes it even more profound.

#PauloCoelho #AddToYourTBR

I realized I never did a review for this book. But I feel like it deserves one. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning about the characters and the world they inhabit. It moved along faster than I expected but not in a bad way. The ending was well crafted and fit the narrative. Worth the read!

I DEVOURED this book. I‘m tempted to say it was better than the first book but how can a monument of greatness claim to be more than the solid foundation on which is was made? It‘s worth your while to read this duology and to aquatint yourself with Cosimano‘s writing. You won‘t regret the time.

“Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime, nor hours, days, months, which are all the rags of time.”
~The Sun Rising by John Donne

As Sanderson wanted, Tress of the Emerald Sea is an adult fairy tale of wonderful proportions. The narrative style is whimsical but isn‘t childlike. It‘s a beautiful story at once predictable and, yet, surprising.

In Germany on a solo trip for research. Did some sight-seeing today and stumbled on a restaurant themed after Peter Pan. Neat ambience and even better food.

“If you wish to become a storyteller, here‘s a hint: sell your labor, but not your mind. Give me ten hours a day scrubbing a deck, and oh the stories I could imagine. Give me ten hours adding sums, and all you‘ll have me imagining at the end is a warm bed and a thought-free evening.”

A terrific sequel that rivaled the first novel. Truly a captivating and enthralling story, beautifully capturing love and pain. The slow progress and growth in the aftermath of violence and trauma. This book, along with the first, NEEDS to be on everyone‘s bookshelf.

Another MUST read. If you‘re a fan of Sabaa Tahir‘s book series “An Ember in the Ashes,” then you‘ll thoroughly enjoy this book - book one of the duology. The narrative writing style can take some getting used to at points but it‘s well worth the read.

This prequel is about President Snow when he was young. It‘s a decent book but it‘s nowhere near as good as the first three Hunger Games books. Parts of it seem a little too aligned with the trilogy to make sense. The writing was good, though, and Collins still leaves some mystery to the readers‘ imagination.

This is one of the best books I‘ve ever read. It‘s short but full of sage advice and wisdom. The writing is captivating. The ending was perfect. Couldn‘t have asked for better.

“…the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that‘s where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are.”

Check out my chapter in this book! It‘s the second chapter. If you read it, let me know what you think!

This is the last book in the series and it‘s worth the read. It started out a little slow but was still decent. But halfway through it really picked up. The story didn‘t unfold quite the way I thought but that was a good thing. And the ending was satisfying- not rushed or sloppy.

What books are in your book cellar?

I‘ve got:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Seasons of Chaos
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Chosen Ones
And more!

The perks of being a graduate fellow? All the free books!

For me, this book wasn‘t bad but it wasn‘t good. The author tried to interweave multiple characters‘ storylines together but left me with too many narrators. I didn‘t feel like I could get attached to anyone which left me feeling unsatisfied. Plus, not getting full details at the end wasn‘t my favorite (if you know, you know).

How would you want your End Day to go down???

Neruda captures something sweet, sacred, and pure about love that touches the soul.

Such a great exploration into love, loss, trauma, and healing. This book deserves to be read in one sitting and deserves to be read by all women. All women deserve to hear they are extraordinary and to see themselves through the pages of this book.

My university‘s alumni bingo! I‘m playing, so do you all have any suggestions??? #SummerReading #UCF #AllSuggestionsWelcome

I can‘t put into words how satisfying and wonderful this book was. It was certainly worth the wait and is one of the best ending books to a series I have ever read. Sabaa Tahir takes her time developing the ending so that it feels wholly and completely right. Do not hesitate. Read this series. Read this book. Hold back the darkness.

What‘s the worst thing you can do to a PhD student??? Give her tons of books she‘d rather devour than do any of her work....Wish me luck!

I‘m starting off with A Sky Beyond the Storm! I‘ve been waiting to tear into this book for quite some time, so I‘m happy to finally have my hands on it!

I finally finished this book and, thus, the series!!!Funny enough, this was my favorite book of the entire series. It was very intriguing to get multiple points of view throughout. The ending was satisfactory but some parts weren‘t written as well as I thought they‘d be. I definite don‘t regret reading this series! Thanks to @Aivilo for letting me borrow all the books!

Reading fiction books my whole life really encouraged me to stop and consider things from someone else‘s perspective.

Is there one book or series which was more instrumental in this process for you???
Please, send me your recommendations!

#ReadingForEveryone #ReadingForEmpathy

Happy Banned Books Week!!!

What‘s your favorite banned book?

“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” ~ Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)

“In order to form a more perfect Union.....”

This excerpt from my readings today sum up a key vision we must adopt for us to move forward effectively as a nation and as human beings.

Finally able to read the last installment in the Red Queen series! I‘ll steal time in between all my doctoral work to read what I can. Because after all...”books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time (E.P. Whipple).”

“They don‘t call it the Civil War. There had already been one...during a time when the enslavement of human beings was legal based on nothing but the color of one‘s skin. There is an entire room dedicated to that, to the unified, sinister America before we existed....I don‘t say a word. Maybe the United States was only ever united for some. Maybe this place has always been a dystopia.” ~Daniel “Day” Wing, Rebel by Marie Lu

If you like the show You, then you need to read this book. It was so well written and intriguing. It was interesting to hear the inner thoughts of a man scheming to seduce a young woman. “There under the sea we shall meet again, for only in the deeps of the sea shall we really belong together.”

I may need to read about rhetorical criticism for class, but nothing makes for a better reading day than rain and a cup of hot tea!

What‘s your favorite reading environment?

I finally finished this book! It took me a while because I didn‘t really feel captured by the story. It‘s one of those books that‘s doesn‘t get good until the last 40 pages or so. I felt like I had to finish it since I started the series but I‘m glad it‘s over. One more book to go....

The nice thing about COVID-19? Having the opportunity to visit my alma mater, lay on the grass, and read! Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

I wanted to post a graphic for those looking for books to read about the social justice issues going on in our world right now. These are important resources and I hope you do end up reading one. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal favorites.

#BecomeEducated #BeAnAlly

Starting to read the third book in the Zodiac series! “The only way to have a just society is to remember each other. Down to the last individual, without discounting any person or population, without ignoring people we would rather not see, even those whose values we revile. Do you think this is possible for any civilization to accomplish?”

Do you think it‘s possible?

Summer classes doesn‘t mean you can‘t go on vacation! In fact, sometimes it makes for cozier reading.

“So long as you fight the darkness, you stand in the light.” ~An Ember in the Ashes This is one of my favorite quotations from the book and I thought it would be a nice reminder for us during these trying times! Hope you all are doing well and are safe!

That giddy moment when your professor drops off new books to your office!!! Which do you think would be the most interesting?

Check out my official book review of Winsome Persuasion in the International Journal of Communication!!! Let me know what you think! https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc

What a PhD grad student reads on a Sunday afternoon. Here‘s to critical communication pedagogy! #PhDLife

Finished reading the entire book of Song of Songs in the Bible. What an epic poem expressing the beauties and challenges of love! It‘s such a reflection of how God loves us and how deeply our devotion and love for God should be. It‘s a worthwhile read, especially for anyone who admires poetry.

I haven‘t read this book, but someone posted this blurb on Facebook and it spoke to me. I hope it does the same for you.

The first half of the book was hard for me to get through, although Romina Russell does a good job at building the worlds of each zodiac House. However, make it halfway and things really pick up! The book becomes a bit darker but is all the better for it! “That‘s how we make a difference - we begin with a ripple to end with a wave (p. 274).”