Category: Let’s Discuss

2023 End of Year Book Survey (& Year in Graphs!)

2023 End of Year Book Survey (& Year in Graphs!)

As I say every year, I’ve adapted this from The Perpetual Page Turner’s End of Year Survey! 2023 READING STATS Number of Books You Read: 95 I didn’t quite hit my 100 book goal this year (first time since 2013, when I started tracking), but that’s okay. I had a lot going on! (Plus, I read over 65 picture books and 1 manuscript, neither of which are included in Goodreads, but I track them in […]

Posted January 11, 2024 in Let's Discuss, Monthly Recap / 14 Comments
The Firsts of 2023 Book Tag

The Firsts of 2023 Book Tag

Now that we’re nearing the end of the year it’s fun to think back to the bookish “firsts” of 2023. I found this tag over at Metaphors and Moonlight but it originated at girlxoxo. (The categories have been switched up a bit over time, so I decided to pick and choose which ones I wanted to include and added some of my own.) FIRST BOOK READ THIS YEAR Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by Tae […]

Posted October 16, 2023 in Let's Discuss, Tags / 8 Comments
14 Middle Grade Mysteries for Young Sleuths

14 Middle Grade Mysteries for Young Sleuths

Kids like a little bit of mystery in their lives, so I picked out ten middle grade mysteries I loved. (And four more I’d like to read!) Take a look at these fun options… TEN I’VE READ (Click on the links for full reviews, if I’ve posted them.) The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell This book follows young Shenanigan Swift, who has always known she’s supposed to cause trouble. After all, everyone […]

Posted September 5, 2023 in Let's Discuss, Top Ten Tuesday / 7 Comments
My Trip to Spain and Italy in Pictures!

My Trip to Spain and Italy in Pictures!

My mom, my husband, and I headed to Europe to join my younger daughter Danielle, who had just finished her study abroad. She’s now very fluent in Spanish, which came in very handy since we definitely encountered a decent number of people in Spain that didn’t speak English (luckily the same wasn’t true in Italy). Jade and Noah didn’t come on the trip because Jade was absolutely not interested in a vacation filled with random […]

Posted July 20, 2023 in Let's Discuss, Uncategorized / 25 Comments
Cover Artist Spotlight: Red Nose Studio

Cover Artist Spotlight: Red Nose Studio

This is the first time I’ve ever done a post exclusively about a cover artist (though maybe I should do it again sometime?), but I just had to write this post when I discovered something astounding about the covers of TJ Klune’s and Sophie Anderson’s books: They aren’t illustrations; they’re created as 3D “sets” (as the artist calls them) and then photographed! That’s right, the gorgeous cover you see below is actually a painstakingly created […]

Posted June 5, 2023 in Let's Discuss / 10 Comments
18 Delightfully Frightening MG Books for Young Horror Fans

18 Delightfully Frightening MG Books for Young Horror Fans

I often have kids coming into B&N looking for something spooky to read, so I thought I’d create a post with some of my favorite MG horror reads. I’m featuring ten of them, plus eight more books I’ve heard great things about and I’m planning to read (hopefully soon!). TEN I’VE READ (Okay, technically 11 – oh, wait, 12) (Click on the links for full reviews.) The Monsterious Series by Matt McMann I just recently […]

Posted May 19, 2023 in Let's Discuss / 15 Comments
MG Verse Novels to Read During National Poetry Month (and Beyond!)

MG Verse Novels to Read During National Poetry Month (and Beyond!)

Since April is National Poetry Month, I figured it’s the perfect time to feature some middle grade verse novels I’ve loved. Check out my list below: Alone by Megan E. Freeman This book is a perfect bridge to NIVs for kids who aren’t sure about them. It has lyrical poetry, but also an exciting survival plot that will pull them in and keep them reading. (The MC survives on her own for years!) Plus, it […]

Posted April 5, 2023 in Let's Discuss, Top Ten Tuesday / 6 Comments
2022 End of Year Book Survey (& Year in Graphs!)

2022 End of Year Book Survey (& Year in Graphs!)

As I say every year, I’ve adapted this from The Perpetual Page Turner’s End of Year Survey! I’m just barely sneaking this in during January, but I was waiting for my book announcement, and then I had a whole bunch of already previously scheduled posts to go up. So, better late than never? 2022 READING STATS Number of Books You Read: 115 This just happens to be the exact number of books I read last […]

Posted January 30, 2023 in Let's Discuss, Monthly Recap / 10 Comments
Announcing My Debut MG Novel in Verse!

Announcing My Debut MG Novel in Verse!

I’ve been hinting and hinting, and now I can finally shout the news from the rooftops: ORPHAN’S SONG, my MG novel in verse is coming in early 2025! I got the offer from Feiwel & Friends back in September and signed the contract in December, so it’s officially official! You can find my announcement on Twitter and Instagram as well (just click those links to see them). I can’t wait to share more with you […]

Posted January 19, 2023 in Book Events, Let's Discuss / 41 Comments
Top Ten Books of 2022!!

Top Ten Books of 2022!!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is Top Ten Books I Read in 2022 I’m working on my 2022 wrap-up post, but it will take a bit of time, with all the graphs and all. So, I thought for now I’d put up a TTT post to whet your appetite. To choose my Top Ten for the year, I used the very scientific method of […]

Posted January 3, 2023 in Let's Discuss, Top Ten Tuesday / 33 Comments