Reading is Inevitable

The Glass Castle  movie came out a little over a week ago, and, since I had read and enjoyed the book, I went to see the movie with some of my family on Tuesday. Now, while there was nothing wrong with the book itself, I was a little worried about seeing the movie. Why? Well, it didn't exactly get the best comments and reviews from others, people claiming that it didn't do the memoir justice. But, now it's been almost a week since I've watched it. What do I think of the movie? Well... (Oh, and, uh...spoilers ahead. I think that goes without saying.) Watching the Movie The Beginning I don't know what it was, but something was just telling me that, oh no, this movie is going to be bad . I think it was just the way that they tried to include parts of the book in the movie. When it's in the book, spread out and flowing naturally with the good writing...? It makes sense, it seems real. But just something about the way that they were stringing together di...

Hello everyone! How fitting it is that this year's anniversary of same-sex marriage being legalized in the U.S. falls on Monday, one of my posting days! (And if you didn't know that it was the two-year anniversary, well I guess you know now!) Last year I made a list of some good books with LGBTQ representation, and I will include a list at the end of this post, but to shake things up a bit I thought I'd quickly discuss why representation is important in the media, specifically in books. After all, this is a mainly bookish blog. (If you would like to view last year's post, click here .) First of all, what is  representation? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. It's the inclusion of people with sexualities and/or genders outside of heterosexuality and the gender binary. It's having a gay character or a trans* character and showing readers that, "hey, LGBTQ people do exist" and "hey, not being cisgender or 'straight' is okay...

As you may or may not know from our Instagram page, I recently read  On Writing by Stephen King. No, I have not read any of his other books, but I plan on reading at least one of his other works. And while I'm not going to tell you everything about this wonderful book, I have still come across some things that I think are worth sharing. In On Writing, King goes through what has created himself as a writer and some important things people should know about writing. One of the lessons in his book is on vocabulary. While this is one of the smaller parts of the book and some people might not even remember reading this, I really was able to connect with it and believe that it is something that all people should keep in mind (especially kids in school, oh my goodness).

Title: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Author: Stephen King Genre: Nonfiction Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Julia Personally, I've never read any of Stephen King's fiction works, titles such as The Shining or Carrie . However, I am a fan of writing and am interested in writing little stories myself, so I thought, "Hey! Reading a book on writing by a bestselling author might just be a good idea." I was actually motivated to fulfill this notion of mine by the amazing Brittany of @bookbarrreview on Instagram, who said to me, "If you like writing, or you're just interested in how stories are created, it's definitely worth a read!"   --Brittany, Book Barre Review Blog and @bookbarreview (Instagram) On that great description courtesy of Brittany, let's get this review started!

Hello! In the book-loving community, I have noticed a lot of videos of bookshelf tours uploaded to YouTube or posted on social media accounts. Now, while this is not a video, it is still a bookshelf tour! I thought I might as well do this so that I can share with you my shelves and some of my favorite books! Unlike some people where they have several huge bookcases, I have one bookcase with two shelves. In this post, I will be sharing with you my top shelf, which contains my most liked books that I own. Also, a good number of the books mentioned have a book review up on the blog, so I created links to these posts when you click on them. With that all said, let's get started!

Title: Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen Author: Jazz Jennings Genre: Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 Reviewer: Julia Before you begin to read my review, I want to tell you a few things. It's hard, in my opinion, to rate a work of nonfiction, especially when it comes to biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. When I say that I give this book a "4 out of 5", I am in no way judging Jazz's life or identity. No, I am not doing that, but rather stating how much I personally enjoyed the book. This memoir follows the life that Jazz Jennings has gone through due to her being transgender, specifically MtF (male to female). In the book, she writes about a variety of topics, including how she knew she was a girl, transitioning, being an advocate for LGBT+ youth, and more. One of the things that I liked when reading this book was that it gave me a new perspective. I really did come to understand the challenges that comes with being MtF or FtM. I mean, I think...

Title: Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts Author: Susan Cain, with the assistance of Gregory Mone and Erica Moroz Genre: Nonfiction Rating: 3 out of 5 Reviewer: Julia Back in 2012, specifically the 24th of January, Susan Cain published her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking . This book shook the world, and was listed as a bestseller and opened the minds of many. This book was for adults. But then, earlier this year (2016), Cain, along with the help of Gregory Mone and Erica Moroz, published another book on being quiet, only this time for teens and children. This book is a guide for kids on how to navigate life - at school, home, in social groups, and activities - using and recognizing their quiet nature. With stories of real introverted kids, the book is designed to help teens and kids to take advantage of their quiet ways, and teaches them to be proud and to embrace it. There is also a section in the back for teachers and o...

Happy Pride Month, everyone! (That is, if you are in the United States.) Yes, that's right: in the US, it is pride month. Yesterday, it was officially one year since gay marriage was legalized in the United States, making it one year and one day today. In celebration of this, I have formed this post: a post on some good LGBT+ books. I have also made a list of LGBT+ books that I have not read but look good, so you may check that out, too. (Note: I apologize for all of these list posts and such - "filler posts", as I sometimes call them. Don't worry, for next Monday there should be a book review up on the blog; can't do it this Friday because that'll be our monthly reflection. If you have any suggestions for posts, feel free to tell me. I am always looking for post ideas!)

Okay, while we all already have a really long TBR list of books that are already published, when new books come out, we just have to read them! Below you'll find a list that includes both books I am personally interested in and books that I think the majority of teens will like. So take a look: you might just find something! Just to let you know, the books are placed in no particular order. And, yes, I did add the pictures of the covers, because I know that those can be helpful (even if we aren't supposed to be judging books by their covers.)

Title: In the Shadow of Man Author: Jane Goodall Genre: Informational Nonfiction Rating: 4 out of 5 Reviewer: Julia Although this is one of Jane Goodall's earlier publications on her study of chimpanzees, and therefore is older, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some people may stray away from this book because this is nonfiction, but I can say with confidence that those people are missing out on something great.