When Did Books Get Merch? A Discussion About the Commercialization of Reading

Once upon a more simpler time, books all but sold themselves with their beautiful (or hideous!) cover art and maybe a PR campaign that included a magazine write up and some posters. I’m sure a lot more thought and effort went into it than that, but it definitely didn’t feel as flashy when I was [...]

Book Club Review: Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising is my personal Book Club's first discussed book! So I have decided to start a (virtual) book club! My best friend just finished her Master's program and was excited to start reading for fun again. Naturally she reached out to her personal librarian for recommendations and after some time discussing it, we thought [...]

[Guest Post] Author Vali Benson on Historical Fiction and her book Blood and Silver

Historical Fiction from a First Time Author by Vali Benson         History is the world’s greatest teacher. It also creates a perfect launch point for a writer’s imagination.  Historical fiction is my genre of choice because it combines the majesty of an author’s imagination with the beauty of the past. My name is Vali Benson [...]

#Blackoutbestsellerlist Book Haul

This past month has seen more than what anyone could have dreamed up. During a worldwide pandemic, the senseless murder of a black man named George Floyd erupted the country (and several others across the world) into protest. Though the Black Lives Matter (#blacklivesmatter) movement has been around since 2013, in the past it has [...]