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Next to personality tests, I absolutely love playing book matchmaker. So, without further ado, enjoy this mashup of two of my favorite things. Find your next YA books by enneagram type below! Type 1: The Reformer The first personality type is the reformer. The Enneagram Institute defines the reformer as the “rational, idealistic type: principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic.” The Reformer’s worst nightmare is being evil or corrupt, so this is where you’ll find do-gooders like my beloved Hermione Granger (from Harry Potter) and that popular Boy Scout Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America)....

The readathon was started by Dewey from the book blog The Hidden Side of a Leaf, but unfortunately, she passed away in 2008. Since then, it’s been renamed in her honor. From 2013 to April of 2020, it was hosted by Heather of My Capricious Life and Andi of Estella’s Revenge (a former Book Rioter!), and now the torch has been passed to Kate of Kate’s Book Nook and Gabby of Gabs About Books....

I’ve been there, too. And while there’s nothing wrong with a slow burn or a “Surprise! It’s queer!” book, sometimes I’m just not in the mood to slog through 3/4 of a novel before the author decides to inform me that we’re actually reading about queer people. Sometimes I want gay from page one. Gay from the first sentence. Gay from the cover. Undeniably, unapologletically queer from beginning to end....

Library staff pushed back against the decision. Fifty-five librarians signed a letter demanding answers and the return of the book to shelves. Now, thanks to the development of a new committee that will better clarify the processes and procedures surrounding book reconsiderations, Gender Queer is on its way back to shelves throughout North Carolina’s largest county library system. All staff at WCPL received an email asking for volunteers to be part of the committee....

These recommendations for what I like to call “competence porn” are contemporarily set with normal individuals. That means no Regency settings, vampires, complicated ballroom dresses, or werewolves. This is simply by nature that contemporary erotic romances are what I read most often and for readers looking to get into the genre, there are less bells and whistles to worry about like historical accuracy and whether the paranormal elements make sense....

I’ve kept to non-specific gifts for readers. This means they’re not going to highlight a single author or book but rather encompass reading and books more broadly. I’ve broken the guide into three sections for those of you who may, like me, immediately look for the least pricey items. You’ll find an under $10, an under $20, and a $30 and under category. Where the last couple of years shipping was a challenge, this year looks to be a little bit more on track to have items arrive on time....

West Ravenel is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, Lady Clare, he is consumed by irresistible desire. What West doesn’t bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She’s the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with the most devilishly wicked rake in England. Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure....

Emily Dickinson was a keen observer of the natural world, but less well known is the fact that she was also an avid gardener. In Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life, Marta McDowell explores Dickinson’s deep passion for plants and how it inspired her writing. Tracing a year in the garden, McDowell reveals details few know about Dickinson and adds to our collective understanding of who she was as a person. By weaving together Dickinson’s poems, excerpts from letters, contemporary and historical photography, and botanical art, Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life offers an enchanting perspective on one of America’s most celebrated literary figures....

Then came the news of a new book–more Atticus! And behind that news: the other shoe. The Atticus Finch of Go Set A Watchman is no god, and we gain no new reasons to afford him our awe. Atticus uses the n*word. He has a Klan past. He does not rail against privilege, he does not take complicated court cases for all of the right reasons, he does not caution that Othering people of color makes those behind the apartness common....

Historical fiction, defined at its most basic level, is fiction set in the past. There is some kind of real basis for the story. The basis could be a period of time, such as antiquity or a more specific timeframe, such as the Jazz Age in America. Historical fiction can traverse styles and form, including verse novels or comics, and of course, historical fiction can be based on a single event, such as the launch of the Challenger or based on the life of an individual like Cleopatra....

Understanding the Folk in Folk Horror Novels People often conflate folklore with fairytales, but fairytales are only a small part of folk culture. Broadly stated, folklore is the expressive culture common to a group, typically generated in an organic, unofficial capacity. Fairytales are an element of folklore because there is no clear authorship on the stories; they belong to the people who share them. The folk culture within folk horror often comes from groups of people in remote, rural settings....

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews The Boy With a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga Historical The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb Romance You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?...

I’m not the only RWRB superfan. In fact, I am not sure I’d even call myself a superfan. But I sure do love the book. Another thing I love? Bookish merch. I am kind of silly for it. And with so many favorite passages from the book, I especially love seeing the way artists have interpreted quotes and put them on stickers, art prints, and so much more. So, without further ado, here are a bunch of my favorite Red, White & Royal Blue fan items from Etsy, with a little bit of One Last Stop merch as well (because it’s at least as amazing as RWRB)....

The Basics: How Does Audible Work? Audible is a subscription service with five basic membership plans. Audible Plus monthly: includes access to a selection of Audible Originals, audiobooks, sleep tracks, meditation programs, and podcasts. Audible Premium Plus 1 Credit monthly: includes the Audible Plus catalog plus one credit per month. Audible Premium Plus 2 Credit monthly: includes the Audible Plus catalog plus two credits per month. Audible Premium Plus Annual – 12 Credits: includes the Audible Plus Catalog + immediate access to 12 credits Audible Premium Plus Annual – 24 Credits: includes the Audible Plus Catalog + immediate access to 24 credits Each credit is worth one title from an extended selection of best sellers and new releases....

A Little About Me… Sure, there are plenty of things about the 18-year-old me that even now ring true. I still love reading YA books (that probably won’t change). Folding laundry still takes me ages to get around to. Reading about love triangles still qualifies as swoon-worthy for me. Having awkward conversations with cute strangers at the grocery store still embarrasses me. Mint chocolate chip ice cream with extra chocolate chips on top will forever remain my favorite dessert....

Monthly Subscription Services Are you trying out Audible? Were you gifted a subscription to Libro.fm? These are the two big audiobook monthly subscription services available at the moment, and a great place to start cultivating your collection. Both require you to sign in and pick your books out on a web browser before you can download the books to your phone, so make sure you do that first! Next, search for the apps in the iTunes store, download, and sign in with your account information, just like any other app....

(I could have bought a shiny new version from Barnes & Noble for $25 or so, but I got this copy off eBay for $4. If you plan on using the stencils in the back, though, you may want to buy new just to make sure they’re clean.) As you may imagine, this cookbook is aimed at kids, and the recipes reflect that. They’re pretty basic, so even young children can handle them with an occasional assist from a “sidekick”/adult....

We’ve learned there are myriad ways to support indie bookstores right now, but first you need to find one to support. Whether you are a long-time customer of independent bookstores or are just trying to figure out a way to get a puzzle and some books for your kids in your home ASAP, they can definitely help you out. We’ve compiled a list of indie bookstores in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, and a brief rundown of how they are currently operating....

There are lots of shelving strategies that utilize an industrial aesthetic, whether you want a home library that matches the rest of your decor or you want these shelves to add some visual interest to a more neutral home layout. Weathered wood is associated with this look, but I didn’t want to stray too far into farmhouse territory, so these shelves have a metal — and especially metal piping — element....