Wednesday, March 31, 2021

March 2021 Reading Wrap Up

It's that time of the month: my reading wrap up! This is a separate little series that you won't see over on my bookstagram, so stay tuned here for the wrap up of each month! I have also noted which books were re-reads when necessary.

The Story of Civilization: The Reformation,  Will Durant
Did I read this? Yes    No
How I read it: Physical book 
Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed,  Eric H. Cline (re-read)
Did I read this? Yes    No
How I read it: Physical book
Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

The Histories,  Herodotus
Did I read this? Yes    No
How I read it: Physical book
Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

The Book Thief,  Markus Zusak (re-read)
Did I read this? Yes    No
How I read it: Physical book
Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

The Norse Myths,  Kevin Crossley-Holland (re-read)
Did I read this? Yes    No
How I read it: Physical book
Rating, out of 5 stars: 5 stars

The Annotated Alice,  Lewis Carroll
Did I read this? Yes    No
How I read it: Physical book
Rating, out of 5 stars:


Books I read that weren't on my TBR

Lore, Alexandra Bracken
How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app
Rating, out of 5 stars: 3 stars

The Warrior Queens: The Legends and the Lives of the Women Who Have Led Their Nations into War, Antonia Fraser
How I read it: Ebook, Kindle app
Rating, out of 5 stars: 3 stars

Forgotten Bones: Uncovering a Slave Cemetery, Lois Miner Huey
How I read it: Ebook, Kindle App
Rating, out of 5 stars: 3 stars

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, Dee Brown
How I read it: Audiobook, Audible app
Rating, out of 5 stars: 4 stars

21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Noah Harari
How I read it: Audiobook, Audible app
Rating, out of 5 stars: 3.75 stars

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, S.C. Gwynne
How I read it: Ebook, Kindle App
Rating, out of 5 stars: 3.5 stars

Books I started and need to finish

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, Mary Beard
How I read it: Physical Book

Fingerprints of the Gods, Graham Hancock
How I read it: Audiobook, Audible app

Masks of God: Primitive Mythology, Joseph Campbell
How I read it: Ebook Kindle app

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

I Did Something A Little Different for My March 2021 TBR


At the end of February, I tried something a little different for my March TBR. I did something similar to a "bookshelf scavenger hunt" of sorts to decide the 6 books that would be on my March TBR.

These were the steps I took:
  1. I counted all the specific shelves that have books on them (13)
  2. I then counted the books on the shelves that seemed to have 10+ books on them, and I used the highest number
    1. The highest number was 22 books on one shelf
  3. To my Instagram story, I posted the questions sticker and asked my followers to give me two numbers
    1. The first number, a number 1-13, would represent a specific shelf
    2. The second number, a number 1-22, would represent a specific book on the pre-determined shelf
  4. Once I got some responses, I looked at the first number and went to that shelf
  5. I then looked at the second number and counted the books until I got to a book corresponding with that number
    1. If the number was more than the number of actual books on the shelf, then I would keep counting until I got to that number, essentially going through the books on that same shelf a 2nd time

This was a long, tedious process. However, I found it really enjoyable to do. It allowed for my TBR to a bit more spontaneous and slightly out of control. (I did have some amount of control over it, since I was only including physical books on my bookshelf and not library books or ebooks).

I know that the way I explained the process may be a bit confusing, so please feel free to DM me on my bookstagram for a bit more of an explanation.

Also, if you need help in setting up your own monthly TBRs without using this method, where you actually choose the books you'll read and don't leave it up to chance, please see the following post from February: 10 Tips for Setting Up Monthly TBR Lists.

Monday, March 29, 2021

3 Ways to Keep Track of Your TBR Lists


Whether your TBR lists are on a month-to-month basis, a yearly basis, or both, it can be hard to keep track of all the books you want to read. Some things do make it easier, such as following an author you like on social media. But keeping track of your TBR lists doesn't have to be complicated or all over the place. There is a various number of ways to keep track of your TBR list. Hopefully, this post will help you decide which way is best for you.

In this post, I will be going over the three different ways of keeping track of your TBR list(s) and some pros and cons of each. So let's get into today's topic.


A Physical Journal: A physical journal, lined or not, can be a good way to keep track of what's on your TBR list.
Pros: It can be handy to have a physical, written list of all the books you want to read. I know that it's basically repeated to death that physically writing something down helps you retain it better, and this can help with your TBR lists - you may not remember the exact title or author of a book, but you know you wrote it down, and you know exactly where to look. 
Cons: You may not always have the journal handy. If you don't think to take a picture of the book to write it down in the journal later, it could be a while before you remember that you wanted to read a specific book. If you're anything like me, there may come a point where you stop writing in that journal for whatever reason (usually because you forgot once, and then kept forgetting until you altogether stopped).

A Computer Document: This is very similar to having a physical journal for your TBR lists. Whether it's a Word document or a Google Document, it's easily accessible.
Pros: It's easy to access, and it can be handy (especially if it's a Google document and you have the Google Drive/Docs app on your phone). You can also easily copy and paste the book's title and author into a search engine or online store to find it.
Cons: While it may be easily accessible if it's a Google Doc, if you did a Word document, it may not be as accessible. Similarly with the physical journal, if you're out and about and see a book you're interested in and you don't immediately take down it's title and author, it may slip your mind.

Goodreads: Goodreads is a very easy way to keep track of all the books you want to read. And it's so easy to find titles on Goodreads.
Pros: The website has a vast database of books. If you have the app on your phone, then you can scan a book's cover and add it to your Goodreads "to be read" list in 2 minutes or less.
Cons: Goodreads may not recognize a new cover immediately. I have the app on my iPad, and not my phone, and I don't always have my iPad on hand (some of you may relate). Goodreads also may not have older books published before 2000. Many books published in the 1990s on are on Goodreads, but once you go earlier than 1990, it becomes harder.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt Tag - History Book Reads Edition


I'm creating my own Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt tag! For the 10 prompts without my answers, please refer to the end of this post. I hope you enjoy today's post!

Your Longest Book
Grant by Ron Chernow is 959 pages, not including the bibliography and index

Your Shortest Book
Japanese Fairy Tales Volume 4 by Keisuke Nishimoto is 30 pages. (I only have Volume 4 of this and I have no idea why . . . lol).

A Book That's 500+ Pages
Helen of Troy by Margaret George is 638 pages, not including the afterword or the 1st chapter of Confessions of Young Nero.

A Book that's 100 Pages or Less
Japanese Fairy Tales Volume 4 by Keisuke Nishimoto (30 pages, mentioned and linked above).

A Book from Your Childhood - Share Your Memories of the Book
Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, compiled by Florence Sakade. I would read theses stories all the time at my dad's apartment, and these stories just make me happy.


A Book You're Nervous About Reading (if you've already read it, you can still mention it)
Helen of Troy by Margaret George (linked above). You can see the posts I did on the book before and after I read it at the following link: Pre-Reading Thoughts on Margaret George's "Helen of Troy" and My Post-Reading Thoughts on Margaret George's "Helen of Troy" (Semi-Spoiler Free!).

A Book that Helps You Through A Reading Slump

A Book that You Have 2+ Copies Of (Physical or Otherwise)
I have quite a few audiobook versions of my physical books. The first physical book that I have 2 copies of that came to mind was The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones. I also have the hardcover, which is called The Hollow Crown.

A Book You Bought Based on the Cover
The Canterbury Classics edition of The Arabian Nights, translated by Sir Richard Burton. The cover of this edition is so pretty.

A Book You Always Recommend


  1. Your Longest Book
  2. Your Shortest Book
  3. A Book That's 500+ Pages
  4. A Book that's 100 Pages or Less
  5. A Book from Your Childhood - Share Your Memories of the Book
  6. A Book You're Nervous About Reading (or Were Nervous About)
  7. A Book that Helps You Through A Reading Slump
  8. A Book that You Have 2+ Copies Of (Physical or Otherwise)
  9. A Book You Bought Based on the Cover
  10. A Book You Always Recommend

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Why Wikipedia IS Your Best Friend for Research


I said it. I said those dreaded words (especially if you're a historian). Wikipedia is your best friend when it comes to research. In yesterday's post, I also said that "whoever says Wikipedia isn't your friend is wrong." I will explain why in this post.

Yes, Wikipedia isn't fully reliable as a source. There are certain points and facts that may be partially or completely wrong. However, as someone who's researching a topic for whatever reason, it is your responsibility to go beyond Wikipedia to find all the facts you can, and to make sure that your facts are correct.


Wikipedia is a great place to begin your research. This is why I say that Wikipedia is your best friend for research. However, you should not end your research with Wikipedia. And you definitely shouldn't cite Wikipedia or use it as a source.

If you're doing a research paper for a class, Wikipedia can be a great place to start off your research. Wikipedia will have a bunch of little details that you can look into further using databases.

Here are some FREE internet research bases that you can use to find sources that would be viable to cite in a research paper:
  • Google NGram Viewer
    • Google NGram one helps to find specific words in texts, and you can even narrow it down to texts published between a specific period in time
  • Google Books
    • Google Books is another great source, because you can find plenty of books on your topic. Occasionally, you may be able to get free versions depending on the copyright and publication year, but this way, you know what sources you can use for your research topic,
You can also check out the following link for more possible alternatives to Wikipedia: Six Free Wikipedia Alternatives - Free Online Encyclopedias. However, I do recommend treating these similar to Wikipedia. They should be the starting point of your research, not the end point.,

Friday, March 26, 2021

All About Joseph Campbell


I don't want to give a long, in-depth history and life story of Joseph Campbell. He was an interesting, unique man, and I do want to discuss him today. But here are some links you should check out before continuing with this post is the name "Joseph Campbell" doesn't ring a bell:
  1. Joseph Campbell - Wikipedia (whoever says Wikipedia isn't your friend is wrong)
  2. Goodreads for Joseph Campbell
  3. Joseph Campbell Foundation
  4. Joseph Campbell Foundation - YouTube
Honestly, Joseph Campbell and his life amaze me to no end. In this post, I want to talk about his professional life. Many of his theories touched so many aspects of our lives, even in ways we aren't necessarily aware of. (It's too bad I can't do an actual interview with him . . . I'll just have to settle for The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers.)


The first, and probably most important, theory is that of the hero's journey, which Campbell put forward in his work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Essentially, it's the basic formula for all the journeys that heroes go on in folklore and mythology.

Here are two links that can help with a better understanding of the hero's journey:
  1. KU Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction
  2. Hero's Journey 101: Definition and Step-by-Step Guide (With Checklist!)
There is a piece of cinema that took Joseph Campbell's theory of the hero's journey piece by piece and replicated it in its world and movies. The director was heavily influenced by Campbell and his work, which led to its influence in the world. Ever heard of George Lucas and Star Wars? You have? Yup, George Lucas used the hero's journey exactly for creating the Star Wars mythos. And you can definitely see it once you're familiar with the basics of the hero's journey.

I first learned of Joseph Campbell's work through the first episode of the show Myths & Monsters (you should be able to watch it on Netflix). I immediately got to looking for - and then buying - some of his bools.

I honestly think that these simple connections between myths - how many heroes across cultures and times - have to go through similar journeys that were summed up in Campbell's theory. It most likely wasn't intentional, especially in early history when connection to other cultures was extremely limited. However, These connections came from a human need to idealistic figures. The figures - showing themselves as heroes in one form or another - would show humankind what to do and what not to do, and they gave us the ideals for what humans should and shouldn't be.  As a result of this common, basic human need, many of the hero stories ended up being similar to those of other cultures when you get down to the basics of the story.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

5 of My Favorite Bookish Related Pins!


Everyone goes on about how often everyone else is scrolling through social media. Usually, this means platforms like Instagram or YouTube, but we often overlook Pinterest. It's not necessarily a "bad" thing that Pinterest is overlooked, but if I'm being honest, this social media platform has some pretty neat bookish related pins.

I wanted to share with you 5 of my favorite bookish pins from Pinterest, so here we go! (If the pin didn't have a name, I did my best to give it some sort of name that would 


Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Ambiance Videos Act as a Great Form of Background Noise


Please see the following two posts for a bit more context to this post
The above two posts will help you determine if you can and should have background noise going, such as music, movies, or tv shows, while you're reading. However, I want to talk about another distinct form of background noise that may be something to try out as you read: ambiance videos.

You can find so many ambiance videos on YouTube. The amount is almost insane, but in a nice, good way. And there are ambiance videos for everyone - library ambiance videos, cafe ambiance videos, seasonal ambiance videos, movie inspired ambiance videos, and so much more. There are also apps where you can have ambiance noises and music going for a certain amount of time.


I personally have been using ambiance videos a whole lot since the pandemic began. I've always been more of a homebody, and the pandemic gave me all the more reason to stay at home and stay safe. Ambiance videos, however, gave me some feeling, at least, of not being in my home, if that makes any sense.

While I'm reading, I always find it nice to have the stereotypical "library" sounds or "cafe" sounds because they help me focus on the reading that I'm doing. That is, of course, my own personal experience.

If you'd like recommendations for ambiance videos, please reach out to me on my bookstagram.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Book Organization: How I Decide Which Method to Use


See yesterday's post for a bit more context - Book Organization: When to Use the Different Organization Methods.

As mentioned quite a few times yesterday, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to organizing your bookshelves. You shouldn't feel pressured to organize your bookshelf one way or another just because someone else says that's the way to do it. (Whoever says there's a "right" way to organizing bookshelves is wrong.) It's completely up to you how you organize your bookshelves.

When I do a reorganization of my bookshelf, I decide based on how I'm feeling that particular day. I usually combine two of the organization methods: the first being the "base" organization, and the second be the "sub" organization.


I know that might be a bit confusing, so here's an example. My bookshelf is currently organized by genre, and then each genre is organized alphabetically by the author's last name. Since I only have 3 main genres - history, historical fiction, and mythology - it isn't really hard for me to decipher what books go within each genre. Other times, I've organized by color (base organization) and then height (sub organization), or by genre (base organization) and then color (sub organization)

It is perfectly okay to let your mood dictate how your shelves are organized. They are your shelves, after all. (Wow, I could have made a few puns there, but moving on . , . )

You also don't have to stick to one organization method for an extended amount of time. If you feel like you need to reorganize your bookshelves, and it's only been a month, then do it. That is okay.

Monday, March 22, 2021

Book Organization: When to Use the Different Organization Methods


I do plan to have "book organization" be covered in two more posts coming in April - a Bookish Dilemma post and a Controversial Bookish Topic post - so stay tuned for those!

Today, I wanted to talk about the pros and cons of the different bookshelf organization methods. There is no right or wrong way to organize your books. And you can always change to a different organization method if you want. How you organize your books is completely up to you and no one else.


Organization by Alphabet, Author
This is a good one to use if you like seeing all of an author's books together. It's also quicker to find authors and their books if the books are in alphabetical order, because you roughly know what shelf they're on.

Organization by Alphabet, Publisher
This one is very similar to the Organization by Alphabet, Author. This one can be a bit more time consuming, since the publishing company isn't always advertised on the cover. (If this is the case, you have to go to the copyright page, which is usually right after the title page.) Authors also tend to use the same publisher for most of their books, so you'll have the author and their books together, for the most part.

Organization by Color
This is a good one to use if you want your bookshelf (or shelves) to look aesthetically pleasing. It tends to be nicer to post and see Bookstagram photos and BookTube videos where the bookshelf is organized by color. If you don't care about having series together, then this is a good one to go to for your aesthetic needs. However, if it's a pet peeve of yours when series aren't all together, then this isn't the organization method to use.

Organization by Genre
This is a good one to use if you have multiple genres. This is also a good organization method to use as a base organization and then have a 2nd organization method within it (i.e. organize by genre, and then by height or author). If you have a lot of Contemporary, YA, Fantasy, Classics, and Sci-Fi, then you can organize your books within those genres.

Organization by Height
This is a good one to use if you still want some aesthetic to your bookshelf, but you don't want to separate the series you have. It won't be as aesthetically pleasing as Organization by Color, but there some pleasing aspect of having your books organized by height. It can be tough, though, and a bit time consuming to organize your books this way because some books may be just slightly taller than another by 1/4 of an inch, which is annoying. So if your books either vary greatly in height (with not much in between, height wise) or are generally about the same size, this one may not be a good organization method to use.


As mentioned above, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to organize your books. And you can always use a combination of organization methods. You can organize by genre and then alphabetically by author. Or you could organize by color and then by height. It's up to you and what you want for your bookshelf.

Sunday, March 21, 2021

My Reading Recommendation Posts: Why I Don't Include Many Recent Releases


In my post introducing the Seasonal Reading Recommendations post, I mentioned that I don't include many recent releases in my recommendation lists. I wanted to make a post on why exactly this is.

I will be the first to admit that I am absolutely terrible at keeping up with release dates. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before here on my blog. I tend to only read in the history genre, and there's no list of upcoming releases that I can specifically for history books. And I mean nonfiction books. I can find upcoming release lists for historical fiction or historical romance (also fiction), but other than that, I have had absolutely no luck in finding an upcoming release list for historical nonfiction.

Unless I'm following the author (of which, I'm following 2 that I can think of), then I won't know about anything that's being released until they're already released. And usually, I learn about them almost a year later.

So if you know of an upcoming release list for history books specifically that is updated relatively frequently, I'd love it if you could send it my way.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Spring 2021 Reading Recommendations


This is the first of the Seasonal 2021 Reading Recommendation posts I'll be doing on this blog. I really hope you enjoy these posts. Please remember that these Seasonal Reading Recommendation posts may overlap with each other a little bit, depending on the book(s) mentioned in each post.

It's Spring, and you're looking for some books that fit the vibes of the season. And with Covid-19 still a big part of many of our lives, finding inspiration to read can be tough. Hopefully, this post helps you out a bit during this time with finding Spring feeling books to read during this time.


Here are 10 books to read during Spring 2021:

Friday, March 19, 2021

Let's Bring It Back: Letter Writing


I made a post about this before I revamped my blog, and I thought I'd write on this again. However, I wanted to take a slightly different approach on the topic.

Writing letters to people is a great way to communicate with our friends and family. It can be a simple "I hope you're doing well" to more detailed on goings of your life. Given our situation with the Covid-19, many of us are missing out on an essential aspect of our social lives. Yes, we have our technology to communicate via text, call, social media, and Zoom, but there's still something . . . missing.

Let me clear: writing letters won't necessarily fill this "missing" aspect of our social lives. We're all used to having the choice of whether to go out or not, and now we don't have an option. We have to stay at home to be as safe as possible, for ourselves and for the people around us.

Writing letters to our friends and family helps us to pass the time. Even if you're attending school or have to work, there's still some free time that pops up during our week.


I've been writing letters with friends - pen palling, if you want to call it that. It's always exciting to receive a letter in the mail, and sending a response out is just as gratifying.

One thing I always stress with my friends and family is that there's no pressure to respond in a "timely" manner. I just tell them to respond when they can. Our schedules can vary, and even if we have fixed schedules, when our free time happens can change depending on the day or week.

For me, writing letters with my friends and some family has been fun during the pandemic. We aren't always able to immediately send out a response. The fact that we're sending and receiving letters from each other definitely adds a bit more connection during the pandemic.

This is the main reason why I think we should be writing more letters. I think that, in many cases, you don't have to physically write the letter unless you really wanted to. You can type it out and print it, and send it that way. Even if we don't expect (or even get) a response, the sentiment is still there.

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Background Noise and Reading: 6 Tips to Make It Work


See yesterday's post for Background Noise and Reading: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself to see if reading with background noise is something you might be able to do.

Please see the following two posts for a bit more context to this post - Background Noise and Reading: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself.

Today's post is going to be a bit of an addition to that post. If you think it's something you may be able to pull off, here are 6 tips on how to make it work.


Tip 1: Select something that you won't get easily distracted by.
This can be anything as long as it doesn't distract you very easily. Whether it's classical music, a soundtrack you've heard a million times, or a movie/tv show you know the entire plot of. If it doesn't distract you as easily, then it doesn't matter what you choose - it'll be good background noise.

Tip 2: Don't select something that's new to you.
Yes, this is a counter-tip to Tip 1. If you choose music, a movie, or a tv show that's new to you, then it's more likely to distract you. In other words, let's say you choose a movie you've seen a couple of times, but don't know the plot right off the bat. You're more likely to get distracted by that since you aren't as familiar with it.

Tip 3: Don't play podcasts as background noise.
I am a big advocate for podcasts, but they are not the proper background noise for reading. Many podcasts require you to be actively listening, which you won't be doing if you're trying to get some reading in.


Tip 4: If you're going to choose music as the background noise, be selective in what music you're choosing.
Don't choose music that you haven't heard a lot of and/or would get easily distracted by. You can choose music that you'll sing along to as long as it doesn't distract you too much from the actual reading.

Tip 5: If you're going to choose a movie or tv show as the background noise, again, be selective in what you choose.
If you want to have a movie or tv show playing as you read, as with Tips 1, 2, and 4, you want to make sure it's something you're familiar with. You should know the plot of a movie relatively well before you decide to put it on as background noise for reading.

Tip 6: Watching the news is, in my opinion, a good time to do some reading and can be some decent background noise.
Unless watching the news is the highlight of your day and something you feel like you absolutely need to pay attention to (which it might be, and no judgement here), then the news can be good background noise as you read. You can pause your reading to watch parts that intrigue you, but you don't have to give it your full attention.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Background Noise and Reading: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself


Do I think this is possible? Yes, I do. I actually do a lot of reading with background noise of one form or another. For me, the background noise while I'm reading is usually music, movies, or tv shows.

Having something playing in the background while reading isn't for everyone. If you're not sure if you can read with something playing in the background, here are 4 questions you can ask yourself and answer to see if it's right for you.


Question 1: Are you easily distracted?
It is perfectly okay if you're someone who's easily distracted. But if this applies to you, then maybe it's not the best thing for you to have something playing in the background while you're reading.

Question 2: Do you prefer quiet when you're working?
This may seem a weird question to ask, but let me explain. We've all had to do work in some capacity, whether it's for school or a job. If you're someone who prefers to work in a quiet space, then that's something that'll transition over to your reading habits - you'll prefer quiet when you're reading.

Question 3: What do you typically tend to listen to or watch?
Let's say you listen to music that you sing along with, or you put on movies or tv shows that you enjoy watching. Then it may not be a good idea for you to have background noise while you read. But if you have music like the classical genre, or if you put on movies and tv shows you've watched a million times and don't need to pay 110% attention to, then you could try reading with background music. (Also note that podcasts are not good form of background noise while reading in my opinion, for obvious reasons.)

Question 4: What genres do you tend to read?
If you're anything like me, you may read genres that require a lot of attention and mental space while reading, such as history. Then it may not be a great idea to have background noise playing while you read. Please understand that I'm not saying other genres don't require a lot of attention or mental space. Reading in general, no matter the genre, requires attention and mental space. But consider the genre and how dense the material tends to be before having background noise playing.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Special Book Review (No. 3)


Special Book Review Number 3

TitleThe History of England (5 book series)
Author: Peter Ackroyd
Summary: Over the course of 5 books, Peter Ackroyd discusses England's history from its earliest beginnings to Queen Victoria. Covering wars, the Tudors, revolution, and empire, Ackroyd explains in depth the history of a island nation at the northwestern edge of the European landmass.
Dates Read: Jan. 1 to March 1, 2021
Breakdown of Info: 4/5 stars
Diversity of Opinion: 4/5 stars
Minimum Bias: 5/5 stars
Use of Research: 5/5 stars
Overall: 18/20 stars

Review: When I first picked up this series, I initially picked up the 2nd one, not realizing it was the 2nd book in a 5 part series. I finished it, realized it said "Book 2," and then found the first and third books in the series on Goodreads. And in January of this year, I found out that this was a 5 book series. I wasn't disappointed or freaked out by this knowledge, just happily surprised. This was a fun, informative series on the history of England. Each book focused on a different segment of English history, and the books were appropriately placed to focus on the different time periods of England's long presence on the historical stage. You don't necessarily need to read all of these books - if you just want to read one or two, that works fine. These 5 books act perfectly fine as stand-alone reads, and you don't necessarily need to read them in order (although reading them in order definitely helps with understanding the chronology). Although Ancient Egypt will always have my heart, England definitely holds a place and soft spot in my heart. These 5 books definitely enriched my understanding of England's complex history and its place in the world.

See the individual reviews at the following links:

Monday, March 15, 2021

5 Shelves I Recommend Creating on Your Goodreads


First off, here are two blog posts I have already done on Goodreads:
I thought of this post for a few reasons.
  1. I've had a few friends create their Goodreads account recently (within the past 4-6 months), and I tend to be a broken record when talking about what shelves I recommend creating on Goodreads.
  2. Having these shelves set up on your Goodreads can make it easier to navigate and find specific books you've read or want to read.
  3. It's easier for your Goodreads friends to find specific books and see how you categorized them on Goodreads,
That's where the idea for this post came from: 5 Shelves I Recommend Creating on Your Goodreads.


Shelf 1: Favorite books. This is a general shelf with all (yes ALL) of your favorite books. You can edit and change this shelf as time goes on and you have new favorite books and some older books are no longer your favorites. But having a general favorites shelf can help you find these books faster.

Shelf 2: Favorite books of a particular year. I.e., your 2021 Favorites or your 2020 Favorites. This way, you can see what your favorite books were in a particular year. You don't have to go too far back in time, and you don't even have to try to remember a previous year's favorite books. Just start with 2021 and create shelves for your favorites of each year from there.

Shelf 3: Books you DNF-ed. This may seem a bit contradictory, but keeping track of books you DNF-ed may help you and your friends out. Let's say you DNF-ed a book a year ago, but you know your friend would enjoy it. If you have it shelved in a specific DNF-ed shelf, it'll be easier for you to find it. You can have a general DNF-ed shelf, a shelf dedicated to books you DNF-ed a particular year, or both. It really is all up to you.

Shelf 4: Have a shelf or two dedicated to your favorite author(s). Yes, it can be easy to find their books on Goodreads, but there are a few authors out there with similar (or even the same) names. Disregarding the name aspect, having a shelf or two dedicated to your favorite author can help you find a specific book by them if you need.

Shelf 5: Have a few shelves dedicated to your favorite genres. I do recommend keeping these shelves as broad as possible and not being too specific. Every book - and I mean every book - will have all sorts of sub-genres based on what it's about. Keeping these shelves broad at "YA Books" or "Fantasy Books" will help you categorize the books you have read better, and it may also help out your friends in the process too.


How you shelve your books on Goodreads is ultimately up to you. There's no right or wrong way to go about your Goodreads account, and there's no "right" or "wrong" shelf to have. But these 5 shelves are the main 5 I tend to recommend on repeat.

Sunday, March 14, 2021

My Post-Reading Thoughts on Margaret George's "Helen of Troy" (Semi-Spoiler Free!)


Check out the following two links for a bit more context:
Please note that I put "Semi-Spoiler Free" in the title of this blog post. There are some vague spoilers, but I don't bring up anything in this blog post that could be seen as huge plot points for Margaret George's Helen of Troy. The only other "spoiler" is Paris' role in the story, but that isn't necessarily a spoiler, especially if you're familiar with the myth.

I'm not going to go into too much detail about my pre-reading thoughts and feelings on Margaret George's Helen of Troy. That's why I linked the above post so you could reference that if you wanted. I also linked my bookstagram review so that you all can see the details of my review for the book. I ironically finished this book on February 28th, so it was an interesting twist.

To say the least: I was very excited about reading this book until I read the synopsis. When I started reading it, I was honestly surprised - and in a good way. I was enjoying the book way more than I thought I would. My enjoyment of the beginning of thebook really caught me off guard.

The main characters were well developed, and the setting and storyline were solid. There were quite a few parts of the book that had me saying "Seriously?" But I feel like there are so many books - enjoyable books - that have their moments when readers ask that question. (This isn't a sign of a bad book - it's sometimes the sign of a good book.)

One cover of Margaret George's
Helen of Troy

I obviously had a few issues with the book.

One issue was the fact that Paris was Helen's savior from a loveless marriage. It's essentially the male savior complex, which was not needed in my opinion. It also suggests that Helen was an unwitting victim in this whole story, which may not have been the full case. I totally get that Helen ultimately chooses to go and stay with Paris, but the idea that Paris had to come into the picture for Helen to realize she's in a loveless relationship is just . . . ugh in my opinion.) Yes, Helen didn't have much of a choice in choosing Menelaus (even though he was her choice for husband . . . ) and she didn't have much control over her own life, that doesn't mean that she couldn't see that she didn't have a loving marriage before Paris' arrival.

The gods also had very little role in this book, which also bothered me. You get mentions and allusions to Zeus and the myth of Leda and the swan (aka Zeus). But other than that, there were no other points where the gods came into play. And with the myth, the gods had a huge role to play in it, and completely disregarding them didn't sit well with me. Asclepius had a brief mention, but other than that and the allusions to Zeus, you don't really see the gods, which annoyed me a little. In my opinion, you can have a mythological story retelling with the gods playing a hand in the story and it not being obvious.

I know what I've said in past posts: when writing historical fiction and, in this case, a retelling of a mythological story, you don't have to be completely accurate to the source material. That's why it's fiction or a retelling and not the actual story. But with a myth like Helen and the Trojan War, I feel like there are some aspects that just shouldn't be left out.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Reading 2-3+ Books at Once Can Be Overwhelming


Before I begin this post, I would like to direct your attention to the following posts:
Even if you're used to reading multiple books at once, it can still be overwhelming at times. You have to keep track of so many plot lines, characters, settings, and so on. 

This can become even more complicated the more you factor one or more of the following:
  1. You're 2+ books of the same genre
  2. You're 2+ books by the same author
  3. You're 2+ books with similar settings (time, location, etc.)
  4. You're 2+ books with similar characters (either in names or personalities)
  5. You're 2+ books with similar storylines
This list can go on and on, but I'll leave it with those 5 examples of how reading multiple books at once can be complicated.


If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of books you're reading, here are 5 suggestions to try out.

Suggestion 1: Look at the books you're reading. Are there any you aren't reading as much as the others? Are there any you aren't enjoying (or even disliking/hating)? If you said "yes" to either of these, those would be the books you can set aside and DNF. (See my two posts on DNF-ing books here - DNF-ing a Book: Why It's a Good Thing and DNF-ing a Book: When to Do It and What to Do.) Remember that you can always pick books you DNF back up to give them another try.

Suggestion 2: Take a look at how far you are in each book. Similarly with Suggestion 1, if you aren't reading other books as much, set them aside until you have more time for them. You don't necessarily have to DNF the book(s), but setting them aside until you can give them more attention might be for the best.

Suggestion 3: If you need to put down all your books and take a break from reading, this is absolutely okay. Put all of your books back on the shelf (whether or not you officially DNF them), and give yourself some time to refocus.

Suggestion 4: Try other forms of the book(s) you're reading. If you're reading all physical books, try to get access to an audiobook or two of some of the books you're reading. This way, you can read different books in different situations.

Suggestion 5: Hinging off the last part of Suggestion 4, another suggestion would be to switch up your reading situations. Maybe read one book in the mornings in the living room, and another book in the evenings on your bed.

Friday, March 12, 2021

Loaning Library Books Via Libby: 10 Helpful Tips


As I'm writing this blog post, I've been using Libby for 3, almost 4, months. Honestly, I can't tell you how much I love this app. But there are some things I've learned while using the app. Here are some 10 tips that I hope help you all out in using this app.

Tip 1: Limit the number of books you borrow at a time. Yes, the Libby app has a built in limit (which I haven't met yet). But putting your own limit on how many books you're borrowing at once helps you space out your reading. The loan time is 21 days. If you're borrowing 2+ books at the same time, it can be tough to read a good amount with that time.

Tip 2: Think about the books you want to read as soon as possible, and place a hold on them. You may not be able to get access to a loan as soon as you want, but at least the hold is in place for you, and you're in the line to get the book. Remember to take Tip 1 into account, because it's possible that you could get access to 2+ books at the same time.

Tip 3: If there is a popular book you'd like to get your hands on a loan for, place a hold on it as soon as possible. This way, the line for the loan isn't too long.

Tip 4: If you get a skip-the-line loan, consider the book before you accept it. A skip-the-line loan is only 7 days in comparison to the normal 21-day loan. Is it a book you'll be able to finish in 7 days, or will you need more time for it? You do need to take your personal schedule - work and otherwise - into account for this tip. Please know that you can't renew the loans if it's a skip-the-line loan. This is something to take into account when considering a skip-the-line loan.

Tip 5: Don't rush your reading pace for the sake of the loan period. Yes, the loan period is only 21 days (or 7 days if you got access to a skip-the-line loan). But if you need more time to read the book, you can always renew your loan if it's not the skip-the-line loan.


Tip 6: Keep track of your time with the loan. I know I said to not rush your reading pace in Tip 5, but be aware of the time limit on your loan. This way, you can know when you're able to renew your loan if you need, and you can also balance it out with how much time you may need to finish the book.

Tip 7: Have the Kindle and Libby apps on your iPad or phone. You can read the book(s) you're loaning via the Libby app, but having the Kindle app to read the books with also comes in handy. In my personal experience, I tend to prefer reading with Kindle because I can mark the book as "currently reading" on Goodreads and see what parts other people highlighted.

Tip 8: Use the tags feature on the Libby app. I have found that these have come in handy quite a bit, because I can find books I liked, didn't like, different genres, etc. so much easier in the Libby app if I need to refer to those books for whatever reason.

Tip 9: Don't force yourself to finish a book you're loaning from a library. As I've said in other posts related to this tip, you shouldn't force yourself to finish a book. You can always pick it up again later.

Tip 10: This tip is more so about loaning library books in general, but create a shelf on your Goodreads account of all the books that were library loans. This way, you're able to scroll through the books you've read that are just library books and see which ones you'd want to read again, or even buy,

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Seasonal Reading Recommendations


Every reader has their own take on seasonal reading recommendations: whether it's because they read a book in the spring and now they associate it with the spring, or if it's set in the winter. These kinds of posts - whether on book blogs, Booktube, or Bookstagram - are always fun for me to look through and get inspiration from.

My personal take on seasonal reading recommendations is a bit all over the place. Maybe it's because I read a book in autumn, so now I associate it with autumn. Or maybe it's a book with traveling, and I automatically associate the book with summer. For me, the season in which I associate a book depends on the book itself.


I plan to do book recommendation posts for all 4 seasons each year for however long I'm doing this blog. Some of the book recommendations may overlap with another season's recommendation list, or with another year. As I mentioned above, my personal take on seasonal reading recommendations is a bit all over the place (like, really all over the place sometimes).

Please understand that the seasonal reading recommendation posts won't comprise of only recent releases. Many of the recommendations will be backlisted books with an occasional recent release in the mix. (I will be making a post discussing this later in March.)

I hope you enjoy the Seasonal Reading Recommendation posts. As they get published this year (2021), I'll link them to the corresponding post titles below:

Spring 2021 Reading Recommendations

Summer 2021 Reading Recommendations

Autumn 2021 Reading Recommendations

Winter 2021 Reading Recommendations