Category: Reading

I’m Not Reading *That* Much YA Right Now

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Me, Reading

Hey friends and happy Monday! You all know (unless you are very very new) that YA is my one true bookish love. It’s been the main thing I read for about 7-8 years, it’s what I write, I even moved to New York City and got a masters degree in it. Oh yeah and I’ve been blogging about it here for like 5+ years. But…

For some reason, I’m not really reading a ton of it right now. Which is bananas because there are so many books I’m excited about coming out. There are plenty, in fact, sitting right on my shelf. But when I was looking at my goodreads shelf last night thinking a review post was long overdue … I realized that out of the last ten books I read, only one was YA.

I don’t think I even read nine books for adults combined in 2014 and 2015, and now I’ve read nine since mid-April! To be fair, *a lot* are romance novels. But still this totally spooked me out.

Hit me with your recommendations in the comments, because I definitely want to add some YA to my library holds queue ASAP!

Five Life Lessons from Twilight

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

twilight 2

All the vampire chat on twitter this week is making me nostalgic for one of the most consuming, encompassing book series of my reading history. So, even though the book often reads as a what not to do list of lessons (i.e. sneak into the bedroom of your crush to watch them sleep without permission), here you go: Continue reading “Five Life Lessons from Twilight” →

What Sister from Little Women Are You?

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

Little Women

I grew up taking hundreds of quizzes online. And I still do. But this is the first one that I’ve made for the Internet and it’s about one of my all time favorite books. I seriously wrote a paper for my YA and Identity class in grad school about my existential crisis in high school trying to figure out if I was a Meg or a Jo. Even though I made the quiz … I didn’t get the exact answer I was looking for.

Take my quiz and let me know in the comments what sister you get (and if you think it’s the right answer!)

 

My Romance Novel Deep Dive

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

Screen Shot 2018-02-12 at 10.39.46 AM

I don’t know if it’s the weather, my current online dating fatigue, or the political/#metoo bad vibes circling through my brain, but I’ve been on a massive romance novel deep dive this year. Seriously, more than 75% of the books I’ve read so far in 2018 have been romance novels. I used to think this was embarrassing or something to keep a secret, but not anymore – especially because I write about romance novels on the regular at book riot. Continue reading “My Romance Novel Deep Dive” →

Happy Judy Blumesday!

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

IMG_0217

Hello friends. Happy Monday! Last night while most of the people I know were watching the Patriots play the Eagles (sports!), I was at Symphony Space in Manhattan celebrating 80 years of the writing goddess Judy Blume being on our planet. I LOVED her books growing up. There was nothing funnier than Fudge thinking he was a bird in Tales of a Forth Grade Nothing. No friendship more intense than Vix and Caitlin’s in Summer Sisters. And shortly after my first sex ed class, a copy of Forever magically appeared on my bed one day after school (thanks, Mom!). As a reader, Judy Blume feels like a dear friend. And as a writer, she’s like the ultimate inspiration.  Continue reading “Happy Judy Blumesday!” →

Seven Life Lessons from Matilda

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

Matilda

  1. If you are doing something important, go all in: “Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it’s unbelievable”
  2. Some people are not meant to be teachers: “I cannot for the life of me understand why small children take so long to grow up. I think they do it deliberately, just to annoy me.”
  3. Like REALLY not meant to be teachers: “You ignorant little slug!” the Trunchbull bellowed. “You witless weed! You empty-headed hamster! You stupid glob of glue!”
  4. No on will love you like your parents (especially if you’re horrible): “It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.”
  5. Reading can help you learn about people from all over the world: “The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She traveled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.”
  6. And books can become some of your best friends: “These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”
  7. But even though books are AMAZING, human friends can be nice too: “Sometimes Matilda longed for a friend, someone like the kind, courageous people in her books.”

Holiday Blogging Break

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

Hi friends and happy Tuesday! You may have noticed I’ve been slacking off big time in the blogging department this fall. Writing and teaching and blogging for BookRiot are starting to catch up with me. And instead of continuing to feel bad about it, I’m just going to declare the rest of 2017 my blogging holiday break. Hopefully, I can come back in 2018 with new ideas and enthusiasm. Continue reading “Holiday Blogging Break” →

Seven of my Favorite Quotes from Turtles All the Way Down

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

Turtles All the Way Down

I’m a big nerd fighter – okay, meek and mediocre but secretly clingy nerd fighter – so it’s not really a surprise that I read and loved John Green’s new book Turtles All the Way Down in one sitting. It’s my favorite of his so far, and SUCH and important book in terms of mental health representation. I don’t have OCD, but I have had intrusive thoughts related to trauma. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that experience explained on the page as well as in this book. Expect a (glowing) review soon, but until then here are some of the quotes I underlined furiously while devouring this book Tuesday night. Don’t worry, no spoilers!  Continue reading “Seven of my Favorite Quotes from Turtles All the Way Down” →

Depressing Book Slump

Posted on by Alison Doherty in Reading

Screen Shot 2017-10-25 at 3.26.18 PM

Guys, I’m in a little bit of a reading slump. For the last month, I’ve basically only read super amazing but super depressing books. I keep thinking I’ll break out of it, but then I pick up another sad book. And part of me doesn’t want to stop, because they’ve all been really good. But it is starting to mess with my mind. Between this reading and devouring all the #metoo social media and Harvey Weinstein think pieces, I’m definitely in a rut of thinking the world is just a terrible and painful place. Continue reading “Depressing Book Slump” →