It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post, but today’s prompt is too fun to resist! This week, the folks at The Broke and the Bookish ask bloggers to list the top ten books they HAD to buy but still haven’t read… or as Katie calls it, the Shelf of Shame. Continue reading
Category Archives: Lists
Best Bookish Tumblrs
I don’t always go on Tumblr, but when I do, I love the bejeezus out of the numerous witty, adorable, bookish Tumblr pages. Since I didn’t feel like writing an actual book review today and instead spent time tumbling, I now present you with my ten favorite literary Tumblrs (including example posts), including gif-tastic commentary on working in publishing, terrible book covers, bookish confessions, and thoughtful musings on books and pop culture. Continue reading
Ten Most Anticipated Books of 2013
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have been thoroughly enjoying browsing publisher catalogs for 2013 over the last few weeks. There are some really intriguing books coming out this year! Actually, the sheer number of books coming out is a little bit overwhelming!
If you’re likewise overwhelmed, and the thought of looking through one more publisher catalog makes you break out in hives, pause and take a few deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. I’ve browsed many a catalog (okay, not really that many compared to how many publishers are out there, but more than five) and compiled a list of the cream of the crop, the most exciting (to me) books of 2013! Continue reading
Gifts for the Bookworm on Your List
Hello everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving filled with love and family and turkey. I refuse to acknowledge Christmas’ approach until after Thanksgiving, and now that Turkey Day has passed, I can get into the holiday swing of things! I’m sure many of you found some great deals on Christmas presents on Black Friday, but for those of you still searching for the perfect gift for the beloved bookworm on your list, I have some suggestions!
Presenting, the first annual Books Speak Volumes Holiday Gift Guide! Continue reading
Five Literary Halloween Costumes
Halloween is two weeks away, and if you’re anything like me, you still have no idea what your costume will be. Also, if you’re like me, you abhor the idea of spending $40 on a flimsy store-bought costume that everyone and their 16-year-old sister will be wearing. Oh, and you also love literature and want to show off your sophistication with a costume that no one will get (unless they are also super sophisticated lit lovers, in which case: WIN), but that will make you look smart when people ask you what you’re supposed to be. For you, my friends, I present five literary costume ideas:
Edgar Allen Poe
This is the classic spooky, literary Halloween costume. To dress up as Poe, wear a black suit with a white shirt and a cravat. Add a stick-on mustache and dye your hair black for the night; be sure to tousle your oily locks into an unkept mess. For extra creepiness, wear a raven on your shoulder; given that it’s Halloween season, a fake raven shouldn’t be hard to find at a costume shop. (For extra extra creepiness, bring a real raven with you. Just kidding. Please don’t do that.) Also, you should try to look as sad as possible. Continue reading
Teen Read Week: My Favorite YA Books
This week (October 14 to 20) thousands of libraries, bookstores, and schools across the country are celebrating Teen Read Week, an initiative intended to encourage teens to read, just for the fun of it. According to Teen Read Week’s publicity materials, literacy rates for teenagers have been stagnating for the past 30 years, and the number of teens who are able to read but choose not to do so for fun is increasing. However, being able to read and process information is a vital skill in our data-driven society. As adults and role models to younger readers, it’s our job to encourage teens to read for pleasure, as daily reading for fun is instrumental in instilling reading habits for life.
To create a love of reading in teens, I think we need to recommend books that really are enjoyable for younger audiences to read — books that aren’t classics like the ones that often bore students in English classes, but that are interesting and relatable and unputdownable. Since my teenage years weren’t too long ago, I present to you my favorite books when I was a teenager (omitting Harry Potter because, I mean, duh). Continue reading
Celebrate Banned Books Week with Swag!
As most of you probably know, it’s Banned Books Week! Why not show off your subversive side with some of these great products celebrating banned books and your right to read them?
If you’re anything like me, you love few things more than enjoying a leisurely breakfast and sipping from a mug of hot coffee while reading in your pajamas. What could make this moment more perfect than drinking your life-giving coffee (or tea, if that’s more your … cup of tea) from a mug printed with the titles of fantastic banned books? Sold for $10.95 from Neato Shop.
Four Literary Podcasts to Listen to
In addition to reading books, us bookish types tend to enjoy talking about books. But what to do when we find ourselves without a book-obsessed bestie on hand to talk about our latest bookish discoveries and recommendations? Reading and commenting on blogs is well and good, but we can’t sit in front of our computers all day. Sometimes we have to do laundry or work out or run errands … and how can we get our book convo fix then? Since moving home from college and getting into the habit of taking my dog for a long walk each day, I’ve discovered that listening to literary podcasts while I walk is a fun way to learn about new releases and hear book discussions. For anyone else who likes to spend some time with their headphones on, try these four bookish podcasts! Continue reading
Top Ten Reads Since Starting My Blog
Another week, another list! For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, the folks at The Broke and the Bookish ask readers to list our top ten favorite books we’ve read since starting our blogs. I’ve only been blogging since January, so the list of books I’ve read during Books Speak Volumes’ lifespan is rather short, but I have read some fantastic books in this time! Here are my top ten favorites in no particular order. Continue reading
Ten Blog Posts That Give the Best Picture of Me
For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, The Broke and the Bookish ask bloggers to list the top ten posts on our blogs that give the best picture of us, as readers and people — a.k.a the ten posts we would like new readers to see!
Although I’ve only been blogging since January, I had a lot of fun going through older posts. It’s always nice to read an old post and think, “hey, I totally sounded like I knew what I was talking about!” Read on for a sampling of my favorite posts! Continue reading
