If you are anything like me, picking your next travel destination can prove to be a difficult choice. Lately, however, I have been turning to some of my favorite books for travel inspiration. Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley weaves the elements of a gripping crime novel with the alluring tale of a young American exploring the beauty of Italy. The idle, [...]
Now that another New England winter is finally behind me, I’ve been desperate to find more time to indulge in the sun. Sometimes it’s tough to actually enjoy summer weather with work, errands and other obligations keeping us indoors. That’s why I’ve crafted a list that—despite any busy schedule—will give you at least a few opportunities to squeeze in some quality time with [...]
Growing up in a beach town, I’ve spent many summer days lounging in the sand. Because of this, I was taught young to always have a book in my beach bag. Here are some books I plan on bringing with me on my next beach day. The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand Hilderbrand is known for her stories of family-fueled drama set on the [...]
I am a 20-year-old woman and I love YA novels! Young adult literature has many qualities that make it a universal genre that can draw in an older audience. Complex characterization and plot development, strong social commentary and messages to fight for change are just a few examples. Below are some YA novels that I feel will have a strong impact on readers [...]
I took my very first trip to England last summer to visit my longtime friend and pen pal, Alex. Since she and I have similar interests—reading, writing and pleasing aesthetics—it was only fitting that she would introduce me to the coolest bookstore I’ve ever been to: Barter Books. Located in Alnwick Station in Northumberland, Barter Books is a secondhand bookstore where over 350,000 books [...]
When it comes to popular TV, book adaptations are in the spotlight. So if you’re a bookworm like me, there’s a chance one of your literary favorites is headed for the small screen. Be on the lookout for these adaptations of well-loved books! The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood’s bestselling novel was turned into an award-winning TV series last year. It did so well with [...]
Growing up in the ’80s, I was a huge Celtics fan. With the (original) Big Three in their prime, the Celtics were perennial playoff contenders, winning three championships. But the end of that decade brought heartache for 13-year-old me when Red Auerbach traded my favorite player, Danny Ainge, in February 1989. Given to displays of teenage melodrama, I, along with my best friend, [...]
The holiday season may claim to be “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for me and many Bostonians, that distinction belongs to the first week in June. Since 1983, the Jimmy Fund has sponsored the Scooper Bowl® to raise money for cancer research and care. For three days from noon to eight o’clock, the fundraiser dishes out unlimited ice cream to visitors who [...]
When I think back to the most vivid food descriptions of my reading career, it doesn’t take long for Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy to come to mind. As the title suggests, food plays a major role in the plot and is symbolic throughout the book. In the next installment of my literary recipes series, I cook up some Capitol-inspired cuisine! In one [...]
You’ve probably heard some of the popular US superstitions: don’t step on a crack or you’ll break your mother’s back, knock on wood, don’t walk under ladders and avoid broken mirrors. But across the world, there are some very different superstitions! In South Korea, it’s believed that sleeping with a fan on can kill you! This superstition is so ubiquitous that many Korean fans [...]