Have you ever started reading a book or sat down to watch a movie because you had nothing else to do or because someone suggested it to you & with very low or no expectations you found yourself completely blown away by its greatness?  It is one of the absolute best feelings, ever.  And it's really hard to come by!  That pure happenstance feeling of wonder is not something for which you can p

It's an age-old adage we've all heard before - Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover.  But honestly, how many people take this advice to heart?  Like, none.  Publishers put thousands of dollars into designing covers that tell readers what kind of story is contained within, so if you're a choosy reader - & who among us is not - you should probably take a moment to consider the target market for the book you hold in your hands.  Does that handsome, shirtless man holding that bodice-adorned lady promise a mystery thriller?  Does the author's name printed four times bigger than the title of the b

We've all been there.  It's sweltering hot outside, and the thought of doing anything except staying inside makes you cringe.  (Or in this week's case, it's rainy or insanely humid.)  You have the brilliant idea of coming to the library to check out some movies to keep you occupied indoors, but you find that everyone else had the same idea & all that's left to check out are a bunc

It seems that summer is the time of year that the whole world is hyper-aware of books.  Summer reading lists abound, and while those beach reads always sound really enticing, there's one author in particular whose siren song I cannot ignore beginning around mid-May.  That author is the incomparable Jane Austen.

So how do I indulge my obsession with a many many years deceased author who only wrote six novels, all of which I've read [several times each]?  I'm so glad you asked!