There have been many moments in the past few years of my life that have helped me to examine my own prejudices and privileges. I think back on my worldview back in my teens and early twenties and I am ashamed of myself for how I perceived people who were different from me. So I’m […]
Tag Archives: Beth Shaum
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd – Review by Beth Shaum
posted by CBethM
I live in a town that used to be full of magic. I think there’s still magic here. It’s just been playing hide-and-seek for a very long time. This town is also full of sad stories and sweet people. I like it here. I want to stay forever. Felicity Juniper Pickle lives a nomadic life […]
Top 10 Things Picture Books Taught Me by Beth Shaum
posted by CBethM
What “counts” as reading? Well it turns out that lots of people have an opinion on that question, or more accurately, what doesn’t count as reading. Here’s what I’ve been told doesn’t count as reading, either explicitly or implicitly: Picture books Audiobooks Graphic novels YA lit Choice reading in class Anything other than the canon […]
The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb – Review by Beth Shaum
posted by CBethM
I remember reading Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil when I was a freshman in college. Well, let me rephrase that: I remember that I was supposed to read Eichmann in Jerusalem. I was still trying to get by on my “I don’t understand the text so I’m just […]
Audiobook Review: The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy – Review by Beth Shaum
posted by CBethM
Did you know the princes who saved Rapunzel, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty weren’t actually named “Charming” as we so often believe? No, these men have real names: Liam, Duncan, Frederic and Gustav to be exact. So why are they all named “Charming” in their fairy tale tropes? Well, the bards in charge of telling their stories can’t seem […]
Top Ten Literary YA Reads by Beth Shaum
posted by CBethM
Many of us who read YA literature with regularity know what a wealth of great authors are out there writing today. So a rash of recent articles calling for us to only read Classics or proclaiming some books are more equal than others really bothered many of us who are fighting to show everyone what […]
This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
posted by Colby Sharp
Living at Chateau Frankenstein in Geneva, Switzerland, Victor and his twin brother Konrad never want for anything. They have doting yet pragmatic parents, a cousin Elizabeth whom they love like a sister, and servants who are treated as part of the family. Victor, Konrad, Elizabeth, and their best friend Henry love to explore the secret […]
Returning Home to the Bookshelf
posted by CBethM
As a child, when it came to reading I was a quick study. I was reading and writing before I was in Kindergarten and could always be found with my nose in a book at home. Whenever we would go visit family from out of town, if I found myself bored by the conversation, I […]
Nerdy Book Club 