Category: discussion

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

January 26: Books to Read by the Fire

Prompts: The holidays are over, but it’s still winter! What books do you feel are perfect to read during the season? What about genres? What wintry books do you have on your TBR?

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! As per the prompt, it’s definitely winter where I am, and the snow and the cold have definitely got me holed up in warm buildings whenever I can be. And for sure I wish there was a fireplace to read by.

For me, murder mysteries and thrillers are definitely good to read during this season. But I think a thrilling fantasy could also work. Anything to get the heart pumping a little bit and not feel so sluggish. Cozy mysteries work too, though I haven’t read one of those recently.

It is so cold in the winter here, and it’s definitely a struggle to leave the bed when it’s freezing and it’s dark when you wake up. The book I’m currently reading takes place in a ski chalet (not uncommon), and it definitely makes me feel like I’m in a warm resort somewhere in the mountains. Interestingly, I never feel “chilled” or spooked by these stories (maybe I’m just more used to it), but it does help to feel like you’re really in the story when you’re actually quite cold in your real life, and in your story.

I have A Magic Steeped in Poison on my TBR (thanks to a friend who lent me the hardcover), which sounds to me like a nice wintry read. I may also pull out some more Agatha Christies for when I need a quick mystery to read as well. Of course, a lot also depends on mood, and obviously it’s best to read whatever you feel like reading at the time, so we’ll see!

How about you all? What do you have coming up in the next little bit that you feel like is a wintry read? Anyone doing “off-season” reads? Let me know in the comments below!

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

January 19: Seeing the Real World Through Books

Prompts: Many fiction books have messages about social issues, current events, and more. Some are underlying themes, and others are much more overt. Are you more drawn to books that dive into these serious topics, or do you prefer to have fiction be more of an escape from the world? What are some novels that have impacted you? What do you think are the most effective ways for authors to get their messages across?

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! It is cold, cold, cooold, where I am, and I’m not in the coldest part of the country (-50 degrees elsewhere, what?!). Ignoring all that, today’s topic is about the “real world” as seen through books, and the messages authors can send. Is this a good or bad thing?

For me, I am definitely drawn to books that dive into serious or even less serious topics. At the same time, I also read books to escape from the real world almost every time, sticking to fiction over non-fiction. So how can these two be reconciled?

I think the easiest way to explain would probably be to say what I tend to avoid. First, non-fiction, and the true stories that are often just more tragic than tragic, and have the even more devastating blow of being actually real. Particularly with the hard topics, I find these super hard to digest, and even when I do, it feels just particularly heavy. In that sense, I think I’d rather just watch the news or listen to a lecture, rather than be pulled so deeply into a book. I personally find it rather troubling and not too productive.

Continue reading “Let’s Talk Bookish – Seeing the Real World Through Books” →

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

January 12: Are Reading Goals Worth It?

Prompts: Did you set reading goals for 2024? Have you set reading goals in past years? Do they motivate you to read more, or do they make reading more stressful? What kinds of goals, if any, are the most motivating to you? Have you noticed a change in your reading since you started blogging? How about goals you set?

Welcome back to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! Today’s topic dives into reading goals, and whether they’re actually worth it or not. Also, do they even work? I’m sure there are differing opinions on this, though I feel like it’s very common in the bookish community to at least set a minimum number of books as a goal per year.

I didn’t set anything too concrete as a reading goal in 2024. I set a rather modest number of books as a goal, but nothing much beyond that. Between all the busy-ness of life, it’s really easy to plan too much and have a lot of things fall to the wayside as the schedule for the year actually shapes up. I think this year will be another year of just a vague number that I will probably reach. I think I will try and set little goals along the way if anything pops up, but I try not to be overly ambitious just because it’s January.

I think the goal can be both motivating and stressful. One the one hand it reminds me that I wanted to read a certain number of books. On the other hand, if I don’t want to read then it just reminds me of how much I haven’t read and still don’t want to read. I think I know my goals are generally reachable, so I don’t need to stress too much about it. Therefore for me, goals are mostly just motivational, and a small track record of my progress throughout the year. There are inevitably slower and faster months, and I think I have gotten used to that for the most part.

I usually just pick an arbitrary number as my bookish reading goal, but I think I will also slowly think of other small goals I may want to do in the near future, be it genre, author, or perhaps topic-related goals. I find that little short-term goals with a more specific objective in mind tends to help me to be focused on the goal, and to encourage me to continue. Often this will be set off by a particular book, and I think getting the ball rolling is important to timely completion of the goal.

I definitely have noticed a change since blogging. I often think of whether the book I read would be up for review on the blog, and if not, perhaps it may have to take the backburner sometimes. But most of the time I am into reading thrillers, and of course I just want to provide as comprehensive a library as possible (slowly!) for readers, and honestly, myself.

My goals haven’t changed too too much over the years, and I think I like it and will continue with it. It allows me to be flexible when things come up for better or for worse, and if I make it over my goal, that’s great! And even if not, it really isn’t a big deal. I mostly just want to make sure that I was able to enjoy my year of reading, and to not forget about it too often, which I think blogging has helped with significantly.

How about you all? Are goals more encouraging or more of a hinderance? Or does it depend on the kind of goal? Let me know what works for you all in the comments below!