Author: earlymorningreader

I remember in middle school my friends and I  used to hang out at the public library to pass time. (Obviously we were considered the cool kids.) We used to fantasize about working in the library as adults. The idea of becoming a librarian never left my mind as I grew up. Even throughout college,… Continue reading So what’s it like to work in a library? →

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman tells the story of Nina, a smart, quick-witted woman in her late twenties living in Los Angeles. Nina lives a quiet, comfortable life as she tries to cope with her anxiety. She spends her days working in a bookstore, playing on a trivia team, attending a… Continue reading The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman | A Review →

Last year I read and loved The New Me by Halle Butler. Jillian is Halle Butler's first novel about a recent college graduate named Megan who works as a secretary at a gastroenterologist's office. Megan despises most people, including her coworker, Jillian, a cheery mother who has recently purchased a dog she can't afford. Neither… Continue reading Jillian by Halle Butler | A Review →

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a middle grade novel narrated by an oak tree named Red. Every year, on Wishing Day on the first of May, people come to Red to hang their wishes on her branches. A new family moves into the neighborhood, and Red and the critters who call Red home, make it… Continue reading What I Read in January →

One of my reading goals for the New Year is to read more middle grade fiction, with the intent to offer better readers advisory in the children's library. I figured I'd start with some classic middle grade fiction, books that were released before the term middle grade was even coined. So I dug out my stockpile… Continue reading Revisiting Nancy Drew →

The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld is a gorgeously written debut novel that examines the lives of prisoners on death row. It’s narrated by a death row inmate whose otherworldly visions add a touch of magical realism to the story. Through his eyes, we learn about other inmates and workers within the prison. The novel uncovers the… Continue reading The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld | A Review →

The New Me by Halle Butler is a short novel about a 30 year old woman named Millie who is going through a quarter life crisis of sorts. Millie lives alone in her apartment and works a mundane temp job, where her boss perceives her as lazy and almost seems to have it out for… Continue reading Favorite Books of 2019 →

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a middle grade novel about an oak tree named Red. What makes this novel unique is that the tree has the ability to speak. In fact, she narrates the entire story. She is an important tree, not only because she releases oxygen and adds beauty to the neighborhood, but she… Continue reading Wishtree by Katherine Applegate | A Review →

In the past my reading goals mostly revolved around personal enrichment and preference. In other words, I read what I wanted, when I wanted and that was that. Pressure can sometimes suck the joy out of reading. It's why assigned reading was always so painful for me (and I was an English major - go… Continue reading 2020 Reading Resolutions →

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara is a true crime book about the Golden State Killer. I read this for a true crime book group I'll be participating in, so this is not something I'd pick up on a whim. In general, I prefer fiction. When it comes to non-fiction, I often… Continue reading I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara | A Review →