the book bum

This is a book every girl should read (if you're a boy and non-chauvinistic,  you'll like it too!).  If you judge Beauty Queens  solely by its cover, you would think it was a trashy beach romance, but really it's a parody of that type of book, and of every stereotype that is pushed on girls today.   In it, an airplane full of beauty pageant contestants crashes onto a deserted island, forcing the girls to band together and learn what it means to survive, as well as what is important outside the realm of reality TV.  It is hilarious, ridiculous, and a fairly easy read, but it's also poignant and just really, really true.  It deals with sexuality, friendship, racism, love, sexism, insecurity, and what it means to be a girl today in the least preachy and most fantastic way possible.   The themes in this book are not the best part, though.  The characters and the way they develop throughout the book contributes to the flawlessness of this book t...

Are you out of space to put your burgeoning collection of books?  Or are traditional shelving units just too mainstream?  Never fear: Today's post is all about interesting, maximum-space-saving new ways to store your books!   Try: 1. A hollow ottoman/coffee table!       2. A painted bookshelf!  Ok, so this isn't a space-saver, but it's just so pretty... 3. A trundle bed book drawer! 4. A bookshelf chair! 5. A carved-up staircase! 6. Replace your wall with a solid bookshelf! 7. Hanging bins! 8. Make furniture out of your books! 9. Use your closet!  Because who needs clothes when you spend all your time indoors, in the dark, reading Harry Potter?! 10. Embrace the clutter!  There comes a time in every bibliophile's life when she must admit that there is no organizing this mess.  Once you understand this, you have achieved literary Nirvana. Love and clutter,  ...

This first thing I have to say about this book is that it is NOT Fifty Shades of Gray . This is a book about the gulags not sex. Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is about a  15-year-old Lithuanian girl who is taken to a Siberian labor camp under Stalin's rule. We follow Lina from the day she is taken by the NKVD (a secret soviet police) all throughout the time she spends at the camps (called gulags) to when she is set free again.  Because Lina and I are very close in age I find it easy to connect with her. This helps me to empathize because I have never been in a situation even remotely close to what she went through.  Lina is an artist and in the book she vows to draw everything that happens to her and bury it in a jar so that one day someone will know her story.  One of the most captivating aspects in this book is it's imagery. Lina tells the story using what she sees and how she translates that into her own mind. The result is some powerfu...

This is our first recommended reading list!!!  We will put out a new one every Friday.  All the books on this list are flawless and majestic and the reading of these books should become your #1 priority from now on. The Cold Awakening Trilogy  1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: This is about a 15-year-old girl named Lina who is taken to a labor camp in Siberia under the rule of Stalin.  2. The Fault in Our Stars  by John Green: The love story of two teenagers with terminal cancer - but, the characters' words, this book should not be mistaken for a 'cancer story.' 3. Before I Fall  By Lauren Oliver: A girl who dies in a car crash finds herself repeating the day of her death until she figures out what really important.  4. On Writing Well by William Zinsser: This should be every writers' Bible. 5.  Gone With The Wind  By Margaret Mitchell: While very long, a timeless classic about southern views throughout the Civil War....

Hello, our names are Grace and Carly. We are high school bibliophiles who live in New York City. When we are not reading we are either reading or gushing about books we have read. We sometimes go to school as well. A a result of our obsession we have driven off most of our friends and have turned to the internet for solace.  This blog is a way for us to reach out to other (earth dwelling) bibliophiles and share our thoughts on anything and everything related to literature.  Hope you like it!  P.S In order for you all to know who is recommending what we will be writing in different colors.  Grace will write in green Carly will write in white