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Everything is in miniature, and there is no limit to the amount of tiny accessories that you can buy or DIY for a fairy garden. (Think dollhouses, but with a fantasy flair.) Because it has a very small footprint, there’s also no need to have a backyard to do it. Many fairy gardens are contained in a single pot, and they are also done in terrariums. Besides, once you start collecting all those individually crafted accessories, you probably want to be able to keep an eye on them inside instead of having a bird take off with your artfully moss-decked fairy ladder....

Why join reading challenges? They’re a great way to socialize with people who read the same types of books that you do—reading is more fun with friends—and they offer a support network for completing your goals. Think of them like book clubs, only with very reading specific goals in mind. The selection of challenges below speak to some common reading resolutions I’ve seen from people I follow on Twitter, Facebook, and book blogs; but keep in mind this is a miniscule sampling of the reading challenges out there, most of which do NOT require you to be a blogger....

But long before Elinor encountered a sea monster and Lizzie fought zombies, there was another author who may have helped to start it all. Georgette Heyer was an English mystery, romance, and historical novelist of the early 20th century. Her novels have many times been called the next-best thing to reading Jane Austen, and it’s not hard to see why. Her stories are set in the same Regency England, filled with the sort of wit and humor that characterized Austen’s characters, dealing with the same issues of money, appearance, social class and convention that her characters struggled with....

Who is Jhumpa Lahiri? Born to Bengali immigrants in London, Jhumpa Lahiri moved to Rhode Island with her family at the age of 3. The first-generation immigrant experience, particularly for Indian Americans, is a focus of much of her work. Her characters frequently face cultural clashes between their homelands and their new home countries. She also highlights the difficult position of first-generation Americans as they navigate their parents’ expectations while trying to live authentically....

Several weeks ago, I read fellow Rioter Laura’s article on her bookish rituals. I became fascinated by this. While I consider myself a Book Person, I never really thought about any particular ritual I had set up for myself — I just read books, with no real intention other than to read them. And I felt burnt out. I particularly resonated with Laura’s morning ritual, and I decided to experiment in developing my own....

I built a whole community of people around this interest. We went from fanfic reading to roleplaying to creating new, original worlds together and our own characters. We grew up together on this message board, across ages and continents. These connections were formative in my adolescence. And then, at some point, I stopped reading fanfics. Maybe it was because I fell out of love with the series. Maybe it was just going to college, meeting new people, and finding new interests....

Getting Your Sustainability History Right The Environment and the People in American Cities 1600s–1900s by Dorceta E. Taylor One of the best ways to get to know what to do next when it comes to sustainability is to realize how we have gotten to this point. Dorceta Taylor’s research shows us that the attitudes toward the environment still present today have been building for centuries. This background information will help to fuel your pursuit of sustainable living....

So begins The Secret History, the debut novel that launched Donna Tartt into the literary stratosphere 30 years ago this month. An instant classic, it is one of those rare books that gripped readers from its intense first line and has held them in its thrall ever since. I know the feeling personally — I have read The Secret History every year for the last 30 years. Yep, you read that right....

As you might expect, I have a better knowledge of authors with surnames at the beginning of the alphabet. No wonder I was nearly 30 by the time I read Proust. For better or worse, I don’t have a strong nostalgia for the place I’m from. But I do have a strong nostalgia for the books I’m from. This year, 2020, Algeria will celebrate the work of their influential 20th century author....

Two addictive reads for fans of twisty psychological thrill-rides from New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica. The Good Girl: What seems like a safe one-night stand turns out to be the worst mistake of Mia Dennett’s life. A tautly written, compulsive read that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems… The Other Mrs.: Meet Sadie and Will Foust, the new couple in town. When their neighbor is murdered, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery, but the more she discovers the more she realizes how much she has to lose....

Whether or not you keep old petals yourself, these pressed flower bookmarks are gorgeous. I’m not in the market for a new bookmark right now, but I won’t lie: I may have slipped one or two of these into my cart because they’re too good to resist. Sweet and Gorgeous Pressed Flower Bookmarks Select from an array of colors for this wildflower bookmark. $5. These floral bookmarks feature a fun tassel....

In October, Republican lawmaker Matt Krause sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency with a list of 850 books. He asked that every district in the state report whether they had any of the books on the list and how much was spent on them, as well as any other book that could cause “an individual [to] feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex” or that covers topics such as “human sexuality....

There are so many scenarios that call for bite-sized books. Maybe you’re looking for a quick dose of comfort in book form. Maybe you need an hour of really good escapism. Maybe you’re up for a challenge but only have one free afternoon. Maybe you’re looking for the perfect book to help you through a breakup or a move, or maybe you want to try a new genre but aren’t ready to commit to A Reading Project....

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People easily lends itself to a numbered list with a couple-sentence description for each. Atomic Habits is focused around four main steps. Sometimes there are graphs and charts. It could be a zine! I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time could fit in a fortune cookie: “Be a woman who makes six figures at least, has a flexible job, and outsources most domestic labor....

The annual program asks committee members to elect a spokesperson each year who writes and believes in the power of horror. The 2021 spokesperson is none other than Silvia Garcia-Moreno. Summer Scares is a reading program that provides libraries and schools with an annual list of recommended horror titles for adult, young adult (teen), and middle grade readers. It introduces readers and librarians to new authors and helps start conversations extending beyond the books from each list and promote readingfor years to come....

In the beautiful wilderness of south Texas, friendships can heal and bloom. As children, Emma Merrill and Sophia Mason promised to never lose touch, but their paths eventually diverged. Emma has struggled with depression. Sophie became an artist. Now, they’ve reconnected and Sophie invites Emma away to a small artists’ colony in south Texas. For Sophie and Emma, it’s the perfect place for reflection and to finally reconnect. Most of all it’s a chance to rediscover their true selves and to make good on the old promise that their friendship would last forever....

Do you wish you had more time to read? Try listening to the audiobook! Penguin Random House Audio publishes a variety of titles – from bestselling novels to nonfiction books — that can be consumed without interrupting your daily routine. Visit TryAudiobooks.com for great listening suggestions while you craft, garden, exercise, cook, or travel for business or on a family road trip That’s it for the third edition of Persist!...

15. Franklin Richards The only reason that Franklin is so far down on this list is that somehow he’s always a kid. His control over his vast powers is also extremely sketchy, once leading to the manifestation of a super-bully that was actually his own subconscious fears and insecurities personified. (His dad’s experimentation on him doesn’t really help matters in that case.) Actually, Franklin can spawn more powerful avatars of himself with apparent ease, but usually not at will and often because of emotional trauma....

BEST NOVEL Five Decembers by James Kestrel BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR Deer Season by Erin Flanagan BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL Bobby March Will Live Forever by Alan Parks BEST FACT CRIME Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock: An Anatomy of the Master of Suspense by Edward White BEST SHORT STORY “The Road to Hana,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by R....