Over the years, the Book Club Belles have been slowly making our way through the works of Jane Austen. Last month, with our resident Austen lover hosting, it was no surprise to see an Austen recommendation in her three suggestions. It was an easy choice for the Belles as we chose Northanger Abbey to be our April 2023 book club read. Our host’s excitement was contagious as we all eagerly looked forward discover why Catherine Morland is her favorite of Austen’s heroine. Here is our Northanger Abbey book review. An Austen-Inspired English Tea for Book Club The selection of our 3rd Austen novel s ..read more

February was not the best month of reading for me. In fact, it was probably the worst of my life. There are two reasons this. First, the book I chose to start was a reread (so the urgency to keep “just keep reading” was low). Second, Hogwart Legacy released on PC and new generation gaming consoles! While video games are not a main focus of the Book Club Belles Blog, I realized during my play through that open world RPG games, like Hogwarts Legacy, can be just as enjoyable to experience for book lovers. I fully believe that readers will love Hogwarts Legacy. Why I Played Hogwarts Legacy I am n ..read more

Every author needs to start somewhere. For Brandon Sanderson, who some argue is the modern day master of fantasy, his journey as an author began with Elantris. While Sanderson already had other stories written or in development, Elantris was the first to be published, and introduced readers to a talented young author who would go on to produce truly epic levels of fantasy content. So how did Sanderson fare with his first book? Here is our Elantris review. Related Read: 9 Iconic Female Protagonists in Fantasy Novels Elantris by Brandon Sanderson Synopsis The Shaod used to be a blessing to t ..read more

Last month, the Book Club Belles gathered for our February meeting to discuss Jordyn Taylor’s debut novel, The Paper Girls of Paris. This historical young adult fiction offers a dual timeline between present day and Nazi-occupied Paris. Though the book was a short, fast read for all of us, we found not shortage in discussion points Adalyn’s tale of joining the resistance, and Alice’s venture to resolve an incriminating photo of Adalyn’s connection to the Nazis. Paper Girls of Paris by Jordyn Taylor Synopsis Sixteen-year old Alice is spending her summer in Paris thanks to her Grandma who left ..read more

Public libraries offer many wonderful services to their communities, but aside from those services, they offer something more. The ambiance of a library can be magical experience. I personally love wandering the stacks at my library just waiting for a book to jump off the shelves screaming to be read. Such was the case with Other People’s Things, which I recently reviewed here. If you want to experience the library ambiance without physically traveling to one, here are 13 books set in a library to give you all those cozy, bookish vibes. Books Set in a Library The Reading List by Sara Nisha ..read more

While exploring my local library, I stumbled across Other People’s Things by Kerry Anne King. Not only did the cover intrigue me, but so did the synopsis. The main character is compelled by some cosmic for to simply move items from one location to another. Other People’s Things explores the life-altering impacts this gift (or curse) has on the main character’s and other people’s lives. This time, the item begging to be relocated is a book. Here is our Other People’s Things review. Other People’s Things can fulfill the prompt “A book that features a book as a central piece of the plot” in the B ..read more

With so many books to discover, it can be difficult to defend the act of rereading books. Reading is a time intensive activity, and we only have so many hours in our days, weeks, years (and lives!). However, the Book Club Belles are fervent believers in rereading books. Here are six reasons to reread books. You love the book When you find a book you love, why would you ever limit your experience with it to just a single read? There are many other things we love in life that we revisit again and again. Movies, restaurants, vacation spots, concerts and shows…the list goes on and books. Books yo ..read more

Have you ever struggled with finding your true calling? I think we all face this struggle at one point or another. In Shauna Robinson’s newest book, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks, she introduces us to a character facing this exact thing. Filled with charm, a bit of romance and plenty of bookish fun, Maggie’s vibrant personality will captivate you as easily as it captured the hearts of Bell Park’s residents. The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks Synopsis Maggie Banks’ life is a mess. Unable to hold a steady job, she jumps at the opportunity to run her best friends’ bookshop during her mate ..read more

Winter is one of my favorite times to read. The shorter days and colder temperatures make curling up with a good book oh so appealing. Similarly, winter book club meetings can offer a similar vibe. If you’re hosting a book club this season, we highly recommend you pull out your handy crock pot so serve up a hearty meal or snack. The aromas generated from the crock pot will only add to the cozy ambiance for your meeting. As a crock pot owner, we’re sure you have your favorite recipes. However, here are 8 winter book club crock pot recipes that we’ve found are always a smashing success! Crock P ..read more

Are you looking for new reading goals in 2023? The Book Club Belles’ 2023 Reading Challenge can help! This year we’re taking a slightly different approach to our reading challenge. We’ve developed two different challenge paths, which avid readers can choose between. Each path features 10 prompts for readers to complete. This makes the challenge achievable without becoming a burden. And of course, the overachievers out there can always tackle both paths for added reading fun! So let’s take a closer look at the reading challenge paths. We hope one will appeal your reading goals for this year ..read more