Readers' Favorite

April 6, 2017

English & Español: Elefantitos by Susie Jaramillo

by MK French


November 2016; Encantos; 978-0996995917;
board book (10 pages); preschool
a free ARC was provided for this review
Susie Jaramillo's Elefantitos is a bilingual counting board book based on the folk song "Elefantitos".

It is in English and then in Spanish, with brightly colored numbers and elephants balancing on a spider's thread. The board book has little tabs to make the elephants move; unfortunately, I had the digital version to look at with my children and couldn't make the display change.

There isn't any indication of how the song should be sung, which would be more problematic for those of us that didn't grow up learning it. It's still a cute little poem for young children, especially if they like elephants.

Buy Elefantitos at Amazon


Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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April 5, 2017

Debbie Macomber's If Not for You (New Beginnings #3)

by Elisabeth Scherer

Review If not for you (New Beginnings #3) Debbie Macomber
 March 2017 ;  Ballantine Books; 9780553391961
print, e-book, and audio (368 pages)
Romance, Fiction,  Contemporary
There are many Debbie Macomber books to choose from for this letter in the A to Z challenge. It can be hard to decide which books to talk about with an author who has published so many equally great books.  Conveniently her latest book If Not for You (New Beginnings #3) has just been released. This newer series usually explores characters that have had struggles in their lives or are overcoming some obstacle. It's probably this aspect that has me liking the series in a different way then Macomber's other series Cedar Cove.

I reviewed the second book in this series last year, A Girl's Guide to Moving On. Macomber has a great way to weave characters together from one book in a series to another with cameos. That said, this book can be read as a stand alone book without being confusing if you haven't read either of the previous books.

Beth Prudhomme has struck out on her own away from her controlling parents. She moves to Oregon to be closer to her Aunt Sunshine but also so she can have some freedom in her life. Beth is friends with Nichole (from A Girl's Guide to Moving On). She meets Sam Carney through Nichole and Rocco and they do not hit it off.  Beth and Sam both know a doomed relationship from the start of the setup dinner date. When the awkward meal is over Beth and Sam both leave to go home separately and Beth winds up in a car accident and Sam witnesses the crash. He stays with her while help is on the way.

As Beth recovers Sam is compelled to keep visiting her at the hospital and this is when their friendship grows. They bond over a love of music and their friendship blossoms into a budding romance.  Then Beth's overbearing mother arrives sending things into chaos. She wants Beth to come back home and does not approve of Sam one bit. Beth struggles to keep her newly found freedom and Sam struggles with issues from his past. Will they make it over the hurdles? You'll have to read to find out the answer.

This book has many of the wonderful qualities that Debbie Macomber is great at using in her books. The characters are normal everyday families of all kinds. The romance part of the book isn't overly cheesy. Most of her main characters have some issues to work through. It has the Hallmark movie quality story line.  It's nice to read about a girl finding her own way in life and touches on a second story slightly with Beth's aunt Sunshine.

It is a refreshing story that is easy to read. This book has a theme of forgiveness, repairing relationships, and moving forward. If I had to compare it to a movie I would probably go with While You Were Sleeping mixed with Mystic Pizza.

The only complaint I had was in the previous book the chapters of the book shifted between the two main female characters but in this book focuses mainly on Beth and Sam and then near the end of the book Sunshine. I feel like it would have been nice to balance out the stories much like A Girl's Guide did.  However as I step back and think about the book again I guess you could say the other main relationship in this book is between Beth's mom, Ellie, and her sister Sunshine.


Buy If Not for You on Amazon


Elisabeth Scherer, reviewer. Elisabeth grew up in a very small town in Minnesota but now lives in the lovely Pacific Northwest where she spends most of her time raising her two young children. She and her husband have a large collection of books that takes a good space of their small condo. When she's not reading she has a variety of hobbies that include crocheting, drawing, baking, cooking, and movie watching. She is currently obsessed with making French Macarons and other baked deliciousness! You can also find her blogging at http://kitchenstoriesetc.blogspot.com

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April 4, 2017

4 Contemporary Chick Lit Novels

by Susan Roberts



Goodreads describes Chick Lit this way: "Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships."

Some women feel that the term is demeaning to them and puts them into a category that is often overlooked by the publishing giants. How do you feel about the term chick lit? Is there another term that you prefer? Maybe women's fiction? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments below. Whatever it's called, it's a genre of fiction that I love and I am happy to share a few books from that category with you today.

The Hope Chest
The Hope Chest by Viola Shipman

This is a fantastic book that will bring you to tears but will leave you with a feeling of hope and love. The characters are well done, the plot is terrific and the setting is fantastic. Before I tell you a little about the book, I want to say that the book had me hooked with the setting in Michigan on the Lake. I spent all of my summers at Lake Michigan about 100 miles north of the setting of this book and I think Lake Michigan is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The author described the area and Lake Michigan so well, that it brought back great memories of the time that I spent there (and still do).

Mattie and Don have been married almost 50 years when the book begins. Mattie is very independent and has been fighting her diagnosis of ALS but the disease is getting worse. Her husband is totally devoted to her and takes care of her by himself until her disease progresses and he needs help. They hire Rose, a young down-on-her-luck mother with a 6-year-old daughter, Jeri, to take care of Mattie. Rose (and Jeri) bring some joy into Mattie and Don's lives as Mattie begins to share her memories of items that are stored in the hope chest that her parents gave her as a child. Each chapter is devoted to a different memory - a vase, an apron, a snow globe and others - and we learn not only the history of the item but also how it affects them present day.

I will warn you that this is a sad book, Mattie's impending death hangs over every page and as you come to know her better throughout the book, it gets sadder. The important thing is that you are not left with a feeling of sadness but a feeling of love and family and the fact that family is not made up of who you are related to but it's made up of the people who love you.

Buy The Hope Chest from Amazon


The Forbidden Garden
The Forbidden Garden by Ellen Herrick

"Every garden is a story, waiting to be told..."

This is the belief of the main character, Sorrel Sparrow, who runs a nursery with her sisters. Sorrel has a remarkable reputation in Granite Point for being able to nurture and grow beautiful plants and flowers. She is still trying to find her way after a family tragedy (unknown to me because it's part of the story of The Sparrow Sisters) and when she is offered a chance to go to England to help restore a garden that appears to have a curse and hasn't bloomed in 200 years, she decides that she needs to go despite the closeness that she has with her sisters. The people at Kirkwood Hall in England are all pretty quirky but they are accepting of Sorrel and try to help her with the garden in their own ways despite their fear of the curse.

This is an interesting and compelling book to read. There is a little history, a little romance, a little magic and a lot of family history. If you are a gardener, you're going to love this book because the author goes into lots of details about flowers and plants. I enjoyed this book but think I will enjoy it even more after I read The Sparrow Sisters.

Buy The Forbidden Garden at Amazon


A Thousand Butterfly Wishes
 A Thousand Butterfly Wishes by Susan Haught

This book has a little bit of everything - love, friendship, family relationship but most important to me was the caring for the people who cannot care for themselves. Rachel is a nurse at a senior living center. Even though she is a bit of a rebel and a rule bender, she truly cares about her patients and not only their physical well-being but also their happiness. When she breaks the rules, it's to bring happiness to their lives that are often near the end. She was a fantastic character and you can't help but laugh and cry with her throughout the book. Even though she isn't looking for love and has secrets about her past that she is hiding, she develops a relationship with Nico, a CNA at the nursing home. He is also passionate about the patients' happiness and is equally passionate about making Rachel happy. This is a fantastic book with some wonderful characters who will make you laugh and make you cry.

Buy A Thousand Butterfly Wishes at  Amazon


The Secret to Hummingbird Cake
The Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale

This novel is about friendship - the kind of friendship between women that anyone is lucky to find. Carri, Laine and Ella Rae have been friends since elementary school and now in their 30s they are faced with all kinds of adult problems. They live in a small town in the South where every knows all about what is going on in everyone else's life and there are all sorts of eccentric characters. The novel centers around their friendship - first whether or not Carri's husband is having an affair and then over the health of one of the members of the group. I loved all three of the main characters - I live in the South and I know people just like them. I laughed with them and I cried with them and I hated to see the book end. This is a fantastic book and I will definitely be on the lookout for future books from this author.

Buy The Secret to Hummingbird Cake at Amazon



Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their grandson. Susan reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.


Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

April 3, 2017

Biltmore Estate and Vanderbilt's Books

by Donna Huber




Last month I visited Biltmore Estates in Ashville, North Carolina for the first time. I had heard of the magnificent gardens and thanks to the mild winter I knew there would be at least a few things in bloom. I knew the house would be great. My friend and I were going because of the fashion exhibit, Designed for Drama: Costumes from the Classics and we were pretty excited to see that since we are both Downton Abbey fans. But what I wasn't prepared for was the library.


Prior to my trip, I did a bit of research on George Vanderbilt and the Biltmore House, which led me to discover Vanderbilt's love of literature. At 12 years of age, he began recording the books he read. He had to keep his reading record in notebooks (there was no Goodreads!). He was an avid reading and I think he read around 80 books a year. There are something like 22,000 books in his library.

But his love of literature wasn't just a private matter. He wanted others to be able to enjoy books too. Remember this was at a time when books were expensive and not everyone had ready access to books. While the estate is in North Carolina, it was George's country estate. Vanderbilts were New York residents and had a house in the city. In 1888, George established the Jackson Square Branch of the New York Free Circulating Library (which is now part of the New York Public Library).

For all the tours the Estate offers, I was disappointed that there wasn't a book tour. Sure we saw the library. But it was only a sliver of a view. I wanted to look up close at the books, to read the titles on the spines. They really should offer something like that.

The did have a number of displays around the house about his collection. I learned that Edith Wharton, author of Ethan Frome and other works, was often a visitor at Biltmore Estate. She evening spent a Christmas with the family. There were other literary greats that were personal friends of George Vanderbilt. You can learn more about the library on the Biltmore blog.

Books to Read

The Designed for Drama display increased my reading list as there were a few I had not yet read. If you are planning a trip to Biltmore this spring or summer here is a reading list you might want to start on. (The Designed for Drama runs through July 4).

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Golden Bowl by Henry James
Sleepy Hallow by Washington Irving
The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee (the play upon which the movie Finding Neverland is based.)
House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

If you aren't able to visit the Biltmore Estate, here are some of my pictures from my trip. It was absolutely beautiful and if I lived in the area I would have a season pass just to visit the park surrounding the house.




Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

April 2, 2017

New Releases for April 2017



If the saying 'April showers bring May flowers' is true, then there should be plenty of rainy days ahead to curl up with a new book. Get your wishlist ready, here are just a few that hit shelves this month.


The Lost Order
The Knights of the Golden Circle, founded on July 4, 1854, was the largest, most dangerous clandestine organization in American history. It formulated grand plans—to expand the United States, change the constitutional landscape, and forge a Southern empire, enslaving a ‘golden circle’ spanning two continents. To finance its goals, the Order amassed an amazing trove of stolen gold and silver, which they buried in hidden caches across the United States. Treasure hunters have searched for decades, but have never found any of the Order’s major hoards.

Now, 160 years later, the knights still exist. Two factions within the Order want the treasure—one to spend it, the other to preserve it. Thrust into that civil war is former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone.

Starting with a hunt for clues inside the Smithsonian Institution, Malone discovers that an ancestor within his own family may hold the key to everything: a Confederate spy named Owen “Cotton” Payne. Complicating matters further are the political ambitions of a ruthless Speaker of the House and the widow of a United States Senator, who have plans of their own—plans that conflict in every way with the Order.

From the quiet back rooms of the Smithsonian, to the dangers of rural Arkansas, and finally into the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico, The Lost Order is a perilous adventure into our country’s dark past, and a potentially darker future.

Available April 4
Buy at The Lost Order at Amazon


Show No Weakness
She’s a tenderhearted social worker, looking for her Happy-Ever-After. He’s a distrustful RCMP Corporal who’s sworn off relationships. Factor in a surly teen heading for delinquency, and you have a case of passion and turmoil too explosive to handle.

As a defense mechanism to deal with his guilt and grief over his daughter's death, Cole Dennison has become an expert at compartmentalizing his feelings. He keeps his personal life private, while making it his professional mission to rescue children in peril.

Joely Sinclair is fiercely protective and openly compassionate. When she meets Cole Dennison, she falls hard. He's everything she admires in a man, and because she wears her heart on her sleeve, she can't understand how or why Cole keeps all his emotions to himself.

As much as Cole resents his interest in Joely, with her inquisitive and caring nature, he can't deny her appeal. Against his better judgment, he becomes involved in both her and her son's lives. Taylor is in desperate need of a positive male role model, and Cole can't turn his back on the boy. But when Joely starts talking love, Cole's inability to commit puts an end to their relationship—until a dangerous situation throws them back together.

When given a second chance at love, will Cole risk letting Joely into his battered heart?

Available April 10


One Perfect Lie
On paper, Chris Brennan looks perfect. He's applying for a job as a high school government teacher, he's ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach, and his references are impeccable.

But everything about Chris Brennan is a lie.

Susan Sematov is proud of her son Raz, a high school pitcher so athletically talented that he's being recruited for a full-ride scholarship to a Division I college, with a future in major-league baseball. But Raz’s father died only a few months ago, leaving her son in a vulnerable place where any new father figure might influence him for good, or evil.

Heather Larkin is a struggling single mother who lives for her son Justin's baseball games. But Justin is shy, and Heather fears he is being lured down a dark path by one of his teammates, a young man from an affluent family whose fun-loving manner might possibly conceal his violent plans.

Mindy Kostis succumbs to the pressure of being a surgeon's wife by filling her days with social events and too many gin and tonics. But she doesn’t know that her husband and her son, Evan, are keeping secrets from her – secrets that might destroy all of them.

At the center of all of them is Chris Brennan. Why is he there? What does he want? And what is he willing to do to get it?

Enthralling and suspenseful, One Perfect Lie is an emotional thriller and a suburban crime story that will have readers riveted up to the shocking end, with killer twists and characters you won’t soon forget.

Available April 11
Buy One Perfect Lie at Amazon


The Perfect Stranger
In the masterful follow-up to the runaway hit All the Missing Girls, a journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all.

Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?

Available April 11
Buy The Perfect Stranger at Amazon


The Fix
Amos Decker witnesses a murder just outside FBI headquarters. A man shoots a woman execution style on a crowded sidewalk, then turns the gun on himself.

Even with Decker's extraordinary powers of observation and deduction, the killing is baffling. Decker and his team can find absolutely no connection between the shooter - a family man with a successful consulting business - and his victim, a schoolteacher. Nor is there a hint of any possible motive for the attack.

Enter Harper Brown. An agent of the Defense Intelligence Agency, she orders Decker to back off the case. The murder is part of an open DIA investigation, one so classified that Decker and his team aren't cleared for it.

But they learn that the DIA believes solving the murder is now a matter of urgent national security. Critical information may have been leaked to a hostile government - or, worse, an international terrorist group - and an attack may be imminent.

Decker's never been one to follow the rules, especially with the stakes so high. Forced into an uneasy alliance with Agent Brown, Decker remains laser focused on only one goal: solving the case before it's too late.

Available April 18
Buy The Fix at Amazon


Boys SOuth of the Mason
The only thing hotter than the weather South of the Mason Dixon line are the boys. Worn, faded blue jeans, slow Southern drawls, and those naughty moments in the back of pickup trucks a girl never forgets.

Welcome to the world of the Sutton boys.

Five brothers who fight, party, drink a little too much, but more importantly, they love their momma. Nothing can tear them apart… until the girl next door wins more than one of their hearts.

Available April 24
Buy Boys South of the Mason Dixon at Amazon



Meet Bob. Bob is the guy between the lines of every love story you ever met. The lucky chance, the twist of fate, the astounding coincidence that sets sparks flying. Never seen, but always there.

Today Bob is assigned to help Jenny find love. But there is something more than bad luck working against the quirky librarian. Bob might have to save her life, before he can help her find love.

And he can't do that from the shadows....

Available April 24







The Whole Thing Together
Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they’ve shared almost everything—reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they’ve never met.

Sasha’s dad was once married to Ray’s mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families—and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control…or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.

Available April 25
Buy The Whole Thing Together at Amazon


Shopping for a CEO's Wife
Snowbound. Sounds so romantic, with visions of cuddling before a roaring fire, hot chocolate spiked with brandy, and a secret elopement.
Wait. What?
My fiancé’s father won’t stop trying to turn our pending wedding into a three-ring media circus so he can get free publicity for his family’s Fortune 500 company. My mother has decided she’s done with All Things Wedding and asks her teacup Chihuahua for mother-of-the-bride advice.
They’ve all gone certifiably mad.
Then the stress from the wedding puts my mother in the hospital, I scream at my future father-in-law in front of a camera crew and the video goes viral, and the romantic wedding that started with Andrew’s grand Pride and Prejudice proposal looks less like Jane Austen and more like Dostoyevsky.
So what do you do when you’re a fixer and you can’t fix something?
You give up on it.
Not on Andrew, silly.
The wedding.

Shopping for a CEO’s Wife is the 12th book in Julia Kent’s New York Times bestselling Shopping series. As Shannon and Declan enjoy their newlywed bliss, Andrew’s father wants to exploit Amanda and Andrew’s nuptials, much to Amanda’s chagrin. Can she learn to stand up to her future father-in-law and fight for what’s right? But the real question is: will Spritzy the teacup Chihuahua end up being a flower girl?

Available April 25
Buy Shopping for a CEO's Billionaire at Amazon


Rhodes' Reward
Welcome to Rhodes' Reward, book 4 in Heroes for Hire, reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Honor in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer.

Second chances do happen… Even amid evil...

Rhodes knew Sienna years ago. When she’d been young and gawky, more elbow and carrot hair than style, but she’d had something special even then. Now she’s all grown. But she’s a trouble magnet, and even at the compound it finds her…

Sienna had a super-sized crush on her brother’s best friend years ago. Now he’s hunky and even hotter than she could have imagined. Only she’s new and doesn’t want to jeopardize her position. When asked to help out on a job, she agrees…and triggers a sequence of disastrous events no one could foresee.

But someone will stop at nothing to silence everyone involved, especially the two of them…

Available April 25
Buy Rhodes' Reward at Amazon


Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

April 1, 2017

Active Reading: A Key to Awesome Book Reviews

by Donna Huber

Once again the writers of Girl Who Reads are participating in the A to Z Challenge. The main challenge is to blog for 26 days, but since we already publish 6-7 days a week, I challenged myself and the other writers to try a different style and to create better headlines. For those readers joining us from the A to Z Challenge, Girl Who Reads focuses on books, the reading experience, and writing. Even if you aren't much of a reader I hope you find something interesting here.



Like many book bloggers, I don't have an English degree or much of a background in literature. I review books because I love reading and want to share that passion with others. especially when I find a great book. For that reason, I'm always looking for information on ways to write better reviews.

A technique I've recently been reading about is active reading. I picked up the textbook Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing at a recent library sale and in the opening chapter active reading is demonstrated. The short story "The Necklace" by Guy de Paupassant is used as the study text. This is a short story I remember reading in high school.

I've kind of admired people who annotate their text, though I don't do it. Partly it is because I don't like my handwriting, but the larger reason is because I thought that the notes were some deep understanding that they were jotting down. After reading through the notes for The Necklace, I realize that is not always the case.

In active reading, you are using all your sense and taking an active role in your reading. Perhaps it would be best to contrast it with passive reading. Passive reading is what most of us do in our everyday reading. We read the words on the page, maybe not ever one of them. We synthesize enough to understand and enjoy the story. Passive reading is why we often can't remember details, especially those from early on in the story, when we finish the book.

Recalling details, emotions, and thoughts are hallmarks to writing an awesome book review that fully conveys your opinion of the book. Through active reading, you will be able to say more than "It is a great book!" You will be able to back up your claims.

How to actively read:

Active reading is actually quite easy, though it may be a bit more time consuming until it becomes a habit.

If you don't like writing in books, or you are reading digital files, you may want to pick up a notebook. It doesn't have to be anything special. Pick a style and size that is comfortable to you. I like spiral notebooks that are roughly 5"x6" as it fits into by purse, but it still has a good amount of writing space per page. If you read multiple books at a time in different places you might want separate notebooks so you can keep one with each book.

How do you keep up with your reading notes?

Even if you do annotate in the margins, you will still want something with more writing space to record longer thoughts than can fit in the margins. This may be a notebook or index cards or just a notepad.

Now that you have the tools for active reading, start reading! With each paragraph read, record your observations.

"Many observations, particularly at the beginning, are assimilative; that is, they do little more than record details about the action. But as the story progresses, the comments reflect conclusions about the story's meaning. Toward the end, the comments are full rather than minimal; they result not only from first responses, but also from considered thought."  pg. 3 Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (fifth edition).


So don't be afraid of just making simple notes at first. These notes may serve you well when trying to recall details about particular characters or settings. As you get deeper into the story you may start making better connections to what came before and understand more character motives and relationships. It may also draw you the author's subtle uses of language and writing style to convey a deeper story.

As I mentioned, I've read "The Necklace" before (albeit more than 20 years ago), but in reading through it with the annotation I noticed details I missed. For example, how manipulative the wife is. Or that the husband, who clearly wants his wife to be happy, was looking forward to a vacation without her.

In my textbook, there are a few guidelines for your note-taking:

  1. Observations for basic understanding. This is the who, what, where, what, and how of the story. Also, write down unfamiliar words and things you don't understand about the story. 
  2. Notes on first impressions. As reviewers, we are pretty good at this guideline. It is the emotions the story evokes, what you liked or disliked about the story and characters, etc. Try to explain why you think what you do about the story.
  3. Development of ideas and enlargement of responses. These notes will make your reviews awesome. Dig a little deeper into the story and character motives. Go beyond your first impressions of a character or situation. Also, note literary devices that where used and your thoughts on their effectiveness.


Benefits of active reading

In addition to writing awesome reviews, active reading can also increase your enjoyment of the story by more deeply investing you into it. Just a few of the benefits you might discover when actively reading:

  • A greater appreciation of the characters. I love character driven stories and active reading can connect you more to the characters by revealing characteristics, habits, etc that you may not register or remember in passive reading.
  • A deeper appreciation for the author's writing. By more closely reading the story you will discover nuances that might otherwise have been missed. It is the subtle foreshadowing or a play on words, if not paying close attention are missed, but add a richness to the text.
  • A better appreciation of themes. Themes are not unique to literary fiction.They are present in genre fiction but are often overlooked as we get sucked into the story. Discussing themes is an important component to an awesome review.

Should you always read actively?

When reading for your own pleasure, don't feel like you have to actively read. If the author has done his/her job, you will thoroughly enjoy the story and the "me time".

However, if you are reviewing a book and you want to write the most awesome review, then active reading is the key.


Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour


Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

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