Field Guides
What to read to get in the Thanksgiving mood!
Google “books for Thanksgiving” and it’s easy to find children’s books that explain what Thanksgiving is, the history and traditions of it, etc. That’s great for the kids, but what about the adults? We need good books to read over Thanksgiving too! Who wants to deal with all that travel, family and general craziness that comes with the holidays without a book or two, and what better time to read some Thanksgiving classics!
The books we picked for our Thanksgiving reading recommendations are all set over the Thanksgiving weekend. They are the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit ahead of the…holidays. Or, if your Thanksgiving is as hectic as ours, these books are a great little break from the craziness of the holiday itself.
A family gathers for Thanksgiving, frayed relationships, marital strife and hidden secrets make this a Thanksgiving like no other. In Jennifer’s skillful hands this Thanksgiving tale about family dynamics is a thrilling read that you won’t be able to put down!
This is the fifth in the Livia’s Fresh-Baked Mystery series, but it works well as a standalone and there’s no need to read any of the earlier books in order to understand what is going on. Although, once you’ve read one of Livia’s cosy series, you’ll probably want to go back and read some more! The Pumpkin Muffin Murder is a gentle murder-mystery that’s set over a Thanksgiving weekend. It’s the perfect book to keep you warm as you snuggle under the blankets on a cold November evening.
Yeah, the title does not make this sound like a Thanksgiving book! But that’s because this is a book of three short stories, two of which are set at Christmas and the third at Thanksgiving. The acclaimed author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s brings us a heartwarming tale of Thanksgiving from his boyhood in rural Alabama. Then, after you finish reading the Thanksgiving story, you still have two short stories waiting for you to read when it closer to Christmas!
We’re big fans of Anne, she is so great at creating believable characters in an easy and subtle way that her characters start to become your friends because you simply know them so well. The way she writes is incredibly easy to read, but her stories stick with you for years. A Patchwork Planet is the perfect Thanksgiving pick as it features a potluck Thanksgiving dinner and the drama of a missing turkey.
This is tale of two sisters trying to put aside their differences to try and come together at Thanksgiving. The sisters squabble and hidden pains are slowly revealed at a climatic Thanksgiving dinner.
This is not the traditional setting for a Thanksgiving book, it’s set in a fancy New York restaurant. However the familiar Thanksgiving theme of family coming together and drama ensues. Jay’s writing veers between humor and heartbreak.
This is a classic Thanksgiving tale that, in 1997, was made into a movie starring Sigourney Weaver, a young Elijah Wood and a whole host of other big Hollywood names. Set in 1970s New England, as an ice storm isolates two families over Thanksgiving. Secrets and lies are revealed and uncomfortable truths have unfortunate consequences.
This is actually the third book of a trilogy following our hero, Bascombe. However you don’t need to read the first two books to understand what’s going on here. Yes, this another story of a family coming together for Thanksgiving. Bascombe is spending the vacation with his two ex-wives, the disliked boyfriend of his daughter and his newly diagnosed cancer. However this is also book about the political climate in America in the early Bush years.
Last, but by no means least, is an absolute classic. This is a very short story, only 30 pages long, telling the story of the Basset family’s Thanksgiving. It is heartwarming tale of a loving family simply enjoying spending Thanksgiving together. After all the more modern books on the stress and intrigue of family dynamics, this one is a nice change of pace!
That’s it. Hope you enjoyed our Thanksgiving reading recommendations! More than enough for anyone looking for a little reading escape over the holidays. As always, if you think we missed anything or have a book we should include, reach out to us at admin@bookspry.com or on Twitter.
the bookspry team
Field Guides
Immersing yourself in a book is a brilliant feeling! It can feel like the characters are your friends and you’re living in their world with them. There are times that I genuinely hate coming to the end of a book, because I don’t want the story to ever end, I don’t want to leave this inspiring world behind. But every book has to end, and I find that one of the best ways to cheer myself up is to talk people who feel as strongly as I do.
Reddit is a great way of finding like minded people. It is a massive site, made up of countless subreddits. Each subreddit (or “sub”) is a community, created to bring people together over a certain topic. Now, because reddit is so big, it can be quite challenging to actually find the right subreddits, and it can take time to find the right ones for you. Not to mention it can be a bit daunting trying to use the reddit search engine or understand the “in-speak” of the reddit community.
So, we here at bookspry have curated a list of subreddits that you’re sure to love if you want to be part of a community of readers.
First, there are the obvious book related subreddits, the big ones with the names that are clearly going to be interesting to people who love books. I bring you…
The Big Dogs
/r/Books: ~15,300,000 subscribers
This is a massive subreddit! There’s plenty of activity and all kinds of lively topics of conversation. I would recommend that everyone subscribe to this! The only downside is that, because it is so big, and there are so many people in here, that there is a lack of cohesion. I love that there are so many book lovers in the world, but I’d recommend searching for other, smaller subs that can reflect more specialised interests.
/r/Literature ~385,000 subscribers
This subreddit is about discussing the deeper meaning of certain books. It does tend more towards older books, which is unfortunate but this is still one of the most popular book related subs on reddit and is a great place to dig a little deeper into some classic books.
The Specialists
But there’s a world of other, smaller subreddits that cater to specific book genres that are worth exploring as well. Smaller subs can offer a greater sense of community because you’re talking to the same people and you can really get to know them as you bond over your love of your favorite genre. It also means you know you’re reading comments and recommendations from like minded people, which is really one on the main strengths of reddit in the first place.
/r/Horror Lit ~21,000 subscribers
For those who love to be horrified.
/r/Dystopian Books ~5,000 subscribers
For all your dystopian needs!
/r/Romance Books ~1,500 subscribers
I wish this sub was bigger and more active, but there’s still enough happening here that it’s worth joining. There are weekly discussions about what you are reading, and what your favorite romance tropes are.
/r/Zombie Lit ~200 subscribers
Yes this subreddit is tiny…but I love zombies, so I want to recommend this to everyone!
/r/Short Story A Day ~3,600 subscribers
This is a small but vibrant sub! If you like short classic stories then you should subscribe! Most of the short stories that are recommended are in the public domain and you can access for free. This sub will link you to the right page on Project Gutenberg, which is very handy. Personally, I find these stories can be a little hit or miss. The stories can come from any genre and, as they are mostly public domain, are older. I still think it’s a great way to be introduced to a new book, and worth subbing.
The Bubble Breakers
Instead of just sticking with the genre that you usually read, it’s worth embracing the community aspect of reddit and asking for advice on what you should read next. These following subs are all about fellow redditors recommending books to you:
/r/Suggest me a book ~294,000 subscribers
This is a surprisingly large sub! The premise of this community is that you start a new post, saying what kind of books you’re interested in, or the title of a book you recently read and loved, and asking for other people to suggest another book, that they think you might like. I really love the communal spirit of this sub.
/r/Book Suggestions ~105,000 subscribers
This sub has a similar theme to Suggest Me a Book, but I really like both. Although they are based on the same principle, this sub is less about specifics.When you ask for a book recommendation here you don’t need to say what you’ve recently read. Instead you can be much more relaxed. Perhaps you want to start reading non-fiction books, and you don’t know where to start. Or there’s an historical era that you interested in learning about and you’d like some help getting started.
/r/Book Lists ~12,000 subscribers
Have you ever wanted to really delve into a topic or genre, but you just weren’t sure where to start? You read one book in a genre, and you’re hungry for more but you’re not sure what else is out there? Then this is the sub for you!
This is a surprisingly active sub, with people submitting book lists on all sorts of topics every day. This is a subreddit you have to try if you want to understand the value.
/r/Currently Reading ~4,000 subscribers
This is a smaller subreddit, and it isn’t as active as I think it should be! This is a place for you to talk about the book that you are reading at the moment, and let the world know whether you’re enjoying it, what you think of the story so far.
/r/What to Read When ~2,400 subscribers
This is another smaller, less active sub, but I just love the idea of it so much that I had to put it in here! This is the place where people say what they are going through in their life right now, and ask for book suggestions to help them with their situation. The top post at the moment is from someone saying that they’re at a difficult point in life and want something comforting to read. While I’m sorry that person is going through a rough time, I do love the idea of fellow readers helping each out with book recommendations.
/r/First Page ~2,000 subscribers
Have you ever been really unsure if you should start reading a book? You’re not sure if you should even buy it, and you’re not ready to commit the time and money to reading it. This sub can really help you out. Posters write out the first page of a book, letting you read it and see if you like it. Sure it’s just a small taste, but it’s enough to get a taste of the prose style, and sometimes even enough to hook you. The only downside to this sub is that they don’t have more books on here!
/r/What’s That Book ~16,800subscribers
Have you ever got that feeling, where you can kind of remember the plot of a book, but you don’t remember the name of the book? Or what the characters were called? Or how it ended? But you remember that you enjoyed it, and that you’d kind of like to read it again. Well, then this is the sub you need! Here you can post whatever details you remember and someone is sure to come along and tell you the title of the book. I have to say, it is amazing how often these guys can work out what books people are trying to remember!
Do you want to read more books this year? I know that I do! There are some subreddits that are all about community support and encouragement as we all try and read more books over the course of a year:
/r/52 Book ~28,000 subscribers
This is for anyone who wants to read more! The name of the community is 52 books, but your aim can be higher or lower. It doesn’t matter what books you’re reading. This is a great place to keep you on track with your reading goals.
/r/52 in 52 ~9,000 subscribers
This sounds like it’s related to the previous subreddit, but it is actually quite different. 52 in 52 is a book club, where you can read a particular book every week and then discuss it together at the end of the week. Every week you have a choice of three books, so you’re not forced to read anything you don’t want to.
If you’re an avid reader then you can probably appreciate a good looking book. Here are some subreddits dedicated to the beauty of books.
/r/Book Shelf ~23,400 subscribers
This isn’t about just one beautiful book, it’s about a whole shelf of them! If you’re anything like me then one of the first things you do when you’re at a friend’s house is to look and see what is on their bookshelf. On this sub people post pictures of their bookshelves and I get to look at them.
/r/Book Haul ~9,400 subscribers
This the place where people boast about their recent book purchases! They post pictures of their most recent shopping spree. Is that weird? Maybe, but I love looking to see what books other people have just bought! There’s a vicarious thrill to it that I find addictive, and I think you will too!
/r/Book Collecting ~5,800 subscribers
This is the sub where all aspiring book collectors -wait, isn’t that all of us!?! – can post pictures of the start of their collection. I can’t get enough of these subs that let me see what other people are reading!
There it is! Reddit for book lovers! This list should give you a great starting point for anyone looking to use Reddit to get great book recommendations and reviews, but let us know if you have any questions or think we missed anything!
Until next time. The bookspry team.
Field Guides
Wondering what to read this Halloween? Looking for the spookiest (but also the best) Halloween reading recommendations? As usual, the bookspry team is here to help!
I have to admit, I have a soft spot for horror (and general spooky) fiction. I think it started with Halloween when I was young. Who doesn’t love free candy and getting to dress up as a superhero!?! But it really took off when I read Frankenstein and Dracula in high school. Every year, around Halloween, I always make sure to read something that will give me the creeps. I guess that’s why I was picked to write this year’s Halloween’s reads list!
So…light some candle, put the Ouija board away for a minute and have a look at our recommendations for the best Halloween reads!
bookspry’s best Halloween books of 2018!
Culturally Relevant: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
If you haven’t read this book (and you should) you’ve probably been hearing a lot about it recently due to the new Netflix tv show based on the Hill House universe. Whether or not you’ve seen the show, this book is a must-read for horror fans. The atmosphere, the characters, the classic horror themes. It becomes obvious very quickly why Shirley Jackson is considered one of the great masters of horror literature.
Classic: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
This one might seem obvious, but if you’ve read it, you know why it’s on the list. Aside from the incredible historical context (arguably the first science fiction novel ever written that has spawned uncountable movies, books, comics, etc), it’s a legitimately terrifying story.
It’s also worth remembering that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is in the public domain and is available at one of our favourite free ebook sites, Standard ebooks, for free!
Short stories: Night Shift by Stephen King
Obviously there was going to be some Stephen King on this list and, considering the sheer volume of books King has written, choosing one was always going to be tough. We aren’t saying that this is the best Stephen King book, but if you’re looking for some short, fun, spooky/creepy/gross Halloween stories, this is the book for you. The stories range from silly to sad to creepy to scary but all of them are great for this time of year.
Quick read: I am Legend by Richard Matheson
Don’t have much time to read this Halloween and looking for a quick Halloween read? Give this novella by Richard Matheson a try. Considered to be one of the main influences behind the zombie movie genre, this book is a quick read, but packs enough real human emotion and atmosphere to satisfy the most discerning of horror customers. Don’t worry if you’ve seen the movie, the book is different enough (and better enough) that you should read it anyway.
Modern Classic: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
This book might actually be the scariest on the list. I remember reading this for my book club and there were several members who admitted to skipping through certain sections of the book (Note: I don’t recommend skipping anything, ever!!). It’s an award winning novel that reads as a cross between Shirley Jackson, Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe.
For Kids: Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine
Looking for good Halloween books for kids? Hard to beat the Goosebumps series.
I wanted to include something the family could share, but I have to warn you, the Haunted Mask scared me enough as a kid that I basically consider it a book for adults.
I grew up ordering Goosebumps books through my local Scholastic book fair, and I can’t recommend them enough. They take the stories seriously enough that they can provide some legitimate scares for kids, but are fun enough that you don’t have to worry about.
Halloween is a great time to dip into genres that you usually don’t think to read, and while there are hundreds and hundreds of books you could read this year, if there are any books on this Halloween reading list that you haven’t read yet…you could do a lot worse.
If you have some recommendations for our list, or disagree with some of our books (or just want to say hi!) drop us a line at admin@bookspry.com.
Author Tools, Field Guides, Reviews for Writers
You want to buy a new Kindle…but how do choose the right one for you? What do you need to know when choosing a Kindle in the first place?
If you read like we do, then deciding which e-reader is best for you is no small task. This is something you’re going to be spending a lot of time with; on the bus, in bed, on vacation. You want to make sure it suits your needs. There are a lot of different e-readers out there, and most of them are very good, but for this post we’re going to focus on Kindles only. In the future, we’ll do a write up of all the major e-readers, but in the meantime, if you’ve already decided on buying a Kindle, this is for you!
So, what do you need to know before you choose your Kindle? First of all…
What you (don’t) need to know
The bad news is, whenever you buy any piece of technology, you’ll have to learn to deal with a lot of “specs”. You’ll be bombarded with numbers and acronyms by websites and sales people until you can’t think straight. The good news is, some of these specs can be disregarded immediately without further thought.
We tried to catalogue the features you won’t need to worry about here, so when a salesman says to you “this version has 8GB of memory!” you’ll know you don’t care about that.
So, what can you safely not worry about when buying a Kindle?
Wifi
All e-readers (Kindle included) will boast that it comes with wifi capabilities, but seeing as how that’s been standard equipment for years, that’s a lot like bragging that your car comes with windshield wipers. Every Kindle comes equipped with wifi, don’t worry about this feature or whether the wifi on one kindle is different or better than another.
Storage
Unlike wifi, storage (or memory) does vary from e-reader to e-reader and Kindle to Kindle, but we argue that this is also something you don’t need to spend time thinking about.
The average size of an e-book on Amazon is approximately 2.6MB, and the lowest available storage on a Kindle right now is 4GB. That means that you can fit over 1500 books on the kindle with the least amount of storage. If you need to carry more than 1500 books with you at any given time, you have other things to think about besides which Kindle to buy!
Battery Life
Much like storage, battery life is something that stopped being a problem for most readers a long time ago. E-readers are not power intensive pieces of technology, and even the low end Kindles all have battery life that lasts for weeks at a time. You can bring any fully charged Kindle with you on vacation without worrying about bringing a charger.
Don’t worry about battery life when considering what Kindle to buy.
Waterproof…ness
This one is difficult for us. Having a waterproof e-reader honestly sounds pretty cool. I can see myself sitting in the hot tub, relaxing with my Kindle on vacation, or forgetting my e-reader on the patio before a big rainstorm comes through, or sitting on the edge of a pool with a glass of wine one hand and my e-reader in the other! But, if we’re being honest with ourselves…when was the last time you needed your e-reader to be waterproof? We asked around and haven’t been able to find anyone who lost an e-reader to water damage. Don’t get me wrong, it can happen! Drop your Kindle in the pool and you better hope you have a bag of rice somewhere close by! But when did that last happen to you? How likely is it to happen in the near future?
If you want to read around water a lot, maybe this is something to think about, otherwise, it’s just a fun idea that isn’t all that practical.
What you do need to know
3G
Do you plan on using your Kindle away from wifi for an extended period? If so, you may want to consider getting the 3G option for your e-reader, but otherwise this is an added cost a lot of people don’t need, and considering 3G comes in at an extra $70, it’s not exactly a small cost. Try to think of the last time you were away from wifi and absolutely had to have another book on your device. If you can’t think of one…you probably don’t need this. (Oh, and in a pinch, your phone will give you all the wifi you need.)
Resolution
Most modern e-readers have more than adequate resolution, but this is definitely a place where spending a little money can help. The basic Kindle e-reader has a resolution of 167 ppi while the Paperwhite and the Oasis each have nearly double that amount. If you’re someone who reads a lot, especially for long periods of time, this is a feature you want to pay attention to.
Backlight (built-in lights)
Similar to resolution, this is another feature that can greatly impact your reading experience. If you read in dark places (or you want to) the backlight can save you a lot of headaches. No need for a lamp or external, e-reader mounted light, you can read in any light level if you have a backlight. For those of us who read in bed, this feature becomes critical. Note that this is available on all Kindles except for the base e-reader model. If you decide to choose the non-backlit Kindle, be prepared to buy a case with a built in light for your night time reading.
Do you care about ads?
One of the more…interesting things about Kindles is the “Special Offers” feature. Special Offers are essentially Amazon ads that will display on the lock screen of your Kindle. They aren’t pretty, but they will cost you $20 dollars if you want to remove them. This is not Kindle specific, no matter which Kindle you pick, you’ll need to decide whether or not an ad-free lock screen is worth $20 to you.
Budget
Forgetting add-ons like 3G and Special Offers, Kindles range from $80 to $250, but you’re still really only choosing from three options. The basic Kindle e-reader that retails for $79.99, the Kindle Paperwhite which comes in at $119.99 and the most expensive of the group, the Kindle Oasis at a whopping $249.99.
Most people’s budget will automatically decide whether or not the Kindle Oasis model is even a viable option, but the Kindle e-reader and the Paperwhite are only separated by $40 and that money can make a big difference. It’s necessary to pay attention to the features listed here, as well as what’s important to you, to decide on where to spend your money.
Recommendation
We try to stay away from flat out recommendations at bookspry.com. We don’t want to appear biased, but we also know that everyone is different and has different reasons for choosing different products. What we WILL say, is that the Kindle Paperwhite will be the best bet for a daily reader for most people. It’s slightly more expensive than the Kindle e-reader, but that extra money gets you built-in lighting and better resolution. If you read a lot, these things will become important to you very quickly.
Ready to make your decision? See all current Kindle offers by clicking here.
Read more in our “For Readers” review series here.
