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Reading Eggs is a multi-award winning early learning resource and app that was developed by expert educators with over 30 years of experience. Put together by a team of elementary school teachers, writers and developers, Reading Eggs helps children become fluent and proficient readers. Tailored to each child’s need, Reading Eggs is designed to be easy to follow, self-paced and highly engaging for children between the ages of 2-13. Incorporating Reading Eggs at home means children will gain confidence where they feel safe, laying the building blocks for long-term reading and academic success....

Obviously Harry Potter makes this list, and even other well-known powerhouses like Looking for Alaska use this boarding school setting well, but I’ve tried to compile recent and lesser-known must-read books set in boarding schools. May we all dream of one day being accepted to the boarding school of our dreams. Books are sorted into subcategories, though some may cross over into multiple of the following groups. Synopses come from Goodreads....

In making this list, I’ve highlighted as many #ownvoices authors as possible. There’s a misconception that the only people who write m/m romance are straight women, and while it’s true that some of the biggest names in gay romance are straight women, there are also dozens of queer men writing fantastic gay romance. But because of the biases and shortcomings of publishing (and a slew of other complicated factors), it’s straight women who often get the most recognition in the genre....

The inspiration for this post, as well as a number of the ideas, come from a series of similar posts I did a few years back. These offered seasonal reading activities (summer, fall, winter, spring) which were easy to make a season from or to pick and choose items from to expand one’s reading life. This year, I offer 52 tasks — some small and some a little larger — to enrich, grow, and invigorate your reading life....

But if you’ve run out of his books to read, don’t panic! These six sci-fi books are perfect for fans of Douglas Adams. Whether you love Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency or are pining for more of the Hitchhiker’s Guide five-part trilogy, these are sure to offer laughs and intergalactic adventures in spades. Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente I discovered this novel at a bookstore where it was described as “if Douglas Adams and David Bowie got drunk and wrote a book together” and have been enamored with it ever since....

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert While I did thoroughly enjoy Elizabeth Gilbert’s infamous novel Eat, Pray, Love, I was skeptical of an inspirational book written about creative living by this same author. But I was very pleasantly surprised. This book isn’t just about writing, but as she is a writer, a lot of the advice and stories surround the writing world. But what this book does is so much more than give you rote advice on how to be a better writer; its intent is to inspire everyone to live a creative life....

Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. It should be simple to find the perfect wife, and he is determined to have Lady Cassandra Ravenel. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love, and has no interest living in the fast-paced world of a ruthless man who always plays to win. When a newfound enemy nearly destroys Cassandra’s reputation, Severin seizes the opportunity he’s been waiting for....

HOLIDAYS ARE HAPPIER WITH AUDIOBOOKS. Make your holiday travels, errands, cooking sessions, and all the rest more enjoyable by listening to an audiobook. From bestsellers, to thrillers, to self-care, you can find the perfect listen for any moment. Give yourself the gift of audio this holiday season. Poetry is at its best when it’s read aloud, and if you can’t make it along to a poetry slam, poetry audiobooks are a great way to discover new poets, or hear your old favourites in new ways....

Although my interest in Monroe has already led me to read several books about her, I also know that there are several Marilyn books and biographies that have been deemed suspect and/or untrustworthy over the years—merely more people looking to profit from Monroe’s beauty and talent, even in death. (Norman Mailer’s posthumous biography, Marilyn: A Biography, was especially controversial, alleging that she was murdered by the FBI and CIA for her secret affair with Robert Kennedy....

The Labyrinth’s Archivist by Day Al-Mohamed This SFF novella is a murder mystery featuring a blind queer protagonist of color. Azulea’s mother is the Head Archivist on a diverse but inaccessible, ableist planet that relies on libraries and trade. Azulea has a phenomenal memory, but some relatives think that her blindness might prevent her from being a librarian. Her grandmother believes in her unconditionally. This slim, fast-paced book depicts a fantasy world and culture and shows how Azulea navigates her environment and relationships, and how interdependence is important....

The connection between the song and the television show—about a genius who makes magician tricks and solves locked room murders—made me think about other mysteries, preferably murder mysteries, that have music as a part of it. Here’s a list of six mysteries books/series that have classical music as their central theme. Want more musical mysteries? Here’s 7 independent horror, mystery, and crime novels for music lovers or 10 Best Books about Musicians....

I watched it. Holy crap. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am so there. Hua Mulan, of course, isn’t the only legendary lady to pick up a sword. Some, like her, may have been real people about whom multiple stories were told over time, combined and recombined; some are historical figures to whom legends were later attached; still others have left behind detailed, verifiable biographies and memoirs. Other women ruled kingdoms and empires as successfully, or more so, than their male counterparts, though we rarely learn about them in either world history nor even more specialized college and graduate school history courses unless we seek them out specifically....

The neighbor who miraculously recovered from an illness doctors were sure would take her life. Knowing you’re in love with someone from just a glance. Escaping between the pages of a book, your mind tricked into believing you have traveled to a faraway land. Magical realism is a genre that defies the term genre. The terms “magic” and “real” hardly ever enter the same sentence together, much less in the same term....

And a Few More that Aren’t About Language Learning Although not about language learning in the traditional sense, another memoir that might interest you is Quiara Alegría Hudes’s My Broken Language. Hudes grew up the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and a Jewish father. She writes beautifully about how she learned to see Spanish and English in different ways. I particularly recommend the audio for this as she reads it very well....

Well, yes, in an ideal world. But things aren’t always ideal, and even if they’re pretty good, children, like adults, can use all the support they can get. If a young person in your life needs support, self-help books can be a great resource to help deal with a bump in the road. Whether they’re dealing with self-esteem problems, or the many changes that take place in childhood are getting a bit too much, self-help books can give them some extra advice and support....

“The Little Men” by Megan Abbott (from The Best American Mystery Stories 2016) I’m especially partial to this one since I’m a recent Megan Abbott convert (late the the party, I know!). This short story is about Penny, who has recently moved into her dream home. However, the beautiful cottage seems to be haunted. After hearing strange noises and creepy rumors from her neighbors, Penny begins to wonder about the death that occurred in the home a decade earlier....

April Clarke-Cliveden was the ultimate It girl at Oxford until she was murdered. Years later, just when Hannah Jones and the rest of April’s devoted friends think they can move on, a young journalist presents evidence that the real killer may still be on the loose. Consumed with a desire to uncover the truth, Hannah reconnects with old friends; however, as she delves into the decades-old mystery surrounding April’s death, she realizes that the real murderer may be closer than she thought....

In addition to fiction books about monks, real-life practitioners of the monastic life have offered up their nonfiction insights on everything from living in a cloistered (i.e. closed off) monastery to engaging in social justice work. Many of these writers have used their own experiences to advise those living outside a monastic community how to apply the principles of routine, meditation or prayer, and the embrace of suffering to live a more mindful life in the modern world....

Chinese New Year, also called the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, is celebrated in many Asian and non-Asian countries around the world, including the United States. (To learn more about Chinese New Year, click here.) Last year was the Year of the Dog and I think it was an important one for Asian Americans, or at least a move in the right direction. The movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians was crazy successful, as was the Netflix adaptation of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I Loved Before....

THE WHAT TO EAT WHEN COOKBOOK is packed with recipes made with the best foods for healthier living, disease prevention, better performance, and a longer life. With tasty options for snacks, apps, pasta, sandwiches, chicken, dessert, and everything in between, this cookbook provides a variety of meals to happily extend your life by years. Whether you’re looking to increase longevity, reach peak physical performance, prevent illness, or simply make a change, look no further....