All posts tagged: Books

6 Books That Will Strengthen Your Mindset and Character

6 Books That Will Strengthen Your Mindset and Character

Published by Jenni Sidey

Great character is not built in comfort. It is built in moments of discipline, reflection, failure, recovery, and growth. The right book can do more than entertain you—it can challenge your habits, sharpen your perspective, and push you to become tougher, wiser, and more intentional. Whether you want more confidence, stronger self-control, strengthen your mindset, or a healthier attitude toward adversity, these six books can help. And if you enjoy balancing serious self-improvement with a little entertainment, Perya Games on gzone is a fun reminder that focus, strategy, and enjoyment can coexist. The best mindset books do not simply motivate you for a day. They reshape how you think for years. Just as consistency improves performance in Perya Games on gzone, consistency in reading and applying lessons can transform your daily life. If you have ever struggled to stay disciplined, this is the first book to read. Atomic Habits explains that success is rarely the result of one dramatic breakthrough. More often, it comes from small actions repeated over time. James Clear makes a powerful …

Must-Read Books About African American Food

Must-Read Books About African American Food

Published by Jenni Sidey

A comprehensive education on American culinary traditions has to include African American foodways. Needless to say, there is no one culture that defines American cuisine. From the crops grown by Indigenous peoples to the ingredients brought to the U.S. by immigrants seeking a taste of home, the library of American recipes is contained in a melting pot. But, today, I’m focusing on three excellent books about African American food and foodways, including my current read, which I’ve been meaning to get to ever since watching its Netflix series adaptation. More than cookbooks, High on the Hog by Jessica B. Harris, The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis, and Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson tell the stories of the foods, traditions, and recipes that arrived with enslaved Africans, sustained the generations that followed, and became an indelible part of American cuisine. High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey From Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris If you love deeply insightful and heartfelt food documentaries, I hope you watched the Netflix adaptation …

5 Marvelous Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Starring Older Characters

5 Marvelous Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Starring Older Characters

Published by Jenni Sidey

Why should kids get all the fun? Older characters in novels of all genres are having their time in the sun right now. (Hope they’re wearing a wide-brimmed hat.) But excellent oldsters have always been prevalent in books, including the five awesome novels below, which even feature a few kicking butt! Which reminds me of my favorite older character in SFF: octogenarian and former superspy Edie Banister, from Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway. But I mention that novel all the time, so think of it as a bonus recommendation! The Wanderers by Meg Howrey The three main characters of Howrey’s third novel are training to be the crew of the first-ever mission to Mars. But first, they must spend seventeen months in a simulation of their mission, which puts a strain on them all. And if they start cracking under the pressure of a replication of the long journey, how will they ever take the actual trip? Burning Roses by S. L. Huang This fairy tale novella features Red Riding Hood and the Archer, who have …

The Best Sci-Fi Books of the 21st Century are Very Queer

The Best Sci-Fi Books of the 21st Century are Very Queer

Published by Jenni Sidey

Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa Osunde (Queer Fiction) (Paperback release) The New People by Andrea Uptmor (Lesbian Fiction) While The World Slept by Ewa Gerald Onyebuchi (Queer Short Stories) American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera (M/M Romance) (Reissue) American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera (M/M Romance) (Reissue) Home Court Advantage by Kimani Mae (F/F Sports Romance) Dooneen by Keith Ridgway (Queer Speculative Fiction) The Wife Comes First: Qi Wei Shang (Novel) Vol. 3 by Lv Ye Qian He (M/M Historical Fantasy Romance) Lord of the Wood by E.M. Anderson (M/M Cozy Horror/Fantasy) A Fate Worse Than Drowning by Sarah L. Hawthorn (Queer Horror) The Flayed Man by Chloe Lauter (Sapphic Horror) I Do Not Apologize for My Position On Men by Rae Wilde (Sapphic Horror) (Reprint) Null Entity (Volatile Memory #2) by Seth Haddon (Sapphic, Trans Woman Science Fiction) Take it to Your Grave by Louangie Bou-Montes (Queer Guy YA Horror) Funerals are for the Living by Sami Ellis (Sapphic YA Horror) Smells Like Green Spirit by Saburo Nagai (M/M YA Horror) Spindlewood by Freddie Kölsch (Sapphic Middle …

6 of the Most Chaotic Meet Cutes in Romance Books

6 of the Most Chaotic Meet Cutes in Romance Books

Published by Jenni Sidey

Frayed Pages x Wattpad Books After being dumped by their partners at the same restaurant on the same night, Bri and Liem bond over cocktails, bad luck, and the kind of chemistry they definitely weren’t expecting. What starts as a pact to help each other move on quickly turns into late-night conversations, undeniable attraction, and feelings neither of them saw coming. But as their connection deepens, they’ll have to decide if they’re ready to risk their hearts again—or if one more heartbreak is a chance they’re not willing to take. Raise your hand if you love a meet cute in romance novels! The adorable trope where two characters have a cute, unexpected encounter is a classic of the genre, and it has been going on for a long time. (“So there I was, rolled up in a rug.”—Cleopatra.) For example, one character goes to adopt a puppy and falls for another character who is there to also choose a puppy. Awwwww. But sometimes, meet cutes can get a little chaotic, with unexpected sparks arising from …

Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Books

Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Books

Published by Jenni Sidey

Matthew Medney is the author of Existence Equation: What is the Price of Humanity?, out now from Gungnir. Below, he recommends three thought-provoking science fiction novels. Leaving you stunned… thinking about what could be… dreaming of a fundamental change to reality… These are the feelings that all great science fiction should leave you with. Wanting more, wanting something to dream about, something to discuss. Science fiction has always been at the forefront of discovery: wild science fiction plots that, when published, seemed out of the realm of possibility, only to become more realistic with each passing day. Today, we are looking at an AI revolution and reigniting exploration to the moon and beyond. These are the areas of interest that sci-fi has been talking about for over 100 years, becoming reality.    Science fiction pulls from what could be and dreams of what can be. My three must-read books that any lover of the future should devour are:   Swords and Spaceships Sign up to Swords and Spaceships to receive news and recommendations from the world of science fiction …

From fidget bags to sticker books: readers’ hard-won hacks for travelling with kids | Family holidays

From fidget bags to sticker books: readers’ hard-won hacks for travelling with kids | Family holidays

Published by Sam Flores

If there’s one thing worse than a long journey, it’s a long journey with bored, fractious children. So what helps smooth things along? We asked for your best, tried-and-tested hacks for travelling with kids, from “fidget bags” to lollipops. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. On a long car trip from the UK to France with his kids, reader Tim Leadbeater attached small plastic baskets with string around the pillars of the front headrest: “They held everything from felt tips to half-eaten food, not only preventing stains on covers but also keeping everything reachable for kids in car seats.” Likewise, Deborah Berzins used to make what she calls a “fidget bag full of little characters, a toy snake, a stretchy man toy, and finger puppets”, which only came out on car journeys so the novelty didn’t wear off. Another trick suggested by reader Kate is to wrap small, individual toys in old wrapping paper: “Even the oldest crayon, book or tiny Lego …

A Heist Novel, a New Miss Marple, Fall’s Biggest Books + More!

A Heist Novel, a New Miss Marple, Fall’s Biggest Books + More!

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s time for the latest happenings in the world of mystery and thriller books. You know I’ve got you covered with adaptation news, but there’s also a new Miss Marple audiobook, a list of big fall books to know, an awesome cover reveal, and a chat about a new heist novel. Dan Brown’s The Secret Of Secrets may have found a new Langdon Netflix is adapting Dan Brown’s latest Robert Langdon book, The Secret of Secrets, into a series, and Deadline has reported that Tom Hanks will be passing the acting baton on to Morgan Spector. Toni Collette as Miss Marple Audible Original’s full-cast adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Murder At The Vicarage will have Toni Collette as the voice of Miss Marple. While you wait for the August 13th release, you can check out the rest of the cast, which includes alums from Game of Thrones, Normal People, Silo, and Ghosts. The Biggest Books of Fall 2026 Barnes & Noble rounded up fiction books coming out this fall. As you can imagine, there are …

9+ Great Books by Librarians

9+ Great Books by Librarians

Published by Jenni Sidey

I started my career as a librarian, and while I’ve been working as an editor now for longer than I worked as a librarian, the things I learned while working in the library have informed so much of my career and life. I published my first book while working in libraries, and it was a book written for librarians. But when I stepped out from behind the reference desk, it was my experience and depth of knowledge of the books that did–and did not–exist that helped me think about the kinds of books I wanted to write for teens in the future. My three anthologies, Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health, and Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy, were all published when I was out of libraries. All three were deeply informed by that library work, though. I’m far from alone. While the average reader may be surprised to learn that some of their favorite authors were or are …

Whimsical Wordless Picture Books

Whimsical Wordless Picture Books

Published by Jenni Sidey

Picture books make for a truly special reading experience as they can be shared with the little ones in your life. Wordless picture books offer an even more unique reading experience as the storytelling can become collaborative. You don’t have to know how to read to tell the stories, so this can be a fun feature for the kiddos you share them with. As my son has been learning how to read, wordless picture books have given him a chance to read books to me too. These books are more interpretative as well, as we each may make different meaning from the illustrations, or notice details the other might not have. Whenever my son and I pick out a wordless picture book to read with each other, I love how the storytelling becomes something we do together. The art of wordless picture books is often exceptional as well, as it’s the primary focus of the tale. The author takes on the challenge of ensuring the illustrations can fully communicate the story they wish to tell. …