Between the Pages

     Labyrinth Books is a book-antiquarian's (ME - or I want to be...) dream. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this small storefront has LOTS to offer. Upstairs boasts books and books and books from beautiful editions of classics to new releases to philosophy textbooks (as it is the textbook supplier for Princeton University).       Downstairs is where the magic happens (that sounds sketchy, but it is the opposite lol). Downstairs is the home of all of the antique editions. I did not have quite the budget to buy what I reeeeeeallly wanted. *Brace yourselves* Labyrinth Books had a 1941 copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon . I was drooling, but I got some "upstairs" books and a bag, as I am a student (this hopefully implied that I did not have the money to buy a timeless classic - YET.) Please enjoy these across-the-street pictures of Labyrinth. 

     I had the immense pleasure and opportunity of visiting  Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington DC. I have been waiting to go for years now. I have watched events, done research, and followed the bookstore on social media in anticipation of this day. It finally arrived on March 17, 2021.       Politics and Prose Bookstore has a couple of different locations. I visited the storefront on Columbia Avenue in Washington DC near Georgetown. P&P's iconic and delightful bright green awning welcomed me into the surprisingly large store. The main floor is taken up by, expectedly, new releases and adult fiction, but the niche DC/political (duh) focus is more charming. The section labeled "Beautiful Books" was a welcome surprise, as I have never seen this section at any other bookstore (and I count myself somewhat of a connoisseur).       I bought a Politics and Prose Bookstore canvas bag (I collect these bags from bookstores ...

SUMMARY Jamie Watson. An accidental rugby star. Attractive, British high-schooler. A new student at a scenic Connecticut boarding school. The same school becomes the site of a series of crimes. Enter the dynamic, crime-solving duo - Holmes and Watson. But not Sherlock and John. Charlotte and Jamie.  Jamie Watson has always been fascinated by Charlotte Holmes. Their great-great-great grandfathers being part of the famous duo, Jamie has always hoped to recreate and rekindle the crime-solving spirit; however, Charlotte has other ideas. Charlotte Holmes doesn't need help. No vulnerability. No failure. Don't fathom weakness. Don't fathom emotion. But when Jamie Watson starts to get her to open up, what will she do? She's always been good at solving crimes because of her ability to shut down all other parts of her brain besides the analytical part. Now...she might need to listen to her...heart? Has she ever used her heart? Once...that won't happen again. Her heart...that...

SUMMARY      Kya Clark, the "Marsh Girl", doesn't need anyone's help. Kya was abandoned by her mother at a young age along with all of her siblings one by one, leaving her with her alcoholic, abusive father. After her father leaves, Kya is never surprised at one person or another leaving her life, the Marsh Girl lives off of supplies from a near-by fishing store. Kya Clark's name is whispered in hushed tones while city moms spread rumors and town boys make up stories about her "exotic beauty".  Barefoot, wild, and unconventionally beautiful. Kya Clark is a born naturalist, as she collects species from her swamp. Drawn to two young men from town, two drastically different boys, Kya begins to learn what it means to be cared for and loved, but she also learns what it means to be taken advantage of (to put it euphemistically).  The Marsh Girl isn't seriously spoken of until 1969 when Chase Andrews is found dead in Kya's swamp. REVIEW     Kya Clark...

All committed readers (or individuals dedicated to any craft) have facets of books and the way others read/treat their volumes that bother them. I consider myself a very specific and detail-oriented person. I think that is why I have so many book-related pet peeves.  First, the definition of a "pet peeve" as defined by Merriam-Webster: Here is a series of statements that sum up my book-related pet peeves that I am aware of . I am sure I will discover more as I get older.  A special edition or sale-announcing sticker right on the front of a book or across the synopsis that is impossible to peel off even with the longest nail in the world is a deed of evil that cannot be undone.  The reading interrupter said by the close family member or a complete stranger that is, "WHAAAAAT R U REEEEADIN' ?" is just a shrill sound that takes me out of my sweet reading trance. I always just show the cover by placing the book in front of my face as to block out their voice from my...