#DIYBookClub – April

Okay, I know, I know, April is almost over. But you can’t blame me, I’ve been a bit…well…busy. I have however picked out and read my #DIYBookClub book for April. This month, the challenge lies in defying everything your mother, grandmother and your eighth grade teacher ever told you…judge a book by its cover.

Love Letters to the DeadWe’re all guilty of this in one way or another. The cover, the title, the name of the author on the front of the book. Maybe you like white space, or big strapping men with rippling ab muscles on the cover, whatever your fancy, this month it is your challenge to go to the bookstore, the library, or flip through your Kindle and just pick a book based by the cover.

There were quite a few choices for me on this one, but I ended up reading Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. I was transfixed by this ethereal-y creepy cover. The colors! The floating writer! The scripted capital font! The little accolade at the top by Steven Chobsky didn’t hurt either.

I enjoyed the overall layout and direction of this book, a young girl grieving the loss of her sister, writing to famous people of the past to tell them her story and get some clarity. A few pages in, I realized I’d read about this book before, so perhaps I was a subconsciously biased in my picking. But I did love the cover and thought I picked it just for that, so you should do the same if you haven’t already!

What are some of your favorite covers? What are you drawn to?

And to get your prepped for next month, start searching for a genre you’ve never read before!

xo stef wade green

 

#DIYBookClub: March

It’s March. The hope of spring is creeping around the corner. And what does spring mean? Spring cleaning! So while you procrastinate cleaning out the garage or taking down your Christmas lights (you know who you are), the March category for the #DIYBookClub is one spring cleaning task you can easily wrap your hands around.

Olive KitteridgeThis month, we’re picking the book that has been at the bottom of your to-read pile for the longest. This can be your physical book pile, your Goodreads list or that book a friend told you to read ten years ago and you never did. In the spirit of cleaning house, I’m choosing a book from the pile next to my bed that never seems to get smaller. This month, I’ll be reading Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. It won a Pulitzer, it’s been made into an HBO miniseries and it’s been collecting dust in my room since 2008. I’m excited to read it and move along to the next dust collector.

2008 may not seem like that long ago for some of your to-read piles. What are you reading and more importantly, how long has it been there?

Please share with us. And for my short thoughts and ratings on the books I’m reading, follow me on Goodreads!

xo stef wade green