Just Bean Bookish

As an English major in college, I wrote a lot of papers. This is the first episode where I revisit some of the papers I wrote for classes, starting with some film analysis from both The Young Victoria and War Horse . I read my papers and discuss the themes I found in these movies.

I discuss Adrienne Brodeur's new release, Little Monsters . I thought this was a very interesting book that was very strong thematically and did a great job of telling the story of family drama and the intricacies that lie within a complicated family dynamic.

This week I talk about how I feel about audiobooks and why they can be a great option for reading. Sometimes you just want a story while still being able to do some other things, and audiobooks really help bring a story to life while relieving some of the pressure put on you to bring the world to life. I also share my thoughts on The Mortal Instruments series after revisiting it for the first time...

This week I met my reading goal for the year! I set a goal for 30 books this year, and I was able to meet that, so I decided to increase my goal. If you are looking for advice on how to set a reading goal or maybe looking for some tips on how to meet the goal you have already set, I share some of the things that helped me achieve my goal.

Autobiographies are not something I typically reach for, but recently I finished two! I have been waiting to read I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy for a while now, as I have heard a lot about it, but I also read Lauren Graham's autobiography, Talking as Fast as I Can . In this episode, I talk about my thoughts on each of these books and the genre in general.

Has anyone ever recommended a book to you that you thought was trash? Everyone has their own opinion on what makes a good book. We talk about how the definition of a good book is so fluid, though there are elements that make books technically good, there is no solid definition of what makes a good book. We also read some reviews that demonstrate the differences in opinion on what books are good.

How do you feel about marking books? In this episode, I discuss annotating books and how it can be the key to understanding the stories we read on a deeper level. I also outline some helpful ideas on how to annotate if it is something you want to try out.

In this episode I spill the beans on The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I cover my thoughts on the first book and whether or not I recommend the series, and I also get into some discussion about the book and questions I have about it. I had a lot of fun recording this episode--might be my favorite one so far!

In this episode I dive into one of my favorite topics: perspective! I talk all about how important perspective is, especially when we read books. I get into some examples of narrators and how their perspectives influence how we view the books we read, as well as providing some thought in answer to the question of whether or not narrators are reliable. Books I mention: Villette by charlotte Bronte...

This week I give you some of my tips on how to become a reader, or how to get back into reading after a time away!

In this episode, I talk about my latest read, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I talk about my thoughts on the book, some of my favorite scenes, and what I thought about the movie.

This episode covers some of my top tips for understanding classic literature, whether you are reading for class or just for fun! Classic literature is not always so easy to understand, but there are some tricks you can use to get more out of these books and appreciate them. I also go over a few of my tips for annotating books and how that can be helpful in your journey of understanding classics.

I talk about some of the books I was assigned to read for class that I ended up loving! Or at least learned to appreciate on a deeper level. The books I cover are listed below: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter...

I discuss my thoughts on my most recent read, The Royal We .

In this episode, I let you know a little about me and my reading history, as well as where to find me on social media!