Books To Read

Are you an avid reader constantly looking for books to read? Are you someone who reads every now again and looking for something new? This is the blog to follow. We share both known and unknown books, commerical and independent. Check out this page for Books to Read.

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Welcome to the 5th Spring Issue of ReaderZeen. We’re excited to celebrate another year of sharing stories and creativity with our readers.

In this issue, you’ll find two author interviews—“Hats, Heart, and the Magic of Sharing” with Laura Slawson and “From Recess Writer to Community Builder” with Jacque Aye. We’re also featuring a short story about a girl who enters a mysterious world and must solve five riddles to find her way home.

You’ll also enjoy our regular features, including the Memes Page, Write a Story, and What’s That Book?, along with a look back at the very first Spring issue of ReaderZeen.

We are always looking for writers and authors to feature. To learn more, visit bookstoreadbtr.weebly.com.

Happy Reading!

ReaderZeen Spring 2026

Welcome to the 5th Spring Issue of ReaderZeen. We’re excited to celebrate another year of sharing stories and creativity with our readers.

[bookstoreadbtr]

Ann Petry wrote with fire and precision—exposing injustice, illuminating community, and redefining what the American novel could be. Her legacy still hits hard.

#AnnPetry #LiteraryIcon #BlackAuthors #BookHistory #EssentialReads

[readingromancehea]

Goodreads

Books I absolutely love but the Goodreads ratings don’t match how I feel

[brettesims]

Blue Feelz

(From my Love Poetry Book: Cultivate the Garden Within)

7.30.23

As I write this, I sit in stillness.

The sort stillness of summer under an almost risen Blue moon.

Blue bliss.

My dog’s rolling on her back in joy in the surrounding field of grass and daisies.

In my summer dress. Feeling my best.

A cool breeze flows up its weightless fabric.

Today my heart is full.

I hope it continues this way

But those kind of worries are outside of the present moment of which I abide.

Calm. Soft. Smooth.

The summer air comforts me like your love.

Here and Now.

This eternal now is all we have

That’s something to be thankful for.

So, I thrive in joy, in nature, in love, in abundance, in freedom.

Dreams over drama that’s how I flow.

Dipped my toes in the creek awhile ago.

Chucking a tennis ball back and forth to this happy dog

As her tail sways left to right in the quickly fading sunlight.

It was too hot earlier, I’m glad we explored the night.

Summer time nights remind me of so much delight

Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.

A clear mind. A beautiful mind. A divine mind.

In this moment I’d rather be no one else.

I’m just at peace.

It’s taken me years to achieve this level of calm and peace.

Everyday flowing through life with more ease.

You see, I find no point to the struggle.

I try not to romanticize any struggle while living out the truth of my journey.

Ease is a birthright my ancestors were never granted

So - in my case joy is a part of the resistance.

As I sit in this flower filled field any lingering past thoughts melt away.

For in the here and now there are no struggles.

I hear a crow yelling behind me.

Observe.

Signs are everywhere and crows represent magic and creativity.

Magic is all around me.

I’m glad I found me.

I’m glad we found we.

Flowers grew out the foundational concrete “they” tried to crush.

For, there is no rush, when it’s not in lust.

Find me in the ethers traveling in a Blue dream.

Staring through the stained glass windows of your heart.

I seek beauty and you are that.

I can only love we as much as I love me, so self care remains supreme.

Writing as the sun sets in this immaculately calm energy.

I’ll tell the moon my secrets until you’re ready to listen.

Moon of my life. Blue moon, Blue feelz.

How can this be so blissfully real?

What is this love that loves us?

Enough.

It’s bigger than us.

Welcome to the Garden.

Cultivate the Garden Within is a Love poem and art book with four parts. So far, there have been three major Love chapters in the authors li

[the-forest-library]

May 2026 Reads

Thoughts: Pleased to return to the world of Murderbot. Also really enjoyed The One Hundred Nights of Hero.

Yearly Reading Goal: 125/200

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads | 2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads | 2025 Reads | 2026 Reads

[tracksuits-bookshelf]

My Thoughts on "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore

My second book of the month—a multi-layered mystery—did not disappoint. In fact, I was so utterly engrossed in the plot that I binge-read the entire book in less than 24 hours. It’s exactly the type of atmospheric thriller I wish I could unread, just so I could experience the shock and brilliance of reading it again for the very first time.

Dates read: June 5, 2026 to June 6, 2026

Favorite quote: “Rich people, thought Judy—she thought this then, and she thinks it now—generally become most enraged when they sense they’re about to be held accountable for their wrongs.”

Warning: spoilers ahead.

Reflection: The God of the Woods is far more than a standard, formulaic 'missing child' story; it is a sprawling, character-driven drama spanning the 1950s, 60s, and 70s that unfurls across a wealthy family's wilderness estate and a nearby summer camp. Beneath the propulsive mystery lies a devastating social commentary on class and gender. Moore uses the Van Laar family to expose the suffocating gender dynamics of the era, particularly among the wealthy. Women are treated as accessories or incubators for heirs. When Peter III’s emotional cruelty fractures his wife's mental health, the narrative cleverly highlights how the patriarchy silences women by labeling their genuine trauma as madness. Bear's drowning wasn't just a freak accident—it was the direct, toxic byproduct of a home built on domestic subjugation.

Similarly, the conflict between the Van Laar and the Hewitts represents a brilliant critique of American class structures. For decades, the Van Laar family used their immense wealth to exploit local labor, rewrite local history, and bury their own ugly secrets. In a world where the ultra-wealthy constantly insulate themselves from consequences, it was incredibly cathartic that the Hewitt family, who had suffered exploitation under both Peter II and Peter III, were ultimately the ones to bring the dynasty to justice simply by bringing the truth to light.

What surprised me? The poignant conclusion of the story, where it is revealed that Barbara Van Laar did not meet a tragic fate, but had actually run away to a remote cabin on an island owned by the Hewitts (aided by T.J. Hewitt herself), delivers a profound sense of catharsis. It not only brings immense relief to know that Barbara is safe, but it also provides a beautiful, retroactive sense of closure for her long-lost brother, Bear. Both siblings were, in vastly different ways, victims of the Van Laar empire of privilege. However, where Bear was tragically consumed by it, Barbara was successfully able to break its chains. By taking a framed photograph of her brother with her, she ensures that his memory is finally liberated from their toxic family estate, allowing them both to finally find peace in the wilderness.

Dialogue: Liz Moore does a masterful job showing that the true 'monster' in the woods wasn't a mythical creature or a random predator, but the suffocating entitlement and domestic abuse within the Van Laar household itself. Do you prefer mysteries where there is a clear, traditional antagonist, or do you find stories like this (where the real villain is a toxic social system) to be far more terrifying?

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Orson Scott Card closes the Ender Saga with a haunting, philosophical finale in Children of the Mind—a story of identity, sacrifice, and what it means to be truly human. A quiet, powerful end to a legendary journey.#ChildrenOfTheMind #EnderSaga #SciFiReads #BookTwitter #MustRead

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ReaderZeen Summer 2026

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fu

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fun.

Inside, you’ll find:

Spotlights on De’Kari and Tom Johnson, plus a Bookworm Question to ponder.

A short fantasy tale, The Moss that Leads Home.

Our regular creative pages: Memes, Write a Story, and What’s That Book?

A review of The Poet Empress by Shen Tao.

A curated Summer 2026 Book List featuring 20 new releases.

We’re always looking for writers and authors to feature. If you’d like to contribute to a future issue, visit bookstoreadbtr.weebly.com.

Thank you for reading and for supporting independent storytelling.

[tracksuits-bookshelf]

My Thoughts on "The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder" by David Grann

I'm kicking off June with another gripping work of historical narrative nonfiction. David Grann's The Wager has been anchored on my WTR list for quite some time, and it delivered a masterclass in survival, mutiny, and human nature—once again proving that nonfiction can be just as thrilling as fiction.

Dates read: June 1, 2026 to June 5, 2026

Favorite quote: "Just as people tailor their stories to serve their interests—revising, erasing, embroidering—so do nations. After all the grim and troubling narratives about the Wager disaster, and after all the death and destruction, the empire had finally found its mythic tale of the sea."

Reflections: The story follows the crew of the HMS Wager, a British man-of-war ship that wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia in 1741. What makes Grann’s recounting so gripping isn't just the physical horror of the shipwreck (the scurvy, the starvation, and the unforgiving elements) but the psychological decay that follows. As the traditional naval hierarchy begins to fracture, two opposing sides emerge—those who stayed loyal to Captain David Cheap and the English imperialist cause, versus those following the lead of Royal Navy Gunner John Bulkely, who endeavored to return the survivors of the shipwreck to England.

Grann depicts Cheap as a tyrannical, increasingly unstable figure, ultimately leaving Bulkeley and his faction with no choice but to mutiny, casting the captain and his loyalists aside on what became known as Wager Island. Yet, even after both factions miraculously survived the Patagonia elements and returned to England, the warfare didn't end—it simply moved into a court-martial. In a surprising twist of naval politics, neither side was convicted of wrongdoing, despite the blatant illegalities committed on the island. Personally, I found it impossible not to side with Bulkeley. While Cheap became so blindly wedded to the British imperialist cause that he grew obsessed with maintaining rank—resorting to brutal lashings and even shooting a crew member in the face—Bulkeley was driven by a practical, human motivation: saving as many lives as possible. He recognized that blindly following a captain in a psychological downward spiral would doom them all.

What surprised me? I don't doubt that Grann’s portrayal of the Indigenous peoples who encountered the survivors—namely the Kawésqar and the Chono—was intentionally designed to contrast starkly with the moral bankruptcy of the Wager crew. He depicts them as deeply humane, resourceful, and entirely mastered over an environment that was actively killing the British. Tragically and ironically, the Englishmen continued to assert racial superiority, referring to their literal saviors as 'savages' despite being at their complete mercy. Because of this, I felt a distinct sense of relief when the Kawésqar people recognized the chaotic, corrupt nature of the shipwrecked men and quietly sailed away, leaving them to the consequences of their own devices.

Dialogue: David Grann does an incredible job painting the moral gray areas of this disaster. If you were stranded on that desolate Patagonian island under a captain who was actively unraveling and turning to violence, would you have stayed loyal to the crown's chain of command like Cheap, or would you have joined Bulkeley's mutiny to save your crewmates?

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ReaderZeen Summer 2026

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fu

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fun.

Inside, you’ll find:

Spotlights on De’Kari and Tom Johnson, plus a Bookworm Question to ponder.

A short fantasy tale, The Moss that Leads Home.

Our regular creative pages: Memes, Write a Story, and What’s That Book?

A review of The Poet Empress by Shen Tao.

A curated Summer 2026 Book List featuring 20 new releases.

We’re always looking for writers and authors to feature. If you’d like to contribute to a future issue, visit bookstoreadbtr.weebly.com.

Thank you for reading and for supporting independent storytelling.

[bookstoreadbtr]

ReaderZeen Summer 2026

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fu

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fun.

Inside, you’ll find:

Spotlights on De’Kari and Tom Johnson, plus a Bookworm Question to ponder.

A short fantasy tale, The Moss that Leads Home.

Our regular creative pages: Memes, Write a Story, and What’s That Book?

A review of The Poet Empress by Shen Tao.

A curated Summer 2026 Book List featuring 20 new releases.

We’re always looking for writers and authors to feature. If you’d like to contribute to a future issue, visit bookstoreadbtr.weebly.com.

Thank you for reading and for supporting independent storytelling.

[bookstoreadbtr]

Bookworm confession time:

Have you ever bought a new book… while your unread stack at home was already out of control?

No shame here, we all know books and self-control don’t always get along.

Tell us the last book you “accidentally” bought!

#bookworm #readers #booklovers #readingcommunity #readingcommunity

[authormoniquerockliffe]

Enjoy the #booktrailer for my five-star #vampire #horror #scifi #romance #novel with a HUGE twist on vampire mythology.

Get your #ebook and soft cover at this UBL:

Available now at your favorite digital store!

Avalin, A Vympari Legend by Monique Rockliffe

Or the #audiobook:

‎Avalin A Vympari Legend

‎Fiction · 2025

“Avalin, A Vympari Legend is one of those rare books that reaches into the darkest corners of pain and shame and somehow brings light back to it. Monique Rockliffe delivers a gripping, emotional, and ultimately redemptive tale that had me hooked from the very first page..." - 5* Review Snippet

[booksofdelight]

Best Sci-Fi Books of 2025: 5 Science Fiction Novels You Need to Read Right Now Discover the five best sci-fi books of 2025, from thought-provoking dystopian novels to groundbreaking speculative fiction. These are the science fiction books every reader should add to their TBR....

Best Sci-Fi Books of 2025: 5 Science Fiction Novels You Need to Read Right Now

[bookstoreadbtr]

Welcome to the 5th Spring Issue of ReaderZeen. We’re excited to celebrate another year of sharing stories and creativity with our readers.

In this issue, you’ll find two author interviews—“Hats, Heart, and the Magic of Sharing” with Laura Slawson and “From Recess Writer to Community Builder” with Jacque Aye. We’re also featuring a short story about a girl who enters a mysterious world and must solve five riddles to find her way home.

You’ll also enjoy our regular features, including the Memes Page, Write a Story, and What’s That Book?, along with a look back at the very first Spring issue of ReaderZeen.

We are always looking for writers and authors to feature. To learn more, visit bookstoreadbtr.weebly.com.

Happy Reading!

ReaderZeen Spring 2026

Welcome to the 5th Spring Issue of ReaderZeen. We’re excited to celebrate another year of sharing stories and creativity with our readers.

[bookstoreadbtr]

ReaderZeen Summer 2026

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fu

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fun.

Inside, you’ll find:

Spotlights on De’Kari and Tom Johnson, plus a Bookworm Question to ponder.

A short fantasy tale, The Moss that Leads Home.

Our regular creative pages: Memes, Write a Story, and What’s That Book?

A review of The Poet Empress by Shen Tao.

A curated Summer 2026 Book List featuring 20 new releases.

We’re always looking for writers and authors to feature. If you’d like to contribute to a future issue, visit bookstoreadbtr.weebly.com.

Thank you for reading and for supporting independent storytelling.

[bookstoreadbtr]

ReaderZeen Summer 2026

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fu

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of ReaderZeen. This season’s edition is packed with fresh voices, new stories, and plenty of literary fun.

Inside, you’ll find:

Spotlights on De’Kari and Tom Johnson, plus a Bookworm Question to ponder.

A short fantasy tale, The Moss that Leads Home.

Our regular creative pages: Memes, Write a Story, and What’s That Book?

A review of The Poet Empress by Shen Tao.

A curated Summer 2026 Book List featuring 20 new releases.

We’re always looking for writers and authors to feature. If you’d like to contribute to a future issue, visit bookstoreadbtr.weebly.com.

Thank you for reading and for supporting independent storytelling.