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Book Picks and Pics is your expert source for book reviews, photography tips, travel scenes, and creative inspiration.
Latest Posts
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
★★★☆☆ Yours Truly was my first read by contemporary romance writer Abby Jimenez. Featuring lovable characters, this novel was an endearing story about embracing the messiness of life.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
★★★★★ I was familiar with Ina Garten from watching a few episodes of Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network with my mom. While I found her show pleasant, I wouldn’t have called myself a huge fan. After listening to Be Ready When the Luck Happens, I’m officially a fan.
Other Birds by Sarah Allen
★★★★☆ I was introduced Other Birds, Sarah Addison Allen’s quirky, magical realist novel, through my book club, which reads books by women authors and/or that
Photo Tips
How to Level Up Your Photography Skills
Three and a half years ago, I rediscovered my love for photography while standing in a Panera parking lot, watching an amazing sunset unfold. Since then, landscape photography has become
Creativity When Everything Isn’t Coming Up Roses
It’s unavoidable – some days or weeks are harder than others. Despite our best efforts, things just don’t turn out the way we want. I recently had a week that
Indie Reviews
Fire at Her Fingertips by Rebecca Crunden
★★★★☆ Written in the second person, Fire at Her Fingertips is about a young woman who lives with daily rejection by her family. She has nothing, not even a birthday, to call her own. Nothing, except the flames at her fingertips, that is.
The Io Project by J.E. Clarkson
★★★★★ Callie Sullivan headlines The Io Project, a new sci-fi series by J.E. Clarkson. In book one, Sullivan accepts the opportunity to work with the renowned Horatio Brookes, an inventor and philanthropist, on an environmental project after climate change starts having an accelerated impact.
Secrets They Never Told by Kayla Hicks
★★★★☆ Secrets They Never Told by Kayla Hicks is a heartwarming story about 18 year old Sadi who is preparing for a new stage in her life after the tragic death of her parents.
Sadi is a lovable character – you can’t help but to want her to find peace and happiness. Her best friend, Parker, is also an endearing character. Everyone needs someone like him in their lives.
Dystopian Reviews
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
★★★☆☆ A post-apocalyptic story set in a world ravaged by a catastrophic flu pandemic, The Dog Stars follows Hig, a survivor living in a small, remote airplane hangar with Jasper, his loyal dog, and Bangley, a gruff, violent man he befriends. After hearing a voice on the radio of his 1956 Cessna and enduring a fresh tragedy, Hig takes off to discover what exists beyond his current meager reality.
The Io Project by J.E. Clarkson
★★★★★ Callie Sullivan headlines The Io Project, a new sci-fi series by J.E. Clarkson. In book one, Sullivan accepts the opportunity to work with the renowned Horatio Brookes, an inventor and philanthropist, on an environmental project after climate change starts having an accelerated impact.
The Guidal: Unearthing Secrets by Roxy Eloise
★★★★☆ The Guidal: Unearthing Secrets is the second book in Roxy Eloise’s dystopian series, which she began publishing after landing a contract in a Twitter pitch event.
In The Guidal, we return to Boulderfell Institute, where Aurora makes a shocking discovery.
Travel Scene
The Art and Architecture of Quebec City
My family took our first trip to Canada this summer, where we spent time in Quebec City, Quebec, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Quebec City was our first stop, where we
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
This summer, my family took a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. When planning the itinerary for our stay, one of my must-sees in the area was Peggy’s Cove, which is
Science Fiction Reviews
The Io Project by J.E. Clarkson
★★★★★ Callie Sullivan headlines The Io Project, a new sci-fi series by J.E. Clarkson. In book one, Sullivan accepts the opportunity to work with the renowned Horatio Brookes, an inventor and philanthropist, on an environmental project after climate change starts having an accelerated impact.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
★★★★★ I was browsing a bookstore while vacationing in Canada when I ran across Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. I had previously read Station Eleven by her, and though it was well-written, it wasn’t my favorite. Sea of Tranquility was different.
The Day After Never by Nathan Van Coops
★★★☆☆ The Day After Never is book three in Nathan Van Coops’ time-traveling series. I loved In Times Like These, the first book in the series and, while I didn’t like The Chronothon (Book 2) quite as much, its Amazing Race-style plot and pacing held my attention.
Mental Health Reviews
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You
★★★★☆ Elaine Aron is a leading expert on highly sensitive persons (HSPs) and her book is an excellent resource for understanding more about sensitivity, a trait that’s often misunderstood, and for providing strategies on how HSPs can use their sensitive natures to thrive.
How to Know a Person by David Brooks
★★★★☆ There’s a loneliness epidemic in America, and it’s having devastating consequences. I see the tragic impact that feeling isolated and misunderstood is having on college students in my daily work on a college campus.
I thought How to Know a Person might give me some insight into how I could take steps in my own life to address this societal health crisis.
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
★★★☆☆ I was reminded of Stolen Focus when admiring an artist friend’s ability to focus deeply while creating. This skill is increasingly rare in a society that has conditioned us all to believe we have to constantly multitask in order to be successful, valuable, or productive.