We say it every year, “I can’t believe the holidays are here.” Although it seems like we were just making it through the summer, once it the temperatures start dropping and the sun is setting around 4PM, we have the general desire to cocoon or hibernate. For many, finding ways around SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) […]
Not Your Average Page Turners: 5 Great Books You May Have Missed
Written by Gabrielle Collantes Tuesdays in the literary world are particularly special since it’s considered a “book’s birthday.” In other words, it’s when a book is introduced to the shelves. A momentous time for any respective author, with the hopes to make it onto any of the countless “Top Seller’s Lists,” to be featured on […]
LGBTQ+ Literature: 5 books by queer authors to read this year
Written by Gabrielle Collantes As most of us know, June is Pride Month and with that comes the annual surge of rainbow flags, historic highlights, parades, and numerous companies changing their logos in support of the LGBTQ+ community. I’m fortunate to have lived and worked in the #1 most diverse city in the country; my “gaydar” at one point was well refined. Thankfully, my alma mater […]
Being a Basic Broad with Books
Written by Gabrielle Collantes Reading is a deeply personal experience, often times when people ask me for book recommendations it’s based off my preferences and in turn I ask, “What are you into?” There’s a 50/50 chance they’ll enjoy it – different strokes for different folks. But oftentimes, we don’t give enough thought into the […]
5 books for people who love random facts
Ever since I was younger, I always enjoyed walking through Barnes & Noble to find books with trivia, random facts, and hypothetical situations. One of my favorite trivia books growing up was actually The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty by Joy Masoff, completely filled with gross facts about snot, maggots, pus, and more. Definitely weird, but […]
5 books to read during the quarantine, written by women of color
It comes as no surprise that the publishing industry is dominated by white writers. Women of color rarely win awards for their writing, and there’s hardly diverse representation in children’s book characters. Even when it comes to publishing, the field is still predominantly White. As someone who’s appreciated seeing my own cultures and other marginalized […]
Celebrate National Read Across America Day
If you don’t know, National Read Across America Day is celebrated on Dr. Seuss’ birthday as a way to encourage children across the country to be enthusiastic about reading. It’s a day to celebrate reading and, more importantly, to get children excited about reading every day of the year. I’ve always loved reading, thanks to […]
Bayonne Vendor Fair at Lot 13
Lot 13, a rock and roll Bayonne bar, held a vendor fair for artists, bakers, and authors on July 30th. Although every pastry I saw was calling my name, I was there to support a local self-employed author of her first book – Captive Rebel by Erin McDermott. I met Erin at Bayonne High School during […]
JC Free Books
Jersey City Free Books certainly lives up to its name. “Free means you don’t pay,” says Anthony Olszewski, the organization’s founder and life-long Jersey City Heights resident. Located at 297 Griffith St, Jersey City Free Books has been in operation for nearly 10 years. Olszewski, an avid reader and writer (check out his other projects […]
Jersey City Free Public Library’s Summer Reading Program
Registration for the Jersey City Free Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is now open! From June 19 to August 11, children (grades K-5) and young adults (grades 6 and up) can enjoy weekday daytime programs at the Library for free. Anyone interested in registering can do so in person at the Main Library, the Bookmobile, their […]
Bryan Cranston Book Tour Recap
Bryan Cranston, of Breaking Bad fame, released his memoir A Life in Parts, a meditation on creativity, devotion and craft. For the very first stop on his book tour, he visited the historic Loew’s Jersey Theater for a book talk hosted by TV critic Alan Sepinwall. Cranston read from his book, took questions from the audience, and opened up […]
Top Ten Things to do This Weekend in Jersey City
Do you feel that chill down your spine? Have you seen the leaves flutter past you in the blink of an eye? That’s right, summer has come and gone. As the clouds glaze the sky in darkness, the ghouls are coming out to play. This week’s list will give you a little snippet to prepare […]
JC Reads
Jersey City is such a fascinating place. Having grown up and lived my entire life here, I have to admit that Jersey City is now at its best. I don’t think I could picture myself having a suburban lifestyle as a kid because it was so vibrant in our society. Even today, you meet people […]