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I can’t get enough of personal essays
I love personal essays. I’m not sure if this is a distinct genre with a definition, or something that I just refer to as “personal essays” in an “I-know-it-when-I-see-it” kind of way. This Writer’s Digest article by Robert Lee Brewer describes a “personal essay” as follows: “the personal essay is a piece of nonfiction writing… Continue reading
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Summer reading plans
I love planning my summer reading. It reminds me of summers spent in and out of my local public library with their summer reading program, eagerly filling out book bingo or tracking the number of pages I read to get a little trinket. My library’s reading program would always have a theme–like the ocean, outer… Continue reading
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5 books for when you need to reset
The internet loves a “reset.” And, frankly, so do I. A minute or an hour–maybe even a morning or afternoon, if we have the luxury of time–to pause, get organized, and take stock of our lives can feel amazing. At the same time, there’s a danger of feeling like we constantly need to be “resetting,”… Continue reading
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Mini Reviews: Nonfiction I’ve been reading lately
When I’m feeling particularly stressed or anxious, I love reading nonfiction. Sometimes fiction can feel like too much of an emotional investment when I’m already overwhelmed. In those moments, I often turn to nonfiction to help ground myself. Focusing on learning new information in print or by audiobook is a welcome distraction that doesn’t feel… Continue reading
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Mini Reviews: Fiction I’ve been reading lately
It’s been a while since I did a round of mini reviews. Here are some brief thoughts about some fiction I’ve been reading lately. The Wilderness by Angela Fluornoy. This novel mainly follows a group of friends from their twenties in the 2000s to 2027, through relationships, careers, marriages, kids, loss, and everything in between.… Continue reading
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2026 reading plans + tbr
One of my favorite things about planning for a new year is setting some reading-related goals and intentions. Here are some of my bookish goals for 2026: In line with my goals, here are some books that I already own that I’d like to read in 2026: Do you have reading goals or plans for… Continue reading
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Best Books I Read in 2025
2025 was a whirlwind of a year. I had lots of personal changes in my life, but somehow managed to squeak in reading 66 books. Out of those books, here are my top 10 (in no particular order). (1) Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. This is one of the coziest, heartfelt books I’ve read in… Continue reading
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Planning my summer reading
Each season comes with its own reading pros and cons, but I think reading in the summer might be my favorite. I love reading outside, bringing books with me on long weekend adventures, and hearing the cicadas outside my open window as I turn the pages. With May nearly in the rearview mirror, it’s time… Continue reading
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Mini Reviews: Productivity, priorities, and gardening
Yet another round up of some eclectic reads. Let’s go! The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing. I loved this book. It’s so many things at once: Laing’s relationship with gardening generally and a garden they recently started tending to; an exploration of the horrific colonial roots of so many famous gardens; a discussion of… Continue reading
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Mini Reviews: Nonfiction about women
2025 has turned out to be quite the year of reading nonfiction for me, which I love. Here are three fantastic nonfiction reads about women (who happen to be writers). Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley is a comprehensive, thoughtful biography of, dare I say, one of the best known and loved… Continue reading
About ME //
i’m holly — former english major, current twenty-something book lover, allergic to nuts. drop me a line at nutfreenerd@gmail.com or on instagram.
nut free nerd 