Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

**********

Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older?

When I was younger (teens), I loved reading books with adults in it – to imagine what my life could be. When I was in my twenties, I started reading young adult again maybe because college was such an impactful time of my life and I wanted to recapture all those feelings! Then in my 30’s, I wanted to read about older characters (older meaning 25 and up lol…but have you noticed a lot of books in fantasy have 20 year old heroines?). Now in my late-40’s…I read young adult, new adult, adult…whatever…but I now sometimes I’m craving more older FMCs 30+ but it’s hard to find in fantasy. It’s easier to find them in contemporary romance. So I don’t necessarily want them to be in the same stage of career or relationship as me.

Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life?

Last year I re-read a Sarah Dessen book (she writes young adult books), and I definitely was experiencing it differently. Maybe because I have kids and in a few years (at least my son) he will be a young adult! So…I see it through a mom’s perspective now. But when I read it in my 20’s, I related so hard to these young adult feelings. I kind of want to go back and re-read some books just to see how it makes me feel now so we’ll see if I do.

Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

I do think it does sometimes…one example since she just did her podcast is Sarah J. Maas books. Throne of Glass came out when dystopian was big but I did read it…and I thought it was okay. And I read the next book and next book, but when A Court of Thorns and Roses dropped I was in my mid 30’s – I was hooked right away I think because Feyre just felt older (even though she wasn’t). And I liked her complicated family dynamics, and eventually Nesta’s story will be the one that impacts me the most personally. I don’t know if I would have appreciated ACOTAR if I read it when I was younger.

March 2026 Topics:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day.  In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

**********

Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time?

Definitely YES. A lot of the historical romances I read back in the 90’s was all about a woman needing to find a husband (which is true of the time period they were writing in), but I noticed after decades of reading, the women have just become stronger, more independent – they still want love which is fine but now the women can love women in books (that was hard to find for years in books).

Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men?

I still think in the books I’ve read, ambitious women are portrayed as cut-throat but evil? 😅

Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly?

Yes…still! Maybe we are conditioned to think of them as bad because they are unlikable? I don’t know! I just read a book where the FMC started off funny but then her actions throughout the book drove me crazy because it was immature though she’s an adult. 😅 But that’s how the character is – I guess we can’t like them all. I will say though I love an unlikable character who has a good backstory, something that shaped her character into what is unlikable.

Are girls and women written more complexly in books today?

I think they are written more complex, which is refreshing! Because women are complex.

Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

Here are some of the latest books I read featuring complex, empowered women:

• The Library of Amorlin by. Kalyn Josephson – Kasira is a con-artist who has to make hard choices but she’s motivated by self-preservation. She’s very morally grey to the point I didn’t trust her. But she uses her new powerful role to eventually do the right thing.
• The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao – Wei is a peasant who becomes Empress by enduring abuse.
• Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson – Ethel, a Black woman who helps mixed-raced children find homes; and Sophia who endures a lot at a young age, but is determined to figure out who she is.
• Wicked Onyx – Anamaya’s family is exiled from the magic community and she wants to clear her family name.
• The Sun and the Starmaker by. Rachel Griffin – a young lady is chosen to be the next Starmaker but she learns that she has to sacrifice a lot.

March 2026 Topics:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day.  In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

**********

Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading?

Yes, but not all the time and I feel like I stumbled on this accidentally! Sometimes I would have an e-arc and wouldn’t feel in the mood to read it, but I feel an audiobooks gets the the ball rolling, it “reads” for me, so I request it when it’s available on NetGalley. Sometimes, I start off with the audiobook, switch to the ebook, and so forth…sometimes I do immersive reading with both.

Do you prefer it or is it not for you?

I think it just depends on the mood and if I have time to have the ebook open along with my audiobook. Sometimes I’m doing stuff while listening to my audiobook so I can’t do it.

Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book?

Oh totally! And it helps with strange names I don’t know how to pronounce – hearing the narrator say it is like a light bulb moment. Also, with audiobooks, I don’t catch everything, so immersive reading helps with that.

Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

I think this helps with detailed fantasy stories!

March 2026 Topics:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day.  In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day. 

 In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

**********

Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading?

A few! I grew up in a house with many people, there were like 5 families, it was a multigenerational household. The matriarch of the house was my Aunt Linda, my dad’s sister-in-law, had historical romance paperbacks on a shelf in the living room. I would look at them but was too young to read them, but I was already fascinated with the covers, a woman in a gown, guy with long hair (Fabio?! lol). It definitely made me curious. But I have an older cousin named Vicky, 10 years older than me, and she was from the Philippines, moved to the Big Island, then moved to Oahu and lived with us so she could go to school to become a medical assistant. She had Sweet Valley High books, and Sweet Dreams books!

She passed down all her books to my sister and I since she felt like she outgrew them. But while she wasn’t reading teen romances anymore…she moved on to historical romances and one of them was Judith McNaught. I don’t know if I just went into her room and borrowed it or how it ended up in my hands but as a teenager, I was hooked on historically romances along with young adult books. So a big thank you to my cousin Vicky!

Who was the first woman author you remember loving?

Judith McNaught. My sister and I were obsessed! We read all the books my cousin had and then fell into a rabbit hole of historical romance authors!

Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

Yes, I do. I feel like so many books in high school, the classics, were mostly male authors. And honestly…it was fine but I felt like I didn’t relate much to them. But when I read female authors…wow…the connection. When I read all the romance I could find at my high school library I did read male authors like Stephen King, Nelson Demille, Dan Brown, but I always went back to women authors because I just relate more.

March 2026 Topics:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day.  In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

February 20: What do you collect besides books? (Suggested by Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you own a lot of books? Do you think of yourself as a book collector? Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things? What would you love to have a collection of?

**********

Do you own a lot of books?

No, I don’t. I used to, but over the years with moving a few times, I had to make some hard decisions. 😅 Now I have 3 book shelves in the house. I actually just added the 3rd one and that’s probably all I can have right now and I’m fine with it. I started collecting more sprayed edge books but I think I’ve slowed down with that right now.

Do you think of yourself as a book collector?

No, I don’t think I am. Not with the collections I’ve seen other people have! Compared to them, I am not a book collector….but I WISH.

Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things?

Journals…I used to collect journals, but not anymore! Now, if I need one, I’ll buy one at Ross or something for really cheap. I have been buying book journals for recording the books I read, I feel like it helps me write my blog posts. I take notes in the journals and then that helps me write out of my blogs. But at least with these book journals, I only need to buy one for each year – unless I read more than 200 books. I almost started collecting Pop Mart stuff but nipped that in the bud when I got back into buying sprayed edged books.

What would you love to have a collection of?

You know I wanted to get into collecting vinyl and realized I can’t collect books, vinyls AND save to go to concerts (because I always have to fly out to one)….SO vinyls are taking a backseat, plus I don’t even have a good vinyl player or space to put it. My cheap on is collecting dust. I have like…4 vinyls 😅 and just bought the new Bruno Mars one, but that’s IT. Where does your money go? My money goes to is my KIDS, food, books, and travel. All of it is expensive…I hate inflation. 😩

February 2026 Topics:

February 6: Reading with Friends

Prompts: Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them? Do you prefer reading 1-1 or in a big group? For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?

February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

February 20: What do you collect besides books? (Suggested by Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you own a lot of books? Do you think of yourself as a book collector? Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things? What would you love to have a collection of?

February 27: Reading Star Ratings

Prompts: This topic is inspired by Krysta @ Pages Unbound, who posted about it earlier this year. How do you read star ratings from other bloggers/readers? Do you consider star ratings seen on a book blog, Bookstagram, or BookTok differently from ratings on sites like Goodreads? How much does a star rating affect your decision to purchase/borrow/read a book, and does it depend on who/where the star rating comes from?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

**********

Do you like to read romance novels?

I love romance novels – it’s the genre that got me started reading when I was in my teen years. Most of the books I read are romance – whether it’s romantasy, fantasy with romance, contemporary romance, historical romance….yes, I love romance!

Who are your favourite fictional couples?

Yikes…this is a hard one and I don’t know which type of romance we are talking about here so it’s going to be RANDOM choices because there are so many I love but I can’t remember them all, so here are some that just are kinda memorable to me as I scroll through my blog posts😅:

• Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, of course…Pride and Prejudice by. Jane Austen
• Daphne and Miles – Funny Story by. Emily Henry
• Vanka and Emeric – Little Thieves by. Margaret Owen
• Guinevere and Oskar – Tusk Love by. Thea Guanzon

Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

This is an even harder question and I have no brain capacity for this 😅.

February 2026 Topics:

February 6: Reading with Friends

Prompts: Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them? Do you prefer reading 1-1 or in a big group? For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?

February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

February 20: What do you collect besides books? (Suggested by Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you own a lot of books? Do you think of yourself as a book collector? Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things? What would you love to have a collection of?

February 27: Reading Star Ratings

Prompts: This topic is inspired by Krysta @ Pages Unbound, who posted about it earlier this year. How do you read star ratings from other bloggers/readers? Do you consider star ratings seen on a book blog, Bookstagram, or BookTok differently from ratings on sites like Goodreads? How much does a star rating affect your decision to purchase/borrow/read a book, and does it depend on who/where the star rating comes from?