Reading Can Make Us Better People

This is just one of the reasons why we should never neglect it. We’re pretty keen on reading here at A Thousand Lives. You may well have noticed. The truth is, reading isn’t just about escaping into new worlds or discovering new information. It’s about making us better people, too. The act of reading can bring comfort

The Books on my Table Make Me Think About Life

Books are wonderful because they make me think. The book pile on my table is there for a reason. They want me to think. Actually, no, I should not say that. The books are there to challenge how I think about myself. Every title sitting on my working desk suggests one thing to me. I

Why I Read the Last Line of a Book Before I Finish It, and Why You Should Too

A new and fun challenge to spice up your reading and writing habit. When you pick up a book at the store, the first thing you probably do is read the first few lines to get a feel of the story. Your mind does not even consider reading the last line because it probably contains spoilers,

Books That Would Be on Rory Gilmore’s Reading List in 2021

What pop culture’s favourite reader would have on her TBR today. Along with Hermoine and Belle, Rory Gilmore is one of the most-loved fictional characters obsessed with reading. Rory constantly has a book nearby, and even when she isn’t reading, someone else on Gilmore Girls is probably referencing a book. The original show mentioned over 300 books

Working as a Bookseller Convinced me to Always Prioritize Books

At face value, books may seem like merely inanimate objects, but they are far more than that. I’ve always been a reader, but sometimes it has been more of a priority than others due to the course of life. I often tell people I didn’t read for three years whilst I was at university, but

Audiobooks Aren’t for Me — Here’s Why

Being late to the party, I thought it was time to give them a go, but it’s safe to say I was disappointed. In 2020, audiobooks’ sales grew on average at a rate of 25–30% and made up around a third of the overall book market. As the pandemic set in, people turned to read in

How To Start Reading Shakespeare With 5 Plays

Don’t let the famous bard intimidate you. William Shakespeare’s influence and impact on English literature can’t go unnoticed. Many people even believe that he was the greatest English writer who ever lived. Whether you agree with such high acclaim or not, his work is a big deal. With such high praise also comes the misapprehension

What Makes and What Breaks a Good Book

These qualities determine how I feel about every read and encourage me to reflect on what to look for in future books.  Every passionate reader knows that generally, it doesn’t take long to decide how to feel about a book. For me, there is always one decisive moment during each read, when I know to what

Having Books As Friends Doesn’t Make You Weird

Because books have the power to change your life, teach you lessons and inspire you. With your back against the plush chair and your legs crossed beneath you, the soft murmurs from the other students in the library, and a gentle noise in the background, you finally open up to the first page of that

Jacqueline Wilson’s Impact and the Power of Representation

Let’s talk about the legend that brought us, Tracy “bog off” Beaker and how readers remember her books. When we talk about Jacqueline Wilson, we’re instantly thrown back to the days in our childhood and teen years where we’d devour her books hungrily. Long after we’d be told to turn off the lights, we’d still