The Steady Read

Your home for book reviews, recommendations, and more

Tag: Books

  • Five Great Japanese Books Under 200 Pages

    Five Great Japanese Books Under 200 Pages

    I love to read books by Japanese authors, particularly those on the shorter side. Something about the way the Japanese write, regardless of whether the work was translated or simply wrote in English to begin with, doesn’t shake the way these authors can so easily convey a scene, an emotion, or their (usually) odd sense…

  • Monthly Book Haul (March ’24)

    Monthly Book Haul (March ’24)

    I thought it would be interesting to give an insight into books I’ve bought throughout each month (at least the months when I do purchase new books… my collection is extremely large and is mostly unread). I considered posting my hauls a long time ago, but I held off because I felt it was more…

  • Books with Abstract/Interesting Covers

    Books with Abstract/Interesting Covers

    They say not to judge a book by its cover, but that really is the first thing you judge it by. Just as we make first impressions based on someone’s appearance — their features, fashion, and hygiene — we make a first impression with a book. Similarly to when someone you know changes their style…

  • Everything I Read in 2023

    Everything I Read in 2023

    2023 had its ups and downs, as well as plenty of pauses in my reading habits thanks to life and other responsibilities. Despite these occasional stutters, I still managed to read a good handful of books. Regardless, here’s to a better year in 2024, as well as a lot more reading on my part. Please…

  • Sixty Books I Want to Read Based on Their Covers

    Sixty Books I Want to Read Based on Their Covers

    As the title states, here is a rather lengthy showcase of sixty titles I’d like to read, purely because their cover is cool or interesting to me. Let me be clear that these are in no particular order, but I hope you can pick out a few for yourself and maybe give them a read….

  • Re-Read Your Childhood Favourites

    Re-Read Your Childhood Favourites

    Readers are creatures of habit, ones forged during our formative years. Anyone with an affinity for books in their matured years will, in most cases, have grown up with reading. Whilst many children were encouraged or ‘forced’ to read during the primary/elementary school days, it is unlikely that many of them ever carried on reading…

  • Some of the Best Book Collections

    Some of the Best Book Collections

    Books are renowned for their aesthetic abilities, so here are some of my favourite collections of authors’ works or series. Kazuo Ishiguro — Modern F&F Faber & Faber’s minimalist approach to their modern reprints of Ishiguro’s work are amongst some of my favourite designs for a book cover, ever. Speaking of covers only: A Pale…

  • It’s Fine to Give Up on a Book

    It’s Fine to Give Up on a Book

    Reading is something we do for many reasons, but the key motives behind reading (especially fiction) are mental stimulation and entertainment value. And when such things are lacking, that’s when you know it’s fine to give up on a book and never finish it. To keep it simple: reading is supposed to be a fun…

  • Tips for Writing a Book Review

    Tips for Writing a Book Review

    Offering tips for writing a book review is hard. Advice can vary not only based on the book in question, but the style of review, the depth of analysis, and how much of the book will be directly summarised and mentioned within the review. All of these introduce or invert the dos and do nots…

  • How to Combat Reader’s Block

    How to Combat Reader’s Block

    Burnout, or reader’s block, can be a real pain. Here are some tips on how to conquer it!