Hello! I am a senior at Hope studying Secondary English Education. On campus I am also involved with dining services as a worker for Cup and Chaucer as well as Res Life as an RA! When I’m not in classes or at work you can usually find me trying to work through my apartments ever-growing …
Author Archives: Rachel Leep
Revisiting Past Perspectives of the Big Read
While we are waiting to launch into our programming for our 2024 Big Read books, we want to take some time to revisit some of the pieces that have been published about our Big Reads of the past couple of years! Whether in places like the Holland Sentinel or published to scholarly databases, the Big …
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Classics Recommendations from the Big Read Lakeshore Team
Here at the Big Read Lakeshore team, we are united by our love for books. During one of our last meetings, the topic of our favorite classic works came up, and it was awesome to see the wide variety of works that have left an impact on our team members in many ways. We decided …
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From Pages to Screen: Book Adaptations in 2024
With movies and shows like Dune and Bridgerton coming out this year, there has been a lot of talk around book to movie/ TV show adaptations. While the changes that are made to change these stories from a book into a more visual media can be controversial, there have also been great adaptations that can …
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A Global Library: Classics from Around the World
Books are not just stories—they are windows into different cultures, times, and experiences. While it’s easy to reach for familiar titles from your own country, reading classic books from other countries offers unique and rewarding insights. If you are interested in traveling or even just to know more about a country, choosing a classic or …
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Is There Still Value in Reading Classics?
Growing up, I assumed that when people talked about “classic” books, they meant any old book. I would hear the same ten or so talked about, mainly by Dickens, Austen, Homer, and a Bronte sister thrown in there. I loved visiting the Barnes and Noble classics table where they had beautiful bound editions of these …
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Choosing and Sticking to a Reading Goal
Setting a reading goal and actually sticking to it can be a hard thing to do. Even finding what kind of reading goal or challenge you want to try can be difficult. When I first think of reading goals, I tend to think of cramming as many books into a year as possible. However, there …
How to Pick Your Perfect Read
If you have ever stepped foot inside a library or bookstore or tried looking for a book to read online, you may have struggled with where to even start when it comes to finding a good book that will be a good fit for you. Luckily, there are many tips and tricks you can try …
What Makes a “Phenomenal Woman”
Women’s History Month was created to remember history, highlight issues women face, and showcase the talent and contributions of women that might otherwise go unnoticed. One of my favorite parts of Women’s History Month is the different ways women are empowered through this remembrance and the spaces created. When I think of an empowered woman, …
Strong Female Characters in Period Television: Downton Abbey
By Alexandra Goodwin “You are a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do.”Violet Crawley, Season 3, Episode 4 These wise words come from Violet Crawley, the matriarch of the Crawley family and the Downton Abbey estate. She takes no nonsense, and plays no fool. Her courage and genius …
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