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 …
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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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A History of Women’s Pseudonyms
The 18th and 19th centuries saw the emergence of many celebrated female writers for the first time in history. Authors like Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson, and Mary Shelley published their books that are considered classics today. However, many female writers faced discrimination in their work, as only some types of writing were …
Black Female Artists We All Should Know
As February’s Black History Month transitions into March’s Women’s History Month, it offers a moment to reflect on the remarkable contributions of Black women throughout history. The theme for Black History Month this year was “African Americans and the Arts,” and this opened the door for conversations about Black icons in various areas of the …
Enemies in the Orchard
By Greta VanDenend The author of Enemies in the Orchard is Dana Vanderlugt, an ‘01 Hope College graduate and a former Hudsonville middle school English teacher. During her time as a middle school teacher, Dana worked on and received her MFA in Creative Writing from The Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing at …
Why Read Graphic Novels?
By Hannah Lever The tenth annual NEA Big Read is about to begin! But something is different this year. For the first time ever, one of the chosen books is a graphic novel! The Middle Read book this year is New Kid by Jerry Craft. Published in 2019, it is the first graphic novel to …
Remembering: The First Five Years
Here at the Big Read, we are excited to be getting closer to announcing our book for the 2023 program. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the Big Read Lakeshore program, we want to take the time to look back at where we started with the first five books. The Big Read started in …
Behind the Scenes Spotlight: Shelly Arnold
Shelly has been with Hope College since 2003. Her main role is the office manager for the Center for Ministry Studies. She earned a second post-secondary degree in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree from Hope majoring in history with an art history minor. What’s your role on the Big Read team? Shelly began working part-time …
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