Books – Pen and Page Gals

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January 14, 2022

December Recap: One Day In December

Photo via Meggie Taylor Or should we say, One POD in December? For our final episode of 2021, we dive into our undisputed favorite time of the year, and we go full on festive, discussing our traditions, whether we Santa or not, plus a special Am I The Antagonist, since tis the season for merry (or not so) mishaps and miscommunications. And our pretty book club pick package tied up in string is One Day In December by Josie Silver. We both voted it a season's heatings PAGE TURNER. Things we liked: Very real depiction of relationships, love, family, and[...]

Books, Lifestyle

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November 11, 2021

2021 Gift Guide: Bookish Ideas for Kids

You all know we love a sweet read, but what's even sweeter is seeing the little ones in our lives learn to love reading as well. This gift guide goes out to all the blossoming bookworms; may we help their minds glow and grow! 100 Kid's Books Scratch Off Poster A fun book challenge for more advanced and mature readers, maybe even making this a joint family effort! Get lost in classics like James and the Giant Peach to contemporary favorites like The Hunger Games. IlluStory Do your kids love telling stories that never seem to end? Let them write and[...]

Books

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November 1, 2021

October Recap: Caraval Trilogy

Two years ago, Sophia and I started meeting up for book dates; we'd each bring our own respective read, order some wine, and sit in companionable silence. During one of those dates, I spontaneously spurted out, "Do you want to start a podcast?!" Sophia offered a yes in all of her signature excitement, and the rest is PPG history. So to celebrate the end of our second season, we introduce some fun new segments to spice things up as we also bemoan our least favorite holiday, Halloween. Bookmate Banter: Halloween decor or not and costumes of Halloween past an[...]

Books

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October 27, 2021

beautiful bibles round up

BY SOPHIA I know that our love of books is not news to anyone who is reading our blog but ONE of us also has an obsession with beautiful Bibles (ahem, it's me. Sophia). It's almost like a collector's hobby - I love discovering new Bibles that are unique and/or feminine and adorning my shelves with them. Plus, they're the best book someone could ever read so I don't feel guilty about having so many copies in my house ;) With gift season approaching, I thought I'd do a roundup with all my favorite pretty Bibles in case there is a woman in your life that you[...]

Books

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October 7, 2021

Current Favorite Kids’ Books

BY SOPHIA It's been awhile since we've shared a roundup of books we recommend for other people, and with the holidays coming up, I thought it would be fun to show you a few books that my kids have been loving recently. Before I jump in, though, I want to let you know that when it comes to encouraging literacy in your kids, it really doesn't matter what you read. JUST READ. Sit together and read the back of a cereal box if that's what your child is drawn to. Read aloud while they're playing with toys in the corner of the room. Do whatever it takes to be int[...]

Books, Episodes

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September 30, 2021

September 2021 Bookclub Recap: Unravel The Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

BY SOPHIA After reading Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim last month for our book club pick (and LOVING it) we both knew that we had to finish out the duology and read Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars Book II) for our September book club pick. In this month's podcast episode, we spend some time talking about how we celebrated my 36th birthday and our favorite ways to relax before jumping into book club talk - the girl chat portion of this episode is super fun so make sure to give the episode a listen! On to the book itself though ... SPOILER ALERT[...]

Books

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September 9, 2021

Back to School Book Mood

Image by Yuana Maura S School is back in session, and it's time to hit the books again with our favorite young adult fictions that give us all the angsty teenage feels (without the actual drama). We've got a few new faces and some veterans in the mix, so it's time for ROLL CALL! By the Book by Amanda Sellet The new kid on the block but chalk full of classic literary references. This clever YA rom-com has Shakespeare x Bridget Jones vibes and is a must read for any bookish fiend aka US. Anna K by Jenny Lee A modern retelling of Russian lit classic,[...]

Books, Travel

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August 19, 2021

Books I Read On Vacation

BY SOPHIA Hi all! So as some of you may know, both Jensine & I just returned from vacations we each took with our families. I went to Hawaii (shoutout Big Island!) and of course found the time to read a few good books that I wanted to share with you all. So here we go! The first book that I read was The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. I wasn't sure if I was going to regret picking up this book as it was described as a thriller and I have read some pretty creepy thrillers in the past (not by this author per se). BUT! This book is not really a thri[...]

Books, Episodes

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July 24, 2021

July 2021 Bookclub Recap: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy

BY SOPHIA What better way to celebrate being in the throes of summer than with the most iconic summer trilogy: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han? For our July book club pick this month, Jensine & I decided to embark on re-reading all three of the books in this series and unlike previous months when we've read multiple books for book club, this month did NOT feel like a challenge to finish all the books. All three of these books are short, quick reads that FLY BY and we promise, will not disappoint. what we liked: Is it not every girl's[...]

Books

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July 14, 2021

Review: Two Summer Romance Reads

Image via Meggie Taylor So I was originally going to only review one book for y'all, but then I ended up racing through two this past weekend. And I decided BOTH were review worthy and ripe for your next pool side read sesh. First up, "Second First Impressions" by Sally Thorne. I remember really liking her debut, "The Hating Game," and so I was excited for this book when I got it off a library hold. The synopsis surrounds Ruthie Midona, who has devoted her young life to working at a luxury retirement villa, and Teddy Prescott, a seemingly never-serious but[...]