The Best & Worst Fictional Characters to Invite to Your Book Club

October 9, 2022October 9, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

Because I participate at varying levels of involvement in online fandoms for several franchises/media works, I often see fans posing questions like "who would win in a fight, [insert character] or [insert other character]?" Basically, discussions that are overwhelmingly concerned with powerscaling and/or combat skills as if they're playing League of Legends or something. Like … Continue reading The Best & Worst Fictional Characters to Invite to Your Book Club

What Makes a Good Vacation Read?

July 28, 2022July 28, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

It is the middle of summer and many of us are travelling–or dreaming of travelling!–and looking for a good book to read on the plane or the train, on the beach or by the pool, or an audiobook for that family road trip. But what exactly do we look for in a vacation read? Do … Continue reading What Makes a Good Vacation Read?

The Fantasy of Historical Romance

February 20, 2022 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

With a new season of Bridgerton almost upon us, Pop DNA decided to cover the Netflix series and the books it's based on for the month of February. We had my TikTok mutual Sanjana (aka @baskinsuns; check out her BookTok and her Newsletter!) as a guest for one episode to discuss the history of historical … Continue reading The Fantasy of Historical Romance

Guessing These Pop Singers’ Inner Jane Austen Heroines

November 30, 2021November 30, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ 1 Comment

This idea started, as many things do, with Taylor Swift. As the entire English-speaking world must know by now, Swift recently released her re-recorded version of her 2012 album Red, and it's stirring up some decade-old emotions for all of us. While listening to the 10 minute version of "All Too Well" several times over … Continue reading Guessing These Pop Singers’ Inner Jane Austen Heroines

What Would Elizabeth Bennet Do? Or, How to Kick A** in a Corset

November 24, 2021November 23, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ Leave a comment

This post is sponsored by Kicking Ass in a Corset by Andrea Kayne, available now wherever books are sold. Have you ever thought about why we all want to be Lizzy Bennet so much? I know I’ve subconsciously (and sometimes intentionally) shaped my personality, and even made decisions, based on my deep emotional connection and … Continue reading What Would Elizabeth Bennet Do? Or, How to Kick A** in a Corset

Where Have I Been???

September 29, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ 4 Comments

I suppose I think I can just waltz in here like I own the place and just pretend I haven't been away for... *checks notes* ...eight months? Wow. Ok. But for real, here's a list of things I've been doing: 1. Grad School So, yes, I started grad school back in February, which if you're … Continue reading Where Have I Been???

Fan-Casting WENCH by Maxine Kaplan

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021 ~ Rhonda ~ 2 Comments

This post is part of the Wench blog tour with TBR and Beyond Tours. Be sure to check out the other stops here! And thanks to TBR, NetGalley, and Abrams Books for providing me with an ARC! When I first read the description of Wench, Maxine Kaplan's new YA fantasy novel, my immediate thought was, … Continue reading Fan-Casting WENCH by Maxine Kaplan

Why I’m Not Setting Reading Goals in 2021

December 31, 2020 ~ Rhonda ~ 1 Comment

Is this post title a little clickbaity? Maaaaaybeeee... Because while I'm not setting a goal for how many books I want to read in 2021, and I'm not going to be a stickler about tracking my reading or making monthly TBRs or anything, I do have some more general or thematic intentions for my reading … Continue reading Why I’m Not Setting Reading Goals in 2021

This Post is Just a Bunch of Announcements

September 15, 2020September 14, 2020 ~ Rhonda ~ 2 Comments

This is my reading nook. Isn't it cute? This week I am taking a little break from podcasting so I don’t have a new episode for you, but I did want to let you know about a couple of fun things happening in the Rhonda With A Book Cinematic Universe. First off, I am really … Continue reading This Post is Just a Bunch of Announcements

Five Recent(ish) YA Novels to Read Instead of “Twilight”

September 10, 2020September 9, 2020 ~ Rhonda ~ 2 Comments

First of all, this post is not about Twilight-shaming. If you love Twilight, your opinions are 100% valid. This is also not about internalized misogyny disguised as pseudo-feminist moralizing. As I've discussed before, women and girls deserve far more credit for our ability to analyze and critique fiction than we are often given. But I … Continue reading Five Recent(ish) YA Novels to Read Instead of “Twilight”