Sunday, December 26, 2021

BW52: 2021 Year End Wrapup

 

Prospect House in London

“One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, 
perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to 
voyage through time.”  ― Carl Sagan


Our infinite sky reading adventure on board the time traveling Pumdeg Dau o Lyfrau airship during 2021 is coming to an end; however our armchair travels will continue on. It's time to trade in our airship for a new means of transportation.  Meanwhile please join me in the conservatory for our end of the year tea and book party.  Help yourself to a cup of tea, a glass of wine or a mug of my hubby's special roast coffee while we chat about our reads.  

  • What were your reading goals for the year?  How many books did you read? 
  • Did you explore outside the box, delve into new worlds or take comfort in the old.  Let your fingertips doing the walking, sorting through your TBR stacks, reading whichever book caught your eye or yelled the loudest for your attention. Did you heed the call  of your dusty books calling your name, whispering read me, read me. That's not creepy at all, is it? Only a bookworm would understand and listen.... *grin*  

We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.”
― Ursula K. LeGuin

  • What was your most entertaining read of the year? 
  • Which stories stuck with you the longest?

When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story's voice makes everything its own.” ― John Berger, Keeping a Rendezvous

  • Which characters did you fall in like or love with? 

I will go to my grave in a state of abject endless fascination that we all have the capacity to become emotionally involved with a personality that doesn't exist.”  ― Berkeley Breathed

  • Which stories or characters made you want to dive into their world and live there?
  • Which stories surprised you, made you reflect, laugh out loud, tear up, or irritated the heck out of you?
  • Which stories inspired web wonderings and lead you on rabbit trails? 

“I’ve always thought that a good book should be either the entry point inward, to learn about yourself, or a door outward, to open you up to new worlds.” –Taylor Jenkins Reid

  • Which stories would you read again and again? 

“Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?" Mo had said..."As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar.”
― Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

  • One book you think everyone should read?
  • Where in the world and through what time periods did your reading adventures take you? 
  • Share your stats, new to you author discoveries, favorite quotes, or covers. 

What I love most about reading: It gives you the ability to reach higher ground. And keep climbing.”–Oprah

Thank you for sharing your reading adventures with me this year. I appreciate each and every one of you and hope you had fun along the way and look forward to more bookish adventures. Cheers to a happy, enlightening, and inspiring reading new year!

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Sunday, December 19, 2021

BW51: Welcome to Winter

 

Winter Dreaming by Josephine Wall

Happy Sunday, my lovelies. Although Winter in our part of the world officially begins on Tuesday, the 21st, it seems to have arrived a couple days early.  Jack Frost was nipping at our toes this morning when we woke to a coating of frost on the ground.  It's the first real freeze we've had in a couple years and I'm hoping its enough to make our morning glory turn dormant for the winter.  The plant is the gift that keeps on giving as we're now sharing it with all our neighbors.  Unintentionally of course.  Fortunately, they all love us.  

Wintertime always puts me in the mood to read about blizzards, icebound explorers, and arctic adventures,  while I hibernate inside my warm house, cozy on the couch with a warm blanket and one of my lap cats. Join me in reading a book that takes place during winter, is set in an icebound location or is about battling the elements.

21 Books Set in Cold and Snowy Destinations to Read This Winter

26 Cozy Winter Reads for 2021

21 authors pick their favorite winter reads

17 Beautiful Icelandic Novels To Inspire a Trip to Iceland

14 Books Set in Greenland That Will Put It At The Top Of Your Bucket List

Winter Science Fiction And Fantasy

And since Christmas is coming up, maybe a Christmas Story or two. 

Classic Christmas Short Stories You Can Read Right Now

33 Best Christmas Books to Read Around the Holidays

Christmas Reads for Adults: 20 Best Books You Must Read This Christmas


Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

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 Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

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Sunday, December 12, 2021

BW50: A Time to Talk by Robert Frost

 



Happy Sunday! I love the picture above as well as this simple poem by Robert Frost and the imagery they evoke.  Have a wonderful reading week, my lovelies. 


A Time to Talk

By 

Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road
and slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
on all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, "What is it?"
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade end up and five feet tall,
And plod:  I go up to the stone wall
for a friendly visit. 


For 2022, I'm introducing a new year long reading challenge called A to Z and back again.  One word beginning with that letter every week as we work all the way through the alphabet forward, then back to A. The word of the week will be announced with each Sunday's post.  There will be numerous ways to play which include reading a book with the word in the title; read alphabetically by author or title; includes the emotion or action or characteristic or job of the character or the story; find a synonym or antonym; form an aptigram or antigram; Create a story or poem and let your thoughts fly. 

To give you an example, since we are on week 50, we'd be on the letter c. 

The word of the week: Chivalry.   Make of it what you will. 

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

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Sunday, December 5, 2021

BW49: Fictional Librarian - Sarah Dove

 


Happy Sunday, my dears! We're weighing anchor and taking a short flight to Dove Pond, North Carolina to join our fictional librarian of the month, Sarah Dove, created by Karen Hawkins.  Books have talked to Sarah for as long as she can remember. For the residents of Dove Pond, they are mystified when Sarah gives them a book to read, which turn out to be just what they needed to read to solve a problem. The Dove family has 7 daughters and the first two books in the series, The Book Charmer and A Cup of Silver Linings are both great reads.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, The Lost Book of Cakes which will be out sometime in 2022.   Karen Hawkins booklist also includes several historical romance series. 

Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

  • Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
  • Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.
  • Read one or more books in the series or any book in the author's booklist.
  • Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
  • Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
  • Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Have fun as there are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails.

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

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Sunday, November 28, 2021

BW48: Books, books, and more books

 


As the year winds down, the best books of the year lists rise up with many books in common.  Some I may have missed and others I may have deliberately missed on purpose. Some may not have been stories that enticed me into reading more...  Yet.  Some weren't my style, which can change from year to year. Different phases, different places, different mind set, or just not in the mood. But when I am in the mood, watch out. My TBR stack gets taller, while some books grow older and wait patiently, knowing that in time, I'll get to them.

If you are like me, your book shelves may be filled to the brim with books double and triple parked.  Every so often, I'll rearrange them, pulling stories and authors forward to sit front and center, pushing others to the back until it's their time to shine again.  I really don't need to buy more books, but you know, you can never have enough.  While the sleepy, dusty tome, bides its time, the shiny penny calls your name. 

While perusing the best of the best for 2021 the past few days, and adding a few to my virtual and physical stack as well as my wish list, I thought, wait.... What about 2022? All those shiny new pennies!  Time to preorder a few before my book buying ban clicks in at the beginning of the year.  Now I know why my stacks keep having babies and those babies have babies. LOL!  I'm ever so grateful to the authors and their creativity who keep me entertained.  

And I love bringing you all along to play as well, so for your enjoyment, enlightenment, and edification, below are a few links to the best of the best for 2021 and the most anticipated for 2022.  

The Irish Times Best of fiction, biography, sport, and children's books

Foreign Policy's the best books we read in 2021

The Manual: The men share the 20 Best Books of 2021 for your next read. 

Five Books Best of.....

NPR's Book Concierge is now The Books We Love.  I got lost in this one for quite a while.

On to the new shiny pennies: 

Marie Claire's 2022 Book Releases to get excited about. 

Buzzfeed's 25 Of The Most Anticipated Books Coming Out Next Year, According To Book Lovers

We are Bookish 24 Highly-Anticipated Books Hitting Shelves in 2022

The Bibliofile January 22 Most Anticipated New Book Releases

Criminal Element's Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022

Bibliolifestyle's Most Anticipated Winter 2022 Romance Novels and Historical Fiction

You're welcome!

P.S. In anticipation and preparation for next year, check out the links above which has been updated and includes four new challenges for 2022.  

Have fun following rabbit trails. I did.

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Friday, November 26, 2021

Join us for our 14th year of reading 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2022

 

Lilac by Stephen Darbishire

Join us for our 14th round of reading 52 books in 52 weeks.  From the depths of the oceans to the dark of space, across the vast expanses of turf and tundra, from the smallest towns to the large bustling cities, our armchair adventure awaits.

The goal is easy - Read 52 Books - how you get there is up to you.

We have four new challenges to help you along on your reading adventure for 2022.  An updated 52 Books Bingo with 20 bonus squares that will enchant your reading taste buds. The A to Z and Z to A Word of the Week to stir your creativity.  Another bookish adventure with Books about Books Bookology for our author of the month reading and spelling challenge. Plus Crime Spree which will take us around the world, following in the footsteps of detectives of all ages. 

We also have a variety of weekly, monthly mini challenges and perpetual challenges  including: 

Well Educated Mind --  Continue to explore the classics in 6 categories: Fiction, Autobiography, History/Politics, Drama, Poetry and Science. 

Agatha Christie  --  read at least three of her books per year.  Read the books in chronological order as listed, group by detective or collection, or randomly if you choose. 

Brit Tripping --- A year long mystery read traveling the Roman Roads through England reading reading a book from each of the 45 counties with a few extra trips to London. 

Plus Alphabet Soup, Dusty and Chunky, Feed Your Muse, Mind Voyages, Nobel Prize Winners and Sounds of Silence.

The mini and perpetual challenges are all optional, Mix them up anyway you like or follow your own path in the quest to read.  

  • The challenge runs January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022.
  • Our book weeks begin on Sunday.
  • Week one begins Saturday January 1st and ends Saturday January 9th. 
  • Participants may join at any time. 
  • All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc. 
  • Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2022.
  • Books may overlap other challenges. 
  • Create an entry post linking to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks and sign up in the link below.  
  • If you don't have a blog or social media account, post about your reads in the comments section of each weekly post. 
  • The link widget will be added to the bottom of each weekly post to link to your book reviews, and closes at the end of each book week. 

Sunday, November 21, 2021

BW47: Song of Thanksgiving by Will Carleton

 


Song of Thanksgiving

(to the air - Portuguese Hymn)

Poems for Young Americans

by

Will Carleton 

We thank thee, O Father, for all that is bright--
the gleam of the day and the stars of the night;
The flowers of our youth, and the fruits of our prime,
And blessings e'er marching the pathway of time.

We thank thee, O Father, for all this is drear--
The sob of the tempest -- the flow of the tear;
For never in blindness, and never in vain,
Thy mercy permitted a sorrow or pain.

We thank thee, O Father, for song and for feast--
The harvest that glowed, and the wealth that increased;
For never a blessing encompassed thy child,
But thou in thy mercy looked downward and smiled.

We thank thee, O Father for all! for the power
Of aiding each other in life's darkest hour;
The generous heart, and the bountiful hand,
And all the soul-help that sad souls understand.

We thank thee, O Father--for days yet to be --
For hopes that our future will call us to thee:
That all our eternity form, through thy love,
One Thanksgiving Day in the mansions above. 

**Copyright 1910 Every Where Publishing. 

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 115. Luigi Vampa’s Bill of Fare
Chapter 116. The Pardon
Chapter 117. The Fifth of October

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Sunday, November 14, 2021

BW46: Non fiction Miscellanea


 

Happy Sunday, my lovelies. We're in the midst of planning our 2022 bookish adventures and having loads of fun with the bingo categories and coming up with new challenges. Meanwhile getting side tracked and adding to my TBR pile.  So many good books.  I went a little bit link happy while writing this week's post and figured out I need to have a better plan for actually reading all the books I've been acquiring. 

Which lead me to The Art of Manliness, which is actually a wonderful site to explore. 

I came across Why you need a Reading Plan detailing the importance of having a plan and sticking with it.  I ditched my non fiction reading plan somewhere in the middle of the year and need to revise for 2022. I have a whole slew of nonfiction books on my shelves from memoirs like Trevor Noah's Born a Crime to Adam Savage's Every Tool's a Hammer to multiple writing books such as Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova.  

Stumbled across their article on The Best of the Marine Corps’ Reading Lists with many books my hubby will enjoy reading. Unfortunately it looks like The Art of War has been removed from the current list which is a must read for anyone.  Caboodle lists it among the  10 non-fiction books that changed the world

Today is the 170th anniversary of when Moby Dick was published.  If you haven't read it yet, maybe 2022 would be the perfect time. Why read Moby Dick? makes the case for why and In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex gives you the real story behind the fiction tale.  Another seafaring tale that captured my attention is Hampton Side's In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette.   Both Philbrick and Hampton make history come alive.

Speaking of history and adventure,  the Art of Manliness (A wonderful website to explore) lists The Essential Adventure Library: 50 Non-fiction Adventure Books.  

15 Memoirs That Will Inspire You To Keep Writing That Book

Food is Life! Foodie Memoirs to Enjoy

9 New Music Memoirs and Biographies for Rock and Blues Fans

9 of the Grittiest Music memoirs of all time

15 absorbing nonfiction books to inspire your inner scientist

5 Poignant Poetry Memoirs

Non-Fiction Recommendations From Katherine Addison

15 of the Best Non Fiction Books in 2021 

Have fun following rabbit trails!

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Count of Monte Cristo 

Chapter 112. The Departure

Chapter 113. The Past

Chapter 114. Peppino

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Sunday, November 7, 2021

BW45: Fictional Librarian - Raymond Ambler

 


Hey ma, we're going to New York City! 

Our bookish travels this month are taking us to New York City's 42nd Street Library to follow in the footsteps of our fictional librarian of the month, Raymond Ambler, a librarian, and part time amateur sleuth, created by writer Con Lehane

Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

  • Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
  • Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.
  • Read one or more books in the series.
  • Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
  • Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
  • Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Have fun as there are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails.

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 109. The Assizes
Chapter 110. The Indictment
Chapter 111. Expiation

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Sunday, October 31, 2021

BW44: Nonfiction November

 


Time to climb aboard Pum Deg Dau o Lygrau and set sail for the unknown as we explore the land of nonfiction.  Such a wide variety to choose from -  Psychology, cookbooks, history, art, religion, memoirs, craft of writing, sports, essays, poetry, crime, philosophy, and culture --- the wide vast world of how and what and why.  

Given that it's also National Novel Writing Month and you want to spread your writing wings,  dip your toes in writing nonfiction with Telling True Stories, Flash Non Fiction, or poetry.  Learn about the writing life from Annie Dillard or Anne Lamott

Dive into the world of true crime or real life detectives.  

Try out a new recipe, or go Down the Garden Path or Taste with Stanley Tucci

Be Zen, be cool, be funny, be logical or be positive.

Delve into the past with Erik Larson or Nathaniel Philbrick and many more. 

Have fun following rabbit trails.

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 106. Dividing the Proceeds

Chapter 107. The Lions’ Den

Chapter 108. The Judge

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Sunday, October 24, 2021

BW43: At Seven a Son by Elaine Feinstein

 

Elaine Feinstein



In celebration of the late Elaine Feinstein, born October 24, 1930 and died at the age of 88 on September 23, 2019.  Multifaceted writer of novels, short stories, poetry, teleplays and biographies.

At Seven a Son

In cold weather on a
garden swing, his legs
in wellingtons rising over
the winter rose trees

he sits serenely
smiling like a Thai
his coat open, his gloves
sewn to the flapping sleeves

his thin knees working
with his arms
folded about the
metal struts

as he flies up
(his hair like long
black leaves) he
lies back freely

astonished in
sunshine as serious
as a stranger he is
a bird in his own thought.

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Count of Monte Cristo 


Chapter 103. Maximilian
Chapter 104. Danglars’ Signature
Chapter 105. The Cemetery of Père-Lachaise

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Sunday, October 17, 2021

BW42: 52 Books Bingo - Dystopian and Utopian

Courtesy of Barnes and Noble

Dystopian novels are on my mind today.  Particularly since my son recently read Ready Player Two and has been waiting for me to read it.  We've both watched and read Ready Player One and thoroughly enjoyed them.  So on to the second novel which fits in perfectly with our next two 52 Books Bingo categories -Dystopian and Utopian   There are books set in a perfect Utopian  world which may or may not be a good thing,  The imaginary perfect world which can easily slide into the imperfect Dystopian world. So, one of your missions for our October Spooktacular is to read a dystopian or utopia story. 

8 Vital Utopian Novels That Envision a Perfect World:  Imagine all the people, living life in peace...


Have fun following rabbit trails! 

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Count of Monte Cristo - 17 chapters left

Chapter 100. The Apparition
Chapter 101. Locusta
Chapter 102. Valentine

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Sunday, October 10, 2021

BW41: Fictional Librarian - Hanna Casey


 
Happy Sunday!  It's time to jump back on board our airship, the Pum Deg Dau o Lygrau. We are setting sail for the west coast of Ireland to visit the fictional town of Finfarran.   We will be joining Hanna Casey, our fictional librarian of the month. The series, created by Felicity Hayes-McCoy, begins with The Library at the Edge of the World and is about Hanna, who is fifty five and recently divorced, has to start all over again and moves back home to live with her mother and ends up leading the campaign to save the town library. 

Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

  • Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
  • Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.
  • Read one or more books in the series.
  • Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
  • Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
  • Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.
Have fun as there are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails.

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Count of Monte Cristo 

Chapter 97. The Departure for Belgium
Chapter 98. The Bell and Bottle Tavern
Chapter 99. The Law

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

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Sunday, October 3, 2021

BW40: October Spooktacular




 

Welcome to our October Spooktacular reading month. I have the music of The Addams family theme song running through my head today:

Their creepy and their kooky
Mysterious and spooky
Their all together ooky
The Adams family
Their house is a museum
When people come to see 'em
They really are a screaming
The Adams family.
Neat.
Sweet
Petite
So put a witch's shawl on
A broomstick you can crawl on
We're gonna play a call on
The Adams family
Their creepy and their kooky
Mysterious and spooky
Their all together ooky
The Adams family
Strange
Deranged
The Adams family

Does it put you in the mood for some spooky or kooky, spine-chilling or thrilling, creepy or cozy, scary or mysterious?  Yes, me too. 

Spooky to me doesn't necessarily equal horror. I detest blood and guts horror books or movies. Give me emotion, give me pee in your pants scary moments.  Give me tense moments that make you laugh or cry. Give me mind bending stories with devious and conniving characters and lots of twists and turns.  Give me stories that make me think and go whoa, I didn't see that coming.  Entertain me, thrill me, shock me. 

If you haven't read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or Bram Stoker's Dracula, now would be the perfect time.  Put away all your preconceived notions as the books are very different from the movies and will shock and amaze you.  If you have read it, dip your toes into retellings of the story as well as the reimagining's of  Bram Stoker's Dracula. 

If you are slightly on the squeamish side and can only handle a little bit scary or a little bit spooky, read a cozy supernatural mystery  or what the Austin Public Library considers a cozy horror which includes 
Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None or Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles.  

For those who like psychological thrillers, like me, read Female Psychological Thrillers/Suspense Written by Women.

From historical thrillers to psychological page turners, check out Pan MacMillian's list of the Best Thriller books of 2021

What is one of the spookiest or thrilling books you ever read?

Have fun following rabbit trails!

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 94. Maximilian’s Avowal
Chapter 95. Father and Daughter
Chapter 96. The Contract

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Sunday, September 26, 2021

BW39: Banned Books Week


The theme for Banned Books Week this year is "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us." Banned Books Week was created in 1982 by the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom, in response to challenges and requests to ban books from libraries and bookstores due to their content. Poems and poetry collections, and poets have also been censored throughout history including Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. I have the book on my shelves, so will have to dive in to see what the fuss is all about.

According to the American Library Association the top ten most challenged books and the reasons why for the past year are:

  1. "George by Alex Gino: Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”
  2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds: Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people
  3. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely: Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”
  4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity
  5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author
  6. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin: Reasons: Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views
  7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience
  8. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students
  9. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse
  10. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: Reasons: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message."

Celebrate your freedom to read a banned or challenged book this week!

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 91. Mother and Son
Chapter 92. The Suicide
Chapter 93. Valentine 

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Sunday, September 19, 2021

BW38: September Equinox


 
Climb aboard our good ship Pumdeg Dau o Lyfrau and let us sail over the trees and seas and look upon the leaves for the September Equinox is upon us with Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.  Let's follow the breeze and celebrate the changing of the season and fall into reading with a book about the seasons, the changing of the guard, the passing of time. Maybe even get an early start on something spooky as October is coming up fast.  

The sights and sounds of autumn are my favorite time of year with the wind  rustling through the branches, and the crunch and crackle of fallen leaves. All the shades of yellow and orange and purple and red form a colorful palette on which to play.  

"Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love — that makes life and nature harmonize.  The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot, letter to Miss Lewis, 1st October 1841"

What is your favorite part of the season?

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 88. The Insult
Chapter 89. The Night
Chapter 90. The Meeting

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Sunday, September 12, 2021

BW37: Book Lust by Nancy Pearl

 


To me, reading is as necessary as breathing. Without my books, I get very cranky.  I love the stories that make you sigh as well as the ones that make you hold your breath and forget to let it out.  The ones that grab you and pull you into the world of the characters, the ones that make you want to dive into the world of the book and not let go. The ones that make you think, and the ones that make you laugh out loud or cry. The ones that make you wish you had the imagination to write,  along with the ones that make you want to throw them across the room for various reasons. The ones that stay with you long after you've finished the book.  And the ones that make you want to revisit them over and over again.

If you can't tell by now, I have a case of book lust which brings me to Nancy Pearl, the author of Book Lust and so much more. 

It was just announced that The National Book Foundation will be presenting to Nancy Pearl the 2021 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community on Nov 17, 2021. 

Book Lust, More Book Lust, and Book Lust to Go are so much fun to peruse, but I have to admit to getting lost in rabbit trails while looking up books which of course had lead to a startling long wishlist and an ever growing TBR stack.  Pearl even has a Book Lust Journal in which to record your thoughts on stories. Check out Pearl's Podcasts, her interview on How Reading Informs the Person That You Are, and the Millions interview about her first fictional novel George and Lizzie and Getting Out of Her Own Skin.

Share which book or books have you added to your stacks lately? 

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 85. The Journey
Chapter 86. The Trial
Chapter 87. The Challenge

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Sunday, September 5, 2021

BW36: 52 Books bingo - Number in the Title

 



Happy Sunday! If you are a procrastinator, then today is your day as it is Be Late for Something Day. Your excuse. You got caught up in a book as you wanted to get a head start on Read a Book Day on Labor Day

Which brings us to our next 52 Books Bingo category which is read a book with a Number in the Title.  You can interpret it any way you like by reading a book with an actual number in the title or the word number in the title or with numbers on the cover or a book about numbers. 

Out of curiosity, I would like to know: What is your favorite number and why?


I fell in like with this poem the instant I read it. 

NUMBERS BY MARY CORNISH

I like the generosity of numbers.
The way, for example,
they are willing to count
anything or anyone:
two pickles, one door to the room,
eight dancers dressed as swans.

I like the domesticity of addition—
add two cups of milk and stir—
the sense of plenty: six plums
on the ground, three more
falling from the tree.

And multiplication’s school
of fish times fish,
whose silver bodies breed
beneath the shadow
of a boat.

Even subtraction is never loss,
just addition somewhere else:
five sparrows take away two,
the two in someone else’s
garden now.

There’s an amplitude to long division,
as it opens Chinese take-out
box by paper box,
inside every folded cookie
a new fortune.

And I never fail to be surprised
by the gift of an odd remainder,
footloose at the end:
forty-seven divided by eleven equals four,
with three remaining.

Three boys beyond their mother’s call,
two Italians off to the sea,
one sock that isn't anywhere you look.



Have fun following rabbit trails of numbers

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Count of Monte Cristo 

Chapter 82. The Burglary
Chapter 83. The Hand of God
Chapter 84. Beauchamp

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