Spring days are finally here!

Hello my fellow bookworms!

Spring weather is finally making its way to my city, and I couldn't be happier! I missed the birds singing (even though they like waking me up at 3 in the morning), the green grass, the blue skies, the sun. It's funny how long we can go without the sun, but how lovely it is to see it more than once a week again! 

(c) Faber and Faber, 2019

This month was crazy busy for me, but I took part in a book discussion for the poetry book Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky. The book has a plot that is good timing for the current war in Ukraine, but you may need to take breaks if the story is too much at once. April is also National Poetry Month, so I hope you enjoyed a poem, or two! 

You can always visit the official National Poetry Month website, hosted by the Academy of American Poets, where you can order a free poster designed by Marc Brown, the author of Arthur. You can also sign up for a free daily Poem-A-Day and enjoy some culture each morning, delivered straight to your inbox.

(c) HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2023

I also read Meg Cabot's The Quarantine Princess Diaries, which I have been waiting to read since...the quarantine in 2020 when Ms. Cabot was publishing short chapters each week to help us stop from going crazy staying inside. Her plot was well thought out and brought up good points and pandemic background, but that is one time I do not ever want to relive again. I did enjoy visiting Princess Mia's world, though, and cannot wait for a post-pandemic book to come! :)

Since this month was otherwise madness, I thought I would share some book/library tips and news:

• Starting tomorrow, May 1st, the OverDrive ebook application is shutting down, and you will need to upgrade to the newer version, Libby. 

• If you like to read newspapers and hate paywalls, try accessing the title through your local library's website. Many times, you will be able to read it for free outside of the library, or free while you are inside the library. 

• Reader's Digest also suggests using the free website 12ft.io to overcome paywalls. While it is right to support your local and national journalists, sometimes you just need a quick article or ran out of your free ones for the month. By navigating to this website, you do not have to download any software, just insert the URL of the article or website you are trying to access, then click on "Remove Paywall." Hopefully you will be able to access the site without issue!
  

• The Library of Congress named 25 recordings of popular songs to preserve, chosen based on "cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance." The Super Mario Bros. is the first video game theme to be chosen for this honor!

• If you have kids (or know one that likes to read), they may be interested in Andrew McMeel's Summer Reading Game!

I'm currently listening to the audiobook of Spare by Prince Harry. It is a lot more sad than I anticipated. I hope to catch up on more of my fun reading this next month after classes are over. What are you reading / look forward to reading? 

Until next time! Happy Reading!