Dog Days of Summer

Hello Bookworms!

The dog days of summer are here! The weather is starting to cool down, new books are starting to be sold, and what is a better way to escape the pandemic than getting lost in a good book?

I am behind on my book reviews (nothing new there), which my flickering internet has not helped with! Here is a quick post on some fun links and contests that I think you may enjoy:

• HerInteractive has a Nancy Drew themed contest in where you have to recreate a food item from one of the Nancy Drew games. See here for more information, rules, and prizes. What a delicious contest!

• Princess Mia has been updating her Corona Princess Diaries, keeping in time with the pandemic , which you can read for free here, courtesy of Meg Cabot. 

• Kellogg's is giving away books to those who buy participating products (i.e. eat cereal and get a free book). You can also choose to donate your book, if you do not want it. For more information, check out Kellogg's Feeding Reading program details here. 

• If you need help figuring out books for a child in your life, check out Brightly's Summer Reading Book Lists for ages 3 - 19.

• Want to help out with a library project? The Boston Public Library needs your help transcribing anti-slavery documents from the 19th century! This volunteer position will help the library digitize their archives line by line. The platform is not available on phones or tables, but if you can spare a moment, sit down by a computer and learn something new by archiving!

• If you are missing out on conventions, DC is hosting FanDome: A Global Experience on August 22nd. It is a 24-hour FREE immersive virtual fan experience, where you can show off your cosplay from the comfort of your home to going behind the scenes of the comics, movies, shows, and games with artists, authors, producers, and more. 

Photo from Pixabay

Also, how are you guys doing with Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge 2020? Here is a sneak peek into my list (which needs to be filled out a bit more - I have some books I am in between, so hopefully I can update it soon!):

• Read a YA nonfiction book
• Read a retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, or myth by an author of color
• Snow White, an Islamic Tale by Fawzia Gilani-Williams  
• Read a mystery where the victim(s) is not a woman
• Read a graphic memoir
• Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
• They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker
• Read a book about a natural disaster
• Read a play by an author of color and/or queer author
• Read a historical fiction novel not set in WWII
• Read an audiobook of poetry
• Read the LAST book in a series
•  The Fiercest Joy by Shana Abé
• Read a book that takes place in a rural setting
• Read a debut novel by a queer author
• Read a memoir by someone from a religious tradition (or lack of religious tradition) that is not your own
• Read a food book about a cuisine you’ve never tried before
• Read a romance starring a single parent
• Read a book about climate change
• Read a doorstopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman
• Read a sci-fi/fantasy novella (under 120 pages)
• Read a picture book with a human main character from a marginalized community
• Read a book by or about a refugee
• Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the U.S. or the UK
• Read a book with a main character or protagonist with a disability (fiction or non)
• The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda 
• Read a horror book published by an indie press
• Read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or physical)
• Read a book in any genre by a Native, First Nations, or Indigenous author

Photo by Erik Scheel from Pexels

I am going to try and catch up on all my work (now that I have a new router) and enjoy some more regular books, audiobooks, and walks in this beautiful weather.

What are you reading this summer? Do you have any requests that you would like to see more content of? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you are having a healthy and happy summer!

Nancy Drew Comics (+ Happy Summer!)

Hi Everyone--

Happy (late) summer! I hope you have been enjoying the longer days and all the summer activities that have been going on. With summer comes a whole new season of books, movies, music, and more. With that "more" category, I would like to introduce to you a new series of book based comics, with a old-time, familiar heroine near and dear to our hearts: Nancy Drew.

(c) Kelly Thompson, Jenn St.Onge, Triona Farrell, Ariana Maher, Dynamite

Released earlier this month, this comic series begins with The Case of the Cold Case: Chapter One, by Kelly Thompson, Jenn St.Onge, Triona Farrell, and Ariana Maher (Dynamite Comics).

We begin with Nancy in unfamiliar surroundings, with new friends, but familiar circumstances - in the middle of solving a mystery. Nancy receives a letter that calls her back to her hometown.With a fresh new look for both her and her friends, Bess and George, the trio are off on a series of adventures in solving a mystery. A certain male mystery duo also make a guest appearance.

I have been excited for this series ever since I heard about the project earlier this year. I was confused when the series stated that Nancy's hometown is "Bayport," the hometown of duo Frank and Joe Hardy, rather than River Heights (maybe I missed something?). The story itself is more modern and makes current pop culture references. Although it is not exactly what I thought it would be, they stayed true to Nancy's personality and her take-charge attitude to get to the bottom of any mystery. I am curious to see if we will meet Ned ("good old reliable Ned") and if we will be introduced to more mysteries once The Case of the Cold Case is solved.

It is good to see more comics based on books, especially ones that focus on intelligent females! I did hear down the grapevine that there will be a new Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys comic book that was also just released (about $13.60 on Amazon), titled Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by comiXology.

What are you reading during your summer days? Let me know in the comments below, or if you are on Instagram, use #currentlyreadingblog and let me know with a picture!

Happy Summer Reading! :)