"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." - Oscar Wilde

Hello my fellow bookworms!

I am not sure how the time flew this month, but it did! I am quite behind on my fun reading, and just a little behind on my school reading. There were a few book-related news stories that I would like to share with you:

• NPR recently shared a story about how Gen Z is driving the sales of romance books up. Since I now have to pay more attention than normal to the genre for my new job, this article brought a smile to my face. :)

• If you are a fan of baking shows and Dr. Seuss, you should take a look at Amazon's new show, "Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge." It is not out yet, but you can check it out on Amazon Prime Video this winter.

• The new summer book, The Hotel Nantucket, by Elin Hilderbrand, is going to have a TV adaptation!

• The Smithsonian has released an online exhibition for "¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States." You can navigate through photos, 3D objects, biographies, and more. This is perfect timing, as National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15th!
  

• You can now play a video game inspired by Emily Dickinson's poetry, called "EmilyBlaster," inspired by Gabrielle Zevin's novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Click on the title link for background information on the game, provided by the Smithsonian Magazine. If you are interested in playing the game itself, click here!
  

• If you are interested in a career in library and information science, or are just curious as to what options are out there, take a look at the INFOcon videos here. Although this link shows the playlist for 2021, the next INFOcon is just around the corner - so subscribe and keep a lookout for new content.

This past month, my local library hosted a chalk fest! I was not sure what to expect, as it was my first time at the event, but it was a neat, family friendly event, with live music, lots of chalk, and a 3D chalk photo by @TheChalkingDad. Take a look at the final product below (yes, this is out of chalk!):

Photo by Once Upon A Book Blog(ger) - August 2022

Photo by Once Upon A Book Blog(ger) - August 2022

What have you been up to at your local libraries? Was there a particular book you enjoyed this summer? Share in the comments below!

Until next time - happy reading! :)

Days in the Sun

Hello my fellow bookworms!

The summer is starting to wind down, but there are so many book releases and book-to-film/TV show releases! Have you seen Where the Crawdads Sing in theaters yet? The book by Delia Owens was one I could not put down, and the movie did not disappoint the adaption! Also in terms of film/TV show releases, Jenna Evan Welch's Love & Gelato is now playing on Netflix. Neil Gailman's The Sandman comes to Netflix this Friday, August 5th. Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a series streaming on Amazon Prime Video. There is news of Paramount+ developing Becca Fitzpatrick's series Hush Hush into a movie, which was one of my favorite series growing up! I still have the books and the first graphic novel that was created for the series. Enola Holmes has a confirmed second season on Netflix, set for release later this year. Vampire Academy based on the series by Richelle Mead, has a series coming out on Peacock on September 15th.

This week I am finishing up my summer course and have quite a bit of reading to catch up on. I cannot wait to have a break for non-school reading! In the meantime, I have some book news for you:

• In honor of Disability Pride Month, Book Riot has released a book lover's guide to disability pride month.

• Want a free book? For yourself or for your kids, friends, family, and/or siblings? Kellogg's has a promotion where you can buy a box of cereal and get a free book! Check out the Kellogg's Feeding Reading program here. If you don't want the book, you can opt to donate it, too! 
  

• Need a quick break and want to look at art? The Smithsonian has a collection for you! Are you a cat person or a dog person? I like both, so viewing both collections is a relaxing break during my homework.

• The Austin Public Library in Texas is standing up against book bans with a series of free events that focus on the books being banned. A joint effort with BookPeople, the events focus on issues with race, LGTBQ+, and sexuality. Texas has the most book bans in state across the U.S., which makes this effort all the more important.

• If you liked the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, you can now take a themed cruise from Avalon Waterways. Buy your tickets now, as the ship is set to sail this September 15th!
  

• If you are looking for a dream job, why not be a "barefoot bookseller"? A year position, you can be a bookseller in the Maldives managing a small bookstore, writing book reviews, and more. Applications are due August 13th!
  

• For those of you who like comics, DC is going to release a new Spotify Series staring Christina Ricci as Harley Quinn in Harley Quinn & The Joker: Sound Mind. This is the second audio series in a podcast agreement with Warner Bros. and DC.
  

• The Brooklyn Public Library in New York is offering free library cards to anyone in the U.S. who is between the ages of 13 and 21 as part of their initiative called "Books UnBanned." The library card would allow users to check out books digitally, aimed to overcome any banned book restrictions that may be in place in the user's home area. 
  

• Walmart is releasing a set of live events online, including a book club! You can see the most recent live event discussing the book I Kissed Shara Wheeler with author Casey McQuiston here.
  

• If you are looking for something fun to do and want to travel on Labor Day weekend, you should attend Books Gowns & Crowns' 2022 Ball in Portland, Oregon! You can find details on ticket information, venue, etc. here. 
  

One last news story I would like to bring up, as I believe it is important to share, is that there is a new help line for those who need mental health help: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you need to reach anyone, feel helpless and/or hopeless, 24/7, please call 9-8-8. There will be no busy signal or hold. This new number, which is the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, will connect you to a network of trained counselors. If you don't feel like talking, there is also a chat option available. It is never a sign of weakness, but strength, to reach out and ask for help.  

Photo by Guillaume Hankenne from Pexels

What new books, movies, show, podcasts, music, etc. are you into lately? Please share in the comments below!

Until next time - happy reading! :)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! (c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger)

Happy Halloween my fellow bookworms!

I hope you have been able to enjoy in all the fun fall festivities and new books that are out! I wanted to mention that I will be going back to school, so I will be busy starting next year, and I am not sure on how often I can do book reviews. I will continue to post monthly and try to add new book news or information I find out for you to read.

 That said, I do have some bookish news for you:

• This past month was  Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month. If you would like some book recommendations celebrating Latinx and Hispanic authors, Penguin Random House has a book list titled I Am La Cultura.

• The original Poohsticks Bridge, from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books is up for auction. If you really love
  Winnie the Pooh, you can fulfill a childhood dream of booking a stay at the Bearbnb, or Winnie the Pooh's tree house. If it were not so far away, I would book my vacation today!
  

• All of the winter holiday items are already in the stores or making their way in. If you want to start your holiday shopping early, Barnes & Noble recently released their Best Books of the Year 2021 list.
  

• If you haven't been able to visit a museum or see some autumn-themed art, the Smithsonian has an online "Autumn Views" exhibition for you.
  

• Google has released a virtual tour titled "Walk the Great Wall [of China]," a fun new online feature mixing culture and technology. You can view beautiful photos of the Great Wall, read up on the history, and even "hike" the wall in 360 degrees.
  

• How cool is this Ikea setup? It would be fun to have a similar set up at home, but it did make browsing new furniture more fun. 

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger)

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger)

• There is a young adult novel that inspired Hayao Miyazaki to come out of retirement. He will be creating a film about his favorite childhood book, How Do You Live? by Yoshino Genzaburo. You can now read it, as it has been translated into English, and is available for purchase from bookstores, Amazon, wherever you buy books from! The movie is slated for release in 2023. You can read an article with more information from Publishers Weekly here.

• Another new movie coming out based on a young adult novel is based on the series Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I have read the series and read the graphic novels. I am very interested to see how the film turns out, and whether or not there will be sequels! Yahoo News has information on the cast and more.

I will have more news next month. This month went by way too fast!  I have a few books on my to-read plate, including: No Words by Meg Cabot, Lakesedgeby Lyndall Clipstone, Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, and The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis. Let me know what you guys are reading in the comments!

Until next time! Stay spooky! :)

Happy Almost Summer! (I have book links for you!)

Hello my fellow bookworms!

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Gift of Edward Hodgson Smart, 1907

This has been a crazy time so far, has it not? I have had a hard time falling back into my pattern of reading, which has been compared to Belle from Beauty and the Beast (always a book in my hand). If you find yourself at a lost to dive into a book, you are not alone. An article from Vox "Why it's so hard to read a book right now, explained by a neuroscientist," contains an interview with a neuroscientist that explains why a good portion of us are feeling this way. Journalist Constance Grady interviewed neuroscientist and psychologist Oliver J. Robinson, who is based at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. The basic conclusion is that while there are many factors that are contributing to our state of mind right now, our higher level of anxiety is changing the way we think, adapting our brain function to a state that promotes harm avoidance. It is harder to concentrate and so, it becomes harder to read, enjoy hobbies, etc. The article is a quick and interesting read, if you are interested in the basic science of why we feel the way we feel right now.

On a lighter note, I have some book-related links to share with you!

• The Comics Relief Festival released the recorded sessions of the last event online and announced that the next Comics Relief Festival will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2020! Can't wait!

• BookExpo has gone online this year. From May 26 - 29, you can join them for free sessions, such as Author Breakfasts and Buzz Books. Find the outline of events here.

• BookCon is hosting a virtual event called BookColine, a virtual book convention on May 30 - 31, that will have author panels, trivia quizzes, ARC giveaways, and more! Check out the official website here. 

• Smithsonian Magazine has a "Books of the Week" post, see their picks here. Speaking of the Smithsonian, they are also offering an option for you to ask them questions! Try your chance to be featured with an inquisitive question about science, life, books, etc. here.

• Taco Bell has a literary magazine available for all to read. I never thought I would write or read those words together, but here we are! Visit Taco Bell's website for a chance to read fan stories and poems about the franchise in their first ever literary magazine, Taco Bell Quarterly, online here. Volume 2 is live as of February 2020!

• Barnes and Noble is hosting a short story contest for children, ages 6 - 12, that is running from April 27 through May 29. The winners will receive a signed book from one of my favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine! Parents and legal guardians can read more about the rules and guidelines here. Have fun!

• With the release of SCOOB!, the animated film, DC is offering the chance for fans to read Scooby Doo comics all summer!

• If you are looking for things to read and cannot check books out from your local library's website(s), OverDrive offers an Instant Digital Card to those who need one! Check out the OverDrive website for more information. Once you have a library card, you have access to so many digital platforms of information! These include OverDrive / Libby, Recorded Books / RB Digital, Flipster, Hoopla Digital, and more (depending on your library)! From audio books, to eBooks, to movies, to comics and graphic novels, there are a variety of options online that can allow you to leave your home, without actually leaving.

• If you are looking to support independent booksellers, look no more! If you cannot find a particular book in a bookstore close to you, try bookshop.org, a website that was created to help financially support local, independent bookstores. You can find specific stores on their map, or help contribute to an earnings pool that will be evenly distributed among independent bookstores. You can even sign up to be an affiliate if you are an author, website, magazine, a fellow booklover, etc.! If you are an affiliate, you will receive 10% commission on every sale and a matching 10% to independent bookstores. Check out their FAQs if you have questions!

• If you are looking for something new to read with your children, or are a child at heart, take a moment to read The Book of Hopes, a collection of stories, poems, essays, and pictures from more than 100 children's authors and illustrators. It is free to read online only at the present, with an anticipated published book in the fall by Bloomsbury Children's Books. 

I hope that you are all doing well and have found ways of reading among the anxiety. I myself have finally started reading again this past weekend. It was a pleasant feeling to be lost in a world that has nothing to do with a pandemic. I wish you all well and hope that with the warmer weather, we can all get lost in a book!

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Gift of William T. Evans, 1890

A Few More Fun Links...

Hello bookworms!

Still wondering what is there to do when you are stuck inside? I  have a few more links that I found out about while catching up on all the news. At least in this way, you can feel like you have some adventure in your life!

Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels

• Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France is an art museum that has the option to explore masterpieces online, all without the tourist cameras in your face! Google has provided an interactive experience, so you can "walk" through the halls of the museum. 
• Browse around the beautiful Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France! Another lovely Google interactive experience, where you can take in the breathtaking views.
• The Smithsonian Natural Museum of History in Washington D.C. is a museum where you can look at dinosaur bones, gardens, gems, insects, and more! This is also an interactive experience, which you can choose through the different links they offer on their website.  
• Explore Yogyakarta, Indonesia's Prambanan, the Largest Temple Complex in the area with stunning architecture. 
• Take a virtual tour of Valley Forge National Park in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. You can see a tour of Former President Washington's headquarters!
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Boston, Massachusetts has some interesting fashion design you can preview, as well as other styles of art.



Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels

• Into trains? The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania located in Strasburg, Pennsylvania is offering virtual tours!
• Yaoyi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors is an exhibit that I wanted to visit at least once. Now we all can through NPR's short video walk-through, where you can see everything in detail. 
• If you like classical music, you can listen to Berlin's Philharmonic online performances. Just be sure to enter in the code mentioned at the top, as this is normally a paid service, but is free for the time being. 
• The Vienna Opera in Austria is offering online performances of their latest performances. For someone who has yet gone to an opera in person, I am watching quite a bit of these performances online...
• The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City has some of their collections online for you to browse from afar.
• The Social Distancing Festival is a mix of live streaming events from online artists that you can enjoy from home. It was made to help those artists who events and projects where cancelled due to COVID-19. 



Photo by Magda Ehlers from Pexels

• Speaking of live streaming, you can watch gamers, musicians, artists and more live stream daily on Twitch. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can sponsor a streamer for a month for free and have access to bonus content!

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels

• Check out the animals via live cams at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California or the panda cam at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.!
• Or check out the underwater views of animals at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia.
• The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois is releasing behind the scenes content on their Facebook page, which includes penguins running through the museum. So cute!
• Runner's World is hosting a free 15-minute LIVE workout on their Instagram page starting at 12:00 p.m. noon ET.
• Corepower Yoga is offering free streaming classes for yogis, so stretch out and feel good!
• The Everywhere Book Fest is a virtual book festival for children's literature to help make up for the cancellation of live fests and fairs. It is slated to take place May 1 - May 2, 2020. You can see information as it is available via Twitter (linked above) or via the event website here. 
• Learn a new language with Duolingo!
• Practice (or learn) coding skills with Codeacademy.
• Take a free class with Coursera, where you can learn new skills or build upon the ones you already have.

Am I missing anything that you found and want to share? Let me know in the comments!

Take care, keep healthy, and happy reading! :)

Happy Leap Year Day!

Hello fellow bookworms!

What is new with you? (Seriously, let me know in the comments!)  Here is some book news that I thought was interesting, just for you:

• The Smithsonian just released 2.8 million images for the public to use as they please. So many high resolution photos from their many collections that you could post, print, put on a t-shirt - be as creative as you want! The best part? More are coming, so stay tuned. Visit the open archive here.  Share with me the best book related images you can find via #currentlyreadingblog.

#SmithsonianOpenAccess - Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design, 1897

• More Americans went to the library than the movies in 2019! Good for us, libraries are a great source of free information, education, and fun. See CNN's report here. 
• My favorite detective Nancy Drew is turning 90 this year! To celebrate, the Hardy Boys are investigating...her death?? What? I'm not exactly pleased to hear this new story line, but I will give it a read to see what really happened. Read the New York Times article here.
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is going to have a television adaptation! 
• Penguin Random House has an email list that you can sign up for to receive tips on how to better read yourself to sleep (not that you guys need help with this, but the tips are fun to read!)
• For those of you with kids of your own, here are some tips from NBC on how to encourage your child to read more.
• BBC has created a list of the 100 Novels That Shaped Our World. How many have you read? (While I have heard of many of the novels listed, I myself have only read 6, including a few series.)
• Are you a Young Adult author who would like the chance to be published? Swoon Reads is a great opportunity for that! Check out the submission requirements here. Also, if you are a reader who likes to read books before they become the next big thing, you can also vote on your favorite books for publishing (read your share of new books here)!
• Looking for a quick read during your commute or break? The Short Story Project has stories for you! 
• More libraries are exploring in renting out items that help shape our curiosity and help us learn, fix things, etc. The San Mateo County libraries in California are letting visitors now rent out bikes! Additional accessories available to rent out include a GoPro mount, bike lock, bike basket, bike light, and first aid kit. What a good way to go from reading books to taking in the scenery. Sounds like a great day to me!
• Speaking of other services libraries now offer, certain libraries in the states now offer mental health and social work resources. Libraries in New York offer mental health screenings, invite social work agencies to visit to help provide assistance, and of course, offer relevant books. Libraries in San Fransisco hired a psychiatric social work to help with their homeless visitors. The Pima County Public Library in Arizona was the first library to hire and offer a public health nurse to patrons. It is nice to see and hear that libraries can be such a great resource for the public. Go visit your library today! (Well, tomorrow, it's probably closed by the time this posts.)

Happy end of February! I will leave you with this beautiful book slip case from the Smithsonian archives. Until next time!

#SmithsonianOpenAccess - Transferred from Cooper Union Library, 19th Century

End of Summer

"I got that summertime, summertime sadness..." Yes, it is that time of the year again - end of summer, beginning of fall, school time, new book time! I have a few books to review and hope to do some reviewing this weekend. :)

Did anyone visit any neat places, maybe with a cool library or bookstore - or two? If you didn't, here are some fun facts that may influence your next travel plans:

• According to Travel and Leisure magazine, the Key West (Florida) is home to two hotels that provide waterproof books for guests to read poolside. The Gates Hotel and 24° North Hotel both have a library filled with classic novels that you can read to your hearts content, whether it be lounging in the sun or splashing around in the pool!
• A library of a different kind, Chicago, Illinois can now boast that it is home to The Chicago Tool Library, a volunteer-run space where area residents can rent out items that are not used all the time, but you may find yourself needing or wanting (i.e. pasta maker, screwdrivers, sewing machine, camera, etc.). The concept is not a novel one, but a good idea that is now spreading. Areas such as Ann Arbor, Michigan and Sacramento, California have such a system integrated into their public library system. We need all libraries to integrate this!
• Indianapolis, Indiana has a new way to promote reading: the Book Bike. The bookshelf on a bike is set up in places where residents (or anyone, really - no library card is needed!) can pick up a free book and get into a good story. Be quick, though, the Book Bike makes visits to events, such as farmers markets, and tends to run out of every book on hand! 
• The Free Library of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has book carts in parks called Libraries in the Park, so that children can read while enjoying the fresh air. I wish my library had something like this when I was little!

Philadelphia Library in the Park (c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger)

If you cannot get out and about, but still want to be part of something, you should look into helping out the Library of Congress. According to the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress currently has a project where they are transcribing suffragist papers and need your help! How do you go about transcribing? Check out the By the People campaign, where you can read and help type what you can make out in the writings, tag writings (think Facebook), and even help review final transcriptions. You can create an account to always come back to where you last left off. You can be a part of history by helping to promote it!

So what have you bookworms been up to? Tell me something fun you did this summer in the comments! :)

April Showers Bring May Flowers?

Or snow. Lots of snow. Let's hope May really does bring lots of flowers! :)

(c) Thought Catalog, Pixels.com

Hello world! What books have you been reading lately?

I've been a bit busy with work and have been going back and forth between reading fast items (i.e. graphic novels) and slowly reading actual novels. Makes me wish that one of the "Short Story Stations" that the company Short Edition created were close to me! These machines are basically vending machines that randomly print out short stories for your commute - based on the length (of your trip) you input! One of these lovely machines is now offered at London's Canary Wharf. I know where I am visiting when I go to London. I would like to try and read all the stories offered! If you are interested in more of the story, please visit the Smithsonian's article here.

In other news...

Have you heard the tea on #CopyPasteCris? The story goes that Brazilian "author" Cristiane Serruya has a tendency to take pieces of books she likes and Frankenstein them together to "create" a novel of her own. Although, if it is not your words, it is really not your own work, now is it? If you cannot get away with it in high school, why do you think you can in the real world? Many different authors and readers have been keeping tabs on Cris, have reported her, and repeatedly called her out. Cris blames the ghostwriters she states she hires to help her write the books for the copying and pasting of good writing, but if the tally is over 40 authors plagiarized and people are now using your name as a meme online, I think I would stop while I was ahead, don't you? Nope, Cris continues to borrow from works she likes, to the point where people are using the hashtag to call her out and even compare the original works to the plagiarized works! The best part of all this? Besides being caught and called out repeatedly on this, Nora Roberts (whose works have been copied multiple times by Cris) is now suing her. Other authors have praised Nora and now we are all eager to see how this plays out. It's not nice to steal, but it is nice to see some justice being served.

Since it is supposed to be spring (maybe it is by you, but I'm still being pelted with cold rain and snow!), I have been listening and reading up on cleaning tips. Marie Kondo's manga The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up is a very cutesy story that also inspires and shows you how to tidy up. It is a different mindset than what I am used to, but Marie has a cleaning style that makes you think about what is really important in your life. I do not recommend going crazy binge cleaning after watching one of her shows or reading one of her books. I heard there was a lot of regret earlier this year, when everyone was Marie Kondo-cleaning. I think the different styles of cleaning are all fun to learn about, especially minimalism (which I don't think I could ever do, my natural tendencies are not made for that lifestyle), and you should figure out a style that matches your lifestyle. I'm not sure what it is about these types of self-help and lifestyle books and videos, but they are so motivating!

Speaking of lifestyle, I am in love with the public library. Not specifically my public library, but all of them, in general. The one I really love and wish I could live close to is the New York Public Library. Not only do New Yorkers receive free access to all the cool and hip museums in New York with only their library card (why doesn't my city do this?!), but they also now have bookmobiles that will come and visit neighborhoods whose libraries are currently undergoing renovation. Considering my neighborhood library is currently under renovation, I am just a bit jealous and much more curious as to how many books can fit in the vehicle and how many books of each genre is in it. If you are interested in learning more about New York's latest library offering, you can see more information on their website here.

I shall leave you with a couple of things you can do for fun! You can see what the best-selling book was for the year you were born here, thanks to Wordery, your online bookshop. Or, in honor of Earth Day this month, you can read up on recycling tips on Recyclebank, an online resource that allows you to learn about the different recycling opportunities in your neighborhood, the processes through which different objects are recycled, upcycling crafts, how to properly recycle and compost, and more. You can even earn points while learning to receive a free magazine or two (bonus!).

Let me know what you think about this post, other book news, or books in general in the comments. Happy reading! :)