Happy New Year! Happy Lunar New Year!

 Hello my fellow bookworms,

Happy New Year and Happy Lunar New Year! This Lunar New Year is the Year of the Snake. According to the NBC News, beginning on January 29th (which is also National Puzzle Day!), this year is about renewal, regeneration, letting go of the past (whether it is anger, lost love, etc.), and start a new beginning. This year is about growth, creativity, and positive transformation - so be sure to clean your home, decorate with red to add good luck, and celebrate with your family and friends (Google).

Photo by RDNE Stock project from Pexels

I hope you have been enjoying the winter weather so far! It has been a mix of warm and cold weather with us, and I am definitely enjoying the warmer part! We already had our first snow, but we have been having a lot of rain, so luckily I have a good stack of books to read ready to go!

February marks the beginning of Black History Month! Libraries all over the United States have some really cool events planned. DC Public Library is hosting "Historically Black Phrases Live!" LA County Library is hosting many different book discussion and live music events. New York Public Library is hosting an innovative Book Design Workshop with Blk + Brwn Book Designers, in which patrons can learn book binding basics! If I lived closer, I would totally go to this event!

Something really cool that the Chicago Public Library is doing is hosting tours of the Pullman National Historical Park Museum. Pullman National Historical Park is a part of the United States' National Parks Foundation, designated in 2015, and the first one in Chicago. In middle school, I had chosen the Pullman estate as a topic for a history project, and thought it to be fascinating and unfair. The town of Pullman became one of creating Pullman cars (a type of railroad car), factories, homes, and basically a ploy that trapped workers in the area. Workers would have their pay deducted if they lived in the town of Pullman. There were many issues with how the workers were being paid, which led to the Pullman Strike of 1894, to which George Pullman was criticized for his policies and experimentation of how he ran his company, town, and factory workers, and the Supreme Court ultimately ordered the Pullman Company to sell its non-industrial land holdings (no more controlling the workers!). The success of the company came back to fruition under the leadership of its next president, Robert Todd Lincoln. I had pictures and postcards from my time visiting the area, but if you happen to visit, please share what you learn / your photos!

There a lot of books, music, and movies that you can consume and learn from this upcoming month. I recently learned there is an audiobook of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speeches and sermons, which would be a pretty neat experience to hear! If you are not sure what you would want to read/listen/watch, here are some options:

• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby
• By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
• Coming to America
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
• The Deep by Rivers Solomon
• Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
• Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
• Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
• The Hate U Give
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• Just Mercy
• Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Essential Box
• The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monae
• Moonlight
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave
• One Night in Miami
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• Real Men Knit by K. M. Jackson
• Run by John Lewis
• The Unspoken by Ian K. Smith
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates 
• You Should See Me in a Crown  by Leah Johnson 

I know this blog post is a mesh of different ideas, but I finally graduated and I feel I am now back into the groove of blogging again. I would like to leave you with some fun links before I sign off:

• Temptations (the cat treats brand) released a series of fabulously purrfect reads featuring cats as the main characters. Check them out here!

• Book Riot released their annual Read Harder Challenge! I hope to finally tackle some of these fun book challenges this year, now that I do not have to read my homework anymore! :)

• Starbucks partnered with Oprah and is hosting a book club. The one for December featured Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These. It is a short book covering heavy topics, one that was gifted to me by a friend, so I hope to catch up on my reading and read it. The latest title is A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. 

• Goodreads hosted their Goodreads Choice Awards last year, of which you can now see the winners, voted on by readers like you! A few of the currently nominated books that I want to read include:
• James by Percival Everett
• The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
• A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair (the last in a series!)
• Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

I wish you all the best this year! Happy early Valentine's Day! I hope you make time for yourself and treat yourself to a good cup of coffee/tea/hot chocolate and a good book. 

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Happy Reading! :)

Happy All The Holidays!

Hello my fellow bookworms,

Happy Holidays to you and yours! We've entered that end-of-the-year holiday period, and can I say, I am already tired of the Christmas music that started the day after Halloween? It started so early this year! I suppose they are making up for last year, but I wish there was a break now and again.

Photo from BiljaST from Pixabay

That said, there are quite a few fun holiday-inspired links I have for you to view!

• If you are out and about buying books from an independent bookstore, you can receive a free audiobook from Libro.fm if you spend $15! This deal is until tomorrow (November 30th), but a free audiobook can be a fun book to listen to this winter season!
  

• Barnes & Noble has released signed editions of new books out for their Black Friday special this year. Check it out here and see if you want (or need) any for your own collection!
  

• Goodreads has opened voting for their Choice Awards 2021. If you missed the opening round, which ended yesterday, never fear, for the final round starts tomorrow. Vote now or forever hold your peace - until next year, that is.
  

• New York Times has released their list of 100 Notable Books of 2021. How many have you read? Amazon also has their list of the Best Books of the Year up. I will admit, while I have seen quite a few of these books listed, recommended, and on my to-read list, I have not read a single one (yet). I miss reading and have been very busy lately, but hope to catch up on reading during the upcoming holiday season! :)
  

• There are quite a few lists that recommend gifts for bookworms, but one new trend I have noticed in the recommendations is books with sprayed edges. These are so pretty! I have not seen them in stores, but they are up on Etsy for purchase. Take a look at this beautiful rendition of Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (which I highly recommend!) There are even signed sprayed editions available on Etsy, such as this one of Defy the Night by Bridgid Kemmerer. Check them out before they're sold out!
  

• NOVL has some fun book quizzes for you to try out. Find out which badass YA heroine you are or find book recommendations based on how you like your potatoes. There are more quizzes here, if you are interested!

• Learn about a woman named Alicia Tapia, who rides a bicycle around her city, passing out books through her mobile bike library, Bibliobicicleta, in this story from the SF Gate. It is very inspiring! I may look into trying this for my city, as well!
  

• If the holiday season has made you feel like you are wasting wrapping paper, etc., take a look at Recyclebank's recommendations for audiobooks on sustainability. Recyclebank is a fun website that teaches you about recycling and even provides insight to recycling in your local area. (This is not sponsored - this is a recommendation from me, a person who likes to recycle when she can, just sharing a favorite website!)
  

• Out of Print is having a Cyber Monday sale (as is the rest of the world), but who else has nifty book-related items to buy? Etsy is another great place to shop for book-themed items!
  

• Netflix and Starbucks has teamed up for a new show that talks about book-to-screen adaptations. Hosted by Uzo Aduba, "But Have You Read the Book" is a show that brings stars and authors to the show, where they join the host at a Starbucks, and sit down for a cup of coffee and have a conversation about books and their adaptations. I have not watched it yet, but it debuted on Netflix on November 16th. If any of you have watched it, please let me know how it is!

Photo by Elf-Moondance from Pixabay

I have a new book to read and review. I have not gotten to it yet, but hopefully I can soon! This next year will be interesting, as I will be reading more textbooks than books for fun. I am excited for the holidays and days off, so I can rest and hopefully catch up on my reading! What are you guys excited for? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time - stay safe and happy reading!