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! :)

Those End-of-Summer Days

Hello my fellow bookworms!

This summer has been flying by way too fast! Has it been the same for you? I feel like I haven't had a chance to just sit down and read a book, just fly from work to school application research and back!

I have not yet had the chance to sit down and read/write a review, so please take a look at the following bookish links I thought you would like to see:

• Peacock is going to have a Pride & Prejudice-themed dating show! They are taking applications for those interested, so test out your luck here! Maybe you'll find your Mr. Darcy!
  

• Harlequin is hosting a promotion with Postable where you can send out free cards to your friends! You can choose from romantic cards or happy birthday wishes. They send out pretty quick, too! 

  

  (c) 2021 Once Upon A Book Blog(ger)
  

  
  

• I love my local library, don't you? They have the cutest decorations and displays, along with the newest books!
  

• Have you gone on a summer vacation yet? Or are you one of the many where a vacation never seems to quite happen? Penguin House Books has a list of books to bring you on a summer adventure right from your own home/backyard. Barnes & Noble has a list of summer books, as well, to bring you outdoor adventures or new hobbies to explore. 
  

• If you have been following me long enough, I wrote my own post on traveling the United States with books! Goodreads has their own list of books from each state for this year, if you are interested.  
  

• 

  (c) 2021 Once Upon A Book Blog(ger)
  

  I also love random book sales when visiting large cities. It is so refreshing to see literature capturing all those who pass by, as well as those enthralled in the literature purchased!
  

• Everyone's lovable bear is getting a prequel! Winnie the Pooh has an authorized prequel called Once There Was A Bear, to be written by Jane Riordan, and illustrated by Mark Burgess. It will be in the style of the original author A. A. Milne. I was lucky enough to see the original Winnie the Pooh characters at the New York Public Library, which you can see here on my past blog post!
  

What have you been up to this summer? Have you been able to read any of the books you set out to read, or are you behind, as I am? I have quite a pile built up, so I hope in the upcoming month I can sit down and enjoy some "me" time! :)

 Current # of books read (out of my 50 book goal for the year): 19

Until next time - stay safe, enjoy the dog days of summer, and happy reading!

New York, New York!

This week I would like to feature the lovely New York Public Library (a.k.a. the NYPL), as featured in many movies and TV shows, such as Ghostbusters and Once Upon A Time. Of course, there are many libraries in New York (92 to be exact, located in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island - per the NYPL's website), but this is the BIG one! I love visiting here, as it has such beautiful architecture, history, and personality. It was also declared a national historical landmark and also a New York City landmark.

Original Winnie the Pooh set! (So cute!)

Located on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, the main branch of the New York Public Library houses the famous Rose Main Reading Room, the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal set, and thousands of items to read, watch, or listen to, including research collections. These collections include an original copy of the Declaration of Independence handwritten by Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Woolf's walking stick, and Maya Angelou's archives! (www.nypl.org, At A Glance fact sheet)

New York Public Library - Front View

The front of the main branch is impressive. It beckons you to come in and wander around, get lost in a book. Two lions guard the northern and southern entrances. Their names have changed over the years, but as of the 1930's, they are known as Patience and Fortitude, for "the qualities [Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia] felt New Yorkers would need to survive the economic depression." (www.nypl.org) These figures have been implemented as the library's mascots, as shown in the library's logo.

New York Public Library - Fifth Avenue Fountain

Here is fountain that is in front of the main entrance on Fifth Avenue. This fountain and its partner are the work of Frederick MacMonnies. Fun Fact: He created a piece titled American Monument that was a commissioned gift to the people of France in exchange for the Statue of Liberty! (www.nypl.org) The fountain was not on at the present, as it is currently undergoing restorations. It is a lot smaller than Once Upon A Time leads you to believe, but nonetheless, beautiful!

Rose Main Reading Room famed ceiling mural

Rose Main Reading Room (shhh, people at work)

The Rose Main Reading Room reopened in the Fall of 2016, so I was able to capture a few shoots of the beautiful restorations! The ceiling mural, bookshelves, and sitting room is a real life version of Belle's library from Beauty and the Beast! You are not allowed to take photos of the entire space, as people are actually studying, reading, and doing work, but there are sections allotted for tourists and library enthusiasts to take photos and marvel at the intricacy of the design.

Bookshelves to envy! So many books to discover!

What is your favorite library to explore or that you have visited? Let me know in the comments, or feel free to send me an email! 

As Taylor Swift sang, "Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you!"

Current # of books read: 34
Currently reading: Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo