Happy August - here are some book links for you!

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Happy August my fellow bookworms!

The 1st of August marks the end of summer reading for the year in my neighborhood, is it the same for yours, too? The summer has sure flown by. While I cannot wait for my favorite season to come, I still want to have some more summer fun! I have not yet visited the beach yet, or read by the pool. May everyone have some more warm days ahead to finish their summer bucket list plans!

That said, I have some book news and links for you: 

• Need something good to listen to to help finish up your summer on a thrill? Amazon released a set of original stories you can read and listen to for free if you have an Amazon Prime subscription. Authors include: Nita Prose; B.A. Paris; Minka Kent; Chris Bohjalian; Alyssa Cole; and Julie Clark.
  

• A mystery story come true, a group of tourists were trapped while visiting author Agatha Christie's holiday home due to a fallen tree blocking the only exit, prompting the visitors to compare the incident to the book And Then There Were None. No one was actually hurt during the incident, but they did play croquet and drink tea!
  

• Ever want to visit the White House, but have not been able to secure a tour? Well, now you can visit from the comfort of your home! Check out this link from The White House Association, where you can find a virtual tour.
  

• With school coming, it may be helpful for you to have the link to access JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources, for free, to use for your research papers and so forth.

• If JSTOR does not have what you are looking for, you should try the DOAB, or the Directory of Open Access Books.
  

• One more free resource for you to check out is the Open Library, where you can check out electronic books to read (quite similar to your local library, but this may have more older books for you to reference!).
  

• Many celebrities, politicians, and lawmakers have come forth to defend the freedom to read. Recently:
• Barack and Michelle Obama recently released a thank you letter to librarians
  

• Jay-z and the Chief Executive Officer of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft, stated they are launching a campaign against book bans along with scholarships for minority students producing artistic works
  

• U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued an injunction this past Friday that blocks a law set to go into effect tomorrow, August 1st. This law would allow librarians and booksellers to be prosecuted for providing "harmful" material to minors. This past year has had the highest number of attempts at book bans and restriction to books than it has been in the last 20 years, according to the American Library Association.
  

• As mentioned previously on this blog, if you would like to be a part of the fight against book banning, please visit the American Library Association's website Unite Against Book Bans, where you can join the campaign, find out information on how you can help, see current statistics, and more. 

Until next time! I hope to catch up on my reading, and I hope to hear from you on what you are currently reading! 

I will leave you with this quote from Barack Obama's letter to librarians:

"Finally, to every citizen reading this, I hope you’ll join me in reminding anyone who will listen — and even some people you think might not — that the free, robust exchange of ideas has always been at the heart of American democracy. Together, we can make that true for generations to come."

National Poetry Month + May Bookish Updates!

Hello my fellow bookworms!

I hope you are all doing well. This past month was (technically still is) National Poetry Month and this upcoming month is Asian/Pacific Islander American Heritage Month! 

To celebrate poetry this month, I took part in a book circle for Joan Naviyuk Kane's most recent book of poetry, Dark Traffic. Ms. Kane is an American Inupiaq poet and novelist, whose work explores the experiences, perspectives, and identities of American Indigenous peoples. Having not been part of a book circle for a long while, I thought it was a fun, virtual experience. If you would like to have some insight on her poems, there is a video on YouTube from Poets House, which has Ms. Kane reading her poems from her various published works.

Here is some book related news and links for you to enjoy:

• If you are looking for books to read for May, try these links: PBS' list of children's books, Epic Reads' Young Adult List, and Penguin Random House's (Adult Book) List for books to celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

• World Press Freedom Day is coming up this May 3rd! UNESCO is the leading UN agency for education and is hosting a "Journalism under Digital Siege" conference in honor of World Press Freedom Day, that you can join online (click here for more information). As UNESCO states, May 3rd "acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in pursuit of a story" (UNESCO, 2022).
  

• A little late in passing on the information, but if you are currently working on either a horror/thriller or crime/mystery novel and have the first chapter already written, you can submit it for possible publication and a cash prize from Uncharted! See more details here.

• More and more institutions are banning books deemed unfit for our youth today. Institutions such as the New York Public Library (NYPL) is making it an initiative to provide copies of the banned books to all who request them - free of wait times and fines! The NYPL stands by the right to read freely, and you can too, by reading into their initiative here. 

• If you live in the Toronto area, Happily Ever After Books, a bookstore for romantics, will be popping up over the Toronto region throughout the year! If you visit, let me know how it is. Otherwise, you can visit them online, too!

•  If you are into Bram Stoker's Dracula, you can meet up with other enthusiasts at the Whitby Abbey in Whitby, England on May 25, 2022. According to CNN, everyone joining will attempt to beat the record to have the largest gathering of people dressed as vampires. Why this date? It celebrates the 125 anniversary of Dracula, of course!
  

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

I have some book-related plans coming up for the summer, but I will post about it after more details are finalized. What are your plans for this spring/summer? Are there any new books you are looking forward to or are on your To Be Read list? Let me know in the comments! :)

Happy Reading!

April Rains...New Books!

Hello my fellow bookworms,

(c) 2022 Kristen Ciccarelli, St. Martin's Publishing Group

This past month has gone by too fast! And though the weather has been a bit crazy for me, going from warm 60 to 70 degree weather back down to the 30's with snow, there have been quite a few new books, shows, and movies coming out to keep us all occupied. 

I recently devoured the new book Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli. Wow, what a ride! This book is technically for young adults, but has older themes, along with fairies, magic, a witch, a curse, and romance. I really enjoyed reading this book, so much that I read it in under a day! It reminded me of the older fairy tales, the ones that teach a lesson and do not always end perfectly and happily (though this story has a happy ending). It was a fun, fresh breath of air for me, who has been reading schoolwork non-stop these past few months. Thank you spring break! :)

That said, I have a book of poetry that I will read before joining my school's book club session this month. We are reading Dark Traffic by Joan Naviyuk Kane. Once I dive into it, I'll be sure to mention my thoughts on the book in next month's post!

I did find some fun book links to share with you in the meantime:

• For those of you who are Jane Austen fans, particularly the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, you can now visit Jane Austen's Home and get an up close viewing of Mr. Darcy's white shirt from the lake scene (you know the one!). There will be other pieces of clothing from Austen movies, as well. The exhibit, titled Jane Austen Undressed, will run until October 2, 2022. If you end up going, please share pictures of your visit! If you cannot make the in-person exhibit, they do offer a virtual online version of the exhibition to enjoy from home!

• Though this is technically not a book link, if you are feeling in need of a good scare, there is a YouTube channel that is currently posting free horror movies for your viewing. There are new movies uploaded weekly.
  

• If you have been following the Netflix series Bridgerton, you can celebrate your viewing with some tea inspired by the book series/show from Republic of Tea! They even have the books that inspired both season available for sale. 
  

• If you are interested in writing romance, Harlequin is offering scholarships to encourage more diverse voices in romance novels. 
  

• If you are in need of some inspiration, check out this inspiring talk about How To Let Your Light Shine Bright by Lisa Nichols, hosted by Goalcast! I was introduced to this talk, as well as quite a few other motivating videos, from my school's career center. You should also check out her books here!
  

What have you been reading lately? Let me know in the comments! 

Until next time, happy reading! :)

January News + Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy January, my fellow bookworms!

I hope you all had a happy holiday season. Am I the only one who is happy to finally see pink and red colors in the stores? While I do miss the colors of the holiday lights on neighbors' homes, I am happy the stress of the season is finally over.

I have some book links for you:

• Ever wonder what time it is and want a book quote at the same time? No? Well, there is a fun literature clock made by Johs Enevoldsen, inspired by Jaap Meijers and The Guardian. This clock is an online website that tells you the time in quotes! Check it out for yourself - it changes based on the time, so you could go a whole day and see new quotes!
  

• Since I am learning about archives, here is a link to a musical archive "time traveling" website called Radiooooo (2013), where you can choose a country, year, and song pace (slow, fast, "weird," or a combination of the three) to match a song to your preference. 
  

• If you live in the United States, you will notice a set of new quarters on the market. Twenty new designs will be issued over the next four years, featuring notable women in the United States, such as Maya Angelou (the first new quarter) and Wilma Mankiller, the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Check out more details and specifications, if you are into collecting coins, on the United States Mint website here. 
  

• February 1st is the lunar new year. It is also the year of the tiger! If you want to read books to celebrate the new year, Penguin House Publishers has a list of some fun reads here. 
  

• The American Library Association has released their Youth Media Awards for 2022. Check out their list here and let me know if you have read any of the winners (book or author)! 
  

• Check out this cute article from KTVB7, a news station in Idaho, who mentions an 8 year old Boise resident who snuck a book onto his library's shelf, and now it is available officially for check out!
  

• Have you played the latest word game, Wordle? Try and figure out the word in 6 tries or less, by guessing words and rearranging letters as necessary. I have been able to guess the word in about 4 to 5 tries. What is your best score? Let me know in the comments!

Photo by Expect Best from Pexels

Happy Lunar New Year! Until next time, stay safe and happy reading! :)

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.  
  

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  (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!

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday my fellow bookworms!

 

Spring is in the air and new books are on their way! I have a fantastic book to review, but I am not done reading it yet, so please expect it soon. The book is called Hope City by Neil Perry Gordon, a historical fiction novel that has quite the adventure, including venturing into the goldfields of Alaska!

In the meantime, I have some fun book news for you:

• If you are an author, or aspiring author, of young adult works, you can pitch a book in the 2021 Book-Pitch Contest by Voyage, A Young Adult Literary Journal! You need a query letter, a synopsis of your story, a one-page sample, information about where you are in your story project to join, and a $20 (USD) reading fee per entry. A grand prize winner will win $2,000 (USD) plus a book mentorship with YA author Kylie Schachte (author of You're Next, mentorship is worth $2,500), and publication of your story 

• If  you are like me and miss traveling and visiting museums, the Louvre just released more than 480,000 works of art online to the public. You can search for specific art pieces, or just browse with some music in the background. You can always add sounds of people grumbling and taking photos if you really miss that museum experience!

• Has anyone been keeping up with all the new adaptions of books to movies/TV shows? I am excited for the new Netflix adaption of Shadow and Bone (releasing April 25th)! I did like the adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones' Earwig and the Witch, which is currently on HBO Max. I borrowed the audiobook from the library and am curious to see how close the adaptation is to the book. Being the last book Ms. Jones had written, I am a bit sad and hesitant to read it. But, I loved Howl's Moving Castle (another Studio Ghibli film!), so I cannot wait to dive in!
  

• Penguin Random House has a promotion right now, called Read to Sleep, that helps you find books to read yourself to sleep. The idea is to explore books that allow you to escape from the real world, to allow you to better relax and dose off to sleep. I have a hard time reading to sleep, since I usually just stay up til the early hours of the morning to finish the book at hand! They are also hosting a giveaway, so try your hand at winning a new mattress and 25 books of your choice!

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

I am sorry I don't have more to talk about this month! It has been a crazy time, as I have been trying to get vaccinated for COVID-19. I was lucky enough to receive my first of two doses this past week, which I am very happy and thankful for! I cannot wait until I can read in the forest, in a park, or on a beach again.

I hope you all stay safe. Until next time. Happy reading!