"Leap, and the net will appear." - John Burroughs

Hello my fellow bookworms,

Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels

January has come and gone in a blink of an eye! This year, though, we celebrate February little longer, as it is a leap year. I thought John Burroughs' famous phrase was perfect to articulate some inspiration for this month, wherever you are. :)

What are some things to look forward to this month? There is so much! Here is a bit of it to get you started:

• February is Black History Month! The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has chosen the theme this year to celebrate African Americans and the Arts. There are many great books to read, music to listen to, and TV shows and movies to watch. The American Writers Museum shared a wonderful list of books to start you off! They also include podcasts and program videos from the featured authors, which makes for a fun, interactive read. Many libraries are hosting in-house Black History Month events to celebrate, so be sure to check out your local library!

• February 7th is World Read Aloud Day! You can celebrate by joining Cardinal Press' event online and listen to a select number of children's authors read their books over Zoom. You can sign up and find out more information here!

• Happy Year of the Dragon! Lunar New Year begins on February 10th. This year is to bring you much good fortune if you can harness the dragon's most important quality: compassion. If you would like to read more about what the year could bring, check out NBC's article here. If you would like to celebrate with books and live in New York, Hatchette Book Group and Kundiman is hosting a Lunar New Year party with readings from renowned authors, book signings, and more. If you are not, they have a fabulous list of books to check out and read!

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  Photo by Saliha Sevim from PexelsPhoto by Saliha Sevim: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-cat-book-and-headphones-sitting-in-park-7651066/

  Want to listen to more audiobooks? I have been in an audiobook mood lately (helps with cleaning and puzzles!), just in time for the Audio Publishers Association's 2024 Audie Award Finalists! The Audie Awards recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. If you would like to learn more, check out the Audio Publishers Association's website here. 
• The Audiobook of the Year Finalists are:
• All Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby 
• Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White
  
• Inside Voice: My Obsession with How We Sound by Lake Bell 
• Narrated by Lake Bell
  
• Sing a Black Girl's Song by Ntozake Shange, edited by Imani Perry, foreword by Tarana Burke 
• Narrated by Alfre Woodward, D. Woods, Regina Taylor, Lynn Whitfield, Okwui Okpokwasili, Ifa Bayeza, Imani Perry, Robin Miles, Tarana Burke, and Savannah Shange
  
• Surrender by Bono 
• Narrated by Bono
  
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 
• Narrated by Meryl Streep

One more quote from the naturalist and nature essayist before I leave you today:

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.”
― John Burroughs

Even though it is still winter, just note that each day is a little longer than the last, the sun is coming out more, and you have one extra day this month to read and visit friends. Go take a walk, read, enjoy time with both yourself, books, and others. 

Until next time, 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