Happy New Year('s Eve)!

Hello my fellow bookworms, 

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger) 2023

Wishing you a safe and happy New Year's Eve! May your year ahead be filled with many good books!

What are your book resolutions this year? This past year I read 48 books, for a total of 11,750 pages read. For 2024, I am going to keep my "Read 25 Books" resolution. I am going to aim to read a difficult book and a classic book. By the end of this year, I hope to be able to go back to reading in full force! :)

 

Here are my top 5 books from this year (in no particular order - this was a hard list for me this year!):

• An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten
• Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik
• These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
• Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• Give Me A Sign by Anna Sortino
  

Here are 5 books I look forward to in 2024 (also in no particular order):

• A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
• A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur
• The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
  

Here is some good book news for your new year:

• If you read my blog post from last month, Goodreads has announced their Goodreads Choice Awards for 2023! Did any of the books you voted for make the final cut?
  

• Cardinal Rule Press is looking for new realistic fiction books aimed at children, ages 4-11, that are representative, inclusive, and meaningful to publish! Picture book manuscripts can be up to 1,000 words and must be submitted as a PDF. Click here for more information.
  

• Book Riot has a reading log for their Read Harder Challenge that you can download and use to track your reading this year!
• If you want the actual list of challenges for 2024, check out the Read Harder Challenge here!
  

• There is a new bill introduced called the "Books Save Lives Act," that aims to counteract the book bans across the nation by classifying such bans as a federal civil rights violation. Check out the news article from HuffPost for more information.
  

• A nice act of kindness from James Patterson this winter, Mr. Patterson provided bonuses to 600 booksellers!

One more thing before the new year - did you know I have a Facebook page set up so you can now receive Facebook notifications when I post a new blog post? Check it out (and subscribe)!

Until next time - Happy Reading! Happy New Year! :)

Summer Vibes

Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Pexels

Hello my fellow bookworms!

It's finally summer! Depending on where you live, that could mean you are able to go out and enjoy some sunshine, or it could mean that you may still have limited hours to be out. It is still a weird time for all of us, but at least we are a bit closer to all going outdoors and being social again.

I have some book news for you:

• Just in time for summer, the ice cream company Salt & Straw is hosting new flavors based on children's books. You can buy a pint for yourself (online) and enjoy reading the book it is based off at the same time! (Smile: Words & Pictures sounds like a delicious flavor to me!)
  

• If you feel up to it, Buzzfeed Books is hosting a Summer Reading Challenge. Read through six different categories and enter to win a tote bag, candle, and six books!
  

• The New Adult Scavenger Hunt is no more. I am sad to read this, but am glad that it was around for as long as it was (it was held annually since 2014). See the final post by Kelsey Ketch, the host of the hunt, here, before it is deleted, along with the website.
  

• Do you  have a Costco membership? If so, there is a "hidden benefit" where Costco hosts book signings and events! They also offer signed books to purchase at their store, as well. You can view the upcoming author events here. Though the events calendar is empty at the moment (at least, it is for my area of the world), I imagine it will fill out as places start reopening again. 
  

• Are you tired of reading the same old stories and need diversity, different points of view, and books of color, but do not know where to start? Try LibraryReads, a website that hosts the monthly nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction that aims to be inclusive of all races, genders, viewpoints, etc. If you are a librarian, you can nominate a new and upcoming book to the monthly list, as well!
  

• The Smithsonian Magazine has a list of books to read in honor of Pride Month, showcasing overlooked stories and new books to dive into. 
  

• Book Riot has a list of free audiobooks for children to listen to. It may be of some fun to listen to this summer, whether you have children or are a child at heart!
  

• I know I mentioned it in my previous post, but the First Chapters Contest is live and up until July 18th! Try your hand at writing a compelling first chapter to win $3,000, publication, and a consultation with an agent!
  

• If you live in the UK or in France, there is a book titled Le Trésor de l'Entente Cordiale® that will lead you on a treasure hunt between the two lands. If you can solve all the clues and gather the key fragments, you will be led to an actual treasure: a golden casket! 

Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels

I hope you have a happy, healthy, and fun summer! What books are you looking forward to reading? Let me know! I have a stack of books that I am aiming to read, so I will update on that next time. :)

 Happy Reading!

Happy 2020!

Hello Fellow Bookworms,

Can you believe we have reached another new year, another new decade? There were so many good books this past decade, and there are so many good books still to come!

Have you heard of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge? The original post, posted in 2015, is continuing into its sixth year in 2020, with a list intended to challenge the way you read and guide you to read outside of your norm. As an added bonus, if you are able to complete the list before next December 31st, you can snag a 30% coupon off an order at Out of Print!

Want to try out the challenge with me? Here is the list:

1. Read a YA nonfiction book
2. Read a retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, or myth by an author of color
3. Read a mystery where the victim(s) is not a woman
4. Read a graphic memoir
5. Read a book about a natural disaster
6. Read a play by an author of color and/or queer author
7. Read a historical fiction novel not set in WWII
8. Read an audiobook of poetry
9. Read the LAST book in a series
10. Read a book that takes place in a rural setting
11. Read a debut novel by a queer author
12. Read a memoir by someone from a religious tradition (or lack of religious tradition) that is not your own
13. Read a food book about a cuisine you’ve never tried before
14. Read a romance starring a single parent
15. Read a book about climate change
16. Read a doorstopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman
17. Read a sci-fi/fantasy novella (under 120 pages)
18. Read a picture book with a human main character from a marginalized community
19. Read a book by or about a refugee
20. Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the U.S. or the UK
21. Read a book with a main character or protagonist with a disability (fiction or non)
22. Read a horror book published by an indie press
23. Read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or physical)
24. Read a book in any genre by a Native, First Nations, or Indigenous author

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger) 2019

Did you end up completing any resolutions? I find it is really hard for me to continuously complete a task and must shake things up every now and again to keep the task interesting (i.e. workout more --> go outside, hike, bike, parkour, etc.). Thinking it over, while not keeping to what I originally wanted for myself in the beginning of this year, I think this year has brought much perspective that I can use in 2020.

Thank you all for staying with me and this blog, which was once a resolution of mine! I wish you all the very best for the upcoming year and upcoming decade! May you stay curious, stay kind, love yourself, love others, travel, and experience the world - whether it be in book form or not. As Walt Disney once said, "Keep moving forward."

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P.S. I am currently in between a middle school/young adult fantasy book and do not want to rush a review post, so look out for another book review soon! :)