Summer is on the way!

Hello my fellow bookworms!

This month has been one wild ride. I have been busy non-stop and hope I can catch up on some relaxation in June! I apologize for the delay in book reviews.

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

• Voyage is hosting a Young Adult First Chapters Contest, open until July 18, 2021. First prize is $3,000 plus an hour long literary consultation!
  

• Penguin House is hosting a "How-To: Make Your Life Better" series with a series of emails sent to your inbox containing tips on wellness, home, or food and drink. You choose which category you would like to start with. You can switch to a different category after a few weeks, if you choose. 
  

• Penguin House also has a literary horoscope, to which you can receive a novel based on your birthday. Try it here!
  

• Did you know John Steinbeck wrote a werewolf-themed mystery novel? No? Neither did I! But, I learned that he did this week and that his estate is not releasing the book to the public at the present. Fans are calling for its release, but don't expect to see it any time soon.
  

• Haven't been able to visit the museums yet? The Smithsonian recently posted HABITAT, an online exhibition that you can view here.
  

• Have you read Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard before? I really enjoyed this young adult trilogy. Royalty, magical abilities, love, betrayal - it is one dramatic series that will keep you reading until the end! It is set to have a drama on Peacock, with Elizabeth Banks to direct and play a supporting role. 
  

• Book Riot released a list of great online book clubs/podcasts for you to join, if you do not have any in your area. I cannot wait to check them out!
  

• If you need ideas for plans this summer, Barnes & Noble released a list of Summer Reading books to devour, reference, and find some fun ideas from!
  

What are your plans for summer? Any good books on the horizon that you can't wait to dive into?  

Until next time!

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Spring is in the air

 Hello my fellow bookworms!

Happy Earth Day! I hope you celebrated by doing something for our planet, reading a good book about recycling, or even creating a bookmark out of items you already had on hand (a craft project that I want to try out soon).

(c) IndieBound 2021

Today is Independent Bookstore Day! IndieBound, an initiative of the American Booksellers Association, is hosting a contest for book lovers to go and visit their local independent bookstore and post a photo on Instagram or Twitter using #IndieBookstoreDay. Random winners can win a tote bag, a credit for free audiobooks from Libro.fm, and an Independent Bookstores of the United States map (from Pop-Chart). Go out and support your local bookstore tomorrow!

What have you guys been reading lately? 

I am still in the middle of Hope City by Neil Perry Gordon, so please continue to look out for that review!

A book on hold from my local library came in finally, and I must give you a short review! The book is Dearest Josephine by Caroline George. I have to say that I really enjoyed the book! It had romance, drama, mystery, and letters from the past titled to our present-day heroine. It examines what it means to be in love, and while I thought there may be some time-traveling going on (there was not), I loved the real-life happy ending our heroine had. I have a tendency to take photos of my favorite quotes from a book so that I can read them later on in life, and I did this many times with Dearest Josephine! I highly recommend giving this new book (released February 2, 2021) a read! 

(c) Pixabay, received from Pexels

I have also been keeping up on a webcomic titled Stagtown, from the author and illustrator of Bizenghast, Punko (a.k.a. M. Alice Legrow). I am a fan of the gothic, haunted tones of both the drawings and the story line. Lately, it seems there is something going on in Stagtown, as you can see from their official town website. I wonder what it is now... There are many fan speculations, but join in the fun, which includes a creepy video, hints to a phone number to call and find out information about a character in the comic, and more. This is a very interactive, fun, creepy, comic!

 

Until next time! Happy reading!