Stuff For Today

I won't speak too much on the Orange Menace's birthday, but here are some photos I just want to get out. One of these came up on my Facebook memories today, along with photos from the first No Kings Protest in my hometown.

 

Now this is the kind of king we'd want to see...

 And let's remember today is:

 And this:

Graduations

All the major graduations at the various levels of schools have taken place this past week, ending with the high school.

How many graduations did you have during your school years? And were the pre-high-school ceremonies called "graduations" or promotions"? I was of a time when there were no pre-school or kindergarten graduations. Not to mention that Pre-K or TK did not exist then. For me, graduations were just for junior high school (now called middle school), high school, community college and university. Our eight-grade graduation (which  people now insist be called a promotion) did not have caps. Yet, now it seems pre-schoolers and kindergarteners sport caps at their graduations. 

 

I also graduated in the years before social media, and do not recall any of my ceremonies getting out of hand as described in this video.

Not having children, I have not seen any ceremonies like this in person. However, on Facebook groups focused on my neighborhood happenings, people have been asking for someone to make graduation leis out of paper money or candy. And the high school has forbidden wearing high-heels, carrying balls or other decorations  during the procession. I don't recall any of this happening at my graduation. One thing I enjoyed about growing up in the 1980s. Nothing had to be that elaborate then. But in the age of social media, people think events like this should be filled with action and decorations just to go viral online. All we had in my day were still photographs that are now lying in a box somewhere in the garage.

13 Holidays in June

Colleen at The Thursday 13 holds a weekly blogging prompt where bloggers make a list of 13 things on Thursdays. The topic is for you to choose. The blog host doesn't have any official graphics to display on the Thursday 13 posts, so I decided to whip one up myself. 🙂  

Most of you already know about Fathers' Day, Flag Day and Juneteenth (a federal holiday since 2021). Here are some bizarre celebrations this month, found here.

1. Dinosaur Day - June 1st
2. International Children's Day - June 1st
3. National Donut Day - June 3rd
4. Hot Air Balloon Day - June 5th
5. Yo-Yo Day - June 6th
6. National Best Friends Day - June 8th
7. National Iced Tea Day - June 10th
8. National Corn on the Cob Day - June 11th
9. Peanut Butter Cookie Day - June 12th
10. Sushi Day - June 18th
11. World Giraffe Day - June 21st
12. National Pink Day - June 23rd
13. National Bingo Day - June 27th

June Bookish Bingo

The new card is here. 

My Books:

1. Maybe in Another Life--Taylor Jenkins Reid (9 squares): DNF Last Month, Not in a Series, Father, Found Family, Physical Book, Shelf Love, Book Club Read, Fated/Mated/Bonded, Free Space
2. Brown Neon--Raquel Gutierrez (3 squares): E-Book, LGBTQIA/Pride Month, Book or Reading Challenge
3. Peace is Every Step--Thich Nhat Hahn (3 squares): Audiobook, Special Powers, Epic World-Building
4. The Cracker Factory--Joyce Rebeta-Burditt (2 squares): Debut Novel, Been Thinking About Reading for a While 
5. The Endless Beach--Jenny Colgan (1 square): In a Series
6. Master Harold...and the Boys--Athol Fugard (1 square): Free Book

Erin's Book Challenge 25.0

Once again, joining this one at a private Facebook group.

Welcome to our 25th edition of BCBE!

5 points: Freebie - read a book that is at least 200 pages

• 10 points: Read a book set in a country different than the one you reside in (from BCBE13; this category had the most books selected than any other category we’ve done with 137 books chosen that challenge)

*****The following two are similar but definitely different. Make sure you read and comprehend what we’re asking for before making your choice AND see notes in comments of examples*****

• 10 points: read book 2, book 5, book 20 or book 25 in a series

• 15 points: read a book with the words two or five or twenty-five in the title; we will allow the words second, fifth, or twenty-fifth as well

• 20 points: read a book where the author’s name is Silver, cover font is silver, or word “silver” is in title

• 20 points: read an award winning book from the last twenty five years (you MUST list what award and what year it won)

• 25 points: read a book where the main character is 25 years old or early adulthood

• 30 points: read a book originally published in 1925 or 2025 or 25 years ago (2001)

• 30 points: read one of the 300+ books I’ve read in all the previous BCBE challenges combined
(Link: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/415897.Erin_s_BCBE_Reads )

• 35 points: read a book about a book club
(Link: https://www.goodreads.com/.../415880.BCBE_25_Books_about... )

Book Discussion: Finding a New Series to Begin

 

One year, I did a discussion post on how long it takes to finish a book series. In that post, I said how I was once eager to finish a series, but more recently had found myself reading only one or two books, then leaving the series unfinished. These were the reasons  I gave:

1. A lack of interest in continuing (though this is pretty rare)
2. Unable to find the rest of the books in the series at the library and not wishing to buy the rest if they can't be bought second-hand
3. Finding a book other than the first one (happens often when getting thrift-store books)
4. No hurry to continue right away, especially series with really long books (e.g., The Outlander series)
5. Simply forgetting that I even began (also rare)

How many of you have had these happen to you?

I was reminded of this post when reading Postcards From the Bookstore's post the other day, on Ten Series Deemed as Finished. I'm currently trying to find a book quartet to read for this challenge. Checking my Goodreads account, I found several quartets that I have begun, but have only completed one or two books (one in most cases). I'll have to re-read the book(s) already completed if I want it to count this year. Some of them I read years ago! Or I can start a new book quartet, of which I have at least two series in mind. Again, to count for the challenge, the series has to be completed this year. I must decide how soon to read to read each installment in the quartet, whether right away (one after the other), or whenever I feel up to diving into each one. It will depend on how eager I am to continue, as long as I get it done to count. 

What is your preference for reading series?

Summer Reading Challenge @ Messy Middle

I've been excited for this one to come! As with every year, I will get as many books as I can between the dates indicated. The "Make up Your Own Category" sounds like fun!

The Summer Reading Challenge will start on June 1 and run for eleven weeks through August 14, 2026. To enter, read seven books from 25+ categories and leave a comment at the end of the challenge with the books you read. That’s all. No entrance fee, no hassle, just fun.

What’s different?

• Only four charities were nominated, so we won’t be reading every Friday for Good. We’ll read on the 2^nd and 4^thFridays of June and July. Hopefully next summer we can return to reading every Friday with more nominations! You can learn more about the four charities here.
• Three special categories tied to big 2026 moments — the USA’s 250th birthday , my mom’s 90th birthday , and the World Cup 

What’s the same?

• Many of the categories were submitted by you!
• Choosing a penalty book within the first week of the challenge. A penalty book is one you declare to yourself:I will read this or be penalized. My penalty book this year has been sitting on my shelf long enough — Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. This is the year. (Or I’ll die, get it?! HA!)
• Like previous years, if you do not read your penalty book, you will subtract two books from your total
• The joy of reading!

What’s in it for you?

• All who comment on the summary blog post I’ll publish around August 14th will be entered to win one of several $10 Amazon gift cards. You’ll have a few days after August 14th to comment with the names of the books you read.

Drumroll . . . here are the categories!

1. A book someone mentioned in last year’s summer reading challenge
2. A book with cover that uses a color with a plant in the name. Turns out there are 20 colors with plant names!! Greens (moss, sage, fern, clover), Purples (lavender, violet, wisteria, thistle), Yellows (saffron, marigold, dandelion, goldenrod), Pinks and Reds (rose, blush, poppy, amaranth), and a mixed group (indigo, cornflower, eucalyptus, lichen)
3. A book with a verb in the title.
4. A book set where you’re going on vacation this summer/winter (or would like to vacation): The Endless Beach--Jenny Colgan
5. A book recommended by a child in your life
6. A book recommended by a bookseller or a librarian
7. A book that is Science Fiction, Fantasy or a Western
8. A book featuring nature such as a river, National Park, forest, or mountains
9. A book that has your favorite color in the title
10. A book with a great first line
11. A book whose title is someone’s name
12. A book that takes place in a place that you’ve been to
13. A how-to book
14. A book you stay up late to read
15. A book about space (I was thinking outer space but “space” could be interpreted in other ways)!
16. A book set on the opposite side of the world to where you are currently located
17. A middle grade or YA novel
18. A book told in epistolary style (letter or diary): Breakout--Kate Messner
19. A book featuring travel as a theme
20. A graphic novel: Apple Crush--Lucy Knisely
21. A cookbook, picture/coffee table book, or wordless book
22. A mystery, classic, or play: Master Harold...and the Boys--Athol Fugard
23. A book for professional development (loosely defined)
24. An audiobook: Peace is Every Step--Thich Nhat Hahn
25. A book you want to discuss with others
26. A book that’s outside of your normal reading
27. Choose your own adventure: Make up your own category!

A few categories special to Summer 2026

1. Since this summer is the 250th birthday of the USA, either a book about the birth of that nation or a book with 250 in the title.
2. In honor of my mom’s 90th birthday in August, either a book with an elderly person (at least 80 years old) or the number 90 in the title.
3. Because the world cup is in June, a book with soccer (football 😉) or the world cup in it

Bonus: choose a Penalty Book in the first week of the challenge as a way to kick yourself in the pants. If you don’t read your penalty book you will subtract two (2) books from your grand total: The Cracker Factory--Joyce Rebeta-Burditt