Book Challenge by Erin 17.0

 

5 points: Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages: Tell the Wolves I'm Home--Carol Rifka Brunt

BOUNS ROUND: Black Cake--Charmaine Wilkerson

10 points: In a time of war, disease, mass murders, and natural disasters, we'd like to promote a little positivity......Read a book that you predict will bring you joy and happiness (for example, can be a favorite author, a self-help book, one from the humor shelf, or one deemed inspirational): The Homewreckers--Mary Kay Andrews

BONUS ROUND: The Summer Deal--Jill Shalvis

10 points: Read a book that’s set in Canada (since it's Canada Day on the 1st of July): Anne of Avonlea--L.M. Montgomery

BONUS ROUND: How the Light Gets In--Louise Penny

15 points: Read a book by an author who is of a different race/religion than you: Breath, Eyes, Memory--Edwidge Danticat

BONUS ROUND: Queenie--Candice Carty-Williams

20 points: Read a book with a flower in the title or a picture of a flower on the cover: Summer on Blossom Street--Debbie Macomber

BONUS ROUND: Tokyo Ever After--Emiko Jean

20 points: (selected by Pam) – Read a book with book, books, bookstore, bookshop or library in the title: The Last Chance Library--Freya Sampson

BONUS ROUND: Book Lovers--Emily Henry

25 points: (selected by Jayme Sue) – Read a book published the year of a significant event in your life: Punk 57--Penelope Douglas (published in 2016, the year I began working at Mental Health as mentor)

BONUS ROUND: Somebody's Daughter--Ashley C. Ford (published in 2021, my five-year work anniversary)

30 points: (selected by Danielita) – Read a book that is recommended by the librarian or a book store employee or you discover on the "staff recommendations" shelf: The Coldest Case--Martin Walker

BONUS ROUND: The Anthropocene Reviewed--John Green

30 points: (selected by Carly) – Read a book that includes a trip or a vacation/holiday: People We Meet on Vacation--Emily Henry 

BONUS ROUND: We Came, We Saw, We Left--Charles Wheelan

35 points: (selected by Vinay) – Read a book a with one of these five words in the title: earth, air, fire, water or space: Into the Water--Paula Hawkins

BONUS ROUND: With the Fire on High--Elizabeth Acevedo

First round completed on July 20. Bonus round completed on August 25.

Summer Reading Challenge 2022 @ Messy Middle

 Doing this one again, getting as many books as possible during the time frame indicated.

It will start on June 1  and run through August 12, 2022. To enter, read seven books from 25 categories.

What’s different?

• I read Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen this spring and it is so fantastic that for the first time I’m choosing a book for us. (I’ll share more about it later.)
• A few new categories
• No COVID or Olympic focus this year 

What’s the same?

• Many categories will be similar because reading is reading. But you will notice a few new gems
• Counting a book of more than 700 pages as two books.
• Choosing a penalty book within the first week of the challenge. A penalty book or category is one you declare to yourself I will read or be penalized. The last four summers I’ve selected a penalty book and it worked! 
• Like previous years, if you do not read your “penalty” book, you will subtract two books from your total.

What’s in it for you?

• All who comment between August 11-15th with the names of the books they read will be entered to win one of ten $10 Amazon gift cards.

Drumroll . . . here are the categories!

1. Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood--Gary Paulsen 
2. A Biography or about history: Hiroshima--John Hersey
3. A book you already own: The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding
4. A book you’ve been wanting to reread: Willow Weep for Me--Meri Nana-Ama Danquah
5. A book a friend recommended: A Crack in the Sea--H.M. Bouwman
6. A Young Adult book (YA): Listen to Your Heart--Kasie West
7. A book with a great cover: The Guncle--Steven Rowley
8. A book of poetry: Vanilla--Billy Merrell
9. A memoir or autobiography: Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama--Bob Odenkirk
10. A graphic novel: Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max--Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis
11. A book for professional development (loosely defined): Decluttering at the Speed of Life--Dana K. White
12. A book longer than 700 pages (counts as two books): Voyager--Diana Gabaldon
13. A book with a verb in the title: Would Like to Meet--Rachel Winters
14. A play: The Merchant of Venice--William Shakespeare
15. A book about a country or culture you have never visited: Half a Yellow Sun--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
16. A book with the number 7 in the title or subtitle (in honor of this being the 7th anniversary): Punk 57--Penelope Douglas
17. A book that won an award: The Girl Who Drank the Moon--Kelly Barnhill
18. A book by someone with a different view point than you recommended you read: Poor Unfortunate Soul--Serena Valentino
19. A mystery: The Coldest Case--Martin Walker 
20. A classic: Anne of Avonlea--L.M. Montgomery
21. An audiobook: Vacation Under the Volcano--Mary Pope Osborne
22. A book with an animal: A Cat Story--Ursula Murray Husted
23. A book less than 100 pages: Retro Rhythms--Francesca Damkar
24. A book you want to discuss with others: The Homewreckers--Mary Kay Andrews
25. A book you read as a child: By the Shores of Silver Lake--Laura Ingalls Wilder

My Penalty Book: Tell the Wolves I'm Home--Carol Rifka Brunt

25 books (+ penalty book) read. Challenge completed on July 21

Book Hauls--Some Unexpected Finds

Still more book hauls over the last few weeks and some unexpected finds.

One was a book written by someone I know. She and my late aunt were good friends. The friend unexpectedly called my cell (having looked up my number) for my mom's birthday. When we called her back, she mentioned having written a book. I then looked it up on Amazon, and saw that it was over $25, even for used copies. I then debated whether to get it or not, as I was so curious. I could have afforded it, but I was just too hesitant. But I wouldn't need to get it from Amazon, as four days later, I was looking at books at local thrift store. They were half-off that day, and just as I was about to leave the store, I glanced around one last time and there lay a copy of the said book. I grabbed it immediately. The book is here and pictured below.

Another book I had been seeing recently online also turned up at the same store when I went again about two weeks later. I was interested in this one upon first hearing about it, but was hesitant about getting it. And then there it was. For something that only came out a year ago, it was amazing to find it in thrift store so quickly.

And when trying to find an award-winning book from the year I was born (one of the Book Riot Read Harder prompts this year), I kept looking for such books, but none that turned up in searches could be found at the library or even on the e-book sites I have been using. Among those mentioned were this one:

I'm not certain I would have wanted to get this from Amazon. I only read so much sci-fi. But  this turned up at Goodwill in another town. I wasn't sure even then about getting it, but I was having trouble finding other books that were from the year I was born that won any sort of award (this is a Hugo winner). And no doubt it would have been more on Amazon. This was not something I'd expect to find at a Goodwill, though, but there it was. 

The Goodwill store is in the same town as the now-closed used bookstore was. I'm still sad about that 😢

2022 Adult Summer Reading Challenge

This one is at Beyond the Bookends. It actually started on May 1, so I included books I've already read this month that fit. Will cover as many squares as possible.

My Books: 

1. Circus or Carnival Book: Smoke and Mirrors--K.D. Halbrook
2. About Working Women: Sisters in Law--Linda R. Hirshman
3. Historical Fantasy: Dogs in the Dead of Night--Mary Pope Osborne
4. Time Travel Book: Hour of the Olympics--Mary Pope Osborne
5. Celebrity Memoir: River of Time--Naomi Judd
6. Celeb Book Club Pick: The Cactus--Sarah Haywood
7. Free Space: The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding
8. Book With a Magical Creature: The Girl Who Drank the Moon--Kelly Barnhill
9. Book Picked by a Friend: A Crack in the Sea--H.M. Bouwman
10. YA Romance: Listen to Your Heart--Kasie West
11. Thriller Book: While Justice Sleeps--Stacey Abrams
12. 500+ Page Book: Voyager--Diana Gabaldon
13. Family Audiobook: Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp--Philip Pullman
14. Middle Grade Mystery: Journey Under the Sea--R.A. Montgomery
15. Canadian Author: Anne of Avonlea--L.M. Montgomery
16. Steamy Romance: Punk 57--Penelope Douglas
17. Set in a Library: The Last Chance Library--Freya Sampson
18. Set at the Beach: Beach House for Rent--Mary Alice Monroe
19. 2022 New Release: The Homewreckers--Mary Kay Andrews
20. Dark Academia: Pet--Akwaeke Emezi
21. Set in Britain: Into the Water--Paula Hawkins
22. Book From Ultimate Beach Reads 2022: Lessons in Chemistry--Bonnie Garmus
23. Beverage Book: The Soda Fountain--Gia Giasullo
24. Book With a Holiday: The Brightest Star--Fern Michaels
25. Set in the Gilded Age: Bridgerton: The Duke and I--Julia Quinn

Challenge completed on August 9

Summer Reading Challenge: Read the Rainbow

 Booklist Queen is having this summer reading event.

This summer, let’s try to read the rainbow. That’s right, I want you to read books in all different colors. You’ve got your standard ROYGBIV – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. And just for fun, I decided to throw in black and white, too.

My Books:

Red Cover: Red Heart Tattoo--Lurlene McDaniel

Orange Cover: People We Meet on Vacation--Emily Henry

Yellow Cover: The Guncle--Steven Rowley

Green Cover: The Cactus--Sarah Haywood

Blue Cover: The Best American Short Stories 2014--Jennifer Egan (ed.)

Purple Cover: The Wyndham Legacy--Catherine Coulter

Black Cover: Retro Rhythms--Francesca Damkar

White Cover: The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding

Challenge completed on July 22

2022 Post A to Z Challenge Road Trip

 

What this is (from the Blogging A to Z blog):

This is a great opportunity to catch up on the many blogs you would have liked to have spent more time visiting, but didn't during the Challenge, and a chance to visit the blogs of people who did the Challenge that you never got to. And, if you're one of those people who did the Challenge but didn't get a lot of visitors, this is a way to let people know that you'd appreciate a visit.

There's no set time limit to the Road Trip (i.e. no specific end date), so if you wanted to, you could visit everyone who was part of this year's Challenge between now and the start of next year's Challenge. If that's what you want to do, go for it! Most importantly, have fun!

Yes, I'm going to try to get to blogs I did not get to during the challenge. I'm one of those Blogger users who has been forced to comment anonymously, and that slowed me down on commenting. It still will, since the thing has seemingly not been resolved. But I will comment anonymously if needed. Since there is no time limit, I will view as many blogs as I can per day. I'm also hoping others will view mine as well, if they did not already do so. Happy road trip to all those who take part.

Fun Summer Reading Challenge for Adults @ JulesBuono

Wow, already seeing posts for summer reading challenges! Here is a new one to me, with a prompt for each summer month.

June: The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding

July: Beach House for Rent--Mary Alice Monroe

August: We Came, We Saw, We Left--Charles Wheelan

Challenge completed on August 3

Chapter Break Bingo May 2022

 Here is the card for May.

 

My Books:

1. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac--Gabrielle Zevin (6 squares): Physical Book, Shelf Love, Not in a Series, Book Club Read, Not a Recent Release, Empowered Female
2. Dogs in the Dead of Night--Mary Pope Osborne (2 squares): Audiobook, In a Series
3. Hour of the Olympics--Mary Pope Osborne (2 squares): E-Book, A Favorite Author
4. Smoke and Mirrors--K.D. Halbrook (5 squares): Bright Colors on the Cover, Special Abilities, Urban Fantasy, Fae, Habits--Good/Bad  
5. Twice Upon a Time: Rapunzel: The One With all the Hair--Wendy Mass (3 squares): Library Book, Mother, Multiple POV
6. Sisters in Law--Linda Hirshman (1 square): Political Intrigue
7. Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim--Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella (1 square): Laughed Out Loud
8. The Wyndham Legacy--Catherine Coulter (2 spaces); Arranged Marriage, Free Space
9. Dirty Rotten Tendrils--Kate Collins (2 squares): Flowers on the Cover, Spy
10. Silverworld--Diana Abu-Jaber (1 square): Free Book

25 squares completed on May 24

Blogging A to Z: Reflections Post

 

This week, participants in the Blogging A to Z are doing Reflections Posts.

This was my second time participating in the A to Z. I'd prepared my posts ahead of time at the end of March, then edited each as days went on. 

I was not surprised that my Forgotten TV Shows theme stumped so many people! A lot of those commenting did not know the shows mentioned! But I'm sure they learned some things. There were lots of comments on the first few posts, but  fewer as the challenge wound down. It was still great to get comments, though. And I was amazed when people said that they actually remembered a show I presented. There were lots of other shows I could have mentioned, and it was hard narrowing the posts down to just one per letter. I did some bonus posts, and wanted to do more of those, but as the A to Z would down, I got so blogged-out and TV-ed out!

As part of participating in the challenge, I visited other blogs and left comments on those. Several others wrote poetry, which is always fun. Another did TV show theme songs, one I knew I had to visit for sure. Yet another did songs from 1981, they year I was 10, so that was great flashback. Vinyl records, Youtube, and recipes were other themes I enjoyed seeing. And there are just too many others to mention!

I had several other themes in mind when the year began, though I wasn't sure about doing the A to Z this year.  But I'd already jotted down ideas for this one, and and when I tried to come up with other themes, I just could not decide on what to include for those. I now plan to begin brainstorming themes for next year as early as possible and hope to narrow my choice down by next March when the theme reveal begins.