Thursday 13 This Week

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. 🙂  

Random stuff from the Internet this week. BTW, I do not watch the Super Bowl.

 

Spring 2026 Bingo Reading Challenge--Beyond the Bookends

Here is the spring bingo card. It runs from March 1 to May 31.

1. Young Adult Fantasy Romance Books
2. Historical Fiction Book for Middle School (March):
3. British Mystery
4. Fiction Books About Gardening and Gardens
5. Novel About Grief (April):
6. Books With Numbers in the Title
7. Nonfiction Book About Art, Fashion, or Food
8. Book About a Road Trip (May):
9. Books with Unreliable Narrators

13 Things This Week

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. 🙂  

February Bookish Bingo

Here is the new card for February.

My books:

1. Red at the Bone--Jacqueline Woodson (7 squares): Not finished previous month, Library book, Physical book, Not in a series, Book Club Read, Short (under 400 pages), Feminine rage 
2. The Wild Swans--Hans Christian Andersen (2 squares) E-Book, Jealousy
3. The Not-So-Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard--Robert Bryndza (8 squares): Ina  series, Pink on cover, Busy cover design, Free space, Quirky character, Rom-Com, Multi-word title
4. Sounds Like Love--Ashley Poston (3 squares): Audiobook, Female friendship, Trope
5. Camino Island--John Grisham (1 square): Character is a writer

13 New Author-to-Me Authors I Read in 2025

I'm posting this not just to the Thursday 13 and the Book Discussion Challenge, but also to The Top Ten Tuesday at That Artsy Reader Girl. This is only the second time I've posted to that one, this same topic having come up a year ago at this time.  Even though it's a Top Ten topic, I decided to do them one--or rather, three better!

Here are 13 new-to-me authors I read last year. As usual (with this or any topic) it was hard just choosing that many. I'm sure there were more. These are in no particular order. I'm excluding authors with only one book so far. 

1. Eric Jerome Dickey--The Blackbirds
2. Jenny Colgan--The Bookshop on the Corner
3. Helena Greer--For Never & Always
4. Emily Lloyd-Jones--The Bone Houses
5. Rachel M. Yoldi--Lady Nightmare
6. Michelle Ruiz Keil--Summer in the City of Roses
7. Amanda Foody--The Shadow Game Series
8. Beth Morrey--The Love Story of Missy Carmichel
9. Rachel Pastan--This Side of Married
10. Karol Ruth Silverstein--Cursed
11. Rachel Hanna--The Beach House
12. Kirsten Miller--Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books
13. Tayari Jones--An American Marriage

It's a little hard to say individually how I came across each of these. Some I already had at home, including one I got a local book signing. Others were likely just sudden interest in the book, either o the library shelf or from looking online for books in certain genres. How do you find new-to-you authors?

What’s in a Name? 2026

It looked as if this challenge wasn't going to happen this year. But it's here now and as always, it has only six categories. 

1. Six/6
2. Cold weather
3. Peace
4. Pathways
5. Terrain
6. Flower

Graphics for A to Z Blogging 2026

Even though it's not until April, and the theme reveal isn't until March, I'm going to begin exploring themes for A to Z Blogging 2026. Their website already has this year's graphics up and once again I am loving them! This is a very earthy design.

Nearly One Year Later

Nearly one year into the Orange Ogre's second term, this is what are seeing:

Book Bingo Reading Challenge 2026 @ My Reader's Journey

I wasn't sure about doing this one again, since the hosting blog was so late in posting it (just today). But I am signing up. Some books I've already read fit some squares.

Made by Leticia Toraci on Canva

Book Bingo Reading Challenge Prompts:

Only normal mode this time!

You can substitute 2 squares if you consider them too difficult to find a book for.

ROW 1
A novella: Red at the Bone--Jacqueline Woodson
80’s or 90’s – Read a book first published in the 80’s or 90’s
500+ pages
Spring or Autumn – Cover or setting reminds you of Spring or Autumn: The Bodyguard--Katherine Center
Summer or Winter – Cover or setting reminds you of Summer or Winter

ROW 2

Past – A book set in the past: The Odious Duke--Barbara Cartland
Future – A book set in the future
Horse – Because 2026 Is the Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese Zodiac let’s read a book with horses!
Favorite Author
A book in translation – Read a book translated from another language to English or a book originally written in another language besides English: The Librarian of Auschwitz--Antonio Iturbe

ROW 3
Number in the title 
Space or desert setting
Free – Choose a mood read: Devil in Winter--Lisa Kleypas
By an author you never read before: The Indigo Girl--Natasha Boyd
Multi POVs

ROW 4
Totally random – Look at your Goodreads TBR list or another TBR book list. Think of 5 different numbers between 0 and the number of books you have there, look at the titles corresponding to the numbers you thought and pick the book you most want to read among them: Camino Island--John Grisham
Out of your comfort zone: Self-Sufficient Living--Andy Westley
Rainbow – Read a LGBTQ+ book
Love or mystery – Read a romance and/or mystery book
Gothic or feminist – Read a gothic and/or feminist book

ROW 5
BIPOC Author – Read a book written by a BIPOC author
Flowers – first or last book in a series
Vintage – Read a classic or poetry book
Book – Read a Standalone: After I Do--Taylor Jenkins Reid
Travel – Read a book with a setting you would like to visit: One Italian Summer--Rebecca Serle

My Year in Books -- a Meme

I first did this one last year. As you can see it's very similar to this one.

My Year in Books

Rules?

• Answer the questions with titles from books you read in 2025. (Some may end up being silly, others may seem overly serious.)   
• The goal is to have fun. 
• Participate by copying the questions below. Erasing my answers and inserting you own.  
• Once you've created your post, link it below so others can see it, then visit others' posts to see how they answered the questions.
• Spread the word. Let's see if we can make this a thing again this year!

Questions:

In high school I was:  The Best of Enemies--Jen Lancaster

People might be surprised (by): Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby 

I will never be: Lady Nightmare--Rachel M. Yoldi

My fantasy job is: As Seen on TV--Sarah Mlynowski

At the end of a long day I need (to go to): The Beach House--Jane Green

I hate it (when I'm): The Only Woman in the Room--Eileen Pollack

Wish I had: The Bookshop on the Corner--Jenny Colgan

My family reunions are: Cursed--Karol Ruth Silverstein

At a party you’d find me (at the): Table for Five--Susan Wiggs

I’ve never been to: Ellis Island--Elizabeth Carney (this one is actually true!)

A happy day includes: Magic Candies--Heen Baek

Motto I live by: The Summer Pact--Emily Giffin

On my bucket list is (going to): The Beach House--Rachel Hanna

In my next life, I want to have: A Spark of Light--Jodi Picoult

Don't take your titles too seriously or judge the actual plot line of the book in your answers. Have fun with this.

Once again, it was hard just picking out one title for each prompt. There were so many to choose from. And it's all in fun, as it says in the rules. 

Also posting this to:

In 2025…My Life in Books

This prompt is being held at Book'd Out. The answers can be real or silly, and most of mine are in fact not true. It's all in fun.

Complete the prompts using titles from the books you have read in 2025 to complete the sentence to describe your life in the past year. 

2025 was the year of: The Blackbirds--Eric Jerome Dickey

In 2025 I wanted to be: Invisible Emmie--Terri Libenson

In 2025 I was: Cursed--Karl Ruth Silverstein

In 2025 I gained: Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby

In 2025 I lost: The Reading List--Sara Nisha Adams

In 2025 I loved: The Light We Carry--Michelle Obama

In 2025 I hated (being): The Only Woman in the Room--Eileen Pollack

In 2025 I learned: None of This is True--Lisa Jewell

In 2025 I was surprised by: Big Magic--Elizabeth Gilbert

In 2025 I went to: Summer Island--Kristin Hannah

In 2025 I missed out on: The Great Boy Chase--Janet Quin-Harkin

In 2025 my family were: Under the Same Stars--Libba Bray

In 2026 I hope (it will be): Happily Ever Afters--Melanie Cellier

It wasn't easy choosing just one for each. In a few cases, I changed my answers, as there seemed to be more than I though humorously fit each prompt. I never expect anything like this to be serious or true. 

What books would you pick for this? Are they true or just fun?

I'm also posting this to the Book Discussion Challenge.

26 Things About the Number 26--Part 2

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. 🙂  

This week is Part 2 of "26 Things About the Number 26." I chose to do this as a two-parter since 13 is half of 26. Click to see last week's post.  

1. The 26th amendment or “Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote” amendment, passed on March 10, 1971, and was a huge change to youth responsibility and values, giving all those over 18 the right to vote.
2. At 26 years old, males can no longer be drafted into the United States.
3. In Windows Alt Codes, Alt + 26 produces the “right arrow” or → symbol.
4. An Australian Alternative Rock band exists called 26.
5. 26 was Frank Furillo’s badge number on Hill Street Blues.
6. Twenty-Six is a 2003 novel by Leo McKay, Jr.
7. The number 26 only appears once in the entire bible.
8. Click here to see athletes who wore the number 26.
9. 26 Men was a syndicated American Western television series about the Arizona Rangers, a law-enforcement group limited to 26 active members.
10. Its Roman numeral is XXVI.
11. The 26th Wedding anniversary symbol is opal.
12. Many TV shows have 26 episodes per season.
13. 26 is the only integer that is one greater than a square (5x5=25+1) and one less than a cube (3x3x3=27-1).

I'm sure there is much more trivia about the number 26 out there. Do a search to find more. It was a little hard just what facts to choose for this two-part post, as is always the case for Thursday 13.

Funny Stuff This Week

I just had to share some things from some of the blogs I follow. I also found some myself.