June Bookish Bingo

 Here is the card for June.

My Books:

1. Fortune and Glory--Janet Evanovich (7 squares): Library Book, Physical Book, In a Series, Dangerous Character, Secrets, Set in Current Times, Meant to Read for a While Now
2. Elizabethan Lover--Barbara Cartland (3 squares): Free Book, Bride, Rekindled Romance
3. Isaac's Storm--Erik Larson (3 squares): Water on the Cover, Not in a Series, Book Club Read
4. Check, Please!:Hockey--Ngozi Ukazu (2 squares): Sports, Set in a University
5. Olive Kitteridge--Elizabeth Strout (2 squares): Shelf Love, Set in a Small Town
6. An American Sunrise--Joy Harjo (1 square): E-Book
7. Forget Me Not--Ellie Terry (1 square): Audiobook 
8. Chamomile Mourning--Laura Childs (2 squares): Flowers on the Cover, Free Space
9. Kissed--Cameron Dokey (4 squares): Retelling, Dress on the Cover, Shapeshifter, YA/NA

25 squares competed on June 17

2021 Summer Reading Challenge @ Early Bird Books

 Running from June 1 to September 3, with six categories.

1. Crime Book Written by a Woman: Fortune and Glory--Janet Evanovich 
2. Historical Fiction Book: Elizabethan Lover--Barbara Cartland
3. Literary Fiction Novel: The Secret Garden--Frances Hodgson Burnett
4. New Science Fiction or Fantasy Book: Black Sun--Rebecca Roanhorse
5. An Addictive Beach Read: Hello, Summer--Mary Kay Andrews
6. Thriller Written by a Woman: Atlas Shrugged--Ayn Rand

Challenge completed on July 20

2021 Summer Reading Challenge @ Hayley by the Book

 Here is a new one at Hayley by the Book. 

The Prompts

1. New-to-you author: Elizabethan Lover--Barbara Cartland
2. A mystery released in 2021: 21st Birthday--James Patterson
3. Main character’s name starts with J: The Roommate--Rosie Danan
4. Summery cover: The Summer's End--Mary Alice Monroe
5. 4 word title: Same Beach, Next Year--Dorothea Benton Frank
6. Middle grade (8-12) or young adult (12+) book: The Secret Garden--Frances Hodgson Burnett
7. Christmas in July: This Christmas--Jane Green
8. Hyped book: The Four Winds--Kristin Hannah
9. A book you meant to read last year: Fortune and Glory--Janet Evanovich
10. Sci-fi or fantasy book: Kissed--Cameron Dokey
11. Non-fiction by a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and other people of color) author: Disability Visibility--Alice Wong (ed.)
12. First book in a series: Olive Kitteridge--Elizabeth Strout
13. LGBTQIA+: Beyond Magenta--Susan Kuklin
14. Main character takes a trip or goes on holiday: Drive Me Crazy--Erin Downing
15. Goodreads Choice Awards 2020 winner or nominee: The Girl With the Louding Voice--Abi Dare
16. Water on cover: Hello, Summer--Mary Kay Andrews

Challenge completed on August 21

Book Challenge by Erin 15.0

Book Challenge by Erin 15.0 – Categories

• 5 points: Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages:

Same Beach, Next Year--Dorothea Benton Frank

• 10 points: Read a book that’s first word starts with the letter A (but not the articles A or An): 

American Royals--Katharine McGee

• 10 points: Read a debut book:

Everybody Fights--Kim and Penn Holderness

• 15 points: Read a book with the word to, too, or two in the title:

To Love and Let Go--Rachel Brathen

• 20 points: Read a book by an author who is a person of color:

Ties That Tether--Jane Igharo

• 20 points: Read a book 500+ pages; when listing your choice, please list the number of pages in your edition that you intend to read:

Atlas Shrugged--Ayn Rand (1,084 pages)

 

• 25 points: (selected by Carly) – Read a book about a famous woman; can be someone in real life or a fictional famous woman (an actor, a princess, a politician, etc.):

Touched by the Sun--Carly Simon

• 30 points: (selected by Darlene McN) – Read a book that has a color of the rainbow in the title (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) o Examples: Violets are Blue by James Patterson, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess:

The Orange Cat Bistro--Nancy Linde

• 30 points: (selected by Debdatta) – Read a book with a song title or song lyrics in the title; when listing your choice, please note the song & artist that influenced your book choice. o Examples: Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi (Helter Skelter by The Beatles), Adrian’s McKinty’s Sean Duffy series (all of the titles are Tom Waits lyrics), No Sunshine When She’s Gone by Kate Angell (Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers):

This Christmas--Jane Green (Holiday song "This Christmas")

• 35 points: (selected by Vinay) – in honor of October hosting an “International Day of the Girl Child”, read a book where the protagonist (leading character) is a girl younger than 15 years old OR a book written by a girl author younger than 15 years old:

The Girl With the Louding Voice--Abi Dare

Challenge completed on July 15

Not Quite Ready...

Even after getting the vaccine and with restrictions gradually being uplifted, I'm not quite ready to get out very much. Just enough to follow social-distancing protocols for as long as it remans necessary. Yes, I've been looking forward to the day when we can be out and about as we did before COVID. But I'm going to be careful about it all, as everyone should be. And I'm not alone.

I was happy to be able to go inside the library once again, though the allotted time is only half an hour, which passes too quickly! And it's only three days a week. But it's a start, and I have missed not being inside the library.

I've always been one to avoid massive crowds, so that made it easy to stay at home. But even so, I just needed some time away from home, and missed being able to do that while under quarantine. Thus, I am taking it all slowly with the hope of being out again soon.

And staying home for Memorial Day Weekend is something I have always done. I've never been all the eager to head off somewhere on such a holiday, out of fear of traffic and crowds. A quiet day at home is all right by me. Memorial Day in 2020 was the first legal holiday to occur once the pandemic was declared and quarantine was ordered. Legal holidays always feel like an extra Sunday, but the quarantine made each day feel like a year of Sundays. I attempted to pick up a prescription at the Safeway pharmacy that day, nearly forgetting it was a holiday. I don't have any to pick up right now (I get auto refills), so I won't be making that mistake this coming Memorial Day 😌

Quiz: What Does Your Favorite Summer Activity Say About You?

 Click here for the quiz.

You Are Brilliant

You are easily inspired to think colorful, interesting thoughts. Your ideas are never dull.
You tend to think up the most innovative things. You mind knows no limits.

You are intellectually open-minded. You like your beliefs and ideas being challenged.
You value autonomy and independence. You strongly believe in being free.

Now Getting to Go Inside the Library

I was excited to learn this would be happening. It started yesterday. It's only for three days a week, with curbside pickup and drop-off on other days. The downside is that you only get half an hour to browse. Also, some shelves are closed off, and patrons must ask a worker to find books located in those shelves. 

Even without a lot of time to browse, I was glad to hear this would be happening. The last day I got to set foot in the library was the Friday after the pandemic was declared in March 2020. It strangely was a Friday the 13th. The library closed down the following Monday, with curbside pickup starting in June. Books to go will still be happening on other days. 

I do miss getting to stay as long as I want, as half an hour goes by too fast! One day we will be able to do this again. How many of you have been allowed back into your public library and how much time do you get?