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TRCC Readathon Day 6 (July 22)

Today was kind of hard (got a ride client on the phone), but I was able to squeeze in some time for reading

"A View From the Stars" (7%)

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TRCC Readathon Day 5 (July 21)

Listened to "Devolution" by Max Brooks while sewing some patches onto my jacket. Also did a small bit of reading over dinner.

"Devolution" Max Brooks (5%)

"A View From the Stars" Cixin Liu (6%)

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TRCC Readathon Day 4 (July 20)

Made some good progress!

~ "Summer Solstice" Nina Maclaughlin (64%)

~ "A View From the Stars" Cixin Liu (5%)

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TRCC Readathon Update

First post of the readathon, but I forgot to write anything down, so here they are!

Day 1 (July 17th)

~ migraine, no reading

Day 2 (July 18th)

~ read "The Bloodless Princes" by Charlotte Bond

Day 3 (July 19th)

~ finished "The Bloodless Princes"

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Announcing the TRCC 10th Anniversary Readathon!

where we're going to celebrate my 10-year booklr anniversary by ... reading more books!

that's right, this year marks a whole decade of my life spent reading and blogging with y'all. I cannot fathom where all that time has gone but I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get us all together and give our reading a little boost 🥰

the readathon will start July 17th in your own timezone and will run until July 23rd, also in your own timezone. our only goals are to prioritise our reading and to chat with other people and maybe make some new friends along the way!

but because I love a little direction in these broad-stroke readathons, I've also settled on three mini-challenges that are completely optional

the mini challenges encourage you to:

Read a book with #Own Voices disability rep

Read a book you learned about from booklr

Read the book that's been on your TBR the longest

I hope you'll all join in as much as you can when we start on the 17th. I'll be sure to keep this announcement post circulating so as many people can join in as possible. We'll be using "#trcc readathon" as our hashtag for the event so please add that to any posts you make for the event 😊

I can't wait to see what everyone picks out to read! here's to a wonderful 10 years on booklr (and perhaps another 10 years 🤭)

see you all on July 17! - Bash 🧡

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Listen, I love watching YouTube essays about literature as much as the next person, but I wish YouTube offered little a synopsis along with the video in the For You Page because some of these videos (really, how they're titled) scares me

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Readingoals Readathon Announcement

Welcome to the readingoals readathon! 

I’m going to level with you. I wanted an excuse to read a bunch of Frankenstein/Mary Shelley themed books. Normally I try to read a few Frankenbooks in October but, honestly, the month just doesn’t really work for me. So I’m moving it up to April since it’s my birth month and also I get a couple weeks off work for the mid-semester break. And I decided why not make this an official readathon.  

But the Frankenstein of it all is not mandatory – if you wanna use this as an excuse to read a bunch of books off your TBR, get through a stack from the library, or work on some other reading goal you’ve got, then join me!  

Details 

TIME: April 1-30, beginning at midnight in your time zone, 

POST: I’d love to see what you’re reading throughout the month so tag your posts with ‘readingoals readathon’. I’ll be tracking the tag and reblogging things all month! 

PROMPTS: I’ve created a mini bingo board for anyone who would like a little direction or just enjoys that sort of thing – it comes in both a Frankenstein version and a more general style, but the prompts are the same in both! Feel free to double up on prompts or ignore them entirely! Check under the cut for more details on what each prompt means. 

Prompts 

Creature On The Cover – For those picking up Frankenbooks this could be whatever The Creature in the story is, but it could also refer to an animal, monster or mythological creature.  

Female Author – Pretty self explanatory. Frankenstein was written by a woman, so read something by a female identifying author.  

Poll Pick – Survey some other people to see what you should read next! This could be a poll on tumblr, instagram, or discord, or create a survey for your friends irl! Polls can have as many or as few options as you like.  

Borrowed – Check out something from the library, ask a friend to lend you something, or “borrow” someone else’s idea and pick a book from their tbr.  

New To You Author – A book by someone you’ve never read from before.  

Green on The Cover – The whole thing can be shades of green or it can be in a small section of the cover.  

Set in Another country – As long as the book primarily takes place in a country you currently do not live in, you’re good.  

Not Your Usual – Up to interpretation a little bit. You might decide to try a genre you don’t pick up often or a trope you usually ignore. If you typically read physical books you might give an audiobook a go, or if you tend to read adult books you might try a middlegrade or YA. It’s up to you how you choose to tackle this prompt! 

Published in 2020s – There's been some really great Frankenstein inspired books published within the last 5 years so this prompt was an excuse for me to pick up more. For those of you not reading Frankenbooks, consider this an excuse to pick up that new release you’ve been eyeing off.  

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Trans Rights Readathon Update

I finished up "The Seep" during my lunch break yesterday!

I'm starting "Emergent Properties" by Aimee Ogden, but I also picked up some of K. O'Niell's books at the library. I want to continue the Tea Dragon series since it's so cozy and all!

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Not embarrassing at all! Sometimes, you think it's one thing and you get another

Update on Book Bingo

I swear I have not forgotten this bingo challenge. I have been starting and finishing so many novellas/comics, that I have not kept track of it.

But here is my progress thus far!

Short Story Collection: Ayiti, by Roxane Gay

Fantasy: The Lies of the Ajungo, by Moses Ose Utomi

Animal on the Cover: Graveyard Shift, by ML Rio

Science Fiction: Touched, by Walter Mosley

Of course, tagging @batmanisagatewaydrug to see the progress!

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Update on Book Bingo

I swear I have not forgotten this bingo challenge. I have been starting and finishing so many novellas/comics, that I have not kept track of it.

But here is my progress thus far!

Short Story Collection: Ayiti, by Roxane Gay

Fantasy: The Lies of the Ajungo, by Moses Ose Utomi

Animal on the Cover: Graveyard Shift, by ML Rio

Science Fiction: Touched, by Walter Mosley

Of course, tagging @batmanisagatewaydrug to see the progress!

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The trans rights readathon kicked off yesterday. As a way to start, I'm continuing "The Seep" by Chana Porter (I'm starting to get a good part of the book!)

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Here is a list of books that Project 2025 is looking to ban and the reasons for each.

These are the books they are afraid of. These are the books we need to be reading.

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I am so behind on reviews...

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Desperately trying to finish listening to this audiobook before Libby repos my shit

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To everyone in red states where book bans are likely to take place soon, here’s some lists for you <3

As a history student going into library science, people way under hype how crazy book banning is

Multiple lists of books already banned in schools/libraries or ones that likely will be:

Banned Books Week 2024: 100 of the Most Challenged Books

Banned Book List

Colorado Banned Book List

The Complete List of Banned & Challenged Books by State

Banned Books from the University of Pennsylvia Online Books Page

Top 10 Most Challenged Books in 2023

PEN America Index Of School Book Bans – 2023-2024

Challenged and Banned Books

Places to order books other than Amazon:

Internet Archive (free)

Libby (free with library card)

Thrift Books

Book Outlet

BookBub

Abe Books

Half Price Books

Barnes & Noble

Better World Books

PangoBooks

Book Finder

Goodwillbooks

Alibris

Places to support that fight against book banning:

American Library Association

Unite Against Banned Books

National Coalition Against Censorship

PEN America

There’s a reason politicians fight so hard to limit knowledge and it should scare you.

Some recs below based on reviews I’ve seen

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing by Maya Angelou

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

Melissa by Alex Gino

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

All Boys Aren't Blue by George Matthew Johnson

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"Stage Dreams" by Melanie Gillman

I snatched "Stage Dreams" when I saw it on QLL Libby a week or so ago. I put a hold on it and soon found myself devouring this graphic novel. From what Libby's telling me, it only took me seven days to complete!

This was a simple story about a trans Georgian runaway (Grace) who meets a Latinx bandit (Flor) because of a stagecoach robbery. They decide to join forces in order to steal Confederate documents from a cotillion in the New Mexican territory.

Like I said, I devoured this story. The artwork is so pretty and soft, the story was engaging, and I felt like I needed to know what will happen next. I loved the chapter with the dressmaker and the sincere conversation that took place. Also, chapter five? I won't spoil it, but I will say that I almost cried tears of joy. I do wish there was more to the story, as in seeing their relationship play out longer or Flor's time as a bandit. (For someone who is a notorious bandit, I thought there would be a little more stakes involved.)

I still enjoyed my time with this.

(Bingo card courtesy or @batmanisagatewaydrug)

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January Books I Finished!

Not too bad for a start! Sure, the majority were quick reads, but I certainly enjoyed them! (Reading The Tea Dragon Society felt like a balm after the rough week I had.)

I very much want to see what'll happen in February!