June 2025 Reading Challenge: Complimentary Colors

This June, I'm visiting the color wheel since I have yellow and blue book covers sitting tip-top on my TBR pile. It just so happens they're complimentary. I'm staying in the blue/yellow range for the month with an assortment of genres (AMZ links included):

1.) Murder Your Darlings by Roy Peter Clark - Writing, Non-fiction

2.) The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - Psychological Thriller

3.) Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam - Apocalyptical Suspense

4.) Swear to Howdy by Wendelin Van Draanen - Middle Grade

June Reading Challenge

Complimentary Colors

"Little by little one travels far."

Big heart corner-bookmark

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Color Fidget

by The Gray Muse on Etsy

Christmas Movies: Best of All Time

While writing a Christmas themed YA romance, I found myself in need of a list of Christmas movies that are loved and recognized by many to include in my story...my heroine is a Christmas movie buff. Coming to my rescue was this article by Entertainment Weekly: "The 23 Best Christmas Movies of All Time" by Chris Nashawaty and Kevin Jacobsen. For more detailed descriptions and the full article, do check out their site, otherwise, the numbered list is below with the movies I've seen in bold.

Drum roll, please! Ready?

The top 23 BEST OF ALL TIME movies, in order, are as follows:

1.) It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

2.) A Christmas Story (1983) 

3.) A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

4.) Elf (2003)

5.) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

6.) Love Actually (2003)

7.) Bad Santa (2003)

8.) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

9.) The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

10.) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

11.) Home Alone (1990)

12.) Trading Places (1983)

13.) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

14.) White Christmas (1954)

15.) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

16.) Die Hard (1988)

17.) Scrooged (1988)

18.) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

19.) The Holdovers (2023)

20.) Gremlins (1984)

21.) Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

22.) Klaus (2019)

23.) The Santa Claus (1994)

A little internet research showed other movies out there that perhaps could/should be considered for "the best" list, and they are:

Polar Express (2004)

Christmas Eve (1915)

A Christmas Carol (1938 and 1984)

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Family Man (2000)

We're No Angels (1955)

It Happened on 5th Ave (1947)

Auntie Mame (1958)

Holiday Inn (1942)

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)

A Christmas Tale (2008)

Jack Frost (1979)

The Rise of the Guardians (2012)

I haven't seen half of these on this page and don't remember all the ins and outs of quite a few. Hard to imagine watching these over the hot summer months, but apparently there is a thing called Christmas in July. Lol. A mind-bender for me in the PNW.

Anything missing that's worth a shout out? Let me know!

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Christmas in July

Fabulous Five: Favorite Reads for 2024

I've read over 180 books for the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge, which is mostly due to picture books (125) and DNFs (17). And I get it -- "Did Not Finish" doesn't translate into "read" by most people. But for me, if I cracked it open and got as far as I wanted, then that's read enough for me. Personally, this challenge is not a competition, but a way of keeping books and TBR piles straight in my mind. It's a jungle up in there, folks. Lol. And I don't want to pick up the same book twice, because life's too short, ya'll.

 Goodreads | Stacia’s Year in Books

With so many picture books under my belt this year, five favorites come to mind quickly. See below (AMZ links included).

TOP FIVE CHILDRENS BOOKS:

1.) The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (Teachers' Pick!)
4.) We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen (Editors' Pick!)
3.) Whopper Cake by Karma Wilson
4.) The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Editors' Pick!)
5.) What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamada (Goodreads Choice!)

Picture books aside, eleven books in other genres were marked as 5-star reads, and it was a fun-less job choosing which to eliminate. But since this is called Fabulous Five for a reason, five it shall be. The following books made the cut for my 2024 ultimate faves:

1.) All around best-of-the-year goes to this MYSTERY...

None of This is True

by Lisa Jewell (Editors' Pick!)

2.) A MEMOIR worth remembering is...

The Glass Castle

by Jeanette Walls

3.) A POETRY with all the feels...

Feel Your Way Through

by Kelsea Ballerini

4.) A juicy SCREENPLAY...

The Crucible

by Arthur Miller (Best Seller!)

5.) A beautiful REFERENCE book about art, color, and nature...

Nature's Palette: A Colour Reference System...

by Patrick Baty et al.

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"Life's too short for regrets."

Third Place!

 

PNWA Literary Contest Winner!

Young Adult

I'm on the big screen! I won third place in the young adult category for my unpublished Christmas romance last weekend. Also up there is my dog, Tilly Bean, who loves the camera more than I do. Not a very professional picture you might say, but not to worry! A long-overdue update is on deck 😉 📷🌟

July 2024 Reading Challenge: Pens & Pencils

What's your writing tool of choice? Colored, mechanical, lead, ink, ballpoint...pen or pencil...whatever gets the ideas onto paper is the point of July's reading challenge: pens and pencils on the cover. I found a few that I'm looking forward to reading. Here's my TBR:

Penciled in for a reading assignment.

1.) The Creativity Project by Colby Sharp

2.) Murder Your Darlings by Roy Peter Clark

3.) Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day

4.) The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell

5.) To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

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"I've got this." - Personalized Pencils 

Photo by Madrona Pencils

June 2024 Reading Challenge: A Month of Poetry

Poem Pile

I'm a poet and didn't know it. No, wait...I did know it. Anyway, I thought June would be a good month for some poetry immersion. Random, out of the blue, and why not? Here's the short stack I pulled off the library shelf this morning...my inspiration for a reading challenge:

1.) The Aspiring Poet's Journal by Bernard Friot

2.) For Everyone by Jason Reynolds

3.) If Men, Then by Elzia Griswold

4.) My Name is Jason. Mine, Too... by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin

5.) Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin

6.) Wet Cement, a Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka

7.) Feel Your Way Through by Kelsea Ballerini

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"Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of dictionary." ~Khalil Gibran

April 2024 Reading Challenge: Karma!

I recently grabbed a picture book off the library shelf called The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson and enjoyed the verse and illustrations...what a cute story! The end-flap advertised the author's "Bear" series, and I remembered Bear Snores On well, it being a 5-star read.

A Stack of Karma

After two great stories, I decided to see what else the author had cooking picture-book-wise and was flabbergasted by the sheer quantity--approximately 58 picture books! Are they all winners? That's the question that needs answering, and what this reading challenge is all about...reading Karma!

Childrens picture books by Karma Wilson (with links to Amazon):

1.) Bear Feels Sick (4 stars)
2.) Bear's New Friend
3.) Bear Says Thanks (3.5 stars) 
4.) Bear Sees Colors (4 stars)
5.) Bear Snores On (5 stars)
6.) Bear Stays Up for Christmas (4 stars)
7.) Bear Can't Wait (5 stars)
8.) Bear Finds Eggs (4 stars)
9.) Bear Wants More (4 stars)
10.) Bear Can't Sleep (3.5 stars)
11.) Bear Counts
12.) Bear Feels Scared (3.5 stars)
13.) Bear's Loose Tooth

14.) A Frog in the Bog (3.5 stars)
15.) Mama, Why?
16.) The Cow Loves Cookies (4 stars)
17.) Sleepyhead (3.5 stars)
18.) Moose Tracks (4 stars)
19.) Horseplay (3.5 stars)
20.) Princess Me (3.5 stars)
21.) I Love Your Face (4 stars)
22.) Whopper Cake (5 stars)
23.) Sweet Briar Goes to Camp (3 stars)
24.) How to Bake an American Pie
25.) Duddle Puck The Puddle Duck (5 stars)
26.) Moose Tracks (3.5 stars)
27.) Give Thanks to the Lord (3 stars)
28.) Hogwash! (4 stars)
29.) Hilda Must Be Dancing (4 stars)
30.) Big Bear, Small Mouse
31.) Doormouse Dreams
32.) A Dog Named Doug (4 stars)
33.) Who Goes There? (3.5 stars)
34.) Mama Always Comes Home
35.) Animal Strike at the Zoo
36.) Mortimer's Christmas Manger (3.5 stars)
37.) Mortimer's First Garden (3.5 stars)
38.) Bear Hugs
39.) Mr. Murry and Thumbkin (3 stars)
40.) If I Were a Mouse (3.5 stars)

41.) What's in the Egg, Little Pip?
42.) Don't Be Afraid, Little Pip
43.) Where Is Home, Little Pip? (3.5 stars)

44.) What's the Weather Inside?
45.) Outside in the Box (3 stars)

Other "karma" books on the TBR pile:

The Karma Map by Nisha Sharma
Karma Khullar's Mustache by Kristi Wientge
Karma: Why Everything You Know About It Is Wrong by Acharya Prashant

Write-O-Rama!

Fun for Puget Sound Writers!

The Tipsy Typers (A Writing Club-In-A-Pub) is proud to announce Write-O-Rama on March 30, 2024 from 1:00-6:00 pm.

Write-O-Rama!

Part write-in, part social mixer, Write-O-Rama aims to expand your writing community and your word count, all during one enjoyable afternoon at the pub.

Amateurs and pros, extroverts and introverts, pro-tipsy and tea-sipsy are welcome. Come join the fun! To learn more and get your place reserved, click the link below:

https://www.confabarts.com/tipsy-typer-write-o-rama

Don't wait too long, space is limited!

February 2024 Reading Challenge: Be My Guest!

Check out February's TBR pile:

Stop by...but don't stay too long, okay?

1.) The Guest List by Lucy Foley
2.) I Invited Her in by Adele Parks
3.) The Houseguest by Amparo Davila
4.) The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan
5.) The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
6.) You Can't Stay Here Forever by Katherine Lin

As you see, it starts with, "Hey, you're invited!" and ends with "Now, get lost." Lol. Mixed messages, over-stayed welcomes, regret, and even murder are the themes for this Valentine's month. Beware, nothing for your sweet tooth here.

Inspired by the title of Sam Sharland's picture book, Valentine's Guest House, which is filled with beautiful illustrations. If you like tigers, give this one a look.

Valentine's Guest House by Sam Sharland

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"Come on baby and be my guest, come join the party and meet the rest,

Everything is gonna be alright, so be my guest tonight.

 ~ Fats Domino, Be My Guest

Selected for the Writers' Room Residency 2024

Guess where I'll be writing this year? I've been selected to participate in the Writers' Room Residency program for 2024, so I'll be tippy-tapping away in the Eulalie and Carlo Scandiuzzi Writers’ Room at the Seattle Public Library! Whoot!

Inside the Writers' Room

Seattle Public Library

Want to read more about it or apply next year? Check out more information here:

https://seattlemedium.com/seattle-public-library-invites-writers-to-apply-for-prestigious-writers-room-residency-program/

Altered Cookbook

 My collection of recipes comes in all shapes and sizes: torn out magazine pages, printed copies, hand-scrawled recipe cards, and on a variety of scratch papers...and they all ended up in a big box that I'd pull out and dig through before cooking time.

Honestly, I enjoy the process of thumbing through the pile of odd notes. Well, I should say I did up until more cooks entered my kitchen. Then, too many hands were sorting and moving recipes around, adding to the time it'd take me to find what I wanted. It became apparent to all us cooks, that we needed a new system.

Handwriting all my recipes onto index cards wasn't an option and regular school-type binders weren't cute enough. I discovered the blog Fresh Vintage by Lisa S and got down to the business of finding my own copy of the ring-bound Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book from the 50s. 

I wasn't fortunate enough to find one at the thrift store, or patient enough to wait around. I went ahead and ordered a used version from Amazon, paying top dollar (*cough-cough*)...but I was happy with the quality and relatively clean condition...considering it's a used cookbook and all.

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Published January 1, 1953

The first step was to peruse the cookbook for pages to remove...and I can say with confidence that the recipe for the Liver-sausage Pineapple below (without any pineapple whatsoever) would never be made by moi. Goodbye to the recipe, but the photo has so much vintage-goodness that I set it aside in case it makes the cut later.

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, circa 1953

Page 61, Appetizers and Beverages

The opposite page boasts, "Served with hot coffee or chilled juice, [these snacks] put people at ease, spark good conversation." I bet!

Pardon me as I go back in time for a spell to jelly molds, green olives, and casseroles... I'll be back soon with more work-in-progress photos.

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Scrapbook paper options from Echo Park Paper Company:

Country Kitchen by Carta Bella

Farmhouse Kitchen by Echo Park Paper Co.

Farm to Table by Carta Bella

Homemade by Carta Bella

Fabulous Five: Favorite Reads for 2023

I've read over 300 books for the 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge, which is a HUGE number for me mainly due to my Picture Book BINGO Reading Challenge last October. Due to the quantity, I easily picked out five of my favorites.

329% - My Year in Review

TOP FIVE CHILDRENS BOOKS:

1.) The New Rooster by Rilla Alexander
4.) Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
3.) I Want to Be Spaghetti by Kiera White-Ruiz
4.) Little Witch Hazel by Phoebe Wahl
5.) Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite by Ashley Spires

 

Picture books and easy readers aside, I read so many good books that I honestly had a hard time choosing five favorites. But after some mulling, five books rose to the top:

1.) My all-time 2023 favorite read goes to this SPECULATIVE FICTION...

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

2.) Best read from a local PNW author is this MEMOIR...

Rough House by Tina Ontiveros

3.) Wonderful audiobook and great hook into a MYSTERY series goes to...

Out of Range by C.J. Box

4.) Best COMING OF AGE / DYSTOPIAN read goes to...

Deadlands by Victoria Miluch

5.) A gem! I highly recommend this CHRISTMAS ROMANCE audiobook...

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel

December 2023 Reading Challenge: Christmas Book Binge Reading

Every December I immerse myself in holiday and winter themed literature, looking for those stories with Christmas spirit to warm my heart. Alas, this season is no different. If I recommend a book, I'll tag the title with a big, bold link. Let's get to it...

A Holly and Jolly Reading Pile

CHILDRENS PICTURE BOOK

1.) The Christmas Pine by Julia Donaldson
2.) Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck
3.) The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Feather Flores
4.) The Best Christmas Ever by Chih-Yuan Chen
5.) Robin Robin by Don Ojari and Mikey Please
6.) It's Christmas, David! by David Shannon
7.) This is Christmas by Tom Booth
8.) Deck the Walls! A Wacky Christmas Carol by Erin Dealey
9.) Fly Guy's Ninja Christmas by Tedd Arnold
10.) The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood
11.) Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke
12.) Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas by Rubin Pingk
13.) How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen
14.) Maple & Willow's Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols
15.) Peppermint Post by Bruce Hale
16.) Bear Noel by Oliver Dunrea
17.) The Christmas Boot by Lisa Wheeler
18.) A Whisper in the Snow by Kate Westerlund
19.) The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup
20.) The Little Match Girl by David Warner
21.) Seek & Find Classics: A Christmas Carol by Sarah Powell
22.) Christmas is... by Gail Gibbons
23.) Luke and Lottie: It's Christmas! by Ruth Wielockx
24.) The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray
25.) The Christmas Owl by Ellen Kalish & Gideon Sterer
26.) Dasher Can't Wait for Christmas by Matt Tavares
27.) Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant
28.) The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston
29.) Repair Shop Stories: The Christmas Doll by Katie Hickey
30.) The Christmas Book Flood by Emily Kilgore
31.) Yetis Are the Worst! by Alex Willan
32.) Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson

CHILDRENS CHAPTER

33.) Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas by Melanie Watt

AUDIOBOOK

34.) The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories by Danny Pellegrino
35.) Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel

PARANORMAL

36.) Lily Sees Dead People by JD Douwes

ROMANCE

37.) Frosty Exchanges by Raine Winters
38.) Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
39.) Chasing Noelle by Sonja N. Griffing

SUSPENSE

40.) Thin Ice by Paige Shelton

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Check out the 3 recommended Christmas/winter reads for 2022 here!
Check out the 8 recommended Christmas/winter reads for 2020 here!
Check out the 3 recommended Christmas/winter reads for 2019 here!
Check out the 3 recommended Christmas/winter reads for 2018 here!
Check out the 8 recommended Christmas/winter reads for 2017 here!

Trope-licious! A Mega List of Romance Tropes

Time for list-making again...and it's trope-licious!

Love 'em or hate 'em, tropes are those common, overused themes you find in stories and are well-known in the romance genre circles. I'll seek out or avoid books based on tropes, as I'm sure others do, too. Sign me up for road trips, fake relationships, enemies to lovers, and going undercover. So fun! But please don't put books in my Christmas stocking with wedding, age-gap, or fairy-tale retelling themes, or anything set in Nantucket. Lol. Weird, I know! But I'm pretty sure I already know the tone. Of course if I visited there, my mind could be changed. Until that day, I'll stick with my tried and true.

Now you, go forth and enjoy your tropes!

Tropes for Hanging Around for You by Stacia Leigh

Young Adult Romance

A newly abandoned girl hides the truth about a fatal accident, a grizzled biker she calls step-dad, and how she really feels about the new boy at school, a low-life spy! But really, who's spying on whom? 

 

FRIENDS FIRST

Friends to Lovers
You've Changed / Love on the Rocks
Belated Love Epiphany
Brother's Best Friend
Best Friend's Sibling
Marriage of Convenience / Marriage Pact
Pretend Relationships
Best Friend's Ex
Roommate Romance / Innocent Cohabitation
Secret Admirer


ENEMIES

Enemies to Lovers
Pen Pals
Rivals
Love / Hate
Revenge
Not Good Enough
Forced Proximity / Stranded
Blackmail


FAMILY

Suddenly a Parent
Single Parent
Orphan
Widow / Widower
Forbidden Love

Tropes for Burnout by Stacia Leigh
Young Adult Romance

"Suspended in grief, a down-and-out teen is forced on a therapeutic road trip. How can he hold onto the past when a feisty biker girl has him hanging on for dear life?"

 

OPPOSITES

Opposites Attract
Age-Gap/May to December
Grumpy-Sunshine
Bad Boy
Celebrity/Actor/Actress/Rock Star
Rich vs Poor / Unequal Social Status
Different Worlds
Want Different Things


OBLIVIOUS

Lovers in Denial
Sworn Off Relationships
Lost Memories / Amnesia


SECRETS

Secretly Rich
Secret Identity
Unrequited Love
Dark Secret
Disguise
Mistaken Identity
Secret Baby
Is All as It Seems?
Spying/Detective/Undercover
Love Triangle
Workplace Romance


MARRIAGE

Wedding Planner
Jilted Groom/Runaway Bride
Arranged Marriage
Soul Mates
Destined to Be Together

Tropes for Dealing with Blue by Stacia Leigh

Young Adult Romance

When quiet good-girl Suzy Blue plays "pretend" with the charmer next-door, she risks exposing a mortifying family secret.

TAKE TWO

Love Potion
Second Chances
Love at First Sight / Insta-Love
Holiday Flings
Reunion
Redemption


COMMITTMENT-PHOBE

Wounded Hero/Heroine (Emotional or Physical)
Sleeps with Everyone but You
Playboy/Rake in Love
Back with the Ex
What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas
One Sided Romance
Afraid to Commit
Can't Say "I Love You"
All Grown Up
Long Distance Love


QUITE THE CHARACTER

Plus Size
Royal
Alpha Hero
The One That Got Away
Loveable Rogue
Ugly Duckling
Wallflower
Men in Uniform
Broken in Some Way
Bet
Blind Date
Fish Out of Water

QUITE THE PLOT / SETTING

Fairy Tale Retelling
Kidnapped
Adventure
Road Trip
Time Travel
Magical
Small Town
Location
Vacation

EXTRAS

Slow Burn
Matchmaker Gone Right or Gone Wrong
Against All Odds
Foodie


SUB-GENRES

Historical / Regency
Comedy / Drama
Mystery
Fantasy
Sci-Fi
Dark
Suspenseful
Western
Spiritual / Inspirational
Paranormal
LGBTQ+
New Adult / College
Young Adult (Ages 14+)


RESOURCES

Evie Alexander: 150 romance Novel Tropes
TCK Publishing: 14 Popular Romance Tropes
Brewing Writer: Ultimate Romance Tropes List: 28 Tropes + Book Recs!

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“The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the toolbox of communication.”

― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

October 2023 Reading Challenge: Picture Book BINGO

Since my picture book entry was a finalist for the PNWA conference this year, I decided to immerse myself into picture-book reading with a hefty stack checked out from the library.

A Hefty Stack of Picture Books

What's a better way to deep dive the genre than to play a game of reading BINGO? A quick win is reading five-in-a-row, but why not go for the gold? Read all twenty-five for a solid blackout win and find your next favorite book, author, illustrator...or maybe even a new series!

Stacia Leigh's October 2023 Reading Challenge

Picture Book BINGO!

Ready to read along? Print the BINGO card if you're able, otherwise the list below sums it up nicely. I will post Amazon or Powell's Book Store links for the recommended reads I want to share (regular links are a 4/5 star read, bold links are 5 stars). From left to right, here's the breakdown: 

1.) Collage Pictures: Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer

2.) Award Winner: Watercress by Andrea Wang

3.) Retelling: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

4.) Two-Word Title: Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor

5.) Set in the Forest: Little Witch Hazel a Year in the Forest by Phoebe Wahl

6.) A classic: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

7.) Non-Fiction: I Was Born a Baby by Meg Fleming

8.) Reptile on the Cover:

9.) Blackout Poetry by Stacia Leigh: Sounds Complicated by Stacia Leigh

10.) Hide & Seek: Where's the BaBOOn? by Michael Escoffier

11.) A Number in the Title: The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz

12.) Title Starts with Letter "F": Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

13.) Free Space: Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson

14.) Green Cover: Evergreen by Matthew Cordell

15.) Little Free Library Find: Georgia in Hawaii by Amy Novesky

16.) Book with Bugs: Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite by Ashley Spires

17.) Underwater Setting: Out to Sea by Helen Kellock

18.) Book with Robots: The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld

19.) A Holiday Story: Creepy Crayon! by Aaron Reynolds

20.) Sports Theme: H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination by Christopher Myers

21.) A Cultural Read: The New Rooster by Rilla Alexander

22.) Back in School: Sector 7 by David Wiesner

23.) Learn Something New: Share a Scare: Writing Your Own Scary Story by Nany Loewen

24.) Rhyme Time: Frog on a Log? by Kes Gray

25.) Based on Actual Events: Ida, Always by Caron Levis

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“Reading one [picture] book is like eating one potato chip.” — Diane Duane

September 2023 Reading Challenge: Back in School

With either a sense of dread or excitement or both, students and teachers are back in school and getting into the full swing of things. It's time to embrace the school schedule. Is your alarm set and your bag packed? Got your gym shorts? Did you make a lunch and charge your computer? What about binders, pens and paper, and books? 

Speaking of school and books...let's talk about the September reading challenge. Yeah! It's time to find school-related good-reads. Whether it's a particular place of study on the cover, a class, a subject, a #2 pencil, or a yellow bus, summer is over and whatever "back in school" means to you...it's go time.

Lists, Uniforms, and Libraries

So grab some county library books, audiobooks, Little Free Library books, thrift store finds, and/or bookstore treasures, whichever and wherever, and read on. Here's my reading list with (AMZ) links:

 1. The Headmaster's List by Melissa De La Cruz

2.) Winger by Andrew Smith

3.) I learned to Dance in Reform School by H.L. McCall

4.) Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

5.) The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: College by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht, and Jennifer Worick

6.) Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters From Obedience School by Mark Teague

7.) The Secret School (audiobook) by Avi

8.) Juliet's School of Possibilities by Laura Vanderkam

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Time...a precious resource.

Photo credit to Audrey Monke