Since deciding to create a Summer Reading Program, Venture Forth, I have been enjoying the community of book bloggers and remembering the pleasures of the days when blogs were THE THING. I noticed several of my friends were participating in the 20 Books of Summer event hosted by Cathy at 746 Books and I decided to merge the two experiences for the love of community.

The event kicks off today, June 1st, and ends on September 1st. There are options for reading 10, 15, or 20 books, and Cathy’s statement “It’s pretty common knowledge that I am the slackest challenge host and will bend the rules to help anyone reach their goal” means that she is a kindred spirit to the way I ran my challenges back in the day.

I decided to opt for twenty books, which is overly ambitious for the amount I generally read in three months, but when you see my stack after the jump, it may seem a little more doable.

Continue reading 20 Books of Summer →

It is Friday, and that means it is time for Bookshelf Traveling in Insane Times, hosted by Judith at Reader in the Wilderness. All images in this post may be clicked on for a larger version.

I thought I would begin a series of looking at the bookshelves, designed by me and made by my talented father, that reside in our upstairs library. At the end of the series I will post a larger image of the bookshelves as a whole.

This is the top level of a three-tiered shelf that stretches the length of the library wall, this being the view I see as I sit in my recliner. Let us travel, shall we?

Continue reading Bookshelf Traveling in Insane Times: Episode 2 →

The Return of Tarzan sees John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke, aka Tarzan, back in his beloved jungle after taking on an assignment to get him away from the heartbreaking reminder that his true love, Jane Porter, is set to marry another.

While one of the circumstances of his return to the home of his birth is coincidental to the point of being laughable, the whole of The Return of Tarzan is a novel filled with adventure and suspense, intrigue and romance, that makes it abundantly clear why the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs remains read and beloved today.

Continue reading The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs →

Do you recall Summer Reading programs that were assigned by your school for the Summer break, or were hosted by your local public library? Are these something in which you participated?

Memories of my past, related largely to books and reading, have been triggered during this time of physical distancing as I have communicated via technology with friends. Those memories are influencing my reading of late and even the music I have been listening to.

Further inspiration has come in the form of social media posts from my local library system. Mid-Continent Public Library’s Imagine Your Story summer library program for kids and teens that begins today. Kansas City Public Library has yet to announce their summer reading program theme though theirs starts June 1st and is traditionally for all ages.

Continue reading Let the Summer Reading Begin →