Joanna’s Comments (group member since Dec 27, 2013)

Joanna’s comments from the CPL's Book a Week Challenge group.

This is it - the final week of 2020. 2021 is on the horizon. We all know what a strange and unusual year this was. Nothing went according to plan and the world turned upside down. I know we are all hopeful that the new year will bring a return to the normalcy we all crave. Thank you to everyone for participating in Book Quest 2020 despite everything going on. Whether you only read one book or reached the 52 book goal, be proud of what you accomplished in this year!

A couple small housekeeping things... the final day to enter your 2020 books is December 31st. Please have everything entered before 11:59pm. Drawing for the grand prize will be on January 18th and winners will be contacted via the email provided on Beanstack.

There will be a Book Quest 2021! You will once again be able to join the challenge through Beanstack. However, the program will not be live until January 6th.

Finally, what book are you all hoping to finish the year out with?

Happy New Year!!

Happy almost half-way through December! Can you believe it? I was checking items out to a patron and the due date was already in January. It'll be good, though, to wave goodbye to 2020 and to set sights on a better 2021!

What is everyone reading this week? I finished Stalking Jack the Ripper over the weekend which was a fun read. Hoping to finish the series though probably not all this week. Also have King of Attolia to work on. And guaranteed I will get distracted by a new library book and forget all my planned reads.

Have a good week, everyone!

December’s Take It or Leave It challenges are below. Do one, do all, do none! It’s totally up to you!

1. These are a Few of My Favorite Things – Read a book about a topic you’re passionate about

2. What’s Streaming? – Read a book that was turned into a television show or movie

3. Walking in a Winter Wonderland – Read a book with snow on the cover or the word “snow” in the title

4. Happy Hanukkah - Read a book about the celebration of Hanukkah

5. Dashing through the Snow on a One Horse Open Sleigh – Read a book about traveling or that features a trip

6. All the World’s a Stage – Read a play or a book that is also a stage play or musical

7. O Christmas Tree, How Lovely Are Thy Branches – Read a book with a green cover

8. Short and Sweet – Read a book that’s under 300 pages


Have fun!

December is here! At long last, 2020 is almost over and 2021 is on the horizon. This also means it's the final countdown for the challenge! May you finish strong!

What is everyone reading this week? I'm working on finishing The Return of the King (just have the Appendices left) and then I'll probably be working on The King of Attolia and The Midnight Library. I've gone from having under 10 books checked out to the max of 30 and I once again need to focus on bringing the pile down (or just stop checking out books... but where's the fun in that?)

Happy reading, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you all a lovely and safe holiday.

What books are you thankful for this year? Or what books are you thankful for in general?

There are so many books to be thankful for that it's easy to just write "I'm thankful for all of them." But I really am. I'm grateful for every story that pulls me out of my head. I'm grateful for every story that pushes me past my comfort. I'm grateful for every story that entertains, enlightens, opens doors, and sparks the imagination. So here's to all the books- thank you for everything!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope your week is off to a wonderful start. What is everyone reading this week? I just finished my reread of The Two Towers and will probably start Return of the King within the next couple of days. Also started They Never Learn which is, I think, classified as a thriller. It's about a serial killer and a student (the serial killer isn't after the student, though; she kills men who have harmed innocents and got away with it). Honestly, I randomly picked it up from the shelf at work and it looked interesting so I checked it out. But it's definitely not my normal genre. Only 40 pages in but it's pretty good so far. We'll see how the story progresses, though.

Happy reading!

Let's talk tears. What books have made you cry? Both "small tear in corner of the eye" and full on sobbing? Or does it depend on what else is happening at the time? Or do you find that you don't get overly emotional with your books?

I am generally more of the latter category. I feel emotional when I read but generally not enough to translate into tears. But it happens. Usually because the emotions of the character are so well conveyed. This is going to contain some spoilers for the Queen's Thief series... but I sobbed my way through book 2, The Queen of Attolia, when I read it a couple weeks ago. There's something that happens that I actually knew about going into the book. But I thought it happened later, not within the first couple chapters. The rest of the book is the fall out of the event and she does not pack punches. Turner is great at conveying emotions with simple sentences. It almost made it more painful for me to read. And just when I thought I was going to be okay, she'd drop just a small line and I'd be sobbing again.

This is still a fairly rare occurrence for me.

What about you? What books have made you cry?

We're down to the final two months of the year! Who's excited? How are you doing on your goals? On track? Behind? Ahead?

What are you reading this week? I was supposed to have finished my Tolkien reread back in the summer (oops) so I'm getting ready to finish that. I just have the Lord of the Rings trilogy left. Then I'll probably read Bookish and the Beast and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

November’s Take It or Leave It challenges are below. Do one, do all, do none! It’s totally up to you!

1. Big Library Read – It’s that time again! Join Big Library Read on OverDrive as we read the same book at the same time. This year’s selection is Reverie by Ryan La Sala. This book is available without any holds or waitlists as an ebook on OverDrive through Nov. 16th.

2. Online Book Club Selection – Join our Online Book Club as we read Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.

3. It’s Turkey Time! – Read a book with “turkey” in the title or with one on the front cover

4. Let’s Be Thankful – Read a book you are thankful for

5. Veteran’s Day - Thank you to all who have served. Read a book featuring military personnel or about a branch of the armed services.

6. And the Nominees Are... - Read a book nominated for the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards.

7. I Need to Get Away – Read a book set in your ultimate getaway destination

8. Bonus! – Read any book and list it here

Happy Halloween, a few days early of course! If you're missing the normal festivities, come drive by the Chesapeake libraries this Friday from 3pm to 6pm. We're decorating for the season and you can enjoy the fun, outdoor decorations from the safety of your cars.

After that, join us virtually for Haunted Hogwarts! This online themed event will be Friday, Oct. 30th starting at 6:30. Recommended for ages kindergarten to 5th grade. You can find out more here.

What is everyone reading this week? I started Mexican Gothic which is perfect for the season. I'm really enjoying it so far. Also working on The Dream Thieves and hopefully starting Bookish and the Beast over the weekend.

Tell us what you are reading!

Is it still October? It's still October. Phew. What is time anymore? I feel like the days are both flying by super fast and moving at a glacial pace. Anyone else feel like that? I am also waiting for fall to take full effect. These chilly nights and the random pattern of cold days have been nice, but I need it to be more consistent and less warm. Lol.

Fall obviously has its own vibes and associated images and activities. Which leads me to ask... do you participate in seasonal reading? By this, I mean do you pick your books based on what season it is? For example, since it's October, people are reading all the spooky books or books that make them think of fall. I've seen people pull out Christmas romance in December. We obviously have beach reads for the summer. The list could go on. Are there certain books you save for certain times of the year?

I am actually not much of a seasonal reader. This month will be a small exception just because I have Cemetery Boys (read it, it's great) and Mexican Gothic on my list. Both books fall under the "spooky" category. But I've really never been one to set aside certain books for certain times. I've read horror in the height of summer. I've picked up beach reads in the dead of winter. If I want to read it, I don't see why I should wait. And the turn of the weather doesn't affect my desire for one sort of genre over another.

Where do you fall on the scale of seasonal reading?

What is everyone reading this week? Anything good? I just finished Cemetery Boys which was great. I also finished Sorcery of Thorns which has been on my list since before summer of last year. I kept putting it off because I was nervous. But it was such a fun book and while I know I'll never get a sequel, I need a sequel.

Tell us about your current reads!

Happy October! It's beginning to feel like fall and isn't it amazing? While I am definitely a child of the winter (give me snow, please), I still love autumn. The colors, the food, the chill in the air, the crunch of leaves, and all the spookiness (yes, Halloween is my favorite holiday). There isn't anything like it.

What is everyone reading this week? I have a couple books going. Buddy reading The Dream Thieves with my roommate, reading Dear Martin for work, and then working on Supernavigators and Sorcery of Thorns. I have a three day weekend coming up so I'm hoping I can finish a couple of these then.

October’s Take It or Leave It challenges are below. Do one, do all, do none! It’s totally up to you!

1. Online Book Club Selection – Join our Online Book Club as we read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

2. National Hispanic Heritage Month – This celebration “…honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans” and runs from September 15 to October 15. Join Chesapeake Public Library for a virtual fiesta on Oct. 14 via our YouTube and Facebook channels as we highlight 5 countries with programs and performers. In honor of this month, read a book by a Hispanic or Latino American author.

3. Pumpkin Spice Everywhere – Read a book with a pumpkin on the cover or that is orange

4. Laughter is the Best Medicine – Read a book that makes you laugh out loud

5. Spooky Scary Skeletons – Read a horror or spooky book

6. It’s New to Me – Read a book by an author you’ve never read

Happy reading!

"Censorship is a dead end. Find your freedom to read."

I have returned and just in time for Banned Books Week! This week celebrates the freedom to read and highlights the attempts to censor books in various institutions.

There are many reasons why people try to ban books (you can see frequently challenged books with the reasons why here), but libraries have always taken a strong stance against banning. Our reasons are infinite - our communities are not homogeneous and everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in literature. Books representing attitudes of the past are launching points for reflection and discussion. Books dealing with tough subjects teach us and help us grow. A book someone might deem inappropriate could be life saving to another. And on and on this list goes.

The freedom to read and the freedom to have access to those books is so important. Censorship is truly a dead end.

One of September's Take It or Leave It challenges was to read a banned book. Did you read one? If so, which one? Tell us about your banned book choice.

Mine is fairly cliche - I'm working on my second read through of Harry Potter. Outside of its most recent controversy surrounding Rowling, it has appeared numerous times on the challenged lists for such things as magic/witchcraft and (my personal favorite) "for characters that use nefarious means to attain goals" (isn't that almost every book character at some point?). I also read The Hate U Give for the first time earlier this month which was an incredibly powerful book and one I can't recommend enough.

Welcome to the past, present, future edition of the 52 Book Challenge weekly thread. Lol. I'm sorry for no post last week and next week I'm on vacation, so this thread will have to tie us all over until the 28th.

What have you been reading? Finished any books this month? Would you recommend any of them?

I am having a surprisingly good reading month. So far I have finished A Countess Below Stairs, The Hate U Give (an incredibly powerful book and everyone should read it), The Murder on the Links (because I'm in an Agatha Christie mood), Seven Deadly Shadows, and Bringing Down the Duke.

I'm in the middle of Song of Achilles (which is amazing but is reminding me why I both love and hate Greek myths and stories), Poirot Investigates, and SuperNavigators (which is about how animals find their way).

Obviously, I'll have a ton of books with me on vacation but will I actually read any of them? Probably not. Anyone else always super ambitious when they have a vacation? I tend to bring a book per day and then end up reading none of them. But better safe than caught with no books!

Enjoy the next two weeks, everyone!

September’s Take It or Leave It challenges are below. Do one, do all, do none! It’s totally up to you!

1. Online Book Club Selection - Join our Online Book Club as we read Where the Crawdads Sing. Pick your copy up today!

2. Libraries Transform Book Pick - Log onto OverDrive between Sept. 14-28 to download the Libraries Transform Book Pick Book of the Little Axe. No waitlists!

3. Harness the Power of Diverse Books and Read! - Chesapeake Public Library's Black Ink: LitFest goes virtual this year. Join us on Facebook Live! Saturday, September 26 from 10am to 6pm. In honor of this event, read a diverse book that gives you a glimpse into other cultures or experiences.

4. National Library Card Sign-Up Month - Read a library book

5. Falling Leaves - Read a book with an orange, red, or yellow cover

6. Censorship is a Dead End. Find Your Freedom to Read. - Banned Book Week is September 27-October 3. Find out more information on their website and read a banned book

7. Historical Figures - Read a novel based on a real person

8. Freebie - Read any book!

Have fun!

Happy 1st day of September! I hope everyone has a wonderful start to the month. What books will you be kicking off September with? I started The Hate U Give yesterday and wow, such a powerful book. I'm only 80 pages in but I already know this will be a book I recommend to everyone to read. Also currently rereading A Countess Below Stairs and will hopefully be starting The Dream Thieves later on.

Happy Reading! And I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend!

Happy Monday! Or is that an oxymoron? I'm never sure. Sometimes, I feel like Mondays are okay. Other times, I just wish for one more day in the weekend. It goes back and forth, lol.

What is everyone reading this week? Did you finish anything over the weekend? I had a fairly productive reading weekend. Finished some manga as well as Once & Future. I have its sequel, Sword in the Stars, to read next.

I'm currently enjoying Dot Con: The Art of Scamming the Scammer by James Veitch. If you've never watched anything by him, you should. He basically replies to scammers' emails with ridiculousness and it's great. The book is just the back and forth emails and it's a much needed laugh. You will almost feel sorry for the scammers. But then again, they are rather terrible people and deserve it. It's also a good reminder to be careful on the web and don't click strange links, always verify if an email address is legit, and if you are unsure, don't do anything the email says, call or reach out to the company especially if money is involved. I've seen an uptick in spam emails claiming to be from PayPal and Apple, saying that my account has "been limited, click this link and fill in the info to be reactivated." Obviously false. But it does cause a mild dose of panic. So please just be careful.

What do you like to read when you aren't reading books? Magazines? Blogs? Twitter threads? Recipes? Newspapers? Catalogs? Brochures? Web toons? Something else? There is a plethora of reading material out there and it can be just as relaxing to peruse it as read a regular book.

For someone who doesn't cook (and has no desire to do so), I'm oddly a recipe person. I love to read recipes. When I see them in catalogs or magazines or when they pop up on the web, I have to scroll through and read. Of course, it always leaves me hungry. And as of yet, none of my reading has ever induced me to take up cooking or baking. Alas.

What are your favorite non-book reading materials?

Did you know August 9th is National Book Lovers Day? At the time of this writing, that was yesterday (aka Sunday). Did you do any reading to celebrate? What did you read? I worked but managed to read the first 3 volumes of Paper Girls and get further along in Poached. I love days dedicated to reading, though. There's just something about them, the shared connection of book lovers all around reading, that brings me joy. I'm weird, right? Lol.

What is everyone reading this week? I'm still working on all the same books I was reading last week. I keep bouncing around, not really able to focus on one genre for more than a couple chapters. But I'm hoping to finish most of them this week! I did finish Raven Boys, though, and I'm wondering why it took me so long to read it? I loved it and can't wait to read the rest of the series.