Last night I registered myself and the kids for our local public library's Summer Reading Program, which starts June 1st. I already received my first "badge" which was "Coffee and Books" - very fitting Beanstack, even if I drink tea not coffee. The program for the kids will be done via two ways: FB Live for story time, and then parents go the library and pick up materials for the hands on part of the program to do at home. Honestly, this works for me and the kids - who knew the social distancing methods would work so well with mine and the kids temperaments?

Today the kids and I participated in the "reverse parade" where parents drive their kids to school to caravan along the sidewalk and say goodbye to the teachers and staff (the last two social distances parades had the teachers caravan through the different neighborhoods that feed into our school). I received a succulent from Sophia's teacher as a thank you gift for helping out in the classroom this year.  After, we went to Starbucks for apple juice and cake pops to celebrate - Joshua is now a 4th grader and Sophia is now a 2nd grader! 

Looking towards this holiday weekend, I am working my way through 1666, which will be my prime reading choice so I can officially finish Snakes and Ladders 2020. Then on Monday, I start my summer reading project with daily reading in the anthology Because He's Perfect. The novellas Random Number Generator picked for me this upcoming week are Dance All Night, Love By the Letter, Proper English, Mail Order Cowboy, and The Cost of Hope. So that is what I'm reading this weekend/week. 

Happy Reading and if you are in the US, Happy Memorial Day!

Book: I chose Luck of the Draw (Chance of a Lifetime #2) by Kate Clayborn. 

Task #1

My guilty pleasure reading is what I call the diseases and disasters genre. Doesn't matter if the disaster happened long ago or more recently, I just love to read a deep dive into those situations. Ditto for diseases. I also really like it when my fiction has diseases and disasters as part of the story and the characters have to overcome some serious stuff on their way to love and HEA. 

Non-fiction: Most of Michael Lewis' books, All the Devils Are Here, Polio: An American Story, Flu

Fiction: Homefront Hero and Mission of Hope by Allie Pleiter (former has Spanish flu plotline, the latter takes place right after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake)

Task #2

I know I am going to get some shit thrown my way, but my favorite team EVER is 

My daughter's T-Ball team was the NYY and I was so happy to see her enjoy playing baseball while dressed out in my favorite team's jersey this summer. My heart hurt a little when they didn't beat the dirty socks in the playoffs, but there is always next year.

My Book Boyfriend, by Elaine White

http://smarturl.it/HopeLove

Hope & Love Anthology: 100% of all proceeds go to support the MKE GLBT Center

#HopeandLove #CharityAntho #MM #lgbtq #indieauthor #mmromance

~

5 Books I Appreciated this Year....and yeah I kinda cheated, lol:

1. With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale #1) by Sarah Sundin

     Finally a book that features a military heroine! I really loved this story of Tom and Mellie falling for each other in both letters and in person. Can't wait to read the other two books in the series.

2. Call of Crows series by Shelly Laurenston

     Got to love female rage mixed with Norse mythology and lots of humor. This trilogy is a great read for paranormal romance fans who want actual strong female characters. I refuse to name my favorite, they are all good in their own way. A very cathartic way of dealing with real life news.

3. A Lady for Lord Randall by Sarah Mallory/A Mistress for Major Bartlett by Annie Burrows

      These were the first two books in the Waterloo Brides trilogy (the last book stank). I loved that Regency romance left the ballroom and went onto the battlefield - such a departure from the normal Regency romance.

4. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

     The artwork was stark and evoked such feelings as Satrapi told her life story, along with giving readers a history and cultural lesson on Iran. I would recommend reading both books to understand her fresh approach to the immigrant story.

5. Allie Pleiter

    Not a book, but an author of historical romance. This was the Summer of Allie Pleiter - from contemporary bull rider returning home, to 1906 San Francisco just months after the earthquake, to World War I knitters who get the Spanish flu and finally to an post-WWI orphange. There wasn't a moment of reading Pleiter's works that I did not enjoy.

 I am burning out on COYER. I need something other than Harlequin romance. Bring on Halloween Bingo!

Challenges:

BL/GR: 128/150; 85% completed

Pop Sugar: 2; 42/52 prompts filled

Library Love Challenge: 2; 42/36 for the year

COYER: 12; 82% of list read from June-August

1. Falling for the Enemy by Naomi Rawlings (COYER) (Pop Sugar) - 5 stars

2. Homicide in High Heels (High Heels #8) by Gemma Halliday (COYER) (Library Love) - 4 stars

3. Chaucer's Major Tales by Michael Hoy and Michael Stevens (Pop Sugar) (COYER) (Library Love) - 2.5 stars

4. Her Holiday Family by Winnie Griggs (COYER) - 4 stars

5. Mission of Hope by Allie Pleiter (COYER) - 4.5 stars

6. The Baby Barter by Patty Smith Hall (COYER) - 3 stars

7. Emma and the Outlaw by Linda Lael Miller (COYER) - 1.5 stars

8. The Bootlegger's Daughter by Lauri Robinson (COYER) - 1 star

9. Love, Special Delivery by Melinda Curtis (COYER) - 2 stars

10. Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin (COYER) - .5 star

11. The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin (COYER) - 4 stars