Thinking about gifting books to your favorite young adult for Christmas? This year, because of COVID, most students will enjoy a longer holiday vacation. My son, for example, finished his first semester before Thanksgiving. He won’t go back until the first full week in January. Students now can enjoy a longer period to read books…
Tag: #YAfiction
The 100 Most Frequently Banned Books of the Decade
I must live under a rock because I didn’t realize libraries are still banning books. In fact, I didn’t know that the American Library Association (ALA) hosted an annual Banned Book Week, formed to draw attention to the harms of censorship. Mark your calendars, folks, it’s September 26 – October 2 in 2021. Last week,…
Syncing Audible & ebooks
Syncing Audible and ebooks combines the best of both worlds: listening to stories and reading them.
A facelift . . . for our library
It’s no secret. Patrons of the main Hall County Library in Gainesville, Georgia, are spreading the word about its youthful appearance. Last year, the board voted to renovate. Prison inmates moved books across the street to an abandoned grocery store, and work began. When COVID hit, the county libraries closed. So, the timing turned out…
She’s a doctor!
I’m so proud of my girl. On August 9, Julia’s mentor hooded her in a private ceremony attended by family members only and introduced her as Dr. Grove. After seven years of college, my 24-year-old daughter had graduated with a PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Auburn University. As she began work on her master’s…
When to quit editing
“At some point, you have to stop,” said one of my favorite artists, Felicia Grace Wrape, about knowing when to pronounce a painting complete. She confessed to me that at the beginning of her career, she would dab on extra paint until the last moment before a painting could be delivered safely. She would fuss…
Another trip around the sun
Today’s my birthday! I’ve already received dozens of happy birthday wishes from family and friends. To me, that’s the best part of getting older—hearing from those you love. When my son asked what I wanted for my birthday. I replied, “It would thrill me to have family dinner together.” After all, his sister lives in…
What happened to binge reading?
When you hear the word “binge,” do you think of Netflix? Of binge-watching a series for hours and hours? I know someone who’s watched every episode of Friends TWICE. There are 236 episodes, almost 20 days of 24/7 viewing. That’s a lot of non-participative hours glued to a TV screen. Several friends on social media…
A New Chapter
Partner with us to get books on racial equality into classrooms Julia: Mom. We’ve got to do something. We can’t just watch from the sidelines. Me: I know, baby. But I’m not comfortable joining the Atlanta protests. Julia: Me, either. My leg’s in a boot, and I can’t run. Me: Okay, so what do you…
How to write a solid book review
How did we ever select a good read before book review sites blossomed across the Internet? I would select the ones with cool covers and enticing titles. More often than not, I’d return home to discover the writing subpar and the storyline dull. I found the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,”…