Tag: Books

Juneteenth (June 19) honours Black Americans. Here is a suitable Reading List.

Admittedly, I don’t venture far into books about race – and I don’t mean that in a bad way (I’m sorry … I don’t know how to phrase things to be sure it’s non-offensive) – but usually I don’t read a book because of who its author is or isn’t. Lately I have become more aware, you might say, and have read a few that, for me, are very educational and well worth reading. The following list of 35 books are some of many that are recommended reads in connection to Juneteenth and on issues of race.

  1. Four Hundred Souls – by Ibram X. Kendri
  2. On Juneteenth – by Annette Gordon-Reed
  3. Barracoon: the story of the last “Black Cargo” – by Zora Neale Hurston
  4. Frederick Douglass: prophet of freedom – by David W. Blight
  5. Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow – by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
  6. A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance – by Hanif Abdurraqir
  7. How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America – by Kiera Laymon
  8. I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness – by Austin Channing Brown
  9. Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All – by Martha S. Jones
  10. A Black Woman’s History of the United States – by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross
  11. His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope – by Jon Meacham
  12. Wandering in Strange Lands: a Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots – by Morgan Jerkins
  13. Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons for Our Own – by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
  14. Overground Railroad: the Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America – by Candace Taylor
  15. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism – by Robin DiAngelo
  16. The Souls of Black Folk – by W.E.B. Du Bois
  17. The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America – by Kahlil Gibran Muhammad
  18. The Origins of Others – by Toni Morrison
  19. White Rage: the Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide – by Carol Anderson
  20. Progressive Dystopia: Abolition, Antiblackness, and Schooling in San Francisco – by Savannah Sange
  21. Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right – by Arli Hochschild
  22. City of Inmates: Conquest, Rebellion and the Rise of Human Caging in Los Angeles (1771-1965) – by Kelly Lytle Hernandez
  23. Race, Reform, and Rebellion: the Second Reconstruction and Beyond in Black America, 1945-2006 – by Manning Marable
  24. Racism: a Short History – by George M. Frederickson
  25. When Police Kill – by Franklin E. Zimring
  26. Policing the Black Man: Arrest, Prosecution and Imprisonment – by Angela Davis
  27. The Hate U Give – by Angie Thomas
  28. How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History Slavery Across America – by Clint Smith
  29. The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together – by Heather McGhee
  30. From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century – by William A. Darity Jr. & A. Kirsten Mullen
  31. Pourin’ Down Rain: A Black Woman Claims Her Place in the Canadian West – by Cheryl Foggo
  32. At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance – A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power – by Danielle L. McGuire
  33. Kindred – by Octavia E. Butler
  34. Hidden Figures:The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race – by Margot Lee Shetterly
  35. Roots: the Saga of an American Family – by Alex Haley

The titles in bold type are the few on this list I have read so far. Which have you read? Do you have any suggestions to add to this list? If so, please mention them in the comments. Thank you!

Thanks for readings, and … Blessings on your day! 🙂

Ever Hear of TSUNDOKU?

Hi there!

I have a question for you to start this off … Do you practice Tsundoku? Had you ever heard of it?

Tsundoku – pronounced sun doe coo – is a Japanese expression meaning “leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piled up together with other unread books.” The word literally means reading pile. Someone by the name of Sanders said, “the Tsundoku scale can range from just one unread book to a serious hoard.”

Now can you say you practice it? 🙂 I definitely can! First, let me make it clear here that I am not a hoarder of books, I am a collector of books. There is a difference … right?

I have come to the conclusion that buying books and reading them are actually two entirely different hobbies. – Unknown

My reading pile consists of not only hard copies, (in the low hundreds) but it extends to e-books, and also audio books. So, yes, I have hundreds of unread books! Should I be ashamed of that? Well, maybe, but I prefer to embrace the fact that I have found books I am looking forward to reading, albeit many of those will be in the far-off future simply because of the quantity of them. Anyway … isn’t tsundoku a pretty word? 🙂

That is why I am happy to be participating in reading challenges — because I have so many of my own books to read that I can fill almost all of the prompts with them. I do still borrow the occasional novel from the library, because I have lists in my library account of the hundreds of books low thousands of books I want to read. I just can’t help myself!

As usual, on my “Books I’ve read in [whatever year]” page here on my blog, I keep track of the books I’ve read each year. There you can see I continue to read many picture books. It’s a record I keep for myself and for anyone who might be interested.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Do you practice tsundoku? Or, do you have lists of books you hope to borrow or buy to read? Are you participating in any reading challenges?

Thanks for reading, and blessings on your day! Let’s keep in touch.

Have you read any of these books?

Hello, Everyone!

I have been thinking about what to share with you regarding books and reading challenges, so here is the list of books I have read so far for the 52bookclub challenge:

  1. The Alice Network – by Kate Quinn
  2. The Great Alone – by Kristen Hannah
  3. Puff, the Magic Dragon – by Peter Yarrow
  4. Pier 21: a history – by Steven Schwinghammer
  5. Catherine, Called Birdy – by Karen Cushman
  6. My Brilliant Friend – by Elena Ferrante
  7. The Answer Is … Reflections on my Life – by Alex Trebek
  8. The Sun Down Motel – by Simone St. James
  9. Good Mothers Don’t – by Laura Best
  10. You Had Me at Hola – by Alexis Daria
  11. A Soldier’s Sketchbook: the illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn – by John Wilson
  12. Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang – by Kate Wilhelm
  13. Uncommon Danger – by Eric Ambler
  14. Krambambuli – by Syr Ruus
  15. St. George and the Dragon – by Beth Andrews
  16. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit – by Sloan Wilson
  17. Their Eyes Were Watching God – by Zora Neale Hurston
  18. Big Magic: Creative Magic Beyond Fear – by Elizabeth Gilbert
  19. The Calculating Stars – by Mary Robinette Kowal
  20. Before Green Gables – by Budge Wilson
  21. Reagandoodle and Little Buddy: the true story of a labradoodle and his toddler best friend – by Sandi Swiridoff
  22. Angela’s Ashes: a memoir – by Frank McCourt
  23. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – by Kim Michele Richardson
  24. My Sister the Moon – by Sue Harrison
  25. The Tale of Despereaux – by Kate DiCamillo
  26. Someone to Watch Over Me – by Jill Churchill
  27. The Pursuit of Happyness – by Chris Gardner

For the Indigo reading challenge I have read:

  1. Catherine, Called Birdy – by Karen Cushman
  2. My Brilliant Friend – by Elena Ferrante
  3. Good Mothers Don’t – by Laura Best
  4. White Fragility: why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism – by Robin DiAngelo
  5. Krambambuli – by Syr Ruus
  6. Our House is on Fire: scenes of a family and a planet in crisis – by Malena Ernman
  7. The City in the Middle of the Night – by Charlie Jane Anders
  8. My Sister the Moon – by Sue Harrison
  9. Big Burn – by Lesley Choyce

For the Agatha Christie reading challenge — none yet.

For what I’ve read for the Goodreads personal challenge you can check my page there (I’m there as Lynn Davidson); too many books to add here because I am halfway to my goal of 700.

Of the above 31 books, which ones have you read? Do you have any of them in your TBR (to be read) stash?

Thanks for reading … and Blessings on your day!

Book Reading Challenges

Hello Everyone! I hope somebody is still out there.

How are you doing? What’s up in your life and how are you staying sane, happy, and busy? It’s certainly been a challenging year (plus) with COVID and isolation and everything that comes with that – and it continues. I hope you’re all keeping safe and well.

I am still involved in caring for a family member, ten complete years now back and forth weekly. During that time, life has brought many changes, sorrows, and stresses, but blessings as well. We have a new grandbaby boy, as of October, and he is a blessing no one believed would happen. His mum and dad are so in love with this little guy, born a year and a half after they were married. At least once a week I babysit him so his mom can work at the office instead of trying to do it all from home.

Do you have any surprises and blessings to tell about?

Just to update you a little …

As I shared with you in a much earlier post, I have moved from writing into painting – which is on hold for the second time because of the pandemic. And as you likely know, I am a book lover so I’ve gone deeper into reading reading reading. At the beginning of the year I took on reading challenges so that I can work my way through the large number of yet unread books I have purchased over the years – mostly discounted and at book sales. I am compulsively lovingly adding to my accumulation, hoping to eventually set up my own personal library in one of the former bedrooms in our house.

In this post I am going to tell you about the reading challenges and perhaps I can share about my painting in a later post.

On Goodreads I accepted an invitation to join the 52BookClub – the challenge to read 52 books in 52 weeks, by following prompts for each week. They don’t have to be done in order, so I chose not to read them in order of prompts which are listed at the beginning.

From Indigo I accepted the challenge of reading 21 books in this year, also following prompts. A few of them line up with 52BookClub prompts, so I can use one book for both.

On Goodreads I also accepted the challenge to read Agatha Christie books with no set deadline. I have a few of hers that I haven’t read yet, and got a few more at a book sale a few weeks ago. I’ve yet to start that one.

Our local library issues a summer reading challenge too, which I tried last year and will likely do again. I’m continually keeping my library ladies busy.

I almost forgot … Goodreads challenges readers to set a personal goal, and mine has been high the past few years, but this year I lowered it. 700 is my goal, which includes all genres and mostly picture books – whatever I can read. Although I am not writing picture books now I am still reading them and sharing them. Always learning.

Because I’m slowly trying to figure out how to maneuver the changes made to WordPress, I haven’t been able to update my homepage much, but I plan to do that. I’ll show there the books I’ve read for the challenges – once I figure it out!

Perhaps you will find that you’ve read some of the titles I have selected for prompts, or maybe you will be encouraged to read some on my list. Either way, I hope you enjoy reading and travelling to different places through books.

Shown above are some of the many books I have on hand to read. This is before I purchased many more at the book sale in April. The ones stacked in front are chosen for prompts, and in my journal on the desk I’m keeping track.

I’m currently reading How NOT to Die by Michael Greger. (such a good book!) And I’m reading The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner, having loved the movie starring Will Smith.

What are you reading these days?

Thanks for reading this post, and … Blessings on your day! Let’s be in touch – social distancing, of course.

BOOKS quote

Today, to let you know I am still around and to keep in touch, I have a wonderful quote for you.

BOOKS are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

– Charles William Eliot (American educator, 1834-1926)

I can’t argue with that!  Any thoughts?

Thanks for reading, and Creative Musings!  🙂 ♥

The Valentiny stories are ready for your vote

Hi, Everyone!

Sorry I haven’t posted in over a week. I’ve been swamped.

I’m writing now to let you know the Valentiny stories are ready for your vote – if you are interested in participating in that. It’s very easy.  Susanna Hill has posted the twelve she and her helpers feel are the best ones and she’s made it easy for voting. Just read the twelve little stories, and then select in the poll the one you like best. I’ve voted.  And, no, mine didn’t make the cut.

Thank you so very much for all the kind and encouraging comments about my story.

 

 

 

GO HERE TO VOTE.

I’m still plodding along – reading many books, mostly picture books (as you can see on my books I read this year page), and hoping that I’m learning as I go. I’m behind in the writing class I’m taking (no surprise) but I find that interruptions – frequent interruptions – set me back a lot. It’s frustrating.

So, that’s all for this time.

Have you written anything fun lately? or read a book I might be interested in?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂

and blessings on your day. ♥

Plugging along, and quotes for readers and writers

I should have been twins. 

If I were twins I could divide between myself all the things I want less to do so that it takes half the time to do them. Then all I want to do and have the most interest and desire for can be enjoyed … giving me a better chance to feel accomplished in completing things – or getting better at them.

Or maybe not.

If I were twins I would most likely take on twice as much, get hopelessly overwhelmed with no recovery possible, and continue to not have enough of me to go around.

So, I am plugging along. Not getting nearly as much accomplished as I want to. Being way too tired too much of the time. And behind as usual. Almost hopelessly behind with little chance of catching up. That’s me, plugging along.

The good news is, I found some quotes to share with you today.

For the writers:

I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later i can build castles. – shannon hale

I like that quote. 🙂 

Now this one for readers:

ordinary people have big tvs. extraordinary people have big libraries. – Robin Sharma

I think I would have a fairly decent-sized library if I could shelve all of my books in one room. I’m aiming for a big library. One day I hope to be that organized. 🙂

And a final one for today:

Dinosaurs didn’t read. Now they’re extinct.

Keep reading, folks! 🙂

Anything you want to say about anything today?  What book(s) are you reading – or writing – now?  🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!  🙂 ♥