BW45: Fictional Librarian - Raymond Ambler

 

Hey ma, we're going to New York City! 

Our bookish travels this month are taking us to New York City's 42nd Street Library to follow in the footsteps of our fictional librarian of the month, Raymond Ambler, a librarian, and part time amateur sleuth, created by writer Con Lehane. 

Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

• Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
• Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.
• Read one or more books in the series.
• Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
• Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
• Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Have fun as there are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails.

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 109. The Assizes
Chapter 110. The Indictment
Chapter 111. Expiation

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW41: Fictional Librarian - Hanna Casey

 

Happy Sunday!  It's time to jump back on board our airship, the Pum Deg Dau o Lygrau. We are setting sail for the west coast of Ireland to visit the fictional town of Finfarran.   We will be joining Hanna Casey, our fictional librarian of the month. The series, created by Felicity Hayes-McCoy, begins with The Library at the Edge of the World and is about Hanna, who is fifty five and recently divorced, has to start all over again and moves back home to live with her mother and ends up leading the campaign to save the town library. 

Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

• Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
• Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.
• Read one or more books in the series.
• Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
• Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
• Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Have fun as there are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails.

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Count of Monte Cristo 

Chapter 97. The Departure for Belgium

Chapter 98. The Bell and Bottle Tavern

Chapter 99. The Law

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW35: Fictional Librarians - Jess Brightwell

 

Happy Sunday!  As we slide into September, it's time to climb back aboard our airship, the Pum Deg Dau o Lygrau and weigh anchor and sail into the world of The Great Library, one of the series written by Rachel Caine who passed away last year. Our librarian of the month is Jess Brightwell, a young book smuggler on the streets of London who is admitted to the Great Library in Alexandria as a postulant. 

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

• Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
• Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.
• Read one or more books in the series.
• Read any book written by the author.
• Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
• Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
• Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Dear Rachel Caine: A Thank You and Goodbye,  

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Count of Monte Cristo 

Chapter 88. The Insult

Chapter 89. The Night

Chapter 90. The Meeting

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW31: Fictional Librarian - Lindsay Norris

Happy Friendship Day!  Cheers to all our reading buddies who have made our bookish adventures entertaining and illuminating.  Welcome to August which is also Family Fun Month, Admit Your Happy Month, National Picnic Month as well as Romance Month.  Our fictional librarian of the month is Lindsay Norris from the Library Lover's Mystery series written by Jenn McKinlay.  Lindsay is the director of the Briar Creek Library who started crafternoon Thursday for patrons to do crafts and discuss books at the same time and turns into an amateur sleuth when her friend becomes a prime suspect in a murder. 

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.

Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.

Read one or more books in the series.

Read any book written by the author.

Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.

Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.

Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Happy Trails! 

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Count of Monte Cristo Readalong

Chapter 76. Progress of Cavalcanti the Younger

Chapter 77. Haydée

Chapter 78. We hear From Yanina

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW27: Fictional Librarian - Israel Armstrong

 

Happy Independence Day.  Our fictional librarian for July is  Israel Armstrong, created by Ian Sansom.  We are journeying along with Israel to the fictional town of Tumdrum in Northern Ireland.  He has taken the job of librarian only to discover the library has been replaced with a mobile library in The Case of the Missing Books.  

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

• Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
• Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.
• Read one or more books in the series.
• Read any book written by the author.
• Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
• Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
• Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Happy Trails! 

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Count of Monte Cristo Readalong

Chapter 64. The Beggar

Chapter 65. A Conjugal Scene

Chapter 66. Matrimonial Projects

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW22: Fictional Librarians - Cheshire Cat

 

My heavens, June is upon us and it's time to climb back aboard our airship, the 
Pum Deg Dau o Lygrau and weigh anchor.  Join me as we set sail for Jasper Fforde's world of  alternative history in the Nextian Universe. We are off to join literary detective Thursday Next as well as our fictional librarian of the month, Cheshire Cat who makes his first appearance in Lost in a Good Book as head librarian for the Great Library.  He goes by many names including the Cat Formerly Known as Cheshire, Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat, or, Archibald which is what his mother calls him.  He appears in books #2, 3, and 4 in the Thursday Next series.  

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.

Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.

Read one or more books in the series.

Read any book written by the author.

Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.

Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.

Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Jasper Fforde is a British novelist who resides in Wales and has a great imagination as well as a fun and fact filled website. Today, May 30th, marks the 17th year of the Fforde Fiesta, a weekend of silliness with Jasper Fforde and is virtual this year. Be sure to check it out. 

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Count of Monte Cristo Readalong

Chapter 49. Haydée

Chapter 50. The Morrel Family

Chapter 51. Pyramus and Thisbe

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW18: Fictional Librarians - Beatrice De Nova

Welcome to May and our celebration of mysteries, mothers, Memorial day, macaroons, and much much more including all things Star Wars.  May the fourth be with you!  We are climbing back aboard  the good ship Pumdeg Dau o Lyfrau and floating through our interdimensional portal to Texas to begin our librarian adventures with Beatrice De Nova.  

Beatrice is the assistant librarian in the Special Collections reading room at the Houston University Library and her adventure begins when she meets Giovanni Vecchio, an Italian bookish vampire who loves whiskey, in A Hidden Fire, the first book in the Elemental Mystery series written by Elizabeth Hunter. 

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover

Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter 

Read one or more books in the series.

Read any book written by the author

Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.

Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.

Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me!!!!

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Count of Monte Cristo Readalong

Chapter 37. The Catacombs of Saint Sebastian

Chapter 38. The Rendezvous

Chapter 39. The Guests

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW9: Fictional Librarian - The Librarian once known as Dr. Horace Worblehat

Courtesy of Discworld Wiki

 

Goodbye February, it's been fun.  Grab ahold of the rope ladder and climb back aboard the good ship Pumdeg Dau o Lyfrau for our March travels through the parallel universe of  Terry Pratchett's Discworld.  Our guide is our fictional librarian of the month - The Librarian, once known as Dr. Horace Worblehat. He was changed into an orangutan by a beam of magic, decided he liked it and didn't want to be changed back to a human so had his name excised from all records. 

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

• Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover
• Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter 
• Read one or more books in the series.
• Read any book written by the author
• Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
• Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
• Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Find out more about The Librarian with Making the Librarian, Do not call him a Monkey, and Terry Pratchett with A Conversation with Terry, and with Fading Memory, Terry revisits Carpet World.

 

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Count of Monte Cristo Readalong:

We all got off to a slow start, so I'm throwing in a week to catch up and finish reading through Chapter 12. I'm enjoying the story so far.  The characters are fascinating, the imagery and emotions so vivid.  I'm reading it slowly, absorbing the nuances and tidbits, the  politics, the footnotes to history. The narrator's similes and metaphors add character to the settings.  What do you think about Villefort and his father.? The reasons why Villefort throws Dante in prison? Dante's reaction to Chateau d'IF?  I'm reminded of Sir Walter Scott's quote - "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive."  

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW5: Fictional Librarians - Aurora Teagarden

 

Happy February, my lovelies. Continuing our year long celebration of librarians, this month's fictional librarian is Aurora Teagarden. Created by Charlaine Harris,  the cozy mystery series stars Aurora, a small town librarian in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She is involved in the Real Murders society, a group of crime buffs who love to study and discuss historical murders. 

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

• Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover
• Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter 
• Read one or more books in the series.
• Read any book written by the author
• Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
• Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
• Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title

The series was also adapted into a tv series for Hallmark with Candace Cameron Bure portraying Aurora Teagarden.  Charlaine Harris is best known for her Sookie Stackhouse series and has written other series including Lily Bard Shakespeare, Harper Connelly, Midnight Texas, and her latest Gunnie Rose.  

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Count of Monte Cristo readalong:

• I Marseille - Arrival
• II Father and Son 
• III  The Catalans

Things to think about while reading the story and the first three chapters:  The setting and context of French history and politics when the story begins.  How the setting plays a role in the story. How the narrator's description of events and imagery and references to literature, history, myth, politics, art, and religion. provides foreshadowing and subtext.  Have fun checking out rabbit trails along the way. 

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

BW1: Welcome to our Infinite Sky Reading Adventure

Courtesy of Jamis27

“Smell the sea and feel the sky, Let your soul and spirit fly.” – Van Morrison

Happy New Year, my lovelies!  I'm excited this year since our armchair travels are taking us around, over, and across the world again as we fly above the seven seas, through clear blue skies on the good ship Pumdeg Dau o Lyfrau airship, for another round of read 52 books in 52 weeks.  We'll be taking advantage of Hermione Granger's Time Turner,  Well's Time machine as well as Doctor Who's Tardis, all without upsetting the space time continuum of course, in our travels to go hither, thither, and yon.  

The goal is simple. Read 52 books and how you get there is entirely up to you. You can even set your own goal if you like. Read what you want, explore and dive into those longer books, engage your mind and soul and don't worry. Do your best, challenge yourself and you may be surprised to discover how many books you end up reading.

Our Fictional Librarians as well as the Daughters of Mnemosyne will be our guides this year, mixing fact and fiction, the old with the new, the magical with the technological, and the arts with the sciences.  If you are joining us for the first time, we have a number of challenges to entice you, including 52 Books Bingo with 20 bonus squares and side trips roaming the old Roman roads of England, exploring the Nobel prize winners of Literature, diving into the greats with Susan Wise Bauer's Well Educated Mind, or take a Mind Voyage through fantasy and science Fiction.  Plus the Dame Agatha Christie would like your assistance in solving a murder or two.  

All our annual and perpetual challenges as well as weekly or seasonal mini challenges are optional and meant to tickle your reading taste buds. Which generally results in having fun, getting lost (in a good way) following rabbit trails and an ever expanding list of books to read.  

We're going to dive right in and begin our adventure with Librarian Madam Irma Pince who will help you jump into the magical world of  Harry Potter, created by J.K. Rowling.

There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

• Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover
• Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter 
• Read one or more books in the series.
• Read any book written by the author
• Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the story.
• Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.
• Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title

Our first book week will run through Saturday, January 9th.  

Grab your backpacks, scarves and goggles, a good pair of walking shoes and climb aboard and settle in for the ride. Please share your reading plans for 2021 and/or your reading wrap up for 2020 or tell us the books you are currently reading.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing our reading journey!  

 ~Cheers to a wonderful new reading year!

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Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.

In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field paste a link to your post, then check the privacy box and click enter.

2021 Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks

 

Courtesy of Jen Campbell

Are you ready to explore the world with another round of Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks?  The goal is simple - read 52 books. How you get there is up to you.  I'm in a follow my muse, clocks and corsets, dragon flying, explore the magical and mystical as well as the historical,  swashbuckling, take me out of this world mood.   What are you in the mood for? Whether you read fiction or nonfiction, like to spread your reading wings and read outside your comfort zone or stick with the tried and true, join me aboard The Roving Pum Deg Dau o Lygrau airship for a fun filled reading adventure.  

We have three new challenges to tease your reading palates in 2021.  An updated 52 Books Bingo with 20 bonus squares that will take us deep underground to the outer edges of space.  The Daughters of Mnemosyne  will fill us with creativity, wisdom and insight, and last but not least, the Fictional Librarians Bookology, will lead us to our author of the month and spelling challenge. 

We also have a variety of weekly, monthly mini challenges and perpetual challenges  including: 

Well Educated Mind --  Continue to explore the classics in 6 categories: Fiction, Autobiography, History/Politics, Drama, Poetry and Science. 

Agatha Christie  --  read at least three of her books per year.  Read the books in chronological order as listed, group by detective or collection, or randomly if you choose. 

Brit Tripping --- A year long mystery read traveling the Roman Roads through England reading reading a book from each of the 45 counties with a few extra trips to London. 

Plus Alphabet Soup, Dusty and Chunky, Feed Your Muse, Mind Voyages, Nobel Prize Winners and Sounds of Silence.

The mini and perpetual challenges are all optional, Mix them up anyway you like or follow your own path in the quest to read.  

• The challenge runs January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 
• Our book weeks begin on Sunday
• Week one begins Friday, January 1st and ends Saturday January 9th. 
• Participants may join at any time. 
• All books are acceptable except children books.** 
• All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc. 
• Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2021
• Books may overlap other challenges. 
• If you have an blog, create an entry post linking to this blog. 
• Sign up in the "I'm participating post" in the sidebar
• If you don't have a blog or social media account, post about your reads in the comments section of each weekly post. 
• The link widget will be added to the bottom of each weekly post to link to reviews of your reads. The link widget closes at the end of each book week.