#IMWAYR A Week of Bookish Adventures 9/27-10/3

                                       

                                                    One of my current rereads.  

What I've Been Reading:                                                                                                                    Autumn is my favorite season and I love to read books that have the autumnal vibes.  Harry Potter books fit that description perfectly.  So, I began to reread Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, this time, following along in my illustrated edition, as I listen to the audiobook.  I'm enjoying myself a great deal, as I venture back to Hogwarts.  

What I've Been Writing:

I'm back to writing a feature article, called, "Book Banter" for my state's reading association (New York State Reading Association).  Previously, the article appeared in the occasional, printed newsletter that is mailed to members but now I will be writing a monthly segment in the monthly, electronic newsletter, called ReaD.  I love writing "Book Banter!"  It gives me another opportunity to write and share about great books, that mNYSRA members won’t want to miss!  

What I've Been Learning: 

This week I began to dive into the world of iMovie.  I am attempting to teach myself about filming and editing videos.  We'll see how this goes.  I'll definitely continue to work on this learning.  

What I've Been Loving:

Saturday we went to the Corning Museum of Glass and spent the afternoon exploring.  After leaving the museum, we ventured to downtown Corning, NY, where we discovered a very charming independent bookstore.  I spent some time perusing the small, but well curated, children's section.  I found three treasures to add to my personal library collection.  

My book purchases from Saturday in Corning, NY.  I didn't yet have a copy of Change Sings.  I am collecting Caldecott and Newbery winners, so when I saw Officer Buckle and Gloria, I had to pick it up!  Library Lion is one of my favorites!

Card Carrying Books and Gifts' Children's section.  Small but wonderful!  

Jen from  Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers are co-hosting the #IMWAYR blog hop.  Check out all the links to other blogs and see what great children's literature everyone is sharing; picture books, middle grade, and young adult.  

#IMWAYR My Bookish Life

What I've Been Reading: 

Last week, my husband, Mark and I traveled to Cobleskill, NY to visit family.  While there, we also located and visited some Little Free Libraries.  

This Little Free Library was well stocked with adult books. 

Photo by Amy Soto

This adorable Little Free Library matched the owner's home.  It was well stocked with mostly children's books!  Yay!

Photo by Amy Soto

My LFL haul.  

Photo by Amy Soto

One of the books I'm "reading with my ears."

Photo by Amy Soto

What I've Been Writing:

This past week, I've been drafting a few poems.  One of them is about autumn and all of the great things that are part of my favorite season.  

We had a beautiful, Saturday morning of apple picking. 

Photo by Amy Soto 

What I've Been Loving:

I am totally in love with my new Christian Robinson pillow from Target.

The pillow coordinates so well with my library card pillows.  

Photo by Amy Soto

What I've Been Learning:

While driving through the sweet, little town of Cherry Valley, NY, my husband, Mark and I discovered the wonderful, used bookstore named for the town.  Although we didn't have much time to spend in the store, I certainly found a lot of treasures!  I purchased an original copy of Charlotte's Web and The Little Princess, and a Mother Goose collection from 1943!  (I collect Mother Goose books, ephemera, and toys).  I love to learn about bookstores and little free libraries!     

An amazing used bookstore in Cherry Valley, NY.  

Photo by Amy Soto

My purchases from The Cherry Valley Bookstore.  

Photo by Amy Soto

Jen from  Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers are co-hosting the #IMWAYR blog hop.  Check out all the links to other blogs and see what great children's literature everyone is sharing; picture books, middle grade, and young adult.  

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? My Bookish Life

Jen from  Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers are co-hosting the #IMWAYR blog hop.  Check out all the links to other blogs and see what great children's literature everyone is sharing; picture books, middle grade, and young adult.  

What I've Been Reading:

This month, I am participating in "Series September," a reading challenge created by Krista at Books and Jams.  I'm working on completing some of her prompts on the BINGO board.  This book completes 3 prompts, "Read a book in the most recent series you’ve started," "Read the second book in a series," and "Read your newest purchase that’s part of a series." Whoo!  Hoo!  I'm not sure of the next, series prompt that I will be reading from, but stay tuned for my update next week!  

Anna James' series, Pages and Co. is a cozy, fantasy, where Tilly and her family are all "book wanderers" (they can travel inside of a book). Since The Lost Fairy Tales is the second book in the series, I don't want to give away too much.  I'll simply tell you, that Tilly and her friend, Oscar, discover that he is also a "book wanderer," and there is a problem inside fairy tale books.  

 

The 2nd book in the Pages and Co. series by Anna James

Photo by Amy Soto

Last week was a busy book week.  I received an order from Book Outlet, went to my local bookstore, and donated a book to my church, and donated a book to my daughter's, mosque's library.   

The book that I plan to donate to my church’s Sunday School.

Photo by Amy Soto

I Prayed for You is a sweet story about mama bear and how she explains that she has prayed for baby bear on many occasions, beginning with baby's birth through the time that he starts school.  I know that the Sunday school teachers at my church will enjoy sharing this story with their students, especially the nursery class.  They may even want to read it aloud during one of their Wednesday evening, bedtime stories.  The bedtime stories are read aloud each week, online.  If interested, you can check them out, each Wednesday evening on the church's Facebook page, here (Fairview United Methodist Church).

My Book Outlet Haul

Photo by Amy Soto

The book I donated to my daughter, Sienna's mosque.

Photo by Amy Soto

In My Mosque is a beautifully written and illustrated story about visiting a mosque, from the perspective of a child.  It is an important book that should be read aloud, shared, and discussed with both children and adults.  In My Mosque will open doors to diversity, and foster understanding and acceptance.  

Treasures purchased at my local bookstore. 

Photo by Amy Soto

Pugtato Finds a Thing will be added to my collection of books about pugs (I have a black pug, named Mr. Wrinkles and I recently lost a fawn pug, named Miley).  This is an adorable story about Pugtato (a potato, illustrated as a pug), who finds something mysterious.  He asks each of his friends (other vegetables, or "Spuddies," in the garden which are the likenesses of animals, for example, "Purrsnip" and "Tomatoad"), if they are able to help him determine what the mystery object could be.  Pugtato Finds a Thing, is a story of friendship, told in rhyming text, and has the cutest artwork!  What a fun read aloud!

You Belong Here is poetic and lyrical.  Clark explores various ways in which creatures belong where they do, and, of course, how you belong, "right where you are."  The artwork is lovely - done mostly in shades of black, white, and gray, with occasional, pops of muted color.  I think this book can be gifted to anyone that you love, as well as be a beautiful read aloud.    

Stay tuned for, Gustovo the Shy Ghost - it is on my TBR pile for this week!

What I've Been Writing:                                                                                                                            One of my favorite ways to create journal entries, is to write lists.  I like to pair my lists with scrapbook-type page layouts.  Some layouts are simply decorated with some stickers and die cuts, while others are more elaborate and involve the use of decorative papers, stamping, stickers, die cuts, and any other embellishment that I find looks pleasing.   

A list from my journal.

Photo by Amy Soto

This was a reread/listen for me.  I took notes this time!

Photo by Amy Soto

Another bit of writing that I like to do, is keep a Reading Journal.  My current Reading Journal is being kept in a bookish planner.  I record what I am reading and create TBR lists in my journal.  Additionally, I sometimes jot down notes about the particular books that I am reading.  

My Reading Journal.

Photo by Amy Soto

What I've Been Learning:                                                                                                                          I am always learning about both memoir and poetry writing, as I work on writing in both formats.  My favorite poet, author, and friend has a wonderful website!  I am constantly visiting Amy Ludwig Vanderwater's site, The Poem Farm, for poetry reading, and writing inspiration!  Be sure to visit!

                           Amy LV’s awesome website.       

                     Photo by Amy Soto 

What I've Been Loving:                                                                                                                            I was asked to be my church's Little Free Library's "Librarian."  I live across the street from the church and am tasked with keeping the LFL organized and stocked with books.  I have a room in the church where I store donated books, from which I restock the LFL.  I also donate books from my personal collection or pick up new ones on occasion.  I love being the "librarian" and stop over on a regular basis to check on the library.  I recently  added the little flag!  Once of my most favorite things about the LFL is that I am often able to see patrons visiting and borrowing or placing books inside.  

My church’s Little Free Library.

Photo by Amy Soto

My reading plans continue to include some pool-side reading - I'm determined to get in as much time by and in the pool as I can before it has to be closed up for the season.  I also plan to get in some front porch reading time on the cooler evenings.  Whatever your plans may be, I hope you have a wonderful reading (and writing?) week ahead! 

Happy Reading!

My front porch.

Photo by Amy Soto