Thanksreading

I don't know about the rest of you, but it's irking me that Christmas is being pushed everywhere I go.  Don't get me wrong--I love the ho-ho-ho's and goodwill-to-all-men business.  I just don't want to hear it right after the trick-or-treating's done. 

The local radio station started playing Christmas music just 1 week after Halloween.  Christmas movies have been playing every night on TV since before Veterans' Day.  And Wal-Mart is already decked out with fa-la-la-la-la.  Yesterday morning, I had to walk further in the store, beyond all the Christmas trimmings, to find anything related to Thanksgiving, which is just a couple of weeks away.

Remember Thanksgiving?  That big all-American holiday with the turkey?  And the stuffing, the potatoes, the cranberries, and the pumpkin pie?  That non-commercial holiday that's about being thankful for what we have and being together with family and friends?  The one that's not about buying and getting more stuff?  Sometimes I feel that Thanksgiving is falling by the wayside for the big red and green (as in dollars) holiday.

Well, while I'm on this perch, I'm not going to let Thanksgiving be shoved in the corner!  No way, no how!  Let's have some respect for the turkey and give thanks for the things we have.  Let's be grateful for the people in our lives and reflect on the moment.  The moment that's in November.

And with the spirit of Thanksgiving in mind, I'd like to share some websites with all things Thanksgiving--books, history, and fun stuff.  So take some time to enjoy the holiday that's happening this month, not next month.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankfully yours from the perch.

Books

• Books About Thanksgiving in Literature
• Giving Thanks for Romance
• A Harvest of Thanksgiving Novels
• An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott 

History

• First Thanksgiving
• First Thanksgiving Dinner
• The Real Story of Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving History

Fun Stuff

• 11 Awesome Family Activities for Thanksgiving Day
• Black Dog's Thanksgiving Fun and Games
• Grateful for Fun
• Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

 

LibraryReads

I discovered a relatively new website today that I'm really excited about, and I just had to share it with all of you, my ever loyal fans!

The website is LibraryReads, created in 2013, and it posts the "top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love."  Actually, it's not just librarians.  Anyone working in an American library can vote for a newer book that he or she has enjoyed.  The 10 books with the most votes then go on the top ten list for the current month.

If I may give my humble 2 cents, I think it's cool to see what other people dealing with books all day consider to be the most interesting selections of the moment.  It's about what library professionals think are good reads; it's not necessarily about what's bestselling, although many of the books are bestsellers.

Each book is accompanied by a review written by a library employee.  You can read the reviews for this month's books, or you can go to the archives and read the book reviews from other months.

If you're looking for a new book to read but aren't sure what you feel like reading, LibraryReads is a great reader's advisory tool to give you different ideas.  Maybe you'll even find a book that was nowhere on your radar before.  I've already found out about some good new books that I'm just itching to read.

So, if you're looking for new and different ideas for your future reading, give LibraryReads a try.  It's worth a look.

Happy reading wishes from the perch.