Summer Reading Recap, Newsletter Frequency, and a Giveaway!

Plus more odds and ends . . .

We’re nearly out of back-to-school season, but I’m clinging to my summer reading routine as long as I can. It is still summer, after all, at least through this Sunday.

I really enjoyed my reading this summer. What worked well for me over the break was picking an enticing spot, a consistent time to sit there every day, and sitting for at least 20 minutes with a book (no checking email or social media!) It also helped that my chosen spot was on our deck, away from any activity or potential distractions inside the house.

Another thing that helped was the Middle Grade Summer Reading Bingo challenge! It was the perfect balance of freedom of choice with limited options for this mood reader who also gets overwhelmed and indecisive with too many possibilities. I didn’t necessarily read for a Bingo and instead chose whatever book called to me most. My goal was to read all the books on the board, which I didn’t reach, but I knew that would be a stretch for me. My average for non-work reading is normally 1-2 books a week, depending on what else I’m juggling, and that’s about the pace I stuck to this summer. Even though I didn’t reach my goal, I still consider the challenge a success.

What made the challenge extra fun was hearing from so many readers who participated! I sent out a bunch of prize packs to readers who emailed me with their Bingos. If you’d like to receive a prize pack, email me your mailing address and I’ll get one out to you as soon as possible.

I enjoyed every book I read in the challenge, and plan to read the rest too. My favorite was Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn. If you enjoy a charming, classic mystery then you might like it as well. There were small details in the story that made me think of Book Scavenger, too. Similar to the Crane family in Book Scavenger, Simon’s family moves around a lot and documents their travels online. The nomadic lifestyle for both Simon and Emily (in Book Scavenger) makes them yearn for more stability and a place to call home, which is the emotional backbone of both stories. And both Simon and Emily make new friends in unexpected and funny ways. But the mysteries they get wrapped up in are very different. I loved trying to figure out who the thief was in Trouble at the Tangerine. This was my first Gillian McDunn novel, and I’ll definitely be reading more from her!

How was your summer reading? Did you have a favorite book or spot to read in?

Newsletter Frequency

I’m thinking about experimenting in this space with more frequent posts. I don’t know what my new frequency will be yet—that’s part of my experimenting—but more often than my current 1-4 times a year. If you’d like to only hear news about upcoming books or events, you can change your subscription preferences by selecting “Strictly Book News and Event Updates.” Those messages will go out maybe once a year if I don’t have a new book publishing or planned events, and up to four times a year when I do.

Giveaway!

Over the summer I organized the extra copies of my books that I keep on hand for giveaways and donations and realized I have a surplus of The Unbreakable Code in hardback. I would love to give these away to libraries that don’t have the book in their collection! If you have Book Scavenger in your school or public library but don’t have the second book in the series, please send me a message and I will mail out copies while supplies last.

Odds and Ends

• If you like the Book Scavenger series, there’s a good chance you’re a puzzle lover like me. And if you’re a puzzle lover, then you might be interested in these Puzzle Snacks created by Eric Berlin, who wrote the “Winston Breen” series of puzzle mysteries and is an expert puzzle maker. Check out Puzzle Snacks here. (Not an affiliate link—just sharing something I think is cool!)

• Are you a grown-up who loves middle grade? Are you on Facebook? Please join us in the For the Love of Middle Grade group! This is a great place for teachers, librarians, authors, and other middle-grade book lovers to connect. In the group you’ll find lots of sharing of ideas, enthusiasm for middle-grade books, educator giveaways, and more. Check it out!

• Greatest Hits from my flowers this summer:

• Nibbles and S’Mores enjoying their evening carrot snack:

  

  Until next time,

  Jenn

  

  "You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing."

  ― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web