#Bookaday and #BookadayUK

There's nothing better than a month of books. On the scale of things I love, talking about a different book every day a month is right up there with a big wall covered with maps, a big mug with hot steaming tea inside, and a couple recent good movies full of mythical creatures (Maleficent; How To Train Your Dragon II). 

Hiccup and Toothless with a map! (map geek alarm going off here)

Oh look at Hiccup growing up!

The young Maleficent - her own mythical creature

ah, more magic, more mythical creatures... makes me happy

Sorry, I got a bit distracted...

I ran across this image on Twitter and decided to tweet every day in June about books I've read (see my list for June 1-16 below). 

A few days into June there was a big bruhaha about how the #bookaday tag had already been claimed by another group for another challenge, so the tag was changed to #bookadayUK (since the challenge was started by a publisher in the UK). 

I checked out the original #bookaday challenge out too - where instead of just tweeting everyday in June about books read, you actually have to READ A BOOK A DAY. For thirty days. Only for truly serious book lovers, this challenge at the Nerdy Book Club! (Fortunately, picture books are acceptable). I am so tempted to try this next year. 

But for now, here is my June #bookadayUK list so far:

Day 1  Favourite book from childhood: I read Bambi and Bambi's children over and over again from age 8 to 10

Day 2  Best bargain: seriously? all books are a great bargain! You can buy many of them for little more than a grande from Starbucks.

Day 3  Today is a book with a blue cover. The Fault in Our Stars

Day 4   Least favorite book by favorite author: Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley. Couldn't get past first chp. love Blue Sword!

Day 5  A friend lent me Francis Chan's Crazy Love two years ago and I still haven't returned it. Just need to buy my own copy

Day 6  Books I always give as gifts: the Help by Katheryn Stockett and Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

day 7  Forgot a book I own? Nope. More likely to forget I don't yet own awesome books Doomsday Book, His Majesty's Dragon, Holes

Day 8  I have multiple copies of many C.S. Lewis books - everyone knows he's my favorite! if I love an e-book I'll buy hardcopy too

Day 9  Book with a movie tie in. True story: I discovered Neil Gaiman books because the movie Star Dust.

Day 10 Reminds me of someone I love: I like to think Gandalf is like one of the grandfathers I never got to know.

Day 11 Secondhand book shop gem: recently found Writing Down the Bones, $4, at my local independent book store. Score.

Day 12  Pretend to have read it: Catch 22.

Day 13 Makes me smile:  Holes by Louis Sachar

Day 14 an old favourite:  My Friend Flicka (the reason I moved to Wyoming)

Day 15 favorite fictional father: Atticus in To Kill A Mockingbird

Day 16  Can't believe more people haven't read Linked by Imogen Howsen... space pirates! 

Part of my reasons for doing the #bookadayUK challenge is I'm trying to get more active on Twitter  to promote more excellent books  (and to discover more excellent books) (and connect with other readers and writers). Here's a few great tweets:

If only teens should read YA, I guess only animals should read Homeward Bound.
— Kate Brauning (@KateBrauning) June 6, 2014

#bookaday is a great idea. Whatever gets people reading, whatever gets them thinking about books, talking about them, writing.
— Michelle Muto (@MichWritesBooks) June 4, 2014

If I had a bakery I would name it Game of Scones.
— Shelley Moore Thomas (@story_queen) June 6, 2014

Three other things:

1) Otherbound, by Corrine Duyvis, releases today! I just finished reading it, and will have a review up here next week. I'm not sure what attracted me more, this fascinating cover (look at their contrasting expressions!) or the premise of a boy linked into a girl's thoughts - a girl from another world. Whoa.

2) Inspired by Throwback Thursday on Facebook, I'm going to start a book-related Throwback Thursday on this blog. Every other Thursday I'll be posting something from the past - next Thursday it's going to be my memories from my senior prom - along with a related book (Prom Impossible, by Laura Pauling).  I have so many books that I want to highlight, and this will give me the opportunity to pull up some oldies but goodies, too, in addition to new releases.

3) It's now a few minutes past midnight of June 17th and I am off to download and START READING Ruin and Rising, the end of the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo that has just RELEASED. Firebirds!! Darkling! here I come.

What book would be on your #bookaday list?