The County Library discussion

Hello all!

Can you believe it's June already? Where has the time gone?

Generally, for the summer we do a three month 5 book challenge, that's tied into the County Library's Summer Reading Challenge. This means you have until the end of August to read 5 books!

This year, the Summer Reading theme is Color Our World, and it's based around art!

What that means, is you get to read books where art or artists is the main draw. You can read fiction or nonfiction books where the main character is an artist in some way - and yes, that can include any type of art: Painting, Filmmaker, Musician, Poet, Chef, Actor, etc. (There are so many ways to be an artist that I can't possibly list them all out.)

You can also read a nonfiction book about art history. Or even something about Art theft!

OR, you can read How To books, and try them out. Practice a new artistic skill!

Here are a few suggestions. On the fiction front you might enjoy boticelli's muse, or Friends with Benefits, or The Californians, or The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, or The Scribe of Siena.

Nonfiction wise, you might be interested in Artists: Their Lives and Works, or An Illustrated Journey: Inspiration From the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers, or A-Z Great Modern Artists, or Artists of Utah.

With the how to books, there are so many different types of art books, that I might just say, go browse the 700s. In the Dewey Decimal System the 700s are Arts and Recreation.

700s - Arts
710s - Area Planning, Landscape, and Architecture
720s - Architecture
730s - Sculpture, Ceramics, & Metalworks
740s - Design and Related Arts
750s - Painting
760s - Printmaking and Prints
770s - Photography, Computer Art, Film & Video
780s - Music
790s - Sports, Games, and Entertainment

For more details, you can check out this librarything website, click on the category you're most interested in for more Dewey details: librarything.com/mds/7

While the goodreads reading challenge goes until August, the regular Summer Reading Challenge is just June & July. For more info, including how to sign up on beanstack visit our website:
thecountylibrary.org/Summer

The books I plan to read, picture books all, are:
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Alex and His Magical Colors: An Autism Discovery Story by Dr. Joe Denham
The Little Dancer: A Children's Book Inspired by Edgar Degas by Géraldine Elschner
Monet’s CatMonet’s Cat by Lily Murray
Miss Edmonia's Class of Wildfires by Victoria Scott-Miller

How about a book with the word "art" in the title, like The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein?

I narrowed my books down to six. I wanted each one to be of a different art.
The Museum Of Lost Quilts.
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science.
The Deadly Detective Agency (dressmaker).
Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez.
If Monet Painted A Monster (art history).
Galatea (sculptor).

This challenge certainly gives us lots of options to choose from! Here's my status:
1. The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan - Culinary Arts - Complete 6/18
2. Rereading (after visiting the museum last month) The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser - Art Theft - Complete 6/13
3. The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines - Music - Complete 6/29
4. Audrey Hepburn by Barry Paris - Acting - Complete 7/13
5. Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell - Glassblowing - Completed 7/25
6. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb - Music - Completed 8/5
7. The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B Miller - Art theft - Completed 8/15
I was going to stop at 5, but my holds arriving kept me in it for more!

Teresa wrote: "I narrowed my books down to six. I wanted each one to be of a different art.
The Museum Of Lost Quilts.
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science.
The Deadly Detectiv..."
What a great idea. Enjoy!

Em, thanks!

What a great challenge!

I've decided to echo last year's approach to the challenge and do 5 books of Fiction and 5 books of non-Fiction, categorized by topic.

Fiction books:
1. Art Forgery - The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro
2. Art Theft - The Art Thief by Noah Charney
3. Music - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn
4. Sculpture - The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
5. Photographers - Eight Girls Taking Pictures by Whitney Otto

Non-Fiction books:
6. Art Forgery - Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger by Ken Perenyi
7. Art Theft - The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser
8. Music - Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music by Alex Ross
9. Sculpture - Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments by Erin L. Thompson
10. Photographers - It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario

1. Complete - 6/3
2. Complete - 6/5
3. Complete - 6/5
4. Complete - 6/8
5. Complete - 6/10
6. Complete - 6/4
7. Complete - 6/5
8. Complete - 6/7
9. Complete - 6/9
10. Complete - 6/11

In honor of Audiobook Appreciation Month, I'm reading all books in audio format.

Summer challenge complete 6/11.
6/6 challenges to date
15/15 books to date
15/19 books for 2025.

Greg wrote: "What a great challenge!

I've decided to echo last year's approach to the challenge and do 5 books of Fiction and 5 books of non-Fiction, categorized by topic.

Fiction books:
1. Art Forgery -
..."

I like that each fiction topic has a non-fiction topic. It's like a unique form of alliteration.

Debbie wrote: "I like that each fiction topic has a non-fiction topic. It's like a unique form of alliteration."

Thanks! I find it fun to read 2 somewhat-similar stories, one true and the other created.

Brittany wrote: "How about a book with the word "art" in the title, like The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein?"

If you think it counts, it counts!

1. I finished The Museum Of Lost Quilts.

2. I finished The Girl Who Drew Butterflies. It's a children's book but it has a lot of technical(?) scientific information. I enjoyed it.

The library had a display of books with colors in the titles. It reminded me of The Blue Castle, which features an anonymous author.

Audrey wrote: "The library had a display of books with colors in the titles. It reminded me of The Blue Castle, which features an anonymous author."

LM Montgomery Wrote The Blue Castle. I read it recently for a challenge, I liked it,

Teresa wrote: "1. I finished The Museum Of Lost Quilts."

I didn't realize there were any more Elm Creek Quilt books.. I will definitely have to get it and read it.

I am using this spot to record what I read this Summer.

1. Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle
2. Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague
3. An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman
4. The Origami Kid: A Paperfolding Adventureby Robert McGuire
5. The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini
6. The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

I have finished
1. Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin ( Review ) , the story of the first person to actually photograph snowflakes.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Got my first book done for the summer challenge: If da Vinci Painted a Dinosaur by Amy and Greg Newbold. I have others by the same couple waiting on my stack.

Carolyn wrote: "Got my first book done for the summer challenge: If da Vinci Painted a Dinosaur by Amy and Greg Newbold. I have others by the same couple waiting on my stack."

This series is such a cute idea! . da Vinci and dinosaurs, Picasso and snowmen, Monet and monsters!

I have finished
1. Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin ( Review ) , the story of the first person to actually photograph snowflakes.
2. Miss Edmonia's Class of Wildfires by Victoria Scott-Miller ( No Review )
3. Alex and His Magical Colors: An Autism Discovery Story by Dr. Joe Denham ( No Review )
4. Monet’s CatMonet’s Cat by Lily Murray ( Review )
5.

Followed up with If Monet Painted a Monster and If Picasso Painted a Snowman.
3 down. 2 to go.

I finished my third book, unplanned. J. D. Robb's Passions In Death is set in the art world.

Teresa wrote: "I finished my third book, unplanned. J. D. Robb's Passions In Death is set in the art world."

Isn't it fun when that happens!

I have finished
1. Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin ( Review ) , the story of the first person to actually photograph snowflakes.
2. Miss Edmonia's Class of Wildfires by Victoria Scott-Miller ( No Review )
3. Alex and His Magical Colors: An Autism Discovery Story by Dr. Joe Denham ( No Review )
4. Monet’s Cat by Lily Murray ( Review )
5. The Little Dancer: A Children's Book Inspired by Edgar Degas by Géraldine Elschner ( No Review )

And so I have finished this delightful challenge!

I read "Who Gets The Drumstick?" by Helen Beardsley. Lucille Ball bought the rights and turned it into the movie "Yours, Mine, and Ours".

I Have finished two books so far

1. Music - The Violin Conspiracy by Brendon Slocumb - Completed: 06/04/2025

2. Painting - I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño - Completed: 06/25/25

Everyone is doing so well! Right now, I've only read one so far about a couple of chefs, The Chicken Salad War. It's an ARC, so it's not available quite yet for purchase, but so much fun.

I can't believe that June is over, btw. That's ridiculous.

Finished my fourth book for the challenge today: J vs. K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft. The characters are writing and illustrating stories. One more to go. Not sure where I'm going to go yet with my fifth book, but we'll see what I come up with.

I unintentionally completed this challenge.

1- Okay for Now The lead character in this middle grade historical fiction is learning to draw and is obsessed with the drawings of Audubon.

2- Framed! This middle grade mystery is about a child sleuth who helps solve an art heist.

3- The 500 Million Dollar Heist: Isabella Stewart
Gardner and Thirteen Missing Masterpieces This middle grade true crime book looks at a famous unsolved art heist.

4- The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion. This middle grade nonfiction book focuses on playwriting and also touches on acting.

5- The Correspondent This new release beautifully portrays the art of letter writing.

6- It's a Love Story The lead character in this book is involved in filmmaking. She was a famous child actor, and now she acquires screenplays and is involved in filmmaking.

I will also be reading The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity soon.

Read my 5th book. I read Danger! Tiger Crossing which is the first book in the "Fantastic Frame" series. Recommended by a nephew. Paintings are a major part of the plot. And you learn about a painting at the end.

I finished the Summer Challange!

1. Music - The Violin Conspiracy by Brendon Slocumb - Completed: 06/04/2025

2. Painting - I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño - Completed: 06/25/25

3. Animation - Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life by Don Bluth - Completed: 07/14/2025

4. Acting - If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio - Completed: 7/26/25

5. Photography - Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey - Completed: 7/31/25

I finally finished #5, If Monet Painted A Monster. It's the only one from my original list, lol

Wow, it's almost September. Lots of school districts have already started school. Has a Challenge Topic been decided for September?

I finally finished the Summer challenge!
1. A Book About Color by Mark Gonyea
2. A Day at the Gallery: An Arty Animal Search Book by Nia Gould
3. Girl Artists by Virginia Loh-Hagen
4. If Picasso Painted a Snowman by Amy Newbold
5. If Monet Painted a Monster by Amy Newbold
6. If da Vinci Painted a Dinosaur by Amy Newbold

Debbie wrote: "Wow, it's almost September. Lots of school districts have already started school. Has a Challenge Topic been decided for September?"

That is a good question especially since the library will be closed on Monday.

I hope it won't take long to come up with a September challenge. I would like to be able to get a book in a timely manner.

The September reading challenge is up now! I very much cannot believe it's already September. I feel like I should have had more time in August. My apologies for the delay.

Thanks!

Linda is our prize drawing winner for this summer’s reading challenge for reading these books:

1. Dancing Hands How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle
2. Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague
3. An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder (Countess of Harleigh Mystery, #7) by Dianne Freeman An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman
4. The Origami Kid A Paperfolding Adventure by Robert McGuire The Origami Kid: A Paperfolding Adventureby Robert McGuire
5. The Museum of Lost Quilts (Elm Creek Quilts, #22) by Jennifer Chiaverini The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini
6. The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Congratulations!

Also, I've caught up on the previous winners. I didn't realize I let it get quite so out of date! Check out our previous Reading Challenges to see who won!