Friday Ramble

Whew. What a whirlwind of a summer it has been! Can you believe it's the end of July already? Where did the time go - seems like just yesterday we were figuring out what to do for Summer Reading ...

Summer Reading
We had our last program this week - an End-of-Summer Bash to celebrate the successful completion of a summer of fun and exciting programs at the Library! So many happy, smiling faces have attended programs, and picked up craft kits, and we loved seeing the excitement of children turning in their time cards.
Don't forget: all reviews/time read must be submitted by 11:59pm on Sunday, 7/31, to count toward the giveaways! We can't wait to tally the numbers and see just how much Archdale readers have been reading this summer. Y'all rock!

Speaking of Summer Reading...
Swing by next week to see what Archdale readers have said about some of their highly-rated summer reads. (We do read the reviews you submit!)

Armchair Travelling
The last few weeks have been weirdly hectic schedules, so at night we've been looking for something to watch that is interesting but doesn't require a lot of brain power (no new historical dramas just yet, thank you). Over the weekend we discovered a documentary series from NatGeo "Europe from Above" that perfectly fit the bill.
The cinematography is gorgeous, and the insider "sneak peeks" are fascinating. After devouring Season 1, we're now on the hunt to find the other seasons available for streaming, as well as any similar shows.
Have you done any armchair travel like this?

New Seasons Ahead
Summer is definitely one of the most exciting (and active!) seasons in the Library, but there's so much of the year left. (Yes, I know, it's hard to believe we're less than 5 months from Christmas, but there's still 5 months of 2022 to go!). August is always a sleepy month, as we sift through summer leftovers and everyone adjusts to new schedules (school starts back!), but September will bring the return of Book Break and who knows what we may be planning.

Read Together

Time for another Read Together feature, this time spotlighting books that are all retellings of the classic musical "My Fair Lady." (Which, if you don't know, was originally a George Bernard Shaw play entitled Pygmalion. I've never read the play, but I am a big fan of the movie.)

When thinking about retellings, I tend to think first about Jane Austen novels - or fairy tales. But when I recently picked up a second book in a row that was a remix of "My Fair Lady," I realized there are several others out there as well. Thus: the need for a Read Together posting!

Note: If I have read the books mentioned, I'll give a star rating/quick mini review. If I have not, then I'll include a publisher synopsis.

My Fine Fellow (Jennieke Cohen) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one is so good - it was my featured title at Book Bites! It's a gender-bent retelling (meaning "Eliza Dolittle" was actually Elijah Little), set in an alternate historical England. Featuring a compelling societal structure and set in the world of culinarians/exquisite chefs-in-training, this one was so much fun to read, even though it made me hungry!

Made in Manhattan (Lauren Layne) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another gender-bent retelling, this time set in contemporary NYC, where a Manhattan socialite is tasked with preparing (aka transforming) a newly discovered Bayou-born grandson to take the reins of his family's global corporation. The chemistry is sizzling and this one had a nice twist to it in that Violet (our "Prof Higgins" character) has her own transformation journey.

My Fair Gentleman (Nancy Campbell Allen)

In this Regency (and gender-bent) twist, Jack would rather be at sea than fixing the mistakes of his grandfather. Instead, he finds that inheriting his grandfather's wealth and title - and securing the welfare of his sister and mother - means joining the ranks of high society and living with the aristocracy. Luckily, Ivy Carlisle, the granddaughter of a dear friend of Jack's late grandmother, is willing to teach him etiquette and properly introduce him into society. Jack soon learns that his challenge isn't surviving his new lifestyle but surviving the conspiracies against him - as well as keeping himself from falling madly in love with his new tutor.

My Unfair Lady (Kathryne Kennedy) ⭐⭐⭐

"My Fair Lady" meets the Wild West meets the Gilded Age ... this was a wild romp through Proper Society and The Rules, with American heiress Summer Wine Lee (what a name!) paying a disenfranchised Duke to help her become a real lady. Of course nothing works out as it should - there are some nice quirks and hilarious antics. It's not meant to be a serious read, although there are some heavy moments - and hard truths - tucked inside.

Note: This one does have some steamy/"open door" romantic scenes. 

Book Bites Recommends

It's the second week in July, which means another meeting of the Book Bites crew! Check out the graphic below to see what we all read (and enjoyed!) this month, maybe you'll find something new to investigate ... After all, isn't that what Summer Reading is all about?