The Sunday Salon: Home From the TLA Conference, But Still On the Go

  

It's time for Sunday Salon again, and, if I haven't told you lately, I want you to know that I am happy that you are here. 

I don't want to make excuses for my lack of reading, but in the last week I went to a library conference in Austin; attended a play in Houston; heard an author speak in Houston; did the Butterfly Count at Camp Mohawk; participated in the City Nature Challenge; painted faces at Migration Celebration at the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (that's where I am this weekend!); and took a writing class. 

Whew. I'm tired.

Anyway, that's why I only managed to finish two children's books this week.

Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease (1001 Children's Books You Must Read)

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (TBR Pile Challenge)

Silas Marner by George Eliot (Chapter-a-Day Classics Challenge)

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson (Naturalist Book Club)

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Classic)

Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond (Nonfiction)

The Bobbsey Twins: Merry Days Indoors and Out (TBR Pile Challenge)

The Happy Writing Book: Discover the Positive Power of Creative Writing (Creativity Challenge)

Last week I posted here at Readerbuzz:

The Magic Hour

Favorite Audiobook Narrators: Please Suggest These for Me

The Sunday Salon: At the Library Conference in Austin

I hope to update my challenges this week.

I love TLA, and I'm glad I was able to attend this year. The focus everywhere was on finding ways to stop these crazy book bans. Publishers usually flood the attendees with copies of all the most promising new books, but this year I saw a lot of romance and historical fiction titles and little to no literary fiction and thoughtful nonfiction---have some publishers stepped back from Texas?

Just wondering...

Still, there are many wonderful things about TLA...

Good Thing #1

Amazing authors at TLA!

(This is Christina Soontornvat,

children's book author.)

Good Thing #2

Amazing speakers at TLA!

Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin spoke about her new book

which shares how using the five senses can increase your happiness.

Good Thing #3

Amazing free books at TLA!

I brought home 162 books from the conference.

I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

• What was your week like?
• Read any good books? Tell us about them.
• What other bookish things did you do? 
• What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.