Sunday Stills: For the Love of Reading and Books
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: For the Love of #Reading and #Books

Sunday Stills: For the Love of Reading and Books

April marks our 12th month of Sunday Stills since I reinstated this photo challenge last May, 2018. A huge thank you and shout out to all bloggers who have faithfully posted Sunday Stills images since the beginning and to those who post regularly!

Let me take a moment to share some stats!

We’ve Come a Long Way

Our first month saw over 3300 visitors to my blog (not bad after my 4-month break)! The inaugural post had 95 likes, 15 pingbacks (links) and 3 re-blogs! The total pingbacks for the month of May was 44, and that was still during the WordPress WPC’s last month!

We started with the Inlinkz sharing app, which allowed folks to share their posts in the thumbnail gallery. The intention was to somewhat replicate the Weekly Photo Challenge’s thumbnails of images posted. It cost a few dollars a month, but many bloggers did not choose to use the feature. As a result, I ended the subscription in December.

Pat yourself on the back, lovingly clean those lenses, and congratulate yourselves for being inspired by photography!

Let’s Get to Today’s Photo Challenge

Today, April 7 marks the beginning of National Library Week! This week’s Sunday Stills theme is “For the Love of Reading and Books.”

Random Assortment of Books
My random assortment of books on one shelf

This is indeed a challenge. How often can images depict “reading” or “books?” Surprise me and take a look at some of my images and my interpretation of the theme throughout this post.

Do You Frequent Your Local Library?

Three years ago, I visited my local library to get a library card mostly to rent audio books for my two-hour weekend delta drives. Not only did I get a new card and tour of my neighborhood library, the librarian helped me subscribe to the Overdrive App where I can borrow e-books (read on Kindle—so convenient) and audio-books! All FREE! Yay! No wonder I love reading!

Reading and lounging
Yep, that’s me reading outside on my deck!

Because I teach at a university, I also get to enjoy its vast library.

Library books on university shelves
A long shelf of university-worthy books

To help celebrate books, and the love of reading, please visit these bloggers.

Paperback Book More Glimpses_HRoberts

Fellow blogger/author Hugh Roberts recently launched his newest book More Glimpses!

The signed paperback arrived in the mail on Saturday afternoon! This is my photo of the cover.

If you are looking for inspirational reading and books to motivate you, my blogger friend Michele recently posted this book list on her blog!

I just finished blogger and self-published author Jacqui Murray’s wonderful book, Born in a Treacherous Time (Book 1 in the Dawn of Humanity Trilogy). An excerpt from my review Amazon and Goodreads… “That Lucy has the capacity to learn and understand her environment, as well as to befriend an orphaned hominid child and injured proto-canine, speaks to the humanity in all of us and our innate need for love and acceptance.” Check out her newest book Survival of the Fittest.

Are you on Goodreads?

Visit These New Sunday Stills Participants

March’s Sunday Stills themes attracted 5 new bloggers to the Sunday Stills Photo Challenge. Please drop by their blogs and say hello!

Light Motifs

Wild Daffodil

Cats and Trails and Garden Tales

Minding My Ps with Qs

Little Borneo Girl

Do you enjoy reading and books? Show us your interpretations! You can link all week!

Camera graphic

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82 comments

  7. I went to school at 50 to get my masters in library science and I got to work for one year in libraries after, until the economy tanked. Libraries and librarians are so special. Love books too!

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    • Wow, Dawn, congrats on getting your MS, and at 50! I have a similar story and loved being able to search for my literature review online instead of through old card files…but there is something nostalgic about that old process!

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  12. Promoting books and libraries – two great activities.
    I read all the time, but way too slowly – a million books on my shelves.
    Enjoy your Sunday, Terri. Whatever you’re doing, I know you’re getting the most out of it.

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  18. Thanks for carrying on this photo challenge Terri, I know I really appreciate it as I used to so enjoy the Weekly WordPress photo challenges and the number of people visiting my blog dropped significantly after it finished. I love having a prompt to get me writing and photographing and this week was no exception with the story of my dad’s book taking over my post, quite unexpectedly I must say! Your shots are great and show your love of books very clearly. I really enjoy reading too, and I count reading blogs in that category. Here’s my post for this week

    What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

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  19. I was going to skip this week…this month even. I’m busy with A-Z challenge and promoting Keep America Beautiful Month…National Library Month too? OMG..one of my besties is a librarian! Please do not tell her I didn’t know this. Thanks for the inspiration and you lovely post…I’ll get to this…sometime this week! (lol)

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    • I applaud anyone who can handle the A-Z challenge (me clapping), Dawn! I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t checked the National Days calendar. I think I would have liked to be a librarian, except I talk to much! Join us anytime you feel inspired…we already passed “B”, I suppose you could post for L on 4/13 and still link to Sunday Stills 🙂 if I counted right (no Sundays?).

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  23. I’m a big fan of libraries! I am so lucky to have three neighborhood library branches within 2-3 miles of my house. So many books, so little time! My book clubs have been a great source of books to read that I would have never picked out and read on my own.

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  29. Congratulations on all those achievements, Terri. I knew when you relaunched ‘SundayStills’ that it would be a success. And we must thank you for putting in all the hard work it takes to run a challenge. I think many bloggers don’t even think about all the hard work that goes into running them. I remember when I ran a photo challenge on my blog for 7 months. It got so overwhelming for me that I had to end the challenge.

    I’m so pleased that ‘More Glimpses’ got to you. Thank you for featuring it on this post.

    We’re lucky to have a local library in the town just down the road from me. It a great place for the local community to meet, offers free use of computers and wi-fi, lots of information on events and local classes, and is the place we also collect recycling bags.

    I love the theme for this week’s challenge. I’ll be participating this week.

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    • Thanks so much, Hugh! There were a couple days in which I thought about handing it off to someone else last Fall, but I enjoy finding the themes then finding the appropriate photo and writing something about it. I’m glad you have a favorite library. I could ride my bike to mine if I chose. Looking forward to your take on the SS theme this week!

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  30. I do frequent my local library–a handful of times a month probably. It feels good to see books everywhere. I’ve also drowned myself in several university libraries– the University of Notre Dame and the US Naval Academy. I spent days at each researching for books I was writing and still think of them as highlights in my life.

    Then, there was the day spent at the Library of Congress. Oh my.

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    • Wow, some “big” libraries, Jacqui! I went to the California State library years ago as a college student in the early 80s looking for more sources (good old card catalog)! Biggest one I have been too, and it was a cool historical building right near the State Capitol. I can imagine you losing yourself in one of those immersed in your extensive research 🙂

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  32. As a retired librarian, I love the new photo prompt. And our community public library just opened after a year. Can’t wait to see its face-lift.

    Congratulations on all the success on the blog. And thank you for the inspiration you give so many.

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  37. Congrats on your success with Sunday Stills, Terri! I’m participating in a 2019 Reading Challenge initiated by my local library so yes, I’ve been reading and checking books in and out of my local library. So many good books and so little time. #MLSTL

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  40. Sunday Still is a great initiativ. I read a lot, and I used to visit libraries more often when I was younger. Lately I’ve only lived in areas where the libraries haven’t been that inviting. I am on Goodreads. I like reading my friends reviews, and book adventures.

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  41. I love books too Terri – and I’m a huge fan of my local library, the online Overdrive library, and free Kindle books. I can’t justify spending too much money on books, so having access to such a wide variety all for free is just the best gift.
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂

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  42. I love reading Terri and although I don’t think you can beat the feel of a real book I do have an electronic reader. It is great for travelling and also we just don’t have the space for a library in our apartment. You have done so well with the blogging numbers despite your break! Great to see you at #MLSTL and have a lovely week. x

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  43. I love reading too but don’t get to it as much as I used to. I really want to fix that. I don’t get to Libraries as much as I used to either because the pile of books I have to read is still a huge pile so no need! I’d really like to listen to an audio book one day. I think that would be so relaxing!

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  44. Hi Terri! Popping over from MLSTL! I am embarrassed to say, I haven’t been in a library for over 30 years. However, I have been wanting to visit the one in town. I’m almost scared as to what I may find! Like others, I do have an ereader, Kindle, but it lacks the smell of a real book. The touch of a thick book in your hand and flipping pages. Maybe someday I’ll get back into reading. I do miss it at times. My biggest issue is focusing on what I’m reading because I’m always thinking of something else. By the way, love the pic with your puppy. I wonder if my two would actually lounge with me while I read? 🙂 Thanks for sharing this with us!

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  46. Hi there, popping in from MSTL. I LOVE my local library and we’re there every week for books, music, mags, etc. Haven’t seen these photo challenges before – I might have to join in. christine

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  48. Congratulations on the continued success of Sunday Stills. Lovely to see a place for so many talented photographers to gather and showcase their good work.

    I recently bought a book off Michelle’s recommended book list. She is a wise one!

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  49. It’s wonderful that people are still reading books. A book is special because it can draw you so completely into a different world. This is a very interesting theme!

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