Category Archives: The Reading Life

Summer Reading List 2021

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photo of open book with fluttering pages sitting beside a swimming pool

The mercury is rising—fast—and now’s the time to stock up on summer essentials. Sunscreen? Check. A cooler full of frosty beverages? Check. A comfy lounge chair? Check. A tall stack of awesome books? Double check! Wherever the summer takes you, Bas Bleu has your reading needs covered…even if you’re staycationing at home. To help you create your summer reading list, our editors have selected a dozen of our favorite picks from our new Summer 2021 edition. Hungry for more? Our Summer Reading Collections offer a whirlwind literary escape—no passport required! And for wee bluestockings celebrating their freedom after the final school bell rings, our Curated Kids Collection provides a summer’s worth of bedtime stories. Continue reading →

6 Memorable Gardens in Literature

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We’re deep in the heart of spring this month, that time of year when Bas Bleu‘s editors enjoy digging in the dirt, potting colorful flowers, and generally gussying up our green space. But when you’re a reader, there’s no need to pull on gardening gloves or relocate errant earthworms to spend time in a beautiful garden. Simply open a book! In honor of the blooming season, we’re tipping our sunhats to six memorable gardens in literature. Continue reading →

Fresh Spring Picks 2021

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An updated version of our Spring 2021 edition lands in mailboxes today, sprinkled with new books and gifts chosen because…well, because we couldn’t fit all that awesomeness in the first time around! Fingers crossed the weather in your neighborhood is beginning to cooperate, and you’re looking forward to alfresco reading marathons surrounded by blooming flowers, chirping birds, warm sunshine—and neighbors who do not fire up their lawnmowers or weed whackers at the exact moment you settle down outside. Even if temperamental spring weather and sky-high pollen counts keep you indoors, we hope these fresh spring picks from Bas Bleu will add a little cheer to your day. Continue reading →

Spring Reading List 2021

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open book on sunlit wooden surface, with cherry blossoms and other trees in the background

What a difference a year makes! Yes, we’re still grappling with the coronavirus, and political dissension hasn’t magically disappeared. But as we watch the fruit trees begin to bud and the daffodil shoots push free from the soil, we feel hopeful for the future. At Bas Bleu, we’re celebrating the promise of the new season in true bleu fashion: by delivering our Spring 2021 edition (and the following spring reading list) to readers nationwide! Continue reading →

How Libraries Continue to Serve During the Pandemic

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COVID-19 disrupted just about every aspect of life in America…and libraries were not immune. Officially, they’re book repositories, but public libraries also operate as community centers, technology access points, continuing education centers, after-school hangouts, and unofficial social services agencies. When the pandemic forced libraries across the country to shut down, their doors may have locked but their work never stopped. From finding creative new ways to continue regular services (e.g., curbside book pickup, e-library card sign-ups, virtual storytime) to offering pandemic-specific services, libraries have stepped up in a big way. The Bas Bleu community is full of library lovers (and February is Library Lovers Month), so we thought we’d share just a handful of examples of how libraries continue to serve during the pandemic. Continue reading →

2021 Winter Reading List

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photo of wooden bench shaped like an open book, in a snowy landscape; header image for Bas Bleu's 2021 Winter Reading List blog post

At long last, 2020 is over, and we step into a new year filled with hope. Many aspects of life still remain uncertain, but Bas Bleu is thrilled to offer something you can count on: New books! Our Winter 2021 edition lands in mailboxes this week, filled to the brim with fresh reads, cozy gifts, beautiful note cards, and plenty of new puzzles to keep you busy through winter’s cold days and long nights. Y’all loved our seasonal reading collections in 2020, so we’re continuing them in the new year, with three winter sets for you to choose from: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Mysteries. In the meantime, we’ve assembled a 2021 winter reading list, highlighting a dozen new (to Bas Bleu) titles to whet your appetite. Continue reading →

Christmas and New Year’s Poems: 12 Verses for the Season

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Christmas and New Year’s Poems: 12 Verses for the Season blog header

Christmas is drawing nearer; if we listen very closely, we can hear the bells jingling on Santa’s sleigh! Like other celebrations and holidays this year, Christmas will be a quieter occasion for many, but that doesn’t mean we can’t embrace the spirit of the season. From twinkling lights and pretty packages to delicious baked goods and cups of cheer to time with family and friends (albeit masked and socially distanced!) to reflection back on this singular year…we hope you’re able to make some happy memories this Christmas. To add a literary dash to your holiday season, Bas Bleu’s editors have collected twelve of our favorite Christmas and New Year’s poems. (To read each poem in full, click on the title or image.) Continue reading →

Autumn Poems: 12 Verses for the Season

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A crisp breeze drifted through our neighborhood last weekend, scouting the path ahead, perhaps, for autumn’s approach. Somehow this summer has seemed both endless and fleeting, and the thought of cooler temperatures, burnished sunlight, and—dare we say it?—long sleeves is at the forefront of our minds on humid afternoons. Though the heat lingers here in Bas Bleu’s hometown of Atlanta, our editors have turned the calendar page to September…and selected a dozen of our favorite autumn poems with which to beckon the new season. (To read each poem in full, click on the title or image.) Continue reading →

Autumn Reading List 2020

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open book on wooden bench with apples

The mercury may feel stuck at “blazing hot summer,” but Bas Bleu‘s new Autumn 2020 edition is blowing into mailboxes like a cool breeze! Inside you’ll find engrossing new books to refresh your TBR stack, along with wonderful little gifts to captivate your imagination…and to jump-start your holiday shopping. This time we’ve included four Autumn Reading Collections: Novels, Mysteries, Nonfiction, and one collection dedicated to “vintage” Bas Bleu booksellers. To help you create your autumn reading list, our editors have selected fifteen of our favorite picks, including several absorbing reads by authors of color. Continue reading →