Sadly, July has the least number of book-related celebrations of all the months which IMHO makes zero sense giving summer should always be about the books!
But never fear, I've incorporated several book-adjacent holidays that will provide excellent Bookstagram post opportunities- so let's get to it!
National Anti-Boredom Month
If any month can kick the pants off of boredom- it's July! So many things to post, proving just how fun reading is, but here's a quick list to get you started:
Capture your current vacation read.
Showcase your reorganized book space.
Photograph yourself reading outside.
Video a trip to the library.
Show off a bookstore haul.
Chronicle a literary field trip.
Share a favorite book-to-movie adaptation.
Attend a book event & post a selfie with the author.
Start or join a book club & take a group photo. Tell us all about the book while you're at it!
Post your Top 5 Summer Reading Recs.
July 1: Second Half of the Year Day
July 1st is a great time to reflect on all the good books you've devoured so far this year. A simple post idea would be to recycle all your monthly wrap-ups and feature your favorites in the caption.
July 4: Independence Day
Today's a great day to highlight your patriotism- book-style. Here are a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing:
A Red, White, & Blue Stack.
U-S-A Spine Stack.
Historical figure biographies in a flat lay.
Make an American flag or star using books.
Take a picture of your book with fireworks as the backdrop.
July 4: Alice in Wonderland Day
Like me, you may be wondering why Alice in Wonderland Day falls on the 4th. The story is simple and sweet. On this date, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (AKA Lewis Carroll) first told the story to his good friend's middle daughter, Alice Liddell. She asked him to write it down and a handwritten copy was given to her in 1964 which is now housed in the British Library.
If you're a fan of Alice's Adventures, you could post a beautiful composition featuring your beloved edition or share a favorite quote.
And if Alice isn't your (ahem) cup of tea, well you can still give a nod to the treasured tale with photos of books and your favorite cuppu or Cheshire-esque kitty. Here is my sad attempt. (Fuzzy isn't the most cooperative model.)
July 6: International Kissing Day
Okay, it's technically not a Bookish holiday, but I don't think it's too far of a stretch for us creative types to showcase some hot romance reads on this day! Not to mention, books about love pair so well with the July beach vacation aesthetic. So, show off your current love story, and if you're really brave post a picture of yourself smooching your meet cute.
As you can see, I'm not so brave!
July 10: Clerihew Day
I've just learned of the Clerihew this month as I researched July bookish holidays. What is a Clerihew, you ask? I'm happy to enlighten you.
It began with a bored high school student (and wouldn't you know it, July is anti-boredom month!) who began writing short, silly, biographical poems about famous people. The simple poems followed an AABB rhyming schematic. He later published a collection of these poems, Biography for Beginners, in 1906. People liked them, began creating their own, and started calling them Clerihews in honor of the O.G.
Here is my attempt at a Clerihew referencing myself:
Stacey Faubion
There once was a girl who dreamed of writing.
She penned many, many words, locked away hiding.
She lost time, money, dignity, and friends,
For the title of author in her The End.
I think a cleverly crafted Clerihew would be the perfect way to reintroduce yourself on Booksta which is a necessary post ever so often. It's a great way to reveal fun tidbits about yourself and keep you human to your followers.
July 11: E.B. White's Birthday
Charlotte's Web is one of those books that capture kids' hearts and make them fall in love with reading. Even if Charlotte's Web isn't your magic book, in its honor, you could gush about the book that made a reader out of you. Or create a Top (whatever number you like) Must Read List for kids. Parents are always looking for books to spark their children's fire for reading.
I have a top 50 list if you're looking for inspo. And if it's been a few years since you've read a middle school book, I highly recommend you return to where it all started. These books are storytelling perfection!
July 20: Moon Day
I know this one is a stretch, but I couldn't resist! In my middle grade series, Violet Jenkins, Violet dreams of becoming an astronaut, so you know I'm not missing moon day! This day is set aside to remember humankind's first steps on the moon. Maybe you can do something fun with it too! After all, there are a lot of great space books out there!
July 21: Ernest Hemingway's Birthday
It's been a while since my high school days when I had the pleasure of reading a Hemingway novel, but recently I did visit his home in Key West. It was a treat! Antique typewriters on display, a catwalk to his writing den, six-toed cats running amok, and memorabilia taking you back in time.
If you don't make it to Hemingway's house, I urge you to go on other bookish excursions. My bucket list includes a trip to Louisa May Alcott's house (Little Women), Prince Edward Island (Anne of Green Gables), and a return to Key West to visit Judy Blume's book shop.
Or, if you don't make it to Hemingway's house, you could always post a good quote by the master. He has some zingers! My favorite being:
"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
July 30: National Paperback Book Day
This holiday needs no explanation. What I can offer you though is why this date was chosen. July 30th is the anniversary of Penquin's publication of its first paperback making books a bit more affordable.
You know what to do! Post a photograph of your current read or favorite paperback, give a little summary of the book enticing readers to pick up their own copy, and call it a day.
July 31: Harry Potter's Birthday
With over 600 million copies worldwide and a slew of Potterheads, you would be wise not to forget our beloved Harry's birthday which coincidently shares the same date as his creator, J.K. Rowling.
To spice up your post, you could include fun Harry Potter trivia, like the following:
Dumbledore's name was chosen because Rowling always imagined him humming to himself thus, his name is an old English word for bumblebee.
Luna Lovegood was almost Lily Moon.
The Dementors were based on Rowling's experience with depression.
Rowling's favorite chapter is The Mirror of Erised."
Voldemort is French for "Flight of Death."
Fred & George Weasley were jokesters, making their April 1st Birthdays apropos.
The Harry Potter books were the first children's books on the New York bestseller list since Charlotte's Web in 1952. (Told ya Charlotte's Web was magical!)
Rowling stated that the Sorting Hat would have placed her into Hufflepuff.
Ernie & Stanley, the driver & conductor of the Knight Bus, are named after Rowling's grandfathers.
Hermoine's Patronus is an otter, & Ron's is a Jack Russell Terrier, which uncoincidentally, is known for chasing otters.
There you have it- all of July's bookish holidays! I hope your summer reading takes you on many great adventures and you find the time to share a bit about them on Bookstagram. You can find me @staceywritesandreads! I love making new book friends there.
Happy Reading,
Stacey Faubion
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