CoriAnn gave an interesting review of the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour, a marketing effort to bring interest and business to mom and pop book sellers.

The vision is to give people a passport that lists participating indie book shops, have them get a stamp from boo sellers, and submit passports for a prize. Using the passports and additional information available, participants can end up touring Iowa and its many unique places as recommended by booksellers. Participating bookshops promoted the event on social media.

     Last year’s campaign included 35 bookstores, which paid a $50 participation fee that covered campaign expenses and prizes. The event went for three months, from July through September. There was a $300 grand prize, a $100 second-place prize, and $50 prizes. Each passport stamp equalled one entry into the prize drawing. Last year a grad student completed the whole tour in 28 days and won a bonus prize for being the first to complete the whole passport.

The campaign was quite successful. Data submitted from (about 2/3 of the) participating booksellers showed that about 4,000 passports were distributed, 7,200 stamps given, and about $140,000 earned if each stamp represented a $20 book sale.

     CoriAnn owns Fort Dodge’s own Green Dragon Bookshop. It is open from 10am to 5pm Wednesday through Saturday, and from noon to 4pm on Sunday. She is happy to give you a reading challenge (which may have a prize!) and also give book recommendations. CoriAnn heartily recommends All Systems Red by Martha Wells. Goodreads rates it 4.13 and summarized the plot in this way:

“In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as ‘Murderbot.’ Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.”

 

     Watch this video to learn more about the Partners of the Americas Program, started  during the Kennedy Administration, whose goal is to “Connect, Serve, and Change:”

     It’s likely that several club members have been to Cancun, located on the Yucatan peninsula. Did you know there are three states on the Yucatan peninsula (Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo), and Iowa’s sister state is Yucatan?

          In February, Dr. Janet Secor and 17 others went on a trip to Iowa’s sister state and saw:

     The group also enjoyed nightly ice cream, poetry reading, swimming, kayaking, bird watching, and more. 

     This is just some of the information Janet shared. What isn't here are the photos, how the stingless bees live, and lives saved by the program (just to name a few). If you want to learn more, ask Janet. She'll be happy to share her expereinces.