This Week in Booktube: July 5, 2026

(These are the Booktube videos I watched this week. As always, I encourage you also to check out each of the videos I've linked to down below.  Support Booktube.  And let me know what you've watched this past week.)

Google document: docs, pub

Bookish 25 Books That Capture the American Experience

Marian H Men in Charlotte Brontë's Villette - Analysis of Chapters 17-20.5

William’s Library More Books From India

Abby Reads "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck | A 5P Review

Book Time with Elvis Hello BookTube

Twelve Months of Christmas "Pony Express Christmas" #ridealong! This is a book worth reading. 

Joseph Francis Burton Let's Run!! June 2026

Steve Donoghue Epic Comic Book Wednesday Flash Gordon

Joe's Probably Reading Channel Direction Going Forward

Bucky749 Jeremy’s dvd review cartoon craze Harvey street kids before the street

jim's books reading & stuff What are YOU reading Wednesday (59)?

Abby Reads A Willing Suspension of Science | Expedition and Evidence in Verne, Wells and Crichton

Joseph Francis Burton Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - book discussion

Johnson Park, Walker City: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

Johnson Park, Walker City: Guide to West Michigan

Address: 2600 Wilson Ave SW, Walker, MI 49534

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Walker City Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6R67ZEz-QsoXASH8rPzn94&si=bMsCWPuhKVxj46yw

John Ball Park, Grand Rapids: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

John Ball Park, Grand Rapids: Guide to West Michigan

Address: 1300 Fulton St W, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Grand Rapids Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x73ypfpMOZfYbKtensuu4B_&si=96WBxbMtcrLrVFp3

Revisiting Roselle Park in Summer: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

Revisiting Roselle Park in Summer: Guide to West Michigan

My first video on Roselle Park: https://youtu.be/bT-YVXrsZ64

Address: 1010 Grand River Dr NE, Ada, MI 49301 

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Ada Township Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4wNsw_zHE0L7HrkSYPaBuV&si=7gzHNdFhq6iauNhe

This Week in Booktube: June 28, 2026

(These are the Booktube videos I watched this week. As always, I encourage you also to check out each of the videos I've linked to down below.  Support Booktube.  And let me know what you've watched this past week.)

Google document: docs, pub

Reading IDEAS. Simenon's Maigret in Montmartre and are sensitivity readers ruining publishing.

Joseph Francis Burton White Lady, Black Christ by Charlson Ong - book review

Twelve Months of Christmas "One Perfect Gift" by Kathleen Morgan: Is It The Right Gift For You?

Abby Reads "Heart of Danger" / "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Revisiting Cascade Peace Park in Summer: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

Revisiting Cascade Peace Park in Summer: Guide to West Michigan

My first video on Cascade Peace Park: https://youtu.be/HIOedwJgKj4

Address: 8900 Grand River Dr SE, Ada, MI 49301

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Cascade Township Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4WoaXKD7r7tquq2KUQuBjn&si=Hy0GBuPXCEuoZCJE

A Dream of Red Mansions Family Tree--Commonplace Book

As I was reading A Dream of Red Mansions volume 1, I kept having to flip back to the family tree at the front of the book to keep track of everyone.  (Yes, it's one of those kind of books.)

Volume 2 doesn't have the family tree at the front, so in order to save myself having to constantly go back to the first volume, I decided to take a picture of the family tree from volume 1 and save it on my phone.

And I thought I would post it here as well in case it is useful to anyone else.  (I'm claiming fair use on this since it's only a single page out of a 2400 page novel, and can't act as a replacement for the novel itself.)

Addendum:  I'll also use this blog post to keep track of additional characters as they pop up.

From Chapter 49:

* Xiuyan--niece of Lady Xing

* Wang Ren--Xifeng's older brother

* Li Wen--1st daughter of Li Wan's widowed aunt

* Li Qi--2nd daughter of Li Wan's widowed aunt

* Xue Ke--Xue Pan's cousin

* Baoqin--Xue Ke's sister (Xue Pan's cousin)

* Mei--Baoqin's bethrothed

From Chapter 58: Actresses turned to maids

* Wenguan--goes to Lady Dowager (favored)

* Fangguan--goes to Baoyu

* Ruigan--to Baochai

* Ouguan--to Daiyu

* Kuiguan--to Xiangyun

* Douguan--to Baoqin

* Aiguan--to Tanchun

* Jiaguan--to Madam You

Legacy Park, Ada Township: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

Legacy Park, Ada Township: Guide to West Michigan

Address: 7430 River St SE, Ada, MI 49301

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Ada Township Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4wNsw_zHE0L7HrkSYPaBuV&si=7gzHNdFhq6iauNhe

Ada Village Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXuyFLh_bqUI&si=Rv1y9v4-sgArS53x

Started: The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Revised, Newly Illustrated Edition by  by Hugh Lofting adapted by Melissa Dalton Martinez

This is part of my "reading books with my kids" project.  We actually started this book at bedtime last night, but I had already shut down my computer at that point, so I'm posting today instead.  

I have vague memories of Doctor Dolittle from my own childhood.  It all seems familiar, but I can't remember anything definite.  One of my elementary school teachers might have read this book, or a version of this book to us.  But without any definite memories, I'm not going to count it as a reread.

Cascade Library, Kent District Library: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

Cascade Library, Kent District Library: Guide to West Michigan

Address: 2870 Jacksmith Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Cascade Township Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4WoaXKD7r7tquq2KUQuBjn&si=Hy0GBuPXCEuoZCJE