tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76768794853876862122024-03-06T11:02:09.493-06:00How I Feel About BooksHow I Feel About Books - book reviews and activities for children and young adultsAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.comBlogger405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-41385477795863038092024-03-06T10:44:00.002-06:002024-03-06T10:44:39.256-06:00Pretty Ugly by David Sedaris and Ian Falconer<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Pretty Ugly</i> by David Sedaris, illustrated by Ian Falconer</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cLduqeTd0vw_CexZkCzCX99uhTR9uloPbVTCoJf8ZHECCuC9XP1OhIhnIyhCrMLRJoi7jGGfbNGICKb4bikBmTVjnLuBL3ZtOo72Mpcqmxf_SoPDjhcZZjOdWCf5AM1v5A6qxa0irBMpFtmmUastfHMdbHVTirZLzYXNQtQTHJebEcNtfr7ACk4BZGA/s3024/IMG_7885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cLduqeTd0vw_CexZkCzCX99uhTR9uloPbVTCoJf8ZHECCuC9XP1OhIhnIyhCrMLRJoi7jGGfbNGICKb4bikBmTVjnLuBL3ZtOo72Mpcqmxf_SoPDjhcZZjOdWCf5AM1v5A6qxa0irBMpFtmmUastfHMdbHVTirZLzYXNQtQTHJebEcNtfr7ACk4BZGA/w443-h443/IMG_7885.jpg" width="443" /></a></div><br />I'm a huge David Sedaris fan and am usually aware when he has a new book coming out. However, even with this being a picture book (aka right up my alley!), it wasn't on my radar until recently, despite being on the Most Anticipated Books of 2024 List from Kirkus Reviews. I must be living under a rock!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Anyway, I was glad to get my hands on it because this house has tons of <a href="https://www.toon-books.com/" target="_blank">Toon books</a> so even if Sedaris and Falconer weren't behind the scenes, you know it's gonna be good.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />The first few pages reminded me of <i>Saturday Night Live</i>'s take on <i><a href="https://youtu.be/fMRAWdg0Hgk?si=99--WDyf9a3veVrY&t=194" target="_blank">The Twilight Zone</a></i> with Pamela Anderson, to the point where I was thinking, "At least kids who haven't seen that sketch may think this book is a fresh take on the issue."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Then came the twist.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I should have known Sedaris wouldn't go with the standard idea of monsters finding true beauty to be repulsive, though I definitely thought the book was going to be a letdown at a point.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But it's not. I can't say much more because I don't want to give it away---and this twist is <i>worth it</i>. Let's just say... my son had to hold his hand over the page because it grossed him out so much, while I thought it was delightful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Overall, this is a funny twist on "beautiful on the inside" with amazing final illustrations from Ian Falconer, especially lovely if you grew up loving <i>Olivia</i> like I did.</span></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-28120232428396565412024-02-28T11:04:00.001-06:002024-02-29T11:11:23.958-06:00Adult Books by Black Authors<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">These are a mix of fiction and nonfiction, short story collections and novels, old favorites and new favorites. Have you read any? What would you recommend to me if I loved these books?</span></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans</h3><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizSkNnqGyfqzniACAs305E-hDQDBJJ58Ruga5qF1_NClM_ytVjHn8S1mtXmCYWerhSYhXjyEl6JEKis85jegzkpX67uvBEA4mtZZjYpPn9jGow0iP1Vo3ojbWJ2u3T-74ht9r0wm8PgSXIjPIczNdx-LCy08oTg1a8jxEAP5JMLEwhs9-Y3dL1QLQBiKg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="583" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizSkNnqGyfqzniACAs305E-hDQDBJJ58Ruga5qF1_NClM_ytVjHn8S1mtXmCYWerhSYhXjyEl6JEKis85jegzkpX67uvBEA4mtZZjYpPn9jGow0iP1Vo3ojbWJ2u3T-74ht9r0wm8PgSXIjPIczNdx-LCy08oTg1a8jxEAP5JMLEwhs9-Y3dL1QLQBiKg=w400-h398" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The cover of this book hooked me first. I saw it posted all over <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bookstagram/">#bookstagram</a>. The title piqued my curiosity too, but when I actually read it, it blew me away.<br /><br />I’ve been on a short story kick for the past year, but this collection is the best of the best. The plots are unique and engaging, the characters are too real, and the topics are timely. I keep thinking about these characters and stories and will probably have to re-read the whole collection soon. I can’t recommend this one enough.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Broke Diaries by Angela Nissel</h3><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHMLIc3Ynl5OirHbo-Edvix0vzzZj4Cz5uAzrepGuYvdGKLqPUssKJf84XgMdrc6z0UFteghqh98FPpufLKNkCfxiLWPeSQjw9jYPu1KsW2XKO9Gwk5JCLrKP4FwOsn_6Uh_d9husIOozGGAB7CMiCHm5r_tKp1I9AWi4jPXyOqejvcqqb7W8L28aMUNs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="439" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHMLIc3Ynl5OirHbo-Edvix0vzzZj4Cz5uAzrepGuYvdGKLqPUssKJf84XgMdrc6z0UFteghqh98FPpufLKNkCfxiLWPeSQjw9jYPu1KsW2XKO9Gwk5JCLrKP4FwOsn_6Uh_d9husIOozGGAB7CMiCHm5r_tKp1I9AWi4jPXyOqejvcqqb7W8L28aMUNs=w400-h398" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">I worked as a library page in high school. One shift I was “reading” the nonfiction section and this title caught my eye. I have to admit, I started reading it right then on the clock and then checked it out and took it home with me.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">At the time, I was envious of Nissel. Not because she was broke - I was too! But how she had so much humor about it, and such an engaging writing style. I remember taking the book to school and showing the girls in my math class and they passed it around and laughed at the entries.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">I actually bought the exact copy I first found, years later after the library discarded it. It’s been on my shelf since, and I read Mixed too, but The Broke Diaries remained my favorite.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">I wanted some humor in my life after all of...this, and I can’t believe that the book still cracks me up so much. Like laughing out loud reading on my front porch, because now it’s in the 60s after last week’s ice and snow. But I digress. This book is hilarious and makes me miss the 2008ish period of blogging because that’s exactly how it reads now, even though it was written way before then. You should read this. Then let’s laugh about it together.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">Just to note, if you don’t believe me about Nissel’s humor: she’s been a writer on Scrubs, the Boondocks, and Mixed-ish.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">Luster by Raven Leilani</h3></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPsYUFmgFaX-EhreouKB2_8DAY42dNUAxpLu06Sh9tCKoT3f2qNDeuaujaWN1KsN05v3OQglpz51VQ3DOWncFSDlcX-w6mA0XENj1Veft3xB2dopmW0wZG6cBrUDvgvNFC4Vdxei0e4WXl-gXUgDbRahHL5_FWbaBMPxhG74UyMBTBf14ZTfgKV5nYqms" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPsYUFmgFaX-EhreouKB2_8DAY42dNUAxpLu06Sh9tCKoT3f2qNDeuaujaWN1KsN05v3OQglpz51VQ3DOWncFSDlcX-w6mA0XENj1Veft3xB2dopmW0wZG6cBrUDvgvNFC4Vdxei0e4WXl-gXUgDbRahHL5_FWbaBMPxhG74UyMBTBf14ZTfgKV5nYqms=w262-h400" width="262" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I really really enjoyed this book, but it’s so hard for me to get my thoughts together about it. There’s something that is just so raw yet so guarded, with wonderful language that really sets the pacing. I loved the run-on sentences and how the story was broken into vignettes. I loved how the book made me experience something new, while also feeling understood. It’s a truly unique book that deserves that attention it’s getting.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett</h3><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8-h_BN7RmzrNZb3_6sJX3HYFey7RLzh1lZ2KIQycQvKPaMcUFkZFCPzBz9co6uHzwhzNtM2R_1XM_icjk5I1Z9v_19wtBZmkljS8e7yFZ3R5OrGVKQAvB8Hfah-UX-GqNjB7lC3g5s4kR7AmAHf9bT7IE5ZMBydUhD07KaSwlRhP0-tqn4J-0FOHC-g4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="588" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8-h_BN7RmzrNZb3_6sJX3HYFey7RLzh1lZ2KIQycQvKPaMcUFkZFCPzBz9co6uHzwhzNtM2R_1XM_icjk5I1Z9v_19wtBZmkljS8e7yFZ3R5OrGVKQAvB8Hfah-UX-GqNjB7lC3g5s4kR7AmAHf9bT7IE5ZMBydUhD07KaSwlRhP0-tqn4J-0FOHC-g4=w395-h400" width="395" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">This book totally lives up to the hype. I absolutely loved the story itself, but Bennett’s writing is so seamless that you get sucked in completely, and then a beautiful, profound line will stop you in your tracks.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Incredible Shrinking Woman by Athena Dixon</h3><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWtH5AJ-vf0Avy1CEMx8g5LOcTKMuig3Y07Mp-AFQfkBf9QEf0FDnTzZ1cfipLlL-Q05zcVtpbsQKBTpxJMVK4PFrhS1R2vXGfciIUTXn8btgpmBOUSJJoUkiVB6GbglwTLkM8VR0H965VDifKJ9Y2Z3NTKlub_FXPsXMHL0ICiewsU9uD_cfyKZegiyw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="529" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWtH5AJ-vf0Avy1CEMx8g5LOcTKMuig3Y07Mp-AFQfkBf9QEf0FDnTzZ1cfipLlL-Q05zcVtpbsQKBTpxJMVK4PFrhS1R2vXGfciIUTXn8btgpmBOUSJJoUkiVB6GbglwTLkM8VR0H965VDifKJ9Y2Z3NTKlub_FXPsXMHL0ICiewsU9uD_cfyKZegiyw=w373-h400" width="373" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">This essay collection is amazing. You can tell Athena Dixon has a background in poetry because the language is so beautiful, while still being so raw and matter-of-fact. So many of these pieces made me feel seen and understood. I know this is a collection I’ll come back to time and time again. </span><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">The essays are honest and powerful and emotional and poetic, all wrapped up in this gorgeous package. If you haven’t gotten your hands on this one, you need to. Now.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw</h3></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiLIlxsVw4zNW1UPTmCt7yGU5otMnzsstmc9a5HfL-_HcCSuDZLV5jbSY1O_1PW9HO9FDi0uLxYOS3RR5yWxEc_YpCEJ6uZMToU5f6B-pqQswqvYgXRuZ54I1NcTNZ4gPZNMO0sST8jsuOUkrH2RiDPDIgXIJZ5W59BcXZiXgit1uSInksqRYjTlDELmQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiLIlxsVw4zNW1UPTmCt7yGU5otMnzsstmc9a5HfL-_HcCSuDZLV5jbSY1O_1PW9HO9FDi0uLxYOS3RR5yWxEc_YpCEJ6uZMToU5f6B-pqQswqvYgXRuZ54I1NcTNZ4gPZNMO0sST8jsuOUkrH2RiDPDIgXIJZ5W59BcXZiXgit1uSInksqRYjTlDELmQ=w392-h400" width="392" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">Deesha Philyaw read part of “Peach Cobbler” at an event I attended years long ago and I was hooked from the first line: “My mother’s peach cobbler was so good, it made God himself cheat on his wife.”</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this collection, and once I got it I was torn between racing to finish it and wanting to drag it out so I’d have longer with these multi-layered characters. I can’t pick a favorite from this collection because they’re all that. damn. good. I’ve been recommending it to everyone I know, and that includes you. It’s the perfect mix of gossip, drama, and breathtaking storytelling you need in your life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">I usually try to not re-read a book until a year after my last reading, but this is one I’ll be coming back to more often than that. I can’t stop thinking about it and I want more.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-64773497607162899162024-02-24T11:52:00.005-06:002024-02-24T11:52:40.997-06:00How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59856311-how-dinosaurs-went-extinct" target="_blank">How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide</a></b></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Jennifer Harney</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBmIv9X0ry8WIYqc-sJW0HqaNs5GBqW2W90W5AG5bxtExXPGf4po8isHls9qSejtSg_IdlNjFHu_OMvnzzM6cWttLc_f_fhIZTxfuiLy52NuvAVkb3u7jNAZ1bsBfMN5I5lh0s8aeOnQfdfjXHD4R0DO4wJw01CPy1-Xb8Szaxs7GICyzO2K1LNXweQs/s2902/IMG_7739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="2902" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBmIv9X0ry8WIYqc-sJW0HqaNs5GBqW2W90W5AG5bxtExXPGf4po8isHls9qSejtSg_IdlNjFHu_OMvnzzM6cWttLc_f_fhIZTxfuiLy52NuvAVkb3u7jNAZ1bsBfMN5I5lh0s8aeOnQfdfjXHD4R0DO4wJw01CPy1-Xb8Szaxs7GICyzO2K1LNXweQs/w400-h400/IMG_7739.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My son doesn't read picture books much anymore; he's too busy devouring a chapter book a week. And since I'm not working as a children's librarian right now (though I'll always be one at heart), I don't really have much reason (or time!) to pick up new picture books.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So when my son saw this book in the Scholastic Book Fair catalog, he circled it and said it was one he wanted to read. We found it in the library system and checked it out immediately. He thought it was funny but only read it once before he was ready to return it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, I read it too. We've read so many of Dyckman's books over the years, and they're always funny and enjoyable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, this one started off a little iffy to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QLi23TcW9kPtpIR9qWA1Q-5OjI-MITFZd7_WG-9VBfPkwpDGJoWRPZ1FEnO-rvM0cOpbEdkXM7XYfMRvrfW_M6dOSG3kVdhgZyDZVZPE7EHY5_bwAv3MNNDJ6rL8Qh9xhpxnSl63bmtdie6ntG0pZw5nxL729J7joV8QmlglWQbfaC3HwBCiJZ2zUrc/s2902/IMG_7740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="2902" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QLi23TcW9kPtpIR9qWA1Q-5OjI-MITFZd7_WG-9VBfPkwpDGJoWRPZ1FEnO-rvM0cOpbEdkXM7XYfMRvrfW_M6dOSG3kVdhgZyDZVZPE7EHY5_bwAv3MNNDJ6rL8Qh9xhpxnSl63bmtdie6ntG0pZw5nxL729J7joV8QmlglWQbfaC3HwBCiJZ2zUrc/w400-h400/IMG_7740.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I rolled my eyes at the typical dad mansplaining, then figured I was being too sensitive. After all, it's a picture book. And maybe Dyckman was trying to make a statement? But I wish he hadn't interrupted the mother, who was actually trying to teach her child a lesson. The dad speaks up and uses the rest of the book to share stupid reasons dinosaurs went extinct. They're funny, yes. But I could imagine this happening to me, and I would prefer the child learn the truth while in the museum since there's so much to explore there. On the drive home, the dad can be as silly as he wants with the rest of the reasons. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That said, I know I'm projecting based on my own personal experiences. I still wish this page wasn't there. What if it was just the dad and kid at the museum that day and he was offering silly explanations? Why does he have to interrupt the woman?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The reasons are pretty funny, though, because they're things kids do, like picking boogers, running with scissors, and tipping backward in a chair. And you can probably imagine how Gasosaurus went extinct.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I can admit that I might be taking this book a little deeper than intended, but I'll still argue that this plot point could have easily been rewritten to not have a man interrupting a woman just to share a lot of nonsense, since that's already so prevalent in everyday society. I've shown the page to two friends (females, one librarian, one writer) and they felt the same way, so it's possibly an issue beyond my personal bubble.</div></div></span></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-37955667074350954642024-02-21T10:51:00.001-06:002024-02-29T11:10:32.072-06:00Favorite Picture Books by Black Authors<span style="font-family: georgia;">YA books are my sweet spot, but I also wanted to highlight some picture books by Black authors as well.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;">Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison</span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg19mBlH5vU00ovTFG2GXPV1kX4NmLDBncTrK6120TjHd4ynwJJuagwTOCw85LAB9uXpehrB8fHaccslTddxmc5RcvrH-eTYw6s1JplzM7kc6R7pwVBH_7iL5hIkdWPNJ9JA_c-xFU-jCsmsogfvZr0T9hT7IzksbV_vNIU0ci_TtcnU8KwjuXi3kM7caU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="542" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg19mBlH5vU00ovTFG2GXPV1kX4NmLDBncTrK6120TjHd4ynwJJuagwTOCw85LAB9uXpehrB8fHaccslTddxmc5RcvrH-eTYw6s1JplzM7kc6R7pwVBH_7iL5hIkdWPNJ9JA_c-xFU-jCsmsogfvZr0T9hT7IzksbV_vNIU0ci_TtcnU8KwjuXi3kM7caU=w367-h400" width="367" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">I thought I was obsessed with Vashti Harrison's</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"> artwork in Little Leaders, but then I went to her IG page and WOW. This is an amazing book to read to kids to get them interested in Black history and a great jumping off point for further research. If you don’t have a kid to read it to, you should still check it out for the gorgeous artwork.</span><br style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" /><br style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" /><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">“Vashti Harrison’s Little Leaders book first started off during a social media challenge to create art throughout Black History Month. Eventually, these drawings became the beginning of Harrison’s first bestselling book. Harrison created images of black girls dressing up as different female role models from history and turned them into a book in which she tells these women’s stories. She says she wrote these books with her younger self in mind, imagining the types of people she would have wanted to read about, the people who would inspire her to keep dreaming.”</span></span><br /><br /></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgANhGKf7lQDzG4k7_HwZAnzXGCvGpGgxCUrBrUoA6RCLbPOJ5kAdC9gS4w4zI8VSaHu3QcEvfgrsqCc-OnhU9EubGk3tAi29AHRpXBtS7EtOyWXtPZaphIDWzWDiA00jBBNFQCJXISSo7P-NCjiQ9HlAmyQdIy13IHfZWlDd2uZc0bngokg7NFXxW4-TE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="562" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgANhGKf7lQDzG4k7_HwZAnzXGCvGpGgxCUrBrUoA6RCLbPOJ5kAdC9gS4w4zI8VSaHu3QcEvfgrsqCc-OnhU9EubGk3tAi29AHRpXBtS7EtOyWXtPZaphIDWzWDiA00jBBNFQCJXISSo7P-NCjiQ9HlAmyQdIy13IHfZWlDd2uZc0bngokg7NFXxW4-TE=w400-h397" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">My son and I loved Crown and the King of Kindergarten, and hearing Derrick Barnes speak was especially inspiring. I was really looking forward to I Am Every Good Thing, especially after the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. I watched footage of local protests on the news, and my son wanted to go "walk with everyone." It only seemed natural that the conversations that inspired would also have a powerful book to really hit the point home.</span><br style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" /><br style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" /><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">The Black boy that tells this story is showing us every unique thing that makes him who he is - something that is often overlooked when it comes to news stories and biases. The book is dedicated to Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, EJ Bradford, Jordan Edwards, Michael Brown, Jordan Davis, and Julian Mallory, all Black boys who were senselessly killed, often by police officers.</span><br style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" /><br style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" /><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">Kirkus called this book “a much-needed book for Black children when society demonstrates otherwise,” and I agree, while also finding it important for white children (AND adults) to read so they can develop empathy and understand that Black children are just as important as they are, especially with the current racial climate and ignorance some people have about basic human rights.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><br /></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Power of Her Pen by Lesa Cline-Ransome</h3></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNo31VIvt2I5eqWDTuEP2zggxK_yTdSaJZ8_wvyolRMXAXomMCwVy8xOCCsMaJ4CxuyJqhJtMHVG_xcR-n0sPNr7nHuK-rWaj82BWalaP0JA3xBdw-nqS2feTym_3qwSWeIFMDwFl7rBvEAonSLp5V8QvD5StqaPweWzLKZoLJq5KVkXDMnePh88t0sRc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="456" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNo31VIvt2I5eqWDTuEP2zggxK_yTdSaJZ8_wvyolRMXAXomMCwVy8xOCCsMaJ4CxuyJqhJtMHVG_xcR-n0sPNr7nHuK-rWaj82BWalaP0JA3xBdw-nqS2feTym_3qwSWeIFMDwFl7rBvEAonSLp5V8QvD5StqaPweWzLKZoLJq5KVkXDMnePh88t0sRc=w400-h400" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ethel L. Payne was born in 1911. She went to school with white people, even though she was harassed and beaten for it. The school paper wouldn’t let her work for them because she was black, but they published her first story. Payne went to college and studied writing. She went to Japan and wrote about how Black American soldiers were treated.</span></span></p><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: georgia;">When she returned to the United States, Payne worked for the Chicago Defender, one of two Black daily newspapers at the time. After 3 years of covering politics, Payne became one of three Black journalists to be given a White House press pass. She was outspoken and became known as the “First Lady of the Black Press.” Payne died in 1991 and has since been honored on a US stamp - one of only four female journalists to be featured.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">The Oldest Student by Rita Lorraine Hubbard</h3><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEImk6f2UWYMRFiixlA719uotQPbRCYKqS8eKCf_yocWdOqnErQ4SEe565kr0s2TobkVp3N49DTMPvLPYXZb41e7iY83VeCmZqIFp--AMy-by_PwOwOZ19ARIo2_kdtmFhKZ_ORtkzflKpDXgHuJR0k1aNXiGC6VodmqaQgHl8V4VC3ffeYWOrEuoaZFo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="428" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEImk6f2UWYMRFiixlA719uotQPbRCYKqS8eKCf_yocWdOqnErQ4SEe565kr0s2TobkVp3N49DTMPvLPYXZb41e7iY83VeCmZqIFp--AMy-by_PwOwOZ19ARIo2_kdtmFhKZ_ORtkzflKpDXgHuJR0k1aNXiGC6VodmqaQgHl8V4VC3ffeYWOrEuoaZFo=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #262626;">I can’t believe I didn’t know about Mary Walker, but I’m glad I learned about her in this book. She was born into slavery in 1848. After being freed at 15, someone gave her a Bible. She wanted to read it, but had never learned. She couldn’t write, so she just made marks in the front to note her sons’ birth dates. She outlived her entire family and finally decided to learn to read. She was scared she was too old to learn, but she worked hard and never gave up. At 116, she could read! She lived to be 121.</span><br style="color: #262626;" /><br style="color: #262626;" /><span style="color: #262626;">Mora’s illustrations are amazing, showing the reader the way Walker sees scribbles all around her, then words after she learns to read. The endpapers include real photos of Mary Walker.</span></span></div></div></span></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-6011692517839933312024-02-14T12:59:00.001-06:002024-02-14T12:59:05.379-06:00Happy International Book Giving Day!<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">And Happy Valentine's Day, sure. But who doesn't LOVE getting a book as a gift?<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This year, I gave my son <i><a href="https://www.wonderbly.com/personalized-products/roald-dahl-my-golden-ticket-book" target="_blank">My Golden Ticket</a></i>, a personalized Willy Wonka book from Wonderbly. I actually bought this book back in 2017 when I first saw it, since I'm a huge <a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/search/label/roald%20dahl" target="_blank">Roald Dahl reader</a>. I was just waiting for him to also fall in love with the author. A few months ago, he read <i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory </i>and saw the play, so I figured the time was right! He loves how this book makes him feel like part of the story he already knows so well.</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiahHChZlpbNIoYszo5rHkqxB2NO-kA1qWySq_nL_idobz3PdVTKODB3-dDc7-vPrx5mGaN_MyUtzvyZwrr84DsMwEbziL_YdrTs0k8iv-OMYnlY67SbqsoWLSNPmdEciOCuAKz9hxFgkGBFSaTcmjfCJyCW4_hP6_cbQ9CeHWuZJeZsJOX6gl2VqzaxLo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="766" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiahHChZlpbNIoYszo5rHkqxB2NO-kA1qWySq_nL_idobz3PdVTKODB3-dDc7-vPrx5mGaN_MyUtzvyZwrr84DsMwEbziL_YdrTs0k8iv-OMYnlY67SbqsoWLSNPmdEciOCuAKz9hxFgkGBFSaTcmjfCJyCW4_hP6_cbQ9CeHWuZJeZsJOX6gl2VqzaxLo=w400-h400" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For previous International Book Giving Days, I've combined the holiday with Valentine's Day and given (and received!) heart notebooks. The Pete the Cat bookmark was one of the Valentines my son gave him class one year, as was the bee paper and bee with a heart. The bee paper is seed paper, so his friends could plant their Valentine and watch it grow instead of simply recycling it after the holiday passed.</span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhriRLu6USoHgJZNKyeDJARqq5nhBTXMuj-SipSAYpbI22H5seR_tyUXRsHSU5ql8ieEOTEN6bR7NIeAcj9gLy4M5F6HK_K9X0wYUM27RKJmZ2NE0sU0zpTa78ve4WQVofoeT4EgB9mt4_jnQV67FlUXEp76iNzyXP001o6ojscDf67bIjzCtKjagsE1XM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="765" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhriRLu6USoHgJZNKyeDJARqq5nhBTXMuj-SipSAYpbI22H5seR_tyUXRsHSU5ql8ieEOTEN6bR7NIeAcj9gLy4M5F6HK_K9X0wYUM27RKJmZ2NE0sU0zpTa78ve4WQVofoeT4EgB9mt4_jnQV67FlUXEp76iNzyXP001o6ojscDf67bIjzCtKjagsE1XM=w400-h398" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhemfzAY-thlorWCO_KwSauo1sfhUVoCKSZHhAkSS06tMikIMq83biAWgFWlOGwF61snPrkmzSXfK50cFgbszoSI9t5PFZrl1jkytHmBUzJ4H88mmJlu3Ahj2jqAk92zxgikSMI497GlFHHG9F1f05WDIkQ2UEvgspuCyM-1rqzXzFFDmCmSj9KtcR7ylQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="766" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhemfzAY-thlorWCO_KwSauo1sfhUVoCKSZHhAkSS06tMikIMq83biAWgFWlOGwF61snPrkmzSXfK50cFgbszoSI9t5PFZrl1jkytHmBUzJ4H88mmJlu3Ahj2jqAk92zxgikSMI497GlFHHG9F1f05WDIkQ2UEvgspuCyM-1rqzXzFFDmCmSj9KtcR7ylQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And, of course, there were the good ol' days of my kid being so little that he wanted to have me read countless picture books to him. These were just a few of our favorites. Check out a <a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2018/02/we-love-valentines-books.html" target="_blank">few others we loved</a>, along with <a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2016/02/happy-valentines-day.html" target="_blank">some books and a craft</a> I shared with adults with disabilities.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEht1MToRdWvE5qi7sx-9X0Km-dU33t0UgybjC7TmMifuv_UTTJ-SiDNk2qehHfJQLK7oNHvXRXJfXKLSwQr7h7MS5_eGPsR-JDb6FLgLji_oYNkM0Ox1g7_qWQva9KATvZypRVPC9xJMOHIgcO9kDnqfIQBSe1j1j15uSD4ToN-kkSmSYG4Xmp6sFZr-G4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="765" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEht1MToRdWvE5qi7sx-9X0Km-dU33t0UgybjC7TmMifuv_UTTJ-SiDNk2qehHfJQLK7oNHvXRXJfXKLSwQr7h7MS5_eGPsR-JDb6FLgLji_oYNkM0Ox1g7_qWQva9KATvZypRVPC9xJMOHIgcO9kDnqfIQBSe1j1j15uSD4ToN-kkSmSYG4Xmp6sFZr-G4=w400-h400" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-80545144400381102024-02-13T14:33:00.002-06:002024-02-13T14:33:12.181-06:00Scott Smith Books: A Simple Plan and The Ruins<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8u9KoezRRa-fs5ucojArtglKac_MwWULascrxrjoXKxXSAMKYUSesiTpzFUueO04IvijnATqIcFVRACQ13-Cgg44AE2hOhG7pJU2F4iAxrvubVnaEfkET6s9tTpwYDuEVUo5bWE-u2d10GIJAgQf0yocNR6gPVfiurJcfeEB_Nq5F07ZyOChLTdAkOY/s1934/IMG_7594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1934" data-original-width="1934" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8u9KoezRRa-fs5ucojArtglKac_MwWULascrxrjoXKxXSAMKYUSesiTpzFUueO04IvijnATqIcFVRACQ13-Cgg44AE2hOhG7pJU2F4iAxrvubVnaEfkET6s9tTpwYDuEVUo5bWE-u2d10GIJAgQf0yocNR6gPVfiurJcfeEB_Nq5F07ZyOChLTdAkOY/w400-h400/IMG_7594.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I read <i>The Ruins </i>when it first came out back in 2006. I was a writing student in college and it blew me away. It stuck with me over the years and I thought of it often. I figured it was time for a re-read and I was so happy that it stood up to the test of time. I didn’t remember all of the details, nor the ending, so it was almost as good as reading it for the first time. I can’t recommend this enough. It sticks out as having such a unique concept and writing style.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I mentioned it to a friend in passing and he mentioned Smith's first book, <i>A Simple Plan</i>, saying it was just as good. I don't know how I'd managed to read just one book by an author and then skip the other, but I was glad to have a new one to read now!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I re-read <i>The Ruins</i> first, just because. As I mentioned, I remembered just enough to have the basic concept of the story, but the specifics and the writing style felt like new in the best way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCYEd38nyGulFosF-e6UdY1HXFpItJKK7LlQG4IrO7DK4lqnJpeh6BZtzIuXnSpXc3Oka2yQw1mk_rNfGme4IDBeeSkCrZhyphenhyphen2j1V_fqthW8O3g9_gDz_pmDyb-Gbxv0fPJPNpD8WQVp0_yOhevjatKu2a1OicV_XAJ_iI2hHlEYxnAFejHWqIEsEaB0s/s3024/IMG_7611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCYEd38nyGulFosF-e6UdY1HXFpItJKK7LlQG4IrO7DK4lqnJpeh6BZtzIuXnSpXc3Oka2yQw1mk_rNfGme4IDBeeSkCrZhyphenhyphen2j1V_fqthW8O3g9_gDz_pmDyb-Gbxv0fPJPNpD8WQVp0_yOhevjatKu2a1OicV_XAJ_iI2hHlEYxnAFejHWqIEsEaB0s/w400-h400/IMG_7611.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In <i>A Simple Plan</i>, I could definitely tell that Smith has a set writing style and it works so well for the stories he tells. I love how it feels so natural as it builds up. It's a great example of how one small moment can truly change the course of your life. And with his signature writing style, th</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">ere’s no time to pause and think, “There’s no way this would happen in real life” because it’s totally realistic. Even as the characters make their choices, you’re not trying to steer them in a different direction because it seems like there IS no other direction. I recommend this just as highly as I do <i>The Ruins</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Have you read one or both of these books? What did you think?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If I loved these books, do you have any similar titles in mind you'd recommend?</span></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-34147321185886149722024-02-03T16:26:00.002-06:002024-02-03T16:30:03.476-06:00Young Adult Books by Black Writers for Black History Month<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">I wanted to kick-off Black History month by spotlighting some of my favorite young adult books by Black authors.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA2WC9o6gB-Bk9jRnx0FDRWq4Q-tQPZxKOE4Zju7iubxsfISd7ozqQWnlRWt5VxcQ2WWOoWA9P4QYYz-QmXFmMMtWS2PjKKxCE7ScaZPT6rV8uEJl69Fl8vEiQCOAQt5GtUuOPB9ZSxU0jKekTqxOcxUaI5F_W8fMCfc0y4U6jKMuYB_UqXMAV_bGajo/s1080/bhm%20ya.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA2WC9o6gB-Bk9jRnx0FDRWq4Q-tQPZxKOE4Zju7iubxsfISd7ozqQWnlRWt5VxcQ2WWOoWA9P4QYYz-QmXFmMMtWS2PjKKxCE7ScaZPT6rV8uEJl69Fl8vEiQCOAQt5GtUuOPB9ZSxU0jKekTqxOcxUaI5F_W8fMCfc0y4U6jKMuYB_UqXMAV_bGajo/w521-h521/bhm%20ya.jpg" width="521" /></a></span></div><p></p><h3 style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39912373-ghost-patina-sunny-lu" target="_blank"><b>The </b><i>Track</i><b> Series by Jason Reynolds:</b></a></span></h3><h3 style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39912373-ghost-patina-sunny-lu" target="_blank"><b><i>Ghost</i>, <i>Patina</i>,<i> Sunny</i>, <i>Lu</i></b></a></span></h3><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Since I am not the sportiest person, I wasn’t sure what I’d get out of a book about a kid joining a track team, but I should have known that Jason Reynolds would always win me over with his words. I don’t think he can write a bad book, and if you’re not reading him, you gotta pick some up.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> After <i>Ghost</i>, I was totally hooked by the Track series. <i>Patina</i> is so well-done, with characters going through things you don’t typically see in fiction, but do see in real life. It’s so refreshing to see real struggles represented in fiction.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> I think <i>Sunny</i> has been my favorite of the Track series so far, and that’s saying a lot. Sunny has such a distinct style, and the way everything sounded like music to him is an infectious way of thinking. Since I finished this book, I’ve been hearing beats and rhymes everywhere I go, and it’s just what I need to bring a smile to my face. Can’t wait yet am sad to finish the Track series soon...<br /> I’m so sad to end the Track series, so it seemed appropriate that I cried through the last few pages. This book was so good, and the whole series is so good. I love how the characters had truly unique voices and situations and experiences. I recommend this to anyone and everyone.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25657130-all-american-boys" target="_blank"><i>All American Boys</i> by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely</a></b></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Powerful and emotional. Rashad is absent again today. It's spray painted on the sidewalk in front of the high school after Rashad is beaten up by a cop on a Friday afternoon. Some people take the cop's side and say Rashad was stealing, pointing to his sagging jeans as evidence. Other people take Rashad's side, saying he'd never break the law, pointing to his ROTC uniform as evidence. No matter who's side you take, the proof is in the video footage sweeping the internet: Rashad is restrained while he is being beaten, accused of resisted arrest. But how can you resist if you're already cuffed on the ground? Who knows how the case will turn out once it hits the courts, but before that, Rashad's high school classmates are hitting the streets for a good old fashioned protest, and they hope other citizens will join the cause.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: georgia;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41957935-take-the-mic" target="_blank">Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance</a></i></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">These short stories of resistance are fiction, but they are incredibly realistic and could happen to anyone. The characters are diverse, in regards to skin color, religion, gender, and more. They all have some adversity in life and react in different ways, whether they quietly stand up for themselves or the underdog, or protest and push for change on a large scale. Because of the scope of the diversity and the reactions, I think all readers will feel empowered to make a difference in their daily lives, however they can. This is definitely a must-read for tweens and teens, but I think adults need to read it, too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59977171-love-radio" target="_blank"><i>Love Radio</i> by Ebony LaDelle</a></b></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This book is AMAZING. I love YA books but YA romance is so hit or miss—it’s either over-the-top romantic or very sex-oriented. This book had just passing mentions of sex and the “love” aspect was incredibly realistic. Not to mention Dani and Prince are both fantastically real, wonderful characters. I think I’ll re-read this often, and can’t wait to read more by the author.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><h3><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49151299-punching-the-air" target="_blank"><i>Punching the Air </i>by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam</a></span></b></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This book is AMAZING. So powerful, so necessary, and such a unique verse novel. But unfortunately, the story told is not unique - a black teenager imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. I love that YA novels are being written about situations like this so our teens will grow (or hopefully continue) to be empathetic people and anti-racists.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25566675-piecing-me-together" target="_blank"><i>Piecing Me Together</i> by Renee Watson</a></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This book was so beautiful; I wish it was possible to see Jade’s art because it sounds so exquisite and meaningful. I love how relevant and powerful the story was, and recommend it to everyone. It’s a quick read but it will drag you in and squeeze your heart.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><h3><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20517379-how-it-went-down" target="_blank">How It Went Down</a> </i>and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42642157-light-it-up" target="_blank">Light It Up</a> </i>by Kekla Magoon</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Loved <i>How It Went Down</i>! Written years before <i>Dear Martin</i> and <i>The Hate U Give</i> but tackling a similar subject of a black teen being killed by a white man. The great part of this book is that it’s so real - no one knows for sure if the teen was armed, if he threatened someone, if he was a thief - we hear from everyone involved with the main character and his city block, and nothing is certain.<br /> Reread 2020: I read this book two and a half years ago and thought about it so often that I knew it was time to re-read it. It’s sadly still relevant, telling an all too familiar story of a young black man being killed by a white man who gets off unscathed. The most fascinating thing about this book is how it’s told - so many different characters who saw what happened and/or knew the main players are telling what they saw and what they know. Which, of course, is a whole bunch of conflicting information. I can’t say enough good things about this book, I’m just pushing you to read it yourself. And let’s talk about it.<br /> I loved <i>How It Went Down</i> for how concise it was in telling the same story from the points of view of a whole neighborhood. The sequel, <i>Light It Up</i>, tells a story about another shooting incident that is too timely - a cop somehow finds a 13yo Black girl a threat and shoots her in the back. This takes place in the same neighborhood as Tariq’s shooting, so the same characters are back. It’s nice to see what they’ve been up to, and I love how this book delves a bit more into their lives.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><h3 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The Hate U Give</i> by Angie Thomas</span></a></b></h3><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I love Love LOVED this book! It was really engaging - I was immediately drawn into the story and cared about the characters. No one was all good or all bad, and I really appreciate that because I feel like that can be hard to portray. I think this showed a unique side to senseless shootings - a side that needs to be heard and read and understood. Beautiful book, and I’ve heard the audiobook is amazing as well, so I might actually re-read it as an audiobook. HIGHLY recommended.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52822210-concrete-rose" target="_blank"><i>Concrete Rose</i> by Angie Thomas</a></b></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">It took me a minute to get into this one because I couldn’t remember as much of The Hate U Give as I wished I had. When I re-read this, I’ll definitely re-read The Hate U Give to get some perspective. But once I got into the story, it was amazing, as Thomas’s writing always is. I love the world she created and how it meshed with some of Nic Stone’s characters in a very slick way.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><h3><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35887567-on-the-come-up" target="_blank"><i>On the Come Up </i>by Angie Thomas</a></span></b></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I think I loved this even more than <i>The Hate U Give</i>! Angie Thomas is brilliant at creating realistic characters that draw you into their world, and Bri is no different. I heard her raps in my head and fell in love with how her mind made rhymes from one random word jumping out at her from a train of thought. Can’t recommend this one enough!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9539169-silhouetted-by-the-blue" target="_blank"><i>Silhouetted by the Blue</i> by Traci L. Jones</a></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">As someone who struggles with “blue periods” and has been in relationships with depressed people, this book really hit home. It was very well-done and on point, while keeping its finger on the pulse of the underlying issue.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><h3 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39848536-odd-one-out" target="_blank"><i>Odd One Out</i> by Nic Stone</a></span></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This book is so good! Just enough drama to remind me of the fun times of high school (…now that I’m far away from them!). I like that it was told from three different voices so the reader has the insider’s scoop of what’s going on, and you keep rooting for them in your head, but of course you can’t help them, you gotta let it play out. So so good. Read it if you want a fun escape and some delightful drama.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43744298-jackpot" target="_blank"><i>Jackpot</i> by Nic Stone</a></span></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nic Stone is absolutely amazing. I love how the “romance” in this book wasn’t full blown - it helped it seem more realistic, and I think it’s important for teens to know that not every romance needs to be true love or long-lasting or even sexual. But of course that was just a small part of the overall story, which was so well done and suspenseful. I’d kind of like to see the ending go the other way, but who doesn’t like a happy ending?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24974996-dear-martin?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_9" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Dear Martin</a><i> </i></span><b>and </b><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37829267-dear-justyce?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_9" target="_blank">Dear Justyce</a> </i><b>by Nic Stone</b></span></h3><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Dear Martin</i> was phenomenal. I loved <i>The Hate U Give </i>and this is a great book to read along with it. I felt like this one had a bit more depth and exploration, but that might be because Justyce, the main character, was more immersed in different situations that rounded out his character quite a bit.<br /> I had to re-read this one so I’d be in the right frame of mind to read <i>Dear Justyce</i>. I think I loved it even more the second time around, though maybe that was due to the current climate? I’ve also been reading more Nic Stone books since I first read this one, and I absolutely LOVE her writing style. Her characters are always so realistic, which makes it a more emotional book than you might be expecting.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> I have to admit I went into <i>Dear Justyce</i> thinking “Ok, another companion novel that won’t be as good as the first.” But DAMN this one blew my mind. I absolutely loved how it was from Quan’s point of view, and the use of flashbacks was so powerful. Nic Stone is an amazing writer and her foreword and afterword absolutely made this book 10x more powerful and emotional than the story was on its own. I can’t recommend both <i>Dear Martin</i> and <i>Dear Justyce</i> enough - for teens, sure, but also I think it should be required reading for adults to (hopefully??) help us change how we see things.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><h3><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50728856-grown" target="_blank"><i>Grown</i> by Tiffany D. Jackson</a></b></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I went down an Aaliyah rabbit hole and people were recommending this book for insight. I know it’s fiction, but it definitely rang true, especially since the author twice said in the end that it’s NOT about R. Kelly… then called for a boycott against R. Kelly in the last line. Reading Wikipedia gives enough info to clarify. It was a really good book, though I did hate the implication that Enchanted had mental illness because it seemed tacked on and almost like a potential cop-out that the author eventually decided she didn’t need, which is what I disliked about <i>Monday’s Not Coming</i>, the other book I’ve read by her.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33357465-between-the-lines" target="_blank"><i>Between the Lines</i> by Nikki Grimes</a></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I loved how this book was a mash-up of poetry and narrative. The characters were developed just enough to have dimension without being too involved or hard to keep track of. It was a very moving story that makes me wish I could re-live my high school years in this environment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18263725-the-crossover" target="_blank"><i>The Crossover</i> by Kwame Alexander</a></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Loved this book, how the text moved with the story. Interesting subject matter, and I think it will grab a lot of young boys and reluctant readers. The ending was a little overly sentimental and dramatic, but it was a good book overall.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44184.Monster" target="_blank"><i>Monster</i> by Walter Dean Myers</a></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Interesting book about a young black man who is on trial for participating in a crime. It’s written from his point of view, as if he were writing a movie script based on the circumstances. I love that we never really know his role in the crime.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6642300-you-don-t-even-know-me" target="_blank"><i>You Don't Even Know Me</i> by Sharon G. Flake</a></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Poems and short stories from the points of view of several different young African-American boys. Very well-done and interesting.</span></div></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-91104171108926241832024-01-30T10:38:00.006-06:002024-01-30T10:38:44.234-06:00The Family Upstairs and The Family Remains<p>I love a good suspense book, especially when nothing else seems to be catching my attention. Lisa Jewell is always a good choice when I want something well-written and twisty.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZgWpsiLcEP4lmnnH6yRtepV4Uf7rK2dqCYR8lzb30GiLTvMsr8GzWzcx3T3OcE4s9ra_M_3ZDCud8vvMsMUgXqW-zZI1zIwZDPrQ-EzGMbu60_Xi7ETxgFlQJu9KeybThbUzbb9zA24b4qH5X5ApRc8wXv02wNqEQXEd18NayVd6YOVhPJZ1qVAEDsg/s1080/the%20family%20upstairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZgWpsiLcEP4lmnnH6yRtepV4Uf7rK2dqCYR8lzb30GiLTvMsr8GzWzcx3T3OcE4s9ra_M_3ZDCud8vvMsMUgXqW-zZI1zIwZDPrQ-EzGMbu60_Xi7ETxgFlQJu9KeybThbUzbb9zA24b4qH5X5ApRc8wXv02wNqEQXEd18NayVd6YOVhPJZ1qVAEDsg/s320/the%20family%20upstairs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I first read <i><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43822820-the-family-upstairs?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9s7Iysb51v&rank=1" target="_blank">The Family Upstairs</a></b></i> as a Book of the Month choice in 2019. I loved it back then, but once I heard there was a sequel, I knew I needed to re-read the first so I could appreciate it completely. Thankfully, my memory is pretty terrible, so while I knew I read the book and loved it, I didn't remember anything beyond the general storyline. This is actually a great quality as an avid reader because it means re-reading felt pretty darn close to reading it for the first time!</p><p>I love how Jewell creates storylines that are full of mystery, but the pacing keeps the suspense like a rollercoaster so you don't feel exhausted and ready to flip to the end. Her characters are all really vivid, which helped make the twists seem more organic. They each had distinct voices, too, which I feel like a lot of authors struggle with when they have alternating narrators.</p><p>The end was a great twist with some loose ends, but it didn't feel hokey. It felt realistic, like the way things wrap up in real life that makes you think, <i>Ok, that's done... for now</i>. And thankfully, Jewell felt that way, too, and wrote a sequel!</p><p>Even with the loose ends, I wasn't sure what was going to happen in <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58855185-the-family-remains" target="_blank">The Family Remains</a></i>. I think it's a great storyline, though, giving Jewell a chance to fill in some holes left by the first book without making it seem like she's retelling the same story.</p><p>I also love that she wrapped up all the loose ends and then, at the very end, tugged one loose.</p><p>Will there be another book? I don't know, but I'd read it! The story and characters now live on in my imagination, so I'd love a chance to peek into their lives again.</p><p>Have you read these books? Share your thoughts in the comments! Recommend some other suspense books, too!</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-90024155335072800292024-01-26T15:16:00.003-06:002024-01-26T15:18:31.456-06:00Books featuring Characters with Disabilities<p style="text-align: left;">After posting the <a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2024/01/disabilities-in-middle-grade-and-ya.html" target="_blank">MG/YA round-up</a>, I was sure I'd find twice that many adult books on my "Read" shelf... But I didn't. So if you have recommendations, PLEASE share! I think there are some I've read but overlooked, because two were late additions after I saw them mentioned in an article I used for research.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou0-z-JcPymwGIi2OuWqh9-t5y8NkFGHP1XP6PLYQUVmWQmn-JpN166G2_Y825tow1k7fIVIqlvnftHKdQGx87oliryhs71PnR1slNgG8W1Y45a-KD2lpHpGe5VoZnUdrlnV40ubgmSTKKdmXDm-4osF9LhbQ61RTkRvQaBtLDx8enJthupcJxyYHcDA/s1080/Disabilities.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou0-z-JcPymwGIi2OuWqh9-t5y8NkFGHP1XP6PLYQUVmWQmn-JpN166G2_Y825tow1k7fIVIqlvnftHKdQGx87oliryhs71PnR1slNgG8W1Y45a-KD2lpHpGe5VoZnUdrlnV40ubgmSTKKdmXDm-4osF9LhbQ61RTkRvQaBtLDx8enJthupcJxyYHcDA/w526-h526/Disabilities.png" width="526" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h1><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35900387-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine" target="_blank"><b><i>Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine </i>by Gail Honeyman</b></a>.</h3><p style="text-align: left;">I loved this book. Eleanor’s frankness had so much humor to me, and it made me think of how we talk and act in daily life and how much of it is unnecessary. I do understand much of it was supposed to be sad, but it really hit me in the right way and I enjoyed it so much. Already feeling nostalgic for it, so it will probably be one I re-read every few years.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/890.Of_Mice_and_Men" target="_blank"><b><i>Of Mice and Men </i>by John Steinbeck</b></a>.</h3><p style="text-align: left;">I read this book so often in high school, college, and up to my mid-twenties, when I also saw the movie. I haven't read it in awhile, so maybe it's time to revisit. I remember loving it because it seems so simple on the surface, but when you read it more purposely, you really get to know the characters and feel for all they've been through. I think George and Lennie have a really powerful relationship that really makes this stand out in terms of characters with disabilities.</p><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17347634-me-before-you" target="_blank"><b><i>Me Before You</i> by Jojo Moyes</b></a>. </h3><p style="text-align: left;">Read this book. Seriously, you must read it. I don't want to give this book the short end of the stick when it comes to writing a review, but I don't actually think there's much that can be said about it. Or, more accurately, there's so much that can be said about it, once you encounter someone else who has read it. I think it's best to open the cover knowing as little as possible about the subject matter. Let yourself go in with no expectations and be overcome with the characters and the story. One of those books where you read it as quickly as you can, savoring the prose while needing to know what happens, though you don't actually want to reach the end.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18373.Flowers_for_Algernon" target="_blank"><i>Flowers for Algernon </i>by Daniel Keyes</a></b>.</h3><div>This was required reading in high school and I remember worrying that it would be the most boring thing I'd ever read. But I immediately loved the unique storytelling approach and was so invested in Charlie's progress. This is another I haven't read since my mid-twenties that I now want to revist and see how it holds up and if it still impacts me as being so profound.</div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16181775-the-rosie-project" target="_blank"><i>The Rosie Project</i> by Graeme Simsion</a></b>. </h3><p style="text-align: left;">I loved the matter of fact writing style of this book. It was a bit chick-lit, but it was interesting and, like I said, I liked the voice. I thought the ending was forced and a little hokey, more like a romantic comedy movie than a book, and it made me not interested enough to read the sequels.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1618.The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night_Time" target="_blank"><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time </i><b>by Mark Haddon</b></a>. </h3><p>A book I've been wanting to read for a long time. Working with adults with disabilities, I love the chance to get inside their heads and see how they function best. This book has a nice little mystery and some drama, and it was very well done. I loved that we got to see how Christopher works best when relating to math and patterns; he's very systematic. A great book I'd recommend and read again.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird" target="_blank"><i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>by Harper Lee</a></b>. </h3><p style="text-align: left;">Ok, let me start with my rave review of the book in general. I read it in my 20s even though I saw the movie several times as a kid because my dad loved it. Therefore I loved it. But when I read the book, it was like a totally different world. Lee has this style of writing that is so Southern, but so...not. I can't describe how she makes you feel like you're in the South without depending on the dialect. You can feel the slow pace and the dusty roads, you can hear the neighbors gossiping on the porch and lowering their voices to whispers as you walk by. She accomplishes all this and more without employing an excessive am<span style="font-family: times;">ount of y'alls, ya hears, ain'ts, and other Southern phrases that are often overused to try and set the scene.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">And the characters, wow. I fell head over heels for Atticus. So smart and reserved, a good father, an honest man. Jem is a really realistic pre-teen boy, if I remember my brother at that age. Scout is the typical tomboy, trying to hold on to her brother as long as she can, if I remember me at that age. Scout reminds me of Ramona Quimby, and for a long time I wanted to be each of them. Good role models.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">I think it also says something about the characters and the writing (as much as the power of the story itself) that I could read it and still feel the punch in certain scenes, still cry in certain scenes, still get my hopes up, even though I already knew what was going to happen. This is a novel where the fun is in reading it, not knowing it. It's timeless.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Anyway, I always </span>thought of Boo Radley as something as a loner, but these articles made me see him in a different light:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137504395_7" target="_blank">The Uncanny Return of Boo Radley: Disability, Dramaturgy, and Reception</a></li><li><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/next-favorite-fictional-protagonist-autism-spectrum-180963418/" target="_blank">Why Your Next Favorite Fictional Protagonist Might Be on the Autism Spectrum</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24941796-the-single-feather" target="_blank"><i>The Single Feather </i>by Ruth F. Hunt</a>. </h3><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;">Rachel is a thirty year old woman who uses a wheelchair, and after escaping from a heavily-guarded home, she lives independently in a new town in England. To try and get her old life back, she joins a local art group and makes friends with some of the locals. The story is really compelling, and I was very drawn in to find out what happened in Rachel’s past as her disability was caused by an accident, and she doesn’t reveal much about the home she escaped from. The ebook I read had a lot of punctuation errors, especially with quotation marks, which occasionally took me out of the story, but overall it’s a great book.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Share your recommendations in the comments!</b> Because of course I already posted the MG/YA round-up before realizing I had books reviewed on Goodreads but not my blog, so I didn't include them. You can see all the books I've shelved as involving <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4911840-allison-renner?page=1&ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=disabilities" target="_blank">disabilites on my profile</a>. They include fiction, nonfiction, and all audience age levels.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I used to work in a learning center for adults with disabilities, and when I left to study library science, I held library programs for them, which you can <a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/search/label/srvs" target="_blank">read about here</a>. You can also check out <a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/search/label/disabilities" target="_blank">all posts with a disabilities tag</a>.</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-71493084075583966512024-01-11T16:00:00.002-06:002024-01-11T16:04:27.963-06:00Disabilities in Middle Grade and YA Fiction: A Reading Round-Up<p>Tuesday I reviewed <i>The Maid </i>and <i>The Mystery Guest </i>by Nita Prose and said I'd share some more books I've read that have characters with disabilities. I started writing a long list so I decided to break it down - today's list includes middle grade and YA books. (Links go to a review post on my blog if there is one. Otherwise, they go to Goodreads.)</p><p>This list is NOT exhaustive! Please leave comments if you have other books for me to check out because I'd love to read more!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdUs9gUkSUZExhYLGsh-EFbNiDKrqYL2LOufFS8kNie7VTJ-Zv4d8T3iJiuklJqSwc6vWp9pf-pApX8hHHnOGL65OhTGgSGIK_f7a-JWQCcJFvFXp8VK8LZ7KKapXnf8iInwVWE6wcltycAsOdGNycBPrtdbRWFU-O-CW3oxtA9irrjLfLfrRujVndlM/s1080/Disabilities.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="535" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdUs9gUkSUZExhYLGsh-EFbNiDKrqYL2LOufFS8kNie7VTJ-Zv4d8T3iJiuklJqSwc6vWp9pf-pApX8hHHnOGL65OhTGgSGIK_f7a-JWQCcJFvFXp8VK8LZ7KKapXnf8iInwVWE6wcltycAsOdGNycBPrtdbRWFU-O-CW3oxtA9irrjLfLfrRujVndlM/w535-h535/Disabilities.jpg" width="535" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2015/08/are-you-seeing-me.html" target="_blank">Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth</a></b>. </h3><p>Books are often seen as a respite from everyday life and road trip books can be an even greater escape. They let you travel without having to go through airport security or get stuck in a strange city’s traffic. Darren Groth’s Are You Seeing Me? takes readers from an Australian airport to several stops in Canada and the United States, journeying alongside nineteen-year-old Justine and her twin brother, Perry.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2016/01/schneider-family-book-award-winners-2016.html" target="_blank">The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley</a></b>. </h3><p>Ada was born with a clubfoot, and her mother is ashamed of it. Because of that, Ada has never been out of the house, never learned anything, even though she is... or at least THINKS she is, 10 years old. Her little brother Jamie, on the other hand, is their mother’s favorite, and can play outside and attend school. As the war gets closer to London, plans are made for Jamie to be sent to the country to stay safe. Ada sneaks away with Jamie, and they get on a train with the other children from London. People who live in the country will take in children until World War II is over, but what if no one wants Ada and Jamie? This was a very engrossing book, and I don’t usually enjoy historical fiction. The ending of this book is one of the most satisfying I’ve read in a long time, with a perfect last line. Highly recommended!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2017/02/10-things-i-can-see-from-here.html" target="_blank">10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac</a></b>. </h3><p>Maeve deals with extreme anxiety, and it doesn't help that her mom is traveling to Haiti and sending Maeve to live with her father for six months. Her father who is a recovering alcoholic, and whose wife is seven months pregnant and planning a home birth - Maeve can't even begin to list all of the possible problems with that situation! Maeve's life seems to be spiraling out of control little by little, getting derailed by things that might not necessarily throw anyone else off track. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2020/04/lila-and-hadley-by-kody-keplinger.html" target="_blank">Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger</a></b>. </h3><p>This is a great book about family struggles, coming out of your shell, and includes realistic portrayal of disabilities you don’t often see addressed in fiction. It’s an #ownvoices book, and you need to read it. When Lila, a hard-to-reach dog begins interacting with Hadley, she lets herself be convinced to foster and train the dog for the summer. She seems a lot of similarities between herself and the stubborn dog, but agrees to make an effort of Lila does. That includes acknowledging her declining vision and taking mobility classes, as well as putting herself out there to make friends.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2016/01/schneider-family-book-award-winners-2016.html" target="_blank">The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten</a></b>.</h3><p>Adam has OCD to the extent that he goes to group therapy. The other teens in the group have trouble opening up and coping, so they all have superhero alteregos to use during the sessions. When Robyn joins the group, Adam is smitten. He’s determined to get better for her, to stop lying, to stop his compulsions, and to start doing the work assigned in therapy. His mother, however, has her own issues that keep Adam’s anxiety high. I’ve never known much about OCD so it was enlightening to read about teens suffering from it, and the different things they do, as well as the different ways to cope. This book was incredibly suspenseful, with Adam's anxiety rising throughout the story, coupled with the mystery of what his mother is going through.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2020/05/we-could-be-heroes-by-margaret-finnegan.html" target="_blank">We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan</a></b>. </h3><p>Hank hates the book his teacher is reading to the class. It's really emotional and sad and Hank can't handle it. So he steals the book and sets it on fire in the boys' bathroom. He gets in trouble, of course, but also captures the attention of his classmate, Maisie. Maisie sees strength in Hank, and sees that he's willing to stand up for what he believes in. So she introduces him to Booler, the sweet pit bull next door who is always tied to a tree. Maisie wants Hank to help her free Booler, and as he gets swept up in her plan, Hank learns a lot about himself and friendship.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2020/09/my-life-in-fish-tank-by-barbara-dee.html" target="_blank">My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee</a></b>.</h3><p>Zinny is used to her home life being pretty wild since she has three siblings, but when her older brother, Gabriel, is in a car accident, things at home completely change. Gabriel is admitted to a hospital to get his bipolar disorder under control, and Zinny feels horrible that she told an adult about Gabriel's strange behaviors. But now her parents don't want Zinny to tell anyone about Gabriel, so Zinny doesn't know what to talk to her friends about. They keep talking about boys they have crushes on, but Zinny isn't interested in that. She loves science, so she starts spending her lunch period in the science lab with Ms. Molina, her favorite teacher. Zinny starts using science as her outlet, to help her stay as calm as she possibly can, considering both her family life AND social life are in shambles. Zinny just wants Gabriel to come home, for her parents to understand, and to make it into the summer science camp her teacher nominates her for; but all of that seems like too big of a miracle.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20701984-el-deafo?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_8" target="_blank">El Deafo by Cece Bell</a></b>.</h3><p>A graphic memoir by Cece Bell. In really cute, bright illustrations, she tells the story of how she had to get hearing aids at a young age, and how she coped with being different from everyone else. I love graphic memoirs and Bell has a great style.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3700085-marcelo-in-the-real-world" target="_blank">Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork</a></b>.</h3><p>Marcelo is a teenage boy with Asperger’s syndrome. He attends a private school for students with disabilities, and has earned a summer job there, working with the therapy ponies. His dad is a lawyer who doesn’t understand Marcelo’s mind, and seems embarrassed by his son’s “impairment”. He wants Marcelo to attend the public high school for his senior year, so he makes Marcelo a wager: if Marcelo works in his father’s law firm for the summer, he can decide to stay at his private school, or move on to the more challenging public high school. Marcelo really wanted to work with the ponies because that’s his dream job, but he agrees to his father’s stipulations and tackles a summer in “the real world.” I liked that this book was unsentimental, yet still managed to be poignant and emotional in a few select scenes. Overall, I got a dark, somewhat sad feeling from the book, but it wasn’t depressing. It was very compelling to keep reading, even though there wasn’t a lot of suspense or action.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18404410-girls-like-us?ref=nav_sb_ss_4_13" target="_blank">Girls like Us by Gail Giles</a></b>.</h3><p>An amazing and emotional story about two teen girls with disabilities who graduate from high school and become roommates. They live with an old lady on the condition that they help her around the house. This book is so real and honest, and so moving. It was so good that I already want to re-read it; I think it'll stay on my list of all-time favorites.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6609765-out-of-my-mind?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_14" target="_blank">Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper</a></b>.</h3><p>Everyone who raves about R.J. Palacio's Wonder should read this book. Melody has cerebral palsy, which means she can't walk, can't even move her limbs much at all, and can't speak. But her limitations are purely physical. Melody has enjoyed reading and learning since she was read to as a baby, and now, at eleven, she is very intelligent. She knows the definitions of countless words, and knows a lot of trivia - she just can't prove it to anyone. The communication board her parents made is very limited, so Melody has to try and communicate through blinks, nods, and the occasional tantrum. When she starts fifth grade, her special class starts attending inclusion classes, which opens Melody's world up and leads to new opportunities. You'd think a book about a fifth grader would be low stakes, but there was some excellent suspense in this story! Melody was so well-written that I wanted to be her friend. I work with adults with disabilities, and this book really opened my eyes to what the individuals with CP are going through every day. It's an amazing book for everyone to read, and I'm going to be recommending it to everyone I meet.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17086109-good-kings-bad-kings?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_20" target="_blank">Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum</a></b>.</h3><p>Another book with characters who have disabilities. The story is told from different points of view of teens living in the institution, as well as employees who work there. It's an interesting story, but due to the institutional setting, it's especially effective as a way to bring about change.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_6" target="_blank">Wonder by R.J. Palacio</a></b>.</h3><p>Wonder is one of those books I heard so much about - people loved it, the beautifully simplistic cover was posted everywhere around the Internet, libraries, bookstores. I knew I wanted to read it, even though I didn't actually know what it was about. So I started with the first page and was absolutely drawn in. August Pullman got a bad mix of genes from his parents, which resulted in a cleft jaw, ears that weren't fully formed, drooping eyes, and more. He had been homeschooled by his mother, but once he turned ten, she thought it was time for him to start "real" school. The book deals with Auggie's fifth grade year, all the lessons he and his family learns, and all the people he encounters. Auggie is the main narrator, but many chapters are narrated by his old sister, Via, her boyfriend, and August's friends at school. I thought the book was great because it was so interesting, and after a time, you forgot what August looked like, just as those who knew him did, until someone new came into the scene with their reactions. It seemed very honest in the way it addressed how the public in general reacts to people who are different from them. Honest without a hint of judgement, just acknowledging that most people initially react to such a thing, then hitting home the point that all the world needs is kindness. Or, to be more specific, a little more kindness than is necessary. I especially loved August's sense of humor about himself, and Mr. Browne's monthly precepts - it makes me want to be an English teacher, just to use his idea!</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-7497282484051908702024-01-09T09:52:00.005-06:002024-01-09T09:55:52.075-06:00The Maid + The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOq6M0IB5cFEBai9dvWZ_50kET7vi8t6F9oaoR6C5V4Ze3-kGDH5lJAV2_aSdxn8fgF7G3khjGOte30jr4Tt1dKamwV3eJR6CN7m_Myu4o39zaL-3uKS9jjAAOzKM8PCPFQSDHLh8N0wokD78dxy13fT2EUdk1KXEUm2CLI65ybB2KXTTlzMoZ5ZT8mc/s3024/IMG_7010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOq6M0IB5cFEBai9dvWZ_50kET7vi8t6F9oaoR6C5V4Ze3-kGDH5lJAV2_aSdxn8fgF7G3khjGOte30jr4Tt1dKamwV3eJR6CN7m_Myu4o39zaL-3uKS9jjAAOzKM8PCPFQSDHLh8N0wokD78dxy13fT2EUdk1KXEUm2CLI65ybB2KXTTlzMoZ5ZT8mc/s320/IMG_7010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>The Maid</i> and <i>The Mystery Guest</i> by Nita Prose are nice spins on cozy mysteries. Molly lives in a small apartment and loves to keep it clean. She also loves that aspect of her job and is satisfied with it, even though many people might not enjoy that type of work.</p><p>There's very little drama in Molly's life - or at least, what's there, like grieving her grandmother and crushing on a coworker, isn't dealt with in an emotional way as it might be in a more literary novel. The only drama is the murders that happen in the Regency Grand Hotel, where she works.</p><p>Of course, Molly is the one investigating both murders. That's the hallmark of a cozy mystery, along with <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/76834-the-enduring-appeal-of-the-cozy-mystery.html" target="_blank">other key characteristics</a> that make this genre stand out.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ02ieNG_jiMXcjKcrgy2G3xcc4wGVMlmoxfRsQY3NdbL649J1P-V14OBPj6z2dcNQ-h7WSHgXCzTXEtZVHq2GV2W2rgTgCrPYAoAGiZVMxi5pa1UiqGBPTFajqsQo3nISYc3eAa-zqP1dHqGSLhpP_UzBBEHfcE4FQ04J2Vnyw3MsIFEMFn349y-nq5o/s1364/IMG_7087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="1364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ02ieNG_jiMXcjKcrgy2G3xcc4wGVMlmoxfRsQY3NdbL649J1P-V14OBPj6z2dcNQ-h7WSHgXCzTXEtZVHq2GV2W2rgTgCrPYAoAGiZVMxi5pa1UiqGBPTFajqsQo3nISYc3eAa-zqP1dHqGSLhpP_UzBBEHfcE4FQ04J2Vnyw3MsIFEMFn349y-nq5o/s320/IMG_7087.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Ironically, for me, the mysteries in these books weren't that compelling. In both reviews, I mention they were fairly slow reads for me. </p><p>For <i>The Maid</i>, my review stated: "I like the premise of this book but it was really slow going. The ending, conversely, seemed rushed. Overall the story was great but I wish the pacing was more consistent."</p><p>For <i>The Mystery Guest</i>, I wrote: "Both this and its prequel, The Maid, read slow for me, but were enjoyable stories overall. Almost cozy mysteries since Molly seems so content with her job and space in life. As a ghostwriter by profession, the case in this one did interest me more. I’d definitely read more from the author."</p><p>Clearly, something about Molly's life kept me coming back. I like how cozy mysteries can feel like no-strings-attached reads. While I love getting attached to fictional characters, crying with them, and thinking of them long after I finish the book, sometimes it's nice to just... <i>not</i> have that level of attachment. So that's what made me read both of these books and what will push me to read more from this author/in this series.</p><p>What I liked most was how Molly was neurodivergent, most likely on the autism spectrum, but it was never explicitly stated. I like that the books aren't defined by having an autistic narrator. Plus, not knowing Molly's diagnosis, if she has one, feels more true to life.</p><p>If you like the niche of Molly being neurodivergent or the mysteries set in a hotel, you might like other <a href="https://bookriot.com/diverse-cozy-mysteries/" target="_blank">cozy mysteries with diverse niches</a>.</p><p>On the note of neurodivergence/autism/disabilities, I'll compile links and reviews to other books I've read that feature people with disabilities. Many are middle-grade and YA because my MLIS capstone project was collection development for a disabilities department. But there are adult novels out there, too, so I'll share a list Thursday.</p><p>Until then, please share your thoughts on <i>The Maid </i>and <i>The Mystery Guest</i> by Nita Prose in the comments!</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-78179823151639124612024-01-02T10:35:00.004-06:002024-01-02T10:35:40.248-06:00Goodreads History<p>Yesterday was a completely lazy day, but this morning my kid and I officially set our Goodreads goals. In doing so, I remembered that they show your whole history on the sidebar. I thought it would be interesting to share here!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZjvEzjoxx4RQIofVzKlcSlObHKowB24-cvMWICQ7oPq5E_LiWJ6AKmtvY7HbRU8pNYxJr79iWo1qX4-Bd9N61-TsPYE0ey2GNnd5TDs9Q2fdB3mv6RD7NAHpMKM3LA0I1KjlSH4KCLOrFjtN4deZLOHYm37otNtq2C42HCttJ9Ot17TF1Hp6RxF9xnc/s2000/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZjvEzjoxx4RQIofVzKlcSlObHKowB24-cvMWICQ7oPq5E_LiWJ6AKmtvY7HbRU8pNYxJr79iWo1qX4-Bd9N61-TsPYE0ey2GNnd5TDs9Q2fdB3mv6RD7NAHpMKM3LA0I1KjlSH4KCLOrFjtN4deZLOHYm37otNtq2C42HCttJ9Ot17TF1Hp6RxF9xnc/w453-h640/1.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My goal history</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkjF8rTJOAGYPFiaXNh6tQ5JDgN-amaMxsJsdmYxLUfBQIS20XU5KfKL_bUB93wIsEljY4fVYJs3ng68ZJ8rDg_k_93evN3TN4U7rSiale8NP9VyA30UFCksA7VW9qP0w3Om2ar_mOmDx1i3El4CWxi3mo8eXk6OpjoK5HJkSBL6vWTYcZ7N2cuxGrwU/s2000/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkjF8rTJOAGYPFiaXNh6tQ5JDgN-amaMxsJsdmYxLUfBQIS20XU5KfKL_bUB93wIsEljY4fVYJs3ng68ZJ8rDg_k_93evN3TN4U7rSiale8NP9VyA30UFCksA7VW9qP0w3Om2ar_mOmDx1i3El4CWxi3mo8eXk6OpjoK5HJkSBL6vWTYcZ7N2cuxGrwU/w452-h640/2.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My kid's goal history</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-18602126034535588442023-12-26T16:10:00.004-06:002023-12-30T10:31:20.517-06:002023 Year in Reading<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">What a year! I started with good intentions of blogging regularly (as you do) and then dropped off mid-summer (as I do). But that doesn't mean I stopped reading!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEid17JzUQ5W5unXC9ohByKCWmxSyYvYlZEMJsXpsN6QzhCCksQq_iS1TPJBlfO4LU0NU2fYZSvUM9IdqaC672ICux26o5PrRJy8gPnC54O_uuS0h1uvws1BQnMxl12A4KO7nsXXN_8JDYXX407R-PDAIHsujTjiiOba4BdSOGt511iALJUmYDMdZVDl7TM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="332" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEid17JzUQ5W5unXC9ohByKCWmxSyYvYlZEMJsXpsN6QzhCCksQq_iS1TPJBlfO4LU0NU2fYZSvUM9IdqaC672ICux26o5PrRJy8gPnC54O_uuS0h1uvws1BQnMxl12A4KO7nsXXN_8JDYXX407R-PDAIHsujTjiiOba4BdSOGt511iALJUmYDMdZVDl7TM" width="320" /></a></div></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In fact, I read 147 books this year after setting my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/11633-2023-reading-challenge" target="_blank">Goodreads goal at 100</a>. Whoops/yay! </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Clearly I prefer to spend my free time reading instead of blogging. However, my reading history shows that if I set my Goodreads goal too high, I fail miserably, so I'll probably keep it at 100 for 2024. I definitely went through phases where I'd devour books and then hit a dry spell, so it usually evens out. I also feel like I remember books less in the past few years. I'm not sure if that's me getting older and my memory failing, or it's because I read too much. Either way, I'd like to try and take reading slower next year. We'll see if it happens, but it seems like a nice approach to the new year.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuZXIqbsxWqiouK9Z5rpSYVk7QYk1MrR2KoIYAfUNwsso2-6K_ByYUQ5MTbnzNlUd_nNTB87VY1kqeSODzYzWwY_OW8P3AxqIUZl5F6GQf1A_OVuJ5Lv2_ik1NjtcnK_X2pQCk10CDHXacYL09yXukms4aRhxMi5Y2de77WCBo86lX6d08QXMv4z8AO_I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="329" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuZXIqbsxWqiouK9Z5rpSYVk7QYk1MrR2KoIYAfUNwsso2-6K_ByYUQ5MTbnzNlUd_nNTB87VY1kqeSODzYzWwY_OW8P3AxqIUZl5F6GQf1A_OVuJ5Lv2_ik1NjtcnK_X2pQCk10CDHXacYL09yXukms4aRhxMi5Y2de77WCBo86lX6d08QXMv4z8AO_I" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My kid beat his goal, too! He wanted to read 40 books this year. I was a little iffy on that because we don't read together like we did when he was younger. Well, we read "together" in the sense that we make time each night to read, sitting side-by-side on the couch, but we're not sharing three picture books before bedtime like when he was little. Thankfully, his friend recommended the Wings of Fire series and he started reading both the chapter books and graphic novels. He was so into them that he'd choose to read over playing games, so I was happy! He still has about half the series to go, so that will be on his plate for 2024. I think we'll stick with the 40 book goal for him, too.</span></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-19523187737071796862023-07-23T12:45:00.010-05:002023-07-23T12:45:00.147-05:00Drew Leclair Middle Grade Mysteries<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMI0-1cY7M7mrADebs_sN_wlF8kHA_GUNSSEVbcVkIPgnxDbLeBTE_exHMmSNne9po_S_oZkwIMXa7EhGO_6BnrIISTxSkNiKYqeNs6Jxb3LaL-XwusZgOEddJYibR2rijV9wFWtaI-uQgVVlP9l49c2EIMz60Ov56cj5efMUwQWPRBuf7ogyO_7krMZQ/s1080/Drew%20Leclair.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMI0-1cY7M7mrADebs_sN_wlF8kHA_GUNSSEVbcVkIPgnxDbLeBTE_exHMmSNne9po_S_oZkwIMXa7EhGO_6BnrIISTxSkNiKYqeNs6Jxb3LaL-XwusZgOEddJYibR2rijV9wFWtaI-uQgVVlP9l49c2EIMz60Ov56cj5efMUwQWPRBuf7ogyO_7krMZQ/w400-h400/Drew%20Leclair.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As I mentioned in my last post, I've been on a huge mystery kick lately. After reading a couple YA mysteries and mystery series, I found <i>Drew Leclair Gets a Clue</i> by Katryn Bury as an ebook at the library and added it to my TBR list. There are currently <a href="https://www.katrynbury.com/work" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">two books in the series</a>, and before I even started the first, I got an offer from <a href="https://wunderkind-pr.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wunderkind PR</a> to read the second! I love nothing more than reading sequels and series back to back, so I jumped at the chance.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In <i>Drew Leclair Gets a Clue</i>, true crime fanatic Drew (named for Nancy Drew) tackles a cyberbully that is embarrassing kids at her middle school. On top of wanting to solve the mystery, Drew also deals with her mother leaving the family for a new boyfriend---who just happens to have been the counselor at Drew's school! So she's dealing with that humiliation in her social life and also the devastation of her home life. Beyond that, Shrey, her best friend, is now romantically interested in her, and Drew just doesn't feel that way, for him or <i>anyone</i>. It's a lot to tackle, but Drew is 12, and that's the age when this type of problem seems to pile up.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In <i>Drew Leclaire Crushes the Case</i>, Drew now knows her two best friends will help her solve mysteries at school, so she has a good support system. However, her mom is swooping back into her life and messing it all up in the process, and her dad is starting to date, but hides it from Drew. Shrey has a girlfriend and Drew can't process her feelings about that development, especially because she realizes she also has feelings for someone in her friend group.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">These middle-grade books seem ideal for all ages. While Drew and her friends are 12, in seventh grades, the parents are just active enough in the story to keep me interested, but not to the extent that they bog down the action for younger readers. Drew has unique relationships with both parents - her dad loves true crime and totally gets her, while her mom wants her to be something else and makes her feel abandoned. I think these are great dynamics to address in a middle-grade series.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Drew's friend group is incredibly diverse, with people of all skin tones and cultural backgrounds. Drew herself has chronic illnesses, and other characters in the books have differing abilities yet are completely accepted at school and in their social circles, which is refreshing. Above it all, Drew is bisexual and has gay and lesbian friends. There's no issue of LGBTQIA+ being acceptable in school or by parents, so I think this series is one that will empower younger children to embrace who they are, as well as those around them.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">All of these elements work together to make a compelling cast of characters, but still - mysteries are the highlight of these books. Drew walks the readers through her detective process, including making notes about the case, eliminating suspects, and designing her famous crime boards. Author Katryn Bury is a true crime fanatic herself, which shows in the plotlines. I can't wait to read more in this series and see what mysteries Drew will solve next!</span></div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-21576935464418906262023-07-09T12:34:00.032-05:002023-07-22T13:13:26.182-05:00Truly Devious YA Mystery Series<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWql6k3FOUMvcMm7lG5i44Ld9bWkJ_GtTNLLqOEYoV1ruOIgajUQZFeytFr9GYbfvf_Aapopd91XSoiBs1aNEvDKnQngg3IRzjRIEl3oR_ASMWD5duGO6fRitdF3jclZVpmBUiaGPYdxayBra598Ub9RNY6KSokkR0UgmtG4LwrPEYYYO-qhDr7gAaFY/s1080/Untitled%20design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWql6k3FOUMvcMm7lG5i44Ld9bWkJ_GtTNLLqOEYoV1ruOIgajUQZFeytFr9GYbfvf_Aapopd91XSoiBs1aNEvDKnQngg3IRzjRIEl3oR_ASMWD5duGO6fRitdF3jclZVpmBUiaGPYdxayBra598Ub9RNY6KSokkR0UgmtG4LwrPEYYYO-qhDr7gAaFY/w400-h400/Untitled%20design.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I read Maureen Johnson's <i>Little Blue Envelopes</i> books back when they came out, so I knew her name but didn't seek out more of her books until I had a hankerin' for some mysteries. I love any type of mystery, but was on a cozy mystery kick, and wanted to see if that was a genre within YA or not. Thankfully, it is - and Maureen Johnson is amazing at it!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I first read the <i>Shades of London</i> series, which made me want to re-visit England and also reminded me of how obsessed I was with Jack the Ripper as a teenager. Aka the perfect series for me! I usually love books that have intense character development so I can feel like I'm living another life for a bit, but cozy mysteries don't really do that. However, with <i>Shades of London</i>, it was so well-written that I felt like I knew the characters well enough as-is.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The same is true with <i>Truly Devious</i>. The first three books take place at a boarding school, which is already enchanting enough to a former public school student. The fourth is at a spooky summer camp and the fifth is in London for a study abroad program, so basically this series had everything I dreamed of as a teenager. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some things I loved about this series was how I never really knew who was the culprit - though I had a good guess in the fourth book, <i>The Box in the Woods.</i> But not knowing never made me feel like I was kept in the dark throughout the story, as it sometimes does in suspense novels (looking at you, unreliable narrator in <i>The Girl on the Train</i>). Also, I used to hate reading series if I didn’t read them back to back because I’d forget so much of the action in the previous book, but Maureen Johnson adds recap sentences throughout the beginning of the book to remind readers, without being too heavy-handed about it or devoting a whole chapter to a recap. I mean, I did read these back to back, perhaps with an adult novel in between, but there was still just enough recap to remind you of the previous book. But you can also read them as standalones without missing anything.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I can't recommend this series - and everything else I've read by Maureen Johnson - enough. I was especially delighted by <i>Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village</i>, which cracked me up with each page. I gave it as a gift and also recommended my mother gift it to a friend who loves mysteries, so it's only natural that I recommend it to you, too!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Have you read any of Maureen Johnson's books? If I enjoyed these so much, do you have any similar recommendations for me?</span></div><p></p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-15049437027781618822023-06-25T14:48:00.001-05:002023-06-25T14:48:00.137-05:00Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXya6by7kc72ceyb_eQAMintU0DBo5_XckxW0mQ2pN7g7G7dbjVKYUQaL1eU5TOeu4VXR5wV4jEIMOGiQHRhabdLEjpdDaffpP2Qz4IQb5v_ZYE5Yy5JvkvZzb97KoV5Y0loaEDiYX3j_ocAyNEkGkKcu48tP2Y9FQRaSQPGdTDXMZGPG4VqoKFCOG/s2737/IMG_4440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2737" data-original-width="2737" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXya6by7kc72ceyb_eQAMintU0DBo5_XckxW0mQ2pN7g7G7dbjVKYUQaL1eU5TOeu4VXR5wV4jEIMOGiQHRhabdLEjpdDaffpP2Qz4IQb5v_ZYE5Yy5JvkvZzb97KoV5Y0loaEDiYX3j_ocAyNEkGkKcu48tP2Y9FQRaSQPGdTDXMZGPG4VqoKFCOG/w400-h400/IMG_4440.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>My third Zevin (though I haven't written about <i>Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow</i>, I did review <i><a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/2023/04/the-storied-life-of-aj-fikry-by.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</a></i>) and my thoughts about her are still the same. I'm not a huge fan of her gaps in time, nor the distance from the characters' thoughts and emotions. I feel incredibly aware that I'm reading a book the entire time, instead of really engaging with the world and thinking of the characters as real people. That said, her story concepts are AMAZING.</p><p>In this book, I LOVED her concept of death - the logistics, how it happens, how you realize, how you "age." I did think the love story was pretty forced. It felt like it was there just because a book "should" have a love interest (disclaimer: not my opinion) or the editor said to add it. I didn't feel anything for the characters, I didn't "ship" them. I also thought it was pretty icky - I know the ages are different on Elsewhere, but there was still a strange gap that I just couldn't get on board with.</p><p>I also didn't like the end, mostly because I wanted to experience more "life" on Elsewhere. However, I appreciate the concept of everything going full circle. (Although, spoiler alert: the newborn baby laughing? I know it's a book but that took me right out of this reality, it seemed way too cutesy and unrealistic.)</p><p>I guess this makes a pretty unsatisfactory review of the book because I'm not totally raving or ranting about it, but I do think it's worth a read. I'm glad I read it for the concept of death alone - it definitely got my imagination running wild.</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-43114698057738142202023-06-11T14:37:00.002-05:002023-06-18T14:49:53.298-05:00America the Beautiful? by Blythe Roberson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeC0TlygelJYuUhc13E_qe5xMEJrNGSyr1rTGNYbSVo8LXxqnW_8ub75wZfaG6IsR4gwVyQb7_MyfsIh5b6iH4s6oY_gfcnrOFMiVj73W8qVE48apR17irZCHPmIuayP0KmJp2ofiPiOPGgm0nusZLolEQOBJeXGoHcNRjpc125ktkFVR5TdEX-w_/s3024/IMG_4442.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeC0TlygelJYuUhc13E_qe5xMEJrNGSyr1rTGNYbSVo8LXxqnW_8ub75wZfaG6IsR4gwVyQb7_MyfsIh5b6iH4s6oY_gfcnrOFMiVj73W8qVE48apR17irZCHPmIuayP0KmJp2ofiPiOPGgm0nusZLolEQOBJeXGoHcNRjpc125ktkFVR5TdEX-w_/w400-h400/IMG_4442.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: right;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You know I had to take a photo of the book with the backpack I lived out of for six months straight.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ah yes, two travel books back to back. Though this one is very different from Emily Henry...</div><div><br /></div><div>In this book, Blythe Roberson quits her job to travel the country... just like I did in 2011. Well, I didn't quit - my company sold its business overseas and fired everyone. But the general concept is the same! Instead of fighting with dozens of other graphic designers to get a new job in the city, I just... didn't. I gave up my lease and put my stuff in storage and planned trips for months at a time, living out of a backpack.</div><div><br /></div><div>Roberson goes to some of the same parks I hit, aka the biggest National Parks. But there are many I didn't visit, and many I'd never even heard of, so it was really interesting to read about her experience, which was somewhat similar to mine in many strange ways, but also very unique. I too met up with friends along the way, sometimes traveling together, sometimes just crashing at their places. I too drove alone for long stretches and started to feel like life wasn't real. I too wondered why the hell I was visiting these tourist traps along with everyone else in the country.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a unique experience to go to a beautiful, natural place and drive around for an hour looking for a parking spot. I thought I was the only grinch who experienced that lack of luck and felt bitter about it, but no, Roberson did too. I don't think that makes it a good thing necessarily, but it makes ME feel better, and that's what matters.</div><div><br /></div><div>In all seriousness, this is a funny book about travel and friends and getting to know yourself, perhaps too much. There's a fun hook of Roberson earning Junior Ranger badges (which I did NOT do, and now need to do it all again). She also delves into the history of many parks, which I also didn't do - I just went to experience the location and take photos (many of which are now lost thanks for the great hard drive death of 2021).</div><div><br /></div><div>It was hard for me to read this diplomatically because I kept stopping and thinking of my own experiences, so I might venture into the Goodreads reviews and see what people said if they didn't have a road trip foundation. I'm also very tempted to unearth my travel journals and see what embarrassing book I could write about my experience...</div><p></p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-66034411987602234802023-05-28T16:34:00.001-05:002023-05-28T16:34:42.906-05:00People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrm0YauaNcnHmOKSfXJimhzq-Ivk-_-t6Tf_RTnFNul3DaJ0gIaP45sjI_HRAkCFHU3ueze5v3uNzC_x32OIfh4DhRpC5WAhCCMQtUBztFbKi6QoGfwcrtuciWM2iUH2DmYdUl1qAgmXjvRj3sPE0F_P5XBlKGjw7AOo1BFfB1QZn_qm7aRlQei_KF/s1818/IMG_3921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1818" data-original-width="1818" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrm0YauaNcnHmOKSfXJimhzq-Ivk-_-t6Tf_RTnFNul3DaJ0gIaP45sjI_HRAkCFHU3ueze5v3uNzC_x32OIfh4DhRpC5WAhCCMQtUBztFbKi6QoGfwcrtuciWM2iUH2DmYdUl1qAgmXjvRj3sPE0F_P5XBlKGjw7AOo1BFfB1QZn_qm7aRlQei_KF/w400-h400/IMG_3921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I've seen Emily Henry's cute book covers everywhere but never felt compelled to read one. Also the hold lists are incredibly long at the library, so I figured I'd get to them eventually. When I went to pick up my holds (pictured), <i>People We Meet on Vacation</i> was just sitting on the display shelf, so I grabbed it, not knowing what to expect.</div><div><br /></div><div>My impression of the author, based on nothing in particular, was that she was more literary than "chick lit" (don't get me started), like Liane Moriarty. And, after reading the book, I think that's true. It was a little more romance-y than I expected. When I started reading it, I was surprised, thinking, "Wow, it's so nice to consume media where a man and woman are legit just friends!" Spoiler alert: joke's on me!</div><div><br /></div><div>That said, it's not a romance-romance book. It felt realistic but not overwhelming. What I loved most was the travel. I used to travel a lot. After my first "real" job after college closed down, I gave up my lease and lived out of a backpack for about six months, then again a few months after that spree. I was a different person then and the world is different now, so I'm glad I did it when I did, but probably wouldn't do it again. That said, I do miss traveling. And I think this book perfectly captures that freedom and wonder of going to a new place and exploring, talking to people and going with the flow. This book felt like a dozen trips in one and brought back a wave of memories.</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-13195144509617939722023-05-14T16:21:00.001-05:002023-05-28T16:28:29.507-05:00Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFefE6lN6oPWu9r8FiUFO-V2zF_wy8_HhGwjaY0w3yMj0qqIlU5PDGX0H7EcxL1yPgeWjd9KPJneGKAZpmMITfSc0lN5iNJU3GAyGoFiAIKJtpHovQS22EllX6eALdJwjjLjWzp4d02sqrp5a92AISoeNy5ghBG0wOtIbJ-Fqx9WcLjVoRAZ78UKBY/s3024/IMG_3917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFefE6lN6oPWu9r8FiUFO-V2zF_wy8_HhGwjaY0w3yMj0qqIlU5PDGX0H7EcxL1yPgeWjd9KPJneGKAZpmMITfSc0lN5iNJU3GAyGoFiAIKJtpHovQS22EllX6eALdJwjjLjWzp4d02sqrp5a92AISoeNy5ghBG0wOtIbJ-Fqx9WcLjVoRAZ78UKBY/w400-h400/IMG_3917.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>People discussed this book at a family dinner and I was just intrigued enough (before humming to avoid spoilers) to get it from the library. While the writing was a bit clunky, I loved the concept.</p><p>If you haven't read this book but want to, this is your cue to start humming...</p><p>I thought the rewinding worked so well because I kept thinking, "Oh <i>this</i> is the event that is the undoing." It was really interesting to go back in time and find out what inspired one small action. How you think it's the obvious answer but it's actually something really small you might have forgotten about. I think I love dwelling on that concept more than I liked the book.</p><p>But I always love time travel, magical realism, and parallel universe ideas, so this book met that interest. It reminded me of <i>Before the Fall</i> by Lauren Oliver, which I haven't read in years, but the general concept stuck with me. In that book, a girl dies in a car crash and hangs out in purgatory, reliving that one day over and over until she makes things right and can die. It has a narrower and more immediate focus, but a similar foundation.</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-10100451730215762162023-04-30T16:10:00.001-05:002023-05-28T16:21:41.050-05:00The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijv3Bcc8wxPKXJ9SqEIkKEQ-DENgVexfd2Pg7SWi6BsFzW7Th7Hy8rhFqwdfSxA1dxw3RF9hf31v9o0EgzKkMr3y2oKshl9qaWTsKpBh_rYX0YxBNTYSKnqWaYWAulUeqqPc0BkO23ipXQle_IKccONli0MyvL6o3eeLIG_BPAdHelZvu6ES8E_-Jx/s2817/IMG_3963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2817" data-original-width="2817" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijv3Bcc8wxPKXJ9SqEIkKEQ-DENgVexfd2Pg7SWi6BsFzW7Th7Hy8rhFqwdfSxA1dxw3RF9hf31v9o0EgzKkMr3y2oKshl9qaWTsKpBh_rYX0YxBNTYSKnqWaYWAulUeqqPc0BkO23ipXQle_IKccONli0MyvL6o3eeLIG_BPAdHelZvu6ES8E_-Jx/w400-h400/IMG_3963.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>In a book where people share their incredibly precise book tastes, I'll start this review by saying I don't like when books exhaustingly reference other literary works because it seems lazy, like they're bringing up specific stories to say, "Yeah... like that."<div><br /></div><div>At the same time, I kind of love these books because literature is how I relate to people. What's your favorite book? What's the last book you read? What required reading did you actually like? What book disappointed you and why?</div><div><br /></div><div>So getting to know characters this way is like Cliffs Notes. And since this book used short stories? I felt like I was back in college in the best way.</div><div><br /></div><div>I read this book in about four hours. My mom loaned me her copy and once I started, I couldn't stop. I fell asleep reading it---not a commentary on the story itself---and finished it as soon as I woke up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Initially, I disliked the massive timeline jumps. It was hard to orient the action, especially paired with the frequent and temporary jumps between points of view. But everything fit together like puzzle pieces, so I think it worked well at the end. The time jumps were especially nice once I reached the end, otherwise I would have been a blubbering mess. Moreso than I actually was.</div><div><br /></div><div>In general, I prefer books with more character detail, which this book lacks and I think reinforces my theory that leaning so heavily on literary references gets lazy. I could fill in the blanks only because I knew the stories, because I don't think AJ's notes were enough to orient readers unfamiliar with the referenced works.</div>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-19563150202801310462023-04-16T19:37:00.001-05:002023-04-16T19:37:59.242-05:00A Different Approach<p>My last blog post was January 2022, and it was the only one of that year. Clearly I had good intentions that just didn't pan out.</p><p>I started this blog in 2014 when I was a library science student. I had a newborn and read him picture books all the time. I reviewed picture books and young adult books for classes toward my degree. I volunteered in a library and led reading programs for adults with disabilities. I did an internship. I worked in a public library. I worked in a public school library. I worked in a private school library. Then I left libraries completely when so many people, especially parents, had to change their work-life balance due to lockdown. But my relationships with libraries had already been up and down by that point, so it wasn't a bad situation for me.</p><p>While the current situation of defunding libraries enrages me, after seeing what librarians have to put up with, especially with public shootings (especially in my area), I'm not eager to get back to librarianship. I hate feeling that way because I do love libraries, loved my degree program, and would want to work in them again in an ideal world. But the required nights and weekends don't jive with being a single parent, especially since the salary is barely enough to live on even without considering the childcare costs I'd have to add on.</p><p>Along with leaving libraries, my son is now older and reads chapter books. I still enjoy the occasional picture book, and young adult novels will always be my jam. But these shifts in my life made me step back and assess my relationship to reading. Since 2020, I've felt like I need to use my time wisely. That means, in my downtime, I need to do something. I'll be honest - it's usually mindless scrolling on my phone. But I'm just as likely to reach for a book. I always read at least 100 books a year, so why haven't I been writing posts about them?</p><p>To be fair, I share many of them on Instagram because it's quicker and easier. But I feel like that's my biggest problem lately. I'm reading "just 'cuz." I'm checking out books and reading them to mark them "Read" on Goodreads and feel productive. But honestly, I miss writing more detailed reviews like I used to on this blog. Going back even more, I miss spending weeks on one book in college, reading so much into the language and the references and understanding the story on multiple levels.</p><p>I never focused on the newest releases on this blog. I always read what I wanted, often sharing more in-depth <a href="http://www.howifeelaboutbooks.com/search/label/author%20study" target="_blank">author studies</a> that spanned several months or years. And I want to go back to that, to sharing thoughts longer than an Instagram caption. To spending time with one book, even if Goodreads alerts me that I'm behind on my goal. I want to be more thoughtful with what I'm reading and what I take from each book. And hopefully, that purposeful step back will give me more thoughts to share here.</p><p>Or this could be the only post I make in 2023. It's hard to tell at this point, isn't it?</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-12303933327416696332022-01-08T14:05:00.002-06:002022-01-08T14:05:09.022-06:00Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI6uw-I9uq3O8_ydwyJyYVZ-alrK6_g1X0mcdc_sVIrQrh4QZcYcw6YZxL19ZbmhZJobcpr168xX4II3xWDOSkDisd6X2wvmNsITnLcukvd795cGavednIJXcu8jQ5ARyVfVgYh7SbyN2RydUPRsohN6MRDDKqybxd-xsH2nPpIqK33PGTYxoKgIqg=s1882" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1882" data-original-width="1882" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI6uw-I9uq3O8_ydwyJyYVZ-alrK6_g1X0mcdc_sVIrQrh4QZcYcw6YZxL19ZbmhZJobcpr168xX4II3xWDOSkDisd6X2wvmNsITnLcukvd795cGavednIJXcu8jQ5ARyVfVgYh7SbyN2RydUPRsohN6MRDDKqybxd-xsH2nPpIqK33PGTYxoKgIqg=w416-h416" width="416" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My son is reading chapter books and graphic novels now, but any picture book starring a dinosaur is fair game for a bedtime story. I loved reading this aloud to him because being scared of the dark is something that comes and goes, and Tiny T. Rex is proactive in his approach. The illustrations are the perfect mix of adorable and beautiful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We've previously read <i>Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug</i> in 2019, but my son doesn't remember it so clearly we need more Tiny T. Rex in our lives!</span></div><p></p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-52787817491071302722021-12-30T12:51:00.002-06:002022-02-03T09:48:30.493-06:002021 Year in Reading<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My year in blogging here was a bit hit or miss, so it only seems right that I do a big dump post of my year in reading, instead of my nicely planned out posts </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7676879485387686212/6867163163252397768#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">like last year</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-baf42b44-7fff-f753-bdad-4a291b1316fa"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First off, the general Goodreads goal. I wanted to read 125 books this year, and I read 142. Despite that leap, I'm only going to aim for 100 books in 2022. I want to read slower, feel less guilty about reading slumps, and focus more on my writing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My son's Goodreads goal was 200 books, and he "only" read 165. I set his goal as high as it used to be because we'd read picture books together, but now we mostly read chapter books. He also reads on his own, so it's understandable he's reading fewer books even if we still read just as much. So his goal for 2022 will be 80, because there are some picture books I can't resist reading to him! So much good stuff out there, so my librarian heart needs an outlet.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's hard to choose my favorite books of the year. This year I did my Beverly Cleary author study, and so many of those are amazing books, even as an adult reader. I also read a lot of small press books, and those are fantastic as well. If I was on my game, I could have done round-up posts for Beverly Cleary on her own, middle grade, young adult, graphic novel, small press, and adult books. And probably more subdivisions if I really tried.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But ain't nobody got time for that, so I'll just pick my favorite book from each month, whether it's old or new, small press or big 4, for kids or for adults.</span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">January</span></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbyfpHgfB19hJFk9vm2bDRiFpe5pDwC0pEOaXRoPea8BuFRnuRr5n3sqRnA5kUh_4mUVBgrxLm2NE2mi-y7fpQ2N9Oi08h9A8oNX2ZZR2qTwJfCMQ-fT1VcK3dtpCBhIBcnsH0zLmdsPQeBcR-xcGx0NcJ3G_9ZrPQFLvKyo8DvVRlS5Um3CNOhu20=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="750" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbyfpHgfB19hJFk9vm2bDRiFpe5pDwC0pEOaXRoPea8BuFRnuRr5n3sqRnA5kUh_4mUVBgrxLm2NE2mi-y7fpQ2N9Oi08h9A8oNX2ZZR2qTwJfCMQ-fT1VcK3dtpCBhIBcnsH0zLmdsPQeBcR-xcGx0NcJ3G_9ZrPQFLvKyo8DvVRlS5Um3CNOhu20=s320" width="320" /></a></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Some of the Times</i> by Gina Myers.</b> I attended an online zoom reading event and heard Gina Myers read and was absolutely blown away. I love how she paired poetry with photos in that particular event, so I wanted to get some of her work. Her poems are really powerful on their own, but the last portion of this book includes photos that accompany her poems, and they both help elevate the stories told. More than words alone or images alone, they work together to lift your imagination up so it can run wild.</span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">February</span></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh11EdKHrtAhB0TN2QTnmhQuykOekpegDjOjdkObIbkqAvsj0UzAsveO5D7brtau8EwhTl81yFGcc4mXaIoovyWY9st6mG_gvOhMXTW3D8GGUqlR4Y1p5YFhcyO9_-8bXQ02fuJNBdRTyAn-iyU5bFKNTSnBzCVQdbYKFA-c8skuOtBYXajDpapPd21=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="750" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh11EdKHrtAhB0TN2QTnmhQuykOekpegDjOjdkObIbkqAvsj0UzAsveO5D7brtau8EwhTl81yFGcc4mXaIoovyWY9st6mG_gvOhMXTW3D8GGUqlR4Y1p5YFhcyO9_-8bXQ02fuJNBdRTyAn-iyU5bFKNTSnBzCVQdbYKFA-c8skuOtBYXajDpapPd21=s320" width="320" /></a></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>The Secret Lives of Church Ladies </i>by Deesha Philyaw. </b>Deesha Philyaw read part of “Peach Cobbler” at an event I attended and I was hooked from the first line: “My mother’s peachy cobbler was so good, it made God himself cheat on his wife.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this collection, and once I got it I was torn between racing to finish it and wanting to drag it out so I’d have longer with these multi-layered characters. I can’t pick a favorite from this collection because they’re all that. damn. good. I’ve been recommending it to everyone I know, and that includes you. It’s the perfect mix of gossip, drama, and breathtaking storytelling you need in your life.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I usually try to not re-read a book until a year after my last reading, but this is one I’ll be coming back to more often than that. I can’t stop thinking about it and I want more. I've also gifted copies to several people.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March</span></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikqAqoKwmo_QsOps5yPulZUrsK_2gJs_L6rntXiBD1YIsfNN59W1utS5WQSdjXvddeG8VZN6f7nvrTt6nY9hI_0-e2HX1UXj8e-jHi2yUmcQ2yMocV-mENvouzVSersbIIrx3PWxt3Ti-xvl_kynom8Sd000vO24kDhfJW2_J06PH9mzMHtuFVucvw=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="750" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikqAqoKwmo_QsOps5yPulZUrsK_2gJs_L6rntXiBD1YIsfNN59W1utS5WQSdjXvddeG8VZN6f7nvrTt6nY9hI_0-e2HX1UXj8e-jHi2yUmcQ2yMocV-mENvouzVSersbIIrx3PWxt3Ti-xvl_kynom8Sd000vO24kDhfJW2_J06PH9mzMHtuFVucvw=s320" width="320" /></a></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Little Feasts</i> by Jules Archer. </b>This collection blew me away. From the cover alone I knew I was in for a treat (no pun intended), but the actual writing far exceeded my expectations. Each piece was so weird and delightful, like peeking into an entirely different world.</span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">April</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 279px; overflow: hidden; width: 180px;"><img height="279" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XReq6hT4IEgE7l-h9t5kDtuajEx3tP1Fe6n3bO9AY-hivDgiSHTRpoRYb3Lu9T_iCnM3CL_inRw3J-OyviBwOYAf-h9p6sTlSc8V7Sqiuj5YZQMyyh0mzjBPBniHu1ifRRBqOCM3" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Love Like That</i> by Emma Duffy-Comparone. </b>Short stories that address all of the different relationships you have in your life. I loved getting sucked into each person’s life for a brief moment. So many of these were absolutely amazing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">May</span></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw3EtWDCUmR8k-88JeqWNYxlLAb879iDICURzfwPXcTm8gpyTBlHjiVK1hHeTwNHZxo75skDIS0SlfyBI2npNm-247A8A0z6ZAOD1mDAHlZYSEfQPp3cQGLxDQeTnTrQKaUrgzqw9iobmeJ_owj4gFy1zI6tiAob9S6sJ3ee5YFaYQhsSIvm9mgWq4=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="750" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw3EtWDCUmR8k-88JeqWNYxlLAb879iDICURzfwPXcTm8gpyTBlHjiVK1hHeTwNHZxo75skDIS0SlfyBI2npNm-247A8A0z6ZAOD1mDAHlZYSEfQPp3cQGLxDQeTnTrQKaUrgzqw9iobmeJ_owj4gFy1zI6tiAob9S6sJ3ee5YFaYQhsSIvm9mgWq4=s320" width="320" /></a></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>The Trouble with Language</i> by Rebecca Fishow. </b>I heard Fishow read at a book launch and was blown away by her writing style. I ordered her book before the event was over. As soon as it arrived, I sat and read it in a day, and am already wanting to read it again. The stories are so delightfully strange that they seem almost too real, and there is always something to notice hiding beneath the words that are written.</span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">June</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 273px; overflow: hidden; width: 185px;"><img height="273" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7i-GFy6vqVWsO7uOinKY8euSMMbO-Vnh4h5PcI4EszzIsGlkhU6RqqaQJGt36HIDmC36396_C7jUlsBR5KgWGn_PIlUbrIinTD-S-sJy-rM6iFqDMGFHydX1V2-KyMMawXEm07--" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="185" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Revenge </i>by Yoko Ogawa. </b>A classmate in a writing workshop recommended this collection and I was blown away by it. I love the simple language that tells such powerful stories. I love how they’re connected. I’m already going to read it again just to study it.</span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">July</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 275px; overflow: hidden; width: 183px;"><img height="275" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9MjZ1JMXC9Xobt90dTlQAF_LJgk_5A4xoSwfXS2KsiOJFb--xSG4UDssE7PiPaRJ-gjuRZQ9qV_8-zz-KCv4gsKjfL7kbfd_gLkPF5YJEyV5XW9Q_H-z_sOd_pZL15jhtpx1jLe0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="183" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Watching Edie</i> by Camilla Way. </b>I liked another Way book I read, but I think this was much better. The twists were well done and I think this is the only borderline-unreliable narrator book I’ve enjoyed. If you know me at all, you know unreliable narrators are one of my biggest pet peeves, so that it was well-done impressed me.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">August</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjli3K6XjAvl7zMETWSVCasvY-Rii9G1cTiU1rU0QRF_GZb8abBu0ZGbKkv7_wxC-xgmTVZhDYl8gGg6XVMyTXV8WJubxZVkWANYsiQettPTdAn07mKsTyNnDco8_I74f8xHfQbqD1GNjeagp5qdMMYg2GzkPAVvWhAqf0vtflkBszwajexWt6FqHXe=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="750" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjli3K6XjAvl7zMETWSVCasvY-Rii9G1cTiU1rU0QRF_GZb8abBu0ZGbKkv7_wxC-xgmTVZhDYl8gGg6XVMyTXV8WJubxZVkWANYsiQettPTdAn07mKsTyNnDco8_I74f8xHfQbqD1GNjeagp5qdMMYg2GzkPAVvWhAqf0vtflkBszwajexWt6FqHXe=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cheating and sharing two because they're worth it - plus they're short, so grab them both and read them in one sitting and thank me later.</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Daughters of the State</i> by Leigh Chadwick.</b> Chapbook of prose poems about girls in foster care. Very powerful.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Signs </i>by Massoud Hayoun. </b>Psychological thriller with a suspenseful storyline and nice twist at the end. Love the structure of the story.</span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">September</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIFt72w2siMSYCvwQOGV6Jc3kACPW4LODBED7PAQBltEDDiHMp78L3oWnPkwXYwkD6VBNaWaE3dqHG6yHw2QGNnob_LngWSPPy5YNIErwnK5NgP0S-4pyirVddNUZWQEvSpVyKrwkP8KdOv07RzMZAGRKZoH8WWuAkDic--ZOTEH_s3m4aSoFJ6cBb=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="750" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIFt72w2siMSYCvwQOGV6Jc3kACPW4LODBED7PAQBltEDDiHMp78L3oWnPkwXYwkD6VBNaWaE3dqHG6yHw2QGNnob_LngWSPPy5YNIErwnK5NgP0S-4pyirVddNUZWQEvSpVyKrwkP8KdOv07RzMZAGRKZoH8WWuAkDic--ZOTEH_s3m4aSoFJ6cBb=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>The Evolution of Birds</i> by Sara Hills. </b>This collection is so beautiful I can’t stand it. I kept highlighting and underlining so many phrases that were powerful or awe-inspiring. Definitely one to revisit frequently.</span><p></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">October</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 279px; overflow: hidden; width: 180px;"><img height="279" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/B48PhrVY06J43f5EIn1gQH6TWIf-fX8dReSD-GpjQAq6cZsuC83urRAydjFWytCp7YRNoZbE_4Y81rnAYdrEJnX361sV5rEG2v7cNzxRs28XFRWaIE-E50M5RexVkQRXFe_5nBBL" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>A Carnival of Snackery </i>by David Sedaris. </b>As much as I love anything Sedaris writes, I think his diaries are my favorite. Yes, he has a lot of weird shit happen to him, but he even makes the mundane humorous and noteworthy, and I think that’s a great trait to have. So much of this book had me laughing, though he got serious as well.</span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">November</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKcE-Nom4AJxBLrtCzpB-bd7B63oS6P8q27xLxDdHXLxVme6jy_86UWl6QYvlJNj8s5E-LiCxVyo7Ky1hyVI1H1mjFbBJwqmFiOtBLYimuaHxB7TTgA0J7gb8siOPvGoekFEp8M1g2BJHyJmLNxyx8HLlAclX7CcRPiwSEhBW075k4BuG_5WWa7l3S=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="750" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKcE-Nom4AJxBLrtCzpB-bd7B63oS6P8q27xLxDdHXLxVme6jy_86UWl6QYvlJNj8s5E-LiCxVyo7Ky1hyVI1H1mjFbBJwqmFiOtBLYimuaHxB7TTgA0J7gb8siOPvGoekFEp8M1g2BJHyJmLNxyx8HLlAclX7CcRPiwSEhBW075k4BuG_5WWa7l3S=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Eternal Night at the Nature Museum </i>by Tyler Barton. </b>I loved Barton’s first collection, <i>The Quiet Part Loud</i>, and was eager to read more. Some stories are flash and some are longer, but all really resonated with me. I kept underlining beautiful phrases and find myself wondering about the characters even though I was only in their lives for a brief moment.</span><p></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">December</span></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7PEirusDKmE6TVh00QsDTY23LNSjPTm2_Ue_DYnmPqld1f2vBZWPnehOTGEitvCepJTcCIGKD8UhljM33aW5YYuhuxCbBlLD_abBjK1RFdITM3Ip1_X4UTKk9d0fecHjlQP7wjoS8MWokYdxQKx9b1v30wsmwqz_bifEHZob8JljMybZ-ctKy0UIs=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="750" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7PEirusDKmE6TVh00QsDTY23LNSjPTm2_Ue_DYnmPqld1f2vBZWPnehOTGEitvCepJTcCIGKD8UhljM33aW5YYuhuxCbBlLD_abBjK1RFdITM3Ip1_X4UTKk9d0fecHjlQP7wjoS8MWokYdxQKx9b1v30wsmwqz_bifEHZob8JljMybZ-ctKy0UIs=s320" width="320" /></a></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>My Share of the Body</i> by Devon Capizzi. </b>Amazing story collection exploring grief and growth in so many different ways. It’s definitely one I’ll keep coming back to. I can’t get the egg urn from the title story out of my head as it is, and this whole collection is full of great details like that.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you're interested, check out my <a href="https://allisonrennerwrites.com/2021/12/30/2021-writing-in-review/" target="_blank">2021 Writing in Review</a> post.</span></p></span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-33841201850786265402021-12-13T10:20:00.006-06:002021-12-13T10:20:43.425-06:00What the Dinosaurs Did the Night Before Christmas by Refe and Susan Tuma<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">What the Dinosaurs Did the Night Before Christmas</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">by Refe and Susan Tuma</span></b></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB2Oe8fbWX7oCXgRjITBXei1HMpB17ABPgLKrXhckM20FPoxcDDyW5xzhfO8jZYDt4f_gybViww3gEJGdgwCXr-7iQ73Gy-KjQvwo5o8FFH3nVd8Xme66Z4nGCACugS-pgGdEoakejf_isucUnUkwkmm9DK5pvalEz7WrGpufc1RCOBRqBxTkmw9uu=s3024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB2Oe8fbWX7oCXgRjITBXei1HMpB17ABPgLKrXhckM20FPoxcDDyW5xzhfO8jZYDt4f_gybViww3gEJGdgwCXr-7iQ73Gy-KjQvwo5o8FFH3nVd8Xme66Z4nGCACugS-pgGdEoakejf_isucUnUkwkmm9DK5pvalEz7WrGpufc1RCOBRqBxTkmw9uu=w463-h463" width="463" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">If you saw a bearded dinosaur wearing a red suit on Christmas Eve, wouldn’t you think it was Santa? He even has eight tiny dinos pulling his sleigh…but they’re not really putting out gifts like Santa would. In fact, they’re making a mess!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This book uses cute photos of mischievous toy dinosaurs to tell a story of a wild Christmas Eve! If your kid loves dinosaurs and Christmas like mine, they’ll enjoy this story. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">There’s an added bonus for older readers: since the illustrations are photos of toys, it’s something they can recreate themselves! My kid loves making videos and taking pictures so I have a feeling we’ll be staging some photos similar to those in this book over winter break. This would be a really fun jumping-off point for a STEM or MakerSpace lesson, and could even progress to stop motion videos!</span></span></div><p></p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676879485387686212.post-22995188458981988822021-12-11T13:54:00.005-06:002021-12-13T10:19:33.918-06:00Mall Rats: An Anthology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijzkR1AO-3zdJbAzvj3bMPhFwK5W2NJsT77QsGzYAmZdGWInNOsu21ff6XjtULY7ZCv1LE25_Y-_8fVials-zP455cz4z89wacXO10CSTm0g4UUZFooez_4j290fOgJZXQwakmQUFZ9r6yZT92aHrBpe9vAvGDlSYpZrxE_hT2PqsU_I3e27SFRzGI=s1873" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1873" data-original-width="1873" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijzkR1AO-3zdJbAzvj3bMPhFwK5W2NJsT77QsGzYAmZdGWInNOsu21ff6XjtULY7ZCv1LE25_Y-_8fVials-zP455cz4z89wacXO10CSTm0g4UUZFooez_4j290fOgJZXQwakmQUFZ9r6yZT92aHrBpe9vAvGDlSYpZrxE_hT2PqsU_I3e27SFRzGI=w444-h444" width="444" /></a></div><p></p><p>I usually post book reviews here, but this is more of a promotion, because I have a story in <i>Mall Rats: An Anthology</i> from the Daily Drunk!</p><p>This book was released December 7, 2021, so <a href="https://dailydrunkmag.com/product/mall-rats/" target="_blank">you can get a copy (or ebook!) NOW</a>!</p><p>My friends and I used to walk the mall for hours because we had nowhere else to go. It seemed fun at the time, but I didn't miss it. Or at least, I didn't until I read the pieces in this collection and was overwhelmed with nostalgia. Read it and you'll be amazed at the depth of emotions a mall* can make you feel.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>*or insanely talented writers, but you get what I'm saying</p>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02261995621776561765noreply@blogger.com0