#IMWAYR September 14, 2015


I love Mondays! It's time to check in with other bloggers to find out what they have been reading and discover some fabulous reads for myself. Jen From Mentor Texts and Kellee and Rickie from Unleashing Readers host this event, so check out their sites for a list of participants' blogs to check out. 

I was unable to post last weekend, because we were marrying off my younger son. I survived the production, but only just. I do not recommend do it yourself weddings. I'm already saving up for my other son to do a destination event when and if he ever ties the knot. For at least 5 days I had absolutely no time to read. Ok, maybe I read for 5 minutes until I fell into bed exhausted.

Was it worth it? Of Course!
Because of wedding frenzy, I also didn't get my Must Read update posted. I hope to get around to it by the end of the month Carrie Gelson! By that time I might have more books finished...

This is what I read in the past two weeks. Nearly everything has been brain candy: books that entertain and delight without leaving me overwrought.

NOVELS

The Forbidden Stone (The Copernicus Legacy, #1) by Tony Abbot

4 stars
I was hoping fans of Abbot's Underworld and Secrets of Droon series would appreciate this one as well, but it hasn't been flying off the shelf. Perhaps it is because this seems like a tome compared to the ones in those series. I picked it up to listen to in hopes of figuring out how to sell it to that crowd. Kirkus gave it a starred review and the write up at goodreads make it seem very compelling. 
It's the story of a group of children and one adult who have to work together to figure out clues and find ancient relics before an evil organization gets to them. I liked the friendship between these kids. The story is loaded with adventure. It will introduce readers to many significant historical figures. My conclusion is that it is ok. It's not stellar, but I can see the appeal in this kind of tale. Now that I know what it is about, I look forward to seeing if I can convince readers to try it out.
4 stars

 Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer

I admit to loving this series. It's just fun with strong female characters. I love the combination of science fiction and fairy tale. Cress is waiting for me to start soon. I am really looking forward to introducing my readers to these books. For me, the only problem with getting into this kind of series is that I'm falling farther and farther behind on my must read list. 



4 stars
Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco

I enjoyed this book a lot. It is a sweet story about a young girl who manages to overcome numerous obstacles to find a place for herself in the world. There are many aspects to this one. It's an historical novel about family and friendship. Readers will become aware of the suffragette movement, the difficult times of the second world war, and the importance of inclusion of all children into regular classrooms. Adults and teachers who read this one will be reminded of their power to improve or destroy the worlds of children in their community. (Hurrah! this is one of my must read books)


4 stars

The Terror of the Southlands (The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, #2) by Caroline Carlson

This is one of the series I am totally infatuated with these days. I love the spunky Hilary Westfield and her piratical friends. These reads are pure pleasure with hints of deeper understandings about our present day world.



4 stars
Jinx by Sage Blackwood

I enjoyed this story that is loaded with all kinds of traditional fairy tale tropes. I appreciated the complexity of the many characters especially of Simon Magus, Jinx's guardian. It is a superb coming of age saga that mirrors many of our own culture's foibles and flaws. (Hurrah! this is also one of my must read books)



3 stars
The Hidden Gallery (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #2) by Maryrose Wood

I'm quite enchanted by these Incorrigibles and their governess, Miss Penelope Lumley. In this book the family heads off to London while their manor house is being repaired after the Christmas fiasco. While there, the children get into all kinds of mischief and Miss Lumley learns more about her employer, the children and even her own mysterious background. To add to it all, there is a hint of romance. 

Waistcoats and Weaponry (Finishing School #3) by Gail Carriger

4 stars
I adore these books. If you are not acquainted with this series, you need to run right out, grab the first one, and not stop reading until you are done. The series is a conglomerate of steampunk, paranormal, spy and mystery. It focuses on Sophronia and the friends she meets at her very unordinary finishing school. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, students learn much more than the social graces. For a start, their curriculum includes spying, assassination techniques, the art of seduction, and thinking for themselves. 
In this book Sophronia and her friends end up stealing a train that is loaded with stolen technology (purloined by a vampire hive from the Picklemen). If the Picklemen get their hands on it, they will cause chaos in London and the rest of England. I love the political intrigue, the humour, the adventure and most especially, I love Sophronia and her candid and honest reflections on her life. 
The next and final book in the series won't be out til November. I can hardly wait. Because I think it will require a sophisticated reader, for now I've only ordered the first book for our library. I've got a passel of girls I want to try it out on. I really hope they enjoy these as much as I do!

PICTURE BOOKS

With help from another teacher, I had students new to Dickens in the library for a couple of days this week. They were there while we made sure that our planned organization would work.  We spent time getting to know each other and creating our own twisted fairy tales. These are the picture books we read together. 

4 stars
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg.

On Tuesday our vice principal read this charming picture book. It was new to me. I was delighted by the surprise ending. I might have been less surprised, but while he was reading, I was getting other materials ready and just listened. Unfortunately we don't have this one in our library.   

Courage by Bernard Waber

5 stars
I love this book. I've read it a number of times over the years to groups, but last week I read it to this group of students. Starting the day out with this book, followed by a conversation about the different kinds of courage we need for different things, seemed to help them begin to take risks. In fact, nearly all of these 40 children did a short presentation telling the rest of us about their name. 



Prince Cinders by Babette Cole

4 stars
This is one of my favourite twisted fairy tales. It's so much fun to read. Prince Cinder's fairy godmother is terribly incompetent. I love how pretty much anything that can go wrong, does go wrong, except of course that sometimes going wrong turns out to be exactly the best thing that could have happened. Everyone laughs when the prince, who wants to be big and hairy like his brothers turns out to be big and hairy, but not quite like his brothers. 





Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood & Meg Hunt (illustrator)

3 stars
I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. Unfortunately, the poetry ended up annoying the heck out of me and got in the way of my enjoying this book. In addition, I tried to read it to a group of children using my epson projector, but the print didn't show up against the background. I appreciated the humour, but my students missed out on many of the technological references. Aside from these piddly little complaints, this is a fun book. I liked the ending. 

CURRENTLY
I'm listening to Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. I'm glad that I had no idea what it was about before starting it. It isn't brain candy, but it isn't overly angst producing either. I admit so far that this mother irritates the heck out of me. While I've been working on my must read list, I realized that many of the titles on my netgalley list have already been archived. The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin is still there so I've started that. 

UP NEXT

As soon as I finish these books, I'm hoping to get back to my must read list. This is going to be a challenge since boxes of new books I ordered at the end of the summer have arrived in the library. I hope to get them opened and processed soon!



26 comments:

  1. I really love the Finishing School and Lunar Chronicle series. I will have to check out the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates as I loved the Bloody Jack series. I have Goodreads pulled up, so I can save what I want to read. Thanks for the great ideas!
    ~April Walker
    The Idea Backpack
    Balancing the Backpack

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    1. I hope you enjoy Hilary and her Gargoyle in the Pirates series. I haven't read the Bloody Jack series, so I'll have to remedy that.

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  2. My reading has been much the same as yours, but because of cross country. I intend to pay my daughters BIG bucks to elope. I hate weddings! You were very brave.

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    1. Thanks for another option! I had no idea how exhausting planning such an event would be!

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  3. Thanks for sharing the photo!
    I can't wait to start the Lunar Chronicles. Cinder is on my #mustreadin2015 list!
    I haven't read the Pirates series, but I've heard great things.
    Loved Interstellar Cinderella and Courage!

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    1. I hope you enjoy Cinder as much as I did. I think I've become addicted to series these days.

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  4. I am so far from making progress on my #MustRead list. SIGH. I swear I wanted to read all those books when I first made the list! I need to revisit it and see if I can organize my reading a bit better for the rest of the year. I had to leave your post to go order the first book in the pirates series. I am constantly on the lookout for good series to read to my son, as fantasy series are basically his favorite reading but he's really picky. I think the pirate aspect will appeal to him. The Secrets of Droon series looks like one he'd like too, but the cover of the first book is a bit juvenile. Added that to my Goodreads list, though. I loved Jinx and I loved the second volume in the trilogy too but I have yet to make it through the final book. Glad the wedding was lovely, though it does sound like a lot of work! I had to laugh at your comment about saving for your younger son to have a destination wedding!

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    1. The pirate series is great. I went in expecting it to have a male protagonist and have been delighted with HIlary! They are filled with humour too! I think The Secrets of Droon is written for grade 3's. I know when I taught grade 3/4/5, they 3's and 4s devoured them!

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  5. Congratulations on the wedding! The picture is absolutely beautiful! Beholding Bee is also a favorite of ours. We love the way students talk about the role of the grandmother's in the story. Thanks for telling us about Jinx. It sounds like a book that many middle grade readers will love.

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    1. I just loved Bee's Aunts. I also loved the humanity in all those character, flaws and all. Hopy you enjoy Jinx!

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  6. Congratulations on surviving (and I hope, enjoying!) the wedding! I think you've gotten tons of reading done even with being so very busy! I think I am going to add the first Finishing School book to my must read list for next year. I've heard such good things and I like Carriger's adult books. I can't wait to read your Must Read update!

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    1. I've only read one of Carriger's adult titles (I keep hoping to get to more of them) That one is why I started on this series. They are so wonderful!

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  7. What a great list! Lots of fun female characters represented in these books - I especially love the spunky young girl pirate Hilary! "Courage" looks like an interesting pick - sometimes kids associate courage only with big, bold, superhero-like actions, and don't realize that sometimes it's like smallest things that take the most courage - like doing a presentation in front of a new class! By the way, I thought the name of your school sounded familiar, and we're in the same city - hurray for Vancouver! :)

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    1. Wonderful that we are so close Jane! What library do you work at? I also love that there are so many strong characters out there in fiction today!

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  8. Isn't Hilary and the Gargoyle the best?!?! I loved both of the books in the series, and I cannot wait until the next one!
    I have Interstellar Cinderella to read; I am looking forward to it!

    Congratulations on your son's marriage, and happy reading this week! :)

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    1. Yes, I love Hilary and the Gargoyle. I love all of these characters. I love the adventure and the humour, but I also love those sad moments, like when Hilary visits or thinks of her father.

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  9. I want to read Scarlet, and I keep saying I will! Your review makes me even more curious about it. Thank you for sharing! I chuckled as I read the DIY wedding adventures. :)

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    1. I'm not sure if Scarlet is a good as Cinder, but you have to keep on reading just to find out what will happen in the end. It isn't difficult since these are all don't mess around with me kinda girls. I love them!

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  10. I was hoping to like the Copernicus Legacy as well and Peter Lerangis' Seven Wonders. But alas it wasn't meant to be.

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    1. I guess it is. I'm afraid to try the Seven Wonders series. But then, I am not a Rick Riordan fan either. (shh)

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  11. "Brain candy" = I like that! I've been reading brain candy lately, too. I have heard great things about Finding Audrey - hope you enjoy it!

    And congratulations on your son's wedding!

    Sue

    Book By Book

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    1. Thanks Sue! I finished Finding Audrey yesterday. I liked it. It was not exactly brain candy, but neither was it too intense. I suspect some of our Canadian and American readers will struggle a bit with the British vernacular though.

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  12. What an amazing list. The Forbidden Stone does sounds like a good read. Maybe the series will get better. I've added Jinx to my list. I love coming of age fantasies.

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    1. I'm hoping that now that I know more about this series of Abbot's I can at least talk about it to kids and maybe get them reading. I hope you enjoy JInx!

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  13. Great to hear about issues on Interstellar Cinderella - it's been receiving a lot of love recently, I will have to find it for myself. I actually just ordered this for our research project. I will have to find First Day Jitters - as it looks like a book that I can share with my own teacher students. Congratulations on the wedding! The pic looks fabulous! :)

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    1. Thanks Myra. I think I am in the minority with my issues with Interstellar. To be honest, it might be that I have been expecting so much from it that it couldn't live up to the hype. First day jitters will be perfect to share with teachers!

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