#IMWAYR October 17, 2016

It's Monday. What have you been reading? It's time to share what you have been delving into over the past week and find out what other readers have been up to. The adult version of this meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. The kidlit rendition is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

It has been three weeks since my last post.

Part of the reason is that I've just been occupied on the weekends. I was away, then there was Canadian Thanksgiving. 

The other part, if I am honest, is that I'm just not sure if I want to continue with this blog. Figuring out who I will be for the next few decades of my life is emotionally hard work. I need time to think about who and what I want to be now that I am retired. 

I haven't been reading so much fiction, but I've been sucked down the rabbit hole of American politics reading numerous articles about the candidates. Whatever happens there will have a profound impact on us in Canada. It already does if the actions of the rabid right wing propaganda machine here is any indication. 

So aside from reading, I'm finding other stuff to do. 

I've been in to visit the school I taught it. Our school board cut the last bit of teacher librarian consultant/mentor last spring. There's no one there for new teacher librarians so I went in to do what I could to help out for a bit. 

My son has been taking me out for my first golf lessons. There is a small pitch and putt a couple of blocks from my place and we plan to go there on a regular basis. I'm loving our time together and discovering what an fine man he has turned out to be. 

I'm also trying to get in at least 10,000 steps in every day (I had no idea how much energy I used up teaching) and find time to work on knitting and quilting projects for Christmas. And then there is always writing. 

NOVELS

  

 I'm enthralled with the Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is the perfect narrator for them.  In Moon Over Soho, Jazz musicians are dropping dead all over London. Autopsies show that their brains were fried with magic. Peter and Nightingale have to figure out who is responsible. In Whispers Underground there are ghosts and quiet people and more magical weirdness. The best thing about this series is how well the magical elements are integrated into what is otherwise the modern world. Oh ya, and it is filled with self deprecating humour as well. It is just so much fun! It's the perfect antidote to the real world. (4 stars to both books)

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

5 stars

This book deals with drug addiction. I know there has been some furor over this title, but honestly, it's ridiculous to think that students aren't able to cope with it, especially given that many of them probably deal with it at a personal level. I know, because I've taught them. Kate Messner deals with this topic perfectly. I wish it had been around much sooner. 
Charlie is an ordinary young girl whose goal is to raise enough money to purchase a new costume for highland dancing contests. While ice fishing with friends she captures a magic fish who offers her a wish in exchange for its freedom. After the first time, she returns to catch the fish again and again and make more wishes. She soon learns that her wishes have a way of going awry. When the family discover that Abby, Charlie's older sister is addicted to drugs, Charlie discovers that there are some things you can't wish away. 

5 stars

Every Single Second by Tricia Springstubb

This is a read that is appropriate for the times. I agree with this blurb that describes it as "an incredibly powerful and timely novel about how a single act impacts a community, a city, and the way a young girl views the world around her." It's ultimately a story about friendship, but it also examines the shooting of a black man by a white security guard. 

4 stars

Moo by Sharon Creech

This is a lovely story about two children who move from the city to the countryside in Maine. Reena and Luke end up as helpers to Mrs. Falala and caretakers of a cow named Zora. All of their lives are changed for the better by this relationship. I think I appreciated this book more than I might have otherwise, because I had just been to the Rock Creek Fall Fair and seen all those 4-H club members grooming and tending to their cattle. This would be a great book to pair up with Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones.

4 stars

City of Thirst by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

This is the second in the Map to Everywhere series. I liked it at least as much as the first one. Back in her own world, Marrill gets a message saying that the Iron Tide is coming and she must return to the Pirate Stream. Her babysitter refuses to leave her to be picked up and ends up being caught up in this adventure with her. This is a great series for readers who want excitement, adventure, humor and emotional connection.

4 stars

Think Twice by Sarah Mlynowsky

This was a fabulous sequel to Don't Even Think About It. In the first book a group of teens get a flu shot and end up with telepathy. In this title the students are looking forward to graduation and moving on with their lives. Then some of them start losing their power. I enjoyed learning more about how this group of special teenagers ended up. I was pleasantly surprised at the end to find out who the narrator was!

5 stars

The Sea Pony by Ellen Potter and Qin Leng (Illustrations) 

Here's the thing. Piper Green is probably my favourite fictional character. (At least for now.) She has adventures and gets in and out of trouble, but essentially she is a character with heart and authenticity. I dare you to read any of these books and not fall in love with her. Thank you so much Ellen Potter for creating her. 

Code of Honor by Alan Gratz

4 stars

I just finished this one and holy crow! I'm glad it was on my #mustreadin2016 list, otherwise I would have passed over it. When it appears that Kamran Smith's brother, Darius, has become a terrorist, he can't believe it. The two brothers have a code they live by and Kamran is certain Darius, a graduate of West Point and an Army Ranger, wouldn't do this. Then while watching videos of Darius he realizes that his brother is sending him messages that prove this. Unfortunately, the authorities, even after DHS picks up his family and make them 'guests of the state,' won't believe him. 

Eventually, with help from one of his interrogators, he escapes. Kamran becomes part of team that embarks on a wild adventure across the country to stop terrorists from succeeding with a plan to bomb an important event, and hopefully save Darius. There are plenty of plot twists and turns to keep readers turning the pages. 

Yet this book is more than just an adventure tale. It shows us the dark underbelly of racial profiling and what it means to be 'the other' in America.

NONFICTION

5 stars

The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat, Young Readers Edition by Michael Pollan narrated by MacLeod Andrews

I began listening to this title while prepping food the day before Thanksgiving. It was a strange, yet totally appropriate pairing of activity and book. If you haven't yet read it, Pollan takes us through four different food chains in America. It helped me be more thankful that we eat little to no processed food in our house, in spite of the fact that it takes a lot more time. As a side note, I discovered that Michael Pollan is the author of The Botony of Desire, probably one of my favourite nonfiction titles in all time. 

CURRENTLY

I'm listening to Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch, reading March of the Suffragettes by Zachary Michael Jack on my ipad, and just starting A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, a title for a book club meeting on Tuesday. The book is great, but it has such tiny print!

UP NEXT

The next audiobook will be Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis. Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm is waiting for me as soon as I finish my book club book.