My reading life has been rich and wonderful in spite of it being a busy two weeks. Last weekend I didn't post because we had company and made sausage. I think we made 50 pounds of venison based sausage, and another five pounds vegetarian. Much of this will become Christmas presents for friends and family.
I also managed to squeeze in some serious sewing. All one hundred forty four arcs for The Quilt are completed! Now I need to figure out what to do next!
I also managed to squeeze in some serious sewing. All one hundred forty four arcs for The Quilt are completed! Now I need to figure out what to do next!
BOOK REVIEWS POSTED
I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer & Gillian Newland (Illustrations)
The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones by Wendelin Van Draanen
NOVELS
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken narrated by Amy McFadden
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| 3 stars |
Playing For the Devil's Fire by Phillippe Diederich
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| 4 stars |
The takeover begins when a few new families move into town. Then business owners leave. There are a couple of gruesome murders. Boli's parents head off to the city and disappear. Within a short period of time, the entire community is corrupted. Boli and his family have no idea who to trust. There is no guarantee that the has-been masked wrestler Boli brings home will be able to do anything.
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley narrated by Jayne Entwistle
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| 4 stars |
I realize that this brief summary captures none of the humour, emotion and suspense embodied in this novel. I promise that if you start reading the Flavia series by Allen Bradley, you will come to love this precocious twelve year old and be terrified of, and for her at the same time.
Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man by Wendelin Van Draanen narrated by Tara Sands
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| 4 stars |
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| 4 stars |
As usual Jason Reynold's characters have so much voice and personality I can't help but fall hard for them.
Ghost is a story about redemption.
It reveals how one person can make a difference and change lives for the better. It highlights the positive power of sport and being part of a team.
I loved this ending that leaves the reader ready, waiting, and filled with questions about how Ghost's future will run along.
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| 4 stars |
I am usually a scaredy-cat when it comes to creepy novels. However I have managed to finish off my second Serafina book. Oh yes, they are terrifying at times, and this keeps readers like me biting our nails. Beatty creates characters that are so appealing you can't abandon them in the middle of their dangerous adventures. Then there is this historical, magical world to get lost in. Watch the trailer below and you will get a glimpse of it.
Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
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| 4 stars |
Ultimately this book is about learning to live within the skin of who you are.
It's the story of two flawed characters. Libby Strout is an overweight teen with a publicly humiliating past. But really, she's so much more than this. Jack Masselin is a popular student with a secret that terrifies him. He's got prosopagnosia, known as face blindness, an inability to recognize faces.
After an inauspicious beginning, these two become friends and eventually more.
I loved so much about this book: the literary quotes Libby writes on her shoes, the way the book is loaded with all kinds of memorable lines.
"only small people - the inside-small kind - don't like you to be big."
And this quote here just sucker punched me.
"This is what I know about loss:
• It doesn't get better. You just get (somewhat) used to it.
• You never stop missing the people who go away.
• For something that isn't there anymore, it weighs a ton."
PICTURE BOOKS
Better Than You by Trudy Ludwig
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| 3 stars |
There is a saying: Don't blow out someone else's candle to make yours burn brighter.
This book shows us why. It is the story of two friends. One is always bragging and showing off to prove that he can out do the other. We see the kind of damage this arrogance does to make his friend feel inferior. Eventually the other friend finds someone else to hang out with and the braggart is left alone.
There is a lot I liked about this book, but would have liked to see the 'show off' learn to be a better person. Hopefully teachers and parents can use this book to help both types of kids to live better lives.
When We Were Alone by David Alexander Robertson & Julie Flett (illustrator) Netgalley
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| 5 stars |
In this narrative, a young girl spends time with her Nokom (grandmother) and wonders why she does the things she does. The girl questions how she dresses, wears her hair, why she speaks Cree, and spends so much time with her brother. We readers learn, along with the girl, that this is how her Nokom celebrates her life in contrast to her experiences in residential school.
I highly recommend this one for all libraries. Full review to come.
NONFICTION
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks narrated by Jonathan Davis
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| 5 stars |
I have a hard copy of this, but found the audiobook available at amazon for $7. Holy Carumba, it's amazing! I really wish I had found time to read it while my mother was still alive. I don't say this about many books, but this is one I know I will read again. Well, so long as I don't get consumed with reading everything else this man has written.
Oliver Sacks is brilliant. How he finds the humanity in everyone almost makes me weep.
Has anyone else read it?
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| 5 stars |
Did you know that the last residential school in Canada didn't close its doors until 1996?
This narrative about an eight-year-old girl who was taken from her loving family to an abusive residential school, should be required reading for anyone who works with indigenous children. Every school and public library should have at least one copy.
CURRENTLY
I'm listening to Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I keep forgetting about The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Shannon Hale, a Netgalley title that I need to get back to.
UP NEXT
I'm gearing up to listen to more books as I continue to work on The Quilt and finish other projects that need to be done by the 25th. I also have a pile of library books. This coming week I'm managing the Scholastic Book Fair for the new librarian.
Honestly, I have no idea when I will carve out time for cleaning house. I might have to come up with a schedule!
Sammy Keyes is not a series I am familiar with. I'll have to check it out. Ghost is one that I should probably put on my list. I have heard so much about it. I have not read the Trudy Ludwig book you mentioned, but I like how her books have such important messages.
ReplyDeleteSammy Keyes is kind of like a modern day Nancy Drew, only better. I've read that Ghost is the first in a series that I hope grabs readers as much as all Reynolds work grabs me.
DeleteSo many great books. Ghost has been on my TBR list for a while. I definitely need to get to it soon. Better Than You sounds like a perfect read for my classroom. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGhost is really good. Better Than You will be perfect for classroom sharing. I'm sure it will facilitate important conversations.
DeleteI finished Ghost this week on audio and I really loved the narrator. I am also excited because this is supposed to be a series. I was curious about The Darkest Minds and Holding Up the Universe. Great post and thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSo am I excited! What a writer to hook kids onto! I think readers of dystopian fiction will enjoy The Darkest Minds.
DeleteWow, lots to love here, Cheriee, including your quilt! I just got Jason Reynolds' Ghost, but it will be a while before I get to it! I want to read I Am Not A Number, lots of holds at our library. And I liked that new Serafina book, will look for When We Are Alone, sounds good!
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. I had a fabulous reading week. Robert Beatty is a pretty amazing writer.
DeleteI also love Ghost. Wanting to get I am not a Number for my own collection. Glanced at it at the bookstore when I was out of time and money.
ReplyDeleteWe Are Not Alone is also good. It treats the issue more gently, but it is still powerful. It's kind of a look at who Irene grew up to be.
DeleteI also loved Ghost. There's something about Jason Reynolds's characters. They're flawed and real and you can't help but root for them. I also love how he writes good adult characters--such a rarity in YA. I've had Oliver Sacks on my TBR list for years and years and still haven't gotten around to his books. Since you liked the audio version, I think I will try that. I think I need to get Better Than You to read to my son--this is a particular area we've been trying to work on! I really love that Trudy Ludwig writes books that enables teachers to have these great conversations about character, ethics, and being the kind of people we want to be. Gorgeous quilt, btw!
ReplyDeleteYes Yes Yes to everything you said about Jason Reynolds. I think I have a literary crush on him and his work! The Oliver Sacks audio is even cheaper in the USA! I agree about Trudy Ludwig. Every book she writes should be an automatic school library purchase.
DeleteSounds like a busy holiday season for you! You have some interesting looking selections. I'm looking forward to reading When We Were Alone and several of the others. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteHope your week is lovely to Jana. When we were alone is a lovely title.
DeleteSo much goodness!
ReplyDeleteGhost and Playing with Fire are books that many of my students want to read (and I do, too)!
The quilting you shared is beautiful!
Happy reading this week :)
Playing with Fire is a hard book to read. It's dark and depressing and honestly, not very hopeful at the end. That doesn't mean it's not an important narrative story.
DeleteYou have been busy! Your quilt looks gorgeous! Other than Ghost, all of these books are new to me. Thanks for sharing them today!
ReplyDeleteWell Catherine, this is two weeks worth reading! Thank you for your kind words about The Quilt.
DeleteWow. That's a lot of books. Cleaning the house. Pfft. Silly to do before the holidays and while quilting. Wait until after, so you can vacuum up all of the thread clippings. (I need to machine quilt some things. And make pillowcases for my daughter!)
ReplyDeleteI used to have a schedule, but now, I just do things when I get around to it. Sometimes things get out of control though!
DeleteI think I have to seriously start reading the Serafina novels - they do look like my kind of reads. Love scary ones. I loved Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places - so am looking forward to this new one.
ReplyDeleteYes! you have to read Serafina. That are scary, but you get so invested in those characters you have to go on.
DeleteThe quilt pieces look fabulous. I'm with Ms. Yingling - skip the cleaning. :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Ghost. I love the look of When We Were Alone. I'm glad you mentioned it because I didn't know there was another Flett book out there. I just ordered I am Not a Number. I have heard a lot of good reviews. I wish you the best as you juggle things in the coming days.
I forced myself to accomplish some housework this week. I admit that my stress level went down. I am not a number isn't easy, but it is important!
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