#IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. 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.
This past week I have been thinking about and appreciating my high school sewing teacher, Mrs Netta Thompson. (Mrs T) The sewing directions for the quilt I am working are bizarre in places so I've returned to what Mrs T taught us about sewing curved seams, and while it might take me a bit longer, I'm getting better results. I've also started teaching my daughter in law to sew. I channeled Mrs T again as we started out creating simple bibs that involved many different skills. Here are our finished products.
I also managed to get enough done on my quilt that I can take some pieces into a fabric store and decide on what colours to use for the center of the arcs.
BLOG POSTS THIS WEEK
PICTURE BOOKS
 |
| 5 stars |
Stephen and the Beetle by Jorge Luján Chiara Carrer (Illustrations)
Elisa Amado (Translation)
This is a deeply
philosophical book that shows a young boy deciding to take a closer look at a
beetle instead of stomping it. What ensues takes him into a different way of
seeing the world. It's another picture book that works for children and adults.
 |
| 4 stars |
A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers & Sam Winston
I loved the reference to books in the illustrations, but it was the beautiful text that absolutely wowed me in this book. I too "am a child of books. I also "come from a world of stories."
 |
| 4 stars |
Henry &
Leo by Pamela Zagarenski
The story here is fine, but Zagarenski's illustrations make this book. This tale of a missing toy and it's return, blurs the lines between real and not real, in the world of magical thinking that young children inhabit.
 |
| 5 stars |
The Uncorker of
Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas & Erin E. Stead (Illustrations)
This book is drop
dead gorgeous with a deeply philosophical message about purpose and meaning in
life. I want all my adult friends to read this one.
 |
| 5 stars |
Peace Dancer by
Roy Henry Vickers & Robert Budd CL
Many different
cultures have stories of a great flood that once covered the land. This one
comes from the Kitkatla village of the Tsimshian nation. I agree completely
that, "the lessons taught may be more important now than they were
thousands of years ago." It's a powerful reminder of our intimate
relationship to the natural world, whether or not we are aware of it.
Vickers' glorious
illustrations are layered with supernatural figures. These connect us to a way of seeing a world that is deep in many dimensions of reality.
 |
| 4 stars |
Birds by Kevin
Henkes & Laura Dronzek (Illustrator)
I adore Dronzek's
illustrations in this striking book that pays homage to birds. I am very
impressed how these two artists create tension just by watching seven birds on a telephone wire while waiting for movement.
 |
| 4 stars |
A Lion in Paris by
Beatrice Alemagna
The illustrations in this book are so stunning I want to purchase a copy, cut them out, frame them and hang them on my walls. This is a quietly philosophical book that imagines how the lion statue at Place Denfert-Rochereau came to end up there.
CHAPTER BOOKS
 |
| 4 stars |
Mae and June and
the Wonder Wheel by Charise Mericle Harper & Ashley Spires
(Illustrations) Netgalley
I'm working on a blog post for this. In a few words, this is a charming story of a young girl who gets a special present from her grandmother. The interactive gift provides activities that continue on for a number of weeks. (I want to be this kind of grandmother) It's a story about making friends. Ashley Spires black and white illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this story. I hope it becomes a series.
 |
| 4 stars |
This book is full
of action and humor. I like that these characters are not human and nearly
genderless. It's a combination of mystery, fantasy, and pure fun. The
combination of graphic novel and straight text will make chapter book readers
happy. It made me happy too.
NOVELS
 |
| 4 stars |
A Day Of Signs And
Wonders by Kit Pearson CL
This is based on
two real characters, Emily Carr and Kathleen O'Reilly. Pearson has imagined them meeting one summer day in 1881, in Victoria BC. The day is pivotal
because it cements the two girls directions in life. Pearson has done an
amazing job creating characters I couldn't help but admire and love. I am
especially infatuated with her take on Emily Carr. For those of you who don't
know of Emily Carr, she is a famous Canadian landscape painter.
 |
| 4 stars |
Amanda on the
Danube: The Sounds of Music (Amanda Travels #5) by Darlene Foster CL
Darlene Foster
writes middle grade novels about two plucky girls, Amanda Ross, and Leah
Anderson, best friends from different continents. These intrepid travellers
visit different places around the world and solve mysteries. In this one, the
two girls cruise the Danube river, hide a rare violin, rescue a homeless boy
and learn a lot of geography and history before the trip is done.
ADULT NOVELS
 |
| 4 stars |
The Boat Rocker by
Ha Jin & Edoardo Ballerini (Narrator)
I have no idea how
this book came onto my radar, but when I found it available as an audiobook, I
downloaded it. It isn't what I would call a comfortable read. I didn't even really like the characters, but it completely fascinated
me. On the surface it's the story of an expat Chinese journalist researching
and writing about his ex wife's novel and claims made about it. It's also about
the power of the media and how it is manipulated for political purpose. While
this book explores this issue with respect to China, it's an important book for
what it reveals to us about the relationship between government, corporate
interests and media here in the western world.
CURRENTLY
I have too many books on the go! I'm reading Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan, The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano (a netgalley title) and
I'm listening to
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott and Under a
Painted Sky by Stacey Lee.
UP NEXT
I'm not sure since I've got so many on the go, but I will commit to reading the first two novels in G. Rosemary Ludlow's Crystal Journals series.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MUSTREADIN2017 5/36, 1 in progress
#MUSTREADNFIN2017 1/12, 1 in progress
50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 11/50
Chocolate Lily (CL) 25/52
Goodreads Reading Challenge 92/333
Tank and Fizz sounds like a book many of my readers would enjoy. I loved The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. So beautiful. Michelle Cuevas's Confessions of an Imaginary Friend is a favorite of mine.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa, I'm going to have to find a copy of Confessions of an Imaginary Friend.
DeleteI can't believe I haven't read The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. I am going to change that today. I loved A Child of Books, so beautiful in every way!
ReplyDeletePicture books today are a unique art form I think. I wish more adults would read them!
DeleteI've read most of those lovely picture books, agree that Zagarenski's illustrations are what make Henry & Leo a wonder of a book. I'll note Peace Dancer and A Day of Signs & Wonders. Both sound fascinating, Cheriee. I love seeing the bibs. You are a "wonder" of a seamstress, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. I love to sew and knit. It's kind of like meditation to me. If I have an audiobook to listen to, it's even better!
DeleteOh sewing...I took Home Economics in high school (mostly because I didn't want to take "Business", as we call typing class), and the sewing machine and I did not get along very well...I remember just staring at the machine, so intimidated, convinced that I was going to break it just by touching it! As an adult I've been thinking about taking a sewing class at a local fabric store, just to see if I can work past that teenage terror! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI adored sewing and my sewing teacher. We would sit around sewing (Mrs T would make us do a lot of work by hand) and talk about women's issues. This was during the late 1960's. She would lurk in the background listening in, all the while reminding us to keep sewing.
DeleteI'm going to look for A Lion in Paris right away!
ReplyDeleteIt's really distinctive art Carl.
DeleteLove the look of your picture books this week. I think I have read most of them. Just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAnd the bibs! Can't wait for your grandmother reading posts!
I'm collecting books already Carrie, although I haven't started reading to the growing bellies yet.
DeleteYou've got a great roundup of picture books this week. I've read several, but am definitely looking forward to finding the rest of them. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteSame to you Jana. The more picture books I read, the more stunned I am by their beauty and diversity.
DeleteI'm looking forward to read this one:A Day Of Signs And Wonders. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKit Pearson is really an amazing author. I've loved everything of her's I've read. Her Guests of War Trilogy is still popular.
DeleteI too love Uncorker. I want to read Stephen and the Beetle. It sounds intriguing. Congrats on the sewing accomplishments. I'm not so great with a needle, but I appreciate seeing good work.
ReplyDeleteI am so loving the range of books here - from picture books to adult novels - my kind of reader, definitely! I own a copy of Stephen and the Beetle, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to it soon Myra. It's a beauty.
Delete