#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.
Whoopee! I finished sewing all the different parts of my quilt,
and am now in the process of jointing them. It's very exciting to see it all
come together. I'll post a picture to show off next week.
I didn't get enough Chocolate Lily reading accomplished this week. I've had
a pile of library books that had to be read and returned by Saturday. Aside
from all the sewing, I've spent a lot of time in the hospital visiting an
elderly cousin who is waiting for a heart valve to be replaced. My siblings and
cousins around here are doing our best to keep her and her husband company.
It's been pretty stressful for them since they are not from a big city. It's
true though, that every cloud has a silver lining, because we've gotten to know
each other a whole lot better.
Unless I've been sewing, I've tried to focus on reading print. It
hasn't been easy. I'm the woman walking on the busy downtown street with her
nose in a book and crying her eyes out on the bus while reading.
BLOG POSTS THIS WEEK
PICTURE BOOKS
Good Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters & Dean Griffiths (Illustrations)
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| 4 stars |
Augusta Garrick is daughter to Barnacle Garrick, a ferocious
pirate captain. Augusta likes to be clean and fancy, two traits her father
despises. Everyone knows that pirates should be rotten, sneaky and brainy. It
looks like Augusta might be a failure as a pirate. Yet when Captain Fishmonger boards their ship, it's up to Augusta to use her brains and save the day.
Dean Griffiths' illustrations are vibrant, fun and loaded with
details that enhance the reader's experience. I'm not sure younger readers will
appreciate the humour in showing these sea dogs as actual dogs, but I enjoyed
it. Now I need to read Bad Pirate, the prequel to this.
When the Rain Comes by Alma Fullerton & Kim La Fave (Illustrations)
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| 4 stars |
This story, set in Sri Lanka, tells the story of a young girl,
Malini, who has to save an ox, cart, and rice seedlings when a sudden monsoon
rain strikes. Alma Fullerton's verse is beautifully dynamic. Kim La Fave's
illustrations are gorgeous. The images and text coalesce so that the reader
experiences the storm and danger Malini faces.
My only concern about this book is that while it is a book that
shows life in another culture, it's neither written or illustrated by a member
of it.
NOVELS
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| 5 stars |
Flying Lessons and Other Stories by Ellen Oh (Editor), Kwame
Alexander, Kelly J. Baptist, Soman Chainani, Matt de la
Pena, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Meg Medina, Walter Dean Myers, Tim Tingle, Jacqueline
Woodson
I started reading this book on a crowded bus. Before I realized
it, I was weeping. Matt de la Pena's story isn't sad. It's just an beautifully
written tale about a boy, basketball, and what he learns about his father. The
rest of these short stories are equally compelling and fabulously unique. I've added some new authors to my list of people to read more of. I
sure hope there will be a second volume.
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| 4 stars |
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadarajan, Narrated
by Josh Hurley & Vikas Adam
This is an important book that shows us what it's like to be an
new immigrant, as well as a student with some cognitive challenges. It wasn't
easy to read all the bullying scenes, especially the ones in the classroom with
the teacher right there. My teaching experience feels so different from this. I
suspect this book would make a good classroom read aloud as it is filled with
issues that many students will connect to.
 |
| 3 stars |
The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith (Netgalley)
I wish I enjoyed this book more than I did. It started out swell,
but somewhere along the way, it lost me. Ok, it wasn't terrible, but I was confused without cause too often in this story of a girl who discovers she has mindreading as well as other fantastic powers.
I really really despise this ending.
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| 4 stars |
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen & Kate Simses
(Narrator)
I enjoyed this historical novel about East Germany just
after the building of the Berlin Wall. It would make a good companion piece for
Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet. I ended up disenchanted with Nielsen after
finding the last two books in her Ascendance Trilogy filled
with gratuitous violence. I'm glad I took a chance on this one. While there is
some violence and many tense moments, it feels appropriate for the context of
the story. I couldn't help but care for these characters and worried about what
would happen to them.
 |
| 3 stars |
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
I'm not sure what exactly to say about this book, except that it
was ok. It didn't knock my socks off in the way that More Happy Than Not did. I
pushed myself to finish it because it is on my 2017 must read list this year.
I'm glad that I persisted because I ended up appreciating the story and
characters in this coming of age book more than I thought I would. I just couldn't connect to their
emotional reality. And if I am being honest, I don't like books filled with
teenage relationship angst. I suspect I'm just too old and over that.
CURRENTLY
I'm still reading Tank & Fizz: The Case of the Battling
Bots by Liam O'Donnell and Mike Deas. (well actually I didn't turn a page last
week, but I did carry it around with me.) I'm listening to Bird by Bird: Some
Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott a bit at a time, but I'm
thinking I'll listen to it all, and then go back and read it a bit at a
time.
UP NEXT
I absolutely have to read at least two novels from my Chocolate Lily box, so I just grabbed two that I will complete: A Rare Gift by G.
Rosemary Ludlow and a day of signs and wonders by Kit Pearson. I've got The Boat Rocker by Ha Jin ready to go for my next audiobook.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MUSTREADIN2017 5/36
#MUSTREADNFIN2017 1/12, 1 in progress
50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 10/50
Chocolate Lily (CL) 19/52
Goodreads Reading Challenge 80/333
Flying Lessons is a book I need to get. Good to know that I'll need some tissues. Save Me a Seat is one of my favorites. I agree it would make a good read aloud. The message is an important one. I hope all goes well with your cousin.
ReplyDeleteFlying Lessons is so gorgeous Lisa. You might not need tissues as it was the beauty of the writing and the message that did me in.
DeleteI loved A Night Divided. The others are still on my TBR list. There is never enough time to read.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your quilt. Are you hand sewing or using a machine? I used to make baby quilts by hand when my kids were little. Now writing is my creative outlet instead but I think I will go back to it someday.
Exactly! There is never enough time to read!
DeleteI'm using my machine to sew the parts together. I still haven't decided if I will hand quilt it or not. I've a two baby quilts for grandchildren due on June, so I'll be using the machine for those also. I want to make time for more writing.
There are many books out now that I have, like Flying Lessons, & I have others that are must reads first. You've made me really want to read it now, though! I agree, Cloud & Wallfish really would be a good match with A Night Divided. I liked both of them. Sorry for your cousin's problems. Hope all goes smoothly! And, Good Pirate is one to save for "talk like a pirate day", right? Thanks Cheriee. Can't wait to see that quilt!
ReplyDeleteGood Pirate will indeed be perfect for 'talk like a pirate day.' It's mostly written in pirate talk! Flying Lessons is the perfect book for when you want a 100% positive reading experience.
DeleteI loved Save Me a Seat!
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right to question Alma Fullerton's work. We Skyped with her last year as part of World Read Aloud Day, and she acknowledged that she had not visited any of the countries she has written about. (She also referred to "the country of Africa," which my third graders corrected her on. Awkward.)
Thanks so much Katie. It is one of the Chocolate Lily candidates and I don't think I can support a book that consists of cultural appropriation.
DeleteSorry to hear about your cousin - my father-in-law had a heart valve replaced, and it wasn't fun, but he's back in fighting form, so hopefully everything will turn out for your cousin as well!
ReplyDeleteAwww, pirates and puppies, what a cute combination!
It's adorable Jane! This is her second go round so she knows what she is in for.
DeleteI love hearing about your sewing as well as your reading :)
ReplyDeleteI loved Save Me a Seat and so did my book club!
I really want to read Silvera's new book, Flying Lessons, and A Night Divided. All on my TBR :)
Happy reading this week!
Flying Lessons is the best of them Kellee. I think you should save it for when you are in a reading slump. It's the kind of book that makes you want to read more.
DeleteA Night Divided was one I read aloud to the whole family. One of my Grade 5 readers just read and loved it. So wonderful! Flying Lessons is one that I will be reading soon. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteA Night Divided is definitely my favourite Jennifer Nielsen book so far. Save Flying Lessons for when you feel a need to be wowed and embraced by writing.
DeleteI know what you mean by teenage angst in YA novels - I've been reading quite a fair bit lately, and am getting a tad impatient too.
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for good stories about boys and basketball. Thanks for letting me know!
ReplyDelete