#IMWAYR
time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what
others have been up to in the past week. Kathryn hosts the adult version of
this meme at Book Date. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at
Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. Whatever you are looking forward
to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.
I'm having problems with Goodreads keeping track of my
read dates. I need this fixed so that I remember all the books I read in a week.
It has been over two weeks and I really hope it is fixed soon. It's driving me crazy!
There
is less than one month to Christmas. I am realizing that it is highly unlikely
that I will achieve all my reading goals this year. I don't want to even think about Netgalley.
Here is a picture of my two grandbabies hanging out together this week. They had a lot of fun, and we enjoyed watching them.
BOOKS FOR BABIES
 |
| 5 stars |
Hello Lamb by Jane Cabrera
Ada
(my 5 month old granddaughter) and I have been reading this book a lot this
week. As soon as she sees the face on the cover she gets excited. She reaches
out and wants to get as close as possible to the images and turns to look at me
weirdly when I get into the animal sounds while reading. We are both enjoying
this series!
 |
| 3 stars |
What's On My Head? by Margaret Miller
I
thought Ada would love this one, and while it is ok, it isn't either of our
favourite reads this week. Perhaps it is because many of the faces are cropped
so that not all of it is showing. I have to work really hard to keep her
entertained with this one.
 |
| 4 stars |
Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton
Ada
and I have been reading this book a lot too. It's not her favourite but
it's ok. I like the rhyming text, and she seems to appreciate it also, but Ada
is more into faces these days. She does seems to get a big kick out of the cats
saying meow!
GRAPHIC
 |
| 4 stars |
All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
I
enjoyed this coming of age graphic novel. Imogene, whose family are involved
with a medieval faire, decides to give up being homeschooled and go to middle
school. Once there she has to learn to navigate the social minefield and figure
out who she wants to be.
This
book would be great paired up with Real Friends by Shannon Hale.
MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS
 |
| 4 stars |
The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner
This
is an important book. Zig and his mother are in trouble ever since his missing
father has stopped his support payments. They end up homeless and living in a
shelter. His mother won't tell him why his father can't help them out. Zig
starts out geocaching, certain that Senior Searcher is his father, since Zig is
known as Zig Jr and his father was Zig Sr.
I
love how Kate Messner shows us that all is not as it seems behind the faces of
the people we see. It is especially significant for teachers to read this and
understand that our students have secret lives we can't begin to imagine.
YA & ADULT NOVELS
 |
| 4 stars |
Murder,
Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones
Well,
this was fun. It’s set in the Regency period in England. When Annis’ father is
killed in France, he leaves her and her Aunt Cassie nearly destitute. Annis
soon figures out that her father was a spy and is determined that she will
become one to avenge his death. When she is rejected, their new maid,
Millicent, helps disguise Annis so she can use her dressmaking magic to earn a
living. The book is full of twists and turns and clever humour. Although this
book didn’t wow me like her Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer, (a
book that is truly exceptional) I’ll read a sequel if Kelly Jones writes one.
 |
| 4 stars |
The
Alice Network by Kate Quinn & Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)
This
novel is based on the true story of a spy network created by Louise de Bettingnies (code name Alice
Dubois) during WW1. It is told alternatively through the voices of Lily, Alice's preferred
name, and a young American, Charlie St. Clair, who in 1947, has come in search
for her missing French cousin. Her research has taken her to Lily. The two
discover they have a similar enemy. At over fifteen hours, this was a very long
listen. It was also very intense, so I had take regular listening breaks. There
was one very horrific section that I skipped completely. Thankfully the ending,
however schmaltzy and expected, made up for it.
 |
| 4 stars |
A
Legacy of Spies by John le Carré & Tom Hollander (Narrator)
I
am a hard core le Carré fan so when this became available, I just had to
listen. It isn't as intense as the previous spy novel, or as some other le
Carré spy novels, but it was delightful to be back in that world. I would have
been happier with more of George Smiley, but I am still content.
CURRENTLY
I'm
listening to Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. I'm in the middle of Boundless by
Jillian Tamaki and have started reading #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native
American Women.
UP
NEXT
I
will read You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins, and hope to get to Lost
Girl Found by
Leah Bassoff, a book on my must read list. I'm trying to see if anything on my
must read list is available in audiobook format from my local library.
PROGRESS
ON MY READING GOALS
#MUSTREADIN2017
26/36
#MUSTREADNFIN2017
7/12
50
Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 32/50
Chocolate
Lily (CL) 51/51
Big
Book Challenge 4/6
Goodreads
Reading Challenge 393/333
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