#IMWAYR November 27, 2017

#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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