#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.
We
are in the middle of unseasonably warm temperatures here in Vancouver BC. At
10°C with NO rain, it's perfect for taking the grandchildren to the park or just
wandering around outside with a light jacket on. The bad news is that the rains
are coming, and with this mild weather forecast for the rest of the month,
there is no likelihood of snow.
In
the evenings after work I've been finishing up some projects. I finally
completed quilting and sewing the binding on these placemats (all 8 of them) that were supposed
to be a Christmas gift for my partner. Now I'm trying to get the binding sewn
on a baby quilt before I pick up two more quilts from the quilter.
BLOG
POSTS LAST WEEK
PICTURE
BOOKS
 |
| 5 stars |
Tim
Tingle is one of my favourite storytellers. This picture book is based
on the true story of his grandmother and how she lost and regained her sight.
Karen Clarkson's artwork is magnificent.
I
love this quote from the end of the book, "We all leave footfalls,
everywhere we go. We change the people we meet. If we learn to listen to the
quiet and secret music, as my Mawmaw did, we will leave happy footfalls behind
us in our going."
NONFICTION
PICTURE BOOKS
This
biography of Mary Shelley is as brilliantly written as it is brilliantly
illustrated. Go and read my blog post to find out more. Once you get a sample of the swoon-worthy art, I'm sure you will be compelled to get a copy to read. I especially appreciated how Linda
Bailey, (who is a Canadian author living in my home city) shows us how Frankenstein, (and all stories) have their roots
in many different kinds of experiences.
NOVELS
This
is a charming little romance. Two high school boys, Arthur and Ben, meet in a
New York post office but don’t exchange names or phone numbers. In spite of
this inauspicious beginning, they manage to find each other. Because Arthur is
returning to Georgia at the end of August, their romance can only be a summer
one, or maybe not. What I like most about this book was the focus on how being
honest can save a lot of grief.
 |
| 3.5 stars |
I
liked this well enough. I'm not the target audience, (to much angst for me) but I do think it's an
important book. I appreciate that so many of us are questioning society's rigid
gender notions. At a personal level, I have always understood that sexual preference is complicated, and for me at least, would be predicated on who I fell in love with. Nic
Stone certainly shows us this here.
 |
| 4 stars |
This
was a bit of a shocker. One of the things I love most about this series is each
new title reveals a bit more about the inhabitants of Three Pines generally, at
the same time as it zeros in on one specific individual. In this case, an
unknown hermit, who lives in a cabin just outside the village, is murdered. His body is discovered in the local bistro and antique shop. Olivier, the
owner, appears to be the murderer. I'm not sure by the end that Inspector
Gamache has it figured out right! (A quick peek at the next in the series suggests I might be correct.)
GRAPHIC
 |
| 4 stars |
This
is a beautiful book. There are pages where I just wanted to gaze into the
gorgeously coloured landscapes and get lost. The message about stewardship of
our oceans is timely. It’s part fairytale and part environmental warning. There
is also a hint of romance between two women.
The
main part of this book tells the story of two Eritrean brothers, Ebo and Kwame,
who leave their small village and make their way to Europe. Their journey is
gruelling and horrific. The worst part is dealing with the human smugglers who
take advantage of them without any care for what will happen to the people.
At
the back of the book is a short story that shows women's journey.
CURRENTLY
I'm reading Escaping Wars and Waves: Encounters
with Syrian Refugees by Olivier Kugler I've just started Moon of the Crusted
Snow by Waubgeshig Rice.
UP
NEXT
My
next audiobook will be Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah
Harari. I also have a hard copy in case that doesn't work. I need to get it
finished for my book club! I will start Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich
Smith, one of my #MustRead titles from this year. I have growing piles of
graphic novels that I will be reading closely for the Cybil awards. I put The
Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag aside til this week because I had another copy at
the library waiting to be picked up.
PROGRESS
ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018
1/25 1 in progress
#MustReadNFIn2018
1/12
25
Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 0/25 1 in progress
25
books by Canadian Authors 5/25
Goodreads
Reading Challenge 15/333
I have also really enjoyed the stories by Tim Tingle that I have read, but I have not read this one. I did enjoy Illegal, but it was a long time ago. It seems to be a different way to get kids to learn about the struggles of refugee, compared to some of the longer novels we have. I will be waiting to see what you have to say about Hearts Unbroken. I can't quite tell if it is for the 6/7 crowd at my school. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Illegal. It definitely has it's place. I'm looking forward to Hearts Unbroken and will let you know what I think.
DeleteI need to make sure I have Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein on my list for 2019 because I would like to read this one. I'm also looking forward to reading Hearts Unbroken this year (it's on my must read list). As I said a few weeks ago, Odd One Out took me out of my comfort zone. I am happy we are exploring the wide range of sexual orientation and preferences, but it was the physical experimentation without commitment/attraction (sex just to say someone was your "first") that felt unusual to me. I love seeing your progress numbers at the end of your posts. I forgot to add mine, but I hope to start this soon. See you again next week, Cheriee!
ReplyDeleteI found Odd One Out hard to read also. I'm ok with people being attracted to who ever they are attracted to, but like you, want to see emotional attachment. It was there, but the underlying motive bothered me. I liked the different friendships, but didn't like all the dishonesty. I'm waiting to read what my bisexual niece and prolific book blogger, Casey Stepaniuk, has to say about it after she reads it.
DeleteIllegal is a book I need to get around to reading. The biography of Mary Shelley sounds interesting, too. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteBoth are good reads Lisa, but Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is a definite must read!
DeleteMary Shelly is such an intriguing person and I am seeing so many recent books about her. Thanks for sharing your review! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteIt's exciting how many books about her are coming out for the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein. I'm looking forward to reading he Made A Monster by Lynn Fulton too.
DeleteThose placemats are beautiful, Cheriee! I have Illegal, will certainly get to it sometime, know it will be good. Since you shared the book about Mary Shelley, you might also want to read Tara Lazar's Mary's Monster which I just read because it's a Cybil's finalist in poetry. What a story & it seems your book told it well, too. I'd love to read What If It's Us, maybe someday! Thanks for sharing so many!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately my library doesn't have Tara Lazar's book. It has She Made A Monster by Lynn Fulton on order though. I will have to ask them to get Mary's Monster!
DeleteEnjoy your Cybils reading! It was hard work to narrow the short list to those 14 titles, but it was also so much fun! As soon as I saw the cover of Aquicorn, I thought KATIE O'NEAL with lots of exclamation marks in my head, because I have a tiny obsession with Tea Dragon Society. Just got a hold on that one from the library as I need it NOW! Illegal didn't entirely work for me. Thought the art was good, but it really bothered me that the authors didn't share their research, and it was hard to see if they had done more than read a couple of newspaper stories to write the book. I suspect more went into it than that, but when you don't have adequate back matter.... I am so glad that Mary Shelley is having a moment. Hearts Unbroken is on my #MustRead list too--looking forward to it. Also realized I've never read Saltypie, so just put a hold on that one too. Thanks for all the great recommendations!
ReplyDeleteIllegal was ok, and I think it is a good way for some readers to become more aware of what it means to be a refugee. I appreciated that they showed just how far these boys had to come and how dangerous all of the journey was. Escaping Wars and Waves: Encounters with Syrian Refugees by Olivier Kugler is a nonfiction graphic novel that reveals much more about the situation. This is my first Katie O'Neill book. It won't be my last! I'm waiting for Tea Dragon Society to arrive.
DeleteI am love, love, LOVING this weather! I must confess that I haven't read any of the books on your list this week, I have so much catching up to do.
ReplyDeleteIt is glorious these days, although I do like to see a bit of real winter.
DeleteI'm glad you've had some nice weather to enjoy. Saltypie looks like a beautiful picture book. I'll definitely have to look for that one. Thanks for sharing and have a terrific week!
ReplyDeleteThe art in Saltypie is gorgeous, but so is the story itself.
DeleteLooking forward to hearing more about Hearts Unbroken. I've owned it for awhile... I really enjoyed Illegal, thought it brought to life more about the refugee crisis in a way that is attainable for younger readers.
ReplyDeleteI just hope to get to Hearts Unbroken this week!
DeleteThose placemats are gorgeous! And Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is totally going on the TBR. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely gorgeous Akilah! Hope you love it as much as I did.
Delete