The weather last week in my part of the world has been overcast, wet, and cool. My garden is out of control, but I am a fair-weather gardener, so I'm leaving it alone til I get better working conditions. Besides, the raspberries and strawberries are kind of tasteless without sun.
On the positive side, I've had lots of time for reading and writing. I should try to get the chaos that is my sewing room under control. I keep going in and looking at the disaster, then shutting the door and ignoring it. Maybe I will get to it this week.
I'm writing this early Sunday morning because the family is coming over for supper tonight and I expect I will be too exhausted by the time they leave to start then. I doubt I will have finished anything, but hope to squeeze some reading time in of some kind or another.
Clinking on the title to the following books will take you to the Goodreads page for that book.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Poetry Friday July 5, 2019: Crossing
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
I love love love this series.
I love this family. I love the humour. I adore Emily Hughes illustrations.
Pancakes, birthday shopping and a special cake for mom fill these three stories.
Unfortunately my grandkids won't sit still for this much text on a page, but I did catch Ada browsing through the book on her own.
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| 5 stars |
Just wow!
I did not have to wait for children, but my son and daughter in law did. This book could have been written for them. I'm sure many other parents will think it is for them.
What I can tell you is that our granddaughter, Ada, was worth waiting for.
NOVELS
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| 3 stars |
I liked the beginning of this book well enough. Then it went on and on with all kinds of teenage romantic angst. I really liked the first book in the series, so saying this saddens me. I increased the speed of the audiobook just to get it finished. I won’t be reading the next in the trilogy unless hell freezes over.
Of course, I’m too old to be the target audience anyway so you should probably ignore this review.
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| 5 stars |
This book made me anxious while reading it. That's a testimony to how well it is written.
Zoey, her mother, and three younger siblings, live with her mom's boyfriend, Larry. There are many good things about living there, but her mother has changed from the courageous, confident woman she once was.
While life at home is hard, and Zoey has a lot of responsibility for her younger siblings, she is lucky to be seen by one of her teachers, Ms Rochambea. Ms Rochambeau makes sure Zoey becomes a member of debate club, and does her best to help Zoey become more sure of herself.
This book takes a close look at what it means to live in poverty. By the end, readers will be rooting for Zoey to find a way to lift herself above her beginnings.
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| 4 stars |
I am enjoying this mystery series featuring Cheroke Indian, Thumps Dreadfulwater, an ex cop turned art photographer. It's hilarious that he continues to be a sleuth whether he wants to be or not. I read Cold Skies (the third one) first. I loved the characters then, and found it fascinating meeting them as they were presented in the first novel.
I loved the humour, the suspense, and the convoluted plot. I've already put a hold on the second book.
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| 5 stars |
The United Nations consists of Shay, Julia, and Isabella. All three girls come from separate ethnic backgrounds but have been best friends since they were in grade three. Their first year at middle school brings all kinds of obstacles and opportunities. Surviving with their friendship still intact might be their biggest challenge.
Shayla is one of those memorable characters you meet in middle grade fiction. She's an authentic kid with a big heart caught up in normal kinds of friendship issues against the backdrop of another shooting of a black man by police.
NONFICTION
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| 5 stars |
There are a lot of pages in this graphic novel but I anticipated it would be a relatively easy read. I was wrong. It is so intense that I could only read chunks of it at a time. It's the story of Matt Rizzo, a young blind man who in the 1930s ends up in prison. As much as he wanted to die, he connected with another nefarious prisoner who helped him find redemption through reading Dante's Inferno and writing poetry.
After he was paroled, he kept his past a secret, married and had a child. The marriage fell apart when his secret was revealed. It's only when his son, Charlie, begins to follow the gangster path, that he tells the truth about his history.
David L. Carlson has included Matt Rizzo's own words in this biography. Landis Blair's darkly detailed, gritty art integrates the text in such a way that you have to spend time absorbing them. It's the combination that makes the book so profound.
CURRENTLY
I am listening to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart. I'm reading The Serpent King by Jeff Zentnerin in book format and as an ebook from Netgalley, Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson. I'm forcing myself to savour, and not speed through Salt by Nayyirah Waheed. Her poetry is just stunning.
UP NEXT
I'm hoping to get to Lost Girl by Anne Ursu, Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide and listening to Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga as my next audiobook.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 13/25 2 in progress
#MustReadNFIn2018 9/12
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 16/25
25 books by Canadian Authors 32/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 4/4
Goodreads Reading Challenge 216/333
I really enjoyed reading your post! I felt the same as you did about a couple of these books. Charlie and Mouse is a tough sell for me with kids as there are a lot of words per page, but it has some appeal for picture book readers. Also, when reading Octopus, I felt that anxiety for Zoey. I felt the same way when reading No Fixed Address, a book on my post for this week, which I think I remember seeing on your blog ages ago.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about the rest of your books too, in particular learning that Thomas King has mysteries under another name. Thanks for the post!
It's interesting to read that Charlie and Mouse is a tough sell, although I understand the problem. I can see them making a better family read with younger readers. No Fixed Address made me anxious too!
DeleteI loved reading Octopus. I thought Braeden presented poverty in a way that all kids could understand what it was like for Zoey and maybe be more empathic towards others they may know in their lives. I just got A Good Kind of Trouble and am looking forward to reading it. Thanks for sharing your reading with us. I am very curious about DreadfulWater Shows Up. I have never heard of it before. I have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to reading more of Ann Braden in the future. What an amazing first novel! Ditto for A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée!
DeleteCharlie and Mouse are so sweet! I loved The Benefits of Being an Octopus and I look forward to more books by Ann.
ReplyDeleteI agree. She is someone to watch.
DeleteI love 'Octopus', too, good for kids to read how it is in poverty, or perhaps those who live it to see themselves in a book. I still haven't read A Good Kind of Trouble though it's on my list. So many books to read & enjoy! I hope you like Coyote Sunrise, a favorite this year! And I laughed about the sewing room. I do that too with some things, just close the door! Thanks, Cheriee!
ReplyDeleteI am adoring Coyote Sunrise. I can see how it can be a favourite. So far, it's exactly the kind of MG novel I adore!
DeleteI find that I have also (finally) outgrown most of the YA I used to enjoy. Luckily, there are plenty of books written for adults to keep me busy. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteIt's all that angst and heavy breathing that irritates me in YA. I appreciate having time to read more adult, but also love a good MG novel.
DeleteI read the Benefits of Being an Octopus last year and just finished A Good Kind of Trouble. My week of reading
ReplyDeleteBoth of these books are great reads!
DeleteI hope you get some better gardening weather this week. I read the first Charlie & Mouse book and thought it was really cute. I haven't read #2 or #3 in the series, but I'm sure I would enjoy those as well. I still haven't read The Benefits of Being an Octopus, but I know lots of folks have enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing these books this week!
ReplyDeleteOf course today was a better day, but I was babysitting toddlers. Gardening and cleaning out my sewing room would have left me with more energy!
DeleteSo many wonderful books in your post this week. I'm hoping to get to Renee Watson's book in the next few weeks. And I completely agree with Charlie and Mouse. So fun!
ReplyDeleteI'll be looking forward to reading your thoughts on Renee Watson's book.
DeleteThe heat has been out of control in my neck of the woods over the last week -- right as our outdoor work kicked into gear, of course. But the mornings are generally nice, here. I need to get better about scheduling the hardest part of my yard work before it gets hot. Unfortunately, I've been too exhausted to wake up and get out there by 6am or 7am (when it's plenty light for me to work if I will just do it). My, you've read some really wonderful books this week, Cheriee! Wow. Both Wish and The Hunting Accident are new to me. I was sitting here thinking, 'well, it's too bad we don't have a great selection of graphic novels or I would go check out The Hunting Accident.' But would you know, I just looked it up and it's actually available in our tri-college system. So I'm adding this one to my list right away. Thanks for all these great reviews!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's available there. I'll be looking forward to reading what you think. The weather warmed up here today but I was babysitting two toddlers! Talk about exhausting....
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