Howdy everyone. Hope your reading week was a wonderful as mine. We had a snow day so I got in some extra reading and sewing time. I am trying to cut out the pieces for a quilt for my son and his partner. I'm also messing around with zentangles to figure out how to quilt it. This project is going to take me way out of my comfort zone!
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK
When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 4 stars |
Based on a real event, Mitali Perkins and Sara Palacios tell the story of a young girl, her little brother, and their mother who travel to visit their grandmother during La Posada Sin Fronteras. They can only visit for thirty minutes with tight wire fencing between them. When the young brother is distraught because he can't give his gift to his grandmother, the girl comes up with a brilliant solution. I love that all the people, including the border guards, were cheering them on.
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| 5 stars |
This book is just delightful! It's all about the juxtaposition of the text with the illustrations. At the same time as a child is telling us what people say about about old people, the illustrations reveal that it sure isn't true about his grandparents!
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| 4 stars |
I might like this one, but it is not one of my granddaughter's favourites. I will try it a few more times with her. Perhaps she will take to it more as the time for her new baby sister to arrive gets nearer. The story took me back to when I was pregnant with my second child. Abigail Halpin's art is gorgeous.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
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| 5 stars |
This exquisitely illustrated autobiographical graphic novel made my heart ache. Based on the author's experience, it tells the story of becoming pregnant and then losing their baby through miscarriage. It shows her and her wife struggling with their grief after such a profound loss, but managing to survive.
There are two interconnected stories going on here. Mad's family is full of secrets. On the one hand there is the question of what happened to her grandmother. On the other, Mad, in search of the ideal boy, becomes aware of her own interest in girls. Her previous best friends abandon her. Mad ends up leaving Catholic school and going to public where she makes new friends and ends up comfortable with who she is - maybe even bi. I didn't like this at first. It took a while to get into, as in, it wasn't a problem to take a break. I ended up hating the friend Cat, but that I think, is the sign of great writing and art. I ended up loving this.
This charming graphic novel is ideal for younger readers tells the story of two friends, Tiger and Monster. Usually Monster frightens away Tiger's nightmares, but then a nightmare arrives that is too big for Monster to deal with and the two of them have to work together to deal with it.
I loved being dropped into this magical world. It reminded me of Terry Pratchett's witches. There is a lot going on here in this plot: romance, battling demons, magic, and betrayal. Ultimately it's a coming of age novel.
NOVELS
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| 5+ stars |
Preorder this book.
In the middle of reading plenty of stunning books last week, this one was the crown jewel. Zelda, a young girl with symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome, is obsessed with Vikings. Her's is a voice you don't want to miss. This link will take you to my full review.
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| 5 stars |
I had nightmares after starting this book. I kept trying to get back into it, but I was terrified. Finally, I just sat down and ploughed through.
In this autobiography Jesse Thistle writes about being abandoned and placed in abusive foster homes with his two brothers. Eventually he and his brothers were rescued and taken in by their paternal grandparents. They loved the boys but were strict taskmasters who didn’t spare the rod. When he began to use drugs, they shunned him.
Jesse’s story is a slow downward spiral that escalates into addiction, homelessness, a life of crime and prison stays. In his thirties he finally made his way through rehab and ended up going to university. A university project set him on a path to discover his family story. From this he became aware of who he was and this understanding added to his healing process.
I am glad I returned to finish this and am honoured to have read his story. It’s one that’s all too familiar. Jesse Thistle is Indigenous 🍁
CURRENTLY
I'm still listening to Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I took a bit of a break but am back to reading a collection of poetry, When You Ask Me Where I'm Going, by Jasmin Kaur. I will try to finish it since it has to be returned to the library before Tuesday morning. I just started rereading Surviving the City by Tasha Spillett.
UP NEXT
I've got this stack of graphic novels to finish up lickety-split. I
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2020: 2/25 one in progress
#MustReadNFIn2020: 2/12
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors: 4/25
100 books by Canadian Authors: 5/100
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 31/333
Many books to love here, Cheriee. You know that I'm getting When We Were Vikings, can't wait! From the Ashes feels like I should read it, but it will be hard. I have a nephew, adopted by my brother at 14, who went through many foster homes first, & had terrible experiences. I wish there was some better way to vet those foster parents. I know some are wonderful, just not all. Thanks for all the wonderful shares!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping you love Zelda as much as I do!
DeleteI'm almost finished with When We Were Vikings. Preparing myself for the end - knowing that I'll need tissues I'm curious as to how it's going to play out.
ReplyDeleteI'll be looking forward to reading what you think!
DeleteI'm surprised I haven't read Mooncakes yet. Should rectify that soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's lots of fun!
DeleteI adored Tiger vs. Nightmare -- my youngest especially loved it and we read it again and again until we had to turn it in to the library. It's a title I should consider buying for her birthday in March. I don't think I can handle From the Ashes, but I know it's an important story. I'm hearing such great things about When We Were Vikings, so I must make sure it's on my list. Thanks for all these shares, Cheriee, and I hope you have a wonderful reading week!
ReplyDeleteI think Tiger vs. Nightmare is a wonderful book for younger readers. I just can't gush about When We Were vikings enough!
DeleteI have heard of Tiger vs. Nightmare but have not read it yet. Love that it is a graphic novel for younger readers. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteHope you get to Tiger vs. Nightmare. It is a delightful read for the younger set.
DeleteI hope to get to Tiger vs. Nightmare and When we were Vikings (will it be more of an adult book, or a crossover?). You have lots of really good picture books here too, thanks for the shares.
ReplyDeleteI think When We Were Vikings is a cross between YA and adult. There is some swearing that might upset some people, but it feels authentic to the character and the situations she gets into. There is also some violence.
DeleteMooncakes has been on my list for awhile. I'll need to see if the library has it yet.
ReplyDeleteI had to read a digital copy because my library still has it on order :(
DeleteSounds like quilting and reading are perfect for a cozy snow day. I really want to get my hands on The Truth about Grandparents. My cousin just became a grandmother and it might be a fun book to share. Thanks for sharing and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThe truth about Grandparents is the ideal gift for them!
DeleteWhen We Were Vikings sounds interesting. I'm not sure if I've seen a book with a character with FAS before. I have worked with some students with FAS over the years. I'll definitely check this one out.
ReplyDeleteThe Truth about Grandparents sounds hilarious!