Hello out there. It's #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.
How are all your #MustReadIn2021 goals coming along? This year Leigh Anne Eck at A Day In the Life and I are taking over for Carrie Gelson at There's A Book For That. By April 23, I'll publish a page where you can post your Spring update. These updates are optional, but I have found they are a good way to keep on track.
My partner and I enjoyed a quiet anniversary dinner at home last week. We cooked together without any arguments. I guess that means that after 44 years we have almost got this marriage thing figured out.
I haven't started back walking seriously yet, but I am spending a few hours everyday in the garden. I'm trying to get the vegetable patch weeded ASAP. My partner is itching to spread the trailer full of compost and rototill it in. I want to try and get the wild geranium and other unwanted plants somewhat under control first. If you have ever tried to manage wild geranium you will understand my frustration. It's even more persistent than creeping buttercup. The only thing I've ever dealt with that was more challenging than this was horsetail. Thankfully we don't have those here.
Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
BLOG POSTS FROM LAST WEEK
Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson
Maybe it means that no matter how hard things are, you don't give up. Maybe it means that no matter how much you feel, you don't let the outside world know. I think it also means that when you love someone, you do what you need to do for them, even if it means asking for help.
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| 5 stars |
Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper & Kenard Pak (Illustrator) Oct 13, 2020
A young Lebanese girl wakes up to a world of snow. As she heads off on her way to visit her almost blind Sitti to make warak enab, (stuffed grape leaves) she focuses on the different sounds the snow makes.
The book is full of rich descriptive language and stunning illustrations. As soon as I read "No garbage trucks gulped trash across the street," I knew this book was going to be special. It lived up to my expectations. I connected to the many different sounds of snow from the scraaape, scrip, scraaape, scrip of the shovels on sidewalk, to the still quiet as the 10th way to hear snow. It almost makes me long for winter.
The only thing wrong with this book is that it doesn't include a recipe for the warak enab.
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| 5 stars |
A Coyote Columbus Story by Thomas King & William Kent Monkman (Illustrator) 🍁 Sep 09, 2002
Thomas King gives us the Columbus story from the Indigenous perspective. It's both hilarious and horrific.
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| 5 + stars |
All Because You Matter by Tami Charles & Bryan Collier (Illustrations) Oct 6, 2020
Just Wow!
I want to give more stars. I want this book to win more awards.
It's a love letter to a black child that ends up being a love letter to all BIPOC children. I want to share it with my two oldest grandkids. I'm especially thinking of my half Korean granddaughter living in an environment of rising Asian racism.
Bryan Collier's illustrations are as spectacular as always. I noted the quilt imagery while reading this and appreciated his note about his grandmother's quilting at the end.
A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown, Laura Freeman (Illustrations) Jan 07, 2020
This is a gorgeously illustrated biography about the Queen of Soul. Laura Freeman's illustrations highlight her importance to the world of music. I appreciated the additional information in the back matter as well as the notes by the author and illustrator.
I want to give more stars. I want this book to win more awards.
It's a love letter to a black child that ends up being a love letter to all BIPOC children. I want to share it with my two oldest grandkids. I'm especially thinking of my half Korean granddaughter living in an environment of rising Asian racism.
Bryan Collier's illustrations are as spectacular as always. I noted the quilt imagery while reading this and appreciated his note about his grandmother's quilting at the end.
NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
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| 4 stars |
A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown, Laura Freeman (Illustrations) Jan 07, 2020
This is a gorgeously illustrated biography about the Queen of Soul. Laura Freeman's illustrations highlight her importance to the world of music. I appreciated the additional information in the back matter as well as the notes by the author and illustrator.
NOVELS
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| 4 stars |
Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor Oct 03, 2017
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| 4 stars |
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey Nov 10, 2020
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| 5 stars |
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman & Neil Smith (Translator) Apr 25, 2019
This book made me happy. It's been a while since I believed in so many literary characters in in one book. This story of a hostage taking is full of tenderness and humanity and humour. Ultimately it's about love in all its permutations.
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| 4 stars |
Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson April 27, 2021 🍁
The hair-raising rescue of two beaver kits grabs readers in the first few pages of this novel. The tension eases off, but the fascination with these little critters never ends.
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| 5 stars |
All Our Relations, Finding the Path Forward by Tanya Talaga. Oct 16, 2018 🍁
Tanya Talaga looks at common themes that plague indigenous cultures from around the world. "From Northern Ontario to Nunavut, Norway, Brazil, Australia, and the United States, the Indigenous experience in colonized nations is startlingly similar and deeply disturbing." It is an ongoing assault on human rights and land ownership. The book is an analysis of policies that look the other way while extermination takes place. While Talaga examines historical issues, much of what she discusses is present day reality.
It's a hard read, but an immensely important one.
You can listen to it here as a collection of the Massey Lectures.
DISCWORLD NOVELS
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| 5 stars |
Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs (Narrator) Sep 21, 2006
While at a secret Dark Morris dance, Tiffany ignores her mentor, Miss Treason, and ends up dancing with Winter. He gets in a muddle thinking she is Summer, and falls in love with her. In wooing her he creates snowflakes and icebergs in her image. The balance between the seasons goes off kilter as Winter prolongs his season. He brings on a blizzard that buries the mountains, the chalk and everything on it. Tiffany has some of the power of Summer. Strange things happen as plants sprout from her feet and the world turns green where she walks. Tiffany must fix the mess she has inadvertently created before everyone she knows and loves dies. Luckily she has Granny Weatherwax and the Nac Mac Feegles on her side.
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
My next audiobook will be The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich,
I hope to get to The King of Jam Sandwiches by Eric Walters
I plan to read and review two Netgalley titles: On the Trapline by David A. Robertson, and Thao: A Picture Book by Thao Lam.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2021 7/25
CURRENTLY
This is what I currently have on the go:
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
The Rose Code by Kate QuinnUP NEXT
I hope to get to The King of Jam Sandwiches by Eric Walters
I plan to read and review two Netgalley titles: On the Trapline by David A. Robertson, and Thao: A Picture Book by Thao Lam.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2021 7/25
#MustReadNFIn2021 3/12 one in progress
#MustReadPBIn2021 20/100
Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 11/25
Books by Canadian Authors: 29/100
Canada Reads 2021 3/5
Discworld Series 35/41
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 126/333
I need to read Tough Like Mom! Finally, a book where the parents don't give up and become dysfunctional when things get tough. Loved A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow , but it was a bit much for middle school. Glad you liked the new Johnson title!
ReplyDeleteI think there are different definitions for middle school. Here is British Columbia, I wouldn't have it in my elementary school library, (up to grade 7) but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it for my high school library. Terry Lynn Johnson is one of my new favourite Canadian authors!
DeleteI have Rescue at Lake Wild on my radar! Love Terry Lynn Johnson's novels!
ReplyDeleteThis is only my second of her novels, but I really get the love!
DeleteHappy Anniversary! I noted Tough Like Mum & Coyote Columbus. Both sound like important stories, Cheriee. I loved All Because You Matter & bought one for several friends & family. It is special for sure. I'll also look for A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, Cheriee. I know about the Bachman book, know it must be good but I don't know if I'll ever have time to read it! Thanks much for each & every share!
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that there is never enough time to read as many books as we want to..
DeleteAnxious People is such a good book. I enjoyed the quirky characters.
ReplyDeleteYes! I loved all of them too!
DeleteHappy anniversary! And good luck with all of your weeding. These books sound great—Tough Like Mum, Ten Ways to Hear Snow, All Because You Matter, and A Voice Named Aretha all look wonderful! A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow looks like a fun YA read, and All Our Relations sounds very powerful as well. Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. I've almost got the weeding under control, but accept that it's an ongoing battle...
DeleteHappy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteAnd good for you for getting out in the garden! Our beds are still a mess from fall & winter, but I haven't been up to working out there this week, despite the perfect weather! Hopefully, next week.
A Cuban Girl's Guide sounds wonderful! And I've been wanting to read Anxious People for a while now, too.
Hope you're enjoying The Sixth Extinction. And I see you have a Louise Erdrich up next on audio. I haven't read that one yet, but I just love listening to her on audio - enjoy!
Sue
Book By Book
It's satisfying to win this first skirmish with the weeds! Anxious People is just wonderful Sue! It's one of those books that brings back your faith in humanity. I am loving listening to Louise Erdrich's Birchbark House series. It's like spending time with my grandmother's grandparents!
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