Library Matters: #MustReadIn2022 April Update

It’s time for our first #MustReadin2022 update! These updates are optional, but some of us find that doing them keeps us more focused on our reading goals.

Carrie Gelson at There's a Book for That started #MustRead as a way to address our GoodReads lists. Leigh Anne Eck at A Day In the Life and I have taken over for her.

How are you all doing? Have you been distracted by other books? Have you made progress? What have you read that shines through? Add your link at the bottom of the page and let us know where you are at.

You can see my original reading goals here.

NOVELS

So far I've read 10/24 books from my #MustReadIn2022Fiction list.

All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac

This is a brilliant debut that shows what life was like for an Indigenous child growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. It's hard to read at times.

Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Darius The Great, #1) by Adib Khorram

This coming of age novel addresses body image and mental health issues. It is full of beautifully rendered, complex characters you believe are real and connect to on an emotional level.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys never lets me down. I was completely absorbed by this novel that highlights the life of Romanian teens under the brutal rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu.

The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess by Shannon Hale

My granddaughter and I loved this new Princess in Black book. While out on a friend's boat, the Princess in Black and a few friends meet Princess Posy, a real live mermaid.

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont

A troupe of Indigenous dancers tours Europe in the 1970s. It is loaded with humour and heart-aching sweetness.

Pax, Journey Home (Pax, #2) by Sara Pennypacker

The war is over. Pax has moved on with his life and new family. In the mean time, Peter is still coming to grips with almost overwhelming loss.

Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney

I'm not a huge fan of superhero novels but I like that Nubia is shown as a real person with loving caring parents.

Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor

On her first day of school, Zubi hears all kinds of incidental remarks that cause her to doubt her own beauty.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

I loved this book much more than I expected to. I appreciate that most of the people, even though they make mistakes, do their best to be supportive of BeeBee, a transgirl. I like that it takes a while before we even know she is trans.

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

I love the joy in this coming of age story. Even though there are some dark moments, overall this book is full of optimism and hope. I appreciated the diversity in the characters.

I also have two on the go: Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds & A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger.

NONFICTION

I've finished 5/18 books from my #MustReadIn2022Nonfiction list. and have The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber on the go.

On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein
The world as we know it is in a precarious position. Naomi Klein addresses numerous climate crisis and extinction related issues in this collection of long form essays.

Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine G. Johnson

What an amazing woman! Katherine Johnson was a brilliant, compassionate, community minded woman who worked hard her whole life to make life better for African American citizens of all ages.

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

Understanding how other people experience the world is it's own kind of challenge. Connecting to how Octopus experience it requires a whole other level of comprehension.

Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance by Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane

This book should be in every community and school library in North America. While the author focuses on Canadian First Nation Pow Wows, her scope extends to into Native American Pow Wow culture and dances.

Spílexm: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience, and Resurgence by Nicola I. Campbell

Nicola I. Campbell integrates family, community, culture, land, and Canadian history into this personal memoir.

I'm currently reading The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber.

INDIGENOUS AUTHORS

I've read 11/25 books by Indigenous authors from Canada and the United States, and have a couple more on the go. You can read more about them here.