#IMWAYR December 16, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. I'm also connecting up with the Sunday Salon. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next!

I'm still struggling with whatever it is that ails me. Is it long Covid or something else? Do I start another batch of antibiotics or wait and see? I'm talking to my doctor Monday afternoon to find out what she says. 

Last Monday my husband, cousin and I went trekking into the mountain to cut down a tree. I only hiked half way before turning around. My partner got the tree set up Sunday afternoon. We hope to decorate it Monday night. It's so tall the top of it had to get hacked off to fit it into the living room! 

I finally finished my unicorn quilt! It will go under the tree for my oldest granddaughter this Christmas. 


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.

PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

The Green Baby Swing by Thomas King & Yong Ling Kang (Illustrator) May 28, 2024 🍁

Following his nana's death, a boy and his mother spend a day in her attic searching through forgotten treasures. There are many to be had, but the one that brings tears to his mother's eyes, is a green baby swing. (I always thought they were called slings.) It carried at least two generations of babies: the mother and the boy. The boy uses it to hold Comet, his kitten. The book is full of sweet tenderness and a touch of humour. 


This is a story of two children who wake up early one morning and head off to Lake Superior to go skating.
I am gobsmacked by Todd Stewart's gorgeous artwork! Using a palette of blue, black, white and yellow, he shows us a cold winter morning on Lake Superior alive with magic.


Jean E. Pendziwol's poetic text increases the enchantment. Together these two have created a swoon worthy mysterious tale. No wonder it won this year's Governor General's Young People’s Literature award for best Illustrated Book! 

This is a charming counting book for the little ones. It's written in both
Inuktitut and English. What I really like about it, (besides the fun illustrations,) is that each double page spread includes not only another polar bear, but also a new fact about them! I'm not sure that polar bears really square-dance, but I think they have round bellies!

Linda Bai recommended this as a nonfiction title for my four year old grandkids. I am so glad she did because even though I first read it in 2017, I had forgotten all about it. I agree completely with everything I first said about it. "This one nearly knocked my socks off. Wow! I appreciated this interpretation of how a cat is viewed differently by the many creatures who see it. The illustrations are drop dead gorgeous." I purchased copies for them. 


Skunk longs for a family of his own. When he sees a poster for a missing dog, he comes up with a plan to disguise himself and pretend to be the lost dog. With the help of Squirrel, Racoon and Cat, he is finally ready to go. Then he starts to fret. Why did the dog run away? What if he's lost? The new gang comb the streets to find the missing pet. In the end, Skunk gets what he needs. 
This laugh out loud book is sure to please all my grandkids. Maybe the older ones can even be convinced to read it to their younger siblings. 

4 stars

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas: A Safety Guide for Scaredies by Mélanie Watt January 1, 2012 🍁

I purchased copies of this for my youngest grandchildren because Mélanie Watt and Scaredy Squirrel are Canadian National Treasures. I think it will work best for readers who are already fans of the series. It is more text laden than the previous books since this one is a collection of vignettes showing what Scaredy Squirrel and his friends do to prepare for the holiday. It's full of humour and sweetness, just like the rest of the series. 
If you aren't acquainted with Scaredy Squirrel, you need to know that Scaredy is a squirrel with anxiety issues who is afraid of just about everything. His friendship group is (eventually) a diverse mix of different species of animals. 

4 stars

Pretty Ugly by David Sedaris & Ian Falconer (Illustrator) February 27, 2024

I adore Anna Van Ogre and her family. She is warned that if she keeps making faces, it will freeze that way. Then it happens. How she repairs herself is kind of grotesque, but wonderful. 
This is precious. It's absolutely zany, disgusting and hilarious. It is not for the faint of heart. I'm thinking my eldest granddaughter will laugh, but my grandson might be a bit creeped out by the end. I wish Ian Falconer was still with us so these two could create more picture books together.

5 stars

Just Because by Mac Barnett & Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator) September 10, 2019 🍁
This is a delightful collaboration between two brilliant artists! 
Before bedtime, a young girl asks her father some big questions. Why is the ocean blue? What is the rain? His responses are sublimely unexpected and hilarious! At first I was surprised by his answers. Then, even when I knew they would be outrageous, I was still thrown off by the unexpected creativity of Mac Barnett's imagination. I really like how Isabelle Arsenault portrays the young girl's bedroom in black and white, but shows the father's answers in glorious colour!


I picked this book to read because I am a hard core Isabelle Arsenault fan. 
Truffle is the younger brother of Louis from Louis Undercover. (I haven't read it yet, but after finishing this, I immediately put it on hold) This book features three short stories. In the first one Truffle and some friends form a rock band even though none of them can play a musical instrument. In the second Truffle has a girlfriend who he is terrified to talk to. The final vignette has Truffle and his family attending his grandmother's funeral where he contemplates the imponderability of life and death.
I love that while Louis is often too busy studying to talk to Truffle, when Truffle really needs him, Louis is there for him. I adore the tenderness in these stories. Isabelle Arsenault's artwork makes them sing with sweetness, but also with enough humour so that they aren't cloying. 

MG/YA NON FICTION GRAPHIC


I adored this coming of age memoir. When he was in middle school, Dan Santat was a good kid. He tried to stay beneath the radar, but was still bullied in school. When it was suggested he go on a school trip to Europe one summer, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go. His nervousness increased when he discovered that some of the people who he would be travelling with were some of the same people who harassed him. Then during the trip, his life began to change. He began to develop confidence and found out his crush liked him back. He became comfortable in his own skin. He returned from the experience prepared to face the rest of his life. 
I liked that those girls who at first terrified him, ended up becoming his supporters. I really appreciated the notes at the end of the book letting us know what happened to them all as they grew older. 

YA/ADULT GRAPHIC 

4 stars

Beverly by Nick Drnaso February 16, 2016

This collection of graphic short stories is dark and existentially disturbing. The white suburban characters live bleak lives - even the most together of them. What is common across the collection is the alienation and despair that persists.  
There are a few characters who show up across the stories: Cara and her brother Tyler. Tyler has some serious mental health issues. There's a good chance he's going to grow up into a serial killer - if he hasn't already done so.  These are not happy people. A review I read called it "white bread American Trump territory." I suspect that these very ordinary people are the dark underbelly of America. 
I adore the contrast between the beauty of the art and harshness of the vignettes.

5 stars

Ash's Cabin by Jen Wang August 13, 2024

Jen Wang's work is filled with ethereal beauty. I adore everything she creates. 
I read this a while ago, but for some reason forgot to add it to my list. Ash is lonely and worried about climate change. In their 15th year, they change their name and outward appearance and make plans to search for their grandfather's secret cabin in the California wilderness. It involves a lot of research and planning. Eventually Ash finds it, and spends almost a year isolated except for their dog, and a brief stint with a hiker they meet out in the wild. 
This is a stunning coming of age tale! 

ADULT/YA FICTION


It was a delight to spend time with Molly again. Molly is now head maid. This time a famous author is murdered at the hotel. She is terrified that her new maid in training might have something to do with it. I wasn't surprised by the reveal at the end of the book, but it was delightful anyway. 


Ent
ADULT/YA NON FICTION


I only discovered James McBride's work this last year, (thanks again to Linda Bai) and this is my third book. Told in two narrative voices, it is a biography of his white Jewish mother. It includes her story and his of growing up as her son. I appreciate that the audiobook is narrated by two different people. It brilliantly differentiates between the two perspectives. 

CURRENTLY 

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu February 1, 2022 🍁
These short stories are dark!

Lavender Clouds by Bex Ollerton July 4, 2024 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin October 8, 2024

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1) by Christina Soontornvat

Sunshine: A Graphic Novel by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

My Name Is Jason. Mine Too.: Our Story. Our Way. by Jason Reynolds & Jason Griffin May 1, 2009
My goal is to read two more books from my #MustRead2024 list to finish off that goal! 

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 23/25 one on the go

NonFiction 38/24

Canadian Authors 78/50

Indigenous Authors 29/25 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 219/200     
Posted by 12 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

#IMWAYR December 7, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. I'm also connecting up with the Sunday Salon. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next!

I've probably read more than is on my list here today, but if I did, I forgot to make note of it. I know I started and abandoned at least one book. I also picked up a collection of books on marionettes that I have been working my way through. 
We had a lovely visit with friends and family in Vancouver last week. Unfortunately, I wasn't really well. My doctor diagnosed me with a sinus infection and walking pneumonia when I got home. I suspected the former, but thought the coughing was related to my asthma not being under control - a normal event for me after a respiratory tract infection. I'm on antibiotics so I hope it's over soon.
I suspect that Covid 19 has screwed up my immune system again. It's what happened last time I got it.

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.

This was delightfully ridiculous! Jack is on Santa's bad list. He does what he has to to get on Santa's good list. He's not successful, and it's no wonder. This book turned out to be one hilarious surprise after another.
This is my first Jack book, but it won't be the last. I have put a hold on some for my grandkids to read when they visit over the holiday. I expect them to love them as much as I do. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
She was an amazing woman! In1956, at the age of 23 she headed off, on her own, to South Africa to study giraffes. Not only was she a pioneer in the study of animals in their natural habitat, she was the first person to study giraffes, and the first western woman to study animals in the wild.
Just getting to South Africa was fraught with difficulty - mostly because she was a woman. She used the first initial in her name, knowing people would assume she was a man, just to find a place to stay.
After she finished her PHD, she tried to get a job teaching at a university, but because of her gender, no one would hire her. Even when she did get a teaching job, tenure was denied because of it.
This title focuses on her work with giraffes, but she also studied many different animals in Canada. She was a pioneer in the study of homosexuality in animals. Eventually she became an activist working towards equality for women in academia.
What I really like about this book is that not only do we learn a lot about giraffes, we also learn what life was like for a woman scientist in Anne Innis Dagg's lifetime. Born 25 January 1933, she was a few months older than my mother. I find it fascinating to look at the different lives women of their generation lived. 
François Thisdale's dramatic illustrations are worth admiring even without the text.  
I encourage you to watch the 2018 documentary on Dr Anne Innis Dagg's life, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes. It is available to watch on Kanopy, but you can watch the trailer for it here. 


I previewed a digital copy of this for my four year old granddaughters because they are both interested in dinosaurs and monsters. I liked it, but think there is too much text on the page for them. It's still a wonderful book. The artwork is gorgeous!
Each animal is presented in a double page spread. Each spread contains four different areas of information. The Mega Fact File gives basic information. Another with a coloured background provides more detail. I really like the inserts that compare the size of the creature to a human. 

How would you like to run into a Terror Bird?


Marta and her mother live in an attic room at the Hotel Balzaar, a run down establishment that has seen better days. Her mother works as a maid, while Marta tries to remain unobtrusive. Then the Countess, a flamboyant old woman with a parrot, arrives. She notices Marta and invites her to her room to tell her some fantastical stories. In their time together, she passes on important wisdom to the young girl. “It takes no courage at all to doubt, Marta. And we are not beyond rescue. We are never beyond rescue . . .”
The thing I love most about reading a Kate DiCamillo novel is how much deep philosophical thought is embedded in each one. This one is no exception. In it she examines the power of story telling, especially how we can see ourselves, our families, and our history in them.
The audiobook is delightfully narrated, but I think I missed a lot not seeing the illustrations. 

5 stars

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate May 2, 2023

I adored The One and Only Ivan, and enjoyed Bob's story so when I found this in a pile of library books at my son's house. I sat down one evening and read it. Ruby's story has all the pathos, charm and power of The One and Only Ivan. It was impossible to not love Ruby and ache for her as her story is revealed. 

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, & Inspector Isabelle Lacoste uncover a plot to poison the water system of Montreal. They have no idea who they can trust. It looks like the culprits behind the plan might include more than just high ranking officers in the The Sûreté du Québec. It seems that members in the highest levels of government are behind it all.
I enjoyed this, but had a hard time following the audiobook. This might be because I was getting used to a new narrator, or it might just be that I wasn't really feeling well. 


Ent
ADULT/YA NON FICTION


Reading about history that you have lived through is a fascinating endeavour. I remember reading and/or listening to reports on the radio (back when CBC was properly funded) on much of what Ash writes about here, but those events were something happening far away. In this book, Ash takes us inside these stories and into the lives of people who lived them. They become personal. 

CURRENTLY 

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu February 1, 2022 🍁

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose & Lauren Ambrose (Narrator) November 28, 2023 🍁

Lavender Clouds by Bex Ollerton July 4, 2024

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

The Color of Water by James McBride

I'm going to see how many books on my must read list that I can finish in hopes of completing my #MustRead2024 goal. 

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 19/25 

NonFiction 38/24

Canadian Authors 70/50

Indigenous Authors 29/25 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 205/200     

Posted by 12 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)