#IMWAYR April 22, 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. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

I almost didn't post this week because I have been busy trying to get the house and yard under control before we head off to Vancouver to visit with family and celebrate one of our granddaughters turning four. We won't be around next weekend because we will still be there celebrating. I wouldn't ordinarily worry so much about the house, but some of my extended family will be staying here to celebrate one of my aunts' birthday. 

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.

MG FICTION

4 stars

Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors by Gail D. Villanueva & Ferdelle Capistrano (Narrator) January 9, 2024

Lulu lives with her sister and mother in a small community outside of Manilla, Philippines. During an earthquake she discovers that she has superpowers. Soon after that she learns that her supportive neighbourhood and best friend are not who they appear to be. Lulu discovers that she is the salamangkero, a special being born to protect the different realms. When her adopted mother is kidnapped by a wakwak, Lulu, her adopted sister, Kitty, and her best friend, Bart, a shape shifter, set off to rescue her. The trio meet up with numerous personages from Philippine mythology.

I liked the merge of ancient mythology and modern pop culture in this book. Fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series will enjoy this. 

The physical book includes a glossary of Tagalog mythology. The problem with listening to this book is that I didn't realize this until I finished the novel. Villanueva does a good job of introducing them and their importance in the novel, but I really could have used it earlier on to provide background knowledge keep track of them all. 

YA GRAPHIC NOVELS

4 stars

If You'll Have Me by Eunnie October 17, 2023

Thanks to Max for the heads up about this sweet romantic graphic novel. It's the story of two young women who become friends and then more than that. Momo Gardner is an introvert. She's a good friend, but really doesn't value her own worth. She's the kind of friend who wants to think the best of others, but is sometimes taken advantage of by them. PG is more of a flirt and an extrovert. In spite of this, she's really a private person. When she falls for someone, she falls hard.
This graphic novel addresses important issues. At the same time as it deals with the romance between these two characters, it addresses friendship, love, self worth, and being honest with oneself and those closest to us.
I enjoyed this, but I think I might have appreciated it a lot more if I hadn't picked it up after having read Mexikid.

ADULT/YA FICTION

5 stars

The Future by Catherine Leroux & Susan Ouriou (Translator) September 5, 2023 🍁

The Future was the winner of the Canada Reads debate this year. The theme was "looking for one book to carry us forward. When we are at a crossroads, when uncertainty is upon us, when we have faced challenges and are ready for the future, how do we know where to go next?"

"In an alternate history of Detroit, the Motor City was never surrendered to the US. Its residents deal with pollution, poverty, and the legacy of racism—and strange and magical things are happening: children rule over their own kingdom in the trees and burned houses regenerate themselves. When Gloria arrives looking for answers and her missing granddaughters, at first she finds only a hungry mouse in the derelict home where her daughter was murdered. But the neighbours take pity on her and she turns to their resilience and impressive gardens for sustenance."

After her daughter's death, Gloria moves to Detroit to live in her daughter's house. As she learns more about her daughter and granddaughters' lives, she has to come to terms with who her daughter became. Even when her attempts to connect with her grandchildren go nowhere, she never gives up hope that she will be reunited with the two girls. 

I am not generally a fan of dystopian realities, yet I fell head over heels in love with this one. Even though it's got that end of the world scenario, it's mostly about hope. It's a world that seems to be populated with old people and feral children. Getting to know them was pure joy. The Future is a story about resilience, found family, community and using that community to make everyone's lives better. I didn't want it to end. 

5 stars

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (Author and Narrator) June 4, 2019

I started this book a while ago, but for all kinds of reasons, put it aside. When I picked it up again, I was in a better mental space for it. Emotionally this is a hard read. The beauty of the language only serves to emphasize the horrors experienced by Ocean, his mother, and his grandmother. I don't regret listening to this semi-autobiographical novel: Ocean Vuong's narration was profound. Yet I suspect I missed much not seeing the organization of his words. 

I contemplated writing more about this book, but honestly, nothing I could write could compare to this review on Goodreads by chai. Even if you have read the book, go and read this. 

CURRENTLY

Doppelganger by Naoimi Klein 🍁 

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin January 1, 1978

Naked: Not Your Average Sex Encyclopedia by Myriam Daguzan Bernier & Cécile Gariépy (Illustrator)  🍁

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Rez Ball by Byron Graves

Woke up Like This by Amy Lea  🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 8/25 one on the go

NonFiction 11/24 one on the go

Canadian Authors 17/50 two on the go

Indigenous Authors 7/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 75/200