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.
We have the grandkids here so I'm scribbling these reviews off to get a post in today. I will be away next week at my nephews 50th birthday celebration so I won't be posting then. I'll try to at least read everyone's blogs, but I can't guarantee commenting.
The girls and I have been reading some picture books together, but I'll talk about those next time round.
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.
MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS
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| 5 stars |
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko & Javier Prusky (Narrator) June 11, 2024
Asking for help means the involvement of child services and the foster care system. It means the two children may end up being separated.
Lou Ann bonds with Boo, but isn't so crazy about Hank even though he does his best to make her like him. Thankfully Lou Ann's neighbour, Ray, takes a liking to Hank and Boo.
When the children's mother returns, Hank has to make the kinds of choices that no eleven year old should ever have to make.
This is a middle grade novel so of course it's going to have a relatively happy ending, and it does, but I wept buckets before it got there.
ADULT/YA FICTION
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| 4.5 stars |
The Secret Keeper by Genevieve Graham, Carlotta Brentan (Narrator) & Ferdelle Capistrano (Narrator ) April 2, 2024 🍁
The blurb of this book says that it is 'perfect for fans of The Rose Code and The Nightingale.' I agree. I am a fan of both those titles, and I enjoyed this book as much.
I especially appreciate that this book is set in Canada and shows us the Canadian experiences and perspectives of women involved in World War ll.
Dot and Dash Wilson might be twin sisters, but they are not remotely alike. Dot is quiet, reserved, loves to solve puzzles and is fascinated by morse code. Dash is outgoing, athletic and into mechanics and flying. When war breaks out, their cousin and adopted brother enlist. Soon after that Dash joined the Wrens. Eventually Dot also joins up. After a stint working on motors in a nasty machine shop, Dash winds up working with Elsie MacGill, building and test flying Hawker Hurricane planes. From there she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary in Britain. Dot's trajectory was very different. Right from the start her capacity for solving puzzles and seeing patterns was recognized and she ended up in a covert listening and codebreaking station connected to Bletchley Park in England. Soon after that she was transferred to Camp X, a top-secret spy school. A family tragedy ends up causing a rift between the sisters. This is resolved by the end of the war, but it isn't until forty years later that Dot is finally able to tell Dash about her secret life.
I appreciated that the story is told from both sisters perspective. I liked that while both sisters found romance, they were minor side plots. I loved how strong and independent both of these women were. I especially appreciate how much research Genevieve Graham put in, and how much more I learned about Canada's war efforts than when I was in high school history class. This is my first book by her, but it sure won't be my last!
CURRENTLY
The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett & Jordan Cobb (Narrator) June 27, 2023 🍁
The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett & Jordan Cobb (Narrator) June 27, 2023 🍁
A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver
I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism by Lee Maracle (2nd edition September 1, 1996) 🍁
The Secret Keeper really caught my attention. I'll have to look for a copy. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteWow, Cheriee, you've got a lot of family visiting going on right now—I hope you're enjoying your time with your grandkids, and I hope your nephew's celebration is fun as well!
ReplyDeleteThe Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman is one I've seen reviews of recently, and it sounds incredibly poignant and meaningful—I feel like I already admire Hank as a character just from reading about him. Based on my suspicion about the plot, I agree that the choices he has to make are not ones he should have to—it's frightening how easily kids can end up having to take care of themselves, when they're not ready.
The Secret Keeper also sounds amazing—I love the contrast between Dot and Dash's passions and work in the war (and I love that their names reference morse code)! I can imagine the story feels fairly soaring, following the sisters across decades of their lives and all kinds of experiences.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful picks and reviews, as always—enjoy your week!
I certainly loved Hank Hooperman--still thinking about it a few weeks after I finished it. I love Gennifer Choldenko. And The Secret Keeper sounds so compelling--I am going to be on the lookout for that one. Enjoy your time with the grandchildren!
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