#IMWAYR November 18, 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 had planned to get a post in last Monday, but Covid 19 dropped in for a visit. I suspect I picked up the virus when I was a substitute teacher the previous Thursday. I had been feeling invincible since I had my vaccine just over a month ago. Apparently when you are over 65, you are never really invincible. Even my poor husband has come down with it. I'm still testing positive, but this go round is nothing compared to the first time I had it.
Despite that, I managed to get some mice sent off to the local craft fair to try and sell them. I will know on Wednesday how many, if any, have sold. Since I'm having so much fun creating them, I really need to figure out how to sell some before they overwhelm my shelves. I'm still working on cowboy boots, but I've got the shirt figured out. These are a couple of my recent creations. 

Here's a slide show of more of them. 

Last week I quit X and joined Bluesky! It's a fabulous place that feels like a reunion with old friends and new! You can connect with me @cherieeweichel.bsky.social.

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.

GRAPHIC MEMOIR

5 stars

Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan September 10, 2024 🍁

In the last year I've read many novels about immigration to Canada. This graphic memoir shows what its like for a young girl when her family decide to return to their country of origin. 

Ruth Chan had a wonderful life in Toronto Canada. She had lots of good friends and did well in school. Then her father got a new job and the family returned to live in Hong Kong. It was a traumatic move for her. She understood some Cantonese, but spoke almost nothing. Still, she managed to learn how to navigate a new culture, a new school system, a new city, make friends, and eventually, feel like she belonged. 

MG NOVELS

3.5 stars

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti & Mark Sanderlin (Narrator) September 3, 2024

I didn't love this book at first. I even contemplated abandoning it, but then before I knew it, I was invested in the characters and the mystery! 

Four children and one grandfather decide to spend the summer solving the mystery of what happened to Al Capone's long lost treasure. In the middle of searching an island in the middle of the Everglades, they come across dead animals and a toxic waste dump. In their search for the criminals they have to jump off a burning boat, nearly drown, and almost end up in jail. 

5+ stars

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell & Samuel West (Narrator) September 14, 2023

As glorious as the cover of this book is, it doesn't compare with the story inside its pages. Right off the bat we meet two remarkable children, Christopher and Mal. Animals of all kinds are just attracted to Christopher. Mal has a cloak that enables her to fly. The two of them live in different realms on the same planet. When Christopher rescues a drowning griffin, his grandfather tells him that he is a guardian of the Archipelago, a group of islands inhabited by magical creatures. Soon afterwards he meets Mal, on the run from the Archipelago and a murderer. The two of them set out on a wild adventure to find out who wants Mal dead, and what is endangering the magical creatures.

I adored this book and can't wait for the next one.

ADULT/YA FICTION

5 stars

The Maid by Nita Prose & Lauren Ambrose (Narrator) January 4, 2022 🍁

"Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by." Unfortunately, Gram has died, and Molly is on her own struggling to get by. She's behind in her rent and barely surviving. The one thing Molly loves is her job as a maid at The Grand Regency Hotel. It's perfect for her since she is obsessive about cleanliness. 

Her life is upended when she discovers a dead body in one of her rooms. 

The next thing Molly knows, she's arrested for the man's murder. Luckily, she has friends with friends in high places. The only way to clear her name is to find out who the real murderer is and figure out what nefarious activity has been going on at the Grand. She and her new friends come up with a plan to uncover the truth. The problem is that Molly will have to lie convincingly for it to succeed. Molly never lies.

I was hooked from the first few pages of this book. It's hilarious and heartwarming with just the right amount of tension to keep flipping the pages. I adore Molly and think, if you haven't already met her, that you will too!

The best thing about discovering this a few years after publication, is that I was able to download the next one right away!

4 stars

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust (Flavia de Luce #11) by Alan Bradley & Jayne Entwistle (Narrator) September 3, 2024 🍁

I was delighted to find out what Flavia de Luce has been up to. It turns out she has been mentoring her younger cousin, Undine, who is a terror on her own terms. Luckily Undine idolizes Flavia.
When a local villager is poisoned and their cook is suspected of murdering him, Flavia, with the help of Dogger, the butler, and Undine, set out to identify the culprit.
Aside from revealing the murderer, Flavia discovers a shocking family secret that I was not expecting!
If you like cosy historical mysteries and haven't yet discovered Flavia, you have a treat in store.

 

ADULT/YA GRAPHIC NON FICTION 

Ent

4 stars

Everything is OK by Debbie Tung September 27, 2022

What do you do when everything is not ok? In this memoir,  Debbie Tung shares her story of being overwhelmed by depression and anxiety, and then, with the help of a good therapist, finding a way out of it. I think this is a helpful book for people going through similar issues, because it's shines a beacon of light. I really like that coming out the other side of her mental health crisis didn't mean returning to who she had been before, but rather, figuring out who she really is, and learning to deal with her demons before they got out of control. I have been contemplating giving this to a young man I know who is the middle of his own mental health crisis, but will recommend it to his parents instead, and let them make that decision. 

ADULT/YA NON FICTION

4 stars

Cougar Annie's Garden by Margaret Horsfield August 1, 1999 🍁

In 1915 Ada Annie Rae-Arthur and her first husband came to the west coast of Vancouver Island as settlers. Over time they cleared approximately 5 acres of land along the northern shore of Clayoquot Sound. 
"She ran a successful nursery, post office and general store from her homestead. There, she birthed 11 children, outlived four husbands and became known for allegedly shooting and killing about 70 cougars in her lifetime. Today, Cougar Annie’s Garden is owned and operated by the Boat Basin Foundation to preserve her legacy and promote natural history."
I took my time with this book - reading it in bits and pieces. I skimmed or skipped some sections that felt not relevant to Annie's life, but mostly I ended up appreciating that this biography puts her life into historical and geographical context. 

Annie, who was about the same age as my maternal grandmother, was a truly remarkable woman, even if she wasn't always likeable. I couldn't help but make connections between the challenges each of them faced. My grandfather, unlike Willie Rae-Arthur, was a hard working, steadfast man, but my grandmother still ended up cooking for his crew in logging camps while birthing child after child. I can't even imagine living either of their lives.

You can read more about Annie here. 

CURRENTLY 

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver January 1, 1994

Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir by Danny Ramadan May 28, 2024 🍁

Crystal Cave by Nancy Deas &  Mike Deas (illustrator) August 13, 2024 🍁

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune September 10, 2024

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny 

Homelands by Timothy Garton Ash

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 18/25 one on the go

NonFiction 33/24 one on the go

Canadian Authors 66/50 two on the go

Indigenous Authors 28/25 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 192/200