First Friday Poetry February 2025

I'm joining Beverly A Baird & Linda Schueler again in a year long poetry practice. On the first Friday of each Month we, and anyone else who joins, writes a poem and shares it. This year the focus is going to be on using poems to inspire us.

This month we are going to be "basing our poem (“How to be…”) on this post from Margaret Simon, who was inspired by Sheri Vasinda, who was inspired by Barry Lane. Often this is very true in life: you are inspired by someone who is inspired by someone else and so on."
This month we chose an animal, researched it, and then had to come up with someway to write a poem about it that was more than a list of facts.

Many years ago Nancy, one of my favourite students, did a research project on earwigs. I've never looked at them the same since. Did you know that earwigs are one of the few non-eusocial insects who nurture their eggs and young until they are prepared to head off on their own? If you find a clutch of them somewhere in your garden, they are most likely all from the same clutch. There may well be older siblings helping their mother look after the younger ones. My fascination with the social lives of these creatures, especially their maternal behaviour, prompted me me to focus on this aspect of their lives in my poem this month. 

how to be an earwig

welcome to the world little one
you might never meet your father,
but don’t fret
your tender hearted mother
has fashioned a cosy home
for you and your eggmates

she will take good care of you,
keeping you clean, safe and warm
until you hatch

satisfying you and your sibling nymphs
won't be easy, but your mama
will ensure you are well nourished

then, after your first moult,
she will open the nest door
and free you 

under her guidance and protection of course,

to forage on your own

be careful you don’t get lost
and come home when she calls

your loving mama will

keep her eyes on you

through all your instars,
even unto when 

you have acquired
your own wings and cerci
and set off into the wild world
in search of your own mate
and your own home.

If I have piqued your interest in earwigs, here is a fascinating article about the European Earwig, the kind we have around here where I live. 

#IMWAYR February 3, 2025

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.

It's been a strange week. Last weekend we had a houseful of people because it looked like my 94 year old aunt was about to shuffle off this mortal coil. She was taken off all her regular medication and given hydromorphone. Our tough old Auntie surprised everyone by rallying! We wait and wonder what will happen next. 

Speaking of waiting and wondering what will happen next, continental politics are also pretty strange these days. Here in Canada, partisan politics had started to divide us, but with the recent election in the USA and subsequent threats, including tariffs that will hurt ordinary people on both sides of the border, we are coming together across provincial and partisan boundaries. I like to think we are also coming together across international borders too. Times are going to be hard for all of us, but I have hope that love and activism in its many formats will get us through this.   

In the last couple of days I've been working on some Valentine's day hearts for my family. I have plans for them to become fridge magnets. Since I took this picture I've created a few more and been attempting to embellish them using gold thread on my sewing machine. It hasn't been as successful as I would like, but I'm sure I'll end up with a few that I can live with.

 

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

This Is a Tiny Fragile Snake by Nicholas Ruddock & Ashley Barron (Illustrator) 🍁

In fifteen illustrated poems, tenderness is shown for different kinds of animals. It is all about letting animals we live in proximity with, just be. I get it. 

When our neighbours discovered a six foot long bull snake curled up in their garden, they waited a few days for it to leave on its own, but it seemed to be content to remain in their rock garden. I said I would take it off their hands and put it in mine where it would keep pests under control, but then I learned that if it was a female, she would make a nest and lay up to twenty eggs, I wasn't sure if I wanted that many baby snakes roaming around in our 1/4 acre plot of land. In the end, the snake was moved to a better home in the wild. 
 So, while I understand most of this, I am not so sure about letting those squirrels proliferate. I know a number of people who have had to come up with a lot of money to repair the damage squirrels have caused in their homes. 

Still, I enjoyed the poems and delighted in reading them out loud to myself. Ashley Barron's cut paper collage illustrations are drop dead gorgeous!  

Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel October 12, 2021

This begins as a fun rhyming picture book showing an inside cat and its world. It lives in a place with lots of windows and that's all it knows about outside. Then we start to see how the cat imagines what's in the spaces between the windows. 

I ended up reading this twice. By the time I got to the last page the first time round, I had to go back and focus on the illustrations. It turns out this is a profound book about perspective, assumption, and lack of background knowledge. 

MG/YA GRAPHIC

The Ribbon Skirt: A Graphic Novel by Cameron Mukwa November 12, 2024

This is the story of Anang, a young Anishinaabe two spirit preteen. At the same time as they want to own and wear their own ribbon skirt, they worry about what other people will think and say. With some friends, and help from the spirit world, they manage to collect the materials needed for a skirt. 

I appreciated the use of Ojibwe in the text with English subtitles at the bottom of the pages. I also like the additional information in the back matter of this book. It includes a glossary, a history of the ribbon skirt and of powwows, and an explanation of what it means to be two spirit. Also included is a recipe for Manoomin, (wild rice and berry salad) and a bibliography if readers want to learn more about the ideas in this graphic novel. 

My only problem with this book was the finding of enough thread in the wild to sew a skirt. I know it's a gift from the spirit world, but coming from my experience as a fabric artist, sewing with that tangled up mess just didn't make sense to me. 

It was interesting to be reading this at the same time as my nonfiction title, Wînipêk, (see below), where Niigaan Sinclair tells us that two spirit people existed traditionally in Indigenous culture, but that it was colonialism and residential schools that changed this. 

MG/YA FICTION

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown & Kathleen Mclnerney (Narrator) September 26, 2023

Roz and her animal friends are living their best lives on their remote island. Brightbill and his new mate, Glimmerwing, are setting up their own nest and laying eggs. Then they get news that a deadly poison is sweeping through the ocean killing everything in its path. When it reaches Roz' home, she tries to help her animal friends remain calm, but as resources dwindle, eventually their small community begins to fall apart. 

Then Roz discovers that she is water proof and further testing shows she is also poison proof. She decides to head off into the world to find and stop whatever is causing the toxin. The creatures she meet along the way help her find the Ancient Shark, who tells her it is coming from a huge mining station situated in the ocean. He wants a war to stop the mining, but Roz convinces him to first give her a chance to settle the problem peacefully. 

What struck me most about this book was the environmental degradation Roz encounters on her journey. It's a story showing the future reality of climate change as well as humankind's propensity to ignore the consequences of our industrial activity. 

I admit to connecting deeply to Roz' instant, deep attachment to her grandgoslings. 

Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz, Jeff Ebner (Narrator) & Emily Eiden (Narrator) October 31, 2023

Dani and Eric have been best friends since they were in second grade. Then when they are on an end of summer camping trip, their camper catches on fire with Dani still in it. While Eric risks his own life to save her, Dani is still badly injured. Prior to the accident, Dani had just made it onto an all boys baseball team as their pitcher. Her injuries make this now impossible.
Eric fears that he might have forgotten to turn off the gas in the camper and be responsible for the accident. In the hospital Dani becomes friends with Meadow, one of the popular girls at school. When Eric shares his worries with Dani, Meadow uses it to drive a wedge between the two friends.
Even when Eric is exonerated and the blame is shown to be a faulty battery in a remote controlled vehicle, it looks like their friendship can't be mended, and Meadow manages to further divide them. 

It seemed obvious to me that Eric, who had a tendency to forget things, probably had ADHD. I liked that this didn't distract him from accomplishing important things, and in the end, was acknowledged as also a source of strength for him. I liked the strong supportive parents. I appreciated that Elly Swartz gives us enough glimpses into the life of Eric's bully, to enable us to see him as a more dimensional character. 

A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga, Matt Rockefeller (Illustrator) & Michael Crouch (Narrator) September 10, 2024

A painting has gone missing from the art gallery where Rami Ahmed's mother works as a cleaner. Even though both of them are considered suspects, for a while he is still permitted to hang out when she works. When Rami sees a floating girl roaming the halls, he realizes she is the person in the missing artwork.
Rami and new his friend, Veda, who can also see the girl, decide to solve the mystery of the missing painting. It involves breaking a lot of family rules and trusting an artistic turtle before they get to the bottom of the crime.
There is a lot in this book about being abandoned by long time friends and what it feels like to lose one's sense of belonging. It's also about building new relationships and finding yourself and your voice.

 

A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching, #2) by Terry Pratchett & Stephan Briggs (Narrator)  April 29, 2004

 
One of my goals for this year is to reread all of Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series. An important aspect of Tiffany's personality is her ability to see beyond her first impressions by engaging in different levels of thought. It's this profound level of critical thinking that characterizes a witch. It's also something we need more of in our world. 
Three years after The Wee Free Men, Tiffany sets off to be an apprentice to the older witch, Miss Level. In this coming of age tale she starts to come to grips with who she will become. She struggles to fit in with the coven of younger witches led by the bullying leadership of Annagramma Hawkin, and ends up being laughed at.

Tiffany had already learned the trick of stepping outside of her own body to see herself. While doing this, she attracted the attention of a Hiver, a being with no body, who takes over the mind of powerful people. It manages to take control of her body and abuses her power. With the help of the Nac Mac Feegles and Miss Level, they manage to drive the Hiver off.
Afterwards the most powerful witch, Granny Weatherwax, helps her sort herself out but both know that it's not enough. Tiffany realizes that she has to deal with the Hiver on her own. In the end, using compassion and understanding, she is able to help it get what it needs.

This is a book about finding out who you are. It's about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions. It's also about finding fulfillment through helping others.
The Nac Mac Feegles are important characters in these books. These blue, tattooed, six inch tall, red haired men (pictsies) are a kind of fairy men who consider Tiffany their wee big hag. When they are not looking out for Tiffany, and sometimes even when they are, they spend their time drinking, fighting and stealing. 

Terry Pratchett's fantasy novels are full of comic satire. They are also loaded with advice on how to live a rich and meaningful life. 
"Learnin' how not to do things is as hard as learning how to do them. Harder maybe."

ADULT NON FICTION

Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre by Niigaan Sinclair (Author & Narrator) May 28, 2024 🍁

Niigaan Sinclair is is an Anishinaabe writer, editor, and activist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is the son of the late and former Canadian Senator Murray Sinclair and and Jeanette Warren.
"In his debut collection of stories, observations, and thoughts about Winnipeg, the place he calls "ground zero" of Canada's future, read about the complex history and contributions of this place alongside the radical solutions to injustice and violence found here, presenting solutions for a country that has forgotten principles of treaty and inclusivity."

This collection of essays will stay with me for a while. Even though I've read a lot of Canadian history with regards to our Indigenous peoples, I still learned more. The essay titled Landfill, is especially poignant as he compares the 'cost and feasibility' of searching the landfill for two murdered Indigenous women to the price of searching for the Titan, an uncertified transport vehicle with white millionaire tourists. "What’s been made evident by this incident though is that some lives are clearly more valuable than others."

On a positive note, since the election of Manitoba's Indigenous premier, Wab Kinew,  the Manitoba government is now searching the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, two victims of a convicted serial killer. 

CURRENTLY 

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett September 21, 2006

How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger & Tillie Walden August 6, 2024

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond & Dion Graham (narrator) March 1, 2016

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari September 10, 2024

We Are the Medicine (Surviving the City) by Tasha Spillett & Natasha Donovan (illustrator) August 20, 2024 🍁

2025 READING GOALS

#MustRead2025 8/25

NonFiction 6/30 

Poetry 1/12 

Canadian Authors 12/50

Indigenous Authors 2/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 23/200

In January I read 20 different titles. These included: 
5 picture books 
5 graphic novels 
6 1/2 nonfiction titles
8 novels

7 audiobooks

The numbers don't jive because there are crossovers in some of the books. The 1/2 is for a novel that included an integrated nonfiction graphic novel written by the fictional character. 

#IMWAYR January 20, 2025

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 slowly working my way through Evicted. Slowly, because it's an emotionally hard read. I can only do it in bits and pieces. 

I'm also learning about making marionettes through watching videos and a pile of books I picked up from one of my libraries. My guild's exploration group decided on birds for this year's theme. We have to come up with a project based on this theme and we must do something we have never done before. I've made a three dimensional bird before so this year I'm thinking of creating a bird marionette out of fabric. Right now I'm just learning, but I have to get creating pretty soon since I only have til May to have it finished. 

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 GRAPHIC NON FICTION

5 stars

A Shot in the Arm! by Don Brown April 20, 2021

This book looks at the history of vaccinations. It is narrated by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a survivor or smallpox, who popularized inoculation in England. Deadly diseases such as cholera, smallpox, polio, rabies, influenza and other illnesses are addressed. It explores the history of our understanding of disease vectors. This includes the science behind how the immune system works and the discovery of bacteria and viruses. It also looks at the origins of the anti-vaccination movement. Unfortunately it ends just prior to the development of the Covid 19 vaccine. The irrational anti vaccination behaviour we saw first hand during it, was part and partial to many vaccination roll outs.
The cartoonish illustrations make the complex ideas under discussion easy to understand, as well as making it a fun read.

MG/YA FICTION

5 stars

Plague Thieves by Caroline Fernandez May 25, 2024  🍁

Rose and Lem live with their parents above their spice shop. Their father has taught both of them to read, write, and do arithmetic. They are thriving until their mother gets the plague. Their father sends them to the stay in shop while he tends to their mother. Then when he also gets ill, he gives them a formula for Rose to make that will protect them from the disease. He then sends them off into the world with instructions to do whatever it takes to survive: steal, trade, or beg. As soon as they leave, he burns the building down with him in it. The siblings find a safe place under a bridge, but soon run out of money. Lem supports them by stealing from abandoned plague houses, but then he disappears. When she is begging by a church, Rose meets up with a mother and Clove, her daughter. After the mother dies of the disease, Rose and Clove band together with other orphans to survive. When she finds Lem, she discovers that he told others about their oil and that all of them are in danger. During a conversation with a plague doctor they learn that if they can find a way out of London to Cambridge, they will be safe.
This is a riveting historical novel. The characters are well developed and sympathetic. It's filled with enough action to keep readers turning the pages. I especially appreciated how much we learn about this time in history.

4 stars

Oliver's Great Big Universe: A Novel by Jorge Cham April 5, 2024

Oliver is a kind of nerdy Greg Heffley. The beginning of middle school is full of all kinds of strangeness, but the one thing that still makes sense to Oliver is science. Oliver is fascinated by astronomy and plans to become an astrophysicist some day. After admitting to his teacher that he wants to write a book about it, she encourages him to create it and share it with his class. In his book "Oliver explains everything he learns—like how the sun burps, how ghost particles fly through you, the uncanny similarities between Mercury and cafeteria meatballs, and most important, how the Big Bang is basically just like a fart in the school hallway."

Jorge Cham is renowned for creating kid friendly science programs and you can add this series to his list of achievements. His blend of humour, fiction, and science are a winning combination. 

I can't wait to introduce my grandson to this series. Everett is a bit of a science and math nerd so I'm sure he will enjoy it. I suspect my granddaughter will too. 

CURRENTLY 

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond & Dion Graham (narrator) March 1, 2016

A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld, #32; Tiffany Aching, #2) by Terry Pratchett April 29, 2004

Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes by Nora Shalaway Carpenter (Editor) et al

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz, Jeff Ebner (Narrator) & Emily Eiden (Narrator) October 31, 2023

2025 READING GOALS

#MustRead2025 6/25

NonFiction 5/30 one on the go

Poetry 0/12 one on the go

Canadian Authors 8/50

Indigenous Authors 0/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 16/200

#IMWAYR January 13, 2025

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!

Whoohoo!! The Canada Reads longlist was announced last week. I think it will be a good year.  "The books on this year's longlist all have the power to change how we see, share and experience the world around us." I've already put reserves on all the books, and when the shortlist is announced on the 23rd, will probably take off the ones that didn't make 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.

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

I Want to Read All the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi September 17, 2024 🍁

So so I!

When Hanna discovers what she can learn from reading books, she decides to read all of them. She read all the books in her room. Then she finished her brother's books. After she read all the books in her house, including a dictionary, her mother took her to the library where the librarian helps her find more books. When she takes her to an even more immense library, Hanna realizes that she will never be able to read all the books. Happily a friendly librarian there helps her to think about books in a different way. 

I was collecting up library books to return when I discovered this. I had read it with my grandkids over the holiday, but had forgotten to record it, so I read it again. I remember that we all enjoyed it. One of the kids remarked, I didn't know you could learn so much from books! We all agreed that we all want to read all the books! Two of my half Korean granddaughters liked that Hanna and her mom looked like them. 

Like Hanna, I too like to tell people all about what I've learned from my reading! 

4 stars

Me, Too! by Annika Dunklee & Lori Joy Smith (Illustrator) April 1, 2015 🍁

Annie and Lillemor are best friends who have much in common. Then Lillimor starts playing with, and spending time with Lilianne, a new girl. Annie worries that Lilianne and Lillimor will have more in common, and will no longer be best friends with her. Happily, all three girls become best friends.

This books teems with part of what I love most about being Canadian. It highlights the multicultural friendships I watched grow when I was a teacher in Vancouver.  Children know a lot more sometimes than adults do about getting along with others.

The Crow Stories Trilogy by Nancy Vo 

I finally read the last in this series, and afterwards had to go and read them all again. It's a western style picture book collection. Each book highlights a different character, but stands on its own. You have to read all three to understand the connection. In each book, sparse text accompanies Nancy Vo's glorious mixed media artwork. The following quoted reviews are from my initial reviews. 

5 stars

The Outlaw by Nancy Vo May 1, 2018 🍁

"An outlaw terrifies a town with his misdeeds. Eventually he leaves. Years later a stranger arrives and begins mending parts of the rundown town. In time he is recognized as the outlaw. This book makes you question. Can he be forgiven. Can he be redeemed? Is it enough that he is making amends?"

5 stars

The Ranger  by Nancy Vo August 1, 2019 🍁

"I was intrigued by the cover of this book. Then I fell in love with the first couple of pages. The first shows only a genderless silhouette and the words, "Once there was a ranger. The next page shows an image of a girl and the words, "Her name was Annie." Annie finds a fox who is in a bad way, rescues it, and in turn the two become friends. What we readers eventually come to understand is that friendship is not about keeping score, it's about supporting each other when we need help without any expectation of payment."

5 stars

The Runaway by Nancy Vo August 6, 2024 🍁

When a young boy loses his mother to cholera, he heads off on his own searching for something. He stays for a while in a town before heading off with a wagon train. Then he takes off on his own. When a couple riding horseback find him, he is in bad shape. They take him home, feed him, and put him to bed. The next day he goes to work for them for room and board. At the end of the book, we find out what he was searching for. I love the resilience of this boy! 

MG YA GRAPHIC MEMOIR - NON FICTION

5 stars

Sunshine: A Graphic Novel by Jarrett J. Krosoczka April 18, 2023

When he was a teenager, the author worked at a summer camp with seriously ill children and their families. This graphic memoir shows us what happened at his time there. It was a transformative experience that put his own worries in perspective. 

We meet a lot of remarkable children in this book. Not all of them make it. Near the end, I wept buckets. 

MG/YA FICTION

5 stars

Louder than Hunger by John Schu & Jeff Ebner (Narrator) March 5, 2024

I really appreciated this intimate exploration into what it's like to have anorexia. It is an intense read. From my perspective as a mother and grandmother, I ached for Jake, and couldn't help but root for him as he went through his treatment. I think this book will educate a lot of people as to what it's like to have mental health issues. I especially appreciated John Schu's notes at the end where he explains that this book is a fictionalized account of his own life. I like how hopeful this book ends. I suspect it will help others with this terrible disease to see that they can get help and live a better life. 

Sometimes when I have read a lot of hype about a book, I end up expecting too much from it. I expected a lot from this one, and it more than delivered. 

ADULT/YA NONFICTION GRAPHIC

4 stars

Lavender Clouds by Bex Ollerton July 4, 2024 

I wanted to love this more than I did. It's an example of having high expectations based on other people's reviews. Therefore, I suspect it's all on me. While reading it I couldn't help but compare it to Everything is OK by Debbie Tung, a book that I read last November. Both are graphic novel memoirs dealing with mental health issues. Both are important books. Tung's book felt more intimate to me. Perhaps it's because Ollerton's book is more a collection of stories while Tung's is one narrative. I'm impressed as hell that both of these women manage their work lives and careers while coping with their illnesses. 

I've been reading a lot of books about people with mental health issues but haven't found one that addresses living with schizophrenia. Can you recommend one? 

5 stars

Dog Days by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, Janet Hong 🍁(translator)

The author and her husband adopted a dog while living in the city. They fell in love with it and eventually moved to the country so it would have more space to run around. Soon they end up with more dogs they have rescued. The country seems idyllic, but it's also a complicated place. They befriend a few pups on their neighbour's farm, only to show up one day and they are gone. The dark underbelly in this story is that dogs disappear because of the tradition of eating dogs in Korea. In their village community, there's even a dog-buying truck that travels the neighbourhood. 

In an author's note we learn that that the dog meat industry wasn't banned in Korea until 2009.

I adore Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's artwork. I highly recommend this book as well as her two other two graphic nonfiction books, Grass and The Waiting.

ADULT/YA FICTION

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose & Lauren Ambrose (Narrator) October 1, 2024 🍁

I really wanted to like this book because I adored the first two in the series. This one? Not so much. To be honest, I abandoned it about half way in and skipped to read the last chapter. This is more of a romance than a mystery. 

ADULT/YA NON FICTION

4 stars

What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird by Sy Montgomery (Author/Narrator) November 5, 2024

This was a delightful read. I have been fascinated by chickens ever since reading Kelly Jone's Unusual Chickens Series. I wanted to get a flock of five birds when we moved into our small town here. My husband vetoed this. Instead we get a variety of different shapes and colours of eggs from a friend's daughter. She has a large flock of different breeds of chickens who range freely inside an electric enclosure. Coyotes are a problem. We can spend time with them anytime we want. When the grandkids are in town we take them for a visit. Sarah lets them feed the birds and collect eggs. 

So of course I enjoyed reading about Sy Montgomery's brood of chickens. I learned a lot I didn't know about how they learn and behave. I wish there had been more. She describes a process for dealing with aggressive roosters that I had never heard of. When I told Sarah's mother about it over dinner the other night, she said it was easier to turn them into soup. 

Until I read this, I had no idea it was part of a series. I'm now looking forward to reading the rest. 

CURRENTLY 

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond & Dion Graham (narrator) March 1, 2016

A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld, #32; Tiffany Aching, #2) b y Terry Pratchett April 29, 2004

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz, Jeff Ebner (Narrator) & Emily Eiden (Narrator) October 31, 2023

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy April 2, 202

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan April 23, 2024

2025 READING GOALS

#MustRead2025 5/25

NonFiction 4/30 one on the go

Poetry 0/12

Canadian Authors 7/50

Indigenous Authors 0/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 13/200

#IMWAYR January 6, 2025

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!

Hope you all had a fabulous winter holiday and are ready for the New Year. I didn't get a post in over the holidays since we had our children and grandchildren here for Christmas. Then the adults went home leaving three of the little ones with us. We would have kept all four, but one mom and dad were not ready to part with their little girl. We had a delightful time with them, heading off into the mountains to play in the snow, reading books, roughhousing, cooking, and even cleaning. They left New Years' Day. We were so knackered, that my husband and I agreed not to think about cleaning up the chaos until the next day.

This stuffed creature is my favourite Christmas gift. My seven year old grandson, Everett, made it for me. He came up with the idea, created the pattern, cut it out, and sewed it all by himself! Perhaps he's a new Edward Gorey in the making?

I managed to achieve all my reading goals from last year, but  I'm still working on figuring out my reading goals for this one. I'll most likely continue with the same strategy, but still have to whittle my #MustReadIn2025 list down to a manageable number. 

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.

PREVIOUS BLOG POST

First Friday Poetry January 2025: Where I'm From

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall September 13, 2022 

My four year old granddaughter, Ellis, and I loved this book. She was enthralled by the family of 12 children, and regularly counted them. I am of an age where I was reminded of visiting my cousins - a family with ten children who lived on a hobby farm. Unlike the farmhouse in this story, that house still stands, now inhabited by a different family. Both of us were sad that the farmhouse was left to decay, but fascinated by how it was taken over by animals and plants. 

READERS

5 stars

The Great Bunk Bed Battle by Tina Kugler September 1, 2020

This was a big hit with Ellis, who asked me to reread it about three times. It's a story of siblings who argue over who has the best sleeping place - the top or the bottom. The ending surprised both of us. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts by Matthew Burgess & Marc Majewski (illustrator) September 17, 2024 

This picture book biography taught me a lot about Edward Gorey. Previously, all I knew was that he published The Gashlycrumb Tinies, a macabre alphabet book.

Ellis and I read this together. She was interested almost all the way through (she loved counting the cats, and looking for the odd creatures highlighted in the beginning.) I was completely fascinated to learn more about this remarkable man. 

MG YA GRAPHIC

5 stars

Louis Undercover by Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrations) October 1st 2017 🍁

I find it impossible not to adore Louis. He's the kind of wise, sensitive, sweet young man I love to read about. He begins his narration with his younger brother, Truffle, and himself staying with their dad in the country. We soon discover that their weeping father is an alcoholic, and that this is most likely why the family is separated. When they return to the city, their mother is there to greet them. She seems to be a rock of stability, but Louis is aware of her fragility. 

Louis and his best friend, Boris, hang out on the balcony watching traffic. At school, he's smitten with Billie, a girl who, "when she does speak, the world ignites and explodes in clusters of honey and fir. Billie doesn't make threats - she makes promises." Billie is a girl who stands up to bullies, a girl who reads a book a week - science fiction, adventure, and biography. Most people don't notice, but Louis sees that when she is upset, her glasses slip down her nose just a bit. 

When the boys return to spend time with their father, Louis is aware that he is trying to not drink. It turns out to be a wonderful time. Then when Truffle ends up in the hospital with a bee sting allergy, their mother shows up. The family is briefly reunited until their father relapses. They drop him off at a detox centre and return to their life in the city. 

I intended to read Louis' story as soon as I finished Forever Truffle. My grandkids were barely in the car headed off home on New Years Day, when I sat down amid the chaos and read. I can't think of a better way to start my new year's reading than with this heartfelt book by this Canadian duo. It is a reminder of how mostly wonderful people are. Jane, the Fox & Me is another book by this team that I highly recommend. 

MG FICTION

4 stars

The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1) by Christina Soontornvat & Kevin Hong (Illustrator) March 7, 2023 

This lovely fantasy novel, situated in Thailand, focuses on Plum, a young girl with a special affinity for the natural world - especially plants. She has mixed feelings when she is chosen to attend the Guardian Academy, an elite school where students learn to shape shift and become protectors of others. Once there, she struggles to keep up with her peers who learn to transform into their animal shapes long before she does. 

I liked Plum and most of the other characters. I like the focus on learning to be of service to others. I appreciated Plum's moral dilemma and think readers will too. I think this is just about right for my seven year old granddaughter and grandson, either to read on their own, or as a read aloud.

MG/YA FICTION

 

5 stars

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin, Georgina Jane (Narrator) & Louis Hill (Narrator) October 8, 2024

The Novis siblings, Jakob & Lizzie, have ended up together at Bletchley park. Since Jakob has been away at school, the two of them have grown apart, but working together at the Park, and trying to figure out what really happened to their mother, brings them back together. Having read many adult novels about Bletchley Park, I was aware of the significance of this setting before reading this book. I realized just how important Jakob's job was, and why there was a need for so much secrecy. I especially enjoyed the siblings interactions with the many well known people, like Alan Turing. 

4 stars

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now... by Jason Reynolds & Guy Lockard (Narrator) October 8, 2024  

Neon Benton and Aria Wright have been together as a couple for two years. They have a plan for when they will move their relationship to a more physically intimate level. That time is coming up. Told from Neon's perspective, we meet a young man full of nerves about this upcoming event. He reflects on the history of their relationship and so we learn more about both of them and their families. 

Teenage me fell in love with Neon a bit, just like I have with all of Jason Reynolds young men. I appreciated his older sister, Nat, who gives him good advice about being honest in how he is feeling. It's good advice for all of us. 

5 stars

The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30) by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs (Narrator) May 1, 2003

One evening when I was putting my granddaughters to bed, they wanted a story. I tried to retell this one. Even though I've read this three times, it turns out I only remembered the highlights and so I decided that this year I would reread Terry Prachett's Tiffany series. You can read my whole review here, but the essentials are 

"Tiffany, only nine, manages to rescue her little bother, Wentworth, and the Baron’s son, Roland, from the Queen of the Elves. It is a gripping adventure wherein a talking toad, the Nac Mac Feegles and a frying pan play important roles in the rescue."

ADULT/YA FICTION

4 stars

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

"These visions of modern life wrestle with themes of death and technological consequence, guilt and sexuality, and unmask the contradictions that exist within all of us."
This surreal collection of short stories took me way out of my comfort zone as a reader. Illness forced me to stop and take a break from them for a bit, but I was still compelled to come back to finish them.

5 stars

The Masquerades of Spring (Rivers of London 9.2) by Ben Aaronovitch & Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator) September 5th 2024 by Orion

Gussie (Augustus) Berrycloth-Young, a graduate of the Folly, is an independently wealthy, gay Brit who moved to New York during the roaring 20's. He landed smack in the middle of the Harlem Renaissance: a time when black and queer culture flourished. Gussie is living his best life in a loving relationship with his black partner, Lucy (Lucien) Gibbs. 

Then Thomas Nightingale arrives. Nightingale is searching for the creator of a magical saxophone. Gussie and Lucy end getting pulled into his quest. 

Magic doesn't play as much of a role in this one, but it's there and underlays the purpose of Nightingale's visit. There is a joyful energy in this book. Aaronovitch's research brings the history of New York to life in this novel. I knew a bit about the Harlem Renaissance, but was unaware that queer culture thrived at this time. The drag balls sound brilliant. 

I hope Aaronovitch writes more adventures for these characters. The brilliant Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is one of my favourite narrators!

Ent

CURRENTLY 

Louder than Hunger by John Schu

Sunshine: A Graphic Novel by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Lavender Clouds by Bex Ollerton July 4, 2024 

Oliver's Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham April 5, 2024

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy April 2, 202

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan April 23, 2024

2025 READING GOALS

#MustRead2025 0/25

NonFiction 0/24

Canadian Authors 0/50

Indigenous Authors 0/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 2/200