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 managed to get a lot accomplished in the last few weeks. I didn't finish everything that was on my list, but I did complete things that were not on it.
Last Sunday one set of grandkids arrived, and then Monday I was at a quilt workshop. The children and their father left Thursday and I headed off to a quilting retreat. I really enjoyed the retreat and managed to get the quilt I started Monday finished. I also made headway with another project that I started about 1 1/2 years ago.
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| Here's the top that I finished. Lydia, my four year old granddaughter, has claimed it as her own. |
Her seven year old brother had a pile of books that he brought with him. I had hoped to sneak a look at some of them, but after they went to bed, I was too exhausted.
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
NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
Usborne Beginners
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| 5 stars |
Dangerous Animals by Rebecca Gilpin & Catriona Clarke July 01, 2008
My four year old granddaughter and I had a grand time reading these while she was here.
I used these nonfiction titles all the time when I was teaching. They are chock full of information. I love the pairing of one line of text with an image. These books were perfect for my ESL learners as well as primary students. When my husband and I were last visiting the Mosaic Bookstore in Kelowna, BC, I found some on sale for $1.99. I grabbed a copy of as many as I could find.
MG NOVEL
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| 5 stars |
Olivetti by Allie Millington, Christopher Gebauer (Narrator) & Simon Vance
(Narrator) March 26, 2024
This book is a perfect example of why I read middle grade novels. Olivetti, a typewriter, is one of the main characters. Olivetti lived with the Brindle family for years. Before the introduction of personal computers, it was a valued member. Then it was mostly forgotten until one day, their mother, Beatrice, packed it up and took it to a pawnshop where she pawned it for $126. Then she disappeared.
When the family are putting up missing posters for her, Quinn, the pawnshop owner's daughter, recognizes Beatrice, and connects with Ernest, her twelve year old son. Soon afterwards, Ernest discovers the door to the shop is open after hours, and steals Olivetti. As a way of helping the family find Mrs Brindle, Olivetti begins typing out the memories she once typed into it.
I really appreciated that we never really understand out what is happening with Ernest until the mystery is solved and the connection is revealed.
I adored this book. It packs an emotional wallop. Olivetti is a delightfully quirky character. I cared for Quinn, Ernest, and the rest of his family.
Last summer, my seven year old granddaughter purchased a typewriter at a garage sale. I can't wait to share this novel with her.
YA/ADULT NON FICTION
This Japanese mystery novel is both fascinating and creepy. When Yasuko Hanaoka’s abusive ex husband finds her and her daughter, they end up murdering him. It’s the only way they will ever be safe. Unexpectedly, their neighbour, Tetsuya Ishigami, a brilliant mathematician, comes to their rescue to help them get rid of the body.
He creates an elaborate plan telling them what to do and what to say should the police come knocking on their door.
Detective Kusanagi does eventually find the body and comes to interview the mother and daughter. They have a water tight alibi for where they were the night of the murder but the inspector feels that something isn’t quite right. When he talks about the case with his physicist friend, Dr. Manabu Yukawa, it turns out Yukawa is a friend of the mathematician. In the end, it’s the physicist who unravels what actually happened. I did not expect the convolutions that are revealed.
Detective Kusanagi does eventually find the body and comes to interview the mother and daughter. They have a water tight alibi for where they were the night of the murder but the inspector feels that something isn’t quite right. When he talks about the case with his physicist friend, Dr. Manabu Yukawa, it turns out Yukawa is a friend of the mathematician. In the end, it’s the physicist who unravels what actually happened. I did not expect the convolutions that are revealed.
ADULT NON FICTION
The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Jen Gunter May 25, 2021 🍁
Since I first read Dr. jen Gunter’s book, The Vagina Bible, I’ve been a fan of her work. I plan to purchase copies of Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation as a reference book for my grandchildren and their families. The latter is a book I really wish had been around when I was young.
I am post menopausal, so I didn’t really think this book would have a whole lot to teach me. But then, it's Jen Gunter, so of course it did.
Jen Gunter's writing is full of empathy, but it's also straight up and no nonsense. These are the facts. This is the research. Here’s what to look out for so you aren't sucked into purchasing from corporations selling snake oil. Not only do we readers learn about history of menopause through a feminist lens, we learn what to look out for to ensure that we are truly taking care of our own health.
Jen Gunter's writing is full of empathy, but it's also straight up and no nonsense. These are the facts. This is the research. Here’s what to look out for so you aren't sucked into purchasing from corporations selling snake oil. Not only do we readers learn about history of menopause through a feminist lens, we learn what to look out for to ensure that we are truly taking care of our own health.
CURRENTLY
The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett August 27, 2015
UP NEXT (MAYBE)
Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters by Charan Ranganath January 1, 2024
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong November 5, 2024
2025 READING GOALS
NonFiction 12/30
Poetry 1/12
Canadian Authors 22/50 one on the go
Indigenous Authors 6/25
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 48/200
Canadian Authors 22/50 one on the go
Indigenous Authors 6/25
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 48/200
I have a fondness for typewriters and had two in my last school library so I will have to read Olivetti. I am also interested in the menopause book. I am not post menopausal even though I am more than half way through my fifties, so I am sure to learn a lot.
ReplyDeleteGreat list of books. I hope you enjoy them. Those picture books look so good. Have a great week!
ReplyDelete