Showing posts with label #CosyFantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #CosyFantasy. Show all posts

#IMWAYR November 25, 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. I'm also connecting up with the Sunday Salon. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family!

Thanks for all your kind words. I am mostly recovered from Covid - just dealing with the leftover exhaustion and asthma that the disease has triggered.

This coming Wednesday we are planning on heading off to Vancouver, BC to visit our sons, their partners, and the grandkids. I'm looking forward to getting together in person with my bookclub people and to meeting with other good friends. I will most likely visit one of my favourite fabric stores and get my hair cut by the person who has been cutting it for the last 40 years. We will return home the following Tuesday. I doubt I will have time to get in a blog post next weekend!

I'm looking for suggestions for books for 4 1/2 year olds. I've got their older siblings covered, but need to figure out what to get for my two youngest grandkids. Both of these two are crazy about dinosaurs, bugs and princesses. I'd like to get them some kind of nonfiction. I'd be really happy if it is a Canadian author, but a good book is the key. Does anyone have any recommendations? 

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.

Speaking many languages is a super power!
This is a gorgeous book that celebrates multilingual speakers and honours the author's mother. Uma Menon drafted it when she was only 16! Her mother, who didn't learn to speak English until she was 12, ended up speaking English, Malayalam, and sometimes both of these languages intermixed. Menon learned both languages from her birth and is now fluent in both. 
"Every person has their own accent, but no matter how they speak, every person's voice is unique and important."

5 stars

When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast by Andrea L. Rogers & Madelyn Goodnight (Illustrator) May 7, 2024

This book begins with cosy images of people preparing for spring hunting and gathering. Then the narrator and her family head off to their secret spot to harvest wild onions. When the harvest is complete, they all work together to clean and cook these wild onions to take to a community celebration of the coming of spring. 
I liked the ecological focus on not over harvesting so as to leave some for other creatures and to ensure there are onions again the following year. I appreciate that this is an ongoing practice. In the author's note she states that "Churches and community centers host wild onion dinners as fund  raisers and reasons to gather." 
I was excited to find recipes for some of the different foods mentioned in the celebration and would love to try Cherokee eggs and wild onions. I might have to satisfy myself using scallions, but next spring I know of a hike where I can find some wild ones. 

GRAPHIC NOVELS


This graphic novel series is targeted for readers from grade two to grade four. It tells the adventures of Ollie, Jenna, Sleeves and Kay, a diverse group of children who live on an island off the coast of Vancouver. When Ollie's grandfather becomes ill and is sent by ambulance to the mainland, the children go in search of a mythical crystal that is supposed to have healing powers. The series is loaded with humour, magic, a collection of delightful characters and intergenerational friendships. Some parts of this one are so suspenseful that I was creeped out a bit. The west coast northern rain forest setting is absolutely gorgeously illustrated.
I'm wondering if my seven year old grandson has read this series yet. If not, the first couple will be going into his Christmas stocking this year.

I adore this book. It’s beautiful, zany, and chock full of all kinds of information about color. The narrator/author comes across as a little bit hyperactive, but also screamingly hilarious and brilliant as he breaks through the fourth wall.
Right from the start, you know things are going to be interesting when you see this.

Then instead of having a table of contents it has a wheel of contents representing the colour wheel. The first chapter is a basic introduction to color. Each following chapter highlights a specific color. These include the primary and secondary colors, white, black, and pink. Within each chapter, we learn how different colours are made, important artists who used these different pigments, and a lot of science behind behind them. The final chapter has directions for how you can create your own pigments as well as other activities for messing around with color.
The book is loaded loaded with text features. Yellow text boxes highlight additional information connected to the main content of the page. Speech bubbles and cartoonish illustrations add a graphic novel/comic book quality. There are charts and maps. There are images of important paintings and even pages where the background is itself a painting. At the end of each chapter, Weinberg asks a big question connected to art. He begins with what is art? and ends with Does art last forever?
The back matter contains a color toolbox that has directions for how to make different kinds of colors, what plants to plant in a garden to create your own pigments, a map of the world showing where all the different colors in the books come from, a Periodic table of elements, a recommended reading list, a bibliography, a glossary, an index and acknowledgments.The end papers have brief biographies of all the artists mentioned in the book. 
The target audience for this book is children and teens. If I was still working in my elementary library, I’d buy at least two copies. I'm certain that adults (especially artists) will enjoy it too. I sure did! If you’re wondering what to buy for that creative friend of yours for Christmas, this would make a great gift! Heck it would make a great gift for just about anyone of any age.


This is the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea. If you've read it, and are like me, you have been wondering how Arthur Parnassus, Linus Baker, and their magical children are faring. That first book gave us Linus' perspective. This one gives us Arthur's. We learn about his early life and abuse in an orphanage run by DICOMY ( The Department In Charge of Magical Youth.) 
It begins with Arthur and Linus heading off to a hearing about the upper management of DICOMY. The investigation was co-opted by an anti-magical people faction. Even though they were warned prior to entering, it was intense, and despite Arthur's attempt to control the narrative, the negative faction achieved their goal. When the two of them return home to Marsyas Island, things seem to return to normal, but everyone, maybe even the children, know it's just a matter of time before danger arrives at their door. Soon a new inspector from the department shows up. She arrives with an agenda to find fault with them and remove the children from Arthur and Linus' care. When Arthur overhears her in a zoom call with her boss, he discovers that they have even more nefarious plans. 
This is fiction, but it's an allegory for how all kinds of people are "othered" by power hungry politicians the world round. It's really about accepting and celebrating our differences. Occasionally it felt a bit didactic, but it is still a delightful cosy fantasy.

I usually have a fiction and nonfiction book on the go at the same time. It was serendipitous that I was reading this at the same time as I was reading the following memoir, which is essentially about the reality of living in a world where you are hated, feared, and shunned for being who you are. 


Ent
ADULT/YA NON FICTION


I was a fan of Danny Ramadan even before I read his memoir. Now I adore him. He is the author of adult and children's fiction. I have read almost all of his Salma books, but none of his adult work. Reading his memoir has been like getting to know a friend even better. Sometimes I had to put the book down because I was terrified of what was going to happen to him next. 
Reading this helped me understand the importance of found family and finding belonging in safe spaces. I'm thankful Danny Ramadan made it to Canada and has become a citizen. We are very lucky to have him.

CURRENTLY 

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver January 1, 1994

The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo, Júlia Sardà (Illustrator) & Allan Corduner (Narrator) October 1, 2024

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny 

Homelands by Timothy Garton Ash

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 18/25 

NonFiction 35/24

Canadian Authors 68/50

Indigenous Authors 29/25 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 198/200    

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#IMWAYR June 10, 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 hope you all had a fabulous reading week. I sure did!

I almost have the garden under control, but of course, this is always just a temporary illusion. We have started eating the lettuce and by next week this time we will be eating raspberries from the garden. I'm not really getting enough peas to make into a meal, but personally I prefer just picking them and eating them anyway. I purchased some more flower boxes at a yard sale so I get to go to the nursery again to find more things to plant. I'm considering just putting strawberries in them. My grandkids will be delighted. 

I needed motivation to do a good house cleaning so we had people over for supper on the weekend. 

I find that if I have a book in my head the time just flies by and I accomplish much more than I thought I would. What do people who don't listen to audiobooks do when they are cleaning house or gardening? 

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.

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PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Let's Go! by Julie Flett May 7, 2024 🍁

Let's Go pays homage to skateboarding, skateboarders, and their community. It's the story of a young boy who longingly watches the skateboarders "'cacussh! cacussh!" past his window. Eventually his mother brings him her skateboard from when she was his age. When he finally gets to the skate park, he is overwhelmed by so many riders on their boards. Then a couple of other boarders sit with him. They watch until they feel brave enough to join the crowd. Later on the boy supports another new boarder in the same way.
I appreciate that Flett shows us that it takes time and practice to get good at skateboarding. 
I also appreciated the author's note at the end of book where she talks about being inspired by her son and his skateboarding experience.

3.5 stars

The Sasquatch, the Fire and the Cedar Baskets by Joseph Dandurand & Dionne Paul (Illustrations) June 6, 2020 🍁

A lonely young sasquatch grows up on his own after the death of his parents in a flood. He forages for food and hangs out with bears during the salmon run. After he grows up he meets a young female sasquatch. The two of them pair up and have a child. The lady sasquatch created thousands of cedar baskets that they filled with water and left around the forest. When a forest fire eventually came, the sasquatch poured the baskets of water over it until the fire was out. 
I like the juxtaposition of traditional art with photographs of real life. These illustrations connect the story to the land and hints at all kinds of spirits the land holds. Although I like these illustrations, I think the story might just work better being read out loud to children. Joseph Danduand is a poet and gifted story teller. His words are all you really need. You can listen to him read this here. 

4 stars

Benny the Bananasaurus Rex by Sarabeth Holden & Emma Pedersen (Illustrator) April 4, 2023 🍁

The only thing Benny, the tyrannosaurus rex, likes more than dinosaurs, is bananas. He is warned that if he eats too many bananas he will turn into one. Benny isn't worried. He happily devours his bananas in many different iterations. From banana pancakes, to banana, peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, to tacos with fried bananas and banana peppers, Benny just can't get enough. Then one morning Benny wakes up and discovers he has turned into a bananasaurus rex! Benny couldn't be happier!
The book is a fun read. Both the illustrations and text are full of puns.

When you pick up a Kay O'Neill graphic novel, you know you will be immersed in an enchanted reality that includes a coming of age tale wherein truths about being human and living your best life will be revealed. They didn't let me down here. 
Anya is learning to be a Moth Keeper. The job entails looking after the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. The flower is essential for her community to survive. Eventually Anya is capable enough to guard the lunar moths on her own. Then one night, she falls asleep and the moths go missing. I deeply appreciated that even though Anya blamed herself, the community did not. They saw it as their failure to support her when she needed them. I really wish the real world was more like this. 
As I read this book I realized that as much as I love graphic novels, I depend a lot on text. This book has pages and pages of wordless panels. I had to slow down and focus on what was happening in the images more than usual. I'm so glad to have been forced to do this. I think I appreciated Anya's loneliness and heartache more deeply because of it. 

5 stars

As I Enfold You in Petals (The Spirit of Denendeh #2) by Richard Van Camp, Scott B. Henderson (Illustrator), Nickolej Villiger (Letterer), Donovan Yaciuk (Colorist) April 25, 2023 🍁

Curtis, an Inuit young man realizes he has to get sober and heal himself. He knows that to succeed, he needs to heal his people. In order to do this, he needs the help of the little people. Before this, he must get a powerful crime leader on his side. Ultimately, in order to heal, they must all help each other. 
This is the second indigenous title I've read that talks about little people. I picked it up because when I was young, my Menominee grandmother used to talk about the little people. I thought she meant fairies and elves. Since then I've discovered that many Indigenous groups have stories of little people. 
The realistic artwork in this graphic novel is gorgeous.  A lot is packed into such a few pages. It's an emotional read that ends on a note of hope. I am impressed by how rich and complicated the characters are in such a short graphic novel. 


I enjoyed this book as much, if not more than Legends and Lattes. This one features a book store so I might have appreciated it a wee bit more. I especially loved the epilogue!
This prequel tells us more about Viv, the owner of the coffee shop in Legends and Lattes.  After being wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she was left behind in the village of Murk to heal. Viv ends up spending time in a rundown bookshop, befriending Fern, the owner, and helping her spruce up the shop and turn it into a thriving business. In the process Viv learns to love books and reading. She has a bit of a romance with the town baker, a dwarf named Maylee. When she is mostly healed, Viv, Gallina, another fighter, and a skeleton homunculus, head out into the country to deal with a nest of monsters. While away they discover evidence that the necromancer is much closer. 
I love that this series is populated mostly by women. There are some male characters, but all the significant ones are female. I love that it is about friendship, acceptance, and helping each other out. I appreciated the energy of the battle scenes. I adore the little griffin, Potroast, who brings humour into the tensest of moments. 


"Robert Morris Sapolsky is an American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist. He is the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor at Stanford University, and is a professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery. His research has focused on neuroendocrinology, particularly relating to stress."
I read Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will in January of this year. I have questioned the notion of free will since my teens, and in that book Sapolsky provided scientific reasoning that supported my thinking. I immediately put a hold on Behave at my local library.
In Behave, he explains in much greater detail the science behind why we do the things we do. Our understanding of human behaviour has come a long way since I took psychology courses at university in the 1970s! This brilliant book reads like a modern textbook outlining the multiple factors involved in why humans and other primates act the way they do. The short answers might be: it depends and it's complicated.
At 790 pages, (26 hours) it's a long book. I promise you it's worth it. Behave is one of, if not the best, nonfiction book I've ever read. I didn't want it to end. 
If this book isn't on your radar, it really should be. 



CURRENTLY

More Than Money: How Economic Inequality Affects Everything by Dyer, Hadley 🍁

The War of the Witches by Zetta Elliot  🍁

A Blanket of Butterflies by Richard Van Camp, Scott B. Henderson (Illustrator), Nickolej Villiger (Letterer), Donovan Yaciuk (Colorist) October 20, 2015  🍁

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein  🍁

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu 🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 12/25 

NonFiction 17/24 one on the go

Canadian Authors 32/50 three on the go

Indigenous Authors 12/25 one on the go

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 98/200  

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