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

#IMWAYR March 31st, 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 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. 

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

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.


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.

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.

CURRENTLY 

Cut You Down by Sam Wiebe February 13, 2018 🍁

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

#MustRead2025 10/25

NonFiction 12/30 

Poetry 1/12 

Canadian Authors 22/50 one on the go

Indigenous Authors 6/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 48/200

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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.

PREVIOUS BLOG POST

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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