Welcome readers! 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. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.
Aside from that I had a wonderful time with my women friends in our three bedroom cabin on the beach. I got no reading accomplished while with them except for listening to a bit of Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett before going to sleep.
I was visiting with the grandkids for a couple of sleeps before the weekend and enjoyed reading with them. I did nothing for the first few days of Covid, but I've managed to read a bit with my eyes and my ears since then.
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
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| 3 stars |
The Blur by Minh Lê & Dan Santat (Illustrations) May 03, 2022
NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho & Teresa Martínez (Illustrator) September 28, 2021
This book provides a vignette from Yo-Yo Ma's Bach Project, a two year endeavour to connect people through music. In this instance we see him playing at the Mexican/United States border in Texas. It is beautifully written and beautifully illustrated.
Extra material in the back matter tells us more about Yo-Yo Ma, the project, and Petunia, his cello. If you are like me, you will want to go and listen to the music as soon as you are done reading.
CHAPTER BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes by Kate DiCamillo & Chris Van Dusen (Illustrator) July 22 14, 2009
My granddaughter and I are huge fans of Mercy Watson. I had to explain about drive in movie theatres back in the day when I was young. Aside from that we both laughed and laughed at Mercy's exploits. Alas there was no hot buttered popcorn waiting for us when we finished.
My granddaughter and I enjoyed this third adventure at The Fabled Stables. It's a story about belonging and attachment. With Fen claiming that caretakers don't stay forever, Auggie is worried that he might have to leave. The two of them end up chasing after a new beast, a Shibboleth. It leads them to the lair of the nasty Rooks. After the Shibboleth swallows Auggie whole, it's up to Fen to save the day.
This is a lovely tale about community. Cress, her mother, and younger brother have to leave their warren and move into an apartment in an old tree. There is much going on: grief for the father who went out one night and didn't return, wild precarious adventures, making new friends, and becoming part of a loving community. David Litchfield's artwork is glorious.
Once I started this book, I couldn't stop. It's a coming of age tale that includes a murder mystery. It's told from the perspectives of Todd, the ghost of the murdered young boy, and Georgia, a girl who becomes fascinated with the case. Both are queer kids finding it almost impossible to fit in. Georgia is sure she has seen Todd somewhere before. I found it interesting that while it's a murder mystery, Georgia does not try to be a detective. She still ends up discovering what happened to Todd and why.
I was completely mesmerized by this book. It's a book that examines relationships, childhood, love, and what it means to be human. Yet that ending was brutal. Klara is a character I won't be able to forget.
Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson 🍁
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
This is a lovely tale about community. Cress, her mother, and younger brother have to leave their warren and move into an apartment in an old tree. There is much going on: grief for the father who went out one night and didn't return, wild precarious adventures, making new friends, and becoming part of a loving community. David Litchfield's artwork is glorious.
NOVELS
Once I started this book, I couldn't stop. It's a coming of age tale that includes a murder mystery. It's told from the perspectives of Todd, the ghost of the murdered young boy, and Georgia, a girl who becomes fascinated with the case. Both are queer kids finding it almost impossible to fit in. Georgia is sure she has seen Todd somewhere before. I found it interesting that while it's a murder mystery, Georgia does not try to be a detective. She still ends up discovering what happened to Todd and why.
Tamaki's depictions of winter will have you going and putting a jacket on.
I'm always excited when Ms. Yingling gives a book 5 stars because I know it will be brilliant.
This is the kind of historical MG novel I love best. While set in modern times, it educates readers, through the story telling of the grandfather, about what it was like to be Chinese American across the span of the last 100 years or so. There is also a solid story line relevant to the characters experiences today. Lisa Yee's characters deal with just the right amount of conflict that ends up getting resolved in a healthy manner. There is a bit of a mystery to solve. I appreciate how it shows us both overt and covert racism across all eras.
Klara is a highly observant artificial friend. The story is told from her perspective. In the first part of the novel, she waits in the shop taking in the world around her while waiting to be picked by a girl or boy. Then she is chosen by Josie, a young girl with a strange sickness. Being solar powered, Klara sees the sun as a kind of mystical being who can be convinced to heal her.This is the kind of historical MG novel I love best. While set in modern times, it educates readers, through the story telling of the grandfather, about what it was like to be Chinese American across the span of the last 100 years or so. There is also a solid story line relevant to the characters experiences today. Lisa Yee's characters deal with just the right amount of conflict that ends up getting resolved in a healthy manner. There is a bit of a mystery to solve. I appreciate how it shows us both overt and covert racism across all eras.
I was completely mesmerized by this book. It's a book that examines relationships, childhood, love, and what it means to be human. Yet that ending was brutal. Klara is a character I won't be able to forget.
CURRENTLY
An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives by Matt Richtel
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
UP NEXT
Rez Rules by Chief Clarence Louie
READING GOALS
#MustReadFiction 12/24
#MustReadNonFiction 8/18 one in progress
Canadian Authors 31/100
Canada Reads shortlist 5/5
Indigenous Authors 11/25