Showing posts with label Immigration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Immigration. Show all posts

#IMWAYR June 13, 2022

 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. 



This summer I'm once again joining Sue Jackson and others to participate in the 2022 Big Book Summer Challenge. Click on the link if you want to know more about this fun event. I have a list of sixteen books that I may or may not get to this summer. You can have a look at it here.

As I write this on Sunday, it is day thirteen, and I'm still dealing with Covid. The line on the test that confirms positive is fading, so I'm optimistic that it won't last forever. I am feeling better, but my respiratory tract system is out of control and small bits of work exhaust me. These days, while napping is my favourite pastime, I do sneak out into the garden to pull weeds for short intervals and do the odd bit of housework. Thankfully my partner is the main cook around here. 

I did manage to find the time and energy to make an apron for my daughter in law whose birthday was last week. I will send it off to her as soon as I can leave the house. 


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 

A special thanks and shoutout to Max @ Completely Full Bookshelf for introducing these first two book to me.

4 stars

Every Little Kindness by Marta Bartolj (Illustrations) October 12, 2021

This wordless book gobsmacked me from the get go. The art work is brilliant. It's mostly sepia toned with significant bits in red. Following these bright splashes of colour is important because it provides clues for where an act of kindness has been and where it will go next. I like how acts of kindness are inspired not just by being on the receiving end, but also by watching kindness in others. 

Making new friends is challenging for most of us - even in the best of times. For Violet, it's even harder. She is infatuated with Mira, a popular girl in her class. As friendly as Mira is with her, Violet can't get over her own anxiety and shyness to invite Mira to have adventures with her. Even when she crafts a special valentine for Mira, it's not certain that Mira will ever get it.
I love the sweetness in this book. It's a perfect mirror for queer children and any of us experiencing our first crush.

Thanks to Beth Shaum @ A Foodie Bibliophile for the introduction to this one.

Gibberish is the perfect picture book to read at the beginning of a new school year: especially if you have new language speakers in your class. As someone who once taught English as a Second Language, I highly recommend it for all teachers. If I was still working, I would read it to the staff at our first group meeting.
Dat, a young boy, heads off to school in a place where he doesn't know the language. Everything sounds like gibberish to him. On top of that, People can't seem to get his name straight. It's all overwhelming for the young boy. Then a young girl takes him in hand. She invites him to play with her and, as she befriends him, ends up helping him learn this new language.
The imagery in this book is absolutely brilliant. Vo reveals Dat's experience by portraying the speakers of gibberish as black and white cartoonish characters, while Dat himself is shown more realistically in colour. While his emotions are shown clearly, the reader has to work a bit harder to unpack those of the rest of his cartoonish classmates. As Dat's comprehension of this new language increases, we see glorious colour and realism emerge all over the pages.
Young Vo shows Dat's world transform across the span of one day. It is really my only quibble with this book. I know it's only a metaphorical day, but I worry that children might think that learning a new language is easier than it really is.


This is a lovely story about a girl (Jyoti) and her grandmother (Sita Pati). They live in different countries and speak different languages, but the love between them overcomes those barriers. At first Jyoti and her family visit with Sita Pati in India. Then Sita Pati visits Jyoti in United States.
The title of the book comes from Tamil words of parting the author's grandmother taught her to say, instead of goodbye. Enjoy this book trailer. 

Each night before I go to sleep I set the timer and listen to an audiobook. Focusing on the book while I nod off keeps my brain from getting caught up in worrying about the things that otherwise keep me awake.
The book has to be one I have already read, and one without any terrifying bits in it. I've discovered that many of Pratchett's Discworld novels are perfect. Some nonfiction works too.
In The Wee Free Men, Tiffany Aching manages to rescue Wentworth, her little bother, and Roland, the Baron’s son, 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. The remarkable thing about Wee Free Men is that I have now read or listened to it more times than I can remember, and with each read, even when I'm half asleep, I find more to marvel at.   

ADULT NOVELS 


Kate Quinn pretty much had me from the first paragraph of this book. I was fascinated by her fictionalized portrayal of the life of Mila Pavlichenko. Pavlichenko was a Russian Sniper during WW2. After recording at least 311 official kills, she was part of a congregation of Russian students who were sent to the United States to try and encourage that country to engage in a second front against the Germans. Once there she was taken under the wing of Eleanor Roosevelt.
I got so caught up in her story I forgot about what is now happening in the Ukraine. Upon reflection I can't help but acknowledge that how we see stories of war and the participants, really depends upon whose side we are on.

ADULT NON FICTION

5 stars

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake May 12, 2020

Merlin Sheldrake is frigging brilliant.
Not only is this book full of fascinating information about fungi, it is a delightfully entertaining read that's easy to digest. (pun intended) Listening to it read by the author is an absolute treat. He fills the narrative with nuances of emotion, especially wry humour and excitement.
This book is mind bending in multiple ways. (again, pun intended) The scope of what he takes on in this book is almost overwhelming. Even though I knew a bit about systems theory and fungal networks, my head nearly exploded trying to rid myself of old notions of how the world works and fit a new world view into it.

If you are only going to read one nonfiction title this year, make sure it's this one.

CURRENTLY

An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives by Matt Richtel

Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson  🍁

Rez Rules by Chief Clarence Louie 🍁

UP NEXT 

Worser by Jennifer Ziegler

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 12/24 

#MustReadNonFiction 9/18 one in progress

Canadian Authors 31/100 two in progress

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Indigenous Authors 11/25 one in progress

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 1  one in progress

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 135 /250
Posted by 30 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

#IMWAYR February 7, 2022

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. 

Recently, reading anything except news has been hard. 
If you are not Canadian, you might not be aware of what's going on here in our country. It's distressing.
A group of truckers and others (99.9%white) with organizers connected to right wing, white supremacy, occupied our capital city. The citizens of Ottawa are tortured with noise and diesel fumes twenty four hours a day, and harassed for wearing masks. Roads are blocked so that ambulances can't get through. Other cities learned from the errors made in Ottawa, so this weekend, convoys planned in other large centres were thwarted by police and local protestors. On Sunday, more than a week after it began, Ottawa declared a state of emergency.

I am hoping that by the time you read this, the worst of it will be over. 

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

Bright Star by Yuyi Morales September 07, 2021

This book is is visually absolutely stunning.
My heart swelled at the beauty of the illustrations of the natural world of the Sonoran Desert. At the same time it aches because of it's destruction by the stupidity of some humans.


Dreamers by Yuyi Morales September 4, 2018

I reread this book after finishing up The Last Cuentista. 
I've gone through this book at least four times. Each time I find something I missed and end up loving it more. It's an homage to the power of libraries, of stories, but even more, its overflowing with the power of love.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

These days I've been reading graphic novels for the Cybils awards. By the time this is posted, we will have decided the winners. As soon as it becomes official, I will create a post sharing my thoughts on all of them.

I finished this last week.


NOVELS


I started out listening to this book but then it became so tense I downloaded an ebook and finished it that way. 
No wonder this won the Newbery. What a story! I am not a huge dystopian literature fan (I get easily terrified) but this book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go until I finished it. I was deeply, emotionally connected to Petra Peña. 
A comet is headed towards earth and Petra and her family leave the planet on a spaceship. They have been chosen to be part of a group who will survive and continue the human race on a new world. Unfortunately the ship has been infiltrated and taken over byThe Collective, a political group who think that everyone must be the same in order to avoid the conflict that made life on earth dangerous. In their efforts to achieve this, art and storytelling have been banned. 


I'm kind of gobsmacked by this adult book which is a fictionalized account of true events. In 1615, Johannes Kepler's mother was accused of witchcraft. Kepler ended up taking a year off his other work to defend her against these charges.
Aspects of this book are hilarious if you are a fan of black humour. It all seems so absurd until it isn't anymore.
Katharina Kepler was a somewhat cantankerous, illiterate old widow who was left well off after her father's death. People envied her for this and for her son's success. One aspect of this book that distressed me is how financial gain became a factor in why people made the claims they made against her. When she was finally imprisoned, her property was sold to cover the cost of her captivity. Her detractors then complained that there would be nothing left for them.
This book is terrifying in what it shows us about modern day witch hunts and the capacity for people to be riled up over rumour, lies and misinformation. It shows us the consequences of living in the middle of a world of scientific illiteracy and absence of logical and critical thinking. 
But then, I guess we don't need to read a book to figure this out.

CURRENTLY

Spílexm: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience, and Resurgence by Nicola I. Campbell

History Smashers, Plagues and Pandemics by Kate Messner

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu

UP NEXT 

Solimar by Pam Muñoz Ryan
and whatever else strikes my fancy

READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 3/24 

#MustReadNonFiction 1/18 one in progress

Canadian Authors 8/100 one in progress

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5

Indigenous Authors 2/25 one in progress

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 38/250
Posted by 3 comments:
Labels: , , ,

Living With Viola by Rosanna Fung

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic memoir. It was released November 30, 2021, by Annick Press.

This is a profound look at how personal anxiety is exacerbated by external situations. It's an important, albeit not comfortable, read. It's heart-wrenchingly brilliant. 

Olivia is the child of Chinese Immigrants. At her first day of middle school we meet Viola, her demonic alter ego, who fills Olivia's head with self loathing and fear.  Gradually Olivia becomes part of a group of friends, but even when things are going well, Viola never lets go of her grip on Olivia. When friend drama sets in, Viola completely overwhelms her. 

Olivia's feelings of inadequacy are connected to gatherings with other Chinese Immigrant families.  Rosanna Fung shows us a group of high powered adults who have high expectations for their children.  The expectation is that their children will become doctors, lawyers, or engineers - the kind of career that would end in a three figure salary, just like their parents.  Olivia and her family don't fit in. The family fakes their life so that they don't lose face.  Her father works two jobs to make ends meet.  Olivia is a gifted artist who dreams of a career connected to being able to draw. 

Thankfully, Olivia's family are mostly loving and accepting.  Her artwork is posted on display around their home.  When her parents realize what is happening, they arrange for her to see a therapist.  She learns coping strategies so that while Viola will always be there, Olivia learns how to keep her under control.  Eventually she returns to school and reconnects with her friends. 

This book is intense.  As a testimony to its emotional authenticity, I had to take a break from reading it because it triggered so much anxiety in me.  (I might have a wee Viola of my own.)  It brought to mind former students of mine. Perhaps their anxiety was not so debilitating as Olivia's, but I still worried about them then, and worry about them now.  Thankfully this book has a positive, hopeful ending. 

In this video Rosanna Fung talks about how the book is based on her own life experiences. 

Living With Viola is already on Canadian lists for one of the best graphic novels of 2021. It garnered a starred review from Kirkus and SLJ. I predict more accolades will come it's way and am certain it will be a contender for a Cybil award next year. 

I agree with SLJ, it is indeed an essential purchase. 


Posted by 1 comment:
Labels: , , , , , ,

#IMWAYR April 12, 2021

Hello out there. It's #IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. 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. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.


It was cold last week,  but I managed to finish weeding all the garden beds. Compost is spread over the vegetable patch. Monday (today) we will rototill it in and then go for another load of compost. Some will go in the remainder of our gardens and the rest will go to the neighbours. I've managed to get the grape and flowering bushes pruned. It's all just in time because many of the seeds I planted with my grandkids are ready to get transplanted into real dirt. 

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. 

BLOG POSTS FROM LAST WEEK

On the Trapline by David Alexander Robertson & Julie Flett (Illustrations)

Thao by Thao Lam

PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Pierre & Paul: Avalanche! Caroline Adderson & Alice Carter (Illustrator)  🍁 March 15th 2020
This was delightful! It's the story of two boys who head off on an adventure, but then the two explorers become hungry. They return to Pierre's house. Paul does not want salad so they end up making a magnificent mountain of a sandwich. When it ends up collapsing, they have to eat it out of a large bowl.
The book is written with English and French mixed together. Although sometimes I had to dig into my highschool French, for the most part, the meaning of the French vocabulary is accessible from the context of the story and illustrations. I appreciate that it wasn't a huge struggle and can see that this book (and hopefully there will be more in the series) is ideal for French immersion and French as a second language learners.

5 stars

Over the Shop by JonArno Lawson & Qin Leng (illustrator) 🍁 January 5, 2021

This is a book you want to pore over a couple of times at least. It is so richly nuanced and detailed that you need at least two go throughs to begin to appreciate it fully. You also need time. Don't rush to finish it.
On my first read I just grasped the story. The second time I reveled in the little details. One of my favourites is the maple leaf on the syrup jug when the young girl and her grandmother are eating pancakes. It shouts out, I am Canadian!

Over the Shop is about acceptance and transformation. A girl and her grandmother live behind their small grocery store. The apartment above them is vacant, but needs a lot of work. Many people come to view it, but no one wants to rent it. Then an energetic young couple arrive and with the help of the girl, mange to improve the place. At the same time as they transform the apartment, they manage to transform their community.

5 stars

Thao by Thao Lam 🍁 April 21, 2021

The author writes about her experiences growing up with a different sounding name. It's an important book that teaches readers awareness and empathy. It encourages other new immigrants to take pride in their own names and identity. To see more images from it, check out my full blog post here. 


A young boy travels with his Moshom (Grandfather) to visit the family trapline. On the journey he learns more about his Moshom and his culture. Julie Flett's artword is spectacular. I expect this one to win awards. To see more images from it, check out my full blog post here. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Kou-skelowh - We are the people : a trilogy of Okanagan legends by Barbara Marchand (illustrator) 🍁 most recent edition: 2017

I wanted to know more about the Syilx, the indigenous people who live in the part of Canada where I grew up and have returned to. This bilingual trilogy is written in both Syilx and English. It includes: How Food Was Given, How Names Were Given, and How Turtle Set the Animals Free. Barbara Marchand's illustrations bring the tales to life. 
The story of how these three origin stories came to be is as interesting as the stories themselves. Syilx elders were an integral part of the process from start to finish. Two of their criteria were that the stories remain unauthored, and that a profit not be made from them. 

NOVELS

5 stars

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn Mar 09, 2021

Kate Quinn writes brilliant historical fiction. I devoured the 600 pages of this book in two afternoon & evening sessions of reading. It is a compelling story of three  women from different backgrounds who become friends while working at Bletchley Park in the UK. I loved these characters. I wept for them, I feared for them and I celebrated with them. I loved learning about life at Bletchley Park during the war. In the author's note at the end of the book, Quinn talks about the real women her fictional characters are based on. It was as fascinating and satisfying as the book itself. 


Omakayas and her family receive warning that they must leave their home. This novel takes place just before the migration begins. Omakayas grows and matures while a group of men head off to collect what is owed to them after signing a treaty with white people. I loved the complex relationships between the siblings. While they are often frustrated with each other, there is also a lot of love.

3.5 stars

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston & Imani Parks (Narrator) Jan 19, 2021

Amari's older brother, Quinton, has been missing for a while, so when she receives an unexpected package from him, she follows his instructions. Soon she's enrolled in a paranormal school and training to be a Supernatural Investigator. She just has to pass a series of three tests and not let the fact that she is a magician get her disqualified.
I liked lots about this book. I like that Amari's skin colour and her family's financial situation are dealt with realistically and provide a connection to the ordinary reality of kids like her today. I liked her relationship with Elise and even Dylan. I liked the complexity of some of the 'evil' characters. I liked the integration of all the mythical creatures.
I had a hard time with all the bullying stuff. I just don't like books that have this as an issue, especially when those characters are never shown to be much more than empty antagonists. I really hate to see girls in these kinds of situations when what I want to see and modelled is cooperation between them.
I anticipated the final betrayal, but won't spoil it for the rest of you who haven't read it.

This hilarious novel is a parody of football (soccer) and the world of sports. Like all of Pratchett work it’s full of important messages about living a good life and getting along with others. With the introduction of Mr Nutt, (a goblin) he forces us to examine stereotypes and the issue of inclusion vs exclusion. I like how this book introduces us to the ordinary people who 'work downstairs'. I especially appreciate that it is these ordinary folk who end up saving the day for the wizards. Glenda is one of my new Pratchett heroes. 

CURRENTLY 

This is what I have on the go:

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatwood & Theodore Taylor III (Illustrations), 
The King of Jam Sandwiches by Eric Walters
Making Money by Terry Pratchett

UP NEXT

My next audiobook will be Starfish by Lisa Fipps
I plan to start Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth
My goal is to read and review two Netgalley titles: Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney & ROAR-chestra! by Robert Heidbreder. 

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 7/25 one in progress

#MustReadNFIn2021 3/12 one in progress

#MustReadPBIn2021 22/100 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 14/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 32/100

Canada Reads 2021 3/5 

Discworld Series 38/41 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 136/333  

Posted by 7 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thao by Thao Lam


Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It will be released April 15, 2021 by Owlkids Books.

Renowned Canadian author, Thao Lam, tells the story of growing against the backdrop of a culture that doesn't deal well with difference. 

It begins with an adorable photograph of the author as a young girl.  The next page shows her surrounded by a diverse group of students - all of them staring at her. The text reads, It's not easy being Thao. 

What follows is a description of her name and the issues she had to deal with because of it. It's regularly misspelled. Sometimes it is accidentally mispronounced. More often, other children make fun of her because of it. 

Life with an English name would have been easier. At one point Thao contemplated becoming Jennifer. There is a page of text with a Jennifer doing all the things Thao would do during a day. Then she imagines her mother's gỏi cuốn (spring rolls), and leaves off wanting to be someone else. At the end of the book she finally teaches us to say and spell her name properly. 

The artwork, a combination of childhood photographs and cut paper collage, is full of angst, tenderness, and humour. This important book teaches readers awareness and empathy. It encourages other new immigrants to take pride in their own names and identity. 

Highly recommended. 

Posted by 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

#IMWAYR January 25, 2021

Hello out there. It's #IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. 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. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

We've had glorious sunny weather so I've managed to continue with my daily walks. I now get antsy if I can't get out. Not only am I getting faster, I'm walking farther every day! We are supposed to get snow flurries this coming week, but the good thing about living in a semi desert is that it rarely adds up to more than a few centimetres a day and it doesn't last long. And if we get more snow than that I'll get to test out my new boots! 

I'm looking forward to the ALA awards today. Congratulations to all the winners, honors, and other contenders. Thanks to all the readers who had to make the hard choices. 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian Author and or Illustrator. 

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book. 

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Bubbles by Ben Clanton

PICTURE BOOKS


Narwhal and Jelly make their debut into the board book format. Younger readers will be delighted by this incredi-bubble story of finding beauty and joy in life no matter what. You can read my full review here. 

NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh & Raúl Colón (Illustrator) 

This is a reread for me. After finishing up Ocean Speaks by Jess Keating last week, I wanted to revisit this picture book about Marie Tharp's life. 

This beautifully illustrated book tells how Tharp, a female scientist, struggled to be accepted in a man's world. It shows how she was able to use others' work to create a map of the Atlantic ocean floor that revealed its landforms, thus providing evidence of the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift. I was surprised to learn that acceptance of this theory happened in my life time!

In one section Robert Burleigh articulates the way scientists work:
"As I continued working, others wandered in and out of my room, arguing about continental drift. Was it true? Yes, no, yes, no. (Scientists are like that. They question everything. Nothing is for sure -- until it's really for sure)"
I appreciated the section at the end of the work that includes additional biographical information as well as a glossary.
I loved quote at the end of the endnotes. "Marie didn't just make maps. She understood how the earth works."
The first person narrative in this title creates an intimate experience so we feel connected to a real person. Paired with Ocean Speaks, readers come to a rich understanding of Marie Tharp and her life.

POETRY

4 stars

Somos como las nubes / We Are Like the Clouds by Jorge Argueta, Alfonso Ruano (Illustrator) & Elisa Amado (Translator)

This collection of poems reveal the reasons so many young people leave their homes and everything they know to migrate to the USA. Their precarious journeys are full of danger. Some are these poems are heartbreaking. Others are hopeful. 

GRAPHIC NOVELS

I'm not going to talk about any of these novels in depth until after the Cybil awards are announced. 


This is a coming of age story about a young, queer, black man discovering he has superpowers that give him power over water. 



This memoir by Tyler Feder tells about the loss of her mother from cancer when she was 19. 



A princess visits different lands and has different adventures that connect to different fairy tales and other classic stories.

NOVELS


I have loved everything Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has written so far. She didn't let me down this time. The audiobook was narrated by Bahni Turpin. Between the two of them I ended careening between laughing out loud, biting my nails, and weeping.

Della narrates the story of her older sister Suki, and herself. They have ended up in foster care after something really hard to talk about happened to her.

As usual Bradley writes authentic characters I feel I could meet in a classroom or on the street. I appreciated Francine, who, while reserved, ends up being the perfect caretaker of the two girls. I adored Della. I love her spunk and fearlessness. Because she isn't afraid to stand up to a bully at school, she ends up making a difference for other girls. Suki nearly broke my heart. After being strong and looking after Della for many years, when they are finally safe, she attempts suicide.

Reading this as an adult who spent time in my younger years working with sexually abused girls and teens, I knew where this one was going. It was still hard to read. Did I mention that I wept?

I really appreciated Brubaker Bradley's note at the end of the story. This is an #OwnVoices novel. The authenticity and honesty of the novel come out of her own experience.
Nicole Chung was a very immature newborn to Korean parents. Her pediatrician wasn't hopeful for her future so they gave her up for adoption. Chung was then adopted into a white family who loved her to the best of their ability. She was told that her birth parents loved her but were unable to pay the medical bills or care for her so they gave her up. As much as she was loved, growing up as the only Asian child in a white community was a difficult experience for Chung. 
When she was pregnant with her first child she decided to find out more about her birth family. It would end up challenging her idea of her birth parents and changing her life. 
I wonder if Chung's experience as an Asian adoptee into a White family would have been different if her parents had lived in a multicultural community? I think that parents are much more cognizant of the challenges now than people were when she was a child. At least, I hope so.

DISCWORLD NOVELS

"Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind; it doesn't take you anywhere, but it tones up muscles that might." Terry Pratchett


This is a parody of detective novels. I couldn't stop listening. Commander Vimes and the City Watch have to deal with a series of murders, unexplained deaths, and the poisoning of the Patrician. Golems are mixed up in it. At the same time as Pratchett is making fun of the genre, I was captivated by the mystery. 
Like all of his novels, the small side plots and characters add special nuance and hilarity to the novel. In this one, the new hire, forensics expert Cheery Littlebottom, a female dwarf, is befriended by Corporal Agua. Everyone else in the Watch knows Agua is a werewolf. Cheery, unaware of this, confides to Agua that she can't stand werewolves. In the Discworld it's almost impossible to tell the difference between male and female dwarfs. Cheery decides to celebrate her gender and takes to wearing jewelry, makeup, skirts and even welds high heels to her steel boots. I'm looking forward to learning more about her. 


This is another City Watch novel. I read on a fan sight that "the title can be related to the word jingoism, meaning an attitude of belligerent nationalism." It pretty much describes this novel where Pratchett takes a poke at racism, war, and political intrigue. He especially denigrates military leaders. 
When an assassination attempt is made on a Klatch prince, Ank-Morpuk ends up at war with the Klatch empire. Disaster is averted by Commander Vimes, the Watch and the Klatch equivalent. 

CURRENTLY 

I'm reading Go with the Flow by Lily Williams & Karen Schneemann and just started Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson. I hope to get it finished before it has to go back to the library. The book I'm listening to now is the Last Continent by Terry Pratchett. I've taken a break from listening to Patron Saints of Nothing by by Randy Ribay. It got a bit too intense to listen to so I'm waiting for a text version. 

UP NEXT 

I've almost finished all the new to me Cybil graphic novel finalists that I can get my hands on. I'm waiting for some kind of copy of the remaining three. Then I'll peruse the ones I read previously and be ready to meet with the other judges. Otherwise I'll read from the pile of picture books I brought home from the library. My next audiobook will be Vi by Kim Thúy.

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS 

#MustReadIn2021 4/25 

#MustReadNFIn2021 2/12 

#MustReadPBIn2021 4/100

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors: 3/25 one in progress

Books by Canadian Authors: 6/100

Canada Reads 2021 1/5

Discworld Series 22/41 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 32/333 

Posted by 17 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)