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.
Just a reminder that if you are participating in the #MustRead challenge, Leigh Anne Eck at A Day In the Life is hosting the last update for 2021 here. When you are ready, post your #MustReadIn2022 goals here. The links are open until the end of January.
Our kitchen flooring was installed this week. I am quite smitten with this green marmoleum. It looks truly gorgeous when the sun shines on it.
We took our Christmas tree down on Saturday and the house seems bereft without it and the rest of the decorations. (Although, I am not unhappy about not having to constantly clean up spruce needles.) We are keeping the outside lights on for a while longer.
In spite of deconstructing Christmas, catching up on housework that I've let slide, and working on my second Olivia Dunrea quilt, it's been a relaxing week.
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 LAST WEEK
In beautifully soft images readers are invited to look at sadness from a new perspective. Rather than trying to avoid it, or hide it, we are invited to get to know it. Ask it's name, ask where it comes from and what it needs, spend some time with it, do things together.
Every school library should have this book. People of all ages should read it.
After I reviewed this book last fall, one of my book club members suggested we do a book club to talk about it. I reread it twice last week and am still as in love and confounded by it as I was then. If anything, I have more questions. I am very excited that Sara O'Leary is joining us. Here is my original review.
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| 4 stars |
Merry Christmas, Anne by Kallie Georg & Geneviève Godbout (Illustrations) October 05, 2021 🍁
I'm pretty sure it was Aaron Cleavely @Wriggling Bookworms who introduced me to this book. Among the many different (and wonderful) books Kallie George writes, are adaptations of the Anne of Green Gables stories. She captures the essence of the original novels in picture and chapter book format. This is a lovely look at how Christmas was celebrated in the past (even before I was born.) Geneviève Godbout's illustrations, rendered in pastels and coloured pencils, are gorgeous.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
These days I'm mostly reading graphic novels for the Cybils awards. I will do a post to share my thoughts on all of them after we pick a winner. From the ones I've finished, that's promising to be a daunting task.
Here's what I read last week. If I previously reviewed the book, I've provided a link to it.
My original review is here.
MEMOIR
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| 5 stars |
Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day by Kathlyn J. Kirkwood & Steffi Walthall (Illustrator) January 4, 2022
This memoir in verse is the perfect read as we near Martin Luther King's birthday, January 15th. It tells the story of how MLK day was made into law. One of the things I like most about it is how it inspires us all to become foot soldiers for change.
If I was still working in the library I might order two copies.
You can read my full review here.
CURRENTLY
Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth
I'm working my way through this slowly because it's a lot to take in. My copy has to be returned to the library soon so I've put another hold on it.
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier & Val Wise (Illustrations) (a Cybils title)
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
I listen to this as I'm falling asleep since it's a reread for me and I'm not tempted to stay awake to find out what happens.
The Strangers by Katherena Vermette
I'm almost done this audiobook.
The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (The Cybils graphic novels have forced me to put this book aside for now)
UP NEXT
Since I'm a round 2 Cybils judge, I am busy reading and rereading the finalists in the graphic novel categories. Hopefully I will find time for other books.
READING GOALS
#MustReadFiction /24 one in progress
#MustReadNonFiction 1/18 one in progress
Canadian Authors 2/100
Indigenous Authors 0/25 one in progress
