Showing posts with label Memoir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memoir. Show all posts

#IMWAYR February 6, 2023

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. 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.

Both fabric arts workshops I attended the last couple of Mondays were brilliant. I learned a lot! I'm now working on a project of my own inspired by the paintings of Alma Thomas. 

Life was busy last weekend and last week so I didn't even try to come up with a post. Instead, I got a caught up on my reading and today I'm sharing two weeks of reading. 

I've decided to join Beverly A Baird & Linda Schueler in their Free Verse Fridays. On the first Friday of the month, we post a poem written on a theme. You can read my February contribution at the link below. 

Even though the shortlist has been announced, I'm still reading books from the longlist of Canada Reads. For those of you who don't know what this is, you can read more about it here. Essentially a number of books, authored by Canadians, are chosen to represent a theme. This year the theme is one book to shift your perspective. Five books are championed by five different celebrities who debate them on CBC across four days. Each day a different book is voted off. 

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

FREE VERSE FRIDAY #2 WINTER



Nathalie Dion's illustrations are glorious. Right off the bat this huge expanse of sky and a line of horizon it took my breath away.

Kumo is a small cloud who has stayed away from the spotlight. When she is called upon to provide shade, she is fearful and full of self doubt. She soon learns that closing your eyes is a bad idea, but with the help of others, manages to figure out how to carry out her responsibility. She even ends up making some new friends. 


Blanket by Ruth Ohi August 2, 2022  🍁

Cat wakes up to a grey day. Not even the bluebirds outside their window make a difference. They hide under their blanket until a friend, Dog, arrives. Dog listens, reads, plays and sits with Cat until they feel better.
This is a profound book about sadness and understanding that just being there with someone really helps.


This is a perfect example of a picture book for adults - or at least for older readers. At first it seems like it's going to be about a child excited that their uncle is arriving tomorrow. It's not. Each page shows the child aging and waiting for the uncle who never arrives. Notes in the back matter make it very clear that this is a book about the disappeared.
 

When Gigi's grandfather comes to visit, their language and cultural differences distress her. With the help of her mother, and a grandfather eager to connect with her, they manage to bond. 


MG NOVELS


This is an intergenerational novel full of humour, worry, and love. Two children, Leo and Lizzie, end up alone with their unknown Grampa when their parents go to spend a few days a spa. While they are gone someone steals the farm's beehives. The trio end up on a wild adventure as they try to solve the mystery of the stolen hives. 
I encourage you to go and read my full review of this book. Then you should purchase it. 

5 stars

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, Kinsale Hueston (Narrator) & Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Narrator) November 09, 2021

It's taken me ages to finally get to this book. I've had it checked out of the library a couple of times before finally getting to it. Maybe adding it to my #MustReadList helped?
It's told from two perspectives. Nina, a Lipan Apache girl, is a story teller who believes there is more out there than just our ordinary world. Oli is a cottonmouth youth who lives in the spirit world. When a catastrophe on earth causes one of his friends to become deathly ill, he and some friends visit in an effort to find a cure.
That summary doesn't come close to explaining how subversive and smart, and how brilliant and beautiful this book is. If it's not on your list, go and add it now! It is really neither a MG, YA, or an Adult read. It's a story for everyone!

 ADULT YA NOVELS

4 stars

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin & Ulka Simone Mohanty (Narrator) April 13, 2021 🍁

I probably wouldn't have finished this except that it was on the Canada Reads Longlist. 
I had a hard time getting into it because I thought it was going to be a romance along the same lines as the movie, "You've Got Mail." I worried that it would be full of angst. 
There is some of that here, but oh so much more! Readers are introduced to aspects of history of the Southeast Asian diaspora - especially as it pertains to the role of women. We see what it's like to deal with Islamophobia and racism.
What I mostly adored were the characters. Even the secondary ones have personalities, backstories and their own problems. The romance, when it really happened, was just lovely. 
I'm glad I read it. 

Nina Totenburg's memoir integrates the story of her own life with that of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ruth was the same age as my mother and Nina is about 10 years older than me. I remember the struggles these trail blazers had to endure as professional women in a male dominated culture. Despite the very real challenges women and girls face today, our lives are much easier because of them. 

CYBILS GRAPHIC


I am unable to comment on these right now, so I'm just sharing quotes the from GoodReads blurbs. As soon as the winners are announced, I will post my reviews of them. 


Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Dawud Anyabwile & Derrick Barnes September 27, 2022

"On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships."

"An epic sci-fi graphic novel romance between two non-binary characters as they find one another through time, distance, and war. An amazing story that explores the complexity of human nature and what brings us together."


Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas May 17, 2022

"Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees--until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help."


"a must-have graphic novel about five very different students who are forced together by their school to complete community service... and may just have more in common than they thought."


"A little girl arrives, excited for a beach vacation with her Lao Lao. The girl and her grandmother search for shells, chase crabs, and play in the sea, but when the girl finds an exquisite flamingo feather in her grandmother's living room, her vacation turns into something fantastical."


The Woman in the Woods and Other North American Stories by Kate Ashwin (Editor) et al April 5, 2022

"Tricksters? Rabbits? Rougarou?
Shapeshifters so frightening you shouldn't speak their name? That's just the start of this collection of folklore from the Indigenous people of North America, retold in comic form."

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship.


"It’s the first day of sophomore year, and now that Winifred’s two best (and only) friends have transferred to a private school, she must navigate high school on her own."

CURRENTLY

Half Bads in White Regalia by Cody Caetano 🍁
Crunch by Kayla Miller
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye 🍁

UP NEXT 

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 🍁
Greenwood by Michael Christie 🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustReadFiction 3/24

#MustReadNonFiction 0/20

Canadian Authors 9/75

Indigenous Authors 3/20

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 36/200


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#IMWAYR July, 11, 2022

Welcome readers! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have beouten 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. 


We enjoyed having our two grandkids visiting with us for four sleeps last week while Mom and Dad got the new house ready to move into. They arrived and left earlier than expected, so I am able to get a post in. The youngest had never been away from her parents before. During the day she was fine, but bedtime was hard. They returned home on Sunday. It was time. I came home, picked five pounds of raspberries, froze them, and crashed on my reclining rocking chair listening to an audiobook. My partner came in saying he already missed them. It will take me a day and getting all the chaos of toys strewn all over the house cleaned up before I do. As I write this, I am just enjoying the quiet down time. 

The best part of having them with us, is reading together. Ada is on the cusp of becoming an independent reader so we read fun pattern books to help her on her way. We also read lots of different picture books, but today I'm mostly just sharing books that are newish to me. 

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 
 
4 stars


A family spends the day at the beach in this wordless picture book. The three children spend their time trying to build a sand castle. Time and again it is destroyed by different things. A toddler totters through it. The wind blows a woman's hat into it. Waves crash into it. The siblings remain undaunted and rebuild after each disaster. Then it's time to go home. 
Qin Leng's artwork is brilliant. I spent hours poring over the illustrations. 
Then I gave it to my granddaughter to try out by herself. I think she isn't ready for this kind of book yet - at least, not all by herself. 

I like how this book is laid out. Each animal is given two full page spreads. In the first, the second page is folded over so we see an imaginary version of the unique creature we are about learn about. 


The inside spread has an illustration showing the animal in its habitat. Information boxes, written in scientific jargon, surround the beast. Each page has a fact box on the bottom right hand side with details about the animal. I like that these show a silhouette of a scuba diver or their mask compared to a similar image of the creature. This is a brilliant way of getting a sense of what the size data means. 


On the right hand side of the spread is large print text written from the perspective of each animal. I read and enjoyed this by myself the first time round. Then Ada and I read a few pages of the book for a few nights til it was done. Those personalized entries were what fascinated her most. 

CHAPTER BOOKS

5 stars

Charlie and Mouse Series by Laurel Snyder & Emily Hughes
Charlie & Mouse (#1) April 11, 2017; Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy (#2) January 1, 2017; Charlie & Mouse Outdoors (#4) March 3, 2020; Charlie & Mouse Lost and Found (#5) August 24, 2021

Charlie & Mouse Are Magic, the newest book in this charming series will be released in August. Luckily, Lost and Found was available at my library so I was able to introduce these two brothers to my five year old granddaughter, Ada. She ended up loving these characters as much as I do. We laughed together at all the same places. I then found some digital versions available at the library, downloaded them, and we binged a bit. We read the first book in the series a couple of times. Ada especially enjoyed the Bedtime Banana story. We both agreed that Grumpy is a lot like her Grandpa. 
I am thinking I will get one entire set for her and another for her cousin who is the same age. 
If you know nothing about these books, they are based on the author's two sons. They capture the joys and humour of everyday life. Emily Hughes' illustrations are the icing on the cake. She captures an innocence in childhood and shows us a diverse cultural community living together in harmony.

Ada and I enjoyed the first in this series well enough. Eva is a young owl who tries to organize a festival all be herself. It's an overwhelming task. At first she thinks she can do it by herself, but by the end realizes she needs help. Along the way she learns a valuable lesson about delegating and turns a foe into a friend. 

5 stars

The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale & LeUyen Pham (Illustrations)

Ada and I are now caught up in our Princess in Black reading. We might have read this together before, but I didn't keep track of it. In this one the princesses superhero alias' have to work together to give a bath to a very stinky monster.  

NOVELS


This memoir by Jordan Sonnenblick goes a long way to explain why his fictionalized young men are some of the sweetest I've encountered in middle grade fiction. 
A lot happened to young Jordan when he was in grade four. His pet snake had way too many babies. He had bullies to watch out for, drum lessons to keep on top of, and had to take a lot of medication for his asthma. To top it all off, his teacher hated him - really hated him. (This last bit really made me really angry.) When she hit him his parents put him in a new school with a new loving teacher. 
This is an important book for teachers. As someone with asthma who on occasion has to take a lot of medication, I am fully aware of how jittery this makes us. I've always cut kids like young Jordan as much slack as I could. For those who never had to experience this, it gives you insight at what it feels like. The whole book is full of insights to help teachers become better people in the classroom. 
For readers, this book will help struggling students realize that they are not alone. They are sure to appreciate the humour in this.
I loved all the connections to comic books and literature. I managed to miss Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series. (I was in my last years of high school and taking in 'serious literature' when it was first published) After reading this I am convinced that I missed an important reading experience in my youth. 

4 stars

The Crosswood by Gabrielle S. Prendergast January 19, 2021 🍁

This is from the Orca Currents collection. These books are "are short, high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Reading levels from grade 2.0 to 5.0. Interest level ages 9-12"
Blue Jasper loves his twin siblings, but they are a handful to look after. One day when he is trying to give his mother a break, he takes them for a hike in the forest. Just like that, they disappear. It turns out they have been kidnapped by the Fairy King. Blue discovers that they are actually the children of the Fairy Queen. In exchange for her saving Blue's life, his mother made a bargain to look after the twins. Now the queen wants to take his mother's life for failing to take proper care of them. Blue makes a bargain with the queen and sets off into the dangerous fairie realms to rescue his foster siblings. Along the way he makes all kinds of new friends. 
As is common with these books, the plot zips right along. I was enthralled enough to keep turning page after page. What really impressed me was how much character development Prendergast managed to fit into this novel. I finished up wanting to read the sequels, The Wherewood & The Overwood. 
As a fan of Holly Black's fairie books, I wondered if this book would work for me. It turns out to be like a stripped down version of one of hers. It might not have the rich complexity of Black's books, but I was still pleasantly surprised. 


I am thankful to Karen Yingling, who highlighted this book a number of years ago. Anytime she gives a book 4 or more stars, it goes onto my must read list. I am a sucker for any book with grandparent connections and this book did not let me down. 
Set against the backdrop of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, this story of forged friendships unfolds through the perspectives of three main characters. Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko are two girls who lived in the city at that time. Both lost their fathers through the accident. Rita Grigorievna fled Kiev in 1941, just prior to the Nazi invasion. At first Valentina and Oksana seem to be enemies. Then they end up travelling together and staying in Leningrad with Valentina's grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. As Oksana gets to know Valentina and her grandmother she discovers that her abusive father's anti-Semitic rants were false. As the two girls and the grandmother get to know one another, love grows between them. Then Oksana's mother comes to take her back to Minsk. The man she is now with turns out to be as abusive, if not even more than her father was. It's up to Valentina and Rita to come up with a plan to rescue her. In the end it involves the Muslim family who save Rita in the 1940's. Fans of Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch will enjoy this. 

CURRENTLY

The Body by Bill Bryson
Traitors Among Us by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

UP NEXT 

Three Women and A Boat by Anne Younson
Truckers by Terry Pratchett

READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 13/24 one in progress

#MustReadNonFiction 11/18 one in progress

Canadian Authors 41/100 one in progress

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Indigenous Authors 12/25

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 4 one in progress

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 162 /250

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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)


Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this memoir in verse. It was released January 4, 2022, by Clarion Books.

Kathlyn J. Kirkwood was 17 when she participated in the march for the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. The following day, April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, who had led the march, was assassinated. Rioting, chaos, and military oppression ensued. She wondered if maybe Dr King was right when he said, 

"A riot is the language of the unheard” 

In this memoir Kirkwood personalizes the movement to honour Dr King with a federal holiday. She outlines the ongoing struggle to bring forth the King Bill into law. It took 15 years. Her life continued on with university, marriage, work, and children. She honours the many people who worked hard to make it happen, especially Stevie Wonder and the role he played. 

I did not know that his Happy Birthday song was about Dr King. 


I got shivers reading about the passage of the bill through congress, the senate, and being signed into law by President Reagan in 1986.


I appreciated the integration of posters, photographs, maps, petitions, tickets and other memorabilia that connects to what was happening at the time. 

I especially like what Kathlyn has to say about the role of foot soldiers - ordinary people who work for a cause without recognition.


Even before this quote, I was already inspired by her idea of foot soldiers. It makes me think about what I can do as a foot soldier in the movement to stop climate change and bring in a new green deal. 

This memoir in verse is the perfect read as we near Martin Luther King's birthday, January 15th.

If I was still working in my school library, I'd purchase two copies.
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#IMWAYR November 29, 2021

Hello everyone. 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.

There is some positive news regarding the recent flooding and road closures in my part of the world. Routes for essential traffic have opened up so the mail and other necessities are being delivered. The grocery store shelves are stocked and life seems pretty normal. We are a bit worried about whether our sons and their families will be able to make it for Christmas because of road conditions, but have already determined to celebrate later if it doesn't work out. 

We've had a wonderful week here. Well, except that we have piles of cupboards taking over the main floor of the house ready to install as soon as the valence is finished. Everything takes a lot more time than you anticipate. I'm making progress on my baby quilt, so hopefully it won't be true for it.

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.


This picture book/graphic novel hybrid is hilarious! Princesses and dinosaurs argue over whose book this is. Each group brings in their big guns - a T Rex for the dinosaurs and a dragon for the princesses. It doesn't turn out like the original two groups planned.
I appreciate the diversity in the princesses. I love that by the end of the book the princesses and the dinosaurs have learned to appreciate one another and have fun together.
The colourful artwork was created digitally.

5 stars

The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason & Byron Eggenschwiler (Illustrator) September 1, 2020  🍁

This is a sweet story about being different, and coming to accept yourself just are who you are. I love that because the little ghost is a quilt instead of a sheet, it gets treated and admired just like regular quilts are. Riel Nason is a Canadian quilter and author. Check out some samples of her work here. You can see examples of Byron Eggenschwiler's other artwork here. 


After finishing this book I really wished I wasn't allergic to creatures with fur. It made me miss my childhood cat terribly.
I read this first and then went in search of Buffy singing this song. It was even better when I reread the book with her voice and the rhythm of the music in my head.
Ben Hodson's digitally rendered artwork is loaded with charm. It shows the story of a young girl and her diverse family adopting a dog from a shelter.
The back matter includes song lyrics and music, photographs of Buffy Sainte-Marie with some of her animals and a note from the author.
Listen to the song here. https://youtu.be/bLMUjeuhKkU

4 stars

Knot Cannot by Tiffany Stone & Mike Lowery (Illustrations) April 7, 2020   🍁

This book is a lot of fun!
The blurb says it is "a pun-packed look at friendship, jealousy, and being yourself." That's pretty much it. Knot envies Snake who can do a lot that Knot cannot. But when danger lurks, it's Knot who saves the day. If this isn't enough to encourage you to purchase a copy, The language is mostly simple enough to add to your reader shelf. I love the different kinds of knots at the end of the book.

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Gizmos, Gadgets, and Guitars: The Story of Leo Fender by Michael Mahin & Steven Salerno (Illustrations) September 7, 2021

This is absolutely wonderful!
If you know anything about guitars and music from the past 6 or 7 decades, you will have heard of a fender guitar. This is the story of how Leo Fender went from tinkering away at broken radios to making world famous musical instruments.
Steven Salerno's art is the perfect accompaniment. The original illustrations were created crayon, ink, gouache, and pastel on paper. They were scanned, imported into Photoshop, and finished. I love how a history of technology and musical genres is revealed through these images.
The back matter contains an author's note with additional information about Leo Fender, a bibliography, and glossary.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

4 stars

Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson September 2, 2014

My four year old granddaughter is crazy about unicorns. This series was always popular in my school library, so I thought I would read this to see if it might work for her. I now see why it was always checked out. Alas, although this story about a girl who becomes best friends with a unicorn is witty, heartwarming, and precious, it's still too old for her. I'm open to alternative suggestions if you have any. 

5 stars

Living with Viola by Rosena Fung  🍁

I'm in the process of writing a full book review for this graphic novel. It's an intense look at how personal anxiety is exacerbated by external situations. It's heartbreakingly brilliant.

NOVELS


When I get into a series, it's because of the characters. Sure the writing is good, but it's that writing that creates individuals that my brain and heart comes to think of as real. A new book is like a visit with an old friend. That's how I feel about Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant series. Peter is a bit young to be an old friend, so I think of him as a kid I've watched grow up. He's a police office who is also a wizard in training. In this adventure he ends up in the countryside tracking down two kidnapped girls. Unicorns and the Fay are involved in the abduction.

I've read these with my eyes and ears. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is Peter Grant to me! If you are a fan of mysteries, fantasy and like clever wit in your reading life, I highly recommend this series!

Now that I've finished rereading it, I swear it's better the second time round. 


The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch & Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Mystery, encounters with ghosts, talking foxes, river gods and goddesses, and magic are what I have come to anticipate and love from this series. In this novella. an increase in victorian ghost sightings causes Peter Grant; Jaget Kumar, his counterpart at the British Transport Police; Abbigail, Peter's young cousin; and Nightingale to patrol the underground. They track down and interview the spectres hoping to find out what is causing this increase in hauntings. It turns out to have it's origins in modern reality.

I first read this with my eyes, but without Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's narration, Peter Grant's character didn't come through. This time I was delighted to listen to it.  

NONFICTION


This book blew me away. George M. Johnson's memoir put me in mind of Thomson Highway's Permanent Astonishment, a memoir I recently finished. While they are decades apart in age, both of these queer men are from diverse backgrounds. Johnson is black while Thomson is Indigenous. Both of them radiate love and joy. Both are important reads for other boys like them who aren't blue, and for the rest of us who want to be allies. 

CURRENTLY

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch
Goldilocks: Wanted Dead or Alive by Chris Colfer & Jon Proctor (Illustrator)

UP NEXT 

Hunting by Stars (A Marrow Thieves Novel) by Cherie Dimaline
The Vanderbeekers Lost and Found by Karina Yan Glaser
More picture books from my #MustReadList

UPCOMING BLOG POSTS

Living With Viola by Rosena Fung

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 29/25 

#MustReadNFIn2021 12/12 

#MustReadPBIn2021 70/100 

Big Book Summer Challenge 9 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 36/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 113/100

Canada Reads 2021 5/5 

Discworld Series 41/41

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 405/333 


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