#IMWAYR November 29, 2020

 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.

Hurrah! I am nearly finished the reversible Piet Mondrian quilt. I still have to finish cleaning off the threads and remove any markings, but essentially it is complete. Here is a picture of it hanging on the line. I was hoping the breeze might clean off some of the threads but I'm not that lucky. 

Next I'll be working on the two Gossie and Friends quilts for my newest grandkids. I have a plan for how I want them to look, but now I have to figure out how to get there. 

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. 

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard & Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator) 

Living across from the school my siblings and I came home for lunch everyday. The best days were those when Mom was making bread. Piles of what we called 'dough gobs' would be waiting for us. I smothered mine with peanut butter and syrup or jam. Some of my siblings liked cheese whiz. No matter the topping, it was delicious. 

This book is a comprehensive look at fry bread. It's really in two parts. The first part contains headings accompanied by illustrations and phrases. The second section at the back revisits these headings with additional detail and explanation about many of the images. 

Ultimately it is about community and the rich history of indigenous people here in North America. 

My mother learned to make bread from her mother-in-law. After reading this I wondered if the idea of frying bread dough originated with my maternal Grandmother's Menomonie heritage or from my German Grandma. Perhaps it's both since my Uncle Cliff recalls coming home after school to fresh dough gobs on those days when his mother made bread. 

Between the two sections in this book is a recipe for fry bread. I appreciate that it has yeast in it like ours does. I contemplated giving it a try, but think I will stay with our own tradition. After all, Mom's fried bread was the best.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

4 stars

Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha

This is a solid nonfiction, coming of age memoir. Robin (Chuna) Ha was born to a single mother in Korea. Her father left them when she was one year old. As a child she experienced much prejudice at school because of this. Still the two of them had a good life as her mother became owner of her own hairdressing salon. They were well enough off to take holidays around the world.

Then her mother took her on a 'holiday' to Alabama where she married a divorced Korean man. Shades of American Born Chinese show up in her relationship with Ha's stepfamily, especially the children, who seem embarrassed by her. At school not only is she is isolated because of her lack of English, she is bullied and shunned. Ha's loneliness is heartbreaking. Eventually her mother separates from her stepfather.

Ha's life begins to change when her mother takes her to a comic shop and enrolls her in a comic creating class. She makes friends there and her confidence returns so that she is able to make friends with other students at school.

Then the two of them move to a city in Virginia with an established Korean population. Her mother found a job in a salon. The multicultural school is much better. Robin ends up in an ESL class with students from around the world. This group becomes her new network of friends. Eventually she connects with a group of Korean girls.

At the end of the book Ha returns to Korea with these friends. She meets up with her school friends there. What she comes to realize is that for many reasons, she is an outsider in both worlds.

While I suspect that Ha’s experience as an immigrant to America has much in common with immigrants from other places, it is also unique because of her particular background as an only child of a single mother. I appreciated how much I learned about Korean culture and gender roles from reading this book. I especially appreciated Ha’s acknowledgements at the end of the book where she talks more fully about her mother’s story.

NOVELS

4 stars

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde & Andrew Wincott (Narrator)

This is powerful satire. It's weird and wonderful and profound. When six foot tall anthropomorphized rabbits move into an English village, it's inhabitants fret that their property values will be reduced. This family has moved in next door to Peter Knox and his daughter Pippa. It turns out that Constance Rabbit and Peter were friends at university. His place of work, (an anti-rabbit arm of the government) asks Peter to make friends with the Rabbit family and keep his eye on them. Eventually Peter has to decide whose side he is on. 

3 stars

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat 

This is the story of three children growing up in a country where fire is prohibited. Two of them were born to women in prison. Because of this they are 'tattooed' and branded as criminals. The other is from a higher caste family. 

The city is ruled by a maleficent governor who brought light into the city after it was decimated by a fire. He has rigid ideas about who is worthy and who is not. 

I liked the story and came to care for the characters a lot. Unfortunately it just never grabbed me enough to make me sit down and read to find out what was going to happen. When I finally made myself finish it, I ended up skimming much of it. I wish had been more tightly edited. 

DISCWORLD NOVELS

5 stars

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs (Narrator)

This is going to be one of my favourite Discworld novels. (There are so many I'm going to have to come up with favourites of favourites) It is a feminist look at war, religion, and gender roles.

When Polly Perks dresses up as a boy and signs up to go to war to search of her brother, she soon discovers that the rest of the recruits in her regiment are also women disguised as men. They end up rescuing the rest of the army by disguising themselves as women.

4 stars

Eric by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs (Narrator)

I wondered how Pratchett was going to bring Rincewind back from wherever he ended up in the last book.

I did not anticipate him returning as a demon summoned by Eric, a teenage boy. And yet, here it is. Eric wants three wishes: to be master of all kingdoms, to meet the most beautiful woman who ever existed, and to live forever.

Rincewind, the least powerful magician in all of the Discworld, discovers he does indeed have power.

Parody after parody parade through this tale as Eric achieves his wishes, albeit with a nasty twist. 

CURRENTLY 

I'm listening to Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. With my eyes I'm reading Turtle Island by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathey Lowinger and From Me to You by K. A. Holt. The Discworld book I've got on the go right now is Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett.

UP NEXT 

My next audiobook will be whatever becomes available. I'm hoping to read (with my eyes) Flamer by Mike Curato and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Ocean Vuong. Alas, neither are on my #MustReadIn2020 lists, but three I'm currently reading are so I still think I might actually reach all my goals!

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS 

#MustReadIn2020: 22/25 - two in progress

#MustReadNFIn2020: 11/12 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors: 24/25 - one in progress

Books by Canadian Authors: 125/100 

Discworld Series 13/41 - one in progress

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 311/333 

#IMWAYR November 4, 2019

#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.

Halloween is over and I only managed to finish reading one creepy novel and one creepy graphic novel last month. How did you do? 

Although I am a second tier Cybil judge in the graphic novel category, I've been trying to read many of the nominations anyway. I like to know what the finalists were up against. Really tiny font is a killer for me no matter how fabulous the story and artwork!

Titles with a 🍁indicate this is a Canadian Author.

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

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Poetry Friday November 1, 2019

Poetry Friday October 25, 2019

PICTURE BOOKS

3 stars

Red Parka Mary by Peter Eyvindson &  Rhian Brynjolson (Illustrator) 🍁

I enjoyed this heartwarming tale about a boy and an elderly woman who become friends. The characters are indigenous but the author is not. It was published in 1996, before the #Ownvoices movement. All the money from the sales of this and the author's other books go towards funding homes in Haiti for abandoned children. I'm wondering if this justifies cultural appropriation.

4 stars

Charlotte and the Rock by Stephen W. Martin & Samantha Cotterill (Illustrations) 🍁

I read this picture book about a girl and her pet rock in a classroom I was in. They were studying geology. Readers will learn there are advantages and disadvantages to having a rock for a pet. I liked the surprise ending but wish there had been some hints earlier. Delightful vintage illustrations.

4 stars

Poppy's Best Paper by Susan Eaddy & Rosalinde Bonnet (Illustrations)

I read this one while subbing in Carrie Gelson's classroom recently. It's a charming book with two important messages: celebrate our friends' successes and it takes work to be a great author.

GRAPHIC

3 stars

Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea & Yana Bogatch

In this small town all the women have special powers. There is a special force field around the town that makes it impossible for them to leave. Our hero, Bucky, once longed for a power of his own, but then his sister was kidnapped. As he searches for her he learns the dark side of having powers.
I was impressed as all get out by the artwork here. I had a devil of a time reading the font though. I appreciate the story line, which is truly creepy, but the ending didn't leave me feeling satisfied.

4 stars

Click by Kayla Miller

This is a delightful novel about friendship and finding your own way of fitting in. When the Fifth Grade Variety Show is announced, all of all of Olive’s friends form groups and make plans for what they want to do. Olive is left out. At a sleepover with her aunt they watch old variety shows and Olive finally decides what she would like to do. I love the diverse cast of characters. I like Olive and her friends. I’m looking forward to meeting them again.

4 stars

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

What I loved most about this book is that Raina and her friends discovered that authenticity is best. Being and sharing who you are helps all of us realize that we are not so different.

5 stars

Best Friends by Shannon Hale & LeUyen Pham (Illustrator )

In this book Shannon Hale explores the difference between being part of a popular group, and having real friends. Her grade 6 year is full of near crippling anxiety. Her worries about fitting in get in the way of her just being who she is. She makes some terrible mistakes before she comes to understand that it is ok to follow her own passions.

NOVELS

5 + stars

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss & Nick Podehl (Narrator).

Just Wow! What a story! It was more than 28 hours of listening, but I hated each time I had to pause and deal with the details of real life. In this book Kvothe, the protagonist, tells of his early life and time at the university learning magic. I feel compelled to start the next in the series, The Wise Man's Fear, but at 994 pages, I might wait for next Summer's Big Book Challenge! At almost 43 hours, I don't think I will listen to it.

4 stars

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

As you might have noticed from the quote at the top of this blog, I am a hard core Terry Pratchett fan. Sometimes a person needs to escape the realities of of their ordinary life and visit Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. This hilarious novel is a parody of football. Like all of Pratchett work it’s full of important messages about living a good life and getting along with others. I always come back from his worlds refreshed and full of laughter .

5 + stars

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Gu Miyoung is half Gumiho. She needs to feed on human energy. Her conscience is appeased by killing only evil men. Then she rescues Jihoon, a teen boy, from a goblin. Their fates become entwined.
I couldn't put this book down. I adore the combination of mythology and modern times. Readers will discover plenty of pathos, action, and humour in this love story that highlights doing the right thing. Although it has a satisfying ending, it also introduces us to the sequel. (I can't help but wonder if schools in Korea really have this level of bullying.)
I don't say this often about a book, but this was the jewel in my last two weeks reading life.

3.5 stars

The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills 🍁

Three generations of Cree women live together. They all have the ability to see ghosts, catch them, and help them move on. Shelly, the youngest of them is in 6th grade and looking forward to following the family tradition. When her mother dies in a car accident Shelly searches for her ghost and ends up collecting and keeping a menagerie of other ghosts in her bedroom.
I liked the three characters. My problem with this book is that it's more about dealing with grief than it is about the ghosts. I wanted more. I wanted to be more connected to and afraid for Shelly but that never happened.

NON FICTION

3 stars

Meet Tom Longboat by Elizabeth MacLeod, Mike Deas (Illustrator) 🍁

This was ok. I appreciated reading this biography of an important indigenous Canadian. I tried to find out if either the author or illustrator have any indigenous connections but unfortunately couldn't find any. I can't help but wonder how different it might be if it was. This was published in 2019, well after the #Ownvoices movement. I don't see how Scholastic Canada can justify this cultural appropriation.

4 stars

Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia by D. Anne Love, Pamela Paparone (Illustrator)

This is a good introduction to an unknown philosopher and mathematician. It doesn’t address the challenges that must have faced Hypatia and her father as she was brought up with the freedom and education only available to men. The art is spectacular.

5 stars

What the Eagle Sees by Eldon Yellowhorn & Kathy Lowinger 🍁

The history of indigenous peoples since first contact with Europeans isn't comfortable reading. This makes it necessary to read about it from an indigenous perspective.
I've written a blog post that I will share this week, closer to the publication date. If I was still in my library I would preorder two copies of it. I would book talk it at a staff meeting and strongly encourage every teacher in the school to read it.

POETRY

5 stars

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris (Illustrator)

As gorgeous as the poetry in this book is, it's almost completely overshadowed by the spectacular art.

CURRENTLY

I've just started listening to Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. I'm into Positively izzy by Terri Libenson. I made a bit of progress on The Creativity Project by Colby Sharp and The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago.

UP NEXT

I've got Miles to Go by Beryl Young, Estranged by Ethan M Aldridge,  Exit Strategy by Martha Wells are up next. I'm also planning on reading the full version of Pumpkinheads: A Graphic Novel by Rainbow Rowell. I downloaded it from Netgalley without realizing it was just the first bit. In retaliation I decided to read the whole novel before reviewing it. (I hope the rest is as good as that snippet)

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2018 23/25 one in progress

#MustReadNFIn2018 11/12 - one in progress

25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 24/25

25 books by Canadian Authors 79/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge 353/333

#IMWAYR December 12, 2016

Hurrah! #IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. The adult version of this meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. The kidlit rendition is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

It is now official. 

Both of my son's partners are expecting babies. Sometime in June I will be a grandmother! I am a tad excited about this. If you have ideas for what to get as gifts (books or other stuff) for expecting parents, I am open for suggestions.

Otherwise, I have had a somewhat dismal reading week. What I finished was great, but I was busy. I helped out at my old school's book fair last week. That is how I managed to find time to read all the picture books. I had my niece and nephew over one night because of snow. Then my family got some serious baking in. We have made peanut butter balls, shortbread and peanut butter cornflake squares.

NOVELS

5 stars

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman Narrated by Martin Jarvis

What can I say. I adore Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. As I read this, I imagined how much fun these two had writing it.

Two children are born. Another, the antichrist, arrives at the hospital and his planned substitution goes awry.

Consequently his strategic upbringing is meted out to the wrong child. This really screws things up, as nothing takes. Meanwhile, the real antichrist grows up in a small village with loving parents and a cohort of close friends.

Considerable celestial and satanic energy have been put into preparing for Armageddon. As the time draws near, the armies of good and evil are ready and waiting for the antichrist to take over the world and destroy it.

But what if the main actor decides to change plans?

This novel is peopled by a delightful cast of characters, including The Gang of Them, a 'fussy angel and a fast living demon', witches and witch finders, and the four Horsemen of the apocalypse. I loved them all.

CHAPTER BOOKS

5 stars

The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation (The Princess in Black #4) by Shannon Hale Dean Hale & LeUyen Pham (Illustrations)

I was so happy to read this last week. After a strong beginning the series flagged a bit for me. This one takes me back to why I loved the first one so much. Poor Princess in Black, even while on vacation she can't get away from fighting monsters. At least she can count on Duff looking after things while she is away. Or can she?

PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex & Christian Robinson

This is a very sweet story about the first day of school from the schools perspective. It will be a delightful book to read to all children starting school, and everyone else who helps them navigate this great adventure.

5 stars

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton

What a delightful read! This is no ordinary princess, and this is no ordinary pony. After an inauspicious beginning, together they will change the world. (I bought two copies of this for the little girls in my life)

4 stars

Little Red And The Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith

What a delightful retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood. I laughed all the way through it. Red is a strong indomitable character who is sure the lion would rather eat donuts than people. These illustrations are gorgeous.

4 stars

Are Pirates Polite? By Corrine Demass, Artemis Roehrig & David Catrow (illustrations)

These raucous pirates show how it's possible to be rowdy and wild and have a good time, but still remember to use your manners. It's sweet. Catrow's images are delightful!

4 stars

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman & Dan Yaccarino (Illustrations)

This book is loaded with charm and humour. A boy and a robot become unlikely friends. When the robot accidentally gets turned off the boy tries to fix it. When the boy goes to sleep, the robot ends up trying to fix the boy.

4 stars

The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat (an elephant and piggie like reading book)

Fun Fun Fun! And it's loaded with math. A group of group of four friends have to figure out how to share three cookies. How they managed to achieve this is hilarious.

3.5 stars

Fly Guys Ninja Christmas by Ted Arnold

Fly guy books never languished on the library shelf. I've never met a reluctant beginning reader who didn't love them. So I was excited at the book fair to see this Christmas book. It didn't disappoint. It is loaded with the same humor of the others as Fly Guy tries to protect his family from the stranger who arrives on Christmas Eve. I purchased a copy for one of my nephews.

3 stars

Groovy Joe: Ice Cream And Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin & Tom Lichtenheld

I wanted to love this book by Eric Litwin, author of the Pete the Cat books. Unfortunately it didn't quite work for me. It's got fun characters and a delightful message about sharing. Maybe if I listen to the song that goes along with it I would like it better.

CURRENTLY

I'm listening to Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff. It is fabulous!

UP NEXT

I'm going to be busy finishing up sewing projects so I suspect I will be mostly listening to books. I've downloaded Red by Liesl Shurtliff and suspect that will be what I put on after Jack.

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