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.
Aside from reading
obsessively about the American election, I managed to get in a bit of reading
with my eyes. I've also been listening to audiobooks and working on That Quilt.
I've finished the A arcs and am working on the B side. I've got another 144
more to go before I move onto the next phase. Here's a picture of what I've completed
so far.
PICTURE BOOKS
At the
library last week, while dropping off some unread books, I wandered over to the
picture book area to see what was new. Here is what I found.
Some Birds by Matt Spink
 |
| 3.5 stars |
This simple,
patterned rhyming book has gorgeous zentangle illustrations. The text will be
easy for new readers to memorize and the illustrations will keep them engaged.
I can imagine art projects for readers of all ages spinning off
from this book. If I were still working I would hand this off to Blake and David, some teachers
who teach their students to zentangle.
 |
| 3 stars |
Aberdeen by Stacey
Previn
This is a sweetly
illustrated story about a mouse who gets distracted by a floating balloon. As
he chases after it, his tail gets tangled up in the string and takes him on an
adventure. He ends up getting very lost.
NOVELS
Full of Beans by
Jennifer L. Holm
 |
| 5 stars |
Sometimes, all you need is a really good middle grade novel. If it teaches you something
and makes you laugh at the same time, it's just divine. This is one of those. It's also the perfect antidote for too much politics.
Full of Beans is a
prequel to Turtle in Paradise, a book I adored. The story is set
in Key West during the depression. We learn a lot about Roosevelt's new deal
and what a change it made in people's lives.
There are many
quotes to share. Here is one of my favourites:
"Nana Philly
was notorious. She made grown man cry. She chased three pastors out of town.
Folks whispered that she was so mean, she must be related to the devil himself.
Black cats cross the road just to get away from her."
It also doesn't
hurt that Holmes gives us a link to a recipe for chocolate divinity fudge in
the end notes. By the time you finish reading, you're going to want some.
Summerlost by Ally
Condie
 |
| 3 stars |
This is a sweet
story of friendship, family, and loss. These characters are ones I wish I could
have known when I was younger. Cedar and her family are recovering from the
loss of a father and brother in a fatal car crash. While on summer holidays she
ends up working at a Shakespeare festival.
These last lines
are going to resonate for a while.
"I have been
in the presence of a lot of greatness. And people I love who loved me back. It
might be the same thing."
 |
| 5 stars |
When the Sea
Turned to Silver by Grace Lin, narrated by Kim Mai Guest
I am infatuated by
this collection of companion novels. Through them I get to visit a world and
reality I've never entered before. This is a story that shows us that story
tellers, just by telling stories, can have powerful influence over their
worlds. Grace Lin masterfully weaves all the threads of the different stories
into a satisfying conclusion. If you haven't read any of these books, you need
to remedy this.
This week while I
am working on That Quilt, I'm going to be listening to Starry River of the Sky.
 |
| 3 stars |
Prudence by Gail
Carriger, narrated by Moira Quirk
I actually
finished this a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to mention it. I am a fan of
Carriger's world building and sense of humor. If you haven't read any of her
work, here is a quote from Goodreads describing her work:
"Gail
Carriger writes steampunk comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance.
Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Supernatural Society,
and Delightfully Deadly series for adults, and the Finishing School series for
young adults."
While I finished
up her Finishing School series, I have only read Soulless, the first in the
Parasol Protectorate collection. I was looking forward to Prudence, because she
is the daughter of the two main characters in that one. I was not disappointed.
ADULT NOVELS
Dark Matter by
Blake Crouch, narrated by Jon Lindstrom
 |
| 5 stars |
I really don't
know where to begin with this roller coaster of a read. It is the story of a
physics teacher who leaves his home one evening and wakes up in a dangerously
different world. When he finally figures out what is going on, he has to figure
out how to get home to his real wife and son. This science fiction title will
have you thinking about the choices you've taken and what might have been.
I know some people
will complain about the science in this book, but I don't have the capacity to
respond to that. What I can confirm is that this is a gripping read filled with
sympathetic characters and a wickedly twisting plot. I did not anticipate where this book was going at all for a while. It kept me on the edge of
my seat until the end.
I'm contemplating
getting this for my partner for Christmas.
OTHER STUFF
I abandoned March
of the Suffragettes last week. I wanted to love it because the topic fascinates
me, but it was dry and not engaging. I just didn't feel as connected to these
important characters as I should have. I agree with Karen Yinling "this was not formatted in a way
that will be appealing to my students. It was very wordy, had few pictures, and
had some odd turns of phrase."
CURRENTLY
I'm into
Imprudence, the next of the Custard Protocol series. I've started Waylon! One
Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker.
UP NEXT
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin and The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. I just realized that I'm supposed to have Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach finished by Tuesday for book club. I haven't started it yet.
