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Category Archives: Book of the Month

Readers advisory for October ’22

31 Oct

If there ever was a month to label as “mixed bag”, it would have to be October.

This is just a smattering of the books I read either in print, digitally, or audio and they range from a true crime audiobook of two women murdered in the Shenandoah National Park to the GOAT of horror manga, Juji Ito’s Uzumaki. Then there are middle grade fiction titles like Key Player by Kelly Yang and my continued obsession with Spy x Family. All told there were sixty-three books read for the month.

It was a result of several converging events, committees, and activities:

  • With a conference presentation a few weeks ago, at the beginning of the month I was trying to squeeze in some anticipated titles of 2023 while also reading a few 2022 titles to be ready to talk books.
  • Sitting on a “Best of” books selection committee for nonfiction so I had a few nonfiction titles that I didn’t know about to read to better argue which were the best!
  • A little countdown to Halloween on my Instagram, I read a spooky book a day for the last week that included the wacky spirals of Ito’s imagination to reliving the dramatic 1990 movie The Witches based on Roald Dahl’s The Witches which I had never read and decided to listen to the audiobook of today while traveling in the car. Plus I discovered the delightful Ghoulia.
  • And of course, fitting in the general love of certain series or titles that sit on my endless TBR that I pick up based on length, topic, and format.

November is my birthday month, so I’m planning a few personal reading challenges and organizing my own readathon. Any suggestions?

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2022 in Adult, Audiobooks, Authors, Book of the Month, Childrens, Comics, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Manga, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Readers advisory for July ’22

31 Jul

This past week I saw a tweet that had been passed around in which the question was “how do you read so many books?” and the response was “I avoid all other responsibilities.” For as humorous as it is and how much I’d love for that to be true, everyone has responsibilities, so my waking hours aren’t spent solely on reading (however glorious that would be), but I do try to squeeze in every opportunity to read that I can.

Plus, it’s summer! Reading is basically a requirement which means there were a lot of fabulous books for July some of which I’ve already discussed this month in other posts and on my Instagram account. Which ones were the hottest for the hottest month of the year???

  • Salt Magic by Hope Larson
  • The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods by Svetlana Chmakova
  • The Road After by Rebekah Lowell
  • Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown by Ann E. Burg
  • Animal Architects by Amy Cherrix and Chris Sasaki
  • Space Trash, volume 1 by Jenn Woodall
  • The Blur by Minh Le and Dan Santat
  • The Obsession by Jesse Q. Suntanto
  • Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
  • Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
  • A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
 
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Posted by on July 31, 2022 in Book of the Month, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

 

Readers advisory from March ’22

31 Mar

To try to keep up with reading everything you want to read is the same analogy as trying to find information on the internet which is that it’s like trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant- more will keep coming at you. So the task is always to enjoy it. Yes there are times when I have to read certain things like for a committee or a book review for a magazine that has a deadline, but this year I’ve found I have a lot more flexibility and I’m enjoying myself.

The Only Good Indians I already posted about here. That was a highlight from this month that warranted its own post. And a few others for various reasons which I’ll share now, going backwards from audience since The Only Good Indians‘ target audience is adult.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz was a perfect Gothic tale to a YA audience. As I’ve shared in the conversations I’ve had since reading it is that while I knew that the subtitle was “a love story”, I think Schwartz could have kept it solely about Hazel’s pursuit of being a physician and it been solidly fabulous. I know why Schwartz included the romance and the ending relied, in part, on it’s existence, but Hazel’s strength of character was memorable all by itself.

I have a good friend who is a high school art teacher. As soon as I closed the book, I sent her a few texts asking if she knew much about Savage. Then I told her she needed to read Augusta Savage: The Shape of a Sculptor’s Life by Marilyn Nelson pronto and that I was just as taken with Nelson’s choice to write in verse but that there was historical context in addition to the biographical content and that I loved a quote that was included by Savage: “I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.” Immensely powerful.

And last, a picture book by Phung Nguyen Quang and illustrated by Huynh Kim Lien called My First Day. I will end up owning this book soon because the captivating artwork unlocks a reader’s imagination as much as it connects to every experience we’ve had with a “first”. Yes, the boy is on his way to his first day of school through a maze of obstacles, but perseveres. The writing matches the tone of the design and creates an all-encompassing experience. A feast for the eyes.

 
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Posted by on March 31, 2022 in Adult, Authors, Book of the Month, Childrens, Cover Love, Fiction, Nonfiction, Verse, Young Adult

 

Readers advisory for February ’22

28 Feb

The end of month brings a brief pause to reflect on what I’ve read over the past month. I’ve usually always worked toward identifying that one book that made me pause. I also read a lot so one book each month is difficult and why I generally break the one book rule I’ve self-imposed, hence why I changed the title of the month’s-end post to readers advisory.

This month I decided to pull my favorite children’s book, young adult, and adult title. In order, a nonfiction, a graphic novel, and the audiobook.

Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes ‘the French chef’ written by Alex Prud’homme and illustrated by Sarah Green was an easy choice for a book everyone should read because children’s biographies are superbly informative in addition to capturing (when done right) the essence of the topic at hand. In this case, the nephew of Child, writes a celebratory story of how Child didn’t become ‘the French chef’ until very late in life, proving that you can do anything you set your mind to and have a passion for. Using Green’s bright and vivid illustrations to compliment the story, it is a feel-good story that’s food-centered.

Yasmeen written by Saif A. Ahmed and illustrated by Fabiana Moscolo is a graphic novel with a hard truth to face. That many girls were kidnapped, raped, tortured, and maimed as part of the unrest in the Middle East. Yasmeen is an Iraqi girl whose family settled in Texas after leaving their war torn home but without her because she had been captured and used as a pawn. The graphic novel does not sugarcoat her trauma and the fight she gave to break free. But what levels this graphic novel up is the intricate use of time in the panels and on the pages which takes an astute reader of the format because of the level of understanding of the story, characters, and setting. A passive reader will not understand the story completely. And it’s powerful. You do not want to miss anything.

I listened to the audiobook read by Michelle Zauner, the author and subject of Crying in H Mart: A Memoir. While I did not know who she was and had only downloaded the audiobook because of it’s popularity and subject matter (you’ll often find that I read and share about food memoirs or food stories). I recognize that there is wide general appeal, but it went deeper for me as I’m sure that others who feel like they do about the book can attest; it’s Zauner’s relationship and caretaking of her cancer-stricken mother and simultaneously about the food of her life through the lens of her now suffering mother. Food is balm. Food is love. Food is history. Food is memory. I don’t often reread books, but because I had listened to the audiobook, I’ve considered rereading it in print because I remember several times stopping in my tracks while listening to a poignant phrase or sentence or scene.

What did you read this past month that you loved?

 
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Posted by on February 28, 2022 in Adult, Audiobooks, Book of the Month, Childrens, Fiction, Graphic novels, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Readers advisory from January ’22

31 Jan

Continual improvement is something to strive for, taking to heart Maya Angelou’s quote

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

So what used to be the “outstanding book of the month”, I’ve rebranded “readers advisory” taking into account my blog and handles on various social media. This will be a book I read during the month to highlight which will range from children’s books to adult, any genre, and published whenever. And in true obnoxious fashion, I couldn’t pick just one from this past month– really I could have picked three or four, though I’ve distilled it down to two.

Both young adult fiction, one already released and one that will be published in June. Yet what they have in common is eloquent storytelling. Chim’s historical fiction title Freedom Swimmer taught me about the Cultural Revolution and actual freedom swimmers through the intertwined stories of two characters. Albert’s witchy fiction is a mystery layered with magic, real magic in which Ivy discovers her mother’s history with witchcraft and how that has affected Ivy’s life and her own gifts. I could not put either down when I picked them up.

In addition their evocative covers highlight elements of the story that draw readers in be it the placid waters as a boy dives in or the hot pink text and gold rabbit doorknocker. Teens will pull them off the shelves from the covers alone. Freedom Swimmer is quick, almost too quick, while Albert sculpts a robust story that engages readers from start to finish.

This two-some cannot be more different, yet they both stuck with me after I had finished reading them and that’s why I have an advisory out for all to read them.

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2022 in Book of the Month, Cover Love, Fiction, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

 

The 31 Days of December: The year reviewed

31 Dec

It shouldn’t shock you to know that I have planned my last book of 2021 and my first book of 2022. Last year I finished the year with Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs and started it with In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner. While I was disappointed because Fathoms wasn’t what I expected, Zentner is always a good choice and proved a worthy first book of the year.

I will end the year knowing that the final book will be spectacular because I’ve made sure to pace myself to finish it before midnight. It is John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed. Once I realized I was firmly on the side of loving everything about it with its chapters written as essays using the theme of reviewing items of the Anthropocene through Green’s eyes, I stopped and counted the days until the 31st and read up to the point where I could then read one chapter per day to finish on the 31st. Not only will it be the last book of year, but it will certainly also be the outstanding book of the month and help me usher in the year reviewed in a brief listicle:

  • Pilates
    • I thought Pilates was a thin person’s fitness regime, so I didn’t have the courage to begin Pilates until I had lost some weight many years ago. However, I realize now after a handful of years attending weekly Pilates classes that it’s about strength and flexibility regardless of age or body type and kick myself for not beginning sooner. Either way, the weekly connection to my body at the studio I attend reminds me of the power of our bodies and how maintenance of them is important. Pilates whether at home or at a studio with equipment, I give 4 stars.
  • High school
    • My memories of high school are probably skewed. I was a grumpy teen who had a few good friends, worked rather than played sports, and never attended my prom. I don’t regret those choices actually and in retrospect should have been happier than I was. Fast forward and now I work in a high school. I’m sure that probably also changes my memories too. And working at a high school during a pandemic in a district that chose to be virtual because of budgetary concerns was a sad proposition to bear not only because I lost my coworker to budget cuts (and had her return in the spring of 2021 when things became more stable) but that students were left to connect with school through the computer. Staff did their best, but morale was low. It’s a changeable time. Some teens are self-aware and confident in who they are and where they want to go while others still have a lot of maturing to do and whether that happens before they graduate or not is anyone’s guess. I was not self-aware and confident, but can appreciate where I am and who I am now. High school is 3 stars.
  • Minnesota
    • This summer despite having a flight cancelled and needing to rent a car one-way to drive eighteen hours to get to a family reunion and spend some time with my in-laws, we were able to travel within an hour or so to see a beautiful gorge, walk through the largest candy store in the state, see some buffalo, and meet friends who live lakeside. Yes, there’s a lot of corn and bean fields, but that’s also where family was. I give Minnesota 3.5 stars.
  • Cemeteries
    • In addition to the mysterious stories etched (and now invisible) on the stones, there are messages in the choices of other features of graves that are endlessly fascinated. It’s both the architecture and atmosphere that get me every time. Cemeteries are 4 stars.
  • Berry picking
    • Depending on the season, you could be baking in the heat or bundled up in the cold. Your feet might get wet or your fingers stained. Yes it might be easier to go to the store and buy them, but the farm-to-table connection is lost. Both of my parents grew up on farms and I grew up next to my aunt and uncle’s. so I know the dedication it takes to farm. I also know that there’s a different between a strawberry picked from a vine by your own hands and grabbing a plastic container in the store. You can bide the seasons by the fruit and veggies available. Seasonal eating is the best kind of eating. So yes, it might be a bit more expensive (what with driving out to the farm and usually paying a little more) but then you’ve got the fresh stuff to eat and freeze as you please. The memories past and present make berry picking 4 stars.

Thank you, John Green for inspiring this post as well as future thinking on reviewing life in the Anthropocene. Hats off to a year that was spent with family and books, celebrating where and when we could as I raise my glass to 2022 where I want to do much of the same.

Stay tuned for my first book of 2022 (I know what it is of course, do you?)

 
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Posted by on December 31, 2021 in Adult, Authors, Blogging, Book of the Month, Miscellaneous, Nonfiction, Reflections

 

Outstanding book of the month for November 2021

30 Nov

Aren’t breaks for catching up on your TBR pile? Mine wasn’t ridiculously large but I do have the added problem of borrowing books digitally or putting books on hold that come in super quickly even though I really don’t have time to read them. Additionally, my committee work is coming to an end which means a lot of the prescribed reading I’ve had to do all year is now petering out and I have more room for all the extras.

And Ruta Sepetys’ new book coming out in February was just that book I got my hands on this month. Not only did I have the pleasure of being able to read an advanced copy, within days I was assigned it to review for a professional library magazine. So I am not going to go into great detail with a review because that will be published shortly in School Library Journal, but know that it’s my Outstanding Book of the Month for November for a reason– ’nuff said.

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2021 in Book of the Month, Fiction, Young Adult

 

Outstanding book of the month for October 2021

31 Oct

It’s been a long month, but October for educators is akin to March in many ways.

As my secret reading (reading for a committee which I cannot share) ramps up, I was still able to sneak in some books that do not fit the committee’s profile to pick my outstanding book of the month. And you know how I like to cheat. This month’s outstanding book is actually a trio, part of a series written by Kami Garcia and illustrated by Gabriel Picolo.

Their Teen Titans graphic novels will see the release of Robin some time in 2022, but until then I dove into the first, Raven, the second, Beast Boy, and the third, Beast Boy Loves Raven within days of one another via Hoopla where you never have to wait! And maybe that adds to the excitement but I also recognize that these three so far are written beautifully in both the dialogue and narrative and Picolo’s illustrations compliment it with vivid colors and exquisitely drawn character, situational, and action scenes which flowed scene by scene.

Meeting Rachel, then Garfield, and then building the suspense to when they meet and discover they both have hidden abilities meant that the stories had to stand on their own but then come together. With a backstory for each character it was easy to move from one to the other and then the meet-cute between the two. It’s as simple and complicated as two veterans can make it, to the celebration of readers.

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2021 in Book of the Month, Cover Love, Fiction, Graphic novels, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

 

Outstanding book of the month for September 2021

30 Sep

The launch of a new school year always means there is so much to get organized even when you felt organized right from the start. Therefore, my reading has been disjointed; a cobbling together of an audiobook while doing housework and driving to and from work in addition to my obligations on a book committee and interspersing that my literary lunchbox features. There seems to be no fluidity yet. However, even disjointed reading is reading and I was able to review September’s books (that I CAN talk about) to pick my favorite of the month:

The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

But not the print version because I didn’t read it in print. Instead, I listened to the audiobook of the collection of poetry via Hoopla and was ensconced in the sounds of the forest and animals added to the audio with a multi-cast set of readers during a walk. It’s a brief collection. One that I wished was longer because it captured the essence of nature in ways that the print on the page might not have. This is an audiobook done right. One that uses the format to its fullest and it was not disappointing.

Don’t wait until April to read this collection of poetry. It can be read it any season. It’s warmth on a winter’s night or a heightened sensation of all of spring’s beauty. An amplification of nature for nature lovers everywhere.

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2021 in Adult, Book of the Month, Poetry

 

Outstanding book of the month for August 2021

31 Aug

For this school librarian, the end of August means the end of summer, but that’s okay because then I get to go back to reading, recommending, and chatting with students about books! In the meantime, here’s my favorite from this past month.

And how appropriate a gif because it’s the most delicious romance: Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Ever After. As I was shouting my love of this book from the rooftops (and in a Young Adult book group meeting), I was informed that there is already a sequel in the works: Tokyo Dreaming, so now I’m not so sad it’s over because I know Izumi will live on again between the pages of the book.

What Jean does is exactly what you’d expect from a Cinderella story and an enemies to lovers trope. Izumi is a regular American girl who discovers that she’s Japanese royalty. But that’s not enough, when she discovers her roots, she falls for the bodyguard.

What I love:

  • Izumi’s girl gang. Their and her realness inject goofy humor throughout the book
  • The romance, of course!
  • The character development. Every character has something rich to offer to the story as a whole

This is a romance for any season. This was my summer read– the kind of cutely sexy beach read that feels indulgent. But it could be a spring read– as love blooms all around (Izumi’s is not the only love story in the book!). It could be a fall read– the colors and smells of that season are as succulent as the details of the story as it comes together. And need I explain that in the depths of winter– this is a story that will warm your heart.

What are you waiting for?

 
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Posted by on August 31, 2021 in Book of the Month, Cover Love, Fiction, Young Adult

 
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