Tag: book review

Favorite Author – Susan Elizabeth Phillips

1 Comment

I attended Avon’s KissCon in 2016 when it came to a library near me and was able hang out and drink wine with one of my first romance crushes, Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She is just as sparkly and quick as you might expect if you read her books I’m not sure when I read my first SEP romance, but it had to be in the 1990s.

I’ve read all of her books.  They are fast, fun, sassy, and usually feature spunky heroines and alpha male heroes. She infuses her stories with larger than life characters, lots of humor, and real romantic sparks. I don’t read a lot of contemporary romances, but I make the exception for Phillips and am never disappointed.

Some of these I read so long ago, before blogging, and I’m not going to try and give my thoughts on them. Just know that the early ones I loved enough to continue to buy all of her books when they come out.

Wynette, Texas series

Fancy Pants

Lady Be Good.

Glitter Baby.

First Lady.

What I Did for Love. Georgie and Bram hated each other, but a few drugged drinks, a marriage certificate, and a sleazy paparazzi forced them to come to terms with each other, literally.  Georgie could not endure another scandalous marriage so soon after Lance, so she made a deal with the devil.  Bram would stay married  to Georgie for a hefty fee and use her to gain respectability. My thoughts here.

Call Me Irresistable. Lucy, daughter of the former President of the United States, is preparing to walk down the aisle to marry Mr. Perfect, Ted Beaudine ,when her best friend, Meg voices doubts about the marriage.  Lucy takes them to heart and walks out on Ted at the church.  Meg is blamed by everyone and is asked to stay in the small Texas town for a few days to see if Lucy returns.  But not only is Meg completely broke and cut off from her family, she is also stranded in the town when everyone blames her for the heartbreak of their mayor, Ted.   My thoughts here.

The Great Escape. Lucy Jorik’s story has been told by Phillips in First Lady and last year’s Call Me Irresistable.  This time around she gets her own book.  What happened when she walked out of her wedding to the perfect man and jumped on the back of a stranger’s motorcycle?  It’s not easy for the daughter of the first woman President of the United States to disappear, but with Panda’s help she manages to do just that. My thoughts here.

Chicago Stars series

It Had To Be You

Heaven, Texas.

Nobody’s Baby But Mine.

Dream a Little Dream.

This Heart of Mine.

Match Me If You Can.

Natural Born Charmer.

First Star I See Tonight. Coop, a recently retired pro football player is being followed by a  fledgling private investigator.  When he calls her on it she uses her humor and wit to power through all the way to a new job.  Sparks, fly, of course, and there’s plenty of hot sex to keep them panting after each other. My thoughts here.

When Stars Collide.

Simply the Best. Rory is a gifted chocolate maker who makes questionable decisions and her prickly relationship with her younger brother, the quarterback of the Stars. When a neighbor is murdered she must join forces with Brett, her brother’s agent, to keep him out of jail. This book made me want to go to a chocolate shop and try all of the flavors!

Stand Alones

Hot Shot was published in 1991 and I read it then. It was enough to make me a fast fan.

Honey Moon was published in 1993 and I remember loving it, but I’m not going to say more unless I reread it.

Kiss An Angel was published in 1996.

Just Imagine was published in 1984.

I read Breathing Room and according to Good Reads only gave it 3 stars.

Ain’t She Sweet is one of her higher rated ones on Good Reads.

Heroes Are My Weakness. The book opens with our heroine, Annie, having a conversation with her multitude of puppets as she drives to her secluded cabin in the middle of a snowstorm.  It’s those puppets that kept me from investing fully in Annie from the beginning.  She grew on me but the absurdity of the puppets (and their continued butting into the story) turned me off.  My thoughts here.

Dance Away with Me. Tess and Ian are a great couple and their love story was very satisfying, but there was a lot of loss along the way. The book felt very 2020 even though I know it wasn’t written this year. My thoughts here.

These Weeks – Spring?

3 Comments

I hate missing too many Sunday updates. When I get too behind I keep putting it off, making the update a bigger project, vastly increasing the probability that it won’t get done at all. This happen to anyone else? So, it’s not Sunday, but I’ve got 30 minutes so we’re doing a quick book /movie update. Too busy to try and give a life update too so we’ll save that for next time.

Currently Reading

Finished

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. 5 stars, YA, 312 pages, 2025

Maddy is turning 18 and her life is confined to her home because of an immunodeficiency disease. She’s never had any kind of normal existence and it’s not until a new family moves in next door that this is a problem. Soon, her books are not enough and Olly becomes her hope.

A book about risk and bravery and finding your person.

I loved this book, just as I loved Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is Also a Star. Everything Everything was her debut and I’m only sad it’s taken me so long to read it. I’ll read anything she writes. 

Every note Played by Lisa Genova, 4.25/5 stars, Fiction, 317 pages, 2018

Richard, a renown concert pianist, and Karina, a pianist who put her career on hold, are divorced. It wasn’t amicable, but they do share a daughter now in her 20s. Richard is diagnosed with ALS and in that instant his whole life changes. These changes are not limited to Richard and Karina finds herself making a surprising life change because of it.

I loved Still Alice by Lisa Genova. That book tackled early onset Alzheimer’s just as this one shows ALS bringing down someone in their prime. This book is detailed and heavy and shows that forgiveness shouldn’t wait. I was moved to tears by it. I’ll read anything she writes.

The Forest by Thomas Ott. 5 stars. graphic novella, 32 pages, 2020

I picked this up because of that gorgeous cover and this slight book didn’t disappoint. There are no words, just 25 beautiful illustrations showing a young boy sneaking away from a funeral. It will touch your heart. I highly recommend for children going through the grief process.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. 3.5 stars, Fiction, 400 pages, 2023

Our book group liked (not loved) this one and it had some great discussion points. It’s about the closeness of the four Padavano sisters. What can drive a wedge between the sisters? At what point is forgiveness and moving on the only real option? How many great loves does each person get? Do we ever really get past our relationships with our parents?

It was a little slow, but still worth reading, especially if you like family sagas spanning decades.

Bloodlust & Bonnets by Emily McGovern. 3.5 stars, Graphic Novels, 205 pages, 2019

What a hoot! Lucy is an early 19th century debutante who is approached by Lady Violet Travesty about joining a vampire cult. Just as she’s about to go over to the dark side, Lord Byron, in very dramatic fashion, saves her and whisks away to his magic castle on his psychic eagle Napoleon. They are soon joined by Sham to make a team of very inept vampire hunters.

It’s very funny, especially the first half. It gets a tad bogged down by the end with a meandering plot, but overall a fun graphic novel. I enjoyed my hour or so with this silly trio.

The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley. 3 stars, Historical Fiction, 480 pages, 2021

I LOVE Susanna Kearsley! Her books are such comfort reads. I’ll be doing a post on her soon, so I won’t belabor my thoughts on this one. If she hadn’t written it I would have given up on it before the halfway point. There was a nice twist at the end that was a reward for making it that far, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

The Janitor’s Boy by Andrew Clements. 4 stars, Tween Fiction, 140 pages, 2020

Gage and I read this together after having read and loved Frindle by the same author. Jack was a hard character to root for, at least at first. He’s in middle school and he’s embarrassed that his dad is the school janitor. He plans a nasty trick for his dad, but pays the price and it better for it.

As a side note, when I was in elementary school my grandpa was the school janitor and I got to say hi to him every day as I left to get on the bus to go home and as he got ready to clean the school after everyone went home. It’s a bond that I’ll always treasure. I was too young to be embarrassed and as I grew older it never once occurred to me to want to hide that fact from anyone. He worked as a janitor for the schools his whole life.

Movies watched

Saltburn was buzzy for awhile and when Jason and I sat down to watch it, we can see why. It seems normal, normal, eh, oh, definitely not normal, the end. If you like strange movies, this is for you! I do like strange and appreciated it.

Set It Up kept getting recommended to me by Netflix so I finally broke down and watched it. It was a cuter than expected rom-com with a fun cast. If Netflix is also recommending it to you I’d say give it a go!

The Hunt is pure political drivel meets ridiculous violence. I have no excuse for watching it, except that Jason and I were watching it in bed and making fun. Jason fell asleep and I, regrettably, made it til the bitter end.

Have you read or watched any of these? Which ones?

This Week – Calm

6 Comments

These past two weeks have been just what I needed. No travelling, no huge projects. Just my usual happenings. April is a nightmare month for me time wise, so I am trying to soak in every quiet moment. I did have a parent-teacher conference that went very well, and Gage, Jason, and I toured a school together and loved it for Gage. Now I need to schedule testing to see if we can get him in. I did spend an excessive number of hours volunteering at the library, but that’s just fun. I told the library manager this week that sorting and selling donations was my form of therapy.

Posts

February Favorites

Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

Books Finished

I’ve read 30 books so far this year.

Judgement Prey by John Sandford, #33 in the Lucas Davenport series, thriller/mystery, 400 pages, 2023

I started this series with book one and haven’t looked back. I realized I was a few behind so I’m making quick work of the last few. If you like police procedurals you should definitely give this series a look. He started as a Minneapolis police detective, but is currently a US Marshal still based in Minneapolis. He has a recurring partner, Lucas Flowers, and an adopted daughter, Letty, who each have their own spin offs.

Too far From Home by Naomi Shmuel, tweens, 4.5 stars, 96 pages, 2020

Set in Israel, it’s a great fiction book that touches on so many issues that kids are going through, moving from home, trying to make friends, racial bias, embarrassment, defiance…. I’d recommend reading it with your preteen.

Meskerem was born and grew up with her parents, sisters, and grandmother in Golan Heights, but the family had to move to Herzelia for her mother’s new job. Mezkerem was sad to leave her friends and grandmother behind.

On the first day of school kids started ridiculing her by calling her, ‘an Ethiopian’. Mezkerem’s mom had been born in Ethiopia and her dad was American. Meskerem became embarrassed by her heritage.

This story is only 89 pages but packs a lot of discussion into those pages.

Walking in Ava’s Shoes by Kathi Howard-Primes, picture book, 22 pages, 2022

Ava has ADHD. The first line of the book…”Just because I act and learn differently-doesn’t mean something is wrong with me.” It goes through her days showing some of her struggles, like trouble listening and the constant need to move, and ways to help, like eating well and getting enough sleep.

The author based this on her now grown daughter and it’s one I’d recommend for elementary classroom read alouds. And school libraries too! The illustrations are cute and it even has an ADHD checklist in the back.

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley, 5 stars, historical romance, 364 pages, 1994

This was a re-read for me.

Here were my first thoughts on Goodreads when I finished this one, “My love affair with Susanna Kearsley continues. This was one of her first books and it may be my favorite so far. I didn’t want it to end. I was worried that the ending would be all wrong. But it wasn’t. It was perfect.”  There is something so magical and romantic about her stories.  There is history, romance, and a perfect sense of place in all of her books.  This one also felt a little like a ghost story.

Julia was sure she’d found her house and she packed up and moved from London to a small English village without a second thought.  She was a children’s book illustrator and was able to make a few friends right away just as she was being transported back in time at unpredictable times.

It’s tricky when you are going back and forth between time periods and characters.  Inevitably, you are drawn more to one story than the other.  This one did a great job of tying the two together so I was invested in both.  Was this book, the first time she tried the time travel travel romance, perfect? No.  Was it perfect enough to have me rereading the last few chapters again and again because I wasn’t quite ready for it to end?  A resounding YES!

Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney, 4+ stars, current events, 372 pages, 2023

I posted my thoughts this week here.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with Elizabeth & John Sherrill, 5 stars, memoir, 272 pages, 1971

This was a re-read. I posted my thoughts this week here.

Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon by Megan Hess, 4 stars, graphic novel/biography, 218 pages, 2015

The illustrations by Megan Hess in this 200+ pages book are whimsical and fun.

Coco spent much of her childhood in an orphanage in France after her mother died and her father wanted nothing to do with her. She created for herself the life she wanted. “My life didn’t please me so I created my life.” She never married but the love of her life helped her get her start in 1908. She opened her own millinery boutique in Paris.

Everything she touched turned to gold until 1939 when she shut down her 3000 staff salon. She stayed in Paris at the Hotel Ritz with her lover, a German officer, to ride out the war. She fled the country for a number of years after the war before making her comeback.

It’s a beautiful graphic novel for fashion lovers. It wasn’t until after I read this that a friend showed me that Coco had actually been a spy for the Nazis.

Frindle by Andrew Clements, 4.5 stars, kids fiction, 128 pages, 1996

5th grader Nick Allen gets into a war of words with his language arts teacher and it goes further that he could have ever have imagined. Gage and I read it together and had a few laughs and talks about unintended consequences.

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams. 4.25 stars, romance, 343 pages, 2020

Naya, a professor who is 3 years out of an abusive relationship, is convinced by her best friends to open herself to new experiences. She meets Jake at a bar and the two make a connection. I loved this story with two very likeable people. It was a very realistic story with a lot of spice! The domestic abuse is a significant part of the story and some may find it triggering.

On the Screen

Jason and I like all of the Batman movies and we finally saw 2022’s The Batman with Robert Pattinson. We liked quite a bit. Are you a Batman fan? Christian Bale is still my favorite.

Jason and I finished Oppenheimer just in time for the Oscars tonight. I don’t know if I preferred it to Killers of the Flower Moon, but I get the hype.

Plans for the Weekend

Watching the Oscars!

This Week – A week late!

8 Comments

We took a lovely road trip the Lake Norman in North Carolina last week, our third February in a row. Jason has clients in the Charlotte area so he always works a few of the days leaving Gage and I to our own devices. This week we were able to be away for 6 days, even though that meant Gage missed 2 days of school. On our way home we stopped in Wytheville, Virginia and toured the Edith Bolling Wilson First Lady Birthplace Museum, even staying in the hotel dedicated to her history in the town. I considered this a 2 day field trip. Once a homeschooler…

Posts

I posted about one of my favorite books, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.

Books Finished

You can read my thoughts here.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, 4.5 stars, historical fiction, 359 pages, 2022

We had a great book club discussion this month. Take My Hand is historical fiction that drew its inspiration from a real 1973 court case. It found that government family centers were sterilizing girls of color as well as those in poor neighborhoods reliant on government help.

Well written and a shocking part of this country’s not so long ago history. I really liked this one. Highly recommend.

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas, 4.5 stars, historical romance, 373 pages, 1994

This is the sequel to Then Came You that I finished a few weeks ago. An innocent author comes to London to research her next book, only to shoot a man and fall in love with the owner of a gambling club. Loved it.

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron, 5 stars, Buddhism/Spirituality, 176 pages, 2001

I’ve read a few other books by Pema Chodron and I always finish feeling inspired and content. She is an American Buddhist nun and writes about Buddhism in such a welcoming and relatable way. I take a lot from Buddhist teachers, Thich Nhat Hanh being my introduction. I’m a Christian, but I’ve really grown personally from books like these. Maybe you will too if you give one a try. This one deals especially with some life strategies that all can benefit from.

“The most straightforward advice on awakening bodhichitta is this: practice not causing harm to anyone- yourself or others- and every day, do what you can to be helpful.”

“Buddha was pointing out that the fixed idea that we have about ourselves as solid and separate from each other is painfully limiting.”

“Our personal attempts to live humanely in this world are never wasted. Choosing to cultivate love rather than anger just might be what it takes to save the planet from extinction.”

Masked Prey by John Sandford, Lucas Davenport series #30, 4 stars, Mystery/thriller, 406 pages, 2020

I started this series with book one and haven’t looked back. I realized I was a few behind so I’m making quick work of the last few. If you like police procedurals you should definitely give this series a look. He started as a Minneapolis police detective, but is currently a US Marshal still based in Minneapolis. He has a recurring partner, Lucas Flowers, and an adopted daughter, Letty, who each have their own spin offs.

Who Is Malala Yousafzai? by Dinah Brown, Andrew Thompson, illustrator, 4 stars, kids biography, 112 pages, 2015

Most people are familiar with Malala by now. The girl was shot in the face by the Taliban on her way to school in Afghanistan. But there is a backstory if that’s all you know. I already knew everything in this book, but it’s an easy one hour listen on a road trip with your kid!

*I’ve read 22 books so far this year.*

Currently reading

Watching

Jason and I watched Season 1 of White Lotus. What a crazy, beautiful trip. Any other fans out there?

Plans for the Weekend

There are a few hours left that will be spent on Friends of the Solon Library duties. I need to connect with a few members about Facebook stuff and I need to start finding volunteers for our next big book sale. Anyone want to help out in April?

This Week – Busy, Busy

6 Comments

It’s been a busy two weeks. I took a road trip with a friend, celebrated my parent’s 55th anniversary, my dad’s 77th birthday, sat through my son’s IEP meeting and helped with a luncheon at his school, and even did a minimal amount of planning for an upcoming trip and possible high schools for the boy. Gage had a day off of school and I took him with me to sort donations at the library and he worked hard without complaint! 

Posts

January Favorites

Books Finished

The Talk by Darrin Bell. 5/5 stars, Graphic Memoirs, 352 pages, 2023

This graphic memoir is SO good!

Bell has a white mother and black father and it’s his mother who is the one to first tell him that when world will see him as different. She embarrasses him when she causes a scene calling out bias and yet his father remains largely silent when he needs to hear from him the most. This book starts when he is 6 and has a run in with police and they take his water gun and ends after the George Floyd murder when he has to decide if it’s the right time to have the talk about race with his own young son.

Bell was the first Black editorial cartoonist to win the Pulitzer Prize. Highly recommend. Its’s engaging, touching, honest, brave.

Navigating Autism: 9 Mindsets For Helping Kids on the Spectrum by Temple Grandin and Debra Moore. 4/5 stars, Autism, 384 pages, 2021.

This book manages to do many things well. It will benefit parents, teachers, or anyone who knows or works with a kid with an autism diagnosis. In the 9 mindsets it also has something for every stage of the child, from child to older teen. I especially like the section on the medical comorbidities, too often treating the medical issues is completely overlooked.

Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas. 4.5/5 stars, Historical Romance, 371 pages, 1993

I loved this book, but both main characters did some horrific things to each other. I will read and most likely love anything she writes.

Michelle Obama: Her Essential Wisdom. 4/5 stars. Quotes, 128 pages, 2019

“That is the power of our differences to make us smarter and more creative. And that is how all those infusions of new cultures and ideas, generation after generation, created the matchless alchemy of our melting pot and helped us build the strongest, most vibrant, most prosperous nation on the planet, right here.”

The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter. 4/5 stars, Menopause, 400 pages, 2021

I’m not in menopause, yet, but I am of a certain age so I wanted to prepare myself. In many ways I wish I hadn’t 🤣. I wish I could say reading this made me feel empowered, but mostly it just depressed me. I’m glad I read it and I’m glad I’m done reading it. I took some useable knowledge and am better off for it. Make sure you’re taking extra calcium ladies!

Currently Reading

Movies

On my weekend road trip we went to the grand old theater in town and finally saw Killers of the Flower Moon. Yes, it was 3 1/2 hours and I had to get up for a 10 minutes break in the middle, but I really liked it. Lily Gladstone was phenomenal. 

We watched Little Italy on Netflix. It had a fun cast and some laughs.

Plans for the Weekend

The SUPERBOWL!

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

2 Comments

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama. 4.25 stars. Memoir/Self-help, 319 pages, 2022

Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles–the earned wisdom that helps her continue to “become.” She details her most valuable practices, like “starting kind,” “going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of trusted friends and mentors. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness. (from Goodreads)

Michelle’s memoir Becoming is one of my favorites. If you haven’t read it, you should. This book shares new stories, offers advice, and addresses the ‘go high’ vision and what it means. 

It didn’t pack the same emotional punch of her first book, but there were parts I really loved. I loved the section on her relationship with Barack, especially that first trip to Hawaii to meet his family. I love her honesty and the way that she never puts him on a pedestal. Through her we see the real him. I love this quote, “Any long-term partnership really is an act of stubborn faith.” This spoke to me because I often speak of my own marriage this way.

The last few sections about how she was portrayed in right wing press and her now famous call to ‘Go High” were my favorites. We are so lucky to have had her as First Lady and to have her now encouraging us all to do the work. As many like to say, freedom isn’t free, and if we want a better country we have to be better citizens. I’m going to leave you with a few of the quotes I write in my journal. 

“If you keep your children from feeling fear, you’re essentially keeping them from feeling competence.”

“We’re alone, each of us. That’s the ache of being human.”

“Any time we grip hands with another soul and recognize some piece of the story they’re trying to tell, we are acknowledging and affirming two truths at once: We’re lonely and yet we’re not alone.”

“Going high is not just about what happens on a single day, or a month, or inside one election cycle either. It happens over the course of a lifetime, the course of a generation, Going high is demonstrative, a commitment to showing your children, your friends, your colleagues, and your community what it takes to live with love and decency. Because in the end, at least in my experience, what you put out for others- whether it’s hope or hatred- will only create more of the same.”

This Week – Warm & Cozy

9 Comments

This year I want to make a concerted effort to volunteer more. My work for the local library Friends board takes about 4-6 hours a week on average. I don’t want to take time away from that because I love working with the donated books and book sales as well as running the Facebook page. I just want to make a little more time in my day to find new places that could use an extra hand. For the last two Fridays I’ve volunteered at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and helped Clevelanders shop for food that they need – for free! It’s rewarding and I’m happy to have met some very wonderful people and plan to continue helping out a few times a month. As the temperatures are freezing everywhere, I am constantly reminded to be thankful for our warm and cozy home that’s stocked with all the food we need and the books and puzzles that keep my heart purring like like a cat.

On to the books!

Posts

A Top 100 Series post about the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling). I love this series. Have you given it a try?

Books Finished

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith 4.5 stars, Thriller/Private Detective Mystery, 960 pages, 2023. Cormoran Strike series #7. Robin goes undercover to try and expose a cult. Cormoran deals with Charlotte, again. This series needs to be read in order. Start with Cuckoo’s Calling.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. 4.5 stars, YA Romance, 352 pages, 2023. I like Hazelwood’s romances and this one set in the chess world for teens was a lot of fun. The ‘couple is 18 & 20, one bisexual and one not having met anyone who has interested them in that way, and both hardwired for chess. This is her first YA romance and I appreciated the behind closed door sex scene.

The Miracle Seed by Martin Lemelman. 4.5 stars, Nonfiction Graphic Novel for Kids, 80 pages, 2023. What a hopeful book in such an uncertain time. This is the true life story of how 2 Israeli scientists brought the Judean Date Palm tree back to life after having been extinct for over 2000 years. (Here’s a link to a magazine article about it) Inspire the green thumb in your life with this inspiring story from Israel.

Currently Reading

Movies

Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022. What in the world? This was a wacky, insane, and thoughtful movie about parallel universes. Jason and I agreed that we’ve never seen anything quite like it. Two hotdog thumbs up.

Plans for the Weekend

Any other Sunday my weekend would be over, but since tomorrow is MLK Jr. Day we get one more day to play. We have some friends coming over tomorrow to hang out and play games before Gage has an orthodontist appointment. I hope your three day weekend brings some good reading and fun!

2023 The best of the rest

Leave a comment

So many good books this year! You can find my picture book recs here, here, and here. My middle school recommendations here. My adult fiction 5 stars here.

Now for my nonfiction, graphic novel, and high school favorites.

YA Nonfiction

Spare Parts: The True Story of Four Undocumented Teenages, One Ugly Robot, and an Impossible Dream) young readers version) by Joshua Davis and Reyna Grande. 160 pages, 2023

These 4 boys were in high school when they beat college teams, including MIT, in a national robotics competition. It starts with telling you how they came to be in the US, how they found family in the robotics room, and where they are now 20 years later. Middle school/teens. Highly recommend for adults too.

Work With What You Got by Zion Clark with James S Hirsch. 240 pages, 2023

Many of you may have heard of Zion Clark, a short documentary on his life was number one on Netflix. He was born with no legs to a mother in jail with an unknown father. He got bounced around Ohio’s foster care system before finally being adopted at the age of 17. He made headlines in his senior year of high school when he started winning wrestling matches.

Zion grew up in the Canton/Massillon area, less than an hour from where I live so this was a local story for me. But even if it wasn’t I would’ve been so moved my his story and spirit. I think that all teens would benefit from reading such a powerful story of perseverance. And adults should read it too!

Nonfiction

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illustrator Nora Krug. 128 pages, 2017

This was my first book of 2023 and there were my thoughts when I first posted about it on IG.

My first book of the year is also perfectly suited for today, January 6. On Tyranny, Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Professor Timothy Snyder, illustrated by Nora Krug is an important read, especially as we reflect on this day 2 years ago when our democracy was under attack from within. Drawing in the histories of Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, and others, Snyder provides stark similarities to things happening in the United States.

An important read for every American, no matter your political leanings.

#10 “Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. You submit to tyranny when you renounce the difference between what you want to hear and what is actually the case. Post-truth is pre-racism”

I’ve posted more excerpts on my blog so I recommend clicking over there. Get your eyes on a copy and learn, dissect, and come away with a renewed sense of what it means to be a citizen of a functioning democracy and what that demands from us in return.

Taking the Leap by Pema Chodron. 128 pages, 2009

Just some quotes to whet your whistle.

“Natural warmth has the power to heal all relationships-the relationship with ourselves as well as with people, animals, and all that we encounter every day of our lives.”

“We’re like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand in hopes of finding comfort. This running away from all that is unpleasant, this continual cycle of avoiding the present, is referred to as self-absorption, self-clinging, or ego.”

“We’re all looking for a permanent reference point, and it doesn’t exist. Everything is impermanent. Everything is always changing- fluid, unfixed, and open. Nothing is pin-down-able the way we’d like it to be. This is not actually bad news, but we all seem programmed for denial. We have absolutely no tolerance for uncertainty.”

Seeing With Our Souls: Monastic Wisdom for Every Day by Joan Chittister. 124 pages, 2002

Joan Chittister, a Benedictine sister, writes with such grace and wisdom about topics perfect for my meditative time. Vision, an understanding heart, humility, soul, holy indifference, gentleness of spirit, imagination, questioning, emotional stability, purity of heart, inclusion, and nature of the heroic in life are the chapters you’ll find.

I’ll leave you with a few quotes…
“Compassion is the ability to understand how difficult it is for people to be the best of what they want to be at all times.”

“We’re not here to suppress the gifts of others in order to make room for our own. We’re here to put all the gifts of humankind into the great pool of humanity so that, because of the gifts of each of us, we can all live better in the end.”

“There are too many people trying to get into Heaven who have yet to muster the amount of soul it takes to appreciate all the life there is on earth.”

“People who refuse to question all of the assumptions that underpin the way they live-on the grounds that to ask is a violation of faith-are people, ironically, who want cheap answers, not hard faith at all.”

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. 288 pages, 2018

“The societies we live in are increasingly making our minds ill, making it feel as though the way we live is engineered to make us unhappy. When Matt Haig developed panic disorder, anxiety, and depression as an adult, it took him a long time to work out the ways the external world could impact his mental health in both positive and negative ways. Notes on a Nervous Planet collects his observations, taking a look at how the various social, commercial and technological “advancements” that have created the world we now live in can actually hinder our happiness.” from Goodreads

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton. 304 pages, 2013

 I’m sure most of you have seen Humans of New York online. Brandon Stanton started taking photos of people in various cities along with a caption or story and his blog gained traction. By the time his camera found the humanity and exuberant essence of NYC, people were paying attention. And still are. This book was originally published in 2013. I loved every bit of it. The people, the quick story, the quote, the photos.

James & Other Apes by James Mollison. 112 pages, 2004

I can stare at these faces for days. In this over sized picture book, James & Other Apes, James Mollison exquisitely captures these 50 apes found in sanctuaries around the world. They are seen on all of their primate glory. The eyes are the window to the soul, after all. They are each identified by names with short bios at the end of the book.

Graphic Novels

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu. 296 pages, 2018

The graphic biography all ‘ladies’ and the people who love them need to read. Even if you don’t read graphic novels you will want to get your eyes on this one.

I LOVED the art, but also the women included. I knew many, like Temple Grandin and Hedy Lamar, but there so many new names to me, like Agnodice, Clementine Delait the Bearded Lady, and Nazis Al Abid. I learned more about Margaret Hamilton and Mae Jemison.

Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith by Grace Ellis, illustrator Hannah Templar. 208 pages, 2022

This is a graphic bio of the time when she wrote Strangers on a Train and the lesbian thriller A Pinch of Salt under a pseudonym. A Pinch of Salt was later retitled Carol and is known for having the first happy ending gay characters had gotten in books.

Loved the book and recommend it. It was the Author’s Note at the beginning that hooked me. I left out more good stuff for brevity.

“This is a story I believe is worth telling. That being said, I want to be clear: The protagonist of this story is not a good person. She was deeply anti-Semitic, racist, and misogynistic, even by the standards of her time. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that many of her beliefs were nothing short of evil…

A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin. 272 pages, 2020

What a fun book this is! If you love Steve Martin’s humor and New Yorker covers you are going to get many chuckles at the mostly single panel funnies in this collection.

Interspersed amongst the rest is the story of Steve Martin and Harry Bliss, told in comic style, and how they came to put together this book. My favorite is when they were checking each other for ticks. It’s a great 20-30 minute read, sure to make you chuckle.

2023 Five Star Picture Book (nonfiction) Part Two

1 Comment

It’s been another crazy year of reading, with my current total at 343. Much of that has been kids/teens reading through homeschooling and Cybils Awards first round panelist reading. So, like last year, I’m not picking favorites but highlighting my 5 star reads by category.

Since I read over 100 nonfiction picture books for Cybils alone, this will be two separate posts (part one is here) SO MANY fantastic books! 

The Glorious Forest That Fire Built by Ginny Neal. 32 pages, 2023

Simple yet powerful book about the very timely subject of forest fires and how we need trees. Geared for younger elementary.

On a Flake-Flying Day by Buffy Silverman. 32 pages, 2023

Beautiful, high interest photographs with equally beautiful words for vocabulary building. Geared for younger elementary.

Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion by Dave Eggers, illustrator Julia Sarda. 56 pages, 2023

This little forgotten story was made great fun by the humor of the words and illustrations. The mother and her son lived in the house as it was being rolled to a different location – for a whole month!

An American Story by Kwame Alexander, illustrator Dare Coulter. 56 pages, 2023

It’s a beautifully illustrated book that will generate great discussion no matter how old your child is. Alexander wrote this book after a conversation with his daughter’s teacher when he asked why she was teaching about the 13 colonies without talking about slavery. It belongs on all of the shelves! The illustrations were a mix of sketches, paints, and clay figures.

We Are Branches by Joyce Sidman, Beth Krommes illustrator. 40 pages, 2023

I’m obsessed with the illustrations in this book! Perfect for early elementary nature lovers.

Digestion: The Musical by Adam Rex, illustrator Laura Park. 76 pages, 2022

Delightful, bizarre, goofy – all things a musical can be. Lots of kid appeal.

Glitter Everywhere! by Chris Barton. 48 pages, 2023

Science, history, fun, and concern for the future combine to make this a flittery, glittery home run.

Checkmate! by John Foley. 112 pages, 2023

This is listed as elementary level, but it’s really for any kid just getting started.

Stranded!: A Mostly True Story from Iceland by Aevar Por Benediktsson, illustrator Anne Wilson. 32 pages, 2023

This funny and scary story about two men exploring an island just made from an active volcano is fun for all.

Rice From Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Korea by Tina Cho. 40 pages 2018

A great inspiration for kids to show what a small group of individuals can do. I loved the details and photos at the end.

Cicada Symphony by Sue Fliess. 32 pages, 2023

A perfect book for younger elementary with outstanding illustrations which is the real showcase here.

Finding Family: The Duckling Raised By Loons by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrator Alexandria Neonakis. 32 pages, 2023

A delightful little story about family.

Inky’s Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home by Sy Montgomery, illustrator Amy Schimler-Safford. 32 pages, 2018

A colorful story of a real-life escape artist octopus. The story is perfect for younger kids and the end notes satisfy the older ones.

Sniffer & Tinni by Berit Helberg, photographer Torgeir Berge. 40 pages, 2016

The story of a true life friendship between a dog and a fox told with photographs. Sure to delight elementary school animal lovers.

Meet the Bears by Kate Peridot and Becca Hall. 48 pages, 2023

A sweet comparison of different kinds of bears and where they live.

You and the Bowerbird by Maria Gainferrari, illustrator Maris Wicks. 48 pages, 2023

Simple yet fun for younger elementary kids with just the right amount of additional info at the end.

Circle by Jeannie Baker. 48 pages, 2016

Gorgeous illustrations demonstrating bird migration from New Zealand.

2023 Five Star Picture Books (nonfiction)

3 Comments

It’s been another crazy year of reading, with my current total at 343. Much of that has been kids/teens reading through homeschooling and Cybils Awards first round panelist reading. So, like last year, I’m not picking favorites but highlighting my 5 star reads by category.

Since I read over 100 nonfiction books for Cybils alone, this will be two separate posts. SO MANY fantastic books! Let’s start with the ones told about specific people. The first two are my favorites.

The Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic by Jennifer Thermes. 56 pages, 2023

Gage and I studied Antarctica this year so I was so excited to see this book on the Cybils first round reading list. I love everyhing about this book. Tom has many dangerous adventures exploring Antarctica. If cats have 9 lives, I think Tom may have been part cat. Sure to please any adventure loving kid.

A Bowl of Peace: A True Story by Caren Stelson and Akira Kusaka. 40 pages, 2020

What a beautiful, heartbreaking, gut wrenching, hopeful picture book about Sachiko Yasui, a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan during WWII.

Sachiko and her family always ate out of her grandmother’s bowl, filling it with the delicacies of the region, until the war forced plainer fare. At 6, she was half a mile from ground zero. It killed all of her playmates and one of her siblings. Two of her brothers died soon after from radiation exposure.

When the family went back 2 years later they found her grandmother’s bowl in the rubble of their home, unscathed. Every August 9, first her mother and then she, put ice in the bowl to remember those last.

I cannot recommend this book enough for your middle schooler, but be prepared to talk about death and the ugliness of war. Gage knew the details of the war but this story really brought the people to life.

Sachiko outlived her family and died in 2021 at the age of 83. I’ll be feeling this book for awhile.

Ice Cream Man: How Agustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better by Glenda Armand and Kim Freeman, illustrator Keith Mallett. 40 pages, 2023

In 1820, at just 12 years old, he made his way from Philadelphia to the White House to work in the kitchen. He served 3 presidents before heading home and opening up his own ice cream shop where his innovation led to shipping ice cream to other cities.

Tiny Jumper: How Tiny Broadwick Created the Parachute Rip Cord by Candy Dahl, illustrator Maithili Joshi. 40 pages, 2023

Performing in the air from a young age, Tiny Broadwick became the first woman to parachute from an airplane. Often overlooked because of her size, she proved underestimating her only made her work harder. Inspiring.

One City, Two Brothers by Chris Smith, illustrator Aurelia Fronty. 32 pages, 2007

This folktale of how Jerusalem came to be is beautifully told and illustrated.

Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Anna & Elena Balbusso. 40 pages, 2023

Most of us know about Marie Curie. This is the story of Marie and her sister Bronia, successful in her own right. 

Beulah Has a Hunch!: Inside the Colorful Mind of Master Inventor Beulah Louise Henry by Katie Mazeika. 40 pages, 2023

“Beulah’s brain worked differently. She had hyperphantasia, which meant she saw things in extreme detail in her mind, as well as synesthesia, which caused words and numbers and even music notes to show up as different colors in her brain. Beulah’s unique way of seeing the world helped her think up vivid solutions to problems—her hunches came to her fully formed with gears whirring and wheels spinning. She invented everything from a new and improved parasol to cuddly stuffed animals and from ice cream makers to factory machinery. Beulah’s inventions improved daily life in lots of ways, earning her the nickname “Lady Edison,” and she became one of the most prolific inventors in American history.” from Goodreads.

My Night in the Planetarium: A True Story About a Child, a Play, and the Art of Resistance by Innosanto Nagara. 24 pages, 2016

My Night in the Planetarium tells a bit of the country’s history and politics (like a few pages worth, so it’s not overwhelming) with true experiences of the author’s childhood during the resistance.

Gage and I both loved the humor and conversational flow. I especially loved the real photos that were included and what happened after the night in the planetarium when the government police came for his family. Highly recommend for the older elementary and above reader. 

Just One Pebble: One Boy’s Quest to End Hunger by Dianna Wilson Sirkovsky, illustrator Sara Casilda. 32 pages, 2023

An inspiring 9 year old who saw a problem and didn’t look away. 

To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights by Angela Dalton, illustrator Lauren Semmer. 40 pages, 2023

In the 1960s she became a trailblazer as the first black woman on the TV show Star Trek, and she used her platform to make a huge impact for women in STEM. I loved reading Martin Luther King Jr.’s influence. And I just this cover!

King Sejong Invents and Alphabet by Carol Kim, illustrator Cindy Kang. 32 pages, 2021

This tells how the 15th century king wanted ALL Koreans to be able to read and write. Knowledge is Power. 

Zhang Zheng and the Incredible Earthquake Detector by Randal McGee. 32 pages, 2021

The Emperor tasks Zhang Zheng with finding a way for the those in charge to know when deadly earthquakes have taken place. Great story and fabulous illustrations.

Just Being Dali: The Story of Artist Salvador Dali by Amy Gullielmo, illustrator Brett Helquist. 40 pages, 2021

A fantastic book with excellent illustrations. The recurring theme was no matter what people said Salvador Dali just kept being himself. This was one of those quick reads when we studied Spain.

Never Give Up: Dr. Kati Kariko and the Race for the Future of Vaccines by Debbie Dadey, illustrator Juliana Oakley. 40 pages, 2023

“She became fascinated by science as a child and grew up determined to find a way to use messenger RNA―a copy of a part of DNA that provides cells with instructions to make proteins―to help fight illness. An mRNA vaccine had never been made before, and she faced frequent criticism and was told by other scientists she would never succeed. Kariko refused to give up her research, and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she played a critical role in developing the successful Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine faster than any other vaccine in history.” from Goodreads