Monday, March 18, 2024

Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time for a quarterly reading check-in! I read all the books on my Winter TBR except Elatsoe, which I'm now reading. Here's what I plan to read this spring!
1. Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, and Joy San
After reading Snapdragon, my partner reminded me about this graphic novel with a similar love story that they'd recommended to me previously.
2. The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram
I love everything Khorram writes, so I'm excited he has a new one coming out at the beginning of April!
3. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
This has been on my TBR list forever, and I recently heard it recommended again, so I'm going to make it a priority to read it this spring.
4. Dead in the Garden by Dahlia Donovan
I've wanted to read this cozy mystery for ages but it wasn't at the library; I finally realized I'd saved up enough Amazon digital credits to get the Kindle version for free. Done!
5. Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie
This is next in my quest to read Christie's complete works!
6. I Am Ace by Cody Daigle-Orians
I was a fan of Daigle-Orians' channel in the time that I was on TikTok, and I'm excited to read his book.
7. The Polyamory Paradox by Irene Morning
I wanted to read this one after hearing the author on the Multiamory podcast, but like Dead in the Garden it wasn't at the library, and I've now used my digital credits to get the Kindle version.
8. Setting Boundaries That Stick by Juliane Taylor Shore
I put this on my TBR list after hearing the author talk on several podcasts, and now my partner is reading it and encouraged me to actually put a library hold on it.
9. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
This advice book has been on my TBR list forever, and I'm looking forward to finally getting to it.
10. When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön
As I'm anticipating some possible big changes in my life soon, it seems like a good time to read this book about making it through challenging times of life.

What do you plan to read this spring?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Fangirl, When Pigmen Fly, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Becoming, Redwall, Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers and Mankiller
Ten years ago I was reading: The Body & Society, Wolf Hall, and War and Peace

Thursday, March 14, 2024

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

Not a lot of reading happened this month! Most of my reading time was listening to The Secret Keepers audiobook and then reading with my older kid in the evenings. Still happy with what I did read!

The Bad Guys in the Others?! by Aaron Blabey: My 9-year-old finally called it quits on the series after this 16th book. It had some funnier bits than some of the previous books, but the series had just gotten too repetitive at this point.

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart: This was my Best of the Bunch for February. It was an engaging middle grade read about a boy who discovers a magical object and suddenly finds himself embroiled in the most recent chapter of a generations-long battle for power. It was a little on the long side and the characters a bit too impossibly clever at times, but it was an enjoyable story to get lost in.

Polywise: A Deeper Dive Into Navigating Open Relationships by Jessica Fern with David Cooley: This was an excellent follow-up to Polysecure, and I encourage anyone who's thinking of opening up a previously monogamous relationship to read this first and complete the exercises.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey: This book is pretty ridiculous (like, the conceit is that it's written by two 1st graders, and it really feels like that), but my 3rd grader actually requested to get this book and read the entire thing themself, so I'm not complaining!

Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting by Janet Lansbury: Lansbury's writing summarizes many of the teachings of RIE pioneer Magna Gerber and matches a lot of the philosophies of my favorite parenting books. It's a self-published collection of blog posts so it's a little rough around the edges, but overall I think this is a really great summary of some key parenting ideas in a very readable, slim book.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Sparkling Cyanide, Mooncakes, Fangirl, When Pigmen Fly, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Becoming, Indian Horse, Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers and Mankiller
Ten years ago I was reading: The Body & Society, The Death of Bees, and War and Peace

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Best of the Bunch (February 2024)

Best of the Bunch header

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in February.

Of the six books I read this month, I had no 5-star reads and only one 4.5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!
The Secret Keepers was an engaging middle grade read about a boy who discovers a magical object and suddenly finds himself embroiled in the most recent chapter of a generations-long battle for power. Stewart kept my attention by writing Reuben into impossible corners and then somehow finding a way out. I was literally gasping and yelling, "Oh no!" out loud at different points while listening. Overall, the book is a little on the long side and the characters a bit too impossibly clever at times, but it was an enjoyable story to get lost in.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Violin Conspiracy, Fat Luther, Slim Pickin's, When Pigmen Fly, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: The Shadow of the Wind, I Capture the Castle, and No Bad Kids
Ten years ago I was reading: The Omnivore's Dilemma and War and Peace

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Thursday, February 15, 2024

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

I spent most of the month reading Demon Copperhead, but between graphic novels with my kiddo and some middle grade reads, I was able to squeeze in quite a few more books!

The Bad Guys in Cut to the Chase by Aaron Blabey: We jumped back into this series after taking an extended break after the last one. At this point most of the jokes are recycled and the plot isn't advancing much, but my 9-year-old likes doing the voices and is engaged enough to want to read every night.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: Lo has imagined what an Asian-American queer teenager might have experienced in the 1950s, not having language for what she's feeling, then finding a community but being exoticized by the white lesbians there. I think she tried to cram too much Asian-American history into the book and diluted the impact of the plot, but I'm still glad to have read it and glad it's gotten so much attention.

The Bad Guys in They're Bee-Hind You! by Aaron Blabey: This was more or less an extension of the previous book's plot. It seems like each book now is just putting the characters in a new universe and then having a bunch of chase scenes.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: Kingsolver has essentially succeeded in what she set out to do: write the great Appalachian novel while retelling David Copperfield in a more modern era and bringing attention to the origins and effects of the opioid crisis. Kingsolver writes great characters, as always, and it was interesting to see how she adapted Dickens, though I think adhering so closely to the source material had some downsides, like an unnecessarily lengthy plot.

You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino: I love Gino's books with queer main characters, but it was cool to see them use their platform to elevate a different kind of story, with a white hearing girl learning more about the experiences of those who are Deaf and/or Black. This is one that I'd most likely want to read with my kid so we could discuss as we go, as some story points aren't explained clearly. But I'm glad it's out there as a model for kids with more privilege to understand that how they go about learning about others' experiences matters and that their impact matters more than their intent.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang: This was an engaging middle grade story based on the author's own experience immigrating to the United States with her family and helping them run motels. It's a good introduction for that age group to some of the terrible ways people can treat each other, from racism to exploiting immigrant labor, but it also showcases how good people can work together to make change.

The Bad Guys in Open Wide and Say Arrrgh! by Aaron Blabey: Blabey is reeeeeally stretching out the same plot lines at this point. Also, there are new magic powers that suddenly exist for no apparent reason except to keep the plot moving.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Sing, Unburied, Sing, How to Be a Normal Person, When Pigmen Fly, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Prince Caspian, On the Come Up, and Moneyball
Ten years ago I was reading: Adoption, And the Mountains Echoed, and War and Peace

Monday, February 5, 2024

Top Ten Graphic Novels/Memoirs


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic is "Top Ten Quick Reads." I chose to focus specifically on graphic novels and graphic memoirs, which I can typically read in a few hours!
1. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
This is a lovely wordless graphic novel that reads like watching a short animated film. Tan puts the reader in the shoes of an immigrant through the fantastical world that he has designed; just like the protagonist, the language on papers and signs is unfamiliar to us, as are the strange animals, foods, and methods of transportation.
2. Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
This adorable two-volume series covers the four years of college of a queer baker, vlogger, and former figure skater as he joins the college's hockey team and navigates friendships, crushes, and his fear of getting checked on the ice.
3. Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer
Also a two-volume series (so far...?), this features a fantastic group of queer women trying to take down a patriarchal system throughout the galaxy. Fun and satisfying!
4. El Deafo by Cece Bell
This is a graphic memoir of Bell's experience becoming hard of hearing after contacting meningitis at age four. Through her memories, you get some best practices for interacting with people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, and you also see her dealing with the relatable stresses of growing up, navigating school, friendships, and crushes.
5. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
This is a memoir, but a lot of it focuses on Bechdel's father and her attempts to understand his life after his untimely death; as she discovers her own sexual orientation, her journey is in the shadow of her father's revelations about his own sexuality, followed shortly by his death. It's a compelling read that makes excellent use of this format.
6. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Kobabe's graphic memoir of slowly understanding one's gender and sexuality more precisely is an affirming mirror for a common queer journey, where identities don't just land overnight and then stick forever, but that doesn't mean that labels can't be helpful signposts along the way.
7. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
There is one more volume yet to be released in this series about two British schoolboys falling in love. Oseman has perfectly captured the experiences of crushes, friendships, family tensions, and the high school ecosystem throughout these graphic novels.
8. March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
Framed by Rep. John Lewis showing up for President Obama's inauguration, this three-volume series tells the story of Lewis' childhood up through his extensive involvement with the civil rights movement. The story is clearly told, the artwork is cinematic, and you will likely learn a lot and gain a greater appreciation for how much the American civil rights heroes risked and sacrificed.
9. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
This story is an overview of 15 years of Iran's history combined with Satrapi's own coming of age. It's a quick read that's an accessible history lesson and occasionally quite funny while at other times heart-wrenching.
10. Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's a story of found family and embracing the things you love (even when they're unusual) and gender expression and magic. It has so much heart and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Which graphic novels do you love?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: I Was Born for This, Ace, Curse of the Sand Witches, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Half of a Yellow Sun, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and Let the Great World Spin
Ten years ago I was reading: The Steerswoman and War and Peace

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Best of the Bunch (January 2024)

Best of the Bunch header

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in January.

I only read six books this month as I'm still slowly making my way through Demon Copperhead, but three of them were 5-star reads, so not bad!

Multiamory: Essential Tools for Modern Relationships by Dedeker Winston, Jase Lindgren, and Emily Matlack

Heartstopper: Volume Five by Alice Oseman

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

These are all great, but I feel like Remarkably Bright Creatures was on every Best of 2023 list and I recommend starting with the first volume of Heartstopper rather than the fifth, so I'm going to make the third one my Best of the Bunch for the month!
Multiamory: Essential Tools for Modern Relationships is an excellent guide to the most helpful tools the Multiamory team has created over the years for having healthy communication in all kinds of relationships. Each chapter is dedicated to a different tool, with realistic example scenarios and dialogues showing common communication challenges and how the tools can help. The advice in this book is inclusive of non-monogamous relationships but isn't exclusive to that kind of relationship structure, nor is it applicable only to romantic/sexual relationships. I think anyone could find something valuable to take away from this book!

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: In the Wild Light, Curse of the Sand Witches, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: The Call of the Wild, Weird Parenting Wins, and Let the Great World Spin
Ten years ago I was reading: The Steerswoman and War and Peace

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Monday, January 29, 2024

Ten New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2023


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic is authors we read for the first time in 2023. As with previous iterations of this topic, I tried to pick authors that have more than one book and weren't new to everyone in 2023!
1. Kate Albus
I finally read A Place to Hang the Moon in 2023 after seeing it recommended for a couple years, and I know she came out with a similar book last year so I may pick that one up now.
2. Ben Blatt
I really enjoyed Blatt's combination of statistics and literature in Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve, which I'd wanted to read since it came out in 2017. I don't think I'm interested in his previous memoir about baseball, but I'd be interested in any future data books he writes!
3. Susanna Clarke
I still have yet to read Clarke's doorstopper classic, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but after reading the much slimmer Piranesi in 2023 (which wasn't a favorite but was quite good), I'm more interested in bumping her first one up the list.
4. Jessica Fern
I was very impressed by Polysecure, which came out in 2020 and which I finally read in 2023. As soon as I heard about Polywise, which came out last year, I put that one on my holds list!
5. Anthony Horowitz
The best part about waiting until 2023 to read Magpie Murders was that I was able to get the sequel, Moonflower Murders, right away!
6. Kat Leyh
I loved Snapdragon so much I read it twice in 2023. I haven't read any of Leyh's other work, but I want to now!
7. Racquel Marie
I loved how Ophelia After All wasn't predictable or formulaic. Marie just had another book come out in 2023 that I'm interested in and another one coming out this year, so lots more good stuff to explore!
8. Amanda Montell
Cultish was on my radar since it came out in 2021, and I'm glad I got to read it in 2023. Writing engaging, conversational nonfiction is challenging, and Montell does it well. The reviews of her previous book are mixed, but her upcoming book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, looks interesting.
9. Hannah Templer
Cosmoknights wasn't even on my radar until a friend recommended the first volume to me. Now I'm very interested to see what Templer does next, whether another volume of Cosmoknights or something else entirely!
10. Jeff Zentner
I hadn't heard of Zentner until In the Wild Light was nominated and selected for one of my book clubs, but it's actually only his third-most rated book on Goodreads (though his highest rated!). I'm glad his work was introduced to me.

Which authors were new to you in 2023?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: In the Wild Light, Curse of the Sand Witches, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: The Night Masquerade and The Sympathizer
Ten years ago I was reading: The Marriage Plot and War and Peace