Here's what I read this past month, including what I've been reading to my older son!
Merhorses and Bubbles by Asia Citro: This was slow to start, but my son and I enjoyed it. There are a lot of scenes with Zoey's dad (who can't see magical creatures) played for laughs, and the solution to the magical creatures' problem in this situation contains both an important lesson about ecology and encourages getting civically involved.
Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu: It was so good to experience Rachel's voice again after her sudden passing in 2019. Throughout this book, she reflects on what it means to live life and love God and one another with your whole heart, and why that includes making room for our doubts, our questions, our anger, and every facet of our identities.
Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming-Of-Age Story: An Illustrated Memoir by Stacey Chomiak: This was my favorite read of November. I think it's so valuable for LGBTQ+ Christian teens to have this honest story of how Stace moved from a place of shame and numbness to a feeling of peace and wholeness after she started seeking God's voice instead of just the interpretations and beliefs of those around her.
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe: I deeply enjoyed this graphic memoir. As Kobabe shared eir honest feelings about eir gender and sexuality, it was clear that e felt them in a profound way even during the times of eir life e didn't have language for them. I think Kobabe's memoir as it stands 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.
Saga, Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: At this point in the series I started to struggle a little bit to keep all the different characters' relationships straight and remember who's chasing whom and for what reason, not to mention figuring out who's dead and who was just seriously wounded. But it's still enjoyable for the great action, humor, and overall storyline.
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: I was familiar with the long history of the U.S. government making and breaking treaties with the indigenous peoples of this land, but Dunbar-Ortiz added a new dimension to my understanding. As a comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and highly detailed work of history, the book is understandably a bit dry, but extremely well done and definitely worth a read.
Caterflies and Ice by Asia Citro: I really enjoyed this one! Zoey uses quick thinking to save the magical caterflies' eggs, but her solution has unintended consequences, and she must use additional scientific knowledge to fix it. I learned something new in this one!
Saga, Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: This was a weird, dark set of chapters in this story. Both Marko and Alana take unnecessary risks, and there's lots more carnage left in a variety of places. This volume wasn't bad, it just felt like too much plot, not enough of the witty dialogue and deep character emotions that I've enjoyed in the series up to this point.
Saga, Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: This one still had too many different story lines for me to fully keep track of them, but there was more snappy dialogue this time, and the plot made more sense, though I'm still tired of watching various people getting blasted and then having to wait several pages to find out if they're dead or not.
The Pod and the Bog by Asia Citro: This one didn't hold my son's attention quite as much as some previous books, possibly because it's about a magical plant rather than a magical creature, but I thought it was surprisingly engaging nonetheless. Through experimentation, Zoey has to figure out where this seed pod came from so she can replant the seeds in the right location. It's a good explanation of both research design and how plants work, set up as a mystery!
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty: I liked this a lot better than Moriarty's last few. The mysteries within the story were compelling, but even more than that, what I like about Moriarty's writing is how brilliantly she captures the subtleties of being a person.
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Flatshare and Strangers from a Different Shore
Five years ago I was reading: Three Act Tragedy, Five on a Treasure Island, and Ficciones
Ten years ago I was reading: Liberated Parents, Liberated Children
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