Lots of middle grade and graphic novels, plus some long travel days and a new schedule of only having my kids half time, meant I broke my record for books read in a single month! Here's the full list and what I thought of each.
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob: This graphic memoir jumps back and forth in time from her childhood to the questions her own son is now asking. I thought it was funny, powerful, and heartfelt, and the conversational format was a brilliant way to tell stories.
The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood: This story of children raised by wolves now being taught by an English governess was delightful. It requires a generous helping of suspension of disbelief, but as the book doesn't take itself too seriously, it works. Highly recommended on audio.
Bips and Roses by Asia Citro: In this eighth book of the Zoey and Sassafras series, the problem-of-the-week was a bit more complicated than usual, but once the goal was established I thought the way the experiments proceeded was delightful.
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss: Voss provides a lot of concrete tips for negotiating along with specific examples, and some of them will certainly be helpful to have in my toolbox. However, I don't think they're as widely applicable outside of structured negotiation scenarios as he implies, and he also seemed wildly ignorant of the ways that his experience in the world as a charismatic white man cannot be applied across the board to every other person.
The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood: This was just as charming as the first book, with Lord and Lady Ashton behaving ridiculously, the children getting into trouble despite their best efforts, and Penelope trying to fulfill her governess duties while also trying to answer the ever-growing questions about the children, her origins, and the strange happenings around her.
Saga, Vol. 8 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: The first half of this volume felt like an unnecessarily heavy-handed treatise on abortion, but the second half was more compelling, and it was lovely to get a happy ending for once.
The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood: My suspension of disbelief stretched a bit too far in this book, but it was still a fun read. I don't know if I would have quite as much patience for all the tangents if it weren't for Kellgren's stellar narration that gives them a kind of ironic tone that I personally enjoy.
Here's to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera: I was skeptical about this sequel going in, and it took a while for the book to find its rhythm, but the characters always felt real. The authors use the dual-perspective format well to show how Ben and Arthur make assumptions and have miscommunications that, while they don't have a huge impact (this isn't one of those "if you'd just talk to each other" rom-coms), make everything just a little more awkward.
Sing Anyway by Anita Kelly: This was a lovely little novella! I loved the characters, the dialogue, the romance. Being a novella, the plot is pretty simple, but it was well paced, and I liked the diverse representation that didn't feel didactic or too central to the plot.
At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie: Rather than a straightforward murder mystery, this involves what appears to be a missing persons case, and then later someone else is killed, but the real mystery centers on the hotel and why something seems just a little off about it. It wasn't one of my favorites, but at least Christie's usual offensiveness was kept to a minimum, which I guess is something.
Saga, Vol. 9 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: I can definitely see why people didn't like things ending on this note in 2018. But this was one of the better volumes in a while, in my opinion. It was tightly plotted, I could actually follow the different characters' motivations, there were satisfying plot twists, and it didn't feel like the authors were manufacturing plot to make a point. I'll look forward to picking up the tenth volume once it (hopefully) comes out in the next year.
Rising from Ash by Jax Meyer: This was a super-relatable depiction of an ace character in relationship with someone who's experienced a lot of trauma, and I loved how they navigated really hard things like adults. The only unfortunate thing is that the punctuation is a hot mess, and that made it difficult to read.
The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood: This installment includes more clues, more high-stakes action, and more ridiculousness. In this case, Penelope and her pupils travel to her alma mater for an event, but why has the school changed so drastically, and can they restore its joy and singing?
Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe: I opted to reread this series from my childhood before sharing it with my kids because I couldn't remember how scary it was and also wanted to see if it had aged well. It's a good level of creepy for a kid, I think, and the interactions between the main characters are pretty ridiculous and hilarious.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann: I actually liked this better on reread because of the audiobook, and I'd liked it quite a bit the first time. This account of true horror is well researched and well told, and I'm glad I nominated it for my book club to read for this month.
Howliday Inn by James Howe: This was definitely a step down from Bunnicula. It starts out in the same vein (are these dogs werewolves?), but then it veers way off with animal relationship drama and a dog going missing and the kennel handlers acting strangely. I probably wouldn't make an effort to give this one to my kids after the first book.
Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Fully Loaded Life by Hannah Hart: In this brutally honest memoir, YouTube star Hannah Hart shares about everything from her mother's schizophrenia to her own challenges with PTSD and self-harm, interpersed with a lot of humor.
The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood: In this penultimate volume of the series, secrets are revealed (that the reader has likely already guessed at this point) and additional details are uncovered that explained some of the inexplicable aspects of prior books. I look forward to getting the last audiobook in the series.
Wishypoofs and Hiccups by Asia Citro: This one wasn't one of my favorites — I'm skeptical that you can deduce a hiccup cure by measuring the frequency of hiccups after each attempt — but it gets extra points for a being a reunion book, where multiple characters from past books make an appearance, and there's a group photo at the end.
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, Mr. Popper's Penguins, and Do Better
Five years ago I was reading: The Brothers Karamazov, Good-Bye to All That, and The Nightingale
Ten years ago I was reading: Stumbling on Happiness
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