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
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