Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
Technically I only finished the first book in September, but I've already logged the rest in October so I figured I'd split it up and go ahead and post. My stomach still sucks and I'm still sick, but I persevere and carry on. I had a dream last night and I was sobbing over some broken eggs on the floor when I sort of heard and saw Anderson Cooper in my head and he was saying that there is nothing else to do in the face of tragedy except keep carrying on so I just continued wiping up the eggs and sobbing. First off, Anderson Cooper? What the heck brain? That seems like a really random person to give me words of wisdom. I've never even seen his show and only know who he is because of the books he's written. Second off, why is my brain trying to minimize what is obviously a personal tragedy for me. Hm, I will have to think on this more. In the meantime, here are my reviews.
The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
(PopSugar: A book on a subject you know nothing about)
I want to read this because it was recommended by Jan.
So good! Eliza Lucas is left in charge of her father's three plantations in rural South Carolina in the early 1700s. She's determined to make the plantations a success, but with her father's ambition and the challenges of being a young, single woman in the 1700s that success seems very far out of reach. I thought this book was going to be a slog. Usually “Literary Fiction” is a genre I really struggle with. With this book, that was not a problem. I really liked the main character and the pacing was spot on. I didn't feel like there were any extended lulls. I also didn't spend the entire book raging like I thought I might. I cheered Eliza's successes, and I ached whenever she was thwarted. This was a book full of heart and emotion, and I lapped it up at every opportunity. Maybe not a re-read, but a highly recommended book. Thanks Jan!
Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, David Catrow (Illustrations)
(ReadHarder: Read a picture book with a human main character from a marginalized community)
I want to read this because it features a kiddo of color as the main character.
So, the way that Molly Lou Melon is illustrated really bothers me because the face is all disproportionate, but this story was very sweet. Molly Lou Melon stands up for a new kid in her class when another girl picks on him for being a nerd. A great story for helping kids learn to use their voice for good.
Libby Loves Science by Kimberly Derting, Shelli R. Johannes, Joelle Murray (Illustrations)
I want to read this because I noticed it has the instructions for a few simple science projects including the bubbles that I want to make for messy science next year.
Very informative. Libby and her friends are in charge of the science booth at the school fair and are competing with other classes to win an ice cream party. They come up with some great projects but can they beat out the art class’s face painting booth? I love when kiddo books help kids to realize that science is super fun! The projects will also be very helpful for next year. We’ve done all of them except the bubbles, but I hope to change that.
Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, David Catrow (Illustrations)
I want to read this because I am going to read the other one in the series for one of the reading challenges.
Again, the way that Molly Lou is drawn really bothers me, but other than that it was a sweet story. Molly Lou’s grandma talked about how she played when she was a kid and Molly Lou decides to replicate it. When a new kid comes to the neighborhood and Molly Lou makes friends with her, a whole new world of possibility beyond cell phones, video games, and cable tv opens up. Also, the story is super sweet like the other one I read. Molly Lou has a really genuine heart. I love it!
Randy, the Badly Drawn Horse by T. L. McBeth
I want to read this because Shelly said it is so funny.
Shelly was right, it was super funny. Randy is a kiddo’s creation. When the mom and dad comment on how beautiful he is, Randy takes it to heart, but when he sees himself in a pond he thinks they might be fibbing. It’s the best of both worlds when a funny book imparts a lesson too. I will be recommending it.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, Jim Dale (narrator)
I want to read this because it is the next in the series and I always love listening to Jim Dale.
This was good as always. I forgot some of the details that were replaced with the movie, but it’s all nice and refreshed now. I am a little worried about taking on the next book because I know it’s going to be so grim, but maybe I’ll wait a while and listen to some happy books first. Well, at the very least I have a whole bunch of stuff stacked up to get through for the reading challenges before the end of the year.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
(ATY: A book with an emotion in the title, PopSugar: Read a banned book during Banned Books Week)
I want to read this book because it is an award winner and is so relevant to the current climate of our country.
This book was so amazing. I can’t even begin to count the number of ways this book was amazing. Starr Carter is getting a ride from an old friend one night when they are stopped by a police officer and the young man is shot. Now, on top of all the challenges that come with just being a teenager Starr has got some big decisions to make about who she is, who she wants to be, and how to balance all that with who she is expected to be. There was a lot going on in this book. A lot of different themes and tropes were present, but it never felt like they were competing for the reader’s attention. It never felt forced or awkward and that is an incredible feat of writing on its own, but then to also weave in a powerful message without sounding preachy was even more impressive. Angie Thomas is a freakin’ writer of godlike powers! GODLIKE POWERS I TELL YOU! Okay. I will stop gushing now and get to more reviewing. This was a very hard story to read, more than once my throat tightened up and I wanted to sob, but the discomfort was so worth it. It was really amazing how the author managed to incorporate the many complexities of the situation without convolution the story. It was really enlightening. I can't fit everything I loved about it into a quick review but my two favorite things about it were: Chris, Starr’s incredibly supportive, but very white boyfriend and Starr’s family dynamic. I kept expecting Chris to be taken out of the picture somehow, but instead he kept right on being supportive and trying so hard to keep being better for Starr. It was incredible to see a young man in YA lit being what a boyfriend is SUPPOSED TO BE. Kind, supportive, patient, and he keeps trying even when he fails over and over. He was second only to Starr’s family. Her ex-con, ex-gangbanger turned responsible man of the community father; her stern, hardworking, and infinite love wielding mother; her pesky, oblivious little brother; and her incredible, persevering, smart, fierce older half-brother. AND her suburb dwelling, police officer uncle! Her interactions with each are heartwarming and feel so genuine I can’t even express how much I grew to love that family as a whole character unto itself. So many times in this book I thought the characters were going to act a certain way, but I was wrong in almost every case. Chris is a big example of that, Uncle Carlos is another. Time and time again the characters exceeded my expectations and even though the story was heart wrenching, uncomfortable, and heavy I was also left with new understanding and a little bit of hope. While I don’t think this will be a re-read for me later on, it was a positively incredible experience!
Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
(PopSugar: A book with a great first line)
I want to read this because it’s the next in the series.
Technically it wasn’t so much a great line as a great opening. You don’t actually realize what is being described in the beginning until the book really gets going. Well, I didn’t anyways. So, I’m counting this as a great opening, but I feel like it’s in the spirit of the challenge. Craig Johnson is so excellent at researching. This was a lot of fun to read and again I was caught off guard with how the story turned out, but I liked it all the same. Walt is called in to play middle man when a man winds up dead and there’s a scuffle over one of the biggest dinosaur discoveries in history on the dead man's land. Also, we finally see Virgil’s prophecy come to fruition (at least I hope so) and I am satisfied with it. I thought they were gearing up to crush my soul, but kept it to sad concern for the characters. We may get to see more of Cady and that could make for some really interesting developments. I can’t wait to read the next one.
The Highwayman by Craig Johnson
(ATY: A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The", PopSugar: Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge)
I want to read this because it’s the next in the series.
This was an excellent little ghost story! It was sort of out of the timeline in the rest of the series and could easily be read out of order. I was hoping it would further a little more plot, but it didn’t. It was still excellent! I read it rather than listened and found I was still hearing George Guidall’s voice in my head. Walt heads over Wind River country to assist Rosey Wayman, an HP who used to cross paths with Walt over in Absaroka. She’s been getting strange signals on her radio at exactly 12:34A while she's patrolling in the tunnels that run along a canyon and where a past tragedy occurred. Is it a ghost? As usual the author leaves it up to the reader to really decide, but Walt and Henry Standing Bear are not about to stand by without thoroughly investigating. It was quite enjoyable! Can't wait for the next one which is queued up on my phone right now. :)
The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
(PopSugar: A book on a subject you know nothing about)
I want to read this because it was recommended by Jan.
So good! Eliza Lucas is left in charge of her father's three plantations in rural South Carolina in the early 1700s. She's determined to make the plantations a success, but with her father's ambition and the challenges of being a young, single woman in the 1700s that success seems very far out of reach. I thought this book was going to be a slog. Usually “Literary Fiction” is a genre I really struggle with. With this book, that was not a problem. I really liked the main character and the pacing was spot on. I didn't feel like there were any extended lulls. I also didn't spend the entire book raging like I thought I might. I cheered Eliza's successes, and I ached whenever she was thwarted. This was a book full of heart and emotion, and I lapped it up at every opportunity. Maybe not a re-read, but a highly recommended book. Thanks Jan!
Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, David Catrow (Illustrations)
(ReadHarder: Read a picture book with a human main character from a marginalized community)
I want to read this because it features a kiddo of color as the main character.
So, the way that Molly Lou Melon is illustrated really bothers me because the face is all disproportionate, but this story was very sweet. Molly Lou Melon stands up for a new kid in her class when another girl picks on him for being a nerd. A great story for helping kids learn to use their voice for good.
Libby Loves Science by Kimberly Derting, Shelli R. Johannes, Joelle Murray (Illustrations)
I want to read this because I noticed it has the instructions for a few simple science projects including the bubbles that I want to make for messy science next year.
Very informative. Libby and her friends are in charge of the science booth at the school fair and are competing with other classes to win an ice cream party. They come up with some great projects but can they beat out the art class’s face painting booth? I love when kiddo books help kids to realize that science is super fun! The projects will also be very helpful for next year. We’ve done all of them except the bubbles, but I hope to change that.
Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, David Catrow (Illustrations)
I want to read this because I am going to read the other one in the series for one of the reading challenges.
Again, the way that Molly Lou is drawn really bothers me, but other than that it was a sweet story. Molly Lou’s grandma talked about how she played when she was a kid and Molly Lou decides to replicate it. When a new kid comes to the neighborhood and Molly Lou makes friends with her, a whole new world of possibility beyond cell phones, video games, and cable tv opens up. Also, the story is super sweet like the other one I read. Molly Lou has a really genuine heart. I love it!
Randy, the Badly Drawn Horse by T. L. McBeth
I want to read this because Shelly said it is so funny.
Shelly was right, it was super funny. Randy is a kiddo’s creation. When the mom and dad comment on how beautiful he is, Randy takes it to heart, but when he sees himself in a pond he thinks they might be fibbing. It’s the best of both worlds when a funny book imparts a lesson too. I will be recommending it.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, Jim Dale (narrator)
I want to read this because it is the next in the series and I always love listening to Jim Dale.
This was good as always. I forgot some of the details that were replaced with the movie, but it’s all nice and refreshed now. I am a little worried about taking on the next book because I know it’s going to be so grim, but maybe I’ll wait a while and listen to some happy books first. Well, at the very least I have a whole bunch of stuff stacked up to get through for the reading challenges before the end of the year.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
(ATY: A book with an emotion in the title, PopSugar: Read a banned book during Banned Books Week)
I want to read this book because it is an award winner and is so relevant to the current climate of our country.
This book was so amazing. I can’t even begin to count the number of ways this book was amazing. Starr Carter is getting a ride from an old friend one night when they are stopped by a police officer and the young man is shot. Now, on top of all the challenges that come with just being a teenager Starr has got some big decisions to make about who she is, who she wants to be, and how to balance all that with who she is expected to be. There was a lot going on in this book. A lot of different themes and tropes were present, but it never felt like they were competing for the reader’s attention. It never felt forced or awkward and that is an incredible feat of writing on its own, but then to also weave in a powerful message without sounding preachy was even more impressive. Angie Thomas is a freakin’ writer of godlike powers! GODLIKE POWERS I TELL YOU! Okay. I will stop gushing now and get to more reviewing. This was a very hard story to read, more than once my throat tightened up and I wanted to sob, but the discomfort was so worth it. It was really amazing how the author managed to incorporate the many complexities of the situation without convolution the story. It was really enlightening. I can't fit everything I loved about it into a quick review but my two favorite things about it were: Chris, Starr’s incredibly supportive, but very white boyfriend and Starr’s family dynamic. I kept expecting Chris to be taken out of the picture somehow, but instead he kept right on being supportive and trying so hard to keep being better for Starr. It was incredible to see a young man in YA lit being what a boyfriend is SUPPOSED TO BE. Kind, supportive, patient, and he keeps trying even when he fails over and over. He was second only to Starr’s family. Her ex-con, ex-gangbanger turned responsible man of the community father; her stern, hardworking, and infinite love wielding mother; her pesky, oblivious little brother; and her incredible, persevering, smart, fierce older half-brother. AND her suburb dwelling, police officer uncle! Her interactions with each are heartwarming and feel so genuine I can’t even express how much I grew to love that family as a whole character unto itself. So many times in this book I thought the characters were going to act a certain way, but I was wrong in almost every case. Chris is a big example of that, Uncle Carlos is another. Time and time again the characters exceeded my expectations and even though the story was heart wrenching, uncomfortable, and heavy I was also left with new understanding and a little bit of hope. While I don’t think this will be a re-read for me later on, it was a positively incredible experience!
Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
(PopSugar: A book with a great first line)
I want to read this because it’s the next in the series.
Technically it wasn’t so much a great line as a great opening. You don’t actually realize what is being described in the beginning until the book really gets going. Well, I didn’t anyways. So, I’m counting this as a great opening, but I feel like it’s in the spirit of the challenge. Craig Johnson is so excellent at researching. This was a lot of fun to read and again I was caught off guard with how the story turned out, but I liked it all the same. Walt is called in to play middle man when a man winds up dead and there’s a scuffle over one of the biggest dinosaur discoveries in history on the dead man's land. Also, we finally see Virgil’s prophecy come to fruition (at least I hope so) and I am satisfied with it. I thought they were gearing up to crush my soul, but kept it to sad concern for the characters. We may get to see more of Cady and that could make for some really interesting developments. I can’t wait to read the next one.
The Highwayman by Craig Johnson
(ATY: A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The", PopSugar: Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge)
I want to read this because it’s the next in the series.
This was an excellent little ghost story! It was sort of out of the timeline in the rest of the series and could easily be read out of order. I was hoping it would further a little more plot, but it didn’t. It was still excellent! I read it rather than listened and found I was still hearing George Guidall’s voice in my head. Walt heads over Wind River country to assist Rosey Wayman, an HP who used to cross paths with Walt over in Absaroka. She’s been getting strange signals on her radio at exactly 12:34A while she's patrolling in the tunnels that run along a canyon and where a past tragedy occurred. Is it a ghost? As usual the author leaves it up to the reader to really decide, but Walt and Henry Standing Bear are not about to stand by without thoroughly investigating. It was quite enjoyable! Can't wait for the next one which is queued up on my phone right now. :)