Wow, what a book to start the year. The novel starts sort of mysteriously and I don’t want to spoil the mystery (though it’s been out a while now so you may know the mystery anyway–I think I knew before I bought the book, but I didn’t read it right away so I had forgotten by the time I picked it up again). I will say it’s a post-apocalyptic novel–you get that within the first three pages, so that’s not a spoiler. Also there are monsters and […]
A Young Woman’s Dreams
Last year, my sister bought me the young adult memoir-in-verse, Brown Girl Dreaming. And then it went on to win the National Book Award for young readers! Hooray! I have been meaning to read it again and again, and something else got in the way. So when I was at my conference, chilling in my hotel room, I decided to pull out the audio copy I had borrowed from the library and listen to it. It was a good choice. Jacqueline Woodson covers her birth […]
The Perfect Book For Spring
For some unknown reason, The Secret Garden was an overlooked book in my childhood. My parents mostly read science fiction to me and I was content in my personal reading of girlhood staples like the Anne of Green Gables series, Little Women, and The Baby-Sitters Club. But because I’ve really been enjoying the Misselthwaite webseries based on The Secret Garden, I figured it was finally time to give this classic a read. Mary Lennox is a little girl living in early 20th century India. When […]
Adventure writ small
I received this book from my brother in law this past Christmas, as he knew I liked graphic novels and is always willing to take a stab in the dark. I had actually already seen this book, although not read, as my son had already borrowed it from the library. He had been trying to get me to read it, and we ran out of time, so was very happy to have it cross my lap again. The Mouse Guard is a unit of mice […]
Of Birds and Bees
I read The Hive in two days. Less, in fact: I bought the book on Thursday morning, on a whim, because my train was delayed and I’d forgotten my e-reader. I finished it on Friday afternoon. If I hadn’t had to work on those two days I probably would have finished it sooner; I’m guessing a good afternoon on the beach would have done it. That’s basically the best I can say about The Hive: it’s an easy read. It’s also moderately funny. The writer, […]
To be young and all you need is a cold soda
My friend insisted that I read this out of print Jordan Crane graphic novel, Col-Dee. This first person comic is a memory from a hot summer of a boy’s youth. He spends his days hanging out with his friends including a boy named Billy, who is kind of a jerk. We open with Billy chasing the boy and tripping him with glee. But soon the kids are distracted by the arrival of an awesome soda machine. They beg and plead for a free soda, but the delivery […]